Anna Sultana’s Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta and Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herbs

Goodness!!! This has been an incredibly hot start to the summer of 2021.

Here in Manitoba the general rule of thumb is to have everything planted by June 10th so that the plants will have a good system of roots before the heat becomes a problem.

Even though the plants have had their usual few weeks to prepare for the heat, it’s a good idea to give them deep watering regularly.
Don't be fooled by those clouds.
They haven’t given us any decent rain since May.

In my garden a basil plant has become happily established surrounded by its two dozen cherry tomato neighbours.
The tomatoes aren’t ready for picking, but the basil plant has added a bit of flavour to a few of our meals.


Hints:

About the Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta…
If you're just cooking for two, no problem.
It’s just as delicious after being refrigerated 2 or 3 days.

The marinated cherries don’t have to be served on spaghetti.
Use any pasta you prefer, such as linguine, or anything you have on hand.

This pasta dish can be served warm, room temperature or cold.


About the Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herbs…
You can use other herbs, such as Thai basil, cilantro, mint or parsley, or a mixture of herbs.

If the herbs aren’t pureeing or the mixture seems dry, add a little more olive oil.

The marinade also works with cubes of chicken or pork, if you’d like to make kabobs.

The breasts can be marinated up to 8 hours.

You can make extra sauce to pour on the chicken after it has cooked.
If you’re making extra sauce, omit the salt and just add salt to taste.

The marinated chicken can be broiled. Perfect for when the weather gets cooler.
Yes, it will get cooler.
Place the marinated chicken breasts on a broiler rack about 6 inches below heat.
Broil 20 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Brush the chicken occasionally with the marinade.
Serve very hot.


                        Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta

Serves:
6 people

Slice thinly
2 large shallots

Mince
2 garlic cloves

Halve
3 pints cherry tomatoes

Place the halved tomatoes in a large bowl and add
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
the sliced shallots
the minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 Cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Mix together until the tomatoes are coated with the marinade.
Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, place in a large pot
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Stir in
1 pound spaghetti
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta well and add the spaghetti to the bowl with the marinated tomatoes.
Toss to evenly coat.
Add
1 Cup fresh basil, torn
1 Cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Toss until mixed.


                        Grilled Chicken with Fresh Herbs

Put in a food processor
1 1/2 Cups loosely packed basil
3 cloves garlic
1/3 Cup olive oil
1/3 Cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Puree until a smooth paste forms.

Halve, rinse and pat dry
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place in a resealable plastic bag
the prepared chicken breasts
Add the marinade, seal and shake to coat the chicken surfaces.
Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat grill until hot.
Grill chicken 10 to 15 minutes on each side.
A thermometer inserted into the middle of the breast should read 165°F.
Serve very hot.

Aging, Exercise, Super Foods and a Blue Moon This Weekend

So, I’ve been 66 for almost three weeks.

It’s had its good days and its bad days.

Yeah, that’s life at any age.

I’m not as defensive about being a senior as I was when I turned 63.

That year, 2013, I read the book Feng Shui Your Life by Tisha Morris.

Did I notice any big changes in my life after I purged my house, moved some stuff around, and bought some New-Age stuff? 

No.

The next year, 2014, I read through, but didn't do any of the things in, Robyn Okrant’s book Living Oprah. 

Let’s just say what works for Oprah doesn’t work for me.

A few weeks ago I read Counterclockwise: my year of hypnosis, hormones, dark chocolate, and other adventures in the world of anti-aging by Lauren Kessler.

Lauren looked into everything that’s available to avoid aging.

What got to me is that Lauren is just in midlife - in hindsight, the great years.

In other words, young enough to be my daughter.

God knows what she’ll try out when she becomes a senior.

Big surprise! Lauren found out that it pretty much boils down to diet and exercise.

Ditch the junk food you loved when you were a teenager.

Get off the couch, in other words, use it or lose it.

Paul and I do exercise - weight lifting, long walks and zumba.

Last Monday we went to a yoga class, my first since I took yoga in college. 

