Recipes and Favorites

 Old Fashioned Chocolate Milk

This is one of my family's favorites... a rich dessert or a mid-afternoon treat!

You will need:

- Raw, whole, organic milk from a pasture-fed old-
  fashioned cow (such as a Jersey cow for example)
  or a pasture-fed goat

- Raw, never heated honey

- Organic vanilla extract or organic vanilla beans
   finely ground

-  Raw, organic cacao powder

- A pinch of sun dried sea-salt

-  A blender

What I do:

Put approximately two cups of milk in the blender, add 1-2 Tbsp cacao powder, 2-3 Tbsp honey, a pinch of salt and 1/4 - 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Cream the ingredients for about a minute or so.  Switch to "whip" setting for about half a minute.  Pour into glasses.  Share with loved ones.  Drink to your soul's content!  Bask in the sweet sound of compliments from all who are blessed to enjoy your creation! 

You can, of course, add some exotic spices to this delicious treat.  When inspired, I may add lavender flowers, cinnamon, cardamom or a pinch of cayenne.  Of course if you have some raw cream, you can mix a splash of it with the rest of the ingredients for a complete nirvana!  An egg yolk or two, preferably from pasture-fed hens, can be added for an extra nutritional boost of vit. A, D, E, DHA, EPA, choline, dietary cholesterol, and iron!

Papa's Potatoes

My father loved to make this simple and delicious dish as a compliment to meat or fish.  It is especially good with sprats or other oily small fish. I call this dish Papa's Potatoes because he really perfected it and I loved it when he made it!

You will need:

- Young organic potatoes

- Lard, tallow, unrefined fresh sunflower
 oil or butter, preferably  raw and from
 pasture fed cows
 (in most cases my father used lard or sunflower
 oil, two very popular fats in Ukraine)

- A large organic onion

- Sun-dried sea salt

- Oganic black pepper

- Organic parsley and organic green onions

- A skillet, cast iron or glass

What to do:

Wash and peel the potatoes.  Make sure none of the potatoes are green or black in color. Slice them (approximately 1/8 inch thickness) .    Peel the onion and slice it thinly.  Heat the skillet.  Melt lard, tallow or butter in it.  Place potatoes and inions in the skillet as it warms up and mix them with a spatula or a spoon.  Cover.  Cook until the potatoes are soft but don't fall completely apart!  Once the potatoes are cooked, add salt and pepper and mix well.  Garnish with chopped parsley and green onions.  Enjoy this delicious dish! 

Root Vegetable Casserole

This is a delicious dish that can be enjoyed on its own or as an addition to a meal.  It is very simple to make and every time I make it, my husband licks his plate...  Well, he does that a lot! 

You will need:

- Organic assortment of root vegetables at room temperature. You can use carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, turnips, etc.  For example, you can use two carrots, a beet, a turnip and a sweet potato for one casserole. 

- Organic red onion (or any other onion you may have in your kitchen)

- Organic herbs and spices: parsley, cilantro, black pepper, cayenne, fresh ginger (finely grated) and turmeric root (ground)

- Sun-dried sea salt to taste

- Garlic - go as generously as you wish on the garlic!

- 1/4 cup fresh organic olive oil

- 1/4 cup organic coconut oil

- A casserole dish


What I do:

I pre-heat the oven to 375 - 400 degrees. I wash the veggies very well, peel them if needed, cut them in cubes of about 1/2 to 1 inch in size and toss them with the oils, pepper and salt in a large glass mixing bowl.  I add other spices and garlic to the mixture but leave the greens out.  Then, I transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, cover with a lid and place it into the oven for about 1 hour.  Test with a fork once out of the oven.  The vegetables should be soft but not fall apart easily. Sprinkle with parsley and cilantro!  

Once in a while I crumble some goat cheese on top.  For a warming quality of the dish, add some freshly grated ginger to the mix prior to baking.

Let the casserole cool slightly.  Enjoy! 
It is a lovely dish to bring to a picnic!



