Dear Andrew, Addison Family and Friends,
Yes garlic does have a season and the season is now. Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about garlic.
Garlic is a vegetable, its in the onion family.
Garlic has been found to have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activity.
It dates back 6,000 years ago and it is believed to be from Asia.
Garlic is also claimed to have positive effects on high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.
Don’t be lazy and buy the chopped garlic in the jars, that type of garlic taste horrible., your mom raised you better than that. Buy the real thing. You may see several varieties of garlic at the market. One variety is called Green Garlic. Green garlic refers to newly formed garlic heads still attached to their greens, usually a local specialty. Their cloves are milky and the flavor extremely mild and delicious. Green garlic should be refrigerated, but dried heads can be stored at room temperature on the counter or in a clay jar made for garlic. If you ever see garlic with the color purple at the tips buy that one, that is the French variety and it is very good, but it has a limited season too. At the market look at the garlic, if it looks too dry, don’t buy it, look for one that isn’t black, bruised or too dry. I buy at least 2 per week. One head of garlic I roast, then I cover it in olive oil and save it during the week to add to vegetables, salad and breads. The other head of garlic I add to meat,, sauces salads and soups.
Here is how to Roast a Whole Head of Garlic
Preheat the oven to 350*. Rub off the outer papery skin, but leave the cloves encased. (I love the way garlic is in little individual packages, its like a gift in every clove that you have to unwrap.) Set the head of garlic upright on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic up well so the oil won’t leak all over your oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. The cool thing about this roasted garlic is you can put this into your refrigerator just like it is and when you need some garlic, pull the head out and squeeze as much garlic as you need, then return the rest to the refrigerator for later use. This will remain fresh in your refrigerator up to 2 weeks, but I am sure it will be gone by then.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A Midsummer Night Treat
Dear Andrew, Addison, Friends and Family,
Here in Texas we have had temperatures in the 100′s for quite some time now. It is so hot I don’t want to turn the oven on or even stand outside over the grill. So we have been living off of salads and quick stir fry‘s. Every Saturday morning I head to the farmers market and support our local farmers. I don’t know how their produce is withstanding these hot temperatures, my garden is dead, more on that later. So with my market basket full of fresh produce, here is a summer treat I think you all will enjoy.
Summer Fruit parfait
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons organic sugar
3 ripe peaches
2 cups of any fruit you like, I am using raspberries, blueberries and strawberries
2 tablespoons finely crushed gingersnaps
Directions:
A purée of cottage cheese and yogurt, makes a luxurious, low fat substitute for ice cream and whipped cream.
In a small pan, sprinkle gelatin over the milk, stir and let stand for several minutes to soften. In a food processor, combine cottage cheese, yogurt, vanilla, salt and sugar. Process until smooth. Place the saucepan with the softened gelatin over low heat and stir until the gelatin granules have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours. Slice peaches and combine in a bowl with berries or other fruit. Toss to mix. Assemble the parfait in glasses, alternating layers of the cheese and fruit mixture. Dust with crumbles of gingersnaps. You can refrigerate this until needed. Enjoy and stay cool.
Here in Texas we have had temperatures in the 100′s for quite some time now. It is so hot I don’t want to turn the oven on or even stand outside over the grill. So we have been living off of salads and quick stir fry‘s. Every Saturday morning I head to the farmers market and support our local farmers. I don’t know how their produce is withstanding these hot temperatures, my garden is dead, more on that later. So with my market basket full of fresh produce, here is a summer treat I think you all will enjoy.
Summer Fruit parfait
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons organic sugar
3 ripe peaches
2 cups of any fruit you like, I am using raspberries, blueberries and strawberries
2 tablespoons finely crushed gingersnaps
Directions:
A purée of cottage cheese and yogurt, makes a luxurious, low fat substitute for ice cream and whipped cream.
In a small pan, sprinkle gelatin over the milk, stir and let stand for several minutes to soften. In a food processor, combine cottage cheese, yogurt, vanilla, salt and sugar. Process until smooth. Place the saucepan with the softened gelatin over low heat and stir until the gelatin granules have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours. Slice peaches and combine in a bowl with berries or other fruit. Toss to mix. Assemble the parfait in glasses, alternating layers of the cheese and fruit mixture. Dust with crumbles of gingersnaps. You can refrigerate this until needed. Enjoy and stay cool.
