Grocery Store 101

Ever have trouble trying to pick out healthy food when shopping? The grocery store can make this task a difficult one. There are so many already prepared goodies and free samples of them. How do you navigate with so many choices and still get a great dinner on the table? It can be hard to make nutritious choices, when there is so many options.  Here a few tips to get you through with a healthy cart.

Shop Around the Perimeter

The perimeter of the grocery store has the most nutritious foods. This includes: produce, dairy, meat, and seafood. The produce allows you to get fresh fruits and vegetables. Load up on these foods for snacks and as sides for lunch and dinner. Buying a rainbow of colors in produce helps to get all the nutrients necessary and give some variation in your diet. The dairy section contains low fat yogurts, milk and cheese. This will help you get the Vitamin D and Calcium you need. Try to stay away from a lot of heavy cream, cream cheese and other highly processed dairy foods. The meat section is a great way to get your protein and add variety to your meals. Great lean meat options include chicken breast, turkey, flank steak and pork loin. The seafood department has many nourishing options between the lean fish, hearty shrimp and omega three fish such as salmon and arctic char. It is a exceptional place to get your protein and explore some alternative protein sources.

Avoid Food Products in the Inner Isles

The corollary to shopping around the perimeter is to avoid buy too many products from the inner isles of the store, which tend to be highly processed. These foods have scientific sounding ingredient lists that go on and on. Most of the time they lack many of the needed nutrients and are loaded with preservatives. Items in these isles are generally high in sodium, sugar, and fat, which can have multiple negative effects on the human body. These foods have a long shelf life, but that is accomplished by loading them full of preservatives. Longer shelf life, generally means less nutrients. However, there are exceptions, such as: canned tomatoes, dried beans or canned beans, spices, bulk items, nuts, whole grain pasta and other whole grain products. These are important items to keep on hand in order to help make a quick meal. Canned tomatoes can be used to make an impressive sauce or added to a variety of dishes. Beans can be used as a protein in a side or salad. Spices add many nutrients and antioxidants to your meal. Whole grains add fiber and are a great starch to have with your meal. Nuts are great as a snack and be used in a variety of ways when cooking.

Canned versus Frozen Foods

The nutrients in frozen fruits and vegetables are far higher than in their canned counterparts. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at the perfect ripeness and then flash frozen. This allows the nutrients to be locked in at their peak. Taste is much greater and truer in these item as well. Canned foods are loaded with sodium and have a long shelf life due to the processing that is involved in order to preserve food this way. If fresh is not available, frozen is the way to go. It is optimal way to keep wholesome items on hand as well. I always have frozen peas, spinach and mixed vegetables in my freezer. I can use these items to make last minute meals or side dishes. They can also be added to soups, sauces, curries, and rice for a nutritional boost.

Ingredient List 

An important part of shopping is reading food labels. This may not be something that you are in the habit of yet, but is very beneficial. It is important to know what is being digested in your body. A good rule of thumb is the shorter the list the better. The more ingredients in the food item usually the less healthy that item. More ingredients often means more preservatives. A second rule is if you don't know what an ingredient is don't eat it. When you don't understand what is on the label, you probably don't want to eat it. Food items should have a simple list with ingredients which you can pronounce and understand. Most of the science terms on food labels are often preservatives.

Bulk Foods

Buying bulk food is a marvelous in terms of nutrition. You can get great healthful items here such as nuts, brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oats and many others. When you buy these items here you save money because you are not paying for packaging. You can also just get the exact amount you need. This can make buying healthy more affordable.

Buying Local

One of the best ways to support your community and your health is by buying local. Many grocery stores label food that has specifically come from a local source. Buying local gives you the most nutrients available because it did not have far to travel before you purchased it. The sooner an item is consumed after being picked the more nutrients are in it. Shopping at farmers markets are a great way to get local ingredients and products. No matter where you live, you can find some great products and produce from local farmers. There are often free samples to try so you can know what you like. Also beneficial is that they can answer any questions you may have, which is a great way to learn. Buying local products and produce is a great way to support your community!

Organic or Not?

I personally try to buy organic as much as possible. It is not always affordable so I keep to a general rule. The thicker the skin on a particular type of fruit or vegetable the less important it is to buy organic. Or if you are going to eat the skin buy organic. Items such as lettuce, nectarines, peaches, parsley, potatoes, cilantro, berries, apples, pears, and tomatoes, I buy organically. Items such as pineapple, bananas, and avocados have a much thicker skin so the pesticides do not penetrate into the fruit or vegetable as much. It is not as necessary to buy these organic.

