Cooking Tip!

Unless you've seen these directions side by side you might just gloss over the phrase without thinking what it actually means.

One cup rice, cooked (comes out to about 2 2/3 cups of rice)

One cup cooked rice (comes out to 1 cup rice)

Of course now that you see it you can probably distinquish just what it means but if not paying attention it could make a huge difference in your recipe. 

One cup cooked rice, simply means after the rice has been cooked measure out a cup.  You do this in a dry measure for complete accuracy.  However, for the purpose of showing this in a photo I used my liquid measuring cup that's transparent.

One cup rice, cooked means to measure 1 cup of dry rice, then cook it.  This measurement comes out to be 1 2/3 cups more than a cup of cooked rice.

Was this tip helpful!

Grilled Swordfish Kebobs with Black Bean, Corn & Quinoa Salad

Quinoa has been called the Complete Protein Nutrient Powerhouse because it's packed with all 8 essential amino acids, plus vitamins and minerals.  In addition its:

• high in potassium which helps control blood pressure
• wheat and gluten free which is great for those suffering with celiac disease or wheat allergies
• low on the glycemic index, which means it won't spike blood sugar levels because it enters our bodies at an even rate keeping us full longer
• high in fiber
• has a light fluffy texture and nutty flavor which makes this incredible grain delicious as well.

Quinoa is just now starting to gain its popularity.  With 3-9 foot Magenta stalks varying in color from red, orange, purple, green , black and yellow they grow in abundance.  Not needing much irrigation or fertilizer and the abiltiy to grow in poor soil makes this grain a "super crop" for it's potential to feed the poor and hungry of the world.

Some caution must be taken however, when prepping your quinoa.  Because the grains are covered with "Saponin" which prevents insects for eating it, you must be careful to remove it.  If not removed (by simply rinsing it well under water in a fine mesh sieve prior to cooking), it will taste bitter and can have minor toxic effects, causing stomache aches and sometimes vomiting.  A good rinse before cooking and even after will insure that all the Saponin is removed.  Leaving you with a healthy and delicious grain to eat.

So with all these nutritional benefits I like to try and come up with some Quinoa recipes that I think my family will enjoy.  What could be better than a light, healthy meal that completely nourishes your body and leaves you feeling full and satisfied after eating?  Quinoa!

Perfect Hard-Cooked NOT Hard-Boiled Eggs!

Easter will be here before you know it and for those celebrating you'll probably be making lots of hard-cooked eggs.  Whether you're making them to decorate or to eat you'll want to be sure you cook them properly. 

It's really quite simple to prepare perfect hard-cooked eggs. First of all you need to know the difference between a hard-cooked and a hard-boiled egg.  Although the cooking water must come to a full boil in this method, the pan is immediately removed from the heat so that the eggs cook gently in the hot water. This produces tender, not rubbery, eggs and minimizes cracking.


Most people I know just plop them into the water, let them boil for 10 mintues or so and then turn the heat off.  If you cook your eggs too long you'll find you have a green ring around the yolks.  This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. 

FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY - JUST IN TIME FOR SPRING!

Sprng is here again in Missouri.  I can hardly believe it.  I'm hoping it will stick around a while this time so that I can finally enjoy grilling season!

Have you ever prepared a meal, waited and waited for the meat to get done, then finally pulled it out, placed it on the table, only to find that it's undercooked?

I HAVE A GREAT GIVEAWAY that I can't wait to share with you!  It will take the guesswork out of cooking.

I decided on this because so many of my students ask me how to tell when their meat is properly cooked.  Besides the touch method that I blogged about in July of 2009, there's a tried and true method which simply uses a temperature probe.

For the past 10 years I've been using the same temperature probe.  It works perfectly and still after 10 years looks like new.  Of course, I take care of mine and have followed the cleaning instructions so it doesn't get damaged.  I still like to use the touch method as well however, but for true accuracy of internal temperatures a probe never lies.

