Author Topic: "Where have you been all my life?" foods  (Read 44181 times)

NinetyFour

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #50 on: September 18, 2013, 10:13:32 AM »
Just discovered kamut and love it.  Thanks Dr. Oz.  (I know, I know.)

ruthiegirl

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #51 on: September 18, 2013, 02:51:35 PM »
« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 02:53:42 PM by ruthiegirl »

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #52 on: September 18, 2013, 05:28:25 PM »
Just discovered kamut and love it.  Thanks Dr. Oz.  (I know, I know.)

I just bought some kamut this week. What are you doing with it? 

And thanks to Gerard for creating and resurrecting this thread.

NinetyFour

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #53 on: September 18, 2013, 06:06:16 PM »
I soak the kamut overnight (or for several hours) and then cook it (according to some directions I found through Google).  Then I use it just the way I would use rice.  I am a vegetarian, so I often saute or steam veggies, cook up some tofu with garlic and ginger and then serve it over some kamut.  Yum.

And IIRC, kamut has very little gluten and packs a whole lot of protein.

Since discovering quinoa, teff, and kamut, I have eaten very little rice.

mikefixac

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #54 on: September 18, 2013, 06:07:51 PM »
I bake tortillas in oven (no oil). Then open a can of beans, rinse and make bean tostadas. Add onions, cilantro, avocado, tomato, lettuce and sriracha.

With steel cut oats, along with adding blueberries, strawberries, raisins, banana and nuts, I now peel an apple and put that in too. Never was much of an apple eater and this way I'm enjoying eating an apple everyday.

« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 06:13:47 PM by mikefixac »

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #55 on: September 18, 2013, 06:47:30 PM »
I soak the kamut overnight (or for several hours) and then cook it (according to some directions I found through Google).  Then I use it just the way I would use rice.  I am a vegetarian, so I often saute or steam veggies, cook up some tofu with garlic and ginger and then serve it over some kamut.  Yum.

And IIRC, kamut has very little gluten and packs a whole lot of protein.

Since discovering quinoa, teff, and kamut, I have eaten very little rice.
Thanks. Your post reminds me to buy some buckwheat groats. Add sauted mushrooms and onion--delish!

totoro

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #56 on: September 18, 2013, 06:48:57 PM »
Good thread! Added on a bit more than the topic - hope it is okay.

1.  Quick Asian-style soup.  Boil water in pot, add better than bouillon chicken stock (def the best - can be mixed with homemade - have a vegetable one too) and stir until dissolved.  Add vegetables of your choice (I use sweet potatoes and carrots mostly - sometimes cabbage too - or add frozen peas, tofu or shiitake a bit later) and cook for a few minutes.  Add wontons - home-made (easy) or frozen store-bought (easier).  Cook until they just start to float.  Turn off heat and break egg for each person into pot.  Put lid on and wait until egg is cooked to your liking.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and green onions.  Add Vietnamese chili garlic sauce or bit of soya sauce.  We eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

2.  Halve an avocado.  Remove seed.  Put Japanese soya sauce in hollow.  Eat with spoon.

3.  As others have mentioned - roasted root vegetables, including fennel, and especially including beets.  Roast in olive oil until done.  Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and balsamic.  Leftovers can be made into an excellent pureed soup with the addition some chicken stock and spices.  Cream or coconut milk can be added also.

4. Asian grilled steak.  Melt butter in frying pan.  Sear steak on both sides but do not cook further (will be raw inside).  Remove from frying pan and slice into thin slices.  Mix Japanese soya sauce, fresh ginger and garlic, Vietnamese chili paste (to taste), black pepper, bit of sesame oil and brown sugar.  Turn heat on pan and put steak slices in.  Pour sauce on top and cook until done as you prefer.  Serve over rice and with vegetables you like.  We can feed five with two largish steaks with this recipe.  Guests like it as much as a bbq steak and it is less expensive.