Sesame Buffalo Wings

This is a great recipe to make for small family gatherings, game nights, a child's birthday party, etc.  I adopted this recipe from Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions" and put my own touch on it.  Please enjoy these delicious treats!  You can use this recipe with chicken drumsticks just as successfully!

Note: You will need to prepare the marinade and marinate the meat 12 to 18 hours before you plan to serve them. 

You will need:

36 Chicken wings, separated at the joints
1/2 to 3/4 cup naturally fermented soy sauce (I personally like the Ohsawa brand Organic Nama Shoyu)
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown rice vinegar (Fleischmann's Unfiltered Organic Brown Rice Vinegar is an excellent choice)
2 Tbsp raw honey (the Really Raw brand is excellent)
Juice of 2 lemons
Grated rind of 2 lemons
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced finely (a garlic press works very well) - let the garlic sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the marinade
1-2 tsp of curry powder
1 tsp of ground fresh ginger (I do not peel my ginger)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried green peppercorns, crushed (I dedicated a small clean coffee grinder to fresh-grinding my herbs)
3-4 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/8-1/4 fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

What I do:

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, lemon rind and all seasonings.  Marinate wings in the mixture at least overnight and up to 18 hours.  Remove from mixture and very lightly pat dry with a paper towel or a clean cloth.  Place in a baking pan or a shallow casserole dish (I use a glass Pyrex dish), brush wings with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake at 350 - 375 (depending on your oven) for one hour.  Warm marinade in a sauce pan, add finely chipped cilantro leaves and serve as a dipping sauce for the wings.

Enjoy!




Elena's Tiramisu

This is one of my favorite desserts for any time of the year!  Yes, it involves more steps than out-of-the-box brownies, but I firmly believe that every step in any kind of food preparation infuses the final dish with love and with ultimate nourishment for the body and the soul!  This dessert, when made with the right ingredients (your genuine effort is one of them) can be the very pulse of a party.  It is to live for!  Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! 

Choose 100% organic, pure, unprocessed ingredients... for this recipe and always!  And here is a word of advice on the eggs...  Go for the locally produced, fresh eggs with deep yellow and orange yolks. Such eggs come from happy, free roaming hens who eat bugs all day long and whose diet is supplemented with organic non-corn and non-soy feed... My supply comes from a woman who feeds her hens organic strawberries to name just one of the treats!  Now these are LOVED  hens and their eggs are amazing!  Hooray for happy chickens!

You will need:

Part 1 - the cookie:

2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt (use pink salt or celtic seasalt)
3 egg whites
1/3 cup Turbinado sugar
1/3 cup sifted oat flour or flour of your choice

Part 2 - the creamy goodness:

7 egg yolks
1 cup of Turbinado sugar
1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
2 packages (8 oz each) of organic creamcheese or 1 1/2 lbs of Mascarpone cheese (which is essentially Italian version of creamcheese)
7 egg whites
1 1/2 - 2 cups of strong organic coffee (if you want to try decaffeinated coffee, be sure to find organic coffee decaffeinated by Swiss Water method)
Chocolate shavings (simply grate a portion of a chocolate bar on a coarse grater - don't get caught up in the nonsense of buying a special "chocolate grater"!)
Optional: You can use 1/4  cup coffee liqueur to spike the coffee...  

The magic that pulls everything together:

Make the cookies first.  These are very light and airy Ladyfingers cookies.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Beat the egg yolks, vanilla and salt together until thick and pale yellow.  Using clean beaters (yes, wash the beaters before the next step), beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then slowly beat in the sugar.  Fold the egg whites into the egg yolks until just blended, then gradually fold in the flour.  Spoon the mixture onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Don't worry about perfect "ladyfingers" shape, circles or undefined shapes work perfectly.  The batter is going to be runny, so just do your best to make little puddles and space them about an inch apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly colored.  Take out of the oven and let cool.

