Today I wanted something sweet to eat, something creamy like yogurt.  But yogurt is dairy and makes me hot flash, and I don’t really care for how dairy clogs my sinuses.  I broke down the components of what I wanted.  Something sweet but not real sugary sweet.  Something creamy but not fatty or dairy.  Something I could nibble hot or cold.  Hmmmm… I had an overripe banana in the freezer, so I thawed it to create the “creamy” part.  I chopped an apple and put in a saucepan with a half cup of water, a splash of white wine and about a 1/4 cup raisins.  I added a teaspoon of brown sugar, a pinch of sea salt, two coins of fresh ginger root, 2 drops of rice vinegar, 2 drops of vanilla extract and two shakes of ground cinnamon.  I cooked it on medium heat until the raisins got fat, the apples got soft and the sauce got thick and sticky.  I removed the ginger coins. I stirred the thawed overripe banana into it and poured into a small baking pan.  Into the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

I buy the frozen tilapia filets in 2 pound packages at WalMart and usually poach them in an Asian style fish soup.  Today I sauteed them with blackened seasoning and they were excellent, served with kale.  They are also good atop grilled zucchini, red peppers and yellow squash.  Coat 4 filets with the Blackened Spice Rub (recipe below.) Let sit for about 15 minutes in the spice coating.  Heat a saute pan on medium heat with 1-2 tbsp olive or coconut oil.  Cook on each side about 3 minutes until flesh is white and begins to flake.   Continue reading →

I love a spicy Asian soup, whether the traditional Thai tom yum, a Cantonese hot and sour soup or an Asian style fish soup.  I also love easy formulas, especially for favorite recipes.  Here’s a basic soup I make using Asian flavors.  It’s the combination of these flavors that give it that spicy Thai/Vietnamese taste.   Keep the ingredients on hand in the freezer and you can have a restaurant quality soup in less than 30 minutes.   Then I add whatever vegetables or proteins I fancy that day, often simply mushrooms, scallions or snow peas, and shrimp or a fish filet.  Dig in.  Continue reading →

This recipe is for one carton (32oz) of broth. I usually double it.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined (save shells and heads for stock)
12 mushrooms, halved
1 (4.5 ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained
4 cups water or chicken broth (one carton)
2 stalks of lemon grass (will remove before eating)
4 kaffir lime leaves (will remove before eating)
4 slices galangal or ginger root (will remove before eating)
1-4 chilies as hot as you like them (I use 2)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1- 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce  (I use 3 Crabs brand)
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp vinegar
1-3 teaspoons palm sugar to taste
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon nam prik pao or tom yum soup paste
1/2 tsp light sodium soy sauce
1 giant bunch of fresh basil or cilantro for last minute adding. Continue reading →

Toast your sesame seeds in a dry fry pan

I put my gomasio in a shaker and sprinkle it on many foods to give a toasty, nutty crunch and a giant wallop of nutrition.  More sesame in your diet means more calcium. More seaweed means more fine minerals in your blood.  Simply toast brown sesame seeds with a strip of kelp or kombu, let cool, put in a shaker and use.  Here’s the recipe:  Continue reading →

One 16 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
Juice of one lemon (depending on taste)
1 – 1/2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon sea salt
A shake of coarse ground black pepper
A shake of cumin powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 red pepper chopped
4 slices of pickled jalapeno

Preparation:  Drain chickpeas and set liquid aside for later. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor, with red pepper and jalapeno near the blades. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and as smooth and thick as you prefer it.

These days I no longer use butter or cream in recipes but I make substitutions.  This is the Carraba’s recipes page and to the right are links to copycat recipes for other restaurants. http://carrabbasathome.blogspot.com/

2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 daikon radish, peeled and julienned
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup palm sugar
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp chile garlic sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Garnish with chopped scallion and black sesame seeds.

Having it chopped ahead of time makes it easy to make jars of salad for picnics

I do my best to have fresh produce in the fridge, washed and cut up in containers for easy use in cooking or for hand snacking. It’s especially easy to make salads this way. To the right are some individual salads you can pre-make and have ready to grab. Sometimes for dinner I’ll just toss a handful of veggies and cut up potato into a big freezer bag with a half tsp each of dried basil, mustard seed, fennel seed, coriander seed and tarragon with fresh springs of thyme and rosemary and 1-2 tbsps oil and scrunch it all together, then bake at 450 for 15-20 mins. By the time I make a salad and set the table, dinner is done. And by “set the table.” I mean dump everything into one giant bowl and eat it on the couch with chopsticks.

RELATED: Herb spiced veggies roasted in the convection oven

Serve with tortilla chips

This basic soup gets its smoke from a smoky paprika and some heat from Louisiana Hot Sauce. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add all spices and cook 2-3 minutes to release the oils. Add vegetables and garlic. Cook, stirring until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce to  simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste. If you’d like it soupier, add vegetable broth to dilute. Here’s the recipe:   Continue reading →