Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...

Subject: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 05:52 PM

How about a list of recipies for beefing up our old pal without beef, things that will pink him up and pick him up, while keeping the ticker (now quiet litterally!) ticking away!
Catspaw Heart Healthy Soup Stock...
Take one hugeassed pot...
Chop up a HUGE white onion, Chop up LOTS of fresh garlic...
Two spoons of olive oil into the pot...
Sautee the choped stuff...
Add some water, not a lot cause lots of other stuff has to go in, say 1/4 of the pot...
Chop up a red cabbage (nice spicy gassy one trow it into the pot
Chop up some mushrooms, chop up some tomatos, chop up some green and red pepers, chop up some fingers... no don't do that... (mec jal a rachasa <- a little Romani curse removal for the last bit...) throw into the pot with a package of mixed beans... throw in some chopped colliflower...
fill up to the top, almost with water
Boil... then simmer, or as they say in Ireland...
Bile da bugger den let it bibble...
Cool stick in the fridge.
Each night laddle out some into a pot as a base for other soups... LIKE
Chicken Eggplant Spaw Fuel Soup...
Throw a skinned (skint for our Irish catters) chicken breast, boneless into a smaller pot, with some olive oil, about two spoons, sautee, brown, sizzle etc.
Fill up the pot with some of the soup stock above (which you now have in your fridge)
Add chopped eggplant (aubergene or how ever the hell you spell it in Ireland and England)... Ten munites before serving, throw a handfull of mixed pasta in...
Place in your mouth after blowing on it a bit...
Cheers
Larry
OH If ya like spices put in some Hot sause, or some cumin, or whatever.... curry powder! Add spices with gay abandon (as a certain piper says about reed making)

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Burke
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 06:02 PM

Thanks, I've got a soup recipe at home that is vegetarian except for chicken broth as the base. I think this will do the trick. Are those mixed beans fresh or dried?

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 06:42 PM

Dried! I also forgot, you can add some builin cubes to the above ... in moderation... when seasoning, a little balsamic vinegar... to taste...

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: CarolC
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 06:57 PM

These recipies have the flattop seal of approval. And Spaw and flattop being such kindred spirits, I figure Spaw can't help but love them.

Corn Potato and Potato Leek soups...

--Four or five medium size potatoes, cut up into cubes and cooked until tender.
--Enough low fat milk to cover the potatoes plus about two or three inches above the potatoes.

White sauce:

--Two tablespoons of white flour.
--Two tablespoons of oil or butter.

Stir the flour into the butter and cook on medium/low heat for a few minutes (until it smells a little cooked. Add liquid from the soup a little at a time, while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent lumps. When about a cup of liquid has been added, stir sauce into the soup. (Once the sauce is in the soup, you'll need to stir it almost constantly until the soup thickens on medium to medium/high heat.)

For corn - potato:

--One or two cups of corn. (You can fry it first if you want to.)
--One or two large onions. (Or three or four smaller ones.) Sauteed until some brown is showing. (Slightly caramalized.)
--One or two tablespoons of soy sauce.
--About a tablespoon of dried parsley.
--Salt to taste.
--Pepper to taste.

For potato - leek:

--One bunch of leeks. Cut the bunch where it begins to get green. Use only the white and very light green part. Slice thinly into rounds. Sautee until slightly brown.
--One or two tablespoons of soy sauce.
--Nutmeg to taste.
--Salt to taste.
--Pepper to taste.

Mix everything together and stir (once the white sauce is in) until the broth thickens.

Vegetable Salad inspired by something I ate at the Corner Coffe House in Newmarket...

--One cup of cooked beans (pinto beans or black beans are good).
--Two cups of cooked rice (basmati is best).
--Three to five carrots, sliced into skinny strips 2 or 3 inches long.
--Two or three red bell pepers sliced into skinny strips 2 or 3 inches long.
--One or two stalks of celery, de-stringed and sliced into skinny strips 2 or 3 inches long.

