The beauty of Bits-N-Pieces Soup is that it is probably different every time you make it! The name does not conjure up visions of fancy cuisine by an elite chef in a five star restaurant but it is healthy, economical, eco-friendly and just plain tasty.
The name, Bits-N-Pieces Soup is also very descriptive because it is made from bits and pieces of veggies, like the stalks of broccoli when not needed for original dish, are saved and frozen for later use. You can make stock from them, use them to make a soup and/or base for anything else later down the road. Food is not wasted and nutrition is boosted by using the bits and pieces leftover from something else. I routinely freeze scraps, un-used pieces (for instance, the white ends of green onions when I only need the green tops) for another time. I gathered all my ziplock freezer bags labeled....you guessed it, Bits-N-Pieces....and made a delicious soup for dinner the other night.
This time I had broccoli stalks (I peeled & chopped), end pieces of onions, the stalks of Swiss chard (chopped), and a few carrot nubs. To that I added, fresh garlic, more onion, 1/2 pound (half a bag) of lentils, 2 bay leaves, 2 red sweet chilies, 1 red hot chili, 4 small potatoes (large dice) just barely past their prime but too good to waste, 1/2 link of venison sausage and 4 skinless chicken thighs. It turned into a pot of dense goodness just oozing with nutrition. I served it with flat garlic Indian bread brushed lightly with olive oil, then heated till fragrant and we literally licked our fingers when done!
I compost veggie peelings & seeds (unless they are winter squash seeds - I save some to plant and roast the others- hmm, snacks!) but I save the hunks, nubs and pieces for Bits-N-Pieces bags. Dinner doesn't have to be fancy every time to be delicious and we do not have to be wasteful any of the time! My cousin, Terry, saves left over cooked veggies, like green beans, corn, etc in a large freezer bag for a soup starter. People pay good money at the supermarkets to buy soup starter kits and you can build one as you go by making your own Bits-N-Pieces bags. Did you know that if you save the paper-like skins from yellow onions you can use them to flavor stocks and soups. You can use any color skins but the yellow contribute a rich color to stock as well as flavor. You can let them cook down to nothing or strain them out but certainly use them, do not let them go to waste. Put them in your Bits-N-Pieces bags!
I also save and freeze leftover breads and rolls. Last night I made a salmon loaf using bread crumbs I made from leftover Italian bread I let dry out, then crumbled using a rolling pin and plastic bag. You can use a food processor for that job but why spin the light meter when a rolling pin gives you the same result and a workout at the same time? Maybe this post needs to go on The Simple Life at Hacienda Hill, too, the blog I write where I talk about going greener, getting back to basics, shedding the excess in our homes, etc.
I don't know about you but it nearly kills me to have to throw out food that is not used or has gone bad. So, friends, if you do not already practice this, get out a freezer bag and start. Fresh veggies are better for your family's health and provide an ongoing contribution to your Bits-N-Pieces bags. Before you know it, you, too, can make Bits-N-Pieces Soup! Cook healthy, wisely and eat well!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Enchilada Victory!
The tweaked Chicken Enchiladas worked!!!! I love it when a plan comes together! Yesterday I talked about coming up with a plan to make chicken enchiladas from leftover chicken and dumplings. It was all very basic, really, just had to think it through.
I had to heat the C&D (chicken & dumplings) to get them to drain enough in the colander. While this was going on I chopped onions & peppers and grated the white Vermont cheddar. Once the C&D drained, I just had to take a fork to shred the chicken and chop the dumplings all at the same time. That was a time saver.
I had used the usual suspect herbs in making the C&D like sage, rosemary, thyme...the things used in poultry seasoning....and considered I better add some yellow Vermont cheddar and the chopped peppers to the C&D to mask the normal C&D flavor a bit more. I also grated some onion to go in the C&D mixture. Worked like a charm.
For the C&D stock to magically turn into enchilada cream sauce I added some of the white cheddar, a bit of finely grated mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
I rolled the tortillas up in a wet dishtowel & warmed in microwave for 40 seconds, just enough to make them more pliable. Then filled and rolled the enchiladas, placing them in a 13X9 baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. I poured the 'secret' sauce over them, lifting to make sure some of it got under them as well. Covered them with the rest of the white cheddar, topped that with chopped white onions and added a bit of Smoked Paprika for a touch of color and that subtle smoky taste. Baked @ 450 till bubbly hot and starting to brown just a touch. Served the enchiladas with refried beans (traditional style but no fat ) sprinkled with grated yellow cheddar cheese and finely chopped purple onion.
