One of the biggest concerns in America (because no where else will you see quite so many frivolous lawsuits) is having healthy food, being healthy, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The real facts about health are more muddied than the Mississippi river in flood season, and there are new "facts" that come up each day about foods... One day you'll be told that margarine should be eaten because it's better for you than butter... Suddenly you're told that it's not, because of trans-fats and other nasty items lurking in wait to suddenly destroy your body.
You're told one day not to eat beef, only to be told the next day that it's actually fairly healthy and you can have it, just as long as all the fat has been removed... And a few months later, beef is once again on the no-no list.
The question is, how did we get to where we are today? Why is it that, of all the nations, we have the most food available per capita, and yet we are filled with hatred and fear toward it? Why do we have one of the highest obesity rates in the world, with Diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, and stroke leading the way in death and disability each year?
100 years ago we had virtually no issues with any of these so-called "Western" diseases. And yet, over the last 100 years (actually, over the last 50 years where it's REALLY taken off), we have had doctors, advertisers, food scientists and other snake oil salesmen try and tell us what we *should* eat, how much, when, why, and how... We've been told that low-fat, low salt, low (or no) meat, high carb, low carb, no carb, high protein, low protein, massively pre-processed foods (or should I say FUD) is good for us, and we should eat it...
We've tried all the latest fad diets, health recommendations, food regimens, exercise and other abuses, all leading to an even higher rate of obesity and obesity-related issues - even if we aren't obese... We've spent the last 50 years brainwashing our children to eat whatever the news tells us, and supplementing it with fast food and quick snacks from the local Kwik-E-Mart (I'd get started on spelling, but that's a different rant altogether - along with Foto.).
I have no doctoral degree, and I don't even claim to understand what goes on inside a carrot when it's cooked versus when it's served raw. I don't know how the digestive tract breaks down foods, and I honestly could care less about whether the percentage of beta-carotene is higher or lower in one food or another. I have a different kind of suggestion from everyone else... It's a little radical, and it could potentially tick off your doctor or nutritionist - not to mention salesmen and fast-food restaurant companies all over the country, but just hear me out...
Try not eating so many overly-processed foods... I'm not saying cut them out completely. Why? Because while it IS possible to do it, it can be a difficult thing for us to do. But just try not eating as many... If what you're eating has a lot of ingredients that you can't pronounce, chances are, they're not found in nature... If they aren't found in nature, ask yourself if you really want to eat it...
I'm not saying that they're the worst things for you - but a lot of what we eat just doesn't need to be that overly processed. There's a reason why other countries who DON'T eat a lot of overly processed foods don't have the same issues with weight and weight-related diseases that the US does... They don't have the same level of processed foods that we do.
So, just throwing it out there to think about... I know, it's a radical idea. Perhaps, it's an idea whose time has come... Maybe the next time you decide to make Velveeta cheese dip, try doing it from scratch, with real cheese, rather than Velveeta - could make a difference - you never know.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tasty Vegan Indian Curry
Before you say EWWW yuck, give it a chance. It's actually quite tasty, and if you don't want it to be Vegan, it's easy to add chicken or shrimp to it, too. This becomes a complete protein when served with rice.
Serves 8 hungry people (with the rice cooked below can serve up to 12)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 potatoes, cleaned and cubed
1 tsp crushed red peppers
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c water or veggie stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 celery heart, diced
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp ground Coriander seed
1-2 Tbsp green curry powder
2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas), pre-cooked
3 carrots
2 cups chopped broccoli
3 cups green beans
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 c water or veggie stock
salt and pepper to taste
In a large non-stick pan, Heat olive oil on medium high heat
Place potatoes into pan and let fry about 6 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally
Add salt and crushed red chilis
Add water or veggie stock and stir
Add in garlic, celery and onion, and stir until combined
Cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring fairly constantly
Add Turmeric, Coriander and Curry powder, and combine completely
Add garbanzo beans, carrots, broccoli, green beans and red bell pepper
Stir to combine, and add the 1/2 c water or veggie stock
Let simmer about 15-20 minutes
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Serve with rice below
RICE
1 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 c rice
1/2 c slivered almonds, without skin
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups water or veggie stock
In a medium saucepot, heat olive oil on medium high heat
Add rice, slivered almonds and kosher salt
Stir to coat completely with olive oil and let toast until just lightly brown on the rice
Add enough water or veggie stock to cover by about 1"
Reduce heat to simmer and place lid on the pot
Let cook about 15 minutes, or until rice is done
Serve with the curry
Serves 8 hungry people (with the rice cooked below can serve up to 12)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 potatoes, cleaned and cubed
1 tsp crushed red peppers
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c water or veggie stock
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 celery heart, diced
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp ground Coriander seed
1-2 Tbsp green curry powder
2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas), pre-cooked
3 carrots
2 cups chopped broccoli
3 cups green beans
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 c water or veggie stock
salt and pepper to taste
In a large non-stick pan, Heat olive oil on medium high heat
Place potatoes into pan and let fry about 6 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally
Add salt and crushed red chilis
Add water or veggie stock and stir
Add in garlic, celery and onion, and stir until combined
Cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring fairly constantly
Add Turmeric, Coriander and Curry powder, and combine completely
Add garbanzo beans, carrots, broccoli, green beans and red bell pepper
Stir to combine, and add the 1/2 c water or veggie stock
Let simmer about 15-20 minutes
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Serve with rice below
RICE
1 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 c rice
1/2 c slivered almonds, without skin
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups water or veggie stock
In a medium saucepot, heat olive oil on medium high heat
Add rice, slivered almonds and kosher salt
Stir to coat completely with olive oil and let toast until just lightly brown on the rice
Add enough water or veggie stock to cover by about 1"
Reduce heat to simmer and place lid on the pot
Let cook about 15 minutes, or until rice is done
Serve with the curry
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Really good French Toast
First, I am not a huge fan of French Toast. I grew up with a mother who loved to cook very heavy breakfasts - while many people would love it, I did not - my stomach just can't handle dark whole wheat 28 grain bread dipped in egg at 6am before school...
