Tag: food

Jovina cooks Italian: Lobster Salad

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Cooking the Italian Provinces – Cagliari | jovinacooksitalian

Cagliari Style Lobster Salad

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Lobster, which is called aragosta in Cagliari, is smaller, clawless and sweeter than New England lobster.

2-3 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound cooked lobster tail meat
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, stemmed, washed and cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced Italian parsley
  • Grated zest of 1 large lemon
  • 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • Whole arugula leaves, washed and dried, optional

Directions

Cut the lobster meat up into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Gently mix in the tomatoes, parsley and lemon zest.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the lobster mixture and toss gently with two spoons.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, allow enough time for the lobster mixture to come to room temperature.

Line serving plates with arugula leaves, if using. Divide the lobster mixture evenly and spoon into the center of each plate.

Anna explains food labels: they can hide as much as they reveal!

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Enticing Food Labels, part 1.

Posted onOctober 13, 2016by

I have taken a small break from blogging due to some unforeseen events that I had to take care of first.  Now I am back and decided to write about a subject that I’ve been thinking about for what seems to be the longest time.  Food labels.

It appears that food manufacturers tend to make food labels claims that need to be taken with a grain of salt.  In other words, plain misleading.  I will go over a few of these.

1. ‘Healthy’ Food.

What exactly is ‘healthy’?  Raise your hands if you know the answer. Food and Drug Administration is baffled about this and is looking for the public input.

Most of the claims about general categories of foods, such as fruit and vegetables to maintain good health are actually dietary guidance rather than health claims, hence not subject to authorization by FDA.  Therefore, food manufacturers can state whatever they please in order to promote their products and this is largely unregulated.

Sounds confusing?  You are not alone.

FDA is currently in the process of redefining nutritional claims on food labeling, and is working on an updated definition of ‘healthy’.

I’ve always been big on checking Nutrition Facts Panels when buying just about anything.  The first thing I’m looking for is carbs.  The next is fat content, and after that, an expiration date.  Haven’t noticed too many folks do the same, though.  Most of them just grab a gallon of milk and out on their merry way.  I on the other hand, want to make sure that the milk won’t go bad on me in a few days.  It may be just me.

By the way, fat content in milk is to be discussed later.

In fact, you can’t rely on what some if not all food labels claim.   Statements such as ‘healthy’, ‘low fat’ or ‘good source’ of this substance or the other can turn out to be a sales gimmick that is intended to nothing more than to sell a product.  I’ve always had a nagging feeling that all that the food labels are trying to accomplish is to sell me something.  Such as for example, ‘vitamin water’ sounds like a pure sales pitch.  Or ‘smart chicken’ as was recently advertised in a local grocery store flyer, priced at mere $5 for a pound and two ounces.   Or ‘premium’ anything.

Of course, all of these have a price tag attached accordingly.

Does celery ever come in a variety that is not crisp?  Farmer’s Market — come on now, it’s just a name of a company.  Seedless cucumbers — what is the point?  I understand seedless watermelon but cukes, of all things?  Give me a break.

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Dietitian Pick — now this is creative.  A real dietitian came along and picked this head of iceberg lettuce.  I know that is right.

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2.  All Natural.

I don’t know who coined this term but FDA doesn’t define it.  This means that food makers can do as they please and won’t get in trouble.  It leaves lots of room for interpretation every which way.  For example, if a food is labeled natural, it can still contain high fructose syrup — high carbs — while the food makers claim that since it comes from corn, it’s ‘healthy’.

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Natural chicken can be actually injected with sodium or saltwater in a process called plumping.  This is done in order to enhance flavor and, you guessed it, to increase weight of the meat before it’s sold.  If this is done, the label will state “flavored with up to 10% of a solution” or “up to 15% chicken broth.”

In fact, it is very rare that a package of meat or chicken comes with a Nutrition Label printed on it; most of the time there’s none.   I checked a package of chicken thighs that I had bought earlier today; it does have a Nutrition Label on the bottom but you need to flip it over in order to see it.  Once the label is not in the plain view, I take it most folks won’t bother to look for it.  Mine happened to have it and it doesn’t state anything about added solution or broth.  Now that I know, I can’t help but wonder about meat purchased at the deli counter — it doesn’t even come with a nutrition label.  This is something that had never occurred to me up until now.

