Marly’s Peachy Kéfir
This delicious beverage of cultured milk, fresh ginger, peaches, lemon and raw wildflower honey is powerfully pro-biotic, anti-inflammatory and warming..
Marly's Peachy Kéfir
For the Cultured Milk
1 quart fresh whole milk
5 grams kéfir starter
Slowly heat milk to 185 degrees (use a thermometer) then immediately remove from heat and allow to cool to between 73-77 degrees. Dissolve 5 grams kéfir starter in 1 cup of the cooled milk then add back into the quart and stir to combine.
Pour the inoculated milk into a clean glass container, cover and let stand at room temperature until curd forms, about 24 hours. Transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight.
For the Smoothies
2 cups cultured milk
1 1/2 cups frozen organic peaches (use fresh when in season)
2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger (substitute ginger powder)
1-2 tablespoons raw wildflower honey
Add all ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.
Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted English Peas
Local pastured leg of lamb is coated with fresh rosemary, garlic, coarse salt and cracked pepper then slow-roasted and served au jus with fresh peas, spearmint and fried shallots..
Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted English Peas
Rinse leg of lamb and pat dry. Remove the fell (a thin membrane covering the fat) if present, then coat with extra virgin olive oil and liberal amounts of fresh rosemary, garlic, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Chop enough equal parts celery, white onion and carrots (mirepoix) to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Pour in 1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon then set the lamb on top. Roast uncovered in a 325 degree oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest section reads 125-130 degrees, about 75 minutes depending on size. Transfer lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely and allow to rest 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add 2 cups cold filtered water to the roasting pan and stir to scrape up the brown bits. Place over medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Strain into a clean pan and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Blanch fresh English peas in 1/4 inch of filtered water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. Heat butter in a heavy skillet and add a thinly sliced whole shallot. Fry until golden, then add minced lemon peel and cook 30 seconds. Add drained peas and lots of chopped fresh mint and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon peas onto a serving plate and arrange 1/2 inch-thick sliced of lamb over the top. Dress with reduced pan juices and serve immediately.
Ancho-Grilled Sirloin with Avocado and Papaya Pesto
Grass-fed sirloin is dry-rubbed with freshly-ground ancho chiles, roasted paprika, cumin, smoked pepper and sea salt and then pan-grilled and served with a raw avocado oil-based pesto containing cilantro, garlic, bits of dried papaya, macadamia nuts and chipotle powder..
Ancho-Grilled Sirloin
For the Dry Rub
2 ancho (dried poblano) chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon roasted paprika
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon rapadura
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked black pepper
Place all ingredients into a coffee or spice grinder and pulse into a fine powder. Place in an airtight container and store away from heat and light for up to 3 months.
For the Pesto
1/3 cup raw avocado oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1 tablespoon unsweetened dried papaya
1 1/2 tablespoons macadamia, pistachio or hazlenuts
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
salt and pepper
Place all ingredients except oil into the cup of a food processor and pulse a couple of times until coarsely chopped. Stir in oil then adjust flavor with salt and pepper.
To prepare
Rinse and pat dry 1 or more 1 inch-thick sirloin steaks. Coat all sides with spice rub, then wrap loosely in butcher paper and refrigerate 3 or more hours.
Allow steaks to sit on the counter 30 minutes, then grill 3 minutes per side in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Transfer skillet to a 400 degree oven and cook until medium-rare, about 10 minutes.
Transfer steaks to a cutting board and allow to stand 5 minutes before carving into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese and dress with pesto.
Mesquite Grilled Beef Heart Burrito
Be sure to read Millie’s post about the nutrient value of traditional foods!
Grass-fed beef heart is marinated and grilled over a mesquite fire before being simmered with tomatoes, garlic and smoky chipotles en adobo..
Mesquite Grilled Beef Heart Burrito
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For the Chile con Queso Asadero
1 cup fresh whole milk
2 cups grated Asadero cheese (substitute Monterrey jack)
2 fresh Serrano chiles, thinly sliced
1 fresh red jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
sea salt
freshly-ground black pepper
Heat milk and chiles over a double boiler, stirring frequently until small bubbles begin to break the surface. Slowly whisk in grated cheese and stir until thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce heat and keep warm.
