Month: March 2015

by

Pink Champagne Party Punch

WIN_20150327_183729

You don’t need a great big special occasion for this – why not invite a few girlfriends over on a sunny day and chat all afternoon over a bowl of Pink Champagne Party Punch? If you don’t have a punch bowl, get creative – use a big glass mixing bowl, a big glass vase, or anything else that catches your eye. Likewise, you can make decorative ice using an ice mold, a bundt cake pan, or just use a regular ice cube tray with pieces of fruit added to the individual ice cube compartments. There’s no need to be precious about it… this is supposed to be FUN, not complicated.

Ingredients (Makes about 3 liters)

1 cup of assorted fruit (small berries and thin slices of citrus fruit work well)

1 liter of cranberry-raspberry juice

1 liter of ginger ale

1 bottle (750 mL) of champagne or sparkling wine

small container of raspberry sherbet

WIN_20150327_082303Directions

Step 1) One day before serving, make your decorative ice. Place one layer of fruit in the bottom of your bundt pan, ice mold, or ice cube tray. Add 1/2 inch of water (that’s all!) and freeze. A few hours later, add another layer of fruit and another 1/2 inch of water. Once THAT freezes, you can add as much WIN_20150327_100221water (or juice) as you’d like. Keep frozen until serving time.

Step 2) Just before serving, remove ice from the freezer and set bottom in warm water for about 10 seconds… not too long! Just add an inch or so of warm water to the bottom of your kitchen sink. Then, carefully life out the ice and place it in your punch bowl.

Step 3) Add juice and soda to punch bowl. Top with a few tablespoons of raspberry sherbet. Finally, pour champagne over the top of everything and watch it FIZZ! Serve immediately.

WIN_20150327_184010

by

Jelly Bean Brittle

WIN_20150329_141104

Hop. Hop. Hippidy Hop. That bunny is heading our way, and wouldn’t it be nice if he arrived with a basket of homemade Easter candy? Jelly Bean Brittle is awesome for so many reasons… it’s super easy (Can you boil water? That’s about the only skill you need!), doesn’t require any expensive ingredients, and unlike peanut brittle, is completely free of common allergens. This recipe makes a great big pan (about 2 1/2 pounds’ worth) – perfect for an office or a classroom!

The only special item you will need is a candy thermometer. Now, don’t panic – a candy thermometer looks like any other thermometer, and just clips right onto your pot. All you need to do is READ it, and if you are reading this blog post, you’ve got that skill locked. Here is a link to the simple candy thermometer that I use:

Taylor Classic Line Glass Candy and Deep Fry Thermometer

It’s less than $6, and if you order it today you’ll be able to make Jelly Bean Brittle before Easter. You’re welcome. Let’s get started!

WIN_20150329_131938Ingredients (Makes 2 1/2 pounds)

1 pound bag of mini jelly beans

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

WIN_20150329_1329121/4 cup butter (not margarine)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (no lumps!)

Directions

Step 1) Clip your candy thermometer to the side of a big, old pot. The tip of the thermometer should not be touching the WIN_20150329_132803bottom of the pot. Add sugar, corn syrup, water, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.

Step 2) Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat slightly (low-medium) and allow to continue boiling until the temperature gauge on your candy thermometer reaches the line WIN_20150329_134459labeled “Hard Crack” or 295 degrees. Be patient – this will take 20 – 30 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally.

Step 3) While your mixture boils, prepare your pan. First, cover your largest baking pan with aluminum foil; don’t forget to cover the sides. Next, grease the aluminum foil with the wrapper from a stick of butter. Then, evenly distribute jelly beans on the WIN_20150329_134509foil.

Step 4) When your boiling mixture reaches the Hard Crack stage, turn off the heat and sprinkle baking soda into the pot. STIR QUICKLY! A chemical reaction will take place, causing the boiling mixture to foam and froth. This is normal – and exciting!

