Blog and Recipes, herbs, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Oregano, quinoa, Sopa de Quinua con Carne, soup

Quinoa Soup/Sopa de Quinua con carne

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Quinoa Soup with Herbs, Veggies & Pork

Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is an herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains.  Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.

This soup is flavorful and good for you. The recipe is an Ecuadorian version.

1 cup Quinoa

8 cups cold water

1 lb. of pork that has been seasoned and diced. (I like to season it with crushed garlic, URBANherbal’s Spicy Mexican Savory Salt, Cumin and Black Pepper.)

2 Tbls. Mexcian Mint Marigold (minced)

1 Tbls. Mexican Oregano(minced)

1 onion, diced and sautéed 

1 lb. of potatoes, cut into chunks

1 cup of cabbage (chopped) 

2 cups of chicken broth

1 packet of Sazón Goya

A few dashes of Salsa de Ají (pepper sauce from Ecuador)

2 Tbls. Unsalted butter

After sautéing the onions, and cooking the pork, it is time to start the soup. In a large pot with lid, add the chicken broth, water and begin to boil it. Add the butter, then the onions and potatoes, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Then add the quinoa, then the pork, and cabbage. Reduce to a simmer. Add the packet of Sazón Goya and a little salt and pepper. Then add the minced Mexican Mint Marigold and Mexican Oregano.  Simmer about 30 more minutes. Serve. *note can substitute chicken instead of pork.

 William Varney 

www.URBANherbal.com

Blog and Recipes

Heavenly Lemon Tart Recipe

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Lemon Tart Picture

Have you been craving a pastry? So have we, and let’s face it, home-made pastries are the best. But your grandmother isn’t walking through that door, so the allure of a local bakery can be tough to dissuade. Lucky for you, we’ve got an awesome lemon tart recipe that you can be proud of. This is a recipe that isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but when you’re finished, you’re going to have something special.

So put your mind to it, and grab those ingredients!

Lemon Verbena Tart with Almond Pastry

Serves 8.

Pastry:

  • 2/3 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon cold water

Lemon Curd Filling:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 6 eggs
  • Juice of 4 lemons, about 1 cup
  • Minced zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh lemon verbena
  • Large bowl of ice water
  • Sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices as garnish

Prepare the pastry. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Process almonds in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until finely chopped.

Add flour and pulse on/off 3-4 times to blend.

Add remaining ingredients and process until dough form a cohesive ball.

Turn dough out into a 10-inch removable bottom tart tin. Press dough into bottom up the side of the tin. Refrigerate the pastry for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to firm it up. Prick dough all over with a fork and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool in tart tin on wire rack.

To make the Lemon Curd Filling: process sugar in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade for 1 minute, or until very fine and powdery.

Add butter chunks and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down side of bowl once or twice. Add eggs and process to blend well. Add lemon juice, zest, and lemon verbena; process for 20 seconds, or until well blended.

Turn mixture out into a heavy 2-qyart saucepan. The filling will appear to be curdled, but will smooth out during cooking.

Cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until mixture is very thick, about 14-15 minutes.

Do not allow the curd to boil!

Remove pan from heat and nestle into the bowl of ice water. Whisk vigorously until the curd is cool, about 5 minutes.

Turn the cooled curd out into pastry shell, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula*.

Refrigerate until well chilled, at least four hours. When ready to serve, carefully remove side of tart pan and slide pastry off the bottom of tin onto a serving plate. Slice into 8 wedges and top each serving with a rosette of sweet whipped cream and a half lemon slice.

*If you’d rather not have the specks of lemon verbena in the finished tart, place a wire mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the cooled lemon custard into the strainer. Using a rubber spatula stir the custard through the wire into the bowl. It will take a few minutes. Keep stirring until all that is left in the strainer is the specks of lemon verbena. Rinse and dry the rubber spatula, then scrape the strained custard from the bottom of the strainer.

Blog and Recipes

Incredible Apple Pie Recipe

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Apple Pie

Nothing says Fall quite like apple pie. This southern comfort dessert is a sure-fire way to impress the relatives, or complete any holiday meal. Our particular version features a white stilton-walnut crust.

