Healthy Spices - Cinnamon

     How many of you know the benefits of all those spices you have stored in your cupboards?  I would hazard a guess that many of them have been there for years, waiting to be used, but never see the light of day because you are afraid to experiment.  Or, maybe, you just do not know which spice is right for the dish  you have bubbling away on the stove.  Well, I am here to help.  Now, mind you, I am no scientist, but I have learned a thing or two about seasonings and what health benefits they may hold.  For the first, and, perhaps, my favorite spice, let us take a look at Cinnamon. 

There are two types of cinnamon, True Cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cassia (Chinese cinnamon).  Both are derived from the bark of an evergreen tree.  The difference between them is that Cassia has a more robust flavor, however,  either can be substituted for the other. The characteristic rich, warm and sweet fragrance makes it one of the most evocative of spices and a much used ingredient in many cuisines worldwide.   There is also a medicinal value to cinnamon.  It has health boosting compounds including eugenol, which is used to relieve pain and cinnamaldehyde which has sedative properties. It is also useful for improving the circulation and has anti-inflammatory and blood thinning properties. Research shows that it may also help to lower blood sugar levels and so may be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.  Some say it can be used to help in healing cuts, as it has antibacterial and antiseptic effects.

It is a delicious, fragrant spice! And now for the recipes:

Chicken Mole Poblano    (80mins)

Serves 4   

Ingredients

4 large Chicken Joints, halved

2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 small Onion, sliced

4 Fresh Chilies, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 Large Tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

12fl.oz. Chicken Stock

2 tbsp Peanut Butter

1oz Good Quality Dark Chocolate, grated

Salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Reheat the oil add the onion and chilies to the pan and saute' until soft and golden.

3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, sesame seeds, cloves and cinnamon and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock and stir well scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of pan.

5. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, add the peanut butter and chocolate and process to a smooth puree.

6. Return the sauce to the frying pan. Season with salt, then add the browned chicken pieces and mix well. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender.

                 

              Easy Cinnamon Pecan Rolls
                  1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
                  1/3 cup light brown sugar
                  1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
                  1 package crescent roll dough
                  butter Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.  Separate rolls at perforations, and brush one side with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and roll up starting at wide end and rolling to narrow point.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  May be dusted with confectioners sugar, or glazed after removing from the oven; or serve plain.  Great either way.
  

           Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe (ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy)

 I used a red quinoa here, but you can use whatever kind you like, white/buff colored seems to be the most common. Also, a few notes and tips from the book: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa, (hs note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons organic agave nectar

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

There are so many recipes to choose from. Experiment!  Use this wonderful spice often and enjoy the benefits...taste and medicinal!  

Links for other uses and recipes for cinnamon:

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/articles/010403g.shtml

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/specials%20and%20holidays/Cinnamon%20Origin%20Uses%20Recipes.htm

http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/spices_health_benefits

http://www.chiff.com/a/spice-cinnamon.htm

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/warm-and-nutty-cinnamon-quinoa-recipe.html

Ramen Cabbage Salad

Granny Goose has a craving today and it reminded her that she hasn't shared a recipe in awhile. Have you ever had Ramen Cabbage Noodle Salad? It is delicious, a cool evening treat and easy to make. Granny Goose asked me to give the recipe to you as she heads for the kitchen to whip up own tasty supper.

Okay, here it is:

1 head of cabbage, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

Mix together: 3 Tbsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp pepper, the Ramen Noodle flavor packet (amount per your taste). Toss with cabbage and onions.

Brown 2 Tbsp sesame seeds and 1/2 C slivered almonds in butter, then add to the chopped cabbage. Just before serving, add crushed noodles to the mixture...toss all together.

The Chicken flavored Ramen seems to be the best.

Now you have the famous Ramen Cabbage Noodle Salad recipe! Try it one night this week, you will not be disappointed!!

You could easily serve this salad alone, or along with some delicious BBQ ribs....now doesn't THAT make one drool a bit.

Enjoy your family, share some laughs, and be good...Granny Goose said so.

Eat Your Vegetables!

Ohh...I remember, as a kid, having some veggies that I loved and others that were on my "ick" list. Sound familiar? Well, Granny Goose is a vegetable fanatic! She loves them all and thinks it is just plain silly that people complain about eating the leafy foods. Why, even if that broccoli is a little yellow, or the celery a tad limp, Granny Goose will tell you "Oh fiddlesticks! Eat it, it's fine!" At that point, you will probably luck out because she will grab it and chew it up! Problem solved.

