Sunday, March 31, 2013

Happy Easter, Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn Veggies !

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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

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

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

Sunday, March 17, 2013

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

 

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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

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Cooks Corner: Thumbs-Up Barbequed Ribs for Slow Cooker

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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.)

Monday, March 11, 2013

SENSA ® for Men and Women—What do you think?

Does it work?  Why does it work?  Have you tried it?  What do you think?  Let us know.

 

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