Salad Days

 Over the past week I have been trying to eat healthy foods, do more exercise and live the clean life.  I have been eating salads and drinking smoothies. I have reduced red meats and I cut out the beer and red wine entirely.... and NOTHING.... not a pound shed. Usually the first few pounds drop pretty quickly and that motivates me to keep going. This week, however, I actually gained a few pounds... so I just stopped stepping on the scale. I'm feeling frustrated because me and my husband actually had a bet riding on it... and I'm losing (the bet...not any inches or pounds).  So last night we ordered pizza and had some wine with it. Salad days no more! That said, I'm not giving up... I'm still going to keep plugging on. Even if the only thing lighter right now is my pocketbook. Tonight I'm making Indian food and homemade naan... but starting tomorrow it's back to salad days once again.

I'm on the hunt for interesting low fat foods and ways to make exercise fun. I love to cook and the only way I will get through this is by resetting my thinking and finding fun food and cooking projects that aren't bad for me.

I have my work cut out for me. My biggest weakness is fresh baked bread. I can't give that up entirely, but I will try my hardest to make my baking healthier and less frequent. If I fail at that I may be delivering baked goods to my friends to save myself!

What is your favorite trick to eating healthier and getting more active?  Leave a comment and share!

An Indian Cooking Class in Cairo.

Last week I had the pleasure of taking an Indian food cooking class at the house of a new friend.  I met several nice women and we learned how to cook a total of 7 dishes in just a couple of hours.  We even got a goodie bag to take home with a copy of the recipes and some ingredients that can't be found at the local markets here in Cairo.

We started our class by making dahi raita.  This is a salad of yoghurt, cucumbers, carrots, and a selection of seasonings tempered in oil (this is called a tadka).  A version of this basic salad is served with almost every Indian meal.

Raita along with a\the special ladle used for the tadka

After that we made a tomato omelet.  This isn't an egg omelet, but a vegan dish made out of a lentil flour.  I use the same flour when I make vegetable koftas.  You mix the flour with water, onion, tomatoes, coriander leaves, and cumin. Then cook it in a non stick pan.

Next we moved on to raajma poori (kidney bean sauce with fried bread).  This was a quick dish that used a can of kidney beans to speed the process along.  The fried bread is  made by simply mixing wheat flour with water and frying it in oil.

We also roasted eggplant on the stove and made one of my favorite Indian dishes, baingan bharta.  Our teacher's version was made without cream, but with the option to add it at the table. 

And of course what Indian meal would be complete without a dal? The version we made for this class used a small yellow lentil called moong dal. We cooked it for just a couple of minutes in a pressure cooker.

Probably my favorite dish of the day was the potato parathas. This is a bread that is stuffed with potatoes and spices.   I really enjoyed the simplicity of it.

Potato Parathas

First you make a stuffing by mixing 3-4  boiled and mashed potatoes, 2 t. cumin powder,1-2 green chilies, 2 T. coriander leaves (cilantro), 2 t. minced garlic, 1 small minced onion, 1/4 t. turmeric, and salt.
 After that you make a simple dough with wheat flour and water.  You do this by adding water to the flour until it is soft but firm enough to handle.  I think that the bread started out with about 2 cups of flour and 1/2 C. water.  Our teacher mixed it in a blender and then just added water ( a small amount at a time) until it was the right consistency.  After that, form it into small balls, dip them in flour, and roll them into 5 inch circles.

You place two spoons of filling on the circle and then fold the bread around it... sealing it in. Dip it in the flour again and roll it out into a 7 inch circle.

Next you cook it on both sides in a non stick pan  until it is cooked through.

The first time I had this bread was when Verna (our teacher) invited me up to her apartment for an Indian breakfast.  She served it with Chai (tea) and a lovely yogurt dip.  It makes a fantastic breakfast or wonderful addition to any meal.

After class it was time for the part that everyone was waiting for...  LUNCH!  I had a lovely time cooking and eating with a wonderful group of ladies.  I hope to do again some time soon.

Cheers,
Jenn

Thai Chicken Two Ways

In this summer heat I like to look for recipes that keep me out of the kitchen... and this is the perfect meal for that. If you double the Grilled Chicken recipe you can have a meal for 4 people two nights in a row and only have to cook one night.

