Oodles Of Orzo

Orzo is one of of the most versatile and probably the most fun pastas out there. You can do so much with it from creating a tangy salad to a traditional pasta dish.It's also a perfect side subbing in for rice too.There are a dozens of good hot and cold recipes for this centuries old treat.

Orzo's name comes from the Latin word for barley, hordeum, , named such for its' small grain like shape. Primarliy used in Italy , it is also seen in Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines.It is cooked more or less for nine or ten minutes in boiling salted water, cooked similar to any pasta. Orzo is most versatile in soup and you can easily sub it in for any shells used in minestrone or pasta e fagiole. A different spin on it is Greek chicken soup made with a squirt of lemon. Also a good sick day soup is any broth, whether beef,chicken or even vegetable  with orzo and butter thrown in. As a pasta dish serve with any sauce  although rich pomodoro or tomato tastes the best with it.

Orzo is a great salad base and can go with any mix of vegetables and spices.An easy one is combining orzo with grape tomatoes and feta cheese crumbles. Season with oregano for added zing. Another saladis combing cucumbers,, vine ripe tomatoes  along with garbanzo beans and shredded basil. For a fun tailgate party treat make an orzo salad with crab meat along with Roma tomatoes,  two kind s of bell peppers and the zing of hot pepper. You can also  just make a simple chicken and orzo salad with just an easy red wine vinaigrette mixed in. This would be a  perfect Sunday brunch dish, served with pita bread.

Orzo is one of the most versatile pastas out there. You can have it in soul satisfying soup or pasta after a hard day at work.It can be a fun side at any fall party. It's easy to use and fun for creating different and tasty dishes.

Too Much Pumpkin?

Every October we tend to see a plethora of pumpkin inspired foods. The problem is by Halloween we're pretty much gourded out, literally, by eating and drinking everything spicy and orange-y. The problem is real pumpkin is actually quite delicious and very very healthy for us.

Pumpkin on it's own is one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world.It is extremely high in fiber and low in calories.It is one of the biggest  and best sources of betacarotene . A side of pureed pumpkin can reduce not only a variety of cancers such as breast ,colon and lung, it can also aid in creating lower heart disease.It can also decrease the risk of the eye disease macular degeneration and cataracts. Pumpkin soup Piedmontese style is pure heaven. It's a great way of not only getting a super dose of vitamins but getting a burst of pure pumpkin flavor. You could even have mashed pumpkin, drizzled with some butter on top.It's a great side for any roast chicken or turkey.

The problem is tha,t  like with gingerbread at Christmastime, pumpkin becomes , well flavor of the month.. To be honest it;s not the actual pumpkin, it;s the spices, Everyone loves the taste of pumpkin pie. Why? It's a heady mix of allspice,clove cinnamon and nutmeg. These are what are in your coffees, muffins and cookies, not pumpkin itself. Of course on their own these spices go well with coffee and even a creamy chai tea. They add bounce to any spice cake or cookie. Marketed this way they still would be best sellers. Chains from Starbucks to Mc Donald's should consider this , calling the blend Fall Medley or Autumn Mix. We shouldn't spend a whole month eating foodstuffs with fake orange coloring ,laden with too much spice.

This is the month for pumpkins. Yet try the real thing for a nutrient dense treat. Don't fall for those other muffins lattes, cupcakes cookies, smoothies or whatever that claim to be pumpkin. They're just spiced treats with fake orange coloring. Nothing natural there.Really.

A Twist On Dulce De Leche

Dulce de leche is one of those desserts that can be a bit sweet. It is a decadent dessert  however it can be a bit too intense. Luckily anything that super sweet can be tempered with a bit of sea  salt.It gives any sugary treat a  much needed blast of savory.