Step 5) After stirring, pour mixture over jelly WIN_20150329_134600beans. Working quickly, spread mixture evenly over the entire pan.

Step 6) After about 10 minutes, your jelly bean brittle will be ready to break apart into bite size pieces. Store in an airtight container to keep nice and fresh!

PS – About that pot… just add a drop of dish soap and fill with BOILING water. It’ll come clean in seconds.  😉

by

Banana Boats

WIN_20150327_071812

Banana Boats make fun desserts and festive brunch items. They’re easy enough for children to assemble (as long as a grown-up supervises the broiler). As far as both nutrition and taste are concerned, Banana Boats offer a lot of bang for your buck. The combination of bananas and peanut butter has long been popular as a child-friendly snack, and the tiny amounts of mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows in this recipe add only about 30 calories per Boat. Enjoy this guilt-free treat!

WIN_20150327_071114Ingredients (for each Banana Boat)

1 large, ripe banana

1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips

8 mini marshmallows

WIN_20150327_071351Directions

Step 1) Slice through the length of each banana as shown, leaving the back of the peel intact.

Step 2) Set bananas in a baking pan lined with a roasting rack, to keep the bananas from tipping over.

WIN_20150327_071955Step 3) Spread peanut butter inside of each banana. Top with mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.

Step 4) Broil under a low broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, until marshmallows turn golden brown. Watch constantly, as marshmallows will go from golden to burned very quickly!

Step 5) Enjoy immediately.

by

Almost Kimchi

WIN_20150326_094323

It all began with a rather forlorn looking cabbage lurking grumpily in my refrigerator.

WIN_20150326_091858

Not a very inspiring image, is it? Undeterred, I looked around for something to jazz up this healthy veggie. Aha! Chili paste! Everything tastes better with chili paste!

Even.

Cabbage.

I’m calling this “Almost Kimchi” because this isn’t an authentic Korean recipe. This is simply a nod toward the spicy/pungent, fermented cabbage blend that is ubiquitous to Korean cuisine. True kimchi has a much, much stronger flavor profile and can be a bit of an acquired taste for those unfamiliar with Korean food. Try this recipe first. If you like it – and I think you will – go ahead and try the real deal in a Korean restaurant. Trying new foods is a delightful adventure – enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 2 quarts)

1 medium head of cabbage, sliced into thin strips

2 tablespoons salt

1/2 cup of daikon, sliced into matchsticks (or substitute sliced red radishes)

1/2 cup of carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced

1 cup of chili vinegar

1 tablespoon chili paste, such as nam prik pao

1/4 cup fish sauce (or substitute 2 tablespoons soy sauce)

WIN_20150326_092758Directions

Step 1) Place sliced cabbage in a large strainer and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least an hour or for as long as overnight. This will cause the cabbage to give up some of its water.

Step 2) Rinse the salt off of the cabbage and pat dry. Don’t be afraid to really give the cabbage a squeeze!

WIN_20150326_093854Step 3) Combine all remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend until well combined. Gently mix in cabbage.

Step 4) Transfer cabbage mixture into 2, quart size mason jars (using a wide mouth funnel is helpful, but not essential). Cover jars and place in the refrigerator.

Step 5) After about 24 hours, you will notice that the jars appear less full. This is normal, and is one indication that fermentation is beginning to occur. Quickly open and reclose the jars, to let any gasses escape.  Wait about three more days, and your Almost Kimchi will be at its most delicious!

by

Sriracha “Fried” Oysters

WIN_20150326_102634

Sriracha “Fried” Oysters are low in fat!

The next time you’re at the supermarket, take a closer look among the dozens of brands of canned tuna, and keep an eye out for this:

WIN_20150326_100147 - Copy

You’ve never purchased a can of oysters? You’re not alone, and that’s a shame. I get it, those low cost cans of oysters aren’t as sexy as the overpriced, restaurant peddled raw oysters on a half shell, but they’re just as nutritious and mineral rich! A one cup serving of canned oysters contains a whopping 17 grams of protein and a hearty dose of iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and B vitamins, all for about 170 calories and 6 grams of fat. What are you waiting for?

