Start the New Year Off Right-Clean the Kitchen

My friends tease me about my compulsive habit of wiping down the counter. As light hits it, I see a spot and out comes the Pledge Multi-Surface Spray and my infamous yellow microfiber cloth. Its the running joke about my self proclaimed OCD. But, I'm sure you, like me, clean the kitchen daily making sure the counters are clean and the fridge and stove surfaces are spotless. But, what about the pantry, the cabinets, and the crisper drawers?

When the toasting is done and the last of the champagne bottles are placed in the recycle bin, draw back the curtains, let in some sun, and take a good look around your kitchen. What are you no longer using? If there are any gadgets sitting around that you are not using, consider donating them or storing them in the garage or in a cabinet where you can get to them when you need them. Consider, emptying a space in one of your less used cabinets and use it as a place to stack mail as opposed to leaving it out on the counter (if the kitchen is where the mail winds up).

Now that you've taken the time to clean the "exterior," its now time to check out the "interior." From your cabinets, toss any opened spices and sauces that haven't been used in six months or more. If you are like me, you've collected some items on principle and likely won't be using them...put them in the donate pile. Once you have a handle on what you are keeping, take an inventory of what is left and make a list of the items that need replacing. Wipe down the interior surfaces with a mild bleach solution and replace contact papers if necessary. Apply the same concept to your pantry.

If you keep your vitamins or medicines in the kitchen, check the expiration dates of what you have and toss anything that is expired. Add to your shopping list any items that need replenishing. Do the same for storage beneath the sink and re-stock your cleaning supplies (be ready for spring cleaning). Finally, clear out any old holiday food from the fridge (make stock from carcasses and half used veggies that are still fresh). Wipe down the fridge shelves and crisper drawers with a mild bleach solution and place a fresh box of baking soda in a back corner.

To freshen the house, simmer lemon and orange rind with lavender flowers. By taking the time to clean up a bit, you'll clear your space (and head) and give yourself a winning chance at keeping that resolution to eat better and do more cooking at home this year. Happy New Year!!!

Start 2010 with New Year's Good Luck Greens

Every January 1st my mother prepares a traditional Southern New Year's dinner: a huge pot of black eyed peas, pig's feet and ears, corn bread, and the traditional good luck collard greens. No amount of hot sauce or yellow mustard could get me to eat the pig and I just can't handle the texture of the peas, but I'd happily take a good helping of the greens. She didn't care if I ate any of the pig, but she was sure that I ate at least a spoon full of the peas and the greens for luck and life.

Now that I am on my own and running my own kitchen, I enjoy preparing fresh collards and other dark leafy greens for friends and family. I fall back on the recipe that she taught me with a few pieces of myself in the mix. Care for a little Southern luck? Make a pot of collards for New Year's Day dinner.

It starts with about 4 to 5 pounds of collard greens. Prepare the greens by removing the stems (reserving three to four stems for later) and tear them into medium pieces. Fill your sink with cold water and soak the greens to remove any grit or sand attached to the leaves. Rinse through a couple of times until there is no sign of grit or sand in the bottom of the sink. Leave in clean cold water until you are ready to add to the pot (the cold water will keep them bright and crisp).

Next, prepare the cooking liquid (also know as pot liquor). In a large pot, brown four slices of bacon (maple bacon is my secret) that have been chopped into pieces. As fat begins to render, add about 1/2 cup of coarse chopped sweet onion and the stems which have been rinsed and coarsely chopped. Add a pinch of sea salt to release the flavor. Allow to saute until onion and stems begin to soften and bacon is cooked through. Add a cup and a half of water and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for seven to ten minutes. Add a healthy amount of your favorite herb seasoning to the liquid.

Begin to add the greens salting in layers as you go. Put a lid on them and reduce the heat. As the greens wilt, the amount of greens will condense. Continue to stir the greens about every ten minutes until greens become dark and tender. Cooking time will vary. During the last twenty minutes of cooking, add 2 tbsp of sugar.

Serve with sliced tomato and onion with hot sauce and cider vinegar on the side. If you have leftovers, freeze in individual baggies for easy reheat for lunch or dinner.

