Tuna Twist

A new invention & it's SO delicious and nutritious. [picture coming]

I know.  It looks goob-y.  But it tastes delicious!

Tuna Twist Salad [2-3 servings]

1 can tuna (7oz; albacore in water)
1/2 a large, ripe avocado
5-6 cherry tomatoes quartered (or a normal one all chopped up)
medium to hot salsa (we like smokey stuff like chipotle or roasted types) to taste (1/4 c. or so)
grated cheese (optional)
2 T. mayo (optional--go ahead and add it if you have the good, homemade stuff)

Mix it all together in a bowl (stick the tomatoes in towards the end or they get mushed; I don't like mushed tomatoes).  The avocado replaces the typical mayo for a creamy, stick-it-together substance.

You can serve it with lettuce on bread, on a pan-grilled bagel with butter (my favorite!), wrap (low-carb!), green salad (lower carb!), or use it as a chip dip.

It really doesn't taste very "fishy" and can easily be adapted to be more or less spicy and dairy-free and/or gluten free.

Enjoy!!!

Beef & Veggie Soup

A new delicious invention!!!

Hearty Beef & Veggie Soup

Ingredients:
[I like my soups to be hearty and make a meal; more broth or less ingredients would make this stretch further if you'd like]
About 1 lb leftover beef (pot roast works the best)
3 garlic cloves (diced, not smashed or whole)
1 small onion (cut in chunks)
1 bay leaf
dash of good quality salt
large pinch of thyme
1 cup (frozen or fresh) string beans cut up
1/2 cup (frozen or fresh) corn
1 quart organic beef broth (Trader Joe's)

What to do:

• Brown the onions in 2 T butter and a dash of salt in a frying pan; add the garlic once the onions are getting clear--don't burn it!!!
• Warm the beef broth in a large pot
• Add the bay leaf, beef (chopped), onions, & garlic to the broth and bring to simmer
• Add the veggies and cook until soft but not mushy
• Add the thyme & fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste (I only used thyme)
• Seve & enjoy! [3 full bowls or 4 side bowls for soup + salad or kids' servings or something]
  [It should taste like a hearty herbed french onion soup w/o the bread carbs or dairy]

You could easily swap out some of the veggies for others or add leftover rice, noodles, barley, quinoa, etc.

Edible Oatmeal

My boys will rarely eat oatmeal.  They're not picky in general; they've just agreed secretly that normal oatmeal is to be avoided at all costs.  They both like that awful, sweet, flavored stuff in the little microwave packs--bleck!  However, this morning we were left with no eggs, no cold cereal, nothing except milk, apples, and tons of oatmeal that's been sitting here waiting for a desperation day.  I think it was a success.  My husband's not going to affirm it too much because he doesn't want me to get the impression that he'd ever want to eat oatmeal on any sort of a regular basis, but he ate it.  My little guy ate all of his (well, all of it that didn't end up on the wall or high chair once he figured out that it stuck nicely.)  Here's the recipe:

Edible Oatmeal

• 4 apples (I like 2 tart and 2 sweet)
• 2-3 T butter
• 1 cup rolled oatmeal (not instant)
• 1 cup milk (raw is best, organic is good, whole is a must)
• 1 cup water
• dash of salt
• drizzle of honey to taste
• cinnamon (I like a lot, but put in as much or little as you like)
• vanilla extract (probably about 1/2 t. but I didn't measure)
• raisins (optional)
• "Fried" apple topping
• core, peel, and cut apples into chunks [if you have one of those apple peeler things it's really fast & easy]
• cook over medium with butter and cinnamon in a fry pan until the apple are soft but not mushy
• Oatmeal
• once you have the apples started, put all of the remaining ingredients in a small pot
• bring to a low boil (careful not to scald the milk!)
• simmer for about 10 min. uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the moisture is mostly absorbed into the oatmeal
• [you could also just cook it in water and then add some cream over the top later]
• Serve in bowls, smothered with apples--this makes about 2 large servings (enough for all 3 of us)

Super Bowl Snax

Maybe it's just me, but the one downside to sports/movie snacks (because they all taste amazing) is that my tummy feels all rumbly afterward because of all the processed food (and who knows what ingredients) that was just dumped into my system.  Here body--handle THIS.  Thanks!  My husband (who really really likes his traditional super bowl foods) secretly agrees about the unpleasant brick in one's stomach post-game.  SO, this year I decided to root around and find recipes that are healthy (iow--no digestive hang over), not-too-unusual, cheap, and delicious for the game.  I'm also joining Real Food Wednesday at this blog--check out the other great ideas there!

