This recipe came from a co-worker, and is one of those fudge-able recipes where you can adjust the quantities to your liking.
Tamara's Fresh Salsa
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 jalepenos, seeds removed & finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 C diced onion or scallions
1/2 cup water (optional)
salt
Add all ingredients except salt to the food processor, pulse until blended. Remove to a bowl & mix in salt to your taste.
This makes a very runny salsa rather than chunky, but it is very tasty, and very easy. I sometimes leave out the water & put in an extra tomato or two instead. Some people may prefer to adjust the amount of cilantro or jalepeno (or serrano pepper) in the salsa as well. It totally reminds me of fresh authentic salsa from my trips to Mexico!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Chicken with Paprika Sauce
This is a simple, tasty recipe that uses fresh tomatoes and fresh dill, but you can use canned tomatoes and dried dill if that is all you have available.
Chicken with Paprika Sauce
from Everyday Food, issue #21
Serve over cooked egg noodles tossed with butter & fresh chopped dill
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz each) cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 T sweet paprika, divided
salt & pepper
2 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 C sour cream or plain yogurt
1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with 1 T of paprika, 1 1/2 t salt, & 1/4 t pepper. Heat 1 T butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add Chicken; cook, tossing occasionally, until opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to plate & cover.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in same skillet over med heat. Add onion; cook, stirring & scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes & 3/4 C water; cook until saucy, 4-5 minutes. Return chicken (and juices) to skillet. Stir in sour cream and heat through, but DO NOT BOIL. Season with salt & pepper if needed, and serve over egg noodles seasoned with dill.
Bob & I really like this one, it makes a large quantity, and the leftovers are very good also. Just make sure not to overheat the leftovers or the sour cream will separate.
Chicken with Paprika Sauce
from Everyday Food, issue #21
Serve over cooked egg noodles tossed with butter & fresh chopped dill
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz each) cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 T sweet paprika, divided
salt & pepper
2 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 C sour cream or plain yogurt
1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with 1 T of paprika, 1 1/2 t salt, & 1/4 t pepper. Heat 1 T butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add Chicken; cook, tossing occasionally, until opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to plate & cover.
2. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in same skillet over med heat. Add onion; cook, stirring & scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
3. Add tomatoes & 3/4 C water; cook until saucy, 4-5 minutes. Return chicken (and juices) to skillet. Stir in sour cream and heat through, but DO NOT BOIL. Season with salt & pepper if needed, and serve over egg noodles seasoned with dill.
Bob & I really like this one, it makes a large quantity, and the leftovers are very good also. Just make sure not to overheat the leftovers or the sour cream will separate.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tomato Soup
Ok, even if you do not have your own tomato plants, they are currently in abundance! From the Garden, from the farmer's markets, etc. So the next few recipes are tomato focused. Here is a tomato soup recipe that can rival the one at Panera Bread Company. For those who cannot eat wheat or gluten, substitute a non-wheat flour of your choice, or cornstarch for the flour in this recipe.
Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from Everyday Foods online
1/2 stick butter
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 C whole wheat flour
3 T tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried thyme)
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
3.5 lbs whole peeled tomatoes (or 2 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes)
1 T chopped fresh basil
Note: to peel fresh tomatoes here is an easy trick. Boil a large pot of water, cut an X mark on the bottom of each tomato, and put in the boiling water for 1 minute. Then transfer tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water, and easily remove skins. Remove cores with a knife.
1. In a 5 Qt saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add oil and onion, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour & tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
2. To saucepan, add thyme, broth and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your (clean) fingers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, leaving a fair amount of tomatoes in chunks. Or, working in several batches, puree 1/2 (5 cups) of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth; return to pot, season with salt & pepper and add Basil. Serve immediately with some cheese & crusty bread, toast or crackers, if desired. Freezes well if you wish to save for a later time.
