Shitake Mushrooms from Sharonview Farms

 Fresh Shitake Mushrooms Just Picked from the Log

Somebody brought logs to the Waxhaw Farmers' Market on Saturday. Not just any old logs, but four-foot long hardwood logs all propped up neatly in a row, and adorned with the most beautiful shitake mushrooms I've ever seen. Teri (the proprietress of the booth) invited me to pick the mushrooms, and I could barely contain my excitement...to be the one to actually harvest these perfect mushrooms, and then TASTE them. Ohhhhh.....I barely made it to the car before tearing open the cute little mushroom-decorated brown paper bag and popping a tantalizing treasure into my mouth. Meaty, tender, sweet, earthy essence....everything store-bought mushrooms had ever promised but never delivered. I will never again be satisfied with harvesting from the grocery store.

Having a supply of mushrooms this fresh and to be able to pick them is a rare privilege, one that I just had to share with you before the harvest season is over. You can meet Teri or her fiance, Nasi, at the Waxhaw Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, or call them at Sharonview Farm at 843-602-8593. The farm is at 4114 Crow Rd., Monroe, NC 28112, and if you'd rather use email, their address is sharonviewfarm@gmail.com. Oh, and you don't have to pick the shitake if you don't want to, they will be happy to pick them for you. If you're a personal chef or want to order a larger quantity for your restaurant, they'll make arrangements for you to get what you need. If you live far away, check with them because maybe they'll even be able to ship them to you. Better get 'em before they're gone! (Recipe for Chicken with Shitakes &; Capers in the next post!)

Sharonview Farm
4114 Crow Rd.
Monroe, NC 28112
843-602-8593

Fiesta Vegetable Soup

An end-of-the-garden soup!

Ever hear of nopalitos? They are the leaves of the prickly pear cactus, and I never in a million years would have known what to do with them until I visited friends in Mexico a few years ago and was introduced to them in soups, stews, salads, and even juices. Our Mexican friend said that according to folklore, napoles (the cactus leaves) help to prevent bladder cancer. I just think they are a tasty addition to many dishes. A bonus is that they are very low in calories and fat free.

I'm so glad that you can purchase nopalitos already cleaned and jarred, because I really don't think I'd take the time to find them fresh, remove the spines, and peel them. You can find them in jars (see above photo) in Wal-Mart and almost all the grocery stores, and all you have to do is dump them in a strainer and rinse the salty brine off, and they are recipe-ready. Today, I even diced some up and added them to tuna salad, and it was delicious. They don't have a strong flavor, just add that salty kind of bite that capers add to dishes. Oh, and in this soup they look like green beans. I doubt anyone will notice there are cactus leaves in your soup!

Fiesta Vegetable Soup

1 T. olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 medium green bell peppers

2 medium red bell peppers

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes

4 c. chicken or vegetable stock (this is a vegetarian dish if you use vegetable stock)

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, 1/2 inch dice

2 c. napolitos (from jar), rinsed well, drained, and coarsely chopped

28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, undrained

3 cans black beans, rinsed well and drained

2 tsp. salt
6 dashes liquid smoke flavoring (you can leave this out, but I think it adds something important)
Garnishes: shredded cheese, fresh cilantro leaves, sour cream or Greek yogurt

Coat the bottom of a 6-8 quart heavy bottomed stock pot with thin layer of olive oil. Heat to shimmering, then add onions, garlic, peppers, and herbs and spices. Saute, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom, till vegetables are tender.

Add two cups of stock and tomatillos; simmer for 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients; bring to simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes, until all vegetables are tender and soup has thickened a bit. Adjust seasoning if needed and serve. Garnish as desired. Serves 8
Freezes great!

(About 350 calories per serving without the garnishes.)

Cannellini Bean Salad with Feta & Fresh Herbs

Want a healthful and delicious alternative to high fat, mayonnaise-laced potato and pasta salads this summer? Try my white bean salad at your next cookout. It goes great with poultry, seafood, or meat. Serve it with grilled vegetables and you have a delicious and nutritious vegetarian meal. One serving is only 207 calories, just 2 grams of fat (1 cup of potato salad has about 20 grams), 13 grams of protein, and 9 grams of dietary fiber. How about that? It's really easy to make, too.

