Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
Cooking Fiddleheads
May 28 2013
Fiddleheads are the furled fronds of a young ostrich fern commonly found near rivers and streams. Because they cannot be cultivated, fiddleheads are only available for a few weeks every spring and are harvested before the fern unrolls completely. The ostrich fern grows wild in certain parts of North Eastern North America and is the variety most likely to be on tables here. Fiddleheads are an excellent source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as iron and fibre. Imagine a combination of asparagus, broccoli and green beans and you’ll get the flavour of fiddleheads.
Cleaning Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads can be cleaned by first placing them in a colander and thoroughly rinsing them off with clean cold water. After washing, place the rinsed fiddleheads in a bowl full of clean cool water to remove the remainder of the brown papery coverings, and repeat as needed. They should appear clean at this point.
Short-term storage
Keep fiddleheads refrigerated until you are ready to cook or preserve them. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in a container filled with water. Make sure to change the water in the container every couple of days.
Cooking Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads can be cooked using two different methods, boiling and steaming.
- Boiling
Bring lightly salted water in a pot to a rolling boil and add washed fiddleheads without stopping the boil. If the water stops boiling you added too many fiddleheads. Therefore, make sure to boil them in enough water. If the water loses its boil, don’t worry, simply bring the water back to a steady boil and cook for 15 minutes.
- Steaming
Bring a small amount of water to a boil preferably in steamer. Add cleaned fiddleheads and steam for 10-12 minutes. Continue reading
Memorial Day Menu
May 24 2013
For many in the United States, Memorial Day is the first long weekend of summer and it’s time to get the barbecue going! Chef Paul created a fabulous menu to give you an eat-in or take-out picnic lunch.
Give it a try and post pictures of your meal on the MealEasy Facebook page.
Print Grocery List for this meal (pdf)>>> Download
Print Memorial Day Menu (pdf) >>> Download
Mother’s Day Brunch Menu
May 06 2013
Download Menu (pdf) here: Mother’s Day Brunch Menu
Download Groceries (pdf) here: Grocery List for this Meal
Burger Makeover
April 30 2013
You CAN take an unhealthy meal and flip it into something low calorie, low fat and super yummy.
Take the traditional burger for example. Loaded with high calorie condiments and red meat, the Chicken Burger with Pineapple Salsa is a great alternative. With only 380 calories per serving!
Chicken Burger with Pineapple Salsa
- Ingredients:
- 1/2 pineapple, fresh, peeled, cored, diced
- 1 mango, peeled, diced (~1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 onion, red, thinly sliced (~1 1/3 cups)
- 2 tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 12 oz chicken, ground lean (~1 1/2 cups)
- 1 apple, green, peeled, grated (~1 cup)
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
- 4 rolls, whole wheat, sliced in half
- 4 leaf inner lettuce, green leaf
- 2 oz cheese, cheddar, low sodium, sliced thin (~2 slice (1 oz))
- Instructions:
Prep
- Mix together the pineapple, mango, cilantro, lime juice and oil and set aside.
- Mix the chicken with the apple, panko and cayenne.
- Form mixture into 4 equal sized patties.
- Place the patties on a plate and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the barbecue or grill.
Cooking
- Grill the patties until cooked through, about 15 minutes, turning once.
- Serve the burgers on rolls with lettuce, cheddar cheese and topped with salsa
Sunday Feast Leftovers
April 08 2013
Making lunches throughout the week can be both stressful and time consuming. Quite often you’re left with little choice but to grab something on the go. This often means you’re spending money you shouldn’t and eating something that’s not healthy.
That’s why it is so important to plan your meals ahead of time. And, while planning ahead, plan for leftovers. Leftovers are the easiest lunch there is. What could be more convenient than taking some leftover supper and eating it for lunch?
That’s why at our house I always plan on a big dinner for Sunday evenings even though there are only 3 of us in our family. This week, even with visitors staying with us, we still had plenty of leftovers for lunches. I decided on a whole roast chicken which I cooked on the rotisserie and a quinoa salad with as many vegetables as I could cook. Sure it took a couple hours to cook the chicken but as it roasted away, I leisurely prepped the veggies for the quinoa salad while chatting with our guests while we sipped our wine.
This week’s quinoa salad featured a whole bunch of fresh vegetables such as asparagus, beet greens and spinach. It was great! I highly recommend quinoa salads as a starch for dinner and as a lunch item on its own; so filling and nutritious.
Get the Most from Fresh Garden Goodness
April 03 2013
It’s Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Fall in the Southern Hemisphere
These next few months are an exciting time worldwide. The northern hemisphere is sorting and planting seeds, while the southern hemisphere kicks harvest into gear.
Planning to Eat: For those of us who enjoy gardening, it’s a wonderful cost saving activity, not to mention an inexpensive stress reliever. Planning your indoor or outdoor garden can be a fun, family activity that teaches young children the important connection between health, the environment and food.
Fall in Love with Better Food: Harvest time is a fun time to experiment with new ingredients and try new dishes. There may be certain ingredients that you’re not fond of, so give MealEasy a try. MealEasy offers a quick and easy feature to select foods to avoid so you never have to see a recipe with ingredients you don’t like. Your taste buds will thank you!
Plant a lifetime of good food
Not sure what to plant? Make it a family project and have fun together! Take a trip to the library and select books on gardening for your climate. It’s never too early to plan a garden – no matter what season it is where you live.
Fresh Picks: Choosing what to grow depends on how much space and light you have for the plants. Always consider which plants you will use for cooking and eating. Most people enjoy adding fresh herbs to salads and soups, and the small amount of space that’s needed for herbs pots, means anyone can grow and enjoy fresh herbs.
Start an indoor herb garden and use them to add flavor to dishes rather than using dried herbs. All you need is a pot, soil, sunlight and water. Instant flavor!
Try it, You might Like it! MealEasy provides recipes that are Chef-designed and family tested. We never promote or profile recipes that we would not prepare and enjoy with our own families. Adding a hint of “fresh” is a great way to try new foods and include healthy eating in your day.
Chef Paul’s Pantry Essentials
March 11 2013
There are a few essential ingredients that no pantry should be without. Whenever you want to put together a quick snack or meal, these ingredients will help get you on your way:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This “healthy fat” is wonderful for everyday cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for butter or margarine. Use it also for sautéing onions and garlic, drizzling over salads, add it to a bruschetta mixture, and more.
Spring is Near – Grow Fresh!
March 06 2013
Even if you’ve never gardened before or you think you don’t have a green thumb, growing your own food can be simple and economical. A huge bonus for your bank account!
Despite what most people think , you don’t need large plot of land to grow a kitchen garden. All you need is soil, light and the ability to water the plants on a regular basis. Growing herbs on a windowsill, in pots on your veranda, or hanging tomato baskets from your balcony is an easy way to cut your food bills.
Cooking with fresh herbs adds wonderful flavor to most dishes but buying a bunch of thyme when you know that you only need a small amount of chopped thyme can sometimes be wasteful. Growing thyme, basil, cilantro and other herbs can be easy, fun and a money saver.
Children who grow up learning about the connection between growing food and eating food, have a better understanding of the importance of a healthy, nutrient rich diet. Get the kids involved and let them have their own indoor garden pots.
Check out this site for more information on growing your own herbs indoors: Container gardening
MealEasy puts kids in the Driver Seat
February 27 2013
Chinese style noodles with chicken
One of the best ways to introduce children to new cuisines is to try new dishes in the comfort of your own home. Children are curious and love to explore new things. Making it fun by letting them choose the country not only gets them involved, but puts them in charge.
Kids love being in the driver’s seat. When children are involved in the healthy What’s for Dinner? decision, they will learn to make better choices and be proud to be part of the solution.
MealEasy offers many cuisine options including Chinese, Greek, Italian, Mexian, Middle Eastern and so much more.
Take a stroll around the world with MealEasy. Explore new foods, and have fun with your children.
Get Fresh, but Stay Safe
February 18 2013
Leafy greens have been found to be a common source for food borne illnesses in the United States.
In light of the recent illnesses at fast food chains, eating at home makes more sense than ever.
Many food borne illnesses that surface in green vegetables can easily be avoided by washing greens thoroughly and ensuring fresh fruit and vegetables do not come into contact with raw meats. Cross contamination is easy to do if you’re not careful. Using a separate cutting board and utensils is very important when preparing raw meats for cooking and then chopping fresh vegetables.
Our very own Chef Paul uses many cutting boards when preparing dishes and always washes his hands with hot soapy water after touching raw meat.
Have a look at Chef Paul’s latest video for safety tips: