Zen and the art of Chili

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Chili_con_carne

Chili is not a soup! Do not add water! If you have water left over from cooking beans, drain it off!

The only real chili is made with out beans. And leave the fat from the beef in the mix. ~~Texas quotes

• Any kind of meat (and/or beans except garbonzo) But never ever use canned beans or anyting else from a can!!!
• Tempeh is the best thing for vegan chili!!
• olive oil (if you don't want to use any animal fat)
• Smoked chipotely chili paprika powder is absolutely essential! Or use liquid smoke.
• GARLIC! (Never ever use dry garlic powder or any thing like it! If your garlic is too strong, you may dice and braze it slightly. The accepted way to add garlic to bland food is to fry it in butter then use only the butter. But you will not get the full flavor that way!)
• Sweet Onions, caramelized! (Fried in oil until translucent). Dry onion flakes are ok in a pinch. DO NOT use onion powder!
• Salt (only a little is needed) corporations put way too much salt in all foods to addict you to their products!
• “Limen” juice (Lemon and/or Lime)
• hot Pepper (be careful!) Dry pepper flakes are OK
• CUMIN powder is absolutely essential, do not try to make chili with out cumin!
• Coriander is not essential but it is a mexican flavor! Use only a pinch.
• dry Mustard powder! Warning! Be carefull with this! 
• Celery seed, black pepper?
• Mushrooms have a good texture
• Tomatios or Tomatos [“Miur Glen” is the only canned tomatoes that do not have BPA chemical lining.]
• Dark bitter beer could be good, but it is mostly water... just drink bottle of Port.

Chili is versatile enough to use tofu as meat; frozen, thawed and chopped it is a chewy spongy protein. It will absorb sauces very well. So I sauteed a pair of onions with soy sauce and garlic infused olive oil. And mixed in Chipotle pepper sauce from a can packed in Mexico; smoked and very piquant. Then I remembered the tomatoes [fire-roasted] and cumin!

https://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe/Main+Dishes/American/Chunky+Beef+%26+Bean+Chili/13569

Zen and the art of Cookies

These are easy to make simply by using almond flour with shredded coconut and a little coconut oil and egg. But almond meal can be heavy in the stomach. So use lemon juice and ginger, in the dough or as a tea.

• Almond flour is the best dry ingredient.
• shredded Coconut
• all purpose flour (binder) use only small amounts!
• wheat Bugler? wheat Germ or corn meal (or a combination thereof)
• egg whites (binder)
• corn starch (binder with too much carbohydrate)
• Baking powder (riser)
• Oil like Butter or Coconut (melted)
• thick drained Yogurt (Greek) not too much! (about 2 tbsp for 2 cups dry ingredients)
• nuStevia (without bitter after taste) read the label!
• Apple sauce (sweetener)
• Ginger! real Licorice or Anise.
• Almond extract?

The secret here is the consistency of the dough. Just experiment with moisture. Do not add water. The yogurt must be very thick, but even that will make it harder than just oil.

By now you should now how long to bake stuff. When it smells like it is about done check the moisture. Then turn of the oven and let it finish cooking.

http://www.gretchenschreiber.com/?p=213

 stuff. (untill it's done)

Black market Tomatoes?

I can't be the only one that has noticed that vegetables like tomatoes and melons have lost their fabulously sweet taste?

It is because of corporate agri-biz has developed variety's that are excellent for spraying with toxic chemicals to kill all the pests, and harvesting early to store in refrigeration for long periods. But these varieties no longer have that farm fresh taste I grew up with. So I don't even bother buying tomatoes; even organically grown green house tomatoes are bland!

There is a variety of small thick skinned Roma cherry tomato that tastes good that will also last into the fall, but it is the same thing that is sold in the supermarkets.

But what is really incredible is that these mega-corporations have think-tanks that develop laws to keep the local organic farmers from competing with their fresh foods beyond the harvest season.

Our local farmer told me about how the health department snoops around the farmers market making sure no one is trying to sell vegetables that have been processed in any way. He cannot sell sliced sun dried tomatoes, and canning is an even bigger risk.

