Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
It's Been Awhile
Wow, I am so behind on my blog! It's amazing how many things happen in such a short amount of time. I've been so busy that I haven't even had much time to cook, now that's a sad thing for me. Time to get back in the swing of things so check back soon for some fun cooking ideas! Gotta go make dinner for a hungry family!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A delicious glaze..
This glaze is originally meant to go on Salmon but I use it on chicken and other fish as well. Because of the sweet aspect of it, it also goes great with pork!!
2 jalapenos sliced into rings
2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
3-4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1-1 1/2 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan, add the jalapenos and let caramelize for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for another 5 minutes. Keep the heat medium low to avoid burning the garlic. De-glaze the pan with the white wine and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the mustard and preserves, mix thoroughly and let simmer for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool completely. Brush on meat before cooking and continue to baste the meat throughout the cooking time.
2 jalapenos sliced into rings
2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
3-4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1-1 1/2 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan, add the jalapenos and let caramelize for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for another 5 minutes. Keep the heat medium low to avoid burning the garlic. De-glaze the pan with the white wine and let simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add the mustard and preserves, mix thoroughly and let simmer for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool completely. Brush on meat before cooking and continue to baste the meat throughout the cooking time.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Feeling a little.....Cuban?
Variety is the spice of life! Isn't that the truth? I was feeling a little adventurous the other day and decided to ask my lovely friend, Genette, for a new Cuban dish that I could try. She taught me how to make authentic Cuban sandwiches and how to make Sofrito, yum! But I wanted to expand my horizons. I made a few changes to it as I went along which I made notes of below. And, I served it with Quinoa instead of rice. I also put out a platter of sliced bananas (a traditional side dish), guava paste, cream cheese and crackers. This is what she sent me and it was fabulous!
Picadillo
1 lb ground meat (I used ground turkey)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (I didn't have a pepper so I used zucchini)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano
Cumin
1-2 Bay leaves
Splash of dry white wine (I didn't have wine (WHAT???)so I used Chicken stock)
Pimiento stuffed (green) olives (used Kalamata olives, don't care for green)
Rum soaked Raisins
In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions, green pepper, and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.
turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce, salt & pepper, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings. Simmer until raisins are plumbed up and flavors have melded.
Picadillo
1 lb ground meat (I used ground turkey)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (I didn't have a pepper so I used zucchini)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano
Cumin
1-2 Bay leaves
Splash of dry white wine (I didn't have wine (WHAT???)so I used Chicken stock)
Pimiento stuffed (green) olives (used Kalamata olives, don't care for green)
Rum soaked Raisins
In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions, green pepper, and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.
turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce, salt & pepper, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings. Simmer until raisins are plumbed up and flavors have melded.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Healthy Us!
For as long as I can remember, health and wellness has been at the core of my daily existance. As a young girl my mother taught me to respect my body by being thoughtful about what I eat and how I eat. Of course, there were the days of being forced to eat everthing on my plate before I was allowed to leave the table. However, those days came to an end sometime before I started junior high. And thank God they did! I believe that is a huge factor in America's obesity problems.
I teach my kids to eat smaller portions of healthy fresh foods, if they are still hungry they can always go back and get more. Don't eat until you're stuffed, eat until you are satisfied, then wait 20 minutes before eating more. As a result my children appreciate high quality foods and rarely ask for something out of a box! They also seem to be sick much less than their peers. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of childhood health problems but that is the body's natural way of strengthening itself. My oldest developed migraine headaches at the age of 5 and suffered for years until we finally got them under control about 3 years ago. My youngest, Sean, has struggled the most with asthma as an infant and toddler, recurring ear infections and just a year ago underwent an appendectimy for a burst appendix. As my kids get older they seem to have less and less major illnesses and are understanding the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
In my quest for a healthier way of living I constantly research what I could be doing differently to accomplish my goals. It is an ever-changing process, it is a journey not a destination. Eventually, time will win in the long run but in the meantime I will fight it and, at the same time, hopefully teach my kids to put their health and wellness at the core of their daily existance as well.
For more information on healthy living visit Dr. Andrew Weil's website at www.drweil.com.
I teach my kids to eat smaller portions of healthy fresh foods, if they are still hungry they can always go back and get more. Don't eat until you're stuffed, eat until you are satisfied, then wait 20 minutes before eating more. As a result my children appreciate high quality foods and rarely ask for something out of a box! They also seem to be sick much less than their peers. Don't get me wrong, we've had our share of childhood health problems but that is the body's natural way of strengthening itself. My oldest developed migraine headaches at the age of 5 and suffered for years until we finally got them under control about 3 years ago. My youngest, Sean, has struggled the most with asthma as an infant and toddler, recurring ear infections and just a year ago underwent an appendectimy for a burst appendix. As my kids get older they seem to have less and less major illnesses and are understanding the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
In my quest for a healthier way of living I constantly research what I could be doing differently to accomplish my goals. It is an ever-changing process, it is a journey not a destination. Eventually, time will win in the long run but in the meantime I will fight it and, at the same time, hopefully teach my kids to put their health and wellness at the core of their daily existance as well.
For more information on healthy living visit Dr. Andrew Weil's website at www.drweil.com.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I Love to Share!
I made a great chicken dinner the other night and received a special request for the recipe. So, Genette, this one's for you girl!
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts (one per person)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Orange juice concentrate
2-3 tablespoons honey
Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown in skillet about 3 minutes per side. While chicken is browning warm the orange juice concentrate, honey and a dash of salt and pepper in a saucepan, about 5-10 minutes. Once browned transfer chicken to an oven proof pan. (I used an oven proof skillet from the beginning so I didn't have to transfer). Brush the chicken with the OJ glaze and put in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Turn and glaze the chicken about half way through the cooking time. Serve with your favorite side dish and ENJOY!
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts (one per person)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Orange juice concentrate
2-3 tablespoons honey
Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown in skillet about 3 minutes per side. While chicken is browning warm the orange juice concentrate, honey and a dash of salt and pepper in a saucepan, about 5-10 minutes. Once browned transfer chicken to an oven proof pan. (I used an oven proof skillet from the beginning so I didn't have to transfer). Brush the chicken with the OJ glaze and put in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes. Turn and glaze the chicken about half way through the cooking time. Serve with your favorite side dish and ENJOY!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Let's Jam! My Latest Discovery...
My biggest project lately has been making plum jam! As I researched jam-making I started to think, Wow, this seems a little complicated and I need so much equipment! But, lucky me, I came across the perfect solution....freezer jam! It is so easy I couldn't believe it! Mash up 4 cups of fruit, mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar with "freezer jam pectin", add the fruit and mix for 3 minutes with a wooden spoon. Fill the freezer containers (found in the canning section of your supermarket) and let them sit for 30 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 1 year! No cooking or steaming required! I'll never buy jam again, that's what I love about what I do!
Here's the Freezer Jam Recipe:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/all_recipes/215.php?recipe=196&recipID=&catID=Quick-Easy
This recipe is a little different than what I did but it's still the same basic concept. I used only plums and no lemon zest. But I think I'll try this one next, sounds delicious!
Here's the Freezer Jam Recipe:
http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/all_recipes/215.php?recipe=196&recipID=&catID=Quick-Easy
This recipe is a little different than what I did but it's still the same basic concept. I used only plums and no lemon zest. But I think I'll try this one next, sounds delicious!
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