by jphilo | Jan 28, 2013 | Out and About
My internal thermostat, which had no trouble adjusting to 70+ degree and sunny weather in Corpus Christi last Wednesday, is still rebelling against the 12° temps that greeted me Saturday upon my return to Iowa. On the other hand, I was able to avoid dairy products, and as a result arrived home with energy and without a raging headache, sinus infection, or any intestinal distress. Here are a few discoveries that made the dairy-free diet an easy pill to swallow:
- The Starbucks at the Dallas/Forth Worth airport carried a Garbanzo Bean/Lime Salad that was delicious. The beans were mixed with finely chopped tomatoes and onions and garnished with sweet red pepper and cilantro. The dressing was lime juice, kosher salt, and something hot that gave it a perfect kick. Yum and double yum!
- Starbucks employees will add soy milk to your coffee. Since they don’t set out soy milk at the condiment bar, you can ask them to steam the soy first. I love that extra perk!
- The mom and pop Mexican place in Corpus Christi where we ate supper one night served a soft drink called rice water. Don’t let the name fool you. This delicious drink (I had just a sip) contains condensed milk.
- Order all the shrimp and vegetable dishes you can in south Texas–and there are lots of them, almost all without cheese or any dairy products.
- Speakers often receive a gift bag which usually contains chocolate. MILK chocolate. I left the candy with a thank you note for the maids at the hotel. If anyone deserves chocolate, a hotel maid does.
- When everybody decides to go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream, go along and order their daiquiri ice. The lime with rum flavoring is good. Really good. Really really good. And it sits very light on the stomach.
So, what dairy-free food finds have you discovered while traveling in Texas or anywhere else? Leave a comment!
by jphilo | Jul 4, 2012 | Recipes
We were on the road so much last week I hardly had time to cook, let alone try a new recipe. So today, for readers still unsure of what to fix for a Fourth of July meal, here’s a rerun of our current favorite summer grilling recipe. It meets all my criteria since it’s easy, tasty, healthy, and makes decent left overs.
We had it for supper Monday night, for the first time with fresh oregano from my new herb garden. Oh my, oh my, oh my, was that delicious. So give it a try and leave a comment about how it goes over at your house.
Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp
1 head romaine lettuce chopped (or an equal amount of other greens)
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
(The original recipe called for two chopped tomatoes and a chopped cuke)
Toss all together in bowl and put in refrigerator. Then prepare the shrimp as follows.
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and with tails off
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cajun or creole seasoning
Toss shrimp with oil and seasoning. Thread on skewers and grill for 1 – 2 minutes per side, until shrimp is done. Put on a platter.
Mix together the juice from 1/2 lemon, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over lettuce mixture and toss well. Divide equally among 6 plates. Arrange shrimp on top and serve.
by jphilo | Jun 8, 2011 | Recipes
Today’s recipe is a hot summer day delight – healthy, pretty, easy to make, and packed with flavor. It’s my take on a recipe published in this weekend’s American Profile magazine. Which means instead of slavishly adhering to the fresh veggies listed in the recipe and going grocery shopping, I used what was in my fridge. And I halved the recipe since we’re living in the empty nest.
According to Hiram, the end result was one of the best meals ever. (Read that as he used his garlic bread to mop up every bit of dressing left on his plate.) Which means I’ll be using this recipe often, switching ingredients to match whatever is in our CSA share for the week. Here’s the recipe as it appeared on our table this week…and tag, you’re it. So leave a comment about how you adapted it to what’s in your refrigerator or garden.
Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp
1 head romaine lettuce chopped (or an equal amount of other greens)
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
(The original recipe called for two chopped tomatoes and a chopped cuke)
Toss all together in bowl and put in refrigerator. Then prepare the shrimp as follows.
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and with tails off
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cajun or creole seasoning
Toss shrimp with oil and seasoning. Thread on skewers and grill for 1 – 2 minutes per side, until shrimp is done. Put on a platter.
Mix together the juice from 1 lemon, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over lettuce mixture and toss well. Divide equally among 6 plates. Arrange shrimp on top and serve.
