When I’m in a pinch and don’t have time to invest in a complicated main course, I find white rice side dishes are the perfect complement to a rotisserie chicken, filet mignon, grilled shrimp, or with a simple fried sunny side egg cooked in olive oil on top of a bed of rice.
The white rice dish can be made the night before. In fact, the combination of butter and pepper ensures the rice retains it’s moisture and tastes better the next day.
It’s so delicious, I can’t help but take a bite after it’s done cooking in the rice cooker and adds the finishing touch baking in the oven.
Cubes of butter coat sections of the rice while the outside edges are crunchy. Mixing the butter with the rice brings the side dish together.
One of the reasons why I like to cook Carolina Gold rice is how aromatic it is. You don’t need to add a suitcase of bells and whistles in the form of herbs and sauces to enjoy this heirloom rice.
The perfect marriage between French, Irish butter, and pepper will have you adding this recipe to your list of favorites. Enjoy!
Easy Butter and Pepper Rice
One of the reasons why I like to cook Carolina Gold rice is how aromatic it is. You don't need to add a suitcase of bells and whistles in the form of herbs and sauces to enjoy this heirloom rice. The perfect marriage between French, Irish butter, and pepper will have you adding this recipe to your list of favorites. Enjoy!
Place one sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet
Press 'Rice' button. Cook for 20 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated.
Spread rice onto the baking sheet with a spatula
Distribute cubes of butter on the baking sheet
Grind pepper over the rice
Bake for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes take the baking sheet out of the oven. Fluff with a fork, making sure butter and pepper coat every rice kernel.
Notes
If you don’t have a rice cooker, the recipe can be converted to a stovetop pot. Cook on medium heat and keep an eye on it. When I cook rice on the stove, I notice the water evaporates more quickly. I add an additional half a cup of water for a total of two and a half cups. Be prepared to adjust the amount of butter used in dry and humid climates. For example, when I make this dish in the summer, due to humidity levels in the Midwest, I reduce the amount of butter to one tablespoon. In the winter until early spring, when the air is dry, I resort back to two tablespoons. I use one tablespoon of Kerry Gold and one tablespoon of Trader Jacques cultured salt butter. Both are found at Trader Joe’s. The combination of French and Irish butter makes this side dish out of this world. Sometimes I like to serve this by covering my bowl of rice with a layer of gluten-free nutritional yeast for additional protein and sriracha sauce for an extra spice kick.
Keyword carolina gold rice, carolina plantation rice, cheap easy side dish, white rice
Going all-in to double our efforts with staying home to keep people safe, self-isolation, and social distancing are turning folks into quarantine cooking and baking rock stars.
With empty grocery shelves and long lines wrapping around the block to get into a grocery store to grab a few things, more and more folks are looking for easy meals to cook at home.
I’m sharing some of my favorite easy to cook at home meals that will make you think twice about going to the grocery store.
Instead, consider embracing grocery delivery to get your fresh and dry produce so you can spend more time having fun cooking instead of waiting in a checkout line.
Dusting Off Kitchen Appliances
I have found myself dusting off my Kitchenaid appliances, putting them to good use cooking easy meals I have saved over the years in my favorites folder on my laptop gone untouched.
I have plenty of recipe books to explore that can keep me busy for many years.
One thing I kind of miss is running errands, going to the grocery store, and discovering the new items at Trader Joes.
Walking up and down the aisles was therapeutic.
I have decided to stop going to the grocery store because, well I can.
It’s 2020 and unless you don’t have internet access in your home (there are some residences that don’t have broadband), the majority of goods and services can be ordered online.
Now these days, you have to worry about the side hustlers who are embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and taking full advantage of a crisis with price gouging.
A six-pack of shelf stable whole milk I bought two months ago for $9, third party vendors and now asking $20-40.
Thank goodness for plant based barista style milk.
I’m now having fun discovering different brands I can’t find in stores, online.
In-Person & Online Grocery Delivery Shopping
I found myself choosing between standing outside six feet from the person in front or behind me for up to 30 minutes or ordering dry goods and produce online.
Letting someone benefit from a grocery delivery side hustle (after being furloughed), to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, I will hands down choose to support these individuals.
The majority of dry goods I acquire is from shopping in bulk on Nuts.com. The prices are better than what I would get in most popular grocery stores and shipping is fast.
The company dates back to 1922 when Poppy Sol started his own business, the Newark Nut Company.
Love, love, love supporting small businesses, especially mom and pop shops. I recommend checking them out.
For the life of me that couldn’t get the thing to turn on.
So I gave up on it and let the food processor sit in a time out corner for two years.
Instead, I found a co-op that had a machine that could make peanut and almond butter in less than a minute.
Guidance state, local, governmental, and medical professionals have recommended going to the grocery store when essential.
I have deemed going out to get freshly made peanut butter as non-essential.
I miss my food co-op and can’t wait to visit again.
