Recipe Traditions

Redirecting My Energy

2011-10-24T16:13:00.001-07:00

Peanut Butter, Banana, Mayo and Whole Wheat Pita

2011-10-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my father introduced me to peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. While some thought it gross, I improved the sandwich by adding sliced banana.

Since spring I’ve changed my eating habits significantly – pretty much doing the South Beach diet.

I have an updated version of the sandwich, and it fits nicely into my South Beach lifestyle.

Instead of bread, I use whole wheat pita pockets. Because I can only have three servings of a bread-like product a day, I use ½ a pita bread, to make a pocket – typically the Kangaroo brand.

A half banana is all I use – all that will really fit in a pocket. Preferably I use a frozen banana. For some reason, it tastes better in the sandwich, the way the flavors meld together. Freezing is also a great way to use up bananas before they get too brown. I peel them first, and then put them into a freezer bag.

I use Laura Scudder’s Natural peanut butter. Actually, I’ve gotten hooked on the stuff. Mom has even left her Skippy behind for the natural flavor. I would prefer the no salt version, unfortunately our local WalMart (which has the best price) doesn’t carry the salt free variety.

As for mayo, Best Foods. I did try some other brands, yet the flavor was off.

After cutting the pita bread in half, I warm half in the microwave for about 15 seconds, and put the other half back in the package.

To the warm pita, I add about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, about ½ tablespoon of mayo and ½ banana, sliced.

Serve with a glass of cold milk. Yum.

Satisfying, and I am still losing weight!

Sweet Potaotes on the BBQ

2011-06-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

My mom is always trying to get me to eat sweet potatoes. They are really good for you, and an approved food for the South Beach diet. It is not that I dislike sweet potatoes, I always like them at Thanksgiving, but I can't get too excited over boiled sweet potatoes, and while I like baked sweet potatoes, I never feel compelled to make them, even though they are good for me.

Well, all that has changed. I love BBQ sweet potatoes, and so does Hubby who, until he tried the BBQ variety, shared my take-them-or-leave-them attitude.

BBQ sweet potatoes are my new favorite food.

So easy, just cut them in wedges, like in the picture. Brush a little vegetable oil over them and stick them on the grill for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

Love the texture, love the flavor, and even like them cold. No butter required. Try 'em.

Turkey Meatloaf whenthe Pantry is Empty

2011-06-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

We never made it to the grocery store this weekend, and the pantry is bare. I was preoccupied with work so my hubby decided to make dinner. He does great barbeque, yet he's never done meatloaf - at least not until tonight.

He thawed a package of ground turkey we had, and then came to me for the recipe. Only problem...there were no bread crumbs, no bell peppers, no onions and no tomato sauce. We did have a can of tomato paste, and I told him how to mix it with water to make tomato sauce.

The lack of ingredients didn't detour him - and he threw together a turkey meatloaf with just the ground turkey, one egg, a can of tomato paste and a bunch of seasonings from the pantry. What seasonings? I have absolutely no clue.

My first surprise...while cooking, it smelled really good. Seriously.

My second surprise...it tasted really good!

Recipe Cards, Ready for Immediate Download

2011-06-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

I like using recipe cards, as they tend to be easier to use in the kitchen than a cookbook. When reading a card while preparing the recipe, there are no pages closing on the book, causing me to lose my place in the book.

At home, I’ve copied a few of my favorite recipes, the ones I use frequently, on 3 x 5 cards and keep them in a kitchen cabinet. They come in handy and save me time.

A while back I formatted some of my favorite recipes and created several PDFs, which can be printed on cardboard stock paper, and then cut into 4-cards per page. I made three sets: salad dressings, cakes and appetizers.

The recipes are some of our family favorites, and we offer them for sale for just $1.50 a set. Each set has 32 recipes. When you purchase a file, you can reprint as many copies of the recipes as you want, allowing you to create sets of recipe cards for friends as gifts.

Recipe Traditions

2011-06-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Look to the right of this blog entry and you'll see a "Buy It" tab. We have released a new version of Recipe Traditions, on PDF. It is ready for immediate download. It is hosted at Tradebit, a company we've used for several years. You can purchase the file with Paypal or your credit card, on a secure page.

Order Recipe Traditions and download the file immediately! Take the great recipes with you!

BBQ Jalapeño Poppers

2011-05-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

We had a Memorial Day BBQ at our house on Monday. Those attending included some family and friends. The menu wasn’t terribly original, just burgers and brats. But my husband’s cousin (actually the husband of the cousin) made something interesting.

