Cooking Beats Blogging

It has obviously been a while since I posted and I am thinking about not blogging at all because truthfully, I'd rather be in the kitchen than on the computer. But I will keep what I've posted up for a while and if you really, really, really want me to continue to share recipes and healthy cooking tips, well, let me know and I'll give it some thought.....
; P

Happy Cooking!

Gluten Free from Wildtree

Many who are wheat intolerant have asked me for a list of Wildtree's gluten free products. Here it is!

Culinary Blends
Adobo Seasoning
Alfredo Extraordinaire
Basil Pesto
Bayou Blend
CA Garlic Pepper Blend
Cajun Seasoning
Carol’s Cranberry Horseradish
Cheddar & Herb Skillet Meal
Chipotle Lime Rub
Cranberry Horseradish Blend
Curried Garlic Blend
Dill Dip Blend
Fajita Seasoning
Fiesta Salsa
Garlic Galore
Garlic & Herb Blend
Guacamole Seasoning
Hearty Spaghetti Seasoning
Herb Grilling Marinade
Home Fries Seasoning
Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic
Italian Salad Dressing Mix
Jalapeno Pepper Blend
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Just Like Mom’s Meatloaf mix
Kids Cheeze
Lemon Pepper Blend
Lemon Rosemary Blend
Leslie’s Chili Mix
Mexican Skillet Meal
Onion & Chive Blend
Opa! Greek Seasoning
Perfect Pizza Sauce Seasoning
Rancher Steak Rub
Red Bell Pepper & Garlic Blend
Rodeo Rub
Rotisserie Chicken Blend
Scampi Blend
Sloppy Joe Seasoning
Smoked Mozzarella & Tomato
Stroganoff Skillet Meal
Taco Seasoning
Tuna Casserole Skillet Meal
Tuscany Bread Dipping Herbs
Tzatziki Seasoning Blend
Wildly Delicious White Bean Dip

Soups
Creamy Corn Chowdah
Jumpin’ Jambalaya
Healthy & Hearty Lentil Soup Mix
Hearty Turkey & Barley Stew
Tortilla Soup

Grapeseed Oils
Basil Pesto GSO
Hickory Smoked Grilling GSO
Jalapeno Pepper GSO
Natural GSO
Natural Butter Flavored GSO
European Dipping Oil-Chili
European Dipping Oil- Garlic
European Dipping Oil-Med. Balsamic
European Dipping Oil-Tuscan
Roasted Garlic GSO
Zesty Lemon GSO

Sauces, Dressings and Marinades
Cacciatore Sauce
Cranberry Jalapeno Jelly
Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip
Honey Mustard
Horseradish Mustard
Ketchup
Leslie’s Smoky Burger & Rib Sauce
Marsala Sauce
Moroccan Grilling Sauce
Our Own Ketchup
Perfect Picatta Sauce
Savory Sofrito Cooking Base
Spicy Island Chutney
Spinach, Artichoke & Parmesan Spread
Sweet Onion Spread
Thai Red Curry Paste
Tia Rosa’a Enchilada Sauce
Wildberry Dressing

Sweet Decadence
Classic Cocoa
Heavenly Chocolate Mousse
Lemon Lime Cheesecake
Rich Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Simply Sweet Popcorn Seasoning
Spicy Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
Strawberry Cheesecake Blend
White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning
Wildly Blueberry Jam

Yumbo Gumbo!

We didn't get to have our traditional Super Bowl party this year for a number of reasons, but that didn't stop me from still cooking like a small army was coming over for dinner. The Super Bowl, for me at least, is not really about The Game, but The Food.

This year we treated ourselves to a little New Orleans style Gumbo. I threw in everything but the kitchen sink. And one thing I do love about Cajun cooking is that anything goes. So feel free to spice it up more - or less! A little cayenne won't hurt, chicken is great instead of crab - make it your own and enjoy. Having Wildtree's Bayou Blend "garontees" the flavor will be perfect, no matter!

