Cooking on the bright side has many health benefits.  You get a better mix of nutrients by eating produce in a variety of shades as well.  That’s due to the unique combination of vitamins, antioxidants and natural chemicals behind the bright hues. Research shows these compounds ward off disease, slow the aging process and boost overall health. Feel good and look good while wearing a cute apron while preparing these two bright meals!

Fresh Greens with Roasted Beets, Haricots Vert, & Goat Cheese Croutons

From Fine Cooking magazine

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Vinaigrette

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Salad

2 large beets, washed and dried, outer skin left on

1 tbsp olive oil

8 (1/4-inch thick) slices baguette

1 (4 to 5 oz) log goat cheese

1/2 tsp herbes de Provence

1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 cups lightly packed mixed greens, such as frisée, red leaf lettuce, baby spinach, and mizuna, washed and dried

1/2 lb haricots vert (slim green beans), trimmed, cooked until just tender, shocked in cold water, and drained

Scant 1/2 cup good-quality black olives, optional

2 green, tart apples, cored and sliced thinly, optional

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, optional

METHOD

Make the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, salt, shallots, and thyme. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with pepper and more salt, if needed.

Make the Salad: Heat the oven to 400°F. Rub the beets with the olive oil, put them on a baking sheet, and bake until fork-tender, 60 to 90 minutes. When cooled, peel off the skin and slice the beets into 1/4-inch rounds.

Make the Croutons:Broil the baguette slices until light golden brown on both sides. Cool. With a hot, wet knife, cut the goat cheese into 8 slices. Put a round of cheese on each slice of baguette and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the herbes de Provence, thyme, and pepper and set aside.

When ready to serve, heat the oven to 400°F. Bake until the cheese softens, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange a few slices of beets on salad plates. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the greens, haricots vert, and olives with enough vinaigrette to just moisten them. Divide the mixture among the salad plates. Garnish with apple slices, and sprinkle with walnuts if using. Put a warm crouton on either side of the plate and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower With Lemon Brown Butter and Sage Salt

Modified from a New York Times recipe

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sage leaves, loosely packed

1 tbsp coarse salt, more for tossing

3 heads cauliflower, cut into florets

About 1 tsp table salt

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1 lemon, zest finely grated

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

METHOD

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set it next to the stove.

Heat oil in a small pan until rippling. Add sage and cook, stirring, just until crisped, about 2 minutes. Lift out sage and drain on paper towel-lined sheet. Pour the infused oil into a large bowl. When sage is cool, place it in a small bowl with the coarse salt. Using a muddler, pestle, or other rounded object, crush the salt and sage together. Use your fingers to break up any large pieces of sage, but the mixture should be rough.

Heat oven to 375°F. Adjust the racks with one on the bottom and the second in the middle of the oven. Place roasting pan with an inch of water on lower rack. Add cauliflower to bowl with oil, add about 1 tsp table salt, and toss gently until coated. Spread out on two baking sheets. Place them side by side in the middle of the oven and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. When foam subsides, watch closely and stir often. When white solids are brown and butter smells toasty, turn off heat, squeeze in juice of lemon, and stir well.

Transfer cauliflower to a bowl, drizzle lemon butter over the top, and add lemon zest. Add half the sage salt and toss. Taste and season with remaining salt as needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired and serve.

THE INGREDIENTS for HOME CANNING

• Curiosity about the process of preserving specialty foods
• Appreciation for interesting relishes, jams and preserves
• A cheap streak that makes the exorbitant prices at specialty food shops totally unacceptable!

STUDYING UP

• Try homecanning.com for good basic instructions.
• Check the library or bookstore for basic instructions and recipes.
• Take good notes. Most of us don’t can that often so good notes really help from year to year, especially the personal ones.
  ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
• A large “hot water bath” pot that includes:
• • a metal insert that keeps the jars upright during processing
  • a jar lifter
  • a magnetized lid/band lifter
  • a poker to release air bubbles
• Glass measuring cups (1cup, 2cup, 4cup) are useful
• Multiple stacking colanders.
• A food processor for chopping in large quantities.
• A wide-mouthed funnel for filling jars without getting gunk on the lips.
• A “jar lifter” to remove jars from the hot water bath
• A “lid wand” with a magnet on one end to lift sterilized lids and bands from boiling water.

JARS

• Canning jars are made from specially-tempered glass.
  • Canning jars are readily available by the case though not cheap.
  • In the U.S. anyway, cases include twelve glass jars, twelve metal lids with rubber seals along the edge and twelve metal bands for sealing the rubberized lids onto the jars.
    • Rubberized metal lids may be an American-style product.
    • European lids seem to be made from glass. They include a metal aparatus that, with a separate rubber ring, preserves the food inside.
  • Save the cardboard cases. They’re great for storing and transporting filled jars.
  • Check with friends Don’t use leftover spaghetti jars, etc. for canning that requires hot-water processing.

In the U.S., canning jars come in quart, pint and half-pint sizes.

• • Quarts are typically used for “big quantity” things like tomatoes, beans, peaches, tomato sauce, etc.
  • Smaller jars are better for foods used in smaller bits, jams and jellies, for example.
  • For gift-giving, the pint and half-pint jars are perfect. If you’re canning “food for the table” or for a large family, you may prefer pints and quarts.
• In the U.S., canning jars come with wide mouths and standard mouths. Wide mouths are slightly more expensive but I have to to prefer them.
  • Wide mouths are easier to fill and easier to clean, especially important if reusing jars. Plus, to my eyes, they just look cooler.

