End of the semester... a few weeks later

Morning kids!



I know, I know... it's been forever since my last post. After the semester finished up I went into hibernation for a while to allow my brain to untie itself from all the knots resulting from my courseload; then, of course, were the holidays; then more hibernation... and baking. :-]



During the final weeks of school, I came to see eating as something not so much to be enjoyed through a lengthy sit-down meal in the comfort of my home or the company of a friend. (I know-- it was awful!) I ate by the light of fluorescent soul-suckers in the library, all hours of the day and night (just a little less romantic than candlelight). The tortilla (the giant burrito-sized torts that I have only been able to find at the Pioneer Food Co-op) became my best friend; I discovered that you can pretty much make a burrito out of anything. Except maybe soup. If I figure out a way to make a burrito out of soup, I'll let you know.



Speaking of soup... it's tangent time!



When I began writing this post today, I was sitting in my apartment wearing a super-comfy set of pjs (courtesy of my lovely friend Erika), looking out the window at the snow and lingering over the most beautiful creamy cauliflower soup. It was a picture-perfect moment.


Alrighty, back to the originally intended subject of this post. Does the fact that I became a convenience-eater hold any significance for you, you ask?



Why, of course it does.

If it is true that just about any dish can be burrito-fied, just think of the possibilities! There's the almighty (and classic) black-beans-and-rice burrito, the breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs and veggies), the veggie pizza burrito (yes, I'll post a recipe), and the stir-fry burrito (and yes, a recipe for this one as well)-- and the magic of all these is that:



1) they require relatively few ingredients (quite a few of which overlap),

2) they only require a skillet and a spatula (and some recycled aluminum foil to wrap 'em up in), and

3) you can take them with you anywhere.



You can literally wrap up just about anything in these suckers! As I mentioned before, make sure you get the big tortillas-- these actually indicated on the package, as I mentioned, that they are "burrito size". You're looking for about a 12-inch diameter here, people. Remember: these are going to have your entire meal in them; don't skimp on the wrapping power. You will regret it if you do.

Veggie Pizza Burrito (makes 2 burritos; adjust as needed)

2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 medium bell peppers, chopped (you can just do green or mix-and-match colors... try purple if you can find them!)
2 good-sized cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 small-to-medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 lb frozen broccoli florets or frozen spinach
handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh mushrooms, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt and red pepper flakes (or just pepper... but red peppers are more pizza-ish)
1 cup (or more!) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese-- mix in some provolone and it'll be just heavenly... yummy
fresh or dry (to taste):

• basil


• oregano


• marjoram


• rosemary

Begin by heating about 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in either a cast iron or a stainless steel skillet; saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, then add peppers and broccoli/spinach and season with salt+pepper+herbs to taste. Saute until veggies are tender (but not mushy) and bright in color.


Next, add the chopped tomatoes and turn off heat; fold in with a spatula until incorporated into the veggie mix but don't let it sit on the heat long enough for them to cook.


Divide between 2 Maria & Ricardo's giant tortillas, and sprinkle generously with cheese while veggies are still hot; if you need a little extra melty goodness, you can quickly broil them in the oven or zap them in the microwave.


To wrap: arrange the filling in the center of the wrap. Fold the edge that's closest to you over the mound of goodness in the center and tuck it in to create the proper "burrito" shape. Then, using both hands, take the side edges of the tortilla, fold them toward the center as well, and hold them in place... then, keeping your hands on the body of the burrito, roll it away from you until all the tortilla is rolled and it looks like... well, like a yummy burrito. (If my directions weren't quite clear or you're a visual learner like me, this video might help.)

Additional note: placing each tortilla between 2 damp paper towels and microwaving it for 10-20 seconds can make the tortilla softer and more flexible... sort of gives the same effect as a steamer.

For the stir-fry burrito, you'll be following a very similar procedure, except instead of tomatoes, herbs and cheese, you'll be using some soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger...


Delish Stir-Fry Burrito


1 cup cooked brown rice
2 medium bell peppers, chopped (you can just do green or mix-and-match colors... try purple if you can find them!)
2 good-sized cloves garlic, minced
1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, cut into tiny sticks (julienne-cut)
2 small bunches bok choy, sliced
1 lb frozen broccoli florets or frozen spinach
handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)
soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to taste
sesame oil
dried, ground ginger


Saute the veggies in the same way-- start with the garlic and onion in a little olive oil, then add the carrots and cook about 2-4 minutes, then the bok choy, broccoli/spinach, and mushrooms (if you choose to use them). Once everything is in the skillet, add about 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, and 1/4 tsp ginger to start. I like to give it a little kick with some red pepper flakes too.
Once the veggies are tender, toss in the rice and give it a good stir to combine. Once it's all mixed up, turn off the heat and add about 1 Tbsp of toasted sesame oil and stir thoroughly, then load up the tortillas, roll-wrap-enjoy!

Ciao!

Mmmmm... the first snow.

Yeah, it was more like sleet/slush/nasty, wet, cold stuff than actual snow... but you know what? That didn't stop me from making one of my favorite chilly-weather dishes: risotto.

Now, you might think risotto is rather snooty. And it just might be. But really, it's so good that you should totally get over the potential snootyness factor and make the dish. (I mean, isn't it kind of snooty to refuse to make a delicious, comforting, versatile dish just because people might think you're snooty?) You have no excuse not to try this at least once!

I'm now going to give you a nice, basic risotto recipe. It's not hard at all, but there is a little timing to it. Make sure you have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start! It makes the process flow much more smoothly. Depending on the amount of people you're serving, this recipe can be very easily halved, doubled, quadrupled... however you need to alter it. Also, as I usually say with the recipes I post here, feel free to substitute ingredients. I'll give you some ideas below the basic recipe.

Consider the following:

• Risotto is made with Arborio rice; a very starchy, short-grain Italian rice. It is on the expensive side, so PLEEEEEASE, buy it in bulk! (Also, buying in bulk allows you to just buy enough for 1-2 recipes so you can try it and decide if you want to buy more!)
• Don't rinse the rice. This diminishes the starch content of the grains, and the starch is what makes risotto creamy and yummy!
• For the wine, you have a few options: some people use sherry, some people use cognac (ooo, fancy!)... I used some Barefoot Pinot Grigio because that's what I had around (and I had it around because it's cheap!). Don't feel pressured to use an expensive wine for this; you can use anything you like-- though I wouldn't recommend anything red unless it's Valentine's Day... it'll turn your risotto pink! You don't even need to use wine if you don't want to. I included it because I like the way it makes the dish taste. Just add a little extra stock in its place.

Basic Risotto
1 small-medium shallot, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter or tub margarine
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups stock of your choice (vegetable, chicken, beef, etc.)
a pinch of grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese

Alrighty, are all your ingredients set to go? Let's get started! If you want to keep track of the time once the first liquid is added, apparently the ideal cooking time for risotto is about 22 minutes (thanks Rachael Ray).

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over low-medium heat and sauté the shallot and garlic for a few minutes until almost translucent. Add the rice and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring constantly. After another few minutes, slowwwwlyyyy add the wine or the first dose of stock (if the latter, add about 1/4 cup), keep stirring. Give the liquid a few minutes to be absorbed, then add the next dose-- again, slowly. Stir, let it absorb, stir, add more liquid... you get the idea. Keep it going until the risotto is creamy and the rice is cooked to al dente (it shouldn't be smooshy, but it shouldn't crunch either). Sprinkle with the cheese and stir it in.

Risotto can be served as a side with a protein (preferably fish) or made into a main dish with the addition of some veggies (mushrooms, leeks, peas, spinach, squash, etc.) or legumes (try lentils or kindey beans!), and accompanied by a fresh salad or some bruschetta... or just served on its own, with some fresh bread to wipe the bowl clean. You can add other things instead of broth as well, like butternut squash soup! Be creative. You can make a breakfast version of risotto if you like; brew some Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread tea and use that to cook the rice, with some maple syrup and/or brown sugar.

Have fun and experiment, kids. It keeps life interesting.

Ciao!

Now that doesn't sound snooty at all, does it?

We're not through with Butters yet, kids!

First of all, I'd like you all to meet Butters. (Isn't he just precious??) I found him at the Troy Farmers' Market this past Saturday-- along with a GIGANTANORMOUS kohlrabi that I will amuse myself with at a later point-- Butters (and the epic kohlrabi) are from Slack Hollow Farm. When I told the nice people working at their table that he was just the little squash I'd been looking for, they gave me a free bunch of fresh, amazingly fragrant rosemary. *sigh* I love the farmers' market.

Anyhoo, I do so apologize for neglecting you all; I've said it before and I'll say it again... school is absorbing all the hours in my life that were formerly occupied by happy and fun things, like cooking... baking... and blogging. It is a bit sad, but necessary; I am gaining some awesome knowledge, however, and I'm coming to understand metabolic processes on a whole new level. It's very interesting.

In any event, this is just a little something from me, because I know you've all wondered, like I have, if the seeds you scoop out of Butters before roasting him are toastable and yummy like the pumpkin seeds I'm sure a lot of you scooped out of your pumpkins this past weekend (and if you didn't toast your pumpkin seeds, shame on you!!).

