IT'S MUCH TOO HOT TO COOK

Since it's much to hot too cook, I decided it was time to process all the herbs I've been drying out in the pantry where it's hot and dry. I had a large batch of oregano, a small amount of tarragon, and some thyme. When I was finished taking everything off the stems and putting the herbs into their proper jars, I went through the other herbs I already have on the shelf. My tin of Pizza Seasoning was seriously low. So I made a batch to fill the tin, with some to spare for another jar in storage.

I didn't measure anything, but I think you can see about how much I used in the picture. Besides, you should make your own seasoning with the herbs you like best and the quantities you like most. I would have put more red pepper flakes, but not everyone likes as much heat as I do. The Oregano, Basil, Chives, Red Pepper Flakes and Fennel Seeds all came our of my own herb garden. I made the mushroom powder by running some dried porcini mushrooms I get at the Asian Market through my spice grinder until they are in a relatively powdery form, but still just a little chunky. The mushroom powder give great flavor to lots of foods, too. I use it meat marinades, soups, rubs and I even add a spoonful to a pan sauce I might make with a pork tenderloin.

This mix is also great on Garlic Bread topped with a little Parmesan Cheese. You can also put several tablespoons of this dry mix into a small jar and cover it with olive oil to spread on pizza crust, or even on a piece of steak! Use your imagination!


It wasn't too hot to enjoy one of my frozen banana treats though. This one happened by accident. I had some very overly ripe bananas on the counter and didn't want them to spoil before I could get them into the freezer, so I just laid them on the shelf in the refrigerator. I had also, just that morning cut some cilantro from the garden and put the unused stems into a small jar of water into the refrigerator. Cilantro keeps amazingly long if you store it this way. Anyway, the next time I opened the refrigerator I could smell both the bananas and the cilantro. It smelled so good together I thought I would experiment. Here's what I made.

FROZEN BANANAS TREATS WITH CILANTRO NUTS AND CHOCOLATE
2 overly ripe bananas
3 T minced cilantro
1/2 c chopped toasted pecans
1/2 c. melted chocolate chips

Mas the bananas in a bowl. Add the minced cilantro. Chop the nuts into a slightly chunky dice and add. Mix it all together and spread the mixture in an 8 x 8 pan. Put the mix into the freezer. When it is slightly frozen, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and spread on top of the bananas. Back into the freezer until the chocolate is slightly set.

Now take the dish out of the freezer, and with a knife score the chocolate into 2 inch squares. If you wait until it's frozen solid, it'll just crack when you try and cut it. Now back into the freezer until mixture is well frozen. Cut through the scoring marks.

I wrapped each piece in a small piece of foil (like a Klondike Bar) and put them back into the freezer in a zip lock to grab one at a time whenever I like. You don't have to do that though - you can just set them into a zip lock bag. Squeeze most of the air out of the bag before you seal.

These little treats are surprisingly good and very different! As an added bonus, they are VERY low in calories! There is just a little chocolate on them. Maybe each piece has a total of 10 chocolate chips on it. I love them! And I like lots of cilantro and nuts in them. Give them a try!

CARBONARA

Harris Teeter - usually a little too pricey for me, I go now and then to check out the produce they have on the quick sale rack, and some of the specialty items you don't see anywhere else around here. This time they had some green beans for 75 cents, regularly almost $3.00. So I bought two bags of them.

I wasn't sure what I would do with them when I bought them but when I got home and looked at what else I had in the pantry and freezer, peas, ricotta cheese, bacon bits, parmesan cheese, eggs, and Orecchietti pasta, it became Carbonara with Green Beans and Peas.

To me there's not much that's more comforting than a pasta dish. When I think comfort food, I usually think pasta. Even if I want soup, I want pasta in my soup. As a kid it was ChiliMac. You know, the elbow macaroni with ground beef and tomato sauce. Mmmmm. I could eat a ton of it then. We used to make it at Girl Scout Camp in a huge kettle and you could have all you wanted. After I got older, it was plain old spaghetti with meat sauce and mushrooms. Back then it could have been out of a can and I would have loved it. As a matter of fact I use to eat Chef Boyardee Raviolo right out of the can. But most of the time I browned some ground beef and poured a jar of Ragu with Mushrooms into the beef and spooned it over some spaghetti noodles topped with a little Parmesan. Now that I'm a little older still, and about the same time that I started learning more about cooking, I came to favor dishes like Angel Hair Pasta with a really fresh marinara, topped with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

Today the pasta dishes are anything concocted with whatever I have and often include a variety of herbs and/or spices. In March I posted the Vegetable Spaghetti I love so much in "Something Out of Nothing". Often times I will make a Pasta Primavera with chunky vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes or mushrooms, with tomato sauce or a garlic and olive oil sauce with salt a cracked pepper. I've been making my own tomato sauce too since we are growing our own tomatoes so the jarred sauces are kept on the shelf only for those times when I want to make something and I don't have time to defrost.

