 |
| appetizer selection at the Lido |
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| shrimp cocktail |
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| dessert cheese |
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| chilled coconut nutmeg soup |
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| cedar baked red curry coconut salmon |
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| Balsamic strawberries and cream |
Friday, June 24, 2016
Food on the Holland America Veendam
We recently took a week long cruise to Bermuda on the Veendam. While all the food is not noteworthy, some of it certainly was and I want to share a few of the delicious things we had to eat.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Mastering the smoothie
Those who know me know that I am trying to do good things for myself healthwise. I have been exercising and eating healthier. I decided it was time that I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables. Since Al is not likely to eat healthy I have to try to sneak the good stuff into him. A smoothie seems like the obvious choice.
I got an immersion blender for Christmas from my grandson Alex and I have been dying to try it. Here was my chance.
I cut a banana into pieces, added a handful of blueberries, a teaspoon of local honey and a half a cup of low fat plain yogurt. I blended it together and then tried it. I never knew how overwhelming the flavor of banana is, it is definitely what you taste in this version.
I did find out that an immersion blended is not really very good at chopping ice, so I had to put cubes in.
As the week went on I began experimenting with other things. By Saturday I have come up with what I think may be the version I like best.
I cup up 5 strawberries, put in a teaspoon of honey, half cup of yogurt, a handful of baby spinach and about a 1/4 cup of low fat milk. This was really very tasty and gives me both veggies and fruit, I have some coconut yogurt which I haven't tried yet but I am looking forward to seeing how it changes the taste.
So if you haven't tried a smoothie, what are you waiting for? It is delicious and an easy way to start you day off with fruits and vegetables and that has to be a good thing. Just in case you are wondering, you don't taste the spinach at all.
I got an immersion blender for Christmas from my grandson Alex and I have been dying to try it. Here was my chance.
I cut a banana into pieces, added a handful of blueberries, a teaspoon of local honey and a half a cup of low fat plain yogurt. I blended it together and then tried it. I never knew how overwhelming the flavor of banana is, it is definitely what you taste in this version.
I did find out that an immersion blended is not really very good at chopping ice, so I had to put cubes in.
As the week went on I began experimenting with other things. By Saturday I have come up with what I think may be the version I like best.
I cup up 5 strawberries, put in a teaspoon of honey, half cup of yogurt, a handful of baby spinach and about a 1/4 cup of low fat milk. This was really very tasty and gives me both veggies and fruit, I have some coconut yogurt which I haven't tried yet but I am looking forward to seeing how it changes the taste.
So if you haven't tried a smoothie, what are you waiting for? It is delicious and an easy way to start you day off with fruits and vegetables and that has to be a good thing. Just in case you are wondering, you don't taste the spinach at all.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
How to create an amazing creamed chicken
Creamed chicken is a comfort food. It is rich and decadent and depending on what you add to it can be a very healthy choice. In the fall and winter it is the perfect dish to wow your mother in law or pamper your significant other. It is also a great way to use any leftover chicken you may have lying around. After Thanksgiving turkey will work very well in all of these recipes.
This recipe serves four:
2 cups of cooked chicken diced
2 cups white sauce *
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mushroom caps, sauteed in two teaspoons of butter
Poach four single chicken breasts in 2 cups chicken broth. Poach them until cooked well through about fifteen minutes. Cut into small pieces.
*Make a white sauce. Melt four tablespoons of butter in a small fry pan, add four tablespoons of flour and make roux. Add two cups of milk (you can use low fat milk) to the roux slowly, stir constantly until smooth. Add salt and pepper and celery salt.
Saute the mushroom caps. Add the chicken to the sauce then add the mushrooms.
Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots or glazed carrots. It is a heart warming recipe.
This recipe is extremely versatile. Small changes to the basic recipe produce a very different tasting meal.
1. Add two cup chicken stock in place of milk in the white sauce and it becomes a sauce veloute.
2. Place the creamed chicken in a casserole and sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs (for extra crunch add panko crumbs) and bake in a three hundred fifty degree oven for 25 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown
3. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder to the white sauce and serve the creamed chicken with basmati rice
4. Add 1/2 cup of diced ham and steamed broccoli and omit the mushrooms
5. Add one cup cheddar cheese for cheesy creamed chicken
6. Add 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to the roux and serve the sauce over linguine
Creamed chicken is an easy and hearty meal that will please every member of the family. Even the pickiest of eaters will be won over by this smooth dish. On a cold fall or winter day nothing warms the heart and the body more than a rich and delicious chicken dish.
2 cups of cooked chicken diced
2 cups white sauce *
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mushroom caps, sauteed in two teaspoons of butter
Poach four single chicken breasts in 2 cups chicken broth. Poach them until cooked well through about fifteen minutes. Cut into small pieces.
