Month: February 2013

coconut body butter

Published on by jan greco1 Comment

I love coconut; Mounds Bars and macaroons, Thai curry and Mulligatawny soup, shampoo and conditioner. If it’s coconut, it’s for me! The other day the kids and I were roaming around Trader Joe’s (well I was roaming they were desperately searching for Sammy the Shark) when I overheard a conversation in the spice section. A woman was saying how she uses virgin coconut oil all winter long as a moisturizer and hair conditioner. Hmmm, I knew it was considered a healthy fat and I use virgin coconut oil in all my curries and sometimes when I bake, but I never thought of using it topically. Apparently I’m rather late to the coconut oil party because the internet is filled with tales of its immune boosting, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. Not to mention that it makes a great moisturizer. Go figure!

If you’re already familiar with coconut oil then you know it’s firm at room temperature and will liquify with just the warmth of your hand. But, what I discovered is that if you whip a little air into it suddenly you have a creamy (more temperature stable) body butter that works great at soothing dry winter skin and makes you smell like the tropics. Coconut oil body butter, you had me at hello…

Coconut Oil Body Butter
Initially this body butter will have a greasy consistency and a little bit definitely goes a long way, but it absorbs fairly quickly into your skin and leaves you smelling delicious.

coconut butter2

1 cup virgin coconut oil

  1. Place the solid coconut oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  2. Turn the mixer to high and let process for 8-10 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  3. When the coconut oil has become creamy and light transfer it to a glass jar and store at room temperature. If at any point it begins to liquefy just pop it into the refrigerator to chill a bit.

*adapted from living the nourished life

chocolate + nutella = love

Published on by jan grecoLeave a comment

A few weeks ago my son had a lesson on Cinquain Poems at school. He was so taken with the project that he came home and decided to compile an entire book of poems. Most of the poems revolved around food (he is the son of a food blogger after all) and this one was my favorite:

Pizza.
Very tasty.
Cook it well.
It is very greasy.
Pepperoni.

I was so inspired by his poetry that I decided to write a few Cinquain Poems of my own. I hope you enjoy them and I wish you the sweetest of Valentine’s Day’s!

Chocolate,
My weakness.
Dark or nothing.
Don’t think I’ll share.
Delicious.

Valentine,
My love.
You’re the one
That makes me smile.
Chocolate.

Cookies.
Plum out.
Wanna bake some?
Let them cool down.
Crumbs.

Chocolate + Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
If you have a special valentine and they happen to love chocolate and hazelnut, then you absolutely must bake them a batch of these. They’ll love you forever!

hearts5

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 small jar homemade Nutella (or store-bought)

  1. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix confectioners’ sugar, butter, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt on medium low speed until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour one cup at a time. Continue to mix on low until the flour is completely integrated.
  2. Form the dough into a ball (it will be a bit dry) and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  4. Take out the dough, sandwich between plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll it to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter and place on baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes, or until firm.
  5. Repeat with remaining dough but cut the centers out of the second batch, making sure you have equal numbers of tops and bottoms. (If dough becomes too soft pop it back in fridge for a few minutes to firm up.) Let the baked cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
  6. Once cookies have fully cooled spread a thin layer of Nutella onto each of the cookie bottoms. Sandwich together with the top cookies and serve or chill for a later date.

 

all hail kale!

Published on by jan greco1 Comment

Kale is a fantastic source of calcium. It actually contains more calcium per calorie than milk and its more readily absorbed by the body than dairy. Kale is loaded with vitamins A, C & K, folic acid, vitamin B6, lutein, and potassium. All of which play a key role in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, lowering cholesterol and keeping your body in tip-top shape. Kale has natural anti-inflammatory properties, it contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, one serving contains 5% of your daily fiber requirement and it’s high in both iron and protein. Quite the laundry list don’t ya think?

I happen to love all leafy greens, including kale, and I eat them nearly every day. My family on the other hand draws the acceptable vegetable line at greens. My husband will sigh and grimace a bit but usually ends up eating whatever I make, but not my kids. No kale, no spinach, no collard greens. No way. No how. Not ever. And then along came kale chips…

If you haven’t had kale chips before then let me try to describe them for you. They’re crispy bite size bits of kale that are a little bit salty, a little bit oily, oddly delicious and totally weird at the same time. They’re absolutely addicting and before you can decide if you really like them or not, the batch will be gone! The first time I made kale chips my 8-year-old devoured three-quarters of the batch and immediately requested that I make more. “You want more what…kale?!? You got it kid!”

