Make Your Own... part 2

It can be easy and fun to make your own cooking products.  Here are a few goodies that anyone can make, use and enjoy.

 Whipped Cream

If you have never tasted fresh whipped cream, you have to try this, just so you can taste the difference.  All you need is heavy whipping cream and a bit of sugar.  The colder your cream is, the more easily it will whip, so keep the cream refrigerated until you are ready to mix it up.  When you're ready to whip, place one cup of heavy cream in a chilled bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat cream on high speed until it begins to thicken.  You will notice the mixer begin to leave waves in the top of the cream.  Continue mixing for another minute or so.  Add two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat on high speed until you have achieved the desired consistency.  Finished whipped cream should be smooth and easily hold it's shape.  Make your whipped cream even tastier by adding extra flavors like vanilla (mix in a tbsp of vanilla extract when you add the sugar), coffee (add 2 tsp of espresso powder and a bit less sugar than usual), or mint (soak 1/4 cup fresh mint in heavy cream for up to 12 hours, remove and discard mint, whip the cream as previously directed).

Roasted Peppers
This is something that I never tried until recently and now I absolutely love making them.  Practically any type of peppers can be roasted and doing this will bring out an extra sweetness in your peppers that you otherwise would not taste.  I like to roast poblanos and red bell peppers, but you can use any kind you like (I wouldn't recommend roasting anything smaller than a habanero, as the smaller the pepper, the harder it will be to peel).  If roasting in the oven, begin by preheating your oven to 400.  Place peppers to be roasted on a baking sheet lined with foil.  When oven is hot, place baking sheet on the lower rack and use tongs to turn the peppers every 10-15 minutes as they roast.  Allow peppers to roast for 40-50 minutes total, then remove baking sheet from oven.  Immediately fold foil from the baking sheet up around the peppers to form a pouch and fold edges up tight to steam the peppers as they cool.  Allow peppers to steam for 30 minutes, then open the foil pouch.  At this point, your peppers should be cool enough to handle and you will want to pull off the stem and begin to peel off the outer layer of skin from the roasted peppers, exposing the soft, thicker under layer.  Once peppers are peeled, you can slice them and remove the seeds if you like, or keep peppers whole.  You can use roasted peppers immediately, or store them in a jar with enough olive oil to keep them submerged.  To use, chop peppers and add them to chili, stew, baked beans, slow-cooker meals, stir-fry, veggie pasta dishes, fajita filling, or even use them to top a pizza!  Peppers can also be roasted on the grill over a medium flame - instructions will be the same, except you will place the peppers directly on the grill and turn ever 5 minutes, as they will only take 15-20 minutes to roast.  When finished roasting, steam and peel the same as oven roasted peppers.
Enjoy!

Make Your Own... part 1

It can be easy and fun to make your own cooking products.  Here are a few goodies that anyone can make, use and enjoy.

Bread Crumbs

If you use bread crumbs in any of your cooking, you will love this because it means never buying them again.  Anytime you have bread that you're not going to use before it goes bad (part of a homemade loaf, the heal of a store bought loaf, etc.), simply tear it up into small pieces and lay it out in any flat container, such as a baking sheet or Tupperware lid.  Let the pieces sit out, uncovered, for at least 2-3 days and try to stir them around once, or twice a day.  Once the crumbs are completely dried out and larger pieces are crumbly, transfer them to a food processor, or blender and pulse until they are ground to your desired size and consistency.  If you do not have a food processor, or blender you can crush the crumbs by hand with any hard kitchen item - I like to use the top of my butter dish turned upside down!  Once the crumbs are crushed, store them in a jar or airtight containers for use anytime.  (Add a  generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning to make Italian bread crumbs!)

 Infused Olive Oil

This is so easy and so useful...  People pay a lot of money for flavored olive oil, but you can make your own with practically no effort.  Gather your olive oil (any type you want to use is fine), your herbs (preferably dried) and a jar/bottle (you can use the bottle the oil came in if you want).  Using dry herbs instead of fresh will prevent bacteria from growing in your oil and the oil will stay good for a longer amount of time.  The tastiest infused olive oil I've sampled was jalapeno garlic mixed with orange - it was amazing!  You shouldn't use more than two flavors in one bottle, but you can always combine different infused oils later.  A few great flavors I would recommend are chili oil (cut the tops off of some dried Thai chilies, or any other small spicy peppers), garlic-basil (dry out some fresh, whole basil leaves and use fresh, peeled garlic cloves) and citrus (remove the peel from two oranges, or lemons).  To infuse the olive oil, simply add your flavoring items to your bottle of oil and seal up tight for 24-48 hours.  If using peppers, add the whole thing; if using orange, or lemon, use the peel.  When your oil is done, remove the flavoring items by passing oil through a strainer, or sifter and return oil to the bottle to store for use.

