Tasty Bytes - commentary on food and nutrition

24Jun

I say Tuna you say Tonnato

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
I’m on a no grain low carb menu for a few weeks – need to lose the muffin from the cupcake binge I went on…

I notice that I actually had to put some thought into changing what I reach for during meal times – it’s just reprograming as my snack and meal making is so automatic.
No grains, ok -but low carb means cutting some veggies and fruits off the list. I didn’t want to eat big hunks of meat all the time so I made a list of protein foods and veggies that I can incorporate into my daily snacks and meals…I wanted to make the list for 3 reasons – show all the possibilities so I don’t feel deprived, reassure myself I will not starve and make sure I have the ingredients I need. Also, knowing what is not on the list will prevent me from inadvertantly bringing home the “do not eat” list foods.

The lastest snack light / meal munchie…Tonnato

Tonnato is a sauce of Italian origin made from canned tuna that is traditionally served with veal. I’m skipping the baby cow and enjoying it with cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and celery sticks.

Tonnato

(based on a recipe from Food and Wine, August 2003)

2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb Italian flat leaf parsley
1 – 3 ounce can of tuna packed in olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp capers, drained
1 Tb lemon juice (more or less to taste)
2 anchovy fillets
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

ENJOY!
Sifted into: Nutrition & diet, Recipes, Seafood | Tags: Recipes, Seafood

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07Jun

To Faux Burger

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
Had a little slider party yesterday – it was tiny burger rama. (got a nice sun burnt neck too – talk about well done…ouch) Any way, I didn’t want the herbivores to feel left out so made a bunch of tofu burgers – not just a boring plain bland tofu burger but one gussed up with mushrooms and truffle oil. Here is the recipe…

Truffled Tofu Mushroom Burgers

1 pkg of Firm Tofu (I used organic Hinoche brand, House is also nice – use organic to avoid GMO)
1 cup of sauteed mushrooms (any combination of sliced mushrooms, probably about 1 1/2 to 2 cups raw)
1 egg
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tb italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan (or romano or guryere)
2/3 cup of bread crumbs (home made is easy to make – toast slices of bread and toss into a food processor or blender…I used half a Semifreddi ciabatta roll)
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
generous pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp or more to taste herb garlic salt or store bought
1 Tb truffle oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying burgers

Remove tofu from package and let sit on a double layer of a clean dish towel to soak up extra moisture.
Meanwhile, chop up mushrooms (I used a food processor . Prepare the parsley and scallion.
Take the tofu block and smash it up – use a fork or potato masher. Mix this with the mushrooms, then add the remaining ingredients – bread crumbs last. Taste for seasoning – I like the mix to be well seasoned to hold up against the bread.

Let sit for a half hour or so – the mix will firm up (you can make the day before and refrigerate). Form into patties and saute in a medium hot pan with EVOO until browned on both sides.
I used a 2″ biscuit cutter to form the patties (you can use a bigger or smaller ring so the patties fit your buns) – take ring and put on a flat surface. Spoon in enough mix to form a 1/4″-1/3″ thick patty. Use the back of the spoon to press the mix in firmly. Remove the ring carefully. Transfer to the saute pan using a thin metal spatula.

Use your favorite bun or bread with all the fixins (mustard, mayo, relish, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, etc…).
Yesterday we used the seeded rolls from Neldam’s Bakery in Oakland – cute 2″ egg rolls with a buttery taste. I’ve made bigger burgers and used Alvarado Baking’s Sprouted Wheat Buns (available at most grocery stores, at least in the SF Bay Area)
Sifted into: General, Recipes | Tags: Recipes, Vegetarian

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29May

Chocolate Buttercreamy Goodness

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
Diego, Quick get the Van – Boots has been kidnapped…

It’s cupcake madness in the TDK kitchen – we want the perfect topping for the 3 year old birthday girl. This recipe is based on Billy’s Bakery Chocolate Buttercream. The original called for semisweet chocolate but I opted for bittersweet and added a pinch of sea salt.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter — room temp (2 sticks)
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate — melted and cooled
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

With mixer on low speed, add chocolate until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Add milk, vanilla, sea salt and half the sugar; mix until well combined. Add remaining sugar.

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Store up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Sifted into: General, Recipes | Tags: Recipes

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28May

Double Vanilla Cupcakes

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
take the cake!

I’m not much of a baker – at least of the finer crumb cakes. The pressure, oh, the pressure to make cute tasty cupcakes for an up coming 3 year old’s birthday.

