Tropical Smoothie

I find that I've recently started wasting a lot of money at Jamba Juice.  I love that place and it is good for you but I would rather buy organic fruits and milk products and make my own at home for much less than the five plus dollars they charge you!  This is a great smoothie and works well for a morning rush out the door breakfast or a leisurely Sunday brunch with lots of breakfast goodies.

 

Serves: 2 (you can make the full recipe and freeze the extra for the next morning)
Ingredients:
  - 1/2 ripe mango
  - 1 cup pineapple (frozen or fresh)
  - 1 ripe banana
  - 1/4 cup orange juice (I like to use the Naked orange juice or you can use fresh squeezed)
  - 1/2 cup milk
  - 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  - 1 tsp to 1 tbsp good honey (add more honey if the fruit isn't quite ripe or sweet enough)
  - 1 cup of ice (if using frozen fruit use less ice)
  - Add any extra fruit you may think would be good:  berries, kiwi, papaya, etc.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

A Safe and Clean Household Environment

So I've been thinking about this for a while and just recently started to research it.  I constantly look at what's in my food and make sure there are no synthetic unpronounceable items in it - and if so it goes directly to the banned list of products.  Why then, have I not moved this household philosophy further?  Laziness or lack of research could be to blame but it could also be and most likely is my OCD.  I am a germ clean-freak and I bleach everything.  I like my house to smell good with scented candles when I walk in the door and I love cleaning products that make me feel like I'm killing all those microscopic germs (not to mention I love bleaching my whites and making them look like new).

  Bleach is horrible stuff, I've known that for a while.  I use it in abundance for cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, dishes and the laundry.  I've even given myself migraines (coming from the chlorine gas) for over using it but relished in the fact that I killed all those nasty viruses and germs in my house.  There's a better way, though, and it kills just as much germs, still makes the house smell clean (kills odors) and is just fine with the environment because it is a naturally occurring substance - H2O2 or commonly known as hydrogen peroxide.  It's cheaper, non-toxic and just as efficient.

  It can be bought in two strengths - the usual 3% solution at your pharmacy or a higher "food grade" strength of 35% at your local health food store or drug store.  H2O2 is much better for those people on a tight budget as well because it costs pennies on the dollar of all those pricey name brand cleaners and works just as well if not better!

Some helpful tips on how to use hydrogen peroxide:
  - Store out of sunlight and in a well marked preferably dark bottle (this helps it not revert back to oxygen gas and water)
  - Toothbrushes can be dipped in the 3% solution to de-germ and then used after well rinsed.  A solution of 1 tbsp H2O2 to 1 cup of water can be used for mouthwash and this will whiten teeth over time and kill bad bacteria (much cheaper than Listerine). 
  - Counter tops, cutting boards, sinks, door handles or any non-porous hard surface can be sprayed with equal parts 3% H2O2 to water in order to disinfect and clean.  This same solution will also help remove toilet stains and bad bacteria.
  - Just as with bleach in laundry, one cup of 3% solution to a load of whites will keep your whites white! :-)
  - Use the 3% solution to remove blood, red wine stains etc on carpet and it won't bleach the fibers.
  - Of course it always works well to disinfect cuts and bug bites!

  This blog post may not pertain to how you cook and prepare food but the object of this blog is to help you live a healthier less toxic life and this is a great step to take to save you money and help out the environment! 

Caesar Club Sandwich

This is my favorite homemade sandwich and after looking at my recipe lists I determined it was time to add more lunch recipes.  The recipe is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe and one of the first things I ever cooked outside my comfort zone.  It's wonderful with some homemade chips or a hot bowl of soup.  I hope you like it!

Serves:  3
  Ingredients: 
  - 2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  - good olive oil
  - 4 oz thinly sliced pancetta (can substitute bacon but pancetta is tastier)
  - 1 large garlic clove
  - 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
  - 1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (found in the asian food aisle usually)
  - 1 tsp dijon mustard
  - 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  - 1/2 cup good mayonnaise (good mayonnaise should only have 3 ingredients!)
  - 1 large ciabatta bread (french bread works well too)
  - 2 oz baby arugula, washed and spun dry
  - 12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  - 2 to 3 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan skin side up.  Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through.  Cool slightly, discard the skin (or feed it to the dog!) and bones, and slice the meat thickly.  Set aside.
  Meanwhile, place the pancetta on another sheet pan in a single layer.  Roast for 10 to 15 min. until crisp.  Set aside to drain on paper towels.  (This step can be done after the chicken and the same sheet pan can be used to make clean-up easier).
  Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor (or a blender) and process until minced.  Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayo and process again until smooth dressing like consistency.  (Refrigerate dressing if not using immediately - this part could be doubled or tripled and the extra dressing stored in the fridge for later)!
  Slice the bread in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom.  Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up for 5 to 7 minutes.  Cool slightly.  Spread the cut sides of each piece with Caesar dressing.  Place half the arugula on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order:  sun-dried tomato, shaved Parmesan, crispy pancetta, and sliced chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of arugula.  Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut in thirds crosswise.  Serve at room temp.

Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Meat Marinara

This is a recipe that I've refined over the years and I started fixing spaghetti squash thanks to my longtime friend's mom who made it for me years ago.  Spaghetti squash is a wonderful way to mix-up your usual Italian dinners the flesh looks just like spaghetti when cooked but has a great crunch as well!

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
  - 1 large Spaghetti Squash
  - 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  - 1 lb of Grass-fed Ground Beef (can substitute Italian sausage spicy/mild for more flavor)
  - 1 medium Zucchini, chopped
  - 1 large Yellow Onion, chopped
  - 1 large Red Bell Pepper, chopped
  - 6 cloves of Garlic, minced
  - 2 large Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
  - 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  - 1 tbsp Salt
  - 3/4 tbsp Ground Pepper
  - 1 1/2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  - 1 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
  - 1 1/2 cans of Tomato Sauce
  - 1 tbsp Butter
  - 1 cup shredded Mozzarella or Mozzarella and Pecorino Romano mix

In a large stock pot bring enough water to boil to submerge the spaghetti squash.  Using a fork puncture the washed spaghetti squash on all sides in order to let steam escape.  Place the squash in the boiling water and boil for 45 minutes, making sure to turn the squash so it gets cooked on all sides - the squash will float.

   Meanwhile heat a large skillet to medium-high heat with the olive oil.  Add the onions, garlic and beef into the skillet and cook until onions start to become soft and the beef browned - about 5 minutes.  Add the peppers, zucchini, salt, pepper, and seasoning - cook until the peppers and squash begin to soften - about 5 minutes more.  Add the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and vinegar, bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, add more salt or italian seasoning if needed.  Sauce will be thin at this point, let it simmer on the stove until the flavors are well mixed and the sauce is the thickness that you desire - up to an hour.  (This will make much more sauce than you need, this is a good time to stock your freezer with an extra meal's worth of marinara sauce).

   After the squash is boiling for 30 minutes preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Drain the squash when it is done boiling and place it on a cutting board, using a sharp knife cut the squash in half and remove the pulp and seeds (like any melon or squash) place the cleaned halves on a cookie sheet cut-side up.  Using a fork, test the squash for doneness - the meat should start to come off in spaghetti-like pieces but it should still be pretty tough at this stage).  Spread a 1/2 tbsp of butter on the meat of each half of the squash and place the cookie sheet in the oven for 30 minutes, after 30 minutes the meat should separate easily from the skin and come off in pasta like strings.  If it is still a little difficult to remove the meat from the skin bake for another 15 minutes.

At this stage there are two ways to proceed, either remove all the meat from the squash and serve like you would any normal pasta or use the squash skin as the vessel for serving.  If choosing the second method, place the desired amount of marinara sauce in each half of the squash, cover with half the cheese and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Remove the squash and slice each half into subsequent halves and serve!

A Cook's Best Friend. . .

So I've blogged a little before about organizing and how to best prepare foods and make it easier on yourself and your busy schedules.  I stand by my statement that a freezer is a busy cook's best friend.  In this blog I'll try to outline the best ways to use a standard freezer/fridge combo and a chest freezer, for those of us lucky enough to have one.  I highly recommend buying one for anyone looking to save money in the long run - you can usually find them in estate sales and at dent and ding stores for much cheaper.  We bought ours as a floor model at Lowe's and ended up paying at least 100 dollars less than original price.
  To start I will talk to the average home freezer.  The best trick to efficiently using your home freezer is to freeze things like soups, sauces, veggies and other small things in flat sheets. Notice the bottom shelf . . .

My personal freezer is a little sparse at the moment because we have it all in our chest freezer but think of how many servings of split-pea soup, corn chowder and marinara sauces I could stack up on the top shelf as well.  The trick to freezing things flat are good sturdy freezer safe ziplocs: with a sharpie label the ziploc with the contents and the date the food will expire (things always look the same when they're frozen so you can never tell what's in that bag!) place the cooled prepared food into the bag laying flat on your counter (enough for one night's meal)  and seal trying to expel as much air as possible.  Lay the ziploc flat on the bottom of your freezer (or on a cookie sheet if you have no flat surface) things like soups and sauces can usually stay for up to 6 months in the freezer! 
  For storing these ziplocs in a chest freezer it's good to get a plastic file crate and put it in the bottom of your freezer then place the ziplocs upright in the crate (the frozen ziplocs can be sifted through like file folders and you can easily find whatever you need).  I also recommend, as I have before, to double or triple your recipes on those nights that you do cook to quickly get your freezer stocked with extra meals.

