MANGO Napa Cabbage Slaw

July 31, 2015June 8, 2022Leave a comment

Do you want to lift your taste buds above old-hat combos? How about a creamy dressing you can have today and tomorrow? When you make this salad, you will make it again and again. People do request it! It’s that good! This colourful and chunky salad is spiked with jalapeño and fresh lime juice and zest that has your taste buds dancing. Great summer salads to celebrate RAW FOOD.

RECIPE
Ingredients
1 lime
¾ cup (175 mL) regular or home made mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) celery salt
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded
2 ripe but firm mangos
2 apples such as Granny Smith or Royal Gala
1 large red bell pepper, seeded (optional)
1 small napa cabbage
1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro

Directions
1 Finely grate lime peel into a large salad bowl. Add the juice from the lime, about 3 tbsp (45 ml). Stir in the mayonnaise and celery salt.

2 Peel and julienne mango into long thin strips. Julienne red pepper as well. Finely chop jalapeno (no seeds). Slice peeled apples into julienne strips. Stir all of these into the dressing.

3 Shred the head of cabbage by slicing as finely as possible crosswise. You should have about 8 cups (2 L). Stir into the salad. Add about half of the chopped cilantro ( or parsley). Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Scatter with remaining cilantro before serving.

NEXT DAY Salad: Slice up the RAW vegetables except the apple and mango. Keep the dressing separate from the other ingredients. An hour before servings, combine all of the ingredients except half of the cilantro. Add the cilantro (coriander) just before serving.
Serves 6
Variation: Substitute parsley for the cilantro. If you add only one mango — it still tastes great. You may substitute peaches or nectarines for the mango. You can add another diced jalapeño pepper if you like the heat. Taste your salad first before you add the pepper.

The mango and apples balances the heat from the jalapeño pepper. The apples really give this salad a fresh crisp taste.

Chicken Diablo

July 24, 2015March 25, 20212 Comments

There are many versions of this recipe. For my Chicken Diablo, I will be broiling the chicken breasts instead of using the fry pan. It is a healthier, lower calorie version when you bake or broil your chicken in the oven. If you use homemade mayonnaise for this recipe, you will not have all the preservatives you get in the store bought version. This is easy to make and so tasty!!!

RECIPE
Ingredients
6 pieces chicken breast
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. mayonnaise or yogurt
1 tbsp. dry white wine or chicken stock or lemon juice or vinegar
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( or more Panko or bread crumbs )
1 tbsp. chopped thyme or rosemary or sage or other herbs

Instructions
1. Dry chicken breasts with paper towels
2. Pound the chicken between 2 pieces of parchment or cut in half to make the cutlets thinner.
3. Combine in a deep dish or bowl the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, wine, Worcestershire (Worcester) sauce, Tabasco and pepper.
4. Combine and then place on a plate the Panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and chopped herbs.
5. Dip chicken into the sauce and then coat on both sides with the Panko mixture. Place on a wire rack until ready to cook.
6. Preheat broiler and place baking sheet in the oven.
7. Place a piece of parchment on the baking sheet and then the chicken on top. Broil 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Turn over after the first 4 minutes.
8. Reduce heat from broil to 350F/180C and bake 5 minutes longer. Yummy!
Coated chicken, ready to broil
Chicken Diablo out of the oven. Tasty and low cal!
Chicken Diablo with roasted asparagus, tomato and sweet potato salad
Welcoming dining room at the picturesque lake house.
FOOD TIP: Serve warm and then refrigerate any left overs which are great cold sliced on salads or in a sandwich with some oven roasted tomatoes or just lettuce and more ‘homemade’ mayo of course.
You will want to make extra!

Green Goddess Dressing

July 16, 2015April 7, 20202 Comments

The “Palm Room” – Palace Hotel. San Francisco, CA. Est. 1875 – Reinvented 2015

A CLASSIC DRESSING: The perfect way to use your homemade mayonnaise is by making – The Green Goddess Dressing. This year (2015), we celebrate the newly renovated Palace Hotel, where an inspiring chef developed his famous ‘Green Goddess’ dressing. This classic dressing was invented in the 20s by Chef Philip Roemer at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, to commemorate the popular play “The Green Goddess”.

The play was a hit, so was the dressing!

Philip Roemer’s dressing is a variation of a dressing that originated in France by a chef to Louis XIII who made his sauce au vert (green sauce) which was traditionally served with “green eel” …from Larousse Gastronomique Page 1272

The Palace Hotel has preserved the original architecture while adding modern accents. Today, we pay homage to the dressing’s inventor and add our modern accent to the Green Goddess Salad Dressing!

. . .

Original Recipe (1923) – makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 cups mayonnaise
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar*
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
Directions
In a large bowl mix together mayonnaise, anchovy, green onion, parsley, chives, vinegar and tarragon.
Refrigerate at least an hour before using for all the flavours to blend together.
Pour over salad greens, fish or artichokes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Green Goddess Dip

. . .

My Green Goddess Dressing – reinvented (2015)
RECIPE
Ingredients
1/2 -1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise (homemade)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste (or 1 teaspoon coarse salt)
2 tablespoons mild vinegar, such as white-wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar*
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 – 1 clove of garlic -finely minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1-2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt (to taste – taste the mayo before adding)
Directions
Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate dressing up to 7 days.
VARIATION: Add chopped spinach and/or minced garlic.
FOOD TIP: Use this versatile dressing as a dip. Instead of tartar sauce try the Green Goddess dressing on your fish. Let the mayo sit for half an hour to blend the flavours. Taste and see if it needs salt. *To make tarragon vinegar, place sprigs of tarragon in your white vinegar – for best results age your vinegar for 2-3 weeks. Green goddess dressing and tarragon vinegar’s popularity resurfaced in the 80’s. If you don’t have tarragon for this dressing, you have enough greens to create the green “goddess” colour.
SUGGESTED DRESSINGS using homemade mayonnaise
Russian dressing: consists of the mixture of mayonnaise, pimientos, chives, ketchup, and spices. History: The name comes from the earliest versions that included a distinctly Russian ingredient, caviar.
Thousand Island dressing: It is made from bits of green olives, peppers, pickles, onions, hard-boiled eggs and other finely chopped ingredients. It was arguably developed by a chef when he was in service for Henry Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel who built Boldt Castle on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands. The pink colour of the dressing represented the blush colour of the sky at sunset and the numerous pieces of green pickle represented the islands. Variations can include orange juice, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, vinegar, cream, garlic, chives, chili sauce, tomato purée, ketchup, or Tabasco sauce. It also can contains chopped nuts (such as walnuts or chestnuts)

The EGG Factor -Mayonnaise

July 11, 2015September 17, 201915 Comments

Who wrote the book, Great Eggspectations? Charles Chickens!

Summertime craves mayonnaise in cold potato salad, creamy coleslaw and more. They all start from the simple egg. The most healthy and versatile food. Homemade mayonnaise is easy to make and better than store bought ( no preservatives ). The flavour is just outstanding! Mayonnaise is a “mother” or base for Rémoulade, Tartar sauce, Green Goddess Salad Dressing, Aioli and others. Historically, it was a tradition in France that the man of the house made mayonnaise by hand with a whisk, every Sunday.
When I first made this at my neighbour’s place for a dish that she was serving to her guests I showed her how to make it as I was doing it. She thanked me but commented that she really wasn’t interested. She doesn’t use mayonnaise and she would never make it. That was a year ago. She now makes it regularly and uses it as a sauce base for salmon and other dishes. Still raves and shares her recipe with others….spreading the news!

The beauty of home made mayonnaise is not only about the incredible flavour, it is also because of the lack of preservatives and the health benefits.

Natural mayonnaise ingredients and the sauce itself.

MY MAYONNAISE Recipe
RECIPE
Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2cups of avocado oil (or light olive oil)
1 egg
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt (optional)
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Start with all your ingredients at room temperature. ( eggs need about 30 minutes to come to room temperature ).

2. Combine the egg with mustard and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor or blender/

3. Slowly add the oil in a very thin stream –with the processor running. Keep beating or whisking at a high rate.

TIP: Processor: Pour oil into the pusher tube, streaming through the small hole until completely combined. If your pusher tube does not have a hole, just drill a very small hole in the tube.

Homemade mayonnaise is so easy and so, so good. Daniel Neman shows how to make it in Prep School.

This automatically produces a thin stream of oil to pour out. You don’t have to stand there dripping the oil by hand.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients near the end and blend together.

FIXING RUINED MAYO: Your mayo may separate during or after it had been refrigerated. Refrigerated separation is a quick fix. Add a tsp of water and whisk it back into a creamy texture. If your mayo separates during the making process then add a tablespoon of warm water to a warmed bowl and pour the broken mayo slowing into the bowl as you whisk or use a blender. James Peterson recommends adding another egg yolk.

Broken Mayo: Looks Like Pancake Batter

Julia Child suggests a teaspoon of prepared mustard. Why did the mayo separate? This may occur when you add in the oil too quickly or the initial ingredients were too cold. It is not because you added too much oil. Heston Blumenthal tested this theory. However, it only works well with a cement mixer. Heston’s mayo recipe is half way through this video—> Heston’s eggs and mayonnaise recipe. If your mayo is too thick add a splash of water or lemon juice and whisk it into a fluffy texture.

Total time under 5 minutes, makes 1 1/2 cups.

Refrigerate for 4-7 days. It won’t last that long!

FOOD TIP: Blanch your egg in the shell in hot water for 10 seconds. Then, quickly place the egg in icy cold water bath. Blanching destroys some surface bacteria (in theory). If you add blanched basil leaves, (add with the egg), when making your mayo – they stay green in the mix. Otherwise the basil will quickly turn black.

Mayonnaise: Green Basal, Garlic And hot mustard powder & white pepper

IMMERSION BLENDER: If you use an immersion blender, start by keeping the blade at the very bottom of the exact fitting container – Use a mason jar or a glass measuring cup. Start with slow pulses. For best results, make sure you start by dripping in the oil very slowly. The first 30 seconds is critical. If you use this method with a mason jar, all you need to do is add the lid and pop your mayo in the fridge.

WHISK METHOD: The challenger’s mayo – the best workout for your upper arms. Substitute 2 egg yolks for one egg if using the manual method. Also use only one cup of oil.

Eggs are a Nutrient Powerhouse
Intolerances aside, eggs are a great food.
Yes, the fat is all in the yolk; and all the nutrients.
One egg provides:
• 245 IUs of vitamin A
• 37 IUs of vitamin D
• 19 mg potassium
• 25 mcg folate
• 22 mg calcium

The Perfect Egg

DID YOU KNOW: The Choline in eggs helps make phosphatidylcholine to benefit your liver, nervous system, and brain. According to Dr. Jonny Bowden in his book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.

Solution: Buy The Best Eggs, Cook Them Right and Eat Infrequently