The Magic of Curry

I never had curry growing up, but in the past few years I've learned to love it.  Yellow curry is my favorite, and I've tried several recipes and have ended up with one of my own that changes a little every time I make it.  Side benefit - this works well with a gluten free diet.

Curry is an amazingly healthful dish when made with the right ingredients.  Organic, full fat coconut milk and the spices that make curry flavorful.  Most curry powders are a mix of traditional spices - turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, fennel, ginger and mustard are a few that may be included.  Turmeric is the spice that makes curry yellow (I always add extra), and that one spice alone imparts benefits in the treatment of inflammation, which is why I started eating curry in the first place! There is some talk of it being beneficial for cancer and Alzheimer's patients, but at this time I don't believe there are any clinical studies being conducted. Since an herb can't be patented, companies aren't going to spend research dollars to determine their benefits - rather they will research the compounds and create a synthetic version.

Power to the Peach!

I love peaches.  Every syrupy, sticky drop.  My husband hates them, which means more for me :-)

I ended up with a few pounds this week and decided to make a couple different things, since I haven't done anything with peaches since last spring.  I ate a few before we started so my yields weren't as high as I would have liked but hey, if you're cooking, you get to eat as you go, right?  I dragged out my dehydrator and set up a few trays to dry, then hit the stove for some jam. I'll save the dehydrating for another post but there's a photo above that you can gander at if you'd like.

I need to say up front that I'm not big on liquid pectin.  It's okay, but I think it changes the taste of the jam, reducing the intensity of the flavors.  Not my goal in this exercise.  Besides, I like a softer set, not something that reminds me of jello. And - most important - you can heat this up and pour it over vanilla ice cream for a moment of bliss.  Can't do that if it's got the consistency of that nasty condensed cream of mushroom soup I used to use in casseroles before I realized there was a better way.

The peach recipe I love to make (my son ate it off a spoon today and tried to steal a jar for himself) is very simple, basically a peach preserve, but with a special ingredient that gives it a punch.  Cointreau.  Have you ever added it to your peaches?  It makes them AMAZING.  Give it a try.

Lovely peach preserves :-)

Peach Preserves with Cointreau

4 cups chopped peaches (9-10 peaches)
2 cups granulated sugar (I like organic, like this)
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Cointreau

When making jam or preserves I peel the peaches, and there are a few ways to accomplish that.  The easiest is to pop the whole peach in the freezer as soon as it becomes ripe.  It needs 6-8 hours to freeze solid, then you can defrost and during the thawing process the skins will slide right off. (You can only do this if you are making jam or preserves; as with tomatoes, freezing changes the consistency of the fruit.)  If the texture of the peach is perfect, it's easy to peel, but just a little past optimal ripeness and you're peeling mush.  Last resort is blanching.  I hate this, but I will do it if I have to.  Anything to get that lovely peach jam on my tongue.  To blanch, drop the peaches in boiling water for about a minute, then pull them out and the skins will crack and slough off.

Place the chopped peaches and sugar in a large saucepan on low heat.  Let them cook together until the peaches are translucent, then turn up the heat to a medium boil, stirring to prevent sticking.  I usually use a masher or immersion blender at this point, because I don't like big chunks.  I am a very persnickety jam eater. The peach mixture will need to cook down and thicken until it comes off the spoon in one sheet rather than in drops.  Once it's thick enough to sheet you can turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and Cointreau, and stir.  Make sure you taste it at this point before anyone else gets any. Just because.

I usually can this recipe, although you can just stick it in the fridge and eat it up.  To can it, use a hot water bath canner and process for 10 minutes.  Makes 3-4 half pints.

Enjoy!

Changing Your Diet Series: Eggs

I went camping this past weekend with my son and his cub scout pack.  Cub scouts are not known for providing healthy food on their camp outs, but at least ours does eggs and bacon to go along with the obligatory frosted cereals.

