Corn Liquor

Who knew there were so many recipes mixing up alcohol and fall candies? Not being a very frequent mixed drink drinker, I guess I have missed out on this whole group of recipes until now.

I did a post after Halloween on using leftover (ha!) chocolate bars in a lusciously lethal Mudslide (Good to the Last Drop, November 4, 2010). Then I found this recipe and just chuckled. Last time I checked, martinis were savory...potent sips enhanced with onions, olives or a "twist". Apparently, they also have a many-storied sweet side.

I love candy corn and "fall mix", for the colors and fun shapes. After a very few sweet handfuls, most of the bag just sits looking cute in the jar until next year. This recipe looks temptingly fun, sweet and juicy....nice for today's Thirsty Thursday post. It might be quite the thing to both empty out the candy jar a little and sweetened up your guests before Thanksgiving dinner.

Autumn Mix Martini  

For the infused vodka:
1/4 cup candy corn or Autumn Mix
1 ½ cups vodka

For the cordials:
2 ounces orange liqueur
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract
1 large egg white
Candy corn or Autumn Mix for garnish
Orange or white rim sugar

To infuse the vodka: Combine the candy corn or Autumn Mix and vodka in an airtight container; set aside to infuse for at least 3 hours, then strain.

Making the cordials: Add 4 ounces of the infused vodka, the orange liqueur, lemon juice, vanilla and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into 4 chilled martini glasses, rimmed with decorating sugar. Garnish with extra candies. Enjoy!

Brazilian Wipe-out

I have curly hair with a mind and weather channel of its own. Having read a couple of books about hair, I understand that sometimes curly hair ends up on the wrong head and is a constant, annoying "bug". It is never neat and orderly. Every day, every change in the weather brings a new look. If chaos, disorder and a lack of control bother you, it is probable that curly hair and its strong-willed unruliness will, too. At least that was  what one book theorized. Makes sense to me. What does bug me though is while curly hair has my OK to rule my world, I just wish it would shine. Most curly hair doesn't.

Sometimes when my hair is mishandled, even by professionals, it is a frizz ball and even duller. Once or twice I succumbed to the "Penny, let's blow it out straight and see what it looks like! It will be soooo shiny!" tease. Shiny but not at all for me. And so, I can understand some of the temptation of the Brazilian Blowout....manageable, orderly, shiny hair.

Before you bite into the temptation, better know the poisons lurking and what one savvy state is doing to protect its ladies' shining glory. Let's wipe this product off the map! Thanks, California, for leading the charge!

http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/attorney-general-targets-brazilian-blowout-over-chemical-6586

Why do we devote every Wednesday to personal care? Because the food that comes in through your largest organ, your skin and scalp, can be a constant day in and day out diet of hazardous chemicals...and there are some very risky ones out there. This defeats the goal of total wellness. Your skin eats more than your mouth. For those of you who want to reduce your exposure to toxins from your skincare, email me. I have some great specials going on!

The Domino Effect: The Scoop on the Goop

I stumbled upon this article over the weekend and sank. Oh, goodness. I had no idea things were this bad in Commercial Pizzaville. What a dark, gooey mess. The link to this article is at the end of this post. While long, it is worth every word and minute of your time. It takes apart mass-marketed, commercial pizza from the crust through the pepperoni. If you are lucky enough to have a small, hands-on, really homemade pizza parlor in your neighborhood, go now and order up its veggie special. This The Red White and Food post is for truly hand-crafted pizza everywhere.

I felt like trying my hand at truly homemade pizza tonight and thank heavens I had someone to turn to for Rx. Dr. Neal Barnard has several yummy sounding pizza recipes in his cookbook. I am firing up the oven and having this for dinner. Now, this is pizza...Want a slice?

