Yesterday I posted a recipe for sweet potato fettuccine that I wanted to make for dinner. Since you can get the recipe in my last post, I decided to let you know how it went down, highlight style.
1. Peeled the potatoes and then sliced them up on my mandoline. Easy.
2. Had to cut the slices into uniform strips (about 1/4 in) so they would cook evenly. Keeping them uniform was VERY HARD!
3. Followed the recipe but added some sweet onions to the pan to saute a few minutes before I added the potato strips.
4. Added some blue cheese to the gremolata. Didn't have a lot, maybe 2 tablespoons. Figured it would compliment the sweetness of the potatoes with some creamy, tangy, savoriness.
5. After Will gave me a what the hell is this look and Ali complained about the toasted pecans, we ate it. Pretty good but needed more salt. The extra salt gave it a better balance of salt/sweet.
6. I decided that, like many vegetarian recipes, it would be better off as a side dish.
7. Then I decided that it was way too much work to be a side dish.
If you like sweet potatoes, this is good. The kids actually ate a fair amount but I did threaten no dessert when Ali complained about the nuts (she doesn't like the crunchy texture). It had good, bright, fresh flavor and was filling. Lots of fiber and plenty of vitamins. Not sure it was worth the effort but you never know until you try. Tonight is vegetarian chili!
Eat well!
Otto
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sweet Potato Fettuccine
Got a few seconds before the kids start their homework but I wanted to let you know what we are having for dinner. Gonna try this recipe for Sweet Potato Fettuccine and see how it turns out.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-fettuccine-50400000123963/
Hopefully I will have time to review it tomorrow and let you know if its as good as it sounds. I'm thinking about adding some blue cheese crumbles to the finished product for a little extra goodness.
Eat well!
Otto
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-fettuccine-50400000123963/
Hopefully I will have time to review it tomorrow and let you know if its as good as it sounds. I'm thinking about adding some blue cheese crumbles to the finished product for a little extra goodness.
Eat well!
Otto
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Skillet Pot Pie
Last night, I made a veggie pot pie in my cast iron skillet. I took inspiration from a recipe from Southern Living that made one of the best apple pies ever, you can find a similar apple pie recipe here. It was fast, delicious, and could easily be adapted for meat eaters by adding some chicken or turkey chunks.
Here is the recipe:
2 frozen pie crusts, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil, divided (2 for sauteing veggies, 1 for under pie crust)
2 onions, chopped
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
10 3/4 oz can Cream of Onion soup (choose any cream soup you like, mushroom or potato would be good)
1/4 cup milk
2 29 oz cans Veg-All, drained (substitute fresh veggies of your choice and saute them on your own if you desire)
15 oz can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Warm 2 tbsp oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and shallots until translucent and tender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more.
3. Add soup and milk directly into skillet with onion mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Add Veg-All and beans to skillet and heat through. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. Remove pot pie filling from skillet into a large bowl. Wipe down skillet with a wet paper towel to remove any residue from the filling. Caution: skillet will still be hot. Do not rinse under water.
6. Coat bottom of clean skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place one of the thawed crusts in the bottom of the hot skillet.
7. Add filling back into skillet on top of crust. Cover filling with remaining pie crust. Use fingers to spread crust out to edges of skillet to cover all of the filling. Use a knife to cut holes in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
9. Remove from oven and allow to coll for 10 minutes before serving.
I had a little garlic butter spread in the fridge so I melted some and brushed it on top when I pulled it out of the oven. Not necessary but it gave the top crust a little extra flavor.
Eat well!
Otto
Here is the recipe:
2 frozen pie crusts, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil, divided (2 for sauteing veggies, 1 for under pie crust)
2 onions, chopped
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
10 3/4 oz can Cream of Onion soup (choose any cream soup you like, mushroom or potato would be good)
1/4 cup milk
2 29 oz cans Veg-All, drained (substitute fresh veggies of your choice and saute them on your own if you desire)
15 oz can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Warm 2 tbsp oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and shallots until translucent and tender. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more.
