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Posts Tagged ‘food’

Balsamic Apple Topping

Posted in Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Apples sauteed in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Yum! I love it when a recipe only has a few ingredients, yet delivers on flavor! Searching for something interesting and delicious to put over the pork tenderloin I had just roasted, I found this clipped recipe in one of my stacks. Apples and pork – always a great combination! Having all the ingredients on hand, I immediately started peeling and chopping. In under ten minutes, I had a delicious, sweet and tart topping for my roast pork. And don’t even think about leaving out the basil – it adds another dimension of flavor to the topping! This recipe would dress up any meal. Enjoy!

Balsamic Apple Topping

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pippin or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
4 servings of meat of your choice: grilled or baked salmon or any roasted poultry or pork.

Directions:
1. In a small nonstick skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. When oil is hot, add apples and cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until softened.
3. Stir in vinegar and honey and cook for a minute or two longer.
4. Spoon topping over meat and sprinkle with sliced basil.

Serves 4.

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Fajita-Worthy Grilled Flank Steak

Posted in About me, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Division of labor – that’s what I call it. In this household, I marinate the meat and he, the hubby, grills it. Works out pretty well as long as the meat being grilled is not chicken. My kids claim they have iron stomachs because of their dad’s barbecued chicken. For some reason my hubby either serves us chicken that has been grilled to a perfect black or chicken that can still walk. Fish, scallops, prawns, steaks, burgers, roasts, and even turkeys have been successfully grilled by him, but oddly there seems to be no in between mode when it comes to chicken.

So here’s a yummy recipe for grilled flank steak! The marinade would also work with other cuts of beef, such as hanger or skirt steak, or with other types of meat – even chicken! Enjoy!

Fajita-Worthy Grilled Flank Steak
Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in half
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup lime juice
12 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 pounds flank steak

Directions:
1. In a blender, put oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin, and sugar and puree mixture.
2. Put flank steak in a large Ziploc-type bag and pour marinade over it. Make sure marinade covers meat thoroughly. Seal bag, removing as much air as possible and refrigerate for at least one hour in refrigerator.
3. Remove steak from bag letting marinade drain off. If a lot of marinade is on the meat, gently pat it with paper towels.
4. Cook steak on hot grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Don’t overcook flank steak or it will become tough. When finished cooking, wrap meat in aluminum foil and let sit for 15 minutes.
5. Remove meat from foil, reserving foil and juices. Slice meat thinly across the grain. Return to foil pouch and toss with juice.
6. To serve as fajitas, serve meat with grilled onions, grilled peppers, and tortillas.

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The Cookie Jar

Posted in About me, Parenting, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on September 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Who, me?

Yes, you!

Couldn’t be!

Then who?

For some reason, bouncing my kids up and down on my knees and reciting this little nursery rhyme with them always brought smiles to our faces. Smiles because we were being silly and having fun, but also because the mere mention of cookies made us happy! In a post I wrote last week called The Way We Were, I mentioned that one of my sons and his girlfriend just bought their first home. I wanted to give them a little gift – something that somehow always makes a house a home – so I bought them a cookie jar! After baking three different types of cookies, I filled the jar, tied a bow on it, and then attached a tag that read, “Good for One Refill.” Many old friends and new neighbors have come by to say hello to the proud new homeowners – some even bearing gifts of much welcomed plates of cookies. How perfect that my son and his girlfriend already have a cookie jar in which to store them! My only question is, why isn’t a “Cookie Jar” called a “Cookies Jar”? Who stores only one cookie in a jar and who can only eat just one cookie?

Here’s a good, basic oatmeal cookie recipe that I got from a friend many years ago and it’s one of the cookies I made for my son’s new cookie jar.

Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used Splenda instead)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup orange-flavored Craisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
2. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir into butter-egg mixture.
4. Stir in oats, Craisins, and nuts. Mix well.
5. Drop by the tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on September 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Cooking for one is tough, but cooking for one while you are on a student budget is even more challenging. To make sure my daughter is eating a healthy diet while she is away at college, I’ll occasionally ask her what she’s cooking for dinner. Last week she told me she made a pasta dish with Portobello mushrooms. Thick and “meaty” Portobello mushrooms are good nutritious alternatives to eating meat and they cost less, too. She’s a smart cook who likes good food, but can still eat healthily on a budget.

Portobello or Portabella mushrooms are one and the same and are merely large (4-6 inches) brown crimini mushrooms. According to the Self Nutrition Data site, a Portobello mushroom ” . . . is low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Zinc and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Selenium.”

