Discover Foods

A New 'New Year's' Resolution

2012-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

So, it's the middle of January and your New Year's resolution hasn't quite worked out as planned. If it helps you any, mine hasn't worked out so well either. The way I look at it, everyday is a new day and a chance to start over.

If your New Year's resolution was to shed a few pounds and that hasn't happened, all is not lost. There are still over 300 days left in the year. You have time to restart your resolution. Studies show that if you want a healthier life, start by cooking. According to some researchers, if we want to make progress on reducing the rates of obesity, we need to cook at home.

Cooking seems to have gotten a bad rap. We don't have time. It's too much work. What I want to know is when cooking good food became drudgery. I even hear people brag about their inability to cook. They wear it like a badge of honor.

If you want to cook and you are dazed about where to start, here are a few suggestions.

You won't go from ruining everything to gourmet meals overnight. Kind of like Rome wasn't built in a day. I've learned that cooking is a process or journey. You get better by practicing and learning from your mistakes. Ask any good cook and they will tell you about a whole slew of their mistakes.
You may want to begin your cooking journey by using websites. They are free. Be careful, not all websites have tested recipes. Here are a few that I have tried.

Eating Well - Good for those trying to become healthier. I do find their recipes tend to be slightly bland. You may need to increase the spices.
Cooking Light - Good for those trying to become healthier. Recipes tend to be somewhat flavorful.
Rachael Ray - I am not a Racheal Ray fan. However, she has done a great job of getting younger people to cook. And I am for anything that gets anyone into the kitchen to cook. I don't find that most of her recipes are very flavorful, but they are a place to start.
Everyday Food Magazine and website - This is a Martha Stewart magazine. They do an excellent job of laying out the recipes (with pictures). I generally find that the recipes are easy.
Most commodity boards (potato, dry beans, dairy, beef) have recipes. Sometimes their recipes start with convenience products, so be careful, especially with sodium.
When you are strolling through the supermarket, look around the produce section to see if they have a recipe stand. Most major grocery stores have a website with recipes.

Start with recipes that contain ingredients that you recognize. As you build your repertoire, play around with different ingredients and spices. Most spice companies (McCormick, Spice Islands) have website that will help you learn to use spices.
Lastly, have fun. Know that you will make mistakes. You will learn from them and become a better and healthier cook.

If you want to start cooking tomorrow, here is a rotisserie chicken recipe that can get you through today. As I have said before, I love rotisserie chicken. There are even rotisserie chicken cookbooks. Using a rotisserie chicken may not be legimate cooking, but it is a place to start. Your grocery deli or salad bar is a good place to pick up a few extras, like olives and artichokes.

Day 1 - Serve the chicken with a side dish or salad.
Day 2 - Cut the chicken up and use in a chef salad.
Day 3 - Keep the bones! Keep the liquid at the bottom of the container! These are loaded with flavor. Put the bones and the liquid in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for about one hour. Strain. Use this broth as a base for soup, to cook rice or couscous.

Repeat

2012-01-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a repeat. Well, sort of. You may remember that during the holiday season, I posted a recipe for green beans with lemon and garlic. A colleague tried it and fell in love with the dish. She made it several times during the holidays and returned from the holiday break talking about this recipe.

My colleague also made two major changes in the recipe. She eliminated the butter and used all olive oil. And, she changed the green beans to Brussels sprouts. I loved it! That's the beauty of cooking, you can change things to suite your tastes, health concerns, and the season. I have come to realize that a recipe is an idea. It is not something set in stone. Once I put a recipe "out there", it belongs to whomever and they have the right to change or alter as they see fit.

The ability to cook frees one from the restrictions of a recipe. When people tell me they have changed one of my recipes, I am generally quite flattered. And sometimes, their changes give me new ideas and inspire me to make changes.

Here is the new revised Brussels sprouts recipe. If you make changes, let us know.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Garlic

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
1. Remove outer leaves from Brussels sprouts. Slice and place in water until ready to use.

2. Fill a large saucepan about half full with water, add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts; cover, reduce heat. Simmer for about 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add Brussels sprouts, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Note: If desired, Brussels sprouts can be cooked ahead of time and sautéed just before serving.

A Christmas Break Snack

2011-12-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

The kids are out of school and you need to find a few extra snacks. While searching the web for something else (what, I can't remember), I found a cute new take on the ants on a log recipe. I thought this was the perfect Christmas break snack. It's quick, easy and nutritious. With a little extra help, kids can make this snack. To go along with this snack, how about a cup of hot chocolate.

Pears in a Pod

Ingredients:
4 stalks of celery

½ cup peanut butter
2 pears, cored and cut into cubes

Directions:
1. Spread the peanut butter into the center of the celery stalk.
2. Place pears on top of peanut butter. Cut celery into desired length and serve.
Source: USA Pears

Hot Chocolate

Serves 1.

Combine 1 tablespoon cocoa and 1 tablespoon sugar in a mug. Pour in 1 cup hot low fat milk. Stir to combine and serve.

If you want to mix up your hot chocolate, here are a few suggestions.

Peppermint candy
Marshmallows
Vanilla flavoring
Cinnamon

If you would like additional snacks and activities to keep the little ones happy, try Disney's Family Fun website.

Cauliflower - Finishing Up the Holiday Sides

2011-12-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

This is the last of the healthier (and good) holiday sides. They started the week after halloween with that infamous green bean casserole. I hope that you have gotten a chance to try a few of the holiday sides that have been offered in this blog. As always, it has been fun to put these posts together. At this time of overeating, it's nice to have some healthier options.

This last post is for browned then braised cauliflower. I found the recipe quite intriguing. I had never browned and then braised anything.

It's the holiday season and you don't have a lot of time for extra reading, so I'll get to the recipe.

Browned then Braised Cauliflower

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds
3 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Separate flowerets from the head. Cut larger pieces into quarters. You should have about 6 cups.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until flowerets are golden brown, about 7 to 9 minutes.

3. Clear the center of the skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Stir into the cauliflower.

4. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until cauliflower is crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid is almost evaporated.

5. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Enjoy and Have a Great Holiday Season!

Cranberries, Minus the Can

2011-12-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

I grew up eating canned cranberry sauce. You opened the can and out it popped. We will always have a can of cranberry sauce on the holiday table. Otherwise, someone in the family will be sitting before a jury.

Now that my tastebuds have grown up, I've come to enjoy making my own cranberry sauce. It's not that difficult, cranberries, sugar and water. (For exact amounts, check the package of fresh cranberries.) Cook until the cranberries pop. Refrigerate and the mixture becomes thicker as it cools.

One of my favorite recipes for cranberries came from a friend. It is a little beyond the basic cranberry sauce, but a nice addition to the holiday table.

Winter Fruit Bowl

Ingredients:
4 medium grapefruits
1 cup sugar
½ cup orange marmalade
2 cup fresh cranberries
3 medium bananas

Directions:
1. Peel and section grapefruit, discard the white inner membranes.
2. Combine cranberries and one cup of water, cook until the skins pop. Add sugar and marmalade. Heat to boiling.
3. Remove from heat. Add grapefruit, cover and chill.
5. Just before serving, slice bananas and stir into sauce.

The original recipe states that it serves 10 people. However, at my dinners it serves at least 15 people.

I have made this sauce several times and find that even those who like the canned stuff also like this dish. In addition to turkey, it pairs well with pork.

Cranberries are also good at other times of the year. Purchase an extra package or two. Sort and remove the bad berries. Wash and freeze until ready to use. For additional recipes, check out Ocean Spray website.

Mashed Potatoes on the Holiday Table

2011-12-05T19:20:00.001-08:00

Although I did not grow up eating mashed potatoes for the holiday meal, most of my midwestern friends don't think it's a holiday dinner without mashed potatoes. And when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Therefore, I am doing mashed potatoes as one of my holiday sides.

For your holiday mashed potatoes, start with either russet (Idaho) or Yukon Gold potatoes. These types are better suited for making mashed potatoes. Russets are high in starch and low in moisture. For this reason russets cook up drier and fluffier and are better able to absorb butter and cream. Russets also lose their shape when simmered, so they are good for thickening soups and stews. Yukon Golds are a great all purpose potato. Although they contain less starch than russets, they are good for baking and making mashed potatoes.

To make lower fat mashed potatoes, try using buttermilk or nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russets
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. If desired, peel potatoes. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

2. Drain potatoes thoroughly. To further remove water, return potatoes to the saucepan on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking constantly so they don't burn. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in buttermilk, butter and salt.

Since it is the holidays, if you want to "upscale" your mashed potatoes, here are some suggestions. But remember, add-ins like cheese and bacon also bring extra calories.

Roasted Garlic
Chives or green onions
Herbs, such as parsley or pesto
Horseradish and low fat sour cream, especially good for serving with beef

Barley - Again?

2011-11-28T15:17:00.001-08:00

In March, 2010, I wrote about barley. Well, once you discover a good thing, you stick with it. And I have fdiscovered barley. Barley can be purchased hulled, pearled and rolled (quick) cook.

Hulled barley is similar to brown rice. It retains the bran and therefore, takes longer to cook than pearled or rolled barley.

Pearled barley is similar to white rice. The bran has been removed.

Rolled barley is flatter and requires the least amount of time to cook.

Although this recipe is included in my holiday collection, this is a great fall recipe and would be a great accompaniment to pork or chicken. If this dish does not make an appearance at your holdiay table, you can still give it a try.

Butternut and Barley Pilaf

Winter squash contributes a rich, full flavor to a simple barley pilaf. Gremolata, an Italian mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic, gives the dish a lively finish.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (14 ounce) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1¾ cups water
1 cup pearled barley
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
⅓ cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add broth, water and barley; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the barley is just beginning to soften. Add squash and cook until squash and barley are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.

3. Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; mix gently.

More Green Beans

2011-11-21T13:01:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about that ever present Thanksgiving dish – Green Bean Casserole. This week, before the Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to post another green bean recipe for people who just can’t fall in love with the green bean casserole. I found this recipe after a few failed attempts. I must say it is my favorite recipe. I could not stop eating them. Now how many times can you say that you have been unable to stop eating green beans?

There are a couple of things that I like about this recipe – it can be partially prepared ahead of time and it is cooked completely on the stovetop. It is quick and simple.

Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1½ pounds green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1½ Tablespoons olive oil

1½ Tablespoons butter

1 clove of garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Fill a Dutch oven about half full of water and bring to a boil. Add green beans; cover, reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain beans.

2. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add beans, juice, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Note: If desired green beans can be cooked ahead of time and sautéed just before serving.

Sweet Potatoes - Queen of the Show

2011-11-15T07:22:00.001-08:00

Okay, last week was king of the holiday side dishes. This week is the queen. And a king needs a queen. In a January post, I wrote about sweet potatoes being the new "in" food for 2011. In the South, a holiday is not a holiday without sweet potatoes. In homage to my Southern roots, I had to have sweet potatoes as a part of my healthy holiday side dishes.

As a kid, we ate sweet potatoes two ways; one was baked with nothing added and the other was candied with lots of sugar and butter. We considered candied yams a side dish, while some of my Midwestern friends say they are dessert. When most people talk about sweet potatoes and the holidays, they refer to sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Although, I didn't grow up with marshmallow topped sweet potatoes, I do like them. But I am not psychologically attached to them - not like candied yams.

I normally try and throw a little nutrition into my posts, but it's the holidays. So let's just say sweet potatoes are loaded. They have some of everything that you need. This year, we will not bury sweet potatoes beneath marshmallows. Nor will we load them up with sugar and butter. We are going to bring out the natural goodness of sweet potatoes.

Southerners often combine sweet potatoes and coconut. And why not, they are both tropical crops. Sometime ago, I found a recipe for sweet potatoes, coconut milk and grated ginger. I thought the combination sounded wonderful and perfect for the holidays. According to the source, this dish is known as piele in Hawaii. But whatever the origins, this is a great recipe. It will surely grace many a family meals.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 medium
3/4 cup "lite" coconut milk
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on high until tender all the way to the center, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. When cool enough to handle, peel off and discard skin. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a medium microwavable bowl and mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Add coconut milk, ginger and salt; stir well. Reheat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Note: Sweet potatoes can be baked. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place sweet potatoes on a baking dish and bake until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.

