Grilled Chicken is quite easy to make and a real treat for every one. The smoky barbeque flavor permeating deep within, grilled chicken tastes divine with a knob of herbed butter or just buttery rice or bread. If you decide to complement it with a gravy, so much better!
Simply marinate the chicken in a mixture [...]

Egg Curry is quite easy to make and taste delicious too! It goes just as well with rice or rotis and is a nutritious all-in-one meal.
All you need to do is (1) boil eggs, (2) saute some onions with cumin seed, mustard seeds, salt, green chillies and red chilli powder (3) add tomatoes and continue [...]

Microwave Cooking

* The advantage of a microwave cooking is that it is a clean and efficient way to cook and you can serve it in the same bowl you cooked it in!

* When you cook food using a microwave, the most important thing is to make sure the food is cooked thoroughly to destroy any food poisoning bacteria that may be present.

* Foods that you can cook in the microwave include rice, pasta, meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, potatoes and any pre-cooked microwave meals. Fruits and vegetables in fact, retain more nutritional value because less water and a shorter cooking time is needed.

Tips to make the most of your Microwave Oven

1. Covering most foods will speed up cooking.

2. Use round or oval dishes, instead of square or rectangle, for more even cooking.

3. If you are cooking two foods at the same time, choose foods that take about the same amount of time to cook.

4. Heating continues after food is removed from the microwave oven, so allow time for this additional cooking.

5. Arrange chicken pieces so that the thicker, meatier portions are toward the outside of the dish and the thin, bony parts are toward the center.

6. Foods containing sugar and fats cook faster.

7. Stir or rotate food midway through microwaving to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive, and for more even cooking.

8. To cook your meal more evenly, cut food so that pieces are about the same size.

9. Always undercook–if more time is needed, you can always add another minute or two.

10. Microwave cooking increases the flavour of herbs and spices. Therefore, make sure to reduce half the amount of spices specified for conventional cooking.
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RECIPES

MICROWAVE MUTTON CURRY

Ingredients:

1 kg mutton (boneless cubes)
6 cardamoms
1 bay-leaf
5/6 cup oil
2g saffron
3tbsp. Garlic paste
1 boiled egg
4 cinnamon
8 cloves
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3tbsp. Ginger paste
3 tbsp. Green chilli paste
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Heat oil, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf.

When brown put ginger, garlic, green chilli paste.

Saute for a few minutes and add yoghurt and mutton cubes.

Put it in a glass dish, cover it and micro it for 10 minutes and then stand it for 5 minutes.

When meat is tender, add salt, pepper and saffron and micro it further for 3-4 minutes. Stand it for another minute and serve.

To serve garnish with quartered boiled egg and mint.

A squeeze of lemon juice will greatly enhance the taste.
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Cajun Baked Fish

Be careful not to overcook fish, as it will become very tough. Meat, poultry, vegetables and fruit cook in approximately 6 minutes per pound, but fish and seafood take only 3-4 minutes per pound. Orange Roughy or other mild white fish are good substitutes for the catfish in this dish.

Ingredients:
1 lb. catfish filets
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup crushed cracker

Preparation:

Mix mayonnaise and spices.

Coat fish on both sides with mayonnaise mixture and roll in cracker crumbs.

Arrange fish on microwave rack or in casserole, thickest portions to the outside.
Microwave on High power (100%) for 3-4 minutes.
Let stand a few seconds and check for doneness. Fish will flake easily when done.

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Chocolate Scotch Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Preparation:

Melt margarine and blend in sugar and stir in remaining ingredients.

Spread into greased 8” x 8” baking dish, or round dish of same capacity.

Cook for 3-8 minutes at 70% until bubbly all over.

Cool for 1-2 minutes and sprinkle with chips.

Place small drops of peanut butter on chips.

When chocolate and peanut butter begins to melt, spread, marbleizing slightly, to frost.

Allow frosting to partially set before cutting into pieces.

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Microwave Raspberry Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl.Mix in preserves. Blend well. Add sour cream and eggs. Beat well. Blend together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add gradually to first mixture, beating well.

Pour batter into greased 8-inch round microwave-safe dish. Microwave on full power for 4 to 5 minutes or until top springs back when pressed with finger.

Cool. Frost with Raspberry Frosting.

