Healthy Eating Cookbook

[Laura]

I found the following in the recent issue of Better Homes & Gardens and will be trying them for the holidays:

Butternut Squash Soup with Walnuts
• Chef Nikki Cascone


2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
4 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 in. cubes
6 cups chicken stock
salt


In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add the squash and the stock.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.

Let soup cool slightly, then puree in blender in batches.

Return pureed soup to pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with spicy walnuts (recipe below).

Spicy Walnuts


1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup walnut halves
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a sheet pan, combine butter, walnuts, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and nutmeg. Bake for 10 minutes or until nuts are fragrant. Let cool on pan. Sprinkle over each serving of soup.

In the following recipe, I'll be using Stevia instead of sugar and ALL cream instead of half and half:

Pumpkin Panna Cotta
• Chef Dave Martin


¼ cup of cold water
1 ½ tbsp. of powdered gelatin
3 cups of heavy cream
3 cups of half & half
1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean split and scraped
1 ½ cups of sour cream
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
½ tablespoon of kosher salt
fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
whipped cream


Activate gelatin in cold water for about 5 minutes. Add to large saucepan with cream & half and half with vanilla extract, sugar and vanilla bean and its scrapings to scald (heat to just boiling).

Remove from heat, cool slightly and then blend in sour cream, pumpkin puree, spice and salt.

Pour into ramekins and let rest in refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours to set. Use knife to release from ramekin and set onto plate and garnish with mint sprig and dollop of whipped cream.

Here, I'm going to give away my Super Secret Recipe for Date Bread. It has sugar and it won't do to substitute Stevia, but I'll be using unrefined cane sugar when I make it this year. This is an heirloom recipe from my grandmother, Lucille Meadows:

1. Cut into small pieces one package (1 pound) or pitted dates. Put into a bowl and pour over them one cup of boiling water and one level teaspoon of baking soda. Stir and set aside.

2. Cream together two heaping tablespoons of butter and one cup raw sugar.

3. Add two unbeaten eggs to butter and sugar and mix well.

4. Add dates and water mixture.

5. Add one cup ground nut meats (I prefer pecans, but walnuts will do)

6. Add one and a quarter cups rice flour. (Or chestnut or chick pea flour) Beat until smooth.

7. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

8. Bake at 300 degrees for about one hour (approx), until it is dark brown and firm to the touch and a cake tester has been inserted to check for doneness.

Let cool for half an hour before turning out carefully.

Serve thinly sliced and buttered.

My grandmother always made a half dozen of these loaves before Christmas and they keep very well. They are actually better when a few days old. I make them for Christmas gifts for my neighbors and close friends and, until just now, I almost NEVER gave the recipe to anyone. The guys here LOVE this loaf and most everyone in my family prefers it over chocolate cake, fruitcake, or about any other kind of cake. You could probably use the recipe and substitute bananas or pumpkin for the dates (which I may try this year just to see how it turns out).

We'll be having berry crumbles, the Pumpkin Panna Cotta above, and date bread for the holidays this year in an effort to stay close to our detox diet. I'll be making the turkey dressing with brown and wild rice substituted for bread crumbs. I will also make some lamb sausage fresh to incorporate into the stuffing instead of pork sausage.

Here is a recipe for stuffing:

Turkey Stuffing

2 pounds sausage (You can use a good breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean, but I'll be making lamb sausage to use - I'll include a recipe for that below)
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped leeks
1 cup finely chopped green onion (chop up the green stalks too)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup golden raisins soaked in hot water and drained
2 lbs. brown and wild rice, cooked and placed on a tray and left out overnight to dry out a bit
Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh sage leaves
Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
6 large lightly beaten eggs
2 to 3 cups stock (I make the stock with the giblets)
Chopped turkey giblets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Cook chopped sausage in large sauté pan over medium heat until browned.

Remove pan from heat and set aside saving the sausage fat. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Set aside.

Place pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add chopped fennel, carrots, celery, leeks, onion, and garlic to sausage fat. Sauté about 10 minutes.

Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Thoroughly mix in eggs. Slowly add just enough chicken stock until mixture is VERY moist. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff turkey at both ends, sew him shut or use skewers.

Oil the turkey and salt him well. Place him in a brown paper bag like you get at the supermarket - or used to, you may have to ask for one and even use two of them, one put on in each direction, overlapping. Place turkey in brown bag breast down in roasting pan. Do not cover the pan.

If the turkey is very large, you can start cooking him at 275 (just over 100 C in European ovens) at about midnight and take him out of the oven by 10 or 11 a.m. the next morning, or, if he is smaller, you can put him in early in the morning, cook at a higher heat for the requisite amount of time depending on when you will be having dinner. That's about 15/20 minutes per pound. If you have stuffing left over that won't go in the bird, just bake it in a casserole dish and serve on the side. You can also double or triple the recipe if you want lots of stuffing as we do in our house!

If you want to see photos of this turkey cooking method, go here:
http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/ChristmasWithCassiopaea2004/index.html


Sausage Recipe
(You can increase this recipe proportionally according to how much meat you are using)

Sage
16 ounces ground pork or lamb
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander

Mix well, shape into patties and refrigerate overnight for the flavors to mingle before cooking.

 

[Laura]

Classic Chocolate Mousse

* 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or grated
* 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
* 2 tablespoons espresso or hot water (I don't use the coffee, just hot water)
* 1 cup cold heavy cream
* 3 large eggs, separated
* 1 tablespoon sugar or 1/4 teaspoon stevia and a few drops of lemon juice

First, whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.

Second, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar or add the stevia and drops of lemon juice (this prevents the stevia from being bitter) and beat until firmer peaks form.

Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, stir in the yolks. Then fold in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

Spoon into a serving bowl or individual dishes. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.) It MUST be refrigerated this long to set properly!!!


A very nice variation but can't be considered "authentic":


Chocolate Mousse

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 4 large egg yolks
* 3 tablespoons sugar or 1/2 teaspoon stevia and a few drops of lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped or grated


Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar (or stevia), and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into dishes and chill, covered, at least 8 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.


A Simple Variation that is more pudding than mousse:

* 6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate chopped
* 1 cup cream
* 2 tablespoons brewed espresso or hot water
* 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
* 2 eggs (the freshest possible)

1. Place the chocolate in a blender.

2. Heat the milk, espresso (or water), and butter in a small pot until the milk is scalded, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the blender and blend until the chocolate is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

4. Add the eggs and blend until no lumps remain.

5. Pour into cups and chill until set, (several hours). Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired, and serve.

 

[Pierre]

CASS-oulet

For 7 people.

* 1 onion spiked with 5 cloves,
* olive oil,
* 2 wrinkled laurel leafs
* parsley
* 2 minced branches of celery
* 6 small branches of rosemary
* 1 minced onion
* thyme
* pepper
* raw salt
* 2 minced garlic head
* 14 crushed garlic head
* 7 duck legs
* 600 g of Tarbes beans (haricot tarbais)
* grated nutmeg


1/ Boil the beans
* Put 600g of beans in a pot with 5 liters of cold water (try to get Tarbes beans, these are the only one that will really resist the following treatment).
* Add the following ingredients to the water : 1 onion spiked with 5 cloves, olive oil, 2 wrinkled laurel leafs, parsley, 2 minced branches of celery, 6 small branches of rosemary, 1 minced onion, pepper and raw salt, 2 minced garlic head.
* Heat the pot, When the water is gently boiling, go on for 3 hours

2/ Make the "duck cream"
* warm up 400 g of duck fat, when it reaches 60 degrees, put it in a bowl
* add 14 heads of crushed garlic (yes it's a lot but it will cook long so the aggressive taste will go away)
* add liberally rosemary, thyme, laurel and grated nutmeg

3/ Rest
* get rid of the bean's water and juice
* Put the duck cream on the beans
* Let it rest for one night

4/ preparing duck legs
* Put the duck legs with their fat in a sauce pan,
* cook them (with the skin down) until the skin gets brown and crispy
* get rid of the liquid fat and put the 7 legs aside


5/ final heating
* get a big clay/stone pot
* slide garlic on the internal surface of the pot
* pour the beans in
* tuck the chicken legs in
* put the pot in a pre heated oven (150 celsius degrees - farenheit 300) and let it cook for 50 minutes.

Bon appetit !

 

[Vulcan59]

Garlic Chicken

For garlic lovers, here's a dish that I make at least once a month or more sometimes.

Ingredients

One 1kg chicken (for about 3 to 4 persons)
1 Cinnamon Stick (about 10cm long)
3 to 4 Pieces of Star Anise,
5 Cloves
Half teaspoon of 5 Spice powder available in most Asian food stores.
2 Teaspoon of Worcester sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper
Dessert spoon of sesame oil
1 Teaspoon of raw sugar,
1 Cap full of whiskey or brandy
15 to 20 cloves of garlic


Preparations

Clean the chicken and pat dry.
Pierce the chicken all over with a sharp knife or fork.
Rub the chicken all over with pepper and the sea salt.
Smashed the garlic and remove the skin and rub the garlic all over the chicken and then put the garlic inside the
chicken as well as under the chicken skin.
Pour the dessert spoon of sesame oil over the chicken.
Place chicken in a bowl to marinate.
Pour the Worcester sauce over the chicken.
Throw in the Cinnamon stick, the star anise and cloves.
Sprinkle the teaspoon of raw sugar all over.
Pour a cap full of whiskey or brandy all over the chicken.
Pour in about a cup full of water.
Let it stand for at least an hour or so.

Cooking

Place the chicken including the marinate into a pressure cooker and let the water boil with the chicken on it's back.
Once water is boiling, flip the chicken over on it's front inside the pressure cooker.
Place the cover on the pressure cooker and cook till the pressure is reached.
Then select low heat for about 15 minutes then turn off the heat.

Eat it with some plain rice or as it is.

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

 

[Bobo08]

Bean soup

Ingredients (for 3 people)

* A cup of dry red kidney bean
* 3 chicken drumsticks
* A good sized beetroot
* A good sized onion
* 2 carrots
* 2-3 celery sticks
* 1-2 tomatoes
* 1 lemon
* Garlic, ginger, cumin powder, chilli powder, salt

Instructions:

* Soak the bean overnight, drain.
* Cut the vegetables to size (2-3 cm)
* Put the bean and chicken in a pressure cooker, cover with water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to pressure and keep for 10 mins.
* Add the beet, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, ginger to the cooker. Bring to pressure and keep for another 4 mins.
* Add the tomato, chilli, cumin, lemon juice, more salt to taste.

Tips:

* The soup tastes better if left in the fridge for half a day.
* You can change the vegetables and spices to almost anything you like. Experiment with it. That's where the fun part is.
* When you experiment, pay attention to the cooking time of the ingredients. Some can easily turn to mush if overcooked, especially with pressure cooker.
* If you don't have a pressure cooker, multiply the above cooking time by 4.

 

[Pierre]

The nuts shake

At the end of the day you're a little bit hungry but you won't to limitate your sugar intake, you can try the nuts shake :

Ingredients :
300 ml of rice milk
100 grams of nuts (pecans, almonds, nuts...)
a few grams of stevia


Preparation
Put the milk, the nuts and stevia in the shaker. The longer you shake the smaller the nuts flakes get.

Nothing more to do except to drink and enjoy it.

It tastes (a bit) like melting Haagen Dazs ice cream.

 

[Gimpy]

Hello all! Here's a real simple recipe to fortify the family during the crazy winter weather.


Basic Chicken Soup

1 organic (if you can get one) free range chicken
2 large carrots
3 stalks celery
1 large onion
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Put all the above in a stock pot, if you have broth or chicken stock that you trust, it can
be added at this point. Its not necessary though. Fill the pot with enough water to cover
the chicken, or more. The goal is to let the soup simmer for a few hours and reduce to
make its own broth.

Bring the pot to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, covered, for three to four hours.
Its ok to check the soup now and then and stir it.

