I look out of the window and it’s snowing again. The snow that was so beautiful and anticipated in December is now making me groan inwardly, “Not more!” The sun-shiny days when the sun and the temperature melt the snow and the smell of spring is in the air are uplifting. Then I turn on the nightly news and the weatherman says, “Here comes another few days of below zero weather.” I don’t know about you, but I am sick of winter. These six weeks of Lent are somber in many ways and the weather in Minnesota just adds to the depressing atmosphere.
What’s a body to do? Why, go to the grocery store, of course. I got this great idea (stolen from Every Day Food magazine) to find five new ingredients or foods that I had never tried, buy them and figure out what to do with them. I was genuinely surprised that there were so many things that I had passed over in the grocery aisles. I purposely didn’t seriously consider highly processed foods that were basically prepackaged meals; rather I chose either basic ingredients or lightly processed foods. Here’s my list (and, by the way, it was really hard to pare it down to five, once I got started): Blueberry-Acai juice, Agave Nectar, ditalini pasta, kumquats, and, as a bonus, gnocchi. All of these were found in one of our local grocery stores and, as an added bonus, they were reasonably priced.
The gnocchi was the most pre-made product. It intrigued me because it was in a vacuum-pack and didn’t need refrigeration until after opening. Gnocchi is a small Italian dumpling made with potatoes and is usually highly perishable. It requires dropping into boiling, salted water for about 2-3 minutes until it rises to the top, draining and saucing. Like tortellini, it is already filled but unlike dry tortellini, it is a moist, fresh product. I sauced it with a homemade tomato-roasted pepper sauce and dressed it with grated Asiago cheese—it was wonderful—and what an easy dinner.
The agave nectar is made from the desert plant (a type of cactus) Agave. The agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during the summer. The starch in the buds is converted into sugar and the sweet nectar exudes from the flowers. It tastes like a cross between honey and brown sugar. I used it in place of honey on a pineapple-orange fruit combo that I served to guests at the inn. They loved it.
Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) has recently gained a great deal of fame on Oprah as a diet aid. It is being sold as a supplement in pill form and making huge claims of helping you reduce by large amounts in short times. (Where have I heard this before?) That aside, the acai berry, originating in Brazil, is delicious and a strong anti-oxidant that aids the body’s immune system and interferes with the aging process. Since blueberries, which are related to acai, are also known for their anti-oxidant content, are combined with the acai berry in the juice I bought, it can’t help but be good for you. Sounds like a perfect combination for a smoothie—and with frozen strawberries, pineapple and a frozen banana, plus some low-fat yogurt—it was delicious.
The kumquats were another story. If you are like I, you probably thought they were mainly a garnish—especially at Christmas. I broke one of my staunch rules and looked up recipes on the internet instead of my cookbook collection. I discovered there are many easy and delicious ways to use this fruit. I am giving you a couple that look great—but since I gave up desserts for Lent, I only made the chicken one—it’s delicious.
Kumquat Puree
Fresh kumquats
Wash fruit. Cut in half and remove seeds. Place in blender and blend until pureed. Do not cook. Use puree in recipes as called for or freeze. To use frozen puree, defrost and drain excess liquid before using (don’t throw liquid away—put it in a smoothie).
Kumquat Refrigerator Pie
1 baked pie crust, 9”
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping
2/3 cup pureed Kumquats
1 can condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
Beat condensed milk and whipped topping. Add lemon juice and beat until thickened. Add pureed kumquats. Pour in pie shell; chill in refrigerator for several hours before serving.
Kumquat Chicken
2 cups whole kumquats, seeded and quartered
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into ½ x 2 inch strips
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice powder
1 ½ T. chili oil
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
½ cup chicken broth
1 T. rice wine vinegar
In a wok or large skillet add chili oil and ginger. Saute on medium heat for 1 minute. Add chicken; cook for 3 minutes. Add cooking sauce and kumquats. Stir until thickened. Add vinegar, turn down heat, cover pan and simmer 2-3 minutes until chicken is done and kumquats are limp. If necessary, add water by teaspoons to keep mixture from becoming so thick it sticks or burns. Serve over rice or noodles.