When purchasing Portobello mushrooms, look for ones that are firm and without spots or discoloration. Avoid mushrooms that are broken, shriveled, or have a wet and slippery feeling. Whole mushrooms will remain fresh for 5-7 days if stored properly. Sliced mushrooms have a shorter shelf life. To prevent loss of flavor, avoid washing Portobello mushrooms in water before cooking them. Wiping them gently with a damp cloth or brushing them lightly with a cooking brush will remove any sand or debris.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad
Adapted from a Gourmet Magazine recipe

Salad Ingredients:
4 large portobello mushrooms
6 oz. mixed salad greens

Sherry Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/3 C medium-dry sherry
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced shallot
1 T sugar
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C vegetable oil
3 T finely chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, thyme, sage and chives

Directions:
1. In a very small pot, boil sherry until reduced by about half. Let cool.
2. In a bowl whisk together sherry reduction, balsamic vinegar, garlic, shalllot, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Add oils in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
4. Whisk in herbs.
5. Reserve 1/4 cup vinaigrette for dressing salad greens.
6. Transfer remaining vinaigrette to a large sealable plastic bag.
7. Remove and discard stems from mushrooms. Add mushrooms to bag; remove air and seal bag.
8. Marinate mushrooms in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to 2 hours while occasionally turning the bag to redistribute marinade.
9. Remove mushrooms from bag, letting the excess vinaigrette drip off.
10. Grill on hot grill for about 5 minutes on each side or until done. Let set for a few minutes and then slice.
11. In a bowl toss salad greens with reserved vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 plates or or place in shallow serving bowl.
12. Transfer sliced mushrooms to plates or place slices on top of greens in the shallow serving bowl.

Serves 4.

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Quinoa Salad With Tomatoes and Basil

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on September 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

How fortunate it is that tomatoes and basil both thrive in summer heat. When it’s too hot to cook, salads make frequent appearances on the dinner menu in my house and with the bounty of tomatoes and basil outside in the garden, who could resist not finding as many ways as possible to use these two summer favorites? It only gets better – here’s a recipe that combines tomatoes and basil with the healthy goodness of quinoa. In an earlier post Quinoa and Shrimp Salad, I explained why quinoa is a nutritional gem; these tiny seeds contain a balanced set of essential amino acids, making them complete proteins, and are a great gluten-free source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and iron.

Quinoa Salad With Tomatoes and Basil
Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Venokur-Clark

Salad Ingredients:
1 C quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), diced
1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted

Dressing Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 T white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. Measure quinoa into a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add quinoa. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside and let cool.

2. Whisk together all dressing ingredients, except for the olive oil. Pour oil in a small stream into the the bowl of dressing ingredients, whisking the whole time to form an emulsion. Set aside.

3. Toast the pine nuts in a pan until lightly browned and fragrant. While toasting, keep an eye on them and stir them occasionally so that they don’t burn. Let cool.

4. To the cooked and cooled quinoa, add diced onion, diced tomatoes, diced sun-dried tomatoes, and diced basil. Toss gently.

5. Whisk salad dressing again and pour over salad ingredients. Toss again.

6. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4-6.

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Sweet Potato Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on August 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Creamy potato salad is standard food fare for outdoor summer gatherings, but after consuming it, possibly the only thing gathering in your body is cholesterol. Here’s a potato salad recipe that is low in cholesterol and is easy to make. Plus, it uses sweet potatoes, which are packed with vitamins A and C, and contain almost twice as much dietary fiber than their more common counterparts – white potatoes. Utilizing the clean flavor of grapeseed oil and the fresh flavor of oranges, this sweet potato salad is bright in flavor and light in cholesterol. You won’t miss the mayonnaise, sour cream, and eggs!

Sweet Potato Salad
A Martha Stewart Recipe

Ingredients:
* 4 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces (8 cups)
* 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
* 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
* 1 scallion, trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 cup safflower or grapeseed oil
* 1/2 scallion (dark-green part only), thinly sliced diagonally for garnish

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Whisk vinegar, orange zest and juice, 1 scallion, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with pepper. Toss dressing with sweet potatoes in a large bowl, and garnish with remaining 1/2 scallion. Refrigerate until chilled, up to 1 day.

Serves 4.

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Spaghetti Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on August 25, 2010| 2 Comments »

Here’s another quick summertime dish that’s a wonderful accompaniment to grilled meats or is perfect by itself for lunch. It’s a pasta salad that involves only a few steps to make, is full of flavor, tastes better the next day, makes use of sweet summer produce, and is great to take to potlucks or picnics. What more could anyone want? It’s been almost thirty years since I clipped this recipe out of a small town, local newspaper, but it has stood the test of time. I’m asked for this recipe just as frequently now as I was when I first started preparing it!

Spaghetti Salad
Adapted by Linnell

Ingredients:
1 pound package spaghetti
8 oz. Wishbone Italian Dressing
McCormick’s Salad Supreme
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 orange or yellow pepper, diced
2-3 oz. black olives, sliced

Directions:
1.  Sprinkle 1/4 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix into the bottle of Wishbone dressing and shake to mix. Let sit. Seal the remainder of the package for use at another time.

2.  Cook the spaghetti noodles until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Pour on the salad dressing while the noodles are still warm. Toss.

3. Add tomatoes, onion, peppers, and olives. Toss. Sprinkle 1/3 jar (or to taste) Salad Supreme and toss again. Chill until serving.

