Warm Beet Salad

A delicious and colorful winter salad.

Beets are low on calories, full of vitamins, remove toxins from the body and nourish the bloodstream.  So why aren't you eating more of them?  Well now, there is simply no excuse.





Ingredients:
1-3 Beets, depending on size and your appetite
Vinaigrette
Goat Cheese
Fresh Mint
Orange Wedges

Supplies:
Foil
Cutting Board
Knife
Toaster Oven

Directions:
Preheat toaster oven to 450 degrees.  Rinse beets and cut off tops.  Wrap in foil and cook in oven for 40 - 50 minutes, cooking until soft.  Remove from oven and let cool.

When cool enough to handle, peel skin off beets (watch out for perma-pink fingertips).  Slice beets and arrange on plate.

Peel orange and break into segments.  Add to top of beets.  Drizzle vinaigrette over the top of the beets.   Chop up fresh mint and sprinkle over the top of the salad, along with goat cheese.  Bon Apetit!


Warning:  Don't freak out if your pee turns red.  It's gonna happen.  Cuz beets are cool like dat.

The Best Company You'll Ever Have

"Light the candles and pour the red wine into your glass. Before you begin to eat, raise your glass in honor of yourself. The company is the best you'll ever have."  - Daniel Halpern, poet

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is the breakfast of champions - hearty and healthy. But it can easily be boring, so mix it up with any of the following toppings:

• Butter or Flax Seed Oil
• Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
• Dried Cranberries (these are great for singles, because they store easily and last a long time)
• Sliced Almonds (great for adding protein, and like cranberries, I always keep some in my cupboard)
• Sliced Bananas
• Milk

Candida Modification: Skip the sugar and the milk. Try your oatmeal with butter, dried cranberries, bananas, sliced almonds and unsweetened soy milk

Blasphemy!

Blasphemy, I say!

Best Christmas Present Ever!

My grandmother hand made a sweetheart-neckline, fitted-waist, full skirt apron for me.  Complete with heart pocket.  It's reversible too!  You're the best, Grandma!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas
When I boarded a plane.
My luggage stuffed with warm sweaters,
boxed presents and candy canes.

The hostesses all sang
over the intercom with cheer,
As the children squirmed in their seats
And we flew over the Pier.

The flight was not long
And the ride not too bumpy.
And a few hours later,
We landed quite safely.

Through the terminal I rushed,
To be greeted by family.
And we whisked up my suitcase
And hopped in the Jimmy.

As we left the City,
the snow started to fall
Dusting the farm fields
Like powdered sugar over it all.

And the lights on the houses
Twinkled like sprinkles on cake
Or perhaps more like tinsel
reflecting the light of a fireplace.

And farther and farther
Into the country we drove.
Until finally now
Up to my aunt's house we pulled.

As my brother unloaded,
Into the new foyer I walked
And my mother she greeted me
And we kissed and we talked.

And she gave me a tour
And show'd where I'd be staying
And we smiled
As we saw the new baby sleeping.

But as we rounded the corner,
What to my wandering eye should appear?
But the most beautiful kitchen
I have seen all year.

I stopped in mid-sentence.
My breath taken away.
Absorbing the scene before me
I had nothing to say.

Granite countertops, wood floors
A gas stove with four burners.
An island, a dishwasher
An oven I've yearned for.

A full fridge, a freezer
Cabinets and barstools.
A pantry, high ceilings,
This kitchen was magical.

I ran my fingers over the counters.
I played with a dial.
I imagined warm pie in the oven
And  to myself, I smiled.

Yes, what I could cook
in a kitchen like this.
What utter joy,
What culinary bliss.

The pies and the roasts
The cookies, the batter
The soup and the mash
A roasted vegetable platter.

Hors d'oeuvres and omelets
Salad and dinner plates
The chocolates, the cocktails
Puffed pastry bakes

We'd eat until we were full
Then we'd eat again
And we would throw parties
Every now and again.

