Tuesday, June 19, 2012
We will maintain these pages as a trinute to her passion - healthy eating.
Sincerely,
Her Sons Billy and Greg
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
And can you guess what that was? Un-huh, going on a diet!
With a new year upon us, what better time to take stock, to explore new avenues, to make some of the changes we've put off and to start today, then toomayo might find us slimmer, healthier and a wee bit wiser.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
With four young, firm zucchini, a sweet onion and a handful of whole wheat angel hair, supper was ready in a flash.
I cut the sweet onion in half inch wedges, sliced the zucchini and let it all sauté in a bit of filtered water. Turn frequently, add more water as needed to keep from sticking, but don't add too much water, this isn't meant to boil the veggies, but to give them a quick pass to soften and bring out the natural sweetness. Covering the pan for a few minutes hastens the cooking by offering a bit of steam.
Meanwhile, cook whole wheat pasta (shape of your choice) until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water.
Combine the pasta with the zucchini and onions. Add a little of the reserved cooking water to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Alternatives:
Add snipped fresh herbs - basil and oregano would be great.
Top with lightly toasted pine nuts.
Top with toasted fresh bread crumbs.
This spur of the moment quick dish is open to many interpretations. Let your imagination soar and enjoy a simple supper soon.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Even with little space, anyone can find room on the kitchen counter for a simple canning jar, filled with a tablespoon of organic seeds, given a couple of rinses daily, then PRESTO, within a few days, we have a crop of crisp, fresh sprouts, loaded with nutrients that cost mere pennies.
This jar is ready to sit in the sunlight for a few hours to green up. Then it will be ready to adorn salads and sandwiches or add some to smoothies or make a green juice. Growing sprouts is easy and the feeling of accomplishment along with the nutritional benefits adds to our well-being.
Monday, October 18, 2010
A couple of professional chef's tricks enriched the veggie broth that brought a cup of arborio rice from raw to rich and creamy with a depth of flavor that belied the simple ingredients and offered the warmth and deep satisfaction a true comfort food provides.
I blanched the stems of the young asparagus spears in 3 cups of water, reserving the leafy tops for the final moments of cooking. Once the stems were crisp tender, I scooped them out of the water, reserving the cooking water to be the base for the broth the rice would cook in. Measure the water and add more as needed to equal 3 cups.
Meanwhile, I soaked two dried shitake mushroom caps in a cup of boiling water. When they had softened, I minced them and added them along with the cup of soaking water to the pot of simmering broth (asparagus cooking water). To enrich the flavor of the quart of simmering water, I added one dissolved veggie broth cube. Keep the broth just below a simmer if proceeding with the dish. Otherwise, cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
I used the standard procedure for cooking risotto, I began with sweating half a minced white onion in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then added the cup of washed and drained arborio rice, stirring to mix and continuing to cook over medium heat until the rice kernels glistened.
I then added 1/4 cup of white wine, continued to cook, stirring as the wine coated the rice and onions until all the wine had disappeared. At this point it's just a matter of adding simmering broth by the half cup, stirring and letting the rice absorb the broth.
Don't add more broth until the last addition has been absorbed. Keep adding the broth and stirring until the rice is al dente —chewy on the outside, but creamy on the inside, about 30 - 40 minutes cooking time over medium heat.
Before the last two additions of the broth, when the rice is almost cooked, add the blanched asparagus stems and the uncooked tops.
To complete the dish, taste for salt, add if needed.
If you eat cheese, a quarter cup of grated Parmesan is a lovely final addition. If not, it's still a simple, satisfying grain based dish.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
But yesterday got away from me — and today I was lured to a simple soup involving 3 major ingredients courtesy of Jack Bishop, executive editor of Cook's Illustrated. I had purposely picked up a butternut squash to give this simple soup a try.
Three main ingredients: squash, garlic and chipotles with the addition of salt and water, and presto, a luscious, smooth as silk taste teaser. The piquant chipotles are the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the butternut squash and the hint of garlic manages to marry the flavors to perfection. Of all the squash varieties, I think the butternut lends itself the best to a smooth as silk finish for soup.
If you are having a challenge with incorporating more vegetables into your everyday diet, or if, like me, you are a vegan who likes a variety of preparations for some of my favorite vegetables or a nudge to try something different, get your hands on a copy of A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Jack Bishop's great compendium of simple techniques to produce some fabulous vegetarian meals using seasonal produce.