Mexican Tofu

Mexican Tofu
 #Vegetarian, #GlutenFree

Kind of sounds like and oxymoron...Mexican Tofu???  Not something you might typically think would go together. Sweet and Sour tofu or Mexican nachos sure, but Mexican tofu...come on!  I think most of the dishes I make with tofu have an Asian flavor to them, but not this one... and it is delicious.
A little while back I came up with a rule for myself....try to use at least one local ingredient in each meal that I cook. As much as I would love to eat completely local (if you ever want to be inspired by someone who did check out the book Animal, Vegetable, Miricale, by Barbra Kingslover), I am not going to kid myself into thinking that is something I can pull off day in and day out.  However, I can try and get a least one ingredient...milk in my oatmeal for breakfast, carrots in my salad for lunch, or a clove of garlic in my recipe for dinner.  I find it helps me to eat "in season" and get a bit more creative with my cooking.  The amount of local ingredient changes as the seasons do, but even in the winter months it is still doable to find just one ingredient.
In this dish the local ingredient I love to use is Primo and Mary's Black Bean and Corn Salsa.  It is Locally made here in Central New York and adds a great flavor to this dish.  I have also used local corn that I have frozen from the summer or depending on the season, fresh local spinach.  So go ahead and challenge yourself and see if you can do it...just one local ingredient.  Try it for a week for one meal a day and I think you will be surprised at how easy it is.

Ingredients:

• 1  14oz package of extra firm tofu
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 5-6 mushrooms sliced
• 1-2 cups fresh spinach chopped
• 1 cup beans ( I have use black bean, pinto beans, chix peas...whatever you have on hand)
• 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2-1 cup salsa
• Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• Tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain, rinse and pat dry tofu.  Slice block in small 1/2-1 inch squares.  
2. Heat oil in saute pan and  cook on each side for 4-5 mins or until brown
3. Add mushrooms and cook for another 5-7 mins
4. Add spinach, beans, and corn.  Cook stirring occasionally for another 5 mins or until vegetables are cooked. 
5. Stir in salsa and cook unit heated through
6. Serve with tortilla chips and topped with shredded cheese if desired 

Why it's good for you

• Tofu and beans-great source of plant protein
• Mushrooms- there has been research to show that mushrooms have anti-inflammatory and antioxident benefits as well as support the immune system.  Also contain over 15 vitamins and minerals 
• Spinach: Contains 23 vitamins and minerals.  Is one of the highest foods in vitamin K (blood clotting, bone health) and vitamin A (anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory) .  However raw spinach contains a compound call oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of calcium and iron.  One way to solve this problem is to pair it with foods high in vitamin C.
• Primo and Mary's black bean and corn salsa- Locally produced and contains non-GMO corn, black beans, tomatoes, with no added sugar and is gluten free!  

      

Sheppard's Pie

Sheppard's Pie
#St.Patrick'sDay!

In light of the upcoming holiday and by request from my lovely cousin-in-law Holly, I thought I would post about Sheppard's Pie this week. This a great all-in-one meal.  Meat, veggies and potatoes all together in a casserole style dish. You can't beat it! Again, I advocate for the use of local pasture raised beef.  I do understand that it is more expensive then conventional beef and for good reason (better health of the beef, better health for you), but one way to make this dish more affordable is to use less beef and more vegetables.  We all could use more vegetables in our diet and in many dishes that call for meat you don't need to use a lot, just good quality.  Most Sheppard's Pie recipes call for 1 1/2lbs -2lbs ground beef or lamb and about 1-2 cups vegetables.  As you will see I wound up using only 1lb ground beef and 3+ cups vegetables and it was still delicious!   This time of year is great for Sheppard's Pie because you can still find many of the storage crops such as potatoes, onions, and carrots for sale locally.  As for the peas and carrots I used the frozen organic kind.  Another way in which I changed this recipe slightly from the traditional was by using a sweet potato mixed in with the traditional russet (I actually used red and kept the skins on!).  It gave it a little bit of a sweeter flavor and all the health benefits of sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 3 large local organic potatoes cut into chunks
• 1 large organic sweet potato cut into chunks
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1lb local pasture raised ground beef or lamb
• 1 large local onion diced
• 1 cup local carrots diced (about 4 medium to large carrots)
• 1 cup organic peas
• 1 cup organic corn
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4-1 cup beef broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add all potatoes and cook for 12-15 mins
3. Drain water, mash potatoes and mix in butter.  Cover and set potatoes aside
4. While potatoes are boiling heat olive oil in pan
5. Add onion and cook for 2-3 mins
6. Add carrots and cook for additional 5-7 mins or until tender
7. Add beef or lamb and cook until no longer pink
8. Drain out fat
9. Add peas and carrots and cook for 3-4 mins
10. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup beef broth  
11. Cook for another 7-10 mins adding additional broth to keep moist if necessary.
12. Put beef and vegetables into 9x13 baking dish  
13. Spread mashed potatoes on top and bake for 20 mins.

