Beat Your Way To A Tasty Meal

With all the posts that I have written I always surprise myself that there are some very simple yet well loved foods that I fail to write about. While pondering what food to write about next, out of nowhere I just started thinking about omelets. Beyond it being one of our most popular breakfast choices it's also been that last minute; 'Oh my gosh, I forgot to take something out of the freezer" rescue meal. In my grandmother's case it's become an easy satisfying meal to prepare if you are eating alone. An omelet is a blank canvas totally accepting of whatever foods your imagination can throw at it or better yet in it! My grandmother's favorite omelet is made with chicken livers, my mother loved a good Spanish omelet, I love any omelet that has a lot of melted cheese and then there is my cousin from France who prefers her omelet simply with a sprinkling of herbs and nothing else.
So beat a few eggs, chop up some of last nights leftovers, grab a couple slices of cheese and have a simple yet satisfying meal in a matter of minutes. Food doesn't always have to be fancy in order to taste just fine.

Simple Cheese Omelet Recipe - use this as the base recipe for whatever ingredients you choose (meat, veggie, fish, fruit, cheese). Increase number of eggs and amounts depending on how many omelets and people you are serving.

3 eggs
1 tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
2 tsp. butter
1/4 c. cheese (American, Swiss, feta, cream cheese, cheddar) use whatever you like.

In small bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper with fork until well blended. In skillet melt butter, tilt pan to coat sides. Add egg mixture and cook on medium heat without stirring.
When omelet is set sprinkle the cheese over half of omelet let sit a few seconds to melt the cheese then slide omelet out of pan and fold in half.

Photo/dinnerologyii/flickr

You Don't Have To Be Diabetic To Love This Cookbook...A Review

250 Amazing Dishes for People With Diabetes and Their Families and Friends

There was a time when the enjoyment of food accompanied by a diagnosis of diabetes meant a future of the bland and the tasteless. That is what Tom Valenti thought as well upon his diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Like with most of us Tom's best memories of childhood, family and friendships have always been centrally rooted around the pleasure of great food. Food has always been such an important aspect of Tom's life that it carried over into his professional life as well, Tom is a chef.
This cookbook reminds me of the old saying; "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade". Well when life handed Tom a diagnosis of diabetes he made a feast, a feast for all of us to partake in. The title of this book could not be more perfect; "You Don't Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook"! This cookbook covers everything from breakfasts, snacks, soups, pasta (yes, I said pasta) and how about some nice creamy risotto. It seems like these days whether you are diabetic or not "Carbs" become the enemy. This cookbook will rekindle your friendship with "Carbs" in the most healthy and satisfying way. You'll be able to look desserts straight in the eye again with no pang of guilt whatsoever. How about "Mocha Pots de crème" with shaved bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream and strong brewed coffee, sounds heavenly.
The focus in this book is not on what you can't have but rather on all that you can have in the healthiest most pleasurable way possible for you and your body. Each recipe is broken down nutritionally per serving by calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, cholesterol, sugars and sodium.
The most important thing to all people when it comes to eating is flavor and I truly believe that with this cook book Tom has truly saved the best for last. Many of us don't realize while trying to add much needed flavor to our foods through the use of condiments; dressings, sauces, relishes and such the staggering amount of sugar, fat and sodium that is hidden in every little tablespoon that we use. In the last section of this book titled Condiments and Basics Tom covers a wide array of flavoring mediums that are not only concentrated with flavor but also low in fat, sugar and sodium. You will find everything from pesto's to salad dressings, herb purees, broths, relishes and some amazing salsa recipes. More than ever cooking to meet the dietary needs of our family and friends is essential. There was a time when you had to prepare different foods for different people all sitting around the same table a very frustrating and time consuming task. With this cookbook everyone with or without diabetes can partake in the same delicious foods with delight and the comfort of knowing that they have eaten good food that was good for them.
To all my readers out there who love great recipes this book is a must add to your every day use cookbook collection.

Here is just a taste of what you could be serving for dinner tonight:

Angel Hair Pasta
with shrimp scampi sauce

8 ounces of dried angel hair pasta
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
8 large cloves of garlic very thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of dried white wine
1 pound large shrimp (about a dozen) peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta and let boil until al dente, about 5 minutes.

While the angel hair is cooking, heat the olive oil in a wide deep heavy bottomed pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook to gently infuse the olive oil with flavor but not brown the garlic, about 4 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring, until firm and pink, about 3 minutes. Swirl in the butter to thicken and enrich the sauce.

Set aside a few tablespoons of the angel hair cooking water then drain the angel hair. Stir the angel hair cooking water into the pan with the shrimp to bind the sauce, then add the angel hair and toss to coat. Divide the angel hair among 6 bowls or plates. Scatter some parsley over each portion and serve.

This recipe serves 6

Calories per serving 389
Fat 19g
Saturated fat 5g
Trans Fat 0g
Total Carbohydrates 30g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 20g
Cholesterol 130mg
Sodium 115mg

Have Fun, Just Remember

Happy Birthday America

Every year it comes around No individual party but one big bash Cook outs, time at the beach or lakes Fireworks to light up the sky Parades are held with buntings of Red White and Blue Men and women in uniform march in perfect lock step. Clowns and horses are all abound Children smile and wave the small flags given to them. This is a birthday for our Nation For on July fourth, Seventeen Seventy Six. We proclaimed our freedom to the small world then, that we wanted to become an independent and sovereign nation

Yet, this year we find that Freedom is not free. That our citizens will be far away so another country can be free for they will put their lives on the line for our ideals But they know they will be thought of by those at home For this is the Fourth of July for all to see

A land that knows its freedoms are not free

A land that does not forget our hard kept ideals

A land rich in historyHappy Birthday America

By Merrill Vaughan, Ret. USAF MSgt.

