Bulgur Wheat. What's That?

I made bulgur wheat pilaf the other night. I have to say that I didn’t even know what bulgur wheat was until a few weeks ago. But that’s what friends are for – to introduce you to new foods. My friend who’s a vegetarian wanted to bring something fresh and flavorful to a recent potluck party and opened up a vegan cookbook for us to consider our options. Believe it or not, the recipe we chose was one of the simpler ones in the book. But bulgur wheat was not in the local supermarket so we trekked to a special organic store to pick it up. We found that it wasn’t so easy to cook, either; the bulgur wheat remained hard even after we cooked it for the amount of time specified by the recipe.  So we kept cooking it. Finally it looked ready to eat. We did a quick taste test, and it was delicious! What surprised me most was all the meat-lovers at the party raving about the dish, too.

Fast forward to this week. I wanted to make the bulgur wheat dish myself to see if I came out as well as our initial concoction. This time, I changed the ratio of water to bulgur, doubled the recipe and added a little bit more lemon zest. The end result? It came out even better! I think the additional water was what really did the trick.

Chickpea and Bulgur Pilaf

Serve as a side dish or stuff in a pita

Start to finish 40 minutes, makes 4 servings as a side dish

1 cup uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat

(or any other leftover whole grain you have)

2 cups boiling water

1 cup diced tomato (seeds and juice discarded)

1 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Add boiling water and stir to mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes.

Combine the tomato, scallions, parsley, basil and chickpeas in a medium bowl. Toss well, then add to bulgur and stir to mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the zest, juice, oil, salt and pepper.  Add mixture to bulgur and toss well.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

My Guilty Kitchen Pleasure

Butter is one of my guilty pleasures in the kitchen because enhances the flavor and smoothes the texture of every dish I make.  You could call it my “kitchen crutch.” Take fresh salmon filet, for example. I put a couple of thin slices of butter on top before baking it in the oven, and the fish just melts in my mouth. I used to just cover the fish with a stir-fry or sesame sauce. Fresh from the oven, it tasted good, but it could be crusted over and a little dry in spots. For sure, it was never leftover material. Now that I put a couple slices of butter on top of the sauce, it tastes moist whether it’s just been made or has been in the fridge for a couple days.  I’ll make three or four pieces at a time. It’s great for date night and then for one more meal after that.

What you’ll need:

1 ¼ lbs. of salmon filet, cut in thirds or fourths

Sauce

Butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cover metal tray with aluminum foil.

Wash off fish. Layer with sauce of your choice (I like sesame!). 

(Tip: For maximum flavor, sauce should entirely cover top of fish.)

Line up pieces of fish on metal tray.

Put a slice of butter on each side of each piece.

Cook for 35 minutes.

Take out and serve.

For a quick side dish: Cook broccoli with a little water in the microwave for 3 ½ minutes.  

Other sides: couscous, baked potato, mashed potatoes

Cream Of Wheat: A Real Treat Or A Kitchen Nightmare

I cooked Cream of Wheat this morning. I really love this breakfast food because it’s filling and inexpensive. Plus, I’ve discovered that a box of the stuff lasts a few months, even when eaten daily. Okay, I admit that I ate it all the time in college and practically lived on the gruel in grad school. It was my version of Raman noodles. Still, it’s a great start to a long day, especially since I began adding in blueberries and cinnamon. Both ingredients really zip up the familiar flavor.

But Cream of Wheat is easy to blunder. When it cooks too long in the microwave, it boils over. I can’t count the number of times I wasn’t watching the time carefully and found my bowl nearly empty, with Cream of Wheat sticking all over the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the microwave like glue. Afterward, I had to give the microwave a good scrubbing. So I began to put a paper plate underneath the bowl to minimize a mess. The real trick, though, is stirring the mixture in the microwave every 30 seconds after the first minute of heating.

Then, after eating, wash the bowl out immediately.  Loosening leftover mix from the bowl later is a real workout. If it gets to that point, soak in hot water and scrub with a Dobie cleaning pad.

What you’ll need for 1 serving:

3 tablespoons Cream of Wheat mix  

¾ cup milk or ¾ cup of water

A fistful of blueberries

A pinch of cinnamon

1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute

Directions:

Mix Cream of Wheat and milk (or water) in a bowl.

