Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Hi fellow foodies and aspiring 'green' home cooks!

I posted before a recipe for balsamic vinaigrette with no additional flavors. I made a video demonstrating how to make this vinaigrette as well.  It's a very basic recipe that has many variations available.  I came across this Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe in a free distribution I pick up when I visit the health foods store called Better Nutrition: The Shopping Magazine for  Natural Living. I just haaad to try it! It was
the best.salad dressing.ever. No store bought vinaigrette could really compare, especially when accounting for the fact that it was more nutritious and not to mention, environmentally friendly.  And of course, we can't forget the fact that there was total control over what went into the dressing and the quality.

Some Nutrition Tidbits

I love a lot of veggies in my salad.  Tonight's salad included spinach, baby romaine, cucumber, onions, mushroom, avocado, broccoli, carrots, and green olives - all organic.  No cheese or almonds.  No cheese because I'm slowly moving away from dairy products (perhaps with eggs being an exception) and no almonds or other nuts/seeds because I was out.  Spinach has some protein and according to www.livestrong.com, 10-35% of calories should come from protein. I feel fairly certain I reached at least 10% protein today (I had a spinach base in my salad for lunch too and a spelt muffin for breakfast and a snack - spelt packs quite a protein and fiber punch!).  I read that eating bread (in moderation of course) with a salad helps the body absorb more carotenoids from the veggies.  I searched online for more information and didn't have any luck although I did find interesting information regarding oils helping the body to absorb fat soluble carotenoids. And recently, the diet and weight loss buzz is that we need eat fat to lose fat (healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.) so no worries in adding this vinaigrette to your salads and other dishes if you're dieting.

The Recipe

I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of shallots (none in my inventory) and the balsamic was just good old regular balsamic (Pompeian is the brand I used this go round). The recipe called to adjust oil and vinegar to taste but I found that this balance was just right for the most part. I thought it might could use a tad bit more oil but shrugged it off.  It was just slightly (and I mean slightly) more tangy than I'm used to and that might have had something to do with the 4 acidic ingredients (balsamic and red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard) the recipe called for.  Of course, by all means, adjust away!

This recipe serves 4 so you can just use a 1/2 of what the recipe calls for to make just enough for a serving of 2, etc if you don't want leftover dressing.  It can be used as a marinade for Lemon Balsamic Chicken over steamed veggies or something if the idea of another salad topped with this dressing isn't appealing.

Note: Olive oil does not keep well in the fridge.  Perhaps one day at the most before it thickens and darkens in color and flavor can be lost if kept refrigerated for an extended period of time (http://www.apollooliveoil.com/organic-extra-virgin/index.php/faqs/#08).

I'm going to recite the recipe verbatim so I should source the publication, I suppose.  I believe in giving credit where credit is due!

Here's what you need:

1/4 c      aged balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp   fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp   red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp   water
1 Tbsp   minced shallot
2 tsp      Dijon mustard
1/3 c      extra virgin olive oil

Here's what you do:

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, water, shallots, and mustard in medium jar and shake vigorously to combine.  Add olive oil and shake again. Adjust vinegar and oil to taste.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

186 cal; <1g protein; 19g total fat (3g saturated); 4g carb; 0mg chol; 64mg sod; <1g fiber; 3g sugars

Better Nutrition, December 2012, page 12 www.betternutrition.com

*This post has been linked with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and A Blossoming Life blog community.*

Arugula Almond Pesto Over Steamed Veggies

Hi,

     Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and wishing all of you a Happy Holiday season as 2012 draws to a close.

     What has this year been for you?

What 2012 has been for me

     For me, it has been a journey of discovery about food, health, fitness, relationships and dating, among other things.  It's been a year of great personal growth and this blog was created to share my journey with you.

