Category: FOOD

Foods that should never cross your lips… # 7!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment
Image: Prevention.com

We are wrapping up a great segment of Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips (very insightful article by Prevention magazine). I’ve tried to present this to you one food at a time so that you can adjust and make the switch (at least on those that are meaningful to you)… I realize it’s difficult to make a big change all at once, but little by little it seems to be more possible! This week’s food to avoid? Conventional apples. Ugh. It’s one of the harder ones for me, just because organic apples cost so much more than conventional, but after you read this I think you’ll agree, it’s worth saving up for your apples… unless you want to wash and peel… then you lose some of the vitamins and fiber, but at least you are also losing the chemicals!

Conventional Apples

Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods, gives us the scoop:

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples.

Budget tip: If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel personally refuses to compromise. “I would rather see the trade-off being that I don’t buy that expensive electronic gadget,” he says. “Just a few of these decisions will accommodate an organic diet for a family.”

Whatever you may decide, I just wanted you to have the latest information. For now, unless I hear otherwise, organic apples it is…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Thanks to Paula Deen’s sons for a lighter fried chicken recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: DoctorOz.com

I am excited to try this… long ago, Oprah Winfrey had her chef, Rosie talk about the different recipes she made for Oprah, she then came out with a cookbook, I bought it and one of my favorite recipes was the unfried fried chicken. It was fabulous. This one is different and worth trying! This recipe came to me in an email from Doctor Oz. No, I don’t know Dr. Oz personally, but I do subscribe to his newsletter, full of fabulous information, and here’s a great recipe to try… It’s from Paula Deen’s sons… From the newsletter:

When Jamie and Bobby Deen heard how unhealthy Vita’s fried chicken recipe was, they had no choice but to show up at her door. Below is their alternate recipe: a healthy twist with un-fried chicken that still packs a satisfying crunch. Click here to purchase your copy of The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up.

Now… for the recipe! Click HERE to go directly to the link on Doctor Oz where you can easily print the recipe…

THE DEEN BROTHERS’ LIGHTER FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients

Serves 8

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 tsp Paula Deen’s House Seasoning (1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp garlic powder)

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 egg white

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 1/4 cups cornflake crumbs

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large shallow baking pan with non-stick spray. Sprinkle the chicken with the house seasoning. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, juice, egg white, and hot sauce. Add the chicken; toss to coat. 

Place the cornflake crumbs on a sheet of wax paper. Dip the chicken into the crumbs pressing so the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken in the pan and lightly spray with nonstick spray.

Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 40 – 45 minutes. Do not turn.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

227 calorie

25g protein

11g total fat

3g saturated fat

4g monounsaturated fat

5g carbohydrates

0g fiber

0g sugar

13mg calcium

1mg iron

288mg sodium

87mg cholesterol

Original Recipe courtesy Paula Deen. Revised recipe courtesy of Bobby Deen and the Paula Deen Test Kitchen.

Oh yum, does that ever sound good right now!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meatless Monday recipe… Penne with Spinach, Feta and Olives!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Here is a recipe that will make you flip. It’s so easy. It’s healthy. It’s QUICK and DELICIOUS. This is another good one from Cooking Light Magazine! If you need a meatless Monday meal, here it is! It’s great paired with a small salad… enjoy, it’s one of my favorites! Click HERE to go directly to the MyRecipes.com website so it’s quick and easy to print, or see below!

Penne with Spinach, Feta, and Olives

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 cups hot cooked penne (about 12 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

  • Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta, spinach, olives, capers, and cheese; toss well.

Cooking Light
MAY 1998

I said it was easy, didn’t I? Can’t get any easier than that! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Owl’s Head General Store… what a find, the best hamburger ever!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, TRAVELLeave a comment

Owls Head General Store, Owls Head, ME

I was looking at Katy Elliott’s blog last year and noted that she mentioned going to Owls Head, ME and having the best burger ever… YAY! We found a new place to try, and try it we did, almost daily it seems. (Thank you K.E.!). The OWLS HEAD GENERAL STORE is one of those rare places you find that you just fall in love with. Everything is fabulous, the people are HAPPY TO SEE YOU, and they notice when you come back. It’s like returning home to a loving family. I’m not exaggerating either. This place is the ticket. Food Network TV rated their hamburger MAINE’S BEST BURGER. And. It. Was. Oh. My. Gosh! Check them out on Facebook (Owls Head General Store).