If you like, take the chicken out and remove the meat from the bones. Sometimes we do
that, and sometimes we don't. Cooked brown rice added to the soup is wonderful when
reheating it, too.

Bon apetit!

 

[Laura]

I want to report that we did Christmas ON THE DIET!!! It was great!

Turkey, rice and veggie stuffing that was divine, sweet potatoes, steamed peas, gravy, pumpkin pie and pecan chiffon pie sweetened with xylitol... I made the crusts with ground almonds mixed with butter like a graham cracker crust and toasted it under the broiler before pouring the filling in. We also had creamed oysters and lasagne on Christmas Eve; used rice pasta.

After it was over, nobody was sick, nobody felt bloated, and we all felt rather righteous even though we had certainly not done without!

 

[Cyre2067]

Here's something a little different:

_http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/herbed-spiced-nuts.html
Emeril's Herbed Spice Nuts

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup pecan halves

In a bowl whisk together oil, thyme, salt, sugar and cayenne. Add nuts and toss to coat well.

Transfer nuts to a cold skillet. Heat to medium high heat, tossing nuts until lightly brown and aromatic, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Nuts may be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container. Serve nuts warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings

You could probably add more nuts to it and use butter instead of sugar. Or if you're still eating bits of sugar you can use local honey.

 

[Gimpy]

I want to report that we did Christmas ON THE DIET!!! It was great!

Turkey, rice and veggie stuffing that was divine, sweet potatoes, steamed peas, gravy, pumpkin pie and pecan chiffon pie sweetened with xylitol... I made the crusts with ground almonds mixed with butter like a graham cracker crust and toasted it under the broiler before pouring the filling in. We also had creamed oysters and lasagne on Christmas Eve; used rice pasta.

After it was over, nobody was sick, nobody felt bloated, and we all felt rather righteous even though we had certainly not done without!

 

[Gimpy]

I didn't know where to put this recipe. My Hubby went to help his father fix a computer problem, and in repayment was sent home with a large ham bone. (We're all Foodies, so that was a treat!)

I'm not sure it would qualify as 'healthy' since it's ham of unknown origin, but as a once in a while meal? I think its ok. I found this recipe on recipe zaar, the author goes by the handle of Kittencal. She lists the stove top version, but I made mine in a crock pot, and it was fantastic!

Kittencal's Pea Soup With Ham Bone

makes approx 10 cups

1 large onion, chopped fine
1-2 T of minced garlic (or to taste)
2-3 med carrots, peeled, and diced
16 oz dried green split peas (or other color lentil, we only had orange lentils and it worked beautifully)
1 large ham bone (with a fair amt of meat on it)
1.5 quart chicken stock + 3 cups water
fresh cracked pepper
3 med bay leaves

Optional: 1 cup frozen peas (add in towards end of cooking to heat through)

1 cup cooked rice (or to taste per bowl at serving)


Sort through the lentils, wash them thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve.

Put the lentils and all other ingredients (except the rice and peas) in the crock pot.
Set it on high for 3 to 4 hours.
During the last half hour of cooking time, add the frozen peas to heat through.

Put 2 T of rice in each bowl and ladle the soup over and serve.

Enjoy!

 

[Beau]

Be careful with the chicken stock Gimpy. Most brands have some evil ingredients in them. Look for the organic kind which only contains healthy ingredients plus the cryptic "natural chicken flavors".

 

[Laura]

I make my own chicken stock and freeze it. It's easy, cheap and a LOT better than cubes or anything like that.

 

[rrraven]

home made gluten-free popcorn chicken with 11 not so secret herbs and spices

1 organic chicken breast,cut into small pieces
in a bag mix the dry ingredients:
coriander
paprica
ginger
garlic
sumac
chilli
cassia
cloves
cumin
cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
add some sea salt and a handful of crushed puffed rice
put chicken pieces in the bad and toss around
deep fry in grape seed oil
serve hot as finger food
a quick snack the kids will love
P.S. the spice mix is called chermoula and is Moroccan

 

[chachazoom]

a little fresh chopped rosemary in pea soup is divine