Easy entrees, no oven required

Although the kids are back in school, there's still actually another month (almost) of the summer season. With hot temperatures sticking around, who wants to heat up the oven at dinner time?
A reader sent me this piece, "How to Make 5 Simple Entrees That Don't Require the Oven." I'll include the whole thing below, but you might also want to visit the website where it originated, called Babysitting.net. 
Thanks to them for these convenient (and healthy) meal ideas! (I might add that many of these can be family projects -- involve the kids in preparing their dinner.)

THE ENTREES:

1.     Tropical chicken salad wrap.  These wraps can be eaten at home or wrapped up and taken to the lake for a picnic.  Mix the following together: 2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken, 1 can of mandarin oranges (drained), ½ cup of shredded coconut (toasted), ½ cup of cashews, 1 bunch of scallions chopped, juice of 1 lime, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 1/3 cup of mayonnaise.  Place a couple of lettuce leaves on your large tortilla, add chicken salad and wrap it all up.

2.     Butter bean, tuna, and celery salad.  In a small bowl mix up the dressing for the salad by combining 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and then slowly whisk in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Add ¼ cup of chopped chives and salt and pepper.  In a large bowl add 7 cans of Italian tuna packed in olive oil (drained), 3 stalks of celery sliced on the bias, 2 cans of butter beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 ½ tablespoons of capers (drained).  Toss the dressing and salad together and enjoy.

3.     Cold cucumber soup with some French bread.  In a food processor add 3 seedless cucumbers that have been peeled and chopped, ¾ cup of chopped green onions, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and 1 ½ cups of vegetable broth.  Puree.  Stir in ½ cup of sour cream and chill for about an hour.  Garnish with additional chopped cucumbers, green onions and lemon zest if you like.

4.     Meat and potatoes.  This menu requires the grill, which is a good alternative when you need to cook food but don’t want to do so in the oven.  Salt and pepper your favorite cut of steak and put it on the grill.  Slice potatoes and par boil them on the stove top before bringing them to the grill.  Sprinkle the par cooked potato slices with a little steak seasoning and lay them on the grill.  Watch these closely as it won’t take long for them to pick up some grill marks.  Flip them over and grill on the other side until cooked and heated through.    Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Chop up some lettuce and lay the sliced steak on top of the lettuce, then arrange the potatoes around the salad and your meal is complete.

5.      Baked potato bar. Nope, you’re not going to cook the baked potatoes in the oven or in the microwave.  Wash the number of potatoes that you need for your family.  Wrap the potatoes up individually in foil and place on the bottom of your slow cooker  in a single layer.  Turn the slow cooker on high for potatoes in about 4 hours or low to have baked potatoes in about 8 hours.  The potatoes will stay in the cooker so as family members get home they can eat when they are ready.  Have a selection of toppings ready, including cheese, sour cream, pre-cooked bacon bits, chopped ham, and butter.  Anything your family likes on their baked potatoes can be used here.

Best gumbo EVER

Chicken shrimp & sausage gumbo

As readers of this blog know, I'm crazy about (chicken and/or seafood) gumbo, but only when okra is in season. It's the one key ingredient without which you don't have gumbo, and it just doesn't work for me to use frozen okra.
It's also a major kitchen project with lots of steps, so I only make it once or at most twice per summer. But my recipe makes a large potful, enough for several meals. The finished stew freezes quite well, and I've already put up a large amount for a month or so down the road.
This batch came out extra wonderful, probably because of an added ingredient: Andouille sausage. I always made it without the sausage for health reasons, but this time found some "chicken" Andouille at Trader Joe's and decided to go for it.
So in the step where you saute chopped peppers, onions and garlic in vegetable oil, I added two sausages, sliced, and let the mixture brown deeply before adding the flour, tomatoes, broth and okra.
Fantastic!
Here's my basic recipe (again); amend if you wish with the aforementioned sausage step.

