The Mindful Palate

Marinated and Grilled Artichokes

2012-05-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

This dish is filled with great mindfulness from start to finish. It's three step easy: steam, marinate, and grill.

What you need to get the day before:

Four artichokes - this will make eight servings
nutrition facts

Ginger & Garlic Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup pure olive oil
2 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T fresh garlic, minced
fresh cracked black pepper

How to prep the artichoke the day before grilling:

Use kitchen shears and cut off about an inch of the top of the artichokes .

Cut off the thorny tips of all leaves. Trim off a bit of the stem. Remove the little leaves along the stem. Rinse well.

In a large pot, add a few inches of water, a whole quartered clove of garlic and two quarters from a lemon (include the rind). You want the bottom of the steamer basket just above the water line.

Set the collapsible steamer basket in the pot and add the artichokes upside down (see the pic). Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover with a lid. Start checking the artichokes for tenderness after about 30 minutes. They should be done in no more than 45 minutes, but it all depends on the size of the artichokes. Mine were huge and they took 50 minutes to tenderize. You'll know they are done when the bottoms will pierce easily with a pointy knife and you can pull off an outer leaf with no problem.

see the purple leaves and fuzzy stuff?

Remove the steamer basket of cooked artichokes from the pot, set it in the sink or on a towel covered counter, so they cool. This is a great time to prepare the marinade.

Cut each cooled artichokes in half lengthwise and scrape out the fuzzy bits with a spoon and pull out the purple tipped leaves. This is much easier to do than it sounds.The fuzzy bits are the "choke". The purple leaves protect the "choke" - and they were rather spiny and poky. The entire system is the plant's way to protect and hide the delicate and delicious heart. Aren't plants brilliant!

On a side note, apparently the baby artichokes are entirely edible - including the choke and purple leaves. Don't eat the choke in a regular artichoke though - there really is a choking hazard there. *makes a note to find baby artichokes one day*

Add the prepped artichokes to a large ziplock bag or two - or other sealed container. Cover with marinade and put in the fridge to sit and get to know each other overnight. Turn the bag a few times over the next 24 hours to make sure the marinade soaks in on all sides.

You can, if you forget to buy the artichokes the day before, prep the artichokes in the early morning. If you continue to forget about prepping until mid afternoon, plan to grill something else. The artichokes need time to co-mingle with their new friend the marinade. Artichokes can be kind of stand offish at first.

What to do on grilling day:

Remove the artichokes from the bag - dump out the marinade into a bowl. You will use it to baste during grilling.

Over medium hot coals, place the artichokes cut side down on the grill. Check after five minutes to see if they are nicely browned. If not, leave on the grill another couple minutes. Turn the artichokes over and baste or drizzle with the marinade. Keep on grilling (putting the lid on is good) another four or five minutes - until the leaf tips start to char.

Serve immediately with a nearby bowl or plate to collect the leaves. There is no need at all for a dipping sauce if you marinated the artichokes the night before. Scrape the meaty sides of the leaves against your teeth, discarding the leaves. Finally, pay mindful attention to the wonderful heart (the white part in the pics). The heart does extend down into the stem, so don't forget to eat that too. This is one of those hands on somewhat messy things to eat that are great fun. Serve as a side dish or as a conversation initiating appetizer. No artichokes? No worries, make the gingery garlicky marinade anyway and use it as a salad dressing or stir fry sauce!

Roasted Artichoke Quarters and Banana Peppers

2012-05-16T17:05:00.001-07:00

Where I grew up, artichokes were not a common vegetable - in fact, my Mom still hasn't tasted one. Oh, I'd heard about them. People that went to fancy restaurants ate them. So, it wasn't until I got to be a fancy person that I was able to taste an artichoke heart. In my unfancy way, I put it on a pizza. It was good. But, eating them in only one way did get tiring.

So, one day I went out to a fancy restaurant with some friends and we shared the roasted artichoke appetizer. You know, the kind where you scrape your teeth on leaves. I had never done that. It was dratted good! Ok, that's two ways to have artichokes that are good so I guess I'd best get to experimenting with them.

with a thin pork chop and organic mac n cheese!

Roasted Artichoke Quarters and Banana Peppers

The things to mindfully assemble and have at the ready so you don't forget anything:

1 baking pan - either pyrex or non-stick or a foil lined metal pan. How big a pan depends on how many bags of artichoke hearts you will use. You want it to fit in one layer for optimal browning. I only needed a 7 x 11 inch pan for a one pound bag of hearts. They were kind of squished together but it worked.

1 pound bag of frozen quartered artichoke quarters - thaw these in the most convenient way for you.

I am not a fan of the canned hearts unless they are organic and it proudly states it is a BPA free can. Glass jars are ok; most cans are not. If you use canned (blech) or hearts from a jar, rinse them and pat dry - why? To reduce the sodium and remove as much of the chemicals as possible that are used in the production of mass produced food. Frozen artichoke hearts are one of the best of all frozen foods - just like fresh.

2 beautiful picked fresh from your garden perfectly orange banana peppers, rinsed, seeded, and cut into chunks a little smaller than the hearts.
2 T olive oil
6 chopped garlic cloves or a couple good well rounded teaspoons of dried garlic (more garlic is never a bad thing so don't skimp)
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Panko
1 fresh lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 375 F

What to do with all these lovely things once you have prepared them and have everything sitting in a nicely regimented line either on plates or little bowls:

In a medium sized bowl, gently combine the hearts, pepper chunks, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and Panko.

Pour the mixture into your baking dish and pop it into the oven. Ignore for at least 45 minutes. Call your Mom, check your email, do something productive.

Then go check to see how they are doing. Unless your oven runs hot, they will not be brown enough yet, so increase the heat to 425 F for an additional 15 minutes. The bottoms of the hearts will be so beautifully brown when they are done!

Serve at the table with lemon wedges for folks to squish on top of the roasted hearts if they like. Excellent side dish for just about anything. You could, I suppose, drizzle with a pinch of melted butter. But that really is not necessary.

Enjoy mindfully.

Broke on Your Ass? Get this Cookery Book.

2012-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

buy it here

Am loving my new cookery book from Gabi Moskowitz, the BrokeAss Gourmet!

You don't own the book?! How can you cook?! Good grief.

Gabi makes it easy and affordable even for those of you broke on your ass. It's a serious bargain too, on sale at amazon for only $11.41.

Want a sample? *tucks a napkin under your chin*

Brown Butter Pumpkin Mac and Cheese. just repeat those words a few times....you can stop now, it's time for dessert.

Salted Fudge Brownies. to die for over and over again.

Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Aioli. *sighs*

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Onions and Sage. no more going out for wimpy over priced pumpkin ravioli. Save money and eat like a foodie!

The MonkeySpanker. I'll let you get the book to find out what that is.

Third Date Chicken - if a guy doesn't get to the third date with Gabi, they are unworthy of chicken this good.

This book is worth the cost of admission if only for the brownies...and the chicken....and the...

Buy it here! Like her on FB!

Meatballs for Pasta

2012-05-13T15:59:00.003-07:00

My Italian-American meatballs are made two ways - one firm and small for soups and the other a little larger and semi-firm for simmering away in garlic and basil infused tomato sauces. For Meatball Soup I use dried bread crumbs (Progresso or your favorite is just fine or you can get that mortar and pestle out and use your own well toasted bread). But when I make them to eat with pasta, I use soft fresh bread.

It is important to bake the meatballs separately before adding to the sauce. Otherwise the fats from the meat get all mixed up with your otherwise beautiful and healthy sauce. Nothing mindful about a fatty sauce.

Meatballs for Pasta

What to assemble and measure first because you are so mindful in your preparations and with the knowledge as to just how flavor filled your family loves its food which will guide your choice in the range of seasoning measurements:

One very large bowl
1 egg
2-4 teaspoons ground garlic*
1-1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried or 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 slice of whole wheat bread, torn into tiny pieces
1/2 cup or more of your favorite hard Italian cheese - Parmesan, Romano or any of the variations - sharp or mild as is your preference
1 pound of lean ground grass fed beef (it's better for you and tastier)
1 large baking dish (I love my Pyrex cuz I don't have to worry about the metal flaking off and it cleans easily)
Non-stick spray

* come to think of it, this ingredient is not so very mindful. I use ground garlic not after considered thought, but habitually. I've always done it that way. I have no good reason at all for it. Next time I will give some time and consider the use of fresh smashed or finely minced fresh garlic. Then at least I will be able to proceed with a more mindful perspective.

What to do, or how to have a lot of fun with messy stuff:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray.

In the large bowl add the egg and seasonings and mix using your hand. Dump in the bread and mix again. Dump in the cheese and mix again. By now your hands are gloriously messy, but you're not done yet! Now dump in the beef and mix using that messy hand. Knead and smash until the bits are all nicely and evenly incorporated.

