WWII Planes, Domesticity, Meds.

I have just heard that in England you can have a flying lesson in a Spitfire for the small sum of £5,400 – I think we’ll pop over for a couple of lessons. Apparently in Hamilton you can go for a trip in  a Lancaster for $2,500 for one hour, if you are a member of their club at the Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum. Telling Matt about the Spitfire lesson his comment was, they must have added a seat as it used to be a single seater. I like the lettering on the plane in this picture.
I am a lousy seamstress, in fact I am not a domestic goddess of any kind unless it comes to cooking. For some reason, a whole bunch of my clothes needed repair work this last week or so, I am gradually, but very reluctantly getting through it. When I was at Riddlesworth Hall, a boarding school in Norfolk, England, we had to do mending every Saturday morning. I managed to get away with pulling off a button and sewing it on again for a while, but eventually I got  caught and had to do the actual repair. Pain in the you know what. Just Googled for this picture, I have one, but on my PC, I see the school is now co-ed, horrors, when I was there such a thing would have caused shudders throughout the school. Even when Princess Di went there I think it was still just a girl’s school.
I have ‘met’ another relative of Matt’s on line and we have been having discussions about where she fits in with Matt’s family, I think I have finally sorted it out. She is a lot younger than we are. Matt has quite a few relatives in Canada as well as some in Australia. None of mine ever came to Canada as far as I have ever found out.
We have been stocking up on drugs (medications) this last week to make sure we have enough to last us til we come back off vacation. We are lucky that we have insurance plus being seniors we get assistance, so we usually only pay about $3.31 a shot, however, once a year we have to pay a deductible to the government. It gets spread over several items thank goodness. We were a bit took aback to have to pay $60 yesterday though. Thank god for insurance, that would have cost a fortune otherwise. Being diabetic I have to get supplies periodically for my glucometer. I get testing strips in wheels of 10 and don’t have to pay a penny for them. Last year on vacation I thought I might run out and discovered that they are $64 a box in the States. More here in fact. I have never understood why I get those free and yet I have to pay full price for the lancets. You can’t use one without the other.
Just to finish off, a friend posted this picture on face book today and I loved it. Do something because people say you can’t.

This seems like a pretty simple pasta dish which I think I might try.

Creamy Leek and Spinach Pasta

By A Nutritionist Eats
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Pasta night may just be a new addition to the weekly menu. Between Carbonara and zucchini linguine with herbs, I’m really not sure why pasta doesn’t make a more frequent appearance. It is delicious, easy, economical, and the possibilities are endless. Although the deliciousness and total disregard for portion control may be part of the problem.
Inspired by this Food & Wine Recipe, leeks are always welcome and appreciated in my kitchen.
This recipe makes 3 servings.

Ingredients

6 oz whole wheat pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp garlic and herb mascarpone cheese (or plain)
6 cups fresh baby spinach
parmesan cheese, pepper, and red pepper

Instructions

Prepare pasta as directed. Heat olive oil in large pan and add leeks and garlic when hot. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the mixture is soft. Add cooked pasta to pan and toss with mascarpone and spinach. Finish with freshly grated parmesan and red and black pepper.
Total Servings: 3

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 334
Carbohydrates: 49.3g
Cholesterol: 01mg
Fat: 11.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.0g
Fibre: 6.9g
Sodium: 89mg
Protein: 10.4g
Have a great weekend

Hearing, Dougherty’s, Killer T-Cells, Fresh Corn.

I finally got to see the new office of our doctor, from what Matt said I was expecting a much bigger place, not that large after all. Mainly we went for an audio check up. We were about due for that anyway. Turns out our hearing is slightly impaired due to our ages, but nothing major although we would do less well in crowds. If we were often in public situations we might need hearing assistance, but when we are predominantly at home, nothing necessary at the moment. I enquired and they showed me a current hearing aid, boy are they ever tiny, completely disappear into the ear. The audiologist’s assistant was wearing one as a demo and one could hardly see it. Odd how much on a par our hearing is as a couple.

On our way home from the doctors I spotted a truck selling fresh corn so we stopped and I bought myself a couple – Matt prefers his cooked on the barbecue but of course we don’t have one. I ate them for supper and they were delicious. I hope the truck is there again for a while, I will be going back if he is there. They were really sweet although I have never had corn as sweet as once when I was in NC on vacation and there was a type called How Sweet it Is, it surely was. If you are local and interested, the truck was on the corner of King and River.

