Real Food for Health and Pleasure

Author Page on Facebook

2012-01-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have finally created an author pageon Facebook. I should have done it a long time ago, but I just wasn’tmaking the connection. So, hopefully I will see you there!

Garlic and Onion Soup

2012-01-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is so easy, and so, so good. The only drawback is thatit takes a long time, but it’s not hands-on time, just lots of waiting. It iskind of like French onion soup. I eat it as a soup on its own. My husband usesit for French dip sandwiches. It starts with homemade beef bonebroth. I have been making it in a pressure cooker lately.

Ingredients:

Beef bones (5 or 6)

Onions (about 4)
Garlic (2 bulbs)
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Coarse sea salt

Roasting

The key to this recipe is roasting the bones, onion, andgarlic first. I do this in the oven at 400, for 45 minute to 1 ½ hours. You canuse a glass baking dish or oven-proof bowl. A bowl seems to work best for thebones. Put all the bones in a glass, oven-safe bowl and drizzle some olive oilon top (just to keep them from sticking). Slice the onions into thirds. I don’tbother peeling them. Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs. Pour a little oliveoil in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Put the onion and garlic in thebaking dish. Roast the bones, onion and garlic. The onion and garlic will bedone before the bones.

Making the Broth

Pour a little olive oil in the bottom of the pressurecooker. Toss in one bulb of garlic and half of your onions. Save the rest ofthe onions and garlic, and the oil they roasted in, for later. Toss in thebones and the oil and fat from the bones. Add some lemon juice (maybe ¼ cup),sea salt (about a handful or so), and cold water. My pressure cooker has a linethat shows you how much water you can add.

Let this sit and soak for 30 minutes before starting thepressure cooker. Bring the pressure cooker up to temperature, then turn itdown, or do it however your model works. Cook in pressure cooker for 90minutes. Strain the liquid into another container, put the bones, onion andgarlic back into the pressure cooker, add some more lemon juice, and cook itall again for another hour and a half. Strain the second batch and press allthe juices you can out of the bones, onion, and garlic.

Discard the bones, onion and garlic (not the onion andgarlic you saved for later).

If you don’t want all of the fat from the broth, put it inthe fridge overnight. The fat will rise and congeal on top and you can justpull it off and toss it.

Finishing the Soup

If your broth is chilled, it will be a jiggly lump. That’sgood; it means it came out right. Place about 6 cups of broth in a pot on thestove. Store the rest in the fridge or freeze it for other recipes or just tosip on. Peel the onions and toss them in the broth. Squeeze the garlic out ofits shell, into the broth. Simmer, uncovered, for about an hour. It willreduce.

Zucchini Cakes for Breakfast

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have discovered out that my zucchinicakes make a great cook-ahead item for breakfast.

I’m having some food allergies and other health issues, sowheat is off the menu for the time being. That means I needed an alternative totoast or biscuits to sop up my eggs yolks. The zucchini cakes are perfect, andI like them better than hash browns. I heat two in the oven topped with somebutter, and serve them topped with fried eggs.

Lesser Known Tips for Crock Pot Cooking | DinnerTool

2012-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Lesser Known Tips for Crock Pot Cooking DinnerTool

I came across this helpful article today. I would advise against the foil balls, but maybe there is something else that could be substituted that does not contain aluminum.

Mini Quiche

2012-01-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

I have never been a big quiche fan, but I needed something Icould make ahead and heat up in the mornings for a quick and easy breakfast. Ido not put cheese in these when I cook them, but I put shredded cheddar in thebowl with my quiche when I eat it. I also top it with a little homemade ranchdressing and nutritional yeast.

Eggs

Green onions
Bacon
Spinach
Parsley
Tomatoes

You’ll bake these in a muffin tin. Grease it thoroughly oruse the little paper liners! A dozen eggs will make 12 mini quiche, but you canmake smaller batches if you want.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Chop up the spinach, green onions,parsley, and tomatoes. I use bacon bits made from real bacon so I don’t have tobother with cooking and cutting up the bacon. Toss the bacon and veggiestogether in a bowl, and try to get them evenly distributed.

Ladle the eggs into the muffin tin, filling each spot abouthalfway. Add your other ingredients to each until you have used them all up.Bake at 325 until fully cooked. I checked mine often, and I think it took 20 or30 minutes, but the recipes I have read call for shorter cooking times. I don’tknow what the deal is with that, so keep checking and DO NOT let them burn!

Double Meat, Pasta-Free Lasagna

2012-01-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Looking for a completely different way to use up turkeyleftovers, and craving lasagna but currently staying away from pasta, I came upwith this dish which turned out better than I expected. I had leftoverspaghetti sauce, too.

I make this in single servings, but you could make up awhole batch of lasagna this way. The key is simply replacing the pasta withturkey. You could try it with any lasagna recipe you like. Here’s what I used.

Turkey, pulled apart pretty thin (no need to try to get itas thin as lasagna noodles!)

Meat sauce
Cottage cheese
Mozzarella

It’s a pretty pared down lasagna recipe, and I didn’t even includethe mozzarella every time I made it. Build it like you would regular lasagna,with the turkey making up the noodle layers. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutesfor single serving size made from cold ingredients out of the fridge.

Zucchini Cakes

2012-01-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

These zucchini cakes are similar to latkes. They make a goodside dish or snack. I glop on some butter before reheating them in the oven,and they reheat well. They are yummy topped with homemade ranch dressing. Thecheese is optional because I did not notice a huge difference in the flavorwith or without cheese. I expected it to make a bigger difference.

Zucchini

Green onions
Parsley
Garlic
Eggs
Cheese (optional)
Rice flour
Bacon grease
Salt

Grate your zucchini, wrap it in a towel, and squeeze out asmuch water as you can. Chop up green onions, garlic, and parsley in a smallfood processor. You can do it by hand if you have to. Beat your egg or eggs ina mixing bowl. Add everything except the bacon grease, and mix well.

Heat the bacon grease in an iron skillet. You’ll wantit to be about ¼ inch deep or so. When the grease is hot, spoon or ladle yourzucchini mixture in, about ¼ cup at a time, and flatten. Flip when the bottomis browned and brown the other side. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drainexcess grease.

Eggplant Fries Again

2012-01-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

I tried a fourth method for making my French Fried Eggplant and it is by far the best yet. The only change is soaking them in saltwater overnight or for a couple of days. It gives them a much better texture and keeps them from being so greasy.

Steak and Chicken for Burritos, Bowls, and Snacks

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

This stuff works great for burritos, bowls, and justsnacking cold, straight out of the fridge (I eat it by the handful that way forbreakfast). It would probably be good in sandwiches, too.

For the chicken, I use boneless, skinless chicken breast.For steak, you can go from very easy to more work but cheaper. The easiest isto buy stew meat or fajita meat because it is already cut up, but you can cutup steaks or a roast for this yourself.

This recipe works best if you brine the meat first. You canread all about that in my previous post.

If you brine the meat, rinse well and pat dry.

Place the meat in a bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil andtoss to coat. Then sprinkle in the seasonings you like. I use garlic powder,onion powder, and sometimes other stuff like paprika, cayenne, and even alittle chili powder. Toss again to coat.

Heat your skillet on medium-high to high heat. After theskillet gets hot, add some olive oil. Toss in the meat and stir frequently toprevent burning. It will create some liquid as it cooks and then that will cookdown again. The meat will be browned on the outside when it is done.

I usually make this in two batches, and I clean out theburned stuff from the skillet in between.

Brining for Juicy, Yummy Meat

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

I have discovered brining. I had no idea what I was missing.Brining uses salt water to suck moisture and flavors into the meat. The key isto use enough salt. If you use too little it sucks the moisture out instead. Atleast, that’s what they say.

Making the brine:

Use 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt for every cup of liquid.

Heat your water and mix in the salt until liquefied.
Add other seasonings, such as garlic powder, onion powder,and whatever you like.
Cool the brine by setting the pan in cold water, or set itaside until it cools.

Brining the meat:

For indoor cooking, we cut the meat into strips orbite-sized pieces before brining. Obviously that s not a good idea forgrilling, unless you’re making shish kabobs.

Place the meat in a sealable container.
Pour in the brine, completely covering the meat.
Refrigerate.

Timing your brining:

This depends on the type of meat, but I have found thatovernight, or even two nights, works fine for beef and chicken. They saychicken only takes a few hours and that beef can take twelve.

Cooking brined meat:

You must rinse the meat or it will be unbearably salty.Rinse it in cold water, and rinse it thoroughly. Some say to rinse for a full30 seconds and do it twice. Then dry it well with paper towels. After that, Iusually coat mine in olive oil or butter before grilling or cooking in theskillet.

Easy Salisbury Steak

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Patty ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons Tamari sauce
1 to 2 table spoons onion powder
2 teaspoon steak sauce (optional)

Sauce:

Strong beef broth (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all patty ingredients and kneadtogether until well blended. Form into very thin oval shaped patties. Brown thepatties in a skillet and remove with a slotted spoon or spatula. Place pattiesin a glass baking dish. Pour sauce over patties. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

You can add green onions to the patties, or just in the panwith them before baking. Also, top the patties with sliced mushrooms before baking, if youenjoy mushrooms.

Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Hollandaise sauce, but I do not have thepatience for all that whisking and praying that it will turn out right. I am soglad I discovered the blender method! This is quick and easy and the end resultis just the same, except it leaves me in a better mood.

Ingredients:

6 egg yolks
1 stick butter
¼ cup lemon juice
Cayenne
Salt

Separate your eggs and put the yolks in the blender. Addlemon juice to blender. Add cayenne and salt. Melt butter in a sauce pan andheat until bubbling. With the lid on the blender, but the center thing removed,turn on the blender. While the blender is running slowly drizzle the hot butterin. Put center thing back in blender and keep blending for a minute or so.

The hot butter cooks the egg yolks a bit, for the sake ofthe squeamish. However, if the blender isn’t running when you start drizzling itin or if your pour it in too fast, it can really cook the yolks and ruin thetexture of the sauce.

Serve with asparagus, steamed artichokes, eggs benedict, oras a tasty dip. The possibilities are endless.

So, now what to do with all those egg whites? If you’ve gotany suggestions I would love to hear them!

French Fried Eggplant

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the third method I tried, and they are yummy. For myfirst attempt I did not use flour, and they turned out soggy with grease. Yummy,but too soggy. The second time, I also skipped the flour, but I made them inthe oven. Not good. Just blah.

So, this is the method I use now. You can use whatever typeof flour you prefer.

Ingredients:

Eggplant

Brown rice flour
Salt and other seasonings

Heat deep fryer. Mix flour with salt and other seasonings,to your liking. Cut ends off eggplant and peel, or don’t peel. Cut eggplantinto French fry sized sticks. I use a French fry cutter, but you can do it witha knife. Place the eggplant n a big bowl or baggie, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, pour in your flour mixtureand toss until well covered.

Fry in single layer batches, about 4 minutes or untilgolden-brown. Dump into a paper towel lined container. I use glass or stainlessbecause I’m not real comfortable dumping hot stuff into plastic containers. Addsalt if needed.

I like to dip them in ranch dressing. They also work forgreen chili fries.

Kale Chips

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

When I tried kale I wasn’t all that fond of it. I likechard, but kale was not really at all like it to me. Well, I finally decided totry making kale chips, and they turned out great. They were easier to make thannorichips, but not quite as enjoyable.

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

Olive oil
Salt
Other seasonings (optional)

One bunch of kale made 2 batches for me. I made one batchwith onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. The other was just salt. I liked both.

Preheat oven to 300. Rinse kale and dry between paper towel.Cut leafs off the rib up the center, and tear or cut the leaves into chi-sized pieces.Place leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat.Spread out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with your desired seasonings. Bake untilcrisp – about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool before eating.

Nori Chips

2011-12-11T17:22:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

Nori sheets

Tamari sauce
Wasabi powder
Garlic powder
Water (optional)
Olive oil (for greasing baking sheets)

Preheat oven to 250. Mix tamari sauce, wasabi powder, and garlicpowder to your liking. You can add water to the mix to make it less salty orjust not so strong. Brush olive oil on your baking sheet.

