I am of the belief that food is better than it has ever been - more flavors are coming together; more styles of cooking and more recipes are being shared than ever thanks to television, radio, and internet; more foods are available than ever before. At the same time, though, food has taken a hit, using preservatives and artificial add-ins never seen 100 years ago. Varieties of fruits and vegetables are actually diminishing, with fewer species being cultivated in favor of the species that travel well and sell to the masses. To top it all off, modern cooks have forgotten some of the things that our ancestors knew and did every day. So what to do?
1) Don't be afraid to frequent local farmer's markets and to pick out the heirloom varieties that can be found. Also consider adding heirloom varieties to your own garden or orchard.
2) Take advantage of your information sources: your own grandparents and great-grandparents and their cook books and recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Ask for favorite recipes from your grandparents' childhood and accomplish two goals: connecting with your family roots and preserving old styles of cooking.
3) Remember and use things that our grandmothers knew. Things like using as many different colors of foods as you can at every meal. Food colors actually indicate different nutrients, and by incorporating various colors, you have greatly increased your chances at getting a meal that is well balanced in vitamins and minerals. Work in your different food groups too. Families in the 1950s would have eaten a salad of lettuce leaves topped by a pear half and a dollop of cottage cheese - three colors, three food groups, surprisingly well rounded in flavors, textures, and nutrition.
So pull out the family recipes, check out the colors and textures on your dinner plate, and challenge yourself to fill your plate with all local and heirloom varieties. New isn't always better, and moving forward by bringing along the best of the past will create a golden age of food!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Soup in a Hurry
Today is still chilly and cloudy, and the bathroom painting project that should have taken one day is on day two. On top of all that, I work this evening, so dinner is going to be disjointed again!
One of our favorite fall back plans is soup, and one of my favorites is clean-out-the-fridge soup. I keep a thickened tomato broth in my pantry, made from simmering ripe tomatoes and then putting them through a food mill, producing a smooth, slightly thick "juice" to which I add some herbs and then can. I will put a quart of this tomato broth into a pot, then add all sorts of leftovers from my fridge and freezer. Corn or green beans from the freezer, slice up the leftover sausage from last night's dinner or chunk/shred the last of the rotisserie chicken you bought two nights ago, chop up the half an onion sitting in the fridge, toss in some leftover small pasta, heat it all through in about 10 minutes on medium-high, and we'll have hot soup in 15 minutes total prep and cook time. This can be vegetarian or even vegan, loaded with meat, or whatever you want. Substitute a big can of V8 for the homemade tomato broth. Sprinkle the soup with croutons, shredded cheese, whatever you think goes together.
Our version tonight will be tomato broth, sausage crumbles, corn, onion, and pasta with some rolls warmed up from the freezer or maybe some french bread (we buy a big loaf of french bread, slice it, then put all the slices back in the bag, and freeze, pulling out slices as we need them - they thaw on the counter in under 10 minutes). Leftovers can be frozen or eaten over the next couple of days.
One of our favorite fall back plans is soup, and one of my favorites is clean-out-the-fridge soup. I keep a thickened tomato broth in my pantry, made from simmering ripe tomatoes and then putting them through a food mill, producing a smooth, slightly thick "juice" to which I add some herbs and then can. I will put a quart of this tomato broth into a pot, then add all sorts of leftovers from my fridge and freezer. Corn or green beans from the freezer, slice up the leftover sausage from last night's dinner or chunk/shred the last of the rotisserie chicken you bought two nights ago, chop up the half an onion sitting in the fridge, toss in some leftover small pasta, heat it all through in about 10 minutes on medium-high, and we'll have hot soup in 15 minutes total prep and cook time. This can be vegetarian or even vegan, loaded with meat, or whatever you want. Substitute a big can of V8 for the homemade tomato broth. Sprinkle the soup with croutons, shredded cheese, whatever you think goes together.
Our version tonight will be tomato broth, sausage crumbles, corn, onion, and pasta with some rolls warmed up from the freezer or maybe some french bread (we buy a big loaf of french bread, slice it, then put all the slices back in the bag, and freeze, pulling out slices as we need them - they thaw on the counter in under 10 minutes). Leftovers can be frozen or eaten over the next couple of days.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Freezing Your Fruit
We love to have fresh fruit in the house, but sometimes we just don't eat it as quickly as we should, and then we end up with fruit in the compost pile instead of in our bellies. Freezing fruit when it looks like we can't eat it all has been a huge saver of flavor, nutrition, and money!
Grapes
Put washed grapes plucked from their stems in snack sized zipper bags and then pile the little bags into a gallon freezer bag and freeze. When you are in the mood for a popsicle, pull one of those bags out of the freezer and enjoy all natural, nutrition packed, bite size grape "popsicles"! These are delicious, refreshing, and a great way to cash in when grapes are on sale. We just bought 8 pounds of grapes on sale for $1.08/lb and froze two gallon bags of these! S is very happy!
Bananas
Mash the brown skinned bananas and freeze in 1 cup portions to use in banana bread recipes later. To use, just thaw and use as usual. For not-so-ripe bananas, cut into chunks and freeze one banana per baggie, then use two bananas, 1/2 cup of milk/soy milk, and a generous squeeze of chocolate syrup and blend in a blender until smooth for a barely banana mostly chocolate "milk"shake.
