Crown Roast Pork for New Year's Eve Dinner

New Year’s Eve is that time of year when you want a truly special meal to surprise your guests. There are times when we are willing to roll up our sleeves and work a little harder. A guest’s reaction is all the thanks you need.

The Crown Roast Pork is a crowd pleaser. When you entertain over a holiday it can be difficult to decide what to serve, especially when you want to cook something spectacular. There are some meats and lots of fish that don’t get eaten. As a chef, you dread a full plate coming back to the kitchen.

Pork Tips-

Pork needs to be cooked through to 160 degrees F. When you cook pork through it can leave the pork tough and tasteless. However, the Crown Pork Roast is special because it is moist, flavorful and has a beautiful presentation.

Ask your butcher to do a lot of the work. Have him tie the ends together to give it that finished crown look. The bones keep the meat extra moist and the bag allows it to slow cook in its own juices. The liquid in the bag is heated and evaporates to the top and, when it can’t escape, it collects on the top and then rains all over the pork basting itself.

The Meat should be fork tender and melt in your mouth. Enjoy!

Crown Roast of Pork- (CRP?)

7.5 lbs. Pork for 10 people

1 bunch Chervil

3 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 small bunch Sage

1 small bunch Parsley

2 sprigs Thyme

½ cup Chicken stock

1 head of garlic with the top takeoff

Salt and pepper

Baking bag (you might want to use one that fits a turkey and make sure to follow the directions on the bag so the bag doesn’t burst during the cooking process)

Gently rinse the pork and dry. Place the pork inside the baking bag and inside the baking dish that is around 4 inches in depth. Leave the bag open and roll down the sides so you can fill the center of the pork with herbs and garlic. Lightly coat the CRP with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut the pointed end of the garlic off and place cut side up inside the middle of the CRP. Next, loosely add in the herbs to the center of the CPR above the garlic. Add the chicken stock to the bottom of the bag. Tie off the bag and bake in a 350 degree oven for two and a half hours.

Stuffing- This recipe will make extra stuffing that you will be able to cook in a side dish as well as stuff the pork.

1 small Butternut squash peeled and diced to dime size pieces

1 c Brioche Croutons*

2 Fuji Apples peeled and diced

¼ raisins

1/8 c chopped Sage

2 Onions diced

½ Leek diced

¼ c Chicken stock

¼ c water

In a small Sautee pan, add the water and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the raisins to re-hydrate them and turn the water to simmer. Cook them for a few minutes and then add the diced apples. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

In a large sauté pan, sauté the leek and onion in olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add salt to release the flavor. Add in the diced Butternut squash (you may need to add more olive oil) stirring frequently and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked through. Next, add in the apples, raisins and sage. Continue to stir. Cook for a few more minutes and then add the brioche bread croutons. Add chicken stock and stir incorporating all of the components. Set aside until the CRP is finished cooking.

After two and half hours, remove the CRP and place on a cutting board for a few minutes. Save the liquid and strain it into a saucepot. Reduce the strained liquid by 2/3’s. Place the pork back into the baking dish without (without is always one word) the bag and remove the dried herbs and garlic. (You can squeeze the now roasted garlic into the stuffing or you can throw the garlic away). Add the stuffing to the middle of the CRP. Pile the stuffing to the top of the bones. Place the CRP back in the oven and cook for 30 more minutes. Any remaining stuffing can be placed in a separate baking dish and cooked as well.

Sauce

Reduced liquid

3 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp chopped Sage

Salt and pepper

Reduce the liquid from the pork by 2/3rds (the same from above) in a small sauce pot. Once it is reduced, remove from the fire and swirl in butter, sage salt and pepper. When the roast is finished and the stuffing is brown, pour the sauce over the whole roast. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve by slicing the CRP into sections so that each person gets a bone.

Serve with kale.

Kale-

3- 4 Bunches of kale

½ cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

2 lemons halved

Salt and pepper

Remove from the stem. Add to a large sauté pan with boiling water. Stirring frequently, wait until all the water has evaporated and add in the olive oil lemon salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

*Brioche Croutons

1 cup diced brioche cubes about dime size

½ c olive oil

Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl add croutons, olive oil and salt. Toss lightly. Place on a greased sheet tray and toast for 4-5 minutes then turn and cook for a few more minutes. Set aside

Happy Cooking!

