This is certainly a cheaper option to Gatorade or coconut water and is a good mix of sea salt, sugar, and potassium. There are many ways to feel thirsty and not have water quench it. For today's recipe write-up, I will assume that this vampiric thirst is due to the dry 90+ degrees (Fahrenheit) weather in the Pacific Northwest; also I just ate a heavy protein-dense sandwich for lunch.
Onto the recipe...
In a 1-quart mason jar add the following:
1 packet of Emergen-C (any flavor) or Trader Joe's Effervescent Orange
8 oz filtered water
Swish the liquid around in the jar until the powder dissolves, then add:
8 oz fruit juice (something high in potassium, like Trader Joe's Cherry Cider or Blueberry Juice)
The type of fruit juice used offers different ratios of vitamins and trace minerals.
Brew 8 oz green tea (from leaves or a tea bag), remove tea bag and dilute with another 8 oz of filtered water. Or brew 16 oz of green tea and add that to the jar.
Add 1/4 tsp sea salt -- the type of salt does matter for its trace minerals. Himalayan sea salt will have a higher concentration of trace minerals as will Hawaiian Black Salt; but don't go breaking the bank on this ingredient. Most salt labelled as "sea salt" will work.
If you are concerned about the lack of iodine in sea salt, you could add food items such as fish, dairy, eggs and seaweed to your diet.
In total, you should have 32 oz of water consisting of:
1 c fruit juice
1 c green tea
2 c filtered water
1/4 tsp sea salt
According to MyFitnessPal, each 8 oz serving contains:
36 calories
sodium 128.8 mg
potassium 117.5 mg
magnesium 15 mg
Vitamin C 416.8 mg
Enjoy and stay hydrated!
Read more?
Magnesium-rich foods [PDF]
WebMD: Minerals by Function and Source
Sun-dried Tomato Fromage (homemade cheese)
This recipe ratio comes from Portland Oregon author Claudia Lucero's book, One Hour Cheese. Fromage simply means "cheese" in French; not to be confused with "frommage" which is an Icelandic lemon dessert or bits of leftover cheese whirled together to make a cheese spread. Fromage made from scratch involves very simple ingredients. I made this because I had cartons of both whole milk and buttermilk just past the Sell By date.
Like the book title suggests, this batch of cheese comes together rather quickly; depending on how long you let the curds drain. While I have fresh herbs in the garden, I used sun-dried tomatoes as my mix-in.
Materials
cheesecloth, enough to line a colander with two layers
a plastic or metal colander
a large bowl to catch the whey
candy thermometer or digital temperature gauge
Ingredients
1 qt whole milk
1 c cultured buttermilk (vs homemade buttermilk)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
(optional) finely chopped fresh herbs
(optional) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
Directions
In a large 5-quart (or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, heat milk over low heat until the milk reaches 170 F. Turn off the heat and whisk in buttermilk and lemon juice.
Let this sit for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
While the dairy is curdling, line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Set the colander over a 5-quart mixing bowl.
Slowly pour curds (white stuff) and whey (liquid stuff) onto cheesecloth. Let drain for 1-3 hours.
If you want to speed up the draining process, as soon as most of the whey has drained out, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and layer them like you are wrapping a package. Take a heavy object (a pot with bowls in it) and place that on top of the cheese to help press out the liquid.
Unwrap the cheese and place into a sealable container. Mix in the salt, herbs, and/or sun-dried tomatoes. If you are opting out of the herbs and tomatoes, at least add in the salt. Cheese spreads don't quite taste right without it.
Pack cheese into the container and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
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| Sun-dried tomatoes and fromage cheese |
Materials
cheesecloth, enough to line a colander with two layers
a plastic or metal colander
a large bowl to catch the whey
candy thermometer or digital temperature gauge
Ingredients
1 qt whole milk
1 c cultured buttermilk (vs homemade buttermilk)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
(optional) finely chopped fresh herbs
(optional) sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
Directions
In a large 5-quart (or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, heat milk over low heat until the milk reaches 170 F. Turn off the heat and whisk in buttermilk and lemon juice.
