Posts Tagged ‘ recipe ’

Recipe: Kale Salad

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Kale salad with cranberries and feta

Inspired by Frugal Kiwi’s quest for health* I’m working to include more vegetables in my diet. A couple of years ago a lovely woman named Pua introduced me to a kale salad that I fell in love with – and I don’t love kale. She shared the recipe with me in a “little of this, little of that” kind of way. I made a big batch of it today and noted the measurements so that I could share, but I totally recommend that you just eyeball it. The finished salad has a lovely earthy flavor and I find that I crave it. If I have it made in the fridge I keep going back for “just a bit more.” But there’s nothing wrong with snacking on kale all day, right? Kale Salad a dozen curly kale leaves 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos  1/2 very ripe avocado 1/4 cup each: sunflower seeds, pepitos, dried cranberries 1-2 tablespoons feta cheese Remove the stem from the kale leaves. Thoroughly wash and dry the leaves, then tear them into bite sized pieces. Place leaves in a big bowl along with the olive oil. Lomi – or...

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Hacking the World’s Easiest Breakfast to be even BETTER

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Have you tried making your oatmeal in a jar? This hack will help you use up the last bits of jelly in a jar, too.

By far, the most viewed post here at Attainable Sustainable has been the oatmeal in a jar method that appeared on Lifehacker. It’s fast, it’s warm, it’s tasty. (Seriously, have you tried it?) Next time you near the end of a jar of your favorite homemade jelly, instead of clanging around the inside to get the last of the sweet and tangy goodness, whip out the oats and make your morning breakfast right in that jar. Heck, add a spoonful of peanut or almond butter if you like, to put you in mind of your favorite sandwich. Zero waste. Great flavor.   Note: This works well with canning jars – they’re meant to handle the heat. Don’t try it with jars of store-bought jelly. Glass jars might break; plastic jars can leach. 

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Recipe: Homemade BBQ Chips

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DIY Barbecue Chips

Even though we are diligently trying to eat a healthier diet in this household, I couldn’t help myself. I ordered a copy of Casey Barber’s Classic Snacks Made from Scratch. My husband picked up the book and said, ” Why did you get this? We don’t eat this stuff. Ooooh, Funyuns.” That’s why I got the book. Also: Hostess Cupcakes (chocolate and orange), Nacho Cheese Doritos, Tater Tots, and Cinnamon Pop-Tarts. Cinnamon Pop-Tarts! This book is chock full of recipes to replicate your favorite junk food. It may not be health food, but the homemade versions certainly have fewer ingredients than the store bought versions (and none that I can’t pronounce) and making them at home eliminates the packaging. I decided to try out the BBQ Potato Chips recipe from Barber’s book when my eldest son, home from college, requested hamburgers for dinner. My youngest sliced the potatoes (using the food processor) and mixed up the spices. I did the frying. I don’t do much deep frying; I was surprised at how little splattering and popping there was – unlike frying bacon. The resulting chips were slightly saltier than I liked, but they had the classic BBQ chip flavor...

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Recipe: Homemade Mayonnaise

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Recipe: Homemade Mayonnaise

I’ve been avoiding famous mayonnaise brands because they’re typically made from canola or soy oil, both products made from crops that are commonly genetically modified. I spent a small fortune on a “certified non-gmo” canola mayonnaise a couple of months ago, only to find it was terrible a really good replication of Miracle Whip. NOT what I was looking for. So I started making my own, experimenting a bit with different ingredients until I found a combination that tasted like the spread we’re used to. Depending on your equipment, it takes about 5-15 minutes, start to finish, so it’s not too time consuming, though there is a certain margin of error with the need to emulsify the ingredients. Out of the dozen or so batches I’ve made, all but one have emulsified into a nice thick spread. The one that didn’t emulsify? Was turned into a splendid salad dressing. Make your own mayonnaise 1 egg at room temperature 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg’s) 1 teaspoon water 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard (you’re making your own, right??) pinch of salt 1 cup grapeseed oil or extra light olive oil With an immersion blender (easiest method): Pour the oil...

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Recipe: Chorizo Soup

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Recipe: Chorizo Soup

When people think about Hawaii, they generally imagine warm, palm lined beaches with an ‘ukulele playing Hawaiian music in the background. (Right?) But that’s not always the case. I live at the 1,000-foot elevation on the Big Island where it’s lush and green and mild. But it gets cool so I find myself serving soup a couple of times a week. One of our favorites is a spicy soup with a Mexican flair. It’s easy to put together (especially if you have a food processor for chopping the vegetables) and utilizes tomatoes and peppers straight from the garden or farmers market. Chorizo Soup 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 3 oz cooked chorizo or vegetarian Soyrizo 3 cups finely diced or crushed tomatoes 2 cups chicken stock/broth ½ – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional) tortilla chips (great way to utilize the crumbs at the bottom of the bag) 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and chorizo. Saute until onions start to brown slightly. Add the tomatoes, broth,...

