Mrs. Samurai's Kitchen

Some recipes are really mostly ideas of what to make for dinner - fairly simple combinations that aren't all that innovative, but just come together so well they are worth writing down.  That's what I finally did after preparing this dish recently.  There's not much to it, but if you use the right basic ingredients, it makes for a really tasty and easy dinner.  The use of sliced mushrooms helps to expand the volume without spending more $ on sausage or sacrificing heartiness.  See my ingredient notes at the end!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium onions, sliced
  
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  
• 2 8-oz. container sliced mushrooms
  
• 2 packages pre-cooked italian sausages, sweet or hot, sliced (see note)
  
• 1 jar Pasta Sauce, marinara or basil, good quality (see note)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, then onions and peppers. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until somewhat soft, but not browning. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5 or so minutes until they are fairly soft. Add the sliced sausages and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes until they are heated through and getting a little browned.

Pour in the pasta sauce, stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let sit off-heat for 5 more minutes. (Adding the garlic at this point really makes for a bright taste.  If the cloves are really big or seem extra strong, just use one.)

Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Usually jarred sauces are salty enough, so you probably just need pepper.)

Serve over pasta, rice, or quinoa, or just with good bread to soak up the extra sauce, and a little salad or raw veggies.

Notes

My favorite sausages for this recipe are Niman Ranch's Italian Pork Sausages, which I find at a local natural foods store. You could also use chicken sausage, but it won't be *quite* as succulent. Just be sure the sausages are pre-cooked (otherwise, cook them yourself before proceeding with this recipe).

My favorite pasta sauce is Bove brand, the Basil or Marinara varieties. Bertolli and Barilla make good sauces, as well.

This decadent dessert is a legend at our parish's Paschal (Easter) feast - the serving bowl is often literally licked clean when everyone is done! It's super easy because it relies on box mixes and Cool Whip, but somehow the combination of the various ingredients results in a surprisingly tasty and even elegant completed dish.



Ingredients:

• 1 box brownie mix, prepared (should be over 20 oz. box and use a 9x13 pan - see Note)
  
• ¼ c. coffee, optional
  
• 1 box chocolate instant pudding mix, 4 serving size
  
• 1 ½ cups cold milk
  
• 1-8 oz. container Cool Whip
  
• ¼ bag creme-filled chocolate cookies (Oreos or Newman O's), crushed

Directions:

Prepare brownies as directed on the box. After you pull the pan out of the oven, poke some holes in the brownies with the end of a chopstick (or a similar item), and pour the coffee over the top of them (optional). Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk. (I use a hand or stand mixer.)

Gently fold half of the Cool Whip into the pudding so you get a mousse-like consistency.

Now it's time to layer these ingredients into your serving bowl! A clear glass bowl is the most attractive, but anything will do. How you layer it depends on the shape of the bowl and if you are doubling (or tripling or quadrupling) the recipe. The basic order is: break up the brownies into large pieces and put a single layer in the bottom of the bowl. Top with the all the pudding, half of the cookie bits, then the rest of the brownies. End up with the remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cookies.

I usually quadruple this recipe for a crowd, and use a big bowl, and end up repeating layers more than listed above.

Notes:

You need a brownie mix that is over 20 oz. and requires a 9x13 pan. I like the taste of the Ghirardelli brownies mixes best, but they are more like 18 oz. and use a smaller pan.  So, I just make a little extra!

I'm not crazy about the nutritional quality of many of the ingredients - especially Cool Whip! My fantasy is to create a "real food" version of this by combining the recipes I have for homemade brownies, chocolate pudding, and real whipped cream, but I'm usually making a quadruple batch of this under time pressure and just haven't pulled it off yet.  However, I do make a few choices that help - I use local raw milk, and when preparing the brownie mix I use melted coconut oil (refined) and local pastured eggs.

We go through a lot of eggs here at the Samurai household - about 3 dozen a week.  We like 'em scrambled, fried, in omelets or frittatas, even raw!  The simple, humble egg has been much maligned in the press and by the mainstream "healthcare" establishment at times, but we don't let that bother us - we recognize it for the little nutritional powerhouse it is, and know that it's been a valued part of traditional diets for ages.  Eggs are an inexpensive source of a complete protein (in the white) combined with a variety of essential healthy fats and nutrients in the yolk.  They're good brain food!

But here's the tricky part:  those eggs you buy in the grocery store are not as healthful as they could be.  Most of you have probably seen the stories about the poor chickens crammed in cages at the factory farms - not a good life for the animals, but it also turns out that the eggs aren't as nutritious either.  

When a chicken is actually allowed to live a more natural life outdoors with exposure to sunshine and insects, their eggs have lots more Vitamins A, D, and E as well as beta carotene and Omega-3 fatty acids.  Awesome!  Kinda makes sense, doesn't it?  A healthier, happier bird will produce better eggs.

