Super Broccoli!

One of Jake's favorite veggies is broccoli, which is great.  Broccoli is really good for you.  (I must admit that it's not one of my favorites, but I eat it.)

But now there apparently is even more reason to eat a new variety of broccoli--a "super broccoli" that British scientists have bred to contain 2-3 times regular broccoli's amount of glucoraphanin, a nutrient that is believed to help prevent heart disease.

Photo by Mark Dunham/AP

According to scientists in an AP article on the subject, the new broccoli could actually lower your cholesterol.  It supposedly tastes sweeter than regular-strength broccoli because there is less sulphur in it.

It has been for sale in California and Texas for the last year, has recently been sold in Britain and should be sold throughout the US sometime this fall. 

Of course, there are those who question the need for such a thing--you can read some of the pros and cons of it in the article--but I suppose there could be worse things than healthier broccoli. 

What they need to come up with now is something like cheese that lowers your blood pressure.  That, I'd pay for!

Delicata

Winter squashes abound this time of year.  Butternut, acorn, pumpkins and many more can be found all over.  All of them are tasty, nutritious and relatively easy to prepare.

Last weekend I picked up a couple delicata squash.  As winter squash go, these are a breeze to make.  Simply cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and season.  I just rubbed them with some extra-virgin olive and seasoned with salt and pepper.  You could put whatever seasoning you like--cinnamon, cayenne, garlic. 

I stuck them in a 425 oven (along with the baked pork chops I was making) for about 20-25 minutes or until the flesh is very tender and starting to brown a little on top.  The skin is thin and tender, so you don't have to peel them. 

The flavor is sweet, but not overly so.  Not as sweet as a sweet potato or butternut.  It's more like an acorn squash if you ask me.  But as an easy and healthy side dish, you can't beat it.  Give them a try.

Hello, Betty!

I love all the different kinds of apples that are available in our area this time of year--sweet, tart, crisp, soft, red, yellow.  And being just picked, makes them taste even better.

Photo courtesy of America's Test Kitchen.

I made a really tasty Apple Brown Betty over the weekend from America's Test Kitchen (where else?).  At least I was told it was tasty.  I made it for the fellowship hour after church and it was like a swarm of locusts descended on the table of food, so I never got to taste it.  But I thought I'd pass it on to you.

APPLE BROWN BETTY
Serves 6-8 (I doubled it, but only used about 2 cups of cider instead of the doubled amount)

If your apples are especially tart, omit the lemon juice.  If, on the other hand, your apples are exceptionally sweet, use the full amount.  Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container; topped with vanilla yogurt, they make an excellent breakfast.  The apple varieties listed in the recipe are recommended, but you could use any tart and sweet varieties.

BREAD CRUMBS
4 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

FILLING
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 3 large), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/4 cups apple cider
1-3 tsp juice from 1 lemon (see note above)

1. FOR THE BREAD CRUMBS:  Pulse the bread, butter, and sugar in food processor until coarsely ground, 5-7 pulses.  Transfer to a 12" skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are deep golden brown, 8-10 min.  Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate; wipe out the skillet.
2. FOR THE FILLING:  Combine the sugar, spices, and salt in a small bowl.  Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in the now-empty skillet over high heat.  Stir in the Granny Smiths and half of the sugar mixture.  Distribute the apples in an even layer and cook, stirring 2-3 times, until medium brown, about 5 min; transfer to a medium bowl.  Repeat with the remaining butter, the Golden Delicious and the remaining sugar mixture, returning the first batch of apples to the skillet when the second batch is done.
3. Add the cider to the skillet and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits; cook until the apples are tender but not mushy and the liquid has reduced is just beginning to thicken, 2-4 min.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the lemon juice (if using) and 1/3 cup of the toasted bread crumbs.  Using a wooden spoon, lightly flatten the apples into an even layer and evenly sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs.  Spoon the warm betty into individual bowls and serves with vanilla ice cream, if desired

The Healthy Blues

You know that we travel to Maine each year and you may have read some stuff that I've written about wild Maine blueberries (like this post, for example).  These tiny berries pack loads of sweet blueberry flavor.  As it turns out, scientists are finding that they pack loads of health benefits as well.

This is Jake back in '08 doing a little research.

Back in August, there was a conference held in Bar Harbor with researchers from the US, Canada and Europe--the Wild Blueberry Health Research Summit. 

Studies are being conducted that show the amazing power of these little fruits. 

The memory and brain function of older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment--often a precursor to Alzheimer's Disease--can be affected positively by wild blueberries.  Studies show that wild blues may help improve memory tasks, motor function and the growth of new brain cells among other possible brain-health benefits. 

Proposed studies about wild blueberry health benefits include investigation into their effects on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, blood vessel wall strength and other cardio health indicators.

