Question for European Foodies
 

Question for the foodies...and if I ask I care for the answer, whatever purpose of my question might be, so please, do not think I have too much time and nothing to do.

What are you foodies eat at home that is healthy and tasty? And if you go out what places you go to ???

Thanks for the recipies,
Z

Hi Z,

Please define "healthy" and "tasty".

Does it have to be healthy and tasty at the same time?

((I))

I think "italian" cuisine is healthy and tasty... the importance of vegetables...dishes more or less not "the meat" but seasoned with meat (the steaks in Florence, being an exception)...and the vehicle to get them to your mouth, the pasta.

Also, I think asian cuisine is healthy and delicious.. again, vegetables "seasoned" with meat...

But? I also enjoy roasts..and steaks...and potatoes...and pasta...
and rice...and bread... and wine...

"healthy" and "tasty" yes ira.

I want to know not what those foods are, I am aware of conception but rather
as I said :
What are YOU foodies eat at home that is healthy and tasty?
I understand people who value food have to know some how to cook at home...

Well, I just had potatoes, cucumber and "gravad" whitefish. Simple: Take a filét of whitefish (also trout and salmon are OK, but not as good as whitefish), throw sea salt, pepper and lots of dill on top of it, cover with plastic, put into the fridge and place some weight on top of it. Next day scrape the toppings off and cut into paper thin slices. There is your food. Healthy and tasty.

I am sure I can't be considered a "foodie," as I'm not a gourmet-lover per se, but I do love to cook and eat!

One thing that enhances many of our household dishes is pesto. It's healthy, delicious, easy to make, and has many varieties...for example, sun-dried tomato pesto. Toss that with whole-wheat pasta and cubes of smoked mozzarella, and you have a to-die-for pasta salad.

I agree with the above suggestion of Italian cuisine for healthy and tasty recipes (though not always low-fat!). Look beyond the "American" version of Italian, and you find recipes chock full of vegetables and delicious pasta options. I'm beginning my cookbook collection, and have really enjoyed exploring the depth of the Italian cooking repertoire.

Often I find we stay healthier by planning and cooking ahead, because on weeknights we're too tired to cook. Spend a few hours one Sunday making a big batch of tomato sauce (the "real" kind) and you'll have a delicious staple that you can quickly pull out of the freezer any night of the week.

Ziana, in winter I love soups; particularly filling ones that make a meal with some good bread. Minestrone, black bean soup, moroccan chickpea, that sort of thing. Homemade of course. Definitely healthy and tasty.

All things in moderation. I don't eat out much, and tend to be a food-is-fuel person, but I do try and stick to a balanced diet with as much fresh fruit and veg and as little processed food as possible.

One thing I've recently rediscovered is the Staffordshire oatcake, which is a pancake made from half flour and half fine oatmeal, with yeast and no binding agent other than water (no egg, no butter). Give the batter mixture about 15 minutes, so the yeast can get to work, and cook in a lightly greased pan till it's set. Then fill it with what you like. One of our grosser diet-makeover programmes showed a HUGE mother and daughter who liked them smothered in bacon and cheese (and washed down with umpteen vodkas of an evening), but Mrs Bossyboots who runs the programme suggested a healthier filling with beans and veg. I do one with beans, peppers, onion, tomato puree and some dried porcini funghi (ceps) for added flavour. Come to think of it, it was the ceps that were the making of my home-invented vegetarian shepherd's pie (chopped mushrooms instead of minced meat; added chopped red peppers for flavour!).

But occasionally I spoil it all with a chocolate fudge pudding recipe I found in a magazine.....

Sometimes I think that when we don't eat pre=prepared or packaged foods, its more "healthy"...what the hell are some of those chemicals and "salts" that prevent spoilage...extend shelf-life of the product so that we can eat it!?
I make a pantry-pasta...left over veggies, tomatos, garlic, zucchini..a splash of olive oil, onion, herbs...and pasta. That's healthy and tastes good.

biscuits and gravy

One more thing I forgot to mention- risotto! Rice dishes are great for you, especially when veggies are included. My favorite is a mushroom risotto, but there are endless varieties.

I suggest two cookbooks to answer your question, Ziana:

Eat Smart for a Healthy Heart Cookbook, by Denton A. Cooley, M.D. and Carolyn E. Moore, Ph.D., R.D. ISBN 0-8120-5745-7

The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook ISBN 0-7370-2068-7

A healthy regimen won't be followed very long unless the food prepared is also tasty. Both of these will provide lots of choices and are full of healthy ideas and nutritional info for each recipe or menu.

BTW, just found a bookmarked page with a recipe for Veal Medallions a la Grecque. When I go out later I'll have to get the shallots, mushrooms and artichoke hearts.

Things we eat at home:

I usually make our bread and pasta.
I make our pizza at home.

We eat lots of fish and seafood, some chicken and pork (the other white meat), little red meat. Eggs once a week.

Spinach pie, made with eggwhites.

Homemade pasta (clam juice and Roma tomatoes for the sauce)

Homemade Humus with homemade Pita bread

Yesterday we had chili made from venison.

Roast pork loin stuffed with apricots, prunes and raisins, with braised red cabbage and steamed potatoes.

Also pound out sliced pork loin and make as schnitzel or scallopini.

Roast chicken, Coq au vin (We have a supplier of organic chicken)

We make our own yoghurt.

We make our own peanut butter.

We fry with either 100% EVOO or 1/2 & 1/2 EVOO and Canola oil - gives a balance of 3- and 6-omega acids.

