Food Fact Friday: Peeling Pomegranates

Admittedly, I have a really average intelligence and yet there are a few instances in which I stumble across a sparkle of common-sense brilliance in a corner of my noggin.  The mess-less pomegranate peeling method described below is one of those moments of brilliance.  I was almost temped to call it "the underwater peeling method" but thought that maybe that would just sound a little too weird.  Regardless of what you would like to call it, it really does work.  Apart form the inevitable splatters made by cutting the fruit in half before the peeling begins, there really is no chance that you will make those blood red splatters that will stain your countertops (and windows panes!) for time and eternity.

How to open a Pomegranate: The (almost) Mess-less Method

1. Place a colander inside a larger bowl so that the colander rest fully IN it (it should not be hovering above the bottom of the bowl... at least not by much). 

2. Place bowl in a sink and fill with water so that the water line fills at least 1/2 to 2/3rds of the inside of the colander.

3. On a cutting board, cut the pomegranate in half and submerge one half under the water with cut-side away from you (in the water).

4.  Remove the seeds with your fingers by using a "rolling/peeling" motion.   It almost feels like you are massageing the seeds out.  The seeds should sink to the bottom of the colander while the white pithy part will float to the top.  Skim off these floating white bits and discard.

5. Lift the collandar out of the bowl.  Shake gentely to drain excess water. If necessary, absorb excess water by placing a paper towel over seeds and pat dry and/or continue to shake colander.   

6. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 days or serve/ eat immediately.

7. Enjoy the fact that you that you haven't stained anything (hands, counter, sink...anything!)

Food Fact Fridays: Yummy Gummies

  I hope you will forgive the long silence on my blog.  I was away on vacation for 14 days and now that I am back home I have been busy with the consuming activities of relaxation and industry.  Blogging has (obviously) not been included in any one of those categories. 

I have been enjoying testing out new recipes (almost 1 or 2 each) and really enjoyed this one from Balanced Bites. com.  I just call them Yummy Gummies, but their original name is Sweet and Sour Gelatin Snacks.  The Author uses grass-fed gelatin instead of well, regular gelatin that comes from cows that are non-grass-fed.   My interest in gelatin has increased as I have learned more about its nutritional benefits which are directly related to gut and digestive health—a topic near and dear to my heart.  I have not gone so far as to use the grass-fed gelatin (partly because of its expense and the fact that it must be mail-ordered).  I just used regular gelatin that I got at Wal-Mart for less than a buck per box.  It worked great.  In fact, these tasted great!!!

As an advocate for “everything in moderation: I am almost ashamed to admit that I ate almost the an entire half of the 8X 8 pan of these Yummy Gummies the first day!  These are very sour but that is partly what I find so cool, refreshing and attractively delicious about them.  If you what them sweeter or feel in the mood to make your own “gummy worms” just cut these in strips instead of squares or cookie cutter shapes and roll them in a little bit of granulated sugar ( my Dietitian conscience is pricking me as  I write the words granulated sugar…so please only do this last bit as an occasional treat!).       

Sweet & Sour Gummy Gelatin Snacks

grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • nightshade-free

PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOKING TIME: 5 minutes (CHILL TIME: 60+ minutes)
YIELD: 4 servings

Lemon-lime Version:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
•          1/4 cup  freshly squeezed lime juice
•          1/4 cup water (optional, depending on how sour you like things – without it these are quite sour!)
•         zest from lemons and/or limes as desired
•          1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, but will be very tart without this)
•          4-5 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin, (orange/red package will gel, the green will not)

Preparation:

• In a small pot over medium-low heat, whisk the lemon juice, lime juice, water (optional), zest, maple syrup, and gelatin together vigorously until the gelatin is well dissolved and the mixture becomes a nice slurry. 
• Pour the mixture into a small glass or ceramic dish, preferably 6×9″ or so. The smaller the pan, the thicker your gummies will be. For thinner gummies (to cut into “worms,” for example), use a larger pan.
• Chill in the refrigerator until completely set, approximately 30 minutes.

