Turkey Chili that Tastes Like Beef

Turkey Chili that Tastes Like Beef

Yes, Turkey Chili can taste as hearty as Beef  My recipe for Turkey Chili was an experiment.  Could I make a chili as satisfying as a beef chili but using turkey? Often I find ground turkey lacking a lot of flavor for my palate and usually prefer the heartier flavor of beef over either ground chicken or ground turkey. My addition of low sodium soy sauce in this recipe picks up the umami flavor for that heartier taste more like a beef chili. The exact soy sauce I used is by Lee Kum Kee.  This soy has become my new go to because it isn’t as salty as other low sodium brands I have used and the flavor is deep and rich. This is a great recipe for a beginning level cook too. Quick, very simple to make, no need for take out and will reheat very well as most stew type dishes do.   Cutting cholesterol for better health? Go leaner with the ground white meat only turkey. Another option is to substitute ground white meat chicken in this recipe would work well also for watching cholesterol. If you use all white meat ground turkey the cholesterol is less

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Simply Fabulous Pumpkin Bread

Simply Fabulous Pumpkin Bread

This is my famous, even though newly created recipe, for Simply Fabulous Pumpkin Bread.  Pumpkin recipes are perfect especially in the fall.  This is a very easy pumpkin bread recipe to make. My favorite time is fall with all the newly picked apples, fresh pumpkins, squashes and cranberries.  I could write a book on those ingredients with all the recipes I’ve made over the years. Pumpkin isn’t just for Jack O’ Lanterns, it’s actually a very useful and tasty fruit.  Yes tell you kids that, just like one of my other favorites tomatoes, they are a large fruit! These are made with this very healthy fruit….Pumpkin!   Nutritionally they are loaded with beta carotene which converts to vitamin A.  Eye health, your immune system, heart disease are all helped by eating low calorie beta carotene foods like pumpkin. Shhhh….we don’t have to mention how healthy this is to the kids!   I always had a house rule for my kids, you must try 1 bite and then decide to eat more or not.  They usually ate, unless it was green! It’s not easy being healthy green food….sigh. This is my absolute favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe I’ve ever created.  It is wonderful

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Mango Banana Smoothie

Mango Banana Smoothie

Mango Banana Smoothie If you’re looking for a refreshing nutrition packed start to your morning or even later in the day this Mango Banana Smoothie is a favorite of mine.  I often buy frozen mango chunks but I will use in this either fresh or frozen bananas.  By using fruit no ice is needed when blending so there is no dilution of flavors.         Mango Banana Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup cubed frozen mango cubes 3/4 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 medium) 2/3 cup milk or almond milk 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation: Place frozen mango and the remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! To freeze your own mangos: If using fresh mangos, peel and cube then arrange the mango cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze until firm (about 1 hour).

Cinnamon Sugar Blend

Cinnamon Sugar Blend

Love having this very handy Cinnamon Sugar Blend ready to go.  This recipe is from my pantry cooking items.  When you’ve always worked lots of hours having pantry items ready makes cooking so much easier and more efficient. I have been making this Cinnamon Sugar Blend for years to have as one of my favorite pantry staples. Some of my favorite dishes to use this on are  oatmeal, some buttered toast, rice pudding, in coffee, or on top of the foam on cappuccino.  Use it on anything you want to add a hint of sweetness. Should you be following a Low Carbohydrate or Keto lifestyle this will also work by substituting a 1:1 ratio sweetener such as my favorite Lakanto Monkfruit Classic.     I alway keep this near my coffee pot for a quick flavor boost when I don’t want just plain coffee.For the record I haven’t sweetened my coffee with anything in many years but this cinnamon sugar blend I enjoy once in a while.     When I brew some cappuccino at home sometimes I do a light sprinkling of this on top of the foamed milk.     Cinnamon Sugar Blend Recipe 1/2 cup granulated white

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Apple Lovin’ Cranberry Compote

Apple Lovin’ Cranberry Compote

Love the autumn and the newly harvested apples, cranberries, pumpkins and other fall-harvested ingredients. One of my favorite recipes combines apple, cranberries, and cinnamon with either apple juice or cider.  Lovely combination of flavors! Think fall you not only think back to school, Halloween and football but new crop of apples, pumpkins and cranberries.  Three of of my favorite foods. ? A lovely condiment to serve with chops, chicken, turkey or other poultry. Don’t be afraid to experiment when you cook, that’s how new recipes have always been created! For more cranberry compote recipes click here.  whole cranberries ready to cook     Granny Smith Apples Apple Lovin’ Cranberry Compote 6 servings Ingredients 1 cup apple juice or cider 1 cup sugar 1 medium to large granny smith apple Cinnamon sticks 14 oz fresh whole cranberries (or frozen not defrosted) 1 cinnamon stick Preparation Peel and chop the apple into roughly chopped chunks. These chunks will break down during cooking but smaller chop works best. It is fine to have some pieces larger so they show in the finished product. Into a saucepan bring the juice or cider, cinnamon stick and sugar to a boil.  Add the cranberries, apples to pot and stir.

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The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Basic whole cranberry sauce This is the very basic recipe for whole berry homemade cranberry sauce or compote. From this one recipe many variations can be made adding other fruits, nuts or even rum. Check more of my recipes for cranberry compotes.    The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Compote<a  The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce 6 servings + Ingredients 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 14 oz fresh whole cranberries (or whole frozen berries not defrosted) Preparation Into a saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries and simmer till the berries start popping and liquid thickens. The liquid will thicken even more while cooling. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until you need to serve.    