Let's just say I'm not 19 any more. 

But the teacher was encouraging - she kept saying “Very good” when we didn’t fall - so we’ll continue doing yoga.

The yoga class was a bit of a reminder that we’re not kids any more.

The Saturday before we had gone to a a self defence class.

I think surpising the teacher with the loudness of my ‘scare away the mugger’ yell and my clawing Paul's hand (yes, I drew blood) made me feel like I could handle anything. 

Well, that passed after the yoga.

About the food in Lauren’s book…

There are some super foods that give us more bang for our buck.

I’d read about them on other nutrition lists.

And most of them are delicious and easy to add to regular meals.

These are the foods that appeared on most of the lists:

Beets

Dark chocolate (within limits)

Garlic, onions, leeks and shallots

Kale

Legumes (beans, lentils, split peas, etc.)

Prunes

Foods that showed up on many, but not all, lists are:

Almonds and walnuts 

Avocados

Berries and red fruits, like pomegranates and red grapes

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cranberries

Flaxseed

Green tea

Extra-virgin olive oil

Oranges

Pumpkin

Quinoa

Red bell peppers

Salmon and other omega-3-rich fish such as trout, arctic char, sardines and herring

Spinach

There are also super spices: 

One teaspoon of cinnamon has as many antioxidants as a serving of blueberries.

Cayenne or ground red pepper contain capsaicin, another antioxidant which is also thought to boost the metabolism. 

Allspice, oregano, cloves, sage and ginger are also packed full of antioxidants.

So, it’s time to tweak our diets.

The garlic, onions, legumes, fruit, pumpkin, vegetables, fish and olive oil will be easy.

The quinoa and flaxseed will be something new.

Dark chocolate, in moderation, will be fun to add. 

Got to keep up our strength for yoga and zumba!

About the sky this week…

On May 21 there will be a full moon - the Full Flower Moon to be exact.

It will also be a “Blue Moon”!

No, you didn’t miss one a few weeks ago. Bear with me… 

Each of the four seasons has three full Moons. 

Spring runs from March 20 to June 20, with full moons this year on March 23, April 22, May 21 and June 20.

That’s right… that last full moon also falls on the same day as the summer solstice, but it is not the first full moon of summer.

Because - and apparently this is important to some people - the moon turns full at 7:03 a.m. EDT, which is eleven and a half hours before the actual start of summer it is a Spring full moon.

So, this Saturday’s Moon, the third of the four full moons of spring, is a “Blue Moon”.

About that phrase “Blue Moon”…

It might be from the  word belewe from the Old English. Belewe means “to betray.” 

So the moon was belewe because it betrayed the idea of one full moon per month.

It’s amazing how personally people take some of the things that happen in the sky.

Mars, in Scorpio, will come to opposition on May 22, rising at sunset, crossing the meridian in the middle of the night, and setting at sunrise. It will be in the upper right of the red first star, Antares, who’s name comes from the Greek meaning “Rival of Mars”. 

On Memorial Day, May 30, at 5:35 p.m. EDT, Mars will come closest to Earth at a distance of 46.8 million miles. 

Gardening?

Plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops below ground during the waning moon, from the day the Moon is full to the day it is new.

Anna Sultana’s Honey Wine / Mint / Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

Yes, it’s been a while since I posted.

Sorry... but I do have an explanation.

My birthday - Number 66 - happened last weekend and it’s been a bit hectic.

Plus I don’t have the energy I used to have.

In its own little way, the birthday, the chores and the lack of energy combines to make a perfect storm.

But now I’m back… more or less.

In honour of my birthday, I relaxed with a glass of Honey Wine, an old Maltese favourite.

Honey Wine is not the same as Mead.

It’s more like mulled wine.

Honey is very traditional for anyone Maltese.

Some say that the name Malta came from the Greek word meli, honey.

The ancient Greeks called the island Melitē meaning honey-sweet, thanks to a species of bee that lives on the island. 

The Romans, a few years later, called the island Melita.