Raspberry Frosting

2 tablespoons butter 2 cups powdered sugar, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Combine butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and preserves. Blend well. Add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Spread on cake.

This creamy milk shake is a favorite with the kids and is ready in a minute.
Simply mix together milk, food color, sugar, vanilla essence and a dollop of fresh cream in a blender and blend on high for a minute. Pour into glasses and watch them drain it to the last drop. You can also [...]

Nutty Facts

Nuts are seeds that are covered with a hard shell. Most are the seeds of trees, but the seeds of a few other plants that are not strictly nuts will also be considered here as they can be conveniently classified with nuts for culinary purposes.

Nuts can be used in many ways. Whole, flaked and ground nuts and nut butters are widely available. A classic vegetarian savoury is nut roast and many vegetarian cook books give a recipe for one, which can be endlessly varied with different herbs and flavourings and different combinations of nuts and cereals. Nuts can be added to sweet dishes, cakes and biscuits, and nut butters can be added to soups and stews to thicken them.

Nutrition

Nuts in general are very nutritious, providing protein and many essential vitamins, such as A and E, minerals, such as phosphorous and potassium, and fibre. Nuts are also high in carbohydrate and oils, so shouldn’t be eaten in excess.
Whereas pulses all belong to the legume group of plants, nuts come from a variety of different plant groups, so the nutritional content is more varied too. A brief description of individual varieties is given below, together with the main nutrients they contain.

Storage

Nuts should be stored in cool, dry conditions in airtight containers away from the light. Because of their high fat content, many of them benefit from storage in the fridge or freezer to deter rancidity.

Varieties Availabe

Almonds - Almond oil is used for flavouring and for skin care preparations and is extracted from the kernel of the Bitter Almond. The Sweet Almond is grown for nuts for eating.

Brazils - Brazils are high in fat, which causes them to go rancid very quickly, and protein.

Candle nut - A hard oily nut used to flavor and thicken Indonesian and Malaysian curries. The name arises because the nuts, when threaded on the mid-rib of a palm leaf, are used as a primitive candle. Similar in size and shape to a macadamia. Do not eat raw. Store in the fridge.

Cashews - The nut grows in a curious way on the tree, hanging below a fleshy, apple-like fruit.

Chestnuts - The nuts can be used in soups, fritters, porridges, stuffings and stews, as well as being roasted or boiled whole. Available fresh (in autumn), dried, canned - whole or pureed, or ground into flour. Dried chestnuts need soaking for at least 1-2 hours and boiling for 45-60 minutes, fresh need boiling for 40 minutes before being peeled. Preserved in syrup they become the famous delicacy, Marron-glace. High in starch, but low in protein and fats.

Chironji nuts - Small brownish nuts that looks like a little large sunflower seeds, sometimes ground with other nuts, such as almonds and cashew. White poppy seeds is sometimes added to enrich some dishes. The flavor is similar to that of hazelnuts. Almonds and hazelnuts are good substitutes.

Coconuts - Unripe nuts contain coconut milk. The nutmeat can be eaten fresh or dried (desiccated or flaked coconut) and is also available in blocks of creamed coconut. A valuable oil is also extracted from the nut meat and used for cooking (although it is very high in saturated fat), margarines, soaps and detergents.

Hazels - Used in sweet and savoury dishes, they are available whole, ground and flaked, or made into oil and nut butter. They are lower in fat than most other nuts.

Litchi nuts - A sweet, white fruit about 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter. It has a dark red hull which must be removed before eating. Also comes canned and dried. Use as a garnish or as a fruit.

Macadamia Nuts - Notoriously difficult to extract from their shells, they are expensive but have a delicious creamy flavour and crunchy texture. Low in carbohydrate, but quite high in fat.

Peanuts - Also known as groundnuts or monkey nuts, peanuts are actually legumes. It gets its name groundnut because as the pods ripen, they are actually forced underground. Peanuts are high in protein and contain 40-50% oil. The oil is used in cooking, as salad oil, in margarines and the residue is fed to animals. Whole peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted or made into peanut butter (look out for brands which do not contain hydrogenated oils, which are highly saturated).

Pecans - It is used extensively in ice cream, cakes, nut bread and confectionery. The flavour is rather like a mild, sweet walnut.