Cannellini Bean Salad with Feta & Fresh Herbs

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
6 ounces olive oil & canola oil blend
1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, or to taste

For the salad:
2 cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
2 slices red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (curly or flat)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 ounces feta cheese, diced (reduced fat is great if you can find it)

-Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.
-In a medium bowl, add the beans and red onion.
-Combine the herbs in one pile on your cutting board and, with a very sharp knife, chop them all together until they're all minced about the same size, 1/4 inch or so. (If your knife is dull, your herbs will look like what you pull out from under your lawn mower, and that's not very appealing.) Add the herbs to the beans and toss together.
-Give the vinaigrette a stir and pour onto the salad. Mix well to combine. Adjust seasoning. (That means add more salt and pepper to suit your taste!)
Make this recipe the day before up to this point for maximum flavor, cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before continuing.
-Right before serving, gently fold in the feta cheese and tomatoes.
-Serve this salad at room temperature for ultimate flavor. Enjoy!

Serves 8

Blood Oranges with Rosemary-Infused Warm Honey

I noticed blood oranges in the market just the other day, and then with the utmost impecable timing, a colleague of mine who owns the Chefs Private Table posted a recipe for this healthy dessert. Thanks Chef Stu! (More about rosemary after the recipe.)

Blood Oranges with Rosemary-Infused Warm Honey

Based on a recipe shared by Chef Stu of Chefs Private Table

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: About 10 minutes including resting time

Difficulty: Super Easy

3 blood oranges (I used 2 and one navel orange)
1/4 cup sourwood honey (my favorite; you use yours!)

1/4 cup warm water

2 (4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

Trim the blossom and stem ends off the oranges. Standing each orange on end and using a sharp knife, follow the contour of the orange and cut away the peel and the white pith, then slice the orange into disks, about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the orange slices on a platter or individual plates.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, and rosemary and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Watch carefully and when the liquid becomes like syrup (water evaporates out) remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes. The rosemary will infuse the honey with all its lucious flavor.

Remove the rosemary from the honey and drizzle the warm syrup over the orange slices. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and serve at room temperature.

Note: If there is one herb you should grow in your yard or a pot on the deck in a sunny spot, it is rosemary. You can find small plants for very reasonable prices at home and garden stores and once planted, they grow into shrub-like plants and live for years.

I love having rosemary to use year-round, and during the holidays the sprigs are a fragrant addition to wreaths and floral arrangements. Rosemary also blooms with tiny lavender flowers that are a perfect and unexpected garnish.

Rosemary is the perfect pairing for spring lamb, and in the winter is a wonderful addition to beef stew. Mince finely and sprinkle on foccacia bread. Or just rub your fingers across it when you are out in the yard and enjoy the fragrance!

Baked Chicken Meatballs, a Tasty & Healthy Alternative to Chicken Nuggets

Lots of kids love chicken nuggets, and lots of parents love the convenience, but why not make a healthier version? This recipe for chicken meatballs uses convenient ground chicken (find it next to the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the poultry section of your supermarket) and is baked instead of fried, eliminating lots of fat. The meatballs freeze great, too, making it convenient for quick suppers on busy days. The Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce from my last blog post makes a great sauce for these meatballs, and you can put more garlic and oregano in the mixture to turn them into delicious Italian style meatballs. Just be sure to simmer them a bit in the sauce after they are baked. Yum! These freeze great, too, making this a convenient and healthy choice for quick suppers on busy days.

Baked Chicken Meatballs
(Based on an old recipe from Gourmet Magazine)
Serves 4
Difficulty: Super Easy
Prep Time: About 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 - 20 minutes

Ingredients:

3 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
3 ounces lean ham (from the deli)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons finely minced red bell pepper (opt.)
1 large egg or equivalent amount of egg substitute
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet cake pan with foil and spray it with vegetable spray.
• Soak bread in broth until softened, just a couple of minutes, and squeeze out broth, reserving bread. (Discard the broth.)
• In a medium saute pan sprayed with vegetable oil spray, cook ham, onion, bell pepper, and garlic with the 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth till onion softens a bit. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon EACH of salt and pepper. Set aside to cool a bit.
• Lightly beat egg in large bowl, then add chicken, ham and onion mixture, bread, parsley and tomato paste.
• Form 12 meatballs and arrange on foil-covered sheet pan.
• Bake in uppper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
• Cool and freeze, or serve hot

Note:

For children or hors d'oeuvre: serve meatballs with honey mustard, barbecue sauce, honey, or other favorite "dipping" sauce.

