Greek Fish with Scalloped Carrot served with Alfredo Fettuccine

You will need to buy - One 16 oz bag of frozen Tilapia or Mahi Mahi fish, one large parsnip, one large carrot, one lemon, and one package of Fettuccine pasta.

Take from you pantry list:
Heavy Cream - fridge
Parmesan Cheese 
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Onion
Butter
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes
Dried Herb Seasoning
*rosemary, oregano, mint

If you bought your fish fresh you won't need to thaw. If frozen, then thaw out. Once they are thaw, remove the fillets from their individual packages and drain on a paper towel. Get out a stock pot to cook the fish in.

Slice a medium onion or large and saute in the pot along with coconut oil - 3 tbs and olive oil... 3 tbs. Peel and scallop or grate a large carrot adding to the onion. Cut fish into large chunks and also add to the onion and carrot. Add 2 tbs of butter and all seasonings to taste. Cover and let simmer.

Now, for the Alfredo Fettuccine... this recipe calls for scalloped parsnip for a nutty taste. To begin, peel and scallop a large parsnip just as you did for the carrot. In a covered skillet, add 4 tbs of butter, 2 coconut oil and 3 olive oil and rosemary with Greek oregano... toss in scalloped parsnips and cover.

Add 3/4 heavy cream and 2 tbs of grated parm to the skillet of parsnips. Turn off the flame on the fish/onion/carrot and set aside while you prepare the fettuccine pasta. Once tender, drain the fettuccine noodles and put into a wide low lipped serving bowl, pour over the parsnips in 'Alfredo sauce'... serve with the Greek Fish.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Ground Lamb with Mushrooms and Potatoes Parmesan

Price per serving: $3.36 for two people

I love lamb; especially, ground. There are not too many places nearby where I can purchase the ground lamb patties for the price I want to pay. I have the occasion to drive to the nearby town of Lemont and there is a larger grocer there that caters to local ethic residents. The line of meats carried in this store are truly expectational. It seems that newbie Europeans have higher standards. Since I lived in Europe for 12 years, I too appreciate good quality food items; especially meat. Today, I bought a package with two thick lamb patties for just $4.73.

I had some left over mushrooms from Monday night's Chicken Marsala. So, no extra costs there. I have potatoes on hand and parmesan cheese, a nice small chunk of this hard oily nutty flavored cheese can last me two weeks.

Take from the pantry list:
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes
Dried Herb Seasonings

In your covered skillet, melt 4 tsp of coconut oil and the same of olive oil. Take our your lamb patties and dress with the sea salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and dried herb seasonings- rosemary, mint and oregano. Once the oils come together and start to spit at you a bit, lay the seasoned patties in gently and cover. Get out the left over sliced mushrooms and add them to the covered skillet. On another burner, get you potatoes going in salted, boiling hot water.

Turn your patties over a few times and push gently on them so that their juices run. Cover and continue cooking on med flame until juicy start to run darker pink. If you see that, remove from heat and set aside.
When the potatoes are tender, remove and drain. I just put everything on a large white serving platter and wow, elegant meat and potatoes -garnish with parsley flakes and grated parmesan.

This dish is incredibly tasty, full of flavor and hearty. If you want, you can also buy 2 packages of the ground lamb, make meatballs and follow the above cooking. Instead of potatoes, use wide egg noodles, add heavy cream to the meatballs in their covered skillet and vola - lamb stroganoff!

After every great meal, its clean up time!

New Year GoodHousekeeping With a Smile...

Did you know that housework and cooking are therapeutic? Its a time to think and get some exercise.

If you prefer your own cooking to eating out, then you know a kitchen well organized is worth its weight in gold. Whether you have a small cooktop or huge range all pots/pans and skillets should be easily accessible. 

It is wise not to stack Teflon pots/pans/skillets one inside the other without some kind of surface protection. Try using a cardboard cake bottom.

Often, a small prepping and cooking space is easier to manage and clean up. Did you know that you don't need gadgets, contraptions and or large heavy counter equipment to be a brainy gourmet?  A simple cutting board and a knife is enough.

The best prep surface is a European beach-wood round block. This wood cutting block has a tight, smooth surface and is easy to care for; just use a clean hot cloth with distilled white vinegar to clean deep. Finish the job with rub of olive oil.

