La Comida De Mi Vida/My Life in Food

Going to the grocery store these days you almost need a degree in ag-science or chemistry to understand everything that is on the label.  Today the purpose of my post is to help you understand the jargon or grocery-ese that we find on our food labels.  Even if we don’t know what every ingredient on the label is for at least my hope is that you won’t feel duped after buying a product you thought was free of genetic modification or growth with pesticides or artificial fertilizers.

In this age of fear of what the scientific community may be doing to our food and how it can affect our health, food manufacturers are always looking for ways to ease our minds with friendly looking and sounding labels.  Thankfully, they are monitored by the FDA and cannot or at least should not claim things on their labels which are absolutely not true.  With genetic modification of crops to ensure disease resistance, hardier, more robust and larger harvests  and the prevalence of corn and wheat in so many products it is difficult to find a food product which has not incorporated a GMO crop.  This is where understanding the difference between the terms “natural” and “organic” come into play.

You may assume upon seeing the term “natural” that this means it is also “organic”, but you would be incorrect.  Natural simply means that though the crop(s) used to produce the food may be genetically modified and grown with the assistance of pesticides and herbicides and fertilizers the food does not contain artificial flavors and colors and may not have artificial preservatives.  Essentially, since the main components were grown in the ground and not synthesized in a lab it can be labeled “Natural”.

Organic labeled foods are a creature of a different color.  Organic crops are grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides from seeds that have not been genetically modified.  You must also remember that since many of these crops are grown in an open pollinated field they can be cross contaminated by pollen of GMO fields.  So, though organic farmers do their best to keep their crops clean unless they are Certified Organic there is still the possibility of getting some GMO product into the food.

I wish we completely understood the implications of genetically modifying our foods.  I understand that it is a way for farmers to ensure they will have an easier time of making a living and it may at one time have been intended to make it easier for the world to feed it’s hungry since there would be an abundance.  Even with an abundance there are thousands more people every day, even in our own great country, that go hungry every day.  How are these GMO foods affecting our health? What happens if a resistant strain of fungus, bacteria or virus attacks the millions of acres of GMO corn?  Homogenizing our food supply I believe has some terrible pitfalls.  So if you have your own gardens or are dedicated to supporting and encouraging the growth of the organic foods movement then more power to you.

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For the majority of people brown rice is not a staple of their diets.  It’s too chewy compared to the typical long grain white rice or sticky rice we get in Chinese restaurants.  This chewy texture is because of the bran that has been left on the rice grain.  This is actually very healthy for us because it contains the essential fats, protein and fiber for a balanced diet.

The other day I had a hankering for some rice and all I had was some brown rice.  I used chicken broth instead of just water and added a touch of butter to add some lusciousness to the mouthfeel.  Though it was good it was still missing something.

Yesterday, DH graciously offered to grill our Garlic Teriyaki chicken breasts on the gas grill outside since it was such a nice evening.  This gave me an opportunity to doctor up the leftover brown rice.

This is what I came up with:

Brown Rice and Cashew Pilaf

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion diced

3 cloves garlic finely diced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashews

2 cups cooked brown rice

In a wok or large saute pan over medium heat pour in the olive oil.  Add the onion stirring constantly until translucent.  Then add the garlic and cashews stirring constantly making sure not to burn. When warmed through add the cooked rice and stir fry until the rice is evenly warm and mixed with other ingredients.

Even though this was an experiment I was very pleased with the outcome, so much so that I went back for seconds.  The cashews lent a mild sweetness that I did not expect and  which worked very well with the spiciness of the garlic and onions and earthiness of the rice.

Don’t be afraid of brown rice.  It is a very good base or vehicle for other flavors.  Play with the grain and you’ll be surprised at the results.

Tray Baked Sticky Pork Chops Recipe – Food.com – 206280.

DH makes the best grilled chops – perfectly seared, juicy and never, ever overcooked.  With the weather getting colder grilling outside isn’t really an option (because he won’t do it ).  I’m always afraid of overcooking pork chops when I pan fry them so I decided to look for a recipe that allowed baking them.

Since I generally don’t prefer sweet on my meat dishes I slightly modified the ingredients to suit our tastes and what I had in the fridge.  I omitted honey and chili peppers since this was a family meal and I didn’t want to burn my kids mouths.  Instead of soy sauce, ginger and garlic I used a teriyaki marinade that contained all these ingredients already.  There was no dry sherry left so I used rice wine vinegar instead.  So, I mixed the hoisin, rice wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons of the teriyaki marinade and set it aside.

