Panang Curried Corn Chowder

There’s something about fusion cooking that I find exciting! I love combining the tastes of Thai Panang curry with all American corn chowder. Thai hot and sweetly spicy sauces combine with the comfort food taste of potatoes and corn, all in a chowder. How fun is that? I’ve made this recipe super quick and easy by taking the shortcut of using a premade curry sauce instead of making the sauce from scratch. I’ve found Panang curry sauces at a local Asian market, but also at specialty food stores like Sprouts or Whole Foods. 

Ingredients 

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 

1 cup diced potatoes, Yukon gold or white potatoes 

1 cup corn

1 13 oz jar Panang curry sauce

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup Thai basil, chopped with a few florets left whole for garnish

Directions 

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for several minutes until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the curry sauce and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Ladle the soup into bowls, topping with a pinch of red pepper flakes and some of the Thai basil. Garnish each bowl with a Thai basil floret. Enjoy! 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Fusion cooking is a fun way to introduce new flavors. It’s also a way to shake up your menu pattern, giving your tastebuds something new to explore. 

Overnight Oats with Chia and Fruit

I've enjoyed overnight oats with chia for quite a while, but I found this combination of fruits to be the best! Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco makes their vegan overnight oat and chia cup with coconut milk and this combination of fruits. They also make an incredible cup of coffee! Here's my best approximation of their tasty breakfast oatmeal cup.  

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup milk or milk alternative, I used soy milk

1/4 cup yogurt or yogurt alternative, I used cashew milk plain yogurt

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs honey

2 tsp chia seeds

1 Tbs dried cranberries, chopped

1 Tbs dried apricots, chopped

1 Tbs dried and sweetened pineapple, chopped (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple)

1/4 cup chopped fresh orange slices

Directions: 

Mix the oats, milk and yogurt, vanilla, honey, and chia seeds together and stir until combined. Mix in the dried fruit and let everything chill overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, add the fresh ingredients, either on top of the oats or mix them in. I like this cold, right from the frig, but if you like your oatmeal hot, you can heat this up for a quick minute or so in the microwave. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: When you find a combination of foods that's new and exciting to you, try to remember it and incorporate it into your cooking. I used my phone to take a photo of the ingredients, so I would remember the combination of fruits that I felt make this rendition of overnight oats so special. 

Chia Pudding

This pudding is just as great for a snack as it is for breakfast. I especially like that I can make it beforehand, keep it in the frig for several days, and can change it up when I'm ready to eat it to meet my food mood of the moment. The photos here show an unadorned pudding, as well as one that's ready to pop in my mouth for breakfast. 

Ingredients: 

2 Tbs chia seeds

1/2 cup soy milk (or almond or cashew or oat)

1 tsp maple syrup or agave

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs berries or other fruit

1 Tbs nuts

Directions: 

Mix the chia seeds with the nut milk in a 1 cup container and stir well. I used 1 cup canning jars, but any small bowl or jar will work. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then add the sweetener and vanilla and stir again until well combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week. To serve, top with fruit and nuts of your choice, or use 3 or 4 tablespoons of your favorite granola. Combinations that I like are berry mixtures with toasted slivered almonds (pictured) or kiwi and mango with sunflower seeds, or sliced peaches and chopped pecans. I usually make several at a time and store them in the frig for breakfasts later in the week. They're also nice as a make ahead breakfast when you have guests. 

Makes 1 serving - easily multiplied. 

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Chia seeds boast so many health benefits! They're a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber. Just two tablespoons, or the amount in one serving, contains 4 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, plus minerals like magnesium. Because they're high in fiber, they'll help your digestion. An added side benefit is that you'll feel full for a long time, which is nice to know if you're trying to lose a pound of two of covid weight! In the mineral department, chia seeds boast a good amount of anxiety reducing magnesium and bone building calcium. So, enjoy a healthy (and delicious) chia seed pudding for breakfast. 