The Harris Teeter green beans somehow inspired me to make a Carbonara. I was hungry when I was shopping (very dangerous) so I started craving all kinds of things I shouldn't eat. But pasta was on my mind. It was delicious and pretty easy to make. The only "difficult" step might be the "carbonara" part where you add egg yolk to the sauce. You have to be quick and careful not to scramble the egg or it just won't have the flavor Carbonara is supposed to have.

Bacon is fairly integral to an authentic Carbonara, but you can certainly leave it out if you are not a fan of bacon. Authentic Carbonara would use strips of bacon cut up into pieces and use all the fat leftover to make the sauce. (Too fatty for me.) Adding a drop of some liquid smoke would work too. Liquid smoke is a fantastic ingredient, but wow, is it strong. More than one drop and you have ruind the dish. I never pour it from the bottle into my dish. I always pour a drop into the cap first so I'm sure I only get a tiny little bit.

This isn't the healthiest dish I've ever made. Pasta, bacon bits, egg. Three or four times a year though shouldn't be too sinful. There isn't really a way to make a Carbonara into a healthier dish though because it's the egg and the bacon that make it carbonara. The liquid smoke could substitute the bacon, and I supposed one could use a little bit of "Eggbeaters" to substitute for the yolks. So, go ahead, try the substitutions. I just don't think it would taste like a real Carbonara should taste.

Here's how to make my version of easy
CARBONARA WITH GREEN BEANS AND PEAS

1/2 lb Orecchietti (or some other chunky pasta)
1 c fresh or frozen peas
1 lb cleaned and cut green beans
1 T. Olive oil
2 eggs
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 T. cracked or 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 - 3 T. real bacon bits
1/2 - 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
pasta water
More Parmesan for garnish

Put up a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is being cooked, in a large skillet, saute the cleaned and cut green beans until they are almost done. Leave them just a little crispy. If you are using fresh peas cook them with the green beans so they will cook through. If you are using frozen, add the peas to the cooked green beans and let them warm through.

Now beat the egg together with the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Stir in the bacon bits. Set aside for a moment.

When the pasta is cooked to your liking, reserve a cup of the cooking water before you drain the it. Drain the pasta, and immediately add the very hot pasta to the skillet with the beans and peas. Leave the heat on very low. Add the ricotta and egg mixture immediately stirring quickly to coat everything and to keep the eggs from scrambling. Add the cracked pepper and stir in well. The heat of the hot pasta will cook the eggs sufficiently.

Serve in pasta bowls topped with a little more grated or shaved Parmesan. It's a complete meal. No bread required because you have pasta, no salad required because you have beans and peas. Although, a small green salad would be lovely with this meal. Hope you'll enjoy this one!

Next time, it's Sweet Potato Soup with Fennel. Creamy and delicious, it's elegant enough to serve company, or just sip from a cup and savor it. If you don't like sweet potatoes, give this one a chance. The fennel I added gave the soup a beautifully savory flavor. You'll love it.

MY FAVORITE FOODS

Today is my birthday, so I thought I would just rant about the foods I simply love, love love, even though I may not eat some of them anymore, or only just rarely. They are not in order of preference, just whatever comes to mind next. You know, stuff like Kentucky Fried Chicken. I'd love to eat a piece right now - I like the thigh parts. Is there anything that tastes better? It's crispy and juicy and just spicy enough. It doesn't even taste greasy while you eat it, although we all know it's so high in fat you could go a week without another ounce of fat in your diet after eating one piece! And this kind of fatty food just kills my tummy! So KFC is completely OUT of my diet. To satisfy that craving when I get it, once in a while I'll make some breaded chicken tenders at home. They aren't nearly as greasy. They are delicious though and fill that KFC gap in my life.

Fast food items have a very small space in my list of favorite foods. One other is Taco Bell. A Chicken Gordita with Southwest Chipotle Sauce is high on my list as is their Mexican Pizza. But, alas, I don't eat those anymore either. It's probably been ten years since I've had one. And if I get to craving a cheeseburger, Dairy Queen's Classic Cheeseburger (cheese only) is the one I go for.