4 Ways to Make Cranberry Lovin’ Sauces

4 Ways to Make Cranberry Lovin’ Sauces

Thoughts of fall start coming to me every August. Come October I’m ready to see the leaves turning their glorious splendor.  I’m fortunate to live overlooking the New Jersey Palisades which turn brilliant across the Hudson River and often the contrast of the warm yellows, oranges, and reds against the grayish but still sunny skies is incredible! But no doubt about it, my favorite season is autumn because of the foods, warm fires and sitting with friends enjoying each other’s company which is some of the best things in life! I always look forward to the change of seasons even though I’m sad to see summer leave so soon but I will miss those luscious fully vine ripened tomatoes sadly! I have a life long time love affair with cranberries, pumpkin, and the winter squashes. Yes, I’ll be posting more seasonal dishes using these favorite ingredients soon too. Getting ready for the holiday season is always fun for me! Here are just a few of my many recipes for that help with my addiction to cranberry compotes.   Don’t just think of them as a side to pork, turkey, chicken or even duck, but rather a tasty addition to some plain or

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Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding This baked cranberry orange rice pudding recipe was one of those on the fly creations. Just headed into the kitchen to see what kind of quick dessert I could create!  It’ is always fun for me to just wing it in the kitchen! Get your creative on When I head to the kitchen I love to change recipes up or make them up as I go along based on what is on hand.  Kind of like a kid in the candy store!  Life should be fun as often as possible. It’s good to play with your usual recipes with new ingredients, update the technique and adjust quantities.  Always great to have a change of pace in life whether it’s wearing something new, trying a new restaurant, or even traveling. . Not everything created on the fly turns out as perfect as it sounded in your head but can be amazing too!  Some creations are better than others My Inspiration Leftover Rice Inspiration for this recipe was a large container of white rice from the local Chinese restaurant that was leftover.   I could have turned this into a quick fried rice but had a sweet tooth

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Super Easy Healthy Granola

Super Easy Healthy Granola

My First Granola Recipe The first time I made granola, I found myself researching for an easy cooking method and just what ingredients should be included in the granola. There were many recipes I found so I gathered from all of them what I liked, merged cooking methods. Next I wrote my own recipe that I believed would work well. With that recipe I created my very “first homemade granola”. Merging at least 12 recipes into my own creation. Since that first baking of this granola, I’ve made this about once a month and I do experiment with ingredients based on what’s on hand at the time. Why you should make granola yourself After I made my first batch of granola I realized that I had greatly over spent for years on boxed granola.  You can’t beat the fresher flavor of homemade granola! You are the boss when it comes to cooking! You know your tastebuds best! Experiment!! I love creating in the kitchen which is playtime for me! The best part of making your own is it’s exactly to your taste with the fruits and nuts you love best! And did I mention that the house smells amazing too?

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Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101…The Basics Whole Wheat bread, bread 101 When I was 10 years old when I taught myself how to bake bread. I’d already been cooking by that time for the family on a daily basis. Baking bread isn’t all that difficult at all! There are some basic steps and techniques to follow. Once you understand those basics, the rest is fun and so rewarding with the way the aroma drifts through the house. After the bread cools down to room temperature who could resist cutting into the loaf and slathering it with a favorite spread, butter or even an herbed butter or, maybe even some olive oil with infused herbs? This is one of my very favorite recipes that I’ve made for many years and the one my kids loved growing up.  A nice basic whole wheat bread that works well for sandwiches and for toasting too.  This will make 3 smaller loaves or 2 good sized loaves. The bread once fully cooled and after about 6 hours can be frozen very well wrapped and air tight in plastic bags such as these.  Use this trick….stick a straw into the bag and suck out the excess air to

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Experimental Food Ideas – Irish Eggs in a Well

Experimental Food Ideas – Irish Eggs in a Well

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment with Food! Irish Eggs in a Well All recipes were creative projects at some point in time! Last week I was looking in the refrigerator not sure what I wanted to eat for breakfast.  So, I decided to be a little creative!   Creative Breakfast Food Ideas So, what food is in the fridge that might help with the creativity today?  Eggs, and leftover steel cut oatmeal. My favorite oatmeal is McCann’s steel cut Irish oatmeal. It takes a little longer prep time but definitely worth the extra time, about 25-30 minutes and I give it rest time also.  I make it as per the tin’s instruction, which makes 4 servings, and will have 3 servings left for other days unless I have people here to help eat it. This oatmeal is fine leftover too, so no big problem with that!  I actually had less than one portion left so what to do, what to do? Get creative! In a small frying pan, I melted a bit of butter (only use real products), added the cold oatmeal to heat it through.Once heated through I made a hole or well in the center and let the

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The Not Always Appreciated Flavor Booster….Flavored and Herb Butters

The Not Always Appreciated Flavor Booster….Flavored and Herb Butters

Herb butter is one of the first recipes I learned in cooking school  Herbed Butter, Fruited butter or Honey butter are some of the best things in life so useful and simple to make. Flavored butters are flavor enhancers for meats and fish, or to spread on muffins or bread. There are endless places to use this simple delicacy. Herbed or fruited butters are lovely spread on a nice baguette too or on some freshly cooked pasta. about to using some flavored butter on popcorn? Included in the category of flavored butters: Fruit butters Honey Butter Herb butters Spiced butters Savory butters Sweet butters I have had strawberry butter served with luscious corn muffins here in NYC.  Great at breakfast or brunch time. Honey butter on toast, waffles or pancakes would be delicious. And, what about garlic butter on bread?   There is no perfect recipe for these butters. Let you own taste be the guide making them. Here’s a few basic recipes, but please play and experiment in your kitchen. Have fun and be creative with these.   The Basic Method Use room temperature butter for easier blending. Add flavoring ingredients mix with hand or stand mixer. You can use

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