Why Stir Fry?

Japanese and Mediterranean diets are known to be some of the healthiest. While genetics may play some part in the health of these people, the quantity of fresh fruits and veggies they consume is no doubt a huge part. One that even those of us with German and Irish roots can work with.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diets-of-world-japanese-diet
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/cl00011

• Stir Fry: Whatever veggies you have (even leftover), season & serve -- one pan. What could be easier? Try stove top ratatouille - onion, pepper, tomato, zucchini, and eggplant.
  
• Pasta is almost as easy: A few veggies (even leftover), add cream, broth or pasta water to make it saucier if you want, add cooked pasta -- two pans, not bad.
• Salad: A mix of whatever fruits or veggies you have plus dressing -- no pans (unless it's pasta salad), one bowl if you make dressing. Super summer dinner. Yum! Try mixed greens, spring onions, avocado, and grapefruit with grapefruit honey dressing, topped with baked salmon.
  

These dishes are a great way to increase the quantity and variety of your fresh produce intake. It's easy to add protein with any meat, legumes or tofu.

I love to see what delicious meals I can make just with whatever produce I have. Let me know what yummy dishes you have created this way!

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Very Veggie Spring

I use salt and pepper in nearly everything. Anything not boiled is likely cooked in olive oil.

One day I chopped up some red potatoes and corn cobs, added fresh green beans and boiled all together for a yummy summer veggie dish. Tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper, served with chicken salad.

Fast fagioli -- I love pasta e fagioli, but it's not a fast meal to prepare. This was nearly as good and faster. Browned ground beef, add cannelloni beans, sauteed garlic, onion, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes and a little chili powder served over whole grain pasta shells, sprinkled with cheese.

Grilled veggie fajitas -- grilled portabellas, red, orange and yellow sweet peppers, and onion, served on whole grain fajita tortillas (wrapped in foil and warmed on the grill) with sliced avocado and homemade salsa of diced tomatoes, roasted (on the grill) garlic, a smidge of chili powder and lemon juice. Family didn't even know avocado was in them. :o)

Pizza using whole grain Boboli crust, olive oil, lots of minced garlic, artichoke hearts, baby spinach, fresh tomatoes, basil, oregano and feta cheese. Bake at 450 until warmed through. This was loved by hubby even more than the zucchini pizza, everyone else liked it about the same, Alot!

Pastas --
Barilla Plus elbows with shrimp, orange and grapefruit segments, sliced black olives, peas, halved grape tomatoes and homemade citrus vinaigrette.

Barilla Plus penne with Chicken, carrots, celery, garlic, radishes and peas. Tossed with olive oil, thyme.

Plus Rotini, garlic, shrimp, onions, orange segments, cilantro, olive oil.

Plus Rotini cooled with fresh tomatoes, basil and grated parmesan. Served with grilled steak and fruit salad.

Whole grain cheese tortellini, garlic, onion, carrots peas, served with salmon.

Stir fry --
Baby bok choy, bamboo shoots, broccoli, carrots, onion, garlic, water chestnuts, mushrooms, scrambled egg.

Leftover chicken, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, peas in the pod, potatoes and corn.

Shrimp with broccoli and peas in the pod, garlic. Served with whole grain rice.

Salad --
Mixed salad greens with radishes, carrots, mango, blackberries and homemade balsamic dressing. Served with baked salmon.

Baby spinach with bacon, orange segments, red grapes, homemade citrus vinaigrette and feta, served with roasted potatoes.

It was all so Yum! I love the fresh produce available in Spring & Summer. We have been so busy & not able to get to the farmer's markets as much as I'd like -- but, hopefully more soon. Stay tuned....

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Props to Pops

The last time I posted, I noticed my dad (Pops to his grandkids) is a follower of this blog. I realized how much of an influence my dad has been on my cooking. He cooked quite a bit while I was growing up and I loved most of what I had. Watching and helping him, I learned to take risks and be adventurous when cooking. To try new combinations, new seasonings to see what comes of it. So, whether you are more artistic and inclined to the creative process or more scientific and inclined to the trial and error of experimentation, try new things, new foods, new ways to prepare, new seasonings. It is food for the soul.

As a kid, I remember my mom serving pickled beets. I hated them. Having never had beets any other way, I decided for many years that I hated beets. I decided recently to try them another way -- roasted. I was hesitant, even up to the point of sitting with them prepared on my plate, ready to be eaten. But I want to set an example to my kids of trying new things and of eating a variety of healthy food so I gave it a go. As it turns out, they are pretty good -- kind of sweet like carrots, with only a hint of flavor reminiscent of those pickled disks from when I was a kid. Definitely worth having again.