Add blueberries.

Microwave for 1 minute. Stir the mixture. Then microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture again. It's best when the blueberries have popped. Depending on your microwave, it may need another 30 seconds. (And maybe another 30 seconds after that. Always stir before and after heating.) 

Stir before eating. It should not be too lumpy.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.

Enjoy!

Soup Spectacular

So my culinary adventures this week have been somewhat uninspired. I just wanted to default to oldies but goodies to keep things easy in the kitchen and my stomach and pocketbook full. I've posted about soups before and they have been on the menu at my house since Sunday. I love soups because they are relatively simple, taste great and they can serve as multiple meals or as the first course at lunch and/or dinner.

Tonight I whipped up my adapted version of the classic Vegetable Beef Barley (that is really a Turkey Veggie Barley) in 45 minutes.

I prefer to use ground turkey instead of the usual ground beef. I browned the ground meat with a little onion and minced garlic.

I absolutely hate soup recipes that only have frozen or canned vegetables, the Beef Barley Recipe that I use calls for both sliced carrots and celery along with canned diced tomatoes (look for no salt added) and  a bag of the frozen mixed vegetables. I usually decrease the barley from 1/2 cup to 1/4 of a cup and use low-sodium chicken broth instead of bouillon cubes or beef stock.

Instead of the standard dried basil and bay leaf, I used 1/2 tsp of herbs de Provence and 1/2 tsp of pepper to keep my taste buds happy!

Ok, so this soup is a slight stretch from the original, but it is still delicious!

Chili Days of January!

Today we were hit with another flurry of flakes that covered the streets making the commute to work an adventure and taking the dog outside miserable. When the weather is wicked outside I really just want to enjoy something hot, satisfying and filling. A big bowl of chili and warm slice of cornbread often does the trick for satisfying my taste buds and hunger on these cold winter evenings .

There are many chili recipes out there but I found one of my favorites in Anne Quinn Corr’s cookbook the Seasons of Central Pennsylvania. Don Plott’s Make Your Own Chili recipe provides the guidelines for creating your own fabulous dish. You can select your base (liquid) of choice, water, beer or red wine along with your preference for meat and beans. It’s quick, hearty, easy and seriously delicious. It does make enough for a crowd, so I oftentimes freeze leftovers in individual containers for days when I want to heat up something for a quick, healthy meal.

A Dish That's an Old Friend

There's one dish I never tire of eating: spaghetti and meat with tomato sauce. Not a tomato meat sauce. In my meal, the meat is cooked separately, poured over a bed of pasta and sauce, and then mixed in with them. For me, this dish is like coming home to an old friend probably because I’ve been eating it since I was old enough to say spaghetti. It was the first meal I could cook myself, though I definitely scorched the meat and onions a little as I was learning. Growing up, it was a Monday night tradition in my house. Now, I often cook a week’s worth, and that’s what I did last night. I find it to be a great comfort food in the snowy season, when I had a lot of studying in grad school or when I’m exhausted from a long day of work.  Plus, it is so easy to make!

What you’ll need:

1/2 box angel hair or spaghetti
Tomato sauce

1 Pkg. of 85 percent or 93 percent lean ground turkey (85 percent is tastier; 93 percent is healthier)

1 large onion

Directions:

Dice onions.

Cook turkey in a frying pan for about 20 minutes. Watch and flip frequently to avoid burning the meat. (There’s no need to put oil or butter in the pan. The juices of the turkey will suffice. )

When meat is no longer pink, add in onions.

When onions are translucent, remove from fire.

Boil water for the pasta and add a drop of olive oil.

Cook pasta: 6 minutes for angel hair, 8 minutes for spaghetti.

Cook a bowl of tomato sauce for 1 ½ minutes or until hot in the microwave.
Drain pasta.

Pour meat and sauce over a bed of pasta.

Mix together.

Season with oregano, basil and bread crumbs.

Serve with a salad for a healthier meal. (Helps you eat less pasta!)

