Filed under: Healthy Living
So I was thinking, what is good as we go back to school and get into a routine now that summer is winding down, and fall is just around the corner.
September is back to school!
Apple harvest (that’s another blog)
September is also:
1. National Chicken Month
2 . National Potato Month
3. National Rice Month
So what does that tell me as a “foodie”. Everybody is going back to their boring but easy routine. Now it’s time for a blatant commercial. Two Sisters Gourmet Seasoning Blends can shake you out of the boring routine.
If you are about to fry, bake or roast a chicken – sprinkle on your favorite flavor. A little Outrageously Garlic goes a long way.
If you have just pulled out the baked potato – in addition to your butter or sour cream – sprinkle on a little Tearless Onion and Chive for a tasty spud.
If you are serving rice with your fresh fish – blend in some Lemony Fresh Dill Blend or Over the Edge Herbed Spinach and bring back some springtime flavor.
Having pasta? Mix your favorite seasoning with olive oil and dip in your fresh bread for a yummy treat!
Kids won’t eat their vegetables – let them select and sprinkle their favorite flavor and brighten their day!.
Friday evening football watching? Have some new Brazen Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip to light up your Friday night lights.
Don’t let September send you back to the boring old routine – pull out those Two Sisters Gourmet Seasonings and give your day a lift.
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September 2, 2010
Having a “staycation” this weekend? Think the islands and create your own little haven. Right about now, it seems to me that summer gets oppressive. I’ve just been told that June was the hottest June in the history of record keeping for the earth! Days are hazy, hot and humid where we are, and the idea of an island retreat sounds pretty inviting, but isn’t in the cards. So how about creating a little paradise dinner on your own!
1. A long cool drink is in order. You can make a killer raspberry iced tea, or something more exotic that pink with fruit in it – I always like a Planter’s Punch
2. Set the table for fun – Decorate with colorful placemats and flowers or fruit, like a whole pineapple and some lemons and limes
3. Cook and Eat outside – Nobody wants to heat up the kitchen. Make a great fresh green salad topped with TSG Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette. Skewer some Caribbean Chicken Kebobs made with Island Ponzu Sauce. Have piles of light fresh fruit for dessert
4. Set the mood with steel drum music and candles (maybe Banana Leaf) flickering.
Enjoy your tropical getaway!
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July 29, 2010
I walked outside this morning and couldn’t help but notice that my basil bushes are booming! Last weekend, when I sent Rick into the garden for some herbs, he needed a lesson in identification, and then was astounded that we had four substantial basil bushes competing for attention.
Basil is one of my personal favorites. I grow it year round. Just smelling my hands after I have picked basil makes me feel the lightness of summer. So what do you do with four basil bushes? EAT!
5 Easy Ways to Use Fresh Basil
- Add flavor to scrambled eggs – just cut up a couple of leaves and add.
- Add flavor to tossed green salad – toss in a handful of leaves whole
- Make basil sauce for chicken or fish – just throw some basil, olive oil and lemon juice in you blender or food processor and drizzle over the food while cooking
- Fresh Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella salad (Caprese)- use more than just your basil: Alternate slices of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette (proportions to your taste, but don’t use much because the fresh taste is best!)
- Classic Pesto – The real reason we have four basil bushes. Pesto is the family favorite. While this recipe is basic, feel free to adjust to what your family likes – we like extra garlic in ours. With garlic, parmesan and pine nuts it goes on everything from pasta to pizza, and it uses cups at a time!
Bon Appétit!
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July 15, 2010
I’m in heaven! My first tomato of the season ripened and was consumed this weekend. The taste of a fresh tomato reminded why I don’t eat many tomatoes the rest of the year. The aroma and taste are so concentrated compared to the bland produce of winter. I have had a garden most years of my married life –with varying degrees of success. This year the tomato plants barely grew, but they are producing – and they are good!
At the beginning of the season, it’s not too hard to figure out what to do with the tomatoes as they come off – sliced on salads, sandwiches and hamburgers really are the best. But after a few weeks, you have more than you can eat for lunch! And you don’t want to refrigerate fresh tomatoes, it destroys the taste. If you must refrigerate them to make them last, bring them out about 24 hours before use to let their natural flavor enzymes rev up.
Easy Weekend Tomato Recipes
So here are my weekend recipes: bruschetta (with tomatoes roasted or not), fresh salsa – straight or for salads, and of course in our house – grilled!!
Easy Salsa
Salsa and bruschetta are really first cousins. For simple fresh salsa, just dice the tomatoes, add diced onion and cilantro for the basics. Peppers, garlic, oregano and fresh corn are up to you –even pineapple and mango are great additions! Beyond chips, salsa is a great topper for fish and hamburgers too!
Easy Bruschetta
Bruschetta you could really call salsa with olive oil! And maybe some extra flavors. The bruschetta usually goes on toast as an appetizer. Here’s a simple recipe to use. If you also happen to grow fresh basil, add that in for extra zing!
If you really want to go wild, have some great fresh cold tomato Gazpacho soup for a refresher!
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Easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
At the end of the season, I look forward to getting a crate of them to slow roast down to spaghetti sauce. Just pile in the quartered tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and oregano and let it go in the oven all day on low heat (about 250 degrees)- when the water has been largely been cooked out and most things dissolve when stirred – then batch the mixture in the food processor or put through a food mill. Then freeze in the size that best suits your cooking. If you tire of spaghetti sauce, you can always add a little milk for creamy tomato basil soup. YUM!
Nothing like fresh tomato taste all year round!
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July 8, 2010
Fresh fruit in summer makes me drool! Week after week we have been picking fresh strawberries at a nearby farm. Blueberries are starting to come in – and peaches in the south. I always have fruit in my shopping cart in the summer. It’s the perfect thing for the heat. But then I have a dilemma – too much fresh fruit!
There are plenty of ways to use of fruit – TSG Summer Fruit Crisp with anything you heart desires, pies, fruit soups, and in our house grilled – but my favorite for breakfast, lunch or dessert is smoothies!
The basic concept of a smoothie is simple – approximately equal amounts of fruit and “liquid” (be it yogurt, milk, juice or ice) – and a blender, food processor or milk shake machine to mix it up until it is a frothy light confection. If it’s too watery, add fruit – too thick, add some juice – it’s how you like it that counts. In fact, as soon as I finish this, my reward is a woodland fruit smoothie with strawberries, blueberries and a banana, with ice this time to keep the calories down and the refreshment up!
Experiment with what you have on hand. My typical is with low fat plain yogurt and fresh fruit with a little ice. The kids will think they’ve fooled you allowing them too much sweet – but you will know the truth.
Drink up!
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July 1, 2010
OK – you’re going to get tired of my grilling blogs over the next couple of months, but really, what’s better than some fresh local food grilled and shared in the back yard on a warm summer night?
Kids Love Grilled Vegetables
For those of you who lament every getting your children to eat vegs – this has to be the answer. Take just about any fresh veg you can find, slice it, spray or brush lightly with it with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and it’s guaranteed to vanish! My family generally moans when I ask what vegetable they want with dinner, but in the summer I have to grill three times what I think is the correct amount because it is stolen before it ever hits the table.
For a family, you can make it a fun day if you start at the farmer’s market in the morning where everyone can pick “their” vegetable to include. Maybe you can make it a game to add one “new” variety each week. This way each child has a vested interest in trying their new vegetable!
Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipe and Variations
My husband, – you know, Mr. BBQ – and I have different opinions about the best, easiest, and tastiest methods for grilling vegetables but the result is the same. I like to slice my vegs in pretty large pieces and put them straight on the grill for those nice markings you get in restaurants. I like yellow squash (it seems to hold up better than zucchini) red peppers, onions, asparagus, eggplant (for me- just the little ones) , onions and mushrooms (they go fastest). Really simple oil, salt and pepper is great, but you can add a little extra flavor by marinating with balsamic vinegar – and for a little extra flavor you can add fresh basil, rosemary or oregano – depending on your taste! If you are short of time you can use TSG Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette, Vermont Maple Dijon, or Island Ponzu Sauce.
By the way – those mushrooms and tomatoes seem to grill best on a skewer – they’re a lot easier to handle en masse! For the onions and asparagus, it helps to have a smaller vegetable grill to put on the barbeque so they don’t fall in. Here Rick and I differ – I think they should still be metal for texture in the barbeque – and not coated. He likes some of the “basket” styles better, but I think they come out more steamed than grilled. And a little “spritzer” is handy to get the oil/marinade on the flip side when you turn them over.
Either way – when they are finished don’t put them in the oven to keep them warm – they get mushy. Besides, if you leave them out on a nice platter – everyone who goes by steals some and they’re one of the healthiest snacks you can find! Eat up!
