Fruit and VeggieVille

Watermelon and Sweet Onion Salsa

2008-06-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect recipe for me and you too, I hope. It combines two of my very favorite foods, watermelon and sweet onions. Buy Walla Walla or Vidalia onions for this recipe and enjoy!

2 Cups of watermelon, chopped, without seeds
3/4 cup chopped sweet onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapenõ peppers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, fresh
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all of the ingredients together and let chill for an hour or so. Mix before serving. Serves 4.

HOW TO CUT A PINEAPPLE

2008-06-14T01:23:00.001-07:00

How To Cut A Pineapple

FRIENDLY FIRES BBQ TIP - VEGGIES

2008-06-09T16:18:00.001-07:00

Flowers You Can Eat - Nasturtiums

2008-06-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

Flowers, so bright and cheerful, raise your vibe without even trying. Edible flowers take that energy into the centre of your being, especially when they also have medicinal properties like the gorgeous nasturtium. Their flowers are bright trumpets, heralding sunny days. As children we used to pick the nasturtium flowers, bite off the point at the back of the flower and suck out the nectar, the merest fairy sized sip of sweetness.

The plants grow easily and prolifically from seed, tumbling out of planters with abandon, flowering all shades of fire colours from vermilion to ochre. All they need is moisture and not too rich a soil and you're guaranteed a harvest. Anyone with a herb garden can find a space for a few seeds, though if space is limited confine them to a container or they will happily tumble over all your other herbs.

Nasturtium flowers make cheerful posies as a centrepiece for a lunch table, especially if you have planted a mixture of colours, ranging from gold through bright orange to deep fiery red. Arrange them with a few sprigs of other herbs such as rosemary and fennel to add some texture, lavender flowers for contrast and you have an edible, scented bouquet, perfect to take as a gift when you visit friends.

The nasturtium's best kept secret though is that both the leaves and flowers are edible. Their sharp peppery tang lends a bite of interest to salads and can be a real boon to a jaded palate when the shops only offer bland varieties of lettuce. A few of the round green nasturtium leaves, that look like they could be parasols for mice or fairies, will lift a bland iceberg or butter lettuce into the realms of designer cooking, their bright flowers scattered over to delight the eye and bring an element of fun to your table.

Recipe for a Nasturtium Salad

1 lettuce - iceberg, butter or cos

small bunch of nasturtiums - leaves and flowers

ripe red tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers

feta cheese

Decide quantities to your own taste. The nasturtium leaves are peppery and the more you put in the hotter the salad gets. Wash and dry the lettuce and tear into the size pieces you prefer. Rinse the nasturtium leaves, and tear or chop into rough strips. If you're using baby tomatoes halve them, chop bigger ones into cubes. Cube the feta cheese and sprinkle over the salad with the capers. Top with the whole flowers and maybe one or two whole leaves. This peppery, bright salad is just right to accompany pizza, cold meats or as a starter on its own.

The round leaves are a potent medicinal weapon against sore throats. At the first sign of a sore throat, chew on a nasturtium leaf every two hours. This can sometimes get rid of the sore throat altogether, at others it just prevents it getting too bad. The leaves have natural anti-bacterial properties and are rich in vitamin C. They can also be made into a tea by infusing a few leaves in a cup of boiling water for five minutes and sipped either straight or with the addition of a teaspoon of honey.

In ancient times in its native Peru the nasturtium was used as a wound disinfectant and taken onto battle fields to be used as a poultice and a disinfectant wash. Not bad for a pretty garden flower!

Kit Heathcock - worked and travelled in Italy for many years, is passionate about food and is lucky enough to work from home and have time to cook and write. She contributes to A Flower Gallery home of original flower pictures, Just the Planet and Original Orange.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

SAUTED SUMMER SQUASH

2008-05-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

3 yellow squash
2 medium zucchini
1 onion
1 green pepper
2 carrots
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1\2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1\2 teaspoon each rosemary, basil, and thyme

Slice squash, zucchini, and onion into quarter inch slices. Julienne cut the carrots and the green pepper.

Melt the butter over medium heat and add the rest of the spices and seasonings. Cook and stir continuously for about 10 minutes or till tender. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

FRUIT AND VEGGIE TIPS

2008-05-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

If your raisins are stuck together or dried out, soak them in warm water or apple juice for a half an hour.

When stuffing mushrooms, crack off the stem and then use a small melon baller to scoop out more of the mushroom for extra stuffing room.

To prevent cabbage from turning brown, soak it in cold water, with a little bit of vinegar. Drain it and store it in a plastic bag for no more than two weeks.

