Archive for February, 2008
Too much hearty, comfort food?
February 27, 2008 by Lisa Ronco, MS RD CDN
During the winter months, when it is cold outside, we just want to be warm and snuggly in our bodies and in our tummies. Thus the term comfort food or hearty foods come into our weekly if not daily vocabulary. It is not uncommon for folks to “put on a little winter weight” or just continue to add to the “holiday weight” during the cold and dark months of winter.
The key to enjoying your favorite hearty comfort foods like rich thick stews, soups and chili is not to avoid them, but rather to eat them just as you would any “rich or nutrient dense foods” such as cheese or birthday cake in moderation. Not only does moderation mean portion size but also frequency. It wouldn’t make sense to eat cheesecake every night would it? No, but if you monitored your portion size and frequency, you could easily enjoy a small slice of cake once a week.
Please keep in mind, this means you are active during the day, and not racking up hours on the couch. So go ahead and enjoy the foods of winter, but just like icy roads: proceed with caution!
1 comment February 27, 2008
Recipe of the Week – Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad
(from the Salad Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Looking for a quick, easy, good for you and inexpensive idea? I know, anyone can make a salad, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is that many of us will order this salad when we are out to dinner but don’t think of making it at home. “Beef” it up with some chicken, shrimp, leftover steak or even a can of tuna and you have a perfect lunch. This is also an ideal way to get your kids to eat salad; for some reason most kids like the taste of lemon and cheese. Great for those of us who are watching our waists as well.
The major object I hear is, ” I don’t eat raw eggs” quickly followed by the dreaded, “I don’t eat those hairy little fish” ( anchovies). I say okay; leave them out. Really, just don’t put them in, you won’t miss them. The eggs are added by some to make the dressing more creamy and to help the cheese stick to the lettuce. Anchovies add a certain “richness” to sauces and dressings. Chefs say you don’t taste them in dishes, I say #X!&##. If I know they’re in there I am mentally tasting them. I find if you follow my recipe you will like this just as much as “restaurant” Caesar Salad.
Caesar Salad
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Salad |
| Meal: | French Bistro in under 30 Minutes (Distinctive Dinners) |
| 1 | head | lettuce, Romaine |
| 3 | Tb | oil, olive |
| 0.5 | medium | lemon, juice of |
| 2 | cloves | garlic, minced |
| 0.75 | cup | cheese, romano, grated |
| 0.25 | small | baguette |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
| 1 | pinch | salt and pepper to taste |
In a large bowl place oil, lemon juice and garlic, press garlic into bowl with a wooden spoon to distribute. Whisk ingredients together. Cut baguette into 1/4 inch slices, spray with PAM and place in a 350-degree oven for 4 minutes or until gold brown. Tear (don’t cut) lettuce leaves into small pieces and place in bowl on top of dressing. When you are ready to serve, toss salad and add romano and toss again and add croutons broken into halves.
Find this recipe paired with French Fries, Steak au Poivre, Rex’s Tan Buick for dessert and let’s not forget the Bakes Garlic appetizer (French Bistro in under 30 minutes Meal Plan) at emealsforyou.com
1 comment February 27, 2008
Word Rant
Gourmet…. Webster’s dictionary defines it as: n. a lover of good eating: an epicure.
Okay, I can live with that. I guess my problem with the word is not as a noun but as an adjective. Gourmet food served here! She is a gourmet cook The food is really gourmet.
The problem with the use of the gourmet title is that to most of us it denotes the very best, top of the heap, special. We form “gourmet” dinner clubs, go out for a gourmet meal or worse of all prepare gourmet meals for our family and friends.
Here is my grip: in order to prepare a gourmet meal we must be willing to shop for the very best of ingredients, cook with only the right pots and pans and on the proper “gourmet” stove. This is not enough, we must also set the expectation of the attendees that they are enjoying a gourmet meal. This in turn requires a specialized knowledge on the part of the attendees; they must know just what makes up a gourmet meal. They must understand not only that it taste good, but that it has the right ingredients, has been prepared with just the right touches and served with impeccable style. Isn’t this just a little too “gourmet”? Talk about putting pressure on everyone.
Let’s get back to the days when friends and family were invited to have a good meal, good conversation and good company. This is not to condone not looking for the best ingredients you can find and afford. Nor is it right to slap something together and not try to make it good. I am a good cook, okay I am a very good cook, but please don’t call me a gourmet cook. This doesn’t mean that I occasionally don’t strive for creating better food, just that I fully accept and appreciate the good cook title. Let the “gourmet cooking clubs” handle the pressure, let’s just lift a good glass of wine and enjoy the food; besides when was the last time you saw a refrigerator magnate that said “Kiss the Gourmet”. nuff said!
Add comment February 24, 2008
Party Food Planning
This may sound complicated but I think once you try it you will find it pretty easy to use. This post is about planning the food for the party, this entails choosing the food, printing the recipes and printing the shopping list.
Log on to www.emealsforyou.com with your Username and Password.
Choose “Meal Plans”
Now choose “Create a Meal Plan”.
Pick a name for the party and choose “create”.
Next choose “Recipes”, pick the Category of recipes you would like to pick from. i.e. “Appetizers”.