(none of the photos in this blog post are mine)

My Mom's Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings. (Paprikas Csirke es Nokedli) Well, mine too since I learned to make it from Mom.This is one of my all time favorite foods and it's a real crowd pleaser. It's not even that bad for you! I skim the fat off the pot before I finish it. The dumplings are part you could do without because of the white flour, but it's just not the same without them. I sometimes will make them with a chunky kind of pasta like Orichette, or Campanelli, if I don't feel like making the dumplings. They are Hungarian Nokedli - made from flour, water and eggs. Easy, but it takes a little intuition when mixing them to know when the dough is the right consistency. The secret to a good dumpling is to the let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes after you mix it. This lets the flour "bloom" in the liquids and makes for a much more tender dumpling. This picture looks the closest to my own dish when it's done. There are a million recipes on the net for both the chicken and the dumplings. Here's mine for Chicken Paprikash.

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
1 large white onion - diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic - minced
1 whole chicken cut into pieces - skin on (to be removed later)
If the breast are whole, cut them in half so they are about the same size as the thighs.
1 T salt
Pepper to taste
4 - 5 T. sweet paprika (don't use the smoked paprika - it's too strong for this dish
Water or chicken stock or both - enough to cover the chicken
4 T flour
1/2 c water
1/2 c sour cream

Salt and pepper all the chicken pieces amply. In a large pot (dutch oven type) over medium high heat, brown all the chicken very well. It doesn't have to be cooked through, just brown. When it's just about brown enough, add in the diced onion and garlic and let them cook until they are a little softened careful not to burn the garlic.

Push the chicken aside in the pan, and add the paprika. Then immediately stir the chicken around to coat. Immediately add your liquid, enough to cover the chicken by about an inch. Turn the heat down to simmer, and let the chicken cook until it's almost, but not quite fall off the bone, about 45 minutes or so. When it's done, take all the chicken out to a platter. Let it cool for a few minutes so you can remove the skins. Also, now would be the time to de-fat the pot. If you let the pot sit for about 20 minutes, all the fat will rise to the top. Use paper towels, or a spoon or whatever method you use to skim the fat. You could also make this the night before and put it in the refrigerator so you can take the fat off before re-heating and finishing the dish. (I can't remember if Mom did all this skin removing and de-fatting, but I do.)

After you have removed the excess fat, in a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the 4 T of flour and water until smooth. Pour this mixture into the hot pot and stir well. Let the pot come back to a boil for just a second as this slurry will not reach it's full thickening potential unless it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer and add the sour cream. No more boiling here - it might break or curdle the sour cream. If it does break, the dish is not ruined. It's still completely edible - it's just a little unattractive.

Serve over any kind of dumplings or noodles you like. Make some Nokedli if you feel adventurous! This link will take you to a recipe that is almost exactly the way my Mom and I make the dumplings. We don't use a machine to make ours though. Mom cuts pieces off of a board, I use the tip of a teaspoon to cut pieces out of a bowl. I like my dumplings fairly large, about the size of a large grape after they cook (they swell quite a bit so don't cut your pieces too large if you do it by hand). But you can make them any size you like.

How to make Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings)
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.reliefnurses.com.au/archive/images/nokedli.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.reliefnurses.com.au/archive/feast.html&usg=__tCGZtUIWXHbqeZbI1OVaCRBKQZw=&h=265&w=300&sz=24&hl=en&start=6&sig2=pB2g4NhKD-njI-jqPdPMmA&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=vMrNDEj1tqqOmM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3DNokedli%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DG%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26channel%3Ds%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=TzP5S8CaEoOkNerUjIwF

Or just buy a package of potato gnocchi, use wide egg noodles, or use rice, or mashed potatoes.

Like any recipe, can be altered to your taste. Less Paprika (I wouldn't do that though). If you don't have a fresh onion in the house, throw a handful of dried onion flakes into the liquid. Leave out the sour cream. Add a big handful of fresh chopped parsley at the end. If you have wheat allergies, use rice flour to thicken the soup - it's works just the same. Add less or more garlic. The only cooking technique that has to be exact is baking, so go ahead and experiment. Next time I make this, I might try to add some shrimp. Mmmmm. Can't wait to try that one!

I've even taken this dish to another level and thinned it down with more chicken stock, a little more seasoning, taken all the meat off the bones carefully, and made it into a soup, adding lots of curly noodles and fresh parsley. When I served it at one of my Soup Nights, it turned out to be one of the favorites of the season. I actually stole this idea from a small restaurant in downtown Cleveland that was right across the street from where I worked. The Hanna Deli on 14th Street. The owners, Kathy and Fred, used to serve Chicken Paprikash Soup once in a while. It sold out before the lunch hour was over every time they featured it. So when I started my Soup Nights, I made sure it was on my list of soups.

