Milk Your Coconut Milk

By Katie Barreira

Well, I’ve done it. Here we are, week four of the pantry clean out, and not only have I cleared a swath of space in my cupboard, I’ve actually managed to keep a New Year’s resolution for the first time in memory (lord knows last year’s pledge of twice daily flossing didn’t pan out.) So cheers to this blog, without which, I may have never resolved a resolution.

This week I came upon a Spinach, Grape and Coconut Smoothie recipe that piqued my interest. The sweet, tangy and refreshing blend was a delicious discovery and an excellent use for an aging can of coconut milk.

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How to Eat Healthy: Secrets from a Former Biggest Loser Nutritionist

By Sandy Hu

As the nutritionist on the NBC-TV’s Biggest Loser reality TV show, Cheryl Forberg helped contestants shed thousands of pounds a year over the past 12 years. She left the show after this season to concentrate on her private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and on building a studio kitchen for her TV cooking demos. I’ve known Cheryl for many years as a fellow member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International.

While we are still feeling virtuous about our New Year diet resolutions, I asked my dietitian friend for advice on staying on track to ensure a lifetime of healthy – and tasty – eating.

Cheryl is the perfect advisor, with impressive culinary and nutrition credentials. She graduated from the California Culinary Academy and apprenticed at top restaurants in France. Having earned a degree in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics and an RD (registered dietitian) credential from the University of California at Berkeley, she became a research dietitian at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Cheryl’s career also includes being on the opening team of Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in San Francisco and serving as the private chef for Lucasfilm, Ltd., in Northern California.

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Welcome the Morning with Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

By Lori Powell

Finally snow! Yes, I welcome the white stuff but have to say part of the excitement is because I have a new snow blower. This storm only left us with about three inches, so it wasn’t exactly snow blower worthy. I got my exercise the old-fashioned way, with a snow shovel.

Having finished the deed leaves you invigorated and hungry. I felt I earned an all-American breakfast consisting of my own chickens’ eggs (scrambled) with a couple of slices of Applegate Farms Organic Sunday Bacon (my fave) and some fresh blueberry pancakes.

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Leftover Cream of Tartar? Try these Great Uses

By Katie Barreira

Cream of tartar is another one of those pesky ingredients that gets used by the quarter teaspoon and stays forgotten in the back of the spice rack. A byproduct of winemaking, this acidic powder is commonly used in angel food cake to prevent darkening, in meringue to stabilize beaten egg whites (or I like to lightly beat a pinch into whites for a super fluffy and satisfying egg white omelet) and in sugar syrups to inhibit crystallization.

When I got to thinking about all the different ways to use cream of tartar, I decided it would be a fun challenge to try and employ all (or most) of them in a single recipe. There’s less than a teaspoon, but a little goes a long way!

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Asian Style Crab Cakes

By Lori Powell

For the New Year I am striving to eat less meat and increase my portion of vegetables and other lean proteins, such as fish.

So when I was developing a recipe with crab meat for Prevention magazine (I am the Food Director), and I had 8 ounces left over, I thought crab cakes would be a delicious way to use the remainder.

I used what I had on hand in my pantry to create the following Asian Style Crab Cakes with watercress and pickled beets…such as panko, eggs, scallions, fresh lime, watercress, mayo, pickled ginger and beets, and a touch of seasoned rice wine vinegar.

I never order crab cakes out since they are usually made with a lot of filler, such as breadcrumbs, and never enough crabmeat. I want to see the chunks of crabmeat in my cake and so they are one of those dishes that I love to make at home. Plus they are super easy and cook quickly.

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