Quick & Easies: Corn Hash

The weather's changing, and it brings new seasonal fruits and vegetables. Here in Georgia that means: strawberries, beets, asparagus, and of course Vidalia onions! Inspired by some early appearing corn, I decided to make Robert's favorite side dish: corn hash. So simple, but when the ingredients are fresh (and local) this dish is perfection.

Ingredients:
2 ears of corn (I prefer the sweetness of white corn in this recipe)
1 large Vidalia onion
1 T olive oil
red pepper flakes (season it up to your spice level, I like 1 t)
S&P (white pepper works great in this recipe, but use what you've got)

Directions:
1. Shuck corn and cut kernels from the cob. If you have a bundt pan, this method is brilliant.
2. Dice Vidalia small enough to closely resemble the corn kernels.
3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T olive oil.
4. Add corn and onions, red pepper flake and S&P. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent and corn has some nice color to it, about 10 minutes.
5. Enjoy!Serves 2 hearty portions

10 Ways To Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Here are 10 simple ways to make your life a little greeer and make Mother Nature smile.

1. Grow a Garden

Even if it's just herbs on a windowsill, planting your own garden is good for so many reasons.

2. Reduce

Minimize your impact on landfills and create wonderful soil for your garden by starting a compost pile.

3. Reuse

Sure, you bring your bags, but what about zip loc and produce bags? Robert takes his snacks to work in a reusable (and fashionable) snack bag. And I'm always asked about these bags at the grocery store.

4. Upcycle

Remember that reduce and reuse come before recycle. And while keeping stuff from the landfill is good, keeping stuff from the recycling plant by using it again is good too!




5. Eat Vegetarian

It's good for you, it's good for the animals, and it's good for Mother Nature.



6. Buy Organic Produce

The fewer chemicals going into the ground, the better for all of us!



7. Dr Bronners

This stuff is magic - I wash my hair with it and use it as a natural pest repellant in the garden. It's mostly organic and simply made of natural oils.






8. Make it yourself
From bath bombs to conditioner when you make it yourself you save packaging and $$$! Oh, and if you're making cupcakes, be sure to revisit #3 and try out reusable cupcake liners!

9. Don't just eat Organic
Use organic bed sheets and deodorant - what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body.

10. Keep indoor plants
All plants help to filter the air, some more than others. And my bamboo palm is much more stylish than those air filters you have to plug in!

Well, that's it. 10 easy things you can do to make your world a little greener.

Which of these are you already doing?

Do you have any good ideas to share? Let me know about 'em!

Veganizing my Past

When I started Down to Earth, I had yet to begin my culinary journey of plant-based foods. Looking through this blog, there is a clear line in the sand. Although some posts before then are vegan, many aren't. Thus, my new project to Veganize my Past. Starting with Japanese Curry Rice!

Also, I feel a little guilty just giving you a reblog, so here are some pictures of my garden. Start planning the recipes now!

The parsley, sage, rosemary, and oregano survived from last year! (Sorry, Simon & Garfunkel - so close!) Planted 2 new blueberry bushes to go with the strawberries that just won't quit! Edamame is popping up nicely and my four squashes are growing like wildfire. The green beans are slow but hopefully steady. Cucumbers and tomatoes are but seedlings, but they look promising! In fact, I have so many cucumbers that I am going to sell a few sprouts in my yardsale next weekend!

Oh heck, and if you've read this far, you deserve a little treat! So, here's my latest obsession:

 Vegan Paninis

 Say that five times fast.

Ingredients (to make 2 paninis):
1 T olive oil
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 T hummus (make your own, but that's another blog)
1/2 cu sprouts (I used a deli sprout combo of alfalfa, broccoli, and mustard seed!)
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
S&P

1. Spread hummus on inside of all four slices.
2. Layer with avocado and tomato slices.
3. Top with sprouts and season with S&P.
4. Brush outsides with olive oil and cook in a panini press. Or make your own if you're like me - Heat 2 cast iron skillets on medium-high. Put the sandwiches in one skillet and place the second heated skillet on top, so that the bottom smushes the sandwiches (you may want to spray with olive oil first). Put a few cans in the top skillet to provide some weight. Press for 2 minutes.

I think the hummus is a must, but other than that the possibilities are endless - roasted red pepper & mushroom, grilled eggplant & marinara, peanut butter & banana!

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Buns

No kneading, no resting, no waiting? That's my kind of bun!

