Bedtime snacks

Look at this delightful little fall bedtime snack: an apple with peanut butter and a couple of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

in a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients (NOT including chocolate)
in another medium sized bowl, beat together all wet ingredients.
stir dry ingredients into wet, stirring just enough to combine. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 365 for 10-15 minutes.

And enjoy!

Cheers! LiA

Chicken soup is good for the soul... and the weak tummy

Hey there friends!
Going to try and get back in the habit of writing more often, but no promises, I'm a busy girl!!!

Tonight in relation to my fall related soup frenzy... and my gurgly stomach, I made a delicious but SUPER simple chicken soup. Its probably too simple for the gourmet, but its a nice little treat for a weak stomach.

1 1/2 quarts water
1 cornish game hen (tiny chicken)
1/2 lb your favorite shaped pasta
2 chicken bouillon cubes
kosher salt to taste

in a large stockpot, place water and cornish game hen over medium high heat. Let boil until your hunger can stand it no longer (atleast half an hour, bones will be cleaned easier if you cook one hour or more).
Remove chicken from water and pull meat off bones. Place chicken back in water with pasta, boil for 7-10 minutes. Season with salt (and anything else you desire) to taste.

I was going to add some vegetables and things to this, but when it really came down to it, all that sounded good was the chicken and the pasta and the broth, so I stuck to that. Its a little on the bland side (and I added a bunch of salt to make up for my no sodium bouillon cubes) but its just what a weak stomach needs.

Thats all for now! Happy cooler weather everyone!

CHEERS! LiA

well look at who still has a blog

Its been so long since I have even tried to blog, I had trouble remembering my password!

Things are good around here. Fall is trying to peek its little head out (though not successfully, we've had record highs all week), but the nights are very cool and its time to have blankets on the bed and soup in the belly.

Last week, I made a really good one. And it was super fast and easy. Pete took it to work a couple of nights and I enjoyed a bowl as well. Soup is nice because its CHEAP, easy, tasty, comforting, and can be super healthy (unless a main ingredient is heavy whipping cream, then... not so much). Anyway, here is the recipe:

Chickpea and Sausage Stew
serves: 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
12 ounces italian sausage, casing removed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 c flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 c cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh leaf spinach
kosher salt and pepper
8 slices sourdough bread, (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft: 5-7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a wooden spoon, until browned: about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Stir in the parsley and cilantro and cook for one minute more. Add the broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a fork to seperate the leaves. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Serve over two slices of toasted bread.

a serving boasts: 935 calories, 22.7 g dietary fiber, and 48.4 g protien along with 154% daily value for vitamin A, 72% of your iron needs, 24% calcium, and 65% of vitamin c. Its a little high with fat, sodium, and cholesterol, but nothing that a healthy, balanced diet can't tolerate.

We discussed that it needs a little more going on in the veggie department, so I think next time, I'll try adding a few more things for some variety. But its tasty as is!

Well there you have it friends, go out and enjoy this new season with some new recipes!

CHEERS! LiA

sources:
real simple magazine february 2008
caloriecount.about.com

when salad just isn't enough.

Take a look at this gorgeous salad I made myself for dinner tonight:

romaine, spinach, bell peppers, onions, snap peas, toasted sunflower seeds in a handmade miso vinaigrette. YUMMMMMM!!!

Except! About 45 seconds after finishing mega salad, my stomach was already growling for more.

And by an hour later, I had to eat or... suffer. So I made myself a tasty chicken and cheese sandwich on.... homemade bread! That is right, it came out edible!!!

Actually, I would even go so far as to say it is good. Now I am not going to enter it in any contests or anything, because there is room for improvement, but it is a nice start. the texture is good, the crust would be excellent had I not wrapped it in plastic while it was still warm (rookie mistake, shame on me) and the flavor is nice. It needs a little more salt and maybe a little sweet. I have some perfecting to do, but right now, I just want to eat my sandwich

                                                                                                        

                                 

Oh and I guess I got a little ahead of myself last night since TODAY was actually the last day of July. No matter, I can handle one extra day without junk... or atleast that is what I am saying now... on day one....  

;)

Cheers! LiA

Yeast as Leavening and other food drama

This week I am attempting two different recipes for bread. I have made bread before, but never very successfully. Yeast does funny things at altitude and I am just not patient enough MOST of the time for the let rise until double phase. So I get bread that has great flavor but is so intensely hearty and dense that you can't eat more than the thinnest possible sliver at a time. But today, the afternoon rain cooled the house down enough that while its still higher than room temperature, one can survive without the air conditioner. So, I am going for it.  And besides, both recipes are from alton brown's baking book, so even if I do everything wrong, they should atleast be edible.

The first recipe is called, "Morning after bread." I'm working on this one now. It contains coffee, dark beer, and whole wheat, so you know its got to be good!

I'm blogging so I don't notice how long it takes to rise...

Something that is different about these recipes is that Alton suggests using "instant" or "fast rise" yeast. I have always used active dry... With active dry yeast, you have to "bloom" it in water of just the right temperature for the right amount of time for it to start to do its thing. With instant yeast, you mix the yeast with your flour and then pout the liquid and combine (liquid does still have to be that just hot to the touch temp. but it doesn't seem as precise as with active dry so far...)

What I am noticing with this change so far is how much better the rise is happening. With this recipe, I am almost instantly starting to see a change, whereas in the past I keep going back to look at the bowl, think about the temperature of the room, decide if maybe I need more heat, try to manufacture more heat without going to hot and killing the yeast... etc etc. So I am very pleased with this. the ultimate test will of course be the taste and overall texture at the end of this process.

I am also trying another recipe for a 7 grain bread. This recipe requires use of a "starter". A starter is when you give the yeast time to start working in a basic flour and water combination, it takes 48 hours, but the resulting fermentation is supposed to result in a better rise (this is important with whole grain breads and the dough, atleast in my experience, can almost seem to heavy for the rise) plus a chewier texture in the bread. I put the starter together tonight and was surprised at how fast the chemistry started to take place. This was even more dramatic since the jar I thought would be large enough, was not in fact large enough. I am really excited to make bread and see how things turn out for me this time. Bread baking has always intrigued and overwhelmed me. My hope is that this time things turn out a little better, but only time will tell... A lot of time: because I'm only on the first rise.