Green Bean Casserole – The King of Holiday Side Dishes

2011-11-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

It seems that you can always tell when Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are approaching. This is the time of the year when the green bean casserole makes its annual appearance. I talk to lots of people about this dish. Some people always had it on the holiday table. Others are just kind of ho-hum about it. No matter, everyone has an opinion about it.

And why not serve green bean casserole for Thanksgiving dinner. It is a uniquely American dish. The green bean casserole was developed by the Campbell Soup Company in 1955. The idea was to make a quick and easy dish consisting of items that most people would always have on hand – green beans and cream of mushroom soup. The original casserole contained only 5 ingredients – green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and French fried onions.

We decided to update this American classic. We started with a cream sauce and used real mushrooms, onion, and frozen green beans. It is a little more work than the original, but worth the effort. However, we did keep the original onion rings. No one was willing to part with them. And why should we, this is, afterall a comfort dish and it is the holidays.

Even though our version is a little more work, it can be assembled ahead of time. On the day of the dinner, top with onions, bake and serve. So go ahead and enjoy a little of an American classic.

Green Bean Casserole

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ small onion, chopped

8 ounces fresh mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

½ cup reduced fat sour cream

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 package (16 ounce) frozen green beans or

1 pound fresh

1 can (2.8 ounce) French fried onions

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook, stirring until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in flour.

2. Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

To Assemble Casserole:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine sauce and green beans.

3. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour green bean mixture into baking dish. Place in oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 25 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake for about 10 minutes.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins!

2011-11-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, that has been my fall. A neighbor grows a plethora of pumpkins and shares them with me and anyone else who will take them. She had so many that she was giving them away out of the trunk of her car. Kind of like an old lady drug dealer.

Now, I too, have an abundance of pumpkins. I decided to step out of the pumpkin pie routine and try a cheesecake. Since traditional cheesecake is loaded with fat and calories, I also decided to try and make one with less fat while retaining the flavor of a traditional pumpkin cheesecake (aka, full fat).

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves 12.

Ingredients:

1 cup ground gingersnap cookies

1 cup walnut halves or pieces, divided
2 Tablespoons butter
1 container (12 ounce) reduced fat cottage cheese
2 packages (8 ounce) reduced fat cream cheese
½ cup sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
2 cups pureed pumpkin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Wrap the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with aluminum foil. Grind ⅓ cup of walnuts in a food processor. In a small bowl, combine cookies, walnuts and butter. Press into the bottom of pan. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, combine cottage and cream cheeses. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Add both sugars and blend again. Add spices, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin. Pulse until completely blended.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake cheese cake at 325°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The center should not be set. The cake should giggle slightly when shaken.

5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

6. To serve, top with toasted or candied walnuts (recipe follows).

Candied Walnuts

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium skillet combine ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon honey. Stir to combine. Cook mixture until it reached a light golden brown color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add ⅔ cup of walnuts and stir. Cook until mixture turns a deep golden brown color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn on parchment paper. When cooled completely, break into clusters.

We hope you enjoy or version of pumpkin cheesecake. Our foodie colleagues thought it passed the test.

Goat Cheese Alfredo Sauce - The End of My Assignment

2011-10-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

As some of my most diligent followers may know, I gave my foods class a grocery store assignment last year. The assignment was to go to grocery stores that they did not normally go to and find cheeses that they did not normally purchase. To that end, I believe the assignment and my students were a success. I am always tempting them to become more adventurous with their food choices, that is, to venture out from their usual food pattern.

I, too, decided to complete the assignment, mostly because I never turn down a chance to eat cheese. Well, the semester is almost over and I am still working on my assignment. Ok, I wasn’t getting a grade and neither the boss nor Mom was checking up on me. A goat cheese made by Beemster is my final choice. I had never seen or heard of this cheese before my assignment. This particular cheese is aged for four months. My colleague and I tasted it and decided the texture was similar to Parmesan cheese. I ran through a number of things I could make. At first I was going to make squash ravioli and toss it with some kind of Parmesan cheese sauce. As time got closer, I realized that was not going to happen. What do they say about the best laid plans? I am sure there were some other things I was going to make with this cheese, but they did not get made either.

I finally decided to make Goat Cheese Alfredo Sauce. It’s simple. My ‘eating, chef’ colleague once told me that Alfredo sauce was nothing more than cream and parmesan cheese. It sounded easy enough to me.

Here is my version of goat cheese Alfredo sauce.

Goat Cheese Alfredo Sauce

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1⅓ cups 2% milk
1¼ cups (5 ounces) grated cheese, divided
2 Tablespoons ⅓ less fat cream cheese
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces fettuccine pasta
2 teaspoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add 1 cup of grated cheese, cream cheese and salt. Stir until cheese melts. Toss with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and parsley.

Working on My Wish List

2011-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

It seems that all bloggers have a wish list. There’s the old saying that if you can’t beat’em, join’em. So join them I did. I came up with my own wish list. While some bloggers focus on things they want, (aka, gifts), I decided to focus on dishes I want to make. At first I chose things like breads, cakes, and chocolate ice cream. Well, my student helper spoke up, “Why, Dr. Jones, you don’t have any vegetables on your list. You only have baking stuff”. So I relented and decided to add some healthy vegetables to the wish. And yes, these are vegetables that I really want to cook.

If you notice, I have crossed out a few things on my list, like chocolate ice cream and mac & cheese. But ratatouille remained on the list. So at the end of this gardening season, I finally got around to ratatouille. I’m not sure why I wanted to make ratatouille. Other than, I just did. I suppose after seeing the movies, Ratatouille and Julia and Julie, I have become somewhat fascinated with French food.

Ratatouille is an eggplant casserole originating in the Mediterranean. It can be served hot or cold, as an accompaniment to meat or as an hors d’oeuvre. I looked all over for a recipe. I found some that grilled the vegetables, some that threw all the vegetables together in a casserole dish and allowed them to simmer. Some that included basil and parsley and some that omitted them. I was in a real quandary as to what to do. Other than zucchini, tomatoes and eggplants, I knew nothing about making ratatouille. So, I went to the ‘source’, Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. On page 503 of volume 1, is a recipe for ratatouille.

Here is Julia Child’s recipe for ratatouille. I did make a few changes. I hope she won’t mind.

Ratatouille

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:

½ pound eggplant

½ pound zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons olive oil
½ pound thinly sliced yellow onions, about 1½ cups
1 cup sliced bell pepper, preferably green
2 garlic cloves
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, about 2 cups
Salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons minced parsley

Directions:

1. Cut eggplants into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. Cut zucchini into a similar size and set aside. Toss each vegetable with ½ teaspoon salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Drain and towel dry.

2. Sauté the eggplants in olive oil, one layer at a time. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place eggplants in a bowl and set aside. Sauté zucchini in the same manner as the eggplant. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine eggplant and zucchini.

3. In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers. Stir in garlic. Add tomatoes and cook until most of the juices have evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Assemble the casserole: in a 2½ quart casserole, place ⅓ of the tomato mixture. Sprinkle one tablespoon of parsley over tomatoes. Arrange ½ of eggplant and zucchini mixture over tomatoes. Place another ⅓ of tomatoes over eggplant and zucchini mixture. Sprinkle one tablespoon of parsley over tomatoes. Arrange remaining eggplant and zucchini mixture over tomatoes. Place remaining tomatoes over eggplant and zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

5. At this point the casserole can be refrigerated until ready to cook.

6. To cook, place casserole in oven at 350°F. Cook until hot.

What I Changed:

1. I did not peel the eggplant. Thought I might need those antioxidants in the peel.

2. I also used red bell pepper, since that is what I prefer. I also cooked mine in the oven and not on a stovetop.

Autumn Equals Apples

2011-10-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

It’s that of year again. It’s time to go to Nebraska City for apples. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. And of course I always purchase way too many apples. There are tons of apple varieties, each with a unique flavor characteristic. Apples are available in an assortment of colors and textures, in flavors from tart to sweet. With thousands of varieties to choose from, it’s easy to find the perfect apple. If you have been stuck in a red or yellow delicious apple rut, try your local apple orchard for some local varieties.

Although apples are available year-round, they are best in autumn. There are about 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the US and over 7,500 varieties worldwide. The five most common varieties grown in the US are red delicious, golden delicious, granny Smith, gala, and fuji.

A Few Apple Facts for Trivia Buffs

· 25% of an apple’s volume is air, which is why they floats

· Don’t peel your apple. Most of the fiber and antioxidants are in the peel.

· The science of apple growing is referred to as pomology.

· Apple trees are not self-pollinating. They need bees to pollinate the flowers to form the fruit.

· Apples are members of the rose family, along with peaches, plums, cherries and pears.

With my apples I decided to make caramelized apples. Here is my version.

Caramelized Apples

Cheese for your 'savory' friend and one for your 'sweet' friend.

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

4 large tart apples

½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup apple cider

1 pint frozen yogurt or

about 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Peel apples if desired.

2. In a large skillet combine, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Stir until sugar dissolves, bring mixture to a simmer. When sugar turns brown (caramelized), whisk in butter. Add apples and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add apple cider and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Serve with ice cream or for a savory twist, try a sharp cheese such as Cheddar or blue.

Excess Zucchini?

2011-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, on my facebook wall, I posted a recipe for people with too much zucchini. And just in case you were wondering, I got two zucchini this year. I think rabbits ate the blossoms. My facebook friend and colleague, Joan, replied that she would gladly accept the role of taster. One good thing about working in a nutrition department is there are always people around to eat.

I decided to take the challenge and bake the zucchini bread just for Joan. So I went off in search of free zucchini. Why buy zucchini? I attempted to get someone to pay me for taking it, but that didn’t fly.

After tasting the bread, Joan declared, “It’s healthy”. My reply, “What’s wrong with that?”. If you want to join Joan in eating healthy zucchini bread, click on the hyperlink above.

Yes, it's healthy!

If you get a chance, let us know how you are using your zucchini supply.

Carrots and Lemon-Lime Soda – Together?

2011-09-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

My chef colleague gave me the idea of cooking carrots in lemon-lime soda several years ago. My first thought was, ugh, what? Needless to say, I was somewhat dazed by the idea. But then I thought, if you can make a cake with coke or barbeque sauce with soda, why not cook carrots in soda. A soda is basically flavored water and sugar.

After getting over my initial shock, I decided to give it a try. Making foods with soda dates back to the depression era when sugar was rationed. The ever clever American cooks decided to use soda instead of sugar. I decided the idea of carrots cooked in soda was an interesting idea. I thought it was worth a try. You’ve got sugar and flavor. Off to the kitchen I went to test out this bright new idea.

If you are totally intrigued, here is my recipe.

Lemon-Lime Carrots

Serves 3 to 4.

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots

Lemon-lime soda, about ¾ cup

1 Tablespoon butter, optional

Directions:

1. Wash and peel carrots. Cut into ¼’ slices.

2. Place carrots in a small saucepan. Add enough soda to cover carrots. Cover with lid and bring to a simmer. Cook until carrots are tender. Drain. If desired, add butter. Stir until melted and serve.

I thought the carrots turned out nicely. I would make them again if I wanted to try something with a little different twist.

A Food You Should Eat! (And Probably Don’t)

2011-09-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, the title caught my attention. I was excited. A chance to eat! This must be heaven!

So what should I eat and probably don’t. Sardines. That was enough to knock the wind out of my sails. Somebody popped my balloon. Needless to say, I only occasionally eat sardines. I don’t really have great memories of sardines. While I was growing up, only poor people ate them. They were often packed for lunch. One can was just enough for one person. They were easily portable.

