Hello All,
I know in some parts of the country it may be hard to believe that spring is here and that summer is on the way, but indeed according to the calendar summer is coming.
As you grillers out there get ready to break out the charcoal and bug spray here is a link on Summer time food safety tips. Cause you really don't want to have to take anyone to the emergency room after they ate your oh so very special barbecue. So give the link a look see and happy grilling y'all!!!! ;-)
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/events/summervacations/index.html
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Faith and Food!
Hello all,
For Christians all around the world today is Palm Sunday, Easter is next Sunday and Passover begins at sundown on Monday. Food plays a very important part in our observations of our faith and the local supermarkets here in Roswell and other places have an abundance of the items many like to prepare during this time of renewed Faith.
With that said many families have lamb for Sunday dinner during this spring holiday season, and I'd like to share a recipe for an Herb Pesto Rub marinade that you can use for lamb, chicken breasts or beef, all of which are on sale at your local Publix.
Now if you've been growing your own herbs or getting them at Walmart or Publix the fresh ingredients used here will make this dish a hit with your family! Here's what you'll need:
Herb Pesto Rub
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/c cup fresh oregano
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil.
Strip the thyme and rosemary leaves from the stems and remove the leafy parts from the oregano and parsley, (you should have approximately 3 cups of loose herbs) Place the herbs, salt and pepper (I usually omit salt when I cook and the food comes out perfectly fine) in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until the pesto is blended. The mix will keep for 1 week in the fridge.
If you are using this marinade for chicken, let sit for 4-6 hours. For lamb chops 3-4 hours for a leg of lamb let marinate overnight.
Hope you'll love the marinade and make it one of your family favorites! Enjoy as you celebrate Easter, Passover and Palm Sunday!
Much love,
J
For Christians all around the world today is Palm Sunday, Easter is next Sunday and Passover begins at sundown on Monday. Food plays a very important part in our observations of our faith and the local supermarkets here in Roswell and other places have an abundance of the items many like to prepare during this time of renewed Faith.
With that said many families have lamb for Sunday dinner during this spring holiday season, and I'd like to share a recipe for an Herb Pesto Rub marinade that you can use for lamb, chicken breasts or beef, all of which are on sale at your local Publix.
Now if you've been growing your own herbs or getting them at Walmart or Publix the fresh ingredients used here will make this dish a hit with your family! Here's what you'll need:
Herb Pesto Rub
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh rosemary
1/c cup fresh oregano
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil.
Strip the thyme and rosemary leaves from the stems and remove the leafy parts from the oregano and parsley, (you should have approximately 3 cups of loose herbs) Place the herbs, salt and pepper (I usually omit salt when I cook and the food comes out perfectly fine) in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until the pesto is blended. The mix will keep for 1 week in the fridge.
If you are using this marinade for chicken, let sit for 4-6 hours. For lamb chops 3-4 hours for a leg of lamb let marinate overnight.
Hope you'll love the marinade and make it one of your family favorites! Enjoy as you celebrate Easter, Passover and Palm Sunday!
Much love,
J
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Ohhh I love onions! ;-)
When I was growing up, my mother had a friend who worked for Columbia Records (I think that was it) who used to send us demos of records that as I look back may have never been released. One such record was I love Onions, recorded by Julie Christie. Now don't ask me how I remember that, but I do, perhaps it's because I love onions! LOL Anyway, on Sunday I made a Sweet Onion Souffle, which is quite tasty. If you're counting calories you may not want to make this, cause where I will sub on some recipes, on some I don't even bother and this is one. So here we go, you'll need the following:
1/2 cup butter ( perhaps you can sub olive oil and just a tablespoon of butter for the flavor)
6 medium sweet onions (3.25 lbs) thinly sliced into rings (here in GA, Vidalia onions can be used, these are very good for this recipe)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 oz package Parmesan cheese
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar ( I use less)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt ( I omit this, as I don't cook with salt. I think each person should salt to taste on their plate)
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion. Cook stirring often, about 1 hour or until the onions are caramel colored. Remove pan from heat.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream, the Parmesan cheese and the eggs. In another bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and rosemary. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Next, stir the onions into the egg mixture; spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish and bake at 350 uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until slightly firm, puffed and golden brown. This should serve 8.
