Homemade Marshmallows

Oh yeah, this is totally possible.  And they are absolutely delicious.  Everyone is super impressed that you made marshmallows, and the possibilities are endless.  Smores?  Dip in chocolate?  Let them melt in hot cocoa?  Just eat as is?  Give as a cute holiday gift?  Yes to all of the above.

This recipe is from Giada de Laurentis, and she adds orange zest.  I love doing this too because it gives a really nice faint flavor, and when they melt into hot chocolate...omg, orange and chocolate is just be best combo.

I dipped some of this batch into melted bittersweet chocolate, and then rolled some of the chocolate ones into crushed graham crackers.  Basically a mini, portable smore.  Super good idea.

These are adaptable to any holiday:  I used orange and purple decorating sugar to dust on top for Halloween, but red and green on top would be cute for Christmas.

Homemade (Orange) Marshmallows
From Giada de Laurentis
Butter and powdered sugar for greasing and dusting pan
1/2 cup water plus 1/4 cup
3 Tbsp (3 packets) unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 large orange, zested
1 tsp vanilla extract
Decorating sugar
Candy thermometer

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking pan (could also use 9x13 for flatter marshmallows).  Dust with powdered sugar.

Pour 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.  Sprinkle gelatin over the water and allow to soften (10 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a 3 quart saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup water.  Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved . Bring mixture to simmer and cook, without stirring until candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees.

Pour syrup over gelatin mixture in the mixing bowl.  Beat at low speed until incorporated.  Then increase speed to high and beat until thick, fluffy, and tripled in volume (10-12 minutes)  Beat in orange zest and vanilla until just combined.

Using a spatula, scrape mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface.  Sprinkle with decorating sugar or more powdered sugar  Allow to set, uncovered in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for several hours.  Remove marshmallows from pan and place on a powdered sugared board.  Using scissors, cut marshmallows into 1 inch squares.  Dip cut sides into powdered sugar (to prevent sticking).  Store in airtight container (or dip into chocolate and graham crackers :)

A Halloween Walk, and the Nursery

I'm a crazy dog mom.  I never thought I'd say it, but I am.  Hence, this morning on my long leisurely Saturday walk with Lady, it was only natural that I shove her in her lady bug Halloween costume for the occasion.  Here are some of the highlights:

She tolerated it well (as long as I didn't try to keep the hoodie part on her head, she was cool), but the best part was seeing nearly every person we walked by smile or chuckle.  Some people outright laughed at her ridiculous cuteness.  I can't blame them.

A little girl touring with her family couldn't resist shouting out, "Look mommy!  It's a lady bug because it's almost Halloween!"  She squealed with delight when I informed her that her real name IS Lady Bug.  Even little kids get the joke.

Speaking of little kids, could I tell you about how much fun I had being on the nursery service this week?  Yep, a WHOLE week of examining little newborns.  Oh, my, God.  I would get to the hospital super early to figure out who was newly born from last night, and who was "old".  Then my residents would assign me a few babies (I had up to 5 at one point) to fully examine and "date" before we rounded with the attending.  (The dating thing is pretty cool:  we can figure out their gestational age based on like 14 things about the baby.  Apparently it's more accurate than ultrasound if it's done within the first day of life).  Talk about humbling to be the first "doctor" to examine a baby!  I got pretty good at finding jaundice, little anomalies, listening to their hearts and trying frantically to keep up, attempting to hear any murmur (I didn't hear any this week...those PDAs close fast!).  The nursery attending (a doctor from the NICU who came up to check out the normal babies) loved to teach, so rounds were fun.  One more week in clinic, then no peds until next year.  Boo...

Love
Amy
 PS:  Tune in tomorrow for a super fun halloween (or anytime...) treat...

Molten Chocolate Cake

Yes, that IS a paper plate.  So what?

There is nothing healthy about this recipe, but I don't care.  This is one of my favorite dessert recipes.  It's easy enough to whip up after a 11 hour day/work-out/dog walk before company comes over (I've never done that before...), but super impressive.  Peter's optometry school friends really enjoyed these devilish little cakes.  I bet you will too!