Shrimp, Crab and Andoullie Sausage Gumbo

• 3/4 cup Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
• 3/4 -1 cup Flour
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 cups okra, sliced
• 6 cups Wildtree Chicken Broth
• 2 1/2 TBs Bayou Blend
• 2 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 lbs. Andouille Sausage, sliced thin
  
• 1 cup claw crab meat
• 1 lb.of shrimp (cooked, tails off)

First make your roux by heating the grapeseed oil in a dutch oven over high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring until a dark reddish brown. Do not let burn. Add the celery, onion, green pepper and garlic and cook 5 minutes until soft. Whisk in the chicken broth and stir until thickened and smooth. Add tomatoes, Bayou Blend and sausage and cook 15 minutes, slight boil. Add the okra and reduce the heat, cooking until okra is tender (about 15 minutes). Add the crab and shrimp and simmer about 3 more minutes before serving over a mound of rice.

February Promotions

Sweet Onion Spread is Sweeet!!

I am crazy mad for Wildtree's new Onion Spread. Several times now I have put it out as an appetizer, topping a slice of sharp cheddar on garlic melba toast with a dollop of it. It is terrific poured over cream cheese with crackers. What about a spoonful on french toast, with brie and hazelnuts! Or in a grilled fontina cheese sandwich!

I have also tossed it in a spinach and cheese omelet. YUM. The uses for this delectable little jar of goodness are endless!!

Glazed Carrots with Sweet Onion Spread
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and julienned
• 2 TB Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
• 3 TB Wildtree Sweet Onion Spread
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook carrots in boiling, salted water until almost tender. Drain well. Return to pan and toss with oil and onion spread. Saute 3-5 minutes until spread melts and carrots are fully coated. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve warm.

Super Dip for the Super Bowl!

Be the hit of your next Super Bowl party with this warm and cheesy delicious dip. Has just the right amount of kick with the Jalapeno Pepper Blend.


Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons Wildtree Jalapeno Pepper Blend

Mix all ingredients together. Warm in microwave or crock pot and serve with corn chips, tortillas or veggies. You can also place mixed ingredients in an oven safe dish, sprinkle with a little more cheese and bake until warm and bubbly and starting to brown on top.

Baked Eggs Florentine

Our family has several breakfast casseroles we enjoy traditionally around the holidays. This is a new one for us, using one of my favorite blends, Hot Chili Pepper and Garlic, sure to warm up these cold mornings of late.

• 4 large beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Wildtree Adobo Seasoning Blend
• ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil
• ½ tablespoon Wildtree Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic Blend
• ¼ cup feta, crumbled
• 5 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350º F. Cut a ½-inch slice off the top stem end of each tomato. Scoop out the inside seeds and membranes with a spoon, making sure not to go through the flesh. Place tomatoes in a 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with Adobo. In a small bowl, toss spinach with Grapeseed Oil, Hot Chili Pepper & Garlic Blend, and feta, and spoon mixture in equal amounts into each tomato cup. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and pepper until combined. Pour evenly over spinach. Bake tomatoes until eggs are set, about 45-50 minutes.

Bringin' in the New

If you missed Thursday night's tasting for Wildtree's new products, here's a recap to bring you up to speed on what is now available as of January 1. Of course reading about these new items is not nearly as good as eating them, but here goes!!

Cheesy Cheddar Soup Mix - So easy and so good! Throw in a TB of Fiesta Salsa to kick it up a notch. Add broccoli or asparagus or rice and chicken. Use it for a cheeesy noodle casseroles or one with veggies and rice. How about easy scalloped potatoes?

Sweet Onion Spread - Hard for me to stop eating this stuff. Love it right out the jar on a cracker or with a sharp cheddar slice as I had today. Really great as a sandwich spread with turkey or on a Monte Cristo. Add to pizza - picture Aldredo Sauce, Adobo Chicken and Sweet Onion Spread on a crisp crust.....