For everyone:
Stuff meatballs into split whole wheat pita bread along with diced onion and tomato and shredded lettuce. Create Tsatsiki sauce by combining non-fat yogurt (Greek is grea!), minced onion, garlic, cucumber, and lemon juice. Serve Tsatsiki sauce with chicken meatball pitas.

To freeze:
Cool and portion into zip lock or Foodsaver bags and freeze for easy meals. Reheat in microwave or in 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Quick & Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce

It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog, I know. Life just took over and got very busy, but I'm excited about all the cooking I've been doing and can't wait to share new recipes with you.

March is National Sauce Month, and when I read that post from one of my chef friends on Facebook, I thought about my Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce and how easy it is to make this one time and use it for so many different meals. Forget about the long simmer time that we think of when we think about homemade sauces. I think a shorter simmer time for this sauce keeps the fresh tomato flavors bright. Of course, using a good tomato product is important, so steer clear of big box store brands in favor of San Marzano, Muir Glen, Furmanos, Centro, Hunts, or store brands labeled "Fancy," which often indicate they are San Marzano-style tomatoes. Taste test and see which ones you like the most (and let me know because I'm curious).

This sauce is easily adjusted to your tastes, too. If you don't want it so spicy, then decrease or omit the red pepper flakes. If you're not that wild about oregano, leave it out. If you want to use all fresh herbs, then add them right at the end instead of at the beginning.

In fact, that is a good lesson for today about herbs: If you are using dried herbs, add them toward the beginning of any recipe to give the oils in the herbs a chance to be released and flavor your dish. If you are using fresh herbs, add them at the end to keep their flavor and color bright.

Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce

Easy to throw together when you get home from work, then simmer while you change clothes, check homework, throw a load of laundry in the washer, etc. Or make this on a less-busy day and double or even triple the recipe and package in 2-cup portions to freeze or share with friends. Suggestions for dishes made with this sauce appear after the recipe below.

Serves 8

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Diets: Vegan; Gluten and Dairy Free

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste (TT)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or TT
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in puree
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine (buy a bottle of Chianti to cook with and then to drink with your meal)
1 bay leaf
Salt
Sugar

Method

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, basil, marjoram, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Pour whole tomatoes into a large bowl and break them up with your fingers. Add these with their juice, the crushed tomatoes, the red wine, and the bay leaf to the onion mixture; simmer gently, uncovered, until the sauce thickens a bit, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf before serving or storing. Adjust seasoning (salt) TT. Add a teaspoon or so of sugar if necessary.

Uses

Toss with your favorite cooked pasta; roast with peeled, quartered potatoes until they are tender; add to your favorite basic meatloaf recipe and then spread over top before baking; add to pork or beef roast in crockpot cooking; brown chicken pieces and simmer in sauce till cooked through for chicken cacciatiore (or use pieces of cooked rotisserie chicken); brown Italian sausages with sliced onions and bell peppers, then toss with sauce; simmer mussels or clams in sauce in covered pan till shells open. Use your imagination to create other quick and delicious meals with your sauce!

Basic Recipe for Easy & Versatile Baked Eggs in a Cup

I read a recipe somewhere for eggs that you bake in a muffin pan, but those little cups just didn't seem big enough, and what do you do if you only want to make one or two? What about making them ahead of time to use throughout the week for a quick breakfast? And maybe I want some of lastnight's leftover asparagus in mine and my husband doesn't?

The possibilities are endless with this recipe. I'm giving you the basic recipe and method, and you use your imagination to make this perfect for you. At the end of the recipe are some of my ideas. I'm sure you'll have a lot more!

You'll need one 4-ounce custard cup for each egg. Spray it with cooking spray and press one piece of Canadian bacon into the bottom. Top that with vegetables of your choice (or no veggies if you don't want any) and then break an egg on top. You can do this up to one day ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate or just continue with the recipe if you want to bake them right away.

