Chicken recipe looks good & sounds tasty
 

Hi Mari,

what are barberries like?

i found the botanical name (berberis) of the genus, but there are hundreds of species: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berberis

from that, i was able to find the translation, and a reference to making tea with berberis vulgaris fruit, but not sure if that is the kind used in cooking also?

in any case, as it is not something i can find readily (surprise surprise :rolleyes:), i'm wondering if i could try this dish with a similar-tasting berry.

berries we can get (seasonally) here are :
- blueberries
- black currants
- red currants
- blackberries
- raspberries

would one of these be suitable? i am thinking the red currants might be, but i've no idea really...

~ waves ~

I think I read something about a tart/sourness to them...could use cranberries?

'fraid no cranberries. :o

Waves,
I'm going to try my best to think this through.

Hubby buys the berries dried that he drops into low boiling water to plump up a bit.

I think that currants (of any color) might get same texture.
Which color is less sweet? The green? I'm not familiar with currents.

As far as the sourness, if we move away from berries, we could consider something like green plums, . . .
Help me think of fruit that is sour that is not citrus-y.

M.

Hi Mari

thanks :)

red currants are very tart. sounds like that might work. and yes i can get green plums readily too... or not green, but less ripe and definitely tart ones. :)

since you mention dried... occasionally (1ce every 2-3 years??) we can get dried cranberries but they are ludicrously expensive, come in packs of only a handful and are coated in waxy stuff. yuck. red currants we can get fresh or dried, readily.

cool. i am going to work on this.

~ waves ~

Hubby buys his from an Iranian import store, so these are likely the berries mentioned in the Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berberis_vulgaris
. . . Interesting that this barberry might be hard to find in some places.

I found a discussion of Thoreau picking and eating barberries.
http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2006/09/...e-will-go.html

Is the red currant a bit sour?
I hope that this helps.

M.

Waves,
We cross posted.

Let us know how your dish comes out.

M.

Caramelized onions w/ rice
 

Bizi mentioned Carmelized onions w/ rice on another thread.
I think even I could figure out cutting and sauteing onions.
This version could be good although the spices might need experimenting / adjusting:


http://www.food.com/recipe/carameliz...ed-rice-418522

Maybe I could toss in fruit too.

Thanks, Bizi for the idea.

M.

the taragon was just fabulous in the dish if my memory serves me well.
You dish sounds good!, it would also be good leaning toward the curry side if you like curry.
bizi

Bizi,
I'm sure your dish was great. I don't care for taragon and I don't care for curry. I think cutting up some dates would be good.
M.

New Sandwich I Invented
 

Hi,

1. toasted millet bread
2. peanut butter
3. a few drops of honey
4. toasted coconut.

Lovely. :)

M.

that sounds wonderful Mari! :)

Banana n Raisin Yogurt
 

i've been making this lately. i make a serving the night before and eat it for breakfast. i don't have nuts handy so i've been omitting those, but they add texture. if you like coconut that might be an interesting variation instead of the nuts, but omit the cinnamon in that case or it will be too sweet. whatever you do, do not add sugar, the fruit makes it quite sweet enough i think.

Banana n Raisin Yogurt

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/8 cup or handful raisins
• 1 medium or large banana
• 1/8 cup of handful finely chopped walnuts or pecan nuts (optional)
• dash of cinnamon

1. mash up the banana
2. chop or cut the raisins at least in half or a bit smaller
3. in a bowl combine yogurt, mashed banana, chopped raisins, chopped nuts and cinnamon. mix until fruit and cinnamon are well distributed.
4. refrigerate at least 12 hours before eating (it thickens because the raisins rehydrate and become real yummy)

• makes 1 serving

i sometimes make up to 3 servings at a time but i probably wouldn't store it for more than a day or so bear in mind. Enjoy!

~ waves ~

Yes, I like putting in the raisins a head of time.
This looks like a treat.

M.

miracle fat burning soup

6 tomatoes, about 3 pounds diced
2 cucumbers peeled, halved, seeded and diced
1 jar 6oz roasted red peppers drained
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion chopped (don't know the kind or size)
1 Tbs lime zest
2 cups tomatoe juice or v8
1/2 c. lime juice2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 chopped fresh cilantro

In large bowl combine tomatoes, cucs, red peppers, jalapenos, garlic onion and lime zest. Divide and reserve 3 cups of mixture.
to remaining mixture add juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, cayenne. Puree in a food processor or blender, in batches until smooth. In a very large bowl combine puree and cilantro and reserved tomatoe mixture. refridgerate at least 8 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend. serve cold.
makes about 12 cups. About 60 calories per cup.