As per the recipe instructions I pan fried the chops in a heavy pan in the olive oil for 2 minutes on each side.  Immediately after this I spooned the sauce mixture over each chop coating them evenly and transferred my oven save, heavy bottom pan to the 400F degree oven (oh yeah, 200C is 400F).  I set the timer for 20 minutes and went about making the rest of my dinner.  I made some basmati rice (cooks quicker than regular long grain white) and a side salad.  It would have been better paired with a veggie stir fry, but that wasn’t available.

After 20 minutes I removed the pan from the oven and couldn’t have been more pleased.  The chops weren’t tough or pink in the middle – they were just right.  I served them on a bed of basmati and spooned some extra sauce over each one.  Like I said vegetable stir fry would have been better as a side but I had to improvise.  Now I know I can make perfectly cooked pork chops in the oven while I wait for grilling season to return.  Thank you Terese!

Happy Cooking!

I have never cooked with rhubarb.  My mother being a foreigner andmy dad not liking sour things I was well into my teens before I even heard of rhubarb.  My in-laws grow it in their garden.  I have as of yet to be brave enough to try it.  They gave me a bunch earlier in the spring.  Unfortunately it was right before we were leaving on vacation so it went bad before I got to try these tips.  I’m archiving the ideas here so next time I have a bunch I’ll know what to do with it.  Also, I wanted to find a preparation that used the rhubarb as a vegetable instead of in a sweet preparation.  The savory chicken dish looks like a winner good for a comforting dinner.

source http://ginews.blogspot.com/2006/07/low-gi-food-of-month.html
“You can add bi carb soda 1 tspn to the water when cooking or you can soak it with a bit more. The bi carb nutralizes, some of the acid so only half the aomount of sugar is needed. It does change the colour of the rhubarb but hay who cares??? You can also use this method in things like tomato sauce anything thats acidic and needs sugar added.”

from rhubarbinfo.com/chicken

Chicken Smothered In Rhubarb
Ingredients:

3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
Essence of Emeril seasoning
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic, approx. 2 large cloves
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine (cooking sherry would work – reduce any added salt if using)
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Serving Suggestion: 2 cups cooked white rice, warm, garnish with 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, toss the chicken pieces with Essence and flour. In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil almost to smoke point. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, allow it to get a crust before attempting to move it so as not to destroy the chicken. Add the rhubarb and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stirring constantly, caramelize onions, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown particles, for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs and wine, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir occasionally and cook for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the parsley. Arrange the chicken on a platter and garnish with Essence (essence of emeril) and parsley and serve with rice.

I’m always trying to find ways to make chicken interesting. My kids love chicken strips. I though have trouble getting the breading to stick to the chicken long enough to make it actually look like a fried chicken strip and not a half naked attempt at one. Well, last night I finally succeeded at making a tasty, tender completely coated chicken strip that my family loved. Everyone was hungry and I was in a big hurry. I found a quick fix with a box of Stove Top stuffing.

Stuffing Breaded Chicken Strips

Servings: 2 large (for us it was two small and two medium)

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts with the rib meat, defrosted

Half a package of your favorite stuffing mix, crushed or blended to crumbs

1 large egg
1 Tbsp. milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil, more or less as needed

Directions:

Pat the chicken breasts dry. Slice them on an angle across the grain so you end up with strips approximately 1/4″ thick and 1″ wide.

In a blender, food processor or a plastic bag and mallet – crush the stuffing mix of your choice until it is slightly more coarse than flour. Pour the crumbs on a large plate in an even layer.

In a separate bowl beat the egg and the milk together. Now set up your stations leading up to your frying pan with the oil on medium-high heat – chicken, egg wash, crumbs. Dip your chicken strips in the egg wash. Allow them to drip any excess wash back into the bowl then lay them on the crumbs pressing them in to get a good coating. Once well coated with crumbs transfer them to the hot pan of oil. Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side, until the breading is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. There you have quick, tender and tasty chicken strips the whole family will love.

Cutting the chicken breasts across the grain ensures that you will have tender easy to cut apart strips when you are done. I used a box of turkey flavored dressing mix and it was delicious. You could taste the onion and celery and even the turkey flavor came through. My DH is always frustrated by tough, overcooked chicken and he actually congratulated me last night for how tender and juicy the chicken turned out. Like I said, I didn’t want to make anything else fried or too unhealthy so I served these strips atop salads with salad greens, campari tomatoes, olives, pepperoncini and Italian dressing for DH and I and next to a little salad for the kiddies.

Eat your heart out KFC – there’s nothing quite like semi homemade*.

*This term is from a Food Network show called Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee.

My little girl just informed me the other day that her favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs. We don’t have that very often so it surprised me a bit. The other night I decided to do something special for her and make her “favorite” meal with homemade meatballs.