In other news: Tomorrow is August first. I celebrated the end of July (and the end of preservatives and high fructose corn syrup) with a snickers bar and a soda. Neither were that satisfying so I find myself even more dedicated to the cause. I also bought chocolate chips so when the sweet need arrises, I have everything I need to make something fabulous... from scratch.

I'll be back to let you know how my yeast science projects turn out, but for now:

CHEERS! LiA

You're so granola...

Wowza, it has been a while without a new food obsessed blog!!!! It has not been a lack of food obsession, my dear friends but really.... a lack of foodie time outside of work. That being said, new job = wonderful and fabulous... but it has been an adjustment getting back into the groove of 50 hour work weeks (I got spoiled waiting tables 25 hours a week for over a year, sure, we were broke, but I had a TON of free time).

Anyway, I'm back and better than ever! Or... attempting to be. One of my goals for this next few months is to CUT preservatives and high fructose corn syrup OUT of my daily diet. No -ates, no -ites, and, frankly, pretty much no premade sweets since they all have high fructose corn syrup in them these days. You may ask why, and I say, "Why not?" Frankly, I feel that we are a little too obsessed with our food hygeine and our genetically modified, decade shelf life, everything treated with antibiotics lifestyle is not improving our quality of life (and some would even suggest it doesn't even improve quantity, er, lifespan given the issues with the obesity epidemic, diabetes, heart disease, food allergies, etc etc etc).

So, as I get ready to undergo this label reading, careful selection, fresh foods endeavor, I know I have a couple areas of weakness that I need to resolve in order to set myself up for success.
A) I have a SWEET TOOTH! There is hardly a day that goes by as of late that I don't have... just a little something. A brownie, some ice cream, a popsicle, a candy bar, etc etc. I am fully confident that a little sweet now and then is not bad, but there is no doubt that High Fructose corn syrup is an ever expanding problem (on our waistlines!). To resolve this, I just have to have some homemade sweet treats on hand at home for when the need strikes. I don't mind this, I like to bake and I have some darn good recipes, I just have to plan ahead in order to bake... Nothing is more frustrating than having a craving for something you can pick up premade at the grocery in five minutes, but instead trying to shop and correctly prepare a recipe for it instead. My plan is just to make up one batch of "little somethings" to have available when the sugar goblin gets me.

b) Soda! I don't even really like it. Its too sweet, the carbonation gives me gas, I know it is terrible for me... but here is the thing: being a restaurant manager can sometimes feel like the quickest way to starve yourself. I spend so much of my shift too busy to eat. So suddenly, I'm left feeling completely wiped out, shaky, faint, and other miscellaneous low blood sugar symptoms. And especially if this happens at the same time as the lunch / dinner rush, I'm not running to take a meal break. I'm going to find the first, simplest form of sugar to ingest and suck it down. So suddenly, as someone who doesn't even really enjoy soda, i'm drinking it about once a day. What I really need at work, are snack foods. Avoiding preservatives and high fructose corn syrup also cuts out a large majority of even the "healthy" snack foods.

So this past week, I put my madness to the test and made homemade granola bars. And low and behold: they are quite tasty!!! Here is the recipe: (you will need a kitchen scale for this one)

8 ounces rolled oats
3 ounces sliced almonds
1.5 ounces RAW sunflower seeds
1.5 ounces wheat bran
3 ounces honey
4.75 ounces dark brown sugar
1 oz unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp kosher salt
7 ounces dried fruit (I used craisins and dried mango, my two favorites, and diced them up really small)

Toast the nuts, oats, and wheat bran at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.Combine honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until brown sugar is completely dissolved.
Once oat mixture is done, remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Immediately add oat mixture to liquid mixture. Add dried fruit, stir to combine. Turn mixture out onto buttered baking dish (I used a rimmed cookie sheet) and press down.
Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition information:
Calories 175
calories from fat 59
total fat 6.5 g
saturated fat 1.4 g
cholesterol 4 mg
sodium 88 mg
total carbohydrates 27.6 g
dietary fiber 3.8 g
sugars 14.3 g
protien 4.1 g

So I think this is the type of snack that could help with both problems a and b. I want to switch things up and see what other great combos are waiting to be discovered (aka: peanut butter and chocolate chips anyone?). My expected date for the complete preservative fast is august 1 for atleast 30 days (hey, maybe I will feel so much better that I will never look back, right?). Over that time, I will be bringing you more research about preservatives and how to avoid them (aka: probably a ton of tasty recipes for things neither of us even realize are laden with things closer to chemical warfare than real food).

Until next time,
Cheers! LiA

Burgers... of the veggie sort

I love a good burger. It is an occasional essential to me. So we saw the recipe that started this, er... experiment on "Good Eats." It seemed delicious and nutritious! What a mix.

Personally, I don't eat veggie burgers because I have some thing against meat. In fact, I'm a pretty big fan of it. However, I like to try new and different things and this recipe just happened to fit into that. As we are trying to eat leaner and more nutritiously dense foods, trading in the greasy cheeseburger for a turkey burger sounded like a good coice. But why not an occasional heaping serving of vegetables on a whole wheat bun? So we gave this recipe a try. It took two attempts to get it to where I was very happy with it. And I'll discuss some other changes I might try in the future after I give you the recipe. Start to finish does take a bit of time, but they refrigerate well for a few days so we made it early in the week and then had a quick option for throwing together lunch or dinner for quite a few meals

2 tbsp olive oil, split

1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 cups broth*
1 cup dry split peas, picked and rinsed
1/2 cup dry brown rice
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil in 4-6 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper along with a generous pinch of salt. Carmelize for about 5 minutes. Turn down to medium heat, add the garlic, mushrooms and carrots and cook for another 5 (ish) minutes.

Add the broth, peas, rice, coriander, cumin, hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Decrease heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer for 1 hour or until the rice and peas are tender.

Remove from heat and gently pour the mixture into the bowl of a food processor (a stick blender would also be a convenient way to do this). Process until combined (about 5-10 pulses). Pour this mixture into a bowl and add 3/4 cup bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Shape this mixture into patties and dredge each side in the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs**. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 burgers at a time and saute until brown on each side (3-4 minutes per side depending on your stovetop). Serve immediately.