When buying bags of frozen vegetables, test the quality by shaking the bag. If the contents are stuck together that means they've thawed and been refrozen.

Keep bunches of cilantro fresh by standing up in a glass of water and covering with a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Roast a large head of garlic and use for a spread instead of margarine or butter. It's very flavorful and almost fat free.

Green onions can easily be substituted for leeks in any recipe.

If your cut potatoes are turning brown simmer them in milk for a couple minutes and they will turn white again.

Keep juice from canned fruits (except for pineapple) to use when making flavored gelatin. Simply replace some of the cold water for the juice.

Frozen peas are much better than canned to use in cooking or baking recipes because canned peas get very mushy after just a few minutes of cooking. They are better to use in salads also because they keep the salad cold while they thaw and they add just the right crispness.

SPRING TIME LEAFY GREENS by Dani Spies

2008-05-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy this video by our friend Dani Spies. With the summer coming green salads are the perfect food. Learn about the different types of greens with Dani!

FRUIT CODES ON STICKERS

2008-05-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what those numbers on the tiny stickers placed on your fruit means? First those stickers are called the PLU which means Price Lookup. The four or five digit numbers tell you how the fruit was grown.

Fruit that was conventionally grown, meaning with chemicals, has a four digit number. Fruit that was organically grown consists of five numbers always beginning with the number 9. Other fruit that was engineered genetically have a five digit number that always begins with the number 8.

Most grocery stores like to tell customers when the produce is grown organically, but don't want to advertise that fruit was altered or grown with chemicals, so these stickers are there to let us know. The fact that most people don't know what the numbers mean isn't their concern.
The more educated we are about the food we buy, the better choices we can make.

THE HEALTH POWER OF A RAINBOW

2008-05-02T03:32:00.000-07:00

The beautiful colors of fruits and vegetables give you visual information about their nutrients.
The color green means it's got phytochemicals such as lutein, an antioxidant. It can reduce some cancer risk and strenghtn your teeth and bones.

Blue and purple also contain a lot of phytochemicals and antioxidants, and can help with memory, reduce cancer risk, and help keep your urinary tract healthy.

Brown and white contain allicin a phytochemical, and again reduce your risk of some cancers and help with your heart and cholesterol.

Oranges and yellow have vitamin C, biflavonoids, carotenoids, and antioxidants. These help with cancer risk, heart health, and immune systems.

Red means it has lycopene and anthocyanins which help reduce some cancer risk and help with memory and a healthy heart.

Colors aren't just for eye appeal anymore! So enjoy earth's rainbow today!

MANGOSTEEN

2008-04-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had never heard of a mangosteen before but found some juice that contained it and it was fantastic tasting, so I thought I would find out more about it.

People who have had the pleasure of trying the fruit say it's the best tasting fruit they've ever had. It comes from trees that grow 8 years before they bear the fruit but once the fruit comes it grows hardly and without fail. It's grown in the Philippines and Thailand and in our country only in Hawaii. We have none here because they say pests can be in the rind of the fruit and be released to damage some of our other crops.

Mangosteens have nothing to do with mangos in case you were wondering. They are purple and can be eaten they say by gently crushing the outer part and it falls into sections usually 4 to 8.

You can buy them canned in this country but they say the taste is nothing compared to the fresh fruit. Until they figure out how to safely import them I guess we'll have to be satisfied with the juice.

Video HOW TO SPEED PEEL A POTATO

2008-04-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

This is really neat and quick!

TIPS ON CHOOSING AND STORING SUMMER PRODUCE

2008-04-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Cantaloupes should have a strong smell of flowers at the end where the stem was.

Honeydew melons should feel like wax and be a creamy color.

Watermelons should sound hollow when you lightly tap them.

Store melons at room temperature.

If you refrigerate melons more than a day the rinds will start to rot.

White corn is no sweeter than yellow, there actually is no difference in taste.

Store corn in it's husks to keep it moist.

Corn should be stored separately from strongly odored foods as it tends to absorb those odors.

Tomatoes should not be refrigerated because they loose that fresh aroma in temps of 60 or below.

Buy tomatoes that feel heavy for the size and have a fresh tomato scent.

Keep tomatoes in a cool dark place and not in direct sunlight.

TART CHERRIES

2008-04-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Tart or sour cherries are different from the Bing sweet cherries we are used to eating. Tart cherries are primarily grown in Michigan and have a slightly acidic but pleasant taste and are mostly used in pies and tarts and other baked goods.

