Spicing With Radishes - Horse, Red, Daikon and Wasabi

I am most familiar with the red radish, which I grow in my garden. If you want to introduce your children to the miracle of turning a seed into something on your dining room table (a.k.a. gardening), the red radish is your answer. It grows quickly in mediocre soil and is usually the first thing I pick from my garden each spring. Just don't let them plop one in their mouths, or they may never want to garden again.

Alas, the red radish has very little energy value, but it is high in vitamin C compared to other root vegetables. It does perk up a salad or coleslaw, not only with its peppery, pungent flavor, but also with its bright, Christmas red color. The leaves are also edible and have more nutrients than the vegetable itself. That makes it a great little filler when you are low on salad greens. Soak the leaves and radishes in ice water to make them crisp before serving. Another reason to include radishes in your salad is for its crunchy texture.

Both the red radish and the horseradish are members of the mustard family, which explains their spicy flavor. Because of this bite, a little goes a long way. They are the small and tall of radishes. The horseradish can be five feet in height, while the red radish is the height of most ground cover. The root of the horseradish is bland until you grate it, which releases its pungent mustard oil. Mix it quickly with vinegar or it will lose its bite, darken and become bitter. It is best to use roots soon after you pick them or get them from the grocery store. Horseradish leaves are also edible, unless you are a horse, in which case it is poisonous. But I digress.

Vinegar and lemon juice complement horseradish by adding a sour flavor to it. Vinegar acts as a preservative and keeps the root from loosing flavor. If your jar of prepared horseradish has darkened from its original creamy white color, it is time to replenish it. Cream or mayonnaise improves the taste of horseradish by adding sweetness. Thus, it is often found in the form of a relish, but you may buy the light yellow roots as fresh produce. Fresh is better than dried. Add ? teaspoon of salt and 2/3 of a cup of white vinegar for every 1? cups of grated horseradish root. You'll like it better than the prepared stuff.

Horseradish is often associated with seafood, roast beef and cocktail sauces. It is also great with cream cheese in dips and with hard-boiled eggs. As with many salad fixings, you don't have to cook radishes. A little known fact is that southwestern Illinois grows about 85% of the world's horseradish market.

In Japan horseradish is often dyed green and served as a substitute for the more expensive wasabi radish. Daikon is also a radish used mostly in Japan. It looks like a white carrot and is peeled like one. It is often pickled in soy sauce and sugar.

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about radishes. All in all they are easy to grow, colorful, spicy, crunchy and full of vitamin C with edible leaves. What else do you need to know?

Copyright 2011 by Linda K. Murdock. Linda Murdock is the best-selling author of A Busy Cook's Guide to Spices, How to Introduce New Flavors to Everyday Meals. Unlike most spice books, you can turn to a food, whether meat, vegetable or starch, and find a list of spices that go well with that food. Recipes are also included. Spices and how to use them are in the front of the book. To learn more go to http://bellwetherbooks.com/

World Peace Through Making Candy At Home

The world would be a sweeter place if world leaders negotiated in a kitchen rather than in some palace stateroom, making candy instead of making chaos.

Well, maybe...

But for sure the "home" certainly is sweeter and merrier when the family gets together for candy making. So if this activity can transform Mable's kitchen into a popular, fun, and truly magical place, why not the halls of world politics?

There is something about candy making that promotes the spirit of giving. You can't make a good batch of chocolate and not want to share. And when the "making it" experience is shared with others... in somebody's kitchen... the spirit of giving, like salt-water taffy, is folded, doubled, and blended into the atmosphere. It creates a generous mindset... It makes one want to "DO" something sweet. It puts meaning and action into the adage: Homemade Candy is like love, it is best when given away! Candy making can definitely be magical for friends and family... why not for principalities?

So, that's it... for peace in the home, make candy together!

For sure world harmony might not be quite so easily achieved. But it is also true that candy making can make individual pockets of the world much warmer and sweeter! If you don't believe it, gather a bunch of the neighborhood kids, and together make candy apples... You will see real joy and peace!

