La  Fondita  Fish  Tacos

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 1/2 pounds codfish, cut into serving pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 white corn tortillas
• Mayonnaise, recipe follows
• Shredded cabbage

Directions

Put the eggs, mustard, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and sugar in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Add the flour and continue mixing until it is a little thinner than pancake batter.

In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough vegetable oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F. Dredge the fish pieces in flour and then into the batter and fry until golden brown. Remove from the oil to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.


Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan and warm the tortillas. Spread each tortilla with a tablespoon of  mayonnaise and arrange a piece of fried fish on top. Add some shredded cabbage to each tortilla and serve.

Mayonnaise:

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 1/2 tablespoons  chili puree
• Pinch kosher salt

Mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, chili puree together in a medium bowl, add the salt and mix again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Candied Pecans

 Ingredients:

¼ cup (50 mL) maple syrup

¼ cup (50 mL) corn syrup

3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar

1½ tsp (7 mL) salt

½ tsp (2 mL) ground allspice

½ tsp (2 mL) chili powder

½ tsp (2 mL) ground ginger

3 cups (750 mL) whole pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or use aluminum foil and spray well with cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl stir together the maple syrup, corn syrup, sugar, salt, allspice, chili powder and ginger. Add pecans and stir to coat well. Pour coated nuts onto baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and toss nuts gently with a fork, spread evenly over baking sheet and return to oven. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.

5. When cool enough to touch break up any pieces that have stuck together. Once cooled keep in an airtight container until ready to eat.

... ultimate  sophistication ...

Simplicity is sometimes elusive, but almost always present.  

Sometimes we just need to know where to look for it, or how to look for it.

Finnish  Pulla

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 9 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons white sugar 
• almonds (optional)

Directions

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, 4 eggs, and enough flour to make a batter (approximately 2 cups). Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add about 3 cups of the flour and beat well; the dough should be smooth and glossy in appearance. Add the melted butter or margarine, and stir well. Beat again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff.
3. Turn out of bowl onto a floured surface, cover with an inverted mixing bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a clean dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled.
4. Turn out again on to a floured surface, and divide into 3 parts. Divide each third into 3 again. Roll each piece into a 12 to 16 inch strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. You should get 3 large braided loaves. Lift the braids onto greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar or thinly chopped almonds..
6. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily. 

Deepest  Darkest  Chocolate  Cheesecake

  Ingredients

Crust:

• Cooking spray, for greasing
• 1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 stick butter, melted

Filling:

• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

Directions

1/2 tablespoon orange zest or 1/2 tablespoon prepared coffee or 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional

• 4 eggs

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon prepared coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch-diameter springform pan with cooking spray.

For the crust: In a food processor, grind the cookies until finely ground. Blend in the sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and process until well blended; it should be the consistency of wet sand. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. (Or just place the cookie crumb-sugar mixture in the pan, pour the melted butter in and combine.) Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake just until set, about 7 minutes. Allow it to cool while preparing the filling.

For the filling: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute until the chocolate is completely melted. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and cocoa powder together, smoothing out any lumps of cocoa powder. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, and then add the sugar-cocoa powder mixture. Add the orange zest, prepared coffee or espresso powder at this time, if using. Beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom with a rubber scraper when necessary. Blend in the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the lukewarm chocolate and stir until combined.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust, tap the pan on the table top to remove any air pockets, and then smooth the top to even out. Bake until the center is just set  and looks just dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating halfway. Cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around sides of the cake to loosen, but do not remove from the springform pan. Chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight.

For the glaze: Stir the heavy cream, chopped chocolate, honey and prepared coffee in a heavy, medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over the center of the cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2-inch of the cheesecake's edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour.

Transfer the cheesecake to a platter and release from the springform pan. Serve cold, or allow to come to room temperature, about 2 hours.

p/s....make it minty by adding a few starlight mints or leftover candy cane to the food processor when crushing the cookies for the crust. Alternately, turn it into a turtle cheesecake by adding a handful of toasted pecans and a few soft caramel candies to the food processor when crushing the cookies

Hawaiian  Rice  Salad

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

3/4 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup mangoes, chunks

1/4 cup walnuts/cashew nuts, coarsely crushed

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup cucumbers, chopped

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

For the dressing

4 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

1 clove garlic

salt, crushed

pepper, crushed

shrimps / chicken grilled and chopped (optional)

Directions

Wash rice thoroughly.