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, any soft fruit:
Cut fruit into chunks and freeze either in portion sizes or by spreading on a piece of wax paper on a cutting board (flash freezing) then bagging the chunks. Use the chunks to make healthy and delicious smoothies.
Apples, or any fruit for pie really:
Mix up your pie filling but pour into a gallon bag instead of into a pie crust, then when you want pie, prepare the pie crust, and put a bag's worth of frozen or thawed filling in and bake.
Watermelon:
Make sorbet (and I've done this with honeydew melon too)!
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
8 c. cubed, seedless watermelon
2 T. lemon juice (this helps to keep the color bright)
In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a blender or food processor, process watermelon until pureed but not liquefied (keep an eye on it!).
Two choices for the next step: You can mix all ingredients together in a gallon bag, squeeze out air, zip shut, then lay flat to freeze, or you can mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into a 9x13x2 pan and freeze.
Freeze until firm, then break into chunks and process in a food processor in batches until fluffy and smooth.
Serve immediately or place the sorbet into a freezer container to scoop out later. If you want it fluffy again, just scoop out the more crystallized refrozen sorbet and take it for a spin in a food processor!
Grapes
Put washed grapes plucked from their stems in snack sized zipper bags and then pile the little bags into a gallon freezer bag and freeze. When you are in the mood for a popsicle, pull one of those bags out of the freezer and enjoy all natural, nutrition packed, bite size grape "popsicles"! These are delicious, refreshing, and a great way to cash in when grapes are on sale. We just bought 8 pounds of grapes on sale for $1.08/lb and froze two gallon bags of these! S is very happy!
Bananas
Mash the brown skinned bananas and freeze in 1 cup portions to use in banana bread recipes later. To use, just thaw and use as usual. For not-so-ripe bananas, cut into chunks and freeze one banana per baggie, then use two bananas, 1/2 cup of milk/soy milk, and a generous squeeze of chocolate syrup and blend in a blender until smooth for a barely banana mostly chocolate "milk"shake.
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, any soft fruit:
Cut fruit into chunks and freeze either in portion sizes or by spreading on a piece of wax paper on a cutting board (flash freezing) then bagging the chunks. Use the chunks to make healthy and delicious smoothies.
Apples, or any fruit for pie really:
Mix up your pie filling but pour into a gallon bag instead of into a pie crust, then when you want pie, prepare the pie crust, and put a bag's worth of frozen or thawed filling in and bake.
Watermelon:
Make sorbet (and I've done this with honeydew melon too)!
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
8 c. cubed, seedless watermelon
2 T. lemon juice (this helps to keep the color bright)
In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a blender or food processor, process watermelon until pureed but not liquefied (keep an eye on it!).
Two choices for the next step: You can mix all ingredients together in a gallon bag, squeeze out air, zip shut, then lay flat to freeze, or you can mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and pour into a 9x13x2 pan and freeze.
Freeze until firm, then break into chunks and process in a food processor in batches until fluffy and smooth.
Serve immediately or place the sorbet into a freezer container to scoop out later. If you want it fluffy again, just scoop out the more crystallized refrozen sorbet and take it for a spin in a food processor!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Dazzle Your Tastebuds With Flavored Vinegar
Have you ever looked at the variety of vinegars at the store and wondered what in the world to do with all of them? Are you looking to cut fat, sodium, and calories from your diet but not sacrifice flavor? Try vinegar! Once you get hooked on this, you can start to make your own flavored vinegars and save bundles of money - blueberry lime, spiced, raspberry, cherry, basil, garlic, tarragon, the list goes on!
Serving suggestions:
One of the most obvious is to make simple vinaigrettes. http://www.vinaigretterecipe.com/ is an amazing website. The easiest rule to remember is 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Start with that and start to add herbs, fruits, and spices as you get more adventurous.
Another suggestion is to take a good vinegar and sprinkle or drizzle it directly onto foods. Malt vinegar on fresh, hot fries or on baked potatoes. Spiced vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil if you want over a simple dish of fresh mozarella, basil leaves, and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle flavored vinegar on sandwiches.
Don't forget using vinaigrettes as meat marinades, too. Talk about quick, inexpensive, flavor packed, and personalized!
I've made fruit vinegars, and I'll soon be making some herb vinegars with the last harvest of my herb garden before winter. Also on my list: buying some spices to make spiced vinegar which will not only be for our use but also to tuck into Christmas goody boxes!
Serving suggestions:
One of the most obvious is to make simple vinaigrettes. http://www.vinaigretterecipe.com/ is an amazing website. The easiest rule to remember is 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Start with that and start to add herbs, fruits, and spices as you get more adventurous.
Another suggestion is to take a good vinegar and sprinkle or drizzle it directly onto foods. Malt vinegar on fresh, hot fries or on baked potatoes. Spiced vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil if you want over a simple dish of fresh mozarella, basil leaves, and sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle flavored vinegar on sandwiches.
Don't forget using vinaigrettes as meat marinades, too. Talk about quick, inexpensive, flavor packed, and personalized!
I've made fruit vinegars, and I'll soon be making some herb vinegars with the last harvest of my herb garden before winter. Also on my list: buying some spices to make spiced vinegar which will not only be for our use but also to tuck into Christmas goody boxes!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Chocolate Truffle Pie
Due to popular demand, I am posting the recipe for chocolate truffle pie, which is tonight's dessert. You have to follow this recipe as I post it - if you use dairy cream cheese, you will get a no bake chocolate cheesecake and not the lush, fluffy, creamy, and oh so incredible confection we have dubbed chocolate truffle pie!
1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (we use Hershey's)
11 oz. tofu cream cheese, such as Tofutti better than cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine
2 c. frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed (you know, Cool Whip :) we've used regular and light with same results)
1 packaged graham cracker crust (you can use the Oreo crust if you want extra chocolate)
In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips; microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and butter until creamy.
On low, blend in melted chocolate, then fold in whipped topping until blended.
Spread into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, a few hours.
Extra tip: sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the pie, or even better is to top with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate chocolate bars - dark, semisweet, milk, or white, your choice - then when cold, use a vegetable peeler to shave strips off the end of the chocolate bar and let them fall as they may on top of the pie.
This is an incredible dessert, rich and chocolately, cool velvet on the tongue, creamy and filling but every bite is light and delicate. Have it once and swear forever that it is well worth the $7 or so that it costs to make it!
1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (we use Hershey's)
11 oz. tofu cream cheese, such as Tofutti better than cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine
2 c. frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed (you know, Cool Whip :) we've used regular and light with same results)
1 packaged graham cracker crust (you can use the Oreo crust if you want extra chocolate)
In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips; microwave on high 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and butter until creamy.
On low, blend in melted chocolate, then fold in whipped topping until blended.
Spread into the crust. Refrigerate until firm, a few hours.
Extra tip: sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the pie, or even better is to top with chocolate shavings. Refrigerate chocolate bars - dark, semisweet, milk, or white, your choice - then when cold, use a vegetable peeler to shave strips off the end of the chocolate bar and let them fall as they may on top of the pie.
This is an incredible dessert, rich and chocolately, cool velvet on the tongue, creamy and filling but every bite is light and delicate. Have it once and swear forever that it is well worth the $7 or so that it costs to make it!
Let's Talk Banana
C goes crazy for bananas, especially banana chips but also banana bread, banana cookies, and fresh bananas. When bananas are on sale or I can get the really ripe ones at a reduced price, I mash them and freeze them in one cup portions. When I'm baking with bananas, such as banana bread, I pull out a bag of the mashed bananas, thaw, and use it in the recipe. They really darken in the freezer, but the finished product is the same as usual, and I can maximize the sale plus not have to let my banana availability dictate whether or not we eat banana bread.
The other thing that we do a lot of is banana chips. I just slice and lay on my dehydrator trays (I have a Nesco professional that I *love*) then dry for 18-24 hours. They are still flexible and warm when I pull them off the trays and put them into mason/canning jars. As they cool, they turn into mostly crispy, slightly chewy banana chips. C can have a dozen chips with her PB&J for lunch, and that equals a whole banana, or she can have only a few chips, basically eat half a banana, but I don't have to figure out what to do with the other half of the banana!
Here is the banana bread recipe that I grew up with, the one that came from my grandmother, and now the one I make for my kids. The loaves or muffins freeze well too when well wrapped, so make a batch, eat some now, then freeze the rest! Make muffins and pop them frozen into lunch boxes; they'll be thawed by lunch!
Banana Bread
Beat together:
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 ripe bananas (1 c. mashed bananas)
Add and mix:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs (or 1/2 c. egg substitute)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans or 20-24 muffin cups (or use muffin papers for the muffin cups).
Pour the batter evenly into the pans.
Bake loaves for 45-60 minutes, muffins for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean when they are done.
The other thing that we do a lot of is banana chips. I just slice and lay on my dehydrator trays (I have a Nesco professional that I *love*) then dry for 18-24 hours. They are still flexible and warm when I pull them off the trays and put them into mason/canning jars. As they cool, they turn into mostly crispy, slightly chewy banana chips. C can have a dozen chips with her PB&J for lunch, and that equals a whole banana, or she can have only a few chips, basically eat half a banana, but I don't have to figure out what to do with the other half of the banana!
Here is the banana bread recipe that I grew up with, the one that came from my grandmother, and now the one I make for my kids. The loaves or muffins freeze well too when well wrapped, so make a batch, eat some now, then freeze the rest! Make muffins and pop them frozen into lunch boxes; they'll be thawed by lunch!
Banana Bread
Beat together:
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 ripe bananas (1 c. mashed bananas)
Add and mix:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs (or 1/2 c. egg substitute)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans or 20-24 muffin cups (or use muffin papers for the muffin cups).
Pour the batter evenly into the pans.
Bake loaves for 45-60 minutes, muffins for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean when they are done.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Planning and Planting Ahead
This summer, I have had a very nice garden plus my perennial gardens - herbs, rhubarb, asparagus, strawberry. I have had a lot of fresh produce that is only a short walk from my kitchen, and it has been wonderful. The produce is organic, incredibly fresh, a flavor that can't be beat, and free if you don't count the initial $100 in plants and the few hours of labor a week. I've done herbs in flower pots in winters past, and this year I am planning - and planting - ahead, trying some things I've never done before.
