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August 25, 2022
Hello Friends,
You know by now that I am always raving about Martha Rose Shulman's recipes on the New York Times cooking site -- but this one really is a slice of summer's heaven!
In this recipe, Shulman calls for simmering the corn cobs in the broth that you will use to make the risotto. This adds a huge amount of corn flavor, but I increase this by simmering the corn silk from the cobs, as well as the cobs. (A friend who grew up in Mexico recently told me about this trick, which Mexicans use to make a refreshing, corn-silk tea.)
Another change I make to Shulman's original recipe to to substitute canola for olive oil (for the Omega 3-s, of course) and to give the directions for making the risotto in a pressure cooker. It's hot in summer (especially this summer!) and I don't understand why anyone would stand over a hot pot when one could use a pressure cooker. In fact, you're much more likely to even contemplate making this wonderful recipe if you know the pressure-cooker risotto technique.
Ingredients
Remove corn kernels from cobs and set aside the kernels. Simmer the cobs (and the corn silk) in stock for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from stock and discard. Make sure your stock is well seasoned. Bring back to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
Heat canola oil over medium heat in a pressure cooker. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rice and cook, stirring, until grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, a minute or two. Stir in tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste.
Add wine and stir until it has evaporated and has been absorbed by the rice. Add 3 cups of the stock and stir: then close the top of the pressure cooker. Set the temperature on high. When the temperature gauge on the pot pops up, turn down the temperature of the burner and set a timer for 7 minutes. Meanwhile steam the corn kernels briefly in a microwave or on the stovetop until just barely cooked. They will finish cooking in the hot risotto. .
After 7 minutes of cooking, place the pot under running water until you can open the lid. Stir in the corn kernels; grated parmesan cheese; and basil (or basil, parsley and chives) and remove from heat. The mix should be creamy. Adjust seasonings and serve in wide soup bowls or on plates. Enjoy! Be well and enjoy the last weeks of tomato and corn season. Susie
August 17, 2022
Dear Friends,
We, here, at Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are trying to reach more good people like you. So we thought that you would be the best people to ask: Why do you enjoy Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies?
Thanks for whatever you can tell us -- and thanks, as always, for being our loyal customers.
Let us know your thoughts and please use the discount code: whyilikebreakfastcookies to take 20% off your next order. Be well and enjoy the last weeks of summer,
Susie and Michele
June 15, 2022
Hello Everyone,
It's still rhubarb season (thankfully), and last night friends and I had this incredible plant three ways: as a cocktail with rhubarb simple syrup; vodka; lemon juice and bubbly; as a savory side with roasted chicken; and as a poached dessert with fresh ricotta. I can't possibly choose what I liked best but offer here the recipe for the chicken dish. It is from Melissa Clark and the New York Times Cooking site, and I substituted canola oil for olive oil to make it higher in Omega-3s. I also used a plump, grass-fed chicken that I bought from a trusted farmer at our local Gosset's farm market in South Salem. Enjoy!
May 19, 2022
Hello Friends and Family,
It's rhubarb season again and my thoughts return to rhubarb cake.
Last year I posted the recipe for a Country Rhubarb Cake -- which is so good that I'm posting it again. It is, as I said last year, the perfect rhubarb cake. A cake that has that wonderful balance of tart; sweet; and the richness of cake -- and is not too time-consuming to make. The recipe is from the New York Times' cooking site. Julia Moskin found it in Reclaiming Ireland's Culinary Heritage, One Roast lamb or Sponge Cake at a Time. I use Omega-3 eggs to make it, of course, and grass-fed Kerry Butter (from Ireland), and I modify the recipe ever so slightly by replacing one third a cup of the flour with one third a cup of ground flax meal. I'm still searching for the right words to describe the result. Let me start by saying that I couldn't wait to have it again for breakfast. It is a perfectly cheerful dessert -- or breakfast -- for these -- or any times. Be well. Susie
Time: 1 1/2 hours (but sixty minutes of that is for baking)
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, more for work surface
1/3 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (4 ounces) butter (grass-fed), cut into pieces, at cool room temperature
2 eggs, Omega-3 eggs, of course
1/2 cup buttermilk ( I make this by adding 1/2 tsp vinegar to 1/2 cup milk)
1 1/2 pounds (about 8 stalks) rhubarb, thinly sliced
Light brown sugar and softly whipped cream, for serving
PREPARATION
Heat over to 350 degrees. In a bowl sift or mix together flour, flax, salt, baking soda and 3 TBS of the sugar. With fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture is sandy. Beat one egg and add to the mixture. Add buttermilk and blend until a dough is formed. (It will be quite stiff and sticky). Turn out onto a floured surface and divide in two. Roll out each piece to fit a 10-inch baking dish. Line bottom of pan with one round allowing it to creep up the sides.
