The Day After Thanksgiving – Turkey Congee Recipe
Turkey Congee, a Thanksgiving tradition in many Chinese American families A tradition in many Chinese American households is to make turkey congee (also called "shi fan" and "jook") the day after Thanksgiving. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, a pot of water is put on the stove, and filled with leftover turkey bones (I add carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf and peppercorns for more flavor) to make turkey stock. This stock cooks for several hours, and then is strained off. Rice is … [Continue Reading...]
A Day of Thanksgiving and Reflection
Thanksgiving is a day of reflection, a day to stop and ponder all that I am grateful for despite the many challenges of this past year. A year ago, this blog did not exist. Instead, I was nursing my 17-year old son back to health after he suffered a horrible football concussion. Locked in the house in a dark room with the blinds shut for a month, and the phone and TV turned off, I was uncertain if he would make a full recovery. During that month, my son's and my life were put on hold. I … [Continue Reading...]
Chili Spiced Almond Recipe and More Quick and Easy Snacks
Chili Spiced Almonds, a quick and easy last minute snack If you're looking for a last minute snack or appetizer recipe for Thanksgiving, here are a few quick and easy ideas, including a recipe for Chili Spiced Almonds. All of these snacks and appetizers are super quick and easy to make: Assorted Tartine from Jeanette's Healthy Living Spiced Pecans from Elana's Pantry Crispy Roasted Chickpeas from Steamy Kitchen Hummus from Simply Recipes or Simple (and delicious!) … [Continue Reading...]
Dorie Greenspan Inspired Tartine Recipes
I had the most fortunate experience of meeting Dorie Greenspan, a James Beard Award-winning author, several months ago at a BlogHer conference. Dorie is someone I have admired from afar for many years. I was immediately struck by Dorie’s down to earth, approachable, sweet personality. This past week, Dorie was signing her new cookbook, around my french table: More than 300 recipes from my home to yours, at a local library. I had been looking forward to seeing Dorie again, and … [Continue Reading...]
Coconut Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
One of my childhood favorites for Thanksgiving was sweet potato casserole topped with toasted mini marshmallows, so when I came across a recipe that used a meringue topping instead of marshmallows for a sweet potato casserole, I knew I had to try it. I added a tropical touch to the sweet potato casserole, using coconut milk, pineapple and ginger. Although I try to minimize sugar in my recipes, I decided that the meringue topping which requires sugar was still a better choice than … [Continue Reading...]
Festive Clementine Avocado Salad Recipe
Festive Clementine Avocado SaladI came up with this Festive Clementine Avocado Salad recipe as I was thinking about healthy and beautiful side dishes for Thanksgiving. Each ingredient in this elegant salad contributes health benefits as well as flavor and texture.Oranges contain significant quantities of phytonutrients, which are believed to inhibit inflammation and interfere with some of the processes necessary for cancer cell growth. Oranges are also a good source of heart healthy … [Continue Reading...]
Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup This weekend I made Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup, inspired by a Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup recipe in the the New York Times this past week. With Thanksgiving just a week away, I've been trying to come up with some festive dishes that will satisfy Thanksgiving guests with rich, full flavors (so you feel like you're getting a special treat), without the higher fat content typical in many Thanksgiving recipes. This week I hope to post … [Continue Reading...]
Two Brussel Sprouts Recipes – Soy Sauce Glazed Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Winter Squash
Brussel Sprouts can conjure up bad memories of mushy, bitter vegetables. Once I learned how to roast brussel sprouts, however, brussel sprouts actually became one of my favorite vegetables. Roasting brussel sprouts brings out the sweetness in this vegetable, and watching the cooking time prevents overcooking so there's no "mushy" factor. Brussel sprouts are cruciferous vegetables, one of the most potent anti cancer vegetables. Brussel sprouts contain a number of different phytochemicals … [Continue Reading...]
Foods That Can Help Fight Breast Cancer – Anti Cancer Recipes
Today, Meg Wolff, a writer for the Huffington Post, posted an article "What We Can Do About Breast Cancer." Meg Wolff, a two time survivor of cancer (bone and then advanced breast cancer) changed to a plant-based diet 12 years ago after doctors gave her little hope upon going through all the traditional medical treatments.Meg believes changing to to a plant-based diet saved her life.In her post today, she shares a lot of important information, including the following: Women who eat a … [Continue Reading...]
Recipe for Zaatar Meatballs
Zaatar Meatballs served with Tzatziki SauceToday, I tried a new spice called zaatar (or za'atar) in a meatball recipe. Meatballs are popular with my kids, and an easy way to introduce new spices to them. Zaatar, a Middle Eastern spice, is a mixture of sumac (which has a lemony taste), thyme and sesame seeds. Some mixes include marjoram, oregano, coriander, fennel and cumin. Zaatar is not a strong spice, but it has a nice tang from the sumac.Traditionally, zaatar is mixed with olive oil and … [Continue Reading...]
Farro, An Ancient Whole Grain – Fiery Red Bean Chili Recipe
Fiery Red Bean ChiliRecently, farro has been gaining popularity on restaurant menus in the form of risottos, salads and side dishes. You might think it’s a trendy new whole grain (it certainly sounds more interesting than brown rice or barley), but according to an article in The Seattle Times, farro actually “traces its roots back 17,000 years to the beginning of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia.” It is grown in Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland and Italy, … [Continue Reading...]