I have taken two window planters (the water from the bottom kind, which I love) which I got on clearance last week for $4 each, filled them with organic potting soil (got a 32 cubic foot bag for $3!), and now planted seeds in them. I had planned ahead for this and saved some of my summer seeds. One planter is half spinach and half mesclun mix. The other planter is split into thirds for cilantro, basil, and rosemary. I've also started a cherry tomato plant and a beefsteak tomato plant in little plastic bathroom drinking cups. Those I didn't have seeds saved, so I'm trying it with seeds from tomatoes from my garden. When they are seedling sized (a few inches tall), I will transplant them into upside down planters: http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/1620-how-to-make-an-upside-down-tomato-planter. In the tops of the planters I will sow seeds for chives and parsley, making use of the soil on the top as well as the bottom of the planter.
A is skeptical that this will work since he points out that our good Andersen windows block 80% of UV light, which plants need to thrive. I'm willing to try and then buy a UV light if we need to. The short of it is that in the depths of winter, we will be harvesting cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, salad greens, spinach, and herbs instead of paying a lot of money for the anemic, non-organic, definitely not local version. Not everyone would want to have an upside down tomato plant in the dining room, but why not try it? The beautiful, bright green, spikey leaves with the smooth, brilliant red globes of tomatoes peaking through, topped with the textures and color of herbs or flowers. It sounds wonderful to me!
So plan ahead. Plant ahead. Grow some herbs on your windowsill. Think about growing a dwarf citrus tree, a dwarf banana tree, a graceful pepper plant, some fragrant and feathery fennel, a tomato plant. Why have a lovely houseplant when you could have a distinctive, food producing plant that will feed you while trimming your grocery bill!
I have taken two window planters (the water from the bottom kind, which I love) which I got on clearance last week for $4 each, filled them with organic potting soil (got a 32 cubic foot bag for $3!), and now planted seeds in them. I had planned ahead for this and saved some of my summer seeds. One planter is half spinach and half mesclun mix. The other planter is split into thirds for cilantro, basil, and rosemary. I've also started a cherry tomato plant and a beefsteak tomato plant in little plastic bathroom drinking cups. Those I didn't have seeds saved, so I'm trying it with seeds from tomatoes from my garden. When they are seedling sized (a few inches tall), I will transplant them into upside down planters: http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/1620-how-to-make-an-upside-down-tomato-planter. In the tops of the planters I will sow seeds for chives and parsley, making use of the soil on the top as well as the bottom of the planter.
A is skeptical that this will work since he points out that our good Andersen windows block 80% of UV light, which plants need to thrive. I'm willing to try and then buy a UV light if we need to. The short of it is that in the depths of winter, we will be harvesting cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, salad greens, spinach, and herbs instead of paying a lot of money for the anemic, non-organic, definitely not local version. Not everyone would want to have an upside down tomato plant in the dining room, but why not try it? The beautiful, bright green, spikey leaves with the smooth, brilliant red globes of tomatoes peaking through, topped with the textures and color of herbs or flowers. It sounds wonderful to me!
So plan ahead. Plant ahead. Grow some herbs on your windowsill. Think about growing a dwarf citrus tree, a dwarf banana tree, a graceful pepper plant, some fragrant and feathery fennel, a tomato plant. Why have a lovely houseplant when you could have a distinctive, food producing plant that will feed you while trimming your grocery bill!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Letting Your Artist Out
I *feel* art very intensely and long just as intensely to be able to express my artistic creativity. All of my artistic endeavors fail dismally, though. I feel a drawing, a picture, a painting, and the moment I pick up an art medium like clay, charcoal, watercolors, paints, *anything* it feels clunky in my hands and the product is a farce of what is in my head and heart. I've never felt that I was graceful enough or brave enough to do dance (although in my "old age" here I'm starting to throw caution to the wind and considering taking dance with 4-year-old C). I can sing moderately and I'm not tone deaf, but I also recognize that I will never, no matter how much I practice, replicate the intense emotions and concepts in the music I love. I'm a moderate seamstress, meaning I can do some basic mending and can use my sewing machine to make curtains. Needlepoint is just not in my repertoire.
Okay, so I have all this bottled up artistic expression with no outlet, right? Wrong! It has taken me years to realize that my artistic expression is in my cooking. I love the texture, the flavor, the color, the aroma of food. Making it healthier and different adds another element of challenge. Combining all of the different cuisines we like allows us to travel in time and space with every bite. Childhood favorites, foods that formed your childhood, foods from special trips, foods from places you want to go but haven't yet, even food from different times in the past that help you to understand history in a whole new way!
Just think of what food can do for you in a way that has nothing to do with nourishment of your body. Food is for your soul, too. When the wind is howling and the snow is blowing, a steaming bowl of stew is amazing. The rich brown gravy of the stew coats the tender chunks of meat, the bright chunks of sweet carrot, the mild cubes of potato, the delicate bite of the onion, the mysterious earthiness of the mushrooms, the herbs. To go with that stew are steaming, tender, flaky biscuits just begging for butter, for the dark sweet flavor of apple butter that reminds you of fall's bright days. This meal makes you feel warm, loved, secure, comforted, things beyond mere vitamins, protein, and fiber.