In trying new ways to get my daughter (who is just barely 2) to try new things, I came across a brilliant way to make French Toast that she would eat. I kept in mind that she doesn't mind fruit, and doesn't mind toast if it's sweet - and she likes to have some texture, but not huge crunches (unless it's popcorn - and that's a different post).
So, since she wasn't eating the egg that I would make her in the morning, I figured I'd dip some bread into the egg, lightly sweeten the batter, and then see what we got... And we got a really tasty piece of breakfast...
2 slices of blueberry Streusel bread (or the fruit bread of your choice) FROZEN
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla creamer
1 tsp sugar
Break the egg into a flat-bottomed dish and whip the creamer and sugar in
Place the bread into the mix and let soak on both sides until completely wet
Preheat a 12" pan to medium heat
Place 1 Tbsp butter into the pan and let that melt
Place each of the pieces of bread into the pan and pour any additional batter over the top (shouldn't be more than 1-2 Tbsp at most
Turn over once it's just golden brown
Serve with a little bit of butter and, if you like, a light dusting of powdered sugar.
In trying new ways to get my daughter (who is just barely 2) to try new things, I came across a brilliant way to make French Toast that she would eat. I kept in mind that she doesn't mind fruit, and doesn't mind toast if it's sweet - and she likes to have some texture, but not huge crunches (unless it's popcorn - and that's a different post).
So, since she wasn't eating the egg that I would make her in the morning, I figured I'd dip some bread into the egg, lightly sweeten the batter, and then see what we got... And we got a really tasty piece of breakfast...
2 slices of blueberry Streusel bread (or the fruit bread of your choice) FROZEN
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla creamer
1 tsp sugar
Break the egg into a flat-bottomed dish and whip the creamer and sugar in
Place the bread into the mix and let soak on both sides until completely wet
Preheat a 12" pan to medium heat
Place 1 Tbsp butter into the pan and let that melt
Place each of the pieces of bread into the pan and pour any additional batter over the top (shouldn't be more than 1-2 Tbsp at most
Turn over once it's just golden brown
Serve with a little bit of butter and, if you like, a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Perfect Turkey Recipe
Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees (trust me on this)
Remove the turkey from the brine (you did brine it, didn’t you? Well, either way...)
Pat completely dry, both inside and out
Place chopped celery and carrots on the bottom of the roasting pan (it works better than a rack)
Place turkey on top, breast-side up
Oil up turkey, and sprinkle both inside and out with salt and pepper
Quarter an onion and stuff inside the turkey
Take a good hand-full of the following herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Flat-Leaf parsley
Stuff them into the turkey as well
Place bird into the oven and roast for ½ hour - NO MORE THAN THAT.
Reduce heat to 350
Continue to roast turkey until done.
For a 14 lb turkey cooked this way, the average cooking time (unstuffed) is 2 hrs, give or take a bit. For it to be served at or around 6pm, you will want to start it at 3:45, and check the temperature (or attempt to move a leg around) at 5:30 or so. If you have need of it, the Food Network has a turkey calculator that can help you with the time... You want to bring the internal temperature to 162 degrees - remember, removing the bird from the oven doesn't immediately stop the cooking process - there will be carry-over cooking that will bring the temperature up to 165, which is recommended by the FDA...
Let it sit for about a half hour before carving, to allow juices to re-distribute.
