A Snack You'll Want to Talk About

If you find yourself eating junk food snacks at work to fill your appetite then stop what you’re doing…cause I’m about to ruin…that junk food fix that that you’re used to.

You know you’re much better than that crappy candy bar or boring bag of chips. You deserve more! Here’s a healthy sweet tasting snack that’ll fill your craving without the unwanted calories.

Before you leave for work in the morning quickly mix together 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar with 1 tsp brown sugar. Put it in a small container, grab a ripe tomato from your counter then off to work.

When you’re snack craving arrives, slice up the tomato, drizzle with your vinegar and balsamic mix and sprinkle on some black pepper (there’s always some hanging around the office somewhere).

It’s a tomato treat that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth and still have you feeling great about what you eat. The best part is it’ll give you something to talk about…unlike the same ole fatty snacks you buy at the convenience store.



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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Top Ten Recipes

Today is my birthday...happy birthday to me! I'm looking forward to another year of sharing recipes, tips and tricks to help make your cooking experience more approachable and fun!

The other evening I was asked what my favorite recipe was over the last year. This is like asking me what my favorite song is...there are way too many to choose from (although songs by G.Love and Special Sauce are high on my rotation right now).

Since I'm not able to come up with only one recipe I thought I would share 10 of my favorite recipes that I have posted on this blog over the last year. Some are from my cookbook and others are a result of my continuous experimentation in the kitchen. Who knows...maybe one of these culinary creations will become a favorite of yours as well. Cook-On!

Top Ten (in no particular order)

Keep The Beat Orange Almond Smoothie

Dreamy Pear and Cheese Bites

Swinging Mango Kiwi Salsa

Wild Blueberry Bran Muffins

Motown Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Fascinating Sweet Potato Chimichangas

New Country Grilled Vegetables

Oops I Did It Again Acorn Squash

Almond-Plum Cobbler at the Couleur Café

Delectably Different Vegetable Chili

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Cooking Rock Stars Use Well Honed Knives

A rock star would never take the stage without a well tuned guitar and you shouldn’t start cooking without a well honed knife. If you don’t hone your knives on a regular basis they will become dull quickly. Using a dull knife means more effort on your part to cut food…and who wants that?

To hone a knife you’re going to need a steel – a long steel rod with a handle at the end. To use the steel, hold it upright at a 90 degree angle, pointed end down, on a flat surface. It’s a good idea to set it on a flat surface to avoid slipping.

Place the edge of the knife on the steel at a 45 degree angle. Then half the degree of the angle again so the edge of the knife ends up being at a 22 degree angle to the steel.

Begin with the heel of the blade contacting the steel as close to the knife handle as possible, with the tip of the blade pointing away from you. In one motion, pull the blade back towards you and down the shaft of the steel. You should end with the tip of the blade in contact with the steel towards the bottom of the shaft.

Repeat four or five times on one side then switch sides and repeat the process for the other side of the blade.

Now your ready to take center stage with your well honed knife that'll do the cutting work instead of you!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

I Testify This Tomato Salad is "Da Bomb"

The weather this summer in Ontario hasn’t exactly been the best for growing vegetables. Usually by this time of year I have bright juicy red tomatoes growing in my garden ready to be picked. Instead all I have is green tomatoes waiting for warmer weather to ripen them up.

Thankfully there are plenty of farmers markets around to purchase locally grown ripe and juicy tomatoes. I love to use them to make toasted tomato sandwiches. That’s why I was drawn to a tomato salad recipe I saw in the Toronto Star by Mark Bittman. What I liked about it was he used a grilled cheese sandwich to make the croutons. It also called for fresh basil which I have plenty of in my garden.

I followed Mark’s suggestion and made it using tomato slices. However I think it would look more like a salad if you cut the tomato into chunks. Of course you could also incorporate the whole thing into a sandwich. Did I mention how much I love toasted tomato sandwiches? Sorry I guess I did.

The versatility of this recipe reminds me of the George Clinton song "Testify". It can be cut and used in so many different ways and always be pleasing to the senses in the end.

Grilled Cheese Tomato Salad

Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich. Let it cool. Meanwhile slice tomatoes and place on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Cut grilled cheese into small cubes and toss on top.

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

Next week I’m taking time off to spend at the cottage. I’m already in vacation mode but I didn’t want to leave you all for a week without sharing a recipe.

I’ve been tinkering with this barbecue chicken recipe like a musician messing around with a new song. After trying several combinations I finally arrived at a blend of flavors for the marinade that makes the chicken come alive!

Here is what I came up with...let me know if this one strikes a chord with you and if you have any suggestions!

Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks

Instruments
12 skinless chicken drumsticks
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Lyrics
Whisk all ingredients (except the chicken) together in a small bowl. Place chicken in a large resealable bag. Add marinade, seal bag and turn several times to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours.

Preheat grill to medium setting. Place chicken on grill and discard marinade. Grill until chicken is no longer pink in the center but still moist, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Volume: Makes 6 servings

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

When It Comes to Eating - Treat Yourself Like Your Best Customer

I recently listened to a business seminar and heard the words “under promise” and “over deliver”. We’ve all heard this many times before. What I find interesting is these words are always used in the context of over delivering for others.

What if…and this is a big what if…we actually applied these words to ourselves…especially when it comes to eating. Here's the scenario. You’re coming home from work and you settle on picking up some take-out for dinner (under promise). But then you decide to treat your body like your best customer and find the energy to over deliver with a tasty home made meal.

The beauty is you are the customer so you end getting all the incredible benefits of eating a good-for-ya meal! As the TV commercials say…why settle for less?

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

What You Oughta Know

On this day in 1995 Alanis Morissette topped the billboard charts with her hit single You Oughta Know. The lyrics of the song seem to be about a bitter relationship but I think they should refer to what we oughta know about the food we eat.

For instance you oughta know that:

- Sugar, fat and salt are what make food compelling and indulgent.
- The food industry knows this and creates dishes based on this fact.
- The effect on you is this combination leads to a roller coaster effect in your mouth and that sensory experience captures you.
- Eating becomes a thrill ride and keeps you coming back for more.

Now that you know, here’s what you can do.

- Use pre-packaged meals for back-up purposes only. Keep track of what you eat so you don’t get captured by the pre-packaged food spell.
- Plan you meals ahead of time. I know you here this again and again but it does work. Chaos is what always drives us back to conveyer-belt meals and take-out.
- Pair unhealthy food with a stream of unappealing images. (I once saw a picture of Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones in a speedo and that pretty much turns me off of anything)
- Use reminders like the red, green and yellow cards to put you back on the healthy eating track.
- Have an attitude. When you encounter an unhealthy meal, show it the hand and say “I don’t need you! You need me and I ain’t gonna let you mess with my awesomeness.” Then just keep walking.

Want to know more? Check out David Kessler’s book The End of Overeating.

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Leaping Over the Mental Hurdles of Cooking

When I stepped into the kitchen last night I wasn’t in the mood to cook. I was thinking “it’s too much work” and “what am I going to make”. Cleary I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. It would have been easy to just order take-out but the day before we had pizza at the cottage and a take-out meal on the drive home.

I knew that wolfing down another take-out meal would only increase my stress levels about what I was eating…and that’s no fun. So I found the energy to turn on some music and chop an onion. I didn’t have any particular meal in mind. However once the music cleared away my stressful thoughts I instantly thought about what I could make. By setting the right mood and getting the process started I removed the mental barrier of cooking and ended up putting together a nice tomato tortellini pasta dish. It took about 20 minutes (less time than it would have taken for take-out to arrive at my house).

If you’re looking for a healthier, fitter and more vibrant you then it’s really important to keep track of what you eat. Write it down on a list and post it on your fridge. Review the list daily to determine if it’s time to lay off the junk food and make a good-for-ya meal. It’s also important to not over think cooking and make it harder than it is. Find the boost to get you started. Once your moving you’ll often find meals will come together quicker than you originally thought.

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com