Shape the meat mixture into large balls and arrange in the pan.

Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or til they start to brown and the meat is cooked. There is no need whatsoever to overcook them in the oven if you are going to simmer them in sauce, so don't fret it. Just let it go 25-30 minutes as is convenient for you.

Inhale. Salivate. Repeat.

Use tongs to lift the meatballs out of the fat and nestle them individually in the pot with the sauce.

The balls in the pic were the result of a double batch. It made 16 meatballs - this is required whenever my son is home for dinner. A single batch (the recipe above) will get you eight goodly sized little delectable balls of meat. If you are interested in nutrition facts, here they are. I've got it set to show the calories and such for one large meatball.

Yes, you can sub in ground turkey. Increase the seasonings though as the milder meat will need more help. Definitely use the "or more" part of the cheese too.

Note for the seasonings: I use the high end always. Garlic lovers in my family and so that seasoning is always off the charts too far for some. I list the minimum required in all my recipes, so ramp it up to suit you. Use your nose after the mixture is ready to be shaped and if it smells great, it's right. If it doesn't smell awesome yet, add more. Enjoy.

Way Too Many Hot Peppers

2012-05-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

I frequently complain about certain aspects of living in Texas - such as oh, the oppressive heat, flying cockroaches the size of hummingbirds, and fire ants - but, I do love the fact that we have two growing seasons. Most of the year round, I reap and eat what I sow in our garden.

Right now the peppers are going bananas. I have more Super Hot Chilis, Long Thin Cayennes, Jalapenos, Habaneros, Serranos, and hot and sweet Banana peppers than we can possibly eat. We've tried drying them, but I stopped doing that the first time a batch of hot chilis whirled around in a mini chopper and my eyes burned so much I thought I was going to have to gouge them out.

We cannot eat them fast enough so I chose my newest fave thing to do with peppers - blanch and freeze them. It's remarkably easy. Blanching just means that the veggies spent a few minutes in boiling water and then were submerged in ice water. Think of it as veggie torture and you may find it far more fun.

How to Blanch and Freeze Peppers

Hot Peppers!

Here's what you need to mindfully assemble ahead of time:

1 freezer bag for each type of chili, appropriately labeled with a sharpy marker so you don't forget what kind of pepper was in the bag.
Peppers - rinsed well
1 larger bowl filled with ice and water
1 small or medium sized pot of water ready to boil
1 little sandwich bag or rubber gloves
1 sharp knife
1 cutting board
paper towels

Are you ready? Ok, here's what you do:

Put the sandwich bag on the hand that will touch the peppers - I like using the baggie instead of rubber gloves. I don't have to clean gloves or wonder where they've been before they touched my food. You just peel the baggie off when you are done by turning it inside out and pitch it so you never have to get the burn your eyeballs out stuff on your fingers. The burning stuff is capsaicin, and your eyes, nose, and skin are better off having very little contact with it.

Long Cayenne Peppers

Holding the pepper with the bagged hand, slice off the stem end, push the stem off the cutting board onto the paper towel. Make a slit about half way or more, depending on what kind of pepper you have, lengthwise along one side. Many peppers concentrate their seeds at the stem end, but not all. For the peppers that spread their seeds from top to bottom, slice entirely in half.

Stand or lay the pepper on the paper towel and scrape out the seeds and membranes with the knife tip. Repeat until you have all the peppers to this point. I like to make strips if the peppers are big. Most small peppers can be left as they are. If the peppers are all the same size, they will blanch well and the strips make it easier to quick chop a few for cookery later.

Turn the sandwich bag inside out and discard that with the paper towel holding all the seeds.

Finally, you get to Blanch those Peppers!:

Set the water to boiling - I do this after the peppers are prepped because it is too easy to mindlessly ignore the boiling pot on the stove while prepping hot peppers. One thing at a time, paying attention the whole way.

Use the knife to scrape the pepper slices off the cutting board into the boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes - two minutes if the pepper slices are small and three if they are a little bigger. If you are doing larger chunks of peppers - such as bell peppers - you may need to boil for 5-7 minutes. You don't want to cook them completely.

Avoid breathing the steam as they cook - or as you pour the water off. A small whiff will tell you why this is not good.

Drain the peppers and immediately plunge them into the bowl of ice water - press the strips down with a spoon to make sure they are immersed. Keep the peppers in the ice water for the same amount of time they spent in the boiling water.

Super Hot Chilis

Remove the peppers from the bowl, spread on a paper towel and pat dry. Place the peppers inside the freezer bags, spread the peppers a bit so they don't freeze in a lump that will be hard to separate. Ideally, they hardly touch each other. Lay the bag flat in your freezer until the pepper strips are firmly frozen. Then they can be moved about and touch each other without argument or melding together in a peppery glob.

Why do all this?:

Peppers exude an enzyme that can make them deteriorate even when frozen. Blanching kills the enzyme that makes mush out of your peppers and they stay nice in the freezer for a much longer time.

The whole thing takes only a few minutes and you don't have to feel badly about consigning otherwise uneaten peppers to the mulch bin... you can, if you choose, feel badly about torturing the peppers. Either way is very mindful indeed.

Two Ways with Gallo Pinto

2012-05-05T07:16:00.004-07:00

Such a beautiful name for a simple rice and bean dish. One thing I love about this is how the dish so easily morphs to fit your day. It can take time to prepare and be a lovingly hand crafted thing of all naturalness or it can be made on the fly with convenient items and enjoyed on a work night. Below are my two ways with Gallo Pinto - one slow and the other fast. Think about which fits your way to live today and enjoy the goodness.

This dish is wonderful on its own with a salad or as a side dish to just about anything - smoked sausage, grilled chicken breasts, or fajitas are great choices.

Because those of you that need the fast version will not hang around long on the page, the fast version is first. I've run the nutrition for both assuming it is a side dish and put links under the titles.

pinto beans

Speedy Gallo Pinto
nutrition facts

Ingredients:

one box of flavored* whole grain rice or rice/vermicelli mixture
Good flavor choices include: pilaf, chicken,
Tex-Mex, Spanish, etc
1 16 ounce can of beans, rinsed and drained
Last time I made this I used black beans with
Near East's Whole Grain Pilaf, any bean will
do - white, black, pinto, red, kidney, etc. Choose the one you like best or that best suits the other flavors of the meal.
1 t granulated garlic
Sriracha sauce

The very simple things to do:

black beans

Start the rice per package directions except that you will add an extra teaspoon of garlic powder. In the meantime, rinse and drain the beans in a colander. When the rice is about 10 minutes from finishing, dump the beans on top and cover - do not stir, just let them sit on top and heat while the rice finishes cooking. When the rice is done, give it all a stir. Serve with the Sriracha sauce.

Now, was that not incredibly simple?

*Have you ever read the labels on the boxes of flavored rice? Most contain an entire day's ration of sodium in one serving. So, do get a lower sodium flavored rice and reserve the fast way for those days when you are otherwise eating low sodium or you really need to get a filling quick and reasonably nutritious dinner on the table asap.

Lazy Day Gallo Pinto
nutrition facts

Do this first:

1/2 a pound of dried beans, rinsed, picked over for stones, and soaked (overnight or fast method as you prefer - check the label for directions). Drain the pot, rinse the soaked beans, return them to the pot, cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the beans are tender - about an hour or so depending on your choice of beans. Drain and reserve.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped

red bean

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow or orange banana pepper
1/2 t cracked black pepper (or to taste)
3 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups cooked beans
Sriracha sauce

What to do:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until it softens a bit - at least 10 minutes. Add the peppers and saute another five minutes or so. Add the garlic and saute for another two minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Add the beans and rice and stir until everything is nice and hot. Serve with Sriracha (or salsa!).

There are so many mindful options with this sort of dish. Change up the peppers to your hearts content. Skip the Sriracha (although why you would want to do that I have not a clue). Or add jalapenos or serranos instead of adding the heat at the table. Mushrooms are wonderful in a dish like this, chop them up and saute them with the other veggies. Enjoy it often!

Scalloped Potatoes with a Scandinavian Variation

2012-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

These are the traditional Scalloped Potatoes that so many of us grew up with. The modern and mindful twist here would be to leave the skin on as that is where so much of the nutrition resides. I like using red potatoes instead of baking potatoes because I think they have a superior texture and don't just turn to mush. But, if you prefer baking potatoes, by all means use them. If you are interested in the calories, here they are (minus the optional cheese).

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 T butter

2 T flour

(if you are a salter, you will want to add a bit here)

1/8 t pepper

1/4 cup onion, grated or very finely chopped

2 C milk, low fat or whole, the calories above are for low fat

4 generous cups red potatoes - two ways to prep*

Cheddar cheese, grated, is optional and quite tasty

Scandinavian Variation ingredients:

Use 1-3 leeks instead of onion - only the white and light green part, thinly sliced, sautéed in 1 T olive oil for about five minutes.