CHICKEN AND SHRIMP GUMBO


(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
1 lb. okra, trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
4 T canola oil or butter, or a mix, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 T flour
4 cups chicken stock, heated
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 T each chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) and parsley
1 large bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 lb. uncooked shrimp (peeled and deveined), crabmeat, or chicken (boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces), or a combination
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco or other hot sauce, ore more to taste

Instructions:

1.      Heat 2T oil/butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add okra and sauté, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

2.      Heat remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper, garlic and onion and sauté until veggies turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, herbs, salt, and reserved okra.

4.      Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5.      Stir in shrimp, chicken and/or crabmeat, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until meat is tender. Be careful not to overcook shrimp.

6.      Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf, stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Add more salt if necessary.

7.      Ladle into bowls over white or brown rice. Pass more hot sauce at the table.

MORE benefits of drinking alcohol

Anyone who's read this blog for a while knows that I'm a fan of many alcoholic beverages, especially wine and some cocktails. Even though one of my "healthy foodie rules" is to MINIMIZE LIQUID CALORIES (for weight control purposes, obviously), I usually manage to include something alcoholic in my day's calorie count. Exceptions would be when I've let a couple of pounds slip on and I need to lose them; sometimes alcoholic beverages are relatively easy calories to forego.

I can't claim that I drink for health reasons, but it's a nice justification to learn that alcohol does have positive health outcomes.

A reader sent a link to this story: "7 Surprising Benefits of Drinking Alcohol." Click on the title to read the whole piece. Here is the basic list:

1. Lowers "bad" cholesterol

2. Reduces the risk of developing diabetes

3.  Builds brain power

4. Prevents gallstones

5. Controls weight 

6. Reduces tumors

7. Strengthens bones

Cheers!

You need more of these

What do fiber, Vitamin B12, Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, Potassium and Vitamin D have in common?
Aside from being essential nutrients for good health and long life, they also make up a list of things you're not getting enough of.

And don't think you can just pop a pill (such as a multi-vitamin with calcium) to make it up. No, the very best way to assure sufficient vitamins and minerals remains to eat (and drink) foods that are rich in these beneficial  substances.
For instance, fiber is abundant in most fruits and vegetables (some more than others) and in legumes, especially beans and bean products.
To read about this list of super-nutrients and how to make sure your diet contains plenty of them, check out this article "7 Nutrients You Aren't Getting Enough of."
And keep eating your veggies!

Good Eats: Dutch's Larder

I wouldn't have known about this deli/bar/gourmet food/wine shop if my friend Beth hadn't happened upon it and raved about the quality of the food that Dutch's Larder has been producing for the past few months.
It used to be a beer joint and package store -- and in part it still is. This year they took over the space next door that had been a Starbucks and expanded into a wine and gourmet food store along with a deli.

Dutch's Larder

The main deli case

When another friend who lives in Hyde Park suggested we meet for lunch, I said let's try Dutch's.
Yum!
It's not a restaurant, per se, and indoor seating is limited in the deli area. But as long as the weather stays nice -- a few more months, we can hope -- you can have a pleasant experience at their outdoor patio, in back. 

On the patio

The deli offers a menu of salads, soups, "snacks" and sandwiches. Of the three of us, our light eater had a bowl of tomato soup ("delicious") while the others tried various sandwiches. My smoked chicken with avocado spread, sliced tomato, marinated cabbage and a little bit of bacon was excellent. I'd have a hard time not ordering that again, it was so good.

We also had a glass of wine with lunch from a short but varied list that included a Cava (Spanish sparkler), one rose and about 5-6 each of white and red wine. 
After lunch, I shopped a little and brought home a few gourmet treats, including a pint of (frozen) lobster stock that I don't know what to do with, but am not worried because there are many options. 

Smoked Chicken Sandwich

The location (fairly far from my home or work) will make it hard for me to become a regular at Dutch's, but if your orbit takes you in the Mt. Lookout/Hyde Park area, definitely check the place out. 

As of now, they don't have a website, but you can find Dutch's Larder on Facebook.

Fast-Food Items to Avoid AT ALL TIMES!

Yes we know that the fast-food joints serve stuff that is mostly bad for us, although there are exceptions if you look hard enough.