I made this with ground turkey meatloaf, you can make it with whatever meat you like, or make it with Three Bean Chili if you are a vegetarian but eat dairy products.
If you love onions like I do, I'm sure you'll enjoy this dish.
Until next time, much love to all of you!
J
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Five a day?! What you say, lolol !!!!
Hello All,
As you know (or not) it is recommended (by the American Dietetic Association) that we eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, use whole grains, eat calcium rich foods, low fat proteins and limit our use of sugar. This is wonderful news to help us all optimize our health! Now I know from experience that as much as I love most fruits and most vegetables that five a day is not an easy task, but let me share with you how I do it.
I start with breakfast. If I'm having cold cereal, such as Kashi Heart to Heart ( I call them Kashi Cheerios) I add a banana, or some cut up strawberries and blueberries. It depends on what is in season (cause you should respect the seasons) and what is on sale at the market that week. So if it's bananas, that is one fruit down. If it's the berries, then its two fruits down.
Because I'm hypoglycemic I need to keep my blood sugar level constant, so I munch fruit throughout the day. What works for me is to cut up my apple and peel my orange, put a small container of berries in my lunch bag and munch to my hearts content as I go about my day.
Let me digress here for a second. We are told that for optimum weight loss we should eat small meals throughout the day, and I think the term "small meals" confuses people. A meal is considered a meat, starch and vegetable by many people, when in fact what I think they mean to say is have an apple or orange or some carrots during the day when you have an urge to munch something.
Okay so what I think is a good schedule is if you have breakfast around 7AM or so, by about 10 you should be looking around for a snack. I suggest an apple or orange or whatever your favorite fruit is. I'm a late lunch kinda girl, so about 12 I may be looking around for another snack, at which time I'll have another piece of fruit or a handful of nuts ( this is really hard for me, because unless I've pre-measured the nuts I'm gonna eat more than a handful as I love crunchy foods). Now it's time for lunch at about 1-1:30 and depending on the time of year, if its winter I want something hot, if its summer I want salad.
Of course you will do what works for you, and the ADA just makes suggestions on how we should eat, but if your goal is to eat healthier, just think of the joy you'll feel when you've accomplished 5 servings a day of fruit. I know on the days when I do, I give myself a pat on the back, do the happy dance and then try to work in 5 servings of vegetables. LOLOL
We'll talk about that another day, so for now, set your goal for 5 servings of fruit and give yourself a pat on the back when you've reached your goal. Take it one day at a time, and soon it will be part of your normal routine. If you have children you'll be setting a good example for them, and you'll feel lighter and healthier in the long run!
Ciao for now and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
As you know (or not) it is recommended (by the American Dietetic Association) that we eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, use whole grains, eat calcium rich foods, low fat proteins and limit our use of sugar. This is wonderful news to help us all optimize our health! Now I know from experience that as much as I love most fruits and most vegetables that five a day is not an easy task, but let me share with you how I do it.
I start with breakfast. If I'm having cold cereal, such as Kashi Heart to Heart ( I call them Kashi Cheerios) I add a banana, or some cut up strawberries and blueberries. It depends on what is in season (cause you should respect the seasons) and what is on sale at the market that week. So if it's bananas, that is one fruit down. If it's the berries, then its two fruits down.
Because I'm hypoglycemic I need to keep my blood sugar level constant, so I munch fruit throughout the day. What works for me is to cut up my apple and peel my orange, put a small container of berries in my lunch bag and munch to my hearts content as I go about my day.
Let me digress here for a second. We are told that for optimum weight loss we should eat small meals throughout the day, and I think the term "small meals" confuses people. A meal is considered a meat, starch and vegetable by many people, when in fact what I think they mean to say is have an apple or orange or some carrots during the day when you have an urge to munch something.
