Good Living 123

On the 15^th day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, Lantern Festival is celebrated. Usually falling in February, it signifies the last day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. Lanterns can be very simple or elegantly complex.  But this would be a lovely day to light a lantern, even if we cannot see hundreds of them flying into the night sky together.

Because this is Superbowl Sunday, it’s also National Pork Rind Appreciation Day.

Woah! What!??! “Pork rinds” is the culinary way to say pork skin that’s rendered in fat or baked or roasted to create pork cracklings (aka “scratchings”).

View them as a snack or side dish, they’ve gained great popularity in recent years for anyone seeking high-protein, low-carb foods. A regular ½ oz serving contains 5-7 grams protein, 4.4 grams fat, 77 calories, and 0 carbs. The argument ensues when we talk “fat.” Saturated fat is very bad. However, monosaturated fat (as in olive oil) is considered healthy. WebMD tells us that pork rinds are high in both saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol can raise those “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, which we do not want.

That half-ounce serving of pork rinds contains 15 mg of cholesterol. However, 2/3 of the fat grams are monounsaturated. The best nutrition tidbit regarding pork rinds comes from the protein. Their collagen protein aids the body’s cellular communication, immune response, and tissue repair process.

Flavors range from plain and salted to BBQ, sea salt & black pepper, etc., etc., etc.

Their zero carbs make crumbled pork rinds a popular choice for a panko-style coating for chicken or fish before cooking. Or you can crumble them atop salads, mac & cheese, or soups. Or just munch them straight out of the bag. All in moderation, of course!

Okay, potato fans, let’s talk taters! Any style will do… one favorite crowd-pleaser is the basic Twice-Baked Potato. Trust me, they merely sound fancy, but they are Super Simple! And dinner guests always revel in the flavors.

Simply bake your potatoes (about 1 hour at 350 – 400°F). If large, cut them in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to scoop out the hot potato inside, leaving a nice shell all around the edges. (If your potatoes are perfect single serving-sized, just slice off the top ¼, horizontally, keeping the shell intact as you scoop out the baked potato flesh inside. Mash your potato flesh in a large bowl with plenty of butter, a little milk or half-and-half, sour cream, salt & pepper, and some shredded sharp Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Spoon the filling back into your potato shells and sprinkle with additional Cheddar and a dash of paprika.

These make ahead to this point beautifully and can be refrigerated or even frozen till you want to serve them. Before serving, bake (after thawing, if frozen) at 350°F for 20 minutes to warm through and to crisp up the cheese on top a bit. It’s also fun to add all sorts of other goodies inside… from some dried onion soup mix or thinly sliced green onions to cooked bacon bits.

(We also put each potato on an aluminum foil base and bake them inside a closed BBQ grill.) Enjoy!!!

Stuffed mushrooms first appeared as a food item sometime between the mid-19^th to early-20^th Centuries. Culinary experts widely agree that they most likely originated with the Italians, as they are very much like the Italian stuffed zucchini, which has a much longer history. However, the French were the first to widely cultivate mushrooms for consumption. The brown cremini mushroom soared into popularity, followed by more gourmet varietals, such as shiitakes.

We stuff mushrooms by removing the stems and chopping them up to add to the stuffing, though not required. We can then stuff them with a wide variety of vegetables and/or proteins, along with cheese, seasonings, and bread crumbs. They make perfect tapas-sized goodies, but we can stuff the large portobello mushroom caps for entree-sized portions.

While I used to crush up buttery Ritz crackers for my stuffed mushrooms back in the 1970s, I now tend to use no crumbs at all. Here’s my 2003 recipe that truly delivers melt-in-your-mouth stuffed mushrooms with no processed carbs at all. These are also great for anyone leaning away from processed grains or seeking a Keto-friendly recipe.

Cathy’s Mouth Watering Stuffed Mushrooms   2003
36 whole fresh mushrooms
1T cooking oil
1T butter
1T minced garlic
½ c finely chopped sweet onion
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently clean mushrooms; remove stems & chop the stems thoroughly. (Discard tough ends.) Heat oil & butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic, onion, and chopped mushroom stems & sauté 2 minutes; set aside to cool slightly. When no longer steaming hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan, and peppers.
Using a spoon, heap filling into mushroom caps on foil-lined baking pan (or foil pan, which also works on a BBQ grill). Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.

