Organic Granny

I wish this were my own cherry tree- nothing so fruitful in my yard...yet!  Courtesy of Yokim at  scx.hu It's a foggy old rainy old day out there, but it's not particularly cold and we don't have to shovel it, so end of complaints.  Today is perfect for a happiness-making, sweet, and tangy bowl of Cheery Pie Oatmeal Porridge.  This is purely decadent and will make you feel like a princess for a day-- it's perfect for Valentine's Day breakfast .  Find the recipe below: INGREDIENTS: (serves 2-3 generously) 1/2 C. Almonds (organic if you can find them) 1 C. Steel Cut Oats (Buy GF Oats if you are Gluten-sensitive) 1/4 C. Chia seed 1/2 C. organic Dried Cranberries (or dried cherries) (or REAL CHERRIES as in picture) 1/4 tsp. Salt (or to taste) 1/4 C. Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Cane Sugar from Malawi 1/2 C. organic Coconut shreds 3 C. Water 1 tsp. Simply Organic Almond Extract Tree of Life Organic Cherry Spread Almond Mylk Cheery Pie Oatm

I know that this sounds a little mystifying-- after all, doesn't 'zupa' mean 'soup'? Why, yes zupa does mean soup (and also something like a drunk's sop , but we'll overlook that definition). Okay. Zupa Soup sounds so much better than "Yesterday's Lazy Cabbage Rolls* combined with all the malingering week's veggies chopped up and made into a soup". But that is basically what you have here.  I made up this pretty delicious Lazy Cabbage Rolls (vegan) but I wasn't that keen on the fact that the rice didn't quite cook through (although that didn't bother my dh-- he had a couple of servings).  So, today I combined about 1 C. of fried Mushrooms , 1 fried chopped Onion , 3 yellow Peppers (which I had roasted and skinned), and about 2# of Broccoli florets  in with the left-over Lazy Cabbage Rolls (and various spices, more dill and salt and pepper, basically) and 1 Simply Organic jar of Pasta Sauce , and about 2 qu

Stove-Top Apple-Beans over Spud Bakes Ingredients 1 1/2 C. cooked Beans (white, pinto, your choice) 2             Apples , finely chopped, or fresh unsweetened Apple Sauce 2 C.       Crushed or Pureed Tomatoes 4 tsp.     Dijon Mustard 2 T.       Blackstrap Molasses 2 T.       Apple Cider Vinegar 1/2 tsp.   Smoked Paprika or Chipotle (hotter smoky) 1/2 C.     Water 1 Sprig   Rosemary 1 tsp.     Dried Thyme or Dillweed A few drops of Liquid   Smoke 1/2 tsp.   Celtic Sea Salt (or Smoked Sea Salt) Black Pepper to taste Method: In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients above (except for the salt and pepper) Cook over medium heat until the ingredients simmer, then turn down to LOW and put on cover.  Cook for up to 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. Add the salt and pepper and serve over potatoes (as above) or quinoa, rice, etc.  This recipe is based on the lovely Apple Baked Beans Recipe  in my favourite Bean Cook Book (below): F

Creamy Hot Oatmeal with Dreamy Marzipan Topping I really can't identify with people who turn up their noses at hot oatmeal porridge.  But maybe it's because they have only ever eaten it with the same old milk and brown sugar topping?  Maybe it they tried topping the breakfast with wonderful nut jams (sounds like they might be a bother to make, but they are really easy) they would be converted to l.o.v.i.n.g oatmeal forever! If you have even the tiniest bit of Scots in your background (or even German, I find out from my hubby), you may have been introduced to oatmeal as a youngster.  Maybe the icky kind: either thin, grey gruel (ugh) or lumpy, unpalatable "porjch" (gag).  My mom cooked the thick lumpy variety and I ate the gruel type when I attended a convent boarding school for a year.  But my friend's mom cooked it 'just right' as Baby Bear's.  And my mother-in-law's was right up there with the stuff you get served at 5-Star hote

