Slow Cooker Hawaiian Oxtail Soup

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I first saw oxtail soup on Pinterest, and I was intrigued. Ihave always wanted to use oxtail in a recipe, but I have never gotten around toit. I finally bought 2 lbs of oxtail to make a slow cooker Hawaiian oxtailsoup. I have a lot of lemon grass growing in one of my herb pots, and I had afew carrots that were ready to be picked, so I thought this was the perfecttime to make some Hawaiian oxtail soup. Most Hawaiian oxtail soup recipes use star of anise, but I used anise hyssop instead because I have lots of anise hyssop growing in my garden right now. Both star of anise and anise hyssop add a licorice flavor to dishes, so this was a perfect substitution to make my soup utilize more local ingredients. 
This is a very hearty soup with a very rich broth. Duringthe last 30 minutes of cooking, I added lemon grass, my soup enhancer cubes, and anise hyssop whichwere perfect because the greens did not become an over cooked mush. This slowcooker Hawaiian oxtail soup was very filling after a long day. I can see myselfmaking this soup again in fall when I have more carrots available from mygarden.

Ingredients (serves 6) inspired by many sources includingSimply Recipes and In Our Kitchen

• 2 lbs oxtail
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 6 quarter slow cooker
• 10 carrots, chopped
• 2 daikon radishes, chopped
• ½ cup raw peanuts, soaked over night
• ½ cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 inch piece of ginger, bruised
• 5 cups Filtered water
• 4 green soup enhancers
• 2 large stalks of fresh lemon grass
• 1 sprig Anise Hyssop

Directions
1.      Sear the oxtail in a pan with the melted coconutoil on medium high heat. Turn the meat on all sides to brown the entire oxtail.You do not want to cook the meat all the way through.2.      Trim the excess fat off the oxtail.3.      Add the oxtail, carrots, radishes, peanuts,mushrooms, orange zest, salt, and ginger to the slow cooker.4.      Fill the slow cooker with water to the top. Iadded about 5 cups water.5.      Cook on low for 10 hours.6.      Add the green soup enhancers, lemon grass, and anise hyssop. 7.      Cook on low for 30 minutes.8.      Remove bones, lemon grass, anise hyssop, and ginger beforeserving.9.      Serve hot in bowls.

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How to Train Melons and Cucumbers to Grow on a Trellis

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Trellising melons and cucumbers can save a lot of space and allow you to grow more fruits and vegetables in a smaller space. A lot of people do not realize that you can train melons to grow on a trellis allowing small plot gardeners to enjoy home grown melons. Training your melons is an easy task. You just gently unwind the small growing tips and wrap them around your trellis. This easy tip will allow even small plot gardeners to enjoy home grown melons.


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Leftover Summer Fruit Baked Oatmeal

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I love summer fruits, but sometimes our family has a hardtime eating all the delicious that come into our house quick enough. I think wehave a tendency to over buy fruit because we are all so excited about all thedelicious fruits coming into season. When I notice our fruits starting to gobad, I usually make large baked oatmeal where I use up any fruit that needs toget eaten. In this case I had some Rainer cherries and apricots that had to beeaten.
I also add whatever nuts that I have on hand. My mom iscurrently visiting, and she has been told to eat more protein, so added a fulltwo cups of nuts to this baked oatmeal. I soaked both the nuts and oats overnight to make the oatmeal easier to digest. My mom loved this baked oatmeal. Shewould eat the leftovers cold while I chose to heat up my leftovers. Little BBQcalled this baked oatmeal a cross between cake and pie. Miss Bubbles can eat ahuge serving of this healthy breakfast in the morning. This leftover summerfruit baked oatmeal was a huge hit at our house.

Ingredients

• 2 cups steel cut oats (do not use instant oatmeal)
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped
• 2 cups water
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cups milk or milk substitute
• ¾ cup honey
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups mixed fruit, pit removed and chopped
• 9 x 13 in glass pan, greased

Directions
1.      Mix the oats and buttermilk in a medium sizebowl. Cover the bowl and place in a warm place over night.2.      Mix the nuts and water in a medium size bowl.Cover the bowl and let set over night.3.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.4.      Drain the water from the nuts. Rinse the nuts with cool water.5.      Mix the buttermilk oat mixture with the nuts.6.      Add the baking soda, salt, milk, honey, eggs,applesauce, and vanilla. Mix well.7.      Gently add the fruit to the oat mixture andstir.8.      Add the oat mixture to a greased 9 x 13 in glasspan.9.      Bake the oatmeal for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5minutes or until the oatmeal is golden brown on the edges and no longer lookingsoggy in the middle. This baked oatmeal is very moist so a tooth pick will notcome out clean when inserted in the middle.10.  Serve warm.

Posted on Simple Lives Thursday

Roman Stracciatella Soup

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It is winter time, and that means that my family is eating lots of meals prepared from food that I canned over spring, summer, and fall. I found this amazing looking soup called Roman Stracciatella on Tasting Table. Roman Stracciatella is an Italian soup that contains shredded egg similar to what you would find in egg drop soup at your favorite Chinese take out place.

I changed up the seasoning from the original Roman Stracciatella to accommodate the flavors preferred by family. I also added canned tomatoes to add some more bulk and vitamins to this soup. This soup pairs well with a simple grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter night when you need a fast meal.

While I loved this soup along with Miss Bubbles, the men of the family were not fans of this soup. Dr. Lazy Palate is not a fan of tomato based soups, and he found the hard cheeses in this recipe to be too flavorful. Basically, this recipe was too gourmet for his simple palate. Little BBQ said he did not like the texture of the egg which is odd because he loves egg drop soup. I think if you enjoy Italian flavors and tomato soup, then you will love this recipe. Otherwise I would recommend skipping this delicious soup.