Chef Mary

For more great Chef Mary's Cooking Tips, Recipes or Stories- Please go to my Column- Hail Mary Food of Grace at the Washington Times Communities or to find out more information about Chef Mary please go to her Hail Mary's Inc website or email her questions for Ask Chef Mary Friday's at mary@hailmarysinc.com.

Also Check out Chef Mary's Webisode on You Tube!

You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Have you ever wondered why restaurants have perfect mashed potatoes and yours may be lumpy and tasteless? Every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas my family and I sat around the dining room table like countless others and enjoyed our holiday feast. Mashed potatoes were on our menu. At our house a bowl full of watery, flavorless and almost transparent potatoes was awaiting us on the buffet. Needless to say, I typically passed on this unappealing dish.

Missing out on the delicacies of mashed potatoes, I soon found myself looking for an alternative, which is how I found the instant mashed potato from my high school. Though not perfect, I found that adding butter, salt and pepper would make these flavorless fake potatoes quite delicious and, as sad as it was, miles ahead of our traditional family staple.

The epiphany about potatoes came in cooking school. After potato week I realized that potatoes could be so much more. We learned about adding more salt than you could ever imagine, that liquids incorporate into the mashed potatoes better if they are hot and by continuing to cook the potatoes on the stove after you remove the water will prevent them from being watery.

After learning these techniques I wasn’t willing to fight for the instant mashed potato any longer. Those days of being somewhat satisfied were over and a new day had arrived. I had seen the light. Mashed potatoes could be what they were built up to be.

While cooking in a restaurant kitchen I discovered the Yukon Gold potato. I was mesmerized by how different they were from customary potato, i.e. the Russet. Instantly, I was enamored by its creamy texture and delicate flavor. This was not the potato of my childhood or even the one from cooking school; it was everything I ever wanted from a potato and more.

With the holidays approaching, remember you’re the cook and you have control.

Tips on the Perfect Potato-

Try buying Golden Potatoes (Yukons) instead of Russets. They have a smooth golden outside and are much creamier inside. You can cook them like your regular mashed russet potato.

For those of you who don't know, when you boil them after peeling them, make sure you cut them into equal pieces so that the potatoes, no matter what type, cook at the same rate. When the potatoes are finished cooking, pour out the water and put them back on the stove for a few more minutes. It will help cook out the water. You can check to see if the potatoes are done by piercing a small pairing knife through the center of the potato.

Next, heat the cream and butter. These liquids incorporate into the potatoes easier if they’re hot.

While the liquids are heating mash the potatoes. You can use one of two tools to do this...1. A Ricer around $150, (I just bought one and I love it). It turns the potato into rice looking form, which you can easily mash and it gets rid of all lumps. Or 2. Potato masher around $20. (Spend a little extra and buy the one with a rubber handle, you will thank me later) This is cheaper than the ricer but you don't have near the same results.

As you are mashing the potatoes, add the butter and cream mixture (low fat milk for those of you who are watching the calories and for those who want no calories try chicken stock, for those who are vegetarian try vegetable stock, and if you are looking to add a super food to your meal try mashed sweet potatoes instead of the Yukon Gold). Make sure at this point you’re adding in the salt; always add more than you think.

Potatoes take a lot of salt to release their delicate flavor. If you are not comfortable with adding a lot of salt you can do a test. Put a scoop of potatoes into a small bowl and add salt until you get the taste you are looking for and then mimic the taste in the larger batch. It will help boost your confidence without the risk of ruining the whole bowl.