Fresh Flavors

There are many things that you can do to add extra flavor to a dish, but few things make the kind of difference that these fresh ingredients do...

Basil
Fresh basil is such a fantastic herb.  You can buy if fresh from most grocery stores, or you can easily grow your own.  I usually buy it as I need it and always look for bright green leaves.   Fresh basil has such a sweet, delicious smell - I absolutely love it!  
Add a ton of extra flavor to your pizza by tearing up a few fresh basil leaves and spreading them on top of the cheese.  Fresh basil is also a great addition to Thai food such as spicy curries and stir-fry dishes.  Basil goes well with strawberries, so I definitely recommend adding a couple of fresh leaves to your next strawberry lemonade.  Next time you are looking for a new cocktail to order/make, try a Basil Gimlet, or a Gin Basil Smash - I just discovered these drinks in the last year and they are my new favorites!  Adding fresh basil to a drink will give it a great light flavor.


Pineapple
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love pineapple.  It's good cold, it's good warm, it's good with spice, it's good with any meal of the day, or alone as a snack.  Always buy fresh pineapple.  Once you know the sweet goodness that is fresh pineapple, you will never buy the canned stuff again.  Cutting apart a fresh pineapple is surprisingly easy, but if you don't want to deal with the carving, many grocery stores sell fresh pineapple that is already cut up in disposable containers with the other fresh produce.
Next time you're grilling burgers, slice up some fresh pineapple and throw it on the grill for a few minutes, then use it to top off your burger along with some lettuce and tomato.  If you ever make spicy stir-fry, or fried rice, cut up some chunks of fresh pineapple and mix them in with your meat and veggies.  Crush some pineapple in a bowl, or ziplock bag and add it to hot dogs or pizza.  Add some cilantro and minced spicy peppers (such as habanero, or chilies) to make an incredibly flavorful and fresh sweet and spicy salsa for fish, chicken, or any other dish.

Lemon & Lime
In my opinion, lemon and lime are two of the freshest scents/flavors out there.  You can, of course, purchase those little bottles of lemon and lime juice, but it never compares to the fresh stuff.  When you pick out fresh lemons and limes, look for brightly colored fruit that is not too hard, or too soft.  They will last for quite a while once you bring them home, so you don't have to be in a hurry to use them.
I love to add fresh lemon juice and zest to light dishes, like angel hair pasta with seafood or chicken.  You can make a simple, flavorful sauce to toss with your pasta, using only a few ingredients, such as white wine, olive oil, a bit of flour and fresh lemon.  Keep limes around to add fresh zest and juice to fruit salad.  This will not only add extra flavor, but the juice will help your fruit last longer.  Lime goes well with cilantro (another great fresh flavor) and both are common ingredients in Thai and Hispanic dishes.  If you are going to be cooking meat for one of these types of meals, marinate the meat in lime juice for a bit before before cooking it - for dishes like tacos, I like to mix up lime juice, cilantro, a bit of tequila and any type of minced, spicy peppers to marinate my chicken, shrimp, or whatever protein I happen to be using.  When your dish is complete, top it off with a squirt of fresh lime juice.

Organic or Nonorganic?

There are few subjects more noticable in the food world these days than the push toward organic food. Why are so many people paying 10-40% higher prices for organic food? Is organic food better for you? Should you go organic? Well, in my own research on the subject, this is what I have found and what I believe.