My chest freezer may look a little crazy but everything is assorted into its requisite bin.  I chose this freezer because it had hanging and sliding baskets so things won't get buried beneath everything else.  Since we buy beef in large quantities our freezer is mostly meats, stocks, and lots of frozen summer corn.  I have bins for steaks, roasts, offal, and ground beef.  The stocks are all labeled in freezer safe containers and placed on the bottom of the freezer.

To further help me in my meal planning I create a list that I stick on the outside of the freezer that lists what's in the freezer and how many servings there are.  When something is used I just strike it off the list or reduce the number of servings listed.

This helps when I sit down on Sunday and make my grocery shopping list.  I know what I already have on hand and this way I don't buy so much at the store and spend less money in the long run.  To further help me save money I always keep my eye out for any special deals on organic meat that I can stock up on and put in the freezer - like the organic pork sausages that I bought last week for half price!  You may spend more money on a certain trip to the store one week but it will be a lot cheaper in the long run.  Happy organizing!

Chicken Bouilliabaisse with Garlicky Beans

This is a much simpler bouilliabaise than the classic bouilliabaise and the beans give it a heartiness that's homey and satisfying.  I recently found in my favorite book store a book on braises and stews by Tori Ritchie.  Braises and stews are great because they give you lots of flavor with little effort - most of the time just pop it in the oven or crock-pot and let it be.

 

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

  - 4 Chicken legs, split into drumsticks and thighs (you can choose to leave skin on or off but I think it adds flavor)

  - Kosher salt

  - 6 tbsp olive oil

  - 1 yellow onion, sliced

  - 1/2 cup dry white wine - I used Pinot Grigio

  - 4-inch strip of orange zest (don't zest it into little pieces you'll want to remove it later)

  - 1 tsp dried thyme

  - Generous pinch of saffron threads

  - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

  - 1 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade)
  - 2 cans (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  - 4 garlic cloves, minced
  - 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
  - 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

 Preheat an oven to 375.
 Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt.  Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a 5-7 quart dutch oven over med-high heat.  Add the onion, sprinkle with salt to taste and cook, stirring until softened - about 3-6 minutes.  Add the wine, zest, thyme and saffron and let come to a boil.  Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil again.  Put chicken in pot, pushing it down in the sauce.  Cover and transfer to the oven.  Cook until chicken is opaque at the bone, about 45 minutes. 

  Meanwhile, in a baking dish, stir together the beans, remaining 3 tbsp of oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Put in oven alongside the chicken for the last 15 minutes of cooking time.  Remove the beans from oven and stir in the feta, season with salt and pepper.  Spoon beans into bowls and top with chicken and sauce.  Serve with crusty bread to sop up the extra juice!

My apologies and new thoughts. . .

So I've committed the ultimate blogger sin - falling behind in posts which leads to lack of interest and general apathy in my readership - for shame!  I do apologize and I blame it on my lack of focus on food in general in the past few months (lots of travel to Missouri, working out of town during the week where there is no place to buy organic or healthy foods of any quantity or quality, worried about finding a real job, etc.).  It has been possible for me with the new job, where I live in a house at a winery helping my brother-in-law manage construction on the site, to eat organically by going to Whole Foods on Sundays and stocking up and planning for the week.  I cook for myself and one other person that works and lives with me at the winery who also subscribes to my food philosphy.  So generally my breakfasts and dinners are good organic food but here's the problem - lunch!
  My lunches are now revolving around the work place and construction work environment.  The owner of the winery buys us lunch most days and other days I go out and get the crew lunch.  It's great to not have to worry about paying for lunches but I have felt my heath issues returning and feeling less well and lethargic these days because of it.  Maybe that's why I have felt less like blogging . . . maybe a little bit of a hypocritical dilemma running through my brain.  I did, however, on recommendation from a new friend just watch a new documentary that may have just changed my outlook on food all over again.
  This documentary is called "Fork Over Knives" and it follows two doctors that over the course of their practice and in-depth research have proven that animal based foods are the cause of most cancers and heart diseases.  Not only is the corn fed beef and industrial meat substances bad for us but meat in general.  Of course it is MUCH better to consume grass-fed and pasture raised animals in reasonable quantities but their extensive studies prove that we should probably be eating only grains, fruits and veggies without dairy, meat or added oils in our diet.
  Their studies are very convincing - people who had had multiple bypass surgerys or extensive cancers throughout their bodies have gone on to live decades after their illnesses and have made complete recoverys, sometimes without chemo and radiation or even surgery - biologically I have one qualm.  If humans were not meant to eat meat then why do we have "meat tearing" canine teeth?  Is this just a hold over from our evolutionary make-up, which we have evolved away from but no longer need (like our tail bone with no tail?) or do those canine teeth have a different purpose now?  Do we need the canine teeth for tearing into fibrous veggies like celery and broccoli?  Next time I eat I am definitely going to pay more attention ;-) but for now I think I will just significantly reduce the amount of meat I consume. 
  Until next time your thoughts and opinions are definitely welcome.  Happy eating!