Other brainy tips: When stacking glass bowls one inside the other take care to protect them. Try using either white or brown wrapping paper, bubble wrap or air-pack sheets that you can save from shipped packages to put between each bowl.

St. Bart's Beach ~ Braised Chicken Garlic with Mint in Fruit

Price per serving: $3.79 for two

If you recall, I bought a six piece package of chicken thighs on Monday. I used 3 then to make the Chicken Marsala. Tonight, I am using the other three pieces (which have been in the fridge covered and also covered with garlic, olive oil and fresh dried mint). I will also need to finish up half a green pepper in fridge- to be diced finely and mixed into the rice at a later point.

Turn the oven on to F400. Sprinkle sea salt to taste and some crushed coriander over the chicken. Once the oven is hot, place inside uncovered for 20 min.

Take from the pantry list:

Canned Peaches (unless you have one fresh)

Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Rice

Using a small stock pot, pour in 2 cups of water to cook the one cup of rice. I usually add some salt and fresh dried herbs as well. Once it boils, add your rice. 

In a small sauce pan/skillet, put1 tsp of coconut oil and the same of olive oil. Dice the half of the left over green pepper (mine is still crisp as it was bought fresh on Friday last week.) Once the oils have melted, 'on med flame' add the green pepper, let the pepper sizzle and brown on the edges. Set aside.

Stir your rice.
Turn over the chicken in the oven.

Once the rice is done, you can drain and set aside. Again, check on the chicken. It should be brown on both sides. Open your can of peaches and drain or peel and slice a fresh one (I prefer). Open the oven and place them around the chicken thighs. Close the oven. Return to the rice and green pepper. In the skillet you browned the green pepper in you can add the rice and heat up the mixture on low.
You should see in the oven that the chicken and peaches are bubbling nicely.  It is time to serve.
Take the thighs and peaches from the oven. Grab that favorite of mine, low lipped white serving bowl and place your thighs, then pour over the top the peaches and golden sauce.

On individual plates, you can put a dollop of rice/green pepper mixture using an ice cream scooper.

Truly Yummy!

What has happened to Bread?

BREAD!

When I was in Eastern Europe, I ate the best bread. It tasted so different from any bread I could remember eating in the US. I looked around and I saw the reason why. Farmers there, living and working the rich soils of the eastern steppes, were still using the work horse and manure to grow wheat, not big tractors, not insecticides, not chemical fertilizer and no GMO. Why? Simply, they could not afford it and still many cannot afford such farming equipment luxury and some may even prefer the traditional practice of farming- by sweat of one's brow. In eastern Europe, bread was and still is a staple. I miss going to the bread kiosk, small little places where no more than 3 people could squeeze in to grab the first of the fresh baked loaves off the shelves, or out of the bins. Yeah, you could reach with your own hand and stick whole loaf 'round or long' into a paper bag and take it to the cashier. In some places, you could ask the clerk to select a loaf if they were behind the counter (she wore gloves). When I was in the Ukraine in a small village on the Bug River, a bread truck (the box on the truck was a large warming oven) came zipping down the dirt road and all the local women came running out to buy bread. They also baked their own and churned their own butter. So, why buy more bread? Point being, bread in Europe is a staple, it is life!

What appears as an anti- bread climate here in the US, in my opinion, is due to both the poor quality of bread and information that tells us that bread is bad because of the gluten. Gluten is a wheat protein and most people do not have problems with wheat protein. However, considering that wheat is being genetically modified, there is suspicion that it is changing the wheat protein - gluten. What Americans are not being told is that today's bad 'gluten' likely comes from genetically modified wheat.
According to research, the majority of experts recommend that you opt for foods that are not genetically modified. The Western Organization of Resource Councils reports that there are few studies that focus on the safety of genetically modified foods, including wheat. Scientists studying the possible effects of genetically modified foods warn that they may cause new allergies and the resistance to antibiotics. In terms of digestion, they may make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients from food. Eric Herm notes in an article in "The Canadian" that studies have shown that genetically modified wheat may actually cause digestive problems because it is technically fake food rather than wheat in its natural state. 
*Read more at http://www.livestrong.com/article/550916-digestive-problems-and-gm-wheat/

What we can observe is that the gluten-free craze is something of a unique cultural phenomenon. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, etc. and is one of the components that makes bread dough stretchy and and baked bread chewy. For most people, gluten is a 100% safe, digestible, natural protein. But an estimated 0.5 - 1% of the population has a condition called Celiac's Disease, which basically means that their immune systems see partially digested gluten as a threat and cause reactions in the small intestine similar to a severe food allergy (severe inflammation, stomach pain, diarrhea, severe gas buildup, etc.). http://www.fitsugar.com/Surprising-Foods...