First, let's just say upfront that nothing smells better than cheese and onions baking together so the mouth gets ready for that early on! The texture was great, the dumplings were indistinguishable from the chicken. The sauce was melted and creamy, just like it is suppose to be. No trace of the former C&D could be tasted...I seriously tried to find any trace but there was none!
Ok, I've shared all that to say it doesn't take much to serve leftovers in a different form. While it may have sounded like a long process, it really wasn't. It just took some thought. The preparation went quickly and smoothly because I thought through what it would take to pull it off. I consider that sort of thing an interesting challenge. It's all in how you look at it. It can drudgery and too much trouble or it can be an interesting challenge. We get to make choices about how we approach things. If we have to cook anyway, might as well make it fun!
Also, let me say it is ok to get experimental. You will have your own victories and you will have flops. I DO!!! No one makes a home run all the time. I made a stir-fry dish not too long ago with brown rice. I cooked it all in a large cast iron skillet. It had soy sauce in it...see where this is going? It looked awful! It was shades of brown and gray thanks to the cast iron skillet, brown rice & soy sauce. It tasted good but it was rather hard to get around the visual. Since I had used left over rice and meat in the first place, I wasn't so bent on holding on to those leftover! LOL See, this was considered a major flop even tho it tasted good. It happens!!
You just have to stop being intimidated...or lazy (which ever applies) and try. New recipes are created when people tweak an old one. Consider yourself a culinary explorer and jump in. My friend, Mina, is the recipient of leftovers on occasion and she loves it. Share that which you are tired of eating or transform it into something new and exciting. Tweak it!!
I had to heat the C&D (chicken & dumplings) to get them to drain enough in the colander. While this was going on I chopped onions & peppers and grated the white Vermont cheddar. Once the C&D drained, I just had to take a fork to shred the chicken and chop the dumplings all at the same time. That was a time saver.
I had used the usual suspect herbs in making the C&D like sage, rosemary, thyme...the things used in poultry seasoning....and considered I better add some yellow Vermont cheddar and the chopped peppers to the C&D to mask the normal C&D flavor a bit more. I also grated some onion to go in the C&D mixture. Worked like a charm.
For the C&D stock to magically turn into enchilada cream sauce I added some of the white cheddar, a bit of finely grated mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.
I rolled the tortillas up in a wet dishtowel & warmed in microwave for 40 seconds, just enough to make them more pliable. Then filled and rolled the enchiladas, placing them in a 13X9 baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. I poured the 'secret' sauce over them, lifting to make sure some of it got under them as well. Covered them with the rest of the white cheddar, topped that with chopped white onions and added a bit of Smoked Paprika for a touch of color and that subtle smoky taste. Baked @ 450 till bubbly hot and starting to brown just a touch. Served the enchiladas with refried beans (traditional style but no fat ) sprinkled with grated yellow cheddar cheese and finely chopped purple onion.
First, let's just say upfront that nothing smells better than cheese and onions baking together so the mouth gets ready for that early on! The texture was great, the dumplings were indistinguishable from the chicken. The sauce was melted and creamy, just like it is suppose to be. No trace of the former C&D could be tasted...I seriously tried to find any trace but there was none!
Ok, I've shared all that to say it doesn't take much to serve leftovers in a different form. While it may have sounded like a long process, it really wasn't. It just took some thought. The preparation went quickly and smoothly because I thought through what it would take to pull it off. I consider that sort of thing an interesting challenge. It's all in how you look at it. It can drudgery and too much trouble or it can be an interesting challenge. We get to make choices about how we approach things. If we have to cook anyway, might as well make it fun!
Also, let me say it is ok to get experimental. You will have your own victories and you will have flops. I DO!!! No one makes a home run all the time. I made a stir-fry dish not too long ago with brown rice. I cooked it all in a large cast iron skillet. It had soy sauce in it...see where this is going? It looked awful! It was shades of brown and gray thanks to the cast iron skillet, brown rice & soy sauce. It tasted good but it was rather hard to get around the visual. Since I had used left over rice and meat in the first place, I wasn't so bent on holding on to those leftover! LOL See, this was considered a major flop even tho it tasted good. It happens!!
You just have to stop being intimidated...or lazy (which ever applies) and try. New recipes are created when people tweak an old one. Consider yourself a culinary explorer and jump in. My friend, Mina, is the recipient of leftovers on occasion and she loves it. Share that which you are tired of eating or transform it into something new and exciting. Tweak it!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tweaked Chicken Enchiladas
Old Mother Hubbard
went to her cupboard
to get her poor doggy a bone.
But when she got there
the cupboard was bare
and so her doggy got none.