Nachos Sanos
Packaged chip dips often have a lot of preservatives and bad oils in them and cheese-wiz or heat-and-serve nacho dips are horrible for you.  Here's a delicious alternative that takes 10 min. to prepare (unless you choose to do lots of extra chopping for more toppings).

• Preheat the oven to 375
• Bean dip (to be put on top of the chips or kept on the side for dunking)
• 1 can re-fried beans (Trader Joe's organic, canned)
• 1/2 block cream cheese (4 oz., organic is good, raw is best)
• 1/2-2/3 cup salsa (whatever you like; I use Costco's Kirkland organic--it's like a gallon for $5!)
• Mix the above over low heat in a small pot
• Line an edged baking pan (the biggest one you have) with parchment paper
• Fill the pan full of tortilla chips (I used organic Kirkland brand)
• Put shredded cheddar (I use Trader Joe's raw milk cheddar) over the chips
• Add your favorite ingredients: chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapenos, drops of hot sauce, olives, black beans, more salsa, shredded chicken, etc.
• Add the bean dip
• Stick the whole thing in the oven for 5 min. or so until the cheese bubbles and is "nacho-y"
• Add cold/warm temp toppings like sour cream, guacamole (just smash a fresh avocado), or lettuce
• Enjoy!  [My favorite just has cheese, bean dip, guac, and sour cream; my guy likes "the works"]
• Diet modifications--It's already wheat/gluten free if your chips are 100% corn.  It's easy to do this dairy free--just remove all the cheese/cream parts and it still tastes amazing!  High protein?--more beans and chicken.

Rubbed Wings & Sticks
Often prepared sauces & marinades have high fructose corn syrup, flavor enhancers & tenderizers (like MSG), preservatives, more sugar, bad salts, and bad oils.  Look for a sauce in the refrigerated section to avoid preservatives, or local bbq sauces with fewer strange ingredients, OR make this easy and delicious rub below.

• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 3 cloves garlic pressed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder [add more chili or add some cayenne pepper if you like it to be spicy!
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt (the best are Himalayan or Celtic b/c the minerals are still there) & pepper to taste
• 10 chicken wings/drumsticks
• Put all of it in a large plastic bag and shake to coat
• 375 for 1 hour [I'd usually make at least a double batch of these!]

Chips & Herb Dip
This is SO easy and addictively delicious (I'm not kidding).  It ends up kinda tasting like ranch dressing except like 1000x better.

• 8oz. cream cheese (pre-whipped is easy, organic is good, raw is best)
• 1 t. rosemary (I crush mine up a little first)
• 1/s t. thyme
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
• Mix it all with the cream cheese and serve OR refrigerate for up to a day or so for an even better taste.
• Serve with crackers (my favorite is a hearty wheat), pita pieces, pita chips, sliced bread, or whatever [you could even pre-spread the crackers, add smoked salmon on top, and serve plated like an appetizer]
• Leftover ideas: IF you have any dip leftover (and that's a big "if"), here are some ideas:
• eat it sneakily before anyone else discovers it
• put it in an omelet (SO good)
• put it on a sandwich as a delicious spread with leftover meat or deli meat
• put it on a slice of bread with a fried egg on top
• put it on salmon and warm it up (I have not yet tried this, but it seems like it would be delicious)
• This is my "I only have 3 min. to make something for that party" go-to recipe.  :)
• It would work well with fresh herbs too--just adjust the amounts a bit to taste

Other ideas:

• Homemade chili
• Homemade meatballs with a good-quality bbq sauce in a crock-pot
• Popcorn (make it the old way, not in a microwave, and add your own butter and salt)
• Potato skins with real bacon and cheese and onions on top--DON'T use bacon bits, esp. the unnaturally red, hard ones--words can't express how sad it is that someone invented such a culinary travesty
• Cold veggies & homemade dip--or use that cream cheese herb recipe above but replace the cream cheese with sour cream!
• Homemade sun tea instead of soda
• Quesadillas from scratch
• What others can you think of??

Image source

Egg Drop Soup: Liquid Gold

I'm jumping on the bandwagon for Real Food Wednesdays

at Kelly the Kitchen Cop's blog.  :)

When anyone in my family isn't feeling 100%, we have egg drop soup for dinner.  It's incredibly nutritious with a mild but flavorful taste and a smooth texture, perfect for stuffy noses, grumpy tummies, foggy heads, tender mouths, and sleepy moms with little time to cook.

