Healthy and Delicious Cooking

Every weekend I make a green sauce out of all the various greens that I have purchased from the Farmers Market. This can include turnip, radish, carrot,   and beet greens, kale spinach and any mixture of herbs. I blend it with as many cloves of garlic as my mood inspires, and top it off with a generous pouring of my Lebanese Olive Oil. Sometimes I add lemon juice, but more often than not I just season it with salt and several grinds of pepper. The uses for this sauce are numerous. It is always on one of my Sunday pizzas, I add nuts and cheese to make a pesto for pasta recipes, I blend in olives for a sauce for grilled meats, and use it as a base for salad dressings, dips and a variety of sauces such as a Green Goddess or a Yogurt-Herb. Seasoning can always be adjusted. That is why keeping it simple, at first, is best. You can always add spices and ingredients depending on the type of cuisine that you are preparing. The taste can vary with the kind of greens and the amoun

A wonderful way to warm oneself during those miserably cold winter nights was a spicy bowl of Thai Red Curry with Pork and Eggplant ladled over nutty brown rice. One of my fondest memories is eating my way through Thailand, and though the cooks that fed me ground their delectable curries with fresh spices and herbs, I thank God for those sweet little tins of ready-made curry pastes, especially on week nights. Stir them into a little soy sauce and ground chilies, along with the protein of your choice and  the foundation of your stew is ready. Simmer for an hour or two, add your vegetables, and  continue cooking until they are cooked through. If using left-over roost meats it make preparing the meal even simpler. and much faster. Finish with s small amount of coconut milk and cilantro and you are ready to enjoy. My Pork and Eggplant Curry has the creaminess and heat to shake the frost, make your taste buds rejoice, and gently warm your body and soul. This curry is adapted from An

My daughter Sarina spent 3 months in Israel in 2011 with an organization call WOOF, whereby she lived and worked on farms and had to take turns preparing meals for the farm workers (and herself). Quite a challenge but she learned a great deal and one of the dishes, which she considered an Israeli staple, was Shakshuka. With farm fresh eggs and the luscious, just-picked tomatoes on the vine she would prepare this beautiful, delicious and healthy meal.  For Sunday brunch she put her culinary talents to work and created Shakshuka for her Dad and me. (Just saying the name makes one happy). She served it on a bed of grains (we had millet), accompanied with a salad of cucumbers and red onions, and Labneh or thick yoghurt on the side. You could have warm pita bread, as they did on the farm. Whatever you choose, and wherever your surroundings may be, you will enjoy a wonderful meal.  RECIPE SERVES 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons tomato paste (Israelis use Harissa) 2 red peppe

Our daughters boyfriend, Liam Harley, had a project whereby a meal is prepared in memory of a person or a meaningful time in ones life. My husband, Michael, was requested to participate, and chose to commemorate his grandmother, Thelma Ruth Patrick, known to the great-grandchildren as Grandma Ruth. I was the happy guest along with my friends Nina Chacko and Bob Nowak, to be invited to devour and enjoy the  feast. And what a feast it was. We started with a delicious Shrimp Dip, followed by "Chicken Legs"**, Twice Baked Potatoes and Pressure Cooker Green Beans. Dessert was lovingly prepared by our daughter, Layla. She is the only one in our family who has mastered the art of Grandmas' amazing Apple Pie, always served with a wedge of Cheddar Cheese. We told stories of our grandmothers, and recalled memories of our childhood, reliving many forgotten times. Thank you Liam and Michael, for a very special night, one that will not be forgotten. ** GRANDMAS' CHICKEN LEGS