Brush tamari mixture on both sides of a nori sheet. Try tobrush a very light amount onto the nori. I pressed most of it out of the brushon the side of the bowl. Cut nori into squares or strips, whatever size youlike. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat until cookie sheet is covered.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. Make as manybatches as you have the patience to.

Homemade Sour Cream

2011-08-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Until recently I had no idea how easy it is to make your own sour cream. So far, this costs about the same amount as store-bought sour cream, but there are some advantages that make it worth it, and there may be a trick to make it cheaper (I’ll explain that part later).

Sour cream is supposed to have live, active cultures, like yogurt. When you make your own you know that it does (if it doesn’t, it won’t turn into sour cream). This makes it good for your digestion, which is a great thing in any food item. If you’re the kind of person that wants to know exactly what is in their food, making your own will put your mind at ease, too. Not to mention, it’s very easy to make and you can impress your friends.

Ingredients:

¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup heavy cream (or milk)

Instructions:

Find a clean glass jar with a lid. I save mine when I buy sauces and such. Boil some water, pour it into the jar, swish it around, and dump it out. Clean the lid in a similar fashion.

Put the buttermilk and cream in the jar, put the lid on, and shake it up until it’s mixed up real good. Set it on the counter or on top of your fridge, cover with a dishtowel, and let it sit up to 24 hours, undisturbed. To check it, tilt the jar. It should have thickened. Refrigerate before serving.

That’s it. You’re done. You now have sour cream! Who would have guessed it was that easy. You should try it at least once, just because you can.

Tips:

The buttermilk must have live cultures. The cultures in buttermilk die off over time, so if it’s almost out-of-date it may not work.

Your sour cream will be thicker than your liquid no matter what, but if you use plain, whole milk it will still be pretty runny. Heavy cream seems to create a nice consistency, still not as thick as I would prefer, but thick enough to use on burritos without a runny mess. However, heavy cream is expensive.

Adding powdered milk may be the key to getting thicker, stiffer sour cream, and saving money. I know it works with homemade yogurt (I'll post my recipe for that soon). I haven’t tried it in sour cream yet, but I will.

New Potatoes

2011-08-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

I love new potatoes. They are one of the few foods that really come off well with almost no preparation.

The easiest way to serve them is to simply rinse the potatoes and steam them whole with the skins on. When they are on your plate, cut them open with a fork, sprinkle on a little salt, and you have a wonderful dish.

The other day I decided to get a little fancier with it (I had some homemade chicken broth that I needed to use up, that was too salty, so used that and did not need to add salt).

New potatoes, whole, rinsed, with skins on
One or two carrots, rinsed, ends cut off, broken into halves or smaller
Chicken broth
Bacon, cooked, cut up (I used kitchen scissors)
Onion powder
Salt

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and boil gently until the potatoes are fork tender. You do not have to use enough broth to cover the potatoes. If your broth cooks away before the potatoes are tender, add water and keep cooking.

Cold Green Beans and Tomatoes: Easy, Yummy, Perfect for Summer!

2011-08-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is a dish I used to make often, but hadn’t made in years. I made it again the other day and I was very pleased. There is no cooking involved, so it’s perfect for hot weather.

Combine in a glass bowl:

1 can French cut green beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (I prefer petite diced)
About ½ medium, white onion, diced
Several cloves raw garlic, minced

Cover and refrigerate to bring out the flavors. I let mine sit in the fridge for a few days this time, but you could serve it in just a few hours, or even right away in a pinch.

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

2010-01-05T16:21:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of blue cheese dressing, but I don’t hate it. My husband likes it occasionally, so I thought I would try making some. It turned out so yummy. It’s really heavenly. I will be making this more often.

This recipe is written after-the-fact and the amounts for most of the ingredients are guesses on what I used. I also used a very small food processor and the directions are based on that. If you have a large enough food processor, the only special timing would be to process the green onions first. Then you could just dump it all in.

Blue cheese dressing:

4 tbls mayo (app)
4-6 oz sour cream (app)
4 oz blue cheese crumbles
3 med green onions, with green part cut off, but leaving white striped part of stalks
½-1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ - 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ - ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
¼ cup milk

Clean and cut the root hairs and green parts off green onions. Cut into ½ to 1 inch pieces and process in food processor until very small. Add mayo, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and cayenne. Process until well blended. Add half the blue cheese and process. Add sour cream and process. Remove half the mixture (I put it in the empty sour cream container). To the food processor, add remaining blue cheese, process, add milk, process again. Stir into the removed portion. Refrigerate.

Quick and Easy Deep Fried Chicken Livers

2009-06-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

These make a great main dish or snack. Very easy!

Flour
Onion powder
Salt
Brown sugar (about a handful)

Preheat deep fryer to 375. Place all the ingredients in a large ziplock baggie and mix up. Toss in chicken livers a few at a time, shaking to coat. Place in a single layer in deep fryer. Fry for five minutes. Toss in a paper towel-lined bowl. May require more than one batch.

Please read more about the Health Benefits of Chicken Liver and Myths about Cholesterol.

Balsamic Glazed Beets and Greens with Feta

2009-05-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is really great with baby beets, but still very good with full grown beets. You will rarely find beets with their greens still attached at the grocery store.

Beets
Preheat oven to 375. Cut green off beets and save. Rinse beets. Roast, covered, for about one hour (should pierce easily with a knife). Allow to cool. Remove skins.

Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper

Simmer all ingredients together for a few minutes stirring occasionally.

Cut up beets into bite-sized pieces. Simmer in the glaze for about 10 minutes, tossing and stirring occasionally to coat.

Greens
Cut up greens and stems. Slice up about 4 cloves garlic. Cook in about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease, covered, stirring occasionally.

Putting it all together
Pour glazed beets over the greens and top with a bit of crumbled feta cheese. Keep covered on warm until ready to serve.

I served these with deep fried chicken livers.

Cook Book Wishlist - Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana

2009-05-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

I must have this book! Here is an excerpt from a review of Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana.

"If bacon does not immediately come to mind as an essential ingredient of Cajun cooking, then clearly you have been missing Link, the chef-owner of two New Orleans restaurants, Herbsaint and Cochon. He not only begins his premiere cookbook with instructions on making four pounds of homemade bacon, he includes such tempting items as a fried oyster and bacon sandwich, tomato and bacon pie, and catfish fried in bacon fat. Even in his vegetarian twice-baked potatoes, he cannot help mentioning, Normally I like crisp bits of bacon in stuffed potatoes."

I think I'm in love!

Greens and Leftovers

2009-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to make mackerel croquettes when I realized I had some leftover chicken breast and leftover roast that really need to be used up. I also have some fresh spinach I need to cook before it goes bad.

I am making my basic greens cooked in bacon grease with garlic slices. I will cut up the roast and chicken and toss that in on top to heat near the end of cooking. Just to change things up a bit I may sprinkle some shredded parmesan on top.

I will serve this with steamed red potatoes (not really new potatoes, but close). It sounds so good, it seems a shame to call it leftovers.

Ribs Tonight

2009-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am making ribs. They take forever to cook and it's driving me crazy! We will have Kale and probably Mac & Cheese with them.

Good Cooking Weather!

2009-04-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm in Heaven. It's been cool and cloudy and foggy for two days and now we're getting a snowstorm. The air yesterday had that quality that made everything smell good and really enhanced the smell of food. This weather makes me want to cook!

We have been using a lot of bread lately so I am going to start making it again. I don't like to make it when we're not eating much because it takes me a few batches to get it to come out really well. It always tastes good, but sometimes it's too crumbly and not so good for sandwiches.

I also plan to make whole wheat tortillas, and start a pot of beans for burritos, bean dip, beans and rice, and whatever else sounds good with bean in the next few days.

I am making chicken soup from homemade stock and leftover chicken bits from a whole chicken I cooked a while back, and lots of parsley. We are going to have chard w/bacon and black-eyed peas with the soup tonight.

I am making veggie burger patties from black-eyed peas that I will freeze and then we can just pop them in the deep fryer, and I am going to start some sprouts. The sprouts will go well on the veggie burgers. We put humus on them too. Sometimes I make it, but our grocery store carries some that we like a lot.

That should take care of my cooking for a while and save me some time.

Green Chili Enchiladas

2009-03-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

1 lb Pork sausage
Onion
Garlic
1 small can Green chilies
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Flour
Crushed Tomatoes

Corn tortillas
Cheddar
Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese

Brown pork sausage and remove from pan into slow-cooker. Drain most of the grease from pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add garlic and onion to grease and cook until onions are translucent. Add green chilies, stir, add flour, stir cook for 2 or three minutes. Place in slow-cooker. Add onion and garlic powder, and tomatoes. Fill tomato can with water – add 2 cans of water. Cook for several hours in slow cooker. Warm corn tortillas in iron skillet with butter, fill with grated cheddar, place in glass pan, cover with green chili, top with grated muenster or Monterey jack, bake in over on 325 for 30 minutes or until all cheese is thoroughly melted.

Sandi's Zuppa Toscona

2009-03-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

2 large baking potatoes
2 cups homemade turkey broth
1 lb Hot Pork sausage
¾ - 1 lb bacon
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
½-3/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups half and half
4- 5 cups water
5 tablespoons Onion powder
5 tablespoons Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon Sage
¼-1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt

Brown sausage in oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Cook bacon in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Peel potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and slice. Place all ingredients EXCEPT sausage, bacon, half and half, and parsley, in a sauce pan. Cook on Med-high until potatoes are done. Add sausage and bacon, simmer 15-20 minutes, add half and half and parsley stir and bring back up to temperature, reduce to low for up to ½ hour.

I have made up this cheat sheet to print out and keep on hand while you are making the soup. It is a little easier than reading the recipe while you work.

Zuppa Toscana Cheat Sheet

2 large baking potatoes
2 cups broth
1 yellow onion
3 tablespoons minced garlic
5 tablespoons Onion powder
5 tablespoons Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon Sage
¼-1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt
4- 5 cups water
Medium – until potatoes are done

1 lb Hot Pork sausage
¾ - 1 lb bacon
Simmer 15-20 minutes

½-3/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cups half and half
Low ½ hour

Fajitas Teriyaki

2009-03-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Beef cut into strips or bite-sized pieces
Salt
Lemon juice
Teriyaki sauce
Minced garlic
Cayenne pepper
Coconut oil
Grated cheese
Tortillas

I normally start out with a frozen, grass-fed sirloin steak which I thaw in milk (discard the milk). Cut the steak into strips or bite- sized pieces. Place in a ziplock baggie. Add salt liberally and shake. Add lemon juice, teriyaki sauce, minced garlic, and sprinkle with cayenne. Seal baggie and marinate from one hour to overnight, turning over occasionally to soak all of the meat. Heat coconut oil in iron skillet. Remove meat and pat dry with a paper towel, saving marinade for later. Cook meat in skillet one layer at a time, browning outside. As each batch of meat is done, set aside. When all meat has been browned on the outside return meat to skillet, pour in marinade and reduce to medium heat. Cook until meat is thoroughly done and marinade has cooked down considerably. Wrap meat and cheese in a warmed tortilla and eat!

Sandi's Finger Salad

2009-03-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

Spinach leaves
Baby carrots
Tomatoes
Green onions
Mushrooms

Rinse all ingredients well. Cut tomatoes into wedges. Cut roots and excess tops off green onions. Place spinach leaves in individual bowls. Place baby carrots in together in each bowl to one side. Repeat with green onions and mushrooms. Lay tomato wedges in the center. Top with your favorite dressing and eat with your fingers, dipping carrots, onions, and mushrooms in the dressing that goes to the bottom of the bowl.

This is a great way to get kids to eat salad, and makes a great snack for sitting around watching movies!

Easy Whole Wheat Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2009-03-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

2 cup whole wheat flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
¼ cup Parmesan
1 to 2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup milk

Topping:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
Salt

Preheat oven to 450.
Combine dry ingredients, grate in butter, and stir with fork, add syrup and milk and stir with fork until well mixed. Knead a few times (5 to 10). Form into 1 ½ to 2 inch balls and flatten them to about ½ to ¾ inch. Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 9 minutes.

While biscuits are baking. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add garlic and salt. Keep on low until time to use. Brush with garlic butter topping. Bake until done.

