Dragon Star Salad

Hello all. Its been a while since I posted, but I have been very busy lately. But spring is finally here, and the weather is soo nice. But there is one not so nice aspect. That is the lack of fruit variety. Unfortunately this is the in between season, so apples are out, but its still to early for peaches, nectarines and plums, leaving the fruit lover with very little choice. But on the bright side, more exotic, tropical fruits are beginning to be placed on the shelfs. Walking through the market yesterday I found two of my favorites and wanted to share them with you. Star fruit and Dragon fruit. I dont know how many people are familiar with either fruit, and they can look quite scary at first, but they are quite delicious. 

 (Star Fruit)

Start fruit gets its name, obviously from its shape, when sliced it looks like a star. Taste wise they are mild and juicy. The best way to describe the flavor and texture is a cross between an apple and a grape with a smooth waxy skin, very much like the skin of a grape. When choosing the fruit you want one that is a dark yellow, as that is the color when they are ripe, otherwise they can be tart. 

 (Dragon Fruit)

The second fruit, Dragon fruit, is harder to find. I used to get mine at the street vendors in china town, though in summer they could be on the expensive side. But now that my store carries them I am super happy. Like the start fruit, Dragon fruit is very juicy with lots of water so good and refreshing for a hot summer day. The out side is a vibrant pink with the tips green, while the flesh inside is white with tiny black seeds, almost like a kiwi (dont let that put you off). The taste is very very mild, almost bland, so its good in a fruit salad if you have other strong flavors. 

Since these fruits were staring at me today, I decided to make a Fruit salad for breakfast, and it was oh so delicious.

Dragon Star Salad

1 Dragon Fruit
1 Start fruit

Cut up both fruits and combine in a bowl. chill for a few hours if desired. enjoy!

Better then medicine chicken soup

What I thought was an allergy attack turned out to be a nasty cold. Being utterly miserable I decided to make the best cure all in the world. Good old fashioned Jewish chicken soup aka Jewish penicillin.  It has been proven that enzymes in the soup make you feel better, more so then some over the counter meds, so your grandma was right when ever she fed you a bowl when you were sick. So I dragged my self out of bed and made a large pot and ate some honey with lemon while I prepared the veggies. After having a nice big bowl I felt instantly better and crawled back in to bed with a fudge pop and netflix. Ice cream always helps a sore throat

This recipe has been handed down, for many generations. It has always been made the same way. Nothing but good for you natural ingredients. no chemicals or yucky stuff. This makes a lot of soup and you dont have to use all the chicken in the soup. I usaly keep some aside and make a chicken salad. 

Old Fashioned Chicken soup

1-3 pound Chicken pieces with skin depending how much soup you make
3 stalks of celery chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots chopped
6-8 cups water
salt and pepper

In a large pot place chicken pieces, and veggies and cover with water. Season liberally with salt and pepper and a dash of rosemary. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the chicken falls off the bone. The longer it cooks the more intese the flavor. Once done take out the chicken, as best you can, and remove from the bone.  Serve the soup right away with pieces of the chicken, or wait till it cool and skim off the fat then reheat and serve (I ate right away cause I couldn’t wait)

Left over chicken tacos

Hello all! It finally feels like spring. The sun is shining, there is a light breeze and only a sweater is needed. Its perfect except for the allergy attack.  Any who, I want to talk about left overs. They often get pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten and eventually get thrown away. Not being a fan of waste, I usually try to find a way to make use of them. This is easiest to do when you have left over chicken or beef from a roast the night before. If you even more ambitious, you can make stock from the caucus and freeze it to use in other recipes. There is so much you can make from the left over meat, but this is my go to recipe for lunch or when I want a quick snack. 

It cooks up in a few minutes and you should have everything on hand already. Simply add some cut up onions, and mix it together and put it on a tortilla and you got your self a meal. I use corn tortillas, you if you prefer flour go a head an use them and feel free to add other veggies.