One day recently, we had only one hour between places to be, things to do. Seemed there was little option besides fast food. With some planning, I managed the little option. We had a picnic of fried chicken and veggie filled pasta salad. The weather didn't cooperate for eating at the nearby park, but we managed a healthy family dinner in the car.

Another day we had an asian treat with teriyaki chicken using a similar sauce to what I used on the salmon. I baked the chicken thighs at 425 for a while to get the chicken mostly cooked and the skin a little crispy so I could pour alot of the fat off. Then brushed on the sauce for the last 10 minutes of cooking. I served it with a stirfry of bok choy, carrots, onion, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic and whole grain thin spaghetti. Yum! You could add meat, cannelloni beans or tofu to the stirfry if you like. Add broth for a healthy soup.

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Like eating out, only better

One of my favorite restaurants is Ko Sho. They used to have teriyaki salmon, but last time I went, it was no longer on the menu. That's ok, they still have plenty of delicious food and I can make the salmon at home. Soy sauce, brown sugar, spicy brown mustard, garlic and pepper. Combine and pour over salmon. Bake at 450 for approx. 10 mins/inch of thickness, basting once or twice.

I wanted to expand our veggie tastes. I'm not a big fan of cooked greens, but thought I'd try something new. I made a frittata -- in oven-proof pan, saute onions and mushrooms in oil, add salt, pepper and garlic, then swiss chard until wilted. Add eggs beaten with milk or cream. Cook until almost set. Add grated Parmesan and fontina, bake at 400 until completely cooked. The entire family loved it! I added a side of salad greens with orange and grapefruit sections and citrus dressing -- citrus juice, spicy brown mustard, honey, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Another popular take out item, pizza. I made ours with a 100% whole grain Boboli crust, brush with olive oil, add lots of minced garlic, some salt & pepper. Add a layer of sliced zucchini, a little more salt & pepper. Bake 5 mins, add basil, oregano, sliced black olives, grated mozzarella and grated Romano. Bake 5-7 mins more. Yum!! Side salad of baby spinach with fresh pears and balsamic dressing -- balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil.

Benihana @ home -- more veggies, less show. I like to cook, but I have neither the equipment nor the talent of the grill chefs at Benihana. I sauted onions, mushrooms, zucchini in oil, salt & pepper. Added garlic, shrimp, pre-cooked whole grain rice and soy sauce.

We also love pasta. A couple we had recently:
Whole grain pasta shells, onions, broccolini, garbanzo beans, roasted red pepper, garlic, salt & pepper in olive oil, add Parmesan.

Sauted onion, asparagus, garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil. Add diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, shrimp and spaghetti. Top with Parmesan.

Some treats we've had recently:
Ricotta sweetened with a little honey, topped with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of chocolate.

Sparkling lemonade -- Simple syrup (sugar water), freshly squeezed lemon, sparkling water.

Grandma's mountain cobbler -- flour, sugar, milk and baking powder in a buttered baking dish. In a pan, heat fruit (we used fresh blueberries), sugar and flour. Pour into center of batter, don't stir or try to level. Bake about 30 mins at 375.

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Two at a Time

Well, it's been more than 2 (very busy) weeks since I posted last, so I'll give you some of the good stuff for 2 weeks this time.

We had a birthday party a few months ago and had one guest that is vegetarian. I wanted something easy to make and serve, as well as filling, for a group. I decided on veggie lasagna. After reading several recipes, I came up with my own. (As a side note, in addition to using recipes as suggestions for inspiration, I don't measure much unless I'm making jelly or pastries. For anything else, it's just according to what you have or what you like.)

In large pan, saute diced green pepper, onion and mushroom in olive oil until tender. Add minced garlic, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. If you will be using this as spaghetti sauce, you can reduce it some. A little extra liquid will be ok for the lasagna. Thaw, dry and chop some frozen spinach, cook and chop some broccoli, combine the two. You could use thawed frozen peas too, if you like. Coat pan with non-stick spray. Layer sauce, no-boil lasagna noodles, ricotta, green veggies, grated Italian cheese, sauce...top layer: noodles, ricotta, sauce, Italian cheese. Bake covered at 375 for an hour, uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more. To save time on another day, make 2 at a time and freeze one.

Another day I combined onion, green pepper, broccoli, fresh pineapple, garlic, shrimp, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and served with curry mashed potatoes. Fast, easy and delicious. For a veggie version, try cubed tofu or garbanzo beans instead of shrimp.

One of our favorite super fast meals is salmon and asparagus. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes/inch of thickness. If the fish is straight from the fridge, it might take longer, but it's a good idea to let it sit out a few minutes first. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and just the tiniest bit of sugar. I know, but you know what they say about a spoonful of sugar... and my family eats it even better than with hollandaise. Spread asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once fish is done, pop the asparagus in the oven, broil for 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick the stalks are. Nuke a little whole grain rice (what do you want, we're going for fast here). Dinner's done. Yum!