This recipe is a little long, but it is absolutely worth it to make a memorable dessert.

Stilton-Walnut Crust Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for rolling the dough.
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
  • 8 tablespoons butter(1 stick) unsalted, cold
  • ¼ cup or 4 ounces of Stilton Cheese
  • 3-5 tablespoons ice water

Filling Ingredients

  • 6 apples
  • 2 lemons, juice only
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon URBANherbal Bourbon Vanilla Extract
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground Saigon Cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Basil, minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

To start, butter and flour a 10 inch pie pan. In a food processor combine the flour salt and walnuts. Pulse a few times to mix the ingredients. Add the butter, about one tablespoon at a time. Add the Stilton Cheese.

Pulse the ingredients until well mixed. Add about 3 tablespoons water, and pulse several times. When it is moist enough to stick together between your fingers it is ready, if not add a tablespoon of water at a time, until it is the right consistency. Do not over process the dough.

Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a large piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a ball, and cut away 1/3 of the dough using a knife. Wrap the plastic around each roll of dough and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, peel and core the apples, and cut them into thin wedges. Place the sliced apples into a bowl and pour the lemon juice over them.

Toss the apples in the lemon juice, this will prevent them from turning brown.

Add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cinnamon basil, nutmeg, raisins, and vanilla.

Extract and walnuts to the apples, and stir until well combines.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the larger ball of dough from the refrigerator, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour. Flour a rolling pin, and work the dough on a large work surface. Work the dough until it is about 1 inch larger than the pie pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and let the excess hand over the pan.

Place the apples mixture in the pan in overlapping circles, on top of the crust.

Sprinkle the remaining flour over the work surface, remove the smaller ball of dough from the refrigerator, flour the rolling pin again and start working the dough to form a large circle about the size of the pie pan. Lay the dough on top of the apple mixture and crimp the dough with your thumb and forefinger. With a knife cut the excess dough from the edge of the pie pan.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Serves 8

Blog and Recipes

Delicious Tapas Class Recipe

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We recently had a wonderful story released about our Cooking and Gardening Classes in the San Antonio Express News.

The Express News food editor, Karen Harem, attended the Growing & Cooking with Edible Flowers class. Since then, we held a Tapas class and wanted to share some of the information with you and one of the recipes that Bill & Terry made.

Served in bars all over Spain, Tapas is a unique cuisine that elevates unique and delicious little bites of food to new heights! Tapas are made from a wide variety of food, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients.

Served hot or cold, Tapas are incredibly versatile. Whatever the occasion tapas can fill the niche.

According to class instructor Terry Thompson-Anderson the dish “meets all my requirements for a successful party food – it’s visually pleasing; it’s made from ingredients that folks are familiar with (men, especially, tend to shy away from party munchies with ‘mystery ingredients’). And it’s mighty tasty.”

Chilled Shrimp Tapas

Chilled Shrimp with Spicy and Cool Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 3 canned Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Adobo Sauce from the chilies
  • 1-1/2 cups sour cream
  • ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ of a medium cucumber (about 5 ounces), peeled, pulp and seeds removed

Preparation:

Makes 2 cups of dipping sauce.

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade and process until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and arrange the boiled shrimp around the bowl.

Blog and Recipes

Three Keys to Surviving a Texas Summer

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Rose Petal Ice Cream

It’s tough to stay cool in the summer. This is doubly true if you’re in Texas, where temperatures often run over triple digits every day of the week. Here in Fredericksburg, we have a few tricks to survive the heat.

Firstly, you’re going to need water and lots of it. Staying hydrated is the most important decision you can make when gardening in the heat. Dehydration is real and its dangerous. Please, drink water regularly while you are tending your gardens.

Second, Fredericksburg is known for its homegrown peaches. They are delicious and refreshing. If you are planning to come to Fredericksburg this summer, it’s a no brainer to get a batch of peaches. They’re not hard to find with many peach stands lined along the highways of US 290 and US 87.

