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FANTASTIC ITALIAN WINES TO DRINK THIS SUMMER

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Italian Trade Commission. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s summertime. Summertime is rivers, lakes, beaches, mountains, road trips, campfires. Long and leisurely evenings, hot and dusty hikes, and finishing all of those things with a good meal with friends, and a great bottle of wine. Something chilled. Dry, crisp whites and rosés (erm, rosatos) – they’re kinda my jam. Summer and its meals and wines can be distilled into a kind of simplicity that is utterly delightful. I love asking small wine shops for their recommendations around wine. It is, after all, why they exist! There is a reputation that wine shops can be a little elitist, a little chilly, but I haven’t found this to be the case in the wine shops that I love in San Francisco and Portland. (Feel free to email me if you’d like some suggestions.) In being open to and leaning on the suggestions of these people, I have discovered some really fantastic wines that I would’ve never considered. And that’s what I did here, to find a selection of easy-drinking, perfect-for-summer Italian wines. 

(Check out this video on the wines of Italy to learn more.)

FANTASTIC ITALIAN WINES FOR SUMMER

Rosato: This is simply what Italians call their rosés. They’re made with native Italian grapes, which means they’re distinctive from the French or American rosés that many are more familiar with, as the grapes used in rosatos don’t tend to be used in making rose-hued wines in other parts of the world. This makes it fun to explore.

Both of the rosatos that I selected – Ciro Rosato (from Calabria in Southern Italy) and Langhe Rosato (from Piedmont in Northern Italy) — are robust, deep and rosy-hued, with a fuller body that stands up to cured meats.

One cool thing I learned is that a darker rosato doesn’t mean it’s necessarily sweeter; it just typically means that the grape skins have been in contact with the fermenting wine for longer. Darker rosatos tend to be fuller-bodied, so if you’re particular about how you pair your wines, these two varietals would be a good choice for a salumi spread, for richer cheeses, and all of the other delightful things we like with wine: appetizers, snacks, etc.

Pair with: rich cheeses, berries, salumi, antipasti, and rivers.

Soave: Perhaps the perfect weekday evening summery Italian white. It rose in popularity a generation ago, and then via overproduction lost its charm. I read that while our parents may have an opinion about Soave, we don’t. And so, it’s making a comeback. This is one of the great white-wine appellations of Italy, and there are plenty of high-quality Soave out there to discover. Be sure to emphasize to your wine merchant that you want a Soave Classico from a family estate and you can easily find an artisanal product. It’s an easy, crisp white to pair with nearly any light summer meal.

Pair with: lighter cheeses, melon, grapes, crostini, shellfish, and a friend’s patio.

Frizzante Varietals: Frizzante, are you familiar? Not quite full-on sparkling (or spumante, which would be the Prosecco that you know and love), and a little more robust than effervescent, it’s a delightful element in some Italian wines that embodies summer. There are a number of lovely varietals: Pinot Noir- and Chardonnay-based spumante from the Franciacorta region, for instance, and Pignoletto frizzante from Emilia. Perhaps owing to that one magical summer (when I spent a month in an intensive art program through my college) in the mountains along the Italian border where I was caught by surprise – delightfully – when I purchased a bottle of white and had no idea that (upon pouring) it would bloom with tiny bubbles.

Crisp, clean, light, with just a whiff of sugar and a wash of tiny bubbles.

Pair with: appetizers, seafood, and a long, golden evening at the lake.

Italian Orange Wines: A broader category than many of these region-specific varietals, orange wines are having a moment. It’s an ancient wine-making technique and can be described most simply as treating white wine grapes like red wine in production. The orange hue owes to the grape skins making some contact with the wine while it ferments. The process reveals a really unique result. Orange wines can be intense – they can be funky, unusual, with aromas that are hard to pinpoint and tannins that remind one of reds. But there are plenty of lighter-bodied oranges too. Ask at a wine shop for a good starter orange wine – one that is more restrained than some of its more unconventional cousins – as a point of entry. Orange wines have tasting notes of dried-fruit like apricots and peaches and remind me, sometimes, of a sour beer, though I imagine most winemakers and/or enthusiasts would cringe to hear that.

Pair with: Orange wines will more likely stand up to grilled meats, so bring this along to your friend’s BBQ.

Curious to know more? Follow this link to learn more about Italian wines. 

Source: http://theyearinfood.com/2018/07/fantastic-italian-wines-to-drink-this-summer.html

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Mixed Berry Shortcakes

It was definitely mercury in retrograde recently when I got a phone call at 8:20pm, while we were having dinner at home, from a restaurant I’d reserved a table at, asking if we were showing up for our 8pm reservation. I was sure I had reserved for the following night, but – nope – I erred and our reservation was for that evening. (Fortunately, the restaurant has a steady walk-in crowd so the table didn’t sit empty. Still, I felt terrible.) We did go the next night, but that same day, I was typing this recipe up and my blogging platform asked me to log in again, which I dutifully did, and then it proceeded to erase the entire post, including the recipe.

With my head on the verge of imploding, I decided to go for a walk, then head back a little later and get back to rewriting everything up from scratch. A few people told me mercury was in retrograde, so, of course, the moment I returned, they started doing construction upstairs, so was subjected to the sounds of jackhammering while trying to fill in all the ingredients in the recipe plug-in I use, so the recipes are printable, and to make sure I got all the ingredients and so forth in the right place, and the conversions.

By the time evening rolled around, some other neighbors decided to have a party and their voices were so loud, they could be heard all the way down the block. (So much for les américains having the loudest voices in town anymore.) What made up for it were these Mixed Berry Shortcakes, which we had for dessert that night.

On the upside to the unpleasantries that day, I scored several baskets of strawberries at the market that morning, that were very ripe, to the point of where they wouldn’t have lasted another day. That’s often when fruit tastes the best, and with a use-it-or-lose-it mentality that haunts me whenever I have good fruit in my kitchen, I decided to make a batch of Mixed Berry Shortcakes. I also had some artisanal butter on hand that had a slight funk to it, that I wasn’t sure what to do with. I normally don’t mind that kind of thing – animal products that aren’t industrial sometimes have that flavor, which wasn’t so terrific tasting first thing in the morning on my toast. So I used it to make the shortbread biscuits.

What makes these shortcakes extra special is the strawberry coulis, an uncooked almost-purée of berries that gets juicier and more flavorful the longer it sits. It ensures lots of delicious sauce, which’ll moisten everything and assure that the biscuit below the fruit won’t be dry, as can happen if you only use sliced berries for shortcakes. With this shortcake recipe, you can use any mix of berries that you want, but I had all these strawberries and got them macerating as soon as I could, which I did, then rolled out my biscuits, and baked them. They didn’t rise as high as normal, possibly because of the farm butter, or I could blame that mercury retrograde-thing (in my post on Peach Shortcakes, you can see how they normally look), but with the crunchy topping, there were zero complaints, including from me, who pilfered one as I was rebuilding and rewriting this post. And not to worry; the flavor of that off-kilter butter got lost in the mix.

Kirsch, a clear distillation of cherries, magically augments the flavor of berries and summer fruits. However a reader nicely wrote to me that they didn’t detect much cherry flavor in the pricey bottle. (And she used a good one.) So don’t expect a full-on cherry flavor, but like the unseen powers (or planets) that remove blog posts and delete recipes, and make reservations on the wrong night, it works in mysterious ways, so I stand by it.

After putting a cap on the day, and the dessert, hopefully the planets will align in the future for you to make these truly wonderful shortcakes, a jumble of fresh berries, softly whipped cream, topped with a flaky, crunchy biscuit. I can’t say it’ll improve everything in your life, but if the stars align (or not), I’m confident this will be a hit with everyone who spoons it up.

Mix Berry Shortcakes

Print Recipe

Feel free to mix and match whatever kind of berries you'd like. Blackberries, cherries, red currants can all be part of the mix, or feel free to go "classic" and use all strawberries. You're also welcome to tweak the sugar amount used to sweeten the berries, which can vary depending on how naturally sweet they are. The kirsch is optional; a little improves the flavor of the berries. But if you don't want to use it, a splash of crème de cassis or lemon juice can also heighten their flavor.You'll likely get a few extra biscuits from the dough if you reroll the scraps. They can be enjoyed for breakfast the next morning, with some butter and jam, or they frozen for up to two months and used to make more shortcakes in the future.