By the way, I don’t know if you saw, the Dougherty brothers and sister were finally caught. They were found in Colorado and were chased by the  cops;  firing their guns back at the cop cars they finally wrecked their car, the two boys were caught quickly but the girl ran off firing an AK47 at the cops. If you are interested click on the Dougherty Gang to read more about them.

An optimistic report in the fight against cancer. Researchers have done a small test, three people, with T-cells, basically they remove  some cells from your body, change them to killer cells and then reintroduce them to your system. They had trouble getting funding to try this out, but managed to raise enough for this small trial and as the results were so spectacular they feel they may be able to raise more money to do extensive testing. Read more here at Killer T-Cells.

I like healthy vegetable stews like this one below and will certainly try it, maybe later in the year though.

Chickpea, Lentil and Vegetable Stew

By Dana Treat
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Adapted from Bon Appétit recipe

I served this with brown rice but it is also good with white rice (I would use basmati) and also with steamed quinoa. If you are going to make this ahead of time, wait to add the spinach until you reheat it so it retains the lovely green color.

Ingredients

Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. caraway seeds
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups light vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup dried lentils
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 cup frozen lima beans or edamame
½ cup chopped parsley
10 oz. fresh baby spinach
lemon wedges for garnish and seasoning

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom and then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the garlic. Cook another 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and all the spices; stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, and lentils. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add chickpeas, carrots, lima beans, and half the parsley. Cover; simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. This dish can be made one day ahead of time. Cover and chill. Bring to a simmer before continuing. Refrigerate remaining parsley for garnish.

Stir spinach into stew in batches until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls with rice. Garnish each bowl with remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 342.8
Carbohydrates: 61.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Fat: 2.5 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Fibre: 24.6 g
Sodium: 313.1 mg
Protein: 22.3 g

Have a great day

Funeral Blues, Riots

I mentioned, yesterday, that I had watched Four Weddings and a Funeral on Tuesday night. During the funeral a poem is recited as part of a eulogy, I have wondered about this poem before and I finally got round to finding it. I think it’s quite beautiful. W.H. Auden is not a poet with whom I am familiar, but this certainly fits the occasion and was beautifully read by John Hannah in the movie.

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-- W H Auden

I clicked on the poet’s name and found a lot of his other works many of which I read. One verse really struck me as apposite today, from Doggerel by a Senior Citizen - I could almost have written that myself.

When couples played or sang duets,

It was immoral to have debts;

I shall continue till I die,

To pay in cash for what I buy.

I can think of several governments and countries who should read and remember that piece of wisdom. Not to mention the private citizens who run up extreme debt as well.

The riots in Britain continue, Tuesday night they were in both Birmingham and Manchester with three men being killed in the former. In London the cops used water cannon and flooded the streets, I did hear talk of rubber bullets, but I am not sure if these were used or not. The prime minister promises that people who lose their homes and businesses will be compensated. My personal opinion is that they should reintroduce national service which was stopped many years ago, but prior to that time there were not gangs of young people with nothing to do but cause problems. Mind you they even arrested an 11 yr. old whom they sent home on probation. The courts are so busy they were working all night.

We had a plethora of broccoli so I decided to turn some of it into soup which we then had for supper last night.

Best Cream Of Broccoli Soup

AllRecipes.com

Photo By: Diana Moutsopoulos

Servings: 6

"Onions, celery and broccoli cooked in chicken broth are puréed with milk in this roux-thickened soup."

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

8 cups broccoli florets

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

ground black pepper to taste

Directions: 
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and sauté onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. 
In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve

Have a great day

I Won, Markets, Movie.

Hey, how about that, I won a Mushrooms Canada apron. I don’t often win anything. There was a segment on TV the other day about a woman who has won over a million dollars’ worth of stuff including 3 cars, a motorbike and a huge fridge. She apparently enters everything. Her comment “people say I am so lucky, I reply ‘did you enter’ they say no; because they didn’t, I win”. Personally I enter everything that comes my way, but this is the first thing I have won in many a long year. I shall wear it proudly, thank you Mushrooms Canada. Actually I have discovered they are not far away from me, about 10-12 miles or so.

