Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #5

[neesaki]

I read this a couple of days ago and meant to share it here.

Popular diets help you lose weight but may not be so good for heart health

For the first time, the American Heart Association ranks eating plans like ketogenic, paleo and the Mediterranean diet for how closely they follow heart-healthy guidelines.

www.nbcnews.com

Some of the most popular diet plans may help with weight loss, which can lower the risk of heart disease. But an eating plan that includes a lot of unhealthy oils and saturated fats can raise the risk of heart disease, even if it does help reduce weight.

That's why a committee of experts with the American Heart Association developed a ranking of the top 10 diets in the U.S., scoring them based on how well they followed guidelines for a healthy heart. It’s the first time the heart association has rated the most popular diets.

The list, published Thursday in Circulation, gave the lowest scores to the paleo and ketogenic, or keto, diets for their reliance on fats from animal sources, such as butter and full-fat dairy, while severely restricting carbohydrates.

Top marks were given to the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which focuses on whole grains, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Pescetarian — eating fish but not red meat —and vegetarian diets also scored highly for their heart benefits...

For the life of me, I cannot fathom the amount of dairy fats… butter, heavy cream, even butter in coffee! Ewwww… that are encouraged in the keto diet. I can’t help it, it sounds like junk food, IMO. I totally get low carb, but not the excess amounts of fat. I have lost weight on low carb, so know it works, for me. Re dairy fats, I have read that even lard is a healthier alternative.
But then again, I don’t like butter or heavy dairy fats in general, they actually make me feel sick if I consume more than a minuscule amount, so I’m sure I’m in the minority, lol.

3 Reasons to Use Lard If You're Dairy-Free, but Not Vegan

If you're dairy-free, but not vegan, consider these reasons to use lard as a butter substitute. Lard is becoming popular in the health food community.

www.thespruceeats.com

 

[neesaki]

Not Covid related but good for all time. Can't resist posting this hint for others who may not know.

Embarrassed that I got to be as old as dirt without knowing this simple way to husk corn Just tried it for the first time ever and it worked like a charm. Two cobs in the microwave for 5 minutes, corn was cooked and the husks were so easy to remove.

That’s amazing! For sure plan to try that soon.

 

[neesaki]

I love omelettes too, and frequently make them with bits of leftover fresh vegetables and cheeses. I buy fresh produce every week, and I make omelettes when I have a stalk of broccoli, a red bell pepper, some grape tomatoes, half a red onion, and whatever cheeses I have on hand.

I also make breakfast casseroles with leftover fresh vegetables and cheeses. Our favorite is tater tot breakfast casserole, super easy to make. Just layer frozen tater tots, chopped fresh vegetables, cheese, in a baking dish. Mix 8 eggs and a cup of milk, pour over the layers and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

That TT casserole sounds really good! I wonder if it would be good with Cauliflower tots instead of the potato ones. I buy those to cut carbs.

 

[neesaki]

Ok, I need to pick your brains.......

I believe this Sunday will be our last cool morning for the season. That means the last opportunity for my Brussels sprouts to get that sweetness that comes from cool/cold weather. My plan is to harvest the big ones that will be ready. I've been watching videos on storing them.

Questions for those who have ever stored them......

Did you blanch them, then freeze them in baggies or, do you vacuum seal them?
When they're thawed do they get mushy? How do you cook them at that point?

After you vacuum seal them, but not freeze them, can you mail them to someone? I'd like to mail some to my oldest and I'd use Priority Mail. I wonder if they'd spoil in a 2 day shipment?

The only experience I’ve had with frozen Brussels sprouts is the ones I buy in the store. They are the ones you roast in the oven, and they aren’t mushy. I do roast them a good while to get the crispy though. That’s actually the only way my DH will eat BS.

 

[whiterhino]

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I really enjoy this holiday.

We will be doing chicken enchiladas, as well. Will make mexican style rice and Chi Chi’s sweet corn cake. This was a favorite from my childhood and teens, when the restaurant Chi Chi’s was still in business. Now, Kroger carries the mix. It is a nice throwback/memory.

Sweet Corn Cake Mix | Seasonings & Mixes | CHI-CHI’S® Brand | Chi-Chi's

Serve CHI-CHI'S® Sweet Corn Cake Mix with your favorite toppings or use it to make traditional pancakes for a variety of delicious dishes.

www.salsas.com

Omg I remember Chi Chi's fried ice cream!

Ok, I need to pick your brains.......

I believe this Sunday will be our last cool morning for the season. That means the last opportunity for my Brussels sprouts to get that sweetness that comes from cool/cold weather. My plan is to harvest the big ones that will be ready. I've been watching videos on storing them.

Questions for those who have ever stored them......

Did you blanch them, then freeze them in baggies or, do you vacuum seal them?
When they're thawed do they get mushy? How do you cook them at that point?

After you vacuum seal them, but not freeze them, can you mail them to someone? I'd like to mail some to my oldest and I'd use Priority Mail. I wonder if they'd spoil in a 2 day shipment?

I've never done it myself but if I did, I'd blanch them and then freeze them on a tray individually. Then maybe try vacuum sealing them in a layer so they don't squish together.

Personally, I like to roast mine in the oven to avoid mushiness. Air frying might be good too.

If you put cold packs in the parcel that might help?

 

[Mert]

Omg I remember Chi Chi's fried ice cream!

Yes, yum! I don’t eat much ice cream, but theirs was quite good. I see places now that offer corn flakes as coating. The chi Chi’s was more my style.

 

[neesaki]

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I really enjoy this holiday.

We will be doing chicken enchiladas, as well. Will make mexican style rice and Chi Chi’s sweet corn cake. This was a favorite from my childhood and teens, when the restaurant Chi Chi’s was still in business. Now, Kroger carries the mix. It is a nice throwback/memory.

Sweet Corn Cake Mix | Seasonings & Mixes | CHI-CHI’S® Brand | Chi-Chi's

Serve CHI-CHI'S® Sweet Corn Cake Mix with your favorite toppings or use it to make traditional pancakes for a variety of delicious dishes.

www.salsas.com

I don’t recall ever eating at a Chi Chi’s, but the sweet corn cake sounds tasty. And someone mentioned their ice cream? Yum.
For our Cinco De Mayo, I made cheese and onion enchiladas with red sauce and Mexican style cauliflower rice, with sides of guacamole, salsa and tostado chips and served with light Margaritas. We hadn’t eaten all day and were so hungry it was tastier than usual, lol.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A summer kitchen staple could be in short supply and cost more after record rainfall in California

A shortened growing season could lead to higher prices at the grocery store for pizza sauce to ketchup.

www.nbcnews.com

Ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and salsa, all staples in the American kitchen, may be in short supply with higher prices this summer after record rainfall saturated California's tomato fields.

With soil still too wet for planting, farmers postponed the season's start by three weeks, which could translate into a shortage of tomato-based items this summer, according to individual farmers and the California Tomato Growers Association.

The most dire predictions come from farmers themselves, who say some of them could be forced out of the tomato-growing business...

 

[PayrollNerd]

Condiment Sold at Walmart and Other Stores Recalled Over Possible Salmonella, FDA Warns

On May 3, the FDA released a new alert about a condiment recall for a tahini-based product. According to the agency, Rushdi Food Industries is voluntarily recalling one lot of their squeezable Mighty Sesame Organic Tahini sauce due to a potential Salmonella contamination.

The affected product has a lot code of 858313006208 and an expiration date of Sept. 25, 2023.

 

[Tbone144]

A summer kitchen staple could be in short supply and cost more after record rainfall in California

A shortened growing season could lead to higher prices at the grocery store for pizza sauce to ketchup.

www.nbcnews.com

Ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and salsa, all staples in the American kitchen, may be in short supply with higher prices this summer after record rainfall saturated California's tomato fields.

With soil still too wet for planting, farmers postponed the season's start by three weeks, which could translate into a shortage of tomato-based items this summer, according to individual farmers and the California Tomato Growers Association.

The most dire predictions come from farmers themselves, who say some of them could be forced out of the tomato-growing business...

Looks like I’ll be needing a couple of tomato plants in containers. I can freeze dry them into powder form if needed and use the powder. Salsa is concerning as we use a lot of that.

I finally got the kimchi beef stirfry made last night. I used half of steak in the stirfry and the other half in husbands beef and barley soup. I made a Carolina bog for him for dinner and parmesan chicken risotto for me as easy meals for the week. Basically two different versions of chicken and rice but I can’t do the sausage in the bog, I get heartburn.

Scallops are on menu this week with mango and cucumber salad again, mangos were marked way down.