The answer is yes. I found a recipe for toasted winter squash seeds (winter squash is just Butters' family; acorn, butternut, buttercup, etc.), and they can make for a tasty and healthy snack. Usually I write the recipes out with my own little twist, but this one I'm just going to copy and paste (it's from allrecipes.com):

Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 cup winter squash seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste [note from me: make sure that it's super-finely ground salt!]
• [another note from me: if you're feeling daring, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot chili powder to the mix!]
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. After removing the seeds from the squash, rinse with water, and remove any strings and bits of squash. Pat dry, and place in a small bowl. Stir the olive oil and salt into the seeds until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until seeds start to pop. Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet before serving.

Well, there you have it, kids. The perfect snack for a chilly fall day... especially if you add either one of those special, warming spices. And, as always, I encourage you to discover your own favorite seasoning blends! Be creative, that's part of the fun of cooking.

Say "ciao" to our friend Butters!

Heehee...

One last green salad...

Even though when the weather gets colder we think less and less about eating salads and more about soups, stews and casseroles, I'm going to do something potentially dangerous... I'm going to post a salad recipe.

This isn't just any old salad, folks. This salad is made with escarole and Romaine lettuce instead of those delicate and tasty spring greens that we indulge in all spring and summer long. I love my mesclun mix, don't get me wrong... but this is a salad that has some meat to it. Escarole is a tough green, and Romaine can stand up to just about any dressing you throw at it (or on it). Together, they make a delicious, filling-- I would almost say hearty-- mix that's good any time of year.
The dressing is somewhat reminiscent of Caesar... and not the creamy "Caesar" stuff that tastes like ranch dressing with a little Parmesan cheese, kids: the real stuff! I recommend balsamic vinegar, but if you really wanted to Caesar it up you could substitute lemon juice. Just make sure that there's an acid of some sort in there; we need it to make the tough, bitter escarole tender and tangy. Mmmmm.

Escarole comes in heads like leaf lettuce; this recipe calls for 2 heads. It may seem like a lot, but if you've ever cooked greens then you know... it won't stay that way. When the acid in the vinegar/juice basically "cooks" the greens, they will wilt... and you'll be wondering, "where on earth did all my greens go??" So take it from me, especially since this salad is so yummy; it's worth it not to skimp on the amounts of ingredients.

Escarole, Tomato and Asiago Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

The salad
~ 2 heads fresh escarole
~ 1 good-sized head fresh Romaine lettuce
~ 4-5 medium vine-ripe tomatoes
~ 1/2 a small white onion, very thinly sliced (optional)

The dressing
~ 1/3-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar)
~ 1/4 evoo
~ 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
~ fresh ground sea salt and pepper
~ a pinch of fresh chopped or dried parsley/basil/oregano, any or all (optional but nice)
~ grated Asiago cheese (if you want a nice shortcut you can usually buy tubs of grated Asiago in the supermarket cheese section... I like Belgioso)
~ 3 minced anchovy fillets (get anchovies canned in olive oil if possible)

Pick and wash the leaves of the Romaine and escarole, then slice them into strips. The easiest way to do this is stack a few leaves on top of each other, roll them into a tube lengthwise, and slice the tube into pieces about 1 inch wide. Pile the pieces into a giant bowl.
Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces, then throw them in too. For the onions, if you choose to add them... you know the paper-thin sliced onions they put on subs at Italian delis? That's how thin I'm talkin' here. Throw them into the bowl.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE CHEESE. That stuff's gonna get sprinkled on at the end. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together thoroughly... use your hands if you're not afraid to! Work the dressing through all the nooks and crannies of that salad. When it's all mixed up, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and throw it in the fridge. It's going to sit and marinate for at least 2 hours; more if you can spare the time. Every once in a while, re-toss it because all the dressing will have worked its way to the bottom of the bowl.

Okay, fast-forward to serving time... toss it once more with tongs to redistribute dressing, then grab a handful of Asiago shreds and sprinkle in an even layer over the top of the salad. (SEE how it's shrunk?? Holy moley!) Now serve, eat and marvel at the power of pH.

Now that you're eating it and marveling at its deliciousness, I'm going to tell you a little bit about escarole, cause it's AWESOME. I'm not going to give it any cutesie little names or anything like that... escarole doesn't need to be cute. It's packed with vitamins A, C, K and several B vitamins as well as iron, copper, manganese, potassium, and bunches of dietary fiber; escarole is power food. LOVE IT.

On that note, have a great day kids! Apologies once again for the long absence... school is intense, but I still love ya!

Ciao. ^_^

Meet Butters.

I. Love. Fall.

This is, without question, my favorite time of year (weather-wise, anyway). The leaves are turning those beautiful shades of color that I imagine painting my kitchen with someday... the chill in the air tugs gently at the hoodie or light jacket you have on... Starbucks has once again brought out the Pumpkin Spice Latte... butternut squash is back in season and available in abundance at any grocery store, co-op or farmers' market...

*happy sigh*

... so, today we're going to make the most of our squashy friend; let's name him Butters. With Butters' help, we'll make some tasty burritos, a warm quinoa (or rice) salad, and a cheesy, delicious casserole. But first, let's get to know Butters a little.

Butters is a butternut, a member of the winter squash family (his brothers and sisters include acorn, carnival, spaghetti, and his fraternal twin Buttercup). He's got cousins on the cucumber side and the melon side... but they come out more in summer, and Butters is a fall-and-winter type dude. He likes to be in soups that warm the kids up after a day playing in the leaves; he likes to be in yummy, rich, cheesy, spicy dishes that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He likes to be put out with festive decor all around him, maybe even served with the special China dishes. Oh boy!

Butters is my favorite of the winter squashes, for several reasons:

Reason #1: he's not too sweet. He's good in sweet or savory dishes; my favorite being him just baked and then pureed with a boatload of olive oil (and/or some butter) and some nice sea salt and ground sage. OH! and fresh grated nutmeg. Whenever Butters lays eyes on Nutmeg, he gets all squishy inside. There's no use trying to keep them apart, I've told his mamma; those two were made for each other.

Reason #2 why I love Butters: he's full of awesome vitamins and phytonutrients. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant and important for growth, eye health, and a few other pretty important body processes. It's available in animal foods as retinol and plant foods as beta carotene... and Butters has lots of beta carotene (this is especially good if you're a vegan and therefore don't get vitamin A from animal foods such as eggs). He's also super good for vitamin E as well as the B's, and he's got a good bit of calcium, potassium and the definitely-important magnesium and manganese.

Reason #3: He goes with some of my favorite things, namely: SPINACH, broccoli, cheese, quinoa, olive oil, nutmeg (as previously mentioned, but I just had to say it again)... and roasting. He's sooo tasty when roasted in the oven, sprinkled with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Mmmmm.

Okay, so now that we're a little bit acquainted with Butters and all of his charms, let's go cook him up! (Sorry if that idea is a little disturbing now that we've gone and personified him... I mean it!)

First dish we're going to make is a yummy squash and black bean burrito, adapted from poorgirleatswell.com (another awesome blog! Yayyy!)

Ingredients:

4-6 whole grain tortillas, 8-10 inch (unless you want to do mini burritos for the kids; cute and yummy!)
1 nice, big butternut squash (2-ish lbs), washed and cut in half lengthwise (remove the seeds with an ice cream scoop or other scoopish object... or just a spoon)
1 big can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small-medium yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 big cloves garlic, minced
evoo
salt and pepper
ground cumin
fresh grated nutmeg is you have it
burrito toppings (cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, sliced olives... go nuts!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the halved squash open side down in a glass baking dish with a little bit of water and a pinch of salt, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until squash is soft enough to mash with a fork or puree in a blender or food processor. (If you wanted to, you could also just peel and cut the squash into cubes and roast it that way, then skip the pureeing step. Up to you.)

While it's roasting, prep your beans. Heat a skillet over medium, add some olive oil and the garlic and onion. Saute these together for about 7-10 minutes, until onion is translucent and the mixture is fragrant... mmmmm... season with salt and pepper, then add the rinsed and drained beans and the cumin and some of the nutmeg (it's pretty strong stuff; just a pinch'll do ya!). Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the beans are warmed through and everything is mixed evenly.

Warm up the tortillas in a warmer (if you're lucky enough to have one!) or the microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel to make them moist and flexible. Alternatively, throw them in a hot cast iron skillet for a few seconds on each side. Fill them with the beany and squashy goodnesses, top with the aforementioned goodies, wrap 'em up and enjoy! You could also do these quesadilla style and grill them. Mmmmmmm... yumtastic.

Cheesy Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

A nice, big squash (try about 2 lbs or so, like for the burritos)
1 cup polenta
1-2 Tbsp butter
a pinch salt
water or broth (I haven't quite figured out the perfect polenta-to-water ratio, so start with 3 cups plus the butter and salt and slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly)
1 lb frozen spinach, nuked
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
ground sage and fresh nutmeg
olive oil
shredded cheddar or Gruyere cheese (lots of it!)

Start by roasting and pureeing the squash like we did for the burritos. Start heating the water for the polenta, and when it's come to a boil, reduce the heat and add the butter, salt and polenta. Stir constantly until it thickens, then remove from heat.

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Saute garlic and shallot for about 5 minutes, then add spinach. Season with salt and pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, turn it back on now; set it at 350.

Spray a 9x13" baking dish with canola cooking spray; spread the polenta in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Layer the spinach over it, then spread the squash puree on the top, finishing with a generous layer of cheese and some nutmeg.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into squares and eat!

On that note, I think two recipes is sufficient for one post. I'll share the salad recipe with you all next time. Say goodnight to Butters.

Ciao!

Ahhh, first day of class.

