Category: FOOD

A summer salad for dinner… quick, easy and waaaay too good!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe3 Comments

You know when the temps heat up and cooking just doesn’t sound so great anymore? Well… the time has come… already! We’re looking for quick and easy meals that don’t involve turning on a gas stove or oven and heating up the house! We are very fortunate in Charleston to have a top notch Farmer’s Market… I encourage all of you who live within driving distance to go… it’s more than a place to get fruits and veggies, it’s an event all in itself. There are so many people, so much going on, and so much wonderful produce, YA-HOO! For this salad that I made for the two of us, I bought a bag of Butter Lettuce at Whole Foods… at the Farmer’s Market I got THE BEST radishes, cucumber, tomato and green onions… give those all a chop and toss them in the salad, however much (or little) that you prefer. I tossed it with dressing in a large stainless bowl (neither of us like much dressing, so this is the easiest way to do it). I boiled a few eggs and cooked 2 pieces of bacon to add to the top.. whoa, is that sweet! Also, added 1/2 avocado to each salad on top…

Served with Naan bread and olive oil… but you could serve with a baguette, or pita, or whatever makes you smile!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Pasta with zucchini and onions from the Farmer’s Market… delish!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe4 Comments

Aren’t these just the sweetest baby yellow squash, pattypan squash and zucchini that you’ve ever seen? Here is a quick and easy meal to prepare that will make you want it again and again and again… you don’t have to use baby zucchini/squash, you can use regular. However, if you can find the baby, it’s a treat, we got this at the Farmer’s Market (Charleston, SC)…

This time I decided to try Trader Joe’s Spinach and Chive Linguini… it was tasty! I didn’t have any strong flavors in this pasta, so the chives and spinach flavor were a nice touch… You can use whatever kind of pasta you like… often times I cook whatever kind strikes me, cappelini (Angel Hair), Linguini, Spinach pasta of any type, whatever sounds good to you!

Cut up the zucchini and onion… if you have anything else to add, go ahead, it only gets better… red pepper, mushrooms, tomato. Sauté in olive oil (or canola oil) on medium high heat until zucchini starts to brown and onions are translucent… Cook your pasta, drain, and add to the pan with the veggies… stir around, dish up and sprinkle with copious amount of parmesan (ok, so my ‘copious’ and your ‘copious’ may differ, I get my parmesan cheese “habit” from my mom…) and TADA… dinner is ready in no time and it is KILLER! Fresh and tasty…

Here’s the “recipe” which as mentioned above can be changed however you like! All measurements are approximate, you can’t mess this up… well… for the most part!

QUICK SUMMER PASTA – Serves 2

1 medium zucchini (or an equal amount of baby squash)

1 small yellow squash, pattypan squash, etc.

olive oil

pasta of your liking

parmesan cheese

salt, pepper

In a large pan, boil water for the pasta. Depending upon the cooking time for the pasta, start the veggies… give them about 10 minutes.

Cut up the squash. I don’t peel (especially baby squash) but if its tough (or not organic) then go ahead a peel it, it has good vitamins in the skin, so I try to eat it… dice the onion.

In a nonstick frying pan add 1 Tablespoon (roughly, if it needs more, add it) of Olive Oil… (If using a regular pan you’ll need more oil)

Once the oil is hot, toss in the chopped squash and onion. Don’t stir around too much, if you can let it sit for a bit before stirring it will brown nicely. Don’t let it brown too much… just some crispy edges are nice…

Once the pasta is done, drain in a colander. When the veggies are done you can turn the heat to very low and add as much pasta as you think you’ll need (it’s hard to judge when cooking pasta, but when you put it in the pan you can tell if you have way too much pasta for the amount of veggies). Stir it around to coat the noodles (add a splash of olive oil if necessary if it appears to be dry). Dish up the pasta and sprinkle with S&P and parmesan… and ENJOY!

