April 28th, 2014
This recipe is from the book called The End of Diabetes by Joel Fuhrman, MD. A very interesting book…I have it on my Kindle. Dr. Fuhrman says “When you eat a diet rich in healthy, natural foods from the earth, you give your body the nutrients it needs to heal and protect itself”.
It has started to rain. This soup is tasty, filling and vegetarian. The only thing I changed was that instead of water I used No Salt Vegetable Broth. It gave it even more flavor.
It is up to you if you wish to use organic vegetables.
GOLDEN AUSTRIAN CAULIFLOWER CREAM SOUP
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 carots, coarsely chopped (I bought the shredded carrots.)
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
2 leeks, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of your favorite no-salt seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash spice blend
2 cups carrot juice, fresh or bottled
4 cups of No Salt Vegetable Broth
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raw cashews
5 cups chopped baby spinach
Place cauliflower, carrots, celery, leeks, 2 tablespoons seasoning blend, Mrs. Dash, carrot juice, No Salt Vegetable Broth, garlic, and nutmeg in a large soup pot. Cover, and simmer until cauliflower is soft; about 15 minutes.
Transfer 2/3 of the soup, (vegetables and stock) to a blender or food processor, add cashews, and blend until smooth and creamy. You might have to do this in batches.
Return blended mixture to the soup pot, stir in spinach, and simmer until spinach is wilted.
Serve and garnish with a few cashews.
Note: The cashews add thickening power, protein and fat to this delicious soup.
February 12th, 2014
The setting? A private home in the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. The view? A million dollar one.
The dining room? Comfortable, beautiful…island style.
On the table? Arroz con Pollo Puertorican style (chicken with rice).
Also on the table, a very simple Spinach Pie. One bite, and I had to have the recipe.
Back at the Delaware Beaches….it is cold, probably snow tonight and defnitely, rain tomorrow. After my own tasting….I had to share it.
SPINACH PIE – 4 Ingredients
Please note that to make this pie Gluten Free grate the parmesan cheese yourself.
1 package of frozen spinach – 10 ounces
1 block of cream cheese, 8 ounces (I bought the one with less fat.)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese (or more, if you like)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease lightly a pie dish.
Let the spinach defrost and squeeze to get all the water out or as much as you can.
In a blender, put the 4 eggs, spinach, and cream cheese. If you want to add salt and pepper, please do so, but I did not. Blend and pour into a pie dish.
Place in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. The cheese will make a crust and add a delicious taste to the pie. There is no other crust. It will take another 15 to 20 minutes to be ready. You want it to look like the one on the photo.
Take it out of the oven and cut it in wedges.
Enjoy!! The pie can be eaten hot, at room temperature, or cold. You can also serve it as an appetizer. I thought you could probably make it in a rectagular glass baking dish and cut into bars if you have guests over. You know what to do now right?
NOTE: I stand corrected…..an immediate call came in from Puerto Rico….it seems that I forgot that a chopped onion was to be included in the ingredients going into the blender. Oops!! It still tasted delish!
January 19th, 2014
Well, well, well…for the past few weeks we have been into pearl barley in my household. Before that, a total investigation on steel cut oatmeal took effect. We are still eating a lot of kale…shakes, baked, you name it.
I have a good, easy and tasty recipe for you but first let me tell you a bit about pearl barley.
Pearl Barley originated in Ethiopia and Southeast Asia. When cooked it has the consistency of pasta, rice? It is a very versatile cereal grain. The health benefits are too long to mention here. You might want to research it yourselves. But, it does have a very low glycemic index, and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Very good for people with heart disease. So much more, though.
When the 50 pounds of barley arrived at my doorstep, the UPS man had to be helped. The bag, as you can observe from my photo takes half of my small refrigerator. It will take a whole year, eating every day to consume that amount of pearl barley.
The following recipe turned out so good, that I do have to share it. The first time I made it, I used my convection oven to speed the cooking process. It turned out very good, but dryer than cooking it in the conventional oven like I did the second time. I did add more mushrooms than was required by the recipe. I think it is a very good recipe, just by itself or as a side dish for any of your meats.
