Bidding my garden goodbye for the winter

As I sit here, drinking my coffee and surveying the frost covering my grass and garden, I come to the realization that my vegetable gardening season has come to an end.  I'll miss the daily trips out to the garden to pick whatever was ripe.  My dog Beans will miss eating grape tomatoes fresh off the vine.  But the one thing I will miss the most are homegrown tomatoes.  We joyfully consumed them all summer, and I canned many quarts of them for enjoyment over the long winter.  But, soon I will be forced to buy......gasp......tomatoes from the grocery store.  They are a sad substitute for the homegrowns, but they will have to do until summer next year.

Here are some of the things I learned from my garden this year:

1.  Growing broccoli is a waste of time and precious garden space.  It takes up a lot of room, and yields very little.  I will be content to buy broccoli from the grocery store, and use the space in my garden for better things.

2.  Kohlrabi rocks!  Strange looking little cabbage-like globes that are wonderful sliced then eaten raw, or even roasted in the oven or grilled.  I will plant more of these next year, we ate them up too quickly.

3.  Yellow tomatoes are pretty, and that's about all they are.  I planted a regular sized yellow tomato plant, and a yellow mini pear tomato plant this year just out of curiosity.  I learned that, while the bright and sunny yellow color is pleasing to the eyes, their flavor is nothing special.  So, next year, I will eliminate them from my garden, and seek out a new heirloom variety or two to take their places.

4.  Pole style green beans are easy to grow, taste great, and don't require bending over to pick.  Many beans were left on the vines, hidden between the dense foliage of the plants, often resulting in beans over 6 inches long, and containing 10-12 bean pods inside.  I will plant at least two rows of green pole beans, but I will also try the purple variety, hoping they will be much more visible!

5.  Two grape tomato plants will yield more tomatoes than a family of four can eat.  I will plant two plants again next year, but I will cage them with two cages each, one stacked on top of the other, to a height of 8 feet.  this will prevent them from invading the rest of my tomato patch.  I often found grape tomato vines and their fruit winding their way through other tomato plants as far as 4 feet away.  Containment will be the key next year.

6.  Plant more eggplants.  I planted one regular plant, and one of the japanese variety this year, and once I tasted them, I immediately wished that I had planted more plants.  The japanese variety yield cucumber sized and shaped eggplants, which were wonderful sliced and roasted in the oven until golden brown.  The regular sized eggplants were used in eggplant parmesan, and often cut up and put into vegetable soups.  I will plant at least two plants of each variety, and perhaps an additional two of the japanese variety.

7.  While the Rutgers variety of tomato produced a lot of lovely tomatoes for me this year, they didn't produce what I call the "BLT Tomato" that my family loves.  By this I mean softball sized tomatoes that yield slices that will cover an entire slice of bread.  I'll reduce the number of Rutgers, and re-introduce the wonderful Porterhouse variety.

In January, when the mayhem of the holidays is past us, I will begin my annual obsession with seed catalogs.  In March, I'll start my tomato plants, basil, and cilantro from seed.  My dining room and living room will be taken over by grow lights, and seed starting trays through mid-May, when I'll plant the precious plants in the garden.  I'll plant kohlrabi, beets and swiss chard seeds directly into the soil.  Then, once again comes the hard part, waiting for all of the wonderful bounty.

So, to my garden, you were good to my family and me this year.  I wish you a peaceful slumber over the cold winter months, and can't wait to work with you again in the spring.

Miscellaneous Musings

Well, the summer has flown by.   In about a week, my son will become a Sophomore, and my daughter a 5th grader.   We survived our summer together with no tears, only a few arguments, and a lot of laughs and good times.

My kids both broadened their horizons this summer, trying out new things, and meeting new people.  I admire both of them for their courage.

My daughter played in her first softball league, and absolutely loved it.  I admired her for accepting her assignment to a team of complete strangers with a sense of excitement.  She made new friends and learned a lot about being part of a team.

