3 More Reason to Eat Your Fruit & Vegetables

3 More Reason to Eat Your Fruit & Vegetables

1. A recent study reported by BBC News website on August 19, 2010 suggested green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of developing diabetes. This is great news for those have a chance to change their lifestyle and reduce risk of developing diabetics. The message is very clear: Change your eating habits! Eat your 5 servings a day of fruit and vegetables. This translates to meaning that chips and soda are not helping your body. Plan your meals and snacks around fruit and vegetables.



2. Another report also reported by BBC News website March 2010 that two key medical treatments to halt diabetes are not resulting in reducing the risk. Only exercise and a healthy diet can really show the desired affect for the patient. Remember that 30 minutes of exercise per day can help a person. This can be split into 3 “10 minute” exercise intervals. Sometimes we might have 10 minutes here or there but can’t commit to 30 minute blocks of time.



3. One more article worth mentioning for those who love to eat white rice. Researchers are recommending a replacement of white rice with brown rice and/or wholemeal bread. The reason is simple: white rice causes a steep increase in blood sugar. Diabetics need to be concerned with the release of glucose into their bodies. A slower release is important.



Another starch that most diabetics should consider are sweet potatoes. A great substitute and an addition to baking with a brown potato.

When was the last time you visited a farmer's market?

As the warm weather enters the valley the farmers set-up their produce stands.

As a child/teenager, it was a delightful early morning trip to the farmer's market. Yes- it was hard to get up about 7:00 in the morning but it was totally worth it. We always had fresh produce. I continue on with this tradition of going to the farmer's market but it's not so early in the morning more like mid-day. Down the street from my work are two farmer's markets which are bustling with lunch time visitors.

A few things to keep in mind when visiting the farmer's market:

- Bring your own reusable bag to carry all your purchases.
- A pocket for a quick grab of cash or change.
- Walk around the market to mental notes of the prices. One table might have a better deal than another.
- Put yourself on a budget.

For $5 - this is what I bought:

- Rainbow chard - $1
- cilantro bunch - $ 1
- 4 large tomatoes - $1
- 1 basket of cherry tomatoes - $2

These ingredients will transform into various components of a meal.

Rainbow Chard a great green leafy vegetable to enjoy which replaces spinach. I saute it with a little bit of garlic and soy sauce.

With the tomatoes and cilantro, I will make a fresh salsa to enjoy with some homemade corn chips.

Lastly, the cherry tomatoes will be made into a chutney to top my mini muffin turkey meatloaf.

A few things purchased at the farmer's market can increase your vegetable (or fruit) intake- plus you've supported local farmers.

http://www.california-grown.com/

Converting One Person at a Time...

Series: Produce Box, July 20, 2010 Deliver; Published Blog 10

Summer brings warm temperatures and bright sunny skies to help produce grow. This is one of my favorite produce procurement times of the year. There are bright wonderful colors and lots of varieties. Who could deny that fresh tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, corn or melons taste added on to the menu- certainly not me!
I eat a colorful rainbow variety when it comes to summer produce.
My latest produce box delivery was the valley box. I received the following items:
- White corn
- Slicing Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Melon, musk Ambrosia
- Peaches Yellow
- Carrot Nantes
- Eggplant Japanese
- Cucumber Regular
- Tomato, cherry mixed medley

I had to patiently wait for my produce box to arrive at the house... I couldn't wait to eat the eggplant. My husband should be jealous of my love affair with this lovely purple vegetable called eggplant. It is a vegetable that is widely used in various cultures around the world. It takes on taste from seasonings very well with a smooth mushy texture. I like it grill, toasted, saute, stewed, broiled, and fried. This is one vegetable on my definitely like category.

Another item in my produce box that I've enjoyed quite surprisingly are the cherry tomatoes. As most of my family and friends know, tomatoes are a miss or hit for me. I cant eat tomatoes on their own but I can cook them or eat them raw with other vegetables for a pleasant experience. This is a prime example of foods prepared one way might not hit your fancy but another way sends you back for seconds.
My favorite recipe using cherry tomatoes is to cook it with caramelize onions. This sweet tasting cherry tomato relish is a great topping for meats, pasta, or even couscous.

Kitchen Mission:
I hope to inpire fellow readers to venture into the kitchen. Take a stab at a new recipe with some fresh produce in hand.

Until next time -- Have fun cooking!

Coffee and Steak

New tastes and new recipes are in demand. Willing participants are needed to try new ideas created by chefs. Here's my experiment involving coffee and beef steak.



Background:

I was introduced to a new author Cleo Coyle that writes Coffee House mystery novels. They are great imaginative escapes that involve coffee, plus recipes! This appealed to my inner desire to create and cook which is a lot of fun for me. The inspiration for my coffee marinated steaks was from my leisure reading of the mystery novel.



Caffeinated Barbecue Steaks



I placed my steaks from the refrigerator onto the counter. I grabbed a shallow dish to create my coffee marinade. I made this really easy for myself by grabbing a Starbucks VIA packet and a little cold water. Empty packet, add water, stir, and place steaks into dish. Yes, coffee made with VIA is that simple to make. Absolutely love using the product.


I thought about adding seasonings but I was hesitant. I wanted to keep a true coffee taste so I added no other spices or flavors. I let it sit for 24 hours in the coffee marinade.


The following evening I started up my barbecue to grill the steaks.


Once it was ready, I placed the steaks on the grill and quickly seasoned with a little season salt.


Cook the steaks to your preference. I cannot recommend the amount of time it might take. If you are worried about under or over cooking, invest in a meat thermometer


Remove and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. This is important to keep the meat juicy.


Serve with your favorite vegetable and a carbohydrate.




My vegetable to accompany this recipe was the following:

Sweet and Spicy Carrots

Grab a small sauce pan.
Heat-up on medium heat.
Add in a tablespoon of butter.
Let it warm up.
Add in about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Add a dash of coffee liqueur, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
A quick dash of salt and pepper.

Let the sugar mixture bubble to cook down a little.
I added in caramelized onions that I had precooked prior to making the sauce.
I let it simmer for a little bit more.
Finally add in fresh cut carrots cut into rounds. I used a bunch Nantes carrots from produce box.
Let the carrots cook in the mixture for a quick 1-2 minutes and turn it off.
I like my carrots to have a crunch.

My carbohydrate to accompany the meat and vegetable:

Toasted Barbecue Garlic Bread

Pre-make the garlic oil spread. This is really easy to make with fresh or bottled garlic.
Grab your small sauce pan.
Heat-it up on a medium low.
Add in about 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Next add in the chopped garlic.
Optional: Add in some fresh basil, a little cayenne powder, and a little seasoning to preference.
Let the garlic oil mixture cook until garlic is tender.

Toasting bread on the barbecue should be the last item cooked on the grill. Reason- the coal fire has cooled downed so the bread gets a chance to brown up without burning.
Place your bread slices on the grill. Let the bread toast up which will happen fairly quick. After it is flipped over, spoon the garlic mixture over the bread.

All the above recipes put together makes a fairly tasty meal.
When plating up, spoon the sweet and spicy carrots sauce over the meat. It will be totally worth it in taste!

Enjoy and have fun cooking!

Long Time No New Postings????

Thank you it is nice to be back! I took a sabbatical leave from my blog publishing to create new recipes in my own kitchen. Yes- we finally got our house after a 16 month wait. I'm soooo excited to be in my kitchen. I've been busy cleaning, unpacking, and setting up my big kitchen.

I'm still receiving my produce boxes at my new house. It has been quite delightful with the introduction of summer produce. My latest boxes have brought blueberries, melons, tomatoes, green beans, and so much more!



As promised new recipes:

Spicy Rotini, Zucchini, and Italian Sausage

Caramelize about ¼ an onion, diced
Add in about 5 hot cayenne peppers, whole
Once the onion is almost browned and translucent, add about 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
Remove the peppers.


Preparing the Sausage:
I used 3 pork sausage links about ½ foot long.
I placed my sausage in a pot of water and brought it to a boil for about 15 minutes.
I set aside to cool and drained the water
Once the meat is ready to handle, I removed the casing and tore the sausage into pieces.
Set aside.