The first day of the new semester, kids! Can you feel the buzz of anticipation? Hear the excited chatter of students in the air, the "Hey! How was your summer??", the awesome discovery that you have a class with your favorite study partner from a previous course?

Well, quite honestly, I'm not quite there yet. But what helped me get out of bed this morning (besides the mistaken belief that I had an 8am class when it was really at 9am), was my favorite morning sammich. What kind of sammich, you ask?

Fried egg with caramelized leeks, I answer. It may sound elaborate, but it's actually very simple, VEEEEEERY tasty, and the perfect motivation to get out of bed on a chilly Monday morning. It was inspired by Sassy Radish's "Eggs Baked in Cream" recipe. It's just this: take a cast iron skillet, warmed over medium heat, and throw in some good butter and a slice of bread (I use organic whole wheat bread because I got it on sale, but use whatever you like). Flip it once it's nice and golden brown, then when it's done on both sides, lay it on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil you've got ready for your sammich to go! (Or, if you're one of the more civilized among us, a plate.) With the pan still warm, throw in some canola or olive oil and some thinly sliced leeks. Stir fry them for a few minutes, sprinkling with a little salt and pepper, until caramelized... then spread them in an even layer on your bread. Another pat of butter, and a local egg from a pasture-raised hen, fry it up with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and some fresh grated nutmeg... layer it on top of the leeks. Then another yummy slice of skillet-toasted bread, and you're in business! Spice it up if you like, with some red pepper flakes or some chili paste; I like it just as is. Now it's class time.

Ciao kids!

What we eat when we eat alone

So I must admit, since I started this blog (and actually prior to it, when I started cooking for funsies) I have become a total blog fiend. A couple of my favorites are SmittenKitchen, VeganYumYum, and SassyRadish. I'd have to say that Sassy is my favorite; she reminds me of me. Her love of food affects every part of her life (or so it seems from her writings), and she integrates her other loves in life with her cooking. She writes about her experiences with each recipe, the feelings invoked in her by the particular food, and gives information about the ingredient-- which is especially helpful if they are obscure or unfamiliar, take kohlrabi for instance! I happened upon that delicious, funny-looking vegetable wonder while living in Boston and frequenting the Copley Square Farmers' Market... however, there are plenty who may not have been as fortunate as me. She believes that people who work full-time jobs can still have a blast preparing food for themselves with easy, creative recipes that totally beat the heck out of ordering take-out.

So anyways, back from my little journey into Tangent Land... I was catching up on some on Sassy's newest entries (her real name is Olga, btw) when I stumbled across a link to a recent CBS report she'd been on-- it was regarding a new book called "What We Eat When We Eat Alone". And that got me thinking... what do you all-- whoever is reading this, I don't care if I know you or not! I'm curious!-- make for yourself when it's just you for dinner? (or lunch, for that matter?)

I was thinking about this question and realized something: while it seems from the rest of the broadcast that a lot of people "dress down", culinarily speaking, when it's just them (eating snack foods/ready-made stuff/what I call "lazy food"), I tend to do the opposite. When I cook for myself, I have no one to impress... so I follow my whims, let my creativity loose and sometimes get in over my head. Sometimes I try for such elaborate and time-consuming dishes, I get too hungry and end up eating them piece at a time. ^_^

Sooo, what about you, kids? Ponder the question until next we meet.

Ciao!

Holy guacamole Batman!

Okay, so let me confide in you all a bit... lately, I've been in a time of transition. Been a little stressed, been having a little bit of acid reflux due to that stress. So I did some research online to see what kind of foods counteract stress. Here are a few of my faves:

~Spinach
~Avocados
~Salmon (and other fatty fishies like tuna)
~Complex carbs like whole grain breads, oatmeal, brown rice, that sort of thing
~Oranges (though they say it's for the vitamin C, so on my list this would be grapefruits and limes)
~black tea (yay iced tea!!)
~PISTACHIOS <3
~fresh, crunchy veggies (carrots, peppers, celery, jicama, kohlrabi... YUM) So, given this awesome list of foods, I figured I'd give some awesome recipes for each of them. Easy Fresh

Spinach Salad

No stressing about this salad! Just toss together any or all of the following:

1 cup packed fresh baby spinach leaves

1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces or sliced almonds

1/4 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks

a couple tablespoons dried cranberries (cranberries are a great source of powerful antioxidants... a must in any great salad!)

1/8 cup shredded carrots handful of fresh, cute grape tomatoes

1/4 cup chick peas or red kidney beans

mandarin orange wedges

... and dig in! This can easily be paired with the salmon recipe below for a yummy, healthy, stress-free meal. As for dressing, depending on what you put into the salad, this one has some possibilities: balsamic vinegar+olive oil, raspberry vinaigrette, lemon/lime juice+olive oil and fresh herbs, just a bit of salt and pepper... be creative! Too often we don't think about how our dressing can play up the unique flavors and textures in our salad.

On to the avocados: Guacamole is probably the most popular way to eat avocados, and doesn't have to be with chips (though it is awesome that way); it's a great dip for veggies too. And quesadillas. And it's an awesome topping for black bean burgers, and a spread for sammiches. Here's an easy way to make it!

Guacamole

3 medium, very ripe Hass avocados

1 small yellow onion or shallot, minced

1 nice, fat clove garlic, minced

a sprinkle of chili powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

a pinch of salt

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

optional: a seeded, diced jalapeno pepper

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until somewhere between smooth and chunky (sorry for the weak description... you'll know it when you see it), then stir in the remaining ingredients and salt to taste. Chill for a half hour-- if you can wait that long-- then stir again and enjoy! Note: if you saute the onion and garlic (and the jalapeno, if you add it) with a little salt and pepper before adding them to the mix it gives the guac an amazing flavor... then again, caramelized onions are the perfect seasoning, are they not?

Tea... who doesn't love iced tea in the summer? And as it turns out (in case there was ever any doubting this), black tea has lots of antioxidant compounds that help combat stress's negative effects on the body. (And you get your vitamin C from the lemons too!)

Awesome Arnold Palmer

1 qt filtered water

8-10 black tea bags (depending on the strength of the tea you like)

another 2 cups filtered water

honey or agave nectar

lots of fresh lemons (about 6-8)

Boil the first water, pour over the tea bags in a large glass measuring cup or pitcher (MAKE SURE it's tempered glass otherwise it will crack!), let steep for about 4-5 minutes. Remove bags, set aside to cool.
Squeeze the lemons into another measuring cup or other convenient container; sweeten with honey or agave to taste (be careful with the honey! It's very sweet, and easy to add too much). Once it's just right, add the 2 cups water and stir together, then add to the pitcher of brewed tea. Chill, covered, for an hour... then pour over ice and throw in some fresh mint leaves and enjoy!

Totally Delicious Salmon

3-4 oz wild-caught sockeye salmon per person eating (I prefer fillet to steak, but follow your heart)

a couple tablespoons all-purpose flour, whisked with some salt and pepper

fresh or dried dill, mint, basil or parsley, minced if fresh

fresh lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit juice (lemon+dill is good, grapefruit+mint, lime+basil...)

canola oil and butter

Alrighty kids, this is one we haven't tackled (GET IT???) before. First off, make sure you have a clear sink and a clean, neat workspace, that way when it gets fishy it'll be easy to clean up. Now, even though I love bamboo cutting boards, I would prefer you use a plastic one for this. Again, easier to clean... and bamboo boards and utensils aren't dishwashable. *sigh*

Lay some clean, dry paper towels out on your board (for drying the fish after you rinse it) and grab a plate with a raised rim, or a baking dish of some sort and spread the flour mixture evenly in it. This is going to be the nice coating we're going to put on our fishy to keep it from sticking to the pan. Speaking of the pan, at this point start heating it over medium heat, so it'll be nice and hot by the time you're ready for the fish to go in.

Rinse the fish briefly with cold water and lay it on the paper towels, skin side up, and blot the whole thing dryish. You want a little moisture on there, so the flour will stick.
Next, place it (again, skin side up) in the flour mixture and press it in to make sure the whole fillet gets covered, then flip and do the same with the skin side down. Pour some canola oil and throw a pat of butter into the now-hot pan. Pick up the fishy, shake it off, and lay it in the pan (skin side up!!!) letting it fall away from you so if the oil splatters, it doesn't splatter your way. As soon as you do that, start swirling the pan so the fish is constantly moving around and doesn't have a chance to stick. Cook it for about 4-5 minutes on each side (flip it carefully, away from you), a little more if the fillet is very thick. If you're not sure, take a fork and cut into the center of the fillet. If it flakes, the fish is done; if not, cook it a bit longer. Don't overcook it though! If you do, it'll be tough. It won't be terrible... just not as spectacular as it could be. And you want your fish to live up to its potential, do you not? Okay then. No more arguing.
Once the fish is cooked, lay it onto a serving plate and turn the heat waaaay down low, and make your sauce. Throw another pat or 2 of butter in the pan, then once it's melted add the citrus juice and whisk it together. (Make sure to get all those little yummy bits of stuck stuff off the bottom of the pan! They are priceless in a pan gravy.) Season with salt and pepper as needed, and add those yummy herbs, stirring them around a bit just until wilted. Now pour it over your fish in the serving plate, and watch the faces at the table go bug-eyed over it. Enjoy!

