0 Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime...

I meant for this article to come out over the Memorial Day weekend since it's the traditional start of picnic and barbeque season, but I've been very busy and got delayed. However, summer is just getting started and there is still plenty of time to enjoy outdoor dining.

This past Memorial Day weekend I went to a friend's farm to enjoy an outdoor barbeque. It was pretty simple fare and a somewhat small gathering, but the food was delicious nonetheless. One of the things I like best about eating these kinds of foods is that they are quick and easy to make and don't heat up the kitchen when you're preparing them. As I said it was a small and simple affair, we had hot dogs cooked over an open fire, a garden salad, pickled beets (Sept 2, 2011), coleslaw, home made pickles and pickled cucumbers (Oct 18, 2011). There was cheese, chili (Mar 13, 2012), chopped onions and sauerkraut for toppings and watermelon for dessert. Mmmm, Mmm, good.

I remember last July when my friends from Japan came to visit, it was so hot and I wanted to have some friends and family over for a small get together. So I made a complete meal of cold salads – it didn't heat up the house and they were delicious as well as filling. We had a large garden salad, tabbouleh (Mar 6, 2012), rotini salad (Sept 20, 2011), cucumbers in sour cream (Sept 2, 2011) and fruit salad for dessert. It might have been hot inside the house as well as outside, but eating this dinner was refreshing and much better than eating a heavy, hot meal. Another night while they were visiting we had Fondue (Oct 8, 2011) for dinner with cut vegetables and cheese on the side, this also made a light meal that didn't heat up the house.

Besides your traditional hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and steaks, you can also make shish kabobs (Mar 20, 2012) on the grill. Everyone can make their own so it's fun and healthy too. You can also make kabobs with fruit to serve as dessert.

It's good to keep in mind when it's hot that foods made with mayonnaise and sour cream can spoil easily so why not look at alternatives that aren't prepared with them. Use salsa (Sept 12, 2011), hummus or baba ghanoush (Feb 23, 2012) as dips and you can make coleslaw and potato salad without mayonnaise too – recipes follow. The last thing you want to do is have people over for a party and they end up in the emergency room with food poisoning.

Here are some more salad recipes:

Traditional Coleslaw
4 c cabbage, shredded (you can also add some red cabbage for color)
½ carrot, julienned (cut into thin slices)
3 Tbl mayonnaise
1 Tbl apple cider vinegar*
½ tsp sugar*

Put cabbage and carrot in a bowl. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together, add to cabbage mixture and mix well. Serve cold.

*Substitute rice vinegar for apple cider vinegar and cut out the sugar.

Coleslaw without Mayonnaise

4 c cabbage, shredded
½ carrot, julienned (cut into thin slices)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 Tbl rice vinegar

Put cabbage, carrots and green onions in a bowl, add vinegar and mix well. Serve cold.

Traditional Potato Salad

6-8 red potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ c mayonnaise
½ c sour cream
2 Tbl mustard
2 Tbl vinegar
½ tsp salt

Boil potatoes until “fork tender”. Cut into 3/4” cubes, cool to room temperature (do not add hot potatoes to the mayonnaise). In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar and salt. In a large bowl, put potatoes, onion, eggs and celery, add mayonnaise mixture and mix well. Serve cold.

German Potato Salad (No mayo)

3 c red potatoes
4 slices of bacon
1 small onion
¼ c white vinegar
¼ c water
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped

Boil potatoes until “fork tender”. Cut into 3/4” cubes, set aside. Cook bacon in a skillet until brown and crisp, set aside. Cook onion in bacon grease, until browned, then add vinegar, water, sugar, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then add potatoes and parsley. Crumple and add half of the bacon, cook until heated through, transfer to a serving dish, top with the remaining bacon (crumpled) and serve warm.

Traditional Three Bean Salad

1 can green beans, drained
1 can yellow beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
¼ c green pepper, chopped
1 c red onion, sliced thin
½ c cider vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
½ c sugar

Combine beans, green pepper and onion. Whisk together remaining ingredients, pour over bean mixture, mix well. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Serve cold.

Making salads might be a little more time consuming than buying them already prepared at the super market – but as always, they're cheaper and healthier if you make them yourself. Check out the canned three bean salad – I bet it's got high fructose corn syrup and a lot more salt too. I'd say that you could make traditional coleslaw for about 50-75 cents – the same amount from the deli will set you back at least 3 dollars!

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0 Mishmishiya – Huh??? Apricot & Lamb Stew – Eww???

Sometimes things sound more appetizing in their original language. Mishmishiya (mish – mish – eye- ah) derives it's name from the Arabic word for Apricots – Mishmish. This recipe's origins seem to come from a 13^thcentury cookbook produced in Persia (Iran). Although I've also read that it originated in either Egypt or Morocco. Of course over time, nearly 800 years, there have been many changes made to the recipe. If you find the original recipe you'll discover that they used closer to 1 tsp of nearly all of the spices and 2 tsp of cinnamon, they also cooked the dried apricots in a separate pot of water, strained them through a sieve and added both the cooking water and the apricots to the stew. Several modern recipes use whole dried apricots, and sometimes raisins and chickpeas.

The recipe below came from my good friend Gareth. It's really a pretty easy dish to make and has a nice spicy (not hot) taste to it. Since lamb is both expensive and hard to find he often substitutes beef. As I always say – when you cook from scratch you have the ability to experiment and change the recipe to suit your taste. I prefer to cut the cinnamon in this recipe down to ¼ tsp as I don't like too much cinnamon in my food. Traditionally this dish was probably served with or over rice or couscous. However you can add chickpeas to it like a lot of people do today, or add lentils, or potatoes to it, or serve it over quinoa, bulgur wheat or even pasta.

Mishmishiya

2 lb lamb or beef sliced thin
2 onions, finely chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ginger or ½ inch sliced ginger root
¼ tsp saffron or turmeric
¼ tsp mastic (optional – used as a thickener)
½ lb dried apricots, diced
1/3 c almonds, chopped fine or ground
1 tsp rose water (optional – adds a rose flavor/scent to the dish)
black pepper to taste
salt to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Brown meat with onion, salt & spices. Add apricots and almonds, cover with water, cook slow for about 2 hour, sprinkle with rose water. Add water depending on how thick you like your stew. Serve hot over rice or couscous.

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0 Potato Pancakes, Draniki, Kartoffelpuffer or Latkes

I'm sorry I'm so late with updating my blog. Until last week I used a mobile modem to access the internet and my carrier was down for an entire week. They probably would have repaired their service sooner had they listened to their customers that complained their service was down (approximately 6,000 people) – instead they told everyone that there was no problem with their system and that it was the customer's problem. After speaking with several local residents and finding out that we were all suffering from the same problem and all getting the same run around, I called and spoke with several customer service reps, finally escalating the call to a supervisor. The company (Virgin Mobile, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprint) finally sent in an engineering request and service was restored within a couple of hours.  Also, I discovered (after so many phone calls) that they outsources their customer service to India, that didn't help matters, when I have a technical problem I need to speak to someone that has deep understanding of the language that I speak, not someone that has a rudimentary capability and reads from a script. After getting the problem resolved I went to the local cable company and had internet installed from them. I'm now back up and running – thanks for sticking with me!

So, potato pancakes – what are they and where did they come from? They are a fried pancake made from either mashed or grated potatoes with flour and egg, they are usually seasoned with onions, garlic and/or other spices. They are another one of those dishes that can be found around the world including India and Korea, although they are mostly found in Northern/Central Europe. They are probably most famously known as Latkes and eaten by Jews during Hanukkah.