Still, some might be thinking ...Can we eat bread, should we eat bread? I recommend baking your own and using wheat flour that is not GMO. If you are not into baking, then ask around at local grocers if they sell non GMO bread as it is becoming more popular but it is expensive.
 http://www.kingarthurflour.com/flours/gmo-wheat.html

Not only is bread quality in America poor but so are many food items/products. If you can afford to buy USDA organic then I recommend you do. I also recommend that grow my own meats/veggies and even meats/poultry. However, if you cannot, try to make the best choices you can within your budget. Choice is what matters most. In fact, this is what United States Dept. of Agriculture suggests you do. Check out their site - http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-choices-health/diet-quality-nutrition.aspx

*If you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, genetically modified wheat is not for you. Genetically modified wheat can contain more gluten than regular wheat, which makes it even more damaging for your condition. Ask your doctor about alternatives to wheat if you cannot digest it. There are many other grains, such as oats and quinoa, that you may be able to tolerate with a digestive disorder.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/550916-digestive-problems-and-gm-wheat/

Good Kitchen Practices - Wood Utensils vs. Plastic

I prefer to use wood over plastic.

After seeing how plastic easily peels and ends up in your eggs, I will never use them again. Good quality wood utensils, like bamboo do not scratch Teflon surfaces.

Wash the bamboo cooking utensil by wetting a dish rag in warm water and applying 1 tsp. of liquid dish soap to it. Rub the bamboo utensil well with a rag and rinse it thoroughly in warm water to remove all the soap residue.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_7927020_care-bamboo-cooking-utensils.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/547316-wood-vs-plastic-cooking-utensils/

Wash the bamboo cooking utensil by wetting a dish rag in warm water and applying 1 tsp. of liquid dish soap to it. Rub the bamboo utensil well with a rag and rinse it thoroughly in warm water to remove all the soap residue.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_7927020_care-bamboo-cooking-utensils.html

Wash the bamboo cooking utensil by wetting a dish rag in warm water and applying 1 tsp. of liquid dish soap to it. Rub the bamboo utensil well with a rag and rinse it thoroughly in warm water to remove all the soap residue.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_7927020_care-bamboo-cooking-utensils.html

Braised Boneless Pork Ribs with Sauteed Carrot and Parsnip

price per serving was just $2.00

This is so so yummy, inexpensive and easy it is almost hard believe. But, I tell you true. This week, Jewel was having an incredible Pork sale; buy one get one free. And, then I saw this package of scrumptious boneless pork ribs for $1.92 (four thick cuts). So, I bought the ribs and two gorgeous pork roasts for less than $12.00. Enough meat to feed 10 people.

I also bought a large carrot and one large parsnip or white carrot (each single was .79 cents). I like to buy the singles and not the dozen in a plastic bag simply because the singles 'carrot/parsnip' are fresher.

Take from the pantry list:
Coconut Oil
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Balsamic Vinegar
Crushed Coriander
Red Pepper Flakes
Dried Herb Seasoning

Heat the oven to F375. Grab a glass dish and drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season your pork using all the recommended above (to taste but I tend to be generous with the garlic and coriander) and lay in the glass dish. Once the oven is hot, place uncovered inside and let the art of cooking begin. After 10 min. open the oven and turn the ribs over and close for another 10 min. Once that time has passed, turn off the oven and let the pork rest inside while you prepare the veggies. You can cover the ribs with foil to retain juices.
Peel and slice length wise your carrot and parsnip. Take out your covered skillet. Turn on the burner, a low flame.  Melt  3tbs of coconut oil and olive oil.  To the melted oils, add a tsp of garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and dried herb seasoning and a pinch of salt.
Saute your veggies until tender. Finally, grab a nice large white platter and remove from the oven the pork ribs, pour any drippings over them and then place bundles of veggies on the sides. Presto, incredible and incredibly delicious. Parsnips are nutty and sweet, amazing taste! On Friday, I will prepare Tagliatelle

with white sauces and grated parsnips.