Some of our Favorite Healthy Recipes – ingredients may be adjusted, suit to taste
- Ultimate Pickles
- Green Goddess Salad/Dressing
ULTIMATE KOSHER PICKLES
Pickles are wonderful – and can be very healthy without all the salt!
As a kid I remember a neighbor friend bartering Dad for medical services with the most delicious pickles. Never had them as good but now , decades later, decided to try , after all these years… These beat the commercial pickles and with much less salt.
by Alison Roman in Bon Appetit (with our healthy changes in orange)
Makes 2 16-oz. jars
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup kosher salt – We SUBSTITUTE ‘NO SALT’
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
6 dried chiles, such as chiles de arbol (optional) –or red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 lbs. (10–12) medium Kirby cucumbers (or Persian cucumbers)
8-10 garlic cloves, smashed
10 dill sprigs
Special equipment:
2 16-oz. Mason jars
Cheesecloth (optional
Rubber bands (optional
Test Kitchen Tip:
To sterilize your jars—and you must—follow the instructions here.
PREPARATION
Combine 1/2 cup of water, salt, sugar, peppercorns, coriander and chiles over high heat in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and vinegar, stir to combine; let cool completely.
Scrub cucumbers to remove any dirt. Remove any tails or pieces of stem and cut in half lengthwise. (If you prefer them whole, that’s fine, just expect them to take an additional 3-4 days to fully ferment.) Divide cucumbers, garlic and dill sprigs among jars, making sure to pack the cucumbers tightly. Halve any remaining cucumbers crosswise to fill in the gap at the top.
Divide brine among jars, making sure to evenly distribute spices, leaving 1/4″ gap at the top of the jar.
Cover jars with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. (This allows good bacteria to enter and keeps out dust and other impurities.)
Store in a cool, dark place (a cupboard or kitchen cabinet works great), and try not to disturb. Check pickles after 2 days to see how they are coming along (how fast they ferment will depend on their size). At this stage, you should have what is called a “half-sour”. Let them sit for an additional 2 days for a “full-sour.”
Place lid firmly on jar and refrigerate, these do not need to be processed again for canning. Store and enjoy for up to 2 months.
Note: Acidic solutions can cause some garlic (especially younger garlic) to turn blue. We know, this is crazy. But the pickles are still totally safe to eat, we promise.
VARIATIONS – Mix and Match to suit your taste
You can vary your pickle recipe to suit your taste. We’re not big on the dill, preferring the kosher style over the less sour/ dill flavor, so might replace with , say, mustard seed or crushed bay leaves. Perhaps substitute persian cucumbers for kirbys, which may be difficult to find; persians are currently (late summer) available at Trader Joe’s and are a nice size for ‘canning.’. Some use Red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar-or both. Not sure you really need the cheesecloth or sterilization.
Green Goddess Dressing
Creamy Cashew Green Goddess Dressing {vegan}
- ½ cup (75 g) raw cashews (covered in boiling water and soaked 1-8 hours)
- ? cup (80 ml) packed basil leaves
- ? cup (80 ml) chopped chives
- ¼ cup (60 ml) packed tarragon leaves
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) drained capers
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ice water, plus more as needed
- In the bowl of a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the soaked and drained cashews, basil, chives, tarragon, garlic, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and ¼ cup ice water. Blend, increasing the speed to medium, until the dressing is creamy-smooth, adding more ice water as needed until you like the consistency. Taste, adding more lemon or salt if you like. Refrigerate airtight for up to 1 week.
