Fun and Fit in the City Oct 1, 2011

A big Thank You to everyone that came out to enjoy some great food, learn more about healthy habits, get your bodies moving and just share in the fun at our 3rd Annual Fun and Fit in the City Event! This year the event was hosted at the Armory and it was beautiful--with celebrity chef demos, information for families from fitness, nutrition and farming experts, chances to get moving doing Zumba, Yoga, Trikes, Tennis, Gymnastics, and much more.

The event keeps on getting bigger and better every year! A special thank you to The Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival and Target for bringing this event to Harlem. To all our friends from Florida including Lee, Ashley and Alex and everyone else thank you for bringing the celebrity chefs to help our community continue to tackle positive transformation through fun food and fitness. You do a spectacular job year after year. Thank you to the HLI team for all of your hard work throughout this event. You guys rocked it!

We heard some great lessons from our celebrity Chef including Rocco, Marcus, Melissa and Andrew that we'll recap here over the next few weeks, but after his demo with Melissa D'Arabian,several of you requested the recipe from HCZ's own Executive Chef Andrew Benson's Stovetop Crumble.  So here it is as promised:

Stove Top Crumble
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Filling:
1 tbl unsalted Butter
1 lb apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8s
¼ cup sugar in the raw
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of table salt

Topping:
2 cups crunchy, lightly sweetened granola (almonds, dried fruit, etc..)
1 tbl maple syrup

Directions:
1.Melt butter in a 10” skillet over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Mix thoroughly until well blended. Continue to cooking over medium high heat, until the sugar is melted and the fruit just begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes longer. While the apples are cooking, mix the granola and the maple syrup together in a bowl and set aside. After 10 minutes of cooking remove the lids and spread the granola mixture over the top of the apples. Cook for an additional 2 minutes uncovered.

2.Serve the crumble straight from the skillet hot, warm or at room temperature. Accompany with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Recipe by Andrew Benson

What's for lunch? September 12th 2011

Todays menu features Beef Chili, Brown Rice and Steamed Broccoli.

The beef that we use to prepare our meals is produced locally and grass fed, but what is grass fed beef?

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of grass farming is that the meat offers tremendously significant health benefits. Grass Fed Beef contains high levels of Omega 3’s—the fatty acids that can reduce cholesterol and fight heart disease. In contrast, grain-finished animals from feedlots are high in Omega 6’s—the fatty acids that can raise cholesterol levels. In addition, grass-finished beef offers 400 percent more vitamin A and E than commercial beef, and is rich in beta-carotene and conjugated linoleic acids, both major cancer inhibitors.

Most beef consumed in the US is “grain finished” at large-scale commercial feedlots. Grass-fed beef is raised and finished on an all-natural, grass diet, that results in animals that are much healthier. The cows never receive antibiotics, hormone implants or by-products, so there’s no risk of mad cow disease.

Bon Appetit!

What's for lunch? July 14th 2011

Todays Lunch Menu features Turkey Bolognese, Fettucini, Sauteed Spinach.

Spaghetti alla bolognese, spaghetti bolognese, esparguete à bolonhesa or spaghetti bolognaise in a form popular outside of Italy, consists of a meat sauce served on a bed of spaghetti with a good sprinkling of grated Parmigiano cheese. Although spaghetti alla bolognese is very popular outside of Italy it never existed in Bologna, where ragù is served always with the local egg pastas tagliatelle or lasagne.

In recent decades, the dish has become very popular in Australia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. It is called spagetti med köttfärssås, in Swedish, spagettia ja jauhelihakastiketta, in Finnish, spaghetti og kødsovs in Danish, and spaghetti og kjøttdeig in Norwegian, especially among children. A version is popular in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term 'bolognese' is sometimes applied to a tomato-and-ground-beef sauce that bears little resemblance to the ragù served in Bologna.

Radish Harvest!

The garden is full of excitement and anticipation once things start to really take off and grow to maturity. Today the Garden Club harvested a medley of delicious radishes just as the raindrops started falling on our heads. Radishes are often considered little more than a condiment or something spicy to throw into a salad, a sandwich or a taco. While we love radishes for the crunch and their kick and often enjoy them these ways ourselves, we're hoping to discover some new favorite preparations in our class.

