Mother's Day Dessert

Well I made my Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce for Mother's Day but, instead of using grilled peaches with my homemade frozen yogurt, I used cubed Angel Food Cake. The store I went to wasn't carrying peaches yet and I didn't have the time to run down to the Farmer's Market to pick some up. However, it still turned out absolutely delicious.

This is a recipe you could serve anytime. It was light and fresh with just a bit of tang to it.

I decided to use 0% plain Greek Yogurt when making my frozen yogurt. I think it tasted great. However, for those of you that haven't acquired a taste for Greek Yogurt you may just want to stick with the normal variety of plain yogurt that isn't quite as tangy.

Here's how I made it.

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt
serves 6-8

3 cups plain Yogurt (I used 0% Greek Yogurt)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine all together and blend to dissolve the sugar.

Add contents to your ice machine (follow manufacturers directions)

When frozen yogurt is finished, cut up pieces of Angel Food Cake and add to individual plates or bowls. Add a scoop(s) of frozen yogurt on top of the cake, then drizzle Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce on top of yogurt and serve. YUM!!

I hope you enjoy this luscious dessert!

First Low Carbon Restaurant

For those of you that are vegetarians or vegans you might find this restaurant to be a MUST on your list the next time you're in New York or London.

I discovered this restaurant while reading one of my foodie magazines today. I found it so fascinating and amazed that it's actually taken this long for one to open.

The restaruant is called Otarian. Their menu looks delicious to me and I like how they describe their vision. Of course, if you eat meat it may not appeal to you. I eat meat but claim I could be a vegetarian since I could eat veggies all day and prefer them over almost anything. I'm not sure that I could become a vegan though.

Check out their site and the menu. Each menu item lists their carbon comparison with nutritional information and ingredients. I especially like the looks of the Roasted Vegetable Lasagna.

Browse their website and please let me know what you think. It doesn't say that franchises are available but it does have career opportunities for those of you that may be interested.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and if you're a vegetarian or vegan how has it changed your life.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

This weekend for Mother's Day I thought for dessert I would make Grilled Peaches, which have just come in season, with Homemade Vanilla Frozen Yogurt and a Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce to go on top.

I made the Strawberry-Rhubarb sauce last week and put it on top of sliced pound cake with vanilla ice cream. It was amazing, and everyone else thought so as well. But I thought I'd try to make the meal light and healthy for everyone so I'll be using frozen yogurt in place of ice cream and grilling up peaches instead of using the pound cake.

However, if you try this recipe and don't feel like going to the trouble of grilling fruit and making homemade frozen yogurt then purchase the store bought ice cream/yogurt and pound cake, it's sure to be a hit.

This recipe comes from a wonderful book called, "Eating Local." It talks about farmers throughout the U.S. and their stories, plus recipes that they've created with the foods they grow. It's a beautiful book with an important message to everyone. Support our local farmers by purchasing sustainable foods.

Strawberry -Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, cored and quartered lengthwise
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
6-8 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Put the berries, rhubarb, orange juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Set over moderate heat and heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cover, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruit softens and forms a sauce, about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the saucepan, reducing the heat if the mixture threatens to bubble over. Cool slightly, then taste and add more sugar if desired. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill thoroughly.

Prepare your dessert as desired and spoon approximately 1/3 cup sauce over each portion. Serve immediately.

I know you're going to love this. If for some reason you're not comfortable using the fresh Rhubarb then you can purchase the frozen kind using the same amount. Although the purpose of this stunning book is to use farm fresh ingredients. Here's some information that you might like to read about Rhubarb from Friedas.com that might help you feel more comfortable about cooking with it.

Enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo

Well tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. So many people I know love to go out and celebrate drinking Margarita's and eating lots of great Mexican food. But if you're not up to going out why not celebrate at home with your own great fiesta?

Tomorrow night I'll be fixing Grilled Shrimp with a Tomatillo Sauce, Grilled Beef Fajitas and a kicked up Coleslaw. Of course we can't forget the Margarita's.

If you've never made a tomatillo sauce you have to try this. It's simple and delicious! But first let me share with you a few facts about the Tomatillo that maybe you didn't know.











Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine and the key ingredient in Salsa Verde. Sometimes referred to as green tomatoes, Tomatillos are similar to tomatoes, but feature a papery outer husk. Roasted or boiled, then pureed, Tomatillos have a vibrant tart-lemony-grassy taste that adds a bright note to salsas, enchiladas and other Latin-inspired dishes.

