Gorgonzola Cauliflower Mash

Carbohydrates can destroy any healthy diet. We think we are eating so healthily but are still consuming too many carbs. I have tried to find foods that are satisfying replacements for those carb dishes that I love so much. Spaghetti Squash is my favorite carb replacement and my other favorite is cauliflower. The biggest carb-heavy Thanksgiving dish, besides stuffing and bread itself, would have to be mashed potatoes. Now, most people allow themselves to have these dishes during the holidays, but if you are really trying not to spoil your healthy diet this year, then try out this carb-free indulgence.







Lizzy M.'s Gorgonzola Cauliflower Mash

1 large head of cauliflower, stem trimmed and cored
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp granulated garlic
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper




Directions:

Add 3 cups of chicken stock to a large pot as well as the entire head of cauliflower. Make sure to remove all of the stem from the cauliflower and carve out the bottom center, which is the core of the vegetable. Place the core side down into the pot, bring to a boil and cover. Steam the cauliflower until it falls a part with a touch. Once that happens, remove from the heat. Drain the cauliflower into a colander that is placed inside a large bowl. This way you can save the chicken stock to add back to the cauliflower but this way you have control over how much.


Place the drained cauliflower head back into the pot and start mashing away. Add a couple of ladles of the chicken stock, the Gorgonzola cheese, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.


Serve with roasted turkey at Thanksgiving or serve this creamy, satisfying side dish with meatloaf, chicken or any time you have the urge to make mashed potatoes. I served my cauliflower with mozzarella stuffed Italian meatloaf and steamed broccoli. You will love the strong rich flavor of the Gorgonzola mixed the mashed cauliflower. Another pro to this side dish is that is simple to make and takes much less time than peeling potatoes. It is amazing how similar the mashed cauliflower looks to the mashed potatoes. Enjoy this figure-friendly, tasty dish today.

Cooking with Beets

Want to try cooking with beets but you aren’t quite sure where to start? Fear not, cooking with beets is simple and easy with the only set back being that your hands or dishtowel might turn red. Beets are a bright, tasty vegetable to include in any healthy diet. Said to reduce blood pressure, beets provide high fiber and are a good source of Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Iron. Incorporating new vegetables in your home cooking can expose your family to something they may have never known they liked. This beautiful deep red, almost magenta, root vegetable is a vibrant alternative to the usual broccoli or carrot side dish.

The easiest way to prepare fresh beets is to roast them. After trimming off the greens and cleaning the beets well, toss the beets in a drizzle of Extra Virgin olive oil. Place the beets on a large pan, and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. When the beets are ready, allow them to cool a bit before removing the skins. With a towel, rub the outside of the beets to peel off the skins, which should fall off quite easily. Your towel will turn a shade of red, so make sure it isn’t your best kitchen towel.

At this point, you can prepare the beets any way you like. You can simply serve them with salt and pepper and call it a day. To turn the beets into something really special try adding a few or all of these elements. Cut the beets in half and then make fairly thin slices of the vegetable. Lightly toast a quarter cup of pine nuts in a pan. Toss the beets with the toasted pine nuts, a handful of crumbled feta cheese, baby spinach leaves, diced green onion, and torn basil leaves. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve this nutritious, stunning side dish along side a sliced flank steak, grilled chicken or fish. Make a large batch, so you can have plenty of leftovers to serve with sandwiches or soups throughout the week. This will assure that your family is getting plenty of vegetables through the busy week. Try this recipe today, and bring something new to your dinner table.

Red Beans n' Rice: New Orleans' Monday Tradition

Monday is here and that means Red Beans and Rice! Well that's what Monday means for this New Orleans girl and many New Orleanians that carry on this tradition. Growing up, red beans, rice and sausage were a common Monday meal in my household. I recall getting home from a long day of school and dance team practice, taking a long nap and waking up to the aroma of red beans and rice. Also, in my elementary and high school cafeteria, red beans and rice were served on Mondays at least once a month if not more.