My son played golf all summer with Flint Junior Golf, and improved every week.  Again, I admire him for joining the group, despite not knowing anyone there.  In the end, he missed making the playoff rounds by only two strokes, shooting his best round of the year in the final week.

We grew a garden together, and my children got a better sense of where our food comes from.  Many BLT sandwiches were enjoyed thanks to our tomato patch.  We often marveled at the giant zucchinis we found in the mornings that were only small ones the day before.  We laughed heartily when we discovered that our big dog Beans had an affection for raw green beans just picked from the vine, leaving my daughter to ask, "mom, if Beans eats beans, is it cannibalism?"

Fall raspberry season starts next week, and the thought of having to pick berries has my son moaning and groaning as if I were making him haul rocks.  My daughter, on the other hand, takes the opportunity for what it truly is, an opportunity to stand in a patch full of sweet, juicy berries, picking the wonderful fruit, and eating at least as many as she puts in the bucket!  Raspberry jam will be made and put away for consumption during the cold winter months.

As my kids return to school this fall, I hope they will tell their friends that they had a great summer.  A summer not filled with countless hours in front of the TV, WII and computer, but with small adventures in the outdoors, baking cookies, trips to the library, craft projects, watching movies at home, sleeping in, and staying up late.  Life can be simple if we make it a priority.  Our children are only children for a short time, and we owe it to them to teach them to appreciate the simple things in life.  My daughter will be one of the few kids in her class without a facebook account, and my son will not have a cell phone.  Neither of them feel deprived, and I again am in admiration of them for realizing that these things are not necessities, just merely distractions. 

As for me, I am looking forward to the fall, and the challenges that it will present. 

I hope that everyone had a summer as good or better than the one we in the Taylor house shared!

LT

Meatless day three, still going strong

The eggplant parmigiana was awesome.  Lots of leftovers for lunch over the next few days. 

Last night was a clean-out-the-refrigerator kind of night, and it was still rather hot at dinner time, so I made a very quick pasta dish consisting of a bunch of roasted veggies, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, red pepper, some little balls of fresh mozzarella, and a generous helping of homemade pesto over spelt pasta.  For a completely improvised meal, it turned out great, and once again, it yielded leftovers for lunch!

The boys are playing golf tonight after Tim gets out of work, and won't be home until 8pm or so, so it'll probably be leftovers tonight!

Have a great weekend everyone!

LT

No meat for 7 days, day two and still going strong.....

Hi Everyone -

had a slight delay on starting our week long journey into meatless meals.  I was overtaken with some kind of stomach bug on Monday that put me on the couch with a fever of 101 degrees, so the hubby and kids were on their own for dinner, and I could only stomach a can of chicken noodle soup.  But I'm feeling much better now, so on with the journey.

The spinach and cheese burritos were good, but I made some modifications.  I used soy cheddar jack cheese because of my lactose intolerance, and I added some cooked portobello mushrooms to the spinach-cheese-cream cheese mixture because it just didn't seem substantial enough for me.  It was a very nice addition, and added some meaty texture to the burritos.  Everyone but my daughter liked them, but she is frequently picky.  I highly recommend topping them with your favorite salsa.

Now, for day two, we're having Eggplant Parmigiana.  Tonight is my hubby's golf night, and he doesn't like eggplant, so tonight seemed like the perfect night.  Here's the recipe I'm using, courtesy of Weight Watchers:

	1/3 cup(s) seasoned bread crumbs, Italian-style
	1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
	1 tsp Italian seasoning
	1/4 tsp garlic powder
	1 medium raw eggplant
	2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
	1 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
	1/2 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  
• Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a medium-size bowl; set aside. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends; slice eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
  
• Dip eggplant first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake eggplant on a nonstick cookie sheet until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once.
  
• Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of prepared baking dish, then add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers in same order. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Slice into 4 pieces and serve. 

I'm doubling the recipe to ensure leftovers.  For all you weightwatchers out there, this recipe counts as 3 points.

Happy Eating!

LT

Seven days without meat, can we do it?