We have all had the Old Mother Hubbard moments when we stare into the pantry and wait for inspiration to hit only to find slim pickins' in the inspirational food supply. We've all heard, too, the plaintive cry, "There is nothing to eat!" from the family....what they are really saying is, "There is nothing easy already made just for me to eat."
Such was my experience early this morning when, on a writing break, I contemplated dinner for tonight. Sunday I made a large lasagna. We had it for dinner with our friends and I sent lunch the next day with my Honey. Still, I had one half the lasagna, so I divided it into two healthy meal size packages for two and put it in the freezer for another time. No matter how much he liked the lasagna, my Honey's appreciation for it would have waned quickly had I served it again now.
I made chicken and dumplings for dinner last night. Being the self-proclaimed Queen of Food Tweaked a Bit, I used the ricotta cheese mixture I had left over from making the lasagna in lieu of milk in the chicken and dumplings. It worked like a charm. I didn't add it until the dumplings were done so as not to over cook the ricotta and the result was a rich stock base. I'll remember that trick.
My Honey claims to have been traumatized as a kid by his mother making a month's worth of meneudo at a time and having to eat it until it was gone. Most mothers, at one time or another, have gone overboard on something and the family starts to revolt when it is served again!! With my mother, it was pinto beans. I say all that to say there is nothing wrong with serving leftovers but it goes much better with the family if it doesn't look the same every time. Shake it up, change the presentation, use the leftovers but serve it in a new way. I learned this a long time ago. We cannot afford to waste food and none of us are too good to eat leftover foods. Thus my determination to find ways to use common foods in new ways. Tweak them a bit, don't you know.
I had an idea of how to use the leftover chicken and dumplings, I'm going to make chicken enchiladas from them. I thought about making a different kind of stew by adding veggies but that would be more like the presentation used last night when served in a bowl. I stood and looked into my pantry and nothing jumped out at me so I came back to my desk thinking about how I would have used leftover chicken...then the flash of brilliance, chicken enchiladas. Hmmm....this might be tricky but I believe it can be done!
Then I pondered the ingredients needed for enchiladas. Tortillas - check. Mexican cheese - nope, but I do have some awesome Vermont white cheddar and let's not forget the dumpling stock already has the ricotta, so I think I make that work. Green chilies - nope but I do have some chilies from my garden, both hot and mild that will be a sufficient substitute and add some color.
Here's my plan...I'll drain the chicken and dumplings from the stack base and heat the base in a pot while I shred the chicken. Then I'll chop the dumplings up and mix them with the shredded chicken. I used a thinned rolled dumpling this time so it should work out better than if I had used biscuits or made a softer dumpling. I'll dice of the peppers, adding some to the chicken mixture and some to the stock. I'll also add some of the cheese and diced onion to the chicken mixture. From there things go back to normal enchilada preparations.
Unless I tell him or he reads this post, my Honey will probably not know the enchiladas were made from chicken and dumplings. As long as it works and turns out well, he wouldn't care anyway but the whole idea is to use our food supply efficiently and provide nutritious meals for the family. This is being a good steward of the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This, Friends, is Food Tweaked a Bit!!!!
I'll let you know how it turns out.
went to her cupboard
to get her poor doggy a bone.
But when she got there
the cupboard was bare
and so her doggy got none.
We have all had the Old Mother Hubbard moments when we stare into the pantry and wait for inspiration to hit only to find slim pickins' in the inspirational food supply. We've all heard, too, the plaintive cry, "There is nothing to eat!" from the family....what they are really saying is, "There is nothing easy already made just for me to eat."
Such was my experience early this morning when, on a writing break, I contemplated dinner for tonight. Sunday I made a large lasagna. We had it for dinner with our friends and I sent lunch the next day with my Honey. Still, I had one half the lasagna, so I divided it into two healthy meal size packages for two and put it in the freezer for another time. No matter how much he liked the lasagna, my Honey's appreciation for it would have waned quickly had I served it again now.
I made chicken and dumplings for dinner last night. Being the self-proclaimed Queen of Food Tweaked a Bit, I used the ricotta cheese mixture I had left over from making the lasagna in lieu of milk in the chicken and dumplings. It worked like a charm. I didn't add it until the dumplings were done so as not to over cook the ricotta and the result was a rich stock base. I'll remember that trick.
My Honey claims to have been traumatized as a kid by his mother making a month's worth of meneudo at a time and having to eat it until it was gone. Most mothers, at one time or another, have gone overboard on something and the family starts to revolt when it is served again!! With my mother, it was pinto beans. I say all that to say there is nothing wrong with serving leftovers but it goes much better with the family if it doesn't look the same every time. Shake it up, change the presentation, use the leftovers but serve it in a new way. I learned this a long time ago. We cannot afford to waste food and none of us are too good to eat leftover foods. Thus my determination to find ways to use common foods in new ways. Tweak them a bit, don't you know.