I loved this service, but I have to admit a little expensive. For the amount of a 1/4 pound of peanut butter, I could buy a pound of unsalted or honey roasted peanuts and make a 1/4 pound batches.
I have since revisited my troubleshooting efforts after coming across a YouTube video that finally filled in the missing pieces on what I was doing wrong.
Knowing how good the KitchenAid brand is, (I have a KitchenAid stand mixer as well), I’m glad I didn’t go with my first instinct and recreate a scene out of Office Space and throw my food processor out the window.
This YouTube video saved my KitchenAid food processor’s life.
Nuts Butters
Using 1-2 ingredients and food processor, in as little as 5-10 minutes, you can have homemade and creamy:
Every couple of weeks I used to buy a couple of bottles of orange, mint, rose water, and pomegranate molasses.
Pomegranate molasses is used in middle eastern cuisine in salad dressings and meat dishes.
I tried it with a salad and didn’t find it appealing, but I find an alternative hack that worked for me.
Drizzle some pomegranate molasses with a combination of dark raspberry balsamic vinegar, pecan oil, maple syrup, and lemon olive oil (2:1 ratio of oil and vinegar).
Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl and make your fruit salad as usual.
The pomegranate molasses give a sweet and sour citrus punch balancing out the raspberry balsamic vinegar and bring out the lemon flavor of the lemon olive oil.
Another use I have found is making fizzy drinks with my soda stream.
When making pineapple and coconut bars, I use the leftover pineapple juice in the can from the pineapple slices along with a teaspoon of pomegranate molasses to make a fizzy and fruity beverage.
Click here for the Pomegranate Molasses recipe from Club Foody.
Fresh Spinach Pasta
Who new it was so easy to make homemade paste. There are many ways to make pasta, by hand, using a hand pasta gadget, or a KitchenAid mixer with a pasta attachment.
Some are of the opinion that your hands are the best kitchen tools.
I have tried all three ways and surprisingly, the most technologically advanced KitchenAid mixer, I struggled the most with, but I’m getting better.
Ever buy a bag of spinach with the urgency to eat through that bag in a couple of days before it goes bad?
The main use of spinach in my household is to make a smoothie 1-2 times a week. That leaves over half a bag of spinach.
One of my favorite pasta dishes I like to make is spinach pasta.
There is something about homemade spinach pasta that makes me smile. It’s filling, nutritious, and goes with any sauce.
You can search and find more recipes for homemade pasta noodles on various YouTube channels.
Got a slow cooker at home?
Instead of fighting over the last rotisserie chicken at your favorite grocery store, why not roll up your sleeves and make your own slow cooker rotisserie chicken?
Here is a brief list of meals you can make with a rotisserie chicken:
Copycat Subway bacon and chicken ranch wraps
Chicken salad
Chicken curry and rice
Use leftover scraps and bones to make homemade chicken stock
Crispy Oven Baked Fries
I love potatoes and love am a french fry lover. In the past, when I would get a french fry craving, I would run out to a fast-food drive-thru to get my fix of one large fry with no salt.
Then I decided to try and make my own. I would make french fries using a pot and immersing potato slices in peanut oil.
One of my favorite weekend meals to make is fish and chips with a side of mushy peas.
I was never comfortable with this method of using oil once and don’t usually cook anything using peanut oil.
Having to resort to throwing a bottle of used cooking oil away in the trash for it to leak in a landfill (oil should never be dumped down the drain) has never sat well with me.
Luckily, there is another way to enjoy crispy french fries by baking them in the oven. I watched a demonstration on tv watching a weekend cooking show. Who knew it was that easy.
Little waste, easy clean up, and the most important, tasty french fries anytime you get that craving.
Click here for the baked french fries (oven fries) recipe from Spend with Pennies.
More Ways to Prepare Delicious Dishes
Another way to prepare delicious dishes is learning from the cocktail and kitchen pros who work at luxury hotels by bringing recipes to you virtually the form of cooking lessons from their kitchen:
Italian cuisine cooking class from an executive Chef’s kitchen. Instructions are in Italian, but Google Translate is an excellent tool if your comprehension of Italian is a bit rusty.
Visit Blue Sky Country without leaving home and learn how to make campfire smores
I hope these recipes ideas are enough for you to plan meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, keep you busy experimenting in the kitchen, and having fun cooking easy meals at home.
For more recipe ideas, check out my post, 8 Must Try Healthy Food Recipes. Pineapple and coconut bars with frothy coffee anyone?
Incorporating anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant ingredients like turmeric and honey into your morning latte not only can boost the immune system, but also prevent illness.
Swapping out dairy for plant-based milk provides plant-based nutrition with servings of whole-grain oats and proteins per 8-ounces.
Regardless if you’re a fan of dairy milk or nut milk, nothing says yummy like turmeric and honey marrying with espresso coffee.