Melted butter and chocolate...we are off to a good start

You could add in a teaspoon of finely ground coffee for a mocha-like effect.  That's super yummy.  As a matter of fact, coffee makes chocolate taste more chocolaty, not coffee-like.  I didn't do that this time, but I've done it before and it's yummy.

This is the consistency of your finished batter.  Runny, super runny.
It will be ok.

I have small custard dishes, which work perfectly to bake these individual cakes.  I'm not sure if this would translate well to an 8x8 cake pan, but you could try.  Otherwise go get yourself some cute custard dishes (4 oz).  You'll need them for the creme brulee recipe coming up.

Molten Chocolate Cake
1 stick butter
8 oz chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 425.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate (stirring frequently).  Whisk in sugar and vanilla extract.  Add eggs, one at a time and beating well between additions.  Fold in flour.  Pour into greased individual ramekin dishes (about 2/3 full).  Place on cookie sheet and bake 16 minutes or until set but not cooked all the way through.

Use a knife to loosen, and invert onto serving plate.  Serve individual cakes with ice cream or cool whip.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Confession:  I loathe bananas.  Like, severe dislike.  I get it, it's the "perfect fruit", as my dad reminds me: they come in their own sanitary packaging, potassium, blah blah, but the texture is just awful.  The taste is fine...which is probably why I enjoy banana bread.  Plus there is chocolate chips, so that makes the bananas better.

Using brown sugar instead of white sugar gives a richer taste,
while using less

I had a banana bread recipe that called for like 1 1/2 sticks of butter, 2 cups sugar, and loads of other nasty...that's cake, not bread people.  I modified said recipe to include less butter, a lot less sugar, oatmeal, less flour, and chocolate chips.  You're welcome.

My friend Kara informed me that the best bananas for banana bread are frozen bananas that are thawed.  It's totally true!  They are less stringy and beat up better in the batter.  Give it a try next time you have some half-nasty bananas sitting on your counter.  They keep in the freezer for a long time (I've had them in there for over a month and made bread...no one died).

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas that were frozen, thawed
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a mixing bowl, beat together bananas, butter, egg, vanilla and cinnamon.  Sift together flour, baking soda and powder and salt.  Slowly add flour mixture to banana mixture.  Then mix in oats.  Stop mixer and scrape down bowl.  Slowly add in milk, then chocolate chips.  Don't overmix.  Transfer to a greased loaf pan.  Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Allow to cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.  Enjoy!  (*For muffins, pour batter into a lined and greased cupcake pan and bake for 15 minutes or until set).

Stethoscopes, Part 2: Antibiotics

So, a common question we get all the time in clinic is, "Can't I get an antibiotic for that?"  In short, the answer is probably (like 89.999% of the time) no.  No, no no.  Let's explore for a minute how antibiotics work, what they are used for, and how we use them to treat people.  And, what can happen to you (and to society in general) when you take too many too often.  Before you open that bottle of Mexican antibiotics that you bought while on a cruise 3 years ago, or the remnants of a bottle you failed to finish the last time you had a surgery or something...read this.

OMG, I love this

Antibiotics are compounds (natural and synthetic) that destroy bacteria/fungi or inhibit their growth.  Really, that's all they do.  There are lots of different types: penicillins, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, macrolides, tetracyclines...(I could go on and on...and I didn't even hit the antifungals).  Each type does a certain, really specific thing to very specific types of bacteria.  For example:  penicillins (including amoxicillin, methicillin, etc) work by blocking bacterial cell wall synthesis in a select few types of bacteria...so they can't make their house and they die.  Another example: macrolides (like azithromycin, the "Z-pack" drug) works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis because bacteria use a different set of enzymes that we don't have to do that.  These are good for some bacterial upper respiratory infections and STDs like chlamydia (yep I said it....chlamydia).