Orange Roast

2009-03-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Beef roast
2 cups orange juice
1 cup soy sauce
¼- ½ cup maple syrup

Place roast in slow cooker and pour in remaining ingredients. Cook on high for one hour. Cook on low several hours or until done.

Sweet Potato Pasta

2009-03-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Filling:
Cooked sweet potatoes mashed with milk and butter
Minced garlic
Onion powder
Chives
Parmesan (about ½ cup)
Salt
Sugar (to taste)

Sauce:
Butter
Cream
Garlic
Sour cream

Toppings:
Cooked bacon
Sharp cheddar

Mix filling ingredients until well blended. Use for filling in your own homemade ravioli dough or fill pre-cooked jumbo shells. Set aside. Sauté garlic in butter. Whisk in milk and sour cream. Place one layer of stuffed pasta in a casserole dish or glass baking pan. Top with cooked bacon and slices of cheddar. Repeat pasta, bacon, and cheddar. Pour sauce over layers. Cover. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Bacon, Eggs, and Strawberries Tonight

2009-03-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

I did not have the time or, more importantly, the inspiration to really cook tonight (yes, even I sometimes feel uninspired about food). Rather than resort to thawing out leftovers that sound less than appetizing at the moment, I decided that we would have bacon, fried eggs, and fresh strawberries.

It feels decadent, fulfilling, and almost exotic. Yet, it is so easy and requires no forethought. The eggs are very nice locally raised eggs, and the strawberries are frighteningly flavorful for this time of year.

It has that special occasion meal kind of feeling about it. Just more proof that no time of day is the wrong time of day for breakfast food. Give it a try!

Leftover Tortellini and Beef Stew

2009-03-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

Here is another variation on left-over soup. It does not require flour or broth. Any left-over cooked beef will work. Hamburger is the easiest. If you are using steaks or roast cut into bite size pieces.

Beef (cooked)
Tortellini (cooked)
Onion
garlic
butter
corn (1 can)
green beans (1 can)
diced tomatoes (1 can)
salt
water

Sauté onion and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add meat and any juices from meat. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Add tomatoes, green beans, corn, salt, and about 2 cups water. Stir. Simmer for 2 or 3 hours, longer if possible. Stir occasionally. Add water as needed until the last hour. Simmer for 30 mins to 1 hour after the last water is added for fullest flavor.

Clean Out the Refrigerator, Left-Over-Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-03-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

The beauty of this recipe is that you can use just about anything in your refrigerator that needs to be used now or thrown out tomorrow to make a delicious and healthy meal!

What you have to have:
Onions (any kind will work)
Butter
Flour
Broth, stock, or bullion
Cooked chicken (any kind of meat can be substituted)
Cooked pasta (if you use long pasta like spaghetti cut into bite
size pieces, you can also substitute with rice)
vegetables (if you have them)

What I used last night:

2 medium-large onions
2 carrots
1 stick celery
Minced garlic to taste (3 heaping tablespoons)
¾ stick butter
3-4 cups left over cooked chicken (lemon chicken and broaster
chicken)
2-3 tablespoons flour
6 cups chicken broth (bullion)
1-2 cups left over cooked penne

Put onions, carrots, and celery in food processor until chopped up fine (can be done by hand). Melt butter and add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally over med-med high heat for about 20 minutes, or until everything get soft and onions start to turn translucent. Add chicken and stir, add flour and stir, cook for 5 more minutes. Add chicken broth (this is when you would add raw vegetables) and cook at simmer – low boil uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta (this is when you would add cooked vegetables), cover and cook for 10 minutes more. It is now ready to eat, but will improve if you leave covered, turn down to low heat and cook for another 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

End Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

By the time you read this Daylight Savings Time will have taken effect and I will be in full-on bitch mode (actually, I’ll probably still be sleeping). So, I’m writing this now while I am merely in angry dread, but not yet feeling the effects of this most loathsome practice of changing the clocks in order to delude ourselves with the idea that it gives us “an extra hour” every day, somehow pulled from the ether, that we otherwise would not have.

Normally I do no do personal rants here. This particular issue bears an exception. I’ll refrain from going on and on about all of the personal reasons why I hate DST, and just give you a few facts on why it is a bad thing for everyone.

Daylight Savings Time causes heart attacks. “In the spring, the number of heart attacks spiked on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after daylight saving time began. The increases ranged from 6% to 10%.” DST disrupts our circadian rhythms, causing sleep deprivation both from lost sleep and poor quality sleep, and it causes an increase in suicides.

Daylight Savings Time is not better for the environment (the current excuse for its existence). It actually causes us to use more energy running air conditioners later in the summer, and heating homes in cooler climates in the mornings. Recent studies in Indiana and Australia both found that DST increased energy use. It also means people are out and about driving more in the evenings. In fact, in the 1930’s the petroleum industry was one of the big supporters of DST.

Daylight Savings Time causes traffic accidents. A 1998 study found that traffic accidents increase by 17% on the Monday morning following the switch to DST.

Daylight Savings Time is bad for farmers, especially dairy farmers.

What can you do to end daylight savings time? Write to your representatives. You can sign petitions to end DST here, here and here.

Don't Throw That Out!

2009-03-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Leftovers don't have to be boring and ruined dishes can be rescued. Both can be turned into something entirely different. Reusing food that you have already cooked is a great way to save time and money. Soup, sandwiches, casseroles, pizza, shepherds pie, fillings, and sauces are all good revivals for leftovers. Many people complain that one or more of their family members refuses to eat leftovers. A little creativity can change leftovers into something they will never recognize as last night's dinner. An easy solution to repetition is simply to freeze leftovers the same day that the meal is cooked and serve it the next week. In fact, I strongly recommend cooking more than you need for one meal and freezing the rest for later as a time saver. When entrees and side dishes are frozen separately they can be mixed and matched for more variety. Try making extra gravy to freeze for mashed potatoes and gravy to go along with meals that do not lend themselves to gravy making.

The key to making leftovers great is your approach. Rather than asking yourself how you can re-serve that dish, think of meals that you would like to cook that call for those ingredients. Now you have saved some time by already having them cooked. This is great for pizza and soups. You may have to expand your horizons on pizza to make this work, but it is well worth it. I once made a filling that consisted of feta, garlic, and spinach. I wound up with more filling than I needed so a couple of days later I thawed out some leftover lemon chicken, whipped up a garlic cream sauce and made pizza with the leftover filling and some mozzarella on top. Any leftover meats and veggies can go on pizza or into a shepherd's pie. Leftover meats go great in sauces, too. Burritos and enchiladas can always be filled with leftovers.

On another occasion I tried making mashed sweet potatoes, but decided I did not care for the flavor. So, I looked up recipes that called for sweet potatoes for some inspiration. I found one for pasta filling. I read through the recipe for a guideline and then improvised with my own ingredients. I made sweet potato ravioli with a garlic and sour cream sauce that became an instant favorite.

There are many wonderful alternatives to throwing food out. Be creative and have some fun with it. Never think of leftovers as just leftovers again!

Garlic and Herb Homemade Mayonnaise

2009-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

This takes a while to process, but other than that it’s pretty simple. I made it to mix with canned salmon for salmon sandwiches. It is chilling right now. I can’t wait to try it!

2 egg yolks
½ cup avocado oil
Fresh basil leaves and flowers (a small handful)
1 large clove Garlic
1 table spoon Lemon juice
Salt
1/8 teaspoon dill
½ teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon maple syrup

In food processor, process garlic and basil. Add egg yolks and process. Add lemon juice, dill, mustard powder, and maple. Add the oil a tiny amount at a time, processing until fully emulsified. Refrigerate immediately.

What's the Feng Shui of Your Kitchen?

2009-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

What's the Feng Shui of Your Kitchen --8 Questions to Ask
by Kathryn Weber

The kitchen has a special place in feng shui. The stove, in particular, has an especially important place in the home and the kitchen. That's because this is the appliance that generates the meals that feed the residents of that home.

On its own, though, the kitchen is thought to press down luck in feng shui thought. That means, even if you have good luck in this room, or bad, the kitchen by its very nature will stifle the luck in this area.

That being said, if the kitchen is located in a good direction for you based on your pa kua number, then the food prepared and consumed here will be especially beneficial. If, based on your pa kua number, this is an unlucky area, the bad luck will be pressed down, therefore, making this a good location for a kitchen.

Here are some more kitchen feng shui basics:

Avoid locating a bedroom over a kitchen. If this isn't possible, then make extra sure that the bed does not share the same wall as the stove. Likewise, try not to put a bedroom, or bed, on the other side of the wall where your stove is placed.

Kitchen placement is important. Kitchens should ideally be placed near the back of the house and not in the middle. Placement at the front of the house is also not advisable.

Don't paint kitchens red. Kitchens have fire in them already; don't increase the "fire energy" by painting the kitchen red.

Kitchens in harmful positions: If your kitchen is located in the northwest, southwest, or center of your house: Purchase a five-rod wind chime here to dispel some of the energy. However, the worst possible location for a kitchen is the northwest, particularly if you cook with gas because this is an actual flame. Remove all candles from this location and try to install an electric stove here.

Alternatively, you can add a large urn of water, such as a fish tank, to dampen some of the excess fire energy.

There are few absolutes in feng shui, but this is one, and that is: no open flames in the northwest sector of the home or there could be severe losses or problems for the man of the house or the breadwinner.

Or, if you're single, there could be difficulties attracting a suitable relationship or frequent spats and disagreements with someone you are dating, especially if you are female. You might try placing a spring water dispenser here or a fish tank to try and help press down the fire energy located here. Try to place it close as possible to the stove.

8 Key Feng Shui Kitchen Questions

1. Is there at least two feet of distance between the stove and refrigerator? If they are too close together, the refrigerator puts out the fire of the stove, creating financial difficulties. If they are next to each other, put a large wooden cutting board between them.

2. Can you see the toilets from the kitchen? Even a view or access to a toilet from the kitchen is bad news. If this is the case in your house, paint the bathroom door red, and as always, be sure to keep it closed at all times.

3. Placement of tears? A stove placed between a refrigerator and a sink is said to cause sadness and emotions such as those from mourning.

4. Do you have an islands of respite? Islands serve as a helpful feng shui feature because they are often topped with stone (which weighs down bad luck) and are situated between things, such as the stove and sink, or the stove and the refrigerator, thereby stopping "arguments" between kitchen features. Count yourself lucky if you have one. The same is true of dining tables in the kitchen.

5. Is your refrigerator stocked? A well-stocked pantry and refrigerator are both good feng shui -- and symbols of wealth. Keep both cleaned out on a regular basis. Make sure nothing is stored on the floor of the pantry. This keeps energy renewed and wealth flowing.

6. Do you support your stove? If the stove is below a window, the cook will not enjoy good support.

7. Can the stove/kitchen be seen from the front door? If you can see the stove or the kitchen from your front door, then you could be losing opportunities. Block the view of the view from the front door with a screen or a plant.

8. Do you enter through the kitchen? If so, you could struggle with your weight. If the first thing you see is your kitchen, you might have difficulties with overeating. Try to enter through another door.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in authentic Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE E-book "Easy Money - 3 Steps to Building Massive Wealth with Feng Shui" visit www.redlotusletter.com and learn the fast and fun way how feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant!

Lasagna Style Enchiladas

2009-03-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

1.5 lbs seasoned, browned, ground beef
1.5 lbs shredded cheese
18 small corn tortillas
1.5 cups enchilada sauce

Beef seasonings:
Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper
Chili powder
Cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Oregano

Diced tomatoes and onions

Preheat oven to 350. Lay six corn tortillas in the bottom of a glass pan, slightly overlapping, top with 1/3 cheese and ½ beef. Repeat to make a second layer. Cover with the remaining six tortillas, pour in enchilada sauce, top with remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Top with diced tomatoes and onions immediately before serving, or before baking.

Serve with refried beans and Spanish rice.

Barley and Brown Rice

2009-03-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

1 ½ cup cooked barley
1 ½ cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons pico or salsa
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Turmeric
Cayenne

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT nutritional yeast in an over proof bowl. Heat for 15 minutes. Stir. Heat for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and stir in nutritional yeast. Can be served immediately or kept warm in a warm (not hot) oven.