All The Tea In China...Town
Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;
Jonathan and I are going back to San Francisco this weekend, I can’t wait! Jonathan is going for work and for me well I will see my publisher, then I’m off to the Farmer’s markets, and Chinatown. In Chinatown, we have discovered the most fascinating teahouses. On our last visit to Chinatown, Jonathan and I found this great teahouse and the owner was kind enough to spend an hour with us teaching us about teas. Did you know that tea is the most popular beverage in the world next to water! Some people believe tea was first used by herbalist for medicinal purposes, today Eastern doctors still prescribe tea for specific ailments. I drink tea because I know it is good for me and I like the taste of green tea. There are more than 1,500 types of tea to choose from because over 25 countries cultivate tea as a plantation crop; China is one of the main producers of tea. Just like wine, the diversity of tea is a result of the differences in soil, climate, elevation, and other factors. Basically there are three types of tea: black (or red), green, and oolong. Each type is distinguished by the amount of fermentation that takes place in processing it. Fermentation is necessary to enhance flavor of the tea leaf. The longer the fermentation process, the more caffeine it contains and the darker it becomes. Tea is also classified according to regions or smaller districts, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Indonesian or Assam (India), Uva (Sri Lanka), or Enshu (Japan). Tea is also classified by the size of its processed leaf. As you can see there is alot to learn about teas and many teas to taste. Green tea is thought to be responsible fro the long-life helth of Asian cultures, green tea is filled with powerful antioxidants which have been linked with many health benefits including weight loss. The powerful antioxidant that is specific to green tea is called EGCG. During the past 40 years, thousands of studies on green tea have been conducted around the world. This research has demonstrated that EGCG, could enhance the immune system functions by guarding against oxidants and free radicals that weaken the body’s natural defense system. Help regulalte chollesterol levels. Lower the risk of stroke by making blood platelets less “sticky”. Help control blood sugar levels, assist in weight loss, ward off viruses, fungi and food-borne bacteria, and slow the aging process down.
I am going to go back to the tea houses and I am going to try out a “herbalist” too, I will let you know what I learned.
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
References:
Tea’s Wonderful History, L.K. Yee
Jonathan and I are going back to San Francisco this weekend, I can’t wait! Jonathan is going for work and for me well I will see my publisher, then I’m off to the Farmer’s markets, and Chinatown. In Chinatown, we have discovered the most fascinating teahouses. On our last visit to Chinatown, Jonathan and I found this great teahouse and the owner was kind enough to spend an hour with us teaching us about teas. Did you know that tea is the most popular beverage in the world next to water! Some people believe tea was first used by herbalist for medicinal purposes, today Eastern doctors still prescribe tea for specific ailments. I drink tea because I know it is good for me and I like the taste of green tea. There are more than 1,500 types of tea to choose from because over 25 countries cultivate tea as a plantation crop; China is one of the main producers of tea. Just like wine, the diversity of tea is a result of the differences in soil, climate, elevation, and other factors. Basically there are three types of tea: black (or red), green, and oolong. Each type is distinguished by the amount of fermentation that takes place in processing it. Fermentation is necessary to enhance flavor of the tea leaf. The longer the fermentation process, the more caffeine it contains and the darker it becomes. Tea is also classified according to regions or smaller districts, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Indonesian or Assam (India), Uva (Sri Lanka), or Enshu (Japan). Tea is also classified by the size of its processed leaf. As you can see there is alot to learn about teas and many teas to taste. Green tea is thought to be responsible fro the long-life helth of Asian cultures, green tea is filled with powerful antioxidants which have been linked with many health benefits including weight loss. The powerful antioxidant that is specific to green tea is called EGCG. During the past 40 years, thousands of studies on green tea have been conducted around the world. This research has demonstrated that EGCG, could enhance the immune system functions by guarding against oxidants and free radicals that weaken the body’s natural defense system. Help regulalte chollesterol levels. Lower the risk of stroke by making blood platelets less “sticky”. Help control blood sugar levels, assist in weight loss, ward off viruses, fungi and food-borne bacteria, and slow the aging process down.
I am going to go back to the tea houses and I am going to try out a “herbalist” too, I will let you know what I learned.