I had an idea of how to use the leftover chicken and dumplings, I'm going to make chicken enchiladas from them. I thought about making a different kind of stew by adding veggies but that would be more like the presentation used last night when served in a bowl. I stood and looked into my pantry and nothing jumped out at me so I came back to my desk thinking about how I would have used leftover chicken...then the flash of brilliance, chicken enchiladas. Hmmm....this might be tricky but I believe it can be done!
Then I pondered the ingredients needed for enchiladas. Tortillas - check. Mexican cheese - nope, but I do have some awesome Vermont white cheddar and let's not forget the dumpling stock already has the ricotta, so I think I make that work. Green chilies - nope but I do have some chilies from my garden, both hot and mild that will be a sufficient substitute and add some color.
Here's my plan...I'll drain the chicken and dumplings from the stack base and heat the base in a pot while I shred the chicken. Then I'll chop the dumplings up and mix them with the shredded chicken. I used a thinned rolled dumpling this time so it should work out better than if I had used biscuits or made a softer dumpling. I'll dice of the peppers, adding some to the chicken mixture and some to the stock. I'll also add some of the cheese and diced onion to the chicken mixture. From there things go back to normal enchilada preparations.
Unless I tell him or he reads this post, my Honey will probably not know the enchiladas were made from chicken and dumplings. As long as it works and turns out well, he wouldn't care anyway but the whole idea is to use our food supply efficiently and provide nutritious meals for the family. This is being a good steward of the blessings God has bestowed upon us. This, Friends, is Food Tweaked a Bit!!!!
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Mixed Olive Tapenade
Last night we had our friends, Nancy & Steve, over for dinner. A casual little affair, perfect for a Sunday evening. The menu consisted of an appetizer of Mixed Olive Tapenade on Parmesan Pita crackers, a simple salad, lasagna and garlic bread served with tea and/or a sweet red table wine.
My Honey wakes up in a new culinary world everyday and he was quite taken with the olive tapenade. I have made it before but apparently, not recently enough that he remembered. It's a simple, easy to make appetizer you will not find at every social gathering, so give it a try.....assuming you like olives!
I've included an 'official' recipe below for those that like pictures but the beauty of this olive tapenade is that it is as flexible as any recipe an come. I used three kinds of olives for mine this time - green Spanish olives, black olives and Calamata olives. The calamata are a bit more expensive and there is nothing wrong with using just the black olives...I did the first two times I made this dish and loved it! The black olives need to be the base ingredient. Green olives brighten the flavor but could quickly over power. For last night's batch I used:
2 cans pitted large black olives, 1 jar of 'salad' green olives (the cheaper, already half sliced, crunched kind) and 1/3 a jar of the Calamata olives. I also crushed 2 medium sized garlic cloves and threw them in the food processor, too. As the olives blend and get chopped, drizzle olive oil in to the desired consistency. You want it spreadable, not runny. Do not add salt because, well, you ARE using salty olives after all. You can store this stuff in the fridge but let it get to room temp before serving.....cold olive oil, yuk! This combo of ingredients made enough for the four of us last night with dinner and another batch I put in the fridge, so it would be plenty to serve at a larger gathering.
Here is a good tip, whatever you decide to serve it on needs to be rather plain, the olive tapenade stands alone in an independent "Here I am" kind of way, so anything too complex would be distracting. I served HEB brand of Parmesan Baked Pita Chips. They are bite sized and made a good partner. My Honey spread the tapenade on a hunk of garlic bread. That worked well for him!
Let me know if you try this and what you think. It was a hit last night. Remember, the best food is that which you tweak just a bit!! Recipe below, too.
Black Olive Tapenade with Crostinis - Appetizer
OK, it's just canned, drained and chopped black olives with oil on toast. A French appetizer, tapenade is typically made with capers, black olives, anchovies and olive oil. Just put it all in a food processor until it's the consistency of hot dog pickle relish. Crostini is Italian for "little toast" made with olive oil, salt and pepper. The Chef's latest recipe is sophisticated and simple, like a black evening dress -- a perfect party starter.
Black Olive Tapenade is a quick budget appetizer that you can make your own. There are many variations that the Mediterranean region has adapted -- so feel free to do the same. If you have sun-dried tomatoes in oil, add it; don't like anchovies, leave them out; capers too expensive, add a little chopped garlic instead; got some window-box herbs, add a few sprigs.
