Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Red and Green Peppers on sale

You arn't going to believe this but Woodman's has:

Locally grown red and green peppers on sale for 39 cents. Unbelievable price for red peppers. Also a good price for green peppers. Red peppers are great for roasting and using in so many dishes.

Julienne the peppers for future use in stir fry's. Peppers freeze well.

Bob's Red Mill
7 Grain Cereal-2 for 4 dollars.
Steel Cut Oats is also on sale 2 for 4 dollars

Braggs, Apple Cider Vinegar is on sale, 2 for 7 dollars.

These are some really good prices, stock up at this price.

Have a super day!!!!!

Verna's Sloppy Joes

I have played around with this recipe, and this is what I have come up with.

Very good!!!

1 Tablespoon oil-optional
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves -minced fine
1 large green or red pepper, seeded and chopped
12 oz. chopped portabella mushroom-chop to consistency of hamburger
1-1 1/2 Tablespoons of chili powder
1 can black beans, rinsed and mashed
1 16 oz. bag of dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes-I used fresh tomatoes
3-4 cups water- or use broth that you made from broth bag
1 jar Green Mountain, Roasted Garlic Salsa
1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoon Brown sugar
lots of freshly growned black pepper
I threw in about 1 cup roasted red peppers that I had in the frig-optional

Directions:
1-Brown onions, garlic and peppers in a large skillet, over medium heat. Cover and cook about 3-4 minutes.
2-Add portabella mushrooms, continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes longer. Add chili powder, stir to coat.
3-Transfer the mixture to a 4 qt slow cooker. add tomatoes, water, black beans, lentils, salsa, mustard brown sugar and pepper.
4-Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours. I started cooking on high the first 3-4 hours and then turned to low.

Comments from Verna's Test Kitchen:

1-Your slow cooker will be full.
2- The first time I made it I put cleaned lentils into the slow cooker without cooking. You will need the 4 cups of water if you do it this way.
The next time I cooked my lentils for almost a hour, as I wanted them to get softer, before adding to slow cooker. Use only 3 cups of water at the most, if you do it this way.
3-Serve with a slab of tomato, slab of onion, on a high fiber roll or lightly toasted bread.
.
Whenever I make this recipe I like to make a meal for someone who could use it, or freeze extras for future use.
This freezes really well. I just took some out of the freezer and used it for my meat in my stuffed peppers.
Also last week I used the frozen Sloppy Joes
as the hamburger on my Taco Salad. (after thawing of course)

Enjoy, appreciate comments.

Have a wonderful day!! Laugh allot today, it will make someone else smile .

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tomato Bisque

Saute the following in a sprayed Dutch Oven or large kettle for several minutes:
1 large onion-chopped
4 garlic cloves-minced
3 stalks of celery-chopped
Add:
3 carrots-chopped-continue sauteing for several minutes

Add:
about 4 quarts fresh tomato's, quartered-do not need to remove peel
2 teaspoons dried basil
Cook about 1 hour-after cooking run the mixture through a food mill, too remove peels.

Return mixture to Dutch Oven
In a small container, add about 1/3 cup flour to water to thicken tomatos.
Add thickener to tomatos, stir for about 5 minutes.

Add about 4-6 Herb Ox, no sodium, Chicken Bouillon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar- (Start with 1 Tablespoon, you can always add more if you like it sweeter.)
Lots of fresh ground black pepper to taste
I did add a few pinches of sea salt.
A touch of Cayenne Pepper-if you like it HOT.

Turn off heat:
Add:
1 container soy creamer and enough plain soy milk to the consistency desired.

Add more seasonings if desired.

Serve with fresh chopped basil on top of bisque
Also a nice high fiber roll or bread would be great with this bisque.

Enjoy!!!

This recipe can be changed to your own taste.
I added arrowroot instead of flour to thicken bisque.
Also I added 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Powder that someone in CHIP gave me. This is not necessary.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Some uses of portabella mushrooms.

I was asked last night in class how to use portabella mushrooms.

This is such a great vegetable that we can use in place of hamburger. Because it is not as watery as other mushrooms it becomes the steak of the vegetable family.

Aways rinse mushrooms quickly ( you do not want to soak mushrooms in water), remove the stem, reserve for other use or great in your broth bag.

Some uses:

1-Use in place of a hamburger. Marinade it for 30 minutes, pat dry, put on the grill, bake or spray fry it on the stove. If your going to put it on the grill, roast a slab of red pepper with it.

2-After cleaning and removing stem, very carefully, cut small slits into the portabella, stuff with crushed garlic cloves, chopped green onions, soy cheese. Put on grill.

