Roasted New Potatoes and Green Beans

I loved the recipe I posted last week and wanted to try it but there are just two of us plus one that eats tiny bites so I needed a smaller recipe.  I wanted to pare this with green beans fresh from the garden so I just added them to the mix.  This was served with my mini meat loaves that I keep in the freezer for quick meals .........YUMMMMM

8 ounces small new potatoes (cut in 1 1/5 inch pieces if they are bigger than this)
1 cup fresh green beans
1/2 small onion, sliced top to bottom
1 tomato, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, mashed but still in skin (keeps it from burning)
1/8 teaspoon Chili Flakes
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper

Wash your hands and mix this all together until all the vegetables are coated with olive oil.  Place on a baking pan. Roast together at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 25-30 more minutes (stir after 15 minutes).  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chopped chives and cook another 5 minutes.  SERVES TWO

Asparagus Soup for One

2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion (can use green onions)
1/4 tsp shredded fresh ginger
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 1/4 cup chopped asparagus (abt 6 oz)
1 cup home-made chicken stock
pinch dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley
1/2 cup Coconut Milk (or other milk product)
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter over med-low heat for 4 min, add ginger and garlic, saute 2 more minutes. Add asparagus, stock, rosemary, and parsley. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Blend carefully in blender until smooth. Add back to pan with milk, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Enjoy!

Free Product Samples

During the Month of MAY everyone who orders/purchases over $20 in products from HERITAGE HARVEST HOME(STEAD) will receive a free sample product.

Our first WINNER is  Susan and Rob Stoppkotte  of the Grand Island/Hastings, NE area who ordered several GLUTEN-FREE products home-made with loving care from Grandma Farmers kitchen here at HERITAGE HARVEST HOME(STEAD) through the Nebraska Food Coop.  Thank you for your order!

You can be a WINNER too!  Any combination of products can be ordered to get your free sample product!

Check out our LOCAL DIRT offerings (free delivery to Auburn, Lincoln and Nebraska City) by clicking this link:  http://www.localdirt.com/market_search-a230.html?vendorID=6377  OR contact us via email and pick up your order here at the farm!


You can also order through Nebraska Food Coop at:  http://www.nebraskafood.org/food/product_list.php?type=producer_id&producer_id=124 or www.NebraskaFood.org, click on shopping, list or producers, Heritage Harvest Home to get a list of our products.

Pork or Chicken & Pears with Quiona

I wish I had a picture of this excellent dish that only takes about 30 minutes to prepare.  Keys to making it a healthy meal is to remember to use ONLY Pasture raised Pork. This would work equally well with chicken!   I adapted this dish from a recipe I found in Good Housekeeping.

Serves 2

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1.5 cups chopped fresh butternut squash (3/4-inch cubes) (can use frozen)
1 cup chopped Swiss Chard (can use spinach or Kale)
1/2 pound Pastured Pork tenderloin (I used two small chops), This would work equally well with chicken!
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
1 ripe pear, cored and cut into eighths
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoon pure apple cider vinegar

Salmon Kabayaki - Low Carb Meal of the Week - Gluten Free

Salmon Kabayaki
serves 4



1 pound salmon, cut into 4 fillets (patted very dry to avoid oil splattering)
1 cup Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 tablespoon extra Virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the sauce
2. Place oils in a large frying pan over high heat
3. Place salmon in frying pan, do not allow fillets to touch each other
4. Fry for 2 minutes until the bottoms are browned
5. Brush sauce on the fillets
6. Flip salmon over and brush top of the other side, then fry for another minute or 2 until fish flake
    
7. Nutritional Info
   • Servings Per Recipe: 4
   • Amount Per Serving
   • Calories: 302.2
• Total Fat: 16.0 g
• Cholesterol: 80.5 mg
• Sodium: 3,213.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
• Protein: 28.8 gs easily and is cooked through

Orange Broccoli

• 2 pounds fresh broccoli florets

• 5 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds

1. Place 1 inch of water in a saucepan; add broccoli.  Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Drain and keep warm.
4. In the same pan, combine the butter, orange juice, orange peel and
5. salt; heat until butter is melted. Return the broccoli to the
6. saucepan; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl; sprinkle with
7. almonds. Yield: 6 servings.  