Mashed Potato Recipe

1 pound of Yukon Gold Potatoes

½ cup of ½ and ½ Heated

½ stick butter melted

2-3 large chef pinches of salt*

Cracked fresh ground pepper or white pepper

1 bunch of Chives (Garnish)

Peel potatoes and cut them into quarters. Leave them in cold water until you are ready to cook them. (For extra ease keep them in the pot you are going to cook them in) When you are ready to cook, bring the water to a boil and then simmer uncovered for an hour (more or less time may be needed depending on the size of the quartered potatoes). When a pairing knife can easily go through the center of the potato it is cooked. Strain out the water and return the potatoes to the stove. In a small saucepot add the ½ and ½ and butter. Bring to a simmer. Use a ricer to remove the lumps from the potato and return the potatoes back to the pot. Slowly incorporate the heated liquids into the potato and stir with a rubber spatula. Add the salt a little at a time and finish with cracked pepper and diced chives.

Happy Cooking Chef Mary!

Setting without the Fretting | Washington Times Communities

As seen in the Washington Times Communities!
Setting without the Fretting | Washington Times Communities

Dear Chef Mary,

I know this will probably seem like an obvious question to you, but I’m always wondering how to best set a table. Help!

Thanks so much, Jodi

I’ve always had a hard time remembering how to set a table. Back in the day, without fail, right before my guests would arrive, I would run to my drawer filled with placemats and tried, with no luck, to desperately remember what Emily Post would do in this situation.

Since rulebook etiquette isn’t second nature for most of us, I decided to draw a picture of my table to keep close at hand for future setting scenarios. Take a look at the picture above to get some ideas. I suggest drawing your own picture to help you stay focused and organized during the pre-dinner planning process or print mine out and keep it with your placemats. This will help to make your evening stress free and allow you to focus more on the food and fun.

Keep in mind, setting a table is a life skill and entertaining is one of life’s highlights. When I sit down to a plated dinner I always think about how I have to drag my arm across my plate to grab my fork with my right hand. I usually pray that whatever is on the plate won’t be on my sleeve. Hopefully a funny thought can help you remember that forks are always on your left.

Have you ever wondered whose bread plate is whose? Remembering the initials of a classic sports car BMW can help you to remember which plate is your bread and which is your water. BMW= Bread,Meal, Water – from left to right. It has taken me many phone calls to my Emily expert Margo Ward to keep this straight.

Last but not least make your guests feel as though they can relax. Wait to clear plates until everyone is finished. However, if you have a guest that is lingering over their meal, go ahead and begin to clear the plates and hopefully they will finish by the time you get to them.

“Whether you are hosting an elegant sit-down or a casual buffet, the table is the heart of a holiday party. All you need to make it special are a few basic elements, a unified look, and a decorative accent or two.”

- Holiday Entertaining by Williams- Sonoma

This is definitely the time of year when you’re entertaining more than ever, and when you’re entertaining so frequently, it’s the little touches that make a big difference. Simple touches – like a nicely set table, beautiful floral arrangement, and lit candles – are worth the extra effort. Place cards add a wonderful touch as well. With a medium to large-sized group, assigned seating in the form of a charming place card is a blessing and will ensure a really fun night that will put your guests at ease. Just like food, some people go together better than others.

Christmas Cookies, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Ice Cream Puffs, Gingerbread Houses

During the holidays when I was young you could usually find me up on tables devouring decadent sweets that were all around our house. Most children anxiously await gifts but not me. On Christmas morning I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my stocking filled with chocolates. As I’ve gotten older, I appreciate the more decadent desserts like holiday cookies, candies and cakes and the time and energy that is put into them. It wouldn’t seem like Christmas without some of my traditional favorites; sugar cookies, gingerbread houses, ice cream filled cream puffs with a chocolate glaze and Chocolate dipped strawberries. These seem to be the usual suspects in our house. I try my very best to share these holiday traditions and their recipes with those around me.

A few different ways you can give holiday sweets to those who are on a diet are decorative gingerbread houses, dark chocolate covered fruits and nuts and, last but not least, a box of sweet and unusual fruits like Asian pears.

“Fruits differ from candy and soft drinks in important ways. Their sugars are diluted in large volumes of water, packaged in fiber, and mixed with many vitamins and minerals needed by the body.” Personal Nutrition 6^th Edition; Page 95 © 2004 (Margo Will help with this)This might actually work as you cited it but if you want I can double check at 8:30 am my time with my coworker.

