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Building A Healthier Burger

June 19, 2012

Building A Healthier Burger

 

Nothing says grilling season like a hot & juicy burger.  You can enjoy an American favorite that is new and improved by giving your burger a healthy twist without skimping on flavor.  Here are some things that you can do to create a better burger. 

Choose Your Patty:  For a classic burger it is important to choose the leanest ground beef available.  Purists will tell you to use the fattiest ground beef, but if you are trying to cut down on fat and create a healthier burger try using lean meat.  I like to use ground sirloin.  You also might try: Ground Turkey Breast (usually 99% fat free); Ground Buffalo/Bison (naturally sweet & lean); Veggie Burgers (usually has one seventh the saturated fat of traditional burgers); Fish Burgers; Salmon Burgers (rich in omega-3); Mushroom Burgers (made from large grilled Portobello mushrooms). 

 

Jazz Up Your Burgers:  Spices and condiments are key here.  Mix in or season your burgers with salt free or low sodium spices.  You can get creative here to suit your tastes or mood.  I like to use Cajun spices, Italian spices and sometimes a touch of curry spices. You can get a fiber boost and add texture by adding chopped or grated vegetables or herbs. 

 

To Bun Or Not To Bun:  Who says a burger must be served on a traditional white bun?  Feel free to serve your burgers on 100% whole grain buns or pita pockets.  If you are going for a totally bunless burger you might want to try sturdy lettuce or cabbage leaves. 

Accessorize:  The tasty trimming options are endless, but here are a few ideas.  Choose condiments that are low in fat, sodium and sugar.  Read the labels on varieties of ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish and salsa.  Choose low-fat or fat-free varieties of cheese.  The white cheeses tend to be lower in fat such as Swiss or provolone.  Top your burger with grilled onions and sliced tomatoes.  Instead of using iceberg lettuce try radicchio, arugula or romaine.  While you’re at it add cucumber slices, radish slices or red pepper rings for some extra crunch.

 

Saint Anthony of Padua

June 13, 2012

Saint Anthony

June 13th Feast Day

Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon was born Fernando Martins de Bulloes on August 15, 1195 and died June 13, 1231.  He was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order.  He died in Padua, Italy, but was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, which is where he was raised.  St. Anthony is best known as the patron saint of lost things.  Barren women also claim St. Anthony as their patron saint most likely because of his association with the Baby Jesus.  There is a popular story that one night during St. Anthony’s lifetime the Baby Jesus visited him, kissed him and told him that He loved him.  The story is so well loved that, aside from Mary, St. Anthony is the saint most often depicted with the Baby Jesus.  St. Anthony is often shown carrying a lily as a symbol of purity, innocence and integrity probably because he was entrusted with the Baby Jesus. 

 

St. Anthony had a special love for the poor and oppressed people which is in keeping with his beloved Franciscan tradition.  Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching and expert knowledge of Scripture, he was declared a saint almost immediately after his death and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church January 16, 1946.

Interesting Chicken Facts

June 12, 2012

Interesting Chicken Facts

 

I have loved chickens for many years.  Twenty years ago I had a chicken coop built on my property where I lived in the Pacific NW.  I raised laying hens so that I could cook with fresh eggs.  During the day I let my hens roam my property and at dusk my son’s corgi would herd them into their coop.  Each morning I would go out to the coop, thank the “girls” and gather beautiful fresh eggs.  Those days are gone and I now live a much different life dividing my week between my apartment in New York City and my house in Fairfield County. 

 

Here are some fun and interesting chicken facts:

 

Chickens are omnivores.  In the wild they will scratch the soil searching for seeds, insects, young mice and lizards. 

 

Alektorophobia means “fear of chickens.”

 

The older the hen the larger the eggs she lays.

 

Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs.  Chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs. 

 

Chickens can live for 5 to 10 years depending on the breed.  According to, The Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s oldest chicken died of heart failure at age 16.

 

A fresh egg sinks in a bowl of water, and old egg floats.

 

Hens start clucking to the eggs a few days before hatching, making it more likely that they will all hatch at approximately the same time. 

 

DNA evidence suggests that chickens are the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

 

The first pictures of chickens in Europe were found on 7th Century BC Corinthian pottery. 

 

Eggs dry out more quickly in your refrigerator’s egg rack so it is best to leave them in the carton. 

 

If you can’t remember which eggs you cooked then spin them.  If an egg spins quickly then it is hard boiled.  If an egg spins slowly and wobbles then it is raw. 

 

It is estimated that there are four chickens to every human on the planet. 

 

The egg carton was invented in 1911 by a Canadian newspaper editor named, Joseph Coyle, in Smithers, British Columbia

 

An egg standing on its end can bear up to 200 pounds.  The record was set by the Ontario Science Centre.

 

For best results, eggs should be brought to room temperature when used for baking. 

 

A plastic egg, golf ball or avocado pit placed in a nest will encourage a hen to lay in it.  This is the origin of the term “nest egg.”

 

“Go away, boy! Or I’ll spank you where the feathers are the thinnest.”  – Foghorn J. Leghorn

How To Peel A Tomato

June 5, 2012

How To Peel A Tomato

 

Score the blossom end of the tomato (the bottom – opposite the stem) and drop into a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.  15 to 20 seconds if the tomato is very ripe.  Transfer to a bowl of cold water.  The skin will wrinkle immediately and peel off easily. 

17 Things To Do With Homemade Ricotta

June 3, 2012

17 Things To Do With Homemade Ricotta

 

Now that you’ve made your Homemade Ricotta what are you going to do with it?  Here are 17 things to do with that delicious Homemade Ricotta.

 

  1.  Make a Cheesecake
  2.  Fill Ravioli
  3.  Eat Warm Drizzled With Good Quality Olive Oil
  4.  Make A Tart
  5.  Toss With Penne Pasta And Quickly Cooked Tomatoes
  6.  Savory Bruschetta – Toast Or Grill SlicesOf Italian Bread.  Top With Sun Dried Tomatoes, Ricotta, Fresh Basil Leaves,   Salt & Pepper
  7. Eat For Breakfast With Milk, Honey And Nuts
  8. Enrich Egg Dishes
  9. Make A Fruit Dip By Blending Cocoa Powder, Ground Cinnamon And Sugar
  10. Layer In Gratins And Lasagna
  11. Top A Dish Of Cavatelli
  12. Stuff Pasta Shells
  13. Bake In Pancakes
  14. Enrich Sauces
  15. Sweet Bruschetta – Spread On Thick Slices Of Italian Bread And Top With Jam Or Fruit For Breakfast Or A Snack
  16. Use In Italian Meatballs
  17. Use With Fresh Berries

A Note About Zest

June 1, 2012

A Note About Zest

 

The intense flavor and aroma of citrus zest adds great flavor to so many foods from soup to sauces to cookies and cakes.  The real trick in using lemon, lime or orange zest is to remove only the outer, colored layer of the peel.  Avoid the bitter white pith underneath.  Scrub the citrus well with a vegetable brush or coarse sponge to clean off any dirt or markings.  Next grate the zest, using a zester or the smallest holes on a conventional box grater.  You can also slice the zest off with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler and then finely mince it.   

Whispering Winds Eggs

May 28, 2012

Whispering Winds Eggs

 

These eggs are very good and Connecticut grown.  All of the Whispering Winds chickens are free range and fed natural grain with no hormones, chemicals or antibiotics added.  I get the Whispering Winds Eggs at Saugatuck Craft Butchery,

 

Saugatuck Craft Butchery

575 Riverside Ave

Westport, CT  06880

203-226-6328

http://craftbutchery.com

 

Whispering Winds Animal Connection, LLC

178 Nathan Hale Road

Coventry, CT  06238

Brenda Stoeke – Owner

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bc-chickenss-chicken-coop

 

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