Huge Lobster Tails with tons of butter and a baked potato. I've learned that it's really hard to find a giant lobster tail anywhere in a restaurant.You'll pay $30 - $40 and you get a tail that, in my opinion, is never big enough. So as a result it's something I rarely eat anymore because it's so expensive. Hmmmm, maybe I'll get my husband to take me out for lobster for my birthday!

Whenever I want lobster these days, if I feel like spending the money, I'll get tails from Sam's Club. They sell frozen tails that are pretty big for a fairly decent price. Two big tails for about $30. All you have to do is thaw and broil. Lobster is one of those foods that you need to be careful not to overcook. It'll get tough on you. No recipe needed. Just split them in half lengthwise and broil until the meat is just done. Depending on the size 5 - 10 minutes.

I've given up on whole lobsters too. The shells poke you, and are just too much trouble to tear apart. Have you ever tried to open a Spiny Lobster? It'll put at least a dozen holes in your hands unless you wear Kevlar gloves. And frankly, it's a little disgusting too (to me). Some people don't mind. I don't like my food looking at me. Tearing them apart is not only extremely messy, but I don't like to see what's inside, it's not appetizing to me. This picture shows the best way to serve lobster as far as I am concerned. Cooked to perfection; lightly browned and juicy and easy access. No digging around trying to pull out those tasty morsels. Just lift it out with a fork, dip in that golden melted butter and eat. Mmmmmm!

Hot Fudge Sundae with Wet Walnuts - Oh my gawd!!! Ice cream with nuts is the best! But when it's in the form of a Hot Fudge Sundae with Wet Walnuts, there isn't anything that can top it! Wet walnuts are walnuts that have been mixed up into a syrupy sauce made with maple syrup and some other flavors. They don't stay crunchy, but they still have a bite to them, sort of chewy/crunchy. There is a place here in Ocean City called Dumser's. You can get a small Hot Fudge Sundae with Wet Walnuts that is to die for! I had one for lunch about 2 years ago. I haven't had one since. But it was by far the best sundae I ever ate. And it wasn't cheap! It was $4.50 for a once scoop sundae! Maybe this summer I'll indulge in another one.

You can even make your own wet walnuts. Pretty easy. There are any number of recipes out there on the net. I have never made them since I would just eat them with a spoon in one sitting. Here is one that is simple and even suggests some adaptations to the recipe. http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/wet-walnuts-recipe/


Coconut Cake. Heavenly! I love coconut, I love cake, I love frosting. This cake has it all! Chocolate cake is yummy, yellow cake is yummy, I even like carrot cake, and spice cake which are both yummy. But Coconut Cake is right there at the top of the cake list. I haven't had for years. Maybe two or three years ago I had a piece at a fund raiser I attended. There were three or four huge logs of coconut cake for the slicing. I had two pieces! It was absolutely delectable! Creamy moist cake with butter cream coconut frosting that wasn't too sweet, and covered with fresh grated coconut. I don't have a recipe to share - I've never made one. I don't make whole cakes at home because I would just get a fork and eat right off the cake dish. So for me and my husband, no baking of cakes in my kitchen anymore. I'll still bake a cake and decorate one for someone else though. I save my cake tasting for events where cake is served and I am lucky enough to have been invited!

Believe it or not, I can't think of another thing to add to this list. Most everything else I love, I eat. With the exception of the Chicken Paprikash, the others are on the "Forbidden Foods" list. But never say never! Once in a while, I still indulge in a piece of coconut cake or a hot fudge sundae.

It was fun to write this blog! Ranting about the foods you love, even if you know you won't be indulging any time soon was fun to do.

What foods would make it to your favorites list?

SHAVED FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD

Last week, I posted a healthy, low fat, low calorie, high fiber dish for a Reader Request . Sounds boring, I know. But it was really yummy. As a matter of fact, later that same week, I made eight individual packets of the Tilapia With Vegetables in Olive Oil and Tarragon Sauce. I put one large or two small fillets in the packet with the veggies and seasonings and I ate if for lunch every day! It was that good. I have three left, so I froze them for another time.

For this week, I have another reader request who asked for good ways to use Fennel. Fennel is as beautiful growing as it is delicious. It has a light anise flavor and gets very sweet when cooked, sort of like a Vidalia onion, except not oniony. The tops can be eaten too and make a beautiful garnish. I grew some last year and before I could pick it all, it went to seed. So I let the seeds mature on the plant and harvested them. I keep them in a little jar and use them in spice mixes that I make myself, and I've used them in soups and marinades too. They would be wonderful ground up a little and used in home made bread, rolls, scones or cookies. Hmm, that gives me some ideas!