PEARL BARLEY CASSEROLE
1/4 cup butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
8 1/2 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium broth)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and chopped onion. Saute until lightly browned. Add barley and brown lightly, stirring. Add salt and pepper, then, turn into a buttered 3-quart casserole.
Pour chicken broth into the skillet and cook until hot. Pour over the barley mixture and mix well.
Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until barley is tender. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes in my oven. Check it occasionally, and add more broth if needed.
The recipe says it serves 6, but if you use it as a side dish, it does serve 8 people. Enjoy!!
For our leftovers the next day, the casserole was reheated and the barley was served with a fried egg on it for breakfast.
Note: In researching pearl barley I found this website for recipes. It looks great! http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php.
November 10th, 2013
Plenty of restaurants offer the versatile Quiche for breakfast, brunch, lunch and even dinner. It is that kind of dish. My favorite is more of the traditional Quiche Lorraine. It originated in Lorraine, France. But, the word “quiche” come from the German word “kuchen” or cake.
My motto is “make it your own”, when it comes to recipes. The same has happened with Quiche Lorraine; no two are created equal. It is been said that, traditionally, the cream shoud be just that…cream, or even a stiff “creme fraiche”. For my recipe, I used a light cream, trying to save calories and fat where I can.
Hope you like it. It is very easy. I do have a deep pie dish, but if you don’t, just cut the recipe in half. I bought a prepared pie crust, and followed the directions on the package…making things so much more simple.
QUICHE LORRAINE
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups light cream
10 slices of bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled…I bought the low sodium bacon.
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely minced onion
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt…I did not add any salt because the bacon and cheese have plenty…up to you.
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pie dough…if you want to make your own, it would probably be awesome!
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except pie dough…haha. Pour into prepared pie pan and bake it for about 45 minutes to an hour. Closer to the hour, unless you cut the recipe in half.
It will be ready when a knife inserted in filling comes out clean.
Then, all you have to do is serve it and enjoy.
I served the Quiche Lorraine with a Kale Mango Salad. Sounds weird to have served it with this salad, but it was great!! The recipe for the Mango Kale Salad can be found on AboutMyBeaches. Just click on the month of June of 2013 and scroll down to the 17th. It is under Meatless Monday, Mango Kale Salad. I got the recipe from Vege Fest in Rehoboth Beach this summer.
Have a great day!!
November 3rd, 2013
It seems like my trees have turned overnight….they look gorgeous but I am not looking forward to all the leaves on the ground. They seem to hang out at my yard for months.
It is so chilly and windy that an easy shortcut casserole would be perfect for dinner. There is a key ingredient to this casserole and that is a Rotisserie Chicken….a must. You will probably need just half of the chicken. Use the rest for a chicken salad. They make the best!
ROTISERRIE SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN LASAGNA
2 cups shredded Rotiseerie Chicken
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 chopped, small onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 16 ounce jar of salsa (Choose, Mild, Medium or Hot. Any brand will do.)
1 15 ounch can chili with beans
1 small can chopped green chiles
9 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
Saute onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender. Add salsa, chili, and green chiles. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Line the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with 3 tortillas; layer with enough chili mixture to lightly cover them, then half of the chicken mixture and a third of the cheese.
Repeat another layer. Then, top with the las 3 tortillas. Pour the last of the chili mixture and sprinkle with the last of the cheese.
Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Let is stand 5 or 10 minutes before serving. It makes a great meal. The chicken is full of flavor and all you have to do is add a salad or veggie and dinner is then served.
Make it your own and enjoy!!
July 21st, 2013
My craving for short ribs started in the a.m. All it took was a look at a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with the meat of a short rib. It looked so delicious that I started checking out my cookbooks for a good and, of course, easy recipe for dinner.
And, when the rain arrived…I knew it would be the perfect dish. I think this dish is full of flavor and the gravy incorporates the veggies making a complete dinner. Short ribs are larger, more tender, and meatier than pork spare ribs.
The recipe is not my own. It is a little bit of Barefoot Contessa and a little bit of that… my own. You will be able to put your own signature on it very easily.
At the market the butcher told me that he had just prepared the short ribs. So, they were very fresh. The recipe called for 6 short ribs but I think I had 11 of them. I wanted leftovers. The following recipe is for 6 short ribs, so just double it if you want to.