For those of us who can’t live without a few rich desserts that are loaded with fat and sugar, try making them yourself and controlling what you put in them. Also try reducing the sugar in the recipe and using more natural sugars (like agave nectar, cane and brown sugar). If they’re a gift, eati smaller portions after other foods so that you’re still getting other vitamins, minerals and fiber and you don’t fill up on the empty calorie sweets.

Give a gift that’s delicious and good for you such as dark chocolate pistachio bark. Sweets made with dark chocolates are loaded with powerful antioxidants that help prevent your body from harmful free radicals. It can be difficult watching your waistline when there’s a constant stream of people giving holiday treats as gifts. By using dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate, you are helping more than you are hurting.

Gingerbread Houses or Graham Cracker Houses

If you want to make the gingerbread yourself, make it a few days ahead of time. Bake it on the first day and let it harden. On the second day, put it together and on the third day, decorate it. You can take your gingerbread house one step further after decorating it and shellac it so that the person receiving the gingerbread house can keep it as a keepsake. All the sweets without the calories. A gingerbread house can also be a great gift from your kids. There are even gingerbread kits that get rid of the hassle of baking and leave you with the decorating. Check out Mary’s Gingerbread House Tips.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Bark

Recipe-

• 2 cups dark chocolate or white chocolate
• ½ cup toasted unsalted pistachios
• Parchment paper
• ½ sheet pan

1. Cut your parchment paper to fit your ½ sheet pan.
2. Grease the parchment paper.
3. Set aside.
4. Fill a small pot a quarter of the way with water and get a clean stainless steel bowl that fits over the top.
5. Be careful to NOT let any water get into the bowl.
6. Tempering the chocolate is not necessary but if you desire a shinier chocolate you can (the process of preparing couverture for dipping, coating, molding, and other purposes is called tempering*) keep the water on medium low to prevent over heating the chocolate. Place the chocolate into a bowl and slowly melt it.
7. Keep an eye on the chocolate so that it doesn’t get too hot and become hard and dull. Add in the pistachios and lightly mix.
8. Spread over the parchment paper using a greased spatula and let cool until hardened. Once it is hardened break it into many pieces.
9. Check out Chef Mary’s Web site to find out how to temper.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies are another one of those great gifts that always seem to fit any occasion and they are always wonderful for the holidays. The fanciful cookie cutters that are available allow you to have any shaped cookie you desire and if you are not happy with the shapes available, you can always create your own cookie cutter. I had a client who wanted key cookies and through an online source I found a company that makes cookie cutters from your personal drawings. I always ended up with some cookies browner on the edges than other cookies. I later learned that this can usually mean that the oven is too hot, the dough is rolled out to thin on the edges or that I baked them too long. Here are few tips to help you make your sugar cookies perfect cookies.

Tips for Sugar Cookies-

1. Roll the dough evenly
2. For crisp sugar cookies roll the dough to a thin thickness
3. Bake them on very clean cookie sheets so they don’t absorb the flavor
4. Follow the directions carefully
5. For softer sugar cookies roll them out to a thicker thickness and bake them for a shorter time period
6. Keep them stored in a tightly sealed container if they are without icing to prevent them from becoming soft.
7. Ice them the day you want to serve them
8. Short on time? Make the dough ahead of time and keep it refrigerated
9. Make sure that you have enough cooling racks for the amount of cookies you want to bake.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients-

• 1 large container of rinsed and dried strawberries
• 1 pound of desired chocolate (dark for a healthier version)
• ¼ cup white chocolate for decoration

1. Cut your parchment paper to fit your ½ sheet pan.
2. Grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a small pot filled a quarter of the way with water and a clean stainless steel bowl that fits over the top. Fix like above
4. Be careful to NOT let any water get into the bowl.
5. Tempering the chocolate is not necessary but if you desire a shinier chocolate you may do so (the process of preparing couverture for dipping, coating, molding, and other purposes is called tempering*).
6. Keep the water on medium-low to prevent over heating the chocolate.
7. Place the chocolates into 2 different bowls and melt them one after the other. Keep an eye on the chocolate so it doesn’t get too hot and become hard and dull.
8. Once the chocolates have been melted, dip the dried strawberries into the chocolate and gently place on to the parchment paper to dry.
9. You can use forks prongs as a decorating tool by dipping the prongs into the white chocolate and gently splattering the strawberries from a few inches away.