* I recommend low fat low salt broth. It will still give you great flavor without nearly doubling the sodium content of this recipe, the way that traditional broth does. Also, use you favorite flavor of broth. If you are interested in this recipe for the vegan / vegetarian aspect, clearly you want vegetable broth. As I said earlier, we have nothing against meat. I wanted to give the burgers a little bit of a "beefy / meaty" flavor so I used beef broth.

** You can also put a little parmesan cheese in the crumbs, or extra spices and herbs. The point of the bread crumbs is to give your burgers that crispy carmelized texture you get when you heat up a burger.

The recipe also mentions you can grill these burgers. I see no problem in that as they do have a pretty solid texture, however I have not tested it myself. You may want to have a skillet heat on backup...

Now, for what I'm going to try differently next time: Defintely will be getting experimental with adding more spices and maybe some fresh herbs. While these were the most flavorful veggie burgers I've ever made, it did take a good bit of salt. I think you could cut some of this out with the addition of maybe some celery seed, fresh parsley and cilantro....  Also, I want to try putting in black beans instead of brown rice as this gives a serving a little bit more of a protien punch, and you get plenty of carbs from the vegetables and bun. And as far as vegetables: go crazy! You can add anything your little heart desires. Things that have tougher dispositions (celery, green beans, parsnips...) should be sauteed early whereas veggies that cook quicker or are frozen can be added pretty late in the game (broccoli, corn...) And lastly, garnish this the same way you would with your favorite burger: lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, onions...

Nutritional content:
calories 128
calories from fat: 26
total fat: 2.9g
saturated fat: .5g
trans fat: 0.0g
cholesterol: 0mg
sodium: 388mg
total carbohydrates: 19.8g
dietary fiber: 4.3g
sugars: 2.4g
protein: 6g
vitamin a: 15%
vitamin c: 9%
calcium: 3% 
iron: 8%

So go out into the world and enjoy a vegetable every once in a while. It can be a rather tasty experience...
Cheers! LiA

References:
caloriecount.about.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/split-pea-burgers-recipe/index.html

Brunch is beautiful

So, last Sunday was mother's day. And as such, we packed up a few trusty kitchen staples and headed over to mom's to make her breakfast. On the menu, apple barley waffles and homemade hashbrowns.

The deliciousness that is the waffle got me to thinking.... just how long has the waffle been about? Its been a known breakfast staple for as far back as I can think of, but it turns out, that almost every human in history has enjoyed a waffle (or its ancestor, the griddle cake).

It all started back just a few years ago during the neolithic age... sometime between 6000 and 2000 BCE. Here there is evidence of griddle cake beginnings when flat cakes are cooked on hot stones. These cakes are made out of the pulp of cereal grains.

As history strolls into the iron age, we start to see iron tools for cooking as well as hunting. So, sometime between 1200 and 500 BCE, iron plates or griddles contribute to the cooking process of pancakes. AND THEN! a genius comes into the picture and realizes that if you have TWO heated plates (one for the bottom and one for the top), the cooking process is shortened.

As always, the ancient Greeks come into the picture, and just make things better: they serve "oubleios" which is a griddle cake that is cooked between two hot metal plates. This is usually a savory dish. This dish starts to evolve during the middle ages (400-1000CE) as they are served either flat with toppings, or rolled into coronets and filled. Still, the batter is made with the most common cereal grains (at the time, barley and oats).

It isn't until the 13th century that the oublie becomes the waffle as the irons that cook them are forged to reproduce a honeycomb pattern. Also around this time, the Old French word Gaufre (translated to english as "wafla") appears in print for the first time. These words translate to mean, "Piece of honeybee hive." Waffles begin to be sold by street vendors. There is continued fighting over vending locations (particularly on religious holidays when EVERYONE wants to sell immediately outside places of worship) The constants squabbles over vending locations prompt King Charles IX (of France) to regulate the industry: vendors must stay 6 feet away from each other.

At this point in time, the evolution and popularity of the waffle is noticed by pretty specific dates. In 1620, Dutch waffles come to America with the Pilgrims.

The English word, "Waffle," appears in print for the first time in 1735.

In 1789, Jefferson brought the waffle iron back from France when he returns to America from his Ambassadorship. This occasion brings the waffle to the height of society and the upper class begins holding,"Waffle frolics." These are parties where the guests can have waffles served either sweet or savory. Sweet waffles are topped with either molasses or maple syrup. Savory waffles are topped with a liver stew. The hosts slaves are given the leftovers. According to one website, these leftover savory waffles are the begining of the Southern tradition of "chicken and Waffles."

In the 1800's, street vendors begin to sell sweetly topped waffles and in 1869, Cornelius Swarthart patents the 1st waffle iron. To this day, the anniversary is celebrated with "national waffle day."

General Electric produces the first electric waffle iron patented by Thomas J Stackbeck. This model includes a thermostat that keeps the unit from getting too hot and burning the waffle. You may be thinking that such a model sounds exactly like the one in your kitchen cabinet: it it. The main difference between waffle irons 100 years later is the plastic "keep cool" outer coating and sometimes you can find "designer" waffle irons with different patterns on the griddle surface or a character on the outer coating. (Ours is the grinch on the outside with a swirly pattern on the inside. It was $3 at the thrift store)

The Wells Restaurant in Harlem serves starts serving chicken and waffles to their late night dining crowd in 1938. To this day, they claim to be the "home of chicken and waffles" and state that the combination evolved from late night diners coming from the clubs and being unable to decide whether they wanted breakfast or dinner.

All this history and you are probably left wondering, but what about eggos? If you want to discuss a significant portion of waffle life in the 20th century, you have to bring up Eggo. Eggos were first produced by the Dorsa brothers in 1953. They were known as "froffles" (for Frozen waffles) until 1955 when buyer feedback indicated that many people were referring to them as Eggos because of their "eggy" taste. The kellogg company bought the product in 1970.

At the 1964 World's fair in New York, Belgium waffles are introduced. The difference of a belgium waffle is the use of yeast as the leavening (as opposed to baking powder or baking soda). The creator was going to call them Brussels waffles but realized the average person did not know where Brussels was.

