Me Oh My Oh Mayo

I never imagined that I would be making my own mayonnaise.  Not that I didn't know I could. I just figured why make my own when I can buy it ready made. Then came my quest to eat real food.  Clean food that is as close to what God created as I can get.

Today I read the labels on food products we use regularly and am aghast at how far from real it has become.  I found a recipe for mayo in Well Fed, a great book on eating real food by Melissa Joulwan that turns out perfectly every time.  This mayonnaise is so good I actually lick the spatula when I've scraped as much out of the bowl as possible.  

These days I refuse to buy any of the so-called mayo products on the store shelves. My devotion to making my own mayo is two-fold.  I know what I'm getting and it is so-so good.  I use it to make all kinds of dressings for salads and sauces for meats and fish.  I have since found a lot of mayo recipes, but still go back to this one. It is simple, basic and flexible.   I've added a bit to the instructions as a lot of people are concerned about using raw eggs.  I was and after seeing that I could actually pasteurize my own eggs and that salmonella is rare.  I make certain that my eggs are clean.  

Making mayo is easy and how little time it takes--about ten minutes max.  The secret to making great may is to use room temperature eggs and pour the oil in very slowly.  

Homemade Mayo

Ingredients:
1 egg  room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon juice  room temp 
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 cup light olive room temp (May substitute Macadamia Nut Oil or other nut oil.)

Directions:
1. Wash the egg to get rid of any bacteria. I often slip the egg into boiling water for about 60 seconds to pasteurize it. All of your ingredients should be room temperature. 

2. Place the egg and lemon juice in a blender or food processor with the dry mustard, salt, and  1/4 cup of the oil. Blend until mixed well.

3. With the food processor or blender running pour the remaining 1 cup of oil into the top opening.  I cover part of it with my hand to keep the mixture from splashing out.  Pour the oil in very slowly--drizzle it in over  2-3 minutes.  Slow and easy.    

4. The mayo will do well in the refrigerator for about a week. I tend to go by the expiration date on the eggs, but it never lasts longer than a week so I don't worry.  

I use this mayo with tuna and chicken and ham to make a salad. I also use it with some mustard to make deviled eggs.  I made t his fantastic dressing using my mayo, a little mustard and a teensy bit of honey, Mix it with balsamic vinegar for a great tasting dressing.  It works as a salad dressing with nothing added. 

I will add a disclaimer in that I can't promise you'll never  get salmonella from your home made mayo, but  I do what I can to make certain my eggs are clean and from healthy hens--organic, cage free.  And clean.  

Delicious and Nutritious Muffins

Love these muffins! 

I originally found this recipe in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo* but have since found it on several sites so not sure where it originated.  It's gluten, grain and dairy free. They have no added sugar but are naturally sweetened with dates, bananas and carrots.  Yum!  I keep them on hand most of time for when I want a healthy treat.  I find these gems are great with a savory dish like spaghetti squash and meat sauce or with chili. Or with tea or coffee as a morning treat.  They also freeze well. We need that as twenty muffins will last a couple of weeks.  Not long ago I brought these to a potluck and dressed them up with a dollop of cream cheese frosting.  

Carrot Banana Muffins

2 cups almond flour

 2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

1 TB. cinnamon

1 cup dates, pitted 

3 ripe bananas

3 medium eggs

1 tsp. raw apple cider vinegar

 ¼ cup coconut oil

1 ½ cups carrots, shredded

¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

2. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil.

4. Transfer both mixtures to a large bowl and blend until completely combined.

5. Fold in carrots and walnuts.

6. Spoon mixture into the paper-lined muffin tins.

Note: you can also lightly grease the muffin tins with coconut oil instead of using paper liners.

7. Bake at 350 ° F for 25 minutes.

8. Let cool before removing from pan. Serve warm or cold.

These delicious muffins keep well when frozen, so it’s easy to make a large batch when you have extra time. They thaw quickly and make a great traveling snack or breakfast on the go.

*Glaspey, Jason; Quinn, Neely (2012-04-03). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo (p. 144). Penguin Group. 

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Eating-Paleo/dp/1615641491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365208111&sr=8-1&keywords=the+complete+idiots+guide+to+eating+paleo