On Sunday, they ran out of eggs and I offered up a half dozen I had brought with me, since I was avoiding grains and sugars and wanted to make sure I had something I could eat if the cereal became the main event.  They cooked them last, and I found it interesting that they were commenting on the bright yellow color of the yolks compared to the other eggs they had cooked that morning.

A real egg!

Factory farmed eggs are a pale imitation of the real thing, which has a deep orange-yellow color with a strong yolk that resists breaking in the pan.  Farm eggs from free-range chickens make the best poached or fried eggs...they hold their shape and have much better flavor.  Don't be fooled by the package - if the color of the yolk is pale, they aren't pastured eggs.

Along with the color and texture comes increased nutrition.  Pastured eggs have more beta carotene, Vitamins A and E, and double the Omega 3 of factory farmed eggs,  as well as less cholesterol and saturated fat.  They are an all-around better food choice - worth the extra money!

Changing Your Diet Series: Scratch!

One of the quickest ways to improve your diet is to wipe out the processed food.  Think of all the time you'll save not having to read the labels!

I was thinking about this the other day as I cooked dinner.  I roasted a chicken last Tuesday, while I was working (it takes about 2 hours but not a lot of attention) and then used the chicken on Wednesday to make chicken curry and rice.  The rice took 20 minutes and the curry sauce about the same; the chicken was already cooked so I just added it in.  All told I spent about 15 minutes in front of the stove that night for a completely from scratch meal. The great part is that then I stuck the chicken carcass in the crock pot with some water and veggies, and let it cook on low for 2 days.  Amazing homemade chicken stock, which I used to make soup on Friday.

Mushroom risotto - steamy goodness!

Yesterday I made mushroom risotto, which is more time intensive because it requires constant attention but actually only takes about 25 minutes. It may seem intimidating, but it's actually very easy to cook and it's a hearty meal.  I've developed a pattern of planning a week in advance and cooking certain things ahead of time.  I also use my crock pot a lot - there's nothing like a pork tenderloin that's been cooking on low all day.  It makes the whole house smell wonderful, and leftovers make great sandwiches the next day!

Vegetables can be an afterthought when you are trying to put a meal together quickly. Often I will cut up a bunch of raw veggies - carrots, red and green peppers, cucumbers - and we will just add them to our plates.  Quick roasted vegetables are also nice - zucchini spears topped with olive oil, salt, pepper and grated parmesan take about 15 minutes to brown in the oven and make a nice finger food.

One of my son's favorite things to prepare is chicken soft tacos.  He takes the precooked meat I have in the fridge, shreds some cheese and lettuce, adds a little rice and salsa in a tortilla, done!  Less than 10 minutes.  We need to be creative, which is not easy - sometimes just finding a recipe and figuring out what's in the icebox is overwhelming.  You should have a couple things up your sleeve that you can make in a pinch - and always keep those ingredients on hand.  It helps to cook a little extra if you can, and freeze it for later.

My go-to meal for dinner in a hurry has always been eggs. I make a mean omelet, and frittatas (see below) are great as well.  Try these Southwestern Omelet Muffins - they are fabulous.  Pop them in the freezer to use when you're short on time.  Loads of flavor and the recipe makes about 18 so you know you'll have a couple meals out of it.

I have a friend who cooks every weekend, freezing meals for the week so she doesn't have to think about it. I wish I could be that organized.

What recipes do you use to pull together a quick dinner?

Quick Fritatta Recipe 
(a good way to clean out the veggie drawer in your fridge)

4 eggs
Dash of milk or water
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Half an onion
Cheese - parmesan, cheddar, swiss...whatever you have
Whatever you have on hand - I've used (and combined) mushrooms, bacon, sausage, ham, red or green peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc.

Beat the eggs, adding a dash of milk or water, then salt and pepper.  Heat a cast iron or oven proof skillet, add some olive oil and let it heat.  Add the eggs and cook for a moment until the bottom is finished.  Then add the other ingredients in a layering fashion.  If your bacon is raw, cook it in the pan, then add the eggs on top and continue.  Top with tomatoes and/or cheese, pop in the oven for 10 minutes at 400F.  Done when golden brown.  Serves 2-3.