Boil the pasta to al dente
I used a ½ box of rotini

Allow the meat to brown and become crispy
I diagonally sliced two zucchinis to place around the edges while the meat was cooking
Carefully toss the meat in the middle to cook on the other side without disturbing the zucchini

Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
Add on top of the meat.

Next add in about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Toss the pasta, meat, and zucchini to coat with the tomato sauce
Season with pepper and salt

Allow the dish to cook a little longer about 5 minutes and stir with an additional 5 minutes.
Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.


Greek Couscous Salad

I prepared the couscous to box directions. 1 cup of dry couscous and 1 cup of water
Let it cool.


Need:
1 cucumber
¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes
¼ cup of feta cheese
¼ cup kalamata olives

Toss together and fresh with a little lemon juice, pepper, and salt.
Optional Idea: Use Orzo for the carbohydrate.


Deliciously Quick Fajitas


Prepare your meat first.
I learned through trial and error that if you brown the sides of the meat it will hold in the moisture and keep it tender. This technique can be used to for many recipes like stir-fries, stews, or pasta dishes.

Cut your meat into small strips.
Heat-up a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. I used canola oil. (In the past I have used sesame oil too.)
Then in small batches just toss in handfuls of meat. Cook just enough to brown the edges. The insides will still be pink. (This is OK because the meat will be tossed back into the pan later on.)
Remove the meat and place on a paper towel. I like to salt it at this time.

Use the same pan for the remaining cooking preparation.
Keep the pan on medium heat.
I slice up half of a white onion into slivers and toss it in with the remaining oil.
Let the onions cook until tender. (Optional: toss in whole cayenne peppers for heat.)
For a little moisture, I diced up a tomato and tossed it in.
For those who love bell peppers, add in slivers of the colorful bell peppers.

Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add in the beef and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. Then toss in the limes to the pan. (Optional: Bottled lemon juice will also do the trick.)
Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer together.

Prepare the tortillas of choice: corn or flour.

Final dish: Grab a tortilla, add in the meat/vegetable mixture, add in shredded cabbage, and a dollop of sour cream. Then get ready for the mouth watering bite of your own homemade fajita.

Options: Various fish or meats can be used for the meal. Follow the simple reasoning of not overcooking the fish or meat the first time because it is cooks a second time.

Checca Sauce

Cherry tomatoes are in season!!

This is a wonderful fresh tomato sauce. I have to share it because I love making it during the summer season. It tastes great hot or cold. Raw food at its best!

In a food processor add the following items:
- 1 package of cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- ½ onion
- 1-2 teaspoons of fresh garlic
- Handful of fresh basil
- ½ cup of fresh Parmesan
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Puree until well mixed and taste.

Cube up a ½ chunk of fresh mozzarella.
Cook up a fresh batch of pasta.
Toss all the checca sauce, fresh mozzarella, and pasta in a bowl.
Serve up and Enjoy!


Homemade Corn Chips

One thing I love to eat at Mexican restaurants is the corn chips. I like to eat these plain chips with salsa, or avocado. Learning how to make these chips is easy on the budget. Just remember it does require a little extra time to prepare. It took me about a half hour to prepare about a bag of chips.

Set-up

Heat-up the oven on a low temperature. Grab a cookie sheet and line it with aluminum foil.

Grab a plate and place about 3-4 layers of paper towels to drain the oil of the chips.

Grab a sauce pot and heat-up on medium-high heat. Pour in the oil about a fourth of the way from the bottom.

I like to cut the corn tortilla into triangle eighths.

Test the oil by throwing in one triangle to see if it starts to bubble on the edges. If it ready throw in about 10-14 tortilla triangles...this depends on the size of your pot. Don't overcrowd the oil it will reduce the temperature and take longer to cook.
As the chips starts to cook to a light brown, flip the tortilla chips.
Once the other side is cooked and the corn tortilla has firmed up, then transfer to the cookie sheet.
To finish the cooking process with crisping of the chip, place in the preheated oven.



Deserts:

What can you do with fresh nectarines or peaches if you can't eat them quick enough? My solution is to make turnovers. I like to use a pie crust made simple: Krusteaz Pie Crust. Thanks to my Dad he introduced me to it. A great pie crust in seconds.

Tip: I found this product does not require much water just enough to pull it together.

Nectarine or Peach Turnovers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the crust:
Use enough pie dough mixture for one pie with a crust.

Prepare the pie filling:
I grabbed my freshly delivered nectarines (or peaches) that had been ripening in a brown paper bag on the counter. I left the skin on as I sliced into slivers into my mixing bowl. I sprinkle a little lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. One additional item is a little corn starch to gel up the liquid. The recipe use intuitive measurements.

Flour a board with a little flour. Partition into about 7-8 small golf size dough balls.

Roll out the dough into a triangle/oval shape. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Add a little of the fruit mixture to the middle of each the rolled out dough.
Close the flap and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Check it to see if the dough is cooked and the bottoms are slightly browned.
Let it cool.


In picture above I used for this batch fresh blueberries.

Optional: If you have fresh strawberries or blueberries, try with a little fresh whipping cream for summer shortcake.

For the love of eating healthy

Series: Produce Box, May 26, 2010 Deliver; Published Blog 9

I am content after enjoying a meal full of hearty goodness. I loved the variety that arrives in my delivery. I received all of the following items:

asparagus

avocados

cabbages

corn

large onions

celery

Klamath potatoes

cherry tomatoes

green leaf lettuce

cucumbers

rosemary

Plus my fruit box:

melon

apples

oranges

apricots

peaches

I still had on hand:

carrots

cabbage

shallots

spring red onion

fava beans

beets (which quietly hide in the back of the fridge- sorry beets) I guess my weakness has been found! Every superhero has a weakness.

Spicy Rotini, Zucchini, and Italian Sausage

Caramelize about ¼ an onion, diced

Add in about 5 hot peppers, whole

Once the onion is almost browned and translucent, add about 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic



Preparing the Sausage

I used 3 pork sausage links about ½ foot long.

I placed my sausage in a pot of water and brought it to a boil for about 15 minutes.

I set aside to cool and drained the water

Once the meat is ready to handle, I removed the casing and tore the sausage into pieces.

Set aside.



Boil the pasta to al dente

I used a ½ box



Allow the meat to brown and become crispy

I sliced two zucchinis in diagonal slices around the edges while the meat was cooking

Toss the meat in the middle to cook on the other side without disturbing the zucchini



Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.

Add on top of the meat. Next add in about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Toss the pasta, meat, and zucchini to coat with the tomato sauce

Season with pepper and salt



Allow the dish to cook a little longer about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.



Greek Couscous Salad



I prepared the couscous to box directions. 1 cup of dry couscous and 1 cup of water

Let it cool.

Need:

1 cucumber

¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes

¼ cup of feta cheese

¼ cup kalamata olives


Toss together and fresh with a little lemon juice, pepper, and salt.

Set aside and get ready to eat as a salad with dinner or it could be the main dinner item.

Enjoy!

What Vegetable do you Love?

Series: Produce Box, May 12, 2010 Deliver; Published Blog 8

An important change occurred in my relationship with food, I have a better strategy in understanding the forged relationship where my brain, taste buds, and stomach have to meet. I constantly refresh my brain with nutritional data from food documentaries, books, and health websites. This leads me to creating recipe ideas using various ingredients that my taste buds will find interesting so that my stomach is satisfied. A catalyst is the major change is the transforming from processed and convenient foods to cooking with raw ingredients.

Think for a moment about how you would start making water into soup. You would want in the end flavor and satisfaction of filling comfortable full. A recipe provides the avenue in the of starting with raw ingredients to ending it with a meal. Then as you accomplish a good blend then you can additional nutrients or vegetable flares. There are two vegetables: sweet potatoes and fava beans in my produce box deliveries that provide additional nutritional value for my body. Although these vegetables are really good to eat there's been much difficulty in finding their niche in my recipes. At last I figured a good one out... it includes using both of them with a vegetable I love- potatoes!

I share with you my latest recipe:

Pan Roasted Tater Medley

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

8-10 cubed Klamath pearl potatoes

½ c. chopped sweet potatoes

½ c. minced fava beans

1 diced spring red onion

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 T. worcestershire sauce

¼ minced cilantro

Salt & Pepper

Add the cubed potatoes to the heated oil. Add in the sweet potatoes, fava beans, and spring red onion. Cook for about 7-10 minutes. Then add in the garlic, worcestershire sauce, cilantro, and season with pepper & salt to taste. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender to taste.