Tip: I used to get frustrated at the number of recipes that called for only a few tablespoons of tomato paste, until I learned you can freeze it. After opening the can & using what you need, measure out the remainder in 1 tablespoon sizes and freeze on freezer paper or in an ice cube tray lined with plastic wrap. When frozen put into a container or ziploc bag & label the contents for later use
Fresh Tomato Soup
Adapted from Everyday Foods online
1/2 stick butter
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 C whole wheat flour
3 T tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried thyme)
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
3.5 lbs whole peeled tomatoes (or 2 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes)
1 T chopped fresh basil
Note: to peel fresh tomatoes here is an easy trick. Boil a large pot of water, cut an X mark on the bottom of each tomato, and put in the boiling water for 1 minute. Then transfer tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water, and easily remove skins. Remove cores with a knife.
1. In a 5 Qt saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add oil and onion, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour & tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
2. To saucepan, add thyme, broth and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with your (clean) fingers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat & simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, leaving a fair amount of tomatoes in chunks. Or, working in several batches, puree 1/2 (5 cups) of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth; return to pot, season with salt & pepper and add Basil. Serve immediately with some cheese & crusty bread, toast or crackers, if desired. Freezes well if you wish to save for a later time.
Tip: I used to get frustrated at the number of recipes that called for only a few tablespoons of tomato paste, until I learned you can freeze it. After opening the can & using what you need, measure out the remainder in 1 tablespoon sizes and freeze on freezer paper or in an ice cube tray lined with plastic wrap. When frozen put into a container or ziploc bag & label the contents for later use
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Zucchini Bread
Yeah yeah, I know. Everybody has a recipe for zucchini bread, but this one is different! I promise! How is it different? It is made from whole wheat flour (my apologies to Stephanie who is gluten intolerant). I was searching & searching for a recipe with all whole wheat flour (no refined flour) and I couldn't find one that looked good to me, so I made my own recipe up. I had to do a couple of test runs before I got it where I wanted it, but here is the recipe. Following the recipe are a couple tips on keeping whole wheat flour fresh, and how to cook with it, and where to find it.
Jennifer's Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread
1 3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 Cup whole wheat bread flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground ginger
3 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
3/4 C unrefined sugar of your choice
1/4 C honey (note: you could eliminate the sugar & use a full cup of honey, but it is expensive)
1 C (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 eggs
3 t vanilla
3/4 C raisins, soaked in very hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drained
3 C shredded/grated zucchini, packed tightly to measure
Directions:
1. Grease two loaf pans & preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in one large bowl, set aside
3. Cream butter, sugar & honey in a mixer or with a hand mixer, add eggs, vanilla. Stir in raisins & zucchini, then add dry ingredients and stir till moistened.
4. Transfer to loaf pans & bake for 45 minutes to one hour, top will be golden and toothpick inserted in center should come out clean. Depending on your oven it may take a little over an hour, my oven was one hour exactly.
So, what is whole wheat pastry flour? It is whole wheat flour made from a type of wheat that is called White Wheat. It is low in gluten so it is not good for making yeast breads, but is good for breads that use baking powder or baking soda as a leavener.
All whole wheat, once ground into flour, will spoil. It should be kept at a cool temperature, like inside the fridge or freezer to prevent it from becoming rancid. I smell the flour at the store before I purchase it, and I check the expiration date. If it doesn't smell like flour, don't buy it. Unfortunately, you can't bake with cold flour. It will not rise correctly. I easily get around this by measuring my flour out first put it into a glass bowl and making a well in the center (to increase surface area) and pop the bowl in the oven as it preheats, and then remove it after 5 minutes. It takes the chill off the flour & then it is ready to go. I use this 5 minutes while waiting for the flour to measure out all of my other ingredients (mise en place).
