Cook’s Corner: Chunky Guacamole

 

Mash 3 Avocados; stir in 1/4 cup diced white onion, 1/2 cup each diced plum tomato and chopped cilantro, and 1 diced seeded jalapeno.  Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Source:  Food Network Magazine May 2013.

Mexican Takeout: Cinco de Mayo!

 

 

Quesadillas

 

Black beans

Burritos

Chili con carne

Chimichangas

enchiladas

fajitas

gorditos

guacamole

huevos rancheros

jalapenos

nachos

pico de gallo

Quesadillas

refried beans

Salsa

Sour cream

tacos

taquitos

tortilla soup

tostadas

 

Can you think of some others?

Cooks Corner: Spicy Turkey Chili Recipe

 

 

 

SPICY TURKEY CHILI

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless turkey thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

2 serano chiles, seeded and minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo seeded and minced

1 can( 28 oz.), whole peeled tomatoes, pureed

2 Tbs. chili powder

2 cans (15.5 oz. each) black beans drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 tsp. coarse salt

Preparation:

1. In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, combine turkey, garlic, onion, Serrano chilies, chipotle chile, tomato puree, chili powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Cover and cook on high until turkey is fork tender, 3 hours (or 6 hours on low.)

2. Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 30 minutes more. Stir in vinegar and season with salt.

SOURCE:  Everyday Food, a Martha Stuart Publication, March 2013

Chile Jam Chicken with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes & Peaches

 

Photo Copyright Daphne Oz Media

Chile Jam Chicken With Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Peaches

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs

Sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. chile jam (some of my favorites: Hell Fire Pepper Jelly from Jenkins Jellies or INNA Jam’s Plenty Spicy Jalapeno for heat seekers)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Peaches

Directions

Pat the chicken dry and season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and arrange the chicken thighs insides (cast iron works really well to get a nice crispy crust). Brown the chicken on one side, giving the chicken time to unstick itself from the pan surface and form a good, crispy coating, about 10 minutes (you can give it some help with your tongs or spatula if needed). Flip the chicken thighs and brown for 6-10 minutes, or until you can insert a knife to the bones and clear liquid emerges.

Lower heat to medium-low and spoon a quarter of the chile jam over each thigh. Melt the jam over the chicken and on all sides, using tongs to flip and swirl the thighs in the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the jam to form a glaze. Remove the thighs to a serving plate and spoon the glaze on top. Scrape up any bits sticking to the bottom of the pan – these will be the crispiest and the first to go!

Just before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken to brighten its flavors and heighten the sweetness and spice. Serve with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Peaches.

Source: Daphne Oz/Dr. Oz Show April 2013

 

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Peaches

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp. organic coconut oil, melted

2 tbsp. pure maple syrup, room temperature (if it is cold, the coconut oil will solidify on contact)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Iodized salt

1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 medium peaches, pitted and sliced into 4 wedges each

1 medium sweet onion, peeled and quartered

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a small bowl, whisk the coconut oil, syrup, cinnamon and salt. Put the potato and peaches in 2 separate bowls. Pour three-quarters of the syrup mixture over the sweet potato and one-quarter over the peaches and toss. Spread the potato in an even layer in a large baking dish and roast for 10 minutes. Toss the potato and roast for 5 minutes more. Add the onion and roast for 15 minutes. Toss the potato and onion, add the peaches in an even layer and roast 10 minutes, or until the potato and onion are fork tender and the peaches have caramelized.

Source:  Daphne Oz / Dr. Oz Show April 2013

Video: How to make lentil cookies

on Howcast

Yum!

3-2-1 CAKE!

 

 

 

Did you ever just wish you had a slice of your favorite cake-- at the given moment?  Now you can! 

INGREDIENTS:

1. I box of angel food cake
2. 1 box of your favorite cake mix
3. 2 Tablespoons of water

 

PREPARATION:

• Take a baggie and mix the angle food cake mix and your favorite cake mix together.
• Get a coffee mug
• Place 3 Tablespoons of the mixture into your coffee mug
• Mix with 2 Tablespoons of water
• Place in microwave for 1 minute; let stand and set a few minutes.
• You now have your 3-2-1 CAKE!   

Mom's last words inspire 85-pound loss

 

 

By Jacque Wilson, CNN updated 7:04 AM EDT, Fri April 12, 2013

CNN) -- "Hey, Precious."

Cherie Hart Steffen turned toward her professor in the hall of their community college.

"What?" she asked, sure she had misheard.

"Precious -- you know, from the movie," he repeated.

The students around them started laughing. Steffen could only stare in disbelief. He had just compared her to Gabourey Sidibe's obese character in the 2009 film.

"It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.

