Healthy and Delicious Cooking

 For Christmas my brother, Vijay, gave my husband the Charcuterie cookbook by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.  Michael decided to work through the book from start to finish. His first attempt at Home Smoked Bacon was fantastic. It took a week for the pork belly to dry out and a few hours to slow roast, and it was well worth the wait. I love bacon, and what I love most about these salty, smoky, crispy morsels, is that you can use a very small amount to achieve enormous  flavor. 4 ounces crisped up in a cast-iron pan, are ample for a flavor-packed meal serving 4-6 people. I sauté it with broccoli rabe and either add it to pasta or cannellini beans, or just enjoy it on it own, with a side of grains. Add a couple of ounces of bacon to your basic tomato sauce for a rich smoky flavor. Bacon is a great way for us carnivores to increase our grains and vegetables, reduce our  meat intake, and still feel very satisfied. Lots of recipes tell you to blanch the ...

As an impoverished college student, I had a tiny studio in the West Village with my soon-to-be husband, and could barely make ends meet. Our "go-to" meal, when friends and family popped in, consisted of eggplant sauteed in a bottled Chili/Garlic sauce. When served with rice, it filled us up as cheaply as possible, and left all contented. Today Sauteed Eggplant in Garlic Sauce continues to comfort and satisfy my soul. I still use a small amount of bottled sauce, but all the other ingredients are fresh, healthful and delicious. The recipe is easy, and can be prepared as quickly as ordering from your local Chinese Take-Out. I serve it with a bowl of brown rice, reminisce on those happy days of deprivation, and enjoy a nourishing, vegetarian feast. RECIPE Serves 2 2 Chinese eggplants, cut in 2" finger lengths 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 2 tablespoons ginger minced 2 scallion, sliced 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons garlic/chili sauce...

My youngest is 21, and well before her birth, our family started to make pizzas for Sunday lunches. The kids would knead the dough, smooth it to the likes of a babys' bottom, stick their finger in the dough to watch the dimple retract, and pinch a piece to eat raw. This latter action was a peculiar habit that they picked up from their paternal grandmother. The toppings were rarely the same. We used left-overs, a variety of vegetables, several different sauces, meats and fish. Bits and pieces of left-over cheeses were incorporated, as well. Our creativity had no bounds. The crust was always thin, a mixture of unbleached, whole wheat and semolina flours. Many kids and friends, who shared in our Sunday afternoons, went on to persue their own pizza creations. One such Sunday, a few weeks ago, Jennifer, soon to marry into our ever growing family, arrived in pursuit of a pizza lesson. She scribbled, kneaded and baked, as we clicked our camera to record the beginning of another Pizza...

Mmmmmmmmm. . . It's that time of year. The colors of gold, orange, red and yellow glow against the bluest of skies, and the stove beckons with the promise of simmering stews and hearty soups. I love the Fall. Many bemoan the coming of winter, the early nights, and the shortage of sunlight, but not me. Fall feels like a blanket of warmth accompanied by a crisp breeze coaxing people to gather in their homes and enjoy the bounty of the orchards and the fields. It is time to harvest, prepare meals and share in the candlelight. My beef bourguignon has carrots, mushrooms, radishes, celery, and any root vegetable that you care to throw in with the beef and red wine. It simmers in a low oven for 3 hours. The aromas build and fill the house and by the time we eat we are crazed with anticipation. I serve it with a puree of celeriac. Now that is how to enjoy Falls bounty. RECIPE 4 servings 1 lb. beef, cut int 1" cubes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion sliced 3...

This is a twist on Enchiladas Suizas, where chicken wrapped in corn tortillas are bathed with a creamy tomatillo-poblano sauce. At weeks end I found some sad looking cherry tomatoes, avocados that had finally ripened, and left-over roast chicken breast, the prime reason for roasting a chicken, as far as I am concerned. I made the creamy sauce with avocados, grilled tomatoes, some jalapenos and garlic. topped off the wrapped chicken enchiladas with all the bits of left-over cheeses in the fridge, and end-of week enchiladas were born. RECIPE Serves 4 1 cup cherry tomatoes 2 jalapenos (I like it spicy) 4 cloves garlic, peeled 3 avocados 1 cup cilantro 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted salt and pepper 8 corn tortillas 2 chicken breast, shredded 1 1/2 cups left-over cheese, grated Heat a cast iron skillet and grill the tomatoes, jalapenos and garlic until brown spots appear, and the garlic is soft enough to adhere to a knife. Blend the vegetables with the avocados, cilantro, toaste...

It has been a while since I have written on my blog. A new job and a change in household dynamics (kids home for the summer), stifled creativity. Though I was grateful for opportunities that have been presented to me-I love my job, and I'm surrounded with wonderful people- I was having some challenges in finding balance in my life. The tasks at work and at home became overwhelming, and I was impatient, tired, and anxious by days end. Well, this had to stop! I started this blog at a particularly low point in my life. I had lost my job, found myself inadequately equipped for the 21st centuries computer savvy world, and there was little possibility that I could ever work in my field again. The rules and requirements had changed and, to top it off, I was at a not-so-desirable age for employment. A dear friend, Neyla, encouraged me to start a blog and share recipes. Blogging was quite alien to me but when presented as a food journal I decided to give it a try. At this depressing and, ...

I grew up with lots of noodles: Italian, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, I loved them all. However I did lean towards the robust, and rarely prepared light, gingery broths and soups. I perceived them as bland. Once again I was wrong. There is something wonderfully cleansing about these types of dishes. The clean, delicate liquid infuses the silky noodles while comforting and soothing the soul. Throw in some greens and serve it with your protein of choice. I like to give a quick steam or sauté to a fillet of fish, sauce it with some broth, drizzle it with sesame oil and serve it with the noodle. It's delicious,  its healthy, and it's guilt free. Now that's comfort food! RECIPE Serves 4 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups water 1/4 cup mirin 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced ginger 2 cloves garlic minced 8 oz Chinese noodles of choice 4 6 oz. fillets of salmon 1 lb. bok choy 2 scallions minced 1 tablespoon sesame oil Make a broth o...