All entries for 2007

Tuna Melt’s Good in Any Season

26 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
The day after Christmas--or any time really--I'm needing something lean and healthy. What could be better than homemade tomato soup  from tomatoes frozen at the end of harvest and my old stand-by, a tuna melt. Tuna Melts Given the appalling practices of the conventional fishing industry, I look for tuna from local ...

Spiced Holiday Fruits

19 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
Here are the stuffed dates I talked about a few posts ago. Also fresh pears and clementines dipped in melted butter and flax meal spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice with nary a speck of sugar in the mix. Almonds and pomegranate seeds finish this lovely presentation. Happy Holidays. ...

A Working Stove

18 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
This shot was at breakfast per the cup of black coffee and bowl of cereal. Then there's a tray of winter squash ready for the oven and a basket of kale from the garden waiting for all manner of magic along with a beautiful lemon. Clearly my stove is nothing extra, but it does ...

Freshly Grated Nutmeg Decorates Holiday Java

by Jean Johnson
We in the Pacific Northwest take our java seriously with freshly ground beans that are fairly traded and organically grown. I made this fancy-pants cup of joe in my own kitchen with a none too pricey espresso machine. The trick is to steam the milk (that hopefully comes from a ...

Merry Howdy with Stuffed Medjool Dates

13 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
I hope you have enjoyed some baked pears or at least are planning to. Dates are another way to have your sweets without letting the Sugar Fairy captivate you. My mother stuffed those big medjool dates with cream cheese and pecans. So do I, skipping her last step of rolling ...

Baked Pears

by Jean Johnson
This time of year cues to chow down on sugar+butter are as ubiquitous as canned holiday music. So if you're trying to keep things under wraps and still want something oh so luscious, try baked pears. D'Anjous are my favorite to bake because they hold their shape. And when I ...

Action on the Cutting Board

7 November 2007 by Jean Johnson
I stepped outside and got some fresh rosemary for this roast of spaghetti squash, carrots, and onions. Even with mincing the herbs and a little garlic, I had the pans in the oven in 5 minutes. Yes, the roasting took 20 minutes or so, but I was elsewhere cruising back to ...

Think Outside the Mainstream Veggie Box

by Jean Johnson
SAD, the Standard American Diet, relies almost exclusively on low calorie salad veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, and cukes--relegating things like winter squash for pumpkin pies and roots like turnips for jokes. As this image shows, though, once you've oiled up some wedges of stick-to-your-ribs winter squash and a quartered rutabaga, rubbing ...

This One’s for Ruby

1 November 2007 by Jean Johnson
I can't help thinking of Ruby--the little dust mop kerin terrier who lives next door--when I work with pomegranates. Indeed, once the glistening ruby red seeds are freed from their leathery husks, they do as much to garnish soup, cereal, or warm salad as little Ruby-do does to dazzle her doting ...

Lunch To Go

30 October 2007 by Jean Johnson
Lunch to Go The best thing about this lunch to go is that it tasted as delicious as it looks. Simple food. It really is fabulous and fast--and so very kind to our health and wealth. Recipe Note Layer greens and leftover quinoa or other whole grain into your lunch box. ...