Monthly Archives: August 2010

Onion Breath!

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The more I have been experimenting with food the more I have come to realize how versatile the onion is. Not only can it be thrown into almost anything, it really gives food that extra oomph to take something from blah to Oh-My-GAAHHHHH! Better yet, the onion packs an abundance of health benefits. It is known to alleviate asthma due to it’s sulfur-containing compounds, fight the flu, they are a natural source of inulin (a type of prebiotic), and they are well preserved so it’s a great ingredient to have laying around. They can be used in so many different dishes. Soups, stews, chili, sauces, dips, stir-fries, salads, sandwiches, wraps, eggs (scrambled, omelet or frittata), or throw them on your burger or mix them in with other veggies on the grill. The possibilities are endless!

Experiment 5- Egg white veggie frittata

Veggies- Zucchini, tomatoes, onions, spinach, and asparagus

Spices- Cumin, paprika, garlic, S&P

1 Egg+egg whites+skim milk+olive oil+parm cheese

Bake at 350 degrees until brown on top

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Two for one hump-day special: Experiments 3 & 4

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Experiment 3: Roasted whole chicken. Now I can’t take full credit for this one, but I did find the recipe….and I did sit, drink wine and observe Corey prepare it, you know, as moral support. Anyways, he made a whole chicken with veggies. We used a turkey roaster but you can also use a crock-pot. It turned out so juicy and flavorful! And the best part is we had left over chicken for sandwiches the next couple days. This is a great one to try, highly recommended!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 lb whole chicken
  • Sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 lb carrots
  • 1 lb assorted bell peppers
  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 1 lb celery

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Season chicken with half the salt and pepper and place springs of fresh thyme and rosemary on top and in the cavity.
  3. Lay chicken on a roasting rack and place in the oven.
  4. Meanwhile, chop the carrots, bell peppers, fennel and celery into 2 inch pieces and combine in a large bowl with the remaining salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss to coat.
  5. After the chicken has roasted for approximately 45 minutes place the veggies in the roasting pan and return to the oven for another 35 minutes stirring once. The chicken should register 160 degrees on a meat thermometer and the vegetables should be tender. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes so that the juices redistribute and serve the chicken sliced on a bed of the vegetables.

Experiment 4: Eggplant Pizza Casserole, courtesy of Ali from Live Laugh Eat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 jar pizza sauce
  • 1-2 cups spinach
  • 1 large tomato
  • Cheese (I used mozzarella; Ali used goat; I want to try low fat feta next time)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375* F
  2. Wash and cut eggplant and tomato into round discs. In a glass pan/casserole dish, layer ingredients in the following order starting at the bottom 1) eggplant discs 2) pizza sauce 3) spinach 4) tomato discs 5) pizza sauce 6) eggplant discs 7) pizza sauce 8 ) cheese.
  3. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 65 min or until eggplant is soft.
  4. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes.

P.S I added basil underneath the top layer of cheese and a sprinkle of garlic salt. I also didn’t put the cheese on until the last fifteen minutes because my experience with homemade pizza has been that it burns. It came out perfectly browned on top so I think it worked!

**Photos courtesy of Google images (I will have my camera back next week!!)

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Cooking experiments cont…Quinoa recipes

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Experiment #2: Quinoa salad- if you don’t know about quinoa, you must add it to your diet regime asap! It is a whole-grain that looks similar to cous-cous. It is a great source of dietary fiber, it has an unusually high protein content and is gleuten-free so it’s easy to digest. Here are a few different recipes starting with quinoa cooked in chicken or vegetable stock and a cube of bouillon:

  1. Tofu, chicken, shrimp or steak prepared how you like. Add a veggie, good choices are broccoli, mushrooms, squash or zucchini. Mix a tsp of olive oil with a tbsp of balsamic vinegar and drizzle on top. (served warm)
  2. Whole foods inspired with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, low fat feta cheese and a tsp of lemon juice. (served cold)
  3. Dried cranberry, chopped walnuts, green onions, garlic, and drizzle just a little bit of honey (my fav so far!)

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