Berry Sorbet

I remember how good pastry chef Nancy Silver’s sorbet’s were when I had them at Green City Market and yes, I tried them all.

Silver, who trained at Trotter’s, Blackbird, and Bistro Campagne loves seasonality and sustainability. She uses Nichols Farm fruits to create some if the delicious flavors that you stood in line for last summer.

I’m going to experiment a little because I think I’m on to something here.

Bon Appetit!

Berry Sorbet

4 cups (1 1/4 pounds) blackberries or blueberries

1 cup Simple Syrup

Puree berries and 1/3 cup water in a blender. Pour through a coarse sieve into a bowl. If using blueberries, strain again, through a fine sieve. (You should have 2 cups.)

Stir in simple syrup.

Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, about 25 minutes.

Transfer sorbet to an airtight container, and freeze until it hardens.

Sweets For My Sweets

Happy Valentines Day

Bon Appetit!

A Time to Reboot

Don’t miss this issue of Whole Living which outlines an all new action plan to detox in the new year and get a jump on bathing suit weather. 

Yikes – did someone mention a bathing suit? It’s already February.

The six items they maintain you need to skip in order to feel great are pretty much the same things that I skipped when I detoxed last year. They are:

Processed Food

Refined and unhealthy ingredients will add weight faster than anything

Sugar

White cane sugar and fructose are highly addictive and suppress the immune system.

Dairy

Digestive problems, heartburn and other ailments are linked to this common allergen.

Gluten

Wheat proteins are hard to digest and are linked to things like brain fog (hey – I have that every Monday morning) and bloating.

Alcohol

Booze enters the bloodstream straight for the liver. We all know the consequences as the harmful free radicals run wild.

Coffee

Offset your headaches by switching to green tea. You’ll be amazed at how good you feel.

Their base diet plan is made up of Lentils, Fruits and Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds and Oils and Seasonings. The detox is by no means bland and there are a lot of great recipes included in the issue.

I incorporate some of these recipes into my everyday eating and am back to cheating only on the weekends. Three weeks and I feel better already.

These three green drinks – which I admit took a little getting use to – are said to help eliminate toxins.

I made an investment in a juice extractor and I’m really glad I did. I am slowly learning to like the juices from many fruits and vegetables.

No telling what green potion I’ll come up with for you to try next week.

Bon Appetit!

Pineapple Spinach Juice

1cup baby spinach

3 cups chopped romaine

3 cups chopped pineapple

Press spinach, romaine, and pineapple through a juice extractor. Stir and serve immediately.

Cucumber-Pear Juice

1cored and chopped pear

1inch sliced fresh ginger

3 chopped cucumber

3 chopped stalks celery

Press pear, ginger, cucumber, and celery through a juice extractor. Stir and serve immediately.

Green Lemonade

1/2 chopped lemon

2cups baby spinach

2 chopped cucumber

2 cored and chopped sweet apples

Press lemon, spinach, cucumber, and apples through a juice extractor. Stir and serve immediately.

Not Your Ordinary Sunday Breakfast

The Dutch Baby is a great breakfast treat when you’re tired of making pancakes and want something sweet… but not too sweet.

You can eat them plain (I like them this way) or cover with fresh fruit and whipped cream ( I LOVE them this way).

Make sure that your guests are standing by for that AWE effect when it is ready to come out of the oven. It looks beautiful for a few seconds but it will collapse quickly. 

Not to worry—it still tastes delicious no matter how you dress it up.

Bon Appetit!

2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 meyer lemon (for zest and juice) 1⁄8 teaspoon salt 2⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 scant tablespoon poppy seeds 2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter Preheat the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to 400°F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, zest from one lemon (1 teaspoon) and salt. In a measuring cup, measure out the milk. Add the zest from one lemon (1 1/2 tablespoon), eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until completely  combined. All at once, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until nearly smooth. A few small lumps are ok. Next, fold in the poppy seeds. The batter will be thin. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the butter, and swirl it around until melted. Pour the batter into the skillet, return it to the oven, and bake the pancake for 30 minutes, or until the center is puffed and the edges are golden brown. Yields 1 10-inch Dutch Baby