Tuna tonatto

Tuna Tonnato

1 pound fresh tuna steaks
1 teaspoon butter
1 can tuna in water
½ cup Fresh mayonnaise
1/2 yellow pepper- diced medium small
1/2 red pepper- sliced medium small
1/3 teaspoon dill
1/2 cup red onion- diced fine, but not minced- the onions will be milder if you cut it in half moons first
few drops toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup relish
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 each scallions- cut very thin diagonally
½ cup black olives- sliced thin

1) Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper, Sear in butter until just tender. I like leaving it slightly pink in the middle. Break apart with fork or pull in apart with your fingers.

2) Drain canned tuna well.

2) Place drained can of tuna, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, dill and toasted sesame oil in food processor. Blend until creamy in food processor.

3) Mix all ingredients together.

Gluten Free Egg Rolls

I have been a big fan of fresh spring rolls for years, but have always missed egg rolls since going gluten free 27 years ago. 

Here is a recipe for gluten free egg rolls.  Thank you Carla at Carla’s Recipe Box I

I have made a few changes to the recipe to make them healthier; frying in beef fat, made them lactose free,

No need to make any dough, roll it or cut it out. Just use rice papers and an easy batter recipe to make these crispy gluten free egg rolls. Yummy!

For the Filling;

• 2 Tablespoon butter or coconut oil
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 head Napa cabbage, finely shredded or chopped
• 1/2 carrot, julienne cut (matchsticks)
• 1 recipe Chinese Barbecue Pork, julienne cut, or even left over chicken w/BBQ sauce
• 2 shallots (green onions), thinly sliced (or 2 Tablespoon minced yellow onion)
• handful of sprouts (optional)
• handful of mushrooms, julienne sliced (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon gluten free soy sauce (If needed, use soy-free soy sauce recipe)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon superfine sea salt or salt

  For the Wrappers;

• 1 package Rice Papers – available at Asian markets.
• water
• 1 7/8 cups white rice flour
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or salt
• 2 quarts or more of cooking oil for deep-frying

1. Set your chopped cabbage in a colander; squeeze out as much excess water as you can.
2. On medium heat, add 1 1/2 butter to a large skillet.
3. Pour in beaten eggs and scramble. Set aside to cool and then chop.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pan and preheat.
5. Add the carrots, and onion, if using yellow onion; cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add cabbage and cook for 3 more minutes.
7. Add the pork, green onions (if using), soy sauce, salt, and sugar; continue cooking until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes.
8. Add chopped egg and toss.
9. Spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet and refrigerate to cool, about 1 hour. You’ll find the juices will be absorbed once cooled. If not using immediately, cover once cooled and keep refrigerated. Use within 2-3 days.
10. Add the flour to a large bowl.
11. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, salt and sugar; add milk and whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk thoroughly; set aside.
12. Fill a large stainless steel bowl with hot water. Soak one rice paper in the water, right before you are about to fill one, for 5 seconds (as suggested by Three Ladies brand). Do not over soak. The paper will still appear hard, but will soften very soon. Place it on a damp tea towel. Do not use paper towels or they will stick to it. Rewet the towel as needed.
13. Add 3-3 1/2 tablespoons of filling close to the bottom. An ice cream scoop with spring action works well for this. Roll towards the middle and stop. Fold in the left and right corners. Then roll all the way to the top edge.
14. When you are almost done with rolling, preheat a deep-fryer or pan filled with 2" of beef fat to 375°F. A deep-fryer works best, as it is difficult to keep the temperature even over the stove. However, it can be done. Note that when you add the egg rolls to the oil the temperature drops significantly, especially if the egg rolls just came out of the refrigerator.
15. Using metal tongs, dip one at a time into the batter, shaking off excess; gently drop as many as can comfortably fit into the hot oil; turning occasionally.
16. Deep-fry for about 7 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. They may look brown enough at 5 minutes, but they will not be crisp enough.
17. Drain on paper towels, and serve warm with your favorite sauce. I used half of the thickened sauce from my Chinese BBQ Pork recipe and half of my Tomato-Free Barbecue Sauce recipe.

