Disclosure in Compliance with FTC

Effective Date: November 30th, 2009

This blog is a written solely by Jennifer Leal and accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation including but not limited to posts on this or other sites, Twitter, Facebook, Whrrl and other form of Social Media if it is a company or product that I use, buy, trust and/or believe in.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. I, as most people, would like to be paid when they agree to do work for a company/person but again, I will be completely honest in expressing MY viewpoint.

I may or may not receive compensation for posts, advertisements, tweets, or Whrrl stories. Whether I do or not, I will give my honest opinions and experience and it will be my own. I will only have affiliate links when it is a product that I have used or currently use/enjoy. Affiliate links are used only when it is a product I have tested and believe in, providing me a wee bit of compensation if you choose to give it a try and make a purchase.

Always trust that I am being truthful and genuine and expressing my experience. Thank you for coming over, now go eat or do something great and Savor the Thyme!

To contact me, email me at savorthethyme (at) cox (dot) net

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: Touchdown!

I know, you thought I would leave you with no dessert. Naughty people, I know you need a little suttin-suttin at the end of all this long day of blog reading. I will give you a slightly naughty treat since this is your only cheat day (only Sunday right?) after I show you the two most reasonable choices....let's start with the less exciting items:
Low fat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit. No? Sorbet then. There are so many amazing flavors.

Apple-cranberry crumble. Getting better?


Cheesecake Brownies! Follow this recipe however, skip the sugar and use 2 tablespoons of agave nectar instead.

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: 4th quarter

We are in the home stretch now folks. Are you inspired? Willing to give this a try? Have some better ideas? Share them.
Baked Chicken Tenders: Click here and start pulsing the breading now.

Pizza! Yes, you are reading the word pizza. Please find a great whole wheat pizza recipe or heck, just buy a pre-made shell, use very little oil and top with lots of veggies and easy on the cheese.

culinarytypes.blogspot.com

Chili: Make my Quinoa chili or how about this turkey chili?

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: 3rd quarter

Wraps: Use some whole wheat wraps and use turkey, lettuces, tomatoes, avocado, any veggie you want and skip the mayo. Use hummus, or mustard. Even better, skip the carbs and go for this idea right here. Oh, maybe even chicken or fish taco bar with tons of vegetables....no, you can't have the sour cream but you can make a nice low fat guacamole instead; like this one that uses peas in order to cut down on some of the avocado.


Roasted Chickpeas: No, I am not joking!
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper if you like even more heat
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Drain garbanzo beans and rinse well with cold water. Let beans drain for 10 minutes, and then pat them dry.
3. When beans are dry, toss them with olive oil, spices and salt. Arrange them in single layer on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, or until they are browned. Serve warm or let cool. (They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days)

Buffalo Wings: Hey, I do not want to deprive you all, only have your eat smarter. This recipe looks fabulous and I will be making these.

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: 2nd quarter

The BEST dip ever of course!!! Try it with reduced fat cream cheese you nuts.

Bake your own chips: Why not make your own using some of nature's fabulous root vegetables? Sweet potatoes, turnips, and beets. Slice them, toss with some E.V.O.O., salt, any spice you like. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.


Dips: Go here for a fabulous spinach dip. Use pita chips from 1st quarter. Yum!

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: 1st quarter

Veggie tray. Go all out here: Carrots, Celery, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchinis, Peppers, Tomatoes and Grilled Chicken! Then people can also make use of the wraps and lettuce leaves covered in other 'quarters'
Hummus: Make your own with this fabulous recipe.


Pita Chips: Make yourself using whole wheat pitas. You can do this today and store them in an airtight container for a few days.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the pitas into 6 wedges each and place them on a baking sheet cooked with cooking spray.
3. Coat the wedges with the spray and sprinkle with salt and any other spice you may enjoy.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Superbowl Snack-a-thon: Kick-off!

'Are you ready to rumble?' Wait, no, wrong. How about 'Are you ready for some football?' I am here today to offer some super tasty alternatives that won't leave you cursing yourself the next day and being drafted as a 'wide receiver'. I will list some here and then post more during the day so keep coming back for more.

Drinks: We know most of you want some beer by late Sunday afternoon so let's get the low down on the light versions here. OK, that is all I have to say except, make some lights spritzers or drink water and save the calories for the food.

Popcorn: Pop some no-butter popcorn and toss on some garlic powder, or a touch of oil and parmesan cheese, maybe your favorite herbs and spices or even some cinnamon and sugar (you may need to spritz on some low fat butter spray).

Whole Almonds: Man, these babies give you the crunch satisfaction. Toast them yourself or simply buy them done for you. You can even find some that are unsalted.