Here is the Thai Chicken the first night. I served it with carrot salad and edamame. The salad requires no cooking... you cook the chicken outside... and I steamed the edamame in the microwave. This kept my kitchen nice and cool in the Texas heat.



Thai Garlic Chicken

4 cloves garlic
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 T. ginger root
1 lime (juice and zest)
3 T. oil
1 T. soy sauce
squirt or more of siracha sauce
2 T. cilantro

Place all (except chicken) in blender and puree until smooth. Pour over chicken and marinate for a couple of hours. Grill chicken.

Day 2: Thai Salad

The next night all I needed to do was warm up the left over chicken, whip up some dressing, boil some potatoes and eggs (they go into the salad), and then I made a nice green salad with all the ingredients my family likes. I like to top the whole thing with crunchy chow mein noodles for a little crunch.



Dressing for the salad

6T. peanut butter
1 C. boiling water
4 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar or honey
A little soy sauce a teaspoon or 2 (to season)
3-4 cloves garlic
crushed pepper, to taste
2 t lemon or lime juice

Whisk together peanut butter and water (mix it in slowly...you don't use all if the dressing gets too thin... there are more liquids to add). Add remaining. Taste for seasoning and adjust as you like.
Cheers,
Jenn

Garden Fresh Potato Salad

Over the weekend some friends gave me potatoes and onions from their garden. What better way to use them than to make this fresh potato salad with herbs from my own backyard. I grew up eating potato salad in a dressing of mustard and mayo. I love it, but I prefer this vinegar based version. It is lighter and really shows off the character of the garden fresh vegetables.

Marinated Potato Salad

This dish is very easy to make. If you have any leftovers they are great to fry for breakfast the next day.

10 medium red potatoes

1 C. red wine or balsamic vinegar

5 C. water

6 (+) cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half

1 C. red onion diced

salt and pepper

a handful of chopped fresh herbs

Heat the potatoes, vinegar, water, garlic and salt until potatoes are soft, but not mushy. Drain potatoes (Do NOT rinse) and mix in onions and pepper. Add the fresh herbs. I like to use basil and oregano. Sometimes I drizzle this salad with olive oil. Other great additions are: Olives, cherry tomatoes, and roasted peppers.

We had this wonderful salad with a selection of sliced pears and Middle Eastern Turkey Burgers topped with Tzatziki Sauce. I adjusted the spices a bit on the turkey burgers because I was out of paprika... but it came out wonderfully. The tutorial on making the tzatziki provided in the link is super cool... I used mint instead of dill and the taste was fabulous. This meal could easily be made vegetarian by opting for a veggie burger instead of the turkey. I still have a cup or two of the tzatziki sauce leftover and I'm trying to figure out how to use it in tonight's meal. I'm thinking about using it as a yogurt based marinade for chicken (like tandoori chicken in Indian food). I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers,
Jenn

Kids in the Kitchen--Carrot Salad

Asian Carrot Salad

2 cups matchstick carrots

1/2 of a bell pepper (1/2 C. diced)

2 t. sesame oil

2 t. vegetable oil

juice of one lemon

1 T. soy sauce

1/2-1 t. minced fresh ginger

1 t. sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. toasted sesame seeds (I toasted them in a skillet on top of the stove)

First I got the kids busy putting things in the bowl, grating ginger and crushing garlic while I toasted the sesame seeds and cut up the vegetables. We put the carrots in a medium bowl. We would have added the diced bell pepper at this point but we were waiting for the Mr. to get back from the store.

My helpers then mixed the remaining ingredients in a bowl (except the sesame seeds). I then pulsed it in the blender to make it nice and smooth. Add the seeds and it's a wonderful sesame dressing that will go well with just about any salad.

There was, of course, tasting going on at this point. I've just convinced my oldest that she likes carrots by explaining to her that they improve night vision. Apparently this little bit of folk wisdom is merely lore, but hey, if my daughter believing that carrots will help her gain super-human eyesight gets her to eat her vegetables I'm all for spreading wives tales. Sadly the wives tale does not extend to sesame oil and both children turned their noses up to the dressing.