Monday night I went to bed somewhat depressed because of the downturn in the stock markets, however, Tuesday the TSX or Toronto Stock Exchange, had recovered around 400 points which made me feel a little better. Not only that, in the morning Mellody Hobson, the GMA financial specialist had been very encouraging about the whole business. If you go to the GMA money page, you can see what she has to say about weathering the recession. There is also an interesting segment about what you should not carry in your wallet. It made me rethink, I will stop carrying one or two things I always have with me. Not a good idea apparently.

Last night I watched Four Weddings and a Funeral for maybe the 3rd time. I do enjoy it, I also rather like Hugh Grant. Much as I now like Colin Firth, I still wanted Hugh Grant to get the girl in Bridget Jones’ Diary same as I did in the one last night.

I really like the appearance of these hors d’oeuvres, the recipe for which I got in an email yesterday. Needless to say, I would want to use fresh shrimp which we buy in North Carolina and bring home, they taste so much better.

Salsa Shrimp Melts

 

Additional information on this Recipe from Food Network Canada

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (125 g) frozen cooked salad or cocktail shrimp, thawed
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) salsa
• 16 to 20 crackers or baked tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded Canadian Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Drain shrimp, pat dry and cut into small pieces.
2. In a bowl, combine shrimp and salsa.
3. Spoon evenly on top of crackers.
4. Place on a small baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over shrimp mixture. Bake in preheated 400°F (200°C) oven or toaster oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. To microwave, place 4 or 5 crackers on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on Medium-High (70%) power for about 20 seconds or until cheese is melted.
6. Tip: A smooth salsa works best for this recipe. Some of the chunky versions may have pieces that are too big to fit on the cracker.

Have a great day

Bonnie & Clydes, Soccer Signing, Global Finance.

Three young people on the rampage. Sibling Bank Robbers this is one of the most scary stories of our time, these three youngsters  people robbing banks and shooting up cops with what is purported to be an AK47. They are described as a modern Bonnie and Clyde but there was nothing heroic about them and nothing heroic about these three nasty young people. There mother has appealed for them to give themselves up, if I were there mother, I would be worried about their reaction. If you live in the southern States, maybe you should click on the link above and familiarise yourself with their faces just in case. Although for God’s sake, don’t approach them.

Bloody incredible, soccer team Real Madrid have just signed up a 7 yr. old boy as a prospective player – I wonder what it cost them? I notice they don’t say. Matt said he thought they had signed him when he was still cheap but another team was after the youngster so maybe not.

To date we have had a Black Friday and a Black Monday on the stock exchanges. Ever since America’s credit rating was downgraded the financial markets have been having the jitters and stocks have been falling all over the place. Canadian markets (TSX) are, unfortunately, also affected, being part of the global financial network, and small savers like Matt and I are taking a beating. Big investors are too of course, but they can afford to lose more. One wonders where its all going to end. I have never understood how countries can run under such heavy loads of debt, now I am getting my answer, they can’t, but because they have stockpiled such ginormous debts, the small people are the one’s that suffer when the cards come tumbling down. Right now I am feeling somewhat depressed about the whole business.

I am a sucker for chocolate chip cookies especially the Decadent line from Zehrs, our local grocery chain. This recipe found on Cooking.com seems to me to be a pretty good one. It didn’t come with a picture so I found the one below.

Double Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Cookies

Contributed By: Nancy

Yield: 48 cookies

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups shredded dark chocolate bars

1 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

2 eggs - room temperature

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 tsps vanilla

2 packages chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Gently mix together dry ingredients, including the shredded chocolate bars and set aside.

In mixer, cream together shortening and sugars, add eggs, peanut butter and Hazelnut spread, then add sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add the dry ingredients, mix in chocolate chips.

Using Cookie Scoop, mound on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes, remove from oven and let set on cookie sheet for 2 more minutes. Cool, put in air tight container when completely cool.

Have a great day

Spam, Bear Problems, Books.

On Saturday I got two emails, Dearest in Christ, and Beloved in the Lord. Really!!! Whoever sends these, do they honestly think any intelligent person is going to respond to such stuff. Especially as the body of the emails is usually badly written with lots of mistakes. Most of such emails get filtered out, but occasionally some get through.