http://webdesigningresources.com/resistance.php 

May people think that any time they get the sniffles or a sore throat, or get the flu really badly and feel like crap that they need an antibiotic.  Let's look at why that just won't work.  MANY upper respiratory infections and upset tummy/diarrhea bouts are caused by viruses.  Viruses!  Not bacteria.  We don't have many antiviral medications, and the ones we do have are not for common colds or sore-throat causing bugs.  So, entertain for a minute that you indeed have a viral illness (low grade fever, feeling icky, throat is sore but there's no pus on your tonsils, headache, runny nose, cough...sound like you?), and then you take an antibiotic, you are killing off good bacteria in your gut and genital area, because they are all that you have to kill.  Meanwhile, your viral illness is laughing in your face and continuing to blow up your cells.  Finally, in a few days to a week, your immune system gets it's act together and deals with the virus.  You now have diarrhea and maybe a vaginal yeast infection (if you can get one of those, that is) because the antibiotic you took did some damage.  I feel like you're in worse shape than if you just left the virus alone and trusted your white blood cells.

Of course, antibiotics have a strong place in medicine.  Ever since Alexander Flemming did his thing, we've prevented quite an impressive amount of deaths.  Historically, however, antibiotics have been grossly overprescribed, and now medicine is seeing the consequence of that.  We have terrible, antibiotic resistant bugs like MRSA and VRE, along with newly emerging strains resistant to our best fighters.  What happens when we continually prescribe and take antibiotics for things that don't need treating, or worse yet, we don't finish our full course of antibiotics (allowing the best and brightest bacteria to become resistant to the drug we half-gave)?  It leaves the possibility of severe, life-threatening infections that we just won't be able to cure.  We're talking about nasty, uncontrollable wound infections, or swift moving, awful sepsis syndromes that sweep people away.

Diagram of a few of the ways that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
From http://www.textbookofbacteriology.net/themicrobialworld/bactresanti.html.

If you're sick, and go to your favorite doctor/health care professional with a prescription pad and they decide that antibiotics would help you because you have a BACTERIAL infection, please take it.  Take the WHOLE prescription, even when you start to feel better.  Don't save some for "next time."  Next time you'll need to go to the doctor again, who will again assess your need for antibiotics and determine the correct type, dose and timing.  We've gone to school a LONG time to be able to do this.

Red Chili Chicken with Beans and Rice

I came across this recipe on Smells Like Home, and it looked so delicious I had to try it.  I even bought a bottle of Ancho chili powder, which I've never used before.  It's a prettier red than the regular chili powder I have in my cupboard!  It's not super hot, but does have a kick and is smoky.

This is really a one-pot meal.  We had just this and were super full...rice, beans, and chicken...like a LOT of protein and fiber.  It made quite a bit too, so we had plenty for leftovers.

A note about cilantro:  you can buy it in the grocery store next to the flat leaf parsley.  Interesting fact: some people have a gene mutation in their taste buds that makes cilantro taste like rotten soap (this explains why some people just HATE cilantro and can't really explain why).  I think it's lovely:  sort of lime-meets-parsley/hint of pepper.  Perfect stirred into this recipe.  But, if you happen to fall into the "soapy-cilantro" category, just substitute in some fresh chopped parsley.  You need something green, and I don't care what it is.

Red Chili Chicken with Beans and Rice
Adapted from Smells Like Home

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp Ancho chili powder, divided
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup brown rice
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (or green onions)
Sour cream, for serving

In a large microwaveable bowl combine rice and 1 cup chicken broth.  Microwave on high for 7 minutes or until almost cooked.

Meanwhile, season chicken with a little ancho chili powder and salt.  Brown in a large skillet in olive oil.  Remove just before they are cooked through.  Dice chicken and keep warm on a plate covered with foil.  Add onion to skillet and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in rice and remaining chicken broth.  Sprinkle in remaining ancho chili powder and salt, to taste.  When rice is cooked, stir in chicken and black beans and warm through, until chicken is fully cooked.