Seasonal Vegetable Substitution

No sweet potatoes on hand- try ½ c. chopped Nantes carrots

No spring red onions on hand- try using a shallot or onions.




A common thread in most of my meal creations is the of planning ahead. Consciously think about what can be made now to save time later. Here's a technique as camping season is approaches. I would like to introduce some charcoal barbecue recipes.



Sausage Packet

In the mountains every resource needs to be used to its fullest potential. This can be made the night before for breakfast. I cooked this while also prepping dinner on the grill.

Place your raw sausage meat onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Fold it in half. I would suggest wrapping it a second time to secure it.

Place it on the grill and let it cook. Flip it a couple of times to allow even cooking on both sides. It takes about 20-30 minutes to cook up the chub.



Breakfast Pizza

This recipe is really simple and totally tasty. In the woods, I like to bring along a ready made pizza crust. Find your favorite brand or try pita bread.
For this recipe here's the steps I take while I'm surrounded by mountains and pine trees:

Heat up your grill.

Grab the aluminum foil. Cut and pull about the size of the pizza crust. I like to make mine about 4-5 sheets thick for a little sturdiness and reduce burning on the bottom.

Add a layer of tomato paste onto the crust.

Next arrange on the cooked sausage.

Heat-up your frying pan to scramble about 5 eggs for medium size pizza. Under cook the eggs but not runny. Then spread evenly over the sausage.

Optional: Sprinkle red pepper flakes

Finally add the cheese.

Place the breakfast pizza in its aluminum foil pan onto grill. Place on the top. Come back and check every 5 minutes to rotate.
It will be done cooking as the cheese melts, eggs are cooked and then bottom has slightly brown.

The Month of May

Series: Produce Box, May 5, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 7

A pleasant awakening of newly selected produce appeared early on the porch this week. Its presence was acknowledge by my mother-in-law's dogs as they barked the alert of delivery person. As I pushed away my early morning slumber, I picked up the two boxes in the living room entry to bring them into the kitchen for examining the contents.
To receive a produce box, the descriptive feeling comes to mind from a past event. I had step out the kitchen for a quick moment, upon my return a small blue box was left on the stove by my secret admirer. Typically most small boxes usually contain jewelry of course and it made me smile. It was the surprise of unknown held within. I had this same feeling of curiosity that held wonderment of what did they hold. In the first small produce box I found the contents of "Small Fruit Only" :
Bananas
Strawberries
Tommy Atkins Mangos
Oranges
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Apples

My 2nd box "More Veggies Only" contained:

Radishes
Carrots
Celery
A Bag of White Baby Potatoes called Potato Klamath Pearl
Tons of Baby Bok Choy
Cilantro
Fava Beans
Avocados
Iceberg Head of Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Brocolini- also called Baby Broccoli
Broccoli
A good handful of Zucchini



Recipe Ideas:

Baked Apple Crisp

Tasty healthy alternative to an apple pie.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab a 13x9 pan.

Dice your apples.

Throw into your pan.

Sprinkle to taste sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

For the crumb topping.

Grab a bowl to mix the following items: quick oats, sugar, cinnamon, a little flour, and smart spread.

Mix together until crumbly. Adjust the margarine so that there is no flour left.

Optional: nuts

Place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The top should be a little brown, apple soft, and smells really good.


Sushi Roll: Teriyaki Salmon and Chard

My homemade version of sushi involved cooked teriyaki marinated salmon and cooked chard vegetable mixture.

This recipe has three components put together to create the final product.

1st part:
Sushi Rice (recipe in published blog 1)
** Remember not to use any metal products after the sugar & vinegar is mixed with the rice. No metal spoons, metal knives, or metal mixing bowls. **

2nd part:

Cook the fish. I decide to use a simmer fish technique(from published blog 6.)
Let it cool and then shred it to remove any bones.

3rd part:
I grab the following items to make my saute chard vegetable mix:
a serrano pepper
garlic
fava beans
soy sauce
chard
pepper

To my heat pan, I threw in the minced pepper and a little olive oil. Let it cook up a little then add in the chopped garlic.
I decided to chop up the fava beans into little pieces to speed up the cooking process.

I splashed on some soy sauce and allowed the mixture to simmer in the sauce.

I added in the last of my chard into the pan tearing it into eatable pieces.

I covered the vegetables in the pan.

I checked it and stirred about every 5 minutes until the chard was shriveled like spinach.

Let it sit and cool.

Final Product:

After each component has cooled down, prepare in the following order:

Pat down sushi rice onto plastic wrap on top of your sushi roller.

Next add your salmon in a line about 1/4 away from the edge of rice in length.

Next add your chard vegetable mixture.

Then roll it up with firm pressure.

Allow it to sit.

Remove roller and plastic wrap, then quickly cut with a plastic knife.

Serve.

Cherry Tomato Sauce

This is a versatile sauce providing a sweet tomato flavor. It is cooked down to increase thickness and it can be tossed into many dishes. I use it for a couple different recipes such as on homemade pizza, over chicken breasts, or toss with pasta or potatoes. I sometimes add in peppers to it to make it a little spicy which I sauteed with fresh corn.

Method:

Heat up a sauce pan on medium heat.

Add olive oil.

First add in a small onion to caramelize.

I used shallots because I had them on hand leftover from a previous produce box delivery.

I then sliced each of my washed cherry tomatoes in half and added them to the pan.

I allowed the mixture to cook down by simmering away the excess liquid.

I like to mush down the cherry tomatoes skins to blend in better.

This sauce can be placed in the freezer for later use. Another helpful tip is this recipe allows for to enjoy fresh homemade tomato sauce on hand and helps prolong the shelf life of the tomatoes.

My last recipe in this blog will be dedicated to all those who have in either heart or blood have provided loving nourishment for another. Mothers come in so many forms and relationships. It is no longer the perception that a child will be born unto and only know one mother. A child may have several mothers throughout their lifetime. I have learned the motherly instincts comes forth when needed.

My own relationship with my own son brought forth my motherly instincts. My stepson and I were introduced when he was 3 1/2 years and I was 22 years old. He changed my whole life as my whole scheduled evolved around him and my new husband. I was forced to change from only thinking of myself to thinking about his future and how can we provide better for him. As I reflect back, my husband and I are both better people because we have him in our lives.

Going back to discussing cooking, my next recipe because of the developing unique relationship my mother-in-law and I have as we are joined by a mutual love. We've come to the acceptance part of our relationship. She provides the opportunity for me to provide her some of the love I have for food. She mentions in conversation the latest recipe she saw on television from the Martha Stewart show. So from my internal knowledge I put her recipe recommendation into action.

Candied Orange Peel

I washed and soaked my oranges in cold water. I had two recipes to use the oranges. I wanted to juice my oranges but I also wanted to remove the peel. It's much easier to remove the peel while the orange is whole. I used a vegetable peel to remove the peel (because I do not have a zester) and made smaller line pieces with a knife.

I added 1 cup sugar and 1 cup of cold water to a sauce pot. It's that simple.

Let it come to a boil and add in the orange peels.

I let it cook down and did not use a candy thermometer.

I then poured it out onto greased parchment paper placed on top of a cookie sheet to cool.

I broke it into pieces as it cooled down.

Here's a picture of what it looked like:

I decided to grind up the orange peel in the simple sugar into a powder for future recipes. I found that the food processors works best for this task because it has the power.

Here's what it looks like:

Choices In Eating

Series: Produce Box, April 21, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 6

Once is event, twice is a coincidence (some might think), three times is a definite... these were the thoughts in my head... as I discuss a subject I haven't gotten tired of talking about food. Recipes are being distributed everywhere from all types of media sources from word of mouth to the Internet. The other day in the midst of conversation with a close friend we discussed recipes on ingredients from our produce box deliveries. It was really cool to have a chance to discuss delivers. Our discussion brought up some really good points:

• A produce box allows one to manage a greater intake of produce into their diet.


• A produce box does takes a little more time to prepare dishes from scratch.


• A produce box cuts back on eating out by keeping to the commitment to not let any produce got to waste.


