I’ve mentioned before I can easily be scared off of trying new things. I’m not a perfectionist but I don’t like failure. So I stick to safe bets.

I’d wanted to try yogurt for a couple of years but I didn’t. There seemed to be mixed reactions from the people I mentioned it to including, “Why?” and “That’s pretty tricky!”.

Then my super thrifting fairy godmother friend, Cheryl, showed up one day with a yogurt maker she’d picked up for $2. Okay, this is progress, I thought, I might actually try this.

It took a few months and a follow-up visit where she guided me through making it before I realised that yogurt making is amazing!

After that first batch I toyed with the fat ratios (Cheryl made hers with 10% cream) and the method. A year and a half later and there is nearly always homemade yogurt in our fridge.*

We eat it with our honey sweetened jams, granola, citrus essential oils (lemon is divine), fresh fruit, or with just a dribble of maple syrup. There are endless baking uses including muffins, quick breads, biscuits, pancakes, and cakes**. The savoury uses are Dan’s favourite – yogurt in dips and dressings, with chips, or along side roasted veggies. I often replace some (or all) of the fat in different recipes (from mayo to oil) with yogurt (tangy tuna salad? yes, please!).

Yogurt is a staple we nearly always have on hand.

It’s simple, delicious, nutritious, and an exciting party trick (you know, for all those over night parties you throw).

*You may wish to remind me at this point that I’m on a dairy-free diet. Lately I’ve made an exception for yogurt and the odd knob of butter.

**You may NEED to remind me at this point that I’m off of wheat also. I want to make biscuits now.

Yogurt, Plain & Simple

I make a large amount for my large family. As long as you follow the method you can change ratios easily to make less. I haven’t gone lower fat that this (it’s about 4.7% MF using 2% milk) but if you try it keep it mind that you will likely have a runnier yogurt in the end – store bought low-fat yogurts are full of “other” ingredients to mimic a good full-fat product.

Yogurt making is simply cooking off (sterilizing) the bacteria you don’t want in your milk and adding in the yogurt cultures you want to encourage, then incubating the mixture in a warm environment until the yogurt is formed.

2 litres (8 cups) 2% or 3% milk

1 litre (4 cups) 10% cream (aka half and half)

30 – 60 ml (2-4Tbsp) plain, full-fat yogurt with active cultures (unsweetened, unflavoured, preferably organic, without additives), this is the starter yogurt (the next time you can take this from your previous homemade batch)

appropriately sized containers, washed in hot water and ready with lids (I use 500ml or 1 ltr mason jars)

a warm spot to let the yogurt cultures to develop

Remove the starter yogurt from the fridge and leave to the side.

Pour the milk and cream into a large pot (don’t skimp on size – you want a few inches of space at the top) and heat over medium-high to high heat. Watch, giving a whisk now and then to distribute the heat, until it begins to steam. Once it begins to steam it may be hot enough but I like to err on the side of caution. At this point do not look away (trust me)! As soon as the milk begins to rise up the side of the pot remove it from the heat.

Allow the milk/cream to cool to 114° F or slightly lower. If you don’t have a thermometer, cool to baby-bottle temperature (lukewarm) and test on the inside of your wrist. (If it’s too hot the bacteria from the yogurt will be killed off. Too cool and the yogurt may get too cold before it sets.)

Whisk the starter yogurt into the milk mixture. Strain, if desired, or simply pour into your waiting containers and cover. Place in a warm spot* covered with towels for 10 -12 hours (I find the longer the better).

Check to make sure it has set, then chill for a 2-3 hours before tucking in.

*My warm spot is our broken microwave – it’s the perfect insulator, I simply huddle the jars together and cover with tea towels. You could also use a small cooler filled with towels or an oven with the light left on. Our house gets pretty cold over night and I’ve never had to take any special steps (such as using a heating pad) to keep the yogurt warm enough.

Troubleshooting:

If your milk does not get to the boiling point, unhelpful (to yogurt-making) bacteria will likely interfere with the starter yogurt and you will never get yogurt.

If your milk cools too much if may have lost to much heat to encourage the yogurt cultures to grow.

If your milk is too hot the yogurt cultures will die when you introduce them.