For the shortcakes (biscuits)

2 1/2 cups (350g) flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional sugar for sprinkling over the shortcakes before baking

1 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons (5 ounces, 140g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream or buttermilk

1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon cream or milk, for the glaze

For the berries

6 cups (1 pound, 4 ounces/750g) strawberries, hulled

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces, 160g) raspberries

1 cup (4 ounces, 130g) blueberries

3 tablespoons sugar (total)

1 -2 teaspoons kirsch (optional)

For the whipped cream

1 1/2 cups (375ml) heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (It can also be made in a large bowl using a pastry blender.) Add the butter and mix on low speed until the pieces of butter are the size of large kernels of corn. Add the cream or buttermilk and mix until the dough just comes together

3. On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough until it’s 3/4-inch (2cm) thick and with a 2 1/2-inch (8cm) biscuit cutter, cut out six individual biscuits, dipping the cutter in flour between cutting each biscuit. You can gather the scraps and re-roll to cut out a few more biscuits. Put the biscuits on the baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Brush just the tops of the biscuits with the glaze, sprinkle generously with extra sugar, and bake until the tops and sides are browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

4. Put half the strawberries in a medium bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon kirsch, if using. Use your hands to mash everything together until the berries are juicy. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. You can stir the berries a few times as they sit, which will encourage them to release more of their juices.

5. Slice or quarter the remaining strawberries and mix in another bowl with the raspberries, blueberries, and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of kirsch, if using.

6. Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, or by hand with a whisk until it begins to get stiff, then whip in the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until the cream holds its shape.

7. To assemble the shortcakes, cut each biscuit in half crosswise and place the bottoms on six plates. Spoon a generous amount of the mashed berries and their juice over each bottom piece. Put a dollop of whipped cream on top of each biscuit bottom then divide the mixed berries over each serving. Finish by replacing the tops of the biscuits over the shortcakes.

Source: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/mixed-berry-shortcakes-strawberry-shortcake-recipe/

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Rhubarb Schnapps, Updated

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Source: https://alexandracooks.com/2018/08/01/rhubarb-schnapps-updated/

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Blueberry Banana Blast Smoothie

Summer is the perfect time for smoothies. I remember when I was a kid, my mom would make strawberry-banana “milkshake desserts” in the summer.

I had no idea that they were just strawberries, bananas, a bit of plain yogurt, and ice – no milk or sugar actually involved! But thanks to the creaminess from the yogurt and sweetness from the banana, it tasted just like a milkshake.

This recipe takes inspiration from my mom’s healthy tricks from my childhood. This smoothie packs an antioxidant punch from the frozen wild blueberries and spinach (or kale – your choice!), has natural sweetness from the bananas and pineapple, and added protein from some plain Greek yogurt.

You can enjoy it as a light breakfast, healthy dessert or post-workout snack for under 200 calories!

Blueberry Banana Blast Smoothie

Nutritional Info Per Serving: 162 Calories, 2g Fat (0.2g Saturated), 58mg Sodium, 31.5g Carbs, 5.4g Fiber, 20.5g Sugar, 7.7g Protein

Ingredients

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

1 fresh or frozen banana

1/4 cup fresh cut pineapple

3oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 cup baby spinach (or kale)

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup ice (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

4.29

https://pickyeaterblog.com/blueberry-banana-blast-smoothie/

Recipe by: The Picky Eater, pickyeaterblog.com

Source: https://pickyeaterblog.com/blueberry-banana-blast-smoothie/

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Berry Buttermilk Scones

We all blasted through the front door a few hours ago, feet dirty and a bit exhausted from a full day of blueberry picking — something that’s become a bit of a family tradition in late July ever since Oliver was born. We have photos out in the field with O in the baby carrier, chubby legs swaying in the breeze while I obsessively applied sunscreen every ten minutes. Last year found Oliver and his friend Lewis traipsing through the rows of berries together in the late morning hours, eating more than we ended up taking home. This year’s photos tell a different story: Oliver and I in a big open field used for overflow parking, he sitting on his little potty, me singing songs and chatting away, the sun beating down on the two of us. We’re deep in the thick of potty training, so as it turned out, Sam and Oliver’s Aunt Christa did the brunt of the picking today. But Oliver and I had some good talks while staying hydrated, people watching, and eating Sour Cream and Onion Kettle chips. Not a bad way to spend a morning. And really, it’s never about how many berries we bring home because neither of these years have proven to be particularly bountiful, but it just never feels like high summer until we get out there and start filling our buckets, however slowly.

I’d promised you a savory baking recipe today but I’m still testing it, so instead I bring you mixed berry scones! And no, I didn’t just whip these up using the berries we picked this afternoon because, well, I’m just not that much of a sorceress. But I love this scone recipe for a few reasons, most importantly: their simplicity. I flirted with the idea of calling them Vacation Scones — you know those recipes you kind of keep memorized or you kind of roughly pull together when you’re traveling and they manage to somehow always taste great? For me, I can make an impromptu fruit crisp wherever I may be without a recipe and can make pretty respectable pancakes. These scones are simple enough to start to add to that list: they don’t have any fussy ingredients (I’m looking at you, lemon zest), they don’t require any rolling or turning or cutting butter into the dough (I use a food processor for ease and speed), and they’re easily adaptable. I dig them.

And I did promise I’d share a few other things I’ve been into lately as the summer ticks on. I have a pretty decent commute now with my new job, so I’ve been listening to more podcasts, have been forcing myself to read more in the evenings, and have bookmarked some new recipes. So here’s a quick and loose list of a few of those things:

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones: I’m ashamed to say I have a few pages left of this novel and there’s no good reason (other than I can’t keep my eyes open at night) because it’s such a rich, beautifully-written story and I can’t recommend it enough. On the surface it’s about a marriage, but it speaks so much to the different kinds of love, how time changes people, and the different versions of ourselves that we discover along the way.

Like a Mother by Angela Garbes: I haven’t read this book! So why recommend it? I have MANY friends who have and it’s on my ‘next to read’ list. I love the recent handful of books coming out that speak to a bit of a different experience of pregnancy, labor and motherhood than is portrayed in What to Expect When You’re Expecting. From the description, “With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to postpartum changes.” Let’s read this, shall we?!

Momrage Podcast: My online homie Amelia Morris has come out with a really interesting podcast along with her friend Edan Lepucki. They delve into questions about motherhood that are often unpopular or skirted around. And I love that they’re doing it; it’s about time.

Tully: Ok, so at first I didn’t like this movie. I even texted my friend Julie and commiserated with her about our mutual dislike for it. The day after though, after thinking about it in the shower for quite some time, I decided it actually resonated more than I gave it credit for. I love Charlize Theron and, without giving too much away, this film offers a unique and important glimpse into postpartum mental health.

Girls Night In: While I think I’m not necessarily the target age here (I’m guessing it’s more like early 30’s), I’ve been surprised with how much I enjoy this newsletter. It’s really well done, smartly written and always has a few links that interest me.

Green Chile Chicken Verde (in the Instant Pot!): As I mentioned, I (very) reluctantly gave into the craze: I’m the (reluctant) owner of a new Instant Pot and this recipe is calling my name. What else should I make?!

Instant Pot Tomato White Beans: It’s been really too hot to do major cooking this week, so when I stumbled across this recipe, it was immediately bookmarked. I’ve heard that making beans in the Instant Pot is a real game changer, and I’m looking forward to keying up this recipe to find out what all the hype’s about.

Our Favorite Vegan Ice Cream: More often than not we have a pint of Frankie and Jo’s in the freezer. It’s not cheap, but it’s hands down the best vegan ice cream I’ve ever had and just so happens to be a few blocks from our house (but they also ship!). I love the Berries and Cultured Cream flavor this month. So good.

Pin recipe Print recipe

These whole grain scones aren’t too sweet and are a great way to use up a glut of summer berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries all work great here (I used a mixture of raspberries and blackberries). As you’re making the dough, remember that flour is your friend: if your dough feels too wet or you’re sticking to your work surface, just add a bit more! These are best the day you bake them, but are still great the second day if stored in an airtight container. Beyond that, freeze them for future weekday breakfasts.

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (280g) Bob's Red Mill organic whole wheat flour, plus more for work surface

1/3 cup (75g) turbinado sugar, plus more for the tops

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup buttermilk, plus more for the tops

1 heaping cup (160g/5.5oz) berries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the butter and pulse until it’s incorporated into tiny pebble-size pieces. Slowly add the buttermilk through the feed tube, stopping right when the dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Place your berries on top and fold the dough over a few times until the berries have been incorporated (they’ll likely be kind of hiding in the center layer there, which is great; you can’t mess this step up … just get those berries in there as messy as it may seem). Add a little more flour to the dough if it’s sticking to the surface.

