Tomatoes are not as good this year as last, but the "fresh from the farmers market" kind are still wonderful. So is farmer's market parsley which to my mind has far more taste than supermarket produce.
I sliced up a bunch of yellow plum tomatoes and a huge yellow heirloom tomato that really had no taste and was kind of watery. No matter. It still is fresh and we do add olive oil.
Yellow Tomato and Parsley Sauce over Cous Cous
6 plum tomatoes -yellow
a big heirloom tomato -also yellow
1 onion chopped into small pieces.
1/4 cup olive oil
3 smashed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of sugar...not too much.
two or three tablespoons of fresh fresh Italian flat leaf parsley. (The curly parsley will not work for this dish)
a little salt, a little pepper
2 cups of cous cous
2 cups of boiling water.
Chop up the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. For instance the plum tomato would be cut into sixths.
Chop up the onion.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the smashed garlic but do not brown.
Add the onion and lower heat to medium. Saute until translucent.
Add the tomato and cook for 10 minutes or more.
Add the parsley. Add some whole leaves to make it look pretty.
Boil up two cups of water and when boiled, turn off the heat. Add the cous cous, stir and cover.
In five minutes the yellow sauce will be done and the cous cous will be soaked.
Fluff up the cous cous with a fork.
Spoon it on a plate and add the sauce mixture.
This was really good and my first husband devoured it. So did my second offspring.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Vegan For A Day
It went very well. Blueberries for breakfast. Snacking on baby carrots, apples, nectarine. Cherry tomatoes and a teeny bag of peanuts for lunch. I made a sauce from farmers market tomatoes for dinner which I put over cous cous. I did a vegan day and it was all fresh and most of it was raw.
Also one thing I want to make clear about my rudeness to the nurse at the hospital yesterday. I did make nice. I confessed to her that I realize I am the patient from hell and then tried to be friendly.
We will see how tomorrow goes. As long as food is fresh and good, it is so easy being a vegan. But come the fall and winter when there is little local fresh food, there is not much incentive.
Also one thing I want to make clear about my rudeness to the nurse at the hospital yesterday. I did make nice. I confessed to her that I realize I am the patient from hell and then tried to be friendly.
We will see how tomorrow goes. As long as food is fresh and good, it is so easy being a vegan. But come the fall and winter when there is little local fresh food, there is not much incentive.
The Ol' Ticker
From 5 PM on August 18th to 6PM on August 19th, I was in a local emergency room with chest pains. The bottom line is that whatever caused the pain, was not related to my heart.
Good to know. But it got me thinking.
Actually, my vegan offspring got me thinking. Let us get one thing clear here, I will not become a vegan and have no desire to become a vegan. However I am thinking that on certain days, I can become vegan-ish. Or vegan-like.
When I returned home from the hospital, I did not eat the Locatelli cheese that usually accompanies my pasta. I did not put milk on my blueberries. I am thinking that maybe I should not have coffee today. I love my Dunkin Donuts with lots of skim milk, but maybe I will not drink it today. Maybe today, I will boil a potato and a zucchini and eat a tomato for lunch and have a nice salad with olive oil and balsamic for dinner. Maybe that will be good. I do not know what I will eat tomorrow, but that is what I will eat today. Or something like it.
So let me tell you what they offered me in the "Rapid Diagnostic Unit" (kind of like a hospital ward - where they give you a real bed, will feed you and attend to you and be right there for you, but is not officially a "room".) Would it shock you to learn that the patient with a suspected cardiac event gets the following for breakfast: two muffins, coffee, apple juice, cornflakes with whole milk? I called the nurse in. I pushed that buzzer and when she came I said, "I do not eat muffins." ( I neglected to say that I devour cake, but it is true, I do not eat muffins, especially muffins wrapped in celophane.) I handed her the muffins and she took them away. I didn't touch the other stuff either. I just starved.
I may be the patient from hell, but would you not also be angry that this is what they give to people who are sick? This stuff will make them sicker.
So, for the day - today only - I will see what I can do to make sure that food made wholly from plant material enters my body. And this does not include Oreo cookies or coke.
If I get stuck for a recipe, I can always come back to this blog. I will let you know how TODAY goes.
Good to know. But it got me thinking.