Finally, we have been cooking up a batches of our phenomenal Rose Petal Champagne ice cream. Unlike the peaches, this is something you can get wherever you are. It’s a dessert that we’ve been making for years, and it’s extremely light and refreshing.

Rose PetalsRose Petal Champagne Ice Cream Recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup firmly packed fresh, organic red rose petals
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 6 egg whites, beaten until medium peaks form
  • 6 egg yolks, beaten
  • 6 cups of whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon URBANherbal rose flower water
  • 2 cups of dry Champagne

Preparation:

In a mini food processor mince the rose petals with one cup of the sugar. Set aside. Whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.

In a heavy-bottomed, 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the whipped cream, the crushed rose petals, and all remaining ingredients, except the Champagne, whisking together well.

Cook to 170  degrees, while continually stirring. Let cool down in an ice water bath, stirring often, then stir in the champagne.

Freeze in a commercial ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

Freeze for at least 4 hours to firm up the texture before serving.  Serve with a couple of organic rose petals.

Blog and Recipes

Six Reasons Why Attending an URBANherbal class is Awesome

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Those who attended our Growing and Cooking with Chili class last Saturday, May 25, were treated to a myriad of delicious treats. Each of these incredible (and HEALTHY) foods represents a reason why attending an Urbanherbal Class is a must.

Mango Peach Salsa with Cilantro Recipe

This salsa contains little fat or cholesterol. Plus, it’s simple, fast, and tastes wonderful!

Ingredients:

  • Mango Peach Salsa1 small red bell pepper, blistered, peeled, and seeded, then cut into small dice
  • 1 cup peeled and chopped ripe peaches
  • 1 cup peeled mango, cut into small dice
  • 3 medium-sized serrano chiles, seeds and veins removed, minced
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 green onion, cut into fine dice
  • ¼ cup minced red onion

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized non-reactive bowl (avoid using tin or aluminum). Stir to blend well and allow the salsa to sit for 30 minutes before serving to marry the flavors. Use the salsa the same day it’s made. Enjoy it with warm corn chips, grilled chicken, fish, or pork.

Mixed Green Salad with Cilantro Dressing

The five other fun things we made in the class were:

  1. Mixed Green Salad with Cilantro Dressing
  2. Chilled Yellow Squash & Poblano Chile Soup with Lime & Chile Crema
  3. Roast Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Chile & Mustard Sauce
  4. Seared Spinach with Shitake Mushrooms & Garlic
  5. Slow Burn Brownies

Join our subsequent classes and you too could learn to cook these wonderful recipes!

Blog and Recipes

Edible Flower and Herb Cheese Spread

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Edible Herb and Flower Spread Picture

This easy to make edible flower and herb spread is a great appetizer or snack! We love cooking with edible flowers and have been doing so for over 20 years.

We also have a new Edible Flowers Savory Salts Blend that is wonderful! 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 16 oz. cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced basil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon verbena minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh edible flowers minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Urbanherbal Lemon Dill Savory Salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until thoroughly blended.

Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll the cheese.

Spread into a log and refrigerate for a few hours.

Unroll and garnish with fresh whole edible flowers.

Serve with crackers or small toasts.

Note: Here are a few edible flowers to use. Make sure they are organic!

  • Calendula
  • Chive Blossoms
  • Daylily
  • Dianthus (Sweet William)
  • Hollyhock
  • Lavender
  • Marigold African
  • Nasturtium
  • Rose
  • Violets
  • Pansy

Blog and Recipes

Thyme. Herb Profile

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Thyme Picture
Buy Tomato Thyme Vinegar!
Buy Herbs de Provence Salts using Thyme!

Thyme is a semi-hardy perennial that only grows to about 40 cm tall. There are many varieties of Thyme, but it is most well known for its cooking and medicinal uses.

Thyme has long been a symbol of bravery, and valued for its antiseptic qualities. Dating back to the classical age, the powerful Thymus capitatus which flourishes through out Greece, was commonly harvested by people of the region, It’s tiny leaves were used in baths, strewn in temples and burned as incense to purify the air.

In the 17th century, Nicholas Culpeper, a famous botanist, recommended thyme for coughs, melancholy, even hangovers.