The tart cherry has a more healthful reputation having more antioxidant compounds than the sweet cherries, thus giving it it's richer darker color.

The two main types of tart cherries are the Montmorency and Balaton cherries. They both have very high levels of melatonin, which is an antioxidant, but the Montmorency have about six times as much as the Balaton.

Tart cherries are also lower in sugar by about 3.3 grams in a half cup.

Here is some nutritional information for 1 cup of tart or sour cherries,

Calories 88
Calories from fat 2
No cholesterol
Sodium 17 mg.
Carbohydrates 22 g
Fiber 3 g
Sugars 19 g
Protein 2 g
Also a good source of manganese, iron, and vitamin A

CREAMY SPINACH

2008-03-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

2 pounds fresh spinach
1/4 cup lightly salted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Cover and boil spinach for 10 to 15 minutes in water.
Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the liquid and drain.
Chop spinach and set aside.
For sauce, melt butter and stir in the flour, continue to mix until smooth. Add the reserved liquid. Simmer it for about 5 min. until it's thick and creamy.
Add spinach, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

EVEN KITTENS LOVE FRESH MELON

2008-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

MORE GREAT TIPS !

2008-03-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

Shredded coconut can sometimes become too dry. If that happens place them in a bowl of milk for 20 minutes, then drain it. You can save the milk for baking recipes. Use paper towel to dry the flakes.

Out of sour cream? Use 1/2 cup softened cream cheese with 2 tbs. milk. Use less milk to make it thicker.

If your cutting board stinks from onions, sprinkle it with salt and rub it with moist paper towel.

Soak cabbage and carrots in ice water for about an hour to make crispy cole slaw. Drain and dry before adding the dressing.

When storing onions in the frig do not use plastic because the plastic will pick up the onion odor and can affect the other food in the frig. Your best bet is to use a seal-able glass jar.

It's a good idea when making caramelized onions to make a big batch and freeze the extra. They will keep for a few months and will save you the time of doing them again just to add to steaks or burgers.

Next time you oven bake potatoes rub the outside with oil. It will crisp and brown the skins and allow the potatoes to absorb more of the heat, thus cutting down on cooking time.

An electric mixer can be used to mash potatoes but it you over do it they will become too thick and sticky.

Steam broccoli instead of microwaving. Microwaving will kill most of the antioxidants it contains.

Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place. If you store them in the refrigerator the starch will turn into sugar and the taste of them will change.

RUSTIC PESTO POTATO SALAD by Dani Spies

2008-03-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

This potato salad recipe looks awesome. Dani has done it once again! Her idea of putting an egg on top does complete it as a meal. I can't wait to try this recipe out for my family.

CORN SALAD

2008-02-28T01:27:00.000-08:00

1 10 oz. pkg. thawed frozen corn
1 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup red pepper, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup fresh minced parsley
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 clove mince garlic
3 tbs. red wine vinegar

Combine first 11 ingredients. Set aside. Add garlic to olive oil in separate dish or saucepan and heat just till hot. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in red wine vinegar and poor mixture over salad.

Serves 8

SAUERKRAUT

2008-02-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

2 lbs. sauerkraut 1/4 cup brown sugar
4 strips bacon 1 tbls. caraway seeds
1 small onion, chopped 2 bay leaves
1/2 cup water dash of salt & pepper

Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Put in saucepan and cover with cold water, simmer for 30 minutes. Cut uncooked bacon into small pieces. Drain sauerkraut and set aside. Put bacon and onion into saucepan and fry till browned. Add sauerkraut, water, brown sugar, caraway seeds, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for twenty-five minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

TOP OF THE TIPS!

2008-02-21T16:15:00.001-08:00

If you buy your potatoes in a bag, pick out any that have started to sprout or shrivel, and store them in a cool, dry, place where they'll stay fresh for a couple weeks.

Do not store potatoes with onions. The gases that come from the onions will spoil the potatoes.

Put peaches in a brown paper bag to ripen and make juicier for one or two days at room temperature, then store them in the frig for just a few days. Any longer that that and they will become less juicy.

You can freeze berries by washing them and laying them on a flat cookie sheet. Put in freezer and when they are frozen you can transfer them to a plastic sealed bag.

If you use jarred maraschino cherries don't throw the juice away. You can use it to add some color and flavor to lemonaid, ice tea, or ice water.

The best apple to use for homemade apple pie is the Jonathon. If you can't get the Jonathons try using Granny Smith with McIntosh.

When choosing squash skip the large ones and go for the small to medium and make sure they feel heavy and solid. The oversize ones tend to be less tender, and if they are light they may be a bit dry inside.