What I've experienced in the past

     I've been interested in cooking and healthy cooking at that for some time now but being single and somewhat frugal, I never wanted to waste food so my cooking was not very ambitious, if you will.  I cooked food I like that didn't spoil easily and helped me manage my weight. Period. End of story.    I pretty much ate sweet potato, salads (not organic with store bought salad dressings), brown rice (not organic), Korean side dishes and soups (more nutritious and less calorie dense than the majority of American store bought food yes but also often high in sodium/msg). Vegetables do spoil easily so when I bought them, I only bought what I liked in my salads and made sure to eat them before they went bad.  I also ate store bought cereals, oil that had higher probability of going rancid sooner, meat and dairy products that were high in hormones, unethically farmed, and down right not good for my health in the quantities that the American diet tends to value.  I'm about 99.9% positive that GMOs were finding their way into my food as well because I wasn't very selective as I am now.
     I thought the way I used to eat was okay for health (and perhaps is relative to the way many others eat) but after reading a few books written by doctors and experts in their fields, I realized that I could no longer gamble with my health knowing what I now had discovered, especially considering the outrageous (in my view) cost of health care in this country and the current economic conditions.
    With that having been said (kind of at random, sorry about that!), I now will get to the main point of this post, what caused you to click the link and open it in the first place. (I promise I'm not trying to be deceptive and lure you in with some catchy title so I can pounce on you with my personal views! I just wanted to share my story with you. Hope that's alright.)

What inspired me to make this dish

    Ok well back to food spoiling. Did you know that Americans throw away way too much food? Not sure the statistic but it's a lot.  And did you know that food thrown away in the land fill actually causes pollution problems? The fumes released from rotten food is bad for the environment. Don't believe me? Google it. or Bing it. Or whichever search engine you prefer. ;o)~

Arugula leaves.
Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

     I bought some organic Arugula (which actually didn't spoil as fast as I expected. Spinach seems to go bad way sooner) for my salads.  Somehow the arugula outlasted all the other veggies so it was just sitting in the crisper in my fridge and I just couldn't bring myself to go buy more veggies for salads just so I could use up the small bit of Arugula I had left. So I found uses for it. One was mixing it in with a hot cereal, onion, and Sriracha. That was tasty but got old after a few dinners/snacks of that in a row.
    So it's now the day after Thanksgiving and I've eaten way more than  necessary in thanks for having enough food to eat (and then some) - ie a bountiful harvest, right? Or something like that. Anyhow, I had this arugula in my fridge (and I had already eaten leftovers at lunch and at dinner the night before) and searched recipes for arugula on the internet (in case you don't know or need reminding, arugula has a very unique flavor raw so I didn't want to be too daring, ya know). And low and behold, I found a recipe first for arugula pesto with pine nuts. I've always substituted almonds in my basil pesto because those are the only nuts I tend to have on hand.  Just to make sure, I 'Googled' (that's one of those nouns that became a verb, right? or should I say 'I searched via Google?') arugula pesto with almonds and discovered that it was not my own creative genius that came up with that one.

What I did to make this dish

    I read over the two recipes and sort of winged it in conjunction with previous pesto making experience.  I decided to roast the garlic because it does help to balance the garlic flavor with the rest of the ingredients (and if I'm not mistaken, one recipe suggested that). I heated a pan, added coconut oil (yes, coconut oil, it's healthier), then roasted the garlic. Sauteed the garlic. Pan-fried the garlic. I prefer the term roasted but I think roasting happens in the oven??? I left the outer skin on and it just came right off in while cooking.  Awesome.  I set that aside to cool (my blender is plastic and I don't like the idea of heat and plastic together, period. Might end up becoming toxic and I don't want to take a chance). Then I pan roasted (there we go) the almonds, onion, and arugula with a tad bit more garlic (I love garlic and I wanted the garlic flavor infused with the other ingredients) and some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. At this point, I must say the arugula itself tasted so AWESOME! It was green vegetable flavored with garlic heaven in my mouth!