Form the dough into a rectangle shape (do the best you can here; it’s totally acceptable to have different shaped scones, so it really doesn’t matter). Slice into 9 large scones or 16 small scones.

Quickly transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with a little buttermilk and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Best if enjoyed within two days of baking.

Source: http://asweetspoonful.com/2018/07/berry-buttermilk-scones.html

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cauliflower and tomato masala with peas

Good afternoon from vacation. We don’t need to talk about it. If you told me you were on a sunny beach with fine white silky sand between your toes, fluffy aqua waves lapping at the edges, palm trees swishing back and forth, scooping aquachiles onto tortilla chips and marveling at the range of available papaya hues while I was shoveling out snow for the nth time this year, I would smile politely and comment “How amazing!” on your Instagram but I would silently pout, as I probably will be a week from now. Let’s… not.

A week or so before I left, because the treadmill seems as good a place as any to think about what you want to eat next, I was overwhelmed with a craving for cauliflower cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. Gobi matar masala (cauliflower, peas, spices) is a a classic vegan North Indian recipe that fit the bill; the dotting of sweet peas adds is wonderfully complementary. When I came home and started looking through books and websites for recipes I realized that it’s more often a dry curry, made with a few tomatoes but most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a more concentrated mixture. The first time, I made it this way and it was fantastic, but my craving for a saucier version — more of a sabzi, if I understand correctly — remained. A friend confirmed that, like most traditional dishes, there’s no one agreed-upon way to make it and some days you may want it to be more of a stew than others. Feeling liberated, the next time I made it, I added a few cups of canned tomato puree and it was exactly what I’d hoped for. We ate it with rice but it would also be delicious with chapati, roti, or another flatbread.

There’s a lot of flexibility here. You can keep the cauliflower more crisp or let it relax more in the masala, depending on your preference. You can use more or less tomatoes, depending on how saucy you want the dish. You can crank up the heat with more chiles or chile powder; my kids aren’t quite there (yet!). And if you’re missing a single spice, I wouldn’t sweat it. I took note of some of the most common spices used but then went recipe-free, just cooking and adjusting to taste (and jotting everything down, dutiful food blogger that I am). It was cozy and unheavy and perfect; I froze the leftovers and can’t wait to have at least one meal all squared away when we get home.

Cauliflower and Tomato Masala with Peas (Gobi Matar)

Servings: 4

Time: 45 minutes

Print

If you’d like to brown your cauliflower florets for a more nuanced flavor, you can do so in an additional tablespoon or two of oil in the beginning, with your frying pan on high heat. Scoop it out and set it aside before beginning the recipe as written. Once you add the cauliflower to the tomato sauce later in the recipe, you might need 5 minutes less cooking time to get it to a good consistency (I aim for tender but not mushy here).

1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 jalapeño or another green chile, finely chopped (use more or less to taste)

1 big handful fresh cilantro, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly torn

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 to 1 teaspoon mild red chili powder (I used kashmiri), adjusted to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 to 3 cups tomato puree from a 28-ounce can

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup water

1 1/2 cup green peas, frozen is fine

1/2 teaspoon amchur (dried mango) powder or juice of half a lemon

Rice or flatbreads, to serve

First, prepare your cauliflower, just to get it out of the way. Trim the leaves. Remove the large core and dice it into small (1/4 to 1/2-inch) pieces. Cut or break the florets into medium-sized chunks.

Then, in a large, deep sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, and jalapeño and cook together for 3 minutes, until tender but the garlic and ginger are not browned. Add diced cauliflower core and finely chopped cilantro stems (save leaves for the end) and cook for another 1 minute together. Add turmeric, chili powder, coriander, and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 to 3 cups tomato puree — use the smaller amount if your cauliflower clocks in in the 2 to 2.5-pound range, or if you’re not sure you want dish as saucy as mine is, plus salt (1 1/2 teaspoons was just right for my 3 cups puree), and water and bring to a simmer, cook for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and stir to coat with sauce. Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender but not mushy, stirring occasionally. Add peas (still frozen are fine) and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until heated through. Add amchur powder or lemon juice and stir to warm through. Taste dish for seasoning and adjust to taste. Finish with cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or flatbread.

Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/02/cauliflower-and-tomato-masala-with-peas/

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3 Remarkable Benefits Of Witch Hazel And How To Use It

I’ve written extensively here on my blog about natural health and beauty topics, and many of those posts have included some mention of witch hazel. In fact, I even wrote a post entirely about ways you can use witch hazel! (Check that out at the link below.) But even as familiar as I have become with using witch hazel, I didn’t know a lot about what it actually is or how it works!

Related: You’ll Love These 26 “Magic” Ways To Use Witch Hazel

So that is where today’s post comes in. I’ve done my research, and I’m ready to provide some real answers today! We’ll be doing an exploration into the mysterious, magical world of witch hazel. I’ll tell you all about what it is, the benefits of witch hazel, the kinds of witch hazel products you can find in stores, and even the best ways to apply it! If you’ve ever wondered what’s the deal with witch hazel, you’ll have all the answers you need by the end of this post! :-)

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What Is Witch Hazel?

Witch hazel is an extract from the plant Hamamelis Virginiana, a flowering shrub native to North America. It is occasionally called “winterbloom,” because it’s one of the few plants that flower over the winter months. Witch hazel extract has an astringent effect, which contracts skin tissue in order to tighten skin and close up pores.

Native Americans utilized witch hazel for medicinal purposes for many years before English colonists arrived in America. They found it useful for treating skin conditions like ulcers and sores, soothing colds and coughs, and even as a method to stop bleeding.

1. It Relieves Inflammation

Witch hazel contains gallic acid and natural tannins, two compounds that possess useful anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can occur for a variety of reasons, and typically takes the form of redness, pain, or swelling. Applying anti-inflammatory witch hazel can help reduce these uncomfortable symptoms.

2. It Reduces Skin Irritation

Many skin conditions are aggravated by inflammation. So the anti-inflammatory effects of witch hazel can help soothe and even treat these skin conditions. Here are a few conditions that witch hazel may help improve:

Eczema/dermatitis

Psoriasis

Rashes

Allergic reactions

Sunburns

Hives

Puffy eyes

3. It Fights Acne

The astringent effect of witch hazel can be a great tool for those with oily and acne-prone skin. Witch hazel shrinks pores, helping to prevent grime and bacteria from getting in and forming new pimples. (However, if you don’t have oily or acne-prone skin, the astringent effect of witch hazel may be too drying.)

What Kind Of Witch Hazel Should I Buy?

There are many different kinds of witch hazel products on the market today. The most common form is 100% witch hazel extract (or “distilled extract of witch hazel.”) The ingredient list may note that it contains around 14% natural grain alcohol. The distillation process naturally produces that alcohol, so is not an additive.

Other witch hazel products are marketed as “toners,” indicating that other ingredients have been included in the formula. Many times these additives are natural, skin-friendly ingredients such as aloe vera, rose water, and other botanical extracts. (Just make sure to check the ingredients list, and be wary of any ingredients you don’t recognize.)

One of the most popular witch hazel products is Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner with Aloe Vera. This toner combines the benefits of witch hazel with soothing and moisturizing aloe and rose water. It’s a great way to get the anti-inflammatory benefits of witch hazel while offsetting the drying effect with moisturizing ingredients. (Check out the Amazon customer reviews—people SWEAR by this stuff!)

How Do I Apply Witch Hazel?

Most witch hazel comes in a flip-top bottle, so it’s easy to apply using a cotton round. Just squeeze a bit of the witch hazel onto the round, then gently wipe the round over the area you want to apply it to. Let it air dry, and that’s all there is to it!

Other types of witch hazel products can be very convenient for easy application. I’ve been buying packages of witch hazel wipes, which are pre-moistened and ready to go! They’re really useful for traveling or taking along to the gym. There’s even a witch hazel spray that you can spritz directly onto your skin!

No matter what form or brand of witch hazel you use, you’re sure to enjoy the benefits of this “magical” extract!

What’s your favorite way to use witch hazel?

Source: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/benefits-of-witch-hazel/

[oxmarble28-blog]

An Answer to a Pressing Question – Are Tortillas Vegan?