*Make a white sauce. Melt four tablespoons of butter in a small fry pan, add four tablespoons of flour and make roux. Add two cups of milk (you can use low fat milk) to the roux slowly, stir constantly until smooth. Add salt and pepper and celery salt.
Saute the mushroom caps. Add the chicken to the sauce then add the mushrooms.
Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots or glazed carrots. It is a heart warming recipe.
This recipe is extremely versatile. Small changes to the basic recipe produce a very different tasting meal.
1. Add two cup chicken stock in place of milk in the white sauce and it becomes a sauce veloute.
2. Place the creamed chicken in a casserole and sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs (for extra crunch add panko crumbs) and bake in a three hundred fifty degree oven for 25 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown
3. Add 1 teaspoon curry powder to the white sauce and serve the creamed chicken with basmati rice
4. Add 1/2 cup of diced ham and steamed broccoli and omit the mushrooms
5. Add one cup cheddar cheese for cheesy creamed chicken
6. Add 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to the roux and serve the sauce over linguine
Creamed chicken is an easy and hearty meal that will please every member of the family. Even the pickiest of eaters will be won over by this smooth dish. On a cold fall or winter day nothing warms the heart and the body more than a rich and delicious chicken dish.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Ways to cook summer squash
One of the most delicious of the summer vegetables is summer
squash. As the weather turns hot, these little yellow beauties are becoming
abundant in the stores and in the farmers markets. In the summer, the squash
are smaller, sweeter and much more tender. In other words, they are at their
peak.
No matter the technique you use to cook your squash, you will need to prepare it. Give it a good wash, cut off the ends and remove any damaged spots on the skin, You do not need to peel the squash, the inside is do delicate that removing the peel will allow it to lose its shape.
To steam summer squash, slice the squash into quarter inch thick disk. Prepare the pot you plan to use to steam the summer squash by placing water in the pot and then add the steam tray. Place the squash in the steam tray and place the pot on the burner at high heat. When it begins to boil place a cover on the pot and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place the cooked squash in a bowl and season with butter and whatever herbs your family likes. It is now ready to serve.
Grilling summer squash is a very popular cooking method. Pre-heat the grill and prepare the squash the same way you would for steaming except cut the disks 1/2 inch. They will stand up better to grilling if they are thicker. Use a grilling tray, this is a very juicy vegetable and it will fall through the grill if you try to grill directly on the heat. Brush the tray with olive and then brush the squash and sprinkle with rosemary, dill or oregano. Place the tray on the grill and watch closely. Flip when you have grill marks and again watch closely. This will cook quickly.
If you prefer, you can bake your summer squash. You can do it as a casserole, cut all the squash into disks and layer seasoning with salt, pepper and butter and baked at 350 degrees for an hour. This works for whatever amount of summer squash you may have.
There are many ways that this delicious vegetable can be
prepared. Some are simple and others more complex but with the delicacy of the
flavor it is wise to let the flavor of the squash shine through and not be covered
by other stronger flavors.
Instructions
No matter the technique you use to cook your squash, you will need to prepare it. Give it a good wash, cut off the ends and remove any damaged spots on the skin, You do not need to peel the squash, the inside is do delicate that removing the peel will allow it to lose its shape.
Steam
To steam summer squash, slice the squash into quarter inch thick disk. Prepare the pot you plan to use to steam the summer squash by placing water in the pot and then add the steam tray. Place the squash in the steam tray and place the pot on the burner at high heat. When it begins to boil place a cover on the pot and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place the cooked squash in a bowl and season with butter and whatever herbs your family likes. It is now ready to serve.
Grill
Grilling summer squash is a very popular cooking method. Pre-heat the grill and prepare the squash the same way you would for steaming except cut the disks 1/2 inch. They will stand up better to grilling if they are thicker. Use a grilling tray, this is a very juicy vegetable and it will fall through the grill if you try to grill directly on the heat. Brush the tray with olive and then brush the squash and sprinkle with rosemary, dill or oregano. Place the tray on the grill and watch closely. Flip when you have grill marks and again watch closely. This will cook quickly.
If you don't have a grill tray you can use aluminum foil or
cut the squash in half and place directly in the grill after applying the olive
oil and herbs.
Baked
If you prefer, you can bake your summer squash. You can do it as a casserole, cut all the squash into disks and layer seasoning with salt, pepper and butter and baked at 350 degrees for an hour. This works for whatever amount of summer squash you may have.
