healthy

Is it sacrilegious . . .

. . . to not serve Green Bean Casserole on Thanksgiving? It is the perennial side dish for the holidays. You don’t eat it any other time of the year and yet it’s kind of old and boring isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some green bean casserole, but admit it, what we really love are the French Fried Onions, yum. Green beans don’t get that kind of love on their own. The rest of the year you eat them steamed or sautéed but never swimming in soup and onions.  Green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and sweet potato smothered in marshmallows (eewww… who invented that mess?) those are the dishes that are only served between November and December, I’m not wanting to have them now. I might like to re-invent the soupy mixture from scratch. The thought of buying a can of Cream of Mushroom soup  is gross. It’s so easy to make béchamel sauce and healthier too. Perhaps I’ll tackle that challenge, hmmm . . . perhaps. 

I’ve been searching my Cook’s Illustrated back issues, cookbooks and websites for new and interesting ideas to serve on Thanksgiving. Mine will be small and intimate with just three of us to feed. Since Thanksgiving is an “event” and deserves special attention directed to it. I’m excited about putting together a concerted effort and meal for the day. The question is … what?

The sweet potato has had a renaissance over the last few years. I eat them regularly in a lot of different ways: mashed, french fried, hashed, baked and chips. They’re so healthy and naturally sweet it’s like a tasty treat you don’t have to feel guilty about eating. I found a recipe on Pinterest for Hasselback Sweet Potatoes. Doesn’t this look amazing? Clicking on the picture will take you to the blogger with the recipe for this amazing treat!

Maybe not Thanksgiving but soon!

What I’m wanting to do is make something memorable. My family has never been one with long-standing traditions. Growing up Thanksgiving was always at Granny’s. Now that she’s gone, I’ve moved away and my sister is now single we have to start new traditions. I’m sad not to see my parents and it’s hard to make it feel like a holiday when all the things I’m used to are no where to be found. It’s a new day though and D and I must forge new family traditions. Thankfully, my sister will be here and we can share time down our mutually changed lives. We are blessed.

There are a few things that will happen. My birthday is November 21, the day before Thanksgiving. I want cake. Red Velvet Cake to be exact. I haven’t made one in years and think it will be the dessert of the weekend. Derek wants Lemon Meringue Pie so that will be on the menu too. Sweets are easy.

D loves onion rolls so I’ll make those. The recipe I use was found in an issue of Real Simple magazine a year or so ago. I’ve made them several times and they are light, airy, packed with flavor and simply . . . DELICIOUS! Click on the picture for the recipe.

So, we have the unhealthy choices nailed down. The big question is what’s for dinner? I’m thinking Gumbo sounds good. It’s hearty, earthy and packed with goodies and flavor. If not gumbo then perhaps Surf and Turf. I kind of think a Chicken Pot Pie with phyllo pastry crust sounds pretty amazing too. There are so many choices and ways to go. That’s what I love about cooking and food. A thousand variations and combinations to meet all culinary dreams. What will you serve?

When the husband is away …

… I eat soup. He doesn’t understand soup. To him it’s just broth with too many vegetables and not enough meat. For me, soup is warmth, comfort and a healthy way to eat. Oh sure, there are unhealthy soups but I tend to make broth-based soups not creamy ones. Yesterday it was raining and cold so I broke out the stock left over from the baked chicken from last week. It took all day to make, which wasn’t exactly necessary but I wasn’t in a hurry and it seemed the prudent way to do it. The end result was a spicy Chicken Chili. Mmmm.

Spicy Chicken Chili

I’m excited about this particular batch of soup because I grew the tomatoes that went into it and I finally figured out how to use dried beans instead of canned. In fact, all of the ingredients were fresh in this and it is so very good!  The other tasty treat I made yesterday was a cheese crisp. I have been searching for a cracker recipe and finally found a cheesy recipe that sounded good. I used whole wheat flour and two different cheeses for a salty and crunchy cracker. Yum!

Here’s how I did the soup. First the ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper (roasted and diced)
2 carrots, chopped
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 medium jalapeño peppers, minced
2 large stalks of celery, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried white beans
1 bone in chicken breast
4-5 bone in chicken drumsticks (legs)
2 tbsp taco seasoning
2 tsp chipotle chili pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

First things first: get your beans soaking. (see instructions above or read package instructions) OR use canned, there’s no rule here. Except remember the best rule of cooking: FRESH IS BEST!

1. In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) heat olive oil on medium.
2. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery, jalapeño peppers and cook until translucent.(apps. 10 min)
3. Add minced garlic and roasted bell pepper, cook until fragrant (appx. 30 seconds)
4. Add tomatoes, spices (cumin, chili, taco seasoning, paprika) and chicken stock stirring until spices are well mixed.
5. Add chicken pieces, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
6. By now your beans should be par-cooked so throw them into the soup and cover. Let cook at a rolling simmer for another hour. Taste to see if you need salt and the “doneness” of the beans.
7. Once the beans are done, shred your chicken and add back to the soup and let simmer on low for another 30 minutes to hour.
8. Taste. Season accordingly.

Serve with Avocado, fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

Smoothie health … it’s not pretty.

My father says that my very first word was pretty. He says he was holding me in his arms and showing me a picture on the wall. Apparently, I repeated the word “pretty” when prompted. He likes to say that it was befitting because I was so pretty. Father’s are biased you know.

One thing I know for sure is, my smoothies are not pretty. They look quite tasty when you blend banana’s, blueberries, cherries and blackberries. It’s when you add the four cups of chopped kale that dramatically alters the appearance. It ends up being a thick, brownish-green sludgy looking mess. I tell myself that these drinks are making me healthy. They certainly do have a “cleansing” effect on my digestive system. Wow! I drink them regardless because it’s really challenging for me to get all my green’s consumed like I’m supposed to.

Here’s what I’m talking about.

You can’t judge everything by it’s looks. It may not look tasty but it is. Not, chocolate cake good … but good.

The parable of this story is, “You have to do things that seem onerous at first but the benefits and results make life so much richer.” Oh well, some crap like that. I don’t know. What I do know is I want to be healthy when I’m at the retiring age so that I can enjoy my life without pain and discomfort. Choosing this over chocolate cake, fried chicken and Cheetos will hopefully pay off.

Or I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Anything is possible.