Microwave Caramel Popcorn
Posted: February 22, 2015 Filed under: Appetizers & Snacks, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: easy, food, microwave, popcorn, recipes, vegetarian Leave a comment
This is a dangerous recipe because it is so quick and easy. I find that once I open a can of sweetened condensed milk that I’m more likely to make this recipe several times over a week or so to use it up. No one complains in my house when I do. My boys love this stuff!
As written, this recipe is simple. Feel free to jazz up your caramel popcorn. You could add nuts, pretzels, dried fruit, or various cereals (like Chex or Cheerios).
Microwave Caramel Popcorn
8 cups air-popped popcorn
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Line a cookie sheet with foil or waxed paper. Set aside.
Place popcorn in a large microwavable bowl.
In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk on high in 30 second intervals until mixture is boiling. This takes about a minute. Pour the hot mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat.
Microwave the popcorn on high for 3 minutes in 1 minute intervals, stirring well each minute. Spread the caramel popcorn onto the foil or waxed paper. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Corn and Broccoli Chowder with Bacon
Posted: February 21, 2015 Filed under: Soup & Stew Recipes, Vegetable Recipes | Tags: bacon, broccoli, chowder, corn, food, potatoes, recipes, soup 1 Comment
Like much of the rest of the country, South Carolina is experiencing super cold temperatures. When I took my youngest son to school yesterday morning it was 16 degrees and with the wind chill it felt like 2 degrees. So cold. Upon returning home, I needed to warm up so I made this thick, hot chowder. It’s warming, delicious, and visually pleasing. I love the colors of the corn and broccoli in the creamy white. Oh, and it has bacon in it.
Corn and Broccoli Chowder with Bacon
4 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-size florets (save the stalk for another use)
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup milk or half and half
In a soup pot over medium-low heat, fry the diced bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat slightly and cook the diced onion in the bacon fat until it softens. Add the flour, and cook, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the chicken broth, a little at a time, taking care to whisk out the flour lumps. Add the diced potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until tender (but not mushy), about another 10 minutes. Add the corn and milk (or half and half) and heat through. Season the chowder with salt and pepper and serve in bowls with the crisp bacon crumbled on top.
Pad Thai (LID)
Posted: February 15, 2015 Filed under: Asian Noodles, Asian Recipes, Low Iodine Diet (LID) | Tags: food, LID, low iodine diet, noodles, pad thai, recipes 3 Comments
I am about to go on a low iodine diet (LID) again to prepare my body for radioactive iodine and a nuclear whole body scan to check for a possible persistence/recurrence of thyroid cancer. The thought of having to go on LID again is almost as bad as the thought of not being cancer free. I’m hoping that being better prepared for LID this time around will help it be more tolerable.
I’m really excited about this recipe. I love Pad Thai. I feel that if I can make LID versions of my favorite dishes, then being on that soul sucking diet will be a little less painful. This LID version of Pad Thai is yummy. Having this recipe in my repertoire will definitely make LID easier.
I adapted/simplified this version from a recipe for Thai Noodles in Victor Sodsook’s True Thai. It’s good, a little on the sweet side, but good. So good that I have made it twice this week (and I’m not even on LID yet). The ingredients are fairly easy to find, although I’m not sure how authentic of an ingredient ketchup is. Once the ingredients for this dish are prepared and assembled, it comes together quickly.
Pad Thai (LID)
8 ounces dried flat rice noodles (bahn pho) – look for one that only has rice and water as ingredients
1/4 pound chicken breast, sliced
6 tablespoons Umami Sauce (recipe here)
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt-free ketchup (Hunt’s and Heinz make salt-free ketchup)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
egg whites, equivalent to 3 eggs, lightly beaten
fresh cilantro, chopped
crushed unsalted peanuts
chile pepper flakes
fresh bean sprouts
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime wedges
Soak the rice noodles in very hot water until they are soft, about 15 minutes. When they are ready, drain in a colander and set aside until ready for use.
Meanwhile, combine the Umami Sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt-free ketchup, and chili powder (if using). Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved.
Have all the ingredient ready and within reach. This dish comes together quickly once the cooking begins.
Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, turning the wok to make sure the oil coats the bottom. Add the sliced chicken and cook until no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to the bowl or plate and set aside. Wipe out the wok with a paper towel.
Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly, about 30 seconds. Add lightly beaten egg whites. Cook the egg whites, stirring to scramble them, until they are set. Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the wok. Add the reserved softened noodles, tossing gently in the sauce. Cook until the noodles are tender and have absorbed the sauce, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the reserved cooked chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve. Have the crushed peanuts, chile pepper flakes, bean sprouts, additional chopped cilantro, and lime wedges on the table so everyone can add their desired condiments.
Adapted from True Thai by Victor Sodsook (William Morrow and Company, 1995).
Umami Sauce (LID)
Posted: February 15, 2015 Filed under: Low Iodine Diet (LID), Sauce & Salsa Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | Tags: food, LID, low iodine diet, mushrooms, recipes, umami, vegan, vegetarian 1 Comment
I’ve been trying to come up with a soy-free, fish-free, and iodized (or sea) salt-free substitute for soy sauce and fish sauce. I I saw a blurb in the January 2015 issue of Saveur magazine about a chef (Christian Puglisi of Relae in Copenhagen, Denmark) who makes a Mushroom “Soy” Sauce to add umami to his dishes. I adapted his recipe to fit my needs for a low-iodine diet (LID) I have to go on soon.
Use the Umami Sauce instead of soy sauce or fish sauce (a great way to veganize Asian dishes) in recipes or incorporate into other dishes to add a umami/mushroom flavor. I used the umami sauce in a low iodine diet version of Pad Thai. I was really happy with the results.
Umami Sauce
8 ounces white button mushrooms
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Slice the mushrooms and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the mushrooms and mix to distribute. Let the mushrooms sit for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Line a small colander or mesh strainer with cheesecloth over a bowl or measuring cup. Pour the mushrooms and their liquids into the strainer. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid from the mushrooms. You can use the mushrooms for another purpose. Store the mushroom liquid (Umami Sauce) in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Recipes for Sustenance 