He made jalapeño poppers on the BBQ. I’ve had the deep fried version, yet never a BBQ version. He began by slicing open each pepper and removing the seeds. He used both green and yellow peppers.

After removing the seeds, he stuffed each hallowed out pepper with cream cheese and a tiny little smoky sausage, and then wrapped each pepper in bacon.

He cooked the peppers directly on the grill, and they did flame up a bit.

They were tasty, yet I preferred them with just the cream cheese, and liked the green peppers better. The photo shows a yellow and a green pepper, and a third popper, cut open so you can see the sausage and cream cheese.

Recipe Traditions on Kindle

2011-05-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you have a Kindle, or Kindle App, you can get a Kindle version of Recipe Traditions for just $2.75. It’s an affordable and easy way to access some of my family’s favorite recipes. Check it out!

Best Places to Retire

2011-05-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Best Places to Retire

Awesome Ribs

2011-05-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Happy to report the barbecue rib recipe I posted yesterday turned out amazing. My mother, who is not a bbq fan, announced it was by far the best ribs she had ever had. And, they weren't even the more expensive baby back ribs.

Definitely a keeper.

BBQ Pork Loin Back Ribs Recipe

2011-05-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hubby is trying a new BBQ recipe today, without the barbeque. It is smelling pretty good right now, and I’ll let you know how they taste when they are done.

He started by soaking the ribs (after removing the membrane) in a brine. He made the brine by combining a cup of brown sugar and a cup of kosher rock salt for each gallon of water. He soaked the ribs for two hours in the refrigerator.

He then poured off the brine, patted the ribs dry, and seasoned the ribs with a pork rub. After seasoning the ribs, he placed them on a broiler pan, with water in the bottom pan. The pan and ribs were wrapped in foil and baked in the oven for 2 to 3 hours. This in effect steamed the ribs. To add a flavor, he put a little liquid smoke in the water.

After this step, Don removed the foil, and added barbeque sauce. He has placed them back in the oven (uncovered) and baking them for another thirty minutes. Before starting this step, he tested the ribs by picking them up in the middle. If they bend downward, he tells me they are ready for the sauce and final step.

Mmmmmm…they smell wonderful.

Cooking How to with Photographs

2011-05-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

I started a new feature on our Robeth website, called “Home Chef.” So far, I’ve added three instructional web pages (with photographs).

Sometimes you need more than a recipe, you need photographs of the different steps or what to expect.

The new web pages include:
How to Trim a Beef Tenderloin
How to Make Homemade Chili Rellanos
Barbeque Salmon Recipe
We hope to add more pages!

Go to http://robeth.com/chef/chef.htm

Mother’s Day Dinner

2011-05-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

We prepared an excellent Mother’s Day dinner for my mom and mother-in-law. It included filet mignon, scallops and salmon, plus a tossed green salad and fresh strawberries. Don did all the barbequing, but I trimmed out the tenderloin.

Filet mignon steak is a treat, something we don’t often have. Yet, when we do, we don’t wrap the steaks in bacon. IMO, bacon interferes with the flavor of the beef. I’ve never cared for the pre-cut filet mignons, which often come pre-wrapped with bacon. I prefer to buy an entire tenderloin and trim out the steaks myself.

I’m working on a webpage, with photographs, to show how to trim out a tenderloin. As soon as I finish the page, I’ll post a link on the blog.

Grape Tomato Recall

2011-05-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

While I like grape tomatoes, I rarely buy them. I usually buy vine tomatoes. Yet, last week I bought several packages of grape tomatoes while in California for our granddaughter’s birthday. The tomatoes were for her birthday party and the veggie tray.

They were very good, and I gobbled up most of the leftovers the day after the party (May 2). Before finishing off the tomatoes, and still in California, I heard about the grape tomato recall, which included California.

Salmonella poisoning is nothing to mess with, especially when young children are involved. While a half a dozen young children attended the party, most were about a year old, and more interested in the cupcakes than the tomatoes.

Thankfully, no one got sick, but it is scary stuff. A reminder to thoroughly clean the veggies (with white vinegar wash) before adding them to the veggie tray.

Three Pot Slow Cooker

2011-05-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I want to streamline my kitchen and get rid off all the extra gadgets and countertop appliances….and other times I can’t resist a new appliance.

This past Christmas, when asking my daughter for gift suggestions for her hubby, she told me he wanted a three-pot slow cooker. He likes to cook and they like to entertain at home. We bought him the slow cooker, and it didn’t take her long to put the appliance to work.

She used it to make baby food, cooking chicken in one pot and apples in anther, all at the same time. Her hubby also liked the gift, using it to make several different kinds of chili, all at the same time.