It's been known for a long time that eating fruit--especially berries--can give great health benefits (see this post).  But it is more and more evident that wild blueberries have more antioxidants and other healthy compounds than other berries--including cultivated blueberries. 

If good health tastes as good as wild blues do, then being healthy suddenly got a lot easier!

Post-Halloween Pumpkins

Halloween is over.  You've taken the kids trick-or-treating, carved your pumpkin, shoveled the sidewalk (huh?!!) and now what?

Well, food-wise, there's all that left-over candy.  We don't get many trick-or-treaters, so we always buy what we like because we know we'll have plenty left over. 

But what about pumpkins?  As you know, they're not just for carving.  They're a tasty, nutritious food that is very versatile. 

The versatility is evident in the recipes from these two articles I've run across.

The first is from the Washington Post and discusses the writer's experimenting with smoking pumpkins.  He even includes a Pumpkin S'more recipe.  Actually sounds pretty good.  Read this article here.

The second article is from the Patriot Ledger in Massachusetts.  In the article, a nutritionist talks about the health benefits of adding pumpkin to your diet by doing things like adding pumpkin puree to oatmeal or brownies.  This adds flavor, vitamins, fiber.  Read this article here.

So visit your local farm stand, dig a couple of pumpkins out of the snow and have fun doing something creative with them!

Food Safety

I've never had food poisoning, thankfully.  It's funny, though, that as soon as someone thinks they may have food poisoning, they immediately think about the last meal that they ate out in a restaurant. 

Truth is that most food poisoning occurs from foods prepared at home.  Most of them don't get reported because people think it must have been the flu or some sort of stomach bug.  But the fact remains that the lack of food safety in the home contributes to a lot of illness.

There are those who say, "Oh, I've never sanitized my cutting board and I don't get sick" or something like that.  That may be true.  But new pathogens show up all the time and your old ways of doing things may not keep you from getting sick for much longer.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has come up with 4 simple terms to keep in mind when thinking about kitchen safety.  (Thanks to China Millman's article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for many of these ideas.  Find out more from the CDC at www.cdc.gov/foodsafety.)

• CLEAN
• Wash your hands completely (20 seconds in hot, soapy water) before cooking and often during the cooking process--especially after handling raw proteins.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables in water.  Yes, even organic and items that you'll be peeling.
• Don't rinse meats or poultry.  You're not going to wash off many of the bad microbes and you'll just be contaminating your sink.  Pat them dry with paper towels if you wish.
• Clean cutting boards and countertops with a solution of diluted bleach (1 Tbsp bleach to 1 gallon of water). 
• Sponges can be home to a bunch of microbes that can make you sick.  Sterilize them by microwaving for 1 minute on high or run them through the dishwasher.  Do this frequently.
• Change your dish towels frequently as well.  If you accidentally get some chicken juice on one, that won't help things when you go to dry your hands later on.
• SEPARATE
• Cross-contamination is the biggest concern in your kitchen.  Any contact from raw meats or poultry with foods that aren't going to be cooked can be dangerous.
• Always use separate cutting boards--one for meats/poultry, one for other items.  Be sure to wash your cutting boards, knives, etc after cutting raw proteins. 

• Store these foods separately in your fridge as well.  Try to store raw meats/poultry at the bottom of the fridge so there's no danger of them dripping on other items below them.  Be sure to keep them well wrapped.
• COOK
• Be sure to cook proteins to the recommended temperature.  To be safest, don't use visual cues to tell you this.  Use a thermometer to be sure.
• CHILL
• Refrigerate foods promptly when you get them home. 
• Be sure your fridge is no warmer than 40 degrees.  Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure.
• If you don't use raw proteins in a few days, freeze them until ready to use.
• If something in your fridge doesn't look or smell good, toss it.  Better to err on the side of caution than get sick.

Here's another article for you to check out on a similar topic.  It helps to dispel some myths that many believe to be true when it comes to kitchen safety. 

Does it take a little extra work on your part to make sure you are preventing food-borne illness in your kitchen?  Sure.  But the alternative is a lot worse!

Networking Opportunity

I'm a member of the Central Bucks Business Networking Group (CBBNG) and on November 14, we're hosting a Fall Mixer with the Quakertown group (QBNG). 

It's a great way to meet other businesspeople from our area in a relaxed, no-pressure environment.  The event will be held at Revival's Restaurant, 4 S. Ridge Rd, Perkasie, PA, 18944 from 5:30-7:30 PM.  Light refreshments will be provided and a cash bar will be available.

The cost is $10 at the door, but if you RSVP in advance, it costs just $5.  All you have to do is go to www.qbng.org/cbbng-joint-mixer.html and pay using your credit card. 

Hope to see you there!