Add 1 cup or more of grated Jarlsberg cheese (I rather like the words "or more" here)

1 t dried rosemary in addition to the pepper.

More options here include adding gently sautéed cut asparagus or fresh peas to the white sauce.

Yes, I know the cheese is Norwegian. But my Grandmother came from Sweden, so I compromised on the name of the variation - don't want to upset my Grandmother. :D

Prep:

Always measure and prep all your ingredients first. It's the mindful way. That way you do not suddenly realize you forgot the onion when you are at the point where you must constantly stir the sauce... not that I have done such a thing... *cough cough*

See below for the way to prep the potatoes. You really cannot easily measure cups for slices of potatoes. There will be a lot of air space in the cup, so make the cups generous and you will be close enough.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a medium pot, make a white sauce (Béchamel). Melt the butter over low heat, blend in the flour, pepper, and salt if using. Stir constantly until the mix bubbles and the flour incorporates with the butter. Add onion and then slowly add the milk mixing well as you go to avoid floury lumps. Stir and cook over medium until it nearly boils and thickens. If you are using cheddar cheese, add it to the sauce and stir til it melts.

Spray a casserole dish with Pam or lightly coat with butter. Lay half of the potatoes in the casserole. Pour half of the sauce over the potatoes, lifting them with a fork so the sauce covers them all. BTW - leave some room at the top. Otherwise you had best put a sheet of foil under the dish to catch the boil over drips... been there.

Scandinavian Style with grilled chicken and grilled pineapple

Repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce.

Cover and bake for about ½ an hour if you used Alternative A, or an hour and a half if you used Alternative B. The dish is done when the potatoes are soft - use a fork to check. Allow to sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes to "set" before serving. Very excellent reheated.

*Potato Prep alternatives:

A. Rinse and slice the potatoes to about 1/4 inch thickness. Parboil the slices for about five minutes and drain. This step reduces the cookery time so is great for a busy night.

B. Skip the parboiling - just slice and put in a bowl of cold water until you are ready to use them and dry in a tea towel. Layer the potatoes and sauce. Increase the baking time to about an hour and 30 minutes. Pierce the potatoes with a fork after an hour and 15 minutes to see if they are softening. If you used red potatoes with skin they will not be fall apart soft, just perfect to eat soft.

Red Potatoes a la Nicholson with Lemon Chive Butter

2012-04-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

When I cook with fats, I make a point of using mainly olive oil, canola oil if the cooking temperature is higher than olive oil can take, and butter. When I cook with butter, it is because the flavors of the dish demand it. Butter is often best melted on the top of cooked foods where it can mingle comfortably with the other flavors. How much butter do you use when you smash your potatoes? Likely quite a bit more than if you prepare them like this. Potatoes are such a good for you food when eaten with the skin. If you are interested in calories, here they are.

This very simple dish is spot on use of butter.

Red Potatoes with Lemon Chive Butter

Ingredients:

16 small red "new" potatoes, rinsed, halved, and steamed until soft
2 T butter
2 T chives, chopped
2 t lemon juice, fresh squeezed

What to do:

While the potatoes are steaming, prep the other three ingredients.

Remove the strainer from the pot and drain out the water. Return the potatoes to the still hot pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss until the butter is melted and the potatoes are well coated.

You may want to season it here, but I don't usually. The butter has sufficient salt. A little fresh cracked black pepper would be good. Bits of garlic too. But I wouldn't get too fancy with this.

Keep it simple, fast, and fresh. That's one of the things that makes this dish incredibly mindful. There is no war of flavors arguing for attention. Just the perfect harmony of a food quartet. No surprises. This recipe is dedicated to Jack.

Stuffed and Grilled Banana Peppers

2012-04-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

Who says you have to stuff a boring green bell pepper?

The pic to the right is just one of my quite prolific banana pepper plants. Obviously something had to be done. They were absolutely huge and looked quite roomy inside, so....

I decided to make Stuffed and Grilled Banana Peppers and serve them with my grilled fajitas!

I ran the nutrition for you at Calorie Count (assuming you are not using the optional items this should be quite accurate).

Some Assembly Required, Please Double Check your Ingredients to Avoid Mad Dashes to the Store:

1 1/2 cups freshly cooked (1/2 cup uncooked) Brown Basmati Rice*
1/2 organic onion, finely chopped
1 t extra virgin olive oil
3 compari tomatoes, finely diced
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t ground cumin
2 t ground garlic
3 T fresh parsley, chopped fine
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
4 Big Monster Fat Banana Peppers picked fresh that day
toothpicks (soak in a small bowl of water)

Completely and Totally Optional Ideas that are in no Way to Be Considered All Inclusive:

with optional meaty bacon added

Option 1: Thick slices of applewood bacon to wrap around the peppers before grilling. Now, bacon is not really necessary at all. I used bacon when I made this batch though. If you have carnivores over for dinner they will be impressed with bacon.

If you want this to stay mindful or are simply not a carnivore, then do not add the bacon.

If not using bacon, take care to make sure the pepper is stuffed only to the point where the slits (see directions below) can be closed with the toothpicks...or instead of making a T slit, cut off only the top only, deseed, stuff, and attach the top with toothpicks to prevent the insides from leaking all over the grill. Then, simply rub a bit of olive oil around the pepper before grilling. The pretty charred pepper bits are very tasty. Next time I make it, I'll make it with no bacon and post pics so you can see the difference... I still have several dozen peppers growing on the plants and will have to do something with them!

Option 2: Instead of tomatoes and cayenne, try adding a bit of salsa or Chipotle Tabasco Sauce. I like to add the Chipotle Tabasco in addition to the tomatoes and cayenne.

Option 3: *I made a larger amount of rice (increasing the seasonings of course) and served what did not go inside the peppers as a side dish. Delicious.

How to Stuff a Pepper and the Geometry of an Incising Said Pepper Prior to the Stuffery:

check out the T slits

While the rice is cooking, measure and prep the rest of the ingredients. Caramelize the onion in the olive oil. To prep the peppers, do not cut all the way through - instead carefully slice a T shape opening only on one side. The horizontal cut should be up near the stem area and the vertical should extend from the center of that down as far as you want to go on the pepper. Gently open the T as if it were a buttoned shirt and use a small spoon to remove any seeds.

What to do Next along with a Few Comments on the Optional Nature of Bacon and Other Elements Worth Noting:

When the rice is done, mix it together with every ingredient except the peppers. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

a stuffed pepper

Carefully spoon the rice into the cavity of each pepper...ok, give up on the careful part and just use your fingers and smush it in. I put a spoonful in the wider top and then used my fingers to push it to the small end of the pepper...a most messy and rather fun thing to do.

Secure each pepper with several toothpicks so the stuffing does not fall out onto the coals - or wrap with bacon and secure with two toothpicks.

You can make the peppers to this point earlier in the day and put them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and grill later - just pull them out of the fridge about a half an hour or so before grilling so they have time to come to room temperature.

Grill over hot coals, turning frequently until they are lovely and brown and well heated. The longer you cook, the softer the pepper will get, so don't stop too soon - approximately 12 minutes or so.

I decided to bacon wrap them!

Post Script with Declamatory Sentences and Pronouncements of Various Sorts:

If you love the flavor of this dish but don't want to grill or cannot grill because your grill is still covered with snow, saute the peppers with the onions and add them to the rice, omit the cheese (or use it for garnish). and enjoy the flavors as a terrific side dish!

Fresh from your very own organic garden peppers is the tastiest way to go, but if you do not have a garden, I strongly encourage you to buy Certified Organic produce instead of conventional.

For me, organic is worth the price for three reasons - 1) there are a number of studies that show that the nutrition of organic produce is generally higher - and never lower - than conventional (likely because organic farmers are more concerned about the product instead of a "value added" price that extends the profit margin and shelf life); 2) I don't have to eat non-mindful chemicals with my food, and 3) the sustainability issue matters. It's important to me that what I buy reflects my respect for our planet which I value more than a dollar here or there. I'd rather save money in other areas of my life so I can support on good sustainable produce..

Mama's Stuffed Peppers

2012-04-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Stuffed bell peppers are one of those simple recipes that many of us have grown up with. What the peppers were stuffed with varied depending on where you are from. They might be filled with rice, meat, grains meat, veggies, etc. Below is a typical Italian American version of Stuffed Bell Peppers created by my husband's Aunt - Mama D - and modified a bit by me. I've done the nutrition facts for you at Calorie Count.

What to assemble in advance of the creation of great deliciousness:

major league deliciousness

8 medium bell peppers - Mama D used green peppers, but you can make them with any of the other colors as you prefer.
1 pound extra lean ground beef - preferably grass fed organic beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/4 t pepper
1 t oregano
1 handful fresh basil, rinse and torn (or 1 t dried basil)
4 slices day old or stale bread (preferably a nice Italian bread), torn into pieces, moistened with water and gently squeezed
2 organic free range eggs
2 cups (plus if you like) marinara (your favorite from a jar or homemade)

Optional But Worthy of Consideration:

Mama D would add salt, I don't. If you are used to salt, you may want to add some good sea salt.