Veggie Frittata with Roasted Tomatoes

Summer isn't quite here yet, but greenhouse tomatoes are everywhere! This recipe takes nice advantage to the little grape tomatoes that are readily available.

Ingredients:

1 cup grape tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs. chopped jalapeno peppers (optional)
1/2 cup chopped baby kale or baby spinach
2 Tbs. minced fresh basil
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400. Mix the grape tomatoes with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Spread the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until they begin to shrivel and turn brown in spots. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small oven proof skillet. Add the mushrooms, onion, and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to lose their liquid and the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the kale or spinach, along with the basil and stir to combine. Mix the eggs and egg whites together in a bowl, mixing well with a fork until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottom of the egg mixture begins to set. Place the skillet into the oven and cook until the eggs are set and the top is beginning to brown, about another 8 to 10 minutes. To serve, place a slice of frittata on a plate, and top with some of the grape tomatoes.

Serves 2

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Serve this with a side of broccoli if you want to increase your vegetable intake. Or, if you want to make this more savory (and can't stand to go without meat), add a couple of slices to bacon to the mix. Cook the bacon first, drain the bacon in paper towels and wipe the skillet dry. Then proceed with the remaining ingredients.

Huevos Rancheros

This is my totally unauthentic take on huevos rancheros. This version can be made for a crowd, but more importantly, it can be made for any meal of the day. I especially like it when we have breakfast for dinner night! It's filling, delicious, and one of those meat free meals where no one will ever miss the meat.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (or 2 Tbs. pickled jalapenos)
1 can Mexican style tomatoes
4 Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1/2 cup (or more) vegetable broth
1 tsp (more or less to taste) hot sauce
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 corn tortillas
2 eggs
2 Tbs. grated cheese

Directions: Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, along with the potatoes and salsa and cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes become tender. If the mixture starts to become dry, add some vegetable broth. I like the vegetables to have the consistency of a thick soup or stew when they are done.

Heat the tortillas and cook the eggs while the vegetables cook. Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Remove the tortillas to a plate and cover with a clean towel to keep warm. Add a small amount of water to the pan and poach eggs, cooking until the whites are firm and the yolks are still liquid, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Have individual bowls ready for serving. Add one tortilla to each bowl. Top with a cup of vegetables, then with an egg. Sprinkle each serving with 1 Tbs. of the cilantro and 1 Tbs. of the grated cheese.

Serves 2, easily doubled or more.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Having breakfast for dinner night is one very easy way to make a meatless meal stealthy!

Summertime Tart

My husband does not eat eggs. Can't stand them. So, don't tell him that a tart has eggs that hold it together. Also, since he doesn't like vegetables that much either, please don't tell him that all the little colorful pieces in this tart are nothing other than vegetables. Here's to eggs and vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 pie shell
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced leek
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 cup sliced new potatoes
1 cup corn kernels
1 Tbs. chopped pickled jalapeno pepper
    (or 1 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 Tbs. minced fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
3 eggs
1 cup soy, coconut, or almond creamer

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the celery, red pepper, corn kernels, and jalapeno. Cook another 2 minutes, until the corn begins to get brown in places. Add the spices to the vegetables, stirring to combine. Pour the vegetables into the pie shell. Mix the eggs and creamer together, stirring well to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Place the pie into the oven, and bake for about 40 minutes, until the top begins to brown, and the eggs are set.

Stealthy Cooking Tip:  I've been on the hunt for a tasty gluten free pie shell, but haven't found one yet. This one, as you can probably tell from the photos, tends to fall apart. Also, it's made with real butter, which made actually made it taste too buttery. So, I'll continue my quest for a gluten free option, and when I find one, I'll either share my source with you, or share the recipe, whichever works out first.  

Eggs with Tortillas and Cheese .... Migas!