Now for some good old whole grains. Yes, it's basic stuff; yes, it's necessary. I'm definitely a fan of plain toast with a little butter and raspberry preserves when I'm having a tough time winding down... but what about those chilly winter mornings when you're not feeling the eggs and sausage but you don't want cold cereal? Well kids, you have options. Steel-cut oats are FABULOUS, as is a cereal that is still carried in some supermarkets... it's called Wheatena, and it was my favorite breakfast growing up. You could also make a nice snack of it if you're having a rough day and need something warm and comforting to eat while watching reruns of [insert favorite guilty-pleasure TV show here].

Wheatena has cooking directions on the box, so I won't go into it here. I will tell you some yummy things to put in it though: various nuts, such as toasted walnuts or pecans or some sliced almonds; raisins or dried cranberries; maple syrup, agave nectar, organic brown sugar; a pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Oh, and some butter or a splash of milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc. DELISH!!

Steel cut oats, on the other hand, are not so easy to master; there are lots of things that can go wrong. Here's a recipe from eHow.com that will make them so tasty and beautiful, you won't want to eat anything else for weeks. (Not that I'm advocating an oats-alone diet! You need your veggies and beans and all that other good stuff!)

2 Tbsp good butter

1 cup steel-cut oats

3 cups boiling water

a pinch of salt

1 cup milk (or almond, soy... you get the picture)

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottom sauce pan over medium heat, throw in the oats and toast, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Slowly and carefully, add the 3 cups boiling water and pinch of salt, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally (make sure you scrape the bottom of the pot so the oatmeal doesn't stick) . Stir in the milk and continue cooking for another 8-10 minutes, then remove from heat and let it stand, covered, for about 2 minutes. Serve, sprinkle on some cinnamon and brown sugar, and let it make you feel all warm inside. Ahhh...

You can keep leftovers for up to 3 days; this stuff reheats remarkably well. Just add a little milk and zap it.


Okay kids, I think I've given you a good bit to chew on (ha!) for now. Enjoy.

Ciao!

Oddly enough...

... I was in a soup mood yesterday. I KNOW, it's so warm nowadays, how could anybody even THINK of making soup??? Honestly... I was in an overly air-conditioned bus. That's all. I wrapped my hoodie tight around me (lucky I brought one!) and daydreamed of a special soup that I'd tried in a class I took during the fall semester, during a presentation on the culture and food of Ukraine.

Borscht.

Yes, it's a weird name, and some people might think the concept (borscht is a beet-based soup) is weird too, but it is delicious. There are several variations of borscht, some hot, some cold, some sweet and tangy, others savory, buttery, warm... goodness. That's the kind of borscht I'm talkin' about today. I wanted something warm and comforting, filled with veggies... and that's exactly what I got. It's simple to make, and so yummy. It'll be great when it's 20 degrees out and the kids are coming in covered with snow... or, in my case, you're trudging home from class, trying to get the feeling back into your fingers. And yeah, because even though I might dream of snowy winter days it is undeniably still summer (91 degrees today! Yipe!), I'll also post a cold borscht recipe. (I used Trader Joe's Baby Beets for this recipe, however, if you haven't a Trader Joe's near you, canned will work fine... or if you have a bunch of smallish fresh beets from the farmers' market, that's the best! Just scrub off the dirt, cut the stems off and boil them until they're nice and tender. And if the greens look good, keep them and cook 'em up too. Beet greens are DELISH.)

Hot Borscht

about 1 pound of beets, grated or pulsed a few times in a food processor
1.5-2 cups water (or the cooking/canning liquid from your beets of choice)
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 small-med onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 good-sized carrot or 2 small ones, chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
butter
salt and pepper

Bring the liquid (whether it be water or otherwise) to a boil then turn off heat and add bouillon cubes... stir to dissolve. Add grated beets and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium and saute the garlic, onion, celery and carrot; this makes what is known as a mirepoix, or a flavorful vegetable base. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the onions are translucent and the celery and carrots are tender, add the liquid and beets and stir everything together well. Since everything is cooked at this point, turn heat down low and simmer for 5-7 minutes stirring, just long enough for the flavors to incorporate, then serve with some yummy crusty bread and butter! Yumyumyumyummmm...

Cold Borscht (adapted from cooks.com)

2 lbs. beets, peeled (if necessary) & grated
1 onion, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 qt. water
1/8 c. sugar
2 Tbs. lemon juice or apple cider/red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
a few coriander seeds
fresh dill
Greek yogurt/sour cream for garnish

If the beets are raw, simmer them along with the onions, celery and coriander seeds in the water for about 30 minutes. Stir in sugar, season with salt to taste; let cool for 30 minutes or so, then add the lemon juice and some of the fresh dill. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more, then garnish with the yogurt/sour cream (you could also mix some dill in with the yogurt!) and enjoy. This recipe will make lots of soup, so get ready for some leftovers! (But hey, at least you don't have to reheat it ^_^)

Enjoy the summer while we still have it, kids.

Ciao!

When you're mean to me...

... I write about you in my blog. Derek Smith. o_O

In other news, I made stuffed zucchini today with veggies fresh from the garden. A woman I work with at the co-op brought in these mega-huge zukes-- I mean, these puppies were FAT. We're talking like, 3-4" in diameter fat. PERFECT for stuffing... and that's exactly what I'm gonna share with you today!

So if your zukes are really big (like 10" or more in length, and the aforementioned thickness), you probably only need 2 of them for enough to feed a family (or if you like to cook enough for yourself to have lunch for a week, as I do). Cut off the stem and the bit at the very bottom; then slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Using an ice cream scoop (or a melonballer, or some other scoopy thing that you happen to have), scoop out the seedy part in the middle, making the space to be stuffed. I like to think of them as zucchini boats... 'cause they kinda look like boats at that point.

I used to use grass-fed ground beef or natural ground turkey for this, but I'm kind of not on a meat kick anymore so this recipe will not include such things. But if you are the meaty type, know that you have the option.

the Filling:

2 cups cooked brown rice (if you were using meat you would cut this down to 1 cup and add a cooked, crumbled, drained beef/turkey/chicken/etc.-- or you could fake it with some tofu crumbles!)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 egg
1 cup cooked chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 or 2 minced (or pressed) garlic cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper
a pinch each of cayenne and nutmeg, sprinkle of basil and oregano
bread crumbs+grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup total)

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix everything together in a large bowl except the bread crumbs+cheese. Fill your zucchini boats with the mix, making sure to distribute it evenly. If there's extra, just mound it on top! They're called "stuffed" for a reason. :-D Once they're all stuffed as they can get, sprinkle a generous amount of the bread crumbs-cheese mixture over the filling, arrange them in a 9x13" baking dish, and pop them in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, turning halfway. When they're done, the tops will be nicely browned... remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving. For sides, a nice basic salad would be good; just throw together some chopped Romaine lettuce, chick peas, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with dressing of your choice and you're good to go!

Keep enjoying summer, kids.

Ciao!

Forget everything you thought you knew about veggie burgers.

Alrighty kids, I have the rare opportunity to write to you all direct from my apartment; God has blessed me with internet access today! That said, I just finished tasting the product of a few days of planning, and let me tell ya... it's delish. I've been wanting to make my own veggie burgers for a long time, and whenever I tried, various stuff happened. I won't get into too much detail... they just weren't quite right, let's put it that way. ^_^

I did some research, and found a nice recipe on allrecipes.com which seemed like it had promise... I added a couple of little tweaks, and they came out AWESOME. I will say this, however: if you don't like spicy, go way easy on the chipotle. I love spicy, so I put in lots. I also love the smoky flavor of chipotle pepper, and it really complements the natural flavor of black beans. If it's just too much, you can leave it out... but it's sooooo good, I'm beggin' ya, give it a shot!

Awesome Black Bean Burgers

2 heaping cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained (or dried, reconstituted)
1 cup roughly chopped bell pepper (I used a combo of yellow and red for the sweetness)
2 roughly chopped cloves garlic
handful fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg
healthy dash of hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot is good)
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (again, start with just a sprinkle if you're not the spicy type)
a dash of ground cumin
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (they don't have to be seasoned, but it's okay if they are)
1 tbsp agave nectar (or about 1/2 tbsp honey)
salt to taste

In a med-large bowl, smoosh the black beans with a fork or spatula (I personally prefer the spatula) until they make a paste. Sprinkle with a little salt.

In a food processor or blender, pulse the bell peppers, parsley and garlic together along with a pinch of salt until finely chopped. Add to the beans and stir together well.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg then add the chipotle and hot sauce and beat some more. Pour into the beans and stir it up good. Add the bread crumbs a little bit at a time, making sure they're thoroughly incorporated. Lastly, add the agave/honey... at this point the mix should be quite thick; so thick, in fact, that you may want to just chuck the spatula and work the agave through with your hands (if it's not that thick, add some more bread crumbs). It's fun to squish, almost like soft cookie dough. And who doesn't love that?! ^_^

Once the mixture is all uniformly mix-y, shape it into little patties. Or big ones, it's really up to you. If you're feeding several kids, you might want to opt for patties just about the size of the palms of their hands (maybe a little bit bigger; use your judgment)... if the grownups are dining, go as big as you want! (Within reason.)

In a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, heat about a tablespoon of canola or olive oil on medium heat. Fry the patties until nice and brown on each side (maybe 4 minutes per side, give-or-take), then let them cool and drain for 5 minutes on a paper towel or a paper bag. Serve on whole grain burger buns or wrap 'em up in yummy whole wheat tortillas (like Cedar's Mountain Bread, for instance) with sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese, sliced olives, Romaine lettuce... anything you want, except ketchup. PLEASE, do not desecrate these sacred patties with ketchup! You will break my heart. :'( <-- see, that's what my face will look like if you put ketchup on these patties. And you don't want that, do you?