5.  Home-made gyoza - which are the same as wontons only fried with a special sauce for dipping.  We use ground chicken instead of pork and sometimes don't add cabbage but do add chopped green onion.  We make a lot and then freeze them.  You could do a vegetarian version using tofu. The wrappers are available in Asian grocery stores. Here is the recipe: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/potstickers/r/gyoza.htm

6. Acorn/Butternut/Kabocha squash.  I bake it in slices with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.  I also use this recipe to make a soup that is very good: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/soup/r/kabochasoup.htm

7.  Wraps.  So tasty with beans, cilantro, cheese, avocado and salsa - and whatever leftovers.  Homemade salsa is awesome.  I'm planning to try this filling next: http://www.theyummylife.com/Thai_Peanut_Slaw

8.  Five minute artisan bread. Excellent dipped in a mix of olive oil and balsamic (kids love this).  If you still eat wheat I highly recommend this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-artisan-bread-325571

Great revelations in prepared cooking products over the years:

1. Better than Bouillon paste stock
2. Thai red and green curry paste
3. Lemongrass
4. Vietnamese chili garlic sauce
5. Wonton wrappers
6. Coconut milk/cream
7. Sesame oil
8. Miso

Best kitchen utensil:
Sturdy German garlic press - cut off end of garlic bulb but don't have to peel

Best kitchen appliance:
Tie:  toaster oven (less energy and we can bake cookies/muffins/tarts six at a time to keep snacking down) and good electric rice cooker

Best revelation for getting kids to eat healthy:
Fill one of these up every day with cut-up vegetables, fruit and nuts (whatever they will like) and have it on the kitchen table when they get home and on weekends: http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-TUPPERWARE-DIVIDED-RELISH-VEGETABLE-FRUIT-TRAY-4-PIECE-CONDIMENTS-TACO-/360731418802
and:
Use divided dinner plates for picky kids which have vegetables in the largest divided area and then protein, carb and fruit in the others\
and:
Smoothies

Best revelation for the dog:
Home-made dog food.
Buy cheap meat on sale/marked down and make sure you include some organ meat. This is most often ground/cubed beef, ground/cubed pork, ground chicken and chicken hearts for us.  Get big pot and boil meat with sweet potatoes and carrots and rosemary.  When cooked, add brown rice and bring to boil.  Turn off heat and let rice cook with lid on.  Proportions are around 1/2meat 1/4 vegetables 1/4 rice. Freeze in serving sizes. We also give one fish oil capsule per day and one marrow bone.  We cook the food once per wk.  Our dog is really healthy at six and exactly the right weight.

Potential food revelations I have not tried but want to:

1. Home-made kimchi
2. Trying to catch most of our fish/seafood
3. Refrigerator pickles
4. Buying only free range meat - starting with our Thanksgiving turkey this year
5. Making gravlax
6. Smoking salmon
7. Paleo eating
« Last Edit: September 18, 2013, 07:05:29 PM by totoro »

grantmeaname

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #57 on: September 18, 2013, 07:44:26 PM »
Real heavy cream in coffee. Now that's the good life.

Rural

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #58 on: September 19, 2013, 06:54:20 PM »
Pearled barley. Throw it in the crock pot with pretty much anything at all in the morning, be sure there's lots of liquid for it to soak up, be happy that night.

cats

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #59 on: September 19, 2013, 10:36:21 PM »
A recent re-discovery for me is cauliflower rice.  I'd been skeptical for a while, then tried it, liked it, but decided chopping all that cauliflower into little pieces was a PITA.  More recently, I realized that DUH, I own this thing called a food processor, and now we are eating cauliflower rice all the time.  And I LOVE IT!

An older one, but my boyfriend totally got me to do a 180 on my feelings about dietary fat.  Five years ago, I was one of those people who used as little as possible (stir-frying with water, anyone?).  Then I was forced to loosen up about it and OMG, food tastes so much better!  And I have not ballooned in weight, either.

gooki

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #60 on: September 20, 2013, 02:24:56 AM »
Cilantro - add to everything.  Over any sort of rice/bean dish, soups, curries etc.

I so wish my wife wasn't allergic. She reacts real bad to even small amounts.

Coconut milk/cream - great for curries
Desiccated coconut - we use this to reduce the amount of flour in certain baking
Vanilla paste - like vanilla essence without the alcohol tang, and still cheaper than real pods
Quick cook oats - porridge done in 2 minutes, that and my daughter loves it
Frozen berries - omfg so tasty, more reliable than fresh, and cheaper to.


lentilman

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #61 on: September 20, 2013, 04:19:25 AM »
Lentil soup.  I make it with onions, garlic, red pepper, tomato, and dried hot peppers.

