Mint Sauce

When you need some fresh flavor and mild sweetness to salads or a meat dish, Mint Sauce can be a great contribution to your culinary dish.

              You need:
= 4 Cups of freshly picked Mint
= 1 1/4 Cup of Coconut sugar
= 2/3 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, organic
= 7 Table spoon of Water
= 2 Table spoon of fresh squeezed Lemon juice
= a Pinch of Salt ( I use "Herbamare" by A.Vogel)

 ~1. Wash Mint leaves and gently dry with paper towels.

~2. Chop them coarsely.

 ~3. Make a fine paste with half the Coconut sugar . You can use a mortar or blender. If you use blender add 1 out of 7 of Table spoons of Water.

 ~4. Take a pot and place: Apple Cider Vinegar + Fresh squeezed Lemon juice + Water + remaining Coconut Sugar.

 ~5. Bring the mixture to boil.

 ~6. Boil till the Coconut sugar dissolves and the liquid becomes clear. Stir all the time.

  ~7. When the liquid is clear. Turn Off the heat and add Mint paste and a pinch of Salt.

 ~8. Take off the stove. Leave to cool.

 ~9. Pass the Mint sauce through a sieve. Also you can leave some with Mint leaves. Whatever you like. 

~10. Transfer to a bottle or any other container. Refrigerate.

                     Happy Cooking:)

Preserving Garlic Scapes with Olive oil

If you grow Garlic in your garden, you know that every part of this wonderful plant is edible and highly nutritious.

  Garlic Scapes is a floral stem rising above the ground. When it becomes curly, just cut them and use for cooking. It is better for your Garlic to grow with larger bulbs and it is better for you to have a green garlic, as Garlic Scape. If your recipe calls for Garlic, use Garlic Scapes instead. I preserve it with Olive oil and freeze. Then I use it as needed.
==You need==
= Garlic Scapes
= Olive oil
= Blender
= Ice cube forms

 ==1. Wash and dry with paper towel Garlic Scapes.

 ==2. Remove top and botom of the Garlic Scapes

 ==3. Discharge them.

 ==4. Cut Garlic Scapes coursely

 ==5. For 1 cup of trimmed Garlic Scapes you need 3 Table Spoons of Olive Oil.

 ==6. Place Garlic Scapes and Olive oil into the Blender or Food processor.

==7. Blend the mixture.

 ==8. You have a beutiful spring green paste.

 ==9. Fill Ice cube forms with Garlic Scapes paste.

 ==10. Cover with plastic wrap and place the forms into the freezer.

 Use Garlic Scapes cubes any time you want to add Garlic to your dish. It works well with vegetables and meat. Happy Cooking:)

Oysters with Garlic Scapes and Sour Cream

Sauteed Oysters mushrooms with Garlic Scapes and Sour Cream make a delicious and flavorful compliment to almost any dish as well as they can stand alone.

 You need:
= Oysters - 300g
= Onion - 1
= Garlic Scapes - 6 pieces
= Grape Seed oil
= Salt, I use "Herbamare" by A.Vogel
= Sour Cream -2 Tb.Spoon
==1. In a round frying pan heat Grape Seed oil and add chopped Onion.

 ==2. Then add chopped Garlic Scapes and mix all.

 ==3. Slice Oysters.

 ==4. Saute Onion and Garlic Scapes until Onion becomes translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Garlic Scapes hold the color, shape and flavor very well.

 ==5. Add sliced Oysters.

 ==6. Cook and stir with wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes.

  ==7. Add Sour cream.

 ==8. Mix well. Saute additional 3 minutes.

==9. Enjoy:)

 "The table is the only place where a man is never bored for the first hour."- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Broccoli with Garlic

 Among all of the Broccoli recipes I know, this simple and tasty recipe is one of the best.
It is a very quick and easy recipe to make that even your kids will love.

