EASY WAY TO STORE THOSE TOMATOES

I found a rather easy way for us city folk to store extra tomatoes for the winter. I have a lot of forum friends who did their canning, but living in a big city, I usually just buy tomatoes as I need them, and rely on ready made pastes, sauces, and tomato juices.


This works best if you have one of those vacuum sealers, however I don't so I used press-n-seal plastic and ziplock bags for storage. Here's how I did mine. I took my roma tomatoes and made an x with a knife at the core end and then immersed them in boiling water for about 45 seconds to a minute. Then I immediately plunged them into a bowl of ice water. The skins slid right off! I was told the skins would be too tough in relation to the rest of the tomato. Quarter them and squeeze out the water and seeds and let them drain a little more on paper towels or in a colander, just a few minutes. Place in an airtight plastic bag or jar and freeze quickly.


This method is not exact but should give you good results, with better flavor and more vitamins than commercial products.

If you have any further advice for storing easily those leftover tomatoes please let me know so I can share the information with my readers. Likewise, let me know how they come out later.

CARROT SALAD

This carrot salad looks very good!

JICAMA

Jicama is also known as a Mexican potato, or turnip, and even a Chinese potato. It is good eaten raw and must have the skin removed. Some people think it tastes like an apple, a pear. or even a cross between a potato and apple. You can cook it and use it for soups and stews and much like the potato it will take on the flavors of the other ingredients so it goes with a variety of other foods.

The nutritional value is great for the Jicama. A half cup has only 25 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium. It has only 5g of carbs, 3g of fiber and 1g sugar. It also stores well in the frig. sealed in plastic for up to two weeks.

JICAMA, GREEN BEAN, AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

Serves 4.
Each serving equals two 5 A Day servings

Ingredients
1 pomegranate
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 1/2 lbs pieces of jicama
2 lbs French green beans
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice


Peel and cut jicama into ¼-inch thick slices. Cut into 1/4-inch sticks.
Place in a bowl and toss with pomegranate juice.
Chill, covered for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Have a bowl of ice and cold water, trim green beans.

Blanch beans for 3 minutes, then put into ice water to stop the cooking process and drain.


To prepare the pomegranate, open one end with knife, score it in a few places and soak it in a bowl of water for five minutes, then pull it apart gently and the seeds will sink to the bottom while the rest of it floats to the top.

Take out the jicama mixture, and add green beans, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss and serve.

Nutrition- Calories 261, Fat 9g, Calories from Fat 28%, Carbohydrates 44g, Fiber 17g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 23mg.

CDC.gov - 5 a Day
Source: Pomegranate Council

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

There are many types of squash, which are vegetables from the gourd family. There are also a thousand different ways to eat and prepare them all. Today we will talk about spaghetti squash. I had never had it before and was very surprised by the fact that it's so aptly named. The inside of this gourd when separated with a fork is just like spaghetti and if you are looking to save calories and eat healthier you can substitute this for the actual pasta.

The original spaghetti squash is light in color, then a new variety emerged with more beta-carotene, a bit orange in color and a little sweeter inside. Either one is fine for eating, however you will probably come across the orange one most in your grocers.

When picking your squash, look for one with an even color and hard exterior. If it's green it's not mature yet and soft spots are no good. Four ounces of spaghetti squash only have about 38 calories and can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can actually drop the whole thing into boiling water and when the outside can be pierced easily with your fork it should be done inside. You can also cut in in half and cook it in a micro wave or bake it in a regular oven. You can cut it and steam it for about five minutes.

For a hearty lunch or dinner with hardly any calories, try steaming the spaghetti squash and when tender spray it with one of those no butter sprays and add your favorite Mrs. Dash! That and a small green salad would be perfect! In fact now that I'm thinking about it some salsa on the squash would be perfect too. Or try a marinara sauce, or even just plain tomato sauce seasoned with some Italian seasonings and a pinch of sugar for balance.

SALAD, SALAD, SALAD!!!

I love salads. All kinds of salads. My favorite places to eat will have an extensive salad bar where I can get a regular green salad and then try a tablespoon of all the other salads they have to offer. That and a bowl of soup and piece of hearty bread would be my perfect meal.

When I was growing up the highlight of any holiday meal for me was my mothers potato salad eaten slightly still warm. Now my father makes a healthy potato salad for my mom and it is fantastic too! I'm hoping in the posts to come that they will share their secrets with us, and as I come upon other wonderful salad recipes I will share those also!