Her mind flashed back to just six months before, when she had gotten a life-changing call. It was June 2009. Her mother -- her best friend in the world -- was dying. Steffen drove all night in hopes of seeing her one last time.

Sticking to weight loss goals

LaVerne Hart managed to give her youngest daughter just two pieces of advice before succumbing to the cancer that had spread throughout her body.

"Save money. Lose weight," Steffen recites, her mother's words forever etched into her brain.

Steffen hadn't listened immediately. A herniated disk in her lower back had prevented her from working out; grief had made her turn to comfort food. In the months since her mother's death she had gained 30 to 40 pounds. But that moment with her professor was the last straw.

"This is it," she thought, as the crowd around her dissipated. "Let's do this."

A model's daughter

Steffen's older sisters were naturally thin. They took after their mother, who had been a model. Steffen did not. She grew up "husky" and steadily gained weight throughout her teenage years.

She and her mother fought constantly over her size. Hart would push her daughter to lose weight, but continued to buy junk food for the whole family.

"Bless her heart, she didn't know how to really deal with it," Steffen remembers. "I'm eating what everyone else is eating. ... None of her other children looked like me."

In desperation, Steffen tried everything from crash diets to extreme exercise to battle the bulge. At one point, she was eating fewer than 500 calories a day. She would lose weight for a short time and then put it right back on when real life won out.

Shopping was miserable. "They don't really make large clothing that's attractive," she says. "Everything just looks like a tarp." She longingly watched as her friends tried on cute clothes and went on dates. Her first kiss was postponed until college.

Eventually she carried 230 pounds on her 5-foot-3-inch frame.

Slow and steady

The humiliating "Precious" incident took place in January 2010. That night, Steffen got on her treadmill at home and walked for 10 minutes. It was rough, but she promised herself she'd do it again the next day. She was going to take the weight off no matter how long it took.

Every day she walked just a little bit longer, a little bit farther. By year's end, she had lost 30 pounds and worked her way up to a jog. She still hadn't exercised outside her house, fearing embarrassment.

She would be graduating soon with a degree in criminal justice, and thought she might make a good police officer. She started training for the fitness test, but a stress fracture in her tibia prevented her from attending tryouts at the academy.

Depression crept in. Steffen thought about what she really wanted to do. She realized she was happy with her new health routine. Could she work in the fitness industry? She did some research and came across the National Academy of Sports Medicine's certified personal training program.

What to look for in a personal trainer:
1) Evaluate their education. Research their certification and make sure it's from a reputable source like NASM.
2) Make sure their advanced specialization, like nutrition or bodybuilding, fits your goal.
3) Interact with them -- a personality match will help with motivation.

Personal training is a booming job field, says academy spokesman David Van Daff.

"Everyone is aware there's an (obesity) crisis, an epidemic," he says. "People are trying a variety of different methods to improve their fitness levels, but they're not achieving success independently. They're recognizing they need a coach, a motivator, who will hold them accountable."

Personal trainers provide clients with programs to achieve their goals, Van Daff says, whether that's weight loss, muscle building or overall fitness. The National Academy of Sports Medicine certification teaches everything from basic anatomy to kinesiology to motivational techniques.

Van Daff loves to see people who have lost a significant amount of weight become trainers.

"It's helpful for somebody in this industry if they can relate to their clients from a personal perspective," he says. "If you have a personal trainer who knows what it's like to be 20 or 30 pounds overweight ... it helps in gaining (the client's) confidence."

Steffen passed her certification exam on her way to losing another 30 to 40 pounds. She designated 2012 as the year of running: She ran her first 5K in May and her first half marathon later that year. Toward the end of the year, she finally joined a gym and began to lift weights.

"(I thought) I look good in my clothes, but do I look good naked?" she says with a laugh.

Now she hits the gym five to six days a week to weight train and run. She also has cleaned up her eating habits.

Steffen eats six small meals a day that almost always include protein, whether it's chicken, tuna, Greek yogurt or fish. She has a gallon of water on her desk at work. ("I'm constantly going to the bathroom," she says.) She's given up French fries and French bread, possibly her two biggest diet downfalls, although she gives herself permission to splurge during one meal a week.

All her hard work has paid off. Steffen has lost 85 pounds and inspires others on her blog, CherieRunsThis.com.

Moving on

About a year ago, Steffen ran into her old college professor, the one who had called her "Precious." She hadn't seen him since her graduation.

Like a scene from a movie, Steffen dropped an orange and it rolled across the floor. Her professor picked it up as a million sentences ran through her head.

"I had dreamed of this moment," she says. "I thought I was going to walk into his office and be like, 'Look at me now.'"

Instead she simply said, "Thank you."

"If he hadn't said that, none of this would have happened," she explains. "He still has no clue."

