Fried Red Jersey Tomatoes

 Fried Red Jersey Tomatoes

Did you know that tomatoes don't have to be green to be fried? We love and enjoy red Jersey Fresh tomatoes fried. All you will need is one large red tomato to serve 2 people. Two slices per person is perfect for a side dish. To complete the meal, serve fried tomatoes along with a protein, such as meat, chicken, tempeh or fish, and a starch, such as Jersey Corn. 

• This is a GardenCuizine freestyle recipe - meaning that you can use how ever much you want of any of the ingredients used. 

Ingredients

• 1 large Jersey Fresh tomato about 3 1/2 inches, sliced thick
• Seasoned salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder 
• Peanut oil
• Stone ground yellow corn meal 

Putting it all together

1. Rinse your tomato(s), air dry, then slice into thick slices. 
2. Sprinkle with seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
3. Heat oil in skillet. We use a stainless steel skillet.
4. Dredge the tomato slices in corn meal just before frying.
5. Carefully add tomato slices to the hot oil in the pan and sprinkle additional corn meal on the top of the slices. Cook until golden brown.
6. Turn and cook the other side.
7. Serve immediately. 

 - Enjoy! 

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data:  2 thick slices tomato uncooked: Vitamin C, good source: 7.4mg (10% DV); Fiber 0.6g (3% DV); Potassium 128mg 5% DV); Vitamin A (3% DV) and other vitamins and minerals.

Recipe, photos and blog and video posts Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Lentils

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Lentils

Serves 2-4 

Ingredients

2-4 Bell Peppers- we used 2 red 

1 cup green lentils

bell pepper tops, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup cooked quinoa 

shredded cheese

olive oil

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

pinch salt & pepper

chopped parsley or cilantro - optional

This recipe was inspired by our Dome air fryer cookbook. We kept the stuffed peppers vegetarian, but you could combine lentils with cooked ground turkey or beef; we combined the lentils with cooked quinoa. It was really delicious and good enough for company. We will make this again for sure! 

This is a GardenCuizine freestyle recipe, meaning the amount of quinoa, lentils and chopped veggies and spices that you add is up to you; use whatever amount that you want or have available.

• Lentils are a sustainable food, meaning they are environment and climate-friendly.
• Lentils are affordable: only 15 to 30 cents per serving!
• Lentils are a nutritious source of protein.

Putting it all together

1. Prep the peppers: rinse the peppers and cut off the tops; remove the stem, chop the rest. Scoop out the seeds; set aside.
2. Cook the lentils: rinse them first in a handheld strainer; put in a pot with 3 cups of water add a few bay leaves. I used 4 bay leaves since we have so many dried bay leaves from our potted bay laurel tree. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until tender, but not overcooked soft; about 15 minutes. Remove cover, take off the heat and set aside.
3. Cook quinoa: you don't need much; we used leftovers since it stores well in the refrigerator. No set amount, just enough to combine with your lentils; about 1 cup.
4. Sauté the filling: add small amount of olive oil to your skillet and sauté the onion until lightly brown and transparent, stir in the garlic and seasonings of your choice. Harry used smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt and pepper. 
5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes; using a slotted spoon add a spoons of cooked lentils. Add some quinoa; combine everything together then fill your peppers.
6. Top with shredded cheese. Note if your peppers are tall they may not fit in an air fryer. We had to cut off the top third of our peppers after they were filled! Topped with cheese and it worked!
7. Cook: bake or roast at 375 deg. in preheated air fryer 12-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is golden brown. 
8. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or cilantro. 

Enjoy!

Related Links

Climate-friendly Lentils

Lentil Recipes, Health and Nutrition

Blog post and photo Copyright(C) Wind. All rights reserved.

Italian Gluten-free Pignoli (Pinoli) Holiday Cookies

Gluten-free Pignoli (Pinoli) Holiday Cookies

Amaretti con Pignoli for Easter or Christmas

Gluten-free - Salt-free 

Italian pignoli (pinoli) cookies are enjoyed at Christmas and Easter time. They can be made anytime of year and make wonderful homemade gifts. Pignoli cookies are quick and easy to bake. The cookies feature pignoli nuts, which are nutritious and also known as pine nuts. 