Put the filled custard cups onto a baking sheet and slide it into a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with about a tablespoon of shredded cheese and loosely cover with a sheet of foil. Let rest for 5 minutes; the cheese will melt and the interior of the eggs will finish cooking. When cooked this way, the yolk will still be soft and a bit runny. If you want it cooked harder, just leave the eggs in the oven for a few more minutes.

Easy & Versatile Baked Eggs in a Cup

Serves 4

4 slices Canadian bacon

4 large eggs

1 T. shredded reduced-fat cheese (I use Mexican blend)

Sautéed or leftover vegetables of your choice (optional)

Spray each of four 4-ounce custard cups with nonstick cooking spray. Press one slice of Canadian bacon into bottom of each custard cup. If using fresh vegetables, sauté them first (onion, scallion, bell pepper, tomato, etc.). If using cooked vegetables, just chop them first into small pieces. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetables on top of the bacon and then break an egg into each cup.

Place filled custard cups onto a baking sheet and slide into a preheated 400-degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove. Sprinkle with cheese and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. With a spoon, scoop contents of each cup onto your plate or, if you are doing this for a crowd, onto a warmed serving platter or chafing dish.

Ideas:

Make ahead: Bake according to directions; cool completely and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To heat, microwave for 45 seconds on high. Serve.

Mexican: For veggies, use sautéed onions and combine with a can of diced green chiles. Cooked corn would be a good addition to this, or use a can of drained Mexican corn. Serve with a selection of salsas (rojo-red and verde-green). For the traditional Guadalajaran "Divorced Eggs," serve each plate with two eggs, top one egg with red sauce and one with green.

Italian: For veggies, use sautéed onions and bell pepper. Serve topped with a quick sauce of minced garlic, green onion, diced tomatoes, and fresh basil. Fresh asparagus tips would be a good addition to this, too!

On a buffet: Serve in chafing dishes with a variety of sauces on the side, with fresh fruit and an assortment of muffins. Great for a family gathering since you can do these ahead of time!

Veggie suggestions: onions, bell pepper, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, English peas

Sauce suggestions: Italian red sauces and bruschetta toppings, Mexican salsas, classic hollandaise

Nutrition per basic recipe each egg cup: 136 Calories; 8g Fat (53.2% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 229mg Cholesterol; 507mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

A Day's Work for a Personal Chef

My cookday really begins the week before when I design the menu for my clients. I know what they like to eat and also their nutritional needs, so I put the menu together based on those things and email it to them for approval. Sometimes I get an email back requesting a special dish that they've enjoyed in the past and I make that change.

I usually make five separate meals of four servings each, and I package this food according to the size of the family. The meals in the picture above were prepared for a bachelor client who is losing weight and getting fit, so I do mostly low-glycemic index, low fat foods for him, and package everything in single servings. What you see will feed him for a month...20 meals to enjoy on weeknights!

The day before my client's "cookday," I print out a menu of all the food I will be making so that I can leave that on the kitchen counter and they'll know what's in their fridge and freezer. I also print out the recipes I'll be using, labels for the containers, and my shopping list. I load my trusty Forester with my Rubbermaid bin full of pots and pans, one that contains my pantry items, such as flour, spices, etc., my soft-sided cooler, and a few other essentials. I have a Stanley tool box that I keep my kitchen tools in: favorite knives, bamboo scrapers and spoons, measuring spoons, instant read thermometer, etc. Everything I will need I take with me.

I love to start my cookday in bed with a cup of coffee and the news, and so I wake up around 6:00 so I can have an hour to enjoy before jumping into the shower. Since my car's already loaded, it's a snap to grab my purse, portfolio with all the printed materials, and my phone. Sometimes I take my iPod or a portable radio. I'm always excited about being able to spend the day cooking. (Yes, the whole day! This is why I do what I do!)

First stop is the grocery store, and sometimes it's more than one store to find everything I need. It all depends on where my client-for-the-day lives. Some days I'm cooking in the country and other days in the city, and by now I know my way around all the grocery stores! I love to shop and I've made friends with the meat and fish guys and the produce managers, so I can call ahead and they'll have special cuts of meat ready for me to pick up, and the produce managers will even order unusual fruits and veggies for me. They are my best friends in the morning on a cookday!