Melissa Clark explorted this in her column, AGood Appetite in yesterday's taco issue of the New York Times Dining section.. Since the entire section was dedicated to tacos and other Mexican dishes, it stands to reason that Ms. Clark would add an appropriate dessert that would offset and cool the palate after a fiery meal. Dulce de leche is a usually sweet caramel pudding usually made with condensed milk. She varies this by subbing in the less intense condensed milk with a blend of coconut milk and brown sugar (the last is added to give the pudding its' traditional golden glow).it';s pretty easy to make , usually simmer in a saucepan for hours until cooked. The original method calls for boiling a can of evaporated milk until it almost explodes, however as Ms. Clark dryly notes, this should be avoided at all costs.

The pudding can be super sweet. Even the non dairy version can be a bit cloying.It does need to be offset by something salty. Ms,. Clark  adds a topping of flaky sea salt which will accentuate the flavor while provide some respite . She also tops it with broiled and caramelized pineapple and coconut shavings. These are a perfect foil but you could also use grapes or even citrus such as caramelized oranges , lemons or limes.I would prefer the last because the flavors would also add to the pudding's flavor You could also do a swirl of bitter chocolate on top too to decrease the dulce de leche's sugariness.Another idea is adding a dusting of ground nuts as well on top along with the sea salt flakes.

Dulce de leche, no matter how it's made is a tasty end to any meal./ However it can be intense and needs a jolt of something to overcome that. Try it with sea salt caramel, or even bitter chocolate to give it a bit more bounce.It goes from wonderful to sublime, thanks to this.

The Times Taco Issue

Once the staple of migrant workers  tacos and other Mexican  foods are now part of the American diet. Every section of the country along with ethnic groups has put their spin on this simple dish. It is best served the way it was when it was made in smaller and family kitchens, a simple wrap with a variety of ingredients.

The New York Times Dining section celebrated it with almost every article (save for Melissa Clark's dulce de leche article - more on that tomorrow): Everyone from regulars Pete Wells,Julia Moskin and David Tanis to new contributors such as Manny Hernandez and Ligaya Mishan. Even The Pour section has dedicated this week's column to drinks that would go well with the dish. What is interesting is the dish's history.Manny Hernandez while  exploring his grandparents' connection to tacos and tortilla also gives us the tortilla's history . Its' name comes from them resembling the dynamite sticks that the Mexican silver miners used. These too are a great dish to try and easy to make.

Another bonus of this issue is that there are several different recipes for tacos. David Tanis offers one with poblanos and black beans in his A City Kitchen column. These are enhanced with true Mexican ingredients such as crema Mexicana, a south of the border creme fraiche and Oaxacan string cheese,a form of the Italian mozzarella. The poblano chiles are roasted , giving the tacos a nice smokey flavor and there is also a healthy tomato and onion salsa to go with it.Julia Moskin offers a variation, more from Columbia than Mexico and it is Colombian corn and cheese arepas.These can be served sstuffed with different fillings if you want or just eaten like a cheesy corn muffin.

Mexican food is one of the healthiest cuisines out there. It also gives us the tastiest dishes like tacos and tortilla, These may be easy to make but oh so complex in flavor and texture.

Simple Sandwich Suppers

Sometimes you don't feel like making a hot dinner. Let's face it, many of us have busy lives and demanding jobs. Sometimes the family eats at different times from each other, thanks to sports or school activities or a late class.Then it's time to make sandwiches.

A sandwich can be just as nutritious as a regular full meal. There's nothing wrong with either getting or making heroes. for your family. These are not only loaded with tasty meats and cheeses, there are also the benefit of lettuce , tomatoes and other veggies such as peppers and onions. These last is chocked full of vitamins and nutrients.Add heart healthy olive oil along with healthy herbs such as rosemary and oregano for more boost.Even using a whole wheat bread or roll can be beneficial too.Stick to  low sodium cold cuts or better yet, leftovers such as chicken, turkey or roast beef. You can also create the French Provencale pan bagne, which is a yummy mix of tuna and tomatoes or just plain tomatoes sandwiches on baguettes.

