Wish Upon A Chef

Since I pledged to participate in the October Unprocessed 2013 challenge, I've been searching for recipes with lots of bang for the buck when it comes to flavor.  This Rachael Ray recipe for mussels simmered in a dirty martini sauce fit the bill for me.

This may not fit the "real food" model for some people with the addition of alcohol, but it does pass the "kitchen test" and alcohol is addressed in the FAQs.  It wasn't my intention to cut alcohol out of my diet anyway, because the thought of no alcohol forever (let alone for a whole month) fills me with absolute terror. 

I used frozen mussels from the frozen seafood section of my grocery store because I've never had good luck with the fresh mussels actually being fresh.  Plus, I barely have time to shave my own legs in the mornings, so where would I find time to scrub and de-beard a couple dozen crustaceans?  I keep a couple of packs of mussels in my freezer for the occasions when I crave the mussels in spicy tomato sauce or this delicious paella.  

And just like a perfectly mixed martini served in a frosty glass after a hard day's work, this recipe didn't disappoint.  I loved the olive pesto so much that I skimped on adding it all to the dish and ate some with cheese and crackers during the week for a snack.  

Rachael Ray may drive me to drink, but the woman has awesome mussels!


Dirty Martini Mussels
Serves 4

From rachaelraymag.com

1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
¾ cup pitted green olives
3 tablespoons olive brine
4 cloves garlic, pasted or grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper
½ cup good quality gin
¼ dry vermouth
3 pounds medium mussels (about 4 dozen) scrubbed and de-bearded
3  tablespoons butter
Warm crusty bread, torn in chunks for mopping sauce

Using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, olives, garlic and lemon zest.  Pour in ¼ cup EVOO and the lemon juice and process into a pesto.

In a large pot or deep skillet with a tight fitting lid, heat the remaining 2 T of EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium high heat.  Add the onions and cook until softened, 5 to6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the pesto.  Add the gin and vermouth and cook until reduced, about 1 minute.

Add the mussels, cover and steam until opened, 6 to 8 minutes; discard any unopened shells.

Add the butter to the mussels and shake the pan to melt it into sauce.  Serve with the bread for mopping.

I'm convinced that cherry tomatoes are going to one day take over the world as they certainly took over my garden this year.  I even noticed rogue plants springing up in the flower containers where I've used my compost as fertilizer.

I've eaten a ton of them in salads. I've whizzed up countless ones for fresh salsa. My freezer is full of them to be used later for soups and stews.  Tomatoes were taking over my life and I was running out of ideas.  But even with the overrun, I'm sort of sad to see them dwindle away - my plants are still loaded with bright green orbs but I doubt they'll ripen much now that the weather is turning cooler. 

I found this little gem of a recipe in the August 2013 issue of Eating Well magazine and it was the perfect way to finish off my bounty of cherry tomatoes.  I'm too cheap to buy "real" lobster meat and I didn't want shrimp, so I used langostino for this recipe.  It's a lobster-like crustacean and very similar to crayfish (or crawdaddy, if you're from the South.)

This Seaside Tomato Gazpacho would be great for a light meal during the hotter months of summer or a fun party appetizer served in small shot glasses.


Seaside Tomato Gazpacho
Eating Well magazine, August 2013

serves 4 (1-1/2 cup each for entree) or 6 (1 cup each for appetizer)

printable recipe

3 cups low-sodium vegetable juice, such as V8 or R.W. Knudsen Very Veggie
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups diced fennel bulb or celery, plus 1/4 cup fennel fronds or celery leaves, divided
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped cooked lobster from two 1- to 1 1/4-pound live lobsters or 2 cups chopped peeled cooked shrimp
1 avocado, chopped

1.  Combine vegetable juice, bell pepper, fennel (or celery), tomato, onion, vinegar, oil, Old Bay, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

2.  Top each serving of gazpacho with 1/2 cup lobster (or shrimp) for an entree portion or 1/3 cup for an appetizer serving. Garnish with avocado and fennel fronds (or celery leaves).

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Finish with Step 2 just before serving.

The "C" word.

It's a nasty, terrible word. 