• Pre-planning of meals is a must with a produce box. For instance as soon as I know that the produce list is posted for the various boxes available for order, I start pondering recipes and look up recipes about particular vegetables or fruits.

Here's one of her recipe that using a common ingredient we both share in our deliveries: Chard

Saute Chard and Tomatoes over a Bed of Rice

This recipe has many unique flavors. It will be an interesting recipe to try.

Saute up minced ginger and garlic in palm fruit oil.

** Palm fruit oil can be found at your local COOP or speciality store.**

Add a low quality tomato like roma.

Allow it to simmer to reduce the tomato into a sauce consistency.

Add in peanut butter to taste.

Stir to blend.

Optional add in point for meat.

Add in shredded chard with stems removed.

Season with pepper and salt to preference.

Cover.

Add in chard and Let it cook down in the sauce.

Serve on a bed of rice.

Each person cooks to their liking with the items on hand. One person may carry certain items in their pantry. It has become apparent to me that each us need a little helping hand with what to create. My sister calls me the other day and tells me a recipe in the course of our conversation her recipe from the Kraft website and is really easy especially while being able to entertain my two cute wonderful nephews. Lucky enough I had a computer ready to share her recipe:

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts depending on how many to serve. (1 chicken breasts= 1 serving)
Butterfly the long way of the chicken. Careful not cut the other side off.
Stuff about two tablespoons of flavorful cheese into the chicken pocket. She used an Irish cheese she had on hand.
Place 2 asparagus spears inside it long wise.
Close the flap.
Sprinkle Parmesan on top.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes.

I'd like to take a moment to thank all who have provided me recipes and/or techniques. Cooking is great fun in providing challenge in making new recipes. One of my favorite ways to past time is to search for recipes. I go to the library to browse cook books. While googling ingredients, I will come across links to check out recipes at the following websites: NPR, Health magazine, KCRA channel 3, or SacBee (to only name a few of the places I like to scoop.) On one of my latest searching adventures brought to me a new technique in cooking fish. I thought I would share it with you.

Simmered Fish

Prep your fish. I choose a tilipia. I used my food scissors and cut into across strips.

Let it sit while the sauce pan heats up.

Add in some olive oil to saute up fresh chopped garlic. Add in hot peppers for heat.

Next add in a couple big spoon full of a peanut dipping sauce.

Add in a little sugar for some sweetness.

Add in a little soy sauce for saltiness.

Blend the ingredients into a smooth sauce.

Allow it to heat-up to an almost simmer. Add in your cut fish.

Let the sauce pan to return back to a simmer. Stir and let it continue barely simmering until fish is flaky. Carefully stir. Fish is fragile after cooking. Turn off the heat and allow to sit prior to serving.

I enjoyed this with a stir fry of the following vegetable from my produce box: broccoli, rapini, cilantro, leek, spring red onion, shallot, and fresh wide Chinese stir-fry noodles.

The peanut sauce fish was a wonderful flavor companion with the vegetable stir-fry.

My produce box recipes for the past week:

Fish, Rice, and a tasty Chard and Leek Stir fry

Another simple dinner menu but the chard and leek stir fry might throw you for a loop. Its two vegetables that are not commonly found together. So when my husband requested it, I thought to combine it with a familiar flavors like soy and teriyaki. Here's how I made it:

On medium heat, place a non-stick pan with sesame oil.

Once it has heated up add 3 chili pods to your desired heat preference.

Then add in the slivered leeks.

**One thing to note is the cleaning of leeks. These lovely green onion like vegetable contains hidden layers of dirt. Take time in careful washing and rinsing to remove as much as dirt as possible. Also to slice in the middle in order to remove dirt from the layers.**

Next sprinkle with a tablespoon of garlic.

Add in the chopped chard with stems removed.

Splash about a teaspoon of soy sauce.

Cover with a lid or aluminum sheet to allow the chard to shrivel down in the liquid. Let it cook for about a few minutes.

Splash teriyaki sauce over top and let it continue to cook with the cover.

Turn off the heat and let it sit. Then remove and transfer to a serving bowl.

Lentil Soup

Food Network influenced the creation of this meal. My mother-in-law saw the chef prepare this recipe and she was intrigued. So we went out and purchased lentils just for this recipe. We teamed up and split the tasks. It turned out wonderfully tasty.

Used the following ingredients:

olive oil

shallots

celery

carrots

mushrooms

garlic

chicken stock

water

Optional: baked ham and garlic french bread

Method:

Heat-up a soup pot on medium heat. Add some olive oil.

Chop up two shallots and place in pan.

Next add in two stalks of celery.

Add in two mushrooms. (I like to chop my finely.)

Add in two tablespoons of garlic.

Add in a handful of carrots.

Let the vegetables cook for a few minutes.

Then if you choose to add in the optional baked ham. Allow it to brown just a little in the pan. Add in the pound of lentils. We used brownish/green lentils..

Add in the container of chicken stock (contains 4 cups) and two cups of water.

Turn the heat down to low and allow the soup to simmer - not boil.

Stir and monitor the liquid. Check on the lentils to see if they need more cooking time.

The soup took about 45 minutes to simmer.

Barbecue Game Hens

After a busy day at work, it nice to come home and dive into culinary creativity. I started up the barbecue to cook this meal and its components.

Take your defrosted game hens out of the refrigerator and rinse off. I used my kitchen shears to open up the game hen. I cut the game hen into two parts: the chicken & wings and legs, thighs, and back. I rubbed salt, pepper, and olive oil over it. Set aside while my grill heated up and regulated its temperature.

I prepped some of the remaining vegetables in my produce box. I made aluminum foil grill packets. I usually just place the vegetable inside and cover with a little olive oil and garlic. The packets do not take long to cook and turn out really tasty. (Works well with frozen vegetables too.)

I also prepped these other recipes to accompany my barbecue game hens and vegetable packets.

Fruit Salsa Salad

You will need:

1 lemon

1 jalapeno pepper (seeds remove)

cilantro

mango

2 kiwis

avocado

tomato - vine ripen tastes best

Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. Remove any seeds.

Chop up the tomato, avocado, kiwis, mango, and jalapeno.

Stir with a hint of sugar (this creates liquid) and a little salt and pepper.

Next add in the cilantro leaves.

Allow this to sit for at least 10 minutes. It will turn into a wonderful fruit salsa salad.

Grilled Garlic Bread

I like to stop by store on my way home to pick-up a fresh loaf of bread. It's very satisfying when its fresh.

I prep my garlic and olive oil in a ramekin to place into the microwave for a few minutes at 80% power.

I slice the bread and spoon on the garlic oil mixture. Wrap up in aluminum foil and place on the grill.

Flip the bread to prevent it from burning.

Microwaved Artichokes

My husband and I love artichokes. We even enjoyed them together on one of our first dates.

Trim you artichokes. Remove the outer bottom layer of leaves, stems, and cut-off the pointy tops.

Place in a microwave glass bowl.

Cook for about 5-7 minutes (depending on size of artichoke).

Test to see if the bottom is soft to pierce with a fork.

WARNING-- the glass bowl will be HOT!

Let it sit to cool and serve with a little mayo.

I've enjoyed providing my latest recipes using the ingredients from my produce box. My next delivery will be arriving soon which promises more recipes, tips, and fun cooking.

Series Produce Box, April 21, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 5

Fellow Earthlings, we lay honor to the Earth for the nutrients it provides in nourishing our bodies. Earth day was April 22, 2010.

In achieving the development of new habits to reduce resources used and to reduce extra carbons released into the atmosphere, I provide to you this week’s produce box came with a lovely surprise of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Here’s what I received:
Avocados
Kiwis
Apples
Oranges
Tangelos
Grapefruit
Lemons
Strawberries
Carrots
Celery
Sweet potatoes
Fingerling Red Potatoes
Radishes
Asparagus
Broccoli
Leeks
Rapini
White and red chard
Baby Artichokes
Zucchini
Shallots
Spring Red Onions
Green Leaf Lettuce
Mushrooms

Whew! It’s a long list but it can be eaten in time!

As we venture into about 3rd produce box delivered (and about to be consumed) I figured out a few things...