GETTING READY

• Have supper already made or be prepared to go out, especially if you’re planning an all-day canning marathon.
• Do consider a marathon: getting set up is half the work.
• Turn down the air conditioning, it’s going to get hot.
• Clear the kitchen counters of anything extraneous.
• Empty the dishwasher.
  • Fill the bottom with already clean jars and nothing else.
  • Run the dishwasher with soap to clean the jars again.
  • If you time it right, the jars will still be hot when it’s time to fill them.
  • If not, you can run the rinse cycle again to reheat them.
  • Remember, the point is to place hot food (usually although some are cold packed) in hot jars which will then be immersed in hot water: temperature equilibrium prevents breakage.
• Sharpen your knives.
• Put a quart pan filled with water on the back burner. Use this to sterilize lids and bands.

Cooking is a skill that helps children read, do math and organize their work logically. This is a favorite of my children who love to cook with me in the kitchen.  Be sure to wrap them in a cute children’s apron to make cleanup a cinch!

M&M’s NO BAKE COOKIES
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (salted)
1/2 pound M&M’s candies
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.  In a heavy duty saucepan, stir over medium-high heat the sugar, margarine and milk.
2.  Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, and boil for 1 minute.
3.  Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients.
4.  Drop onto wax paper with teaspoon or tablespoon for larger cookies. Let cool.

Dip and Fry Shrimp

2 T sesame seeds

1 T plus 1 tsp poppy seeds

1 T dried minced garlic

salt

8 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

vegetable oil for frying

2 cups basic batter (below)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tail on and butterflied

Basic Batter:

Whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 T plus 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.  Beat in 1 cup milk, 3 beaten eggs, 5 T melted butter and 1T vegetable oil until smooth.

Like a baking sheet with paper towels.  In a small bowl, combine 1 T sesame seeds, 2 tsp poppy seeds and 1 tsp each dried garlic and salt.  Sprinkle over paper towels.  In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, half-and-half and 1/4 cup scallions; season with salt. 

Fill a large pot with enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches.  Heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the batter and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions, 1 T sesame seeds, and 2 tsp each poppy seeds and dried garlic.  Season the shrimp with salt.  Working in batches, hold the shrimp by the tail and dip in the batter mixture; place in the oil and fry, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes.  Drain on the seed-covered paper towels, lightly coating with the mixture.

Best ways to save money on dinner: Purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables, plan your menu, write out your grocery lists and shop with coupons.  Start saving with this recipe below!

Pork Chops with Tomato Chutney

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

14.5 oz chopped tomatoes

1/3 cup golden raisins

3 T brown sugar

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

3 T plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar

4 pork loin chops

salt and pepper

1 pound green beans

In a medium skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, raisins, brown sugar, ginger, 3 T vinegar and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, season the pork with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pork chops and cook, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

In a pot of boiling water, cook the green beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drain.  Transfer to a bowl and toss with remaining 1 T olive oil and 1 tsp vinegar; season with salt and pepper.  Top the pork chops with the tomato chutney and serve with the green beans.

Garden Veggie Wrap

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 T chopped scallions

2 T chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp garlic salt

8-10 inch spinach tortillas

baby spinach

thinly sliced cucumber

thinly sliced red onion

thinking sliced tomatoes

Mix together first 4 ingredients to make an herb cream cheese spread.  Spread a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on the tortilla.  Top with veggies (don’t ove stuff) and wrap tightly.  Slice wrap on an angle and enjoy! Cream cheese spread keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

1 1/4 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

1/4 ounce chambord liqueur

3 ounces margarita mix

Combine all ingredients in a blender with a cup of ice.  Pour into glass and serve with a coaster made from red carpet cut into small circles or squares.

Asian bbq chicken thighs & broccoli slaw

1/4 cup ketchup

2 T hoisin sauce

2 T low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 1/4 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs

1 12 oz bag broccoli slaw

2 T rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1.  Heat gas grill to med-high or prepare charcoal grill with medium hot coals.

2.  In a small saucepan, stir together ketchup, hoisin, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Cook over medium-high heat until bubbling, about 5 minutes.  Remove 3 T sauce from pot and set aside.

3.  Lightly coat grill with nonstick cooking spray or oil.  Place chicken thighs on grill bottom-side up and baste with sauce.  Close grill cover and cook 5 minutes.  Remove cover and flip thighs, basting generously with sauce.  Continue brushing with sauce every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaching 60 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

4.  While chicken is cooking, stir together reserved sauce, broccoli slaw, vinegar and salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Share your love of cooking with friends!

Great Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

3 T diced red onion

1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, finely diced (optional)

3 T cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Juice from half a lime

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

Using a fork or potato masher, mash the avocados.  Add remaining ingredients.  Add more salt if needed.  Serve right away with tortilla chips.  You really can’t make this ahead of time.  Make it and eat it right away!

Strawberry Salad Recipe

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 pint fresh strawberries

1/2 med red onion sliced very thin

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup sugar

2 T white vinegar

1/4 cup milk

2 T poppy seeds

Mix well with blender until no lumps.  Pour dressing over salad just before serving