Chocolate glazed Ice Cream Puffs

• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1cup water
• 1 stick of butter cut into cubes
• 1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream
• ½ cup chocolate melted

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cover a ½ sheet pan with parchment paper and grease with spray.
3. In a large saucepot bring the water and butter up to a boil.
4. Slowly add in the flour, mixing vigorously with a whisk.
5. Cook out all of the flour for a few minutes and then remove from the stove.
6. Once all the flour is incorporated, slowly mix in beaten eggs.
7. The dough should begin to get a bit slippery in texture. Smooth and shiny.
8. Once the eggs have been incorporated, put dough into a piping bag and pipe out quarter size balls from the dough.
9. They grow in size so place them around 1-2 inches apart.

Mary on That Morning Show!

Chocolate Tempering Temperatures

Tempering Chocolate. Temperatures.

Temperature needed for melting Dark chocolate properly is 80- 84 degrees Farenheit

Temperature needed to temper white and milk chocolate is 78-82 degrees Farenheit.

Prime Rib for the Holiday's | Washington Times Communities

Meat! There are certain times that there’s no greater protein than a huge pile of red meat. The holidays are a perfect time to splurge and take advantage of these succulent proteins. A protein near and dear to my heart is Prime Rib.

As I would drive up to my grandmother’s house in Kansas City for the Holidays, I was always pleasantly surprised by the smell of the Prime Rib that was roasting in the oven. She had an old stove that she lit with a match and, despite the archaic nature of her oven, the prime rib was always superb. With each bite, the bright red meat melted in my mouth leaving me salivating for more.

I grew up in the Midwest where everyone eats meat. Whenever I come home from LA, my mom has a beautiful rack of lamb or New York steak waiting for me to celebrate my arrival. Even though I tell her that my diet is primarily vegetarian, she cooks meat regardless and I happily partake.

These cherished moments around the dinner table eating time honored traditional meals have left me with warm feelings toward something I don’t typically eat. Returning to tradition and bringing food into moments will give any experience more depth.

I learned it’s not only important to cook a piece of meat well but it’s also important to pick the right cut of meat and figure out the right cooking method. Equally important is the marinating process. Seasoning the meat on both sides will ensure that when you take it out of the oven it will give you a flavorful outcome.

From a health perspective, I always suggest the leanest cuts such as the filet or the sirloin. Portion size is a must for those who don’t eat it regularly and especially for those who do. The smaller the amount ingested the better, which is around 4-5 oz., and is comparable to the palm of your hand. What you eat should be of equal or lesser size. Remember, your stomach is not that big and you do not want to overwhelm your system.

Holidays call for the finest cuts of meat. These cuts of meat are the most tender parts of the cow because they are muscles that are least used. They consist of the rib and the tenderloin, located on the ribs of the cow. This would be considered the Prime Rib and the Filet Mignon.

When searching for the finest cuts of meat look for a bright red color (unless cryovacked then it might be purple). And you want it to be soft but firm to the touch.

Read the rest of the article at -

Prime Rib for the Holiday's | Washington Times Communities

Eating Eggs and Egg Tips!

Eggs Scrambled, poached, fried benedict? It doesn’t matter which way, I love them all. When I was a child I could conceive of cooking many things but eggs were not one of them. Eggs could be cooked in so many different ways and each one would give them a different flavor and feel in your mouth.

As I grew up and went to culinary school I realized that I was not alone. There were 25 students in my class and all of us struggled with make eggs and a few of us even struggled with eating them. The school was prepared and ready to break down the wall of intimidation. They reserved an entire day just for eggs. The day challenged us all and forced us all to learn cracking them with one hand, picking out old from new and scrambling with out them turning green/gray. In the end the most surprising thing was out of all 25 students and the exact same recipe all of us had different tasting eggs.

When I get home late after work I am usually starving. I constantly think about my health and what will make me feel good now and later. When I am famished at night and it is too late for a big heavy meal or I want something that is savory rather than sweet I always make eggs. The versatility makes me feel like I am having something new and different every time.