Pine nut Nutrition: 3 Tablespoons contain: 0g trans fat, 10g polyunsaturated fat, 5g monounsaturated fat, 1g dietary fiber, 4g protein, 1.5 mg (8% DV) iron, 170 mg (4% DV) potassium, and several other micro-nutrients including zinc and manganese.

For this recipe, I first looked online since these cookies are a very popular Italian cookie and baked by millions of people around the world. My mother never mentioned her mother or grandmother making these cookies. Mom's family was from Sicily; these cookies originated there. My first online choice for the recipe inspiration came from a beloved and excellent Italian chef, Chef Lidia Bastianich. 

Celebrity Chefs 

At a high profile press dinner at The Supper Club in Manhattan, New York back in 2003, is where I met several celebrity chefs including, Chef Lidia. The show was designed to highlight 11 restaurants slated to open at the new Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. I was still in culinary school and will forever remember briefly meeting and greeting Chef Lidia in person.  

To be among the few students selected by the Academy of Culinary Arts was an honor. We traveled by limo to the "Borgata, the Event" in New York. It was so exciting to be among so many great chefs like Lidia, Bobby Flay, Susanna Foo, Aaron Sanchez and Wolfgang Puck. I remember bringing my culinary tool box with me and being on stage representing chefs of the future. 

Gluten-free Pignoli Cookie Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 350 deg F
• Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment or foil. Apply light non-stick spray 

Yield will vary depending on your scoop size, your mixing technique, type of sugar used and the amount of egg whites used. Lidia does not use confectioners sugar, but I decided to use it to make the cookies have less spread. I probably over mixed my first batch. Over mixing warms the almond paste dough and the cookies will spread more. Also, like in Lidia's recipe, I did not add any vanilla or almond extract, or salt, as seen in some recipes; the almond paste provides plenty of good flavor.

• Sticky dough Yields: 28, 3-inch cookies
• Firmer dough Yields: 3 dozen 2-inch cookies 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (454g) container almond paste (I used California Almonds: Mandelin Premium Almond Paste)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 8 oz (227g) pignoli nuts in a pie plate or large dish (you will have some leftover)

Putting it all together

1. Add the almond paste to your food processor or mixer. I used our KitchenAid and used the whisk; pulse to break up the almond paste. It is sort of like play dough; you may need to stop the mixer and push the dough back in if it starts to work its way to the top. 
2. Gradually add in both sugars, mix and pulse off and on until well blended. At first it will look like clumps of candied ginger. Mix until it looks more like coarse sand.
3. Add the egg whites. Mix until well blended and smooth. 
4. If the dough is too sticky to hold, it can be refrigerated to slightly firm.
• If your dough is too sticky to hold, use a small scoop, spoon dough onto baking sheet; Top with pignoli nuts; gently spread them around on each cookie.
• If your dough is firm enough to hold, pinch off some and form into small 1" ball and roll in pine nuts leaving a spot for the bottom without nuts; place onto baking sheet. 
• For Easter cookies, sprinkle colorful decorator sugar atop the pine nuts - optional.
5. Bake about 17 minutes or until golden
6. Allow to cool before removing from baking sheets 
• Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar - optional 

Enjoy! Happy Easter!

Related Links

Lidia's Pine Nut Cookies recipe 

Blog post, recipe and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. 

The Flour Required for Gluten-free Easter Bread

Easter Flowers by Diana Wind for Trinity Episcopal Church, Moorestown, NJ 

Happy Easter!

This Easter morning as we celebrate Easter at home without any company, I was going to experiment and try making my favorite Easter Bread in a gluten-free version. However, the King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour 1-1 is for baking YEAST FREE recipes and not recommended for bread. Oh well... so if you want to try making Gluten-free Easter Bread, you would need to order their King Arthur Gluten-Free BREAD Flour. Watch for GardenCuizine's recipe next year. 

Easter Bread Gluten-free Recipe to come in 2027

Ingredients

King Arthur Gluten-free BREAD flour

Putting it all together 

Recipe and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. 

Diana's 3-cheese, Gluten Free, Sicilian Lasagna

Gluten Free Lasagna

As you may have seen in previous posts, we always make lasagna for Christmas dinner! Mom started this family tradition ever since I can remember. We continue it to this day. RIP mom! The past few years we started making a gluten free (GF) version, which is good enough for company. In my opinion, you can't taste any difference. If you have a friend or family member who needs GF options, this recipe is a winner!

