Thursday, December 30, 2010

Azle News story about my cooking lessons

Jeri Field from the Azle News interviewed my client, Linda Johnson and me earlier this week and here is the story:

From the Azle News, December 30, 2010

Resolved for 2011: Cook like a 'loser' and win - with help from Azle chef by by Jeri Field (Posted Today 01:08 pm)Dunaway teaches her students to cook and eat foods in their "closest-to-nature" form. If getting healthy is on your list of resolutions for 2011, perhaps you’d like to follow the lead of Azle resident Linda Johnson, who is learning to eat like a “biggest loser.”Johnson believes a simple back-to-nature diet will awaken the healthy person hibernating inside. Her awakening came earlier this year after a cancer diagnosis sent her to a nutrition class. She was told the best way to deal with the side effects during and after chemo was to “use food as medicine.”“I called it Chemo 101,” she said. “Eat lean, healthy food to heal the body.”Being from West Texas Johnson has lived on casseroles, chicken fried steak, potatoes and very few vegetables. That began to change in November when she met Chef Julia Dunaway, who was demonstrating how to cook fresh pear crisp at the Azle Farmers Market.“I told her I wanted to use food as part of my healing process,” Johnson said – and a healthy cooking relationship was born.To date, Dunaway has given Johnson four lessons on “How to cook like a contestant on the reality-TV show, The Biggest Loser in which grossly obese people compete to see who can lose the most weight through both diet and exercise.“In my opinion, people don’t need to diet so much as learn portion control,” Dunaway said. “And know where your food comes from. Eat mostly plants and not too much red meat.”Instead of purchasing ready-made, expensive food like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, Dunaway teaches people how to prepare their own tasty, healthy meals at home, focusing on food in its “closest-to-nature form – dark green vegetables and fresh fruits.“It’s like teaching a person to fish,” she said. “I resolve to get them off the frozen lean cuisine and processed diet full of chemicals that tastes horrible. They can eat a lot cheaper and better by making it at home.”Johnson dubs Dunaway’s approach to food as, “A slow-food menu.”“It’s not difficult,” she said. “But you can’t open a box, add hamburger and have a meal in 30 minutes.” Johnson’s last chemo treatment was on Aug. 31. On Sept. 25 she had her first cooking lesson. Under Dunaway’s tutelage, she made stir-fried chicken and vegetables, seared chicken breast with various sauces and last but not least, Indian shrimp Marsala. That was the first shrimp Johnson had ever cooked or eaten.“Where I grew up fish had to be hauled in on ice and was extremely expensive,” she said. “The only shrimp we ever dealt with was bait for catfish.”But when Dunaway’s shrimp “didn’t taste fishy,” Johnson decided to try some popcorn shrimp in her stir-fry.“She taught me about stir-fry,” Johnson said with a nod to Dunaway. “By adding fresh ginger, garlic and peppers, I can make a good meal.” “And what about the pan-seared chicken?” asked Dunaway.“Pound a chicken breast flat, oil both sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sear it in an extremely hot skillet,” said Johnson.“Searing the meat seals in the flavor,” explained Dunaway. “Some people cook chicken breast to death, until it’s hard and chewy.”Johnson has decided that the stirfry is her favorite recipe so far.“I can try so many different things in it,” she said. “I like to add the seared chicken breast to a pan gravy...”“Pan sauce!” Dunaway corrected.“In West Texas we call it gravy,” laughed Johnson. “I use wine, dijon mustard, cherry preserves... and...” glancing in Dunaway’s direction, she added, “I like almonds instead of that balsamic vinegar.”“I’m impressed with how much you’ve already picked up,” Dunaway said. “Look at the skills, ideas and techniques you will use for the rest of your life.”Dunaway constructs her recipes to be simple and flexible, “and to get people away from salt, fat and high sugar, which is the bulk of most diets,” she said. If someone doesn’t care to use chicken, they can use beef, turkey, pork, even sausage.“Just don’t dominate with the meat,” she said. “Use it as a side dish or condiment.”Dunaway is a graduate of the Culinary School of Fort Worth.When she isn’t teaching people to cook like a contestant on The Biggest Loser, she’s chief social worker for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Fort Worth.To learn more, check out Dunaway’s blog at www.chefjulia.blog spot.com, or email questions to her at juliadunaway@ gmail.com.Azle chef Julia Dunaway is helping Linda Johnson cook healthy foods that will repair her body after chemotherapy. Photos by Jeri Field
Subscribers read the entire story
See the photos at the Azle News website under community.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Dinner 2010







We'll have two "Christmas" dinners this year, one on Christmas day and another on New Year's Eve when my daughter, Helen, Will, and granddaughter, Grace come into town. For the Christmas dinner on Christmas day I decided to make an non-traditional dinner since no one wanted anything roasted or stuffed. We used to go to a wonderful restaurant called Cafe Soleil in Azle and have tenderloin steak with a pepper sauce and Steve, Alexandra, and I loved it.

