Documentary: Food Matters

The documentary Forks Over Knives changed how we eat forever.  In short, it discussed how a plant-based diet can cure all kinds of ailments and how dairy and meat are shown to have a strong correlation to cancer.  After watching that documentary, we started eating a LOT less meat and switched from regular milk to almond milk.

Last night, we watched Food Matters on Netflix, and it also is changing forever how we eat in a big way.  The documentary is less than an hour and a half and will change your life and health.  If you're reading this, I highly recommend watching it -- get the documentary from your library or buy it from Amazon or watch it on the Food Matters site.

Like Forks Over Knives, Food Matters touts the benefits of eating a plant-based, RAW vegetable diet but also provides research support about the huge benefits of taking vitamins -- and how people with chronic diseases and even cancer have self-healed by changing their diet and taking vitamins.  What's crazy is that when I was in high school, I remember my Anatomy & Physiology teacher telling me that her friend's cancer disappeared after taking high doses of vitamin C.  This documentary has all the research and support for that.

Here is more about the documentary:  Food Matters

My biggest takeaways:

• We need to eat 51% (raw) vegetables during each meal for better wellness and health.  It's definitely going to be hard for us to eat raw vegetables during each meal, but I think if we can get to a mix of 51%+ raw and cooked veggies.
• Your body is powerful and is made to self-heal, but it can only self-heal if it is nourished with all the vitamins it needs to fight off disease.
• Nutrition therapy works but the government has suppressed it and the research findings (just like they did with the sugar industry -- watch the documentary Sugar Coated) because of powerful pharmaceutical lobbyists. You will get mad at the government and the pharma companies after watching the documentary.
• You really are what you eat.

Recipe: Chocolate S'more Pie

Chocolate S'more Pie
Gourmet Magazine, Nov 2006
5 stars

Was looking for a dessert to take over to our friends' house and found this recipe we'd saved (10 years ago!) from the now defunct Gourmet Magazine.

The pie was a hit!  We were so excited to eat it, I neglected to take a photo of it.  Will update this blog post with a photo the next time I make it which will probably be soon.

It wasn't too sweet, and I think the pie was actually even better the next day after putting it in the fridge overnight.

Tips/Notes/My Modifications:

• Used a mix of 72% chocolate and 60% chips
• Took a while for the marshmallow topping to whip up and triple in volume
• Make sure to chill the pie (chocolate cream filling in the pie crust) and put the marshmallow topping directly on the pie.  We made the marshmallow topping in advance and put it in a container where the topping set and was hard to spread on the pie).
• Enjoy with your closest friends!

Recipe: Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Noodles (Jap Chae)

Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Noodles (Jap Chae)
Food and Wine Magazine, Jul 2016, p. 80
5 stars

My new favorite super healthy, vegetarian Asian dish!

Jap chae is a traditional Korean dish made with sweet potato noodles.  You might be thinking, sweet potato noodles?!?  Honestly, you would never guess that the noodles were made of the root vegetable since they taste and have the texture of a rice/glass noodle which you could substitute.

This recipe takes a bunch of ingredients, mainly vegetables.

Ingredients:  Korean-style noodles (jap chae), shrimp, garlic, red onion, carrots, broccolini, red Swiss chard, oyster mushrooms, sugar snap peas, peas, scallion, black sesame seeds, egg, mirin, soy sauce, vegetable oil, toasted sesame oil, white sesame seeds, sugar, salt

Tips/Things I Modified:

• Make sure not to overcook the noodles!
• Left out the shrimp
• Added tofu
• Stirred in the egg instead of making the strips of egg
• Used kale instead of red Swiss chard
• Added sriracha to taste at the table

Recipe: Spinach Souffle with Shallots and Smoked Gouda Cheese

Spinach Souffle with Shallots and Smoked Gouda Cheese
Epicurious.com
3.7 stars

I found this recipe in my recipe binder -- I'd printed it back in 2011 but hadn't made this souffle.  Don't know why.  I pulled the recipe and was honestly not 100% optimistic on how it was going to turn out.  I've made other souffles before, but the steps were different, and I wasn't sure if the shallots, spinach and smoked gouda were going to complement each other well.

Overall, it turned out pretty good.  The souffles didn't rise as high as other recipes that I've made, and the texture was not as light and airy as I would've liked, but flavor-wise, it was delicious.

10 ingredients:  milk, butter, flour, eggs, shallots, spinach, smoked Gouda cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper

Tips/What I did:

• Made half the recipe which yielded 3 large individual portion ramekins
• Instead of frozen spinach, sauteed fresh spinach and then drained off the water and chopped it up
• Used onion instead of shallots because, well, I forgot to buy shallots

I'd make a spinach/shallot/smoked gouda souffle again, but perhaps use another souffle recipe's steps.  Will update this blog post with tips when I make it next time.

