Food Lush

Healthier Cashew Chicken

by Jen L.

I'm on a low-sodium diet and one of the things I miss most is Asian food. I still eat it from time to time in a restaurant, but it's almost always so SO salty that I get a headache.  My all-time favorite Asian dish (well, dish that doesn't involve noodles) is Cashew Chicken.  PF Chang's has an unbeleivable recipe, which also contains almonds. It's divine.  And salty.

I've been searching for a healthier version with a lot less sodium, but a whole lot of taste. I think I've hit the jackpot with this recipe from HowSweetEats.  Just look at her dish.

Don't you want to dive into it with your face?  She uses low-sodium soy sauce, which is essential for me.  I am considering substituting some salt-free chicken broth for at least half the soy sauce next time I make it, and I'm also going to add some water chestnuts because I adore their texture.

I'm so thrilled to find a low-sodium, not to mention super tasty, relatively healthy, and downright pretty version of my favorite Asian dish. Give it a try over some nice, fluffy rice.

(Photo Credit:  How Sweet Eats)

Food Fiction

By Nora

I’m a big reader. I love when I find a book that I can lose myself in. I find that the books that I love the most are the ones that often involve food in some way. Not that the plots have to be about food, but when the characters describe mouth-watering meals or talk about making recipes that have some significance in their lives, it somehow makes me more invested in the story (because it feels real to me). So, needless to say, I LOVE when fiction books include recipes for the dishes that are mentioned in the story, or even better, have spin-off cookbooks!  I KNOW that in most cases, this is a marketing ploy to get suckers like me to buy more books.  But I fall for it every time.  Here are some of my favorite spin-off cookbooks and books that have recipes within the context of the story. 

 

If you’re a fan of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series, you’ll know that Kay Scarpetta is the Virginia State Medical Examiner AND an avid Italian cook. Many of the recipes in  Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta’s Kitchen are really legit in terms of being authentically Italian. It’s also worth mentioning that Cornwell published another little vignette/cookbook out called “Kay’s Winter Table”, but it’s more focused on holiday food and has a story to accompany it.

 

Good Enough to Eat is actually a book that Dani reviewed a while back, and which I loved as well.  As Dani so eloquently put it, it’s a book about “weight-loss, health food, love, friendship and good, delicious, hearty meals.”  The recipes for many of the dishes featured in the chapters are included, and some are----gasp---healthy!

 

 

Like Water for Chocolate. If you haven’t read this book, please set aside a weekend soon to devote to reading it. It takes place in turn of the century Mexico, so you can only imagine the amazing traditional recipes in this novel/fairy tale about forbidden love, complicated family relationships, and how food fits in to all of those elements of the story.

 

 

So I can’t personally vouch for this one, but I thought it was hilarious and worth mentioning. The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. If Lamb Stew with Plums sounds good to you, this cookbook is for you.

And Tara C. just wrote a post about the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, which I plan to buy in the near future. Head on over to her post and enter to win a free copy!

If you know any other fiction books with recipes or awesome cookbook spin-offs, please share! 

(Photos from Amazon and Barnes&Noble)

Aldi Markets

By Julie

Do you have an Aldi market in your area? They have just begun to pop up in my neck of the woods. Aldi prides itself on providing the lowest prices possible, which is a sentiment that goes straight to my heart. And wallet.

There are a couple of things you need to know about Aldi before making a trip. It costs a quarter to free a cart from their chained pen, but you get your coin back when you return the cart and lock it back up again. The point is to cut down on missing carts and parking lot damage. They don’t take credit cards, only cash and debit. Bring your own bags or pay for paper or plastic, and you’ll be bagging your own purchases. You won’t recognize most of the brand names. But it’s all part of their master plan to save customers moulah.

Knowing all this, I went in, armed with my mental database of food prices from every other store I shop. Well, well. You really can save here, even over Walmart costs. Produce is a big area to save, as long as the quality looks good on any given day (it can vary). Generics don’t bother me, so I have no problem picking up the Aldi-offered brands. Their inventory isn’t as large as most other grocery stores, but what they do carry almost always will cost less than comparable products elsewhere. For a breakdown of some specific savings, check out this post by Erica.

They also have seasonal merchandise which runs the gamut from toys at Christmas to patio furniture in the summer. You never know what you might find.

If you have Aldi nearby, check it out. It might be just want your grocery budget needs.

(Photo Credit: aldi.us)

Recipe Round-Up

By Nicole

Check out some of the most enticing recipes posted around the web this week. They look delicious and are surely worthy of a whirl in your kitchen and mine.

Mustard Tofu in a Creamy Leek Sauce by Where's the Beef (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Cheese Spiral Pie by Jo Cooks

Sausage and Shrimp Panzanella Skillet by Cheeky Kitchen

Mojito Doughnuts by Diethood (Vegetarian)

Shredded Rainbow Salad by Shutterbean (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Primal)

Mexican Eggs Benedict with Chorizo Biscuits and Chipotle Hollandaise by We Are Not Martha

Tomato, Corn and Bacon Pie by The Galley Gourmet

German Meatballs in a Mushroom Sauce by Crepes of Wrath

Creamy Turmeric Vegetable Noodles by Sweet Roots (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Copycat Baked Brie Dip by Swanky Dietician (Vegetarian)

Grape Jelly Filled Honey Lemon Doughnuts by Chasing Delicious

Corn and Poblano Pudding by Elly Says Opa (Gluten-Free)

It's Political Convention Time! Let's Booze Up, Shall We?