Several dashes of Tabasco Sauce or hot red pepper flakes are great in place salt as they serves the same function of accenting the seasonings. Yes, there's some sodium in the Tabasco, but far less than you would use with even just a few turns of the grinder. If you are super sensitive to salt, use the hot red pepper flakes - start with a pinch or two depending on how much you enjoy spicy flavors.

Try adding about 1 cup cooked farro to the meat in place of the bread.

If you want to reduce the calories, sub in a cup (or more) of chopped sauteed mushrooms for some of the ground beef. I want to thank a friend of mine at Calorie Count, Marydomingue, for this wonderfully mindful idea!

How to Finish the Entire Dish and Fill your Home with Wonderful Aromas:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Brown the ground beef and drain the grease. Stir in the garlic, parsley, pepper, oregano, and basil and saute another minute. Add about half of the marinara to the ground beef.

Slice of the top of the rinsed peppers and remove the seeds.

Combine the meat mixture, bread, and eggs in a large bowl.

Mama D's favorite kind of bell pepper

Stand the peppers in a greased or non-stick sprayed large baking dish.

Spoon the meat mix into the peppers.

Top each pepper with the remaining sauce (allow to dribble down the side) and bake for 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender. You can add some extra sauce to the dish around the base of the peppers if you like, but not too much as some will exude from the peppers.

For a jaunty appearance, you can put the "hats" back on top of each pepper. Kids think it's fun to remove the food's hat before eating.

Simple.

As these are being served, take a moment to think about the family food memories you hold most dear. Then inhale the wonderful aroma and dig in. Enjoy each and every mindful bite.

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos for Health and Happiness

2012-04-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, so maybe the health part is a stretch, but the happiness part is spot on.

If you use fat free cream cheese instead of the regular type you can reduce the fat significantly and then the nutrition is really not at all bad and far better than a bag of Cheetos. Jalapenos are actually very good source of vitamin A and a few other things which makes this is a most mindful treat.

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish.

What to assemble:

10 large jalapenos, see directions below for prep
1 (12 oz) package cream cheese, brought to room temperature so it is soft (the spreadable version is fine)
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 T sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into very small bits
1 T cilantro, chopped very fine (optional, but tasty and yes, you can use dried)
8 strips thick applewood smoked bacon
a number of wooden toothpicks (at least 10-12) soaked in water
Coals, lighter fluid, and a grill

Before messing with the jalapenos, mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and cilantro in a small bowl. Then just let the bowl sit on the counter so it stays soft. It will take about a good heaping tablespoon for each jalapeno. If yours peppers are very large, you can always buy a larger package of cream cheese and increase the other ingredients a bit. Most recipes are flexible in this way, so play with it.

How to prep the jalapenos:

It's best not to cut the peppers totally in half as it only makes them more difficult to skewer with the toothpicks and they don't look as pretty. Less of the filling squirts out onto the grill during cookery if you leave the stem part on - if you lose a stem or two just cover that part with more bacon.

I made two slits that made a T shape only on the "top" of the jalapeno - do not cut all the way through. The horizontal top of the T went across the pepper just under the stem cap. Then the vertical line of the T went from the center of the horizontal cut all the way down to the end of the pepper. You can see how that looks in the picture above.

Gently pull apart the cut as if you were opening a shirt. Scoop out the membranes and seeds and consign to the compost bin.

Once all the jalapenos are ready, stuff them all with the cream cheese mixture. This is a very messy job and rather fun.

Remove the toothpicks from the water. Gently wrap each jalapeno in bacon - make sure to cover the T shaped cut (you can always add a bit more bacon and another toothpick if necessary). Secure the bacon with the soaked toothpicks.

You can prepare them to this point and refrigerate them until it is time to grill. Let them set on the counter at least a half an hour or more if you refrigerate them so the inside is not too cool as the outside will cook quickly.

Time to grill!:

Grill the jalapenos over hot coals turning frequently until the bacon is well charred. How long will depend on the thickness and meatiness of your bacon and the heat of your coals. Ours took about 12 minutes.

Do get good bacon. If you need to, cut off some of the fat. Fortunately, when bacon is grilled, the fat just drips off and mostly all that remains surrounding the jalapeno is the meaty part.

These are best served on small plates with a knife and fork unless your peppers were smallish - then you can just treat them as finger food and bite them off near the stem. Mine were a good four inches long not counting the stems and that would be rather much to just eat like a shrimp.

Enjoy these savory spicy treats as mindfully as possible with good friends, family, and a nice glass of a hearty red Zinfandel - Brazen makes a good one that is moderately priced and a perfect fit with this dish.

Egg, Turmeric, and a Tortilla

2012-04-12T07:06:00.001-07:00

Those are the critical ingredients. All the others are optional or interchangeable or totally dependent upon where your whimsy takes you. I'm going to give you the basic idea for use in a small tortilla. Your choice of tortilla may change the nutrition which I've set for a small whole wheat tortilla.

What to assemble and prepare in advance of beginning the cookery:

2 t extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, preferably habanero infused.

1/4 cup onion, chopped - more or less depending on how much you love onions. I like sweet onions here, but you may be a yellow or white onion person. I don't think red ones would work, but they might if they are your fave.

1/8 t turmeric - fresh fresh fresh. I never try to buy it in the little tin anymore due to one very unfortunate experience. Go to a store that has bulk herbs and spices. Then you can then see if it is a pretty bright yellow with a rich aroma or if it is an unfortunate mottled brown with a rancid smell. Many people that think they don't like turmeric, have only had it from the little tins and it is not good. At least that's why I thought I didn't like it. Also, it is a whole lot cheaper to buy your spices in bulk, so if you haven't tried that do give it a whirl.

1 egg of quality* from happy hens that get to trot about and are fed good whole food and not given medication to counter the fact that they are inhumanely raised in dirty confines. Crack it into a bowl and whisk a bit with a fork.

1 tomato, chopped - buy a good tomato please. They are worth the price. The Compari tomatoes that are starting to appear in stores everywhere are very good.

1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced or diced as you like.

1 tortilla - use any whole grain tortilla you prefer. I like whole wheat, but I also like the Artisan whole grain corn and flax tortillas. Very tasty. Experiment with several types until you find a favorite. Sometimes you just have to have the real deal with white flour and lard, but just make sure you must have it and then enjoy the heck out of it as mindfully as you can. If you are lucky and live near a store that makes tortillas, get some fresh ones!

Options:

use salsa instead of the onion, tomato, and jalapeno. Just spoon on as much as you like. Spinach is awesome in this, add about half a cup of fresh spinach to the pan after the onion softens and before you add the egg. A dose of that great Chipotle Tabasco sauce adds a lot of depth to the flavor and it goes well with the turmeric - as does just about any other pungent seasoning.

Easy Peasy Cookery:

Heat the oil in a small non stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers a bit, add the onion and saute for a few minutes. You can saute just til they are soft, or go until they begin to brown a bit.

Add the turmeric and stir a minute releasing the gorgeous aroma.

Add the beaten egg and stir until the egg is cooked to your liking. Some of you like your scrambled eggs well done, others not so well done. Making your own choice instead of just following directions exactly is as mindful as it gets.

Warm the tortilla just a little if possible (small toaster oven set on warm or microwave for 15 seconds or so is fine). Spread the egg mixture down the center of the tortilla from one end to the other. Top with the tomato and jalapeno. Fold and enjoy.

This is a very fast to make even on a work day breakfast. If your tortilla is large, double the recipe - this will keep even the most hungry of you well satisfied until lunch. Add the spinach to ramp up the nutrition levels and to add yet another veggie to the start of your day.

Look for quality eggs at a local farm or farmers market. Or you may get real lucky and find some in your local health food store. Do avoid eggs from egg conglomerates as the poor chickens there lead terrible lives and nobody wants to contribute to that. Be mindful of your egg choices.

Panko Buttermilk Pork Chops

2012-04-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

So the dinner with the high temperature cooked panko encrusted chicken went so well, I decided to apply the same idea to pork. Only, I did not mallet the whathaveyou out of them to make them slender like the chickies, so I will split some of the diff with the temperature. Flattened chicken would be cooked at 500 degrees F, I'll do these pork chops at 450...unless I change my mind and do 475...they are not all that thick and really, pork cooks so fast...