Popularity Of Plant-Based Milk
Oatmilk is popular plant-based milk used in coffee lattes followed by almond, hemp, and cashew.
One word of caution when buying store-bought nut milk.
Make sure to read the label on the back to make sure the plant-based milk doesn’t contain binders or fillers.
My go-to brand is Elmhurst 1925. Elmhurst 1925 operated as a dairy company for 90 years before switching to plant-based milk in 2017.
Their HydroRelease method extracts more nutrition from nuts with up to four more nuts per serving compared to other store brands without gums or emulsifiers makes their nuts milk thick creamy enough to froth.
Putting these two ingredients and incorporating nut milk might sound odd, but my advice to you is don’t knock it until you try it. It’s easy to make homemade nut milk.
My favorite coffees are from my travels in which various spices like cinnamon and cardamom are included to give it a unique flavor without being overpowering.
I enjoyed the turmeric honey latte during a stop in Seward, Alaska on a seven-day Alaska cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Since then, I have made tweaks to the recipe by including pumpkin spice which has ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, a perfect combination of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory power.
Turmeric and Honey Benefits
Turmeric is the essential ingredient in Indian cuisine that gives curry that yellow color. The herb has a long history of being used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda health treatments for diseases and ailments.
The natural pain reliever contains manganese, iron, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium that can treat and prevent headaches, improve IBS symptoms, ease depression symptoms.
Honey may contain trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, but it is rich in antioxidants which reduces the risk of strokes, heart attacks, lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.
It’s easy to add this herb to your favorite drink and cook in your food by slicing fresh turmeric for a stronger punch and a great way to get more herbs in your diet.
I stay away from turmeric powder as some brands have unknown additives not listed on the labels like wheat and starch that can cause adverse symptoms in people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
To prevent fresh turmeric from going bad, buy a couple of pieces from the grocery store, store in the freezer and grate it.
Turmeric Honey Latte
Incorporating anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant ingredients that give an extra boost to the immune system like turmeric and honey into your morning coffee can be accomplished in six easy steps.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and one tablespoon of honey to one cup of dairy or plant-based milk to a saucepan.
Warm-up for a minute or two before it reaches boiling point.
Use a frothing wand to froth the milk.
Pour shots of espresso into a coffee cup and top with frothed milk.
Give yourself an added boost of vitamin C by adding one organic dried orange slice to the turmeric honey latte. It gives a hint ofcitrus flavor without being overpowering.
Steep the orange slice in the coffee to soak up the turmeric to eat after enjoying your latte.
Notes
If you don’t have fresh turmeric on hand, substitute it with turmeric powder. Be sure to check the package label or contact the manufacturer to ensure no additives or fillers are included.
Whether you are short on time, snowed in and stuck at home, recovering from a natural disaster, social distancing due to a cold, flu, or underlying illness, staying at home doesn’t have to mean self-isolation or the inability to eat healthy by spending hours in the kitchen.
I am sharing a few like eight of my favorite go-to healthy food recipes that are easy to make in less than 30 minutes for less than $10 per recipe.
Most of the ingredients required like all-purpose flour, sugar, butter are already in your pantry or easy to obtain from a grocery store, or delivered straight to your door by shopping online.
Instead of pasting the instructions and making this post longer than needed, I am providing links to each recipe are in the first paragraph.
I came across the easy recipe while watching the Canadian show, Cityline. The food segment features chefs showing how to make easy meals for those short on time, but want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
While the recipe is mentioned as a dessert, pineapple and coconut can be enjoyed at any time of day.
After making this recipe a couple of times, play around with the ingredients.
For example, the pineapple filling asks for 1/2 a cup of sugar while the crust asks for 1/2 a cup of brown sugar.
The canned pineapple is already sweet. Since I make homemade brown sugar by adding molasses to white cane sugar, substituting white sugar with brown sugar tames the sweetness.
Maple sugar is also another great substitute along with a swirl of pomegranate molasses.
2.Cilantro-Lime Rice
If you’re a Chipotle burrito bowl fan like I am, the cilantro-lime rice is one of the best items that brings all the flavors together.
Now you can make the copycat cilantro-lime rice at home. The recipe asks for fresh cilantro. The first time I made the recipe, I didn’t have fresh cilantro on hand and used dried cilantro. That was a bad idea.
Yes, some recipes that ask for fresh ingredients can be substituted with dried ingredients, but for this recipe, using fresh cilantro is the way to go.
The recipe asks for fresh lime juice, but I use a bottle of key lime juice from Peru used to make key lime pies as a substitute for lime as I like to make sparkling water beverages using my soda stream.
3.Carolina Plantation Rice
When it comes to making the rice, I make one tweak to the recipe. There is heirloom rice called Carolina Gold Rice. You can find my Carolina Plantation rice recipe here.
The history of rice in the low country of South Carolina goes something like this taken from the Carolina Plantation Rice website I buy my Carolina Gold Rice from:
“During the Colonial Period, coastal South Carolina was the largest producer of rice in America.
