Stretching Those Meals

 Prices are rising and it's getting difficult to put decent meals on the table. What to do? Stretch those meals to last two even three days.

I found this out when I had a lot of pasta and a little sauce left. I decided to add one of my favorite ingredients and a low cost one too -spinach. 

it just takes a few leaves (about two cups added to Stop & Shop's chunky tomato basil sauce. I already added chopped portabellos for more heft and protein. This enabled me to stretch this for two days. The spinach definitely added to the sauce , giving it a nice fresh taste.It livened up the flavor, cutting the heavy tomato taste. Keep in mind you can add almost anything to a sauce. Grill eggplant and add it or toss in a few cut cherry tomatoes to add some sweetness.

The same is true of any ingredient. Leftover chicken and steak can easily be cut up and put into any salad. Add vegetables which are still relatively inexpensive right now.Homemade croutons. easily made with leftover bread and your sir fryer can round out the salad. They'll add crunch and flavor especially if you coat them with a mix of garlic and onion powders. Ham can easily be stretched into deviled ham by putting it in the food processor with a teaspoon of mayo.This creates a creamy spread perfect for sandwiches along with being perfect for a dip. You can do this for shrimp too, turning it into a paste for sandwiches and hors'd ouevres. All that shredded cheese you used for tacos one night can make for a nice cheese frittata the day after. This gives the egg dish more flavor and heft. You could also drizzle in some leftover salsa to create huevos rancheros.Leftover veggies can be used in a minestrone soup for a tasty and healthy light meal.Grilled veggies can be chilled and added to salads too.

Stretching those meals are a great money saver. Home chefs need to do this during these financially rough times. Leftovers repurposed means a few pennies saved .

Planning The Perfect Spring Brunch

Spring is the perfect time for an airy brunch, full of good food and good friends and family. It's also a great time to appreciate the abundance of  Spring harvest, full of freshness and flavor. Create a Saturday or Sunday one that reflects the season.

One of the first things to do is decide whether it's going to be an indoor or outdoor one. The temps are rising. It would be a shame to stay indoors when there are balmy breezes outside.  However keep in mind that the weather is iffy. There could be rain - or even an April snow shower - or the  opposite. -  a hot, sweaty day, Be ready for these last minute jabs  from Mother Nature. The next is the guest list. Do you want an intimate grouping of just four or a much larger one of fifteen or twenty. A smaller brunch doesn't require  the variety a larger gathering would. Larger brunches will require more structure. There may be a savory first course and salad followed by a light dessert. Also  a more intimate gathering can be held in the dining room or the patio. A bigger one, like a baby or bridal shower brunch needs seating plans. Can it be held in the garage if it's too hot a day or the yard? Do you borrow tables or rent them?  Another question is can you handle it yourself, or will you require the spouse and kids to help out? Or enlist a few friends to help with the cooking, serving and cleaning up. Then there's the plates and utensils. Hosts can get away with using their  regular luncheon plates and knives and forks. Paper plates and plastic utensils is a must for groups of five or more.

Since brunch is a combo of breakfast and lunch, think eggs as the star of the meal. A Spring frittata is the perfect main course for entertaining your cadre of friends. Make it rich with asparagus , tomatoes and onions. Serve it sliced with toasted and oiled or buttered Italian bread Set out a  sparkling wine or better yet, champagne. Of course Bloody Mary's and  mimosa's are always welcome. After all, it's a relaxing get together. You could even serve a tomato and mozzarella salad on the side.For a different kind of dessert think the Italian fried pastry twists - crostoli. - a staple at many Italian bakeries.These are light and airy , made from fried pie dough and dusted with confectioner's sugar. . The meal can also end with bougies, a Piedmontese pastry stick,  a denser version of the crostoli, but still just as delicate. For a bigger gathering quiches, especially the mini variety a,re always welcome. You can have the classic Quiche Lorraine but also think of a  shrimp or crab one, Vegetarian friends can enjoy   spinach or again the veggie of the season, asparagus ones.Serve with  nice, crisp Spring greens salad and crusty French rolls. As for dessert, think, small, The British fairy cakes are perfect for an outdoor gathering. They're smaller than cupcakes and just have a drizzle of glaze on the top. Bakery made petit fours are another nice ending, also with candied almonds in pretty pastel colors.

Spring is brunch season. Start planning your perfect one. It could be big or small.It's the perfect way to celebrate warmer weather and balmy - hopefully - seasons.

Thanksgiving Eve Feasting

Everyone is anticipating the big meal on Thursday, but what tomorrow night? Thanksgiving Eve is a big night in the kitchen but not for eating. Many home chefs forego dinner just to squeeze in extra baking or food prep time. Don't . It pays to eat the night before.