While the cookies are cooling (they can be made many hours ahead of time), brace yourself for making the creamy essence of Tiramisu...  Be sure not to eat most of it before it gets into the final dish!  First cream the egg yolks and vanilla with half the sugar until they are silky smooth and pale yellow.  Gradually add the cheese and beat until the mixture is completely smooth  again.  Wash your beaters before the next step.   With clean beaters beat the egg whites and the remaining half of sugar until soft peaks form - about 4-5 minutes.   Fold egg whites into the egg yolk batter gently until everything is well mixed together.  It will look sinfully delicious and will probably call out your name.... but please catch yourself before your finger dips in that inviting bowl of creamy sin, or you won't have anything left for the Tiramisu! 

Now quickly dip each cookie you made earlier in strong coffee.  I suggest that you use regular, organic, pure coffee made in a french press.  Dip in and out!  Don't soak the cookies in the coffee, - they will soak up what they need in a matter of seconds.  Lay each dipped cookie on the bottom of a dessert dish you wish to use.  I use a square 9' x 9' Pyrex dish.  Once you make the first layer, cover it with the smooth filling.  Dip more cookies to make the next layer on top of the creamy filling.  Once your second tier of cookies is in place, cover it with the filling.  Repeat the layering process  until you run out of cookies!  The top of Tiramisu should be the filling, not the cookies.  I usually end up with three layers of cookies.  Once you complete the layering, generously sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the top.  You also add fresh raspberries to the top if feeling especially creative! 

Put your delicate creation into the refrigerator and out of your mind for at least 8 hours.  Overnight is better!  For those who are most patient, the second night will transform your Tiramisu into ultimate heaven on earth!   Go ahead and enjoy it for breakfast... Why not?  Savor each bite with pride and invite some loved ones over so that you don't eat the entire dish by yourself!



The REAL Coconut Milk

I recently read a vegan recipe courtesy of a local Chef in the Edible Austin.   I was amazed that someone who calls heself a "Chef" would actually put together a coconut dish that combined coconut oil, coconut water and coconut meat!  Don't Chefs know that a whole coconut contains all these ingredients in the most natural state and proportions?  It seems that a Chef would be an expert in all natural, gourmet, authentic meals made with the most natural, highest quality ingredients.  This Chef proceeded to add agave nectar to the recipe to make matters even worse... Sigh!  I must say that while it makes me sad to read some of the recipes posted in the local information sources, it also gives me great confidence in my own ability to create true culinary masterpieces, nourishing and real.  I am convinced that no restaurant in this city can serve a more gourmet and nourishing meal than I can make in my own kitchen!  So, here is a recipe for a delicious, all natural, raw coconut milk that cannot be rivaled by any packaged product!  Nothing can be easier than making this refreshing treat.


What you will need:

1 whole young coconut

What to do:

Purchase a whole young coconut, organic if possible, from your favorite source in the city.  I do like getting my young coconuts from the Whole Foods, although occasionally one would be spoiled.  Whole Foods has a very reasonable refund/exchange policy - they seem to stand behind their products!  I have never had trouble exchanging a bad coconut for a perfectly good one!  Young coconuts are usually sold without their tough outer shell.  They are white in color and wrapped in thin plastic.  Be sure to choose your coconut carefully, - the bottom should not be moist from any leaks, and it should be firm, not soggy.  The bottom should not be brown or pink. 

Open the coconut at the top and pour the coconut water into a high speed blender.  Make sure the opening is wide enough to fit a spoon to scrape out the coconut meat.  Once you scrape the coconut meat out of the coconut, add it to the coconut water in the blender.  What you will have in your blender at this point is a perfect combination of coconut oil, coconut water and coconut meat - just as designed in nature.  Blend everything together until silky smooth.  Some blenders will do a better job than others.  A VitaMix, for example, makes amazing coconut milk.  Basically, the more power your blender has the silkier your milk will be.  That's it!   Enjoy this heavenly treat, unadulterated,  fresh, raw and absolutely delicious! 

Premier Pink Salt    $7.50 (12 oz)
Delicious, raw, unheated, highly ionized natural sea salt.  I use it in everything I make!  Salt is a very important component of digestion and it is necessary in the diet of all ages.