Pork Loin and Butternut Squash Stew
1.5 lbs pork loin chops, cubed
2 leeks, trimmed of greenery and sliced
(thanks mom)
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 shallots, diced ( i used dried)
bunch of chives onions whites only
7-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 cups cubed butternut squash (this was hard to peel)
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
Place the chopped veggies and cubed pork into your slow cooker. Cover with the spices and pour in the coconut milk, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Mix well and cook for either 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

enjoy!

jeff loved this, sort of indian dish.

broccoli-green bean-purple cabbage medley
 

Hubby has been throwing the veggies I buy and cooking them all together in one huge pot with a little water and prolly with some spices.
This time he has
~broccoli, including stalks sliced thinly
~green beans
~purple cabbage
~lots of garlic
~onions
~a few tomatoes
~bits of ginger
~a little oil


This works so we can eat it through out the day or next on our different schedules. Sometimes he is heavy handed with the onions. I could do without the tomatoes because they are expensive and he likes them raw on his salads. I like having the convenience of cooked veggies waiting in the fridge.

M.

this actually sounds yummy!!!
me too!!! whenever i cook veggies i always make extra so i can eat them alone or in sandwiches, warm or cold depends on the weather. eg. i will put a small bowl cooked/spiced spinach on one piece of brown bread, nuke for 15-30 seconds, top with another piece of brown bread, voila, spinach sandwich! i combine peppers with cheese... you are dairy-free but they are good with tofu too if you like that. :)

~ waves ~

egg-crepes, sauteed zucchini, braised fennel
 

most of the radicchio was defunct so i made a chiffonade with the rest and used as a base for saute'ing some fennel and then braising the lot with carrot sticks....

zucchini transverseliced right into the pan while cooked. garlic chopped fine longitudinally thrown in sprinkle dried vegetable bouillon at the last minute, stir throughout medium heat.

the spinach was indeed fishy :eek: from the monk fish hehe um it is back in the fridge we had the other stuff i will eat the spinach... the balsamic vinegar did clean it up a bit... i have some rice still left over to eat that with... good high fiber snack, and some good minerals... :D

anyway main part the "protein" you know traditional european eating mentality has sort of an obsession on it

herbed-egg crepes with mild provolone folded inside (2 each). mine was an experiment in trying to make a single thicker crepe and did not want to fold so i end up with a clumsy lookin giant ravioli but cooked all the way and tastes alright once chewing.... just lacks the delicacy of the 7 strata when you make the thin crepes 1 egg each

any questions ask... :grouphug: ((((( :heartthrob: waves :heartthrob: ))))) :grouphug:

p.s. the crepes can absolutely be done dairy free... are very good with mushrooms or peppers, raw or cooked as you prefer important for the thing to work is the filling be fine sliced because the egg "envelope" is only 1mm... so, can't have chunky unless you want to end up with eggscrappled veggies

Dear Waves,
I enjoy your vegetable dishes.

I did have to look up "chiffonade." :)

I bought fennel for hubby one time. He cooked it with a bunch of other stuff -- one of his mixes -- it was prolly a soup or something as I remember. It tasted like a vegetable instead of . . . fennel. Maybe if I see some in the store again I can give him another chance.

Does fennel need a gentle touch? Maybe served raw/ barely/ cooked/ with only a small handful of other ingredients? I could guide him that way.

What herbs?
. . . . .just curious. I'm not going to make crepes and hubby only has only two egg recipes: hard boiled waaaaaaaaaay past hard, and fried over hard.
I'd dearly love him to make my grandmother's french-style scambled eggs for me every once in a while. (She was not the best cook on the planet, but she was good enough and we all enjoyed her cooking.) (I miss her) He has a few other egg dishes but he does not do them on demand like my grandmother did on Sunday mornings.

I'm sure your crepe was delicious.
What's this 7 strata thing you mention?

Yeah, I'm doing non dairy -- except I'm not avoiding it when it is unavoidable( ;) ) -- like in a rare treat of mashed potatoes out at lunch.


Thanks for sharing another window into your day.

