Monthly Archives: August 2011

Just Keep Swimming Smoothy

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Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Dory, Finding Nemo

For a very long time, I have loved swimming, despite not being an especially good or graceful swimmer. I just like it, plain and simple. I like how I feel weightless, almost like flying. I like how my body feels afterwords, both tired and relaxed at the same time. I like how it’s the only place where my million-thoughts-a-minute brain is not thinking or worrying about anything other than staying afloat and not hitting the person next to me. It’s as close to meditation as I’ll probably ever come.

The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.  John “The Penguin” Bingham, runner and writer

Swimming, for me at this age, comes with lots of barriers. When it comes to excuses, I am an Olympic athlete. I could write a whole post dedicated to my excuses, but instead I’ll just say this: ugly and unflattering Speedo bathing suit, expensive hair + chlorine = green hair, extra large head stuffed in a swim cap, painful goggles, looking like a fat, clumsy fool in public, and, uh, personal grooming. You want more? Oh, I’ve got more.

Recently I cast all my excuses aside and jumped back in the pool after a twenty year hiatus. All of those silly things that mattered so much to me mean nothing once I’m in the pool. It has truly been one of the best things I have done for myself, and my only regret is that I didn’t start sooner.

True nobility isn’t about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be. Dr. Wayne Dyer

I can never eat too much before a workout, but watch out after! Today I made a very unwise food choice for my post-swimming meal, so I decided to concoct something healthy and filling for tomorrow’s breakfast: a green smoothie! I have been on and off the smoothie train over the years, and I feel like the time is right to introduce them back into my world. Who knows what other good things will follow? In the meantime, I will just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

Just Keep Swimming Smoothy

Serves 2

2 cups plain Greek Yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup uncooked spinach

1 pitted peach

1 teaspoon real vanilla

1 Tablespoon real maple syrup

Milk (optional)

Combine all in blender until smooth. Add milk to thin it out if desired.

Peach Crisp

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We lost power for a grueling fourteen hours, and this was my main thought: The peaches! The peaches! I never got to make peach crisp this summer and now it’s going to be toooooo laaaaate.

I probably should have been worried about 1) How long can Andrew’s tropical fish survive without a heater? or 2) Will my kids be able to attend their first day of school smoothly tomorrow? or 3) Will I have to shower at the YMCA? or 4) How will I feed everyone tomorrow? Or the next day? Or the next day?

But Peach Crisp was on my list of things to do this summer, and my peaches weren’t getting any younger. Thankfully Irene spared us, so I was only without an oven for one meal. Peach Crisp, I am sorry I waited until the last minute!

After much perusing of recipes and reviews, I settled on this Peach Crisp recipe from Anne Burrell but adapted rather liberally. I doubled the peaches from five to ten, and instead of ramekins (do people really have those? I don’t) I used a 9 x 9 square pan. I omitted raisins, because ewww, raisins. I did not change the sugar content or anything else, and it was still pleasantly sweet, even with twice the peaches. After 35 minutes I started watching it carefully, because it can go from undercooked looking to overly brown in a flash, but it does need a few extra minutes to brown if you use a larger dish.

Peach Crisp, adapted from Anne Burrell

Ingredients

Filling

  • 5 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut into chunks (Dawn used 10 with nice results)
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch kosher salt

Topping:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pea sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
  • Special equipment: 6 (6-ounce) ramekins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

Toss the peaches in a large bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Place peaches in 9 x 9 pan or pie dish.

For the topping:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is clumpy but crumbly.

Loosely sprinkle the topping and do not pack it down. The idea is to look very crumbly and not neat. What, this old thing?

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping, brown and crispy.

Note: This is great served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Topping in food processor

Hurricane Irene Baked Penne with Sausage and Peppers

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Severe weather makes me want to cook. Quite possibly this is due to our frequent and sometimes prolonged power outages and fear of losing my refrigerator’s contents.