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Foods that should never cross your lips… #6!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com

This is week six of the foods that should never cross your lips. This information is from Prevention magazine… to read the article in it’s entirety click HERE. My thought was to give you one food a week to try to change to, or at the very least know about… seems like it’ll stick with you better than all at once. At the bottom I’ve included the list of foods we’ve covered this far. This week’s food to avoid… milk with artificial hormones. From the Prevention magazine article:

Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society, gives us the scoop:
The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart’s Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

This is one I am faithful about. I usually buy Horizon or if I’m at Whole Foods I’ll buy their brand. Will also try Trader Joe’s with no hormones… we drink 1%, we used to drink skim (regular with hormones/antibiotics all that stuff) and it had a blue’ish tint… WHY would that be? 1% seemed to be better. Interestingly enough when I had the no hormone/antibiotic added skim milk it WAS. NOT. BLUE. Therefore. I won’t drink “regular” milk… it’s not worth it to me. My opinion, but one I believe in.

So… to recap the past weeks:

1. Canned tomatoes

2. Corn-fed beef

3. Microwave popcorn

4. Non-organic potatoes

5. Farmed Salmon

6. Milk produced with artificial hormones

Next week will wrap up this segment!  So add NO ADDED HORMONE milk to your grocery list and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Homemade Applesauce Recipe!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: MyRecipes.com

You know sometimes how healthy, light fare just doesn’t sound very fair? That’s when you should make something like this. It’s still healthy, especially if you leave out the carbs (i.e. mashed potatoes swimming in butter). If you have a drawer full of apples that haven’t been eaten and are on their way to retirement this is a great recipe… It’s so tasty… From Cooking Light Magazine… Click HERE if you would like to be taken to the MyRecipes.com website to make it quick to print… and on to the recipe…!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops and Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

  • Applesauce:
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Pork:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 (5-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation

  • 1. To prepare applesauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apples to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water, sugar, juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to pan; cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook 25 minutes or until apples are tender. Mash gently with the back of a spoon.
  • 2. To prepare pork, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge pork in flour. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden. Turn pork over; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with applesauce.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2009

Ahhh, so are you going to give it a whirl? You will be thrilled at how tasty this is! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Live Long, Live Strong, Eat Seafood: THE SLIPWAY RESTAURANT (formerly Dip Net)

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD2 Comments

Image: http://maine-slipway.com

I am pleased as punch to spread the word about the old Dip Net restaurant that used to be in Port Clyde (not the one that Linda Bean bought and kept the name, but the original Dip Net) – It’s baaayaaaack as Jack Nicholson would say and it’s name is THE SLIPWAY – it’s located at 24 Town Landing, in the former Harborview Restaurant in Thomaston, ME. We had many memorable meals at the old restaurant and are looking so forward to visiting THE SLIPWAY for memorable meals in the future!! They also have a Facebook page, so check them out!

Click HERE to see a sample menu.

A blip from their website (you know how I like to include ‘blips’ from everything…)

We are right on the harbor with a 120′ dock, plenty of outdoor seating and a menu pretty similar to the great food we’ve provided for years in Port Clyde and Camden. Chef/Owner is Scott Yakovenko ran the Dip Net Restaurant in Port Clyde for eight years.

If you’re in the area go visit! If not, click to visit their Facebook page !

Foods that should never cross your lips… #5

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com

I may have mentioned once or twice how much I value the information that comes from inside the Prevention magazine pages? Chock full of information to help you live a long healthy life. This is a fantastic article (click HERE for link to full article) about what foods you really shouldn’t eat (or at least TRY not to) and WHY… Today… the 5th… FARMED SALMON… here’s the blip from Prevention Magazine:

Farmed Salmon

David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.

Now to recap the past weeks (or click on the HEALTH tab to scroll through)

1. Canned tomatoes

2. Corn-fed beef

3. Microwave popcorn (sorry dad)!

4. Non-organic potatoes

5. Farmed Salmon

Two to go… wonder what they’ll be? Hint… if you just can’t wait you can click to read the full article! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Our favorites at Trader Joe’s!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOODLeave a comment