Okay, it should be obvious by now that I love food, and almost all kinds of food.  When I started to feel "not so great", I started taking a look at what I'm eating, and what I should be eating, which are not necessarily one in the same thing.  My naturopath doctor recommended the book Eat Right for Your Blood Type as a good resource.  The premise of this book is that, based on our blood type, we all have different nutritional requirements, and that following these requirements can lead to better health.  I got a copy of the book from our local library and started reading that same day.


I'm a type A blood type, and according to the book, I should be eating a more vegetarian diet, with little or no red meat or pork.  Chicken, turkey and fish are okay occasionally, but the main characters are cheese, eggs, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, and of course, lots of fruits and veggies.  Being that I already discovered that I'm somewhat lactose intolerant, I will stay away from milk, and focus only on yogurt and ricotta, feta, sheep's milk cheeses, and goat cheeses.


So, starting today, I'm putting the theories put forth in the book to the test.  For the next seven days, I will eat within the guidelines of the type A diet.  I'm hoping to lose some weight along the way too.  I'll try to post what's on the menu every day, and how the recipes tasted. Oh, and I didn't tell my family that we'll be eating vegetarian for the next week, so we'll see if anyone notices or complains! 

For today, here's what we'll be having:


Breakfast:
Fruit smoothie made with frozen blackberries, peaches, pineapple and strawberries, thinned out with some almond milk and with a little peanut butter added for protein


Lunch
Vegetarian chili that I made last night.  Loaded with beans, onions, tomatoes, corn, and this soy based crumbled meat substitute that tasted just like ground beef.


Dinner


Spinach and Cheese Burritos - From the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Cookbook

Ingredients:

For the burritos

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bunch scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 10 cups (about 10 ounces) loosely packed fresh baby spinach, stemmed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 3 cups (about 10 ounces) lightly packed Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup cream cheese
• 8 to 10 7- or 8-inch flour tortillas
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) whole tomatoes, with juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick oil spray.
For the burritos: In a large skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the scallions, garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, if desired, grated cheese and cream cheese. Remove from the heat.

To keep the tortillas from cracking, place them on a baking sheet (overlapping is fine) and heat them in the oven for a minute or two.

Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling on the lower half of a warm tortilla, fold the bottom up and the sides in to encase the filling, roll it up and place it seam-side down in the baking dish. When all the tortillas are ready, brush the tops with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until hot, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the blender tomato hot sauce: In a heavy saucepan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Add the onion, bell pepper and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the bell pepper is blistered and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, stirring to combine, and remove from the heat.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the tomatoes and puree.
Return the sauce to the pan and add the cilantro, if desired, and salt to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, partially covering the pan to avoid splatters.
Serve the burritos topped with the blender tomato hot sauce.




Happy Eating Everyone


LT

Somebody Get Me a Cheesburger!

When I think of cheeseburgers, the first things that come to mind are warm summer nights, beer, and our backyard barbecue grill.  In the cold winter months, I often find myself dreaming of that first burger of the season, when it's finally warm enough to push the grill out to the edge of the garage to cook some of these wonderful meaty bundles of pure heaven. 

Burgers in my house are often the standard type, ground round or sirloin, seasoned only with Canadian steak seasoning, and topped with a slice of Swiss, provolone or cheddar cheese, and the usual mustard, ketchup, pickles and a nice juicy red tomato slice.  While I love the standard beef cheeseburger, I am always intrigued by culinary twists on the original.  When reading my multitudes of cooking magazines, the recipes that usually catch my eye first are the burgers.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Curry Turkey Burgers -I almost always  double this recipe, the leftovers are dynamite in lunches the next day!  Absolutely do not skip the mango chutney as a topping, it makes the burger something special!  You can cook these on the outdoor grill also, just make sure to cook them to well done.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• A handful cilantro, chopped very fine, about 2 tablespoons, optional
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons mild curry paste or a handful of curry powder
• Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 crusty rolls, split

Toppings:

• Bib or leaf lettuce
• Sliced vine-ripe tomatoes
• Mango chutney

Directions

Combine first 8 ingredients and form into 5 patties.
Brush or drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill patties 6 minutes on each side on indoor electric grill or pan fry for same amount of time in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Pile patties on split crusty rolls with lettuce, tomato, and chutney spread liberally on roll tops as a condiment. 