There is an unofficial debate going on both online and offline—are tortillas vegan? This seemingly simple question might be bothering tortilla fans who have just turned vegan.

If you belong to the above-mentioned group of people, you are probably asking yourself the above-mentioned question. The answers, suggestions, and vegan tortilla recipes are all over the internet. The fact is, yes, tortillas can be vegan and you don’t have to deprive yourself of these tasty Mexican pancake-like treats.

When it comes to vegan or non-vegan tortillas, it all boils down to preparation. Although most tortillas are in fact vegan, there are some non-vegan variants you should know about.

Vegan and Non-Vegan Tortillas – How to Tell Them Apart?

When you are at your favorite tortilleria, you may ask the vendor, “Are your tortillas vegan?” In most cases, you will get a positive answer. But how can you actually make sure you are getting the thing you want?

Well, there is a simple distinction that makes some tortillas vegan and others non-vegan. As previously mentioned, it’s about the preparation. To be more precise, a single ingredient makes some tortillas unsuitable for vegans.

Below are some tips and tricks on how to tell them apart.

Non-Vegan Tortillas

Wheat flour tortillas, may sometimes contain lard, an unacceptable ingredient in any vegan menu. You should always check whether the tortillas you are buying contain lard or not.

You will get a more accurate response if you ask the vendor at the tortilleria if the tortillas contain lard than if you ask if their tortillas are vegan. The same rule applies if you are buying tortillas at your local supermarket, although there is no need to ask anybody. Just take a look at the label to make sure that there are no animal-based ingredients.

Vegan Tortillas

Tortillas usually contain very few ingredients, which makes them quite appealing for most vegans. To make tortillas, you need some flour, water, oil, and baking soda. All of these are natural and vegan ingredients, so you shouldn’t worry about breaking the rules of your plant-only diet.

A debate has recently sprung up in the online vegan community questioning whether white flour tortillas are truly vegan. The underlying premise was that white flour cannot be vegan due to the bone char bleaching process. However, the premise hasn’t been confirmed to this day.

On the other hand, if the notion of bone char bleaching is bothering you, you can choose other types of flour as an alternative. Wheat flour, for example, is a great option because there is no bleaching process involved. You can also go for the unbleached regular flour. Just make sure that the package has a clear unbleached label.

Either way, if you want to stop asking yourself and others, “Are tortillas vegan?,” you should start making them at home. This way you will have complete control over all the ingredients that go into your tortillas.

In addition, vegan tortillas are quite simple to make even if you are not exactly a chef extraordinaire. There are more than a few vegan tortilla recipes you can find online. The following recipes should be the quickest and simplest to make, but don’t let that fool you. Homemade tortillas are every bit as tasty as the ones you get from your favorite tortilleria.

Basic Vegan Tortilla

This is a recipe for a very simple vegan tortilla. There are only six ingredients you need and the entire process should take less than half an hour including the cooking.

Ingredients

3 cups of flour (wheat or other)

½ tbsp of sugar (you can use vegan sugars)

1 tbsp of salt

½ tbsp of baking soda

6 tbsp of oil (canola oil is a good option)

1 ½ cups of water

Preparation

Get a sizable bowl, dry-mix the ingredients, and then add water and oil. Use your hands to mix the dough. Do rapid hand movements until the dough is stiff enough. You can add some water if needed.

The dough should be kneaded until it becomes smooth and elastic. Once it’s elastic enough, let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can place it in a well-oiled bowl and put a wet cloth on top.

After the dough has rested for 10 minutes, take it out and divide it into 12 parts. Each piece should be rolled into a small ball. Then roll out each ball with a rolling pin until it becomes very thin.

Now, you should heat up a pan to medium heat and start putting the tortillas on one-by-one when the pan is hot enough. Each tortilla should be cooked for about two minutes on either side. You are done when tortillas become white.

Vegan Burritos

The answer to the question “Are tortillas vegan?” above may have indicated that burritos cannot be vegan because the tortillas contain lard. However, that is not always the case. This recipe should give you an idea of how to make mouth-watering vegan burritos.

The filling for these vegan burritos consists of salsa, but you can add any other vegan fillings per your desire.

Ingredients

The tortilla ingredients:

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

3 cups of flour

¼ cup of olive oil

¾ of hot water

The salsa ingredients:

Chopped coriander

½ tsp of hot chili flakes

25 cherry tomatoes and 3 regular tomatoes

A sliced spring onion

Juice from ½ of a lime

A pinch of pepper and salt

Preparation

Chop the tomatoes into dices then add the sliced spring onion and the chili flakes. Season the mix with pepper and salt to your taste.

Dry-mix the tortilla ingredients before you add hot water and oil. While adding water and oil, you can mix the dough with a spoon. Once it gets firm enough, knead the dough using your hands until it’s nice and elastic. Let the dough rest before you cut it into pieces and then roll out the pieces and bake the tortillas the same way as described in the previous recipe.

After you finish baking, add the filling and enjoy.

The End Tortilla

Are tortillas vegan? Yes, they are, and as a vegan, you can eat all the tortillas you want. However, make sure that there is no lard or other animal-based ingredients in your tortilla.

In addition, tortillas are a great wrapping for your favorite vegan fillings. Feel free to experiment until you find the perfect mix for you.

Source: https://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/everyday-meals/answer-pressing-question-tortillas-vegan/

[oxmarble28-blog]

A long weekend in New Haven: where to eat, what to do, and where to stay

New Haven is Connecticut’s second-largest city, and to most it’s synonymous with two things: Yale University and pizza. Yale plays a large role in the city’s culture and the pizza is indeed up there with the best in America, but a recent visit at the invitation of Market New Haven revealed that New Haven is multi-layered and multi-faceted, a great walking town with a fascinating history, with an abundance of fun things to do and sights to see, making it a fabulous destination for a weekend jaunt.

New Haven was actually the very first planned city in America, laid out in 1638 by English Puritans according to a grid that today comprises the heart of downtown and is centered around New Haven Green, which is still the city’s town square. Like any American city that’s been around for so long, it played a role in the American Revolution (and, as it survived the Revolution relatively unscathed, many colonial features were saved), but its historical claims to fame go far beyond that: It’s where Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin and where Samuel Colt invented the revolver, it’s where the famous Amistad slave trial was held, and it’s the city that gave birth to the steamboat, the submarine, the corkscrew, the telephone directory and public phone, the lollipop, the Frisbee, the hamburger (more on that later), and the Erector Set. From the 1950s to the 1990s the city saw a period of decline (which necessitated — and was exacerbated by — an “urban renewal” project that saw parts of Downtown demolished), but within the past 20 years the city has bounced back with a vengeance, and it’s become a cultural destination for restaurants, bars, retail, and nightlife, with an influx of high-end housing developments and multi-use conversions of historic buildings making it a fantastic place to live and visit.

After a quick train ride from New York City (about an hour and 40 minutes) and a brief cab ride, we checked into our hotel, The Study at Yale, which we’d strongly recommend. It’s a short walk from the New Haven Green and is located right in the heart of Yale’s campus, so not only are you just a short jaunt from all of Yale’s theaters and museums (including its legendary Yale University Art Gallery), your hotel room might also provide a spectacular view of the campus and its Federal-style architecture. The hotel is sleek and modern, our room was bright and cozy, and the hotel’s restaurant, Heirloom, is a favorite among locals and visitors alike (more on that later).

If you have a free afternoon, just walking around Yale University’s campus and New Haven Green provides ample opportunity for distraction, but there are a few things you shouldn’t miss: the Art Gallery (which is home to more than 200,000 objects d’art), the Louis Khan-designed Yale Center for British Art, which is home to the largest collection of British art outside the U.K., and the famed Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, which is home to an astonishing array of old books (including the mysterious Voynich Manuscript, which has never been deciphered).

After all that walking around, you’re going to get hungry, and if you’re in the mood for pizza, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re not familiar with New Haven-style pizza, it’s absolutely worth discovering if you consider yourself a pizza lover. And New Haven, with its large Italian population, is home to some of the country’s most legendary pizzerias, many of which date back to the 1920s and ‘30s. New Haven-style pizza is fired in a coal oven, and it typically has a thin, crisp, and chewy crust, a slightly oblong shape, and some amount of charring along the outside. It’s also unique in that a “plain” pie is only topped with tomato sauce, oregano, and a little pecorino romano — mozzarella cheese is considered a topping, and it needs to be requested.

