Wow, is it already past two months since my post?! We are officially 36 days away from the end of 2024. My mom has been introducing me to the world of chayote because she and her neighbors has been growing their own crop within the last two years. My mom makes great braised sauteed versions of chayote, which I have yet to master because handling this type of vegetable with bare hands especially peeling the skin is equivalent to handling a prickly pear and cactus. I give my mom a lot of credit for getting rid of the peel from the chayote she used. I’ve been roasting chayote because it was the best way to introduce the vegetable to the my other half who is not person of color (although he has Native American blood in him through his grandfather who was part Cherokee). So what is chayote?
Chayote (Sechium edule) is a type of squash that originated in the Aztec period and it spread throughout Central America, Europe and Asia thanks to colonialism. This squash is part of the Cucurbitaceae plant family, which includes pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. Consumption of this crop has numerous health benefits. Chayote contains fiber which helps with blood sugar issues especially for people who have diabetes. The crop also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory biomarkers that play a role in metabolic syndrome. The contents of this crop is still being investigated further.
Personally, I’ve been roasting chayote squash with parmesan in the oven by slicing the crop into thin slices and mixing the slices with olive oil, salt, pepper and bake for about 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. After 30 minute add the parmesan cheese and cook for another 10 minutes.
Recently, I roasted chayote with red onion at 400 degrees except I waited 10 minutes after the oven was at 400 degrees to place the chayote and red onion mixed with olive oil, salt and pepper in the oven.
Roasted Chayote tasted very good and healthy. I’d like to explore different cooking methods of chayote and even try chayote dishes at various restaurants.
Wow! It’s been awhile since my last post, which was my game plan for French Restaurant Week in June. There are officially 99 days left in 2024! I’ve been cooking a lot and replicating recipes using techniques rather than ingredients because I had to work with what I had. Over the summer, two months ago, I came home early enough to utilize the ingredients that are in the refrigerator before they went bad. After surveying the content at that time, I had leftover vegan cream cheese, spinach and unopened mushrooms that needed to be cooked or it would have been a waste. Therefore, after my child went to bed, I did a basic search on dishes containing cream cheese, mushrooms and spinach. The first thing that popped up on my search engine was the recipe from RiceSelect. After reviewing this recipe, I discovered I had all the ingredients: cooked rice, walnuts, butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I gathered up what I had and here is what I had to work with:
See these ingredients I realized that I have a healthy comforting vegetarian dish in the works.
Butter from grass fed cows have good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, and zinc. For this recipe I used Vital Farms Unsalted Butter, has been labeled as on the best butters according to taste tests from Serious Eats and and Healthline. Personally I like using grass fed unsalted butter because it makes dishes taste a little richer while consuming the fat soluble vitamins essential for bone health. For this dish, I melted less than 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
Then after the butter is melted, I added the mushrooms and let it cook for approximately 4 minutes.
One cup of mushrooms contain multiple cancer fighting antioxidants such as “polyphenols, polysaccharides, ergothioneine, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin C”, These antioxidants fight off oxidative stress, and prevent tumors. The presence of polysaccharides in mushrooms help regular blood sugar and insulin production. Mushrooms also contain a specific type of polysaccharide called beta-glucans. Beta-glucans has been shown to activate macrophages and natural killer cells to stimulate the immune system, which will inhibit further tumor growth, reduce proliferation and metastasis. In addition to the prevention of tumor production, beta-glucans in its soluble form is capable of forming a “gel on the mucosal surface of the bowel”, which will reduce cholesterol levels. The presence of glutathione and ergothioneine in white mushrooms display their respective roles in getting rid of potentially harmful substances and keeping the DNA safe from oxidative damage. Ergothioneine acts as a bioactive agent to prevent plaque development, which reduces the risk of early cardiovascular disease. The presence of Vitamin C and selenium also adds another layer of anticancer properties by respectively blocking specific enzymes responsible for spreading cancer and prevent cancer development. Finally, white button mushrooms have prebiotics, which is beneficial for intestinal health and gut health.
After the mushrooms are cooked, add the vegan cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and reduce the heat temperature to medium-low.
