Bea’s culinary talents are taken from generations of cooks, all the way back to her great-grandmother.
Bea has re-worked all the family favorites, taking out the ingredients that we now know to be unhealthy. She has replaced them with lighter and healthier ingredients such as herbs, herbal seasonings and good oils. Amazingly enough, Bea's own family has a hard time detecting the difference in the degree of goodness!
Warning: Sugar is a slow killer! Take as much as you can from your diet. This is vitally important for children. Try these hints to reduce sugar intake:
~Stevia is a natural sweet herb, great for tea, coffee and simple dishes, and can be used in baking with some adjustments to ingredients.
~Use a lot of nuts, raisins and other dried fruits in your baking.
~Insist on healthy munch foods and save the "Dessert" for special times.
Remember, just a small amount of will-power will pay off in feel good ways!
Using Honey in Place of Sugar is a Healthier Alternative
While calorie counts are pretty much the same, honey is a natural substance and your body uses it in a different way. Sugar is a chemical and adds nothing but empty calories to your system and has long term side effects in many ways.
Cooking with honey is fun and beneficial...give it a try.
* 3/4 cup of honey for one cup of sugar, up to one cup
* Reduce all other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup per cup of honey
* Lower baking temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over browning
Bea is currently working on a cookbook of extended recipes from a healthy view of cooking. What you find here is only a small sample of the cookbooks delights.
So, you are invited to cook along with us and if you are using herbs...Sage Hill Farms has the best. Remember, chemicals in your food are a minus before you even start to cook. Organic, sustainable and home grown are highly encouraged.
TIP: when using spices such as bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, any vibrant spice.....keep in mind that a little goes a long way. If not sure, less is better than too much. This is the season for the warm and earthy spices....Enjoy~
Enjoy these Sage Hill Favorites, and be sure to check back often for new recipes.
Raspberry and Mint Yogurt Drink
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mineral water
3 oz. raspberries or 1 tbsp natural raspberry syrup
1 tsp natural mint syrup
Puree' all the ingredients in a blender.
Pour the drink into 2 glasses (chilled or over ice) and decorate each with a sprig of mint.
Serves 2...easy to double or more~
Sweet Anise Salad
3 red apples
3 tbsp lemon or orange juice
1/4 tsp Stevia powder or 1 tsp sugar
6 oz anise stalks, sliced (can use celery and a dash of anise spice)
2 really firm bananas sliced
3/4 cups walnuts – not chopped too fine
1/2 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
Core and dice apples, leaving the peel on (reserve some for garnish).
Mix lemon juice and stevia/sugar together in a bowl, then toss the apple in the mixture.
Add the anise stalk, bananas, and walnuts to the apple. Mix in yogurt/mayo and chill.
Serve the salad in a lettuce-lined salad bowl and garnish with reserved apple and parsley.
French Onion Soup
Onions
Crusty croutons
Gruyere cheese (or your favorite)
Sea salt
Fresh ground peppercorns
Splash of Sherry or Cognac (add to the broth before adding to bowl.)
Beef broth or Vegetable broth: cook carrots, green beans and onions until all are soft – using fewer carrots than beans and onions. You can either strain and use just the broth or put in blender and blend to a soupy state. You can also add a bit of chicken stock to the vegetable blend for more taste.
Caramelizing the onions is one of the most important steps when making French Onion Soup; it draws out the natural sugars in the onion enhancing the onion with a bit of sweetness.
(If you have already sautéed the onions in oil do this:
In a skillet add 1 Tablespoon of real butter, bring to sizzling, add onions and cook while stirring until they are brown and caramelized.)
Set aside.
Using oven proof bowls, layer the onions, broth, croutons, and cheese until almost to the top (salt and pepper with each layer).
Make sure broth is really hot when placed into the bowls.
Place in a pre-heated oven on broil and heat until croutons are toasted and cheese is melted.
Serve hot.
Another Great Onion Soup
Cook potatoes until just soft and with about 2 cups of broth left in them.
Fry onions and a bit of crushed garlic buds in butter until brown and carmelized.
Add together with 1/2 cup white wine, and Sea salt, cook for 5 minutes more.
This is a really good comfort soup, simple but delicious.
Adjust liquids according to amount of potatoes you cook. Enjoy!