The highlight of our visit was the opportunity to visit four legendary pizzerias — Frank Pepe, Sally’s Apizza, Modern Apizza, and the newer BAR — all in one afternoon, with Taste of New Haven’s Colin M. Caplan as our guide. Caplan is perhaps the country’s foremost authority on all things New Haven pizza (known around these parts as “apizza,” pronounced “ah-BEETZ”), as he’s literally written the book on New Haven Pizza and its storied history (you can buy a copy here).

We started at Frank Pepe, which opened here in 1925 and is widely credited with inventing New Haven-style pizza as we know it. (Not entirely coincidentally, it’s home to The Daily Meal’s pick for the best pizza in America, its signature white clam pie.) There are today 10 locations, but it all started right here, and many foodies consider a visit to Pepe’s a required culinary pilgrimage. If the concept of a mozzarella-free pie sounds weird to you, order the “plain” pie here, and the combination of the crisp, chewy crust, the slight char, the high-quality sauce (made with tomatoes delivered in Pepe-branded cans) and a sprinkle of pecorino will be a total paradigm-changer for you. You also owe it to yourself to order the famous white clam pie, which is topped simply with garlic, oregano, olive oil, grated pecorino, and freshly-shucked clams (and bacon if you’re feeling extra). It’s a masterpiece.

Up next, we visited BAR, which also happens to be one of the best bars in New Haven, serving a great assortment of beers (brewed in-house) in a fun and lively space. BAR’s pizzas are cooked in a brick oven, slightly less oblong than the competition, slightly less charred, and available with a wide array of toppings including oven-roasted hot peppers, roast chicken, shrimp and eggs. The mozzarella pie was fantastic, and the pepperoni was solid, but there’s one pizza that put this place on the map, and it’s a must-order: mashed potato and bacon. The crust gets a thin layer of creamy, garlicky mashed potatoes and a topping of crumbled bacon and fresh herbs; there’s nothing else quite like it, and it pairs perfectly with a house-brewed beer.

Up next, the legendary Sally’s Apizza. Sally’s was founded in 1938 by Frank Pepe’s sister, Filomena Pepe Consiglio, who named if after her son, Sal (who in turn ran the restaurant until his death in 1989). The pizza here will be familiar to you if you’ve been to Pepe’s: brick oven, slightly oblong, slightly charred. The plain, mozzarella, and pepperoni pies were all evenly cooked with a crisp, chewy crust and just the right amount of topping, and a real sleeper hit was the potato and onion pie, both sliced impossibly thin and artfully arranged from end to end. It was honestly one of the best pizzas I’ve ever tasted, and that combined with the masterful preparation of the other pies made Sally’s my personal favorite apizza of the day (It was Sinatra’s favorite, as well).

With whatever stomach space remained rapidly dwindling, we made it to our last stop of the day: Modern Apizza. This was actually founded in 1934, even though it looks a lot newer than that (it resembles a traditional, newish Italian restaurant a lot more than the others do), and along with Pepe’s and Sally’s it forms what’s commonly referred to as the “Holy Trinity” of New Haven pizzerias. Pizzas here are fired in an oil-fueled brick oven (one of the last remaining examples in America, in fact), and as opposed to the light and crispy crusts of the competition, these pies were slightly heavier and wetter, and were the only ones of the bunch to have a sprinkling of cornmeal on the bottom. Both the plain and mozzarella were on-point if a little soggy (which isn’t a dig at all), and we were fans of the eggplant pie, which is topped with thin strips of fried eggplant. If you’re a fan of pizzas with lots of toppings, don’t miss the Italian Bomb, topped with sausage, bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, peppers, and garlic.

There should be one more stop on your New Haven food tour (after you’re regained your appetite, obviously): Louis Lunch, widely regarded as the birthplace of the hamburger. Founded as a tiny lunch wagon in 1895 and today only slightly larger than that, the diminutive restaurant (which founder Louis Lassen upgraded to in 1917) is perpetually crowded with pilgrims in search of the original burger, which (as legend has it) was invented by Lassen in 1900. The burgers served here are cooked in unique upright broilers (the same exact ones used by Lassen) and served on white toast, with cheese spread and sliced onions as the only optional toppings. Eating here is like stepping back in time, and it’s still run by the Lassen family.

Oh, and as for the burger? It’s exceptionally good: The beef is high-quality, fresh-ground in house daily, and formed into 6-ounce pucks, and eating it with just a slice of onion on toast really allows it to shine. The only rule? No ketchup!

Obviously, more restaurants have opened in New Haven since the 1930s, so if you’re looking for something other than pizza or a burger you’re in luck. Heirloom, the restaurant inside the Study at Yale (above), is one of the city’s best fine-dining restaurants, and is spacious and comfortable with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Chapel Street. The seasonally-driven menu is a real crowd-pleaser, with appetizers including warm local ricotta with thyme, truffle oil, and toast; a jar of whipped chicken liver pate with bacon jam; baked Connecticut clams; and roast octopus. Entrees include lamb ragù with house-made penne, seared Maine scallops with caramelized spaghetti squash, bouillabaisse, a grass-fed burger, and filet mignon. We really enjoyed our meal there; service was professional and knowledgeable, and the dining room has a really buzzy energy, especially around the bar area. It also serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch.

Another dinner option is Zinc, which is located right on New Haven Green and has been a local favorite since 1999. They’re sourcing ingredients from local farms and purveyors, and they’re turning them into creative New American dishes with a sprinkling of that oh-so-1999 trend, Asian fusion. Apps include a house-cured gravlax and sticky rice roll, Korean barbecue pork belly, and carrot and smoked cheddar fondue; and entrees include pork carnitas aji verde, ricotta gnocchi with sage brown butter and port-soaked figs, and Scottish salmon with risotto and roasted beets. Our meal there unfortunately had a couple issues — grilled rib-eye steak ordered medium-rare was served on the bloody side of rare, and we were seriously disappointed with the restaurant’s supposedly signature appetizer, duck nachos, which were essentially wonton chips doused in mayo and sour cream and topped with a heavy handful of microgreens; whatever scraps of duck were present were overcooked, flavorless pebbles (you can see one towards the bottom of the plate above). The salmon was nicely cooked, though, and honestly the best part of the meal were desserts from pastry chef Alba Estenoz: a pear perfectly poached in red wine and topped with homemade ice cream, and a multilayered “cake” of chocolate, rum, and caramel mousses served with a shot of caramel milk on the side. Both were spectacular, and worthy of a visit in their own right.

Another popular fine-dining destination is John Davenport’s, located on the top floor of the Omni Hotel on New Haven Green. We stopped in for a Saturday morning breakfast, and had a dizzying array of dishes to choose from — omelets, three Benedicts (traditional, smoked salmon, or lobster), smoked salmon platter, pancakes, waffles, French toast, corned beef hash, avocado toast — and a whole breakfast buffet! We settled on the lobster eggs Benedict and a Belgian waffle with strawberries and Vermont maple syrup. Both were expertly prepared — the lobster was fresh and nicely cooked, the hollandaise was perfectly tart and creamy, and the waffle was light and crisp.

Other standout restaurants in New Haven include Claire’s Corner Copia, serving healthy vegetarian fare since 1975; chef John Brennan’s Olives and Oil, serving creative Italian fare and top-notch cocktails in a cool and modern setting; Union League Café, a super high-end French restaurant; and Consiglio’s, an old-school red-sauce joint.

The cocktail scene in New Haven is also very strong. Ordinary is nestled into a bar room dating from 1910, inside a former hotel (the Taft) that can trace its roots to a colonial-era tavern. The bar room itself, and the back room, are covered in old wood, and it’s honestly one of the most beautiful, coziest bars I’ve ever imbibed in. The cocktails are creative and crafted with an eye for flavor and balance (they run the gamut from classic — like the Bee’s Knees to modern — like the Lawnmower Man (with cachaça, Suze, citrus, green juice, house celery bitters, and lemon verbena air) — and the punch bowls are parties unto themselves. Also worth visiting is Anchor Spa, a classic dive-turned classy cocktail bar; and Elm City Social, chef John Brennan’s first project, a fun and laid-back nightly party that also serves a killer lunch and dinner menu with something for everyone. Another ideal post-dinner retreat is Firehouse 12, a sleek and swanky cocktail bar and lounge that’s also home to a recording studio-grade music venue that plays host to mostly jazz musicians.