In a pan, bring stock and turmeric powder to a boil.

Add rice.

Simmer until rice is cooked.

Drain, rinse and spread rice on a tray to cool.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

In a bowl, mix rice with pineapple, mango, walnuts, raisins, cucumber and celery.

Gently fold in the dressing.

Serve.

Choices...

The  most  terrible  poverty  is  loneliness  and  the  feeling  of   unloved.
...perhaps  people  are  lonely  because  they  build  walls  instead  of  bridges...

Smoked Salmon Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 12 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces fresh cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onion and butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill, salt, and pepper and combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the omelet pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes, until it puffs and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs smoked sausage , cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 -3 green peppers , chopped
• 1 red pepper , chopped
• 2 onions , chopped
• 4 stalks celery , diced
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans tomatoes seasoned with basil garlic & oregano
• 10 ounces tomato paste
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 2 lbs cooked shrimp , shelled
• 6 cups brown rice , cooked regular

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except shrimp and rice in 6 or 7 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
3. Add shrimp and rice the last 30 minutes of cooking.

...patience...

...adopt  the  pace  of  nature...her  secret  is  patience...

Consequently, one moment of patience can ward off great disaster, 

one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.

  Low  Fat  Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 9 whole low-fat cinnamon graham crackers, broken in half
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Cooking spray
• 2 8-ounce packages cream Philadelphia cheese, softened
• 2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 large eggs plus 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Assorted toppings

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until crumbled. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and the butter; pulse until moistened. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil to prevent leaks. Coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray and press the crumbs onto the bottom. Bake until browned, about 8 minutes. Let cool, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat both cream cheeses and the sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 5 minutes, then beat in the sour cream on low. Lightly whisk the 3 egg whites in a bowl, then add to the cheese mixture along with the 2 whole eggs, flour, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Pour over the crust.

Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and add enough warm water to come one-quarter of the way up the sides of the springform. Bake until the cake is set but the center still jiggles, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven; keep the cheesecake inside with the door closed for 20 minutes.

Remove the cake from the water bath and transfer to a rack. Run a knife around the edge, then cool completely. Chill until firm, at least 8 hours. Top as desired.

Chicken  Taco  Pizza

Ingredients:

1 12-inch pre-baked thin Italian pizza crust
1/2 cup refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups cooked shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream
Any of your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced red onion, black olives, avocado
1/2 cup crushed Doritos

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza crust on a cookie sheet and spread refried beans over surface, stopping about 1 inch from the edges. Stir together salsa and chicken in a small bowl.

2. Spread chicken mixture over refried beans. Top with cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is thoroughly heated.

Creamy Burrito Casserole

  Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb ground turkey
• ½ medium yellow onion , chopped
• 1 (1 ¼ ounce) package taco seasoning
• 6 large flour tortillas
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 2 -3 cups shreddedtaco cheese or 2 -3 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 4 ounces sour cream
• jarred hot sauce , if desired to spice it up

Directions:

1. Brown ground meat/turkey and onion; drain.
2. Add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans.
3. Mix soup and sour cream in a separate bowl.
4. Spread 1/2 sour cream mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
5. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread over sour cream mixture.
6. Put 1/2 the meat bean mixture over that.
7. Add a layer of cheese.
8. You could put some hot sauce on this now.
9. Repeat the layers.
10. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 20-30 minutes.

Turkish  Fish  Stew

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dry couscous (semolina)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, liquid reserved
• 2 teaspoons capers, liquid reserved
• 12 small green olives
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sumac powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound fish / tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil, and stir in the couscous. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and green pepper about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the garlic, and continue to cook and stir about 2 minutes. Mix in the artichoke hearts with reserved liquid, capers with reserved liquid, and olives. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, and 1 cup water (or enough to attain desired thickness). Season with sumac powder, red pepper, basil, cumin, ginger, and pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, and mix in the fish chunks. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, or until the fish is easily flaked with a fork. Serve over couscous or baguette. 