Consuming too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and other problems, especially for those who were told to cut down on salt intake.   Buy plumped chicken and you’d be looking for trouble, albeit inadvertently.

How I wish that I had my own chicken farm.

 

Enticing Food Labels, part 2

Posted on October 16, 2016 by

In part 1, I have discussed the use of ‘healthy’ and ‘all natural’ statements on the food labels.  Now I will talk about the labels that claim low or no fat or sugar.

3.  No Sugar Added.

This sounds rather confusing, because it prompts you to think that the product contains no sugar at all.  If you have diabetes, you might want to buy it for this very reason.  Now wait a minute.

“No sugar added” doesn’t mean that the product is carb-free or calorie-free.  It is sometimes being confused with sugar-free;  in fact, there’s a bunch of websites that do just that.  The problem is that some foods have sugar in them naturally, such as for example, milk or fruit, so anything containing these two can’t be sugar-free.  Besides, no sugar added products can still contain additives with high glycemic index such as Maltodextrin.

oct-16-maltodextrinMaltodextrin is made of corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat;  it’s a common food additive used for expanding the volume of processed food and for increasing its shelf life.

It has 4 calories per gram which is the same as table sugar. However, maltodextrin has a high glycemic index, almost twice as much as table sugar does. GI of maltodextrin is 110, compared to 65 of table sugar. This means that it can raise the blood sugar levels very quickly. Per FDA, Maltodextrin has to be listed in the nutrition panel as what it is, a carbohydrate.

4.  Sugar-free

This doesn’t automatically mean fewer calories; in fact, sugar-free products still have some sugar in them.  By FDA definition, sugar-free foods can have less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving.  They however still have calories and carbs from other sources.  One of such sources are sugar alcohols that taste just as sweet as sugar while having half the calories.

Most sugar alcohols have no effect on blood sugar.   Some of them however are actually carbohydrates that are well absorbed by the body and can cause blood sugar spikes such as Maltitol.   Sugar alcohols can also act as a laxative so keep that in mind when indulging.

Sugar-free products can also have artificial sweeteners that don’t affect blood sugar directly but can affect insulin sensitivity nevertheless.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I started buying sugar-free products thinking that I was doing the right thing.  One of the first such products was sugar-free pancake syrup that tasted as sweet as its sugar-containing counterpart.  For a brief while I was proud of myself for being able to find a product that is sugar-free and just as sweet.  This however was short lived when I had a seemingly unexplained blood sugar spike after eating hot cereal with ‘sugar-free’ syrup.  I then took a close look at the Nutrition Panel and low and behold, it listed a few carbs including Sorbitol, a sugar alcohol; corn syrup and molasses.  All of the above are carbs.

After having contacted my nutritionist, I was advised to stay away from everything that ends with ‘ol’ (sugar alcohols).  From now on, I will never take the statement ‘sugar-free’ for granted but will read the labels first and then decide.  A lesson learned.

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Here now, a bottle of pancake syrup; didn’t the label say “sugar-free”?  Yes, it did but the Nutrition Facts panel states Sugars – Yes, and the amount of 8 grams.  This is per serving size that mind you, is a quarter of a cup.

Most if not all of us consume a few times over this in one sitting.  No, really.  A quarter of a cup is a little bitty thing.  Most folks will use at least a cupful of it.  Then all the seemingly ‘healthy’ content goes out the window.

Ever seen a commercial with a pile of pancakes buried under a huge mound of syrup?  There goes your serving size.

5.  Low-fat or fat-free

Many of us associate zero trans fat or fat-free claims with healthy, which is exactly the outcome the food manufacturers are trying to achieve.  And the truth is, while some foods are naturally low in fat, such as fruits and vegetables, processed food is another story. Fat-free versions of food replace fat with sugar which is no better and eventually gets stored in your body as fat anyway.  The keywords to look for are corn syrup and fructose.

Fat-free products are loaded with sugar, and sugar-free are loaded with fat.  Here you have it, a no-win situation.

Nutritionpedia website has posted these two labels side-by-side, one is regular, the other, fat-free.

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As you can see, the fat-free product contains about three-fold more sugar than the regular version of the same product.  Not only would one serving size of the fat-free food have more calories than the full-fat version but you may be tempted to eat two servings because it comes across as healthy.