Okay so what I think is a good schedule is if you have breakfast around 7AM or so, by about 10 you should be looking around for a snack. I suggest an apple or orange or whatever your favorite fruit is. I'm a late lunch kinda girl, so about 12 I may be looking around for another snack, at which time I'll have another piece of fruit or a handful of nuts ( this is really hard for me, because unless I've pre-measured the nuts I'm gonna eat more than a handful as I love crunchy foods). Now it's time for lunch at about 1-1:30 and depending on the time of year, if its winter I want something hot, if its summer I want salad.
Of course you will do what works for you, and the ADA just makes suggestions on how we should eat, but if your goal is to eat healthier, just think of the joy you'll feel when you've accomplished 5 servings a day of fruit. I know on the days when I do, I give myself a pat on the back, do the happy dance and then try to work in 5 servings of vegetables. LOLOL
We'll talk about that another day, so for now, set your goal for 5 servings of fruit and give yourself a pat on the back when you've reached your goal. Take it one day at a time, and soon it will be part of your normal routine. If you have children you'll be setting a good example for them, and you'll feel lighter and healthier in the long run!
Ciao for now and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Once Upon a Time
Hello All,
Once upon a time I lived in Brooklyn, NY and had a favorite Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I went to rather often. One of the meals I had there was a chicken poblano mole. Which is a spicy chocolate chicken dish. What?! Chicken and chocolate?! Yes, chicken and chocolate. It was two things I really love, spicy and it had chocolate. I've been wanting to make that dish or one similar to it for quite some time and recently found an easy recipe for Chicken Mole that I'd like to share with you here:
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 large onion chopped/diced small
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped ( I omitted this)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( or 1 teaspoon already minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (this does not give a lot of heat, so if you want really spicy, I suggest half chili powder and half cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (yes this is the cloves traditionally put in ham, and also good for a toothache, I used much less than the recipe calls for because I don't really care for the taste, however it does give the dish a nice flavor)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes ( I of course used fresh tomatoes, and diced them myself)
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder (Nestle's is good, use the regular not the dark chocolate)
2 scallions chopped ( I omitted this just because I didn't have any, use your own judgment on this ingredient)
The recipe calls for you to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, I don't cook with salt, preferring to add it to my plate as in salt to my taste. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil ( I don't use cooking sprays, but you can if you like) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan to a bowl. Next, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and saute' for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chili powder (or the half chili powder, half cayenne pepper I suggested above) and the ground cloves and cook for 1 minute. The aroma is wonderful! Put the chicken back in the pan along with any juices and add the fresh tomatoes (if you used canned then add the juice from those), the peanut butter and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on a low flame for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often.
I served this dish with my own special yellow rice and my version of re-fried kidney beans (which are not re-fried at all) and I have to say that this reminded me of the restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I used to go to, once upon a time!
I hope you'll make this dish and let me know how you liked it. I didn't include my recipe for yellow rice or re-fried beans so, hit me up and I'll forward to you upon request!
Much love,
J
Once upon a time I lived in Brooklyn, NY and had a favorite Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I went to rather often. One of the meals I had there was a chicken poblano mole. Which is a spicy chocolate chicken dish. What?! Chicken and chocolate?! Yes, chicken and chocolate. It was two things I really love, spicy and it had chocolate. I've been wanting to make that dish or one similar to it for quite some time and recently found an easy recipe for Chicken Mole that I'd like to share with you here:
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 large onion chopped/diced small
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped ( I omitted this)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( or 1 teaspoon already minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (this does not give a lot of heat, so if you want really spicy, I suggest half chili powder and half cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (yes this is the cloves traditionally put in ham, and also good for a toothache, I used much less than the recipe calls for because I don't really care for the taste, however it does give the dish a nice flavor)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes ( I of course used fresh tomatoes, and diced them myself)
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder (Nestle's is good, use the regular not the dark chocolate)
2 scallions chopped ( I omitted this just because I didn't have any, use your own judgment on this ingredient)
The recipe calls for you to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, I don't cook with salt, preferring to add it to my plate as in salt to my taste. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil ( I don't use cooking sprays, but you can if you like) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan to a bowl. Next, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and saute' for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chili powder (or the half chili powder, half cayenne pepper I suggested above) and the ground cloves and cook for 1 minute. The aroma is wonderful! Put the chicken back in the pan along with any juices and add the fresh tomatoes (if you used canned then add the juice from those), the peanut butter and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on a low flame for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often.