Fruits should be eaten right away. So after my documentation of my produce box I prep the perishable fruit for consumption.
The strawberries, oranges, tangelos, grapefruit and were immediately washed.
I also grabbed the carrots, celery, radish, and 1 zucchini to wash up. These will be used for the following night's dinner menu. Since it has passed I made a wonderful chef salad. For a protein source I made white fish patties with grated zucchini, onion, and diced pepper. Envision crab cakes (but I cant make those due to my husband's allergy to shellfish) so instead I learned to make salmon patties from a recipe on the back of Chicken of the Sea aluminum packaged salmon. Here it is:

Easy Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1 (7.1-oz.) pouch Chicken of the Sea® Premium Skinless & Boneless Pink Salmon Pouch
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3 Tablespoons butter

Directions
In bowl, combine red pepper, green onions, mayonnaise, lemon juice, seasoned salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Stir in Chicken of the Sea® Salmon, egg and 1/3-cup breadcrumbs (mixture may be sticky). Divide and form mixture into 4 balls. Roll salmon balls in remaining breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes about 1/2-inch thick. In skillet, melt butter over Medium heat. Fry salmon cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Makes four servings.

Substitute approximately 2 (6-oz.) cans drained salmon for 1 pouch
This can also be made with white fish.

Back on track to perishable vegetables and fruit:

An easy thing to make with citrus is to have fresh squeezed juice. Hmmm…hmmm…hmmm… This so tasty and refreshing.

Another very easy task is to wash and cut-up the strawberries. I figured out if I wait they will start changing texture and color. Yikes! Last produce box I didn't use all the strawberries up in time so unfortunately as a lesson I learned I've changed my approach.

I also decide to cut-up the kiwis especially to compliment cut-up strawberries.

Upcoming menu planning had a few recipes on the horizon. Here’s what I thought to make while viewing the contents of my produce box.

stir-fry
sweet-potato fries
guacamole

Its only a few ideas but more will follow soon!
May we continue cooking with fun!

Pasta, Meat, and Vegetables

Series: Produce Box, April 7, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 4

Purging the fridge is a must. Discarding left-over items and using ones that have a few days shelf life. The last few contents of the fruit and vegetable from the produce box lingered around for use. My upcoming recipes have creativity meshed with pantry/refrigerator basics (and who knows sometimes these recipes can become favorites.)


Braised pork with Chard and Zucchini

I like to have on hand various cuts of meat tucked away in my freezer awaiting use. When I picked up the large package of un-cut pork tenderloins at the store (Smart and Final), my thought was to place them in the crock pot or maybe on the barbecue grill. Instead I ran out of time (while applying extra time to my mosaic glass craft project) that I decided to make an impromptu recipe. I went to the refrigerator and grabbed the last few items from my vegetable bag. On hand I had red chard, zucchini, spring red onions, 1/2 onion, 1 baby artichoke, and 1 zucchini.

Here's my method:

I grabbed my pan with a lid which is also oven ready.

I sauteed up my two types of onions with a little olive oil.

As they were cooking, I washed my produce and chopped up the chard & zucchini. Then placed it aside.

I used meat scissors to make big chunks of meat. I quickly seasoned with salt and peppered. I placed it into the pan only to brown the sides of the meat. This only takes a few minutes on each side of the meat.

**Notice that I prepared my vegetables before the meat. I did this in order to prevent any cross contamination from the meat. Little tricks like these are good for your health.**

Then I tossed in the zucchini, chard, and sprinkled about two tablespoons of garlic over the top. A quick splash of Worcestershire sauce. Placed on the lid.

Then place it into a 300 degree oven for about 1/2 hour.

Stir about mid-way between the time. Test the meat. Then turn off the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

The surprise is the amount of liquid that developed inside the pan. It was a wonderful flavor that had soaked into the vegetables.

One thing that I did notice was when eating this dish was the lack of potatoes. I didn't miss it but in order to have some carbohydrates with the meal I suggest serve with a whole grain bread.

**Leftover use of the remaining pork tenderloins. This is a great idea to incorporate the meat into a different meal. My choice was to make pan enchiladas.**

Pan Enchiladas

This recipe is a work in progress on to be a consistent dish (from memory.) I liked how it tasted but I don't like my corn tortillas falling apart. I created this dish as an adaption of enchiladas and chilaquiles. Another thing I like about this dish is it doesn't matter if the corn tortillas become crispy from cooking because it tastes good with the enchilada sauce soaked into them.

I grabbed my leftover port tenderloin for the meat in this dish. I like to use either roasted chicken or a shreddable meat like pork tenderloins.

Grab a large pan preferable non-stick. Heat-up up on meat heat with a little oil. (I used canola.)

Saute of the chopped onions (I used my shallots.) I like to add seasonings to cook with it like: chili powder, cumin, cayenne, pepper, and some season salt.

I add in my pork shredded into edible pieces. Stir and add in some enchilada sauce (about 1/3 cup.) Let it simmer to soak up the liquid.

Next have on hand your shredded cheese. I used a Mexican blend pre-shredded.

Remove the meat from the pan. Rinse the pan with hot water. Place back on the stove top with ready for the next step. This will be used again after the enchiladas are rolled up.

I stuck my corn tortillas in the oven for a few minutes to get soft. It seems to help somewhat with the corn tortillas breaking. As a second thought, I also could have used the pan on low heat if you don't feel like heating up the oven.

The next steps are repetitive in adding meat and cheese to each corn tortillas (optional add: sliced olives) and rolling them up. To temporary hold them, place a toothpick through it.

About 3/4 of the way through, turn on your pan to medium heat. Wait and add some oil to bottom of the pan.

Once you have them rolled, place them in the pan. Let them brown up on one side and flip. When they are almost done, pour enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Pop on a lid or aluminum foil cover. Let them cook for a little while longer.

Remove and eat!

Potato, Apple, Onion Hashbrowns

If you might not know, I love breakfast foods for any meal. So I had fun in making this meal. My son made banana pancakes to go with my hashbrowns. This is a fulfilling meal and it also can be cooked in the snow covered woods when camping!

My husband developed this recipe and I have adapted a few things to it. First I figured out that all items can be cooked in one large pan. Meat can be added to this, too.

I first heat up a pan on medium heat with olive oil.

I add in 1 diced onion.

As an optional item, I decided to place my vegetarian sausage patties with the onions.

I chop up my apple and throw it into the pan.

I cubed two brown potatoes and threw them into the pan.

Sprinkle a little cinnamon.

Season with pepper and salt.

Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and have browned up nicely on all sides.

Dish out to each awaiting plate or place in a bowl ready for consumption.

Garlicky Spaghetti with Chard and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Recently, I made a recipe that appeared to look bland but really had a punch of flavor- garlic! I love to eat pasta primavera with its creamy sauce and lots of vegetables. With the season changing, recipes change accordingly with it. One thing I learned about is to make your recipes reflect the weather. People would rather not eat a steaming hot bowl of soup when its warm outside. So in changing my recipe to reflect the weather, I removed the butter and cream from my pasta recipe. Here’s how I adapted my recipe and made a delicious meal containing chicken breasts, spaghetti, and fresh vegetables.

Cook the spaghetti according to directions. Make sure to keep it a little under cook where it has a little bite to it. Rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Cook up the chicken with olive oil and garlic. I tend to under cook my chicken when I cook it the first time because I add it back into the dish to cook again. This prevents the chicken breasts from getting dried out. Season the chicken breasts with red pepper flakes, pepper, a hint of dill, and a splash of lemon juice.

Next step is to prepare the vegetables. I choose to use chard, zucchini, and sun-dried tomatoes.
I carefully washed my chard and removed the core vein. I heated up olive oil with a little more garlic. Next add in the chard. Let it cook a little then add in the peas. Last I added in the sun dried tomatoes.

Once the vegetables have cooked up, toss in the pasta and chicken. One more little trick is to add in a garlic paste to coat the noodles. You will be surprised by the flavor it adds to it.

I wanted just a hint of cheese flavor. I decided to add in a handful of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

On the side, I prepared steamed microwave cooked artichokes.

Other options would be to prepare a green salad with the pasta dish.

This dish can use any type of pasta instead of spaghetti. Other options would be to use a pasta brands that contain omega-3 or whole wheat pasta.

Have fun cooking!

Chard anyone?