Asian Sweet potato Salad

Everyone thinks of baked sweet potatoes or sweet potato pie when thinking of this tuber, but there are many delightful recipes others than these two standbys.  Here is one of my favorites.  Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and are half way down on the glycemic index. 

4 large organic sweet potatoes, peeled, diced in 1 inch cubes
2 medium red peppers- diced medium
1 bunch scallions- sliced thin, diagonally
½ cup cilantro- chopped coarsely
1 ½ Tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fresh ginger- grated with ginger grater, use juice also
2 limes- juiced, use zest from one in salad (use microplaner for this)

1)  Toss potatoes in butter, roast in 375 degree oven until edges are browned.

2)  Toss with all other ingredients, let sit about 30 minutes before serving.

Real food vs. Products for Dieting?

Someone asked me what the difference was between my cooking service and Jenny Craig or Lean Cuisine. No one had ever asked me that before, I felt a bit huffy about it..  But then got to thinking, as it was a Personal Trainer who asked me, that for the average American perhaps it’s not so obvious. 

The focus on dieting in the last 3 decades still has people convinced that caloric restriction works. I went to both the Jenny Craig web site and the Lean Cuisine site.  The sites all focus on low fat, caloric restricted menus and recipes.  The average meal on both Jenny Craig and Lean Cuisine contain about 200 to 300 calories.  Each dish I checked the nutrition info on was woefully inadequate in nutrition, substantially higher carbs that protein, far too little of fat, and very low percentages of iron and calcium.

You will not lose weight by eating these products.  The reason is that they will not only not meet your caloric needs, most important is that they will not meet your nutrient needs.  Satiation occurs when we meet our nutrient needs, not when we fill our stomachs.  As we eat and begin digestion food our bodies signal us to stop eating when the brain gets the message that the nutrient levels in the bloodstream are adequate.  Other wise we just keep eating, or we make ourselves stop eating but are still hungry.

If the Lean Cuisine or Jenny Craig meal gives you about 250 calories per meal, eating these for one or two of your meals each day would leave you hungry, malnourished and put the body in starvation mode- a great way to gain weight!

As much as we would like to think that there are shortcuts to health, alas, there are not.  Eating real food, cooking more, avoiding any processed foods…eating 2000 calories a day with plenty of health organic saturated fats, grass fed and organic meats, low glycemic vegetables is what it takes to not only lose weight but reach a high level of health and energy…

Here is an article that shows how to do that…  How To Eat Each Day

Sweet Potato Soup with Buttered Pecans

For the soup

• 3/4 cup Spanish onion- diced
• 1 cup finely chopped leek, washed well and drained
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 large carrots, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds (about 3 large) sweet potatoes
• medium size russet (baking) potato
• 5 cups chicken or beef broth plus additional for thinning the soup if desired
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups water

For the buttered pecans

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

preparation

Make the soup:
In a kettle cook the onion, the leek, the garlic, and the carrots with the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Add the sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin, the russet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin, the 5 cups broth, the wine, and the water, simmer the mixture, covered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender, and discard the bay leaf. In a food processor or blender puree the mixture in batches until it is very smooth, transferring it as it is pureed to a large saucepan, add the additional broth to thin the soup to the desired consistency, and season the soup with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated.

Make the buttered pecans:
In a skillet cook the pecans in the butter with salt to taste over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown, and transfer them to paper towels to drain. The pecans may be made 2 days in advance and kept in a glass jar, after they have cooled.

Divide the soup among bowls and top each with pecans.

Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Chutney

For shrimp:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh jalapeño, chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, smashed
• 2 teaspoons ground garam masala
• 3/4 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoons grated nutmeg
• 2 pound large shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail fan attached

For chutney:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (3/4-pound) unripe mango, chopped
• 1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño with seeds
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• Equipment: 10 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
• Accompaniment: lime wedges

preparation

Marinate shrimp:
Purée all ingredients for marinating shrimp, except shrimp, with 1/2 tsp. salt in a blender until smooth. Pour into a sealable bag, then add shrimp and marinate at cool room temperature, turning bag occasionally, 30 minutes. Make chutney while shrimp marinate: Toast cumin in a dry small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir together remaining chutney ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt, then sprinkle with toasted cumin.

Make kebabs:
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas);

Thread 4 shrimp onto each skewer, leaving small spaces between them. Put on a tray.

Oil grill rack, then grill skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Serve with chutney.

Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté

Though this pâté can be eaten the day it’s made, we find it even more flavorful when made 1 or 2 days ahead. If you use several small ramekins instead of a pâté crock or terrine, you may need more clarified butter to seal the tops.

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
• 6 tablespoons bourbon

• Special equipment: a 2 1/2-cup crock or terrine or several small ramekins
• Accompaniment: crackers or toasted baguette slices
• Garnish: a fresh thyme, marjoram, or sage sprig

Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.

Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. If using herb garnish, put sprig on top of pâté. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.

Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.

Once butter seal has been broken, pâté keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap and chilled, 1 week.

Top 10 Worst Nutritional & Dietary mistakes people make

10) Relying on superficial descriptions such as “natural” or even “organic” on labels to determine whether a food is truly healthy.

9) Relying on the media, your doctor or even conventional nutritionists/dieticians to provide accurate nutritional information

8 ) Believing that junk food “in moderation” is OK.

7) Following “government guidelines” or “The Food Pyramid” for healthy eating.

6) Thinking that “being slim” means you are healthy—using weight as your litmus of “good health”.

5) Using vitamins to “make up for” unhealthy eating habits.

4) Believing that exercise can “make up for” unhealthy eating habits.

3) The belief that “genetics is destiny”.

2) The belief that eating healthy means having to give up enjoyment of food, good flavor, fat, dietary cholesterol or animal source foods.

1) The belief or assumption that eating a quality diet is too expensive…or too difficult or complicated to maintain.

from: http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?page_id=1394

The Best Potato Dish You’ll Ever Eat

Pommes Anna was the first dish I ever cooked when I bought Julia Child’s The Joy of Cooking.  I was 17 years old, still in high school.  I used my black iron frying pan my grandmother had given me, it was about 50 years old at that point.  It came out wonderful, I was so excited!  I’ve made the same dish too many times to count since then.  It remains my favorite potato dish.

Though potatoes are very high on the glycemic index, this dish has lots of butter, making 69% of it’s calories come from fat, which helps the carbs be absorbed slower in to the bloodstream.  Eaten with a great steak and a green leafy vegetable would make for a great meal.

The magic of the recipe comes in the first two steps and in the use of a well seasoned cast iron pan. It’s an inexpensive recipe, and the active prep time is less than 15 minutes. You can certainly use a mandonline to slice the potatoes, but I’ve found it’s unnecessary. While it saves time slicing the potatoes, it increases the number of slices you have to arrange in the pan. So do yourself a favor and just make thin slices with a knife.

But I don’t have a well seasoned cast iron pan? Can I still make this recipe?

Pommes Anna

Servings: 4-6, depending on whether it’s your only side dish

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3-5 medium potatoes, peeled, sliced very thin
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1)  Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a cast iron pan and melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan. With the pan hot on medium heat start assembling the potato slices, beginning  in the middle of the pan and overlapping each slice, like the scales on a fish.  You want them to be in a swirl pattern, this is what is going to show when you serve the dish. 

2)  Drizzle the layer of potatoes with a little butter, and add another layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

3)  Repeat the butter, potato, and sea salt layers until you’re out of potatoes.

4)  Place a cake pan on top of the potatoes, press down firmly to compress the cake.  Place a heavy pan on top, set timer for 30 minutes, allowing potato cake to brown well on bottom. 

5) Slide the pan into the oven, leaving the cake pan and heavy pan on top and bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

6)  Remove the pans on top and bake for another 20 minutes to allow the top to brown. 

7)  Invert the pan on to a cookie sheet or serving plate and allow to rest a few minutes, slice and serve.