So we made apple barley waffles last sunday. The idea came from a variety of sources including a bit of early morning confusion in trying to assemble the recipe. #1: a webpage we bookmarked a few weeks ago included a recipe for pumpkin barley waffes. YUM! Upon looking at this recipe to make them for my mom, I realized this was a Belgium waffle recipe with yeast. Seeing as how I was already running late, I knew a yeast based recipe (and the time needed to rise) was not an option. So I googled, "Pumpkin barley waffles" and came up with another recipe for them using baking soda and baking powder. I assmebled the dry ingredients (including lots of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice) and stopped by the store for canned pumpkin. At my local grocer, I learned to my dismay, that canned pumkin is a seasonal ingredient (blasphemy considering they carry cranberry sauce year round).

So there I was, in the grocery store, with cinnamon pumkin pie spiced waffle mix and no pumpkin. It was at that second, that I decided that apple would be equally delicious. There is a pancake house in San Diego that serves delicious apple waffles, so with that as my hope: I grabbed a can of cooked sliced apples (not apple pie filling) and headed to check out.

Here is the recipe that we made that day:

Apple Waffles: Yield 10-12 waffles
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup barley flour
2 1/4 tsp baking bowder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp  pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Whisk all these ingredients together, set aside.

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup canned apples, minced plus 2 tbsp of the canning liquid
6 tbsp butter, melted
Whisk all of these ingredients together. Add to dry ingredients and stir JUST TO COMBINE. Let sit ten minutes.

Cook in hot waffle iron sprayed with nonstick cooking spray every 3-4 waffles. Would also make a good pancake batter as well.

I guess I should mention: the technical difference between waffles and pancakes is that with waffles: you whip your egg whites and fold them in last. (add the egg yolks when you whisk the wet ingredients together) Frankly, I'm just too lazy to do it this way. I find the the crumb of the waffle to be better by using the muffin method (whisk dry ingredients, whisk wet ingredients, add together stir just to combine.) then by using the muffin method and folding egg whites. But thats me, try it out, make your own decision. 

And as always, Cheers! LiA

references:
thenibble.com
whatscookingamerica.net

Creamed tuna on toast

So for today, a blog with food you can make when you are down to your last five dollars.... That may be the focus of the next couple. I think its important to highlight all aspects of food, even the things we eat because we have to make rent...

One of our regular "broke this week" recipes is creamed tuna on toast. When I started looking for information on where this recipe originated, I found... well, I didn't find where it came from, just that it has been just the way it is now for a LOOOOONG time.

A trusty google search of the term pulled up a timeline of the usage. The earliest result: May 25, 1913. An archive of the LA Times has an advertisement for, "Avalon tuna" After saying of this specific brand of tuna, "is even better than chicken... always tender and sweet-the flavor is ever so delicate-so white and attractive looking it makes a dainty dish to serve an any..." the archive goes on the quote, "It is splendid creamed on toast."

In the "What to Eat Next Week" column by Biddy Bye in the Miami News, dated August 15, 1919 Friday's lunch suggestion was creamed tuna with Rice. Alright, a little bit of a tangent, but I would like to quote the beginning of this article. It is still advice being given today by experts of both nutrition and economy and it is interesting to see it in a 1919 paper.
"Now, if ever, come the days when it is most important to follow the advice of the best domestic economists and buy "only foods in season." And now the market affords its richest plenty in fruits and vegetables. We may happily dispense with meat altogether- except for the occasional sandwich- thus taking a satisfying little personal prod at the profiteering meat merchants and at the same time saving our health and purses...."

Anyhow, back to creamed tuna. So with a start at least as early as 1913, you may wonder what we are doing still eating it. Well, it is still tasty! and economical! Those reasons are probably why even more recently, such as in the Orlando Sentinel March 15, 2001, there are still quotes of, "What would we do without canned tuna to get us over a grocery budget crisis? Creamed tuna on toast comes to the cook's rescue once again."

So lets get down to giving you a recipe. You will easily find hundreds of versions of this recipe online. Some use canned vegetables, some used canned soup, some use... well, there really is a little of everything. But that is to be expected with a beloved recipe that has been used by millions of families throughout history's various budget crises. Below is the way we make it around here. I like to keep it simple because I think it is tasty without a bunch of... accessories. And I like my vegetables separate from the other stuff...

Creamed Tuna on Toast, appropriately nicknamed, "Shit on a Shingle"
serves: 2-4
2 tbsp unsalted sweet cream butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can tuna packed in water, drained
4-8 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted

in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add in flour, whisking to combine. While whisking continually, add in milk. Stir continually while allowing the sauce to come to a simmer. (This is the same as making a bechamel sauce if you are familiar) The sauce will thicken. Add tuna, seasonings and serve over toast.

Sometimes, a drizzle of hot sauce is a nice addition. Now, I mentioned that some recipes use cream of mushroom soup in place of the bechamel sauce. This may sound wonderful to you. If you are looking for that kind of flavor for your creamed tuna here is what you should do: add sliced mushrooms to the above recipe. Canned soup is insanely high in sodium and usually fat. We will not even get started on the preservatives involved... Any recipe I find with cream of anything soup as an ingredient I avoid or try to change in order to exclude that element. As far as the vegetables go, add whatever you want. Using minimal butter and skim milk, some people find the sauce to be a nice addition to often bland canned vegetables. I have seen suggestions for canned green beans, peas, corn, etc...

Lastly, nutritional content. Assuming a full 8 slices of toast and 4 servings, things come out to look like this:

calories: 306
fat: 8.7g
saturated fat: 4.4g
trans fat: .5g
cholesterol: 30mg
sodium: 622mg
carbs: 37.3g
protein: 19.2g
Vitamin A: 9%
Calcium: 22%
Iron: 12%

So there you have, tasty, economical, and once you have a taste, you will probably remember your grandma serving it to you as a kid as she remembers her grandma serving it to her...

CHEERS! LiA

references:
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?

