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.
Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pure cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs-lightly beaten
3/4 cups sour cream
1/3 cup (half stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted real butter
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk (organic)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/12 tablespoons lemon zest
1/12 cups fresh blueberries-washed and drained
Pre-heat oven to 400*
Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking oil-I use grape-seed oil.
In a large bowl combine 21/4 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt-set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, butter, milk, lemon juice and zest.
Using a fork, stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (do not over mix).
In a small bowl combine remaining 3 tablespoons flour and the blueberries, coating gently and fold into the batter.
Spoon 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, loosen edges and turn out.
Serve with fresh butter while hot or store in an air tight container after completely cooled.
Corn Pancakes
2 cups white corn kernels-drained very well if using canned
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder, sea salt, and sugar (pure cane)
pinch of nutmeg
dash of Tabasco (hot sauce)
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons real butter
Place corn, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, nutmeg, Tabasco, whipping cream and eggs in a blender or processor.
Blend or process for about 15 seconds or until well blended.
Refrigerate mixture for at least an hour.
In a small skillet or on a griddle, melt butter. When hot, drop large spoonfuls of mixture to form 2" rounds.
Cook until top looks dry and edges begin to brown.
Turn and cook briefly on other side. Repeat until batter is all used.
Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.
These are delicious as a side dish with any meal of vegetables or as a breakfast dish with eggs and maple syrup.