There might be something to her love affair with the vegetable, fruits too, and the variety she loves to eat. Maybe they are the reason that she is still so strong and smart at her age. Think of all the reasearch done on foods and superfoods...they all stress eating plenty of fruits and vegetables! They give the fiber we all need and are usually lacking; the vitamins and minerals that strengthen and nourish our bodies; the alkalinity to help balance the Ph levels that our bodies crave, thus reducing the cancer-loving, acidic environments common to to many of us. Fruits and veggies also give the natural sugars our bodies were meant to have, instead of the man-made junk that plenty of people are addicted to.

So, here is a tip from Granny Goose, the smartest grama I know!! Have plenty of fruits and vegetables this week. Don't be shy about it! Have a bowl of beets, a huge salad, some celery stalks to munch while watching the ball game. Cut up some broccoli and wash some fresh spinich!! Do you have beans growing in the garden? Grab a handfull or two and munch away...yes, raw! They are so delicious and so fresh! It is amazing how many choices God provides. Set out some fruits, apples, bananas, pears, peaches, whatever, so that they are available and inviting! One favorite of grama's, is a dish of cottage cheese and fruit, like, pears, on the side! We used to have that a lot along with dinner. Greens are good! Graze with joy in your hearts and a smile on your face. You will not regret it!!

Mayonnaise Cake

Okay, Granny Goose decided to share one of her best kept secrets with you all. You will not believe how delicious this cake is! As kids, we ALWAYS begged for this oh so chocolatey, melt in your mouth, perfect with a glass of milk cake. So, try it...make it this weekend....you will NOT regret it!!

You need the following ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sifted flour 1 pinch of salt

4 Tbsp. cocoa

Sift all dry ingredients together. To this mixture, add:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup cold water

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well. Bake in square pan at 350-375 degree oven until done.

So, there you go...enjoy the deliciousness!

You know not to make a lot of noise or bounce around when making a cake, right? Granny Goose would never allow us to run around or stomp or make too much noise when a cake was in the oven....because it would fall. That is no wive's tale, by the way. In fact, my sister, Sam, and I conducted an experiment one time. We never believed that cakes were that delicate and prone to shrink from noise. So, we put a cake in the oven and stomped about the house. We yelled at the cake, and dared it to fall! All of the things Granny Goose told us not to do to cakes, we did....and boy, did it fall! The cake was a total failure and it was sad. So, trust me when I tell you to treat that pan full of batter with kid gloves!!

Keep smiling!!

Tamale Pie

Here is a dish that I love! Grama made it a lot for supper, as well for potlucks at Lynch Communications. Those women knew how to have a potluck!! I hope you enjoy this; it will serve 6-8, give or take.

You will need:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
chopped garlic to taste
salt, pepper to taste; other seasonings (oregano, thyme; Cumin would make it more like taco seasoning.)
Small can of whole corn
1 large can of tomatoes (mashed)
1 can of black olives, sliced (1/2 for mixture and 1/2 to line pan for mixture)
1 bag of corn chips, crunched (1/2 for mixture and 1/2 to line pan)

Here's what you do...

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and garlic. Add all seasonings (chili pepper, salt, pepper, and any others you chose). Add corn, tomatoes and 1/2 olives. Then mix in the 1/2 bag of chips. The mixture should be soupy. In the pan, you might need to grease it a bit to make sure it doesn't stick. Line the bottom with 1/2 bag of chips and the 1/2 can olives, to act like a crust. Pour mixture onto the "crust" and bake long enough to heat through.

Serve with sour cream....yummm!!!!

You can add cheese to the mixture too, whatever you want. It's all good!

Grama says to clean your plate if you want dessert!!!!

Keep smiling!

Meet Granny Goose....

Granny Goose is my grama. She is 93 and still going strong! I wanted to share her and her wisdom with you, because Grama has always desired to teach girls cooking and house keeping. She has lots of tips on making a job easier and quicker, all in the interest of having less work to do. I have not always listened and paid for it down the line. Feel free to take what you learn and make use of the information. When you see it makes sense, or for recipes, when you close your eyes and say, "YUM!", whisper a thank you to Granny Goose...she will hear you!

Take care and keep smiling!!