They were the perfect food, except. When you ate them, everyone within a one mile radius knew what you were eating. There is no hiding when eating sardines. As an adult, I was happy to make enough money not to have to eat the smelly little fish. Now that I make enough money sardines are in vogue. Not only is it acceptable to eat them, they are good for you and the environment. Nutritionally, sardines are a powerhouse. They are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. One (3 ounce) can has about 1,950mg of omega-3 fatty acids, more than salmon. They are an excellent source of vitamin D. And sardines are available in a wide price range, from about 99 cents up to 3 or 4 dollars per can. In addition to the oil packed types, they are available in mustard, hot sauce, Mediterranean with capers.

Sardines are small fish, making them low on the food chain. For more on sardines and other environmentally friendly seafood, check out this article from the magazine, Eating Well magazine(http://bit.ly/n9HWUe).

If you want to try sardines, here are a couple of recipes for you.

Greek Salad with Sardines - http://bit.ly/qJU509

Tomato Toast with Sardines and Mint - http://bit.ly/qFgfgD

As for me, I am sticking with that old time favorite, sardines and saltine crackers. Why mess with a classic?

For those of you truly interested in being green, check out what to do with your sardine can. (http://instagr.am/p/MnaNY/) Now if someone can tell me what to do with old Christmas cards.

Heirloom Tomatoes - What's Old Is New Again

2011-08-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

While taking a stroll through my local farmers market, I discovered a wide array of tomatoes. Some are red and round, red and oblong. There yellow, orange, green and purple tomatoes. Through visiting the farmers markets, I have discovered a whole other world of tomatoes.

These “new” tomatoes have been around for quite some time. It’s just that many heirloom tomatoes are not necessarily good for shipping. Therefore, they don’t show up at your local supermarket. However, local farmers grow for flavor and taste. Long distance shipping is not a major concern for them. This frees up farmers to grow what they like and most importantly, what we like.

Local farmers are more likely to grow what is referred to as heirloom varieties. An heirloom variety is generally a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family. Many heirloom varieties are pre-Columbian and some are pre-European. Some heirloom varieties can be traced back to Africa and Asia. Heirloom vegetables come in a myriad of shapes, flavors, textures that are so different from commercial varieties seen in large grocery stores.

This tomato salad recipe is a perfect place to show off heirloom vegetables. If you like, capers, olives and a cheese, such as goat, or blue can also be added.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

6 ½-inch thick slices crusty bread

1½ Tablespoons red-wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
3 pounds mixed tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces

Directions:

1. Slice and toast the bread.

2. Whisk together vinegar, salt, mustard, and pepper. Add oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until dressing is emulsified.

3. Add onion and tomatoes. Toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place bread on plate. Top with tomatoes and serve.

Breakfast-on-the-Run!

2011-08-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Mama said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Although some experts disagree with Mama, I’m going with Mama on this one! According to some experts, you eat when you are hungry, not because it is mealtime. While I agree with the experts to a certain degree, I’m still eating breakfast. When I don’t eat breakfast, I spend most of my morning thinking about it.

Growing up, Mom cooked breakfast and we sat down at the table every morning. Well, life for me is a little different. I’m usually eating my breakfast while finishing up last minute tasks before running out the door. For me, breakfast is usually quick and on the run.

Several years ago, I discovered frozen waffles. They come in several varieties, including, multigrain, chocolate chip, and buttermilk. They make an excellent base for breakfast. I usually top mine with peanut butter and bananas or cream cheese and fresh fruit. In about 5 minutes, I’ve got breakfast. And then I am ready for the world.

Additional Resources for Quick Breakfast

Parenting Magazine Website - http://bit.ly/oJM8J2

Family Fun Magazine Website - http://bit.ly/oF4AqG
Cooking Light Magazine - http://bit.ly/rhJjoE

Celebrating Ramadan

2011-08-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Members of the Muslim faith are currently observing Ramadan. So this month, I decided to blog on Ramadan. No, I am not Muslim and do not profess to be well versed in the culture. I do, however, believe that we all have an obligation to at least attempt to understand the culture of others. As I began to research for this posting, I found a lot of interesting information on Ramadan. So, it is in that vein that I am writing this blog.

Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar and lasts for 29 or 30 days. The dates for Ramadan vary each year, moving backwards by about eleven days per year, thus in 34 years; Muslims will have fasted every day of the calendar year. Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month in which the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

It is a time of spiritual reflection and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam and to avoid obscene and irreligious sights and sounds. During fasting, intercourse is prohibited as well as eating and drinking, and resistance of all temptations is encouraged. Purity of both thought and action is important. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul and free it from harm. It also teaches Muslims to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate; thus encouraging actions of generosity and charity.

Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are to slow down from worldly affairs and focus on self-reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment; this is to establish a link between themselves and God through prayer, supplication, charity, good deeds, kindness and helping others. Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy. There is also a social aspect involving the preparation of special foods and inviting people for iftar, the fast-breaking meal. Iftar begins with the eating of three dates. After eating dates, it is prayer time and finally the celebratory meal.

While you may not be celebrating Ramadan, if you are like me, you probably need to slow down – and breathe. So please, prepare a meal, invite a few friends over and maybe bake this pie.

New Fashioned Bean Pie

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 ounces, each) white beans, such as,

Great Northern Beans, Navy or Cannellini
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Drain and rinse beans.
In a blender or food processor, blend beans and the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a pie crust.
Bake at 375°F for 1 hour or until the center is slightly soft.

Note: If this pie is made in a purchased deep dish pie crust, you will have a little filling left over.

The Happy Meal Gets Happier

2011-08-01T14:53:00.000-07:00

While I was attending the Society for Nutrition Education Conference in Kansas City, McDonald’s announced that there would be changes to the Happy Meal. The Happy Meal will become healthier. I found it interesting that McDonalds made this announcement during a nutrition education conference. Needless to say, the conference was all abuzz about McDonald’s and the menu change. So I thought I would weigh in on the issue myself.

McDonalds will begin rolling out the new Happy Meal in September 2011, with the goal of having them in all restaurants by the first quarter of 2012. The new Happy Meal will automatically include produce (½ serving or ¼ cup apple slices) and a smaller amount of French fries – 1.1 ounces. Okay, these are not bad ideas. You will still be able to choose the meat option, hamburger, cheeseburger, or nuggets. Your choice of beverage will include fat-free chocolate milk or 1% low fat white milk. It is also my understanding that the soda is still an option for the meal.

Along with changing the Happy Meal, McDonald’s is committed to offering improved nutrition choices. The company will now champion the well-being of children, expand and improve nutritionally-balanced menu choices and increase customers’ and employees’ access to nutrition information.

McDonald’s has reduced the sodium content of its menu by 10% and plans to make continued reductions. By 2020, McDonald’s will reduce added sugars, saturated fat and calories through varied portion sizes, reformulations and innovations. By 2015, McDonald’s will reduce sodium an average of 15% across its national menu food choices.

First of all, I do believe this is a step in the right direction. Even though this was a business decision and not some real effort to make America’s children healthier, it is a step in the right direction. At this point, I say consumers have to make an effort to make better choices while dining at McDonald’s.

Could McDonalds do better, of course they could. I would like to see a real apple in that Happy Meal. However, I have been told that McDonald’s tried whole apples and kids would not eat them. The apples spoiled, meaning McDonald’s lost money. We have to face the fact that companies are in business to make money, not to make us healthier. I applaud McDonalds’ efforts. But, if they really wanted to make me happy, when they build new restaurants in low income neighborhoods, build a grocery store. Fast food should not be the only choice for low income populations. I want to see McDonald’s attached to a nice grocery store, well stocked with affordably priced fresh produce. That to me would be a real choice.

Canning - The Comeback Kid!

2011-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Glass jar maker, Ball Corporation and Canning Across America have teamed up to create National Can It Forward Day. On August 13^th, gather your friends and family together to continue the art of “putting up” food.

Canning is something your mother or grandmother probably did. During the recent economic downturn, canning was rediscovered. Take a stroll down the seasonal isle of most grocery stores, and you will find a wide array of canning supplies.

Our grandparents canned to preserve the harvest. They wanted to make sure there was enough food to get through winter. We can now purchase most foods all year round. Jams, jellies and pickles can also be purchased. We no longer need to preserve food. Canning is hard work. You need to get out special equipment, wash and sanitize the jars. It is messy work. This is not going to be a 30 minute project. So why would anyone want to can?

As most do now, I searched on Wikipedia to see why people were canning. I found no real answers. So I decided to give you my reasons for canning. I enjoy “all things food”. I think I make a better product than major food companies. I like to believe that cooking and canning give me better control over my diet.

Whatever the reason for canning, it is on the rise. I am not the only person slaving over jars, hot water baths, jams, jellies, and pickles. Here are a few resources to help you get started with canning.

Websites

National Center for Home Food Preservation – http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Ball Corporation – http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension – http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/home

Books

So Easy to Preserve – University of Georgia – Cooperative Extension

The Ball Blue Book: Guide to Preserving – The Ball Corporation

Whatever recipe you use, choose a resource that has been approved by the US Department of Agriculture. Safety is a major concern with canned products.

Good luck! And let us know about your canning projects.

Whole Wheat Bread

2011-07-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

For years I told my students that 100% whole wheat bread was extremely difficult if not impossible to make. Well, one year, a student decided to challenge me. One day after class, she brought up a slice of 100% homemade whole wheat bread that her family makes. Needless to say, it was quite tasty with a very smooth texture. I was impressed, but still not convinced. Sometimes it takes a little more to get some of us to move, change, etc.

I had to make whole wheat bread for a 4-H project I was working on. I was going to prove my student wrong! I found the perfect recipe on King Arthur flour website (http://bit.ly/rqAR0U). It used all whole wheat flour, no white flour, no eggs, no potato, just whole wheat. I decided to give it a try. What to my surprise, when the bread turned out just fine. It raised and I got a beautiful loaf of bread.

Before you think of me as a little old fashioned and stuck in my ways, I do have a valid scientific reason for believing that you could not make a good loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. Whole wheat flour contains fiber, which we all need to consume more of. Fiber is good, but it plays havoc with gluten. Gluten is the protein that stretches and traps the air, thus allowing the bread to raise. Fiber pokes holes in gluten, which makes a denser loaf of bread. So imagine my surprise when I got a good loaf of bread.

My colleague and I decided that maybe the method for grinding whole wheat flour has improved allowing fiber to have less negative effect on the gluten. I also tried to make this bread with graham flour and it did not work. The bread was dense, did not raise very much, and the flavor was bad. Graham flour is the same as whole wheat flour, but has a coarser texture.

For this posting, I made two breads. One I made according to the recipe on King Arthur flour website. For the second loaf, I substituted ½ cup of whole wheat flour with the same amount of all purpose flour.

Give either one or both a try. Let us know how they turn out.

Left to Right: Whole Wheat Flour; All Purpose Flour; Graham Flour

Beans in the Summertime

2011-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Growing up, we always ate beans in the winter. My mother cooked them with pork (what else would a southerner use). They were good, but these beans are not for summer.

Enter canned beans and salads. Beans do not have to be hot and served with cornbread. This is good news. Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, potassium and folic acid and they are virtually fat free. We need not wait until winter to eat beans. Salads are another way to consume beans. If you want a complete protein in one dish, make a bean and rice salad.

The April 2011 issue of Bon Appétit magazine contained an article by Molly Wizenberg – Chick Magnet (http://bit.ly/oUPSCl). Molly starts with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) but you really could use any bean. Most beans have a fairly mild flavor and will take on the flavor of whatever is added to them.

To make a bean salad, choose a can of beans. Drain and rinse. After that, the sky is the limit. Since I was on a roll, I decided to make two versions of this salad. Both salads started with chickpeas (15 ounces).

As a nod to my trip last year to Greece, I made one on the style of the Greek salad. And since I was in the Mediterranean area, I made the second one more Italian flavored.

Chickpea Salad - Greek Version

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounce) Garbanzo beans

1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ small red onion, finely chopped
½ cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the beans. Combine with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chickpea Salad - Italian Version

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounce) Garbanzo beans

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Combine in the same manner as the Greek version.