Despite their strong feelings about the flavor of the sesame oil, they still poured the dressing over the carrots and stirred it in. We covered it and refrigerated it for a couple of hours and then got busy cleaning up the kitchen and setting the table for dinner. My little one sorted the silverware while my big girl washed up the dishes we made while preparing the salad. I've decided that I'm going to get them to help out more often. It isn't the easiest way to get dinner on the table... but it beats fussing at them for being underfoot, it is a wonderful way to teach them new things, and it encourages them to try foods that they might not otherwise be willing to try. They may not always like it... but hey... at least they try.

Battle of the Dressings...

Every year my husband and I argue about it... Which reigns supreme....bread dressing... or cornbread dressing??? I grew up in the south... and as a result my family always made cornbread dressing. We never stuffed the bird with it... My mom made it in a corning ware dish on the side. You can see it there on the table... It is next to the my Nana's fruit salad (which just means fruit covered with Cool-Whip). Bread dressing is alright... but it just isn't Thanksgiving without my mom's cornbread dressing. In my heart it is as sacred as stealing olives from the relish tray and eating seconds (and sometimes thirds) of both dinner and dessert.

My husband's family makes bread stuffing. They make some on the side (vegetarian style for my sister-in-law)... but they also stuff the bird with some of it. It tastes good... and I've had it many times... but when push comes to shove I'm a cornbread gal all the way. I could probably dig up his family recipe for stuffing... but this is my story and so I'll stick to what I know. Here is my mom's recipe for dressing... along with my Nana's fruit salad recipe:

Mom’s Cornbread Dressing

On Thanksgiving my family serves cornbread dressing. Here is my mother’s recipe vegetarian style:

Bake about 3-6oz packages of cornbread according to instructions. Crumble cornbread into a casserole dish. Brown 1 ½ cups each of onions and celery. Add to the corn bread along with some green onions for color. Add 3t. poultry seasoning (this is a spice not a broth so it is vegetarian) and 1 ½ t. pepper. Add about 3 slices of wheat toast breadcrumbs. Moisten this mixture with 3-4 c. of vegetable broth and 3 eggs. Bake at "turkey temperature" until the top is golden, but it is still moist.

Nana’s Fruit Salad

When I was a kid my Nana used to let me help make fruit salad. We would usually start by opening a can of fruit cocktail. The we would add a few odds and ins such as mandarin oranges, apples, bananas and extra grapes (there were never enough grapes in fruit cocktail)...And finally we would take a few scoops of cool whip and stir it in.

1 can of fruit cocktail
1 can mandarin oranges
banana
grapes
apples
Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients. Chill.

Joy of the Mountain

Oregano became popular in the states after WWII...before that it was know by it's Spanish name marjoram and was not a staple in the kitchen. Veterans who had been stationed in Italy brought back news of a wonderful dish called pizza and urged their mothers and wives to seek out this delicious herb.

Oregano, a member of the mint family, is originally from the Mediterranean and while not originally popular with US cooks it was brought to the new world early on and has a place in many Latin American dishes. The name oregano comes from the Greek orus (mountain) and ganus (joy)... and it truly is a joy that comes from the hillsides of the Mediterranean. It has been known by many names: wild marjoram, winter sweet, organy, and even Mexican sage.

In addition to it's culinary applications oregano has also been valued as a medicinal herb. Throughout history it has been prescribed for digestive woes, scorpion stings, visual impairment, and even as a tonic to cleanse the brain. I don't know about all that... but what I do know is that it grows well in my garden and really adds flavor to tomato sauces and salads.



Here is a recipe for a Greek style salad that I whipped up this week with the girls:

First we collected together the main ingredients: 1 cucumber (sliced), one large tomato (chopped), one jar or can of black olives (without pits...sliced or in this case slightly mangled), one small onion, a handful of radishes (sliced), a generous handful of oregano (minced), a couple of lemons, salt & pepper (to taste), feta cheese, and a generous drizzling of olive oil. When your ready to put it together just put your little ones to work cutting up the olives... this works well because there is no need for a sharp knife to get the job done. Then I chopped up the rest of the veggies (most importantly the oregano) and then dressed it all with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. I put the feta cheese on the side so that the leftovers would last longer in the fridge.

