Blog Archives
Food 101: Simple Syrup
You may not need to use simple syrup super often, but it’s handy to have in your cooking arsenal. While the “simple” in simple syrup presumably refers to the fact that it’s pretty much the most basic syrup you can make, it is also incredibly simple to make. As I commented to Erik after making it for the pictures, this was probably the fastest thing I’ve ever made for a post.
Simple syrup is useful to keep on hand if you have cold beverages to sweeten. Because the sugar is already dissolved you don’t have to worry about it not doing so in your drink. Pretty much anything you want to sweeten that’s too cold for sugar to dissolve in is where simple syrup shines. Lemonade, iced tea, flavor infused water – all of these can get a kick of sweet from simply syrup. It’s also used a lot in the making of cocktails.
Smoothie Sunday: Autumn Sweet Potato Smoothie
Well friends, fall is officially upon us, which means that Smoothie Sunday is wrapping up for the season. Since my mission this year was to try to work more veggies into my smoothies it seemed appropriate to begin and end with a vegetable-based smoothie. It’s just coincidence that both of them happened to be orange. This smoothie is perfect for the first week of autumn, and it will have you ready for Thanksgiving even though it’s still a couple of months away.
What you’ll need.
Smoothie Sunday: Orange Grapefruit Smoothie
One of the best grapefruit I ever had was brought back from someone’s grandfather’s backyard in Florida, and it was amazing. It was so sweet I didn’t even need to add sugar. Unfortunately, most of the grapefruit you can buy in stores is not that sweet, and can be downright bitter. I still enjoy eating grapefruit from time to time, but having to load it down with sugar seems a bit counter-intuitive in terms of eating fruit for a healthy breakfast. But, I figured if I put it in a smoothie with other, sweeter things I could still get the grapefruit flavor without all the bitterness. And thus this smoothie was born.
What you’ll need.
Quick Recipe: Peruvian Style Grilled Chicken
There’s this really good local chicken place where we live, aptly called “Chicken Place”. They serve some of the most delicious rotisserie chicken you can imagine. Interestingly enough they specialize in Peruvian cuisine, and I came to learn the reason the chicken tasted so good was because of the style of seasoning they used which takes some cues from other ethnic foods like Chinese and Italian and Indian. After a little bit of research I was able to pinpoint some recipes that captured this awesome flavor, and lo and behold I produced a “close enough” version you can make at home pretty easily. It’s nothing out of this world, but it is certainly just a really delicious, solid way of preparing your chicken when you’re in the mood to grill.
Smoothie Sunday: Cranberry Pear Smoothie
Cranberries are really good for you. They are chock full of antioxidants and they’re also great for your urinary tract health. They are also rather tart. They’re not really a fruit you can just eat out of hand as a snack. I really wanted to use them in a smoothie, but I knew I needed another fruit to temper the tart a bit. Pears seemed like the perfect fruit to do this since they could help add sweetness without adding a ton of flavor of their own. In the end I think the combination worked out really well, and it ended up being a great late summer/early fall smoothie.
What you’ll need.
The Poor Couple's Food Guide 
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