     Then it was time for the "molecular transformation process' (I guess that's what it's called, not sure. I didn't go to culinary school and I just don't have time at the moment to 'Google' this but please by all means if you know, share!). So in layman's terms, I poured  some organic extra virgin olive oil in the blender, then added the 'pan roasted' ingredients and pushed the 'start' button and voila! I had some seriously yummy tasting pesto on my hands that I spooned over some steamed organic broccoli and carrots and I couldn't believe my taste buds!

What to take away from this (kind of lengthy) post

     Arugula almond pesto is just as good as any other pesto and that there are tons of "pestos" out there so if you've got some ingredients on hand that could work, try it! If you like playing it safe, by all means, search the internet for some creative culinary validation first. Here are the two sources of validation I found. Also, please refer to these sites for recipe guidelines.
http://americanfood.about.com/od/saucesdipsanddressings/r/Arugula_Pesto_Recipe.htm
http://simplyrecipes.ziplist.com/recipes/232506-Arugula_Pesto?return_to=%2Frecipes%2Fbox

Check out my store on Amazon for organic goods: The Green Home Cook Diva's Shop on Amazon

*This post has been linked to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways blog community*

The Health Benefits of Turmeric and Some Tips On Getting More In Your Diet

     Ever since I found out Turmeric aids in keeping the mind sharp, I've been a huge fan and sprinkle it on salads, eggs, and pretty much anything I'm going to season.  Turmeric has a unique flavor to me and does alter the flavor of dishes quite distinctly in my opinion.  However, because of its many wonderful health benefits, I absolutely love adding it to my favorite foods. Now, it's worth mentioning that because of its unique flavor, I don't go crazy with it or dare to get too adventurous (lol).   It works great in combo with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, cumin, ginger, coriander, etc.  I have used it in soup, curry, veggie burgers, and salads for added nutritional boost and flavor (curry especially).

     I want to share with you reasons why you should add Turmeric to your diet if you haven't already. If you have, then this post will reassure you what a wonderful choice you have made for your well-being.

The Health Benefits of Turmeric

     An intrinsic component of Turmeric is Curcumin, which has been shown to aid the liver in doing its job for the body, which is filter out the bad stuff in our bodies and send it to the waste department.  Curcumin has also been shown to block free radicals and enzymes that promote cancers of the head and neck. Turmeric as a whole has been shown to be effective in treating other common types of cancer, such as skin and colon.   It has also been shown to slow the spread of breast cancer into the lungs.  In addition to that, when cancer patients consumed Curcumin prior to chemo treatments, it was found that they became more receptive to the treatment.  For the heavy consumers of Turmeric in India, their low rate of Alzheimer's disease is believed to be linked to their diet high in curry.  You should especially add this spice to your diet if you are very active because it has been shown to reduce inflammation, thereby reducing joint pain and arthritis and arthritis like symptoms.

My homemade curry 

Ways To Get More Turmeric In Your Diet    

     Convinced that Turmeric is a super food? Curious how you can add it to your diet?  For those who don't know my style, let me briefly explain. Don't be afraid to experiment. What are your favorite flavors? Could they be combined successfully? Not sure? Do a taste test (in small amounts).  Do a little guess work.  Don't be afraid to fail. Failures lead to success with the right attitude!

     So back to adding Turmeric to your diet.  If you're a curry fan, curry is one way. I will be posting about a successful attempt at homemade curry from scratch.  In the meantime, check out my post on my first, somewhat unsuccessful attempt but definitely with a huge learning curve (which is why I chose to write about it). Homemade Curry - What Not To Do and pick up some tips for making your own curry at home (no pre-packaged pastes or powders)

     Another way is sprinkling lightly on flavorful salads. I say flavorful because Turmeric can be overpowering so go easy (maybe a 1/2 tsp to start) in a medium sized salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for example.  You can also add an Italian seasoning blend (one of my fave things to do with my salads!), almonds and/or flax seeds or sunflower seeds for protein, texture, and flavor. Of course, a few grinds of sea salt and freshly ground pepper will add excellent finishing touches to a raw and healthy meal. I have a picture gallery of salads I have prepared if you're curious. Here is the link: http://thegreenhomecookdiva.blogspot.com/p/photo-gallery.html

     How about a little brain booster before heading to work or school?  Jason Boehm shares my like for Turmeric sprinkled on scrambled eggs. Check out this post on Curcumin that he shared on facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=10151235998421893&set=a.261387376892.141488.79608796892&type=1&theater.