Potato pancakes are another dish that you can get creative with. As I mentioned in a previous article they are a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. You can try making them from sweet potatoes, or you can add a variety of vegetables to them, try adding scallions, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms or cauliflower. You can add fruit to them like blueberries or apples or you can even add cheese to them! You can top them with sour cream, caviar, salmon, applesauce, cheese, guacamole, salsa or powdered sugar. Just decide if you want sweet or savory and go for it!

Traditional Latkes

6 medium potatoes*
1 onion, chopped fine
3 Tbl flour or matzo meal
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp parsley
2 Tbl olive oil

Grate potatoes either with a food grater or in a food processor. Put grated potatoes in a large collander or sieve, rinse with cold water, drain and squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Beat the eggs, salt and parsley together, mix with potatoes, onions and flour. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Make each pancake from about a ¼ c of mixture dropped into the skillet, flatten slightly, lower heat and fry until one side is browned, turn over and fry until the other side is brown. Serve hot.

* You can also use left over mashed potatoes – adjust other ingredients accordingly. I usually use whatever potatoes I have left, ¼ – ½ chopped onion, 1 egg, a little parsley and enough flour to hold them together.

Latkes can be made in advance and frozen. Heat in a 300 degree oven on a cookie sheet until heated throughout. If you decide to try adding any of the ingredients mentioned above, make sure that you chop or grate them as well or the pancakes will fall apart.

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0 Homemade Pizza vs DiGiorno Cheese Pizza

My family is from the New York/New Jersey area, so I was raised eating New York style pizza. To me there is nothing like it and I've strived to make my dough as close to that standard as possible. New York style pizza came into being in New York City in the early 1900's, with the first pizzeria, Lombardi's, opening in 1905.

What sets it apart from other pizza? It's all about the dough... It's a hand-tossed thin crusted pizza made from high-gluten bread flour that has a crunch to it, but also soft enough to fold and eat. They say that the mineral content of the New York area has something to do with how the dough comes out – it probably does because as close as I can get it, it's not quite the same.

Real New York Pizza also is pretty basic – dough, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese – NO CHEDDAR!!!! They're also much larger than your typical pizzas – a pizza is usually 18-19 inches. Of course you can add other toppings like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, etc. I believe another New York secret is to drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil before putting the sauce on and directly after putting the sauce on, lightly sprinkle a little oregano before adding the cheese and toppings. Most New York pizzerias also have oregano, granulated garlic, red peppers and grated parmessan cheese on the counter or table to add to your pizza.

Homemade Pizza

Pizza Dough
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 c warm water
2 ½ – 3 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ Tbl extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp sugar

In a large bowl, mix yeast, water, olive oil, salt and sugar, stir well to proof. After about 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well. Add all of the remaining flour, except ½ c and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 qt bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, place pizza stone on bottom rack of oven (if you don't have one you can use a round pizza/cookie sheet).

Divide dough into 2 portions and form into balls. On a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Transfer to a pizza peel (wooden board with a little bit of corn meal on it), top with toppings, transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake until crispy and golden brown, about 12-18 minutes (depending on toppings). Remove from the oven with the pizza peel and serve immediately.

Sour Dough Pizza Dough
1 c sour dough starter
1 c warm water
2 ½ – 3 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 ½ Tbl olive oil

In a large bowl, mix starter, water, olive oil and salt. Add half of the flour and mix well. Add all of the remaining flour, except ½ c and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 qt bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, place pizza stone on bottom rack of oven (if you don't have one you can use a round pizza/cookie sheet).

Divide dough into 2 portions and form into balls. On a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of about ¼ inch. Transfer to a pizza peel (wooden board with a little bit of corn meal on it), top with toppings, transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake until crispy and golden brown, about 12-18 minutes (depending on toppings). Remove from the oven with the pizza peel and serve immediately.

Pizza Sauce (see Sept 4, 2011 article, or try this...)
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 Tbl oregano
1 ½ tsp garlic powder

In a medium size bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.

Now you've got your dough and your sauce – the rest is up to you. Again, the nice thing about making food yourself is that you can add whatever ingredients you like – extra sauce, extra cheese, anchovies, whatever you want. If you're from Pennsylvania, you'll probably want to add some cheddar cheese to your pizza. I've got friends from Japan that have put toppings together that I never would have thought of – but the combinations were delicious. Remember that the more toppings you add (or the wetter the toppings are) the longer your pizza will need to bake. So have fun and experiment...

Topping Ideas
Mozzarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Feta Cheese
Soy Cheese
Tofu
Spinach
Garlic
Onions – Red, White, Yellow or Brown
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Black, Green or Kalamata Olives
Red/Green/Yellow/Orange Bell Peppers
Banana Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers
Artichoke Hearts
Capers
Zucchini
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Pesto
Ham
Pepperoni
Sausage
Ground Beef
Canadian Bacon
Bacon
Chicken
Anchovies
Veggie Burger
Veggie Bacon

Comparison

Price of Homemade Cheese Pizza - $1.75 (made with yeast – sour dough would cost less)

Price of DiGiorno Cheese Pizza - $6.99

Preparation Time for Homemade Pizza – About 30 minutes (not including rising time)

Preparation Time for DiGiorno Pizza – About 20-25 minutes, depending on how you like your crust

Ingredients in Homemade Pizza – Flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, garlic, corn meal

Ingredients in DiGiorno Pizza – Flour, water, mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, sugar, vegetable oil, white corn meal, grated cheese blend, salt, sodium bicarbonate, yeast, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium aluminum phosphate, datem, spice, garlic, ascorbic acid, yellow corn meal

DiGiorno claims that one pizza is 6 servings, so that's what I used as a comparison...

Nutritional Data for Homemade Pizza
Calories 290
Total Fat 8g
     Saturated Fat 4g
     Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 24mg
Sodium 430mg
Total Carbohydrates 38g
     Dietary Fiber 2g
     Sugars 2g
Protein 14g
Vitamin A 6%
Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 31%
Iron 15%

Nutritional Data for DiGiorno Pizza
Calories 320
Total Fat 11g
     Saturated Fat 5g
     Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg
Sodium 840 mg
Total Carbohydrates 39g
     Dietary Fiber 3g
     Sugars 8g
Protein 16g
Vitamin A 8%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 20%
Iron 8%

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0 Yummy Poached Salmon, another meal in under 15 minutes

Ok – the rice has to be cooked ahead of time, but if you make extra rice at another meal then you can cook and serve this one in under 15 minutes.  If you don't have cooked rice on hand, then just cook it regularly and do not add it to the vegetables and salmon, the whole meal will be done in about 25 minutes. Don't forget that making extra rice, beans or mashed potatoes will help you make a quick meal mid-week. There will be a future article on potato pancakes (or Latkes) which will show you one way to use up those extra mashed potatoes.

I've already given you two ways to cook salmon, Teriyaki Style (Sept 6, 2011) and Broiled with Dill (Sept 21, 2011), but now as it starts to warm up here in Arizona I'm less likely to want to use my oven so this meal can be made on the stove top and all in one pan. If you're diabetic I would suggest eating only half of the serving of rice. I would also suggest adding another steamed vegetable to the meal – such as broccoli, asparagus or brussels sprouts, or a side salad. You can always add those vegetables to the dish too!

Don't forget for a healthy diet you want to try to eat fish or seafood two to three times a week instead of meat. I tend to stick with salmon and shrimp, because I can get good deals on them fairly regularly at the store. But if you have the opportunity to buy tuna steak, mahi, scallops, lobster, or other seafood – go for it! I'm not one for flounder, halibut, tilapia or orange roughy – but certainly those are good for you too. I had a “to die for” Sea Bass recently in a local restaurant, but then found out that they are being over-fished, so I wouldn't want to encourage anyone to eat them.

