Not Your Mother's Cookbooks

Every first week of January is the time to make New Years’ resolutions. It’s just something that goes with the turning of the calendar year, the gateway of looking back at the old and looking forward to the new. As a child, my resolutions were things like I will be nicer to my sister, I will work harder to get better grades, and maybe we can get a puppy. As an adult, its more like I will lose weight, I will have more flowers in the garden, I will do more volunteer work, and I will eat better balanced meals. For all my good intentions, my commitment would be forgotten by the next week. But eating lean, clean, and green, well, its something I am focusing on every day.

Food prices are climbing, and some might be looking to fast foods and packaged foods for their cheap bites. But low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality. In fact, some of the most inexpensive things you can buy are the best things for you nutritionally. At the grocery store, getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out around the outer edge of the store–near the fruits and veggies, the dairy, and the bulk grains (skip the bakery except for the pita and grissini)—while avoiding the expensive packaged interior. Fruits and vegetables in season are always the best buy. By doing so, not only will your kitchen be stocked with excellent foods, your wallet won’t be empty. Predictions are that twenty-ten is a year for lots more home cookin’ and that consumers are pushing for interesting, low-priced food.

I cannot remember what website I originally found this on, but I loved it and added lots of info and recipes. It is a simple, to the point list with familiar foods that are easy to find in any grocery store. You can run down the list and next trip to the market pick up one or two items you haven’t been eating and give it a try. Its that simple.

1. Oats

High in fiber and complex carbohydrates, oats have also been shown to lower cholesterol. And they sure are cheap—a dollar will buy you more than a week’s worth of hearty breakfasts. Buy rolled oats or quick cooking rather than instant, which has a lot of added sugar. I love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats and Silver Palate Extra Thick Rolled Oats, the Cadillac of oatmeals.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with nuts and fresh or dried fruit in the morning, sprinkle with ground flaxseed, make oatmeal cookies for dessert.

Slow Cooker Overnight Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal

Machine:  Small Round

Machine Setting and Cook Time: Low Heat: 8 to 9 hours

Serves 2

1 cup steel cut oats

4 cups water

Combine the oats and water in the cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or overnight, until tender.  Stir well and scoop into serving bowls with an oversized spoon.  Serve with milk or cream, and brown sugar or maple syrup.

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. (c) 2005, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

2. Sardines

I am not a big canned fish afficianado, since it is sort of an acquired taste or something you ate as a child so it is a comfort food, but along with tuna and anchovies, mineral-rich sardines are a power packed source of the right omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury.

Serving Suggestions: Sardine sandwich on toasted bagel with sliced onion, cream cheese, and black pepper or capers, sardines on crackers sprinkled with cayenne, topping a green salad vinaigrette, mashed like tuna salad with Dijon mustard or mayo and minced red onion on bread or stuffed in an avocado half. Heat in olive oil with tomato sauce, then pile into warm tortillas with cilantro and lime. Sardines love hot sauce and fresh lemon juice.

3. Kale

This dark, leafy green is loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, and calcium. Like most greens, it is usually a dollar a bunch. Kale is the darling of the food scene right now. Everything is greens greens greens for healthy eating. The problem is kale is much tougher than other leafy greens, like Swiss chard, collard greens and spinach. Hence, it isn’t as versatile for cooking. It doesn’t work as well in salads or sauces, for example, as with spinach or Swiss chard.

4. Potatoes

Because we often see potatoes at their unhealthiest—as fries or chips—we don’t think of them as nutritious, but they definitely are. Eaten with the skin on, potatoes contain almost half a day’s worth of Vitamin C, and are a good source of potassium. If you opt for sweet potatoes or yams, you’ll also get a good wallop of betacarotene. Plus, they’re dirt cheap, available year round and have almost endless culinary possibilities. Try different colors-Yukon Gold and Purple Potatoes. All have a slightly different flavor.

Serving suggestions: Grated or cubed fried in olive oil for breakfast or lunch; sliced cold in a salad; for dinner, have them baked topped with cold sour cream, scalloped potatoes, potato and pea samosas, or Cornish pasty.

5. Apples

A good apple is

1-crisp

2-juicy

3-flavorful

I’m fond of apples because they’re inexpensive, easy to find, come in portion-controlled packaging, and taste good. They are a good source of pectin—a fiber that may help reduce cholesterol—and they have the antioxidant Vitamin C, which keeps your blood vessels healthy. Different seasons have different types of apples. My organic box showcases different apples, all with a slightly different flavor and texture. Always refrigerate firm, brightly colored apples until you use them.  They will stay crisp two to four weeks.  Avoid apples that feel soft or have bruised areas.  If I end up with a batch of old apples, I just make applesauce: Peel, slice, and place in a deep saucepan with a bit of water.  Partially cover and cook over low heat until soft.  Cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, then add a few tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon to taste.  Mash if you like it chunky or use an immersion blender until the desired consistency. A fresh apple will really perk you up and have you appreciating this everyday fruit all over again just like the first time.

