hot peppers

Back in the Lab

by ladypbwiggins

For those who are not aware, I do not like to cook. Here is a quick recount of my entry into the lab. First thing was to change my attitude. I changed how I viewed my kitchen. It was no longer a place to cook food but a place to experiment with food. So it began.

The first thing that changed was my husband and I deciding to stop eating beef, pork, chicken, and dairy; but not all at the same time. We still ate turkey and seafood. I decided one day to stop buying ground turkey and sliced turkey for sandwiches. I thought why not break down the turkey and grind some, and cook the rest for different uses. I did and it was a fun, time consuming endeavor. Next experiment was bread. I did like to bake so I expected this to be a more enjoyable experience. I remembered when my children were young how much fun we had baking bread together. This is how they learned fractions. At the same time I began to grow peppers. I wanted to make my own hot sauce, mustard and ketchup. I was on a natural food kick. LOL.

When my husband was treated by Dr. Baxter Montgomery for heart issues, a raw vegan dietary plan was the main prescription. This was a new challenge. We had moved to Texas and anticipated eating Cajun and creole dishes. I know it was not New Orleans but the influences are alive and well in Houston. That dream died. We became not only vegan but raw vegan. The lab was revived. Enough of that. You get the point.

In these past three years I have fluctuated between vegan and pescatarian. I have gained all the weight I had lost during the years we were raw vegan/vegan. We ate no processed food. (Side Note. When the doctor told me I didn’t have to prepare everything from scratch, I tried the closest to clean processed vegan food. Big mistake.) I began gaining weight and got lazy because of the convenience. Not only have I gained weight but joint pains, brain fog and fatigue have returned.

Like many churches in this country, my church began this new year with a corporate Daniel Fast. The dietary portion of this fast is much like I eat anyway, so there was no sacrifice for me in that area. My fast had to take a different form. My fast was eliminating convenience. If I purchased prepared food, it had to be strictly clean and vegan. This could only be done once a week at most. This requires me to prepare all the other meals. I am vegan . I have to cook or make raw preparations. This requires discipline and planning. This is my fast.

So now, I am back in the lab. To get started I decided to make a salad dressing that I enjoy at a salad restaurant I go to. It is jalapeno avocado dressing. They told me no dairy was used to make it but I am not sure.(I just checked. It does include dairy products.) My experiment uses no dairy. Mine is avocado, non-dairy milk, seasonings, vinegar and habenaro. It tasted okay  but I have to adjust the flavor profile. Too mild.

Avocado & Habenaro Dressing and Hot Sauce

On my way to the lab to try a new burger recipe with lentils and quinoa.

See you soon.

Homemade Ketchup and Hot Sauce Update

by ladypbwiggins

This is the ketchup making update. I used fresh Roma tomatoes before. The recipe is found at What is This . I stated that I planned to try it with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and onion. I used dry sun-dried tomatoes so I had to re-hydrate them. I put the tomatoes in the Vitamix with enough water to cover and about an inch more. After the tomatoes were re-hydrated, I added garlic, onions,  and apple cider vinegar. I also substituted raw honey for agave. I fired up the Vitamix to high and pureed until smooth. It was a pasty texture. If you would like it more fluid add some water. I noticed the sun-dried made it sweeter than the Romas. I haven’t decided if I like it better but it is good. I think the next time I will leave out the honey and use distilled white vinegar.

I am really getting into making these condiments. I grilled some salmon for dinner so I tossed some Serrano peppers, and red peppers on the grill. They got a little of the salmon oil on them so I wasn’t sure how that was going to affect the hot sauce flavor. The next morning I made oatmeal for breakfast. While I was waiting for the oatmeal to come to a boil, I threw the peppers roasted and fresh with a pinch of salt into the Vitamix with some distilled vinegar. I left the seeds in. Awesome stuff. It was so quick and my supply is renewed. It is hotter too. Love it.

It was so simple. I did not use any recipe for the hot sauce. Glad it worked out.

I used To HATE Cooking!

by ladypbwiggins

So what changed? Know one understands like my family but these cooking experiments are beginning to be fun. Today I made a sweet potato and hot pepper soup for lunch. It is a recipe I saw on P. Allen Smith’s television show. It was quick, easy and tasty. Sweet Potato Soup

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Sweet Potato and Hot Pepper Soup, Grilled Catfish and Oat Bread

I know my plating isn’t pretty but at the time I just wanted to eat it. It was very good. Remember you are dealing with someone who is just beginning to look beyond getting the food on the plate. So give me a break. I need to watch more Food Network TV or YouTube for that. (Big Smile)