Eggs also keep for up to two weeks, so if I don’t get to the store, they can be my back up plan. Plus I am usually satiated and I always have a good night sleep because my body isn’t working on overload to break down heavy foods, which means I am more alert when I wake up for work in the morning.

Common Questions About Egg-

What kind of eggs should you buy? White or brown? Large or Xlarge? Grass fed, free range and organic? There are so many options out there, and it gets confusing.

This is a tough question, but thankfully, there is really no right or wrong answer. Most recipes call for you to buy large eggs and using Xlarge eggs in place of large eggs in a recipe might throw off the balance of what you are cooking.

As far as color goes, colors are arbitrary one tastes the same as the other. Multi colored eggs can be placed in the fridge so you know which you should eat first– in other words, indication to which one is more perishable. Alternate buying brown eggs one week and white the next as a way to color code their age.

When it comes to how the chickens are raised and fed, buy eggs made from free-range, grass fed chickens. And if there is an organic option, always choose it. Again, this has to do with both taste and supporting sustainable agriculture.

How do I separate an egg without breaking the yolk?

Have you ever read a recipe that asks you to separate the egg white from the egg yolk and panicked? You’re not alone. Clean egg separation is a task that takes patience and practice. Are you up to the challenge?

It is always best to crack the egg on a solid surface with a single, hard firm hit. Repeated strikes against the surface will increase your chances of breaking the yolk, making a mess of your whites. Skillful separation is an important skill because many recipes will ask you to whip the whites. And, if there is any yolk residue in the whites, the eggs will not whip (fat from the yolk prevents proper whipping).

There are a lot of expensive gadgets designed to assist you in this task, but honestly, they are not worth the price tag. Simply relax and let your hands do job. To ensure perfect egg separation let the whites drip slowly through your fingers, all the while keeping the yolk in the shell. Sure, it’s sticky. But getting messy is part of the fun!

Broken Egg Emulsion

Can you fix an egg emulsion that has been broken?

For those of you who don’t know, a broken egg emulsion is where the egg mixture looks greasy because the oil has not been absorbed into the egg. It ends up looking like two separate ingredients instead of one, like vinegar mixed with oil. It takes a little time and practice, but it can be fixed. To correct a broken emulsion you need to create a new mixture of egg yolk and oil, mix it thoroughly, and then slowly add the broken mixture into the new mixture. You might have to add more lemon but it will end up tasting just as good.

For a Lazy Sunday Mornings Capresse Frittata

Ingredients

1. 8 eggs

2. 1 bunch basil chiffonade*

3. ½ cherry tomatoes

4. 4-5 slices of buffalo mozzarella

5. 1 tbsp olive oil

6. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325. Crack and beat eight eggs, add a touch of salt and a bit of pepper. It is helpful to let the beaten egg mixture run through a strainer (this will help to mix the white and the yellow parts of the egg together). In a non-stick oven safe pan heat with olive oil on medium high heat. Add cherry tomatoes whole, cook for a few minutes. Then add your eggs, turn it down to a medium low heat and add in the rest of the ingredients. You can let your kids put the basil and cheese into the pan .

Put this into the oven for 10-15 minutes. It should be solid if you move it around, and slightly golden brown on top. Take it out, let it cool. Place a plate over top and turn the pan over flipping the egg onto the plate. It is a very easy dish for you and your kids to make and you can make it ahead of time and let it rest. It tastes great even at room temperature

*Chiffonade: Roll the leaves of basil and then make very thin slices with a very sharp knife.

Eggs on the Go!