Apparently the only way to get farm fresh food that tastes like it used to past the harvest period, is to buy it off a black market, if I could find one.

Zen and the Art of Lentils and Beans

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/lentils

There are certain things that Legumes love!

• Black pepper corns (cook a few into the pot or crack them after)
  
• Celery seed, Cumin, Coriander, or Bay leaf
  
• Maple flavor (toasted ground Fenugreek seed)
  
• Smoked Chipotle powder!
  
• Basil, Dill, Mint, Parsley
  
• Leeks / onions
  
• lemon juice
  
• Garlic!
  
• Olive oil
  
• Salt (like Miso, etc)
  

Proven combinations:

• w/Beets and Goat cheese.
  
• w/Carrots, Mustard, Celery and Leeks.
  
• w/Celery, Tomato and Zucchini.
  
• w/Garlic, Lemon, Ginger and Curry.
  
• w/Olive oil, Onions and Buckwheat.
  
• w/Cumin and Garlic or Turmeric.
  
• w/Coriander, Cumin and Ginger.
  
• W/Maple and Smoke and Mustard are the best flavors for beans.
  

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/slow_cooked_boston_baked_beans/

Zen and Art of Potatos

http://www.thesaucysoutherner.com/grated-potato-nests-with-poached-eggs-meatless-monday/

Pan steam-fried is the easiest and fastest way to cook roots. A hand crank grater is the best kind of food processor.

• Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, Rutabaga, Celeriac?
  
• Spinach or other greens
  
• Leeks, Chives, Caramelized onion (fry with Tamari), or Dry Onion Flakes
  
• Garlic pressed
  
• Oil (for high heat, like Peanut oil)
  
• Black pepper, salsa, etc.
  
• Umiboshi vinegar, Soy sauce or Miso (salt)
  
• Sunflower or other seeds, well toasted
  
• Lemon juice, or lemon zest.
  
• Celery seed, caraway seed, dill seed, marjoram, rosemary, sage, oregano, or thyme.
  
• Fennel fresh or ground seed (looses taste when cooked)
  
• Fried caned Fish (very salty)
  
• Cheese (very salty) or Tahini
  

Zen and art of Biscotti

http://shewearsmanyhats.com/gingerbread-biscotti-recipe/

(approx. 1 wet to 2 dry)

• Pastry or other low gluten (but it needs some to help hold it together) flour like Almond or Coconut flour.
  
• Dark Cocoa powder {№ I never measure!}
  
• Arrow root powder and/or ground flax seed. Or egg (for binding)
• Baking powder
• Oil (coconut oil makes it feel like chocolate!)
• Sweetener (to taste) I use several eye dropper fulls of Stevia!
• Almond and Vanilla extracts, maple? And Licorice powder is good.
• Milk or Water HOT! {Just enough for a stiff dough}

Mix the dry ingredients, then add melted oils. Then the hot water so the coconut oil does not congeal and finally egg after the thick dough is cool enough to keep the egg from instantly cooking.

Spread about ½ inch thick on baking pan.

Bake about 30min until the outside is looking tough enough to cut, cool until firm. Slice with steak knife, and re-bake until dry and hard.

Dip in coffee, slurp loudly!

https://tryityoumightlikeit.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/double-chocolate-biscotti/

Fermented Salsa

make small amounts at a time or you may loose some due to temperature fluctuations.
40 degrees is to warm.

• Onions
• Tomatoes (don't use green-house grown, they are not sweet!)
• Tomatio's an ancient relative of tomatoes.
• Green peppers
• Green apples??
• Hot peppers and Sweet peppers
• Garlic pressed or equivalent
• Fresh cilantro (essential for taste)
• Lemon / Lime juice (too much and you can't can it)
• Salt keeps out the bad bacteria, but too much sodium in your diet can lead to heart disease! Use unrefined sea salt with a little whey to help start the fermentation. (strain yogurt to get whey.) Salt will provide additional mold protection and a crunchy texture.

https://zerowastechef.com/2015/07/14/fermented-salsa/