I've been meaning to post this recipe for migas since before Cinco de Mayo. I've made this dish enough times in May, for two breakfasts, one lunch, and one dinner, to have posted it long before now. The thing about migas is how good they taste, and how good they taste hot. I'd take one bite, just a little one, then another bite, then before I knew it I'd just finish my plate and discover I hadn't taken any photos. Oh well, I'd think. I'll just make these again soon. And, I have, because this is the way I most frequently make eggs. Migas have enough vegetables to add some veggies to my breakfast. They've also got enough vegetables to make this a dish for either lunch or dinner. The tortilla adds some oomph, making it a filling enough dish for any meal. And, finally, the combination of flavors meets my definition of delicious!

Ingredients:

3 corn tortillas
a spritz of olive or canola oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red or green pepper
1 Anaheim chili, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
4 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 cup tomato salsa
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
1/4 cup grated yellow cheese

Directions:

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Cut corn tortillas into bite size pieces. Toss the tortillas into the dry skillet and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Cut the vegetables while the tortillas cook. Remove the tortillas from the skillet and set aside. Spritz the skillet with the oil, add the vegetables, and turn the heat to low. Let the vegetables cook until the onion starts to become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Prepare the eggs while the vegetables cook by breaking them into a bowl, and combining them by mixing them with a fork. Add the eggs to the skillet, along with the salsa, and cook until the eggs hold together, about another 3-5 minutes. Add the cilantro and yellow cheese, along with the reserved tortillas, stir to mix together, then serve.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: I usually use cooked tomato salsa in my cooking recipes. The reason is that cooked tomatoes have more of the nutrient lycopene than raw or fresh tomatoes. If you only have fresh salsa on hand, add it to the pan before you add the eggs, and cook it for several minutes. Then, add the eggs to the pan. The cooking time may increase a little, but so will the nutrients.

Broiled Grapefuit

Ready for a breakfast oldie but goodie? This is one of those oldies that reminds me of my own childhood. This was always served alongside a soft boiled egg in a cup and a piece of toast. Quite the princess! I hadn't had grapefruit this way since I was a kid, I must have paid too much attention it it's much maligned reputation. In spite of it's reputation, this somehow managed it's way onto the table, sans egg in a cup. Guess what, it's just as tasty as it was when I was a kid. The sweetener on top, along with the cinnamon, works magic and turns this somewhat sour citrus into a pop of breakfast fun. Add a marachino cherry on top, and it's certainly kid friendly.

Ingredients:

2 grapefruit
2 tsp sweetener, agave syrup or brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
4 marachino cherries (optional)

Directions: Cut grapefruit in half. Use a small, sharp knife to cut around each section, leaving it in the rind. Remove any visible seeds. Sprinkle each half with 1/2 tsp of the sweetener, then 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon. Broil under high heat for about 2 minutes, until the top of the grapefruit is hot, and the sugar or syrup melts into the grapefruit. Remove from the broiler, top with a marachino cherry, and serve.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip:

French Toast

Cool winter mornings mean different things to different people. While visiting San Diego, cool mornings are in the 50s. While visiting Reno, cool mornings are what 13 or 15 feels like. Brrrr. Whatever a cool morning is like, this French toast is a nice way to start the day.

Ingredients:

8 slices of whole wheat bread, day old or stale is better
4 eggs
1/4 cup fat free milk or soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs agave nectar or sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
additional sprinkles of cinnamon
1 cup yogurt
2 cups mixed berries

Directions:

Heat the oven to it's lowest temperature, usually about 170 or 180F. Use a fork to mix eggs with milk, vanilla, sweetener, and cinnamon. Mix until well combined. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Depending on the size of the skillet, you'll probably need to cook the toast in several batches. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, turning to get egg on each side of the bread. Cook bread slices in the skillet until light brown, then turn and cook the second side. Place the cooked toast on an oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven while you cook the remainder of the toast.

To serve, place 2 pieces of toast on each plate. Top with 1/4 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of mixed berries. Top with a few sprinkles of cinnamon.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Topping French toast with yogurt instead of syrup cuts down on sugar. Add an additional sprinkle of cinnamon, and you won't even miss the sweetness. Berries give antioxidants. If you absolutely must have syrup, add it in the kitchen so that you can control the amount, then use no more than one tablespoon.

Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes

My daughter and I made these during my recent visit to San Diego. She'd been craving pumpkin pancakes, but many of the recipes yield pancakes that are dense and heavy. We wanted something light, but with a real taste of pumpkin. To lighten these, we separated the eggs, and beat the egg white. We also increased the amount of both baking powder and baking soda. Finally, we added traditional pumpkin spices I think these fill the bill!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs cooked and mashed (or canned) pumpkin
1 egg, separated
1-1/4 cup fat free milk
1 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs sugar or agave syrup

1 Tbs canola oil

Directions:  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Separate the egg white from the yolk. Beat the egg whites until frothy and holding a light peak, but not so stiff that they dry out. Add the pumpkin, milk, oil, honey, and agave syrup or sugar to the egg yolk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the egg white. Heat a skillet on the stove top. Add a small amount of canola oil, then ladle the pancake mix onto the skillet to make 4 inch or 6 inch pancakes. Turn or flip the pancakes when the edges begin to dry.

Serves 4-6

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Talk about a stealthy way to get a small amount of vegetables into breakfast! Kids will enjoy smaller pumpkin pancakes, especially if you make a "stem" on them. If you choose to mash your own pumpkin, look for a cooking pumpkin. Sugar or cooking pumpkins are sweeter than the jack-o-lantern pumpkins that are sold for carving. Ask your green grocer, he or she will know which kinds taste the best.

Dinosaur Eggs

These are a take on pickled beet eggs, prepared in pickled beet juice so they come out a bright color, but prepared in the manner of 1000 year old eggs. Pickled beet eggs are made by placing peeled hard boiled eggs in a beet pickling mixture. 1000 year eggs (which aren't really 1000 years old!) are made by placing unpeeled hard boiled eggs which have their shells cracked in a coloring mixture, usually tea. These "dinosaur" eggs are unpeeled, cracked, then placed in red beet juice until they take on a crazy quilt bright color. The photo below shows the difference between the finished eggs. The dark red ones are pickled beet eggs, and the ones with the variegated color are the dinosaur eggs.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh beets, about 4 to 6
2 cups water
6 eggs
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves

Directions:

Hard boil eggs by placing eggs in a saucepan and covering with cold water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain eggs.

Cut off beet greens, if attached, and save for another use. Cut off the root end of the beets, then scrub the beets well. Place beets in 2 cups water and boil for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until the beets are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. When done, remove the beets from the water, saving the water. When the beets have cooled enough to handle, you can easily slip the skins from the beets. Slice the cooked and peeled beets.
Heat the vinegar and sugar together in a microwave safe container until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vinegar sugar mixture, along with the cinnamon stick and cloves, to the beet cooking juice and stir to combine.

Using the back of a spoon, crack the hard boiled eggs all over their shells. You'll be making the pattern that will be seen on the finished eggs. Alternatively, you can shell some of the eggs to get a deeper purple color. Place the cracked or peeled hard boiled eggs into a container, then add the cooked beets, and cover them with the beet juice mixture. Cover the container and refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours.

Carefully lift the hard boiled eggs out of the beet juice. I say carefully because beet juice stains! Peel the eggs. Serve the beets as is as "dinosaur" eggs for breakfast, use them to make deviled eggs, or top a salad with the sliced eggs. The dinosaur eggs have a nice pattern, and have a faint sweet pickle taste. If you make straight pickled eggs, they'll have a deeper color, and will taste stronger. Pickled eggs are also great with a sprinkle of salt and a cold beer!

Serves 6

Stealthy Cooking Tip:  A nice by-product are the pickled beets. If you haven't had home made pickled beets, you're in for a real treat! People who don't usually like beets may change their mind when they taste these.