Puzzled about what to pack for you kid's lunch?  Here are some ideas of nutrient-dense foods that are easy to make and will nourish your kid while he is on the teacher's watch!  You will need to take time out of your busy day to prepare most of these foods... none of them are pre-packaged for convenience!


To eat:
Soft boiled eggs
Organic banana
Organic whole apple or slices
Organic whole pear or slices
Organic baby carrots with organic cream cheese dip (you can make your own cream cheese from good quality organic yogurt)
Baked organic acorn squash with butter and Grade B organic maple syrup or raw, never heated honey
Organic green peas in pods
Free-range, organic (preferably pasture-fed, never fed with soy and/or corn) Chicken, Turkey or Duck leg (the cave man's food!)
A piece of sprouted manna bread with organic pumpkin seed butter or organic nut butter of your choice
Organic baked sweet potato with butter and a pinch of pink salt
Organic, non-irradiated  qunoa (properly prepared and seasoned)
Organic, non-irradiated buckwheat (properly prepared and seassoned)
Sauteed organic cabbage with organic carrots and organic peas


To drink:
Homemade Organic Kefir (you can use plain or spike it with elderberry extract, colostrum and greens mix)
Golden Beet Kvas (made from organic beets)
Kombucha - fermented tea
Homemade fermented soda (see Live, Health Promoting Drinks and Tonics class)
Fresh, raw, whole milk
Homemade Organic Lemonade sweetened with raw honey, maple syrup or stevia
Homemade Organic  Lemonade Soda - fermented lemonade


Do your best to include at least one serving of food from animal sources and one serving of fermented food or fermented drink in your child's lunch pack. 


Avoid:
Boxed juices
Pasteurized milk
Commercially prepared kid drinks
Store bought sodas
Crackers and breads made with refined flour (most commercial baked goods)
Store bought cookies
Store bought muffins
Pre-packaged cracker combos (such as peanut butter cracker sandwiches, cheese craker sandwitches, etc.)
Conventional vegetables, fruit and tubers (root vegetables like potatoes)
Soy-based, soy-containing foods that are unfermented, commercially prepared, and conventional
Corn-based, corn-containing foods that are conventional and prepared commercially


Please watch this DVD: 
Hidden Dangers in Kids' Meals by Jeffrey M. Smith


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Please check out the site of the Institute for  Responsible Technology at www.responsibletechnology.org  to educate yourself about GMO in our foods and how dangerous they are!  You are most likely consuming large amounts of GM (Genetically Modified) foods without even knowing it!  Be an aware and educated consumer, parent, friend, and human being!  You can download their NON GMO Shopping Guide here: www.nongmoshoppingguide.com

Genetically Modified foods are dangerous, they are full of toxins, allergens, and anti-nutrients!  They have no place in our meals! 


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Carrot Muffins
Makes 12 – 14 small muffins

Gluten Free

These muffins are rich in fiber and are very moist.  They are easy to cut without crumbling.  I put a dollop of honey-butter icing (honey, butter and vanilla) on the top for a little more sweetness if desired.  Butter on its own is wonderful on these too!  Do keep these muffins in non-airtight containers, - the moisture in them will spoil them in a container that doesn't let them "breathe".

Ingredients:

About 7 - 10 full size carrots, peeled

3 eggs

1/4 c. pure maple syrup, Grade B

1/4 c. coconut oil* 

7 Tbsp. organic sprouted brown rice flour **  
1/4 c. shredded coconut

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 c. raisins

1/4 – 1/2 c. pecan pieces

1 Tbsp. of butter

Dash of pink salt

Optional: 1 tsp. of freshly ground cinnamon (I use a regular coffee grinder for grinding my  herbs and spices, - works like a charm every time!)

Combine ingredients in a powerful mixer/food processor (I use my VitaMix) until they are thoroughly blended together.  Pour into a muffin pan and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.  A friend of mine prefers to steam her carrots before she shreds them because her mixer doesn’t do fine grating…  It seems to work well for her, so it is definitely an alternate way of making these if you don’t have a powerful food processor on hand.