Baked Chicken Tenders / Fingers

This is not just for your kids, this is great for you too. I bet this would rock with this dip. We ate these the other night and I was waiting for my feisty 2 year old to say 'this yucky' (his favorite saying) , but he ate them all in silence. THAT is worth a million bucks.

Ingredients:
1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup rice milk
1 egg white
1/3 cup sliced almonds (for even better flavor, toast them first)
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt & a dash
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Toast two pieces of whole wheat bread into the toasted on the medium setting and toast. Remove and allow to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare baking sheet by placing cooling rack on top of it.
3. Combine egg white and rice milk in a bowl and mix well. Add a dash of salt.
4. Cut chicken into tenders/strips
5. Chop toast into small squares and place into food processor with the almonds and oats. Pulse to combine, pour into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. In assembly line fashion, dip chicken into milk/egg mixture, then dredge into breading, coating evenly and placing onto cooling rack.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.

Superbowl snack-a-thon coming...(healthy version)

I will have lots of ideas to share so that you do not feel guilty the next day.....but there will not be any 'help me get over my hangover' recipes. ;)

Jen's Salsa or is it Pico de Gallo?

Ding-dang...I slacked on getting the recipe to you and I have been scolded so here you go and please, modify to your tastes--more heat, more juice (add a bit of o.o.) etc.

2-3 ripe, organic tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 red onion, finely diced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
½ jalapeno, minced, no seeds unless you want extra heat
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
1 cup corn kernels-fresh, if possible or a cup frozen, thaw first.
salt and pepper to taste BUT remember, chips/pretzels etc have salt.

1. Chop all of the ingredients above.
2. Place 1/2 the tomatoes into a food processor (I have a mini chopper) along with the jalapeno, cilantro, 1/2 garlic, and lime juice. Pulse until well mixed and some of the juice from the tomatoes has mixed with the lime juice.
3. Pour into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Season lightly.
4. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, overnight is even better, adjust seasoning.
5. Enjoy as is or create the best dip ever! Serve with some baked tortilla chips, whole wheat baguettes or pretzels crisps.

Paprika Shrimp & Green Bean Saute

I purchased a magazine the other day that caught my eye called 'Eating Well'. I ran across this recipe and knew it was the first one I wanted to try. My instructions below are a bit different so use mine or click on this link to follow theirs exactly. I thought this was a great recipe however, I am glad I used half the amount of beans.



Ingredients:
16 oz. bag organic green beans, frozen
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 pound raw shrimp (21-30 per pound) peeled and deveined
1 16-ounce cans large butter beans or cannellini beans, rinsed
1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Place green beans and water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high setting for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir and check for doneness (thoroughly heated and crisp-tender). If necessary, add a touch more water, recover and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until just fragrant but not browned, about 20 seconds.

3. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in beans, vinegar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and green beans, stir and serve.

VitaTops: A healthy snack?

Get excited! I ran across an ad for these and think I may have seen them in a store but it did not sink in until I stared at the ad last night. A 100 calorie snack that are shaped to look like the top of the muffin (you know, the best part). I am not sure exactly how good they are for you but if you need a quick snack, this may be a good option and will keep you out of the cookie jar. Go here and enter coupon code MCL33YZ9 to get 10% off of your online purchase.

Has anyone tried these?

Apizzo comes to Pawcatuck

I noticed this building being renovated in downtown Pawcatuck, CT. and began to get excited when I saw the exterior painted black and then the sign that clearly stated 'apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana’. I knew immediately it was going to be an up-scale and authentic Italian pizzeria. I mean a sign with black and red and no picture of a slice of pizza? When my husband and I found ourselves without children for a few hours we knew right away what we wanted to do with the time. We entered apizzo about 4:45 and the place was quiet as you would expect at the early bird dinner time. Being that it was not busy yet, there were plenty of youthful smiling faces to greet us. We requested the table in the back, on one side a chair and the other, bench seating. The restaurant décor and ambiance borders on minimalist but still feels warm. That warmth comes from the darker, subtly lit interior, the wood-fire brick oven in the open kitchen to our left and to our right, the lounge area with armless leather chairs. They have generous seating yet not so much that you will feel overcrowded. In fact, by the time we left at 6:25, almost all the tables we filled yet it was not noisy and uncomfortable. We noted 'all walks of life' were there even though this restaurant exudes a higher end feeling. Definitely not the typical pizza joint.