As it happens I love fennel so I've used it a time or two. I have found that it's a vegetable that not a lot of people have tried. It's gaining in popularity and there are a multitude of ways to use it in hot or cold dishes. I'll post a few different ideas for using it but with the warmer weather coming, I'm going to feature a cold dish. Shaved Fennel and Orange Salad. I couldn't find the recipe I used to use. My recipe box is still in the attic - a place I do not venture. So I looked up several on the Internet. None of them appealed separately, so I used what I thought were the best of each of them. Here's is what I came up with. Although the salad itself is fairly unique because so many people don't know about fennel, it's not a unique recipe. There are dozens of fennel salad recipes. Try looking for some others on the Internet. Don't let the seemingly lengthy directions put you off. It's really easy to make. Cut up a few ingredients, mix a dressing, and you are done.

SHAVED FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD

1 med. to large fennel bulb
3 small - medium navel oranges, or buy a jar of orange sections
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped pecans

For the dressing:
1/3 c. olive oil
1 med shallot or 1/2 of a small red onion, minced finely (or 1 t. dried onion flakes)
juice from one orange (plus extra)
1 T orange zest
1 small lemon, juiced (I didn't have fresh so I used store bought, but fresh would be best)
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. finely minced fennel top greens
1 t. salt
1 t. ground black pepper

For the oranges: if you are using fresh navel oranges, peel two of them with a knife and cut the sections from the pulp. This is called "supreming". Here is a link on how to do that. http://freshcatering.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-supreme-segment-orange.html

(You could also use a jar of orange sections that you can get at the grocery, but again, fresh would be best). Or, instead of cutting out the sections, slice off the peel with a knife so all the white is gone, and just slice them across the sections into 1/4 in slices. Put the orange pieces in a bowl. As they sit there, some juice will accumulate in the bottom of the bowl - pour this into a measuring cup to use for the dressing. Take the third orange and use a zester to get about a tablespoon of zest from it. Now cut it in half and just squeeze all the juice from it into the measuring cup for the dressing.

Chop off the long green stems of the fennel. If you have one, use a mandolin to shave the fennel bulb. If you don't have one, use a good sharp knife to cut it into the thinnest slices you can. Place the shaved fennel into a large bowl.

For the Dressing:
Dice the shallot (or red onion or a little dried onion flake if you don't have an onion) and add it to the measuring cup with the orange juice. Add all the other dressing ingredients and use a fork of a small whisk to mix vigorously until it thickens up. Taste it and re-season with salt or pepper if needed.

Pour the dressing over the fennel, oranges and dried cranberries. Mix well and let sit for about 10 minutes. Stir well. Serve with pecans sprinkled on top as a side dish, or as a lite lunch with some crusty bread and butter. This is a refreshing and unique salad you are sure to enjoy!

In the picture above I served it with Chive and Fontina Risotto Cakes. They were soooo good! Creamy and cheesy on the inside and crispy on the outside. They were wonderful with this Fennel Salad. I'd love to make these and have my girlfriends over for a lunch on the patio with a nice glass of chilly white wine - or two. Here is the link for that recipe from Ina Garten on the Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chive-risotto-cakes-recipe/index.html

One of my favorite ways to use fennel in a warm dish is to slice the fennel and saute in some olive oil. Then I add just a little salt and pepper and use it as a topping on a grilled steak. Luscious!

It's also delicious added to rice. Just slice a whole bulb like you would an onion and saute in olive oil until soft with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then add it to a pot of almost finished rice and let it cook with the rice until the rice is done. Serve it as a side with any meat or fish, or dice up your meat or fish and add it to the rice as a one dish meal.

It can be sliced like an onion from top to bottom, brushed with live oil and grilled as a side for chicken, beef or pork or fish.

Here is a link to a recipe for a wonderfully lite fennel soup: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fennel-Soup/Detail.aspx

Here is another fennel and orange salad that has arugula and a honey-lemon dressing.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Arugula-Fennel-and-Orange-Salad-2/Detail.aspx

Here's one for Fennel and Fig Scones! I will want to try these!!!
http://inpraiseofleftovers.com/2010/01/31/fig-and-fennel-scones/

DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY!

I missed blogging last Sunday. There was just too much going on. But I have the whole day to myself so I will have plenty of time to share my recipes and my thoughts today.

Last time I sent out my e-mail reminder for my weekly Blog, I invited readers to let me know if they would like me to address anything in particular. I got a response from a friend who has been enjoying my blog, and asked me if I would particularly address "Healthy" dishes. Today's recipe is about as healthy as you can get, and as easy as it gets too!