The crop arrived in the area around 1685. A brigantine ship, captained by John Thurber and sailing from the island of Madagascar, encountered a raging storm, perhaps a small hurricane, and put into Charleston Harbor for repairs.
With the ship in dry dock, Captain Thurber met Henry Woodward, the town’s best-known resident, who had the distinction of being the first English settler in the area.
Thurber gave Woodward a bag of rice. Some say a peck, others say a bushel.
Woodward experimented with the rice, which gave him a good crop. Rice was soon on its way to becoming the area’s main cash crop.
Rice remained a dominant commodity on the coastal rivers of South Carolina until the end of the Civil War when production started a long decline due to a loss of labor and working capital and aided by several severe storms.
In the early 1900s, rice farming disappeared from the state altogether”.
Thanks to local chefs, the rice is quickly making a comeback. Don’t believe me? Watch Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown South Carolina episode.
Your curiosity will quickly get the better of you to give the heirloom rice a try.
What I like about Carolina Gold rice is the aromatic appeal and taste.
I use a rice maker followed by baking the rice in the oven for 10 minutes with a couple of cubes of butter and pepper.
This is the only way I enjoy my rice. The cilantro-lime mixture takes the white rice disk to a whole new level.
4.Tomato Paste
Are you still buying pizza sauce and pasta sauce separately? Save yourself a couple of dollars by making your own.
A six-ounce can of tomato paste costs less than $.50. The rest of the ingredients of oregano, white vinegar, olive oil, thyme, salt, and garlic powder can be found in your pantry.
The tomato paste can be made in large batches, frozen in the freezer in cubes and used whenever you get that urge for homemade pizza or pasta.
Check out this two-minute homemade fresh pasta video by Jamie Oliver using only two ingredients, flour, and water.
5. Collard Greens with Bacon
What can I say about collard greens with bacon? It’s easy to mess up if you don’t cook collard greens right.
If you grow your own at home, make sure to wash those collard greens. No one wants to eat dirty greens!
All joke aside, if you don’t have space for a backyard garden, one bushel of collard greens can be found for less than $3 in the grocery stores and $1-2 at your local farmer’s market.
I like visiting my local farmer’s market because the leaves and bushes tend to be larger.
The recipe can easily last a week.
6. Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Speaking of Anthony Bourdain, I have never really been a fan of scrambled eggs. Why you may ask?
Well because I didn’t make them right and had no respect for the “egg”.
After watching Tony make scrambled eggs in minutes, I knew I had to give his take on scrambled eggs a try.
I’m completely in love with scrambled eggs and always make them the way Tony taught me.
7. Copycat Starbucks Tea Lemonade
With summer approaching, drinks like tea and lemonade are on my list of favorites to make. Instead of enjoying them separately, why not enjoy the beloved tea lemonade in three different ways?
Tea lemonade is the perfect complement to your homemade meals or sitting on the porch while taking in some fresh air.
8. Frothy Dalgona Coffee
Three ingredients of equal parts of sugar, instant coffee, and water results in a deliciously thick layer of coffee foam called dalgona coffee.
I wished I would have known about this easy coffee recipe during my travels.
Dalgona coffee is not only fun to make but looks pretty enough to take a picture and post it on Instagram.
For those few minutes you’re whisking the delicious toffee looking into an edible, frothy creation reminiscent of homemade whipped cream, don’t be afraid to brag and pat yourself on the back about becoming a self-taught barista aficionado.
The amount of hotel coffee and failed instant coffee creations had me almost give up my favorite morning beverage while on the road. Not anymore.
You can put your travel whisk or a milk frother and cup to good use and have yummy coffee anytime and anywhere on the road or in your hotel room.
Give some or all these easy meals a try. Happy cooking!
All of us have some version of a morning caffeinated coffee beverage recipe we love and consume every day.
A new internet whipped and frothy drink sensation, dalgona coffee has been taking over social media platforms, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Easy whipped dalgona coffee isn’t just your typical iced coffee drink.
Coming from South Korea, and named after a famous Korean street candy served on a stick, dalgona coffee uses only three ingredients, equal parts of sugar, instant coffee, and water.
Frothy coffee is nothing new. In Greece, the frappe is the iced coffee of choice. Every culture has its own version of coffee foam.
Dalgona coffee reminds me of my favorite Starbucks drinks, the infamous iced caramel macchiato because of the separation of milk from the espresso coffee.
As I am scooping out the coffee foam on top of my oat milk, I have to remind myself to stop licking the spoon or else I will be drinking just a cup of milk.
The end result of this Instagram worthy creation is a deliciously thick layer of coffee foam resembling the color of toffee and texture of whipped cream.
EASY WHIPPED DALGONA COFFEE RECIPE
Coffee Foam on Steroids
The recipe is so easy to make that you may never use your espresso machine, espresso stovetop maker, or whatever type of equipment you use to make your morning cup of joe or fufu coffee drink of choice.
