Some New Adventurous Flavors

I've had the apartment to myself for almost a week now, and I have been going out of my mind. Sunday I was bored with myself and the television, so I decided to make a somewhat elaborate dinner to occupy my time. Here's what happened:



Coconut mango risotto with shrimp and cilantro pesto.

Marinate the shrimp with lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to sit for about 15-20 minutes, and then saute for about two minutes on each side.

Risotto is one of those recipes that sounds complicated, but is actually very simple to prepare. The general concept is to add the liquid slowly, while stirring somewhat frequently, to create a creamy consistency. In a big saute pan or pot, saute onions in olive oil, add garlic, and then stir in as much risotto as you'll need (remember that it will plump up as you add more liquid) and toast for about one minute. Flavor with salt and pepper. Now, add some liquid; for this recipe I used one can of light coconut milk. Stir fairly often, as the milk has a tendency to burn and the rice may stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid seems to have been absorbed by the rice, add some more, stir, and repeat this process until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. If you run out of coconut milk and the rice is still not cooked through (which is what happened to me) just use some water. Once the rice is done, stir in chopped mangos.

Now for the cilantro pesto: blend fresh cilantro, pistachios, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender (or, if you're old schoool, use a mortar and pestle). Typically pesto is made with parmesan cheese; since I didn't have any on hand, I left it out and it came out just fine.

Put it all together: risotto on the bottom, shrimp on top of that, and the pesto at the peak. I realized that I didn't have any vegetables in this dish, so I garnished with baby heirloom tomatoes.

I hope this recipe keeps you company like it did me!

Poached Eggs

Growing up, each Christmas morning my mom would make a special breakfast: cinnamon buns. Unfortunately, despite my infallable sweet tooth, I hate cinnamon buns. I know, I know, it may seem crazy--but there's something about a sweet warm thing with frosting and a slightly crusty outer layer that makes me shiver. Because of this, my mom now adds Eggs Benedict to the morning menu, and her poached eggs are...way better than mine. (Are we noticing a pattern? It seems I'm not so great at eggs. But I'm willing to learn!)

This morning I woke up starving and saw that all I had were some eggs and left-over homemade pico de gallo (salsa). So, I pulled out my saute pan--feeling sleepy and groggy with blurred vision--filled it with water, and put the heat on nice and low. I remembered my mom saying something about vinegar, so I splashed a little into the water. I also recalled her mentioning something about small bubbles, so I waited until I saw some floating from the bottom of the pan to the water's surface. Now time to add the eggs.

I thought I remembered my mom telling me about stirring the water with a spoon to create a whirlpool effect, which helps the egg stay together (so does the vinegar). Well, this trick didn't work out so well for me. The egg swirled until I was left with only an egg yolk swimming among the ghostly whites. Next egg, I just plopped it in. (When dropping in the eggs, crack them first into a cup and them slowly pour them into the water). Then, I waited, hungrily yet patiently. Since the heat seemed to be very low, I let the eggs cook for about 5-6 minutes, scooped them out, plopped them into a bowl, and topped with the pico de gallo*.

Let me tell you, this picture may not do the eggs any justice, and it may sound like a strange breakfast, but it certainly hit the spot. The yolks were creamy and solid, not at all grainy or crumbly. They may not rival my mom's eggs, but hey--I couldn't wait till Christmas to enjoy a poached egg.




*The pico de gallo was left over from a fish taco dinner a few nights earlier. To make it, combine corn, beans of your choice, diced fresh tomatoes, diced onion, minced jalapeno, cilantro, lime and lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Typically, I don't add beans to a salsa, but I felt that it would create a heartier taco as the fish was sauteed, not breaded and fried. Recipe to come.

Exceptional Egg Salad

Egg salad can be the red-headed stepchild of the sandwich world. Traditionally mixed with mounds and mounds of mayonnaise, the simple flavor of the egg is washed away. My version uses mayonnaise, but a lot less than a deli-version's take on this classic.

Chop hardboiled eggs* in a bowl and mix with 1 part non-fat plain yogurt, 1 part mayonnaise. Add dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together and VOILA! You have yourself a delicious egg salad that is healthier than most others. If you like, add fresh herbs like dill, parsley, tarragon, or basil. I served the salad between two slices of hearty whole grain bread, along with arugula on the sandwich for added crunch, flavor, and color. Pan-roasted carrots and onions served as a side to complete the meal (refer to March 30's blog for the recipe).


*As good a cook as I believe myself to be, my hardboiled eggs are continually defeated by my boyfriend's. For the perfect egg: place raw eggs into a pot, cover with cold water, place over medium heat with the lid on. Once the water boils, turn the heat off and move the pot to another burner. Let the eggs cook in the water for 12 minutes, then rinse with cold water and let the eggs hang out in ice cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel and enjoy! (They keep for about a week in the refrigerator.)

"Look what I put as the serving size..."

I found another comedy skit, this one by Brian Regan, about food. In a previous clip Regan revealed he has high cholesterol, and his doctor recommended he read food labels to help him eat healthier. I often teach reading food labels to my patients in the hospital, which is a more complicated task than it seems, especially when emphasizing the importance of a serving size. Here, Regan pokes fun at serving sizes of foods he normally consumes in copious amounts, a concept which many can relate to. While I don't condone the way he eats Fig Newtons (like a wood chipper), this is pretty funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q

Lettuce Talk Turkey

Turkey has its place at the table, and not just during the holiday season. A great substitute in dishes that typically call for ground beef, ground turkey is a lean and tasty source of protein that will surely fill your meat craving, so long as it's done right.

Look for ground turkey breast; if it's not all white meat, it is likely to be made with the skin and dark meat sections of the bird, which raises the saturated fat content considerably. Also, make sure you flavor the meat well with lots of herbs, onions, garlic, spices, etc.--anything that tastes good on your tongue.

Here I use ground turkey to make a fantastic chili:

Saute chopped onions and cubanelle peppers (Italian sweet peppers--feel free to use green bell peppers if that's more your style) until they are soft. Then throw in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Season generously with salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce (all this pepper action is absolutely optional. I like my chili spicy), cumin, cinnamon, paprika, oregano, and a little bit of barbeque sauce.

Add the ground turkey breast and cook almost all the way through, breaking apart the chunks into smaller pieces. Now pour in a can of diced tomatoes, a can of beans (rinsed thoroughly), and frozen corn. Stir it all together, put the heat on low, and allow all the flavors to meld. If there is some tomato juice still sitting at the bottom of the pot after everything is done hanging out, mix some cornstarch with a little water, add to the chili, and stir; this will thicken the liquid.

Enjoy this delicious, heart-healthy chili on its own, or with a piece of cornbread.