Now here's one more tricky part - deciphering the language used to describe the hens' conditions.  Is there a difference between "cage-free", "free-range", and "pastured"?  Turns out there's a big difference.  The only way to be sure you are getting eggs from chickens that actually spend their days pecking around outdoors, thereby producing those healthier eggs, is if they are labeled "pastured".  Anything else means they might have still spent their whole lives indoors.  (Note: don't confuse that term with "pasteurized", which is a whole different thing ;) )

Here's a very nifty video explaining this egg terminology further: UPDATE- for some reason this video was made "private" recently.  I hope that will change, but in the meantime I'll link to an article discussing this further down below...



How do you find pastured eggs?  We live in a semi-rural area, and our local farm stands and farmer's markets sell them as well as our natural food store.  It shouldn't be too hard to find them wherever you live, and it's great to support the local farmers!  Around here the pastured eggs average around $4 to $5 per dozen - a little more than the conventional eggs, but still a good deal considering how much you are getting from them.

 

For more info, see this article at Food Renegade's site!

Here's a photo of some of our own hens that we had a few years back and their trusty guard, Ouzo.  Good times!

Here's an easy weeknight dinner that you can usually pull together from ingredients you have kicking around in your fridge.  Since the food is breakfasty, it would also make for a yummy brunch.

The only "thinking ahead" item is that if you are using frozen hash browns, it's helpful to pull them out and have them thaw (either a few hours on the counter, or all day in the fridge).  But there's even a work-around for that.  Read on!...

Baked Hash Browns

1 bag frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes, about 1 pound or so, thawed and blotted dry (I use a clean dish towel to do this)
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
a few scallions, sliced
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 deg. F.  Place one oven rack in the highest position, and one in the lower-middle.  

(If you forgot to thaw your hash browns ahead of time, spread them on a clean dishtowel on a baking sheet and stick them in the oven for a few minutes while it's preheating until they are thawed, then pat them dry.)

In a 9"x13" glass baking dish, toss the potatoes with the melted butter, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste.  Using the back side of a soup spoon, spread the mixture out evenly and up the sides a bit to have a fairly thin layer (about 1/2 inch).

Place on the lower-middle rack and bake for about 45 minutes until as brown and crispy as you like.  (Note: you can turn these into an appetizer by topping with some cheese, bacon pieces, and extra fresh scallions at the end and broiling until the cheese is melted, then serve with sour cream, avocado, etc.)

====>  While the hash browns are in the oven, begin preparing the Frittata...

Veggie Frittata

Note:  this recipe is literally based on the vegetables I happened to have on hand in my kitchen that night.  It turned out to be very tasty with this combo, but feel free to vary the types that you use.  It's a great way to use up stray veggies that are lurking in your crisper drawers feeling neglected!

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash or zucchini, chopped
2 cups kale, loosely packed, coarsely chopped, stems discarded
6 eggs
2 T. cream or half and half
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup or so cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
a few large fresh basil leaves, rolled together and thinly sliced

When the hash browns have approximately 20 minutes left to cook, heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then add the butter.  When it's melted, add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes until they are somewhat softened, but not browning yet.  Add the squash and the kale, and cook for about 5 more minutes until they are softened and the onions and squash are browning a little.

While the veggies are cooking, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl with a fork until well combined.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, tilting the pan slightly if needed to get the liquid into the nooks and crannies around the veggies.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cook undisturbed for 5-7 minutes, until it starts to look set around the edges.

Turn off the heat under the pan, and sprinkle the top with cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil.  Turn the broiler of your oven on, then place the pan on the top rack and broil for about 2 minutes until the top is puffy and lightly browned.  WATCH CAREFULLY!  "Brown" can turn to "burned" quickly under a broiler.

Remove the pan and turn off the broiler.

(By the way - if the hash browns are still in the oven during all this, they'll be fine.  Just keep an eye on them, too.)

Stick a dinner knife into the center of the frittata to check for doneness.  If it's runny at all, just pop it into the oven set to about 400 deg. for about 5 minutes, until it's done.

Serve a slice of Frittata (I usually cut this size into 6 slices) with a good-sized chunk of the hash browns... serve with salsa, ketchup, hot sauce, or just as-is.  Yum!

I was working at the kitchen sink, and suddenly felt 4 pairs of eyes upon me. I turned and this is what I saw.

Once upon a time the local medical establishment was concerned that the Samurai's cholesterol levels were too high. Rather than follow their advice, he followed the more cutting-edge nutritional advice we'd been reading on our own questioning the popular "cholesterol theory" of heart disease. He reduced the amount of processed and/or carbohydrate foods he was eating, and increased consumption of good quality fats, meats, and eggs. His cholesterol numbers went down, and he was pronounced very heart healthy. (Of course, any of you who know the Samurai knows he has a good heart )

Note that you can't just add any old fat to your diet and expect good results - there are some that should be avoided.

Read on...

From Dr. Mercola's website:

Quote

Read the rest of the article here! Then go enjoy some good quality saturated fats.

Yum!  I just saw this blog post and thought I would pass it along.  Do you love crunchy, salty snacks, but are trying to avoid carbs and/or fried foods?  How about some crispy disks of parmesan cheese?  Sounds good to me.  I used to do something similar to this with smoked provolone, but I think this would have a little more punch and crunch.  Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

This is from the excellent Food Renegade blog (click that link to see the whole entry).