Soak vegetables in a vinaigrette of vinegar (maybe about a quarter of a cup), olive oil (maybe three tablespoons), honey or sugar to taste, salt to taste, basil to taste, and thyme to taste. Soak for several hours, mixing occasionally. Add veggie mixture with vinaigrette to rice and beans. Let soak, mixing occasionally, for another hour or two. Best served at room temperature, but can be served cold from the refrigerator.

Lentil Soup...

(This is almost more of a stew.)

--One or two cups of cooked lentils (1 part lentils to 3 parts water, cooked until tender).
--Two to four meduim to large carrots, grated or cut up.
--One or two stalks celery, de-stringed and cut up.
--One bay leaf.
--One or two handsfull of dry oatmeal.
--One to three tablespoons soy sauce.
--Salt to taste.
--Enough water to mostly fill the pot.
--Optional - cooked and chopped up greens.

Cook all ingredients except the oatmeal until everything is as tender as you want it to be. Add the oatmeal and stir frequently until the oatmeal is cooked and the soup has thickened.

Black bean soup...

--One or two cups of dried black beans.
--Six or eight cups of water.
--One or two large onions (or four or five small ones), chopped.
--1/2 to 3/4 cup of bulghur wheat.
--One or two teaspoons of oil.
--Salt to taste.

Cook the beans in the water until they are tender. Add the chopped onions and cook until they are tender. Add the bulghur wheat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is tender.

Add the oil and salt, and let cook for a few more minutes.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Bert
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 07:03 PM

Hey I gotta great recipe for lardy cake

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Susan A-R
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:00 PM

Simplified Pad Thai

Soak in warm water 1 lb rice noodles, when soft and pliable, drain.

blend 1 cup sugar, 1 cup wihte vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 T vish sauce or 1 T salt (may have to forgo this on your diet) 1/4 c ketchup, 1 % chili sauce (sri racha is great!) or to taste.

In 2 T canola, sautee LOTS of minced garlic (8 cloves is good)

Add the noodles to the pot and toss.

Add the Sugar, vinegar ketchup mixture to the pot and stir.

Stir this mixture fairly frequently until the noodles have absorbed the sauce.

Top with minced scallions, diced bean curd or chicken, water chestnuts, sprouts, cilantro, scrambled eggs (I use 1 whole and three whites.) peanuts, if allowed, and lime wedges.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:20 PM

This is a great idea .... you can use vegemite or .. or shoot ... what's the other stuff??? to add body to a veggie stock. I'll be back later with more.....

LL

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:46 PM

AW Screw it! I'm going to send him some Omaha Steaks. He can take Xenical and have a whole new take on bathroom humor to share with us.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Jeri
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 10:28 PM

I make this stuff - I think I may have invented it. Pasta sauce:
Saute some onions and garlic in a little bit of butter. I suppose you could use canola oil or some other healthy crap stuff.
In a double boiler or sauce pan on low heat, stick some Ricotta cheese made from skim milk. Add the onions and garlic.
Put as much salt in it as you can have on your diet.
Add any other spices you may like. I find dill goes well. You can also add a little bit of some other cheese such as parmesan, romano, bleu (haven't tried that yet) for flavor.
Add some skim (yech, but it doesn't matter in this case) milk to thin the stuff out.
Dump it on a big steaming pile of pasta.

This one tastes like it's loaded with cholesterol, even if it isn't.

Pasta Salad
Duh. Everybody knows how to make pasta
One dressing is simply extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar with spices. Garlic and basil's really nice
Another one:
Chuck olive oil, garlic, spices and a bunch of olives in a food-mashing machine. The best combination I've found so far is black olives and calamata olives. This one may have too much salt. Especially if you add anchovies.

Don't laugh, but Cheerios make a nice crunchy snack, and they're actually healthy. I'll bet if you tossed them in butter with a bit of Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce...maybe that's not such a good idea.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:57 AM

How come Nobody's mentioened Pork Rinds. 'Spaw?

