Sweet Birmingham

I am in the process of moving back to Birmingham so I may not be blogging much in the next couple of weeks.

Until then....

Cukes!

What a wonderful surprise to find this bounty on my desk when I arrived at work this morning! I'll think about how to use them tomorrow. For tonight, it is sliced cucumbers, red onion, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.

Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

Not much has changed in nutrition advice in the last 30 years since I took my first college nutrition course. What did change was that it became a multibillion dollar industry. Unfortunately, all of the books and advice and celebrities and infomercials didn't help change that much, either.

According to the advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, two-thirds of adults and one-third of children in the United States are either overweight or obese.

Proposed Dietary Guidelines for 2010

•Reduce excess weight and obesity by cutting calorie intake and increasing physical activity.

•Shift to a more plant-based diet that emphasizes vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Increase the intake of seafood and fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products, and eat only moderate amounts of lean meats, poultry and eggs.

•Significantly reduce intake of foods containing added sugars and solid fats, which contribute about 35% of the calories in the American diet. Cut sodium intake gradually to 1,500 milligrams a day and lower intake of refined grains, especially those with added sugar, solid fat and sodium.

•Meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Those recommend that adults get at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, such as brisk walking, or 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity, such as jogging or swimming laps, or a combination of the two types. Children and teens should do an hour or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous physical activity each day. (source)

I am particularly pleased that the advisory committee acknowledges our food environment, with the following recommendations:

•Improve nutrition literacy and cooking skills, and motivate people, especially families with children, to prepare healthy foods at home.

•Improve the availability of affordable fresh produce through greater access to grocery stores, produce trucks and farmers' markets.

•Encourage restaurants and the food industry to offer health-promoting foods that are low in sodium; limited in added sugars, refined grains and solid fats; and served in smaller portions. (source)

The final Dietary Guidelines for 2010 will be released later this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are now seeking public comments. Between June 15th and July 15th, you may review and comment at USDA.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Let's Eat!

Smoked Pulled Pork*

BBQ Sauces

Spicy Coleslaw

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Parmesan Butter

Baked Beans

Hamburger Dill Pickles

Hamburger Buns

Strawberry Lemonade/Fresca with Cranberry Juice/Cold Corona

*Compliments of Robertson BBQ Fundraising and Catering
  15337 Smokey Lane
  Fosters, AL 35463

I Heart Cooking Clubs: Week Eleven

Happy Father's Day!

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is Dining with Dad, where we are continuing to feature the recipes of Chef Mark Bittman. 

My father was all about the garden. Whether from necessity or just good sense, we always had an abundance of fresh vegetables. Once, my father saw a magazine ad for an electronic butter bean sheller and proceeded to build one. It worked perfectly. Unfortunately, he could do nothing about the purple hulled peas we had to shell and we were marked with purple thumbs all summer.

My dad was a minister and we often joked about all the fried chicken and mashed potatoes he consumed. So, no fried chicken today. Keeping with my BBQ weekend theme, I chose Bittman's Spicy Coleslaw. Dad grew great heads of green cabbage.

Spicy Coleslaw

Yield: 2 quarts

Recipe from How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sherry or balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup olive, peanut, or vegetable oil

6 cups cored and shredded cabbage (Napa, Savoy, green and/or red)

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded, and diced

1 cup diced scallions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1) Whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl; add the sugar, then add the oil a little at a time, whisking all the while.

2) Combine the cabbage, peppers, and scallions, and toss with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve (it's best to let this rest for an hour or so before serving to allow the flavors to mellow; you can let it sit longer, up to 24 hours if you like).

3) Just before serving, toss with parsley.

This will be my entry for this week's I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Note: You know how you cringe when someone orders steak sauce when they have a really amazing cut of beef?  I can imagine my father asking someone to pass the mayonnaise for this coleslaw! Miss you, Dad!

BBQ Sauces

BBQ sauce? Now, that's personal. We are as serious about BBQ sauces in the South as we are about football. In my state of Alabama, mayonnaise is often the base. As gross as that sounds, it is excellent on chicken; it feels sacrilegious to me to find it on pork.