Yummy Poached Salmon

2 4-6 oz filets
½ c sliced red pepper
½ c cut fresh green beans
½ c sliced mushrooms
½ c chopped onions
½ c sliced green olives (with pimento)
4-6 cloves garlic
2-3 Tbl butter
½ c water
1 c cooked brown rice

In a large pan saute all of the vegetables in butter, until onions are transparent – about 3 minutes. Add water, bring to simmer. Add salmon, top the entire dish with rice – cover pan with tight lid. Cook about 3 minutes, turn salmon over, stir rice and vegetables, cook covered for another 3 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 2

Nutritional Data
Calories 496
Total Fat 25 g
     Saturated Fat 9 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 88 mg
Sodium 1038 mg
Total Carbohydrates 35 g
     Dietary Fiber 6 g
     Sugar 4 g
Protein 28 g
Vitamin A 32%
Vitamin C 67%
Calcium 9%
Iron 13%

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0 Rock Cornish Hen

Cornish hens are a tasty little bird, with all white meat perfect for a romantic dinner for two, or a special occasion/small dinner party. I love them but they're a little on the pricey side at about $6 each, sometimes you can get them on sale for a lot less or you might find them more reasonably priced at Sam's or Costco.

The Rock Cornish Game Hen (as they are more formally known) were originally bred only about 60 years ago by a woman, Alphonsine “Therese” Makowsky, who escaped from the Nazi invasion of France and settled on a farm in Connecticut. She cross-bred them from Cornish game cocks, White Plymouth Rock hens and Malayan Fighting cocks. She meant for them to be a substitute for her flock of Guinea hens that had burned in a fire but they were so popular with her customers and with some of the finest restaurants in New York City that they became her farm's main source of income, filling orders for as many as 3,000 hens a day!

Cornish hens can be stuffed, surrounded by vegetables and potatoes like a roast, or just roasted by themselves. I prefer to cook them unstuffed and alone in the roasting pan and I like to serve them with wild rice and asparagus. This recipe makes a tasty sweet/tangy glaze for the birds. As always, use this as a guide and experiment with what you like. Because they are on the small side, they cook quickly making for a relatively fast and simple to prepare meal – especially if you don't stuff them.

Simple Glazed Cornish Hen

1 hen
2 Tbl orange marmalade
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put hen in roasting pan, brush marmalade all over the hen, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove and let sit for a few minutes to let the juices settle. Cut in half and serve each person half of the hen. Serves 2.

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0 Shish Kabob or Skewered, Grilled Food...

When I was a pre-teen I loved going to a local restaurant with my parents and ordering Beef Shish Kabob. It may have had something to do with being served a flaming skewer. I mean, how impressive is that? But really, I loved the taste of the juicy grilled meat, the soft and slightly burned cherry tomatoes, green peppers, onions and mushrooms. It was delicious and seemed very special to me. I guess this restaurant would have been classified as a “steak house”, so it never occurred to me that Shish Kabob was anything but American food, although the restaurant was owned by a French woman...

At that time I didn't know that traditional Shish Kabob was Turkish, I wouldn't find that out for about another ten years... Did you know that skewered, grilled food can be found around the world? Such as French Brochettes, Indonesian Satay, Japanese Yakitori and Greek Souvlaki. Sometimes I find it amazing that similar ways to prepare food develop around the world, just like another one of my other favorite foods, Polish Pierogi, Armenian Manti, Chinese Shuumai, Japanese Gyoza, Spanish or Mexican Empanadas – or in other words, stuffed dumplings! Yum! I think stuffed dumplings might be an article in the future.

Anyway back to skewered, grilled food. As I got a little older and started to cook, I tried skewering chicken, and shrimp as well as beef. I found that they're all good, and you can also cook a lot of different vegetables besides those basic onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. And as you can imagine based on all of the different countries that grill skewered food, there are lots of different meats, vegetables and spices that can be used too. You can make something as simple as skewered cubes of beef, separated by onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, brushed with (or marinated in) olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and grilled (or broiled in the oven). Or something as exotic as, minced fish mixed with shredded coconut and spices molded to the skewer and grilled.

Once you cut all of your food up, the skewering and the cooking is very fast, so this can be a quick mid-week meal too. You can also incorporate dipping sauces, like we did with the oil-based fondues (October 8, 2011). If you're having a party you can cut up different meats and veggies, put them in bowls and let people make their own skewers. So once again, get creative, experiment with your cooking and enjoy.

Basic Shish Kabob

½ c olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 lb chicken, cut into 1 - 1 ½” cubes
1 bell pepper (any color), cut into 1 – 1 ½” squares
½ onion (yellow, white or red), cut into 1 – 1 ½” squares
8-12 mushrooms
8-12 cherry tomatoes
8-10 bamboo skewers

In a large bowl mix olive oil, garlic and salt. Add the remaining ingredients, allow to marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking (you can marinate up to 24 hours in advance). Soak bamboo skewers in water for about an hour prior to grilling to keep them from burning. Alternate meat and vegetables on skewers, grill for about 10-15 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until the meat is cooked. Serves 4.

Other meat ideas:
Lamb
Goat
Pork
Beef
Sausage
Shrimp
Squid
Octopus
Sardines
Eel
(Tofu)

Other veggie/fruit ideas:
Eggplant
Corn on the cob (sliced into ½” thick rounds)
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Brussels Sprouts
Fingerling Potatoes (boiled until cooked)
Pineapple
Apples
Pears

Other spice ideas:
Turmeric
Ginger
Chili Peppers
Soy Sauce
Parsley
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme

Dipping Sauce ideas:
Dijon mustard & Vinegar
Yogurt & Cucumbers
Soy Sauce, Ginger & Brown Sugar
Vinegar & Chili Sauce
Peanut Sauce

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0 Do Beans belong in Chili con Carne? Home made chili vs Stagg Classic Chili

It would seem that historically the answer is no. The first documented recipe for chili comes from one of Cortez' captains written in 1519 and contains only boiled tomatoes, salt, chiles and meat. There's a lot of controversy about what belongs in chili and what doesn't. What kind of meat to use, pork or beef...chopped or cubed...what kind of chiles...what kind of beans...which spices... However, the great thing about cooking is that you can make a dish anyway you want to. You can make chili with meat, with beans, without meat, or without beans – whatever combination you desire. Certainly just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean that you can't eat chili.

I think a great chili is like a great stew – take what you've got in the house, throw it in a pot, add some spices and cook it until it's done, you've got chili. You can use corn, squash, pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, black eye peas, tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, beets, potatoes, and/or tofu in chili. You can serve it over rice, french fries, fritos, baked potato, macaroni, spaghetti or other pasta. You can top it with cheese, onions, sour cream and/or crackers. Today there's even such a thing as white chili – using white beans, chicken, peppers and no tomatoes. Use whatever you've got. Remember, that experimenting with cooking makes it fun.

Basic Chili

2 Lbs lean ground (or cubed) beef
1 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped (remember I like garlic – you might want to only use 2)
1 bell pepper, chopped
½ c chopped green chiles (or jalapenos, if you like spice)
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes (low sodium)
2 15oz cans tomato sauce (no HFCS)

¼ c chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans kidney or pinto beans

Place oil and ground beef in pan, brown over medium-high heat, once beef is brown, add garlic, onion, pepper and chiles, cook for about 5 more minutes. Drain if necessary – if you used a good quality beef, you shouldn't need to. Put all ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serves approx. 8-10

Don't forget that you can use ground turkey, chopped chicken, ground pork, texturized vegetable protein or tofu instead of ground beef. Or even leave the meat out, and add another meatless day to your week it's good for you and it's good for the environment.