Others say that the word Malta comes from the Phoenician word Maleth, meaning a haven or port since Malta has many bays and coves.

Whatever…

The Romans were very big on wine, both as a beverage and as an industry.

Imperial Roman edicts in Britain from 92 - 277 AD prohibited the planting of new vineyards to protect the established vines they had in the Mediterranean. 

The Maltese climate has always been ideal for grape cultivation.

Archeologists suggest a very strong wine production there during Roman times.

Some clever Roman decided to combine a bit of the native honey to the wine and, Wallah!!!, a favourite Maltese drink was born. 

If you want something similar, without the alcohol, mulled apple cider is also nice.

Having the gang over? Why not make a pitcher of sangria?

Hints:

Mint, as well as being as popular Maltese seasoning, is also a natural remedy.

Eating or drinking some mint can help ease heartburn, nausea, abdominal cramps, morning sickness, and irritable bowl syndrome.

Mint can help clear sinuses, relieve sore throats, calm coughs, and soothe asthma and bronchitis. 

Mint oil is a good thing to have on hand.

A spoonful can help prevent diarrhea and reduce flatulence.

Apply mint oil to pimples, skin rashes, sunburn, bug bites, and hemorrhoids. 

The oil can also speed the healing of minor cuts and scrapes.

Rub mint oil over sore muscles and achy joints, injuries, or arthritis. 

Mint oil on your temples can help soothe headaches, including migraines.

Mint oil is easy to make.

Just pick, wash, and dry some fresh mint, and release the oils with a mallet. 

Place the crushed mint in a jar and cover it with a flavourless oil, such as jojoba or almond oil, and shake to combine. 

Place the jar in a warm place for 24 hours, then strain the oil through a piece of cheesecloth to remove the mint leaves.

                        Honey Wine

Have on hand

1 bottle white wine

Place in a medium saucepan

6 ounces of the white wine

Warm gently over low heat.

Stir in

4 Tablespoons (more or less) honey

Add

A sprig or two of fresh mint

Allow the wine to cool. 

Remove the mint and mix in the remaining wine.

Pour the wine into a bottle with a cover and place it in the refrigerator.

Serve cold. 

About the sky this week…

There’s a new moon tonight. Can’t see it. You knew that.

On Monday, May 9, Mercury will cross directly in front of the sun, an event that hasn’t occurred since 2006 and won’t happen again until 2019. This happens about 13 times every century.

If you missed out on seeing Halley’s Comet in 1986, you’ll have an opportunity this week to see bits and pieces of it in the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. It’s usually the year’s richest meteor shower for Southern Hemisphere observers, but north of the equator it’s one of the more difficult annual displays to observe. The shower remains active at roughly one-half peak strength for a couple of days before and after the maximum. 

You might see an Earthgrazer, meteors that skim the top of Earth’s atmosphere like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond. They appear when the radiant of a meteor shower is near the horizon, spewing meteoroids not down, but horizontally overhead.

If you're wondering... Halley’s Comet won’t return until the summer of 2061.

KFC Chicken Spice Recipe - Margaret Ullrich

The heart wants what the heart wants.
Well, to paraphrase that..
The mouth wants what the mouth wants.
And sometimes the mouth wants some good old KFC chicken.

About 40 years ago, while we were living in British Columbia, Paul heard a rather humorous story from his co-worker whose relatives were visiting from Fiji.
All was going well, until the little boy started to cry.
Seems he was homesick and wanted a taste from home.
His Dad comforted him and explained that Kentucky Fried Chicken is only available in Fiji, not here in Canada.
To the delight of his nephew, Singh told them that KFC is available in Canada.
Happiness was restored when everyone sat down to a bucket of chicken.

Colonel Sanders would've been pleased.

Familiar food does that to people.
Chefs try to outdo themselves in combining new and exotic flavours.
But sometimes a person just wants an old favourite.

If you happen to be in a town where there isn't a KFC, all is not totally lost.
Here is a spice recipe that comes close, more or less.
Along with the spices the Colonel uses a pressure cooker.
You're on your own for getting one.
Also good luck finding a cardboard bucket.