Copyright 2006

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars - an easy pass around dessert

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. smooth peanut butter

4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

6 plain chocolate Hershey bars

Blend butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. Work in the powdered sugar and cracker crumbs with a wooden spoon until combined thoroughly. Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside. Melt Hershey bars (10-15 seconds in microwave), spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until set but don't let get too cold or they will be too hard to cut. Cut into small squares.

Delicious! Tastes just like a peanut butter cup.

Photo/RG/Flickr

Fragole Pazzo

Isn't it funny how foods that other people grew up eating and loving sound weird but the foods we grew up eating and loving never do? If the food seems weird are the people who eat them and enjoy them just as weird? If that is the case, then just label me the weirdest person on the face of the earth; because I eat some pretty weird foods (my definition of weird is delicious by the way)! If you ask me the only thing that is weird is anyone who would short change themselves of trying something different from their "norm". One little taste that's all it takes, if you don't like it you never have to eat it again.......but if you do like it....
Well I guess that would mean that you are still weird only now you would possess the power to eat many more foods than you use to......how cool is that?!

Crazy Strawberries

2 tbsp. sugar
5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. freshly coarse ground black pepper
4 c. ripe strawberries, stemmed and quartered (2 pt.)
Grated sweet chocolate for garnish (in a pinch you could just sprinkle on a few semi-sweet chocolate chips)!

In a bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, and pepper. Stir in strawberries and let them stand for 10 minutes, serve strawberries garnished with chocolate.

An Economic Stew

Our grandparents and parents all lived through tough economic times and yet I cannot remember any of them or any of us ever going hungry. Even during some of the poorest times in this countries history most families ate very delicious and substantial meals. They did this by using cheaper cuts of meats or what use to be considered the throw away bits such as innards, knuckles, joints, marrow bones. These cuts always seemed to shine their best when prepared in the form of a soup or stew because the longer the cooking time the more tender and flavorful these cuts of meat became and the amount of servings could be easily expanded just by adding water or stock, different types of vegetables and starches (potatoes, rice, pasta). My mother and grandmother both made this stew even during more prosperous times just for the mere fact that we all enjoyed eating it. I'll admit gizzards are not exactly the most attractive looking meat around but then again how many cuts of meat actually look attractive? Any food, even the nasty bits are beautiful especially when they are prepared by loving hands, shared with a generous heart and sustain us all nutritionally to live another day, love another day and by all means eat another day!

Chicken Gizzard Stew

1-1/2 pounds of chicken gizzards (also known as the giblets)
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes liquid and all
1 small can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
A little oil for sautéing

Cut up gizzards, some will be small enough to leave as is you are just looking for bite size pieces. Add gizzards, onions and garlic to a large pot set on medium that has just enough oil so mixture won't stick. Sauté for about 10 minutes then add your tomato paste, stir tomato paste into gizzard mixture and using the tomato paste can add three cans of water to the mix and stir. Now add your remaining ingredients, stir, cover and set temperature to low and let simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours. You want your gizzards to get tender since they can be extremely tough to chew.
This can be served up in a bowl with some nice crusty bread and a salad or is great served over rice or pasta.

Photo/A.Curell/Flickr

The Dark Side Of Nutrition

For a delicious treat that is high in nutrients and antioxidants we'll have to travel to the dark side. No, we are not meeting Darth Vadar for lunch although eating these might just lighten him up a bit. I guess in some instances even the dark side has a silver lining....enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cherries

3 ounces of a really good dark chocolate
1 cup of dried tart cherries

Put chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute stirring halfway through. Remove the bowl from microwave and stir in the cherries. Spread out on a wax paper lined baking sheet and put them in freezer until firm (about 10 min.).

Keep in air tight container in cool place always ready for snacking.

FYI - this works really well with dried blueberries, of course you can dip anything your heart desires, it's chocolate after all!

I'll Take Those For A Dollar!

I decided to tackle the public market this past Saturday and I do mean tackle. I got there at 9:30 in the morning and the place was packed. It took me 40 minutes just to park but it is always worth that little bit of added stress. Every time I go they seem to add new vendors, this time they had someone there selling area rugs in between the food stalls.
The prices there still amaze me, their fruits and vegetables are less than half the price of all the grocery chains nationwide.
This week they had a favorite of my Mothers, spring onions. You do not see them very often; they appear to be a scallion only the white bulb is much larger. They are a bit more pungent in taste over a scallion
I came across this beautiful vegetarian recipe that uses a full bunch of spring onions along with many other wonderful vegetables. A fresh and healthy dish perfect for this time of year or any time for that matter.

Brussel Sprouts With Spring Vegetables including those beautiful Spring Onions

The brussel sprouts are scored with an "X" on the bottom to allow the heat to penetrate the dense part of the root so that the vegetable cooks to the center.

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. peanut oil

1/2 c. diced celery root, or celery stalk and leaves, diced

2 med. turnips, peeled and shredded

1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/2 c. fresh peas

1 lb. brussel sprouts, blanched tender

2 tbsp. mixed herbs: oregano, marjoram, parsley, or tarragon (any combination)

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter and oil in a skillet and sauté the celery root and turnips until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato and peas, season with a bit of salt and continue to cook covered until the peas are tender, another 5 minutes.
When the peas are almost cooked, add the brussel sprouts and herbs, and continue to heat long enough to warm the sprouts. Uncover the pot and allow any liquid that has accumulated to reduce or evaporate. Add the spring onions and toss everything well. Correct the seasonings give a grinding of fresh pepper and serve hot.

Pikaluk/flickr