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Mudlark
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 02:02 AM

Great meatless pasta sauce....saute in 2 T olive oil (which is GOOD for you), chopped red onion, lots of garlic (both of which are GOOD for you!), several chopped skinned fresh tomatoes (haha...good for you, especially guys)...add fav. spices, salt if allowed, oregano, a couple of pinches of allspice, a bay leaf and a large dollop of red wine as this cooks down....and minced black olives w/a little juice from the can for added flavor.

Potatoes....slice thin, brush lightly w/olive oil, sprinkle w/garlic powder and seasoned salt, bake till crispy in 350 oven. Pretty non-diety tasting fare...

3 egg omelet, w/one yolk and 3 whites.....shred small red potato, young zucchini, minced onion is a tiny bit of olive oil until just cooked, dump into well beaten eggs with whatever seasonings allowed, plus some parmesan cheese, and pour into large pan. Cook thru on one side, then flip (good luck!), and cook till puffy.

Smashed chicken.....cut skinned, boneless ch. breast into small, bite-sized pieces, drench in wheat or white rice flour, seasonings including paprika, then enclose between two generous pieces of wax paper and beat the bejesus out of them, flatten them as much as poss. while beating the seasonings into them. I use a rolling pin but any heavy object will do. Drop these pieces into simmering olive oil....you need enough oil to come up half way on the now well flattened pieces, but if the heat is right they chicken will take up virtually no oil. Saute on one side until golden brown, flip over (takes a bit of patience if there are lots of pieces), brown second side...usually only takes 3-5 minutes per side. Remove w/slotted spoon, drain and serve over rice or add to Thai dish with peanuts, raisins, very lightly stir fried veg, moistened w/a bit of low fat coconut milk and served sprinkled with a tablespoon of shredded coconut and sesame seeds. Pretty exotic for a diet but heart-friendly.

There is good food after heart surgery! It just takes a bit more effort! Good luck, Spaw....

Nancy

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Stewie
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 02:53 AM

A variant of the smashed chicken - put a couple of skinless chicken thighs between two layers of cling wrap and bash flat with a steak hammer. Smear a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of a pan and heat. When hot, throw in the chicken steaks and pour over them some tamari sauce (or soya if preferred), freshly squeezed lime juice (I use the juice of half a small lime for each side of the steaks) and a good grinding of black pepper. After about a minute, turn and repeat on other side. Leave for a couple of minutes till chicken is cooked through. I like to serve this with a couple of those long small eggplants, cut in half, sprinked with Louisiana pepper sauce and grilled until almost limp.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 08:08 AM

Yum Yum. Healthy heart, healthy mind (or maybe not in Spaw's case!) For the benefit of Non US catters, a cup is 8 oz of solids such as flour or 8 Fluid oz of liquid (sorry in spite of my support for the Euro all my recipes are in imperial)

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 09:00 AM

'spaw being a pretty dang good cook himself - he's probably gonna love this thread.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 09:50 AM

Mash & fish
1 Make up 1 packet of instant mash
2 Add 1 tin of tuna & mix it all up
3 Eat it! Add sliced tomatoe for decorating if you like.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: InOBU
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:08 AM

Fat free pork rinds:
Take one bag of pork rinds
Send them with complements to Bill Clinton - who likes that sort of thing. Get on scale, note the improvement...
Larry
PS Bill, If you are reading this, post them to Baby Bush and go for a good long jog, NOT DOWN TO McDonalds... we need you in better shape also, boy!
Now lets not get onto a Bill Clinton rant, but send some nice heart healthy recipies to our Spaw...

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:09 AM

Not really sure what is healthy or not and have no idea what spaw's tastes are.. Anyway, I've been looking through my mum's recipies and decided on this one as it looks like something I would enjoy.