Savoury Middle East Lentil Stew This is a quick-to-put-together comfort food for cool winter days or nights, as long as you have the Quinoa (or Rice) and Red Lentils pre-cooked.  A green salad and a piece of fresh flat bread will round it out nicely.  I've made it a little more "world" foodie than actual Middle Eastern, but you can always sub Brown Rice for the Quinoa and Cayenne and Paprika for the Chipotle (I just love the smoky hot quality of Chipotle if you are wondering why it turns up in so many recipes).  I also use Coconut Oil instead of Olive Oil, but please use what you have available, or what you prefer.  If you have other veggies that you would like to saute up with the onions (bell peppers, egg plant, minced garlic), go ahead!  Enjoy! INGREDIENTS: 1 T. Coconut Oil   2 Onions , chopped fine  1 tsp.  Turmeric powder 1 tsp. ground  Cumin  (I grind the seeds up in a Coffee Bean grinder-- you could just buy the powder) 1 tsp. ground  Cinnamon

I went into the pantry tonight and found a very over-ripe avocado.  What came to mind? Guacamole? Nope. Chocolate Mousse, of course.  Nothing makes a mousse like avocado.  Especially when you are vegan (all those eggs, you know) or lazy (all those eggs to be beaten up).   And since I'm trying to cut down on refined sugars, I used Stevia (just a packet of "SweetLeaf") and a few maple chips (little pieces of maple sugar) and a few cacao nibs (what are they? little pieces of hardened cacao I guess-- certainly not chocolate chips!)  So here is the easy recipe for the 2 puddings my husband and I enjoyed (and he gets to 'lick out the blender' as well-- without slicing his tongue on the blade I hope). (Serves 2, or maybe 1 person who stays up really late and discovers the avo that needs dealing with) 1 large-ish over-ripe Avocado 1 1/2 C. Coconut Dream (or other non-dairy milk) 1 T.   Organic Cocoa Powder or Raw Cacao Powder 1 tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract

Lentil Bowl #3- Mexican Red Lentil Stew with Lime and Cilantro over Oven Baked Potato Sticks (Serves 8-12, and can be halved). INGREDIENTS: 2 C. Red Lentils   4 C. Water   2 T. Coconut Oil   2 Onions, chopped fine (I did mine in Food Processor)  2 C. Celery , finely chopped (also did in Food Processor)  1 Red Bell Pepper , seeded and chopped  1-2T Garlic , minced (for DIY jar mince, go here  )  1/2 tsp. ground Turmeric   2 tsp. ground Cumin (grind the seed in a Coffee Bean Grinder)  2 tsp. Chipotle spice (or Chili Powder)  2 cans roasted tomatoes or Organic Roma Tomato Sauce (Costco)  2 C. Vegetable Broth   Celtic Sea Salt to taste  1/2 C. fresh-squeezed Juice of Lime   1+ C. chopped fresh Cilantro   METHOD:    Put rinsed and drained Lentils into a medium pot and add 4 cups water. Bring just to a boil, turn heat off, and put lid on. Let lentils sit for 30 minutes.   While lentils sit for 30 minutes, chop onions, celery and red bell pepper.

Lazy Enchilada Casserole (Vegan and Gluten-Free) I am all for wonderful lazy casseroles (one of my faves is lazy cabbage rolls)-- this enchilada casserole means that you get the same wonderful flavour and texture without actually having to mess around with making the enchilada rolls (unless you are really great at doing them, in which case, go to it!).  You just put down a thin layer of the vegan cheese (queso or kay-so) on the bottom of the casserole pan (either covered already covered with parchment, or oiled), a layer of tortillas, the enchalada filling, a top layer of tortillas, and then the rest of the queso!  You can see how it is pretty much a piece of cake / pastel(?)  Have fun, and enjoy this luscious recipe!  It makes a fantastic potluck entree that will be much appreciated! To make this again I would start by assembling the ingredients the day before, and I would cook the beans (separately, the white beans and the pinto beans) and put them in mason jars (or o

Lentil Bowl #2 with Mushrooms, Carmelized Onions, and Quinoa - on a bed of Baby Greens I got the idea for Lentil Bowl #2 by googling "mushrooms lentils"-- it seemed to me to be a lovely mix.  Of course there are thousands of variations online.  I chose the one with the image that showed a heap of mouth-watering carmelized onions on top of the lentil dish.  Then I went about making changes based on what I had to work with and what I prefer (eg., I added in the quinoa vs. a bed of rice, and amped up the portions so that this recipe makes enough for four to six servings.) Lentil Bowl #2 with Mushrooms,Caramelized Onions and Quinoa Precooked lentils and starches are a boon when it comes to the series of "Lentil Bowls" that I am featuring here on Organic Granny. If you soak and cook extra lentils you will speed up the whole maddeningly* fragrant cooking process the next time, and you will save a ton of money by not buying the tinned organic lentils. Just stic