 

[PayrollNerd]

This week is produce pickups on Mon, Tue & Wed. Yesterday there were few items and about 3/4 of it we can’t eat. So I took the mushrooms, watermelon, etc to my friends house.

Today’s veggie pickup was enormous. Items we can’t eat again so I’ve texted my friend to see if she can drop by. They tried to give me 2 boxes of mangoes. But we’re allergic to those. I can’t even touch them in order to give them away.

I texted kiddo and said: So, you have a lot of meal planning to do! Ha!

 

[PayrollNerd]

Here’s a few more things. I have no idea what the blue container is. It was cold but not frozen so I put it in the fridge. I’m guessing some kind of yogurt.

I’ve never heard of pineapple & peppers! I won’t be eating those.

 

[IceIce9]

Here’s a few more things. I have no idea what the blue container is. It was cold but not frozen so I put it in the fridge. I’m guessing some kind of yogurt.

I’ve never heard of pineapple & peppers! I won’t be eating those.

Pineapple and peppers make great tacos! Just sauté until lightly browned and serve in a flour or corn taco shell with fresh salsa.

Grilled pineapple and pepper tacos are popular in taquerias.

 

[iamshadow21]

This week is produce pickups on Mon, Tue & Wed. Yesterday there were few items and about 3/4 of it we can’t eat. So I took the mushrooms, watermelon, etc to my friends house.

Today’s veggie pickup was enormous. Items we can’t eat again so I’ve texted my friend to see if she can drop by. They tried to give me 2 boxes of mangoes. But we’re allergic to those. I can’t even touch them in order to give them away.

I texted kiddo and said: So, you have a lot of meal planning to do! Ha!

Really envying that elderberry juice/cordial, if that's what it is. When we lived out west in our state, we used to buy elderberry and elderflower cordials from a local maker, and I really miss them. The commercial cordials are just nothing like the real thing.

 

[neesaki]

This week is produce pickups on Mon, Tue & Wed. Yesterday there were few items and about 3/4 of it we can’t eat. So I took the mushrooms, watermelon, etc to my friends house.

Today’s veggie pickup was enormous. Items we can’t eat again so I’ve texted my friend to see if she can drop by. They tried to give me 2 boxes of mangoes. But we’re allergic to those. I can’t even touch them in order to give them away.

I texted kiddo and said: So, you have a lot of meal planning to do! Ha!

What are the little elderberry things, Payroll? The only thing I know about elderberry is it’s use for the immune system and an anti-viral.

 

[killarney rose]

 

[PayrollNerd]

What are the little elderberry things, Payroll? The only thing I know about elderberry is it’s use for the immune system and an anti-viral.

I was stumped too. We looked them up. Pricey little things!!

Elderberry Shots | Immunity Shots | Pressed Juicery®

Rejuvenate with our Elderberry Shot, a carefully crafted blend of elderberry, agave, lemon, cinnamon, and cloves, designed to support your daily wellness routine.

pressed.com

 

[PayrollNerd]

Pineapple and peppers make great tacos! Just sauté until lightly browned and serve in a flour or corn taco shell with fresh salsa.

Grilled pineapple and pepper tacos are popular in taquerias.

There’s no peppers in there?! Weird.

 

[IceIce9]

There’s no peppers in there?! Weird.

So…..just pickled pineapples? I agree, weird.

 

[iamshadow21]

I was stumped too. We looked them up. Pricey little things!!

Elderberry Shots | Immunity Shots | Pressed Juicery®

Rejuvenate with our Elderberry Shot, a carefully crafted blend of elderberry, agave, lemon, cinnamon, and cloves, designed to support your daily wellness routine.

pressed.com

The only thing I would say about elderberry is, don't exceed one of those little bottles a day, just to be cautious. There are trace toxins in elderberry that mean you shouldn't just guzzle loads of it at one time. It's not a problem if you only have small amounts. If the berries have been cooked out, it's not much of a problem, but if the juice is coldpressed, the traces will remain. And in case you think it's nothing to worry about, the toxins are in the cyanoid family. There are traces of cyanoids in many foods, so the existence of them isn't a problem, it's the volume. So don't dump all of them in a punchbowl or a pitcher and drink them at the same time, you might end up being ill from it.

The flavour should be lovely, though. It's quite similar, if I recall correctly, to blackcurrant.