Healthy Weight-Loss and Diet Recipes - TopRecipesDiet.Blogspot.com: July 2016

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Meet Viola Buitoni

When I lived in Italy I was both very lucky to know a few Italians who treated me like family, and very naive. I think back now on my 6 months living in Italy and I can’t help but realize how much I missed. What I really needed was a friend like Viola to help me navigate and find the good stuff.

Viola Buitoni is a San Francisco cooking instructor and kind of impresario--organizing Italian themed events. She’s also tremendously down-to-earth, relaxed and utterly charming. I took a cooking class with her a few years ago and loved every minute of it. Her classes sell out so quickly I rarely have time to write about them in advance. To travel with her to Italy? That sounds like heaven to me.

Where did you grow up and can you tell me about your family’s food connections?

VB: I grew up in Perugia, the main city of Umbria and was born into one of Italy's first pasta families. I am the 6th generation of the Buitoni family. Our pasta fortune originates in Sansepolcro, a province of Arezzo. Shortly after moving to Perugia to mind one of the pastifici, my great grandfather Francesco founded Perugina with Luisa Spagnoli. Though my family no longer has a stake, Buitoni and Perugina are both worldwide food brands to this day.

What made you decide to run tours to Italy?

VB:I've been in the Italian food business for more than 25 years, I've run kitchens and dining rooms catered to the NY elite and even owned a store. After a short maternity break, I started teaching and found enormous joy in sharing the knowledge I had accumulated. My deep love and understanding of Italian food was clearly infectious. I've grown a following of students who often told me I've changed the way they think about food. Guiding a cooking experience in Italy seemed a natural extension of the "Viola experience", so to say, a way to continue to inspire passionate home cooks even further in embracing not only the technique but the deeper meaning of food and kitchen culture in Italy.

What kinds of recipes do you to teach?

VB: I teach recipes that can live and change in home kitchens and that are suited for school nights; the kind that that can work for generations and create lasting memories while changing with time. My food is very market driven, it is a celebration of where and when I am in different places in the world. Always, of course, with an Italian sensibility.

Why are your trips to Lucca and Maremma instead of to the more well-known cities like Florence or Perugia?

VB:The simple answer is I have access to unique and well suited facilities, but there is more. My maternal family has summered in Maremma for 6 decades, so I know and love it intimately. Lucca came on the coat tails of Maremma when a local foundation noticed the work I was doing and proposed that I do something similar in the lucchesia.

There is also the desire to share Italy as I know it and love it, with all its fables, and all its foibles. An Italy that is for locals, that runs on the timetable of nature and its seasons. Teaching about food is also generating emotions, opening a door into an upbringing and adulthood that have always been deeply connected to the pathways of producing, purveying, cooking and enjoying good food. I can think of no better place to do this than the less known territories of Italy.

What are some of the highlights of your tours to Italy?

VB:In Maremma a private dinner on top of a mountain from which you can see forever, a visit to the winery of a family. A friend who watched me grow up. In Lucca cooking classes straight from markets, a private tour of a villa guided by the princess who owns it, followed by a reception in her private loggia.

To learn more about Viola's tours to Italy visit: Viola's Italy

Friday, July 29, 2016

Highlights from J-Pop Summit 2016

Not unlike traveling to Japan itself, this past weekend's J-Pop Summit,which combines food, culture, technology and popular music from Japan. delivered a complete sensory overload that made for one of the most immersive experiences this side of virtual reality. It's hard to know where to begin to describe it as words and pictures only scratch the surface. But, for me, the Ramen Summit with 8 booths serving their own take on this foodie favorite was a major draw.

The ramen on offer here came in so many different styles that it was tough deciding but I went with a bowl of ramen from a very sucessful ramen shop with 3 locations in Tokyo that will soon be is opening up in Japantown. Hinodeya is the winner of the Japan Ramen Awards for 2016 and after tasting their ramen, I can see why. The dashi broth was much lighter but at the same time very rich. The egg noodles were wider and wavier than other ramen but still al dente. The slice of pork and cooked egg were tender and delicious. I'm looking forward to the opening of their shop!

In addition to the ramen there was a booth offering takayaki, a kind of savory octopus donut and sushiwich, a kind of sushi in the form of sandwich. Off the beaten path but well worth seeking it out, were delicious cups of udon noodles with spicy codfish roe.

There was sake, beer, award-winning shochu and low alcohol peach and grapefruit flavored cocktails to try.