Cover the dough with the rhubarb and sprinkle the rhubarb with one cup of sugar (don't skimp). Place the second round on the top and pinch together the edges. Pinch together any holes. Beat the remaining egg w. one teaspoon water and brush it on the dough.
Place in a pan or on a baking sheet (to catch the drips) and bake until the crust is golden, about 1 hour. Immediately sprinkle w. granulated sugar and serve warm with a sprinkling of brown sugar and whipped cream. (I forgot to sprinkle the cake with sugar -- and didn't miss it -- and used cream instead of whipped cream.)
Delicious!
February 15, 2022
Hello Friends and Happy February to you all,
I always seem to crave oranges in the winter so I ordered myself a whole box of Cara Cara oranges. What a treat!
But I then I began to wonder about all those peels going into my compost....
And next thing I was making a quick and easy marmalade, using equal parts peel and sugar.
And then, of course, I was left wondering about ways to use all that marmalade.
As you know, I've been in a steamed pudding kind of mood lately (because they're such a quick, easy, and delicious dessert -- as long as you have a pudding mold and a pressure cooker). So when I saw this recipe, I just had to try it. It's great for dessert, as well tea -- or even breakfast. Now I'm saving all my peels; and I'll let you know what else I come up with.
Be well,
Susie
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coarse orange marmalade
1 medium orange with skin on roughly chopped
½ cup (4oz/115g) butter softened, grass-fed, of course
⅔ cup (4oz/115g) light brown sugar
2 large eggs -- Omega 3, of course
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions: Butter the base and sides of a 1.4-liter pudding mold.
Spoon the marmalade into the base.
Put the roughly chopped orange (minus the pips) in a food processor, then process until finely chopped. Place in a bowl and set aside.
In the same food processor, put the softened butter, sugar, eggs, flour, flaxseed meal, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ginger, and salt and process until smooth and creamy, roughly 20 seconds. There is no need to wash the food processor between these steps. Lastly, add in the chopped orange and process for a second to combine.
Spoon cake mixture into the prepared basin and fasten the cover.
Put in your pressure cooker and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the mold. Cover and place on high; once the pot has achieved temperature, turn the heat down and continue to cook for 25 minutes or until the pudding is cooked through. While still warm, turn the pudding onto a serving plate. Do this step while it's warm so the sticky marmalade layer stays in tack. Serve the pudding hot with Creme Anglaise or vanilla ice-cream. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
January 31, 2022
January 17, 2022
Dear Friends and Customers,
Even a tasty treat such as Swedish pancakes can be made wholesome and high in Omega-3s, as I've recently discovered. I adapt here a recipe from the internet that is working well for me, but I'm sure there are others. These pancakes are now a favorite of my grandsons -- and so easy to make ahead, if needed.
Ingredients:
3 Eggs (Pasture or Omega-3, of course), well beaten
3 cups whole milk (grass-fed if available)
3 TBS butter (Grass-fed such as Kerry Irish butter), melted
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Preparation:
Beat eggs well then add 1/4 cup milk.
Mix together the dry ingredients and add some (about 1/4 cup) to the egg and milk mixture.
Mix well.
Add melted butter and more milk and mix..
Add the rest of the milk and dry ingredients and mix well.
Wipe your griddle or crepe pan with butter when it is hot.
Pour a thin layer on the pan and flip when just cooked. Roll when just brown and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Continue until all the pancakes are cooked.
Serve with lingonberry jam or lemon curd (or the topping of your choice) -- and enjoy. Once made, the pancakes can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days. Heat them in a microwave or oven before serving. Enjoy!
January 05, 2022
Dear Friends,
While Cross Country Skiing with my intrepid older sister in Colorado recently, I came across a dog sled operation with a total of 21 dogs. All were lean as could be -- and so energetic and healthy -- that I had to ask the owner what he fed his hard-working hounds.
"Oil and a high-protein kibble," he replied.
But what oil, I persisted?
"Canola."
Of course! It had to be canola -- with its high Omega-3 content and healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s! Canola oil has such a bad rap out there (for so many misguided reasons, as I often point out), but it is the only seed oil that can correct our national Omega-3 deficiency.
Fortunately, sled dogs are not able to read all the misinformation about canola that there is on the web. And so they can just experience its benefits. Their lean bodies and healthy coats are the living proof.
If you were to do one thing to improve your diet this year, it would be to switch to a high-quality canola oil* for most of your cooking needs, saving your fragrant olive oil just for drizzling on foods and salads. You won't be able to taste the change, but your body will know it!
A Healthy and Happy New Year to you,
Susie and Michele
* I recommend an expeller-pressed canola such as the one we use in our Breakfast Cookies. Do not switch to "High-Heat" canola oil since this is made from seeds with reduced Omega-3s.