You can add meat to this dish to make it a main dish. It goes really well with my Black-eye Peas and Greens combo.

Cheesy Broccoli Spinach Soup

2009-03-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

I think this is the best soup I've ever made! My boyfriend loved it, but said it was a little strong on the garlic for his taste. If you're not a garlic fiend like I am, you may want to cut back to 2 bulbs.

I recommend going very light on the dill. Your need for salt will vary depending on your stock. You may not need to add any. As always, homemade stock will make a far superior soup. Do not overcook the vegetables. The flour is optional. It just thickens the soup. I have heard that leeks serve as a thickener in vegetable stock. They would go well in this soup as a substitute for the onions.

½ stick Butter
½ large sweet yellow onion
Thyme
Nutmeg
Cayenne
Dill
Salt
Pepper
3 bulbs roasted garlic (yes, bulbs, not cloves)

2 tbls flour (optional)
Worcestershire sauce
4 to 5 cups water or stock

1 cup chopped Broccoli
1 cup Milk
1½ - 2 cups Frozen Spinach

12 oz grated Cheddar

Melt butter. Add onion and all spices except garlic and thyme. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme. Cook for one more minute. Add flour. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add stock and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. It will reduce and thicken. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Add broccoli. When it has returned to a low simmer, cook for about 10 minutes. Add milk and spinach. Bring to barely simmering and stir in cheese until melted.

Sandi's Bourbon Chicken

2009-02-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 pounds, can be frozen)
½ cup bourbon
3 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cranberry juice cocktail
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
¾ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 fresh sliced jalapeno

Place all ingredients, except chicken, in a gallon size freezer bag. Seal and shake to mix. Add chicken. Seal and shake to coat chicken. Place in refrigerator to marinate overnight. Turn over occasionally to thoroughly coat chicken. Pour chicken and marinade into a glass pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until barely done. Cut chicken into large bite-sized pieces. Cook in hot iron skillet to brown the outside, reduce to medium heat and add marinade to skillet. Cook stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Serve immediately. This dish does not taste as good when reheated.

Fried Rice

2009-02-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 – 1½ cups peas and carrots
1 – 1½ cups leftover meat (cooked)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ginger
3 cups cooked brown rice
3 eggs
Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

Heat coconut oil in skillet on med-high. Add meat, vegetables, rice, onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Beat the eggs. Make a well in the center. Pour in eggs and cook for about one minute. Gradually incorporate the egg into the rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until egg is done. Add tamari sauce to taste and cook for 2 more minutes.

Light and Easy Sauce for Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, and Other Steamed Vegetables

2009-02-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

I originally mentioned this sauce in response to a comment on Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce.

This is the easiest sauce I’ve come up with for steamed vegetables. I used to serve them with Ranch dressing, which is a tasty way to eat them, but it can clash with other sauces, and it tends to overpower the vegetables. Some things I love about this sauce are:

You don’t actually have to do the work of making a sauce
It does not dirty another dish
It is very versatile – you can adjust the flavors to compliment your main dish
It is not a heavy sauce, which is nice sometimes especially if your main dish already uses a thick sauce

Here is how to make it.

After you put the vegetables in the steamer basket, before you turn on the heat, place some pats of butter and some spices (whatever you like!) on top of the vegetables and splash them with a bit of lemon juice. When it has finished steaming you will have a tasty sauce in the bottom of the pan that you can spoon over the veggies.

That’s it! Very easy.

Usually I use garlic powder and salt (I like that best for Brussels sprouts) but you can go crazy with the spices. When I make asparagus, I usually add dill. If you don’t like or don’t want the lemony flavor, you can skip the lemon juice. Adding a little soy sauce instead might work. I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know if it will try to stick to the pan, but you could always add it after the steaming is done.

All or Nothing

2009-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

I originally wrote this in 2004. I think it is still good advice.

Healthy eating does not require an all or nothing approach. While it would be ideal to grow all our own organic foods, starting with perfect soil, growing all of our own fruits and vegetables, raising our own meat fed on only perfect grasses and feed that we grew ourselves, and on from there, it is not very realistic for most
people to do this. The information can be overwhelming and the urge to jump in completely is well founded. It can also be discouraging. With all the bad foods out there and the bad foods that look like good foods, we can start to wonder if there is any way to really find and eat healthy food.

Every little bit helps. If you can only change your diet one item at a time, you will feel and taste the benefits. Do not give up just because you cannot go all the way right away. Some people never fully make the transition, but they are still better off for each meal or food item that is of better quality. I have tried to
go all organic many times over the years, and gave up because it was too expensive or too difficult to obtain good food. I always believed that I had to do it 100% or it was just a waste of time. When I went back to standard commercial and chemical laden foods, I always noticed that my favorite new recipes just did not taste as good this time, and that I was more tired and did not digest my food as well as I had been. It sometimes took a while for me to make the connection.

If you are unfamiliar with choosing and eating organic food or working on a limited budget, it is OK to start out with just a few items. This may mean making one entire meal completely from better foods, or by consistently using one or two organic ingredients. Over time you will get a feel for which brands you like best, what is cost effective, and how to find what you really want. Often small natural food store have a co-op program that you can buy into and get a discount on their products. These stores are usually more than happy to special order products for you, too. If you simply cannot find a local supplier look for food online. You will be surprised how many things can now be ordered and shipped directly to your home. Ask around! You can often find local sources for things
like eggs, milk, and produce who do not advertise. Call your chamber of commerce and your county extension office for advice on finding these people.

Do not let the urge to be a perfectionist stand in the way on your path to eating healthier and more delicious food.

Confused About Fat? Choose Grassfed!

2009-02-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Confused About Fat? Choose Grassfed!
by Jo Robinson
Printer Friendly Version
In my Grandma's day, there was no such thing as a bad fat. All fat was "good" simply because it tasted good. My Grandma fried her eggs in bacon grease, added bacon grease to her cakes and pancakes, made her pie crusts from lard, and served butter with her homemade bread. My grandmother was able to thrive on all that saturated fat—but not my grandfather. He suffered from angina and died from heart failure at a relatively young age.

My grandfather wasn't alone. Population studies from the first half of the 20th century showed that Americans in general had a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people from other countries, especially Japan, Italy and Greece. Was all that saturated fat to blame? The Japanese were eating very little fat of any kind, while the people of the Mediterranean were swimming in olive oil, an oil that is very low in saturated fat but high in monounsaturated oils.

So, in the 1960s, word came from on high that we should cut back on the butter, cream, eggs and red meat. But, interestingly, the experts did not advise us to switch to an ultra-low fat diet like the Japanese, nor to use monounsaturated oils like the Greeks or Italians. Instead, we were advised to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated oils—primarily corn oil and safflower. Never mind the fact that no people in the history of this planet had ever eaten large amounts of this type of oil. It was deemed "the right thing to do." Why? First of all, the United States had far more corn fields than olive groves, so it seemed reasonable to use the type of oil that we had in abundance. But just as important, according to the best medical data at the time, corn oil and safflower oil seemed to lower cholesterol levels better than monounsaturated oils.

Today, we know that's not true. In the 1960s, researchers did not differentiate between "good" HDL cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol. Instead, they lumped both types together and focused on lowering the sum of the two. Polyunsaturated oils seemed to do this better than monounsaturated oils. We now know they achieve this feat by lowering both our bad and our good cholesterol, in effect throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Monounsaturated oils leave our HDL intact.

In hindsight, it's not surprising, then, that our death rate from cardiovascular disease remained high in the 1970s and 80s even though we were eating far less butter, eggs, bacon grease, and red meat: We had been told to replace saturated fat with the wrong kind of oil.

During this same era, our national health statistics were highlighting another problem, this one even more ominous: an increasing number of people were dying from cancer. Why were cancer deaths going up? Was it the fact that our environment was more polluted? That our food had more additives, herbicides and pesticides? That our lives were more stressful? That we were not eating enough fruits and vegetables? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

But there was another reason we were losing the war against cancer: the supposedly "heart-healthy" corn oil and safflower oil that the doctors had advised us to pour on our salads and spread on our bread contained high amounts of a type of fat called "omega-6 fatty acids." There is now strong evidence that omega-6s can make cancer cells grow faster and more invasive. For example, if you were to inject a colony of rats with human cancer cells and then put some of the rats on a corn oil diet, some on a butterfat diet, and some on a beef fat diet, the ones given the omega-6 rich corn oil would be afflicted with larger and more aggressive tumors.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, we were getting a second helping of omega-6s from our animal products. Starting in the 1950s, the meat industry had begun taking our animals off pasture and fattening them on grains high in omega-6s, adding to our intake of these potentially cancer-promoting fats.

In the early 1990s, we learned that our modern diet was harboring yet another unhealthy fat: trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are formed during the hydrogenation process that converts vegetable oil into margarine and shortening. Carefully designed studies were showing that these manmade fats are worse for our cardiovascular system than the animal fats they replaced. Like some saturated fats, they raise our bad cholesterol. But unlike the fats found in nature, they also lower our good cholesterol—delivering a double whammy to our coronary arteries. "Maybe butter is better after all," conceded the health experts.

Given all this conflicting advice about fat, consumers were ready to lob their tubs of margarine at their doctors. For decades they had been skimping on butter, even though margarine tasted little better than salty Vaseline. Now they were being told that margarine might increase their risk of a heart attack!

Some people revolted by trying to abandon fat altogether. For breakfast, they made do with dry toast and fat-free cottage cheese. For lunch, they ate salad greens sprinkled with pepper and vinegar. Dinner was a skinless chicken breast poached in broth. Or better yet, a soy burger topped with lettuce. Dessert? Well, after all that self-denial, what else but a big bowl of fat-free ice cream and a box of Snackwell cookies. Thank goodness calories no longer counted! Only fat made you fat!

Or, so the diet gurus had told us. Paradoxically, while we were doing our best to ferret out all the fat grams, we were getting fatter and fatter. We were also becoming more prone to diabetes. Replacing fat with sugar and refined carbohydrates was proving to be no more beneficial than replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated oils.

At long last, in the mid-1990s, the first truly good news about fat began to emerge from the medical labs. The first fats to be given the green light were the monounsaturated oils, the ones that had helped protect the health of the Mediterraneans for so many generations. These oils are great for the heart, the scientists discovered, and they do not promote cancer. They are also a deterrent against diabetes. The news came fifty years too late, but it was welcome nonetheless. Please pass the olive oil!

Stearic acid, the most abundant fat in beef and chocolate, was also found to be beneficial. Unlike some other saturated fats, stearic acid does not raise your bad cholesterol and it may even give your good cholesterol a little boost. Hooray!

Then, at the tail end of the 20th century, two more "good" fats were added to the roster—omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, the fat found in the meat and dairy products of ruminants. Both of these fats show signs of being potent weapons against cancer. However, the omega-3s may be the best of all the good fats because they are also linked with a lower risk of virtually all the so-called "diseases of civilization," including cardiovascular disease, depression, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

So, some of you may be wondering, what does this brief history of fat have to do with grassfarming? Few people realize that all omega-3s originate in the green leaves of plants and algae. Fish have large amounts of this good fat because they eat small fish that eat smaller fish that dine on omega-3 rich algae and phytoplankton. Grazing animals have more omega-3s because they get the omega-3s directly from the grass. In both cases, the omega-3s are ultimately passed on to humans, the top of the food chain.

Products from grassfed animals offer us more than omega-3s. They contain significant amounts of two "good" fats, monounsaturated oils and stearic acid, but no manmade trans-fatty acids. They are also the richest known natural source of CLA and contain extra amounts of vitamin E and beta-carotene. Finally, grassfed meat is lower than feedlot meat in total fat and calories, making it ideally suited for our sedentary lifestyles.

I don't believe it's a matter of luck or chance that grassfed products have so many of the good fats but so few of the bad. In fact, I'll wager that the more that is discovered about fat in the coming years, the more grassfed meat will shine. The reason for my confidence is simple: our bodies are superbly adapted to this type of food. In the distant past, grassfed meat was the only meat around. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors either brought home a grazing ruminant such as elk, deer, or bison, or a predator that preyed on those animals. Either way, the nutrients found in grass made their way into the animals' flesh, and ultimately, into our own.