You need:
= Cooking Pot
= Olive oil
= Broccoli
= Garlic
= Salt
== I do not write any measurements because there is no measurements. You can take any size of the cooking pot you have to fit your Broccoli and sufficient amount of water to cover it.
   Garlic. You can take up to 5 cloves of Garlic. It is all up to your taste.
So, lets start:)
=1. Place enough water into a cooking pot. Add salt into the water.

 = 2. Bring water to boil.
 = 3. Meanwhile mince and cut Garlic. Cut and divide Broccoli flowers on preferably equal pieces.

 = 4. Place Broccoli into the boiling water and bring water to boil again. Cook Broccoli till it is cooked. But at the same time still tender. Try Broccoli with a fork. Do not overcook. Cooking time is about 3 minutes. The color of Broccoli has to be green not yellowish.

 = 5. Drain the water from the Broccoli.

 = 6. Into the same cooking pot add Olive oil and Garlic, then Broccoli. Everything is added almost one after other.

 = 7. Mix it at the same time. Cook for 3 seconds, literally count 1-2-3. Done.

Before serving you can salt to taste if you fill that is not salty enough. I like to use "Herbamare" salt by A.Vogel, as it gives more flavor to any recipe and less salt per se.    

Enjoy:)

Know your Food as Medicine - Nasturtium

"Plant enough nasturtium seeds to satisfy both your desire to look at the beauty of the flowers and your desire to keep in good health"- Maurice Messegue, French herbalist and healer.

 Tropaeolum majus - Nasturtium /common name/ or "Indian Cress", from Tropaeolaceae family - beautiful, climbing annual herb with round leaves and bright red, orange, yellow, apricot alike fragrant flowers with there long spurs.
Nasturtium likes a sunny or light shaded area. It grows well in a pot for whole summer. It is a lovely vibrant and fragrant ornament to any garden or balconies.
~Native to Peru, Nasturtium was described for the first time in the sixteen century and was called the "blood flower of Peru". In the late 1700's, the great Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus gave this herb its Latin name, that is universally recognized and helped to distinguish our Nasturtium from Watercress (Nasturtium officinalle in latin from Cruciferae family).
Nasturtium was very popular during Victorian times for its flowers and leaves and used for food and for flower arrangements.
~All parts of Nasturtium - flowers, leaves, seeds- are edible, nutritional with a very delicate peppery  flavor.
Flowers- attractive garnish for salads and pureed vegetables. They are ideal for stuffing with cheese and serve as an appetizer. :) Do not forget about Nasturtium Butter Recipe either.

 Leaves-  great for soups and combines well with many foods, as beans, cabbage, sorrel, tomatoes, cheese, chives, cucumbers, omelets, cold cream soups. Can be used instead of grape leaves for grape-leaf recipes.

 Seedpods- preserved in vinegar taste better than capers. Pick seedpods when they are green and plump not yellowish. Place in a jar. Cover with wine vinegar and let them soak for a day. Then drain seedpods and vinegar into some other clean jar, cover and store up to 6 months in a cool place.

 Besides of all above edible measurements, Nasturtium is a wonderful medicinal herb.
~For centuries Nasturtium, all parts-flowers, leaves, seeds, was used as the herb to ward off infection (Andean/Peru/ herbal medicine).  It is one of the nature's Antibiotics, but the constituents responsible for this wonderful quality are still unknown.
~However, what is known so far that Nasturtium is being very high in vitamin C. Also the plant contains glucocyanates, spilanthol, an enzyme-myrosin and oxalic acid.
~~Leaves,Flowers-> Infusion-> can be used to increase resistance to  bacterial infections. It is good for nasal and bronchial congestion to reduce mucus formation. It is a great expectorant.
~~Flowers, Leaves -> Infusion is good antiseptic wash to use externally.
~~Seeds /ground/ have strongly laxative properties.

"The road to your health goes through your kitchen not through the drug store"- timeless words of my lovely mom.