The Challenges of Replicating a Family Recipe

There’s nothing like a homemade family meal to make you feel warm and special. In my family, my mother and my grandmother are known for their sweet and sour meatballs – a recipe my mom first picked up from my dad’s cousin, also known for her cooking skills. When I was growing up, we looked forward to these mouthwatering meatballs at large family dinners with my uncle, aunt, and cousins.  I was always so proud when I had the chance to help my mom and grandmom make them from scratch.  The thing about these storied family dishes is that they never disappoint – maybe because they’re made with so much love by people I love dearly.  So would my family’s famed sweet and sour meatballs be as tasty if I made them myself? I decided to see if I could replicate all their brilliance in the kitchen.  I didn’t want to mess up so I made my mom write down every single item and instruction before I got started. Line by line I followed her recipe, tasting the mixture as I went. The result: the meatballs were tender; the sweet-and -sour tomato sauce sublime.  I only wish my grandmother were here. She would have been proud!

What you’ll need:

2 ½ pounds of 93 percent lean ground turkey

2 very large onions

2 eggs

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

¾ cup sugar

2 lemons

1 can tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes

Directions:

Chop 1 large onion and cover bottom of pot.

Mix eggs with turkey.

Chop 1 large onion and mix with turkey.

Mix in 1 cup Italian bread crumbs.

Roll into meatballs. Place meatballs over chopped onions in the bottom of the pot.

Pour hot boiling water over and cover to top of meatballs.

Let cool for 1 hour.

Then add 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1 can of tomato paste.

Cook 45 minutes, and then turn off the fire.

Add sugar and lemon.

Mix and let sit for ½ hour to 1 hour.

Serve with or pour over rice.

Souper Suppers!

As much as I love cooking sometimes I'm just too exhausted to prepare a meal. Soup is my solution to a healthy meal when I'd rather be sitting on the couch instead of washing dishes in the kitchen. I usually make a large pot of homemade soup and than freeze it in individual containers for the perfect portion to use when I'm in a mealtime crunch. I just warm up my soup on the stove and add a small salad and slice of whole grain bread and my meal is ready in under 20 minutes.

Although my freezer soups are usually for just my own enjoyment I love Souperstars idea of making soup night an easy entertaining night with friends. An economical and easy way to entertain, not to mention the fact that even your friend with no culinary prowness will probably be able to whip up a decent soup. I'm contemplating starting my own soup night. What are your favorite homemade soup recipes?

Cooking A Dish I Used to Hate: Eggplant Parmesan

I hated the taste of eggplant when I was a child, and dreaded when my mom said we were having eggplant parmesan for dinner. But I didn’t mind helping her make it. Dipping the eggplant circles she had cut into the egg and the bread crumbs was fun. When it came to eating it, I took a few bites and slugged down a lot of Fruit Punch to obliterate the taste of the stuff. Then, I cut up the rest, pretending to eat it before hiding it under my potato or spreading it around my plate.

My brother felt the same way.  No. Scratch that. He was worse, refusing the eggplant altogether. In fact, my mom once wrote a check for $5,000 just so he would eat it. I’m very serious. And it seriously worked. My brother wolfed down the eggplant, and excitedly grabbed the check from my mom. He was reveling in his new riches, when my mom pointed out that the check was paid to the order of “Mickey Mouse.”  Then, he got mad. Seeing the effect the food had on her otherwise well-behaved children, my mom decided to stop making eggplant. 

Fast forward about 18 years to when I was living in Boston, and roomed with a woman who co-owns an Italian restaurant in the North End, otherwise known as the city’s Italian section.  She was always urging me to try new things on the menu and was always asking for honest feedback. One night she wanted me to try the eggplant parmesan and tell her how it was. I practically shuttered as I explained my distaste for eggplant and emphasized to my friend that it was nothing personal.  She was insistent and comped my meal.  And much to my surprise, it was delicious. Yes, I know that tastes change, but I was truly stunned that my taste buds had changed that much.

After enjoying prepared eggplant parmesan from the grocery store a few times, I decided to make it myself. I experimented a little, but copied some steps from when I was young.  It came out so well that I wanted to post the recipe here.

What you’ll need:

1 eggplant

2 eggs

Italian bread crumbs

1 jar tomato sauce

Sliced mozzarella cheese

Canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Pour bread crumbs in a plate.

Crack two eggs in another plate and whip the mixture with a fork.

Cut up the eggplant julienne style.

Dip a piece of eggplant in egg, then cover on both sides with bread crumbs.

Repeat this two-step process until all slices of eggplant are covered with egg and bread crumbs.