Someone suggested we have that for our Christmas dinner. I was happy to oblige so our menu for Christmas:

Appetizer: Snow crab legs with cocktail sauce

Salad: Red leaf lettuce and romaine with herb goat cheese, spicy pecans, dates, and balsamic vinaigrette

Entree: Grilled tenderloin steaks with potato hash and beer pepper sauce

Dessert: Tres Leches Creme Brulee

The appetizer was something that happened by chance. As I was waiting in line at the seafood counter at Central Market I saw a worker bring out a huge pile of very plump snow crab. It looked better than any I've seen in ages so I bought 3 pounds of it. I picked up their house made cocktail sauce. (I'm tired and a short cut is OK sometimes.) I heated the crab in the oven, served it on a big platter and we all stood around and ate it at the counter. The big, plump pieces of crab were sweet and perfect.

I love the salad I made. This is my favorite salad of all time and I change it up depending on what I have. I make the salad dressing a lot and use it for my work lunches. I don't buy much bottled dressing anymore because homemade tastes so much better.

Mixed Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette, dried fruit, and cheese
A good salad has crispy greens, somethings sweet, something savory, something crunchy, and some acid. (I learned that in culinary school and it's so true.)

Ingredients

Lettuce: (I always have organic red leaf lettuce, my personal favorite. This time I also used organice romaine, but I have also used mixed field greens.) Wash the lettuce and spin it dry.
If you don't have a salad spinner, it's a great gadget to have. You dry the lettuce in it and it you store your torn and dried lettuce in the container with the lid it will keep crispy and fresh for days. This is where I keep my week's worth of lettuce for lunches and dinners.
Cheese: I use feta or goat cheese, sometimes Parmesan. Feta and goat have less fat than regular cheese and a sharper taste that stands up to the dressing. When I have time I mix some fresh herbs into the goat cheese and make a log. This is also great in omelets or just on crackers. A few crumbles of cheese is all you need.
Nuts: I make spiced pecans a lot since I have a freezer full of fresh pecans from San Saba, Texas. Just take a handful of pecans and place in a baking pan. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle some sugar, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees.

Just a few pecan halves is all you need. You could also use plain toasted walnuts or almonds.


Sweets: I usually have a bag of dried cranberries or raisins. I looked in my pantry and only found dates this time, so I cut them up and they tasted great. But, I usually use cranberries.

Dressing:

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic, minced and mashed into a paste

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 T honey

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T Modena balsamic vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil


Mix the garlic, mustard, honey, vinegars, lemon juice and salt together in a bowl or food processor. If doing this my hand, add a few drops of oil and whisk briskly to combine the oil and vinegar. Keep adding a small amount of oil until the dressing appears emulisfied, otherwise it will separate quickly. You can also just do this in the food processor or shake it in a jar.

It will keep for 3 or 4 days.

Chill your salad plates, toss the lettuce with dressing (go easy on the dressing--you can always bring a little extra to the table for those who like to drown their salad in dressing (my husband))

Sprinkle the cheese, pecans, and dates on the salad. Enjoy!

Grilled tenderloin steaks with beer pepper sauce:

The sauce:

I don't know how Paula Ambrose of Cafe Soleil made her sauce but mine is pretty good, although not as good as hers. She wouldn't give me her recipe but she told me it involved beer, beef broth, and peppers. I roasted a jalapeno pepper and a habanero pepper but my first attempt was way too hot, so I started over with just a roasted jalapeno pepper, chopped and sauteed with a shallot and some garlic, a bottle of Shiner Bock, and about 4 cups of beef stock. Reduce this down by over half, strain it, and add a little fresh ground pepper. I added some butter mixed in flour (about a teaspoon) at the end. The sauce can be made in advance and heated up later.

For the steaks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, a little olive oil, and let sit out for an hour.

Grill on a hot grill, 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

The potato hash:

3-4 large russet potatoes, diced
3-4 pieces bacon ( I used applewood smoked, nitrate free, Pedersen Farms)
1/2 onion, chopped
Cook bacon drain well, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside. Heat a large skillet and add 2 T of olive oil to skillet. Fry the potatoes and onions until the potatoes are tender.