I pull into my client's driveway usually between 9:00 & 10:00 a.m. and unload, put some music on, and I'm cooking by 10:30. I take a break at noon while something is simmering and something else is roasting, and I snarf down a quick cup of yogurt to keep me going. I have to force myself to drink water because I get busy and forget, but dehydration eventually drains one of energy, and I still have four hours to go!

I quick-cool the hot food in ice water baths and immediately package and apply labels and get them in the fridge or freezer. One by one I check off each recipe and then clean up, pack up, sweep the kitchen floor and load up my car. I stick the menu on the fridge or leave it on the counter. The house smells heavenly from all my home cooking and I know my clients will be looking forward to coming home after a long day and having their supper ready and waiting!

I like to do extra things for my clients, too. Sometimes I'll set the table and leave a small vase of flowers. If there are children in the family, from time to time I'll bake some cookies for a treat. Often I'll make a fresh fruit or veggie salad. I really appreciate their business!

I'm usually on the road heading home by 4:00 or 4:30. Another delightful day of cooking for appreciative clients at an end, and this is when I really appreciate what I do as I drive by all the offices still full of people trapped behind desks and in cubes!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Chicken Stewed with Chiles

Fat is full of flavor. That is a fact, and when we try to cut fat from our foods we need to replace that satisfying flavor with something else, and the bold flavors of chile peppers are a really great way to do that.

If you've never cooked with dried chiles, try this recipe. First of all, dried chiles are easily found at almost any grocery store...even at Wal-Mart...and they are dirt cheap. I like to buy them at the Latin food markets because they sell them loose and I can pick up just the amount that I need, but if you can only find them bagged, buy them that way and they will keep almost forever.

Pasilla and Guajillo chiles are what I used in this recipe for Chicken Stewed with Chiles. They are considered to be mild (as chile peppers go) but their heat can vary from one to the next, so be sure to taste them so you can adjust the heat in your stew to suit your taste. The stew will not be as hot the second day as it is the first because the flavors have a chance to balance.

Most recipes using dried chiles begin by roasting the chiles, and this recipe that I've created is very traditional, so get out your cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan and roast your chiles as I did in the above photo. Then, while they are cooling, in a non-stick skillet brown the chicken breasts. They should be nice and brown, as this one is below.

After the chiles are roasted and cooled enough for you to handle, slice the stem off, slit the side and remove the seeds. Discard those. Then slice the peppers into thin slices, as I did in the photo below.

Toss all the vegetables and the dried chile slices together in a non-stick pan and saute until they start to soften. (Above) Add the wine and reduce by half, then stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken breasts back into the stew and continue simmering for 15 - 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. (Below) It should be nice and thick and will smell unbelievably good. You can eat it now, but it's so much better if you wait one more day.

This serves 6 people and here's the approximate nutritional breakdown:

360 Calories; 6g Fat (17.0% calories from fat); 53g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 138mg Cholesterol; 718mg Sodium.

Stewed Chicken with Chiles

3 pounds chicken breast, no skin, no bone, R-T-C
1 1/2 cups sliced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced red bell pepper
2 cups onions, chopped
2 each pasilla peppers
2 each guajillo peppers
6 cloves garlic, sliced
14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine, sauvignon blanc
1 cup chicken stock

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Place dried peppers flat in pan. Roast until heated and fragrant (do not burn), then turn and warm other side. They will be soft and pliable. Remove to cutting board and allow to cool till you can handle them. Slit side of each pepper and remove seeds. Slice off stem and then slice pepper cross-wise into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.

2. Rinse, dry, and trim fat from chicken breasts. Heat nonstick pan sprayed with cooking oil spray over medium-high heat until hot, then lay breasts onto hot pan. Season with salt and pepper and allow to brown without turning on the first side, then repeat on the second side. Remove to platter.

3. In same non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking oil spray, saute bell peppers, onion, garlic, and dried peppers till vegetables begin to soften. Add wine and simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Add undrained canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer rapidly, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Nestle the chicken breasts into the stewed vegetables (pour any juices from the plate into the stew, too), reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 - 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Cool and refrigerate overnight. (This allows all the bold flavors to learn how to cooperate with each other!)

4. When ready to serve, gently heat the chicken in the stewed sauce over medium heat on the stove. Remove chicken pieces; slice, and serve by themselves or on a bed of rice and topped with a generous spoonful of the stewed vegetables.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie