Fennel and Kolhrabi - something a little different

You can cook with Fennel and Kolhrabi and these two ( rather different ) vegetables can be used as side dishes or as part of a salad. ( picture : Kolhrabi ).  If you choose to use Kolhrabi you do not use the stem parts or leaves - and you peel off the outter skin.  This vegetable can then be thinly sliced and diced, added to salads or stir-fry.

Fennel ( pictured here ) can be used in its entirety.  The green leafs are an excellent herb to dress a pork roast, or chicken, or rice and with other spices.  It's stock when thinly sliced, adds a wonderful flavor to salads and in a roasting pan underneath a rib roast or chicken, cooked along with the meat.

Go online and check out other ways these two vegetables can be added to your meals.

STIR FRY SUGGESTIONS

Stir-fry is a favorite of mine.  I like the taste of somewhat crunchy veges - and a lot of them.  Stir-fry vegetables taste great on top of thin coleslaw sliced cabbage, or brown rice ( your choice ).    Prep time is longer than cooking time.

Ingredients ( for 2-4 servings )

2 baby Bok Choi 

1 head Napa Cabbage or 1/2 white cabbage 

1 red pepper 

1 medium onion/ or 6 green onions ( preferably with large bulb )

1 stock broccoli

4-6 mushrooms 

8-12 oz protein ( tofu, chicken, fish, steak - etc )

Optional veges :  Chinese peas and Water chestnuts

Slice all of above thinly, about 1/2 inch maximum, and put aside. ( If you use shrimp you can use these whole ).

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce ( read the label for sugar content and salt content )

1/2 teaspoon chili oil

3-4 cloves garlic chopped

Salt to taste ( beware of the soy sauce ).

Use a Teflon Wok and a wooden spoon for cooking.  Remember, the secret to stir-fry is fast cooking so the heat is hot.

Heat the oils, soy sauce, and garlic until very hot. Quickly stir fry the protein. When complete, take out of the wok and put aside. ( Leave juices in the wok as these add flavor ).  Now quickly stir-fry the vegetables.  You want these to remain crunchy so don't overcook.

When the vegetables are done, thrown in the protein that was precooked and quickly stir fry to reheat only.

Remove from heat and serve over brown rice or sliced cabbage.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO SUGAR AND HONEY

Before you purchase any of these products, consult with your doctor or dietician.  READ THE LABELS FOR SUGAR EQUIVALENCY.

AGAVE  is a natural sweetener produced from the core of this plant.  It is sweeter than honey.  Since it has fructose it is considered to be in the glycemic index.  1/3rd cu. of Agave equals the sweetness of 1 cu refined sugar.  Unlike sugar and honey it dissolves instantly in cold liquids.  Check the calorie and sugar content on labels.

 STEVIA is grown for its sweet leafs.  Extracts are 300 times the sweetness of sugar.  There is no calorie content and it has a negligible affect on blood glucose. In high concentrations it may have an after taste.  Some vendors of this product flavor it.

  BROWN RICE SYRUP is gluten free.  The syrup is derived by culturing cooked natural sweet brown rice with enzymes.  Because it is absorbed into the blood stream immediately, it is not recommended for diabetics.

HUMMOS ( Chick pea/Garbanzo bean )

Mediterranean Dishes include Hummos, a chick pea/garbanzo bean dip.  SHOWN HERE WITH WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS.

Ingredients :

1 can large Garbanzo beans ( do not drain )

6 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 small lemon

1/4 cu +/- olive oil ( if you need more as it is blending - add small amount )

Sea salt to taste

Paprika for top garnish

Using a cuisinart, blend all together except for the paprika.  Taste.  Add salt and lemon juice to taste. ( I eat low salt ).  Should be creamy texture.

Place on dish.  When you serve, add a drizzle of olive oil on top and then sprinkle with paprika.

AIOLI - AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAYONAISE

  I will make Aioli because I like making my own dressings...plus then I really know what is in the "jar".  This is great on absolutely anything.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic ( if you really want a garlic taste add more! )

1 egg yolk

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cu. oilve oil.

Using a Cuisinart put in garlic and chop fine using a tablespoon of the oil.  Transfer this to a small bowl and begin to use a Wisk.  Wisk in the sea salt.  Add the egg yolk, wisk.   Slowly add the oil until all of it is incorporated, wisk.  The mixture is thick like mayonnaise.