Pour a little bit of oil into a frying pan.

Once pan is hot, put two slices of eggplant in at a time.

When the bottoms are crusted, turn over and do the same with the other side.

Put finished slices on paper towels.

Continue this process until all slices are crusted over.

Place a slice of eggplant in baking pan and cover the top of it with a layer of tomato sauce. Then, cover tomato sauce with another slice. Pour another layer of tomato sauce on top, spreading the sauce over the surface with a spoon if needed. Cover with about one-and-a-half slices of mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the process above for all eggplant slices. (Tip: Match up slices according to their lengths.)

It looks like this because I used a roll of mozzarella cheese (instead of mozzarella slices) and broke the roll up into smaller pieces. I tried it again with slices, which taste great and are easier to work with.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Take out and serve.

For big parties or plenty of leftovers, use two eggplants. 

A New Year and New Adventures in Cooking.....

In 2011 I decided to try something new and go outside of my usual cooking comfort zone, I absolutely love Indian cuisine but have never really attempted any Indian inspired dishes in my own kitchen. I armed myself with curry and cumin and purused my cookbooks for recipes that tempted my palate.

On my menu....

Simple Salad with Naan and Hummus

Ok, I admit the hummus and Naan were both from Trader Joe's but I needed something that was edible in case the rest of the meal turned out to be a flop.

Carrot Soup with Raita

I was dying to find a recipe where I could try out the new immersion blender I got for Christmas. The results were smooth and delicious!


Quick Curry Chicken with Basmati Rice

The quick curry chicken recipe I tried was voted fair by the taste testers at my apartment. It looks like I still need more practice when it comes to making curry chicken, but for a first attempt I think I did a decent job.

Flavor It Up Without Fattening It Up...

Ahh... Fall my favorite time of year, the changing leaves, crisp fall air and seasonal favorites at the local coffee shops. What could be a better motivator to “get up and at ‘em” than a piping hot caffeinated beverage?

When I worked in Washington D.C., it was difficult to walk from the metro to the office without passing several coffee shops. The sounds and smell of the grinding coffee beans lured me like the sirens song. In the bitter winter it was even more difficult to pass the temptation of having something warm to hold onto as I trudged through the snow covered streets.

When I moved from Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore area, I went from a walking to driving commute, but I still pass at least four coffee shops and one convenient drive-thru on my way to work. While like Ari I have a difficult time drinking black coffee, I love the specialty coffee drinks, especially the lattes and frappucinos. As a registered dietitian and savvy consumer, I recognized that both my wallet and waistline wouldn’t benefit from stopping for $4.00 coffee drinks that add as many as 400 extra calories to my daily caloric intake. I was shocked to learn that my favorite 12oz Nonfat Pumpkin Spice Latte with no whipped cream had 200 calories and 37grams of sugar!

While I didn’t want the extra liquid calories or the drain on my wallet, I did want to devise ways to give my homebrewed coffee a little extra boost, so I could still enjoy some of my seasonal favorites without the added guilt.

To add a special touch to my black coffee, I purchased the Bonjour Cafe Milk Frother that whips my milk into thick foam in minutes. I tried to recreate a lower calorie version of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (one of my favorite’s, see my recipe below). 

Alison’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

In my version I use French roast coffee instead of espresso. You can substitute this with your own favorite coffee.

Ingredients:

• 8-12oz hot freshly brewed coffee or espresso
• 1 cup hot milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 packet splenda
• Pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until hot (but not boiling). Remove milk from heat and add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Whisk with milk frother until frothy.
3. Add freshly brewed coffee to mug and stir in one packet of splenda.
4. Pour the pumpkin spice milk into the coffee.
5. Spoon foam on top and add a pinch of cinnamon.

Creating my own speciality coffee drink allowed me to save calories and dollars. Have you revamped or recreated your favorite speciality coffee drink? We'd love to hear from you.

How to Stir Fry a Medley of Veggies

What to do when you’re stuck inside during the snownato of 2010? Why, cook of course.  Before I tell you about my latest creation in the kitchen, I must confess something. I used to quiver a little before I sliced an onion. With the surefire waterworks, I couldn’t be sure I always knew where the knife was when I was chopping, and worried that I might slice my finger.