PUMPKIN POWER !

Here in the great Midwest it's time for pumpkin picking! The bright orange color of pumpkins tells you it is full of beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

One cup of cooked pumpkin has 49 calories, 2g protein, 12g carbs, and 3g fiber. If you are buying a pumpkin for cooking you will look for a smaller pumpkin with a long stem. If you buy one with too short a stem it could be going bad faster than normal. If you're getting one simply for carving than a big one is just fine. The smaller ones just tend to have sweeter pulp.



Beside the carving the next best pumpkin activity is preparing the seeds for snacking. Make it a family affair! The seeds are very slimy and hard to grab which makes it more fun! Try to get as much of the fiber off the seeds as you can. Then boil 2 tbsp. salt and 2 quarts water. Add two cups of seeds and boil for ten minutes. Then remove seeds and pat dry. Put your oven on 250 degrees, and take the seeds and toss them either with unsalted butter or oil. Spread them out and cook on cookie sheet for about a half hour to 40 minutes, stirring about every ten or so.
Remove and cool. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!

TUSCAN GARLIC CHICKEN

Check out this wonderful reciped from one of the head chefs at the Olive Garden. It looks soooo good. The combination of the spinach and red peppers in the cream sauce give it so much natural flavor!

SOUP, ANOTHER PERFECT MEAL!

I love soups and in the coming posts for the cooler weather ahead I hope to share with you some of the wonderful soups that I come across.

My attraction to soup comes from the fact that just about anything goes. You can make it as plain or as hearty as you want. You have fruity summer soups you can serve cold, and thick comfort soups that will keep you warm and full on those cold winter nights.

The colors, aromas, and flavors are limitless, and you can have them as healthy or as decadent as you please!

EGGPLANT FRITTATA

This looks like a wonderful way to serve eggplant. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm!




Thank you Victoria for sharing this with all of us!

WHY BLANCHE?

If you are going to freeze vegetables one of the most important things you need to do is blanch them first.

Blanching is putting the vegetables in rolling boiling water for a couple minutes. The reason this is important mainly is because the boiling water will stop the enzyme action that destroys the fresh flavor. In addition the process will also shrink, brighten colors, and help keep the vegetables full of vitamins.

DRESS YOUR DOGS!

Even though they are not good for me, one of my favorite foods is a well dressed hot dog. As a matter of fact, I love the veggies on them so much that there usually is not room on the bun for everything. My husband said just not to put all the veggies I want on it, but I like my idea better. I decided to by french bread rolls instead. They are a lot bigger than regular hot dog buns, and for even more room I've start slitting my dog through half way leaving it open for the veggies to get inside of.

There are several styles of hot dogs I like a lot. The first and to me the most basic is mustard, raw onions, and tomatoes, or caramelized onions in place of the raw.
Next is the same as above with added chili. Now when I make these at home, I chop the onions and the tomatoes small so that you get a bit of each in every bite. It seems a little more difficult to eat when the tomatoes are cut into wedges.

To make my super-dog, I use mustard, raw onions, cooked onions, chopped tomatoes, thin long slices of cucumber, a bit of chili, and topped with sauerkraut. I have a couple pickle slices and sport peppers on the side.

There is a new mustard that is chili flavored and I use that when I can it has a wonderful taste.

The sauerkraut we make is not sour, but sweet. We take regular sauerkraut and boil, rinse, and squeeze it out, three times. Then you add some water and a good amount of sugar and heat till hot.

I don't care for relish, however I have had an unusually delicious relish at a hot dog stand. I don't know the name of it but it was very bright green in color and tasted sweeter and less tart then the usual.

Remember also the most important thing in making a hot dog is to properly steam the buns.
I know this is not a healthy meal, but every once in a while this is a great comfort food and very filling with all the toppings and larger bun.

MMMMMMmmmmmmmm!

WASHING PRODUCE

Most of us have heard about the recent scare with spinach and e-coli. The markets have pulled it off their shelves and people were encouraged not to eat it or handle it.

In light of that news story, it seems an appropriate time to remind ourselves that produce should be washed before we use it, or store it.

We wash it for a few reasons. The first is to rid it of possible bacteria which like e-coli could make us very sick. The second is to rid it of pesticedes that it may have been sprayed with. Third is of course to wash the dirt and soil off, and finally, it has been handled by many people from the pickers to other customers in the store trying to select just the right ones.

