health

Ah, the Pilaf! Here’s to More Grains in our Diets

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One of my go-to dishes for almost any dinner menu is a pilaf (or pilau). Made popular by the French, this dish is simply rice toasted in oil or butter and then cooked in seasoned broth with additions like onions, spices, vegetables, or meat. It can be a delicious side dish or pumped up into a main entree. 

The great thing about pilaf is that there are endless riffs on it. Rice is the traditional base, but you can use barley, quinoa, millet, farro, amaranth, freekah, buckwheat, sorghum, spelt, or teff. Or rice – black, basmati, brown, or white. 

Overwhelmed with the choices? This is a great way to add more whole grains to our diets. Most food co-ops have a wide variety of grain and seed choices. Many regular grocery stores are picking up the banner as well. And grains and seeds are quite simple to cook. You just need a little extra time to prepare some of them (and an InstaPot is a great investment to reduce time). 

Quinoa pilaf

There are a million choices to add to the pilaf, and you can pick and choose according to your taste. Some of my picks are mushrooms, always onions and garlic, zucchini, peas, carrots, celery……..

Here is the basic pilaf recipe. Use it to explore your own creativity. 

Pilaf

Start with 2 cups cooked grain or seeds (for example, amaranth and quinoa are seeds, barley and farro are grains). You can also make pilaf from small pasta such as orzo or pastina. 

Cook according to the directions and then fluff and cool. Many of the grains benefit from being toasted in a dry skillet or with a little olive oil until they smell nutty. This does an amazing job of adding flavor. 

Delicata squash stuffed with quinoa pilaf

Chop onions and garlic and saute in a film of olive oil until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, green peas, broccoli, edamame and whatever else sounds good. Continue to saute until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. 

Add the grain or rice and seasonings of choice, chopped herbs, a squeeze of lemon. If desired, stir in chopped spinach to wilt. Warm the pilaf in the skillet, sprinkle with parmesan and/or chopped toasted nuts if desired, and serve. 

Pilaf stores well for several days in the fridge, and once you’ve had your fill as a side dish, simply add it to broth for a delicious soup or mix it into a frittata. 

Simple summer meals

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cucumber tomato onion salad

Nothing says summer like a tomato, cucumber and onion salad, a staple in our house. After a day in the sun or in the hammock, why cook? We have a pile of tomatoes fresh from the garden sitting on the counter, so this salad paired with fresh sweet corn makes a perfect summer meal. 

Summer’s bounty

Summer, by nature, brings on lazy days when you want only cool, simple things to eat. And quick and easy preparation.

Open the crisper drawer and lo! Zucchini, yellow squash, snap beans, fresh dill. What can I make? Blanch the beans until crisp-tender and chill, shave the squashes into ribbons, and dress with chopped dill, feta cheese and a simple vinaigrette.

Here are a few simple meals to make your summer evenings easy. And they make good use of garden and market-fresh produce. For salads, simple olive oil and vinegar dressings are easy. But even though I love to make homemade dressings, I cave to simplicity in the summer and purchase dressings. This is a great time to use fresh herbs like basil, dill and mint.

Grilled baby carrots
  1. Fork canned albacore tuna over cooked pasta. Top with fresh tomatoes, and fresh grated Parmesan
  1. Grilled vegetable salad: Grill colorful vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, eggplant. Toss them with fresh herbs, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
  1. Caprese salad: Layer slices of ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  1. Gazpacho or cucumber soup is perfect for hot days. Blend fresh tomatoes and/or cucumbers with onions, garlic, herbs, and a splash of olive oil.
  1. Seafood tacos: Grill fish or shrimp, top with crunchy slaw, avocado, and a squeeze of lime and roll in soft tortillas.
  1. Fruit salad: Combine seasonal fruits like watermelon, berries, and peaches. Add a hint of mint and a squeeze of lime or orange juice for extra freshness.
  1. Pasta salad: Mix cooked pasta with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Dress with a light vinaigrette and fresh herbs.
  1. Stuffed bell peppers: Fill sweet red bell peppers with quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices. Bake until tender.
  1. Cold noodle salad: Toss cooked whole wheat spaghetti or soba noodles with carrots, bell peppers, snow peas or whatever other vegetables sound good. Toss with a sesame-ginger dressing.
  1. Grilled chicken Caesar salad: Grill chicken breasts and serve over crisp romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing, croutons, and Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Yogurt

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Everyone I know is complaining these days about how expensive groceries are. There’s not much we can do about coffee and olive oil, but there are a few ways to cut costs. And fun ways if you enjoy being in the kitchen.

A staple in our house, yogurt, has gone up in price along with everything else. Store-bought yogurt is between $4.00 and $7.00 for 32 oz. A 5-8 oz container runs from $1.00 to $1.50. The cost depends on whether you purchase organic or non-organic, Greek or regular yogurt. 

One of our favorite breakfasts is homemade yogurt with a splash of elderberry syrup, blueberries and a handful of granola. Good for our gut and our brains because it tastes so good. 

Make your own yogurt

Making your own yogurt is simple. It will take four to five hours to set but once it’s made, you don’t have to do anything except wait for it to do its yogurt thing – the bacteria will thicken the milk and make a delicious, creamy homemade product that you can use in a myriad of ways. 

To make it thick like Greek or yogurt cheese, simply spoon it into a strainer and let it sit to drain for an hour or so. 

The type of milk you use is also up to you. Whole, 2% and skim all work well. I like to use organic whole milk, but any will do. Try not to use ultra-pasteurized if you can get it as sometimes the pasteurization process impedes the bacterial growth necessary to thicken it. 

I’ve not made yogurt from oat, soy or almond milk, but it might be worth trying. You will have to start with yogurt with live cultures which is a dairy milk product. Or you can purchase live cultures online if you want to try non-dairy milk.

Recipe

This makes 4-5 pints. I tend to cut it in half just so I don’t have so much in the fridge at one time.

You’ll need a heavy-bottomed pan, glass jars and lids and a cooking thermometer. I use a candy thermometer.

½ gallon milk (whole, 2% or skim)

¼ c. room temperature plain yogurt as the starter (just take it out of the fridge for half an hour or so)

If you don’t already have yogurt in the fridge, purchase a small cup of plain yogurt. Make sure it lists live cultures on the label. Don’t be tempted to use one that is sweetened or with fruit as this can stop the fermentation process. Once your yogurt is made, you can sweeten and fruit it up as you desire. 

How to make

Heat the milk until it reaches 180 degrees, stirring occasionally to keep it from scorching. Hold at 180 for one minute. This scalds the milk to kill any unwanted bacteria. Remove from the heat and allow it to drop to 115 to 120 degrees. 

Remove 1/3 c. of the milk and add to the yogurt starter. Blend well with a whisk and return to the milk, whisking to mix well. It will form a skin, so use a strainer and pour it into glass jars. 

Cap the jars and put them in a cooler or something with a tight-fitting lid that will keep them insulated. You can also use a pot that will accommodate the jars and surround them with a towel. I use a small insulated cooler and put a folded towel on top for the fermentation process. 

Fill another jar with boiling water, close the cooler and let sit for 4-5 hours. Voila! You have your own homemade yogurt! Be sure to save the bottom of the last jar to make your next batch.