I love this time of year. Yes, I know, weird, right? Not so. January is the month of citrus, cold weather, and warming soup. Now that I have shown you all how to make your own chicken stock, (or even in the crockpot,) now is a good time to start using that beautiful elixir to warm those bones after a hard day out in the cold.

The trick with soups is to pick a few flavors that go well together, and showcase them. I have talked before about the Flavor Bible – it really should be on any serious cook’s shelf. (Link goes to my Amazon Store.)

Carrots are in season now, same with oranges. What goes well with them? A quick glance in the Bible tells me that fennel seeds or cumin works. Cumin would be an interesting choice, but my son might object to the adult flavor, so fennel it was. A great addition to this dish is freshly chopped parsley. I didn’t have any, and my son would object to the green “floaties.” Sometimes you have to know your crowd.

The great thing about this soup is that it is gluten-free, has less than 30 carbohydrates per serving, and the recipe can feed 8 people. A lot of pre-made soups use gluten or corn starch as a thickener. We will be using the natural thickening power of the carrot’s body, and a bit from the addition of a small potato.

It makes a great side dish, or a great starter to a more substantial meal. I can tell you it is definitely kid-friendly; my son had three servings!

Carrot Fennel Orange Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 lemon peel strips
• 1 small potato, diced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups orange juice
• to taste Salt
• to taste Pepper

Method:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and carrots; sweat until the vegetables start getting soft.
2. Add garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, lemon peel strips, and bay leaves. Cook for a minute more to release the oils.
3. Add potato, chicken stock, and orange juice; bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely soft.
5. Remove bay leaves; puree with blender or stick blender until smooth. If necessary, add a little more orange juice if the soup is too thick.
6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
7. Serve up in the biggest bowl you can; it won’t last long.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 145, Fat 4.62g, Saturated Fat 2.26g, Cholesterol 11.25mg, Sodium 1085.72mg, Total Carbohydrates 22g, Fiber 2.5g

Sauerkraut is an awesome food. It’s packed with vitamins, probiotics, and lots of goody-goodness. (That’s a culinary term that I just invented right there!) Some people have an aversion to it, I find that it’s because they’re used to opening the jars you find in the pickle aisles at the grocery store. You know who they are – the ones loaded with the most sour briny concoction ever.

You’re best off buying the organic, bagged version. Keep in mind, that it’s not always available. You could make your own, (but not in time for dinner.) (I can see a post on that one day – remind me sometime!)

Two things that make sauerkraut better are: caraway seeds, and apples. Around here people seem to have an aversion with pork and fruit – but I grew up with it. The sweetness with the tartness of the apples lend a subtle dimension to the sourness of the kraut. It’s like putting a phone book up to your chin before it socks you with it’s five finger sauer-death punch.

In my research, I found that a lot of people “finish” the sauerkraut by cooking it with a little potato. What this does is smoothes it out, and makes it more palatable (for normal people.) Sure, I can eat it right out of a jar – but I also grew up eating it. Other people’s lips pucker inward, their faces threaten to implode. Some people just can’t hack it. Wimpy people.

Either way, adding the best parts of the season’s produce will turn an ordinary dish into something people will talk about. One word of caution: people may walk in and crinkle their noses to the smell of cooking sauerkraut. (My child especially.) A bit if reassurance is in order. Soften them up with a few lagers, and all will be good. (Apple juice for the little one!) For the ladies, save some of the cider for a bit of an aperitif before supper. Can’t hurt!

No picture for this dish today. There wasn’t a point in taking one as the pork loin turned out too dry. Word to the wise: when you are cooking a dish, then find it is not done by the time you need to go get your four-year-old from the daycare, Murphy will visit your kitchen.

See, your four-year-old won’t want to go home. He’ll pitch a screaming fit, and you’ll spend 20 minutes trying to get him into your front door. If this happens to you (with as much regularity as me,) then before you leave, be on the safe side – turn the oven down to 300°F. You can always increase the temperature when you get home to finish the roast.