To serve, stir in cilantro and divide into big bowls.  Top with fat free sour cream and enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Remember the pound of vanilla beans I bought for Operation Vanilla Extract?  Well, I have like a whole bunch left.  So what to do?  Make delicious desserts featuring the beautiful black flecks, of course!

How do you deal with a vanilla bean?  Slice it longitudinally and using a sharp knife, scrape the insides out of the bean.  It's kind of pulpy-seedy, but when it's whirred up in a food processor with ingredients for a light cheesecake, well...vanilla heaven.

Literally dump all ingredients in a food processor and turn it on.
Instant cheesecake filling.

I made this cheesecake with fat free/low fat products, and it turned out great!  Cheesecake by definition is a calorie bomb, but this one isn't.  And besides, enjoy in moderation and get some exercise.  You'll be fine.  Oh also, you'll need a springform pan (see picture), that clasps, and the bottom will fall out so you can effectively bake and serve the cheesecake.  Go get yourself one...they are handy and you really can't make a cheesecake in a pie plate.  You just can't.

See?

If you don't have vanilla beans or want to do this with another flavor profile, go for whatever sounds good!  Add some pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, swirl in some mashed berries (but not all at the same time...).

No cracking!  (just bubbles...whatever)

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Springform pan
1 1/2 sleves low fat cinnamon graham crackers
1/2 stick butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

2 packages fat free or low fat cream cheese (I used one of each)
1 cup fat free sour cream
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 vanilla beans, scraped
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  In a food processor, whir up graham crackers until finely ground.  Add butter, sugar and cinnamon.  Mix until the consistency of wet sand (you can add a Tbsp of water to help it come together, if you need to).  Pour into greased springform pan and using a spoon, pat out to make a flat surface, taking crumbs up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and set.  Allow crust to cool.

Again in the food processor (just rinse it out quick), combine ALL ingredients for cheesecake.  Process for 1-2 minutes or until super combined.  Dump into prepared graham cracker crust.  Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until a little jiggly but mostly set.  Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Foil-Packet Salsa Chicken

Well this is a fun and easy dinner if I've ever seen one.  It's basically a fajita in a foil pack, minus the tortilla.  It's super fast to put together and is ready in less than 30 minutes.  You can do that on a weeknight, right?  I've been absolutely loving my peds rotation (pretty sure it's what I'll end up doing :), but the hours can get a bit long.  I usually come home right around dinner time and hustle to try to get something together.  This is an easy one for THOSE types of days.

I'm willing to bet you could assemble the packets in the morning and keep them in the fridge until after work or school.  Just serve with a side salad and call it a dinner!

Foil Packet Salsa Chicken
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp taco seasoning mix
4 small chicken breasts
1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup salsa
Shredded cheese and sour cream, for topping

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a microwaveable bowl, combine rice, water and taco seasoning,  Microwave about 7 minutes, just to get the rice cooking.  Spoon rice evenly onto 4 greased pieces of tin foil.  Top rice with chicken, then peppers, then salsa.  Fold long sides of packets up and roll down, then roll the sides in to create a seal.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked (be careful, there will be a lot of steam when you check!) Let cool 5 minutes, then serve in the foil (on a plate) or slide out onto a plate.  Top with cheese and sour cream, as desired.

Pierogies and Kielbasa

So, I'm Polish.  Like really Polish, so when I saw a recipe for pierogies and kielbasa in the Food Network Magazine, I had to try it.  I grew up eating kielbasa, and to be honest it wasn't my favorite then.  But like most things, cook it your own way and try it with your adult palate and you will probably have a new favorite.

The recipe was for grilled pierogies, which to me seemed like a mess.  So I basically tore apart the recipe and came up with this.  Super fun, and extremely, extremely fast.  The pierogies need to bake for 16-18 minutes, so by the time you preheat the oven and bake the little dumpling things, everything else will be ready.  No joke.