Homemade hummus flavored with serrano peppers for a little bite.

Frank's hot sauce.  For years I used Tobasco until finding Frank's is much tastier.

Kira

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #62 on: September 20, 2013, 06:50:52 AM »
Frozen fruit. I estimate I have frozen about 40 pounds of peaches this summer. I think I have an addiction. Let them get really ripe and then freeze them in small chunks on a cookie sheet, then scrape into a bag. They still taste juicy ripe and delicious after letting them sit for a minute in a cup.

Dulcimina

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #63 on: September 20, 2013, 07:38:12 AM »
Fennel! Delicious roasted with a little olive oil.  Works great to roast with others too - potatoes, butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip. 

Cilantro - add to everything.  Over any sort of rice/bean dish, soups, curries etc.

Cilantro! I tasted it many years ago in a salsa at a TexMex restaurant.  Nasty, soapy stuff.  Then a vegetarian friend made a curried lentil soup with it that rocked my world.  Recently found some Trinidadian recipes for something called green seasoning that calls for both cilantro and culantro.  I made a crockpot beef and plantain stew and popped some frozen cubes of the seasoning in.  So good!

I just discovered fennel last year.  The recipe called for roasting it with oranges and beets.  Tasted like ice cream.  YMMV, I was coming off 30 day paleo challenge.

Pumpkins/winter squashes - same cookbook (Practical Paleo) has a recipe for roasting acorn squash, and serving it with coconut cream concentrate, drizzle of honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, and whatever nuts or dried fruits you can handle. Yum!

Dulcimina

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #64 on: September 20, 2013, 07:39:24 AM »
Oh, someone mentioned cauliflower rice.  Cilantro is great there too, along with a little coconut oil...

Jackrabbit

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #65 on: September 20, 2013, 12:50:55 PM »
Spaghetti squash.  Steam it and fork it out like spaghetti, minus all of the carbs. Great side with spinach, garlic and butter, cheese or marinara.

Grabbed a pack of seeds and threw them in the garden.  About a 20 foot row.  Have eaten three, got 10 ripening, and another 10 out in the field yet.  A 99 cent pack produced enough that I would have had to spend $60-$80...

Elaine

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #66 on: September 30, 2013, 10:56:31 AM »
Ghee!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's clarified butter and IT IS GOD.

Norrie

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #67 on: September 30, 2013, 01:55:15 PM »
Popcorn made with coconut oil.

2 tablespoons of (refined) coconut oil
1/3 cup kernels

Large stock pot on medium high or a wee bit higher, dump in kernels and oil, shake around so that the kernels are coated by the oil as it melts, put a lid on, shake a bit once in a while, take off heat when the popping slows down to once every three seconds. Salt lightly, and enjoy some of the best/healthiest popcorn around.


onehappypanda

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #68 on: September 30, 2013, 04:01:27 PM »
Butternut squash and sweet potatoes served SPICY. Used to think I hated both, turns out I just don't like them drowned in brown sugar.

But rub them in coconut oil and sprinkle some cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne on them and roast them up? Hell. Yes.

And I used to think I despised brussels sprouts, but lately I've been really into roasted brussels with some Penzey's Northwoods on top. I can't find a reliably cheap source though :(

Heather

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #69 on: September 30, 2013, 06:19:19 PM »
Dried chickpeas: just soaked and cooked in water.  Then drain and throw on any simple home made dressing and let them soak it up.

Apples:We have so many free apples here, I've been getting creative. They are great in stir fry. 

Cider vinegar: I was hooked on balsamic vinegar, then I rebelled against the price. So, I tried a jug of cider vinegar.  I add cider vinegar and some honey where I used to use balsamic.  Add soy sauce and it's a nice marinade for barbecued (free) garden zucchini.






Gerard

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #70 on: March 28, 2014, 03:15:45 PM »
Resurrected the thread AGAIN, 'cause I have a new one: Larb. Also spelled laap or laab. The people of Thailand deserve some kind of prize for inventing a salad that tastes like gravy.