By Dani

We're 10 weeks out from the election, and whether you're Team Red or Team Blue, it can all get a little old, right? After a while, even political junkies like yours truly start watching the convention coverage for pure stereotype-spotting and mockery.

But, I was thumbing through Garden and Gun (a lovely magazine that I discovered through our sister-site, Style Lush, and have loved ever since) and I discovered the solution to my politically-charged angst.

RED AND BLUE COCKTAILS!

Inspired by these beautiful drinks from Garden and Gun, I went in search of some more booze to unite all political leanings.

Blue:

• Little Italy (Chow.com)
• Pacific Breeze (Food and Wine magazine)
• Moody Blue (Food Network)

Red:

• Gina's Red Carpet Cocktail (Food Network)
• Ruby Sangria (Chow.com)
• Holland Red Light (Bon Appetit magazine)

And, finally, to bring us together, like the good ol' Star Spangled Banner:

• Blackberry and Cabernet Capairihna (Chow.com)
• Rose, Bourbon and Blue (Bon Appetit magazine)
• Fourth of July Cocktail (Food Network)

Personally, I don't know how I'll make through the next few months of political huffing and puffing without a healthy imbibing of booze - and I'm excited to bring a little levity to this whole thing by making some red, white and blue drinks.

So, let's raise a glass to America, and our messy, awesome, and sometimes awful democratic process. Salute!

(Photo credit: Garden and Gun magazine, which you should totally subscribe to, by the way.)

Health(ier) Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Shrimp

by Maura

Pasta is one of my favorite foods and I could drink red sauce (aka gravy, aka Sunday sauce). Unfortunately, Will is not a big fan of red sauce. He loves creamy, cheesy sauces and anything with wine and butter. Who doesn't? In an (unending) effort to make our meals healthier, I fooled around with a few recipes for "skinny" fettuccine alfredo. Surprisingly, I came up with a pretty good recipe. To no one's surprise, it's not all that healthy. In retrospect, we could have done without the shrimp. The pasta was creamy and surprisingly decadent. I see us adding this to our pasta repertoire. 

Ingredients

6 oz of thin fettuccine
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp flour
3/4 c. low fat milk (2%)
1/4 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese 
3 c. broccoli florets
1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
zest of 1 lemon, divided
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper, to taste 

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and half of lemon zest. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large, nonstick pan. Sautee garlic until fragrant. Stir in flour slowly and cook for a minute. Add milk and half-and-half and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

3. When there is about 4 minutes left before the pasta reaches al dente, add broccoli florets to the pasta water with the pasta.

4. In a separate pan, cook shrimp in 1 tbsp of butter until pink, about 5 minutes.

5. When sauce begins to thicken, add salt, remainder of lemon zest and pepper. 

6. Drain pasta and broccoli and reserve some of the cooking water.

7. Add pasta, broccoli and shrimp to the sauce and stir to coat. Add pasta water, as necessary, to thin out the sauce. Top with extra grated cheese and pepper. Enjoy!

Talenti Raspberry Sorbet (I apologize in advance)

by Caitlin

As of tomorrow, I'll have been on my allergy diet for four full weeks. It's gone by much faster than I expected, and easier too. Sure, I have my moments, but overall it's not so bad. The restrictive nature of the diet requires me to cook most of meals at home, and it's fairly easy to fall into a meal rotation anyway, you know? The problems come occasionally at stores or restaurants, when I see tempting things or see people eating tempting things, but it's gotten easier and easier as the weeks go on and overall it's fine. And hey, I feel better! In fact, I was only planning on doing the diet for three weeks, actually, but I feel so much better that I'm afraid to go off of it. I'm slowly experimenting with adding things back in, but I think I'll stay on the wagon at least until the worst of the summer/fall allergy season has passed.

The other benefits to this diet are that I'm trying recipes (those quinoa pumpkin pancakes, quinoa tortillas) and new ways of cooking familiar foods (I tried that roasted cauliflower as all florets, by the way, and it was as delicious as I'd expected). I'm also eating healthier, by default. Go on, show me a loaf of store-bought bread, a bag of tortilla chips, a jar of salsa, or any remotely processed food that doesn't have wheat, corn, dairy, soy, or some derivative thereof (or, say, tomatoes, or any of the innumerable produce items that are off-limits). I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, and since it's one of the few things I can indulge these days, indulge it I have. Though interestingly, it needed more indulging in the beginning. Whatever it took to get through those first weeks.

You might recall my love for frozen yogurt, and you might also recall my love for Talenti Salted Caramel gelato. Dairy is out, but Talenti Sorbetto is in! I've tried my fair share of sorbets lately, and while there aren't that many that don't have Forbidden Ingredients, Talenti is the rare and perfect combination of allergy-safe, delicious, fresh fruit flavor, and smooth, creamy perfection that is so often missing in sorbets. I'd swear it had dairy in it if I didn't know better: I've never, ever had a sorbet so creamy and smooth.