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Recipe: Kim Chee

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IMG_5274-001

When I first made kim chee, I found this recipe and used it as a jumping off point. (I had to laugh – this cook is even more loose about instructions than I am: “For amounts you can just go by feelings…”)  My family loves this. It’s spicy and crunchy and salty – a great side dish to go with meat and fish when you don’t have time to make a salad. Kim Chee 1 head cabbage 3 small bunches bok choy 3 green onions, sliced about 1 cup daikon, shredded (I use my veggie peeler) about 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced or shredded 1.5 tablespoons Hawaiian salt or rock salt 8-10 cloves garlic 1″ piece fresh ginger 1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (2 tablespoons makes a fairly spicy kim chee; use more or less to taste) Chop cabbage, bok choy, and green onions coarsely and put in large bowl. Mix in daikon, carrot, and salt. Work the ingredients, pressing and smashing with the end of a rolling pin or back of a wooden spoon. This step will help the cabbage release its juices. The bulk of the greens will reduce by about half as you work it. Set greens...

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Creamy Radish Leaf Salad Dressing

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Creamy Radish Leaf Salad Dressing

Sure, chickens love radish leaves, but it’s a shame to let the chickens have all the fun. I harvested a bunch of radishes from the garden earlier today and saved some of the greens to try this. Consensus? Pretty tasty! Creamy Radish Leaf Salad Dressing Greens from one bunch of radishes (about 1 cup) 1 clove garlic 3/4 cup sour cream 1/8 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Whir all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve with salad or as a veggie dip. If you’ve got radishes aplenty, you might also want to try making radish leaf pesto.

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Homemade Gluten Free Cheese Crackers

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Homemade Gluten Free Cheese Crackers

  Fact: Cheez-Its are crap food. Fact: Cheez-Its aren’t even a food really. More like a food product. Fact: In spite of the fact that I haven’t eaten Cheez-Its in years, if I were stranded on a deserted island with only one kind of food, Cheez-Its would be right up there at the top of my wish list. So sue me. Awhile back (inspired by a recipe sent by Amanda from High Prairie Homestead) my sixteen-year-old son took it upon himself to try his hand at making homemade cheese crackers. He deemed them “awesome,” not to mention really easy to make. Trouble is, I follow a gluten free diet. And let me tell you: just smelling those homemade Cheez-It-like crackers just wasn’t cutting it. So I decided to attempt a gluten free version. The results? I would totally take these with me to a deserted island. Homemade Gluten Free Cheese Crackers makes roughly the equivalent of a small box of Cheez-Its (otherwise known as enough for me) ½ cup sorghum flour (plus more for rolling out dough) ¼ cup coconut flour 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 cup cheddar cheese (sharp or mild) ½ teaspoon...

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Citrus Season: Tangerine Triple Sec

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Citrus Season: Tangerine Triple Sec

I’ve mentioned already that we’ve got an abundance (and then some) of tangerines at our disposal. I’ve made Tangerine-Ginger Jam. I’ve made Tangerine Syrup. Now I’m even getting boozy on you. When I spotted this recipe for homemade triple sec made from Cara Cara oranges, I had to try my hand at a slightly different version featuring our ever-plentiful tangerines.   Tangerine Triple Sec makes 5 pints 2 cups tangerine juice (about 15 tangerines) 4 cups sugar 1 cup water 750 ml bottle of vodka Peel and juice tangerines, reserving the peels from four tangerines. Use a spoon to scrape the white pith from the inside of the tangerine peel; discard. Slice the remaining peel into 1/8″ strips and divide between five pint sized jars. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water; heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in tangerine juice. Simmer for five minutes and then allow to cool to room temperature. Pour in entire bottle of vodka, then divide liquid between the jars. Screw on caps, set the jars in a cool dark place, and forget about them for a month. Once your month of waiting is up, strain out the tangerine peels and you’re ready to...

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Radish Leaf Pesto

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Radish Leaf Pesto

Radishes are one of the fastest ripening crops a gardener can plant. If you’re aching to have something – anything – that you grew yourself on the dinner table, radishes are a good bet. They’re one of the earliest crops you can plant, and are ready in just 3-4 weeks from planting date. But don’t stop at eating the rosy roots. I discovered a couple of years ago that the radish leaves are edible too. (I have no idea how I grew up without knowing this!) My writing colleague, April Paffrath, shared a recipe for radish leaf pesto on Wicked Tasty Harvest a couple of years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Spicier than pesto made with basil leaves, radish leaf pesto is a fabulous way to stretch the harvest from an early spring garden. I’ve served it over pasta, and my kids love to spread it on crackers or in mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a tendency to maintain its bright green hue without discoloring like traditional pesto does, so it’s a nice bet for a pretty springtime appetizer, too. If you know me at all, you know that I didn’t make this without modifying April’s...

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Welcome

It’s one thing to think, “Hey, I’d love to be more self-sufficient!” and quite another to implement a lifestyle change that might require learning some new skills.

Attainable Sustainable is about bridging the gap between wanting change and making it happen without becoming overwhelmed. Nobody’s saying you have to go get a tractor and a cow. Attainable Sustainable is about discovering – one step at a time – how to make changes in your life to support a sustainable lifestyle.

The Author

Kris Bordessa has been gardening for most of her life. She's been authoring books and writing features for the past ten years or so. It's about time she combined the two, don't you think? [More about the author]