If you try to convert a white flour recipe to whole wheat, keep in mind that whole wheat flour requires more moisture - so you may need to adjust the quantity of flour you use down a bit. Also, whole wheat will not rise up like refined wheat flour. If you want it to rise more in yeast breads you can use wheat gluten. I sometimes add about a tablespoon for pizza dough or 2 tablespoons for a loaf of bread.
Happy baking!
Jennifer's Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread
1 3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 Cup whole wheat bread flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground ginger
3 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
3/4 C unrefined sugar of your choice
1/4 C honey (note: you could eliminate the sugar & use a full cup of honey, but it is expensive)
1 C (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 eggs
3 t vanilla
3/4 C raisins, soaked in very hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drained
3 C shredded/grated zucchini, packed tightly to measure
Directions:
1. Grease two loaf pans & preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in one large bowl, set aside
3. Cream butter, sugar & honey in a mixer or with a hand mixer, add eggs, vanilla. Stir in raisins & zucchini, then add dry ingredients and stir till moistened.
4. Transfer to loaf pans & bake for 45 minutes to one hour, top will be golden and toothpick inserted in center should come out clean. Depending on your oven it may take a little over an hour, my oven was one hour exactly.
So, what is whole wheat pastry flour? It is whole wheat flour made from a type of wheat that is called White Wheat. It is low in gluten so it is not good for making yeast breads, but is good for breads that use baking powder or baking soda as a leavener.
All whole wheat, once ground into flour, will spoil. It should be kept at a cool temperature, like inside the fridge or freezer to prevent it from becoming rancid. I smell the flour at the store before I purchase it, and I check the expiration date. If it doesn't smell like flour, don't buy it. Unfortunately, you can't bake with cold flour. It will not rise correctly. I easily get around this by measuring my flour out first put it into a glass bowl and making a well in the center (to increase surface area) and pop the bowl in the oven as it preheats, and then remove it after 5 minutes. It takes the chill off the flour & then it is ready to go. I use this 5 minutes while waiting for the flour to measure out all of my other ingredients (mise en place).
If you try to convert a white flour recipe to whole wheat, keep in mind that whole wheat flour requires more moisture - so you may need to adjust the quantity of flour you use down a bit. Also, whole wheat will not rise up like refined wheat flour. If you want it to rise more in yeast breads you can use wheat gluten. I sometimes add about a tablespoon for pizza dough or 2 tablespoons for a loaf of bread.
Happy baking!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Grilled Vegetable Tostadas
This is a filling vegetarian dinner that you could easily serve with grilled meat if you wanted. They get rave reviews whenever I serve them!
Grilled Vegetable Tostadas
from Everyday Food issue #34
Olive oil
3 medium zucchini cut on diagonal in 1/2" wide slices
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed (or several baby bellas)
6-9 scallions, root ends trimmed
4 flour (whole grain preferred!) or corn tortillas
fresh salsa (store bought or homemade, but fresh)
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 lime cut into edges for serving
1. Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Arrange vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and brush. Working in batches if necessary, grill, turning once, until lightly browned and tender.
2 minutes for scallions
6 minutes for mushrooms
8 minutes for zucchini
Return all vegetables to baking sheet, slice mushrooms to 1/2" wide strips, set aside.
2. Brush tortillas with oil; grill, turning frequently, until browned & very crispy, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla on each serving plate, cover evenly with mushrooms & zucchini. using kitchen shears, snip scallions over vegetables. Top with salsa, sprinkle with feta, and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Enjoy! You could also grill eggplant for this dish if you like.
Grilled Vegetable Tostadas
from Everyday Food issue #34
Olive oil
3 medium zucchini cut on diagonal in 1/2" wide slices
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed (or several baby bellas)
6-9 scallions, root ends trimmed
4 flour (whole grain preferred!) or corn tortillas
fresh salsa (store bought or homemade, but fresh)
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 lime cut into edges for serving
1. Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Arrange vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and brush. Working in batches if necessary, grill, turning once, until lightly browned and tender.