Roasted Pork Loin with Apple-Spiked Sauerkraut

Servings: 6

Pork Loin

• 2 pounds pork loin roast, tied
• 2 tablespoon caraway seeds, divided
• 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika
• to taste salt
• to taste pepper

Sauerkraut

• 2 cups sauerkraut
• 2 medium apples, peeled
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 small potato, peeled and held in water
• 2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute (optional)

For the Pork Loin:

1. Season the pork loin aggressively with the salt and fresh black pepper. Remember that since the pork loin is thick, this is your only chance to really get the flavor enhancement from the salt and pepper, so don’t be stingy! While the fat renders, it will carry the salt throughout the meat, seasoning it. (That’s why the fat is the best tasting part of the pork!)
2. Rub the smoked paprika and one tablespoon of the caraway seeds into the loin. Your hands will get a little bit dirty, but make sure you get it in all the nooks and crannies of the meat.
3. Set the meat aside so you can complete the following steps. If you have critters in the house, (like a dog named Hershey,) make sure they can’t lick the meat. You have seen where they can put that tongue, right?

For the Sauerkraut:

1. Place into a casserole dish, then mix in the remaining caraway seeds. Some people aren’t fussy over the sour taste of sauerkraut. (Hey, it’s named “Sour” for a reason!) If you desire, rinse the sauerkraut in water to wash away the sourness of the final dish.
2. Grate the apples into the dish, add cider and mix thoroughly.
3. Put the seasoned pork loin on top of the sauerkraut mixture, then place the dish, uncovered, into a 450°F oven for 10 minutes. This is to caramelize the proteins and fat for maximum flavor later on. (It has nothing to do with sealing in juices – I hate hearing that!)
4. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F, cover the casserole dish and cook the pork loin until a thermometer comes out at 145°F. (Around 15-20 minutes per pound.) If you don’t have a thermometer, err on the side of caution – allow 15 minutes per pound. You can always put the roast back in to cook more, but you can’t uncook an overdone piece of meat.) Try and time it so if your four-year-old refuses to come home from the daycare, you won’t overcook your meat.

Finishing the Sauerkraut

1. Remove the pork loin from the casserole, and put it aside, covered with foil, to rest. Don’t be tempted to cut into it just yet – unless you aren’t sure about how well it is cooked. (That’s why it is so good to have a thermometer – you cut the guessing on whether it is done!) If you MUST cut it to check doneness, cut it from the middle. If it’s underdone (read raw) in the middle, them push the pieces back together, cover, and put back into the oven. If it’s a slight shade darker then pink, then don’t despair – it’ll continue to cook while it’s resting. We call this “carry-over cooking”.
2. Transfer the sauerkraut mixture to a saucepan. Over low heat, grate in the small potato and add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the mixture. Continue cooking until the sauerkraut is shiny, and you can’t taste the starch from the potatoes anymore. You will be left with tender, soft sauerkraut.
3. Optional: Taste the mixture. If it’s too sour for you, you can add a few teaspoons of sugar (or substitute) to the mixture and stir it in. It’ll make it a sweet-sour side, and some people like that. Apples are the natural way to sweeten the sauerkraut, but some people’s taste tends to the sweeter side. I told my wife she could sprinkle some sugar on the top if she so desired. Why wreck the briny goodness combined with the golden drippings from the pork?

The Final Dish:

1. Once the pork loin has rested, (about 10 minutes,) cut the strings from the roast, and slice it as thick as you like. If the roast is a bit dry, (because your four-year-old ran around the house with your oven mitts refusing to give them back to you,) then you’ll want to slice it a bit on the thin side. I personally like the end, (so does my wife.) If you’re feeling generous, split it with her. Otherwise, just even off the roast before she gets home. Hey – first come, first served!
2. Serve the sauerkraut as a sauce to the sliced pork loin, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 301.58
Calories From Fat (25%) 74.83
% Daily Value
Total Fat 8.35g 13%
Saturated Fat 2.72g 14%
Cholesterol 95.26mg 32%
Sodium 1786.19mg 74%
Potassium 939.4mg 27%
Total Carbohydrates 21.37g 7%
Fiber 4.8g 19%
Sugar 7.71g
Protein 35.21g 70%

I’m sorry that I don’t have a picture for you today. My trusty Rebel T2I has developed lens issues. I’m hoping that Canon will fix it in short time so I can bring more delectable photos for you to drool over. Today you will have to suffer by my descriptions only.

I love my eggs first thing in the morning; they provide me with the fuel that I need to get my day underway. The best part about eggs is that there are many ways to cook them.

