Food or What We Eat – Page 5

by Roxanne - February 2, 2012January 26, 2012

Sausage & Cabbage

If you tried my stuffed cabbage recipe – now what to do with the unused portion of the head of cabbage?

I tried this mouth-watering, kitchen-smells-great recipe from Penzy’s Spices 2012 winter catalog (p.22) with a few changes. I left out the onion and salt, added one 14 oz. can of spiced red beans and used only two andouille sausages (meat as flavoring) instead of an entire pound of sausage.

Here’s the recipe I made:

You will need 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 head of coarsely chopped cabbage, 2 cloves of chopped garlic chopped, 4 carrots peeled and cut into sticks, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, 1 14 oz. can of red beans, 2 sliced andouille sausages (or any Polish or Italian sausage you like), 1 tsp. caraway seed, cracked black pepper, curry and cumin.

Drizzle olive oil in a heated pan. Toss in garlic and carrots. Saute about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, beans and tomatoes. Add spices. Simmer, uncovered 20-30 minutes. Makes five, 2-cup main servings.

Add crusty bread or red wine and it is a warm, hearty, winter meal.

by Roxanne - January 10, 2012January 11, 2012

One Artichoke, One Lemon

Yes, one can do great things with one artichoke, one lemon and two people for dinner. This simple recipe for braised artichokes is from the Minimalist – you can see it on YouTube here.

This is what we did: Take one large artichoke and slice it in half.

Core the center

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a sauté pan

Sauté artichoke halves for about 5 minutes

Untill brown

Add 1 cup of chicken broth and simmer artichoke, covered, for about 20 minutes, until tender

Remove braised artichoke and add juice of one lemon, grated lemon rind and 1 tsp of mustard or cracked black pepper (if desired). Reduce sauce.

Pour sauce into small dishes. Place artichoke halves on plate with crusty garlic bread (bread made by Roxanne earlier in the morning)

Enjoy with a nice glass of shiraz.

by Roxanne - December 29, 2011December 28, 2011

Pizza; It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

egg-pizza-WholeLiving09-11 — Photo WholeLiving.com

Try these fun pizza ideas for a late breakfast or brunch. Above, add an egg to a pizza with pesto and cheese. We substituted the pesto with zaatar (a middle eastern spice made with oregano and other spices) on the one we made.

Or below – try sliced figs, thyme and ricotta cheese. Drizzle with honey.

Other ideas included yellow cherry tomatoes and basil; tomato, sausage and arugula. Best – use what’s already in your refrigerator and invent your own.

Add hot, French roast coffee (fair trade, of course) or maybe a Bloody Mary?

by Roxanne - December 27, 2011December 2, 2011

“On the Side” Casual Dining

vegetarian-chili-treehugger.com — Vegetarian chili treehugger.com

With New Year’s visiting and celebrations just around the corner – how do you put together a fun meal that takes various diet considerations into account? Why, “on the side” of course!

Byerly’s Real Food magazine (Winter 2011) offered some terrific chili recipes, but in every case, the Chorizo sausage, turkey or seasoned, cooked ground beef is served on the side. This is an excellent idea for many reasons:

1. It encourages guests to stop and think about how they will incorporate meat into their meal, or even if they will add it.

2. The meat is used as a flavoring, rather than the main course. This is a very healthy and planet-friendly way to eat.

3. It’s respectful of those who don’t eat meat or would rather not eat meat at the moment.

4. Guests can control the amount of meat so there is less waste and overall less meat consumed.

This can be done with chilis, with casseroles like chili mac or tuna casserole, fajitas, burritos, Asian stir-fried dinners and with salads.

Allowing guests to create their own meal combination means less work for the host. Simply place the ingredients on the coffee table or buffet – ready to go. Guests grab a low bowl or plate and take what they need. You enjoy your guests. Everyone wins.

For other fun and easy meal ideas you may also like Another Fabulous Friday, Chocolate Eclair Dessert, Super Easy Crock Pot Lasagna and No Cook Marinara & Pasta.

by Roxanne - December 23, 2011December 24, 2011

Pasta 43 Ways

Christmas and Hanukkah greetings to you!

If you are planning on a more relaxed holiday celebration, here’s a great article from the New York Times (it’s also a slide show) with 43 fast and easy ways to combine pasta with just 2 or 3 more ingredients. The combinations are a bit unusual, but look really good and healthy too.

Try one with salad for a more casual, lighter holiday meal.

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