Gotta Eat, Can't Cook

December 3rd, 2015

Blog, Food & Wine Reviews, News, Nutrition

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How to Recognize and Change Our Strong Emotional Connection to Food

Followed a link from Stonehearth Newsletters to the recent and very informative Orlando Health article (I recommend you see by clicking any picture on this page) about our powerfully strong emotional connection to food and how that affects both why we eat and our body weight.

Bottom line: our emotional connection to food is established early in life and is reinforced as we grow. We’re either rewarded or reward ourselves for doing something well or comforted when we’re hurt, tired, or upset with flavorful, and usually not so nutritionally sound, foods at times that don’t necessarily correspond with our body’s need for energy-sustaining nourishment. That emotional connection is so strong that it stays with us throughout our lives unless or until we first become aware of that connection and then use that awareness to develop strategies to change our behavior.

November 30th, 2015

Blog, Chicken & Turkey

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Easy Turkey Leftover Parmesan – All in Pictures

This turkey leftover Parmesan recipe is just as easy to make – and vary to your taste – as it is fantastically flavorful to enjoy.

Here’s what you need – if you don’t have leftover turkey or oven roasted squash as shown below, just substitute those with whatever meat/vegetable leftovers you have.

November 23rd, 2015

Blog, Seasonal/Holiday Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner, Video & Picture Ebooks

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Thanksgiving Tip: Fresh or Frozen Turkey?

I’m sure you’ve seen signs in the grocery store urging you to order fresh turkeys now. But is fresh really better than frozen?

Actually, it’s really your preference because the quality of frozen and fresh turkey meat is about equal. Frozen turkeys are less expensive and can be stored in the freezer for at least a month with no loss in meat moisture and tenderness but require time to defrost. Fresh turkeys are more perishable and are therefore more expensive because of how they have to be handled to get them to market safely. Fresh turkeys should also be refrigerated until they’re ready to be prepared for roasting and should be cooked within a day or two of purchase to ensure maximum freshness. One key point: if you ordered a fresh turkey, make sure to pick it up the day BEFORE Thanksgiving at the latest as most grocery stores are closed Thanksgiving Day.

For more Thanksgiving tips and step-by-step picture book recipes designed to make your Thanksgiving as stress-free and FUN as possible, please check out the Thanksgiving Help page you can get by clicking this link or by clicking the tab as shown in the picture below.

November 10th, 2015

Blog, Snacks, Vegetables

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Brussels Sprouts Chips – Flavorful Alternative to Bagged Chips & All in Pictures

Brussels sprouts chips are an excellent quick, flavorful, and much more nutritious alternative to commercially bagged chips.

The hardest part about making these great tasting chips – and it’s actually not hard at all; it just takes a little time – is peeling the sprout leaves as shown above. After that, it’s just add oil, broil & enjoy!

November 3rd, 2015

Beans, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness/Health

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Microwave Cooked Pistachio Pesto and Hummus Quesadilla – All in Pictures

Food usually comes to mind while I’m out on the bike. After a spectacularly colorful October ride, I came home to put together this recipe that combines the nutty flavors of pistachio pesto and hummus along with the fresh crunch of red bell pepper and creamy texture of avocado. Great stuff for a post-ride/workout meal or any lunch or dinner.

October 23rd, 2015

Beans, Blog, Cycling Food

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How to Cook Dried Kidney Beans – All in Pictures

Buying and cooking dried instead of canned kidney (or any) beans has two distinct advantages: dried beans are less expensive than canned beans, and, unlike canned beans – even those labeled “low salt/sodium”, dried beans are not at all processed with added salt or preservatives. Here’s an example of an ingredients label from a bag of dried kidney beans in my kitchen.

October 15th, 2015

Beans, Blog, Cycling Food, Fitness Food, One Bowl Meals

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Microwave Beans Alfredo Fusion: Full-On Flavor and All in Pictures

I’m a big fusion fan! Here’s a fully flavorful, richly nutritious, and very easy to make recipe that came to mind while ripping it on a gorgeously colorful fall bike ride the other day that combines – or fuses – the Italian creamy Parmesan cheese flavor of a modified (less fat, lower calorie) Alfredo sauce with the richly flavorful and nutritious Latin American staples of kidney beans, cilantro, avocado, and tomato.

Here’s a picture of what you need to make a bowl of microwave cooked beans Alfredo fusion.

October 11th, 2015

Blog, Salads & Salad Dressings

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Sweet and Savory Fig, Plum, Onion & Lettuce Salad – All in Pictures

Like a richly balanced symphony of sound, the sweet and savory ingredients in this salad bring out the best in complimentary flavors. The sweetness of fruit enhances the savoriness of lettuce and onions, and the savory does the same to the sweet.

Here are the ingredients needed to make this sweet and savory salad. (NOTE: Figs and plums are seasonal fruits. Read more »

October 5th, 2015

Blog, One Bowl Meals, Pasta

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Pasta with Sausage and Fresh Fig Sauce – All in Pictures

Pasta with sausage and fresh fig sauce: great stuff! Aside from its warmly robust sweet and savory flavor, the sausage and fig sauce can be made in the same time it takes just to cook pasta.

Now, what if fresh figs aren’t on the market – or you don’t like them? No problem. Just substitute those figs with any other available fruits: apples, pears, peaches, or plums – or whatever suits your taste.

Here’s what you need for ingredients.

September 29th, 2015

Blog, Fish, Seafood

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Taking Fish Tacos From Simple to Exciting! – All in Pictures

Fish tacos: fantastically flavorful, easy to make, and just as easy to vary in flavor using either your choice or a combination of the “simple to exciting!” ingredients you see below – or whatever you want to suit your imagination and taste.