KAPPA VEVICHATHU (Cooked tapioca/cassava stir fry)

This is a traditional Kerala recipe.Kappa vevichathu(cooked tapioca stir fry) with Kerala fish curry has got a unique taste and is one of the staple food other than rice for a Malayalee.


INGREDIENTS


Tapioca/cassava--------------------1 large
Onion----------------------------------1/2 cup,sliced
Garlic----------------------------------3, large cloves,crushed
Green chilly--------------------------1 large, slit length wise
Coconut oil or any oil--------------1 tsp
Mustard seeds----------------------1/4 tsp
Dried red chilly----------------------1
Curry leaves-------------------------1 sprig
Turmeric powder--------------------1 tsp
Salt as needed


METHOD

1. Remove the skin of tapioca and cut in to large pieces.Wash thoroughly.
2. Pressure cook tapioca with needed water,salt and a tsp of turmeric powder.
3. Now drain and  transfer the cooked tapioca in a bowl and remove the middle fiber and cut in to small pieces or mash it with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Keep it aside.
4. Then, in  a medium heat pan add a tsp of oil and splutter mustard seeds,dried red chilly and curry leaves.
5. Next add crushed garlic,sliced onion and green chilly to it.Saute till the raw smell goes.
6. Now add the mashed tapioca to it and mix it good.
7. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with  fish curry.

Step 4,5

Step 6

Check out other blogging marathon buddies:
Srivalli, Priya Suresh,Reva,Monika,PJ,PriyaVaasu,Jay,Azeema,Ayeesha,Veena,Usha and Gayathri 

FISH FRY (quick and easy fish fry)

This is simple,easy and yummy fish fry. I usually prepare this fish fry whenever I am in a hurry.
You can use any fish such as salmon,tilapia,cat fish etc.I used tilapia in this post.
Then I used olive oil for frying fish as it gave a different and much better taste.You can use any oil of your choice.


INGREDIENTS


Fish----------------------------2,cut in to pieces
Turmeric powder-----------1 tsp
Red chilly powder----------2 tsp or to taste
Olive oil-----------------------2 tbsp
Onion--------------------------1/4 cup,sliced (optional)
Salt as needed


METHOD

1. In a bowl add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and little salt. Mix it good and then add clean and cut fish pieces to it and evenly coat the fish.Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
2. Mean while, in a medium heat  non stick frying pan,add olive oil and place the fish pieces.Fry both sides of fish till brown.Turn and fry the side(skin) also.Option: you can also deep fry if you prefer.
3. While the fish is frying,fry the sliced onions in its side.Use this fried onions for garnish.

Step 3

Check out other blogging marathon buddies:
Srivalli, Priya Suresh,Reva,Monika,PJ,PriyaVaasu,Jay,Azeema,Ayeesha,Veena,Usha and Gayathri 

Nearly-Frozen Goats and Chickens

Here in Colorado, our high temp today was 4 degrees. F. That's not very high. Our low tonight is -6 degrees F but with wind child, is expected to be -20 degrees F. Bbbbbrrrrrr.

Goats:
We have two dog houses that we've modified for the goats, added tarping and plastic to the roof to help keep snow and rain out, and stacked lots of hay inside. Each is on a pallet to keep it off the ground. They are pushed together to help keep the other warm. The three nigerian dwarf goats like the smaller green dog house, fitting tightly in there, which helps keep them warm. But the larger nubian milk goat can be really mean to the others so she is in the bigger dog house (purple!) by herself. (The goat choose, not use.) I've added lots of hay but still, she must be cold. And moans ... she's so sad! We have the gate to the goat pen open so the goats can come and go at will, going under the deck to get more hay to eat or a drink of cold but hopefully not-frozen water whenever they choose.

Chickens:
The pens we made for them and placed against our house weren't going to work in this bitter cold weather. So we moved a 6x10 dog kennel into the unheated but enclosed workshop and created a makeshift home for the 10 of the chickens. Three laying boxes (ok, small cat crates), water buckets, roosts and feeders. We also moved a smaller chicken "tractor" in there to hold 4 chickens (have to keep the roosters separate). Also hooked up two bright lights on a timer, and moved some chicken scratch in there, in rodent-proof tubs. We took a thermometer in there today and it read 15 degrees! Ouch! At least they are out of the wind and snow. They are all kept busy scratching for tossed-out cracked corn, and old goat hay to sift through.

So far everyone seems to be fairly ok. I'd chosen breeds of chickens known to be cold hardy, and the nigerian dwarf goats' coats are very thick and furry. I'm a little concerned about the nubian (whose hair didn't thicken up at all) and the goats' hooves. Our wether limped a little today until I rubbed his hooves to warm them up.

Everyone is checked on several times during the day, at the expense of our own health. Eggs collected are very cold but not frozen (they would be if we didn't check on the chickens as often as we did). We only got 2 eggs today, but that's expected and actually not bad.