Panko Buttermilk Pork Chops

What to assemble before you start because it all happens quite fast indeed:

I used three pork chops (each about the size of 1/2 of a butterfly chop
1 pint buttermilk
1 zip lock bag
1 1/2 cups Panko (you can get plain or seasoned as you prefer)
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t paprika
2 t garlic powder
I do not salt but I am used to that, you may need some salt
1/2 cup fresh grind Parmesan
9 x 12 baking pan lined with foil
Non stick spray

This is how I am making the delectable chops:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (yup, I decided)

As soon as I got home from the store, I took the pork chops out of the package and placed them in the zip lock bag with the buttermilk. If you are cooking dinner within a half hour, leave the bag on the counter, otherwise refrigerate it and then take the bag out of the fridge 45 minutes prior to baking. Room temperature meat will cook faster - a very handy thing on a work night.

Mix up all the rest of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

Pull the pork chops out of the bag one at a time and coat each one thoroughly with the Panko mixture. Don't worry about shaking off the buttermilk. If you run out of Panko stuff, mix up some more. If you have extra you can press it in on the top or pitch as you prefer.

Lay them in the foil lined pan (don't forget to spray with the non-stick stuff first).

Here's what they looked like before going into the oven. I smashed on almost every bit of the Panko mix.

Pop the pan into the oven. They should be done in 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your chops are and whether you decided to use bone in chops. Mine were fatter than I thought and took about 25 minutes. I served them with microwaved new potatoes and frozen cut green beans, layered with thick cut applewood smoked bacon cut into nice delicious chunks.

The chops will get pretty browned, which I think is a good thing. Check the pork chops for doneness - you can do this by cutting a small slit in the fattest one but that really is not the best way...however it may be the only way if the chops are thin. The best way is to stick the fattest fellow with an instant read thermometer. The temp should be nearing 145. 150 is fine too... but I warn you, if they are 160, they are likely to be dry in spite of all the best efforts of the buttermilk.

Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes...good, I did not start the veggies in time so that will leave time for them to finish, so the tenting will save my cookery behind. It's always good to tent meat (not just when you forget to press start on the veggies) - that way you don't have to cook it all the way done - the temperature will continue to rise a little, not too much in something small like a pork chop. But the sitting will allow the juices to redistribute and make every bite delicious. Rising temps under the tent won't dry the meat out like it would if you cooked it to totally well done.

Serve, and accept applause as mindfully as possible.

Simply Spinach Frittata

2012-04-09T08:26:00.002-07:00

Sometimes it's fun to eat breakfast for dinner. My Mom, much to my great pleasure, often made scrambled eggs and pancakes and sausage for dinner. While that still sounds good to me, I eat a little differently now. Even my breakfast is filled with veggies. I've detailed the nutrition given the recipe as it is and set at a dinner portion, but do see the notes below for ways to lower the calories and ramp up the nutrition to suit the way you may eat.

Simply Spinach Frittata

The stuff to assemble:

1 9x13 pan sprayed with non-stick cookery spray
1 large skillet
2 T olive oil, divided use
1/2 of a large sweet onion chopped
16 oz (or more if you like) fresh spinach, torn in half
12 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork (my favorite humane egg in a store comes from Country Hen, but you may be even luckier and have a local farm source - buy from them, it is worth every penny.)
1 pound Jarlsberg, shredded
8 oz Parmesan, shredded
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

What you need to do:

Always do your prep before starting the actual cookery. In a dish like this, stuff happens so fast at first, and if you aren't ready, you will be more likely to miss ingredients or make a humongous unmindful mess.

Once you have done the prep heat 1 T olive oil in the skillet over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onions and saute until they are nicely browned and caramelized. In order for the browning to happen, you have to let them sit a bit and not spend the entire time stirring. If you do that, they will cook to the point where they look a bit more translucent, but they will take a few hundred years to brown. So, stir them when you add them to get the olive oil distributed well and let them sit a couple minutes, stir, let them sit, etc.

Remove the onions to a plate or bowl to cool.

Add the second tablespoon of olive to the skillet and saute the spinach until it is nicely wilted. If you've never sauteed spinach before, trust me on this all that spinach will reduce dramatically within a few minutes. Suspend a fine mesh colander over your sink and dump the spinach in there. After it cools a bit, press the spinach with a wooden spoon squishing out much of the liquid. No need to get obsessive about squishing it completely dry, just get the bulk of it out or your frittata will not set well.

In a large bowl mix the beaten eggs, Jarlsberg, Parmesan, and fresh cracked black pepper. The mixture will be a bit thick. Add the onions and spinach and stir until the spinach is nicely distributed throughout.

If you haven't already sprayed the pan with non-stick spray, go ahead and do it now. Then tip in the egg spinach mixture and spread it out a bit until it is fairly even in height.

Pop into the oven and bake about 35 minutes. The whole thing will puff up a little bit and the top will brown prettily. To make sure it is done, insert a clean dry knife in the middle, if it comes out clean, it's done. If eggy stuff is on it cook a few more minutes. Tent for 10 minutes under aluminum foil, and serve.

Flexibility is incredibly mindful:

All ingredients can be adjusted to the proportions you need. All ingredients (except egg) can be replaced with food you prefer. You may not be a Jarlsberg person, so use sharp cheddar or your favorite whatever cheese. If you like feta, use that instead of Parmesan or use both Parmesan and feta. If you want less cheese, cut the quantity with no worries as to how it will turn out. If you LOVE spinach, you can easily dump in about 24 ounces. Other things to consider adding: sweet red pepper, sausage - crumbled cooked breakfast sausage or hot Italian sausage would work wonderfully, jalapenos, sauteed summer squash, banana peppers, use kale instead of spinach or use a mixture of both. Well, you get the idea.

We make this for dinner and then on the following day I love to cut a small square just the right size to sit between two halves of a whole wheat English muffin. Cut the square in half horizontally and put one piece on each of the muffin halves. Toast in the toaster oven, put the sandwich back together and enjoy.

Peace Soup with Farro, White Beans, and Spinach

2012-04-07T13:22:00.002-07:00

Each ingredient in this soup deserved to be in the title declaring world peace, but I am not an academic and like my titles short and sweet. Yes, the basil and roasted garlic could easily have graced the title, as nothing is more peaceful than those two coexisting in the same pot. Of course, the tomatoes were a critical element bridging the flavors of basil and garlic and transforming the duo into a glorious aria of deliciousness. Yes, it took each and every one of the ingredients in this dish working together in harmony to create the peace that fell gently around everyone at the kitchen table tonight.

May the entire world one day sit down to a shared meal of peace.

farro

Peace Soup with Farro, White Beans, and Spinach

What you need to assemble:

1/2 cup farro

1 1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

2 heads garlic, roasted and peeled

2 T olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 t garlic powder

4 cups chicken or veggie stock

2 (15 oz) cans organic Great Northern Beans, do try to find Eden if you can as they use non-BPA cans

1 29 oz packet of chopped tomatoes (I love the brand Pomi, as it is in a non-BPA packaging and the tomatoes therein are excellent - but you can also use fresh tomatoes if they are of good quality)

3-4 cups packed baby spinach, torn

1 cup fresh basil, torn

freshly cracked black pepper

What you do:

Put the farro, water, and salt in a medium pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid. Cook until the water is absorbed - this takes about 20 minutes.

While the farro is cooking, roast the garlic heads. Separate the cloves, but leave them peeled. Put them on a tray (a toaster oven is just fine for this). Do not oil or spray the tray. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast the cloves for about 12-15 minutes - until the peels start to shrivel and brown a bit and the cloves are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the garlic is cooling, start the soup. In a very large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it is soft and clear. Sprinkle on the garlic powder and stir for a minute. Then add the stock, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cover.

Now don't forget to check on the farro. If it is done, add it to the soup!

The garlic should be cool by now. Use a sharp knife and cut off one end of each clove and peel. When they are all peeled, add them, entirely whole, to the soup.

Let all this simmer another 10-15 minutes which is just the right amount of time to tear the cleaned spinach and basil.

Add the torn greenery to the soup and stir well for a minute and smile gently while they reduce in size. Cover and cook for another two minutes.

Serve with a loaf of dense chewy peasant style bread, perhaps a glass of your favorite wine, and enjoy the mindfulness in peace.

With this recipe, I Declare World Peace.

Simple Green Beans Almondine

2012-03-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Cooking food simply allows for the mindfulness to flow while you create a harmonious feast for the senses. Steaming is incredibly mindful and frugal as well. You don't lose any of the nutrition or flavor that you lose if you boil them in water. This particular recipe even gets an A rating on my nutrition analysis. You simply cannot make a more mindful dish than this.

Green Beans Almondine

Here's what you need:

1 pound fresh green beans

one steamer basket that fits inside one of your pots that has a nice firmly fitted lid

1 T olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed as you prefer

1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds (or whole raw if that is your preference)

fresh ground black pepper to taste

a tiny touch of sea salt is ok with this recipe, but NOT if you used salted almonds

What to do:

Rinse the beans and snap off the ends. You can leave them long or break them in half as you prefer. Place the beans inside the steamer basket.