Fun and Joy are the Watchwords...

In fact the operative word for making home-made candy in general What conjures up the suggestion of more fun? "Let's go into the kitchen and make a meat loaf" or "Let's go into the kitchen and make some fudge"?

Dinner is suggested by the one... Sweetness and joy and giving is suggested by the other. For sure, we need dinner, but making dinner is a common, everyday kitchen event. And it's not very personal... it's more like a job... more like the business of running a home. Yes, it certainly can be joyful, but most of the time it is just ordinary... like a meeting of Heads-of-State.

Now... "Let's make fudge" screams togetherness

The joy and the magic in creating candy comes from the fact that it is not ordinary. It is special, calling for special efforts, and yielding special and sweet results. The rarity and the focused intent on fun brings the magic. Like the anticipation of Christmas or birthdays, or any other special day, a day for candy making is an event. Not that you put on the calendar six months in advance, announcing that the family will make candy on this day... (though you certainly can). The magic is that anytime, unexpectedly, will come the declaration: "Let's make cotton candy" or "Let's make candied apples" or "Let's invent a new candy today." Magic!

The only caution is not to put "fun" over safety concerns. Often when making delectable sweets in the kitchen you will be dealing with some very hot materials, and therefore if you bring young ones into the adventure, study and apply safety first.

Rocky Sanders, also known as Rocky Sweet, has been making candy at home ever since they gave him the nickname, "Hard Rock Candyman" in his 9th grade science class. Since then, he has gained a huge amount of knowledge about candy making, and has been sharing the delights of that knowledge with the world. So he'd like to share his expertise and knowledge with you, free of charge.

For great information on Making Candy At home, visit http://www.makingcandyathome.org/.

How to Make Various Salads for Diabetics That Others Will Enjoy, Too

Just because you or someone you cook for is diabetic, that doesn't mean you have to prepare two different types of meals. Diabetics can enjoy food along with the rest of the family with few, if any, adjustments. These salad recipes are perfect examples. While healthy for the diabetic diet, they are also perfect for anyone. Most people would never know these are diabetic-friendly salads! Choose from Diabetics Watergate Salad, or an Apple-Walnut Salad. The Watergate Salad is a perfect example of how you can take your regular recipes and adjust them to the diabetic. The change in taste is so subtle that my grandchildren, who absolutely love this salad, never know if they are eating the original version or my diabetic version. When recipes pass the grandchildren taste test, I know they will work for anyone! If your grocery store doesn't carry the sugar-free frozen whipped topping, ask them to stock it or check with another store. It is made by Cool Whip and should be in every major grocery store but can be hard to find. We as diabetics need to speak up about such matters. Diabetes has reached epidemic status in the United States. Sometimes we need to remind our grocers of that fact!

DIABETICS WATERGATE SALAD
1 can (20-oz)crushed pineapple in juice, drained very well
1 box (3.4-oz) sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
1/2 cup marshmallows*
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tub (8-oz) frozen whipped sugar-free topping, thawed

In a large bowl combine the drained pineapple with the pistachio pudding mix until well combined. Stir in the thawed whipped topping and blend well. Stir in the pecans then gently fold in the marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Note: This salad can be made day ahead and refrigerated overnight making it great for busy cooks.

*Severe diabetics who have trouble controlling their blood sugar should omit the marshmallows.

HEALTHY APPLE-WALNUT SALAD
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
1 1/2 tsp honey*
1/4 tsp salt, optional
dash of fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1 head of Bibb lettuce, separate into leaves
1 red apple, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced

In a small bowl,using a wire whisk, combine the vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk together well. Stir in the cheese.

On four salad plates evenly divide the Bibb lettuce leaves. Divide the apple slices evenly and arrange over the lettuce leaves. Drizzle the dressing over the four salads and sprinkle the toasted chopped walnuts over the top.

