Tag Archives: cooking

Green Beans with Roasted Shallots

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My goal is to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. I am always looking for recipes that make vegetables taste delicious. I love this one!!! I've even gotten non-veggie eaters to eat these green beans! Serves 4 to 6 • 12 ounces shallots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the shallots on a large piece of aluminum foil. Pour the olive oil and vinegar over the shallots. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Fold and seal the foil to create a pouch. Set on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until tender, browned, and caramelized. While the shallots are cooking, heat a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the haricot vert and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until al dente. Transfer to a colander to drain, and rinse under cold water. When the shallots are cooked, remove from the oven, open the foil, add the beans, and toss in the foil to mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve Donna Schilder www.TheHappyLivingCoach.com (562)434-7822
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Give Your Blueberries a Hot Bath, They’ll Last Longer

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A few weeks ago I became aware of a New York Times article by Harold McGee titled Prolonging the Life of Berries. The article outlined a way to make berries last longer by giving them a hot bath. Since a good amount of my grocery bill goes toward berries, and I often throw away as many berries as I eat, I'm all for doing something to make them last longer. So, I followed the directions and documented the process. Let's see how long my berries will last this time. To start, spread all the berries out on a towel or paper towel:

blueberriesnothot1

Then, heat up some water to 140 degrees (there are different instructions for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries in the original article by Harold McGee.)

I used a thermometer to test the water.

blueberriesinhotwater

. . . Keep the berries in hot water for 30 seconds then take them out and lay them on the towel again, then put them in the refrigerator.

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blueberriesdone

Notice how the berries lose their white waxy covering after the hot bath? According to Harold McGee's article, this is to be expected. Ideally, your berries will last longer which means you save time and money and get to enjoy eating more berries than usual.

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How to Make Tofu Tasty

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Tofu Rice and VegetablesI often hear people talk about the health benefits of tofu and how its a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians. When I go to Thai restaurants I love it in my Pad Thai. But it seems like everytime I buy Tofu it, I sits in the frig and goes to waste. In my opinion, that big spongy white thing floating in watery juice doesn't look anywhere near as appetizing as the orange, spicy sauteed cubes I eat from May's Thai Restaurant. So, this week I decided to bite the bullet and use my very own Thai spices to see if I could make tofu tolerable and it worked. I started with a very hot skillet and some peanut oil. I've been told that peanut oil is the choice for Thai cooking because it reaches high temperatures. This helps to cook quickly and maintain the freshness of ingredients. Once I heated the pan, I added a little bit of each of the following ingredients (sorry, I didn't measure any of it, just eye-balled what seemed to be the right amount). Chef Paul Prudhommes Magic Seasoning Blends Poultry Magic Lawry's Seasoned Salt La Yu Chili Oil Salt-Free Thai Seasoning by The Spice Hunter Salt-Free Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend Extra Spicy Tofu Chicken Brocolli Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice Like I said, it was pretty good but I think it could be improved. So tell me, what do YOU do to make tofu tasty? I need some ideas.