Image: BringTraderJoesToCharlestonSC Facebook page

Well, Trader Joe’s has finally arrived in Charleston, SC! We made it there the first day and it was CRAZY. We didn’t make it there early, it wasn’t until Fred got off work that we shot over to see what the hoopla was about… it was busy beyond belief but we got some good stuff and were excited about the prospect of yet another grocery store in the area. Trader Joe’s isn’t just a shopping trip, it’s an adventure, ha ha… there is a following for Trader Joe’s that is rather unique. Prices are low, quality so far appears to be very good. They don’t have the large selection of products like Whole Foods does, think of them more like a ’boutique grocery store’. Trader Joe’s rotates what they carry, so you may find something you love and if it’s a limited supply item or if it isn’t a big seller then you may not see it in the upcoming weeks. A new concept, always some new items to try. Keeps things exciting! Of course there are the Trader Joe’s brand products and I would assume that those stick around, we’ve tried many and all are fabulous, coffee, olive oil, bavarian chocolate covered almonds, popcorn air popped with olive oil, low fat  cheese doodles (hee hee), pitted kalamata olives, organic oatmeal with flax and the HAVARTI CHEESE (ooooh so good) just to name a few! CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! Woohoo! If you’re near a Trader Joe’s but haven’t been in a while check them out!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Giada’s Carbonara… oh! What could be better for a meatless Monday?

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: GidaDeLaurentis.com

OHMYGOSH. Does this ever look good! Perfect if you’re trying to skip meat one day a week. Have you noticed the latest trend where eggs are appearing on top of all kinds of dishes, salads, pasta, etc… very different indeed!  I think it’s worth trying for sure! It’s not a light recipe, but great for a special occasion! To get directly to the recipe on Giada’s website click HERE). I pulled this recipe up on the Food Network’s website as well, I wanted to see what kind of reviews it received… EXCELLENT! All comments were out of this world good… Gotta love Giada AND the view out of her kitchen window! (Those who have watched her show know exactly what I mean!)…

From the book GIADA’S KITCHEN: If you’re looking for a low-fat dish, move on. My brother and sister and I craved this dish so often as kids that we finally learned to make it ourselves – it is actually one of the first dishes I ever made for myself. These days I consider it special occasion food, not everyday fare, and it’s especially good for Sunday brunch. Add champagne and a fruit salad and you’re done. The Basil Aioli keeps for up to a week in the fridge and it works as a dip for veggies, on eggs, or as a sandwich spread, too.

giada’s carbonara

ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Giada’s Carbonara
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, rubber band left on
1 pound linguini
1 cup Basil Aioli
1 cup shaved pecorino, about 4 ounces
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 to 6 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil Aioli
1 garlic clove , minced
2 large egg yolks (see Note)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

instructions

Giada’s Carbonara
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus bundle and cook for 3 minutes Use tongs to transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water and let sit until cool, about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus, remove the rubber band, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the same pot of salted water used to cook the asparagus and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the basil aioli, asparagus, shaved cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and turn out onto a serving platter. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, fry to your liking. Place the eggs on top of the pasta and serve immediately.
Basil Aioli
Combine the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a food processor and run the machine to mix. With the machine running slowly drizzle in the vegetable and olive oil. Basil Aioli can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
There are some dangers associated with eating raw eggs, especially for those with compromised immune systems. To reduce the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells

I know I’ve bought PASTURIZED eggs for a recipe long ago, I’m going to check to see if they’re still available…  but if not, I’m throwing caution to the wind, ha ha… getting risky in my old age… I’ve GOT to give this recipe a try!

A peak out of Giada’s window… the ocean… that would be sweet! Although I probably wouldn’t get a lot of cooking done, ha ha…

Image: GiadaDeLaurentis.com

Enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Foods that should never cross your lips… #4

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com

Well, it’s Thursday and time for the Prevention magazine tip… from a wonderful article 7 FOODS THAT SHOULD NEVER CROSS YOUR LIPS, here is number 4:

Nonorganic Potatoes 

Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. ” Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

Well, good grief, is nothing sacred? The potatoes are coated in layer after layer of poison. Lovely. I DO only buy organic… just not as many. Works out fine!

ARTICLE RECAP: canned tomatoes, corn-fed beef, microwave popcorn and now… nonorganic potatoes!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Husk Restaurant in Charleston, SC is the top new restaurant in AMERICA!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOODLeave a comment

Image: HuskRestaurant.com

It’s pretty exciting that Bon Appetit magazine has named Sean Brock’s new restaurant HUSK, the top new restaurant in AMERICA! Woohoo… Sean Brock is a man with a vision. He renovated a worn out building (or two) and made it into one exquisite space! I know the old building, I’ve taken art classes there… I love the plan for HUSK, LOCAL INGREDIENTS… love it! Makes my mouth water… We look forward to visiting HUSK soon… CONGRATS SEAN!