Lebanese  Style  Tabouli

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bulgar/bulgur  wheat , dry (can be bought in AEON)
• 2 -3 cups cold water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup fresh lemon or ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic , crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried mint
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¹⁄₈; cup olive oil
• fresh black pepper
• 1 cup parsley , freshly chopped and packed
• ½ cup scallion , chopped (include the greens)
• 2 medium tomatoes , diced

Directions:

1. Prepare the bulgar by soaking it for 2-3 hours in cold water. Most recipes that use bulgur wheat instruct you to use boiling water, but this "cooks" the wheat a bit and makes it mushy and sticky. Soaking in cold water results in a fluffier grain that doesn't hold onto the water. This gives it more capacity to absorb the liquids in the ingredients, without getting soggy. Check it after an hour or two to see if it's gotten to a pleasing texture. It should be "al dente" like good pasta: still offering some resistance to the tooth.
2. When it reaches the "al dente" stage, drain it thoroughly by lining a colander or large strainer with cheesecloth. Dump the wet bulgur into the cheesecloth, gather up the corners and squeeze the water out of the wheat. While preparing the other ingredients, let the damp wheat sit for another hour, stirring and tossing it from time to time, to fluff it and dry it.
3. Add the lemon juice, garlic, oil, mint and seasonings and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the chopped parsley and onions and toss everything together.
5. Just before serving, add the chopped tomatoes. Add seasonings.

... silent  Sunday ...

... we're all lonely for something we don't know we're lonely for. How else to explain the curious feeling that goes around feeling like missing somebody we've never even met? Lets pray that our loneliness may spur us into finding something to live for, great enough to die for ... 

Fish Fajitas with Spicy Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi, skin removed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fresh lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Salsa Verde, recipe follows.
• 1 avocado, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Cut the fish into 1-inch strips and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lime juice.
With a rag or paper towel, grease the grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place fish on grill gently; and cook for 3 minutes on each side, turning carefully with tongs.
On the cooler outer edges of the grill place the tortillas to warm them. Transfer the warmed tortillas to a plate or a wide shallow bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel. Fold the edges of the towel over tortillas to keep them warm.
To assemble, divide the fish among tortillas and top with salsa verde and avocado slices. Squeeze lime juice over the avocado and roll up the tortillas. 

Salsa Verde:

• 1 1/2 pound tomatillos
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Sal and freshly ground black pepper

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5 to 7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, jalapeno peppers and sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Puff Balls

 ... light  and  easy -  no  bake  treats ...

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Puff Balls are a tasty, healthy treat! These balls are packed with fiber from whole grains like puffed corn and puffed rice. The grains are smothered in a yummy chocolate peanut butter mixture.

These balls may look sinful, but in fact, they are dairy-free, rich in fiber, healthy whole grain nutrients and even peanut butter. You are really just adding a bit of chocolate to what would be peanut butter and puffed breakfast cereal.

Whole Grain Goodness. I used unsweetened, 100% pure puffed corn, rice and cereal. This cereal has absolutely nothing added to it – just the whole grains – puffed. You can use these puffy grains or your own faves like millet, wheat, rice and more.

If you are allergic to peanut butter – try this recipe with almond butter or even sunflower seed butter instead.

No Sugar Added. I add in a bit of sugar to these treats – but without the sugar they are delicious too. There is still a slight sweetness from the chocolate and natural sweetness from the grains.

Ingredients:

5-6 cups puffed whole grain cereal (no sugar added, no salt added – all natural)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mixture

1/3 cup granulated sugar – I used  raw, less processed sugar

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup peanut butter – salted, creamy

1 tsp veg oil

Directions:

1. Measure out the puffed grain cereal – and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Set aside.

3. In a medium sized bowl, blend together the peanut butter and sugar. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds to soften peanut butter if you are not using a fresh room temp jar. Add the peanut butter mixture to the cereal and roughly fold together.