Over the eons, our bodies began to "expect" the kinds and amounts of fat found in grassfed meat. Our hearts counted on the omega-3s to stabilize their rhythm and keep blood clots from forming. Our brain cells relied on omega-3 to build flexible, receptor-rich membranes. Our immune systems used the omega-3s and CLA to help fend off cancer. And because wild game is relatively lean, our bodies weren't burdened with unnecessary amounts of fat or calories.

When we switch from grainfed to grassfed meat, then, we are simply returning to our original diet, the diet that is most in harmony with our physiology. Every cell and system of our bodies function better when we eat products from animals raised on grass.

Jo Robinson is a New York Times bestselling writer. She is the author or coauthor of 11 nationally published books including Pasture Perfect, which is a comprehensive overview of the benefits of choosing products from pasture-raised animals, and The Omega Diet (with Dr. Artemis Simopoulos) that describes an omega-3 enriched Mediterranean diet that may be the healthiest eating program of all. To order her books or learn more about grassfed products, visit http://eatwild.com.

Check Out Frugal Healthy Simple!

2009-02-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have added a new blog to my blog list - Frugal Healthy Simple. You should check it out, it's great! The recipes look good, but what I really love is the way it is written.

Marcia explains how she made the food, why she chose certain ingredients, including substitutions. She makes use of what she has on hand and demonstrates how that can be done without diminishing the greatness of the dish. This is something that is hard for people who are still dependent on recipes for full instruction, so I her explanations can really help!

She also lists the cost of each ingredient, so you can get a real feel for how her methods work to save money on food while still creating good, yummy stuff.

Bean, Rice, and Cheese Rolls

2009-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

I created this recipe when I was working with a very limited budget. I had made a huge batch of homemade beans and rice and we were sick of eating it! We had plenty of rolls, butter, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh garlic. I was not an experienced cook at that time, but I knew I could do something with what I had on hand that would be delicious and satisfying. The results were much better than I had expected.

I used black beans and 7 grain rice. I have also had good results with Anasazi beans.

Cooked beans
Cooked rice
Cooked rolls
Butter
Fresh garlic (minced or sliced thinly)
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Mix beans and rice together. Pull the top off of each roll. Press the inside of the roll until you have formed a cup. Place a pat of butter in the bottom of the roll. Add garlic to taste. Press a scoop of the bean and rice mixture into the roll. Salt to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan. Add another part of butter, more garlic, bean and rice mixture, salt, and parmesan making two layers. Top with mozzarella. After adding the mozzarella press the filling firmly into the roll ( the mozzarella will protect your hand from getting gooey from the mixture). Keep adding mozzarella and pressing until the roll is well stuffed. Try not to overstuff and break through the sides of the roll.

Bake at 350 until cheese melts and starts to brown.

Half Sour Pickles

2009-02-21T12:18:00.000-08:00

Half Sour Pickles
by Katheryn Weber

9-12 Kirby pickling cucumbers
2-3 cloves garlic, cracked
6-8 sprigs of fresh dill (optional)
1/4 tsp. dill seeds (optional)
1 tsp whole pickling spices
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 1/2 quarts water

Thoroughly wash cucumbers and slice in half. Place cucumber, dill, and spices into a large clean jar. Bring salt, vinegar and water to a boil and boil for two minutes. Pour brine over pickles and using a clean glass to keep pickles from surfacing. Let the pickles sit on the counter until cool and then remove glass, cap the jar and store in the refrigerator a few days before eating. Experiment with the spices as you like.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in authentic Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE E-book "Easy Money - 3 Steps to Building Massive Wealth with Feng Shui" visit www.redlotusletter.com and learn the fast and fun way how feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant!

Katie's Chicken Fingers

2009-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have subscribed to Katie's newsletter for years and I love it! It's called the Red Lotus Letter and it's all about feng shui. Her article about feng shui in the kitchen will apear here next month. In the meantime, she has offered a couple of her favorite recipes.

From Katie:

Sandi – great blog! Love the concept of “real.” I am a foodie and put dinner on the table every night at 6:00. Dinner is a precious time in our family. I make a lot of different kinds of foods – Indian, Persian, Greek, you name it. But the recipes everyone enjoys the most are the “plain cooking” type. This will bring every kid within five miles to the table. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks again, Sandi!

Katie's Chicken Fingers

by Katheryn Weber

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups (or much as needed) Kellogg's Cornflake Crumbs*
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour flour and seasoned salt into a plastic bag. Add chicken pieces a few at a time and shake to coat. Set two shallow pie plates aside with the egg in one and cornflake crumbs in the other.

Shake off flour from chicken and dredge in egg and then into cornflake crumbs, pressing the crumbs into the chicken. Do this with each piece. Pour vegetable oil into a large jellyroll baking pan and place in the oven for five minutes. Place the chicken into the heated oil. Bake for 10 minutes and turn the pieces over and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Place tenders onto a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ketchup or favorite sauce. Enjoy!

*If you can't find Kellogg's Cornflake Crumbs at your grocery store, simply add cornflakes to your food processor and process until they are turned into crumbs. Store in the freezer in a zippered plastic bag.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in authentic Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information and to receive her FREE E-book "Easy Money - 3 Steps to Building Massive Wealth with Feng Shui" visit www.redlotusletter.com and learn the fast and fun way how feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant!

Cooking Tools: My Friend the Food Processor

2009-02-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

For years I refused to spend money on a food processor. What a shame. I now have a full sized, a miniature, and a "chopper" – a hand operated version. The "chopper" was my first. I used it for making guacamole and salsa. I loaned that out and did not get it back soon enough and got desperate for an aid in making my salsa. So, I purchased a mini food processor. The mini works great for your everyday stuff like cutting up a little garlic or onion. With onion it helps to minimize crying! Later I was making salsa weekly for a local restaurant and gave in and bought a full sized food processor. Now, I use all three and have found that they each serve a unique purpose.

If you are willing to donate the elbow grease, the chopper is best for guacamole and salsa because the motorized types can cause a foamy effect, particularly with guacamole. If you can only purchase one I recommend the mini food processor. This is purely personal choice, but when you are just working with small amounts, such as garlic for one meal, the full size just throws it around, and most of it is stuck to the sides. If you make a lot of creamed soups, you will want the full sized. You may still have to work in batches, but it will go much faster.

The reason I recommend food processors so highly is really convenience/quality. The food processor saves so much time and effort that you are more likely to use fresh ingredients, and therefore produce higher quality meals. If I did not use the food processor, I would get lazy and use powders more often than fresh.
Then, there are salads, etc, which can be made without cutting all those ingredients by hand, if you just slide them through the food processor. Once you establish the habit of using a food processor, you will naturally revert to using fresh ingredients. You and those you cook for will notice a huge difference!

Re-Posting Recipes and Other Stuff from My Newsletter

2009-02-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note.

I will be reposting some of the recipes and other articles that were published in the Real Food for Health and Pleasure Newsletter before I changed it to a blog. I have already posted a few items. Many readers were not subscribed to the newsletter and didn’t get a chance to read them. This should be helpful to everyone because it will all be in one, easily searchable place.

Feng Shui Kitchen, by Norma Lehmeier Hartie

2009-02-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

Norma Lehmeier Hartie is the award winning author of the book Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet. Please check out her blog Norma’s Journal (you may have noticed the updates from her blog in My Blog List on the left-hand side of the page).

Feng Shui Kitchen
by Norma Lehmeier Hartie

There are numerous schools of Feng Shui, and what it entails. Generally speaking, not much is said about Feng Shui in the kitchen, and that’s too bad, because it is a very important room. When Feng Shui is discussed, it centers around the stove, and it is generally concerned with the direction or placement of the stove.

My advice is to consider the placement of the stove solely in relation to what works from a design and practical point of view.

The remainder of this article focuses on Feng Shui from the point of view of what will make your kitchen flow well with good energy. The following will give your kitchen “Feng Shui”.

Great layout. When appliances are positioned well, there is adequate counter space to work with, and kitchen tools and dining ware are thoughtfully stored, you will have a great space in which to work.
Appliances are in good working condition. Energy Star rated is even better, as these appliances are more energy efficient.
There is appropriate lighting for cooking, eating, and any other activities that take place in kitchen.
The kitchen sparkles with cleanliness. Bonus points for using non-toxic cleaning supplies! See my handy guide to non-toxic products. Keep refrigerator clean and have a container of baking soda inside to absorb odors.
There is no clutter. Go through your drawers and cabinets and remove anything you don’t use. Donate, sell or recycle whatever you can.
Organize your kitchen for maximum efficiency. Give everything a designated space. Extra points for facing cans, bottles and other food items faced forward and lined up, like in a grocery store.

Draining Ground Beef

2009-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Draining ground beef is a real pain, but I have found a way that works for me. If the meat is really sitting in a large amount of grease I usually pour some off, but you don’t have to.

Place several paper towels on a plate. Set colander on top of paper towels. Line colander with a couple of paper towels to keep the meat from falling through the holes. Remove meat from pan or dish with a slotted spoon, and place in colander. When all of the meat is in the colander you can press on it to squeeze out more grease. Sometimes you can pull the paper towel out and squeeze more grease out of it.

Be very careful when separating the meat from the paper towel. It will be soggy and prone to tearing.

To use fewer paper towels, you can place the colander in a bowl.

I save my spaghetti sauce jars and lids. They make a perfect container for the grease. I do not reuse my beef grease.

Quick Reference – Meat, Beans, Grains, and More

2009-02-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

I get really tired of searching for basic information every time I make certain foods. So, I asked one of my cooking groups if anyone knew where to find all the info in one easy to use place, and got a couple of very helpful links.

Proportions and cooking times for beans and grains can be found at Vegetarians in Paradise.

This USDA Safe Food Handling Page has everything from doneness temperatures of meat to how long leftover pizza will keep when refrigerated or frozen. There is a lot of helpful information here. However, I must warn you, the doneness temperature information is incomplete. Roasts, whole birds, etc., raise in temperature by about 10 degrees after you take them out of the oven, so if you wait until they reach the desired doneness to remove them they will be overcooked. Also, they don't list rare beef because it is not longer considered "safe".

You can find more information on temperatures and times for roasting beef at What’s Cooking America? They explain the beef doneness issue -
“To satisfy government home economists, the Beef Council says rare beef means an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Well, that is ok if you like well-done and dry meat. If you like moist, rosy meat (like I do), rare begins at 120 degrees F. and starts to become medium rare at 125 to 130 degrees F.”

There is a great article on the Mar Jennings Site that explains more about meat and your health. Here is an excerpt:

“While many people will eat red meat well-done, it is not the healthiest option. It destroys the enzymes and denatures the proteins. What does that mean? Raw food in its natural state contains enzymes which help you digest it. When you fiddle with the food by cooking it, you destroy the enzymes and make your body work harder to break it down so that you can utilize the nutrients. It's the same for protein. When proteins are denatured, it means that the protein molecule structure has been altered from its original state. Combine this with a high saturated fat content and you don't exactly have a health food. Therefore, I always recommend eating red meat rare or medium rare. Well done meat is dead food and is best avoided.”

Valentine’s Day – Keeping it Simple

2009-02-14T15:15:00.000-08:00

This Valentine’s Day I wanted to relax and not spend all my time in the kitchen, but I still wanted to eat well and we did not want to try and eat out.

Today we are having a late lunch of steak and salad. Later we will have snacks and finger foods – sharp cheddar, pepper jack, black olives, strawberries, popcorn, etc.

The steaks are amazingly quick and easy and when paired with just the salad, not too heavy. Plus, we’re eating our biggest meal early enough that it won’t make us sleepy for the rest of the evening.

I am pairing a shiraz with the steaks and pinot grigio with the snacks.

We also have individual, heart shaped chocolate cakes (I very rarely do desserts). These were a last minute thing from the grocery store.

Asparagus & Hollandaise Sauce

2009-02-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

Another from the Valentine's Day, 2006 issue.

In 19th-century France, bridegrooms were fed three courses of asparagus because of its reputation for igniting passions.