Left over chicken tacos

Left over chicken, shredded
1/4 onion sliced
1 tsp oil
1 clove garlic minced
dash of chili powder, cumin, cayenne peper
1 or 2 tortillas depending on size (i used small 6 inch corn tortillas so used 2)

In a small pan heat oil and add garlic and cook for a few minutes till fragrant. Add sliced onion and cook till slightly softened then add your chicken and spices and cook till warmed through and remove from heat. Warm your tortillas and add the chicken to them. roll up and enjoy with a slice or avocado or sour cream!

 

Getting a good start can make the day better

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But if your anything like me you dont always get to eat it. I hate getting up in the morning. I must hit the snooze on my alarm at least 5 times before I get out of bed. This of course means i have to rush to get ready and get out of the house which generally leaves me no time to eat. If I remember, I sometimes make a big batch of steal cut oats the night before and just reheat in the microwave in the morning with some fruit and that keeps me going for a while, but sadly that doesn’t happen all that often. But when I do get a chance to eat breakfast, I like to make it count and generally feel better about myself. Today I got that chance and it was pretty satisfying. I usually try to have a protein and a grain in the morning if possible. and I found the easiest way is to make an egg and toast and some fruit and of course a cup of tea.

Now generally I dislike eating eggs on their own, something about it just makes me cringe.The only type of egg I can eat is hard boiled or soft boiled, and hard boiling takes a while and I can be lazy so again I dont often make them.  I also dont really eat toast, but I made an exception for the Ezekiel bread (sprouted grain bread and low glycemic)..if I am going to have a carb it better be a good and filling one. But I love fruit, if I didn’t like steak so much I could probably be a vegetarian, and try to keep an apple in my bag for snaking. I had a lovely large mango on my counter that needed eating and some strawberries as well, just chopped that up and instant fruit salad! 

What is your breakfast of choice when you have a chance to make a proper one?

Healthy beans and rice

 Long before I decided to get healthy, I would usually grab food at the food court in the mall where I worked on my lunch break. It contained your usual fare of McDonalds, a pizza place, questionable chinese food and so on. But the one place that was my go to was Desert Moon. It was a tex-mex place and i always ordered the black bean rice bowl, no meat and no veggies. just beans and rice and cheese (i always got an odd look from this) In my mind I rationalized that it was a slightly healthier option then getting a big mac, and tho i hate to admit it the bean bowl was delicious (probably from all the junk in it). I dont eat fast food any more, and i havent had Desert Moon in about 3 years, but there are times that I miss it. So on a whim I decided to make my own bean bowl, and it was pretty darn satisfying. 

 I have been on a qunioa kick lately so I usually have some left over in my fridge and if you use canned beans, this recipie whips up super fast, especially if you have left over grains of some sort, if not cook both at the same time and you’ll have a healthy and satisfying meal in under a half hour. Most of these ingredients should be in your pantry already so you wouldn’t even need to leave the house to go to the store. You could totally add chicken or any other meat if you want, but I like my beans and rice simple.

 

Healthy black bean rice bowl

Quiona (if not using left over cook according to directions)
1 can of no salt added black beans(half drained)
1 tsp oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and peper to taste

If not using left over, place 1 cup quinoa in a pot with two cups of water. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 min or until water is absorbed. In a sperate pot, heat oil and saute onion and garlic till fragrant. Add the beans and spices and cook on medium low heat till hot,  and quinoa is cooked. taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve over quinoa and top with cheddar and sour cream if desired. 

An Irish feast (Part 2) Corned Beef and Cabbage

Its officially St. Paddy’s day! I posted my soda bread yesterday, now I am posting a recipe for corned beef and cabbage as I listen to flogging molly to get in the mood. Its a one pot meal that is filling and simple to make, even if it takes about 4 hours, but most of that time is simmering.  This was my first attempt at making this classic dish, and it was a huge hit. even the kitties stole some from the table when our backs were turned.

my messy counter with my supplies

A simple meal calls for simple ingredients. aside from the meat, you need potatoes, carrots, onion and cabbage. thats it. Now I dont make my own corned beef, which is essentially pickling a brisket. Its to time consuming and frankly I would probably screw it up. So I bought my beef already corned from the butcher. If possible try to get First Cut which means its the leanest possible cut of the meat and if able, grass-fed and or hormone and antibiotic free. Trust me you can taste a real difference in the meat.

look how nice that looks

It really couldn’t be simpler. You place the beef in a pot and cover with water and let it cook for 3 hours or so. add the veggies and cook some more..and your done!