That night, as I was tucked
warmly in bed,
And Santa and his reindeer
flew overhead,

I dreamt of a kitchen
As big as my whole place
And I danced around on wood floors
in heels and lace.

And I mixed flour and sugar
and butter and egg
And visions of sugar cookies
danced in my head

And I wished upon Santa
That some day I would
Have a kitchen like this
To make such food.

Apple Cider-Acorn Squash Soup

Speaking of eating in-season.  This delicious winter soup uses acorn squash and in-season honeycrisp apples.  A small acorn squash produced two perfect single servings - one for dinner and one for lunch tomorrow.  (Also great for guests!)

Like any good soup, the  recipe is a little in-exact.  Just taste and alter to your liking and squash size.

Ingredients:
1 small acorn squash - the size of a large grapefruit
2 apples
1 cup vegetable broth
1 T butter
honey
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
salt and pepper

Supplies:
Toaster Oven and Baking Dish
Large Pot
Juicer (or just buy the apple juice/cider instead)
Hand Blender
Spoon

Directions:
Cut the acorn squash in half.  Spoon out seeds.  Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each half and drizzle with honey.

Roast the acorn squash in the toaster oven at 400 degrees.  Cooking time will vary based on your oven and squash size.  But 30 - 45 minutes is a good window.  Poke squash with fork and remove when soft.  Set aside to cool.

In the meantime, chop and juice the two apples.  Mine made about 12 ounces of juice.  Place apple juice in large pot and dash with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook for 5 - 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup vegetable broth and cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Drizzle any liquid butter and honey from the center of the squash into the pot, then scoop the squash out of its skin using a spoon.  Put squash in pot with juice/broth, throwing away the skin.

Using hand blender, puree squash into soup.  Add more broth as necessary for appropriate thickness.   Taste.  Add salt and pepper as desired.

Served Best With:  Fresh Bread

Candida Modification:  Lose the honey

Salmon Enchiladas

Intimate homes may only host intimate gatherings ... Here's a great recipe for dinner for 2.

Ingredients:
1 pound salmon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 t chili powder
1 t cayenne
2 t diced green chilis
1 t minced garlic
1/8 t cumin
2 T minced white onions
4 tortillas
shredded mexican cheese
sour cream

Supplies:
Hot Plate + Large Pot + Small Pot
Toaster Oven + 9" Square Baking Dish

Directions:
Begin by preparing the salmon - you can boil, grill, barbeque, etc.  With the Spice Studio Setup, boiling seemed most practical.  When salmon is cooked, remove from heat and drain water.  Set aside to cool.

HOT PLATE TIP:  I like to heat the water up in the electrical kettle first before putting it in the pot, because the hot plate takes a while to get water boiling on its own.

In the meantime, mix the water, tomato paste, oil, seasonings and onions in a small pot.  Place on hot plate and cook on medium heat for several minutes until onions begin to soften.  Remove from heat.

Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees.

Place several spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread across the bottom.  Take a tortilla, spread the inside with a spoonful of enchilada sauce.  Fill with salmon and cheese.  Fold tortilla over and place in pan.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and desired amount of cheese.  Bake for 10 - 15 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortilla are slightly crisp.

Remove from oven.  Top with sour cream and serve.

RECIPE NOTE:  These enchiladas are fairly spicy.  Use less cayenne if you don't like them so spicy.  And for more spice, add additional cayenne or serve with pico pica hot sauce.

Best Served With:  Corona w/ Lime, Corn on the Cob, and/or Chips w/Salsa and Guacamole.

Special thanks to my beautiful dinner company who joined me for libations, satiation and good conversation last night.

Oh, Sweet Aero-Press ....

Prepare

Press

Pour

How I love thee, let me count the ways ...

* Compact
* Easy-To-Clean
* Perfect, single portions
* Makes the one of the best cups of coffee I have every had.  Seriously.

---

What is an Aero-Press, you ask?  Well, somewhere in the mechanical spectrum between a bike pump and the french press falls the Aero-Press.  But more simply put, the Aero-Press is the single coffee lover's dream. 

