Miso Tofu

Adapted from a recipe from Superior Tofu.

INGREDIENTS

1 package Superior Extra Firm Tofu
1/2 cup miso paste
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp demerara or brown sugar
2 Tbsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

Slice the tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Mix all the remaining ingredients together, adding a little water if necessary to make a thick runny paste. Coat the tofu in the paste and marinate in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, turning halfway to make sure they are evenly marinated.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the tofu slices on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the tofu, baste with more marinate, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve over noodles or salad.

Refreshing Lemon-Mint Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt & coarsely ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the ingredients in a salad dressing shaker or a small jar with a tight fitting top. Shake well and pour over salad.

Diapers and Other Baby Items

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about babies. Everything I've learned has been from watching my nephew, who just turned two years old in July, and talking to my sister. One thing I've noticed is that parents all have very different preferences when it comes to things like diapers. There are so many different options just in disposal diapers, including compostable ones, chlorine-free ones, and diaper “systems” that have reusable and disposable components. Add in all the different brand names, and I wouldn't even know where to start figuring out what to stock. However, I can special order a wide variety of diapers by the case. Most cases of diapers are only 4 packages, so there's a good chance you'll use them up before the baby outgrows them, and they won't require huge amounts of storage space.

If you are interested in buying diapers, just give us a call or email for a price quote. Here are some of the brands we can order through our suppliers: Nature Babycare Eco-Diapers (diapers sizes 1-6 and training pants sizes 4-6), Seventh Generation (sizes 1-6), Broody Chick Chlorine-free Compostable (newborn, infant, toddler, and junior), Earth's Best Tendercare Chlorine-Free Disposable (sizes 1-5), Mama Zone Eco-Responsible Compostable (stages 1-4), and the GDiaper System (reusable gPants in small, medium, and large, plus gCloth inserts and flushable refills in small and medium/large).

We can also special order baby wipes, including biodegradable ones, compostable ones, unscented ones, and ones made of organic cotton, but they often come in cases of 12 or more units in a case. If you would be interested in buying less than a full case, please let us know and if there's enough interest, we can bring wipes into regular stock.

We do have a few baby-orientated things already in stock. The most obvious items are in the Baby Foods section of our website and include jarred baby food, arrowroot cookies, and Stonyfield's YoBaby Yogurt. We also carry an unsweetened, full-fat yogurt that's very popular with babies: Greek Gods Traditional Plain Yogurt. My nephew loves that stuff plain or with some fruit stirred in.

If there's an organic food item or an eco-friendly household product you would like to be able to buy from us, please give us a call at 604-708-2345 or email info@greenearthorganics.com. We will try to bring it into stock or try to special order it for you.

Happy organic living and eating!

Blackberry Pie

Blackberry season is my favourite. There's just nothing like walking out of your front door with a pail and plunging knee deep into brambles loaded down heavy, juicy berries that leave their good purple stains everywhere. It's been a slow summer for just about everything this year, but the blackberries are here in full force. In honour of their abundance, I've committed to baking up ten fresh blackberry pies before their season is over. I've already got three down, so I don't think it's going to be a problem. Pie for breakfast, pie for dessert, pie for a late night snack, pie to share and give to friends, pie to celebrate this last stretch of such a glorious season. Anyone else want in on a tasty ten pie challenge?

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, very cold (if you're looking for a shortcut, freeze your butter and then grate it in instead of cutting. It works!)
1 cup ice cold water

For the filling:
5 to 6 cups fresh blackberries, washed
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, depending on how sweet your berries are
2 Tbsp sornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice


DIRECTIONS

Fold the filling ingredients together in a bowl and set aside while you prepare the crust. The cornstarch keeps your pie from being halfway to berry soup, but can easily be left out if, like me, you like a little berry soup.

In a wide bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar for the crust. Either cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives or, if it's frozen, grate it in. Either way, you want to end up a mealy mixture that has some butter lumps the size of small peas and others the size of oats. Do your best to keep the butter cold, cold, cold by not handling it too much. Add in your water, starting by drizzling about half a cup over the mixture and gathering it together with a rubber spatula or a fork. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely comes together. You're going to need to get in there with your hands to know.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and nudge gently into two balls. If the dough is simply too crumbly to stay together, add a little more water. If it starts getting sticky, you've added more than you need (to know for next time). Chill those babies in the fridge for an hour or two if you're patient and think ahead; start rolling if you're not.

Make sure your surface and your rolling pin are still well floured and then roll one of the balls of dough out into a disc that more or less fits your pie pan. Scoop it up by rolling it loosely over the rolling pin and then unrolling onto the pan. You can always mend holes with a little bit of cold water as glue. Roll out the top crust in the same way.

