'Hippie Food' sounds like a fascinating read

Food and how we eat it changes over time. 

I never knew what to do with tofu until I tried a vegetarian diet for a couple of weeks. I learned a few things during that time period, including that I feel weak going too long without any meat. A pescatarian diet (adding fish to a vegetarian diet), would be fine. Well, except for the fact that I love Mom's pot roast, bacon, a good burger and variations on chicken stir fry. 

While contemplating what, if any, changes I'd like to make in my diet, I ran across a fascinating article in the New York Times, about food evolution and, in particular, Jonathan Kauffman's "briskly entertaining history, 'Hippie Food,'" which it, it argues, "makes a convincing case for adding another legacy" to a list of ways the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s have changed our lives ... "the way we eat."

"Hippie Food" sounds like a fascinating read; here's the book purchase link. It's on my Amazon list. 

Try bodacious burgers during National Burger Month

The Oakland Press printed an article about National Burger Month.

Any one burger sounds lovely, but expensive; check out the list.

But even if you can't afford a $15-$20 pound burger, all is not lost.

You can meet or exceed these burgers at home, with some expert help.

Permit me to point you in the direction of two of my favorite Food Network stars: Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay.

Both have serious burger "street cred." Bobby has hosted a grilling show on Food Network for a number of years. Featured on the Food Network site is a slideshow of Bobby's best burgers with links to the recipes ... and each one is a bit different.

Rachael's cookbooks and her magazine "Every Day with Rachael Ray" are full of great burger options, including healthier choices such as white chicken or turkey meat burgers.

One of the things she does well is to change up the size of her burgers; I love her appetizer-like takes on burgers. Check out this video for an example:
Mini Chipotle Burgers

Yes, I call Rachael and Bobby by their first names. That's because they've spent a lot of time in my living room and inspire me. I know good food, well-cooked, better than most restaurant food is obtainable in part due to watching their shows.

And Bobby, I don't squish my burgers down anymore to keep them from being too high in the center. I use your little trick of putting an indentation in the burger's center so when it puffs up, it's at the same level as the rest of the burger. Thanks for the tip!

Island Chicken with Pineapple and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I'm winging it again in the kitchen. (Yes, that was a bad pun, but it could be worse. Trust me.) 

The chicken features tastes of the Orient (soy and sesame) with a hint of Hawaiian pineapple and a southern barbecue favorite, roasted sweet potatoes. Everything's cooked in the oven.
Island Chicken with Pineapple and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

While getting this ready, scrub, and put two skinny sweet potatoes (about 6 oz. each) in a preheated 370-degree oven for 20 minutes. (Make sure you stab them a couple of times with a steak knife so they won't explode and place in a small pan with a small baking rack in it to let them drip without messing up the oven, but don't cover them.)

Marinate 1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced chicken (the kind I usually pan fry): in the following marinade for 5-10 minutes.

Marinade:
1/2 a medium-sized lime, juiced
Grated lime zest, if desired (I didn't do that this time)
a few drops of sesame seed oil
3 TBSP olive oil
about two TBSP. pineapple juice from a freshly-cut pineapple. (You can buy it cored and ready to slice.)
5 sprays of Bragg Liquid Aminos (if you don't have this, you may substitute 1/2-1 tsp. of light soy sauce). Just don't include any salt in the next step.

Put the following spices on both sides of the meat: a pinch of salt, ground pepper to taste (preferably freshly-ground mixed peppercorns) and a dash of McCormick's Perfect Pinch Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper.

Mix marinade ingredients thoroughly in a 9" by 12" glass oven-safe dish; place chicken in marinade for 2 to 5 minutes; turn and marinate for 3 to 5 minutes more. It's cooked in the marinade to create a light sauce.

Cover dish with foil and place in a preheated 325-degree oven for 35 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center (check it by cutting the thickest piece in the center). 
Spoon a couple of teaspoons of sauce over chicken; serve it with the pineapple and baked sweet potato.