No matter how you decide to cook your summer squash, it will be a perfect side dish to serve with so many meals that it is bound to become a family favorite.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Keeping your berries fresh longer
Are you like me, do you buy berries and then end up throwing away half of them? Berries are expensive and it seems so wasteful to be throwing away so many. Unless I am making a specific recipe that calls for the entire pint, I am often reluctant to buy them because of their short shelf life.
Well that is all over now. I was reading a blog post by one of my favorites Bonnie Banters where she shares a tip she found on the Internet for storing berries.
First, don't wash them and then store them in glass jars with a lid on. I often by jams, jellies or relish at farm markets in canning jars and these jars are a good size and work perfectly. Any glass jar however, will work.
I bought strawberries on Wednesday and placed them in two jars and put them in the door of my fridge. I left four berries out in the container. By Friday the berries in the container were starting to go bad. On Saturday morning I took out some strawberries from the jars in the fridge and they were just as fresh as when I put them in on Wednesday.
As to how long they will stay fresh, I can't tell you but Bonnie says a minimum of a week. That sounds really good to me , this way when you shop you know you can buy berries to use in smoothies or cereal or whatever and they will last until the next time you go shopping.
It makes me wonder why it took us so long to figure this out but if you think about it, our grandmothers used glass dishes with covers in the fridge and they probably knew that this was the way to keep berries fresh longer but somehow as time past we lost this knowledge.
I am delighted with this way to save money and enjoy our berries longer.
Well that is all over now. I was reading a blog post by one of my favorites Bonnie Banters where she shares a tip she found on the Internet for storing berries.
First, don't wash them and then store them in glass jars with a lid on. I often by jams, jellies or relish at farm markets in canning jars and these jars are a good size and work perfectly. Any glass jar however, will work.
I bought strawberries on Wednesday and placed them in two jars and put them in the door of my fridge. I left four berries out in the container. By Friday the berries in the container were starting to go bad. On Saturday morning I took out some strawberries from the jars in the fridge and they were just as fresh as when I put them in on Wednesday.
As to how long they will stay fresh, I can't tell you but Bonnie says a minimum of a week. That sounds really good to me , this way when you shop you know you can buy berries to use in smoothies or cereal or whatever and they will last until the next time you go shopping.
It makes me wonder why it took us so long to figure this out but if you think about it, our grandmothers used glass dishes with covers in the fridge and they probably knew that this was the way to keep berries fresh longer but somehow as time past we lost this knowledge.
I am delighted with this way to save money and enjoy our berries longer.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Quick and Easy Summer Soup
Everyone has their own favorite quick and easy soup. You know the one that you pull out in a pinch. You can whip it up in no time at all and have a quick and easy meal for your family or guests. One of the quickest ways to produce soup is to make it a cold soup. Fruit soups are beautiful and delicious and impressive while being very fast to make and need very few ingredients and tools.
Red Berry Soup
1 pint each raspberries and strawberries
2 cups light sour cream
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup diet ginger ale
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
Place the berries in a blender and puree. If you don't like seeds you can press the berries through a sieve. I personally don't mind them so I skip this step. With a whisk blend in the sour cream, milk, ginger ale, sugar and the juices. Place in a plastic container and chill in the fridge for several hours.
Serve in clear glass bowls or goblets. This is so good it can double as dessert.
This recipe is very adaptable to other berries, blueberries, black raspberries or blackberries work equally as well and you may substitute yogurt for the sour cream. I have adapted the recipe so that it is lower in calories and fat. The original used regular sour cream, whole milk and regular ginger ale. Splenda may be substituted for the sugar to make it even lower in calories. Diet food never tasted or looked so good.
There are many fruits that adapt themselves very well to cold soups. Melons are perfect in texture and color to make a wonderful soup.
Cold Cantaloupe Soup
1 ripe cantaloupe cut into chunk
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
1/4 cup light cream
mint to garnish
Add the cantaloupe and the juice to a blender and puree. Whisk in the cream. Put into a plastic container and chill in the fridge. Place in clear glass or crystal bowls, garnish with mint and serve.This is a very refreshing soup.
When the weather is steamy hot, there is no meal that makes you cool off quicker than a bowl of luscious cold fruit soup. There isn't a better way in the world to get your vitamins and nutrients. Even more important is the fact that these soups look as if they took hour to prepare when in reality it is only minutes. You can impress your friends and family and not even work up a sweat.
You can use the cold soup as a starter for a light meal followed by an antipasto salad or a cold macaroni or potato salad. It is also great with BBQ chicken or steak. What ever your menu your cold soup will be the perfect start to a great meal.