SHORT RIBS
6 beef short ribs (trimmed of fat)
Sea Salt (optional) I used a Cajun, salt free, seasoning.
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups diced celery
2 carrots, diced
1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, diced (I did not have fennel, so 1 tablespoon of Anise seeds went in instead.)
2 leeks, cleaned and only the white part only…diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 regular size bottle of dry red wine
Rosemary sprigs
Thyme sprigs
4 cups beef broth (I used low sodium.)
1 cup of your choice of BBQ sauce (I used a gluten free one.)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place short ribs on a cooking sheet lined with foil, sprinkle with salt, seasoning, and pepper. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and roast for about 20 minutes.
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and leek. I had Anise to add instead of fennel. Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Pour the wine over the veggies, bring to a boil, cook for a few minutes and then add the salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.
Take the short ribs out of the oven.
In a roasting pan pour the veggies and broth and place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables. Add the beef broth and brown sugar.
Cover with foil or top and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. I think I baked mine for about 2 1/2 hours.
After the first hour add the cup of BBQ sauce. This is when you might want to also add the Apple Cider vinegar. I like the tartness it offers, so I use it a lot. Your choice, though.
Once baked, removed the short ribs from the roasting pan and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the fat off.
To make the gravy, just transfer the vegetables and sauce over to a pot or large frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until it thickens. If you like the gravy a bit thicker, add more cornstarch. Go a little bit at a time.
Serve with salad and new red skin potatoes. Enjoy!!
Note: In my household the meat was cut off the bone and served over rice for breakfast!! And, this recipe was gluten free!!
July 11th, 2013
I will have to thank Beth for this wonderful recipe. Serve it as a main meal for any meatless day of the week, just add a salad or sliced summer tomatoes. Perfect for company if you are cooking outdoors, as well.
The recipe uses buckwheat. Buckwheat is gluten free. It is not related to wheat, but to sorrel and rhubarb. Thought you might want to know.
This recipe can be modified to be gluten free very easily. First, instead of using Pam, just lightly oil the roasting pan. Secondly, instead of the commercially sold balsamic glaze, then, just reduce your own balsamic vinegar by placing a whole bottle (I use Pompeian) in a small saucepan and cook it medium low for several hours, depending on your stove. It will reduce to about 1/2 cup. Be patient, watch it and don’t let it burn. I have done that too.
KASHA PILAF WITH ROASTED VEGGIES
13 ounces Buckwheat – cooked according to directions on the box
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
Saute the above veggies and add to the cooked buckwheat. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil roasting pan with either Pam or your favorite oil.
Cut: onion, red pepper, sweet potato, yellow and green summer squash. I cut about 1/2 cup each, but make it your own and cut more or less. Place on roasting pan and roast for about 45 minutes.
Mix pilaf and roasted veggies together.
Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze or your own before serving. And….Enjoy!!
June 2nd, 2013
I have to pinch myself….another gorgeous day at the Delaware Beaches!! We are on a roll.
I am not a breakfast person but I do have to agree that quiches are very versatile and easy to assemble. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And, is a brunch favorite.
This Crustless Asparagus Quiche is so easy, low in fat, calories and gluten free! Guilt free eating at this time of bathing suit season! You can substitute seasonal veggies, but at this time asparagus are fantastic, so why not?
Guests at the beach? This could be a winner.
CRUSTLESS ASPARAGUS QUICHE
2 cups asparagus ends trimmed and chopped
1 can evaporated low fat or skimmed milk (I used low fat.)
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used gluten free flour.)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups reduced fat shredded mild or sharp Cheddar cheese (I even used less than that, but make it your own.)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
You can spray your pie pan with cooking spray, but since I am making it gluten free, I just lightly buttered the pan.
Blanch asparagus by placing in a pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.
After beating the eggs, whisk evaporated milk, flour, salt and pepper into the eggs in a medium bowl until blended.
Stir in asparagus, cheese (save about 2 tablespoons) and bell pepper into prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese.
Bake about 25 to 30 minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean and top is lightly brown.
Run knife around inside of edge, then, turn over on a plate.
Cut and enjoy with your favorite side dish, depending at what time of the day you are serving it. Enjoy!
 
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