Archive for the ‘Appetizers’ Category

Way Down South Buttermilk Corn Bread

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

Organic/natural ingredients taste best.

sweetbreadThis is THE BEST corn bread to go with any of your soup ’n stew meals or appetizers or just to have for a healthy snack. Warmed with butter or eaten cold it’s sensational. Sooo easy to make! Sooo delicious!

The South never tasted soooo gooood! Serves 8-12



You’ll need:

1-1/2 Cups Yellow Corn Meal
2/3 Cup Unbleached White Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup PLUS 2 Tablespoons Organic Sugar
3 Whole separated Eggs
1-1/3 Cups Buttermilk
1/4 Cup Butter

NOTE: Here you can choose to mix ‘n match organic sugars: using organic cane sugar as the larger amount and make up for the rest with organic brown, Sucanat™, or any other one you like keeping the measurement the same unless you love sweet. Experiment. I still do. If you don’t want to double the recipe, but you want a bigger bread, add a little more of everything with an extra separated egg so that one extra whipped egg white keeps it lite. You can also add a touch of dried fruits and/or frozen, organic veggies — just not ones that are very watery, i.e. raw zucchini.

450 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes
12” Cast Iron Skillet
Electric Mixer w/ whisk
2 Large Mixing Bowls
Strainer for sifting

To prepare:

Preheat oven at 450 degrees with rack in middle shelf. Measure and resift 3 times first 6 ingredients into large mixing bowl. Set aside. Pour measured buttermilk into small mixing bowl. Add beaten egg yolks and mix together. Heat cast iron skillet in oven for 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile beat egg whites. Make well and add milk & egg mixture. Mix well. Put butter into heated skillet and rotate skillet until well greased all around and butter is melted. Pour melted butter into mixture and mix well. Fold in beaten egg whites and turn batter immediately into greased hot skillet. Bake in hot oven 25-30 minutes. Serve and enjoy any which way you want to. Don’t expect any leftovers.

Fast ‘n Easy Fish Tacos with Tangy Mango Salsa

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

Organic/natural ingredients taste best.

fishtacoThis taco is a winner for lunch,

brunch,

snack or dinner.



You’ll need:

Salsa:

1 Mango cut from pit into chunks
3 Plum Tomatoes cut in half
One very small wedge of Red Onion about 1/2 inch wide
1/2 Cup Cilantro leaves chopped
1 Jalapeno – small piece without rib and seeds. Can add more later for
more HEAT or add ribs ‘n seeds
Fresh Lime Juice from 1-2 limes
Dash of Sea Salt

Filling:

1 Pound Halibut or other flaky white fish
2-3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon fresh Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Organic Sugar
1 Cup very thinly shredded Green/red Cabbage or Lettuce if you prefer
6 Whole Wheat Tortillas or other good quality
Small bowl of Sour Cream

2 Cans Organic Black Beans with liquid
5 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
2+ Cloves minced Garlic
4 Scallions Sliced crosswise small rounds
2+ teaspoons Organic Shoyu Soy Sauce or to taste

Avocado slices and lime or lemon wedges

One medium sized heavy skillet (NOT nonstick)
Baking pan oiled
Blender
Oven on broil, rack on 2nd level from top
4 Servings or 1-2 more if less fish is used for each tortilla

To prepare:

Fish:
In a small dish marinate halibut turning on both sides in oil, lime juice, chili powder, sugar, salt & pepper just until salsa is done.

For the Salsa:
In a blender put in all Salsa ingredients and pulse till chunky. Pour into bowl, cover and set aside.

Beans:
Heat skillet on medium flame and add sesame oil. Allow to heat for about 2 minutes. Add black beans and garlic and sauté till liquid is almost gone. Add Shoyu/soy sauce to taste. Add scallions and mix. Turn off heat and allow to stand.

Fish:
Turn oven to broil. Cut fish into 4 pieces. Broil fish until just done, about 5 minutes. Check that it’s opaque and flakes easily. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile warm the tortillas in the medium skillet. Flake each fillet and fill each tortilla with 1 fillet, cabbage or lettuce, and salsa. Top with sour cream. Serve tacos with side of black beans, slices of avocado, and lime wedges. This one is fun!

Western Smokin’ Black Bean Dip

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

Organic/natural tastes best.

Serves as many as you think, but maybe make a little more.
This is a palate pleaser.

The smokiness sets your taste buds up just enough to keep you reaching for more.
Makes about 4 cups

You’ll need:

6-8 Turkey bacon strips
1 Tablespoon light olive oil
1 Medium red onion, minced
1 Small red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
1 /2 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 /2 teaspoon Dried oregano
2 15-oz. cans black beans, undrained
1 teaspoon chopped seeded canned Chipotle chilies*
or to taste
1 Cup sour cream
1/2+ Cup chopped fresh Cilantro (I love cilantro so I use a lot.)
You can also add some cilantro while cooking beans. Use some as added flavor at end and in the preparation.
Salt and pepper to taste

*Chipotle chilies, canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available in Latin American markets and Latin American sections of supermarkets.

To prepare:

Cook turkey bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 3-4+ minutes. Drain and coarsely chop. Set aside. Add olive oil to same skillet. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté until onion is soft, about 6 minutes scraping up bacon bits. Add cumin and oregano: sauté 1 minute. Add beans with their liquid and chipotles. Simmer over medium low heat until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Transfer 1 cup bean mixture to blender or processor. Blend until smooth. Stir into remaining bean mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead, but chill bacon separately.) Chop and add bacon to bean mixture before serving.

Stir cilantro into dip and serve chilled or at room temperature. Top with sour cream or serve sour cream on the side. Dip your choice of chips, but my preferences are toasted tortillas cut or broken into chips sizes and the same for pita chips done the same way. Deeelightful!

ABOUT: Wellness Chef Helen Sandler
Lecturer, personal chef, teacher, wellness coach, & speaker, Helen promotes a healthier lifestyle through common sense, organic / natural approach to a happier, positive life.

Helen Sandler is used to being an innovator and at the cutting edge of whole foods whole grains awareness. After graduating from SUNY, New York with a teaching degree, she began to follow her real passion for healthy cooking which took her from Los Angeles to Boston to attend the cooking school of the late and great master Japanese natural chef, Aveline Kushi. Later that passion took her to Kyoto, Japan to continue her studies, where she spent four more years learning the art of healthy Japanese cooking (Seishoku).

As Wellnes Chef Helen she is the featured authority at CTNgreen /wellness with articles in the library there and the virtual paperless magazine at CTNGreen Magazine



970-618-0731
helskitchen@gmail.com