A word no one wants to hear uttered, especially in reference to themselves or someone they love.

It's amazing how one filthy word can (if you let it) strip you of your decency and self-respect.  It will also change your outlook on so many things - about life, about yourself, about your family.

I want the "C" word banished forever and I never want to hear it again.

One month ago this week, my parents were finishing up a 21-day safari trip of a lifetime in Africa, the Boy Toy and I were relaxing for a well-deserved week in Mexico and all was right with the world.  Less than 3 weeks later, the terrible "C" word would blindside us. 

Cancer.

That's the word I'm talking about.

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma to be exact. 

No one knows exactly when the stage 3 cancer manifested itself into my mother's body and no one will ever know exactly what caused it, but I've long believed that the chronic health issues we face today - Alzheimer's, ADHD, autism, obesity and numerous cancers, just to name a few - are ultimately caused/aggravated by the processed foods we eat.  The government regulated, FDA approved, heavily marketed and targeted foods that populate our grocery store shelves. 

Do you really look at the ingredient label on the "food" you are consuming? Does it even register with you that you are not, in fact, actually eating food?

Chemicals. 

Preservatives.

Additives. 

Growth hormones. 

Genetically modified organisms. 

Things you cannot even pronounce.

POISON is what you are actually consuming.  Plain and simple. 

I'm not going to sit here and say that the reason my mother has cancer is because she ate convenience foods from a box or a can. But who's to say that isn't part of the underlying reason? I will say that from the point of October 1, 2013 on I won't give processed foods the chance to repeat history with me personally. 

Since the beginning of the year I have been working to change my diet to more organic items, less refined sugar and no processed items. It's been a work in progress and even after 9 months, I'm still not completely there. So when I ran across the Unprocessed October 2013 challenge, it seemed like the final step in getting myself over the hump of ridding my pantry and recipes of poison and I vowed to take the challenge.  I promised to dedicate 23 of the 31 days to not eating processed foods. The reason for the 8 days of non-participation is because most times on the weekend I am not in charge of my own cooking and I wouldn't dare turn up my nose or impose my standards on someone who took the time to prepare food for me.  And who are we kidding to say that we are NEVER going to indulge in something that doesn't meet the kitchen test or be in a position where we are served food that we have no control over.  But even in these types of situations, I will do my best to make better choices.

It's not too late for you to take the challenge either wholeheartedly or just in an effort to change one small thing about your eating habits.  You have to start somewhere and Eating Rules is a great resource to get you started in the right direction. 

Let's ultimately rid our society of that "C" word one box and one can of processed crap at a time!

At the first of the year, I vowed to move my diet away from processed and non-organic foods and toward more real and organic items.  I'm nine months into the change and if I had to grade myself on my progress, I'd have to admittedly give myself a solid "C."  Sometimes I think I'm doing good/above average and sometimes I feel like a complete failure.  I applaud myself for being more conscious of the things that I buy - I no longer fall victim to the buy one, get one free schemes at the grocery store because most of those items are not suitable to a real food lifestyle.  My biggest problem was/is that my pantry was already so full when I started the challenge and being the frugal gal that I am, I didn't want to just toss it all out and start fresh.  I had the attitude that I would work my way through it and slowly replace my pantry staples with suitable things.  But can you believe that nearly nine months later I am STILL eating my way through most of those items?! 

I'm starting to see organic items take the place of my most frequently used items like diced tomatoes, beans and olive oils.  I've stopped buying sugar, white flour and other baking supplies that used to populate my shopping lists.  I've started purchasing local meats from Windy Hill Farm and organic produce from Simply Fresh. But I'm in a quandary as to what to do with the non-local/organic meats in my freezer and processed items still in my pantry - at the rate that I'm going, I'm still going to be eating processed food items in the year 2037.  I have half a mind to pull everything out and segregate it into a box and anytime I need to prepare food for someone other than myself, I'll use those items. 

I've also been challenging myself to try new things and it was back in March that I took this challenge to try quinoa.  I tried a cold salad recipe that incorporated feta cheese and fresh cherries - two things that I absolutely love on their own but it was not a hit when combined with the quinoa.  I ended up picking out and only eating the fruit and cheese so I tabled the quinoa challenge for awhile but was determined not to give up. 