Our server Katie welcomes us and offers to get us some beverages. Oh, and what a beverage selection they have. The sodas are there as well as the unsweetened iced tea but the real story is the beautiful selection of Italian wines and the extensive selection of domestic, microbrew and imported beers. We placed our order and began to feast on the eye-candy of a menu. We first focus on the appetizers and choose both the wood roasted wings and caprese salad. Once they arrive, we take a moment to admire them before digging in. First, the caprese salad: I truly tasted and enjoyed the mozzarella. The tomatoes could have used another day to ripen to my liking but were fresh and both the tomato and mozzarella were dressed with the prefect amount of balsamic syrup. Next, the wood roasted buffalo wings. Now, these are not the run of the mill, over fried wings coated with Frank’s Hot sauce (which I love by the way). The wings were meaty, were not just skin and bone and the texture was different as they are not deep fried as the only means of cooking here is in the brick oven. Katie, knowing that the pizza cooks in 2 minutes flat, timed it perfectly and waited for a few minutes after finishing our apps. to even order it (We had, after all, told her that we were there for a relaxed experience.). The main course of ‘Shrimp & Pesto’ Pizza arrives and looks even better than I expected. This lovely pizza was not covered with a large dose of pesto and tiny shrimp. Nope, this pizza was lovingly created with nice sized shrimp and a great pesto (not the oily and too garlicky mixtures), and cooked perfectly: not chewy and tough-how wonderful. We dug in but savored. If you like stiff thin crust pizzas, than this place is not for you. The outer crust itself is wider than I am used to seeing, being about 1.5-2 inches of fresh, lovely bread. The pizza is light and refreshing and close to a touch too salty so do not salt before tasting, but that is always a great rule to follow. After staring at each other and smiling during our pizza experience, we decided that we wanted to enjoy some dessert and cappuccinos (‘illy’ people, illy). Katie also did a great job informing us that the cheesecakes were by the Cheesecake Factory and so, yes, a slice of carrot cheesecake please. In case you were wondering, yes, we ate the whole thing. It is a perfect size for two and because it is not the standard heavy, chewy pizza, we could make room for dessert.

We will be going back for some paninis, more pizza pies and to experience the wines & beers. Ciao! p.s. Have fun washing your hands in their all glass bathroom sinks.

Baked Butternut Squash Casserole

I love making this dish as I simply tell my kids to 'eat your noodles'. They did and are now hooked. This dish would easily feed 6 so is great for when you have company over. I originally found this casserole at Martha Stewart but have adapted it a bit as I wanted to improve its nutritional value even more AND add a bit more moisture.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1.5-2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoons chopped dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
1 box (~13 oz) whole grain, blend or whole wheat penne
2 cups butternut squash puree*
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions suggest. Drain the pasta but reserve the cooking water. Return pasta to pot.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until onions for 15 minutes (they are now soft and have released liquid).
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray (preferably butter flavored).
4. Uncover the onions, raise heat to medium and continue stirring frequently until onions are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in rosemary and thyme.
5. Stir squash into onions; simmer 1-2 minutes. Toss squash mixture and 1/4 cup Parmesan with pasta. Transfer to prepared dish.
6. Top pasta with remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes
*Recipe to make your own here or look for a box of frozen puree however, most on market and made with the squash and a bunch of oddly named chemicals so try to make your own.

Butternut Squash Puree
10 oz frozen butternut squash
1 cup reserved hot pasta water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pour the frozen squash into a large bowl and add 1 cup of the hot pasta water (after pasta done cooking) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until squash is thawed. Place half on the mixture into a blender, being sure to allow ventilation. Blend/puree until smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture. Continue at step 5 above.

Pottery Barn Winner!

Congratulations to Janina who said "I added your contest to my blog at http://janina-goldberg.blogspot.com/. In case you are interested, the random number choosen is generated here.

The BEST appetizer ever: 'The Dip'

Here it is folks: the famous and best appetizer/entertaining dish (seriously, it is). It all began about 6 years ago, when my friend & neighbor Stephanie had us over. While she was preparing other dishes, I was watching her daughter and asked what she was making. She replied 'the dip'. Since then I have played with it using different salsas, low fat cream cheese etc. and here is my favorite version of 'The Dip' made with my own Pico de Gallo and LOTS of fresh chopped cilantro.

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese (use reduced fat if you wish)
1 avocado
Jar of salsa, pico de gallo or go all out and make your own (Jen's pico de gallo coming this week and is super good for you!)
Fresh Cilantro

1. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and scatter about dish (spray knife with cooking spray to aid it removal of cream cheese).
2. Cut avocado into cube and scatter about dish (see technique here and here).
3. Pour salsa/pico de gallo about evenly covering cream cheese and avocado.
4. Scatter lots of chopped cilantro on top.

Serve with baked chips or pretzel crisps. Yum!

A cool way to chop up Avocados

Here is a cool way to chop up avocado that keeps the mess to a minimum (you ever wipe avocado guts off a cutting board?) and impress your friends. Warning: make sure you hold the avocado inside a mitt or dish cloth as you will, yes, you will, end up having the tip of a sharp knife graze across your palm.

