Month: May 2010 (Page 4 of 4)

My Benediction

May 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

While not a fan of making this dish, I work enough, thanks; eggs benedict is the first item I look for on a Sunday morning menu or on the buffet table at brunch. This is my confession, or maybe, it is my (eggs) bene-addiction.

I love this dish so much, I had to know where it came from

There are, of course, competing tales of origin. One involves the desperate housewife of a wealthy businessman, Mr. Le Grand Benedict, who dined at Delmonico’s in New York every Saturday. After exhausting all the menu items, she requested a combination of an English muffin, poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise with a truffle on top.

There is also the position that it is an American take on a French dish called Oeufs Benedictine consisting of a puree of refreshed salt cod and potatoes spread on triangles of fried bread. This was topped with a poached egg and the ubiquitous hollandaise.

My favorite story is that of the New York stock broker, Lemuel Benedict, who stumbled down the stairs of the Waldorf Astoria one morning looking for the elusive cure for a five star hangover. He ordered buttered toast, poached eggs, bacon and a side of hollandaise. The chef changed it up a bit and voila, one of the most popular breakfast and brunch items in the universe! Well, at least to me (which is, by definition, the universe).

Are any of these true? Does it matter? What does matter is that it is such a lovely way to enjoy a good weekend or holiday brunch.

The versatility of this yummy concoction is endless. A little spinach (Florentine) is a colorful and healthy addition to this not so healthy meal. How about lox instead of canadian bacon? Perhaps, a lightly buttered and fried baguette is a nice change. And, if you ain’t into runny, get over-easy. 

Just one thing folks, you won’t get any points if you mess with the sauce! It has to be real. Don’t pass that fake stuff by me. I can smell it a mile away.

Live well, eat well;

Heidi

 

I posted this on Mother’s Day weekend. Here is a poem I wrote to my mom when I was 17:

 

Do you remember my first day of school

I was so scared when you left my side

And then I remembered the days at the fair

And taking a pony ride

Do you remember those smiles all a glow

On every Christmas day

The bright shining eyes when I think of you

Making sunny out of gray

Do you remember making soup

Whenever we were sick

Bedtime stories creating sleepy eyes

You knew every trick

Do you remember my very first date

And my senior dance

Do you remember all those little things

Every time you get a chance

Will you remember my wedding day

I’ll be so scared when you leave my side

Then I’ll remember those days at the fair

And taking a pony ride

Healthy Menu for Mother’s Day Breakfast

May 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

A celebration always calls for food and food is always a celebration.  The trick is finding dishes that are delicious but still keep those hips in check.  Your mom will thank you. Say, I love you, Mom by providing nutritious delicious dishes.  For some reason, greasy, heavy, and fatty breakfast food doesn’t seem to scream “I love you,” but rather “Here’s to purchasing Lipitor or any other cholesterol lowering drug!” cheers! Here’s a menu that provides a healthy alternative.

Menu

Fresh Fruit

Blueberries, strawberries, whatever if fresh and available!

  • +Multi-grain pancakes
  • ¼ cup whole flaxseed
  • ½ cup oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 lg. eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk or plain nonfat yogurt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  1. In a blender or spice grinder, grind the flaxseeds until the reach a cornmeal-like consistency.  Place in a mixing bowl.  Sift whole wheat flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk (or yogurt), oil, and water.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir just until combined. 
  3. Warm a lightly oiled skilled or griddle on medium-high heat.  When a drop of water “bounces: on the hot surface, ladle on about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake and cook until bubbles appear on the top, a minute or two.  Turn the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown, about a minute.

 

Serves 4 to 6

Yields about 8 large pancakes

Time: 25 minutes

 

Simply Baked Fruit Topping

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 cups peeled and sliced apples
  • (or mixture of apples and pears)

***Other fruits that can be used include softer fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, pineapple, and mangoes.  

*** Add pecans, walnuts, or almonds for crunch!

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.  In a nonreactive 9-inch square baking pan, combine the fruit and the syrup mixture.
  2. Bake in a preheated 400’ oven, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is tender, 35-40 minutes.

 

Serves: 4

Hands on time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 35-40 minutes

 

Green Eggs, No Ham

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups lightly packed spinach
  • 4 large eggs
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 tsps. Olive oil
  • 2 Tsps chopped scallions or snipped chives

Directions:

  1. Rinse and drain the spinach and pat it dry, so that the eggs won’t be too wet.
  2. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with dashes of salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Warm the oil in a skilled on medium-high heat, and then add the scallions and spinach.
  1. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the spinach has just wilted.  Add the eggs, lower the heat and cook, stirring to scramble, until the eggs are set.

Serves: 2-3

Time: 15 minutes

 

Mimosa

  • 1 part champagne
  • 1 part chilled orange juice

 

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy, Intelligent Eats to all!