4. In a double broiler over the stove – slowly melt the chocolate chips with the oil. When the chocolate is melted, turn off heat.

5. Next, add the peanut butter cereal mixture to the still hot/melted chocolate bowl. Fold well until all the peanut butter and chocolate combines and saturates the cereal.

6. Drop the cereal into rough-shaped balls on a wax paper. They will be wet at this point so hands will get messy.

7. Place the baking sheets in the freezer for about 20 minutes – this will harden the treats and firm them into balls. Enjoy straight from the freezer or fridge. 

p/s  I like to store these in the freezer.

Natural Remedies for Flu Prevention

Increase Our Chances of Escaping the Flu

...hanging  around ...coastal blues and greens...

Close

Flu is one of those unfortunate facts of life, everyone will suffer from it at some point in their lives. However, there are natural ways to help improve our resistance to coming down with the flu and other illnesses. Homeopathic medicines and treatments are easy to add to our daily routine.

Sleep

One of the biggest factors for our overall health and fighting off the flu is ensuring we get enough rest. If we are sleeping an ideal amount of 8 hours per day,  we are giving  our immune system the best chance of working to its full abilities. 

Wash our Hands

Bacteria is easily spread by hands. A sick person may cough into their hand and then use that same hand to open a door. If we then handle that same door we may pick up that person's infection. One of the best ways to reduce our risk of getting an infection in this manner is by washing our hands after we have been out. It is also a good idea to always carry a hand sanitizer. If we want to stay strictly natural, there a plenty of natural hand sanitizer choices for  us. Try to avoid touching our face when we are out. The flu virus can gain access to our body via our mouth, nose, and even our eyes. We can easily pick up the virus by touching something, touch our face and become infected. 

Stress

Stress is a big factor in how well our body can fight off the flu. Try to reduce our stress levels by getting regular exercise or learning some relaxation techniques such as, deep breathing, yoga or mediation. Try thinking twice about something when  we find that it is upsetting us and saying to ourselves do we really need to let this get to  us so much?  We may find that often times we are letting things stress us out more than they should. 

Diet

What we eat and drink can greatly affect our health and either strengthen or weaken  our immune system. Make sure to eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, while avoiding sugary foods. Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and fizzy drinks.

Include plenty of fresh garlic in our diet. Garlic has properties that help fight viruses. It is best when garlic is eaten raw or roasted. Garlic is particularly good for the lungs and keeping the airways clear. It isn't always the most pleasant to eat when eating raw, but it can really help our body fight of the flu and colds.

Find ways to add honey to our diet.  We can add honey to a bowl of hot oatmeal instead of sugar, tea or drizzle some on our salad. Raw honey is the best. Honey is a natural antiseptic and it never spoils. It can even be used on cuts.

Start drinking around 3 cups of green tea each day. Green tea is a good antioxidant and is thought to improve the efficiency of the immune system when it comes to fighting off viruses and bacteria. Green tea does contain some caffeine, be it in low amounts, so may want to consider a de-caffeinated version.

If we don't mind some hot and spicy food then we are in luck. Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of vitamin A, a nutrient that can be helpful in fighting infection. It is also thought that cayenne pepper can boost the body's immune system, making it another natural remedy worth incorporating into our diet. 

Supplements

There are a number of natural supplements that we can take that are excellent homeopathic remedies for flu prevention. One of the most popular natural flu prevention supplements  we can take is Echinacea. Another excellent option is Cat's Claw. The Cat's Claw plant is known to help the immune system deal with infection better. 

Enjoy a good sauna

If we have access to a sauna, make good use of it. It is not only relaxing it can also help prevent flu infection. The theory is that while in a sauna we are breathing in air that is to hot for the virus to survive in. A sauna is also good for our skin, helping to get rid of impurities. 

p/s   While there is no way to guarantee we won't get the flu, incorporating these simple natural remedies into our daily life can lower our risk. Not only will these homeopathic treatments reduce our chances of becoming infected with the flu, they will improve our overall health, thus giving us a better quality of life. Last but not least make sure to stay warm.