This year we used Barilla, no cook, oven ready, gluten free noodles that are made with corn and brown rice flour. The taste was great. The main recipe differences between my regular lasagna and GF lasagna are that no pre-cooking, oven-ready, GF noodles is necessary, oven-ready GF noodles need sauce on both sides of the noodles, and all exposed noodles need to be covered with sauce.

This recipe is different than what is on the Barilla box and very similar to my regular Sicilian Christmas lasagna recipe. We baked the lasagna at 350 deg. F vs 425 deg. F. as suggested on the Barilla package label. Below is my GardenCuizine recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
Set aside a 13 x 9 x 2-inch Pyrex baking dish 

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla, no cook, oven ready, gluten-free lasagne 

Meat blend

• 1 lb lean ground beef  (Mom used to blend with Italian sausage. For vegetarian, use boca crumbles)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• black pepper 
• drizzle olive oil

Ricotta blend 

1, 32 oz whole milk Ricotta

1 1/2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella 

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

2 large eggs, whisked 

1 Tblsp. chopped fresh parsley 

1/8 tsp. fresh grated or ground nutmeg 

1/8 tsp. salt 

Sauce 

• 1 large jar pasta sauce or your own homemade sauce
• 3-4 bay leaves (not edible! remove before serving)
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Topping

• 1 cup or so shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley (believe it or not we still had some growing in a pot on our front porch!)

Putting it all together

• Warm up the sauce in a pot. Stir in bay leaves and oregano. Keep covered on low heat.
• In a large skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and saute the onion add garlic; stir; cook until golden; remove from the skillet to a plate or bowl.
• In the same skillet, cook the ground meat, season with black pepper. Remove from heat. Drain any grease. 
• Stir in the cooked aromatics (onion and garlic). 
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, whisked eggs, nutmeg, salt, set aside.

1. Prepare your baking dish with a bottom layer of red sauce.
2. Place a layer of noodles on top of the sauce.
3. Add a little more sauce on top of the noodles (both sides must have sauce to soften and cook properly). 
4. Scoop small balls of Ricotta, about 3 scoops per noodle. (We use a 2 oz scoop)
5. Top with a layer of cooked ground meat.  

• Repeat - sauce - noodles - sauce - ricotta - meat 
• sauce - noodles - sauce 
•  Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Note: if you have leftover ricotta, which we always do, make another small serving to freeze uncooked and cook at a later date. 

Cover with aluminum foil, try not to touch the top of the sauce with the foil. Bake at 350 deg F. about 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook uncovered another 15 min or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Buon Appetito!

GardenCuizine Blog Post and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. 

Diana's Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Crust

Diana's Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1 cup Corn Flour
  
• 1 cup Buckwheat Flour
• 2 tblsp Tapioca Flour
  
• 1 tblsp sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp baking powder  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 6 tblsp Butter, unsalted
• 1 tblsp Smart Balance
  
• 1/2 cup cold water
  

Putting it all together

We used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flours. Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to mixer. Slowly mix with paddle until it is blended (cut) into the flour but visible chunks remain. Gradually add in cold water, mixing until the dough comes together. Stop mixing, form into a ball with hands, flatten into a 1-inch thick disc and wrap in clear wrap. Save and refrigerate until ready to use. You will notice that the dough is darker in color due to the buckwheat flour.

When ready to use, roll out like you would with regular pie dough. I roll the dough out between layers of plastic wrap. Then flip it onto a lightly sprayed (non-stick spray, we use Pam) pie plate; crimp the edges as desired. Fill with your strained pumpkin pie custard; bake as directed in Diana's pumpkin pie recipe. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Blog-post, photos and recipe Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Christmas Pavlova dessert : Before and After decorating with fresh sugared cherries, cranberries and pomegranate #GardenCuizine

Christmas Pavlova

On Christmas Eve my first Pavlova cake went into the oven! The big decision was white or gold? The kind of vanilla extract makes a difference. I prefer natural vanilla flavor, so I didn't go with the clear vanilla. As you can see, the whipped egg whites turned a pale gold hue. It looked festive on the table beside the flickering candlelight.