A good solid rinse and rub with your hands does it in most cases, or there are washes you can buy to do the job. It is not recommended that you use regular soap because a lot of produce absorbs the soap, and the soap may break down the natural oils in the food.

Mushrooms are in a class on their own. There has been much debate about using a dry towel or water. While it's true that mushrooms will absorb some water, the amount is so small as to not be noticable and it does a better job than wiping with a dry paper towel.

You should be also rinsing fruits like lemons, even though you are going to peel them because when you cut into the skin you are dragging whatever is on the surface inside to the fruit.

I am not a food handling expert and I do believe that if something is working for you don't fix it or change it. So what ever your method is continue, and if you don't wash them, you need to start.

CARBS IN POPULAR PRODUCE

Artichokes, 1 cup 19g
Asparagus, cooked, 4 spears 2.5g
Beans, black, cooked, 1 cup 41g
Beans, great northern, cooked, 1 cup 37.5g
Beans, kidney, red, cooked, 1 cup 40.5g
Beans, navy, cooked, 1 cup 48g
Beans, pinto, cooked, 1 cup 42.5g
Beans, snap, green, cooked, 1 cup 10g
Beans, snap, yellow, cooked, 1 cup10g
Beets, cooked, 1 cup 17g
Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup 11g
Broccoli, raw 1 cup 6g
Brussels sprouts, cooked, 1 cup 11g
Cabbage, cooked, 1 cup 7g
Cabbage, raw 1 cup 4g
Cabbage, red, raw1 cup 5g
Carrots, baby, raw 1 medium 1g
Carrots, cooked, 1 cup 13g
Carrots, raw 1 carrot 7g
Carrots, raw 1 cup 10.5g
Cauliflower, cooked, 1 cup 5g
Cauliflower, raw 1 cup 5.5g
Celery, cooked, 1 stalk 1.5g
Celery, cooked, 1 cup 6.g
Celery, raw 1 stalk 1g
Celery, raw 1 cup 3.5g
Chives, raw 1 tbsp 0.13g
Collards, cooked, 1 cup 9.5g
Corn, sweet, white, cooked, 1 ear 19.5g
Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, 1 ear 19.5g
Cowpeas (Blackeyes), cooked, 1 cup 33.5g
Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), cooked, 1 cup 36g
Dandelion greens, cooked, 1 cup 7g
Endive, raw 1 cup 2g
Kale, cooked, 1 cup 7.5g
Kohlrabi, cooked, 1 cup 11g
Lentils, cooked, 1 cup 40g
Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw 1 head 4g
Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw 1 cup 2g
Lettuce, green leaf, raw 1 cup 1.5g
Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw 1 head 11g
Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw 1 cup 1g
Lima beans, large,cooked, 1 cup 39g
Melons, cantaloupe, raw 1 cup 13g
Melons, cantaloupe, raw 1/8 melon 6g
Melons, honeydew, raw 1/8 mboelon 14.5g
Melons, honeydew, raw 1 cup 15.5g
Mushrooms, cooked, 1 cup 8g
Mushrooms, raw 1 cup 2.g
Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, 1 cup 21g
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried 1 mushroom 3g
Mustard greens, cooked, 1 cup 3g
Okra, cooked, 1 cup 7g
Onions, cooked, 1 cup 21.5g
Onions, cooked, 1 medium 9.5g
Onions, dehydrated flakes 1 tbsp 4g
Onions, raw 1 whole 11g
Onions, raw 1 slice 1.5g
Onions, raw 1 cup 16g
Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw 1 whole 1g
Parsley, raw 10 sprigs 1g
Parsnips, cooked, 1 cup 26.5g
Peas, edible-podded, cooked, 1 cup 11g
Peas, split, cooked, 1 cup 42g
Peppers, hot chili, green, raw 1 pepper 4g
Peppers, hot chili, red, raw 1 pepper 4g
Peppers, sweet, green, cooked, 1 cup 9g
Peppers, sweet, green, raw 1 cup 7g
Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, 1 cup 9g
Peppers, sweet, red, raw 1 cup9g
Potato, baked, flesh and skin, 1 potato 43g
Potatoes, baked, flesh, 1 potato 34g
Potatoes, baked, skin, 1 skin 27g
Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, 1 potato 27.5g
Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, 1 cup 31g
Potatoes, hashed brown, home-prepared 1 cup 55g
Potatoes, mashed, home-prepared, whole milk added 1 cup 37g
Potatoes, mashed, home-prepared, whole milk and margarine added 1 cup 35.5g
Pumpkin, cooked, 1 cup 12g
Radishes, raw 1 radish 0.2g
Rhubarb, frozen, cooked, with sugar 1 cup 75g
Shallots, raw 1 tbsp 2g
Soybeans, green, cooked, 1 cup 20g
Soybeans, cooked, 1 cup 17g
Spinach, cooked, 1 cup 7g
Spinach, raw 1 cup 1g
Squash, summer, all varieties, cooked, 1 cup 8g
Squash, summer, all varieties, raw 1 cup 4g
Squash, winter, all varieties, cooked, baked, 1 cup 18g
Strawberries, raw 1 cup 13g
Sweetpotato, cooked, baked in skin, 1 potato 30g
Sweetpotato, cooked,without skin 1 potato 28g
Sweetpotato, cooked, candied, home-prepared 1 piece 29g
Tomatillos, raw 1 medium 2g
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, 1 cup 7g
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, 1 cherry tomato 1g
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, 1 slice 1g
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, 1 tomato 5g
Tomatoes, sun-dried 1 piece 1g
Turnip greens, cooked, 1 cup 6g
Turnips, cooked, 1 cup 8g
Watermelon, raw 1 cup 11.5g