At one time, it was the dreaded onion. But now that I've been cooking for a while, I've realized the onion keeps meals tasting great for several days.

With lots of practice and a few nicks, I learned how to keep my hand steady. One key thing I learned: It’s actually easier to chop with a sharper knife.  Though they are on the expensive side, Cutco knives are a great investment when you like to cook.

So last night, I used the ingredients below to put together an elaborate stir fry (always great for a dinner party or a week’s worth of food for one):   

1 package Shadybrook ground turkey (about 1.3 pounds), 85 percent lean/15 percent fat (That ratio allows enough juice to permeate the pan and make the meat really tasty, though you could choose a little healthier ratio of 93/7 if you prefer.)

1 Bell red pepper, cut in large chunks

1 Bell green pepper, cut in large chunks

1 green squash, cut julienne and then sliced down

2 medium sweet onions, cut one in quarters and then quarters again, which will go in with all other vegetables. Cut the other onion in smaller pieces and leave it to the side. This one will go in the frying pan with the meat.

1 broccoli crown, cut in bite-size chunks

3 celery stalks, cut julienne and then sliced down

¼ crown of cauliflower, cut in bite-size chunks

6 mushrooms, cut up

½  box of angel hair pasta

Stir fry Sesame sauce

Canola oil

Olive oil

Use two frying pans and a medium-size pot: one frying pan for the vegetables; the other frying pan for the meat and one cut-up onion; the pot is for the pasta, of course.

After all vegetables are cut up, spread canola oil over the bottom of one pan. Turn the heat up high, and drop one vegetable in. When it begins to bubble, carefully put the vegetables into the pan. When they’ve been cooking for 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium and continue to turn them over frequently with a spatula.  Cook for about 20 minutes.

At this point, put the meat into the other pan and begin to break it apart. There’s no need to put oil in the pan as the fat from the meat will be sufficient. Turn the heat up. Frequently turn the meat over so it doesn’t stick to the pan and burn.  When the pink disappears, put in the cut-up onion.  In the meantime, periodically check if the vegetables have softened, and pay particular attention to the celery.  Taste it to see determine its hardness.  

After about 15 minutes put about 3 tablespoons of sesame stir-fry sauce in the vegetable pan and stir around.

Pour water and a drop of olive oil into a medium pot. When water reaches a boil, add pasta. Cook for six minutes.

Turn off burners when the vegetables are moist and the onion begins to look translucent.

Microwave a couple of teaspoons of sesame sauce for 45 seconds.

Serve pasta on bed of vegetables and top off with meat. Add heated sesame sauce on top.

Bon appetit!

If not making for a party, put uneaten pasta, vegetables, and meat (with onions) in separate bowls and cover with plastic wrap.

Onions will keep the meat moist for leftovers!

Living the Talk....

My job every day is to inspire and empower others to make positive diet and lifestyle changes, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that once in a while I open my own fridge after a long day at work, scratch my head and then grab a bowl of cereal. I'd also be lying if I didn't admit that when I do put on those kitchen mitts to make a more well-balanced meal that I don't have my own share of culinary disasters (i.e. exploding squash and watery penne vodka sauce) along with my culinary successes.

This is my venue to attempt to satisfy my appetite for all things food by sharing ideas, recipes, and a few culinary confessions from my own kitchen.

How a Political Journalist Learned to Cook

A 20-something single woman, I'm a writer/editor by day. By night and on weekends, I like to cook for myself, family and friends. But it wasn't always a favorite hobby. I used to be all thumbs in the kitchen.

Learning to cook became a necessity after college when I couldn't afford to eat out all the time in the big cities where I lived. Plus I wanted to eat without feeling guilty. My friends and colleagues in the political journalism world looked at me askance, until they savored the food I cooked for potlucks or at my place.

I've picked up a lot of tricks-of-the-cooking trade from my mom, magazines, and cookbooks since my days in the dorm at Penn State. I even landed an internship with "Good Morning America" on ABC News, where I managed the recipes webpage and sent out weekly recipe e-newsletters.
My last roommate once half-jokingly nicknamed me "food expert" because I seemed to authoritatively answer her questions. Now, I'm no expert, but in this space with my friend Alison (who is a bona fide dietitian), I am looking forward to sharing my good and not-so-good experiences in the kitchen.