Step One: Gather Your Ingredients:
1 cu water (warmed to around 110°F) plus an additional 6 T water
1/3 cu canola oil (I've heard that you can substitute this with apple sauce, but I haven't tried it)
2 packages yeast
1/4 cu honey
2 T ground flax seed
1 t salt
3 & 1/4 cu whole wheat flour
1/4 cu vital wheat gluten
Sesame seeds or other desired toppings
Preheat your oven to 350°.

A Note About Vital Wheat Gluten

As you might be able to read from the picture, vital wheat gluten (which my family can't say without sounding like the Swedish Chef) makes dough doughier. Plus, it has 23 grams of protein per 1/4 cup and only 0.5 grams of fat. You can add it to just about any baked good, and I even used some in my black bean burgers that I served with these buns.

 Step Two: Awaken Your Yeast
Combine 1 cu warm water with 1/4 cu honey and 1/3 cu canola oil. Add two packages of yeast and whisk to combine. Let the concoction rest for 15 minutes. (After all, it's tired - it just woke up!)

Step Three: Make Your "Egg Replacer"
While yeast mixture rests, make your egg replacer. In a skillet over medium heat, whisk together 6 T water with 2 T ground flax seed for 2 or 3 minutes until the two ingredients bind together. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.

Step Four: Mix It, Roll It, Cut It, Bake It
Once 15 minutes is up, add 3  1/4 cu flour, 1 t salt, 1/4 cu vital wheat gluten, and the flax seed mixture to your yeast concoction. Stir just until dough forms. Roll out dough on a floured surface to almost 1 inch thick. Use the top of a round glass to cut out bun-sized rounds, keeping in mind that they will expand in all directions in the oven. Brush a little water onto the tops and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, but check your buns after 8 minutes. If you over bake them, they will be too dry.  You can find the recipe for the black bean burgers here. Enjoy!

 

Oh, and I used my leftover dough to make butterfly rolls.

Stop Junk Mail... Go Green

After being gone for 2 months, I returned home to a box full of mail that Robert saved for me. Aside from wasting 30 minutes of my life rifling through it, I discovered that only 8 pieces of mail were important - the rest was just a pile of junk! So, I decided to look into it and discovered how EASY it is to turn off junk mail. And I think you should do the same:

Just go here to get rid of those credit card and insurance offers.

And go here if you want to get rid of those catalogues. You have to select each catalogue individually, but they make the request for you for free! Bye bye Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath and Beyond!

Ode to the Blender

First, two things. One, I am no William Shakespeare. Two, I am about to make Old Bill sound like a Magic Bullet commercial. I apologize outright for both.

But you see I am temporarily on the west coast and I don't have all of my fancy kitchen gadgets that make chefs great. And I have been struggling with culinary inspiration. I had an oven, a stove and a microwave and while they do magical things, I had the culinary equivelent of writer's block. Until I bought a blender. Now I am free and freely blending.

It even looks like the Magic Bullet.

O blender mine, what are you making

Something for snacking or something for baking?

That can blend both high and low

You make both savory and sweet

Comingle in one lovely treat

What can’t you do? I want to know

Sauces, smoothes, and dressings galore

Sorbet, salsa, and so much more

You make hummus and other such dips

Pesto, soups and applesauce

As far as I’m concerned you’re the boss

Your wares can always touch my lips



What's your favorite kitchen appliance?

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know You Could Compost

I promised you recipes AND tips for green living and thus far, I've only been making good on the former. So, in the spirit of the New Year, here's one resolution I can live up to!

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know You Could Compost:

10. Dryer Lint. And used dryer sheets too. This fuzz is perfect for balancing out your browns and greens if they are too wet.

9. Vacuum Cleaner Dust. Don't you hate it when every time you try to empty the canister it just spreads all over the house? Take it outside to empty and put it right in the compost!

8. Paper towels. Use recycled paper towels and you can feel doubly green.

7. And you can compost the cardboard tube too!

6. And of course tissues!

5. Masking tape.

4. Hair. From your hair brush, your dog, your cat... you get the idea!

3. Old cotton socks and underwear. When they've got holes.... it's time to go!

2. Most anything cardboard or paper (cut into small pieces first): cereal boxes, old bills, egg cartons, price tags, movie tickets, etc.


1. A lot of companies like dell and sun chips are using compostable packaging! I've got a few of these bags in my compost pile right now.





Two things I don't compost: citrus and onions. The former throws off the acidic balance and I've read that worms don't like onion skin. And I don't like the way they make my compost smell.

For more information or to start up your own compost pile, go here: How To Compost

Enjoy!