---

How does it work?  It operates much like a French Press, but you push the water through the bottom of the chamber into your cup.

To get started, simply place a filter in the filter cap and screw on to the bottom of the chamber.  Add your coffee and add a small amount of hot water.  (An electric kettle works perfectly for heating up the water).  Stir for 10 seconds.  Then, place the plunger into the top of the chamber and slowly press down pushing the coffee through to your cup for approximately 20 - 30 seconds.

Viola! You are done. Clean up is easy.  Simply remove the filter cap, press the coffee grounds and filter into the trash by pushing the plunger the rest of the way through.  Rinse.

The Aero-Press makes espresso strength coffee.  You can add hot milk for a latte, or add more hot water for American Coffee (as I do).

---

Where can YOU get one?  Amazon carries it. I highly recommend it.  Throw out your percolator, people!

---

P.S.  h/t to Spice Reader and foodie in crime, intastella.  Thanks for the recommendation.

Monday Morning Baking Bonanza

Cranberry-Orange Scones for
my Office Mates

Sunday Morning Brunch: Almond Crusted French Toast

Only one piece of toast was dropped
during the taking of this photo

A new spin on traditional french toast - giving this breakfast favorite a little more flavor, texture and protein. 

Ingredients:
1 egg
splash half-n-half or milk
1 T vanilla yogurt (optional - or 1/4 t vanilla extract, also optional)
4 T sliced almonds
French Baguette
Butter
Powdered Sugar

Supplies:
Hot Plate + Pan
Hand Blender/Food Processor
2 shallow bowls
Whisk or fork

Directions:
Take 2T of almonds and place in food processor.  I use a hand blender with the food processor attachment.  Remove ground almonds from food processor and put in shallow bowl.  Add an additional 2T sliced (not ground) almonds.  Stir.

In a separate shallow bowl, beat together egg, milk and yogurt until smooth.

Heat pan on hot plate to medium temperature.  Add butter.  Cut baguette into slices and dip first in egg mixture, then in almonds.  Place in pan.  Cook for a couple minutes on both sides until lightly brown and egg is cooked.

Place on serving plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Top with your favorite topping - maple syrup, peanut butter and jam, fresh fruit, butter and powdered sugar, etc.

Best Served With:  Coffee or orange juice

Rules To Eat By: Eat In-Season Foods

Tired of pale tomatoes and unripe oranges?  Eating in-season means eating food when it's at its best.  In today's global market, we can get almost any food year-round, but why would you want to?

Rule #2:  Eat In-Season Foods

Why eat in-season foods:

1. In-season food is fresher and tastes better. 
   
   By definition, in-season food is food that is at its peak - either the time of year when it is harvested or when it has the most flavor.  Sure, we can import, refrigerate, freeze, can and farm out-of-season foods, but wouldn't you rather have the fresh, more flavorful meal?
   
   
2. Reduce your carbon footprint. 
   
   Instead of shipping your fruit in from South America with expensive refrigeration, try eating local and in-season foods - it reduces the energy needed to grow and transport your food.
    
3. Reconnect with nature and time. 
   
   Our bodies are naturally in tune with the seasons - it's why we crave cool, light meals in the summer and heavy, warm dishes in the fall and winter.  It's why we eat watermelon on the 4th of July and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  By eating in-season, you can reconnect with nature, celebrate all the seasons have to offer and savor the passage of time.
   
   
4. Support the local economy. 
   
   Eating in-season goes hand in hand with eating local.  Buying in-season, local foods help support your local economy and ensures more of your money gets into the hands of the farmers rather than big business.
    
5. Save Money. 
   
   Buying out-of-season or imported foods come at a price.  Local, in-season foods don't have expensive transportation, handling or refrigeration costs.  In addition, they are generally abundant and therefore don't come at a premium cost.

How To Eat In Season:

1. Know what foods are in-season.
   
   Check out a local seasonal food guide to find out what food is in-season in your area.  Epicurious and the NRDC both have great seasonal food maps.
    