Note: I’ve found this recipe to be adaptable and forgiving. It’s difficult to botch it up and almost anything can be added to it. For variety, I’ve added a combination of the following ingredients to create an antipasto-type salad: quartered artichoke hearts (marinated or packed in water), diced pepperoncini, sliced mushrooms, and salami, cut into thin strips.

Hope this recipe stays in your recipe files as long as it has stayed in mine! Enjoy!

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Friday’s Fresh Five! (8/13/10)

Posted in Aging, Creativity, Health, Helping Others, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Marriage, Travel, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Originally the words embedded in the wall struck me as being cute, but after a little more consideration, I thought they were perfect. I spotted this sign in the village of Oia in Santorini, Greece – a no hurry and no worries destination. In Oia it’s okay to be slow and to rest. How many restaurants in America boast slow food? My guess is not very many, but maybe that’s what our country needs to return to – savoring our food and enjoying the company of others.

#1 – Slow Food and Eco-Gastronomy
Coincidentally, I found an organization online called Slow Food that has a snail as its logo. Read Slow Food’s philosophy below and if you want to find out more about the organization, click on the link above.

We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to pleasure and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible. Our movement is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy – a recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet.

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

#2 – Slow Dancing
Do you remember the song you danced your first dance to as a married couple? Looking for a perfect song to slow dance to at your daughter’s wedding? Here’s a link to a D.J.’s list of his most popular and most requested slow dance songs. Is your favorite slow dance song on his list?

#3 – Slow Cooking
Most of us own slow cookers and enjoy the convenience of this type of food preparation. To remind everyone of food safety tips when using a slow cooker, here’s the link to the USDA’s article on slow cookers and food safety.

#4 – Slow Brain?
Is your brain a little sluggish these days? Sharpen them up with some brain games! I’ve posted links to sites with brain games before and here’s another one I just discovered.

#5 – Slow Down
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
Eddie Cantor

Enjoy a slow weekend!

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Melon Spritzers

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on August 4, 2010| 2 Comments »

Fresh vine-ripened melons from the farmer’s market sit on my kitchen counter and stare at me. I’ve enjoyed their sweet deliciousness all summer long and can’t seem to get enough of them. My dilemma today involved finding a different way to showcase them, so here’s a recipe that is sure to quench your thirst on a hot day or be a big hit at your next summer brunch. If you prepare the fruit base ahead of time, it’s easy to have a melon spritzer any time of the day! This is the season when honeydews, cantaloupes, and watermelons shine, but make sure you don’t miss out on the sweet flavors of the Hannah, Ambrosia, and Galia melons! Don’t like melons? No problem – this recipe can be made with any kind of fresh fruit with only slight adjustments in the quantity of fruit.

Melon Spritzers
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda*
6-8 cups of cubed fresh melon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
Sparkling water or club soda

*Depending on the sweetness of your fruit, you may need to increase or decrease the amount of sugar.

Directions:
1. Cut melon into cubes. Measure out about 6 cups and put in blender. Lay remaining cubes flat in a single layer in a container and freeze.

2. Create a syrup by putting sugar/Splenda and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir to completely dissolve the sugar/Splenda. Remove pan from heat and let it cool slightly.

2. Puree fruit, syrup, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Depending on the volume of fruit, you may need to do this step in two batches.

3. Pour blended mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir contents in sieve if fruit puree is thick. Refrigerate collected pureed juice until cold (30 minutes minimum or up to 2 days maximum).

4. To serve, fill glass with ice, pour 1/2 cup of pureed juice into glass and top off with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Stick a decorative pick into a frozen melon cube and place it in the glass. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

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Papaya Seed Salad Dressing

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on July 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Food always seems to taste better when you’re in Hawaii. Exotic tropical flavors refresh our senses and remove us from our gastronomic ruts. Here’s a salad dressing recipe that has Hawaiian origins, but can easily be made in anyone’s home. Not only is it a cinch to make, it uses normally wasted parts of a papaya – its seeds. Papaya seeds have a slightly bitter and peppery taste which adds an interesting element to the sweet-sour base of the dressing.

My sister, who is a fabulous cook, gave this recipe to me decades ago. She was my “go-to” source for recipes when I was a young bride, and sometimes even now.

Papaya Seed Salad Dressing:
Ingredients:
1 cup tarragon vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup salad oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons fresh papaya seeds, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Cut the papaya in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds into a bowl. (If not using immediately, cover the bowl and put the seeds in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the salad dressing – hopefully within a day or two).

2. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Papaya seeds will resemble ground black pepper flakes.

3. Pour into a glass jar and chill for at least one hour before serving.

4. Shake or stir before serving.

Don’t forget to eat the papaya! Put each papaya half on a plate and serve it with a wedge of lime. There’s nothing quite like the fresh taste of papaya and lime! With their buttery flesh, papayas are not only delicious to eat, they are also an excellent source of antioxidants (carotene, vitamin C, and flavonoids), B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and fiber.

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