Gardening Gems October 2022 Yogurt, Muffins & Mexican Lasagna

 Every year in the Fall I host the Gardening Gems Club.  Today is that day!  Here is the handout I prepared for them.  

Gardening Gems, October 2022              Karla Kimball Advanced Master Food Safety Advisor 

 Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. hamburger
2 c. salsa
¼ c. taco seasoning
1 t. chili powder
1 bag Doritos, any flavor
1 c. chopped red and green peppers
½ c. chopped onion
1 to 2 tomatoes, diced
2 c. grated cheese
Brown hamburger and add salsa and seasonings.  Set aside.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish and cover the bottom with Dorito chips.  Cover the chips with the meat mixture.  Top with a layer of peppers, a layer of onion and a layer of tomatoes.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 
 
Healthy Lemon Yogurt Zucchini Muffins
2 large eggs
1/2 c. plain yogurt   (I used lemon yogurt)
1/2 c. honey
2 T.   Coconut oil, melted
1 large lemon zest and juice
2 c. shredded zucchini
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
½ c. coconut
2 1/3 c. whole wheat flour or spelt flour or 3 c. all-purpose flour
Topping:
1/3 c. rolled or quick oats
1 ½ T. honey
1 ½ T. coconut oil, melted
1 large lemon zest of
1/3 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with liners or use silicone muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, yogurt, honey, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, zucchini, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk well to combine. Add flour and coconut and stir gently to mix. Do not over mix.

To make topping: In a small bowl, add oats, honey, oil, lemon zest, coconut flakes and mix with a spoon.

Using large ice cream scoop, fill 12 openings with batter and spoon topping on top (if using). Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool muffins in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

 

Websites to explore:

https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/about-us/news/blogs/fermented-foods-the-latest-trend

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_fruit.pdf

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_ketchup.html

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/ensuring_safe_canned_foods.html

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_canners.html

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/equp_methods_not_recommended.html

**    https://nchfp.uga.edu/  for all your questions, National Center for Home Food Preservations

Or   https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/usdas-complete-guide-home-canning  The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning

Great sites for sourdough https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/ & https://ballerinafarm.com

Instant Pot Yogurt

I keep experimenting with my yogurt.  These are my notes and suggestions for making yogurt.

 I use my 8 quart instant pot because I like to make a big batch.

 Instant Pot Yogurt

Pour milk into the instant pot (don’t fill past the fill line).  You can use any kind of milk, 2%, whole, etc.  I prefer whole raw milk.

Put the lid on - it doesn't matter if you set it to sealing or not because you are not cooking under pressure.  In fact you can just use a glass lid if you would like.

 Press the YOGURT button until the word boil appears.  It takes about 45 minutes for the word YOGT to appear.  This means the milk has reached the pasteurization temperature of 176 degrees.  You can use a thermometer to check and make sure.  I recommend you do at least for the first few times.  Once this temperature is reached, remove the liner pan from the instant pot and allow the mixture to cool to 115 to 110 degrees.  Use your thermometer!!  This temperature is important because if it is too hot you will kill your active yogurt.  Once this temperature is reached.  Add 3 oz. of live active yogurt and stir well. A good one is Tillamook french vanilla yogurt. But only 3 oz.  as more can make your yogurt runny.

Return liner pot back to the instant pot, put on the lid, and press the yogurt butter until the hours appear.  I adjust the hours to read 11:00.  You can adjust this anywhere from 8:00 to 24:00 hours, depending on the flavor you like.

 

When the time is up I open it up and place a silicone or glass lid on and place in refrigerator.  Once it has completely cooled I open it up.  Sometimes there is a lot of the liquid whey floating on top.  If so, I skim it off into a wide mouth jar.  This can be used in soups, gravy, smoothies or whatever.  It is full of probiotics and very good for you.

 The first thing I do is remove 3 oz. of the yogurt and put it in a small glass jar.  I freeze it for my next batch of yogurt.

 Then you can strain the yogurt if you want to.  Strain it until it is as thick as you want it to be.  Sometimes I don't strain it at all.  You certainly don't have to.  Once again anything that you strain off is called whey and if very good for you.  Find a way to use it.

 At this point you can flavor it or wait to flavor it until serving time or simply leave it plain.

 Some ideas for flavoring.

 I like to divide it in half and make 2 different flavors from 1 batch.

 My most used method is 1 package of unsweetened Kool-Aid + ¾ to 1 c. sugar.

My favorite Kool-Aid flavors are; lemonade, lime and strawberry, but any flavor will work!

 Freezer jam makes a great flavoring.

 A box of instant pudding sprinkled in or a batch of cook and serve Pudding also makes a great flavoring.  Lemon pudding is my favorite!!

 If you want to keep it sugar free, my favorites are agave or honey.

 Granola topped with fresh or frozen fruit is great too.

 You will find your favorites too!!

 As for storing your yogurt....I like to use wide mouth canning jars with plastic lids.  Don't over fill the jars; especially if you are going to be freezing some of them leave a 1 inch headspace.  I often put some of it in the freezer for later.  If you want individual serving sizes simply use half pint jars.

Peanut Butter Pie

 A fast and easy dessert for my Reese's lovers!!!

Peanut Butter Pie
1 graham cracker or oreo pie crust (9 or 10 inch)
1/4 c. chocolate topping
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. milk
8 oz. whipped topping
3-4 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped 

Spread chocolate topping over the bottom of the pie crust and refrigerate.

In mixer bowl, beat together; cream cheese and powdered sugar.  

Add, peanut butter and milk and beat well.

Fold in the whipped topping.

Pour into crust and spread evenly.  Top with chopped Reese's.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  

S'mores Bars

I had a big bag of S'mores Cereal that I needed to use up.  So decided to use that instead of rice Krispies....and S'mores Bars were born.

S'mores Bars
6 T. butter, melted
21 oz. bag of marshmallows  (7 cups mini)

7 to 8 c. S'mores Cereal (start with 7, use more if needed)
2 Hershey's chocolate bars, broken into pieces 

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  

Melt butter in a large glass bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds).  Stir in marshmallows and microwave for 1 minute.  Continue to stir and microwave for 1 minute intervals until melted.   Stir in cereal and spread into sprayed baking dish.  Top with the broken candy bar pieces.