Pine Nuts - They are very difficult to harvest, hence their cost. They are vital for pesto sauce, and are delicious lightly toasted. They become rancid very easily and should be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Pistachios - The kernels are green and are prized as much for their ornamental colour as for their flavour. Also sold roasted and salted in their shells. They are more expensive than most other nuts.

Walnuts - It is grown for timber as well as its nuts. Walnut oil has been used for centuries in the preparation of artists paints. High in fat, they go rancid very quickly and should be stored in the fridge or freezer.

Seeds

Pumpkin - Can be eaten raw or cooked in both sweet or savoury dishes. Delicious toasted and sprinkled, while hot, with soya sauce and served on salads. They are rich in protein, iron, zinc and phosphorous.

Sesame - An oil is extracted from the seed and used for cooking, salad oil and margarines. It is also available as toasted sesame oil for oriental cooking. The whole seeds can also be eaten and are most often seen as a decoration on cakes, confectionery etc. Sesame seed paste, tahini, is used in many dishes e.g. hummus. Halva, a sweet made from sesame seeds is often found in health food shops. A good source of protein and calcium.

Sunflower - The oil extracted from its seeds is used in margarine, varnishes and soaps but the seeds can be eaten whole, raw or cooked. They can be added to breads and cakes or sprinkled over salad or breakfast cereals. A good source of potassium and phosphorous.

Now for some Nutty Recipes!

Nut Masala Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cardamon seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch piece fresh gingerroot, grated
2 oz blanched almonds or unsalted cashew; nuts, chopped
1/4 cup boiling water

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy skillet, add spices and cook over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add garlic and gingerroot and cook 2 minutes more, then cool.

Put spice mixture in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add almonds or cashew nuts and water; grind to a smooth paste. Cover tightly and keep in a cool place for up to 1 month.

Mixed Nuts Katli

Ingredients
25 g cashew nuts
25 g pecans
25 g almonds
25 g pistachios
1 can condensed milk
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 teaspoon rose essence
1 teaspoon ghee

Directions:
Soak all the nuts separately in warm water for 3-4 hours.
Drain and grind them together into a very fine paste using very little water if needed.
Grease a marble or wooden surface with ghee.
Mix together the condensed milk and nuts paste.
Cook in a pan on medium flame.
When the mixture thickens, reduce the flame.
Keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Sprinkle cornflour.
Stir well.
Remove from the fire immediately.
Mix in the rosewater and turn it onto the greased marble or wooden surface.
Roll thinly with a greased roller.
Spread the silver sheet (silver warakh) over if desired and cut into diamond shaped katlis.
Serve and enjoy!

Date and Nuts Delight

Ingredients
30 dates
1 cup rice
1 tablespoon butter
15 cashews
15 pistachios

Directions:
Remove stones from dates.
Mash up the”stone-less” dates.
Wash rice and soak for 5 minutes.
Drain well.
Roast rice in a heavy bottomed pan.
DO NOT OVER-ROAST.
Then, powder the roasted rice in a grinder/blender.
Mix this powder with the date fruits.
Warm butter in a frying pan.
Add butter to the powder-date mixture.
Grease your palms with a little butter to avoid sticking of the mixture.
Mix well.
Make small balls out of the mixture.
Decorate each ball with cashews and pistas.
Serve with tea.

Cajun Cocktail Nuts recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 to 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1 pound unsalted peanuts
1 pound raw cashews
2 pounds unsalted, raw pecan halves
Garlic salt
Black pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Mix butter, Worcestershire, chili powder and pepper sauce in glass measuring cup.

Combine nuts in large roasting pan and drizzle with butter mixture, stirring to coat. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread out on paper towels (labeled for use with food) to dry. Season with garlic salt and black pepper.

I am sure there are already a million Indian lamb curry recipes out there, but I just wanted to share ours since this was fantastic. We used some ground lamb from our local grass fed farmers at John Pope’s Farm here in the Carrboro area. Tim and Bob are great guys who not only treat their flock well and ensure humane Halal/Kosher slaughter for us, but they are active in local politics. A simple trip to the farmer’s market here down the road becomes an adventure in current issues and the problems with farm subsidies and big government intervention, which hurts the small grass fed farmers here. Well, I’ll get to the politics of that later, but for now I defer you to the video posted below. On to the oh-so-delicious and healthy hormone and antibiotic free grass fed lambies!