Now choose the “Appetizer(s)” you want. Let’s say “Baked Garlic”
Here you have two ways to go; both accomplish the same result. ( bottom right) choose “Active Meal Plan and using the dropdown menu pick the name of your party. ( this sets the active meal plan )
Now you may choose “Add to active meal plan” (bottom right) or “Add to my recipe box”. Adding to the active meal plan will post the recipe directly to your party meal plan. Adding the recipe to your “recipe box” will post it to your saved recipes in your recipe box. Use the first if you are sure you want this recipe, use the second if you want to view all that you choose and then make a final selection for the meal plan and shopping list.
Choose all the recipes you wish and from all the categories (using methods defined above). Adding them to the party meal plan or to your recipe box.
Now choose My Recipe Box (middle , right side) This will take you to your Recipe Box.
Make sure your Party is the active Meal plan, (lower right side of page). Next put a check in the “Add to active meal plan” box. This will send these recipes to your Party meal plan where they will join any you have chosen to go directly to the Party meal plan. Click “Update”.
Almost there, hang on! Choose “My Meal Plans” (upper right side)
Click on your Party meal plan.
Click on “Serves” (middle right side) and choose the number of people you want this meal plan to serve from the dropdown menu.
Click on “Print this meal plan” (middle right)
Now click “My Meal Plans” (upper right)
Now click on “Shopping List” ( middle right side)
This next step is important until you get the hand of the “Shopping List” and remember to clear it after each use. Click “Clear Shopping List” ( bottom right side)
Choose “My Meal Plans” (top right)
Put a check in the box “Add to shopping list” next to your Party meal plan. Click “Update”
Choose “Shopping List” and then “Print this shopping list”. Note: you may choose “Add Pantry items” or Add additional items before printing to add any items you want to add to your shopping list prior to printing, i.e. 1/2 gal milk.
Now, and after printing the shopping list, choose “Clear Shopping List” so that you are ready for the next PARTY.
I know a few of you will say, “ohmygod!” this is complicated, just try it first and see how easy it really is.
Add comment February 24, 2008
Recipe of the Week – Pinwheel Tart
Pinwheel Tart
(from the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
At first glance you have to say “wow, what a great looking dessert”. I like this tart because it is very easy and quick to make. You can make this as a summer dessert but I like it for those wintry nights as a surprise, thanks to the frozen food manager of my local grocery store.
Stealing a line from Michael Chiarello’s NapaStyle show, let me rant for 60 seconds. You go to the market and they have those great looking peaches. Your mouth starts to water and you just have to buy some, even at $1.99 per pound. You get home and Viola! mushy, tasteless nothings. Okay thanks, I feel better getting that out. The point here is I buy frozen peaches all the time. You pretty much get good quality and at least they are consistent. Before you send me the comments about fresh is always better; I buy the real thing if they look great. That’s right I buy one, go out to my car, eat it and if I now have juice on my shirt I go back and buy more.
So gather your fruit, whatever you like. Make the tart shell, what you thought I said this was quick and easy? I make my own tart shells; 30 seconds in the food processor, 30 minutes in the frig and then roll it out and bake it. So if you like, buy the tart shell already prepared. Bake the tart shell according to the recipe.
Tart Dough
Roll dough out and place in 10″ tart pan. Use a fork to poke holes in bottom to vent . Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes prior to baking.Bake in preheated 375 oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
May be frozen at this point.
Pinwheel Tart
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | New Baby (Share-a-Meal Plans) |
| 1 | recipe | Tart Dough |
| 3 | Tb | raspberry preserves |
| 1 | lb | peaches, sliced |
| 0.5 | pt | strawberries, whole |
| 0.33 | cup | blackberries, fresh |
| 3 | Tb | apricot jam |
Prepare tart shell according too recipe. Cool
Heat raspberry preserves in microwave for 1 minute until liquefied. Spread on tart shell bottom. Skin peaches, cut into 3/4 wedges, arrange along outside of tart shell in a full circle. Cut strawberries in half; arrange cut side down inside of the peaches. Finish center of tart with the blackberries. Heat apricot preserves in microwave for 1 minute, until liquefied. Brush gently on top of fruit.
Serve with powered sugar; whip cream or vanilla ice cream.
Note: You may use frozen fruit, thawed.
This tart is from the New Baby (Share a Meal Plan) meal; for more meal plans and recipes like this go to emealsforyou.com
Add comment February 20, 2008
Fight the winter blahs.
A quick photo to help you chase the winter blahs. This is the famous Tulip Festival at Keukenhof Garden, held in April outside of Amsterdam.
Add comment February 16, 2008
Creating a Meal Plan
Feel the Power - this section is designed to help those members of the emealsforyou clan use the emeals site to make the party planning a little easier. It has been brought to my attention that while the downloadable Users’ Manual explains the “How to” it doesn’t necessarily provide the “Why would I”. I will try to do better in the future. Log on and go to the Meal Plans section; choose the Create a Meal Plan Button. now name your party. Next it is off to the Recipes to take a peek at the Appetizers, Entrées and Desserts to get some ideas for the party.
Add comment February 15, 2008
Feel the Power – Initial
“Feel the Power”; a quick guide to using the emeals site in planning. Using the meal planning and shopping list functions I was able to plan, shop and prepare a formal dinner party of 9 and a formal buffet for 35 with just a single trip to the market.
Add comment February 15, 2008
Discount on www.emealsforyou.com
Save Money! Save Time! Save $5.00! Enter EMEALS-42 when you register for emealsforyou and receive $5 off the subscription price. That’s 1 FULL YEAR of meal planning for only $31.00. Sign up now.
Add comment February 14, 2008