Bears seem to be having a hard time of it lately, there have been many reports of bears in peoples back yards, even a picture of one swimming in a pool and playing with a tennis ball. Funny to see, not funny if its your pool. There have been reports of mother bears attacking to protect their cubs and then the story in Norway of a polar bear attacking a bunch of kids and mauling several plus killing one. In the latter case the ice caps are melting and this is driving them elsewhere to seek food. Bears in North America are having problems because of the extreme heat not forgetting habitat destruction. Also if you are going to be hiking where bears live, you are risking attack. I feel very sorry for the bears, and am not sure what can be done to prevent these bear/human interactions.

Now I am reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin book 5 of his Song of Ice and Fire series. Considering the last book came out in 2006 its not surprising I am having a few problems with it. I haven’t read too many chapters yet, and there is a cast of characters at the end of the book so maybe I can sort it all out. I have decided there should be a law that all authors have to write a full book or series right through to the end before they are allowed to publish it. 5 years is way too long since the last book and there is yet another to come. Not only that, this book runs parallel to the last book, A Feast of Crows, it  isn’t exactly a sequel. Odd. I am awaiting another book which has been a long time coming, the sequel in the Jean M. Auel series which started with The Clan of the Cave Bear, a great book, her subsequent books have not been as good. Her last novel was 2002.

Having decided I like quinoa (kinwa) this recipe appeals to me.

Quinoa Taco Salad

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

My vegan quinoa taco salad is sans tomatoes. And bean-free. No customary black beans here. But if you love black beans with a white hot passion, add 'em in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese on top, if you desire.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa cooked in two cups water
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Juice from 2 juicy limes
Sea salt, to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
1 half small red or purple onion, diced fine
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced fine
1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes, then cooled)
1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, sliced crosswise
Gluten-free tortilla chips
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

Instructions

Cook the quinoa per package instructions. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Scoop the quinoa into a bowl.

Drizzle the cooked quinoa with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Squeeze on fresh lime juice and toss again. Season the mixture with sea salt, to taste.

Add in the fresh chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced yellow pepper, and roasted corn kernels. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

Line four salad bowls or plates with the fresh romaine. Spoon the quinoa salad on the center of the lettuce. Add the diced avocado to each plate. Tuck in a few tortilla chips around the edges.

Serve with an extra lime wedge.

More Options:

Add a cup of chilled, drained black beans, if you like your taco salad super hearty.

Add sliced red or yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, if you desire.

Sprinkle with the cheese of your choice.

Serve with your favourite salsa on the side.

Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 240
Carbohydrates: 41.2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fat: 4.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
Fibre: 5.4g
Sodium: 24 mg
Protein: 6.7 g

Have a great day

Stormlord`s Exile, Morning News,

Sadly I finished Glenda Larke`s latest book, Stormlord`s Exile. Once again an excellent story, I wanted to get to the end, but then again I didn`t want to finish the book. I think I will be reading it again fairly soon as it was so good and a pretty complicated tale in some ways. Glenda writes  a wonderful tale and I have enjoyed every one of her books. I personally can`t relate the cover to the story, I often wonder if cover artists read the books for which they design covers. Not just this one but as long as I can remember I have found covers which generally have nothing to do with the book. In this book there was some sword fighting, but not that much and who`s this supposed to be anyway? The Australians do a much better job.

Americans are very upset for two reasons this morning, firstly because a Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan with some 30 people on board, including 25 navy seals and a dog. Unfortunately, if you are going to prosecute a war, this kind of thing happens. Bring ‘em home America. The second reason is because the US has been downgraded from a triple A credit rating to AA+ which will majorly affect the economic situation for the average Joe making borrowing more expensive. Considering the major debt of the country, I am surprised they have retained a triple A credit rating so long. The picture above shows $14 trillion in $100 dollar bills and if you look closely you can just see a person with a red arrow pointing to it.

Yesterday I found a fish recipe in my 3 and 4 Ingredient Cookbook – Matt cooked it and we both enjoyed it, I am certainly going to ensure we have it again. Being lazy, instead of typing up the recipe, I Googled and found exactly the  same recipe from Natasha`s Kitchen so I copied it.

