Squash Burrito Recipe

Squash Burritos with Cayenne Pepper Sour Cream Sauce

 Our garden is overflowing with squash so we are always looking for creative recipes that will allow us to gobble it up!  Here's a simple recipe that I hope inspires you to use your garden goodies in a new way!  If you have any recipes using squash please leave me a comment.

For the Sauce:  Be creative with your sauce!  You may decide to add more pepper, a different pepper or no pepper at all.  Control the thickness of the sauce by adding more or less flour.  Make a cold sauce instead by combining sour cream, broth and your favorite seasonings.

Cayenne Pepper Sour Cream Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 chopped onion
3/4 cup flour
1 - 2 teaspoons chopped cayenne pepper (I used our frozen cayenne peppers from our garden last year.)
1 - 2 teaspoons dried cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream

Instructions: Over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions and pepper.   Once cooked, add flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and stir to combine and cook while stirring for a couple minutes.  Then, whisk in the chicken broth until combined.  Cook over medium heat until thickened to desired consistency.   Turn off heat and stir in sour cream.  Taste and add more seasonings if needed.  Set sauce aside.

For the burritos:

Use whatever squash you can get your hands on!  For this recipe I used 1 zucchini and 1 & 1/2 yellow squash.   I used taco - sized shells and ended up with 20 burritos.  Just like the sauce, use your creativity to create the burrito stuffing mixture. 


Burrito Ingredients: 

Olive oil or other cooking oil

2-3 medium-sized squash cut into 1/4 inch thick half circles
1/2 onion chopped
1 lb. cooked ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepared cayenne pepper sour cream sauce
Tortillas
Shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack.)

Instructions:  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare the filling:  Saute squash and onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until tender but slightly crisp. Stir in cooked ground beef.  Add cumin powder, garlic powder, chili powder and salt and pepper and stir to combine.

To make the burritos:  In a 9x13 pan add enough prepared sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.  Fill tortillas with about 1/4 cup filling, add cheese and a teaspoon of sauce, roll up and place in prepared pan.  Once all the burritos are prepared, pour the remaining sauce over the burritos, cover with cheese and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Garnish, serve and enjoy!  If you happen to have squash blossoms or any other edible flowers consider using them as a garnish.  We have borage flowers in our herb garden that we served. 

Herb Garden Update June 23, 2014

My only flowering Chamomile

It's been a couple months now since I planted my herbs.  This being my first year growing herbs, I have to say I didn't have 100% success.  Out of all the herbs I planted, only the following survived:  Chamomile, Valerian, Wormwood, Hopps, Borage and Lavender.

From those listed above, I am happy with all except for the Chamomile.  Unfortunately, I chose a poor location for them.  Despite being trampled by our dog daily and receiving less than ideal sunlight, they are still alive.  They are growing slowly and one plant started flowering a few days ago.

Valerian

Wormwood

 My Valerian and Wormwood are thriving in the same bed.  When I first planted them they were so delicate and small.  Every time it rained their leaves would stick in the dirt.  Finally, they started to take off.






Our Hopps plant has grown well from the start.  We planted it next to our fence and clothes line and tied a string from a stake in the ground up to the cloth's line so it could vine.  It has nearly reached the top of the clothes line now.

Mt. Hood Hopps

My Borage has started to flower.  I planted the borage directly in the ground in April.  It steadily grew for the past two months in it's own bed.  I have about 10 - 15 plants and about 1/3 have flowers.

According to my research, the best time to harvest borage leaves is prior to flowering.  I plan to harvest some leaves soon and dry them in our dehydrator.  I will then store them in a glass jar.  Dried Borage leaves can be stored and used medicinally for:  skin problems such as inflammation, cold symptoms, PMS symptoms and to aid in digestion.

The flowers are edible.  I am going to start using them in salads and as a garnish.   

Borage

My Lavender has required a little work.  It wasn't growing well in our dense Alabama soil.  After doing some research I realized it needed more drainage and lighter soil.  So, I made a raised rock bed and filled it with a mixture of composted soil and sand.  After being replanted, my Lavender has almost tripled in size.  Although it hasn't started to flower yet, I am optimistic that it will continue to flourish in its new home.

Lavender

New Video Series - Cooking for Gardeners

Lately, I've really been into looking up recipes for things that I am growing in the garden. I've started a board on Pinterest called "Recipes from the Garden"
 Recipes from the Garden Pinterest Board

I've also decided to start a Youtube video series called "Cooking for Gardeners". My first video is about stuffing Pattypan Squash. It's not really a recipe but more of a technique. Check it out!

Seed Giveaway!

