Hi All,

I know it has been a while but I've been working on getting my new business web site set-up. 

You can now find my Blogs at this address: www.epicurealdelights.com

Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth

It's fall and that means it's winter squash season. I love it! Why? Because there is nothing easier, healthier, or tastier to prepare than squash. Any kind - acorn, squash, delecata, etc. - can all be prepared with the same methods to make delicious side dishes or main courses.

The easiest and most common method of cooking winter squash is to preheat your oven to 400F degrees. With a sharp knife, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay the squash cut side down onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook the squash for about 45 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the skin.

You can then cut the squash into smaller portions to serve sprinkled with sea salt. Or, you could scoop out the cooked flesh, add a little butter, salt, and a splash of milk and mash.

I also like to cut up the raw squash into cubes (remove the skin) and add to soups and stews. Or, you can take the raw cubes, add a splash of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin and roast in the oven at 400F for about 30 minutes. Another delicious and easy side dish. Plus, winter squash are a great source of complex carbohydrates.

So, get out there and enjoy your winter squash. Oh, and if you have the freezer space, you can freeze your squash cubes after you've baked them and use them throughout the winter.

How could anything be better?

It's peach season and if you're like me you love anything made with them. Since I'm currently off all grains and sugar I came up with a great chutney recipe to help me get my peach fix. I love this stuff on pork, in tacos or fajitas, as a glaze on meat, with chips, or just straight out of the jar. I made a huge batch this past weekend and canned it so we're in chutney for a while. 

My recipe is below. I use honey since I'm off sugar and just know that it won't really thicken like it would if you use sugar. Also, the ginger adds a little zing! in the background, so add more or less depending on your preference. Taste, adjust, and taste again until you get the flavors to your liking. This just happens to be how I like mine. Use it as a starting point to make it the way you like it. And hurry, the peaches are almost gone!

Peach Chutney
Recipe By: Elizabeth Roberts
Yield: 1 1/2 cups 

2 lbs. peaches, skin removed cut into small chunks
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1 c. red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, small dice
1 medium onion, small dice
1/2 c. golden raisins
1-2 Tbs ginger, finely grated
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1. In a medium saute pan, add vinegar and honey over medium heat.
2. Dissolve honey, then add bell pepper, onion, raisins, ginger, and sea salt. Simmer 10 minutes. 
3. Add peach chunks, stir and allow to simmer 15 minutes. Taste, adjust flavors. 
5. Simmer another 30-45 minutes until the peaches are cooked down and flavorful. 
6. Transfer to a glass jar. Cool completely before refrigerating.

This will last about 2-3 weeks in your refrigerator. If you want to make a larger quantity to have over the winter, you will need to seal the canning jars in a hot water bath. 

Enjoy! 
 

I know, I know, it has been faaarrrr too long since I've last posted. So long, in fact, that I forgot my blog log-in indo.

School is over now and the whole experience was excellent! Problem was, I just go too darn busy with all the reading, recipe concocting and testing, learning, business planning, and trying to see the hubby a little more than once a month. So, apologies for falling off the radar screen. But, I'm back and am getting my new business, Epicureal Delights, up and running.

My main business focus will be to teach classes, do demos, and help individuals with specific dietary needs such as food allergies/sensitivites; diabetes; cancer; heart conditions; cholesterol issues, etc. I am starting to look at potential locations in the Colorado Springs area where I could hold classes and have been in very brief discussions with a few purveyors of fine foods about doing some cooking demos using their products, and have a few contacts of people with the aforementioned health issues that just might come my way.

Other than cooking, one of the biggest things I came away with from this Natural Foods Chef course is that plastic is evil. Storing food in plastic is not good as it soaks in the awful carcinogenic chemicals of the plastic, and buying foods that are wrapped in plastic is also not suggested. So what's a person to do? Buy glass - it's reusable, won't leach potential poision into your food, is ec-friendly, and can actually storage in your refrigerator and cabinets neater and easier. 

I use mainly canning jars. They are inexpensive, can be found at garage sales as well as grocery and hardware stores. They come in many different sizes. And they can be easily labeled with some masking tape and a marker. I now store my spices, dried herbs, nuts, seeds, dried beans/lentils, grains, loose leaf tea, and leftover refrigerated food products in mason jars.

My poor husband is still getting used to this new system, but he's getting it and, in fact, liking it I think.