I like to make organic chicken stock for mine [read about why homemade chicken stock is a super healthy healer here].  Sometimes I cheat and use a box of Pacific organic chicken broth and just "boost" it at home with old chicken bones and bits of leftover meat mixed with onions and carrots and celery, salt and pepper, and a bay leaf.  All of that goes into a crock pot for the day.  Then, I skim the grease off the top and freeze it in jars or use it within a week.

The stock is great on it's own, but it doesn't feel like much of a meal.  Thus, I make egg drop soup.  Here's why eggs are such a great form of nutrition when you don't have much of an appetite for lots of heavy food! [just read the part under "Reason #1"]

Egg Drop Soup
For 2 people
*Boil 1 quart of organic chicken stock in a wide pot
*Mix 2 organic eggs in a separate bowl or in a liquid measuring cup
*When the stock is boiling, put in a little ginger powder or fresh grated ginger to taste (it is good for tummies)
*Then, stir the stock continuously while you pour small streams of egg into the twirling broth.  It should instantly cook into threads of eggy-goodness.
*Finally, chop up some fresh chives and toss them in.

Ta-da!  You're done.
As my mom used to sing over good meals, "It's delicious nutritious!"


Image: Mine usually looks like this one but I've never taken a pic. of it.
Here's where this one's from: http://www.chinatownofftmyers.com/images/egg_drop_soup.jpg

Croutons the Ol' Fashioned Way

I will never go back to expensive, break-your-teeth, store-bought croutons.  If we have bread that goes stale or gets some mold (which I cut off), I just toss it in the freezer with "crouton" scribbled on it in marker.  When it's time for a delicious salad, here's what I do:

Croutons from Scratch

1. Cut bread into 1/2"-1" chunks/squares
2. Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil and butter in a pan; melt on low and toss in bread
3. Cook on medium, stirring every so often until they start to get brown (this only takes a few minutes)
4. While they're cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other spices you like
5. When they begin to get brown, turn the pan off and just let it sit; the longer they sit in the warm pan, the crunchier they get; pull them off when they're to your taste

I usually begin this before I start anything else for a salad and let it cook while I chop and dice and mix the salad ingredients.  By the time the rest of the salad is done, the croutons are too!

Some seasoning suggestions:

• Italian: garlic powder, onion powder, & basil
• Butter & Garlic: use more butter than oil & fresh or powdered garlic
• Cheddar & Dill: use a bit of dill & put shredded cheddar on--I have not yet tried this, but I would recommend baking them at 350 instead of pan browning them if you use cheese
• Asian: totally guessing, but it seems that some powdered ginger and chives would be cool on a salmon salad or something
• Parmesan: just mix some in

Other tips:

• Make some extras & really dry them out.  Put them in a food processor and grind them up for fresh breadcrumbs.
• A hearty bread like Trader Joe's hearth -baked Tuscan Pane works wonderfully!

Have fun saving money and getting a better flavor boost to your salads!

Sun Tea: Ya'll just come git some

One of my favorite Southern culinary staples is sun tea.  Until I made it, I had always assumed that it required time (something on short supply these days), lots of dishes (I don't like those), and some sort of special magic (a sacrifice to Phoebus or fairy dust or something).  Not to kill any equally romantic ideas that you may have about the elusive brewing of sun tea, but it's a sinch.

Sun Tea
1) Fill a pitcher with filtered water
2) Place 4 tea bags in it (if they have strings hang them over the side)
3) Put a top on the pitcher or put plastic wrap over the top
4) Let it sit outside in the hot sun long enough for it to turn a nice amber color and be as strong as you like it
[Once it's warm you may mix in honey or sugar to taste; I keep mine unsweetened]
5) Take out the tea bags & put the pitcher in the fridge until it's cold

Speed Version
Do steps 1-4 & then shake the tea with ice in a mixed-drink shaker and pour the tea into a glass over ice.

Flavor Fun
> Squirt lemon juice in at the end for an Arnold Palmer
> 3 bags black tea (I like English or Irish Breakfast) with 1 bag lemon OR 1 bag lemon ginger
> 3 bags black tea and 1 bag pomegranate (or something else fruity and sweet; it makes it taste less bitter and more like sweet tea without the sugar)
> Use all herbal tea or green tea of some sort.  You would be surprised how good even spiced "winter" teas like a red rooibus chai can be when iced.  Mint is very refreshing, as are berry, fruit, and rose-based teas.