There are several reasons why people choose to buy organic food. Many people believe that organic food tastes better and the farming of organic food is less harsh on the environment than traditional farming methods. As far as taste, this is strictly a personal decision. In blind taste tests of organic and nonorganic produce, such as tomatoes and bananas, more people prefered the taste of the nonorganic food. When asked what they based their decisions on, they stated that the food they choose had a sweeter, better flavor. Personally, I have purchased both organic and nonorganic bananas and could not tell much of a difference, so you will just have to compare on your own and see what you prefer. When it comes to the environment, yes, organic is better. There are less pesticides and chemicals being sprayed into the air, as well as less pollution spreading to the soil and water, all of which are obviously good things. However, as a planet of 7 billion+ people, if we were to switch entirely to organic farming methods, we would not be able to produce enough food to feed everyone. In fact, more than 1/3 of Earth's population would starve to death because organic farming requires more space and time.

Other reasons why people choose to purchase organic food is that it is often believed to be more nutritious and contain less chemicals and toxins than nonorganic food. Studies have been conducted over the last 50 years and are still being done today, on the nutritional value of organic food. The truth is, that it has yet to be proven that eating organic food has any nutritional benefit. There is simply no proof that organic beats nonorganic when it comes to nutritional value. Now we come to toxins and chemicals... Yes, the USDA has stated that organic food carries significantly less residue from pesticides, and legally it must contain less preservatives, additives and processing aids. However, the government has regulations on what amount of chemical residue can be left on the nonorganic food that you consume, based on what is and is not a safe amount. Nonorganic producers must comply with these regulations, just as organic producers must comply with their regulations regarding additives, etc..

Lets not forget where the organic movement largely began - back in the day (50+ years ago) farmers were using "moderatly toxic" chemicals such as DDT as pesticides on the crops they were growing for the public. Before these chemicals where proven to cause things such as diabetes and cancer, some people became concerned that there were health and environmental risks associated with these chemicals and wanted no part of it. Thus, the environmental and organic movements picked up speed and have continued to do so until today. However, while these movements were growing, the government cracked down on the use of chemicals like DDT and based on years of testing and research, there are strict guidelines on chemicals used/left on our food.

So what should you do? Do your own research. Decide what is important to you and what is best for you and your family. Personally, I place more stock in "fresh" than "organic". Anything overprocessed loses nutrients and is most likely packed with preservatives. I love fresh fruit, fresh veggies and fresh seafood; sometimes that means buying organic, sometimes not. It doesn't have to be expensive and organic to be fresh and healthy.

Easy Chicken

Anyone who has ever tried to cook chicken breasts probably knows how hard it can be to keep the chicken moist.  Here are a couple of ideas on how to keep that chicken from drying out and make a super yummy dinner!

Crusted Baked Chicken

(this is probably the most moist baked chicken I have ever made; based on a recipe by Sandra Lee)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups French's fried onions (ground up)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp mayo

1tbsp dijon/grainy mustard

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a shallow bowl, combine ground french-fried onions, parmesan and seasoning.  In another shallow bowl, combine mayo and mustard.  Coat chicken in mayo mixture, then in onion mixture.  Place chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Internal temp should be 180 and there should be no pink left in the center. 

Italian Chicken & Dumplings

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup stock (any kind you have)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 package gnocchi

parmesan or Romano

Place chicken, soup, stock (if you don't have stock of any kind, just use a little water) and seasoning in a slow cooker on low or medium heat.  Cook for 3-4 hours until chicken is done and easily pulls apart.  Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.  Cook gnocchi according to package directions (gnocchi is a thick dumpling-like pasta usually made with pototato).  Serve chicken and sauce over gnocchi and top with a little Romano or parmesan.

Chicken Tacos

boneless skinless chicken breasts

taco sauce, or a spicy-citrusy marinade

1 tbsp butter

tortillas (whatever kind you prefer)

shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar)

fresh avocado, lettuce, tomato, or any other toppings you like

sour cream

salsa

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch slices and place in a shallow bowl or Ziploc bag.  Add enough sauce or marinade to cover the chicken.  Cover bowl, place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 2-12 hours.  Heat butter in a pan over medium-high heat.  Drain liquid from bowl and add chicken to the hot pan.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until all pieces are cooked through.  Assemble tacos as desired and enjoy.  Store leftovers in the fridge for easy snack, or meal.



Fun With Veggies

If you need some ideas to make your veggies a bit more exciting, but keep them reasonably healthy, hopefully this will help!  These recipes have mininal ingredients and can be made by anyone!

