Thursday, 14 June 2012
Chopped Salads--Hot weather favorites!
Topic: Recipe
I really love chopped vegetable and fruit salads but hate the prep work involved. I also don't have any of the vegetables or fruits yet in season in my garden. However, that doesn't mean I can't work around these problems!
How about two quick recipes for “chopped salads” that require very little chopping prep time and can be made with simple ingredients available in any market ???
Both of these salads together would be a nice little lunch/brunch.
And, they'd be great company for grilled meats .
Or, they can make great accompaniments for some spicy beef enchiladas, tacos or fajitas (on low carb tortillas , of course)
Chopped Vegetable Salad-Southwestern style
1- 14.5 oz can of corn, rinsed and drained
1-14.5 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4 oz can of chopped green chilies
1- 14.5 can of petite diced tomatoes, drained*
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped – or 1 generous tablespoon of freeze-dried cilantro
(*Note: you don't need the tomato juice in the salad, but don't waste it, reserve it to add into a future soup, stew, etc)
Dressing: Whisk ¼ c. lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tsp. Chili powder, 1 tsp. Cumin, red pepper flakes (optional)
Combine vegetables in a glass bowl. Add dressing and toss, refrigerate to chill thoroughly and toss again before serving.
Chopped Fruit Salad
1 pint of fresh blueberries, cleaned and rinsed
1 navel orange, peeled and sections chopped
2- 4oz.(snack pack size) “No-Sugar -Added” mixed fruit cups, WITH the juice
Combine above in a glass bowl. The juice in the snack cups is sufficient for dressing. Add a few chopped mint leaves for optional flavoring if you'd like! Chill and serve.
Posted by Karen
at 09:09 CDT
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Are you not responsible for the babies?
Topic: Values
I am always upset by the interlopers on my property--you know, the animals that attack your pets, the rodents that bring disease, the animals that eat the bark off your trees and that eat the roots of your vegetables, but...
They are God's creatures...
so...
while I get terse when the barn swallows make awful mud nests on top of my windows, I grit my teeth...
but then...
I see the new life and wonder...
What reason do I really have to be angry--
these babies are new life...
Posted by Karen
at 18:41 CDT
Sunday, 3 June 2012
How to Clean Berries
Topic: Education
It's that time of the year for the berry season.
I have wild blackberries on the Farm and will share some recipes later in the month. Right now, you may have access to strawberries and other hard-to-clean berries and I'd like to share some food safety information with you.
Strawberries have been implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks through the transmission of hepatitis A (virus) and E. coli (bacteria). And the sources have been US and foreign, processed and fresh.
Fresh berries are also notorious for molding and having a short half life. Never purchase a carton of fruit where you can see mold on any of the fruit. The food safety rule is the whole container of food should be discarded if mold can be seen on any part of the food in the container.
Ideally, if you want fresh berries, you should:
- know your source (and make sure they practice "Good Agricultural Practices"),
- make sure you wash YOUR hands before handling them (20 second scrub with soap and water)
- and--rinse your berries with a vinegar-and-water solution.
A University of Florida study showed that a solution of white vinegar, mixed with water in the proportions 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts of water--could reduce both bacteria and viruses on berries.
White vinegar is cheap, no reason not to try this. The berries can be put into a glass bowl, the solution poured over, then drain the berries in a colander in a sanitized sink--no rinsing--and return to a fresh glass bowl for refrigerator storage. (reminder-don't use metal bowls, specifically not aluminum or copper, with an acid solution).
Thank you to FreeFoto.com and photographer Ian Britton for the raspberry picture.
Posted by Karen
at 06:21 CDT
Updated: Sunday, 3 June 2012 07:00 CDT
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Kale Greens with Ground Chicken
Topic: Garden
I am so ready for the garden harvest I am anticipating. I already crave the vegetables that haven't germinated and covet the ones that are mere little shoots and tiny leaves.
This week, I had a craving for greens. I have 2 types of kale and Swiss chard planted and growing but not ready! So, when I wanted kale greens this week, I had to buy them at the market...it was worth it- -
Here's a recipe using chopped kale greens and ground chicken. It's tangy, sweet-sour and if you opt for the red pepper flakes, even has a surprise kick. You "steam wilt-cook" the kale over simmering chicken and wine juices. Sounds good already, doesn't it?