It might be easier to move.

Small hints:

The flour and spices can be ground with a blender, or use a mortar and pestle.

For crispier chicken, use Crisco instead of lard and double-coat the chicken with the flour mixture. 

If you just want to cook a couple of pieces of chicken, just use 1 egg.
Also use just a part of the mixture and store the rest in a jar.
Do not toss any leftover spice mixture back into the jar.
If the juices from the raw chicken come in contact with the unused spice mixture things could get nasty.
Yes, even if you store it in the fridge.

                        KFC Chicken Spice Recipe

For the coating

Combine
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon chives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 Tablespoons Accent (MSG seasoning)

Grind finely and place in a clean plastic bag.

For cooking the chicken

Cut into pieces
1 whole chicken

Beat together
1 large egg
1 Cup buttermilk

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg / buttermilk mixture.
Then dip the chicken pieces into the flour mixture in the bag.
Make sure each piece is completely coated with the flour.

Heat in a deep pot or dutch oven to 365ºF
1/2 Cup lard
Brown the chicken slowly, a few pieces at a time, uncovered.
Once browned, return the chicken to the skillet.
Cover the skillet and cook on a very gentle heat, turning occasionally,
until the chicken is fully cooked.
Place on paper towels to drain out the excess oil.

Getting Spicy: Flavouring Oils, and Eating Dandelions and Weeds - Margaret Ullrich

Chicken isn't the only food that could use some spicing up.

For a flavored oil in your salad dressing, blanch the leaves, let them soak in your favorite oil for two weeks and then store the oil in the refrigerator.  

Think it's hard to grow herbs?

Nope. 

Many herbs are very resistant to garden pests.  You don't need to treat them with weed killers.  A good thing to remember, especially if you plan to eat them.  Confine mint, chives and parsley in pots by the back door so they can be used daily.  

Thyme, oregano, mint and fennel are weeds in the Mediterranean.  

But where would Italian cuisine be without them?  

The Manitoba weed, sorrel, can be used for soup and salad.  Fast growing nasturtiums have leaves that add a peppery flavor to salads.  Pot marigolds grow quickly and have been used as a food coloring and a remedy for skin irritations.  Their golden orange flowers can also be added to salads or substituted for saffron.

  

Dandelions, cursed by tidy gardeners, are rich in vitamin A and also contains vitamin C, calcium and iron.  

The crown is located between the roots and the surface leaves.  After cooking they can be eaten like the heart of an artichoke.  The sweet tasting flowers can be added to pancakes when the batter is on the griddle or dipped in batter and fried for fritters.  Young leaves can also be served as a salad.  

Dandelion roots can be peeled, dried, roasted, ground and used as a coffee substitute.  One teaspoon per cup is plenty.  Remember what we drank when there were high coffee prices in the 70s?  

If you overdo the dandelion coffee - you'll know because it has a laxative effect - brew a pot of tea from some raspberry leaves. 

Have dandelions?

Lucky you!!

Good Scents and Aromatherapy - Margaret Ullrich

Different scents can help creat different moods.  There have been studies on the healing properties of aromatherapy, including one in the palliative care department at the St. Boniface Hopspital.  Lavender oil was misted from diffusers to make the air smell good and to allleviate stress.

But, you don't have to buy fancy candles or sprays.  

Just go to your garden... or spice rack.

Which scent does what?   

Clary sage is warming and reduces stress.

Peppermint stimulates the brain, nerves and metabolism.  It also relieves inflammation. 

Thyme and Rosemary are warming and refreshing.  

Rosemary also improves circulation and stimulates other bodily functions.  

Lemon reduces stress and sharpens the senses.

Orange is cooling and calming.

Lime and grapefruit are both refreshing.

Clove uplifts moods and is a mental stimulant.  It is also said to be an aphrodisiac and an insect repellant.

A little rosemary, basil or peppermint oil in an infuser can help you focus. 