Now think of the last time that you ate a favorite food from your childhood that you haven't had in many years. Of how much you look forward to certain foods that you only have at the holidays and that you have to have at the holidays or it just isn't the same. Those are your artistic expressions. The foods that evoke a feeling bigger than yourself, that share ideas and expereinces with another person in ways mere words cannot, that please all of your senses. Look at your food, really look at your food, and see the textures and the colors. Smell it, smell how the components are separate and then come together to make something entirely different. Taste it, let it move across your tongue, and let the experience show you what has been there all along. Let your artist out and explore your food palette!
Okay, so I have all this bottled up artistic expression with no outlet, right? Wrong! It has taken me years to realize that my artistic expression is in my cooking. I love the texture, the flavor, the color, the aroma of food. Making it healthier and different adds another element of challenge. Combining all of the different cuisines we like allows us to travel in time and space with every bite. Childhood favorites, foods that formed your childhood, foods from special trips, foods from places you want to go but haven't yet, even food from different times in the past that help you to understand history in a whole new way!
Just think of what food can do for you in a way that has nothing to do with nourishment of your body. Food is for your soul, too. When the wind is howling and the snow is blowing, a steaming bowl of stew is amazing. The rich brown gravy of the stew coats the tender chunks of meat, the bright chunks of sweet carrot, the mild cubes of potato, the delicate bite of the onion, the mysterious earthiness of the mushrooms, the herbs. To go with that stew are steaming, tender, flaky biscuits just begging for butter, for the dark sweet flavor of apple butter that reminds you of fall's bright days. This meal makes you feel warm, loved, secure, comforted, things beyond mere vitamins, protein, and fiber.
Now think of the last time that you ate a favorite food from your childhood that you haven't had in many years. Of how much you look forward to certain foods that you only have at the holidays and that you have to have at the holidays or it just isn't the same. Those are your artistic expressions. The foods that evoke a feeling bigger than yourself, that share ideas and expereinces with another person in ways mere words cannot, that please all of your senses. Look at your food, really look at your food, and see the textures and the colors. Smell it, smell how the components are separate and then come together to make something entirely different. Taste it, let it move across your tongue, and let the experience show you what has been there all along. Let your artist out and explore your food palette!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Roasted Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes
This is a recipe I've been wanting to try for ages but was waiting for my own homegrown cherry tomatoes to be in season. They are, we tried this, and we loved this! The broccoli is tender crisp with a taste and a texture that only comes from roasting. Interestingly, that special flavor is similar to the flavor that comes out in roasted cauliflower, proving again the relationship between these vegetables. The tomatoes are very soft and are like balls of molten lava with a nice roasted flavor - watch out when you put one in your mouth and consider breaking it open to avoid a burnt tongue! We increased the garlic to 5 cloves while decreasing the broccoli a bit since it was only two adults eating it and we love roasted vegetables with garlic. We also skipped the cheese since I have a dairy allergy. This is absolutely a recipe we will do again, probably soon!
2 bunches of broccoli cut into florets
1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole
3 cloves roasted garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put broccoli, shallot, tomatoes, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the red pepper and salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Spread on a baking sheet or in some other suitable pan that allows for everything to be single layer.
Roast until the tips of the broccoli are darkened, about 18 minutes.
Sprinkle the cheese over everything while it's piping hot and let it melt.
Recipe from *Down Home with the Neelys*.
2 bunches of broccoli cut into florets
1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole
3 cloves roasted garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put broccoli, shallot, tomatoes, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with the red pepper and salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Spread on a baking sheet or in some other suitable pan that allows for everything to be single layer.
Roast until the tips of the broccoli are darkened, about 18 minutes.
Sprinkle the cheese over everything while it's piping hot and let it melt.
Recipe from *Down Home with the Neelys*.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Swiss Chard Rolls
I didn't grow any cabbage this year, but I have a healthy planting of rainbow swiss chard. Cabbage rolls are great to have on hand in the freezer, so I decided to use the swiss chard leaves in place of the cabbage leaves. I made up the filling, cut the washed leaves from the chard stalks, then put a handful of filling on the leaf and rolled it up pretty much like I would have with a cabbage roll. Tear off a sheet of foil about a foot long, measure out 1/2 cup of tomato sauce then pour a couple tablespoons of it on the foil. Place two rolls on top of the sauce, then pour the remainder of the 1/2 cup of sauce over the rolls. Seal the edges of the foil to make a packet, label, and freeze. To make these later, they can be thawed in the fridge overnight and bake the packets on a cookie sheet or in a pan at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or from frozen for an hour or until heated through. You can also add shredded cheese to the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. Some recipes call for sweetened tomato sauce on top, but we like the simple, bright fresh flavor of a good, unseasoned tomato sauce. This is an incredibly healthy dish with the brown rice, the swiss chard leaves, the onion, and the tomato sauce! Here are the ingredients to go with the directions I just gave. I make these into packets of 2 rolls each, but you can certainly just make a whole pan of these fresh or to stash in the freezer.
