Marinated Mushrooms

One of the most "meat-like" veggie substitutes is the portabella mushroom-- especially when using the right flavors!

I have learned some good tips on how to store and use portabella mushrooms.  After purchasing portabellas, don't wash them, but rather just brush off any dirt particles.  Scrape the gills (the black things shown below) off with a spoon.  They can be used immed in a dish to give it a dark, almost fishy flavor.  Usually, I discard them.  With this done, I store the mushrooms in an open container in my fridge and can be kept for wk or longer.  After about a week, they may start to dehydrate, but they are still good to use.  If they smell fishy or absorb moisture and get soggy, it's time to throw them out.

These mushroom are so versatile-- they can be marinated whole and eaten on a bun like a burger.  My favorite way to fix them is to chop them up, stem and all and marinate them.  They are fantastic in salads or stir fry this way.

But, if you want a really nice meat substitute, dehydrate them after marinating them... oh my!... it tastes similar to beef jerky!

There are so many marinade recipes you can try, but I'll list the ingredients for my favorite below... you can experiment with amounts to get it just the right flavor for your family.

Recipe:

• Several portabella mushrooms (de-gilled and chopped)
• Low Sodium Tamari
• Water
• Sometimes I'll throw in a little Braggs Liquid Aminos
• Garlic powder or granules
• and the secret ingredient... Thyme!!

The mushrooms absorb quickly, so they can be ready after marinating for 30 minutes.  I generally leave them longer and if I am dehydrating them, I might even marinate them overnight in the fridge.

Green Lemonade

The boys have been drinking this juice, or a variation, since they were 6 months old.  It is a powerhouse of nutrition!

We use either apples or pears for a base... the picture below includes pears, because we were given a lot of local, organic pears from my father-in-law.  The greens we use vary, but we always try to include light and dark greens. Some light greens could be cucumbers, celery, romaine.  For the dark greens, kale or spinach are good choices.  We have been juicing the entire lemon, without peeling it.  Experiment and see if that works for your taste buds.  If it's too bitter, peel most of the skin and that should reduce bitterness.

I absolutely love ginger, and so I juice that at the very end of the process, because most of the other members of our family don't like it.  I pour all their juice first, then juice ginger and mix it with what is left over for me.

You'll have to experiment with the amounts of fruit vs the greens to get the right blends that your family will drink happily.  Then you can work to add more greens to the mixture.

School Lunch Salads

We alternate between sandwiches & salads for school lunches. 

This day the boys had orzo salads.

• Orzo
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Red Onions
• Sweet Red Pepper
• Sun-dried Olives
• Sea Salt
• Garlic powder
• Corn
• Sun-dried tomatoes

Maple Glazed Salmon

The recipe for this fantastic meal came from The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.  I made some variations, due to ingredient limitations and taste. So, I'll list the way we made it, because it was SO good! 

There was such a positive response from the boys, we've had it once or twice a month since.  The whole family likes it, even Jeff!

Recipe:

• 1 cup Tamari
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 to 6 fresh or frozen salmon fillets, well rinsed

Mix all ingredients but the salmon in a blender.  Use the mixture to marinate the salmon for 1 to 24 hours.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place salmon in a baking dish with marinating mixture and bake for about 18 minutes.

I made zucchini noodles with our spiralizer and stir fried them with some other veggies for a side dish.
We started the meal with a small salad.  Ta-da... restaurant style!!!

School Lunches 2012/2013 school year

We've made some additions to our school lunch menus this year.

I found these nifty containers for lunches (Bed, Bath & Beyond)... they work great for sandwhiches and snacks.

Cheese sandwiches have been added to our menu a time or two per week.  We use either sprouted grain buns or bread, raw goat cheese and organic condiments.

The smoked cheese is amazing!  It is my favorite, but the boys prefer the mild cheddar.

Final Harvest before the first frost

 

 

Sniff... it's a sad day.  The last harvest from the garden.  We are supposed to get a hard freeze this week.  The kale could last awhile, but the freeze will kill the rest.

 

Goodbye til next year!



 

 

 

 

 

Garden Fresh Bruschetta

At the end of the summer, we had a plethora of tomatoes and basil... which led to many bruschetta snacks/meals.

We used sprouted grain pita pockets and toasted them in the oven... the sprouted grain option significantly reduces gluten issues for Matt.

I didn't follow a recipe for the bruschetta... played it by ear.

Chopped garden fresh tomatoes, basil, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, minced garlic and topped it with some shredded raw goat cheese.

Tastes likes summer.... summer in Italy :)