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 166 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 334 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Budget Saving Menus

Saving money in your budget doesn't only mean cutting back but it mostly means being good stewards of the resources that God has provided.  That's why when I begin to plan the next week or two of meals I take a look first at what I have on hand.

Sometimes planned meals just don't work out and I have to do a quick substitution so I often have a few things purchased that I didn't use.  Menu plan below.

As I go through this post please remember that we grow all our own grass-fed, free-range meats and our freezers are generally full of anything we might need.

This week I have some things in the frig (or will have after Christmas Day) that need to be used up:

Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Vegetables

3 medium carrots peeled
2 medium parsnips peeled
2 stalks celery
2 pounds beef short ribs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oilive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup red wine
1 cup diced tomato
4 cloves garlic
9 inches fresh rosemary sprig
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pound Broccoli florets

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Julianne carrots, parsnips and celery in 3 inch lengths.
3. Sprinkle short ribs all over with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oiil in 6-8 quart pot over med-high heat.  Brown ribs in oil in skillet on both sides, 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to roating pan.  Pour fat from pot and reserve.
4. Add 1 tablespoon fat or olive oil to skillet.  Add onions, stirring often, until lightly browned (8-10 min).  Spoon over ribs.  Add additional tablespoon fat or olive oil to pot with vegetables.  Cook, stirring often until golden (5-6 min).  Spoon into seperate bowl with uncooked broccoli, sprinkle with chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
5. Pour wine, tomatoes and remaining parsley into skillet.  Be sure to scrap the bottom.  Bring to boil over high heat. Pour over ribs, Scatter garlic cloves and rosemary on tip.  Cover tightly.  Braise in oven for 2 1/2 hours, turning meat every hour.
6. Add vegetable mixture to rib mixture in pan.  Cover and bake 25-30 minutes.

This is great served with mashed potatoes and Horseradish Beet Sauce.

Is There a Healthy Gluten-Free Flour?

Can There Be a Healthly Gluten Free Flour?

Today we offer you 20 Wheat Flour Alternatives along with my Latest Flour Blend, BETTER THAN WHEAT, ingredient list.

Below is a run down of flour options for those of us who are Celiac or Gluten-Intollerant.

- Almond Flour

From skinless, raw and unbleached almond nuts plant. Almonds are finely grounded into flour/meal.Almond flour is a plant based flour. Commonly, used in Paleo Recipes cooking, frying and baking. Healthy nutritious source of calcium, magnesium copper and selenium. Contains vitamins A, vitamin D and vitamin E. Every part of the almond (except shell) is used in Paleo Cooking. Additionally: Almond Oils, Almond milk, Almond Yogurt and Almond Cheese. Almond flour is gluten, soy and grain free.

- Amaranth Flour

Made from the seed of the Amaranth plant. The Amaranth plant is a green leafy vegetable. The seeds are rich in protein. Amaranth flour is a wheat flour alternative used in baking. Alternative names: African spinach, Chinese spinach, Indian spinach and elephant ear. Amaranth is high in protein, calcium, lysine and iron. 

- Arrowroot Flour

The root of the arrowroot plant is ground into flour. Arrowroot flour is a bland and fine powder that becomes clear when cooked. Used mainly as a sauce thickener but used in some bread recipes Great thickening for clear sauces. Arrowroot is a herb.

- Brown Rice Flour

Brown rice flour is heavier than white rice flour. Ground from unpolished brown rice has high nutritional values. Has a grainy texture. There is a heavier texture with brown rice flour as versus to white rice flour. May be a source of arsnec. You should investigate your source of Brown Rice and Brown Rice flour to be sure that it has not been grown in arsnic laced soils. Do not rely on Organic Certification as currently Arsnic is not part of any Organic testing.

- Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat is a herbal plant. Buckwheat is not a cereal or grass.

- Chick Pea Flour

The chick pea is ground into flour. Has a nutty taste. Usually combined with other wheat flour alternatives.