2 lb ground beef
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 medium onions, diced
3 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
12 medium to large swiss chard leaves
6 cups plain tomato sauce
2 lb ground beef
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 medium onions, diced
3 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
12 medium to large swiss chard leaves
6 cups plain tomato sauce
Stocking the Freezer the Easy Way
Don't think that stocking your freezer with ready to eat meals is difficult or time consuming. I put quite a few sandwich fillings in my freezer yesterday just by freezing leftovers. Hamburger barbeque and pulled pork barbeque were lounging in the refrigerator, so they were pulled out and 1/2 cup portions were put into zippered snack bags that were labeled with the item and the date. Flattened and frozen, they filled up most of a gallon freezer bag and now give us a dozen sandwiches' worth of meat filling. Seedless grapes bought on sale won't go bad in the crisper drawer since they've been bagged in snack bags and put into a gallon freezer bag and frozen to make a refreshing and healthy treat that lasts much, much longer than grapes in the fridge.
Pulled Pork BBQ
2 1/2 lb boneless pork loin/butt/roast
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 3/4 cup barbeque sauce
3/4 cup salsa
3 T. chili powder
Remove excess fat from the roast and place the roast into a slow cooker (3 1/2 qt - 6 qt). Arrange onion on top.
Mix together the remaining three ingredients and pour over top of the pork and onions.
Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat by pulling at it with two forks. Put the shredded pork back into the slow cooker with the sauce and stir to combine.
Pulled Pork BBQ
2 1/2 lb boneless pork loin/butt/roast
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 3/4 cup barbeque sauce
3/4 cup salsa
3 T. chili powder
Remove excess fat from the roast and place the roast into a slow cooker (3 1/2 qt - 6 qt). Arrange onion on top.
Mix together the remaining three ingredients and pour over top of the pork and onions.
Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat by pulling at it with two forks. Put the shredded pork back into the slow cooker with the sauce and stir to combine.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Trying to Afford Being a Carnivore!
The cost of meat is continuing to go up and up and up. The problem is that we like meat! We don't gorge ourselves on it to the exclusion of the other food groups, but it is definitely on our favorites list of protein sources. So how to afford being a carnivore is a major grocery shopping dilemma.
Solution one: only buy meat on sale, never at regular price. Buying meat on sale and stashing it in the freezer allows us to continue to eat meats at prices we like.
Solution two: use creative recipes to utilize lesser quality cuts of meat. Marinate or slow cook tougher cuts of meat to tenderize. Never underestimate the power of a slow cooker when trying to use tough meats.
Solution three: use less meat when we can. Stir fries are fantastic for combining solutions one, two, and three. Buy thin steaks, small pork chops, or chicken thighs on sale, then thinly slice them into strips (partially frozen meat slices better for this) and quickly fry them with julienned carrots (microwave for a couple minutes to partially cook), wedged onion, sliced or julienned water chestnuts, brocolli florets, bamboo shoots, baby corn, peas, julienned ginger, sliced garlic, whatever else comes to hand for a stir fry. To make a sauce, add in stock/broth of choice just to cover everything, then thicken with a thick liquid made from cornstarch and cold water. The stir fry can be 1/5 meat and 4/5 vegetable and still have a wonderful meat quality.
Solution four: buy meat in bulk. This can be done in two ways. Check with a local butcher about buying a whole animal, 1/2 animal, or even 1/4 animal. Half a steer will often average out to $2.50 a pound, which is a little on the high end for the ground beef but really low for the roasts and steaks. The other way is to go to a place like Sam's Club. We just bought a whole, boneless pork loin for $1.38/lb. We have gotten 14 1" thick cut center cut pork chops and a 2 pound pork loin roast that I am making into pulled pork bbq for $12.60. Imagine inch thick pork chops the size of your palm for about $0.70 each and that's what we got. We also got beautiful beef round eye roasts for $2.66/lb, which are cut into inch thick steaks bigger than my palm, making steak possible for weeknight dinner at $1.40 per steak. Some will be wrapped and frozen. Others will be put in marinade and frozen; as it thaws in the fridge later it will marinate and be an incredible steak. It literally takes 30 minutes to cut the steaks, make marinade, and prepare them for freezing, and the pork chops take only a few minutes to cut, wrap, and freeze.
Hello, I am a meat eater, and I use tricks to maintain my eating habits. I hope you try them too!
Solution one: only buy meat on sale, never at regular price. Buying meat on sale and stashing it in the freezer allows us to continue to eat meats at prices we like.
Solution two: use creative recipes to utilize lesser quality cuts of meat. Marinate or slow cook tougher cuts of meat to tenderize. Never underestimate the power of a slow cooker when trying to use tough meats.
Solution three: use less meat when we can. Stir fries are fantastic for combining solutions one, two, and three. Buy thin steaks, small pork chops, or chicken thighs on sale, then thinly slice them into strips (partially frozen meat slices better for this) and quickly fry them with julienned carrots (microwave for a couple minutes to partially cook), wedged onion, sliced or julienned water chestnuts, brocolli florets, bamboo shoots, baby corn, peas, julienned ginger, sliced garlic, whatever else comes to hand for a stir fry. To make a sauce, add in stock/broth of choice just to cover everything, then thicken with a thick liquid made from cornstarch and cold water. The stir fry can be 1/5 meat and 4/5 vegetable and still have a wonderful meat quality.