1 lb. grass fed lamb
5 cloves fresh garlic
1/2″ piece fresh ginger root
2 c. frozen chopped spinach
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. organic lite coconut milk

Seasonings:
sea salt
pepper
1 T. hot curry powder or turmeric
2 T. curry powder
pinch caradmon (optional)
dash crushed red pepper flakes

If you’ve never had grass fed meat, the taste of this grass fed lamb is simply phenomenal. It tastes much better than conventional meat. It’s also far more humane, as conventional meat comes from overcrowded and badly treated animals. The poorly treated animals actually have a worse nutritional profile and are higher in fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol than their free range grass fed cousins. The grain feed (corn and soy generally) given to conventional lamb, cows, chickens, etc raises their saturated fat and lowers the good Omega 3 fats in the meat. Besides all of the technical details, you literally are what you eat! - how that animal lived and ended its life is vital to your health. This is an oversight of pure Kosher laws which do not necessarily require the animal to be well treated during its life. The focus there is on the “humane” killing so the animal doesn’t suffer. Historically, there was no reason for Kosher rules to specify how an animal lived; all livestock was “grass fed” and free range. There were no government subsidies for big corporate farms which shove animals through their production lines trying to increase profits. Heck, there weren’t even big farms or haciendas, and the feed was not the genetically engineered mass produced soy or corn junk that it is now. Now the era of big everything and a faster tempo of life demand the utmost in efficiency (hence the big farms). This being life as it is now, it is critical to secure a meat source which is well treated during its life as well as well as painless put down. Karina touched on this in her turkey-pardon Thanksgiving post.

Many others, like By-the-Bay and Book of Yum, offer vegan and vegetarian options for the holidays. If vegan is your thing, great! If not, and you do chose to eat meat, I hope you will stop and consider the life that the animal had. You are taking in that animals energy, both mundanely, as given in the meat’s fat and protein profile, but also spiritually. We try our best to “meet our meat” by really getting to know the farmers we buy from and even visiting the farms. Hogan’s grass fed beef, for instance, is right across the road; they let us wander around on their pastures and take pictures with their cows- a nice luxury. If you aren’t as lucky as us to have local farmers markets, don’t fret- Whole Foods is very good about carrying or importing well treated “local” small farm meat at request. Online, many outlets like Slankers offer grass fed meat, though you have to pay steep shipping or buy in bulk.

For an insightful short video on the ugly political issues lurking behind our meat and produce supply, watch this:

The Problems with Farm Subsides for the Small Farmer, by Ron Paul

The whole issue of federal subsidization of American farms as a way of “making American farmers more competitive with worldwide markets” is the wrong approach. This is a classic case of “good intention, bad follow through” as my buddy Mike Keasler would say.

These federal subsides often do not help the real small farmers like all of our local lamb and beef farms out here in North Carolina. National Public Radio (NPR) just recently aired a special on this topic where an Iowa corn and soybean farmer emphasized his need for and dependency on federal money. I should point out that in the recent $286 Billion Dollar Farm Bill which just passed the Senate, federal money is taken from our taxes in order to subsidize crops (like corn) for ethanol, enlarge the food stamp program, and to encourage the further growth of (genetically engineered) wheat, peanuts, barely, oats, soy, and some fruit and other popular grains. Our taxpayer dollars are going to the growing and propagation of gluten and unhealthy soy! This is a bit ironic, being unable to consume any of what my tax money goes towards promoting.

See page 15 of the Farm Bill PDF for the summary of crops and prices with this new farm bill “safety net.” I love the pro-environmental aspect of the bill which encourages alternative fuels through corn growth, however, this should be an action taken on by the industry at the people’s demand for more eco-conscious energy resources. Our bloated, inefficient federal government has no place delegating tax money for this purpose. A simple economics lesson in supply and demand in the “free” market tells every ninth-grader that once the demand is present, the supply will react appropriately. These forces exist in a delicate balance. Federal subsidization disrupts this balance. The “demand” in the free market are the citizens exercising their purchasing power and demanding eco-friendly options. We all know the phrases “Put your money where you mouth is.” So that’s exactly what I’m doing… well, that and enjoying our grass fed local lamb

Farm Bill Headlines:
(MSNBC) Secretary Of Agriculture Says Farm Bill Flawed
(MSNBC) Senate rejects crop subsidy ban for fat cats

Honey is another miracle of the nature. Its has so many medicinal properties (and yet doesn’t taste yucky). Honey should be introduced into our healthy lifestyles.