Recipe: Instant Chocolate Cake (5 min Chocolate Cake when you're craving cake at 8pm)

Instant Chocolate Cake

Food Network

5 stars!!!

I often crave dessert after dinner and we'll have nothing, no dessert at all, in the house!  Sometimes we'll go out to get dessert, but last week I didn't want to go anywhere.  It was 8pm, and I just wanted to sit on the couch and hang out after a long day at work.  I thought about looking at UberEats or Postmates to see if I could get dessert delivered but instead. . . 

Instant Chocolate Cake recipe to the rescue.

8 ingredients, 2 minutes in the microwave.  Voila.  Dessert enough for 2 people!

See link above to the simple recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients are things we almost always have in the house:  flour, sugar, cocoa powder, egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, salt.

The cake has a bit of a souffle-like texture which I loved.  I'd seen e-mails and Facebook posts about 'microwave mug cakes' and turned my nose up at those recipes.  Not anymore.  This is my 'in a pinch' chocolate cake recipe that I'm filing away.  Next time:  I'm adding chocolate chips (and maybe some peppermint extract) and pouring a chocolate ganache on top.  

Recipe: Spaghettini with Warm Bacon-Mushroom Vinaigrette

Spaghettini with Warm Bacon-Mushroom Vinaigrette
Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2016, p. 120
4 stars

This was the cover recipe on the Oct 2016 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.  Nice dish that calls for only 9 ingredients excluding salt and pepper.

Ingredients:  spaghettini, bacon, onion, mixed mushrooms, garlic, balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, basil

It's a pretty quick weeknight meal.  When serving, make sure each portion gets enough mushrooms and bacon.  The bacon adds the umami to the dish and helps the dish come together.  Without the bacon, it would be bland!

Tips/What We Did:

• Used regular spaghetti
• Left out the white truffle oil

Recipe: Alton Brown's Chicken Parmesan Balls

Alton Brown's Chicken Parmesan Balls
The Today Show (link above)
4.5 stars

I was watching the Today Show last week.  Alton Brown was on showing how to make his Chicken Parmesan Balls -- I had to make them after watching the clip.

Great recipe that we'll definitely make again.  This could be served with pasta, but we decided on bread.

We didn't make the herb oil but I'm sure that adds a whole other dimension to the balls.  (I guess he doesn't call them meatballs since the recipe doesn't use red meat?)  Also, we made our own spaghetti sauce recipe.

The chicken parmesan balls themselves only had 11 ingredients:  panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, ground chicken, egg, oil, dried basil, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, Kosher salt and mozzarella cheese.

For an alternative to 'red' meatballs, this was great!

Different Cheeses from Mexico

Sometimes I can't remember the difference between the various common Mexican cheeses.  For my quick reference, I took a photo of the image above from Bon Appetit Magazine - p. 104 from the Feb 2016 issue.  I found the descriptions super helpful!

Recipe: Sour Cream and Scallion Drop Biscuits

Sour Cream and Scallion Drop Biscuits
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2016, p. 27
5 stars

Can I just say YUM?!

These are now my favorite biscuits that I've ever made.  They're so flavorful and moist.  It might sound odd to put scallions in them, but that's what differentiates them and gives them a unique flavor.  Definitely something I'd made for guests.

It doesn't take very long to prep the 9 ingredients.

Ingredients:  all-purpose flour, melted butter, scallions, sour cream, baking powder, kosher salt, sugar, baking soda, hot paprika.

Tip:

• The biggest tip is to bake them longer than the 12-15 min that's called for in the recipe.  Make sure the tops of the biscuits get brown (don't get fooled by the paprika that is also reddish brown), and make sure the bottoms get a little brown as well.  It took me about double the bake time.

Recipe: Barley with Walnuts and Bacon

Barley with Walnuts and Bacon
Food and Wine Magazine, p. 44
3.5 stars

We made this dish because, frankly, we had all of the ingredients in the house and needed dinner!  It's a solid, flavorful and filling dish -- more of a "peasant" dish than something gourmet that I'd serve to friends.

Also, it's quite easy to make with only 9 ingredients.  As noted in the recipe (see link above), this is a very hearty grain dish which can stand alone or be an accompaniment to a dish like roast chicken.

Ingredients:  pearled barley, bacon, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, chicken broth, toasted walnuts, extra-virgin olive oil

Tips:

• Added thyme and red pepper as well as some salt
• Next time, we'll try farro instead of barley

Recipe: Kale-and-Shitake Fried Rice

Kale-and-Shitake Fried Rice
Food and Wine Magazine, Feb 2016, p.94
5 stars

Love, love, loved this dish.  This is going in our Asian dish rotation.  It's basically a somewhat healthy 'fried' rice especially if you follow my tips below. . . and it's easy to make!  Just a little bit of chopping of vegetables.