Anyhoosie, hope you all try this lovely recipe soon... these are also great grilled, but make sure you chill (ie., freeze) them before doing so; at room temp they may fall apart.

Stay cool, kids. Ciao!

For those hot, hot summer days...

Some cool salads and snacks to keep you hydrated and energized.

Tabouli is a Mediterranean (namely Lebanese) salad, traditionally made with very little bulghur wheat and lots and lots of fresh herbs and tomatoes. If, however, the idea of an herb salad is a little weird to you, try this; you can also make it with couscous or quinoa. It's very refreshing and flavorful, and I love it on a day like today (high of 97!! Yipe!). What I especially like about this recipe is that it requires almost no heat to make it, besides boiling the water... no slaving over a hot stove! Yay!

2 cups bulghur (cracked wheat)
2 cups boiling water
1 medium-large cucumber, chopped (1/2 inch cubes)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves (minimum!)
2 cups fresh chopped parsley (also minimum!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion or shallot, minced
1/2-2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the hot water and bulghur in a medium bowl; cover and let sit for about 30 minutes until the water is absorbed. Prepare the vegetables, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper; toss together in another large bowl. When the bulghur is ready, fold it into the mix (make sure that there is no excess water left; if there is, drain it) and incorporate thoroughly. Check the seasoning, then chill for at least a half hour. (this recipe is adapted from http://www.greatpartyrecipes.com/tabouli-recipe.html)

Fruit salad is another fabulous way to cool down; however, it need not be supersweet, soaked in syrup like canned fruit salads-- bleh. This is a nice, simple salad that you can make in less than 15 minutes and instead of getting a megadose of sugar, you get all the yummyness and nutrition of these naturally sweet fruits.

2 lbs fresh strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pineapple (you can cheat and go with the cored one at the store, it's easier), chopped
2 grapefruits, peeled and cut into sections*
2 fresh peaches, cut into bite size chunks
1 ripe d'Anjou pear, cut into bite-size chunks
1 cup (or 2) fresh berries-- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or a combination
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
a few leaves fresh mint, bruised

*or you can do what I do with grapefruits; I cut them in half, then scoop out the sections with a spoon... it's so much easier!

Combine all the fruits and the juice in a large bowl, then lightly sprinkle with the sugar, add mint leaves and toss together well. Yep, that's it... how easy was that?? Now enjoy!

One last thing... sometimes it's tough to get kids (even some grown-ups) to drink enough water. I mean, if it was easy, would we need Kool-Aid, or its adult counterpart, Crystal Light? Come on! The stuff is gross (in my humble opinion) but it does the job. A slightly more healthy way to make water more interesting is this: fill a half-gallon pitcher of water, grab a handful of fresh or frozen berries/other fruits and a little honey. Stir them all together, and viola!! Alternatively, add one of those squeezy-lemons or limes (I like Sicilia, but whatever) to said water along with some honey or natural sugar and some squished strawberries, and you've got yummy homemade strawberry lemonade!

Alrighty kids, it's starting to get warm out. It's time for me to call it a day. Stay cool, eat well and have fun!

Ciao!

When you want cheese...

... you just GOTTA have cheese! I've been craving cheese in a big way lately, so I've made this mac and cheese for myself like 3 times within the past couple weeks. Yummmmmm...

Awesome Mac and Cheese

1 lb pasta of your choice (I love wagon wheels/twists cause the cheese sauce gets in all the little nooks in the pasta and maximizes the amount of cheese consumed per bite)

8 oz (minimum... I do more like 10 or 12) of your favorite cheese, shredded (sharp cheddar, Fontina, provolone, or Gruyere are best)

2 tbsp butter/olive oil

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

salt and pepper

nutmeg (optional)

Cook ze pasta to al dente; toss with a little bit of butter or olive oil in a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) and add the flour. Whisk it good, baby, and keep going for about 5 more minutes until you have a delicious roux (more info on that later). Add the milk, a little bit at a time, and whisk it with all your heart so it doesn't get lumpy! When you think you've whisked enough, just keep on whiskin'.

Now, lower the heat to med-low and start adding the cheese-- again, a little bit at a time, whisking like it's your job. You want a smooth, thick, creamy sauce, no? Then whisk, I says!!

Alrighty, you can stop now... as long as your sauce is lump-free. Turn off the heat, taste it and add salt and pepper until it's perfect, and a pinch of nutmeg if you so desire (you definitely should). Pour the sauce over the pasta, and stir it in until every little noodle is taking a bath in cheese. Mmmmm...

Since cheese is a source of complete protein, you need not have this as a side dish... it's filling enough that it can be a main course. I prefer a nice green salad on the side (I just toss together some lettuce/fresh spinach, some dried cranberries or fresh strawberries, some walnuts or sunflower seeds, sliced cucumbers/bell peppers, and some oil and vinegar... or you could do the more standard lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cukes, etc.), and maybe some steamed broccoli or green peas too. I loves my veggies. ^_^

Hope everybody's having an awesome summer! See ya soon kids.

Ciao!

Wanting some veggies today...

... and what better way to deal with said craving than to write about things I love to make with veggies? (Besides eating them, which I will be doing shortly.)

As you all know, one of my favorite veggies is spinach. Today's recipe is the lovely Mediterranean Spinach Pie. I originally found this recipe online, but tweaked it a bit, because that's what I do, and the result was super-yummy!

You begin with a delicious butter crust (you COULD buy it... but what's the fun in that??):

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 sticks of butter, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
some ice-cold water
(if you're feeling unsure about your crust, here are some good pointers and confidence-builders:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/)

For the filling:
3 packages frozen chopped leaf spinach (or 2.5 pounds fresh... frozen is easier and cheaper), nuked and strained
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tsp cayenne pepper or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)
Flax meal as desired (about 1/5-1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz log goat cheese if desired (crumble it over the top of the pie once the filling is in)
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh-grated nutmeg (optional, but recommended)


Make sure the butter is super cold... after cubing it, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so... that'll do the job.

If you have a food processor, wonderful. Just pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and butter together until you have small-to-medium pieces of butter (just a tad bigger than the size of a pea). Sprinkle some of the water (careful not to get any ice in there!) into the mixture and pulse just a little longer, until it's just incorporated.

If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand-held dough blender (or the common fork) to mix together the aforementioned ingredients (if you can get your hands on the dough blender, you won't regret it... the fork is the last-resort tool here). Once you have the nice pieces of butter and the water is incorporated into the mix to the point where you have a crumbly, moist mix that sticks together if you pinch it, you're ready to go.

Press the dough together into a ball (don't squeeze it tight; just form the ball so it's not quite falling apart), wrap it up in some plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Once that time is up, take it out and place on a floured rolling mat. If you don't have one of those, you could use a giant cutting board, and if you have neither of those things, a big piece of parchment paper will do. You might want to tape it down though... it tends to slide around if it's not secured.

Then... SQUISH IT!!! Knead it a little bit, but remember you're mostly just pressing it flat so you can make a pie. And make sure you don't get rid of those adorable little bits of butter in your dough!! They are IMPORTANT. They make your crust flaky and yummy. Transfer your yummy dough into a sprayed 9x13" baking dish and press it into every corner, nook and cranny. Tear off the pieces of dough that come over the sides of the pan and eat them ^_^ or find places where the dough comes up a bit short and work them in.

Now for the filling, which is the easy part. Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees, and mix together all the ingredients in a big bowl; then spread them into the shell. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through. When it's finished, remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then cut into huge square slices and eat!!

Next time: awesome homemade mac and cheese.

Ciao!

Ready the pots and pans, kids!

Once again I must apologize for the long silence, my dears; the last week of school-->finals week-->week of a really big order of baked goods simply knocked me for a loop. But now I'm back on my feet and ready to go again!

Okay, so now that I've gone through the facts of the food (well, a lot of them... I couldn't possibly cover all the foods I love and use in just a couple of entries), we're ready to start the cookin'.

We're going to start off basic, cooking some grains; I figure since I preach quinoa like it's the answer to the human condition, I should probably tell you all how to cook it. ^_^

Quinoa is cooked like rice, but it cooks a bit quicker. Generally the rule is 1 cup of quinoa to a little less than 2 cups water (try 1.5 and work your way up from there if necessary). Before cooking, you must rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove the bitter saponin film on the outside of the grain. Soak it for about 10 minutes in room-temp water, give it a nice swish with your fingers, and drain it through a mesh sieve; or, if you don't have time to soak it, just rinse it and drain it a few times. Before you add it to the water, make sure it's drained thoroughly, otherwise there will be too much water and your end product will be soggy.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan (medium-high heat), throw in a pinch of salt. Add the quinoa, give it a nice stir, then replace the lid and reduce to a simmer (medium-low). If it's been soaked it will cook a bit more quickly; generally it'll take about 15-18 minutes. Once the time has passed, take the lid off the pan and tilt it so that you can see if there is any water left that hasn't cooked off yet. If there is none, turn off the heat and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, then transfer it to a large bowl. If there is still water, let it go for a couple more minutes (you can give the quinoa a try if it looks done; if it is, then leave the top off the pan so the water will just evaporate).