Ina Garten, my chef crush, combines three sauces to achieve her favorite: an Eastern/Asian/Southern mix. Ina never lets me down but, let's face it, who has her budget?

Pam at Sidewalkshoes posted this selection recently, which I prepared for an office luncheon. Review: light and flavorful but doesn't overshadow the pork.

Vaunted Vinegar Sauce
Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar or packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne or hot red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir to dissolve sugar. You can serve this at room temperature or chilled. Keeps indefinitely.

Makes about 2 cups.

***************************************************

An off-the-shelf, pre-prepared sauce was recommended to me recently called Sweet Baby Ray's. I tried the Original Barbecue Sauce and found it to be thick and flavorful. If you like a sweeter sauce, this would be a good choice. Caution: Beware of tricky food labeling. The website Livestrong lists the calories in this sauce as 70. But, that is 70 calories/serving and the serving size is two tablespoons.

***************************************************

My personal favorite comes from Tyler Florence, back when he was paying his dues and trying to cook around Jack on How to Boil Water. Couldn't you just sit and watch Tyler cook for hours?

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork

Directions:
Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.

What's your favorite?

Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Corn on the Cob with Parmesan Butter

As stated in my last post, I purchased two smoked Boston butts for an LPN fundraiser so this weekend is all about BBQ and everything those goes with it. I'm sharing my feast with neighbors, which will include a few favorite old recipes and a few new recipes.

Rachael's Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime is one of my old favorite quick side dishes. However, since I already had some spicy offerings planned, I decided to go with her Corn on the Cob with Parmesan Butter. Quick, simple, and ready for the grill.

Note: I only prepared one-half of the recipe for four ears of corn.

Grilled Corn with Parmesan Butter
Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine (online)
Yield: 6-12 servings

Ingredients:
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 ears corn, husked
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1.In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, cheese and pepper until creamy. Spoon onto a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper, roll into a log and freeze until chilled, at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days.

2.Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Cut the corncobs in half. Brush them lightly with olive oil and grill, turning occasionally, until the corn is tender and just getting charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and serve with the corn.

This will be my entry for Saturdays with Rachael Ray hosted by Deborah at Taste and Tell.

Summer Beverages

I bought two smoked Boston butts for a local LPN fundraiser. So, this weekend is all about BBQ, sauces, sides, and beverages. I am sharing this abundance with my neighbors and will still have plenty to freeze for later.

First, the beverages:
Nothing is better with BBQ than cold beer - make mine a Corona, please. But, I also have two other favorites: strawberry lemonade and Fresca with cranberry juice.

Fresca with Cranberry Juice: Fresca Original Citrus is my favorite decaffeinated soda. (My cat, Jules, prefers Fresca peach - see below). Adding a splash or two of cranberry juice makes for a colorful and tasty alternative to the plain soda.

However, ice isn't lasting very long in our hot weather, which is what makes this Speedy Strawberry Lemonade a winner (see recipe by Mary at Deep South Dish). Strawberries are in abundance now and these were ripe and sweet, almost needing no added sugar. Cold and refreshing!

Ro*Tel Recipe Contest: Top 10 Finalists

Alas, my Bloody Mary Slush didn't make the Top 10 finalists; I am sure it must have been number 11.  The Top 10 recipes are now on the Ro*Tel website so be sure to go by and cast your vote. The judges did a great job choosing these ten. Great job, Mary! (Deep South Dish)

An Evening of Firsts

My firsts:
1) Preparing muffins in my new Martha Stewart muffin tins (on sale BTW),
2) using those little Cake Mate cupcake liners, which I was certain would catch fire as soon as they went in the oven (they didn't),
3) using an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners, just like Ina taught me; and,
4) not being afraid to lick the spoon or bowl for fear of salmonella.

What? No eggs, you shriek? No eggs. I prepared the Weight Watchers' Diet Coke Cake and Weight Watchers' Fresca Cake. Seriously.

Ingredients:

Directions:
Mix. Bake and cool per box instructions.

My research suggested using a chocolate cake mix with a diet cola beverage and a lighter cake mix with a diet non-cola beverage. From what was available, I chose a super-duper death by chocolate version or Betty Crocker SuperMoist Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix. Some people said 12 ounces of Diet Coke made it too moist, but 10 ounces weren't enough, so I figured 11 ounces should be juusstt right.