New Haven is a beautiful city, the perfect destination for an autumn retreat. Yale lends it a youthful energy, an influx of mixologists and chefs are revitalizing the dining and cocktail scene, it has a walkable and historic downtown, and it has some of the best pizza on Earth. It’s an ideal small city, and if you decide to spend a weekend taking it in, you won’t regret it.

The visit that was the subject of this review was hosted by Visit New Haven.

Source: https://www.thedailymeal.com/travel/long-weekend-new-haven

[oxmarble28-blog]

The Magic of Fish Sauce

One of the most asked questions we get about cooking is what is the best fish sauce brand? And another most often asked questions is quite the opposite. More like: how do you use fish sauce and how to cook with it?

Fish sauce is like magic, adding umami and a depth of flavor to so many savory dishes. It can definitely be intimidating because of the very strong smell, but when used in small amounts, the savory and rich flavor is fantastic. Fish sauce in its pure straight-from-the-bottle form can be pretty aggressive to both the nose and the palette. Basically, it can totally stink. But it can become a little softer, subdued and more manageable on the palette when mixed with some acid, sweetness and spice. It then becomes the dip what Vietnamese call, Nước chấm or simply, Nước Mắm (depending on tradition). One of the very basic staples of fish sauce is the dipping sauce that can be used as a dip for spring rolls, as a dressing for noodles and rice or as a marinade for grilled meat. It’s like magic when you take fish sauce, mix it with a little lime, garlic and chili. We wrote more about it’s delicious magical power in our Vietnamese Fish Sauce Recipe Here.

To say which is our favorite fish sauce or which brand is the best fish sauce is truly difficult. Each brand has a different flavor profile (if you can get past the fishy smell) and each bottle can vary depending on the year or batch that it was fermented. Overall, almost any brand of fish sauce will add magic to your marinade.

Here’s three of the most often used brands in our home kitchen and studio kitchens:

Here’s a Few of our Favorite Spring Roll Ingredients and Tools:

It can sometimes be hard to find good spring roll ingredients and tools. Here’s some of the favorites:

Fun little video using Fish sauce to make a traditional Vietnamese Dipping Sauce:

Our popular fish sauce Umami burgers recipe is an old family recipe and tradition. And better yet, it’s a reader favorite! 

More of our Vietnamese recipes and random childhood stories (Family-inspired of course!)

Diane’s Vietnamese Fried Chicken Recipe

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe

My Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon recipe

My Turkey Avocado spring rolls recipe with hoisin peanut dip.

My Bacon Lettuce Tomato (BLT) Fresh Spring Rolls Recipe

My Garlic Chicken  Spring Rolls Recipe

Source: https://whiteonricecouple.com/food/best-fish-sauce/

[oxmarble28-blog]

9 Surprising Benefits Of The One Houseplant Everyone Should Have

There are a handful of natural ingredients that are frequently featured in many of my recipes for homemade health and beauty products. I’ve written posts about the benefits of several of these superstar ingredients, including witch hazel, coconut oil, hydrogen peroxide, and more. But there’s one particular ingredient that I haven’t yet given the credit it is due—at least, until today that is! Because today’s post is all about the benefits of aloe vera.

This spiny succulent is so much more than just a decorative houseplant, and today you’ll find out just how beneficial this plant can really be! At the end of this post, you’ll find some useful links to some of my favorite homemade products and remedies that include aloe vera. Give them a try, so you can experience some of the amazing benefits of aloe vera for yourself! :-)

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What Is Aloe Vera?

Aloe vera is a spiny-leafed succulent plant that typically grows in dry, tropical climates. While it is usually referred to by its scientific name aloe vera, it occasionally goes by more exotic names like “lily of the desert” and “elephant’s gall.”

Humans have been utilizing aloe vera for a variety of purposes for the last 4000 years, at least! One of the earliest recorded mentions of the plant comes from a Sumerian clay tablet dated back to 2100 B.C. Today, aloe vera is most notably known as a topical treatment for burns, but it is still used in a variety of different ways.

Depending on how you use it, there are a variety of benefits you can get from aloe vera. We’ll start with benefits that come from using aloe vera externally via topical applications. Next, we’ll cover the potential benefits of using aloe vera internally by drinking it!

External Benefits Of Aloe Vera

You’re probably already familiar with aloe vera gel, which is the most popular aloe vera product. Commercial aloe vera gel is a filtered and processed version of the gooey stuff contained in the center of the plant’s spiny leaves.

Bottled aloe vera gels are very convenient for external applications, but you can also just cut open a leaf from an aloe vera plant and use that! It’s why many people choose to grow aloe as a houseplant. It’s just as useful as it is nice to look at!

Here are some of the benefits to using aloe vera externally:

Treat minor burns, cuts and scrapes, and sunburns

Soothe and heal skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and cold sores

Reduce signs of skin inflammation like puffy eyes and redness

Treat scalp conditions like dryness and dandruff

Internal Benefits Of Aloe Vera

In addition to aloe vera gel, many stores also offer aloe vera juice products. The process eliminates the solid and fibrous bits to produce a digestible liquid. Aloe vera juice contains plenty of beneficial vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium, and more.

Bottled aloe vera juice is available for purchase in many stores. If you’re looking for juice that’s suitable to drink, make sure it is labeled as 100% pure aloe vera juice that is meant for consumption. You can also find aloe vera in a convenient capsule form, in case you’d prefer not to drink it.

Here are some of the benefits you can get from taking aloe vera internally:

Balance stomach acid

Curb indigestion and heartburn

Boost the immune system

Reduce inflammation

Support joint health

5 Ways To Use Aloe Vera

Now that you know a little bit more about the benefits of aloe vera, you’re ready to get started using it! Here are some of my favorite uses for aloe vera that I’ve posted about over the past few years. Check out these links for recipes, instructions, and tons more useful information about aloe vera!

Soothing And Healing Sunburn Relief Spray

My All-Natural “Miracle” Eye Serum

Homemade Bum Spray (An Alternative To Flushable Wipes)

Easy Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Homemade Spray-On Deodorant

What is your favorite use for aloe vera?

Source: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/benefits-of-aloe-vera/

[oxmarble28-blog]

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup | How to Make Chicken Enchilada Soup in the Crock Pot

Absolutely delicious and super simple to make Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup! This easy to put together slow cooker soup is loaded with bold, hearty flavors, and lots of comfort. Throw it together in the morning, and come home to a bowl of warm and flavorful soup.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup is everything that you love about chicken enchiladas, but in the form of soup! Packed with chunks of chicken, tomatoes, beans, and corn, this is a perfect, easy and filling weeknight meal. 

What I love most is that you can throw everything in your slow cooker earlier in the day, and in the evening you have a delicious soup ready to just eat! It’s slightly creamy, a bit of spicy, and a whole lot of delish! 

Topped with cheese, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, this is a very tasty and filling soup with the right amount of chunky and creamy. P.S. Avocado would be an awesome addition!

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP IN THE CROCK POT 

This soup requires very little prep work! I like to sauté the onions with the garlic in a skillet, first, and then add them to the crock pot. However, you don’t have to do that. You can add the onions in there without cooking them.

Toss the sauce into your crock pot (slow cooker) together with the onions, tomatoes, corn, beans, and chicken breasts.

Season and stir it all together to combine.

Cover and set it on LOW for 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

You can also set it on HIGH for 3 hours, or until chicken is done.

Once the chicken is cooked, take it from the slow cooker, shred it, and add it back to the soup.

The last ingredients added are some cheese and a little bit of heavy cream to add thickness and creaminess. You can definitely leave those out, but I wouldn’t. 🙂 Sometimes, I even blend the soup just a little bit with a hand blender to make it even thicker. 

By dinner time, you will have this luscious soup to share with everyone. I suggest to taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Most of the time, I can’t get the salt/pepper thing right when this much soup is in question. Am I alone in that?!

Nonetheless, this soup delivers a big bowl of fresh comfort and happy tummies each and every time.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Store in airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Transfer the COMPLETELY cooled soup to freezer bags, and keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

To thaw, take out from the freezer the night before and set it in the refrigerator overnight. 

Reheat in a soup pot over medium heat. 

MORE SOUP RECIPES

ENJOY!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Packed with chunks of chicken, tomatoes, beans, and corn, this is the perfect easy and filling weeknight meal. 