Health Notes
* Caffeinated tea has about 1/3 the amount of caffeine as an equal liquid measure of coffee
* Get "naturally decaffeinated" if you want decaf black teas.  The other stuff uses chemicals to remove the caffeine.  The same is true for coffee.
* Get organic tea when possible.  There are no regulations on the amount of pesticides used directly on normal tea leaves.  This is especially important for pregnant and nursing moms so you don't pass the toxins to your little one.
* Good quality tea has lots of health benefits for you, for your colicky baby, and for your kids (in popsicles!)

Drink up!

Sweet Dinner Rolls

So, I finally did it.  I ventured into the world of yeast breads.  My cooking-from-scratch go-to friend, Beth, was right--yeast bread is not the most difficult thing in the world.

I adapted this recipe for my own needs (plus I don't have a bread machine):

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

What to do:

1. Place water, milk, a bit of the sugar and yeast togther and let foam (10 min.-ish)
2. Mix: egg, 1/3 cup butter, rest of sugar, & salt in your mixer bowl
3. Add 1 cup of the flour slowly, cutting butter into the mixture
4. Dump in the yeast
5. Put mixer with the dough hook on low and slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough looks stretchy and well-mixed
6. Put in a greased bowl (use melted butter or coconut oil), turn, cover with a cotton cloth, and let rise for an hour
7. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. [Or instead of crescents just make 16 balls like I did--EASY!  Bad things happen when I use rollers, so I avoid them when possible.  I just melted the butter and rolled the balls in it quickly so each was evenly coated.  My hands were a mess; the rolls were scrumptious.]
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. [I did mine at 375]
9. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

These are delicious with butter for dinner or with butter and honey or preserves for breakfast.  The extras kept well for the next morning.  According to one person online, they also freeze well.  Enjoy!

Domestic Goodness

My mom raised me to see food as an important gift of a woman for her family.  Providing nourishing, prepared meals every night (other than "cornucopia night", aka leftovers) for family dinners was a priority for her.  As I've learned more about the profound cultural connections between sharing meals and authentic relationships, her traditions have become important to me, as well.
I also like to challenge myself to make health food taste delicious.  I have strong objections against the consumption of anything that tastes like cardboard.
Some of my recent ventures into personally-uncharted, culinary territory include the following:

Cinnamon raisin nutty granola
3 cups thick cut oats; a cup or so each of raisins, sunflower seeds, & coconut flakes; cinnamon; vanilla; and all tossed with melted coconut oil/butter and baked in a low oven (stir here and there) for an hour-ish until dry
[next batch will be orange-cranberry pecan!]

Homemade chicken stock
I combined several recipes for this but mostly used the one from Nourishing Traditions cookbook with some alterations as suggested by Maureen--thanks!
[the foam was all skimmed, but I left a little of the fat on top--it helps make sauces and can be skimmed off once chilled for soups]

Chicken pot pie [for St. Patrick's]
This recipe plus thyme and potatoes, minus celery seed (I was out)

 

So, blogger won't rotate my picture as it should . . . and the pie only exploded for the first piece because I skipped the "wait to let it set" part of the directions.  Naturally, the pieces I didn't have the camera out for were perfect.  

[Thanks, Joanne, for the delicious soda bread!!!]

What Makes Today Special?

Part of what reveals and forms a culture is the holidays that are celebrated.  If we are truly striving to create a Catholic culture in our families and society, we should endeavor to make the feast days of the church "special" days in our homes.

A family friend inspired me to reflect the celebrations of the Church through meals on feast days and solemnities.  She often will make a meal that is traditionally tied to a particular saint (like bread on the Solemnity of St. Joseph) or that saint's country (like Irish food on St. Patrick's Day).  I decided to start this year on the Feast of the Presentation with at least putting a little more effort (though no symbolism) into dinner to celebrate!  [see pic :) ]

Fresh While Freezing

One of the very few downsides of winter, comfort-food cuisine is that I start to miss that "fresh" taste of light summer dishes.  Amidst all the baking and heavy carbs and meats, I decided to invent something fresh from ingredients I already had around that still paired with all the delicious winter flavors.  Tada!  My "Poppy Cran-Man Salad" or whatever you want to call it:

Romaine lettuce
Fresh, peeled mandarin oranges
Dried cranberries
Slightly chopped pecans
Sweet poppy seed dressing (from Trader Joe's)

Delicious!

Gingerbread Biscotti

Every Christmas, I like to learn a new winter-ish dessert recipe.  They inevitably include my baking nemesis--melted chocolate.  However, several burnt bags of chocolate chips later, I usually conquer the darn things and embark on yet another year of cooking without a double-boiler.  This year's recipe was Gingerbread Biscotti.  The flavor is not too intense (you could make them spicier if you'd like), but pleasantly Christmasy & excellent with coffee, a mocha, or hot tea.  Per the many requests I've received, here's the recipe (changed significantly from this one.)