December 10, 2021
Hello dear Customers and Friends,
Here we are again, looking forward to another Covid Christmas. I hope you and your families are finding much to keep the holidays bright and hopeful -- and are staying well!.
One way to stay healthy and well nourished during these times is with our high Omega-3 Breakfast Cookies.
So why not send your loved one a box of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies to celebrate the holidays.
Satisfying and delicious, Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies are a great breakfast to go -- or anytime snack. They have the added benefit of boosting one's Omega-3s.
Please use the Discount Code Holidays2021 to take 20% off our Assorted Box of Breakfast Cookies -- with three of each of our four delicious flavors: Orange, Cranberry, Nut; Gingered Apple; Banana Coconut and Cocoa.
Act quickly since our sale ends 12/14 (in order to guarantee delivery before Christmas). Shipping, as always, is free. Merry Christmas to all of you from Susie's Smart Cookie; please stay well!
Susie and Michele
https://www.susiesmartcookie.com/discount/Holidays2021?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fmixed-box-try-all-4-flavors-at-1-low-price
November 29, 2021
Dear Customers and Readers,
Now that Thanksgiving is over, my thoughts return to salmon, one of my favorite go-to dinners. Topping salmon with a pistachio crust is a delicious variation that is sure to become a family favorite. I don't usually use pistachios since they are high in Omega-6s, but these are balanced out in this recipe by the Omega-3s in the canola oil; flaxseed -- and, of course, the salmon. Hope you have a chance to give it a try.
Happy Post Thanksgiving,
I am so thankful for customers like you.
Susie
Ingredients:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix together well the crushed pistachios; bread crumbs; flaxmeal; butter; and parmesan.
Lightly season the salmon filets with salt and pepper.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over moderate heat.
Sear the fillets, flesh side down for 2-3 minutes.
Turn the heat off and flip the salmon pieces so the skin side is down.
Brush the tops with the mustard and top with the pistachio mixture, pressing it down onto the fish.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until flaky and just done. Serve with the lemon wedges -- and enjoy.
October 19, 2021
Hello Everyone and Happy Fall,
It's not to late to gather mugwort to freeze for the winter or to use immediately in this tasty breakfast casserole, or crustless quiche. Whatever you call it it is a very simply-made and outrageously delicious concoction inspired by an observation of my daughter Cecil.
I had always thought that mugwort leaves taste like a cross between sage and rosemary. But she nailed their taste after I gave her a cup of mugwort tea. They taste like artichoke much more than sage or rosemary (though they can be substituted for those two herbs in many recipes). Without recognizing the similarity, I had been using mugwort with artichoke in recipes, but now I went to work in earnest. I came up with this "breakfast casserole" -- though I love it as a simple lunch or dinner.
Please know that at the same time that you are enjoying this unusual combination of flavors and the strange gustatorial sisterhood of mugwort and artichoke, you are diminishing, by some small amount, this highly invasive plant (Artemis vulgaris) from Asia. Serves 8
Ingredients:
8 Omega-3 eggs
16 oz. Half and half (grass fed)
7 oz feta
2 heaping TBS mayo (Hellman's canola mayo if you have it)
2 cups diced parboiled potatoes (I used unpeeled, red potatoes)
1 sautéed leek (white part only in canola oil) or shallot
1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained and sliced (I particularly like the Roland brand)
1 head spinach (steamed and chopped with the water squeezed out)
3 heaping TBS chopped Mugwort leaves (Use the tenderest growing tips)
2 scant tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
Directions:
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add and mix well the half and half and crumbled feta. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a buttered 9" by 11" baking dish and bake until thoroughly set and lightly browned, at least 60 min. Let rest and serve warm or at room temperature with a salad.
Enjoy.
September 09, 2021
It's September 2021 and kids are riding the buses again -- in masks and vaccinated if they're old enough. It's a great feeling for kids, their parents -- and their grandparents and other loved ones. Let's do our part to keep our precious youngsters in school.
I'm in such a celebratory mood -- after the trials of the last school year -- that we're offering a 25% sale on all of our Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies and Bites. Stock up now and send your kids back to school with a nourishing snack that is rich in whole grains; fiber; and brain-healthy Omega-3s.
The sale ends September 16th and the discount code -- backtoschool2021 -- is good for one use per customer. If you do indeed stock up on cookies and bites using this coupon, be sure to freeze whatever you don't plan on eating in the next few weeks. Take them out of the freezer the night before you need them and serve at room temperature or microwave or toast for an added treat.
Be well; be healthy; and please share with me this celebratory moment,
Susie
https://www.susiesmartcookie.com/discount/Backtoschool2021