1. Open up avocado, remove pit and use knife to make vertical lines through the flesh. I do not know why blogger is loading my photo sideways...do you?

2. Now make horizontal lines through the flesh

3. Use a spoon to remove all the little cubes--cool eh?!

Coffee for a Cause

If you love coffee and making a difference, check out Giving Tree Coffee.

Delicious Pork Rub

Did you know that Pork contains many of the nutrients recommended to build and maintain a healthy body? Pork contains Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenate, Phosphorus, Magnisiu, Iron and Zinc and is a good source of complete protein. Well it does and my family loves to have pork (tenderloin, chops and sometimes ribs) year round so I decided to come up with my own rub. I also wanted to make sure they stayed moist so I made more of a paste than a rub and slow roasted these bad boys. This time I grabbed some boneless ribs as I figured I would be getting more meat than on boned ones however, I bought 'country-style' which apparently mean, 'half-fat'. Therefore, in order to stick to your resolutions, go with some leaner looking chops or tenderloin. A word of caution though, do not trim all the fat off before cooking or you run a good risk of a dry piece of meat.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs. of ribs, tenderloin or chops
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon course salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Heat oven to 200F.
2. Combine all of the ingredients and rub over each rib.
3. Bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes-3 hours

Roasted Cauliflower

A classic and healthy vegetable dish to add to your menu. If you wish to add more flavor, try with chili powder, nutmeg or curry for an ethic flair.
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper (about ¼ teaspoons each)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Toss florets toss in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients.
3. Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes, until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness.

Top Chef - Ask A Chef

Did you know you can email questions to the chefs and judges on Bravo's Top Chef? Send them to watchwhathappens@bravotv.com. While you are at it, enter their Foodie Fly-away Sweepstakes.

Slumber Party Cake

My lovely friend (and amazing childhood photographer), hosted a sleep over for her 5 year old's birthday. She was inspired to create this super cute cake and I thought it may inspire you all as well.

Crunchy Baked Shrimp with Orange-Apricot Sauce

Finally, a coated shrimp dish that is actually crispy yet baked and with no oil. How you say? I worked hard and achieved it. Both my husband and my friend both enjoyed the dish. And by enjoy, I mean, we all ate the shrimp within 10 minutes of taking the former swimmers out of the oven. Of course my husband thinks the breading needed more salt if you are not dipping, but his taste buds seem to need a seriously heavy dose of salt on everything he eats. Plus, why bother eating one without the sauce?

Ingredients for Shrimp:
1 lb. of 31-40 uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg white, beaten with a touch of water
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1. Place a cooling rack into a baking pan.
2. Place flour into a ziptop bag.
3. Whisk egg white, water and salt and pepper together.
4. Combine the panko, cilantro, paprika, ginger, and remaining salt and black pepper in a bowl, combine.
5. Bread shrimp: Combine shrimp and flour; toss well to coat. Working with 3 or 4 shrimp at a time, shake off excess flour, coat with egg, dredge in panko mixture, and transfer to cooling rack. Cover and refrigerate.*
6. Cook shrimp. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.

*You could probably bake this immediately, I had to stop and so I placed it in the refrigerator for 2 hours before I baked them.

Ingredients for sauce:
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
cornstarch**

Bring the first 8 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to about a 1/3 cup. Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in cilantro and set aside.
**If you want it thicker, simply remove a tablespoon of the sauce and whisk in a teaspoon of cornstarch until dissolved. Add it back into the saucepan and heat it up again for 2 minutes and you should have the consistency you want.
Couscous recipe coming tomorrow.

Roasted Carrots with Agave & Lemon

This is a nice dish because it is a bit sweet so you can try to fool yourself into feeling like you are having a dessert with your dinner. Nice try eh? Maybe you will buy this: the sweetness is a nice contrast to the cayenne.

Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots, cut into pieces (1- 2-inches long and 1-inch thick)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
coarse salt
2 teaspoons light agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon zest of one lemon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. In bowl, toss carrots with oil, cayenne, nectar and season with salt.*
3. Arrange in single layer on a foil lined baking pan.
4. Roast tossing for 20 minutes, or until tender.
5. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Ops! I meant to whisk together the nectar, zest and lemon juice and drizzle it over carrots after they roasted however, I was letting my daughter prepare the dish with me and before I knew it, we had already added nectar. C'est la vie.

Orange-Cranberry Agave Bundt Cake

A well known scenario: Your hubby asks you at the last minute 'What cake are you making for so-n-so's house?' and your reply is 'What cake?' Uh-oh. Time to pull out all the stops and open up a cake mix! That is right, a cake mix. However, I could not simply bake a cake mix, I had to make it my own and feel like I am making something a bit healthier so let's toss in some OJ and for a sweetener, not sugar but my new buddy, agave nectar. Bake this and fall in love.