Pavlova is really like a large meringue. It was baked on low heat for 1.5 hours. After baking, the Pavlova stayed in the oven overnight until crisp and light.

On Christmas Day it was time to decorate the Pavlova. For the frosting, in place of the cream cheese, I used freshly whipped cream and pureed, unstrained, cranberries and pomegranate seeds. Sugared cherries and cranberries served as a decorative topping, along with a few handfuls of glistening, juicy pomegranate arils (seeds/juice sacs).

I'm not a big fan of fresh rosemary (or mint) on desserts, so I used fresh bay leaves instead. We happen to have a potted bay laurel tree growing inside during the winter. The leaves were just for decoration. Of course, you don't want to eat a bay leaf!

This holiday Pavlova dessert was pretty straight forward and easy to make. The link to the recipe can be found in my previous blog post.

 Notes: Pavlova is light and delicious and would make a wonderful dessert any time of year. Meringues hold up best in dry versus humid conditions.

• If you do not see my other blog posts below, click on the watering can at the top of the blog to view more posts.

Blog post and photography Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Christmas Holiday Dessert: Pizzelles, Gingerbread Cookies and ...Pavlova?

Christmas Holiday Dessert

During the holidays I make the usual Italian Pizzelles with Anise oil from the Italian Market in Philly. We usually have gingerbread cookies too; but, I haven't made them yet. We are low on all purpose flour; today, I'll buzz to the store to buy more. Besides Christmas cookies, I like to have a plan for a main holiday dessert feature. 

It is hard to think of dessert after eating Mom's traditional Italian lasagna dinner. Something on the lighter side would be most appealing. This year it is going to be something new for us - Christmas Pavlova. Have you ever made a Pavlova? Pavlova isn't exactly an Italian dessert, but I want to try it.

Pavlova originated in New Zealand and Australia and is made using a few simple ingredients that include egg whites, sugar and fresh fruits. A meringue is formed into one large or several small wreath shapes and baked. 

When ready to serve, the dessert is topped with fresh whipped cream and fruit. Pavlova cakes emerged around 1929 in honor of a famous Russian Ballerina named Anna Pavlova.

In looking online for Pavlova recipes, you'll find lots of ideas. One that struck me as Christmassy and gorgeous and interesting was by Lily and Dimitry at Gastrosenses.com. They used sugar-coated, whole cranberries and Pomegranate arils. Both fruits are readily available at this time of year. In fact, I picked up both yesterday at Walmart of all places!!

One thing I'll probably change from Lily's online recipe is the rosemary sprigs garnish. (I also saw rosemary used in a Pavlova featured in Victoria magazine.) I do love rosemary, but rosemary has strong oils and flavor that I don't want seeping into the delicate topping. Instead, I'm considering fresh green mint leaves. 

If I have time to take pictures and post more details of how our Christmas Pavlova turns out, I will. ...Stay tuned.

Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!
Related Links
Pavlova - Sally's Baking Addiction  
Blog post Copyright (C) Wind. All rights reserved.
Photo public domain Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Paris, 1st part of 1920s https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AnnaPavlova.jpg 

What is Konjac? #GardenCuizine #guthealth #weightloss #diabeticfood #WLS

Magical Konjac
Zero Calories? 
Zero Carbohydrates? 
High in dietary Fiber

People who want to control or prevent diabetes, obesity, or who just want to succeed at weight loss, have discovered that a healthy diet and lifestyle are the keys to success. Healthy eaters never get bored from discovering new foods. Have you ever tried a food made with Konjac? Just what is Konjac anyway?

Low carb and no carb foods are popular with Keto and Paleo dieters. Personally, the clients I see that inform me they started trying a keto diet never really get to the stage of ketosis; we can talk more about ketosis another time. Just know that I do not recommend a ketogenic diet for the average person whose is looking to lose weight. 

Eating and cooking with lower carb foods and balancing carbohydrate intake throughout the day is always a winning strategy for glycemic control and weight management. Foods made with Konjac are often near zero calories and zero carbohydrates. 

Studies have shown that Konjac may promote increased butyrate, which improves gut health. And, people with diets low in fiber who suffer from constipation may notice improved bowel movements since Konjac is high in dietary fiber [1].

