NOW IS THE TIME FOR TOMATO PIE

Don’t you love all the fresh tomatoes available at this time of year? There’s nothing like a ripe, homegrown tomato. My mouth waters just thinking of how yummy they are. My favorites are the yellow and orange varieties, which have a different flavor. But no matter what the color, now is the time for easy peasy tomato pie.

Homegrown tomatoes are plentiful. It is time to make tomato pie. — Make this easy peasy tomato pie with luscious, homegrown tomatoes

Since l love yellow and my husband prefers red. I mix the two when I make this recipe, although most will probably just stick to red. I’ve fooled around with two or three tomato pie recipes, and have come up with the combination that I like best. You can make your own pie crust. If that’s what you prefer. But packaged pastry from the supermarket Is much easier.

EASY PEASY TOMATO PIE

Pastry for a 1 crust pie, unbaked.

3 large ripe tomatoes

½ cup chopped onion

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

½ cup mayonnaise

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

¼ cup dry bread or cracker crumbs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare the crust, line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry. Prick the side and bottom with a fork and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove to a rack, and leave the oven on.

Slice the tomatoes and overlap them in the pie shell. Sprinkle with onion, salt and basil. Stir mayonnaise, garlic, Parmesan and Cheddar together in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the onions, and sprinkle with bread or cracker crumbs. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow pie to cool 10 minutes before serving. Some prefer it served cold.

Makes 6 servings. About 400 calories per serving.

August 9, 2019August 9, 2019

HOW TO PLEASE A VEGAN

Having grown up in the post depression years, I was taught to eat what was set before me. Money was scarce, and my parents struggled to put food on the table for their 4 children. We learned to eat “variety meats” such as hearts, liver, and kidneys. I still have a fondness for those meats, even though I wouldn’t dare serve them to anyone in my family. But, the times, they are a changing. Vegans are sprouting up everywhere, from ages 9 to 90. What should you do when they come to dinner? How to please a vegan?

First, you will have to find out what type of vegetarian you’re talking about. Strict vegans eat nothing that comes from a mother—including butter, honey and cheese. Those are the toughest to cook for if you don’t understand that basic rule. Easier to please vegans are those who will eat eggs, cheese and fish. It’s important to know what their diet allows.

Balck bean, corn & avocado salad is a dish vegetarians enjoy — Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Salad will please vegans.

If you’re cooking for a strict vegan who lives with you, it means you’re going for the long term. You will have to find ways of providing plenty of good protein for growth and maintenance of body tissues. These will come from grains, nuts and legumes.

Now, what should we old folks do about all of this? Our own parents would have been horrified at the idea of indulging a vegan child , grandchild., or even a friend coming to dinner. But as a dietitian, I can’t adopt that attitude. I know that a vegan diet is a healthy choice, which will lead to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It won’t necessarily keep your weight down since vegan diets include lots of carbohydrates in the form of fruits, breads, etc. But I respect a vegan’s choices. After all, they are taking responsibility for their own health..

I went on a vegan diet a few years ago, after visiting a cattle feed lot in Nebraska. When I saw a cow lying dead from heat exhaustion, I was nauseated with the thought of eating an animal. It was months before I could stand the sight of beef on my plate. But then, my old meat addiction kicked in, and I started ordering steak at restaurants once again. However, that experience gave me a new understanding of the vegetarian mindset.

I served this easy recipe at a family gathering that included just one strict vegan. But guess what? Everyone at the table had seconds!

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 (15 1/2 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (8.75 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn

1 medium avocado, chopped

6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 cup chopped onion

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl. (The lime juice helps keep the avocado from turning brown) Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.

July 31, 2019August 7, 2019

DESPERATELY SEEKING SWEET CORN

This July was a bummer for sweet corn in Indiana. Just a couple years ago, there were farm stands all over the city, with piles of corn just picked that morning. You didn’t have to wonder if it was fresh, because you knew the guy who sold it, and trusted his college age kids who were bagging it and ringing up your sale.

It’s been a bad year for Hoosier farmers. It rained so long and hard that they weren’t able to plant corn in May. Even at the first of June, the ground was still too wet. They were finally able to plant in the middle of June, but this was not good news for corn lovers. The grocery stores had sweet corn over the 4^th of July, but they imported it from someplace else, and it was old and starchy.