Ingredients for cake:

Spray to mist/flour pan (baker's joy or Pam for baking)

1 yellow cake mix with pudding

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 tablespoon light agave nectar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Madagascar)

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (finely chopped)

Ingredients for glaze:

agave nectar or

1 cup of confectioners' sugar, sifted (yes, you must)

3 tablespoons water or 1% milk

orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Mist the bundt pan and set aside. Mist a knife with the spray and chop the cranberries into small pieces. I say a cup but if you want lots and lots of cranberry in there, you go ahead and toss in more. Now place a tablespoon of the cake mix into a bowl along with the cranberry pieces and mix until the berries are coated*

2. Place the following into a large mixing bowl: cake mix, OJ, oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Mix on low speed for 1 minute or so. Scrape down the sides and mix on medium to medium-high for 2-3 minutes. The batter will look light and well mixed. Fold in the cranberries and pour into the bundt pan.

3. Bake until a lovely shade of golden brown and the cake starts to pull away from the sides, about 43-47 minutes. Remove and place on rack to cool. Carefully run knife around edge after 25 minutes or so , invert and allow to rest until completely cool.

4. Concurrently, you can decide what you want to do for the glaze: You can either lightly drizzle nectar over it and top with zest OR mix the confectioner's sugar and water/milk and top that with the zest. Your choice.

*Why coat the cranberries with cake mix? It helps to keep them from all sinking to the bottom during baking.

Photograzing at Serious Eats

I am thilled to be on display at serious eats. Be sure to 'Favorite This'.

Make your own Peanut Butter

Take a deep breath. I will help you continue to make PB&J's for the kiddos. Simply make your own peanut butter. Have I done it? Nope, but it sounds easy. Apparently all you do is grab your organic peanuts, almonds, cashews etc., toss them into your food processor and blend them until your preferred consistency. You may need to add some oil to get there but maybe not. Give it a try. If you are really serious about always making your own and you want to spend $40, you could invest into The Homemade Peanut Butter Factory. I bet their sales are booming right now.

*1 cup nuts of your choice
*1 1/2 teaspoons oil (peanut oil preferred)
*1/4 teaspoon salt (easy if you are using salted nuts)

Put all ingredients in a blender or a food processor. Blend until mixture is spreadable. You may need to stop blending and scrape the sides occasionally. Store the mix in the refrigerator.
If the oil and peanut butter separate, stir before serving.

Pottery Barn Giveaway

People. Friends. Family. I have a great giveaway here. Are you ready to spread the news and tell all your friends, family, acquaintances? Let them know about this blog and the contest via email, Facebook, Twitter, any way you can. You are vying for a wonderful Pottery Barn ‘Outdoor Spaces’ book. There are sections on Dining, Cooking, Playing and Entertaining Outdoors and it has many beautiful decorating ideas. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post about what types of recipes, recipe makeovers, topics, or spices that you would like discussed on this blog.

**Contest closed-Thank You!

*You have until Midnight PST on Sunday, January 25th to enter this giveaway.
*Just make the comment ON THIS POST to enter
*Anonymous comments will be removed.
*The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday, January 26th.

*Open to residents of US only.

Each of the following will give you two extra entries in the giveaway. Please make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:
*Email your contacts and 'cc' me savorthethyme@cox.net. I will delete the email and will not keep any email addresses.
*Following me on Twitter (thelealfamily). Please make sure to leave your Twitter name in your comment.
*Blogging about this giveaway on your blog. Please make sure to leave a link to your blog post in your entry.

Where oh where did my Tropicana go?

Daughter at Gymnastics. Check. Mental list of groceries. Check. Son snapped into cart. Check. Ok, off to the orange juice section. I am there….but where? Where? WHERE is the Tropicana, pulp-free, family sized jug?! Look again Jen. Calmly. Any standard sized cartons? Nope, I just see a ton of some new generic company. Did Stop & Shop sell out decide to only sell their generic? Look for employee. Don't bother, just look again. Oh my goodness! All those generic bottles ARE the Tropicana. Why would they do this? I am no designer but I do not like the new design. I will slowly adjust but I miss my orange with a straw-it stood out before and now their cartons just blend in. I guess they are going for the minimalistic look. Thank goodness the taste did not change. What do you think?

What is Agave Nectar and why do I care?