Knojac comes from a large plant native to China with the botanical name of Amorphophallus konjac. The corms (tuber-like roots) can grow to 10-inches and are the part that is harvested for use in foods. Konjac is most popular in Asian cuisine in flour, jelly, Konnyaku (yam cake) and Shirataki noodles.
Doesn't a food with no calories or carbs sound magical or like every dieter or diabetics dream food? Maybe that's why a noodle brand calls their noodles made from konjac "Magic Noodles." Often noodles made from knojac are packed in water with instructions to buyers to rinse them well before using. 

Reviews from people who have used Konjack noodles are all over social media. So check them out or try them for your self and let me know what you think.

Happy and Healthy Cooking!

Diana 

References and photo credit
[1] Chen, HL; Cheng, HC; Wu, WT; Liu, YJ; Liu, SY (Feb 2008). "Supplementation of konjac glucomannan into a low-fiber Chinese diet promoted bowel movement and improved colonic ecology in constipated adults: a placebo-controlled, diet-controlled trial". Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Photograph: By James Steakley [CC BY-SA 3.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Chocolate Souffles #chocolatebliss @AliceMedrich #chocolate #dessert

Chocolate Souffles

It doesn't have to be Labor Day to whip up a batch of Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles. Go for it when you want to treat yourself and your family to chocolate bliss! The gluten-free recipe can be found in Alice Medrich's cookbook, Bittersweet. 

The recipe requires whipping egg whites so it is easiest to make batter that yields 6-8 ramekins. Chocolate souffles can be covered and refrigerated until ready to bake and serve. Allow 15-20 minutes to bake in preheated 375 deg. F oven.

I used three, 2-ounce bars of Guittard 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate and one 2.7 oz. pack of organic and sustainable, stone ground Taza Mexican style Vanilla. Both chocolate brands were available at Wholefoods.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Chocolate Souffles: 1/8 recipe using Guittard and Taza chocolates 
For those of you dying to know the nutrition facts: one souffle serving is comparable to a chocolate donut in both calories and total fat: 273 calories per souffle serving vs 280 calories in a Dunkin chocolate covered donut. And, 14g total fat vs 15g total fat in a chocolate donut. Chocolate is high in saturated fat* and should be considered a treat. 

Since quality ingredients are used in baking a homemade souffle it's higher in protein (from the eggs) than a Dunkin donut: 17g vs 3g respectively. One chocolate souffle is lower in carbohydrates and higher in dietary fiber than a donut: 24g Carbs, 4 g dietary fiber vs 31g carbs and only 1g fiber in a donut. No matter how you look at the nutrition facts consider this as a special treat and enjoy in moderation.
Related Links
*Chocolate: Food of the Gods 
Photos and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Light Summer Dessert: Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake #glutenfree #jbfrecipes by @AliceMedrich

Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake
~gluten free~

recipe by Alice Medrich 

James Beard Foundation 
baking contest entry

Have you noticed that gluten free foods have been trending more and more popular even among those who do not have a medical need to avoid gluten? Last night our family enjoyed a light and flavorful gluten free Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake made with rice flour rather than wheat flour. The recipe is by Alice Medrich from her book Flavor Flours, which won James Beard's best book of the year in desserts. Visit James Beards' website for the recipe and information about the baking contest. 

I first heard of award-winning author Alice Medrich when my pastry chef friend Laura gave me one of her books - BitterSweet. Laura worked for Alice many years ago when she lived in Berkeley California. I worked with Laura long ago at Tavistock Country club here in Jersey. My how fast the years fly by! 

Below, you'll find my series of photos taken during preparation for the contest. The recipe by Alice is very straight forward and easy-to-follow.

Step 1 gather your ingredients

Step 2 Separate room temperature eggs

 Step 3 Combine the sugar, egg yolks, water, oil (I used canola), rice flour (I used Bob's Red Mill), baking powder and salt. Whisk together. It will make a light batter. Grate lemon zest on top of the batter. Follow the recipe.

Step 4 Beat egg whites and cream of tarter to soft peaks. Add remaining sugar and beat a little more to stiff but not dry peaks

Step 5 Fold whites into yolk batter and pour into 10-inch tube pan

Step 5 Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden and tests done with a cake tester. 

Follow Alice's directions to carefully slide a thin knife around the edge to free the sides. Cake will settle at least 1-inch just like she says. Let cake cool in the pan.