Variations: sometimes I cut up fresh tomato and add it after it’s on my plate… also wedges of avocado are so nice… sometimes I will dice up some banana pepper and add that with the zucchini and sauté it… it adds a nice flavor!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

BBQ and hotdogs… what could be better?

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD2 Comments

The Great Organic Uncured Hot Dog by… APPLEGATE! Let me tell you… this is one AWESOME hotdog… full of flavor, less fat because it’s made with grass fed beef (and NO it doesn’t taste “light”)! You’ve got to try it!

Now here’s a hotdog that is waaaay tasty AND not so bad for you… no evil nitrates, not as much fat, thanks to the grass fed beef. Owie! I can’t wait for Fred to throw a few on the grill! Also… they freeze well! So you can just pop a few out instead of eating the entire package at once!

From the Applegate website:

The Great Organic Beef Hot Dog

Made from 100% organic grass-fed and finished beef, these lean hot dogs are bursting with old-fashioned classic hot dog flavor—juicy, flavorful and delicious! These dogs have only 8 grams of fat compared to the average 15 grams in most brands, and because they’re made from grass-fed beef, they’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids (the good fat). Great on the grill or steamed on your stovetop any time you’re craving a taste of summer.

/uploadedImages/Products/winner.jpg Men’s Health – 2011Woman’s Day – 2011
Cottage Living – 2008		 Kiwi Magazine – 2008Men’s Health – 2008Consumer Reports – 2007

This is a great tasting hotdog that makes you feel like you’ve fallen off the eating healthy wagon!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Jack’s Cosmic Dogs, the best hotdogs of all time… a cool concept no doubt!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOMELeave a comment

We have the coolest restaurants in Charleston, SC. Some are fancy and expensive, some are cheap and bare bones… then we have some really creative people that come up with the coolest concepts. As Holly Herrick described Jack’s Cosmic Dogs “where the Jetson’s meets “Happy Days”!” The other day when we were there we each got a hotdog, shared (which was hard because they were really good) fries, coleslaw and an iced tea. It was too tasty! Here are a few quotes from Jack’s Cosmic Dogs website , photos from their website, photo above is from their Facebook page! If you haven’t been… go now!

“Jack’s serves up the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. Ever.
”Food Channel star Alton Brown

“Out-of-this-world dogs, flash back to the fifties at
this hot dog shack, and enjoy heaven on a bun.”
Southern Living Magazine- November 05

“The Jetson’s meet ‘Happy Days’ at this hip, hot dog joint.”
Post and Courier Food Critic Holly Herrick

“The Cosmic Dog…almost a new food group.”
Channel 2 Reporter

“This retro slice of American nostalgia, Voted Best Hot Dog in Charleston last 5 years.”Charleston City Paper

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Blessing of the fleet… a Charleston area event… this year held at Memorial Waterfront Park in Mt. Pleasant!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Isn’t this a fabulous photo I took… hee hee, (pat on the back)… looks like it should be in an advertisement! Well, this Sunday there is a festival event happening here in town… It will take place at the Memorial Waterfront Park in Mt. Pleasant. Shrimp, food, fun and a blessing for the fleet! If you’re in town you must check it out!

A blip from the CharlestonCocktail.com website..

Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival
Sunday, April 29, 2012
11:30-6:00PM

The Blesssing of The Fleet and Seafood Festival at Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant, SC

  Why not give our local shrimp and fisherman a bit extra this year?!  Join others in local tradition for this year’s Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival.  This Charleston area event will be held at Memorial Waterfront Park under the bridge, on the Mt. Pleasant side. 

  The line-up for the festival this year has been beefed up with more maritime themed events including the main event, a boat parade and the official Blessing Of The Fleet.  It’s all held in an almost panoramic setting on the park’s pier, which jets out into the Charleston Harbor. 

  Also, at this year’s Blessing Of The Fleet and Seafood Festival, there is a shrimp eating and shag contest,  seafood “tastes” from local Mt. Pleasant restaurants, live music and children’s activities.  Bring the kiddies! 