Baked Cod Wrapped in Prosciutto with Tomatoes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 Thick skinless cod fillets (together weighing at least 1 1/2 pounds)
3 oz Prosciutto (1/4 pound), thinly sliced
14 oz Cherry tomatoes on the vine
5 tablespoons Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper

How to Make Cod Wrapped in Prosciutto:
Preheat the Oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat dry the cod fillets with paper towels and remove any stray bones. Season. Place one fillet in an ovenproof dish and drizzle 1 Tbs  of the oil over it. Cover with the second fillet, laying the thick end on top of the thin end of the lower filet to create an even shape. Lay the ham over the fish, overlapping the slices to cover the fish in an even layer. Tuck the ends of the ham under the fish and tie it in place at intervals with string. Don’t over-season, since the prosciutto provides plenty of salty flavour. 
Add the tomatoes to the dish (even the ones that got loose from the vine). 
Season the fillets and tomatoes LIGHTLY with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining oil. 
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. The fish should easily flake when pierced with a fork.
Carefully slice the cod and serve the tomatoes on the side.
Generously spoon the cooking juices over the fish and enjoy!
Have a great weekend

Markets, Hacking, Lobstercam, Sexual Assault.

The stock markets here have taken a big plunge and both the TSX and the Dow have wiped out any gains made in 2011. Everyone is now panicking. This is not the first time this has happened in the last 10 years. It is even worse for the little guys who only own a few shares or mutual funds.

It seems people are getting hacked on Facebook and it is sending out some kind of porn video – luckily my system rejected it because it contains a virus. I didn’t realise at first that it was something pornographic. So watch out for it if you are on Facebook and don’t even try to open it. It says something about “OMG see what happened to his ex girlfriend, she couldn’t walk for a week”. I have seen it from a couple of sources and I gather some of my contacts have seen it from others.

For supper last night we had the Mushroom and Pork Souvlakia which I posted a couple of days ago. It wasn’t bad but not one that will make a big splash into our repertoire.

Spotted an odd report about a lobstercam in Halifax harbour, Nova Scotia, where they have set up a lobster trap with a webcam which has attracted thousands of viewers. This is merely scientific, if you  are interested in the food aspect (as I am) tough, this is a study only experiment. I remember seeing a Cousteau movie one time which was taken in a wreck out east in the same area, the wreck wasn’t totally under water and the base of it was full of lobsters, boy I would like to visit that wreck, but I don’t know exactly where it was.

Another story in Canadian news yesterday was an ex Roman Catholic bishop, Raymond Lahey, who had thousands of kiddie porn pictures on his laptop including some of child torture. Read the article here.

Peculiar story this morning, there is a guy in Virginia who is attacking women by coming up behind them in public, stores, etc. and stabbing them in the buttocks. He doesn’t do any real damage, the worst slash had to have a Band Aid. The report said he probably gets sexual satisfaction from this. There is a picture of the man passing through some store doors but no-one has yet identified him. I’ve never heard anything like that before.

Here’s a somewhat different recipe. Eating Well advertise this as being straight from the Mediterranean Diet. Certainly polenta and beans are staples in the Med. I like polenta, we used to be able to buy it in ready made tubes in the States, don’t see it here unfortunately, have to make it oneself.

Catalan Sautéed Polenta and Butter Beans

From EatingWell: October/November 2006, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

This dish is a satisfying vegetarian meal complete with spinach, beans and polenta, inspired by classic Spanish flavours. Note: Look for smoked paprika with other specialty spices; it's available in three varieties: sweet, bittersweet and hot. Sweet is the most versatile, but if you like a little bit of heat, choose the hot variety. You can find Spanish products in specialty-foods stores or online at tienda.com. Make it a Meal: Enjoy with a green salad tossed with sherry vinaigrette and a glass of Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone.