Today I was determined to use the last of the tomato crop to make homemade sauce, something I have never done before with fresh tomatoes. I blanched and then peeled and then simmered and then congratulated myself on being such an outstanding homemaker, the kind who makes fresh sauce right before a hurricane. Pride is a sin; when will I learn that? I was grinding some sea salt into my sauce when — BOOM! — the top broke off and dumped about 20 tablespoons of salt into my pot. Then I cried a little.

All that work down the drain!

When faced with going out to the store for tomatoes with all of the crazies buying batteries and milk, Ed decided hunting down more tomatoes from the garden was the preferable option. These were not the grade A tomatoes I just ruined (shown below, RIP), but there were enough to make another sauce. I was kind of hoping he would have fetched me a couple jars of Barilla at this point, but sometimes you just have to start over. I put on Pandora’s French Cafe music station and got back to work.

Peeled tomatoes

Shallot, basil and garlic

This will work equally well with ziti or penne, with sausage or without. Don’t skimp on the cheese, though!

Simple Tomato Sauce

About 10 Roma or plum tomatoes, peeled and cut in half

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 handful of basil

1/2 cup red wine

salt to taste

In a large stockpot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot to soften for about two minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, garlic, tomatoes, wine, and sugar. Cover with lid ajar and simmer over low heat, about 30 minutes. With potato masher, break up tomatoes until well combined, and continue to simmer for at least another 10 minutes. Add salt to taste, being careful not to dump the whole container into your pot.

or

2 cans premium tomato sauce

Hurricane Irene Baked Penne with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

Sauce of your choice, see above

1 package ziti or penne, cooked to al dente instructions

1 pound sausage, browned (I used hot Italian poultry sausage, Irene’s favorite)

1 onion, chopped

1 large pepper, chopped

Whole milk ricotta cheese, 15 oz.

2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown sausage and add to sauce, simmering on low. In same skillet, saute onion and pepper, then add to sauce. Mix in ricotta cheese until well combined. Add 1 cup mozzarella, stir well, and then add pasta. All ingredients are now in one pot, see below.

Pour into a deep casserole dish or 13 x 9 glass pan, spread evenly, and top with one cup mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve with red wine, unless you are worried that you will be without power for several days and want to save your wine for emergencies.

Dawn’s NOT Award-Winning Spicy Chili

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Ed convinced me to enter my chili in a chili cook-off, and I immediately got to work on concocting a recipe. After much tweaking and experimentation and a little heartburn, I came up with what I believed to be a very strong contender: chili with a decent thickness, sufficiently spicy but not make-you-cry-spicy, and layered southwestern flavors, both subtle and complex. I tried to incorporate the best elements of my favorite chili recipes, and I felt good about my entry.

But I didn’t win. I can be a gracious loser if I believe my opponent is truly better than me in the arena. Totally fixed but whatever. I was not a gracious loser. My family, however, gave me their own made up out of pity very sweet People’s Choice Award, since my pot of chili was the most empty out of 20+ pots. That has to count for something, right?

For the big competition, I used dried beans because the texture is just immeasurably better than canned. However, for a normal Wednesday night, I have no problem using canned beans. Just be sure to rinse and drain really well. Grated cheese, sour cream, and cornbread are essential partners here. Beer won’t hurt, either.

Like most of my recipes, this one isn’t so much of an exact science — more like some loose guidelines. Try it, and who knows? Maybe yours will actually win a real award.

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 large can pureed tomatoes

1/2 can or bottle of lager or light beer

1/2 cup brewed coffee

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/4 to 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (see picture above)

2 cans dark red kidney beans

1 can corn

In a large dutch oven, brown the ground beef. Do not drain fat. Add chopped onion and yellow pepper and cook about five minutes. Add tomatoes, beer, coffee and all seasonings. Simmer another five minutes. Coarsely chop about 1/4 of the chipotles and add them to the mixture, including the adobo sauce and the chopped jalapeno. Add kidney beans and corn, and cook over very low heat (or in a crockpot) for at least one hour. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and cornbread.

