Chefs Look Past the Garden for Wild New Ingredients - NYTimes.com

Chefs Look Past the Garden for Wild New Ingredients - NYTimes.com

A little Thanksgiving gift to you from me.....

A whole day at the market to fill the fridge.  Two dinners to empty it!

Homemade Ranch Dressing.... Did you know most ranch dressings contain msg and paint thinners?

• 1/2 Cup of Smart Balance or Organic Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup of Greek Yogurt
• 1 Cup of Coconut or Almond Milk
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 Small red onion minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. Dried or fresh chives
• 1/2 Tsp. Dried or fresh parsley
• 1/2 Tsp. Dried or fresh dill weed
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Salt to taste

Add all ingredients together, blend well, let set for an hour or so, serve......

*For a fun twist add some cilantro, avocado, and tabasco..

**Also, do the same for a dip, just do 1 cup of greek yogurt and 1 cup of sour cream or mayonnaise.

Here is what is in your ranch dressing:

Calcium Stearate:  is carboxylate of calcium that is found in some lubricants and surfactants. It is a white waxy powder. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_stearate

Monosodium Glutamate:  (MSG) Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate 

This is just one of the reasons you should research the ingredients in your foods.......

My version of Quinoa Stuffing

2 Cups of Quinoa
4 Cups of Chicken Broth
2 Ounces of Pancetta
1 Med. Onion
3 Stalks of Celery
1 Large Carrot
1 Clove of Garlic
A few mushrooms
Fresh Sage
Fresh Thyme
Parsley
2 Tbs. Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute Pancetta and onion in medium pot until crispy, add remaining veggies and herbs until softened.  Add remaining ingredients and cook for about 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender, enjoy!

This quinoa stuffing was served with a lemon herb chicken cutlet and sauteed french green beans......

Retro Mama

I just love these calendars, with this page being my favorite of the day!  Enjoy :)