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce tube prepared plain polenta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 clove garlic,minced
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked, plus more for garnish (see Note)
• 1 15-ounce can butter beans, rinsed
• 4 cups packed baby spinach
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup shredded Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Preparation

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add polenta and cook in a single layer, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in beans, spinach and broth; cook, stirring, until the beans are heated through and the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese and vinegar. Serve vegetables over polenta. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving :207 Calories; 8 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 7 mg Cholesterol; 28 g Carbohydrates; 10 g Protein; 5 g Fiber; 678 mg Sodium; 578 mg Potassium

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Smoked paprika is available in three varieties: sweet, bittersweet and hot. Sweet is the most versatile, but choose hot if you like a bit of heat. Find it in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.

Have a great day

Turandot, Supper,

Last night I went, with a friend, to see the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Turandot on film. I quote “Franco Zeffirelli’s glittering production of Puccini’s Turandot, with Maria Guleghina in the title role and Marcello Giordani as Calàf, makes its debut on Great Performances at the Met. Marina Poplavskaya sings Liù, Samuel Ramey is Timur, and conductor Andris Nelsons makes his Great Performances at the Met debut.” If you are unfamiliar with the story of the opera, there is a good synopsis here. Most people, even if they are not opera buffs, are familiar with the aria Nessun Dorma which became Luciano Pavarotti’s signature aria and I don’t believe anyone ever sang it better, or maybe ever will. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, it was beautifully done and the singing was wonderful. In fact one tended to forget it was a film and we started applauding. I was somewhat  flabbergasted at the size of the back stage area which we saw quite a lot of, and the actual stage itself which in a couple of finales must have held something in the region of a couple of hundred people. The costumes of the court were fabulous, and the scenery was, also, very impressive. During the intermissions a lot of the lead cast were interviewed and I was particularly impressed that Samuel Ramey has been performing at the Met for over 50 years. I will certainly go again if I have the opportunity.

Before we went to see the movie, we ate at a Thai/Vietnamese restaurant in Cambridge (the cinema was in Cambridge) and shared some spring rolls and then had noodle soups, my friend had beef and I had a seafood one. It was delicious. Quite inexpensive too. My friend’s sister joined us at the cinema and she bought a pack of liquorice twizzlers which she insisted we eat. I wasn’t thinking and had some and then asked for the sugar content, surprise, surprise they were pretty high. I did not have any more.

I have finished my library book so now I can start on Stormlord’s Exile by Glenda Larke which arrived on Tuesday. Can’t wait. I was surprised, talking to my friend, who reads much the same things as I do, she has never read the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, as you may remember, I recently re-read them all and am anxiously awaiting the last book which is due out next year. I just might gradually treat myself to the books on my Kindle.

For those who like Thai, here is a recipe which sounds pretty good  to me, I love mangoes so I will definitely be trying this in the not too distant future.

Thai Chicken and Mango Stir-Fry

From EatingWell: January/February 2010

Both ripe and underripe mango work well in this chicken and vegetable stir-fry. If the mangoes you have are less ripe, use 2 teaspoons brown sugar. If they’re ripe and sweet, just use 1 teaspoon or omit the brown sugar altogether.

6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fish sauce (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1-2 fresh small red or green chile peppers, stemmed and sliced, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cups bite-size broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, preferably Thai
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine fish sauce, lime juice, cornstarch and brown sugar to taste in a small bowl.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic, ginger and chiles (or crushed red pepper) to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add broccoli and water; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mangoes and scallions; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce and chicken; cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro, basil and mint. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving :195 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 44 mg Cholesterol; 20 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 531 mg Sodium; 557 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian-food section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets. We use Thai Kitchen fish sauce, lower in sodium than other brands (1,190 mg per tablespoon), in our nutritional analyses.

Have a great day.

Extreme Lightning, Health Tips, Sea Turtle. Books.

A couple of interesting segments on GMA yesterday, one was about lightning storms in Venezuela where they have something like 300 such storms a year, usually around midnight, 40,000 bolts a day. Experts do not know why this particular area is subject to so much lightning. The pictures were pretty spectacular.