For a lighter version, I chose the Duncan Hines Orange Supreme with Fresca. I found that the mixture didn't look quite as moist with only 11 ounces of beverage so I threw in that extra ounce for good measure.

Ingredients:

The verdict:

Flavor:  Good. I particularly liked the orange muffins.

Texture: Not so good. Not having anything to bind it, it was crumbly and just a bit....gummy.

Comparisons: The orange supreme rose more than the chocolate muffins even though I used the same scoop. Alton Brown would know why because....

I love Alton!

Nutrition: Duh. It's a cake mix!

However, if one is looking to reduce daily fat intake, this cuts out the oil and egg yolks. Weight Watchers assigns this 2.0 to 3.0 points, which I'm guessing is the equivalent of about 140-160 calories but I'm not up-to-date on the latest from Weight Watchers. Calorically, it is not a bad choice. I figure approximately 160 calories/muffin from 12-muffin pan.

Repeat: Sure. I think it would be a nice gesture to serve when you know someone is watching their weight or cholesterol.

So, what do you think? These colors weren't planned but they might make for good (adult) Halloween treats.

Hate to Cook? I did too.

Darya Pino at Summer Tomato.com came up with the 10 reasons we hate to cook (and what we can do about it) for The Huffington Post.  Hello, my name is Judi. I have suffered from this and have learned it is a day-by-day process. I am actually starting to enjoy it, even though it still doesn't come naturally.

Why do we hate to cook?  Pino writes:
Reason 1: You're bad at it.
Solution:   Learn how.
Comment: I discovered Food Network and began watching it religiously, similar to how I used to watch people exercise. Emeril was too advanced for me at the time so I started with Rachael Ray. It helped!

Reason 2:  You're slow.
Solution:    Keep practicing!
Comment:  Even with practice, I am still slow. I'm getting faster, though!

Reason 3:  You have crappy knives.
Solution:    Investing $50 in a half-way decent knife can improve confidence and efficiency.
Comment: I hear that, Darya! Proficient cooks know (and now I do too) how important it is to have the appropriate tools and equipment in the kitchen. A decent knife is a must! Use the money you are saving by eating in to purchase a good knife.

Reason 4:  You pick complicated recipes
Solution:    "Learn to fly before jumping off a cliff."
Comment:  I believe starting with Rachel Ray and/or recipes with five seasonal ingredients or less help build confidence and efficiency.

Reason 5:  You choose out of season ingredients.
Solution:    Check out farmers' markets or choose only those foods that are in season for better tasting recipes. If not, you are only confirming to yourself that you can't cook.
Comment: Ok... I'm still working on this. Locate a CSA.

Reason 6:  You skipped the farmers' markets.
Solution and Comment: See Reason 5.

Reason 7:  You only cook for large groups.
Solution:    Start simply. Volunteer to help someone in the kitchen who knows what they are doing. Make a side dish or a one pot meal for yourself.
Comment:  Cooking with someone who knows what they are doing is so helpful. Just make sure they can provide encouragement and patience. A good teacher is priceless.

Reason 8:  Your pantry is inadequate.
Solution:    Learn what stocks a basic pantry (see basic checklist here)
Comment: Nothing is more frustrating than an extra trip or two or three to the grocery store to ruin a meal (thus, my bad habit of leaving out ingredients and/or my poor substitution choices).

Reason 9:  You only cook on special occasions.
Solution:    Start simply (see reason 7). No need to add extra pressure or ruin a family holiday.
Comment:  I'm stressed just thinking about it!

Reason 10: You don't ask for help.
Solution:     Allow others to share their expertise. Learn from them. 
Comment:  Again, if no one else is available to help, watch Food Network/The Cooking Channel/PBS or food preparation videos online. Watch and learn.

I would add a Reason 11 that I learned from someone:  Don't prepare a meal for guests that you haven't prepared previously. I have a couple of tried and true simple recipes that I cook for guests.

Meatless Monday: Egg Salad Sandwich

Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.

Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

For non-vegans, I present The Incredible, Edible Egg™! Let's face it: there is a lot of nutritional value in that little package. To the chickens and those who feed them, good job! The better feed given to chickens, the better the nutritional value. The egg is low in calories and fat, and it is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

What about cholesterol, you ask?  Our bodies get cholesterol in two ways: what our body produces in the liver and from eating meat, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, and whole and 2% milk. There is no cholesterol found in plant products so, vegetarians, not to worry! Cholesterol is found only in the egg yolk, not the egg white. Because vegetarians are eating plants, an occasional egg can be a good source of protein without the worries of it being harmful to one's heart health.

Concerned about how chickens are treated and fed? Check for the United Egg Producers Certified label on the carton. Check our their website's FAQs here.

Martha Stewart's Egg Salad Sandwich 

This is, without a doubt, my very favorite egg salad recipe.

Egg Salad Sandwich

(c) 2004 Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients (my preferences in bold):
9 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, and roughly chopped
1/3 cup homemade or best quality mayonnaise, plus more for spreading (Hellmann's)
1 medium stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder, or 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon mild Madras curry powder, optional (This is not optional to me; it is a must.)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small head radicchio or 1 small bunch arugula, well-washed and spun dry
8 to 12 slices whole-grain bread

Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, place eggs, mayonnaise, celery, mustard powder, curry powder, salt, and pepper, to taste. Gently mix until combined.

2) Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with mayonnaise. Line half of the slices with radicchio or arugula leaves. Spread with an even layer of egg salad. Top with remaining bread. Cut in half and serve.

Boiled Egg Sandwich on Roasted Garlic Hummus

Want to avoid the calories and fat from the mayonnaise but still get the protein from a boiled egg, plus protein from beans? Try using roasted garlic hummus spread on two slices of whole grain bread. Slice your boiled egg and place on the hummus.

How to Boil an Egg
The big question: what is the best method of boiling eggs so that they are not overcooked and are easy to peel?  Here's my method and I'd love it if you would share yours:

Gently place fresh eggs in pot and cover with cold water. Turn burner on high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer for 10-14 minutes, depending on how you plan to use the boiled egg and/or how you personally prefer your egg yolk. Immediately drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs. Peel, eat and enjoy.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Ro*Tel Recipe Contest Two: Bloody Mary Slush

This recipe started as one thing and turned into another. This submission is my Bloody Mary Slush.

Bloody Mary Slush
Recipe by Judi Bridges

Ingredients:
3 cups V8 juice
1 cup Vodka (preferably Grey Goose), plus 1 Tbsp.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 10-oz can Ro*Tel Original
1 Tbsp horseradish
3 shakes Louisiana hot sauce
A pinch of celery seed
A pinch of Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1 lemon
1 cup cold water

Directions:
1) In a small saucepan, make a simple syrup by adding the sugar and water over high heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely, not allowing the mixture to boil. Chill.

2) Place the Ro*Tel, horseradish, celery seed, Kosher salt, ground black pepper, hot sauce, and 1 Tbsp Vodka into a food processor.  Zest one lemon then add the juice of the whole lemon. Pulse until pureed.  Pour equal amounts into an ice cube tray and freeze.

3) Mix 3 cups of V8 juice and 1 cup Vodka and chill.

4) When the ice cubes have frozen, put into food processor and pulse one to two times for slushy consistency. Fill glass and pour the V8 juice/Vodka mixture into glass.

5) Garnish with lemon, celery, or garnish of preference.

I Heart Cooking Clubs: Week Ten

This week I Heart Cooking Clubs is having June Potluck, where you can prepare whatever Mark Bittman recipe your heart desires... only I didn't read the entire post and I jumped to the conclusion that we were having Alphabet Soup Potluck, where last names that begin with A-F were preparing the beverages of Mark Bittman. I'm a B.

My previous aversion to cooking was why I was always asked to bring beverages and/or paper goods to most past potlucks I had been invited. So, naturally, I thought this was another one of those times!

I have wine: red and white, courtesy of my sweet brother. And, I prepared iced tea for those who do not imbibe. Being from the Southeast US, we are quite particular about our iced tea. In fact, we really only have a little tea with our sugar, mint, and lemon, and occasional shot of Jack Daniels.

Mr. Bittman states in his book, How to Cook Everything, that the only good tea must be ordered in bulk. Since I don't particularly like tea (imagine that), I used tea bags and we only use Royal Cup in Birmingham.