Nutritional information per salad: Approximately 147 calories, 8 g (2 sat.)fat, 3 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 3 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 207 mg sodium

*Those suffering from severe uncontrolled diabetes should change the amount of honey to 1 teaspoon or omit and sweeten with their favorite artificial sweetener.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/ For her old fashion recipe collection visit her at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com/

How to Make Yummy Desserts Featuring Fruits and a Recipe for Lemon Pineapple Party Punch

Fruits are not only delicious, they are healthy and make some yummy desserts. The recipes in this article feature some of our favorite fruits. You are sure to love Low-Fat Mandarin-Lime Fruit Dip served with an assortment of fresh fruits. This is perfect for your Spring and Summer parties. Old Nellie's Cherry Dessert goes together quickly and is wonderful served with a whipped cream topping. The Kentucky Fruit Dessert is based on an old dessert we ate in Kentucky. Being from Southern Indiana, we often crossed the Ohio River and ate in Kentucky where they served some wonderful food. This recipe is different but very good. The last recipe is for a Lemon Pineapple Party Punch which features the juices from these fine fruits.

LOW-FAT MANDARIN LIME FRUIT DIP
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp orange juice

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend together well. Refrigerate several hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with an assortment of fresh fruit.

OLD NELLIE'S CHERRY DESSERT
2 cans cherry pie filling
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 box white cake mix

In a 9 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan, spread the two cans of cherry pie filling. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pie filling. Sprinkle the cake mix, dry, over the pie filling. Pour melted butter over the cake mix and sprinkle the nuts over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve topped with whipped cream.

KENTUCKY FRUIT DESSERT
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can diced pears
1 jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp flour
1 egg, beaten
4 red apples, unpeeled
1 cup white miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans

Drain the pineapple, pears, and cherries, reserving the pear and pineapple juices. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, egg, the reserved pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of the reserved pear juice. Cook the mixture over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Allow to cool. Remove the cores from the apples and cut into large chunks. Place the apples in a bowl; add the pineapple, pears, cherries, marshmallows and pecans. Stir gently to mix. Pour the sauce over all and chill for 24 hours.

LEMON-PINEAPPLE PARTY PUNCH
2 pkg (4-serving size) lemon gelatin
2 cups boiling hot water
1 can (46-oz) pineapple juice
1 small can frozen lemonade concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 bottle (2-liter) ginger ale, chilled

Mix the dry gelatin with 2 cups hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Add pineapple juice and lemonade concentrate to the gelatin mixture. Pour the mixture into a gallon jug and fill 3/4 full with tap water. Stir in the sugar and almond extract. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Add the ginger ale just before serving. Serve in a punch bowl with fresh lemon slices floating on top as garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/ For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

Sumptuous Meals With Sunflower Kernels And Seeds

Sunflower seeds and kernels are a popular snack and both can be a nutritious addition to your diet. The sunflower is a large flower native to North America and its seeds have been relied upon for many centuries by Native Americans as a vital source of nutrition.

Sunflower kernels are low in calories, sodium, and fat but high in protein making them a recommended meat substitute and also ideal for adding both bulk and flavor to foods.

Sunflowers are a beautiful and fascinating annual plant growing several feet in the air with showy, yellow heads comprised of numerous flowers resembling large petals. Because of their bright color, sunflowers are quite attractive to bees which pollinate them moving from flower to flower.

At maturity, about three months after the seedling appears, the heads of sunflowers droop downward due to the weight of the seeds but before that they seem to follow the sun, hence their name. Interestingly enough, sunflowers "move" to follow the sunlight in a process called nutation, a heliotropic movement that causes the stem of the flower to move the head toward the sun.

The largest of sunflower seeds grow up to an inch long and are usually sold with the shell still on. The medium sized seeds are shelled for their inner kernel, and the smallest of all seeds are used for bird and pet foods. Sunflower kernels are the result after the outer shell has been removed mechanically leaving the inner "meat" intact. The kernel can then be eaten raw or roasted as a snack or for a tasty addition to many recipes especially salads.

There are many ways to enjoy sunflower kernels. Sprinkle some on yogurt for texture and flavor or use them as an ice cream topping. Sunflower kernels can be added to baked goods including bagels, breads, cakes, crackers, and muffins or use them for topping hot cereals.

