DIY

DIY Wednesday: Coconut Milk

/ ktbuchs87

I use coconut milk a lot.  In curries, creamy sauces, my daily smoothie bowl, for baking, in dressings, in my coffee…. You get the picture.  There are plenty of options for coconut milk in the store and some of them are actually a pretty good deal.  I can get a 1-quart carton of So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk at my Wal-mart for $1.98.  But the price isn’t what’s driving this DIY post.   DIY Wednesday: Coconut Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

Pretty much every brand of coconut milk has some type of thickener or “gum” added to make it that thick and creamy milk we all enjoy.  Some brands have even worse things added but I avoid those.  While the So Delicious brand is good, it still has guar gum added and while in small doses guar gum isn’t horrible, too much can cause some gastrointestinal issues.

Since I use coconut milk pretty much every day, I decided to try making my own.  You guys, this is like the easiest homemade alternative milk that I have ever done.  Nut milks aren’t super hard to make, but if you don’t have a fancy blender it can be time-consuming.  Coconut milk is quick, simple, and pretty much any blender can handle it.  Even an immersion blender.  Oh yes, I tried it.  DIY Wednesday: Coconut Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

Even better, it’s also a cheap way to make coconut milk especially if you can buy your coconut shreds in bulk.  So if you’re looking for a simple way to make coconut milk, look no further!

Just a heads up, though, you will need a nut milk bag or cheese cloth but that’s the only “special” equipment required for this milk.  You could even get away with using a mesh sieve or strainer.

Homemade Coconut MilkDIY Wednesday: Coconut Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 package unsweetened coconut shreds, 8 oz
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 1-2 tsp sweetener of choice, optional (I left it unsweetened)

 

  1. Get out a large bowl and layer your cheese cloth or nut milk bag over it.  Boil the 4 cups of water.
  2. Meanwhile, measure out 8 oz of coconut shreds and put them into your blender.  Pour the boiling water over the coconut and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soften up.
  3. Blend everything together.  If you have a high-speed blender (jealous) this will take you literally 30 seconds maybe a minute.  My blender took about 2 minutes.  It won’t be completely smooth but you want a thick consistency.
  4. Pour the milk into the bowl with the bag or cheese cloth.  Squeeze out all of the milk (careful if it’s still hot from the boiling water part) and transfer the milk to a pitcher or other container.  It will keep in your fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Two things to note, DON’T throw away the coconut pulp! You can dry it out and use it in baking or cooking.  Also, the milk will get a hard crust on it while it’s in the fridge.  That’s totally fine.  Just break it up and stir or shake the milk and it will be good to go! DIY Wednesday: Coconut Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes

/ ktbuchs87

The other day, I wanted to recreate one of my favorite breakfast dishes from a restaurant back in Sycamore, Eggsclusive Cafe.  It’s an omelette that has fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and avocado slices on top.  So simple but so good.

To the store I went to grab the things I needed that I didn’t already have, one of which was the sun-dried tomatoes.  I didn’t want to get the ones packed in olive oil because they tend to make everything else oily and the ones at my store always have some other flavoring like jalapeno added.  So I picked up one of the packages, despite the $5 price tag, and flipped it over to read the ingredient list.  That’s where I was met with sulfates and sulfites and other preservatives to keep “freshness and color retention”.DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully LivedDIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully Lived

No brand at my store had sun dried tomatoes without some kind of chemical or preservative and I didn’t want to spend $5 or more on something that I didn’t want in my body.  I almost resigned myself to the oil packed tomatoes when I thought to myself, “Self, can’t you just make your own sun dried tomatoes?  I mean obviously not in the sun, that would take too long and you don’t have a sunny spot in the apartment, but in the oven? And wouldn’t it be like way less expensive?”

Yes, my self was correct.  I can make sun dried tomatoes in my oven and have fresh, preservative free toppings for my omelettes and whatever else my heart desires.  If you have a food dehydrator you probably already know that you can make your own sun-dried tomatoes and it’s fairly simple.  If you don’t, you can do like me and make them in your oven!

Sun Dried TomatoesDIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully Lived

  • One 8 oz. package of grape or cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil, optional
  • salt, optional

* I made mine without oil or salt but you can, it just may take a little longer to dry out.

  1. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting.  If it’s 150-170 lucky you, the rest of us will have to make due with 200.
  2. Wash and dry the tomatoes and then slice in half.  Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.  If you want to add olive oil and salt, toss the tomatoes in a bowl and make sure they’re covered then arrange on your baking sheet.
  3. Place the sheet in the oven to dry out.  Now, if your oven only goes to 200 you’re going to have to keep an eye on things to make sure the tomatoes don’t burn.  I opened my oven every 10 minutes or so to let out some of the heat.
  4. Turn over the tomatoes every so often.  Remember you’re just trying to dry them out, not roast them.  They’re done when they look shriveled like red raisins.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

* Make sure the tomatoes are completely cool and dry before you store them because any moisture in the container will make them mushy and spoil sooner.DIY Wednesday: Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Pizza Kale Chips

/ ktbuchs87

Ok, before you go running from this post because kale was mentioned, calm yourself.  Yes, kale is a leafy green vegetable.  Yes, it might not be the most appetizing thing IF it isn’t prepared properly.  Yes, kale is a trendy superfood and in everything including lotion and maybe you have tried kale chips before and weren’t impressed.  Hopefully, I can fix all of these things today, I’m just asking that you give it a shot.DIY Wednesday: Pizza Kale Chips | Life Healthfully Lived

You can find kale chips pretty much everywhere these days and while there are plenty of brands that do a good job and use minimal ingredients in their products, they’re expensive.  Like, way expensive for such a little amount of food.  I like to eat and I want my money to get me as much food as possible without having to take out a small loan.  Which is why when I can, I make my own versions of store-bought stuff.  Including these kale chips.

