My New Home
Ajax: my boy. I have two Ridgebacks: Asha (female) and Ajax (male), pictured here.
An earnest look from Ajax.
They're called Rhodesian Ridgebacks for a reason! Ajax's is quite prominent here.
Ajax, in a more serious moment.
Ajax relaxing in the afternoon glow on the cool, comfortable tile.
Ajax at home.
Come on in!
My backyard.
Asha: the girl of the family
My two Rhoedsian Ridgebacks, Asha and Ajax, dutifully waiting for me to get home.
Three of a kind: Asha and Ajax like to follow me around the house.
I'm a fan of Vital Choice sardines, so I keep my pantry well-stocked. Sardines are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, known to help reduce risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.
Hungry? It's time to whip up some favorites: spinach salad, herb vinaigrette, sardine spread and roasted root veggies.
Tracking down ingredients. I prefer to have my ingredients mise en place ("put into place") before I begin preparing a recipe.
Spinach and scallions, soon to be a part of my Turkish Spinach Salad.
I don't often measure while cooking, but sometimes I need to remind myself of recipe details. My friend's iPad is great for a quick reference for when I need to check something.
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I own a garlic peeler (see the off-white tube), but sometimes I have to pick some stubborn skins off by hand.
I use organic spinach. Spinach is a member of the "Dirty Dozen" - fruits and vegetables generally containing the highest concentrations of pesticide residues that you should always buy organic. Learn which fruits and veggies make up the Dirty Dozen.
Even if a package of greens states “prewashed,” you should still wash your greens to minimize your risk of exposure to pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella - greens that look fresh, especially greens in plastic, can still harbor bacteria. Loose and unpacked greens should be washed three times under cold, running water to remove sand, dirt and any bacteria that may be present.
With Greek yogurt and some good-quality olive oil, you can whip up a yogurt dressing that will transport you and your guests to the Mediterranean!
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Fresh, organic tomatoes, being chopped for my Turkish Spinach Salad .
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Testing...It's delicious! (and healthy!)
Turkish Spinach Salad, tossed and ready to enjoy! Spinach, tomatoes, scallions and a luscious yogurt dressing. Make it today!
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Turkish Spinach Salad with Dried Black Olives. The creamy dressing is a simple mixture of yogurt, olive oil, garlic, thyme and black pepper. See me prepare this salad.
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Turkish Spinach Salad with dried black olives added to the original recipe.
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Opening a fresh pack of sardines to be used in my Sardine Sandwich Spread . You can also use kippers!
Sardine Spread on a cracker. Perhaps my all-time favorite snack.
Good-quality olive oil makes good-quality dressing. In other words, your dressing will only taste as fresh as your ingredients. Try to buy your olive oil and herbs from trusted organic brands when making this dressing or any other recipe.
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Homemade Herb Vinaigrette. Olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. What could be more simple, delicious and healthy?
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Whisking away. Watch me make True Food Kitchen's popular Herb Vinaigrette.
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Turnips are another one of my favorites.
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"Why eat root veggies? Root vegetables (potatoes and carrots aside) are some of the most overlooked and underappreciated foodstuffs around. But these nutritional storehouses are worthy of your notice. They're not only available in winter when other vegetables are hard to find, but they're also very inexpensive."
Do you know how to peel a beet? I like to peel beets and other round vegetables around their circumference, as opposed to down the side, as I would for a carrot or parsnip.
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Cubed rutabaga to be roasted. Watch me make my famous Roasted Root Vegetables.
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Potatoes make the cut. Though typically fried or drenched in fatty sauces, a potato on its own is remarkably low in calories (at 132 per cup). This humble vegetable is also high in vitamins C and B6, providing about 25 percent of the daily requirements for each nutrient.
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When roasting vegetables, be sure to cut them into to similarly sized pieces, about this size, for even cooking times.
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I enjoy using sea salt in my kitchen - it's flavorful and free of unnecessary additives.
A dash of sea salt...
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A grind of black pepper...
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"Normally I'd add carrots, but I'm all out today. They help make the dish look nice, adding another color into the mix."
Coating the root vegetables pre-oven. A healthy dash of good-quality extra virgin olive oil goes a long way when roasting vegetables.
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Spreading out the root vegetables in the pan for even roasting.
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