"Display Ad 145." LA Times. III5; May 25, 1913 Quote found via: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com

"Quick, Healthful meals for Budget Minded Families." Susan Nicholson, Orlando Sentinel. H2; Mar 15, 2001 Quote found via http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com

"What to Eat Next Week," Biddy Bye. The Miami Metropolis. 7; Aug 15, 1919. Quote found via: news.google.com

Blueberry Muffins

I found / combined this recipe from a couple others. They turned out delicious. And today, it was one of these blueberry muffins that powered my first 5k (and run at all) back at altitude. And despite my concerns about altitude sickness and general out of shapeness, it was one of my best ever! But this is a blog about food, so all I'm trying to say is they are delicious and full of some decently balanced nutrients (atleast in my book).

Blueberry Muffins
DRY INGREDIENTS
1 C all purpose flour
1 C barley flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt (we use kosher)
WET INGREDIENTS:
1 C Nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 c canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries

METHOD: Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium large bowl. Set aside. Whisk together all wet ingedients in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and STIR JUST ENOUGH TO COMBINE (Do not over mix).

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non stick spray. Bake at 375degree F for 15-18 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

I do not have a muffin pan and instead split the batter equally between my 8 ramikins. For these, I baked 10 minutes at 375 and 16 minutes at 350. (though I suggest that with caution. The oven in the apartment we just moved into is probably older than I am and I haven't taken the time to double check how accurate the temperature setting actually is. It seems to be taking longer than normal for most things)
Now, for something I haven't ever posted with my recipes: NUTRITIONAL CONTENT!!

I found this tool online at http://caloriecount.about.com/ . It may not be super precise, but atleast it will give you an idea of what you are eating.

serving size: 78 g (1 muffin out of 12 per recipe)
calories: 183       calories from fat: 53
total fat: 5.9g
saturated fat: .8g
Cholesterol: 32mg
Sodium: 125mg
Total carbohydrates: 28.7g
dietary fiber: 1.8g
sugars: 10.7g
protien: 4.5g
Vitamin A 1%
Vitamin C 2%
Iron 9%
Calcium 6%

So there you have it: another recipe to enjoy...
Cheers! LiA

Herbage

I write today's blog as an homage to my late basil plant that died this week after a long battle with mealy bugs and a voyage halfway across the country. It was a mere five months old (which in the life of a plant cared for by me is ANCIENT) and didn't deserve such a cruel death.

An herb is defined as a plant that does not have a woody stem and dies back to the ground each winter, leaving only its root system behind.

Once again I've picked an ingredient that has both history and culinary merit (those are, after all the best, right?). Evidence of herbs goes back to early cave paintings 12000-25000BC and have had significant use in many cultures. The ancient Greeks and Romans crowned their leaders with dill and laurel. The Romans also used dill to purify the air. In the middle ages, herbs were used to both preserve meat and cover the rotting flavor of food pre-refrigeration. Herbs were also used to mask odors of non or irregular bathers. This is one period of history in which herbal medicine did not progress as the Catholic Church burned "herbalists" (aka: witch trials).

Most recently, herbs have come back into the limelight as we've experienced a revolution of the culinary sort in our culture. Not only are herbs full of flavor, contribute to a flavor profile, but they contain no calories or fat making them appealing to cooks with healthier intentions.

In terms of gardening, herbs are super hardy garden plants and were even quoted today in the Chicago Tribune as being the easiest of all edible plants to maintain.  Multiple sources state that the basics to successful herb gardening are simply: fast draining soil, 6 hours of sunlight a day, and regular harvesting.

Herbs are excellent for container gardens as long as the container drains well, water is given regularly when the soil starts to appear / feel dry and you clip them often. Clipping not only encourages the plant to give off new shoots, but also keeps the root system in control which is important when the root system is contained in a specific space as in container gardening.

Lastly, I thought I would include an herby recipe. A final homage to my lost little basil plant that did provide a handful of successful pesto dishes, the traditional basil pesto.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 T garlic, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method: Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Process on high until ingredients are ground. With machine still on, drizzle in olive oil slowly and process until a paste forms.

Most commonly served with pasta, but also tasty with grilled meats and vegetables.

Cheers,
LiA

references:
backyardgardener.com
herbgardeningguru.com
ChicagoTribune.com

Oh Barley....

So many of us may be aware of the presence of Barley in our diets: in our beer! But this past week I have discovered that barley is a nutritious and delicious cereal grain with a whole heap of benefits to including in one's daily diet.

Barley boasts to being the oldest grain and for good reason... Archeologists have found evidence of barley growing wild as early as 17000BC!!!! The grain has been cultivated for more than 6000 years and was the principal "bread grain" of most ancient civilizations (Chinese, Greek, Egyptian, Roman...) up until the 14th century. The fact that it is one of the most drought and saline tolerant cereal crops most likely aided to its significance in ancient life.

But barley is not just ancient, it also has been proven to be very beneficial to one's health. Being high in both soluble and insoluble fiber means that it has been shown to aid in all forms of digestion issues. Barley has also been shown to decrease arterial plaque, lower cholesterol, and both prevent and cure gallstones.

The grain has 8 essential amino acids, making it a delight for those not getting complete protiens (vegetarians, people with severe food restrictions because did I mention, its gluten free). Barley is high in magnesium. According to some research I found on the internet, the magnesium content reacts with the body's enzymes in a certain way to control glucose levels, making it very beneficial to type 2 diabetes patients. Some other contents in this small package of goodness: selenium (a mineral), tocotrienols and lignans (both anti-oxidants). Some other claims I read on the internet: barley aids in cell growth and repair, can help with children's asthma, and should be consumed regularly by all. On islamonline.net, Howard Lutz is quoted as saying that barley, "Improves stamina, sexual energy, calirty of thought and reduces addiction to thing that are bad for you." Not being a medical professional, I am not backing any of these claims up, but I am inserting a little barley into my regular diet.

So I found this recipe for Barley Water. Actually, I saw it on the Barley episode of "Good Eats," and then looked it up online. In Britain, Barley water is apparently a popular soft drink. So popular in fact, that Robinsons brand of Barley water has been the official drink of Wimbledon since 1935. Barley water gives you all the nutritional benefits of Barley and tastes delicious too! (I think it tastes just like an orange julius!)