Savory Sofrito Cooking Base - Perfect blend of tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic and cilantro. So fresh tasting - love it! Toss in rice for a savory Spanish dish, make empanadas, stuff in green peppers with rice, add to any soup, casserole or stew for a Latin American pizazz.

Perfect Pizza Sauce Seasoning - We thought the Hearty Spaghetti made a perfect pizza sauce, but this beats it. Has a little more oregano taste than the Spaghetti blend, every bit as easy to use and versatile. Mix with butter and spread on bread or pasta. Use for calzones, manicotti, lasagna or dipping sauce.

Chicken, Vegetable and Beef Bouillon Soup Bases - Too many good things to say about these new offerings. See previous post for some recipe ideas. Use as a broth for any soup or as a starter for stews, sauces, gravies, casseroles, you name it. Such great, rich flavor with real beef and chicken broth, vegetables and herbs and a touch of red wine. Each jar yields about 22 cups of broth.

Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip - On the ingredient label from a name-brand ranch dressing: Artificial Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Disodium, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate... YUK!! Wildtree's Ranch tastes a million times better than any Ranch I've ever had not to mention it has NONE of that gunk in it (hmm...maybe that is why it tastes so good....) Mix with sour cream for a dip, add a little mayo for a dressing. That simple. And then.....shake it on pretzels, mini crackers and chex cereal for a snack, toss it on potatoes before roasting, pour over chicken breasts and sprinkle with crackers before baking.


Create-A-Cookie Mix - One word: Divine. Love this mix. Add one stick of butter and two eggs to this whole wheat, organic cane and molasses mix for the richest tasting cookie ever. Easiest way in the world to have healthy, made from scratch cookies. They bake soft and you can add whatever you like - chips, nuts, dried fruit, sprinkles, spoon jam in the center of each cookie, stuff a chocolate kiss in the center. One box bakes about two dozen. We added Heath Bar chips and semi-sweet chocolate....they didn't last long!!


Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls - Again, ease is the word here. Home made decadence in a flash. Just add milk, butter, and eggs and they’re ready to bake - no rising time needed, even though they taste like you spent all morning on them. One box includes dough mix, the cinnamon filling mix, and a sweet icing glaze. Nine cinnamon rolls. Can also make twists with them or roll the pastry in a casserole dish and add the cinnamon filling and top with pineapple, macadamia and coconut for a tropical breakfast treat!

Healthy & Hearty Lentil Soup - This soup is just good. Too good to be this easy. Let's see.....add some water and cook twenty minutes. Or you can go out on a limb and add a little beef or veg. bouillon, but it doesn't need it. Protein packed lentils seasoned perfectly with onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, coriander, garlic, cumin, turmeric and more. Spice up your next pot of chili by adding this soup mix in, use it as a base for a terrific vegetable casserole.

Savory and Versatile Bouillons

Wow - I absolutely love the new bouillons, just introduced this month. Chicken, beef and vegetable available with all natural, preservative-free seasonings like organic cane juice, garlic, onion, sea salt, red wine, carrot, celery, parsley and pepper. Use these bouillons for broth in soups or as starters for stews, casseroles, gravies, sauces and stir frys. Each jar yields approximately 22 cups of broth and the flavor is sooo much better (and healthier) than what you can buy from the grocer.



Chili-Rubbed Steak - Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon Wildtree Beef Bouillon Soup Base
• 
2 tablespoons boiling water

• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon Wildtree Leslie’s Chili Mix

• 1 pound boneless sirloin or flank steak

In a small bowl, whisk together Beef Bouillon and water until dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients except steak. Rub mixture on steak and grill or broil until desired doneness. Use Chili-Rubbed Steak for fajitas or serve over rice.