Ingredients (serves 4 lunch size servings)modified from Brandon McGlamery on Tasting Table

• 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade)
• 1 sprig thyme (my sprigs were about 4 inches long)
• 2 sprigs oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pint jar of canned tomatoes, chopped and juice reserved 
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp Asiago cheese, shredded
• 1 lemon, quartered

Directions

1. Simmer the broth, thyme, oregano, garlic, and bay leaf in a medium sauce pot for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the thyme, oregano, and bay leaf from the soup.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and juice to the soup. Bring back up to a simmer.
4. Whisk the eggs and cheese together in a small bowl until well mixed.
5. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the hot soup.
6. Whisk the soup until the eggs are fully set, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Ladle the hot soup into 4 bowls.
8. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into each bowl of soup. Serve immediately.

Recipe Rehab

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We all have our favorite comfort foods that are delicious but not always healthy. This is where the show Recipe Rehab comes in to save your diet. The premise of the show is to take your favorite comfort food and make it healthier without losing any flavor. In the clip above, orange chicken like you would find at your favorite Chinese take out place is over hauled to create a leaner and healthier dish that is still full of flavor.

Recipe Rehab plays on most ABC stations on Saturdays. Check your local listings for times and channel. If you do not have TV like my family, then you can still check out clips on-line at Better Eats Recipe Rehab.

Recipe Rehab is brought to you by Better Eats. Better Eats is a great web-site with a wealth of information on healthy food choices such as this slide show on the health benefits of ginger and how to incorporate ginger into your diet. You can also find easy family friendly recipes like Spanish tortillas made from eggs, spinach, and potatoes. Are you planning a menu for a diet specific group? Then, you will love their holiday planning section where you can find sample menus for gluten free, meat free, low carb, or low calorie menus all in one location.

Cocoa-Hazelnut and Vanilla-Hazelnut Spreads

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Earlier this year, I thought nothing could beat my old favorite stuff, but making my own convinced me otherwise. I absolutely love this gianduja (chocolate hazelnut spread) recipe and use it often; as a basis for the recipes, I used similar ratios and the same process, but the results are more to my taste. I have a few simple changes: powdered sugar instead of sometimes-hard-to-find demerara sugar, which is grainy in a good way, but a little crunchy in a spread. I also think a lot less chocolate makes the hazelnut flavor shine through, so I use a 3.5-ounce milk chocolate bar or a little cocoa powder instead. And why not also make a plainer hazelnut cream while you're at it? It tastes really pure and subtle, and we may just trot it out this week for a holiday cookie filling.

Cocoa-Hazelnut Spread

1 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar (Whole Foods 365 brand)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt2 tablespoons cocoa powder OR a 3.5-ounce milk chocolate bar (Whole Foods 365 Organic brand)1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast hazelnuts for about 7 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool. Put powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa or chocolate into the food processor. Rub hazelnuts with a kitchen towel to remove some of the thin, dark skins. Add cooled hazelnuts to the mixture and run the food processor until mixture is a fine crumb. While it is still running, slowly drizzle in oil and let machine run until spread is fairly smooth. Store it on the counter in a jar or in the fridge if you want it to be less runny.

Vanilla-Hazelnut Spread

1 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar (Whole Foods 365 brand)1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toast hazelnuts for about 7 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool. Put powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla into the food processor. Rub hazelnuts with a kitchen towel to remove some of the thin, dark skins. Add cooled hazelnuts to the mixture and run the food processor until mixture is a fine crumb. While it is still running, slowly drizzle in oil and let machine run until spread is fairly smooth. Store it on the counter in a jar or in the fridge if you want it to be less runny. 

French Onion Grilled Cheese

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French onion soup has ruined more than one article of clothing since its invention. You can't wait to dig in, and as soon as you press the spoon into the gooey cheese, the hot broth jumps out. I specifically remember a white shirt from U.S. Male that I got for 8th grade graduation that got the french onion treatment at Harry T.'s in Destin, Florida. (Why was I eating French onion soup at the beach during the summer? I really don't know, to tell you the truth.)

Well, put your bibs away! We have invented a safer, cuter french onion grilled cheese. It's a mix of the soup you remember and the grilled cheese you always loved.

French Onion Grilled Cheese

4 large white or yellow onions (thinly sliced, about 7 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
1 cup red wine
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 quart vegetable broth (like Whole Foods 365 Brand)
8 ounces gruyere (shredded)
8 slices bread

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, layer in the onions and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cover and set the heat to low for about 20 minutes. Remove the cover and raise the heat to medium. Continue to cook and occasionally stir until the onions are deeply browned, which will take another 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine; make sure to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom. Increase the heat and reduce the wine by half. Now add the pepper, worcestershire, vinegar, thyme, granulated garlic, bay leaves, soy sauce and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to incorporate, bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat. Allow mixture to cook for 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors can meld.

Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve and fish out the bay leaves and thyme stems. Return the broth to the soup pot in order to keep it warm.

Assemble the grilled cheese sandwiches by adding 1/3 cup of grated gruyere and 1/3 cup of the onion mixture each to 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining bread slices. Add the remaining tablespoon on butter to a large frying pan and melt the butter over medium heat. Grill the sandwiches for about 3 minutes per side or until bread is golden brown and the cheese has meted. Serve grilled cheese with a cup of warm broth for dipping. (Makes 4 servings.)