Steam asparagus just until tender (less than 10 minutes). Serve topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks
Butter, 2 sticks, melted, cooled to room temperature
Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Cayenne pepper, dash

In the upper section of the double boiler (before heating) stir egg yolks with a wire whisk until well-blended. Do not beat. Heat water in the bottom section to a simmer, constantly stirring the egg yolks. When the eggs become thick (like heavy cream) add butter while stirring. Add lemon juice while stirring. Remove from heat and add salt and cayenne. If the sauce separates don't throw it out! Pour it into another container, clean the top of your double boiler, and start over using the sauce you have already made in place of the egg yolks.

Tortellini Alfredo – The Bellybutton of Venus

2009-02-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

Also from the Valentine’s Day, 2006 issue.

Tortellini means bellybutton of Venus. Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love, was to rendezvous with Jupiter at an inn. Venus arrived first and was waiting in their room. The chef heard of her arrival, peaked through the keyhole into her room, and saw her lying partially covered on the bed. He was so inspired by the sight of her navel that he rushed to the kitchen and created the stuffed pasta in its image.

Tortellini, cooked

Butter, 1 stick
Garlic, as much as you can stand to peel and slice
Half and half, 1 pint
Parmesan, 6-8 oz
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter on medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add half and half and bring up to hot but DO NOT BOIL, whisking constantly. When half and half is hot add parmesan slowly, whisking constantly, it should melt pretty quickly. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat. Combine tortellini and
Alfredo sauce in bowl or serving dish.

Nectar of Love

2009-02-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

This is from the Valentine’s Day, 2006 issue of the newsletter.

A tasty alternative to the traditional champagne and strawberries.

1 part vanilla
2 parts raspberries
2 parts whiskey
3 parts triple sec
Dark chocolate orange wedges

Places raspberries and 1 chocolate wedge in each glass. Pour remaining ingredients in the top of a double boiler and warm (not too hot). Pour into glasses over raspberries and chocolate. Mash raspberries with a spoon. Warming the liquids helps to blend and mellow the flavors and partially melts the chocolate. If you do not have a double boiler you can improvise by using 2 sauce pans or a sauce pan and a ramekin (ramekin on top). If you can't find a chocolate orange use a piece
of dark chocolate.

Breakfast of All Saints

2009-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post this since November. I thought I better get off my butt and post it now because some of you will probably think this is perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and we had a very nice celebration last year, but one day is just not enough for such a great holiday. So, we decided to have a special breakfast the next day. Catholics celebrate All Saint’s Day the day after Halloween. That’s a long story that I explained very briefly in the Halloween, 2005 issue of the newsletter before it became a blog. Here is the breakfast:

Chocolate Covered Brie and Strawberries
Champagne
More strawberries or raspberries or both

The extra berries go in your glass with the champagne. We used raspberry champagne, and it was wonderful!

Chocolate Covered Brie and Strawberries

6.5oz goat brie wheel (or wedge)
16oz frozen strawberries (thawed)
2 cups semi-sweet choc (1 package)
¾ cup heavy cream
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 ½ teaspoon butter
French bread

Slice garlic and place on a small baking sheet. Cover garlic with the butter (cut into small pieces or slices). Broil on top rack until the garlic browns. Watch it very closely; this only takes a couple of minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place the brie in the center of a pie dish (I leave the rind, but you can try to cut it off if you want). Surround with the strawberries and their juice.

Melt chocolate chips and cream together in a double boiler stirring constantly (be sure to scrape the sides and bottom as you stir). Add garlic and butter to the chocolate and pour over brie and strawberries. Serve immediately with hunks of bread.

Tortilla-less Burrito Bowls

2009-02-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

You can use any kind of beans and any kind of cheese that you like. I used Anasazi beans and a mixture of cheddar and other cheeses. I think it was called the Mexican Blend or Taco Blend. I bought it already shredded. It is really better to grate your own because they use an anti-caking agent when they package it shredded.

1½ - 2 cups seasoned browned ground beef (about 1 lb raw)
1 – 1½ cups cooked Anasazi beans
8oz shredded cheese
1½ cup cooked brown rice
Homemade Pico de Gallo

Preheat oven to 350. Place rice in the bottom of a casserole dish. Mix beans, rice, and cheese together and place on top of rice. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes and then covered for about 20 minutes or until hot. Serve topped with homemade Pico de Gallo.

Ground beef – Cooking Ahead

2009-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

I do this with 3 to 5 pounds of ground beef at a time, then freeze it in portions. You can make any amount that works for you, and of course the amount of seasoning will depend on personal taste. These are the seasonings I normally use, but you should use whatever you like best.

Ground beef
Worcestershire sauce
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cayenne
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350-400. Place ground beef in a large glass baking dish and break up some with a fork. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Cover. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir with fork. Drain if it has produced a lot of grease. Cover. Bake until done. If you have a meat thermometer (and you should) check the temperature in the center of the meat. It should be at least 165. Drain. Allow to cool. Separate into meal-sized portions and freeze for later use.

I will post my method of draining the meat soon.

Pico de Gallo

2009-02-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

2 medium tomatoes
½ large sweet yellow onions
3 cloves garlic
1 large jalapeno
¼ - ½ cup fresh parsley
1 tsp lime juice
Salt
Pepper

Cut tomatoes and onions into large chunks. Deseed jalapeno and cut into large chunks. Peel garlic. Place everything in food processor and process until it reaches the consistency you like.

I put the onions and garlic in first and process a little, then the jalapeno, process a little more, and then the tomatoes. That helps get the consistency right without completely obliterating the tomatoes. Most recipes call for cilantro instead of parsley. I don’t like cilantro. Fresh parsley is very flavorful and good for you.

This makes a great topping for just about any dish, or a great dip. It is not really different to my salsa, but as a topping you can get away with making it even when the tomatoes aren’t at their best.

I made this last night to go with tortilla-less burrito bowls. I will post that recipe very soon.

Homemade Teriyaki Chicken

2009-01-27T08:17:00.000-08:00

When I was a teenager my dad and I used to go to breakfast together on Sundays at a little French café. Their breakfasts were very good, but they also had two dishes that I loved that were not breakfast foods – potato soup and teriyaki chicken. You could say it has been one of my minor life’s quests to replicate those dishes. I have made potato soup and teriyaki chicken that were very good, but not the same. Until now!

When I decided to make teriyaki chicken I didn’t have any teriyaki sauce. I could have bought some, but I decided to try making my own. I had no idea that this was going to turn out so much like my favorite teriyaki chicken in the whole world. I had given up on trying to replicate it!

Chicken breast – 2.5 pounds, frozen, boneless, skinless
Pineapple juice
Tamari sauce (or regular soy sauce)
Garlic powder
Ginger powder
Cayenne powder

Heat oven to 350. Place chicken in glass baking dish. Sprinkle powdered spices on chicken. Pour in pineapple juice. Add tamari. Cover and bake until chicken is done, flipping chicken over once or twice.

A note on proportions. I used about 2 or 3 cups of pineapple juice and about ¼ to ½ cup of tamari sauce. I went unusually light on the spices, just lightly sprinkling them over all the chicken, not coating it!

Baked Eggs & Toast

2009-01-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy breakfast or snack.

2 eggs
¼ cup milk
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
1 slice toast

Preheat oven to 325. Butter ramekin or small baking dish. Pour in milk. Add eggs. Add spices. Baked for about 15 minutes, until whites are set and yolk is still runny or just starting to get firm. Remove to a bowl and serve with toast.

The Secret to My Fried Chicken

2009-01-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

The secret to my fried chicken is the brown sugar in the breading. I still use my other spices, but the brown sugar gives just a slightly sweet flavor that I find much tastier than those times when I’ve been lazy and left it out.

Click here for my entire Deep Fried Chicken recipe.

Venison Scaloppini

2009-01-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

Cubed venison steak
Orange juice
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Lemon juice
Bacon grease

Soak venison overnight in orange juice. Remove from orange juice and pat dry. Tear into large bite sized pieces. Combine flour and dry seasonings in a large baggie. Drop venison in flour mixture and shake to coat. Heat iron skillet on med-high melting an ample amount of bacon grease. When the grease is hot, drop in the meat and brown on both sides. Add lemon juice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with baked sweet potatoes. http://realfoodforhealthandpleasure.blogspot.com/2008/12/baked-sweet-potatoes.html

If you make this dish with beef you do not need to soak it in orange juice, but you can.

New Year’s Black Eyed Peas and Greens

2009-01-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Black eyed peas are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day to ensure good luck throughout the year. This was a tradition in my family, but I didn’t like black eyed peas so I would eat just one. Greens and pork are also traditional New Year’s food eaten for good luck. They were not a part of my family’s tradition, but it’s never too late to start. Bacon, ham, and sausage are the only types of pork that I cook.

I thought about cooking some other type of pork for New Year’s, but bacon was such a natural choice with greens, and kept the meal pretty light, which is exactly what I was going for. The plan was to eat this shortly after midnight, so for dinner we had fried chicken tenders with no sides. I was going for easy finger foods that wouldn’t be too filling, but would keep us from going hungry all night waiting for our special meal.

1 pound bacon
1 bunch red chard (or any greens)
3 or 4 large cloves garlic
Black eyed peas

I cooked the black eyed peas from scratch. To do this soak for at least eight hours, drain, rinse, and simmer for a couple of hours until soft. For this dish I did not season my black eyed peas. You could use canned.

Cook the bacon and save the grease. I use a broiler pan and cook mine in the oven at about 400 degrees. You can cook the bacon in the skillet you plan to use for the greens.

Pour the bacon grease in an iron skillet and heat on med-high. Slice garlic and add to grease. Rinse and cut up greens. I just lay them down and chop all the way across in one to two inch sections. Some stem is OK. Put the greens in the skillet. Cut up the bacon into bite sized pieces. I hold the whole bunch of bacon in my hand and cut it up with kitchen scissors. Add bacon to the greens and toss to coat the greens in the grease and garlic. Cover and reduce heat or turn off and let the greens wilt to your desired consistence. I like mine a little on the crisp side. Remove to a large bowl and toss with drained black eyed peas.

Tips and substitutions:

This dish can be served immediately or reheated in the skillet. If you want to reheat it, I recommend putting the black eyed peas in at the last minute so they don’t overwhelm the other flavors. They can be added just before reheating or added cold after the rest is heated. I did not want to cook this late at night during our celebration, so I cooked it ahead of time.

I used all the grease from the bacon. You don’t have to do that if it freaks you out. You can use less grease or you can substitute with butter or olive oil. If you substitute the grease it will drastically change the flavor, though. You might try using a little bacon grease and mostly some other kind of oil to help maintain the flavor.

I used “hardwood smoked” bacon this time and it was very delicious. The flavor was in the grease and influenced the flavor of the entire dish. I did not realize I had picked up flavored bacon until I smelled it cooking and looked at the box again. It was the brand I normally buy, and I hadn’t noticed (I was in a hurry at the store). The ingredients for the flavoring are pretty questionable, but it is so yummy that I am going to have to search for some with natural flavorings.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

2008-12-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

It seems that most people serve sweet potatoes as some sort of dessert dish. I have never cared for them that way, so for years I just didn’t eat them. Boy was I missing out! I have found many delicious uses for sweet potatoes and it all started with eating them baked with all the trimmings, just like a regular baked potato.

The advantage to baked sweet potatoes is that they are very nutritious and don’t do such a number on your blood sugar. The only disadvantage is that they take longer to cook. Here is how I make mine:

1 sweet potato
Butter
Sour cream
Bacon bits
Salt

Preheat oven to 400-450. Rinse sweet potato, place it in a glass baking dish, and cover. Depending on the size of the potato, bake for 45min to 1½ hour. When it is soft and oozes juice, it’s done. Remove from oven and peel. Top as you would a regular baked potato; I use butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and salt. I also like chives on my potatoes, but find they don’t do much for a sweet potato.

One large sweet potato is usually enough for two people as a side dish or can be a meal in itself for one person.

SWAT Team Conducts Food Raid on Ohio Co-Op

2008-12-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

This is just one of many frightening stories about what is becoming a war on our right to grow our own food, know what is in our food, and to choose what we eat and where it comes from.

On December 1, police raided the Stowers’ family home and the adjacent Manna Storehouse Co-Op. They came in armed without announcing that they were police before entering and wound up holding the family, including eight small children for six hours while they searched the premises.