Yep, for next winter, we're building a barn, with electricity to heat, and room for all of the chickens and goats. Or maybe we can convince our goats to stay under the deck behind our house, where it's not quite as cold, and is full of hay.

I'll have to give it some thought.

I hope we get through this cold snap ok. It's supposed to start warming up tomorrow. We sure could use it. I almost feel guilty sitting in my 62 degree home, with a roaring fire in the fireplace, and 2 pairs of pants on!

Almost.

Happy new year, all!

Quick American Goulash

Recipe deleted for inclusion in ...

Kindle Book "Survival Cooking: Eating From Your Pantry and Backyard", published on Amazon.com in April 2013

Hard Copy available on www.rosemary-ridge.blogspot.com, also in April 2013

New newsletter almost ready!

I've teamed up with new cookbook writer R.L. Lawrence and friends Cheryl Coppers and Lori Michaels to create a monthly newsletter "Survival Cooking and Living". This is for people interested in:
-raising chickens and quail
-raising dairy goats
-stocking your pantry for hard(er) times
-cooking from your stored foods
-gardening for self-reliance
-container gardening indoors
-preserving harvests
-and so much more

Many of the recipes are gluten-free, some are yeast-free and/or casein-free, and all are as easy as possible to make.

Don't let the word "Survival" fool you! It's not about being a militant or survivalist ... it's about being prepared for any eventuality. For instance, I have been storing food for years, and yes, using it. We hit a bad patch recently, and most of our grocery money had to go somewhere else. But we didn't worry! I just pulled out my tubs, and started making EVERY meal from stored food, instead just a few a week. I had plenty of stored dried fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, powdered milk (cow, rice and goat), eggs, meat, and cans of tuna and so forth. Plus we had eggs from our chickens and quail, and milk from our goat to drink and make cheese. Not sure if we'd survived this rough patch without preparing for emergencies. NOW we want to pass along more information to YOU!

So ... it's almost time for the first issue of the "Survival Cooking and Living" newsletter! Available in two ways: e-mailed as a .pdf file, or mailed snail-mail to your home, 3-hole-punched and ready for a binder.

Ordering information coming soon!

===========================

Do you cook with stored foods? Do you and your family have a special diet that necessitates a different way of looking at storing food? Please e-mail me at vikkibooks at yahoo DOT com ... always looking for contributors for the newsletter. Writers will be compensated with a free issue of the newsletter.

Writer Wanted

Do you store food for a worse-case scenario? Do you cook that stored food, maybe experimenting to not let stored-food boredom enter your kitchen? Do you have a list of staples you make sure you always have in the pantry, and create masterpieces with them? Do you do all of this while penny-pinching?

Good. I need you!

I'd like to see regular postings on this blog again; wouldn't you? And now I've got a monthly newsletter that I'm working on, so ... I NEED HELP!

If you like to write and you are a self-reliant / self-sufficient type of homestead or urban dweller, I'd love for you to contribute blog postings here, once a week.

What do you think? Interested? If so, please leave a comment here, or e-mail to vikkibooks (at) yahoo DOT com.

Thanks!

FlaxMeal should be an essential storage item

I'm sure you've heard about flaxseed and its benefits: omega-3, heart-healthy, fiber, etc. There's another three benefits:
-easy to store ground flaxmeal
-gluten-free!
-low carb

Two out of the three of us here are gluten-free. I needed to find a cheap-way to make a cracker or bread for me because I'm also on a diet (lost 84 pounds and counting) so I experimented. Here's a favorite base recipe for my "flaxbread" that I eat almost daily:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground flaxmeal
1/3 cup hot water

Directions:
Mix together in a wide shallow bowl. After a few seconds, you'll notice it is becoming gloppy and gloopy. That's exactly what's supposed to happen. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, then again in 30 second increments until done. I usually use a spatula after 2 minutes to loosen the edges and again at 3 minutes to turn it over.

Yes, it tastes kinda blah, but you can add all kinds of things to the flaxmeal (before adding the water!) to make it taste better:

-a teaspoon of flavored gelatin
-onion/garlic powder
-basil, garlic and onion Mrs. Dash
-dill and onion powder (tastes like pickles!)
-cocoa powder and cinnamon (my fav)
-dried powdered blueberries and cinnamon
-bump up the protein by adding powdered whey or hemp

The list can go on. An unopened container (we buy it from Sam's Club) will last a couple of years. In the fridge, an opened container could last probably a year.

NOTE: if you were making this "flaxbread" in a sitution where you can't use a microwave, it's easy enough to do over a campfire or solar oven. Just be sure to use pan-spray on whatever you place it on (aluminum foil, etc).

SECOND NOTE: To make crackers, glop the mixture on a fruit roll tray and dehydrate until not tacky any more. Good way to eat "raw food" because it doesn't get cooked, and you're starting with cold-mill flaxseed (not cooked).

Enjoy!