Manchego Stuffed Pork Burgers - these babies pack a lot of flavor!  Manchego cheese can usually be found in the deli or specialty cheese section of your grocery store.....

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/4 pounds coarsely ground pork
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound manchego cheese, broken into bite-size pieces
• 4 Portuguese rolls, split - or any bakery style crusty roll that you can find!
• Pimientos, tomato, red onion and/or lettuce, for topping

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Place the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the olives, garlic, oregano, chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin and allspice in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Mix the pork into the olive mixture; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Make a deep pocket in each; stuff with some manchego, then close the patty around the cheese.
Brush the burgers with oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with oil; grill the burgers until marked on the bottom, 5 minutes. Flip and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 more minutes.
Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; grill until lightly toasted. Serve the burgers on the rolls with your choice of toppings.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers - these are my family's current favorite.  We have cooked them both on the outdoor and indoor grills, both with wonderful results.  Go for the fresh mozzarella cheese as indicated in the recipe, it's soooooo much better than the regular mozz!  

Ingredients

• 10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves - Fresh basil is a must!  The dried stuff just won't cut it in this recipe!
• 3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce - or your favorite sauce in a jar.
• 12 ounces ground chicken (white meat)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 large radicchio leaves - or any kind of lettuce you have around!

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Assemble burgers with 2 slices of the toasted french bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara. 

Here's a Focaccia bread recipe that I often use for buns, you can really add any herbs or cheese that you like......

Parmesan Focaccia Bread - I prepare the dough in the breadmaker

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon lecithin
• 3 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and Start.
2. When the dough has risen once in the breadmaker, transfer it into an oiled, 8 inch, round baking tin. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk. In this case, I use a 9 by 11 cake pan.
3. Poke it all over with your finger, right to the bottom of the tin. Allow to rest for another five or ten minutes.
4. Pour olive oil over the top of the loaf, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) in center of oven for approximately 20 minutes, until golden

Enjoy!

So many salads, so little time

I am a huge fan of salads, what a great way to get your veggies in for the day! While I enjoy a good, basic lettuce salad, mixed with some cucumber, tomato and green pepper, there are many other possibilities to explore!  Veggie salads, fruit salads, pasta salads, bread salads, even bean salads!   With the warm weather finally arriving here  in Michigan, I am always looking for cool summer recipes that don't require a lot of cooking time.

I saw this one on food network the other day, tried it the next day, and it was fantastic!  If you have bread in your house that is getting a bit stale, it's perfect for this salad.  You can use grape, cherry, or any other kind of tomato that you have on hand.  I recommend using fresh basil instead of the dried kind, the flavor is just so much better.  This one is great cold on the second day, if you're lucky enough to have leftovers!

Scalloped Tomatoes - Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Good olive oil - Extra Virgin Olive oil for the best flavor
• 2 cups (1/2-inch diced) good bread, this is no place for wonder bread!
• 16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds) - or a bunch of grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

One of my favorite summer salads is Tabbouleh.  I love it because it allows me to use the herbs and tomatoes from my garden when they are going absolutely wild and need to be used up.  I have made the traditional recipe hundreds of times, and loved it.  I was intrigued but skeptical when I saw a recipe for Cauliflower Tabbouleh, where you replace the cracked wheat with finely ground cauliflower.  I like all kinds of raw vegetables, but wondered if my family would eat it.  I found that my concern was completely unfounded.  Not only did they like it, but there were no leftovers!  Next time I will double the recipe to make sure that I have some for lunch the next day!  At 114 calories per 1 cup serving, how can you go wrong?