Ingredients:  shitake mushrooms, kale, white rice, eggs, ginger, garlic, scallions, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce, Kosher salt, vegetable oil

What we changed in the recipe:

• Used half the oil
• Used baby bella mushrooms instead of shitake since the shitake didn't look fresh in the store
• Used triple the amount of kale
• Used freshly-cooked basmati rice
• Added red pepper
• Added ground pork sausage (cooked it separately and added it to the top)
• Added sriracha to taste at the table

Recipe: NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted on Bakelikeachamp.com
4.5 stars

I'm on the quest to test and find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I've tried out recipes including Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery, Cook's Country, and of course the Tollhouse recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.

This NY Times recipe was really good, a solid recipe.  However, it requires refrigerating the dough for 24 or up to 72 hours, so this is not for those who have issues with immediate gratification.  Must plan ahead with this recipe!

Interestingly, this recipe uses bread flour;  and I like the use of chocolate chunks and the touch of sea salt flakes on top.

My favorite recipe so far; however, is still the Cook's Country recipe that requires browning the butter which gives the cookies a nice depth of flavor.  I just realized I haven't blogged about that recipe so. . .  looks like I'll need to make those cookies again and post about it!  Who wants some chocolate chip cookies?

Drink Recipe: Peach Rosemary Gin & Tonic Cocktail

Peach Rosemary Gin & Tonic Cocktail
My recipe
5 stars

Fill a glass with ice and add:

• 1.5 oz gin
• 0.5 oz peach liqueur
• Top off with tonic
• Add a squeeze of lime
• Add a few peach wedges
• Stir with a fresh sprig of rosemary

Recipe: Pork & Spinach Noodles

Pork & Spinach Noodles
Food and Wine Magazine, Jun 2016, p. 50
4 stars

Talk about a quick weeknight dinner that is healthy and quick to make.  The ingredients are items we almost always have in our fridge.

Ingredients:  spaghetti, ground pork, spinach garlic, ginger, canola oil, Asian fish sauce, lime juice, basil, salt, pepper

Tips:

• Used udon noodles instead of spaghetti
• Used ground bison instead of pork
• Added firm tofu that we seared in a separate pan
• Doubled the amount of spinach
• Added sriracha to taste at the table

To Eat or Not to Eat Shrimp

I was reading my July 2016 issue of Vogue yesterday and came across the article "Should We Really Be Eating Shrimp?"

Here are some excerpts/quotes to help you decide what type of shrimp you'll be buying at your local grocery store:

• 80-90% of shrimp in the U.S. is imported and come from Thailand, Ecuador, Indonesia, China, Mexico, Vietnam and Malaysia.
• Almost all of the shrimp is farmed in "man-made ponds brimming with so many shrimp that they pollute nearby water sources, are infected with disease and parasites -- and are treated with a toxic fleet of antibiotics, disinfectants, pesticides, and herbicides."
• "In April the FDA declared that one-third of shrimp imports from Malaysia contained substances such as chloramphenicol (a last-resort typhoid-fever and meningitis drug) and/or nitrofurans (an antibiotic the FDA considers carcinogenic)."
• The FDA doesn't have nearly enough employees to screen more than a fraction of imports and inspects only about 2% of imported seafood.  
• "It is, basicaly, a producers responsibility to ensure that U.S. standards are upheld.  We import shrimp on the honor system."

The article goes on to explain how shrimp are caught and how a company called CleanFish has developed a sustainable (and clean!) way to raise shrimp in an "Eco Shrimp Garden."

The article was a fascinating read (click on the link above to read it).  I thought I was educated, but this article made me realized that unless I know where my shrimp is from and where it was caught, I'm never ordering a shrimp dish in a restaurant again.

Recipe: Burrata Salad with Peaches, Pickled Pepper and Pea Tendrils

Burrata Salad with Peaches, Pickled Pepper and Pea Tendrils
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2015
4.5 stars

A really nice, fresh and peachy summertime salad.  Plus, who doesn't love burrata?

The sweetness from the peaches, the creaminess of the burrata, the mint, the acid from the dressing and the spice from the pepper make a delicious, complex and all-around satisfying dish for the taste buds.

• Salad ingredients:  burrata cheese, pea tendrils, purslane sprigs, peaches, mint leaves, Kosher salt, pepper
• Dressing ingredients:  shallot, red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper
• Pickled pepper ingredients:  banana pepper or cubanelle pepper, Champagne vinegar, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Simplified the recipe and used mixed greens instead of pea tendrils and purslane sprigs which I couldn't find
• Used a peperoncino instead of pickling a pepper (also couldn't find a banana pepper or cubanelle pepper at the grocery store)
• Added more peaches than the recipe called for

Recipe: Our Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

Our Favorite Macaroni and Cheese
epicurious.com
5 stars

The last 10+ times I've made Mac & Cheese, I've used America's Test Kitchen (ATK) Recipe.  The show vets recipes to come up with the very best recipe possible based on science and testing . . . and while I've liked theirs, I wanted to try something different.  I googled "best mac and cheese recipe," and this recipe from epicurious.com came up in my search results.