In an effort to get subscribers to our new Youtube channel, we are giving away free organic, heirloom seeds! Please see the video here for more information:
Seed Giveaway Youtube Video

List of Available Seeds

Marketmore 76 Cucumber (4 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Rugosa Friulana Yellow Squash (2 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Table Queen Bush Acorn (1 giveaway at 10 seeds)

Red Marconi Bell Pepper (5 giveaways at 20 seeds each)

Mortgage Lifter Tomato (2 giveaway at 10 seeds)

Fengyuan Purple Eggplant (2 giveaways at 10 seeds)

Pantano Romanesco Tomato (3 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Tabasco Pepper (3 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Bush Buttercup Squash (3 giveaways 10 seeds each)

New England Sugar Pie Pumpkin (1 giveaway at 10 seeds)

San Juanito Tomatillo (2 giveaways at 20 seeds each)

Hungarian Heart Tomato (2 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Purple Jalapeno (2 giveaways at 10 seeds each)

Jarrahdale Pumpking (1 giveaway at 10 seeds)

1 Luffa Gourd (1 giveaway at 10 seeds)

Thanks for supporting our new channel!

***Note: Any information such as mailing address will be kept confidential and will not be given or sold to anyone.***

Grinding Corn into Cornmeal and Making Cornbread

Grinding corn is not hard if you have a little time, a little muscle, and the desire to have amazing cornbread. Learn how to do it in our new youtube video.
PS - We bought the Estrella grinder at a Latino grocery store for about $30.

How to Grind Cornmeal and Make Cornbread Video

New Youtube Channel

So, we have decided to create a Youtube channel to share our gardening and homesteading life. Please take a look!!

Alabama Homesteading Youtube Channel

How to Make Homemade Kombucha Part 1: Making Scoby

Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains probiotics.  In this blog post, I'll describe how to make part one of Kombucha .... the Scoby.  Scoby stands for:  Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.  The Scoby feeds off the caffeine and the organic sugars resulting in beneficial probiotics.

Scoby purchased from Kombucha Kamp

After the Scoby is complete, you can use it to create Kombucha tea.  You can find this tea in health food stores for about $3 to $4 for 16 oz.  Making your own at home will save you money considering you only have to make the Scoby once.  Each time you use the Scoby to create the Kombucha it will yield a "baby" Scoby.  From there, you are just using one Scoby, 8 teabags, water and sugar to yield one gallon of Kombucha.

Scoby supplies/ingredients:                               

1 glass container at least 1/2 gallon-sized

Cheese cloth and a rubber band

Strainer if using loose tea

Sauce pan

1 liter of water

3 black teabags or the equivalent in loose tea

1/3 cup sugar

1 bottle of Raw Kombucha

                                                  

Step 1: Make tea.  Pour 1 liter of water into a sauce pan.  Heat water until boiling and turn off heat.  Add the tea bags/tea.  Let steep for the amount of time indicated on the tea's package.  Remove tea bags or strain and then stir in sugar.



Step 2:  Pour tea into glass container.  Once the tea is completely cool, stir in one bottle of Kombucha.



Step 3:  Cover the lid with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.  Store in a cool, dark place for at least 5 weeks or until you see a thick film form at the top.

Note:  The ideal temperature for creating Scoby is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  We place our Kombucha on a heating pad since we don't keep our house that warm.   

Started Scoby March 22, 2014

Scoby formation photos:  I'll keep this blog updated with new images so you can see the process!

 

How to Make Homemade Kombucha Part 2: Making Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is extremely easy to make as long as you have a Kombucha Scoby and starter mix.  Check your local health food stores or purchase one online.  You can also make your own Scoby; for instructions view Part 1 of this blog:  Making Scoby.  We didn't want to wait for our Scoby to form to start making tea so we purchased a Scoby online from Kombucha Kamp.











To make Kombucha tea you will need the following ingredients:

1 Kombucha Scoby with starter mix
8 black tea bags
1 gallon bottled or filtered water
1 cup sugar
1 sterilized glass container
Breathable cloth such as cheese cloth
Rubber band elastic hair band

Kombucha Tea Instructions:

1. Make black tea:  Boil some or all of the 1 gallon water and steep the 8 black tea bags.  Remove tea bags and stir in sugar and the remaining water.  Let cool completely.

2.  Once cool, pour tea into the glass container and add the Scoby and starter mix.  Finally, cover the glass container with the cloth and secure with a rubber band.  Store in a warm place for about 1 1/2 weeks until tangy.  You will notice a new "baby" Scoby has formed.

Scoby purchased from Kombucha Kamp

Note:  The ideal temperature for fermenting Kombucha is 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  We place our Kombucha on a heating pad since we don't keep our house that warm.   

3.  Once ready, consider pouring Kombucha into sterilized glass bottles.  Store tea in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

4.  Now you can repeat the process and make new Kombucha tea using 1 of the Scoby.  Store the new "baby" Scoby in a glass container covered with the Kombucha tea you just made.  Place a breathable cloth on the glass container and secure with an elastic band.  You can store the Scoby for months just make sure you check it periodically adding more Kombucha to keep the Scoby covered.

No Sacrifice Eat - Clean Enchilada Recipe

We are striving to eat healthier: no processed foods, organic vegetables and fruits, organic meats, etc.  Tonight, we needed something that tasted indulgent without compromising our diet.  Introducing ..... my enchilada recipe! I just had to share because they are absolutely delicious, healthy and the best enchiladas I have EVER made.  That star ingredient is: Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Whole Grain Tortillas

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!







Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

1 - 14 oz. can low-sodium tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or other sweetener (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour (or flour of choice)

Sauce Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium - sized sauce pan and heat over medium - low heat until simmering and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Enchilada Ingredients (makes 12 enchiladas)

1 package of Ezekiel 4:9® Sprouted Whole Grain Tortillas
1 cooked and shredded chicken breast
1/2 can low-sodium pinto beans
1/2 can low-sodium black beans
8 oz. Monterrey Jack cheese shredded

Enchilada Instructions:
 
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Prepare the beans:  Rinse and drain the beans and place in a bowl.  Using a fork, mash the beans until you reach the desired consistency.

2.  Prepare filling:  To the beans, add and combine the following ingredients:  shredded chicken, mashed beans, 4 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, and 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.

3: Prepare tortillas:  In a medium - sized bowl, layer enchilada sauce and tortillas covering each with about 1 tablespoon before adding the next.  Let sit for 2-3 minutes maximum.

4.  Assemble enchiladas:  In a 9 X 13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce.  Place about 1/4 cup filling on each tortilla and roll. Place assembled enchiladas in the baking dish and cover with 1/2 of the remaining enchilada sauce.  Place in the pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove and cover enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake for 5 minutes more.

5.  Remove let cool and ENJOY!

Seedlings Update

It's been about 4 1/2 weeks since we started our seeds indoors.  Every variety has sprouted successfully.  We only had a few cups that didn't produce seedlings.  Today I will plant the 2 herbs that have been undergoing cold stratification for the past 4 weeks.

Seedling Pictures 3/22/2014:

Tomatoes

Mt. Hood Hopps

Herbs

Germination Updates - Keep Checking Back

I'll keep this post up-to-date with germination photos. 

Planted seeds:  February 15, 2014.

Feb. 18th: 2 herbs and 1 vegetable have sprouted


  Wormwood                                                                                    Chamomile 

 Pantano Romanesco Tomato

Feb. 19th:  1 new vegetable and 1 new herb sprouted

Mortgage Lifter Tomato                                                               Valerian

Feb. 22nd:  2 new herbs sprouted

Lavender                                                                                       St. John's Wort

                        
















Tomato updates:

Patano Romanesco Tomato                                                          Mortgage Lifter Tomato

 

Started cold stratification for Skullcap and Echinacea:  Placed seeds on wet paper towel, placed in open plastic bag and then stored in the refrigerator.

Echinacea (store for 4 week)                                                          Skullcap (store for 4 weeks)

How to Start Seeds Indoors

This is our second year starting seeds indoors.  We had great success last year using very basic supplies including:  a fluorescent light, heated blanket, plastic cups, drip trays and seed starting soil.  This year we are starting vegetable and herb seeds indoors.

Vegetable seeds

Herb seeds

 
It is so easy to start seeds inside and it is more economical versus buying plants.  Here's how you can do this at home.

First gather the following supplies:

• Table or something that has a flat surface 
• 2 plastic sheets:  one to protect your heating blanket from water and the other to cover your seeds. We use 9ft by 12ft drop cloths.
• Heated blanket 
• Fluorescent light, 2 metal ceiling plant hooks, chain, 2 hooks to attach to the light
• Plastic cups that will be used to germinate the seeds,a permanent marker for labeling and something to poke holes in the bottom
• Drip trays to hold the plastic cups (consider baking tins)
• Seed starting soil ... Do not use potting mix.
• A container large enough to mix water into the soil
• Seeds

Fluorescent light hanging from plant hooks in the ceiling.

Next, prepare you germination center!  

Instal the fluorescent light.  Install the metal plant hooks into the ceiling of your room.  Then, attach the light hooks to the metal chain. Now hang the fluorescent light so that it will be about 10 inches above the plastic cups. 

Plastic sheet over the heated blanket

Place the heated blanket over the table or the flat surface you are using.  Then, cover the blanket with one of the plastic sheets.

 

Mortgage Lifter Tomato seed cup

Now you are ready to begin planting.
You will need the soil, plastic cups, permanent maker, tool to poke holes in the cup, drip trays, water, and a container to mix the soil and your seeds.


First, prepare your plastic cups.  Poke holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain out and with a permanent marker, write the name of the seed on the cup.

Jiffy seed starting soil

Now put soil in a container and mix in water.  Seed starting soil holds a lot of water so continue adding water until the mixture is saturated but not runny.

Filling cups with soil

Now fill the plastic cups with the soil until they are almost full and plant the seeds according to the packet's instructions. 

Seeds under the light and ready for plastic sheeting

Place the cups in the drip tray.  You are now ready to place your seeds under the fluorescent light to allow germination to start.


 
Cover the cups with the second plastic sheeting. Turn on the light and the electric blanket (to the highest or second to the highest setting).




 

Seeds ready for germination

Keep the light and blanket on day and night for best results.  Be sure to water the seeds according to the packet's instructions. 

Good luck!