A beautiful green leafy vegetable with a stem that comes in various colors such as white, red, or yellow. Chard or also know as swiss chard is similar to spinach texture but tastes a little bit more bitter. This vegetable can be incorporated into meal plans.
My first produce box I received both red stem and white stem chard. I finally used up the last of it when I prepared my fried rice. I sauteed the ripped the leaves with rice and chicken. I make sure to check my flavors. Add in extra garlic if you choose to mask it.

My next task is to figure out more exciting recipes for my taste buds while also using the white chard. I did a little research on this vegetable since its nice to know what you are eating. Here's what I found out:
-Eating chard helps maintain good general health
-Provides a great amount Vitamin K, C, A (plus more but there are too many to list)
-Interesting results from studies have suggested that it could be effective in preventing colon cancer

Cooking methods (think Forrest and Bubba on shrimp)- boiled, steamed, roasted, grilled, sauteed, ... and the lists goes on.

My challenge (I have accepted ) is to create more dishes with chard.

Stay tune for more recipes!

Series: Produce Box, April 7, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 3

Palate fatigue, a term that describes what occurs when the tongue is done tasting the food. Within the first bite (or maybe the second) that we identify what we are tasting. After 5 or 6 more bites, we stop noticing the taste.

I can relate it to how many times can I eat leftovers? I can do maybe three times especially if I really like it but normally once. I eat the meal for dinner and then bring it for lunch. By dinner time, I get the chance to create something new. When trying to create take a moment to notice your patterns. What do you like to eat and how much?

Meal planning for me is about the phases in what I have in stock It's like the McGuyver idea of kitchen cooking as one might say. Before going out of the kitchen to the store, I take note of what do I have within the pantry and/or refrigerator. I monitor to refresh my memory. Plus it gives me time to review the expiration dates. Sometimes you find that one item you forgot about and use it up before it goes bad. Less waste, save more money!

Status of Vegetables - still working on it...

My next few recipes have labeled a few vegetables into categories of what wont keep too long or by what do I feel like making... Here are my runner-ups:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with a Caramelized Banana Pecan Topping

I am more than happy to make this dish because it will taste good!
I used 3-4 medium size sweet potatoes.
Peel the sweet potatoes.
Cut up into cubes.
Two cooking methods:

1. Cook in a pot filled with cold water and let it come to a boil. Potatoes will be done in about 20 minutes. Test by piercing it with a fork.


2. Microwave in a bowl for about 10 minutes. Test it. Let it sit to cool before handling.

I smashed up the the sweet potatoes in a pot on medium heat. I added about 1 tablespoon of butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and some half and half creamer.

I poured it into a pie pan.
Next I heated up another pat of butter. I then added more cinnamon and brown sugar. I let it simmer for a little bit and then added in my two sliced bananas and a handful pecans.

Let it cook just a little longer and spooned it over my sweet potatoes.

I couldn't resist trying it because it smelled so good. So I grabbed my spoon and took a bite of the combo. This was sooo good! It's a nice treat and a good twist on the normal topping.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls






This recipe was a little difficult at first when I started making cabbage rolls. Over time, I have modified and enhanced my methods in preparing them. There are about 4 things that have to be done prior to rolling the cabbage leaves.

A. Rice

I used about 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. Cook per package recipe.

B. Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

2 onions - diced and caramelized
1 large can of tomato puree
1/2 small can of tomato sauce

The sauce is made similar to a spaghetti sauce texture. I added in balsamic vinegar and sugar to create the sweet and sour taste. Plus I let it cook down until thick as it simmered the liquid away.


C. Meat

Most stuffed cabbage roll recipes typically use a ground meat mixture of pork or lamb. I have in the past used ground pork and ground turkey. This time I switched it up since I just bought a bunch of chicken breasts.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Cook them up just enough to make sure its cooked on the outside both sides. Then drain and sit on a paper towel to the side.

Chicken breasts will dry out if over cooked. So my technique was to let the meat sit and it finished cooking the inside. Then I chopped up into smaller bit size pieces.

D. Cabbage

Preparing the cabbage leaves is task more easily said than done. I have discovered that one head of cabbage is all that is needed. Here's how I prepared my cabbage leaves for the boiling water. I removed the core. Next I slice the head carefully in half next to where the stem of the cabbage leaf. Then I only pulled apart where it was easy to separate them. If they don't pull apart-don't worry a solution will appear after par boiling it I placed batches of cabbage leaves into the pot. Let it boil until the leaves became soft and pliable but still a little crunchy. I removed them and rinsed with cold water. Set aside to drain. Continued each batch until done. It took about 4 batches for me.

Final Step before the oven:

Preheat the oven to about 375 degrees.

I grabbed my 13x9 glass pan.

I grab a bowl to mix the minced chicken breast, rice, and sweet and sour tomato sauce. I like to make this in batches to make sure I don't have too much left over. So I first start with about 3/4 cup of chicken, 1 cup of rice, and 1/4 cup of sauce (you can add more to the mixture if you would like.)

I grab a leaf cut out any of the hard stem in a triangle cut.

Then roll-up my cabbage roll. I cant really describe the roll in words. So you will have to imagine a mixture between rolling up a burrito, egg roll, or sushi roll. Just try to keep the flaps end so it doesn't leak out the sides.

Place in pan and roll the next one.

From studying other recipes, I developed my own technique on what to do with the leftover cabbage leaves that you cannot roll. I like to tuck them around the edge of the pan. I also like to place it on top to keep the cabbage rolls from burning on the edges.

I cover with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then I check it to see if their are little bubbles inside the pan. If there is, then uncover and let it cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove and let it cool (otherwise you may regret trying to take a bit immediately.)

This serves at least 8-10 people.

Beef Borscht

I've possessed a curiosity to try making this soup ever since i t was embedded in my memory as tasty. So I took it upon myself to give this a try when I was ready to put in the effort to make it. A confidence should exist within oneself when taking on a new recipe. Keep true to what you like when taking on a new dish. I start with the expectation to make a tasty soup then it will be a good soup.

However, each recipe may need a few tricks to introduce the family to a new vegetable.

Use a recipe incorporates beef. I knew that my husband would be willing to try it even if just for the meat.

For those who love to pick at their food:

Grate the vegetables. So the carrots, zucchini, apple, and beets would be all the same shape and color in the end. Cant really decipher what is what...

I left the potatoes as a dice cube to have a recognizable vegetable.

I also used butter to saute my onions, apples, and beets.

Here's what I used for my own version of beef borscht:

1 box of organic chicken stock

2 medium size fresh beets, grated

2 spring red onions, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 apple, grated

1/2 cup or so of cabbage

3 carrots, grated

3 brown potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 lb of stew beef, cubed

3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup of tomato puree

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup of butter cut into cubes

Here's the technique:

I two different cooking vessels- a saute pan and a soup pot.

For the saute pan:

Heat up the pan. Melt some the butter.

Add in the spring red onions and onions. Cook. for about 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Next grate an apple into the pan.

Add a little more butter.

Season with pepper and salt.

Let it cook for at least 6 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add in your two grated beets.

Splash with the balsamic vinegar.

Add in brown sugar.

Season again with pepper and salt.

Then make a circle in the middle of the pan and add in the last of the butter.

Then after a little cooking, add in the tomato puree.

Let it cook on low temperature for at least 15 minutes. This will need be stirred often.

For the soup pot:

Heat up the pot on medium to high heat. Add in canola oil to cover the bottom thickly.

Once the oil has heated up, add in the seasoned (with black pepper) beef stew meat in two batches. Let it only cook the outside of the meat. Remove and drain on paper towels then sprinkle with season salt. The beef should not looked cooked only partially done.

Next remove the scum from the oil leftover from cooking the beef. (I know it doesn't make sense when you read it until you see it.The top of the oil will be covered with it. I turned my pot to low and with my dry hands used a soup spoon to carefully remove the beef scum. I spooned it into a plate covered with a paper towel. )

Toss in the cubed potatoes. Let them cook and then roughly scrapped them of the bottom of the pan.

(If there is too much oil in the pot remove excess with a paper towel and remove with thongs. Place on the plate with beef scum and let it cool before tossing.)

Toss in the chopped garlic.

Season with pepper, season salt, garlic powder, and a little cayenne pepper.

Next add in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Add in the cabbage.

Add in the entire box of organic chicken stock (usually about 5-6 cups).

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Then add in the beef.