For the past year, I have heard some rumblings here and there about Agave Nectar, especially surrounding gluten-free and ‘health’ food worlds. Well, a few weeks ago, I spotted a bottle of the stuff and carried it home, admiring it as if it were an Emmy statue. I now know that it is just as valuable: It is shiny and sweet and has opened a whole new world of opportunity for me. Yes, it is on my mantle. Not really. Well, not yet. Anyway, before I share my first recipe utilizing this creature, I must introduce you properly to Agave Nectar.
Agave nectar is a natural sweet liquid from the core of the Agave plant, that is right people, the same plant used to make Tequila. Now I have your attention don’t I? The nectar has been used for many years in other cultures, in fact, the Aztecs considered it a gift from the gods. In Mexico, where it is mostly produced, it is called ‘honey water’. Now that is has burst onto the scene and everyone is talking about it, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of health-minded people. Even those involved with the raw food movement regard the nectar as a raw food because of the low temperatures utilized in processing agave. Many health professionals are fans because is has a lower glycemic index than sugar, which means that it won’t spike your blood sugar like granulated sugar does and it is not a manufactured sugar.

More facts about this cutie:
*The syrup is often used as a substitute for sugar or honey by Vegans and now that the public is learning more, I suspect more will be doing the same.
*Dissolves easily in cold beverages as well as hot
*Used as a pancake topping instead of syrup
*Light, amber, dark varieties.
*Does not taste like or crystallize like honey
*No after taste like the fake c**p

I LOVE IT

Oh, and try it in your coffee and skip the substitute.

Bob Greene's Best Life Diet Menu

I am not sure if any of you really subscribe to all things Oprah but Bob Greene is sharing some recipes from his BestLife program that you may appreciate so here is a link.

Martha's Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This month's Everyday Food featured a recipe that immediately caught my eye when I went through their index (one of the first things I do). Man oh man, Red-Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes! I am always looking for ways to be creative with sweet potatoes. So, since the kids were playing so nicely with the train table, I made quick work of getting the items roasting and I was free to join them at play. Then, when only 5 minutes of roasting was left, I prepped the salad and then sat down with my daughter to sample (she only went for the lettece and 'mommy' fries-a future story). My instant first thought was 'where is the flavor?' and then a second later, oh, it is all there, it is simply a subtle dish, although I will say the garlic gives a punch to the dressing as does the onion when you get a few together. This salad is lovely and has a wonderful balance of texture. An definite keeper. Oh, resist the urge to separate the onion layer once you quarter it because you run the chance of overcooking some pieces, like I did. They will naturally fall apart anyway.

p.s. The photo above is my salad--looks just like hers eh?

Shallot and Parsley Sugar Snap Peas

My children love to eat sugar snap peas raw (1. they make a loud crunch when you bite them 2. the peas can be catapulted out of them with the correct angle of squeezing. 3. They are sweet hence, popular) but sometimes we like to change it up at dinner so I came up with this the other night. Oh, a photo of this can be found below, plated with the Balsamic Chicken.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 oz bag stringless sugar snap peas
1/2 large shallot
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
Salt & pepper
In large skillet heat oil on medium. Add shallot and saute briefly about 30 seconds. Add parsley and peas, toss and cook for 3-4 minutes, until heated thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper just as they are finished cooking. Serve immediately.

Book Report about Book Report

A post by one of my regular reads, EmilyStyle, was about the book 'Tender at the Bone'. She stated that "It's a vivid read about food critic Ruth Reichl's childhood and love affair with cooking." so I was instantly intrigued and requested it from my public library. I then read some of her reader comments and a few of them mentioned the book 'Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by the same author. They are both on their way to me.

Cookie of the Day by Martha Stewart

Can you believe that you can go to MarthaStewart.com daily and get a 'Cookie of the Day' recipe? This may not be great for your diet but it sure is good for your spirit. Just look at the pretty photos. Calorie-free.

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Raspberry balsamic chicken is one of my staples and I sometimes switch it up with apricot preserves. This is also a healthy and frugal recipe as you are only using 2 breasts, halving each one, therefore, resulting in 4 servings. It is a great way to trick yourself into only eating half a breast (and not stuffing in the entire one) and you can stretch the budget. Trust me, you will not miss the extra chicken.

1 tablespoon canola oil
¾ cup red onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper, divided

2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes. Then turn to heat to medium and add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. In the meantime, season chicken with salt and pepper. Push the onion/garlic mixture to the side and add the chicken to pan, sprinkle with half of the thyme and cook for 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over, season with remaining salt, pepper and thyme and cook for 4 minutes. Check for doneness and remove from pan once cooked. Add preserves and vinegar to pan, stirring constantly until the preservers are melted. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary and then spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Quinoa Chili

I was looking for something different and at the same time healthy in a comfort food, so I decided to work on chili (yes, I was really craving a huge plate of mac & cheese). I added a huge nutritional boost by adding Quinoa. Please give it a try and don't point it out to anyone before they try it).