Last week we were at their house for our granddaughter’s birthday party, and they used the cooker to serve and keep the meat balls and other appetizers warm. The cooker even has a place to set the lid and servings spoons.

Now hubby and I want one.

Spinach Hummus

2011-05-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making my own hummus, yet have always made a plain version. Last week when I was at our daughter’s, I purchased some spinach and artichoke hummus, which was really yummy.

Yesterday I decided to spice up my homemade hummus by adding spinach. I didn’t have a recipe, so experimented. I made my regular hummus recipe, yet added a box of frozen spinach. I didn’t cook the spinach, but I slightly thawed it in the microwave, and broke it into pieces before adding it to the food processor.

If I make it again, I would not add as much liquid, as it was good, but too loose. Actually, it was the right consistency for a dip, yet I wanted it firmer, to stuff in my pita pockets. I normally add in ¼ cup of the juice reserved from the can of garbanzo beans. Next time, I would slowly add this liquid, a tablespoon at a time. Another option, completely thaw the spinach and squeeze out the moisture, before adding to the food processor.

The hummus was a little heavy on the spinach, but I liked it. I image most folks would prefer it with about ¼ carton of spinach, yet I didn’t want to deal with the leftovers.

Cream Cheese Garlic Dill Dip

2011-05-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

This past week we visited our daughter’s family in California, to celebrate our granddaughter’s first birthday. I helped my daughter make some of the food for the party. One thing she requested was a garlic-dill dip I make, which is especially good served on Wheat Thins.

Years ago I used to buy those little gourmet cheese spreads, found in the deli cheese section, which are kind of pricy. I decided to make my own, so I combined cream cheese, dill weed and garlic in the food processor. I don’t follow an exact recipe, yet using about one clove of garlic for each pound of cheese seems to work well. I’ve ruined the spread in the past by over doing the garlic.

To make the dip more South Beach friendly, I used one package of light cream cheese, and one package of regular cream cheese.

It is more affordable than those gourmet cheese spreads. If you get the cream cheese on sale, it is especially a bargain.

South Beach Omelet VS Mine

2011-04-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

I received my “South Beach Diet Daily Dish” in my email this morning, which included an article on how to make an omelet.

I make my omelets differently, and will continue to do so. When we had our restaurant, I was the chef for Sunday brunch, and made hundreds of omelets. I am rather picky about my eggs.

First, the South Beach Diet Daily Dish recommends mixing the eggs with a whisk, and warns against making it frothy. I always mix my eggs in the electric blender, thoroughly blending the whites and yolks. I don’t want any type of separation of the whites and yolk.

I always add a splash of ice-cold water to the eggs when blending, never milk. It makes the eggs fluffy.

The South Beach Diet Daily Dish instructs you to add the egg mixture to a small omelet pan and doesn’t have you flip the omelet over before adding the ingredients. Like me, they tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg to flow to the edge, while gently lifting the edges of the omelet. Yet, unlike me, they instruct you to add the ingredients to the center of the omelet, when it begins to set up.

I never do that. I hate to bite into an omelet and discover mushy, uncooked egg. When the top is beginning to firm up, I flip the omelet over and then add the ingredients to the cooked side, and fold the omelet over. If necessary, I turn the folded omelet from side to side, until any added cheese is melted inside the fold.

I also add diced Serrano peppers to the cooking omelet. I don't use a traditional omelet pan, I use a deeper pan, as pictured above.

Yum. I need to go make an omelet and have breakfast.

Hummus Recipe

2011-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I used to hate hummus. When hummus hit the US culinary scene, I thought…yuck. About a year ago, I gave hummus another try and went, mmmmm….not bad.

Today, hummus is not just something I occasionally eat as a party dip; it has become a staple since I started following the South Beach Diet. (Which I write about on another blog.)

I don’t buy pre-made hummus, I make my own and really love it. My mother is not a hummus convert, she thinks it is gross and is convinced I must be making it wrong. My sister told mom she loves hummus, and I think Mom finds it hard to believe that stuff I am making is what my sister loves. But, I understand, I once felt the same way.

Basic hummus is pretty easy to make if you have a food processor to do the work. Start by draining a can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) and reserving about ¼ cup of the juice.

Tahini is an ingredient in many hummus recipes. I had never heard of tahini before, not until I started making hummus. It is sesame seed paste, and has the constancy of natural peanut butter (the kind where the oil separates). For a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans I use between 1 to 2 tablespoons of tahini.

I put all the ingredients into a food processor – the chickpeas, ¼ cup of the reserved juice from the can, tahini, juice from ½ lemon, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Some recipes call for two cloves of garlic, yet I have a jar of minced garlic in my refrigerator and use about a tablespoon, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Recipes also call for salt, yet I skip the salt as the tahini I purchased is salted. I process the mixture until it is paste-like. Yummy, but if you are like my mom, you will think it is gross.

Made in the USA Seafood Wanted

2011-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

Don and I went to the grocery store tonight, in the search of seafood. I love seafood and fish, and I’d be happy to eat it most nights. I love shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, tuna, halibut, sea bass and salmon. Only one problem, all the seafood in our grocery stores comes from China, Vietnam or Indonesia.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but since the food fiasco from China, I have no desire to eat seafood marketed from that part of the world, nor am I interested in farm-raised fish, from any country.

What really irritated me was a package of frozen tuna proudly displaying an American flag, and a company name that had the word “America” in it. But, when we looked at the fine print, it said “product of Indonesia.”

Talk about deceptive advertising!

Kangaroo Salad Pockets

2011-04-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making homemade hummus since I started the South Beach Diet, and I admit I’m addicted. Kinda strange, considering I once hated hummus. Now I really like the stuff.

I’ve been eating the hummus as a dip, using sliced veggies instead of chips.

Now that I can have some bread, I wanted to try hummus with whole-wheat pita bread. I made 100% whole-wheat bread in my bread maker the other day, but I’ve never made pita bread before. I considered trying to made pita bread, but then I stumbled across Kangaroo Salad Pockets.

I won’t be making whole-wheat pita bread in the near future, cause I really liked the Kangaroo Salad Pockets. Each one is actually whole-wheat pita bread, cut in half. One has about 90 calories; that is less than a slice of bread, and one pocket will make a sandwich.

Yummy and healthy.

South Beach Diet Blog

2011-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a new blog, on the South Beach Diet. Instead of posting comments about the South Beach diet on this blog, I will confine most entries to the Trying the South Beach Diet blog.

If you or a friend are trying the South Beach, have tried, or are considering, I hope you stop by the new blog. I'd love to hear your comments and thoughts on the subject.

Homemade Wheat Bread

2011-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

It was time for me to eat some whole wheat. Even though I'm not missing bread, I understand I need the nutrition healthy bread carbs offer. I decided to use my breadmaker to make 100% whole wheat bread.

The recipe calls for butter. I love butter. But, I haven't had butter in the house for the last month, and frankly I am not missing it. For one thing, I haven't been eating anything that needs butter.

Rather than buy butter for the bread recipe, I substituted the butter (ounce for ounce) with heart healthy canola oil.

You know what? It worked fine!

To not overdo on the homemade bread, I immediately sliced it up (after it cooled) wrapped the individual portions, then placed them in a freezer bag and popped them in the freezer. It will make it easy to have just one slice a day.

Hummus...yummy

2011-04-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

I’ve finished my 4th week on the South Beach diet. Yet the truth is….I no longer think of it as a diet. I’m pretty comfortable and content with what I’ve been eating, and haven’t been hungry.

I like it a lot better than Weight Watcher, which I did years ago. I told my husband today that if I just lose a pound a week (which is considered healthy), I’m okay with that, as I don’t feel the desire to “hurry up, lose the weight, so I can get off this damn diet!”

I still haven’t had any bread. I really don’t feel like it. I did have some wheat pasta, yet not a bit thrill. Instead of breads, rice and pasta, I’ve been adding in a serving of fruit at lunch.

I am starting to experiment. The other day I made homemade hummus. Found a recipe online. It was pretty easy; tossed a can of garbanzo beans in the food processor with some lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and Tahini. Recipe called for salt, which I left out.

Very yummy, and used it as my protein with veggies, like cucumber slices, celery and mushroom.

South Beach Diet, Phase 2

2011-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I haven’t had the time to check out many of the recipes in the South Beach Supercharged book. I did try the cauliflower recipe, where you cook the cauliflower in chicken broth, strain the cauliflower and then mash like mashed potatoes, and add some chives. It was not a hit at the dinner table.

I had better luck tonight with a mock-lasagna I created. I fried up ground beef, with diced online and garlic. It wasn’t lean, so I rinsed it under water after cooking, then put it back into the pan to fry it some more. This removed a lot of the excess grease.

I added several cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and a little water to the cooked meat, and then combined the meat sauce with some cooked whole-wheat pasta. After topping which shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese, I baked the dish until it was bubbly hot.

It was pretty darn yummy. I was careful not to take more than one serving. It was kinda nice to have a bit of carbs.