Quick and Easy Hot Chocolate

Date: February 14, 2011  Author: Diane Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love a steamy cup of hot chocolate on a cold day?  If you’ve never made your own from scratch, you’ll be amazed at how much better it tastes than what you get from a package or vending machine.

  • In the bottom of a mug, mix one heaping teaspoon of organic cocoa powder with a little organic cold milk until you have a smooth paste.  (I like Green & Black’s, or Dagoba Organic Cacao Powder).
  • Fill the cup with hot milk, stirring well.
  • Sweeten to taste with xylitol or stevia for a low-carb drink.
  • To vary this basic recipe, try adding real vanilla extract, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or a few drops of peppermint extract.

Diane’s Favorite Deviled Eggs

Date: February 10, 2011  Author: sarahreich 1 Comment
  • 6 Hard boiled eggs [See Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs]
  • ¼ c. Good quality mayonnaise (I like Trader Joe’s Organic)
  • 1 t. Dijon mustard (I prefer Gray Poupon)
  • 1 t. Vinegar (white, rice, or cider vinegar)
  • ½ t. Garlic powder
  • 1 t. Dried or freshly chopped parsley
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  1. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut in half.  A wire-style cheese slicer works well for this purpose.
  2. Remove yolks, place in a bowl and mash with a fork or small wire wisk. Add the remaining ingredients to the yolks and mix until well blended. (if too dry, add a little more mayo).
  3. Put the yolk mixture into sandwich size ziplock bag.  Cut the corner off of the bag, then pipe the filling into the egg white halves.
  4. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley.

Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Date: February 10, 2011  Author: Diane 2 Comments
  1. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.
  2. Cover with cold water (one inch above the eggs).
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. As soon as the water comes to a boil, immediately turn off the burner and put the lid on the pan.  (Boiling eggs will result in tough, rubbery whites, and a green ring around the outside of the yolk).
  5. Eggs will be perfectly cooked within about 20 minutes.

To peel eggs, crack the whole shell thoroughly, then peel under cold running water. The fresher the egg, the harder it will be to peel.  Plan ahead for boiled eggs and purchase them at least a week before you plan to cook them.

Simple Sausage Patties

Date: February 10, 2011  Author: John 1 Comment

Most store-bought, prepared breakfast sausage is loaded with preservatives, flavor enhancers, and sodium. If you can find it, prepared sausage made with organic, pasture-raised meat and all-natural ingredients is often expensive. This recipe starts with ground pork and chicken. You can adjust the ratio depending on your taste, or use all pork or all chicken, or even ground turkey. Patties reheat very well so it is easier to cook the sausage all at once, freeze, and reheat when you need them.

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare. So easy, you’ll wonder why you ever bought ready-made sausage products!

  • 1 lb Ground Pork, organic, pasture raised
  • 1 lb Ground Chicken, organic, free range
  • 1/2 t Garlic
  • 1/3 t Sage
  • 1/2 t Salt
  • 1/3 t Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 t Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 t Thyme
  • 1/4 t ground onion
  • Parsley

The meat should be well chilled to improve mixing.  Place the pork and chicken in large bowl.  Add the seasonings. Mix by hand until the pork and chicken and seasonings are well blended.  Form into patties and fry until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes a side.

Yield about 8 patties per pound of meat.

Basic Foolproof Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Date: January 31, 2011  Author: Diane 1 Comment

I have yet to find a truly healthy store-bought bottled salad dressing, even among the organic choices. The main problem lies with the type of oil that is used. There are very few olive oil dressings on the market, and even those are a combination of olive oil and some other vegetable oil, such as soybean or canola. I don’t recommend the use of vegetable oils due to the damage that they incur during the refining process. Olive oil, on the other hand, is a healthy and delicious choice, especially if you choose extra virgin. But even if you don’t like the fruity taste of extra virgin olive oil, the milder flavored “originale” or “classico” olive oils from the second pressing are still a better choice than highly refined and damaged vegetable oils.

That said, when you make your own at home, you can control the quality of ingredients that you use. In addition to damaged oils, commercial salad dressings are usually loaded with ingredients like MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, too much sodium, additives and preservatives. None of those ingredients are necessary to produce a delicious ad healthy dressing that you can feel good about eating.

The most basic thing you need to know in order to make foolproof dressing is the ratio of oil to vinegar, which is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. With this ratio, you can make a little or a lot. You don’t need a fancy bottle, as anything with a tight fitting lid will work. By varying the type of vinegar/acid, and the seasonings that you add, you can create dozens of variations. Just start with the basic recipe below, and then get creative.

1 cup olive oil of your choice
1/3 cup vinegar or acid of your choice (balsamic, wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice)
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Optional seasonings:

  • Garlic, fresh, minced, or powder
  • Dijon mustard
  • Chives or shallots
  • Asian seasonings (soy sauce, ginger, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds)
  • Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, rosemary, etc)
  • Greek seasonings (oregano, garlic, thyme, basil, rosemary)
  • Xylitol, Stevia, or honey for sweetness
  • Poppy seeds
  • Anchovies
  • Finely chopped olives
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Blue cheese

Ingredients blend and flavors meld best at room temperature.