I served this dish with my own special yellow rice and my version of re-fried kidney beans (which are not re-fried at all) and I have to say that this reminded me of the restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I used to go to, once upon a time!
I hope you'll make this dish and let me know how you liked it. I didn't include my recipe for yellow rice or re-fried beans so, hit me up and I'll forward to you upon request!
Much love,
J
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Beans, beans good for the heart the more you eat the more you ....!
Hello All,
You may or may not recall that little rhyme we chanted back in the day and for some of us it may still apply. But no matter what, beans are an excellent source of protein and if you've committed to having a meatless meal from time to time, beans are a good way to go! Here is a recipe I came across yesterday morning while watching the food network, I've included the link for your reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/deluxe-black-bean-burger-recipe/index.html
Here is the recipe, which I've tweaked a bit for your eating pleasure. Here's what you'll need;
2 15 ounce cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 shallots (or 1 large onion, red or yellow)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (yes there is a difference)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro - chopped
1 egg white slightly beaten
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour ( or white flour something like Wondra)
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
I personally would add some minced garlic to this about 1 tablespoon, and omit the Worcestershire sauce, but that of course is up to you. I also would omit the black pepper.
In a large bowl, finely mash the black beans with your hands or a potato masher. Add the shallots or onion, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic, worcestershire sauce (or omit this), hot sauce, cilantro, egg white (to bind it all together) and lastly the flour. Mix will with a wooded spoon. Form into patties, makes 4, this will be sticky and a bit messy, get over it and keep going, ;-). In a large frying pan or skillet (north vs south here) heat the olive oil. Sear the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side until you have a nice crust. Remove the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Now the show suggested making sandwiches out of these, but I think you can eat them with a nice tossed salad on the side. A little romaine, some red onion, cherry tomatoes and maybe some cucumber, some balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go!
Remember, beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more you ....! Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
You may or may not recall that little rhyme we chanted back in the day and for some of us it may still apply. But no matter what, beans are an excellent source of protein and if you've committed to having a meatless meal from time to time, beans are a good way to go! Here is a recipe I came across yesterday morning while watching the food network, I've included the link for your reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/deluxe-black-bean-burger-recipe/index.html
Here is the recipe, which I've tweaked a bit for your eating pleasure. Here's what you'll need;
2 15 ounce cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 shallots (or 1 large onion, red or yellow)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (yes there is a difference)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro - chopped
1 egg white slightly beaten
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour ( or white flour something like Wondra)
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
I personally would add some minced garlic to this about 1 tablespoon, and omit the Worcestershire sauce, but that of course is up to you. I also would omit the black pepper.
In a large bowl, finely mash the black beans with your hands or a potato masher. Add the shallots or onion, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic, worcestershire sauce (or omit this), hot sauce, cilantro, egg white (to bind it all together) and lastly the flour. Mix will with a wooded spoon. Form into patties, makes 4, this will be sticky and a bit messy, get over it and keep going, ;-). In a large frying pan or skillet (north vs south here) heat the olive oil. Sear the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side until you have a nice crust. Remove the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Now the show suggested making sandwiches out of these, but I think you can eat them with a nice tossed salad on the side. A little romaine, some red onion, cherry tomatoes and maybe some cucumber, some balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go!
Remember, beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more you ....! Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Its a wrap!
Hello All,
Its Sunday afternoon and you may be thinking about what's for dinner, for those of you who are forward thinkers, you're not only thinking about Sunday dinner, but lunch for the week or at least for tomorrow and Tuesday.
Last time I shared some time saving tips with you and I'm going to take it a bit further today (with some Bob Marley playing in the background, "We're Jammin'). Because Spring Break is over for me, I prepared a few things so that I can hit the ground running tomorrow. Last night I made a Chicken Milanese Risotto, on Friday I made a small pot roast and today I grilled some chicken cutlets and made some salsa and some guacamole. Now this may sound like a lot of food to you and to those of you who know me, yes, every now and then I will eat beef.
