Make Your Own Spicy Stone Ground Mustard

Mustard. An American staple. As a matter-of-fact, mustard is used in the cuisine of India, the Mediterranean, northern and southeastern Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, making it one of the most popular and widely used spices and condiments in the world.1

Made from the simplest ingredients, mustard actually is good for you. Some of the many vitamins and nutrients found in mustard seeds are selenium and omega 3 fatty acid. 2  Mustard has also been used medicinally for generations as well. This is one condiment that is good for you.  However, today's mustards have so many added ingredients that making your own can control what you put into it.  And unlike its ketchup counterpart, mustard can be made very easily, with no cooking and not much fuss.

I found this recipe while watching PBS many years ago.  It was with Mary Ann Esposito and I have loved this mustard ever since.  What can be better than making a condiment that not only tastes amazing but has health benefits as well? This recipe is hands-down the easiest gourmet mustard I've ever made and we think one of the tastiest too!

"Prepared mustard dates back thousands of years to the early Romans, who used to grind mustard seeds and mix them with wine into a paste not much different from the prepared mustards we know today."

This recipe uses two types of mustard...yellow and brown seeds.  You can use all of one or the other, but I really like the color combination of the two varieties.  The brown tends to be a little hotter but they are basically the same. 

For this recipe you'll need one cup of yellow (white) seeds and one cup of brown seeds.  Put them both in a non-corrosive container such as a handy mason jar.  

Add to the jar 2 cups of red wine vinegar. (I also use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to bump up the health benefits of mine.)  

 Now the easiest part.  Cover the jar with plastic if you're using a metal lid.  Otherwise you can top with a plastic lid and let the seeds soak for two days.  You'll be amazed at how much of the vinegar they soak up during this time.  

After two days, put your seed vinegar mix into a food processor and add 1/2 cup of raw honey, 2 tsp of fine sea salt, and 1 tsp of allspice.  Pulse until they form a coarse grainy paste.

Fill approximately six sterilized 1/2 pint jars with the mustard. Cut out wax paper circles larger than the jar opening and place over the tops of each jar before capping them.  

Unopened, the mustard will keep indefinitely, but once opened you'll want to make sure and refrigerate it. 

Need I mention that this mustard makes a great gift as well?  I gave a small bottle to friends one year and they raved about it so much that I ended up making them a quart of it!  

Hope you like this mustard and if you are looking for seeds to buy online, you can try here and
here. You may be able to find yellow mustard seeds any place selling bulk herbs and spices as well. 

Have you made mustard before?  What's your favorite additions?  Blessings!!


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Make Your Own Moroccan Mint Tea

 The heat of summer has definitely rolled in here and with that comes the need for a great refreshing drink and Moroccan Mint Tea comes quickly to mind.  Although it's a great 4 season tea, it really comes across best iced in the summer (at least to me!)

When you hear the word "Moroccan," images of a busy and crowded open air market amidst hot temperatures immediately comes to mind.  It's no wonder that spearmint is the refreshment factor in this very famous tea.

 

In North Africa, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia specifically, this tea is served all day.  It is considered a drink of hospitality and is served whenever visitors arrive as well as at mealtimes.  Shop owners will greet you with a cup of this tea when you enter their shop.  

 Best of all, this tea is made from very simple and basic ingredients.  I really enjoy using bulk tea for the Gunpowder, but even a green tea bag will work.  You can also use spearmint fresh or dried, depending on what you have on hand.  Again, a spearmint tea bag will suffice if you want to give this a try.  I like using the best ingredients available to get the best flavor, but feel free to experiment.

 To get to the actual preparation, I will give you a recipe by the glass and for a teapot amount.  You'll probably want the teapot version because this tea will be addictive!

By the Cup:

1 tsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea.  (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)
1-2 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)
1 tsp of sugar (traditionally it's sugar, but you can use Stevia or honey if you like)
1 to 1/2 cups of boiling water (depends on the size of your mug or glass.)

Steep tea leaves, mint and sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes.  Gunpowder is a strong tea so if you oversteep it, it can become bitter.  Save these tea leaves for at least one more steeping as well.

To mix the tea, pour into another glass and then pour back into the original glass.  This also aerates the tea.  

Garnish with a sprig of fresh spearmint to serve.  Drink hot (like they do even in summer) or serve over ice for an amazing refreshing drink.