The second item was an interview with Dr. Memmet Oz who is a cardiothoracic surgeon and who has just come back from touring different countries where his television programme is aired. A couple of things I found interesting – from China he recommended T’ai Chi for which I have always been a great advocate, there is a video on GMA of a master doing three exercises taken from a T’ai Chi routine. From Australia he said blowing the didgeridoo is great for people with sleep apnea because it strengthens the muscles at the  back of the throat. Even if you happen to have a didgeridoo handy, they are not easy to play. Here is a video of Larry 'Winiwini' Gurruwiwi playing one http://youtu.be/DC9w4KWEgJE. Dr. Oz went on to recommend Noni Juice which comes from Hawaii. I have tried it, it doesn’t taste bad, but it is pretty expensive for all its health benefits, Robyn Roberts apparently can’t stand the taste so Dr. Oz said she could drink pineapple juice instead. He started off in Turkey where his parents still live and from there he particularly recommended hazel nuts and Purslane leaves for a good diet. He said the Turks eat Purslane mixed with yoghurt. I used to grow Purslane in NC it comes in all kinds of colours, but I didn’t know I could eat the leaves.

Another amazing story is about a sea turtle who’s shell was cracked by the propeller of a boat. The shell was repaired by a combination of vets, biotech firms and an orthodontist. I assume it is under sedation in the picture. Propeller accidents occur quite often in waterways where people are speeding up and down in their pleasure boats. Manatees are often damaged this way.

Not to be forgotten, I also finally received the case for my Kindle and also Glenda Larke’s last book in her Watergiver’s Trilogy Stormlord’s Exile, having got the first two I was really awaiting this last book anxiously. Actually it seems this month several of my favourite authors have new books coming out. I have a library book to finish before I can start the book though. If you haven’t yet read this trilogy, I can highly recommend it, as I can all of Glenda’s books. Karen Miller also has a new book out, a Blight of Mages which I am also sure will be a good story as all the rest in the series have been. What I don’t understand, how can they be selling used books already when the book has only just been published?

As usual I am passing on the recipe from Mushroom Canada which looks particularly delicious this time.

Mushroom and Pork Souvlakia

1 lb. pork tenderloin 500 g
3 tbsp olive oil 45 mL
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 25 mL
1 large clove garlic, minced 1
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 7 mL
1/8 tsp Each dried rosemary & black pepper 0.5 mL
16 medium whole fresh mushrooms 16
1 large lemon, cut into wedges 1
Wooden skewers

Cut pork tenderloin into 1”(2.5 cm) cubes. In a large glass bowl or resealable plastic bag mix oil with lemon juice garlic, oregano, rosemary and pepper. Add mushrooms and pork to mixture and toss to coat. Cover or seal and marinate 2 –24hours in refrigerator, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Alternate mushrooms, pork cubes and lemon wedges on or water-soaked wooden or metal skewers. Barbecue over medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes per side or until pork is slightly pink in the centre. Makes 4 servings.

Variation: Add pieces (1”/2.5 cm) of green or red sweet pepper and 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil to the marinade and alternate with other ingredients on skewers OR substitute lamb leg or chicken breast for pork
Tip: Instead of barbecuing the kabobs may be broiled in oven or cooked in 425ºF (220ºC) oven.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 256, Sodium: 52 mg, Protein: 28.5 g, Fat: 13.6 g, Carbohydrates: 5.0 g, Dietary Fibre: 1.5 g

Have a great day

Skin Treatment, A Roach is a Roach, Gaby is Back.

I understand there is a move towards more natural beauty products for women to use on their faces. Only trouble is natural ingredients don’t have much of a shelf life apparently. A statistic which fascinated me, women “eat” about 7 lbs of lipstick in their lifetimes. Who knew? There are several videos on Good Morning America’s website talking about things like natural exfoliation with a mixture containing ingredients like honey and sugar. Don’t think I’ll bother, thanks.

I was complaining on Facebook today because our realtor for the rented house we are going to be staying at in North Carolina came out with the old saw “they are just Palmetto bugs” when I complained about cockroaches. They say this to visitors because its supposed to make them feel so much better about the bugs crawling around, sorry lady, even if they were “just” palmetto bugs, they are cockroaches anyway. I do not like them. We managed to keep them out of our home, successfully, for 12 years by spraying regularly outside and inside and having lived there that long, I know what I am looking at when I see them, I am not just yer average tourist. Googling I find in fact that Palmetto bugs, which are still roaches, are bigger, better armoured and can fly. So maybe they should learn what they are telling people. The top picture is of American roaches, the bottom is of a Palmetto 1.5 inches long. Yuk.

