Honoring The Troops Daily

 Memorial Day is all about kicking back and enjoying the best of barbecue. Yet it;s also a time to honor our troops. The problem is we should be honoring them all year long and not just on one day.

If you can do anything, then treat a vet , whether it's a family, friend or neighbor once a week or more to a lunch or dinner. It doesn't;t have to be fancy. It could be an invite to sit down for dinner in your house. Make their favorite meal and dessert. This means more to them thank any restaurant fare. Its' also a great way for the kids to learn about American and military history. Another is helping out at veteran's clubs and local VFW's.

For those service people  just coming home, a block party or backyard gathering would be welcomed. Organize a potluck where everyone brings something, from salads to dessert. Designate a main griller to handle cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. The service person and their families will appreciate the support as well as good homemade dishes. Another idea is giving the family a gift certificate to a restaurant. It would be a family friendly one or a fancy one for a much needed date night (also volunteer for baby sitting duties too). 

It shouldn't;be be that we honor our local service people for just one day.It should be a year round practice. Honor them with food and celebration.

Salad Ready

 These next two days are going to be spent cooking and grilling up a storm. It's a lot of work  however it can be reduced if you make the sides  - namely the salads beforehand. 

One of the  first jobs to do is getting the ingredients salad  ready. Did you get the right spuds for potato salad? Waxy ones are the best because they hold their shape but really any can do. Boil them the night before and let them cool overnight in the fridge.If you're making the traditional version now is the time to hard boil the eggs and even cut the celery. its' then just mixing everything together. what about if you;re adding bacon.That's a last minute thing that can be done in the microwave and added after everything else is mixed in.If you;re really pressed for time on grilling day then make the salad the night before.It should be OK and not become too watery.. What about that other barbecue classic - three bean salad? Can that too be made in advance? Yes!. In fact it would be better made the night before because all the flavors meld together then. If you want to add leafy greens do so right before serving so they retain their crispiness. Storing them with the bean salad overnight make make them limp and soggy.

Every barbecue will have a bowl  of macaroni salad.Many home chefs will be making ti the night before. why is it a good idea? LIke bean salad kept overnight , the flavors will meld together. The pasta, vinaigrette and veggies will have time to mix and create a more complex and layered flavor. also the pasta will absorb the dressing , making it softer and moister in texture. It won't dry out then in the fridge. To keep it from becoming too soggy.only pour in half the dressing for overnight. add the other half right before serving.You could make half the macaroni salad the night before. Cut up whatever veggies you'll be using and store them. Cook the pasta  the day of the barbecue for a fresher taste.Cole slaw is also a popular picnic or barbecue side. Can the entire salad be made ahead? Yes and no. Slice the cabbage and carrots the night before and then add the mayo or whatever you want the day off. Cole slaw is notorious for becoming so slimy an soggy after time int he refrigerator,. A too soggy slaw would definitely put a damper on an other wise delicious dinner.

Make tomorrow easier by assembling and prepping your salad early. It give you more time to concentrate on the meats. This makes for a better time for grilling.

The Best Parts of Barbecuing

 This is the season for barbecuing. Yet it's not just eating delicious grilled meats and veggies. There's also the fun part of creating sides, the relaxing time spent flipping burgers and dogs or the fun afters of making desserts.

Here's the question of the week - what's your favorite parts? Do you enjoy creating a zingy marinade? Grilling steaks and wings to perfection? what about getting dessert read? Cutting watermelon into decoratative pieces or just sticking marshmallows or a stick to skewer for gooey gooey roasting.My favorite part is creating the fun sides. That's how I came up with my Oriental Cole Slaw. 

Here.'s the recipe

One bag shredded red cabbage slaw.

1/2 cup olive oil 

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic finely minced

2 heaping tablespoons of freshly grated ginger

Scallions  - optional

wash the cabbage and put into a big bowl. Finely mince garlic and grate ginger, this last with a microhasp (most grocery stores sell this)> Add garlic and ginger to olive oil. Stir in soy sauce and then pour over the cabbage. Toss until the cabbage shreds are well coated. Add chopped scallions for color and more flavor. Chill for about one hour. before serving. 