The recipe will easily make 8 side-servings and if you don't want that much, it can be cut in half without a problem. Or--you might be like me and want to eat it for lunch and dinner both.
Kale Greens with Ground Chicken
1 lb ground chicken
2-4 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Brown together in a large skillet pan.
Rinse, drain a 1 lb. package of chopped Kale greens (about 8 cups packed, if chopping your own)
Season the meat and its juices in the pan with a generous 2 tsp of mixed dried Italian herb blend, freshly ground pepper and Red pepper flakes (optional).
Add 1 cup of dry white wine (Dry vermouth works well for cooking. You can also substitute chicken broth). Bring to a simmer. Add the kale greens on top of the wine and chicken. Sprinkle the greens with 2-3 tbsp. Wine or Cider vinegar and 2 packets of Stevia while then stirring the greens down into the ground meat mixture.
Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until the greens are wilted and cooked through.
Stir occasionally to advance the greens on the top down lower in the pan to cook. With raw greens you always have a large volume to deal with before they are wilted down.
Posted by Karen
at 15:58 CDT
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Bratwurst Stew in the Crockpot
Topic: Recipe
It's supposed to get chilly tonight--something like a 50 degree change from Monday's 97 degrees to tonight's low of 48--but that's OK by me.
It gives me a chance to make one more stew in the crockpot. And this stew has all the right stuff--lower carb, high nutrition, probiotics, high fiber...exactly what I need to re-start a good diet after my over-indulgences at the day-long buffet we had at work on Memorial Day.
Bratwurst Stew
4 servings
1&1/2 lb. bratwurst, cut into 1" pieces
1 qt. (28 oz) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with the juice
1-14.5 oz can of navy beans or blackeyed peas, rinsed and drained
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 bay leaves (remember to remove before serving)
Combine above in a spray-oil prepped crockpot.
Season additionally to taste with a few shakes of onion powder, ground Allspice, ground black pepper.
Cover and cook on "low" for 8 hours.
Here's a picture before cooking--the liquid in the recipe comes from the canned tomatoes in juice, you don't need to add more.
And after cooking...
It will look something like this and taste great!
Posted by Karen
at 12:14 CDT
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Almond Cheesecake (it's low carb!)
Topic: Recipe
If you're elected to bring dessert to your family get-together this Memorial Day, here's a recipe you might like to try. It's pretty and low carb, too!
Almond (or Plain) Low Carb Cheesecake
16 servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray-oil prep a large springform pan.
Crust:
1 cup almonds (or other nut), crushed
2 Tbsp. Butter, softened
2 pkts. Stevia
(if making a plain cheesecake, then add 1 tsp.cinnamon)
Combine above, then press into the bottom of the springform pan. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Return to counter and fill with cheesecake filling below.
Filling:
5 bars of Cream Cheese
3 fresh eggs
1 cup sour cream
8 pkts. Stevia
2 tsp almond extract (if making plain, then substitute vanilla)
Mix with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended.
Pour filling over crust and bake for 1 hour to 1hr and 15 minutes until thoroughly set.
Remove from oven and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, until chilled.
Cheesecakes always have cracks so plan on spreading some whipped cream or Cool Whip over the top after it's chilled, before you remove the pan's sides and put it on your serving plate. Garnish with slivered, blanched almonds.
Posted by Karen
at 09:19 CDT
Friday, 25 May 2012
Salad Sides
Topic: Recipe
Busy days for Everyone lately...
I hope you'll be able to enjoy a pleasant day in the yard over this Memorial Day weekend. And, if you do, then I'm sure you'll try to do a little cooking on the grill. The meat isn't a problem, but finding healthy side dishes, especially if you're trying to go low carb, can be.
Here's two quick side salads that will happily accompany your grilled beef, chicken, or lamb (or zucchini steaks!)
Cottage Cheese with Tomatoes and Cucumber
1.5 lb. Container of Cottage Cheese
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Simply mix the above ingredients together, season with freshly ground pepper.