Fresh Vegetable Skillet - Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

• 2 large zucchini, cubed

• 2 large red and/or yellow bell peppers, cubed

• 1/2 cup chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons Wildtree Vegetable Bouillon Soup Base
• 
1 teaspoon Wildtree Perfect Pizza Sauce Seasoning

Heat Grapeseed Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook zucchini, red peppers, onion and garlic, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Stir in water, Vegetable Bouillon, and Pizza Seasoning. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve bouillon. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.


Twenty-Minute Pozole-Style Stew - Serves 6

• 2 pork tenderloins cut into bite size pieces (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon Wildtree Chicken Bouillon Soup Base
• 2 tablespoons Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil, divided
• 1/2 cup Wildtree Savory Sofrito Cooking Base
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1(15 ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Combine pork with Chicken or Vegetable Bouillon in large bowl; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook ½ of the pork, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until almost done. Remove pork and keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and pork. Return pork to skillet. Stir in Sofrito and chipotle peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in hominy and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 2 minutes or until pork is done. Stir in lime juice and serve over cooked rice.

Healthy Resolutions You Can Keep

It's a new year - and we've all done it, myself included: make resolutions we've broken by the end of the week. Have you resolved to eating healthier? It seems to be a universal New Years goal. But what does it mean?

To set yourself up for success, take little steps towards health, rather than rehauling your whole diet on day one. Cleaning out the pantry on January 1 and promising dramatic change from this day forward is just a recipe for disappointment. Instead, slowly make a few simple changes over the course of the year and you will soon enough find yourself eating healthier and feeling better in no time flat. And because the change is gradual, you will be establishing good eating habits that you will KEEP for a lifetime.

Start with eating more dark green vegetables. Here's a rule of thumb - the more color, the more nutrients. All leafy grains are packed with vitamin K, folic acid, iron, fiber - they are the super food of the vegetable world. Eat at least one dark green daily as a staple. You can season them easily and healthily with Wildtree's Grapeseed Oils - perfect for tossing over any green vegetable and giving TONS of flavor, especially the Lemon Infused. And the oil has nearly half the fat of olive, if you also happen to be watching calories.

Taking away one weakness food is a realistic goal towards health, rather than deciding to "cut out sweets/snacks" altogether. And remember, when trying to establish a new habit, it's ONE DAY AT A TIME. If you have to, take it one meal at a time. Pretty soon, it will be old hat and you won't want the same foods you wanted before you resolved to eating healthier. Always replace the unhealthy choice (i.e., movie theater butter flavored microwave popcorn) with a healthier choice (corn fresh popped in Butter Flavored Grapeseed Oil) so you won't miss what you're missing!

Want to cut back on carbs? Instead of saying "no bread" or "no chips" - which is unrealistic, try something simple and manageable like adding good carbs, like quinoa to your diet. Quinoa has tons of amino acids and is high in protein AND gluten free. Mix with some black beans and Cajun Blend, or zucchini and Curried Garlic Blend - the possibilities are endless. (Roasted Garlic GSO is terrific on quinoa as well, mix in any vegetable, fresh tomato and fresh grated Reggiano...mmmm)

We all know salt can be bad when used in excess and it truly is one flavor that you notice is gone, when it's gone - especially if you are accustomed to using it on a daily basis. Instead of taking it completely out of your diet and leaving yourself feeling deprived of flavor, replace salt with herbs and spices. Wildtree is the perfect choice for lots of flavor - every blend is SALT FREE. Shake it on - no fear! And unlike salt, herbs and spices have tons of healing properties like antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.

One of my weaknesses is sauces -I love basting, dipping, pouring something on just about every food I eat. But sauces can be full of fats and sugars, so I really watch that and appreciate that Wildtree has no high fructose corn syrup or additives in any of their sauces, dressings and marinades. Check your sauce labels as well. You don't have to give them up just to eat healthier or shave calories. A simple change to ketchup, salad dressing or grilling marinade that is high fructose corn syrup free (avoid corn oils, too) could save you tons in calories, without cheating you of flavor.

Here's to a New Year of good healthy eating habits, one step at a time. It is manageable!