For now, Steffen is working as a leasing consultant at an apartment complex. But she's studying to be a fitness nutrition specialist with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and hopes to eventually get enough clients to be a personal trainer full time.

She also has her eye on a few bikini competitions, perhaps as a nod to her mother's modeling career. She imagines Hart would flip out if she saw her daughter now, and would immediately want to go shopping.

"She would love that I listened to her and took her advice," Steffen says. "She would be really proud of me because I did it the right way."

Seasonal Saturday!

This spring try making some meals for your family using ingredients that are seasonal and local to your area:
* Try fiddleheads and parsnips in the Northeast.
* Experiment with asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower down South.
* Look for asparagus, morels, and rhubarb in the Midwest.
* Pick up fava beans, fiddleheads, and rhubarb in the Pacific Northwest.
* Enjoy avocados, artichokes, garlic scapes, and spring onions out West.
* Cook with asparagus, garlic, and pea greens in the Southwest.

With attribution to Maggie Green of the The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches with Zesty White Bean Spread!

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches with Zesty White Bean Spread

Serves 4

To show how easy it is to adapt Bittman’s concepts and recipes, we used his blueprint for a VB6 sandwich (bread + a smear + vegetables) to create this one. The cumin and coriander used to season the vegetables are common spices in a number of global cuisines, so you can take the improvisation even further and add a dollop of salsa for Mexican flair, a spoonful of chutney for an Indian twist, a dab of harissa for Moroccan flavor, etc.

Roasted Vegetables

• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
• ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 large zucchini, cut diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices (1 ½ lb.)
• 2 medium red and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded, cored, and cut into eighths
• 3 small onions, cut into eighths
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

Bean Spread

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1 ½ cups cooked or 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbs. lemon or lime juice

1. To make Roasted Vegetables: Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Toss together zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and oil in large bowl. Add cumin mixture, and toss to coat.

3. Divide vegetables between 2 baking sheets, and roast 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender and golden brown, turning vegetables once or twice and rotating baking sheets from top to bottom. Cool.

4. To make Bean Spread: Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant. Add beans, and coarsely mash. Stir in 3/4 cup water, and cook 10 minutes, or until mixture is consistency of refried beans, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice, and cool.

5. To assemble Sandwiches: Spread 2 Tbs. Bean Spread on each bread slice. Top 4 bread slices with 1 cup Roasted Vegetables, 2 or 3 tomato slices, and 1/2 cup arugula. Place remaining 4 bread slices on top. Cut in half to serve.

Source:  Vegetarian Times: April/May 2013 p.69

Passenger Weight Critical

Provider: AP

Airline Sets Prices by Passenger Weight

Samoa Airline plans to start pricing tickets according to the weight of passengers and their bags. The airline first implemented the policy for certain routes last year and now plans on doing it for its new route to American Samoa. (April 3)

What do you think of this?

Herbed Spanish Omelet

 

Photo: AICR

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced or shredded
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil and chives
• 4 large whole eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• Salt to taste
• Sprigs of fresh herbs to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Place potatoes in large pan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, not mushy. Drain well.
2. Heat oil in deep 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.
3. Add parsley, basil and chives to beaten eggs and egg whites. Season with salt if desired. Pour mixture over potatoes in hot skillet. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until bottom of omelet is golden.
4. If desired, brown top under toaster oven. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 260 calories, 12 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 28 g carbohydrate,
11 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 106 mg sodium.

Source: AICR

Happy Easter, Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn Veggies !

Dreamtime Photo

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. cauliflower florets, trimmed to bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil

4-5 tsp. Grated Parmigianino-Reggiano

Preparation Methods:

1.  Toss cauliflower in large bowl with oil;

2. Season with salt and pepper or your favorite spices to taste.

3.  Arrange in single layer on baking sheet.

4.  Roast on center rack of oven about 15 minutes.  Carefully, turn half-way through baking.

5.  Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Each 4oz. serving contains:

70 calories, 6g carb, 1g fiber, 3g protein, 5g fat (1g sat fat), 0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium

Source: Adapted from Wegmans Veggies

Steamy Secrets About Chicken: Steamed Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 

 

 

Photo: Kyle Dreier; food styling by Whitney Kemp

ingredients

Parchment paper or aluminum foil
1/2 cup peeled, grated carrots
1/2 cup unpeeled, grated zucchini
1/2 cup unpeeled, grated yellow squash
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion or red onion
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
(4 oz. each, about 1/2 inch thick)
12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained,
lightly patted dry
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (the thicker the better)
2 tsp. olive oil

Preparation Method:

Parchment Paper Packets (En Papillote)

Makes: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 packet
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minute

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Tear or cut the parchment paper into four 12- to 14-inch squares.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, thyme, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the black pepper. Divide the vegetables equally among the
parchment squares.
3. Lay the chicken cutlets over the vegetables (a). Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining salt and black pepper. Place three sun-dried tomatoes on each piece of chicken. Drizzle each serving with the balsamic vinegar and oil. Pull one side of a parchment square over the chicken and veggies, and seal the parchment with narrow double folds (b). Place the parchment packages on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. The packets may puff up slightly while cooking. Place the packets on individual dinner plates, and ask diners to carefully open their packets—hot steam will be released (c).