Add your filling and place the top crust over it, sealing the two crusts together with a little cold water and by folding the bottom crust up over the edge of the top one and crimping (a fancy word for pinching) it closed. Make some decorative slashes in the top crust to let the steam out. Stick it in the oven at about 375 degrees until it's brown and crispy and bubbling irresistibly. Then try to resist and let it cool.

Eat and enjoy!

Garlic Broccoli with Cashews

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp demerara sugar or brown sugar
3 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

DIRECTIONS

Steam or boil the broccoli until bright green and just tender, about 7 minutes.

While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the sugar, tamari, vinegar, pepper, and garlic. Heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.

Silken Tofu in Apricot-Honey Sauce

INGREDIENTS

8 fresh apricots
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp honey
1 package silken tofu - drained, patted dry, and cut into 1/4 inch slices

DIRECTIONS

Set aside 4 of the apricots. Peel, pit, and puree the other 4.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugar. Cook and stir until the sugar has melted and is lightly browned. Remove from heat and continue stirring until caramelized. Put over low heat and mix in the pureed apricots, vanilla, and honey. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until thickened.

Arrange the tofu slices on dessert plates and drizzle with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled. Pit and slice remaining 4 apricots. Serve tofu with sliced apricots on the side.

Strawberry Blueberry Mock Margaritas

In honour of a sunny summer Friday, a recipe and some pictures courtesy of a wonderful Green Earth Organics' member.

INGREDIENTS

Frozen strawberries
Frozen blueberries
Lemon or lime juice
Lemon or lime zest
Agave syrup
Water if necessary

DIRECTIONS

You choose the amounts. Experiment. Blend. Enjoy!

(I bet this would also work with fresh berries and ice cubes.)

Mango-Strawberry Smoothie

Adapted from a recipe from Superior Tofu.

INGREDIENTS

2 x 100 g Superior Tofu Organic Mango Soy Pudding
1/3 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup water, milk or soy beverage, or juice
1/3 cup ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients in a blender, cover, and blend until smooth. Makes two servings.

Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse

Adapted from a recipe from Superior Tofu.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chocolate chips
1 package Superior Silken Tofu
2 - 3 Tbsp strong, cold coffee or espresso
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Chocolate shavings for decoration (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Melt the chocolate chips over a pot of simmering water or in a microwave, stirring frequently.

Mix the tofu, coffee, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla with an immersion blender until very smooth.

Ladle the melted chocolate into the tofu and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour this mixture into ramekins or small bowls and top with chocolate shavings if using. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Hot and Cheesy Party Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 package of taco mix
200 g of your favourite cheddar, shredded
1 jar of mild or medium salsa
1 small container of sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, combine taco mix with shredded cheese. In a heat safe casserole dish, spread the salsa on the bottom, then the sour cream on top of salsa, and then top with the seasoned shredded cheese.

Bake until the cheese has begun to bubble. Serve with your favourite chips, crackers, or veggies.

One Egg Tamagoyaki

INGREDIENTS

1 egg
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp tamari
1/2 tsp sugar
Sunflower oil for cooking

DIRECTIONS

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat.

Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a fork or chopsticks.

When the pan is hot enough that a drop of water dances and evaporates immediately, pour in the egg. Stir gently with a fork or chopsticks until half-set. Use a spatula to fold the egg in half. Fold one third of the egg over with the spatula and press down. Fold the other third over and press the whole thing down.

Flip over and press again. Remove from heat promptly.

Quinoa Power Bars

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup soy protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup nuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried fruit, coarsely chopped if necessary
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use 2 cups of leftover cooked quinoa or cook a half-cup of raw quinoa according to the package directions.

Combine oats, flaxseed meal, protein powder, baking soda, salt, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, sugar and flour in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa, apple sauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and water. Add the quinoa combination to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread mixture into the pan, pressing down with hands until even. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, cut into bars, and wrap well. Freeze any bars you won't eat within a couple of days.

August Special!

Prepay for your deliveries and receive a 10% bonus! Until August 31st only, prepay $200 or more towards your future bins and you will receive a 10% bonus credit. For example, if you prepay for $300 worth of food, you will receive an additional $30 credit, for a total of $330 of delicious organic fruits, vegetables, and groceries.

Prepayments can be used starting immediately, so get a great deal starting with your August deliveries! They also won't expire, so prepay now for your deliveries in September and onwards!

To arrange for a prepayment using any method of payment, please call us in the office at 604-708-2345 or email us at info@greenearthorganics.com.