While you're at it, like my pages too! Spreading Love Through Green Home Cooking and Living Leaner and Greener.

     One last tip on adding Turmeric to your diet.  Add to soups and as meat (or meatless) seasoning.  I added Turmeric (along with other spices) to a pot of black beans I cooked for veggie burgers and the beans turned out FANTASTIC! I could have just eaten a bowl of the beans and been so satisfied (ok so I did eat a bowl of beans out of that batch.).  The veggie burgers were tasty too. Posts on that to come.

     Well, I hope I was able to shed some light on the benefits of adding Turmeric to your diet and made it a little less overwhelming and intimidating.  Please feel free to post any questions or comments.

Sources:
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-turmeric
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/turmeric-health-have-a-happy-new-year_b_798328.html
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html

 

How To Make Curry - What Not To Do!

photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

Ok, I tried my hand at homemade curry for the first time tonight.  I'll be honest, it did not turn out how I'd hoped.  I definitely need more practice but tonight's effort did not end in failure, thank goodness because it would have been such a waste of ingredients!

I reviewed 3 different YouTube videos on making curry paste and I combined tips from all three and tips from the web.  I was concerned how I would thicken my curry paste (without using flour or corn starch) and remembered the Tahini I had in the fridge from a homemade hummus recipe I tried a few months back.  I googled Tahini in curry paste and it seemed like a viable option.

However, I find that it took over in flavor and I was not pleased about that. Now it's very possible that I used too much. That was a result of me listening to head and not my gut.  My head (and perhaps ego) ruled throughout making this dish and I gained valuable insight from this experience. So I'm going to do some things differently next time! And I can't wait!

The Learning Curve

Getting too far ahead of myself, I taste tested the pre-paste mixture and thought it wasn't spicy or flavorful enough so I kept adding more spice thinking the Tahini would mellow it enough to leave it just right. I didn't measure the Tahini. I pretty much just added what I thought would work well (with no prior experience/knowledge). Well, what I got was a very bland initial taste and then a spicy flavor as it goes down your throat.  It was a great learning experience and I honestly feel that the learning curve here is very high.

Another mistake I made was not following basic principles of cooking and that is "mise en place" (French for "put in place").  This just means get everything ready before hand. DOH! I know better but still haven't quite broken myself of some bad habits.  It's best practice to chop, dice, cut everything first, portion out ingredients (so you can add them in a timely fashion), etc to create the best result.

I also think I may have used too much oil. Again, I didn't measure and I kept adding as a I went along (as a result of failing to chop the garlic prior and finding a lot of the oil had already been soaked up by the onions so I added more - perhaps not a good idea).  I used a canola/olive oil blend. I personally don't like to use canola oil but I didn't want to use the organic extra virgin olive that I have (better for dressings, not a great choice for cooking) and the only other oils I have are sesame and coconut so I was quite limited.

I didn't have any tomatoes or tomato paste on hand and assumed this would turn out well without it.  Next time, I will make sure to include tomato and perhaps ghee. (Watch the YouTube videos below to learn the recipe.)

This is the curry on simmer.  I succeeded at appearance and nutrition but flavor needs work.

I'm not gonna go in to great detail about my method but I want to share with you the videos that I watched. Enjoy!

Check out these videos on making curry:

Pumpkin Cookies Recipe - Nutritious and Organic!

Hi Everyone! I hope your fall season has been full of fun and laughter! Here is a little pumpkin cookie recipe I tried out the other day that I would like to share with you.