Five Guys Fries

Salads, yogurt parfaits, McMuffins and a few other things tend to have not-horrible nutritional profiles -- but to tell you the truth, I pretty much avoid all fast-food restaurants and can count on one hand the times in my entire life that I've eaten a meal at McDonald's. That's a weird way to be in our modern culture, I understand, and it's not at all realistic to assume that most people can or will eat that way.
However, you can at least steer clear of the really BAD choices at your local drive-through or sub shop.
From a frequent reader, here is a list of what they call "disturbingly unhealthy" options that should be avoided:

1. Carl's Junior Double Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger
2. Foot-long Chicken and Bacon Ranch Melt (Subway)
3. Beef Taco Salad (Q'doba)
4. Large French Fried at Five Guys
5. Monster Thickburger, Hardee's
6. Burger King's Triple Whopper with Cheese

Triple whopper with cheese

Click here to read the (scary) nutritional profile of these "treats."

Home workouts on the cheap -- or free!

Trying to be "good" about exercise without spending the money on a gym membership? Want to set up a home-based routine without a big investment?
Check out this piece on "8 Ways to Set Up a Home Gym on a Budget." Click here to read the details; these are the eight tips:

1. Use the space you've got
2. Keep it simple
3. Invite your friends
4. Use household items as exercise equipment
5. Buy second-hand equipment
6. Or go equipment-free
7. DIY decorating
8. Do your cardio outside

It's time for a summer treat

When okra shows up at farmers' markets, I crave gumbo. Although you can make the hearty stew with frozen okra, I've always waited for the fresh, local crop. Make extra to freeze some to have when the weather cools down. It's sooooo satisfying and yummy. 
And it uses other peak-of-season produce, too: pepper, onion, garlic and tomatoes, plus thyme and parsley.

Recipe: Seafood and Chicken Gumbo

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb. okra, trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
4 T canola oil or butter, or a mix, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 T flour
4 cups chicken stock, heated
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 T each chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) and parsley
1 large bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 lb. uncooked shrimp (peeled and deveined), crabmeat, or chicken (boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces), or any combination of these
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco or other hot sauce, or more to taste

Instructions:

1.      Heat 2T oil/butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add okra and sauté, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes until “roping” (thin strands of white substance) subsides. Set aside.

2.      Heat remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper, garlic and onion and sauté until veggies turn translucent, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, herbs, salt, and reserved okra.

4.      Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

5.      Stir in shrimp, chicken and/or crabmeat, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until meat is tender. Be careful not to overcook shrimp.

6.      Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf, stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Add more salt if necessary.

7.      Ladle into bowls over white or brown rice. Pass more hot sauce at the table.

Note: To kick up the flavor a bit, you can add one large Andouille sausage, diced, during step 2.

Wide world of eating disorders -- and drug-free ways to boost mental health

We're familiar with anorexia,  bulimia, and perhaps binge eating, but one of my readers shared an article about several other, lesser known but well documented eating disorders.

They range from people who have cravings for odd and unusual foods (technical name: Pica eating disorder) to those who binges that occur when someone is in a dreamlike state and doesn't realize she/he is eating (trance eating) and orthorexia, a condition that causes one to obsessively avoid foods that are good for you and purposely deprive themselves of vitamins and other essential nutrients.
These and others are grouped together by the American Psychiatric Association as Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified.
Who knew?
To read about these and the other unusual ailments that can come between a person and a healthy relationship with food, click here.

Socializing can chase the mental demons away

Another reader sent me info about reliable ways to improve our mental health, without drugs. I've been feeling blue myself lately (grieving the loss of my mother), and welcome these ideas. Although these are remedies most of us probably know will help, it doesn't hurt to get this reminder:
1. Exercise (a daily requirement in my life)
2. Meditation
3. Aromatherapy
4. Journaling (does blogging count?) :-)
5. Stretching (I would put yoga in this category)
6. Massage therapy
7. Travel (often works for me)

Click here to read the reasons why each of these activities can boost our mood significantly.