So, that's today's tip: transition away from plastic to glass. Like any change it will take a little getting used to but in the end you'll be happier for it. Oh, and canning jars travel great and freeze well (just remember to leave a bit of room for expansion at the top if you're going to freeze them).

Cheers!
Elizabeth

I think I'm going to become known as the soup lady. I was given another improvisational soup recipe today and here's what I came up with. Pretty darn easy and very tasty. Try it, even in summer. Soup is a very good and easily digestible food. 

And, if you, or anyone you know, is on a Candida diet, this is a Candida-friendly recipe too.
 
Enjoy!

Adzuki Bean Citrus Curry Soup

By Elizabeth Roberts

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

2 c adzuki beans, soaked overnight and rinsed

10 c vegetable stock

1 3” strip Kombu

2 Tbs coconut oil

1 Tbs tea seed oil

1 large onion, cut into medium dice

2 tsp sea salt

2” ginger, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

2-3 Tbs garam masala, or more to taste – see recipe below

zest of 1 lime

juice of 2 limes

1 cup + 2 Tbs cilantro, roughly chopped

1 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. Combine beans, vegetable stock, and kombu in large pot. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer. Cook 1 hour. 
2. In a large sauté pan, warm coconut oil and tea seed oil. Add onions and sea salt, sauté slowly until browned and beginning to caramelize.
3. Add ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Saute another 5 minutes until garlic and spice mixture is fragrant.
4. Add onion mixture to beans and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 1 more hour.
5. When beans are tender, puree half the bean, onion, and stock in a blender until smooth. Add lime zest, lime juice, and 1 cup of cilantro. Blend until cilantro is combined.
6. Pour puree into reserved beans and stock. Add coconut milk and stir to fully combine.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
8. Serve immediately, garnishing with remaining 2 Tbs of cilantro and/or fresh edible flowers.  

Garam Masala
By Elizabeth Roberts
Yield: ~ 1/3 cup

Ingredients

1 Tbs cumin seed

1 Tbs coriander seed

½ Tbs cardamom

½ Tbs yellow mustard seed

½ Tbs black peppercorns

½ tsp whole cloves

1 Tbs turmeric seeds

Directions

1.   Combine all ingredients in a small sauté pan. Heat over medium heat until spices become fragrant and lightly toasted – do not walk away while toasting.
2.   Remove to dish to cool.
3.   When cool, use a spice grinder to grind spices to a fine powder. 

There are a lot of articles lately talking about the best foods to buy organically.

Go here - http://baumancollege.org/images/pdfs/organic_card_cuttout_09-24-2010.pdf - to Bauman College's web site to print out a wallet-sized list of those foods.

Also, if you live near a Bauman college campus check out some of their cooking classes.

____________________________________

Making Carrot soup and Lamb stew today.

Well, Mid-terms are over and I did very well.  YEAH! We had to make brown rice, carrot soup, and a salad with a vinaigrette, along with a written exam and ingredient identification. Here are my recipes. Makes all the time away from my husband and home and health issues worth it.

Brown Rice:
By: Elizabeth Roberts

We had to make a delicious plate of simple brown rice - I cook 1 cup rice in 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 45 mins until tender. Then I mix in a Tablespoon or two of good quality extra virgin olive oil, mix together. And top each individual serving with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Carrot/Ginger/Cilantro Soup:
By: Elizabeth Roberts

2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions, diced
1 tsp salt
1" - 1 1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp cumin, ground or freshly toasted and ground
1 tsp coriander, ground or freshly toasted and ground
1 lb. carrots, washed and cut into 1/4" pieces
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Saute onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent, sprinkle with salt while sauteing.
2. Add carrots, ginger, cumin, and coriander. Stir to combine. 
3. Add stock and water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 
4. Simmer 30-45 minutes, or until carrots are tender. 
5. When tender, strain vegetables and reserve stock. 
6. Put half of the carrots into a blender, add 3-4 cups of stock and puree on high for 3-5 minutes until well combined. Check consistency and flavor. You want a good carrot flavor with a ginger undertone and a soup consistency (you don't want baby food, you want a silky, smooth soup).
7. Add more vegetables or stock until preferred consistency is achieved.  
8. Add cilantro and puree another 2 minutes until well combined. 
9. Serve hot and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. 