I have rounded the carb numbers to the nearest .5 The ones that are cooked are unsalted and drained, usually boiled unless otherwise stated. Remember that fruits and vegetables are full of fiber and fiber since it's not digestable, gets subtracted from these carb counts. So most of these carb counts will be lower than what I've posted here.

CREAMED TURNIPS

3 turnips
2 tbls. flour
2 tbls. margerine
12 oz. milk
salt and pepper to taste


Peel and slice turnips. Boil for fifteen minutes in salted water, till tender.
Drain and put into non stick casserole dish. In seperate pan, melt
margerine , blend in flour and cook for a minute or so. Keep
stirring. Slowly pour in milk and cook till thick. Add salt and pepper
to taste. Pour over turnips and bake at 225 for ten minutes.

You can sprinkle with cheese or bacon before putting into oven, if
desired. Serves six.

TURNIP TIME!

Shop for turnips that have smooth firm skin and feel heavy, without any bruises or cuts. They should be purple at one end fading into white at the other end.

...25 calories
35% rda of vitamin C 80mg of sodium, 8g carbs
...

A three to four ounce turnip had about 25 calories and about 30 to 40% of the vitamin C you need daily. It has about 80mg of sodium and 8g of carbs, 3g of fiber and 5g of sugar. They are available year round but peak October through March. They are mostly used cut up in soups and stews, but can make an interesting side dish.

You can use turnips much like potatoes. Boil them for mashed turnips, or boil and bake. You can slice them or stuff them mixed with cheese and bacon. Make a carrot and turnip casserole, topped with french fried onion rings. In fact you can even make turnip fries! Use your imagination and enjoy. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm!

FRUITS , VEGGIES, AND DRUG INTERACTIONS

Everyone knows that our beautiful fruits and veggies are good for our bodies, but there are times when they can be as dangerous as they are healthy. Those times are when the medications we may be on have harmful interactions with some of the foods we eat. Here are some examples.

People who take diuretics should avoid foods high in potassium such as avocados, green leafy veggies, and bananas.

If you are taking MAO Inhibitors you need to avoid avocados, bananas, raisins, and sauerkraut.

Those people taking Coumadin should not eat foods high in vitamin K such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, turnip greens, kale, and spinach.

This is in no way a complete list and I only focused on produce related interactions. To be really safe you need to consult your doctor or pharmacist to ask about food-drug interactions.

Most doctors today can tell you as soon as they prescribe the medication by use of a wonderful new program they can access from their pda, courtesy of Epocrates Products Online. So whether your doctor is prescribing Albuterol, or just a cough medicine, he can immediately tell you the properties of that particular medication.

One out of four doctors are using this handy program and are finding it valuable and time saving. In addition to telling them about the drug itself, they can also tell how much your insurance will cover on it, and any alternative or generic medication available. Don't be afraid to ask, the answer is at the touch of a button!