Comparison

Home made chili ingredients: Ground beef, olive oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile pepper, kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Stagg Chili Classic ingredients: Water, beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, dehydrated onions, chili seasoning (spices, paprika, sugar, salt and flavorings), modified cornstarch, jalapeno peppers (vinegar), flavoring, salt, dehydrated bell peppers and spices

Cost of home made chili: Approx. $17 for about 132 oz, or .13 cents an ounce

Cost of Stagg Chili Classic: $2.89 for 15 oz can, or .19 cents an ounce


Preparation time for home made chili: 1 hr, 20 min, or 10 min per serving
Preparation time for Stagg Chili Classic: 5 min

Nutritional Data for home made chili
Calories 307
Total Fat 17 g
     Saturated Fat 6 g
     Trans Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 61 mg
Sodium 502 mg
Total Carbohydrates 20 g
     Dietary Fiber 6 g
     Sugars 5 g
Protein 21 g
Vitamin A 50%
Vitamin C 42%
Calcium 8%
Iron 26%

Nutritional Data for Stagg Chili Classic
Calories 330
Total Fat 17 g
     Saturated Fat 7 g
     Trans Fat .5 g
Cholesterol 45 mg
Sodium 810 mg
Total Carbohydrates 27 g
     Dietary Fiber 6 g
     Sugars 6 g
Protein 16 g
Vitamin A 10%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 6%
Iron 15%

Alright, well home made comes in a little cheaper per ounce – but if you were to buy the same amount of Stagg's as you made home made it would cost you about $25.40 instead of $17. You can always freeze the extra chili. Heating your left-over chili would take about the same amount of time as heating the Stagg's, so time spent up front would need to be figured into the whole batch. In other words, you would be spending about 10 minutes per serving making the home made versus the 5 minutes you spent heating the canned. Now, look at the nutritional differences – a few less calories, but a lot less sodium, less total carbohydrates, more protein and more vitamins. I think the home made is a winner. Not to mention that you can make it taste exactly the way you want it to taste.

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0 Home made Tabbouleh vs Near East Tabbouleh Mix

Tabbouleh was originally an Arabic dish traditionally made from bulgur, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Variations were made by the Turks and Armenians and it's become a popular ethnic food in the United States. Bulgur is made from wheat and has only had a very small amount of the bran removed so it's considered a whole grain. It has a high nutritional value and makes a good substitute for rice or couscous.

I know it's still a little cold outside to be thinking of salad dishes, at least for a main course but this is very nutritious and can be a side dish as well as a main course. Tabbouleh is good served with other salads, like rotini salad (September 20, 2011), hummus or baba ghanoush (February 23, 2012). Or with kabobs, grilled/broiled salmon (Sept 6 & 21, 2011), grilled chicken or grilled portobello mushrooms (February 7, 2012).

Basic Tabbouleh

½ c dry bulgur
1 ½ c warm water
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 3 tomatoes, diced)
¼ red onion, finely chopped
½ cucumber, diced
½ c parsley, chopped
1-2 Tbl mint, chopped (I don't particularly like mint, season to taste – some recipes call for up to ½ c)
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 Tbl olive oil
½ tsp salt

Soak bulgur in a large bowl with warm water for about 1 - 1 ½ hours. Mix in remaining ingredients, chill for at least 1 hour. Serves 5

You can be creative with this recipe too! You can add ½ c chopped romaine, or ½ c chopped spinach, or ½ c chopped red or green pepper or ½ c chopped black olives, or ½ c golden raisins, or a minced clove of garlic, or even a cup of chopped cooked chicken - or even all of these suggestions (but if you do that I'd double the basic recipe) - for extra protein, you can substitute quinoa for the bulgur - you top it off with some Feta cheese too - whatever you like, make it your own!

Comparison

Price of Home made: About $3.75 total
Price of Near East Tabbouleh: $3.50+ tomato, lemon juice & olive oil, about $5.00 total

Home made Preparation: Soak in warm water 1 hr*, cut and mix ingredients 10 min, refrigerate 1 hr – Approximately 2 hr & 10 min
Near East Tabbouleh Preparation: Boil water, soak covered for 30 minutes, (cut & add tomato, lemon juice & olive oil), refrigerate 1 hour – Approximately 1 hr 35 min.

Home made Ingredients: Bulgur wheat, tomato, onion, parsley, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, olive oil & salt
Near East Tabbouleh Ingredients: Bulgur wheat, salt, parsley, onions, molasses, garlic, spearmint, honey, black pepper (You have to add tomato, lemon juice & olive oil)

Well, home made comes in at about $1.25 cheaper and has the added ingredient of a half a cucumber and does NOT contain molasses or honey (you don't need a sweetener in this dish). It only takes about 5 more minutes to chop the additional ingredients and an extra 30 minutes to soak* the bulgur. And if you look at the nutritional data below, you'll see that home made has less calories, less sodium, less carbs and more vitamins.

*Sure you can boil water and soak the bulgur for only 30 minutes also – but you lose some of the nutritional value in the bulgur when you boil it. For that matter, you can cook it in the microwave in about 2 minutes if you are really in a hurry.

Nutritional Data for Near East Tabbouleh
Calories 120
Total Fat 3 g
     Saturated Fat .5 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0%
Sodium 270 mg
Carbohydrates 23 g
     Dietary Fiber 5 g
     Sugars 2 g
Protein 4 g
Vitamin A 6%
Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%

Nutritional Data for Home made Tabbouleh
Calories 91
Total Fat 3 g
     Saturated Fat 0 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 g
Sodium 241 mg
Total Carbohydrates 15 g
     Dietary Fiber 4 g
     Sugars 2 g
Protein 3 g
Vitamin A 17%
Vitamin C 30%
Calcium 3%
Iron 5%

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0 Kale, the forgotten green...

Some people don't like kale because it has a slightly bitter taste and it can be a bit tough – if you're one of these people there are ways to prepare it that will surprise you and perhaps change your dislike for this super veggie (23 Super Veggies, October 12, 2011). One of the great things about kale, besides it's health benefits, is that it has a very long growing season so it's available throughout most of the winter.

Kale is in the same family as broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. It's super nutritious, so you should consider adding it to your diet. One cup of kale has 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 180% RDA of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and get this a whopping 1,020% of vitamin K. Kale is good for your bones, eyes, muscles, reduces your risk of cancer, helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. One thing to keep in mind though is that kale contains high levels of oxalates which can interfere with the absorption of calcium, so avoid eating calcium rich foods at the same time as eating kale.

A friend of mine, Gareth, cooks kale in a mixture of left-over pickle juice and water to help mask the bitter flavor. You can also cook it with a couple of cloves of garlic and some red wine vinegar, or you can eat it raw in a salad, chopped up in soup, or tossed into some pasta with pine nuts, olive oil and feta cheese. Below is a recipe for a healthy nutritious meal using kale with quinoa and sweet potatoes. Also I've provided a recipe for baked kale chips which you can make and use as a healthy substitute for potato chips.

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but I was inspired to try it because of a similar dish that I like at a local vegan restaurant called POCO. I have to say that I like POCO's a lot better. I'll need to do some more experimenting with this, I think that it might be better with less balsamic vinegar mixed into the kale before baking.  You can also substitute acorn or butternut squash for the sweet potatoes and maybe garnish it with some feta cheese.  Give it a try yourself, tell me what you think and if you make changes to it that you like better let me know what they are. Thanks!

