Rice pasta vs. Me — a clean sweep...

I love to cook and feel I am good at and yet not matter how many times I cook rice pasta and adjust the cooking times, it comes out overdone and so, rice pasta wins every round and tells me I should stick to spelt pasta.

GF Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

2 eggs beaten
2 Tbsp. GF Flour
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a cookie sheet with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Wash and grate potatoes. Mix in eggs and flour. Form into large "meatballs" and flatten on cookie sheet. Brush tops with remaining olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with apple sauce or sour cream. Makes 6 pancakes.

(P.S. These pancakes have been an excellent dessert this week.)

In the kitchen on Thursday.. A recipe from a friend.

Last night I made Chicken and Rice from the Family Plate Cookbook by Marie Isner and my family loved it.

Full Disclosure: Marie is not only my health coach but also a dear friend. My hat goes off to her for writing a cookbook.

To purchase the cookbook at Amazon, click the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Plate-Cookbook-Real-Families/dp/1500147273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429219452&sr=8-1&keywords=marie+isner

(P.S.I made the Italian Meatball recipe too and thought it to be better than the one in the Joy of Cooking.)

Tuesday Tips: Natural moisturizers

These oil are know for their moisturizing qualities for skin, feet and nails:

Almond

Avocado

Cocanut

Olive

Tuesdays; Tip: Itchy Scalp

Make a paste out of lemon juice and baking soda. Rub on your wet scalp and let stand for 2 minutes and then rinse. Then rub Avocado oil, olive oil or coconut oil on your scalp.

I tried this home remedy and it worked great on my itchy scalp.

In the kitchen on Thursday: Clair's cabbage salad

My friend Clair made this when she came over and cooked dinner.

1 medium head of green cabbage
1/2 medium onion
2 small limes
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Cut cabbage in quarters and remove the core from each cabbage. Slice into strips on the short side and place in a bowl. Slice the 1/2 onion in strips and add to the bowl. Add the juice of the two limes, the honey and the olive oil and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy.

(Thanks Clair and Sean for an awesome dinner and a great time with good friends.)

In the kitchen on Thursday: Healthy Latkes

Baked Sweet Potato and Apple Latkes*

Preheat oven to 400. Grate 2 medium sweet potatoes (aka Yams). Peel half a granny smith apple and grate into the potatoes. Add 1/3 C. oat flour and 2 beaten eggs. Mix all the ingredients together. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and grease with olive oil. Shape mixture into large "meatballs" and flatten on cookie sheet. Brush tops with olive oil. Bake for 15-25 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12. Latkes can be refrigerated overnight.

(There is no picture because I forgot to take one before I served them and they were devoured.)

In the Kitchen on Thursday: Sinful Mac n' Cheese

1 box. Ziti Rigate
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 1/2 C. Milk
1/4 lb. American Cheese
1/2 lb. Cheddar Cheese
1 1/4 C. Corn Flake crumbs
1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/4 C. grated Parmesan or other hard cheese

Cook Pasta based on directions on box and drain. Melt butter in sauce pot. Whisk in flour until it is all incorporated. Add in milk and whisk for 2 minutes. Then pour in cheese and whisk until all covered by milk mixture. Place on lid leaving an opening. Let cook until cheese is melted. In the meantime in a bowl mix the crumbs, olive oil and cheese. Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce. Place in an oiled large baking dish. Top with crumbs. Broil for 5-7 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6-8 servings.

(I almost ate 1/4 of the dish after I made it, so beware.)

In the kitchen on Friday: The fish got foiled

Fish in Foil

1/2 Lb. Arctic Char or Salmon filet
1/2 lemon sliced
1/2 Tbsp. dried dill
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
12-18 string beans, ends trimmed

Preheat oven to 350. Get a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil about 14 inches long. Place the oil on it and rub it around. On top of the oil place the green beans, then the lemon slices and then sprinkle the dill. Place the fish on top skin side up. Fold over the edges of the foil, leaving one short edge open. Bake for 30 min. Serves 2.

(Even my husband who can be picky about the fish he'll eat liked it.)