Me Versus The Recipe - Explaining The Substitution Choices

     As you may have guessed by now, I love to make nutritious and healthier substitutions for certain ingredients like white/wheat flour, sugar, and heavily processed foods. I found a pumpkin cookie recipe on the back of a bag of millet flour by Bob's Red Mill (based out of Oregon and has a wide variety of gluten free, whole grain organic flours Bobs Red Mill 19493 Organic Buckwheat Flour (Google Affiliate Ad)).  I elected to substitute buckwheat flour (check out my blog post on the health benefits of buckwheat flour!) because that's my flour of choice at this time.  I picked up some fresh pumpkin (in season in Alabama) and some Simply Organic nutmeg Simply Organic 28703 Organic Coriander (Google Affiliate Ad) and ginger (Simply Organic 28639 Organic Ginger (Google Affiliate Ad).  I figured those would be items I could use up pretty easily).  I already had everything else required for the most part.  I looked up some other pumpkin cookie recipes and studied those for a minute before I got to work.

     The recipe called for canola but I personally am against this oil.  I used Spectrum Organic coconut oil instead (which I believe added to the sweetness of the cookies!). This is my go-to cooking oil for items where the mild coconut flavor imparted won't affect the overall flavor of this dish.  As a matter of fact, many proponents of coconut oil love the results achieved from using this wonderful oil.  I love the results along with the knowledge that I'm using an oil that is so very nutritious and essential for good health. (Please click the link for an article on the many wonderful uses and benefits of coconut oil that I simply just don't have the means to compile for you! However, be on the lookout for a write up in The Holistic Health Diva's blog!)

Here is a link to a brand that I myself would be interested in and purchasing from Sam's Club (for all those bulk shopping Divas out there!)

     Also, it called for 1.25 c of honey but I substituted about 0.75 c of organic agave nectar and some Stevia. I'd say I used about 1/8 c of Stevia.  Use Stevia sparingly.  Read the directions for baking with Stevia on the package and use your judgement. I don't like really sweet things so I use a little less.

     I used a small pumpkin and I cut it into chunks and steamed it in my rice cooker/steamer using the steaming basket that came with it.  It worked extremely well. The skin just peeled right off. Make sure to rinse the pumpkin well beforehand.  After it cooled, I mashed it up until it reached a smooth consistency (according to the recipe). I mixed the wet ingredients in with the pumpkin. Then I whisked together the dry ingredients and added to the wet little by little stirring them in well before adding more.  This creates a thick, pourable batter.

     I poured the batter on eco-friendly wax paper laid  atop of a cookie sheet, no greasing necessary.  I used a spatula to remove the cookies and was able to remove them rather easily. I didn't break a single cookie!

     All in all, it was pretty easy. I hope my background story helps make it an even easier feat for you aspiring and/or mature green home cook divas out there!

The Recipe

Dry Ingredients:

• 2.5 c buckwheat flour (The recipe itself calls for 2 c of millet flour AND 0.5 c buckwheat, soy, or amaranth flour. I only used buckwheat and I was pleased with results.)
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp sea salt
• 0.5 tsp nutmeg
• 0.25 tsp ginger
• Raisins (optional) - I did not include 
• 1 c chopped nuts (optional) - I did not include

Liquid Ingredients:  *see my substitutions above

• 0.5 c canola oil *
• 1.25 cups honey *
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tbsp molasses (optional) - I did not include
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract (optional) - I included
• 1-1.5 c cooked mashed pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients.  Pour onto cookie sheet in medium size circles/ovals.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  

     Cookies will be soft and "cake like" Mine turned out very moist and sweet and I could only taste the Stevia slightly! I taste tested with a friend who said it needed more sugar until he found out there was NO sugar! Then he said it was great for a no sugar cookie! So there you go! The evidence concludes healthy can be very tasty too! And NOT taste diet-like!

Happy Fall Season, ya'll!

How To Make Delicious Homemade Potato Salad!