I hope you get the general idea about bean salads. There are no hard and fast rules. You basically make it the way you want to. Depending on what is in your pantry, you may want to add olives, bell pepper, green onions. If you don’t like a particular kind of cheese, switch to your favorite. Most of all, have fun with your bean salad. Let your imagination fly!

How to Make Your Colleagues Happy!

2011-07-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

In 1984, President Ronald Regan declared July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. So use this month to eat as much of the good stuff as possible.

Before you scream about the amount of calories in ice cream, remember, you only have one month to eat as much of the stuff as you can. Also one of my dietitian friends told me that if I ate 1½ cups of ice cream, I would have the same amount of calcium that is in one cup of milk. Now, mind you, she did not suggest that eat 1½ cups of ice cream.

Can you guess the five most popular flavors of ice cream? They are, in order, vanilla, chocolate, Neapolitan, strawberry and cookies n’ cream. About ¼ of all ice cream sold is vanilla.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts.

Ingredients:

1⅓ cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
2 eggs
4 ounces dark chocolate
1 can (5 ounce) evaporated milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in whole milk. Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer.

2. In a small bowl, beat eggs. Gradually stir about 1 cup hot milk mixture into beaten eggs. Stir egg mixture into remaining hot milk mixture. Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

3. Finely chop the chocolate. Stir into hot mixture. When chocolate has completely melted, strain mixture into large container. Add evaporated milk, whipping cream and vanilla.

4. Refrigerate mixture for several hours or overnight.

5. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Ice Cream Fun Facts

Americans consume an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country.

In 2003, residents of Portland, Oregon purchased more ice cream per person than any other US city.

Kids between the ages 2 – 12 and adults over 45 consume the most ice cream.

More ice cream is purchased on Sunday than any other day of the week.

It takes about 50 licks to finish a single scoop of ice cream.

The ice cream cone’s invention is linked to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. An ice cream vendor reportedly didn’t have enough dishes to keep up with the demand, so he teamed up with a waffle vendor who rolled his waffles into cones.

Spinach – It’s not Just for Popeye, the Sailor

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you grew up with canned spinach and don’t like spinach. Well, now that you are an adult, it may be a good time try spinach again. Your taste buds have matured and spinach is available in a number of forms. Canned is no longer your only option.

You may be wondering how I got on this spinach kick after all I the fattening stuff I write about. Would you believe I was looking for something a little redeeming? Ok, you are not buying that. Here is the truth. A colleague of mine has an abundance of spinach. She is up to her eyeballs in spinach and needed a few suggestions for spinach. So I thought why not blog about spinach. Maybe give a few ideas for using and preserving spinach for those of you lucky enough to have an abundant supply.

Spinach Ideas.

1. Spinach wrap – Use larger leaves as a wrap, the same as you would for lettuce. You can wrap a vegetable or meat based salads.

2. Make a frittata – For each person, use 2 eggs, 2 ounces cheese, seasonings (garlic, onion, salt and pepper) to taste, 1 cup firmly packed spinach.

3. Spinach pesto – Use spinach instead of basil to make pesto. Use with spaghetti or lasagna.

4. Stuffed chicken breast – Combine spinach with cheese such as ricotta, parmesan, goat and stuff inside a chicken breast and bake.

5. Salad on-the-go – Toss spinach leaves with your other favorite salad ingredients. Add your favorite dressing and put inside a pita.

6. Twice baked potatoes – Add sautéed spinach to baked potatoes.

7. Spinach fruit salad – Spinach pairs nicely with a variety of fruits, like, strawberries and mandarin oranges.

8. Sautéed spinach – Sauté spinach with garlic and olive oil.

9. Creamed spinach – This is an old favorite.

10. Toss spinach into a stir-fry.

Thai Inspired Spinach Wrap

Ingredients:

4 cups rotisserie chicken, skinned and boned
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped peanuts
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger, squeeze to remove juice
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Large spinach leaves

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix chicken, celery, green onions and peanuts. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, fish sauce, ginger liquid, sugar, red pepper, cilantro and mint.

2. Toss dressing with chicken mixture. Allow individuals to place desired amount of salad in a spinach leaf. Roll. If making ahead of time, hold together with a toothpick.

If you still have too much spinach, here are a few suggestions for using the"excess".

Fruits and Vegetables – More Matter - http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/spinach.html

University of Nebraska Lincoln – Extension - http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/freezing
National Center for Home Food Preservation - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/greens.html

Haloumi Cheese – A Continuation of My Assignment

2011-06-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you may recall, months and months ago, I gave my students an assignment to visit grocery stores they do not normally visit and look for cheeses they would not normally look for. My goal was to get them out of their comfort zone. An education should move one to a higher level of thinking on a variety of subjects – food included.

To say that I am behind schedule on my assignment is an understatement. But, I am not getting a grade. However, I am bound and determined to complete my assignment. Never let it be said that I left a job undone.

For my fourth assignment, I picked a Middle Eastern cheese, haloumi. I learned about this cheese from reading Greek recipes. I have never tried it, so this is a new experience for me too.

Haloumi (Halloumi) originated in Cyprus and is also popular in the rest of the Middle East and Greece. Traditionally, it is made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk. Haloumi is a white cheese, similar to mozzarella. It has a salty taste. It is unusual in that it can be fried or grilled until brown without melting due to its higher than normal melting point. Its resistance to melting comes from the fresh curd being heated before being shaped and brined. Haloumi can be used to make saganaki, a fried cheese appetizer often found on Greek menus.

Although some of my sources state that haloumi is similar to mozzarella, I’m not sure that I agree. First of all, I did not find it to be as tough as mozzarella. The texture was more grainy and fell apart easier than mozzarella. It has a stronger flavor than mozzarella.

I decided to make saganaki with my haloumi. Saganaki is often served in Greek restaurants as an appetizer. Saganaki gets its name from the pan in which the cheese is cooked. However, I made mine in a small cast iron skillet. I have never made this before and was a little intimidated. As I was making this dish, I thought of fried mozzarella. I now wonder if this is how fried mozzarella got started. If anyone in the blogosphere knows, please let me know.

Classic Saganaki with Olives and Lemon

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounce) haloumi

All purpose flour

2 Tablespoon olive oil

½ lemon

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Tomato wedges

Pita wedges

Kalamata olives

Directions:

1. Rinse cheese under cold water. Do not pat dry. Coat with flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add cheese and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute per slide. Transfer to plates and serve.

2. Squeeze lemon over cheese; sprinkle with oregano. Serve with tomato, pita and olives.

Woman vs. Rabbits

2011-06-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Every year I plant a garden, probably more to see who will win, me or the elements. Up until this year, I thought I stood a chance. This year, I am fighting the heat. The heat won. You see, it was cold in the Midwest and then, boom, it was hot.

And now to top things off, the rabbits are loose and wrecking havoc in my garden. I tried putting little cutout milk jugs over the tomatoes. It appears the rabbits used them as a perch from which they could gnaw my entire garden of tomatoes. Instead of tomatoes, I have stalks. My gardening buddy took one look at my garden and promptly stated, “Why, Miss Jones, your garden looks worse than mine”. Now if that isn’t a vote of confidence, I don’t know what is. I’m on my third planting of tomatoes. I once had hopes of tomato sauce and a few other tomato dishes. I now hope for enough tomatoes for a couple of BLT’s.

I planted okra this year, just like all the other years. I thought they were safe. They came up, so nice and cute. I went out one morning and my okra plants were just a thing of beauty. Yes, I’m a proud mama. I went back later in the afternoon and what did I have? Okra stalks! Those little jokers ate my plants in broad daylight.

I now have my entire garden in either a fence or milk jug cover (thank God I drink milk). It’s actually quite comical. Some of the milk jugs are even double stacked.

I suppose in some ways, this is sweet revenge. You see, as a child my favorite book was Peter Rabbit. I thought it was so cute for Peter to be loose in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Well, you got it. I am now Mr. McGregor. And Peter Rabbit ain’t cute. I have now switched over to Mr. McGregor’s side.

For those of you who have managed to grow a few strawberries, here is a recipe for you. For the rest of us, a trip to the farmer’s market might be necessary.

Strawberry Sauce

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh strawberries

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1. Slice strawberries. Add sugar and stir. Refrigerate mixture for about 1 hour.

2. Cook over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

3. Serve with ice cream, pancakes, angel food cake or as you desire.

Regardless of how you serve your strawberry sauce, eat it outside so that you can guard the garden.

Buttermilk – The Wonder Ingredient

2011-06-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. I use it to marinate chicken. I would never consider making biscuits without it. It is often used to make cakes. It is used to make salad dressings. There is even a buttermilk pie.

When I talk to my students about buttermilk, they frown as if it is the worst thing they have ever heard of. The name buttermilk seems to imply “full of fat”. However, the original buttermilk was the milk left over after making butter; thus the name, buttermilk. There is very little fat in buttermilk, making it a lowfat product.

As a kid, I remember my parents and grandparents pouring buttermilk over cornbread and eating it for supper. (Yes, supper, not dinner.) With a touch of sugar, it wasn’t a bad dish. Americans don’t seem to favor consuming buttermilk as a beverage. I always thought that when fruit was put into yogurt, they would do the same thing for buttermilk. It seemed like a natural progression of things. But there was no such luck. Buttermilk still languishes in the frig waiting for your next favorite dish.

Well, I think it’s time for buttermilk to step out on its own, no more hiding out in cakes and salad dressings. A few years ago, I came across a recipe for mango lassi.

As I did research for this posting, I found that lassi is a beverage with its origins in India. Indians make this beverage by blending yogurt with water or milk. Traditional or salted lassi is a savory drink, sometimes flavored with ground cumin. Sweet lassi is made with fruits and sugar can be added. I believe it is traditionally made with yogurt, but this recipe called for buttermilk.

If posssible, make this recipe with ataulfo mangoes. Ataulfo mangoes tend to be more flavorful and juicier.

Mango Lassi

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped peeled mango

1 quart buttermilk
¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1. Purée mango in blender until smooth. Add buttermilk and blend well.

2. Strain mixture through a sieve. Add sugar, stir and serve.

3. Add ice, if desired.

Let the Healthy Grilling Begin

2011-05-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

So summer is here and we are heading out to patios and back porches, deck, parks and all sorts of other places. After months of snow and slowly braised foods, we are ready for the grill. When you think about grilling, think outside of beef, hot dogs and ribs. Grilling is actually very healthy since a lot of the fat falls through the grates. When deciding what to grill, basically, if you can cook it, you can grill it.

Here are a few things to think about before heading out to the grill.

1. Use smaller portions of meat. Round out the meal with grilled vegetables.

2. Choose leaner cuts of meat. Check the beef (http://bit.ly/cFFqOd) and pork (http://bit.ly/iCW8Dy) boards for examples of leaner cuts. Leaner cuts also mean less flare-ups and smoke during grilling.

3. Marinate meat. According to some studies, marinating meats helps reduce the formation of carcinogens.

4. Vegetables can be grilled. Sliced vegetables such as summer squash, zucchini, asparagus, peppers and onions are great when cooked on a grill. Simply toss vegetables with a little and place on a hot grill. If desired a grill basket can be used. When cooked, add a little acid like vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs.

One of the most common mistakes most people make when grilling is not having the grill hot enough. The colder the grill, the more likely the food is to stick. Foods with less fat tend to stick to the grill more than fatty foods. Coating the food with a little oil reduces the likelihood that it will stick to the grill.

To get you started on healthy grilling here is a salmon recipe.

Brown Sugar and Mustard Salmon

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 center- cut salmon fillet,
about 1½ pound

Directions:

1. Prepare grill for indirect grilling.

2. Combine brown sugar, mustard, black pepper, salt, ginger and garlic. Stir until well blended. Spread mixture over fish; let stand 15 minutes.

3. Place fish, skin side down, on grill rack over unheated part of grill. Close lid; grill 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove fish from grill. Discard skin.

To expand your repertoire of healthy grilling ideas, check out these resources.

