Italian Garlic Chicken w/ Veggies and Potatoes

I was busy this morning with my mixer making bread, pizza dough and biscotti. I hadn’t made bread in a couple of weeks and tonight is pizza night and the biscotti I made because…well, just because. :)

I’m not giving you any pictures or recipes for any of the above right now…sorry.  However, I am going to give you a simple recipe for chicken that not only tastes great, but also has an easy clean-up.  I’m not going to give any measurements because it’s just one of those types of dishes where you pretty much throw everything together, stick it in the oven and let it cook.

It contains three of my favorite ingredients…olive oil, garlic and herbs.  Three great flavors that taste great together and go with just about anything.  Here they are combined with chicken, veggies and potatoes.

I use drumsticks and thighs (2 per person) but feel free to use breasts also.  Leave the skin on or off, it’s up to you.  Use any combination of veggies you want.  I like to use veggies that roast well such as eggplant/aubergine, celery, peppers, carrots, mushrooms and onions.  You can also throw in some cherry tomatoes or even some spring onions/scallions.  Use as much garlic as you want.  I used about 6 cloves, peeled and left whole.  For the potatoes, peel or don’t and use fresh herbs if you have them.  This can also be prepared ahead of time and covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to cook.

This is what I used the other night, but remember, the measurements really don’t matter.  I used six pieces of chicken; two pieces for each of us for dinner and two more for Chef P’s lunch the next day.  This may look like a hefty amount of veggies, but remember they cook down and this was for three meals.  We only had about a half cup of leftovers.

~~Italian Garlic Chicken w/Veggies and Potatoes~~

Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.

1 eggplant, cubed

3 celery sticks, cut in bite-size pieces

1 pepper, cut up

3 carrots, cut up

4 mushroom, quartered

2 spring onions, sliced in 1 inch pieces

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

6 garlic cloves, peeled

fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary) or dried

extra virgin olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper

chicken legs, thighs or breasts (2 per person)

HERE’S WHAT TO DO…

Get your largest roasting pan and line it with foil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the cut up veggies including the garlic and herbs.  Add a good glug of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss everything around so all is coated with oil and herbs.  Pour out into foiled pan and spread evenly.

In the same bowl, add the chicken pieces and more herbs.  Add more oil and seasoning and toss around.  Lay the chicken pieces on top of veggies, skin side down.

Roast in oven for 25 minutes.  Remove pan from oven, flip chicken pieces over and return to oven for a further 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked and veggies are tender.

Serve and Enjoy!

♥♥ Terri  ♥♥

How do you Like your Eggs in the Morning?

I thought I would give you myself a break from all the ‘bad’ food I’ve been making.  Being one who has low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) I have to have breakfast, and a proper one at that.  I admit I sway from having a proper breakfast on occasion and I do pay for it later on in the day.  I can become irritable, get internal shakes, lose concentration, get a headache, break out into a cold sweat…the list goes on and none of it is pleasant.

I get lazy sometimes and just don’t feel like cutting up veggies or preparing other foods to eat; usually because I’m so busy doing other things and I almost feel like I can’t be bothered to eat, but I know I must.  So what happens?  I eat the wrong things.  I might have a couple of crackers with some butter or peanut butter or perhaps a banana.  I might even grab a slice or two of ham from the fridge or eat a handful of nuts.  Now granted, none of this is absolutely terrible, but it’s not really a proper meal, nor do I eat this all at one time.  It’s usually over a period of about 2-3 hours but it’s still not a good meal.  I’m much better when I have a good breakfast consisting of eggs and veggies and grains or a bowl of porridge with fruit and nuts.  Either of these meals will hold me for a good 3-4 hours, although I will have a mid-morning snack.  There are times when I will even have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.

I just get tired of having eggs most mornings.

This morning I decided to see what I could find in my GI Recipes book.  Even though this has eggs, it sounded different and tasty.  This would suit Phase 2 on South Beach Diet…

~~SCRAMBLED EGGS w/HONEY-ROASTED TOMATOES~~

Serves 1 (easily increased for any number of servings)

2-3 small tomatoes

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1-2 slices whole grain bread (wholewheat, granary, rye, etc.) (I used a wholewheat bagel)

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F.

Halve the tomatoes and arrange in a baking dish, cut side up.  Sprinkle over the cinnamon and drizzle with honey.  Season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes.

