On a trip to Austin, TX this summer, we enjoyed a terrific lunch at the Iron Cactus, a contemporary Mexican restaurant that also sports the label of “one of the ten best tequila bars in the country.”

Nobody in our party tested that last part. It was lunch, after all. But we did savor the restaurant’s other specialty: fresh guacamole mixed table-side and served with tortilla chips. It’s quite a production. The waiter brings a beautifully appointed tray filled with fresh avocados, oranges, chopped jalapenos, onions, and other goodies. As we watched, he concocted the absolute best guacamole we’d ever had. The menu’s claim that “it doesn’t get fresher than this!” was right.

Naturally, this is something I craved after we arrived home. Our homemade Mexican food just wasn’t the same without it, and that store-bought stuff? Yuck. It was a pale imitation of the Iron Cactus guacamole. Since we aren’t moving to Austin anytime soon, the only solution was to create our own recipe.

Read the rest of this entry  

By: Alexine

Do you have some over-ripe bananas that you are about to throw away? Or kids that much down food the minute they walk into the door after school?

I have the perfect solution! Bake some delicious Monkey Bread Muffins. They are healthier than most sweet snacks and simply irresistible.

Keep reading to get the recipe with my special tips on how to make these yummy muffins!
Read the rest of this entry  

By: Alexine

Every year my grandmother would give me these delicious bread and butter pickles. Since we moved this past spring I was unable to get any from her so I decided to ask for her recipe and try it myself.

This recipe is a really great way to use up the last bunch of cucumbers from your garden or a bag from the farmer’s market. Either way the cucumbers are wax free which is necessary to make the pickles.

I hope you enjoy making and eating these bread and butter pickles as much as I do!
Read the rest of this entry  

By: Alexine

If you are looking for a great way to do something nice for your neighbors or friends, bake them some zucchini muffins. They won’t be able to resist the delicious taste! The recipe will also help you use up any leftover zucchini from the garden so that it does not go to waste. Nobody likes wasting home grown food; so jot this down and make some delicious zucchini muffins today!
Read the rest of this entry  

If you are looking for an easy and delicious meal for the family, meatloaf is the perfect choice. With only seven ingredients and fifteen minutes of preparation time there is no reason to pick up fast food. Home cooked meals are great at bringing the family together or the opportunity to have a couple of close friends over. Quality time together is that much better with a delicious meal to share!
Read the rest of this entry  

This time of year, many home gardeners are starting to ask themselves these questions:

“What the heck am I going to do with all these vegetables?”

“How on Earth did I forget to celebrate “National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch” night?”

If you missed the opportunity to celebrate on August 8th – or have neighbors who take a dim view of trespassing, here’s a tasty alternative.

Read the rest of this entry  

Looking for ways to keep cool this summer? The Times Herald-Record, a paper in New York State’s Hudson Valley, has this low-tech list of suggestions that includes using a damp bed sheet as a “blanket” at night and practicing a Yoga breathing method to rid the body of heat.

But my favorite tip is this nugget from the West Indies:

“Spicy foods make you perspire more, which cools the body. Spices also help stop foods from spoiling as quickly, and give you an endorphin rush that feels good in any temperature.”

Wow! Who can say no to food that cools you off, tastes great, improves your mood, and also may help you avoid Alzheimer’s?

It’s time to whip up a bowl of fresh, homemade salsa.

Read the rest of this entry  

Mixed Berry Pie Recipe

Summer wouldn’t be complete without Berry Pie and this is my all time favorite berry pie recipe. Not only does it taste out of this world, but its full of antioxidants to help keep you healthy so you can enjoy it and be guilt-free.

This recipe is surprisingly simple and fast. The lemon juice and the lemon zest are the secret ingredients that really bring out the berry flavor.

Read the rest of this entry  

Facts and Recipes on Purslane

Condemned by some as an “unsightly, pervasive weed,” purslane is also a free backyard source of protein, vitamin E, vitamin C, and the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids of any leafy plant. There’s no reason to spend money on fish oil supplements if you have this tasty food source growing in your backyard or vegetable garden.

Whether you eat it raw in salads, stir-fried, or added to soups and sauces, purslane is a delicious addition to many recipes. It’s easy to grow, tastes great, and – best of all to anyone struggling with rising food prices – it’s free.

Read the rest of this entry  

By: Alexine

Over the years of social events and get-togethers I had to find a recipe that even lousy cooks could master. I wanted something that was easy and required little preparation as I lacked experience in the kitchen. Anyhow, here is the wonderful bean dip recipe that has gotten me very far with guests.
Read the rest of this entry  

How to make, use, and freeze fresh pesto

Basil pesto is delicious, but the price of prepared pesto is alarming: expect to pay $5 or more for as little as half a cup! It’s amazing how something so expensive is so easy to make.