In the kitchen on Thursday...Spring greens

Pasta with Escarole

1 Head of escarole, washed
1 medium onion
1 16 oz. box Penne
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese

Slice onion and Escarole into strips. Place in separate bowls. Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot, add  onion and cook until soft. Then add Escarole and cook until slightly wilted. Cook Pasta according to directions on box. Toss Escarole and onion with pasta. Serves 4. Top with cheese.

Tuesday's tip...Don't forget the flour

To make sure cakes release from the pan don't just grease it, sprinkle in flour and get it on all sides. When cool, slide a knife around the cake edge and invert the pan over a plate and Viola! the cake comes out easy.

Tuesday's Tip: Softer hands

Soften hands while you do dishes (Sorry, Palmolive), by rubbing olive oil on your hands before you put on the rubber gloves and as you wash the heat of the water opens your pores allowing the oil to moisturize the skin.

Tuesday's Tip: Oil and Honey

If you are cooking or baking with a sugar syrup (i.e. honey, molasses, etc.) measure the oil first or spray the measuring tool with cooking spray so the syrup comes out easier, practically none left in the measuring cup or spoon.

In the kitchen on Thursday: Lip therapy

Lip Balm

3 Tbsp. Cocoanut Oil
1/2 Tbsp. Almond Oil
1/2 Tbps. Olive Oil.

Melt the cocoanut oil and mix in a small container with lid with the almond and olive oils. Allow to cool completely. As the cocoanut oil hardens you should get a smooth "paste." If you don't have almond oil, you use a full Tbsp. of olive oil.

Tuesday's Tip: Moisture Boost

To boost the moisturizing capacity of your body lotion, add a few drops of olive oil to the lotion before you put it one.

(This has done wonders for my winter-is-too-long dry skin.)

In the Kitchen on Thursday: Easy Cod Fish Stew

Cod Fish Stew

1 lb. Cod Fish Filet
4 small potatoes
1/2 medium Onion
1 C. water
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil (or Safflower or Canola)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Slice the onion very thin. Peel and cube the potatoes. Cube the fish too. Place the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, when the pot is hot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add parsley and potatoes and stir until onions are golden in color. Add water and then fish. Cook for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper and gently stir. Simmer until fish is heated through. Makes 2-3 servings. Serve with fresh bread.

The finished stew...

(and mighty tasty too.)

This just in...a cook book for FREE

All the recipes from the blog last year are available in one Pdf, so you can make them throughout the year (healthy waffles, sweet sugar cookies, baked tofu and Bok Choy, etc.) and store on your bookshelf. I have one on my shelf despite it being over crowded with books from my antique cookbook collection (I have one from 1851).

So click the link below.....
http://www.scribd.com/doc/197791528/From-My-Blog-In-the-Kitchen-on-Thursday-Recipes-2013

Happy cooking and eat-up!

In the Kitchen on Thursday: Healthy for the new year

Apple Sauce Nut Granola

2 C. Quick Oats
1 C. Quinoa (uncooked)
1/3 C. Raw Peptitas or other pumpkin seed
1/3 C. Slice Almonds
2 Tbsp. Raw Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C. Apple Sauce
2 Tbsp. Oil (Sunflower or Olive)
2 Tbsp. Honey or Maple Syrup.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour on to rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Great on Cereal, yogurt or fruit.

Tuesday's Tip: An easy hostess/host gift, for next year's New Year's Eve party....

Fresh herbs and citrus zest can be steeped in small bottles of olive oil for 2-3 weeks to flavor it (I buy small bottles of olive oil for this purpose).

In the kitchen on Thursday: Meal Planning

Every week I plan out what's for dinner by a single main ingredient on each cooking night and rotating certain recipes (you can see this weeks dinners above), so I can tell you what we are eating on Friday October 18th and I love doing this because it simplifies my life and my cooking.

(In the next issue of my newsletter, the lead article is on meal planning and goes in depth on the main ingredient and rotation methods and how to combine them as I do. Subscribe on my website. Website link, click subscribe button on lower left)