Step 6 remove cake from pan and transfer to serving plate. 

Decorate as desired. I sliced and grilled fresh pineapple to use as a garnish alongside whipped cream rosettes. The top of the pineapple was reserved. I cut the base to fit into the center hole of the cake.

Herbs shown: parsley flowers, thyme, red shiso perilla

Step 7 Stroll through your garden and select a few sprigs of fresh herbs and edible blooms. Rinse, air dry and position into the pineapple top to decorate.

Enjoy!
GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake:  
consider this a dessert treat and enjoy 
1/12 of recipe: each slice approximately: 242 calories, 11g total fat: 1g saturated fat (compared to 6-12g saturated fat in a donut!), 31g carbohydrates (2 carb servings), 5g protein, Vitamin E 1.8mg (9% DV), Riboflavin 0.1mg (8% DV), 

Related Links
Recipe Lemon Rice Chiffon Cake
Flavor Flours 
Blog post and photos Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Tarahumara Popping Sorghum * Make half your grains - Whole Grains! #GardenCuizine

Tarahumara 

Popping Sorghum is blooming!

So far I'm really enjoying growing this interesting whole grain in our garden. Sorghum stalks grow tall like corn. The leaves have a distinct white stripe down the center. The plants bloom a tassle-like top, which reminds me of wheat, but it's wheat-free. 

Sorghum's white seeds can be harvested, dried and ground into gluten-free sorghum flour or popped like popcorn. Sorghum flour as an ingredient works well combined with other grains; it's especially good in recipes for pancakes or bread.

Photo Copyright (C)2014 Wind. All rights reserved.

Daikon never looked so good! #GardenCuizine @EatRight

Japanese Daikon Radish

Chefs add the crisp, mild flavor of Japanese daikon radish to salads, stir-fries, sushi and recipes - often sliced thin and marinated. The salad shown above was served at Lambertville Station in Lambertville, NJ - featuring Lobster​ claw, colossal crab, baby watercress, chopped plum tomato, topped with daikon radish and scallions on a bed of boston bibb lettuce. Orange peppercorn vinaigrette complimented the salad.  

Try Daikon sliced raw or pickled. Combine daikon radish with carrots for a winning combination. Grow Daikon radish (Raphanus sativus) in your garden: direct sow; prefers full sun. The thick white roots grow 2 to 3-inches wide and up to 24-inches long. Daikon greens are edible too. Harvest in late fall or early winter. We plan to grow daikon and burdock root this year. 

• Enjoy Daikon radish as a good source of Vitamin C

Related Links
Daikon Radish Nutrition 
Photo and blog post Copyright(C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

High Protein, Good Fiber Convenience Snack @kaysnaturals #glutenfree #wls

Product Review

Kay's Naturals Gluten-free 

Cinnamon Almond 

Protein Cookie Bites

We can't nibble on fruits and veggies all the time. Every now and then it is okay to indulge in convenience foods - only after reading the product label, of course! Nutrients in Kay's Naturals product line caught my attention for being gluten-free, low fat, and high in fiber and protein. And, the whole 1 ounce bag was under 150 calories.

Everyone in my family gave these protein bites a thumbs up, but we would not describe them as "cookies". They reminded us more like a cereal puff. Their stevia sweetened, cinnamon flavor is pleasant and their texture is light and crunchy. They can also be mixed with added nuts and dried fruit. 

• This protein snack is suitable for those on gluten-free diets and for post-op weight loss surgery patients who have low sugar and higher protein needs. They are available online direct from Kay's Naturals or from many different online retailers. Other flavors include Cinnamon and Honey Almond.

Excellent source: Protein
Good Source: dietary Fiber and Iron
Blog post and photo Copyright (C)2013 Wind. All rights reserved.

Whole grain Job's Tears | fascinating natural bead for jewelry #GardenCuizine #gardenchat

Job's Tears

The Most Fascinating Plant 

in Our Garden

Adults and children find Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) a fascinating plant. The seeds are large and easily planted by children, making Job's Tears a good selection in a Children's Garden. Botanically and as a natural food source, Job's Tears is a member of the family Poaceae (grass family) and is considered a gluten-free, whole grain. 

