Christopher Elbow Chocolates from Kansas City, what a treat. Each one is hand made and creatively painted so each piece is a work of art. A feast for the eyes as well as the mouth.
This is an extreme decadence during this crazy time in America, so I will get back to the purpose of this post.
I went grocery shopping two days ago. The shelves were nearly empty. All basics gone with very few items left. I am lucky to be a foodie, who has an extensively stocked pantry, thanks to my Mom who trained me well as a young adult.
But what do people do when they can not find usual items to build a decent, nutritious meal for their family? Strolling down the aisles, I was reminded of those cooking shows where the chefs were given just two or three items to build a dish to serve.
For those folks who do not have the flexibility or the means to store lots of food ahead of time and are at the mercy of what is left on the shelves and I have some suggestions here for healthy meals to serve. Keep an open mind and try a few things you have never had before. You just might become a fan.
In the Canned Meat aisle, the only things left were Sardines.
Sardines in Mustard Sauce are delicious, and served on a whole wheat cracker with pickles makes a fast meal. The Mediterraneans are very smart as they eat a lot of sardines.
In the canned Vegetable aisle, there was only one large can of Collard Greens left. These are like the king of green veggies! Try them micro-waved with some minced garlic, red pepper flakes (by the way, never throw out those extra packets you get from your pizza delivery, they last forever) and 2 TBSP of vinegar. If you have kids, saute the greens with apple chunks and a TBSP of honey, it will taste like candy.
Another item left in the same aisle was a bag of Lentils. A teasure! Clean those lentils, pick out any bad ones or pebbles, then cook them in boiling water until tender. Add chopped tomato, chopped onion and minced garlic and drizzle with olive oil if you have it. Fantastic eating. Lots of vitamins and minerals as well as protein.
In the produce aisle they had mountains of Sweet Potatoes, which are fairly cheap. Micro-Wave them with chunks of apples and sprinkles of cinnamon. You can add a pat of butter if you must. Any dried fruit will do with this, raisins, cranberries, apricots, blueberries too. You think its a weird combination but so good!
Also here in Arizona, citrus is plentiful. I buy or pick Oranges as often as I can. And I always have a jar of green olives and pimentos in the pantry and you can usually find these even in the 99 cent stores. Always keep one on hand. Olives are good for you in moderation, watch out for your sodium intake, especially these days when you are reverting to processed food. Or better yet, don't!!! Don't be an alarmist and eat nothing but processed food. You are stuck at home, and have time to make things by scratch. Don't know how, watch a video or read how. Ask a neighbor to borrow a cook book if you don't have one.
Okay, sorry for the rant. Back to the Oranges and Olives. My favorite salad is a Tunisian Orange and Green Olive Salad.
4 to 6 oranges, peeled and sliced 3/8" slices. Spread the oranges out on a flat platter or large dish. Drain an 8 oz jar of green olives with pimentos and scatter them over the orange slices. In a bowl, add 1/4 c Olive Oil, 4 TBSP Lemon Juice, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt & pepper to taste. Whisk ingredients and pour over the oranges. Let site about 10 minutes before serving. This is so good you might want to lick the plate!
And I can't forget my Missouri Friends, who are now watching for those first blooms of spring and their yards filling with Dandelions! Dandelions greens make great salads! The new tender leaves are so good when you toss them with sliced sweet onions and a vinaigrette made of equal parts of Blasamic Vinegar, Olive Oil and Maple Syrup. Wow that is good! Don't have maple syrup, no problem, you can use Agave nectar, honey, raw sugar, or any other sweetener, just don't use refined white sugar. That's blaspheme.
Well I hope all my readers will try one of these if they get in a pinch.
I hope we will all be able to get out and mingle again soon.
Be well, stay healthy!
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