Gingerbread Biscotti

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
  
• 1 cup white sugar (or a little less)
  
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  [I made all the spice measurements slightly heaping . . . rounded on top? . . . whatever--add a little]
• 1 bag white choc. chips
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients and cut in butter until it is in small crumbles; mix in eggs & molasses [I mixed those together first] to form a stiff dough.
3. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie sheet.  [The dough is a bit crumbly.]  Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down [lightly!] to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.[Finished "loves" are about 4" by 12+".]
   
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
5. When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices [press a large knife more than "sawing" or else they may crumble]. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy. 
6. Melt white choc chips. [microwaving for 1 min. in a glass bowl works well; just mix in the un-melted ones and they'll melt in too].  Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate (let the extra drip off).  Place upside-down on the cookie-sheet to harden.  [You could probably dip the melted choc. in crushed peppermint sticks or hazelnuts, but I didn't try that yet].
7. Dare yourself to eat just one and then stop--it's not possible.

Tri-Tip Triumph

One of my challenges as a wife (and mother) is to make delicious, nutritious, affordable food for our little family.  Right now, I'm working full-time, so I don't always have an hour + to marinate, roast, carve, etc.  My other struggle is I really really dislike having the same flavors (or repeat foods) too often in a row--it's a weird kind if picky-ness.

Fortunately, I love new cooking challenges.  Here was my creative solution for last week (I only had one day with enough time to make something lengthy.)
Day 1: Tri-tip roast [1 hr.]
Oven-cooked in a cast iron pan with carrots and potatoes; smothered & seasoned in beer, Lawry's seasoning salt (no MSG!), and a splash of Worcestershire sauce; the root veggies picked up the flavor of the meat beautifully!
Day 2: Roast beef sandwiches [lunch] [5 min.]
Trader Joe's [mu favorite grocery store!] sells sliced Gouda cheese (or Munster) & hearth breads for the same price as (typically cheaper) normal ingredients; the sandwiches were filling & easy to pack
Day 2: Stuffed baked potatoes [15-20 min.]
Admission--I microwaved the potatoes; then, I shaved off some of the leftover roast & mixed it with a local BBQ sauce; finally I layered the huge potatoes with raw cheddar cheese, lightly steamed (frozen) broccoli, and meat; delicious!
Day 3: Beef Quesadillas [15-20 min.]
I tossed more shaved roast with homemade taco seasoning (easy) and pan-warmed it; put it with Mex. cheese mix on tortillas (I always keep some of both frozen); melted & crisped them a bit in a buttered pan; topped the finished slices with re-fried pinto beans (w/ cilantro & lime; from a can, but this could be a frozen leftover) & sour cream.

$12 roast --> 4 meals = not bad at all!  This could all be done with a cooked whole-chicken (or two) as well (not as hard as it looks), and the last two dinners work just fine with leftover, browned ground beef.

*not my picture :)

Breakfast Anyone?

Almost Healthy Potato "Hash" by Me :)

1) Brown & crumble 1 lb. mild country sausage [w/o MSG!, organic is ideal]; drain but retain oil separately & put sausage aside

2) In the same pan, use a little of the sausage grease to cook and lightly brown (but not fry or burn!):
1 onion diced small
2 large cloves of garlic mashed

3) Add a ton of red potatoes (maybe 6-9? I do about 2 per person) diced really small (as in 1/2" cubes or smaller; they cook faster this way which maintains their shape before the starch gets mushy). You may need some more grease (or butter) to make sure they don't stick.

4) Brown them on medium heat with a cover just tilted just enough to let some steam escape. Leave them ALONE for 5 min. at a time to let them really cook through and brown nicely. Then, given them a turn with a spatula. Repeat until cooked through. If they are not cooked through in 15-20 min., add a few tablespoons of water to steam them a bit more.

5) When the potatoes are almost done, add more sea salt than you think is necessary (more salt is always good on hash-browns!), grate some black pepper, and sprinkle a thin layer of paprika over it all. Toss a bit with the spatula. Add the sausage back in.

6) When it's all warmed through and the potatoes are soft (but not mush!); it's done

7) Icing on the cake additions: Sprinkle a flavorful, raw milk, aged cheddar cheese on top and/or fry an egg (free-range are sunny-yellow and flavorful) and put it on top.

Enjoy!