Tuesday’s Cup: Cilantro Cravings

Summon creativity when it comes to cilantro

Cilantro (aka Chinese parsley) is used in Asian and Hispanic cooking. It might be mistaken for regular parsley so pay attention when reaching among the bunches of herbs at the market. Add fresh, minced cilantro to your favorite brand of salsa before a party. We add it to chicken stew. Try chopping a handful to top off a salad, tuna sandwich, or a bowl of chili. Also, try it in a marinade for meat or poultry. Cilantro has a pungent flavor when compared with regular parsley. Did you know that cilantro is a member of the carrot family? Check it out here!

Monday's Bread Bowl: Chicken Stew

Chicken satisfies hungry appetites

Here’s our recipe for chicken stew. It just might beat out our beef recipe in a taste test. It’s also easier on wallets. That’s definitely a plus nowadays. Enjoy!

What you will need:

1 large stock pot with lid
1 long wooden spoon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
1 large yellow onion chopped fine
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 can stewed tomatoes
½ cup chopped eggplant
1 cup carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
6 chicken thighs (may be cut into large chunks)
5 cups water
1 tablespoon flour
Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking and directions

Start pot off on medium high heat with vegetable oil. Add chopped garlic and onion. Sauté them in heated oil until they are almost translucent. Place chicken thighs in pot and let them sit for a few minutes until browning occurs. Turn over once. Add water and canned tomatoes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Bring pot to a rapid boil and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Cover pot. Let the chicken braise for at least 45 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally. Next, add cilantro, eggplant, carrots, and potato cubes. Leave on low heat for another 30 minutes so that veggies can cook. When the vegetables are tender, stir in flour to thicken the sauce. Serve it up hot and yummy.

Helpful hint: Feel free to vary the veggies. Prefer white button mushrooms? Try those (whole or halved) instead of eggplant. Do you like a little kick? Try adding a dash of Tabasco to the pot! Nelly reminds, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Friday’s Last Spoonful: Garlic Butter

A simple threesome
Garlic butter is a versatile combination of elements. The three basic ingredients are minced garlic, butter, and salt (just a pinch). Here, we added some oregano. Garlic bread is the first thing that may come to many minds. Garlic bread goes well with a salad for lunch. Place some garlic butter on a flame-broiled steak to give it that extra yum. Try it on baked sweet potatoes, which are a good source of fiber.

Helpful hint: A reader has asked about storing garlic. Most authorities recommend that garlic be kept in a cool, dry place.

Thursday’s Side Dish: Mango Tango

When sweet meets tangy

Mangoes taste delicious and are an excellent source of fiber. Look for a pleasant smell, a red or yellow skin color, and softness when selecting a ripe fruit. Mangoes are known as “the king of fruit” all over the world. We’ve grilled ripe mangoes for a great summertime dessert. Broiling works, too. Squeeze a little lemon juice on each piece before cooking. Natural sugars will caramelize during the cooking process.

Wednesday’s Helping: Healthy Bites

Top it off with veggies
This puts a twist into an ordinary meal. Add a little crunch to every spoonful of stew with fresh veggies. Chop cucumbers and carrots into small pieces for topping off bowls of stew. Fresh bean sprouts or chopped broccoli also might be to your liking. We like doing the same for a hearty dish of spaghetti. Add healthy bites to any hearty dish.

Tuesday’s Cup: Garlic Crush

Garlic wins over tastebuds

Garlic is in the same family as the onion. Chopping this ingredient doesn’t bring on tears like its larger relative. Old folklore has it warding off vampires. Smash it under a butcher knife to make it easier to unpeel and cut. A garlic press is another solution for handling this pungent ingredient.

Did you know that Gilroy, Calif., is home to the largest garlic festival in the United States?

Monday's Bread Bowl: A Classic

A word on an old favorite

It was so easy for your mom to just open a can of Dinty Moore beef stew and heat it up when we were kids. And now it comes in easy- to- microwave containers and packaging. The brand, made by Hormel Foods, has been around since 1935 . I like it in a pinch (with crushed crackers) for a fast lunch at the office. If you can’t make our recipe, we recommend this old standby.