I’m not going to tell you all about the technology (this is a food blog after all)—but it was great to have so much that was interactive and not just on display. It seemed in keeping with the playful and hands-on nature of the festival. Likewise the virtual tour of Japan in the tourism area had to be experienced, but I did walk away with packets of bath salts made to resemble ramen soup(!) and plenty of brochures about less known regions of Japan. I'm sorry to say I missed some of the music and the drag queen contest, though I did see some of the contestants.

Perhaps best of all was the music and kookiness that is Japanese culture. If you don’t know what I mean you’ll just have to check out this video. Domo, Domo, Domo!

Until next year!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Grilled Shrimp Louie – Dressing Up a Classic

I don’t do a lot of salad dressing videos, since it’s pretty much just adding things to a bowl, but when that dressing is going on a grilled shrimp Louie, I’ll make an exception. By the way, this is usually done with crab, but I think the smoky, grilled shrimp are a great summertime twist.

This is my take on a classic Louie dressing, and as with all such recipes, you’ll need to taste and adjust for acid, salt, and heat. Just be sure to wait until the dressing is nice and cold before tasting. You’ll get a more accurate reading, since that’s the temperature we’re going to be serving at.

If you do grill the shrimp, don’t toss it with the oil and lemon until right before you grill. This isn’t a marinade, and we don’t want the shrimp to start “cooking” in the acid. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 3/4 cups:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup crème fraiche

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 packed teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onion

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

For the grilled shrimp:

2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Velvety South Indian Tomato Chutney

Rarely do store-bought sauces, chutneys and salsas make an appearance on my table. For the most part, they are easy to make at home and, after prep, only patience with the simmering time is needed. Preparing your own condiments also ensures you have complete control over what is included, such as spicing and salt. I've never really understood how sauces purchased from the grocery store seem to keep for months without growing moldy. Likely some nasty preservatives are at play.

This chutney can serve as a sauce for just about anything you might imagine asking for some spicy tomato flair. It's thick enough to make for a good pasta sauce, a condiment for Indian condiments and snacks, an accompaniment to rice and flat breads, a topping for vegetable burgers or patties, nachos, burritos, or even mix into a legume dish for a fast and delicious meal. An abundance of seasonal tomatoes is another reason to make this chutney that keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks in a well-sealed glass container or jar. The depth of flavor makes this preparation one of my new favorites.

This one IS spicy, so it's not for the faint-hearted, but reduce the amount of chilies if you can't handle the heat.

Velvety South Indian Tomato Chutney

Recipe by Lisa Turner
Adapted from Monsoon Spice
Cuisine: South Indian
Published on July 28, 2016

Smooth, spicy south Indian style tomato chutney suitable for serving with pasta, burgers or Indian savories

Print this recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1/2 tablespoon olive or other oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon split skinned urad dal, rinsed
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 to 3 fresh red cayenne chilies, finely chopped
1 dried red chili, broken into bits
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coconut or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar

Tempering:

2 tablespoons olive or other oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 to 2 dried red chilies, broken into bits
1/2 teaspoon asafetida
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Instructions:

Begin by making the tamarind paste from the pulp. In a small bowl, soak the tamarind pulp in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 to 40 minutes. Place a strainer over another bowl and press the pulp through to remove any seeds or tough fibers. You will be left with tamarind paste. Strain the liquid and keep for another dish. It makes for a good broth.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds and urad dal and cook, stirring, for another few minutes until the urad dal darkens a few shades. Now stir in the tamarind paste, tomatoes, chilies, turmeric, sugar and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Purée with an immersion blender. Let cool a bit before proceeding.
For the tempering stage, heat the oil in a large non-stick heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds to the pan and fry until the mustard seeds begin to splutter and pop. Add the chilies and asafetida, stir once, and then pour in the tomato mixture along with salt. Cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Adjust for seasoning. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 2 cups

Other sauces and chutneys to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Classic Tamarind Chutney
Avocado and Tomato Salsa with Chipotle
Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs
Green Mango Coconut Chutney

On the top of the reading stack: The Camp of the Saints

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Next Up: Something with Grilled Shrimp

Just a little heads-up that Friday's post will be up a little later in the day than usual, due to a sudden and unusual problem with my camera. My Canon T3i just started giving me "Movie recording has been stopped automatically" error messages after a few seconds of filming, and I wasn't able to finish the video. Apparently, I need a faster card, which is weird since this one has been working for months. I know shockingly little about cameras, so if you have any additional info, or advice, please share. Thank you, and stay tuned!