Here’s a blip from their WEBSITE (gorgeous website, complete with the daily menu, check it out!), and pictures from the website below…

HUSK IS

centrally located in historic downtown Charleston, Husk, the newest offering from James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s and the Neighborhood Dining Group, transforms the essence of Southern food. Led by Brock and Chef de Cuisine Travis Grimes, a Lowcountry native, the kitchen reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in Charleston.

Starting with a larder of ingredients indigenous to the South, and set within a building complex dating to the late 19th century, Brock crafts menus throughout the day, responding to what local purveyors are supplying the kitchen at any given moment. The entrance beckons with a rustic wall of firewood to fuel the wood-fired oven and a large chalkboard listing artisanal products currently provisioning the kitchen, but like the décor that inhabits the historic building, the food is modern in style and interpretation.

At Husk there are some rules about what can go on the plate. “If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door,” says Brock, who has even stricken olive oil from the kitchen. As he explains, the resulting cuisine “is not about rediscovering Southern cooking, but exploring the reality of Southern food.” This modern approach results in playful dishes such as Deviled Eggs with Pickled Okra and Trout Roe, and new classics like South Carolina Shrimp and Choppee Okra Stew with Carolina Gold Rice and Flowering Basil.

Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house pickling and charcuterie efforts by the culinary team are the basis of the cuisine at Husk. The restaurant is as casual as it is chic, evoking a way of life centered on seasonality and the grand traditions of Charleston life—one lived at a slower pace, preferably with a cocktail and a wide porch in the late afternoon. It is a neighborhood gathering place for friends, and a destination dining spot for travelers, with a little bite of the South for everyone’s palates.

Image: HuskRestaurant.com

Image: HuskRestaurant.com

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Foods that should never cross your lips… #3

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com

Here is this Thursday’s food that should never cross your lips. Thank you to Prevention magazine for another excellent article!

Microwave Popcorn 

Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap.

Ahhh, something else that’s good on popcorn? PARMESAN… woohoo!

ARTICLE RECAP: Canned tomatoes, corn fed beef and microwave popcorn!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Steak fajitas… quick and easy! Delish!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe1 Comment

Quick and easy fajitas

You know when you need to get out of a rut and try something different? Summertime is the hardest time for me, in the winter I can think up all kinds of things that bake, stew, roast, all with the oven on slowly making a meal into a masterpiece while heating the kitchen all at the same time. Then it’s summer. It’s hot and the last thing you want to do is spend too much time with the stove/oven on… enter FAJITAS. I usually make them with chicken, but on this day we needed a break from chicken. So I ran to the store and got 1/2# of flank steak. I whipped together a marinade in a ziplock with a clove or two of garlic (use the microplane!), some olive oil, and some lime juice (one nice big wedge squeezed into the bag). I then mixed the ingredients in the bag by mushing around with my hot little hands, then tossed in the hunk o’beef and let it sit and fester for a while (in the fridge of course!). Actually that night dinner plans changed so it sat in the bag for about 12 hours which was perfect! Fred threw the hunk o’meat on the grill, then right before it was ready he took it off, wrapped it in foil and allowed it to rest. Then we sliced it at an angle against the grain. We heated up some tortilla’s that we had, cut up some tomato, green onion, grated some cheddar and threw on a nice plop of greek yogurt! (We use it instead of sour cream). Oh, and we had some of that tasty salsa from Trader Joe’s… nice touch. It’s quick, you can put what you like on it, you can spice it up more (or less), add avocado, onions, etc. Use chicken, tofu, steak, fish or whatever else you may have. As they say… No rules, it’s just right.

Enjoy a fajita tonight! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Foods that should never cross your lips… #2

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTHLeave a comment

Image: Prevention.com
Image: Prevention.com

I happened upon a fantastic article in PREVENTION MAGAZINE, and I thought it was worth sharing… Each Thursday I’ll post another food that should never cross your lips. It’s a great article because it tells you WHY! I am doing it to the best of my ability!

Ok, here it is, from PREVENTION MAGAZINE:

Corn-Fed Beef

Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming, gives us the scoop:

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E,omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

Excellent information from a reliable source. That’s why I read Prevention. If you haven’t subscribed, trust me it’s worth it… and it’s nifty size is so perfect to toss in your purse to take with you! Check it out! If you’re in the Charleston area I know EarthFare and Whole Foods carries it. The taste simply cannot compare to corn-fed. It costs more, yes. But we don’t need to eat such large portions, cut your portion and spend the same amount for something that’s better for your body and fill up on those veggies!

So to backtrack… last week it was CANNED TOMATOES… this week, CORN FED BEEF… What do you think it’ll be next time?

Catch you back here tomorrow!