The search was on – I made a few recipes – hands down and belly up -the best recipe is from Billy’s Bakery in New York City. He had done a demo back in 2006 on Martha Stewart so I’m a bit behind but better late than never.

Here is the recipe as I made it. Be sure to use cake flour - the first time I used pastry flour – not the same as cake flour. The pastry flour version did not have as fine a crumb. This recipe makes 30 (you can halve the recipe)

Billy’s Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups flour, all-purpose
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup butter — 2 sticks, room temp soft, cut into small pieces
4 large eggs — room temp
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with liners.

Combine dry ingredients in bowl of electric mixer. Add butter pieces, mixing until incorporated into the flour forming pieces no larger than grains of rice.

In another bowl, beat together eggs, milk and vanilla.

At medium speed, mix in wet ingredients in 3 parts. Scrape sides of bowl after each addition. Batter should be smooth. (I mixed by hand for one test batch and it worked out fine)

Use #20 scoop to fill cups or use a spoon to 2/3 full.

Bake 17-20 minutes. Rotate pans at 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Frost with your favorite buttercream recipe.

Interesting to note that this method of mixing the butter with the dry ingredients and then adding the liquid reduces your chances of over mixing the batter resulting in a tough cake. The butter coats the flour preventing the gluten from forming.
Sifted into: Recipes | Tags: Add new tag, Recipes

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14May

Lemon Cinnamon Arborio Rice Pudding

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
I’ll be doing a cooking demo next Wednesday at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center as part of the monthly ‘Cooking Club’ series that happens the third Wednesday of every month. Pick up the Summer 2009 issue of Edible East Bay to read about a past Cooking Club class on Mushrooms.

The topic for this month is ‘Rice.’ Here is one of the recipes – albeit not the healthiest of the bunch but a mighty tasty treat.

Lemon Cinnamon Arborio Rice Pudding

2 1/2 cup water
1 qt of whole milk
pinch of sea salt
3 each cinnamon sticks
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup Arborio rice
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup organic sugar
1 t vanilla extract

Bring milk and water to a boil. Add salt, cinnamon stick and zest. Stir in 1 cup Arborio rice. Stir often to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. In a small bowl, blend yolks and sugar together with a whisk. When rice is cooked, ‘temper’ yolk sugar mixture by stirring a ½ cup of the hot rice mixture into the yolks. Then stir in this yolk mixture to the hot rice. Stir in vanilla. Pour into individual bowls or one large bowl. Chill before serving.
Sifted into: General, Recipes | Tags: Recipes

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07May

Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Dip

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
here is a tasty and healthy dip – a take on Romesco sauce…

Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Dip

10 oz of cooked garbanzo beans (from a 15 oz can)
1 whole roasted red pepper (2.5 oz by wt)
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 halves of sun dried tomato packed in olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbs sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (Spanish pimenton or sub plain paprika)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a bit of water if needed.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with vegetable sticks, crackers or tortilla chips
Sifted into: Recipes | Tags: Recipes

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05May

Crack out the Crock Pot – It’s time for Chili

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
Crock Pot Chili

I like to make a big batch of this chili on the weekends and freeze in two portions containers. This chili with and a big salad rounds out the meal on a busy weeknight.

When shopping for ingredients try to get low sodium and organic brands.

2 cups or 1 pound of your favorite dried beans (ex. pinto, black bean, navy, kidney)
2 Tb. lemon juice or vinegar

1 lb. ground grass fed ground beef or naturally raised turkey (more or less if you like)
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained – fire roasted is nice
1 jar (16 oz.) Chunky Salsa or other favorite salsa – low sodium and no sugar added!
2 cups of water
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
sea salt to taste
Hot Sauce to taste

OVERNIGHT, SOAK beans in 5 cups of water and the 2 TB of lemon juice or vinegar. The next day, drain beans.

Brown ground meat in skillet on medium-high heat until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Put into the Crock Pot along with the remaining ingredients – tomatoes, salsa, water and seasonings. Stir Well.

Cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or LOW for 9 to 10 hours.

Serve with optional garnishes: Shredded cheddar or jack cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, diced fresh tomatoes

To complete the meal, serve chili with a salad and steamed vegetables.

