Healthy and Delicious Cooking

Stuffing a leaf, be it a cabbage, grape leaf, lettuce leaf, or any other type of green leafy vegetable, is  universal comfort food. The Greeks have their Dolmas, the Thais wrap their Laab, a spicy ground meat, the Vietnamese fill noodles, shrimp and pork in lettuce, and the Eastern Europeans wrap meat and rice mixtures in blanched cabbage leaves. My brother' fiance, Lucia, is Romanian, and she blanches the entire cabbage head and pickles it, like sauerkraut. Though her version is time consuming, the lovingly prepared creation, is sublime. However, it does not need to be an arduous preparation. A stuffed leafy vegetable is a satisfying and healthy entree. Just blanch the leaves, or the entire head, for a few minutes, and peel as many leaves as you require. The stuffing can be any mixture of meat, grains and vegetables, or just grains and vegetables, pleasing both vegetarians and carnivores alike. Braise it for an hour in a simple tomato sauce and the result is warm, succulent bund

I think that I've mentioned my love of Southern American food. Mac & Cheese, Fried Catfish, Collard Greens, Fried Chicken etc. etc. So when my brother, Vijay, gave me  Paula Deans' Southern Cooking Bible for Christmas,  the year to come looked rich and delicious. When I think of Paula Dean I envision butter, butter, and more butter. And though "nothing is better than butter"-as you well know, Paula darling- too much is a health concern. This humble dish can be quite healthy. It is a lean source of protien, and for those of you who abstain from red meat, a pounded chicken breast can work as well. I made a few tweaks, but I stayed with Paula's direction for the most part. Paula's version does not use butter, and I do! A batter-sauted steak is drizzled with a peppery cream sauce. Serve it with cheese laced grits, and a medley of vegetables and savor every bite. It may taste like a guilty pleasure, but guess what? It's not. RECIPE Serves 4 4 4-5 oz c

My daughter Sarina loves to experiment with food. Salty with sweet, sour with spicy, and every other combination you could possibly imagine. This can be a hit or miss proposition, but this was an amazing hit. A thin smear of creme fraiche on toast, 2-3 anchovies, slices of avocado, and a squeeze of lemon; heaven. For those anchovy-haters, smoked salmon is also delicious, but not quite so dramatic. Both anchovies and avocados are high in protein, lower cholesterol levels, promote heart health, and are rich in omega fatty acids. I believe that eating healthy is an admirable goal. However, when it's decadently, sinfully delicious as well, you have hit the jack pot! Thanks Sarina. RECIPE Serves 2 for a light meal Serves 4 for a snack 4 slices of whole grain bread creme fraiche or sour cream 8 anchovies 2 ripe avocados juice from 1/2 a lemon pepper to taste (optional) Toast the bread and spread a thin layer of the creme fraiche. Lay 2 anchovies on each toast. Slice hal

Holidays are wonderful but they can be bittersweet We share good times, and a bounty of food, with friends and family, and we toast those whose absence weigh heavily. This Thanksgiving my son and daughter-in-law, rightfully, stayed with our family in Rochester, to give thanks and to celebrate Jareds' father-in-law, Tonys', miraculous recovery from adversity. I had to prepare far less food without Jared at the table, and he begged for leftovers to be frozen and shipped. With a house full of kids for the entire weekend, there was barely a crumb left in the cupboard. So much for leftovers! Then much to our surprise, Jared and Sonia came for a week in December, and I planned a Thanksgiving recreation. It didn't happen. The week was packed with events, a continuous stream of family and friends, and then they were gone. But surprises are a plenty, and lo and behold, Jared (sadly without Sonia), returned to welcome in the New Year with his New York family. This time I was deter

For those of you who have checked in on this blog, in the month of December, I truly apologize for my negligence. The holidays brings on so much activity that, though I had lots of anecdotes and recipes to share, getting to the computer proved to be  a little difficult. So forgive me, and perhaps we can share the season, together, in the quiet, hibernating month of January, as we welcome in the New Year. Happy 2013. My Mother-In-Law, Jody Marcia  Strohl, has been making this bread every year during the Christmas season since the year of my husbands birth. Suffice it to say that that was a very, very long time ago. Michael has continued the tradition. He bakes several mini-loaves, and shares them with family and friends along with a bottle of cheer. It can be toasted and topped with cream cheese or a slice of cheddar, but I enjoy it simply on its own. My Mother serves it at tea time, and my children nibble on it while emptying their stocking on Christmas morning (yes, they still do t