Quick trivia – did you know that the pleats in a chef’s hat are supposed to represent the many ways you can cook an egg? Back in the old days, a chef had to “prove” he could cook the eggs 100 different ways before he had the “privilege” of donning the Toque. (Chef hat) Now you know.

Here’s a fast omelette recipe that will give you the best parts of summer – with a Greek twist. Garden fresh ingredients will make a huge difference; don’t sweat it if you have to use something you bought at the store.

It’s next to impossible to get true free-range eggs where I live, (the definition of “free range” is open to interpretation – meaning the poor hen only has to have a small door open for them to “range” from the cage.) I don’t waste my money on a label – the eggs add a cost of $2 more per dozen.

Instead, I buy the Omega-3 eggs, which are slightly more expensive than conventional eggs. There are those out there that will poo-poo this. Hey, if I could find an actual farmer that can guarantee his eggs are free-range, then I will go that route. Otherwise, the flax-fed Omega-3 eggs are good enough.

For this recipe, I am using baby Roma tomatoes. Why Roma tomatoes? There is more “meat” to the tomato, and less seeds. Tomato seeds are full of water, which is no fun to sauté in hot oil. You can use the larger version if you like, or even a “regular” tomato. You just need to squeeze the seeds out first.

The Roma tomato’s garden partners are the green pepper, and the oregano that is overtaking its pot.

Finally, a nice Feta cheese and Kalamata olives complete this Greek style omelette.

Note: this recipe is not Paleo in the strictest sense. There is the Feta cheese, and the extra-virgin olive oil. (Preferably non-filtered.) There is a lot of controversy in those circles over whether you should heat olive oil because of PUFA’s, etc.. Look, to me it’s less complicated. Use a good quality olive oil, and stop freaking out about minutiae. In my world it’s infinitely better than using an industrial processed corn or canola oil.

Greek Style Omelette with Baby Roma Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, and Feta Cheese

Servings: 1
Calories: 729
Carbohydrates: 8.3 g

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 baby cherry Roma tomatoes, sliced
• ¼ large yellow pepper, diced
• 4 Kalamata olives, pitted, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 large eggs, Omega-3
• 1 teaspoon water
• ½ ounce feta, rinsed and crumbled
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper, freshly ground
  

  Method:

  1. Sauté tomatoes, peppers, and Kalamata olives in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the tomatoes and peppers have softened; season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside. This will be the filling mixture.
  2. Wipe pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, whisk eggs with a teaspoon of water, salt, pepper, and chopped oregano until the eggs are homogenized.
  3. Place eggs into the heated pan. The eggs should start setting immediately. Lift the edges of the egg with a spatula and allow the uncooked egg mixture to run underneath. Wait a few seconds, then repeat lifting the edges. Cooking it in this way will take about 2 minutes. Once the bottom is set fully, flip the omelette over, and turn off the heat. This will allow the eggs to cook in the pan with the residual heat. (About 1 more minute.)
  4. Look at the omelette like a clock; place the filling mixture on the bottom half of the omelette, and sprinkle the feta cheese over the mixture. Gently fold the top over the mixture to make a half-moon shape. Lift the omelette out of the pan onto a plate; serve immediately.

I recently read a nice message on Facebook from my Aunt the other day. You can read the result on my post over at my personal blog.

Today we concern ourselves with the nitty-gritty. How to make this difficult dressing that will KILL the competition!

The Competition:

Sure, the dressing itself might cost peanuts:

Sure, the stuff is 3.99$ for 500 mL. Not bad, a cost of 8.00$ per liter. Let’s look into the ingredients, shall we?

Straight from Renee’s site, here are the ingredients:

Fresh buttermilk, canola oil, vinegar, water, frozen egg yolk, salt, fructose solids, cultured, dextrose, whey powder, spices, onion powder, garlic powder, xanthan gum, flavour.

Wow.

The only problem I have is when you are paying for something that is just not all that convenient. Plus, when you are just getting vegetable oil flavored with milk products, I have a problem with that.

Why is canola oil the second ingredient there? If you read between the lines here, you get what looks like a basic vinaigrette – oil, vinegar, water, egg yolks, and seasonings, (including dextrose.) To that they have added buttermilk, whey powder (presumably to bulk up the milk flavor.) Finally, there are two things that disturb me – Xanthan gum, (a thickener and stabilizer,) and flavour.