Foodie Memoirs

In the Summer you need a book or two that you can take on a plane or to the beach. These are the my picks for Summer reads:

My Fat Dad: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Family with Recipes
I think I was afraid this book by a nutritionist would be about dieting. It turns out it is and it really isn’t. It’s all about family and author Dawn Lerman paints such vivid pictures of hers that the recipes are just an added bonus. From the very beginning her feelings are tied up with those who feed her and those who don’t. You can feel the plastic covers on her Bubbe Mary’s couch and smell her dad’s “closet” brownies. And even if you didn’t grow up in Chicago in the 70’s, or move to NYC and go to school on the Upper East Side, you can’t help but relate to her memories of her dieting dad, frustated mom, beloved younger sister and especially her doting grandmother Beauty. The book is all about her love for and evolving relationships with her family, her heritage and yes, food adventures of her own. It’s got lots of humor and is a fun read. It's out in paperback.

My Organic Life: How a Pioneering Chef Helped Shape the Way we Eat Today. I really didn’t know much about Nora Pouillon before reading this book, but I felt like I got to know her as I read it. Her memories of growing up in Austria post World War II (and a few memories that go back even further) took me to another time and place not just physically but emotionally. You really understand her passion for all things organic and wholesome through this book. The recipes are all at the end of the book and mirror her own journey from old world to new. From the alps in Austria to Vienna to traveling around Europe and finally to Washington DC, her life takes many unexpected twists leading to a strong sense of purpose. Her revelations in the book are both honest and brave. It's available in paperback.

Life Without a Recipe: A Memoir of Food and Family
While their are many memoirs with recipes, Life Without Recipes as the title might indicate, is not one of them. The book delves deeper into the relationship author Diana Abu-Jaber has with the two sides of her family—one German and the other Jordanian. It’s hard not to be seduced by Abu-Jaber’s beautiful writing and easy to appreciate how like cooking without a recipe, she finds her own path through trial and error, with plenty of sucesses and failures along the way. But like a great meal, it is satisfying and has a sweet ending. Hardcover.

All or Nothing: One Chef’s Appetite for the Extreme.
I read this book which came out in paperback, last year. I took it on a trip last Summer and could not put it down. It’s about a young man, a budding chef, and his descent into drug addiction and finally his redemption. You can tell from reading the book that author Jesse Schenker has great potential and passion but also a self-destructive tendency that feels at times like it will never quit. The book takes you into some deep dark place—from kitchens to jails and detox centers— but it’s a compelling, some might say “addictive” read. No recipes but plenty of cooking. Paperback.

Disclaimer: This post includes Amazon affiliate links and these books were provided to me as review copies.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Low Carb Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread

A delicious and moist low carbs coconut flour zucchini bread that is also grain free, gluten free and refined-sugar free.

Coconut flour is made from the coconut solids that are left over after the meat been used to produce coconut milk. The solids are ground into a very fine, flour-like powder. It is high in fiber and protein. Unlike some gluten free flours, coconut flour absorbs a tremendous amount of liquid, so you will find that a 1:1 substitution for flour will be far too dry. In baked goods, you generally want to substitute 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup flour. You will also need to increase the number of eggs.

Low Carb Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread

adapted from smallfootprintfamily

60 g Organic defatted coconut flour
4 g Baking soda
2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp Salt

4 Eggs, medium
50 g Maple syrup
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 Ripe banana, mashed
2 tsp White balsamic vinegar
200 g Zucchini, grated
80 g Roasted salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease a 10cmx20cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
Combine coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together into a bowl.
In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, mashed banana and white balsamic vinegar. Stir in zucchini and roasted salted peanuts.
Lightly fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just incorporated. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, levelling the top.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until loaf is cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Whenever I go to Costco, I never leave without a rotisserie chicken. My mom taught me this. It's SO much chicken meat for only $5. Can't beat it. So when I get home, I take all of the meat off, cut it into chunks and put it in the freezer. There's just so much you can do with that meat! Enchiladas, soups, casseroles, paninis, chicken alfredo...literally endless possibilities.

This casserole is one of my favorites. It's so easy and SO good. It's super good as leftovers too, which is crucial in my opinion:) So head over to Costco and get yourself a chicken!

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into chunks (3 chicken breasts can be substituted)

3-4 small zucchinis, cut into chunks

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 box chicken Stove Top stuffing

1 stick butter, melted

In a large bowl, mix together chicken soup and sour cream. Add chicken and zucchini and mix until everything is evenly coated. In a separate bowl mix dry stuffing and melted butter. Add half of this mixture in with the chicken and zucchini. Pour that into a 9x13 dish. Top with the rest of the stuffing mixture. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. At this point the stuffing might be getting really brown, but the zucchini may not be cooked through as much as you'd like, sometimes this happens to me. If that's the case, cover the dish with foil and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes, until the zucchini is soft enough. Enjoy this delicious easy dinner!!