2 quarts water
1 cup hulled barley
2 lemons
1 orange
1/4 cup honey

Place the water and the barley into a medium saucepan; cover, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the barley comes to a boil, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. While the liquid is cooking, peel the lemons and orange, being careful not to cut into the white pith. Juice the fruits and place the juice along with the peel into a 3 quart pitcher and set aside. After 30 minutes, strain the barley through a fine mesh strainer into the pitcher. Discard the barley (ie: save it for later!!!). Add the honey and stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled.

So that is all I've got for now! Enjoy a little more barley in your life and I'll be back with something else delicious soon!

Cheers! LiA

...Cole Slaw...

Wow, haven't posted in a WHILE.... Things have been busy and ever changing, but here I am today with an exciting recipe.

I've always avoided coleslaw on the assumption that, "I don't like it." (Picky kid thinking). A couple years ago, I worked at a five star resort and was regularly in charge of making salad dressings from scratch, including the cole slaw dressing. There I learned that a "proper" slaw dressing is just: 1/3 vinegar (I suggest apple cidar for a standard coleslaw), 1/3 sugar, and 1/3 mayonaise. You combine this in equal parts because the vinegar cuts the sugar, the sugar cuts the fat, and the fat cuts the vinegar. Its works together...

So I was in charge of making this dressing about once a week. And the first time I tried it, I thought, "well I can understand how this would be appealing to some and I can taste it for the sake of knowing what it is supposed to taste like." It took a few more tastes, but eventually, I was pulling more and more cabbage out of the mix, "tasting again" to "make sure the proportions were correct."

Nowadays, my husband and I have a little sushi joint we go to every once in a while that has this awesome salad they serve. Its not the typical asian salad (lots of iceburg, a couple carrots, a tasty ginger dressing) but instead an asian slaw. It has cabbage, crab, carrots, a DELICIOUS dressing, and is garnished with toasted sesame seeds. At times, I find I am craving it.

On a side note, We have long been attempting to make the ultimate Asian salad dressing. We recently realized that the ingedient... the "little thing that is missing" most likely is MISO. (opinion based on watching a "Good Eats" show based on Miso)

Well, a series of accidents later, here I am with an AWESOME Asian coleslaw recipe.

~1/2 head green cabbage, sliced very fine (or a package of "coleslaw salad mix" in the bag salad area of produce section
~1 large carrot, cut into matchstick sized pieces
~1/2 cup bean sprouts
~1/2 jar of "Galeos worlds best miso toasted sesame seed dressing"
~1/4 lb crab meat

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You can also add "crispy wonton strips" that are commonly sold in the produce / salad area of your grocer.

Now, for the awesome news: this is MUCH healthier than a typical coleslaw. a) you get some protien from the crab. b) this is my final reason for loving the galeos dressing: its not a nasty greasy oily salty thing as so many prepared ("convenience") foods are. In fact, comparing the labels on the miso dressing with kraft foods Balsamic, the miso dressing has 22 calories as opposed to over 100, 1/4 the fat, 1/10th the sodium, 1/8th the carbs..... And it has tons more flavor!

So, I suggest giving it a try. I think you will find it is a refreshing alternative to what we all think at the suggestion of cole slaw: this is no cabbage soaked in mayonaise.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
LiA

Wedding cake revealed

This past weekend I presented the first wedding cake I've made to my brother in law and his lovely wife, Geraldine. Below is a photo...

Some room for improvement for sure, but I'm proud of it for a first attempt. It can only get better from here!

On Cake...

So I thought I would share a recipe this morning. A basic, easily executed recipe... for buttercream. Buttercream is the most common icing for a cake, and the stuff you buy in a container at the grocery store for $5 is closest to buttercream. I've been experimenting with various recipes for a few years, trying to find the most promising. There are many methods to making a buttercream that range in effort from butter and powdered sugar beat together all the way to boiling sugar to "soft ball stage," whipping egg whites, and putting together one hugely precocious mess. Both of these methods can work and make a delicious icing, however, I don't have room in my fridge to refrigerate a cake that the icing may melt off because it is all butter and I don't have the patience for dirtying every dish in the kitchen just for the icing...

The recipe I've found and quite enjoy is considered, "Decorator's Butter Cream." I'm currently taking a Wilton Cake Decorating Course and this is our "class buttercream." Let me give you the recipe and then gush about what I love about it...

Buttercream Icing (Stiff Consistency) yield: 3 cups

1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
1 tsp flavoring (most commonly vanilla, but there are many options, almond, orange, peppermint, etc)
2 Tbsp milk or water (use water if you want to be able to leave out at room temperature)
1 lb pure cane powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Wilton Meringue powder
1 tsp butter extract
PINCH salt

Cream shortenings, flavorings, and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. BLEND AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE. (doing so does make an important difference in your consistency).

Now let's talk consistency: This recipe makes stiff consistency, because you can always add water, its harder to take it away. Stiff icing is only used for 3-d flowers such as roses.

MEDIUM: this consistency is great for the decorating portion of icing your cake. Its the perfect consistency for borders, stems, and flowers with flat petals. To get your icing to medium consistency, add 1 teaspoon of water per cup of stiff icing (1 Tablespoon for the whole recipe)

THIN: This is the icing you will use to ice your cake as well as for writing and leaves. Add 2 teaspoons of water per cup of stiff icing (2 tablespoons for the whole recipe).