And then I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine for Quinoa and Spinach Pilaf and it instantly made a quinoa lover out of me.  I loved the simplicity and the savory flavors.  The recipe made alot more than what I consider four servings, so I portioned it up for the freezer, which made me love it even more!


Quinoa and Spinach Pilaf
Serves 4
recipe from Martha Stewart

Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 finely chopped small yellow onion
1 minced clove garlic
1 cup rinsed quinoa
1 1/4 cups water
5 cups baby spinach (5 ounces)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add quinoa and cook 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and lemon zest, then season with salt and pepper.

"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." Walt Disney, 1954

My first visit to Disney World was in 1971 when I was a whopping 6 months old.  A few years later, my family bought a summer home in Florida and we visited the parks almost every summer.  Then adulthood and life kicked in and the little house was sold and it would be nearly 15 years before I visited the happiest place on Earth again. 

The Boy Toy, his two kids, his father and I were at Disney World in August and it occurred to me that the whole "happiest place on Earth" tag line may very well be just a marketing ploy.  While standing in lines for what seemed like eternity for a ride that lasts 4-1/2 minutes, I started observing people around me.  Adults were weary and hot.  They had that look in their eyes that said they were tired of keeping up with kids, tired of standing in line, and beyond tired to know they still had two of the six lands to visit in order to get their (lots of) money's worth out of the day.  Kids were hot, moody and in desperate need of a nap.  Their attention span rendered them incapable of understanding why they had to wait in a long line for instant gratification.  The most ironic thing I overheard was a pushed-to-the-limit parent telling their pouty kid, "It cost alot of money to come here.  You're going to have a good time and I. MEAN. IT!"

The happiest place on Earth?  It is questionable for some.

Like everyone else, we were tired, hot and sweaty.  The kids were impatient at times, but I'm pleased to report that we had a really great visit.  We came away with good memories of a nice family vacation and I scored some really sweet souvenirs!

Anyone have the time?

The Mickey watch was a splurge for me and I picked up a really nice Christmas ornament at the Christmas shop in Liberty Square but there was one more thing I wanted - a cookbook to add to my already overburdened cookbook shelf.  It wasn't until we wandered through the Emporium on Main Street on our way out of the park that I found the one that I wanted.  Chef Mickey Treasures from the Vault & Delicious New Favorites contains recipes from various restaurants and resorts from both Disneyland and Disney World as well as from their cruise line.  I liked that it contained recipes from places that no longer exist within the Disney empire. 

It was hard to choose which recipe I wanted to try first, but I settled on Grilled Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Polenta ('cause you know I love me some goat cheese) as featured at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano at Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I made it as written once (you can find that recipe here) but then changed it up by using shrimp and basil pesto from my freezer and decided it was one of the best meals I'd created in a long time. 

A great vacation, fun souvenirs and an awesome meal....it is the happiest place on Earth!




Sauteed Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Polenta
Inspired by Chef Mickey Treasures from the Vault & Delicious New Favorites
Serves 4

Printable Recipe


Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Polenta
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Shrimp and Asparagus
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
16 fresh asparagus spears
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup basil pesto, prepared or make your own

For Asparagus:

Preheat oven to 400.  Lay asparagus on baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil (about a tablespoon or so) and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes. 
 
For Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Polenta:

Combine chicken broth, heavy cream, and water in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Slowly whisk in cornmeal, stirring constantly until thickened.  Don't whisk too fast or lumps will form.

Stir in garlic, thyme and tomatoes; add goat cheese and butter, stirring until cheese and butter melt.

Add basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Continue to stir and cook until cornmeal is creamy.

For Shrimp:

Heat olive oil (about a tablespoon) in a saute pan over medium high heat.

Add shrimp, tomatoes and 2 -3 tablespoons basil pesto.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and tomatoes have cooked down a bit.

Put 4 spears of asparagus on each plate and top with 1/2 cup polenta.  Place shrimp and tomatoes on top of polenta.