What does flavour mean anyway? What kind of flavor?

A Caveat

Look – the point is not attacking this stuff – please keep that in mind. A lot of people will reach for this because it is convenient. I mean, who has buttermilk these days just hanging out in the fridge? (You Southerner’s DON’T answer that!)

What I want to offer is an easy alternative to buying that convenience product.

Go look over at my Personal Blog for a quick video on how the following recipe is executed. I made this recipe in 2 minutes, with a hovering wife in the background. It is not as convenient as grabbing it off the shelf, but I think you can agree that it’s not that inconvenient!

Southwestern Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 3 chives (with flowers), minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 drops hot sauce

Method

1. Grab a clean, tall mason jar with a lid. Combine all your ingredients together inside the jar, Cap the jar with the lid; shake vigorously while dancing. Ignore the looks from your spouse or partner. You’re making Southwestern Dressing, Baby!
2. Keep tightly covered in the fridge for up to the same expiry date as the buttermilk. If it lasts that long, it will keep.

A nutritional comparison:

Just for giggles, here is the nutritional breakdown for my recipe, based on Living Cookbook 2011 stats. Note that I don’t make the serving size 1 tablespoon because NO ONE only eats a tablespoon of dressing at a time!

Nutritional Information from the Competition?

With this Nutritional Information, keep in mind that a normal person would eat 3 times that amount in a salad just to make it taste good!

For a real serving of this stuff, we are looking at 180 calories, 3 grams of carbs from sugar, and not much of anything else.

Here is my version, both with and without buttermilk:

With Buttermilk

All natural ingredients in my recipe, A full 160 calories less, almost 1 gram of sugar carbs less, less sodium, and gasp! Less sat fat as well. Definitely a case to DIY – because it is so easy!

If you don’t have buttermilk, then by substituting the whole milk and sour cream:

Without buttermilk - 'cause who has that stuff lying around?

As you can see, it still comes in at a 1/3 less than the competition, with still less carbohydrates!

There you have it! What do you think,will you be buying the “convenient” stuff, or will you make your own?

You can still enjoy your favorite stir fry recipes the low-carb way

This is an updated version of a Beef Broccoli dish I posted a while back. I hope that this version is more user friendly!

Here’s the thing  - a lot of people think you have to give up the foods you love in order to go lower carb. Asian food is one that gets thrown to the wayside the quickest.

I love Asian food. Hell, I worked in a hotel that had a Pan-Asian restaurant with food that is seriously off the hook.

What we know as “Asian” food today does not resemble what was traditionally served. Traditional Asian dishes are heavy on vegetables, very light on the meat, and served with a little bit of rice. What we eat on the lavishly extravagant buffets are NOTHING like that tradition. Those buffets are full of heroin.

Carbohydrates are the heroin on the buffet

Have you ever wondered why you are hungry a half hour after eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet?

Like heroin, the more carbohydrates you eat, the more you need. Your body tries to cope with the sugar by burning it off, which in turn makes you want more for fuel.

A typical Asian restaurant all-you-can eat buffet is loaded down with carbs in the form of rices, fried rices, fried foods in wrappers, and sauces that are sugary or watery, thickened sauces of nothing really more than wheat, MSG and flavorings.

Why is this? Carbs are cheap. Meat is expensive. The more you fill up on carbohydrates, the more profit a restaurateur makes. Plus, the carby items are what people demand, so it’s a win-win situation.

Today we will take a classic American-Chinese dish and remake it to fit a more traditional model. That is – more vegetables, with a smattering of meat, and a delicious sauce that will leave you feeling full. 1 pound of meat will serve 6 people. You could serve it with a little bit of rice to get that full “restaurant” effect, but it really is not all that necessary.

5 Spice Beef and Broccoli

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef, thinly sliced (I used ribeye that was on special)
• 2 pounds broccoli (about 2 heads) chopped into fleurettes, stalk peeled and sliced thinly.
• 1 gallon water, boiling
• 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered

Marinade:

• 2 teaspoons 5 spice powder
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or you could use dry sherry.)
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (be sure that it is gluten-free!)