About some of these ingredients:
~The shortening: Shortening is preferred over butter because food safety wise, shortening is more stable at room temperature. And no one wants food poisoning over birthday cake! You can get the butter flavored and cut out the butter extract, however at my local grocery store the store brand that does not come in butter flavored is 3 times the size as the butter flavored crisco for the same price. And when you need a full cup of shortening for 3 cups of icing (which is the minumum I bring to class every week), it helps the budget to buy in bulk. Additionally, butter flavored crisco (if I remember correctly) is yellow... which will affect the "pure white" of your product.
~The powdered sugar: pure cane is preferred because anything that does not say pure cane, probably contains beet sugar (a cheaper source). Beet sugar tends to leech out water into your icing RUINING the texture. (I know you're asking how much water can powdered sugar really "leech out"? But the consistency of your icing is a very touchy subject that can be altered with just a fraction of a teaspoon. So any unanticipated moisture is too much.)
Also, the recipe calls for a pound. My recipe clarified that 1 pound was approximately 4 cups. I did the weight to volume change at http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/sugar_amounts.html and found that 1 pound of powdered sugar is 3.63 cups. The difference os 3.63 versus 4 when you are measuring your liquid by the teaspoon is large... So, use a digital scale, buy sugar in a 1 pound incremement, or buy two pounds and double the recipe are your best bets.
~The Water: On the subject of moisture, you may need to play around with the exact amount for your locale's humidity. I had to add a few extra drops when I lived in Colorado and the air is pretty much negative humidity all the time. San Diego seems to have pretty middle of the road humidity and sticking to the exact amount on the recipe is good. 
~The meringue powder: This is the big ingredient difference in "decorator's" buttercream as opposed to different recipes. This will give your icing just a little but of crust and help it maintain the design you put into it. It is also what causes icing flowers to harden and keep their shape. You can find the wilton brand in the same aisle as cake decorating supplies in walmart or a craft store. And I just recently saw online that it is commonly available in your average grocery under the name, "Just whites." I've only worked with the wilton brand and its not too expensive, so I'm don't think I'll be taking the risk of switching for probably just a couple cents savings.
~The salt: If we've learned anything from Alton Brown, its that a bit of salt helps bother bring flavors together and accentuate them. Thats why there is a small amount in your brownies, chocolate recipes, muffins, etc. Put just a pinch in your icing as well. 
~The flavors: Go crazy here! You can use whatever you put your wild imagination to. Vanilla, almond, orange... there are so many extract options on the market these days, that you can make your buttercream any flavor at all. You could also use your favorite flavored liquor to replace the amount of water and flavoring. However, the "Wilton method" suggests using only a clear liquid so you don't affect the "pure white" of your icing. This makes coloring more true. I'm pretty impressed with my cake decorating colors in creating a true color even though I did not use clear vanilla in my recipe of buttercream. I will, however use clear extract on the wedding cake I'm icing in mostly white next week.

There are two things I really love about this recipe:

1) Its non-dairy and therefore shelf stable. Buttercream consistency is made to be best at room temperature. So if you are having to refrigerate and work with it for a limited time out of the refrigerator, you are not working with the ideal product. As well, even if your cake is completely cooled to room temperature (which it should be before icing), refrigerated icing is not going to go on smoothly or go on without you accidently take chunks out of your cake.
2) The meringue powder makes it. As a kid, my mom decorated most of the birthday cakes in the neighborhood. She used icing out of the can. And the thing I loved most about her methods was that when something went wrong, she would just let it harden a second, stick her finger in warm water and smooth it out simply and quickly. I've never been able to do this with homemade icing until I added that meringue powder. That ability give you the ability to have smooth corners and get rid of the peaks where you pulled your spatula up for more icing or whatever. Do not use too frivously because as I said earlier, extra moisture will kill your frosting.

So thats my piece for the day. Go crazy and have fun! If you are not having atleast as much fun decorating the cake as you do eating it, you're way too stressed... its cake, I'm pretty sure that fun is in the definition!

Cheers, LiA

On my intellectual plate. . .

So, as I brieftly mentioned in my last post, I was a picky kid. How I define this pickiness may be different from how my parents describe it... as they were the one trying to cook for me. But here is what I recall: I ate off plate with seperated sections until I was about ten, and I remember eating a lot of: fishsticks, corndogs, hot dogs, and peanut butter sandwiches. Here is an unbiased example: the only sandwich I ate until probably about the age of 10-12 was peanut butter OR peanut butter and honey. That is two to three ingredients and when you really think about it... peanut butter and honey is just slightly sweetened peanut butter... There were slight changes throughout my life to make me a little less picky... going through growth spurts and playing sports made me so hungry I suddenly liked more things. Living in the dorms gave me the same appreciation. And then... I worked in a kitchen. And suddenly I was expected to taste and comment on all sorts of things that I had been so sure I didn't like.... But I still don't like a lot of things that most people would enjoy just thinking about: beans, avocados, squash and pumpkin pie are the few that come easily to mind.

My younger brother was also a picky kid. And I admit I spent much of my time living with my parents pointing out which ways he was pickier than I. He didn't like pasta. He didn't like cheese unless it was mozzarella melted on a pizza. And anything green and healthy looking? You can forget about either of us being tricked into that. The list of vegetables consumed in our house was short: corn, carrots, and broccoli.

I never understood what made me and my younger brother so picky and my older brother and so many other kids in the world so food accepting. This was one of the things that led me to study nutrition in college (I didn't finish that study, I failed some science classes and switched my major). While I have now accepted more and more foods onto my plate, I am still regularly reminded of how picky I am by my husband who will pretty much eat anything. Meanwhile, his younger brother: a picky kid.

To me it is fascinating what makes kids like my husband or older brother look at something (no matter what the name or smell or appearance) and say, "Yeah I'll try it" and like it versus me or my younger brother or brother in law look at the same thing and say, "I don't like it." My brother in law, who is youngest of the 5 combined siblings has been practically made famous by the fact that he looked at something, was told to try it and said he didn't like it. When he was asked repeatedly to try it because how could he know that he didn't like it without trying it, he replied: "I just know by thinking. I thought about it, and I don't like it." I've recently defended this long told "family legend" by mentioning that, even though I am not nearly as picky as I was as a kid, sometimes I make a dish (usually things with lots of veggies or a new sauce... things that have lots of ingredients such as a stir fry or a salad) and I finish it... and despite knowing that I like every individual ingredient that I have included or even knowing that I have made this recipe before.... something in my brain just acknowledges the dish in front of me (appearance, smell, ingredients) and fires back with: "You are not going to like that."

So anyway, I know some picky people... lets move on to my point. WHAT CAUSES THIS? How come my husband can look at anything indiscriminately and think, "This could be delicious!" and meanwhile I have the same foods and I scoot everything around the plate with my fork and think, "I am going to be hungry at the end of this meal because I am NOT going to enjoy this."

I am currently reading "How We Eat" by Leon Rappoport. He is primarily a psychologist interested in.... well, how we eat. In his book, he examines the things we eat and why we, as a species come to establish a food as good or bad. Additionally, he has researched extensively on how we develop our food habits. It looked like an interesting library book which it has turned out to be... but it also has brought me back to some of my initial feelings on what was so interesting about studying human nutrition.