Murghi Aur Palak - (serves 4-5)

2lbs chicken quaters, skinned
4 tbsps cooking oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 inch root ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

A paste made of: 1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp ground corriander
1/2 tsp chillie powder

1 tsp salt
1 heaped tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
3 fl oz warm water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 dried red chillies, coarsly chopped
1lb fresh spinach
4 tbsps natural yougurt
1/2 tsp garam masala

1. Cut the chicken quaters into half, separating leg from thigh and cutting each breast in two, lengthwise.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onions, ginger and crushed garlic until the onions are lightly browned.

3. Adjust heat to low and add the spice paste, stir and fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the chicked and adjust heat to medium-high. Stir and fry until chicken changes colour (2-3 minutes), Add salt and water and bring to the boil. Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes - stir once or twice during this time.

5. In a separate pan, melt ghee/butter over medium heat and add garlic, curry leaves, cumin, fennel and chillies, stirring briskly. Wash spinach, remove any hard stalks, add spinach and a pinch of salt. Stir and fry for 5-6 minutes.

6. Mix spinach and chicked together, bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Mix yoghurt and garam masala, stirring until yoghurt is smooth. Add to chicked/spinach and cook uncovered on medium heat for a further 6-8 minutes.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:11 AM

thread creep - take a look at the nutritional figures on a package of pork rinds some day - they are lower in fat then a great many foodstuffs. Practically pure protien.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:25 AM

Angel Food Cake - Buy a mix and bake it at home so you can smell it cooking.

Grill everything and use salsa on it. (Make your own salsa.)

Steam veggies with red peppers in the water.

Use Vidalia onions a lot.

Find a good Farmer's Market or grow your own garden. Lean to cook so Karen doesn't have to.

If you need low salt stuff, let me know.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:27 AM

*Learn* to cook, assuming you need to!

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:34 AM

Drink lots of water, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Remember to order Chinese instead of Pizza. Get Well Soon Spaw. Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:39 AM

'spaws just gonna have to get used to doing some substituting and cutting back - he's a great cook already (I could tell from some recipes we've swapped - just check out some of the threads - this man knows how to prepare as well as devour, eat).

'spaw - gonna see if I can develop a "healthy" buttermilk pie recipe...

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:45 AM

Jon, can you really get Curry Leaves (Murraya koenigii)?? I can't find them anywhere, not even Penzey's Spices. According to this page, they only keep well frozen, not dried. I wonder if freeze drying would work??

I LOVE curries, and make my own "curry powders". For those who want it, I have the mixture recipe for Jon's Garam Masala which is a spice mixture from Punjabi (northern India)

Oh well, here is my contribution to the recipes:

Garlic Chicken Filets in Balsamic Vinegar

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock (or salt free boullion)
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
(black pepper to taste)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water

Dredge chicken in flour, shake off excess. In large, heavy skillet, heat oil and brown chicken breasts on one side, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and turn chicken. Cook another 2-3 minutes until golden. Add stock, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Cook over low heat until chicken is tender (5-15 minutes). You may need to add a little bit of water....Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water, stirring until smooth. Add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened. Pour over chicken, and serve with

Golden Rice

1 cup long grain (Basmati preferred)rice
1 cup chicken stock (or salt free boullion)
1 cup water
3" of cinnamon stick, or 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp Almond extract
2 Tbsp. toasted, slivered almonds
Place all except Almond extract and slivered almonds in saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat immediately and cover. Simmer covered 18-20 minutes (or however long you cook rice in your area!). When liquid is absorbed, fluff the rice, add the extract and slivered almonds. Cock the lid on partway and allow rice to "steam" for 5-10 minutes.

From: The American Heart Assoc. Cookbook

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 10:54 AM

One thing Spaw told them at the hospital was to let him get home to his own normal diet in order to get the coumadin levels right. He pointed out to them that all of his blood levels, i.e. cholesterol etc. were well within the healthy range, so they coulnd't complain too much about what he's been eating all of this time. MMario is right, he is an excellent cook. I am sure he will appreciate this thread, anyway, as I am, and he'll probably post a recipe or two of his own.