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup black vinegar (or in a pinch you could use balsamic vinegar)
• 1 packet stevia

Method:

1. Cut broccoli into fleurettes, peel the stem and slice thinly. Place all of it into a large bowl; pour boiling water to cover. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Drain the boiling water from the bowl, and run the broccoli under cold water to stop the cooking.
2. Meanwhile, trim the fat (reserve) and cut the beef into bite-sized pieces.
3. Render the beef fat over low heat in your wok.
4. Marinate beef by sprinkling 5 spice powder, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Let stand for 10 minutes.
5. Saute beef in fat over high heat until just seared; remove from the pan and reserve. (The beef should be rare at this point.)
6. Add mushrooms to the wok, saute until soft.
7. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, reduce to 1/4.
8. Add oyster sauce, black vinegar, and the stevia packet; stir to create a sauce.
9. Add the beef and broccoli back to the pan, and heat through.
10. Serve hot.

How we make this dish:

Rib eye steaks were on a super special, so I just had to get them. I consider a rib eye to be superior in flavor to a tenderloin. Honestly, the mushrooms needed to be used that day, but I got them for super cheap.

Great news about mushrooms is that they are basically “free” on the carb scale, and are a great vehicle for flavors.

Look at that steak, and those mushrooms rock as well!

That leaves us with the rest of the ingredient that tie everything together:

Soy sauce, Oyster sauce, and 5 spice powder are easy to get. Black vinegar and Shaoxing wine can be replaced with balsamic vinegar and dry sherry if needed.

Of course, you need something to sweeten the dish up, that will counterbalance the umami of the soy and level out the acidity of the black vinegar. We are going natural and low-carb, so it is Stevia to the rescue:

Our secret weapon for the sauce.

First thing that we need to do is process the broccoli. You will need to use the whole stalk. Cut out the fleuerttes, peel back the skin of the stalk and slice it thinly.

If you just throw your broccoli into the stir-fry, it will not be cooked by the time everything else is. You need to help it along. I am going to introduce you to a technique known as “Blanching and Refreshing”:

You can't just throw in the broccoli and expect it to cook. You need to help it out.

Bring the water to a boil, then pour it into the broccoli. Let it steep for 5 minutes.

Pour the boiling water to cover; steep for 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes are up, drain the hot water, run the broccoli under cold water to stop the cooking. The broccoli should be tender-crisp, not limp, and should be a nice green.

Now you are "refreshing" the cooked broccoli. It should be tender-crisp! Look how green it is!

Now, we separate the fat from the meat, and cut it into chunks. Fear not though, throw the fat into the pan over low heat to render it out.

While that is rendering out, pour a splash of Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sprinkle a good amount of 5 spice onto the beef. Mix it up well, and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Once you have a decent amount of fat rendered out, crank up the heat and sauté the beef.

Saute the beef over high heat. You can almost see it jump!

Place your beef aside, and pour your mushrooms in the pan, and saute them. You will find that they will soak up the fat. That is a good thing.

These mushrooms are a sponge, and a vehicle for the flavors.

Once the mushrooms have softened a bit, add a splash of Shoaxing wine and cook it down. Add a good amount of oyster sauce, and thin it out with the black vinegar.

Sprinkle the stevia over the top and mix it in.

Finally, add the broccoli and the beef back to the mix, taking care to pour in any juices that have dripped off the beef.

Stir, and serve.

Now, does that look good or what?

Now, you can eat it just like that, or you can serve it with a little bit of rice. I find that skipping the rice and eating a salad on the side is more than enough.

There you have it – a dish prepared the way an Asian family would have it. Keep in mind that this way, you can afford a premium cut of meat while feeding your whole family. Make sure the quality is there, and you won’t need massive amounts of meat to sate you.

A play on words that is simple to prepare - and even the vegans will be cheering!

From the almighty Wikipedia:

Carpaccio (pronounced /k?r?p??t?i.o?/ or /k?r?p??t?o?/; Italian pronunciation: [kar?patt?o]) is a dish of raw meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna) generally thinly sliced or pounded thin and served as an appetizer.

Why would I use a VEGETABLE for this dish when I could use beef or bison? Have the VEGANS finally corrupted me?

Far from it. Unlike some banana eating prothlesizers, I can actually have fun playing with my food. Hence, a dish like this – a play on words. A Raw Sweet Potato Dish.