Review: Siggi’s Non-Fat Yogurt, Icelandic Style Skyr

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Before I submit my first review for Siggi’s non-fat Icelandic style yogurt called skyr, there are a few things you should know about me. I am generally not a fan of non-fat yogurt. I believe that fat is a good and important part of the yogurt experience, so my general philosophy is “the more the better.” I am also not a fan of high sugar contents, both for health reasons and for taste reasons. And of course corn syrup has no place in anything other than pecan pie, so don’t get me started on that topic. Finally, I am a sucker for tasteful packaging. Truth be told, it was the packaging that led me to this yogurt.

Skyr is not just a turtleneck from the preppy glory days of the 1980s (loved those, by the way). Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland, and it contains 3 to 4 times the amount of milk as a traditional cup of yogurt, but without the whey (milk-water), so it has the texture of a high fat yogurt without the fat. This yogurt is incredibly high in protein and low in fat and calories: 14 g protein, 0 g fat, 9 g sugar, 100 calories. If you are a person who likes high protein drinks after working out, two of these yogurts would give you more protein for less calories than Muscle Milk, plus the added bonus of containing ingredients your average second grader could pronounce: Skim Milk, Agave Nectar, Candied Ginger Orange Extract, Live Active Cultures, Vegetable Rennet. Okay, they might pronounce Agave like A-gave and not A-gah-vay, but we’ll cut them a break. Unless your second grader is in Mensa, I’m pretty sure they couldn’t pronounce most of the Muscle Milk ingredients.

But what about the taste? I’m not going to lie. If you like sweet yogurts (fake or otherwise), this probably won’t appeal to you. I don’t like sweet yogurts, and it was still a bit of an acquired taste. But by the end, I was pleasantly satisfied. Maybe next time I may add just a smidge of maple syrup to it, just the tiniest drop, or even pair it with some fresh fruit. I will definitely buy this again, and feel good about myself for doing so.

Charmoula

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Do you have any recipes which you cut out from newspapers or magazines that are so old, so well loved, they are yellowed and food stained and kind of disgusting looking? Behold, this is my recipe for charmoula, a versatile North African sauce that goes well on everything from seafood to vegetables to rice!

Isn’t she a beaut? I can already feel my mother cringing from here.  Sorry, Mom! I will lovingly type it out by my own hand just in case anyone wants a non-disgusting copy of this recipe to print out.

Charmoula

From Mustapha Rouissiya

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Combine all the ingredients and whisk together or process in a blender or food processor. Can be made in advance and stored several days in the refrigerator or frozen.

We served this tonight atop grilled salmon, along with brown rice and sesame green beans.

Amy’s Texas Caviar

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I first tried this Texas caviar at my friend Amy’s house, and I was surprised at how much I liked it. I have tried other Texas caviars through the years, but none of them ever impressed me all that much. However, this one has the perfect blend of sweetness and tartness, plus the smoothness of avocado. Don’t be overly concerned about the cup of sugar; the marinade is drained before serving, so most of it is not consumed.

My friends who ate this tonight gave it high praise, so I’m not the only one smitten with Amy’s Texas caviar. I followed Amy’s lead and served it with Fritos Scoops. I am quite sure we can find healthier delivery systems if we tried, but the salty Fritos really are a lovely compliment.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 can black eyed peas, rinsed well

1 can shoepeg corn, rinsed well

1 can pinto beans, rinsed well

1 jar red pimentos, rinsed well

1/2 diced green pepper

1/2 diced red onion

1 avocado, diced

cilantro

parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Mix first 3 ingredients in a saucepan to make marinade. Bring to a boil and let cool.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl except for avocado, cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour marinade over this at least 2 hours before serving. Drain just before serving. Add diced avocado, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.

Dawn’s Ten Tomato Garden Salsa

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Google “salsa recipes” and you will find approximately four million. This is my own spin on classic salsa. Is it unique? Not especially. Is it a good use of ten tomatoes from a garden overrun with tomatoes? Most definitely! It is simple and fresh, with a bit of heat…probably somewhere between medium and hot.