Grilled Mojo Beef – Rhymes with “Everybody Say Ho!”

I got a request for a Cuban-style mojo marinade recently, which sounded like something I’d enjoy making, but to be honest I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I knew I was probably pronouncing it wrong, but other than that, I couldn’t remember having it anywhere.

I’d seen “mojo” sauces before, but they were at Spanish restaurants, and seemed to be chili-based; so I did a little of research, and of course, every single recipe I looked at was different. They all had garlic, citrus, and olive oil, but after that, the spices and seasonings varied greatly. So, this is basically a composite of what I saw, and it really came out well.

I think this would work great as an all-purpose marinade for just about any thing destined for the grill, but as I mentioned in the video, skirt steak would be my top choice. Unless horribly overcooked, it always comes out juicy, and tender, as long as you slice it across the grain. It also tends to really soak in the flavors of the marinade quite well, which I believe is due to it being such a well-marbled cut.

Once again, please excuse my makeshift brick grill, but I’m happy to report there’s help on the way. So stay tuned for me to show that off soon, but in the meantime I really hope you get this delicious Cuban inspired mojo marinade a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 pounds beef skirt steak, cut into smaller pieces

1 large navel orange, juiced

3 limes, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

6-8 cloves garlic, finely crushed

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

extra lime wedges

Cheddar Cheese Sandwiches

As I had mentioned in my earlier post, I had bought this very good quality cheddar cheese from the mall here. I had used it in a few dishes, these sandwiches being one of them. This is a very simple recipe, I have used just some spring onions and tomatoes along with the cheese. The sandwiches tasted too good, they are very filling too and we loved the cheddar cheese, tomato and spring onion combo..

Need To Have

Chopped Spring Onions - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
Grated Cheddar Cheese as required
Red Chilly Flakes - 1/2 teaspoon
Bread Slices - 6
Salt to taste

Method

The quantity that I am doing is enough for 3 sandwiches. Heat some oil, add the spring onions and saute it till it wilts, then add the tomatoes till they break down. Finally add the chilly flakes and if needed a little salt, mix and remove.

Now toast one side of the bread slices, place a little of the onion mixture on the toasted side, then place the cheese, cover with the other slice with the toasted side facing down. Now toast the sandwiches on low heat till the cheese melts and the slices get toasted well, remove and serve it warm.

Note
Taste the cheese and add salt according to your taste.
Use a little oil or butter for toasting the bread.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Cabbage Akki Roti, Cabbage Rice Roti

Akki Rotis are simple and delicious rotis made using rice flour ( akki meaning rice in Kannada ), very popular dish in Karnataka and they make many varieties, plain ones and then so many versions using different vegetables. The first few times that I made them, I usually make a dough just like we make it for rotis, later I learnt that it should be slightly wet dough, this gives you much softer and delicious rotis. I adapted the recipe from here, and I have added finely chopped cabbage to the dough. The rotis came out too good and we loved it with peanut chutney..

Need To Have

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Chopped Cabbage - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Chopped Coriander - 1/4 cup
Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
Green chilly - 1 chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon

Original recipe here

Method

Take the rice flour, salt, turmeric powder and cumin seeds and mix them well. Take the chopped onion, cabbage, coconut, green chilly, ginger and coriander leaves and mix them well.

Add the cabbage mixture to the rice flour and adding about a cup of water make a dough ( it should be slightly wet ). Take a parchment paper, grease it lightly with oil, then take a ball of the dough and pat it on it and make a hole in the center.

Heat a pan, grease it, now take the roti with the parchment paper, place it on the pan ( as shown in the picture ), leave it for a few seconds, then peel the paper carefully. Drizzle some oil around and in the hole, cover and cook it on medium heat till the bottom is cooked and you see small brown spots, then flip and cook on the other side ( need not cover ), remove and serve.

Note
I have used store bought rice flour.
We can use grated carrot, chopped spinach, dill leaves or avarekalu, in fact one of my friends said that she makes them even with eggplants.
I saw a youtube video, where the batter was more watery, she scoops the batter with her hands on the pan, spreads it with her hands and cooks it, I have tried that way too, the roti comes out more softer.
I prefer using the parchment paper for making these rotis, but you can directly pat it on the tava, we use two pans, pat the roti on the first one, cook it, then use the second pan to cook the roti. In the meantime, we cool the first time by showing the bottom side of the pan under running water, then pat the roti on it and cook while cooling the second pan.