All jokes aside, I will never give up my espresso stovetop maker, but when it’s too warm to turn the stove on, this frothy iced coffee will be my favorite go-to on a hot and humid summer day.
I wished I would have known about this easy coffee recipe during my travels.
The amount of hotel coffee and failed instant coffee creations had me almost give up my favorite morning beverage and instant coffee snob while on the road.
Not anymore. As long as you have a travel whisk and a collapsible coffee cup, I can have yummy coffee anytime and anywhere whether on the road driving to my next travel destination, during a morning hike overlooking nature landscapes, or in my hotel room and so can you.
It is a Southern favorite combining coffee and chicory. Chicory root is believed to aid in digestion and relieve constipation.
Chicory coffee was widely used during the Great Depression and World War II when coffee was scarce.
Iced Dalgona Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
1-ounce instant coffee
1-ounce white sugar cane
1-ounce water
8-ounce dairy milk or oat milk
Directions
Dump all three ingredients in a bowl. Using a hand whisk or portable whisk, whip until you reach a toffee color and see peaks begin to form similar to whipped cream (5-7 minutes by hand or 2-3 minutes by a battery operated).
When using a battery-operated whisk, avoid ingredients spraying out of the bowl by tilting the bowl sideways, and start on the lowest setting.
Be sure to test your on the lowest setting before putting the whisk in the bowl or you’ll find instant coffee mix on you and your kitchen equipment.
Pour dairy milk, nut milk in a glass (ice optional) and then top with dalgona coffee with half of the mixture if you prefer a slightly sweetened frothy coffee drink.
The rest can be put in a small mason jar or bowl and store in the refrigerator to be enjoyed the next day.
The dalgona coffee like whipped cream will hold shape for 1-2 days, not like you’re going to wait 2 days to enjoy another round of this frothy treat.
Coffee no longer has to be boring. You can enjoy coffee multiple ways based on your mood.
This no-cook healthy salad recipe will be a favorite go-to when you don’t feel like being a chef at home and want a relaxed, low fuss meal on the road, in your hotel room when traveling to save money on room service.
When I have a full day of meetings back to back and don’t have time to go out for lunch, or need to do a working lunch during a brainstorming session, making a quick and easy healthy salad is a breeze.
The understated walking salad is full of vitamins and minerals that will keep your energy up while on-the-go.
The inspirational idea came from a co-worker who used to make walking tacos and sell them to raise money for our annual Christmas party.
NO-COOK HEALTHY SALAD
The Walking Salad
All you need is a Starbucks grande (medium-sized) cup (a good reason to keep your cup from this morning’s coffee run), a freezer ziplock bag, your favorite greens, dried fruit (cranberries or blueberries).
Add your favorite nuts (cashews or almonds), sliced fruit or vegetable (apple or carrot), your favorite salad dressing, and travel bamboo utensils.
Add one to two tablespoons of salad dressing on the bottom, followed by dried fruit, nuts, sliced vegetable or fruit, and greens on top.
When it is time to eat, dump all the ingredients in the Starbucks cup in the freezer bag.
Roll the sides down and enjoy. Once done through eating, recycle the plastic cup and freezer bag or rinse, and reuse for another day.
Are Microgreens Healthy?
Try something new and replace your healthy salad at home greens with microgreens. Microgreens have higher vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels than the same quantity of mature greens.
Microgreens can easily be integrated into daily meals like creating a salad mix of butter lettuce and microgreens and fruit or adding microgreens to a tuna or chicken salad sandwich.
Instead of going to the grocery store, I have found it more cost-effective to grow microgreens indoors.
The growing process is simple and easy.
All I do is add water to the seedling tray once, set the tray somewhere with low light, and in 7-10 days, I have something good to eat.
Once the microgreens are mature, I just go to my kitchen, cut some microgreens, make my favorite healthy salad dressing recipe creations to complement my fruit salad.
Why Not Grow Your Own Microgreens?
A $17-month subscription through Hamama gets me three seed quilts. The growing tray is extra. Every month I choose which three seeds I want and can pause monthly shipments.
Initially, I would receive an email when it was time to take the cover the protective cover off to let the seedlings break free and when it was time to harvest.
In order for the seedlings to germinate, they need some initial love to get started. If you live in a state with four seasons as I do, beware of humidity and cold weather.
Too much humidity in the air will cause the seedlings to get moldy.
In the spring, summer, and fall, the perfect light source for my seedlings is setting the tray of microgreens near a sunny windowsill.
Plant Your Love and Let it Grow
For the seedlings to grow, they need warmth. If a room is too cold (below 70 degrees Fahrenheit) the seeds will not germinate.
While the instructions that came with the seedling packs were easy to follow, I ran into a growing problem.
When an early arctic blast came through Minnesota for a week in November, my microgreens didn’t grow. The room I had been using was too cold.