Fresh Garden Salad with Champagne/Shallot Vinaigrette:
By: Elizabeth Roberts

Use any type of greens that are fresh and preferrably local
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1-2 Tbs champagne vinegar
1 Tbs shallot, diced
pinch or two or sea salt
extra virgin olive oil, enough to make a proper emulsion - about 1/3 to 1/2 cup 

Make the vinaigrette ahead of time to allow flavors to meld. Add a sprig of Tarragon or Rosemary during this time, but remove before dressing salad.  

To dress salad, pour a small amount of vinaigrette over greens using a large spoon - do not put too much vinaigrette on at once - mix using your hands to coat eat lettuce leaf. Taste, add for  vinaigrette if needed, and adjust salt to taste. 
 

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

By Elizabeth Roberts        

Serves: 6

Ingredients

FISH:

1 lb. fresh flaky fish such as cod, mahi-mahi, or halibut

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium lime, zested and juiced

1 Tbs ground cumin

¼ tsp smoky paprika

SALSA:

1 cup peeled mango, diced into small cubes – about 2 mangos

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced into small cubes

2 Tbs red onion, finely diced

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 Tbs lime juice, freshly squeezed

salt to taste

THE FIXIN’S

6 large lettuce leaves to use as wraps – Boston Bibb or butter lettuce are ideal – wash and dry.

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

½ - 1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed

Directions

1.   Place fish into a glass dish. 

2.   In a bowl, combine olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, and paprika. Whisk to combine then pour over fish.

3.   Massage marinade into fish then refrigerate fish for 15-30 minutes.

4.   Meanwhile, make the salsa. In a bowl, add mango, kiwi, red onion, ginger, cilantro, and lime juice. Combine with a large spoon. Taste, add salt if necessary, adjust other flavors as needed.

5.   Prepare Fixin’s and put each ingredient into its own bowl. Set aside.

6.   Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stove top. Remove fish from marinade and place skin side down on grill pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip fish over and cook another minute or until fish flakes easily.

7.   Remove fish from pan and flake with a fork onto a plate.

        8.    Fill lettuce leaves with flaked fish, then let friends and family assemble tacos to their taste with fixin’s and salsa.

Salad: Mixed Greens with Avocado Dressing

By Elizabeth Roberts

Serves: 4

Ingredients

SALAD:

1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and dried, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups baby spinach, washed and dried

1 large tomato, cut into medium-sized chunks

¼ cup red onion, diced

1/8 cup raw sunflower seeds

Directions

1. In a large serving bowl, combine Romaine pieces, baby spinach, tomato chunks, and red onion.

Ingredients

DRESSING:

1 ripe avocado

1 Tbs lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 Tbs white wine vinegar

¼ cup plain, nonfat yogurt

1 tsp onion zest and its juice

salt - to taste

pepper - to taste

Directions

1.   Cut avocado in half. Remove pit. With spoon, scoop avocado flesh into blender.

2.   Add lemon juice, vinegar, yogurt, onion zest with juice* and blend until smooth.

3.   Taste. Add salt and pepper as needed. If too thick, you can add a little more lemon juice or a bit of water to thin it out.

Pour half the dressing over the salad ingredients, and combine. Taste a piece of lettuce. If too dry, add more dressing a little at a time until desired wetness. Serve on salad plates and sprinkle sunflower seeds over top of each salad.

* For the onion zest, use a microplane or a grater with a fine grating edge. Do this over a bowl to catch onion juice.

Stuffed Mushrooms

By Elizabeth Roberts

Makes: 25 mushrooms

Ingredients

25 large mushrooms (about 2-3”diameter)

¼ cup gluten-free multi-grain bread

¼ cup raw nuts – almonds, cashews, macademia

¼ cup fresh pecorino or parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

pinch of salt

2-3 grind of fresh pepper

4 Tbs olive oil

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2    Clean mushroom tops with a damp cloth. Remove stems, chop finely and set aside.

3.   Toast 2 slices of gluten-free bread. Allow to cool and put into food processor and make fine crumbs. Transfer to bowl.

4.   Put nuts into food processor and make fine crumbs. Transfer to bowl with bread crumbs.

5.   To bread crumbs and nuts, add cheese, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, chopped mushroom stems, and 2 Tbs. olive oil. Mix well to combine.

6.   Coat bottom of a stainless steel baking sheet with 1 Tbs olive oil.

7.   Use a spoon to fill each mushroom cap with the bread crumb mixture. Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet, drizzle each mushroom with remaining olive oil.

8.   Bake for 20-25 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and filling is slightly browned on top.

        9.         Serve warm.