Now my purpose in preparing all this food is that although it is Spring here in the Southeast, it's still a bit chilly and tomorrow it is only supposed to hit 59 degrees, hence the Chicken Milanese Risotto, cause every now and then I like something hot for lunch. As for the beef and chicken, I will make one of my favorites - a wrap sandwich with the beef and chicken as one of the ingredients. So, lets make a wrap - start with a whole wheat soft taco shell ( I use La Banderita) if you like add a very small amount of Helman's mayo to the taco shell, then start to layer, first some cut up pieces of chicken or beef, then some lettuce (romaine, or a blend of different lettuces) some shredded carrots (I love crunchy stuff) and then add either the guacamole or the salsa to the wrap. Using a butter knife, gather all the ingredients to one side of the taco shell and start to roll it all together. Because this most likely will fall apart, I use either tooth picks or bamboo skewers to hold the wrap together, then I put it some plastic wrap and then foil to keep it cool and all together and here you have it, a wrap!!!!
For those of you who may think I'm nuts with all this cooking, I don't really care. I know for sure that by eating food that I've prepared myself, I'm cutting down on all the preservatives and sodium that is found in processed foods, as well as saving a few dollars. But if you really are not into all this, then when you head out to the grocery store let me make a few suggestions. Start with Perdue or your favorite brand of already prepared grilled chicken. In the fresh produce section, you'll find some fresh salsa and guacamole and the soft taco shells should be in the bread aisle. But there's nothing like the taste of love that goes into that wrap that you've made yourself totally from scratch. Think about it and get back to me! ;-)
Much love to you all,
J
Its Sunday afternoon and you may be thinking about what's for dinner, for those of you who are forward thinkers, you're not only thinking about Sunday dinner, but lunch for the week or at least for tomorrow and Tuesday.
Last time I shared some time saving tips with you and I'm going to take it a bit further today (with some Bob Marley playing in the background, "We're Jammin'). Because Spring Break is over for me, I prepared a few things so that I can hit the ground running tomorrow. Last night I made a Chicken Milanese Risotto, on Friday I made a small pot roast and today I grilled some chicken cutlets and made some salsa and some guacamole. Now this may sound like a lot of food to you and to those of you who know me, yes, every now and then I will eat beef.
Now my purpose in preparing all this food is that although it is Spring here in the Southeast, it's still a bit chilly and tomorrow it is only supposed to hit 59 degrees, hence the Chicken Milanese Risotto, cause every now and then I like something hot for lunch. As for the beef and chicken, I will make one of my favorites - a wrap sandwich with the beef and chicken as one of the ingredients. So, lets make a wrap - start with a whole wheat soft taco shell ( I use La Banderita) if you like add a very small amount of Helman's mayo to the taco shell, then start to layer, first some cut up pieces of chicken or beef, then some lettuce (romaine, or a blend of different lettuces) some shredded carrots (I love crunchy stuff) and then add either the guacamole or the salsa to the wrap. Using a butter knife, gather all the ingredients to one side of the taco shell and start to roll it all together. Because this most likely will fall apart, I use either tooth picks or bamboo skewers to hold the wrap together, then I put it some plastic wrap and then foil to keep it cool and all together and here you have it, a wrap!!!!
For those of you who may think I'm nuts with all this cooking, I don't really care. I know for sure that by eating food that I've prepared myself, I'm cutting down on all the preservatives and sodium that is found in processed foods, as well as saving a few dollars. But if you really are not into all this, then when you head out to the grocery store let me make a few suggestions. Start with Perdue or your favorite brand of already prepared grilled chicken. In the fresh produce section, you'll find some fresh salsa and guacamole and the soft taco shells should be in the bread aisle. But there's nothing like the taste of love that goes into that wrap that you've made yourself totally from scratch. Think about it and get back to me! ;-)
Much love to you all,
J
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