Thanks Larry and everyone else, some of these sound mighty tasty!

katwhoselevelsarealsogood

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:14 AM

Sorcha, can you grow your own? Just found this.

Jon

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Kim C
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:15 AM

Those fried pork rinds are actually lower in fat and calories than potato chips because they're mostly AIR. Mmmm! I love 'em, specially the hot & spicy ones.

Anyway, I got this salmon-cooking technique from a coworker. Easy and it tastes good.

Get you a couple good pieces of salmon fillet, like about 4-5 oz or so. Get you also a nice skillet.

Put you a couple tablespoons good olive oil in skillet, with about 1/4 cup of LIME juice. (These can be varied to taste.)

Put the salmon in the skillet with the olive oil and lime juice. Put a lid on it and let it steam, turning once.

It only takes about 10 minutes and is DIVINE. You can also throw in a little garlic or pepper or whatever you like for spices too. :-)

Personally, I am a butter person. But if you have to go without real butter, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is probably the best-tasting substitute. They also make it in a spray which is nice on steamed vegetables.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:21 AM

Jon, I'll have to see. We are Zone 4/5 here......cold winters and I don't have a good place for houseplants. I figured it was tropical, and couldn't stand freezes. I'll ask them, thanks!!

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 11:32 AM

I'm keeping all these recipes for myself, but you guys are missing the obvious. I mean, this is Catspaw we're talking about...

"Beans, beans, good for the heart!"

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Kim C
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:07 PM

Hey, I like to cook beans in the Crock-Pot. But it's too hot for that just now.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:12 PM

Yes to eating sensibly. But the best thing that Catspaw can do for his heart is to never smoke another cigarette.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Jeri
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:44 PM

Since I don't think he smokes, this oughtta be pretty easy.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:53 PM

I hope that you're right.

However, in another thread recently, Bill/Sables named Catspaw on his list of intelligent people who are smokers.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:53 PM

Sorcha we have a number of Asian foodstores around here and can buy just about any spice used in curries usually loose in bulk at a fraction of processed prices. Not sure of food regulations relating to sending spices but if you want any I could always find out.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 12:54 PM

Jon, shoot bang and poop. I looked us up, and we are Zone 6/7. E mailed the site, and curry plants are Zone 9+. I don't have a good house for plants so that is out.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 01:09 PM

Ma'm Duck, would you please do that? I'll PM you the addy, and try to find out about import/export regs.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Jeri
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 01:32 PM

Guest - I had assumed you had assumed something, but it was me who did the assuming - sorry. I hadn't realised bill/s had "outed" him. In any case, he sure as hell ain't smokin' NOW. Hope he stays that way.

Licorice and cinnamon sticks...just to relate this to food.

I'm looking forward to Spaw adding his own recipies. If I can't throw it into one big pot, I usually don't cook it. I can't resist sauteing some Portabella mushrooms in olive oil and garlic occasionally and making a meal of them.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 01:35 PM

marinate portabellos with a little olive oil, garlic and rosemary - sprinkle with lemon pepper and grill...

almost as good as lobster.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 01:50 PM

Mrs Duck- I think you can send spices ok, if you are near Hull try Indian Continental Stores, its on Princes Ave.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: hesperis
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 02:06 PM

Okay, I fed this to Little Hawk for lunch, and he almost had a heart attack. So, according to the principles of homeopathy, it should be good prevention or cure for heart attacks in subsceptible (sp?) individuals. (j/k, ok?)

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS CONTAINS RAW GARLIC - LOTS OF IT!!!!!!!