Ingredients:

10 ripe (but not necessarily perfect looking) tomatoes. I used mostly Romas today.

2 jalapeno peppers, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped (not minced)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 Vidalia (or other sweet) onion, diced

1 lime, juiced

1/2 to 1 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for tomatoes, and mix well. Use caution when handling the jalapenos.

Dice tomatoes and add to the bowl. Stir gently. Cover and chill for at least two hours to let the flavors properly develop. You will want to try it sooner, but don’t! It will be worth the wait. This yields a lot of liquid, so use a slotted spoon when placing in serving bowl.

Almost the last of the tomato crop.

Two of the dozens of jalapenos we have growing in our garden.

Just add chips and beer!

Wegmans Red Quinoa Avocado Salad

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I love quinoa. It’s fun to eat, and it’s fun to say. (And just in case you’re unsure, it’s pronounced KEEN-wah). Quinoa, quinoa, quinoa! Quinoa is one amazing little grain. Technically it’s a chenopod. One important thing to know about quinoa, aside from its deliciousness and versatility, is that it’s very healthy and a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. Another important thing to know is that you shouldn’t eat all ten servings of this by yourself, even if you want to. Don’t ask me how I know this.

Wegmans is my grocery store of choice. This recipe first appeared in the Wegmans Winter 2011 Menu magazine, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Not only is it healthy and delicious, it’s also beautiful (or “aesthetically pleasing,” as our friends at Project Runway would say). It is the perfect summer salad and quite the crowd pleaser.

I feel the same way about salad dressing as I do about frosting: Always make your own! It’s super easy and so much healthier. So while you can certainly buy the Wegmans brand lemon vinaigrette, I am also including my own lemon vinaigrette recipe below for you to try.

Ingredients

1 pkg (7 oz) Red Quinoa, cooked per pkg directions, chilled
1 pkg (12 oz) Frozen Super-Sweet Corn, thawed
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the bias (I used a red onion since it’s all I had on hand)
2 plum tomatoes, 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup). Ed likes extra tomatoes.
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, cubed small
1/2 cup Food You Feel Good About Lemon Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Add cooked quinoa, corn, cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes to mixing bowl. Fold in avocados and dressing; mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

 

Dawn’s Lemon Vinaigrette

Whisk together:
Juice of one large lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. maple syrup

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

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I first had this chicken at Ed’s nephew’s house during an Eagle’s football game, and I knew right away I would be serving it often. We are lucky to have many of my husband’s relatives close by, so we get to socialize quite a bit. While I am technically “the aunt,”  I think of them more as friends than as kinfolk. In addition to being great friends and family, they are fabulous entertainers who give me some of my best ideas. Thanks for this one, Tiff!

This is from the June 2006 Cooking Light magazine, and you can certainly serve it as is with outstanding results. I, however, like to crockpotify almost anything I can get my hands on, so after I post the regular recipe, I will explain how I modify for the crockpot.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • Cooking spray

Sauce:

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • Remaining ingredients:
  • 8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
  • 16 hamburger dill chips

Preparation:

  • Prepare grill.
  • To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.
  • To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
  • Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.
Note: The chicken and sauce can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
JUNE 2006

Dawn’s Crockpotification and Notes Follow:

Rub spice mixture above onto both sides chicken thighs and place in crockpot on low.

After several hours, chicken will look like this. Don’t be alarmed!

Remove chicken from crockpot and place on a plate. Drain most of the liquid from the crockpot. Return chicken to crockpot, and pull it apart using two forks. This should be very easy and look like this once you’re finished:

You’re almost done! Add the barbecue sauce, and keep on lowest setting until serving. The barbecue sauce is very easy to make and has a great flavor, so I highly suggest giving it a try…but I won’t judge you if you use something from a jar!

p.s. I have to apologize for the poor lighting on these pictures. It was a dreary day yesterday, and the natural light was minimal. Looking at them today, they have a bit of a creepy and unappetizing vibe, but trust me, it is a good recipe!