Tilapia with Vegetables In Lemon, Olive Oil and Tarragon Sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 or preheat the grill outside on medium with the lid closed

4 pieces of tilapia (or any nice white fish such as cod, halibut, whiting)
1 cupful of cut up carrots (I used the shortcuts cut in half lengthwise)
1 1/2 c. lima beans (use green beans of you prefer)
2 T. olive oil
1 -2 T. butter (optional - it's fine without the butter)
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. dried onion flakes or 1/2 small onion sliced into thin slices
1/4 t. dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

Place a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil on a sheet tray. Bend up the edges a little so when you add the liquid ingredients they don't run out.

Place the fish (frozen or thawed) on the center of the foil. Top it with the carrots, then the limas or green beans, add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and tarragon.

Now wrap the foil up around the fish like you see in this picture. Seal it up good so it won't leak, turn the ends up a little to keep liquids from seeping out. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes if you started with frozen ingredients, about 15 - 20 if you started with thawed.

After the time has elapsed, take the package out of the oven and open carefully (HOT STEAM!!) to check for doneness in the fish. It should be nice and white and flaky. If you think it's done, it is!

Serve with a few roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes made with some plain yogurt and a little 2% milk instead of cream and butter. Or if you're trying to watch what you eat, no need for anything else at all.

Don't like fish? You can adapt this recipe for chicken. Use chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breast cut into smaller pieces. Change up the veggies too - use broccoli, green beans edamame (soy beans) . Try the chicken with corn, diced tomatoes and green pepper with a light sprinkle of cumin for a Mexican flair . Whatever you like. Tarragon is very good on chicken, but you could use basil, thyme or oregano and of course, garlic and parsley. Experiment with flavors you like.

I'm not a nutritionist so I won't be able to provide calorie or fat content. And if you're on a special diet, don't take any advice I give you - check with your doc.

Portion control counts for a lot. Using healthy ingredients is important too. I use as little fat, salt and simple carbs as possible! I recently heard that people who leave out the carbs entirely from their diets are depriving themselves of the nutrition they give your brain! Apparently complex carbs train our brain to help us control the cravings we get for the cupcakes and the Wonder Bread. Complex carbs (whole grains, brown rice, root vegetables, beans, fruit) are good for you! Simple carbs (refined sugar, processed white flour, soft drinks) - BAD!

Olive oil, other lite oils such as sunflower or grape seed oil) veggies, fish and fruit can provide the nutrition that we all need that are so vital to health, but won't add those nasty cholesterol building fats or blood pressure raising sodium to your diet. Too much sodium also makes you retain water so you'll always be a couple of pounds heavier than you have to be if you take in too much sodium.

Don't let ingredients like sunflower or grapeseed oil put you off. They are a tad expensive, but not so much that one couldn't afford to keep a bottle at home. For example, I have a bottle of grapeseed oil that I paid about $5.00 for, and a bottle of sunflower oil for about $4.00. You only need a little when you use them, so once you have a bottle in your pantry, you will find that you can make many many dishes before the bottle is gone. I got the grapeseed oil at Peters Gourmet.com. It's a great site to find all kinds of goodies for very reasonable prices. The sunflower oil came from Marshall's in their gourmet department. They have a great little gourmet section where you can find all kinds of seasonings, sauces and other things also for pretty reasonable prices. I go often looking for things on sale. Anyway, don't let something that is an "unusual" ingredient put you off. You'll reap the benefits of healthier and tastier food.

I've had my share of flops trying to see if I liked different combinations. Part of learning what flavors go together is tasting them. You will never know if tarragon is good with beef until you taste it. It's NOT by the way. But its wonderful with chicken, fish and eggs. Thyme is perfect with chicken and even good in a marinade for beef, but I don't like it as much with pork. Pork loves rosemary and garlic and so does lamb. Garlic is good with everything, right? No! I don't particularly like garlic with eggs, and I'm not really all that wild about it with fish. Fish lends itself better to onions and fennel. But garlic is good on almost everything else. I don't think I have to elaborate on that. Almost everyone loves garlic! Of course, just because I don't like a certain combination, doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. You may love garlic with eggs!!

CHINESE TAKEOUT INTO MEXICAN RICE SALAD?

When I got home one day last week, my husband said we could do whatever I wanted to for dinner. So I said, " you pick for a change." So he said he would take me to the little Country Deli down the street. It's a little place I just discovered a few days ago after being here for nearly 5 years. Don't know how I missed it. A little tiny place that makes decent food. I don't know how this photo was taken, it's kind of weird - very wide angle lens I guess. I got it off the internet. It's tucked behind this gas station at the corner of Main and Old Ocean City Road. Don't blink if you are driving by, you won't see it. But, if we want to get something quick, we don't have to go all the way to Salisbury. Burgers, Philly cheese steaks, pizza, wings and all kinds of sandwiches and subs. And REAL milkshakes that are as chocolaty and creamy as can be. And call your order in ahead of time - it was really crowded with takeout customers the first time we stopped. We won't eat there often, but it'll be handy when we're in a hurry. I didn't feel like eating burgers or Philly cheese steaks or pizza shop pizza or wings. These are not on my menu 99% of the time - too "unhealthy".