Katie

About Katie Paige Haarala

Kate Paige Haarala is a registered dietitian (R.D.) from Minnesota who has an undying passion for nutrition education and helping others incorporate healthy dishes into their daily menu.  She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Food, Nutrition & Dietetics along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science. You can catch more of Katie on her blog by clicking here.

Healthy Recipies: Chef Nicholas Calias’ Hickory Smoked Lamb Loin Truffle Heirloom Tomato Salad, Micro Arugula, Black Olive Oil & Fleur de Sel

May 6, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Chef Nicholas Calias, CEC, has graciously provided us with some great tasting recipes for our Health & Wellness section.  This time it is a mouthwatering Hickory Smoked Lamb Loin, Truffle Heirloom Tomato Salad, Micro Arugula, Black Olive Oil & Fleur de Sel

Ingredients

  • Lamb loin 8 oz
  • Hickory chips 4 oz    
  • Truffle oil 2 oz
  • Shallots fine dice 1 each
  • Baby heirloom tomatoes  12 each
  • Lemon 1 each
  • Micro arugula 1 oz
  • Flor de Sal con olivas .5 teaspoon
  • Olive oil 1 cup
  • Kalamata olives (chopped) 1 oz
  • Chervil 1 teaspoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper  to taste

 

Method:

Soak the wood chips in water for at least an hour, strain and place in a pan on direct heat covered. Season the lamb with salt & pepper, when chips begin to smoke turn off flames and add the lamb. Let the lamb smoke for 5-10 minutes covered. Remove the lamb (the lamb should still be very rare) and heat a sauté pan, add oil add sear lamb on all sides for 1 minute. Remove lamb and allow it to rest.

While the lamb is resting gather two bowls of water, one ice cold & the other boiling with salt. Score your tomatoes on the top and bottom, turn of the water and place the tomatoes in the hot water. Cook for 5-10 seconds until the skin begins to come off, remove from water add place in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Once all tomatoes are done place them in a bowl with, chopped chervil, shallots, truffle oil, juice from the lemon, zest from the lemon, arugula, salt and pepper. This can be made a day ahead.

For the black olive oil, quickly puree kalamata olives & oil until blended, set aside.

To plate place tomatoes in a circle in the center of the plate, slice lamb and shingle around the lamb. Top lamb with seasoned micro greens, season lamb with Fleur de Sel and finish with black olive oil.

Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

 

About Chef Calias CEC

With over 18 years of culinary experience, coupled with a passion for his craft, creative and artistic talent and his strong leadership roles, Nicholas Calias leads the culinary operation at The Colonnade Hotel, Boston and Brasserie Jo for the last 4 years. As a Certified Executive Chef, Nicholas spent the better part of the last 8 years with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Merritt Hospitality. Previously, Nicholas was an Executive Chef of the Westin Stamford Hotel with Merritt Hospitality, where he also was a member of the Corporate Task Force team that facilitated property acquisitions to the company portfolio. Nicholas has also been an Executive Chef with Starwood, where in addition to his daily responsibilities; he was a member of the Starwood Regional Chef’s Task Force.

5 Tips to Health Through Food by Kamara Pastis: May

May 4, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Kami Pastis is a certified personal trainer, life style educator, group fitness instructor and registered chiropractic assistant in the Phoenix area. From time to time, she enjoys sharing tips with you on eating well for life.

5 Tips

  • Meatless Mondays are all the buzz and are a great way to practice good living on a personal level. Reducing your meat intake can have profound impact on your health. If you are meat lover, choosing only 1 veggie meal every Monday is a good way to clean out your system!
  • Looking for milk substitutes? There are so many options out there now instead of just ol’ soy milk. For instance some “milks” I’ve come across in my local grocery include: rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk, Brazil nut milk, cashew milk and macadamia nut milk. Many come in a plain flavor as well as vanilla and chocolate. Some brands even offer sweetened and non-sweetened varieties. Try a few, you may be pleasantly surprised.
  • It’s always good to know where your food comes from and how it is made. Just a bit of research can go a long way. An easy way to get started down the  self education, responsibility & empowerment path are the movies Food, Inc. and Supersize Me. Both can be found at your local video store or downloaded.
  • Blueberry, strawberry, raspberry or any other berry’s juices provide good sun protection due to the antioxidents, but smearing them all over our skin can get messy. An easier & smarter way to fortify your skin’s sun protection is to eat berries as often as possible, especially during the sunny, summer months. Of course, our entire body benefits from the berry’s antioxidants from the inside out. Utilize other obvious protections as well. Berries are good. Berries + common sense = even better.
  • Allergic to wheat & looking for good substitutions?  The protein (gluten) in the wheat could be the issue (get a food allergy test from your Doctor to be sure) so gluten free is the key.  Quinoa, amaranth, millet, corn & brown rice all can be made into flour for breads. Many groceries also carry these specialty ready-made breads made from these ancient nutritional powerhouse grains, you just have to look around or ask your grocer. Other than in obvious grain containing products like bread, pasta & cereal, wheat & it’s derivatives can make their way into dressings, sauces, ketchup, soups, etc. So read labels and educate yourself on the myriad names of wheat that manufacturers use. Be careful also with products that are processed on the same equipment that processes wheat… like oats.  If your life depends on gluten free living get detailed guidance from a certified clinical nutritionist (CCN).