If your starter yogurt doesn’t have live cultures, the cultures won’t grow (fresh yogurt is best – check the best before date).

If your yogurt doesn’t set, start again. I’ve reboiled failed yogurt successfully after it doesn’t set -just make sure you start fresh with new starter yogurt.

If you forget your cooling milk/cream mixture and it gets too cold you can cheat and heat it up a little – I’ve done this more than I’d like to admit.

I’m sure you’re braver than I am and I hope you’ll try it if you aren’t a yogurt maker already! It truly is quite simple and, dare I say, fun!!

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Do you make yogurt? Are there other staples you can’t do without in your home – homemade goodies or grocery store constants? Do you need someone to kickstart your culinary adventures or are you the type to dive right in? If the former, come over and we’ll hem and haw over tea; if the later, come visit and get me fired up (I’ll offer you tea, as well, love). 

I am a very cautious person. Danger is not my middle name. No one would call me a risk taker.

That caution extends to the kitchen.

It’s crazy, I know. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?! I’ve had numerous kitchen disasters which have headed straight to the garbage and I hate the disappointment of it. Add to that the already pretty constant demands on my time in this busy house and I end up doing a lot of foot shuffling before trying something new.

And then suddenly, usually after much deliberation, I dive in.

That’s how I made hummus.

We love hummus. I eat it nearly daily  as my lunchtime cheese replacement. The kids scoop it out with rice crackers, I dip carrot sticks, Mira eats it by the spoonful. And, despite all the things we enjoy homemade, we buy it at Costco.

But I had a big bin of dried chickpeas I’d bought through our organic co-op begging to be hummus. They teased me from the storeroom, mocking me in my timidity.

So finally one evening I grabbed a load of them and let them soak over night. I ended up with a large potful of chickpeas awaiting their next life as hummus. A ridiculously large amount of chickpeas.

The end product is creamy, smooth, rich, and delicious, plus it packs a protein punch. Despite the child who suggested I “stop doing things homemade” after I made it, I will be making it again. And enjoying it. So there, chickpeas (and picky eaters)!

And Mira agrees. 

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Hummus can be enjoyed anyway you’d like it! We mostly eat it as a dip with veggies, crackers, or (my favourite) sweet potato chips. I made this quite mild in consideration of the little people I feed, but play with the flavours and find what you love. Cayenne, roasted red peppers, or lemon zest are yummy additions to try. 

4-7 cloves of garlic

3 cups chickpeas, either soaked over night or canned – reserve 1/2 cup liquid from either method

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 – 1/2 t. sea salt

3T tahini

1/2 cup reserved liquid from chickpeas or water

paprika, optional

Lay unpeeled garlic cloves on tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap with the foil. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 F. Once cooled remove garlic skins.

Place all ingredients, except the water, into a food processor or Vitamix. Once smooth drizzle in water to desired consistency.

Serve with a sprinkle (or more) of paprika and enjoy however you see fit.

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Do you have kitchen fears? Tackle any of them lately? Or maybe you have a favourite healthy snack to share? I’m all ears!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the main chef in our home. I’m blessed with a hubby who is both a better and happier chef than I am. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy cooking – but Dan enjoys it more.

When Dan cooks he prepares beautiful, often complicated meals with more than one thing going on at once. He likes separate flavours and delicate sauces. He plates, he garnishes, he serves. His timing is impeccable.

When I cook it’s a different story. Forget timing – we eat when we eat. I don’t plate; I try, but it isn’t pretty. I like bold, mixed flavours. My speciality  in the cooking realm runs pretty strongly along the lines of Mexican…er, Tex-Mex meals. Also, they are usually messy. I like a meal served out of a big pot or casserole dish with a salad on the side. A meal that’s good for lunch the next day.

Dan’s meals are delicious and gourmet. My meals are delicious and utilitarian. Okay, Dan might balk at the delicious part, he still prefers his flavours separate – he’ll settle for tasty and utilitarian.

Enter this chili. It fits my criteria: tasty, bold, big pot. I love the flavours, I don’t miss the meat, and I love all the veggies. Oh, and it’s served with cornbread. Bread makes everything better.