Cooking Light Magazine and Website - http://www.cookinglight.com/

Eating Well Magazine and Website - http://www.eatingwell.com/

Warmer Temperatures Is No Reason to Forgo Desserts

2011-05-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ok! The temperature is rising and summer is on the way. Just because the temperature is increasing does not mean you have to skip dessert. Also does not mean that you have to turn on the stove. Thank goodness for no cook desserts. We can have our cake and eat it too.

Summer is an ideal time to pull out a few recipes for no cook or minimally cooked desserts. This type of dessert may start with a cake mix or a purchased product, like pound cake. Ice cream, cakes, cookies, whipped topping, fresh fruit, ice cream, milk, gelatin, and instant pudding can all play a role in no cook desserts. Just let your imagination run wild.

If you are in need of recipes, try looking at websites for your selected ingredient. Companies are a great source of recipes using their ingredients.

Summer Lime Pie

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

1 package (3 ounces) lime flavored gelatin

1 teaspoon lime zest

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 container (8 ounces) whipped topping

1 graham cracker crust

Directions:

1. Dissolve gelatin in ⅔ cup boiling water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add lime zest and juice.

2. Add 1¼ cup cold water.

3. Gently whisk in whipped topping. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until mixture will hold its shape. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Garnish with additional whipped topping and lime slices.

Semester Leftovers

2011-05-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Late last week I was in a quandary over what to write about this week. Nothing sparked my interest. It’s that time of year – you are at the end of winter produce (or you are sick of it) and spring hasn’t quite sprung.

It is also almost the end of the semester and as usual, we have too much of some stuff and are scrounging around for other stuff. This year we had potatoes left over. They are about ready to sprout. So of course I had to save them. At least this way, I would have part of my lunch taken care of.

I decided to make mashed potatoes. Since we have other odds and ends around the food lab, I decided to throw in a couple of other things. I roasted some garlic. There is also ½ of a package of cream cheese dying a slow death. I have a colleague who puts cream cheese in her mashed potatoes. So I thought I would try that too. Afterall, I do have that ‘waste not, want not’ mentality. Off to the kitchen to make my ‘End of the Semester’ Mashed Potatoes.

‘End of the Semester’ Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 pound Russet potatoes

5 to 6 cloves of roasted garlic

4 ounces cream cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Peel and cube potatoes. Rinse potatoes. Drain. Add to a medium sized saucepan. Cover with water and place the lid on saucepan. Cook until potatoes can be pierced with a knife.

2. Drain and leave on burner until potatoes are dry.

3. In a large bowl, combine garlic and cream cheese. Add potatoes and mashed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you would like to tell us what you do with your 'end of the whatever' food, please do so. We relish the ideas of other foodies.

To all you heading off someplace fun for the summer, enjoy! And please read the blog occasionally. We will be posting over the summer.

Butter, Butter, Butter

2011-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

I love butter. Okay, no surprise there. I did not grow up eating butter. Margarine was cheaper and butter was ‘bad’ for you. Somewhere along the way, I was introduced to butter and I have not turned back. I fell in love!

Butter has some unique properties that margarine just does not have. First of all butter is mostly short chain fatty acids. When you place butter on your tongue, it melts very quickly and leaves no aftertaste. This makes butter good for things like buttercream frosting.

American butter is about 80% milk fat, no more than 16% water and 4% milk solids. The solids cause butter to burn, therefore, butter is not be used for frying. This problem can be solved by making clarified butter. Simply melt the butter and allow the solids to sink to the bottom and the water to evaporate. In Indian cuisine this is referred to as ghee.

Butter can be purchased with and without salt. Most bakers prefer butter without salt. One can purchase whipped butter which has air incorporated into it. On a volume to volume basis, whipped butter contains fewer calories. Although once uncommon in the United States, European butters are becoming more common. European butter has a higher butterfat content than American butter.

One of my fondest memories of butter is from the movie, Julia and Julie. Julia Child and her husband are having dinner at a restaurant. They bring Julia sole meunière. And Julia exclaims, “Oh, butter”. I thought, all that fish and she smells butter. Oh, the power of butter!

Meunière is French for miller’s wife. It describes a style of cooking in which the food, especially fish is lightly coated with flour and sautéed in butter. This dish is finished off with fresh lemon juice and parsley. Sole is used for this recipe because the fillets are thin and therefore cook quickly. This means you can cook the fish without the butter burning. If you want to make sole meunière, try this recipe.

Sole Meunière

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Fish:

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 sole fillets, about 3 to 4 ounces each
½ cup all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon butter

Sauce:

¼ cup butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

1. Season fish with salt and pepper. Coat fish in flour; shake off the excess.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot. Add butter. When foam subsides, add fish and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side. Divide fish between 2 plates. Keep warm.

3. Sauce: Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter; cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley and lemon juice. Spoon over fish and serve with lemon wedges.

The Wish List - Upscale Mac ‘n Cheese

2011-04-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

I grew up with homemade mac and cheese. I liked it. But growing up with it, you don’t think of it as special until . . . you don’t have it anymore. It seems now that I have that middle-aged bulge; all those comfort foods of my youth are back.

Mac and cheese is not only back. It’s back with a vengeance, in gourmet magazines, trendy restaurants. There are even restaurants dedicated solely to mac and cheese. Who knew!

While looking for recipes for this posting, I found every kind of macaroni and cheese recipe possible. With so many pasta shapes and so many cheeses, the recipes are endless. But that is just fine. After all it is a recipe and your opinion of how something should be made. It is not set in stone.

Here are a few things that I have discovered about mac and cheese.

1. Eggs – My mother and most Southerners add eggs. I don’t exactly know why. As my sister says, we just do, that’s why.

2. Velveeta – It is not necessary to use Velveeta. Although within my little circle of foodies, it is considered a functional food. And is good at preventing the fat from separating from the rest of the mixture.

3. Amount of cheese – It is all over the board. One recipe had twice as much cheese as pasta. I decided on less cheese.

4. White sauce – I skipped it. Instead I used cream cheese and egg. I put the sauce into a food processor, combined it with the macaroni and baked it.

5. Upscale – It’s a matter of opinion. If it’s upscale to you, then it’s upscale.

This is my list. You may have your own. Please feel free to tell me if you have other items on your macaroni and cheese list. In the meantime, try and give our version of upscale mac and cheese a try.

Upscale Mac and Cheese

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 slices pancetta, about 3 ounces, diced
8 ounces (2 cups) cavatappi pasta, cooked and drained
1 large egg
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, extra sharp, shredded
Generous ⅛ teaspoon each of red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper
Generous ¼ teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons butter
⅔ cup panko crumbs
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Add pasta and turn heat off. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 1½ quart baking dish. Set aside.

3. Place pancetta in a pan, over medium-high heat, cook until crispy.

4. In a blender or food processor combine egg, milk and cream cheese. Process for a few seconds. Scrape down sides of container, if necessary. Add the remaining cheese and blend. Add red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Blend for a few seconds.

5. Drain pasta and place into a large bowl. Add cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add pancetta and stir into pasta. Pour into baking dish. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Melt butter in a small skillet. Add panko crumbs. Cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly and add parmesan cheese. Spread mixture over top of casserole and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes. If top is not golden, slip under broiler for a minute. Remove from oven, let stand about 5 minutes, and serve.

Cooking at the Library

2011-04-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

I love the library. But this week (April 10 -16) I have an especially good reason to love the library. This is National (Public) Library Week. Libraries around the country are celebrating in various ways. We thought what better way to showcase our library (http://bit.ly/fMmaXM) than with a posting on cookbooks at the local library.

It’s actually fun to read through the library’s cookbook collection. I also like using the library to “test drive” a cookbook. If I don’t like a book, I don’t have to purchase it. I talked with our local librarian in charge of purchasing cookbooks. While people are purchasing electronic versions of other books, we still want a hard copy of cookbooks. The library has actually reduced the purchasing of cooking DVDs in favor of hard copies of cookbooks. During the recent economic downturn, the sales of cookbooks actually increased. People are also checking out more cookbooks from the library. When people cut back on dining out, they started to cook at home.

Our library purchases about ten to twelve cookbooks per month. If there is a book that you would like, the library welcomes your suggestions (http://bit.ly/fe0fvx).

When visiting my library, I picked up a copy of Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I decided to make one of the pasta dishes. I chose to make a spinach sauce with ricotta and ham. I chose this one because most Americans seem to think only of pasta with tomato sauce. Italian food is much more than pasta and tomato sauce.

Spinach Sauce with Ricotta and Ham

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:
2 packages (10 ounce) frozen chopped spinach
¼ cup butter
2 ounces ham, chopped
Whole nutmeg
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
1 pound pasta, preferably penne or rigatoni

Directions:
1. Preheat a large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter. Add spinach to skillet once the butter has melted. Cook until spinach is dry. Remove spinach and set aside.

2. Add ham to skillet. Cook until ham starts to brown. Add spinach back to skillet. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg, no more than ⅛ of a teaspoon.

3. Cook pasta as directed on the package. Toss pasta with spinach and ham. Add ricotta, remaining butter and Parmesan. Serve immediately, with additional cheese, if desired.

What We Thought of the Recipe: We liked it. We also felt that garlic and/or onions would have been nice additions to the recipe.

Blue Cheese – Back to My Assignment

2011-04-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

During the fall semester I gave an assignment to my students to go “hunting” for cheeses. I wanted them to find cheeses they normally would not consume and go to stores they normally would not visit. Well, I decided that I would do the assignment, too. Oh! What was I thinking! I am still working on completing my assignment. Thank God, I am not getting a grade.

I decided to use a Danish Blue Cheese. Blue vein cheeses are made with a mold, Penicillin roqueforti. Blue cheeses generally have a sharp flavor and are somewhat salty. Legend has it that blue cheese was developed by accident. In the early days, cheese was aged in caves which were great moisture and temperature controlled environments and favored the growth of mold. French blue cheese is known as Roquefort and is made from sheep’s milk. Gorgonzola is Italian and Stilton is English. In America, it is called blue cheese.

I have been trying to decide what to make with this cheese. My original thought was to make a blue cheese and walnut focaccia. That idea did not pan out. Couldn’t decide what to do if I didn’t like it. (If by chance you are in Lincoln Nebraska, Le Quartier Baking Company (http://bit.ly/g021vT) makes an excellent Blue Cheese and Walnut bread. I highly recommend it.) I thought about mac n cheese, but decided that was a no. My student suggested that I put blue cheese on steak or make steak tacos. Great idea, but that didn’t make the cut either.

I decided to make my own recipe. If everyone else can do it, so can I. I decided to use my favorite things that I like to have with blue cheese, namely pears and walnuts. I decided to make a quesadilla. If I didn’t like it, I would not be stuck with a ton of it. Here is the basic recipe, flour tortillas, blue cheese, Monterey jack (to cut the saltiness and mellow the flavor), pears, cooked in honey, and toasted walnuts, for crunch.

Blue Cheese Quesadilla

Ingredients:
1 bosc pear
¼ cup honey

2 small flour tortillas
2 Tablespoons blue cheese

2 Tablespoons Monterey Jack

1 Tablespoon toasted walnuts
Oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Heat honey in a large skillet. When hot, add pears and cook until pears are translucent.

2. Preheat a skillet. Brush one side of each tortilla with oil. Top with both cheeses. Add pears and walnuts. Cover with second tortilla. Flip and brown the second tortilla. Slice and serve as desired.

For a light lunch, this would be a nice accompaniment to a salad. And if you wish to make your quesadilla differently, go ahead! There is no quesadilla police out there to stop you.

Enjoy!

Yes, Beverages Can Add Calories!

2011-03-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

This final posting during National Nutrition Month is focused on beverages. Often times, we don’t think of beverages, when thinking about calories and diet. However, beverages are a part of the diet and we need to think about what beverages we consume and how they impact overall health.

It seems that the world of beverages has expanded exponentially. In addition to Coke and Pepsi, there are beverages made with tea, fruits, yogurt, and vitamin enhanced water, to name a few. Looks like every time I turn around, there is a new beverage. Americans rank at the top in the amount of sweetened beverages consumed. While the consumption of sweetened beverages has increased, the consumption of milk has decreased.

