I've got worms! Adventures in vermicomposting

Our family of four averages about two bags of trash a week.  Recycling helps, however we try to limit our purchases to things that have need or use and not just stuff.  Don't get me wrong, we have more than enough toys (for kids and grown-ups) in our house!  I would venture to guess that compared to the "typical" American family we live pretty simple lives.

Red wiggler worms

Limiting our stuff collection extends to our food.  Shopping the perimeter of the store, staying away from processed foods, and from scratch cooking limits our packaging trash.  There is, however, an opportunity to manage our scrap food waste which is where the worms come in. 

Our Made in America Christmas resulted in a shiny new Worm Bin for me!  My quest to locate red wiggler worms in N.H. in the winter ended badly.  I suspect I would have had better luck locally during the farm market season.  As luck would have it, Amazon carries everything these day including red wigglers.

My role as worm mother has not begun well.  Waiting two days to open the box, the flyer inside urges immediately adding water to the worms.  (Mistake #1)  Next, the worm bin directions stress that all of the bin set up should be done before the worms are purchased.  (Mistake #2)  Oops.  I'll do better next time and in the mean time my worms are still alive.

This morning the boys and I set up the bin with scraps from our salad last night.  Per the manufacturer directions, here are the steps we followed:

Chop up food scraps well.

Lay down dry newspaper to cover the bottom of the bin.
Prep the bedding material and spread it on top of the newspaper.

Add food to the corners of the bin and dump in the worms
into the center.

Cover with damp, shredded newspaper and then full sheets
 of wet newspaper.

Put the lid on and let 'em eat.  Add more food trays
as the worms establish themselves.

Applesauce Granola - Now with natural sweetener variation

Update: Recipe now includes sucessfully tested natural sweeterner variation. 

On occasion I have been known to go a little crazy in the quest to feed my passion.  Granola provides the perfect example.  My long time assumption has been that the more stuff in the granola the better it will taste.  Oats, nuts, seeds, ground flax, wheat germ, honey, oil - you name it and I've put it in granola.  Once baked I have always been at least mildly disappointed. 

Enter a recipe I found this weekend that goes against the grain, er... oat.  This one is simple, versatile and amazingly good.  Not to mention very low in fat and sugar. 

I rely on homemade granola as a base for granola bars.  The simpler the granola recipe the more variety of granola bar recipe.


Applesauce Granola

• 4 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute 3 tablespoons agave nectar + 1 teaspoon black strap molasses)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine applesauce, honey and coconut oil.
4. Once warmed through mix the applesauce mixture into the oat mixture.  Stir to coat.
5. Spread the mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish or roasting pan.
6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.  The granola is done when it is golden brown.
7. Store in a sealed container for up to two weeks or freeze for longer storage.

Stay tuned for future posts on granola bars made from homemade applesauce granola!

The Benefits of Coconut Oil: mushroom, shrimp and spinach pasta with coconut bechamel sauce

Articles toting the benefits of coconut oil are everywhere these days and often include the reasons against using other (seemingly) heart healthy oils like canola.  Generally written or sponsored by the industry or product the article is promoting, the potential conflict of interest leaves the average person to wonder what can and should be believed!

Enter basic reasoning from Charles Mattocks via the Dr. Oz website:
Coconut Oil: A Good Saturated Fat?
You may ask, isn't coconut oil a saturated fat? And aren't saturated fats harmful? Yes, coconut oil consists of 90% saturated fats. But whether or not saturated fats are harmful depends on who you ask. Among mainstream nutritionists, the idea that saturated fats cause heart disease is an “absolute truth” that is never questioned. Those who question this belief, however, point out that mankind has been consuming mainly saturated fats – in the form of butter, lard, coconut oil, etc – for thousands of years, yet heart disease was rare before the 1920s. If anything, the rise of heart disease in recent decades may correspond to the increasing use of polyunsaturated vegetable oils like corn, safflower and canola, as well as margarine. 