Put about 2 inches of water in the pot - remember, the water should not rise above the steamer or the beans will sit in water.

Nestle the basket of beans in the pot and set it on medium heat. When the water starts to steam, cover with the lid. Steam for about 5-7 minutes. Depending on how old or how large your beans are, it may take a couple more minutes. Don't fret the time, simply steam them until they can be easily pierced with a fork, or taste one and stop the steam when they are the way you like them.

Carefully lift the steamer out of the pot and transfer them to a pretty bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, almonds, black pepper, and salt if you are using it to the beans and toss gently.

Enjoy this mindfully simple recipe in the spring when fresh green beans are filling the market place with inexpensive goodness. Enjoy.

Creamy Pasta with Peas and Turkey Bacon

2012-03-28T12:06:00.004-07:00

The following bit of deliciousness is my take on traditional Pasta with Ham, Peas, and Cream. If you are fortunate to be in Italy, you may find it listed as Alla Medici on many a great menu. Nigella gives you the proportions and preparation instructions so you can toss together that classic version of this dish to perfection here.

I am not a classicist though and simply cannot leave a recipe alone. First, there must be garlic... I know, the overuse of garlic is such an American thing, but hey, I'm an American so garlic there will be! Second, there must be onions because well, everything must have onions...and more cheese because more cheese makes everything better. Third, I want the recipe to retain its quick to make on a weeknight awesomeness which means that I do not want to add any extra steps (like chopping, smooshing, and sauteing garlic and onions). Finally, I want to reduce the sodium and fat a bit (since I just ramped it up with the cheese), and so will replace the ham with low sodium organic turkey bacon and replace some of the cream with milk.

So, with apologies to Nigella for mangling her recipe, I'd like to offer you my version of Creamy Pasta with Peas and Turkey Bacon.

The things I gathered to make this beautiful dish with a note about what NOT to gather:

1 pound penne pasta

1 pound frozen peas, thawed

1 cup milk (I used skim and it worked!)

3/4 cup cream

11 oz package of low sodium organic turkey bacon, cut into chunks

2 t granulated garlic

1 t granulated onion

1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper (or to taste)

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggianno

Please don't add salt. The cheese provides all the sodium needed. Taste it first before you salt, ok?

Before all else:

First, measure and prep all your ingredients, set out a large pasta pot and a large colander. In fact, go ahead and set the table. It makes the cookery go so smoothly when you prep first and this is a very fast to make meal. I like to use the little acrylic custard bowls to hold things like seasonings but you use whatever you have.

Now that you are ready, here is the how to of the cookery with admonishments as to the great error of leaving the room at certain times:

Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil on your stove - you can salt the water or not as you prefer. Add the pasta, return to a boil, and cook per the package directions. About five minutes before the pasta is done dump in the peas so they can merrily cook right along with the pasta. When the pasta is perfectly al dente, dump the entire thing into a colander and allow to drain while you make the sauce.

Now, I warned you that there would be a time where your presence in the kitchen was mandatory. The next step is that time. You do not want the beautiful sauce to curdle or burn on you, so stay firmly planted near the stove from now on. Trust me, this is experience talking here.

Return the pot to the stove top with the temperature set to not quite medium. Add the milk, cream, bacon, garlic and onion powders, and black pepper to the pot on the stove. Stir while it warms. Once the sauce is warm, add the Parmigiano Reggiano and stir until the cheese melts a bit - just a couple minutes will do. The cheese provides a thickening assist to the cream which would do a nice thickening on its own if it were not for the milk. Yes, for those of you not used to cooking with cream, it does in fact thicken as it simmers. Milk though, just curdles and burns so watch it like a hawk.

Add the peas and pasta to the mix and stir for another minute or two while the entire thing heats to serving temperature on lovely plates of a contrasting color.

Make sure the hand grater is on the table for those that think even more cheese is perfect. A nice leaf salad with a few sweet red pepper strips sitting on top is the most mindfully perfect accompaniment.

World Peace through Grilled Provolone

2012-03-24T12:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, Grilled Provolone. What more noble offering for an unsettled world as it sits down at the communal table to discuss cheese and peace.

My husband returned from a business trip to Argentina and apparently this is a common dish there - but they call it Provoleta. I simply had to have some. But, how on earth do you grill cheese without it just melting all through the grates of the grill? I tooled all over the interwebz in search of methods and recipes. Most of them just looked too dratted hard - lots of admonishments about it being a skill that needs practice, critical timing, predictions about the ruination of many a fine cheese, and all that kind of stuff. One blog said that if you give up, you can put the cheese in a little aluminum pan and "grill" it in that, but then you won't get the nice grill marks. So far, this recipe was not sounding particularly peaceful to prepare. I knew the calories would not be peaceful, but here they are with my best guess for portion and oil consumption.

ready for the grill

Then I saw this video by Food Network's Michael Chiarello. In it, he provided the two missing links - 1) most of the recipes simply used cheese that was cut too thin for the average non-professional cheese griller to handle and 2) you need to finish it in a casserole on the grill. How awesome is that! You get the grill marks, the ooey gooey brie like consistency, the smokey goodness, and you don't decorate the coals with cheese! Peace through cheese was starting to look quite possible.

One nice thing about using the casserole dish after charring the outside was that the marinade stayed in the casserole instead of all going down the grates to the coals. Those of a more slender nature that were not afraid of a little extra olive oil, got to re-dip their cheese and chunks of chewy bread into the seasoned cheese drippings for even more awesome flavor...ok, everyone did that.

Now, my pic to the right below is not the best of pics as we had been eating on it, scraping off the grilled bits, and having fun swirling the cheesy strings all over the top, but you get the idea. I promise to do a better job of getting a snazzy pic next time - one that shows the grill marks and has not been eaten on nor peacefully played with.

And now, your ingredients:

The Cheese!:

Have the deli guy or gal cut you one 2" inch thick slice of the best provolone that they carry - I used a fantastic aged provolone and it was worth every bit of the extra money. At least two hours before you head outside to light the coals, let the cheese sit out on a cutting board uncovered so the outside gets good and dry. According to the video, this helps keep it from immediately turning to runny cheese and melding with your coals.

The Bread:

One loaf Ciabatta bread sliced it in half horizontally and kept at the ready to be grilled.

The Marinade:

1/4 cup good olive oil (double this if you grill two lumps of cheese as I did)
2 heaping teaspoons of granulated garlic or equivalent fresh all smashed and mangled
1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper
2 t fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 t dry
1/2 t hot red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy stuff)
1/4 cup packed fresh chopped parsley or 1 T dry parsley flakes

If the marinade looks too sparsely populated with herbs, you can always add more fresh oregano and parsley.

Remember, seasonings are not exact measurements in a dish like this. If you love one thing more than the other please feel free to change them up. This recipe does give you a great start though.

What you do next:

Light the coals - concentrate the coals because you want them to be very hot.

Rub the marinade all over the provolone slices, pressing the seasonings in a tad so they stick a bit. Set the cheese in the casserole to sit and await its turn on the coals. If there's extra marinade, just pour it on the top unless you are persnickety about fat, but then if you are that way you are not likely to be reading this far so, just pour the extra oil over the cheese in the casserole dish.

While you are waiting for the coals to be ready, open a nice bottle of Malbec wine. It's the perfect Argentinian wine pairing for the cheese. Go ahead and have a glass so you can get that peaceful feeling started.

When the grill is hot, remove the grates, spray them with Pam, and return it to its position over the coals.

Now, this is the tricky part. Using long tongs, place the cheese on top of the grill. It only takes a minute or two to sear the outside. The cheese will start to melt a little, so don't let it sit long. Quickly turn it only one time and cook another minute or two in order to char that side. Precise timing is impossible for me to say because it all depends on the temperature of your coals. Just do not get sidetracked or go inside to answer the phone or anything.

Then put the cheese in the casserole that it had been sitting in before and place that on the grill uncovered. Cover the grates with the lid from the grill. After about 3 minutes, open the lid and put the bread on the grill, cut side down. Grill for a couple minutes with the lid back on. Flip the bread and grill the other side. Remove both the cheese and bread and serve. If the cheese looks too melty before the bread is done, remove it. Ours turned out sort of like the provolone version of hot brie and I thought it was perfect. It would still be good either over done or under done. It's also awesome the next day toasted on bread for sandwiches.

Serve it to your friends at a casual table with several spoons or knives handy so everyone can scoop or slice cheese as they wish and spread it on the bread (just tear off hunks of that). Season the atmosphere with some more Malbec.

Now sit back and listen to the absolutely peace-filled sounds of friends eating together. It is with great pride and pleasure that I Declare World Peace.

Basically Bechamel

2012-03-18T11:41:00.002-07:00

This is one of the primal sauces. Master it and you will be able to cook so many things without having to open cans or packets. Put it in things, on things, next to things. Gussy it up, dress it down, it's one of the most versatile sauces around. Make sure you read the Variations for a few suggestions to get you going.