Parmesan Crisp Recipe

The Players

• Parmesan Cheese, grated

The How-To
Simply spoon the grated Parmesan cheese into chip-sized, relatively thin dollops on a hot griddle. The cheese will melt, then turn crispy. At this point, use a spatula to flip the crisps over and lightly brown the other side. Then remove from the griddle onto a plate.
The end.
If you don’t have a griddle, you can spoon the Parmesan cheese into chip-sized, relatively thin dollops on a cookie sheet or two. Place the cookie sheets in your oven under the broiler and watch them melt and lightly brown. At this point, remove them from the oven and use a spatula to transfer them onto a plate.

Here's a simple but very tasty quick chicken dish!  It's fairly saucy, so plan to serve it with mashed  cauliflower or potatoes, rice, or something else to sop up the yumminess.

Ingredients

• 1 cup salsa
  
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
  
• juice from one lime (about 4 T.)
  
• 3-4 pounds of chicken, skinless, boneless white or dark, whole pieces or cut up into bites
  
• butter, unsalted
  
• 1-2 bags frozen veggies, your choice, optional
  
• sour cream or yogurt
  
• lime

Directions

In a glass dish, combine salsa, mustard, and lime juice, then add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or more. (If more, refrigerate.)

In a large skillet (with a lid) or dutch oven (depending on the amount of chicken you have), melt butter over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and cook for a few minutes, turning to lightly brown on both sides (this may require 2 batches). Add the rest of the marinade to the pan with the chicken and simmer for at least 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through - time may be a little longer if you left the chicken in big pieces. (Marinade needs to simmer that long in order to cook any raw chicken still in it.)  If you want to add some veggies, just throw in a bag or two of mixed frozen veggies of your choice at the end and cook until they are heated through.

Serve with sour cream and extra lime if desired.

This makes enough for about 8 people.  You can adjust the quantities up or down pretty easily - just keep the ratios of salsa/dijon/lime fairly consistent.

The Samurai and I had this for dinner last night, and it was so good I had to get it up here to share with the rest of you!  It's loosely adapted from a recipe from the online "Menu-Mailer" service.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 4 stalks celery, diced
  
• 4 medium carrots, diced
  
• 4 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
  
• salt, pepper
  
• 1 can/jar crushed tomatoes, 14-15 oz., or tomato sauce
  
• 1 medium lime, juiced
  
• 2 chipotles (canned in adobo sauce), minced
  
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
  
• 3 cloves garlic
  
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 bag frozen green beans
  
• sour cream, avocado, optional

Directions:

In a skillet (with a cover), cook the onions, celery, and carrots in a little oil and salt for 5 minutes over med-low heat, covered, until soft. Do not brown. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the bottom of your slow cooker. (You can skip this step and just place the raw veggies in the cooker if you are really short on time, but I think this step helps the flavor and texture a lot.)

Cover the veggies with half of the thighs, sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Then layer the remaining thighs and sprinkle those with salt and pepper.

Combine the tomatoes, lime juice, chipotles, adobo sauce, and garlic in a bowl, then pour over the chicken.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 3-4. Add the frozen green beans during the last hour of cooking (you can just throw them right on top of everything and sort of push them into the liquid a bit).

Once everything is done, remove the thighs from the slow cooker and set aside. Stir the cilantro into the liquid and veggies remaining in the cooker. Serve by placing 2-3 thighs in a shallow bowl then topping with veggies and liquid. Serve with optional sour cream, avocado, etc.

Serves 6 (at least!)

Here's some thought-provoking information to keep in mind when considering getting the flu shot:


Story at-a-glance

• A new study revealed that the flu vaccine prevents type A or type B influenza in only 1.5 out of every 100 vaccinated adults … but the media is reporting this to mean “60 percent effective” – the difference is due to a semantic sleight-of-hand: confusing the meaning of relative vs. absolute risk reduction
  
• Media reports that the flu vaccine is 60 percent effective does not mean that 60 out of 100 people who get the flu shot will be protected against influenza; separate research shows 100 people must be vaccinated to prevent one case of type A or type B influenza.
  
• Vaccine-acquired immunity is temporary, which is why even though the influenza viruses included in this season’s flu vaccine are the same viruses that were selected for the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine, the CDC is still recommending you get vaccinated again, even if you got the vaccine last year. The immunity you get by recovering from influenza naturally is qualitatively superior and longer lasting.
  
• Lifestyle changes will generally be far more effective at preventing type A or type B influenza or other types of flu-like respiratory illnesses than the flu vaccine.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as "the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses."
This advice applies to everyone 6 months of age and older, and the CDC stresses that you "should get a flu vaccine as soon as [they] are available."
With a promotion this strong, you might assume that getting a flu shot is a "sure thing" to protect you from all flu-like illness this year, but actually it's not.
Not even close.

Keep reading:
http://lewrockwell.c...mercola167.html