Chagall's Garden Garlic Hummous

2 cans chick peas or garbanzo beans, 1/2 can of the water that comes with it. Drain the rest of the water away.
Lots of fresh or dried parsley
dill (1 tsp dill pickle water is best instead of dried dill. Use a little less lemon if so. Fresh dill is good, too.)
A medium amount of thyme, summer savoury, paprika, oregano,
A small amount of cayenne and garam masala.
A couple dashes of chili.
1 tsp to 1 tbsp lemon juice. Fresh is best, but realemon is ok. SIX OR MORE CLOVES RAW GARLIC, as much as you can stand.
One baby onion, raw.

Blend all together. You should be able to taste the chick peas, GARLIC, lemon and dill, predominantly. (Don't add salt unless you really need it afterwards, the other flavours should make up for it.)

Optionally, after the rest is all blended, add minced celery, red pepper, or chives.
Garnish with fresh parsley or sesame seeds or both.
Serve as a dip or spread, with flatbread, veggies, or whole grain bread. (White bread isn't really robust enough to handle this stuff.)

Have fun serving it to innocent guests and family members! }:)

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jun 01 - 02:23 PM

this went over pretty well when I made it...

Green Curry Chicken

1 cup hot green peppers - seeded
1 cup (packed) cilantro
1/2 cup lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon coriander seed - crushed
1 tablespoon (or to taste) minced garlic
olive oil or other unsaturated oil to thin (about 1/2 cup)

use blender or food processor to produced a smoothish paste - it should be semi-liquid - not thin enough to flow - but too thin to hold it's shape for long.

combine 1/2 cup low-fat plain yohgurt with 1/2 cup of the above chili paste. use to marinate skinless boneless chicken breast overnight. grill.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 12:59 PM

Hmmmmm- anyone noticed he hasn't commented on this thread yet?

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:08 PM

Well, of course not. Here's a real Spaw recipe. Crackers, beer and lobster. I guarantee that even Spaw will need a gas mask. There is no fouler flatulence. You can talk about your broccoli or whatever, but this recipe would peel the stainless off of steel. Especially if the beer is Turkey Turd Beer.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:10 PM

it must be the beer - cause crackers and lobster ain't never cause it with me. Not even wrapped in bacon and served for breakfast 5 days in a row.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:17 PM

Lobster for breakfast five days in a row ? I'm in the wrong business !!! Wrapped in bacon ? Better get the name of Spaw's doc.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:28 PM

vacation menu *grin* and lobster for dinner most nights that same week.

But the breakfasts - lobster tails wrapped in bacon - we had each morning that week - while watching the bay. Some days we added Armenian string cheese.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:47 PM

Now THAT'S a vacation ! Where ?

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: MMario
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 01:49 PM

Cape Cod

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 03:26 PM

This is just a fantastic little thread here! Thanks for starting it and yes, I do love to cook because I love to eat. I don't think there are any really fine cooks who dislike food are there? That said though, I started trying to go low/no fat years ago and my cholesterol never goes above 150 (currently 127) and my LDL cholesterol runs about 75. It was never the food, but there are no heart healthy cigarettes. I smoked almost 3 packs a day for 35 years and cannot think of a waking activity that didn't involve having a cigarette in my hand. I used to love having a hot, steamy shower in the early morning, relaxing in the corner of the stall with a cup of coffee in one hand and a Winston in the other. I don't know how intelligent I am, but I am smart enough to know that that's insane! I'm also willing to sadly admit how weak I am and what a strong addiction smoking is. So Guest, I'm glad you're not a smoker, good for you! I wouldn't wish all this on anyone. But can the sanctimonius attitude. The only people that ever anger me anymore are zealots on any subject. So have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up.

Now let's talk heart healthy cooking!!!!

Probably the hardest thing to get across to some people is that some fats are just fine. A bit of oil can enhance and richen the flavor of many dishes but know your oil and learn the dangers of trans-fatty acids. Both in flavor and health issues, two oils lead the pack.....Canola and Olive, with Canola winning on the health and Olive ahead in flavor. The real thing here is that using a bit of Sesame or Peanut oil for a specific recipe won't kill you and often leaves the dish bland without them. The same is true of real butter. As many of you have noted, the key here too is moderation.

