Mango, Mango!

I love that summer is here! Today, however, the humidity was pretty high, and I was not at all in the mood to cook.. so I didn't! I chopped, and I mixed some spices, and I opened a can! (Thom did have to grill... but he doesn't mind!) This is a great go-to salsa for just about anything you make! We had it with boneless pork loin chops (I mixed a bunch of spices for a rub, and Thom grilled them), a salad, and black beans (that was the can I opened). Tomorrow, I will mix the remaining beans with some salsa, toss in some cubed cheddar for a hearty lunch salad. Here's a link to a mango-cutting tutorial, if you've never cut one:

Pineapple Mango Salsa
4 pineapple slice rings (preferably fresh pineapple)
1 mango, seeded and peeled
1 jalapeno, minced with membrane and seeds removed
1/2 small red onion, finely mined
1/2 each red and green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
juice of one lime
salt & pepper, to taste
Fine chop all the fruit; add jalapeno, fresh cilantro, onion, peppers, and lime juice.
The salsa tastes best if allowed to macerate, refrigerated, for a few hours or overnight.

The Cook is in da house!

For those who don't know me, I work in a residence that serves 24 hour support for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. I work days, mostly, including weekends. For the most part, it's like a boarding house. Folks have their own room, and can have a coffee-maker, and/or microwave, refrigerator, etc. Additionally there is a kitchen in the house with all the usual equipment, and folks are free to eat, cook etc in the kitchen as well. Weekends are usually less hectic, no appointments or jobs etc, so I like to cook a "House Lunch" on the weekends that I work. The clients know by now that when I'm cooking lunch, it will most likely be something they've never tried before! In the past, I've made vegetarian chili, quesadillas, black bean soup.. We have some folks here with significant health issues, (high blood pressure, diabetes, gluten intolerance to name just a few) so I'm always mindful of those issues. I have to say, so far everything I've served has been very well received, and I'm lucky, because there are no picky eaters here! So, for this lunch, I made "Buffalo Drumsticks" (legs were cheaper than wings..), Hoppin' John Salad, Celery sticks with ranch and blue cheese dressing; for dessert, fresh pineapple and low-fat strawberry yogurt. Thom grilled the legs the night before, so all I had to do was make the buffalo sauce, using Frank's Hot Sauce, and Smart Balance Margarine. The Hoppin' John Salad is my take on several different recipes I found online!

Hoppin' John is a traditional recipe that originated in the American South. I'm not too sure of the origins of the name, but I do know that as a hot bean dish, Hoppin' John is traditionally served on New Year's Day, to bring good luck. This is a cold salad version; I like it, because it's not your typical bean salad, that usually has a sweet/tart dressing.

Hoppin' John Salad (8 servings, easily doubled, best the next day!)

Ingredients:

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas (You can use dried, it's cheaper!) 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 red onion, diced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (don't worry, this doesn't make it hot)

1 stalk celery, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley, but I prefer cilantro) 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	In a medium bowl, toss together black-eyed peas, tomato, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, celery, and parsley.
2.	In a small bowl, mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss into the vegetables. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

Nutrition Information Servings Per Recipe: 8 Calories: 132

Amount Per Serving Total Fat: 4.1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 478mg

Amount Per Serving Total Carbs: 19g Dietary Fiber: 4.6g Protein: 5.8g

If Mama Don't Cook....

...then there's no recipe for the blog! On Friday, Thom & I spent an incredible day in Cambridge at the Peabody Museum/Harvard Museum of Natural History with Martin and Ivy! If you have yet to visit this little gem, don't hesitate! From the famed hand-blown glass flowers to the awesome native American dioramas, to the animal exhibits, there's enough for everyone to enjoy from age 4 and up! We went by train from Lowell, which for Martin & Ivy was as much a treat as the actual destination! So, instead of a recipe, today I will post a picture, and a link to the museum! (Fan site at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PeabodyMuseum

Call it Cauliflower

It seems rather ordinary to inaugurate my blog with a cauliflower recipe, but it's what's on the menu, along with marinated chicken breasts (which T will grill alongside the cauliflower), and a salad of field greens, tomatoes, cukes and oil/vinegar dressing.

Thom laughs at me, because he says we never eat the same thing twice! He might be right, although we certainly do have our faves. I have to say right here that my interest in food, and cooking actually began with my first husband... who is a very very good cook, and taught me to be brave in the kitchen! So... on to the recipe:

Grilled Balsmic & Parmesan Cauliflower (From Eating Well)

Ingredients

• 8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head; see Tip)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat Grill (or oven) to 450°F.
2. Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: To prepare florets from a whole head of cauliflower, remove outer leaves. Slice off the thick stem. With the head upside down and holding a knife at a 45° angle, slice into the smaller stems with a circular motion—removing a “plug” from the center of the head. Break or cut florets into the desired size.

Nutrition

Per serving: 149 calories; 10 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 364 mg sodium; 490 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (120% daily value), Folate (22% dv), Fiber (16% dv), Calcium (15% dv)

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

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