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

2 can organic dark red kidney beans, undrained
1 can organic black beans, undrained
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels

28 oz. can organic no-salt-added diced tomatoes
Cooked quinoa (see post below)-try a cup and then add more if you wish.

Cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven/large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and the next 4 ingredients and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Turn heat to high and add the remainder of the ingredients, allow to come to a boil, stirring frequently.

4. Finally, lower the heat and simmer for the next 2-3 hours, continuing to stir and taste to adjust seasoning periodically. Stir in Quinoa and chopped cilantro and mix.

Go start the fireplace, put on your PJ's and slippers, and curl up under a blanket with the bowl of chili. Your body and mind will thank you.

Quinoa

Have you heard of Quinoa? Incorporated it into your diet yet? No, shame on you. It is a seed from the goosefoot plant and is an ideal food for all of us because it is a complete protein, and is especially useful for those on some restrictive diets as Quinoa flour can be used in gluten-free baking.

Directions:

1 cup Quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place rinsed Quinoa into pot, add water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with fork and serve.

Orange-Scented Beets

A few months ago, I had a wonderful dinner with a friend and we ordered a beet salad. Now, the last time I had eaten beets, I was probably 5 and felt that I was scarred for a lifetime. Now that I am, let's just say, over 30, I decided that I was going to be opened-minded and order the beet salad and I enjoyed it. So, when I ran across this recipe, I decided that I would give it a try. I would say I followed it well although I only used a pound of beets so I cut all the ingredients by a third. I found this to be a nice dish and my friend, who also critiqued the soup recipe, also described this as rustic and earthy and said she thought it was great. Now go ahead you wimpy ones, give it a try like I did.

Rustic Roasted Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

I found myself with a 5 lb. bag of lovely organic carrots this weekend and wanted to make a nice side dish with them so I decided to roast them with some sweet potatoes. However, once I took them out of the oven, I decided that I wanted to use them for a soup. Savory fresh ginger, thyme and shallots enhanced the flavors and you can customize the 'heat' by choosing to add more ginger. My friend tasted some and said 'I have never tasted a carrot soup like this before, it is earthy and rustic.' Perfect description.

Ingredients

1 lb. organic carrots, chopped

3/4 lb. sweet potatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 small piece of fresh ginger (guess it was about 1/2-3/4 inch big), chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

3 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth*

1/2 cup 1% milk**

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl, toss well, and place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender. Stir once halfway through. Allow to cool a bit and then place half of the mixture into a blender with half of the broth. Be sure that the lid is vented, as you need to let the steam escape from the blender, and place a piece of paper toweling over to keep from squirting out. Blend, but not too long as we are going for rustic not thin and watery. Pour the mixture into a bowl and repeat on other half. You can now either heat it up in the microwave a bit or warm up in a pot.

*I prefer my soup a bit thinner so I ended up adding another 1/2 cup of broth; also, use Vegetable broth for Vegetarian version.

** Use all broth if you prefer.

Oprah's Weekly Meal Plan

I wanted to let you know about another way to get yourself or keep yourself on the right track towards health. Oprah started a BestLife series with her panel of experts and have announced a series of Webcasts that you can sign up for here. She is also sharing her weekly meal plan here.

wholeliving is launched by Martha Stewart

Already find yourself having a hard time sticking to your resolutions? You know, the one about eating, exercising and having a general all over healthier approach to your life? Well, Martha to the rescue: wholeliving.com is launched and includes a great 'Eat Well' section.

Hunting for the perfect Oven Mitt

I cook and bake frequently so don't I deserve some oven mitts? Of course as it is also a matter of safety but I need your help. I need you to tell me where I can get oven mitts that are: cute. modern. pretty. protective. affordable. easy to clean. cute (that is important). Please let me know where to get them. Thanks!

Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.

Blissful Cupcakes

I am going to start up my own cupcake business just so that I can offer these, make lovely displays and see people smile at them.

and the Winner is....

Congratulations 'Davnet'!

Please email me at savorthethyme@cox.net with your full name and address. Thank you for all of the comments.

Salmon 'ala Hamm'

I was inspired to expand upon a recipe that a friend once shared. Always try to use the freshest fish you can find. I will post about identifying fresh fish at a later date.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Salmon (skin removed)

Worcheshire Sauce (I just shake it on but I will guess 3 tablespoons)

1/2 lemon

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter*

1/2 onion

2-3 cloves chopped garlic

2 tablespoons fresh or 3/4 teaspoon dried dill

Ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the Salmon on a large sheet of foil, season with pepper, dress with Worcestershire sauce, the dill and a few thin pats of butter. Then toss on garlic, place thin slices of onion (I prefer sweet) all over the filet and cover with thin slices of lemon.

3. Wrap the filet in foil, place on pan and bake for approx. 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check the doneness and bake longer if needed.