2 minutes for scallions
6 minutes for mushrooms
8 minutes for zucchini
Return all vegetables to baking sheet, slice mushrooms to 1/2" wide strips, set aside.
2. Brush tortillas with oil; grill, turning frequently, until browned & very crispy, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla on each serving plate, cover evenly with mushrooms & zucchini. using kitchen shears, snip scallions over vegetables. Top with salsa, sprinkle with feta, and serve with lime wedges if desired.
Enjoy! You could also grill eggplant for this dish if you like.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Whole Foods
No, I am not talking about the grocery store, rather I am talking about a type of diet... no not the type of diet to lose weight, but diet as in, this is what my food intake consists of :)
The Whole Food 'diet' is actually a very simple premise, it includes any food that is in its most natural state, but anything chemical or artificial is not included in this diet. Corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, artificial flavors, refined flour (white flour, bread flour), refined sugar, white rice (I think you get the idea). All of these 'refined' products have benefits... for the food industry; they have a longer shelf life, they make food taste sweet for less money, the raw materials are cheap and they can sell the end product for a higher cost. All of these refined products have detrimental effects for the final consumer; they contain significantly less nutrients and fiber than their whole food counterparts, but they contain high amounts of calories and dangerous trans-fats.
Unfortunately, this type of diet is difficult for many present day Americans - who currently eat an "American" style diet. It takes time! Time to purchase your food on a regular basis, time to prepare the food, and time to pack your food to take with you where you go - because most fast food restaurants do not yet offer very many whole food options. But I argue that this time is well worth the effort - you are after all, talking about the food that you are building your body with. If you want to have a healthy, happy body, shouldn't you give it some good, natural wholesome food?
I started a whole food diet in January of this year, after reading the book In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. This book offers some very sound advice when it says "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." As well as, "Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." Now I will be the first to admit, in this day and age, this type of diet is nearly impossible to stick to 100% of the time, but with a little effort, anyone can start incorporating more of these guidelines into their diet, becoming healthier for the change. I guarantee that if you try this diet out, you will lose weight (provided you do not increase your total calorie intake!) , and you will feel healthier. The increased amount of fiber and nutrients may be just what your body is so hungry for!
If you are interested in learning more about this diet or have questions, please comment below, or check out M. Pollan's book from the library. Happy whole fooding!
The Whole Food 'diet' is actually a very simple premise, it includes any food that is in its most natural state, but anything chemical or artificial is not included in this diet. Corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, artificial flavors, refined flour (white flour, bread flour), refined sugar, white rice (I think you get the idea). All of these 'refined' products have benefits... for the food industry; they have a longer shelf life, they make food taste sweet for less money, the raw materials are cheap and they can sell the end product for a higher cost. All of these refined products have detrimental effects for the final consumer; they contain significantly less nutrients and fiber than their whole food counterparts, but they contain high amounts of calories and dangerous trans-fats.
Unfortunately, this type of diet is difficult for many present day Americans - who currently eat an "American" style diet. It takes time! Time to purchase your food on a regular basis, time to prepare the food, and time to pack your food to take with you where you go - because most fast food restaurants do not yet offer very many whole food options. But I argue that this time is well worth the effort - you are after all, talking about the food that you are building your body with. If you want to have a healthy, happy body, shouldn't you give it some good, natural wholesome food?
I started a whole food diet in January of this year, after reading the book In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. This book offers some very sound advice when it says "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." As well as, "Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." Now I will be the first to admit, in this day and age, this type of diet is nearly impossible to stick to 100% of the time, but with a little effort, anyone can start incorporating more of these guidelines into their diet, becoming healthier for the change. I guarantee that if you try this diet out, you will lose weight (provided you do not increase your total calorie intake!) , and you will feel healthier. The increased amount of fiber and nutrients may be just what your body is so hungry for!
If you are interested in learning more about this diet or have questions, please comment below, or check out M. Pollan's book from the library. Happy whole fooding!
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