If you have never experienced the joy of homemade jam made with juicy, fresh, seasonal fruit, this is a perfect time of year to start!
I just tried this simple and delicious Honey-Sweetened Jam recipe from the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, and I’m already excited to make my next batch! This time I used blackberries, which are now in peak abundance throughout the Pacific Northwest. (Thank you Ben and Rita for the berry-picking fun!)
These are the ingredients Ali and Tom suggest (although you can experiment with endless variations):
8 to 10 cups prepared fruit (hulled, rinsed, stems removed) = to 6 cups mashed, ground-up fruit
1 tablespoon calcium water (included in Pomona’s Universal Pectin)
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon Pomona’s Pectin
For the full recipe and TONS more simple and delightful gluten-free suggestions, check out the
Thank you so much, Tom and Ali, for your practical tips and endless inspiration!
Ingredients (serves 2-3)
~2-3 Medium fresh beets (red, golden or combination)
~1 Small garlic clove
~1 Bunch of fresh kale (optional: try any combination of kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or other seasonal green)
~Olive oil for sauteing
~1 Tbls. Balsamic vinegar (more or less as desired)
~Dash of salt and pepper to taste
Beets: Cut leaves (if necessary), leaving 1-2 inches of stem on the beet. Do not cut off the long “taproot” as this will “bleed” nutrients from the beet! Steam until tender when pierced with a fork (about 15-25 minutes, depending on size of the beet). The beet should still be firm and bright. When cooked, run beat under cold water and “slip” the skin off revealing the smooth, crimson root beneath. Slice or cube as desired.
Greens: Simply saute greens of your choice (either solo or in combination) over medium heat with a little garlic and olive oil until tender and bright.
Toss beets into green mixture and garnish with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Perhaps there is truth to the old adage, “you can take the girl out of the woods, but you can’t take the woods out of the girl.” Either way, this seems to be where I feel most “at home”.
Inspired by recent excursions, I thought it would be fun to share a couple of the recipe variations from my up and coming book “Nourishment Made Simple” — armed only with an anodized pot, a 3″ camp stove, and a sfork. That’s right, a sfork.
Whether you are cooking in an oven in the comfort of your kitchen, or a stove that can fit in the palm of your hand, this recipe is simple and delicious, any time, anywhere.
“Simple Sweet Potato Quinoa”
Ingredients: (serves 2-3)
1 Cup Quinoa
1 + 3/4 Cups Water
1 small sweet potato
½ onion
1/4 tsp salt for cooking
Preparation:
~Preheat oven to 375º F (disregard if cooking on stove top or camp stove).
~Chop onion as desired
~Chop sweet potato into bite size cubes, set aside.
~Saute onion until translucent and tender (meanwhile, rinse quinoa in colander, and set aside).
~Add rinsed quinoa to onion mixture, continue to saute a few more minutes- don’t worry if it starts to stick- it will ‘unstick’ when you ad the water and stir.
~Add chopped sweet potato.
~Add water, and salt.
~Increase temperature and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, cover pot, and lower heat to a very low simmer (or) and place in oven for 30 minutes. Optional: Let sit (covered) for a few minutes before opening pot…
~Garnish with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste…
Note: As with all of the variations in “Nourishment Made Simple”, this quick and delicious dish can be modified to suite your taste (and what you have in the refrigerator). Try adding herbs, spices or other fruits and vegetables that entice you! Please refer to “Lentils Gone Wild” for more photos that also apply to this version.
While the quinoa bakes or simmers, try this delicious side dish!
Sauteed Tempeh with Onion and Kale
~Chop Tempeh and Onion into desired bite-size pieces.
~Saute (med-low) until Tempeh is golden brown and onion is tender.
~Add chopped kale to tempeh and onion mixture.
Cover (optional) and continue cooking until kale is “wilted” and tender.
And Walla!
