Here, I lovingly share with you some stuff I've learned from an entire 28.5 years of liking to eat food:
1. Even if you wash your hands thoroughly five or six times, you will still burn your eye if you touch it after chopping jalapeno peppers.
2. Milk tastes better when it comes straight from the carton or jug. Don’t judge me. You’ve probably done it too.
3. If you cannot pronounce it, you probably should not eat it. This was a hard lesson for the former Queen of Chef Boyardee, but I have journeyed the long, difficult road to more natural, healthier foods and it’s been worth it. You’d be shocked at how much sodium is in almost all prepared foods, and how bad it is for your heart!
4. Never put noodles in the crock pot. You will end up with a huge, soggy dumpling instead of fluffy golden pasta. It’s gross.
5. Speaking of crock pots, spices are dramatically intensified when used in slow cooker recipes. Only put about half the amount you’d use if you were making a similar dish on the oven. No one wants rosemary chicken that tastes more like rosemary than chicken.
6. Try new things. Often. When I was a kid, I had a great many allergies and that, coupled with my “American” sense of taste, kept me from eating anything other than mac ‘n’ cheese, burgers and Betty Crocker fruit snacks. Starting when I worked in Oakland, I became daring enough to try Tandoori chicken and naan bread, yellow curry, lamb kebabs, sushi and sashimi, gumbo, crawfish po’boys, and plenty of other treats - like avocados - I never would have looked at as a child. Best part: not allergic to any of them!
7. The best part of cooking is the creativity. Figure out which flavors work best together, and create meals around them: Lemon, rosemary and thyme over chicken! Rice flavored with cilantro, dill, and lime! Heavy oregano, garlic and basil for turkey burgers! Sesame, lemon and olive oil over fresh green beans! Once you have a “line-up” of flavor combinations, it’s easier to try new things. Below, I have offered a few recipe ideas, too.
8. Unless you’re crazy picky about your exotic produce, try a local farmer’s market or Aldi’s for great prices. As Ross and I are trying to increase the fresh fruits and veggies in our diet (far easier said than done!), we’re realizing that it costs a lot, plus in a lot of cases we end up throwing things away because they go bad before we can eat them. We get our staples (carrots, potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, bananas and peppers) at Aldi’s and go to Market District for our other faves: asparagus, avocado and big, beautiful Granny Smith apples because the quality and selection is better there.
9. Despite attempting to eat healthier, Ross and I still enjoy fast food maybe twice a month (trust me, we both regret it any more often than that!). We’re fans of Chick-fil-A. Although, like every other fast-food joint, the offerings are high in fat, calories and sodium, we love the company’s values. And: the Spicy Chicken Sandwich is fantastic! Our other weakness is Little Caesar’s because their five dollar “Hot ‘n’ Ready” pizzas are literally around the corner and when I work late on Fridays, Ross “makes” dinner for us. It’s okay to indulge sometimes.
10. Generic brands are not only acceptable, but recent studies have shown that, in most cases, they are the exact same quality as brand-name versions. A lot of what Ross and I purchase is generic, if it’s cheaper. Sometimes it’s not, especially during big sales so buy carefully. The only products I draw the line for are peanut butter, cream cheese and feminine care items. I do not ever buy generic there!
As promised, some recipe suggestions...
Sesame Veggies
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add about a tablespoon or so of sesame seeds. Saute until they begin to brown - about five minutes. Stir frequently. To the skillet, add any of the following: half a pound of fresh (cleaned) green beans, two cups of sliced (rinsed) mushrooms, or half a pound of (washed) asparagus spears. Add a splash of lemon juice. Stir frequently and serve once vegetables are slightly softened. Great side dish for salmon or chicken!
Salsa Chicken
Place up to six small frozen chicken breasts into a slow cooker. In a separate, large bowl, mix together one can of reduced sodium or fat-free tomato soup (I prefer Campbell's Healthy Request soup because it's got less sodium than even the fat-free versions), one can, drained, of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, half a cup of chopped red or green peppers, half an onion, diced, and spices to taste: black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, cilantro, cumin, chili powder. You can skip the tomato-pepper-onion mix and just use about a cup of pre-made salsa if you like. Pour the mixture over the chicken and cook on low for about 6-7 hours. Shred the chicken when finished. Serve in tortillas, with black beans, or over rice. Smother with oodles of (reduced-fat, of course) cheddar cheese.
"Stuffed" Avocados
Halve and peel one ripe avocado. Discard seed and set halves aside. Prepare one cup's worth of your favorite rice OR couscous, adding to the boiling water a very generous sprinkle of dill, black pepper and cilantro and a dash of lemon juice. Once the rice or couscous is finished cooking, add a handful of either mozzarella, Parmesan or feta cheese. Stir well, then spoon into the avocado "bowls". Alternatively, you can cube the avocado and serve it mixed into the rice or couscous. A very rich meal, you probably won't need anything else to go with it!
What recipes have you invented for yourselves?
4. put your noodles (and rice) in towards the very end of the cooking.
ReplyDeleteAsk me sometime for the recipe for creamy tortilla soup.
A friend of mine just gave me a similar recipe for Salsa chicken. I need to try this cause it sounds good. I am always looking for different recipes for the crockpot. Thanks. Enjoyed reading your blog. I once found some avocado's at Aldi's and they were like .50 cents each,verses $1.50 at other stores. Love their prices!
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