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Ingredients

2	bags (12 ounces each) cauliflower florets
3	tablespoons olive oil
1	teaspoon curry powder - if you don't like curry, skip this ingredient, it's still really good!
1	small bunch of flat leaf parsley
1	medium onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2	seedless cucumber, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1	cup chopped ripe tomato
1/3	cup fresh lemon juice
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon black pepper
	Romaine lettuce - optional

1. Cut large cauliflower florets into uniform pieces. Place cauliflower in food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to grate into uniform granules, about 1 minute.

2. Meanwhile, rinse parsley and trim and discard large stems. Place parsley springs in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to chop, 10 to 20 seconds.

3. Combine reserved cooked cauliflower, parsley, onion, cucumber and tomato in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl mix remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, curry powder salt and pepper. Pour over cauliflower mixture and toss with rubber spatula to mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled on Romaine lettuce leaves.

I made this salad for the first time last night to have with grilled chicken.  I love the combination of sweet and salty, and wasn't disappointed.  Next time I might add some pecans on top for crunch.  If you don't have arugula, leaf lettuce works great in this recipe.  If all you have is romaine or iceberg, just chop it fairly fine.  I also reduced the amount of olive oil from 1/2 cup to 1/8 cup.  It really cut down on the calories without adversely affecting the consistency of the dressing.

Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad -  Ina Garten - Food Network

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice - the made from concentrate one is just fine too!
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup good olive oil - I cut this down to 1/8 cup, and it was fine.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry - or whatever lettuce you have
• 1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
• 12 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced - the crumbled kind is fine too!
• 1 cup (4 ounces) whole fresh mint leaves, julienned

Directions

Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.

Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

And lastly, this one is a meal in itself!  I doubled the amount of canned tuna to give it more protein.

Tuna Bread Salad - Melissa D'Arabian - Food Network

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked great Northern white beans
• 1 (5 to 6-ounce) can light tuna, packed in oil, drained - I used 2 cans
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 long baguette, cut into cubes (slightly stale works great)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (or oregano)

Directions

In medium serving bowl, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes before adding the beans, tuna, shallots and olives. Just before serving, mix in the bread cubes and combine gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the oil, whisking to blend. Pour over the salad just before serving. Add the basil and toss. Taste for seasoning before serving.

And here's just one more.  I haven't tried it yet, but it has a lot of  my favorite things in it.  Edamames are green soybeans, and can be found in the frozen food section of your grocery store.  

Pecorino and Bean Salad - Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 cups (9 ounces) shelled edamame beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 ounces pecorino, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Directions

In a small, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary. Set aside.
Combine the edamame beans, cannellini beans, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic mixture and toss well until all the ingredients are coated. 

I hope you enjoy these!  If you have a favorite salad recipe, I'd love to hear about it!

Happy eating everyone!

Milk, you're no friend of mine!

Before anyone thinks that I'm going to say that milk is bad for everyone, and nobody should drink it, let me say this:  if you can tolerate it, I'm happy for you, and consume to your heart's content!  The statements I make here only apply to me!   

I made an appointment to see a naturopathic doctor in September because I just wasn't happy with the way I felt.  I was almost always tired and brain foggy.  One of the first things she had me do was a cleansing diet.  For three weeks, I ate no dairy, wheat, corn, or acidic foods.  I found that, while on the diet, my energy returned, and I felt a lot better than I had in a long time.  After the three weeks of cleanse, it was time to start introducing the dairy, wheat, corn and acidic foods back into my diet, one at a time, to see if I was sensitive to any of them. Since my love of cheese and yogurt came second only to my love of bread, the first thing I reintroduced was dairy.  Within the first day of eating dairy again, the fatigue and brain fog promptly returned.  That's when I started researching milk sensitivities and milk allergies.  I learned that you don't have to be born with lactose intolerance.  I drank milk for 30+ years with no ill effects.  It is only in the last few years that I have been plagued with the symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, and some of those nasty intestinal symptoms that I won't mention.  I learned that some adults can develop lactose intolerance in their 40's! 