3-Use sliced portabella's in stir fry.

4-Use chopped portabella's in taco mixture, soups, stuffed peppers, or where ever hamburger is called for.

5-Make a stuffing with onions, celery, garlic, rice and seasonings. Put stuffing on top of portabella mushrooms and bake.

6-Oh yes, Portabella Mushroom Gravy
. Their is a recipe on my blog. It is a August posting, so you will not have to go back to far.

7-How about using them in sloppy joes.

If you Google in Vegan Portabella Mushroom recipes, you will come up with lots of ideas.

Hope this will help, to make your recipes more enjoyable.

Have a great day.

Verna's Stuffed Green Peppers

As I mentioned on the last posting, I picked up all of these peppers. 7 for 79 cents. What a deal!!!!
Besides roasting a bunch of the red peppers, I decided to stuff a bunch of them, which I froze most of them.

Verna's Stuffed Green Peppers

Makes 4-6 stuffed peppers, depending on the size of the peppers.

1/2 cup onions, chopped
3-4 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/4 cup red wine-optional
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup portabella mushrooms, chopped to look like hamburger
3/4-1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon allspice
fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups wild rice- cooked according to directions on bag
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, run through the food processor
spaghetti sauce of choice. I get the low sodium and add more oregano, basil, garlic and onion powder to it.

Directions:
1-Saute onions, add garlic, continue sauteing for about 2 minutes, than add carrots, celery, saute another 4-5 minutes.
2-Add the portabella mushrooms, continue cooking until the peppers are tender.
3-Add the raisins, chili powder, allspice, black pepper, roasted red peppers and, oh yes and the red wine, continue cooking 2-3 minutes.
4-Add the wild rice. Mix in really well.
5-Cut the tops off of the peppers, clean out seeds and veins with a spoon. Fill with the stuffing, and place in a glass pan.
6-Pour spaghetti sauce over the top of peppers. I like to use enough that the bottom of the pan is covered also.
7-Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, uncovered.


Comments from Verna's test kitchen:
1- You can use brown rice if you prefer, or mix brown rice with the wild rice.
2-Remember the portabella mushrooms will give the dish a meaty texture.
3-If you are using the wine, you want it to be drinking quality, or don't use it.
4- When I cook rice, I usually use my broth that was frozen in the freezer, in place of the water. Gives tons of flavor to your recipe. (That is why it's important to save all vegetable scraps in the broth bag)
5-I made the stuffing the day before I wanted to use it and stuffed the peppers
just before baking.
6-How about putting in a slow cooker, I bet it would work really well.
Enjoy !!!!

Have a super, wonderful day!!!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Red and Green Peppers on sale

Hi
I just came from Woodmens (Wednesday am)

Red peppers are on sale 2 for $1.00

Green peppers are 3 for $1.00


Red peppers, I roast for Humus, chili, tacos, soups etc, etc.
Humus recipe is back several months on my blog.
Green peppers I cut in strips and freeze for future use. Stuffed peppers would be grand also.

This is an excellent price. Stock up!!!!!

Have a great day!!!!!

Oh yes as I was leaving the store they were putting a combination red, green and yellow peppers in a bag for 79 cents. They had 7 peppers in each bag. I bought a bunch. If you get out there this is a giveaway price. You will find them in the cart by the east entrance. (if their is any left)

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Portabella Mushroom Gravy

This is really tasty.

1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cup portabello mushrooms, sliced into small pieces
2-3 teaspoon garlic minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup arrowroot or corn starch
4-5 cups vegetable broth-I used broth that I made
1/3 cup red wine- use wine that you can drink
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
4-lots of fresh ground pepper

Directions:
  1. Saute onion in sprayed pan for about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the celery, carrots
  3. Continue sauteing for about 7 minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms, garlic and seasonings, continue sauteing 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms soften.
  5. Sprinkle arrowroot over mixture, stir well to coat all veggies.
  6. Continue stirring adding the broth gradually.
  7. Reduce heat and continue cooking 20-25 minutes until thickened.
  8. Add the rest of the ingredients.
  9. Remove from heat
  10. Using an immersion hand blender or food processor, puree the mixture to form a slightly chunky or smooth gravy, as desired.
  11. Add seasonings as needed.

    This gravy is great with the Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

    If you don't have an immersion hand blender, it will come in so very handy.

    Enjoy!!! Have a super day!!!!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These are really good. I made them for a friend last week with Portabella Mushroom Gravy which is above.