They left with over $10,000 in food, including the family’s personal food supply for the next year, plus their personal computers used for homeschooling their children and communicating with a family member serving in Iraq, and personal cell phones.

At this point you are probably wondering why they were raided by armed officers and treated in such a manner. Meth lab? A large store of weapons and ammo? Slaughtering tourists to sell as “meat” from the co-op? No. They are under investigation for possibly running a retail business without a retail license.

Enough from me. You should read about this for yourself. Here are some links:

The Complaint
Buckeye Institute
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
YouTube video of the Stowers telling their story

In August, I wrote about Food Zoning, a completely different aspect of the problem, but still part of the big picture. I will be writing more about these issues soon.

Easy, Delicious Roast Chicken and Gravy

2008-12-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

I used to think that it was necessary to do all kinds of prep work to a bird to make it juicy and tasty. I have discovered that my favorite roast chicken recipe is embarrassingly simple, and it translates well to turkey, too.

This is a high temperature recipe. It is much faster than slow roasting, and I think the results are much better. The skin gets crispy and all the fat melts away, flowing through the meat for a very juicy bird.

Whole chicken
Chicken stock
Milk
Flour

Preheat oven to 500. Remove gizzards from chicken and place chicken in a cast iron skillet. You can use a roasting pan or whatever you have, but I find the iron skillet to be the easiest. Stick a meat thermometer in the chicken if you have one. Put the chicken in the oven and cook until the inside of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. I check mine after 30 minutes and go from there. Cooking time will depend on the size of the bird.

When your chicken has reached temperature, remove it to a plate or serving platter, flipping it over to let the juices run through the meat. Let rest for 10 minutes or until ready to eat.

Place the hot iron skillet on a hot burner and pour in 2 cups stock to deglaze. Scrape the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to simmer and let the stock recue by half. You can add another 2 cups stock and reduce again if you want richer gravy and have the patience. Add milk, stir vigorously with a fork or whisk while returning to a simmer or near simmer – the goal is to blend the grease and the other juices. Add flour (I use one or two tablespoons), stirring vigorously to remove lumps. Reduce heat. Stir occasionally until thickened to desired consistency.

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable is handy and easy. Salad works great. This time I am going to serve it with rice instead of potatoes, since I don’t have any potatoes and don’t feel like going to the store. The gravy will go fine on the rice.

Shrimp Filé Gumbo

2008-12-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

I found cooked, peeled shrimp on sale the other day and decided to make gumbo. I have had gumbo a few times and loved it. I think I have even made it before, but this was different. I decided to look it up and find out what is unique about gumbo, if there was anything in particular that sets it aside from other soups.

I found out that the thickening agents are the keys. The first one is the roux. The second can be okra or filé. Most say that you must choose one or the other – okra or filé, a few say it’s fine to use them together. I didn’t have a need to make the choice; I had filé on hand and no okra.

1 small red onion
1 medium yellow onion
2 bulbs garlic
2 green chilies
2 jalapenos
10 slices bacon
Chicken stock (about 4 cups, should be homemade)
Water (about 4 cups)
1 pound cooked, peeled, frozen shrimp
File (about 1 tablespoon or to taste)

Cayenne
Oregano
Paprika
Basil
Celery salt
Salt
Black pepper
Cholula’s (or Tabasco, or something similar)

Roux
¼ cup bacon grease
¼ cup flour

Roasting
Roast red onion, 1 bulbs garlic, 1 jalapeno, and 1 green chili, covered at 400 degrees for 45 minute to one hour. Allow to cool well enough to be handled and cut up (can be roasted and refrigerated the day before).

Roux
In a heavy bottom pan melt bacon grease. Add flour. Whisk well. Cook over low to medium heat (barely bubbling) for about 20 minutes, whisking occasionally, until it turns a deep caramel color.

Gumbo
Add stock, roux and water to a large sauce pan or stockpot. Whisk well. If the liquid is cool the roux will congeal and stick to the whisk. That is OK, just be sure to whisk well when it has warmed before adding other ingredients.

Add all ingredients except the shrimp and file. Spices should be used liberally. Remember to adjust salt according to saltiness of stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 1 ½ hour. It will reduce.

Add shrimp. Allow to return to a boil or simmer. Reduce heat and cook for 10 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and wait until it is no longer bubbling. Add file and stir well. Serve over white rice.

Lemon Garlic Crab Penne

2008-10-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

1 stick butter
4 to 6 cloves sliced garlic
Imitation crab (1 package)
1 carrot
1 medium tomato (diced)
Lemon juice 1/8 to ¼ cup or to taste
Shredded Parmesan
salt

Penne (1/2 package)

Cook penne, drain and cover. Steam carrot. Cut carrot into tiny pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add salt. Sauté garlic and carrot on low for about 5 or 6 minutes. Add crab and toss to coat. Turn up heat to medium. Heat crab, tossing frequently until warm. Add lemon juice, cover, reduce heat to low, cook for about 5 minutes. Push crab mixture to one side of pan and add pasta, mixing in with crab and coating with butter sauce. Add tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan, cover and turn off heat. Let stand until cheese melts.

Too Much Zucchini and Beef Soup

2008-09-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

I love zucchini, and it’s a good thing I do. We planted just two zucchini plants and have more than we know what to do with.

This is a beef soup, featuring zucchini. It also contains a small sweet potato. I use cinnamon and cayenne to compliment the squash flavor and the sweetness. The homegrown tomatoes give it a deep, rich flavor.

Ground beef
Worcestershire
Onion powder
Cayenne
Salt

Brown the beef with the above ingredients.

Zucchini, cubed and lots of it
Small sweet potato, peeled and sliced
Onion
Garlic
Homegrown tomatoes
Cayenne
Cinnamon

Place the browned ground beef and all other ingredients in your soup pot with some water and simmer as long as you can stand it (30 minutes to 2 hours). It is even better reheated the next day!

Cheeseburger Soup

2008-09-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

This is an easy and delicious soup. It is very filling!

Ground beef
Worcestershire sauce
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper

Canned tomatoes
Broccoli
Onion
Garlic
Cheddar

Brown the meat with Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Drain. Put the meat, broccoli, onion and garlic in your soup pot with some water. Simmer for 30 minutes or more. Stir in cheddar and serve.

Deep Conditioning

2008-09-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

You can give up the fancy conditioners and hot oil treatments, too. For conditioning you have many options.

Light conditioning
If you just need to replace your usual, everyday conditioner dab a very small amount of coconut oil on towel-dried hair and leave in. this works on dry hair that needs some taming throughout the day, too.

Deeper conditioning
For deeper conditioning, comb coconut oil through your hair and leave in overnight (place a towel over your pillow). Wash it out in the morning. If you don’t want to leave it in overnight you can put it in your hair an hour or just before washing.

Mayonnaise treatments are cheap, easy, and do wonders for your hair. A warning, though, some people can’t tolerate the smell. Simply comb mayonnaise through your hair, pile it on your head or put in a bun, cover with a plastic grocery bag or shower cap, leave in for 10 to 30 minutes, and wash out.

Hot oil
This is so easy and works so well, you’ll never buy a hot oil treatment again.

In a double boiler, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons coconut oil until warm. Let it cool some if needed. Don’t burn yourself!

Heat a towel by soaking it in hot water. I boil water and pour it over the towel in my kitchen sink.

Comb the warm oil through hair, pile it on your head. Cover with the warm towel. Cover that with a plastic bag or plastic wrap. Leave in 10 to 30 minutes. Wash out.

Home Grown Tortellini and Miso Soup

2008-09-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

My best friend came up to visit for my birthday and brought lots of goodies from her garden. We decided to make miso soup with tortellini and vegetables.

I rarely make entirely meatless soups, and I haven’t been very impressed with meat substitutes, but miso really delivers! I wouldn’t say it tastes just like beef, but it tastes just as good and it gives you that full feeling, like you have really eaten, that normally an all veggie meal just doesn’t do for me.

Here is what we used in our soup. It has been over a week since we made the soup, so I may be forgetting something. Mary, if you’re reading this feel free to post corrections!

Tomatoes
Zucchini
Carrots
Green onions
Garlic
Cherry peppers
Tortellini
Miso paste

The important thing to remember when making miso soup is to ad the miso last after the soup is cooked. Do not boil miso.

Ditch Your Shampoo

2008-09-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

You don’t need it. Shampooing is one of the worst things you can do for your hair. It strips it of all its natural oils, drying your hair and damaging it, while at the same time stimulating the oil glands in your scalp to produce too much oil in an effort to keep up. The end result is dry hair and oily roots, prompting you to wash even more often.

Professionals (such as models) who must have beautiful, healthy hair will go days or weeks without shampooing, only washing their hair immediately before a shoot or other event.

The solution
Wash with baking soda and lemon juice. First make a thin paste of baking soda and water, pour and massage it into your scalp. Let it sit for about 10 minutes if you can. Then rinse with lemon juice diluted in water.

If you are used to using shampoo every day or every other day, it could take a couple of weeks to see good results. Your scalp will need time to adjust and slow down on the oil production.

You will still need to condition your hair some. I recommend dabbing a small amount of coconut oil on towel-dried hair. No need to rinse it out. You can use olive oil, if you prefer.

Hair Care in Your Kitchen

2008-09-07T13:47:00.001-07:00

Good hair care products are way too expensive, but the cheap ones will trash your hair, so there must be a reason why it costs so much to have beautiful healthy hair, right?

No. you can have healthier, happier hair (and skin) than expensive salon quality products will ever deliver for pennies using products from your own kitchen.

This evening I will begin a series of posts on hair care solutions you already have in your home!

Chili Improvements

2008-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

I love chili. I never really make it the same way twice. I don't measure my ingredients, and I don't use beans.

This weekend I decided to expand on my basic ingredients and the results were amazing.

First, I used chicken and beef as my meats. I started by boiling skin on, bone in chicken legs in salted water for over an hour (they were frozen when I startet them). I used that liquid in the chili (and the chicken meat, but not the skin). The beef was stew meat. Ground might work, but I don't think it would go too well in this recipe.

I roasted my green chilies and garlic in the oven. The jalapenos and onion were fresh. Diced tomatoes were canned.

Here is what made it great. I added cinnamon, cocoa powder, and frozen raspberries (thawed, with the juice). you don't want to go overboard with these ingredients, but they add a wonderful flavor!

I served it up in a bowl with Fritos, grated cheddar, and a dollup of sour cream.

Freezing Breaded Zucchini

2008-08-11T20:09:00.001-07:00

We have an abundance of zucchini from just two plants grown in containers. Fried zucchini is one of my favorite foods.

Battering and freezing it ahead of time is easy. Just batter or bread the zucchini like you normally would and place it on a small baking sheet in the freezer. When it has frozen, toss it in a freezer bag.

I tried something similar with eggplant once, but did not do the baking sheet step. It was a disaster! I used waxed paper between layers and it all stuck together. So, be sure to freeze it on the baking sheet! You don't need to cover it during that process.

Food Zoning?

2008-08-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am certainly not one to promote fast food, but this is just creepy and frightening. You can read about it here.

The short version is that Los Angeles is trying to put a moratorium on new fast food restaurants in poor neighborhoods under the guise of creating better food choices for residents.

I’m all for more and better choices, but progress is not achieved by imposing restrictions.

Why not create a plan that focuses on the positive? Encourage gardening, food coops, and offer some kind of incentive to grocers and other food providers. Maybe take some money out of the Wal-Mart fund for that?

Beef and Berries

2008-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe serves two.

Beef roast (2lbs)
Butter (1 stick)
Lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
Fresh garlic (about 2 tablespoons)
Bacon grease
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Strawberries

In a cast iron skillet, heat bacon grease on medium high. Preheat oven to 450. When the grease is near smoking place roast in the pan. Brown the roast for 2 minutes on each side. Put it in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let rest (in the pan!) for 10 minutes.

Slice it up into about ¼ to ½ inch slices. Do this in the pan, if possible, you want all the juices in there. Then remove the slices (but not the juice) to a plate. Put the butter in the pan and heat on medium. Slice up the garlic and toss it in. let the garlic cook for about 2 minutes while you salt and pepper the beef slices. Toss in the beef, add a healthy amount of lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Let the cook for about 2 or 3 minutes. Flip all the meat. Cover and turn the heat down to it’s lowest setting for a few more minutes.