With the main blessing held at 1PM, each individual shrimp and fishing vessel, that passes Mt Pleasant’s Waterfront Park, will get a kind reinforcement that the upcoming season will be a prosperous and safe one!

2012 Mt Pleasant Blessing Of The Fleet and Seafood Festival.  The clergymen give the local shrimp vessels and crew prayers of safety and prosperity in the 2012 shrimp season ahead.  Its not all business though. There will be plenty of South Carolina’s freshest juiciest shrimp and seafood!!  Make sure to bring your appetite with you!

You will get your fair share of shrimp and seafood at this year’s festival!  That’s for sure!  But, there is more fine restaurants and bars to sample on that side of the bridge!  Make sure to visit some of  Mt. Pleasant’s restaurants and bars, while you are in the area!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Cheese Crackers… quick and easy for an evening treat!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME, Recipe4 Comments

These little cheese crackers are the tastiest crackers in all the land… you can search high and low, near and far, and i’m telling you nothing beats these scrumptious little slices of heaven. This is the recipe Fred’s mom (Bobbie!) uses. The first time she made them for us we thought our tastebuds were going to explode, ha ha… they were way too good… dangerously good.

Continue reading “Charleston Cheese Crackers… quick and easy for an evening treat!” →

Fleet Landing photo and menu… (there’s nothing like a good menu)!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME, TRAVELLeave a comment

I took this photo years ago when my husband and I went on a cruise with my parents. That was back when Norwegian Cruise Line departed out of Charleston. That was handy. We had a great time, caught the Little Black Taxi to the cruise terminal and were on our way for a week of rest and relaxation! When we were leaving Charleston I snapped this photo of Fleet Landing Restaurant. A great place if you’re visiting, it’s in the heart of the city, you can eat inside or out. On nice days there is nothing like eating on the water, even from inside a GREAT VIEW. Good view, friendly staff, not overly priced. Check out their menu!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Charleston Farmers Market starts TOMORROW! Saturday, April 7, 2012!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOMELeave a comment

Yippee! Tomorrow (Saturday) starts the Charleston Farmers Market. Located in Marion Square each Saturday from 8AM – 2PM. (Image from last year). I am thrilled! The market will go on through December. There is NOTHING like fresh fruits and vegetables, gorgeous flowers, tasty treats, and all kinds of artistic finds… we are so fortunate to have such a fabulous farmers market!

Last year we were listed as having the fifth best farmers market in the NATION! Whoa! Here’s a blip from the Charleston Arts website:

CFM11 Poster Image

 

April 7 – December 23, 2012
Marion Square, Downtown Charleston

The Charleston Farmers Market is available each Saturday from 8am-2pm in the beautiful Marion Square, between King and Meeting Streets at the edge of Calhoun Street in the Upper King Street Design District. The park at Marion Square has long been the center of festive activities and is the perfect tranquil setting for the Farmers Market. Nestled beneath beautiful trees with plenty of room for families to gather and children to play, the Farmers Market comes to life each Saturday morning and offers an abundance of the freshest local produce, shrimp, plants, herbs and cut flowers. While strolling the Charleston Farmers Market, a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunches are available while listening to a variety of live entertainment. The Farmers Market also offers an amazing assortment of juried arts and crafts, providing the best selection and most talented local artisans.

Catch you back here tomorrow! Maybe I’ll see you at the Farmers Market?



A quick and easy butter bean salad, can you say healthy?!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

Monza’s butter bean salad with shrimp… To. Die. For. Amazing! Image: Monza

Today I made a wonderful butter bean salad reminiscent of the one that Monza serves here in Charleston. Well, it wasn’t quite butter bean salad since I used fresh Lima beans from Whole Foods, but it was darn close. I’m not sure what their recipe is, but I can tell you we devoured these beans in no time flat, didn’t even give them time to chill! Next time I make these I will make it the night before! If you make it to Monza some time soon I highly suggest their butter bean salad. You can get it with just the olive oil and lemon, or with tuna or shrimp. Tasty!

Monza-ish Butter Bean/Lima Bean Salad – this recipe serves 2-3

1 container of fresh butter or lima beans

3-5 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled but not cut

1 wedge of lemon

Salt

Wash the beans, in a medium or large heavy saucepan, add the beans and cover with water (cover with about 2″ water). Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium. Stir occasionally. Cook about 1 hour or until done. Then drain.

In small heavy saucepan, add the olive oil, turn it on medium, add a clove or two of garlic that has been peeled but not minced. Cut a few X marks to let the juices out… add to hot oil, then turn on low until fragrant. After the garlic sits a few minutes in the oil, pull it out and discard or set aside for another use.

Squeeze a wedge of lemon into the slightly cooled oil (be careful, if oil is hot then it’s going to spit), stir briskly or whisk until blended. With the beans in a separate bowl, pour the olive oil mixture over top of the beans. Sprinkle a little salt. Let cool, then pop into the refrigerator (good luck, half were gone before they got to the fridge, and I’m not kidding!).

If by chance they get dry add a little extra olive oil before serving (if you used all the garlic infused olive oil, regular is fine, and if you don’t like garlic, skip that step). I can’t tell you if they’ll get dry since we gobbled them up…

Next time I’m going to try beans in a carton (like FIG brand) if I can find them, or another non BPA brand like Eden… that will quicken this process. I’ll report back if I can find a good brand and if it tastes this incredible! This is going to be tasty with salmon and tzatziki sauce…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Vanilla bean infused honey… delish! Great on yogurt…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Vanilla Bean Infused Honey

Ahhh, if you’re one of the many making changes in your diet to cut sugar for a myriad of reasons, this will help! Vanilla bean infused honey… you can drizzle a little (or a lot) in your Greek yogurt for a fabulous taste! You can use it for many things, this is just what I happen to use it for… (oh, but since I can smell the bakery and the heavenly bread I keep getting images of a nice piece of toast (with the bakery bread), slathered spread lightly with Kerrygold grass fed cow butter (yep, sounds healthier already doesn’t it??) and a drizzle of the vanilla bean honey… oh boy! It’s dangerous living near a bakery… ha ha… Dr. Oz would remind you that honey is still sugar, so tread lightly… let me know how YOU use it… or what else you put in your Greek plain yogurt to make it tastier??!

Here’s the how… not much to it!

4-6 oz. honey

1-2 vanilla beans

Slice the vanilla beans at each end, then scrape the “meat” out of the inner part of the vanilla bean. Once you have done that…

In a heavy small saucepan, heat the honey (on low) until it’s warm, add the vanilla bean (“meat” and discarded bean portion), stir it around. Keep it on low about 10 minutes or until fragrant. Turn off, let cool, place in glass container.

Hope you enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Indian Chicken Curry Recipe – you MUST try this!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

If you like chicken curry, you will LOVE this recipe. I wasn’t exactly sure WHAT chicken curry tasted like, but after mastering Chana Masala, I thought I would give this a whirl, and WHOA! Enough said! This is seriously good stuff! It’s not difficult, so give it a try!

I got the original recipe “Indian Chicken Curry II” from AllRecipes.com. After reading all the reviews there were several changes. I left out several ingredients and used different quantities of other ingredients… this is how I made it…

The lineup of ingredients… I like to have them measured, chopped and ready to go!

CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil if you don’t have coconut oil)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, (I use a microplane, or you could mince)

3 (heaping) tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ginger root (I use microplane, or you can grate or mince)

Salt to taste

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste (buy it in the tube!)

1 cup plain yogurt (NOTE: most yogurt is 6 oz, not 8oz…)

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent.