By FDA standards, low fat means less than 3 grams of fat per serving size and fat-free, less than 0.5 grams.  How much is the serving size?  This is what the food manufacturers are playing with.  One vs two cookies as a serving size or slices of bread likewise, can make all the difference.  And who is eating only one cookie?  When you or your kids eat more than one, all that low fat content per serving size goes out the window.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  sugar-free products are loaded with fat, and fat-free, with sugar.  To make sure that you are in fact eating healthy food, you need to do your homework.  Check the label of a fat-free or sugar-free product and compare it with the full-fat or full-sugar version.  This of course will take some time.

 

 

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Leoni at Low Carb Store: Blueberry and Lemon Loaf

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lemon-181650_960_720This recipe is from Low Carb Store and was invented by Leoni, their resident dietician.

 

Ingredients

  • 125g almond flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 75g inulin
  • 100g blueberries
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 45g butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Nutrition Per Slice

Recipe makes 10 slices

 

Net (Total) Carbs 2.3g
Fat 8.5g
Protein 4.9g
Fibre 7g
Calories 122kcal

 

Create It

 

Pre-heat your oven to 180°c then grease and line your loaf tin (we used a 12cm x 28cm). In a mixing bowl combine the almond flour, eggs, baking powder, vanilla and butter. Next gently fold in the berries, lemon zest and inulin using a spoon. Pour into your prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes, until your kitchen fills with a delicious aroma and the loaf is golden brown. Devour hot and buttered!

 

Options – keep a few berries back and add to the top of the loaf before popping in the oven. You could also try adding some dark chocolate chunks if your carbs allow or some cinnamon for a hit of autumnal spice! Get creative and make it your own.

Jovina Cooks Italian: Fruit with Mascarpone and Marsala

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strawberries

Strawberries are traditionally used in this Italian dessert from Trapani Italy, but given our seasonal constraints, feel free to use any fruit that appeals. This would make a nice treat for Valentine’s day.

Strawberry, Mascarpone, and Marsala Budini

Budini is Italian for puddings or parfaits.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese

  • 6 tablespoons sweet Marsala (preferably imported)
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 3 cups sliced hulled strawberries (about 15 ounces)
  • 2 1/4 cups coarsely crumbled amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons; about 4 1/2 ounces)

Directions

Combine mascarpone, 3 tablespoons Marsala, and cream  in medium bowl. Stir gently until well blended.

Combine strawberries, remaining 3 tablespoons Marsala in another medium bowl; toss to blend. Cover mascarpone and berry mixtures; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Place 2 tablespoons crumbled cookies in each of 6 champagne goblets. Divide strawberry mixture with juices among the goblets.

Top berries with mascarpone mixture, then remaining cookies. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Jovina Cooks Italian: Sage meatballs with Marsala wine sauce

kaitiscotland1 Comment

real-sage-115351_640 From Cooking The Italian Provinces – Trapani | jovinacooksitalian

Sage Meatballs with Marsala Wine Sauce

4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/4 cup soft unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves (about 20 leaves), very finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • All-purpose flour for dredging
  • 1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the meat, Parmigiano, half the butter, the sage and salt until they are very well blended, using your hands. Form small meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter using cold wet hands to keep the meat from sticking. Roll the meatballs in the flour and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat, then cook the meatballs until brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Shake the skillet often so they don’t stick.

Remove the excess fat from the skillet with a spoon and discard. Once the meatballs are brown, pour in the Marsala wine and continue cooking until it is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jovina Cooks Italian: Pork tenderloin in mushroom wine sauce

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Fall Dinner

by Jovina Coughlin

This dinner serves four but can easily be doubled for a company dinner.

Pork Tenderloin in Mushroom Wine Sauce

Pork

·         1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)

·         1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

·         ¼ cup porcini dried mushrooms

·         ¾ cup boiling water

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

·         1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Wine Sauce

·         1 cup dry red wine

·         Porcini broth

·         1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Combine the porcini and boiling water in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large oven proof skillet. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onion is soft.

Add the garlic and fresh mushrooms and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.

Strain the porcini in a fine mesh colander and reserve the drained mushroom water. Add the porcini to the skillet with the fresh mushrooms.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the oregano and thyme. Set aside.