This recipe is dirt cheap and stone simple. You need exactly three ingredients, and oil is NOT one of them. Oysters contain so much moisture that we can get away with dry frying – they go right on a hot, nonstick pan without any added fats or oils at all. Woo Hoo! Throwing a party? Double or triple this recipe for a hot, fast, cheap snack that is actually GOOD FOR YOU. Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you won’t tell.

WIN_20150326_101602 - CopyIngredients (Makes 12 – 15 bite size snacks)

8 oz can of whole oysters

1/4 cup sriracha hot sauce

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

Directions

WIN_20150326_102243 - CopyStep 1) Drain can of oysters.

Step 2) Pour sriracha sauce onto a small plate and top with oysters. Gently turn oysters over to coat with sriracha.

Step 3) Pour cornmeal onto a second, small plate. Gently transfer oysters to cornmeal and turn to coat.

Step 4) Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place oysters on hot skillet and “fry” for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until cornmeal begins to brown. Serve immediately.

by

Spicy Yam and Coconut Soup

WIN_20150325_185935

Spicy Yam and Coconut Soup

Springtime… is it a myth? Will winter weather ever end? Here in my chilly neck of the woods, I am starting to wonder! One thing is certain… I am tired of being cold. Spicy Yam and Coconut Soup is one of those dishes with the ability to warm you up from the inside out. It’s a perfect meal to enjoy while we wait… and wait… for warm and sunny weather to arrive.

WIN_20150325_174311Ingredients (Makes 4 main dish servings)

4 cups good quality pork stock (substitute chicken broth for a lighter soup, or vegetable broth for vegan soup)

2 large or 3 small red yams, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup white onion, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon chili paste such as nam prik pao (use more or less depending upon your tolerance for heat)

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon all-natural peanut butter (optional, but adds a nice earthy element to this soup)

WIN_20150325_184515Directions

Step 1) Simmer yams and onion in pork stock for 20 minutes or until yams are very tender. Remove from heat.

Step 2) Puree yams, onion, and pork stock with an immersion blender. Add chili paste, coconut milk, and peanut butter. Blend well.

Step 3) Ladle soup into serving bowls. Garnish with thinly sliced greens (bok choy or any other leafy green) and small dots of chili paste.

Step 4) Serve immediately and enjoy while dreaming of sunshine.

by

Juices and Smoothies Galore!

I recently received a free review copy of Christine Bailey’s Supercharged Juice & Smoothie Recipes: Your Ultra-Healthy Plan for Weight-Loss, Detox, Beauty and More Using Green Vegetables, Powders and Super-Supplements

Supercharged

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

Supercharged is an interesting read. Christine Bailey devotes the first 25 pages of her book to outlining and explaining the nutritional contexts behind her recipes. If you happen to own a juicer, you will find plenty of recipes to keep you busy and well nourished for a long time! I don’t own a juicer, so my blender and I moved right along to the smoothies in the second half of the book.
picture507

Folks concerned about allergens will be happy to see convenient symbols pointing readers toward recipes that are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, seed free, citrus free, and suitable for vegans. Some readers might enjoy Bailey’s more subjective categories including weight loss, cleansing, radiance, energy, immune boost, and brain health and stress. Crowded Earth Kitchen doesn’t put a whole lot of stock in these latter, subjective categories, believing instead that simply enjoying a wide variety of fresh, whole foods is the key to optimum health. But hey, if it puts a little spring in your step to sip a glass of something labeled “cleansing” or “radiant,” who am I to judge?

I enjoyed the Wake-Up Berry Latte, featured on page 118 of Supercharged. Made from yerba mate tea, almond milk, maqui berry powder, frozen mixed berries, and cinnamon, I thought this smoothie was a delicious and low calorie way to start my day.