Solution four: buy meat in bulk. This can be done in two ways. Check with a local butcher about buying a whole animal, 1/2 animal, or even 1/4 animal. Half a steer will often average out to $2.50 a pound, which is a little on the high end for the ground beef but really low for the roasts and steaks. The other way is to go to a place like Sam's Club. We just bought a whole, boneless pork loin for $1.38/lb. We have gotten 14 1" thick cut center cut pork chops and a 2 pound pork loin roast that I am making into pulled pork bbq for $12.60. Imagine inch thick pork chops the size of your palm for about $0.70 each and that's what we got. We also got beautiful beef round eye roasts for $2.66/lb, which are cut into inch thick steaks bigger than my palm, making steak possible for weeknight dinner at $1.40 per steak. Some will be wrapped and frozen. Others will be put in marinade and frozen; as it thaws in the fridge later it will marinate and be an incredible steak. It literally takes 30 minutes to cut the steaks, make marinade, and prepare them for freezing, and the pork chops take only a few minutes to cut, wrap, and freeze.
Hello, I am a meat eater, and I use tricks to maintain my eating habits. I hope you try them too!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Restocking the Freezer
S is 6, and he tries, so I forgive him for little things that earn my husband a scowl, things like not quite shutting the upright freezer door because something got caught at the bottom. It looked shut to S, but it was really open 1/2", not thawing anything but allowing moisture in and resulting in a heck of a frost build up. Ugh. Today is perfect for defrosting the freezer - 80 degrees and low humidity, so when emptied, turned off, and left open, all of the frost melted quickly, and washing it out with vinegar water and drying it was a snap.
Now for the fun part: filling it back up! I have a 15 cubic foot upright freezer with a basket in the slanted bottom and three other shelves plus four shelves on the door. I have three 16"x13"x10" baskets - the plastic kind with lots of holes so that it's easy to wipe down but has some air flow. Two baskets go on the bottom shelf and each are devoted to a meat group: one for pork, one for beef/venison. The slanted bottom is for poultry. Another basket is used for small odds and ends: bags of gravy, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, lemon wedges, that sort of thing. Cardboard boxes I have found over time are used for holding bags of vegetables and one whole box is devoted to breakfast foods. I've also discovered that 8x8 casseroles and flattened gallon freezer bags of soups and pie filling stand up perfectly on the top self, lining up like edible records, ready to replay gastronomic delights from my past.
Everything is cleaned and ready to go, and now I'm restocking. Favorites include taco meat (cooked, seasoned, portioned into 2 cup measures in quart freezer bags, flattened to freeze, then stacked); steaks, pork chops, and chicken pieces in different marinades; fajita kits (marinated meat, tortillas, shredded cheese, sliced peppers, wedged onions, all in their own medium bags and then put in a large freezer bag); pizza kits; cabbage roll casserole (shredded cabbage in the bottom of the pan, top with the cabbage roll filling); scalloped onions; scalloped potatoes; chili; Mexican turkey soup; Mexican meatball soup; hamburgers cooked; hamburgers raw; mashed potatoes with add-ins like roasted garlic and chives or black pepper and basil; mashed sweet potatoes (bake sweet potatoes, scoop out the insides, mash with a little melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and black pepper); individual meat pies (see another post I did on venison meat pies); meatballs (already cooked, just heat and add to all sorts of recipes); meatloaf (raw, need to thaw and bake); fully cooked bacon; boneless buffalo wings. I've been perusing *Fix, Feast, Freeze* which looks awesome and also *Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer* which has some tempting recipes like chicken in raspberry sauce, honey pecan chicken, english toffee, baked blueberry french toast, and orange beef lettuce wraps.
So as I refill my freezer with the items that were in it, I will inventory the freezer and decide what I need. We'll do a shopping trip to Sam's Club and pick up some bulk foods then have a couple of cooking days next week that will result in a freezer fully packed with not only our favorite items but also a bunch of new items. Watch for the next week as I try recipes and go through canning days and freezer cooking days!
Now for the fun part: filling it back up! I have a 15 cubic foot upright freezer with a basket in the slanted bottom and three other shelves plus four shelves on the door. I have three 16"x13"x10" baskets - the plastic kind with lots of holes so that it's easy to wipe down but has some air flow. Two baskets go on the bottom shelf and each are devoted to a meat group: one for pork, one for beef/venison. The slanted bottom is for poultry. Another basket is used for small odds and ends: bags of gravy, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, lemon wedges, that sort of thing. Cardboard boxes I have found over time are used for holding bags of vegetables and one whole box is devoted to breakfast foods. I've also discovered that 8x8 casseroles and flattened gallon freezer bags of soups and pie filling stand up perfectly on the top self, lining up like edible records, ready to replay gastronomic delights from my past.