*I like Artisana brand of coconut oil
**You can get quality sprouted flours at www.organicsproutedflour.org


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Liver with Onions and Mushrooms

This is a really yummy dish, packed with nutrients and flavors!  Liver is delicious when it is fresh and properly prepared.  If you had a foul tasting liver dish it was most likely due to the freshness of the meat or the shortcuts taken during its preparation.  I grew up eating liver sausage and sauteed liver with onions and mushrooms and would love to share this simple recipe with you so that you too can enjoy the incredible benefits of consuming this amazing organ meat.  The most important word of advice is to buy very fresh liver from animals raised and kept on clean, green pastures and never treated with any hormones, antibiotics or unnatural feed.  Sand Creek Farm is one of my favorite trusted suppliers of quality cow  liver.  It is incredible!  I freeze the liver for at least 14 days before I cook it usually.  I also would like to set your mind at peace if you are concerned about the safety of liver because it is a major detox organ.  Yes, liver is a powerful detox organ and when it comes from a well treated animal it is completely safe and incredibly nutritious.  Liver contains many substances and enzymes that neutralize toxins in our bodies.  Liver does not store these toxins.  It stores fat soluble vitamins and many vital nutrients, but it is does not store toxins. 

What you will need:

1 1/2 lbs fresh, organic liver sliced
Juice of 5 lemons
1/2 to 1 cup of oat and coconut flour mixed (50/50)
2 tsp. pink sea salt
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 to 1/2 lbs. butter (you can also use ghee - clarified butter) or lard
1 large onion
6-7 medium sized baby bella or white mushrooms
1/4 cup or a little less olive oil

What I do:

First I prepare my lemon juice by squeezing the juice out of 5 lemons into a glass bowl.  I then add the slices of liver to the bowl of juice and leave it in the refrigerator to soak overnight.  This process draws out impurities and gives the liver a smoother, softer texture.  Once the liver is soaked mix together flours, 1 tsp. of salt and about 1/2 tsp. of black pepper together.  Pat the slices of liver dry with a paper towel and dredge them in a mixture of flours, salt and pepper.  Sautee the slices in a generous amount of butter or lard (1/2 cup or so) in a heavy skillet over high flame just for a few minutes on each side - do not overcook the liver!  Save the rest of the butter for onions and mushrooms.  Once you have sauteed the liver slices to perfection, transfer them to an oven safe platter and keep them in your oven on a warm setting (no warmer than 170F maximum).

Next dice your mushrooms and onions thinly and sautee them in the remaining butter and olive oil on a low heat until they are tender.  Add the remaining salt and pepper to the onions and mushrooms and mix well.

Combine the liver and the mixture of onions and mushrooms, serve and enjoy warm!




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Lemon Coconut Bars

Makes approximately 12-15 bars, depending on the size (I cut mine into 1”x2” pieces)

Gluten Free (if only pure, uncontaminated oats are used)

Raw

These bars are chewy and refreshing.  They taste like little lemon cookies and can even be cut out with a cookie cutter if desired.  Depending on how powerful you processor is these may be very smooth in texture or be somewhat coarser.  I am fortunate to have a VitaMix, which tends to grind my grains rather finely whenever I need it.  If you want these cookies to be smoother and don't have a very powerful processor, you can grind the oats in a coffee grinder.  If your coffee grinder can get to an espresso grind than it can grind the grains to flour-like consistency!  These little treats are delicious in any texture, however!

Ingredients:

¼ c. raw coconut oil

¾ c. shredded coconut

¼ c. coconut nectar (raw sap from coconut tree) or raw honey

2/3 c. sprouted oats

(can mix 50/50 with rye if no gluten sensitivity)

1-2 drops of lemon essential oil, food grade

Pinch of pink salt

Optional boosters:

2 Tbsp. colostrum

1 Tbsp. Galactan (fiber)

Combine ingredients in a mixer/food processor (I use my VitaMix) until they are thoroughly blended together.  Roll the “dough” on parchment paper to approximately ¼” thick rectangle and put into the fridge for 30 minutes.  Once chilled, cut into bars of desirable size or shapes with cookie cutters!


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