FIRST KITCHEN BLOGS

Its Sate Fair time and that’s bitter sweet.  Bitter because it’s sort of the official end of summer, but sweet because it is a time when we can enjoy all those foods that you have been waiting for all year long.  Ok, so they’re not the healthiest choices, but its once a year so hey- go for it and enjoy!  You can always walk an extra 20 miles.  (Just Kidding!) 

If you are trying to eat healthier and still sample “The Fair”, some of the better choices might be- the corn - go easy on the butter or the pork chop on a stick, for example. 

Or you can do what we do.  We share- we try several things, but we buy one of something and share it with our friends or family- that way we get to “taste” French fries, mini-donuts, foot long dogs or cheese curds and not have to feel the pain- literally. 

You didn't come with a crowd and still just have to taste a few things?  Eat what you want of it and then just don't eat the rest. I know Mom says to clean your plate, but sometimes that isn't he healthiest thing to do.  Listen to your body and only eat what you really want.

Just a reminder- Eating mindfully does not mean never indulging or splurging on occasion- it is part of healthy eating- so go and enjoy guilt free!   

To read more about what it means to eat mindfully, check out this article: Eating What You Want and Loving the Results. 

We’d love to hear about your experiences at the about the State Fair.

What are your favorite foods on a stick (or not on a stick?) 

What other creative new foods would you like to see at the fair?  

Tomatoes- tis the season.  Its hard to believe that the lush red tasty tomatoes we are seeing at the market now have any resemblance to the ones we see in the winter.  So take time to enjoy them any way you can.   Regular, hierloom, cherry or grape- they're all tasty.  For example try a Caprese salad -we can show you how.   Or how about bruschetta with fresh tomato topping as an appetizer for your next outdoor barbecue.  (You can use that basil you have growing in your herb pot too.) 
                                           

Bruschetta with Tomato-Basil Topping

(About 4 servings)

Grilled toast rounds

16 slices French bread (or about 8 slices Italian bread)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove

Brush both sides of bread slices with olive oil and place on medium hot grill; grill until lightly brown; turn and grill other side.  Remove from grill and rub one side of toasts with garlic.  Serve with Tomato- Basil Relish (below).

Tomato-Basil Topping

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Salt

Pepper

Mix tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste Cover and let stand about 30 minutes. Garnish with basil springs and serve.

I know we talked about smoothies not so long ago but in this hot, hot weather it seems time to remind ourselves how refreshing a cool fruit smoothie could be.  So I opened the refrigerator and took out a few items- fresh watermelon, fresh strawberries, pomegranate  juice, but my secret to making  it cool was to use the bananas I had frozen in the freezer. 
(So here's the deal, instead of looking at those bananas getting too ripe setting on your counter, slice them, put them in a baggie and pop in the freezer.  By having them sliced  before freezing, they will blend perfectly.) 
So I put the fruit along with the banana slices in the blender with about about a half a cup of pomegranate juice and blended.  Topped with a sprig of mint and there you have it- a delicious, refreshing drink!  Any fruits will do, but this was my yummy drink this week.

No matter what part of the country you live in, fresh corn is available now.  We had our first local corn this weekend and it was so delicious!  In fact its good enough to plan a party around- so we did. 
 
                                                      
As you know, when seasonal foods are at their peak, not only are they most flavorful, but also the best buy.
You can prepare it by shucking it and steaming or grilling it.  (We have a good tip for cooking it in the microwave on our First Kitchen DVD).
To grill it with the husks off, brush the corn with a little oil and place it on the grill. Cook about 10 minutes turning occasionally.  When some of  the kernels are slightly brown, it is probably done.  Serve with butter, salt and pepper. 
Or one of our favorites to add a little pizzaz is Lime Butter.  Melt 1/2 cup of  butter, add 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice,1 teaspoon lime zest and  1/4 teaspoon paprika. Pour over cooked corn and serve.
                           
                                              
Okay what more do you need to have a party??

For those of you who are vegetarians or for those of us that are just trying to eat a little more of a plant based diet, this recipe in the newspaper caught my eye.  I modified it slightly so I'm giving it a new name. 
For summer entertaining, I found this to be a good appetizer served with some garlic toast, but it could be a great lunch entree as well.  A trip to the farmer's market for some fresh asparagus and mushrooms and I was good to go. 
                                                   
4 ounces fresh asparagus, cut in bite sized pieces
3/4 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups canned white (or cannelini) beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Toss asparagus and mushroom in 1 tablespoon olive oil and place in a grill pan; grill about 4- 5 minutes.  Remove from grill and place in a bowl.  Add beans and cheese and toss slightly; season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the dressing, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic  and rosemary; add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir dressing into salad and refrigerate.  Top with additional grated Parmesan cheese and serve with garlic toast.

The big new today is the Government health agencies (USDA and HHS) have issued new Dietary Guidelines for 2010.

That’s great, but how are we doing on the old ones?  I like their thinking – if we couldn’t meet the old ones then, lets make some even more restrictive ones and see how that works!!--NOT  

Seriously, we all probably need to make some improvements in our eating – and get out and get moving.  