I'll say it was quite delicious and does beat ATK's recipe.  What makes it different is the use of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), adding garlic to the breadcrumb topping, using a little heavy cream in addition to the milk and adding a bit of mustard powder.  It was a hit with friends, so I'll definitely be making this again.

Topping Ingredients:  panko, garlic, Parmesan, butter, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt

Mac & Cheese Sauce Ingredients:  elbow macaroni, milk, cream, extra-sharp cheddar, Parmesan, butter, flour, kosher salt, white pepper, mustard powder

Recipe: Rick Bayless' Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

Updated blog post 5/28/16
Made the recipe again -- it was just as I remembered it.  Amazing.  And this time, I remembered to take a quick photo before dinner.  Not the most beautiful photo, but hey, it was hot food, I was starving and I almost forgot to take a photo again!  I did forget the cilantro on top (urgh).

Served with a fresh salad with a light vinaigrette -- it was a meal I'd definitely serve to guests.  Who wants some?

Ingredients:  poblano chiles, spinach, chicken, tortillas (used flour instead of corn), milk, chicken broth, butter, garlic, flour, salt, cheese (used Monterey Jack and quesadilla)

Original Blog Post 1/2/12
I was looking on epicurious.com for a great enchiladas recipe and was disappointed not to find anything to my liking.  I wanted something authentic Mexican, not 'West Texas Stacked Enchiladas' or 'Jessica Alba's Chicken Enchiladas' (seriously?) or 'Shrimp Enchiladas with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips.'  I found one recipe 'Chicken Enchiladas' that we almost made, but it sounded boring and bland -- using canned diced green chiles, grated sharp cheddar cheese, bottled salsa. 

Epicurious failed me. 

However, Rick Bayless came to the rescue.

If you ever have the chance to go to his restaurants in Chicago (Frontera or Topolobampo; I'm curious about his XOCO place too), go!  Frontera is one of my favorite restaurants.  Bayless' food is fresh, complex and authentic and the cocktails are great.

His website has tons of recipes, and I found 'Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style' that looked and tasted amazing.  I can't wait to eat our leftovers.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=167

Here are the tweaks to the recipe for the next time we make them:

• We love cheese, so we'll add cheese to the inside of the enchilada (with the chicken)
• Sprinkle more cheese on top
• After 20 minutes, place the baking dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes since we couldn't get the cheese to slightly brown (we used quesadilla cheese)
• Along with the cilantro, sprinkle also with diced white onion

Recipe: White Quinoa Grits with Shrimp and Mexican Grilled Corn

White Quinoa Grits with Shrimp and Mexican Grilled Corn
Food and Wine Magazine, July 2015
4 stars

Lovely summertime dish that is a nice take on traditional 'shrimp and grits.'  The white quinoa was interesting . . .  with the garlic, chicken stock and leeks adding nice flavor to it.  I'll make the quinoa that way any day!

Quinoa Grits Ingredients:  white quinoa, leeks, garlic, chicken stock, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, pepper

Shrimp and Corn Ingredients:  shrimp, corn, pumpkin seeds, basil, cilantro, scallions, butter, chile powder, cotija cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, lime

Recipe: Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese

Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese
Food and Wine Magazine, Mar 2016, p.86
4 stars

A bolognese is a sauce made of ground beef, tomato, onion and herbs, typically served with pasta.  So really, this shouldn't be called a bolognese!  Regardless, it was surprisingly delicious (and healthy) and didn't take hours to make.  Most bologneses take 3-5 hours, including prep and simmer time.

The sauce does require 1 hour and 30 min to simmer, so this isn't a quick weekday dinner.  It took me about 30 min to prep everything.

The flavor was so good, I didn't miss the meat at all.  Also, the white miso was an interesting addition; it and the Parmigiano-Reggiano chunk added a nice umami flavor/dimension to the sauce.

Ingredients:  spaghetti, dried porcini mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, small onion, carrots, baby eggplant, garlic, tomato paste, 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, white miso, a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, thyme, turbinado sugar, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/What I Did:

• Used bucatini pasta instead of spaghetti
• Used a mix of mushrooms
• Used 4 carrots instead of 2
• Used 2 thyme sprigs instead of 1
• Added red pepper flakes
• Left out the baby eggplant
• Left out the dried porcini
• Next time: could add ground meat or sausage