Spooky Spice {Recipe ReDux}

No, this isn't a post about the spice girls! It's October 21, so that means time for a ReDux challenge. I didn't contribute a recipe last month as we were traveling and it just didn't work out. This month I am also away from home, but this time it's due to renovations, so I still have access to a kitchen (my parent's), but am anxious to get back into my own.

Our challenge:

Spooky Spices: You know they are lurking there: Way in the back of your spice drawer. There lie the herbs, spices, or rubs that are getting dusty because you’re afraid to use them… you simply don’t know what to do with them! Well, pull them out and show us a recipe you created to deliciously conquer that fearful spice. (Or maybe the recipe was a flop – and the spice still give you nightmares?!)

Since I'm not at home, I raided my mom's spices and chose marjoram. I know I have it at home, but it's a spice I often overlook; one I'm not really sure what to do with. Marjoram is from the mint family and related to oregano. It is suggested for use in meat dishes, tomato sauces, with eggs, or in dressings/dips. My first thought was to put it in a play on shakshuka since I've been meaning to make it for awhile and it contains both tomatoes and eggs. Then I thought about the weather and cool temperatures, so I decided to make a cracker for all the homemade soups I plan to make this winter. I think I've only tried to make crackers once before, so they are also sort of a 'scary' thing to me too.

Soup Snaps
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tsp marjoram
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-5 Tbsp water (as needed)
1 1/2 tsp whole flax seed

Makes 2 dozen snaps/crackers (1 1/2" x 2")


Directions 
1. Put oats in food processor and pulse for 1-2 minutes. Add flour and half of cheese, then pulse. Add remainder of cheese, dill, garlic, marjoram, and olive oil. Pulse to combine until crumbly texture.
2. Place processed ingredients into a medium size bowl and gradually add water and flax seed.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and pre-heat oven to 375F

4. Form mixture into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured surface (to about 1/8" thickness). Use a knife or cookie cutters to create desired shape and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes until desired crispness.Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

What spice have you been avoiding or are unsure how to use?

Happy Halloween!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Two for Tea {Recipe ReDux}

November 21st - which means Recipe ReDux reveal...I struggled a lot with this month's theme - it wasn't that I couldn't think of any ideas, but I couldn't decide on just one! So, far I've challenged myself to create new recipes rather than go with my tried and true, so I wanted to do the same this month.  I thought about popcorn kernels and spices, granola, trail mix, chickpeas and spices, and even biscotti (which I've never made), but I landed on mulling spices.

Why was it such a tough decision? I love food and I love giving gifts, so with the theme Adding Merriment to Mixes I was very excited.  The guidance we received was to "share the recipe for how you package up a little shelf-stable love from your kitchen!" With cold temperatures here in Saskatchewan (silly wind chill!) and my love of mindfulness and creating healthy habits, I figured a nice hot cup of holiday cheer was the way to go.  There are so many high calorie, high sugar, and high fat beverages to tempt you this time of year, so here is a way to enjoy festive flavours at home while saving calories for that special appetizer or dessert.  Plus it's a great way to warm up after being active outside.

Merry Mulling Spices

Makes 4 pouches for individual servings

Ingredients:
6 cardamom pods
6 peppercorns
1 anise star
4 whole cloves
2-3" cinnamon stick
1 dehydrated orange slice (optional)
4 loose leaf tea bags (I used David's Tea ones)

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a mortar and smash with the pestel to release the aromas and flavours.  Divide into 4 loose tea leaf bags or use cheese cloth and tie to secure.

Use:
Place the mulling spice bag and your favourite black tea in a mug, add boiled water, and steep for 3-5 minutes (or longer for more flavour).  Serve with a splash of milk and/or dash of sugar as desired. 

*You can use a variety of spices to give this a personal touch.  I started to dehydrate the oranges at room temperature and then put them on a baking sheet on parchment paper and into the oven for about 1 hour at 200F to finish the drying process.  You could also use dried orange zest instead.
 
Depending on how much festive flavour you want to add, you can double up and make tea for two (instead of 4).  This makes a great gift with a box of black tea bags, a holiday mug, and some may even want to gift it with a bottle of wine.  I have not tried these exact spices with wine for a mulled wine, but you would at least double the recipe for 1 bottle and simmer 15-20 minutes to infuse the spices into the beverage.  The mulling spice bag can also be placed in water on the stove to simmer and provide a great fragrance to your home or combined with hot apple cider.

Cheers,
Enjoy hosting or spoiling your host(s)!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

A World of Flavours

One reason I love traveling is because you get to experience different cultures and their foods.  There may be similar ingredients, but perhaps they are used in different ways.  When I talk about mindful eating, that involves enjoying the many flavours of your food.  Whether you're cooking the food yourself or lucky enough to just get to eat it (I love cooking, don't get me wrong!), it's important to stop and savour the tastes - the sweetness of cinnamon, the 'meatiness' of cumin, the memories I have that I associate with mint.  We will all have preferences and familiar flavours, but I do enjoy cooking with different ingredients and spices and seeing/experiencing how other people flavour their food.

The smells are also very important when we think of taste and flavour.  My mom used to say to start sauteing onions and garlic to at least give the impression that the meal is on the way (even if you still have lots of prepping, you'll also have drooling guests).  I think I still need to work on my detection of different spices, but that just means I can continue to slow down and discuss my food with others and pick out the different flavours.  At my wedding shower, we played a 'guess the spice' game, which was a perfect game for a foodie bride, but the blends got me and I definitely wasn't the winner!

Many cities celebrate culture with a type of folk festival.  We just had ours in Saskatoon and I sampled great food and spent time with family and friends.  As we were leaving, my husband and I noticed some informational signs in the Caribbean pavilion, so I made sure to capture them to share with you.

They give some background on flavours used in Caribbean food and connections to Indian food (curry).  This reminded me of our cooking class in Thailand and how we noticed just a slight change in the ingredients meant a huge difference in the curry paste.

If you're like many people, you might have a cupboard full of spices, but you have your favourites (or the ones that you're comfortable using) and then you have ones that were in a rare recipe or that you don't know what to do with.  Spices can be a great ingredient to share with others since they may come in much larger portions than you need.  You can also start looking for new ways to spice up or flavour your meals.  Herbs and spices can be a great way to reduce salt, fat, and sugar in our diets, but still leave us feeling satisfied.

Dietitians of Canada has created a chart with suggested flavour enhancers to inspire your cooking efforts.  And if you're not sure what to do with that marjoram or cardamom, EatRight Ontario has brief descriptions and recipes for a variety of herbs and spices.  This may give you ideas for fresh herbs from your garden or local farmer's market as well.  There are also lots of infographics out there to help you create spice blends or determine which spices go best with which ingredients.

Here's to delicious food!
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com