Butterfly the pork, by cutting the pork down the center, without completely cutting through, so when the two halves are opened they resemble a butterfly.

Use a meat mallet to flatten the meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spread the mushroom filling down the center of the pork and bring the 2 sides up. Use butcher string to tie around the roll at 1 inch intervals.

Season the stuffed pork with salt and pepper and in the same ovenproof skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Sear the pork on all sides and place the skillet in the preheated oven.

 

Roast uncovered for about 20 minutes or until done to your preference.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place the pork on a platter.

 

Place the skillet back on the stovetop. Add the red wine and the strained porcini water and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until it is reduced by half.

Remove the pan from the from the heat and stir in the butter.

Cut the strings off the pork and slice into thin rounds. Arrange the pork on a serving platter and pour the wine sauce over the slices.

 

Jovina cooks Italian: Meatloaf

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minced-meat-74241_960_720

Meatloaf Tonight

by Jovina Coughlin

Italian Style Meatloaf

This dinner can serve 8. Less and you have plenty of leftovers.  I add lots of vegetables to my meatloaf and, of course, lots of Italian flavors. Meatloaf freezes well and I usually cut extra slices off the loaf to freeze individually to use at a later date. Just defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

·         Half a sweet onion, finely chopped

·         1 celery rib, finely chopped

·         1 tablespoon minced garlic

·         1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

·         1/2 cup shredded carrot

·         1 1/2 teaspoons salt

·         1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

·         2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

·         2 cups tomato (marinara) sauce, divided

·         2 pounds lean ground beef (I use grass-fed beef)

·         1 cup Italian flavored dried bread crumbs

·         2 large eggs, beaten slightly

·         1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

·         1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, 1 cup of the tomato sauce, seasonings and parsley with your hands until thoroughly mixed.

Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides.

Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour. Pour the remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Return the dish to the oven just until the cheese melts.

Jovina cooks Italian: Cheese stuffed celery, salmon and crab rolls with salad

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Southern Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
  • 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
  • 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons drained chopped pimientos
  • 1 teaspoon grated onion
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch ground cayenne pepper
  • Celery stalks, cut into 4 inch lengths

Directions

Process cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add Cheddar, Monterey Jack, mayonnaise, pimientos, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.

Scrape into a serving  bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Use the spread to fill celery stalks and serve immediately.

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Grilled Crab Stuffed Salmon Rolls

  • 1 Salmon Fillet, about 8 oz, skin removed

Crab Stuffing

  • ½ cup shelled, fresh  lump crab meat
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced celery
  • 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon seafood seasoning (Old Bay)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground garlic
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

For the stuffing

Mix the crab meat with the vegetables and seasoning.

For the salmon rolls

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Cut the salmon fillet in half lengthwise. Divide the stuffing in half and spread on the skinned side of the salmon fillet. Roll up tight and secure with metal skewers or Butcher’s string.

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Refrigerate until time to grill.

Preheat the grill to medium hot.

Place pinwheels on a sheet of heavy-duty foil that has been coated with olive oil cooking spray. Poke a few holes into the foil.

Slide the foil onto the hot grill and grill with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.

To cook indoors

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place pinwheels the pan. Brush pinwheels with butter, cover loosely with foil and bake 15-20 minutes..

An August Dinner For Two | jovinacooksitalian

Tomato Cucumber Arugula Salad

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Ingredients

  • 1 large tomato cut in half and sliced
  • 1/4 of a cucumber, cut in half and sliced
  • 2 scallions, finely diced
  • 2 cups arugula
  • Italian vinaigrette

Directions

Combine the salad ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add enough salad dressing to just moisten the ingredients and toss, Serve immediately

Jovina cooks Italian: Grass fed beef steaks and mushrooms

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Clean Food for Thought: Shrimp with Avocado Salsa

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maxresdefault (3)Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa | Food For Thought
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Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Avocado Salsa

  • 2 ripe avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 3 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Shrimp

  • 24 medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • Optional Toppings: red cabbage

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and lime juice. Let sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the salsa. Set aside.
  3. Heat a small to medium skillet on medium with the rest of the olive oil. Once hot, add in the marinated shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp is not opaque.
  4. Put some chopped cabbage on a plate, put6 warm shrimps  on top with the salsa on top of this.

Enjoy!

(originally published on cleanfoodforthought and reproduced by kind permission)