So I said "Nah, I'll make something." It occurred to me that on the way home I thought of something I would like to make, so I decided to do that. I often spend time thinking about what I'll make for dinner on the way home. Especially if the talk show I'm listening to is a little off the wall that day. Uggh. I love talk radio, but when a host has on a very interesting guest and all this guy does is talk the whole time while his interesting guest listens to HIM on the other end of the phone. What a jerk he can be sometimes. Anyway. I digress - that is an entirely different subject. But it gave me time that evening to think about what I have at home and what I can do with it.

I remembered I had some rice leftover from Chinese takeout a couple of nights ago. We almost never eat the rice that comes with the meal, but I never throw it out either. I use it for rice pudding, or another home made stir fry, or even for soup. Tonight I wanted to make a cold rice salad. I love rice salad. I had some fresh veggies in the refrigerator so I started gathering everything I had that I thought would be good in it.

COLD RICE SALAD WITH CUMIN LIME DRESSING

1 container of cooked rice - probably about 2 cups
1 med zucchini, large dice (cucumber would be great too)
1 or 2 roma tomatoes, large dice
4 - 6 large crimini mushrooms, large dice(regular white button are fine too)
1 cup of frozen corn
2 - 3 T finely chopped cilantro
10 shrimp (optional) raw or already cooked. Freshly cooked would be the tastiest.
1 avocado, cut into cubes or slices (optional)
Dice red onion (optional) I didn't use any tonight, but it would be good in here
Cumin Dressing (recipes follows)

Cumin Dressing
1 T. Lime juice
2 T. canola or other light oil (I used sunflower oil)
1/2 t cumin
1 t salt
1/2 chili powder
1 T mayonnaise
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T dried onion flakes
1 large clove of garlic very finely mined or run through a garlic press

Chop all the veggies into cubes about the size of a small grape. Then just put all the salad ingredients except the shrimp in a bowl and stir well. You will top the salad with the shrimp.

Now place all the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk vigorously until creamy. The mayonnaise isn't there so much for flavor as it is to emulsify your salad dressing. Otherwise the oil and lemon juice and vinegar would separate. The dressing is creamy now and coats everything very nicely. Pour the dressing over everything and mix well.

Cut each shrimp into 3 pieces if they are large, leave them whole if they are small. If you are using raw, saute in a little tiny bit of oil until they are done. No seasoning necessary since the dressing is quite tasty.

Spoon some of the salad on a plate and top each serving with some of the cooked shrimp.

Ten shrimp is enough for 2 servings, but the whole recipe of rice salad is enough for 4 -6 servings.

I wasn't really sure how this salad would taste, but I knew I liked all the ingredients. It turned out better than I thought it would! It's good without the shrimp, (I had the leftovers without shrimp for lunch the next day) but the shrimp made it all the more delicious! I wanted to put avocado in it too, but when I cut open the avocado I had on the counter, it was too old to use (arggghh!!!!!) So I had to add it to the compost pile. If you like avocados, I know it would have been wonderful sliced on top of this salad. You could even add a can of rinsed black beans to the mix.

I think I will make this one for the family reunion picnic this year (minus the shrimp because it will be too hot outside to keep a salad sitting around with shrimp in it).

I guess I always knew this little tidbit, but I relearned it several years ago while reading my A-Z Cooking from the California Culinary Academy cookbook.
You may already know , but did you know that:
1 T. minced cilantro means mince the cilantro first, then measure it.
1 T. cilantro, finely minced, means first measure 1 T. of cilantro leaves, and then chop it.

The second way of measuring would yield much less cilantro, so when you are measuring things, be sure to notice how they are worded in a recipe. But of course, you can always alter quantities of ingredients to your taste no matter what a recipe says. I happen to love cilantro so I use a little more than is called for. Same with garlic. I tend to use a little more than is called for.