2 whole eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 whole-wheat pita pocket

¼ c uncooked spinach leaves

1 tbsp low fat cheese

In a small non-stick sauté pan add olive oil to the pan. On a medium low heat crack two eggs. Use a rubber spatula to break the egg yolks into the egg whites. Rapidly beat the eggs to incorporate the yolks into the whites. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut pita round in half and open the pocket. Next stuff the eggs, cheese and spinach into the pita. Wrap with a paper towel or with a deli paper. This should take around 6-7 minutes total. Healthy meal on the go. *Or use the egg separation trick and use only egg whites for an even healthier

Acorn Squash Soup

Acorn Squash Soup

• Left Over (from the holiday) Acorn Squash (at least 1 whole)
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 Carrots diced
• 1 leak diced
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 sprigs of time
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/4-cup olive oil
• 5 c Chicken Stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar to garnish over top

1. Peel the butternut squash, and carrots.
2. Chop onion, carrots, and leak into equal pieces
3. Sauté the onions, carrots and leak with a little olive oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
4. Once the vegetables are soft and lightly brown, add the cooked leftover acorn squash to a blender, and blend with hot chicken stock. You may have to blend it a cup at a time.
5. Put the blended soup into a large pot and add the bay leaves and thyme and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Season the soup with cayenne and salt. Garnish with brown sugar,

Getting Rid of Caffeine

In hopes of having more energy we struggle with the question of do we or do we not drink coffee and caffeine. In the hustle and bustle of today’s world we are all on the go and are stressed out. We need to stay energized and instead of taking the healthy approach like eating right, getting enough sleep or exercising we turn to our friends coffee and caffeine.

“The causes of low energy are numerous Dr. Maoshing Ni said, author of Secrets of Self-Healing. “But first and foremost, low energy is often a result of stressful living in our modern world.”

I have boasted for years about how my morning isn’t complete with out a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. When I was working in restaurants or catering I could live off of only coffee. After drinking excessive amounts for days I experienced lack of sleep, lack of appetite, the jitters and dehydration. It would take me a week to get back to my regular self.

Thankfully these days aren’t quite as stressful. I still usually have one to two cups a day and I do see some signs from the caffeine and coffee like loss of appetite or lack of sleep but nothing too extreme. If saying good-bye to coffee and caffeine is the way to get rid of these problems then so long old friends. You were good while you lasted.

Typically those who’ve tried to stop or even have stopped have experienced a dip in energy, headaches and inability to stop a routine. Persevere to increase your overall health and energy level.

First and foremost, get out of the routine of drinking a coffee.

◦ Solution 1-Try starting a new routine of brewing fresh ginger or eating breakfast.

◦ Solution 2-Grind a 1:3 ratio of decaf to regular and as you become use to the lower amounts of caffeine increase to a 2:3 ratio of caffeine to decaf. Eventually you can move to a completely decaf coffee.

◦ Solution 3- Switch to tea and gradually lessen the steeping time of your tea to decrease the amount of caffeine put into your tea.

◦ Solution 4-Create a new habit like visiting a coworker’s office instead of going to the coffee machine or to the water cooler for water.

◦ Increase your energy level in the morning and in the afternoon

◦ Solution 1 – Exercise helps us to deal with daily stresses, without it the body is rapidly depleted of vital energy. Dr. Maoshing Ni Author of Secrets of Self-Healing

◦ Solution 2-Try eating a good breakfast and lunch with a good source of fiber (whole grains, steel cut oatmeal). Eating refined sugars will cause your body to burn them quickly giving you an instant burst of energy and leaving you lethargic for the rest of the day. Eat healthy foods such as lean proteins, dark greens, monounsaturated fats and try eating fruits such as berries and oranges.

◦ Solutions 3-For a quick burst of energy eat fresh fruit. Your body will burn it quickly giving you a jolt of energy

◦ Solution 4- Getting some sun will give you a boost of Vitamin D that could help raise your energy level

To alleviate caffeine headaches try

◦ Solution 1-A natural source that will help reduce headaches is peppermint tea. It also helps reduce your food cravings.

◦ Solution 2-Try drinking more water. (we don’t get enough as it is)

◦ Solution 3-Rest your eyes or take a quick 20-minute nap if possible

In the end you will have to figure out what works best for you. As for myself, I’m trying to create a new routine filled with different hot morning beverages such as steeped ginger, hot cider, lemon and decaf teas. And if I just have to have a taste of coffee I go for a decaf versus a regular.