The point of this dish is to give you the sensation of rawness, while still being palatable to eat. If you have ever tried to eat a sweet potato raw, you know it ain’t all that nice.

The trick is to pickle the sweet potatoes, and serve them with a nice, refreshing salad on the top. It is straight-forward to prepare. All you need are a few ingredients, a bit of patience, and you will be the talk of your party.

You would even be able to serve this dish to a vegan, if you felt so inclined. It just happens to follow the 80/10/10 philosphy. How about that?

Let’s get started:

Sweet Potato Carpaccio

8 servings

Ingredients:

Brine

• 3 pods star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 15 peppercorns
• 1 medium fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
• 4 shallots, roughly chopped
• 3 large oranges, zested, segmented, (juice kept separate)
• 3 cups white wine vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 1 bunch tarragon

The Potato

• 1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled, sliced 1/4 inch wide

The Salad:

• a few leaves of spring mix lettuce
• your favorite vinaigrette
• orange segments from above
• to taste sun-dried cranberries

Method:

1. Put a pot over medium heat. Drop in the star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns and toast them, (shaking them lightly,) until you can begin to smell the spices.
2. Add in fennel, shallots, and orange zest. Cook for a couple more minutes so the fennel and shallots start breaking down, and the oils of the orange peels coat the fennel. This will take about 2 minutes.
3. Add the orange juice, white wine vinegar, water, and maple syrup. Bring the works to a boil, then lower the heat to below a simmer. (The lowest setting your burner will go!) You want just a HINT of a bubble to to break the surface. You don’t want to reduce this mixture too much. Let this mixture steep like a tea for 45 minutes.
4. Turn up the heat to a simmer. (You will see a bit of bubbles breaking the surface, that’s it. You want to turn the heat to a little higher than your low setting.) Add the sweet potatoes and cook 4 to 5 minutes until cooked but still firm.
5. While you are waiting for the potatoes to cook, grab a large bowl and fill it with ice water. (The bowl needs to be big enough and deep enough for your pot.) Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the pot from the stove and place it into the ice bath and cool the mixture rapidly. The idea is to stop the cooking process so your sweet potatoes don’t overcook.
6. You can serve the works right away, or place them in a non-reactive container and store in the fridge. They will keep in the brine for up to 1 month, if kept properly cold.
7. When ready to serve, remove the pickled sweet potatoes from the brine and place on the plate in concentric circles. Toss the spring greens in your vinaigrette, and place in the center. Garnish with the orange segments, and sun-dried cranberries.

Not so hard, if you follow a few steps

Today’s post will be short, and spicy! I am going to show you how to make your own dried chilies, and once you are done, you will have some dried chilies that will KILL those other shitty dried out husks you can buy.

Sure, they are a bit more expensive than the can of crushed chilies you can buy, but hey, the flavor is better, the quality is better, and you know how they were grown.

Buy them from a farmer that doesn’t use slave labor to harvest them. Better yet, you could get some if you belong to a CSA, or grow some in your own Liberty Garden.

It won’t take a couple of minutes; rather it will take around 8 hours. Don’t sweat it, I do it before I go to bed. This is yet another case of letting my oven work for me while I sleep.

Enough! It’s not like I’m not trying to entice you into the sack, so let’s get to business.

4 Simple Steps to Drying Chilies

1. Wash your chilies, and pick out any that are not up to par. Remember, if you wouldn’t use it right now fresh, it won’t be good dried.
2. Spread your chilies out on a baking sheet with a layer of parchment. Make sure there is space in between the individual chilies so the drying air can reach all areas.
3. Heat your oven to 175°F, and set the baking sheet into the oven. (I have a “Warm” button, and that is what I use.) If you can’t go that low, or don’t have the button, set your oven to 200°F.
4. Go to bed, and when you wake up 6 to 8 hours later, your chilies will be ready. Pull them out, cool them, and package them in an air-tight container.

That’s it folks! Let me know how it goes!

Fucking Awesome In a Bowl!

Doesn’t that look like some fucking awesomeness in a bowl? You know what? Totally NOT hard either! Just because a dish comes from the other side of the pond doesn’t mean shit. A few techniques, some quality ingredients, and you are set.

A word of note: There are no grains in this soup, but it was totally fucking awesome though!