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June 10, 2010
The summer is arriving! Tonight Rick and I are attending our first evening concert of the summer season. In our family, this has become somewhat of a ritual event. We watch Shakespeare on the lawn, big band music, fireworks, Beach Boys and tonight an review of the Cycles: The Songs of a Lifetime…and we’ll find out what they are. We have eaten on blankets, in chairs,underwaterfalls, by rivers, oceans, parks, stages and also been eaten by bugs (uggh!) This is one of our favorite ways to spend the evening. We think we’re even pretty good at it! We have a little rolled up table in a bag (from Crate and Barrel) that keeps nature away from dinner, and we just eat our way through the bounty of summer.
5 Steps to a Great Picnic
Picnics should be easy and fun. In ours we always try to feature the bounty of summer as it ripens – so our menu changes some depending on the month and the temperature – but the good news is that fresh food is usually healthier too! First there are some rules:
1. Almost all food should be finger food. You never know how you will be surprised by your locale and you memory!
2. Have some favorites but try something new!
3. Don’t pack more than you can carry!
4. If you have a group, let everyone contribute – keep life easy!
5. Make anything you can disposable so there’s no clean up at the end.
Seafood Supper by the Sea
Tonight’s dinner is in a park by the ocean in North Carolina so we’ll be having dinner to celebrate the time and location. It will be about 3 hours so we’ll do three courses.
What’s fresh right now at the end of May? Those go on the list first and then I build around them. – Strawberries (we pick our own), Peaches the early crop from Georgia, asparagus and fresh local seafood.
1. I start with the main course, it sets the tone of the meal. In this case seafood. My favorite in the summer is ceviche – a seafood dish that actually cooks itself in lime juice so it’s cool and refreshing and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Regardless of your recipe, I can pretty much use whatever is local and add the fresh herbs from your garden. If you want to try variations you can explore a world of ceviche varieties. Here in the Carolina’s there will also be shrimp on the menu, in the ceviche, but probably also with appetizers to just dip in cocktail sauce and enjoy the sweetness. Since I like the ceviche more than Rick, there will probably be some salmon too topped with yogurt blended with Over the Edge Herbed Spinach. Then I’ll either roast some red potatoes or make a couscous salad for the side.
2. Appetizers – grazing gone wild! Lot’s of crisp cut vegetables to dip or munch straight. Make a dip from your favorite seasoning using your favorite base, sour cream, yogurt, may or a combination. A little steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. And a big bowl of the fresh strawberries with Snickerdoodle Sweet Cheeseball Mix blended in whipped topping as a dip.
3. Dessert – Here’s where my peaches (and a lot of other fresh fruit) go. Believe it or not, Rick will tackle these this afternoon. He will grill the peach halves and pineapple spears brushed with a little brown sugar melted with balsamic vinegar . Or you can eat them fresh with a little balsamic vinegar topping(the really good stuff) and some biscotti for texture. If my daughter were here, we’d flip it around and have chocolate dipped strawberries instead – but that will be next weekend.
Wear comfortable clothes, take a good book and a citronella candle and enjoy!
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June 3, 2010
My son has a sign in his room – Garlic is the 5th food group! And in our family that’s true. There are very few things that can’t be improved with Garlic. Growing up in California, garlic is a staple. Gilroy is the garlic capital of the world and its festival is world famous.
The Amazing History of Garlic
Garlic is one of the oldest seasonings available too! It was used and worshipped by the Egyptians, making it’s way to King Tut’s tomb, as well as the Greeks and Romans. Both cultures used it as food an medicine. It can even keep away vampires and other evil spirits in many cultures! At least in the old mythology – and it can certainly keep away undesirable advances on occasions. Although other cultures claim it is an aphrodisiac.
Garlic is also now proven to be good for you. Isn’t it amazing how many “old folk remedies” really have real benefits (like grandma’s chicken soup). Garlic is supposed to help lower blood pressure and while that is debatable, Louis Pasture found that it has great antibacterial properties. Garlic was even used as an antiseptic in WWI.
Great Garlic Ideas
I suppose that’s why Two Sisters Gourmet Outrageously Garlic is consistently one of the top three products in the line. It has great garlic flavor. My daughter takes a jar to school every semester and she doesn’t even really have a kitchen – you can use it a thousand ways. Most easily it makes an addictive dip with either sour cream or a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise. You can also let it soak in some olive oil for a great bread dip (add a little parmesan cheese and pepper and WOW!). You can always sprinkle it on fresh vegetables or French fries for some extra zest. Last night I added it to creamed spinach and had flavor at a whole new level.