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican/Southwest

Keyword: chicken enchiladas, crock pot chicken, enchiladas recipe, slow cooker recipes, slow cooker soup, soup recipe

Servings: 8 serves

Calories: 267 kcal

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can (19 ounces) red enchilada sauce

1 can (15 ounces) corn, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) black or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup low fat white or yellow shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

sour cream, for serving

fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving

sliced lime, for serving

Other toppings may include sliced avocados and crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a skillet; add onions and cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.

Pour in 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce; scrape up all the bits at the bottom of the skillet and pour it all into the bowl of your Slow Cooker/Crock Pot.

Combine the remaining enchilada sauce, corn, beans, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf in the crock pot; stir.

Arrange the chicken breasts on top.

Cover and set on LOW for 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. OR set it on HIGH for 3 hours, or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred it.

Stir it back into the slow cooker.

Stir in cheese and heavy cream.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with sour cream, cilantro, limes, and cheese.

Serve.

Recipe Notes

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 3 (Extra soup toppings not included)

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Store in airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Transfer the COMPLETELY cooled soup to freezer bags, and keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

To thaw, take out from the freezer the night before and set it in the refrigerator overnight. 

Reheat in a soup pot over medium heat. 

Nutrition Facts

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 47mg 16%

Sodium 1154mg 48%

Potassium 768mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 29g 10%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 7g

Protein 22g 44%

Vitamin A 15.5%

Vitamin C 18.3%

Calcium 9%

Iron 17.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Source: https://diethood.com/crock-pot-chicken-enchilada-soup/

[oxmarble28-blog]

Loaded potatoes with spinach, cheese and bacon

I work for a Swiss company and this week several of my peers from Switzerland have been asking me about/wishing me a good Carnival – it is funny because I am not a Carnival person (they do not know that), but I do enjoy the days off (Netflix, here I come!). :)

To me these loaded potatoes are perfect for lazy days: just a handful of ingredients, easy prepping, and delicious results. My versions lately have been dairy free: I skip the cheese and add a couple of teaspoons of nutritional yeast to the filling to get the cheesy flavor. Sometimes I sprinkle a bit of Pecorino on top as well for a salty touch, since that cheese does not cause me digestion problems.

Loaded potatoes with spinach, cheese and bacon own recipe

4 large potatoes 6 bacon rashers, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 ¾ cups (120g) spinach leaves, packed salt and freshly ground black pepper ¾ cup (75g) coarsely grated Canastra cheese*

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a medium baking sheet with foil. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork. Place them on the foil and bake for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender (remove them from the oven, but keep it on). When potatoes are warm enough to handle, cut them in half horizontally, remove some of the pulp and transfer to a bowl – do not carve the potatoes too much or the shells will be too thin and delicate to hold the filling. Place the potato shells back on top of the foil.

In a large nonstick frying pan, cook the bacon over high heat stirring occasionally until crisp. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the potato pulp and mix. Stir in ½ cup of the cheese. Spoon filling back into each potato half and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until top is golden.

* for this recipe I used a kind of cheese typical from Brazil called Canastra cheese. Feel free to replace it with cheddar or the cheese of your liking

Serves 4 with a green salad on the side

Source: http://technicolorkitcheninenglish.blogspot.com/2018/02/loaded-potatoes-with-spinach-cheese-and.html

[oxmarble28-blog]

Pancit Canton (Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles)

Noodles are a quintessential part of any Filipino gathering! Join me as I celebrate my blog’s 9th blog birthday with this easy recipe for Pancit Canton. It may be party ready, but it’s simple enough for a weeknight meal.

On January 31, 2010, this blog was born.

I had named it Kitchen Worthy, with the hopes of sharing anything that was worthy of being in the kitchen, and a few months into my blogging adventure, I had to rename my blog-baby. I’m not sure if you’ve been reading long enough to remember this…chances are you found me further along in the process…but if you’re curious about how and why I had to rename the blog, I tell the story on this podcast.

If you do remember, wow, we’ve been together a long time.

Nine years to today, in fact.

In these nine years, my goal is still to share with you anything worthy of being in the kitchen, whether it’s a recipe or a wine or a handy tip to make life easier, and I hope you’ve found a few things to make your life more delicious. I just want to take a minute to thank you for joining me on this journey. A lot can happen in nine years, and a lot certainly has! I’ve made wonderful friendships, traveled to amazing places, sipped lots of wine, met so many farmers, and cooked countless recipes.

Many of my own family favorites have become yours, too. I love when I hear that my mechado reminds me of the meat and potatoes dish your grandmother made, or that my father-in-law’s buttermilk banana bread has become your go-to recipe, too.

So when I celebrate nine years of writing Kitchen Confidante, I celebrate nine years of friendship with you. It is you I think of when I cook in my kitchen — I imagine you sitting in the chair at the kitchen island with me, chatting about what happened today, and sharing good food together. Without you, this blog would not be.

This calls for a celebration! A birthday is not complete without noodles in my family — I love this Filipino tradition of having pancit for long life! By now you know that Pancit Bihon is usually what I make for special occasions, but Pancit Canton is another party-staple of any Filipino fiesta. Between you and me, I think of Pancit Canton as perfect for a weeknight meal – it’s actually quite easy to make, and perfect for cleaning out your vegetable drawer — you can customize it however you like! Commonly made with chicken, pork and shrimp, you can easily make it pescatarian- or vegetarian-friendly, too.

So go grab a fork, and let’s dig into some noodles, shall we?

What is Pancit Canton?

There are many popular noodle dishes in the Philippines, and Pancit Canton is a common stir-fry noodle that is most reminiscent of Chinese influence to Filipino-cuisine. Made with wheat flour noodles, Pancit Canton is often described as Filpino chow mein (more on that below), and the flavors are quite similar with its use of soy and broth to flavor the noodles and vegetables. Pancit Canton is often made with pork, chicken, and shrimp, and a variety of vegetables, and depending on who makes it, it may also include chicken liver and Chinese sausage (which I have omitted here).

Is Pancit Canton the same as Chow Mein or Lo Mein?

Pancit Canton is often described as a cousin to Chow Mein and Lo Mein, which is a stir-fry noodle dish that many of us who love Chinese food grew up eating. They are definitely quite similar, however, there are a few main differences.

One is in the noodle itself. Chow mein noodles are egg noodles, whereas Pancit Canton noodles are wheat flour noodles, though depending on the brand of pancit canton noodles you purchase, some contain egg powder. I prefer the plain wheat flour noodles for its bite and texture.

The other main difference is in the preparation. When making Pancit Canton, the dry noodles are added to the broth towards the end of the dish, and no pre-boiling is necessary. With chow mein and lo mein, the noodles are boiled (or fried) and drained first (like making spaghetti), then added to the stir-fry after.

Where Do I Buy Pancit Canton Noodles?

If you have an Asian market such as 99 Ranch near you, you can easily find Pancit Canton Noodles in the noodle aisle. It will be labeled as “pancit canton noodles: flour noodles.” You can also find Pancit Canton Noodles on Amazon. See the recipe below for substitution recommendations.

More Filipino Dishes to Try

Filipino Chicken Adobo Filipino Lumpiang Shanghai (Spring Rolls) Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles) Bibingka: Filipino Coconut-Rice Cake

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in the post, see my Disclosure page to learn more.

Pancit Canton (Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles)

Pancit Canton is a party staple in the Philippines! These Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles are a close cousin to chow mein, and while it's fiesta ready, it's easy enough to make for a delicious weeknight dinner.

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Keyword Filipino, noodles, Philippines, stir-fry

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 228kcal

Author Liren Baker

1 cup cabbage thinly sliced

1 cup baby bok choy

1 cup carrots

1 cup green beans sliced on the bias

1/2 cup chopped celery sliced on a bias

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined

1/2 pound pork tenderloin sliced into thin, 2-inch pieces

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces Pancit Canton flour noodles (227 grams)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Lemon or kalamansi slices for serving

Bring 5 cups of water in a pot to boil. As the water heats up, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Once the water comes to a boil, salt the water with about a tablespoon of salt and drop in the vegetables, blanching for about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables into the ice bath and let it sit for 2 minutes. When the vegetables are cool, drain the vegetables, place on the lined plate, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a wok over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add the shrimp to the pan and let it cook for about a minute or until it just turns pink and it curls up. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the wok and set aside.

Add the pork, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring periodically. Stir in the chicken broth, water, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the noodles into the wok, tossing the noodles as it absorbs the sauce. If you find that the noodles are too dry, add a little water if necessary. When the noodles are soft, stir in the reserved vegetables and shrimp, tossing to combine. Cook for about another minute more.