    • Click here to revisit Kami’s Thai Bliss Soup contribution

    Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

     

    About Kami

    Kamara Pastis is a certified personal trainer, life style educator, group fitness instructor and licensed massage therapist in the Phoenix area. Clinical, therapeutic massage has been her mainstay for seven years where she has experienced the lasting therapeutic changes massage can make in cases with debilitating pain and disfunction. The traditional Thai and Yogi tradition of metta (literally “loving kindness”) is Kami’s healing philosophy. When not healing her patients, Kami is more than blissfully occupied with her husband and three kids.

    To contact Kami and learn more about her services Click Here: www.kamaralmt.com or call (602) 622-1046. Tell her you saw her on intotheSoup.com

    Pepperoncinis Stuffed with Salmon Mousse

    May 1, 2010 / / 0 Comments

    These are great appetizer for a small catering gig or party. They are a bit time consuming but are very well received always!

    • 30 pepperoncinis – seeded and drained

    Make sure to wear gloves while handling the peppers.  Although not scorchingly hot, prolong exposure can cause pain.

    Cut the tip off the pepper at an angle and using a small dessert spoon, scrape the seeds out of the pepper, leaving the stem in tact.  Place the peppers in single layers on paper towels in a glass  9×13 pan, cover well and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

    • 1 pound smoked Norwegian or Scottish salmon, not too salty, cut into inch cubes
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

    Break salmon apart into large chunks and add to food processor with all other ingredients.  Blend until smooth. Put in a large, non-metallic bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate until the mousse firms up a bit.  (Can be made the day ahead along with the peppers.)

    Use a pastry bag to pipe the mousse into the pepper.  Layer again and refrigerate for about an hour.

    Emily King’s Roasted Poblano Albondigas Soup

    May 1, 2010 / / 0 Comments

    This soup is submitted by Emily King. Emily is student at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Phoenix. She is currently serving her externship with Into the Soup. Rock on, Emily!

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 2 large poblano chiles
    • 1 LB ground beef
    • ½ C grated onion
    • ¼ C panko breadcrumbs
    • 1 large egg, beaten
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 T cumin
    • 1 t dried oregano
    • ½ t salt

    Soup

    • 1 T olive oil
    • ½ small onion, coarsely chopped
    • 2 gralic cloves, minced
    • 2 T ancho chile powder
    • 2 t cumin
    • 9 C beef broth (preferably Savory Choice)
    • 1 C zucchini, slice lengthwise, then in thin, half-moon-shaped slices.
    • ¼ C long grain rice
    • ¼ C chopped cilantro
    • 1 T lime juice

     

    Serves 4 as a meal, more as an appetizer

    Meatballs (albondigas)

    Place poblanos on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until the skins are blackened on all sides. When the poblanos are blackened, place them in a paper  bag and loosely fold-over the top to seal the bag (poblanos will continue to steam and skins will be easy to remove). When they are cool enough to handle, use a dish towel to rub the skins off, slice the chiles lengthwise. Remove stem, seeds, and strings and discard. Chop the rest of the flesh very finely.

    Place minced chiles in a large bowl and combine with the remaining meatball ingredients mixing very thoroughly. Use a tablespoon to measure out the meatballs and roll in your hands to form approximately 1-inch balls. Brush a sheet pan with oil, and place meatballs on the pan. Do NOT bake.

    Soup (Sopa)

    Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender (saute the onion about half-way before adding the garlic to prevent burning). Add the chile powder and cumin and stir for another minute. Add the broth to deglaze the pot along with the oregano. Bring the broth to a boil, and then reduce to a very slow simmer. Cook for about ten minutes.

    Stir the zucchini and the rice into the broth and increase the heat to medium. Carefully drop the meatballs into the soup one at a time, and adjust the heat to return the pot to a simmer. Cover and cook gently until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is al dente. This will take about twenty minutes. Do NOT let the soup reach a boil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and add the lime juice. Stir well, and top with cilantro before serving.

    ***Garnish the soup with crushed-up corn chips or tortilla strips, lime wedges, and/or diced avocado.***

     

     Click Here for More Soups of the Week

     

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