Food In Many Forms

Banana, Kale, and Almond Milk Smoothie In a blender, puree 1 medium  banana , 1 cup chopped  kale , and 1 cup  almond milk  until smooth. 201 calories | 5 g fiber | 5 g protein | 4 g fat We made these smoothies at work on Monday as part of an Employee Health Fair during Commitment Week. It generated a lot of great discussion, but people were not too eager to try it because of the strong kale smell and the bright green color.  We also used 2% milk because we didn't have almond milk, and a lot of people were hesitant to try it because they were lactose intolerant.  Next time we make smoothies, I want experiment with almond milk or soy milk, try using spinach and experiment with a combination of fruits.  

It's a tradition in my family to celebrate holidays at our convenience . Jewish holidays? Ehh, Saturday works better with my schedule. Christmas? I can wait til the weekend to see that side of the family. Valentine's Day? As long as it's in the same week...   I feel the same way about St. Patrick's Day . So although it was on Sunday this year, we made Irish food Friday night and ate green bagels Saturday before going on a mini pub crawl :)  Looking at traditional Irish recipes got me pretty discouraged, since I wasn't going to take 4 hours to make corn beef and cabbage, Irish stew, or shepherd's pie . But some how this equally long-winded recipe did not have the same effect, probably because of the beer :) But seriously, it did take four hours to make.  In fact, we had to break out the extra Irish cheddar and crackers to balance out the wine we were drinking. I kept telling myself that it was only about 45 minutes per serving - and t...

When St. Patrick's Day comes along, I feel obligated to produce baked goods involving either green food, green food dye, or beer . This year, pinterest led me to this lovely recipe: http://squarebakery.blogspot.com/2009/03/this-ones-dedicated-to-shamrock-shake.html Green Food Dye it is!  A lot of reviewers complained of the intense minty flavor , and at first I wondered what they were talking about. Then I realized, I used peppermint extract, instead of peppermint oil.  The substitution is:  1/4 teaspoon oil = 1 teaspoon extract So basically, I only used a quarter of the amount of peppermint called for in the recipe. I'm sure I would have complained too, if I used that much peppermint! I used 3 teaspoons of peppermint extract , and I was happy with the results, but I'll post the original recipe below: Mint Meltaway Cookie Recipe  Makes 24 cookies You will need: 1 cup unsalted organic butter 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar 2 teaspo...

The months of February and March are filled with so many great holidays that are made better by homemade food. Valentine' s Day is one of my favorite occasions to cook and avoid the crowds, Purim is a great excuse to cook some of my favorite desserts, and St. Patrick's Day brings Irish Soda Bread and Scones. Easter is around the corner too, which means Cadbury Creme Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies.  For a Valentine's Day at home, I used grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil to make these cute appetizers on colorful plastic swords.  I cooked up some wild rice while I was preparing the appetizers. Then it was mixed with dried currants, dried apricots, craisins, toasted pecans, thyme, chopped celery and chopped onion .   Next came the Cornish hens. I found them in Whole Foods, and they were all ready cleaned and prepared. All I had to do was unwrap them, stuff them with the wild rice, and brush a little melted butter on top.  Voila! Beautiful Dinner for Two, with l...

Also from the food network, I stumbled upon this recipe when looking for Irish recipes other than beef hash and braised cabbage or whatever it is called. I did not realize it would make so many (30 cupcakes in all), so I sent some with my boyfriend to his work. I am told they were devoured early this morning. www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/chocolate-stout-cupcakes-recipe/index.html Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

The food network had a whole article in their last issue about green food for St. Patrick's Day - green ravioli, green shrimp, green drinks and green grilled cheese. Originally, I thought the "Irish" grilled cheese would be a good appetizer before the rosemary roated potatoes were ready, but I was so full after eating two sandwiches I could barely eat the dessert (Chocolate Guiness Cupcakes- my next post). In the interest of not overeating , I am going to cut down the recipe to serve 1 person . Ingredients: 1/2 Tbsp chives 1/2 Tbsp parsley 1/2 Tbsp scallions 1 Tbsp butter, softened 2 slices white bread Irish Cheddar Cheese Bread and Butter Pickles Directions: Mix the softened butter and three types of herbs together. Cover the inside of the bread in butter and layer on cheese and pickles. Once the cheese is melted and the toast grilled to perfection, melt more herb butter on the outside and serve! These sandwiches were so delicious, but all the butter made me a little ...