Serving suggestions: applesauce; as part of a fruit salad, baked apples, or in baked goods like quick breads, cakes, and muffins. Or just cut in half and eat au naturale as dessert.

6. Nuts

Though nuts have a high fat content, they’re packed with the good-for-you fats—unsaturated and monounsaturated. They’re also good sources of essential fatty acids, Vitamin E, and protein. And because they’re so nutrient-dense, you only need to eat a little to get the nutritional benefits. Although some nuts, like pecans and macadamias, can be costly, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and almonds, especially when bought in the shell, are low in cost.

Serving suggestions: Raw; roasted and salted; sprinkled in salads, addition to baked goods. Nut butters are great in sandwiches or spread on apples.

7. Bananas

At a local Trader Joe’s, I found bananas for about 19¢ apiece; a dollar gets you a banana a day for the work week. High in potassium and fiber (9 grams for one), bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to eating one of your five a day quotient of fruits and veggies.

Serving suggestions: In smoothies (toss them in the freezer and use frozen), by themselves, in cereal and coated with yogurt, banana bread, muffins, or cake, sauteed in butter for dessert over ice cream.

8. Garbanzo Beans

With beans, you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. Not only are they a great source of protein and fiber, but ’bonzos are also high in fiber, iron, folate, and manganese, and may help reduce cholesterol levels. And if you don’t like one type, try another—black, lima, lentils … the varieties are endless. Though they require soaking and cooking, the most inexpensive way to purchase these beans is in dried form; a precooked can will still only run you around a buck.

Serving suggestions: In salads, curries, soups, and hummus.

9. Broccoli

Broccoli contains tons of nice nutrients—calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium, folate, and fiber. As if that isn’t enough, broccoli is also packed with phytonutrients, compounds that may help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plus, it’s low in calories and cost. Although we see broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts year ‘round in most supermarkets, now is the peak season to discover how they are meant to taste. In addition to the best flavor, buying these sturdy vegetables from the farmers’ market ensures the highest nutritional value (broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as riboflavin, calcium, and iron), for they have been freshly harvested instead of held in cold storage for an indeterminate length of time. I went out to dinner and the veggie was plain steamed broccoli and it was so perfectly cooked, I swore I would eat more broccoli.

Serving Suggestion: Steamed, roasted, deep fried as tempura, pureed, and sautéed. Don’t forget the stems, peel them and stir fry—outrageously delise.

Basic Oven-Roasted Broccoli

Serves 3 to 4

1 large bunch farm-fresh broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut away and discard the tough broccoli ends. Peel the thick stems and cut crosswise into diagonal slices about 1/4-inch thick. Where the stems start to branch out, split the florets through the stem so each piece is 1 1/2- to 2-inches wide.

2. Place the broccoli on a large baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat well. Spread the broccoli in an even layer and bake until the edges of the florets begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir gently and continue baking until the stem pieces are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve at once, maybe with a wedge of lemon.

10. Watermelon

Though you may not be able to buy an entire watermelon for a dollar, your per serving cost isn’t more than a few dimes. This summertime fruit is over 90 percent water, making it an easy way to hydrate, and gives a healthy does of Vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant that may ward off cancer. Scientists indicate that watermelon contains high levels of lycopene-an antioxidant that may help the body fight cancer and prevent disease. Found only in select fruits and vegetables, lycopene is very effective at trapping cancer-promoting agents called free-oxygen radicals. I often buy a wedge if I want just a small portion. Seedless watermelon is one of the glories of nature—you don’t have to stop eating to spit out the seeds.

Serving suggestions: Freeze chunks for popsicles; eat straight from the rind; squeeze to make watermelon juice, in a fruit salad, in a green salad with feta cheese, one of the top flavor combinations.

11. Wild Rice

Once wild rice was reserved for locals and gourmet foodies, now it has become more mainstream and available in most markets. It won’t cost you much more than white rice, but wild rice is much better for you. Low in fat and high in protein and fiber, this gluten-free rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates. It packs a powerful potassium punch and is loaded with B vitamins. Plus, it has a nutty, robust flavor.

Serving suggestions: Mix with nuts and veggies for a cold rice salad; blend with brown rice or basmati for a side dish.