Fresh basil is easy to grow in the garden or on your windowsill. Take a pile of leaves, add some garlic, olive oil, and turn a cup of homemade pesto into three delicious meals – some left over to freeze for later. If you grow your own basil, ingredients for all three meals won’t cost much more than that measly little jar of pesto from the supermarket.
Read the rest of this entry  

Use Herbs and Spices to Get a Smoky Taste Without Smoked Meat

Southern cooking, also called “country cooking” or “soul food,” often describes foods loaded with fat, salt, and pork – sometimes all three in the same dish! Traditional dishes include fried chicken, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and fried squash. See a pattern? Fried, fried, fried. What’s not fried is likely to be cooked with bacon or a chunk of fatback as “seasoning.”

That “seasoned” taste is so common that many people can’t imagine cooking beans without side meat. As Scarlett O’Hara notes in Gone With the Wind: “Black-eyed peas are no good without bacon. There’s no strength to them.”

Here, as in so many areas, Scarlett was wrong.
Read the rest of this entry  

A Vegetarian Passover Seder Is Easier Than You Think!

During Passover, just buying kosher food isn’t enough. The food must also be “kosher for Passover,” which means it doesn’t include any leavening agents. Also, its storage and preparation must be closely monitored and certified by rabbinic authorities. From that basic requirement, things quickly get more complicated.

Sephardic Jews of Middle Eastern, Greek, Yemenite, or Spanish heritage omit any foods with leavening or grain products, but eat rice and beans during Passover. Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern European heritage don’t eat rice, corn, or beans (called kitniyot) because 13th century Jewish authorities ruled that those products could be ground into flour and used like bread products. There was also the danger of contamination since those products were often stored in bags that had held wheat or flour.

Read the rest of this entry  

Here’s a great recipe for all you vegetarians who also honor dietary rules during Passover.

This recipe uses a basic vegetable broth. If you don’t want to make your own broth, use 1 – 2 vegetarian vegetable broth cubes per 2 cups water. Note however, that it will significantly increase the sodium content of the soup.

Golden Vegetable Broth

Read the rest of this entry  

The combination of vegetables and high-protein quinoa make this an elegant and tasty main dish. Quinoa is an herb – although it looks like a grain and cooks like one – and it’s kosher for Passover. This recipe is courtesy of the VeggieVisitors.com site.

Roasted Vegetables with Rosemary
Ingredients:
4-6 small new potatoes, sliced in half.
4 carrots, sliced into 2-3 inch chunks
1 whole onion, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
11/2 cups red or green bell peppers, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
1 yellow squash, cut into thick, ½ inch slices
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon dried Rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh Rosemary for garnish, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss vegetables and garlic in olive oil and herb mixture.
3. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with non-stick coating and place vegetables in a single layer.
4. Bake approximately 40 minutes, or until vegetables start to lightly brown.
5. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve over quinoa.

Read the rest of this entry  

Here’s a healthy vegetable dish that is attractive and delicious.

When cooking, be sure not to overcook the asparagus. Steam it until it turns a bright green and then remove. It shouldn’t be soggy or limp.

Ingredients:
20-24 fresh asparagus spears
8 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon lemon zest OR lemon juice (the zest adds better flavor)

1. Heat olive oil in small saucepan.
2. Toss mushrooms and lemon zest together on medium heat until mushrooms soften. Add a few teaspoons water if mixture gets too dry.
3. While mushrooms cook, steam asparagus for 2-3 minutes – just until spears turn bright green.
4. Serve mushroom mixture over steamed asparagus.

In Yiddish, a “tsimmes” is a long and involved procedure. To “make a tsimmes” means to make something unnecessarily complicated: “We were just going to serve coffee and cake, but she came in with a long list of recipes and made a big tsimmes out of the brunch.” Fortunately, there’s nothing complicated about this recipe. It’s as easy as it is delicious.

This is adapted from a traditional recipe from the Persistent Vegetarian State Web site.

Ingredients:
8 cups sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into large chunks.
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon OR baking spices
3 tablespoons margarine, cut into small pats.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large baking dish (13×9) with cooking spray and add potatoes, carrots, and raisins.
3. Stir orange juice, honey, and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over veggies.
4. Dot mixture with small pats of margarine.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, uncovered. Stir well, and bake for another 20 minutes.

Here’s a salad recipe that is wholesome and full of vitamins. The crunch and the different flavors satisfy taste buds young and old.

Combine fresh spinach leaves with sliced white mushrooms, orange slices, and toasted almonds. Tastes best with a light oil vinaigrette for dressing. The oranges and toasted almonds add a lot of flavor, so just a dash of oil and vinegar is needed.

Here’s a delicious appetizer that everyone enjoys. In some areas, these are called “Deviled Eggs.” But whatever you call them, guests love them – particularly children.

Ingredients:
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced in half length-wise
2 tablespoons sweet relish
2/3 cup mayonnaise
salt to taste
¼ teaspoon paprika

1. Remove yolks from eggs and mash together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add relish, mayonnaise, and salt. Mix well.
3. Spoon mixture into eggs and sprinkle paprika over the tops.

These rich, chewy brownies don’t have the “matzoh” taste of so many Passover baked goods. It’s adapted from a recipe in “The Kids Holiday Baking Book” by Rosemary Black. We replaced some of the eggs with bananas and applesauce to reduce the fat and cholesterol.
Read the rest of this entry