I especially love it when I'm grilling and hanging out with my guests outdoors waiting for the food.  It alleviates running back and forth to the grill, opening and closing it causing the heat escape.  With the long temerature probe you're able to view the gauge on the outside of your grill and know when your meat is done.  It also works great for the oven or even on the stovetop with its special clip attachments for pots.

Since I love the Polder Classic Cooking Thermometer so much I'll be GIVING THREE (3) OF THESE AWAY so that you too can have perfectly done meat everytime. 

In order to WIN one of the three Polder Classic Cooking Thermometers ($24.99 value) here's what you need to do:  

Unorthodox Passover Dish!

Nowadays mixed marriages are very common.  So when I read this article I thought how perfect for those marriages celebrating Passover this coming April.  It's a great way to please both sides. Although I'm sure not everyone at the Passvoer table would agree with a Bacon Wrapped Matzo Ball!  I'm sure most would say," Oy Vey, a Bacon Wrapped Matzo Ball!  What are you Meshuga?  No treif at my table!"

I love both Matzo Balls and Bacon and think it sounds rather intriquing.  So I thought I'd share this article with you and the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Matzo Balls. 

Whether you're Jewish, Christian or another denomination you may want to try this!

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/12/134458738/matzo-balls-meet-bacon-at-top-chefs-restaurant?ps=cprs

Grilled Tuna with Stir-Fry Vegetables

The weather here in Missouri is still like a rollercoaster.  One day it teases us with spring like temperatures and lots of sunshine and then the next several days we're back down into the 20s and 30s with clouds.  Fortunately the other day when we were blessed with warm weather and lots of sunshine, I decided to grill some tuna on the pit with some stir-fried vegetables. 

This dish had a bit more of a kick to it because of the Sriracha added to the marinade rather than a similar dish that I made with salmon back in January.  I liked both equally as well.  I guess it just depends on your mood that day or if you like a little heat or sweetness.

I always feel so incredibly healthy when I make dishes with an abundance of fresh bright green, red and orange vegetables.  Plus I feel totally satisfied and nourished when I'm done. If you like fish and fresh veggies then you're sure to love this recipe!

Prep time and cooking literally take all of 30 minutes from start to finish.  Dinner is ready in a snap!

Enjoy!

Grilled Tuna with Stir-Fry Vegetables
serves 4

1 pound Sushi-Quality Yellowfin Tuna, cut into 4 oz pieces.

Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoon Canola Oil

1 Tablespoon Mirin
1 Tablespoon Water
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
½ Teaspoon Sriracha
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Each Red Onion, julienned
1 Each Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips ¼ inch thick
6 Stalks Asparagus, cut on the bias
2 Stalks Celery, cut into strips ¼ inch thick
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Head Baby Bok Choy, cut into thin strips
4 Sprigs Cilantro

To Prepare the Tuna:
Heat up the grill. Lightly season the tuna with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and grill the tuna steaks for 1 minute per side or if you prefer it more well done just a little longer. Be sure to leave the tuna pink inside otherwise it will be dry.   Set aside.

To Prepare the Sauce:
 In a bowl whisk together the mirin, sesame oil, water, soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, sesame seeds, and brown sugar. Set aside.

To Prepare the Vegetables:
Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil, and as soon as you see wisps of smoke, add the onion, stir for 15 seconds until you see bits of brown, then add the bell pepper, asparagus, celery, and garlic; stir for another 30 seconds, add the bok choy, and cook for 30 seconds more. Add 1 Tablespoon of the Sauce.

To Serve:
On individual plates, spoon the vegetables in the center, slice the tuna into ¼” thick slices, and arrange in a fan on top of the vegetables. To finish, spoon a little of the sauce over the tuna, garnishing the dish with a sprig of cilantro.

Note:  I made this just for two of us and had the leftovers the next day cold.  It was still delicious!

Meyer Lemon Madeleine's

Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange.  This unique fruit blends the traditional flavor of a lemon and the sweetness of an orange creating a refreshingly exceptional taste experience.  It's rich, dark and aromatic juice is much sweeter than a conventional lemon.