First lets look at - What is honey?

Honey is made up from fructose, glucose, water and other sugars. It also contains many enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that our body needs. Honey contains many antioxidants that are used by the body to eliminate free radicals - molecules which zip around in healthy cells and have the potential to damage them. Honey therefore makes a good alternative to sugar in food and drink. Care must be taken though, as honey does contain lots of sugars and it must be eaten in moderation. Sugars should not generally represent more than 10 percent of your total calorie intake.

How honey can heal
Research being carried out around the world suggests that honey helps in the healing and sterilising of wounds and ulcers, in the growth of new skin, and, has many antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. The reason for this is the unique combination of properties that honey has.

As Medicine:

One to two tsps full of honey in a glass of hot milk is said to be a good sedative.

For children the use of honey as a general tonic has been known from time immemorial.The reason being that honey acts as a disinfectant and an antiseptic.So a judicious internal administration of honey would render the digestive system aseptic and disease-causing germs would fail to thrive.

Honey is good for sore throats,coughs and colds.An age-old cough mixture still used in many homes consists of honey and limejuice in equal parts.

Honey is also reputed to be a good stimulant for a weak heart.

As far as constipation is concerned,honey is a very popular laxative.

Now for some HONEY recipes. YUM YUM (Got the recipes from National HONEY Board)

Curried Chicken Wings- Makes 13 servings -

Ingredients
1 cup honey

2/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

4 teaspoons curry powder

2-1/2 lbs. chicken wings

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine honey, mustard, butter and curry powder; cook and stir over medium heat until blended. Arrange chicken in a 13×9x2-inch baking dish; drizzle with honey mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer; turn after 15 minutes.

Honey Roasted Nuts - Makes 3 cups -

Ingredients

3 cups nuts

1/2 cup honey

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Microwave at HIGH (100%) in 600 to 700 watt microwave oven 4 to 7 minutes or until nuts are toasted, stirring halfway through cooking time. Spread nuts on foil to cool.

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes - Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

Directions

Wash and pierce potatoes or yams. Place on a piece of heavy-duty foil and bake at 375°F for 40 to 50 minutes until just tender. Cool, peel and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Spray 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place cooked potatoes or yams in dish; set aside. In small pan, combine orange juice, honey, cornstarch, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat stirring until thick and mixture begins to boil. Stir and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour over potatoes or yams stirring to coat. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until hot and potatoes are tender.

Pear Cheese Tarts with Honey and Hazelnuts- Makes 18 tarts -

Ingredients

1 box (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry

1 pear, cored and quartered

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Sage honey, divided

8 oz. cream cheese

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Baking spray

Directions

Remove puff pastry from freezer 30 minutes before using. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut pear into thin slices. In small bowl, combine pear, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon honey. Reserve another 1 Tablespoon honey in a small heatproof bowl.

Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the honey, flour and lemon zest. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs, scrape down the sides again and mix until very smooth.

Cut half of the pastry sheets into 9 squares. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray. Carefully fit 1 square into each muffin cup. Fill each cup with 2 Tablespoons cheese mixture. Cut pear slices to fit muffin tin. Fan 3 or 4 slices of pear over each cup and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon hazelnuts. Freeze 10 to 15 minutes to firm pastry.

Bake cold tarts until pastry is lightly browned and cheese is puffed, about 20 minutes. Cut 9 more pastry squares and repeat filling and baking. Microwave reserved honey 5 seconds on High and drizzle tarts with warm honey.

Let tarts sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving or refrigerate and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

Tortilla Crisps with Honey Dip - Makes 6 servings -

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 small cinnamon stick

1 piece (1-1/2 x 1/2-inch) orange peel

6 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Vegetable oil

Directions

Combine honey, butter, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Cook over low heat at least 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and peel before serving. Cut each tortilla into six wedges. Deep-fry tortillas, smooth-side up, at 375°F about 30 seconds. Turn and deep-fry 30 seconds longer or until golden brown. Tortillas should puff as soon as they are put in hot oil. Remove from oil to paper towel-lined tray. Serve crisp tortilla with honey dip or spoon dip over chips.

Oven Method: Brush both sides of whole tortillas with vegetable oil. Cut into wedges before baking, if desired. Place on baking sheet and bake at 325°F about 12 minutes or until crisp and browned but not hard.