Seet corn should be fresh picked and cooked for 10 minutes — Serving good sweet corn starts with choosing fresh ears, then cooking to perfection

Serving a delicious ear of corn on the cob is a two step process. First, and most important, is making sure that the corn you buy is fresh. If it’s not, don’t even bother putting it in your basket. I’m always surprised at supermarkets that sell sweet corn with dried husks and moldy tassels. More surprisingly is that people will buy it. Do they not know how good sweet corn should look, and taste? You don’t just buy sweet corn, you choose it. The husks should be green and almost damp to the touch, not dry, shriveled, or slightly yellow.

Fresh sweet corn is a heavenly treat, especially when cooked to perfection and slathered with honey butter. Once you’ve purchased your ears of corn, you must know how to cook it. Over boiling will make it hard and starchy, so it pays to use a timer. Boil between 4 and 10 minutes.

Sweet corn on the cob is a perfect accompaniment to any entrée—especially salmon. And it’s easy on the cook. No peeling of potatoes or steaming of rice. It’s one of the best things about summer.

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019

HELP! I’M ADDICTED TO WHIPPED TOPPING.

Last night, as I was dishing up strawberries while watching the fireworks, I hit the panic button. We’re almost out of whipped topping. If I don’t get to the store today, we will be watching “Washington Week In Review” tonight with unadorned ice cream or fruit. Help! I’m addicted to whipped topping.

OLD FASHIONED MILK BOTTLES HAD CREAM AT THE TOP

It all started many years ago, when milk was delivered to our door with a layer of cream at the top. My parents used it for their coffee, but there was plenty left over for whipped cream. We had it on pudding, mostly, because that was cheap and easy . And we always had whipped cream on pie. I was skinny then, and so was my hard working mother. But later, it caught up with her, and my older sister, too. The introduction of Dream Whip in 1957 gave them hope. Dream Whip had only 10 calories in a serving as compared to 50 calories in whipped cream.

By then, we were buying our milk at the store, and didn’t have the extra cream, anyway. My mother was thrilled to have this low calorie substitute. In addition to using it as a topping, she had recipes for cheese cake and cream pies and many other desserts. Still, it required some effort to get out the massive mix master and dirty up the bowl and beaters just so we could enjoy ersatz whipped cream.

The best thing that happened for dessert lovers was the introduction of Cool Whip in 1966. . No mix master required. In fact, no mixing at all. Just scoop it out of the container and enjoy. A bowl of fresh berries tasted so much better covered with a cloud of whipped topping. It wasn’t quite as calorie saving as dream whip, but it was low fat, with half the calories of whipped cream. Now, we have lite whipped topping, which tastes just as good. It dresses up a plain old bowl of sugar free ice cream, even if you’re out of fresh berries.

Whipped topping It’s great for icing cakes, too. My daughter loves this recipe for pistachio cake, using whipped topping for the frosting.

Pistachio Frosting made with whipped topping is easy and delicious — Pistachio Cake frosted with pistachio whipped topping is easy and delicious

Pistachio cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 small (3/4 oz) package instant pistachio pudding mix

4 eggs

1 ¼ cup water

¼ cup oil

½ teaspoon almond extract

7 drops green food coloring.

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees, 45-50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Let cool 15 minutes before turning onto wire rack. Frost with pistachio whipped topping right before serving.

Pistachio Frosting:

1 small package (3/4 oz)instant pistachio pudding mix

½ cup cold milk

1 8 oz. container whipped topping

Mix the pudding mix and cold milk together in a mixing bowl. Be sure the mix is dissolved in the milk before adding the whipped topping; ; otherwise the frosting will be gritty.

This frosting is great for holidays. Sprinkle it with red sugar at Christmas. Make it pink at Easter with some red food coloring. Or serve it just plain green on St. Patrick’s day.

Hooray for whipped topping!

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019

MAMA LUCIA’S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Back in the 60’s, I was a full time housewife in suburban Chicago. I drove my husband to the commuter train each morning with the kids in the back seat, then returned home to take care of my children and keep house. There weren’t many working wives in those days. Needless to say, I did much more cooking from scratch. But even after I became a working mom, I still fixed batches of spaghetti sauce on the weekends and stored what was left in the freezer. It only needed an hour of simmering, but I liked the way it filled the house with a delicious fragrance, so I kept it on the stove for 2 hours or more. Here is my recipe for Mama Lucia’s Spaghetti Sauce.