Red Berry Soup
1 pint each raspberries and strawberries
2 cups light sour cream
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup diet ginger ale
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
Place the berries in a blender and puree. If you don't like seeds you can press the berries through a sieve. I personally don't mind them so I skip this step. With a whisk blend in the sour cream, milk, ginger ale, sugar and the juices. Place in a plastic container and chill in the fridge for several hours.
Serve in clear glass bowls or goblets. This is so good it can double as dessert.
This recipe is very adaptable to other berries, blueberries, black raspberries or blackberries work equally as well and you may substitute yogurt for the sour cream. I have adapted the recipe so that it is lower in calories and fat. The original used regular sour cream, whole milk and regular ginger ale. Splenda may be substituted for the sugar to make it even lower in calories. Diet food never tasted or looked so good.
There are many fruits that adapt themselves very well to cold soups. Melons are perfect in texture and color to make a wonderful soup.
Cold Cantaloupe Soup
1 ripe cantaloupe cut into chunk
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
1/4 cup light cream
mint to garnish
Add the cantaloupe and the juice to a blender and puree. Whisk in the cream. Put into a plastic container and chill in the fridge. Place in clear glass or crystal bowls, garnish with mint and serve.This is a very refreshing soup.
When the weather is steamy hot, there is no meal that makes you cool off quicker than a bowl of luscious cold fruit soup. There isn't a better way in the world to get your vitamins and nutrients. Even more important is the fact that these soups look as if they took hour to prepare when in reality it is only minutes. You can impress your friends and family and not even work up a sweat.
You can use the cold soup as a starter for a light meal followed by an antipasto salad or a cold macaroni or potato salad. It is also great with BBQ chicken or steak. What ever your menu your cold soup will be the perfect start to a great meal.
Friday, June 3, 2016
Delectable Portuguese Sweet Bread pudding
I noticed that my gallon of milk was at its sell by date and so I wanted to use as much milk as quickly as possible. When I want to do this I usually make either rice or bread pudding. Since I have a freezer full of bread I decided to go with bread pudding. I found that I had several bags of leftover Portuguese Sweet Bread and it seemed the perfect bread to make bread pudding.
What you will need:
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Cut the bread up into small pieces and place the pieces in the baking dish.
In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well and then pour over the bread.
With a fork press the bread down and make sure all the pieces are completely submerged in the milk mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes.
It is delicious plain but would be wonderful with poured or whipped cream or a sauce like brandy or whiskey sauce.
What you will need:
- 6 slices of Portuguese Sweet Bread with raisins
- 2 cups of milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 8" by 8"oven proof pan
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Cut the bread up into small pieces and place the pieces in the baking dish.
In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well and then pour over the bread.
With a fork press the bread down and make sure all the pieces are completely submerged in the milk mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes.
It is delicious plain but would be wonderful with poured or whipped cream or a sauce like brandy or whiskey sauce.
 |
| The finished #bread pudding |
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Side dishes to serve with lasagna
American's love pasta. As a matter of fact, people around the world loved pasta dishes. Lasagna is one of the most popular of these dishes. It is a meal in a pan but, it can be a little heavy for some people which makes serving it with a side dish a must. The portion size of the lasagna can be kept small enough to satisfy without busting the diet to pieces.
Salad
Salad is a natural choice. It can be a simple green salad or a tomato salad with basil. Avoid heavy dressings, keep it fresh and light. Whatever salad ingredients that your family enjoys will make a great side dish with lasagna.
Broccoli rabe
Broccoli rabe is one of my favorite vegetables. Its slightly bitter taste is a perfect foil for all the creamy sweetness of lasagna. I would suggest steaming it for a couple of minutes and then sauteing it in olive oil with fresh garlic.
Bread
A loaf of Italian or French bread is a must when you are serving lasagna. If you want to go all out you can turn it into garlic bread with oil, fresh garlic and cheese and a quick pot into the oven which will still be warm!! Over just provide bowls of flavored olive oil for dipping.
Antipasto plate
Why not serve a family style antipasto plate as a dish? You can slice up salami, olives, marinated mushroom or artichoke hearts, cubes of cheese, roasted peppers and pepperoncini.
Escarole and beans
If you are looking for something quite traditionally Italian, escarole and beans is a traditional dish that will be complement lasagna nicely. You can add sausage to it or do it strictly vegetarian.
Meatballs or sausage
Depending on how much meat you put into your lasagna, you may want to offer a bowl of meatballs and sausage with additional sauce to add to the meal. Almost everyone loves meatballs.
Other vegetables
Zucchini and spinach sauteed with garlic in olive oil are great to serve with lasagna but if you prefer you can grill your zucchini or summer squash to serve as a side dish.
Lasagna is a favorite comfort food. It certainly can stand alone but why would you want it to? Serve it with one or more of these side dishes and watch your families' eyes light up.
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