This tradition goes back to the days when women scheduled Mondays as their washday. Sunday dinner's ham would leave a ham hock perfect for seasoning the red beans for Monday's meal. This low maintenance meal could be started first in the morning, simmer on the stove all day with little fuss, while the ladies would get their wash and housework completed to start the week. Red beans and rice are an excellent bang for the buck and can feed a whole gathering of people. This affordable, protein-packed meal is a filling, simple dinner for the family. If you are cooking for one or two, then no worries because this meal freezes beautifully. Portion the leftovers into 3-4 servings, which will give you 3-4 dinners within the next couple of months. When you are ready for them, take the frozen beans out of the freezer in the morning allowing all day for the beans to thaw. Pop them in the microwave or simmer the beans stove top to reheat. Steam up some rice and dinner is served. Red beans and rice also makes for a great football party meal during the cool winter months. I always remember when my husband, his brother and friends went to an Eagles-Cardinals game on a freezing cold, rainy day. The guys came back chilled to the bone, exhilarated from the Eagles win, and starving. Luckily, I had been cozily tucked inside simmering my red beans all day, which were hot and ready for these hungry guys. The pot was clean in minutes! My red beans recipe is a bit simpler than recipes that call for ham hocks and soaking beans overnight. Feel free to do those things if you have the time and the hock, but for those who don't try it this way.


Lizzy M.'s Red Beans n' Rice and Sausage

1 package dry dark red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted (pick out any bad beans in the bunch)
3 medium yellow onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 beef bouillon cube
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 dried bay leaves
2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed red pepper or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cups water
1 lb Andouille sausage, smoked sausage or Kielbasa sausage (whatever you like and have available at your local markets)
Extra virgin olive oil
Dash of Tabasco
Dash of Tony's Chachere's
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Green onion, diced
2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked



Directions:


After rinsing and sorting the red beans, soak the dry beans with 3 bay leaves in 6 cups of water for one hour. (Canned dark red kidney beans are fine to work with as well. However the canned beans do lose much of the red color that the fresh beans offer. If using canned beans, drain out the liquid and rinse the beans well. Of course, the canned beans require no soaking and cut down the cooking time to about an hour.) While soaking the beans, dice the yellow onions and celery. Also slice the sausage into thin discs. To lighten this meal, use turkey sausage or a lower-fat sausage.


In a large saute pan, heat up a small drizzle of olive oil. Once heated, add the onions, celery and sausage. Season while sauteing with salt, black pepper, a sprinkle of Tony's Chachere's and a few dashes of Tabasco. Saute for 10 minutes on medium to high heat. Then set aside.


After the hour of soaking is over, turn the heat on the pot of red beans to medium-high heat. Add the remaining spices of thyme, red pepper or cayenne, Tony's Chachere's, Tabasco, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. When the beans come to a boil, add the beef and chicken bouillon cubes, the tomato paste, and the saute of sausage, onions and celery. With a hand grater or microplane, grate 3 garlic cloves directly into the pot.


The beans should boil rapidly for the first hour, stirring often. Bring the boil down to a simmer after the first hour and continue to cook and stir occasionally until the beans are tender. When the beans are tender, smash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the pot. This will break down some of the beans giving a creamy texture. Taste the beans and adjust the seasoning if need be. Continue cooking for 30 minutes after this point. While the beans finish, cook long grain white rice as directed to serve with the red beans.


Serve the beans piping hot over the freshly cooked white rice. Garnish with a spoonful of diced green onion. Hot, garlic French bread and a light green salad would be the perfect addition to round out this Monday night meal. If your a fan of beans, sausage and spice, then please give this comforting dish a try. Be a part of the New Orleans tradition by cooking red beans n' rice on a Monday to spice up the start of your week!

Reading Terminal Market

On a perfect Fall day in Philadelphia, I decided to spend it by shopping and treating myself at Reading Terminal Market, which is by far my favorite place in this city to frequent. Each time I visit this market that stretches the length and width of an entire city block, I find new foods that I want to try. The historical Reading Terminal Market offers visitors over 80 merchants with products like farm fresh produce, meats, poultry, fish, seafood, desserts, ethnic foods and more.