I was fed the confidence and given a guarantee that there was no way I could kill my lovely microgreens.
In the past, I have killed cacti before because I loved too hard. My confidence dropped. What now?
I looked online for some solutions and found a couple of heating pads specifically used for growing microgreens indoors ranging from $20-30.
After doing some additional research, I found a simple hack by repurposing a heating pad to put under the tray. That solved the problem. A heating blanket can work as well.
When an early cold comes, I simply move the tray to another room.
Growing Microgreens Under LED Lights
Microgreens can grow under low light without soil. If there is a room that is used a lot like the kitchen, living room or bedroom, setting the tray of microgreens near a lamp or under a light source works just as well as buying one of those expensive LED lights.
News flash, you already have LED lights in your house!
As the microgreens grow, they will bend and reach out to the nearest light source. I found this out when I woke up in the morning.
A Himalayan lamp I left on overnight, to my surprise the microgreens changed directions and was reaching for the salt lamp.
When I do my summer and fall road trips, my microgreens travel with me and grow nicely in a hotel room while I go sightseeing.
If you are interested in growing your own greens, click here. Get 10% off by entering the code: SUPERGREENS at checkout.
Regarding food, I have an issue with any cuisine involving texture and slime. I have been informed that Americans are unique when it comes to their food profiles.
Maybe doing the smell test while giving a brief stare before putting some food down the hatch is another unique trait.
The smell of the food spewing from the open restaurant doors and street carts quickly helps me to forget about my OCD and allow my nose to lead me to where the good stuff is.
So when I ordered a side of mushy peas at a pub, I was nervous. The thought of it resembling baby food was unsettling. What would it taste like? Would I like it? These questions buzzed in my mind as I awaited my order.
It All Started With An Irish Meal
The first time I had proper mushy peas was visiting Ireland. Surprisingly, given its texture, I fell head over heels for the green side dish. It was a love at first bite. It traditionally accompanies fish and chips or hot pie, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
I had a craving for it when I got back home from my trip but failed to ask for the recipe.
Drinking a couple of pints will do that. You forget about it until you get home and wake up the next day.
My attempt to recreate the side dish with fresh peas was a disaster. It didn’t come out the same as I had in the pub. I had a chunky mess on my hands that just wasn’t as tasty. It was a disappointing moment in my culinary journey.
After doing some research online, I learned mushy peas are made with dried marrowfat peas.
After trying out a couple of recipes online and making a few tweaks, I am a huge fan of green split peas.
The chewiness and melting texture of the peas are no contest to the pub version.
The pub culinary journey to eat the most tasty mushy peas on the planet will continue. I enjoy the art of taste testing.
Marrowfat Peas Versus Split Peas
This easy mushy peas recipe with green split peas has more texture than the pub version I tried. I like mine a little more chunky. If there is too much green slime, I won’t eat it.
Add salt and Irish butter, and you have a tasty side dish that can be eaten by itself with fish and chips, rice, or filet mignon on top.
Traditional British mushy peas use dried marrowfat peas.
I am using split peas for this recipe by Palouse Brand. They’re non-GMO and come in an old-fashioned 5lb burlap sack, which can be repurposed (if you’re good with a sewing machine or sewing by hand) as a storage bag by adding a zipper on top.
Split Peas Are Good For You
If you experience issues with getting enough iron and suffer from iron deficiency anemia, adding split peas to your diet can help increase your ferritin levels.
Split peas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and iron and are low in fat. I wrote a post about healthy ways to manage iron-deficiency anemia.
It is a condition I have faced challenges in trying to manage, as I eat mostly a plant-based diet and minimal amounts of meat.
This cheap and easy vegetable side dish for one (if you choose not to share) not only tastes good, but the nutritional benefits of eating a side of green split peas will also improve your health.
Mushy Peas
This easy to make 20-minute pub favorite side dish can be eaten by itself, with fish and chips, rice, or filet mignon on top. Split peas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, iron, and low in fat. Enjoy!
Add 1/2 cup split peas to a large glass bowl or 24-ounce glass container. As the peas regenerate, they will expand in the container.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) over the peas. Baking soda softens the peas,which reduces the cooking time.
Pour 3 cups of room temperture water into the bowl covering the peas.
Leave the bowl to sit on the counter for 4 hours. After 4 hours, strain the split peas and rinse with water to remove any remaining dirt and dust.
Add split peas to a pot. Add enough water to cover peas by 1/2-inch.
Cook on the stove over medium heat uncovered for 20-minutes, stirring occasionally.
As peas come to a boil and cook, a green foam will form and rise to the top. The foam is harmless. Skim off pea foam with a wooden spoon, discard, and reduce to a simmer.
After 20-minutes, turn off the heat. Depending on how mushy you like your peas, either strain the leftover liquid in the pot with a mesh strainer and put the peas back in the pot or leave the liquid.