Lavender is an herb which reduces stress and is also an insect repellant.  Its name comes from the Latin lavare, since it was a favorite bath water additive of the Greeks and Romans.  

Lavender has antiseptic qualities and can be used as an analgesic on cooled burns. 

Fresh aromas can help trigger memories and are less likely to cause allergic reactions than chemical room fresheners.

You can perfume your home in a variety of ways: 

spritzing essential oils into the air

tucking sachets behind the cushions 

rinsing your laundry in floral water     

  

Herbs are a natural remedy to help you achieve relaxation and restful sleep.  Scent your bedroom with bergamot, jasmine, lavender or marjoram.  

Taking an herbal bath, using lavender, chamomile, basil, geranium or marjoram essential oils, is an effective way to unwind.  

There aren't any side affects from smelling spices, and sage and rosemary also go great with chicken. 

Herbs & Health - Margaret Ullrich

Many herbs have a long tradition as folk remedies.  

The leaves of the violet plant contain acetylsalicylic acid.  Violet tea was drunk in small doses for coughs and heart trouble. 

Pick mature white sweet clover flowers, dry at room temperature, and use to make a soothing tea, good for coughs, colds, bronchial and nervous condtions.  

The plant is a source of the anticoagulent, dicoumarin.

Sage tea is good for toothaches, asthma, sore throats and colds.  For throat and chest congestion, folks inhaled the fumes or used the leaves in a poultice.  

The leaves can be boiled then used in a bath for rheumatism.

A strong tea for colds can be made by simmering dandelion leaves for ten minutes.  Dandelion wine, made using only the yellow petals, has a pleasant, sweet kick.  Dandelion coffee, as well as yarrow tea, could help a mild bed-wetting problem. 

Confused by herbal lingo?

An ointment or salve is made by warming oil and mixing in the powdered herb or extracted juice.  Then it's allowed to stand for a few hours, strained and cooled.

Liniments were made by adding the desired plant part to rubbing alcohol in a closed container.  It's allowed to stand, with an occasional shaking, for two weeks.  Then it's strained and bottled.

A poultice is a softened mass of bruised fresh leaves which is applied externally.  It conveys heat and draws out inflammation.

A compress consists of an herb mass inside a cloth which is used in the same way as a poultice. 

Basic rules:

If using flowers, such as chamomile, dry the blooms at room temperature.  

If using seeds, such as anise, caraway, coriander, dill and fennel, pick the seed heads as they turn color but before they pop open.  

One teaspoon of crushed dried herb is equal to about one tablespoon of chopped fresh herb.

     

No kidding, herbs can affect you.  Never subtitute an herbal remedy for proper medical attention.  

And there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  

Garlic is a popular cure all.  While garlic does lower cholesterol, too much garlic will affect blood clotting.  People using blood thinners should avoid it.

It's important to remember that many plants are potent drugs.  Their active ingredients form the basis of many of today's medicines, from aspirin to morphine.  

If you have any questions or are on medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions between herbal remedies and prescription medicine.

Herbal Fun - Margaret Ullrich

You might have an aloe vera in your kitchen and use it as a burn soother.  But, you might say, what can I do with fresh herb leaves and flowers?

Boil a kettle of water, snip the leaves and flowers off the stalk, simmer in water for about three minutes, take them off the heat and let steep overnight.  Non-caffeinated herbal teas are great hot or cold.  

They can also be blended with classic 'teas', spices or fruit juices.  

Bergamot, a member of the mint family, has a strong taste similar to oregano.  Oil of bergamot is used to flavor Earl Grey tea.  

Let the kids make sun tea.  Just let leaves stand in full sun in a clear container of water for a few hours.  Then drain and serve, hot or cold.  The tea will be caffeine- and sugar-free.  And, since the kids made it, you know they'll drink it.

Why not try an herb theme garden?  Kings and queens grew herbs in formal gardens.  Early settlers brought medicinal and culinary herbs from Europe.  Healers knew all about herbal plants.  Remember the monk in Romeo and Juliet?  

