Dairy Free Moussaka

Dairy Free Moussaka

This is a dish that blends a lot of flavors and tastes wonderful. One of my favorites every summer because I can get the eggplant right from my garden. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then slice up the eggplant and soak in salt water while you prep the other ingredients.

 Then chop up the onions and saute in the olive oil until translucent. 

Mince the garlic and add to the skillet with the onions. Fresh garlic is amazing, after growing it for the first time a few years back it is always in my garden now. 

Oregano is another staple in my garden and this recipe tastes best with fresh oregano which you can get at the store if you don't have any in the garden, but dry will work too. chop up the oregano and set aside.

Next add the ground turkey to the onions and garlic and cook until browned. 

While the turkey is browning start the white sauce on another burner. Mix the oat milk and goat chevre on low to medium heat and stir until thick. Add a little rice flour to thicken if too thin. 

It should be thick enough to spread but not chunky.

As the white sauce thickens add the tomato sauce to the ground turkey along with the oregano and nutmeg and cinnamon. Let Simmer on low for 2 minutes to let flavors blend then remove from burner and set aside.

Lastly saute the eggplant till slightly golden on both sides

Lightly oil a 9x9 baking dish

line the bottom of the pan with some of the slices of eggplant

Cube the remaining eggplant and set aside.

Layer the remaining ingredients into the pan starting with the ground turkey.

Next add tghe cubed eggplant and top off with the white sauce, spread evenly over the eggplant.

Put into the oven preheated at 350 degrees

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown 

Moussaka Recipe
Serves 6

Filling:
1 large eggplant, or 2 chinese eggplant
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 large red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 12oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup white wine

white sauce:
1/2 cup oat milk
6 oz plain chevre
1/4 cup glutinous rice flour

Maple Bacon Oatmeal

Maple-Bacon Oatmeal

I came up with this recipe because I didn't like oatmeal growing up, but I know how healthy and good for me it is. First, I used steel-cut oats instead of rolled oats, which I discovered I loved! The texture is completely different and a little chewy, so even plain they don't have that cardboard flavor I abhorred in rolled oats when I was growing up. The only downside to steel cut is they take longer to cook, but I found a quick cooking steel cut oats made by Bob's Red Mill. Start by cooking oatmeal according to the instructions.

Next, I wanted something to replace the raisins, so I decided to crumble bacon into it....oh yes I did. One strip of bacon per serving, chopped up and stirred in.

Last, but definitely not least, I use a little maple syrup to sweeten it, and it's been a hit with everyone in the house. Put 1/2 tablespoon per serving. 

Maple-Bacon Oatmeal recipe (makes 4 servings)

2 cups hot water

1 cup quick cook steel cut oats

4 strips bacon

2 Tablespoons Maple syrup

Creamy Veggie Soup

Creamy Veggie Soup

This soup is delicious and great for when you want a low-impact, easy-to-digest-but-full-of-flavor dish. You start with carrots, sweet potatoes, and asparagus. Have some milk, I use hazelnut or oat made by Pacific, and some broth base, I use Better Than Bouillon-Low Sodium Chicken. 

Chop the vegetables and put them in boiling water, and then boil for 30 to 45 minutes. I usually leave them on the burner while I'm cooking the sides and dessert.

Get out the blender and add the milk, oil, and bouillon. When ready, add the vegetables and blend, then serve.

 

Creamy Veggie Soup (serves 4)

4 carrots chopped

3 small sweet potatoes chopped

1 lb asparagus chopped

3 cups hazelnut milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons better than bouillon 

Cold weather, Hot chili

Homemade Chili

 An in-house favorite!

On a cold day this is a recipe that is quick and easy. There are ingredients that you can add prepared or take the time to go scratch all the way. Having done both, this recipe turns out delicious either way. I will also be pointing out good substitutions to make this recipe vegan. 

Start out with some chopped onions in a preheated pan with a little olive oil. Add some ground turkey, or shredded zucchini for a vegan recipe. I have also split it half turkey/half zucchini and it comes out great with a little extra veggie.

Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and add to mixture in pan. Chop up peppers and set aside, or add just jalapenos to cook out some of the heat for a cooler version. I have also used fresh habaneros from my garden to spice it up. Add chili, cayenne, and some salt/pepper to taste. Then keep mixing until spice is throughout and turkey is fully cooked.

For the refried beans you can add a can, or you can buy some pinto beans (or make some pinto beans) and mash them yourself. I have found the pre-canned to have too much salt for me and have begun mashing myself. To do this I take the pintos canned, rinse them, and put them in a blender with the spaghetti sauce. You may have to add a little water for the right consistency.

Before adding my homemade refried bean mixture, I add the kidney beans to the turkey and brown them a little. This is where you add the jalapenos if you didn't add them earlier to cook out some of the heat. Then add the pinto bean mixture and finally the chopped bell peppers. cover, and let simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors blend.

The Recipe for Homemade Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 to 3 jalapenos, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can refried beans
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Top 10 Aquarium Questions: What is Cycling a Tank?

What is Cycling a Tank?

When you put water in a tank it is clean, minus whatever may have been in your tap water. A fish tank is like a little ecosystem and it needs a set of beneficial microbes that have many functions, so too clean is not a good thing. One important function of these microbes is to metabolize fish waste (ammonia) into nitrites, and then further metabolize nitrites into nitrates.

Ammonia is highly toxic and easy to spot in your system. If you have ever cleaned with ammonia, you'll know it becomes a white cloud in water. This is the main reason a tank will fog up on you. Unfortunately, if the tank does fog due to ammonia it means it is likely at lethal levels (as little as 2ppm), so we'll try to avoid this by taking it slow and giving the bacteria time to grow, which will prevent ammonia from building  in your tank.

Nitrites are also pretty toxic (as little as 1mg/L), but a second set of bacteria will start to grow as soon as nitrites show up and just like ammonia, nitrites don't have to get to toxic levels if only a couple fish are in the tank during the cycle.

I can't stress enough how easy this process will be if you just don't overload the tank.

The final waste product, and the least toxic, is nitrates (safe up to 40ppm). Right now the only way to remove nitrates is by doing partial water changes on your tank monthly: between 40% and 25% depending on fish load.

What we call the cycle is the process of growing enough bacteria in a tank to break down all toxic wastes into less-toxic nitrates. During this time there will be a spike in ammonia followed by a spike in nitrates until the bacteria reaches a population that breaks it down as soon as its produced.

There is a catch though, the bacteria needs ammonia to grow.

Therefore, letting a tank sit with water and no fish will not cycle it. Some people have added pure ammonia to the tank, and this may work, but I don't recommend it. I prefer a natural approach, and I have not lost a fish in a cycle ever. By being patient and not adding too many fish, or adding fish too soon, I'm confident you won't either.

As long as you take it slow and don't overload the tank.

In very rare cases I have helped people with tanks who didn't grow bacteria, even after 2 to 3 weeks. I suspect this was from using very pure water and having a very clean tank and filter. You can purchase bacteria to jump start the cycle, but despite the claims by the manufacturer it would still be a good idea to give it a couple weeks before filling the tank to full capacity with fish. I have also used old filters from an established tank to "seed" my new filter. The only downside to this is you can't be sure which bacterial strains you're introducing. When you purchase bacteria, you can be certain you are introducing all the appropriate strains for optimal filtration.

This whole process we have been discussing is referred to as biological filtration. That's because biological organisms are working to help "filter" out the toxic wastes into less-toxic wastes. Other types of filtration you may encounter are mechanical and chemical, but that will be discussed in another post.

Top 10 Aquarium Questions: How do I set up a tank?

How do I set up a tank?

Before you set up a tank, I recommend getting an idea of what your end game is as far as the fish you want. Not all fish can go together, or fit in any aquarium. Resist the temptation to get something small and try to make it work. This almost always ends badly. This isn't to say you can't do it, but most people end up disappointed with what they are limited to. Next, and the most difficult part for most of us, is you need to cycle your tank (this will be explained in greater detail in the another post, but the important thing to note is this is where you can kill your fish and get discouraged if you're not careful). 