Enjoy!

All smudge marks in the top right hand corner of the photos are courtesy of a broken lense cap cover and my darling daughter L.
All this wonderful information about oregano comes from "The Spice Cookbook" by Avanelle Day and Lillie Stuckley

Jicama

Jicama is a popular street food in Mexico. It is usually chopped into strips and served in a plastic bag with fresh lemon juice drizzled over it and a generous sprinkling of chili powder. You'll generally find it at fruit stands or you might have it handed up to your bus seat at a filling station. I loved jicama served this way and I often serve it as an appetizer at a party...I think that it looks so beautiful with it's white flesh sprinkled with chili powder.

If you 've never used jicama before all you need to do is peel off the papery brown skin to get to the pear like white flesh inside. Don't be scared to try something new. Pick up a Jicama next time you go to the store and try it the traditional way... or you might want to try it in this salad. It is a great way to incorporate this wonderful vegetable into a family meal.

Orange-Jicama Salad

1 medium jicama (3 cups chopped)
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 cup red onion
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt

Mix jicama, orange and onion in a small bowl. Combine remaining and pour over salad. Mix well and chill for several hours. This salad is especially good if you allow it to chill overnight. Mix several times while chilling.

Photo at top from Wikipedia.

Cool Neutrality

A cucumber is “about as close to neutrality as a vegetable can get without ceasing to exist.”...or at least that is what food historian Waverley Root believed. That neutrality is what makes a cucumber perfect for a summer salad... That and the fact that they really are as cool as a cucumber... A cut cucumber feels chilly to the touch and that makes them so refreshing!
Cucumbers not only make a great addition to a Summer meal they are also used in many home beauty treatments. When imagining a relaxing spa weekend who doesn't picture themselves dripping with mud with a cucumber slice over each eye?
I didn't plant cucumbers in my garden this year... but I plan to next year. According to the book Keep the Buttered Side Up "cucumbers are said to grow best if planted by a virile young man, preferably naked." Hmmmm think about that next time you are munching on cucumber sandwiches at some boring ladies function...

Basic Cucumber Salad

This is a great basic salad. You can use different types of oils or vinegars to change the flavor. You can even use lemon juice in place of the vinegar. Add slices of hot chilies or a dab of chili paste for an interesting contrast.

2 small cukes, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
1/2 C. white vinegar
1 T. oil (olive)
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder (or just a clove or two of minced fresh stuff)
1/2 T. sugar

Mix all ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Chill and serve.

Korean-Style Cucumber Salad

The combination of cucumbers and sesame in this recipe is truly exceptional. It is a great salad on a hot day because it is wonderfully refreshing.

3 pounds cucumbers, peeled
1 medium sized onion
1 T. salt
3 1/2 T. lemon juice
1/4-1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. roasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 T. sesame oil

Cut the cucumber and onion into very fine slices. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for an hour. Drain all accumulated juice and discard. Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and sesame seeds & oil. Mix well.

Mint and Cucumber Salad

I adapted a raita recipe to make this cool and wonderful salad. This is a great accompaniment to vegetable biryani or any Indian food meal.

1-2 peeled and sliced cucumbers
1 large tomato chopped
2 scallions chopped (both white and green parts)
1 T. minced ginger
large handful fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt to taste
1/4-1/2 C. yogurt

Mix all ingredients and garnish with mint leaves

Raita

This is a must for any Indian dinner. For a thinner consistency you might want to process it in a blender or food processor. You can also garnish this with a sprinkle of garam masala. Raita is an excellent dip for bread and vegetables. You can also use it as a salad dressing or a condiment for any Indian meal. Lightly fried or toasted cumin and/or mustard seeds also make an delicious addition.

1 cucumber peeled and grated
2 C. yogurt
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1/4 t ground coriander
1/4 t. ground cumin
cilantro for garnish.

Mix all and Serve in bowl garnished with coriander. Serve as a dip for naan or as a side salad.