Braised Spareribs

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces peanut oil
3 pounds spare ribs, cut into bones
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 ounces tomato puree
2 ounces good red wine
2 cups beef stock
1 quart veal stock

Preparation;

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season flour with salt and pepper and dust ribs with it. Knock off any remaining flour and heat up oil. Brown ribs in oil and set aside.

Saute, over low heat, the onions and garlic until translucent. Add spices and stir. Add the puree, red wine vinegar, and beef stock and bring to a simmer. Place ribs in braising pan and cover with the seasoned beef stock and veal stock. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until ribs are tender.

This recipe inspired by Chef Michael Symon

Food Quote du Jour

“Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is.”
-P. J. O’Rourke

Energy Building – Whole Grains

It’s three in the afternoon, your energy is flagging and all you want to do is take a nap, but instead you have to sit through a boring meeting. While you could just have a second – or seventh – cup of coffee, you could also have some pumpkin seeds, an apple, a few red bell pepper slices with hummus or a piece of dark chocolate. These 20 foods can help relieve fatigue, sharpen your focus and give you the jolt of energy that you need to avoid falling asleep at your desk.

Whole Grains

It’s common knowledge that consuming carbs will give you a quick energy boost, which makes them great before a long workout. But the pick-me-up from refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice won’t last; within 30 minutes you’ll be feeling sluggish again. Choose refined carbs like brown rice, oats or whole-wheat bread instead.

Salad with Egg, Nuts, and Veggies

Loaded with slow-digesting veggies and a protein-packed egg, this salad makes the perfect lunch. The avocado and olive-oil-based dressing deliver enough healthy fats to make you feel full. If you want to add more good carbs, pair the salad with a whole-grain roll or a piece of fruit.
Night before: Steam the asparagus, boil the green beans and combine them with the last four ingredients in an airtight container, and refrigerate. Leave the avocado peel on and tightly wrap it in plastic to keep it fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Several spears of Asparagus
• 2 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 ounce baby spinach (3/4 cup)
• 2 ounces arugula (2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons pecans

Preparation:

• Place egg in a saucepan; cover with cold water. Bring just to a boil; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 12 minutes, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Peel egg and quarter.
• In the same saucepan, bring 2 inches salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately run under cold water to stop cooking.
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Store this dressing in a small airtight container.
• Just before serving, dice avocado and add it to your premade salad, along with egg. Toss with dressing.

Food Quote du Jour

“After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual ‘food’ out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps.”

                                                                                             — Miss Piggy

Energy Building – Eggs

It’s three in the afternoon, your energy is flagging and all you want to do is take a nap, but instead you have to sit through a boring meeting. While you could just have a second – or seventh – cup of coffee, you could also have some pumpkin seeds, an apple, a few red bell pepper slices with hummus or a piece of dark chocolate. These 20 foods can help relieve fatigue, sharpen your focus and give you the jolt of energy that you need to avoid falling asleep at your desk. 

Eggs – There are plenty of foods that provide the protein vegetarians need, but perhaps none do so in such a powerful, compact package as an egg. Eggs offer many of the same benefits as lean meats, including protein, B-vitamins and iron.

Seafood Jambalaya

 

 

It is no great secret that I love to cook and eat “Cajun” food.  One of my favorites is Jambalaya.  “Clean the Swamp Jambalaya.”  It contains a little of everything….

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup Tasso (a seasoned and smoked ham), diced

1/2 cup Andouille Smoked Sausage, diced

1 1/2 cups onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

3/4 cup green bell peppers, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons creole spices

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups tomatoes (about 4 medium size), chopped

3/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups seafood stock

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 cups uncooked rice (preferrably converted)

1 pound peeled crabmeat, crawfish or firm-fleshed fish filets (cut into bite-sized pieces), or any combination of your favorite seafood, that equals 1 pound

1 1/2 dozen oysters in their liquor (medium size) (about 10 ounces)

1 1/2 dozen peeled medium shrimp (about 1 1/2 pound)

 

Preparation:

Drizzle the oil on the Tasso, Andouille, onions, celery and bell peppers; and evenly mix each with your hands.  Heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the Tasso, Andouille and sauté until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the onions, celery and bell peppers; sauté until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom well.  Add the bay leaves, Creole Spices and garlic.  Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom as needed. 

Add the tomatoes and cook about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.   Add the tomato sauce and cook for 7 minutes more, stirring often.  Stir in the stock and bring to a boil.  Then stir in the green onions and cook about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. 

Add the rice and seafood; stir well and remove from the heat.  Transfer mixture to an ungreased 13×9-inch baking pan.  Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F until rice is tender but still crunchy, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  If you still have liquid in the pan bottom, let pan sit a few minutes, still covered, to allow rice to absorb the liquid.  Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.

To serve, mold rice in an 8-ounce cup and place 2 cups on each serving plate as a main course and 1 cup as an appetizer. 

 

Energy Building – Salmon

It’s three in the afternoon, your energy is flagging and all you want to do is take a nap, but instead you have to sit through a boring meeting. While you could just have a second – or seventh – cup of coffee, you could also have some pumpkin seeds, an apple, a few red bell pepper slices with hummus or a piece of dark chocolate. These 20 foods can help relieve fatigue, sharpen your focus and give you the jolt of energy that you need to avoid falling asleep at your desk.

The fourth installment in our series on energy building foods is one of my all-time favorites –Salmon.

Salmon has two grams of essential fatty acids per four-ounce serving, and these EFAs do more than just regulate insulin and facilitate healthy brain function. They also help ease inflammation, so stiffness in your joints or muscles won’t slow you down.

Food Quote du Jour

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”

                                                                                       -Tecumseh 

20 Energy Building Foods – Lean Meats

Our third installment in our series on the 20 foods that help build energy is Lean Meats.

Lean Meats

Skinless chicken, turkey and other lean cuts of meat contain the amino acid tyrosine, which helps fight fatigue. They also have lots of iron, B-vitamins and the protein your muscles need for endurance whether you’re working out, competing in an athletic event or just trying to get through a hectic day.