When the tomatoes are nearly cooked, put the eggs in a bowl, season and beat.  Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan until sizzling.  Reduce the heat, pour in the eggs and cook gently, stirring constantly until thick and creamy.

Toast the bread and place on plate.  Spoon on the eggs and pile tomatoes on top.  Spoon over any juices from the tomatoes, sprinkle with black pepper and serve.

Enjoy!

♥♥ Terri  ♥♥

Makin’ Whoopie!

Good Day, dear readers!

Some of you may remember my rant angst disbelief post a while back about whoopie pies and the horrid transfiguration that was bestowed upon them when they traveled over here to the UK.  For those of you who didn’t see it or want a refresher, you can find it here.

As I’ve also been having fun with my new mixer, I’ve been making a few cakey type stuff to sell at the Family Fun Day (FFD) in a couple of weeks.  This coming weekend is the monthly market at Cliftonville and the following weekend is the FFD.  As there will be lots of kids there, I decided to make things that the little brats tots would like.  I’ve made brownies and some tea loaf (for the adults) and I’ll be making those yummy vanilla cupcakes and I also decided to make whoopie pies to show these Brits what a whoopie pie is supposed to look and taste like.  (In case you’re wondering, I’ve put the brownies, tea loaf and whoopie pies in the freezer until needed.  I’ll make the cupcakes towards the end of next week, probably on Thursday or Friday as the FFD is on Saturday).

Homemade Whoopie Pies

This recipe is from an Amish cookbook so it is a traditional recipe.  For those of you who want to try making these, you will get a good many of them…I got 30 pies (60 cakes).

They’re not difficult to make; just a wee bit time consuming as you can only make about 6 cakes per pan.

There’s also more than enough filling for all of them, although you won’t have that much left over.  I just put extra filling in the last 6 or so that I made.  I also made the cakes one day and the filling the next day.

Some of the cakes will come out slightly bigger or smaller.  Try to match up same size cakes with each other.

~~WHOOPIE PIES~~

2 C sugar

1 C shortening or butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 C plain flour

1 C cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1 C sour milk (add 1-2 Tbsp white vinegar to milk)

2 tsp baking soda

1 C hot water

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

Cream the sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt.

Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk until well incorporated.

Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add to mixture, mixing well.

Using a small ice cream scoop (about 2 Tbsp), drop onto greased cookie sheet or silicone mat. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you may only get about 6 on each sheet.  Don’t forget, they will spread to about a diameter of about 2 to 2½ inches.  You want to make sure they are all uniform in size, as best you can.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cakes sit on pan 1-2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

~~CREAM FILLING~~

2 egg whites, beaten until foamy

¼ C milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 C powdered/confectioner’s/10X/icing sugar, divided

1½ C shortening or butter

Mix together the egg whites, milk, vanilla and 2 cups sugar.

Beat in shortening and remaining sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Spread a dab on the flat side of half of the cooled cakes.  Top with another cake to form a sandwich pie.

Pies can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen.  Allow to thaw at room temp. (They taste pretty good right from frozen too!)

Enjoy!

♥♥ Terri  ♥♥

Wash Behind your Ears!

We all know that vegetables grow in dirt (well at least most of us know that).  Some grow under the ground, such as carrots, parsnips, onions, potatoes, turnips, celeriac or beets among others.  These are known as root vegetables because they are…the root of the plant that is growing above the ground.

There are also the leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, cabbage and lettuce which grow above ground and then there are all the other veggies that grow on the plant itself such as eggplant/aubergine, tomatoes, corn, peppers, and zucchini/courgette.

Regardless of where they grow, during the process of growing, there will be physical contaminants that come into contact with the plant that we really don’t want to eat:  dirt, bugs and pesticides being the big three.

Once your fruits and vegetables were ready for harvest, they were handled by several different pairs of hands in the fields and orchards, then in the warehouses, and finally again in your grocery store. Bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli may all be lurking on your fruits and vegetables, whether they are organically grown or conventionally grown. These bacteria all cause food-borne illness and need to be washed away from your produce.

Many vegetables are somewhat pre-washed before they get packed up and shipped to the grocery store, but if you’re buying from a farmer’s market, the veggies most likely will not have gone through the process of pre-washing.

  • Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
  • Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.
  • Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.
  • Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.
  • Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.
  • Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don’t plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.
  • Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don’t use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. These chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.
  • Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren’t any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don’t waste your money on them.
  • Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.
  • Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
  • Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Many nutrients and minerals in root vegetables are close to the surface, and therefore can be lost through peeling the skin. However, the skin of root vegetables can also act as a sponge, absorbing pesticides and chemicals used in the growing process. If your veggies are grown organically, simply wash with warm water, scrubbing with a brush if necessary, and refrain from peeling. If you’re not sure you’ll like the taste or texture, experiment with leaving the peels on, or try peeling only half of the vegetable. Exceptions include celeriac, whose knobby, thick and dirty skin will need to be peeled. If your veggies are conventionally grown and/or have been given a waxy coating by the produce company (usually turnips and rutabagas), then remove peels.

Wash your greens by placing them in a large bowl, pot, bucket or sink filled with water, and swish them around, allowing the dirt and sand to sink to the bottom. You may have to repeat this process.

(I made fresh spinach last night and cleaned it in my sink.  You can just about see all the dirt that came off in the sink)

Remember that the fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them out at the grocery store, but you can’t see bacteria or chemicals. They still need to be washed before you eat them or serve them to guests or family members. This is especially important for produce and greens that are eaten raw.

♥♥ Terri  ♥♥

How Sweet it is!

Sugar.  We all know we shouldn’t eat so much of it, but yet we do.  It’s irresistable.  It’s sweet.  It gives us a pleasurable taste on the tongue.  How can we say ‘no’???

The average American eats approximately 1,500 pounds of food every year. Of that, 160 pounds are primarily sugar.

Of all the food stuff we eat, sugar is the least nutritious.  In fact, except for the energy in its calories, there’s not much to recommend about sugar. It’s a prime source of empty calories, and for those of us who are trying to lose weight, sugar’s the first thing we should start trimming from our diets.

The problem is that it’s added to so many of the foods that we eat on a daily basis, hidden from view.  You say ‘no, how can that be’?  Try reading food labels.  The food manufacturers have ways of hiding it by giving it different names:  sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, fructose, sorbitol, maltose, lactose and maltodextrin, just to name a few.

One of the best ways to disguise the amount of sugar in a product is printing the information in grams. Most Americans haven’t the foggiest idea of how much a gram is, because they’re unaccustomed to the metric system. So when they pick up a can of soda that contains 40 grams of sugar, they pretty much shrug their shoulders and pop the top, assuming they’re even reading the label.   But what if the label said 10 teaspoons of sugar?  If you saw someone popping 10 tsp. worth of sugar into their coffee or tea, you’d think they were crazy, but that’s how much is in a typical 12oz. can.

The food industry has cleverly snuck its sugars and corn syrups into products where we never would have thought to look for sugar. It’s good for the manufacturer. It hikes up the calorie load, can enhance the product’s appearance (high-fructose corn syrup gives hamburger buns their golden glow), and can keep our sugar cravings simmering at a low boil. Here are some types of products whose labels you should look out for.

Spaghetti sauce. A half cup of store-bought sauce can contain as many as three teaspoons of corn syrup or sugar. While some of the naturally occurring sugar in tomatoes and other vegetables will show up on the nutrition label, most of the sugar is added. Look for brands that don’t include sugar.

Ketchup. Ketchup can be 20 percent sugar or more. Not to mention that you’ll get 7 percent of your daily sodium allowance in one tablespoon. Look for low-salt, no-sugar brands, or make your own, using pureed carrots to add flavor and texture to the tomatoes.

Reduced-fat cookies. Most brands of cookies now offer a reduced-fat version of their product.But while you’re patting yourself on the back for choosing the low-fat option, check the label. The sneaky food manufacturers did take out the fat, but they replaced it with, you guessed it, sugar. And because there’s no fat to make you feel full, you’ll be tempted to eat more “guilt-free” cookies. And just because there’s less fat, it doesn’t mean you’ll be less fat. Fat doesn’t make you fat. Sugar make you fat.

Low-fat salad dressing. Like the cookies, manufacturers have taken the fat out of the dressing, but they’ve added extra salt and sugar to make up for it. Check the label to make sure you’re not replacing heart-healthy olive oil with diabetes-causing sugar-because that’s not really a “healthy choice.” Your best bet? Make your own vinaigrettes using a small amount of olive oil, a tasty gourmet vinegar or fresh lemon juice, and some fresh herbs.