Don’t have any maqui berry powder handy? Yes… that’s the only real drawback I found reading Supercharged Juice & Smoothie Recipes: Your Ultra-Healthy Plan for Weight-Loss, Detox, Beauty and More Using Green Vegetables, Powders and Super-Supplements. The recipes contained within the book do contain many specialty ingredients, from a wide variety of berry and vegetable powders to ingredients such as aloe vera juice, flaxseed oil, water kefir, and shelled hemp seeds. Readers should plan on a trip to a health food store (or a bit of online shopping) before making use of this book.

Happy Juicing! Be Well!

by

Help fight hunger and win free stuff!

Rafflecopter Drawing – Check out the many ways to win!

***   a Rafflecopter giveaway   ***   a Rafflecopter giveaway   ***

Contest Ends March 31st

How to Win:  Submit your favorite recipe to The Global Recipe Project!  

100% of profits from the sale of The Global Recipe Project cookbook will be donated to nonprofit organizations whose primary mission is fighting food insecurity. Anticipated publication release: October 2015.

Simply share your favorite recipe with The Global Recipe Project to contribute to this worthy project and you will be automatically entered in a drawing for a free, author signed book.  Each recipe counts as a separate entry.  Enter as many times as you’d like by sharing as many recipes as you wish!  Thank you for your help!

by

Spring Tea

picture101Happy first day of Spring!  Lavender is synonymous with springtime here at Crowded Earth Kitchen.  The signature color of lavender buds, combined with their fresh, clean scent, are an assurance that the warm summer sun will be here soon enough.  While we wait, let’s warm up with a cup of tea!

Lavender teas have long been recommended by herbal experts for soothing the stomach, serving as a sleep aide, and relieving headaches.  Crowded Earth Kitchen is featuring two lavender tea blends today.  The first, Lavender Passion Flower Tea, combines lavender with passion flower leaves.  Available in the herbal section of many markets, passion flower leaves have a long history as a folk remedy for anxiety and insomnia.  Lavender Passion Flower Tea has an earthy taste and a springtime fragrance reminiscent of freshly cut grass.

Our second lavender tea blend, Lavender Chamomint, combines lavender with the soothing power of German chamomile and the perky zip of peppermint.  While also offering calming properties, the herbs in Lavender Chamomint have also been used by women as folk remedies for pre-menstrual symptoms and menstrual cramps.

picture390Lavender Passion Flower Tea

(makes 12 cups)

Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of dried passion flower leaves with 2 heaping tablespoons of dried lavender buds.  Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of this mixture.  Steep for 5 minutes.

~

picture391Lavender Chamomint Tea

(makes 15 cups)

Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of dried lavender buds, 2 heaping tablespoons of dried German chamomile, and 1 heaping tablespoon of peppermint.  Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of this mixture.  Steep for 5 minutes.

Enjoy, and Be Well!

Crowded Earth Kitchen will revisit the topic of tea from time to time.  If you have a favorite herb or type of tea that you would like to see featured, please comment below!

by

Sneaky Leprechaun Milkshake

This vintage post was popular the first time around, and Crowded Earth Kitchen has several hundred new readers (Welcome!) since last St. Patrick’s Day, so I’m sharing this again.  Enjoy!

picture833“Mom?  Can we just stop at the drive-thru and get a (green) shake?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“Still No.”

“Pleeaassee?  I’ll do laundry.”

I’ll admit, this is where the devil on my shoulder told me that I would be a fool not to cave in just this once, and so what if the child glows in the dark for the next two weeks.  The fact is, the children in my house generate approximately 817 loads of laundry every week, and the offer of complaint-free laundry labor was enticing (that they will end up helping anyway, albeit under duress, is beside the point).  Then I had an idea…

“Still no.  But if you help with laundry cheerfully, I’ll make you a (green) shake.”