Vegan Cream Cheese
Add cooked brown rice (leftover brown rice – a day old), stir to blend and heat with the mushroom cream cheese mixture (3-4 minutes).
Brown rice has been advertised and promoted as a healthy carbohydrate ingredient because it is considered a whole grain. Four years ago, a three prospective cohort study covering self-reporting, follow-up questionnaire with supplemental questionnaires covering a period of 33 years (1984-2017) was published. The results from this cohort study showed that higher consumption of whole grains, which includes brown rice was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes among the “158,259 women and 36,525 men who did not have type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline”. However, in 2023, there was an article that was published revealing that there is more arsenic found in brown rice versus white rice. The article addressed that arsenic is considered an environmental pollutant that has contributed to higher risk of arsenic-induced metabolic syndrome whose symptoms include “a large waistline, high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, high triglyceride level, and low HDL cholesterol”. These symptoms often lead to cardiovascular disease in the long term. Ultimately, based on these two studies, more studies and research need to be completed to validate the health benefits of brown rice. In the meantime, we should limit food and products containing arsenic due to more consistent findings.
Add spinach to the rice mixture and stir until wilted.
Spinach is one of my favorite vegetable because of its versatility but more importantly this vegetable contains a large amount of health benefits. I have shared recipes in past blog posts containing spinach:
Recent research reveals another another component that is found in spinach called Betaine. Betaine has been known to help regulate homocysteine levels in the blood, which may contribute towards disease prevention such as heart disease, and stroke, Betaine has also been shown to with endurance, reduce fatigue and improve muscle power and strength.
After the spinach is wilted, remove pan from heat and add walnuts. Walnuts usually adds another layer of flavor and texture. They are great for garnishes. I personally like to include them when baking banana bread or incorporating them in a salad. There have been recent research showing that walnuts are beneficial for improving cognition and reducing the risk and/or progression of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. In additions the properties found in walnuts may provide protection against neuroinflammation.
Happy National Rice Month! I hope to continue to blog more successful dishes before the year ends!!
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It’s been over a month since my last post, but a lot has happened in the last month with work and birthdays, so I haven’t been cooking as much. However, since my last post, I have actually completed all eight dishes during that week of the post.
I have posted pictures of my progress of the dishes I planned to make during that week on my Instagram stories (IG stories). Since IG stories only last 24 hours, a lot of followers haven’t seen the progress. Therefore, below are photos of what I’ve cooked since the last post.
Breakfast Egg MuffinsEgg Tomato Stir-fry Spinach and Cheese Frittata Banana BreadAvocado ToastCinnamon ApplesChinese Eggplant with Garlic SauceMaple Syrup Glazed Salmon
After cooking these eight dishes and finishing the leftovers, I’ve only cooked three more dishes. Only one of the three dishes was cooked on Father’s Day. Two of the three dishes were made off the cuff because we learned that the Prego Alfredo Sauce bottle had to be used up after three days of opening and refrigeration.
For the two pasta dishes, I used leftover cooked pasta and mixed them with the Alfredo sauce for a quick dinner after a long commute. I even paired the dish with Graham and Fisk white wine in a can.
Wine and Dine with Prego Alfredo pasta and Graham and Fisk white wine in a can
There was still a half bottle of Alfredo sauce, so I sauteed leftover cooked Perdue short cuts roast chicken slices, broccoli, and leftover pasta. Finally, I used up the remaining bottle of Alfredo sauce and concocted this dish that lasted at least 2-3 days.
Chicken, Broccoli Pasta Alfredo
Finally, on Father’s Day, I made skirt steak, and it came out really good that my parents took the leftovers home.
Ingredients used to marinade the skirt steak for 2-3 hours. Skirt Steaks right off the grill and restingTop section – well done Bottom section – medium
Last weekend, which was the holiday weekend, I decided to stay home and cooked a Butter Basted Rib Eye Steak.
Rib Eye SteakRib Eye Steak basting in butter, garlic, thyme and rosemaryButter Basted Rib Eye Steak resting
I know I won’t be cooking as much this week because my mom is going to bring her version of adobo, which will last two days. In addition, I’ll be participating in French Restaurant Week, which takes place during the week of Bastille Day. Finally, NurtureLife has supplied us with more products for the toddler to try and hopefully enjoy.
