I have been meaning to post this recipe for years now I feel terrible for not having posted it before–it is such a simple dish. Shan State in Myanmar (Burma) has a very unique tofu recipe which is made from channa dhal not soybeans. Channa dhal is a bean that is similar to chickpeas but smaller, more yellow and easier to digest, especially if it is properly soaked. This recipe is a delicious traditional recipe that can be made into a variety of items. From tofu nwe (a sort of warm tofu porridge with peanuts and cilantro–also used to make the delicious Shan Noodle dish), to tofu thoke (tofu salad) to tofu hnat pyan kyaw (twice fried tofu) to a sauce for the fried tofu. For a beautiful but heart wrenching true Channa Dhal Romeo and Juliet true story click here.

I recently came across this delicious and healing recipe for dandelion syrup. I have made dandelion wine before so I know how many dandelions you need to pick for such a recipe. It is best to have a lovely field with no dogs or pesticides anywhere near it. It is a lovely way to spend a spring day, picking lovely bright yellow dandelion blossoms, and preparing them to make syrup or jelly. I found this recipe on Ewa In the Garden’s website, she gives a good description of the wonderful properties of dandelion for detox, plus lots of lovely photos showing the various steps for preparing the syrup. I have changed her recipe slightly to use honey instead of sugar. Please follow this link to the original recipe.

This is a very simple recipe that I made one day while making kimchi, I had left over diakon and carrots. This is really delicious, fresh and crisp. A living food full of enzymes and probiotics.

• 3 medium organic carrots, julienne
• 1 medium diakon radish, julienne
• 1-2″ ginger, grated or pounded
• 1 T salt or 3 T whey
• filtered water to cover

Saurkraut made with kefir grains gives you kefirkraut! Originally developed by Dom, please check out his site: Dom’s Kefirkraut in-site for a full description and history of the recipe. There are lots of other great recipes and interesting resources over there, which I am sure all the fermentation fanatics out there will really get into.

At the end of the summer I was down on Hastings in one of my favorite little stores–Como–it is run by a feisty Asian couple who speak Italian. They get in large sacks of fresh olives towards the end of the summer. This year I decided to buy one and try to figure out what to do with them. Just as I was heaving the sack onto the counter, a lovely lady behind me started asked me what I was going to do with them. I said, “Well I don’t know really.” She smiled and happily started telling me her recipe which had been handed down to her from her mother–a real traditional recipe (that’s why I love this area so much!). Her English wasn’t perfect, but I managed to get a pretty good idea of what she was saying and figured the rest out as I went along.

This year, while searching through various old cookbooks for pecan pie recipes I came across a lovely fresh apple relish (Apple Kitchen Cook Book by Demetria Taylor), which I just had to try. It was fantastic! Especially tasty with fresh, local apples, it works particularly well as a relish with turkey, and really helps to digest a big meal as it has homemade dill pickles as well as probiotic mustard and a touch of homemade mayonnaise. This is my version…I should have posted it before Thanksgiving! Keep it in mind for your Christmas dinner.

This is quite a lovely idea for people who make their own yogurt at home–a herbal infused yogurt. It is VERY simple, yet exotic–using only milk, yogurt culture and your choice of aromatic herb(s) or spice(s). Some delightful herbs I have used are keffir lime leaves, lemon verbena, rosemary, mint, jasmine, lavender, rose, but I am sure there are many others that are fantastic as well. It is good to think about what you will be using the yogurt for, and what herbs go well with a sour flavor. Generally I strain it in to cream cheese and make it into a dip or use it to make cheesecake or other baked items, but it is also fantastic as yogurt. A nice rosemary yogurt added into a carrot and lamb stew is a very delicately delicious addition to a potentially heavy meal….

Sandra over in the South Pacific sent in this great recipe! People love it!

I discovered this recipe last year when I was living in Australia. Originally it used sugar, I have changed it to honey to make it more healthy and practical for people on the GAPS or SCD diets or for those folks who boycott refined foods. Enjoy!

• 2 yellow summer squash
• 2 medium lemons, juice and peel
• 2 T honey
• 2 T butter or coconut oil

Although my partner grumbles and complains to high heaven about the smell while I am making kimchi, he usually eats it up and wants more. I have taken out the chilis for this recipe of kimchi and added in burdock root, so it isn’t by any means an authentic Korean kimchi, but we like it. It also makes a quick salad when added to steamed broccoli and sunflower seeds, then tossed in olive oil (Recipe).

Makes about 2 quart jars (depending on size of cabbage)

Brine:

• 1 litre filtered water
• 4 T himalayan or sea salt

Vegetables:

• 1 medium napa cabbage, shredded
• 6 medium organic carrots, grated
• 1 large daikon radish, julienned
• 3 medium burdock roots, julienned

Many years ago while doing a study abroad program in Morocco, we spent a lot of time eating the best bread and apricot jam I have ever had. We ate it for breakfast, lunch and even just for a snack.

This last week our local farmers market was chock full of tasty sun-ripened apricots. I bought a bunch and made a delicious apricot jam. Unfortunately, it rained non-stop and I was unable to finish it in the sun, but if you have the opportunity to do so, your jam will be better than you imagine. Apricots are full of vitamin A and potassium among other things. BC Apricots are amazing!