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More Frozen Finds

Last week we ate mostly from what we already had in the freezer and pantry.

To tell the truth (confession time), I had never made pie crust from scratch before, but it turned out great for the potato pie. I used yukon gold potatoes, dry thyme (because the fresh at the store looked kind of dried out anyhow), rosemary and marjoram. I added some mushrooms I had leftover from the pasta the week before and used a blend of grated cheese since Swiss isn't my favorite. I served it with a simple romaine salad. You could leave out the bacon and add roasted red pepper for a veggie version. This was very good and we had just enough leftover for lunch the next day.

One day was Dip Day. Since this was to be our dinner, I wanted to make it healthy too. I made an artichoke dip in a lower fat version (chopped artichokes, 1/3 cup mayo, 8oz cup non fat yogurt -- strained in a coffee filter to thicken it, 1 cup 2% milk Italian cheese blend, 1 tblsp lemon juice, salt & pepper). For protein, black bean hummus, except I used romaine ripped in ½ because it is much more nutritious and is already the right shape for wrapping. We also had veggies & grandma’s dill dressing (so much better than ranch) and sliced bananas (on sale) with chocolate ganache (using some of the cream leftover from pie).

For the herb crusted pork loin, I used less cumin a bit more cinnamon plus some cardamom for the rub. I used flat leaf parsley instead of cilantro and lemon instead of lime (I had for the dips anyhow). It was moist, flavorful, Yum! I served this with roasted fennel with grated cheese. Yeah, the family was not too fond of the fennel. I'll have to come up with another way to prepare it. For dessert -- roasted pears. I skipped the ice cream and added vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom to the brown sugar. I had just enough cream left for a dollop of whipped cream on each. I intentionally made twice as much pork as I would need to use for a second meal.

I made spaetzle with 1 cup of flour, 1 egg, and enough water to make a batter about as thick as brownie or cake batter, spread out like a thin layer of frosting on a board then slice strips and roll off with knife into hot water or stock. When they float to the top they're done. Toss with butter, salt, pepper and parsley. I just tossed them and butter into the pan I used to warm the thinly sliced leftover pork roast. I also made red cabbage and apples -- saute half a head of red cabbage thinly sliced, one granny smith apple sliced into thin wedges, a bay leaf (remove before serving), salt and pepper in butter until soft and wilty (about 20 minutes). Deglaze with stock and add a splash of apple cider vinegar and crumbled bacon. No leftovers, should have made more!

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Meals of Sales Past

This week I didn't purchase any meat so our meals centered around what I had purchased on sale and kept in the freezer.

One day we had fried tilapia with peas and roasted red potatoes. I combine 1 egg with a tablespoon or so of either lemon juice or rice vinegar and allow the fish to marinate for 10-20 minutes. Then directly from the egg bath, I dredge it in Andy's Fish coating (which is also a good coating for oven fried chicken) and fry in a small amount of oil for a few minutes on each side. We never have leftovers with this meal!

Another very busy day we had tuna salad with mini whole wheat bagels. Inspired by sushi roll, I packed the tuna salad with veggies to make a quick, easy, healthy meal. I mixed 2 envelopes of tuna with mayo, celery, diced onion, diced mango, diced avocado, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper. Ok, so it was very different from the inspiration, but there was only a tiny bit leftover.

I like Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce, but saw a recipe I wanted to try. And it was Yum! 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tblsp dijon mustard, 1 clove of garlic minced, salt & pepper. I didn't measure, but these are the measurements from Giada. She also included Worcestershire, but I didn't have any -- didn't really need it. Stir all ingredients into a saucepan and simmer until reduced by about 1/3. Baste seasoned meat and grill, continue basting every few minutes until done. I used chicken thighs. They are cheaper than breasts, more flavorful and juicier because they have a little more fat and also have more iron. Served with roasted broccoli sprinkled with grated cheese.

Because the package of chicken was so big, and of course I didn't separate it before putting it into my freezer, we had chicken on another night too -- oven fried. Chicken dredged in seasoned flour, egg then panko bread crumbs. I like to use paprika in addition to salt and pepper, but if you prefer, thyme, rosemary, marjarom, oregano...whatever, give it a try. Served with tender, sweet, caramelized roasted cauliflower.

In the mix there was a meatless pasta dish. The original recipe is here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/rigatoni-with-creamy-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html. I used Barilla Plus penne instead of rigatoni, stock instead of white wine and sweet onion vs shallots. Mushrooms and onion were on sale, but the mascarpone was a splurge. Tasted wonderful!

There isn't much meat on the shopping list for this week either. Let's see what else we have in the freezer...

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