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• Left Over Turkey Around 2 Cups Shreded Turkey light & Dark
• 1 can of Dark Beer (Guiness)
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 yellow onion small dice
• 1 Red pepper cut into strips
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Garlic powder
• 2 tsp Cayenne
• 1 can of Kidney beans
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan brown the the onions and, salt while it is browning.
2. Add red pepper strips
3. Next add garlic, and wait til it is aromatic then add shredded turkey.
4. Add all the spices but the cayenne into the pan with the meat and cook for a few minutes.
5. Deglaze with the dark beer and add the tomatoes, beans, masa and chicken stock.
6. Let this simmer with a lid on medium low for an hour, Taste and add salt and cayenne to your liking.

Thanksgiving Tips

The holidays can be overwhelmingly emotional and nutritionally challenging when it comes to eating. Around this time every year, we start to think about giving up. The Thanksgiving feast is filled with all of the things we love and the fat we don’t. It seems impossible to eat and stay healthy during the holidays. By rearranging your thinking and creating a plan, you can enjoy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is filled with an array of colored foods that are loaded with different vitamins and minerals, which is also called Eating by the Rainbow. These Thanksgiving foods are also super foods (http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/) and are nutritionally packed, which can make a huge difference in your daily life.

Canned foods, such as canned yams, boxed mashed potatoes, and canned cranberry sauce, are not the whole foods that I have discussed. Start out with the freshest ingredients possible. If you can’t find fresh, buy frozen. Frozen vegetables retain more of their nutrients than canned. When you’re eating for Thanksgiving, or any other holiday, remember you’re eating to satisfy and to supply your body with its daily dose of vitamins and minerals.

Look at these amazing Thanksgiving super foods that also allow you to eat by the rainbow. Make a few simple changes and voila … perfect meal!

Rainbow Typical Food Makeover

Red/pr Canned Cranberry Fresh cooked cranberry (super food)

Stuffing Wheat stuffing or Rice bread stuffing

Wt/br Turkey No skin turkey breast meat (super food)

Green Green bean casserole Green beans with shallots

Yellow Baked acorn squash Baked acorn squash salt and chicken broth

White Mashed potatoes Mashed potatoes with ¾ less fat w/ chk stck

Orange Sweet potato marshmallow Wh sweet pots baked in skin (superfood)

Orange Pumpkin pie Eat w/out crust and whip cream (super food)

Let’s move on to other dilemmas that come with Thanksgiving. When cooking for Thanksgiving there are many ways to cut the fat. If you’re in charge, be in charge. Butter, though delicious, is by no means important and it adds a lot of fat. Flavor can also come from healthy fats such as olive oil and other sources of liquids such as stocks. If you must add butter, pick a selected few and add butter to those dishes.

If you are a guest at someone else’s Thanksgiving and you don’t have control over the food, offer to bring something that you feel comfortable eating. This way, if you can’t eat anything else, you can eat what you brought. If they suggest you bring something special, bring that in addition to your healthy dish. With a house full of people, surely no one will complain about extra food.

Avoid the tempting foods when you go to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving by eating something before you go like a piece of fruit or another healthy favorite. If you don’t eat before you go, you will be extremely hungry increasing the likely-hood of over indulging.

Remember, our stomachs are about the size of our fists and the trouble with Thanksgiving is that we eat three times the size of our stomachs. It is too much food and we end up feeling tired and full. Try to only have one helping of food and, if that is not sufficient when you get seconds, opt for having green beans, salad or cranberries.

If all else fails and you choose to indulge then go for it. However, jump back into a regular healthy eating routine and an exercise schedule the next day. A 60-minute walk can burn at least 152 calories. You can also make it a tradition to walk after the Thanksgiving feast and include the whole family. Do not let over indulging at Thanksgiving define you from now until The New Year.

Thanksgiving happens every year. Let this year be the year that you take a look at what you’re eating and pause for a moment to consider what you should or should not eat.

This year…

· Focus on eating super foods that are also included in eating by the rainbow.

· Focus on buying whole foods such as fresh green beans rather than canned green beans

· Be aware of portion sizes

· Take a walk after the meal.

Mentally and physically prepare for the big day by eating healthy the day before and the day after. These are great way to be in control of your life no matter what holiday it is.