All of the things which are known as "bad" actually are if they are your staple diet, but personally a couple of real eggs poached and/or the occasional real ones fried in butter aren't going to matter a whit and I'd prefer a couple of tasty over-lights of the occasional omelette to an entire warehouse full of Egg Beaters! Hard cheeses are rarely a problem, but soft ones are. I come from a part of the country that produces more Swiss than Wisconsin and I love many foreign and domestic cheeses. Once again, I'd prefer to save my brownie points and enjoy a little great cheese than to ever have to eat most of the fat free's or low-fats I've encountered. Karen and I are constantly buying a new one in the hopes that it may be a substitute, but we haven't found one yet.

Some products do work well in their fat free variety in cooking or as part of the mix........ricotta cheese comes to mind so let me make my first recipe suggestion based on that. Now I love Manicotti and in the classically prepared version, it will eat you up with fat and cholesterol. But if you take one container of fat free ricotta and a one pound baggie of frozen spinach (thawed of course--fresh is simply exotic if you have it) and mix them with three teaspoons of garlic, two teaspoons of oregano, two of basil, three of parsley, one of fennel, a half cup of Parmensan or Romano (a blend is nice here) and a quarter cup of very finely diced onion, you will have enough to stuff about 14 shells, which is what's in most boxes.....why, I have no idea.

Use a good quality pasta and stuff the shells without cooking them. Lay them out in your dish and cover them with your favorite lo/no fat red sauce. Everyone has what they think is the best and I've already read a couple of good ones here, so I'll not belabor you with mine. If you don't amke your own, you'll find that most meatless commercial sauces can be flavored up a bit and are almost fat free, so use one of those if you like.

Cover the "sewer pipe" completely with a quarter inch extra on the top. You can thin down the sauce a bit if you like because it will thicken from the pasta starch.....and that is the key thing here. While you may pick up a bit of unwanted starch, the overall flavor of cooking the pasta IN the sauce as it bakes makes it an easy flavor trade-off and adds to the "rich" taste. Sprinkle one cup of mozzarella over the top and bake at 375 for an hour (preheat your oven). This dish is almost fat free and indeed the ENTIRE pan is less than two pieces standard Manicotti. If you are familiar with Weight Watcher's latest "Point System"...each piece with the accompanying sauce is two and two-thirds points. So for an eleven point supper you can have FOUR pieces!!! Add a salad with a good no/lo fat dressing and you'll be in heaven for something under 14 points and virtually no fat or cholesterol!!!!

Hey SusAR>>>>Many thanks for the quick Phad Thai recipe!!!

Let's get some more in here gang!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 03:55 PM

"So Guest, I'm glad you're not a smoker, good for you! I wouldn't wish all this on anyone. But can the sanctimonius attitude. The only people that ever anger me anymore are zealots on any subject. So have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up."

Dear Spaw,

I'm very happy for you that your operation has been a success and wish you a long, healthy and happy life.

I wish that I had been smart enough to have never smoked. I smoked less than a pack a day for about twenty years and am now dying from inoperable lung cancer. Every cigarette I smoked was a nail in my coffin.

I'm sorry I've offended you by my trying to convince other people how stupid smoking is.

Subject: RE: Catspaw Heart Healthy Cookbook...
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 05:32 PM

Well Dear Guest, my sympathies are certainly with you, but if you convince many smokers to stop, let me know. I watched my Dad die of lung cancer when I was 23 and it didn't change me a bit and I can relate dozens of similar stories. It's a powerful addiction and it's generally not open to debate as everyone rationalizes it.

So why be a guest? We have pretty decent compassion levels around here and one of the reasons we do is that we try to be understanding. Most of us are paying for mistakes of our youth and yet the youth still aren't listening anymore than we did. Being zealotous on the subject won't change any minds.

Take care of yourself. Got any recipes?

Spaw