M.

fennel
 

quite a feat to remove the fennel taste from fennel!!!!
we eat it raw and cooked. you cut the stems of - save for making base chopping up in soups or stews, and leaves for aromatizing soups or salads.

raw is just plain quartered, or you can peal off the leaves and munch on each one if you have good teeth. often we will dip it in a pool of salt olive oils and pepper - in the plate. as we eat. or it can be minced, mixed with these ingredients and served as mini-salad or salad add-on.

cooiked also - my dad blanches it first, whole, then he cuts into 4's if small (conical - male) or 6ths if broad-sided (female plant). then he simmers it gently, browning lightly on all sides, in a saucepan, with olive oil.

the males are better for cooking and the females for eating but there is not an huge difference you buy whatever they have usually.

egg reminiscence
 

this time for the crepes i used provencale mix... i will look up what this particular pre-mix has in it. one of the best complementary herbs for egg though, whether cooked in or added last minute, is marjoram. it really gives an exotic sort of taste. i like tarragon too personally, or marjoram with thyme. (of course for me, you could put thyme on just abuot anything and i'd eat it.)

i wonder if your dear grandmother's eggs are similar to the way i make them. and not the more modern cut-down low-fat version. in any event... your grandmothers' does sound exquisite and i'm sure she was capable of other culinary delights.

put a dab of butter in a saucepan, let get soft while... you

crack the eggs in a dish and break up lightly. add a little milk. beat lightly... stop when well blended but not quite homogenous, nor whisked.

bring up the heat on the butter, and twirl it to cover the entire bottom of the pan. as it just starts to froth pour the egg onto it and...

stir continuously from the edges in, lifting from heat as needed, fold the thickening egg back into the center, letting the more liquid parts cook.

remove when the mixture is opaque and somewhat firm, but still creamy.

serve immediately with buttered toast slices.

....edited to add the Provencale mix has other things like marjoram rosemary... probably 3-4-5 herbs. buit the label is missing or was nonexistent. labeling requirements here are not up there.

the crepe is folded like a napkin. except in the spaces between the flaps, there si cheese. also most napkins are square, this is a round napkin folded 2ce onto itself and the napkin is made of egg. you fold it you get 4 layers of egg, 3 "in between" of cheese, makes 7 layers.

it only comes out good made thin enough - so one egg is plenty for each one. if you are making true crepes where flour and milk is added... it comes out even thinner and you might use only 2 eggs bunches of crepes. but my intent was for us to have egg for dinner.

btw click on the fennel for "howtos i found" personally i liked the pic but this is where it lead me....
http://recipes.terra-organics.com/wp.../08/fennel.jpg

:D
~ waves ~

Waves,

Yes, that is exactly what she did with her eggs -- except she did not put in spices -- only seasoned it with perhaps salt and pepper and served with bacon on the side (cooked in a separate pan).

I'm wondering how fennel can be male or female.
I'll look it up later. have to get back to my paperwork.

Thanks for your cooking posts.

M.

Waves,
Thanks for the link with the fennel info.
M.

spices? i am confused. i did not put in spices in it done like that way with the butter - salt and -not always- pepper. sometimes less is more....

did i confuse with the crepes and the marjoram? i use herbs when preparing egg dishes or egg other ways, or other types of scrambled or frittata. bacon has to be done in another pan because it doesn't cook the same heat and plus the grease would interfere.

some plants have both male (stamens/anthers) and female (stigma) reproductive parts and are largely self pollinating. other plants have distinct female and male phenotypes, so that when they flower, the flower will only carry one set of the respective organs - these must rely on wind and insects for pollination[/QUOTE]hope that helps :)

i'm glad you're enjoying cooking vicariously with me, if it can so be said, to an extent... ;) :hug::hug::hug:

~ waves ~

Cheap and Quick Dinner Tonight
 

Hi,
This is what hubby made tonight.

1. peeled sweet potatoes in the crock pot with cinnamon

2. a kind of stir fried mixture of
~red cabbage
~chinese cabbage
~onion
~garlic
~one tomato --- he likes to to put a tomato or two in every thing he cooks
~big can of black beans

3. Japanese rice (short grain) in the rice cooker

I had bought the red cabbage and sweet potatoes the other day. He had the other ingredients on hand. After dinner, I told him to leave off the cinnamon next time. (I'm a food critic :rolleyes:) I want my sweet potatoes with a little salt or completely plain.


This is a quick dish for him to prepare for us. It's cheap too.

M.

Basic Roasted Eggplant from Martha Stewart
 

Hi,

I made my new favorite recipe tonight:
I bought ONE huge eggplant and made roasted eggplant.


Basic Roasted Eggplant
http://www.marthastewart.com/313812/...asted-eggplant
I preheated the oven to 420, oiled the baking sheets with grape seed oil, peeled and then make 1 inch slices of the egg plant. Then I baked for 30 minutes, turned the slices over, and cooked another 10 minuutes. Last, I drizzed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

It was tender and delicious. :In-Lurve:
(This pic is similar to what mine looked like.)
I met someone who liked to get her recipes from the internet who had good advise for me. After she finds something she likes, she finds it or a version of it on Martha Stewart. She found that the recipes on Martha Stewart are more accurate and more likely to be successful.

