A Summer Classic Winterized

 Spinach salad is always a welcome lunch or dinner come summer.Yet it's winter and what do you do? Winterize it. I also gave this an Italian twist with garlic, serving it on polenta rounds.

It's sauteing about sixteen ounces of already chopped baby bellas and sixteen ounces of spinach   along with two cloves of chopped  garlic and olive oil.

I also added one large chopped beefsteak tomato. 

I felt I needed more flavor so I added some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and a cube of Not Chick'n bouillon.

It cooked  up nicely.

As this was cooking, I sliced the polenta into rounds and fried them on the grill.

I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter for a more buttery flavor which I feel goes with polenta.

The taste was more intense than a simple salad. It was a delicious blend of veggies that worked well with the polenta. You could add pancetta to copy the bacon in the original salad if you want or chicken strips, soy or the real thing.

Nothing beats a spinach salad . Yet it's winter. Time to winterize it with  heating up the ingredients and creating a hot tasty saute to warm you up.

A Different Spin On Empanadas

Empanadas in North America are not quite like the original ones from South America. Something is lacking. Surprisingly an ingredient from the US is making empanadas better tasting and better to fry. The ingredient? Popcorn!

The great chef J.Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote about this and gave the recipe plus a filling one for yesterday's New York Times Food section. He was able to get the truest recipe thanks to chef  Carlos Gaviria in Bogota, Columbia. he and his Columbian born wife, Adri had visited Chef Gaviria, who's also a food professor at the University of La Sabana. He's also written two cookbooks, the first is Tecnicas Profesionales de Cocina Colombians or Professional Techniques Of Colombian Cuisine  which is an in depth guide to the country's regional cuisine' The second is Arepas Colombianas, an entire book dedicated to Colombia's staple food corn cakes or empanadas. The best dough for them? One that comes from everyday popcorn kernels. Chef Gaviria realized it was also the easiest to find in American markets. He boiled them in a pressure cooker and them passed the softened kernels through a hand cranked grain mill. They're  then kneaded with a bit of water to form masa. Chef Lopez-Alt claims that the flavor and texture were outstanding, with the right crunch and corny flavor.

Kneading it is the same as kneading dough for flaky pastry .It's a smearing motion onto a board known as the fraisage method. Chef Lopez-Alt uses a wok and a slotted spoon to fry them up. A Dutch oven also works. As for the filling he give a traditional beef and potato one.It's first cooking the cubed and peeled potatoes and then sauteing ground beef or even pork with onion, scallion and paprika, granulated chicken bouillon is added (Just smash a bouillon cube with the back of a spoon). A grated, ripe beefsteak tomato and its' juices are added at the end. stir until the mixture is quite dry for about five minutes. Spread it out on a large plate. Season if you need to with salt pepper and more bouillon grains if you want, then put it into the fridge. The masa dough should already be madeand the texture of Play-Doh . The masa is divided into twenty-four golf ball size balls. Place one ball at a time into a sandwich bag, and press into a three inch circle. Use your skillet for this.After they've all been flattened , put two teaspoons of meat inside each and seal the edges together. It's then frying them in canola or peanut oil. Chef Lopez-Alt also give the recipe for aji, Columbian style salsa. It's just scallion , onions and cilantro mixed with a grated beefsteak tomato.Lime juice, water and kosher salt is then added and then everything is mixed together.

It takes a North American classic to create the best South American one. Popcorn gives the right crunch and flavor to empanadas, elevating them several notches.  Try this for the most authentic tasting corn cakes.

Emergency Fridge

This is the time when colds and viruses hit. it can be debilitating, especially when either one comes on strong. You can't get out of bed. You barely can head into the kitchen and cook. This is the time for emergency stock ups. Have your kitchen ready when you can;t go to the store.

