The Joy Of Portabella Mushrooms

There is a threat of meat shortages. May steak lovers are worried about that , afraid they may not get a juicy bite. However they can go the vegan steak route. Try portabella mushrooms. They're the perfect sub in and much more humane alternative to a T-bone.

I recently discovered how delicious air fried portabella mushrooms are. In fact, I'm now thoroughly addicted to them.I  don't know why it took me almost a year and a half to discover that they and my air fryer are a perfect match. Not only that , they're easy to prepare and cook up.I was kind of leery about washing them and the amount of dirt that would come out of them. That was wrongful thinking. Not much sand or grit comes out of them and washing them again is simple. It's taking a paper towel and wetting it.Wring it out thoroughly and then gently clean the mushroom top or cap. Some of the "skin" will rub off, Not to worry : this will happen. Then turn the mushroom over and clean the gills, those divisions under the cap. You can run warm water on them to get rid of anything between them. Again gently rub the gills clean. Use a fresh wet paper towel  for each one. You can then pat them dry again with a new paper towel. I usually leave mine  wet. The better to absorb the spices and oil.

You can leave the mushrooms plain however spicing and flavoring adds to them. I usually first brush both sides with olive oil.It's then a liberal sprinkle of both onion and garlic powder and a sprinkle of dried oregano. A light pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper can be added too. It's then air frying them on one side for eight minutes at 370 degrees F. After the first eight minutes, flip them over and air fry for another eight minutes at 370 degrees F. If you 're cooking a bigger portabella, then cook at 400 degrees F. Another idea is to stuff them with a variety of different ingredients. One recipe calls for cream cheese, frozen spinach and bacon along with Panko breadcrumbs and sliced cherry tomatoes. Keep in mind that these are baked and not air fried. They're  placed on a grease cookie sheet and put into a 400 degree F oven for ten minutes. A lusher version subs in crab meat for the bacon. You can also slice the mushrooms and put them in tacos and burritos for a fun bite.

Portabella mushrooms are the new steaks. They are delicious air fried  or stuffed, served with spices or crabmeat. Try them and be addicted to their delicious flavor and meatiness.

From Gills To Tail

Mention cooking a whole fish and most home chefs will blanch. They don't want to be bothered with the scales or the tail and certainly not the head. Yet,  those sanitized and cleaned up fillets means flavorless and blandness. The best bet - going gills to tail.

Melissa Clark realized this and wrote about it in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Cooking a whole fish means a flavorful dinner later, especially when it's cooked on a grill.A grill is especially not kind to the delicate fish meat. It can dry it out in seconds , leaving  as Ms Clark puts it "petrified". Whole fish is a better choice for outdoor cooking. The skin and bones keep the juices from evaporating too quickly as it acts as insulation.There's also the plus of crisp fish skin. The only problem is that the skin sticks to the grate.The solution is a grill basket, a fish shaped , long handled stainless steel holder that goes over the grill grate .It can be found everywhere from Amazon to Target. If you don't have one , then use a flat metal spatula and ease it under the fish before flipping. Don't worry about it ripping. If it does, comes the advice. The spot can be covered up with a garnish of chopped herbs.Remember to remind guests about the bones or filet the fish right after it comes off the grill, scooping the meat off the skeleton, It can then be served cleanly , without bones or the head to freak out the more squeamish guests.

What fish works the best? Ms. Clark recommends whole dorade, branzino or trout.The first two may also go under the names sea bream and sea bass at your local fish markets. They're fatty skinned fish with sweet, tender meat underneath, She also suggest one fish per person. As for flavoring, sometimes just a hit of salt plus the grill's smokiness is all the  seasoning needed for these mild flavored kinds.If you do want to add aromatics, then use the cavity,.First season with salt, then the thinly sliced aromatics and finally oil the skin.  before popping over the hot coals. .Ms. Clark decided to add lemongrass, sliced lime,cilantro stems and and shallots inside the fish. She also makes a Thai inspired sauce  to go with it,using the same ingredients along with Thai chili sauce, mint, fish sauce and coconut milk,.All of it is put in food processor until it's like a mushy spicy relish. Another route would be using Mediterranean herbs on the dorade and the branzino since both fish have been served in Italy and Greece since ancient times. Try  a stuffing of rosemary,thyme and garlic along with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.They can  also be spiced up Mexican style with a jalapeno sauce spiked up with garlic and onions, along with cilantro and lemon juice. Of course also add olive oil along with salt and pepper.

Going gill to tail is a great way to grill fish, Keeping the head and skin on gives it more flavor. creating a delectable meal.It is the way to create a memorable fillet.

Coconut For Coconuts

There is a craze right now that's permeating our cooking and even our beauty habits.It seems we cuckoo for coconuts - in every form.  It's all over these days from flakes to oils, in our best dishes and on our cuticles. Is it too much or does this tropical stunner actually have benefits.

First of all the coconut is not a nut but a drupe, or an offspring with a fleshy outer part covering a seed or pit (think more peaches and plums). The name coco derives from the Portuguese word for skull, thanks to the face like indentations in it sailors who first saw it on their travels were amused by this , hence the name. The meat or the interior white flesh is called copra when dried and used in baking and cooking. The oil and milk from it is used both in food and beauty products. Then there is the coconut water which is everywhere these days.It grows primarily in tropical climates and is not what would be considered domesticated. The meat itself is high in carbs and fat.A one hundred gram serving can yield a whopping 354 calories. with 89% of it being saturated fat. This also applies to coconut oil too which is high in  saturated fat and lauric acid, the last being responsible for raising cholesterol to sky high levels.Ditto for the coconut milk  which is derived from the oil.It is  better to stick with the low calorie , low carb,   coconut water .It also  has a significant amount of  electrolytes  - good for those playing sports.