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups kale
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sweet potatoes and red onion slices in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together and then put them on a large baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir a few times while baking.

2. Drizzle kale with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. When the sweet potatoes and onions have been in the oven for 15 minutes, put the kale in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until kale is wilted and starting to get a little crispy.

3. While the vegetables are roasting, make the quinoa. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool quinoa cool to room temperature.

4. When the vegetables are done roasting, let them cool to room temperature. Chop up the red onion slices and kale. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, sweet potatoes, red onion, and kale. Drizzle the salad with remaining three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and add in the dried cranberries. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6

Nutritional Data

Calories 256

Total Fat 5 g
     Saturated Fat 1 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 62 mg
Total Carbohydrates 50 g
     Dietary Fiber 5 g
     Sugars 17 g
Protein 6 g
Vitamin A 226%
Vitamin C 71%
Calcium 8%
Iron 13%

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
1-2 Tbl olive oil
salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse, dry and remove stems from kale. Put into a bowl, drizzle with oil, covering as much of the leaves as you are able. Place kale on a baking sheet, in a single layer, sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes – check at about 12 minutes, you want them to be dark green and crispy – do not burn.   For more flavor, you can sprinkle with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, etc.

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0 An easy and cheap dinner, roast chicken

Sometimes buying a whole chicken and roasting it is one of the cheapest meals, containing meat, that you can make. Not only is the chicken itself very reasonable, but you can throw the carcass into a pot and make chicken broth, or if there's enough meat still on there you can make chicken soup.

I made a roast chicken the other day when my mother came over for dinner. We both had a nice dinner that night, I had a chicken sandwich the next day, then cut off a lot of meat and made a pot pie (large enough for 2-3 people), then I boiled up the carcass and made chicken soup (enough for 4 good size bowls of soup). Now I'll admit that this was not an organic chicken, but it was on sale for only $3.50 – that comes to about .39 cents a meal. I would imagine that an organic chicken would probably run about $8 or .89 cents a meal, I don't think that price can be beat.

It might not be as tasty as a Thanksgiving turkey, but it does have a nice flavor and it's super easy to prepare. It does however take longer than picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. Roasting your chicken will take just a few minutes to prepare, but it will take about 2 1/2 hours to roast. But as with everything you make from scratch – you know exactly what's in it, there is no hidden salt, sugar or chemicals. Try this very basic recipe and start experimenting with new ideas later...

Roast Chicken

4-5 lb whole chicken
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl olive oil
1 apple, quartered
1 orange, peeled & quartered
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove giblets from the chicken. Rinse chicken, be careful not to splash water onto counter or clean dishes to avoid cross contamination. Pat dry with a paper towel. Stuff the cavity with the apple and orange pieces. Put into a large roasting pan – breast side up, cut butter into small pieces and arrange on top of chicken, pour olive oil over top of chicken, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt & pepper. Roast for 2 ½ hours at 375 degrees, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven, let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving (remove and discard apple & orange).

While chicken is resting you can make a gravy to serve with it (November 19, 2011). You can also stuff the chicken with home-made stuffing (November 21, 2011) instead of the apple & orange, cut the recipe in half and cook the extra stuffing in a casserole dish to have with left-overs. Or you can roast the chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions around it too, just like the roast pork recipe (February 10, 2012).  By stuffing the chicken (or putting potatoes around it) and roasting it with vegetable you will save preparation time and still be able to serve a delicious and nutritious home cooked meal.

Serve chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, a salad, and a steamed vegetable or two, like broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, spinach or green beans.

Don't forget that you can make a pot pie (November 28, 2011) and/or soup (January 23, 2012) too! You will have a lot less meat left over to make the pot pie, so adjust the recipe accordingly and make it in a small casserole dish or in a regular pie plate.

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0 What is hummus? How healthy is hummus?

Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made mostly from chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Chickpeas are very high in fiber and protein. They also contain folate, Omega-3's, calcium, iron, zinc and mangnesium. The second major ingredient in hummus is tahini (sesame seed paste) which is also high in protein, fiber, monounsaturated fat, calcium and iron. You'll remember from my previous article that fiber, folate, Omega-3's and calcium all help to lower blood pressure. Also, beans are known to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and help prevent cancer.

You can eat hummus as a dip for vegetables, use it as a spread on sandwiches, serve it with crackers, pita bread or bruschetta, mix it with salsa for a healthy and spicy bean dip, or add broth (or water) to it and use it as a salad dressing.

It doesn't seem that most pre-made hummus' have too many added ingredients, with the exception of preservatives. But, the cost to make homemade hummus is about half the cost of store bought. So instead of spending about $4 for 7 oz of some name brand, why don't you make your own for only about $3 for 16 oz (using canned - it's even cheaper if you use dried beans!), it's easy and takes less than 5 minutes. When you make your own you can also season it to taste just the way you like it.

This recipe was given to me by an old family friend about 25 years ago. Since then I've modified it just a bit. I don't usually keep tahini on hand and it's quite expensive, but since I do make a lot of asian stir frys I always have sesame oil on hand.  You can use about 2-3 tablespoons of sesame oil in lieu of the tahini in the recipe. Also, he and I really like garlic, so the recipe calls for an entire head of garlic but you can use about 4 cloves or less, if you don't want as much of a garlicky taste.

Hummus

2 c well cooked garbanzo beans, drained (or 1 - 16 oz can drained)
2 ½ Tbl tahini (or 2-3 Tbl sesame oil)
3 Tbl water
2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 head of garlic, peeled
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cumin (or paprika)
¼ tsp black pepper
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine chickpeas, tahini, water, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Add garlic, salt, cumin and peppers. Process to blend. Correct seasonings to taste. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready – will store for 5 days. Sprinkle with paprika when serving.

Here's an interesting take on Baba Ghanoush...

Baba Ghanoush
1 lg eggplant
2 c well cooked garbanzo beans, drained (or 1 - 16 oz can, drained)
3 Tbl tahini
¼ lemon juice
¼ olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
½ tsp salt

Slice the eggplant in half, place on baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes until soft. Let cool. Scoop out eggplant and place in a food processor, add remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready – will last 5 days.

For a more traditional Baba Ghanoush, just leave out the garbanzo beans.

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0 Mushrooms - vegetable, fruit or ?

Mushrooms are unique in that they are neither a vegetable nor a fruit, technically they are not even a plant, they are a fungi.  I love mushrooms, sauteed in butter & garlic they make the perfect accompaniment to hamburgers, steaks and shrimp. They taste great in salads, soups, gravies and stir frys too.  Most of us are familiar with those white button mushrooms in the grocery store, but there are many different varieties of mushrooms out there and they all have their own characteristics. Check out today's recipe for a Portobello burger, it's so good you won't even realize that you're not eating meat!

Eating mushrooms is very healthy too! Mushrooms contain L-ergothioneine, B vitamins, vitamin D, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, protein and magnesium, They help the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer. These healthful qualities remain whether they are fresh, cooked, dried or powdered too! Mushrooms are 90% water and only have 18 calories a cupful.

I wouldn't suggest you go out and pick wild mushrooms as there are many poisonous varieties, but I understand that you can buy kits and grow your own mushrooms. I haven't done that yet, but I am interested. If I do it, I'll let you know how it goes. I met a man in Japan that was growing Shiitake mushrooms on a tree log in his backyard, he claimed it was very easy to do. If you grow mushrooms or start growing mushrooms, let me know how it works for you.

Here are some common mushroom varieties:

Button – The white “button” shaped mushrooms that we're all used to seeing in the grocery store. They are delicious in salads, soups, sauces, gravies, sauteed and in stir frys.