This weekend was a big food day for eggs and cheese. Yesterday (Saturday, June 3rd) was National Egg Day, and today (Sunday, June 4th) is National Cheese Day. So, to celebrate a weekend of eggs and cheese, I prepared a bunch of dishes for the week utilizing either eggs, cheese, or both.
Happy New Year! We are nine days into the new year and 2021 was a year of reflection and life changing moments. I’ve been active on Yelp and Seated writing restaurant reviews and hitting up Michelin rated restaurants. But this is a New Year and I want to provide content that focused on my mission of why I started this blog. Therefore, I am working on developing more social media content and supporting businesses and products that help create that perfect dish.
So to start, I have drafted a plan to get through this week partly because I am running out of space in refrigerator, freezer and pantry because I tend to go on a grocery shopping spree.
Throughout the week, I’ll be posting more content on Instagram (tablespoonsandteaspoons). My goal for the week is to clean out my freezer and pantry. So here are the following dishes that I aim to recreate to get back on the horse.
Cappello’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi with butter
Cappello’s Spinach Ravioli with asparagus
Lentil Penne with jackfruit meatballs topped with Fody’s sauce
Slow cooked Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Cauliflower burgers
Tuna burgers
I’ll be posting on my Instagram account so stay tuned.
Over the weekend, I decided to clean out the bulk of my refrigerator. What I came across were the following: Whole Wheat Bread, Mushrooms, Eggs, Milk, Thyme, Cream of Mushroom soup and White Cheddar Cheese. So it’s Sunday morning and I don’t want to waste food so I decided to create a family style portion of this comforting, hearty dish, which can also serve as a perfect potluck dish.
What is bread pudding?
Bread pudding is a dish that comprises of layering pieces of bread with a bunch of ingredients and mixing it with egg cream mixture prior to baking the concoction.
Where did bread pudding originate?
There are various version of where bread pudding originated from. The concept of this comforting dish came from the idea of utilizing leftovers while not wasting food. After reading the versions, I personally came to the conclusion that the bread pudding originated from the Egyptians. The Egyptians call their dish “Om Ali”, a dessert containing bread, milk or cream, almonds, and raisins. The Romans also created their version using stale bread, milk, fat and sweetener. In the Middle East, they create their own version called “Eish es Serny” which contains dried bread, sugar, honey syrup, rosewater and caramel. Currently, there is an Indian dish called “Shahi Tukra”, which is made from bread, ghee, saffron, sugar, rosewater and almonds. Of course, the real geniuses behind this comforting dessert do not get the proper recognition for creating bread pudding.
Now let’s get into on what food history has addressed the origins of bread pudding. Historians have stated that bread pudding originated in the Middle Ages with the invention of custard. By the 13th century the dish was labelled as a “poor man’s pudding” because it was made from leftover bread and was consumed by the lower classes. By the 18th century, the dish was served to people who were sick because the bread was easy to digest.
Over the last few centuries bread pudding has evolved to become a versatile dish where it can be made sweet, which popular in most high end restaurants (found in desserts) and savory.
A year ago during NYC restaurant week I had the privilege to eat the the Australian restaurant “Burke and Wills” located in the Upper West Side, which permanently closed early this year. They served an amazing dessert that was part of their three course prix fixe called “Bread and Butter Pudding” which was made with bread, toffee sauce, marscapone, and hazelnut.
Burke and Wills “Butter and Bread Pudding”
Over the weekend, I purged the refrigerator by utilizing all of the Whole Wheat Bread, Mushrooms, Eggs, Milk, Thyme, Cream of Mushroom soup and White Cheddar Cheese to made a Savory Mushroom Bread Pudding .
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2) Cut up the bread into cubes and layer the bottom of the pan. 3) Slice mushroom and spread it across the bread.
Combine 4 eggs, milk, cream of mushroom soup and thyme.
Whisk all ingredients until it’s well combined.
Pour mixture over bread and mushroom. Press the bread slices to absorb the egg mixture. Let it sit for 30 minutes
Place the dish in the oven and cook it for 35 minutes.