So when I had 4 of them sitting in my refrigerator I decided I'd better use them for something luscious before they went bad.  I decided that I'd make some Meyer Lemon Madeleines, a light cake-like cookie.   With the addition of the Meyer Lemons, it would give them that extra WOW flavor!  Since I knew I'd still have some unused lemons I also decided to make some Meyer Lemon Curd as well, a favorite of mine.....

Edamame Succotash



It's feeling warm again and I feel like eating light food and salads, so I decided to make an Edamame Succotash.  This is a dish that I often get when I run into Whole Foods Market to pick up a quick bite for lunch.  I love everything they have there from the produce, cheese, meats, prepared foods and honestly there really isn't anything I don't like there.  Everything they have is superb! 

In fact, while I was picking up some items to grill for dinner this evening I needed more ground cumin and noticed it said "non-irradiated" on the bottle.  You'll know what I'm talking about if you read my previous blog post.

If you've never tried Edamame before you might be wondering what it is.  Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time.

The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen.

Edamame which is high in protein is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers. 

The recipe below however, uses just the shelled edamame bean not the pod.  These can be found just that way, in packages, in the frozen food section of your supermarket.

I hope if you try the Edamame Succotash, you like it.  Instead of using lima beans as in the traditional dish, Edamame (soy beans) have been replaced.  Plus the added dried cranberries give it a little bit of a sweet flavor while the chili sauce gives it a bit of a kick.

As always if there's something in the ingredients for this dish or any I post, that you don't like, then replace it with something that appeals to your palate.

This is delicious served on the side, as a meal with chicken added, although, you don't need to add anything, since it's already packed with protein.

Edamame Succotash
serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 (4 ounce) packages gourmet mushroom blend or fresh mushroom variety, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
1 (16 ounce) package Edamame shelled soy beans, thawed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced (use fresh or jarred if you prefer)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
2 tablespoons  Mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat in olive oil with salt and pepper for 7 to 8 minutes or until mushrooms give up their liquid. Place edamame and corn in a large serving bowl. Add hot cooked mushrooms, cranberries and peppers.

Make dressing by whisking together Thai sweet red chili sauce, Thai red curry paste, mirin, and toasted seame oil. Gently toss together and adjust seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Irradiated Foods vs. Sustainable Foods?

When I was a little girl my grandmother and I would go out into the backyard and plant orange seeds from the oranges that we ate.  A sprawling plant would grow winding it's way up the brick wall of our house.  I would get so excited and always hopeful that oranges would grow.  They never did, but the plant was pretty.

I use to do the same thing with an avocado seed and a potato, sticking toothpicks into the sides and setting them in a fresh glass of water.  In days a plant would grow.  It was so much fun to watch.

Then today, I read a New York Times article talking about using the seeds in your kitchen, right out of the refrigerator, to grow a plant.

I've never been much of a green thumb but after reading the article I've decided to order the book, "Don't Throw It, Grow It".  The book shares how to grow 68 windowsill plants from your kitchen scraps.  This will certainly be entertaining for me but thrilling to watch if you have any young children.

In reading this article they talk about irradiation and how it's used on many of our foods to "exterminate pathogens like E. coli, listeria and salmonella. The food does not become radioactive; by eating it, you will not become the Incredible Hulk. But a high enough dose will kill the living tissue in a plant or seed."

Although irradiation has been around for a while it's still a controversial topic.  For me, the thought of eating food that's been irradiated is unappealing.  We all know how the FDA approves drugs, etc., only to find out months or years later the effects that it ends up having on people and animals.

What are your thoughts on the topic?  If you know a food that you're getting at the grocery store has been irradiated, would you buy it or find another alternative?  Foods that have been irradiated have the U.S. "radura symbol" on them.  This is what it looks like:

Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason to purchase sustainable food, found from the farmers markets near you.

Think about this.  Do the cons outweigh the pros?  What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear your comments.