You can easily make granola bars or a trail mix with sunflower kernels, popcorn, nuts, raisins, or the ingredients of your choice. For an equally healthy treat, stir fry sunflower kernels along with your favorite vegetables or use them for topping a variety of pasta dishes. Toss sunflower kernels with salad greens and all sorts of vegetables for a sumptuous and filling salad using all types of dressings.

Best Ever Broccoli Salad Recipe

What You Need

4 cup broccoli florets1/2 cup carrots, shredded1/2 cup golden raisins1/2 cup sunflower kernels1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped1/2 cup purple onion, diced1 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons red wine vinegar1/2 cup sugar

How to Make It

In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli with the shredded carrots, golden raisins, sunflower kernels, chopped bacon, and the diced onion and mix well.

In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the red wine vinegar and sugar and mix well.

Pour the dressing over the broccoli salad and toss to coat well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4.

A flank steak marinade is perfect for tenderizing this tough but flavorful cut of meat which you can also cut into strips before marinating to fully allow the flavor to permeate the meat. A great steak marinade uses just the right amount of acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lime or lemon juice, or wine to tenderize the meat and bring about its natural flavors.

Easy Steak Marinades Help Make a Truly Mouthwatering Meal - EasySteakMarinades.net

Grilled Peaches With Ginger Coconut Caramel

by IsaChandra

Serves 6 to 8

Grilled peaches…everyone is doing it! And why not, who doesn’t love a summer dessert that doesn’t involve turning the oven on?

When you grill a peach, or any fruit really, you want the exact right amount of caramelization. Too much and there’s bitterness, too little and it’s just kind of like eating a warm peach. Many recipes call for rubbing the peaches with sugar before grilling, but I think that can lead to grill misfires (pun not really intended, I just got lucky.) I like the method in this recipe because the peach is simply sprinkled with a little lemon juice and oil. Not adding sugar lessens the danger of over-caramelization, an epidemic that studies show affects 4 out of 5 peaches at every barbeque. Instead I rely on the caramel for sweetness, so let’s move on to that since it’s really the reason you’re here.

Ginger coconut caramel sauce! This sweet, fragrant, smooth and syrupy sauce is what elevates these grilled peaches to unforgettable. And even if you don’t have a candy thermometer, or if you’ve never made caramel before, this recipe is pretty easy and forgiving. Try to stop yourself from licking the spoon, just try it! No but seriously, I burned my tongue because I couldn’t wait, so you remember to let it cool a bit first! An added bonus is that you’ll probably have a little extra to drizzle over ice cream throughout the week.

I’d say that vegan vanilla ice cream is a total must here. I love good old So Delicious soy-based vanilla, but I think that a coconut based one would be a great choice, too.

Also, use plain white sugar here. The health-food sugars just don’t seem to work as well in caramels, I’m not sure why. So use beet sugar if you’re concerned about non-vegan filtration processes.

For the caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the peaches:
6 to 8 ripe peaches
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons canola oil

And vanilla ice cream to serve

First make the caramel:

In a 2-quart pot, mix together sugar, water and maple syrup. Place over medium heat, and stir with a wisk until the sugar has dissolved.

Once dissolved, you don’t have to stir as much, but definitely keep a close eye so that it doesn’t burn, but do stir occasionally. It should be bubbly at the edges and start to turn a few shades darker. If it seems to be bubbling wildly, then lower the heat a bit.

Let cook this way for 15 minutes or so. In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water and slowly add the coconut milk, mixing with a fork to thoroughly incorporate the cornstarch.

Once the caramel turns a deep honey brown, slowly stream in the coconut milk, whisking constantly, then mix in the coconut oil, ginger and salt.

Cook for another 7 minutes or so, so that the cornstarch thickens the caramel a bit. Let cool a bit, but serve warm.

Prepare the Peaches:

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remember to lightly grease it first so that the peaches don’t stick.