Change it up!

·         To make these more fun for the kiddos, cut them out with small cookie or aspic cutters once they’re chilled and fully gelled, or chill them in fun-shaped molds. To remove them from the molds once chilled, set the bottoms of the mold containers in warm water to release them from the pan.

For a sweet-tart blueberry version go HERE ( and scroll to the bottom)

 

 

Food Fact Friday: Plantain Pancakes (Gluten Free!)



 

I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend and that you take some time to take it slow.  Maybe you will even get a chance to make these delicious pancakes!  

 I dislike it when bloggers sound overly "oozy" about all the "amazing" and "crazy-good" recipes they post but I have to say that  this may be one of the best gluten free (GF) pancake recipes I have tried!  Now admittedly I haven’t tried every gluten free pancake recipe known to man but often as I have searched online or flipped through GF cookbooks, I have found myself discouraged by both the length and contents of the recipe’s ingredient list.  More often than not I have most of the ingredients but am sadly lacking coconut flour or xanthan gum…etc etc.  I simply can’t go and buy out-of the-ordinary new and exotic  ingredients each time I wish to try  one recipe when who know if I will use that ingredient again? 

Make the recipe too complicated (even for my all-things culinary and adventuresome spirit) and I won’t make it. 

But when I saw these plantain pancakes online, they seemed different.   Their simplicity attracted me first.  I confess that plantains are not  were not a regular staple in my fruit basket; however, all the other necessary ingredients were within easy reach and the plantains lay only 1 mile off in the fruit display at Sprouts.  I thought I would give it a shot. 

I was far from disappointed.  

These pancakes win 4.5 stars for being both simple and true to the texture of their namesake… pancakes!    Truly these are incredible!  I don’t know much about its properties of plantains but something about them give this breakfast the “real-deal” pancake texture with greater simplicity than even non-GF recipes.  I hope you try these.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 2 large green plantains (about 2 cups pureed)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/8 tsp salt (a generous pinch)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Extra coconut oil for frying 

1. Peel plantains (I find it easier to quarter them before I peel them) and place pieces in your blender or food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender or food processor and process until it forms a smooth batter (about 1-2 minutes).
3. Heat 1 Tbsp of coconut oil in a frying pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat.  Pour batter into the frying pan until your pancake is the desired size.
4. Let cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, until the top looks fairly dry with little bubbles in it (just like regular pancakes!).
5. Flip!  And cook on the second side for 1½-2minutes.
6. Repeat with remaining batter, adding a little more coconut oil to your pan as needed. 

Additions (Cathryn’s Notes):

~ I think this recipe demands some additional sweetness so I added some sweetened coconut and my favorite spices (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg) to the mix.   The outcome…very harmonious!

If you would like to add some more flavor try making this coconut cream (see below) to blop atop the delicious hot flap jacks.  (I didn’t, so if you do it let me know how it turns out!):

Ingredients (Maple Coconut Cream):

◦1 can full-fat Coconut Milk or equivalent amount of homemade coconut milk

◦2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (use Grade B syrup for the most intense flavor)

1.    Let the can of coconut milk sit still at room temperature for at least 24 hours (mine are still all the time on the shelf in my cupboard; this basically just means don’t toss a can into the fridge right out of your shopping bag).  Then gently (no shaking!!!!) place the can in your fridge overnight.  If you are using homemade coconut milk, pour it into a jar and let it sit on the counter for 2-3 hours after making it, then carefully put it in the fridge overnight (or longer).

 2.    Carefully remove the can/jar and open it.  Spoon out the thick cream from the top half of the can into a small bowl.  Avoid getting any of the coconut water which has separated to the bottom (I like to use that coconut water in smoothies).

 3.    Stir the maple syrup into the coconut cream and place it back in the fridge until ready to eat.

 Source: Paleomom.com