Actually, my vegan offspring got me thinking. Let us get one thing clear here, I will not become a vegan and have no desire to become a vegan. However I am thinking that on certain days, I can become vegan-ish. Or vegan-like.
When I returned home from the hospital, I did not eat the Locatelli cheese that usually accompanies my pasta. I did not put milk on my blueberries. I am thinking that maybe I should not have coffee today. I love my Dunkin Donuts with lots of skim milk, but maybe I will not drink it today. Maybe today, I will boil a potato and a zucchini and eat a tomato for lunch and have a nice salad with olive oil and balsamic for dinner. Maybe that will be good. I do not know what I will eat tomorrow, but that is what I will eat today. Or something like it.
So let me tell you what they offered me in the "Rapid Diagnostic Unit" (kind of like a hospital ward - where they give you a real bed, will feed you and attend to you and be right there for you, but is not officially a "room".) Would it shock you to learn that the patient with a suspected cardiac event gets the following for breakfast: two muffins, coffee, apple juice, cornflakes with whole milk? I called the nurse in. I pushed that buzzer and when she came I said, "I do not eat muffins." ( I neglected to say that I devour cake, but it is true, I do not eat muffins, especially muffins wrapped in celophane.) I handed her the muffins and she took them away. I didn't touch the other stuff either. I just starved.
I may be the patient from hell, but would you not also be angry that this is what they give to people who are sick? This stuff will make them sicker.
So, for the day - today only - I will see what I can do to make sure that food made wholly from plant material enters my body. And this does not include Oreo cookies or coke.
If I get stuck for a recipe, I can always come back to this blog. I will let you know how TODAY goes.
Monday, May 4, 2009
not about food
A colleague of mine came to see me today about something that made her wince.
It seems that the 12 year old daughter of one of the clerks in her department came to the office on "take your daughter to work day". The girl then went back to school and wrote a very sweet essay about her experience and received an A+ on it, complete with a nice remark from the teacher. The mom was so proud, she showed the essay to my colleague today.
But this A+ was on a paper that was filled (my colleague repeated the word twice) with spelling and grammatical errors and incomplete or run-on sentences.
My colleague was astonished that any teacher would give this paper an A+. She offered that it might have been wise for the teacher to tell the child that the content of the paper was A+, but that she needed to fix the sentences and spelling in order to receive the A+.
She said that the teacher was doing a disservice to this child. When will the child begin to write and spell properly if not in 6th grade?
This is a case of LIBERALISM GONE WRONG!
It was very upsetting to me that this is allowed in inner city schools. Teachers think that they are shoring up the self esteem of kids by giving them good grades (and that is another story entirely-grades are a problem in and of themselves). But does this really boost their self esteem?
Do you know what boosts self esteem? Meeting a challenge. Being given something to do and getting it done. Knowing that you can meet expectations. Doing something hard. This is what boosts self esteem. Not being lied to.
Any thoughts?
It seems that the 12 year old daughter of one of the clerks in her department came to the office on "take your daughter to work day". The girl then went back to school and wrote a very sweet essay about her experience and received an A+ on it, complete with a nice remark from the teacher. The mom was so proud, she showed the essay to my colleague today.
But this A+ was on a paper that was filled (my colleague repeated the word twice) with spelling and grammatical errors and incomplete or run-on sentences.
My colleague was astonished that any teacher would give this paper an A+. She offered that it might have been wise for the teacher to tell the child that the content of the paper was A+, but that she needed to fix the sentences and spelling in order to receive the A+.
She said that the teacher was doing a disservice to this child. When will the child begin to write and spell properly if not in 6th grade?
This is a case of LIBERALISM GONE WRONG!
It was very upsetting to me that this is allowed in inner city schools. Teachers think that they are shoring up the self esteem of kids by giving them good grades (and that is another story entirely-grades are a problem in and of themselves). But does this really boost their self esteem?
Do you know what boosts self esteem? Meeting a challenge. Being given something to do and getting it done. Knowing that you can meet expectations. Doing something hard. This is what boosts self esteem. Not being lied to.
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Peas and Pasta
I made the peas and pasta dish last night and my first husband loved it. Here is how I made it. This recipe serves two with a light lunch for one left over. (but it never made it to lunch because I sneaked it later)
PEAS AND PASTA
1 onion chopped into small pieces
olive oil 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup
chopped up parsley. a handful. not too much.