 By the Teapot (1-1/2 quart):


1 Tbsp of Gunpowder Green loose tea.  (Use a quality green teabag if you don't have the loose tea)
4-5 nice sized sprigs of fresh spearmint. (Use a teaspoon of loose dried spearmint or a teabag of a quality spearmint tea)
3-4 Tbsp of sugar

 Steep tea leaves, mint and sugar in boiling hot water for 3 minutes.  Gunpowder is a strong tea so if you oversteep it can become bitter.  Save these tea leaves for at least one more steeping as well.

Pour your first cup of tea out and then back into the teapot to mix and combine well. 

 (If you're feeling very Moroccan, then when you're ready to serve, pour your tea into tall heat resistant glasses and pour from as high as you can manage with out spilling. (Do not hold the glass and place on a tray to catch spillage.)  This will aerate the tea and create a froth on top...yum.  Not a necessary step, but very North African if you're are daring with your tea experiences.)

Photo Source

Sip, enjoy, repeat.

I make a dry mix for winter use as it's one of our son's favorite teas.  Just a mix of half gunpowder and half spearmint.  Use a tsp and a half or to taste.  Makes a great gift as well.

Two great tastes combine for one amazing refreshing tea.  And of course, this tea is full of health benefits as well.

Thanks for reading...Blessings!



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There's Nothin' like a Blueberry Lemon Muffin...

Summer means berries and lemon to me...so I decided to bake up these beauties as a tribute to the best of summer.  

It all started because I was going to meet a friend for a picnic lunch in the park.  She always is gifting us with some kind of goodies and I couldn't go and meet her empty-handed!  These were the treats I decided to bake and take along for a great visit together.  This was a new recipe for me but it turned out great tasting!

I used a mix of some fresh berries I had along with a few frozen ones.  This recipe is pretty simple and what makes it even better is that it is a bit lighter/less calories than traditional ones without you being able to tell the difference. I also added 1 tsp of lemon extract to the batter because I LOVE lemon!

I switched to using all butter years and years ago because it's the only way to bake. It's better for you, still fat, but no chemicals as in margarine.  Because this uses 1/4 cup of butter for the whole recipe, it has still has great flavor without using two sticks of butter as in many traditional recipes.
  Using real ingredients and making your own baked goods is a super easy process for anyone.  It's much more rewarding AND better than anything out of a box or from the store.

I also used my own ground whole wheat flour to substitute for some of the total amount of flour.  It was a mix of oat, rice and whole wheat, so some extra fiber AND nutrition!  

Batter is ready to bake and on to making the lemon glaze!

I try to always have fresh lemons and limes on hand for cooking, baking AND drinking.  A half of  a lemon in a glass topped off with fresh water and ice (add sugar/Stevia to taste) and you have a glass of lemonade that is country fair worthy.

They turned out fabulous and of course I had to taste test one before I gifted them...delicious!
My friend was excited, she loves lemon and this was perfect.  

I don't bake as often as my family would like, but these muffins are definitely scheduled to be made again...summer OR anytime of the year!  

If you would like to try to make these, click here, for the recipe...it's a keeper!  Blessings!

For more recipes and crafty ideas, check out this link!

Tomato Basil Tortelloni Soup!

Time for another recipe which includes some garden greens.  I made this soup today and a few people requested the recipe.  So, thought I would just turn it into my next blog.

The greens are my Swiss Chard and Giant Red Indian Mustard.  I can't help but be so grateful that these greens are up and giving me so many leaves to cook with this Spring.  

I am a lazy Spring gardener.  My garden beds aren't turned over yet and nothing is planted except for some nice cutting lettuces and extremely small parsley plants.  Good gardeners take advantage of this weather and can be already harvesting lots of food.  But no worries, looks like these plants came to the rescue and giving me more than enough for soups and recipes.

Swiss Chard

Okay, so on with the recipe.  I would say this recipe is a mix of Minestrone and Chicken Tortelloni Soups.  I've gathered my ingredients below and promptly peeled, chopped and julienned all the corresponding vegetables. All that's missing from the picture is some great homemade or quality chicken broth and whatever meat (if using) you plan to prepare.