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) into the peas. Salt draws out moisture, which causes the peas to become mushier.
Finish by stirring in one tablespoon of unsalted butter (Kerrygold or your favorite brand of butter).
Notes
Depending on where you live and humidity levels, the difference between 1/2-inch or 1-inch may or may not make a difference.I found covering split peas with one-inch of water, discarding the excess at the end wasted water, thus the reason for using less water.When covering the peas with half an inch of water, most of the water will evaporate. The pot will make a sizzling sound as the water evaporates.If you add salt initially, you will get a soupy mess. Salt draws out moisture, which causes the peas to become mushier. Hold off adding salt until the end. Finishing with unsalted butter marries the split peas and sea salt. The salt and butter bring out the flavor and creaminess of mushy peas.When using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of sea salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon.I switched from using salted butter to unsalted to control the amount of salt. To make this a more healthy vegetable side dish, or if you prefer a vegan version, leave the butter out or experiment with vegan butter.
Keyword cheap easy side dish, easy side for one, green split peas, mushy peas from split peas, vegetable side dish
Don’t feel like going out to get that $5 iced coffee drink? No worries. This delicious recipe for iced coffee at home takes less than 5 minutes to make. Who doesn’t want to enjoy a proper iced coffee at home?
I tried the Galapagos coffee during a volunteer trip to the Galapagos. The cost is three times more to have it sent to the United States but well worth it. The taste is remarkable. Read about my voluntourism trip to San Cristobal Island here.
According to the website, only 5,000 bags are allowed for worldwide exportation each year from Hacienda El Cafetal on San Cristobal Island.
The inspiration for this DIY iced coffee recipe is from my travels and the different ways these destinations make iced coffee.
Let me take you on a melting pot coffee journey worldwide from San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands to the Middle East, Vietnam, and the United States. It’s coffee time!
1 cup chilled espresso. I make a large batch using a 12-cup stovetop coffee maker to cut down prep time of coffee drinks during the week and store in a jug.
I stock up on a couple of pounds of the bird-friendly Galapagos organic coffee grown on San Cristobal Island from Tree Frog Coffees online.
I also switch between fair trade coffees that support conservation and sustainability initiatives to provide water and education to children.
Another thing I like to do is grind up a couple of cardamom pods and mix with the espresso before brewing on the stove.
The first time I had cardamom was during a trip to the Middle East.
I was intrigued by this beautiful aroma and was handed a small cup of espresso.
I don’t make a cup of espresso coffee without adding this spice.
The health benefits of cardamom, backed by science is not too bad either.
Used in traditional medicine and culinary dishes for centuries from India to Finland, cardamom helps with digestion, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lowering blood sugar levels, and preventing cavities.
Now, this is an excellent reason to add a dash of ground cardamom to your morning cup of joe and drink to your health.
Most stores sell cardamom in powder form. Pods can be bought at a Mediterranean store and stored in the freezer.
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk. My favorite brand to use is Nestle Carnation.
1 teaspoon heavy cream powder (optional). I use Judee’s Heavy Cream Powder. It cuts down on waste as the heavy cream goes terrible after a couple of days.
Blend equal parts 1/4 cup of powder and water and let sit overnight. Great for adding to soups and sauces.
1 tablespoon orange blossom water. A bottle can be purchased at a local Mediterranean grocery store for $3. It’s more expensive if you buy online.
Directions
Put all ingredients in a blender for 15-30 seconds.
Another way to enjoy an iced coffee at home is by freezing the espresso in an ice cube tray ahead of time.
Combine four cubes with one cup of milk or nut milk, one teaspoon of maple syrup or sweetened condensed milk, a quarter teaspoon of freshly grated cinnamon, and blend for 30 seconds.
Pre Brew Coffee Spices
Make a pre brew spice combo to add to your ground espresso before brewing. The coffee spices add a little extra flavor with or without sweetener.
Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of chicory, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and a couple of dried orange slices and grind together using a Nutribullet or coffee grinder.
These spices help digestion and have anti-inflammatory properties. I make a large batch and store the coffee spices in a mason jar to use on a daily basis.
This DIY theater popcorn at the home recipe (enough for 2-3 people) will have you thinking twice about buying movie theater popcorn and instead BYOP (bring your own popcorn) to the next cinema premiere.
Many years ago, I was given as a birthday gift a nostalgia electrics vintage collection 12-cup hot air popper. A friend of mine has the full cart version.
Oh, what a treat it is to host a movie night on Fridays. It is nice to bring the theater and feel like I am at the movie theater in the comforts of my home. Ready to make a yummy movie theater worthy snack?
3 tablespoons French (Trader Joe’s Cultured Salted Butter from Brittany), Irish (Kerrygold), or your favorite butter of choice to taste.
1/4 teaspoon lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil.
Sriracha. I buy Huy Fong foods sriracha hot chili sauce from my local Asian grocery store.