KISS Tips: Garnish the tops with bits of fresh parsley for a pretty finish. For great variations, consider additional protein additions, such as crabmeat or chopped chorizo sausage. Stuffed mushrooms also soar to a whole new level when you wrap them with pliable, but partially cooked strips of bacon before baking. Ohhhh, yeah!!!! I also like to pre-cook the mushroom caps to release some of their excess moisture. After removing stems, simply place them open-side down on a plate lined with a couple layers of paper toweling and microwave 2-3 minutes. Use paper towels to dab out extra water inside, which continues to emerge as they cool.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”

— Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987)

American Pop artist

Ahhhhhhh!

‘nough said.

Whether you like to toss them on a salad or directly into your mouth, this is the official day to enjoy these little gems. According to the American Pistachio Growers Association, pistachios are compatible with everything from honey and chocolate (dark, milk, or white) to oranges, lemons, and dried fruits like raisins, dates, and apricots. Spices that work well with pistachios include saffron, cardamon, cloves, sea salt, and pink peppercorns.

CREAMY CARROT SOUP

Being winter, I thought a warm soup might be fun. While roasted sunflower seeds or pepitas work beautifully with this soup, I think it best on January 26, National Pistachio Day, to use pistachios!

4 T butter

1 ½ lb peeled, thinly sliced orange carrots

1 lg sweet onion, finely chopped (about 2 c)

2 T chopped green onions (green parts only)

¼ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder

½ tsp sea salt

2 c chicken stock or bone broth

1 c water

1 T grated ginger

1 T orange zest

½ c crushed, salted pistachios (or roasted pepitas or sunflower seeds)

Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, finely sliced green chives, crushed salted pistachios

Melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat; cook carrots, onion, and green onion for 6-8 minutes, stirring a few times. Add 5-spice powder, salt, stock, water, ginger, and zest. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer another 15-20 minutes. Pour into a blender; process till smooth and creamy. Stir in pistachios and serve, garnished as you prefer. Makes 6 servings.

KISS Tip: For an extra pistachio boost, swirl in a little Pistachio Cream before garnishing. Make Pistachio Cream by placing 1 c salted pistachios, 2 T olive oil, and ¾ – 1 c water (depending on your preferred consistency) in a food processor; blend till smooth.

In a salute to National Peanut Butter Day, let’s simply eat some straight out of the jar! I go for Super Chunk, personally. You should enjoy whatever version is your favorite… from homemade, all-natural to creamy extreme. Have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… or pop some peanut butter between 2 Ritz crackers or a couple of pretzel flats… or melt it down and drizzle peanut butter over ice cream… or make a splendid Asian peanut sauce to toss with some rice noodles, veggies, and a fave protein.

Of course, there is the goofy recipe for No Bake Peanut Butter Balls that, while Super Simple, somewhat silly, and gluten-free, is actually quite good!

2 c smooth peanut butter

½ c 100% pure maple syrup or honey (or other, of your choice)

¾ c coconut flour

Combine ingredients (adding a touch of milk or water, if it is too thick to handle) and use your hands to form into small balls, placing them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined plate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the fridge or freezer.

I love popcorn. Favorite memories seem to often go hand-in-hand with popcorn. I remember sitting at the bonfires on Lake Newfound as a kid, as my Dad popped corn in a big, square, metal pan. We popped corn for every skating party and movie night. I still pop corn several times a week, and I have been known to enjoy it for breakfast, too.

Something I did not previously know: In Old English, the word “corn” means “grain.” Specifically, it referred to a region’s most prominently grown grain. Thus, when Native Americans introduced their most common grain, maize, the European settlers, naturally applied their word… “corn.”

Aztecs used popcorn in ceremonial headdresses to honor their god of maize and fertility. Early Spanish settlers had never before seen this corn that burst into white floral shapes.

In the late 1800s, Louise Ruckheim added peanuts and molasses to popcorn. The much beloved Cracker Jacks were born.

Whether you like it plain, sweet, drizzled in dark chocolate, sprinkled with cheese, caramelized, or simply buttered and salted, celebrate today with some popcorn! Make it a movie night, or enjoy it for breakfast… today or any day!