Romaine Lettuce with Hearts of Palm and Tomato
2 large heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 14.5 oz. Can of Hearts of Palm, chopped, drained
Tomatoes- either 2, seeded and chopped, or ½ pint sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
Dressing: 1 part lemon juice to 1 part olive oil, whisked together
Toss ingredients with dressing together—remember the French and toss 40 times!
Posted by Karen
at 09:37 CDT
Updated: Friday, 25 May 2012 09:38 CDT
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Happy Mothers' Day
Topic: Values
To All Mothers:
Wishing you all a wonderful Mothers' Day. Hope you will have a peaceful day with family...and maybe sneak outside for a little gardening or walk later?
To All their Children (young or adult):
May you always remember that it was your mother who introduced you to unconditional love and caring. And she gave you the knowledge that real love isn't always easy.
Remember, no mother ever raised any child without directly sacrificing something of themselves.
And, may you always honor your mother for that.
Mothers' Day 2012--Harvest Hills Farm--Outside the porch--the garden's planted and the vines beyond are starting to burst.
Mothers' Day 2012--The little black dots are cattle and calves!
Posted by Karen
at 08:58 CDT
Friday, 11 May 2012
Meat Loaf Stew
Topic: Recipe
It's really hard to cook balanced meals everyday. I mean, you want the home-cooked dinner, but it's hard to get motivated some days when life is pulling you in a million different directions. But, it's also way too easy to pick up fast food with their excess calories and unneeded carbs to fill the stomach. And for older persons living alone, the frozen food options they often eat do not provide enough nutrition.
I think that's why the crock pot has become a mainstay at my house and why I like to share crock pot recipes. If you can prep things in advance (even the night before and refrigerate until the morning)--you can set it on "low" and walk into a house filled with home-cooked fragrances...the best potpourri.
Would you like to walk into your house and have all the fragrances of an old-fashioned meat loaf dinner (without excess carbs!) with little effort on your part?
Then try this recipe for "MEAT LOAF STEW"--I think I might even be able to get my mother to make it and freeze leftovers in containers she can pull out and microwave for future dinners.
Ingredient List:
2 lb ground beef, 1 packet dried onion soup mix, 2 large carrots, 1 potato, 1 cup of chopped spinach or kale, 1/2 cup of frozen peas, 8 oz can of tomato sauce, 1-2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Meat Loaf Stew
Prep a crock pot with spray oil.
Brown 2 lbs of ground beef until thoroughly cooked through.
Stir 1 packet of dried onion soup mix into the ground beef and then pour the mixture into the crock pot.
Chop 2 carrots.
Dice one potato.
Chop (or defrost) 1 cup of spinach or kale.
Stir the vegetables into the meat mixture.
Stir in 1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce and 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours.
At the end of cooking, stir in ½ cup of frozen peas.
Posted by Karen
at 08:20 CDT
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Pizza with a Meat Crust!
Topic: Recipe
Here's a GREAT Low carb recipe to try for a super-casual dinner-for-two, everything in one pan...depending upon your topping choices, this can be an extremely low carb option with no sacrifice in flavor..."PIZZA with a Meat Crust"
Pizza with Meat Crust
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prep a Pyrex 9 inch pie pan with a light spray-oil.
Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian seasoned pork sausage
4 oz. Shredded Mozzarella cheese + sprinkle extra Parmesan
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, cooked*
½ cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained*
Preparation:
Form the sausage into a ball, then flatten it into a circle on the bottom of the pie pan. Using your fingers, pat down and extend the meat to cover the entire bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Bake the crust at 400 degrees 12-15 minutes until cooked and browned.
Remove from oven. Using paper towels, pat excess fat from surface of crust.
Sprinkle ½ of the cheese on the bottom, add mushroom and spinach layers (or your selected toppings).
Finally add the drained tomatoes, extra Italian seasonings if desired and the remaining cheese.
Return to the oven for another 15 minutes until heated through and browned.
Allow to set 5 minutes, cut and enjoy.
Posted by Karen
at 09:35 CDT
Newer | Latest | Older