So, we will be sampling radishes three ways in our cooking class on Wednesday: raw, pickled, and roasted. If you've never had a roasted a radish, it's definitely worth the effort (minimal) to taste the remarkable transformation that this tiny little veg undergoes in the bathing warmth of the oven--it actually because kind of rich and sweet, or even "succulent" to borrow the word from a recent New York Times article. Several of the food blogs we read compared a roasted radish to the flavor of a turnip, something the students will be tasting later in the harvest this summer so we'll have to make a mental note and compare the flavors ourselves. We are going to roast the radishes with their greens to add even more nutrients to our little After School snack.

Here are a few of the best recipes circulating around the web for roasted radishes:

• Roasted Radishes with Radish Greens
• Roasted Radish Salad
• Roasted Radishes

Before you can roast a radish you've grown yourself, you have to pick. Be careful of the leaves which can be a little prickly, grab the base of the greens just about the root, wiggle the radish in the soil to loosen it, and then simply pull it up. You'll want to wash these babies off before eating them, but they are great for snacking just as is, or with a sprinkling of salt. Radishes are related to cauliflower and broccoli and are a nutritional powerhouse--despite the fact that they are very low in calories. They are very high in Vitamin C. The greens are also a great source of iron, thiamin and calcium. So, find yourself a radish, eat up and enjoy!

Smart Salads for an Early Summer Heatwave

It's only June 9th and it's supposed to be 100 degrees today! What??? For today's HCZ's Staff Health and Wellness Fair we're preparing two of our favorite summer salads. These salads are smart and savvy for two reasons. First,  they are packed with fresh veggies that are low in calories and tossed with simple, easy-to-make vinaigrette. Second they are quite flexible, allowing you to vary the recipe based on your own whim or what happens to be on hand. Here are the recipes, which are more of a starting place or a general guideline for you to play with. Click through for the full recipes for:

• Orzo Salad
• Carrot, Beet and Broccoli Slaw

Photo of Orzo Salad via Flickr user Three By Sea:  Nicole North Rodriguez
Photo of Carrot and Beet Salad via Chocolate and Zucchini blog.

Carrot, Beet, and Broccoli Slaw Recipe

Carrot, Beet and Broccoli Slaw
Serves 4-6

This recipe is adapted from one of our favorite food blogs Chocolate and Zucchini, whose "optional add-in" ideas we've left untouched. We've added broccoli to our version and a little more vinaigrette. Play with yours and find what you like. Beets and carrots are such flavorful assertive vegetables the addition of broccoli adds a slightly sweet foil. You'll find shredded raw broccoli in most Super Markets these days by the packages of baby spinach and other salad-ready supplies. Ideally combine with the dressing and let sit  for about 30 minutes prior to serving.

You'll need:
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups shredded beets
2 cups shredded broccoli


For the vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic
1/4 balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 dashes tabasco sauce
salt
pepper

Optional add-ins:


• Leafy fresh herbs (cilantro, chervil, flat-leaf parsley) chopped

• Toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews, peanuts) or seeds (sesame, sunflower seeds)
• Shaved parmesan or cubed feta cheese or crumbled blue cheese

• Baby spinach leaves

• A grated apple or shallot


To make: Trim, peel, and grate the carrots, beets and broccoli stalks if you've not bought prepared versions. If you own a food processor with a grater attachment, this will be quick work! Prepare the vinaigrette and toss with the vegetables until well combined. Add any desired add-ins and toss again.

Photo of Carrot and Beet Salad via Chocolate and Zucchini blog.

Orzo Salad Recipe

Orzo Salad
Serves 6-8

You may recognize some version of this composed salad from the prepared Salad Bar of your local specialty grocery. This version includes plenty of veggies. I make this a lot and like to include something red (tomatoes or sweet peppers), something green (string beans or asparagus), something protein and fiber rich (chickpeas or kidney beans), something for crunch (shallots, red onions, or pine nuts), and something for added flair (like feta cheese, Kalamata olives or fresh mint). If I'm making it for a light supper, I'll dice a roasted chicken breast to make it feel even more substantial. The point? Get creative!