- Coconut Flour

Flour grounded from meat of coconut plant. Contains: calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. There are small amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E.. Contains lauric fatty acids which aids in artery blockage. Coconut flour used in cooking and baking. The coconut was called “monkey face” by early Spanish explorers. The three eyes and the hairy shell resembles a monkey. For generations “monkey face” has been a nutritional and medicinal source around the world. A tropical plant that has gained popularity with nutritional enthusiast. Coconut tends to have a slight sweet, nutty and vanilla taste. Coconut flour and meal is vegetable based gluten, grain and soy free. A versatile plant Paleo Recipes uses Coconut Oil, Coconut Butter and Coconut Milk.

- Corn Flour

Corn Flour is ground corn. The grain is a fine, white powder used as recipe thickener. Typically Corn Starch is a GMO product and one I do not use.

-Cornmeal

Ground from corn and heavier than corn flour. Used to make cornbread. Again, Cornmeal purchased in the store could be contaminated plus is likely a GMO product unless it's ground from Popcorn which, at this date, is typically a non-GMO product.

- Flax Meal

Has a nutty taste and ground from flax seeds. Rich in Omega 3, Omega 6 fatty acids, protein, linoleic acid, potassium and folic acid. Suggested eating flax seeds grounded whole seeds are so small may not be digested. Grounded flax seeds give the body the full nutritional benefits. Polyunsaturated fats (good fats) helps reduce blood cholesterol and reduces risk of heart diseases. Only contains 10% saturated fats. Also a fiberous plant good for bodies digestion. Bacause meal rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 good source to replace fish foods for these fatty acids. Store in refrigerator in opaque air-tight container.

- Maize Flour

Maize flour is heavier than corn flour. Maize flour is ground from corn. Probably a GMO product.

- Millet Flour

Millet is from the grass family. Cereals used in African and Asian countries. Can be used to thicken soups and only in certain types of baking. Millet contains a well rounded base of nutrients.

- Potato Flour

Potato flour is not the same as potato starch flour. Potato flour is a heavy flour with a strong potato flavor. Also a possible GMO product.

-Potato Starch Flour

Potato starch flour is a fine white flour. Potato flour and potato starch flour are both made from potatoes. Also a possible GMO product.

- Quinoa Flour

Has been used for hundred of years as a cereal. The Incas called it, “The Mother Seed”. Related to the plant family of spinach and beets. The seeds of the quinoa plant are ground into flour. Quinoa flour is a good source of vegetable protein. High in fiber and calcium.

- Sorghum Flour

Staple used in Africa and India. Used in soups and unleavened breads. The flour is ground from sorghum grains. Sorghum is nutty in flavor and contains some important nutrients. It is popular amoung those gluten-intollerant BUT if you have issues with your thyroid you should know that it can mess with thyroid function.

- Soya Flour

A successful alternative flour when combined with another wheat alternative flours. Can be used as a thickener or taste enhancer. Probably a GMO product and NOT used in this household as we consider Soy a bad food.

- Tapioca Flour

Made from the root of the cassava plant. Ground is a light and fine white flour. Adds a chewy texture and thickening agents.

- Teff Flour

From the grass family and used as cereal grain in Northern Africa. Used to make sour flat bread. Teff flour is highly nutritious. It is very high in fiber and is thought to benefit people with diabetes as it helps control blood sugar levels.

- White Rice Flour

Ground from white rice. Does not have nutritional value compared to brown rice flour. White rice flour gives a light texture. Can be used in a variety of recipes. No worries about arsnic with this one as the arsnic deposits in the outer layer that is polished off.

Basic Better Than Wheat Flour Blend

Sorghum grain
 Brown Rice grain
Potato Starch
White Rice grain
Sweet Rice grain
Tapioca
Amanarath grain
Quiona grain
Teft grain


The grains are ground in my home grinder so that it can reach a very fine consistancy.  This blend can be used cup for cup in most recipes.  You will have to add your choice of Xanthan and/or Guar Gum to this mixture. Keep refrigerated.

BETTER THAN WHEAT FLOUR BLEND
is now available through

Heritage Harvest Home


If  you don't want to go through the work or don't have the equipment to grind your own flours we can grind it for you.  We sell our flour in 2 pound bags for just $7.60 when picked up at the farm. CONTACT US for orders and pick-up times or for shipping details.