In order for canola oil to make it to our grocery store shelf it is highly processed using high heat methods sometimes including the chemical Hexane. The history of canola oil itself describes how much modifying it has been through since the 1950's. It was originally derived from rapeseed however it is a completely different plant.

Expeller pressed coconut oil is as basic and whole as it gets. It still smells and even looks like a coconut (white in its solid form below 76 degrees). Coconut oil's high smoke point makes it perfect for sauteing and the flavor is great for baking. Uses for coconut oil extend to personal care as it can be used as a conditioner and lotion especially during these cold winter months.

In my own kitchen I use canola oil, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Coconut oil tastes great but I would rather not all of our food taste like coconuts! Until I have found a near flavorless version of it I will still use canola oil for high temperature cooking. (I would love to hear responses on flavor light coconut oil brands!) In the mean time I continue to experiment with coconut oil where the flavor profile fits. Here's a recipe that we enjoyed last week.

Mushroom, Shrimp and Spinach Pasta with Coconut Bechamel Sauce

• 3/4 lb whole wheat pasta
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3/4 lb peeled and cleaned shrimp
• 1lb mushrooms (any variety will do)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 package fresh baby spinach
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to box directions.  Drain and do not rinse.
2. Add the coconut oil to a large saute pan preheating on meduim/high heat.
3. Add shrimp and saute until pink, approximately 2 minutes on each side.  Remove the cooked shrimp from the saute pan and set aside.
4. Add mushrooms to the saute pan and cook stirring often until soft.  Add garlic and stir to combine. 
5. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir.  Add milk and heat to a low boil to thicken the sauce. 
6. Add baby spinach and toss.  As spinach wilts add the parmesan cheese, cooked shrimp and pasta.
7. Warm through, adjust seasoning and serve with an extra sprinkling of cheese.   

 

Mushrooms simmering in bechamel sauce.



The finished product featuring misc. pasta from cleaning out the cabinets!

Orange Almond Bread - Nigella Style

This simple bread, based on a Nigella Lawson cake recipe, features the most unique citrus technique I've ever seen.  Simmer oranges in water for 2 hours and process the fruit whole (peel, seeds, etc.) in a food processor until smooth.  The liquified oranges create a wonderfully moist bread that has no need for added oils.  The flavor is incredible and your home will smell like an orange grove.

The ratio of ground almonds to flour is certainly up for interpretation.  (Nigella's original recipe calls for all ground almonds and no flour.)  Higher ground almond ratios will yield a more dense bread.  Be sure that the total amount of ground almonds and/or flour is 2 1/4 cups.

For an added fiber and omega 3 twist, the Orange Almond bread came out beautifully when substituting a ground flaxseed/water combination for two of the eggs. See below the recipe for the details on the substitution.


Orange Almond Bread

• 3-4 clementine or mandarin oranges (approximately 14oz.)
• 1 1/4 cup ground almonds (or 1 cup of whole almonds that you will grind in a food processor)
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Place oranges in a medium sauce pan and cover them with cold water.  Cover and heat the water and oranges to boiling.  Turn down the heat and allow to simmer with the lid tilted for approximately 2 hours.  More water may be required as the oranges simmer.  Drain the remaining water and allow the oranges to cool slightly.
2. If you are starting with whole almonds pour them into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse them until ground into a relatively fine cornmeal like consistency. 
3. Pour the ground almonds into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the whole oranges to the food processor bowl and process until smooth - approximately 2 minutes.  Add the pureed oranges to the ground almonds.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. 
6. Butter or spray a 9x5 loaf pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes.  The bread may need to be covered with foil if it begins to brown too much. 
7. Test the bread for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf.  Remove when the toothpick comes out clean of crumbs.
8. Cool in the pan an enjoy.

The simmering oranges needing more water!

The pureed oranges.

Ground Flax Seed and Egg Substitution

For every egg in a recipe substitute:

• 3 Tablespoons of water
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed

Allow it to sit for two minutes and add to the recipe in lieu of one egg.