Next time I make this recipe, I plan to brown the chicken slightly by taking the foil off for the last three to four minutes.

Healthier Eating Out at Applebee's?

One of the places I often try to con my friends into going when they want me to eat out with them is Applebee's. I get consistently good food there, and the menu offers some lower-calorie/healthier options.


The company just starting marking items on its menus that have fewer than than 550 calories; it also has some items that show the accompany Weight Watchers® Points values.

My favorite is the Weight Watchers® Steak & Portobellos, which at 7 WW Points and 330 calories; it's great-tasting and in just the right portion size. It is just a bit high in sodium, though (1,610 mg). The best bet of the Weight Watchers items in terms of both calories and sodium is Weight Watchers® Italian Chicken & Portobello Sandwich w/fresh fruit (320 calories, 730 mg sodium and 7 Weight Watchers® Points). I'll think I'll try that next time!

When going to Applebee's® (or anywhere else, for that matter), it's a good idea to download the nutritional information (if available), look at the options and choose two or three possiblities that are fairly good for both you and your waistline. Some people don't like this approach because they say it takes away the spontaneity of going out, but I like to know what I'm eating.  

Cookbook Review: Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

First of all, I think Rachael Ray is brilliant at coming up with different (and usually fairly healthy) twists so you’re not eating the same old food. I watch her shows regularly. I have three of her cookbooks (the only other person who holds that honor is the late, great Peg “I Hate to Cook” Bracken).

I will say that in her 30 minutes, she gets a lot more done than I do! (Unlike Rachael, my area of food “expertise” is baking.) I’d almost never do a new main dish and a new side dish together on a week night, which she always manages to pull together on 30-Minute Meals.


My first (partly) successful Rachael Ray recipe, 3 Beans and Some Chicken, was from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. The pan-fried chicken, which incorporates EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), thyme and the juice of one lemon, was terrific, even if it took me longer than 30 minutes. I don't exaggerate when I say the chicken portion of the recipe alone is worth the price of the book. It’s my favorite way to eat chicken.


The beans didn’t turn out as described, primarily because I added too much chicken stock (there's a big difference between one can and one cup of stock!). It had to be served as “stoup.” It did taste good and I think I’d leave it as “stoup” if I made it again, but I'd also add some garlic to it. The next time, when I didn't have the time (or patience) to make the side dish and the chicken, I thought, “I hate to waste the lemon zest used in the bean mixture” and threw it in with the rest of the marinade. The lemon zest made it even better. The third time I made the chicken, I decided to marinate it in the cast-iron frying pan I cook it in and simply let the marinade evaporate until the point that the chicken browns on both sides. It was still awesome, and I had one less pan to wash.


Here is a recipe I made inspired by this recipe, featuring key lime juice, zest and cilantro. I have yet to try orange juice with the chicken, mostly because I’m not sure what herb to use to complement it.


Lime-Cilantro Chicken


Ingredients
Thinly-sliced chicken tenders (about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds)


Marinade:
two turns around the pan (about two TBSP.) EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
zest and juice from two key limes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP. roughly chopped cilantro (I don’t recommend dried cilantro for this)


To make marinade: Put the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro in the pan, turning the pan around until the mixture covers the entire bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper chicken to taste (salt can be omitted, if desired), then marinate about 5 minutes on each side. (Each piece of chicken should have cilantro on it.)


Just before the marinating is complete, pre-heat the burner on medium high and then put frying pan on (I use a fine mesh pan cover so the oil doesn’t spatter too much. Clearly, I also use an electric stove; on a gas stove, I'd start with the pan on the burner.)


Reduce heat slightly when oil is sizzling. Cook approximately 6-8 minutes on each side, until browned and chicken has no more pink in it. (I usually cut the largest piece to be sure it’s done.)


The next recipe I plan to try from Rachael is in her May 6, 2010 web edition: Coconut Mango Chicken with Black Beans.