The meat should not be anywhere near done when you take it out of the oven. While it rests, it will cook more, but it should still not be quite done to rare when you slice it up. If, for some reason, it is further along than it should be when you slice it, put the lemon juice and Worcestershire in the skillet for about a minute, before you put the meat in. Then turn off the heat (the skillet will retain the heat), toss the meat in and turn immediately to coat both sides.

Rinse the strawberries and place them on two plates (about 2 or 3 good handfuls each). Place half the meat on each plate. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat. It will run over and get on the strawberries. That’s good, but don’t drown them. Put the rest of the sauce in small bowls for dipping the meat.

Beef and Black Bean Burger Update

2008-07-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

I wasn't happy with the "burgers" because they didn't have the effect I was going for.

When I ate the leftovers, I didn't have the same expectations. I ditched the whole burger idea and ate them without the bun and cheese and put some ketchup on them (I very rarely eat ketcup). They were great!

I'm not sure if I really have any use for them, though. They are not a vegetarian option for guests. They don't replace real burgers, by any means. If I want beef and beans, I think I'd rather have a burrito.

Too Hot!!!

2008-07-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much lately. It's just been too hot to think, much less think creatively about my food and try and translate that into words.

It seems to be subsiding a bit. Hopefully this will last.

Honey Mustard Maple Chicken

2008-07-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have made this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and with skin-on, bone-in legs and thighs. Both turned out great!

Chicken
Honey mustard dressing
Maple syrup (the real stuff, not maple flavored pancake syrup)
Garlic powder
Fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350. Place chicken in a casserole dish. Top with all the other ingredients (it doesn’t take much maple). Cover and bake until done, turning and coating again halfway through. If using skin-on chicken, it is best if you cook it uncovered for a few minutes with the skin up at the beginning and the end of cooking, to crisp the skin.

Beef and Black Bean Burger Experiment

2008-07-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Don’t freak out! I am not trying to wean myself off meat. I was trying to find a way to stretch the meat and save some money. Beef and bean burritos are great, so I thought I would try mixing beans with my meat for burgers. The plan was to use black beans and ground turkey since it cheaper than beef, but when I went to the store they were out of ground turkey, so I tried it with beef.

I tried using 2/3 beans 1/3 meat, but that was too mushy, so I added more meat making it half and half. That felt right, and I chilled it for a while to make it as firm as possible. I was able to make patties. The plan was to grill them, and that’s what I started to do, but the weather and the fire didn’t cooperate, so I brought them in and cooked them in the iron skillet. Turns out, that was a blessing in disguise. When they were done they were just crumbly enough that the grill would have been a disaster.

I think the crumbliness could be fixed by adding and egg or maybe a spoonful of bacon grease. I probably won’t be trying it myself, though. I wasn’t that impressed with them. My boyfriend liked them, and they weren’t bad at all, but they in no way satisfy a burger craving. So, at this point, if I want to save money, I’ll just eat burgers less often and really enjoy them when I do.

Here is how I did it. Just remember, like most substitute foods, this is good as long as you don’t try to think of it as the real thing.

2 cups Black beans (cooked)
2 cup Ground beef
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Oats
1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbs Maple syrup
4 large cloves fresh garlic
Cayenne
Onion
Salt
Pepper

Drain beans, reserving a little liquid. Put everything except the meat in the food processor until smooth. You can add a tiny bit of the bean liquid if needed. Place in a large bowl with the meat and mix together with your hands. Chill the mixture. Form patties, cook for about 7 minutes on each side.

Tortellini Veggie and Pesto Salad

2008-07-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

We just harvested out basil for the first time, and I wanted to make something with it. This is very similar to my Pasta Salad with Tortellini, but does not call for store bought dressing.

Fresh basil
Fresh garlic
Olive oil

Carrots
Peas
Broccoli

Tortellini
Ground beef

Balsamic vinegar
Onion salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Cook tortellini and steam vegetables. Brown meat. All Vegetables should be cut up very small. In the food processor process basil, garlic, and olive oil until close to smooth (making pesto). Toss tortellini, meat, vegetables, and pesto together in a bowl. Add vinegar, onion salt, and pepper to taste.

You can eat this right away while it’s still warm or chill it. The longer it chills, the better it tastes!

Computer Problems

2008-07-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note for today.

My computer has been down all week! I have got it up and running now and will be posting recipes again starting tomorrow.

Easiest Cook Ahead Burritos

2008-07-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

I like to make a whole lot of these and freeze some. They are really easy, and making more does not add significant time or work.

1 lbGround beef
1 can Refried beans
1 lb shredded cheese
1 can pico de gallo (I use Herdez brand, but any variety of Rotel works, too)

Brown and drain meat. Keep warm on medium heat add beans and pico and mix thoroughly. Add cheese and remove from heat. Mix thoroughly. Allow to cool. Place mixture in tortillas. Heat, covered, in oven at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes.

You can put the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Allowing it to cool make sit much easier to work with. I put the burritos I plan to freeze directly into the freezer bag, without baking them. That way they don’t get overcooked when you heat them.

Deep Fried Chicken Livers

2008-07-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

I am running a little slow this week, but here you go…

You don’t have to soak the chicken livers in milk, but it greatly reduces that strong liver taste.

Liver is very nutritious. It is one of the best sources of iron you can find. The type of iron it contains is called heme iron. Heme iron comes from animal products and it is five times more easily absorbed by your body than non-heme iron.

Liver is also a good source of protein, Vitamin A, B12, riboflavin, folate, panothenic acid, Vitamin C, and selenium, and well as many other vitamins and minerals.

Chicken livers
Flour
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Milk

Place flour and spices in a gallon sized ziplock baggie and shake until thoroughly mixed. Drain off blood. Soak in milk overnight. Drain off milk. Coat in flour mixture, by dropping a few at a time into the bag and shaking. Shake off excess coating as you place in deep fryer. Do not stack. Deep fry until done (about 5-8 minutes). Drain on paper towels and salt while hot.

I like to serve it as a finger food or a snack. It is also great for picnics, or as a main dish.

Deep Fried Corn on the Cob

2008-07-08T18:41:00.001-07:00

If you avoid corn on the cob because it is difficult to eat and sticks in your teeth, you have to try this! It is very tasty and the kernels just come right out of the cob whole, and they are very tender. They do not stick in your teeth at all. It’s really amazing. I had to try it to believe it. It’s also very easy to make!

Fresh ear of corn
Butter
Salt

Heat the deep fryer to 375 (that’s the highest setting on mine). Remove the husks, silk, and any bad spots form the corn. Fry for 8 minutes. Remove onto a paper towel, and sort of wrap and pat it with the towel to remove the excess grease. Rub with a stick of butter while it’s still hot. Salt and serve.

I cut mine in half so one ear makes 2 servings.

Hot Weather Eating

2008-07-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

To endure the heat and still feed yourself, consider re-thinking your idea of a decent meal. You can piece together finger foods and salads, and still get plenty of nutrition.

Yesterday was unbearably hot, and there was no way I was going to cook. So, we had cold shrimp (the precooked, frozen kind), strawberries, grapes, and Swiss cheese.

Another one of my summertime favorites is a big hearty salad that includes cold cuts, followed by half an avocado (salted and eaten right out of the peel with a spoon), and later half a cantaloupe (also eaten right out of the peel with a spoon).

Chicken and roast beef both make good leftovers that you can toss into a salad or use to make sandwiches. When you plan to use the meat this way, you can cook it at your convenience, during the cooler part of the day.

Farmer’s markets and produce stands are a great source for fruits and vegetables that you can graze and snack on all day. You don’t have to do “meals” at all. Most of us lose our appetite when it’s hot anyway, and heavy foods will just make you feel worse in the summer. It is a wonderful opportunity to eat lots of fresh, raw foods!

DELICIOUS LIVER AND ONIONS....Great with rice!

2008-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

By Jane Bartels

calves or beef liver.....soaked for HOURS in milk.
dredge with flour...all purpose flower

salt and pepper....fry up a lot of onions cut into rings.
Then move the onions aside in the skillet and put more butter and oil
mixture in skillet and fry up the liver....when almost done (maybe 8
minutes....) pour in the milk, and simmer with the onions on top.

Serve with salad and rice. This will make anyone eat liver because the milk
enzymes break down the tissue in liver, and make it taste like steak!

Independence Day

2008-07-04T04:52:00.000-07:00

Fireworks and food are the order of the day, but don’t forget the reason for the party. On July 4, 1776, our nation was born by rejecting its then-existing government and tyranny.

The Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Hummus

2008-07-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

This makes a great dip or sandwich spread. Sometimes I make it with falafel, but that always seems like a lot of work. Everything should be adjusted to your personal taste. The chickpeas are the main ingredient. Everything else is for flavor. You can substitute peanut butter for the tahini if you have to. Plain, unsweetened is closest. The last time I made this I used garlic and garlic scapes.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) cooked or canned, reserve juice
Tahini (sesame seed paste)
Lemon juice
Garlic
Onion
Olive oil (optional)
Salt

Put everything except the bean juice in the food processor and process until smooth. Add bean juice if needed to get the right consistency. You may want to taste it a few times and adjust your ingredients.

You can get really creative with this and add other stuff for a different effect. Some people like it with jalapenos or olives mixed in.

Black-eye Pea Patties

2008-07-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

These are so versatile. They are similar to an African dish called akara, also known as accra, akara, akla, binch akara, bean balls, kosai, koose, kose, koosé, or kwasi.

I usually serve these in one of two ways – as veggie burgers with hummus and sprouts or with fried eggs and topped with maple syrup. The Worcestershire sauce is optional, but definitely a plus if you are making veggie burgers.

Black-eyed peas (dry)
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
Flour (spelt if you have it)
Baking powder
Salt
Coconut oil or bacon grease

Soak the dried peas for 8 hours, overnight, or longer. If you soak them for a long time, drain and rinse them occasionally. If you sprout them, it’s even better for you! Most recipes for akara say you should rub the peas together between your hands and remove the husks. I have worked hard at this and never got them all off. The last time I made this I decided not to bother. I couldn’t tell the difference. It’s up to you.

Put the soaked, uncooked peas in the food processor with just a little water and process into a pancake batter consistency. Add the rest of your ingredients and process until thoroughly blended. Heat a good amount of oil or grease in a skillet on medium high. Use about ½ cup of batter for each patty. I use a soup ladle to pour the batter in the pan. Brown and flip. You will probably need to add more oil after flipping. They really soak it up. Brown the other side, and they’re done!

Be careful when you flip the patties. The last time I made these, when I flipped one of the hot batter and grease squirted out of the pan on me! You will be using enough oil or grease for some popping and splattering, so you might want to wear protective gear. A full radiation suit would be overkill.

Maryland Fried Chicken

2008-07-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

By Jane Bartels

1 cut up chicken
bread crumbs and flour mixture....guesstimate...
cut up onions....to taste..I use about two small ones.
Salt and Pepper

dip chicken in 3 cups of milk, then the breadcrumbs/flour mixture.
fry a little bit just to set the crust...Fry in butter and oil mixture...but not alot of grease.
pour the milk into the chicken skillet with chicken.

Cover and bake in OVEN for 1 hour or until this chicken is tender and done.
There is a marvelous gravy that happens...

Serve with Mashed potatoes...This is my FAVORITE chicken recipe and remember it when I was a little girl (in the ice age) in New Jersey.

Jane Bartels....
Atlanta

Monterey Chicken and Bacon Sandwiches

2008-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

These sandwiches are made mostly from leftovers. The other day I made black-eyed pea patties and way too much hummus.

Roasted chicken breast
Bacon
Sprouts
Hummus
Monterey jack
Mayonnaise
Multi grain bread

To make two sandwiches place slices of cheese on two slices of bread and leave the other two untopped. Toast all four slices in the oven melting the cheese. Spread the hummus over the cheese, the mayonnaise on the untopped slices, and the chicken bacon and sprouts in between. If you are not using bacon, you will need to salt the chicken.