The New Spinach?

The New York Times called beets the new spinach. According to the article beets are “nutritional powerhouses, high in folate, manganese and potassium.”

My friend Jan has always liked beets. I did not like them until she made them for me once years ago. I thought beets tasted like dirt, but Jan roasted them in orange juice and transformed them into a delicately sweet and only slightly earthy dish. It was a perfect compliment for the pork roast and the cold snowy night.

Recently, Jan further expanded my beet world by telling me that you don’t have to cook beets at all. Grated beets with salt, pepper and lemon juice make an easy, yummy and let’s not forget, uber-healthy salad.

Here’s a version with cabbage (another nutritional powerhouse):

1 large beet or several small ones
1 cup of chopped cabbage
1/4 cup of apple cider or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of grated horseradish (fresh or prepared)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix sugar, vinegar and horseradish.
Grate beets or chop them in food processor.
Toss all ingredients.

Eat up!

Vanilla Extract

I love finding recipes for things that I thought you could only buy in a store. I especially love them when they are easy and better than what you can usually find. All you need to make vanilla extract is a few vanilla beans, vodka and a little time to steep.

You can find whole vanilla beans in gourmet or health food stores that have a good spice section. You can also buy them online. I used three Madagascar Vanilla Beans (touted as the world’s best) that our friends Suzanne and Paul gave us.

Here’s how to make it:
-2-3 vanilla beans; slice them down the middle length-wise
-Place them in a jar
-Add 1 to 2 cups of vodka (enough to cover the beans); I also added a half a cup of bourbon (ymmm)
-Cover tightly and store in a dark cabinet
-Shake every couple of days
You will see the color start to change in a day or two. In about two weeks, the extract will be ready to use. Strain if desired, but the longer the beans steep, the better the vanilla. I don’t strain mine.

Simple, right?

You can keep the same vanilla beans going for years. Just keep topping off with more vodka. Pretty cool.

Start a bottle now and have it in time for your holiday baking. Add a pretty ribbon and you got yourself a dandy homemade gift.

Papaya Peppercorn

My friend Bill once told me that I would have made a great pioneer; I sometimes like to do things the hard way and I don’t like to see anything go to waste. That’s why I was excited to learn that you can use the seeds from a papaya. You can scoop them out and eat them fresh. They are sort of like a caper (though not pickled, but pickling them is an idea). They are spicy and slightly pungent.

You can also turn them into peppercorns. I thought this was very cool. The ground papaya seeds' taste is hard to distinguish from regular black pepper. It’s easy to make and is an exotic pepper alternative.


Scoop out the seeds from a fresh papaya.
Place in warm water and work with hands to remove pulp.
Let soak overnight.
Bake for at 170 (or at the lowest temperature your stove will go) for 60 minutes or until the seeds are hard.
Cool, then place in a pepper grinder and use as you would pepper.

Apparently the seeds have the same good enzymes that the fruit has, so grind away!

Papaya Chutney

A perfectly ripe papaya with lime is a little bit of sunshine in your mouth. Not only that but if you believe the Word’s Healthiest Food Website, it’s a miracle food. It’s packed with antioxidants, vitamin B, carotene; full of digestive enzymes; a good source of fiber; good for your heart; has anti-Inflammatory properties; good for your immune system and your lungs; protects against macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis and can be used as a meat tenderizer…how can anyone pass that up?

I noticed huge papayas in the grocery store the other day so I bought one. I admit I felt slightly guilty knowing how far that fruit had to travel, but I swear our farmers market didn’t have any, so I indulged.


I adapted this recipe from Nourishing Traditions.

3 cups of chopped papaya (you can substitute mango)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of lime juice
1 Tablespoon of fresh grated ginger
a handful of fresh chopped cilantro (about 1/4 cup; you can also add fresh mint)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of chopped jalapeno
1/4 cup of chopped roasted red pepper (or regular red pepper)
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of whey

Slice papaya in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds and save them.
Scoop out the papaya flesh, leaving the peel.
Mixed all ingredients.
Place in a jar. Slightly pack the ingredients into the jar so that everything is covered with liquid. Add more water if necessary.
Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for two days.
Transfer to the fridge. It should keep for about two months.

You can add papaya chutney to anything- fish, pork, chicken. We topped our shrimp tacos with it last night....ymmmm.