Amount of Sugar Per Container (from left to right) 77g; 51g; 33g

Before you think I am on my usual soapbox, I have no problems with the occasional consumption of sweetened beverages. As a matter of fact, I am a fan of Coke. But with an expanding waistline, I am reducing my consumption of soda. A colleague once referred to soft drinks as liquid candy. Somehow or another, that thought stuck with me. Now, when I do consume a beverage, I try and think of it as a treat and not as a regular part of my diet.

If you want to try and make some beverages, here are a couple of recipes to try.

Green Tea Tropical Smoothie

Serves 3.

Ingredients:

4 green tea bags

Ice cubes (about ½ cup)

1 cup mango chunks, about 1 mango

1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple

½ cup sliced banana

1 cup orange juice, chilled

½ cup low fat milk

2 teaspoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Pour ½ cup of water over tea bags. Steep for 4 minutes. Remove bags and squeeze.

2. Cool down by adding ice to bring up to 1 cup.

3. Pour green tea into a blender. Add mango, pineapple, banana, orange juice, milk, lime juice and honey. Blend until smooth. Serve cold.

Note: This recipe contains 28 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Green Tea and Mango Splash

Serves 3.

Ingredients:
2 green tea bags
2 cups mango nectar, chilled
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs for garnish, optional
Mango slices for garnish, optional

Directions:
1. Heat 1 cup of water to boiling. Add green tea and let steep for about 3 minutes.

2. Add mango nectar. Serve over ice. Add mango slices and mint sprigs if desired.

Note: This recipe contains 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving.

Taco Bell . . . What’s the Beef?

2011-03-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Recently there has been ‘noise’ in the food world regarding the components of the beef in tacos from Taco Bell. The company has responded by saying their meat is 88% premium USDA inspected ground beef. The remaining 12% is seasonings, spices, and water to provide taste, texture, moisture and quality. Okay, that’s fair enough.

I have a few problems with this whole issue. First of all, is the food at Taco Bell so great that we need to spend time worrying about how much beef is in the beef? I mean, do Americans really know what a ‘real taco’ is? The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that we would be better off if we would just cook. And finally, have you looked at the nutritional value of Taco Bell food? A crunchy taco contains 150 calories and 350 grams of sodium. But do you eat just one? A DOUBLE DECKER® Taco Supreme® contains 360 calories and 780 mg of sodium. Need I say more?

This issue got me to thinking about what tacos were originally. Tacos started as Mexican street food. They are eaten out of hand. From what I can determine, tacos are to Mexican culture what sandwiches are to American culture. In Mexico, tortillas are primarily made from corn. The most interesting information I have gathered from this project is that tacos can be filled with anything, beef, pork, seafood, mutton. Vegetables and salsa and a variety of toppings, such as avocadoes and onion are often added. Basically, anything that can be put into a tortilla can be made into a taco. My student, Rachel told me that her grandmother (better known as Nana) just uses whatever meat she has on hand. She often uses leftover roast. According to Rachel, in Mexico, there are hundreds of different tacos.

Rachel and I are off to the kitchen to make tacos, the right way. We are doing beef and fish tacos. I am including the recipes as Rachel taught them to me. Please feel free to add your own creative touches. See also the video below about our taco making experience.

Shredded Beef Tacos

Ingredients:

Meat:
2 pounds chuck roast, (you can also use top or bottom round)
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 can (7 ounces) el pato sauce, not the jalapeno one

Tortillas:
16-20 corn tortillas (6 inches)
2-3 cups vegetable oil
toothpicks

Directions:

Meat:
1. Add meat, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and el pato sauce to a Dutch oven. Add water to cover, about ½ inch over the top of the meat and simmer covered for about 2 hours stirring occasionally. (Note: El pato is a type of Mexican tomato sauce. It can be purchased in the Mexican food section of most grocery stores. You may want to consider reducing the salt to no more than ½ tablespoon.)

2. Continue to boil uncovered until the liquid has evaporated and continue to shred the meat with the wooden spoon or spatula. The meat should be completely shredded after about 4 hours. Set aside and let cool to warm or room temperature.

Tortillas:
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan. Never fill pan more than ½ full of oil, it may bubble over during cooking. Heat to 350°F. It is very important to reach 350°F or the tortillas will not cook properly. With a pair of tongs place 1 tortilla into the oil and fry for about 3-5 seconds, just long enough to make the tortillas pliable and easy to work with. Repeat process until all tortillas are cooked, stack them on a plate, flip the entire stack over and get ready for assembly.

Assembling Tacos:
Take about 2 to 3ounces of shredded beef and place on upper half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and insert 2 toothpicks to keep the two halves together. Repeat until all of the tacos are done. You might want to turn the heat down on the oil while doing this.

Cooking:
Take 2 to 3 tacos at a time and place in oil heated to 350°F. Cook for about 1 to 3 minutes a side, or until crispy. Remove tacos and let stand for 1 minute. Remove toothpicks, open and add shredded lettuce, cheese and diced tomatoes. You can add whatever toppings you like, such as pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce, and salsa.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

1 pound white fish, such as flounder, cod, or tilapia
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Arrange fish in a baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Pour over fish. Turn fish to coat with marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. Grill or broil fish until the fish flakes.

3. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Cut or flake fish into 1-inch piece. Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings.

Fish Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup plain yogurt

Stir to combine. Serve with fish tacos.

Salsa (Beef and Fish):
1 garlic clove, minced
6 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely
1½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Serve with tacos.

Toppings (Beef):
Cheese, queso fresco
Tomatoes, diced
Avocados, diced
Romaine lettuce

Toppings (Fish):
Red and Green Cabbage, shredded
Limes
Cilantro
Onion, diced

Eat More Vegetables – Not Again?

2011-03-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are pleading with us to eat more vegetables. We Americans are a stubborn bunch. We have done a great job of avoiding vegetables. That is, unless you count potatoes. We are advised to eat 2½ cups of vegetables per day. On average we eat about 1½ cups per day and that includes potatoes.

I am not sure why we don’t consume much in the way of vegetables. Maybe we are in a hurry, we don’t like them, they take too long to prepare. Maybe we have become a little tired of broccoli. If so, it could be time to try a new vegetable. Often times, we get in a rut and just stay there. There are tons and tons of vegetables. They come in a rainbow of colors, a variety of shapes and flavors. Also try cooking an old favorite a new way.

The produce isle is loaded with lots of fun, new vegetables. Approach vegetable cooking as an adventure. Look for a vegetable that you have never tried. Farmers markets often have unusual vegetables. Ethnic markets are one of my favorite places to find new vegetables. Sometimes if you ask the vendor, they will tell you how to prepare it. After all, they want to sell products. When you are at the grocery store, check the displays. They will often times contain recipes and helpful hints for preparing produce.

To get you on the road to vegetable consumption, let’s start with bok choy, an Asian vegetable. Bok choy (brassica chinensis) is a type of cabbage but bears little resemblance to those found in American supermarkets. Whereas, brassica vegetables tend to have strong flavors, bok choy is quite mild. Bok choy has a white stem surrounded by green leaves. While most American supermarkets contain larger types of bok choy, Asian markets generally sell smaller varieties. Asians value smaller varieties for their tenderness. Smaller varieties generally cook in less time than larger ones sold in American supermarkets.

Bok Choy

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

1½ pounds bok choy or baby bok choy
1½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons grated ginger
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. Start by trimming the stem off, about ½ to ¾ -inch. Cutting the thick stem off will ensure that the bok choy cooks evenly. Separate out the leaves, keep the tender center intact. Clean under running water. Drain.

2. Combine garlic and ginger. Set aside.

3. Preheat a wok or skillet. Add vegetable oil and heat. Add garlic and ginger. Cook until you begin to smell the garlic and ginger; they become a light golden brown. Add bok choy. Toss to coat the leaves with the garlic and ginger oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Serve.

More Resources for Preparing Vegetables

Better Homes and Gardens - http://www.bhg.com/
Allrecipes.com - http://allrecipes.com/
Everyday Foods - https://martha.zt01.net/EF/1/ef_google/landing/ef_google.php
UNL-Extension - http://food.unl.edu/web/localfoods/home
Old Cheney Road Farmers’ Market - http://oldcheneyroadfarmersmarket.com/

Consuming Seafood

2011-03-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

The average intake of seafood in the US is about 3.5 ounces per week. That amounts to about 1 serving. One of the recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines is to increase consumption of fish and seafood. Increase consumption of something, now ain’t that good news! Before you get too excited, increasing consumption of seafood does not mean you get to increase total food consumption. Remember, most of us could stand to reduce total calorie intake.

In recent years, moderate evidence has emerged about the health benefits of consuming seafood. The guidelines recommend increasing consumption of seafood to 8 or more ounces per week (less for young children). Seafood contributes a range of nutrients, notably the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Moderate evidence shows that consumption of about 8 ounces per week of a variety of seafood, which provide an average consumption of 250 mg per day of EPA and DHA, is associated with reduced cardiac deaths among individuals with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids. Two, EPA and DHA, are found mostly in coldwater fish. Fish that live in cold water have adapted to higher omega-3s allowing the fat in their tissues stays liquid. Salmon contains the highest amount of omega-3s, followed by trout, white tuna, king mackerel, sea bass, herring, oysters, and sardines. The third type of omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in plant sources, such as flaxseed, English walnuts, soy, wheat germ and canola oil. Most potential health benefits are attributed to EPA and DHA, which are readily absorbed and put to use. Your body converts ALA to EPA, and to a lesser extent, DHA. However, this process is relatively inefficient. Only about 5% is converted to EPA.

If you are looking for tasty ways to increase your consumption of seafood, give these recipes for salmon and catfish a try.

Mustard Crusted Salmon

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 pound salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons coarse grained mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon juice, preferably fresh
Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil, then coat with cooking spray.

2. Place salmon pieces, skin –side down, on the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine sour cream, mustard and lemon juice in small bowl. Spread evenly over the salmon.

3. Broil the salmon 5 inches from the heat source until it is opaque in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Source: The Essential Eating Well Cookbook, 2004

Lemon Pepper Catfish

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons finely crushed black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
4 catfish fillets, about 1 pound total
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper. Add vegetable oil and butter. Stir to combine.

2. Pat fish dry. Brush each side with coating mixture.

3. Preheat a nonstick skillet. Add fish and cook until brown. Turn and cook until second side is brown.

4. Add lemon juice.

Additional Recipes

Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad - http://bit.ly/bCK8IF
Tuna Melt - http://bit.ly/dNypLj

Cooking with Herbs and Spices

2011-03-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans are out. It seems that the guidelines are focusing more on foods. The basic premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that nutrient needs should be met primarily through consuming foods.

There are also three selected messages for consumers.

• Balancing Calories

Enjoy your food, but eat less.
Avoid oversized portions.

• Foods to Increase

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

• Foods to Reduce

Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

The advice is to choose steps that work for you and start today. I am going to start with sodium. No special reason, I just am.

The sodium guidelines are as following.

• Reduce daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg

• Reduce intake to 1500 mg among persons 51 and older, if you are African American of any age or have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. The 1500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the US population, including children, and the majority of adults.

Sodium Equivalents
• ¼ teaspoon salt is equal to 600 mg sodium
• ½ teaspoon salt is equal to 1200 mg sodium
• ¾ teaspoon salt is equal to 1800 mg sodium
• 1 teaspoon salt is equal to 2300 mg sodium

On average, Americans consume about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. The major culprits are processed foods such as luncheon meats, canned soups, and prepared mixes. Check this graphic to see breakdown of salt consumption http://www.cdc.gov/salt/food.htm.

The best method that I know of to reduce sodium is to get in the kitchen and get cooking. I recommend use fresh ingredients. Instead of focusing on reducing sodium, I am focusing on using herbs. It just sounds better to tell me what I can eat.

Although I may not make the 1500 mg of sodium per day, my goal is to move in that direction. Here is a recipe to help you get started on that 1500 mg per day road.