Eat in season: What veggies are at their best in Fall and Winter

For those readers out there who are like me, vibrantly colored fresh veggies inspire you to be creative in the kitchen.  If not, that's okay too...I'll get you there.  I've loved veggies since I was a kid.  My mom used to pack me a tupperware container of carrots and cucumbers to take to school on a regular basis.  On weekends, I would take a break from my late night barbie play and sneak to the kitchen only to "steal" a few red radishes (which needed to be cleaned, trimmed, and salted no doubt).  

As I've grown older, my palette for veggies has expanded and I've come to appreciate the goodness of veggies as they are in season.  That is not to say that I will not partake in a tomato during the winter, but I now make the best of summer tomatoes more than ever. And, in season veggies tend to be at their best in nutrients and are far cheaper than purchasing when out of season.  

So, as we move into the Holiday season--also known as the "cooking and eating season,"-- I thought I would share a few of my winter faves and the recipes in which I most enjoy them.

What's In Season

Winter Squash (such as Acorn and Butternut)

Dark Greens (Collards, Kale, and Chard)

Citrus (Oranges, Tangerines, and Lemons)

Sweet Potatoes

Mushrooms

Radishes

Cauliflower

Brussell Sprouts

Leeks

Apples, Pears

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  On a sheet pan, arrange cauliflower which has been cut in large sections, rinsed, and dried.  Toss with evoo and three tbsp of  honey mustard.  Add sea salt and herb seasoning to taste (this can sit in fridge for a few hours if need be).  Roast cauliflower in oven, tossing as needed, for approximately 30-40 minutes until veggie is lightly golden and tender.

Brussells and Bacon

Starting with about 3-4 lbs of nice sized sprouts, trim and halve each sprout and rinse.  In a hot pan, cook off 3-4 strips of bacon (maple if you have it) and drain on towel.  In the same pan, add about 1/2 cup of fine diced sweet onion.  Saute until they begin to brown and add the sprouts.  Season with your fave stuff and toss.  Allow to cook for about seven minutes until they begin to become tender.  Add about 1/2 cup of stock (homemade) and braise for another five minutes.  Crumble the previously cooked bacon and toss.  Serve hot!  

Oranges

Just peel and eat and get that extra boost of vitamin C!

The Rosie Elixir: Hibiscus Tea

Ages ago, I met this fragrant beauty late one night in D.C. on Dupont Circle at Kramer's Books and Afterworks.  She was all clad in a basic white mug with a tea steeper invading the middle.  This would be the first of many times to come that I would drink freshly steeped loose tea made from dried flowers and herbs.  

She was bright red and fragrant on the nose.  Her taste was bitter with a back hint of something I still cannot pinpoint--a little honey, and she was good as gold.  A rich, warming, happy sensation filled my body as I made a new friend in hibiscus tea.  

If you are like me and have West Indian friends, you've likely met her as a bright red drink called Sorrel.  She is also the special something in Red Zinger Tea which is easily found in neat little bags at the supermarket.  

Hibiscus Sabdariffa is a beautiful bold colored flower commonly found in sub-tropical and tropical climates such as the Caribbean.  She is a moody little lady as she blooms when and if she's ready.  The flowers, once dried, can be used to make a beautiful tea to be consumed either hot or cold.  Although her flowers come in many colors, the typical dried flower found in markets tend to be red making for a rich naturally red concoction which can also be used to add color to other foods and drinks (such as champagne...hint, hint).

In addition to all her beauty, Hibiscus tea also has several health benefits.  It is rich in vitamin C and also contains a significant amount of antioxidants making it beneficial for the immune system.  It is also thought to aid in lowering LDL which makes it great for any healthy heart diet.  Its most well known benefit is the lowering of High Blood Pressure.  The consumption of one to two 8 oz cups of the tea daily is said to have these benefits.  

So, how do you find her and make a cup for yourself?  You can often find bags of sorrel or hibiscus in the international foods section of your local supermarket typically where you would find caribbean spices and ingredients.  You can also usually find the dried beauties in the bulk section of most organic markets such as YES! or Wholefoods.  When in doubt, just get some Red Zinger by Celestial Seasonings.  If you find some loose flowers, you're going to need a steeper.  Simply add a few flowers to the steeper and drop in boiling hot water for about two minutes and enjoy. 

