Author: Admin General

When Florida Grapefruit is at its sweetest, from January through May, my favorite way to enjoy it is to simply slice it in half, cover the cut sides with orange blossom honey and wheat germ, and dig in with a serrated grapefruit spoon—once I’ve enjoyed all the fruit, I raise the emptied shell to my lips to drink any remaining juice. With only 80 calories, fiber and no fat or cholesterol, I often eat both halves. 

Broiled grapefruit is a deliciously addicting way to enjoy the fruit when it is a bit tarter. It is much like eating a crème brûlée, only the hot caramelized topping gives way to cool, tart-sweet segments of citrus fruit rather than a chilled custard.  The best broiled grapefruits have a lustrous caramelized topping covering sections of the warm, juicy citrus. 

This recipe has a little ginger and cinnamon, adding a warming fragrance, along with a touch of sea salt creating a lovely balance of sweet, salty, and bitter, that will have you craving this dish often. While any grapefruit will work in this recipe, Star Ruby and Pink Grapefruits make for the loveliest presentation.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a crème brûlée with a dollop of cream then you will want to add a dollop of Greek Yogurt and Honey to the center of your broiled grapefruit—this option elevates both the presentation and the flavor profile.

As a note of caution, some medications interact with fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice. To find out about specific medications, ask your doctor.

Yield: Serves 4

Main course salads are a refreshing change for an easy meal. My family has become accustomed to gourmet 3-course meals, and after 60 days of cooking, I needed to add something easy to my repertoire: easy, healthful, delicious, and satisfying.

Miso is considered a superfood because it is packed with healthy probiotics and vitamin B12, and we love the umami flavor it imparts on any dish. The warm broccoli soaks in the miso flavor creating a light but savory and satisfying dish.  The quinoa is protein-rich and filling. Cook the quinoa in a flavorful vegetable broth to give this salad an extra boost of flavor.  

This is truly a healthful, deliciously satisfying, and beautiful main course salad.  

Yield: Serves 4

With a subtle but noticeable olive oil flavor and a hint of orange, this cake has become my family’s new favorite, and I will be making it again, and again. The olive oil gives it a pleasant fruity flavor while keeping the cake moister for longer than butter ever could. My husband loves the idea of a tender cake sans butter and nearly devoured the entire cake the first time I made it. Even die-hard butter devotees admit this is an exceptional cake.

Thank you to my friend and author, Lise Arin, who shared this recipe with me. She pulled it out of a magazine back in 2013! Her husband, a fabulous cook, usually resists menu suggestions, but in the time of COVID and a mere 7 years later, he acquiesced, and we are so happy he did. 

I barely changed the recipe, adding a wonderful nut milk to replace the dairy and a bit of orange zest. This is truly a great recipe—a simple, orange-scented olive oil cake that is an elegant treat for family and guests alike. 

Yield: Makes 1 9-inch cake

A French classic, this delicious soup is quick, easy, and versatile. When renowned chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin shared his recipe for Potato Leek soup on Instagram I was immediately transported back to my days in the south of France when I studied with Roger Vergé. 

Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, was one of the first dishes I learned to make in culinary school. It is an essential base soup in French cuisine. Add a bit of heavy cream and serve it chilled for Vichyssoise, add watercress for potage au cresson, or top it with bacon, diced vegetables, fried leeks, or fresh herbs. For a little French frou-frou, add whipped crème fraiche on top and a dollop of caviar—lovely for a special dinner. There are endless variations to suit every taste. 

When I serve this soup for lunch I sprinkle a chive garnish overtop and serve salmon-watercress sandwiches on the side.

Yield: Serves 6

Who would have predicted that, as a nation, we would be unable to dine out?  While I am really enjoying being in the kitchen stress-free, with all the time in the world, I miss my favorite restaurants in New York, Florida and those I discovered while travelling. 

Dan Kugler is an award-winning chef and made a name for himself for being New York’s farm-to-table maestro. At Loring Place, in New York’s Greenwich Village, Kugler showcases market-driven dishes that celebrate simple, raw ingredients, allowing them to stand out.  One recipe Loring Place fans, myself included, are obsessed with is Kugler’s Butternut squash and spicy onions.  It’s delicious and well worth the effort.

Recently I came across this recipe from Chef Dan Kluger, as it was featured in the Wall Street Journal (January 2020).  When I saw his signature melding of umami, vinegar and a little heat, combined with one of my favorite vegetables, I had to give it a try and share.  I tweaked it slightly, and I may not be at Loring Place or in New York, but a girl can dream, and cook.

Yield: Serves 4

Wrapping bananas with plastic wrap is believed to keep a bunch fresher longer, but if you want your bananas to last as long as possible, the real key is to separate them. Not only do the bananas benefit from social distancing but so do your other fruits.  Bananas emit a lot of ethylene gas and will cause their bunch and other nearby fruit to spoil more quickly. Of course, you can also use this to your advantage: Have some pears that you want to ripen quicker? Place them in a paper bag with ripe bananas overnight.

When your bananas do get to the tipping point, there are so many recipes you can turn to.  We love frozen chocolate covered bananas, banana chips made in the dehydrator, and very ripe bananas we’ve already popped in the freezer are perfect for a chocolate chia smoothie.  

Some food historians believe banana bread was a byproduct of the Great Depression as resourceful housewives didn’t want to throw away overripe bananas. With many of us trying to reduce our grocery shopping and elongate the life of our produce, banana bread has become a trending recipe on social media. There have been so many iterations including banana raisin bread, banana nut bread, and chocolate chip banana bread. Our favorite is the classic, and it’s not so much the ingredients that make this recipe unique, but rather how you handle them. Moist, with a robust banana flavor, and gooey bananas on top—here is our family recipe.

While we continue to honor the stay-at-home orders, it has helped to create a daily routine that isn’t too different from our normal schedules, working remotely, exercising virtually, meditating, and completing household chores.  It’s vital to honor the weekend for what it is—a time to relax, and a time to be with family and friends, virtually. Since I’ve been cooking three meals a day, every day, I take a break on the weekend and my family joyfully takes over the kitchen duties.  We’ve all been having fun trying one another’s recipes and experimenting with leftovers. On Friday nights I leave these oats in the refrigerator so we can all sleep in on Saturday and help ourselves as we rise. Then, the family takes it from there.

While rolled oats are not as nutritious as steel-cut oats, the taste and texture are worlds apart.  Rolled oats readily absorb liquid, making them the ideal choice for this recipe. While oats are gluten-free by nature, many brands contaminate their rolled oats in the processing facility.  I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Extra Thick Rolled Oats.  

The flavors in the recipe are really satisfying, and if you prefer steel cut oats you can absolutely use them.  Soak the oats in all the ingredients except the apple, and in the morning add ¼ cup of water to your mixture and cook for about 30 minutes, until the oats have softened.  In a separate pot, cook the chopped apples until they are soft, and spoon them on top of the warm oats.  

It’s just as delicious hot or cold.                    

Yield: Serves 4