Apricot Honey Bread- Makes 12 servings -

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1-1/4 cups 2% low-fat milk

1 cup honey

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or chopped almonds

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Combine milk, honey, egg and oil in separate large bowl. Pour milk mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Gently fold in apricots, sunflower seeds and raisins. Pour into greased 9 x 5 x 13-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

Apple Honey Tart- Makes 4 servings -

Ingredients

1 (17-1/4 oz.) puff pastry dough

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup white zinfandel wine*

1/2 cup honey

1 stick (3-inch) cinnamon

3 whole cloves

1 slice (1/4-inch) fresh ginger root

3 medium apples, pared, cored and sliced

Whipped cream or low-fat dairy sour cream

Directions

Cut two 5-inch hearts out of puff pastry. Cut 1/2-inch wide strips of pastry from remaining dough. Brush edges of hearts with beaten egg. Twist and line edges of hearts with dough strips, joining ends of strips with egg mixture as necessary. Bake according to package directions. When golden and baked, remove or push down puffy centers of hearts to allow space for apple filling. Bring wine, honey and spices to boil in 9- to 10-inch skillet; reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add apples in one layer, return mixture to boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until apples are tender. Carefully remove slices from liquid and drain thoroughly. Reduce liquid until syrupy; cool. Brush bottom of crust with syrup; arrange poached apples over syrup. Serve with dollops of whipped or sour cream.

*If desired, apple juice may be substituted for wine.

Apricot Honey Oat Bar Cookies- Makes 8 servings -

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 egg whites

2 Tablespoons wheat germ

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake at 325°F about 25 minutes or until center is firm and edges are lightly browned. Cool and cut into 2-inch squares.

General Health Benefits and Nutrients:

Slippery Elm Bark can actually sustain life for a short period of time since it is high in many essential nutrients:

• sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, iodine, copper, zinc, phosphorus, bromine, manganese, and vitamins E, F, K, and P
• It is excellent for those who are sick or have cancer or other destructive “wasting” diseases.

Medicinal Uses (internal):

• Digestive Problems:
• indigestion
• cramps
• ulcers
• colitis, gastritis, GI hyperacidity,
• kidney problems
• diarrhea and constipation

• wasting diseases
• cancer
• It soothes nausea and is not likely to be thrown up

The soothing and inflammation-reducing properties of the bark make it ideal for:

• burns
• rash (diaper rash)
• sores, wounds
• hemorrhoids and boils

To apply externally: Mix slippery elm in some water to make a thick paste and apply it directly on the affected area.

Heal an Irritated or Acidic, Damaged G.I. Tract:

Take as a hot tea or add to your baked goods, soups, smoothies, or really anything to take for an irritated digestive system.

Heal a Sore Throat or Respiratory Infection:

The acid buffering and anti-inflammatory action of the bark soothes sore throats and relieves dry and irritated bronchi and lungs. It is an expectorant, meaning that it breaks up mucous stuck in the throat or bronchi (as is the case in bronchitis or a cold/flu) and causes you to cough it up. Conditions appropriate for slippery elm usage:

• asthma
• bronchitis
• sore throats, coughing, hoarseness
• tonsillitis
• pleurisy, lung bleeding, and leukorrhea

To soothe a sore throat: Karl Smith, D. C., has a fantastic page on his University Chiropractic website. He has many easy herbal remedies and good looking recipes if you’re adventurous. A favorite lozenge recipe of Dr. Smith’s: Take some locally grown honey and mix it with slippery elm powder till it makes a thick paste. Add 1-5 drops of peppermint oil to taste. Put in a container with a lid and store it in the fridge. Eat by the spoonful 2-4 times daily until sore throat subsides.

Slippery Elm Tea [Vegan]

~ 1 T. slippery elm bark (powder)
1 c. water, boiling
1 T. sweetener of choice**
2-3 oz. light coconut milk (optional) or other “milk” of choice

** I use organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses (optional) or 1 packet (1 g. total, 10 mg herb) Stevia

spices (adjust to your liking):
hearty dashes of:
cinnamon, nutmeg, caradmon (powdered)
dash of 50-50 cayenne pepper & cinnamon mixture
powdered ginger

Variations: Add 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process - it’s processed with alkali)