Nice to toast the spices before you add… Easy! Add spices to nonstick pan (dry), turn heat on medium and roast until fragrant. Turn off. That’s it!

Stir in garlic, curry, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger and salt.

Stir 2 minutes, then add…

Chicken pieces, tomato paste and coconut milk.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 20-25 minutes. SLOWLY add yogurt. Remove bay leaf. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

You simply will not believe how good this is, and how it creates the most wonderful smells in your kitchen! A nice accompaniment to this dish is a fresh salad with avocado, rice wine vinegar and olive oil and some Naan bread… It’s good warm or cold (can wrap in foil and place in oven until warm) serve with olive oil for dipping. TASTY!

Enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!!

Coconut Oil… what’s looking to be a very healthy oil that doesn’t get stored in the body as fat!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, HOMELeave a comment

Image: Amazon

Coconut Oil… have you heard the rave reviews about all the wonderful things it can do? From what I’ve read this past weekend it can aid in losing weight, help prevent or even help those with Alzheimer’s, moisturize skin and hair, increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease LDL (bad cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, the list goes on and on. We’ll have to wait for long term studies, but for me, I’m jumping on the bandwagon, and taking 1 tablespoon a day. It can’t hurt. Let me know if you’ve tried it. WHY are YOU taking it?  HOW are you taking it? I tried eating it off the spoon (it’s like lard), that was a little difficult, so I heat it ever so slightly and swallow… a tablespoon is doable, I personally chase it with a Triple Ginger Cookie from Trader Joe’s :) some people but it on toast, in coffee, in oatmeal, in smoothie’s, use it as oil and topping when making popcorn… AND the reason I bumped into the health benefits about coconut oil was because I saw a recipe for Double Coconut Muffins on the Smittin Kitchen website… whoa, they sounded good, and I had just spoken to my mom who told me about a video that someone just told her about (click HERE to see it) about how it’s helping Alzheimer’s Disease, and also helping to prevent. I’m sure long term studies are a ways off, but if you have a family history of Alzheimer’s you know how devastating it can be. I vowed to try this, it’s worth it to me… so now, I think everyone I know is taking this for one reason or another. I just didn’t want you to be left out of the loop!

Google Coconut Oil  and you will see so much information it will make your head spin. Try to read from reputable sources and realize that anyone can post anything to the Internet… From what I’ve read, you should buy VIRGIN coconut oil. Ideally Organic virgin (or extra virgin) coconut oil. UNREFINED, since they alter the makeup of the oil when it’s refined. Refined is good for using as a moisturizer for skin and hair. One more thing… you can often find it in the grocery store in the baking aisle, however, often times these are NOT the virgin organic varieties… those are mostly found in the health aisle… ask if you are unsure. Read HERE the Health Benefits of Coconut Oil by Charles Mattock, I got this from Dr. Oz’s website…

Here is a blip from Nutiva (extracted from Amazon):

A deliciously healthy cooking oil. Better than butter. USDA organic. Unrefined & no trans fats. Rich in lauric acid. A soothing body oil. The coconut oil myth. Coconut oil has been mistakenly described as not healthy. The fact is, coconut oil is cholesterol-free and rich in medium-chain good fats that doctors recommend. Why is it that baby formulas often include coconut oil? Because coconut is one of the world’s most nourishing super foods. Nutritionists suggest enjoying up to 3 tbsp of extra-virgin coconut oil each day, so help yourself to this heavenly, creamy taste of the tropics. Nutiva’s cold-pressed Coconut Oil is: Extra-virgin & pure white: not refined, deodorized or bleached! Organic: so it’s free from pesticides, GMOs and hexane. Versatile: Ideal as high-heat cooking oil (up to 350 degrees), as a nutritious substitute in baking, a better-than-butter replacement on bread, vegetables or popcorn, and as a luscious oil for skin care, hair care, and massage. America needs an oil change. While doctors suggest we consume a 4:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, the average American diet provides a ratio of 20:1 or more – contributing to heart disease, skin disorders, and arterial inflammation. So avoid out of balance soy, corn, and canola oils with their trans fats, oxidation, and GMOs. Cook with coconut oil (with only 1% Omega-6), and use olive oil (also low in Omega-6), and hemp oil (with the perfect 3:1 Omega ratio) for unheated recipes. Nature’s ideal all-purpose cooking oil. No trans or hydrogenated fat; no cholesterol or hexane. Unlike other brands, we press our coconuts within 2 hours of chopping. No refrigeration required. Solid at room temperature and melts at 76 degrees. Any coconut husk fibers at the bottom of the jar are indigenous to the processing and harmless. Coconut oil contains medium-chain good fats with 50-55% lauric acid – a healthful nutrient that supports the metabolism. Certified organic by QAI. Product of the Philippines.

