get your yummy back

musings from a health supportive culinary artist

Christmas Tamales, Birchermusli, and More! December 28, 2010

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 12:12 am
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I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend. It’s been a busy time at the market; preparing delicious food and baked goods for our customers to enjoy with family and friends. Of course, I’ve been working the same agenda on the home-front given our plans to host a party of 12 for dinner on Christmas Eve (with no oven and an electric burner, mind you).

How’d we do it? TAMALES. Tamales are a traditionally festive food. They really are quite simple to prepare, it just takes some attention to process, a little time, and some special ingredients. In my opinion, they are always worth the effort.

One key to a great tamale is a flavorful masa (or dough). Masa de harina is the powdery corn flour used to make the dough for tamales. In my recipe, I use paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder to add tasty goodness to my dough. I also skip the lard (traditional fat/binder) and use corn oil as a substitute (without sacrificing taste or texture in my opinion).  

In addition to the tamales, I served Green Chili Stew, cilantro rice, and Jicama, Radish, and Pepita Salad. Much of it could be prepped ahead of time. In fact, all I had to do when I got home from work was make the rice and toss the salad together.  The whole dinner was a hit. It can be done!

For Christmas morning, I made a batch if Birchermusli, which is our tradition. This healthy recipe for Swiss-style oatmeal calls for soaking the oats overnight in milk (reduced fat is fine) and then adding shredded apple, almonds, lemon juice, honey, and dried fruit. It’s delicious! It’s one of those dishes, along with grilled turkey and tamales, that makes me wonder why I relegate them to the holidays – they ought to be enjoyed year-round!

 

Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes December 20, 2010

Filed under: how to make it,where to get it — chezdesblog @ 12:50 am
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It won’t stop raining. Seriously. It’s the “worst storm” the area has seen in 10 years.” It’s been 48 hours of pouring rain and there’s no relief in sight. I’m craving comfort food.

This morning, before heading out for a day in the rain, I pulled together the ingredients for this Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes and layered them in the trustee slow cooker. I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine, in the “weeknight meals” section, from which I am frequently clipping recipes to test.

All day, dodging in and out from the rain, I’ve been relishing the scent of cinnamon, cocoa, chili powder, and cumin coming from the kitchen. The spices in this dish are really nice. I didn’t find it necessary to doctor up the seasonings at all (unusual!). Topped with sour cream, chopped scallions, and sliced radish, this chili makes a delightful meal paired with cornbread and a mixed green salad. It’s healthy, full of fiber, and very satisfying. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

Green Chili Stew December 11, 2010

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 12:56 am
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Now, and for the forseeable future, I don’t have an oven. Nor do I have a stove. Actually, I stand corrected. I don’t have an oven. However, I do have a portable electric burner that can boil water and saute vegetables. You can’t imagine how excited I was when that came along…

In November, we moved into our “new old” house and have plans for a renovation in the new year. Until then, we are what I call “fancy camping.” I was hoping that my whole kitchen (or lack thereof) situation would remain transparent for the purpose of getyouryummyback because despite the circumstances, I remain as committed as ever to preparing and eating healthy and delicious food at home. However, without coming clean about my circumstances, how would I possibly explain the fact that I am about to share a recipe for – um – the crock pot. Yep. That’s right. I’ve had one I’ve been avoiding for years. Last week I dusted it off and since then I have stewed up some tasty stuff! 

It all started with Green Chili Stew. This is a delicious one-pot meal that can be served over brown rice or as a filling for burritos. The ingredients are simple and make great use of leftover chicken or turkey. I prepped the vegetables the night before (on my portable burner!) and refrigerated them. In the morning, I threw it all in the crock pot, turned it on low, returned 8 hours later, and it was a delicious meal, straight from the pot. 

Today, I did a whole chicken in the crock pot. This morning, I tossed chopped carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Next, I added the whole (rinsed) chicken. Then, I poured about 1/2 cup white wine and 1/4 cup chicken stock into the pot. I added salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. I turned the pot on low and went to work for 9 hours. Oh. My. Goodness. When I got home, I went to take the chicken out and the meat basically fell off the bone, it was so tender.  The vegetables had cooked through and the broth was delicious. I ended up removing the chicken from the pot. Then I shredded half the meat and added it back to the pot (I saved the other half for later use). I added one cup of cooked brown rice and chicken broth to reach my desired consistency for Chicken and Rice Soup. I tell you what – it was delicious, healthy, and simple. Yes, it can be done – even without and oven or a stove…

 

Pie Crust Made Easy December 6, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — chezdesblog @ 1:19 am
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I realize that for many of you, the words “pie crust” and “easy” simply do not belong in the same sentence. However, I disagree. Even before I was cooking professionally, I thought they were simple and fun to make. Maybe it’s the recipe (no fuss, no refrigeration required). Maybe it’s how easy my Mom always made it seem (this is her recipe and she loved baking). Very likely, it’s a combination of both. 

This recipe makes enough for two 9-inch crusts. If you plan on only using one crust, simply wrap the second half in plastic wrap and freeze it until you are ready to use it.

For a simple, delicious pie crust, you will need:

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 5 tablespoons cold water

In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and chilled butter. Pulse to combine, leaving small pea-size chunks of butter in the mix. Add 3 tablespoons of cold water. Turn the processor on. Gradually add the 4th and 5th tablespoons of water, processing the dough until it hugs the sides of the bowl and rolls into a ball. Remove the dough from the processor to a well-floured surface. Divide the dough in half and proceed to roll it out for pie.

One key to a good pie crust is keeping the ingredients cold (in this case, butter and water). The small bits of butter in the dough melt in the heat of the oven, creating pockets of steam that turn into flaky layers. The other key to a good pie crust is to not over-work the dough, so once it comes together into a ball, stop the processor immediately. This recipe works well for both sweet and savory pies and tarts, and quiches too. Enjoy!

 

 
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