Bread. Most processed breads, especially white hamburger and hot dog buns, can contain a good bit of sugar or corn syrup. That’s what gives them the golden-brown crust. As always, check the ingredient label, and consider making your own or getting your bread at a real bakery or a farmers’ market – it’s the best idea since, well, you know.

Fast food. Needless to say, fast food is generally not good for you. But even if you’re staying away from the sodas and the shakes, everything from the burgers to the fries to the salads is a potential place to hide sugar. Check out the ingredients carefully at your favorite restaurant. You may be getting more than you bargained for.

And don’t forget that alcohol also contains sugars.

********************

And how do you know that you’re consuming too much sugar?  Well if you eat too much sugar…

You’ll have trouble getting enough healthy nutrients without going overboard on calories.
You gain weight.
You do not feel the need to eat food that contains more of the important nutrients that our body needs, such as vitamins, iron, calcium and magnesium.
Tooth decay and gum disease.
Unstable blood glucose.
Obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Malfunctioning immune system.
Chromium deficiency.

Soooo….you still want that candy bar??

Upcoming Food Festivals for the UK

I realise I’ve been a bit slack on giving you info on these, so here we go….

 

Loch Fyne Food Fair

May 19-20 2012

Location: Fields next to the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, Cairndow, Scotland

Free admission – Farmer’s Market, selected wines and live music both days

£3.00 for parking

Midlands Whisky Festival

May 19 2012

Location:  The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire

Tickets: £25.00 include a Glencairn nosing glass, bottle of water and festival brochure. No tokens to worry about, just simply ask politely at any stand and you will receive a tasty glass of amazing whisky to try.

Tockwith Beer Festival

May 19 2012

Location: Tockwith Sports Field, Tockwith Lane Tockwith, York, North Yorkshire

Tickets: £10 Adults, £3 Child includes

  • Festival beer glass
  • Beer token
  • Tasting notes
  • Voucher book of exclusive discounts from our sponsors
  • All children’s entertainment (subject to booking and availability)
  • A great day out!

Flavours of 2012

May 25-27 2012Location: Henham Park near Southwold, SuffolkTickets: £6.00 can be purchased on-line or by phoneThis will be the first food and drink festival of its kind to be held at Henham Park
(home to Latitude Festival) and will offer 2 days of fantastic food, drink,
cookery demos and much more.

Somerset Chilli Festival

June 2-4 2012Location: Bath race course,  Lansdown, Bath, SomersetTickets: £6.00, Children under 12 get in freeThe Somerset Chilli Festival will run from 10am to 6pm each day with all things Chilli; food sampling, cookery demonstrations, competitions (inc. the famous Chilli Eating Competition) music acts and wandering performers. To keep you satisfied there will also be top quality food stalls and relaxed bars.

Dartington Food Fair

June 3-5 2012Location: The Shops at Dartington, Shinners Bridge, Dartington, Totnes, DevonTickets: £4, Children under 12 go free.  Book on-lineChef demonstrations, food tents, face painting and many more family activities including a potter’s wheel and mountain biking.*********************

Great British Food Festival

June 4-5 2012Location: Walton Hall & Gardens,  Walton Lea Road, Higher Walton, Warrington, Cheshire Tickets: £2.50, Under 12 go free.  Parking £3.20*

50 Producers, 15 Hot Food Stalls, Craft stalls and live music

There are NO cash machines on site so please come prepared.
*Parking is in the council-run car park and costs £3.20 for the day.

Cheltenham Food & Wine Festival

June 15-17 2012

Location: Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Tickets: Friday £3.00, Saturday & Sunday £6.00, children under 16 go free. Advanced purchase on-line, Sat & Sun, £4.60

  • The Cookery Theatre – featuring demonstrations by leading chefs and celebrity’s from around the region.
  • Food Lovers Marquees – featuring over 200 food & drink producers
  • Real Ale Marquee – taste a wonderful selection of local and regional ales & cider
  • Festival Stage – musicians playing a variety of music from Jazz to Classical to Folk
  • International Wine Theatre – Featuring interactive and educational courses covering a variety of subjects from buying, tasting, grape varieties and styles, from old world to new world wine.
  • Real Food & Drinks Theatre – talks on Nutrition to Real Ale; Cheese to Gin.
  • Arts & Craft – Meet the artists, discuss their work, and buy unique hand-made products direct from the maker. Crafts include fused glass, jewellery, painting, pottery, wood-turning, photography.