What’s a body to do? Why, go to the grocery store, of course. I got this great idea (stolen from Every Day Food magazine) to find five new ingredients or foods that I had never tried, buy them and figure out what to do with them. I was genuinely surprised that there were so many things that I had passed over in the grocery aisles. I purposely didn’t seriously consider highly processed foods that were basically prepackaged meals; rather I chose either basic ingredients or lightly processed foods. Here’s my list (and, by the way, it was really hard to pare it down to five, once I got started): Blueberry-Acai juice, Agave Nectar, ditalini pasta, kumquats, and, as a bonus, gnocchi. All of these were found in one of our local grocery stores and, as an added bonus, they were reasonably priced.
The gnocchi was the most pre-made product. It intrigued me because it was in a vacuum-pack and didn’t need refrigeration until after opening. Gnocchi is a small Italian dumpling made with potatoes and is usually highly perishable. It requires dropping into boiling, salted water for about 2-3 minutes until it rises to the top, draining and saucing. Like tortellini, it is already filled but unlike dry tortellini, it is a moist, fresh product. I sauced it with a homemade tomato-roasted pepper sauce and dressed it with grated Asiago cheese—it was wonderful—and what an easy dinner.
The agave nectar is made from the desert plant (a type of cactus) Agave. The agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during the summer. The starch in the buds is converted into sugar and the sweet nectar exudes from the flowers. It tastes like a cross between honey and brown sugar. I used it in place of honey on a pineapple-orange fruit combo that I served to guests at the inn. They loved it.
Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) has recently gained a great deal of fame on Oprah as a diet aid. It is being sold as a supplement in pill form and making huge claims of helping you reduce by large amounts in short times. (Where have I heard this before?) That aside, the acai berry, originating in Brazil, is delicious and a strong anti-oxidant that aids the body’s immune system and interferes with the aging process. Since blueberries, which are related to acai, are also known for their anti-oxidant content, are combined with the acai berry in the juice I bought, it can’t help but be good for you. Sounds like a perfect combination for a smoothie—and with frozen strawberries, pineapple and a frozen banana, plus some low-fat yogurt—it was delicious.
The kumquats were another story. If you are like I, you probably thought they were mainly a garnish—especially at Christmas. I broke one of my staunch rules and looked up recipes on the internet instead of my cookbook collection. I discovered there are many easy and delicious ways to use this fruit. I am giving you a couple that look great—but since I gave up desserts for Lent, I only made the chicken one—it’s delicious.
Kumquat Puree
Fresh kumquats
Wash fruit. Cut in half and remove seeds. Place in blender and blend until pureed. Do not cook. Use puree in recipes as called for or freeze. To use frozen puree, defrost and drain excess liquid before using (don’t throw liquid away—put it in a smoothie).
Kumquat Refrigerator Pie
1 baked pie crust, 9”
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping
2/3 cup pureed Kumquats
1 can condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
Beat condensed milk and whipped topping. Add lemon juice and beat until thickened. Add pureed kumquats. Pour in pie shell; chill in refrigerator for several hours before serving.
Kumquat Chicken
2 cups whole kumquats, seeded and quartered
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into ½ x 2 inch strips
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice powder
1 ½ T. chili oil
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
½ cup chicken broth
1 T. rice wine vinegar
In a wok or large skillet add chili oil and ginger. Saute on medium heat for 1 minute. Add chicken; cook for 3 minutes. Add cooking sauce and kumquats. Stir until thickened. Add vinegar, turn down heat, cover pan and simmer 2-3 minutes until chicken is done and kumquats are limp. If necessary, add water by teaspoons to keep mixture from becoming so thick it sticks or burns. Serve over rice or noodles.
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