Skillet cornbread is a wonderful thing. I don’t know anything about traditional cornbread but I’ve tweaked a few recipes on my way to this one. It’s sweet but not sugary. Delicate and soft without being spongy. I decreased the sugar and oil to get to a result that didn’t feel so guilt inducing and ended up liking it much better this way.

Three Bean Chili

This makes a lot of chili. So plan on making for a crowd, or freezing half. Or, you can do as I do, and feed it to the family all week. This is a great recipe to experiment with – it is very forgiving. Adjust as you’d like for a smaller batch and/or play with the spices and jalapeno for a spicier version. I make it quite mild for all the little mouths I feed.

Notes on the method: Adding the salt to the cooking onions helps draw out the moisture for softer onions. Try adding the spices 20-30 seconds before the liquids – the extra heat draws the oils out of the dried spices for a stronger flavour. Don’t overcook though, or you can scorch the spices.

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

1 tsp salt

2-3 carrots, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, minced, with or without seeds and ribs

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp chili powder (or more depending on taste)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lt stock: veggie, chicken, or turkey

1 lt crushed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can navy beans

2 cups of frozen corn

For garnish: sour cream, chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese

In a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat. When the oil is nice and hot (if a drop of water makes it spit, I call it ready), add in the onion and the salt. Let the onion sweat for a couple of minutes then add in the carrots, pepper, and jalapeno. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softening and the onions translucent. Add your spices now and stir into the vegetables for 20 -30 seconds. Pour in the stock, tomatoes, and beans. When the chili begins to bubble reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. While it simmers try a sample – if you want more spice now’s the time to add it. Stir in the corn in the last five minutes of cooking.

Serve garnished with sour cream, grated cheddar and green onions and alongside a wedge of skillet cornbread.

Skillet Cornbread

I  bake cornbread in a cast-iron skillet but it can easily be baked in a buttered 9’x11′ pan.

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

2 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk (I use a mix of both)

2 tbsp butter

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil (I use grapeseed or olive)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Soak cornmeal in milk for 5 minutes. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add to cornmeal mixture, whisk in eggs and oil. Pour mixture into hot skillet. Pop into oven for 25-30 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cut into wedges and enjoy!

In a house full of different tastes and aversions, I’m always happy when a meal wins a majority vote!

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Do you have a favourite chili or cornbread recipe? Perhaps you are a chili traditionalist and would debate whether my meatless recipe should even be considered ‘chili’? I’m curious to hear you thoughts!

Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes, it was a great day. I will have some photos to share later in the week.

My husband cooks. He cooks most of our dinners, he likes them fancy, he often plates our food. It’s great. While he would likely disagree, wishing to cite more gourmet fare, I would say one of his specialties are potatoes.

Mashed, barbequed, roasted, fried…I don’t play favourites. Dan, in his gourmet splendour, often has a sauce to accompany his potatoes but it doesn’t stop me, erm…the kids from grabbing the ketchup from the fridge. And once that ketchup has joined us at the table nothing will stop three of my children from dipping fingers, beans or carrots into that sugary staple. My two-year-old would live on the stuff I’m sure.

For a while I’ve dreamed of making our own ketchup but shied away from imitating such a family favourite. I felt it was destined to end in failure.

But a few weeks ago when we were up to our eyeballs in salsa, crushed tomatoes and pasta sauce with 20 lbs of tomatoes unallocated, I decided to give it a go. I started with a small batch using only 4 lbs of romas. The masses approved so I made it again, tripling the recipe and tweaking it just a bit. The flavour is deeper and brighter than our usual Heinz but six of our seven samplers agreed it was delicious. We’re working on convincing the seventh. Somehow I think she’ll enjoy it once the Heinz is gone from the fridge door.

Chepup for Ketchup Lovers

This is the single sized batch. I tripled this to process for our large family.

yield: 1.5 liters

4 lbs of roma tomatoes, chopped or pureed

1 1/2 onions, chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 cup of vinegar (I used half white and half apple cider)

1 tbsp pickling salt

2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp applesauce, optional (I added this to add more sweetness without more sugar)

Half or whole jalapeno, deseeded and sliced

1/2 tsp celery seed

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp pepper flakes

8 whole cloves

1/2 tsp whole allspice

Prepare spice bag by adding bay leaves, pepper flakes, celery seed, cloves and allspice to a square of cheesecloth and tying it tightly with string. Cut stem ends from tomatoes and either puree or chop. I pureed the tomatoes in batches in the food processor, poured them into the pot, then chopped the onions in the food processor. Add all ingredients to a large pot, bring to a gentle boil and cook for 60 – 90 until the onions are soft and the texture is desirable. After cooking, I removed the spice bag and pureed the sauce again so it would be completely smooth. Alternatively the sauce could be strained through a sieve to remove any pieces of onion.