It’s easiest to slice the peaches width-wise (another way to think about it, is around the waist,) not stem to bottom. The pit will come out easier. Once sliced, hold each end of the peach and twist until it releases. Remove the pit, place peaches in a big bowl, and coat in oil and lemon juice. Use your hands to gently rub them and make sure they’re coated.

Grill each peach face down for about 7 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to lift them from the grill. They should be tender and have awesome grill marks. Flip and grill for another 2 minutes or so, just to soften a bit more.

Serve immediately, with ice cream and drizzled with caramel.

Cake and Cupcake Decorating - Basic Tips and Supplies for Beginners to Get Started

With all of the cake and cupcake shows on television now, more and more people are starting to learn how to decorate cakes and cupcakes. It can be intimidating for a first timer to walk into a cake decorating or craft store to buy tools. Where do you start? What do you buy first? That's where I can help you.

Cakes

To start baking cakes, purchase standard sized 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans that are two inches high. They should be good quality for long term usage. I suggest purchasing 3 or 4 because there will be times when you need to make a three-layer cake and other times when you need to make two different flavor cakes at the same time.

Kitchen supplies needed for cake decorating include parchment paper to use as a liner for your cake pans and to use as disposable decorating bags. If you choose to use the disposable decorating bags, remember to purchase the couplers so that you can easily change the tips while decorating. A sharp knife allows you to trim the dome cleanly off your baked cake without tearing it. A spatula and small turntable allow you to ice your cakes like the professionals.

Cupcakes

To start baking cupcakes, purchase a standard sized cupcake pan and a miniature sized cupcake pan. Miniature sized cupcake pans are the perfect size for little kids and cuts down on the amount of cupcake wasted. The standard sized cupcake pans are perfect for adults. Invest in cookie scoops as well to make it easier for you to control portion size and ensure even baking.

Cupcake supplies are inexpensive. Small and regular sized paper liners are easy to find as well as sugar crystals and sanding sugar used to sprinkle over your frosting. To add a shimmery effect on your cakes and cupcakes, use white edible glitter.

Buttercream Decorating

Basic buttercream cake decorating tools to start with include tips 3 (writing), 12 (large round tip), 21 (star tip), 104 (petal), and 352 (leaf tip). There are other tips on the market but these are the ones you will use the most.

You can create beautiful designs using these tips. Tip 12 can be used to create swirls or a continuous large ball shaped border. Tip 21 can be used to create top and bottom border designs as well as a complete side border of zig zags. Tip 104 makes ruffles, roses, rosebuds, drapes and bows. Tip 352 makes an extremely easy leaf and continuous wave design.

Fondant Decorating

Fondant is the medium used to create designer looking cakes. It is actually easy to work with if you remember two things. First, after removing the fondant from its packaging, lightly coat your hands with shortening and knead the fondant smooth. You can then roll out to a 1/4-inch thickness on a non-stick mat. Second, if your fondant is too hard to knead, place it in the microwave at 5-10 second intervals on 50 percent power to soften it. Proceed to roll it out and use it to cover your cakes and cupcakes. For 8-inch round cakes, I roll out a 16" round circle using a 16-inch round cake board as a template. For 9-inch round cakes, I roll out an 18-inch circle using an 18-inch round cake board as a template. There are fondant tools - special mats, smoothers and other supplies to help you during the fondant covering process. I have found success using two fondant smoothers.

Cupcakes can be covered with 1-inch or 2-inch round disks of fondant that can be decorated with punch cutters. Punch cutters are used to cut out pieces of fondant and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. To start off you should purchase a set of daisy cutters, blossom cutters, and a standard sized leaf cutter. Wilton has a set of designer pattern presses that you should also check out. They can be used on both cakes and cupcakes and make beautiful designs. Just practice using them before actually decorating your cake so that you know how much pressure to use to get a perfect design.

With these tips and techniques, you will be off to a great start as a cake and cupcake decorator. Most of all, remember to have fun.

Debra J. Mosely is the author of The Cake & Cookie Closet: All Dolled Up in Sugar. She's out to teach the world how to "dream in sugar." Tell your family and friends about her. http://www.thecakeandcookiecloset.com/