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Spiked Parsley Buttered Potatoes
My favorite red potato dish, is spiked parsley buttered potatoes. It wasn’t that way back when I had to serve it to the crew while I was cooking in the Coast Guard. The problem was it needed fresh parsley, not the dried crap I was using and it needed better seasoning. Spike, a multi-ingredient seasoning salt fits it perfectly. It’s sold in many grocery stores but you might need to look around a bit as all of them don’t carry it. Mrs. Dash would be an acceptable substitute.
4 cups organic red potatoes
3-4 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Spike Seasoning Salt
2 tablespoons Smart Balance butter substitute
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Scrub and clean potatoes, and cut out any bad spots.Cut into 1 inch chunks. In a 1 1/2 quart pot add potatoes, salt and enough water to cover one inch above potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender(about 20 minutes) but not over cooked. Drain and add Smart Balance then sprinkle Spike evenly over potatoes in two applications to keep from it being too concentrated in one spot. Stir gently, then add parsley and stir again.You want the potatoes to be soft enough that when you stir them a little bit comes off and makes almost a butter sauce with the Smart Balance Spike and Parsley. Add fresh ground pepper or ground white pepper if you like. Serves four.
Ten Tips for Healthier Eating During the Holiday Season
Most of us love the approaching holiday seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family gatherings, the office parties and all that good food and cheer. With all that good food some us come out a few pounds heavier by January 1st. The good news? There’s no reason to gain weight if you follow these tips.
1. Start eating healthier now instead of January 2, 2013.
Now is the time to get a jump start instead of another New Year’s resolution.
2. Increase your exercise routine now, and add 2-5 minutes each week until January.
If you add even just two minutes per week to your weekly exercise routine November 15th you will be exercising almost 15 minutes more by January 1, 2013. If you add 5 minutes per week to your exercise routine you would be up to 30 minutes additional workout time by January.
3. Eat more vegetables, and less meat.
Add more fiber now with fresh vegetables as the main part of lunch and dinner. Use olive oil and cut out or reduce butter consumption.
4. Start reading a healthy living magazine or health blog.
There are so many amazing resources to help you understand the relationship of food and health. Go to your local library and take a look at the magazine rack. Go online and search out healthy lifestyle blogs.
5. If you watch TV get up and walk in place every commercial break.
This sets into motion a habit that can expand into walking to the local grocery store, or at least taking that parking space farther away from a store instead of getting as close as possible. Walking is great exercise.
6. Take the stairs, not the elevator when reasonable.
If you work in a high rise no need to climb 50 floors, but climb a few when possible then take the elevator the rest of the way. Increase a floor or two each week. If you live in an apartment building walk as many flights of stairs as you can and increase a floor or two per week.
7. Eat an apple for a snack instead of a cupcake.
Cupcakes. Who doesn’t love them? I like to eat one every month or two. However have an apple, almonds, carrots, or other fresh vegetable instead, and feel better about yourself for doing so. It’s important to eat enough throughout the day, and healthy snacks keep you from feeling deprived.
8. Eat oatmeal for breakfast with raisins and a few walnuts.
Oatmeal is great stuff. It adds fiber, and reduces cholesterol for most people that eat it on a regular basis. Skip the milk, butter or cream and just add raisins, walnuts or even a bit of apple juice to make a great tasting breakfast. I like adding cut up fresh apples to the water before adding the oats.
9. Find or start a walking group in your neighborhood.
Walking is better done with two or more. If you can’t find anyone to walk with try meetup.com to find a walking group, and if you don’t find a walking group there start your own. Meetup.com is a great resource for this.
10. Focus on being healthier.
This is a big one. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Visualize a healthier you. Of all the areas of your life, being healthier and slimmer is one you have a great deal of control over. Take charge and make it happen. Visit my blog FastandFuriousCook.com and get the tools for healthier eating by signing up for a free subscription. If I, the overweight chef could do this, I know you can too. I’ll give you lots of ideas for healthy meals that take very little time and effort to prepare using easy to find ingredients. All through the year I’ll post seasonal foods that will have you preparing great tasting, healthy meals for your loved ones. Eating healthy is a lifestyle change. It will take time to work, but it can. Take control now, and live healthier for the rest of the year and beyond.
FastandFuriousCook.com
This dish helped me lose 35 pounds
Way back in 1992 I was overweight and in need of a lifestyle change. This dish and it’s many variations helped get me on track to a healthier lifestyle. I lost 35 pounds in 6o days with the changes I made to my diet and excercise. If you are not eating beans and rice you are missing out on a staple dish in many countries. It’s got pretty much everything a body needs and tastes great. Here is my quick and easy beans and rice for you to try.
Black Beans and Rice
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 can (15.5oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked rice, I use Tsuru Mai California brown rice, but just about any type of white rice is ok.
1 teaspoon McCormick’s Montreal steak seasoning, or Lawrey’s seasoning salt
ground pepper to taste.
Cook rice according to instructions on package. In a 2-3 quart pot cook beans, tomatoes , and seasoning on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook for 3-4 more minutes and serve.
Variations:
Use 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder for a southwest version.
Use 1 teaspoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Replace black beans with white navy beans.
Serves two, but is easily doubled to serve four or more.
Welcome to my Blog
I am thrilled to be writing about a lifestyle that has allowed me to lose 35 pounds and eat well too. During my 20 year chef career (1975-1995), I managed to eat myself fat and unhealthy. For the last 20 years, however I have turned that around and developed what I think is the best of both worlds… I eat healthy, mostly vegetarian meals Monday through Friday with room for splurges on weekend nights and special occasions. I believe I can show you a way of cooking meals for yourself and loved ones that can put you on track for a healthier lifestyle without feeling deprived. These will be easy to cook, healthy meals using ingredients found in most grocery stores coast to coast. I’ll provide photos and videos for my recipes to help virtually anyone copy what I do in my kitchen. Most recipes will take 10-25 minutes of preparation and 30- 50 minutes of cook time.
