Baby Spinach Radicchio Salad with Baby Beets and Goat Cheese
Friday, December 28, 2018This is a simple yet very delicious and healthy salad. Radicchio has a bold, somewhat bitter taste that pairs really well with the sweetness of baby beets, tenderness of baby spinach and complex flavours of goat milk cheddar.
I wish the upcoming year for ALL of you to be a wonderful one, which is filled with joy, health and success.
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- Combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic and seasonings in a small screw-top jar. Shake to combine. Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes.
- Arrange baby spinach, sliced radicchio, and baby beets on serving plates. Tear the cheddar goat cheese and garnich the salad.
- Shake the dressing and drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately.
Pemmican
Friday, December 21, 2018Pemmican, created by Native Americans and adopted by European explorers of the New World, is a concentrated blend of fat and protein from lean, dried meat (usually beef nowadays, but bison, deer, and elk were common then) which is crushed to a powder and mixed with an equal amount of hot, rendered fat (usually beef tallow). Sometimes crushed, dried berries and nuts/seeds are added as well. However, the more additional ingredients you add, the less shelf stable the pemmican becomes. If you wish your pemmican to be shelf stable and last for years, go with meat and fat only.
Packed with calories and nutrition and long shelf life, pemmican is often called the ultimate survival food. The word “pemmican” is derived from the Cree root word 'pimi' for 'fat' or 'grease'.
The pemmican can be stored in airtight containers without refrigeration in a cool, dark and dry place. If made and stored properly, it can last for years or even decades. Modern types of pemmican with extra add-ins are best kept in the freezer.
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- Place the beef roast in the freezer for a few hours, allowing it to firm up. If it is frozen, partially thaw it out. Use a sharp knife to cut it into long, thin slices.
- Place the slices either in a dehydrator or an oven that can be set at 65C/150F. It takes about 15 hours to thoroughly crisp the meat strips in my dehydrator. If you use oven, crack the oven door to prevent moisture buildup.
- Place in your food processor to powderize the dried meat. Turn the powderized meat in a large bowl and add in hemp seeds and black salt, if using.
- Render the beef suet in a skillet over very low heat. Stir the fat as it rendered out, and watch closely so that it wouldn’t burn. When the fat stops bubbling, the rendering is done.
- Mix the fat slowly with the meat, allowing the dry mixture to soak it up before adding more. You might not need all the fat. If pouring too much too quickly, just add some almond powder or coconut flour to firm it up. I divide the mixture in 6 muffin cups, but you can just shape them in balls or bars. It is best to store pemmican in a cool, dark, and dry place, inside an airtight container or a container that will not attract moisture.
Spelt Red Wheat Bread with Brazilian Nuts
Friday, December 14, 2018This sepelt, red wheat and Brazilian nuts bread is nutty, light yet very flavourful, with a hint of sweetness from coconut sugar. Enjoy it as it is or toasted with a slather of butter sprinkled with a bit of black salt.
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- Heat the buttermilk to a simmer, and pour it over the beef fat in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm, then add the yeast and sugar.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir on low speed until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed and knead the dough until it begins to become smooth and elastic. Add a bit of additional buttermilk or flour if needed. The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise until puffy and about doubled in bulk, about an hour.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into a log that fits a standard-size loaf pan. Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about an hour until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan.
- Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle some ground Brazilian nuts over. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it's light golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on rack before slicing.
Warm Beef Heart Salad with Herbed Vinaigrette
Thursday, December 06, 2018Beef heart is an inexpensive and flavourful meat that does not taste like organ meat, but rather like a lean cut of steak. It is more dense with a higher nutrient content and additional protein. Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10. The beef heart is versatile and easy to prepare. It does well to either quick stirfry or long stewing.
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- Trim the beef heart by removing all of the spongy and artery looking things from the heart. Slice or cube if desired.
- On a large skillet, heat over medium- low heat and add in the ghee. Once the ghee melts, add in minced garlic. Stir briefly. Add in sliced beef heart and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes or until the meat is medium rare (or longer if you want it a little more cooked). Season with black salt and freshly milled peppers, then add in the arrowroot starch. Swivel so that the starch circulates and is blended to thicken the meat.
- For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, shallot and salt and allow to sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs.
- Arrange the bell peppers, radicchio and belgium endive on plates. Top with some stirfried beef heart slices and drizzle some vinaigrette over. Serve immediately.