Reading Terminal Market's history goes all the way back to the late 17th century when the city of Philadelphia was developed by William Penn. At the start of developing the city, one of the first orders of business was creating a marketplace for the farmers and fishermen trying to sell their goods. The location chosen was close to the Delaware River since most of the merchants were coming from across the river in New Jersey, hence the name that developed, Jersey Market. As Philadelphia grew, its market grew as well, continuing from the river westward into the city. By the mid-nineteenth century, this stretch became Market Street, which remains the center of our city today.


Because of the size of the outdoor market, the city's planners grew concerned about sanitation and health issues, therefore ordering the market to move indoors. In 1859, two indoor markets were established, The Farmer's Market and The Franklin Market, which are the roots of the present day market. In 1892, following the Industrial Revolution, the Reading Railroad expanded by building a terminal housing both the train terminal and market place, a 78,000 square foot space with 800 six-foot stall spaces for merchants. The stalls were set up as a grid like the streets of Philadelphia with twelve aisles and four avenues making it easy for shipments coming in and shoppers alike. One of the biggest draws for merchants would be the new refrigeration system in the basement boasting 52 separate rooms with different temperatures for different products.

The successful market place went the extra mile literally by allowing for families to place orders with the market to be delivered to their local train station-a market basket service. Following World War I, refrigerated trucks hit the roads improving the market's delivery services. The market managed well enough during the Depression and World War II. However, the railroad's financial issues eventually caused the close of the refrigeration system in the 1960's. With bankruptcy for the railroad in 1971, the marketplace fell behind. Once the railroad turned into a real estate business, it gave the Reading Company renewed interest in their best real estate, Reading Terminal Market. But it wasn't until the early 1990's that any real rehabilitation of the market began, which finally resulted in the well-kept, vibrant market place that it is today.

Entering the doors of Reading Terminal Market on 13th Street, I immediately had my eyes on Old City Coffee. To enhance my walk around the market, I opted for a cup of coffee to keep me vitalized. Old City Coffee boasts 100% Arabica Coffee roasted on site and ground to order plus an espresso bar, baked goods, and coffee and tea gift baskets. Everyone likes to start with dessert which is exactly why my market tour began by passing The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company featuring enormous, delicious cookies varying from Chocolate Chip with Walnuts and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut to Butter Almond and Chocolate Pecan. The smell is intoxicating and sweet making it close to impossible to resist stopping for one of these delectable treats. Right around the corner, Termini Brothers holds their own as the Italian bakery of the market, a bakery that has successfully existed in their first location in South Philadelphia since 1928. The Termini's star item has to be the Cannoli, perfectly baked shells filled to order. Flawless cakes, pastries, and Italian cookies line the glass cases in front of Termini Brothers as well. Other Reading Terminal Market bakeries include The Flying Monkey specializing in playful handcrafted sweets, Le Bus Bakery and The Metropolitan Bakery both offering a selection of fresh baked breads and pastries daily. Finally, Beiler's Bakery sells beautiful homemade goods from the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish, like sticky buns, cakes, pies, donuts, bread, rolls and more. Beiler's Bakery, located on the opposite end of the market from the cookie company, brings its own appetite-inducing aroma.


The Pennsylvania Dutch offer much more at the market including The Dutch Eating Place, a sit-and-eat counter serving lunch, dinner and the best sloppy Joe I ever had plus their famous blueberry pancakes, egg sandwiches and apple dumplings. A long line always spills from The Rib Stand featuring baby-back ribs and rib sandwiches. The Hatville Deli attracts many with their overstuffed fresh deli meat sandwiches. A new spot offered by the Pennsylvania Dutch is Miller's Twist, which specializes in hand rolled soft pretzels, made fresh daily as well as Lancaster County ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream, the star that rises above all is Bassett's Ice Cream, America's oldest creamery since 1861. Bassett's churns their creams fresh on the premises at Reading Terminal Market daily and have been since 1893. While in the dairy category, a wide variety of cheeses are available at Downtown Cheese offering farm domestic and imported cheeses as well as olives, olive oils, and vinegars. Salumeria, a deli and grocery, keeps it Italian with a wide selection of imported cheeses, Italian meats, hoagies and salads. Your choice of delis or sandwich spots continues with The Original Turkey and Hershel's East Side Deli. Cheese steak cravings? Then check out Carmen's Famous Italian Hoagies and Cheese Steaks, By George!, or Spataro's Cheese Steaks.