“Deal.”

Here’s what I came up with.  The kids LOVED it!  Peppermint extract is strong… a little bit can make, well, just about anything taste like peppermint.  😉  Each serving (approximately 10 ounces) contains 113 calories, 4 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.  Each serving also packs an impressive 60% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin A, and 20% of the RDA for calcium.  Compare that to the drive-thru green shake… I dare you.

picture822Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

1 cup frozen chopped spinach (Ha!  Ha ha ha!)

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup “real” vanilla ice cream, without any weird ingredients (I found a supermarket brand that was made from milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk, natural vanilla extract, and nothing else)

1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (Very strong!  You may even want to try a bit less than 1 teaspoon.)

Dark chocolate shavings (Optional)  

picture823Directions

Step 1) Add spinach and about half of the skim milk to a blender.  Pulse for a few seconds to thoroughly chop spinach into tiny “peppermint” size pieces.

Step 2) Add remaining milk to blender and blend for a minute or a longer until the mixture is very creamy (almost butter-like) and increases in volume.  The photo, left, shows only spinach and milk – it really does get creamy!

Step 3) Add peppermint extract and ice cream to blender.  For best results, add ice cream in several tiny scoops rather than one large scoop.  Blend until all ingredients are combined.

Step 4) Mixture will be tasty now, but thin.  For best results, pour shake mixture into a shallow container and place in the back of your freezer for one hour.  After an hour, scoop shake mixture into serving glasses (I used half pint jelly jars).  Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired.

Step 5) Try not to laugh as your loved ones unwittingly eat their spinach.  🙂

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

by

Budapest and Chocolate Soufflé

Bela Bartok

Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, Budapest

Her routine was always the same. She sat on the edge of the bench in the blessed quiet, barely placing her hands on the keys, and moved her fingers in silent meditation. She played the first notes in her mind, moving her fingers without pressing the keys, over and over and over. Her eyes opened and closed, her shoulders moved almost imperceptibly, and the smooth muscles of her forehead moved this way and that, mere fractions of an inch. She had been attempting to perfect Trois Caprices Poétiques to Fenwick’s satisfaction for months, and the first of its three etudes, Il Lamento, was beginning to stir inside of her. The thought that Liszt had put these notes to paper in the 1840s, and the notes had endured through generations, humbled her. She viewed her performances as equal parts art and history, and strove meticulously to honor both.

~ Excerpted from page 42 of How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé 

Home of beloved composer Franz Liszt, the capitol city of Budapest, Hungary is often referred to as the Paris of the East. Depending upon one’s perspective, this may be a fair comparison. Both cities are cradled by famous and beautiful rivers, and both cities are laden with romantic charm…but really that is where the similarities end. To compare Budapest to Paris, I think, is to shortchange Budapest! Let me explain.

Paris is certainly a beautiful city, there’s no sense in denying that. Paris has marched forward in lockstep with time, evolving into a thoroughly modern global city with a healthy respect for its own history. Budapest, however, continues to live its history. In Budapest you will find that Old European charm is still very much infused in everyday life, from the simple peasant foods sold in market squares by well rounded, kerchiefed grandmothers to the men of all ages playing and dancing along to achingly beautiful strains on violins. Hungary is outside of the Eurozone, which means that currency exchange rates for Americans and Europeans living within the Eurozone are quite favorable. Compared with the high cost of living and traveling in Paris, Budapest is quite a bargain!