Why the carrots and celery on the bottom? Well, it adds to the aromatics that you’ve placed on the inside of the turkey, and will help flavor it… Aroma goes a long way toward flavor…
Remove the turkey from the brine (you did brine it, didn’t you? Well, either way...)
Pat completely dry, both inside and out
Place chopped celery and carrots on the bottom of the roasting pan (it works better than a rack)
Place turkey on top, breast-side up
Oil up turkey, and sprinkle both inside and out with salt and pepper
Quarter an onion and stuff inside the turkey
Take a good hand-full of the following herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Flat-Leaf parsley
Stuff them into the turkey as well
Place bird into the oven and roast for ½ hour - NO MORE THAN THAT.
Reduce heat to 350
Continue to roast turkey until done.
For a 14 lb turkey cooked this way, the average cooking time (unstuffed) is 2 hrs, give or take a bit. For it to be served at or around 6pm, you will want to start it at 3:45, and check the temperature (or attempt to move a leg around) at 5:30 or so. If you have need of it, the Food Network has a turkey calculator that can help you with the time... You want to bring the internal temperature to 162 degrees - remember, removing the bird from the oven doesn't immediately stop the cooking process - there will be carry-over cooking that will bring the temperature up to 165, which is recommended by the FDA...
Let it sit for about a half hour before carving, to allow juices to re-distribute.
Why the carrots and celery on the bottom? Well, it adds to the aromatics that you’ve placed on the inside of the turkey, and will help flavor it… Aroma goes a long way toward flavor…
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Best Darned Chili Mac EVER!
I'm not into diner food, per se. Honestly speaking though, if my husband offers to cook for the night, I'm all for it, even if it IS chili mac from a box and a can. Still, I know that even diner food can be absolutely delicious if the person cooking it pays attention and does it lovingly.
The other night I was not in the mood to cook at all. Strange, I know, but still... So, there I was, defrosting some pork carnitas cuts, and trying to figure out a way I could make them into something that sounded tasty... And, I decided on chili. But I needed something more, since my daughter, being a young 22 month old, can't handle a lot of spice. BUT, she loves a food adventure, and really likes flavor. So, I considered what I had...
Looking in my pantry, I could not find a box of mac and cheese anywhere. BUT, I did have a bag of wheel noodles, some butter, some flour, some milk, and some cheese... So, technically speaking, I *could* make it from scratch... And, the idea was born...
1 lb pork carnitas, cut to 1/2 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes with green peppers and onions
1 can (small) tomato paste
1 can "chili" beans (they have the spices already in them)
1 packet chili seasoning
Heat a pan to medium-high heat
Add Pork and begin to cook, moving around to brown
Once mostly cooked, add the garlic
Continue to cook until pork is done
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and seasoning
Reduce heat to low, stir to combine, and let simmer
MEANWHILE....
Bring 8 quarts of salted water to a boil
Add 2 cups dry wheel pasta
Stir once water starts boiling again
While that is cooking...
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 c whole or 2% milk
1 c shredded cheese
Melt butter in a pan on medium heat
Add flour to the pan, and whisk to combine together
Cook on medium-low heat, whisking until you smell the flour get nutty
Add the whole milk a little bit at a time, whisking to combine
Once smoothly combined, add shredded cheese to the mix
Once pasta is cooked, drain, and add cheese sauce to it
You can either place the mac and cheese on the bottom of the plate and pour chili over it, OR you can mix the two together completely.
Another great way to do this is to make hashed browns and serve the chili over them.
Enjoy!!!
The other night I was not in the mood to cook at all. Strange, I know, but still... So, there I was, defrosting some pork carnitas cuts, and trying to figure out a way I could make them into something that sounded tasty... And, I decided on chili. But I needed something more, since my daughter, being a young 22 month old, can't handle a lot of spice. BUT, she loves a food adventure, and really likes flavor. So, I considered what I had...
Looking in my pantry, I could not find a box of mac and cheese anywhere. BUT, I did have a bag of wheel noodles, some butter, some flour, some milk, and some cheese... So, technically speaking, I *could* make it from scratch... And, the idea was born...
1 lb pork carnitas, cut to 1/2 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes with green peppers and onions
1 can (small) tomato paste
1 can "chili" beans (they have the spices already in them)
1 packet chili seasoning
Heat a pan to medium-high heat
Add Pork and begin to cook, moving around to brown
Once mostly cooked, add the garlic
Continue to cook until pork is done
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and seasoning
Reduce heat to low, stir to combine, and let simmer
MEANWHILE....
Bring 8 quarts of salted water to a boil
Add 2 cups dry wheel pasta
Stir once water starts boiling again
While that is cooking...