For the Burritos (serves 4)
1 fresh grass-fed beef heart
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 plum tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
juice of 1 fresh lime
1/3 cup melted beef tallow (substitute leaf lard or rendered bacon fat)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons roasted paprika
2 chipotles en adobo
sea salt
freshly-ground black pepper
4 large flour tortillas
Trim fresh beef heart of any sinew and gristle, rinse with fresh water, cut into 3-inch chunks and place in a colander set over a sink and allow to drain 20 minutes. Transfer heart to a non-reactive bowl and marinate in melted tallow, garlic and lime juice while you prepare the grill.
Transfer marinated beef heart to a medium-hot mesquite fire and grill to medium rare as you would a steak. Transfer grilled heart to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle, then chop roughly. Kill the fire, but leave grill covered to retain heat.
Place 2 tablespoons of the tallow marinade in a heavy skillet over medium heat. As soon as the fat begins to shimmer, add the onions, garlic and chopped beef heart and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat and add tomatoes, oregano, paprika and chipotles en adobo. Add 1/4 cup water, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, partially cover and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.
To assemble, heat fresh tortillas on the grill or on a comal then heap filling in the center. Spoon a little cheese sauce over the filling, then fold envelope-style. Place burritos back on the grill, cover and heat 5 minutes. Transfer burritos to plates and spoon cheese sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with pickled cabbage or pickled red onions for a nice contrast to the richness of the burritos.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays!
Stash Cookies
One bite of these and you’ll know..
Stash Cookies
Makes about 18 1 1/2-inch cookies
3 oz unsalted cultured butter, melted
3 oz papelón (rapadura)
1 oz piloncillo oscuro (dark, unrefined Mexican sugar), shaved
1 1/2 oz raw cacao beans, skinned and ground
1/2 teaspoon ground canella (wild cinnamon)
5 oz unsweetened dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste
1 pastured egg (at room temperature)
6 oz unbleached organic all-purpose flour
2 oz sprouted organic wheat flour (adds structure and a slight nutty taste)
1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Slowly melt the butter in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat, stir in the papelón and let stand 10 minutes to dissolve and cool. With an electric mixer, whip the butter and papelón together until a smooth, butterscotch-color paste is formed. Add the vanilla bean paste and egg and stir to combine.
Mix together the piloncillo, ground cacao, canella, flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time until combined (the resulting dough will be thinner than regular chocolate chip cookie dough). Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Pinch off silver dollar-sized pieces of dough (there is no need to roll or flatten the cookies) and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven until slightly dark around the edges and light golden brown on top, about 10-11 minutes.
These cookies are of course best when only minutes from the oven, but may be kept up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Tuesday Twister
Isn’t it interesting how the natural color of foods tend to follow the seasons?
Each week, fellow real food-blogger Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS encourages us to take look back and share a little about what’s been twisting in our kitchens over the last week. Here’s what the 2nd week of November looked like around here..
1) Chili con Calabaza Asada (Roasted Pumpkin Chili) Oven-roasted pumpkin, fried pork belly, fresh & dried chiles, onions, toasted corn, cumin and oregano. I can (and do) make chili out of just about anything..
2) Chicken Neeka Paprika-roasted chicken with Spanish onion, Roma tomatoes, sweet peppers, lemon, garlic and fresh herbs, served with pecorino-safflower orzo..
3) Lemon Snaps I wanted to see if I could make old fashioned lemon snaps from scratch, using only healthy, unprocessed ingredients. I got the taste and the healthy part down, but didn’t get the texture right this time..
4) Sprouted Brown Rice Curry A thick, rich soup of sprouted brown rice, corn, curry, red chiles and coconut cream, topped with toasted cashews. When I’m not making chili, I can generally be found making curry :-)
5) Potatoes Gratiné A slightly different take on a classic dish, these Potatoes Gratiné forgo the usual cheese and cream in favour of bacon, onions and fresh tri-color sage. This one’s a keeper!
Hot Peppers for Chili con Calabaza Asada
What say we head on over to gnowfglins.com to get some ideas for next week!
