Healthy Recipe Substitutions

This is absolutely crazy.  And I don't mean it in a negative way.  I mean it in the sense that I never thought you could use prunes or avocado instead of butter, or vanilla extract instead of sugar.  I've heard about some of the substitutions in this infographic, but a majority of them are new to me.

In in the end, this is all about having a healthier heart and living longer, so check it out.  Click the infographic and visit Greatist for a clearer image.

 

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

We love to use it in our pies, eggnog, spice cakes, etc., but did you know Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.

Want a little Oleander tea with that?  Things that make you go hmmm...

A Very Special Moment - Issue #10: Omelette

This is the cutest and sweetest short film I've seen in a very long time.  And I guess it's even more special because Ryan and I are pet owners.  

For the past 3 years my little Duchess has layed on my chest at night and then snuggled underneath the covers as I fall asleep.  Before that, it was Princess.  And both protected me with their lives; Duchess, even more so.

But this film isn't really about a pet, it's about cooking for someone you love.  You'll have to watch the video to understand.

Cheesy Broccoli-Chicken w/Rice

Please make sure to check out my new recipe at Cocina De Don Pedro!  Click on the picture and add this healthy recipe to your collection.

Mom's "Zero Fat" Spanish Rice

Please make sure to check out my new recipe at Cocina De Don Pedro!  Click on the picture and add this healthy recipe to your list.

Extra Lean Beef Taco Meat

Please make sure to check out my new recipe at Cocina De Don Pedro!  Click on the picture to find out how to add this healthy recipe to your list.

Chili Today, Gone Tamale

Well, my Chili didn't win first place, but overall it was the most authentic and most flavorful chili of all!  Granted, I feel I should have won since it was the first one that disappeared off the table. LOL.

The judges were people from other departments at M.D. Anderson with no affiliation to Breast Medical Oncology, because last year there were complaints the contest was rigged.

So it was a first for me on two different levels.  One, I created the cream corn and mozzarella cheese tamales hoping they would turn out great, and they did!  Second, I have never entered a cooking contest before - yep, this was my first time. :-)

The three judges read the results aloud starting with 3rd place, "It's Always Chili in BMO", the northeastern bean and chicken won them over.  Then came our team's chili, "Chili Today, Gone Tamale" - they stated my chili was the most authentic and most flavorful of all. Uhhh hellooooo?????   LOL.  And finally first place went to "Ready To Rock N' Roll" - for being the "most odd chili they've ever tasted - it was sweet, spicy and different."

Afterwards the entire department was able to feast on all the food.  Of course I had to try my competitor's chili and went with the winning chili, and it wasn't that bad actually.  But if you added potatoes and carrots - you'd definitely have some beef stew since it contained mostly pot roast.  So yeah, that was a little odd.  In either case, congrats to them.

Thank you all for the support and wish me luck next year! :-)

Some Pretty Cool Stuff - Issue No. 006

Yay!!! It's time for "Some Pretty Cool Stuff"...

I figured that since I'm constantly in the kitchen creating recipes, cooking and enjoying life - today's issue would consist of three must-haves for the kitchen.

Let's start off with the Quirky Ribbon Baking Pan!

 

The Ribbon is a modular baking pan that allows you to control the shape and the size of the baking area. Using the silicone band that attaches to the steel baking sheet with magnets, you can shape the baking area to fit the needs of your recipe and create different shaped molds for your cakes, brownies, and your most decadent desires. Ding! When you’re done baking simply peel away the silicone band to unleash those delicious treats!

Unfortunately this item isn't for sell yet, but they can sign me up!

The Quirky Pluck!

From bodybuilders to soccer moms, egg whites are a great healthy breakfast choice. But separating the yolk from the whites can seem like pulling a rabbit from a hat. Enter Quirky’s Pluck, the yolk extractor you’ll have to see to believe. Simply place it over the yolk of an already cracked egg, squeeze the silicone chamber, and release to suck the egg yolk up into it. To dispose of its contents, just give Pluck another squeeze and move onto the next egg. When finished, separate the two pieces and wash by hand or in the dishwasher. Buy $12.99 video

The Corn Kerneler!

Wow, this would definitely help me with making sweet corn tamales! Thanks to the stainless steel blades in this contraption, it makes plucking the corn off the cob seem like child's play. $12.95

Click here if want to see more of "Some Pretty Cool Stuff"

Mealies For My Love

Earlier today I posted a picture on Facebook, and by looking at it you would think I was having a party.  Mardi Gras anyone? LOL.

Actually, the food is for my partner, Ryan.  No, he's not going to eat it all tonight;  Though, we are having a sample of each dish for dinner.

When I make dinner every night there is usually some left-overs, and with those left-overs I make "Mealies For My Love".  What are those?  Well, they're pre-packaged meals that I freeze and Ryan takes to work each day.   But since I hardly cooked this week - I didn't have any left-overs and Ryan was running low on his mealies;  He only had one left in the freezer.

And yes, they are labeled with the date, and the particular food that's in them. LOL.

It's not very often that I cook food in bulk like this, but this week was the exception; We've been having other foods stored in our freezer for the past week.

So in the end, when I see that Ryan is running low, this is what I do.  Oh - how I love my husband so.

Mixed Vegetable Medley, Macaroni & Cheese Tuna Melt, Oven Roasted Chicken, Chicken Bruschetta Bake, & Lemon Pepper Tilapia

Some Pretty Cool Stuff - Issue No. 005

Now, here are "Some Pretty Cool Stuff" I would like.  I mean, think about never owning "live" fish again!  Ryan and I have a Koi Pond and we used to keep a 40 gallon aquarium in the house, so you can just imagine how much work that can be.  I know this is only on my 5th issue, but I've actually come across some pretty cool stuff, don't you think?  I hope you like this series as much as I do, because it's fun posting them every week.  Hey, who knows? I may introduce you to something you never heard of before. :-)

Bar Games Drink Coasters

Okay, I don't go out to bars anymore, and even if I did, I don't think I would have the time to sit and play with games at the bar.  But I wouldn't mind having this at my bar at home - provided I had a bar at home. LOL.  Well, let's just say when Ryan and I move into our new home I would like one, and these could sit on the counter. These unique coasters contain 30 amusing games, ranging from “I Spy” to “Peanut Darts”; so you'll have plenty to talk (and laugh) about, up to your very last drink! They come in a set of 30, made of 85% recycled paper pulp - so they're good for the environment and your drunk friends and family! :-) $12.99

Electronic Goldfish in a Bowl

As I mentioned earlier, it takes a lot of patience and work to raise live fish.  Ryan and I have a Koi Pond outside and it's one of the most costliest things we ever got ourselves into.  And the same thing goes for raising fish in Aquariums.  But alas, some of you are lazy and forget to feed the little dudes. And you're probably ever so tired of all the toilet bowl funerals. But what if there was an easier way to enjoy a goldfish without having to worry about food? There is (woo hoo!) and it is the Electronic Goldfish in a Bowl. Put fresh batteries into the top, push the base decoration into the bowl, fill the bowl with water, and put the top back on. Tap the top and the fishy "swims" around - looking quite alive. $19.99

What To Cook? Dice

I love to cook, and often times I'm stuck not knowing what I want to cook for dinner.  In the end, my philosophy is you can never go wrong with Chicken, so I just pick that and go from there.  But what if you could throw some dice and let them make the decision for you?  Provided you had all the ingredients.  In either case, their
a delightful addition to any kitchen - make a game of cooking, mix it up, get creative, get inspired.  Each set (because you know there had to be a set for Vegetarians) of 14 handmade dice come packed in a handy re-purposed spice jar.  You have your basics - from eggs, rice - to the exotic - hot chiles, fennel, bok choy. includes grains, veggies, herbs and (in the omnivore set) meats too. $20.00

Must Watch: Just Put the F*cking Turkey in the Oven

Seriously, just put the f*cking turkey in the oven.  According to Mary Risley (aka Tante Marie from Food Runners) we shouldn't be wasting so much time on a damn turkey.  In the end, a turkey is a turkey, whether brined, cooked in a paper bag, barbecued, deep fried, no matter how you cook it, it's just a turkey, you'll never have an outstanding turkey.

I simply adore this woman, she's funny, and makes cooking so much fun.  