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
References:
Tea’s Wonderful History, L.K. Yee
Sunbutter
Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;
I know several of you have an allergy to peanut butter, well a friend told me about Sunbutter. I bought it and I have used it on toast, pb&j and even with granola, its great and it really taste good. Sunbutter is sunflower seeds not peanuts. Sunflower seed are roasted then ground into a spread as a replacement for peanuts. It is peanut-free, tree nut-free, and taste really good. It available in natural, natural crunch, organic and natural with Omega-3. For 2 tablespoons there is 140 calories f rom fat, 16 grams of Fat; 0 mg of cholesterol, 120 mg of sodium, 7 grams of total carbohydrates. The shelf life is a lot shorter than most peanut butters, so be sure to look at the expiration date. I bought this jar from Kroger in the Organic section of the market.
I will bake with it this week and let you know how it stands the test.
Try it you may like it.
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
I know several of you have an allergy to peanut butter, well a friend told me about Sunbutter. I bought it and I have used it on toast, pb&j and even with granola, its great and it really taste good. Sunbutter is sunflower seeds not peanuts. Sunflower seed are roasted then ground into a spread as a replacement for peanuts. It is peanut-free, tree nut-free, and taste really good. It available in natural, natural crunch, organic and natural with Omega-3. For 2 tablespoons there is 140 calories f rom fat, 16 grams of Fat; 0 mg of cholesterol, 120 mg of sodium, 7 grams of total carbohydrates. The shelf life is a lot shorter than most peanut butters, so be sure to look at the expiration date. I bought this jar from Kroger in the Organic section of the market.
I will bake with it this week and let you know how it stands the test.
Try it you may like it.
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
Tilapia With Cucumber Relish
Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;
Tilapia is one of the mildest tasting fish. It is a pretty fish too, check out the picture. Therefore it is easier to get kids to eat this fish than salmon. Tilapia can be prepared in so many ways, earlier I gave you my fish taco recipe with tilapia and today I want to share with you Tilapia with Cucumber Relish. Its quick and easy to make and I saw tilapia on sale at the market for $5.99 a pound. Usually it runs around $7.99-8.99. You can buy several pieces and freeze the fish for later use. Or buy tilapia from the frozen food section. Remember if you freeze fish, and you let it thaw, it will have a slight fishy smell to it, but if you let it soak in milk or squeeze lemon over the fillet it will reduce the smell of fish.
Lesson from Home: Checking to see if the fish has been cooked enough.
Typically a good guideline is 8 minutes per inch of fish. But tilapia is less than one inch so you have to check by using a knife. Using the tip of a knife, poke at the thickest part of the fish, you want to look at the interior part of the fish. Raw fish has a translucent appearance, (think of the color of sushi) that turns opaque during the cooking process. You should see that it is slightly firm and opaque throughout. Remember fish like other meats will continue to cook 1-2 minutes after you take them from the heat.
I decided on sharing this recipe with you because I saw on the Dr. Oz show, he was talking about the benefits of cucumbers and vinegar and it reminded me of this recipe.
Ingredients
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained and coarsely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 green onion, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 1/4 pound tilapia
Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Cover relish, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Place fish on a lightly greased rack; place rack in broiler pan. Brush 1 Tablespoon liquid from relish over fish. Broil 3 minutes from heat 3.5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fish to plates and spoon relish over fish. This makes about 4 servings.
p.s. This relish is good on chicken too!
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
Tilapia is one of the mildest tasting fish. It is a pretty fish too, check out the picture. Therefore it is easier to get kids to eat this fish than salmon. Tilapia can be prepared in so many ways, earlier I gave you my fish taco recipe with tilapia and today I want to share with you Tilapia with Cucumber Relish. Its quick and easy to make and I saw tilapia on sale at the market for $5.99 a pound. Usually it runs around $7.99-8.99. You can buy several pieces and freeze the fish for later use. Or buy tilapia from the frozen food section. Remember if you freeze fish, and you let it thaw, it will have a slight fishy smell to it, but if you let it soak in milk or squeeze lemon over the fillet it will reduce the smell of fish.
Lesson from Home: Checking to see if the fish has been cooked enough.
Typically a good guideline is 8 minutes per inch of fish. But tilapia is less than one inch so you have to check by using a knife. Using the tip of a knife, poke at the thickest part of the fish, you want to look at the interior part of the fish. Raw fish has a translucent appearance, (think of the color of sushi) that turns opaque during the cooking process. You should see that it is slightly firm and opaque throughout. Remember fish like other meats will continue to cook 1-2 minutes after you take them from the heat.