This versatile appetizer can be served on your favorite cracker or cut pita triangles. It even goes well as an extra topping on pizza. Black olives are a favorite budget item this Chef never tires of.
Ingredients for Tapenade (serves 4)1 15oz. can of pitted black olives - drained
1/3 cup of olive oil*
Pepper to taste
All the following ingredients are optional -- use any or all.
3 large sun dried tomato halves with oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic - jar or fresh
1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - including parsley, sage or oregano
1 tbsp. capers - drained
1 whole anchovy from can
1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
Crostini2 French rolls - 6 inch size or just 1/2 loaf - sliced.
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle bread slices with olive oil and salt and pepper. Toast in oven or toaster oven for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.
Directions for Tapenade
Simple, just combine all the ingredients you have on hand and blender, or food process, until finely chopped. Ready to serve on Crostini toast, crackers or pita triangles. You can prepare way ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
*Ok to use less olive oil, too.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Truth About Liver
Let's talk about liver. Liver is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Me, I like it...my Honey, wouldn't eat it. One day we were having lunch at a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio and one of the specials was liver, grilled with onions. Thought I'd give it a try. It was awesome! Not like the liver my mother used to overcook but so tender it melted in your mouth. It apparently looked and smelled as good as it tasted because my Honey asked for a bite. He was a confirmed liver hater from way back! I had never eaten grilled liver before and I was converted to a devotee that very day. So was my Honey, much to both our surprise. We have since been back and he ordered it for himself.
The big perk about liver is how extremely healthy it is. Love it or hate it, you just cannot get around the health benefits. Check out the graph below...nutrients and calorie count just can't be beat!
Last night I tried grilling it at home like the restaurant prepared it. We had asked how they prepared it last time we were there. Let me tell you, nothing could have been easier. Cut liver into equal portion sizes. Heat grill or cast iron skillet to screaming hot. Lightly salt meat, place in pan or on grill. Cook quickly, till first side is grilled and brown. Turn over and cook another couple of minutes on second side. Seriously, it only takes a few minutes! DO NOT OVERCOOK! After taking it off heat, let it rest before cutting. Throw sliced onions in skillet when the meat is removed. They will cook quickly, too. I served it with black beans and rice with a green salad. Yummy! That's as easy as it gets, a touch of salt, hot grill or skillet and presto, grilled liver & onions! Takes longer to slice onions that to cook liver!
If it's been awhile since you tried liver, give this a shot. My Honey sat at the table last night saying he NEVER would have thought he would eat liver again, much less love it!! Put on your Big Girl or Boy panties and try it because your health is worth it. It fights all those nasty things like cancer, emphysema, it has cardiovascular benefits, boosts your immune system and increases energy! If you already like it, grilled liver is a new experience you will love!
Happy eating!
The big perk about liver is how extremely healthy it is. Love it or hate it, you just cannot get around the health benefits. Check out the graph below...nutrients and calorie count just can't be beat!
Last night I tried grilling it at home like the restaurant prepared it. We had asked how they prepared it last time we were there. Let me tell you, nothing could have been easier. Cut liver into equal portion sizes. Heat grill or cast iron skillet to screaming hot. Lightly salt meat, place in pan or on grill. Cook quickly, till first side is grilled and brown. Turn over and cook another couple of minutes on second side. Seriously, it only takes a few minutes! DO NOT OVERCOOK! After taking it off heat, let it rest before cutting. Throw sliced onions in skillet when the meat is removed. They will cook quickly, too. I served it with black beans and rice with a green salad. Yummy! That's as easy as it gets, a touch of salt, hot grill or skillet and presto, grilled liver & onions! Takes longer to slice onions that to cook liver!
If it's been awhile since you tried liver, give this a shot. My Honey sat at the table last night saying he NEVER would have thought he would eat liver again, much less love it!! Put on your Big Girl or Boy panties and try it because your health is worth it. It fights all those nasty things like cancer, emphysema, it has cardiovascular benefits, boosts your immune system and increases energy! If you already like it, grilled liver is a new experience you will love!
Happy eating!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Morning, Sunshine!
A couple of times a year, my Honey and I fast as a spiritual disciple. I am diabetic, so a total fast is out of the question. Fasting is a denial of flesh, so fasting can be as individualized as you make it. For us, we found a Daniel Fast works. This fast is based off the dietary disciplines followed by Daniel and his three Hebrew friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, after being taken captive by Nebuchadnzzar, King of Babylon. You might recall they were taken captive and being groomed to serve in the King's personal service, given rich food and wine to drink as part of this grooming. Daniel and his buddies asked permission not to eat and drink this fare lest their bodies be defiled. He asked for vegetables and water rather than the rich food of the king.