Make your own breadcrumbs by using dry day old bread. Cut off the crusts, tear the rest into pieces and put in a food processor on pulse. You can add seasoning and use them to top a hot vegetable dish.

To soften hardened brown sugar put a piece of soft bread or slice of apple and seal. Leave for a day to soften.

If you don't have fresh herbs for a recipe you can use dried, but reduce to one third as much as called for.

To slow down guacamole from browning, cover the top with plastic wrap and put into an airtight container in the frig.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and will find them helpful in your kitchen!

GROCERY STORE TIPS PART 1 VIDEO

2008-02-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from Healthy Nation on healthy shopping. Enjoy!

SAVE MONEY LIVE LONGER!

2008-02-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

It all started with the local grocery store selling chicken leg quarters for 39 cents a pound. I bought 20 pounds and separated it into 5 lb. bags. Three of the bags went into the freezer and the remaining five pounds went into a large pot for boiling.

Unless I'm using the chicken for a particular recipe, I boil it and strip all the meat off into pieces. With a large container of this cooked chicken my family could make sandwiches, add it to soups or salads, and make tacos or whatever they wanted. That lasted two to three days in my frig before my family finished it.

Here's the best part, the water that I used to cook the chicken in, I saved in two containers and put in the frig to cool. The next day when I checked it, as expected the fat had risen and become solid on the top. I took a big spoon and dug it out, leaving me with some wonderful homemade chicken broth.

The broth then went into the same large stock pot and to that I added enough water to fill the pot 3/4 full. I then added the following ingredients for my great cabbage soup.

One head of finely chopped cabbage
A large handful of thinly sliced baby carrots
Three or four tablespoons of milled flax seed
One large onion, chopped
Four or five large cloves of garlic, pressed
Large handful of green beans
A little beef bouillon
One packet of vegetable soup mix
A sprinkle of celery salt and regular salt
A large can of chopped tomatoes
A generous splash of red wine vinegar

The cabbage was also on sale for 29 cents a lb. and the rest of the ingredients I already had in my kitchen. I was out of olive oil otherwise that would have gone into the pot also.

For dinner that night we had the chicken rolled up into corn tortillas and ate it with a steaming bowl of my cabbage soup. My kids even dipped the rolled up tacos into the soups broth, it was delicious. My son's friend who hates most vegetables couldn't get enough. We had meals out of all this for three to four days after. The last of the chicken I returned to the pot with the soup and finished it that way.

It was days of cheap, delicious, and super healthy meals for the four of us. What more could you ask for?

CABBAGE a Superfood!

2008-01-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

Cabbage is one of the new Superfoods! It contains indoles which are compounds that reduce risks of breast, colon, and stomach cancer significantly. It can also purify your blood, kill viruses and bacterias, and help to improve your immune system. Red cabbage has an added bonus, because of the color it has antioxidants that also help fight cancer. Also in the cabbage family is broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collards, kohlrabi, and bok choy.

Like everything else too much of a good thing can be bad. Excessive eating of cabbage could lead to thyroid problems.

Cabbage juice is also used to treat peptic ulcers because of the vitamin U.

When you shop for your cabbage try to pick one that is heavy with crisp leaves that are not wilted or discolored. When you get it home you can put it in a plastic bag in the frig for no longer than three weeks. Try to eat it sooner and it will have more nutrition and better flavor.

Tips for Red Cabbage,

You can prevent discoloration of red cabbage by cutting it with a stainless steel knife
adding vinegar to the water during cooking will help keep its color
use a little vinegar for adding raw cabbage for a salad
lemon juice will also help retain color while cooking
red cabbage takes a little longer to cook than the green or other varieties

Try not to cook cabbage longer than 8 minutes. If it is shredded 3 or4 minutes is long enough. Overcooking will cause it to loose nutrients and will cause an unpleasant odor. To cut down the odor put a whole walnut or stalk of celery into the water with it. Spices should be added before the cabbage is added to oil and herbs should be added after cabbage is done cooking.

As far as nutritional value for 1/2 cup shredded cabbage you'll get about 17 calories, 3.3 grams of carbs, and 1.4grams of fiber. These numbers will vary a little depending on what type of cabbage you are using. There are world-wide over 400 kinds.

INTERVIEW WITH A VEGGIE LOVER

2008-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

I was recently interviewed by the Weight Loss Blogger about the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Follow the link and please enjoy!

KALE by Dani Spies

2008-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you Dani for this information on Kale, and remember to visit Dani's site for more great info and recipes!