Add white cheddar slices/shreds on top and cook it for another 10 minutes so the cheese will melt. Serve.
The dish came out almost perfect because I used what I had leftover so this version had an unequal ratio. There was way more bread than there was mushroom and cheese. The cream of mushroom soup and thyme saved the day because the flavor of the dish was on point. In addition this dish serves six people and after consuming a third of what would be considered one slice was already filling. I had a lot of fun making this dish and would like to explore different variation of creating bread pudding. I definitely want to explore creating a different version that is gluten and dairy free.
It’s been almost a month since the lockdown due to this ongoing pandemic spread. The previous game plan was posted over two weeks ago. Good news was that most of the stuff listed in the ingredients section of the game plan lasted over two weeks which was why there was no game plan for Week 3.
I am slowly eating out again to fulfill my food cravings but most of time I am behind the kitchen experimenting with the food I have.
Below are the images I posted on Instagram: tablespoonsandteaspoons.
Moving forward to the present and the rest of the week here’s my game plan for the upcoming week(s). This week is going to be different because I decided to venture into the meal prep kit from Sunbasket and even support local businesses in the area.
Stay turned for posts on Instagram at tablespoonsandteaspoons.
Thank you Yoga Club for the connection. If you’re interested in getting an amazing wardrobe for workouts delivered to your front door, click on the link below: https://refer.yogaclub.com/ChristinaP17
Happy to say that Week 1 of the COVID-19 Lockdown was about 80% successful. I have been able to keep up with the steps which is essentially my meal schedule rather than food prep because my brain was not there to organize my meals. Part of that is just getting back into the groove and gaining momentum to eventually food prep for bigger and better meals.
Here are my pictures from last week’s game plan meals including the Rye French Toast:
Rye French ToastAlpha Food Pot Pie Beefy Chedd’r (vegan)Kodiak Cake Chocolate Chip Protein WafflesLentil StewFettuccine with Mushroom and Steak SauceFishpeople’s Cod with garlic parmesan potato bacon toppingBacon wrapped carrotsParmesan Bacon Orzo with Roasted Carrots and Onion
We have entered week 2 of the COVID-19 Lockdown and things in New York City has gotten worse. The lock down has now extended to another two weeks. There will be no Holy Week services, which I look forward too. However, I have been spiritually more involved in watching live streaming services online.
Given all that is going on I feel lucky and blessed. I am very thankful to God and the good spirits that I have a roof over my head and a job at least for two months. So making every effort to work for the glory of God because HE controls our fate.
In order to stay in compliance, my other half went to the supermarket while I worked from home. This week’s game plan also has ingredients from last week because there were some changes to the steps from last week.
We would love to hear any feedback regarding this week’s game plan. Stay tuned for pictures of my journey through this game plan. Everyone stay safe and may God Bless America!
Last week I decided to make solo trip to David Burke Tavern in the Upper East Side in Manhattan. The former Fishtail location will be one of the participating restaurants for the upcoming NYC restaurant week starting tomorrow.
One of the entrees that will be offered during restaurant week is the celery root ravioli. The dish consists of grapes, pickled celery and winter black truffles. This homemade dish is well balanced especially when all the elements are combined.
I have heard great things about Keste in the Village in Manhattan. I was thrilled when they decided to open another location in downtown Manhattan. This location is pretty hidden. The address states that it is located on Fulton Street but, it is hidden behind bushes and plants and you would have to walk down a side street to enter the restaurant.
I have been to Keste several times because they have awesome fresh personal pies, but they must be consumed before it gets cold. The chef/owner uses fresh ingredients and native techniques to execute a personal pie like no other. The place also holds pizza making classes and other food events.
What is awesome about this place was their $5 personal margherita pie. Here’s the catch, to get the discount, this pie must be eaten in the restaurant.
The place also has happy hour until 7pm and they have drink specials and complementary food samples.
If you want to splurge, the truffle pizza aka the Montanara Truffle $20, which has the perfect balance of truffle to mozzarella. Decadent and delightful!!
A great place for lunch, dinner, get together with friends of all food types meaning they have gluten free pizzas. A place worth eating and a bang for your buck!!
Tablespoons and Teaspoons 