Learning to cook a few basic sauces is beneficial on many levels - you are in control of the ingredients (this may be very important to you if your are on a fat or sodium restricted diet), it's often cheaper, it tastes a lot better, and the simple act of creating a sauce that has been made by not only You, but nearly every famous chef in existence is incredibly mindful.

The next time you are tempted to buy a packet of white sauce mix and read the ingredients on the package. Bechamel is simply the French name for what many refer to as White Sauce. Then compare that list on the package to the recipe ingredients below and think about what you really want to eat.

The recipe makes two cups, a fairly standard amount that can be used to scallop potatoes or drizzle over veggies. Add cheese and pour over cauliflower and you have the famous English delicacy Cauliflower Cheese.

If you are interested in nutrition facts, here they are (set for those that use skim milk as I am assuming that if you click the word here, you are a calorie counter and looking for lower calories).

Basically Bechamel

Ingredients that do not include anything with a lengthy chemical name or something to make sure there was no settling or glumping of powder:

2 T unsalted butter is best, but use the kind you prefer
3 T flour
2 C hot milk (use whole, 2% or skim as is your preference. The calories above are run using skim)
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper to taste
A pinch of nutmeg or thyme is very good in this sauce.

Directions that are almost as easy as those on the packet:

Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until it is thoroughly incorporated into the butter - about two minutes will help remove the "floury" taste and that's where many people mess up when making Bechamel. Remove from heat.

Heat the milk in your preferred way - I've done it in a small pan or in the microwave. Either way is fine but get it hot. It should be heating while you are prepping the butter and flour.

Dump the hot milk into the butter/flour mixture and vigorously stir or whisk to make sure the sauce is not lumpy.

Return it to the medium heat and bring it to a boil - stir or whisk the entire time it is coming to a boil.

Then lower the temp and simmer for another two minutes. Season with the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to your taste.

Variations:

Add cheese after the final simmer if you are making something deliciously cheesy.

Or make it even more savory - skip the nutmeg, add some black pepper or browned and drained breakfast sausage, it's great over a biscuit.

Skip the salt and make sure you use skim milk to lower the fat and sodium. You may want to ramp up the pepper and definitely add the bit of thyme.

Need to lower the calories even more or do not use milk? Make Veloute instead!

Chimichurri

2012-03-18T10:39:00.003-07:00

My husband brought back a few bottles of Malbec after his recent business trip to Buenos Aires and I wanted to make a dinner to match the deeply colored highly flavored wine. What to serve with Argentinian wine? An Argentinian meal of grilled steak, Chimichurri sauce, Argentinian Black Beans (recipe link will be added here later), salad, and as an appetizer Grilled Provolone with Grilled Ciabatta Bread (recipe link to be added for this wonderful appetizer later).
Chimichurri sauce is green because it is is packed so full of parsley! Mine may not be the authentic Chimichurri, but it's tasty!

If you are interested in the nutrition and calories, you can find them here. I ran them assuming a fairly large serving. If you use less and are a calorie counter, take that into consideration.

Ingredients:

2 cups packed finely chopped flat Italian leaf parsley
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
pinch of salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t hot red pepper flakes
2 T fresh oregano leaves
2 T shallot, finely minced
3/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar*
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice*

* many people like a more acidic Chimichurri. If you are one of them, please feel free to double the vinegar and lemon juice. A recipe is but a template, you take it and make it yours.

Directions:

Chop and measure everything.

Put everything in a large bowl (or blender) and finish the "chopping" with an immersion blender stick. I love the blender sticks because they are so much easier to clean than traditional blenders.

Refrigerate for a couple hours, taste and adjust the seasonings - but remember, it will taste different when it is sitting prettily atop a forkful of steak.

Serve the steak and Chimichurri with a hearty Malbec wine. If you cannot find a Malbec, then one of the more assertive Zinfandels will do in its place...I do NOT mean that pink wine that too many people think of when they hear the word Zinfandel. I mean a serious red Zin.

A more feminine Pinot Noir or a subtle Cabernet would simply be lost on the palate under an avalanche of highly seasoned Chimichurri, making them most un-mindful choices.

As you make and then eat this wonderful sauce, spend a few moments in the most mindful way you can. Appreciate the color, the silky texture, the aroma of the fresh ingredients while you chop, the aromatic mingling of aromas once it is mixed, and explore how the flavor changes when it is sampled alone and then when it is added to a bite of grilled beef. Enjoy.

The Gnocchi of Peace

2012-03-08T06:33:00.001-08:00

It's time to gather everyone from all across this beautiful Earth for a communal meal that is peaceful, wholesome, and delicious. Pull up a chair and join me in some good food, a nice chat... and may I pour you a glass of wine? Yes, it's red. I know, most people pair a white wine with a meal like this and if I had a Frascati chilling in the fridge, I might serve that. But this Ruvei Barbera d'Alba is so wonderful... and besides, the red kind is my favorite.

What's a gnocchi and why would it be peaceful? Gnocchi is a little dumpling made of potato and semolina flour. They can be boiled or pan fried very quickly so they are perfect for a peaceful cookery conclusion to a wonderful day - even to a work day. I purchased pre-made gnocchi - sweet potato and whole wheat gnocchi! Lovely flavor, do try them.

As this is a quick recipe to make, it's a good idea to get all your prep done first. Far less stressful that way. You also have the time to enjoy company while you cook so you don't get all frazzled once you realize you forgot the garlic.

Frazzled people are not peaceful, so let’s cook up some peace.

The Gnocchi of Peace

Things you will need:

1 1/2 pounds or more of broccoli crowns

2 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 t hot red pepper flakes

2 T olive oil1 pound whole wheat gnocchi

Parmesan to taste

How to Prep and Assemble the ingredients in lovely bowls and containers all smartly lined up on the counter in order of appearance:

Set your bottle of olive oil and gnocchi on the counter next to the stove.

While you are at it, you may as well make sure there's some good fresh Romano or Parmesan in your cheese grater. I do hope you have one of those nice little hand held cheese graters for use at the table. There is nothing like freshly ground cheese to finish a dish nicely.

Cut the stems off the broccoli close to the crowns. You can save these for another use or you may peel, slice, and use them in the dish. Separate the pretty little crowns of the broccoli so that you have them all nicely down to a manageable bite assuming the bite will also contain a gnocchi. Put the broccoli in a colander and gently rinse. Just let it hang there in the colander until its presence is required in the cookery directions below.

Slice the garlic or run it through a press if you prefer. It all depends on how you enjoy your garlic. Allow it to sit exposed to air while you prepare the sun dried tomatoes... The World's Healthiest Foods says that the chemical reaction when the garlic juices are exposed to air enhances certain nutritional elements. I have no idea if it works, but my scientist family says it makes sense so I do it.

Rough chop the sun dried tomatoes and place them in a small bowl.

Measure the hot red pepper flakes and pour them on the tomatoes. If you want, you can put the garlic on top. It can finish it's magical chemical reaction right there. Put the seasoning bowl next to the gnocchi package.

You might as well set the table now and open the wine to breathe.

How to finish the meal:

Put the broccoli in a 2 quart casserole with about a cup or so of water and nuke for 5 minutes if you have a new fangled fast microwave and 8 minutes if your microwave is 25 years old like mine and rather slowish. Let it sit covered while you start the gnocchi. If you are anti-microwave, no worries. Just boil or steam the broccoli for about 5-6 minutes and drain - make sure you reserve at least a cup of the boiling water.

While the broccoli is cooking, pour about 2 T of olive oil in a skillet and heat the pan over medium until the oil just starts to shimmer. It's so pretty when it does that. Add the gnocchi and saute until they soften and brown. Let them sit a few minutes between stirs because that will help them to brown. They really don't take long to cook. They will soften and plump just a bit.

While the gnocchi finishes browning, put the colander over a small bowl and drain the broccoli, saving the cooking water for later - in fact, just go ahead and put the cooking water by the stove so you don't forget about it.

When the gnocchi are pretty and lightly browned, add the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. Saute for a couple minutes. Then add the broccoli and continue to stir. Add about 1/2 a cup of the water and keep a stirring. Keep this up until the dish is nice and hot throughout. Add water as you need to.

Place in a serving bowl and enjoy with a twist of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is not a "juicy" dish. Nor a complex one. If you would like it to be more moist, as if there were a sauce, add more cookery water from the broccoli and allow it to cook a bit more. It would probably be ok with some chopped fresh tomatoes which you could put in with the broccoli.

To complete this meal, make a salad of mixed leaf lettuces with either sweet red pepper or tomatoes.

If you want to make your very own gnocchi, let Benny the Chef show you how with his cookery book.