2-3 heads of garlic with the top cut off-Do not peel
4 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes or any golden potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
unflavored rice or soy milk
lots of fresh ground black pepper
fresh green onions for garnish

Directions:
1-Put garlic on rack in small oven-roast 450 degrees for about 25 minutes, set aside to cool.
2-Boil potatoes, drain.
3-Squeeze out roasted garlic from cloves unto the potatoes.
4-Whip potatoes with milk of choice to consistency desired. Add pepper, onions for garnish.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Knee deep in flowers.

I have two weddings to do flowers for this weekend.

Can you believe getting married in this heat and humidity??



My flowers came in

late Wednesday afternoon from my supplier who gets them from Ecuador. After cleaning them up I put the flowers I was going to use for bouquets in the cooler.



When I awoke Thursday morning (4:30) the power had gone off in the Ct, I quickly retrieved my flowers from the coolers and brought them into my home.

Thank God I had put the air on the night before. Talk about stress, how long is the power going to be off???

Thank God, the power came back on about 8 o'clock. So all the flowers went back into the coolers to maintain there 40 degrees temperatures. All is well,,,,, ( so I thought) the flowers had not blown very much.



I continued too work on my flowers in my home as it was just way toooooo hot to do in the garage as I usually do.

About 4 o'clock I went to put some finished flowers in my coolers, just to find out my cooler died!!!! Now what do I do???? Yikes!!!!



I quickly, for the second time this day had to retrieve my flowers and get them into a cooler place. Only place I had to put my flowers was in my refrigerator. The food went into friends refrigerator and I worked most of the night to get the flowers into bouquets.

Brides want their flowers in good condition, no excuses are acceptable when it comes too weddings, short of death.



Is this called stress!!! Never in the 30 years have I ever had such stress, even when I did 5-7

weddings a weekend.



I tell you this, because inspite of all that happened I still stayed on my CHIP program.



That is a miracle!!! Miracles do happen sometimes. Before CHIP I would have been eating naughty foods to relieve my stress.
This is why the pantry purge is so important. Their was nothing naughty in the house to eat, so it sure saved me from disaster.

Friday wedding is out and all went well. Off with my flowers to take too another wedding today,
(Saturday).

Life sure does happen!!!!!
That is especially when we need to make healthy choices. I don't always make healthy choices, but am learning.

Have a wonderful day. Stay cool!!!!!!!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

I just came in from my garden with a couple of fennel bulbs. Some one in the CHIP class brought me some cucumbers the other evening. I decided to through these together to see how they would taste

If you like fennel you will like this.

Quick and easy.


Cucumber Fennel Salad:

2 cups cucumber-peeled and sliced
1 cup sliced fennel
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes I felt the recipe needed tomatoes with the basil.
1-2 teaspoons EVOO -optional
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar - I chose this as it is a sweeter vinegar.
Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

In bowl, combine cucumbers, fennel, basil and tomatoes.
Add oil and vinegar, and pepper.



Enjoy!!




Sale

Several people asked if the sale was still on at Woodman's. I was there yesterday and this is what I found.

Muesli-2 for $5.00
Steel Cut Oats-2 for $4.00
Gran Rold Oats-2 for $3.00

The shelves were getting quite low at this price, so buy soon,
This is in Aisles 22-23

Hawaiian Fruit Salad

I saw this recipe in the taste of Homes and thought it sounded good.

1 whole fresh pineapple
15 oz. mandarin oranges
1 1/1-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups green grapes
1 1/4 cups soy pina-colada flavored yogurt-I used Lime Yogurt
1/2 cup flaked, toasted coconut
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:
1-Stand the pineapple upright, vertically cut 1/3 from one side of pineapple, leaving leaves attached. Remove strips of pineapple from the large section leaving a 1/2" shell, discard core. Cut strips in bite-size pieces. Invert bowl on paper towel to drain. Remove fruit from the small section, cut into chunks. Discard peel.
2-Combine all the fruit in another bowl. In small bowl mix together yogurt and extract. Mix, gently mix with fruit.
3-Spoon into pineapple shell, sprinkle with coconut.


I am sure you have all made the pineapple boat from one time or another. It is just so very pretty on a serving table.

I did not put mine in a pineapple boat as it was just for me.


Enjoy!!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Jump Start

As I mentioned earlier this week, we started a new CHIP class on Monday evening.

I introduced the class to the Jump Start on Tuesday pm. Most of the class started the jump start on Wednesday.

Some college friends were in from out of state. I couldn't start the jump start while they were here, COULD I ?????? Anyway, it was a good excuse while it lasted! What a procrastinator I am being.

I promised the class that I would start on Saturday--WELL Saturday is here, so this is my first day of jump start.
Come start it with me, if you are struggling. It's a great way to get back on tract.

We can do it!!! Just for today!!!! Tomorrow is another day.