Roasted Green Beans

fresh green beans

olive oil

lemon juice

ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450.  Wash and trim the beans, then lay out on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 7-10 minutes until tender, turning once or twice.  When done, drizzle with lemon juice (preferably fresh) and sprinkle with black pepper.  Serve immediatly and store leftovers in the fridge for a cold snack :)

Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

(from "Everyday Italian" by Giada DeLaurentiis)

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

very thinly sliced prosciutto (at least 6 slices)

Preheat oven to 450 and peel bottom half of each asparagus stalk.

Toss asparagus with oil, salt and pepper on a heavy baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Cut each slice of prosciutto lengthwise.  Wrap each asparagus stalk with one piece of prosciutto, leaving the tips of stalks exposed.

(Make this a vegetarian dish by adding an extra pinch of salt and maybe some garlic powder before baking and leaving off the prosciutto)

Grilled Vegetables

large mushrooms

fresh asparagus

yellow squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2" thick slices

(any other veggies you want to grill - peppers, eggplant, etc.)

olive oil

salt

ground black pepper

garlic powder (optional)

fresh basil (optional)

Heat grill to medium-high and generously brush veggies with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder (if using it).  Place veggies on the grill for about 5-7 minutes per side, turning once.  When vegetables are tender and lightly browned, remove from grill and garnish with fresh chopped basil.

(This can also be done on a gas stove, just lower the range temp to low, place veggies directly on burner grate and keep an eye on them.)

Angel Hair & Veggies with Scampi Sauce

(minus the shrimp...)

angel hair pasta

2 tbsp butter

1+ tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

cherry tomatoes, halved

zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices, then halved

small mushrooms, halved

1/3 - 1/2 cup white wine

juice of 1 lemon

parsley (preferably fresh)

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  While water boils and pasta cooks, melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add veggies and saute for about 3 minutes until somewhat tender.  Stir in wine, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until wine has reduced.  Add lemon juice and about 1 cup of the cooking water from pasta pot.  Reduce heat to low, add cooked pasta to sauce, simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.  (This dish is nice because if you have leftovers, you can quickly reheat everything together on the stove in a covered pan, or just eat it cold out of the fridge!) 





An Easy Lunch

Some friends have recently asked me about ideas for lunch recipes that are light and easy to make.  These are a few of my favorites that can be made with common ingredients and items that you can pick up next time you're at the store and keep in the pantry until you're ready to use them...

Cheese & Apple Wrap

(this one might sound odd, but I swear it's a winner!)

large tortilla wraps

sliced cheddar or gouda cheese

thinly sliced apple (I like Granny Smith)

optional: peanut butter OR ham & mustard



If using mustard or peanut butter, spread on the tortilla, then add your apple, cheese and ham if desired.  Roll up and enjoy - this is a good one to make in the morning and wrap up to take to work for lunch!

Pasta with Clam Sauce

1 can white or red clam sauce (such as Progresso or Pastene)

3 tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

white wine

linguine or angel hair (you can use any long pasta, but I recommend one of these if you have it)

Put a pot of water on to boil for your pasta.  Heat oil in a medium or large pan over medium-high heat.  If you want a strong garlic flavor, mince the garlic cloves; for a more mild garlic flavor, slice or crush cloves.  Add garlic and parsley to hot oil and saute for 2-3 minutes (if you don't have fresh parsley, you can use dried parsley or Italian seasoning, but only use a couple tablespoons as dried herbs are stronger than fresh ones).  Add clams and sauce from the can, 1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine depending on your preference (I like to add more), and any other spices that you would like.  Reduce heat and simmer until wine has reduced, at least 10 minutes.  While sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions.  When sauce is reduced, serve over cooked pasta.  It's light, fast and easy!

The Versatile BLT

(all of these ingredients are NOT required - pick and choose what you like or what you have on hand)

sliced bread

cooked bacon

fresh lettuce or baby spinach

 fresh sliced tomato or sun-dried tomatoes

sliced avocado

fried egg

mayonaise

Italian seasoning

salt & pepper

This one is not so much a recipe, but more of a rough idea for a delicious and super easy lunch.  As long as you have at least a couple of the ingredients, you can do it!

Toast your bread, then add mayo to one or both slices.  If using fresh sliced tomato, season slices with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning before adding slices to the sandwich.  Assemble as desired, cut in half and dig in!