Girl’s Night Done Right (and Lite)

Girl’s Night: the time for us ladies to get together, let our hair down, and just be girls. Girl’s Night is the adult version of old school slumber parties all clad with princess night gowns and fluffy pink sleeping bags. Minus the pillow fights (‘cause we cannot mess up our hair and make-up), Girl’s Night is what is always has been—a space to celebrate womanhood and eat cake.

I recently hosted “Girlz Nite” at my place in DC. I hosted over 30 women with the hopes that old friends would reunite and new bonds would be made between strangers. We talked, played games, discussed business, and of course, we ATE! Eating is what the whole night is about—stuffing your face behind your man’s back so he doesn’t know how many slices of cake you had.

Because we girls at “Art.Food.Life.” are all about being healthy and considering the alternatives to food choice, our menu left the taste in tasty minus the bloated bellies and the “oh-gosh-these-jeans-don’t-fit” feeling. So that the ladies didn’t simply find themselves sitting and eating, we engaged them by encouraging them to help us cook which helped to keep the blood flowing and calories burning. By getting everyone involved, we created interaction in an active setting. Our menu, though light, was decadent and satisfying.

Menu:

Tomato Salad over baby arugula with shaved parm and diced red onion
Pear infused white balsamic vinaigrette
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Tomato Salsa with Guacamole Chips
Mushroom Medley over crostini
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Mini cheesecake shots
Dark chocolate dipped low fat oreo cookies

This menu includes fresh ingredients, lots of veggies, and is low in sugar and sodium. The recipes are easy for anyone to make and portion control is easy because most items are pre-portioned in some way. Here are a couple of recipes for the faves of the night:

Mushroom Medley over crostini—
1 lb sliced white button mushrooms
1 lb sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 lb chopped portabella mushrooms
1 lb oyster mushroom pulled into pieces
2 tbsp butter
Salt
Herb seasoning
crostini

In a hot dry pan, dump in all of the mushrooms. Allow them to cook until they reduce in size about half and render their natural juices. Add butter, salt, and herb seasoning and reduce heat. Allow mixture to reduce by another third and sauce to come together. Total cooking time: about 12 minutes.

For the crostini, if you can get a little help from the store and find crostini style crackers, by all means go for them. But, if you cannot find them (also know as panetini), simply take a petite baguette and cut thin slices on a diagonal. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle a bit of herb seasoning and toast in oven until golden and crispy.

Mini Cheesecake shots—

These little beauties are easy as can be because our recipe takes help from the market.

1 package of Philly no-bake cheesecake mixture
1 package of chocolate cream cookies
1 large can of cherry pie filling
24 plastic shot glasses

In a reinforced gallon sized freezer bag, crush all of the cookies into fine bits like sand. Fill another gallon sized bag with the cheesecake mixture forcing all of the mixture to one corner to create a piping bag. Snip the tip of the bag once mixture is to the edge. Fill each shot cup with a teaspoon of crushed cookies followed by a teaspoon of cherry pie filling followed by a piped dollop of cheesecake. One package of cheesecake mix should make two dozen shots.

These are just a few of the recipes that made our girls night lite and a success. When relaxing with the girls, there’s no reason to forget about eating healthy. Give these ideas a try the next time you enjoy Girl’s Night Done Right.

*if you want the recipes to the other dishes, reply and we’ll send it to you.

...art, food, and life...right?

My family and I enjoy traveling together.  We especially enjoy a road trip.  When traveling by car, we enjoy stopping at regional super markets checking the aisles for unique products or by farm stands peeping through lush local produce.  We thought we'd share some of the neat things we found and tell you what we did with them--just in case they should ever cross your eye.  Some items were unique and some were simply above average old standards.

Red Radishes:  we found a bright red bunch of perfect radishes at a road side stand in Maryland.  The flavor was oniony with the right amount of spiciness.  We decided to dice it and make it a part of a marinade for a fresh asparagus salad (2 tbsp each of radishes, shallot, and sweet red pepper; cap full of apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp of evoo; salt).

Pear Infused Vinegar: we can't recall where we originally found it.  One night when making a dressing, we wanted a break from the usual balsamic or apple cider vinegars, and there she was, a fresh unopened bottle of pear infused vinegar.  The vinegar was slightly sweet with the perfect vinegary bite in the background.  We simply replaced it in our standard dressing making the salad feel like a new treat.