Continue to let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Next add the contents of the saute pan.

Slowly stir the mixture together.

Let it cook on low for at least an hour. It should be stirred about every 15 minutes.

Test the flavor and adjust with pepper and salt if necessary.

Test the beef for tenderness.

Broil up some good french bread with butter and enjoy a bowl of Beef Borscht.

Stir Fried Rice with Chicken Breasts and Broccoli

This dish came into play because I had leftover rice and chicken. Then used another vegetable from the box with frozen peas.

Fried rice is really easy to make and doesn't take much time. My latest batches of Asian cuisine, I have been using 100% sesame oil. I found it at Smart and Final. I made a quick decision to purchase it because I enjoy cooking stir-frys. I thought it would bring in a flavor that I might have been missing.

So if you complete this recipe didn't worry about the type of oil used. Just have fun making it and eating it. There are lots of variations as to how people cook fried rice. I haven't really stuck with one way or another. I keep experimenting until I find good techniques in making it. So that I can swap out ingredients depending on what I have on hand.

Here's the basics of what I have followed:

- Use chopped garlic- at least two tablespoons

-Season the rice while it is frying in the oil with pepper, salt, and garlic powder- this does make a difference

-As the rice is cooking sprinkle liberally with soy sauce... don't forget you can use the soy packets that come with order-in Chinese food.

-Use a meat that will cook up easily or heat-up... if you have precooked meat like chicken or previous nights barbecue meats. One of my best batches was using barbecued pork chops cut into cubes for a stir fry. It tasted delicious with the hint of grill and sauce.

-Make sure to beat your eggs in container prior to pouring into the pan. Plus create a circle in the middle of the pan and add a little bit of oil. This will eliminate the eggs from sticking.

-Lastly, don't forget to taste before removing from the pan.

Reflecting back to food goals...to make sure that we achieve a healthy lifestyle. In my humbleness, I dedicate my blog to idealization that we can change habits and find ourselves actually becoming who we envision.

This Week's Delivery

Series: Produce Box, April 7, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 2

"Eat all your vegetables" was the mantra going through my head while I used up the produce box delivered a week ago. My family in good humor has helped accomplished the task of eating their fair share of vegetables. Plus, I made sure each meal included a good selection of fruit and vegetables. On hand I had some carrots, lettuce, and chard.

I venture into this week's box with the hope to create new and exciting dishes. Also try to spread it out into two weeks of eating all the produce.

Here's what I got to plan around...

oranges

apples

lemons

zucchini

chard

beets

artichokes

2 big baskets of strawberries

sweet potatoes

cabbage

avocados

baby lettuce

head of lettuce

spring red onion

broccoli

Zucchini With Balsamic Caramelized Spring Red Onions

This dish was a simple creation that used a few items. I chopped up one spring red onion and let it cook in a skillet with olive oil. Next I added some chopped garlic. Let it cook a little about 1-2 minutes. Next I splashed about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Seasoned with pepper and salt.
Let it simmer to reduce the liquid. Next toss in about 1 cut zucchini.Let it cook for another 2 minutes. Remove while the zucchini is still crunchy. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese. Great for the summertime!

Salads and Fruit

A dinner salad can be added as a side to any meal. Its about selecting as many vegetables that can be added to it. I selected a few for this meal. I used baby lettuce, strawberries, fresh orange slices, and apples. I used a complimentary dressing such as Briana's poppy seed (or other varieties) to drizzle over it. It was be refreshing with homemade bread croutons.

Breakfast Food for Dinner?

I love to enjoy a hearty breakfast but some mornings I run out of time. So instead I will make it for dinner. Here's some meal ideas....

Hash browns
Start with 3 peeled potatoes. Dice them up.
Turn on a skillet to medium heat. Wait for the skillet to heat up and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Potatoes love to soak in oil to become crispy. If the pan is too hot the potatoes will burn but if the pan is too low they will not brown. So find a combination in between.
The potatoes will take at least 20 minutes. At the end of cooking, I might turn up the fire to get that quick crispy potato that I love so much!
Season the potatoes with pepper, salt, and garlic powder.

Options:
Add a diced up onion while the potatoes are cooking.
Add a diced up apple while the potatoes are cooking.
Add bell peppers while the potatoes are cooking.

One thing I wouldn't suggest is cheese. Add it on after you remove the food from the pan.

Ham, Chard, and Scrambled Eggs

A cool tip I noticed was to use chard as a replacement for spinach.
I had some leftover ham and deli meat. I first heated my skillet and added the ham. As it is cooking, add the chard. Let it wilt down with the meat liquid. When its almost done cooking, pour in your beaten egg. Leave the heat on for 1 minute and turn off. The egg will finish cooking on its own from the leftover heat.

As I reflect upon my dinner, it was pulled together with a lot of vegetables. I didn't need to open any boxes or cans. Changing the way of eating from a world of convenience with prepared packaged food to simple down to earth ingredients takes effort. It is the constant push of what can I create today while the vegetables are still fresh... so I did a little meal planning to make sure it will turn out to be a great experience.
This week's will consist of the following meal ideas:

• Beet and Beef Stew
• Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
• Stir Fry
• Stuffed Artichokes

Thoughts on Food

Today I heard a phrase that states one my reasons for cooking:

Cooking allows you to control what you put into your body.

Why do you cook?

The First Fruit & Vegetable Box Delivery

Series: Produce Box, March 31, 2010 Delivery; Published Blog 1




The above picture shows the selection of produce delivered to my house. It's a new program for downtown neighborhood that by pure chance was recently introduced to me. An actual door-to-door salesperson was walking around the neighborhood to collect more deliveries to the area. (Don't worry I didn't have to actually provide my personal information at the door to a complete stranger. I took their information and went to the website.) Farm Fresh to You is the name of company that is offering this service to bring the produce boxes to your home (or work.) It's very flexible in box types and delivery times while also supporting organic local farmers.


I love the idea of having, on hand, fresh produce more regularly and to have it delivered to my door is even cooler. It means that instead of stopping at the grocery store or driving to the local farmer's market is no longer the main two ways to have fresh produce on hand.


The rest of my blog is to provide a little information on how I went about planning meals around this produce box.



My first task was to remove all the items from the box and place it on the table. I had a very good selection:


3 types of citrus: 4-navel oranges, 2-murcot tangerines, 2-minneola tangelos


basket of strawberries


2 fuji apples


1 eureka lemon


asparagus bunch


cabbage head


small cauliflower head


a bunch of small to medium carrots


a bag of baby mixed lettuce


a head green leaf lettuce


onion


a bunch of red and white chard




I also had on hand some red grapefruit (a coworker provided to me) and 3 small granny smith apples leftover from the store.





I grabbed a notebook and started jotting down ideas. My first thoughts were to decide what is the freshest to hold off using and what needs to be used up now.



Homemade Apple Sauce


I used up all the apples to make a easy microwave cooked apple sauce. This took about 5 minutes for prep and 15 minutes cooking. I used a glass lidded casserole dish to cook in.


Rinse your apples
Next dice up the apples and place into a microwave bowl
Splash with a lemon juice (using the lemon in the box)
Sprinkle with cinnamon
Place the lid on top
Place into the microwave and cook for 10 minutes
Remove and stir
Place back in for another 5 minutes
Stir and smoosh apples
Let it sit to cool and thicken
Store in the fridge



Later uses...

I will use this applesauce for a apple turnover filling.
I use a pie dough cut into squares.
I place some apple filling in the middle.
Then fold the dough over to make a pocket
This reminds me of a apple home run pie. Simple & fulfilling for a snack or breakfast item.




Lemon Zest Sugar Crumbles


This is a sugar crumble mixture made from lemon zest and simple syrup. My attempt was to make sure to waste as little produce as possible. So the lemon rind can also be used. Since this was experiment the results may vary. This recipe requires a lot of patience in boiling the syrup mixture.


Heat up on medium heat a saute pan and add a little butter. Maybe about 1 teaspoon.
Next shave the rind off the lemon. I sliced into thin shreds.
I add equal parts of sugar and water- 1 cup of each.
Next add the lemon rind shreds.
I brought it to a boil. Let it simmer/boil for about 20 minutes. Tested it as how it clinged to the spoon.
Once it was less watery then I prepared the sheet to pour it out on.
Grab a sheet of greased aluminum foil.
Pour and spread the mixture out on it.
Let it cool completely.
Then crumble it with kitchen shears.
Place it in a tupper ware dish.