When you start to add more fish to your tank, you want to do it in increments; depending on the size of the tank, you can add 3 to 5 fish every couple weeks until you reach full capacity. Speaking of full capacity, know this or you're setting yourself up for heartache later: an easy thing to keep in mind is one inch of fish per gallon of water. It is important to note this only works for small fish. If the fish gets larger (as an example: goldfish), they produce more waste than this simple mantra accounts for.

Another thing to keep in mind when determining your full capacity: the full adult size of the fish you are picking out. Most small tetras will only reach 2 inches when full grown. It's easy to buy these small fish and think one fish per gallon -- avoid this tragic mistake. 

Lastly, once your tank is up and full and doing well, you need to maintain it. A healthy practice is to do 30% water changes once a month, but this doesn't incorporate active participation in your tank's health. Some tanks may need more water changes, and others less. In the beginning, I recommend working with a local pet store, most of which offer free water testing. This is because ammonia testing is important in the beginning but you will likely never need to test it again, so purchasing the ammonia test kit is unnecessary. 

You will want a nitrate test kit.

Nitrates are the final waste product and the least toxic. They will, however, build up and that's why we do water changes. They can still be lethal if left to build to dangerous levels. If you test these monthly, you can schedule water changes according to the results.

Why I Like Aquariums

I have always had a love of science fiction and related movies. Leviathan, The Abyss, and Deep Star Six for example.

I also really enjoy gardening and growing things. The aquarium allows me to create a little world with growing things like plants and corals and animal life that can't be found on land.

I once related it to creating a bio-dome for life on mars or another planet, which I would also love to do. The chemistry and attention to detail of tank parameters is very important.

It's also rewarding to be able to look at a tank and see your dedication rewarded, and equally as crushing to see something go wrong. That's one of the reasons I've started this blog: to help others avoid some of the mistakes I have made.

Dinner From The Garden: Gluten-Free Pasta and Corn Sauce

Gluten-Free Pasta and Corn Sauce

I made this with the last harvest from my garden this year. Traditionally, the recipe calls for one red and one green bell pepper, but what I had in my garden was an Ubatuba pepper which is red and a banana pepper which I picked green. Despite warnings of being super hot, I found the Ubatuba to be mild and a perfect substitution for the red bell. Also from the garden I picked fresh basil, which unfortunately is seasonal, and fresh oregano, which I have kept outside for years now without losing it. Finally, the last ingredient from the garden was elephant garlic. 

This was my first year growing it and I have to admit there will not be another year I don't grow garlic. 

Fresh garlic is so amazing. 

Moving on, I purchased an onion, oat milk (made by Pacific), extra virgin olive oil, bacon, corn, and corn pasta. All were easy to find at my local co-op and Trader Joe's. Starting with the the upper left square in the picture above, I chopped all the peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs before setting them aside. 

I cooked the corn and then cut it off the cob and set it aside. I measured out the pasta and put some water on to boil. At this point, if you really wanted, you could measure out the oil and oat milk but I usually eyeball it so you won't see it in the picture. 

Next, as you can see in the upper right of the picture above, I have heated a pan with olive oil and then added the chopped peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs. I stirred for a minute and then added the corn as shown in the bottom left of the picture. 

The last picture shows the oat milk being added and left on low to let the flavors blend. While that is happening, cook the pasta and a strip of bacon. When this is done, pour the sauce over the pasta and crumble bacon over the top. 

This was my favorite dish as a kid. My family had a tradition of choosing your meals for your birthday, and I always chose this for dinner. Of course back then I wasn't glucose and dairy-free, so it was shells with corn sauce and the recipe called for heavy whipping cream. Despite my modifications to create a healthier dish, I can't tell the difference! It's still one of my favorites, and I'm happy to share it with everyone.

For you chefs out there, here's the recipe!

12 oz. pasta of your choice cooked according to package instructions (shells are my favorite; Penne was what I could find on short notice)

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 mild red pepper, chopped

1 mild green pepper, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (or one elephant clove if you can find it)

Salt and pepper to taste

12 oz. fresh corn cooked and cut from cob (about 6 ears)

1 cup oat milk (may add more or less for a thicker or thinner sauce)