Vine Ripe Roma Tomatoes: while tomatoes do not seem all that special, lovers of the veggie fruit know how exciting it is to come across that perfectly ripe sweet delight.  These beauties needed to be added to something more special than a regular salad, but left raw so as to not mask the taste.  We prepared a salsa with tomato, onion, and basil adding a hint of oil, salt, and sugar and placed it as an accompaniment to grilled chicken breasts seasoned with herbs de provence.  

Lavender Salt: we found this unique treat at CowGirl Creamery in DC on Inauguration Day 2009.  Fragrant and calming, we initially thought we should bathe in this salt.  But, we decided to use a heavy dose of it in boiling water mixed with aromatics for poached chicken from which we prepared lavender chicken salad (lavender poached chicken diced and mixed with onion, celery, and sweet relish bound my miracle whip salad dressing).

Red Beets: at a market in South Carolina, we came across a huge basket of fresh rose red beets.  We peeled them, sliced them thin and marinated them in herb seasoning, a pinch of salt, and evoo.  We then lightly dredged them in flour and fried them in canola oil until the beets were crispy on the outside and warm and fleshy on the inside.  

That's just a few of the fun things we've come across in a trek for tasty treats.  For us, it all about making meals special and memorable.  After all, it is art, food, and life....right? 

 

Vacation is Over!

My family traditionally has taken a week long vacation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the seven days just prior to Labor Day.  Its like a tradition now and its spread like wildfire among other family members.  This year we were 17 deep and I believe next year we'll be even deeper.  During those seven days, we lounge, we chat, we bond, we laugh, we EAT!  I have the fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it) of being a part of a family filled with food and wine enthusiasts.  We plan our vacation meals for weeks prior to the trip and bring ice chests filled with special ingredients, buckets filled with special pots, spoons, and knives, and--of course--several mixed cases of wine and champagne.  

This year, my cousin, Kennice, and I were intent on making sure we stuck to our diets--at least for breakfast.  So, we made our way to a small market that had a small organic section.  We stocked up on soy milk and soy yogurt, crudite, and fruit.  On our way out, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a beautiful pork roast lying gently in a sale case on the meat aisle.  It was only $3.24 making it hard for me to resist bringing it home and adding it to the next night's grilling fiesta.  In the basket this pink beauty went and into my canvas shopping bag to join the party.

I'm sure you're shrieking at the thought that I brought home a pork roast.  And it was a real pork roast, not a tofu chunk disguised as such.  It was pork from a real pig, one of the first domesticated animals in the world.  It has a bad rap and for those who love cracklings, trotters, chitterlings, bacon, and pepperoni, the meat can be life threatening when eaten in abundance.  But some cuts can be as lean as boneless chicken breasts.  It takes quickly to most marinades and can stand up to several styles of preparation.  For those foodies that do not have limited diets, its an awesome source of protein and other nutrients making for a decent addition to break the monotony of weekly meal planning.

So, we planned to marinade our pork in a sweet soy sauce and grill it the next day with asparagus, beets, and thick steaks.  Ironically, the pork was to be a lighter option for those that didn't want a super thick steak.  But, the same night we came home with the meat, the family was in a lurch about what to do for dinner.  I went to the fridge to see what I could come up with and there was the roast.  Light bulb: Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps!  

I began by butchering the meat into medium cubes being certain to remove the center cartilage and any additional fat.  I then marinated the meat in sweet soy sauce for about twenty minutes. If you don't have sweet soy sauce, go for a mix of soy sauce and honey using just a tad of soy sauce.  After the meat has a chance to soak up some flavor, I then sauteed it in canola oil until cooked through and removed it from the pan and allowed it to cool.  In the same pan, I added a cup each of sweet sliced onions and julienne carrots sauteing the mix with a tablespoon of sweet soy sauce until they became tender.  Meanwhile, I diced the medium chunks of meat in small pieces.  When the veggies were tender, I added the meat to the pan until everything came together adding a touch more sauce as needed.  The sauce itself is so flavorful that no other seasonings were needed.  We served up the meat mixture on a platter with iceberg lettuce leaves.  

This little pork roast was inexpensive and flavorful becoming our star that night.  Lean cuts of pork, when prepared correctly, are a great addition to any diet.  Note, we said lean!!!!  As for the beets that you probably did a double take on, we'll save that for another post :-)