2. Visit Local Farmer's Markets. 
   
   Your local farmer's market will carry in-season produce.
    
3. Join a CSA. 
   
   Community-Supported Agriculture (also known as a CSA) is a membership you purchase to support local farms.  In exchange for a subscription, you generally receive a weekly box of in-season fruits and/or vegetables.  You can also find organic CSAs and it's a great way to try new foods that you might not normally buy.
   
   
4. Create your own seasonal recipes. 
   
   Create your own seasonal recipes by experimenting with in-season foods.  Bring them back from year to year to create your own traditions.

Kitchenette Confessions #1

The sink was too full with dishes, so I used the bath tub faucet to fill my Brita.  :/  I promise that when you come for dinner, I will only use the kitchen tap for your brita-filtered beverages.  Pinky-swear promise.

A Few Of My Favorite Things ...

Working in a kitchenette, the best gadgets come in small packages.  They are multi-purpose, easy-to-clean and compact.  Today's favorite thing:  my collapsible step stool.

Step

And Store

And now for a little Julie Andrews inspiration ...

Stemless wine glasses and heirloom tomatoes

Candlelit dinners and mashed potatoes

The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans

These are a few of my favorite things

Stainless steel blades and herbs from the garden

A bouquet on the table and fresh bread in the oven

Curry so spicy that it makes your mouth sing

These are a few of my favorite things

When the milk spills

When the trash stinks

When I"m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

Mini Mushroom Quiche

Excuse the absence, Spicerettes and Spiceroids.  (Is it ok if I call you that?)

I'm back and in action - whisk in hand and hot pad ready.  A good friend and a good yoga class has inspired tonight's cooking frenzy.  And for your pleasure (or rather mine, because I'm the one eating it), a mini-dish for a mini-kitchen.  Tonight, the wonderful, the delicious, the bite-sized mushroom-cheese mini quiches.

Great for breakfast, great for lunch and great for dinner.  Feel free to mix up the recipe by using your favorite filling - ham, bell peppers, bacon, chives, leeks, you name it.

Ingredients:

The Post-Yoga Cooking Sessions

Quiche Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups flour (I used whole grain, but all purpose is good too)
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cold water

Quiche Filling
3/4 cup half n half
2 eggs
1/8 t salt
Shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheese (Trader Joe's has a great pre-shredded pack)
Parmesan cheese
Sliced Crimini Mushrooms

Supplies:
6-Muffin muffin tin
Mixing bowl (2 if you got them)
Cutting board
Knife
Fork

Whisk

Coffee cup

Toaster Oven
Hot Plate + pan

Directions:
Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease muffin tin (I use spray olive oil - seems like a reasonable choice).

Blend flour and salt in mixing bowl.  Cut in shortening with pastry blender (or rather a knife and fork).  Add water and continue to mix with fork.  Use hands to blend into ball.

Place dough on lightly floured cutting board.  If you have a rolling pin, now would be a good time to use it.  However, I don't, so my two freshly washed hands did a sufficient, albeit probably lumpier, job.  Try and get it thin and even across the cutting board.

Use a large cup or small bowl to cut circles into the dough.  I used my favorite wide-mouthed coffee mug.  Remove circles and line muffin tin cups with dough.  When done, mix eggs, half-n-half and salt in a bowl.  Whisk well.

Heat up the hot plate and place a lightly greased pan on the burner.  When heated, lightly saute mushrooms.  Spoon mushrooms into muffin tins.  Top with shredded cheeses.  Then pour egg mixture into muffin tins to fill.

Place quiches in toaster oven and bake.  This will vary from oven to oven, but mine took about 15 - 18 minutes to thoroughly cook the egg and lightly brown the crust.

Remove from oven.  Let cool.  Consume.  Enjoy.  Clean up.

Served Best With:  Side Salad, Bacon, Orange Juice, Coffee

Candida Modification:  Forget about it.  Just make yourself some scrambled eggs.