Meatless Monday - Spanish Yellow Rice Salad - 090913

Tapas parties are awesome. I love the little savory and sweet bites spread out on a table, set up on a bar or just passed around between friends. We hosted a Wine Tasting and Tapas party last night that was SO much fun. It was for the benefit of "Angels on Earth" a wonderful group I am part of... Angels supports Cancer Wellness at Piedmont.

Last year, at the annual Angels luncheon I donated a Tapas party for 8 as part of the raffle. Linda Baxter won! We've been in touch over the summer, and we decided that yesterday was the date. Linda and her husband Rick invited a group of intrepid friends over for the evening. We began poolside and then traveled upstairs for the tapas and wine. I led them through a tasting of 8! wonderful Spanish wines and 6 delicious tapas. Spanish Rice salad is one of my favorites. It's easy to make, you can make it ahead of time, and it keeps great in the fridge for leftovers during the next couple of days. We served in small sweet peppers - making it even prettier on the table! My favorite way to enjoy it the next day? In a pita pocket with a little chopped tomato. Perfect lunch.

Spanish Yellow Rice Salad

2 Cups Brown Rice

1 TB Olive Oil

1 Tsp Tumeric

1 Tsp Black Pepper

4 Cups Water

Saute the brown rice in olive oil, turmeric, and black pepper until a little more golden. Bring water to a boil. Add to the rice, bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, until tender.

Dressing

3 Oranges - juice and zest

¼ Cup Sherry Vinegar

½ Cup Olive Oil

1 TB Dijon Mustard

Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Place the ingredients in a jar or bowl and shake or whisk well.

Making the Salad

The Cooked Rice

½ cup Toasted Almonds, chopped

¼ cup Parsley, chopped

½ cup Green Onion, chopped

2 TB Red Onion, minced

1 Cup Green Spanish Olives, chopped

Mix the salad with the dressing in a large bowl.

A Guest Blog by Intern Michelle - My First Weeks with TASTE and SAVOR

Those of you who personally know Chef Nancy would understand me when I say I am blessed to be her intern. Not only have I learned a great deal from her in just two weeks of work, but I haven’t felt like I have been working. People have told me numerous times that if you love what you do it won’t feel like work. With that said, I think I am in the right place. I have had personal experience in my family of battling cancer which made my passion for nutrition only stronger. Now, my opportunity with Chef Nancy at Piedmont Cancer Wellness Center allows for me to live out my passion for good food and helping people.

During my first week, I was introduced to the Buford Highway Farmer’s Market. It is like a foodie’s paradise! It seemed as if every other product in there was something I had never heard of. I got to try a rambutan, which was surprisingly good given the outward hairy-ish appearance. As Chef Nancy and I walked through the farmer’s market shopping for the next cooking class, I was throwing questions at her. She didn’t mind my interest and was excited that I was intrigued. 

Also, during the week, one of many things I learned was that Bragg’s Liquid Aminos was a good substitute for soy sauce, which cuts sodium and adds good protein building blocks. I realized, during my first week, that Chef Nancy’s healthy cooking is exactly that. She advises to cut sodium and avoid soybean oil. She encourages the consumption of omega 3‘s, quercetin (cancer fighting agent) and, of course, veggies, veggies, VEGGIES! Needless to say, I soaked up what I could learn the first couple weeks, and only look forward to the skills and experience I will continue to get interning with Taste and Savor!

Chef Nancy's Note: We have enjoyed having Michelle work with us, as much as she has had fun learning about healthy cooking and eating! Michelle is a brand new graduate from UGA with a dietetics degree - so she too, has brought much to our better eating table!

Green Chile and Black Bean Casserole

It all started when I spied a container in the produce section at Whole Foods. Oh yeah...Roasted Hatch Green Chilies. One of my favorite bites in the world. Not too hot, not too sweet, just full of green chile flavor. Have you tried them? Its Hatch season right now - and if you're very lucky, you can find them at Whole Foods - looking just like this long green guy in the picture above.

Hatch Chilies are from Hatch New Mexico, a town that calls itself the "Chile Capital of the World". Once a year during chile season, the town hosts a festival to celebrate its bounty of chilies. The fun weekend includes chile eating contests, chile cooking contests and even a mariachi "play-off"! The Hatch festival is on my bucket list, I bet on yours too if you can find the little green lovelies.

What's so great about chiles? One fresh medium-sized green chile has as much Vitamin C as six oranges, a tablespoon of the dried powder has all your daily requirements of Vitamin A, and one of the best things about hot chilies? They can burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic reaction in your today, which can speed up your metabolism. (WooHoo!) More than just eating them, they can make you feel better, too: Capsaicinoids, the chemical that makes chile peppers hot, are used in patches for sore muscles.Tastes great and makes you feel better. What's not to like?