My sister was actually the first one to give me a homemade kale chip and while I thought it was going to be dry and crumbly and generally taste like ash, it had a nice crunch and taste to it.  I made my own a few times and recently decided to play with the seasoning and see what I could come up with.  I wasn’t going for pizza-flavored when I tried this, but that’s what it tasted like so I ran with it.  DIY Wednesday: Pizza Kale Chips | Life Healthfully Lived

Now, I will tell you one of the keys to getting a good chip and not a soggy mess is making sure that you dry the leaves SUPER well.  I used a salad spinner and then set them out on a towel for a few minutes to really let them dry off.  Whatever you do, make sure you dry the leaves as much as possible.  Other than that, make a really big batch because if you’re like me, you’ll eat the entire thing in one sitting.  Good thing these are vegetables and good for me….

Pizza Kale ChipsDIY Wednesday: Pizza Kale Chips | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1 bunch of kale leaves
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (more if you want extra cheesy flavor)
  1. Remove the thick stem from the kale leaves and tear the leaves into bite-size, or chip-size, pieces.  Rinse them really well under cool water and then dry them.  You can use a salad spinner (works best) or paper towels but make sure they are really dry.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Don’t use aluminum foil or you’ll end up with a mess.  Once your kale chips are dry put them in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Not too much but enough to coat the chips.  Massage the leaves a little to make sure they are really coated but don’t mash them up too much.
  3. Spread them in an even layer on the baking sheet making sure there aren’t any spots that are too crowded. Mix all the seasonings together and sprinkle them over the chips.  You can coat them really well to have super flavorful chips.
  4. Bake the kale chips for about 10 minutes and pull them out to check on them.  If the are getting brown on the edges and feel crisp they’re done.  If not cook for another 2 to 5 minutes.
  5. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.  Keep them in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. DIY Wednesday: Pizza Kale Chips | Life Healthfully Lived

DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde

/ ktbuchs87

After 2 years of Spanish in Jr. High, three years in high school, and two semesters in college I can say this with certainty: verde means green.  Therefore, that means salsa verde is green salsa.  Mind-blowing things revealed on my blog today, I know. DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

In my brain I understood that salsa verde had to be made with some kind of green vegetable but I never really thought about it.  I just ate my regular salsa and left my green dip needs to guacamole.  Then I saw a sale on tomatillos at my grocery store, bought a few on a whim, and then headed home to figure out what to do with them.  After a little research AKA Google search, I realized tomatillos are what make salsa verde, well, verde.

I also found out that roasting them was common and helped bring out their flavor.  Since I am the Queen of roasting any and everything, I roasted them up, blended them up, and then ate them up.

That’s how simple this recipe is.  If you’ve never worked with or had tomatillos before, don’t be intimidated.  They come in a papery husk and kind of look like a giant green berry.  Like this:DIY Wednesday: Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

All you have to do is peel away the husk, like this: DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

Rinse it off and you’re good to go!  I kept this really simple but you could add other things like jalapeno peppers if you want a kick, roasted apples if you want a little bit of sweet, or stir a little salsa verde into your guac for a delicious twist.

Roasted Salsa Verde: DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 3 to 4 medium-sized tomatillos
  • 1 small onion, about 1/2 a cup cut into quarters
  • 3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Peel the husk off the tomatillos and rinse with cool water.  Dry completely.
  3. Place the tomatillos, quartered onion, and garlic cloves into a large bowl.  Drizzle a little olive oil and toss until everything is coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pour everything out onto the baking sheet.
  4. Roast everything for about 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatillos are a little brown around the edges and soft.  It’s ok if they explode a little while roasting.
  5. Remove from the oven and let everything cool for about 10 minutes.  Then, pour the whole pan into a blender, add the chili powder and blend.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

This salsa is awesome on tacos, with homemade tortilla chips, and even as a dip for plantain chips! DIY Wednesday: Roasted Salsa Verde | Life Healthfully Lived

 

DIY Wednesday: Butter-Free Buffalo Sauce

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not a huge fan of buffalo sauce.  I don’t hate it, it’s just not really on my radar.  I’ve gone most of my life without and I would say I’ve lived a good life.

But that has changed.

I had an idea for a recipe and I was going to need to rely heavily on buffalo sauce so I started looking around.  Store-bought was out of the question because I couldn’t find any that any redeemable qualities.  That left making my own, which I’m all about anyway.  Well, there were a few good ones out there but a lot of them relied heavily on butter and Worchester sauce (which I will NEVER be able to pronounce properly) and I didn’t want to use those.

Long story short, I created a buffalo sauce that’s made with real ingredients and doesn’t include butter.  It is really easy to make and you can put it on anything that you would use buffalo sauce.  Wings, cauliflower bites, celery, fingers…. Also heads up, you’re going to want to make a batch of this for Friday’s recipe!

Buffalo Sauce: DIY Wednesday: Butter-Free Buffalo Sauce | Life Healthfully Lived

  • 1/4 cup hot sauce, I used this one, but use your favorite or make your own!
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp molasses
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Transfer to an airtight container, like a mason jar, and store in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Simple and tasty, just the way I like it!  You can easily double or triple this recipe to make enough for all your buffalo needs! DIY Wednesday: Butter-Free Buffalo Sauce | Life Healthfully Lived