Why it's good for you:

• Grass Fed Beef-  When cows are healthier you are healthier.  Cows are supposed to eat grass not grain.  When they eat grass they stay healthy and don't need antibiotics.  They also get lots of wonderful nutrients from the grass which they pass onto you including Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Sweet Potatoes- Vitamin A (great for eye sight),Vitamin B6,Vitamin C (supports immune system), Vitamin D (improves mood, energy levels, helps build strong bones, skin, teeth and nerves) Iron, Magnesium (stress reducer), Potassium, Beta-Carotene (eye sight and immunity) and fiber
• Red Potatoes-B6 and a good source of potassium, copper, vitamin C, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, dietary fiber, and pantothenic acid.  And keep the skins on, that's where you will find many of the nutrients.  
• Peas and Corn-  both are loaded with lots of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients.
• Carrots- best known for containing high amounts of Vitamin A, but also contain 17 other nutrients.  
• Onions- High in vitamin C and fiber along with other key nutrients

Whole Chicken: A Great Investment!

Whole Chicken

#Local Meat #Gluten Free, #Dairy Free

It really is a great investment!  You can get so much from a whole chicken and can get it for a great price! Not only will it provide you with a few nights dinner, but you can also easily make broth with it.  Most whole local pasture raised chickens will run you about $4.00-$5.00/lb. Buying the chicken breast alone will run you anywhere from about $8.00-$10.00/lb. There is slightly more work involved with the whole chicken, but really not that much and for 1/2 the price it is worth it!  Now, you may be thinking...what is she talking about.... $4.00/ lb is highway robbery!  I can go to the grocery store and buy a whole chicken for less than $1.00 per pound and chicken breasts for $2.00 per/lb!  But just remember... you are what you eat!  Which, in the case of those chickens includes hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified grains.  In order to give you an idea as to where most grocery store chicken comes from, take a look at a clip from Micheal Pollen's documentary Food Inc, that gives a glimpse into what Industrial Chicken Farming is all about.  If you haven't seen it before, I recommend watching it.  It is eye opening and very informative.  I don't think you will look at chicken the same way after seeing it.

If you decided to watch, you may now consider making the small investment of $4.00-$5.00/ lb for a pasture raised chicken.  The next couple of post will be how to use all that chicken in some different dishes.   But for today, lets talk cooking and making broth...both of which are simple!!!

Cooking a Whole Chicken: 
I love coming home to a house that smells of dinner already cooking! Whole chickens are great in the crock pot and don't require a lot of prep work.  I typically will throw in a few smashed up garlic cloves and rub the chicken with my favorite spices.   I leave it in the crock pot all day (8-10 hours) on low and it comes out great every time. I have even put it in frozen and it still comes out perfect.  Once it is done the meat will come off very easily, so I typically take it all off right away even if I am not going to use it all that night.

Broth:

• Chicken Bones
• 1 carrot chopped in large pieces
• 2 celery stalks chopped in large pieces
• 1 large onion cut in quarters
• 1 tsp salt

Once you have all the meat removed, place the bones back in the crock pot with liquids that have cooked off from the chicken.  Add carrots, celery, onion and salt.  Fill crock pot with water and cook on low for 10-12 hours ( I usually do this over night so it is finished in the morning).  Strain liquids into a large bowl and let cool in refrigerator.  Once the liquid is cool, remove fat from the top and divide liquid into freezer bags and place in freezer until needed.

A tasty twist on Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara
#Local Meat

I love pasta Carbonara.  My husband LOVES pasta Carbonara.  My kids even like it!  There is only one problem....I hate cooking bacon!  I am not good at it.  Most times that I have tried to cook bacon it turns out half burned or too limp.  Not to mention my stove gets covered in bacon grease, so it winds up taking me just as long to clean it all up. Cooking bacon is just not my thing.  When we do eat it, it is usually on the weekends and my husband cooks it (willing, I should add, since he knows it is not going to turn out well if I do).  Now the chances of us having left over bacon to use for recipes during the week is slim to none.  So, I have few options when it comes to making carbonara....don't make it (but it's so good!), wait for my husband to get home and cook the bacon (we would be eating at 8:00), or use bacon that I cooked (YIKES! I don't want to ruin the dish).  I will admit that I have used the bagged bacon bits in the past, but the preservatives in them make me cringe so I am trying to steer clear.  Long story short is, it hasn't been looking good for pasta carbonara in our house lately.  That is until recently. My friend and amazing chef, Emily Prial from Side Hill Farmers, gave me a new and simple way to make it!  SOOOOO GOOD!!!!  I was a little nervous when she first told me that the recipe included a ham hock.  I had never used one before and was a bit daunted about how to cook it.  I shouldn't have been because it could not have been easier!    

