Tuesday, June 21, 2011

USM Study Shows Food Stores Near Schools Don't Raise Obesity Risk

When are we going to learn that we need to promote more physical activity for children, and focus on helping their parents to learn how to cook good healthy meals and to quit banning food. Taking things away only makes them want it, and they will get it, more.

USM Study Shows Food Stores Near Schools Don't Raise Obesity Risk

Monday, June 6, 2011

Kim's Awesome Chili

Almost every Saturday I go to Loleta Meat Market and pick up some hamburger from Pixie. She sells the good stuff.  Local grass fed, freshly ground hamburger.  You can see the difference, smell it, and definitely taste it.  Not just the flavor, but the texture is so much better then anything you can buy in a regular old grocery store.  She also has an amazing inventory of her own fresh made sausages, as well as pork, chicken, lamb, duck, and a great selection of offal.  Pixie rocks and I'm all about supporting her business. 

So, last night I had a pound of local burger from Pixie in my fridge that I needed to put to use, so I decided on chili.  I'm pretty broke, but always have a good supply spices on hand and just started pulling everything out that popped into my head that may be good in chili.  I didn't measure anything, I eyeballed it all and it came out perfect.  So I'm going to share what I made here, and give you my approximate measurements and, if you decide to recreate this recipe, I encourage you to adjust and change the ingredients to your taste.

I browned 1 lb of hamburger then added about 1/4 cup celery, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1 tsp crushed garlic clove, and 1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds.  Once the celery, onions and bell pepper were softened I added about 1/2 tbsp mendudo spice mix, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp chicken bullion, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can pinto beans, drained, 1 diced tomato, 3 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, 3/4 cup dark beer, 1 chipotle pepper, 1 diced pickled serrano pepper(my own homemade pickled serrano) and 1 tsp cinnamon.  I hope, and don't think I'm forgetting anything here. 

I let this simmer down until it got fairly thick.  I wanted it to be slightly soupy.  I had in the mean time cooked up some jasmine rice which I served my chili over.  I diced up some white onion to throw on top and grated some Loleta Smokey Cheddar Cheese on top.  It came out fantastic!  I think next time the only thing I'd do different is to add some Tobasco, or Tapatio to the chili while it's cooking and maybe double the chipotle.  I didn't this time around because I know the menudo spice can be pretty hot, but it mellowed out quite a bit and the chili wasn't as hot as I expected.  It had a nice warmth to it, that even my kids could have handled and enjoyed.  Rely quite nice, but I kind of like my chili to make me sweat a little, so next time I'll be kicking it up a notch.  Oh and maybe adding another 1/2 tsp of unsweetened cocoa. 

If you like chili, I hope you give this a try - It was a very fragrant and delicious dish.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Bloomberg Businessweek Foodie article

I've posted a few reviews on Yelp myself - I'm definitely not one of the elite, but I will say, the time I got double charged on my credit card, and a week later the restaurant was closed, when I yelped about it, I got some attention.  That restaurant owner got on the phone and refunded my over charge asap.  Yelp definitely holds some clout.

The Online Reviewing Mafia

The Online Reviewing Mafia

Etc. Food Crazies, June6 - June 12, 2011 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

On Monday I decided to roast a chicken so we'd have it to eat off of all week.  So far it's been a good thing to do.  Monday we had the roast chicken that I rubbed in butter and sage, salt and pepper and stuffed with apples, roasted veggies (carrots, celery, potatoes and more apples) and gravy.  Tuesday I made chicken fajita's with bell peppers and onion, cumin and chili powder. Tonight, I wanted something fairly quick.  I'm tired and have to get up early so this is what I came up with. Chicken Salad Sandwiches and this is how I made them and they were delicious! 

About 2 cups of chopped cooked chicken. 
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup diced celery
1/8 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts.
Then I mixed together about 1/4 cup of mayo with a tsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice and about 1/8 tsp of curry powder. I added about 1/4 tsp kosher salt some fresh ground pepper.  I mixed this well and added it to the chicken mixture. 

I put this on a slice of sour dough bread, topped with a tomato slice and the other slice of bread and we had a very tasty meal that my girls happily chowed down.  (It was sweet - so they liked it).  I think when my man comes to visit I'll make it again and this time add some chopped fresh jalapeno's.  I think it would be good with the spicy hot flavor. 

Tomorrow - maybe some chicken quesadilla's or omelettes with the left over veggies from the roast chicken.  Saturday I'll make chicken stock with the carcass and have a base for some soup on another day.  How's that for stretching a chicken?