Produce Propaganda?

This morning I woke up early and headed out into the freezing cold to take a tour of Schoenmann Produce Company with my commercial food production class. This is what I starred at the entire 20 minute drive...
Once safely inside, I realized we were taking a tour of the refrigerated distribution center. Even though it was 10 degrees warmer than outside, it was still too cold for my taste. The tour ended up being really interesting and our tour guide, Beth, had tons of great tips about produce that I wanted to share with you.

(1) An onion has two ends-- the flowering side and the root side. If you cut the onion from flower end to root end, you won't cry as much. The stuff that makes your eyes water is mostly concentrated at the root end of the onion.

(2) Potatoes should never be wrapped in foil and baked. Using foil will result in a mushy, gross potato. The foil should only be used to keep them warm after baking. The best way to bake a potato is to stab it with a fork a few times and cover it in a small amount of olive oil and sea salt.

(3) Green potatoes are poisonous. NEVER eat a green-tinted potato or french fry. Potatoes turn green when they are exposed to too much light. Keep potatoes in a dry, dark place.

(4) One way to fight allergies is to buy local produce. Beth suggested a teaspoon of locally produced honey a day will keep all your allergies away.

(5) Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes) can cause inflammation, such as arthritis, to get worse. Avoid these when you are experiencing pain or swelling.

(6) Strawberries can naturally whiten teeth! I found these directions on the internet: Cut off the top part of the strawberry, and rub the pink and white on your teeth for about a minute. After you have done that, you brush your teeth with your regular toothpaste. It would whiten a little bit faster if you have baking soda in your toothpaste.

I promptly called Justin on my way home from the tour to share all these great tips and tricks. He was not nearly as impressed as I was and informed me I had been the victim of produce propaganda. I still believe Beth, but you can make your own decision. I just wanted to share her tips with you!

Las Vegas Eats & Treats

Justin and I ate at many wonderful restaurants while in Vegas-- American Fish, Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, First Food and Bar, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Serendipity and China Poblano in the new Cosmopolitan Casino. China Poblano was certainly the most interesting concept-- Asian combined with Mexican cuisine. We had the queso tacos and some very interesting margaritas. They were topped with a lime and salt foam.

Our next favorite meal was First Food and Bar. We ordered the philly cheesesteak dumplings. They were amazing! The dumplings are filled with thinly sliced Rib eye, grilled onions, mushrooms and American cheese, neatly wrapped in dumpling skins and then fried like pot stickers. There are five to an order, served with sriracha ketchup, which alone would have been awesome.

Finally, my birthday treat! We had a chocolate chip cookie sundae from Serendipity that was huge and amazing. We only made it through a 1/3. It would take at least 6 people to finish one of these.

So as you can see, I am in need of a serious detox-- but it was well worth it.

Armando's Food for Life

After a weekend of way too much delicious food in Vegas, I have returned to the real world. I woke up this morning and went to one of my favorite restaurants, Armandos, to learn about my job for this semester. I am so excited! I will be working with Armando's Food for Life. I had to share this with all of you-- the food is delicious, healthy AND reasonably priced. It kicks My Fit Foods ass! Please go check it out and let me know what you think.

Couscous-stuffed Chicken

I made it to the grocery store and successfully cleaned out my kitchen! Then I made my first home-cooked meal of 2011. I picked couscous-stuffed chicken. It sounded so good: chicken breast stuffed with couscous, tomatoes, olives, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Yum! (and only 271 calories per chicken breast) I invited Brett over to be my guinea pig. He arrived with perfect timing, although late, because according to the recipe I had 5 minutes left in the oven which gave me enough time to steam the broccoli. Well, 5 minutes came and went and my chicken was only 130 degrees (it should be 165). So back in the oven another 5 minutes...and its 140. BACK into the oven for 3 minutes, 145. Back into the oven for 5 more minutes, 155. Finally, back in the oven for another 5 minutes (23 minutes total) and it's done! I believe the culprit was the chicken breasts being too thick. I should have measured the instructed 1/4 inch thickness. Even though by the time the chicken was done we had eaten all the broccoli, the chicken was worth the wait! It was really good. You should try it...

