Iced Green Tea

Shanghai, China, Spring 2009

Iced Green Tea    by Nancy Minnich Manubay.  I had the wonderful experience of being invited to visit with a good friend and her family while they where living in Shanghai, China. They were gracious enough to fly me there and entertain me for a week. I am so thankful to them for giving me the experience of exploring another culture, and of course getting to spend time with them and their children. It was truly a great experience, thank you!

Flash forward to January of 2012, when my then fiance, John, and I moved in together five months before our wedding. Both in our late 40’s, and having lived alone for most of our adult lives, this was certainly a challenge. Especially for two adults with many different tastes.

Which pictures would we hang on the wall and where? Who would use what room for an office? Every time my husband would ask where something of his would go, I would reply, “In your office.” At one point he finally said to me, “There are so many things in my office, there is not room for me in my office!” At least we were able to laugh about it.

One surprising thing we argued about was which teapot would sit on the stove, his or mine. In my mind this was insane, since mine was clearly nicer!!!  After a visit to his sister, the problem of the teapot was solved. She had a really cool electric water kettle on her counter, which we used to make our tea.

Four cup glass bowl I use to steep the tea.

Thus my love for the Capresso water kettle began. There is no longer a need for a teapot on the stove or arguing over which one. Win-win!

Iced Green Tea

4 c. boiling water

4 green tea bags (I use two regular and two decaf)

3 t. sugar (optional)

2 quart pitcher filled with ice

cocktail umbrella and straw (also, optional)

 

1. Boil 4 c. water and add the tea bags.  Steep for about 5 mins.

2. Remove tea bags, add sugar and stir.  (if preferred, omit sugar or adjust to your taste)

3. Pour tea over ice into a 2 quart pitcher, adding water if necessary to fill the pitcher.

4. Stir and serve over ice.

Enjoy!

~Liz

Refrigerator Oatmeal

Refrigerator Oatmeal        This is probably one of the easiest grab-and-go breakfasts you could imagine. The number of possible combinations and flavors is limited only by your own imagination. Fo…

Source: Refrigerator Oatmeal

Breakfast for Dinner

Veggie Omelette

I have always been a fan of breakfast food any time of the day. Tonight I got home later than usual and had to scrounge for something quick and lite for dinner. This veggie omelette is made with one whole egg and two egg whites, so it is packed with protein for less calories. I don’t like to omit the yolks completely, since they are packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Veggie Omelette

1/3 cup diced vegetables, such as onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli

1 t. butter

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

1 T. milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 slices deli cheese, such as Cooper Sharp Cheese (optional)

1. Saute veggies with butter in a non-stick pan on low to med heat until tender and caramelized.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and add to the veggie mixture.

3. Cook on low to med heat until omelette is almost cooked through.

4. Using a large spatula, flip omelette over and add cheese if desired.

5. Cook for another minute, then fold omelette over itself and move to a serving dish.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

 

Blueberry Cake

Blueberry Cake

Here is another instance where I would LOVE to take credit for this recipe, but I cannot.  I stopped by a local orchard and picked up some fresh blueberries.  Alongside of various produce items, there were recipes. I asked if it was okay to take a picture of the recipe, and the clerk told me I could just take one.  They were printed and in tablet form so you could just tear one off and take it with you.  I thought that was a very cool idea.

So, I will share this recipe with the disclaimer, “this is NOT a low-calorie or low-fat food”. That being said, it was oh-so-good!!! Here is the recipe.

Happy Independence Day!!!  Have a fun and safe weekend!

Enjoy!

~Nancy

There is no “e” in Potato Salad

Yummy Potato Salad  

There are some very good prepared potato salads at delis and grocery stores, but generally I do not like the consistency of the potatoes.  They can be under cooked or just flat-out mushy.  With that in mind, I decided to try my hand at homemade potato salad.  The result was so creamy and luscious, I may never eat store-bought potato salad again. And, I got husband approval!

Yummy Potato Salad

4 red potatoes, peeled and diced (add 1 t. salt to cooking water)

3 T. milk

1 T. vinegar

1/2 t. salt

ground black pepper to taste

1/8 t. dried dill weed

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped*

1/3 c. diced onion/ celery mix**

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until just tender.  (Do not over cook or you will have mashed potatoes instead). Drain and rinse the cooked potatoes with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well.

2. Mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Add cooked potatoes and gently toss.

4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Makes about 4 servings. You can double the recipe if you are having more guests.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

 

*If you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, you can use dried parsley.  I found a wonderful brand of freeze dried herbs made by Litehouse, which are very flavorful compared to other brands.

**Most grocery stores sell containers of pre-cut veggies in the produce section, but you can use about 1/4 onion diced and 1-2 ribs of celery diced instead.

 

Sesame Noodles

The ultimate comfort food!

At least for me, noodles are pure comfort food.  Add some Asian flavors and you cannot go wrong.  This recipe was given to me by a coworker.  The recipe calls for a pound of noodles, but I usually halve the recipe for just me and my husband.