Two of the most important items to have are bouillon cubes and soups. These are the easiest to heat up and the easiest to get down. Plus there's nothing like hot liquid to soothe a sore throat. Another plus about bouillon cubes is that they can be used as the base for many heartier soups you can make. Bouillons are light and make a good snack too besides being for lunch or dinner. Add a few Saltines if you're up to it.It makes the cup more substantial and you won't feel so hungry afterwards. Any kind of soup is a good addition to your emergency stock up. Campbell's newest addition, Well Yes! has a wide variety of choices (this is my go to soup now), from tomato basil to roasted chicken with wild rice. These have a lovely homemade taste that's just comforting. What goes with soup? Crackers, Have plenty of Saltines on hand. These are tasty with a cup or even lightly spread with butter or peanut butter.Bread is another must have.A plain slice of toast is always welcomed when you're just coming back from a decreased appetite. Stick with loaves. Baguettes and rolls will become stale too quickly,

Another must have when you're sick is apple sauce. The pectin in it helps alleviate diarrhea and the sugars gives the body an energy boost. Make sure you have cinnamon to add to it. Bananas are another fruit that should be on hand. It replaces potassium lost from vomiting and diarrhea along with helping to strengthening the stomach lining. It's also an easy snack for the kids too. What else should you buy in case you get sick? Rice. It also calms the stomach if you have the flu.It's also one of the easiest foods your family can cook up and it can be used as a side for many dishes like stew. You may also want to buy frozen foods such as pizza and French bread pizza. It's a simple cook, one that even your tweens and teens can do. You can also have easy to saute foods such as chicken breasts or flank steaks, along with such versatile veggies as tomatoes and peppers. These last can be  cut, diced, and sliced and added into a variety of different dishes. Since you'll be feeling dehydrated along with just having a dry throat , get your favorite juices along with cola. The last really does help with upset stomachs and can settle any disturbances It also is just good as a semi frozen slushie when your throat feels extra sore. Teas are a must too. Stock up on your favorite blends. You will be drinking a lot of cups of them.

Don't be stuck with an empty fridge when you're sick. Stock up beforehand on the basics that you and your family will need. That way you can stay in bed and nurse  a bad cold, flu or sore throat.

Feeding A Summer Cold

This is day three of a summer cold. It is miserable for anybody, for a foodie like myself is just torture.
Unfortunately the appetite lags as my taste for food goes south. What do I eat without upsetting my stomach. What can  perk up those taste buds?

Bouillon cubs have definitely become my best friends. So far I can get broth down and I always recommend having these culinary lifesavers in the kitchens.There are also excellent  for cooking rice in to give them flavor as well as being the base for light soups. Noodles or any pasta are also good because you can make a simple, easy to eat lunch or dinner. Try a light butter sauce or if you're feeling a bit more peckish add sliced fresh tomatoes, preferably the plum kind and maybe a dash of oregano. Toast is a must have.It's good with butter or just dry ,and it's an easy  meal to get down. Crackers are another , They good , just eaten on their own along with being filling. Smear jam on them for an easy dessert.I also always have fresh ginger on hand. It's the best bet in making a stomach and throat soothing tea.

One of the best things about a summer cold (if it can be considered that) is that you can feed it with fresh fruit. Any harvest, from peaches to melons are good, bursting with vitamins and antioxidants, Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces so  they 're easier to eat. Remember , that you'll have a loss of appetite to even going through a watermelon slice will be a chore. You would think that the season's fave ice cream would be the perfect antidote for a cold. Not true. Ice cream is dairy which causes phlegm = more gook to deal with when you're already snot laden. Go for Italian ice or popsicles. These are water based and are easier on your system.Somehow they're also more soothing too.Another  must is drinking water. We have to anyway to stay hydrated however a cold also dries you out too. Have fresh water, infused with  melon or lemon to make it more refreshing. Both hot and cold tea is also good.

A summer cold is the ultimate bummer. However by eating light and healthy you can make it tolerable. It'll be a small glitch in an otherwise bright season.