Directions
Add 4-ounces of kernels to the air popper. While the kernels pop into a bowl, warm up the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Once completely melted, drizzle some lemon olive oil in the butter.
You can drizzle olive oil, but for me, the lemon olive oil just adds a little pizzazz.
A little goes a long way, don’t add too much. Once the popcorn has finished, pour the butter over the popcorn.
Sprinkle the nutritional yeast and dried drill. Mix well. Drizzle sriracha and mix again.
Add another drizzle of sriracha for that sweet and sour flavor of the lemon olive oil.
You’re going to need a tasty beverage to wash down that gourmet popcorn like a Starbuck’s inspired tea lemonade.
Click here for the recipe to enjoy this refreshing beverage in three ways. Enjoy your night at the movies!
All of us want access to good quality food and water for ourselves and our family. Eating nutrient-dense foods feeds energy, mood, and immune system without having to take supplements with fillers.
I remember as a kid, my grandparents had a small garden where they would grow rhubarb, watermelon, green string beans, and tomatoes. I loved going in the backyard and picking strawberries and eating them off the vine.
Cost of Organic Food Versus Conventional
One of the roadblocks to buying organic produce is the cost. A study done by Consumer Reports, on average, organic foods were 47% more expensive. Buying local saves on how long produce has to travel which means, it lasts longer. The average distance food travels from farm to consumer can range from 766 miles to 2,143 miles.
Imported produce may be cheaper, but in the long run, the quality suffers. Ever gone to the grocery store and bought a package of strawberries for it to start going bad a couple of days later?
Most of the berries that arrive at the grocery store are unripe. The only way to enjoy the fruit is to smoother them in sugar. Who wants that?
Going Organic Benefits on a Budget
Buying local food from farmers through community-supported agriculture (CSA), farmer markets, roadside stands are not only cheaper, but you get more produce than shopping for the same product at a grocery store. A good reason to reduce waste by freezing to enjoy later.
Prevent food waste
My favorite is the 3lbs bags of Wyman’s wild blueberries, strawberries, and berry mix. Great for making smoothies, adult beverages, or satisfy that sweet tooth with homemade sorbet.
This option is perfect for winter-time for those folks living in winter climates and doesn’t want to go out into blizzard conditions or for those folks who don’t feel like standing in lines at the grocery store.
Juice leftover vegetables
Take the pulp, divide it up into small batches and freeze in a silicone ice tray. Once frozen, transfer to a reusable gallon freezer bag.
Add to your weekly fruit smoothies to get 1-2 servings of vegetables in. Reuse the tray to add an extra-large ice cube to your favorite alcoholic beverage or whiskey or freeze homemade soups and sauces.
The best possible deal is buying in bulk
Farmers market and roadside stands are perfect for that. I buy my corn from a stand that is set up in the parking lot of a meat market and deli. $7 for a dozen versus $1 each is a steal. Blanch corn on the cob in boiling water for a minute, cut kernels off the cob, add kernels to a gallon freezer bag and freeze.
Meat and dairy products are usually the expensive part of the grocery bill. Substitute whole milk for powder. I know it sounds weird, but wait to judge until you taste it. My favorite is Judee’s Whole Milk Powder on Amazon because it is non-GMO and hormone-free.
Make what you need when you have that craving for some chocolate milk or an iced frappe. I also buy goat milk powder on nuts.com and alternate between the two.
Buy meat products like bison, elk, and fish from your local meat shop, freeze unused portions, and use for another meal.
Chop up kale and zucchini and freeze in a freezer bag
Add a handful of these nutrient-dense vegetables to your smoothie to get sources of Vitamins C and K, manganese, calcium, and magnesium.
Freeze herbs like dill, cilantro, and pea tendrils by chopping them up, smothering them in olive oil, and freezing them in a reusable ice cube tray to add to dinner entrees or make homemade pesto.
Support farmers by signing up for a CSA
Not only will you get ultra-fresh food, but create partnerships with your community. Who doesn’t like fresh eggs and grass-fed meats? For a listing of CSAs in your area, click here.
Buy dry foods like lentils, barley, wheat berries, and rice in bulk
Store in mason jars to prevent pests and critters from getting in. Again nuts.com is my favorite go-to for buying in bulk.
Another way to save money is to grow your own microgreens at home. Growing them in my kitchen saves me a trip to the grocery store in the winter and paying $5 twice a week for a container of microgreens at my co-op.
That comes out to $40 a month. I pay a $17-month subscription through Hamama which gets me 3 seed quilts and a plastic tray.
If you are interested in growing your own greens, click here.
Get 10% off by entering the code: SUPERGREENS at checkout.
As you dive into eating organic, you will notice that you eat less produce as your body will absorb more vitamins and minerals which means your grocery bill will be lower saving you money and peace of mind knowing where your food comes from.
If you are looking for more ways to avoid food waste, check out my post, 10 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste to learn additional ways to save money on your weekly grocery bill.