For the salad, you'll need:
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups green beans, blanched and cut into thirds
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan bring 4 cups salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir in orzo and cook until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile make the vinaigrette. When the orzo is cooked, drain in a strainer. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add half of the vinaigrette. Stir until well coated and set aside.
2. Prepare the vegetables starting with blanching (boiling in salted water) the green beans. While they cook, chop the tomatoes (into halves or quarters) and toss them with the remaining dressing. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add them to the tomatoes. Dice the Kalamata olives roughly into quarters. When the green beans are crisp-tender (about 3 1/2 minutes) drain and rinse with cold water until cool (this stops them from continuing to cook). Chop them into thirds. Set aside.
3. Dice the shallots and scallions. Chop the fresh mint.
4. Add all the elements together in the bowl with the orzo. Stir to combine well. Crumble the feta cheese in at the end, as the last step, so that it doesn't get lost. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

For the vinaigrette, you'll need:
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup hummus
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the vinegar and the mustard and whisk together until smooth. Add the lemon juice. Slowly pour the olive oil in, whisking to emulsify. Add the hummus. Taste. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

Photo of Orzo Salad via Flickr user Three By Sea:  Nicole North Rodriguez

What's on the Menu? May 25th 2011

Tomorrows Menu will feature Tomato and Cheese Quiche for breakfast and Beef Lo Mein with Sesame Broccoli for lunch.

The term lo mein comes from the Cantonese lōu mihn (撈麵), meaning “stirred noodles”.
The Cantonese usage of the character 撈, pronounced lōu and meaning "to stir", differs from the character's usual meaning of "to dredge" or "to scoop out of water" in Mandarin, in which case it would be pronounced làauh or lòuh in Cantonese (lāo in Mandarin).In Mandarin, the dish is more typically called bàn miàn (拌麵), not to be confused with bǎn miàn (板麵).


In American Chinese restaurants, lo mein is a popular take-out food. In this setting, lo mein noodles are usually stirred with a sauce made from soy sauce and other seasonings. Such vegetables as bok choy and cabbage can be mixed in. Meats like roast pork, beef or chicken are often added. Shrimp lo mein, lobster lo mein, vegetable lo mein, and "House" lo mein (more than one meat) are sometimes available.

Join us for a meal.

What's for lunch? May 18th 2011

Todays lunch menu features Chicken Marsala, Parmesan Orzo and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic Oil.

Chicken Marsala is an Italian dish made from chicken cutlets, mushrooms, and Marsala wine. The chicken is coated in flour, briefly sautéed, and then removed from the pan, which is then used to make a Marsala reduction sauce. The sauce is made by reducing the wine to nearly the consistency of a syrup while adding onions or shallots, as well as mushrooms, herbs and possibly other ingredients. The sauce is then poured over the chicken, which has been kept in a warming oven, and served immediately.


Chicken Marsala
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb chicken (breast, thighs)
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place into oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees. While the chicken is cooking, add olive oil to heavy hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, saute until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and cook about 1 minute then deglaze pan with Marsala wine. (pull pan away from stove when adding wine, may flame). Simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook until thick and flavors are blended. Arrange chicken on serving platter and pour sauce over the chicken.
Serves 4-6

Orzo??
Orzo pasta is a type of pasta which is made in the shape of a grain of rice. Orzo pasta is often about rice-sized, as well. This pasta is very versatile, and it can be used in a range of recipes, with many people consuming orzo in soups. Many markets carry orzo pasta, and several options may be available for consumers to choose from.

The word orzo is Italian for “barley,” and a reference to the size and shape of the pasta. You can also see orzo called kritharaki, manestra, rosa marina, reiskornpasta, or pasta gallo pion. This pasta is very popular in Greece especially, although it is used in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern nations, and in some parts of Germany as well. The small size can make orzo a very fun pasta to work and cook with.
Bon Appetit!

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

This dish is made by marinating chicken in a mixture of yogurt and spices, with a high amount of cayenne or chili powder, which turns the marinade a rich red color. Some cooks accentuate this by adding red food coloring, or they may make a more orange-colored tandoori chicken with the assistance of turmeric. Garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, lemon juice, and salt are also typically included in the marinade.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Ingredients2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions1.Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.
2.In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smooth. Stir in yellow and red food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
3.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.
4.Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

Honey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Honey Chipotle Barbecue Sauce1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
pinch ground pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth, 1-2 minutes. If a thinner consistency is desired, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Makes about 1 cup.