It's usually a strange American tradition of ordering pizza the night before the big day. This can be helpful, especially when you want a hot meal or are dealing with starved kids. To some it's the way to go. It's usually fresh from the oven and always satisfying. A better solution that doesn't take much time is English muffin pizzas. These are a snap to make and home chefs can utilize their toaster ovens
 while the main one is used for baking pies. The kids can even make them, it's just slicing the muffins  drizzling olive oil, and tomato sauce on top. End with shredded mozzarella. The kids can also add their own toppings from pepperoni slices to chopped olives. The same thing can be done with pita bread too.A real crowd pleaser that's also easy to make in the toaster oven is French bread pizza. You can use French bread or the long hoagie rolls for this. Again , load it up with filling toppings so the family isn''t into nibbling at the pies or the premade hors d'ouevres.

If you prefer something light, then think of soup. It's easy to open up a can of Progresso or Campbell's. Want something a bit more home made tasting , then try Alessi Soups. It's an easy cook, with just adding four cups of water to the powdered mix. The result is a thick , fragrant potage that tastes like your nonna's soup. There's only one problem with soup . It' not filling. Make a small salad with it along with serving crusty hot rolls. Another easy  idea is any egg dish. They're filling and a good source of protein. Make some scrambled ones and serve on toast for a satisfying yet simple dinner . Microwave a few strips of bacon to make it a bit more substantial. A fritatta , stuffed with leftovers is a great way of cleaning the fridge to make room for Thursday's leftovers. Add any combo of veggies, cheeses and meats to create a flavorful and hearty meal to three to four eggs. The same applies to omelets. Again. serve both  with toasted French or Italian bread and even a relaxing glass of wine or hard cider.

Don't starve yourself when you creating the big feast for Thursday. Have a filling meal the night before and you'll feel better the next day. You'll need all your strength to tackle one of the biggest cooking days of the year.

Lia Huber's Amazing Journey

Many chefs go overseas to learn cooking. They usually head to Paris or Milan, but not Lia Huber. She learns her craft on the beaches of Corfu and the lush jungles of Costa Rica. This journey has led her to her latest cookbook/autobiography, Nourished : A Memoir of Food, Faith and Enduring Love.It's much more than a recipe book, it's a template for surviving rough times.

Ms. Huber has lovingly and humorously written this interesting book published by Penguin Ramdon House. She has been through a lot in her life with being diagnosed with cancer in her twenties along with fibromyalgia, first mistakenly diagnosed as lupus. She and her husband Christopher have gone through a plethora of ups and downs. Their strong faith has kept them anchored as she writes about it, One of the aspects I love about this book is that it can strike a resonant chord with anyone, not just home chefs but anyone going through their own hells.Chef. Huber is a regular contributor to the magazine Cooking Light, and that detailed, colorful writing, usually reserved for recipes and food articles, is present here.Readers will feel like they're in the lush forests of Costa Rica or the dusty roads of Oaxaca , Mexico.She vividly shares her meals with friends  in Northern California , inviting the reader into their circle along with sharing the pure joy of her daughter,Noemi's adoption The book travels the world, from North and Central America to Europe. The places have impacted her and her recipes.

The recipes are important to her and at at the end of each chapter. They are as varied and as interesting as her life. Any home chef, from novices to pros, can recreate these delicious tributes to the people and places in her life. Spring peas are what changed her way of life and cooking and there is a recipe for them along with an accompanying recipe for roasted rack of lamb. Home chefs will share her excitement of opening up their culinary repertoire with spices and herbs.There is the grilled pork en adobada with cebollitas,Ancho and guajillo chilies along with cumin and cinnamon zing up boneless pork loin.Try pollo en jocon, chicken with tomatillos and serrano chilies. Greek cooking has greatly influenced Chef Huber's life and there is an excellent recipe for the garlicky potato dish , skordalia. Since she also spent time in northern Italy, learning the intricacies of pasta making there are some good recipes for surprisingly zucchini frittata.It's so simple yet so flavorful. She also is inspired from restaurants, as we all are, and that's seen in her lasagna and Beijing Peanut Noodles/ Yes, there's a cake one, from Mexico, Pastel Imposible, Or Impossible Cake, a magical blend of chocolate and flan that changes position while baking.

Nourished: A Memoir Of Food, Faith and Enduring Love is not just a cookbook but an inspirational book. Buy it  read it for hope , make the recipes for nourishment, It is  must have for any home library.

Make The Ordinary Extraordinary

With the holidays coming up many home chefs feel too tired to cook this week, many home chefs are taking it easy this week. Meals will be simple, with home chefs saving the more elaborate fare for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yet those simple meals can be made with an easy flourish. It's not even labor intensive. It's just simple food with a few extras.

One of the easiest meals to make is soup. Canned soup is nice.It's easy to heat up and serve. What makes it even better is serving hot rolls with it along with a salad. Some stores such as Acme have in store baked biscuits. These can be turned into, hot just from the oven ones simply by covering them with a wet paper towel and popping them into the microwave for thirty seconds.. This gives them a tender moist crumb along with being perfect for a pat of butter.They go great with any kind of soup from tomato to any cream. A soup that 's quick to make but has a true homemade taste is Bear Creek.It's just adding water to a powdered mix and stirring for fifteen minutes. They have great flavors like potato and cheddar beef along with an instant chili.If you;re still craving true homemade think frittata. This is the omelet's Italian cousin and can be made into a delicate crepelike concoction. Home chefs can add fancy extras such as pancetta or even truffles. Serve with a light Reisling for even more luxury.

Even the simplest of desserts can be turned into something extraordinary too. By no everyone is sick of all those holiday cookies.Try a store-bought angel food cake, such as the loaf ones from Stop & Shop. Pair it with sliced strawberries which can be bought fresh and whipped cream. Sliced peaches can also be used too..It's a nice, refreshing break from all those heavy holiday fruitcakes and desserts, almost like a return to summer.Another simple extravagance is sherbert in citrus. This is te time for oranges. Why not scoop them out and replace with layers of  unseeded orange slices and orange sherbert. The same can be done with lemons and limes too.Just remember to remove the seeds before preparing. Even though it is chilly out, a simple dish of vanilla ice cream can be a treat. Top it with one of Smucker's rich fudge or salted caramel toppings. These can be warmed in the microwave for a warm gooey treat.An even more luxurious treat is drizzling a good brandy over the scoops.It's a nice way to unwind after a hectic day of shopping or work.

Make the simple luxurious just by adding little extras to your meals and desserts. It makes for easy but lush eating. Perfect for this time of year.

Leftovers With Zip

One of the worst things a home chef dreads is boring leftovers. Usually these consist of some forgotten veggies, leftover carcasses and this and that of sides from recent dinners past. Luckily with a dash of spice or a pat of butter these can be transformed into yummy meals that will be eaten. It just takes some  creativity and the will to experiment.

One of the worst are those veggies that are still laying around the crispers. These can be that one leftover tomato or onion that was just one too many for a particular dish.These can be sliced up and made into a tasty salad, thanks to some added  homemade dressing.These lone veggies can also go into an omelet, revving up the common  egg dish into a frittata. You can even add a dash of Parmesan too for more flavor.  Leftover broccoli and beets can also be transformed into colorful salads,perfect sides for tailgating parties. Be grateful for those leftover roasts too.Ham cam be devilled thanks to a quick spin in a food processor or it can be used for part of a croque monsieur sandwich.  Turkey can be cut up for that classic tetrazzini or a yummy turkey and celery  salad. This last can also be done with chicken, using mayo and tarragon for a lushly  flavored salad. Serve on croissants for a really elegant lunch or supper.Those London Broil slices will be good on hot, buttery garlic bread or perfect in a biscuit topped meat pie.

Two of the most versatile foods that make perfect leftovers are bread and potatoes. Any kind of left over bread can be turned into a sweet or savory bread pudding.Stale  French and Italian breads make an excellent base for the famed dessert pudding. They create a chewy, textured treat that's makes for an decadent dessert, especially when served with salted caramel sauce.These baguettes also are great for being repurposed into French toast. Any bread makes for tasty homemade croutons and breadcrumbs. Potatoes can be turned into almost anything as well. Last night's mash can be transformed into today's crispy fried puff. They can be cut up and used for breakfast and brunch hash browns. In fact you can use your leftover peppers and onions in it as well. Plain baked potatoes can be turned into a mash zinged up with garlic. Sweet potatoes are part of the versatility category too. They are wonderful mashed and whipped or as pancakes. Many turn them into fries or a kind of Tater tot, to be served with a molasses syrup. Use both white and sweet in a hash redolent with bacon strips and pepper for a fun brunch side.

Leftovers don't have to be hohum. They can be transformed into exciting new dishes that are mouth watering. In fact they'll be so good , there won't be any leftovers!

Embracing Ayurvedic Cooking

Many today want a cleaner  lifestyle . That can be achieved by embracing the Ayurvedic lifestyle. It's an ancient Indian way of healing through certain foods and practices. Luckily there is a guide  in the formof a cookbook to help us achieve a purer way of living.The recipes are not aid in creating a more balanced diet but they're also tasty.