Crimini – These are the coffee colored version on the Button mushroom, they're also commonly called “Baby Bellas”. They are in fact baby Portobellos – if left to grow you'll get a regular Portobello mushroom.

Enoki - These slender white mushrooms need only brief cooking and have a very mild taste. They are good in soups & salads.

Maitaki – This Japanese mushroom resembles the fluffed tail feathers of a nesting hen. It's used widely in Japanese cooking.

Oyster – Has a broad, fan or oyster shaped cap, can be between 2 and 10 inches in diameter. They can be white/gray or tan/brown in color. Commonly used in Asian cooking, can be used in soup, sauces, stir frys or stuffed.

Portobello – This is a large coffee colored “Button” mushroom. They have a very beefy flavor and texture and are good sliced and sauteed, or grilled whole. See today's recipe.

Porcini – Has a large brown cap and can reach 14 inches in diameter. They are held in high regard in many cuisines and can be used in soups, pasta or risotto.

Shiitake - Have brown slightly convex caps that range in diameter from 2-4 inches. These are very flavorful mushrooms, you will remember that I used them to make vegetarian Dashi and also put them in my Miso soup (Sept 26, 2011).

Portobello Burgers with Roasted Pepper Paste

“Burgers”
2 Tbl olive oil
1/8 c balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl fresh rosemary, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
4 large portobello caps
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp coarse pepper
4 slices of smoked mozzarella, part-skim (optional)

Combine first four ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Add mushrooms, shake and let stand for 15 minutes. Broil or grill the mushrooms for 6 minutes on each side. Season with salt & pepper while cooking, add the mozzarella during the last minute of cooking so that it melts on top.

Roaster Pepper Paste
1 (14 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1-2 tsp olive oil
handful of fresh parsley leaves
2 lg cloves of garlic
¼ tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a thick sauce.

Spread the sauce on the top hamburger buns/rolls. Place your mushroom on the bottom bun. Add lettuce (or spinach), onions and tomato, cover with top bun and serve. Serves 4

Nutritional Data (does include mozzarella, but does not include bun, lettuce, tomato or onion)
Calories 212
Total Fat 14 g
     Saturated Fat 4 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 18 mg
Sodium 1821 mg*
Total Carbohydrates 13 g
     Dietary Fiber 4 g
     Sugars 2 g
Protein 13 g
Vitamin A 18%
Vitamin C 92%
Calcium 28%
Iron 10%

* Most of this sodium is in the marinade, I don't know how much you would actually consume but I would assume it would be much less.

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0 Chicken Soup, it's not just for when you're sick...

Ok, the other day I had a friend over for dinner and I made a whole roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, string beans and fresh whole wheat sour dough bread. We had a great time, enjoyed the dinner – but what to do with the leftovers? Well, I could have made chicken pot pie, but there wasn't that much left. So I made chicken soup.

Really, making chicken soup isn't that different than making turkey soup. But since I didn't have all of the leftovers that I had at Thanksgiving, I changed it up a bit. For your basic chicken soup, you would just boil the carcass, pick off the meat, add some veggies, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and maybe some barley, rice or lentils. But this recipe is tasty and has a little zip to it. If you're at all familiar with Bisbee, Arizona this soup is very similar to the Chicken Tortilla Soup served at the historic Copper Queen Hotel.

Mexican Chicken Soup

1 ½ lb chicken, diced
1 onion (white, yellow, brown or red), chopped
½ green pepper, chopped
2 Tbl garlic, crushed
2 Tbl jalapeno, chopped
2 c tomatoes, diced
2 c corn
2 c kidney, pinto or black beans
1 Tbl cumin
2 Tbl cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
4 c water or chicken stock

If you're using a chicken carcass, uncooked thighs or whole breasts, put in large pot, cover with water and boil for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bones, set aside to cool. If you are using boneless raw meat, chop meat up and put it in a large pot with water or stock. Add remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer. After the bones have cooled, pick off what meat you can (only what looks appetizing, if it looks tough or grizzly throw it away), discard bones. Add this meat and the meat you cut off the carcass before boiling it to your soup. Cook about 20-30 minutes.

Serve hot, garnish with tortilla strips or chips, a sprig of cilantro, or a wedge of lime and a dollop of sour cream.

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0 Beef Stew...

I eat a lot of soups, stews and curries all year long, but I find that I make a lot more soups and stews in the winter. Probably for a couple of reasons, I entertain more and have more large pieces of meat that I need to use up, it's cold out and soup tastes good and makes you feel warmer, last and most importantly because it makes for an incredibly cheap and easy meal. You might be wondering what the difference is between soup and stew. Basically, soup is any combination of meat and/or vegetables cooked in a liquid, stew is pretty much the same thing, except that there is usually less liquid and a thicker broth.

The next couple of articles will be about different stew/soups. And what goes well with stew? Bread! So, I plan on doing a couple of articles on bread too.

I won't be doing a comparison between my stew and something like Dinty Moore because there is no comparison. When you make soup or stew at home you make a POT of soup or stew, and you use whatever is in the house most of the time too, so I'm not going to compare to a can of stew or soup. But I'm pretty sure that it's a lot cheaper to make your own and by cooking up that extra meat and veggies that you have in your refrigerator you will probably be throwing away less rotten food too.

Just like my turkey soup recipe I don't really have a recipe for beef stew, I just throw a bunch of stuff in the pot and cook it up so you will have to bear with me. This is the best representation of what I do to make stew, you don't have to follow it completely and as always be creative – add the spice, veggies and flavors that you like best. Also, your soup or stew will always taste better after sitting for a day or two – so if you have time cook this in advance, store for a couple of days in the fridge and then eat it.

Beef Stew
1 lb or 2 cups beef, cubed (this can be off of a roast, or you can buy stew meat at the store)
1 c carrots, sliced thin
½ c green peppers, chopped
½ c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

4-6 mushrooms, chopped

½ c green beans, chopped
1 15 oz can corn (low-sodium)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (low-sodium)
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 bay leaves
2 Tbl flour
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl olive oil
¼ c red wine
salt & pepper to taste (approx ¼ tsp of each)
¼ c lentils
¼ c pearl barley
8 cups of water

Put butter and oil in a large pot over low heat. Add carrots, peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms and green beans, saute for a couple of minutes. Mix the flour, salt & pepper together, then dredge the beef in the flour mixture. Add the meat to the pot, cook until browned. Add the wine to the pot to deglaze. Once all the bits are off the bottom of the pot add the corn and tomatoes. Raise the heat to medium. Next add the water and spices. Bring to a simmer, add the lentils and barley. Cook until the lentils and barley are done – about 30 minutes. You may want to add more water or you may want to make a slurry of flour and water and thicken it. Remove bay leaves before serving.

You can substitute or add a couple of potatoes cut into cubes instead of the lentils and barley. Or you can add rice. Change out the vegetables and spices to your liking – maybe add celery, squash, or peas and some curry, nutmeg or cinnamon.  You may want to add more salt. This recipe makes about 8 servings.

Nutritional Data
Calories 208
Total Fat 6 g
     Saturated Fat 2 g
     Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 40 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Total Carbohydrates 23 g
     Dietary Fiber 5 g
     Sugars 2 g
Protein 16 g
Vitamin A 54%
Vitamin C 23%
Calcium 3%
Iron 12 %

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0 Thanksgiving leftovers...tired of Turkey Sandwiches?