Rice Pudding

Here's a tasty treat. I usually make this with leftover brown rice and vanilla soy milk, but feel free to use whatever kind of rice or milk you like best. I also like to load this up with raisins, they add a special sweetness to this. Serve it with milk for breakfast, plain for a snack, or with a little bit of fresh fruit for dessert.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk or soy milk
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk into a medium size microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minutes until warm. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix to combine. Lightly grease an oven baking pan or bowl and pour all ingredients into the bowl. Bake the pudding in a water bath. To do this, set the cooking pan with the rice pudding into a second larger pan. Add water to the larger pan so that water comes up about 1/2 inch on the side of the pudding. Check for doneness after 45 minutes by seeing if the outside of the pudding is set (the center will still be moist, but should no longer be runny). If the center is still runny, cook for an additional 5 minutes and check again. Total cooking time will be between 45 minutes and 1 hour. Remove the pudding when done a let cool. The pudding will continue cooking as it cools, and the center will set. Eat when slightly warm or refrigerate and eat cold.

Serves 4.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Here's a good dish to introduce whole grain brown rice to you and your family. If you're not used to the chewy texture of brown rice, the sweetness of the raisins will enliven the taste of the dish and balance the textures.

Mushroom Omelet

Eggs, or rather the cholesterol in eggs, got a bad rap a few years ago. Everyone, including me, was  worried about adding extra cholesterol to our diet. So, I stopped eating eggs. Then, the medical philosophy about cholesterol changed. It seems that our individual cholesterol counts can be attributed more to how much cholesterol our bodies make than how much we eat. In other words, it's not all about how much you ingest. So, quitting eating eggs didn't lower my cholesterol much. And, quitting one food certainly didn't follow my philosophy of eating good foods in moderation. Now, I eat eggs. After all, they have lots more than cholesterol. They're excellent sources of protein, as well as numerous other nutrients including choline, which helps improve brain function. I don't eat eggs every day, even though recent studies indicate that most people can eat 1 or 2 eggs daily. Instead, I  have at least one egg dish every week. I also try to add tasty and nutritious tidbits to my eggs. Today, I've added mushrooms to an omelet. Feel free to add whatever vegetable tickles your individual fancy. I've also added a little bit of sharp cheddar for extra taste without too much extra salt.
 

Ingredients:

1 scant tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 eggs
2 tsp milk, soy milk, or water
1 ounce shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms, cooking until they release their liquid and start to brown. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Crack eggs into a small bowl, add the milk or water, and mix well. Pour egg mixture into skillet and turn heat to medium low. Either lift the edges of the omelet so that the uncooked eggs flow underneath the cooked portions or simply cook the eggs until they begin to firm in the middle. The important thing is to cook eggs with a low enough heat so that they don't get tough, but with a high enough heat to cook them thoroughly. When the omelet is done cooking, add the cooked mushrooms and cheese, fold in half and serve.

Serves 1

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Using a full flavored cheese allows you to use less cheese and get more flavor! If you don't like sharp cheddar, there are plenty of other full flavor cheeses. Other cheeses to try in this dish include Parmesan or blue cheese.

John's Breakfast Potatoes

Years ago, our family would visit San Francisco where we'd inevitably spend mornings walking up some of the famous hills of the city. My favorite still is walking up seemingly endless steps to Coit Tower, where I can see forever! After such a brisk walk uphill, the leisurely walk down is especially delightful. Afterwards, we'd find somewhere to get a filling breakfast. More than once, we ate at a cozy neighborhood restaurant that served awesome potatoes with every plate! This recipe is my healthy salute to them. It can serve as a healthy stand in for hash browns, too.