A MAHA Mom Vani Hari

 Can one mother change the way America eats? Surprisingly yes if you're Vani Hari. She is changing the way America eats. pushing companies to create healthy pure food. it seems to be working.

Regular contributor Kinseverson wrote about her in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. despite her past of being a true Democrat she is now embracing the RDK Jr MAGA Make American Healthy Again movement. Her blog Food Babe and now with her group of followers called Food Babe Army have gone after Big Foods. It's has baffled big conglomerates such as Kellogg's, especially with  her large amount of influence. She public shames companies  such as the cereal company as well as Kraft. The last removed any  yellow dye from their popular baked mac and cheese.She amassed 350,000 online signatures to back her and Kraft obeyed. She also went after Subway until the company removed the dough conditioner azodiacarbonide from their breads.ms. Hari even wrote a best selling book entitled The Food Babe way: Break Free From the Hidden Toxins In Your food and Lose weight,Look Years Younger and Get Heslthy in Two Days. Despite it's popularity it drew a  lot of criticism / Food Hunk blog mocked it, even making fun of her suggestion of drinking water which is used as an industrial coolant.

How did Ms. Hair become so invested in healthy eating? It all started with her diet growing up. Even though her parents were from Punjab , India and cooked good Indian food at home she and her older brother wanted American food Their diet consisted of all bad American food Wich caused her to suffer from asthma, eczema and stomach aches. An appendectomy in her early twenties opened her eyes. Her doctor explained to her that appendiciitis is caused by inflammation. That changed her life. She vowed to eat better and she did. She read everything about nutrition , dieted and lost weight. A friend suggested she share her experiences in a blog and that's how Food Babe was born.  She is a Southerner , being from Charlotte South Carolina, however, and like any Southerner liked fried chicken and barbecue. She has gone off beef. Her children eight and four eat healthy though. Her recipes include product shaming classics like Pillsbury holiday cookies for strange looking all natural candy cane ones and creating all natural Chick fil a nuggets.

Can Vani Hari change the culinary world? Habits are hard to break , especially human. She can try. will she succeed. That's to be seen

Picnic Fare With A Mediterranean Twist

 Picnics and barbecues usually have the same old food. It's always hot dogs, hamburger and some kind of bean and/or macaroni salad. Then there's the wedge of watermelon for dessert. Yet what if there's a twist - a bright sunny, Mediterranean twist on eating outside. That's enough to shake the picnic basket.

Regular contributor DaveTanis gave  recipes fo a deliciously different kind of picnic fare in today's New York Times Wednesday Food section.he looked to Turkey for the main course which is chicken kebabs. These are usually made with ground lamb but chicken can do nicely too. They are zinged up with the , use a  of onion, red pepper flakes and paprika. Cu8min seeds are also added after they 've been toasted and crushed. Keep in mind you don;t need the grill to cook these. They can be roasted ion a sheet pan in the oven. If you do want a grilled kebab - similar to what most Turkish street vendors sell, use a fine meshed grate or a perforated vegetable grill pan. That way there's no danger of them  slipping through the grill and falling onto hot coals.They can be served with lavash flatbread or pita. These can be warmed on the grill too. Dip either bread in rosemary infused olive oil for a crispier , more fragrant flatbread.

As for sides, there can be salads.These have a Middle Eastern vibe to them. One is herbed cucumber yogurt salad while the other is a tomato feta one. Each has a fresh veggie taste that works well with the kebabs.Sliced Persian cucumbers are used for the first side. These are sliced and seasoned with salt,pepper and cayenne. The dressing is  a plain whole milk (but you could use a lower calorie one).yogurt based, flavored with onion , dill and garlic. Fresh mint is als added for a Middle Eastern  flavor.The second blends tomatoes and feta with chopped black or green olives in a simple viniagrette.Cilantro and parsley are also mixed in for more color. and is served om spinach and arugula. The dessert are simple shortbread cookies flavored with tahini ,sesame seeds and coconut. Butter and honey give them richness.They're dusted with confectioners sugar. Serve these with an iced mint tea for the perfect dessert.