I see on yesterday’s news that Gabrielle Giffords made it back to the house in time for the decision on the debt crisis. Who would have thought, roughly 7 months ago, she would ever be back in Congress again. It is a wonderful story of recovery.

I love the sound of this recipe with cheese. I would need to find some really good tomatoes though.

Spicy Tomato Jam

By Dana Treat
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

I decided to make this jam because it came from a trusted cookbook and is something I have thought of making on many different occasions. I imagine it would be good with goat cheese on top of crostini. I’m sure it would make a good omelette filling. But I also think it would be really good with meat – pork most likely. So I filled my kitchen with the intoxicating smell of cherry tomatoes cooking down with sugar and spices and then spooned it up into a jar. It was a huge hit with the whole family.

Ingredients

1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes, about 3 cups
4 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 lemon, sliced into thin half moons
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tbsp. unfiltered cider vinegar
Salt and cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine the tomatoes, sugars, ginger, lemon, spices, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vinegar in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes cook down to a jam and the sugars are bubbly and caramelized, 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar to taste.

Total Servings: 32

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 16
Carbohydrates: 4.0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fat: 0.1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Fiber: 0.0g
Sodium: 1mg
Protein: 0.2g

Have a great day

Money Crisis, Beans and Civic Holiday

Over the weekend the Americans have been bandying round the sum of 2.4 trillion dollars, I knew I had seen pictures so I Googled to see what that amount of money looks like. Its so easy to bandy these sums about without realising what is really involved. I have been having trouble understanding the whole situation in the States, I can’t understand why getting further into debt would enable them to pay off their loans!!! Doesn’t sound logical to me. Nor do I understand when they are so far in debt they are worrying about their triple A credit rating. How can you have such a credit rating when you are so in debt????

In Saturday’s blog I was talking about flat beans, a friend in the UK pointed out that flat were quite different from runner beans, I must admit I generally tend to lump them all together because we so rarely have access to any of them here. When we lived in North Carolina, there was one produce stall we went to all the time and in season they would have all kinds of different beans, some of which were runner beans, I don’t remember all the different names they went by but they were all good. I also remember many years ago in the UK that a friend, knowing how much I liked runner beans, grew some black ones specially for me. I had never seen or heard of them before, I prepared them in the usual way, French cut, and then was very disappointed that when I cooked them they turned green. What a chiz. Damned if I can find a picture though, not even on Google UK. I don’t mean the bean inside was black, but the pod itself was black.

Today is Civic Holiday in Canada, means my anticipated deliveries from Amazon.com will not be arriving til, hopefully, tomorrow. I thought it was a holiday in the States too, but seems I am wrong. They have been shooting off fireworks over the weekend, why, I don’t know, it isn’t usual for Civic Holiday. Of course, holidays don’t mean much when you aren’t working anyway.

This sounds a delicious twist on chicken soup and even though its summer, I still like a good soup. I will definitely have this one in the pot in the not too distant future. Not only that, its gluten free.

Gluten-Free Chicken Soup

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

This isn't your Grandma’s chicken soup. And she might not approve of the liberties I've taken crankin' up the standard Jewish flavours more than a simple notch. But tradition is one thing. Great taste is another. I say, be flexible.

Ingredient

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
3-4 split chicken breasts (free-range organic, if possible), rinsed, patted dry
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage (bagged coleslaw mix is fast and easy)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up
1 yellow summer squash, cut up
2 zucchini squash, cut up
6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies -- mild or hot, to taste
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley
Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste
1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 or more cups chicken broth, as needed
A dash or two of balsamic vinegar to taste

Instructions

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season the mixture with sea salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chiles; and toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season the mixture with sea salt, ground pepper, herbs, and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.

Pour the veggies into the crock in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth.

Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon (my chicken was very cold when it went into the pot, so adjust your cook time accordingly, if you need to).

Taste test for seasoning adjustments. I added a pinch of brown sugar to mine to balance the tomato-garlic and spice. Stir in any seasoning adjustments and serve.

Makes four hearty servings to soothe you, body and soul. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free.

Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 301
Carbohydrates: 33.6g
Cholesterol: 72mg
Fat: 4.5g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Fiber: 8.1g
Sodium: 441mg
Protein: 32.4g

Have a great day