So is being coconuts for coconuts worth it? The fruit is , for baking and candy making. The copra does have the perfect taste that meshes well with chocolate, vanilla and even lemon cake. As we all know it's a great decoration for Easter cupcakes and holiday meringues.The flakes are also  excellent gracing curries  and other Asian dishes. Again, it's good if you want a splurge  but not  good if you  have it a few times a week.? It also doesn't apply to an Almond Joy or Mounds splurge.then If you do want; a healthy fix of coconut   then try Zola's dark chocolate coconut nuggets instead. What about coconut oil? Health conscious  home chefs could try the one Lou Ana puts out ,The Southern California company makes theirs non -hydrogenated and zero calories which is perfect for any kind of cooking and baking. It also aids in losing weight, speeding up metabolism as well as helping to fend off staph bacteria along with several different kinds of cancer. Coconut oil is  also good for softening cracked heels, cuticles and sun fried hair, Coconut water is another must have.Again Zola, a brand new, sustainable company has different waters that are perfect with a meal or just as a refresher. Also Vita Coca is another good choice with even a newly added cafe latte to drink..

The coconut craze will be wth us for a while. Take what you will from it and use it to benefit your diet and lifestyle. You can go mad for the health aspects of them.

Breaking Free Of Groundhog's Day Diet

How do you get a foodie to change her diet? Make her extraordinarily sick with gall for a week. Being ill and to be honest-  scared  last week.It's time for a change - not the constant Bill Murray "Groundhog's Day"  rote of bad foods.

There are a few meats and types of shellfish that sadly I will have to give up in order to have a healthier, sickness free life. As anyone who reads Foodie Pantry knows I love hot dogs, in particular, Target's. They are juicy and beefy, sheer heaven in a bite. They also are a memory now as are those butter and cheesy croque  Monsieurs that I enjoy frying up. Also on the extinction list Bahr's steamed lobster  which is a summer staple for me. Luckily I can tolerate clam (even though it's not bad foods for gallbladder disease) so I can still have Bahr's famed Manhattan style one. Yet my selection of protein will be deeply narrowed. There will be a lot more of grilled chicken breast which is fine by me Grilled chicken breast is wonderful, if done right and works well with any assortment of vegetables.I can also continue to enjoy my beloved turkey however I can only have the breast and none of that deliciously crispy skin. Gravy and bread are also out.The fat and gluten will kill me Any tofu product is encouraged and I have been using Morningstar Farms for years and am a big fan of their burgers and chik'n nuggets.

Dairy has to be rethought. I was never a big ice cream fan , favoring the more water based gelati instead.As with anything there is a craving. I used to head to Skinny Cow for their tasty cones with the surprise ,blob of chocolate at the bottom. Now I have to eat low fat yogurt , both the cup and the frozen kind. Greek yogurt has the least amount of fat, being made with ewe's milk (the same used for feta) . I found the sinfully tasty but low calorie Yasso yogurt pops. Their chocolate chip coffee ( I know I know I should not have opted for this since both on on the GD do not eat list) is creamy and flavorful. This is definitely going to be on my summer menu,and I'm looking forward to their vanilla and coconut flavors.Thankfully I can still have the Italian and shaved ice, so there's no giving up the Jersey shore's Lighthouse ices at Monmouth Beach, I do have to give up the creamy cappuccinos from Starbucks along with Dunkin Donuts frozen lattes. Both coffee and dairy are off the table but luckily I can still have Starbucks' chilled passionfruit tea.. Cookies are going to be few and far between as well but I returned  the milk and dairy free Barry's Bakery French puffs. These a crunchy multi layered baked puffs that have a lovely maple flavor. They're full of taste and crunch.

Slowly but surely I'm accepting this diet.I honestly don't miss the heavy, bad for me diet or the rut they created. I like rediscovering the healthier foods. They're a change from the usual fat , salt and sugar bombs.

Smoking Hot Eggplant

Eggplant can be a hard sell. Some don't like its' oily flavor after it has been fried. Others are turned off by its' bitter aftertaste. Yet, done right eggplant can be addictive. The flesh can be sweet and creamy .Eating it this way  can convert even the most adamant of eggplant haters.

Melissa Clark knows this and explored it in her weekly New York Times Dining column , A Good Appetite yesterday. She has come up with the best recipe for eggplant  a creamy dip.Instead of making it part of the main meal she turns it into an appetizer, right in time for fall get togethers and even tail gating parties.This is not baba ghanoush, she claims, this is different because it doesn;t have the usual tahini added..,She combinesthe eggplant instead with a mellow Greek yogurt and olive oil,  then spices it  with garlic and spikes it  with freshly squeezed lemon juice.She recommends adding more olive oil to the dip as well as crunchy pomegranate seeds and mint for color and flavor.

The secret is how to cook it. Ms. Clark chars the eggplant until  the skin blackens and as she puts it, the flesh collapses in on itself.Use a wood or charcoal fire as opposed to a gas grill or gas oven, Doing such won;t sear it. The skin will turn to ash and the steady long time over the fire helps to slow cook the flesh.This process also allows the meat to absorb the smokey flavor of the skin, giving it a nice rich flavor. Then it's just peeling off the skin and pureeing the flesh until it's smooth. You can use the grill to make homemade pita, chips as Ms CLark did. These are the perfect mate to the dip.

Even the most averse eggplant hater will love this smokey dip. It's rich and creamy without being overpowering.It's a good introduction to eggplant and especially its' earthy ,sweet taste.