A disclaimer… I in no way am trying to provide medical advice, only passing along what many others have told me. Ask your doctor if you need to know if this is OK for you…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

ADDICTED… to the Black Bean Company, Charleston, SC…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, HOME1 Comment

Image: Black Bean Company 

OK, so I’m a little late getting in the swing of things… a friend sent me an email asking if we’ve been to Black Bean Co… a neat little restaurant on James Island (and another location on Spring Street). We’ve heard of it, but had never been. Had heard it was good, but that was coming from healthy food loving people, ha ha… I was assured that the food was good and the yogurt was to die for… we went, we saw, we tasted… we fell in love… went back the next day, and the next day, and the next day… and hopefully today!! It’s FRESH, HEALTHY food that tastes out of this world good. It’s not the healthy food that you have to try to choke down, no my friends, this is pure delight… from the very first to the very last bite… when you leave you can’t help thinking about when you’ll be back, what you’ll be ordering… it’s just all so good!

One of their sides is yogurt… It is a dream come true. My guess is that it’s vanilla bean infused honey added to Greek yogurt. You can definitely see the vanilla beans and you can taste honey, but the combination is to die for, then it comes with a little granola that changes each day, it’s not that overly sweet processed kind, it’s REAL granola… but SHHH! Don’t give the secret away, would hate to know they were out of stock!

We’re working our way down the menu… I only managed to get photos the second day, ha ha… but here they are, just so that you can see how delectable these wraps are. They have more… but this is out of this world!

The wrap above is the SOUTH WEST CHICKEN (Roasted chicken, black beans and jasmine rice, fresh local sweet corn, roasted tomatoes, spicy southwest chipotle sauce, shredded carrots, parmesan cheese, mixed greens) – did you read that description? Oh heavens… To. Die. For. Good. Spicy and perfect in every way!

This one is the BLACK AND BLUE (Chicken, (turkey or tofu), blue cheese, mixed greens, avocado, fig balsamic vinaigrette, black beans and jasmine rice) – oooooh!

The last one we got was the SPRING STREET (sorry no pic, was hungry!) it has chicken, turkey or tofu, hummus, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh homemade tzatziki, mixed greens and sprouts! I think this one was my favorite, but I have a great passion for tzatziki, ha ha… so that may have sealed the deal! They have many vegetarian options (almost everything can be made without meat, with tofu substituted)… and don’t forget about the yogurt, but remember, don’t tell anyone!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Dinner tonight… CHANA MASALA (Indian dish), out of this world and EASY too!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe1 Comment

Dinner at our friends house… 

We recently had dinner at our friends house… Chana Masala… Hmmm? What? Never heard of it… It’s a vegetarian Indian dish, the main star is chickpeas, and let me tell you… this is TASTY! I’ve since read many recipes for different versions, but I really liked that one so much I got the recipe from Alison. She said it was in the Post and Courier Newspaper years ago (5/28/03), she made a few changes and whatever she changed (their archives skip that period) was perfect… try it, it’s easy, healthy and delicious! When I was reading the Smitten Kitchen blog for her version of Chana Masala she made a good comment, she said the spices aren’t cheap, but go ahead and get them, they’re an investment. I don’t know that I would have spent so much on spices if I didn’t read that first. It made sense. You can make it many times with the number of spices we bought. Above all, it’s HEALTHY. So if you can splurge on the spices, do it! Here goes…