You can over garlic this dish. I did. I used four large cloves of garlic and they overwhelmed the other subtle flavors. Two large cloves or 3 smaller ones will be fine.

With this wonderful recipe, I Declare World Peace. Enjoy, mindfully... would you like another glass of wine?

Enchilada Pie

2012-03-03T10:05:00.002-08:00

One of the most requested casseroles in our house is Enchilada Pie. I show you how I make it the way my family loves it, but there are many ways to vary this dish so it suits the way you eat. I'll list a few options so you can make it leaner and calorie friendly, or make just it spicy as all get out! If you watch your portions and don't get too free handed with the cheese, the calories are not at all bad!

Enchilada Pie

Stuff I assemble chop prep or whathaveyou in advance of actual assemblage:

1 pound very lean ground beef (option: ground turkey, mushrooms, tofu or any other meat alternatives you love... in fact, mushrooms sound wonderful and I think I'll do that next time)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 can Ranch Style Beans - do not drain as you will use the sauce. Now this does not make for the most healthy low sodium of dishes, so if you have to watch sodium, just use a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans and increase the salsa or add in some tomato sauce.

1/2 cup or so of salsa - use the kind you like, mild, medium, or hot. I love Paul Newman's Medium. The amount here is really just an educated guess on my part as I usually just dump it in the hot mixture from the jar and it is added in order to get a nice moist meat mixture. You could also just use a small can of tomato sauce if you really cannot take any spice at all.

1 T chili powder

2 t cumin powder

2 jalapenos, de-seeded and sliced (omit if you are not a spicy food person, or use the spicier serrano peppers if you like to sweat while you eat)

8 corn tortillas (there are a lot of tortilla options out there, try some of the new gourmet whole grain blends if you like, but I don't think regular flour tortillas will work in this dish, if I am proven wrong, please let me know in the comments!)

1-2 T butter, softened (you could sub in Pam, but do not ever sub in margarine)

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (obviously you can do a more or less thing here depending on if you eat cheese only in calorie counted amounts or throw caution to the wind and add cheese til the stores run out. If you don't eat cheese at all - just skip it but increase some of the liquid ingredients)

Cookery and Assemblage:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Put the beef and onion in a large skillet and brown over medium heat. Drain of all fat.

Then add the beans, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and jalapenos. Simmer for 15 minutes and then taste. Adjust seasonings.

Spray Pam on the bottom and side of a regular 2 Qt casserole dish.

Lightly butter one side of each tortilla.

Place 3 tortillas on the bottom of the casserole butter side up. Top with 1/3 of the meat mix. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese. Repeat, then put the final two tortillas on and finish off with the last of the meat and cheese.

Cover and bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 oven or until a fork easily pierces the tortillas in the center and it is all bubbly and hot.

Warning!:

The recipe does a pretty good job of filling that casserole dish. If you overfill the casserole or use too much cheese you may get some bubble over. If you are worried, put a piece of aluminum foil on the rack beneath the casserole dish. Or, just use a larger casserole so you don't have to worry about that.

This recipe is easily doubled so you can use one of those great larger rectangular pans.

Grilled Eggplant, Portobellos, and Yellow Squash

2012-02-29T17:54:00.002-08:00

This was just awesome. Easy as can be and while delightfully colorful before the grilling, it all turned a lovely brown after the fact.

In the picture all you can really see are two eggplant slices under a mountain of onion, but aren't they gorgeous!

The nutrition is excellent even with the oil. Bastes and marinades are difficult to measure for nutrition because so much does not get consumed. I did my best to guestimate how much would actually be on the veggies when they were done cooking.

To make this all you need besides the ingredients is a husband that loves to grill, about five minutes of your own time, and about 20 of his.

Mix up a great baste with:

6 T olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
6 large cloves of garlic all mashed and mangled
1 t each dried thyme, basil, and oregano
1/4 t fresh ground black pepper

Prep the veggies:

1 eggplant
4 yellow squash (you could use green squash or thick slices of onion if you prefer!)
4 portobello mushrooms

Slice up the eggplant into 1/2 inch or so thick rounds (cut off the ends a bit first). Slice the yellow squash either vertically or horizontally in the same way depending on if you are using one of those little grill tools that captures the smaller veggies (horizontal cuts) or if you are going to lay them on the coals and need them a bit bigger (lengthwise cuts).. or if you want, you can put them in double foil packets and cut them any old size you want, but you won't get the same grill marks that way.

Yes. Leave the skin on the eggplant if you like. It all depends on you taste. Some people do not like how the skin is a bit tougher than the rest of the veggie. If that is you, then peel it before slicing. Then it will be all melt in your mouth tenderness... but you will have cut off a lot of nutrition. Your call.

Baste:

Immediately after cutting the veggies, brush the baste both sides of each piece.

Grill:

Grill for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked to your preference. Some like them more crispy, some like them soft. You do it your way.

Enjoy mindfully with some lovely caramelized onions like I did in the pic above. I didn't give the husband the onions to grill. I did them inside on the stove... I do rather love caramelizing onions and part of the fun is making twice as many as need be so I can taste them to make sure they are cooking right. Can't do that on a grill. :D

Green Bean and Tomato Casserole

2012-02-29T17:10:00.001-08:00

I had a package of green beans, one of those plastic containers of cherry tomatoes, and an onion and decided to make something a bit different. If you are into calories, this dish is very low cal. There are a lot of options when making this. Play around with the ingredient proportions and seasonings and make it your special recipe.

Ingredients with suggestions for other ways to go:

1 pound cut green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 t olive oil
2 cups onion, thinly sliced (I think this will be great with leeks too so if that's what you have, go for it)
1 t sweetener of your choice, I used agave (sugar, honey, etc..)
6 cloves garlic, chopped (or equivalent dried granules)
1/4 t fresh cracked black pepper
1 t dried basil ... although now that I think of it, fresh basil would be awesome, maybe 1/4 cup packed?
1 t dried oregano
1 1/2 T good quality balsamic vinegar
1 container (10.5 oz) good cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup Panko (found in the same aisle as you find breadcrumbs as they are Japanese bread crumbs and are remarkably crispy)
1/8 (or more if you like) cup freshly grated Parmesan

pre-Panko and Cheese

Easy assembly instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F

Remember to do all your prep ahead of time - all cutting and measuring. Put the spices in a little bowl.

In a casserole dish, nuke the green beans in a little water until crisp tender. My microwave is old and I nuked them for eight minutes. You may only need to nuke them for four-five minutes if you have one of those new fast as lightening microwaves. Drain, remove the green beans to a bowl, allow the casserole to cool, wipe with a paper towel.

While the green beans are a-cooking, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until caramelized. You may give one or two twists of salt at this point - it does make the onions taste great when you "check" on their state of caramelization every now and then by tasting several of the delectable strands. Do not stir too often as it is sitting on the pan a bit that will make them brown up nice.

When the onions are nicely browned, add the garlic cloves and saute for another couple of minutes. If you are using ground garlic powder, then add it with the other seasonings. After the garlic has sauteed a tad, dump in the pepper, basil, and oregano (and garlic powder). Saute for one minute. Stir in the vinegar and stir another minute. Remove from heat.

Spray the casserole with Pam and add the green beans, top with the onion mix, top that with the cherry tomatoes, top that with Panko, and then give a light sprinkle of Parmesan all over the top.

Pop in the oven and bake, uncovered for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.

This is good left over, but the Panko will no longer be crispy and as mindful as it was the day you made it.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2012-02-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

Thinking about Tony's whole wheat bread got me thinking of other things we used to make. One of my faves was whole wheat flour tortillas. I'd make these and heat up some frijoles and my daughter's day was made. She just loved "tias and holies!"

field of wheat

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

The good stuff therein:

3 cups unbleached organic white flour (ok, it's not 100% whole wheat, but it's better than not)
1 cup organic whole wheat flour
2 t salt
4 t baking powder
1/4 cup shortening (Crisco is fine. Or, if you are brave and want to make a real traditional tortilla, use lard)
1 1/2 cup lukewarm water

What comes next:

Mix the flours, salt, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Then add the shortening. You can start by cutting it in like you would baking powder biscuits, but it's really a lot more fun to mess around in it with your hands. Mix and knead the dough until it's smooth and sort of like pie dough.

Cover the mound of dough with a wet tea towel and let it sit quietly at rest for about a half an hour.

Divide the dough into 16 equal rounds - roll them all up into nice little balls.

On a floured surface, roll each ball to form a circle not very thick at all - maybe 1/8 of an inch.

You can stack these with wax paper between them and set them by the stove so they are all nice and handy.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip a paper towel into some good oil like canola or vegetable and quickly wipe the skillet. Add one tortilla and cook for only 1-2 minutes on each side. Cook just until the brown spots start appearing.

Cook them all, stack in one of those nice tortilla warmers if you have one and then enjoy.

You will never have a more mindful burrito or taco experience.