Lois A. Leonhardi wrote The Essential Ayurvedic  Cookbook.(Robert Rose Press) with the intention of not only having home chefs cooking healthier but also embracing the medicinal benefits of the practice. There are chapter devoted on figuring out if one is a vatta, pitta or kapha the three categories or doshas , These will help in divining what meats, veggies and herbs belong in an individual's diet. Ms. Leonhardi even includes a questionnaire about finding out in what category you belong, Most , according to her,  are a mix of all three. There is some strictness to it , such as sticking to the recipes suited to your dosha as well as no leftovers. All meals must  be made fresh and eaten fresh.. The dishes can be varied though for all doshas as each has a suggestion box at the end of every recipe.There is also a pictorial guide as well along with a how to on turn pantries into ayurvedic ones. There's a segment on the six tastes that make up the diet. They are sweet, sour salty, pungent , bitter and astringent  and all figure prominently in creating the  dishes.

Many of the recipes reflect the Indian diet. Dal, or mashed lentils , figures prominently in a large amount of the lunch and dinner recipes. There is also ghee , the clarified melted butter as well as tamarind paste along with coconut milk Mung bean recipes dot the book ..All meals are highlighted. For breakfast try the fresh made vegan vanilla nut yogurt along with millet breakfast patties that Ms. Leonhardi recommends serving with a poached egg or scrambled egg whites. Since she is Italian, some recipes have an Italian spin  to them. She includes her uncle's mushroom frittata recipe along with an ayurvedic spin on her grandmother's tomato sauce. Cannelini and pizzettes are also adapted for all doshas, with the basic recipe given along with suggestions..It;s not all vegetarian either like the Hindu  Indian diet. There are rabbit , and salmon recipes  plus lamb, pork and chicken ones too Desserts are allowed, in both candy and tea bread. Ms. Leonhardi also includes tea and the creamy yogurt drink , lassi recipes too.

Healthier eating means healthier living.Use The Essential Ayurvedic Cookbook to achieve this. Those aches and pains along with the bad attitude will disappear , thanks to a thoughtful blend of meats veggies and spices blended in ancient ayurvedic recipes.

The Marriage Of Taste and Nutrition

The American diet is a toxic one.We overload our bodies with toxic processed and junk foods.However how do we give up these tasty but poisonous foods?By combining both healthy and tasty.It was done long before theinentions of burgers and chips.Helarhy food has been around for centuries and it's time to get back to it. This debate was the topic of for New York Times article by formerDining editor and nutrition lobbyist MarkBitman.He points out that diets can be both tasty and highly nutritional.WE just have to get back to the Mediterrenean prGrekdiet.That means little or no red meat ,more fish and fowl in our diets- along with olive oil.Veggies and grains along with the occasional slice of whole wheat bread should round this out.Dessert should be fruit and nuts.Nix the cake and candies however add dark and onlydark chocolate because of the antioxidants involved.Mr.Bittman suggests treating yourself to ice cream or a cheese burger ever great once in a whi E but consider the, just that treats. So what is a healthy and tasty meal?There is a yummy veggie laden frittatait is filled with onion and and kind of vegetable that you want.Add ppers along with mushrooms and spinach .You could even serve it wothParmesan cheese or better yet a side of fresh home made tomato sauce.There is also Mr. Bittman's first rece for a fur spiced salmon.Salmon fillets are crusted in cumin, nutmeg,clove and coriander for a tasty and crunchy main meal,elegant with simple turmeric rice pilaf. You can eat healthy and tasty too.Just use the Mediterrenean diet as your guide.Your palate and stomach will both appreciate it.

Mother's Day Treats

Tomorrow is the day we celebrate mom and all she's cooked for us as well as cleaning , chauffeuring and a ton of other stuff.In return make her something special. You don't have to go all gourmet.Just a few extra touches and you can have a fancy brunch, lunch or dinner.

For breakfast and brunch try sprucing up the old favorites. Instead of just French toast, try making the stuffed version. Spread both sides with cream cheese and a strawberry or raspberry jam , then assemble. You can also make a healthier version using whole wheat bread and then drizzle warm maple syrup on top. Eggs can have some flair too. Instead of the usual omelet try the crispier Italian frittata. Use Parmesan cheese for bite along with some sun dried tomatoes and basil. You can also fry up some pancetta with it and serve with toasted Italian bread.

A late lunch or early supper is always nice too. Salads are a great Spring treat and you can have fun creating an over the top one. A chef salad is easy to make along with being tasty. Use rolls of sliced turkey, ham and roast beef along with American and Swiss cheese. Pour just a simple vinaigrette over it and served with out of the oven breadsticks. Another delicious salad is Nicoise which has tuna added. You can also add some broccoli florets along with grape tomatoes and black or green olives. Again just a simple vinaigrette is your best choice of dressing/

Mother's Day shouldn't mean a disaster in mom's kitchen. You can create tasty and yet surprisingly simple dishes for mom on her day. It doesn't take a lot , just a lot of love.