Serve steak with potatoes, sauce, and a couple fried onion strips.

I made the onion strips by dipping onions into flour, egg, and panko. Fry at 350 degrees in a couple inches of oil. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Tres Leches Creme Brulee

I planned to make creme brulee for dessert and in looking through my recipe collection came upon a recipe from Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine. I had this creme brulee at Bonnell's a long time ago and really loved it so I requested the recipe via e-mail. They were kind enough to send it.

10 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces sweetened condensed milk
3 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
4 egg yolks
4 ounces brown sugar
1 pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, heat cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half the sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the other half of the sugar, salt and eggs until smooth. While whisking vigorously pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl with the eggs and sugar very gradually. Begin with a few drops, then slowly increase the flow of hot cream. Strain the mixture so there are no lumps. Pour into 8 ounce ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish, then fill the dish with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes (or until they have set) Refrigerate until cool.

Just prior to serving sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the top of each one and spread out evenly. Burn the sugar with a blowtorch until light brown. Top with a few fresh berries and serve.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Holiday Cooking and Baking


Peppermint bark, ginger cakes, Kahlua cakes

Palmiers on left, cheddar thumbprints on right

Cheese tray

Sticky Fingers bars, pecan tarts, cracker candy in bowl


My mother's sugar cookies in the "cookie room"

For some crazy reason I thought it would be a good idea to have a holiday open house this year so family, people I work with and Steve's work friends could stop by and share some homemade goodies. Somehow about 75 people were told about the party and I started getting a little worried. Having that many people involved moving some furniture around and making a lot of food, in other words--a big project. I decided on a menu for both savory and sweet items, with the intention of making a lot of sweets to have for gift trays as well. Too bad I waited until Wednesday, 3 days before the party, to start making things. I should have made the cookies way ahead of time and next time (if there is a next time!) I will.

I made:

Sweets
Cracker candy: butter crackers covered with brown sugar/butter toffee mixture, Belgium milk chocolate, Lindt white chocolate, and San Saba pecans
Pecan tarts: mini version of my Thanksgiving pecan pie
Sticky Fingers bars: Shortbread crust, pieces of Snickers bars, layer of peanut butter, chopped peanuts, drizzled Callebaut dark chocolate. These things are addictive!
Triple Chocolate cookies: the best quality chocolate, unsweetened, semi-sweet, and chips, with the great San Saba pecans
Toffee Cookies: the Fort Worth Star Telegram winning cookie recipe for 2010, a chocolate chip cookie with oatmeal and Heath chips
Christmas sugar cookies: my mother's recipe with a special lemon flavor and butercream icing
Mini cappucino cheesecakes: chocolate cookie crust and espresso flavored cheesecakes
These disappeared fast and a guest remarked that it was "the best thing I've ever eaten"
Peppermint bark: just like the expensive dark chocolate/white chocolate bark Williams-Sonoma sells, still expensive to make with 1 pound of Guittard dark chocolate and 1 pound of Guittard white chocolate, but at $20.00 for 2 pounds, instead of $26.50 for 1 pound of the W/S kind, it's a bargain.
Mini gingerbread cakes with cream cheese icing
Mini Kahlua cakes with pecans and Callebaut chips glazed with more Kahlua

Savory
Ham and pepper roll-ups (filled with olive and red bell pepper/cream cheese)
Spiced nuts
Hot crab dip
Cheese tray with olives, crositini, fruit and dates
Grilled sausages with assorted mustards
Cold shrimp with green mayonnaise and Asian curry dip
Spicy tuna nachos
Cheddar pecan thumbprints
Smoked pork and jalapeno pepper sliders
Smoked turkey

Hits, misses, and recipes:

First of all, I enjoyed making everything and it pleased me so much to hear people talk about how much they enjoyed the food. A friend e-mailed me and said everything was so good and it was the best food she had ever had anywhere. I took that as an extreme compliment because she has traveled all over the world and has a second home in Oregon and I know she gets some really good food there.
As for me, Spicy tuna nachos were my favorite. Fresh tortillas, crisply fried, topped with sushi grade tuna that had been chopped and mixed with jalapenos, chives, chile sauce, and a little mayonnaise, but waiting until guests had arrived to fry tortillas was not smart. I could have made the chips hours earlier and will next time.
Cold shrimp with Asian curry dip and green mayo was really good, but next time I’ll use fresh shrimp from Central Market. The already cooked shrimp I got from Sam’s was not so tasty.
I smoked a pork shoulder and turkey on Friday and served them with brioche and other rolls. I made little sandwiches with smoked pork and red pepper salsa and they were delicious. The turkey was sliced and served next to an assortment of breads. The green mayonnaise tasted great on the sandwiches as well.
The hot crab dip, a Martha Stewart recipe, disappeared quickly and I tasted it and thought it pretty good.
Overall, it was a good assortment of many tastes and not that difficult to make, just a lot of different things to put together.
Misses: A lot of prosciutto and arugula roll ups were left. I think arugula is not for everyone and the goat cheese and herb spread I made was barely touched, but it was really good!