THE BEETS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES

  If you hate beets, don't go here.  If you are on the fence - try these recipes and maybe, just maybe, Beets may become one of your favorite vegetable dishes.  

The worst part of working with red beets is that they bleed off their color.  I suggest working with rubber gloves when peeling.  

ROASTED BEETS

Ingredients :

2-3 medium size beets ( wash thoroughly and cut off greens )

Glass or Roasting dish that is higher than the size of the beets

Cover for this roasting dish

1/4 cu water

Dash Sea Salt

Red Wine or Rice Wine Vinegar to taste

Place beets in the pan with the water.  Cover tightly.  Place in an oven at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Test with fork.  Beets to be soft, but still firm.  Take out of the oven.  Put in ice water just to cool down a bit.  Cut off the bottom tail and any top stem rough part left.  Peel by hand - the skin will just come off.

Slice thin.  Sprinkle with a dash of fine sea salt and if you want to use some pepper you can.  Sprinkle with vinegar.  

These are great warm or cold.

ALTERNATE :

As a salad dish you could use these warm over a bed of lettuce, with a slice of goat cheese and some capers.  Yum.

PUMPKIN CUSTARD

This is a combo recipe that uses Fat Free Evaporated milk.  There is sugar in Fat Free Evaporated milk, but far less than non fat free evaporated milk.

 

Ingredients :

1 cup Ezekiel Original Cereal

Pam Organic Olive Oil

15 oz. canned pumpkin ( there is organic canned pumpkin )

dash of sea salt

1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves

1 can fat free evaporated milk

2 eggs slightly beaten

1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup**

(I use individual custard dishes so that I know my measurements and can account for what I am eating.  For me, this dish is 1/2 grain, 1/4 cu milk, and 1/2 cu vegetable. )

Spay a 9" pie pan or individual custard dishes with the Pam.  Lay bottom of the pie pan, or each custard dish with some of the original cereal. Try to divide evenly.

Mix all of the other ingredients in a bowl by hand, until mixed, but not over mixed.  If you are using custard dishes, use a measuring cup and pore 1/2 cup of the mixture on top of the cereal layer, in each dish.  

Place pie pan or custard dishes on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn down the oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.  Test with a toothpick.

Serve warm or cold with a top drizzle of sugar free maple syrup. 

** The outcome is not sweet.  You may want to put 1/2 cu. sugar free maple syrup into the mixture if you want a sweeter taste.

THE SPROUTED GRAIN DIFFERENCE

Without reiterating pages of written information, go to              http://www.foodforlife.com/sprouted-grain-difference.html

This site gives you their explanation for eating sprouted grains and seeds, and an overview of their products that are produced from sprouted grains and seeds.

Besides the many Ezekiel products available at many food stores ( Linguine, Penne, English Muffins, Breads, Cereals and Tortillas ) I have also discovered some other whole grain products.

"Mary's Gone Crackers" offers a taste great wheat-free, gluten free crispy cracker in various sizes. No sugar and No flour is listed on the ingredients.  Serving size is approx 1 oz = approx 13 crackers.  These are great crunched up in salads, with tuna, or along with any dish that you would like to add a little crunch to.

Real Foods puts out a Corn Thins that is multigrain.  They are fat free, no sugar, and gluten free.  Although I have a bag of these ( found them at Albertsons' in the rice cake section ) I haven't tried them yet.

My husband got very creative the one night and used bulgar ( the size I would use when making Tubule), 1/2 cu. with salt and pepper to taste, as a "breading" in which he dredged some rock cod.  Then he pan fried it in our teflon coated pan, with 1 tsp olive oil and chopped garlic.  When it was cooked, he garnished with fresh lemon juice.  Delicious.

I have been toying with measuring 1/2 cu bulgar and then putting it into my blender to reduce this to a "flour" consistency to see how much ( in ounces and in cup measurement ) this would yield.  What would I do with it then?  Maybe, just maybe I could make a pizza dough for an individual size pizza.  I'll let you know.

TAMATILLOS WITH ASPARAGUS

TAMATILLOS are a Mexican fruit, resembling small potatoes.  

The paper-like skin must be peeled firs.

INGREDIENTS : 

1 Tb Olive Oil

1 lb Asparagus

4 lg Tamatillos ( about 1.5 inch each - peel off paper-like skin )

1 small Tomatoe, cored

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cu Lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; rinse spears. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch into a wide frying pan and bring to boil over high heat.  Add asparagus and cook uncovered until barely tender ( about 3 - 4 minutes ).  Immerse in ice water to cool. 