I love having turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving. Sometimes I make them with just butter, salt and turkey, other times I add mayo, wasabi mayo, maybe some stuffing, and even cranberry sauce – but how many sandwiches can you eat? Or, how much meat do you have leftover? And if you're like me and most of my friends & family you also don't eat dark meat. So, just what do you do with the dark meat and the other stuff?

Well, I make Turkey Pot Pie which uses nearly everything leftover and then I boil the bones up and make Turkey Soup. After all, this turkey gave it's life for us, so I think that we should eat as much of it as possible. Pot pie and soup are also a great way to “hide” dark meat, I usually use about 2/3 white and 1/3 dark in the pot pie and about 2/3 dark and 1/3 white in the soup. This year I had almost no white meat left, so I also made a batch of dog food with the excess dark meat.

Now, I don't really have a recipe for either of these so you'll have to bear with me. I really do throw most of my leftovers into the pot pie – but I don't know what you cook for Thanksgiving dinner so I'll try to give you an idea of what goes into mine and you can try putting your leftovers in yours – taste it and tell me all about it.

Some things that I've put into the pot pie are: turkey, stuffing, creamed onions, carrots, peas, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli, pickled red cabbage and asparagus. I will say right now – this is not a healthy meal, but it is certainly delicious. Ok, here's an attempt at a recipe...

Turkey Pot Pie

2 times pie crust recipe*
4-6 c turkey cut into bite size pieces
1- ½ c gravy
2 carrots, sliced thin or 1 c carrots
½ c onions sliced thin or creamed onions
1-2 c green bean casserole
1 c stuffing
1 c evaporated milk or cream
1-2 Tbl butter
1 c water

In a large pot combine turkey, gravy, carrots, onions, green bean casserole, stuffing, milk, butter and water. Heat over a medium flame, stirring occasionally – the consistency should be fairly thick, if it's not then make a slurry with about half a cup water and a heaping tablespoon flour and add it to the mixture, simmer until it thickens. Line a 13x16x3 roasting pan with the pie crust, pour contents into pan. Cover with the remainder of the crust and bake at 425 degrees for about an hour.

Now, I've used leftover mashed potatoes in the mixture, and I've also used them on top – kind of like a Shepherd's Pie.  You also don't have to make a pie this large - you can make smaller ones in regular pie plates or in ramekins - you can even freeze them before they're baked and cook them later – so get creative.

Pie Crust Recipe – *double this recipe for a 13x16x3 pot pie
1 1/3 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c vegetable shortening
3 Tbl water

Sift flour before measuring. Combine flour & salt. Cut in shortening (you can use a pastry cutter if you have one, but a fork works just as well). Sprinkle with water. Work into dough. Using a rolling pin roll out to a thin crust.

I'm not sure how many people this serves – I'm sure that it should serve at least 8 people, but I don't think I've ever gotten that many servings out of it because everyone likes it so much.

The ingredients in the turkey soup don't change much from year to year, but of course the quantity of turkey does – just try to keep it all in proportion, or at least the way you like your soup. Pick as much meat off of the bones as you can – I usually throw the legs in whole, it's not worth the effort to pick the meat off of them until after they're boiled. Also, if you're like me and you don't eat the skin – throw that into the pot too, it will help flavor the broth.

Turkey Soup
2-4 c turkey
1 c celery, diced
1 c carrots, sliced or diced
¼ c onion, chopped
½ c green beans (optional)
½ c stuffing (optional)
¾ c barley
2 tsp salt
½ tsp poultry seasoning
1-2 bay leaves
pepper, to taste
water

Put the turkey carcass (and skin) into a very large pot, cover with water, boil for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bones, set aside to cool, remove skin and discard. While the bones are cooling, add remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer. After the bones have cooled, pick off what meat you can (only what looks appetizing, if it looks tough or grizzly throw it away), discard bones. Add this meat to your soup, cook until the carrots are tender – serve hot.

Good luck and remember these are just guidelines – get creative and enjoy yourself.

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0 What grains and legumes are good for you?

What's most important about this list of grains and legumes is that you eat them “whole” not processed. That's why brown rice is good for you and white rice is just a starch with some vitamins. If you buy oats, buy old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats. Whole-wheat can be good for you, but it has to be “whole” not processed – no white bread, no white-wheat bread, etc. Corn and peas are very good for you, but remember to eat them as your starch, not as your vegetable.

If you suffer from Celiac disease you can make pancakes from buckwheat, you can also eat brown rice, quinoa and millet. People that have Celiac disease should also be able to eat barley and oats, add them one at a time to your diet once you have it under control to make sure that you don't have a reaction to them.

Barley: High fiber, selenium, copper, tryptophan and niacin – good for the heart and colon, may lower your risk of diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Black beans: High in protein, fiber and phytonutrients – good for the colon, lowers your risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Brown rice: High in manganese, selenium, magnesium, tryptophan and fiber – helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, it reduces your risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke, may help people with migraines.

Buckwheat: High in phytonutients, manganese, tryptophan and fiber – good for the heart, protects against diabetes, helps prevent gallstones, may help prevent breast cancer and does not contain gluten so it can be eaten by those with Celiac disease

Chickpeas: High in molybdenum, manganese, folate, fiber, tryptophan, protein, copper, phosphorous and iron – lowers risk of heart disease, diabetes, is good for the colon and makes you feel more full.

Corn: High in antioxidants, thiamin, folate, fiber, vitamin C, phosphorous, manganese and vitamin B5 – may help lower blood pressure, good for the heart, digestion and regulating blood sugar levels.

Lentils: Contains protein, molybdenum, folate, fiber, tryptophan, manganese, iron, phosphorous, copper, potassium and thiamin – helps lower cholesterol, reduces risk of diabetes, helps prevent diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome, good for your heart, muscles and sexual health.

Millet: High in manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and phosphorus – good for the heart, tissues, bones and may reduce your risk of diabetes and breast cancer.

Oats: High in manganese, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorous, thiamin, magnesium, protein and fiber – good for the heart and colon, lowers cholesterol, helps stabilize blood sugar, lowers risk of diabetes.

Peanuts: High in antioxidants, manganese, tryptophan, niacin, folate, copper and protein – good for your heart, reduces your risk of stroke, prevents gallstones, helps you lose weight and may help prevent Alzheimer's.

Peas: High in vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C, fiber, thiamin, folate, vitamin A, tryptophan, phosphorous, vitamins B2, B3 and B6, magnesium, protein, copper, iron, zinc and potassium – good for your heart, promotes blood sugar regulation, protects against stomach cancer.

Quinoa: Contains proteins and all nine essential amino acids, high in manganese, magnesium, iron, trytophan, copper and phosphorus – good for muscle health and is especially good for migraines, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Rye: High in manganese, fiber, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorous, magnesium and protein – helps promote weight loss and gall stones, lowers risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Spelt: High in manganese, fiber, phosphorous, niacin, magnesium, protein and copper – reduces risk of atherosclerosis, helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, gallstones and breast cancer.

Tofu (while technically is not a legume, it is made from soybeans which are legumes): Contains protein, tryptophan, manganese, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, copper, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, amino acids and isoflavone – good for muscles

Whole-wheat: High in manganese, fiber, tryptophan and magnesium – helps promote weight loss and colon health, prevents diabetes and gallstones, lessens chronic inflammation and reduces risk of breast cancer.

Buckwheat Pancakes

1 c buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbl sugar

½ tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 c milk

2 Tbl melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk and butter, mixing well after each ingredient. Pour ¼ cup onto hot, lightly greased griddle or skillet. Cook until top bubbles and edges look dry, turn over and cook until golden brown. Makes 4 pancakes/4 servings.