As a result of reading this, I eliminated milk, cheese, and yogurt from my diet.  My fatigue and other symptoms subsided within 3-4 days.  On the occasions that I consumed ice cream, the symptoms returned, and stayed with me for 3-4 days.  I made the decision that, no matter how much I loved ice cream, it wasn't worth the way it made me feel, so I gave it up.  Instead of milk-based products, I started using soy, coconut and almond-based products to get my dairy-like fix.  I personally like Silk Vanilla Soy Milk, I consume it on a daily basis in my oatmeal, and I make fruit smoothies with it.  I also use Silk unflavored Soy milk in recipes as a substitute for regular milk with no bad results.  I started buying soy ice cream, and even coconut milk based ice cream, but at five dollars a pint, I knew that there had to be a homemade solution that would cost a lot less, and be a lot better for me.  Here's the Soy Ice Cream recipe I made this week:

• 1 cup powdered sugar - or 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 4 egg yolks (or 1/2 cup egg beaters) - I used egg beaters
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups soymilk - I also added fruit and pureed it in the blender
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Put the eggs yolks, sugar, and corn starch into a bowl; whisk the mixture together.

2. Heat the soy milk; slowly pour the hot soy milk into the mixture while continuing to beat.

3. Add the vanilla extract.

4. Gently heat the mixture until it thickens.

5. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

6. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker; make ice cream following the instructions of the machine.  If you want to add fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, wait until the ice cream starts to thicken before adding them.   If you like your ice cream really soft, it's ready to eat.  If you prefer a harder texture, freeze it for several hours, and it will be more scoopable.

 It's not real ice cream, but it's pretty darned close!  Next batch I make will be chocolate!

Knowing what I know now, I'm disappointed that my regular doctor didn't even attempt to determine if I had milk sensitivity.  Instead, he just proscribed me antidepressants, which helped for a while, but I always felt like they were just a band-aid, not a solution to the underlying problem. 

So, if you're suffering some or all of the symptoms that I mentioned above, consider giving up dairy for a week, and see how you feel.  It made a world of difference for me!

Happy Eating everyone!

LT

Soup, wonderful Soup

Soup has to be one of the most perfect foods I know.  It makes you feel better when you're sick, it warms you when you're cold, feeds a bunch of people, freezes well for later use, and you can use up all the odds and ends in your refrigerator when you make it!

Your soup is only going to be as good as the ingredients that you use.  I'm not advocating using expensive ingredients, but instead, high quality ingredients.  I've become a huge fan of homemade chicken stock, where you add some cheap chicken parts, a bunch of vegetables, and some seasonings to a pot of water, and four hours later, you have 6 quarts of wonderful, thick, flavorful chicken stock.  Plus, my dogs love it when I make stock because I puree the chicken and veggies up for them to eat in their dog food.  In fact, I think I hear Beans telling me it's time to make some more.  For those of you that may be thinking that you can use the chicken for something else after making the stock, don't bother, it's given up all it's chickeny goodness to the stock, but the dogs do truly love it!   For those of you that want to give it a try, here is Ina Garten's chicken stock recipe, courtesy of the Food Network:

Homemade Chicken Stock

• 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens - instead I use a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters, 59 cents a pound at Walmart
• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
• 20 sprigs fresh parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

If the thought of making chicken stock doesn't excite you, there are lots of good quality stocks and broths out there, just make sure that the one that you choose is low sodium.

Here are some of my favorite soups:

Ribollita - also known as bread soup.  I make this at Halloween time every year, it gives everyone a nice warm tummy before they set out into the often chilly Michigan Halloween night.  This one comes from Ina Garten.

• 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini - or you can use 3 cans of already cooked beans, just make sure you rinse them well.
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or smoked bacon
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
• 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. - If you're using canned beans, skip this step.

Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.  If you're using canned beans, skip this step.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups.  If you're using canned beans, just add 8 cups of chicken stock.   Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

Carrot soup - From Melissa D'Arabian - quick and yummy!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream, divided

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and the onion and sweat until the mixture starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, orange zest and oregano and cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Raise the heat and deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the stock and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the mixture for about 5 minutes before processing.

Process the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into serving bowls and swirl in a heaping teaspoon of sour cream before serving.

and here's the one I'm going to make today, mainly because I have some broccoli that's been in the vegetable drawer for a while, and needs to be used up!   I haven't tried it before, but all the ingredients sure sound good.  

Mushroom, Leek and Broccoli Soup

• 2 pkg mushrooms
• 2 sliced onions
• 1 leek - I don't have any of these, so more onions instead!
• 1 pkg broccoli
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 low fat chicken stock
• brown miso paste
• white wine
• water
• 3-4 Tbsp of lemon juice

You’ll need to:

• Sauté mushrooms and onions.
• Slice thinly your leek and separate the crowns of broccoli and put in a large saucepan.
• Cover leeks, broccoli, mushrooms and onions with chicken stock, water and some wine. Add some lemon juice to taste.
• Disolve 1 TBSP of miso paste in 2 cups of water and add to your soup.
• Mince garlic and sauté for 30 sec and add to your soup.
• Add any spices you have on hand, I put in some pepper, salt and crushed chili flakes for a nice kick
• And don’t forget to purée the soup. I left some chunks in it, but made sure all the broccoli was mushed

and this really easy soup, from Giada DeLaurentis.  It takes only minutes to prepare, and is very filling and tasty.  I make this with my kids on cold winter days, or whenever the craving hits!

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

These are only a few of my favorites, but I'm always looking for new ones to try.  So, if you have a favorite, and want to share it, leave me a comment!

thanks, and get in there and make some soup!

I love bread!

The first installment of my blog is dedicated to my favorite food on earth......BREAD!  I'm not talking about wonder bread, or any of that stuff that is mass produced.  I'm talking about real, crusty, chewy bread, made with really good ingredients, no preservatives, and baked with love.

When I was still working, one of my favorite bread places was Great Harvest Bread Company.  They really know how to make high quality, really tasty bread.  It wasn't uncommon that I would stop by there at least once or twice a week to buy a loaf or two of their many varieties.  At four dollars plus a loaf, these purchases were the first thing to be eliminated once I lost my job and had to cut down on my food spending.  Although I could no longer afford their bread, I wasn't willing to give up that level of quality.  Thus began my love affair with my bread maker.

I have my mom to thank for getting me started in the world of bread machines, she had one several years before I did.  In fact, she gave me my first one, and I was hooked!  I'm now on my third machine, a Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine, and I absolutely love it.  It takes less than five minutes to assemble the ingredients for a loaf of bread, and three hours later, warm, fresh, chewy bread!  Now, if you're put off by the $199 pricetag, fear not, there are several other models of bread makers for far less money that will produce a respectable loaf of bread.  My second breadmaker was a Oster 5838 ExpressBake Breadmaker, White, which cost only $68.00.  I used this machine for several years before graduating to the Zojirushi.

Then began my quest for great bread machine bread recipes.  I purchased three bread machine cookbooks, The Bread Machine Cookbook, The Bread Machine Cookbook II (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks), and The Bread Machine Cookbook III (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks), all written by Donna Rathmell German.  These became my bread making bibles.  If you're just getting started with bread machine baking, I highly recommend these titles.

I would be remiss if I didn't post a couple of my favorite recipes.  Here they are!

Honey Bread
Yields a 1.75 to 2 pound loaf

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 TBS vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats - do not substitute quick or instant oats, you'll be disappointed in the finished product!
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast

add all ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed, select the basic cycle, and wait for the yummy bread!

Sweet Raisin Bread
Yields a 2pound loaf

1 1/3 cup lukewarm milk or water
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon peel
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp yeast
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

add all ingredients to the bread pan in the order listed, select the basic cycle.  This is a great breakfast loaf, and even makes great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Enjoy!