Once your quinoa is in the bowl cooling, I like to add a little olive oil and just toss it gently. You don't have to do this (it won't stick together like pasta if you don't), but I like the flavor. If you're going to use the quinoa for breakfast, you could use some butter instead; but my favorite quinoa recipe is a basic salad that is PERFECT in the summer. It's similar to tabouli, but with some garbanzo beans in it.

3 cups cooked, cooled quinoa (that's about a cup uncooked, it expands a good bit)
1.5 cups garbanzo beans (if canned, give them a quick rinse)
1/2 of a seedless cucumber, chopped
3 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1.5 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro (if you're a hater, you can use parsley/basil/mint/any combination thereof)
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
few tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, gently fold together the quinoa, beans, cuke, herbs and tomato. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients to make a quick vinaigrette, pour over the salad and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill for at least a half hour, then serve.

FYI: I'm a recipe-tweaker myself, so I won't be offended if you change something about this recipe (or any recipe that I post on here) to better suit your tastes. You could vary it by adding some avocado, switching out the cucumber, cilantro and lime juice with roasted veggies, oregano and balsamic vinegar; it's incredibly versatile. Then, of course, you can use any kind of bean you choose. Red kidney beans are very good as well.

More recipes will be following soon, and for those of you who want to say that I forgot to cover fishes and other animal-derived foods in my "facts of the food", I did that on purpose. I'm going to cover them recipe by recipe. For instance, if I'm posting an entry about wild sockeye salmon, I will give you a lesson in Omega 3 fatty acids and fish protein, etc. I do not prefer to have you stock up on frozen fishes, as frozen fish is kind of a hit-or-miss situation in terms of quality (if you're buying at Trader Joe's, however, I think that there is no miss... all the fish I've ever gotten there was fantastic). Given that, I would prefer that we learn as we go.

Have a great day kids, and enjoy the sun if it's out! Gotta get that vitamin D ;-)

Ciao!

Fabulous Fruits

Fruits are awesome things; they're like nature's candy. I'm not really a fan of candy (except for Trader Joe's peanut butter cups), but fruit is awesome nonetheless.

I'm going to lay this out the same way I did the Awesome Veggies list; fruit by wonderful fruit, telling you some of the benefits and fun trivia as we go along.

Fantastic fruit #1: Grapefruit.

I love grapefruit. I've loved it since I was a wee lass. As I've mentioned before, I don't enjoy excessively sweet things, so grapefruit is my ideal fruit. It's more tart than sweet, and packs just as much vitamin C goodness as oranges. I have cravings for grapefruit juice multiple times a week... in fact, now that I'm thinking of it, I really would love some right about now. ^_^ (Also an awesome citrus fruit: limes.)

Fantastic fruit #2: Pears.

Fun fact about pears: they're a member of the rose family; related to the apple and the quince. Also, they are delicious. They are fantastically juicy when ripe, and they totally melt in your mouth... mmm. Yeah. I grew up with pear sauce instead of apple sauce (except the awesome fresh apple sauce from the Macintosh tree in our backyard!) as my mom has an intolerance/allergy to apples, and we made frozen pops out of it, which was awesome. I recently discovered that it makes awesome cake, too-- use any applesauce cake recipe and substitute in an equal amount of pear sauce. YUMMY. They're high in fiber, they're a good source of vitamins C and K as well as copper; and another awesome thing about pears is that the different varieties of pears have different prime growing seasons... which means they're available just about year-round! Totally fantastic.

Fantastic fruit #3: Plums.

Plum season is fast approaching! Juicy, sweet, tangy, tender, mmmmmm... I want some plums. They come in a few different varieties; there are the red plums, which are the ones most people know, there are green plums and yellow plums and even black plums... the flesh can be different colors too; they're quite the artsy little fruits. They contain bunches of vitamins A and C, dietary fiber and b2, along with other powerful antioxidant phytonutrients. Plums rock.

Fantastic fruit #4: Pomegranates.

Probably the most exotic of my fantastic fruits, pomegranates have been hyped up in recent years as a superfruit and some have even referred to them as the fountain of youth... so how much is hype, and how much is fact? Well, I personally don't believe that pomegranates are magical or anything like that; HOWEVER, the pomegranate is a great source of powerful antioxidants (anthocyanins in particular), which will prevent the cholesterol in your blood from becoming oxidized (oxidation is what causes cholesterol to build up and harden in your arteries). Pomegranates are also a great source of fiber. Pomegranates do contain vitamins C, K, a good bit of potassium (which will also keep your heart healthy), dietary fiber (have I mentioned lately that we don't get nearly enough fiber in this country??), and magnesium.
Also, a fun fact regarding pomegranates: they are supposedly a natural aphrodisiac. This thinking is due in part to the bright red color (the color of desire), as well as its multitude of seeds (a symbol of fertility).

So I guess what I'm trying to say is yeah, pomegranates are good for you. ^_^ Take the other effects with a grain of salt.

Fantastic fruit #5: Peaches.

You know, most people think of citrus fruits when they think of summer... and I do too. But more than oranges and whatnot, I think of peaches. I think this is because when I was growing up, my mom had this thing about making peach... well, she called it peach daiquiris, but the teensy bit of rum she threw in there was really just for flavor, and not enough to warrant being called a legit daiquiri. But whatever. It was a yummy blend of fresh peaches, limeade (the frozen stuff), ice, and for an entire blender pitcher she would throw in not-quite-a-full-shot of Puerto Rican rum. We would sit out on the giant deck we used to have and sip away... it was awesome. When I was little, I didn't care that peaches were healthy. I didn't care that they contain a nice balance of a lot of essential vitamins and minerals (A, C, K, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.); I didn't care that they contain Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids and those lovely phytosterols. But they do, so eat them.

Fantastic fruit #6: Grapes.

I love crunchy grapes. When I used to go shopping with my dad, I would always insist on squeezing the grapes just a little so that I could see for myself that he wasn't trying to stick me with squishy grapes. (When I look back on it now, I may have been a bit paranoid... I mean, why on earth would he buy squishy grapes?? *shrug*) Nowadays I'm not so controlling, and I buy my own grapes.
Grapes are a great source of manganese, which is good. They also have awesome polyphenols (phytonutrient compounds like FLAVONOIDS) in them, and they are very refreshing and good for staying hydrated, something a lot of us have trouble doing nowadays (kind of like the whole getting-enough-fiber thing).
Heard of resveratrol? That's the new hot supplement on the market, and guess what-- you can get it just by eating grapes! You don't have to buy that $35 bottle of pills! WOO!! And just to get it out of the way, I like grape juice too. If you prefer to buy a giant bottle of grape juice so it lasts longer in your household or whatever, all I ask is that you CHECK THE INGREDIENTS. Make sure there's nothing in there besides "grape juice". Grapes are plenty sweet; you don't need to add sugar. Ideally, your juice is not from concentrate, but even if it is you're still getting the flavonoids and a lot of other good things. Also, make sure it's RED or PURPLE grape juice. White grape juice has a whole lot less of the good stuff; if you're going to drink wine, the same rule applies. Red, not white.

Fantastic fruit #7: Kiwi.

Aside from being furry and incredibly cute, kiwis are totally awesome. They've got vitamin C like whoa, a cool green color, a tangy-sweet flavor and lots of juice, and crispy seeds that make for a really interesting eating experience. They're like little tiny Rice Krispies or something! So cool. I think the kiwi is one of the coolest fruits ever, and that's why it's on this list. ^_^ They've also got some copper, potassium, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium going on, which is extra cool. They're great in fruit salads with some strawberries, peaches, and grapes, or you can eat them slice-by-slice or just cut the fruit in half and dig it out with a spoon. I haven't tried slices of kiwi on fish yet, but man... that sounds so good.

Fantastic fruit #8: Strawberries.

It's a recurring theme on this list, I know, but I love strawberries. They are tasty, they are packed full of nutrients and they are beginning to be on sale everywhere, so buy them!! With regard to the nutrients, yes, a lot are similar to the ones that are in other fruits, but check it out! Strawberries have omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins B2, B5 and B6, folate... and they have iodine. Iodine is important, and there aren't too many sources of it in our diets besides seaweed, fish, and iodized salt-- and by the way, funny thing about iodized salt: natural, unrefined sea salt actually contains iodine. But when all the extra minerals and "stuff" are processed out of it, the naturally occurring iodine is lost. So it's "enriched" back into the finished salt product, kind of like all the vitamins and minerals that would have been in the flour anyway are put back in after processing rips them all out. *sigh* Wanna see a picture of what happens when you don't get enough iodine? Here ya go! (Yeah... if there are little kids around, you might want to cover their eyes... I've seen lots of pictures like this in my life, and I still hate looking at it.) According to www.WHFoods.com, "Strawberries' unique phenol content makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory fruit, all rolled into one." How cool is that???

And did I mention they're on sale?

Fantastic fruit #9: Pineapple.

Pineapple has lots of good stuff in it, not the least of which is the helpful digestive enzyme, bromelain. This stuff helps digest protein-- which is helpful for people like me, who don't eat meat that often... enzymes can be a use-it-or-lose-it situation; your body pays attention to the ones it uses more and the ones it uses less, and in order to increase efficiency, will actually cut down production of the ones that seem to be unnecessary. That's why if you're a vegetarian and you suddenly decide one day that you're going to eat a giant steak... you're gonna have issues. But enzymes are available in supplement form too, so if you are ever in that situation, pop one... or 2.
But back to the fruit. Pineapple also has compounds in it that have shown in recent studies to help protect again vision loss due to aging and it also offers antioxidant immune support. That's pretty cool. And it tastes great, too!