Spicy Italian Meatballs

Preheat oven to 425°F

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb 80% lean ground beef chuck
1 lb spicy sausage (i.e. Bob Evans Hot sausage roll or similar)
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a small onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine (a tbsp of dry will work if you don’t have fresh)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices of bread)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dry or semi-dry red wine – Merlot or Malbec works quite nice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl put in meat and all your ingredients on top of it – yes, just dump it in. Use your hands* to gently incorporate everything until just mixed. Over mixing will lead to tough meatballs. Roll the mix into scant 1/4 cup size balls and place them on a jelly roll pan at least a 1/2 inch apart. Bake in the oven at 425° F for at 20 – 25 minutes until cooked through. I like the caramelized brown to be on as much of my meatballs as possible so halfway through the cooking process I use a spatula to dislodge them from the pan and turn them over.

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Through the cooking you’ll be able to smell the spices from the sausage and the nuttiness of the Parmesan wafting through the house. It is a mouthwatering experience. Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce and pasta of your choice and side salad for a delicious and complete meal.

*If you are like me and do not enjoy the feeling of ground meat on your hands and under your fingernails please use a pair of disposable plastic gloves so you can do your mixing icky feeling free .

This year my little Cookie helped me a lot with the gardening.  She watered, pulled weeds, and even planted some of her own plants.  One of the crops that is giving her a lot of pride even now is the pumpkin she planted from seed.  The seedlings were placed in the garden a little late so I was unsure of if they would be ready before the first frost.  Sure enough we got one HUGE pumpkin.  I cleaned and baked it and scooped out 20 cups worth of pumpkiny goodness.

This dessert is one we have made at least three times in the last month for family get-togethers.  It is extremely easy to make and is great because it is semi-homemade.  Not a big fan of Sandra Lee but I must say her mantra of making things semi-homemade is exemplified in this recipe.

Pumpkin Dump/Crunch Cake

Ingredients:

Cake filling-

32 oz. pumpkin (either fresh and pureed or from a can – not pumpkin pie mix)
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 – 2 cups sugar (the topping is fairly sweet so I stick with the lower number)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsps. cinnamon

Topping-

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter or margarine, very thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all the ingredients for the topping.  Use a whisk or hand blender to mix until smooth.  Pour the mixture into the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish that has been greased with butter.  Top this mixture with the yellow cake mix by carefully sprinkling it evenly over the top.  Spread the chopped pecans over the cake mix and then top with a layer of butter pats making sure to cover every inch of the cake.  Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until the top is toasty brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Serve this pumpkin delight with Cool Whip or real whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  The crunchy, rich and buttery topping are absolutely delicious and store fairly well if you have leftovers (and that is a big if).  The cake is nice and large and will serve at least 12 people.  A great addition to the dessert table at any large family gathering.  No one will ever know you didn’t spend hours in the kitchen putting this together.

On a cold, windy evening a meal that just fills your belly isn’t good enough. You need something which will warm it and leave you feeling radiant. Soups usually fill that need for me. I love soups because they are a great way to marry ingredients and stretch what may otherwise seem like meager pickings.

This recipe for Caldo Verde I found in a Good Housekeeping cookbook. I needed a recipe that used the potatoes I had in the cupboard and the beautiful kale I’d pulled out of my garden (which despite the freezing cold is still thriving). Anthony Bourdain on his Travel Channel show No Reservations tried a soup very similar to this when he visited Portugal. Simple, hearty and delicious.

Caldo Verde as per the recipe is great for someone who likes creamy soups, but is on a low fat diet or is lactose intolerant. The onion and garlic give it a lot of flavor and the potatoes make it creamy. According to my 2 year old when she tasted the soup said, “Oh man, so good.”

Caldo Verde

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion (12 oz. approx), diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
8 potatoes, cleaned and diced
2 – 14 oz cans of chicken broth (3 1/2 cups of homemade chicken broth)
3 cups of water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 lb. kale, very thinly sliced (stems and large veins removed), I like to cross cut mine into very small pieces to make it easier for little mouths to handle

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a 5 qt. dutch oven (or similar sized pot) over medium heat. Once hot add the onion and garlic. Sautee until golden. Add the diced potatoes, broth, water, salt and pepper and increase the heat. Heat to boiling then reduce to medium and allow to simmer until the potatoes are tender, approx. 15-20 minutes. Lightly mash the potatoes in the broth to make it creamy, yet leaving the potatoes chunky in the soup. Add the sliced kale and allow to cook until tender 8 to 10 minutes.

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This soup is so full of flavor you barely notice it is lacking meat. Serve it with cheese of your liking and a piece of warm, crusty bread. If you are a total carnivore you can sprinkle some cooked crumbled bacon, crumbled spicy sausage or diced ham to the soup just before serving.  Conversely, for the vegetarians and vegans out there, just switch out the chicken broth for your favorite vegetable broth.