Whether hosting a fiesta or getting together with family, home cooks can add a delicious Mexican flair to dishes with the bright and tangy Tomatillo, currently available at local supermarkets.

Tomatillo means “little tomato” in Spanish. Cultivated since Aztec times, Tomatillos are closely related to Cape Gooseberries and Chinese Lantern Plants with their beautiful papery calyxes that cover the glossy green fruits like little lampshades.

Tomatillos range in size like tomatoes, but their greenish-yellow skin and flesh is much firmer, less juicy and contains very small seeds. They feature a slightly acidic taste with a bright, lemony flavor, but they are mild with no spiciness or peppery heat.

Select Tomatillos that are firm and dry, with clean, close-fitting husks that show no blackness or mold. The fruits should be hard; they do not give like tomatoes. Store loosely wrapped in your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer for up to 2 weeks.

When ready to prepare, remove the husk (a slightly sticky residue underneath the husk is normal), chop up the fruit and boil or puree until tender. Or, roast husked fruits whole in the oven or on the barbecue.

When combined with vinegar, onion and a bit of spicy chile peppers, Tomatillos make a divine Salsa Verde (“Green Salsa”). Add to that some fresh cilantro and roasted corn, and you’ve got a lip-smacking multi-purpose sauce, dressing and dip. (If you find the flavor too tart, mellow it out with a touch of honey or sugar.) Use homemade Tomatillo sauce for enchiladas, Tex-Mex casseroles, tacos or quesadillas. (Although Tomatillos can be eaten raw, most preparations involve some amount of heat for tenderizing the firm flesh.)

To find out more about Tomatillos or other vegetables or fruits in season check out Frieda's. It's a wonderful site with a wealth of information.

Here's a great recipe for Grilled Shrimp with a Tomatillo Sauce.




Grilled Shrimp with Tomatillo Sauce
Serves 6

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed (tohm-ah-tee-oh)

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

24 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Prepare grill.

1. Cook tomatillos in a large pot of boiling salted water about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to blender or food processor. Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Process sauce until smooth.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium sauté pan. Add tomatillo sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, set aside to cool.

3. Toss shrimp with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, toss to coat shrimp. Grill shrimp over medium hot coals or gas grill for about 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Ladle sauce onto 6 plates. Arrange shrimp on top of sauce.

Whether you decide to celebrate this festive holiday or not you still have to try out this recipe. It's really good!

Memory Lane

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I had some favorite foods as a kid. Although they aren't gourmet I still love them to this day.

So when the weather suddenly turned from warm to rainy and cold this past weekend I got a craving for none other than "Sloppy Joes".

I fell in love with Sloppy Joes when I was in elementary school and somehow it still holds a special place in my stomach and childhood memories. The other was spaghetti with meat sauce from Parkmoor the restaurant. My family use to go there on a regular basis and I just loved their spaghetti or their premium frank, which I can't eat anymore without feeling sick.

Getting back to my Sloppy Joes, I decided to make them for dinner tonight in anticipation that it was suppose to rain all day. Of course, it was sunny and warm but, with the ingredients in hand already, I prepared them. Although this time I served them on a whole grain bun which is better for you than on a white bun. They were scrumptuous! Just like I remembered.

Sloppy Joes will bring you back to your childhood and hey, if you have kids they'll love them as well. Just like many of us did as children.

So here's the recipe for Sloppy Joes that I've been making for years. It reminds me of those days running around the grade school cafeteria. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, if you try them.

Sloppy Joes
serves 6

1 lb ground sirloin
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup ketchup
2 ribs celery, finely chopped

Brown the ground sirloin and onion together in a skillet. Drain and add the remaining ingredients. Mix and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

They're great served with sweet potato fries and coleslaw, some other favorites of mine.

Edamame Pesto

I love pesto. When I was making dinner last night which was a roasted turkey with carrots and potatoes, I was in the mood for some pesto. Unfortunately I didn't have any basil. So I looked around to see what I had that maybe I could substitute for the basil.

I looked in my freezer and saw a bag of shelled Edamame. So I thought, "hmmm" would that work? I decided what the heck, why not try. So I set the Edamame out for a bit to defrost a little and then decided to whip up a batch. To my surprise it tasted fantastic and the color was such a beautiful bright lime green. Plus with the added Edamame it provides lots of nutrition.