I decided on sharing this recipe with you because I saw on the Dr. Oz show, he was talking about the benefits of cucumbers and vinegar and it reminded me of this recipe.
Ingredients
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained and coarsely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 green onion, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 1/4 pound tilapia
Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Cover relish, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Place fish on a lightly greased rack; place rack in broiler pan. Brush 1 Tablespoon liquid from relish over fish. Broil 3 minutes from heat 3.5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fish to plates and spoon relish over fish. This makes about 4 servings.
p.s. This relish is good on chicken too!
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
Chicken Salad Dinner
Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;
Spring is almost here, and spring is my favorite season. So just like the change in seasons my menu changes according to the season. So here is an easy, healthy and a quick dinner to make.
1 Roasted Chicken (buy from the market or roast a chicken)
Reduced fat mayonnaise
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
small onion, finely chopped, (optional)
any chopped vegetable (peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots…)
dill weed
salt and pepper
Remove all the meat from the chicken, yes this is a messy job but in the end it is worth it. Add only enough mayo until the chicken holds together. Start with a little bit, you can always add more. Add the chopped celery and onion, a few shakes of dill, salt and pepper. That’s it! This is such a wonderful dish because it makes a lot too and you can have it for lunch the next day. You can add cooked pasta to this dish, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, you can serve it by itself or add a slice of multi-grain bread, tortilla, english muffin, bagel, crackers…the possibilities are endless.
Enjoy,
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
Spring is almost here, and spring is my favorite season. So just like the change in seasons my menu changes according to the season. So here is an easy, healthy and a quick dinner to make.
1 Roasted Chicken (buy from the market or roast a chicken)
Reduced fat mayonnaise
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
small onion, finely chopped, (optional)
any chopped vegetable (peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots…)
dill weed
salt and pepper
Remove all the meat from the chicken, yes this is a messy job but in the end it is worth it. Add only enough mayo until the chicken holds together. Start with a little bit, you can always add more. Add the chopped celery and onion, a few shakes of dill, salt and pepper. That’s it! This is such a wonderful dish because it makes a lot too and you can have it for lunch the next day. You can add cooked pasta to this dish, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce, you can serve it by itself or add a slice of multi-grain bread, tortilla, english muffin, bagel, crackers…the possibilities are endless.
Enjoy,
Love From Home,
Kim Wechsler
Eat Tortellini Soup Tonight!
Dear Andrew, Addison, Family and Friends;
Yesterday we talked about tomatoes, having them for breakfast. This morning I am making a fried egg, toasted English muffin with a slice of tomato. This makes for a great lunch too.
I love when I receive recipes from friends. Everytime I prepare their recipe, I think about them and how thankful I am to have such good friends. The following recipe a friend gave to me many years ago. It is a great quick and healthy meal. If you serve this with a salad or some roasted vegetables its a complete meal.
Tortellini Soup
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
Small onion
Peeled carrots, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
One large can or box of chicken broth
1 package of tortellini, you will find this package in the refrigerated section of the market
A handful of fresh spinach, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
I always try to use as few of pots and pans as possible. So take a saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with evoo. Saute onion, carrots and garlic until tender. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, add your chopped spinach. When the broth begins to simmer, add the tortellini and let the tortellini cook in the chicken broth according to the package which is about 12-14 minutes. Pour into your soup bowls and enjoy!
Love From Home
Yesterday we talked about tomatoes, having them for breakfast. This morning I am making a fried egg, toasted English muffin with a slice of tomato. This makes for a great lunch too.
I love when I receive recipes from friends. Everytime I prepare their recipe, I think about them and how thankful I am to have such good friends. The following recipe a friend gave to me many years ago. It is a great quick and healthy meal. If you serve this with a salad or some roasted vegetables its a complete meal.
Tortellini Soup
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
Small onion
Peeled carrots, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
One large can or box of chicken broth
1 package of tortellini, you will find this package in the refrigerated section of the market
A handful of fresh spinach, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
I always try to use as few of pots and pans as possible. So take a saucepan, cover the bottom of the pan with evoo. Saute onion, carrots and garlic until tender. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, add your chopped spinach. When the broth begins to simmer, add the tortellini and let the tortellini cook in the chicken broth according to the package which is about 12-14 minutes. Pour into your soup bowls and enjoy!
Love From Home
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