Artful Cooking

My Salmon/Apple/Parsley Salad

What is the difference between just cooking and artful cooking?

The main goal for those of us who are uninspired is cooking a meal to get the food on the table, eat it and go on to other things. The belly is full, the basics are fulfilled. I have to admit, I've been there myself, especially when I was working as a single mom and taking care of my little daughter. Picking her up after daycare and racing home to get a meal on the table before bed and story time was quite a challenge!

It wasn't until she was older and my own professional life calmed down, that I could spend a bit of time to make more that and "throw on the table" meal. And it was a blessing to sit and chat with my pretty girl and savor a good meal of healthy ingredients, cooked to perfection.

Artful cooking provides a totally different experience from quick cooking your way to the next event in your life.And in the long run, we are all better for it. Refraining from buying packaged meals, fast food, junk food will give us more nourishment, more energy and, ultimately, a longer life. A consideration of what will be served, the enjoyment of that meal's creation and the pleasure of eating is an enriching experience.

The joy of cooking a meal and artful inspiration makes breakfast, dinner or supper an enriching and fulfilling experience! Artful cooking begins at the grocery store and a search for good ingredients for a delectable repast. Fresh vegetables, quality beef, poultry, fish and seafood guarantee tasty, healthy and delicious results.

Do you have favorite cookbooks? There are many in the bookcase in my kitchen( including the cook book I wrote!) that I refer to frequently. But, there are also times when I look in the fridge, see a few items that inspire me and decide to create a meal from those items!

Writing recipes for a cook book specifically for toaster ovens was a wonderful and inspirational experience for me. I researched a wide variety of good healthy recipes and downsized them to a toaster oven size. I created low fat, healthy, nutritional recipes, changing frying and sauteeing to baking, switching out fat and sugary ingredients for low fat, low complex sugar or no fat ingredients.

Artful cooking for the toaster oven! Take a look at my toaster oven cookbook, "Pop It In The Toaster Oven" It has over 250 delicious, healthy recipes created for energy-efficient cooking!

From the Introduction of "Pop It In The Toaster Oven"...

"You may be asking," What can my toaster oven really do?" Perhaps you think that a toaster oven cookbook consists of nothing more that a hundred dreary variations on toasted cheese sandwiches. But you'd be mistaken! The toaster oven can go far beyond just "toasting." The BROIL function can caramelize sugar, saute onions and peppers, and produce stir-fries, crisp hash browns, and quick cake layers for a torte.

The BAKE function makes perfectly cooked grains, soups, and casseroles. And because all the uncooked ingredients are combined in a baking dish and baked to completion, there's the added advantage of no "watched pot.."

The TOAST function produces excellent sunny-side up eggs and omelets. In fact, an awesome variety of healthy meals can be created in a toaster oven via one or more of the standard functions and using only one third to one half the energy required by a full size oven!"

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Two of my favorite recipes from "Pop It In The Toaster Oven"

Hot Thighs

These chicken thighs make an excellent appetizer served with the low-fat Blue Cheese Dip or an entree with Crisp Cajun Potato Wedges.

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of saffron

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the toaster oven to 450 F.

Brush the chicken thighs liberally with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and transfer to a paper or plastic bag. Add the thighs and shake well to coat. Remove from the bag and place in an oiled or nonstick 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" x 2" square (cake) pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake covered for 20 minutes. Turn the pieces with tongs and bake again for another 20 minutes.Serves 4

Blue Cheese Dip

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup nonfat sour cream

3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, adjusting the seasonings to taste. If the consistency is too thick, add a little buttermilk. If it's too thin, add a little blue cheese.

Makes 1 cup.

Some of the things I learned while writing "Pop It In The Toaster Oven,"

Fast Food Is Expensive...

It seems that a lot of people these days think that fast food is cheaper than buying food at the grocery store, spending extra on gas to take it home and then having to take the time to prepare it. And, at first glance, it does seem cheaper and more expedient to grab take-out on the way home from work and plop it on the table. But, keep in mind that someone transports the ingredients to the store or take-out place and then someone is employed to cook, package and sell the fast food. You will pay for that. There are ways of preparing "slow" food that definitely save money and are more economical that fast food. For example, a bag of carrots at $2.49 will produce several meals for a family of three or four. They can be cooked with meat and potatoes in a stew, served as a side dish with pasta, expand a garden salad and offer great healthy school and work snack alternatives. But the most important factor above and beyond the budget is health. Across the board, ingredients in burgers, hot dogs, pizza and Chinese food are full of fats, salts and exotic five syllable artificial ingredients to enhance the flavor, color, texture, etc. And these entrees are accompanied by equally harmful sides of french fries, buns, and quart-size quantities of soft drinks.

Fat Is Expensive

Obesity in children, teens and adults is the evidence of our faithful and frequent fast food consumption and down the road diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, lack of energy are the results of high fat, sugar, salt and artificial colors and flavors in fast food. Consequently, lets factor in medical bills, sick days, attention deficit problems related to high sugar and salt consumption.

So what is really cheaper in the long run? Fast food or real food like vegetables, fruit, cheeses, yogurt, whole grain breads, pasta and lean meat?

Go figure.....

Watch my video on making a "Gypsy Light," a great tasty twist on your usual egg and toast breakfast! An easy, pleasing recipe from my "Pop It In The Toaster Oven Cookbook!"





Now that food is on your mind, why not grow your own?

Click here for a great Web site I recommend for beginner gardeners who would love to know how to grow a successful vegetable garden.



My Buttery Sweet Potato Soup

I was inspired by the beautiful little rose-colored sweet potatoes from my garden. I created a great soup recipe. The soup is smooth and rich-tasting but very low in calories.

More great recipes I have created: salads, soups and more on my Artful Cooking Blog!

Updated 2012 picture of Charley. Handsomer than ever!


I believe all dogs should eat good healthy food, that's why my Standard poodle, Charley is always at his very best!

Here's Charley's blog and some great, healthy dog recipes!

Visit Pleasantly Plump Pets blog and get some great healthy dog recipes!

Visit my "Artful Cooking" blog

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SBI!