Food In Many Forms

It only took about 3 tries, but I finally perfected this recipe. The proportions of tuna to breadcrumbs to egg is pretty crucial, so I included 2 different scaled versions of the recipe. The great thing about these tuna cakes is that they go great on a bun, roll or pita, but they are also good alone with tartar sauce, just like crab cakes. Deck them out with plenty of lettuce, tomato or cheese, and enjoy!  This recipe has the added bonus of including a lot of pantry staples, being relatively affordable when you're eating on a budget, and super quick to make! Ingredients : Makes 2 burgers:                                     Makes 7 burgers: 1 3 oz can tuna                                         2 1/2 5 oz cans tuna 1/8 cup of finely chopped onion          ...

This recipe totally made me rethink enchiladas - the nontraditional ingredients really worked well together! I felt like the original recipe could use even more vegetables, so I changed the recipe to double up the veg for next time. Ingredients : 8 (5 inch) corn tortillas 1 unpeeled butternut squash, seeded 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 onion, chopped 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup enchilada sauce 1/4 cup goat cheese,  crumbled 1/4 cup cotija cheese,  crumbled 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional) 1/4 cup sour cream, for topping (optional) Directions : 1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 2. Lay the tortillas flat onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, place the butternut squash half into a microwave-safe dish cut-side-down, and pour in the water. Cook in the mic...

I found about 10 bananas on the back shelf of my freezer, so naturally, I made lots and lots of banana bread. Do you sense a theme this week?! I'll give you a hint - it's food found in the depths of my freezer. I thought I should be healthy or something, and I bought sprouted wheat flour to use in this recipe. It was VERY WHEATY , and not really an improvement in my opinion, so the recipe and nutrition analysis below uses all-purpose flour. Oddly, when I changed the flour in the recipe from whole wheat to all-purpose, it added vitamins because the white flour is enriched - funny how that works out sometimes. Additionally, the fancy flour cost more than a dollar more in this recipe . Definitely going to stick with all-purpose flour on this one. But I toasted up the bread with a little butter and it was pretty darn good with a cup of coffee on this cold, snowy morning ! Ingredients : 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon fine grain salt ½ teaspoon baking so...

I truly believe in food destiny . These shrimp, marinated in Chesapeake Lemon dressing , and tucked away in the freezer, were meant to meet yellow grits . Today, that destiny became a reality . I had the hardest time finding a recipe that even resembled my mental image of Shrimp & Grits. I imagined creamy, salty, bright yellow grits, with colorful veggies and perfectly seasoned shrimp . I wanted peppers, and onions, softened and perfectly blended with the shrimp.  But so many recipes saturated the grits with cheese, packed in the bacon, and ignored the vegetables altogether. I think all the cheese, bacon grease and mounds of butter take away from the simple, delicious taste of this meal . My mother's side of the family is from the south, and we eat our grits with a little bit of milk and salt and it is perfection . When costing out this recipe, I was caught unaware by the price of the shrimp (especially since I bought and froze this particular shrimp back in ...

Some dishes, you just don't forget the first time you had them. In particular, the egg chilaquiles I had at Lauriol Plaza have been stuck in my mind: Three scrambled eggs with tortilla chips, and green tomatillo sauce. Topped with Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream. Served with seasonal fruit. Recommended for a hang over. - Lauriol Plaza Menu It came to my table still piping hot and comforting after a late night on the town. So, now that I have the time, I had to try my own version of it, perfectly portioned for 1. Ingredients : 1/2 cup salsa  3 oz chicken or vegetable broth 1 large egg 3 corn tortillas, in pieces, baked til crisp at 375 degrees OR 2 oz tortilla chips .75 oz queso fresco Nonstick cooking spray  Directions : 1. Heat salsa and broth in large saucepan to medium-high. Stir in the chips, coating all of them well with the mixture. As soon as the salsa mixture is at a boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes...

It's a New Year , so I thought I would point out some new things about my blog (and myself) in celebration! First, I have added meal pricing , in addition to the food allergies and nutrition facts that I was already posting. After doing cooking demonstrations with low-income patients and struggling to provide meals that are reasonably priced, I feel it is important to be aware of the cost of our favorite foods. It makes us aware of how fortunate we are to be able to afford healthy food, and encourages us to consider low-cost alternatives along the way. The Food Stamp challenge is one way to increase your awareness of this issue. Check out the Food Research and Action Center  for more information. Second, I have a renewed commitment to home cooking . After gaining weight since starting graduate school, cooking at home has allowed me to enjoy new foods , while still being able to control my portions . So, hopefully you will be seeing more posts real soon! Check out th...