Don't worry about your herb garden being just a patch of green.  There are deep burgundy basil varieties, as well as purple and red basil.  Thymus vulgarus is the best for cooking, while thymus serpyllum makes an aromatic ground cover between the stones of a path.  The flower of white sweet clover can be used to flavor cheese and to keep moths away from fur in storage. 

Chamomile is easy to grow and makes a soothing cup of tea.  A bit of trivia: in the ancient world it was the main herbal ingredient in the embalming oil used to mummify the Egyptian king Ramses II, who died in 1224 B. C.   

Mable grey geraniums and lemon balm have a scent like citronella.  That's handy in any Manitoba garden.

Herbs are a mild form of medicine.  And with all the recalls and warnings about prescriptions, they are becoming popular.  

Why not try spearmint for giddiness, sage for headaches, mint for nausea and headaches, ginger for tummyaches and mugwort for gout?

Be well!!

Herb Gardening - Margaret Ullrich

I once attended a class held by David Hanson of Sage Garden Herbs.  

Along with the information, David gave everyone some rosemary and thyme cuttings.  I babied the cuttings in a small jar of water on my kitchen windowsill, potted them and they smell wonderful.  

I also enjoy using fresh rosemary and thyme in my cooking.  

Now, before you "poo pooh" herbs as a hobby-type thing, price fresh herbs at your local market.  Sure, they sell in small boxes for a couple of bucks.  

Do the math.  They cost roughly forty dollars a pound.  

If you really want to bring home the food budget bacon, grow herbs.  They'll give you more bang for the buck than tomatoes.

  

You know that by August you'll have a glut of tomatoes and zucchini.  By September you'll be sick of eating them.  You won't be alone.  Last summer my husband and I went to Morden for a day trip.  There, by the tourist information booth like a basket of unwanted kittens, was a box of zucchini, free for the taking.  And tomatoes can go for less than a buck a pound.  

But fresh herbs, like a GIC, are a safe investment.  They never crash and they give a steady return.

They are also compact.  

One of the annoyances about getting older is downsizing.  A smaller place is easier to keep clean, but often doesn't come with a large garden.  A variety of herbs can easily be grown on a shelf under grow lights or by a sunny window all year round.  

Just put the plants on a layer of pebbles on an old cookie tray and add water for a little extra moisture when the heating is going.

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil and Anna Sultana's Hobz Biz-Zejt (bread with oil, Maltese Style)

Last week I made Carmela Soprano's Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce.  I had some grape tomatoes left over.  This weekend Sobeys had grape tomatoes on sale - plus I got 35 bonus points since I bought 2 pints.

It was a sign.

Back to Entertaining with The Sopranos.  

Yippee!!  Found this quickie.

Carmela's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil is easy.
In a large roasting pan, toss
3 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
with
1/4 cup olive oil
season with salt and pepper
Roast 8 to 10 minutes in a 425º oven.
Remove to serving bowl and sprinke with
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Serve hot. 

Ma served lots of tomatoes.  Especially in the summer.  Pop had a garden and, once the tomatoes were ripe, we had them with everything.

In Malta a popular snack is Hobz Biz-Zejt - bread with oil.  Maltese bread is very crusty.  In New York, we substituted the Italian bread we bought at the local Italian bakery.  Not as crusty, but what can you do?  In summer Ma would drizzle some olive oil over the bread slices, top them with slices of tomatoes, then add some salt and pepper.  

For a little variety, Ma would slice some tomatoes in half and rub the halves on the bread slices.  She'd put the squeezed tomato halves on a plate.  Then she'd pour some olive oil in a pyrex custard cup and season the oil with salt and pepper.  We would dip the bread in the olive oil and eat the bread with the tomatoes.  There'd also be some capers, chopped olives and anchovies, if anyone wanted them with the oily bread.   

Carmela's Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil could go on some Italian bread.

Sure, I'd make it again.  Especially when I get bonus points.

I'd also serve the leftovers cold.

Another recipe down.  Fifty-three more to go.