Let this sit for at least 5 minutes to curdle.
While the dairy is curdling, line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth. Set the colander over a 5-quart mixing bowl.
Slowly pour curds (white stuff) and whey (liquid stuff) onto cheesecloth. Let drain for 1-3 hours.
If you want to speed up the draining process, as soon as most of the whey has drained out, gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and layer them like you are wrapping a package. Take a heavy object (a pot with bowls in it) and place that on top of the cheese to help press out the liquid.
Unwrap the cheese and place into a sealable container. Mix in the salt, herbs, and/or sun-dried tomatoes. If you are opting out of the herbs and tomatoes, at least add in the salt. Cheese spreads don't quite taste right without it.
Pack cheese into the container and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
Kitchen Notes: Cornish Game Hens
I can't believe the price of a game hen these days. Today's price is what whole 4-5 lb chickens costed at the supermarket several years ago. When they were on sale, you used to be able to buy them for 2 for $5. Now each is nearly $5.
Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section.
I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?
It's been a while since I last roasted one.
Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar
Cornish Game Hens also called rock hens, Cornish hens, or poussin, aren't full sized chickens. Despite the name, it's not a game animal (not hunted) and the bird is a hybrid, and commercially bred as food. Also, while hens typically refer to female chickens, a Cornish hen can be male or female. The USDA describes these birds as an immature chicken less than five weeks of age and less than two pounds. These are usually 22 oz at the grocery store and are always in the freezer section.
I found them randomly at my local Costco, also in the freezer section. Buying at bulk retail would drive the cost down to $3/hen, but who has room in their own freezer for six birds?
It's been a while since I last roasted one.
Read more?
Modern Farmer - The Cornish Game Hen is a Liar
AB Tapioca Pudding
This is a melding of flavors that has gone terribly wrong. This tasted ghastly. I thought I should write it up in case I felt like making this again. Ugh. Lemon zest. This does not belong in tapioca pudding. Blech!! WTF Alton?? Why are you steering me wrong on something as f'in simple as a stovetop pudding.
AB cooks this recipe in a slow cooker; but the volume is so small that it shouldn't warrant cooking in a 6-quart crockpot. I did this stovetop instead.
Ingredients
3 1/2 oz (by weight) tapioca pearls
2 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg yolk + 1/3 c organic granuated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean halved with seeds scraped
AB cooks this recipe in a slow cooker; but the volume is so small that it shouldn't warrant cooking in a 6-quart crockpot. I did this stovetop instead.
 |
| Terrible AB Tapioca Pudding |
3 1/2 oz (by weight) tapioca pearls
2 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream
1 egg yolk + 1/3 c organic granuated sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean halved with seeds scraped
Baked Macaroni and Cheese, minus the macaroni
My friends assure me that any pasta with cheese sauce can qualify to be labelled as "mac and cheese", even if you don't use the macaroni "elbow" shaped pasta. Fusilli has all these curves and holds sauces really well, which is why I stock it in the pantry. Anyhow. Be it fusilli, celantini, macaroni, or shells, it should all be equivalent in how much you cook for one 9" x 13" batch. I wouldn't advise using bowties or large pasta shapes to make mac and cheese.
I added diced green chiles to the cheese sauce to enhance the flavor; and while I only added two tablespoons, I think I should have added the entire 4 oz can. Compared to the smoky mac 'n' cheese that I had from Vancouver's food cart Esoteric BBQ, my version pales in comparison. There's no beating the smokiness of a real wood-fired smoker; plus Esoteric's might just have more salt in theirs.
This batch used 8 oz Gouda, 8 oz medium cheddar, and 4 oz Parmesan.
At any rate, here's the recipe I used. It makes roughly 9 servings.
 |
| Smoked Cheese and Pasta |
This batch used 8 oz Gouda, 8 oz medium cheddar, and 4 oz Parmesan.
At any rate, here's the recipe I used. It makes roughly 9 servings.
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