Make a different kind of picnic this season. Add Middle Eastern flair and flavor. It makes for a tasty meal from beginning to end.

Warming UP A Chilly Barbecue

 The weather never behaves.It might be Spring and temps could be like a roasting July heatwave or chilly October afternoon. right now the US is experiencing a cold snap right in time for Memorial Day.everyone has a barbecue planned. Yet what happened when there a nip in the air? Heat it up.

Luckily barbecue food is hot food. Flame grilled hot dogs and hamburgers are great for warming up. Go the extra mile and warm up the buns too.Grill the hamburger and hot dog buns the same times as the meats. They'll get that the same smoky flavor as the hot dogs and hamburgers. You can amp it up a bit by buttering the soft or interior sides. Some grillers add a dash of Tabasco sauce for added flavor. Grilled London Broil could call for hot gravy made inside on the stove. You can make your own or get the jarred version (this last would be easier ).serve on Texas toast or grilled sourdough bread. What about chicken? Think a side of hot waffles .Yes you can grill this breakfast treat. even frozen Eggos respond well to a grill. It;s just toasting them for two to three minutes on each side and then serving them with chicken and a dash of hot honey.This last is created by adding fresh or dried peppers to honey and then letting it sit for a few hours. 

A big problem with a chilly barbecue is the cold sides. No one want an icy macaroni or bean salad when it ''s a frosty sixty degrees in May. Instead of salads try grilled veggies instead They're tasty and delicious  along with being warming. Cut onions  bell peppers and squash into cubes and along with grape or cherry tomatoes put them on a skewer. You can also add button mushrooms and cut up corm ears too. A simple brush with olive oil works but you can also try a marinade too.use a tangy Greek yogurt based dressing or a verdant chimichurri or salsa vefde sauce made with tomatillo,s onion s garlic and chile peppers. You can serve with microwaved hot rice or quinoa. Another hot dish, perfect for a chilly Spring day is elote or Mexican street corm. This is grilling ears of buttered  corn and then covering them with a slathering of mayo and Mexican crema - a mix of buttermilk, whole cream a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.It's then rolled in cotija cheese and sprinkled with chili powder. If you can 't find cotija then used crumbled feta instead.

The weather doesn't always guarantee a warm ,sunny day or hot balmy night for grilling. Sometimes the weather can be downright frigid. Don;t cancel your barbecue if that's the case. Serve hot tasty foods to warm up your guests.!

A Quick Colcannon

 The Irish dish colcannon is one of those easy dishes made with leftover mashed potatoes and any kind of green. It;s usually fried in butter in a frying pan.What happens if you're really hungry? easy ! Use a microwave!

This is what I did Saturday night,Leftover mashed potatoes call for colcannon. I wanted to make it a bit heartier for dinner. Greens such as kale and cabbage are always used. Yet I wanted to try something different . Monstingstar Farms soy bacona nd a package of Green Giant spinach.

These were microwaved  and then added to microwaved mashed potatoes. I didn'tfeel like doing the whole frying pan route .It was taking the cooked spinach and four slices of already cooked bacon and adding them an a good scoop of I Can't Believe It's Butter to the potatoes. You can add garlic if you want or other greens such as parsley and cilantro. Canadian bacom along with sliced pork roll are other additions.

The combination of bacon, spinach and potatoes was very good. It was similar to many of the Irish recipes I've seen on the Internet. Anything can be added to create a second main course .

Colcannon is what  a home chef makes it. Add what you want.It can be a variety of greens. Add some meat if you'd like to make it more substantial. Try it and then make it your own.