We grow Job's Tears in pots on a sunny porch. To me, the tall green blades look similar to lemon grass. By the end of the summer at around this time (early September), perfectly round bead seeds emerge like magic.  

The seeds develop a hard outer shell and are much too difficult to hull the quantity needed for use as a whole grain. Hulled Job's Tears (hato mugi) grain can be found in Korean specialty markets.  

When left on the plant to mature, green seeds the size of canna seeds - about 1/4-inch in diameter - eventually turn darker in color. Homegrown seeds can then be picked, dried and saved to grow more plants the following season or used as actual beads in jewelry making.

Over 30,000 people have read my article on Dave's Gardens!

Check it out ~ Includes photos of handmade Jewelry
Job's Tears, A Fascinating Plant

Photo Copyright (C) Wind. All rights reserved.

Quick Quinoa #Recipe Gluten Free 100% Whole Grain #GardenCuizine

Quick Quinoa
~ Low Fat, Low Sodium, Good Fiber ~

Whole Grain Side Dish

For a quick whole grain side dish, try organic quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Quinoa cooks faster than rice and is a refreshing change. Quinoa is gluten and wheat free, and it's very nutritious and versatile, lending itself to many recipes that can be served either hot or cold. 

The ancient, golden grain of the Incas, can be jazzed up by preparing it pilaf-style and adding nuts, fruits, herbs and seasonings. It can also be served plain. Quinoa makes great summer salad dishes too. I first tried it many years ago back when I had my health food store; it was served cold with grapes and cashew nuts and tasted so good; I've been cooking it ever since. 

Quinoa plants remind me of amaranth, bright and colorful with red tones among beige and more neutral browns the color of wheat. Quinoa has been a staple in South America for thousands of years, especially in regions of the Andes - the longest continental mountain range in the world that travels through seven countries, including Boliva, Peru and coastal regions of Chile.

Quinoa boasts a terrific nutrition profile too, providing all of the essential amino acids, making quinoa a good protein and iron source for a plant food. A typical way our family enjoys quinoa is making it with added sweet curry and coriander seasonings, which give it flavor with a yellow hue. I made it tonight and served it with grilled Teriyaki Atlantic salmon and steamed broccoli. Delicious, quick and easy!

Quinoa is becoming more readily available in stores. You can find it in bulk in grocery markets like WholeFoods or in bulk 4lb bags in stores like Costco. For a dark color variation, look for red quinoa.

And mark your calendars... 

The United Nations declared 

2013 the International year of Quinoa!

Quinoa Pilaf (serves 6)
Ingredients
 
1/4 Onion, chopped
dried hot chili pepper, minced (from your garden)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 heaping tsp (2 cloves) Garlic, minced
1 tsp (2g) Sweet Curry powder 
1/2 tsp (1g) ground Coriander

1 cup (170g) organic Quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 cup (41g) raisins or other chopped dried fruit
pinch salt (no more than 1/4 tsp) and black pepper 

Putting it all together

• Saute the onion and hot pepper in oil over medium high heat. 
• Add the garlic and spices, stir
• Add the quinoa, stir
• Add the water and fruit, stir
• Bring to a boil.
• Cover and reduce heat. 
• Simmer on low until water is evaporated. Turn off heat. Let sit 5 minutes covered. Fluff with fork or serving spoon before serving. Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis Quinoa - calculated from USDA nutrient values:
Good Source: Dietary Fiber, Folate, and Magnesium
Low Sodium, Low Fat
Serving Size 115g (1/6 of recipe): Calories: 128, Total Fat: 2g (3%DV), Sodium 103mg (4%DV), Total Carbohydrate 24g (1.5 CHO servings), Dietary Fiber 2.4g (10%DV), Cholesterol: 0mg (0%DV), Potassium 221mg (6%DV), Protein: 4.3g (9%DV), Thiamin 0.1mg (7%DV), Niacin: 0.5mg (3%DV), Vitamin B6: 0.2mg (8%DV), Folate: 53mcg (13%DV), Iron 1.6mg (9%), Magnesium: 60mg (15%DV)
Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Related Links

Eat More Whole Grains 
National Whole Grains Council 
Healthy Grains
Photo and recipe Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved. Quinoa plants photo taken near Cachora, Apurimac, Peru - compliments of Wikipedia.