Ingredients:

3 slices bacon
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery stalk
2 cups chopped potatoes, Yukon gold or Red skinned
1/2 to 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Fry bacon in pan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Chop bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Drain bacon fat from pan and wipe clean. Heat olive oil in pan. Add onion, red pepper, and celery to pan. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cook until potatoes are tender and the stock has cooked down, adding more chicken stock if needed. You'll know when the potatoes are done because you'll be able to pierce them easily with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Bacon adds wonderful flavor! However, bacon fat adds saturated fats - the unhealthy kind that you want to minimize in your meals. This recipe retains the bacon while replacing unhealthy bacon fat with healthier olive oil for browning the veggies. Using low sodium chicken stock adds another layer of flavor, still healthy! Try this recipe the next time your family asks for hash brown potatoes. With it's new name, they'll love it, and won't know what they're missing!

Berries and Jam

Truth be told, I'm terrible at following recipes - even my own. I'm always trying something new, just to improve. Maybe it's trying a new method for lowering fat content, or adding fresh veggies to make something more healthful, or maybe it's just changing up cooking methods. It's always something. And, most of the time, the results are pretty good. You'd have to ask friends and family for the true answer there - if you've eaten at my place, you've tried my experiments. But, I like to think that what I'm actually doing is simply editing recipes, whose ever they may be. I'm just adding my own touch, as I omit tastes I'm not fond of, and add tastes I like. I usually encourage others to do the same.

Berries are ripe now, and they're everywhere. Big, luscious, sweet berries mark every other stall at our local farmer's markets. Shades of blue, black, red, yellow - they all look scrumptious and ready to eat right now. However, I know their bounty won't last. Soon any berries to be found will be found in the grocery store. Those berries will have been grown in hot houses with forced climates, and cost a flippin' fortune, if I can find them. They'll be either too small or too big for their type, and will lose their true taste of summertime. They'll also be the store-found imports that have travelled half way around the globe, from somewhere south of us, just starting their true summer.

I feel some kind of primordial need to capture the essence of summer, and I've been busy freezing some berries, for smoothies until next spring. Also, I've been whipping up jams, jellies, and salsas. Now, jams made with pectin don't allow much room for experimentation. And, what makes canning veggies work is the level of acidity. So, little or no changes there. While this is somewhat frustrating for an itinerant food editor, the pride of finished canned jars makes up for the frustration. They'll soon be gracing a table or given as a gift, all with a remembrance of their season.

What's so nice about canning or making my own jam and jelly is that I can control the contents. There's nothing in there I can't pronounce. Also, while making your own may seem like a daunting task, it's incredibly easy. I hate to give this secret away ... but you'll find easy directions on a packet of pectin.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Making your own jam and jelly is an easy way to make sure you've got 100% healthy ingredients. You can easily start with organic produce from your farmer's market, or backyard, if you're lucky enough to grow some of summer's sweet berries. Either way, you'll be saving money, plus eating more healthy food. Just make sure to follow directions on the canning label. If you're ready for more, pick up a copy of a canning guide - you'll get lots of ideas for ways to enjoy your produce all year long!

Cantalope with Mint

Sometimes it's the simple things that make food so delicious. Eating outdoors with a brisk morning breeze blowing off the Atlantic ocean. The B&B I was staying at in Bar Harbor served a breakfast with several courses. I usually don't eat "courses" - even the word brings up visions of overeating, stuffing myself silly with heavy foods. But, I quickly learned that it's the simplest things that make a course enjoyable, and yet allow me room for hiking afterwards. This is the first "course" of our breakfast one day. (It was followed by a scrumptious puffed egg filled with fresh Maine blueberries.) It's simplicity draws out the dining experience, slowing one down to ease into a day.

Ingredients:

1 cantaloupe

1 Tbs minced fresh mint

Directions:

Wash cantaloupe, then cut in half. Remove seeds. Use a melon baller to make small balls. Put melon balls into a large bowl. Add minced mint leaves and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve. The cantaloupe will give off some of it's juices. Dish 1/2 cup melon balls, along with some of the juice, into individual bowls and serve.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Eating outside or dining al fresco. No matter how you say it, dining in a beautiful outside space makes even the simplest foods taste grand. Serve up something simple, put it in a pretty dish, in a beautiful place, and who can resist? This dish is simplicity itself, relying on fruit and a simple flavoring, no sugar needed!