If you or your family do want a hot meal but need something quick, then think about a hot open faced sandwich. There's nothing like slices of roast beef or London Broil on toasted wheat bread, smothered in gravy. The same can be said of a hot turkey sandwich which is a whole meal within itself.Many people (and kids) love a good grilled cheese.These are the simplest hot sandwich to make.Just take any cheese, preferably cheddar , and grill on any slice of bread.You can add bacon or tomato to it for more flavor and to create that diner fave The Happy Waitress.Of course if you want fancier then try the French croque monsieur. This is quick fried in butter grilled cheese, usually made with Swiss or Gruyere cheese with a slice of ham added.

Having just a sandwich for breakfast is not a sin. You can create or even take out a healthy hero or make a hot open one.It's just an easy way of having dinner after a hard day or during a busy schedule.

Your Fall Harvest Cornucopia

This is one of the most productive times of the years.Farms all over  the Northern Hemisphere (and even the Southern thanks to it being summer there). are bursting with delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables. Take advantage of this to create tasty and heart healthy meals and desserts.

Fall is the time of good desserts with fresh picked fruits. All varieties of apples are ripe for the picking right now. You can make a tasty pie using the Granny Smith kind or a microwaved baked apple using a Macintosh. This is also the time to try new recipes and new techniques. Think about making apple butter  or dried apples for eating later on. You could just go basic with just  a simple apple or one dipped in caramel for dessert. Pears are also in full force now too. Nothing says elegant than a pear tartin or baked pears . Both fruits are also excellent in salads. They give crunch and sweetness, making an ordinary mixed bowl of greens into something special.

Besides fruits. fall veggies are also sharing the spotlight,. Cabbages are starting to come into their own and you can create both hot and cold dishes with them. Make stuffed cabbage rolls, with wild rice , ground beef and tomato sauce. For a pure vegetarian dinner nix the meat and add either beans or crumbled soy.Pumpkin is in abundance too.. Yes they make nice decorations however they're just as good in a soup as is their cousin, the squash. Both are high in nutrients and flavor. Kale is another popular autumn green, It is one of the most versatile, going from salad to soup to chips. It's also easy to store too.Simply put in your fridge's crisper and use it whenever you're ready.

Head to your local farms for some good healthy produce. This is the season for a true cornocopia of fruits and vegetables. Incorporate  them in your diet now for both good eating and healthy eating!

Get Stuffed!

As any foodie will tell you there's nothing like sinking one's teeth into something gooey and feeling that savory or sweet filling squish out.It's kind of like a surprise ,with a spurt of texture and flavor added.Luckily there's variety of foods,from salty to sugary to satisfy that stuffed food craving. There are plenty of savory foods to choose from,from calzones to grilled cheeses. calzones, that Sicilian classic is literally translated from the Italian words big sock.That's what it is big sock of pizza dough stuffed with a combo of creamy ricotta and mozzarella.Sometimes ham or sausage is added.Bite into a fresh from the oven one and it's this explosion of pure flavor oozing into your mouth.A Monte Cristo sandwich is kind of like this.It's a batter dipped super sandwich stuffed with turkey ham and Swiss cheese.It's then dipped in a batter and deep fried.You can do variations of this with stuffing and just turkey along with a layer of cranberry sauce.Of course for healthier fare there are stuffed peppers along with stuffed cabbage and tomatoes.These can be stuffed. With healthy brown rice and quinoa or more decadently with sauteed hamburger meat and bread crumbs. There are some sweet stuffed treats out there as well. Turnovers are always a fun dessert or snack.These are easy to make at home thanks to pre made phyllo dough.Fillings can be anything from apple to cherry to blueberry.You can also have a creamy dark chocolate filling which is just pure decadence. Cream puffs ,that long forgotten but again easy to make dessert are another stuffed treat.They can have a simple vanilla pudding inside or a variety of creams.Try the easy Chantilly style which is just whipped cream with the addition of vanilla extract.You can also stuff them with a rich chocolate ganache.Fritters, are another fun surprise filled treat.Try them with apples or bananas and a dusting of powdered sugar. Everyone loves a surprise.There's nothing like a stuffed treat ,savory or sweet to embody that notion.Try a calzone or a cream puff for a fun burst of oozy gooey flavor!