Corned beef and cabbage

3-4 lb corned beef with spices
Water
6 red potatps cut in quarters
2 onions
5-6 carrots cut in chunks
1 head of cabbage cut up

In a large pot place beef and spices and cover with water, about 1 inch above meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 1/2- 3 hours or until fork tender(check meat periodically). Add the potatoes, carrots and onions and cook for a further 45 minuets, then add the Cabbage and cook for about 15-20 minutes more untill the veggies are soft. Place in a dish with the veg and some broth and serve!.

hope you enjoy! happy st. paddy’s day everyone!

An Irish Feast (Part 1 Soda Bread)

Dia duit gach duine! (my irish is a bit rusty) St. Paddy’s* day is almost here. and the corned beef smells delicious!  Most would use this as an excuse to drink till blacking out, but i prefer to cook instead. I am making a feast, corned beef and cabbage and soda bread! Now i am not Irish, not one drop of blood in me, however i am dating an Irishman from Ireland so i guess that makes me Irish by proxy. Now many may be surprised that St. Patricks day is not celebrated in ireland like it is here in the states. Its more of a religious holiday over there though the younger generation may drink more heavily. But like any holiday, and in Irish families, the food is always the most important. You walk in to some ones home they will feed you wether your hungry or not, trust me you cant refuse. Best thing is to just accept it. So my first recipe is for a traditional soda bread.

 

I get asked to make this all the time. And when ever i do, it doesn’t last even a day and has pieces hacked off just minutes after it comes out of the oven.This is a very basic recipe and quick to throw together, but i have it on good authority that it is out of this world. My SO’s other two irish flat mates gave it rave reviews and, my SO even declared it was better then his moms! (blasphemy i know) Any who, this bread is crusty, dense and moist inside. Its not sweet, which is perfect in my estimation and tastes amazing smothered in butter and the butter milk really gives it a nice flavor. I dont remember where I saw this recipe but I adapted it a bit cause I found that it was a bit dry, which made it difficult to shape into a round.

Traditional soda bread

4 Cups flour
4 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 Cup buttermilk +3-4 tablespoons if to dry (if you dont have butter milk on hand, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar and let stand for 5 minutes)
1 Egg

additional melted butter and milk for brushing

Preheat oven to 375. In a Large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Cut the butter in to chunks and cut into the flour mixture using a pasty cutter, or your hands until only pea sized pieces remain.  Stir in the buttermilk and egg until you get a soft dough. If its dry add the tablespoons of buttermilk 1 at time till constancy is reached.and it holds together better when kneading. Kneed the dough on a floured surface and shape into a round and place it on a baking sheet. Bush with a melted butter mixture and cut an X into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the loaf is golden.

Let me know how they came out!!  Happy St. Patricks Day!

*Its not ‘Patty”. if you ever say that to an irish person they would probably hit you. I got an earfull from my SO the first time he heard me say it. Patrick is the anglicized version of Padrig, hence Paddy for short*

The green trend continues

Maybe because its march and St, Paddy’s day is around the corner (a soda bread is on the menue soon), or i just have a love of the color green, im noticing a trend. Its still cold enough out that a good bowl of soup can warm up even the most chilliest of days, especially one that is thick and creamy and super filling.  I love all soups, but i love pureed soup most of all. I make a mean  gingered butternut squash, carrot and parsnip soup, but thats a recipe for another day.

Wanting a change, I decided to try my hand at Split pea soup. I find these types of soup easiest to make since it requires very little work. you just toss everything into a big pot and cover it with water or stock and let it cook for a few hours. I hunted around for ideas and most contained a ham bone. As mentioned before, I dont eat pork, so I decided to experiment with other spices. It was a success and I am very pleased with the results. Suffice to say I will be eating it for a few days.