Blueberry Muffins

I visited my in-laws recently, and my sister-in-law made these delicious muffins. She's into healthy foods, and also likes to experiment with changing things up to make them healthier. So, this is an adaptation she came up with from a regular blueberry muffin recipe. It's been altered by substituting almond flour for some of thelowering the amount of carbs and increasing the protein. Plus, she substituted stevia for some of the sugar, lowering sugars. Finally, she decreased the amount of oil by using applesauce in place of half of the oil. These really are quite delicious, she made them in the afternoon thinking they'd be good for breakfast the next morning. However, they had almost disappeared by the next morning.

You may not have some of these ingredients. For example, you probably don't have almond flour on your shelf. How many people do? You can easily make your own by simply putting some almonds in a strong blender or a food processor, and grinding them until they resemble corn meal. Don't overgrind, or you'll end up with almond butter, delicious but not a good substitute for flour! Stevia is available in the health food aisle, and is the ground up leaf of the stevia plant. It's much sweeter than sugar, and has the added benefit of not going through the extensive processing required for making sugar. I've included the amount of sugar for you, too, because stevia is another of those uncommon ingredients that aren't regularly in pantries. Finally, when substituting applesauce for olive oil, be sure to use natural applesauce, preferable unsweetened.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup almond flour (ground almonds)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp stevia (if you don't have stevia, increase the sugar to 1 cup total)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup soy or fat free milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp orange zest

1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375degrees F. Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, eggs, oil, and zest and mix until well blended. Fold in the blueberries.

Oil a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or olive oil, or use paper muffin cups. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 6-10 muffins, depending on size.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Substitutions can make some of your family favorites healthier. It's even better when the family can't tell that your new, healthier version is any different from their old favorite!

Tasty Oat Granola

Here's a granola that's easy to make, and is full of tasty nuts and dried fruit. My favorite dried fruit in this granola is a mixture of equal parts pineapple, mango, and papaya. Enjoy this granola for breakfast with yogurt and fresh berries, or as a trail mix snack.




Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped
2 tbs honey
1 cup boiling water
3 cups regular oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine dried fruits, honey, and boiling water in a bowl and let sit. Add oats, almonds, seeds, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon to bowl. Stir all ingredients together. Sprinkle granola mixture on a baking pan, and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Cool, then store in an airtight container.

Serves 12

Stealthy Cooking Tip: This granola is different from most store bought granola. It's made without added oil. But, don't think it's totally without fats. There are healthy fats in the almonds and sunflower seeds, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils. In addition, both the fiber and the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in regular oatmeal have been found to help lower cholesterol. Finally, this granola gets an extra healthy boost with the addition of flaxseed meal. Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3. Wow ... all that and good taste, too!

Oatmeal Pancakes

These pancakes were inspired by pancakes served at a fabulous bed and breakfast in Arizona. Good friends of mine gave me the original recipe, and I've added some healthy ingredients to boost the nutritive value. You'll see that these pancakes have some surprise ingredients. If you don't have some of the less common ingredients, feel free to use the substitutions listed. These pancakes still make a healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 quart low fat buttermilk

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (or whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup wheat germ (or whole wheat flour)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

yogurt
fresh berries

Directions:

The night before: mix the oats and buttermilk in a large bowl, cover and let sit until morning. The next morning: add the whole wheat flour through the cinnamon and stir until just mixed. Heat a griddle and spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the top of each pancake has bubbles and the edges are slightly dry. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the second side is light brown. Serve with yogurt and berries as toppings.

Serves ... a lot! This recipe makes about 30 5-inch pancakes.

Stealthy Cooking Tip: These pancakes freeze well. Make a batch when you have time, then freeze them separately, on a platter. To reheat, place 2 pancakes in the microwave for about 1 minute. This way, you have healthy pancakes at a moment's notice.