I haven't figured how to use it but I have a few ideas. Possibly - a topping for a simple sugar cookie, crumbles for the top of muffins, add-in to my applesauce for the apple turnover, or add-in to the baking mixture for welsh cookies.




The produce box had a lot of chard. I prepped it all at once. I removed the leaves from the stems and placed in a bowl to soak. This would make it easier for storage and save time for upcoming meals. I decided with the assistance of my mother-in-law that simmering chard is one of the better techniques. She tried it in a vegetable and meat pot stew. I decided to use it in a chicken soup.


Vegetable Chicken Soup

This is such a versatile soup. It uses basic ingredients of chicken stock, shredded chicken, and vegetables. I decided to add barley since I had it on hand. One may choose to use potatoes, rice, or noodles.

I used the following vegetables: chard, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic

Grab a soup pot
Heat it up on medium heat
Add some olive oil
Chop up an onion and add it to the pot once it heats up
Let it brown on the edges
Add garlic to your preference as to how much you like (I added about a tablespoon of chopped garlic)
Add in the chard- I used about 5-6 chard ripped into shreds
Add in about 1/2 the carrots cut in fourths
Add in your 1/2 the cabbage shredded
Then add about 4-5 cups of stock to cover the vegetables.
Optional: Add in about 1/2 cup of barley
Season with pepper and salt
Let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, partially covered.
Check to see if the barley is done.
Then grab a bowl to enjoy!





Homemade Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries


I just bought a really cool, easy to use soft served ice cream machine. I have learned to make a tasty vanilla ice cream. I topped this cool dessert with fresh strawberries and a little hot fudge.

In case you are curious about it- here's the information:

Cuisinart Ice-45 Mix-It-In Soft-Serve 1 1/2 Quart Ice Cream Maker

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

This machine is easy to use. Remember to freeze your bowl ahead of time. I made vanilla ice cream from scratch.

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk

2 cups of cream

1-2 teaspoons of vanilla

Put together the machine. Remove the bowl from the freezer and pour in the mixture.

Turn on the machine. Check on it in about 15 minutes for ice cream consistency.

Place bowl or cone under the spout.

Fresh Squeezed Juice

I used my selection of citrus to make a tart, tangy grapefruit and orange juice.


Lettuce Wraps


The produce provided two different types of lettuce. I decided to use the head of green leaf lettuce for this meal since it can hold the ingredients.



For this meal I will use the following vegetables: green leaf lettuce, carrots, cabbage



First clean your lettuce very well. Remove with a knife the stem for easy rolling.

For the filling:
Grate the carrots.

Shred the cabbage.


I will use shredded chicken mixed with a peanut sauce for the filling.

I will prepare sushi rice to go inside it. The sushi rice combined with rice wine and simple sugar syrup will keep its shape once made. (See recipe below)

Then place the ingredients inside the lettuce kinda like building a taco.

This is a little messy to eat and really tasty!

Sushi Rice Recipe

2 Cups of sushi rice - well rinsed until water runs clear

2 cups of water

Cook according to directions on package.

Separately prepared in a microwaveable bowl:

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

Microwave on high for about 30 to 45 seconds

Then in a glass bowl combine your (somewhat) cooled rice rice and fold in your sugar and vinegar mixture. Allow it to cool to room temperature before using it.

If you have been keeping track of the produced used you'll notice that I have created some really tasty recipes all from the produce provided. I also have some more to use. The asparagus, cauliflower, and leftover carrots will be used as vegetable side dishes for Easter meal.

I have one more meal to make with the chard. So this one comes with the expectation that I will be baking a ham within the next couple of days. For many years, I have not cooked ham partly because of my husband's digestive preference. We remove foods from our diet that cause discomfort from eating it. This concept makes total sense. The hardest part is removing that food completely from your diet like red meat, certain tomato products, or sausages. Then to bring it slowly back in with minor changes to prepping it or cooking it. So it was recently discovered baked ham is OK to a certain extent and totally depends on how it is cooked.

On the menu:

The following meal will have 3 parts to it-- Baked Ham, Chard, and Cornbread

I will bake the ham accordingly to the directions.

I will bake the cornbread with an add-in of frozen corn, cheese, and topped with a jalapeno ring.

I will simmer the chard with garlic.

This ends my meal planning surrounding the produce box. I hope to inspire others to take on a challenge of buying fresh produce and plan meals around it.

Welsh Cookie Shortcakes

My love of cookies has the ever roaming eye for a new recipe to try. I am passing on this recipe to you to enjoy!


Welsh Cookie Shortcakes


This recipe is fairly easy to make ahead of time and will be great for fresh fruit season.The texture of the welsh cookie is a cross between a biscuit, scone, and a pancake. Its not dry or crumbly. I think some modifications can be made for the dried fruit and spices.


My first time making it I used the following recipe and techniques.


Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter- cold and diced


Mix the above ingredients together. The butter should be cut into the dry mixture with either two knives or a pastry blender.


Next add the dried fruit. (I used craisins but you can try other types like raisins, cherries, apricots, or dates.)


3/4 cup of craisins


In a separate small bowl beat the following ingredients:


2 large eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla


Then add the wet bowl ingredients to the dry mixture. Stir together into a shaggy dough. If the dough is too dry add a little more buttermilk.


Then gather the dough into a disk. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.


Walk away for a little "me" time like reading a good book with a cup of coffee.


Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough on a floured workplace and cut into 2-3 inch rounds.


Heat up a frying pan over medium heat. Add some oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Cook the cookies until slightly brown and cooked through.

Transfer to a rack or plate covered with a paper towel.


Cut up some fresh fruit like strawberries, pineapple, or mango.

Grab a plate and start the layering process: 1 welsh cookie, a little cool whip, and a little fruit, 1 more cookie, a little cool whip, and top off with more fresh fruit.

Grab a fork and enjoy!

Perfect Cup of Coffee

Depending on what type of coffee making device you use, the measurements to obtain a perfect cup while vary. My recipe has been tested several times to provide a consistent taste. I use the Melitta Cone Drip that holds a #4 Melitta coffee filter.


My Perfect Cup of Hot Coffee
This is for 1 serving


Bring cold water to an almost boiling temperature.

Grind your beans.

Place the filter in the cone.

Scoop 4 level tablespoons of fresh ground coffee beans.

Grab a glass measuring cup to fill with the hot water. Careful not to burn yourself. It will be hot.

Pour 1 1/3 cups of water over the grounds.

Very important to let it drip until all the water is gone. This helps bring an overall balance to the cup of coffee. The concept to keep in mind is that coffee should have the proper dilution of water and coffee.

I like to enjoy my coffee with homemade chocolate chip cookies!





For ice cubes of coffee:


12 scoops of coffee

4 cups of hot water


Let the coffee finish brewing. As it still warm, you can add sugar or flavored syrup. (See recipes below for ideas.)

Then pour the coffee into a clean ice tray.

Let it cool to room temperature.

Then place it in the freezer.

Let it sit for at least a day.


Here's what it looks like. One thing to note is there is a high probability that this might discolor
the ice tray and add a flavor to it.

Add these ice cubes to cooled coffee in the summer for an ice coffee drink.

Simple Sugar Syrup

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan.

Simmer over low heat until sugar has dissolved.

Cool and store in the refrigerator for later use.

I found this recipe in the back of a mystery novel that has to deal with coffee and totally want to try it.

Homemade Caramel-Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients Needed:

1 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of light Karo syrup

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon of salt

8 oz of chocolate milk or 1 cup of milk chocolate chips

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of salted butter

Combine the cream, syrup, sugars, and salt.

Stir over medium heat until smooth.

Bring to a rolling boil and maintain for 8-10 minutes.

Remember to keep stirring to prevent burning the bottom of the sugar mixture.

If you stop here then you will have a caramel sauce.

If you continue then grab another pot.

Melt the butter and chocolate to stir until smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the saucepan with the caramel syrup to blend.

This sauce can be served warm or placed into a plastic squeeze bottle for future use.

You can use this sauce blended with coffee ice cubes and vanilla ice cream for a frozen coffee drink.