Also wanna second the cooked-from-dried chick pea thing. They're so much better... sometimes I just eat them hot with butter, salt, and pepper, and they're almost as sweet as corn on the cob. Especially if before cooking you sprout them Indian style (i.e., until they have just a tiny tail, rather than a big sprout).

Norrie

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #71 on: March 28, 2014, 03:29:23 PM »
I'd never had a Brussels sprout in my entire 38 years until last week. The husband was away for work, the kids were with the grandparents, and we had just gotten home from a 12 hour car trip. I could not bring myself to scavenge, so off to Whole Foods hot bar, where they had roasted Brussels sprouts with little pearl onions. Holy shit! New favorite food.

Green smoothies. I've always loved smoothies, but have hated every one that I've tried with spinach added. But last week I found one that is perfect, and this weekend I'm going to attempt to replicate it at home.

Kale salad. I've been avoiding kale for no reason except that everyone seems to love it right now, which means that I have to hate it. But again, I tried it recently and am fully on board. Now to get the kids to buy in.

Gen Y Finance Journey

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #72 on: March 28, 2014, 04:05:33 PM »
This is my super easy "I could eat this every day" recipe (I don't measure anything when I make up recipes, so apologies for the lack of measurements):

1) Preheat oven to 350
2) Slice, then saute a small onion with some kale torn into smallish pieces in olive oil until the onion caramelizes
3) Spread the onion and kale onto a low carb tortilla (or a regular tortilla if you prefer, though I've only ever used low carb with this recipe)
4) Throw on some blue cheese crumbles and stick it in the oven for about 10 minutes
5) While that's cooking, reduce some balsamic vinegar over low heat (I use the same pan I sauteed the onion & kale in)
6) Take the tortilla out of the oven and drizzle the balsamic over it
7) Enjoy the deliciousness and wish you had made two

Thegoblinchief

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #73 on: March 28, 2014, 04:18:49 PM »
I've always loved bread, but this bread recipe is SO easy:

http://food52.com/recipes/23747-no-knead-sandwich-bread

I use 433g bread flour and 433g whole wheat with no other modification. Absolutely delicious.

I've come to really enjoy plain raw almonds, wood grilled fish of most kinds, and I'll throw down in the spinach smoothie camp as well. I prefer whole fruit or greens, but every couple of days I'll make one with a little fruit and a whole lot of flax meal.

lisahi

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #74 on: March 28, 2014, 04:33:03 PM »
Gluton-free oats -- I make either overnight oats, or cook the oats in the morning. To 1/2 cup oats, I add a tbsp flax seed, a tbsp chia seed, 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut, 3 tbsp full-fat plain greek yogurt, a few almonds, and a tsp of raw honey.  Sometimes I'll cut up an apple or pear and add that in as well. I'm pretty obsessed with it.

Grass-fed butter. I've spent most of my childhood and adulthood using some various form of fake butter or grain-fed butter. But grass-fed butter is SO GOOD, and healthy too.

Goat cheese. I've eaten this for awhile, but I'm mentioning it because goat cheese is heaven.

aj_yooper

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #75 on: March 28, 2014, 07:22:20 PM »
Just discovered kamut and love it.  Thanks Dr. Oz.  (I know, I know.)

Oh yeah!  Sub it for rice or add it in to stoups.

EK

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #76 on: March 28, 2014, 09:56:51 PM »
I always thought that beets and avocados were two foods I did not like, but oh how wrong I was!!!  I eat them now (though not together) almost every week.  Nom nom nom!!!

Also almond milk.

ashley

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #77 on: March 28, 2014, 10:26:11 PM »
Homemade walnut milk. I can't believe how much money I used to spend on commercial almond milk.

garth

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #78 on: March 28, 2014, 11:09:25 PM »
Horse was an eye opener. And I'll second Larb. The biggest one for me, though, was pho. It handily takes the cake as my favorite food.

Squirrel away

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #79 on: March 29, 2014, 05:45:32 AM »
Green smoothies and sriracha. Not together.;)

lithy

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #80 on: March 29, 2014, 06:36:26 AM »
Definitely persimmons.

DanielleS

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #81 on: March 29, 2014, 08:12:03 PM »
Kimchi. So many different types are available nowadays, from white to leek to radish green, I'm having a kimchi renaissance. I love kimchi soup, kimchi rice and kimchi pasta.

