Beldames’ Saloon

I love the seafood stews that come from almost every region that borders on an ocean! They’re wonderful served over whole grains instead of white rice or pasta. Here are some of my favorites to get you started.

High concentrations of mercury and other toxins have raised concerns about the safety of some seafoods, but this appears to be a turf battle between various fishing interests more than an actual health threat. I believe that the benefits of seafood far outweigh the potential health concerns. If you are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor for the latest guidance.

Cioppino (from Italy)
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, or 1 green and 1 red, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped, to taste
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups bouillon or dry red wine, or some of each
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained, broken up
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Italian spice blend or oregano
3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut in 1/4″ slices
3 pounds (total) seafood — your choice: shrimp, squid, any firm white fish cut in 1″ chunks, clams, mussels, scallops, etc.
1/2 cup chopped flat parsley
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
cooked whole grains of your choice (optional)

Combine the onions, garlic, peppers, celery and bouillon or wine in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and spice blend and cook 10 minutes more. Add the zucchini. Return the liquid to a boil and add the seafood. Cover the pot, reduce the heat and cook, stirring once or twice, until the seafood is done (5-10 minutes.) Add the parsley and black pepper; serve over whole grains if desired.

8-10 servings

Kejenou (from Africa)
1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 cup bouillon + 1 extra teaspoon bouillon granules
8 parsnips, sliced
1 28 oz. can Italian style (plum) tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 pound fresh green beans, sliced, or 1 cup frozen green beans
1 pound firm white fish fillet of your choice, cut in chunks
Cooked whole grains (optional)

Cook the onion and green peppers in the bouillon for 5 minutes to softern. Add the parsnips, tomatoes and spices and cook 10-15 minutes or until the parsnips are just tender. Add the green beans and simmer 5 minutes; add the fish chunks and simmer 5 minutes more, or until the fish is firm and no longer translucent, and the green beans are crisp-tender. Serve over whole grains.

4-6 servings

Paella (from Spain)
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bouillon
2 teaspoons oregano
pinch cayenne, to taste
4 cups cooked barley, brown rice or other whole grains of your choice
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, undrained, broken up
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1/2″ chunks
1 pound asparagus, cut in 1-2″ pieces (reserve the tips)
1 6-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained

2-3 pounds cleaned mixed seafood of your choice (peeled shrimp, scallops, lobster tails, mussels, clams, 1″ chunks of any fish)

Cook the onion, celery and garlic in the bouillon to soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the asparagus tips; bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes or until the asparagus are tender. Stir in the asparagus tips, artichokes and seafood, cover and cook about 5 minutes more, or until the seafood is opaque and any shells are opened.

6-8 servings

Louisiana Oysters and Shrimp
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 pound shrimp
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
2 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cups okra or green beans, cut in bite-size pieces (fresh or frozen)
1 pint shucked oysters and their liquid
Freshly ground black pepper
Cooked brown rice or barley

Bring the water and bay leaf to a boil in a pot, add half of the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in a colander. Bring the liquid back to a boil and cook the other half of the shrimp the same way. Run cold water over the shrimp, drain and set them aside. Strain the cooking liquid and return 1 cup of it to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the chopped onion, garlic, green pepper and celery, and simmer 5-10 minutes or until they are tender. Add the tomatoes, parsley, hot sauce, thyme and fennel to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra or beans and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the shrimp. Add shrimp and the oysters (with their liquid) and cook just until the oyster edges are curled, about 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice, with ground pepper and additional hot sauce to taste.

6-8 servings

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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After a family member’s recent stay in the hospital, you find
yourself with a whole houseful of flowers. You’ve heard of using
flowers to decorate dishes or for use in recipes. However,
before you go plucking the petals off the flowers in those
arrangements, there are a few things that you need to know.

Flowers that are said to be edible are only edible if they are
either grown organically or treated with organic pesticides like
those used on fruits or vegetables. Flowers that are from
florists, nurseries or garden centers are grown for decoration
only. They’re usually chemically treated either by fertilizers
or pesticides. They aren’t safe to be eaten unless you know for
certain that they’ve been maintained organically. Do not eat
flowers growing on the side of the road! The chemicals used to
maintain roadside conditions are deadly and the emissions from
cars contaminate the flowers growing there. Your safest method
is to grow the flowers yourself, so that you know with a
complete certainty what’s gone into growing the flowers.

Although a flower may be edible, it may not be palatable to some
people’s tastes. What might taste good to you may not taste even
slightly appealing to someone close to you. Also keep individual
allergies in mind before testing out a recipe. A little
consideration goes a long, long way and could save you a trip to
the hospital.

Before cooking with or eating edible flowers, remember to only
eat the petals. The pistils and stamens of a flower should not
be consumed. Until you’ve tested the effects of a single flower,
it’s best not to ingest large quantities of any blossom, no
matter how safe it may seem at the time.

Some of the most common flowers said to be edible are apple
blossoms, carnations, chrysanthemums, dandelions, geraniums,
marigolds, honeysuckle,pansies, tulips - even lillies and roses!
There are so many more edible flowers out there, and recipes are
available all over the internet. There are also cookbooks
devoted solely to using these beautiful blooms.

So, the next time you’ve got some freshly cut flowers serving as
a centerpiece for your company, you might want to reach up and
have a little snack - as long as no one is watching!

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A popular method of cooking chicken in recent years both in Barbeque contest as well as backyard barbeques is the beer-can chicken. Cooking a beer-can chicken couldn’t be any easier but the results are worthwhile. This is a technique that delivers a moist, succulent chicken and flavorful chicken. It’s also a bit of a showstopper and makes a lively conversation starter as well. Is it chicken in a beer can? Close but try beer can in a chicken. The beer is used to both keep the bird flavorful and moist, and the cook happy. By the time the bird is ready to eat, the chef will not be the only one with a beer belly!

Is it safe to eat chicken that has been in contact with the ink from a beer can? When the FDA was asked this question they were not sure because they have only tested the cans as a container and not as a cooking utensil. However the ink on the cans is applied at a temperature in excess of 500 degrees while the can never get hotter then 215 degrees during the cooking process. The conclusion by most is that there is nothing harmful in using the cans.

For those cooks who still worry about possible contamination, vertical stainless steel chicken roasters are available. These roasters have their own reservoir for beer, water or your choice of liquid.

1 whole chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub

1 can beer

Preparing the chicken

Remove and discard neck and giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub or brush the chicken lightly with oil then season inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub.

Open a can of beer and drink half. Wait 5 minutes then drink the other half and open a second can for the chicken. Drink half of the second beer and reserve remainder of beer for the bird. Using a “church key”-style can opener, pop a few more holes in the top of the can so that the moisture will be able to escape.

With the can on a steady surface, lower the chicken onto the can. It should stand on it’s own using the legs and can as a tri-pod. Refrigerate the bird while you get your grill or smoker setup.

Preparing the grill

Whether you intend to grill or smoke the bird, the goal is indirect heat. No coals or burner directly under the chicken. Place a drip pan under where you intend the bird to sit. If you are grilling, turn the burners to medium-high on one side of your grill and place the bird on the other side.

Cooking the chicken

Continue to cook the chicken over medium-high with the grill cover on for approximately 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. The chicken will be done when the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Remove from grill with tongs and move to cutting board. Be careful not to spill the beer when removing the can. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before carving. Toss the beer can out along with the carcass.

Scott Schirkofsky is the chef and owner of At Home Gourmet. You can find more recipes, cooking tips, food and beverage articles on his highly recommended website: www.athomegourmet.com Scott is also the owner of www.americasfavoritefood.com and www.thetravelassistant.com

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