This Omivore's Dilemma

I know fast food is bad. It's not just bad because of the fat, salt, sugar and many other ingredients I can't pronounce, but because the beef or chicken comes from questionable sources. One burger can have beef from many different cows, and these cows are kept in deplorable conditions which is why they need to be injected with mega doses of antibiotics to keep them healthy. Chickens fare no better. I won't even go into what they do them. Despite knowing this information there are still times when I succumb to the rat race and feed my family fast food. Probably not as often as most families, but we still eat it. Why? Lack of proper planning and grocery shopping. We need to be responsible food consumers. Know where your meat market or grocery store gets their beef, chicken, milk, and eggs. Are they coming from commercial feed lots where the animals are being pumped full of antibiotics and steroids? Are the chickens in cages so tiny they can't move and forced to lay eggs unnaturally? Real food, naturally and locally raised, and eaten as close to God made it. That's what we should all be doing. It's better for our bodies, the environment, and our local economy. Stay tuned for recipes and ideas of how to make this happen.

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Get ready for summer grilling!

It's almost summer so let's get a head start on our summer grilling line up. This recipe allows you to step out of that grilling rut that we all get ourselves into and use all of those farmer's market goodies calling our names. Herbed Chicken Piadine One recipe for grilled pizza dough prepared Grilled chicken 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast Juice of 1 lime 1/3 cup olive oil 1 garlic clove minced ½ teaspoon each oregano, rosemary, thyme Mix lime juice, garlic, olive oil and herbs and marinate chicken for at least one hour. Grill on medium heat and slice thinly diagonally. Baby greens with Citrus Dressing 4 Cups baby greens or baby spinach 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese 1 cup shaved parmesan cheese 1 orange juiced 1 lemon juiced 1 shallot minced 1 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Mix orange and lemon juice with olive oil, minced shallot, and salt and pepper. Toss cherry tomatoes, cheeses,...

It's what's for breakfast!

School has been in session now for a month and a half and this house fallen into the breakfast blahs. When I go grocery shopping and ask what everyone wants I am met with blank stares and "I dunno know". Here are two tried and true recipes that can be made ahead for an easy morning breakfast that even the kids can serve themselves. Vanilla Bean Yogurt Parfaits 16 ounce Plain Greek Yogurt 4T local honey 1 Vanilla bean 4 cups fresh blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries (feel free to mix up the fruit especially when the tree ripened peaches are available) Fresh granola (this can be homemade or store bought) Mix yogurt, 3T honey, and contents of vanilla bean and refrigerate for approximately one hour. In separate container mix berries and 1T honey. In four glass dishes layer yogurt and fruit and top with granola. Homemade Granola Nonstick vegetable oil spray 4 cups old-fashioned oats ...

Plat de Cote de Boeuf au Cabarnet avec pates ~ Beef short ribs braised in cabernet with pearl onions, mushrooms, and pasta

With the chill in the air and the fall weather we experienced last week I naturally start thinking about warm meals of slow cooked goodness. Beef short ribs lend themselves beautifully to braising. Braising is a term used for cooking with both moist and dry heat, searing the meat first to give a nice caramelization then cooking slowly with liquid to allow the breakdown of the connective tissue. I have braised other meats before, but this was my first attempt at short ribs. I rubbed the ribs with chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and let the ribs sit in the fridge overnight. The next day I seared the ribs on all sides in a heavy french oven. Remove the ribs to a plate and drain off some of the fat then add the Cabernet and brought to a boil. I added the ribs back to the french oven along with pearl onions and sliced cremini mushrooms and transferred to the oven. It cooked for two hours. I brought back to the stove top and added a two tablespoons of buerre manier to th...

The Accidental Epicurean

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