I will embark on a mission to write a complete cookbook over the course of the next year. I will be adding 2-5 original recipes per week to my blog unless I am travelling that will be in the cookbook. I’ll also post links to other great recipes out in the blogosphere from some of the excellent blog sites I come across. You will also get food preparation tips, as well as health tips.
I’m not known for writing long-winded posts so be prepared for short concise information and recipes on my blog site where I encourage comments and feedback. I look forward to helping you eat better and look better in a way that can last a lifetime here at FastandFuriousCook.com.
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
One of the things I remember most about eating at my grand parents home in St Louis, Mo is the stewed okra and tomatoes. They always served a profusion of garden fresh vegetables at lunch and dinner. There were green beans, summer squash, corn-on-the-cob and what ever else was in season. One of my favorite dishes was grandma’s fresh cut okra cooked with onions and tomatoes. She used fresh tomatoes that tasted nothing like today’s grocery store impostors.
These were deep red, large and juicy ones that whenever grandpa took me to the garden for picking veggies we would stop for a break at the tomato vines. He would take out his knife and cut us each one of the most beautiful tomatoes on the vine and produce form his pocket a salt shaker. He would cut our tomatoes in half and hand me the salt, and we would eat them with juice running down our chins splattering the ground. It was heavenly! Okra and tomatoes come into season at the same time making them a perfect match.
If you can’t get good fresh tomatoes don’t worry. Canned tomatoes will do the job and are usually better than the grocery store fresh tomatoes. Be sure and serve fresh corn-on-the-cob with this at dinner and maybe grilled chicken for a meal that can’t be beat.
2 cups okra cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced onions
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
optional, add 1/2 cup Sun Gold, or Sweet Million cherry tomatoes cut in half for a bit of sweetness.
Heat a 3-4 quart pot with 1/4 cup water until simmering and add onions.
Cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.
Add rest of water and cook on medium low heat for 20-30 minutes covered or until okra is tender. Stir every 4-5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
serves four
Note: add more water if needed, as it should be saucy not dry
Pickled Jalapenos
1 pound fresh jalapeños
1 cup water
3 cups vinegar
one carrot sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar depending on you taste
1 Tablespoon salt
Bring to a boil
Have your jalapenos in the jars and add sliced carrots, garlic and a quarter teaspoon dried oregano if you like. Use a canning funnel to pour the liquid in the jars. You don’t want anything to touch the top of the jar while loading. Best to use 16 oz size jars. Holds about 6-10 fresh jalapenos. To do this properly for long term storage the jars should be boiled first, and again after they are loaded and sealed. If you are going to eat them in the next couple of months this is a good enough and allows you to test the recipe before canning a batch you want to keep long term without having to boil the filled jars. Boiling the filled jars will give you a softer jalapeño. If you don’t boil the filled jars they won’t be preserved for long-term storage at room temperature.
I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.
Jalapenos should be pierced with a knife cut longitudinally to allow the brining mix in.
Put in the refrigerator if you used the the quick method, and taste after one month of soaking. Wait just one week if you used the second method(boiling the filled jars) then eat em’ up. They improve with age.
Makes about 3-4 jars.
Quick and Easy Salsa
2 14 1/2 oz cans of DelMonte Organic Diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 yellow onion chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro (optional)
In a food processor or blender puree one can of tomatoes. Add all ingredients, except cilantro to a heavy 2 quart pot and cook over medium to low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking longer makes the salsa thicker.
When salsa has cooled to about 100 degrees add cilantro. Serve at room temperature.
Note: If you want hotter salsa add another jalapeno. Jalapenos vary greatly in hotness. The only way to tell how hot they are is to taste them before cooking.
Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms, 1/2 White Button and one half Crimini
1 clove garlic
1 slice of bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp dried oregano flakes
pinch of dried thyme
salt and ground white pepper to taste
1 acorn squash
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape seeds out.
Saute mushrooms in olive oil for about 7-10 minutes on medium low heat, add garlic, thyme and oregano and cook 3 more minutes. Remove from heat, add bread and mix well. Fill each half of squash until stuffing is about one inch above rim of squash. Spray with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 60-70 minutes at 350 degrees or until squash is tender. Great with chicken or pork.
Smoked Salmon Spread
Two 8 oz packages of cream cheese
Two pieces of smoked salmon(about 8 oz), skin removed
One small clove of fresh garlic minced
One jalapeno minced, plus one for garnish, both are optional
One to two tablespoons of plain yogurt, (thins it out a bit)
1/4 cup green onions sliced thin
Break up the salmon in a bowl and pick out any bones. Add room temp. cream cheese, garlic and jalapeno. Mix well. I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but have done it with a hand held mixer also. Add the green onions last and mix just enough to incorporate. If you mix too much they break down and disappear. I like to garnish with sliced jalapenos before serving.
Vegie Stirfry
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 bell pepper cut in 1 inch dice
3 ribs of celery sliced diagonally
1 small onion diced or sliced
2 cloves garlic
1-3 jalapenos or other suitable hot peppers sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of hot garlic chili sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 carrot peeled and sliced optional
In a wok or similar pan heat oil and add onion and garlic. Stir often, cooking for one minute. Add remaining vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add chili sauce, soy sauce and cook for 2-3 more minutes until vegies are well coated then serve over rice or rice noodles.