Photo from amazon.com

One night recently I had some sorbet by Ciao Bella - a brand I love and have enjoyed for the past few years - and it tasted like Italian Ice compared to the Talenti. They're just in two completely different leagues. This is definitely the best sorbet I've ever had. Not to oversell it. (Too late.)

Also, if you keep saying sorbet it starts to sound funny. Sorbet. Sorbet. Sorbet sorbet sorbet.

Oh, one more thing. I like that sugar isn't the first ingredient: raspberries are. (Sugar isn't even the second ingredient: water is.) Sugar is the third ingredient, but hey, this is dessert so shhhhh, pass the Talenti.

Have you tried Talenti Sorbets or Gelatos? Do you have any non-dairy, non-anything allergy desserts to recommend?

Let's Eat Hogwarts Style: The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook + Giveaway!

By Tara C.

We are a Harry Potter-loving household. My eight-year-old son is currently working his way through the books and movies. I would have liked to have attended Hogwarts myself, but, according to my t-shirt from last Halloween, I am a Muggle. And also a big nerd.

(photo from: me, obviously)

When I spotted The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory (F+W Media, December 2011) by Dinah Bucholz at our library, I eagerly snatched it up.

 (image from: www.dinahbucholz.com)

My son had a Harry Potter-themed dinner for his seventh birthday, and I would have loved to have had this cookbook then. Some of the dishes I invented were a bit...questionable. But this cookbook is extremely comprehensive. With more than 150 recipes, it includes foods explicitly mentioned in the Harry Potter books as well as some that were just merely suggested.

Most of the recipes are quintessentially English, and, in addition to recipes and cooking tips, the author includes historical tidbits about the recipes. I love this kind of thing. To her credit, the author does not shy away from the, um, more authentic recipes, such as haggis, which calls for 1 sheep's heart, 1 sheep's lung, and 1 sheep's liver. But just one! Because two sheep lungs would be gross. The author notes that this recipe is untested.

Aside from haggis, which is entertaining if not appetizing, most of the cookbook features delicious-sounding dishes that you could easily whip up in your own kitchen. I would love to try the recipes for Chocolate Custard Trifle with Toffee Crunch or the Poached Salmon in Honey and Dill Sauce.

I let my son choose any recipe in the book for us to make together. He selected Herby Roast Chicken with Onion-Garlic Mashed Potatoes, based on a meal Mrs. Weasley made in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. (Don't you remember?) Interesting choice, but that's what we made. I also made English Tomato Ketchup from a recipe in this cookbook. The chicken was fantastic--moist and well-seasoned. The potatoes were good too, although my son didn't care for them because he doesn't like onions. Why he chose something with onion in the name, I have no idea. But, we all agreed the chicken is lovely! I'm including it here so you can make it and impress you friends and family. And you don't have to tell them it's a Magical Recipe.

(photo from: me)

Herby Chicken
Recipe from The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

1 medium onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 3-pound chicken
2 tablespoons softened butter or margarine
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon gound sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lay the onion slices and garlic cloves in a baking dish. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry.
2. Mix the butter or margarine with the thyme, sage and parsley and spread it under the skin of the breasts and thighs; you will need to loosen the skin first by lifting up the flap of skin and sliding your fingers under it. Lay the chicken in the pan, breast-side up, on top of the onions and garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the pan.
3. Bake for 50 minutes. Rotate the pan, raise the temperature to 450°F, and bake for another 30 minutes or until an instead-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 170°F.

***

Good news today! If you'd like to win your very own copy of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, we have one copy to giveaway.

The fine print-type stuff:

• For a chance to win, simply comment with the answer to this question: What was your favorite Harry Potter book?
• Giveaway ends: Thursday, September 6 at 11:59 p.m. 
• Who can enter: Anyone in the U.S.!
• Other details: one comment per person, please; we'll select the winner through random.org and announce by September 7

Good luck!

Best potato wedges ever

by Elsha

Usually I find potato wedges dry and bland. Plus they tend to get overdone on the outside before they get done on the inside. Needless to say, I was a little skeptical about having potato wedges with our dinner on Sunday. However, these wedges? Did NOT disappoint! Crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, flavorful and delicious.

Here's how we made them:

Wash potatoes and cut them into wedges. We had some of those giant russets, so that's what we used. Mix together olive oil, paprika, oregano, rosemary, pepper, sea salt, and minced garlic. No measurements on the spices, just to taste. Brush the olive oil and spice mixture liberally onto the wedges. Bake at 410 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Do you like potato wedges? Do you have a favorite recipe?

Farnum Hill Cider Tote Bag Giveaway Winner!

By Jennie

Thanks for the comments on last week's giveaway (and I hope you have snatched up a bottle of Farnum Hill Cider if it's anywhere near you since the post went live).

Our winner is....

Congrats to kathleenicanrah! I'll be in touch today.

To everyone else, here's to a happy, cider-filled fall.