Variations:
· Use ground chicken or lamb or buffalo or vegetarian with no meat
· Any combination of beans work well – for a twist try garbanzos or black eyed peas
· Add ground chipotle chile to taste to give the chili a spicy smokiness
· The last 20-30 minutes of cooking, add a bag of frozen corn or spinach for extra nutrition

This can also be made in a 6 quart pot on the stove. Cook time would probably be an hour or two.

Enjoy!
Sifted into: General |

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03May

Spring Rolls

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
R and M invited the family over to their new house for a spring roll out. Everyone had a great time rolling up their own tasty bite.

Here’s a Blue Print for

Fresh Spring Rolls

Rice Paper Wrappers (preferably a brand that has tapioca flour in it)

Suggested fillings – use to your taste:

Protein: tofu cut into strips, cooked shrimp split in half, strips of pork

Noodles: rice vermicelli or mung bean noodles

Vegetables: mung bean sprouts, lettuce cut into strips or baby lettuce mix, julienne or grated carrot, cucumber, red pepper strips

For fun: apple, pear, jicama or mango

Herbs: basil, thai basil, mint, cilantro

The How To:
Prepare proteins. Cook noodles to package instructions Prepare Vegetables &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Herbs. You can keep these separate on a large tray or mix together in a big bowl.

To make rolls: Fill a bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper at a time into the water for a few seconds to soften. Lay the wrapper on a clean dry chopping board or dinner plate. The rice paper should become pliable within a few seconds.

In a row across the middle, put slices of tofu or 3 prawns if using, some noodles, veggies and a few leaves of herbs. Leave about 1-1 1/2 inches on each side.

Fold the sides inward, then start to roll tightly and firmly from the end that is near to you into a cylinder, enclosing the filling completely.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately with dipping sauce(s).

Dipping Sauces

Nuoc Cham

2 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp red chili paste (Sambal)
some chopped cilantro (optional)

Mix all the ingredients and stir well until the sugar dissolves. Then, stir in cilantro.

Quick Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tsp tamari
1 tsp red chile paste (Sambal)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 cup water

In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, tamari, hoisin sauce, chile paste and garlic until well mixed. Gradually whisk in water until smooth and creamy.
Sifted into: China, Recipes | Tags: Recipes

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29Mar

Spring’s Green Goddess

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
Spring has sprung up like a green goddess…

A month or so ago I ran across a Basil Green Goddess Dressing from Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa. Yum Yum. Of course I had to make a few adjustments to the recipe – I just can’t help myself.

This is a great recipe that is very versatile so you can take advantage of times when you have an over abundance of fresh green herbs – the recipe calls for a whole cup!

Today, I decided to use the fresh tender sprigs of French Tarragon that is sprouting up rather than the basil called for in the recipe. I thought that other herbs could stand in for the Basil as well. A mix of herbs – oregano, chives, mint, fennel fronds are all possibilites.

Here is the recipe:

Tarragon Green Goddess Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise …or better yet – half a large avocado
1 cup chopped scallions (about 6)
1 cup tarragon or basil leaves
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, (about 1-2)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup whole milk Greek style yogurt

Put all ingredients except the yogurt in a blender and whirl up until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt. Adjust seasoning with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sifted into: Recipes | Tags: Recipes

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22Feb

Peanut Butter Cookie, hold the Egg & Gluten

by Sandy | Add your comment: 0
Many of us have or suspect we have food sensitivites. Many of the symptoms we experience do not seem to be related to ingestion of a particular food. For instance, a rash or eczema, joint pain, headaches, foggy brain… And then the symptoms that we may associate with something we have eaten: nausea, intestinal distress. In my case, I suspect egg protein is causing a small patch of eczema. I’ll eliminate egg from my diet for a month or so and see if the patch clears.

Wanting a little sweet – I decided to make a gluten free and egg free cookie and here is what I came up with (I made the almond version):

Peanut Butter or Almond Cookies
48 cookies

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
8 ounces peanut butter — or almond butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flax seed — ground
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla — or almond extract if making almond cookies
1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup sesame seeds — to roll; optional

Cream butter and sugar. Add milk, extract and flax seed. Mix together rest of ingredients and add to butter mixture. Form into 1″ diameter balls. Roll in sesame seeds. Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes

Per Cookie: 84 Calories; 5g Fat (56.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 89mg Sodium.

If you want to make these dairy free you can substitute the butter with coconut oil and the milk with water.

Enjoy!
Sifted into: China, Dining out, Gardening, General, Nutrition & diet, Recipes | Tags: cookies, Recipes

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