12. Beets

Beets are my kind of vegetable—their natural sugars make them sweet to the palate while their rich flavor and color make them nutritious for the body. They’re powerhouses of folate, iron, and antioxidants. Buy a bunch of beets rather than loose beets as they are fresher and cook faster. Dont forget the greens!

Serving suggestions: Shred into salads, slice with goat cheese, roast or steam whole, Borscht beet and roots soup. If you buy your beets with the greens on, you can braise them in olive oil or add to soup like you would other greens.

13. Butternut Squash

This beautiful buff-colored gourd with a long neck and fat round base swings both ways: the orange flesh can sometimes be savory, sometimes sweet. However you prepare the butternut, it will not only add color and texture, but also five grams of fiber per half cup and lots of betacarotene, an antioxidant. When in season, butternut squash and related gourds are usually less than a dollar a pound. Select a squash All winter squashes need to be cooked to be edible.

Serving suggestions: add to soups and chili; cook, mash, and dot with butter and salt.

14. Whole Grain Pasta

In the days of high protein diets, pasta was wrongly convicted, for there is nothing harmful about a complex carbohydrate source that is high in protein and B vitamins. Plus, it’s one of the cheapest staples you can buy. Pasta is a great child favorite and one that you can feel good about serving. There are many shapes, brands, and types of pastas to buy. Pasta is not the same as bread–unlike bread, pasta is made from semolina flour, which comes from durum wheat. When eating pasta, blood glucose absorption is much slower than when eating whole grain bread. Also look for non-gluten pasta, such as brown rice pasta, which is excellent. The shape will determine how you serve it.

Serving suggestions: with a simple marinara with oregano and cracked red pepper flakes and topped with Parmesan, pasta salad, pasta frittata, with pureed vegetable sauce, tossed with roasted veggies, oh just plain with butter.

Easiest Tomato Sauce for Pasta

Makes enough for 12-ounces of cooked pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic peeled and lightly smashed, or 1 large shallot, minced

1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes

Few pinches fine sea salt and few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil and garlic or shallot in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden, 2 minutes. Drain the tomatoes (don’t drain if packed in puree) and with your hands squeeze them one by one over the skillet as you add them. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook stirring occasionally until the tomatoes break down, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Keep warm on low simmer, covered, while pasta finishes cooking. With plenty of Parmesan, of course.

16. Spinach

Spinach is perhaps one of the best green leafies out there—it has lots of Vitamin C, iron, and trace minerals. Plus, you can usually find it year round for less than a dollar.

Serving suggestions: steamed with lemon juices squeezed over, frittatas or souffles, nice raw spinach salad with dried cranberries and Gorgonzola cheese.

17. Tofu

Not just for vegetarians anymore, the food world has totally embraced the versatility of tofu. It is an inexpensive protein source that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes. It’s high in B vitamins and iron, but low in fat and sodium, making it a healthful addition to many dishes.

Serving suggestions: Use silken varieties in cheesecake, mousses, or to make salad dressings; add to smoothies for a protein boost; cube and marinate for barbecue kebobs. Add to stirfrys and floating in miso soup.

18. Lowfat Milk

Yes, the price of a gallon of milk is rising, but per serving, it’s still under a dollar; single serving milk products, like yogurt, are usually less than a dollar, too. Plus, you’ll get a lot of benefit for a small investment. Milk is rich in protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and niacin, and is one of the easiest ways to get bone-strengthening calcium. If there is one item you buy organic, milk is it.

Serving suggestions: In smoothies, hot chocolate; scalloped vegetables, soup ingredient, milk products like low fat cottage cheese and yogurt.

19. Pumpkin Seeds

When it’s time to carve your pumpkin this October, don’t shovel those seeds into the trash—they’re a goldmine of magnesium, protein, and trace minerals. Plus, they come free with the purchase of a pumpkin.

Serving suggestions: Salt, roast, and eat plain; toss in salads.

20. Green tea

Contains beneficial antioxidants that protect against free radicals and may actually help thwart heart disease and cancer. You can buy as fancy or humble as you like, like Lipton’s, it is so easy to find now. While it’s not going to fill you up like the other items on this list, it sure is nice. I like decaffenated. I make a liter every morning: fill the pitcher with filtered water and add 2 tea bags, place in the fridge for a few hours and drink like water throughout the day.

Serving suggestions: Just drink it, hot or iced.

Chez Dining Room: Cher

An occasional peek and personal commentary…the first of this series focuses on a celebrity dining room in a very unique home…Cher’s Malibu house.