M


http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/o...-600x412-2.jpg

you peeled yours?
these look unpeeled?
bizihubby used amarinade on egg plant that was delicious.
lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, gray pupon mustard, it was delicious! the egg plant absorbed the flavor of the marinade.
bizi

Baked Oatmeal (Weight Watcher Oatmeal)
 

Hi,

I made this recipe from Julian's Kitchen tonight for hubby with some adjustments.

http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/o...l-1024x768.jpg

I used blueberries instead of strawberries and was one cup short of oats so I used a cup of slivered almonds and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. (of course by adding the almonds I added a ton of calories but hubby is ok with that)

It is delicious. Hubby is in bed sleeping. I hope when he tastes it in the morning he is finds it as wonderful as I do.

I think the key to the dish is that the bananas have to be very ripe (almost over ripe). They give the dish the flavor.

Here is the link to the web site with the recipe:
http://www.jillianskitchen.com/2012/...-baked-oatmeal


M

Baked Oatmeal update
 

Hi,

Hubby did not like the Baked Oatmeal. He ate one piece and said it was ok but did not eat anymore. I am done with new recipes for him.

I might try a simpler Baked Oatmeal recipe to make for myself. Baked Oatmeal has milk and eggs so it is kind of like a bread pudding but with oatmeal instead of bread.
I used to live on bread pudding when I was single, broke, and not interested in complicated cooking: it had cheap protein.
http://thefitcookie.com/2012/05/27/baked-oatmeal/

M

Baked Oatmeal almost perfect maybe
 

hi Bizi, a note of appreciation
 

Bizi I wanted to try this recipe and thought i could use some left over ingredients to make it. Then when i looked it up i realized it called for russet potatoes which is not what i had left over lol... i ended up making something a bit different - including the fact that i put a red onion in there for the missing color of the russet potatoes. I also had to sub a small amt of milk for the sour cream which is unavailable here. i had white yogurt but my dad really doesn't care for the sour aspect of sour cream so i thought there'd be a better chance he'd like what i made if i steered clear of sour stuff.

may be someday.... or some year ... i will be able to try the exact recipe... sigh. :o

anyway just posting to say i pilfered a lot of guidelines from this recipe even though what i made was different. without having seen this, i would never have had the idea to make what i did. So thanks for the inspiration!! :):D

~ waves ~ who didn't near-destroy food or pans today (WOW). instead, i just burned myself on the oven. lately i can't cook without something going awry. thank goodness for lavender oil (heals 1st degree burns fast, no blistering and no scarring).

Hi,

When I see this I want some potatoes --- any potatoes. :)

Mari

Chia Seed "Pudding"
 

I saw this on Pintrest.com and wanted to try it as a way to eat some CHIA seeds.
Here is the recipe on Pinterest:

Next time I will try only a half a cup or three quarters because
it seemed too thin.

I modified the "recipe" by adding a dash of chocolate powder and some powdered ginger.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/p...pse886c42c.jpg

It does not really taste like pudding and it does not have the consistency of pudding. The seeds mix with the liquid to become a gel.

You can drink the mixture until you get to the bottom where some seeds settle. It is good to chew the seeds even if you can drink them.
Chia seeds have more Omega 3 than Flax seeds do.
They also have calcium, iron, and vitamin E

According to Andrew Weil they are good for blood sugar issues:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA36509...or-Health.html
This link explains how they help with Blood Sugar Levels:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articl...abetics.html#b
M

For anyone who might like to try the roasted califlower:
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.
pick out a califlower and carefully cut off all green leaves and cut out some of the core leaving the head in tact and put it into a glass baking dish. if using a regular califlower that is big microwave on high for 10 minutes. I used an organic one and it was small so I microwaved it for 5 minutes. Take it out of the microwave and put mayo on it using a brush to paint it on all sides, a thin layer to coat evenly the brush makes it easy. cover with chili powder, I used alot! then cover with parmesan cheese.
bake for 40 minutes it will be browned.
enjoy!
this is alffes recipe!
bizi

Thank you of this, Bizi.

I wonder how I could get the same parmesan effect without much mayo/oil.

How much mayo do you use?

Here is one I tried to remember the other day with hot sauce:


Crispy Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13441...uten-free.html

M

I used at least a quarter cup mayo, it depends upon the size of you califlower.
You could try spraying the califlower with an olive oil spray then coating the califlower with parmesan don't know if that is enough of an oil to hold on to the parmesan, you could try it!
bizi the calflower wings, have you tried to make these?
bizi

No, I have not tried them.
For someone who likes wings, this might be fun.

M

Yummy. You all have such good taste in foods. BF:hug::hug::hug: