3 Bean Melody

It's been cold and rainy so I love a bowl or mug of soup to help warm me up. Here's what you'll need for this bean melody:

• 1 Crockpot
• 1 1/2 total cups of dried beans. Soak overnight is a glass or stainless steel bowl with beans below at least 1 inch of water (Use 3 different kinds of beans. I favor organic heirlooms.)

Rinse soaked beans well in a colander and place in the Crockpot. Add 8 cups of filtered water.

Roast at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes the following on a cookie sheet (this can be done a couple of days in advance and refrigerated):

• 2 organic red bell peppers
• 1 small pumpkin or other squash

Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out the flesh of the squash. Skin, seed, and slice the peppers and place in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Add to the skillet: 

• 1-2 Tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil. (I store bacon drippings in a glass jar in the fridge and use when I want smoky flavor.)
• 2-3 teaspoons Omnivore or Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup white Balsamic vinegar

• 2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon, Ancho chilies, California chili (I use Simply Organic brand. Any mild chili powder will work and I use a couple of different chilies for more complex flavor.)
• 1/4 cup washed, de-stemmed flat leaf  Italian parsley leaves
• 2 leeks trimmed, thoroughly washed, sliced thinly. White, yellow or red onion can also be used.

Cook in skillet until onion are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add to beans in Crockpot and cook on high for the day (8-10 hours).

Puree cooked melody with a stainless steel hand emulsifier or hand mixer. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with 1 Tablespoon creme fresh or sour cream plus 1/2 avocado sliced.

I put the remaining soup in glass jars and refrigerate overnight to cool and then place in the freezer the following day for future lunches. 

1-2 warm cookies at a time - a delight

I'm single and also need to lose a few pounds so baking an entire batch of cookies isn't something I want to regularly do. Moderation is key for me. For a sweet treat and to satisfy the craving, I do like a couple of cookies. I'm also thrifty and prefer organic ingredients so I'm not going to buy fancy, frozen ready to bake cookies either. Note: I've been making and freezing cookie dough for years.

My 'go too' favorite cookie recipes are peanut butter (Share the Love 2/14/14 blog for recipe) and oatmeal chocolate chip. I'm a big fan of the Old Fashioned Quaker Oats cookie recipe that used to be on the container. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup shortening at room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I buy organic sugar at Costco. Trader Joe's also sells it. It has a richer flavor)
• 1 egg (Free range eggs if you can afford them. I buy at my farmers market. They smell and taste better - even in cookies)
• 1/4 cup water (I use filtered water)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla (I buy either Simply Organic or order from the Spice House online. Madagascar vanilla is amazing.  You don't use much in baking and can really taste the difference.)
• 1 cup organic flour (I buy the Safeway organic flour or pastry flour in bulk at Whole Foods. Flour does vary and you want it with a higher fat. You don't want over processed flour which has no flavor.)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups organic old fashioned oats (Do not use quick cooking type. They will make a mushier cookie. I buy organic oats at Trader Joe's.)
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I buy either at Trader Joe's or Ghiradelli brand at Safeway)

Optional: 1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

Beat with a hand mixer or stand-up mixer the first 6 ingredients. Sift and add flour, salt, and soda to creamed mixture and blend well. Stir in with a spoon the oats and chips and nuts. I refrigerate the dough either overnight or for a few hours because it's easier to work with to make cookie balls the size of walnuts. 

Line a ziplock plastic bag with parchment paper. Fill of walnut size cookie balls and freeze for later baking 1-2 cookies at a time.

I bake on ungreased aluminum foil in my toaster oven or on a parchment lined cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes; cook a bit less for a chewy cookie and 15 minutes for a crisper cookie.

A golden beauty

I periodically crave turmeric which can be found in many Thai and Indian cuisines. I'm also a big fan of Rachel Katz and she includes turmeric in several of her recipes. So why the praise and inclusion of this golden beauty known as tumeric?

It turns out that tumeric also is know as a cancer fighting food. Since losing my mom to the big 'C' two years ago, I'm even more focused on what I eat and keeping my immune system in fighter mode. (To learn more, check out the following article on thetruthaboutcancer.com:  https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/cancer-fighting-benefits-of-curcumin/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare )

I created a salad dressing to help me include more tumeric in my diet.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup Cecchetti basil olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon mayonaise or greek yogurt
• Pinch of sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Spicely Chili California (mild red chili powder)
• 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and use an emulsifier or blender to blend until creamy.

I added leftover roasted chicken, some washed, sliced radishes and baby salad greens, and tossed for a lunch munch salad. Yum!

Bon Appetite!

5 Ingredient Easy Summer Salad

Even if you decide to grow your own arugula like I did, this is an easy summer salad. I found growing my own Arugula was almost as easy as buying it. And of course it tastes so much better because it's fresh cut for this salad.

Here's what you'll need:

• fresh arugula from garden, farmers' market or Trader Joe's, washed

• white balsamicvinegar

• good olive oil like Cecchetti (buy online on their website or in Lodi, Ca at farmers market)

• avocado, seeded, peeled and sliced in chunks

• orange (any sweet citrus including sweet grapefruit can be used for this salad) peeled, sliced

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss greens, avocado and citrus. You can add a small amount of kosher salad and pepper to your taste if you want too. 

Bon appetite.

Supporting our pollinators

Over time, I've tried using honey in place of white sugar in baking recipes. I've had varied success. Yesterday, I think I hit it out of the park.

My friend Roberta in Chicago had shared a family recipe for chocolate chip banana bread with me. I made several modifications including making muffins instead of bread. 

Here's what you'll need: muffin tin and paper muffin cups and/or butterfly muffin pan from Target and Trader Joe's coconut oil spray for butterfly pan molds.

Preheat oven at 350.

Beat together until blended:

• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)

• 3/4 cup honey (Use local honey from farmers market if you can. We need bees in our communities for flowers and food.)

• 2 eggs

• 2/3 cup sour cream or plain 2% yogurt

• 3 bananas peeled and mashed

Stir in:

• 1 3/4 cups flour (I've been using Safeway organic flour and am pleased with flavor.)

• 1/4 cup finely ground flax seed

• 1/3 cup chopped hazel nuts (You can omit nuts or use chopped pecan, almond , or walnut)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• pinch of kosher salt

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Once mixed, decide batter into cups filling 2/3 to 3/4 full. This recipe makes 1 1/2 dozen breakfast or afternoon tea treats. 

Bake at 350 for 25- 30 minutes until muffin tops are dark golden brown.

Serve with yogurt and a spoonful of honey. Bon appetite!

Just add assorted vegis

My family requests I bring this dip to every family get together. I love it too and it's really easy. I started with an Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Green Herb Dip recipe and made modifications to suit my family's taste and what I have in the fridge.

Here's what you'll need for the dip:

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

• 1/2 cup sour cream ( I often use 1/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup sour cream. I like the tanginess of the yogurt with the weight and creaminess of the sour cream)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 4 green onions, washed with both ends trimmed 

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro (or combination)

• 3 teaspoons dried dill (Ina suggests 1 Tablespoon of fresh dill but even in California, it's seasonal so not always easy to get and I make this dip year round)

• 1-2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (I use Omnivore salt by Angelo Garro. It can be purchased online if you can't find at a fancy grocery store. It is a bit pricey compared to regular table salt but I can taste the difference. It's worth it and how much are you paying for your daily take-out coffee?)

Place everything in a food processor using the steel blade. If you don't have a food processor, a blender can also be used. Pulse until just blended and smooth without any lumps of cream cheese. 

Serve at room temperature with assorted vegetables. I try to buy a variety at Trader Joes, my farmers market or the local grocery store. A multitude of colors are also a huge plus and make this both beautiful and appetizing.

Suggestions for dipping:

• cherry tomatoes

• sliced and seeded red, orange and yellow bell peppers

• jicama, peeled and sliced in wedges

• blanched snow peas (They're sweeter if you blanch them and it's fast. Trim snow peas of tough stems using kitchen scissors. Place in a colander. If you've never blanched before you need a pan of boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt, add snow peas. Almost immediately remove and drain in colander. To stop cooking process rinse with cold water.)

• sliced cucumbers

• peeled and sliced carrots into 2-3 inch sticks

• celery sliced into 3-4 inch sticks (shorter vegi sticks help discourage double dipping)

Bon appetite!

Let them eat cake! Fit for angels and St. Valentine

Did you know Angel Food Cake is fat free? Well, that's until you add a side dollop of homemade whipped cream like I do. And it really is easy to make.

The two most important things to have  are egg whites at room temperature and an angel food cake pan. 

So far, I haven't used cake flour and the cakes have been fluffy. I do encourage you to use organic flour. I've used white organic flour from Wholefoods in their bulk foods and Safeway brand Organics flour. Following in Julia Child's pans and spoons, you want flour with good fat to it so the taste and fat hasn't been processed out of it.

Also, you can add food coloring to the cake or the whipped cream. Red for St. Valentine's Day? I used blue this past weekend pre-Super Bowl in support of the Panthers.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and have the oven rack low enough to accommodate the Angel Food Cake pan.

Needed ingredients:

• 1 cup good organic flour

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 12 egg whites, room temperature

• 1 1/4 cups sugar (I buy the organic sugar at Costco. Flavor is better than traditional, over processed white sugar.)

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (use the real thing. It costs more but flavor is way better plus no chemical aftertaste)

Whipped Cream

• Heavy whipping cream

• 1-3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh berries, washed

Separate egg whites from the yolks. Make sure no yolk is in the whites or it'll impact how fluffy you can get the whites. Also, make sure the bowl and beater are super clean. Beat whites until they're fluffy. Gradually add cream of tartar and sugar until you have stiff egg white peaks. Add vanilla, beating in. All this should take 5-10 minutes depending on the weather.

Place flour and salt in a sifter. Sift flour, salt mixture gradually into whipped egg white mixture stirring together gently and gradually. Use a rubber spatula to do this if you have one. When flour is just blended with egg whites so you don't see dried ingredients, spoon batter into an ungreased Angel Food Cake pan. That's right. No oil in cake or pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes until cake is golden. Cool in pan, inverted for at least 30 minutes. You may need to use a knife on pan sides and bottom to release cake.

Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and berries. Bon appetite!

Tip: Use the egg yolks for homemade custard

Red quinoa salad deliciousness

I spent last week pedaling through Natchez Trace National Park on a VBT bike tour. Not only was it a wonderful vacation, but the food was fantastic. Ann Rush, one of our leaders, made a red quinoa salad for one of our picnic lunches. It was both tasty and beautiful.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 cups red organic quinoa. Cook like rice in 4 cups water

• 1 large jar kalamata olives drained and sliced in half

• 2 cups good feta cheese

• kosher salt and pepper to your taste

• 1 lemon juiced

• 1 Tablespoon good olive oil (I'll be using Cecchetti olive oil www.cecchettioliveoil.com)

• 1 basket organic cherry tomatoes washed and sliced in half

• 1 organic cucumber washed, seeded, sliced and quartered

Place in a large bowl and toss. Here's Ann being silly with her yummy salad 

Bon appetite - and visit Mississippi! It's amazing.

Creamy tomato salad dressing

Looking for a way to use an overripe tomato and add some dazzle to your salad? From the following basic recipe you can add dried tarragon, a garlic clove        or some roasted peppers to change it up - but the basic recipe is also delicious as is.

Here's what you'll need:

• an overripe washed, organic tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes

• 1 Tablespoon good Mayonaise

• 1-2 pinches of kosher salt 

• 1Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Cream using a blender, food processor or hand tool you want to purée/cream these ingredients. The consistency should be more fluid than Thousand Island dressing but not as liquid as oil and vinegar dressing. You can add a touch more mayo or vinegar to get right balance.

I've also been using this dressing with leftover roasted chicken on a bed of lettuce with scallions. Mix of colors are beautiful.

Bon appetite.

I mean no disrespect to my great grandmother

I'm going to share with you my great grandmother's and nana's German chocolate cake frosting recipe. It's kind of a family secret.

Here's what you'll need for the frosting:

• 1 cup evaporated milk

• 1 cup sugar (I like the organic I can get either at Costco or Trader Joes. It tastes and smells better)

• 3 egg yolks (Use the whites for an omelet. They can be frozen too for later use.)

• 1/4 lbs sweet cream butter

• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine in a medium sized pan on medium to low heat and cook for 12 minutes or until thickened. Use a whisk stirring constantly. It's ok if you have little flecks of yellow cooked yolk but you don't want clumps.

With a spoon add:

• 1 1/3 cup grated coconut. My great grandma used Baker's but there are more options now

• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Stir until smooth. You can spread on chocolate sheet cake or two layer cake. It will taste delicious either way.

Tip: Find a chocolate cake recipe online or in a cookbook and make the cake from scratch. It's a lot easier than you think and tastes so much better without the extra sodium and preservatives that are in store bought cake mixes. I grew up with store bought cake mixes but my friend, Martha, in London told me how easy they are from scratch. And they really are - and cheaper to make.

Bon appetite and dessert is great with lunch!

Melt in your mouth tuna melt

Here's what you'll need:

• 2-3 Radicchio leaves

• 1 Tablespoon drained capers

• 2 slices sour dough bread or sandwich bread of your choice

• 2 Tablespoons good Mayonaise

• 1 garlic clove, cleaned and pressed or finely diced

•  3 slices Provolone, Monterey Jack, Cheddar or Havarti cheese

• 2-3 teaspoons Sierra Nevada stout mustard or other mustard including French's ;-)

• I can Albacore tuna

• Lemon Cecchetti olive oil or good extra virgin olive oil

In a medium sized glass bowl, combine tuna, mustard, mayo, capers and garlic using a fork to blend everything together until it has a creamy texture.

In a cast iron skillet, drizzle 3-4 teaspoons olive oil in skillet. Place both slices of bread in pan with one side touching skillet. Place cheese on one slice of bread. Put Radicchio and approx. 1/2 - 1/3 cup tuna on the other slice of bread. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bread side touching the skillet is golden brown. Put sandwich halves together, slice and serve. 

Bon appetite

Roasted spicy pumpkin, white bean spread

Pumpkins are starting to be harvested. You want to age them at least 2-3 weeks before you roast because they age and sweeten after they've been cut from the vine. I use an ice cream scooper to remove seeds as well as once the pumpkin is roasted, to remove the pumpkin 'meat' from the skin. Roast pumpkin cut in big chunks on a cookie sheet at 350 for an hour. I scoop and freeze in glass jars for future delight.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 14 oz. can garbanzo or white beans, drained and rinsed (I purchase organic beans at Trader Joe's or soak and cook good dried heirloom beans)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, cleaned

• 1 cup roasted pumpkin. You can also use canned plain pumpkin if you don't have fresh, but it won't be as good. Butternut squash can also be used.

• 1 teaspoon cayenne or other dried, ground chili pepper. (I purchase a variety of dried chili peppers at my local grocer by organic spice company Spicely. Use as much or as little based on your tolerance for heat.)

•1-2 teaspoons cumin

• 1-2 teaspoons coriander

• 2 Tablespoons Cecchetti olive oil or other good, extra virgin olive oil

• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• Salt and pepper based on taste. And add more lemon juice and dried chiles based on taste.

• sesame, carmelized onion and current crackers or other hearty cracker. Rye, wheat, multi grain will go well with this spread

Place garlic cloves in bowl of food processor and run until minced. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Bon Appetite!

I love grilled cheese!

The other night I needed to figure out dinner with left overs for me to munch at lunch the next day. Here's what I came up with:

• Sourdough bread

• Good mustard - I like Sierra Nevada porter

• Cecchetti garlic olive oil or good virgin olive oil

• cast iron skillet if you have one

• washed cilantro, stems removed about 1/3 cup leaves

• 2/3 cup baby kale, washed

• 2-3 Tablespoons of Wholemilk Riccotta

• 2 slices Provolone or Havarti cheese

• Dash of Simply Organic Ancho chili powder

• 3-4 slices baked bacon (bake raw bacon for 50-60 minutes in the oven at 350. Drain off fat every 20 minutes. Cool bacon on a plate covered with a couple of paper towels to drain additional fat. Tip: I used bacon I had cooked on the weekend for bacon and eggs breakfast)

Add a little olive oil in skillet. Place two slices of bread in skillet so each has one side touching pan - you're going to cook open faced. Spread a thin layer of mustard on one slice. Layer bacon, then cilantro and baby greens on one slice. On the other slice of bread, smear your Riccotta and then layer sliced cheese on top. Sprinkle with your favorite dried, ground chili. Cook covered on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and greens wilted.

Put halves together to make a whole sandwich. For dinner, I had a glass of Zinfidel with my half sandwich. Bon appetite!