Nutritional Data for Buckwheat Pancakes

Calories 207

Fat 7 g

Carbohydrates 31 g

Protein 7 g

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0 10 essential nutrients for better health and what food they're found in

We all know that we should probably consume more vitamins, and a lot of people take vitamin supplements or eat processed food with “added vitamins” but did you know that your body doesn't absorb synthetic vitamins as well as natural ones? And when you're eating that processed food with “added vitamins, added fiber, low-fat”.... whatever.... you're also consuming a lot of corn and soy by-products, added sugar, and added salt. Just eat natural whole foods... Below is a list of 10 essential nutrients, what they do for your body and the foods that they are found in naturally.

Vitamin D for healthy bones, lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke and aids in loosing weight by making the body feel full sooner.
- Spending time outdoors in the sun, eating salmon, mackerel, tuna fish, mushrooms, milk & eggs

Magnesium for lowering your risk of heart disease.
- Eating halibut, navy beans, artichokes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, tomatoes, tofu, broccoli, spinach, pomegranate

Vitamin B-12 is good for the brain, nervous system and blood production.
- Eating liver, raw oysters, raw clams, king crab, swiss cheese, raw egg, cow milk, lamb and salmon

Potassium helps your body use glucose for energy, lowers blood pressure, it's good for muscles, your heat and cognitive abilities.
- Eating artichokes, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, mushrooms, prunes, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, potatoes, pomegranate, broccoli, and oysters

Iodine is good for your thyroid gland and helps you burn calories.
- Eating eggs, kelp, oysters, milk and yogurt

Iron helps your body store oxygen and for oxygen and electron transport.
- Eating bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tofu, pomegranate, oysters

Zinc is found in the brain, muscles, bones, kidneys and liver.
- Eating beans, nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, spinach, lentils, pomegranate, king crab, oysters

Copper is for oxygen and electron transport
- Eating brazil nuts, molasses, sunflower seeds, green olives, avocados, mushrooms, pineapples, prunes, tomatoes,sweet potatoes, tofu, oysters

Calcium keeps bones strong, is used for neurotansmitter release, helps muscles contract and electrical conduction for the heart.
- Eating kelp, seaweed, almonds, sesame seeds, molasses, beans, figs, quinoa, amaranth, collard greens, okra, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, leeks, spinach, pomegranate, tofu, oysters

Selenium is used by the thryroid gland.
 - Eating nuts, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, tofu, oysters

Hmmm, how about making a quiche or a frittata... the ingredients in them contain most of those nutrients!

Salmon Frittata
6 eggs
2 Tbl milk
1 Tbl butter
¼ c mushrooms, sliced
1 c fresh spinach, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
4 oz smoked salmon, chopped
2 oz cream cheese or farmer's cheese, cubed
¼ c sweet potato, sliced very thin
1 tsp dill weed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

In a large oven proof skillet, melt butter and saute scallions, mushroom, sweet potato and spinach for about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add salmon, cheese, dill, salt and pepper, combine well. Pour into skillet. Cook until egg mixture begins to set. Put skillet under broiler for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into pie shaped wedges and serve from skillet, or turn frittata upside down and put on a serving plate whole. Serves 6

Nutritional Data for Salmon Frittata
Calories 431
Total Fat 30 g

    Saturated Fat 11 g

    Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 1048 mg
Sodium 736 mg
Total Carbohydrates 5 g

    Dietary Fiber 1 g

    Sugars 3 g

Protein 35 g
Vitamin A 55%
Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 16%
Iron 28%

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0 Home made beef and macaroni vs Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni

An American Stir Fry?...A Casserole?... What exactly is Hamburger Helper?...

A friend of mine, Danny, mentioned that he couldn't understand why people used Shake 'N Bake or Hamburger Helper – well I had to agree with him and it gave me the idea to do this article. I've never made Hamburger Helper in my life – and I'm not going to either... I'll just make my own dish that's similar and give you the ingredients to compare to Hamburger Helper.  

Just looking at all the different “flavors” of Hamburger Helper made me sick to my stomach – never mind the list of ingredients. Somehow a package of Hamburger Helper makes 5 servings, I can't figure that out so my recipe may give you a little more actual food and I think 4 realistic servings.

Beef and Macaroni

8 oz macaroni (get whole grain, if possible)
4 cups water
1 lb 85% lean (or better) ground beef
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (get low-sodium, remember to read the label - no “extra” ingredients)
1 Tbl parsley
2 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbl olive oil

In a medium pot, bring water to boil, add macaroni, turn down heat and cook for 12 minutes, drain. Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic and onion, saute for 1 minute, add beef, cook, stirring occasionally until brown. Add tomatoes, and spices. Cook for 5 minutes. Add macaroni, mix well, turn off heat, cover for 2 minutes, stir and serve.  

According to Betty Crocker – a serving size is 1 cup prepared. Somehow that's how they get 5 servings out of their meal. I think that this should make 8 - 1 cup servings, and more if you add vegetables to it.

Compare:
Price of home made Beef and Macaroni: $1.80 + ground beef for 8 servings, 23 cents per serving
Price of Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni: $2.19 + ground beef for 5 servings, 43 cents per serving

Ingredients in home made: Beef, macaroni, garlic, onion, tomato, parsley, chili powder,salt, olive oil

Ingredients in Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni: Beef, macaroni, flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, dried onion, dried chili pepper, dried tomato, paprika, monosodium glutamate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor, citric acid, spices, silicon dioxide, malic acid, monoglycerides, caramel color, yellow lakes 5 & 6 color, yellows 5 & 6 color, dried garlic, sunflower oil, gum arabic, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, yeast extract, nonfat milk, egg, soy flour.

Time to prepare home made Beef and Macaroni: About 15 minutes
Time to prepare Hamburger Helper Chili Macaroni: About 25 minutes

Well you may wonder why Hamburger Helper takes longer to cook – it's because you use only one pot, so you can't cook the macaroni while you're browning the meat. I don't know about you, but it doesn't take me 10 minutes to wash one pot. Really, processed foods aren't always quicker to cook – they just tell you it is! Also by making it from scratch, you save .20 cents per serving. You're also not eating all those unpronounceable ingredients and food colorings (and yes, there really were two different kinds of yellow 5 & 6).

Now, with this recipe I was just comparing to Hamburger Helper. If I actually made this meal (and I do make something similar) I would have added a green or red bell pepper, mushrooms, green beans and maybe a carrot. You could also add some yellow squash, zucchini or eggplant. You might even be able to hide some spinach in there.  If you like "cheesy" dishes you could add some grated parmesan or cheddar cheese.

Nutritional Data for Beef and Macaroni     Nutritional Data for Hamburger Helper Chili Mac
Calories 272                                                  Calories 270
Total Fat 12 g                                                Total Fat 12 g

    Saturated Fat 4 g                                            Saturated Fat 4 g

    Trans Fat 1 g                                                  Trans Fat 1 g

Cholesterol 38 mg                                         Cholesterol 55 mg

Sodium 133 mg                                             Sodium 590 mg

Total Carbohydrates 25 g                              Total Carbohydrates 22 g

    Dietary Fiber 2 g                                            Dietary Fiber 1 g

    Sugar 2 g                                                        Sugar 2 g

Protein 15 g                                                   Protein 20 g*
Vitamin A 8%                                                 Vitamin A 8%
Vitamin C 11%                                               Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 5%                                                   Calcium 2%
Iron 17%                                                         Iron 15%

* I don't know what kind of ground beef they think people are using that they are getting 5 g more protein, I suspect that most of the people that are buying hamburger helper are actually buying 70% lean - so in fact they are actually getting more fat and less protein than Betty Crocker's nutritional label states.

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