We celebrated Labor Day last night with a few friends that I knew would be up for a chile pepper feast. I started with the pile of Hatch Chiles, below.

Then I sautéed a bunch of onions and small sweet peppers with olive oil, cumin, turmeric, chile powder, sea salt and black pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes and then added some grated garlic cloves. Check out this pan of lusciousness! ( I added a little fresh cilantro in as well - I thought it would be much prettier in the picture:)

Once I had the veggies sautéed to a gorgeous golden and I started working on the casserole. I have a BIG dish that I used - but you can use a couple of smaller ones.  I started with black beans and then spread a layer of the veggies, topped with the chopped Hatch Chiles, then a sprinkle of shredded manchego and parmesan. A big plop of nonfat greek yogurt followed and then I repeated. Easy peasy, tasted wonderful! So good that when I put it down - this is what immediately happened - before I could take a picture! Just goes to show you how yummy this dish really is. Leftovers tonight - can't wait!

The recipe follows - and if you are interested in not only cooking - but eating Hatch Chiles, check out this link:
Hatch Chile Celebrations in Georgia

Green Chile and Black Bean Casserole

2 Large Red Onions, Chopped
4 Cups Sweet Peppers, Chopped
2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp Each Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 TB Cumin
1 TB Turmeric
1 TB Chile Powder
1/2 - 1  Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
6 Garlic Cloves, Grated
3 Cups Roasted Hatch Green Chiles, (can't find Hatch? Use canned green chilies or ones you roast yourself)
4 (15 1/2 OZ) Cans Black Beans rinsed and drained, divided
2 Cups Grated Manchego Cheese, divided
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
3 Cups Nonfat Greek Yogurt, divided

Step One
Sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil with the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, chile powder and red pepper flakes until the veggies wilt and the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook and stir until fragrant.

Step Two
While the veggies are sautéing, chop the Hatch chiles.

Step Three
Spray a large casserole dish - or two smaller ones with olive oil spray. Layer half of the beans, cooked veggies and chilies. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheeses and spread half of the yogurt on top. Repeat using the remainder of the beans, veggies, chilies, cheeses and yogurt. Slide, uncovered, into a 375F oven and let cook until hot and burbling around the edges. Serve with fresh salsa, sliced avocados and some warm corn tortillas. Oh! and invite me over, please:)

Meatless Luscious Fun: Easy Herb-Rubbed Roasted Summer Veggies - 082613

Nothing makes me happier than laughter in my in kitchen. I love, love, love to entertain. Dinner, drinks and nibbles, games, a new movie - it doesn't matter. If I could, I'd entertain every night. I'm incredibly spoiled in my professional life, most often with a wonderful sous chef and an intern or two. Then there's the super staffing service who care about making both me and my guests happy. When teaching at Cooks Warehouse I have incredible assistants who are interested and excited about cooking with me.

Unfortunatley, none of them follow me home:) So in my favorite room in my house, I am often alone. (My husband Mike, doesn't cook. But he cleans. This makes me very very happy.) So when I have the opportunity to chat across my island while I am cooking, my world is perfect. My favorite kind of food to feed my folks is casual. Often ethnic, but always easy and healthy. If I am cooking outside on the grill, I pop some veggies like this recipe into the oven, and by the time they are done I have a salad or slaw tossed and everything comes out at the same time.

The secret to enjoying dinner with guests is recipes like this one. I've taken the extra fat and the fuss out of these veggies, and added in the wonderful taste of herbs and spices. You can cut your veggies early in the morning, and just toss them with the herb rub and oil when you start your grill. They will take about 45 minutes to roast, plenty of time to toss a big green salad and cook a handful delicious fish filets. Add a good bottle of wine and some fruit, cheese and nuts for dessert, and you can have a good time at your party, too!

Herb Rubbed Veggies

3 Cups Sliced Zucchini

2 Cut Red Peppers

2 Cups Sliced Yellow Squash

2 Large Red Onions, peeled and quartered

1 Large Head Fennel, Sliced

3 TB Balsamic Vinegar

2 TB Olive Oil

½  Tsp Dried Basil

½ Tsp Dried Oregano

½ Tsp Dried Tarragon

½ Tsp Dried Thyme

½ Tsp Dried Parsley

½ Tsp Dried Rosemary

½ Tsp Each, Salt and Pepper

4 Garlic Cloves, Grated

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss all the ingredients together

Place them on a sheet pan,  stir well to coat. Cover and bake at 425F for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

*Why are we using dried herbs and spices in this recipe? These veggies cook at high heat for 45 minutes. The dried will hold up better than fresh - but feel free to chop some fresh herbs and stir them through the cooked veg after they are done.

Meatless Luscious Fun - Almond Honey Cake - 081913

Almond Honey Cake - packed full of fresh fresh summer fruit, juicy berries or sweet jam. What's not to like? This is a recipe that has been so often requested in the past few weeks, I promised to pass it on as quickly as possible. Thus, this week's Meatless Monday blog post!

There's so much to say about this cake... You can make it for everyone...low sugar and gluten free. The almonds, packed with protein, balance out the sugar in the honey. And speaking of honey, make sure to buy local honey if you can find it. There's lots of research lately that shows local honey is good for those of us who suffer from allergies. Those wonderful bees are making honey from the same plants that cause us so much distress during runny nose seasons in the fall and spring. Just make sure to enjoy the honey year-round not just allergy season! If you want to learn more about this subject, here's a good article to check out: Honey for Allergies

Back to the cake...I think you'll love it, too. Not too sweet, it can even be a delicious breakfast bread - or for a "pick-me-up" in the afternoon, a small square topped with a handful of blueberries is just perfect. . What's even better is that it makes good cakes in round, square and cupcake pans. So instead of slicing it in half as I did with the lemon curd below - you can bake pretty cupcakes and top them with the summer's best fruit!

 Honey Almond Cake

1 ¾ Cup Almond Meal

4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

1/2 Cup Honey

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

TOPPING*

2 TB Honey

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds, toasted

Step One

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray and line a 9” springform pan. OR spray and line a round or square 9" pan OR spray a cupcake pan.

Step Two

Beat the 4 egg whites on medium speed until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, about the soft peak stage.

Step Three

Beat the 4 egg yolks, the 1/2 cup honey, vanilla, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the ground almonds and beat on low until combined.

Step Four
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Step Five
Bake the cake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and gently remove the side ring. 

*To serve, brush the top of the cake with honey and sprinkle with sliced almonds OR top with summer berries OR slice in half and put jam or lemon curd and berries. Your choice - they are all good!

Meatless Luscious Fun - Summer Corn Salad - 081213

Wowza - we had a great time celebrating "couples and love" last Friday night - and its not even Valentines Day. Sparkling wine, fun appetizers awaited the couples as they arrived. Dennis and Cindy held a massage worship for the group and as we cooked away in the kitchen we heard lots of laughter from the next room.

What does Friday night have to do with Meatless Monday? One of the most scrumptious Corn Salads you've ever put in your mouth. Fresh local corn, the zing of jalepenos and the cooling power of fresh mint make this summer salad a fantastic side for dinner tonight, and the perfect stuffer for a wrap tomorrow. Don't even think about not trying this one!

Summer Corn Salad

8 Fresh and Local Ears of Corn

Nonstick Spray

2 TB EVOO

1- 2 Jalepenos, finely chopped (seeds and ribs removed if desired)

1/2 Tsp of Salt

1/4 Tsp of Pepper

1/4 Chopped Fresh Mint

2 TB Sherry Vinegar

1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Manchego Cheese

Mint for Garnish

Step One

Grill the corn on a grill pan, or outside on the grill. No need to be fussy about the way you are grilling it - just shuck and spray it with a little nonstick spray. Place the ears directly on the grates and grill until you get some good grill marks. Cool and cut the corn off the cobs.

Step Two

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the jalepenos and cook and stir until wilted. Add in the corn, salt and pepper and cook and stir til well incorporated. Remove from the heat, stir in the mint and vinegar. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with the cheese and garnish with mint.

Meatless Luscious Fun Real Guacamole

This time of year all I want is cool foods. And one of my favorite? Avocados. I think they are pretty perfect. What's not to like? Packed with good-for-you unsaturated fats, 35% more potassium than bananas, rich in folic acid and vitamin K and full of fiber! Not to mention they taste good.

Where we all get in trouble, tho is the chips...But this guac recipe is super with crunchy fresh veggies, a spread on a wrap, or as an addition to a salad or a vegetable taco. Don't miss out on the benefits of avocados just because you are cutting down on chips. Even if you don't have time to make the creamy dip, just slice some avocados and place them on your green salad - like I did above. Yummy, filling and fast, it takes a salad from ordinary to divine!

Best Ever Guacamole

4 Ripe Haas Avocados

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped, (Peeled and Seeded) Tomatoes,

1 TB Minced Red Onion

1 Finely Chopped Jalepeno

2 Cloves Garlic, Grated

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Sea Salt to Taste

1 Cup Grated Light Cheddar Cheese

Step One

Halve, peel and pit the avocados and mash with the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro. Salt to taste and spread on a large platter. Sprinkle with the cheese.