Most ethnic cuisines are covered with 12th Street Cantina (Mexican), Nanee's Kitchen (Indian) and Profi's Creperie (French). I can get my fill of Southern cuisine at the newly opened Beck's Cajun Cafe or Delilah's at the Terminal serving Delilah's famous macaroni and cheese, reason enough to get to the market. Middle Eastern cuisine is represented with Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialties and Olympic Gyro. For Asian food lovers, The Golden Bowl (Chinese), Little Thai Market, and Tokyo Sushi Bar are just some of the Asian cuisine offerings available. Pearl Oyster Bar provides customers with boiled or fried seafood platters. If you have hankering for a hot dog, then no worries because Franks-A-Lot will cover any hot dog, Polish or German sausage needs you may have. Vegetarians can find happiness at the market as well with The Basic 4 Vegetarian Bar. Specialty merchants within the market include Bee Natural, selling every kind of honey and beeswax candles, and The Spice Terminal, your one-stop affordable shop for every kind of spice imaginable.


Reading Terminal Market is a must-see spot for tourists and should be a regular spot for locals as it gives the customer endless product options and a festive, exciting atmosphere. Go to the Reading Terminal Market today, try something new or stick to your favorites, and be a part of this Philadelphia tradition.

The Pop Shop

On a sunny, unseasonably warm fall day, my husband and I got out of the apartment and headed to Collingswood, New Jersey. We don't often get over into Jersey territory unless we are going to the shore in the summer or doing some shopping at the Cherry Hill mall. However, today we had another reason to go. In Collingswood, NJ, there is a place we have been meaning to try ever since we heard about it on the Food Network in 2008. We were watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, when we saw a familiar face. The person was Bill "Stink" Fisher, co-owner of The Pop Shop, but we recognized Stink Fisher from when we worked in the film industry.



In 2005, my husband and I worked on the film, Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg, Elizabeth Banks and Greg Keneer. I was a Costumer while my husband (just boyfriend at the time) was in Locations. Since this was a football movie about the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s, Mark Wahlberg was surrounded by a whole football team, some of which were former arena football players and others that had supporting roles in the film. When shooting scenes on the football field on the hottest of days in August, I, as a Costumer, would be on the field straightening and adjusting the uniforms of these huge, sweaty football player actors, one of which was Stink Fisher. Needless to say, these burly men weren't too fond of me and the other Costumers messing with their clothes but we tucked in their shirts, pulled up their socks, and misted them with water because it was our job. It was no surprise that I immediately recognized the face of this actor and now co-owner of The Pop Shop in New Jersey.



After watching the Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I knew this place was going to be good. A 50's style diner with an old fashioned soda fountain, shakes, American comfort food and a juke box-what's not to like! We headed over the Ben Franklin Bridge to Collingswood and after a few wrong turns we finally found the quaint main street, Haddon Avenue, where The Pop Shop is located. The Collingswood main street was such a pleasant surprise-clean and lovely with multiple restaurants and cafes, antique stores, and boutiques. We immediately saw The Pop Shop sign, silver with different color gum ball shapes scattered on the logo embodying the 50's modern motif. We entered into a busy, fun world of families, friends and kids dining on this relaxing Sunday with the Eagles game to look forward to in the evening. The walls were aqua with bright pinks and yellows behind the soda fountain bar with popping colors from ice cream candy toppings and soda fountain syrups. Black and white tiled floors tied in perfectly with the floor to ceiling 1950's black and white photos. A wall of 50's style clocks covered the wall by the juke box.