Bring a list

It is very important to bring a list when shopping. This helps you navigate and get what you really need. A list allows you to plan your menu. This way you can plan around what is on sale or what is already in your fridge. Sticking to a list will help you pass up on those impulse buys. It is much easier to buy healthy when you know ahead of time what you will be making. If I go to the store without a list, I tend to buy items that don't really make a complete meal. I end up with way to much of one item or not enough of another, and I tend to spend money on items I don't really need.

Don't go hungry

Another very important tip to follow is: Do not shop on an empty stomach! When I am hungry, I often come home with twice as much as I needed, and I buys items I can't possible make before they go bad. A good time to go is after a meal like breakfast or lunch. This helps you make rational decisions and  avoid adding impulse items to your cart. Do yourself a favor and have snack before going to the grocery store.

A simple grilling recipe for hot summer evenings!

Flank steak is traditionally a tough cut of meat, although it has become much more trendy in the past few years. It is a cheaper cut of meat, but has a wide variety of cooking options. Using strips of flank steak is great way to top a salad and when marinated can be quite tender and flavorful. For this recipe, I decided to utilize the warm summer evening here in Ohio and grilled it with some vegetables and made a nice light chimichurri sauce to dip everything in. Chimichurri sauce originated in Argentina, and is often used with grilled meats. It is a very light and refreshing sauce that could be used as a marinade and to top a variety of foods. Dipping grilled peppers and zucchini in chimichurri is very delicious as well. In culinary school, we served chimichurri with our empanadas.

Grilled Flank Steak

Serves: 3-4        Cook Time: 10 min              Prep Time: 20 min

• 1 lb flank steak
• Olive oil to coat
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Allow steak time to reach room temperature. I let it sit out for about 20-30 minutes. Before you grill season with salt, pepper and olive oil to coat. Grill approximately 3-4 minutes per side depending on thickness for medium to medium rare.

Tip- Steak cooking 101

Chimichurri Sauce

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup italian parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place garlic, shallot, vinegar, and lime juice in blender. Add parsley and cilantro then blend. Add olive oil and blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Vegetables

• 1 zucchini, cut in half
• asparagus, trimmed
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 4 flat sides
• Olive oil to coat
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Season with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Grill until tender and slightly charred.

Ready to plate and serve

Steak 101

Unless you are Steven Raichlen of Primal Grill©, or are a line cook at a steak house, you have probably felt a little intimidated when it comes time to cook steak. I used to be quite intimidated myself, there seemed to be so much guesswork involved. How are you supposed to know when its done? What temperature is safe? What is the correct way to cut it? When to do you cut it? There seemed to be more questions then answers. Attending culinary school and working at the local cooking school has given me insight and practice into how to properly prepare steak. And I will share what I have learned with you.

Cooking Steak

It is important to let your steak come to room temperature before you cook it. This allows the meat to cook evenly and give a better browning or sear. If it is not room temperature, some possible results may include: cold center, tough outer edge and no browning. Just take out the meat about 20 minutes before cooking it and longer if it is a larger cut.

Depending on how rare or well done you want your steak changes the cooking time. A recipe may tell you to cook a number of minutes per side, but the truth is that every piece of meat is different and each will have a different cooking time. So time is not a reliable indication of how well done your meat is. Temperature is the single most important factor used to determine how well done your steak will turn out. Table 1 below show the desired finish and the associated temperatures. The reason you cook it to the temperatures listed is that once you remove the meat from the heat source, its internal temperature will continue to rise an additional 5-10 degrees depending on the size of your cut. This is called carry over cooking. Carry over cooking happens because there is so much contained energy stored in the piece of meat. After it has been removed from the heat source, heat will continue to be released resulting in additional cooking. This happens with all types of meats and cuts. The bigger the cut, the more carry over cooking will occur.

Table 1: Finish Temperatures

Desired Finish	Internal Temp	Final Temp
Rare	115-120 °F	120-125 °F
Medium Rare	125-130 °F	130-135 °F
Medium	130-135 °F	135-140 °F
Medium Well	140-145 °F	145-150 °F
Well	150-155 °F	155-160 °F

Once removed from the heat, it is important to let your steak rest before cutting. This allows all the juices to redistribute throughout your steak. If you cut directly into to the steak without a rest period, all the juices will run out, leaving you with a dry, tasteless piece of meat. No one wants to ruin an expensive cut of meat, so wait at least 10 minutes. Again, if the cut is bigger you may want to wait 20-30 minutes. It is well worth it.

Another trick to help determine if your steak is cooked to the desired finish is to use a trick with your hand. Using the inside palm of your hand beneath the thumb, outlined in red below, the firmness at that point is roughly equivalent to your steak desired finish. As you touch your thumb to different fingers the firmness changes. The images below depict the hand position given a specific finish.

Position 1: Rare, 2: Medium Rare, 3: Medium, 4: Medium Well, 5: Well

Cutting Steak

Now that you know how to properly cook and rest your steak. The next important tip to remember is how to properly cut your steak. With any steak you want to cut slices against the grain. This creates a tender slice of meat. If you cut with the grain, it will be very chewy and possibly less enjoyable. By cutting against the grain, the meat remains much softer and will give easier when you chew it. Much like the grain in a piece of wood, pay attention to the direction of the meat fibers.

Depiction of grain (red) and cutting direction (green)

Food Safety

The final topic I will cover is how to safely handle raw meat. When handling any cut of raw meat it is important to avoid cross contamination. Cross contamination occurs when the raw meat juices or bacteria attach to other items that are not being cooked or cooked to a lesser temperature. This has the potential to cause health problems. So whatever touches a raw piece of meat, make sure to thoroughly wash, or switch to clean, utensils, cutting board, or plate before touching the cooked meat again. It is very important to be safe, no one wants to get sick from their food. You can never be to careful. Safety first!

An italian classic remade. A fruity tiramisu!

I love Tiramisu! It is one of my all time favorite desserts. It is so light and airy with such amazing bold flavors. There are many interpretations on this favorite. This is not my classic version, but a more seasonal dish appropriate for summer. Berries are natures candies. I love fresh berries! I cannot get enough of them. I can eat an entire container of berries in one sitting. For this post, I decided to do a raspberry tiramisu. One of my favorite berries in one of my favorite desserts! I do not think there is anywhere to go wrong.

Raspberry Tiramisu

The star ingredients

Serves: 10-12        Cook Time: 0 min              Prep Time: 30 min

• 3  6 ounce containers fresh raspberries, reserve one
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Chambord
• 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• 8 ounces Mascarpone
• 3 Tablespoons Chambord
• 3 Tablespoons Raspberry (Framboise) Lambic
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 35 Lady Fingers
• 1/2 Cup Raspberry (Framboise) Lambic
• Dark Chocolate, grated for garnish

Directions

Folding cream into mascarpone mixture

Mix together the first measure of sugar, Chambord and 2 containers of raspberries. Lightly mash and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the first measure of powdered sugar, heavy cream and mascarpone. Mix until light and fluffy. Then mix in the second measure of Chambord and add the first measure of Lambic. Set aside. In a another bowl add the second measure of heavy cream. Whip until it becomes slightly airy and fluffy. Next add the second measure of powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks are formed. Gently fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Then slowly fold in the rest of the whipped cream until fully incorporated. In order to assemble, soak ladyfingers in the remaining raspberry Lambic for about 5 seconds. Lineup the lady fingers in the bottom of a 2.2 qt pan until completely covered.  Some may need to be cut in half. Next take about 1/2 of the raspberry sauce mixture and layer over the lady fingers. Then take 1/2 of the mascarpone whipped cream mixture and spread evenly over the raspberry sauce layer. Repeat with remaining lady fingers, raspberry sauce and whipped cream mixtures. Let sit over night. When ready to serve, garnish with grated chocolate and fresh raspberries. Enjoy!

Assembly: Lady Fingers, Raspberry Sauce, Mascarpone. Repeat.

Plated perfection

Tip- Lambic is a belgian beer, spontaneously fermented and aged for a year or more (2-3) in wooden barrels. This produces a complex sour beer. Mixing lambics of different ages is called a Gueuze. Adding fruit to a lambic during the secondary stage of fermentation produces a fruit flavored beer. The typical fruits used are kriek/cherry, framboise/raspberry, cassis/blackcurrant, and probably another dozen less common fruits. If you have never tried a lambic, do yourself a favor and try one, even if you think you hate beer. Many non-beer drinkers enjoy the lambics which have fruit added. You are most likely to find the framboise varient at your local liquor store.

A new take on a old classic!

Who doesn't like Italian food? I have always had a love for Italian food, and it has only gotten stronger as I have developed my culinary skills. I love to make a classic bruschetta with tomato and basil. But for this dish, I decided to take a unique approach to this classic Italian appetizer. It is not yet tomato season here in Ohio; however, strawberries are in season. Nothing compares to locally grown, freshly picked strawberries. Fresh berries can add lots of color and look so stunning just on their own. It does not take much to make beautiful berries shine. This dish is so deliciously sweet, you might even consider serving it for dessert!

Strawberry Bruschetta

Serves: 8-10          Cook Time: 15 min              Prep Time: 10 min

• 1 Quart Strawberries, sliced
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 Cups Ricotta, preferably homemade
• 4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 French Baguette, sliced 1/4" on bias
• 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, Chiffonaded

Directions

Mix the strawberries with the sugar and balsamic. Set aside. Place ricotta, heavy cream and honey in bowl of mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until all ingredients are combined. Set aside. Place baguette slices on a cookie sheet. Brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool. To assemble: spread ricotta mix over baguette slices, add strawberry slices, drizzle with balsamic and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Tip-  The fewer the ingredients, the more important they become. When you are making something like bruschetta or grilled cheese it is really important to buy quality ingredients. This is because all of them will be in the spotlight. That is why in this recipe I used local strawberries, homemade ricotta and a high quality aged balsamic vinegar. This really allows the dish to reach its maximum potential. Your guests will definitely appreciate it.

Tip- Adjusting the sweetness of berries requires that you first taste the fruit before adding sugar. Some fruit is super sweet and may need little to none. The berries I used for this dish were slightly sour so I added additional sugar to balance it out. Each batch of berries is different, so while you may need to add sugar, there is a chance you will not. Which is why it is important to taste the fruit before you make this dish.

My favorite balsamic

The star ingredients

Strawberry topping

Ricotta spread

The final assembled product

My favorite green dip!

Guacamole my way! I never used to like guacamole, but when my boyfriend asked for some to put on his fajita, I decided to make it from scratch. Since then I have perfected this wonderful and healthy dip. It is a pretty classic version with a slight short cut. My family and friends all love this guacamole. I have even had people tell me they would buy it from me. But this post will share my secrets for free so that you too can enjoy this wonderful dip. I highly recommend trying guacamole with tacos, fajitas, or any mexican or tex-mex food of your liking. It's super simple to make and your friends will love it!

Guacamole

Serves: 4-6         Cook Time: 0 min              Prep Time: 10 min

• 3 Hass Avocados, scooped
• 1 Lime, juiced
• 1/2 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 3/4 cup Garden Fresh, Jacks Special Salsa, Medium-Hot
• 1Small Bunch Cilantro, chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Combine avocados, lime juice, garlic and salsa. Using a potato masher, mash all ingredients. You can leave it a little chunky or make it completely smooth. I personally like some avocado chunks in mine. Then mix in cilantro and salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Tip- Picking out a ripe avocado at the grocery store can be a challenge. There is always so much produce to choose from. How do you tell the perfectly ripe avocados from the not-so-ripe and overly-ripe? When looking for a ripe avocado, it should be a very dark green/black in color. It should still be firm to the touch, but give a little when you gently press on it with your thumb. It should not be easily dented or bruised. If you cannot find a ripe avocado, buy a hard one and place it on your kitchen counter for a couple of days and wait for it to ripen.

How to make an impressive and quick meal!

This is not really a spring/summer dish other than the fact that is pretty light. It was not something that was planned to be in the blog, but taste suggested otherwise. This dish came about because I did not want to go to the grocery store and just wanted to use up what was in the fridge. I have discovered that some of these meals can be quite tasty. This dish also has the colors of spring and summer with bright greens and reds. It is quick and easy to make and does not involve much prep work at all. The stuffing in this recipe would also work great on portabella mushrooms!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves: 2            Cook Time: 25 min              Prep Time: 20 min

• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (8 oz each)
• 1/4 Pound Spanish Feta, crumbled
• 1 Handful of Arugula, chopped
• 1/2 Cup Sun dried Dried Tomatoes in oil, drained, roughly chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. To make the stuffing combine feta, tomatoes, arugula and toss. Season with salt and pepper. In order to stuff the chicken, make a slit horizontally on the thickest side of the chicken. Make the slit about 2/3 of the way through the breasts horizontally. Then split the stuffing in half and stuff into each chicken breast. You may have to be a little forceful to make it all fit.

After the chicken is stuffed

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Next dredge the chicken in flour and shake off the excess. Heat a large enough pan to fit both chicken breasts. Add oil and heat until it smokes. Add chicken on what would be skin side down. Now I know it will be hard but don't touch for 3-4 minutes in order to sear the breast. Then repeat on the bottom side.

TIP- Searing is a very important aspect of the culinary world. In order to sear, you want your pan and whatever fat you use to be VERY HOT! I know it is hard, but leave the item alone. The more it is touched, the less browning will occur. So leave it alone. Searing is important because it sears in the juices of the meat you are cooking. This will help keep it from becoming dry. Once seared, the meat can be braised, baked or roasted.

One more side to go

Once finished place on a parchment lined tray and bake 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F. Serve over dressed arugula.

Finished chicken served over arugula

Dressed Arugula

• 4 Cups Arugula
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Lemon, juiced
• Season will salt and pepper

Toss arugula in lemon juice, olive oil and season.