Sweets:
I heard a lot of comments about the Cappuccino Cheesecake with chocolate ganache. In fact, I think I will make it for my family’s Christmas dinner, particularly for my coffee-loving oldest daughter.
The cracker candy was a big hit, unexpectedly, as I didn’t think it looked very good, but it tasted a lot better than it looked. It didn’t hurt that I used really good quality chocolate.
I am experiencing a bit of a food hangover presently and having trouble writing about all this rich food, so don’t be surprised if my next post is on healthier food!



Monday, December 6, 2010

Private Cooking Lesson with Linda Johnson: More Brunch


Pecan Apple Crisp
Linda with the scones

Linda Johnson is crazy about brunch so we are on part 2 of 3 "brunch dishes". She has a breakfast group at her house on occasion and is looking for interesting dishes to serve. This week we made bacon-cheddar scones with applewood smoked uncured bacon and lots of ground pepper. The scones were tender and perfectly cooked and the smell of the bacon, scallions, and pepper was really nice. I did explain to Linda that scones were in the category of occasional indulgence since they are pretty rich, but as in everything else, a small portion served with other healthier items is OK. These are just like the scones my husband and I fell in love with at the Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg and I had to learn how to make them because they are so popular they're often sold out by the time we get there. Anyone want that recipe?


We also made an egg dish called Picante Quiche, a crustless quiche. The first time I stayed at a bed and breakfast, Angels Gate in Bryan, Texas, the owners served little dishes of this quiche.
When she told me what the ingredients were I was a little surprised at how simple it was.
Picante Quiche

1 cup salsa (my favorite is Joe T Garcia's, medium or homemade is always great)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 T finely choppped scallions
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 or 10 inch pie pan with cooking spray. Spread salso over the bottom of the pie plate. Layer with cheeses. Combine eggs, sour cream, scallions, and garlic powder. Pour over cheese layers. Top with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika and cilantro. Bake for 30-40 minutes.


This can be lighted considerably by reducing the amount of cheese and using light sour cream.
It tastes fine with very little cheese. Like I said earlier, reserve this type of dish for a special occasion or cut back on the sour cream and cheese.


My favorite dish was the Pecan Apple Crisp. This really was a healthy version of the real thing. Linda and her husband really liked it (and apparently ate quite a bit of it after I left). Linda told me she was going to share her recipes with her daughter-in-law so I hope they also enjoy the food as much as Linda.


What I liked about this recipe was the fact that it tasted delicious cold! I made it at home to test it and initially was disappointed. It wasn't all that sweet and didn't have much taste. I put it in the refrigerator over night. The next day I absent mindedly tasted it and thought it was perfect.
To me it was an improvement on the traditional apple crisp which uses a lot of sugar, flour, and butter. Try it and let me know what you think.

Pecan Apple Crisp

5 pounds Fuji apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups apple cider
½ cup orange juice
½ cup cranberry juice

Topping
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (Toast for 5 minutes in 350 degree oven)
2/3 cup whole oats
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 T canola oil
1 T agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, over medium heat combine vanilla, cinnamon, cider, orange juice and cranberry juice. Bring to simmer and add apples. Lower heat and cook apples until tender, but not mushy, approximately 10 minutes.

Combine topping ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Add pecans last.

Place cooked apples in a 13 X 9 baking dish (or 10 inch round pie pan). Return liquid back to medium high heat and reduce to a thin sauce. Pour on apples and then place topping ingredients on apples.
Place in oven and cooked until topping has browned, approximately 20 minutes.

Serve with Greek yogurt, plain mixed with a little honey







I was so pleased to hear that Linda had just made a lunch of stir-fried vegetables and chicken with brown rice earlier in the day. Back in September she had never attempted such a thing but now she is challenging herself to step out of her comfort zone and prepare a wide variety of foods. I am inspired by her example and positive attitude.






























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