Fucking Awesome Thai-Inspired Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

Soup Base

• 3 chicken thighs (leave the skin on!)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or ghee, or clarified butter)
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled, halved then sliced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled, minced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, minced
• 1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen Yellow Curry Paste
• 1 package mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 cups rich, homemade chicken broth
• 1 can (14 fl oz) full fat, organic coconut milk

For the Sachet

• Cheesecloth with a good length of butcher’s twine. ((optional for the next 2 ingredients)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised with the back of your knife, then sliced into 1 inch chunks
• 2 keffir lime leaves

Final Garnish:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch fleurettes
• 1 red pepper, large dice
• can (14 fl oz) of baby corn
• fish sauce, to taste (instead of salt)
• zest and juice from fresh lime
• coriander leaves, chopped
• optional: green chili, sliced

Method:

1. Melt coconut oil (or ghee, or clarified butter) over medium-high heat in a thick bottomed pot until it is shimmering. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper; sear them on all sides until they are golden brown. Don’t skip this step, because that is where you are going to get all your flavor from!
2. Remove the chicken and set it on a plate to rest. Meanwhile, add sliced onions, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the bits of browned chicken on the bottom. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook for a minute while stirring to release the oils in the spices. At this point the mixture will turn almost reddish brown, and your family is sure to come around to see what is cooking.
4. Add chicken broth, vinegar, and coconut milk to the pan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the seared chicken legs.
5. You have a choice at this point. If you want to go the traditional route, then just add in the chopped lemongrass and keffir leaves. The people eating the soup will have to pick them out. Now, that might make for fun discussion at a dinner party, but if you have kids, it is best to put the lemongrass and lime leaves in a sachet with a string. That way you can pull out the sachet before serving the soup, and all will be great. Its up to you!
6. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Lift the lid occasionally and smell the wonderful fragrances coming from the pot. Fight your significant other/kids off with a stick so there will be something left for supper! If you like, you could toss the works into a 350°F oven and go somewhere else – catch up on pre-dinner activities while the kids aren’t watching.
7. Once 40 minutes have passed, lift out the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and transfer to a platter. Dump the cauliflower , red pepper, and baby corn into the pot, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, once the chicken has cooled to the touch, shred the chicken and add it back to the soup. Give the bones to your dog, but make sure your other half is not looking. (Unless you really want to hear about it.)
8. Okay, so the soup is almost there. Be patient, because the flavor is not quite fucking awesome yet! You may have noticed that I have not said to season with salt. The reason is that your salt comes from the fish sauce. Add it a teaspoon at a time, stir, and check the flavor of the soup. Trust me, a little too much, and you’ve ruined the soup. (And your other half will never want the soup again.) Err on the side of too little.
9. Next, grate the lime zest into the soup, then squeeze the juice inside. All that is left is to add the coriander leaves, and as much chilies as you want. Ladle the soup out and go to town! Revel in your awesomeness.

There you have it, another awesome soup. Yes, I cussed back there, but this soup deserves it. Try it, and you won’t be able to help yourself!

What do you do when your kid only wants the egg whites for breakfast? Don't fret; You eat his yolks of course!

I’m sorry, but despite what companies have you believe, the champs don’t reach for the box of cattle roughage frosted with sugar. They eat protein.

Below is almost embarrassingly NOT a recipe. It takes 3 to 5 minutes to cook, so breakfast is not an issue.

I did not take a recipe picture today, but here is the base of what I eat for a typical breakfast:

Omega 3 Eggs WDC Style

Calories: 308
Carbs per Serving: 2.6 grams
Nutrition count courtesy of LiveStrong Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 Natural Omega-3 Eggs Large
• 2 egg yolks that your kid refuses to eat
• 1/2 tbsp Butter
• sprinkle Atlantic Sea Salt
• couple turns of fresh Black Peppercorns

Method

Crack your eggs into a bowl. Add the egg yolks your kid refuses to eat. That way you can slide the eggs into your pan and not have to worry about the yolks breaking. (Clever, huh? It was a PASTRY chef that taught me that trick, horror of horrors!)

Heat the butter in an omelet pan over medium heat. You are not looking to burn the butter – just heat it through. Once the butter is heated up, drop your eggs into the pan. Season with salt and pepper; let the egg whites set.

You can try and flip it at this point with just the pan, if you are brave enough. Or, use a spatula. I prefer to live dangerously!