You could make it with ground chuck, but I prefer using very lean ground beef. It’s a bit more expensive, but the low fat health benefits are worth the cost. What gives the sauce its special flavors are the red wine and a pinch of cinnamon.

MAMA LUCIA’S RED WINE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

One batch of this spaghetti sauce will make three or four meals — Red wine and a pinch of cinnamon makes this Spaghetti Sauce special

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. 94% lean ground beef

¼ cup olive oil

1 half onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tablespoon oregano

2 Tablespoons basil

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 28 oz can stewed tomatoes

2 6 oz cans tomato paste

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

½ cup red wine

Crumble the ground beef into small pieces while you saute in olive oil with garlic and onion. Add rest of ingredients, and simmer 1-4 hours.

If you simmer the sauce longer than 2 hours, it may begin to thicken too much. If that happens, stir in a little water to thin it down.

Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving over cooked pasta. .

There will be a lot of leftover sauce.. Spoon it into quart zip lock freezer bags and ,lay them flat so that you can stack them neatly after frozen. Now, you have 3 or 4 quick meals to pull out of the freezer on busy days.

Once you taste this heart healthy recipe, you will never buy bottled spaghetti sauce again.

February 20, 2019February 20, 2019

EASY ASPARAGUS PIMENTO SALAD

Are you tired of serving tossed salad every night? Looking for something fresh and different? As a senior fixing dinner for two, I don’t want fancy recipes that take too many ingredients. I’ve been making easy asparagus pimento salad for years, especially in the springtime when asparagus is plentiful.

Five ingredients are all that’s needed:

Looking for an alternative to tossed salad? Try asparagus pimento salad. — Asparagus Salad needs only 5 ingredients and it’s super easy to assemble

Lettuce leaf

Half a pound asparagus

Two teaspoons diced pimentos,

Bottle of 1,000 island dressing,

One sliced, hard boiled egg.

Preparation takes only a few minutes:

Wash the asparagus, then trim off tough ends. I use about five spears for each individual salad . Don’t bother steaming or boiling; just place the asparagus in a shallow bowl with a little water. Cook in microwave for about 3 minutes or when asparagus is crisp/tender. Run under cold water. Pat until dry..

On two salad plates, arrange lettuce leaves topped with asparagus spears.

Sprinkle about one teaspoon of diced red pimento over spears.

Top with egg slices.

Provide a bottle of 1,000 island dressing, and let each person help themselves, according to their taste.

The salad itself is a mere 20 calories. 1,000 island dressing adds extra calories, depending on the serving size.

If you want something a little more unusual , you can find many asparagus pimento salad recipes on the internet.

For a healthy meal, serve with baked salmon and new potatoes.

Enjoy!

December 21, 2018December 21, 2018

CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE

The winter solstice will occur at the same time all over the world today, and at 5:23 p.m ET. Why celebrate? It’s the shortest day of the year, the end of darkness and the beginning of light.

Relax and enjoy the wintersolstice — CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE TONIGHT

The winter solstice has been celebrated from ancient times throughout the world. Why is it a cause for hope in this modern world of ours? For many, it means the end of all the holiday worries and madness. You’ve baked yourself silly making Christmas cookies. You’ve stressed out over pleasing each and everyone on your holiday gift list. The tree is up, and the kids are coming for Christmas. When that’s all over, it’s time to start thinking about #1 again.

You can open your seed catalogs and start thinking about your spring garden. You needn’t feel guilty about getting a massage, a new hairdo, some new clothes, and maybe get started with a fitness/weight loss program. It’s all about you in January and that feels pretty good. You have a few more months to get yourself back in the shape you were before you got so worn out over the holidays.

Now is the time to enjoy indoor activities such as sewing, painting, writing, and crafting. Make a scrapbook. Sew some new slipcovers. Get out those art supplies and paint a picture. Enjoy the peace that comes from sitting in a warm house and watching the snow fall.

V'8 AND VEGGIES MAKE A GREAT SOUP — CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE WITH A POT OF VEGETABLE SOUP

You don’t have to worry about last minute meals. There’s nothing so delicious and fragrant as a pot of vegetable soup. Just open a can of V-8, and pour it into a big pot; throw in some beef cubes, dice up a few potatoes, carrots, and whatever vegetables you like—maybe some cabbage. Let it simmer all afternoon, warm up some crusty bread, and you will have a supper that’s low in calories and high in nutrition.

Celebrate the Winter Solstice tonight!