 

Split pea soup

1 bag of split peas
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
6-8 cups stock (chicken or veggie)
Cumin
Garlic
bay leaf
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot over high heat place the onion, carrot, and split peas and add the broth (enough to cover the peas) add the bay leaf and season with cumin, garlic and salt and pepper
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the peas are mushy.
If you want a smooth constancy blend in a blender or with an immersion blender till smooth. Season again to taste.

*I noticed when i reheated the soup the next day it had thickened up even more in the fridge, and had to add a little bit of water to thin it out*

Its a miracle!!!!!!

Noodles make everything better, from chicken soup, to ramen, to spagetti. But if your trying to eat healthy,  carbo loading on pasta is not wise, and if your like me, cant stand the taste of whole wheat pasta you need another option. I would like to introduce you to Miracle Noodles, a.k.a Shirataki noodles. I came across these babys a few weeks ago, and decided to give them ago. All of the reviews I read were positive, and it seemed like a good option since I was not eating carbs at the time. So I whipped out the credit card and ordered the sample pack. It came with 2-3 of each of the main types: Angel hair, Fettuccini, Spinach, Pene, and Rice (rice not pictured as I ate it all)

Having tried most of  them and there are defiantly others that I like better. The angel hair, Fettuccini and rice are all really good. I have not tried the spinach yet. The pene unfortunately didn’t absorb the sauce as well and was a bit to chewy. If you  do eat these, your not going to be fooled that its not pasta, but since they are tasteless they take on the flavor of what ever you cook, as they can be substituted for any dish you use rice or noodles for . The texture is VERY similar to rice noodles and if you like those you will love these

Now why are these so good for you? (I dont want you to confuse these with the tofu shirataki noodles, these are not those.) Its simple. There is no gluten, grains, its vegetarian, vegan, salt free, sugar free and virtually carb free and calorie free. most bags have less then 1g of carbs are made from a soluble fiber, the root of the Konnyaku plant, so it fills you up*. I have added them to meat sauce and i made a really good shrimp  stir fry with the rice. If any one is looking for a healthy alternative to pasta I would highly recommend you try these.

They are simple to cook. You open the bag and drain it into a colander. There will be a smell, and that comes from the water and the bag. That is why its important that you rinse the noodles in cold water for a few minutes. Once you do that you add them to boiling water and cook them for 2-4 minutes and this gets rid of the smell completely. you then squeeze out excess moister and add to you dish. If any of you have tried it let me know how you have used them!

Happy eating!!

* as these are fiber, if you eat to much you will go to the bathroom*

I think Popeye had it right

About spinach that is! Whenever I am craving a nice large salad, spinach is my go to green. I am not a huge fan of it cooked, but raw is pretty fantastic. I find it more filling then regular spring mix lettuce since it is thicker, but also there are lots of good nutrients for you in it and it tastes pretty awesome. Although spinach salads are a much more healthy alternative to standard lunch fair, if you eat out there are usually a lot more calories in it due to bacon, dressings and sweetened dried fruit. fresh ingredients, including fruit, is always much tastier and better for you. This is a much healthier version.

This salad is quick to put together once you have all your ingredients. Now I am partial to strawberries. I like how their sweetness plays off the tang of the balsamic and the hardiness of the spinach, especially when they are nice and ripe and balanced against the egg. I dont eat pork, but if you wanted to add som lean canadian bacon im sure that would be tasty too!

Look how colorful that is!!

Spectacular strawberry spinach salad

1 Hardboiled egg
2 tablespoons minced red onion
3-4 strawberries
2 Cups/large handfulls spinach
oil and balsamic vinegar.

In a pot, boil the egg till done and peel and cut into pieces. In a bowl or plate combine spinach, sliced strawberries, onion and cut up egg. Drizzle with a little balsamic and olive oil!

so simple and oh so delicious!