Once the yolks are set to your liking, slip the eggs on to your plate. Garnish how you like them, and go to town!

How do you like to serve up your eggs?

I could never figure out why spinach gets a bum deal. People cook the shit out of it, and then they wonder why it just doesn’t look appealing. It’s too bad, because done correctly, people will rave over it. Today I am going to show you how easy it can be.

The only rule to remember about cooking spinach -

1. Don’t cook the shit out of it.
   

Here’s why:

Spinach is a delicate leaf, quick to overcook. It’s packed with a suitcase of vitamins, minerals, and other antioxidants that disappear when you over cook the spinach.

Not Your Mama’s Creamed Spinach

Servings: 2
Data courtesy of Livestrong (find the recipe here)
Calories: 550 per serving
Carbohydrates: 12.72 g per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 large bag (1 lb) baby organic spinach (You can use “adult” spinach; see below how things change.)
• ½ green pepper, seeded, chopped
• 1 shallot, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• To taste freshly grated nutmeg
• To taste salt
• To taste freshly ground pepper

Method:

Sweat diced peppers and chopped shallots with butter.

Start off by sweating your shallots and spinach

Stir the mixture and cook it down until it has softened a bit.

When the peppers are getting soft, this is about it...

Make sure that this mixture is seasoned properly. It sucks when your vegetables aren’t properly seasoned.

Pour in some heavy cream. It will cover the bottom of the pan.

Add your cream and cook it down

You are going to cook that down until it is slightly thickens. It shouldn’t take too long, about a minute or so.

Your cream will look this thick, then move on to the next step

Here’s the secret that separates our side dish here from the overcooked slop that some mothers like to pass off. Can you guess what that ingredient is?

Can you guess what this ingredient is?

That’s right, Nutmeg! It’s one of my favorites! Please don’t bother buying this pre-ground.

Let me get off track here for a second – Have you ever peeked in your Mother’s (or Mother-in-law’s) cupboard? Chances are you will find a mean row of neatly organized jars with the spices lined up. The problem is that they probably bought them back in the ’80s! I mean, why not just throw sawdust into your dish? I have a rule – if it smells like dust, I refuse to use it. I mean – it just isn’t good anymore! Jeez! Throw it out – fuck!

Okay, I’m back – but I’m adamant about this – trust me, this dish is better with freshly grated nutmeg.

hard to take a 1 handed picture - maybe a tripod would help?

See this spinach? Here is another part that a lot of people don’t get right – they don’t bother taking off the tough stems. I’m not a rabbit folks, so save it for Fluffy or something, but don’t put it on my plate, mmm-k?

What you want to do is rip those tough stems off. Some people like to get the veins out as well. You could if you like, but seeing as it is baby organic spinach, they won’t be tough and stringy. They will give you some fiber as well!

Remove the tough stems from the stems

Here is what it looks like with all those stems off. Trust me; your family/guests’s teeth will thank you!

Chop up the spinach

Roughly chop everything…

No need to get fancy, just roughly chop it... here is what it will look like!

And toss it into your cream mixture.

Some people say that you should blanch the spinach first. Why the hell would you want to do that? If you do that, you take away all the vitamins, nutrients, flavor, and every other reason that you want to eat spinach anyway. Also, you run the risk of overcooking it and serving up a steaming plate of crap to your family.

Just don’t do it folks!

Just toss the spinach in

Instead, stir the spinach until it wilts. It will color the cream, and that’s fabulous. You want that. (Otherwise, why put the spinach in there?)

Once the spinach is done, all that is left is to serve it; you can either drop it into a family sized bowl, or pair it with another dish. (Like say, Filet Mignon.) Before you do that, you must do the most essential thing I will ever tell you to do in the kitchen:

You gotta taste your food!

If you are plating the spinach individually, put a bit of the creamed spinach in the center of the plate. You want the “sauce” to go around the plate, that’s normal.

Plate it up like so, don't worry about the sauce "running" around the plate, you want that!

There you have it. One simple rule, an awesome dish full of lush, velvety green, vitality, and best of all – flavor! Your spinach dish, not your Mama’s!

This dish can also be translated to other spinach like greens. For instance, while I am finishing this post, I am using the same technique to make creamed leeks and Swiss chard.