As we sat in the mod silver chairs at our table, we examined the menu which is set up like a newspaper titled, "The Daily Dish". First headline read "Order breakfast anytime of the day!" The extensive menu and our extreme hunger had us confused with what to order since everything looked divine. The breakfast menu boasts numerous egg creations: Omelettes, Scramblers, and Benedicts. There is something for everyone like the Hoedown Biscuit Scramble, a biscuit served open faced with three scrambled eggs, Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and scallions covered with Country gravy, for the big appetite. The meat lover will enjoy the Peggy Sue Got Hungry, a scramble or omelette with andouille sausage, corn, Cheddar cheese and scallions or the Walking in Memphis, BBQ pulled pork with caramelized onions and Cheddar cheese. For the lox lover, try the Alaskan Benedict, smoked salmon, spinach, and poached eggs topped on a toasted English muffin with Hollandaise sauce. Betty's pancakes, an original, from-scratch family recipe, seemed to be quite popular. You can order Betty's pancakes all by themselves or stuffed with anything from peanut butter chips and Oreo crumbs to fruit and bacon! The menu goes on with a Waffle Sundae, the perfect combination of breakfast and dessert, as well as the Bananas Fosters French Toast or the Hot Apple Stuffed French Toast Sandwich. And this is just the beginning!




Starring in the starters for lunch and dinner is the Crab Pretzel, a jumbo South Philly soft pretzel covered in The Pop Shop's crab dip, Cheddar and Jack cheeses, and Old Bay seasoning. Other contenders in appetizers include the Mini Sliders with American cheese and Onion Rings served with house made remoulade sauce. The French Fry menu gets creative with Wiz Fries, Mozzarella Fries (our choice), Gravy Fries or Collingswood Fries, which are The Pop Shop's Old Bay fries with Cheddar cheese and bacon. Next, we come to the star sandwich among 30 plus "grilled cheese" style sandwiches, The Calvert. The Calvert, seen on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, is roasted turkey, bacon, Jack cheese, avocado and house dressing on focaccia bread. My husband went for this smokey cheesy sandwich with a side of tomato soup. The 5'B's is the Pop Shop's version of Bobby Flay's grilled cheese throwdown recipe, a cheesy delight of brie and goat cheeses, applewood smoked bacon and tomato on country white bread. My sandwich, the Dayton, was a Monte Cristo style grilled cheese with grilled ham and American cheese on Brioche French Toast sprinkled with powdered sugar, the perfect combination of breakfast and lunch. The lengthy list of grilled cheeses offers sandwiches with pretty much any cheese you can think plus many other surprising ingredients like prosciutto, green apples, pesto, and BBQ pork.


















Healthy options like any number of the Pop Shop's salads are available except that you will most likely need a to-go box as these salads are served in giant bowls that could feed two or three. If the salad doesn't cut it for you then try the Panther Pride Burger, two 100% Angus beef 1/2 pound patties with tons of cheese on a hamburger roll. If you can finish this one, your picture will be posted on the Pop Shop's website. With a selection of burgers and hot dogs with an array of toppings, blue plate specials such as Chicken Pot Pie, Macaroni and Cheese, and Meatloaf, and a long list of vegetarian options as well as gluten free bread upon request, there is literally no one that can't find satisfaction with this Pop Shop menu.



Dessert has a menu of its own featuring the Pop Shop's Soda Fountain Cokes, Pops, and Ice Creams Sodas made traditionally. The Soda Fountain Cokes are served over ice with swirls of syrup and a shot of fizz. Add scoops of ice cream, seltzer, soda or syrup and you have yourself an Ice Cream Soda. Shakes, Malts, Sundaes and Splits complete this unbelievable thorough throwback menu from the Pop Shop. Pop Shop, we will be back soon because our meal was so filling that we couldn't make it to dessert.

The Pop Shop is attempting to bring back the social aspect of the soda fountain shop. Back in the day, the soda fountain shop usually housed in a drug store, was a gathering place for the locals. The Pop Shop has created a community gathering place with their restaurant and soda fountain by offering many weekly events for the ages. Weekly events such as Saturday Morning Pajama Party (pajama-wearing kids eat for free), Team Trivia Monday Nights (BYOB), Wiener Wednesdays and Sundae Sundays are just some of the regular goings-on at this main street hot spot.



Grab the kids and take your friends! Go to The Pop Shop, and experience a 1950's diner and soda fountain in 2009!