Mr. Bittman's directions: Page 797, How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food

My directions: I heat filtered water in my teapot then pour over five tea bags and steep to desired strength. This heated tea is then poured over granulated sugar, stirred until sugar dissolves, and cooled before serving over ice, mint, and lemon.

My mother used two cups of sugar for every gallon of tea; I use only one cup per gallon. I guess that is another reason Southerners call tea "sweet tea" and the reason for our dental bills, or lack thereof.  Don't make the mistake, as I did, and call it "sweetened tea" or another Southerner will call you out!

This is my very adapted recipe for this week's I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Ro*Tel ™ Recipe Contest One: Judi's Summer Salsa

This is one of two recipes I am entering in the Ro*Tel™ Recipe Contest, judged by our blogger buddy, Mary, at Deep South Dish.

This is my Judi's Summer Salsa that can be eaten by itself or served with chips, as a side dish, or with boiled shrimp for those non-vegetarians as a shrimp cocktail. The ripe mango and strawberries balance the chilies with their sweetness, as well as cools the heat of the chilies without using a dairy product.

Judi's Summer Salsa

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 can Ro*Tel™ Original, drained

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped

8 ripe strawberries, sliced

1 lime, juiced

1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix and serve.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Not-Your-Mama's Tuna Salad

This dish is named prefectly. There is no mayo in sight and no arguments over sweet or dill pickles (dill for me, please). You may remember I posted Rachel's Tuna Pan Bagnat and I didn't think it could get in better than that. This recipe doesn't top that one, but it is less expensive and extremely good.

Where's the roasted red pepper, you ask? I actually roasted it but, since I'm not a big red/green/yellow pepper fan, I left it out. Maybe I'll add it to leftovers tomorrow.

Since the pasta shells were so large, I decided to try it as an appetizer first. I ate it single woman-style: standing over the sink! My local Publix only had the large and small pasta shells, but in three weeks I'll be living in Birmingham where I can find everything all the time! Yea!

And, here it is as Rachael intended:

Not-Your-Mama's Tuna Salad

Recipe by Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tub store-bought pesto sauce (1 cup), such as Contadina brand

Juice of 1 lemon
2 cans tuna in water (6 ounces each)
4 scallions, cut with kitchen scissors or chopped
1 whole roasted red pepper, cut up with kitchen scissors or chopped
A handful of grape tomatoes, halved with small paring knife
1 pound medium shell pasta, cooked to al dente and cooled by running under
Cold water
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Place the pesto in a bowl and mix in the lemon juice. Add the tuna to the bowl and break it up into flakes with a fork.


2. Add the scallions, red pepper, tomatoes and pasta to the bowl, then toss the salad to evenly coat it with the sauce. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray is hosted by Deborah at Taste and Tell.

Rachael note: This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, go to http://www.yum-o.org/.

The Perfect Cosmopolitan

The perfect Cosmopolitan happens to live in Manhattan, at least that is where I experienced an OMG Cosmopolitan moment. Say what you will about the Sex and The City women and writers, but they knew their cocktails.

Since experiencing this aha moment in Manhattan, I have searched for the perfect Cosmopolitan recipe. I had been unsuccessful until I found Ina Garten's recipe for a Pomegranate Cosmopolitan and followed it as written. Pause for reaction. For those who know me well, I am terrible about leaving out ingredients and substituting.

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

Recipe by Ina Garten, © Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups good vodka (recommended: Grey Goose or Finlandia)
• 1 cup orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
• 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail, (recommended: Ocean Spray)
• 1/2 cup bottled pomegranate juice (recommended: Pom Wonderful)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
• Thinly sliced limes, for garnish

Directions

Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and lime juice in a large pitcher. Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice, pour the cocktail mixture in, and shake for a full 30 seconds. Pour into martini glasses, garnish with a slice of lime, and serve immediately.

Note: You must shake it in a cocktail shaker and you must serve it in a martini glass!

“I like to have a martini, two at the very most. After three I'm under the table, after four I'm under my host” ~ Dorothy Parker (Thanks for reminding me of this quote, Jim. It made me smile.)