CHANA MASALA (recipe from the Post and Courier newspaper, Alison’s adaptation…)

Chop up one large onion and sauté it in olive oil, some recipes say to sauté until brown… I didn’t let mine get quite that far since it was still going to be cooking…

Now add 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1-2” piece grated fresh ginger, and the way to do that the quickest and easiest is to use a microplane tool, they’re awesome! Rachel Ray pointed that out, apparently the smaller garlic is chopped the better it is for you… well you can’t beat doing it this way, it’s more of a paste so you don’t get any big hunk of garlic.

Now toss in one box of Pomi chopped tomatoes and 1/3 box of Pomi tomato sauce.  (If you can’t find POMI, use canned, but canned tomatoes were one of the foods I featured to never eat because of the BPA, click HERE to read the post from 10/19/11…)

Stir in 2 tsp cumin seeds,   1 cinnamon stick,   3 whole green cardamons,  2 whole black cardamons,   2 bay leaves,   2 cloves,   salt to taste,       (I only had green cardamons and I used 5, it was fantastic)

and 1 chopped jalapeño (I left just some of the seeds for a little heat, for less heat remove membrane and seeds) and 1 tsp turmeric…

Add 2 cups water (or a little more),   2 cans chickpeas (or a brand in a carton like FIG), and 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro stems.

Bring to boil and then add 2 tsp coriander powder and 2 tsp Chana masala (or Garam masala seasoning).

Cook until sauce thickens (at least an hour) and serve over basmati.

The salad we had that night went perfectly with the Chana Masala… Quick and easy…

SALAD

Baby lettuce with  salt, pepper, olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Fresh avocado added right before serving. You could toss baby carrots in Madras curry powder, salt, pepper and olive oil and roasted until tender and put on top of salad.

OK… and here ya go… this is what you end up with! This photo was snapped before we all sat down to enjoy this scrumptious dinner! Guess what’s on the menu this week?? You guessed right!

Here’s the recipe minus the photos and my comments in red…

CHANA MASALA

Sauté 1 large chopped onion in olive oil.

Add 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1-2” piece grated fresh ginger

Add one box of Pomi chopped tomatoes and 1/3 box of Pomi tomato sauce.

Stir in 2 tsp cumin seeds,   1 cinnamon stick,   3 whole green cardamons,  

2 whole black cardamons,   2 bay leaves,   2 cloves,   salt to taste,       

1 chopped jalapeño…I removed some of the seeds to control heat.

1 tsp turmeric,   2 cups water,   2 cans (I like FIG brand in box) chickpeas, 

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro stems.

Bring to boil and then add 2 tsp coriander powder and 2 tsp Chana masala or Garam masala seasoning.

Cook until sauce thickens (at least an hour) and serve over basmati.

OKRA BINDI (I have yet to try this, but am looking forward to making it soon!)

Slice okra or use frozen and sauté with chopped onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric. This is good served alongside Chana Masala.

Give it a whirl, let me know how you like it! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Thanks to Alison Brewer for sharing her recipes…


Sartori Espresso BellaVitano cheese, you won’t believe it… espresso rind… to die for!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOODLeave a comment

You see this label? MEMORIZE IT! Run to Whole Foods and grab some of this oh so delicious cheese. It’s called Sartori Espresso BellaVitano  and you will not believe your taste buds… Had this at a friends house (thanks guys!), and ran out the next day to nab some…

Don’t worry about the espresso keeping you up at night… I asked the cheese lady… she laughed at me, ha… go figure! Serve it with light thin wheat crackers. A real treat!  Enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!