3. Add soup and milk directly into skillet with onion mixture. Stir to combine.
4. Add Veg-All and beans to skillet and heat through. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. Remove pot pie filling from skillet into a large bowl. Wipe down skillet with a wet paper towel to remove any residue from the filling. Caution: skillet will still be hot. Do not rinse under water.
6. Coat bottom of clean skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place one of the thawed crusts in the bottom of the hot skillet.
7. Add filling back into skillet on top of crust. Cover filling with remaining pie crust. Use fingers to spread crust out to edges of skillet to cover all of the filling. Use a knife to cut holes in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
8. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
9. Remove from oven and allow to coll for 10 minutes before serving.
I had a little garlic butter spread in the fridge so I melted some and brushed it on top when I pulled it out of the oven. Not necessary but it gave the top crust a little extra flavor.
Eat well!
Otto
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Stanford Study: Organics vs Conventional
My wife and I were recently watching TV and our local news station had a story about a study that demonstrated that organic produce, meats, and dairy were not any more nutritious than the same items that are "conventionally" grown.
Essentially, a soy bean is going to give you the same nutrients whether it is covered with pesticides or not. I don't feel like this is groundbreaking information but I do feel like it is misleading. I have since seen information on the same study presented on national news programs and in multiple locations online (popular places like Yahoo!) where the consumer would be led to believe that paying extra for organic food is a complete waste of money and offers no health benefits over buying regular produce at your local grocery store. This must make companies like Monsanto, makers or Roundup and lots of genetically engineered seed, very happy as public perception of their company and their products has taken a hit over the last few years with backlash over the effects of pesticides.
I tend to think more in line with this editorial from the LA Times. While the vitamins and minerals you get from a strawberry may not change just because it is organic, there are many other things to consider for your health and well being. A panel of experts presented this statement to the government in 2010: With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."
The panel also commented on exposure to pesticides and other dangerous chemicals and its impact on children. From the Washington Post: "Children are particularly vulnerable because they are smaller and are developing faster than adults. The report noted unexplained rising rates of some cancers in children, and it referred to recent studies that have found chemicals in umbilical-cord blood, which supplies nutrients to fetuses."
And the real kicker: About 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use in the United States, but federal regulators have assessed only about 200 for safety.
In summary, I will continue to buy the majority of my produce from the organic section regardless of cost. Check out this photo slideshow of foods you should always buy organic and pay special attention to those. Enjoy what you eat and take comfort in knowing that organic food will help sustain the health and well being of your family.
Eat good!
Otto
Essentially, a soy bean is going to give you the same nutrients whether it is covered with pesticides or not. I don't feel like this is groundbreaking information but I do feel like it is misleading. I have since seen information on the same study presented on national news programs and in multiple locations online (popular places like Yahoo!) where the consumer would be led to believe that paying extra for organic food is a complete waste of money and offers no health benefits over buying regular produce at your local grocery store. This must make companies like Monsanto, makers or Roundup and lots of genetically engineered seed, very happy as public perception of their company and their products has taken a hit over the last few years with backlash over the effects of pesticides.
I tend to think more in line with this editorial from the LA Times. While the vitamins and minerals you get from a strawberry may not change just because it is organic, there are many other things to consider for your health and well being. A panel of experts presented this statement to the government in 2010: With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action."
The panel also commented on exposure to pesticides and other dangerous chemicals and its impact on children. From the Washington Post: "Children are particularly vulnerable because they are smaller and are developing faster than adults. The report noted unexplained rising rates of some cancers in children, and it referred to recent studies that have found chemicals in umbilical-cord blood, which supplies nutrients to fetuses."
And the real kicker: About 80,000 chemicals are in commercial use in the United States, but federal regulators have assessed only about 200 for safety.
In summary, I will continue to buy the majority of my produce from the organic section regardless of cost. Check out this photo slideshow of foods you should always buy organic and pay special attention to those. Enjoy what you eat and take comfort in knowing that organic food will help sustain the health and well being of your family.
Eat good!
Otto
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