4. The lemon slices should be discarded but the onions get partially caramelized and taste great. I did not mention seasoning with salt as the Worcestershire is salty.

*(Ok, if you are going to worry about a little bit amount of butter, than skip it)

Foodzie is an edible Etsy

Look at this yummy website where you can buy wonderful organic and gourmet foods that Anne-Marie revealed. They describe themselves as "a marketplace to discover and buy food from small artisan producers and growers." Are you drooling yet? I am.

Turkey with Apple-Pear Chutney

This chutney is great in the winter when some wonderful pear varieties come into season. If you find wish to reduce the gentle sweetness of this dish, use yellow onion or different varieties of apple or pears. This a quite the healthy dish-enjoy!

1 apple, chopped (I used Granny Smith)
½ pear, chopped (I used Anjou)
1 can diced tomato, no salt added, juice drained and reserved
½ medium sweet onion, sliced (I used Vidalia)
4 tablespoons reserved tomato juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
4 turkey cutlets
Salt & pepper
½ teaspoon oil
Cooking Spray

Place first 9 ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low/gentle simmer for 35 minutes. Place chutney in a bowl and once cooled, cover and chill (you can refrigerate up to 2 weeks) *. Spray skillet with a light coating of cooking spray and 1 teaspoon oil and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and sauté on each side about 3 minutes on each side or until done (try not to overcook as dry easily).

*You can enjoy warm, room temperature or chilled over the turkey

Parmesan Black Pepper Cracker Heartache

I drooled. I dreamt. I craved. I finally made them and oh, the fabulous smell but, but, why must my dreams be shattered upon tasting? What am I talking about? Ina Garten’s Parmesan Black Peppers Crackers. I saw her make these many months ago and for some reason, I thought of them the other day and ran to the pantry for the few ingredients. I waited in anticipation. Once they had cooled, I grabbed. I smelled. I salivated. I bit. My eyes darted to my husband’s who had joined me in the experience. We understood each other as soon as we connected: Disappointment (although expectations were very high). I said “Why don’t I love these?’ He gave the perfect explanation: 'You can taste every ingredient individually'. Could I have not blended enough? Frooze long enough? No, I followed the directions exactly. I ran to the reviews and saw that although most gave a 4 star rating, they were not thrilled with various componets (texture, taste, etc.) however, the recipe, with some tweaking, could be fantastic. I will try again!

Anthropologie Apron

Tell me now, doesn't this belong on me?

Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup

We all know that any type of Chicken soup is comforting and warms the soul in the dead of winter. While staring out at all the snow last week, I was inspired to a try a slight twist on the classic. Even though I did not make my own broth, it is still loaded with vitamins, low-fat and healthy.



3 teaspoons olive oil
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1-1.5 dried thyme
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth*
2 cups water*
½ cup orzo (rice shaped pasta; whole wheat or blend if you can)**
Juice from 1 lemon
Rind from the lemon, diced
2-3 teaspoons parsley, chopped
Salt & black pepper

Begin by heating 1.5 tsp. oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook it about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Once cooked through, remove and add remaining 1.5 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the carrots, onion and celery, garlic and thyme and cook over medium heat until tender. Turn the heat to high and then add the chicken broth and water (add only one water if you like less ‘broth’) and add the orzo and turn heat down to a soft boil for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. I then turn the heat down to low and add in the juice and rind of a lemon, parsley and season to taste.

* You could also use 6 cups of broth if you prefer. I simply utilized one standard box of broth which is 4 cups and then used 2 cups water.
** Be advised that Orzo, being pasta, somehow seems to multiply like mice, so if you add extra, be sure to add more broth/water or you will have a thick stew.

Pantry Essentials

I am often told that ‘only you would have that in your Pantry Jen’. Granted, I may have a few items that most folks do not typically have at all times but most are ones that I consider to be ‘Essential’. Go on, run to the store and make me proud. What are some of your 'essentials'?

Frances Janisch

1. Broths (low-sodium Chicken and Vegetable)
2. Canned Beans
3. Canned Tomato Products
4. Dried Herbs (to be restocked every year & remember that dried are more concentrated). I buy fresh versions that I frequently use (Parsley, Cilantro & Thyme) but the rest are in the pantry.
5. Flour (Unbleached White and Whole Wheat)
6. Fresh Garlic
7. Lemon and Lime Juice (in a pinch, they are great.)
8. Oils (regular and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vegetable )
9. Onions (I always have sweet and usually red)
10. Pasta (boxes of many shapes)
11. Rice (Basmati is my favorite, also have extra long grain)
12. Sliced Almonds
13. Soy Sauce (low-sodium)
14. Sugar (White and Brown)
15. Vinegars: Red wine vinegar & Balsamic