That's all for today kids; some other noteworthy fruits are: raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, canteloupe, apples, watermelon... and lots of others. I mean, really, if you're eating a whole fruit it's going to be good for you. That said, I'm going to go eat; still haven't learned that I need to bring snacks to school when I plan on writing on this thing. *sigh*

Now go buy some strawberries. ^_^

Ciao!

Something to chew on

When it comes to food, live by this principle:

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Ciao!

Wooo, TGIF!!

HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYY!!!

What better way to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the weekend than talking about fruits and veggies???

... uh, yeah. I'm serious. Fruits and veggies are AWESOME. They're packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and you can prepare them just about any way you want. A simple steam will do for some, whereas some of the more picky eaters require a cheese sauce or something a bit more elaborate. I will run through a list of my favorites, and give you some neat prep tips too.

We'll start with some veggies.

Awesome Veggie #1: Spinach.

Spinach, besides being available in various forms (fresh, baby fresh, frozen, canned, creamed, etc.), is an excellent source of dietary fiber and the vitamins A, K, B2, B6, C, and folate. It's also rich in iron, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and the amino acid tryptophan... I would go on and talk about phytonutrients, but I think you're already kind of zoning out. To wrap up, I prefer to buy frozen spinach in mass quantities (especially when it's on SALE) so I have it handy whenever I need it... lately I've been craving spinach in a big way, so my freezer is stocked. Spinach lasagna, curried spinach, spinach over polenta, spinach omelets, spinach knishes... yummy.

Awesome veggie #2: Zucchini.

Zucchini is not promoted as much in the superfoods-obsessed culture of today as it once was; even though it may not have an exotic vibe like the acai or goji berry (or the new kid on the health-food block, maca), it's a good veggie that can be used for many things. It's not super-packed with any particular nutrient, but it is a good source of fiber, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamins A and C, copper, folate, phosphorus, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamin K... which, last time I checked, were all very good things to include in one's diet. I've lately discovered that zucchini is excellent when shredded and thrown in some pasta sauce; I'll definitely be posting an official recipe for this at some point. As for buying it... frozen zukes, in my experience = not that great. This one you should buy fresh, preferably from a local farm (or grow it in your garden!!).

Awesome veggie #3: Broccoli/broccolini.

Yeah, those of you who have kids are laughing at me right now. I see you. Those of you who are planning on having kids, listen to me. There are ways to make your kid like broccoli. I know this because when I was little I LOVED broccoli. What kid doesn't love pretending he's a giraffe eating the leaves off his own little tree? Broccoli is FUN! Just steam it, slap on a little butter or olive oil and a little salt, and you're good to go.

Awesome veggie #4: Eggplant.

Skin it, slice it, bread it, fry it, roast it in the oven, simmer it in some curry sauce, puree it into baba ghanouj, layer it with tomato sauce and cheese, make sandwiches out of it... eggplant is yummy... and pretty, too. It's high in fiber and awesome phytochemicals like anthocyanin. And if you season it right, the kids'll never think to ask "Hey, what is this stuff?"

Awesome veggie #5: Butternut squash.

I had absolutely no desire to eat this stuff when I was young. For decades I held out, against my dad's wishes... then, a year-ish ago, I finally tried butternut squash. But I tried it on my own terms; I had no desire for brown sugar or maple syrup in my squash. I boiled it, then I pureed it (no need to drain) with some olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sage... and I fell in love. I eat squash this way all fall and winter long. It is deeeee-lish. So smooth, so complex. The sweetness is not overwhelming, as i had originally feared (I am a somewhat usual woman, in that I prefer savory flavors to sweet). It is nicely complemented by the subtle sweetness of the olive oil, and the particular combination of nutmeg and sage... it's divine. Then I threw it into a lasagna pan with some spinach, brown rice pasta, and goat cheese... my love grew deeper. Yours will too, when you try my recipe. Squash is also great in soups and even chili. Note: another awesome thing about winter squash of any kind is the fact that it keeps for a loooooooong time; depending on what type it is, as long as 6 months! Awesome.

Awesome veggie #6: Cucumbers.

Even if you're not a fan of pickles, regular ol' cukes have a lot to offer. For one thing, they're great for tired, puffy eyes (see moms, I'm looking out for ya); for another thing, they're composed of mostly water (like fiber, water is another important nutrient most of us get waaaay too little of)-- in fact, a 1-cup serving of cucumbers contains an amazing 13 CALORIES. Woooo! All these things make it an extremely useful food in the summer. It also contains a nice bit of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant... really good for the aftereffects of too much sun, inside and out. I like seedless cucumbers a lot, and they're readily available at just about any grocery store. It's not just the lack of seeds though... the skin is nicer too. You'll see when you try them.

Awesome veggie #7: Asparagus.

Anyone who's ever watched VeggieTales knows Junior Asparagus and how cute he is... but who would've thought he was incredibly tasty too? Well, guess what: he's not only tasty, but he's also full of vitamins A, C, K, folate, B1, B2, B3, B6; manganese, potassium, copper, phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium... and lots of other good stuff. You can sauté him in some olive oil, sprinkle him with some balsamic vinegar and roast him in the oven, or just steam him for 7-10 minutes. Or, yes, you could wrap him in prosciutto, or sauce him up with some Hollandaise, if you must... but why not try him on his own first? You don't need all those extra calories to make him taste good, and if you condition yourself or your kids to expect the fancy, fatty stuff with him, you'll never learn to enjoy him for who he really is.

Okay, so this last one is what I call a "frugetable"-- it's really a fruit, but everyone thinks it's a veggie.

Awesome "veggie" #8: Avocado.

Like butternut squash, I avoided this stuff earlier in life... I figured that nothing that tasted good was that color green... boy was I wrong. Avocado is now one of my favorite things to eat; for those of you who want to have good foods around that are convenient for snacks and whatnot, avocado is a must-have. Literally, all you have to do is cut it in half, remove the pit, grab a spoon, and have at it. I like mine with a bit of fresh lime juice and sea salt as well, and I have a friend that sprinkles a tiny bit of sugar on hers. Either way, it's delicious. The texture is like... plant butter. Except it doesn't leave a film of fatty nastiness in your mouth.

I know what some of you are going to say: "But... it's got so many CALORIES!!" "Wow, 22 grams of fat per cup? How is that healthy??" Allow me to esplain.

Yes, avocado has a good bit of fat; yes, because of said fat, it has a lot of calories. Now, if we were most other places in the world, we would not pay so much attention to the number of calories/grams of fat, but rather the types of fats that are giving us the calories (think of it as quantity vs. quality).

Most of the fat in the avocado is of the monounsaturated variety; this is GOOD fat. You want this fat in your diet way more than you want the saturated fat from those fries you're eating. Yeah, I see them. It's okay, I forgive you... just don't eat them more than once every couple of weeks. Oleic acid, the particular monounsaturated fatty acid that makes up most of avocados' fat content, is really good for your heart. And it may help prevent certain types of cancer. Woo-hoo! It's also great for your skin, and it's got a carotenoid called lutein, which is good for your eyes and can help protect against cancer as well.

Alrighty, kids... that's all for now. I'm off to enjoy some yummy veggies. Hope everybody has a super weekend!

Ciao!

Shopping List, pt. 2

Alrighty gang, we're on our way to grocery list nirvana today. Forgive my few days' absence; it's the end of the semester and life gets a bit crazy around now. Given how long part 1 took, I'm not sure if we'll finish our list today... there's so much background information that you really should know before buying food. It's sad to see how detached Americans have become from the food they eat; over the past few days, I've been hearing on the news reports of findings that our conventionally produced meat and fish are contaminated with PCBs and other fat-soluble toxins. You can read about it here. If the whole not wanting to develop heart disease thing wasn't good enough for you, maybe that'll persuade you to buy leaner cuts of meat-- or even lower your intake of animal-derived foods altogether.

If you want to recap our list so far, scroll down to the previous entry. Otherwise, just read on because I'll give the complete list again at the end of this one! (Minus all the awesome tidbits of knowledge; gotta check out the previous entry for those.)

Moving on...

Item #7: Many large cans of tomatoes. Tomatoes are SO versatile, and while the fresh tomato is the ideal in most cases, there are PLENTY of things you can do with canned! You can make pasta or pizza sauce, you can make salsa, you can add them to your beans and rice (recipe coming later), you can add them to casseroles and make lasagna... *drools at the thought of lasagna*... you can make chili, soup or stew (recipes coming later), quick bruschetta or salad... the list goes on. Please note: When fresh tomatoes are in-season, get them locally at roadside farm stands or the farmers' market. The ones that are flown in from Chile or wherever are missing the most important elements of the tomato; namely, FLAVOR and (in a lot of cases) JUICINESS. Nobody likes a bland, mealy tomato. Bleh.

Item #8: Fresh garlic. This will keep for quite a while if you store it properly. For best results, garlic should be stored in a dark, dry place with good air circulation, and putting it in a covered clay pot helps extend the life of your fresh garlic tremendously (thank you TLC). Basically, you want to keep it out of the light so it doesn't sprout.

Garlic has SUPERPOWERS... well okay, not superpowers like, flying or something; but it does have superpowers of deliciousness and health! Garlic is an antibacterial, antifungal, heart-healthy, antioxidant-rich, yummy food (just make sure you have some gum handy when you eat it ^_^). Check this out! Science says garlic is awesome too. What about the minced garlic in the jar? you ask. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, don't bother unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary. And really, unless you are deathly afraid of knives or something and therefore can't chop the garlic, there isn't much reason. Ever heard of the garlic press? Great alternative, and you can get them pretty cheap too. There is no excuse you could come up with, short of a deathly allergy, that would convince me that you shouldn't eat garlic. If you must, garlic powder is a useful product to keep on hand as well; a small container will last you quite a while.

Item #9: Onions. Red onions for salads and white onions for sandwiches, yellow onions for sofrito (never heard of it? Check it out here, here and here)... love the onions. Yes, like garlic, onions are also smelly, but worth it. They add so much flavor to so many different dishes, and they've also got a lot of good, healthy stuff in 'em.

Okay, a couple more and then I'll have to run away and get some food; the only drawback about writing all this stuff is that it makes me HUNGRY.

Item #10: Canola oil (preferably in bulk; I'm sure you've got some bottles or jars at home you can put it in). Despite the recent silly Internet rumors, I can assure you that this oil will NOT kill you. I've been consuming it for years, and I'm still alive and *suddenly keels over and dies*...

Kidding!

Canola oil is great, because it has a nice high smoke point. You want that, because if you're frying something and the oil is turning black and smoking, that's some potential cancer you got cookin' right there. Nobody wants cancer, am I right? Of course I'm right, unless you're a Münchhausen's syndrome case, in that case you want cancer more than anything else you've ever wanted... or at least you think you do. ANYWAYS, that's completely beside the point. Canola oil = awesome for cooking. It's also a good source of polyunsaturated fats, which means canola oil also = awesome for your heart and brain and other important bodily organs.

Item #11: Olive oil (preferably extra-virgin, and also preferably in bulk).

Wow... where to start with olive oil... should I start with the fact that it is delicious? Or maybe that it's an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol? Or maybe that you can use it in cooking, in salad dressing, in place of butter, or even on your skin and hair, and EVEN to treat earaches? I don't know... but they're all true. Mix some chick peas with some sesame tahini, olive oil, salt and lemon juice, and you've got hummus. Mix some olive oil with some balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper, you've got a salad dressing-- or a nice dip for bread. Yummmm.

Item #12 (this'll be the last one for today): Cereal. Whether it be oatmeal for cookies, granola for snacks or anything in-between, cereal in bulk is SO much cheaper than buying a regular-sized box. And in a place like the Co-op, you can discover many different types that you may not have known about before; they must have over 20 different granolas! Some of them are quite creative too, and they find ways to work in super-healthy ingredients. Check out some of these awesome-sounding granolas: Cranberry Orange, Blueberry Flax, Vanilla Almond, Maple Pecan Dream, Gingersnap, Country Pumpkin!! Yummy, and great on the go. Just don't eat TOO much of these tasty treats, because they sure do contain sugar.

Okay, I'm seriously starting to feel lightheaded now, kids. I need to EAT! Once more through the list:

Item #1: Brown rice
Item #2: Whole quinoa
Item #3: Beans, beans, the musical fruit... yeah.
Item #4: Pasta
Item... well, Items #5 and #6, kind of: nuts/seeds, and dried fruit. I put them together because they are quite yummy when consumed together. (Never tried trail mix? GET SOME.)
Item #7: Canned tomatoes of various types.
Item #8: Fresh garlic.
Item #9: Onions.
Item #10: Canola oil.
Item #11: Olive oil.
Item #12: Cereal.
(Items #13 and #14 are flour and sugar; if anyone has questions regarding these please leave me a comment and I'll address them in further detail. I may add to this later on as well.)

Now, you'll notice that there aren't really any fresh fruits and veggies on this list... and you are right, and a gold star to you for noticing! But that's on purpose; this is strictly a "getting all the right stuff in your pantry" list. Soon we will stock your fridge and freezer, and then we can start COOKING!!!!

Ciao!

Okay, let's SHOP! (The List, part 1)

Alright, so we went over yesterday why buying in bulk in awesome. Now let's put our knowledge into practice; this is a "to keep on-hand" type of shopping list, so it's pretty basic and the stuff on it will last you a while. Again, this can be tailored to your household's specific needs-- I, for instance, live alone and cook only for myself, so I may only need, say, 3/4 of a pound of rice per month... you may have 3 kids, however, so you may need to do a pound and a half or 2.

I am a firm believer in brown rice; white rice may look pretty or whatever, but the natural vitamins, minerals and other good stuff in brown rice has not been ripped out as is the case with white rice. As for the grain, that depends on your personal preference and what you plan on using the rice for. Making beans and rice? I use long-grain. Making sushi? Short-grain. Making risotto? Arborio (that's a specific style; a very starchy short-grain rice that thickens the liquid you cook it in, making a sort of sauce for itself).

List Item #1: Medium- or long-grain brown rice, probably a half-pound to a full pound. The stuff expands to something like 4 times its original grain size, so don't buy (or cook!) too much at once. We'll talk about the cooking later.

Eat quinoa until it comes out of your ears; we already talked about that. ^_^ (And it's on sale at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany this month for $2.99/pound!)

List Item #2: Whole Quinoa (preferably organic, but don't spend twice as much for it), also a half-pound to a full pound. It doesn't expand quite as much as rice, but since it absorbs the liquid you cook it in, it does expand some-- probably twice or 3 times the original size.

OKAY, so now we shall address the issue of dried vs. canned beans. There really isn't much difference nutritionally between the two, really the only issue is sodium (and, potentially, sugar or lard or other stuff added to the beans during the cooking/canning process). Plain canned beans can be rinsed before use, however, which cuts down on the excess sodium. In addition, Goya makes 29-oz cans of any given bean... if you have a decent-sized household, you should almost NEVER buy the little 15-oz cans of anything. It's a waste of money. If you're on your own like me, you still shouldn't; you should buy and cook in big batches and preserve your food (something we'll talk about later on). So my point is basically this: buy bigger units, whatever form the units may take, whenever possible.

List Item #3: Lots of beans. Since this is going for a once-monthly thing, if you buy cans buy 4 or 5; and vary the kinds of beans you get. There are SO many delicious varieties out there: cannelini (white kidney) beans, chick peas (ie., garbanzo beans), pink beans, black beans, red or pink kidney beans, navy beans, pigeon peas, pinto beans... you get the idea. If you buy dried, get about 4 pounds total, again, varying the types you buy.

Pasta, flour, sugar, salt, cereal, and cooking oil are other good things to buy in bulk; you know how at the supermarket they have the big bags of egg noodles and whatnots on the bottom shelves in the pasta aisle? Yeah, those are just the beginning. If you go to any health food co-op you will find a more-than-adequate selection of pastas and other goodies-- or even Hannaford, whose Nature's Place section does have a good number of bulk items. The Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany has a HUUUUGE bulk department. (Thank you Billy Fuccillo; I will never quote you again.) You can get just about any pasta your heart desires: spaghetti/angel hair, shells, twists, wagon wheels, bowties, orzo, elbows, and various Asian noodles as well... you name it. The flour selection is almost ridiculous... several different types and styles of wheat; barley, corn, rye, spelt; quinoa; various types and styles of rice; and CHICK PEA flour! Or garbanzo bean, whatever you prefer. Chick pea flour is used to make the original Italian polenta (chestnut flour can be used as well), which is a VERY useful and simple bread you can make in a pan on the stove. It's sooooo good, and yes, I will post a recipe soon. :-D

List Item #4: Pasta. The amount can vary greatly depending on household size and, obviously, how much pasta y'all want to eat. Being Italian, I could live on pasta-- so when I buy, I buy big. It usually ends up being along the lines of: 3/4 pound of shells, 1/2 pound of wagon wheels (I love them for mac and cheese!!), 3/4 pound of soba noodles (these are excellent noodles to put in soup or a stir fry), 3/4 pound of spaghetti/angel hair/linguine/fettuccine... basically any one of the long-and-thin pastas. Honest Weight has an amazing spinach fettuccine that I adore, so once in a while I treat myself with that.

Bulk aisles are also amazing for nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Moms, if you're worried about your kids developing an addiction to sugary fruit snacks (you should be), dried fruits such as cranberries and blueberries offer a yummy, tangy-and-sweet, healthy alternative to Gushers, Sharks and junk like that. Plus, they're packed with totally excellent andtioxidants and phytonutrients (which I will discuss another time... just trust me, they're something you want). Nuts can be used for almost anything; they can be added to salads, they can be toasted and salted/sweetened/spiced and made into an awesome snack, they can be put in cereal, muffins, coffee cakes, homemade energy bars, they can be pureed/smooshed into delicious butters and pastes... you can do so much with nuts, it's silly to not look at them when shopping. My favorite nuts to buy are raw pecans, sliced almonds, PISTACHIOS (my first love), and there are some nice mixed nuts that you can grab as well. Seeds go along with nuts... growing up, I would've eaten nothing but sunflower seeds if my mom had let me. They are SO good. Pumpkin seeds are great too.

List Item #5: Nuts and dried fruit. Don't be afraid to ask someone working in the bulk section for samples if you're not sure about something!! Feel free to take some of my suggestions, but be adventurous. Try things you've never heard of before; food is an adventure.

Alright kids, time for me to sign off for the day. Back next time with the second portion of your essentials shopping list!

Ciao!