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 c whole or 2% milk
1 c shredded cheese
Melt butter in a pan on medium heat
Add flour to the pan, and whisk to combine together
Cook on medium-low heat, whisking until you smell the flour get nutty
Add the whole milk a little bit at a time, whisking to combine
Once smoothly combined, add shredded cheese to the mix
Once pasta is cooked, drain, and add cheese sauce to it
You can either place the mac and cheese on the bottom of the plate and pour chili over it, OR you can mix the two together completely.
Another great way to do this is to make hashed browns and serve the chili over them.
Enjoy!!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Chile Chicken Chowder (my twist)
So, I was watching Paula Dean the other night and already had a good beef stew cooking, and she started making poblano chicken chowder. I was totally intrigued. I really love making a good chicken tortilla soup, and I adore chicken corn chowder, so the idea of a somewhat-combination really got me going... I had to put my own twist on it, though, as I really love to have potatoes in my chowders... And I prefer to thicken most of my soups with corn starch rather than roux. So, here it is. Enjoy!
Yields: 12-16 servings, depending on your hunger level...
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 lbs gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice -OR-
2 to 3 small anaheim peppers, roasted, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 quarts water or chicken broth
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1 Tbsp corn starch, mixed into
1 pint heavy cream
Directions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat
Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme
Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften
Stir in the chicken bouillon
Add the chicken broth, potatoes, corn and cilantro, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender
Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through
Add the cream and corn starch mixture
Bring up just to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about two minutes, stirring constantly
Serve garnished with some fresh tomatoes and tortilla chips
If you really want to make the nice warm burn come alive, add both the poblanos and the anaheims. I found the flavor to be really fabulous.
Yields: 12-16 servings, depending on your hunger level...
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
5 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 lbs gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1/8 cup minced garlic
2 to 3 small poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice -OR-
2 to 3 small anaheim peppers, roasted, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 quarts water or chicken broth
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
1 Tbsp corn starch, mixed into
1 pint heavy cream
Directions
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat
Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme
Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften
Stir in the chicken bouillon
Add the chicken broth, potatoes, corn and cilantro, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender
Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through
Add the cream and corn starch mixture
Bring up just to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about two minutes, stirring constantly
Serve garnished with some fresh tomatoes and tortilla chips
If you really want to make the nice warm burn come alive, add both the poblanos and the anaheims. I found the flavor to be really fabulous.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Asparagus with Lobster and Cream Sauce...
OK - so, you think you can't have lobster because it's so expensive. Actually, it's not all that expensive if you get it on sale, and if you're mixing it into other things, like in this dish. I picked up 4 lobsters for about $24 total at my local store - they were having a sale - and if you look around, you may surprise yourself. It's a bit of work to pick them, but it's really tasty. If lobster isn't your thing, you can also do this with shrimp or crab as well...
Serves 4 people
4 small lobsters (about 1 lb each - you'll get about 5 oz of meat out of each), picked clean
1.5 lb pencil-thin asparagus, chopped into 1.5" long pieces
2 medium shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
nutmeg
salt
pepper
Heat 12" non-stick skillet on medium heat
Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter and let melt
Add shallots and garlic
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg*
Let sweat for about 6 minutes, until super fragrant - do not let brown
Add asparagus, and cook about 6 minutes - stirring every few minutes
Chop lobster into bite-sized pieces
Add cream and let cook until starting to thicken, stirring every few minutes
Add lobster and parmesan cheese
Let cheese thicken, and lobster fully heat up
Serve over baked potato or linguine pasta
*Nutmeg should be used with caution. I'd say only 2-3 scrapes on a microplane, if you're not used to the flavor. It brings out the sweetness of the lobster, but can overpower it if you aren't careful. No more than about 5-6 scrapes tops in this dish, at this serving size.
Serves 4 people
4 small lobsters (about 1 lb each - you'll get about 5 oz of meat out of each), picked clean
1.5 lb pencil-thin asparagus, chopped into 1.5" long pieces
2 medium shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
nutmeg
salt
pepper
Heat 12" non-stick skillet on medium heat
Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter and let melt
Add shallots and garlic
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg*
Let sweat for about 6 minutes, until super fragrant - do not let brown
Add asparagus, and cook about 6 minutes - stirring every few minutes
Chop lobster into bite-sized pieces
Add cream and let cook until starting to thicken, stirring every few minutes
Add lobster and parmesan cheese
Let cheese thicken, and lobster fully heat up
Serve over baked potato or linguine pasta
*Nutmeg should be used with caution. I'd say only 2-3 scrapes on a microplane, if you're not used to the flavor. It brings out the sweetness of the lobster, but can overpower it if you aren't careful. No more than about 5-6 scrapes tops in this dish, at this serving size.
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