Tuesday, January 21, 2014

THE SCOOP ON HEALTH NUTS

Whenever I go to the supermarket, I make sure to go into the bulk food aisle for several reasons – one of which is to stock up on raw, organic nuts.  I’m going to let you in on a little secret- if you didn’t know already – nuts are a nutritional power snack. There have been numerous debates back and forth over the benefits of raw organic nuts vs. their roasted counterparts.  I can tell you that I prefer getting raw organic nuts just because they have more nutrients.  Not to mention, I roast my own nuts and add my own herbs and spices to them. 


Quick Tip: When roasting nuts make sure the temperature of your oven is under 240°.  Ideally the temperature should be at 160°.  This temperature setting will prevent acrylamides (chemicals that form when some foods are heated at a high temperature) from forming.

Raw nuts will always get the EP stamp of approval!!!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

GOLDEN CRISPY STEAK FRIES

This one recipe where you simply can’t go wrong!  First off, most people loooooooooove a good batch of fries, but to make steak fries – golden….crispy….steak fries takes the love of French fries to a whole new level.  Who’s with me?!?  So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this recipe.  The trick is not necessarily in the frying component dahling. (I was watching re-runs of Dynasty and now I can’t stop saying the word dahling…go figure!)

Back to the goods…

The trick to making your steak fries as golden and crispy as possible is to bake them!  That’s right!  Whenever, I bake these puppies, they always turn out waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than when I fry.  Sure, many would argue that it’s easier to toss cut up potatoes into a deep fryer, and while that may be true (no argument here) my suggestion to bake the fries is a yummy, and healthy alternative.
It will take you just about 10-15 minutes to prep and between 30-45 minutes to bake.  Keep in mind, you are the top chef when it comes to how crispy and golden you want your fries to be.  With this in mind, once you put your cut up potatoes into the oven, you should consider setting your timer for 25 minutes, that way you’ll have a 10 minute window to gauge how crispy you want your steak fries to be.  I also like to place my baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven because it helps the potatoes get that beautiful golden color quicker!

Ingredients:
  •          2 nice sized (big) baking potatoes peeled and cut into 10-12 wedges.
  •          2 tablespoons of coconut or extra virgin olive oil                                                          *Coconut oil can make your fries cook quickly and make them extra crispy.  If you choose to use coconut oil, your baking time might be cut short.
  •    Sea Salt (Himalyan, Hawaiian, or just a coarse sea salt)                                                     
 Prep:
  •          Preheat your oven to 425°.
  •          Place the already cut potato wedges onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the potatoes with the oil.
  •          Toss your potatoes around a bit – you want to make sure that each wedge is coated with the oil.
  •          Place the potatoes into a single layer on the baking sheet.

Cook:
  •          Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes or until golden.  If you are using coconut oil, check at the 20 minute mark.  
  •          Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over with tongs.  (Tongs make it a bit easier to pick up the wedge.)
  •          Place the potatoes back in the oven for another 10 minutes and keep checking on them to ensure that they reach a uniform golden color.
  •          Remove from the oven and sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Quick Tips:


We like to use sea salt because it is healthier AND you don’t have to worry about issues with blood pressure because unlike regular table salt, the human body can not absorb sea salt.  Also, if you’re feeling like a top chef, then you might consider tossing a bit of Rosemary on to those fries.  If you’re planning on doing this, then you should probably sprinkle the rosemary on during the last oil coating phase, that way you’ll capture that amazing flavor of the herb  in the fries.

Good and yummy steak fries prepared with one of “essential” oils for optimal health also gets the EP stamp of approval!!!