Even if you are not a huge fan of lentils, this particular recipe will answer a deep need on a cool winter's night when you have put out all day for the Man and are just ready for something comforting and satisfying!  It will feed 2 - 4 diners, depending on the hunger and the usual inputs.  I'm calling this Lentil Bowl #1, so expect some more quick and yummy one-dish lentil recipes! The potatoes in the above picture are white 'sweet potatoes' and not the bright orange yams we expect when we say 'sweet potato'.  They have the texture of  sweet potato, and they ARE very sweet (ooze syrup when baked) but they have a more neutral flavour.  Yams work extremely well also, so use either. Ingredients for the Lentil part: 1 T. Coconut Oil 1/2 Small Onion , chopped fine 2     Garlic Cloves, minced 1 C. Pineapple, chopped small (I use Costco's frozen Organic Pineapple-- smells like the tropics!) 3 C. cooked Brown or Green Lentils 2 T. Maple Syrup Shot of Ap

Roast Pepper-Potato Comfort Soup This roasted pepper-potato soup is a delicious, nutritious, warming comfort food that everyone will love. It is vegan (although you are free to plug in your animal products as subs) and gluten-free. The fragrance while it is cooking will draw everyone in the neighborhood on a cool day. My dog is also much attracted by the fragrance. INGREDIENTS: 3 T. Coconut Oil or Ghee (if not vegan) (Optional: Use an Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray) 3 - 4 Organic Red and/or Orange Bell Peppers 1 Medium or 2 Small Organic Yellow Onion (s) 1 Large Organic Potato , peeled and diced (1 1/2 cups) 3 Cloves Garlic , minced 1 Liter / Quart Organic  Vegetable Broth (or use 2 Organic Vegetable Bouillon Cubes in 1 Liter of Water) 1/4 C. non-dairy Milk , (unsweetened almond, soy, etc.) Cayenne, Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste   METHOD: Roast the Peppers :   Wash and dry them.  Place them each in the oven, close together under the grill on the rack (no pan

Delicious & Fragrant Organic Borscht with Basil, Red Lentils, and Purple Cabbage I was at Costco today and saw a 2-4 servings package of ready-made beet borscht for ... are you ready?... $12+ change!!!!!  I knew I had beets at home in the fridge (thanks to that wonderful organic-vegetable-growing son of mine who harvested close to 3000# of beets this Fall!) and I DO know how to make borscht, so I could hardly wait to get home to make such a valuable-- and delicious of course-- soup. And this borscht I am making is ORGANIC, it does not have any GMO possibilities, or high fructose corn syrup lacings.  This recipe will feed 5 people... so, I guess it must be worth about $25?  You can make it too: Ingredients : 2 Tbs. Coconut Oil *4 small Onions , halved and sliced (3 cups) *1 T. organic dried whole Basil *2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt *6 cloves Garlic , minced *3 medium Beets , peeled and grated, or pulsed until fine in Food Processor *Greens from beets (or bunch of Swiss Char

This luscious Ginger-Grape Jam is made with my own organic seedless green grapes! *Recipe for cakes below The kitchen smells of Jam.   Ginger-Grape Jam.  It is a dark rainy night in the Comox Valley. This is the kind of night that Grandmothers use to make jam.  We have a grape arbour that produces sweet seedless green grapes. This was a long hot, dry summer-- apparently the kind of growing season that these grapes enjoy! Originally the grapes  were used for wine-making. But we call them "Table Grapes". We freeze each little gem and use them in smoothies for most of the winter. And we make Jam.  Please note: This jam was made with ORGANIC seedless green grapes during ORGANIC WEEK!   So, let's get right to the recipe: Pick the grapes (at least 1 Kg/2 pounds) and soak 20 min. in basin of water with 1/4 C. Vinegar mixed in.   INGREDIENTS: 2 pounds/ 1 Kg  Fresh, Ripe Grapes .  1/4 Cup / 60 g  Sugar  or other Sweetener 1/2  Lime, Juiced , Fresh lem