Transfer the pancit to a serving dish, garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

About This Recipe:

This is the Pancit Canton recipe I learned years ago from my Tita Tess when she cooked it for our Christmas family parties. Her version is more of a one-pot meal in that she begins the recipe at Step 2 and drops in the vegetables at the same time as the noodles in Step 5. I have since adopted the method of blanching the vegetables from Panlasang Pinoy, and like the crisp texture of the vegetables when adding this step, however, if you're short on time or don't feel like washing extra dishes, you can certainly do it Tita Tess' way! 

Noodles:

The type of noodles you use really makes a difference. If you can't locate Pancit Canton noodles at your Asian Market (I like the Excellent brand, also available on Amazon), you can substitute spaghetti noodles. Lo mein or chow mein noodles can also be used, but do be careful and take time to pre-boil and drain the noodles first; some chow mein noodles have a tendency to get gummy and sticky, which is quite unpleasant in this dish!

Making Vegetarian Pancit Canton:

Pancit Canton can easily be translated as a vegetarian noodle dish. Omit the meat and substitute chicken broth for water or vegetable broth.

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 641mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 69.3% | Vitamin C: 19.1% | Calcium: 8.6% | Iron: 8.9%

Source: https://kitchenconfidante.com/pancit-canton

[oxmarble28-blog]

SHRIMP BURGER WITH WAKAME SLAW

Shrimp toast is one of my favorite things ever, so I figured, why not switch out the toast for burger buns? The shrimp burgers are filled with fresh herbs and bright flavors and when topped with a crunchy wakame (seaweed salad) and spicy sriracha. I am practically addicted, I love this combination so much.  I might even try rolling the shrimp burgers into meat balls, and popping them in a soup or in a simple pasta. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For 4 Burgers

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons  fish sauce

1 inch lemongrass stalk

3 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped

1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled

2 cloves garlic

large pinch salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds of large shrimp (16-20 per pound size; peeled and de-veined), roughly chopped

1/2 tablespoon of corn starch

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

TOPPINGS

4 burger buns

1/4 cup mayonnaise

sriracha

wakame salad

this is a standard seaweed salad, i’ve gotten it at whole foods and other deli counters. if you can’t find it, use fresh cucumber for a refreshing crunch.

toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Toss the ingredients except for the shrimp and corn starch into the food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped and integrated. Add the shrimp and corn starch and PULSE, you don’t want to turn the food processor fully on. About 5-10 pulses should be good. Form the shrimp mixture into patties about 3/4 inch thick.  Set aside on a sheet of wax paper.

In a large sauce pan (or on a grill), coat heavily with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes a side, until fully cooked through.

To serve, combine the mayo and sriracha.  Spread this on the inside of the burger buns. Add the shrimp burger, and top with wakame salad, and sesame seeds.

Source: https://www.thekitchykitchen.com/?recipes=/shrimp-burger-wakame-slaw/

[oxmarble28-blog]

How to Make the PERFECT Tuna Melt

This is hands-down my favorite tuna melt recipe. So cheesy and delicious! Just follow these easy tips and you will have a perfect tuna melt every time.

Though this tuna melt recipe is easy, it is definitely not your average tuna melt. Think of this as more of a “grown up” tuna melt. Years ago, I tried a tuna melt at a local Boise restaurant called Bardenay and I was blown away with how good it was! I immediately went home and added it to our usual sandwich rotation. Even my kids are crazy about these cheesy tuna melts!

What kind of tuna is best for tuna melts?

Albacore tuna, hands-down. The cheap 50-cent cans of tuna won’t cut it if you are wanting to make a GOOD tuna melt. I love using Albacore tuna because it has a mild, fresh taste. You can find a great canned Albacore tuna at Costco. It is a bit more expensive than other canned tuna but it is worth it.

Tuna melts with celery, pickles, or onion

If you want to add a little CRUNCH to your tuna melt, try adding some chopped celery, pickles, and/or onion. This is a total personal preference. I have tied many different kinds of tuna melts and for me, personally, I like it best without the crunchiness of celery in a tuna melt. Leave us a comment below and tell us which you prefer: crunchy or plain?

What to put on a tuna melt

I like to keep my tuna melts simple. I like tuna, cheese, and fresh garden tomatoes. If you are feeling adventurous, you could always try avocado, pickles, sauerkraut, spouts, or even boiled egg.

What kind of cheese is best

There are many different kind of cheese that go well with tuna melts. I usually like to make it with 2 different cheeses when they are available. My favorite combination is provolone and extra sharp cheddar. Other great cheeses to use are Swiss cheese, Havarti, Mozzarella, Colby Jack, Cheddar Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack. All of these cheeses melt great and will give you that good “cheese pull”.

Tuna melt without mayo

If you aren’t a big fan of mayonnaise, you can always replace the mayo with plain Greek yogurt. This also makes the tuna melt a little healthier. You can also use Miracle Whip or even cream cheese.

How to Make the Perfect Tuna Melt Recipe:

First, you make the tuna mixture and spread it on a slice of bread.

Then you add some tomato and salt and pepper.

Then add your favorite cheese. In this picture I used 2 slices of Provolone but usually I like to switch it up and use a slice of Provolone and a slice of sharp cheddar. YUM. Then cook on both sides until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. Perfection.

How to Make the PERFECT Tuna Melt

This is hands-down my favorite tuna melt recipe. So cheesy and delicious! Just follow these easy tips and you will have a perfect tuna melt every time.

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tuna melt

Servings: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients (with Amazon Links)

Instructions

Combine tuna, mayonnaise, dijon, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir with a fork until well combined.

Spread tuna mixture evenly over 2 slices of bread. Top with tomatoes and a little more salt and pepper. 

Add a slice of provolone and a slice of cheddar to each sandwich and place remaining bread slices over the top, making 2 complete sandwiches. 

Spread butter over both side of each sandwich and set aside. 

Heat large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Carefully place sandwiches in the skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown and cheese is melted. 

More from Favorite Family Recipes:

Source: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/perfect-tuna-melt-recipe/

[oxmarble28-blog]

Mason Jar Soup

Mason jar soup is the soup you want for the start of fall. It is easy, portable, and people will be jealous of your ingenuity.

Mason jars are absolutely everywhere!! For my birthday, I went to a fancier than usual place for brunch and they were strung from the ceiling with light bulbs in them. I know it doesn’t sound fancy but I guess it has become very stylish to hang them around.

But, who wants to hang them up when you can use them for delicious soup? The concept is simple – make some soup, store it in Mason jars – heat up in bowl in microwave (or on stove) when ready to consume.

If you are going to work or school, add the step of tossing the Mason jar into a lunch bag.

Where can you find Mason jars? You can buy them in packs of 12 at a hardware store. They are great for storing change, pencils, dried beans, or whatever you have that needs to be dry and fresh.

I just used mine for easy refrigerator pickles. I can fit even the large quart jars in my dishwasher.

This recipe involves no cooking! I mix the ingredients in a large measuring cup to make it easy to pour into the jars. I love my vegetarian black bean soup recipe but this mason jar soup is perfect for when I don’t have time to cook.

For those who are worried sugar added in your salsa – don’t be concerned. Most brands (including this nationwide Ortega) do not add sugar. I don’t think salsa needs sugar but I also think that about tomato sauce (and there can be quite a lot added).

I like to use medium strength because I like my food spicy but you can choose whatever salsa you like to make this work for you.

For those Weight Watchers members out there – this soup is ZERO points. Just don’t add sour cream, cheddar, tortilla chips, or anything else high in calories and you don’t have to count it.

Do you store food in Mason jars? What do you make?

print   Pin It

Makes 2 pint jars, 2 servings

1-15 ounce can black beans, rinsed 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth ¾ cup chunky salsa, no sugar added ½ cup frozen corn

Combine the black beans, broth, salsa, and corn in a medium bowl or a large measuring cup. Spoon into pint jars and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. To serve, pour into bowl or pan and heat until hot. Add tortilla chips, lime juice, cheese as a garnish.

173 calories, 1.6 g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 31.3 g carbohydrates, 4.2 g sugar, 11.3 g protein, 8.6 g fiber, 400 mg sodium, 0 Freestyle Pts

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

Other posts you might like:

Source: https://snack-girl.com/snack/mason-jar-soup/