If you have been in CHIP, you knooooooooooow what the Jump Start is!! It is a 7 day program which breaks, sugar and salt addictions.
For the first 2 days you eat nothing but old fashioned oatmeal, brown rice, 7 grain cereal and fresh fruit.
I promise you will survive it, no one has ever died, doing this. Remember if you get headaches the first few days, it's the toxins leaving your body.

Hang in there, It gets allot better by the 3rd or 4th day.




Thursday, August 5, 2010

Roasting and Grinding Whole Spices

Roasting and Grinding whole spices is all the rage among chefs today. I don't have cable, but when I babysit for my youngest grand babies, when they go to bed the cooking channel goes on, Even though most of there recipes are not CHIP approved, I always manage to gleam something from the shows.

The benefits of roasting whole spices.

1-One whiff of fennel roasted, or any other spice will tell you why.
2-Whole spices retain there flavor way longer then ground. Plus you get the benefit of the nutty earthy flavor with roasting.
3-Put whole spices in a dry skillet, and toast for several minutes, shaking the skillet until the flavor bursts out.
4-Grind toasted spices in coffee grinder or use a Pestle and Mortar to pulverise.
This is oh sooooo good.

1-Roast fresh peppercorns: green, black, pink and white. After grinding, mix together.
2-Try cumin seeds
3-Fennel seeds
4-Cinnamon-(oh my gosh, you will never go back to purchasing ground cinnamon after trying this.)
5-oriander-are the seeds from cilantro
6-Whatever you can find in whole seeds, try roasting them.

I have always used fresh ground pepper. Now I am roasting my fresh ground pepper before grinding.

After grinding, put ground spices in a tight fitting class jar. Baby Food Jars work wonderful. Be sure to mark and keep in a cool, dark place. I keep them in the frig.

Have fun grinding. It is oh so cool, and adds so much flavor to your food.

Tangy Cucumber Salad

This is the time of the year when cucumbers are plentiful.
This recipe is really good, it has a little zing to it.

I found this recipe in a Taste Of Homes Magazine, but changed so much that it hardly resembles the original recipe.

Tangy Cucumber Salad

2-3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar-go easy, you can always add more
2-3 Tablespoons honey or Agave Nectar
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1-green pepper-diced
fresh basil leaves, **chiffinode
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1-Place cucumbers in strainer, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. and toss. Let stand 30 minutes and rinse and drain well.
2-Put drained cucumbers in a bowl. Add tomatoes onions, celery.
3-Mix together vinegar,and all of spices and herbs. Pour over cucumber mixture.
4 Cover and refrigerate several hours.

From Verna's Test Kitchen:
1-Chiffonade is:
Take several basil leaves, put on top of one another. roll up jelly roll fashion, and cut in ribbons.
2-If you don't like the "tanginess" of cider vinegar, you can use balsamic vinegar as it is a little sweeter.

Enjoy!!

Hope you are visiting some of the Farmer's Market's:

Down town Appleton on Saturday morning. I beleive 8-Noon.
Festival Foods- on East College, Sunday-8-1
Festival Foods-Northland Ave.-Wednesday 7-Noon

Have a super wonderful day.



Monday, August 2, 2010

CHIP Classes

Yes we are back at our CHIP Classes.

They start this evening, August 2:

Theda Clark Medical Center
6:30 in the Aylward Bariatric Conference Room
We would love to have you come.

Remember alumni you can come back for a greatly reduced fee.
Love to see you again.

If interested call:
920-830-6877 or 800-236-2236

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Twiced Baked Spinach Potatoes

3 large baking potatoes
about 1/2 cup soy milk or rice milk as needed
1/4 cup Tofutti-Better Then Cream Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion-sauteed
3-4 cloves garlic-minced-sauteed
1/4 teaspoon salt
lots of fresh ground black pepper or to taste.
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed really dry
1 cup -cheese of choice-shredded
chopped green onions

Directions:

1-Bake potatoes in oven 400 degrees or until tender.
2-Cool, cut each potato in half, scoop out pulp and
mash.
3-Add cream cheese, sauteed onions and garlic, milk, ( don't add to much milk) salt and pepper, mix well. Add 1 cup cheese, mix and then add the spinach. Mix well.
4-Put shells on baking sheet, fill with potato mixture, sprinkle with cheese.
5-Bake 400 degrees-15-20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the potatoes are heated through.
6-Garnish with green onions if desired.

After they cooled down, I froze most of them on a cookie sheet, then put them in a freezer bag after they were frozen. Be sure to mark and date the bag.

Enjoy the potatoes!!

Have a super wonderful day.