Eggplant, Artichoke, Red Pepper and Black Olive Pizza

2 cups chopped eggplant
1 cup tomato sauce
pinch of crushed red pepper
pinch of sugar or agave nectar
1 recipe for pizza dough (preferably whole wheat)
1 cup tightly packed, coarsely chopped spinach
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
quartered artichoke hearts...as many as you like
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup favorite black olives
fresh basil to garnish

In a skillet, bring 2 tablespoons of veggie broth or water to a boil and add in eggplant. Cook about 3 minutes or until water evaporates. (You may also saute eggplant in a little olive oil). Add tomato sauce, crushed red pepper and sugar. Simmer for about 7 minutes. Cool.
Place pizza dough in pan and cover with eggplant sauce. Top with spinach, bell pepper, artichoke hearts, onion and black olives. Bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is hot and bubbly.  Garnish with fresh basil.

Here is the scoop on the goop:
http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/dominos-effect

Shaking it up

With fall in full swing, I thought I needed to shake up my morning smoothie a little. Spruce it up. Have it fall in line with the season. Now I wonder if I will ever go back. Love this!! Here is my newest creation and like several of my food pix, my photo does not do the deliciousness justice! Packed with lots of my favorite foods and favorite orange-y colors, it is a wonderful Meatless Monday meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Autumn Shake

3 ice cubes
4-8 ounces carrot juice (or more depending on how thick you like your shake)
1 teaspoon or more freshly grated ginger
a good shake or two of ground cinnamon
1 large or 2 small kale stalks with leaves removed...a good handful of leaves
1/2 frozen banana
5-6 cubes of frozen mango
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1-2 scoops protein powder (need a recommendation? email me!)

Mix in a blender and serve. I didn't even wait for a straw or for the camera to focus. Add more cinnamon or ginger if you like. And the kale? Do it. It is an essential no matter what the season. You won't even taste it! 

Chock full

Even though it is still warm here (are we over summer yet, Mother Nature?), I have had the soup pot out for weeks. I love soups and stews, especially ones that are a little complex. Bubbly, richly textured and aromatic layers of all kinds of veggies, whole grains, legumes and spices are my favorites.

This recipe is one I make when the kids are home, when I am going to a potluck, the night before Thanksgiving or Christmas or when I want to have a couple of dinners and lunches on hand. It is a playful recipe that you add more fun twists to as you make it again and again.  It is also a recipe chock full of healthful spices...eight as a matter of fact...that play well together and play well with two herbs, parsley and cilantro. As an ensemble cast of legumes, whole grains, veggies and spices, this stew is nutritionally an award winner, a hard to top meal in a pot.

For a really festive and flavorful menu, I would serve Syrian Roasted Red Pepper Dip (November 1, 2010 post) as a starter, the stew along with a leafy green salad dressed with a citrus or ginger vinaigrette and for dessert, this apple tart I'm working on! Enjoy! There are some tips below but here is the first one. This recipe is long, but easy!! Don't be hesitant to make it.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
8 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock (I use low sodium)
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped 
3 teaspoons coarse salt
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 can "fire roasted" tomatoes with juice (Muir Glen is a nice brand for these)
1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed (I use red lentils as well...whichever one I have on hand) 
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
5 ounces orzo (I use whole wheat orzo)
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick and heat for a few minutes. Remove and set aside. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, and water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

Mash garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and salt into a paste*. Add this garlic paste, celery, tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, lemon juice, and spices, including saved cinnamon, stick to pot. Simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Add pasta and dates, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in coarsely chopped cilantro and parsley. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 6-8

*I will be talking more about salt "pastes" in an upcoming Salt Workshop. Stay tuned.

Tips:

1. I prefer dried chickpeas to canned hands down but do feel free to used canned if you find them easier. Be sure to rinse well. If using canned, simmer about 10 minutes instead of 45.

2. I prefer yellow or red lentil for this dish, not green.

3. Feel free to use fresh tomatoes, 3-4 will do it

4. I prefer to dry roast all spices and grind as need. If you are not familiar with how to do this and missed my spice class (!), use ground spices that you buy in small quantities from a reliable spice market. http://www.penzeys.com/ is a good online source. You can also use fresh ginger in place of dried, using the 3:1 ratio of fresh to dried.

5. Use whole wheat orzo or brown rice versus regular for more nutritional value

6. Try using coconut oil for the oil and serving with orange slices instread of lemon