Everything is cleaned and ready to go, and now I'm restocking. Favorites include taco meat (cooked, seasoned, portioned into 2 cup measures in quart freezer bags, flattened to freeze, then stacked); steaks, pork chops, and chicken pieces in different marinades; fajita kits (marinated meat, tortillas, shredded cheese, sliced peppers, wedged onions, all in their own medium bags and then put in a large freezer bag); pizza kits; cabbage roll casserole (shredded cabbage in the bottom of the pan, top with the cabbage roll filling); scalloped onions; scalloped potatoes; chili; Mexican turkey soup; Mexican meatball soup; hamburgers cooked; hamburgers raw; mashed potatoes with add-ins like roasted garlic and chives or black pepper and basil; mashed sweet potatoes (bake sweet potatoes, scoop out the insides, mash with a little melted butter, honey, cinnamon, and black pepper); individual meat pies (see another post I did on venison meat pies); meatballs (already cooked, just heat and add to all sorts of recipes); meatloaf (raw, need to thaw and bake); fully cooked bacon; boneless buffalo wings. I've been perusing *Fix, Feast, Freeze* which looks awesome and also *Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer* which has some tempting recipes like chicken in raspberry sauce, honey pecan chicken, english toffee, baked blueberry french toast, and orange beef lettuce wraps.
So as I refill my freezer with the items that were in it, I will inventory the freezer and decide what I need. We'll do a shopping trip to Sam's Club and pick up some bulk foods then have a couple of cooking days next week that will result in a freezer fully packed with not only our favorite items but also a bunch of new items. Watch for the next week as I try recipes and go through canning days and freezer cooking days!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Herbed Rice
A and I have always loved herbed rice, especially herbed white and wild rice, but as we ate fewer and fewer convenience/processed foods and less salt, the store bought mixes were just too salty and too pricey. Then one day while searching for gift in a jar ideas, I found herbed rice mix in a jar directions. That was 8 years ago, and I haven't bought a commercial mix since.
Luckily, S loves herbed white and wild rice and will eat two adult servings for his dinner, and he calls it mixed up rice because he helps to mix it all up when we make a new jar of it. Another nice bonus is that I can grow most of the ingredients other than the rice and dry them to use in this recipe, and I can make my own homemade stock to use in the recipe. This is flexible enough that you can make it vegan or not, make it less expensive by increasing the amount of white rice in the ratio, make it more gourmet by using all wild rice. This is an awesome recipe and goes as a great side dish with many foods. Tonight we're having it with barbeque chicken, grilled pineapple slices, and steamed green beans. I use the mix in my chicken rice soup. There's a sausage rice dish in the crockpot that uses it too. What an awesome pantry item!
Herbed Rice Mix
*note: for the 3 lb of rice, mix and match rice types, just making sure that the cooking time matches. Use all brown rice with a cooking time of 45 minutes, all white rice for 25 minutes, brown rice and regular wild rice for 45 minutes, or white rice and fast cooking wild rice for 25 minutes. The wild rice is pricey, so when money is tight, I use 2 lb white rice and 1 lb fast cooking wild rice. When money is flowing in our house, it's more of a 50/50 ratio.
3 lb long grain rice
2 c. dried celery leaves/flakes
2/3 c. dried minced onion
1/2 c. dried parsley
2 T dried chives
2 T dried tarragon
Mix all the ingredients together and place in an airtight container. Makes 40 servings.
To serve:
Each serving is 2/3 c. water, stock or broth and 1/4 c. rice mix. Bring the liquid to a boil in a saucepan that has a lid, add the rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for 25 minutes for white and fast cooking wild rice, 45 minutes for brown rice and regular wild rice. Serve.
This is so easy and delicious, and you can change the herbs and rices to suit your taste and your needs!
Luckily, S loves herbed white and wild rice and will eat two adult servings for his dinner, and he calls it mixed up rice because he helps to mix it all up when we make a new jar of it. Another nice bonus is that I can grow most of the ingredients other than the rice and dry them to use in this recipe, and I can make my own homemade stock to use in the recipe. This is flexible enough that you can make it vegan or not, make it less expensive by increasing the amount of white rice in the ratio, make it more gourmet by using all wild rice. This is an awesome recipe and goes as a great side dish with many foods. Tonight we're having it with barbeque chicken, grilled pineapple slices, and steamed green beans. I use the mix in my chicken rice soup. There's a sausage rice dish in the crockpot that uses it too. What an awesome pantry item!
Herbed Rice Mix
*note: for the 3 lb of rice, mix and match rice types, just making sure that the cooking time matches. Use all brown rice with a cooking time of 45 minutes, all white rice for 25 minutes, brown rice and regular wild rice for 45 minutes, or white rice and fast cooking wild rice for 25 minutes. The wild rice is pricey, so when money is tight, I use 2 lb white rice and 1 lb fast cooking wild rice. When money is flowing in our house, it's more of a 50/50 ratio.
3 lb long grain rice
2 c. dried celery leaves/flakes
2/3 c. dried minced onion
1/2 c. dried parsley
2 T dried chives
2 T dried tarragon
Mix all the ingredients together and place in an airtight container. Makes 40 servings.
To serve:
Each serving is 2/3 c. water, stock or broth and 1/4 c. rice mix. Bring the liquid to a boil in a saucepan that has a lid, add the rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for 25 minutes for white and fast cooking wild rice, 45 minutes for brown rice and regular wild rice. Serve.
This is so easy and delicious, and you can change the herbs and rices to suit your taste and your needs!
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