When cool, place on salad plate.  

Using a cuisinart, mix oil, tomatillos, garlic, lemon juice, and tomato until sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon this sauce over the asparagus.  

Alternatives :  Add a wedge of Lemon to garnish the plate.  Sprinkle with cojita or parmesian cheese.

Let me know if you try this one out!

WHY NO ALCOHOL TO DRINK BUT OK TO COOK WITH?

WHY NO WINE - THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD FOR MY HEART?

Although red wine is said to be great for our hearts, in moderation ( like anything else ), it is filled with sugar.  I avoid sugar for lots of reasons and one of these is because it triggers a need for MORE without any moderation.  I avoid all wines and alcoholic libations.  Bye, Bye Martinis.

But, what about using wine to flavor foods as they cook, does the alcohol dissipate? and how long will that take?

Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented.  Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol.

What about when wines are used in cooking, does the alcohol burn off.  There have been many studies about this.  In "The New Making of a Cook", as authoritative a source as you can find, Madeleine Kamman cauthions that a dish with wine must be cooked long enough to remove the harshness of the alcohol.  She wants you to simmer and reduce the wine separately from the sauce and add it only when it has been greatly reduced but she can't give an exact time frame reference.  Other notable cooks just say that when cooking the alcohol burns off.  

James Peterson, a cookbook writer who also studies chemistry, says you need to cook a sauce for at least 20 to 30 seconds after adding wine to allow the alcohol to evaporate.  ( Alcohol evaporates at 172 degrees F. ) So, any sauce or stew that is simmering or boiling is certainly hot enough to evaporate the alcohol?  WRONG! 

You have to cook something for a good three hours to eradicate virtually all traces of alcohol. Plus, some cooking methods are less effective at removing alcohol.  The best recommendation is to add alcohol when sauce is boiling, let it simmer for at least 2.5 hrs  - and then 5% of the alcohol will remain.

Bottom line, there is NO 100% - so, if you use alcohol to flavor your sauces, think about limiting these to slow cook dishes, like stews and briskets.

Substitute for Peanut Butter

Peanut butter was always a staple in my life - on almost every type of bread, cracker, and even on its own, just off the Tablespoon.

Today, eating leaner and no sugar - AND NOT NUTS TODAY - I am allowing myself to eat soynuts and its bi-products.  In my search for sugar abstinent food alternatives, I researched SOYNUT BUTTER.

I am a reader of labels and suggest that everyone read the backs of labels, for the actual contents.  I found several soy butters on the market.  Many of them are made with soy flour and cane juice, per the ingredients.  Regardless if the product is on the counter of your favorite health food store, read the label!

Pay attention to ingredients and Calculation for net carbs.

I treat soybutter as part protein and a fat.  

The Soy Butter product I purchase is "I.M.Healthy".  It comes creamy and chunky.  It is unsweetened and offers a net 1 carb.  The serving size is 2 Tbsp which gives you 180 calories but 120 fat calories ( if you are counting calories ).  At this serving size - total fat is 14g, protein is 10g, and sugars is 1g.  (Hence the reason I attribute this product as a "fat" first and also a "protein".

More important, the Ingredients are :  Roasted Soybeans (no-gmo), naturally processed soybean oil, soy concentrate, soy lecithin and mono and diglycerides ( derived from vegetable oil ), salt.   

No sugars.  It isn't sweet tasting so you may want to put a dash of sugar free maple or raspberry syrup on top - or agave - or stevia.

I use this SoyNut Butter on whole grain ( no flour! ) breads, whole grain crackers, and raw breakfast crusts.

Let me know if you try!

ABSTINENT MASHED NOT-POTATOES

This dish is a fabulous vegetable that goes with anything saucy.  When my husband served my plate, I had to question if what was there was mashed potatoes.  I don't eat white potatoes.  His reply was -  its part of your eating program - taste it.

MASHED TURNIPS - 

makes 1 - 2 cups - depends upon the size of the turnips.

Ingredients :   

4 to 6 large Turnips

1 tsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Utensils Needed :

Sauce Pan

Potatoe Masher or anything that will mash the turnip

Wash and peel the turnips.  Put into boiling water.  Test with fork after several minutes - you want the turnip tender.  When tender, drain the water.  Mash with masher ( or fork ) adding up to 1 tsp olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as a side dish with stew or chicken in the pot, or frankly anything - they are delicious!