Tomato Basil Tortelloni Soup

1 large can of tomatoes, stewed and blended or puree

2 -3quarts of home made or quality chicken stock, low sodium

1-2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb of ground Italian sausage, (turkey, beef or skip if making a vegetarian soup) browned, crumbled and drained

1 onion, diced

1-3 cloves of garlic, diced

 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1-2 cups of greens, julienned into small ribbons or whole if using spinach (Kale, Swiss Chard, Mustard, Collards)

1 small zuchinni, sliced and diced

1 tbsp of Italian seasoning or basil

8 oz. of quality tortelloni, any flavor

1/2 tsp of freshly cracked pepper

Salt to taste

After meat is browned and crumbled, add diced onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Add your 2 quarts of broth and tomato sauce, or puree.  Bring to a boil and add your carrots, and diced zuchinni.  Let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Bring back to a boil and add your julienned greens, beans, Italian seasoning, pepper and tortelloni.  Cook tortelloni according to the directions on the package.  Mine was a four cheese variety. Add your extra quart of broth if the soup is too dense.  It's all up to your own personal preference.  Once cooked, season with salt to taste!  You can also add more Basil or seasonings if you would like.  We like lots, so feel free to change the quantities to suit your own flavor profile.

I also fill in soup with any vegetables I may have on hand.  You can add chopped celery, green beans, yellow squash or whatever you have on hand if the soup is not thick enough.  

Serve this soup with your favorite grilled cheese or panini sandwich and whal-la! You're in business! The tortelloni really swell up and start to fall apart.  So, this soup is probably best the day you make it.  Hope you like it! We all did...and that's what counts!  Be blessed!

A pocket full of posies; violets found alongside the road while on my walk after lunch.

Classic Garden Spaghetti Meets "Cucurbita pepo L. var. turbinata".

Canned, dried, and overwintered( squash)produce from the garden

    It's still March and that means crockpots are still a viable form of cooking. As I was going to be gone all afternoon, it always proves to be a great solution for supper. 
    So, here goes the supper prep.  It was going to be the classic spaghetti sauce...with a twist.  (That ridged orange object on the right hand side should clue you in as to the twist!)
Yep, the classic ingredients of tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, herbs and some dried tomatoes.....along with this beauty!  I had a few of these left over from the winter and thought, why not add them to the mix?  After all, squash is full of beta carotene and has that sweet nutty flavor profile, and that would be great in my sauce.  Besides, it's an absolutely amazing way to add extra nutrients and fiber to the meal without the family being aware of its existence.  

Sounds a bit cruel I know to add mysterious vegetables to a seemingly traditional meal.  But, no problem here!  My family was very accustomed to my "padding" the nutritional profile of our dinners.  As long as it tasted good, they were very unconcerned.  How did I know it was going to taste okay?  Elementary, my dear Watson.  I knew it's sweet flavor would not only sweeten the sauce up a bit, but would also help to thicken it up.  So, I washed, dried, poked a few holes in it and micro'd it until a knife could be easily inserted.  

I then cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and then the pulp.  I added the pulp to a food processor and with a little sauce, I pureed it up to add back into the sauce.  Enter now one circa 1989 crockpot (notice the mauve and country blue flowers?)  Hey, this crockpot knows how to cook and why add to landfill when it does a perfectly good job? Plus, I must confess, I love crockpots and have a 4 quart AND a 7 quart size.  I would have more, but we would need to build an addition!  With all that being said, it was time to combine!

I also added some other garden goodies...dehydrated peppers and tomatoes.  These are also great to snack on as well~especially when you're hungry cooking. My own dried garden herbs were the last thing to add.

Oh, I couldn't forget my pre-made, homemade frozen meatballs as well as some rosemary and tarragon that I froze for just such an occasion. The tarragon is a bit of a secret to our sauce.  One day I noticed it as an ingredient to a bottled sauce we really liked (what we didn't like on the bottled sauce was all the sodium and syrups.) It really gave it a nice "sausage-y" flavor and we've used it all winter.  Good thing I have plenty more tarragon in the garden.

 Next, add some tomato paste, season with salt, pepper and sweeten to taste. Let it crockpot away for 4-5 hours so the cooker can do it's magic transformation cooking thing.

It all added up to one late night dinner that was rich, hearty and delicious!  And, if I may say so myself, secretly nutritious!!