          A                        B                    C                       

nutrition

Per Serving: Calories 195, Fat 7 g (Sat. Fat 1.3 g), Carbohydrate 8 g (Fiber 2 g, Sugars 3 g), Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 340 mg, Potassium 520 mg, Protein 26 g, Phosphorus 180 mg
Exchanges: Vegetable 1, Lean Meat 3, Fat 0.5

Source: Diabetes Forecast

Kitchen Nightmares: Gordon Ramsay Meets a Stubborn Greek Owner, but What Happens?

 

 

Published - Mar 16 2013 09:27PM EST

Rick Ellis, RR.com Original

Gordon Ramsay comes to Seattle to visit a family-owned, Greek restaurant. The restaurant's neighborhood is changing and the owner refuses to adapt. A stubborn owner that won’t listen to reason? Sounds like just about every episode of Kitchen Nightmares.

Kitchen Nightmares starring Gordon Ramsay airs on FOX Fridays at 8:00 pm ET.

‘We’re Not Asking You to Give Up, We’re Asking You to Change’

Yanni’s Greek Restaurant was founded in 1984 and in 2007 the original owner passed away, turning the business over to his son Peter. In recent years the business has struggled as the neighborhood changed. That struggle brought out the worst in Peter, who takes it out on his wife and daughters, all of whom work at the restaurant.

Before Chef Ramsay visits the restaurant he meets with Peter and gets the lowdown on the business. Peter tells Ramsay that his family isn’t as devoted as he is to the business and he worries that he’s not tough enough on everyone. I suspect Chef Ramsay won’t agree with his assessment. He talks with the family, who tells Gordon that Peter is in denial and was lying to him during the earlier meeting. Ramsay brings Peter into the discussion, and after a lot of yelling, Peter admits that he can’t change, even though it’s killing the restaurant.

‘The Only Thing That is Nine Out of Ten Here is the Pita Bread’

It’s time to sample the food, which is almost always a low point in these shows. Chef Ramsay orders food, including a peculiar pumpkin hummus. He dislikes all the food, which is greasy and ill-prepared. And the more complaints Chef Ramsay has about the food, the angrier Peter gets back in the kitchen. After it’s all over Chef Ramsay talks to the family and Peter refuses to admit that he needs to change the menu or the dated 1980s decor. He seems incapable of changing anything and as Ramsay leaves the restaurant the family is still arguing over the issue.

You Say Spoiled, I Say Extremely Aged

It’s time for dinner service and you don’t have to be a psychic to predict that this won’t end well. As Chef Ramsay watches, Peter and daughter Alyse argue in the kitchen over the preparation of the food. But even worse, dishes are coming back, including one pork dish that was so tough the customer bent his fork trying to eat it. Chef Ramsay begins searching through the coolers and finds bowls of meat that are slimy and covered with mold. Both Peter and Alyse say they aren’t using that meat but it’s all a bit suspicious. As Ramsay unloads on them, Peter somehow figures out a way to blame everyone else for the issues without taking any responsibility. They shut down the restaurant and the evening ends with the family dazed and shattered.

It’s Time For the New Yanni’s Greek Restaurant

The next day the family arrives and Peter initially says they are ready to make the changes necessary. But it’s not long until he begins arguing that things aren’t as bad as Chef Ramsay claimed the previous evening. That starts a long argument that eventually ends with Peter asking Chef Ramsay to stay and help them. Peter reluctantly agrees to change the menu for the first time in 28 years and the next morning the family arrives to discover a new interior and a new menu. That night the dinner service is rough initially but Peter and Alyse learn to work together. The evening was a success and Peter tells Gordon Ramsay he’ll miss him. In the following weeks the business improves and the family learns to laugh again.

Who watched this episode?  What did you think? 

All the best,

Anthony

Cooks Corner: Thumbs-Up Barbequed Ribs for Slow Cooker

 

Ingredients:

2 Slabs pork spareribs 3-4 lbs. each)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 onion sliced

1 jar (16OZ.) barbeque sauce

 

Preparation:

Rub each side of spareribs with salt and pepper.  Cut ribs into serving portions.  Place ribs in broiler pan and broil 15 minutes or until browned.  Drain.  Put sliced onion in stoneware.  Place rib sections on top on onions, pour barbeque sauce on top.  Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours or (High: 4 to5 hours.)