Kale chips…the key to longevity (or at least healthy snacking)!

Kale Chips
You can make these simply with just salt and olive oil, or get crazy with garlic, curry, and chili powder or any other spices that float your boat.

kale chip2

Small bunch curly kale
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. pink salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

  1. Preheat oven 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Rise the kale and remove leaves from tough center stem. Tear the leaves into bit size pieces, spread out on a dish towel and blot as dry as possible.
  3. Place the dry leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and spices. One by one use your fingers to spread the oil and spices on the front and back of each leaf. Lay the oiled leaves in the prepared baking sheet in a fairly even layer. (You may need to make to work in batches.)
  4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the kale is crispy and just beginning to brown on the edges.
  5. Gently pry off the parchment paper and enjoy (or not).

game day chili

Published on by jan greco2 Comments

Let me begin by introducing myself; my name is Jim Greco and I’m the husband of the tour de force behind Beets and Blue Cheese. I’ve been asked to be this weeks “Blogger Emeritus” because it’s Super Bowl Weekend and (since the Giants didn’t make it this year) that really only means one thing in our house…CHILI!

Chili typically means the following: “Chili- noun \ˈchi-lē\: A small hot-tasting pod of a variety of capsicum, used chopped (and often dried) in sauces, relishes, and spice powders or a spicy stew of beef and red chilies or chili powder, often with beans and tomatoes.”

However in my house it has many connotations; football, cold weather, skiing and fermented hops consumption to name a few. Now chili may not be a strictly cold-weather food, but the only time it seems to appear in our house is when the cold northwest winds are blowing. Once the weather gets warm it’s “Jim can you light the grill— I give got some chicken/skirt steak/pork chops marinating…” (I know, your heart breaks for me, right?) Anyway, back to the chili. Jan didn’t just happen upon her chili recipe, she’s actually been working on it for years but only recently did she actually write it down. It was always good, but some batches would definitely be better than others depending on how much of this and that she put in it. After much begging and pleading on my part she finally has a real recipe to refer to, and I have perfect chili every time!

Jan’s chili is a pot of pure tasting delight with a definite dash of heat. She makes it with ground turkey rather than beef (I suppose because of my cholesterol levels), but believe me you won’t care a bit. In fact it takes quite a bit of control to eat just one bowl! (Actually I usually add an extra scoop to my dish without anyone looking, but lets just keep that between us.) Since our kids can’t really appreciate the intense heat her chili of old used to crank out it’s been “toned down” lately, but based on her ingredient list I’m sure you can modify the recipe and get the Scoville level up to where it’s perfect for you. I usually add a little of Franks’ Hot Sauce or sliced jalapeno to kick it up to a sweat-enducing level.

I’m lucky to be the husband of a food blogger and quite frankly, any way she chooses to make chili suits me just fine. Especially when it is accompanied by some nice hoppy brew and her delicious homemade cornbread! So my friends and fellow followers of Beets and Blue Cheese enjoy this fantastic chili recipe and remember, there’s no shame in seconds!

Turkey & Bean Chili
This recipe makes enough chili for a Super Bowl party sized crowd, but never fear it freezes beautifully as well.

chili

3 tbsp. olive oil
4 cups onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs. ground turkey
3 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or jarred)
1 cup water
4 cups chunky chipotle salsa
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
2-3 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
7 cups canned kidney or pinto beans (or a mix of both), rinsed

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven, add the onion and sautee over medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and turkey and cook about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, stir well and allow to cook an additional 2 minutes, until the juices are absorbed.
  2. Add the tomato sauce, salsa, water and all the spices. Give a good stir, add the rinsed beans and stir again. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for an hour fifteen to an hour and a half, or until the beans are tender and the turkey is cooked through.
  3. Serve garnished with sliced jalapeno, cheddar cheese or sour cream and with a side of homemade cornbread or tortilla chips.