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.

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.

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 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!

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!

Ahhh, what's cooking? Not much last night, just a small pot of freshly picked green beans bubbling away and a piece of foie gras quickly searing. Earlier in the day I made a blueberry brandy compote that accompanied the foie gras and served on crackers. We have an over-abundance of veggies from the garden and I just couldn't bring myself to prepare anything else except what we have right here in our own backyard. I've got 3 zucchinis awaiting shredding that will be put in the freezer for a later date, a bucket full of corn that will be on the grill tonight, and more tomatoes and scallions than you can shake a stick at! So, needless to say, it was all salad last night along with the pate and green beans. Delicious!! Oh, I almost forgot, I also cooked up some herb potatoes with fresh herbs from the garden of course! So maybe there was more cooking in my kitchen last night than I originally led you to believe. I suppose my main point was that we are eating our vegetables and you should be too! There's no need for salt or butter on them either, I rarely add those ingredients. Just a drizzle of Olive Oil and fresh herbs are all the flavor they need.
What exactly is foie gras? Simply put, it's enlarged goose or duck liver and it is delicious! If you've never tried it you must, at least once. It's very rich and is usually served with a sweet compote of some sort, whether berries or apples, and sometimes peaches. There's been so much controversy surrounding this delecasy that it just has to be good! When it comes to food I try to avoid the politics behind it, unless it involves the food that the school district is feeding my kids. But that is an entirely different subject better left for another day's blog.
Eat your vegetables and don't be afraid to try something new!

Labor Day at the Cabin

It's a family tradition for everyone to gather at the cabin in Idaho over Labor Day weekend. Jason, the kids and I attended this year for the first time. After arriving at the cabin late afternoon on Saturday we sat down with the family to share a delicious meal and good conversation. After a great evening of wine and chit chat we finally turned in for the night. The silence at night, especially the first night, is deafening. You don't realize what a noisy, busy life you lead until you go somewhere so far away from everything that you feel you've stepped back in time.

Most of the day Sunday was spent in Yellowstone Park. We were lucky enough to see alot of wildlife including bison, elk, and bald eagles. Our final destination within the park was Old Faithful! We've seen her many times before but she never fails to amaze us with her beauty and power. She's not as "faithful" as she used to be however. The geyser spouts only ever 90 minutes or so and, if memory serves me correctly, it used to spout ever 20 minutes years ago. We piled up in the car to head back to Island Park. The drive was leisurely and slow, we took time to look around and enjoy the beauty of that place. We exited the park into the town of West Yellowstone. What a cute little town! The streets are lined with quaint little storefronts and inquisitive tourists. We stopped at the grocery mart for a few items and continued on our way. Only 20 minutes from the town to the cabin.

Jason's grandma made dinner for Sunday night, a delicious pasta meal with garlic bread and salad. We enjoyed yet another evening of great conversation and a fun game of poker with the cousins. The next day was Monday, Labor Day. The day everyone packs up and heads for home. We say our goodbyes, hugs and kisses and everyone drives away toward their hometowns. Some are headed back to college 8 hours away, others to home in Salt Lake. We stayed behind to help clean up and stain the cabin deck. Yet another Scholte tradition over Labor Day weekend. The deck is stained before the rough winter hits.

We arrived home Monday evening just in time for a quick pizza dinner. We clean up, shower and gear up for another school day in the morning. Relaxed and refocused, ready for another week!

Never apologize for mistakes made in the kitchen

I suppose it's my perfectionist attitude that has caused me to feel guilty for not bringing the perfect meal to the table every time. My mother-in-law was the first person to tell me to stop apologizing for my food mistakes, besides, most people don't know I made a mistake until I open my mouth. Then I recently learned that Julia Childs always said do not say sorry in the kitchen.
Last night I tackled an Orange Cashew Chicken recipe served with rice. Typically, this type of dish is a little on the sweet side and always delicious! Well, needless to say, it didn't turn out exactly as I hoped it would. It was more like "Fire Breathing Mouth Burning Chicken", oops! The orange sauce called for a dash of hot sauce, but the only hot sauce I had on hand was one called "Dave's Total Insanity" hot sauce. And it is no joke, the heat is totally insane! No apologies here though, it was a hit anyhow. Next time I think I'll skip the hot sauce and add a small amount of orange juice concentrate, reduce over medium heat and then put it in with the chicken.
Since my family enjoys spicy food I realized that my mistake really wasn't a mistake at all! I just created a new dish to add to my portfolio. Every cloud has a silver lining, even in the kitchen!

Dinner

Last night I decided to make Asian chicken skewers with a peanut dipping sauce. They were a hit! I also made a side dish of Asian stir-fried green beans. The original recipe called for bok choy and I wish I would have stuck with that idea. The green beans were good, and Lord knows I have a ton of them to consume, but it just wasn't as good as the bok choy would have been. I also made coconut rice, yum!
I was so nice to sit around the table as a family, minus Sean who was at football practice. The kids really enjoy that and it gives us all a chance to communicate as a family and enjoy each others company. Soon Peter, my oldest, will be on his way out into this big world and I don't want to miss anymore time with him.
Thank you God for giving me such a beautiful family and the opportunity to spend time with them!