Ingredients
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons kalamata olives, chopped
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 minced garlic clove
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

Preparation
Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 4 minutes. Place couscous in a small bowl; fluff with a fork. Cool for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic); toss. Preheat oven to 400°.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Divide couscous mixture evenly among breast halves; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook for 6 minutes or until browned; turn chicken over. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until chicken is done.
From Cooking Light

Fresh Start Sunday

Unfortunately, it is Sunday and I still have not made the sweet and sour chicken as planned. My resolution to cook more is going to need some work, hopefully I'll be more successful once I fly back to Houston tonight. It's hard to be healthy away from my kitchen. I am planning a new year grocery trip tomorrow that includes making some simple, but important swaps in my kitchen to shift from holiday eating to healthy eating. First, all those cookies, cakes, fudge, and desserts are being donated to my parents house. If I need to appease my sweet tooth, I'll enjoy Skinny Cow's Cookies and Cream ice cream cup. It's only 150 calories and tastes almost as good as Blue Bell! Next headed out the door are sodas-- all those cokes, sprites (even diet) are out. They will be replaced with water, sparkling water or Ocean Spray's Diet Cranberry Juice (just 5 calories per cup). Next on my must remove list are any casseroles, creamy pastas, and high calorie, high fat leftovers. Last but not least is a simple glance through the pantry and fridge for any high fat, high calorie foods that need to hit the road. Once my kitchen has been purged of it's holiday calories, hopefully I will be as well!

Next step is to make a list of things I do want in my apartment, such as nonfat greek yogurt, hummus, light soy sauce, low calorie salsa, organic peanut butter, whole wheat bread and, most importantly, I want to add seasonal fruits and vegetables. What's in season you ask...I'll tell you: beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, grapefruit, spinach, winter squash, some oranges and tangerines and strawberries are right around the corner in Feb. Lastly, I have two very important tips for grocery shopping.

1) Pay attention to the serving size!! Food manufacturers are tricky. They know you are looking for low calorie foods and when you think something is too good to be true, read the label. If a serving of potato chips is only 50 calories-- the serving size is probably only 4-5 chips.

2) Ignore the word "natural." There is barely any regulation on what foods can be labeled all natural and you are much better off ignoring this phrase all together. In fact, your best bet is to ignore all the claims on the box and head straight for the ingredient list. If there are more than 5 things you can't pronounce, you should probably put it back on the shelf.

Why is there so little regulation? Well, for example, chickens naturally have sodium in their bodies, but very little. So when a chicken farmer pumps his chicken breasts full of sodium, technically that is still all natural, even though there is 500% more sodium compared to what I would consider a natural chicken.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So now that the sparklers are out and the champagne is empty, we are forced to deal with that pesky list of new year's resolutions. I will be the first to admit that my past resolutions all revolved around a new diet and/or exercise regime and something along the lines of this was going to be the year my body finally turned into a size 2. Well, years have come and gone and I am not, nor will I ever be, a size 2. I have come to the realization that new year's resolutions based on criticizing my body are worthless. I am done with them. So-- your next question would obviously be, what are my new years resolutions this year? I will gladly tell you. First, I am going to try to make recipeasy more personal and post on a regular basis. Since I am quickly approaching internship application deadlines, I am not sure how often I will be able to post, but I will do my best to post at least 2-3 times per week. My second resolution is to cook more and try new recipes. What are your new years resolutions?