Either process in jars or store in the fridge.

Do you have ketchup lovers in your family? Or perhaps there’s another purchased staple you can’t do without?

Dan is sharing another meal here today. I think it is a shame that I post these meals after he’s already made them because I could seriously go for this dinner again right now.

Over the last few weeks we have tried to make an effort to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet with the hope that one day we will be able to fully convert. There has also been lots of talk about homesteading and how that will change the way we approach food in general. Fortunately for us there are only two meat lovers in our family – our oldest daughter and our youngest son. Our oldest is so health conscious that she has taken the reduction in meat in fairly good stride. So with changing diets in mind I thought I would share one of our new favorite meals. The ingredients and the cooking are very simple which is just the way I think it should be. Sometimes I have a tendency to over complicate things and end up with a dud of a dinner.

The ingredients:

2 Heads of broccoli

1 Winter squash

2lbs of yellow flesh smallish potatoes

10 Mushrooms

10-15 large brussels sprouts

6-8 Carrots

9 Tablespoons of olive oil – 5 and 4 if you’re separating before hand

Teaspoon of salt

Teaspoon of pepper

2 Cloves of garlic

There are a ton of substitutions for these vegetables as well. I find green beans or zucchini can easily replace the sprouts, broccoli, or mushrooms; peppers do nicely as well.

Start off by cutting your potatoes, squash, and carrots. I had plenty of helpers join me with this task. Make sure your vegetables are in these sort of size portions. Squash 3/4″ sections with the outer skin cut off. Potatoes in wedges or halves depending on the size of the potato, and the carrots in sticks.

You can put all of these three together in a bowl and add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil,  salt, pepper, and one of the cloves of garlic finely chopped. Toss them all together until they are evenly coated.

Then dump them onto a parchment covered baking sheet and spread them out so all of the vegetables have some contact with the pan. I need two pans for the amount I cook. Put them in a 375 degree oven, if you are near sea level I would go with 390. Set your timer for 30 mins.

Now you can cut up your greens and mushrooms. Same procedure as before only if you are cooking broccoli make sure it is on top when you put on the oil as you will want to take care to try to get the broccoli florets coated with oil. You can add salt and pepper if you wish and spread on another prepared baking sheet. Salt will help with the browning process as it draws moisture out.  When you are at 30 mins for the potatoes and such, throw the vegetables in, rotate your other pans if you have an oven like mine.

Set the timer for another 15 mins. Now you have a few minutes to put together a great little yogurt sauce and toast some nuts to add a little protein. For the sauce take one cup plain yogurt and add one finely chopped or minced clove of garlic, if you like dill put it in, if you like lemon add a squeeze.

Now is the time to toast some nuts if you’d like to add them to your meal. I like to use pumpkin and sesame seeds, pine nuts are also one of my favourites.  Toss the nuts into a dry pan and cook over medium heat carefully watching the nuts for browning.

As soon as they start to change colour I like to add a bit of butter, well… for the flavour. As our kids have a love of lemon I add the lemon zest of one lemon and the juice of half. If I had my way I would give this a miss as it hides the butter flavour. Don’t get me wrong I love lemon, but butter? well you probably understand. Set the nuts aside.

You should have some nicely browned potatoes, and carrots, the squash not as much. At this point I remove the potatoes, carrots, and squash and put the green vegetables on the top rack and put the broiler on for 4 mins to get a bit of browning on some of the green vegetables.

Once you have browned your greens send them all to the table and you’re set. One other thing that is nice is to add a bit of balsamic vinegar to the yogurt for those who will appreciate it. 

I find this meal just as filling as a dinner with meat, and the environmental and health benefits help this meal sit well with me.

Hope you give it a try!