Ingredients:

• 1 local pasture raised Ham Hock
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups frozen organic peas
• 2 local pasture raised eggs lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 12 oz organic linguine 

Directions:  

1. Place ham hock in crock pot and cover with water.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
3. Take ham hock out. (save the water it was cooked in).  The meat will fall off the bone.  Separate fat from meat and shred meat.  
4. Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions for about 5-6 mins.  
5. Add peas and saute another 3 mins. 
6. Add shredded ham to peas and onions.  Mix together and heat for another 2-3 mins
7. Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions on the package.
8. After pasta is cooked and drained add 1/4-1/2 cup of water to the cooked pasta and stir. 
9. Add lightly beaten eggs to hot pasta with tongs until fully combined.  The eggs should cook from the heat of the pasta.  
10. Add and combine onion, pea and ham mixture to pasta.  
11. Add and combine Parmesan to pasta.
12. Serve and enjoy!   Sprinkle with extra Parmesan if desired. 

Why it is good for you: So you are probably thinking by now... "What is she going to say to convince me that pasta carbonara good for you"?  For me, the definition of "good for you" has to do with what goes into making a dish.  To me, if you are using whole foods sourced from quality places that care about their product and produce it in the best way possible for all involved, then it is good for you.  This dish contains all whole foods other than the pasta which is minimally process with organic wheat.  The onions are from my CSA share and the ham hock and eggs come from Side Hill Farmers, a butcher shop and market in Manlius, NY that gets its meat and grocery items from local farmers.  All meat from there comes from farms with pasture raised meat, no hormones, and no antibiotics.  To me, that is "good for you".    

Zucchini Cakes

Zucchini Cakes
#Vegetarian, #Dairy-Free

Eww!  Gross! What is that! These are some of the responses I get when my children eat anything green (or have it touch their plate for that matter). We are working on their manners, but it is something I don't have worry about when we have Zucchini cakes for dinner.  They love them! I thought of making this recipe the other night after receiving my annual renewal form to our local farm share, otherwise known as a CSA (community supported agriculture).  Last summer I wound up shredding a bunch of zucchini I got in my share, divided it into freezer bags, and froze it so I that could use it throughout the winter. This recipe is perfect use for it.

Although the frozen zucchini is very nice to have, I love to think that in a few short months I will be getting weekly fresh vegetables and at a great price.  Where else can you get organically grown produce for about 6 months out of the year and for around $350.  I don't know about you but I would wind up paying a lot more than $350 over a 6 month period of time if I were to buy produce from the grocery store. Not to mention the fact that the produce in the store was most likely picked weeks ago and may have traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles before getting to the store.  Personally, I love showing up to the farm and being able to see the food that I will be eating growing beautifully in the sun and knowing the people who have grown it.  It is a pleasure to know that all my money is going directly to the farmers and staying in my community. If anyone in the Cazenovia or Manlius NY area is still looking for a great CSA check out Luck Moon Farms www.luckymoonfarm.org. There are plenty of others in this area as well and I am sure in your area too. A quick Google search would probably help you locate one.

With a CSA you may get a vegetable or two that you don't know what to do with, but that is part of the fun!  It will force you to become more creative in you cooking and try some vegetables that you many not have tried otherwise.  I will be posting seasonal vegetable recipes once the growing seasons starts so be on the look out for those for some ideas as well!  I could go on and on about how great I think CSA's are, but on to the recipe....

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of Shredded zucchini
• 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
• 1/2 small onion diced
• 1 Tbs Italian herbs
• 1/2- 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 2 local pasture raised eggs 
• 2 Tbs Olive oil

Directions:

1. Squeeze water out of shredded zucchini
2. Combine zucchini with breadcrumbs, onions, Italian herbs, salt, and old bay seasoning 
3. Lightly beat eggs and add to dry ingredients
4. Mix until combined
5. Heat olive oil in pan
6. Form mixture into patties...I usually do about 2 inches in diameter, but you can do them any size you want.  Since the patties will be loose I like to drop them right into the hot oil. 
7. Cook zucchini cakes on medium heat for about 4-5 mins per side or until crispy

You can substitute carrots for the zucchini or do a combination of both if you like.   I have used these as both a side dish and main entree.  Apple sauce goes great with them as well.  

Why it is good for you:

• Zucchini: Low in calories and high in fiber.  Contains vitamins C, A and folate which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  It also contains the minerals magnesium and potassium, which are helpful in lowering blood pressure, and the trace mineral manganese which aids in many physiological functions such as metabolism.  
• Eggs:  Great source of protein.  I plan on posting a whole blog on all the benefits of using local pasture raised eggs soon.