This is an easy and quick recipe that is perfect for bringing to a casual picnic or party. It is intended to be served slightly cool or at room temperature, but is just as good served warm.

Sesame Noodles

16 oz. angel hair pasta

1 1/3 c. shredded carrots

4 T. sesame seeds, toasted*

1/2 c. light soy sauce

1/3 c. olive oil

1 t. sesame seed oil

1 T. sugar

1 t. ground ginger

1 T. white wine vinegar

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

4 scallions, diced for garnish (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the carrots to the water so they cook with the pasta.  Do not over cook noodles.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, vinegar and pepper flakes.

3. Toss noodles in the dressing mixture and add toasted sesame seeds.

4. Sprinkle with diced scallions (green onion) for garnish.

5. Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

~Nancy

*To toast the sesame seeds, the recipe calls for baking at ~325 degrees for about 2-4 minutes. I prefer to put the seeds in a dry frying pan at low-med heat.  You need to pay attention though, because they will burn quickly. Stir the seeds until they are a nice light brown and then transfer them to a paper plate until you are ready to use.

“My oh my, I love pie”

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

The general way in which I cook and bake is primarily through internet searches.  I search for the recipe I want and look at some of the larger sites, such as  www.allrecipes.com or The Food Network.  I look at a few recipes, take the parts that I like, and I attempt to create something that I and my husband will like.

This was my first attempt at Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, but strawberries and rhubarb are currently in season in the North East so I thought, why not?  Personally, I do not make my own pie crusts, I use the refrigerator pre-made ones.  But if you are energetic, by all means, go ahead.

Butternut Squash

This recipe came directly from a sticker on the squash, although I didn’t use all the ingredients they recommended.  Their instructions were to preheat the oven to 400 degrees, cut the squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds, then bake cut-side down in a shallow pan.  Test with fork. Remove and sprinkle with salt and brown sugar, then bake until golden brown.  They suggest that the squash can be mashed, drizzled with butter, honey or syrup.  ~From Stauffer Huling Farms.

I personally think that the squash is sweet enough on its own and does not need any more sweeteners or calories.  I kept it real simple.

The Ingredients

Butternut squash

2 T Olive oil

1 T Butter

Salt & Pepper to taste

The hardest part of this recipe, for me, is cutting the squash, as it is very hard-skinned.  I used a large chef’s knife, but you need to be careful.  I guess that is the mother in me talking…  I put the Olive oil on the bottom of a large baking pan.  For this recipe, I used the Pampered Chef stone pan.  I then placed the squash cut side down in the pan.

I baked it at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, and it seemed to be cooking a little too fast, so I turned the oven down to 360 degrees and baked it for about 15 minutes more.  This is what it looked like when it was done.

I scooped out the squash from the skin, and placed it in a mixing bowl.  I added the butter, salt, and pepper and lightly mashed it.  My husband said it tasted like sweet potatoes.  Go ahead and add the sweetener if you like, but I think it is  good just the way nature made it.

Enjoy the great Fall weather! ~Nancy

Grilled Vegetables

The Ingredients

Baby carrots

Sugar snap peas, ends snipped

1-2 T. Olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

A sprinkling of Ground Coriander

Salt & pepper to taste

Since the carrots would take longer to cook than the peas, I steamed them in the microwave at 70% power for about 6 minutes.  Then I mixed all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Using a straining spoon to eliminate the excess liquid, I transferred the mixture to a grill basket, and cooked it on low heat, turning it often, until it was browned, maybe 15 -20 minutes.

I’m going to try to keep the grill going as long as I can before Old Man Winter comes along.  ~Enjoy, Nancy

Chicken Noodle Soup

I hope everyone is enjoying the last weekend of Summer.  I can’t believe it’s over already 😦  Anyway, I wanted to share my chicken noodle soup recipe with you.  I make it all year round, not just in the cooler months.  It’s one of my favorites.  I add lots of vegetables to make it filled with nutrients.

The recipe

1 1/2 c. carrot, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 onion or 1 large shallot, diced

1 T. olive or canola oil

32 oz. lower sodium chicken stock

8 oz. vegetable stock

3/4 c. water

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 bag fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 cooked chicken breast, diced or 1/2 lb. ground chicken, cooked

1 c. egg noodles (No Yolks brand stays nice and firm)

First, I sauteed the carrots and celery in the oil, for about 10 minutes, then added the shallot for a few minutes.

Then, I added the chicken & vegetable stocks and water.

I added the diced tomato and cooked ground chicken to the soup. I chopped the spinach and put it aside.

I cooked the soup for about 20 minutes, then added the noodles and spinach.

I continued to cook for another 15 minutes, and it was ready to be served.  It makes about 4 servings. Bon appetit!

Thanks to the labor workers who helped to get our work benefits, and make our work places safer. ~Nancy