“An infusion of the leaves removes the headache occasioned by inebriation,” Culpeper said.

The two most popular species of Thyme are Garden and Lemon.

Planting and Care.

Thyme is easy to grow from seed. Sow the tiny, round seeds on a moist soil and cover with a fine layer of sifted soil. Water well and keep the soil evenly moist. In one to two weeks, if soil temperatures are near 70F, seedlings should emerge. In the garden, thymes thrive and are most flavorful when given lots of sun – an absolute minimum of four house each day. They also need well-drained soil; sandy loam is ideal.

Harvesting Use.

Thymes belong to the mint family and like their relatives, thyme is rich in volatile oils. The primary oil, thymol, is a powerful antiseptic, beneficial in healing lotions and salves. It is claimed that to relieve respiratory and intestinal ailments. It is also used as a gargle and mouthwash, as a wash for cuts and an appetite stimulant.

Thyme can also serve as a deodorant and it’s astringent, healing qualities benefit skin. In the home it can be used as an air purifier or dry burn it and burn in candles. Thyme is an ingredient in soaps, perfumes as well as potpourri and herb pillows.

Lemon Thyme Butter Hollandaise Recipe.

  • To be served over grilled salmon.
  • 12 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch of red cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Begin by melting the butter in a heavy bottomed 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat.

When the butter is melted, continue to cook it, watching carefully until it turns golden brown. This will happen fairly quickly, about 3-4 minutes, and it goes from golden to burned in the blink of an eye. Remove from heat at once and turn out into a small pitcher.

Cover with plastic wrap to keep hot.

In work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, lemon thyme, cayenne, and salt. Process until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This step is very important as the egg yolk mixture must be very fluffy before adding the butter.

With the machine running, add the browned butter in slowly, a steady stream through the feed tube, until it has all been added.

Process an additional 20 seconds with a strong emulsion. The sauce should coat the back of spoon heavily.

Turn out into a bowl and keep warm over simmering water. Whisk well before ready to use and serve over grilled Salmon.

 

Blog and Recipes

Delicious Rose Flower Water and Rose Geranium Pound Cake

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This Mother’s Day, why not make a cake for your Mom and surprise her? Here is one of our favorites made with Rose Flower Water and Rose Geranium leaves.

ROSE FLOWER WATER & ROSE GERANIUM POUND CAKE

  • 6 rose-scented geranium leaves
  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons URBANherbal rose flower water
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 3 cups unbleached flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Zest from one small lemon
  • Powdered sugar, bittersweet chocolate, organic red roses, rose geranium leaves as optional garnishes

Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter and flour a 10 inch tube pan. (We like to use a heart shaped pan.)

In a food processor, finely mince geranium leaves with sugar.

Add butter and cream mixture until light.

Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add rose water and extracts.

Blend well.

Sift flour, salt and soda together 3 times.

Add alternately with the sour cream to the butter mixture.

Add lemon zest and blend well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 to ½ hours or until golden and firm.

Loosen edges with a knife, and let stand for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert on rack to cool.

Glaze or dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with bittersweet chocolate. Garnish.

 

Blog and Recipes

Tasty Caprese Salad!

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Tomatoes,Basil & Mozzarella Salad

A Caprese salad is an easy way to use up tomatoes and basil. The fresher the basil and tomatoes are the better the salad.

These ingredients are suggestions and you can add more or use less.

Ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 medium fresh ripe tomatoes
  • 12 to 20 fresh Italian basil leaves
  • 4 to 6 oz. fresh mozzarella (Paula Lambert’s from The Mozzarella Company is best)
  • 5 Tbsp. URBANherbal Coffee Fig Balsamic Vinegar
  • URBANherbal Lemon Dill Savory Salt to taste
  • Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut your tomatoes and mozzarella into thin slices. Rinse your basil leaves and pat dry.

Layer your tomato slices, mozzarella and basil leaves on to a serving platter or small plates.

2. Drizzle the Coffee Fig Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil over the salad and season with Lemon Dill

Savory Salt to Taste and Fresh ground pepper.

Ready to serve at once.

Makes 4 to 6 servings