Fall = Friends and Pears

A few Sundays ago now, I was hanging out with great friends, one of which came all the way from New Mexico and is my best friend's, Melissa, best friend from childhood, Jessie. Talk about crazy friendness! Jessie made a delicious dish his Mother and Grandmother made years before. It was so freaking good! And then, in the same week I had the fortune to hang out with another group of  great friends. We were enjoying each other's company, some tasty fruits and cheese, and Pear Martinis. Both days involved other people (friends) cooking or preparing food with out my assistance, but of which I was able to deeply enjoy. I love when that happens!   But all this hanging out led to reason there's a 2-week lapse in latest blog posts. Oh well. A girl's gotta have some fun sometime, right?!

So a quicky for this post and a note about fun and indulgence. Sometimes, even though this blog focuses a lot on healthy eating and watching calories and nutrient intake, sometimes- and yes, I mean more than once a year- sometimes you just need a break from it all. This recipe will definitely help you do that- take a break, sit back, enjoy good company and good spirits without worrying about it. You'll run tomorrow, or you'll do your yoga later in the week...for now... indulge in this deliciousness.

A Pear-fect Pear Martini (I couldn't resist, sorry!)


Ingredients
1 part Pear infused Vodka, or just Vodka
2 parts Pear nectar (sans corn syrup or other juices, this should be straight pear juice)
pre-sliced pears, covered with the juice of 1 lime
ice

Make It
1. In a shaker, add the ice, vodka and pear nectar.
2. Shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a martini glass.
4. Garnish with 1 or 2 slices of pear.
5. Sip and enjoy. Really, you're not going to have any trouble with the enjoy part- maybe the sip and not gulp part, though.

Nutritional Info
Happiness - 100%

If You Eat, You Should Care About This:

Ok, so I normally post recipes but I warned in my "about" section that I might post things about food, health issues, policy, green initiatives, etc. This is about food policy. And a grotesque abuse of our right to access information, safe food and healthy options for our families- through food. So if you eat food, you should seriously care about this. Please click the link to learn more.

Why you should care about the farm bill

The farm bill matters to you if you care what you and your kids eat, how government policies affect the cost and availability of healthy, chemical-free food and how clean your drinking water is.

Its three most important sections deal with (or possibly won't deal with):

• Support programs for farmers who grow grains.
• Provide money and technical help to farmers to protect soil, water and wildlife.
• Fund the all-important nutrition and feeding programs for low-income Americans, especially women, children and infants.

It’s a huge piece of legislation that drives federal spending and policies on agriculture, nutrition and conservation programs, and it’s usually debated and passed every five years. It was due to come up for renewal in 2012, but industrial agriculture interests and their powerful allies in Congress are trying to circumvent open debate and get the bill they want passed as part of the “Super Committee” plan for cutting the federal deficit.

Stop the Secret Farm Bill | Environmental Working Group

This is a gross abuse of the democratic system. Regardless of whether you agree with the language in the bill, the fact that it is being pushed through without the standard democratic process of review is alarming and disturbing! Stand up for your right to know. Stop this.

Split Pea, Cabbage & Radish Soup

I freaking love split pea soup! There, now you know. I think it's delicious and kind of get a kick out of how it actually looks pretty gross, all green and clumpy. But a lot of dishes look or smell awful and end up being delightful (like Mom's Tuna Casserole!). Since it's nice and chilly now, I have been really really into soups and stews.  They are so warming, easy to make, cheap to make and nutritiously filling.

For this split pea soup, I wanted something more than just carrots and peas- I wanted a hardiness to it. I decided on using up 1/2 a head of cabbage I had and a beautiful (watermelon?) radish I got from the Farmer's Market. I was almost certain I had heard of split pea and cabbage soup before, but googled it just to be sure. Yep. Several (hundreds?) have done this before. But I didn't find any that suggested adding radish to it. I was hopeful this would work out and be tasty, because it was going to serve as my lunch for several days to come. Happily, it did.

Before I jump into the recipe, check out this beautiful radish I picked up from a farmer at the market. I am almost positive it's called Watermelon Radish. It's an heirloom variety and grows big like a turnip. Isn't it stunning? Oh and it's just absolutely scrumptious!

Ingredients:
4 C Tap Water
2 Stalks Celery chopped
3/4 - 1 Carrots chopped
1/2 Onion chopped
2 C Cabbage, chopped
1 C Radish chopped
1/2 C Dry Split Pea

Make It: 

Heat the water ready to a boil. Add the celery, onions and carrots to the water. Boil and continue to boil fror a few minutes. Add the Spit Peas and cover to reduce heat and continue cooking. When the peas have cooked all the way through, remove from heat and blend to make smooth. I used my food processor, however, an immersion blender would be perfect for something like this! 

Then return to heat and add the cabbage and radishes. Cook on med-low for 15 minutes or so until the radishes are soft to chew.

Serve hot or reserve in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Not sure how this happened, but I have no pictures of the final product. It was really yummy, but honestly as previously noted this was not that pretty (muddy green and what not). So use your taste-bud imagination, cook it up and enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 

Servings Per Recipe: 3

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 75.7

Total Fat: 0.4 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 55.6 mg

Total Carbs: 15.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g

Protein: 4.3 g

Cabernet Mushrooms w/ Greens & Sweet Potatoes

Oh brother, here I go again with a tremendously long break in between postings. I was afraid of this. But I am going to keep trying. The more I do, the easier it will get- right? Right. Right. I have been cooking and eating, but a lot of that cooking and eating has been on the fly with no real thought. Or it has been for more than just me, in a hurry, and without writing it all down. Like for Thanksgiving. Which by the way, I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday and are enjoying leftovers! Maybe you're not, though, and maybe you're looking for something filling but responsibly light (because of the guilty indulgences this weekend perhaps?) for dinner. Well, I think this may be an option for you then. Let me know if you like it.

The other night, I ran out of MRE's (meals-ready-to-eat, no not the Military issue but of my own making) and so it was time to cook it up. I also needed lunch for a few days. But I had a craving for mushrooms for dinner and thought soup for lunches would be nice. And, no I didn't want mushroom soup three times in a row. So I conceded to again make more than one meal at once and be prepared for the next few days.
Of course, I didn't get home until almost 8 o'clock since I went to the gym before leaving work, then stopped for dog treats. My dinner and lunch-soup had to be quick meals so I could get on with the other things needing my attention.
Quick was the intent anyway. And for some, this may be quick compared to past kitchen adventures. For me, it was too long given looming homework as one example of something needing my attention. Regardless, both were damn tasty so I am really not complaining.

Ok, I wanted mushrooms and I wanted a hearty dinner. What should it be then? Well, how about a substantially mushroom based meal accompanied by lush greens and braised sweet potatoes? Yup! That'll do. So yummy, so filling.

Ingredients:

7-8 medium mushrooms halved or quartered

1 C Collards, chopped

1 C Mustard Greens, chopped

1/2 C Onions, raw, sliced in half rings

~ 1/4 C Red (Cab Sauv) Wine 

1 C Sweet potato, cubed/diced large

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

All natural, real olive oil cooking spray (not Pam or some weird, can't pronounce it, ingredient list of a "food-like-product")

Make It:

1. Spray a small skillet or pan with the olive oil spray and heat to med-hi heat. Add the cubed sweet potato in one layer and "fry" to brown and soften the potatoes. This might take as long as 20 minutes, but should take less than that. Make sure to turn them over for even cooking. When finished keep on warm. 
2. Meanwhile, but pay attention to the sweet potatoes so they don't burn!, prepare the rest of the vegetables as described in the ingredient list and get the seasonings together as well. This will all come together pretty quickly. 
3. Heat a large skillet with olive oil spray. add onions to saute. Stir for a few minutes, then add spices and mushrooms, stir for 2-3 more minutes. Finally, add the greens and stir only 1 minute. Add the red wine (watch it, it will steam and pop!) and cover the pan while reducing the heat to simmer, very low. Steam for 3 minutes or so. Check greens for wilt but not mush. Remove the mix from the pan to a serving dish and cover to keep warm; reserve the liquid in the pan and reheat to medium. Quickly, add a few dashes of cornstarch to the liquid to thicken it like a gravy. 
4. Place sweet potatoes on the plate, uncover the mushroom mix and pour the gravy over the mix.
5. Enjoy!

This ridiculously filling meal is packed with nutrients, including a healthy portion of protein, and is very low in fat and calories. Hoorah!

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 265.6

Total Fat: 1.3 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 108.7 mg

Total Carbs: 55.6 g

Dietary Fiber: 13.2 g

Protein: 12.7 g

the little toaster oven that could (can)

The alternate title to this post is Oven Roasted Jalapenos. 

I think I've mentioned using my toaster oven before, but have I told you about it? Well, it's fabulous. Toaster ovens are a great alternative to the regular oven because they are small, consume way less energy and work pretty fast (because of their small size and less space to heat). So having one is really important to making my kitchen complete.
My last toaster oven caught on fire. That happens sometimes. So I was without one for a long while. Then, this summer I was at this house of a thrift store- seriously, it's a house with 4 stories of stuff in every room. Each room or level benefits a different charity. These charities decided it'd be a great opportunity to get this house and collectively share the cost of a thrift storefront. What a brilliant idea! And extra bonus for me. I left this house two times with bags full of things I needed. I mean really needed, not just wanted, and mostly bulky stuff (think kitchen and bedding). So cool.

Anyway, about the Toaster Oven. Everything was on sale- I love when thrift stores have sales. There were BOGs, percent-off offers, then there was a room with kitchen goods. And their sale was anything you can fit in a brown paper grocery sack for 1$. I had a paper bag filled with 3 pitchers, a bread knife and a mixing bowl. Then I had this toaster oven. The volunteer ringing me up told me that the toaster oven didn't really fit in the sack, so I'd have to buy it separately. Ok, how much? Umm, 1$. Sweet! I said, handing over 2 crisp 1$ bills, while I thought, I hope it doesn't catch on fire...