Wait...what is a pierogie?  You can find them in the freezer section (by the tater tots, etc).  How can I describe it....it's kinda like a pillowy-ravioli-like thing filled with a potato-cheese mixture, but it doesn't taste too potato-like.  It doesn't taste too pasta-like either.  It's just a fun new ingredient.  Go try it.  They even make them in Low Fat...grab those.  And as for the kielbasa, I buy the turkey kind...healthier, obviously, and I don't think it tastes too much different than the beef kind.  It's just a big U-shaped sausage.  No big deal.

Make the dressing in a big bowl so you can toss in the other ingredients

From what I gather, I had some great-grandmothers who could make some mean pierogies from scratch. I'm willing to bet my Nana also has that skill set.  Maybe someday she'll show me?  (hint hint :)

Smacznego,  (bon apetite in Polish, apparently)

Amy


Pierogies and Kielbasa
Serves 4

1 package Mrs. T's potato and cheese pierogies
1 link turkey kielbasa, cut into slices
1 white onion, cut into wedges or slices
2 Tbsp mustard
splash white wine
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for sauteing
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (i didn't have this on hand...but if you do throw it in)
Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste.

Bake pierogies according to package directions.  Meanwhile, saute onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil.  After it has softened, add sliced kielbasa and allow to warm through and brown.

Whisk together mustard, wine, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and seasonings in a large bowl.  Toss in onion and kielbasa.  Gently mix in pierogies.  Divide amongst 4 plates and serve with a side salad or veggies.

French Dip Sandwiches

Peter's week of cooking, adventure #2.  These are pretty much our favorite go-to sandwich recipe, and although it requires roasting a big piece of beef, it's easy since the slow cooker will make the beef super tender AND make the dipping liquid, all while you smell the amazing-ness in your house all day.

This recipe makes several servings, but that's ok, because the leftovers are wonderful.  I just store the beef in a tuppy, with a ladle or two of the juice.  Then I store the juice in a separate container.

On a side note, tomorrow is my last day on the pediatric wards.  Over the next three weeks, I'll be off to clinic and nursery.  I'll be so sad when it's done.  Guess I'll just have to make a career out of it.

French Dip Sandwiches
1 3 lb beef roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 1oz packages dry onion soup mix
2 cans beef broth
2 cups water (can decrease water by 1/2 cup and add in some wine)
6-8 long sandwich rolls
Provolone or mozzarella cheese, sliced

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Season roast with salt and pepper.  Sear roast on all sides (just browning it quickly to seal in flavor).  Transfer roast to crock pot and add soup mixes, broth, water/wine.  Cook 8 hours over low heat until the roast falls apart easily with fork.

Shred meat and place in crusty rolls.  Top with cheese and broil in the oven until bread is golden and the cheese melts.  Ladle juice into small cups to dip.  Enjoy!

PS: Try this with my sweet potato fry recipe :)

Easy Peasy Pizza

As I mentioned, Peter is "head chef" this week due to some optometry conference that shut down the school.  OMG, can I tell you, to come home to someone cooking so I can go work out, plus a clean bathroom, plus fresh flowers, plus a walked and fed dog, well, it's amazing.  After 11 hours at the hospital, it's refreshing to not have to worry about too much!

We've made pizza like this before:  Store bought crust that is already formed: you just throw it in the oven.  I buy the whole-wheat version, which is lower in calories, plus it's thin crust to begin with.  He added pepperoni, browned some lean ground beef, veggies and cheese.  Of course, you can make this with whatever you want, but the trick is to not use too much sauce or overload your pizza, especially since this is a thinner crust.

Peter has had a tutorial about NOT standing in front of the
photo to avoid making a shadow....

Bake at 425 and then broil; you guys know how to make a pizza.  Let cool while you enjoy a salad, then dig in!  I'm taking the leftovers from "my half" for lunch today...happiness in a tuppy.

Now, I do know how to make a mean homemade whole wheat pizza dough, which would be wonderful if it wasn't Tuesday night (and if Peter wanted to work with yeast...I barely do, so that might be too much to ask).  I'll share that recipe with you sometime, but for now, this is a "recipe-less" recipe.

Can you guess which half is mine?  

Here's to helpful husbands,
Amy