Four Easy Recipes
Here are links to four of our easy recipes for Outrageously Garlic:
1. Cheesy Garlic Bread Dip
2. Lemon Garlic Shrimp
3. Garlic Roasted Potatoes
4. Tangy Turkey Burgers
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May 20, 2010
With a peak season in March and April, 
I think the vegetable most closely associated with spring is asparagus. It seems to grace the cover of every magazine. Everyone is tired of root vegetables after this long and snowy winter and the image of a green asparagus just screams spring.
History of Asparagus
Asparagus is a member of the lily family – see very spring. This vegetable has been around for centuries and was popular among the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Emperor Augustus is said to have coined the phrase “as quick as cooking asparagus.” Louis the XVI also loved the plant and had his gardeners grow it year round in green houses, stemming its modern romance. Thomas Jefferson had a whole garden reserved for growing asparagus.
How to Purchase and Store Asparagus
Asparagus is on the expensive side and tends to be a party food. That’s because you can’t harvest an asparagus plant for the first three years, and it is labor intensive to grow. It is high in Folic Acid and a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, A and C, and thiamin.
Many people are a little unsure of what to do. When selecting asparagus, choose firm stalks with deep green tips that are closed. Asparagus with slimmer stalks tends to be more tender. Store them with the bottom wrapped in a damp paper towel in the coldest part of the refrigerator. As with all fresh things, eat as soon as possible to get the most flavor and nutrients.
5 Great Recipes Ideas
As the Romans knew, cooking asparagus is a snap. Just steam or drop a bundle in boiling water for a couple of minutes, until bright green. You can also spray with a little oil and grill for a short period. Asparagus can be used in a variety of ways – straight as a salad with a little dressing, as a crudités with any dip or in other interesting recipes. Here are two salad dressings you can use with asparagus, and three other delicious Two Sisters Gourmet recipes.
Five Great Recipes to Show Off Asparagus
- Oh Honey! Dill Vinaigrette
- Onion Chive Herb Salad Dressing
- Asparagus Spears Wrapped in Prosciutto
- Smoked Salmon Asparagus Wraps
- Asparagus Tomato Bake
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March 23, 2010
By 3 p.m. I need a pick me up – I’m an early morning person after all. I find that a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate work wonders for me. And now, I’m all excited because of all the recent good press chocolate is getting – but is it true? Can I really indulge and get benefits? Or is it just wishful thinking?
All women know that chocolate makes you feel better – and once again we are right! (Didn’t you see Chocolat – the movie – WOW here’s a great movie.)
History of Chocolate
How did we get so consumed with chocolate? It was originally a bitter beverage, brewed and consumed by the Incas and Mayas and brought to Spain as a new delicacy in the 1500’s. Now hot chocolate with spices are the in trend again – 600 years late!For a while, cocoa beans were even used as Spanish currency.
Chocolate became the food of love in 1645 when it was part of the dowry of Spanish princess Maria Theresa when she married Louis XIV. He then got the idea to manufacture and sell it. If you study art and literature of the time, it focuses on chocolate and it’s symbolism, and shal we say “intimate relations”. Casnova was supposed to have conquered many a lass with chocolate and champagne! Hence our Valentine’s Day passion with chocolate.
Chocolate is good for you!
Now we have a new reason to celebrate chocolate. Recent research is actually supporting the positive health benefits of chocolate (dark chocolate that is of about 65% or more cocoa content).
A recent study in the Netherlands showed that eating the equivalent of ½ of a chocolate bar every day could lower blood pressure and also reduce the risk of death. It can also lower your cholesterol (now I’m for that one).
There are at least three other reasons chocolate can help elevate your mood:
-It can give you a feeling of pleasure because it stimulates endorphins
-It can act as an anti-depressant because it contains seratonin
- It has other stimulants similar to caffeine which causes relaxation but increases your brain activity.
We all know that antioxidants are good for us, right? Well dark chocolate contains eight times the amount of antioxidants as strawberries – superfruit! Unfortunately, we all know that choclate contains fat – but the good news is that most of it doesn’t affect your cholesterol.
As to the calories – you’re on your own. Moderation in all things!
What’s in your chocolate Future?
So all this good news has food manufacturers thinking about chocolate. Chocolate is now being elevated to the level of interest of wine, cheese and coffee. It can be a great small indulgence.
Hot trends:
- Chocolate and cocoa will be ingredients in main dishes (think a warm addition to steak sauce)
- Flavors that include chocolate and spices are hot
- Sweet and savory combinations like chocolate and cheese (there’s even a chocolate/bacon combo for the men)
So the third week of March is American Chocolate Week and I for one am going to indulge! I’ll stick to my afternoon coffee and a fabulous truffle.
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March 16, 2010
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