Mayonnaise

Last week I got together with my friend Steph and together we whipped up some homemade mayonnaise. I was surprised at how easy it was and how delicious it tasted. My family loved it which made me so happy since we are picky about our mayonnaise. We love mayonnaise (especially Best Foods/Hellmann's) but I have not found any store bought ones we like that are not filled with GMO's or other nasty ingredients. I used my immersion blender and a wide mouth canning jar which worked perfectly!

Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks or one whole egg* 
1 tbs lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar (optional)
1/4- 1/2 tsp salt
pinch ground pepper
1 tsp mustard seed (optional)
1 cup vegetable oil*

Place the egg yolks in the bottom of a wide mouth canning jar. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place the immersion blender in the jar and  begin to mix. Slowly pour in the oil a small amount at a time. Taking at least 1-2 min to add all the oil to the jar. As you put in the oil the mixture will start to thicken and become white and mayonnaise like. After adding all the oil if it seems thick add a teaspoon or two of water and blend. The mixture will thicken a bit in the fridge but not a lot so be sure to have it at about the right constancy. It will last for 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

Experiment with making it just the way you like it. A lot of recipes call for a small amount of mustard in it up to 1 tsp. Replace the vinegar with more lemon juice or add a clove of garlic for garlic mayonnaise. The best part of making your own is that you can create the right recipe for you.


*Be sure you are using only fresh clean eggs. I buy mine from the farmer and feel confident after talking with them that the eggs I use are safe for eating raw this way.

*We tried flax seed and grape seed and definitely liked the grape seed better. You want to use a flavorless oil. Olive oil has a lot of flavor and is good in combination with other less strong oils. Mixing 2 different oils can make for a good mayonnaise. Our favorite is half walnut oil half sunflower seed oil. Again it is up to you and your tastes. Try some different combinations and see what you like.

Red Lentils and Veggies

I am working more lentils and beans into our diet. I made this the other day with our Grilled Veggie Sandwiches. I worked great and will be added to our rotation.

Red Lentils and Veggies
1 1/4 cups red lentils
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups chopped veggies (eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots)
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
pepper
salt

 Boil the lentils in enough water to cover them for 10 min. Drain and set aside.
Chop the onion, garlic, and other veggies. Heat butter in a pot. Gently saute the onions, garlic, and veggies.  Add the lentils, thyme, pepper, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Cover reduce heat and simmer for 20 min. Salt to taste.

Soaked Baked Oatmeal

This weekend I made a yummy oatmeal breakfast. My father said it tasted like an oatmeal cookie, like I said Yummy! The original recipe came from here. I liked the idea of the baked oatmeal but since reading the book Real Foods by Nina Planck I wanted something without refined sugar and vegetable oil so I tweaked it a bit. Here is my version of soaked baked oatmeal.

Soaked Baked Oatmeal

2 cups oatmeal

1 tbs whole wheat flour
1 cup yogurt
½ cup water

2 eggs
6 tbs maple syrup
1/3 cup melted butter or applesauce
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk

add in options

raisins

small pieces of apple

berries

chocolate chips

coconut flakes

Mix the oatmeal, flour, yogurt, and milk in an 8x8 pan. Cover and sit on the counter, allow the oats to soak for 12-24 hours.

Preheat oven o 350º. Mix the eggs and all the rest of the ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the egg mixture to the soaked oats and mix well. Mix in any optional add ins. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm. 

Soaked Waffles

We are embracing the soaking method around here. First after a ton of reading I have found that grains that have been soaked are much easier for our bodies to digest plus we absorb more of the vitamin and minerals our bodies need when we are eating soaked grains. Second it is so nice to already have half the recipe done when I go to make something (especially in the morning). So in continuing to improve our morning breakfast I made soaked waffles. Yum! 

Soaked Waffles

2 cups wheat flour

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

⅓ cup melted butter

Soak flour in buttermilk for 12 to 24 hours.

Heat waffle maker. Add the rest of the ingredients to the flour mixture and stir till combined. Follow your waffle manufactures directions for cooking the waffles. Soaked waffles may tend to be slightly softer then non soaked. Placing them in a warm oven about 200º while making the rest of the waffles will make them a bit more crunchy.

Any leftovers can be stacked in a freezer container separated by wax paper and frozen for later.
Warm up frozen waffles in a toaster oven or oven set at 350º for 5 min.

*For fluffier waffles separate whites and yolks of the eggs. With an electric mixer in a clean bowl beat the whites till stiff and set aside. Add the yolks with the rest of the ingredients, mix well then fold in the egg whites. 

Some of our favorite waffle toppings include

Fresh or frozen fruit

Chocolate chips

Finely chopped nuts

Syrup
Homemade fruit syrups

Butter

Whip cream

Honey

Cream Cheese