Well, it's Fall and that was Summer and I've used this bad-boy so much since then. And, knock on wood, it has yet to catch on fire. Hooray! A dollar well spent indeed. I know it's not the fanciest machine, it's not convection or multi-tiered. It's a simple Black & Decker model, probably at least 10 years old. It only has bake or toast as options and it's not the prettiest. It was obviously pre-loved( though I wonder if as much as it is now). But it's a great little oven and it makes me happy.

Here's an example, mind you only one example of many, many, things my oven is good for: Roasted Jalapenos!

I had a bunch of jalapenos that were starting to crinkle and turn. I didn't want to lose them, especially since I grew them, so I decided to roast them and stuff them in oil for later use. I might split them up and add them to canned goods for Christmas presents. We'll see.

This was very simple. cut and core the jalapenos and tossed them with a liberal amount of oil. Turned the oven up to about 400 and let them cook. 

I have no idea how long they were in there- I was making a bunch of other food- but it was probably at least 30 minutes. They were a little crispy and browned on edges. I think that's fine. 

Then I stuffed them in a small (empty) horseradish jar and filled it with more oil. These will stay in there for a long time and I can use the oil or the peppers or both whenever I want. 

I seriously *heart* my toaster oven. 

Garlic Sauce with Shiitakes

Eureka!
I swear, I am not trying to rub it in or brag or exaggerate, but I think I may have (mostly) nailed this one! On the commute home the other night, I realized I needed lunch for the rest of the week and decided I'd make soup. And I figured I'd also just eat that soup for dinner. But when I got home to check the fridge for soup ingredients I found shiitake mushrooms! They had been in there for a while, so it was really time to do something about them. But I didn't want them in soup. I remembered back to when I purchased them, I daydreamed of something more like Chinese/Asian or using them as you would clams in a garlic wine sauce... So, I committed to making the lunch soup (Split Pea Cabbage and Radish Soup- recipe later) and something Chinese/Asian with mushrooms for dinner.
I was performing some updates on the computer so I couldn't google recipes. I had to wing it. Seriously- this is hands down the best "wing it" recipe I've ever made, of course that's my opinion so you be the judge.
I wanted spicy, garlicky and interesting- I chose to try to make a Chinese-style Garlic Sauce. I have no idea what's in a traditional garlic sauce. But I was up for a challenge to see if I could replicate it based on taste-bud-memory alone. 
I had half of a spaghetti squash leftover from dinner a few nights ago. Instead of boiling lo mein or soba noodles, or cooking rice, I decided this saucy dish would smother the squash well, plus it's already cooked which was a bonus at that already late hour.
This recipe is really about the sauce- the vegetables or what you mix with it could be anything you have on hand. 

Ingredients
Sauce
1 1/2 T Soy Sauce

1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1 T Rice Vinegar

1/2 tsp red chili sauce (shriracha chili paste)

1 tsp minced garlic

~1 T corn starch

Vegetables

3/4 C Shiitake mushrooms sliced into strips

3/4 C onions, sliced in half rings

1/4 C Collards, short but wide strips

1 tsp oil

Squash

2 C spaghetti squash

Make it:
Reheat and hold the spaghetti squash. (Or boil whatever noodle or rice you're going to use.)
Mix, except the corn starch, the sauce ingredients in a small dish. Heat the oil in a skillet or Wok. Add the onions and stir for 2-3 minutes, add the mushrooms and stir again for a 2 minutes. Add the garlic sauce mix and stir well. Add the greens, use caution to try not to mash all the greens together. Add the corn starch to thicken the sauce around the vegetables. Make it thick but not too thick. It should smother well, versus just plop out of the pan.

Smother the spaghetti squash and enjoy. So good!

A few thoughts...
If I had bok choy or something more "Chinese dish-like" I would have used that instead of Collards; however the greens were just delightful in the dish and didn't make me long for anything more authentic. And if I had more Bragg's, I would double the Bragg's and reduce the soy sauce to limit some sodium. There's not an unusually large amount of sodium, but it was a bit salty...

Here's some sodium information I found in an article by the Mayo Clinic--
Sodium: How to tame your salt habit now
            The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day — or 1,500 mg if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease. The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day — much more than recommended. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sodium/NU00284

Ok, so maybe it is a little heavy on the sodium... cut it with the Bragg's or even water (meaning use less soy sauce). Then, sit back and enjoy this huge plate of food, for only 200 calories!! There's certainly room for more with that level of calories, but seriously not much room in the belly after you gorge on this. Maybe a spring or egg roll? Maybe. 

Nutritional Info:

Servings Per Recipe: 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 200.0

Total Fat: 1.3 g

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 1,989.2 mg

Total Carbs: 48.2 g

Dietary Fiber: 8.7 g

Protein: 8.0 g