Herb Spice Blend

Makes about ¼ cup.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons celery seeds
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1½ teaspoons dill seeds

1½ teaspoons mustard seeds

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Combine both peppercorns in a small food processor or coffee grinder. Add remaining ingredients and process until desired size. Transfer to a small jar. Mixture can be stored in the freezer for several months.

2. To use, rub each side of meat with about ½ teaspoon of seasoning mixture. Grill or broil as desired.

Note: This mixture work nicely on lamb, pork and poultry. This recipe makes enough to season 8 to 10 servings of meat.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, September 1995

Now, Why Didn’t I Think of That?

2011-02-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

I like to read food magazines (no big surprise there). Cook’s Illustrated (Sept./Oct. 2009) did an article on making vinaigrettes. For me this was a great article. I like to make my own salad dressings. One problem that I have with homemade vinaigrettes is that the oil and vinegar separate into two layers. Shaking helps for a few seconds, but upon sitting for a few minutes they separate. Oil on top and vinegar on the bottom. That is because oil is less dense than vinegar. Alone they just can’t stay together.

To keep oil and vinegar together, you need an emulsifier. Emulsifiers have two ends. One end holds water (hydrophilic) and one ends holds oil (hydrophobic). Therefore emulsifiers act to bring oil and water together into one. Egg yolks contain an emulsifier, lecithin. This is why egg yolks are used to make mayonnaise.

Schematic for an emulsifier

So why not use a little mayonnaise to keep a vinaigrette together. You are essentially using an emulsion to make an emulsion. And it worked. The vinaigrette made with the mayonnaise was a little thicker and did not separate. I made a lemon vinaigrette using this method.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes about ¼ cup.

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

⅛ teaspoon salt

Black pepper, freshly ground

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually add lemon juice.

2. Slowly, add the oil, whisking constantly. Vinaigrette should be slightly thick with no oil on surface.

Note: Recipe makes enough to coat about 8 to 10 cups of salad greens. The original recipe only called for ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard. I happen to love Dijon mustard, so I added more. Finally, I also prefer more acid and less oil, so feel free to adjust the ratio of acid to oil.

Results of the Collard Green Throwdown

2011-02-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

The first ever collard green throwdown is over! Too bad that you missed it! My colleagues and I enjoyed our share of collard greens, mac 'n cheese, cornbread, and iced tea. Everything was quite delicious.

I am not sure if Amanda will ever prepare collard greens my way, nor I hers. However, it was fun to try another method and I gained a higher level of respect for a different way to make a dish that I consider mine. I believe that being open to new ideas is always a good thing. Culture should not only be preserved, but shared. So, on that note, we accomplished our goal.

When southerners prepare greens, they never use a recipe. They are cooked by taste and personal preference. For that reason, the list and amount of ingredients are not exact. Salt may need to be adjusted according to the saltiness of the neck bones. Instead of ground pepper, pepper flakes can be used or dried pod. If you don't quite like the first batch of collard greens that you prepare, keep trying (besides greens are very nutritious). As with most things you get better with practice. The same is true for Asian style cooking.

If you decide to try collard greens, here are my Southern Collard Greens and Amanda's Asian Style. Below the recipes are pictures on how to cut and wash the greens.

Southern Collard Greens

Ingredients:

1 pound collard greens

About 4 smoked neck bones, depending on size

⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

⅛ to ¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, cover neck bones with about 2 cups of water. Cook until tender.

2. Remove the main stem of the greens. Slice diagonally into 1/2 inch wide slices. Wash greens in at least two changes of water.

3. Drain was much water from the washed greens as possible. Place greens in saucepan with neck bones. Cover with lid and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir and add the seasonings. Continue to cook until greens reach the desired degree of doneness.

**Southerners will sometimes add condiments to their greens. Chopped onions, chow chow (pronounced "cha cha" by Southerners), and hot pepper vinegar are common addition to greens. These are usually added at the table.

Collard Green Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1½ Tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
1teaspoon ginger, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pound collard greens
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce (more or less to taste)
⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Remove main stem from collard greens. Stack leaves on top of each other and roll them into a cigar shape. Cut across greens into 1/2 inch strips. Wash greens well and drain off water.

2. Add oil to a saute pan over medium high heat until oil is hot. Add ginger and garlic and fry for 30 seconds (or until fragrant). Constantly move ginger and garlic with a spatula to keep them from burning.

3. Add washed collard greens to the pan. Move the greens around in the pan until the greens are wilted.

4. Add red pepper flakes, vinegar, soy sauce, and black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes longer. Taste the greens and add more of any ingredient according to your preference.

How to Cut and Wash Collard Greens

Beautiful Collard Greens

To remove the stem, take a paring knife and strip the leaf on each side of the stem

Then snap the center of the stem with the paring knife to remove it

Stack the leaves and roll them into a cigar; cut across the leaves into ½ inch strips

Wash collard greens at least two times to remove dirt

Washed and cut collard greens ready to be cooked!

Collard Green Throwdown

2011-02-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

I like collard greens. I grew up in the South and disliking collard greens was not an option. Collard greens have been a staple of the southern diet since the beginning of time.

My family prepared collard greens in the typical southern fashion, that is, fat back (called salt pork by city folk) or ham hocks. Until recently, this was the only method I had heard of. But collard greens and soul food have ‘come up’ in the world. Recently Saveur magazine did an article on collard greens and the many ways to cook them (http://bit.ly/fVdlVt). It seems that people in other parts of the world have their own ideas about cooking collard greens. Even though I am partial to my version, I enjoyed reading about other methods.

You are probably wondering what all this is leading to. My student recently told me that she would like to learn to cook collard greens my way. She currently cooks them the Asian way. So, I challenged her to a collard green throwdown. This Thursday we will be cooking collard greens two ways – The Asian way and the Southern way. If you happen to be at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln anywhere near Ruth Leverton Hall, please stop by room 206 at 10 a.m. You may participate by voting or bringing your version of collard greens. Next week we will post the recipes for both methods.

Parsnips and My Wish List

2011-01-31T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last year I attempted to do a different dumpling each month. Well, I did a few and I failed. I also was going to blog from Greece, but technology and I just don’t get along. I did a few Greek recipes and will do others, I promise. In order to fail, one has to try, so I am going to try again. What can I say, my head is somewhat hard.

It’s a new year and time for a new beginning. This time I am going to do dishes that I have always wanted to do, but just could never find a good excuse to make them. After all, what’s a blog good for? I made what I’m calling my wish list. When I first showed the list to my student her reply was, why Dr. Jones do you realize that you only have baking stuff on your wish list? Where are the vegetables? Out of the mouths of babes. I defended my list by stating that macaroni was made from wheat and that was a plant, therefore, mac ‘n cheese should count as a vegetable. At this point, she just rolled her eyes and sighed. I relented and added vegetables to the list. I am particularly interested in Asian vegetables since I know very little about them. As the year progresses, if I find some really unusual vegetable at my local farmers market, I’ll see what I can do with it.

If you want to add to my list, please do so. If there is something about food that you are dying to find out, let me know if you think we can help out. We love to experiment with food. A friend of mine has already added red rice to the list. Red rice is a dish commonly found in low country cooking. To see what I will be making this year, click on the Wish List at the top of this page.

To get this Wish List moving along I am starting with parsnips. I have recently rediscovered parsnips. Maybe it was the butter and brown sugar, but they were quite tasty. While Europeans are quite taken with the parsnip, Americans tend to overlook this vegetable. Parsnips have a relatively high starch content and can stand in for potatoes. They combine well with carrots, potatoes and other winter root vegetables. Parsnips can be used in soups, roasted, sautéed, and mashed.

A ½ cup serving of parsnips contain only 55 calories, 2.8 g of dietary fiber, 286 mg of potassium and 45 mcg of folate.

Parsnips are a root vegetable and a member of the umbelliferae family which also includes carrots, celery, fennel and parsley. In fact, parsnips look like white carrots. To make my parsnips, I am going to stick with something simple. When cooking vegetables on a weeknight, ‘quick and easy’ suit my needs. I am making my parsnips using a steam/sauté method. You first add liquid, seasoning and fat to a small amount of water. Cook the vegetables with the lid on until they begin to soften. Remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate. What you end up with is vegetables that are glazed and ready to eat.

Weeknight Parsnips

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
About 4 to 5 parsnips
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Peel and cut parsnips into desired shape.

2. Heat water, butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Add parsnips and stir. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until water has evaporated and parsnips are glazed.

Note: Any root vegetable can be prepared in a similar manner. Try this recipe with carrots, turnips or rutabagas. Enjoy!

Happy Chinese New Year! (新年快乐!)

2011-01-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is full of symbolism and superstition; it is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year’s will set the tone for the rest of the year. People do not sweep or dust their homes in fear they will sweep away good fortune. Red clothing is worn to bring the wearer a bright future and children receive “hong bao” which are red envelopes with crisp, new dollar bills inside for good luck. Certain foods are also eaten because their Chinese names are homophones for words like wealth or luck. For example, the word for tangerines sounds like the word for “luck” in Chinese, so friends and families give them as gifts. Also, nian gao (which means sticky rice cake), is eaten on New Year’s because it sounds like the phrase “year growing taller” supposedly giving the eater a better year than the last. Many families realize these superstitions are merely that, but they continue to practice the traditions to so they can pass down Chinese heritage to their children.

One treasured tradition is dumpling making which is also a very symbolic food. Dumplings are called “jiao zi” which was the old term for ancient Chinese money because the gold and silver pieces had a dumpling-like shape. Essentially dumplings are symbolic for eating money and it is believed the person will have prosperity, luck, wealth (and hopefully a full stomach too).

To me, one of the most important aspects of Chinese New Year is the food. Where there is food and families, bonds are strengthened and memories are created. Many Chinese families treasure dumpling making on New Year’s because of these statures. Usually one family member will roll the dough, and the rest will fill and pleat the dumplings; they will all talk and enjoy valuable family togetherness. I find particularly special that each person has a certain dumpling “thumbprint”; in other words, at the dinner table one can usually tell who has made which dumpling as they are eating.

Chances are you may not celebrate Chinese New Year, but I encourage you to make these dumplings with your family or even try making nian gao (the recipe can be found on my blog www.swirledandsprinkled.wordpress.com). Until then, I wish you all the happiest New Year, one with much luck, fortune, good health, and prosperity…may this year be brighter than your last. 新年快乐！(Happy New Year!)

Pork and Chive Dumplings (makes about 12)

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and boiling water. Using a wooden spoon, mix until dough forms a rough ball, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and shiny (about 8 minutes). Wrap lightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Filling:
1/2 1b. ground pork
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine*
1/4 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee)*
2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar*
2 teaspoons soy sauce*
pinch of white pepper powder*
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stems
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
*See bottom of post for a picture of these ingredients.

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until just combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Roll out wrappers:

1. Divide dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece of dough into a 1-inch diameter log. Cut each log into 1-inch long sections.

2. Pinch a dough section into a circle, then roll out on floured surface using a floured rolling pin into 4-inch diameter round circles. Set rounds aside.

Fill and pleat dumplings:

1. Lightly flour a baking sheet. Hold one wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place one heaping tablespoon filling in center of wrapper, then fold wrapper in half without sealing the edges, open side up. Between your thumb and forefinger, gently push down fillings with other hand to keep edge of wrapper free.

2. Using thumb and forefinger of left hand, begin pinching edges of wrapper together while pushing one edge into tiny pleats with thumb of right hand. Continue pleating and pinching across entire semicircle until wrapper is sealed (the other unpleated side will naturally curve). Set dumpling on floured baking sheet and repeat.

Pan-fry dumplings:

1. In a large lidded non-stick saute pan over moderately high heat, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil until hot. Add dumplings, pleated sides up (don't let them touch). Then immediately pour cold water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dumplings. Cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the bottoms of the dumplings are brown and crispy. Transfer dumplings to a plate, browned sides up.

Lucky Dumpling Sauce (serves 4)

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients together and serve with dumplings.

Enjoy!

