My pantry always includes:
Packaged fat free vegetable broth
Packaged fat free chicken broth
Canned crushed tomatoes
Canned stewed tomatoes
Canned garbanzo beans for hummus Continue reading →

Interesting. The last two months I’ve had coffee each morning, sometimes with sugar but as often with Stevia or Sweet & Low, and a splash of 2% milk. The past two months I’ve kept on an extra 8 lbs. Cause + effect = no more sweetner for me.

Fresh Ginger Root

Fresh ginger root has a strong flavor that adds zest to many recipes. Ginger has anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal health benefits. When you purchase fresh ginger, examine it closely. Fresh ginger has a smooth surface, but will feel firm when you squeeze it slightly. Ginger root has a white flesh and a light brown skin. Fresh ginger needs to be stored properly to prolong its shelf life and to prevent mold from forming.   Continue reading →

This is my favorite Greek salad, and with lowfat feta and being sparing with the oil, I make this a low fat dish.

Ingredients:
1 vine ripened tomato / quartered
1 cucumber / peeled and sliced
1 small red onion / thinly sliced
1 small green pepper / thinly sliced
A few black olives or Greek Calamata olives
Low fat feta cheese
1 tsp oregano
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Put the tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, and olives into a big bowl and sprinkle with salt and oregano. I add chopped romaine. Mix it all together then top with a sprinkle of crumbled lowfat feta cheese.

Leave the bowl to stand for 20 minutes. This will allow the salt to soak into the tomatoes and bring out the juice, and will allow the cheese to get to room temperature. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle more oregano on top. I also squeeze lemon juice into it.

The fresh salads served at Ossorio Bakery and Cafe in Cocoa Village are delicious.  I post them here so I may be reminded of some delicious salad combinations.

Morgan’s
Spring baby greens, smoked bacon, fresh berries, roasted pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. Served with our baguette toast topped with goat and cream cheese spread.

Francoise’s
Roasted asparagus, baby spring greens, our own salt and brown sugar cured, thinly sliced salmon with lemon vinaigrette served with baguette toast. Continue reading →

My fave spice palette right now is Andrea’s Personal Masala Blend. It’s not hot but it is spicy. Masala is the Indian term for a blend of spices. It can be any simple or complex combination.  I grind fresh seeds in a coffee grinder and place in a shaker bottle marked “Andrea’s Spice Mix.”  The spices I use have been proven to possess therapeutic and healing properties. Spices and herbs contain antioxidants, minerals and multivitamins. Because spices are nutrient dense, they are thermogenic, which means they naturally increase your metabolism. Centuries old eastern medicine and now recent studies and scientific research both boast the medicinal healing benefits of spices. Discover what your favorite flavors are and create your own signature blend to share with friends. Here’s my latest fave.  Andrea’s Personal Masala Blend

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I love a crispy crunch on chicken and like to cook it in the oven. Here’s my take on an oven baked Chicken Milanese (the original is fried on the stove.) This is how I cook boneless thighs and thin sliced chicken breast. Note the different cooking temps and times; thighs take longer at higher heat.

FOR THIGHS — 16-20 minutes at 450
Preheat a 450 degree oven. Pound flat 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and dredge thru seasoned flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat with seasoned breadcrumbs. Really rub it into the chicken. Place foil or parchment paper on a metal baking pan and spray it with olive oil Pam. Place the chicken on the tray and place it on a lower rack in the oven. Set a timer for 13 minutes. When that timer goes off the chicken should be brown on top. Turn the chicken and let brown another 8 minutes. Turn the oven off and let them sit for 5 minutes for extra crunch.   Continue reading →

Chinese rice vinegars are stronger than Japanese ones, and range in colour from clear to various shades of red and brown. Chinese and especially Japanese vinegars are very mild and sweet compared to distilled and more acidic Western vinegars which, for that reason, are not appropriate substitutes for rice vinegars. Here are the most popular types: Continue reading →

Chinese American Hot and Sour Soup is a favorite of mine. Here are two recipes to try, and at the end I’ve included a link to an easy copycat recipe for P.F. Chang’s hot and sour soup, which I’ve never tried. Continue reading →

Dashi is Japanese stock, which becomes the base of many Japanese dishes, such as soup, dipping sauce, and nimono (simmered dishes). Since dashi is often used in Japanese cooking, it’s useful to know how to make it. There are different kinds of dashi. It can be made from kombu (dried kelp), katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes), niboshi (dried small sardines), hoshi-shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms), and more. Kombu dashi and dried shiitake mushroom dashi are known as good vegetarian stocks. It might take extra effort to make dashi, but good dashi makes your Japanese dishes taste much better. Recipes on next page. Continue reading →