Mary Risley started Tante Marie's Cooking School as a full-time School almost 30 years ago. In 1997, she was honored "The Cooking Teacher of the Year" by BON APPETIT magazine. In 1998, she was awarded "Humanitarian of the Year" by the James Beard Foundation, for her efforts to help alleviate hunger in San Francisco, through the volunteer organization she directs called Food Runners. In 2008 she received the Jefferson Award in San Francisco for Food Runners. She is the author of THE TANTE MARIE'S COOKING SCHOOL COOKBOOK published by Simon & Schuster in 2003.

Post Secret Fridays - Issue 081

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

See More Secrets. Follow PostSecret on Twitter.

On back of card: I'm pretty sure he's thinking the same thing.

On back of card: Does that make me a bad person?

Join the 200,000+ people who have downloaded the new PostSecret App.

Want to see older Post Secret Friday issues? Go here.

Hell's Kitchen: "I'm Not Your Bitch!"

I don't know how many of you watch "Hell's Kitchen," or if you even know of the show.  It's a show that airs on Fox that is hosted by Gordon Ramsay, a British chef and restaurant owner.  He's also known for hosting other popular shows like "The F Word," "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares," and "Master Chef," but what he's most famous for, is his fiery temperament and use of a wide range of expletives on these shows.

So yeah, there's plate throwing, food spitting, and calling people "chunky monkey." What I'm surprised at, is the fact that no one has killed or attempted to kill this man after he calls the contestants vulgar, and sometimes obnoxious names.  Last night, he told one of the women contestants, "shut your big fat mouth!"

The show is in it's 9th season, and Ryan and I have watched every season except for the first one.  It's actually quite entertaining, but not too many of my friends like watching it, because of Ramsay.  They prefer to watch Iron Chef or Cupcake Wars (mediocre shows), when this one is so much better.

Even though he tells someone to fuck off, or throws a plate of food on the floor; some of these contestants would probably drive me to do the same.  Here's a sample of the most hated man in the world...  It's pretty intense...

What a Hot Mess: The Iron Chef

Ahhhh, I can smell that delicious, savory sausage already.  I guess they must have run out of gas.   

What a Hot Mess!

WHAT-A-RECIPE - Lobster Rolls

I actually never heard of Ben Sargent until I read an article on CNN, where this guy from Massachusetts was "shelling out 150 rolls a night from his snug Brooklyn apartment to the lobster-loving masses - well, that is until the Department of Health paid him a little visit and scrubbed his whole shellfish stint."

According to the article, Sargent was offered a job on the Cooking Channel, where he hosts his own show, "Hook, Line & Dinner."

Luckily for me and you, I saved the images from the article, because I didn't want there to be a chance I couldn't find the recipe.  The following images not only offer a step-by-step guide on how to cook a lobster, but a recipe on how to make Sargent's delicious Lobster Rolls.   They really do look quite delicious - I can't wait to try the recipe sometime.

Check out the slideshow I made, it's pretty cool... (enlarge to read the captions)


The recipe and ingredients, courtesy of Ben Sargent are after the jump.

How Do You Like Your Eggs?

Wow, yesterday I introduced you to the Six Degrees of Steak Doneness, and now I bring you this, The Egg Chart!  The next time you're sitting at your local Denny's or Ihop, make sure the waiter understands how you like your eggs.  And if he still doesn't get it, print this out, take it with you, and pull out your huevos!  I'm sure he'll understand then.  Hopefully he's a hottie. :-).

click to enlarge

And if you wish to see the degrees of doneness for your eggs, I found this useful guide online as well.

The Six Degrees of Steak Doneness

Ever go to a restaurant, order a steak, and you're never exactly sure how it's cooked, or wonder how much blood you'll find dripping off your plate?

Well... here's the chart of all cooking charts.  You can now determine how precise your steak is cooked the next time you visit your local Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster, or Texas Roadhouse.  A little on the bloody side or the burnt side, you decide.  

I know how to cook steaks, because of my countless years in the restaurant business, but for most folks, they have no idea.  So print this out, take it with you, and the next time you learn your steak wasn't done to perfection, pull out your meat and show it to your waiter - hopefully he's hot. :-)

click to enlarge