Cheese – Back to My Assignment

2011-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Before the Christmas holidays I gave the students in my foods class an assignment to find cheeses they were not familiar with. They had to go to small and unusual grocery stores. Mind you, these are not stores that most students would shop at. They had to find an American natural cheese such as Cheddar, none of that processed stuff, a non-American blue-veined cheese, one made with goat or sheep’s milk, a cheese made in Nebraska, and one from another country.

The purpose of this assignment was to get my students out of their comfort zone. I believe that if all you ever do is what you have always done, you are not accomplishing much. So I decided to take the assignment along with my students. ‘Cause occasionally, professors need to ‘stretch out’ too.

For the first one, I made an apple pie with a Cheddar cheese crust. It did not turn out too nicely. I always tell my students that sometimes you make something that you just can’t eat. Not to be deterred and since I have to keep face with my students, I trudge onward.

For the second assignment, I decided to make mac ‘n cheese. I chose a Nebraska cheese, Velky made by Jisa’s Premium Farmstead Cheese Company (http://www.jisacheese.com/). From what they tell me, it is an Eastern European type cheese. It has a very mild flavor and a soft texture. When I first tasted it, I thought mac ‘n cheese. Afterall, one can’t have too much mac ‘n cheese.

I found a recipe from The Splendid Table website for 21st Century Mac and Cheese (http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/). It is a part of their cheap eats series. I did modify the recipe somewhat. I removed the garlic and onion. Sorry, but I do not believe garlic and onion belong in mac ‘n cheese. Bacon, now that’s another matter. But no garlic or onion. I liked that I did not have to make a cheese sauce for this recipe.

21st Century Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 cups) penne pasta

1 large egg

1 cup milk

8 ounces soft cheese, such as Velky

5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Generous 1/8 teaspoon each, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper

Generous ¼ teaspoon paprika

3 Tablespoons butter

16 saltines, coarsely crumbled

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add pasta and turn heat off. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a shallow 1 ½ quart baking dish. Set aside.

3. In a blender or food processor combine cream cheese, egg and milk. Process for a few seconds. Scrape down sides of container, if necessary. Add cheese, peppers, salt and paprika. Blend for a few seconds.

4. Drain pasta and place into a large bowl. Add cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour into baking dish.

5. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Coat crackers with butter and spread over top of casserole. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until thick and creamy. If top is not golden, slip under broiler for a minute. Remove from oven, let stand about 5 minutes, and serve.

Note: If desired, casserole can be assembled, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

I must say the mac ‘n cheese turned out quite nicely. My colleague and I enjoyed it and readily consumed our fair share. I normally don’t add paprika and red pepper flakes to mac ‘n cheese, but the addition of both gave the dish a little ‘kick’. I would be willing to make it again. I might even consider trying some different cheeses.

If you have a favorite mac ‘n cheese recipe, let us know. We love you hear about your favorite dishes.

Sweet Potatoes – The ‘In’ Vegetable for 2011

2011-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

I like to keep up with food trends. I am not sure I believe them, but it is fun to follow them. One of the hottest ‘new’ foods for 2011 is the sweet potato. (http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2010/12/food-trend-predictions-for-2011.html?intcid=epi_hptile4) Can you believe that – sweet potatoes? When I read that, my first thought was to applaud some trend watcher. My second thought was what took you so long? You see, the sweet potato has been a staple of the southern diet for eons.

So why sweet potatoes. First of all they are a nutritional powerhouse. They are high in fiber, beta carotene, and vitamin C and low in calories. They are showing up on more restaurant menus and not just as fries. Google searches for the vegetable have increased by 40% from last year. Now granted we don’t always prepare sweet potatoes in the most nutritionally sound ways. We have topped them with marshmallows – poor sweet potatoes, drowned them in butter and sugar, aka, candied yams and now we even fry them. Sweet potatoes are good on their own and don’t need much adornment to shine.

The sweet potato and white potato are only distantly related. The sweet potato is actually a member of the morning glory family. Although the leaves are edible, sweet potatoes are grown primarily for their roots. While there are hundreds of varieties of sweet potatoes, there was a time when Americans purchased two basic types, the yellow and deep orange kind. Now there are several varieties readily available to the US consumer. In addition to yellow and orange one can purchase white and purple sweet potatoes. White sweet potatoes contain more starch than the orange varieties and tend to cook up mealy. Orange varieties have a higher sugar content, are more watery and are easily caramelized. Purple sweet potatoes are sometimes referred to as Okinawan potatoes and are native to the Japanese island, Okinawa.

Roasted sweet potatoes is an excellent recipe for mixing different varieties of sweet potatoes. I like this recipe because it is easy – put it in the oven and walk away. But most of all, it showcases sweet potatoes. It allows the beauty of sweet potatoes to shine.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

3 pounds sweet potatoes, about 4 medium

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into cubes or French fry shape. Toss with oil, salt and black pepper.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray. Add potatoes in a single layer.

3. Cover tightly with foil. Turn oven to 425°F and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Remove foil and continue to roast for 15 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Black-eyed Peas - Good Luck for the New Year!

2010-12-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

It seems that every culture has some food that brings good luck for the New Year. In the African American tradition black-eyed peas bring good luck. I cannot swear by this, but a tradition is a tradition and do you really want to tempt fate?

Some African Americans eat black-eyed peas and rice or Hoppin’ John on New Year s Day. In my family black-eyed peas and cornbread was the way to go. Either way, both dishes are excellent sources of protein. In addition to being an excellent source of protein, black-eyed peas are high in iron, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and complex carbohydrates, which help control blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Although Southerners cook a wide variety of peas, it seems that Black-eyed peas reign supreme. It seems that everyone I talk to, whether Southerner or not, know about black-eyed peas. It is believed that black-eyed peas were brought to America by slaves. They were planted in the borders of fields by slaves, thus the name, field pea.

Cooking Black-eyed Peas
If you would like to prepare black-eyed peas by starting with the dried kind, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Pick through the peas. Discard any rocks or other debris, discolored or broken peas.

2. Although not entirely necessary, beans and peas are generally soaked before cooking. It shortens the cooking time. For every cup of beans, use 3 cups of water for soaking.

3. Place peas in water, cover and refrigerate for about 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas and cook as desired.

4. One pound of beans or peas is about 2 cups. One pound of dry beans will yield about 5 to 6 cups of cooked peas.

Here are a couple of recipes for you to try your luck with. If you don’t get around to these on New Year’s Day, you’ve got 364 more chances. Good luck and best wishes for a prosperous new year.

Marinated Black-eyed Peas

Serves 8.

Ingredients:
2 cans (15 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
¾ cup chopped bell peppers, your choice of colors
1 garlic clove
1 small onion, minced
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 to 3 medium tomatoes

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine black-eyed peas, bell peppers, garlic, and onion.

2. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and thyme. Add to vegetable mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

3. To serve, place tomatoes on individual plates. Spoon black-eyed peas onto tomatoes.

Hip Hoppin’ John

Serves 6 side dishes or 4 main dishes.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried black eyed peas
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, optional
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup long grained or converted white or brown rice

Directions:
1. Pick through peas, discarding broken or discolored peas and any debris, such as rocks. Rinse and drain peas. Place in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of water. Soak overnight. Drain peas and discard water.

2. In a Dutch oven, cover peas with 5 cups of water. Add bay leaf, thyme, salt (if using) and black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic; cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, crushed pepper and bell pepper to peas. Stir to mix well. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Cooking the Rice.
Some people cook the rice with the peas and others cook it separately. If you plan to cook the rice separately, reduce the amount of water in the peas by about 2 cups.

Source: Low-fat Soul by Jonell Nash

Gifts from the Heart

2010-12-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

For the past 12 days we have focused on good Christmas cookies that just happened to be healthy. We hope that you enjoyed them. We had a lot of fun making them. After all, they were cookies and cookies are supposed to be fun.

Now that you have a few too many cookies, why not share some of them with a coworker or neighbor. They make very nice hostess gifts. Try placing a few cookies in tins or on a pretty Christmas plate. If you are really feeling in the Christmas spirit, try adding hot cocoa mix or a container of tea or coffee.

From those of us working behind the scenes at Discover Foods, have a safe and healthy holiday season. We hope that you will come along with us next year as we continue our quest to learn more about food.

Christmas Cookies - Day 12

2010-12-19T20:21:00.000-08:00

Butterscotch Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

5 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)

2½ cups quick-cooking oats

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Cooking spray

¾ cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1¼ cups butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)

⅛ teaspoon salt

½ cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, ½ teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.

3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt,, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture.

4. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.

Yields 36 bars.

Christmas Cookies - Day 11

2010-12-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, honey and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and continue beating until smooth.

3. Combine flours and baking powder. Stir into batter until blended. Roll into small balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. If desired, flatten with a fork.

4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are slightly toasted at the edges.

Yields 36 cookies.

Christmas Cookies - Day 10

2010-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites, vinegar and salt to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar while continuing to whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fold in 2/3 of the crushed peppermint candies (reserve the rest for sprinkling on top of cookies).

3. Place meringue in a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Squeeze until the diameter of the cookies are 2 inches and place the cookies 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with remaining peppermint candy.

4. Bake for 90 minutes or until dry. Cool cookies on the baking sheet.

Yields 36 cookies.

Christmas Cookies - Day 9

2010-12-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

Pecan Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar, divided

¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Cream butter, ½ cup sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in pecans.

3. Divide dough in half. Using lightly floured hands, shape each into a 6-inch long log. Wrap each log in wax paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to to 350°F.

5. Unwrap dough and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon on a shallow plate. Roll logs in the sugar mixture. Slice each log into 24 pieces, about ¼-inch thick. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 48 cookies.

Christmas Cookies - Day 8

2010-12-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup all purpose flour

1 cup oatmeal

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

⅓ cup almond toffee bits

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Stir in toffee bits.

4. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart on 2 cookie sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans for 1 minute. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yields 2 dozen cookies.

Christmas Cookies - Day 7

2010-12-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter

1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅓ cup light corn syrup

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 large eggs

2¼ cups whole wheat flour

2⅔ cups (16 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. In a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, stir in the sugar. Heat until the mixture is just beginning to bubble. Remove from burner or microwave, transfer to a medium bowl, and allow to cool to lukewarm.

2. Stir in vanilla, salt, baking soda, espresso powder (if using), baking powder, corn syrup, and vinegar. Add eggs, beating well after each addition, then the flour, stirring to combine, and finally mix in the chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper.

4. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake two sheets at a time, reversing the pans midway through, until they are just beginning to brown around the edges, 12 to 13 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets, place on cooling rack.

Source: King Arthur Flour Company

Christmas Cookies - Day 6

2010-12-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

Snickerdoodlesickerdoodles

Ingredients:
1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1Tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
3Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar, stirring with a whisk.

3. Combine one cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and egg; beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and chill for 10 minutes.

4. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk.

5. With moist hands, shape dough into 42 (1-inch) balls. Roll in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yields 42 cookies.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, April 2003

Christmas Cookies - Day 5

2010-12-10T10:12:00.001-08:00

Citrus Kissed Honey Buttons

Citrus-Kissed Honey Buttons
Ingredients:

1¾ cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions:

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a small bowl.

2. With a mixer on medium, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg, honey, lemon and orange zests and lemon extract. Beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Roll the dough into 36 balls, about 2 teaspoons. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

5. Bake until puffed and beginning to crack, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

Yields 3 dozen cookies.

Source: Eating Well Magazine, December 2010

Christmas Cookies - Day 4

2010-12-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup cocoa, not Dutch processed

¼ teaspoon salt, optional

2 ounces dark chocolate

2 ounces milk chocolate

⅔ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the dark and milk chocolates and the pecans. Mix well. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Yield 2 dozen cookies.

Source: Food Network, Ellie Krieger

Christmas Cookies - Day 3

2010-12-09T15:43:00.001-08:00

Middle of the Road Cookies

Ingredients:

2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup flaxseed meal

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine flour, flaxseed meal, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Mix together peanut butter, butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture until all are combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Yields 36 cookies.

Source: Bob's Red Mill