Budapest

Budapest, Hungary

Visitors to Budapest will fall in love with the architecture of Matthias Church and Fishermen’s Bastion, and will enjoy stealing a kiss on the Chain Bridge. History buffs will enjoy the striking Parliament building and Heroes’ Square. Of course, no visit to Budapest would be complete without experiencing the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall…

Had she glanced to the left, she would have seen the 92 towering pipes of the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall’s organ, an instrument so magnificent that its creation required collaboration between the German Orgelbau-Mühlhausen and the Hungarian Orgonaépítő Manufaktúra, but it never caught her eye. Had she glanced to the right, and astonishingly enough she did not, Madeleine would have noticed four majestic levels of gleaming, pale wood seating, in crisp view close up, but swallowed into darkness halfway back. If the house lights were on, she would have been able to see how every seat was arranged so that patrons could align their ears and their eyes with Madeleine’s position. She would notice all of these details when the concert ended, of course.

… She was so breathtakingly beautiful, he had to close his eyes to avoid distraction and truly hear her bring Liszt to life.

            ~Excerpted from pages 188-189 of How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé

Carly Ellen is a food traveler and writer who loves incorporating delicious recipes into her stories.  She has a minor obsession with French boulangeries, and is sublimely happy with a fresh baguette and cup of espresso in any European cobblestoned square. Because she can’t resist weaving food into her fiction, Carly Ellen has included over a dozen new recipes in her book, How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé. Free book giveaways and author discussions are available at Carly Ellen’s Goodreads page and author website.  Don’t miss out on author updates and fun freebies – follow Carly Ellen on Facebook and Twitter!

You can purchase this book here:        AMAZON         B&N

Travel vicariously with World of Nikki! Click here for travel stories, travel books, global foods, and more!

by

Celebrate Pi Day with Grandma’s Taffy Mini Pies

tapinto

Photo Credit: Tapinto.net

March 14th is a great day to celebrate your inner math and science geek.  Not only is March 14th Albert Einstein’s birthday, it is also Pi Day.  You know, pi… the ratio of a circle’s circumference to it’s diameter… 3.141592653 etc. etc.

THIS year, Pi Day is extra special… it’s the Pi Day of the century! March 14th, 2015 at precisely 9:26:53 a.m. we will celebrate more consecutive digits of pi than at any other moment in either the previous or the last one hundred years. Stand proud, math geeks!

To celebrate Pi Day, we’re making Grandma’s Taffy Mini Pies. These bite size pastries ooze caramel goodness, and are delicious with or without the addition of pecans. Enjoy!

Ingredients and Directions (Makes about 40 mini-muffin size pies)

Crust: Cream together 1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons softened butter. Blend in 2 1/2 cups of flour. Roll dough into marble size pieces (like cookie dough) and place one piece into each cup of a mini muffin tin. Push dough in center to mold inside of each mini muffin tin.

Optional: Place a pecan half or a few broken pecan pieces on the inside bottom of each mini pie crust.

Taffy Filling: Beat one egg and whisk in 1 cup of brown sugar. So easy! Spoon 1 teaspoon of egg/sugar mixture into each mini pie crust, being careful to keep the to keep the egg/sugar mixture below the level of the pie crust sides.

Bake mini pies in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Chocolate Souffle Adventures with Author Carly Ellen Kramer (Recipe Included)
by

Chocolate Souffle Adventures with Author Carly Ellen Kramer (Recipe Included)

Poetic Parfait

Who’s in the mood for chocolate today? Author Carly Ellen Kramer is here with a sweet idea! She is the author of the food fiction novel “How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé.” While Carly is here to visit as part of her blog tour, I thought we could whip up Mrs. Baptiste’s Chocolate Soufflé, which is the recipe on page 8 of the book.

Let’s do this!

Mrs. Baptiste’s Chocolate Soufflé

Grease four single-serving ramekins with real butter and dust with sugar. Set aside. Set a metal mixing bowl over the top of a pot containing one inch of softly boiling water. The bottom of the mixing bowl should not touch the water in the pot. In the mixing bowl, melt ½ cup of dark chocolate chips. Stir well.

Making a chocolate souffle with author Carly Ellen Krame In the mixing bowl, melt ½ cup of dark chocolate chips. Step 1 of making a chocolate souffle recipe. Photo via Carly Ellen…

View original post 607 more words