I'm not far along and he hasn't had much to say about being picky but he does mention this in chapter two, "Its not necessary to study psychoanalytic behavior to recognize the obsessive-compulsive tendencies shown by people who insist on arranging their food in a certain pattern; having their bread toasted lightly, darkly, or in-between; or having their coffee not too hot and not too cold with just the right amount of sugar and cream. All forms of obsessive behavior... can be understood as defenses against anxiety. People who show obsessive food behaviors are evidently trying to cope with anxieties..."

I definitely see a relation to the mental aspect of not liking a lot of foods. I've long held the belief that kids avoid foods which their bodies have reactions to. Perhaps not always a correct correlation (many people avoid a specific food after having a long night of gastro-intestinal issues, but they didn't necessarily have food poisoning from that item) I mention this because I admitted earlier that I don't like pumpkin pie. A notable thanksgiving of my childhood, we had all the aunts and uncles and cousins at my house. Two came with the stomach flu. I was asked to try the pumpkin pie, didn't enjoy it and then had the stomach flu all night. To this day a traditional pumpkin pie makes me a gag a little... even though I enjoy pumpkin in all sorts of other things (including pumpkin cheescake, yum). And perhaps a food being avoided does not neccessarily a strong reaction that others around can observe such as a "typical" allergic reaction of anaphylactic shock or vomiting... But something in the brain seems to connect that the food is not going to be enjoyable in some way. So I mention that part first, but lets get back to Rappaport's thoughts on the subject.

The quote above ends like this, "People who show obsessive food behaviors are evidently trying to cope with anxieties that probably can be traced to harsh or tramatic childhood experiences with eating." Some people just have parents that react to "I don't like it" with force or anger or frustration. Having been the daughter of a picky kid, I did not suffer from that. To me it sounds excessive to make picky eating about having a tramatic childhood. But I guess there are kids out there that are forced to clean their plates even when they don't feel good, that have to eat their vegetables to get up from the table, and that age old threat... "You can sit there til breakfast, I don't care, but you will not get up from that table until you finish." Perhaps I would not have been willing to try things over and over again until I liked them (such as with many of the vegetables I eat now) had I endured this treatment. Perhaps I would still be as picky. But... perhaps not.

I will say, to credit my parents patience with us: my younger brother, the fellow picky kid is not picky anymore. He works in a popular health food store as a cook and eats all sorts of vegetables, beans, squash, grains... Every time I talk to him, he mentions something else he enjoys that I never imagined he would. Our last conversation was on avocados. I think I will ask him next time if there is anything he can think of that he still would not eat no matter what. I bet there's something... but its probably something simple and "kid-friendly" like Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Now a brief disclosure: I am not a parent. So maybe we should just ponder and revisit this when I have kids that look at me like I'm trying to poison them and say, "But mom, I know by thinking and I don't like that!" But maybe and one can only hope: they eat like my husband.

Something to start with

As long as I have resisted the... blogging phenomenon, I'm finding it hard to decide on an exact subject for this first entry. I think its because i have so many ideas of what I want to post in this space that I don't know which to start with. SO... here we go. A recipe. The following is a recipe that has been passed around my husband's family for a few years now. I was entrusted with it and the acceptance of "and you can do whatever, I know you'll find some great way to improve it." and I feel that the changes to our most recent pot have indeed changed it from something great to... WOW. I'll put this in a traditional recipe format, but I do have a few footnotes to make... I suggest reading all the way through.

Chicken Tortilla Soup... by a series of Gringos (including myself)

Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, diced small to medium
1 medium yellow onion, diced small to medium
1 large can diced green chili
1 small can chipotle chili in adobe, diced *


~Saute these ingredients over medium high heat until onions have carmelized and liquid has pretty much evaporated


2 (14oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes***
1 can whole kernal corn (drained)
1 can whole kernal corn (dumped the juice in the pot too)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 lb chicken. cubed, shredded, or pulled off rotisserie chicken
10 cups water
6 chicken Bouillon cubes **
4 beef Bouillon cubes
3 shakes worcestshire sauce
teaspoonish cumin
pinch chili powder
~Dump all these ingredients in a soup pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. When Onion/pepper mix is done, add to pot. Let simmer atleast 30 minutes to let all the flavors come together and honestly, its better on day two... but who can wait until then to enjoy!?!?!?!


~Serve with a sprinkle of cheese, a splash of lime juice and a small spoonful of sour cream. Tortilla chips or corn tortilla strips put under the broiler until crispy should be added upon serving. Personally, I like mine to stay crispy so I eat them on the side or as a dip, but I guess that kind of takes the tortilla out of the tortilla soup.

FOOTNOTES:
*Chipotle chili in adobo is delicious. Its a mediumish chili. Using the whole can will mean this soup will be medium spiciness for about two days and as it sits longer get spicier. If you're worried about overdoing, use less, or pull the seeds out of the peppers before dicing. (You should be able to find this in the mexican food aisle. You can also just use an extra can of diced green chilis)
**Use whatever your favorite broth source is. We sometimes boil the chicken bones for added flavor, use canned broth, use base... but the 60% chicken, 40% beef is an important element.
***I just recently learned about fire roasted tomatoes. They are awesome for soups and chilis. In my grocery, they are available only by hunt's and only in the 14oz cans. But however you can get them, it should add up to 28oz. Before using fire roasted tomatoes, we used 2 cans of "Mexican" tomatoes, the ones with the peppers. So if you're unlucky in finding fire roasted, don't despair... you can still have tortilla soup.


I've been experimenting in the soup department for a couple months now. Having been a picky kid, I wasn't ever a soup fan. I started learning the basics in the first kitchen I worked in: a student run restaurant at my now alma mater. It was there that I was thrust into trying the soups of the day every day and realized that soup is delicious, comforting, can be quite healthy, AND is cheap to make. What's not to like? We're planning on making a gumbo for the superbowl. (because its in New Orleans or New Orleans is playing? Maybe both... thats how much I know about football) I haven't made gumbo since that first kitchen prep job and even then I was mostly just the stir-er. I remember it being time consuming (but atleast at home I can have a beer while I wait for the roux to brown) but well worth it.I'll let you know how it goes.

But for now, CHEERS! LiA