     I recently made some vegetable stock and had some potato left over from it.  I decided to make one of my favorite dishes with it, potato salad.  Potato salad is a very simple dish and I always free hand it.  All you need to do is rinse, peel, and cut some potatoes into chunks (just enough for whomever will be eating and a little leftover. In other words, you don't need to boil the whole bag!)  and get those boiling and in a separate pot, boil some eggs (again, consider how many you are feeding and how much you wouldn't mind leftover.).   Once the potatoes are boiled (about 30-45 min should do, check for desired tenderness), drain and let cool. Do the same for the eggs. Once those have cooled, chop/mash to desired bite size chunks, mix together with *onion (optional), *mustard, *mayonnaise, *salt, *pepper, *vinegar.

*Do to taste*

     In the past, I used pickled relish and kosher dill pickles rather than vinegar but this time, I used only vinegar and added shredded cabbage and a little red onion. It was SO DELICIOUS!

*Just remember you can always add more but you can't necessarily take away so go easy on the mustard and vinegar.  Mix together and then do a taste test.  If it needs a little more tangy-ness, add a bit more vinegar and repeat.  This is key to getting the dish to turn out just right for you and the ones you are serving.  Following a recipe to the tee might not produce the desired flavors for you and your loved ones.  Remember, a recipe is a guide and the best thing you can do for yourself as a home cook is to learn how to think like a cook!  That's what a home cook DIVA does!*

Tip: Think in proportions, ratios, parts, etc.  

     When you read a recipe, gauge the differences in the measures for the different ingredients.  There's a reason for that and understanding those proportions and being able to visualize them in the bowl together will help you be able to successfully free hand dishes in the future.  This will help save time and make cooking ultimately more freeing and enjoyable! Measuring is great for consistency. For getting the same outcome each time.  Please keep this mind when being a diva in the kitchen!

     With that being said, I always balance the mustard against how much mayo and the mayo against how much potato.  I have a good visual expectation of what will do the trick. Try doing that. If you need to follow a recipe as a guide, then do so but please don't rely on the recipe every time for such a simple dish!!  

Instructions:

1. Rinse, peel, and cut some potatoes into chunks

2. Get those boiling  (about 30-45 min should do, check for desired tenderness)

3. In a separate pot, boil some eggs (I boil mine for a good 30 min)

4. Drain and let cool. 

5. Chop/mash to desired bite size chunks

6. Mix together with mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, vinegar. 

How To Make Soup Stock - It's Easy, I Promise!

     Tonight I finally made the vegetable stock that I've been posting about on Twitter last week.  Over the last 2-3 months, I've been stockpiling unused and uneaten parts of vegetables in the freezer for this sole purpose.


     Don't be fooled.  You can put whatever you want in to a stock.  Anything will work. I personally am trying to go vegetarian so beef and chicken stocks are out of the question but those can be made from the bones with anything else you would like to put in there.  You can boil fish bones and shells from shell fish to get a seafood flavor.  Be creative AND resourceful.  Use your judgment and have fun.  I personally value nutritional content over looks and taste (of course it has to taste decent).  So I'm happy with a healthy vegetable stock adding nutrients to soups and anything else cooked in the stock.

Ingredients:

kale and chard stems, potato, broccoli and cauliflower stalk, the insides of tomatoes scraped out, carrots, onion, fresh garlic, turmeric, bay leaves, Italian seasoning blend, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Directions:
Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about an hour.

At a boil

Finished product!

     If you are looking for a specific outcome, then you should follow a recipe to the tee and personally, I think there is nothing wrong with that goal.  That can be a fun and exciting challenge but not always practical.  This stock was created out of sheer resourcefulness and creativity/experimentation. ( Please note that there are certain stock "rules" per se out there that are signature of certain cuisines.)

      I've made vegetable stock once before for a vegan pasta sauce and found it worked very well so I'm confident this stock will work well for the soup I plan to make with it this week.  I intend to post a review of that dish as well.

*This post has been linked to Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, The Home Acre Hop.,Tasty Traditions, and A Blossoming Life blog community.*