The new guideline emphasize eating more plant-based foods and cutting down on some of the fat and sugar in our diets.   That is good advice, but lets be reasonable - don’t forget to enjoy what you are eating. 

We believe at First Kitchen we do practice a balance of incorporating healthy eating with enjoying food- that includes sharing the fun with family and friends.  

Here’s a recipe that would make the writers of the new guidelines proud.   And it tastes really good!  So get out and pick some of the those herbs your planted and get cooking!

                                                   

Garbanzo, Feta, and Tomato Salad

Makes 3 cups

1 15- ounce can garbanzo beans, drained (about 1½ cups)

¾ cup diced fresh tomatoes (or grape or cherry tomatoes, halved)

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (and/or basil, oregano, thyme)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper                  

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, place garbanzo beans, feta, tomatoes, green onions and herbs; pour oil and vinegar mixture over salad, tossing gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve.

Memorial day weekend seems to officially kick-off the summer grilling season. 

With that it might be worth a reminder of the need for extra care when handling and preparing food in the summer heat.  We have many basic food safety tips in our First Kitchen DVD, but there are some extra precautions when it come to warm weather food handling and cooking.

1. When buying meat, fish or poultry for that out-door barbecue you’re planning, take it right home.  Don’t stop for a latte with your groceries still in the car. Or if you do, have a cooler with ice in the trunk of your car to hold your purchases if you can’t get home within the hour. 
2. Just as we tell you about careful handling of meat- and especially chicken- in your kitchen, the same holds true for out-door grilling.  Use separate utensils and platters for raw and cooked food. OK- this may not be totally green, but this might be a good place to use paper plates.  As we say, “Eliminate, don’t contaminate!”
3. Refrigerate leftovers right way.  If you are using a cooler with ice for holding the food, a good idea is to use a separate cooler for beverages.  That way when continually opening the cooler to get a cold drink, you won’t be warming the food. 
4. Cook hamburgers and chicken thoroughly just as you would at home.

By following a few simple food safety tips, we can avoid the mysterious “24 hour flu?” we often get.

                                          

 Try our Surf and Turf Kabob recipe (or maybe just the Turf). Have fun and get cooking! 

A recent article in USA today reminded me to remind us all that we should not underestimate the benefits of walking.  Good for maintaining your weight, reducing risk of certain diseases -and that means at any age. How easy can it be? 

We don’t need any special equipment or expensive club dues!  It can be social thing- call a friend and say, “let go to for a walk”. It can be way to keep you and your dog happy, or you can take meditative walk in the woods- all will benefit your health and your waistline.

Want to challenge yourself? A fun way is to get a pedometer and set a goal of a certain number of steps a day. (The recommended level is 10,000 steps.) You’ll be amazed how the steps add up- just walking around doing every day things. Start with a longer walk from the parking lot or a quick walk after lunch.

Now that weather is nice all over the country- even here in the Northern clime- lets get out and get healthy.

The side bar of this article in USA today has many more tips for counting your steps.

We love asparagus.  We eat it year around, but unfortunately it is more expensive, not as tasty, and of course, not as sustainable as the locally gown.
Asparagus is delicious steamed or grilled  with a little olive oil and lemon and served hot or cold.  We have made it into a delicious fresh asparagus soup (check out our recipe).  Or if you want a little more creative dressing, check out the  Parsley Lemon Pesto recipe - our collaboration with Green Mountain at Fox Run. 
So what else do we know about asparagus?  It must be good for us, right?   It's certainly is low in calories, a good source of fiber, a great source of folic acid and I read somewhere that eating asparagus can help ease hangovers.  Well we wouldn't know about that.

                                    

On another note. Our friend Francesca, who was here making pasta with us last week, has finally made it back to Italy.  She had an extra stay here in the States due to all the flight delays from the volcano fall out.  We miss you, but glad you're back home.

Happy Spring!

Francesca teaches pasta-making classes in Bologna and we were so lucky to have her make a wonderful dinner for us.

She made two kinds of pasta- Artichoke Ravioli and Fettuccini with Ragu, delicious Baked Fennel and Tomatoes and a scrumptious dessert - Panna Cotta with fresh berries.

Some of us have had the good fortune of visiting her in Italy so we know what a great chef she is, but for the other guests this was their first experience eating one of her fabulous the meals

Northern Italian cooking is simple and fresh, healthy ingredients, but tastes unbelievably good.

 

You may not want to try making fresh pasta without her help. but here is something you can try. A simple recipe for making baked fennel.

Baked Fennel:

2-3 fennel bulbs                               

1 cup bread crumbs

1-2 cloves garlic, choppe

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil for dipping fennel (about 1/4 cup)

Heat over to 400 degrees

Trim and wash fennel bulbs and steam for about 30-40 minutes. Cool . Cut in wedges.

Meanwhile toss together bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

Dip fennel wedges in olive oil and coat with bread crumb mixture. Place wedges on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.   Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

               

If you want to learn how to make pasta and other wonderful foods of Italy, Francesca and her parents can a plan a wonderful cooking tour for you. http://www.bluone.com