1 box frozen peas
2 teaspoons sugar
cooked pasta (I made it with fusilli, but I think a flat linguini would be better. (1/3 to 1/2 of a box)
Saute the onion until translucent.
add the parsley for a minute or two.
Add the peas and sugar then cook for about 5 minutes or more depending on how soft you like them.
add the cooked pasta
Add some pasta water to make sure you have a sauce-y consistency.
salt and fresh pepper finish it off.
PEAS AND PASTA
1 onion chopped into small pieces
olive oil 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup
chopped up parsley. a handful. not too much.
1 box frozen peas
2 teaspoons sugar
cooked pasta (I made it with fusilli, but I think a flat linguini would be better. (1/3 to 1/2 of a box)
Saute the onion until translucent.
add the parsley for a minute or two.
Add the peas and sugar then cook for about 5 minutes or more depending on how soft you like them.
add the cooked pasta
Add some pasta water to make sure you have a sauce-y consistency.
salt and fresh pepper finish it off.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Besides Pasta, What is There?
Pasta is so versatile that entire cookbooks have been written on the various ways to cook it. For instance, you can put the following on pasta for incredible eating experiences: (these are not recipes, but if you ask, I will provide. Most of these can be improvised if you have any cooking experience at all.)
1. Olive oil and garlic
2. Frozen peas and onion sauteed with a tiny bit of sugar
3. Basil and parsley pesto
4. Sauteed mushrooms with parsley
5. Sauteed Zucchini with onion and purchased pasta sauce (A&P Masters Choice of course)
6. Swiss chard and mushrooms
Now that you have some idea of the many things you can put ON pasta, know that another grain can be used, maybe without the satisfying quality of pasta, but good tasting in its own way: Polenta.
Polenta is simply cornmeal, but purchasing the box of Italian polenta is better because it tends to be sold as an "instant". The word, "instant" is a bit of a misnomer because it still takes 5 minutes of continuous stirring. Read the directions on the box carefully because Polenta can overcook and become hard in a flash. It can be cooked so that it is the consistency of mashed potatoes or using a TINY BIT more water, the consistency of cream of wheat. I prefer the consistency of mashed potatoes. That way, any of the juices from the veggies loosen up the polenta and it is really good.
I would not, under any circumstances, ever purchase the cooked polenta sold in the shape of a sausage preserved forever in a plastic casing sitting on the grocery shelf. I bought one once and threw it out at first taste.
ZUCCHINI AND ONION WITH A&P MARINARA SAUCE
olive oil-you can use from as little as 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) if you use less, make sure the heat is low to give the moisture from the vegetables time seep out.
garlic 3 or 4 cloves smashed
1 onion sliced thin
4 fresh zucchini sliced into thin rounds
1 jar of marinara sauce
bay leaf
Heat a deep frying pan and put in the oil and the garlic. Heat for a bit, but do not let the garlic brown.
Add the onions and cook until wilted.
Add the zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce with a bay leaf and cook for about 15 minutes until zucchini is completely wilted and translucent. The sauce will also be a little thicker.
Put over pasta or polenta or even brown rice.
1. Olive oil and garlic
2. Frozen peas and onion sauteed with a tiny bit of sugar
3. Basil and parsley pesto
4. Sauteed mushrooms with parsley
5. Sauteed Zucchini with onion and purchased pasta sauce (A&P Masters Choice of course)
6. Swiss chard and mushrooms
Now that you have some idea of the many things you can put ON pasta, know that another grain can be used, maybe without the satisfying quality of pasta, but good tasting in its own way: Polenta.
Polenta is simply cornmeal, but purchasing the box of Italian polenta is better because it tends to be sold as an "instant". The word, "instant" is a bit of a misnomer because it still takes 5 minutes of continuous stirring. Read the directions on the box carefully because Polenta can overcook and become hard in a flash. It can be cooked so that it is the consistency of mashed potatoes or using a TINY BIT more water, the consistency of cream of wheat. I prefer the consistency of mashed potatoes. That way, any of the juices from the veggies loosen up the polenta and it is really good.
I would not, under any circumstances, ever purchase the cooked polenta sold in the shape of a sausage preserved forever in a plastic casing sitting on the grocery shelf. I bought one once and threw it out at first taste.
