Cooking

So here are some recipes I've created on my own and some I've gotten along the way.  I will always give credit when it's not mine.  Also I will do some Recipe Redo.  Recipes I will try and convert to a healthier version.  Bon Appetit!


April 18th, 2012
Last Nights Dinner

Baked Potatoes with Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms & Ramps

The Spices: Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Organic Black Peppercorn

The Main Ingredients: Organic Portobello Mushrooms, Scallions, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Potatoes, and Local Ramps*

• Wash and cut potatoes, place on lightly greased (olive oil) baking pan.  Sprinke with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.  Bake for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees.  Poke with fork until tender.

• wash ramps and cut off the roots.  clean and slice portobello mushrooms. Cut a small amount of scallions and drizzle saute pan with oil.  Let heat up a bit and saute mushrooms with the scallions.  When tender place aside and do the same with the ramps.  These will both cook in about 10 minutes.  So start the potatoes about 15 mins prior to this step.  Once everything is done arrange on plate and enjoy!

*Ramps: also known as wild leeks, they are a part of the onion family with a slight sweet taste and are available mid to late spring at your local farmers market.  They aren't available for long so if you see them, get them. 

This is the first time using ramps and it will not be the last!

for more info on ramps: 

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/492513-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-ramps/

Kidney Bean Salad

I once had a bean salad at a barbeque one summer that my husband and I still talk about today.  We originally got the recipe from the woman who brought it and almost immediately I lost it.  I looked for several recipes online and the ingredients just didn't seem right.  So here's my version of several of them tweaked to what I think is a close replacement to that original bean salad.  This one is very good. 

• 2 cans Eden Organic Kidney Beans
• 1/2 organic red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium organic orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium organic cucumber, peeled,cut in half, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 organic garlic clove, minced
• 1tsp dried dill weed
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• organic black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl.  Toss until well combined. Let salad marinate for about an hour, stir every 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

I would probably add some avocado next time.  slicing them and squeezing a lime over them and adding them to the salad at the end before serving.  I wish I had an avocado now! 

And now a word on the BEANS 

If you didn't know, Eden Organic Beans( edenfoods.com) have BPA Free Lining and are Non- GMO!!!  Very exciting I know. 

 I always use Eden or Fig Food Beans (figfood.com) who packages their beans in boxes. Both are great!Here's a pic:

Goya now makes organic beans too. I've used them before. But their cans are not BPA Free.  So they are definitely a better choice than non organic ones. No preservatives, No Pesticides.  But an even better choice would be one of the Eden's or the Figs!  Beans are an amazing source of fiber and protein!  So good for you.