So, a Daniel fast is one where we partake in grains, veggies and fruit, abstaining from meat, breads, sweets, etc. This diet is totally do-able!! I've said all that to say this: As a part of our fasting menus, I've discovered Morning Star Farms vegetarian products. I've tried many, discarded those that were less than tasty and keep an open mind as I run across additional products they come up with. My latest discovery is their Asian Patties. Looks like meat but is made up of soy and other veggies, and spices to tantalize the tongue! This is my new favorite. We are not currently on a fast but I buy them anyway just 'cuz.
They make an excellent breakfast food when topped with an egg, cooked with a soft yolk (my preference). Thus my tweaked a bit name 'Morning, Sunshine!' I've also had a lunch or dinner meal of the Asian Patty/egg with sliced avocado and no-fat refried beans...Yummy! I stay away from bread as much as I can but I bet they would make excellent sandwiches, too.
Another Morning Star meatless patty I like is the one with black beans and corn (can't remember the name off the top of my head but I bet it has Southwest in it somewhere) covered in a fresh salsa. I like the Mushroom Lover's Burger (sans bun, of course) covered in sauteed onions and mushrooms...another Yummy!
Trust me, going meatless is not as painful as it might sound. For my Honey, the hard part is giving up bread and tortillas (remember, he makes a taco out of everything)...and sweet stuff. I am blessed not to be bothered by those issues.
Ok, there you have it, another sound, healthy food idea to try in our continuing efforts to nourish our bodies and souls without the junk and fat. Keep your food colorful, the way nature made it and God intended. If you don't think Jesus would have eaten it, neither should you!
So, a Daniel fast is one where we partake in grains, veggies and fruit, abstaining from meat, breads, sweets, etc. This diet is totally do-able!! I've said all that to say this: As a part of our fasting menus, I've discovered Morning Star Farms vegetarian products. I've tried many, discarded those that were less than tasty and keep an open mind as I run across additional products they come up with. My latest discovery is their Asian Patties. Looks like meat but is made up of soy and other veggies, and spices to tantalize the tongue! This is my new favorite. We are not currently on a fast but I buy them anyway just 'cuz.
They make an excellent breakfast food when topped with an egg, cooked with a soft yolk (my preference). Thus my tweaked a bit name 'Morning, Sunshine!' I've also had a lunch or dinner meal of the Asian Patty/egg with sliced avocado and no-fat refried beans...Yummy! I stay away from bread as much as I can but I bet they would make excellent sandwiches, too.
Another Morning Star meatless patty I like is the one with black beans and corn (can't remember the name off the top of my head but I bet it has Southwest in it somewhere) covered in a fresh salsa. I like the Mushroom Lover's Burger (sans bun, of course) covered in sauteed onions and mushrooms...another Yummy!
Trust me, going meatless is not as painful as it might sound. For my Honey, the hard part is giving up bread and tortillas (remember, he makes a taco out of everything)...and sweet stuff. I am blessed not to be bothered by those issues.
Ok, there you have it, another sound, healthy food idea to try in our continuing efforts to nourish our bodies and souls without the junk and fat. Keep your food colorful, the way nature made it and God intended. If you don't think Jesus would have eaten it, neither should you!
Friday, September 3, 2010
The 411 on Garlic
As a solid fan of using real garlic that I have to peel and chop myself, I found this article from America's Test Kitchen interesting. I know some people think using fresh is too much trouble but, for me, it is the only way to go. And don't even get me started about garlic-salt!! Anyway, here what the good folks at America's Test Kitchen has to say about their efforts. Share your thoughts!
Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.
Dehydrated garlic is simply minced fresh garlic that is dehydrated before packaging. Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic that’s been pulverized and, unless you buy a high-quality brand, often includes a slew of artificial ingredients and flavorings meant to improve flavor and extend shelf life.
We compared garlic powder and dehydrated minced garlic to the real thing in our recipes for pasta with garlic and oil, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. In the Caesar dressing, flavor differences were minimal; the assertive flavors of lemon, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce masked any processed garlic taste. In the pasta and garlic bread, however, tasters preferred the unmistakable bite of real garlic.
Our opinion? In most instances, nothing compares to fresh cloves, especially when garlic is the predominant flavor in the recipe. We don’t recommend dehydrated garlic, which takes a while to rehydrate and is quite mild. However, there are a few cases in which garlic powder makes sense. We like its mild roasted flavor in spice rubs for meat or in dishes such as roasted potatoes. (Unlike minced fresh garlic, garlic powder will not burn in the oven.) Substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of fresh garlic.
Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.
What is the difference between dehydrated garlic and garlic powder? Are they ever an acceptable replacement for fresh garlic?
Dehydrated garlic is simply minced fresh garlic that is dehydrated before packaging. Garlic powder is made from dehydrated garlic that’s been pulverized and, unless you buy a high-quality brand, often includes a slew of artificial ingredients and flavorings meant to improve flavor and extend shelf life.
We compared garlic powder and dehydrated minced garlic to the real thing in our recipes for pasta with garlic and oil, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. In the Caesar dressing, flavor differences were minimal; the assertive flavors of lemon, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce masked any processed garlic taste. In the pasta and garlic bread, however, tasters preferred the unmistakable bite of real garlic.
Our opinion? In most instances, nothing compares to fresh cloves, especially when garlic is the predominant flavor in the recipe. We don’t recommend dehydrated garlic, which takes a while to rehydrate and is quite mild. However, there are a few cases in which garlic powder makes sense. We like its mild roasted flavor in spice rubs for meat or in dishes such as roasted potatoes. (Unlike minced fresh garlic, garlic powder will not burn in the oven.) Substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for each clove of fresh garlic.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A Ranting Confession from a Frustrated Cook
I have a confession to make...yesterday I came dangerously close to smacking my husband at the kitchen table. He hurt my feelings in the most insulting of ways. I spent the morning preparing, testing, adjusting spices and ingredients to finally declare my new creation 'superb' and considering myself something of a culinary genius. Go ahead and laugh if you must but this stuff was awesome!!
I proudly set the table for dinner in anticipation of the 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' I just knew were coming. He is awesome about showing appreciation for good food and...as I said, this stuff was GOOD. He commented upon arriving home how wonderful the food smelled and did his usual rush around to get ready to eat. I, in my command of serving and presenting (snicker, snicker) laid before him a meal fit for a king. Three bites into the meal, he turned from the king to the jester when he..I can hardly bear to say it even now..he covered up the taste of my fabulous, well planned and prepared meal with southwest spicy mustard!! Yep, before my disbelieving eyes he globed the mustard on his plate and smothered my masterpiece in it with each bite. I was speechless! And you know that is not a common state for me!!! Seriously, I could not speak...words were not allowed to escape my mouth because I could find nothing to say that wasn't incredulously angry, hurt and bewildered! I just wanted to smack him and smack him till it hurt!
I do believe he noticed the distinct chill in the air at the table and the lack of normal, casual dinner-table talk but I think he was pretty clueless about the horror I was feeling over the mustard. His defense, should he ever realize he needed one...(and don't you think he did?)...was that he did taste it first before he used the mustard, the wildly spicy, overbearing, and taste hiding, hot albeit sweet conglomeration! I know this would be his defense because it is the same one he uses when he disguises my food under the mile high layers of ketchup. (Can you hear the low grumbling growl still rumbling deep inside my being?) He might as well spit on my food, it could not have been more offensive.
I really work at serving him healthy, good quality, great tasting food. I give it much thought and planning, I invest myself in most that I serve him. I say 'most' only because sometimes he request something generic and boring. I CAN do generic and boring but not often! What he does not take into consideration is the effort and trouble I take to present him with this food. His unsophisticated palate does not notice the subtleties of spice combination or the blending of one flavor enhancing another. His overriding lust for sugar dominates everything and it makes me crazy! His little eyes spotted the mustard, his brain screamed "SUGAR" and that was all he thought about. My proud moment of culinary accomplishment went down his pie-hole covered in mustard!!
Thankfully, we needed cat food, so I made an urgent dash to the store to get out and get out quickly! I did not want to see his face, hear his voice or smell the delights I had wasted on the man. I walked around the store until I could breathe normally again. Then I walked some more because I was still emotional about it. Frankly, I walked until I thought things through...over and over again. I tried to rationalize his behavior, make it more palatable (pardon the pun) if you will. I know the issue is all mine and I own it but there is surely a compromise somewhere in this that we both can live with. After 11 years of fighting the ketchup battle, he finally acknowledged that it is the sugar in the ketchup that he likes. I have a witness, so he can no longer deny it. Now, it feels like we are back at square one with the mustard. Prior to smothering my creation, he said he loved it, so I know he wasn't just trying to cover the taste, but come on!!! I've mentioned, in calmer moments, how it bothers me to have my efforts thwarted and nullified by the ketchup. You could throw camouflage paint over the Mona Lisa and say you're just making it better but you are still ruining the original masterpiece!
