Refresh Wet Rub

I don't exactly love sushi, but once in a great while, I get a craving for the Refresh Roll at Sushi on Fire in Huntington Beach. I think it's an off-menu, special item or something, but basically, it has this sauce on top of a roll that is lip-licking delicious. They could put this sauce on anything, and I would like it. It's kind of a ponzu with cilantro and jalapenos. I think, anyway. I have yet to try and re-create it, but I made a wet rub for salmon and beef last night that was "refreshing", and we starting calling it Refresh. It's kind of a Caribbean inspired wet rub, used to marinate beef, chicken, fish, pork, etc. before grilling, and then can be used as sauce when serving as well. It's very clean and crisp and well, refreshing :)

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4- but only because of marinating times

Refresh Wet Rub
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper (or orange or yellow), chopped
1 bunch of fresh chives (white and green parts, chopped
1/2 bunch (or 2 handfuls) of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbl dried parsley (or 1/2 cup fresh parsley)
2 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground all spice
1 hot drop or 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/6 cup vegetable oil 
1/6 cup fresh lime juice (or half lime juice, half OJ)
1 Tbl soy sauce or ponzu sauce

Combine all vegetables and herbs in food processor and puree until a coarse paste forms. Add oil, juice, and soy (or ponzu), and puree until smooth. Transfer immediately to bowl with cover. Will keep (covered in refrigerator) for several days, but freshest when used immediately.

Make deep, small slashes in whatever you are rubbing this on (salmon, steaks, chicken, pork, etc.). Using spatula, spread mixture on protein, to create even coat. Marinate in covered dish or plastic bag in refrigerator (small pieces such as fish fillets or chicken breasts 2 hours, thicker cuts like pork chops or steaks 3 hours, etc.). Keep extra mixture in separate bowl to use as condiment when serving.

Preheat grill, take meat out of bag/dish, discard excess mixture, and grill as you normally would. Serve with additional separate mixture if desired.

SuperFoods Rx

For those wanting to be healthier or eat healthier this year, there is an awesome tool to help you do so.

My good friend Rob Linn from college was the ultimate health-food nut for a while, and he introduced me to this concept of "super foods". Dr. Pratt is the author of the book, I think, but it basically gives you a list of "super foods" to incorporate into your daily diet. High in nutrients, anti-oxidants, etc. I am a geek, so I like scientific data, especially when it comes to foods, and this provides of the above with great explanations.

James is always making fun of me because when I cook, and we sit down to eat, one one of the first things I tell him is how many super foods we are eating.

Here is the list:
- Apples
- Avocado
- Beans
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Cinnamon
- Dark Chocolate
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Honey
- Kiwi
- Yogurt
- Oats
- Onions
- Oranges
- Pomegranate
- Pumpkin
- Salmon
- Soy
- Spinach
- Tea
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts

The book is actually really interesting and breaks down each food and why it is important to your health.

I love that I follow up a blog post about how much I love ice cream sandwiches and butter and frozen pizza with a blog post about health foods. Ha! Gotta have balance, right?!

Whole Paycheck Hidden Gems!

I've been wanting to write a little blurb about this for a while, and keep forgetting.

I have recently been on a Whole Foods kick and have become borderline obsessed with a handful of products. I mainly shop there for the difference in taste and quality (in my opinion) of produce and proteins, but I have come across some random hidden gems. Here are my favorites:

By far the best find at Whole Foods: Jules (or WholeTreat) Ice Cream Sandwiches. Organic shmorganic. These things are dangerously delicious. The ice cream is soooo good, and the cookie is like a soft chocolate graham cracker. They are, of course, ridiculously expensive, but well worth it.

 My second favorite item: Jules Organic Sorbet Bars: Blackberry flavor. Holy heaven, I don't know invented these things, but they are the best treat when wanting something cold and sweet, without a guilt trip after.

I realize butter seems silly, but it is something I can truly taste the difference in when cooking with this 365 brand organic butter, vs. non-organic (or margarine for that matter). It makes a world of difference with cooking. Obviously, not with it by itself. Gross.

Horizons Organic Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese. Delicious. Something about organic dairy products apparently has me hooked on taste. Rich and creamy.

 My husband and I were so hesitant to buy this 365 brand frozen pizza because we had no idea what the hell "uncured pepperoni" was. I still don't. But we decided to be daring that day and try it. Best. Pizza. Ever. It's a thin crust pizza, which I don't typically like, but this is awesome! Now, when we have a late night, post-bar craving, one of us says, "Let's make some uncured tonight!". Such a bad inside joke, but it has stuck.

 We bought this on accident actually, and were pleasantly surprised when we tried it. It's perfect with pita chips. But beware, we also "accidentally" ate the whole container and bag of chips in one sitting because it was so good. Oops






One the many advantages to cooking your own meals is that you control what goes into your body. You control every ingredient. Way back when, a new store opened up in Ann Arbor, MI when I was living there called Whole Foods. I had no idea what it was, other than a big new nice-looking grocery store. So, I decided to check it out. I knew very little about "organic", let alone the differences between organic, natural, conventional, etc., so I figured I better get educated if I was going to spend twice as much for a tomato as I normally would.

All summed up: organic refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products (produce, grains, dairy, etc.), designed to encourage water and soil conservation, and reduce pollution. Done. And although there are no chemical pesticides used, organic foods are not more nutritious.

To put it into perspective: do I want to pay twice as much (exaggeration) for a organic tomato from Mexico, vs. a locally produced non-organic tomato from my normal grocery store?? Hell no. For multiple reasons: 1) the purpose of organic is to be better for the environment. But it costs more money, and creates more pollution to have a produce truck drive to California from Mexico then just producing locally. Stupid. 2) "Pesticides" are still used on organic produce, they just are chemically produced pesticides. And domestically grown produce usually has less pesticide residue than imported foods. Also stupid.

Long story short: I'm not saying don't eat organic, just keep in mind why you would.