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):

•120 calories
•9 grams fiber
•2.5 grams fat
•1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
•0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
•11 grams protein
•13 grams carbohydrate
•15 mg sodium
•10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
•10% Daily Value for iron
•8% Daily Value for vitamin A
•4% Daily Value for calcium
As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

Edamame alone makes a delicious soy snack besides providing your body with so many health benefits.

Eat it alone or try my version of Edamame Pesto. To add even more freshness to this already delicious pesto add some fresh chopped tomatoes on top.

Edamame Pesto
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 (10 oz) package shelled Edamame, defrosted
3 tablespoon Pine Nuts
1 clove Garlic
pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil

In a food processor, place Edamame, pine nuts, garlic and sea salt and process to a paste. Add cheese and drizzle in the olive oil. Store in an air tight jar. Will keep for about a week.

Enjoy!

Boost Your Intake of Fiber

Americans don't seem to be getting enough fiber in their diets. I know it's hard with everyone always on the run to eat just right. However, it's important for our bodies and to set a good example for our children especially while they are young. Instill good eating habits at an early age and they will carry over for a lifetime.

My family tries very hard to eat a low fat, high fiber diet. Of course I love to cook so when I prepare our meals I will always opt for fresh ingredients and if using rice I always use whole grain or brown. White isn't even an option anymore. However it goes far beyond that.

It's important to eat foods containing naturally occurring fiber as often as you can. Eating "fiber-fortified" foods is not the same as eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Though it's quick and easy to grab a high-fiber breakfast bar and a fiber-fortified yogurt, you're not getting the same benefits as you would from a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal with berries and milk. Not to mention it will help to lower your cholesterol.

Always check the ingredient list on the package. Don't rely on what's printed on the front of the packaging. A claim that a product is "made with five grams of whole grain per serving" is not the same as containing five grams of fiber if the grain is mostly refined white flour.

Instead, fill your grocery cart with fiber-rich foods for the best health benefits. Some good choices include:

• Dried beans and quick-cooking legumes such as lentils
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains such as brown rice, farro and rolled oats
• 100 percent whole-wheat bread
• 100 percent whole-grain pasta
• Nuts and seeds

If you opt for fiber-fortified foods, such as some yogurts and even some bottled waters, it's important to be educated about food labels. Added fiber is not necessarily the same as naturally present fiber.

Isolated fibers, or fibers that are added to processed foods, include:

• Inulin (also called chicory root extract)
• Maltodextrin
• Polydextrose
• Oat, soy and corn fiber
• Corn and wheat starch
• Gums (arabic, guar, acacia)

Research has confirmed the benefits of real fiber-rich plant foods — whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Plus you get the added health benefits of other vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients naturally present.

You can add fiber to your diet like whole grain pasta - but be careful!

• Check for the "100% Whole Grain" stamp from the Whole Grains Council. This certifies that all the grain is whole and the contents contain at least 16 grams of whole grains per serving.

• Look for the phrase "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain." Including the words "whole grain" or "wheat" on the label may be misleading because the product may contain mostly refined grain with a little whole grain.

• Check the ingredients label for "whole wheat flour" or "whole durum wheat flour." "Semolina" or "durum wheat flour" minus the word "whole" makes it a refined grain.

• Don't assume that health food brands or organic pastas are always whole grain.

Always read the fine print in the ingredients section to be sure that what's posted on the front of the packaging is what you're actually getting.

Eating a healthy diet isn't impossible. If you take the time to plan ahead preparing healthy meals will come easy.

Below is a recipe that's not only high in fiber, it's low in cholesterol, low in saturated fats, high in calcium and potassium and it's heart healthy. It sounds like a winner to me!

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon
Serves 6
From EatingWell

Salmon and lentils are a familiar combo in French bistro cooking; here they combine in a quick and easy salad. For the best presentation, flake the salmon with a fork, then stir gently into the salad to keep it in chunks, not tiny bits.


1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 15-ounce cans lentils, rinsed, or 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (see Tip)
2 7-ounce cans salmon , drained and flaked, or 1 1/2 cups flaked cooked salmon

Preparation

1.Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add bell pepper, cucumber, onion, lentils and salmon; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Tip:

To cook lentils: Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for green lentils and 30 minutes for brown. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Nutrition

Per serving: 354 calories; 18 g fat (3 g sat, 12 g mono); 31 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 9 g fiber; 194 mg sodium; 743 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus:
Vitamin C (80% daily value), Folate (49% dv), Selenium (40% dv), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 1/2 fat