I walked through Wal-Mart until I was free from explosive anger, free to actually allow myself to love the man without the smacking and free enough to buy him a snack...a sweet snack (is there any other kind, he would ask). He's like a kid, he waits for me to come back in anticipation that I brought him a treat! No kidding, every time. As I walked in the back door he was saying he tried to call me but realized I left my phone at home (he thought that was an oversight, it was not!). He said he had been sending me mental messages and asked if I got them...he wanted me to bring ice cream home. I told him I did not bring ice bream but I did bring flavored yogurt (which he later said he did not like the taste of, I thought of suggesting he cover it in mustard...) and an Almond Joy bar. He devoured the yogurt instantly and washed it down with the Almond Joy.
Tonight's menu....a slab of bologna & stale bread covered in ketchup and mustard. He'll be in @#%$*^$ heaven. Sad commentary, that.****sigh****
I proudly set the table for dinner in anticipation of the 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' I just knew were coming. He is awesome about showing appreciation for good food and...as I said, this stuff was GOOD. He commented upon arriving home how wonderful the food smelled and did his usual rush around to get ready to eat. I, in my command of serving and presenting (snicker, snicker) laid before him a meal fit for a king. Three bites into the meal, he turned from the king to the jester when he..I can hardly bear to say it even now..he covered up the taste of my fabulous, well planned and prepared meal with southwest spicy mustard!! Yep, before my disbelieving eyes he globed the mustard on his plate and smothered my masterpiece in it with each bite. I was speechless! And you know that is not a common state for me!!! Seriously, I could not speak...words were not allowed to escape my mouth because I could find nothing to say that wasn't incredulously angry, hurt and bewildered! I just wanted to smack him and smack him till it hurt!
I do believe he noticed the distinct chill in the air at the table and the lack of normal, casual dinner-table talk but I think he was pretty clueless about the horror I was feeling over the mustard. His defense, should he ever realize he needed one...(and don't you think he did?)...was that he did taste it first before he used the mustard, the wildly spicy, overbearing, and taste hiding, hot albeit sweet conglomeration! I know this would be his defense because it is the same one he uses when he disguises my food under the mile high layers of ketchup. (Can you hear the low grumbling growl still rumbling deep inside my being?) He might as well spit on my food, it could not have been more offensive.
I really work at serving him healthy, good quality, great tasting food. I give it much thought and planning, I invest myself in most that I serve him. I say 'most' only because sometimes he request something generic and boring. I CAN do generic and boring but not often! What he does not take into consideration is the effort and trouble I take to present him with this food. His unsophisticated palate does not notice the subtleties of spice combination or the blending of one flavor enhancing another. His overriding lust for sugar dominates everything and it makes me crazy! His little eyes spotted the mustard, his brain screamed "SUGAR" and that was all he thought about. My proud moment of culinary accomplishment went down his pie-hole covered in mustard!!
Thankfully, we needed cat food, so I made an urgent dash to the store to get out and get out quickly! I did not want to see his face, hear his voice or smell the delights I had wasted on the man. I walked around the store until I could breathe normally again. Then I walked some more because I was still emotional about it. Frankly, I walked until I thought things through...over and over again. I tried to rationalize his behavior, make it more palatable (pardon the pun) if you will. I know the issue is all mine and I own it but there is surely a compromise somewhere in this that we both can live with. After 11 years of fighting the ketchup battle, he finally acknowledged that it is the sugar in the ketchup that he likes. I have a witness, so he can no longer deny it. Now, it feels like we are back at square one with the mustard. Prior to smothering my creation, he said he loved it, so I know he wasn't just trying to cover the taste, but come on!!! I've mentioned, in calmer moments, how it bothers me to have my efforts thwarted and nullified by the ketchup. You could throw camouflage paint over the Mona Lisa and say you're just making it better but you are still ruining the original masterpiece!
I walked through Wal-Mart until I was free from explosive anger, free to actually allow myself to love the man without the smacking and free enough to buy him a snack...a sweet snack (is there any other kind, he would ask). He's like a kid, he waits for me to come back in anticipation that I brought him a treat! No kidding, every time. As I walked in the back door he was saying he tried to call me but realized I left my phone at home (he thought that was an oversight, it was not!). He said he had been sending me mental messages and asked if I got them...he wanted me to bring ice cream home. I told him I did not bring ice bream but I did bring flavored yogurt (which he later said he did not like the taste of, I thought of suggesting he cover it in mustard...) and an Almond Joy bar. He devoured the yogurt instantly and washed it down with the Almond Joy.
Tonight's menu....a slab of bologna & stale bread covered in ketchup and mustard. He'll be in @#%$*^$ heaven. Sad commentary, that.****sigh****
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