Mmmm, my mouth is watering as I imagine eating a big plate of kimchi rice with cilantro, scallions, and a tiny drizzle of roasted sesame oil atop it all. And I just ate dinner!

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #82 on: March 29, 2014, 08:42:17 PM »
These things I've never liked until my forties-no matter how many times I tried them. Now, I can't get enough!  Salmon, sweet potatoes, and good coleslaw.  I attribute it to juicing. My taste buds have actually altered.

Also agree on coconut oil. I love coconut oil popcorn with sea salt.  I also love Hemp seeds, quinoa, coconut/almond milk, and curry. Those were things I never ate growing up.

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #83 on: March 29, 2014, 08:48:16 PM »
Oh, and we made our own vanilla this year. What a difference!  We make healthy no bake cookies and the vanilla flavor really comes out.

ysette9

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #84 on: March 30, 2014, 08:07:19 AM »
For me it was fish sauce. When I first met fish sauce I thought it was disgusting. It still is, in large quantities. However, I finally learned that in SMALL quantities, fish sauce is worth its weight in gold. It adds an amazing rich umami flavor to so many dishes.

TomTX

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #85 on: March 30, 2014, 08:51:31 AM »
I'll second the mention of barley. If you're already making lots of rice/bean dishes for frugality or health reasons, substituting barley for rice can mix things up a bit.

One thing to keep in mind, if you're concerned about nutrition, is that the commonly available "pearled" barley has been processed to remove the hull and bran and is not actually considered a whole grain. I didn't realize this until recently. The whole grain version is known as "hulled" barley.

And hulled barley is easier to cook with if you soak it overnight.

Zette

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #86 on: March 30, 2014, 09:07:56 AM »
I can't wait to see the posts in this thread.

I wanted to mention this book. It really helps me try new things that are typically also very affordable.
The Asian Grocery Store Demystified (Take It with You Guides) [Paperback]

Now if only I could find this book for other types of ethnic foods :)

Looked it up on Amazon, and the same author has books for Indian and Latin/Carribean cuisine.  Thanks for the book tip!

MarciaB

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #87 on: March 30, 2014, 09:10:01 AM »
Lentils. (Remember the macrobiotic folks from the 70s? The great unwashed. Turned me off lentils for a long time).

Discovered you can buy a package already cooked at Trader Joes (because when I cook them they're mushy and horrible).

I dump them in a bowl and mix in some salad dressing. Keeps in the fridge for a week or more. Scoop some on a salad for lunch. Put into burritos. Use lots of ways. Super convenient, tasty and nutritious (the triple win!).

horsepoor

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #88 on: March 30, 2014, 09:29:09 AM »
Jicama - never used the stuff before, but had some from a co-op basket and made it into an awesome slaw last week
Fish sauce - have used in the past for Thai food, but it was always so funky.  Discovered Red Boat brand, which is way better quality (paleo-approved, BTW), and great for adding some umami flavor - such as a couple drops rubbed onto each side of a steak to bring out the flavor.
Coconut oil - all kinds of ways, but especially on sweet potatoes roasted with chile flakes.
Cauliflower "rice" - buzz it up in the food processor and use 100 ways as a low-carb pilaf side dish
Tamarind paste - adds a sour element that rounds out the flavor of many dishes without the regular acidity of citrus or vinegar
Okra - I am growing way more okra this year.  Love it as a vegetable when fresh from the garden, or pickled (see below)
Fermented pickles - learned to do this last summer, and they are amazaballs compared to regular old vinegar pickles.  Super easy and keep in the fridge for ages.  The jar has cucumber, okra, onion and serranos in it, and they are all delish.

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #89 on: March 30, 2014, 10:53:36 AM »
Jicama - never used the stuff before, but had some from a co-op basket and made it into an awesome slaw last week


Jicama is so yummy cut up into sticks and eaten raw or with a veggie dip!

rocklebock

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #90 on: March 30, 2014, 10:58:49 AM »
Smoked paprika. Try it on popcorn.

Albert

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #91 on: March 30, 2014, 11:11:15 AM »
Hummus. Discovered during my recent trip to the Middle East.

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #92 on: March 30, 2014, 12:53:56 PM »
Banana peppers. Pickled and fresh, but especially the pickled. I eat them on EVERYTHING. Sandwiches, pizza, stromboli, green salads, pasta salads. The fresh ones I saute with onions and put them on hot dogs, hamburgers, eggs, bratwurst, as a side for steak, etc.

Squirrel away

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #93 on: March 31, 2014, 06:38:03 AM »
Lentils. (Remember the macrobiotic folks from the 70s? The great unwashed. Turned me off lentils for a long time).

Discovered you can buy a package already cooked at Trader Joes (because when I cook them they're mushy and horrible).

I dump them in a bowl and mix in some salad dressing. Keeps in the fridge for a week or more. Scoop some on a salad for lunch. Put into burritos. Use lots of ways. Super convenient, tasty and nutritious (the triple win!).

Good idea, for some reason I've never thought to do that with lentils.:)

GreenAcres

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #94 on: March 31, 2014, 07:51:00 AM »
-Butter:  I was afraid of it forever, and am now embracing it.  So amazing.
-Frozen Mango:  So much easier and cheaper than fresh mango
-Homemade Tortillas from Masa:  They are so easy to make and taste amazing.  They also make a really cheap dinner.
-Lentils:  They are so versatile and cook very easy.
-Radish:  I used to hate it but now I love it.  We make this pickled carrot/radish slaw that makes almost every dish more flavorful.
-Sauerkraut:  Tastes amazing and good for you.
-Sardines:  They are cheap, low in mercury and high in Omega 3's.  I love them on crackers or in pasta dishes.

Threshkin

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #95 on: March 31, 2014, 10:19:25 AM »
Congee made from lentils, red beans, millet, rice and whatever other dried beans or grains we have in the house.  Made in the one dedicated kitchen appliance we have that is used 3-4 times a week.  Cooks and grinds Congee and also makes the best fresh soy milk.

Into the Congee goes:
1) Raw peanuts soaked in Chinese vinegar - Best after it has soaked for a week or more.  We keep a jar in the fridge.
2) Sliced fresh ginger also soaked in Chinese vinegar - also keep in the fridge.
3) Eggs scrambled with chives, green onion, or onion.  Add a little light soy sauce near the end of the cooking to add flavor, color and salt.
4) Meat if you want it.  Best is our sun dried sausage but just about any left over chopped meat is fine.  We used bratwurst this morning.
5) Pressed & Fried tofu.  Take firm tofu and press the water out slowly. Slice the tofu and saute with a little soy sauce. (Meat alternative.)


payitoff

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #96 on: March 31, 2014, 10:30:51 AM »
Brocolli slaw! instead of cabbage i use this for my coleslaw and dump it on other stir fry stuff, smart invention of recycling broccoli stems

AJ

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #97 on: March 31, 2014, 10:54:28 AM »
-Radish:  I used to hate it but now I love it.  We make this pickled carrot/radish slaw that makes almost every dish more flavorful.

Would you be willing to share the recipe? This sounds yummy!

Tempe

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #98 on: March 31, 2014, 11:23:49 AM »
Avocados- I had never had one until last year. I love eating it with salads, or using it as the spread on a sandwich instead of mayo.
Jicama and pho, twos things that were so delicious when I tried them. I have most of the ingredients for pho but haven't made it yet, some day.
Sushi or sashimi was another food I had never had until last year. I never knew raw salmon could taste so good!
Black beans, I never made a pot of them until the last year, it definitely worked as a cheap delicious meal that last days, especially with rice, sour cream and cheddar cheese with cholula in it.
Cholula, I hated hot sauces until the day I had a cold and I was eating raw onions while cutting them for cooking with black beans. I saw the cholula in the fridge and my tastebuds were yelling yes. Lacking a sense of smell really made a difference in my taste buds that night and it helped me get over the fear/hate of hot sauce.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: "Where have you been all my life?" foods
« Reply #99 on: March 31, 2014, 11:35:55 AM »
grilled eggplant... we discovered it last summer. damn that's good.

also agree with others who have mentioned balsamic vinegar and smoked paprika. either one totally elevates a dish. god, smoked paprika is just good in almost ANYTHING.