I tried to start my year off right by picking a delish-sounding sweet and sour chicken recipe from Cooking Light. Justin and I made a list and went to the store to pick up all the ingredients. I headed to grab the apricot reserves, since Justin looked like I had spoken in a different language when I asked him to grab them, and he took off to pick out the chicken breasts. We met back at the cart and Justin was empty-handed. There wasn't a single chicken breast in the entire store. We asked three different people. Apparently, there was a super sweet sale on chicken breasts and we got screwed. So now what? We could drive to another store, but I knew Justin was out of patience. He hates grocery shopping with me. We head home, compromise and eat at the vietnamese restaurant next to Justin's apartment. Hopefully, we will be able to find some chicken tonight so I can attempt this sweet and sour chicken recipe---

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Thai chile paste

Preparation
Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Add chicken broth, apricot preserves, and soy sauce to pan; bring to a boil. Stir. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in fresh lime juice and Thai chile paste. Spoon over chicken; garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Info

1/4 recipe: 264 calories, 5.5g fat

Chicken Larb

Ingredients
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup chopped English cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 cabbage leaves
Thai chile paste (optional)

Preparation
Combine curry paste, chicken, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Remove pan from heat; stir in cucumber and next 3 ingredients (through juice).
Place 2 cabbage leaves on each of 4 plates; divide chicken mixture evenly among leaves. Serve with chile paste, if desired.

Nutrition
2 cabbage leaves with filling: 174 calories, 4.9g fat, 0.3g fiber
From Cooking Light

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.

Nutrition

1 Chicken Breast and 1/2 Cup Rice: 247 calories, 1.8g fat, 0.5g fiber

From Cooking Light

Recipeasy's Holiday Gift Ideas

Joseph Joseph Rolling Pin
The adjustable rings on this roller ensure that the crust comes out a uniform 1/4-, 3/8-, or 1/16-inch thick.

Sagaform Salad Dressing Shaker
Toss the old pickle jar and shake salad dressing with this: It's elegant enough to bring to table.

Kuhn Rikon Slim Flexi Turner Colori
This flipper is flexible. Also, narrower than your usual spatula, for getting under foods in a small or crowded pan.

William Sonoma Monogrammed Carving Board
Personalized with one carved initial, our board makes a welcomed gift for your favorite barbecue chef. Handsome enough to double as a serving platter, it's crafted in Vermont of solid maple.

Kyocera's Ceramic Knives

A 5.5" Santoku and a 3" paring knife. Perfect for the home cook, these knives will be used daily, quickly becoming favorites in the kitchen. Ideal for fruits, vegetables and boneless meats.

Williams Sonoma Croissants
Master pastry chef Jean-Yves Charon prepares our croissants in the traditional French style, using butter and ultrathin layers of yeast dough and laboriously folding and cutting the pastry by hand.

Red Pepper Jelly
As unique as it is delicious, vibrantly hued jam is full of sweet bell pepper flavor. Serve over cream cheese with crackers for a tasty and simple hors d’oeuvre.

Cuisinart 3-Cup Mini-Prep Plus Food Processors

Compact and powerful unit chops and grinds with ease. Features a bright, easy-clean plastic exterior with simple touchpad controls for coarse chop or fine grind; stainless-steel blade for chopping.

Joseph Joseph Chop2Pot Folding Cutting Boards
Innovative and award-winning board becomes a chute for quick and easy transfer of fresh-chopped ingredients to waiting pots and pans on the stovetop. Dishwasher-safe plastic. 10¾" x 8" cutting surface.

Joseph Joseph Elevate Kitchen Tools

Designed to improve hygiene and minimize the mess made by placing mucky utensils onto kitchen surfaces. An innovative weighted handle with an integrated tool rest ensures that when an Elevate utensil is placed down, the head is always raised off the work surface.

Gobble, Gobble Cranberry Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
2 slices light bread
2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown), room temperature
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. jellied cranberry sauce
2 oz. cooked and sliced lean skinless turkey breast
1 slice fat-free American cheese

Directions:
Lay bread slices side by side on a plate, and evenly spread butter onto both slices. Flip slices over. Evenly spread cheese wedge onto one slice.

Evenly spread mustard onto the other slice of bread and top with cranberry sauce, turkey, and American cheese. Place the other bread slice on top, buttered side up. Set aside. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add sandwich and cook until lightly browned on the outside and hot on the inside, about 2 minutes per side.

Nutrition: 305 calories, 6g fat, 35g carbs, 5.25g fiber, 27.5g protein

From Hungry Girl