ZUCCHINI AND ONION WITH A&P MARINARA SAUCE
olive oil-you can use from as little as 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) if you use less, make sure the heat is low to give the moisture from the vegetables time seep out.
garlic 3 or 4 cloves smashed
1 onion sliced thin
4 fresh zucchini sliced into thin rounds
1 jar of marinara sauce
bay leaf
Heat a deep frying pan and put in the oil and the garlic. Heat for a bit, but do not let the garlic brown.
Add the onions and cook until wilted.
Add the zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the marinara sauce with a bay leaf and cook for about 15 minutes until zucchini is completely wilted and translucent. The sauce will also be a little thicker.
Put over pasta or polenta or even brown rice.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Twenty Minute Tomato Sauce and Deceitfulness
Before I get into the tomato sauce I make, I want to warn people of an insidious and treacherously deceitful practice that I uncovered last weekend. You must be on the lookout for this whenever you shop.
Many pasta boxes are no longer 16 ounces! They are the same size box, but the label says 13.75 oz. DO NOT BUY THEM. Look for the DeCecco boxes instead. All of DeCecco brand pastas were 16 oz. at the supermarket, whereas other brands had a smattering of 13 oz boxes among the 16 oz boxes. TRICKERY!!!!!!.
(DeCecco is really one of the best brands out there. In fact, you should only buy DeCecco whole wheat pastas.)
We must be vigilant and insist that DeCecco not change their sizes as well. So copy the following letter and send it to DeCecco.
Send this to
customerservice@dececco.it
Dear De Cecco,
Many pasta manufacturers are downsizing their boxes of pasta. Please do not follow their lead. Please keep your pasta in boxes of 16 oz. or 453 grams.
Yours truly,
Avoid also Stop and Shop food stores. Their prices are outrageous and that is where I found most of the downsized pasta. Stop n Shop is owned by some huge international conglomerate. Don't shop there.
20 minute tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves crushed or put through a press
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) of whole plum shaped tomatoes _put in a bowl first and chop coarsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt & pepper
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan
add the garlic DO NOT LET IT BROWN
Add the onion and let it wilt.
Then, add the tomatoes and all the juice
Add the sugar
Add the dried basil
Let it cook for about 20 minutes
season with salt and pepper.
Pour this over pasta or polenta. Polenta is so easy to make. Buy instant polenta in the supermarket and it cooks in 5 minutes. So good too. Do not forget to make some green thing like broccoli or spinach or kale or swiss chard. Corn does not have the protein of wheat so you have to get some more nutrients into your body.
Many pasta boxes are no longer 16 ounces! They are the same size box, but the label says 13.75 oz. DO NOT BUY THEM. Look for the DeCecco boxes instead. All of DeCecco brand pastas were 16 oz. at the supermarket, whereas other brands had a smattering of 13 oz boxes among the 16 oz boxes. TRICKERY!!!!!!.
(DeCecco is really one of the best brands out there. In fact, you should only buy DeCecco whole wheat pastas.)
We must be vigilant and insist that DeCecco not change their sizes as well. So copy the following letter and send it to DeCecco.
Send this to
customerservice@dececco.it
Dear De Cecco,
Many pasta manufacturers are downsizing their boxes of pasta. Please do not follow their lead. Please keep your pasta in boxes of 16 oz. or 453 grams.
Yours truly,
Avoid also Stop and Shop food stores. Their prices are outrageous and that is where I found most of the downsized pasta. Stop n Shop is owned by some huge international conglomerate. Don't shop there.
20 minute tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 or 4 garlic cloves crushed or put through a press
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) of whole plum shaped tomatoes _put in a bowl first and chop coarsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt & pepper
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan
add the garlic DO NOT LET IT BROWN
Add the onion and let it wilt.
Then, add the tomatoes and all the juice
Add the sugar
Add the dried basil
Let it cook for about 20 minutes
season with salt and pepper.
Pour this over pasta or polenta. Polenta is so easy to make. Buy instant polenta in the supermarket and it cooks in 5 minutes. So good too. Do not forget to make some green thing like broccoli or spinach or kale or swiss chard. Corn does not have the protein of wheat so you have to get some more nutrients into your body.
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