Did you know that crimini mushrooms are simply baby Portabellos? As they grow larger the top spreads out to be quite large. I've seen them up to 8 inches across. They have a much more earthy/meaty flavor than regular white mushrooms and are somewhat more firm. I have taken to using them almost exclusively. Portabellos are a great steak substitute for vegetarian recipes. Simply use the big portabellos in place of the steak -- top with blue cheese, splash A-1, grill and slice into a "steak" salad, even put them into a "beef" vegetable soup. Just use seasonings that would add to the flavor like McCormick's steak seasoning, A-1 sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. Maybe I'll experiment with a pot of that soup and post it in a future blog. They are also great stuffed with anything you like! A sausage or vegetable stuffing, your favorite crouton bread stuffing, crab stuffing, cornbread stuffing. They would make a great light meal or appetizer. As I write here, it occurs to me that I should do a whole blog on portabellos. If you are a mushroom lover, they are enormously versatile and delicious. These two photos are not mine, but how beautiful and tasty do these dishes look! The salad is from a site called www.pomwonderful.com. POM being pomegranates. Lots of great recipes. The panini is from the the McCormick site.

Here's a shopping tip for mushrooms. If you shop at a store where you can buy your mushrooms loose, in bulk, that is to say you can take two in a bag or you can take 20, they are MUCH cheaper. A 12 oz. container of prepackaged mushrooms is nearly $.90 more than the same weight of loose ones. And when you buy as many mushrooms as I do, that adds up.

I'll have to go shopping for some portabellos to try some dishes to share with you. Sam's Club has a pack of 4 really large ones for a very good price. Next time I'm there, I'll get some.

BEEF - IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER!

After a long afternoon in the garden I was getting really hungry. I planted carrots and lettuce, and fixed up the planters for the front porch with red salvia, and another pot with some pansies. I had a lot to finish up but even the sweet smell of composted manure I was using in the back flower bed didn't deter me from wanting to eat something.

We don't eat beef that often. But once in a while I find a nice cut on sale for a ridiculous price - $2.41!!! . So I bought it and made Roast Beef Paninis. Wow! These would have been $7.00 + each at Panera or some such place. And I got the bread on the day old rack for $1.50 (regular $2.50). I also found some other cuts of meat for about 1/2 price so I bought them and put them in the freezer for the family reunion picnic in August. I'm going to make some pulled pork.

Tonight it was London Broil marinated in:

1/4 balsamic vinegar
1 t. dried basil or 1 T fresh chopped finely
1 t. dried oregano or 1 T. fresh chopped finely
1 large clove of garlic pressed in a garlic press or very finely minced
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 t dried onion flakes or 1 T. dried onion flakes


Put all of these ingredients with the London broil into a large self seal bag and let it marinate for at least 1 hour. Massage the bag a little to press the flavors into the meat. Over night is great. In the meantime...

Make some dressing to coat some arugula or some shredded romaine:

1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. Olive Oil
1 t dried basil
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground pepper
1/8 t. salt

Whisk until well mixed and slightly thickened.

Coat about 1 cup full of greens for two sandwiches with enough dressing to coat the greens without being too runny.

Now make a little herbed mayonnaise: add just a teaspoon of dried tarragon to about 4 T. of mayonnaise and mix well. Set aside.

Now, slice open two whole or multi grain sub rolls and lightly coat the outside of the rolls with a little olive oil. Now either put them in a panini grill or into a skillet and brown them lightly.

Open the warmed rolls and add a slice of Swiss or provolone cheese. Turn off the heat source and place the rolls back on the grill or back in the skillet and just let them sit there in the warm pan melting the cheese.

OK - now everything is ready. Turn on the broiler and broil the beef for about 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. About 10 minutes on each side for well done. It will be a little dry if you do it too well done.

Let the roast sit for about 10 minutes before you slice it. Slice it into very thin slices.

Now assemble the sandwiches. Add the sliced beef to the the rolls and slather with the tarragon mayonnaise. Top with the dressed arugula or shredded romaine. Cut in half and serve with a yummy dill pickle and a handful of chips. Yummy! What treat to have a roast beef panini after a week of minestrone, linguine with clam sauce, and a meatloaf made with ground turkey!

This sandwich was very satisfying and filling. I could only eat half which means that I have a half left for breakfast tomorrow. Yes, I love eating sandwiches for breakfast. About 30 seconds in the nuke at work and I have a breakfast that keeps me going all the way up to lunchtime.

I made myself a lovely cocktail too. I was again going through one of my pantry spaces and saw 6 cans of peaches in lite syrup. What to do with these???? I took two cans of them and put them into my blender and pureed them. They were now an ingredient for my peach martini.

Vanilla Peach Martini

8 shots of vanilla vodka
4 shots of peach schnapps
8 shots of peach puree

Now pour about 2 shots of this mixture into a martini glass. Fill the glass with club soda or ginger ale, or even a club soda flavored with lemon.

I don't have a name for it, but it is definitely a delicious peach martini.

There were a thousand things on my to do list this weekend, and I finished maybe 950 of them. The rest will have to wait until next weekend. But I made sure I took the time to make something that we would enjoy eating. It was the only real meal of the day, so it was worth waiting for.