A recipe I learned many years ago in Denmark: Broil salmon, skin side up, with spinach under the salmon.

We buy inexpensive (not cheap) balsamic vinegar and cook it down very slowly (don't let it boil) to about 1/2 volume. Greatly improves the flavor.

Braised ribs - about once a month.

Shrimp and grits

Past with a sauce of shrimps sauteed in EVOO with onions, sun dried tomatoes (optional) and lemon juice.

Eggplant lasagne (no pasta)

Corn tortillas stuffed with black beans, onions and rice.

Chimichangas: Flour burritos stuffed with vegetables folded up and pan fried. (We do't do deep-fried)

((I))

Ohhhh ira!!!! I want to eat at your house!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ira, you'd be the perfect guest in my house for you'd be surprised how many of those things you'd find there !

I make eggplant parmigiana which is very similar to your lasagna (or moussaka) but with no meat. Also my veggie : meat intake is identical to yours.

I make hummous with lots of fresh garlic and lemon juice, but I've never tried making pita bread. But I have made Naans before.

Try straining regular yogurt through cheesecloth overnight, then mixing the solids with honey and fresh fruit for breakfast. Thick and creamy and delicious.

Also, oven roatsed sliced eggplant doused in olive oil and when cooled, sprinkled with coarse salt, lemon juice, crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley. Yum.

elina! Your "gravad" whitefish is right on money.
I will make it tonight for tomorrow.
I appreciate everyone who took their time to answer.
Ofcourse ira as always beats all odds and gets whatever
prize there is in a biggest box LOL


I want to only add for those who will continue here:
I wanted to see YOUR OWN foods and dishes NOT COOK BOOK
as someone suggested. I can WRITE cookbook but do I want to
read it? NO WAY! Through my life I never found ONE decent
recipy in a cookbook that tasted like home made meal.

So I am expecting real foodie friend from abroad and I want
to feed her well with something none of us ever tried before.

For you eggplant eaters I can share my own eggplant recipy:

Cook large eggplant and red bell pepper in the oven until it pops.
Scrape insides.
Add tomatoes (skin off by splashing boiled water on top),
onion, garlic - chop it all up together with large knife.
Strain if too liquidy.
Add olive oil, salt, black ground pepper to taste and eat
with bread, crackers, whatever. Yummy!

I love red meat, but really try to keep it to once a week, and we eat a lot of meatless meals. Lots of pasta, and lots of fish.

My South of the Border Style baked Salmon with Rice and Black Beans:

A favorite meal is baked salmon in a little EVOO, lime juice, garlic, chile powder, cumin, and fresh cilantro.

I like brown Texmati brand rice, and I prepare some while I make the beans. I cut up onion, garlic, and red peppers, and saute them until tender, then throw in canned black beans, lots of lime juice, a little bit of balsamic vinegar, and chile powder, cumin and cilantro. Some hot pepper is good here too.

I serve the salmon along with the black beans poured over the rice. This is good and healthy.

When I make chili, stuffed peppers, meatballs or anything else with ground beef, I buy the leanest beef and mix it with ground turkey breast. I actually hate the ground turkey on its own, but to replace about 1/4 of the beef, it is great and undetectable.

Recently been eating whole wheat pasta. Not bad.

I make a lot of spicy marinara type sauce by browning an onion and some garlic in EVOO, and then adding lots of tomato and spices. Sometimes I add a little red wine, and usually just a few drops of balsamico. Hot red pepper flakes, too.

Our favorite homemade eggplant dish is baba ganoush, and cook the eggplant over the outdoor grill until the skin is all charred and the flesh is tender. Makes a great smoky flavored baba.

By the way, I'm not cooking tonight. We are having decadent burgers and sweet potato fries from the local bar and grill. They are so good. ;-(

BTW aren't 'healthy' & 'tasty' typically exclusive of each other ?

If you have both left hands then it is...sorry, I couldn't resist...but it is so true. If you can cook you eat healthy and tasty. If not...sorry.

I love Big Macs and Whoppers and try to eat them at least 4 times a day. They have lettuce on them so I know they are good for me. And I'm sue Kentucky Fried Chicken must be healthy because it slides right through me!

I tend to disagree, as a fine cook (if I do say so myself)it is more than a challenge to do both. That being said it is easy w/things such as fish & the like but since so many things are (supposedly) bad for you, where does one draw the line ? My famous garlic/chive mashed potatoes would merely be a shadow of themselves short of the generous portions of butter & cream. Of course all pasta dishes are 'bad' for you. & oh my, red meat, horror the thought. Man can not live on raw vegetables alone !~~Myself, I will stick to the moderation technique in which all things are allowed in moderation, healthy (by whomevers definition) or not. LOL

If I may paraphrase Julia Childs, who never found a dish that had too much butter, "eat a little bit of real butter, instead of a lot of margarine".

OR

"All things in moderation"

Now, if I can only lose 20 lbs. :)

((I))

I would say pasta is bad only when swims in a butter. It is good with olive oil based sauses, isn't it?
Well trimmed steak once a week is good.
Pizza is good if only 1 slice with salad, arguments are out!!!
To me if it is not deep fried, not drenched with butter and doesn't have a fat piece hanging off of it - is good!
Yeah, not covered in mayo so you can hardly see what kind of food actually covered. Switched to light low-sodium salt recently.
Mashed potatoes are good (but as much as I would eat - it is a killer).
So any soup (small bowl) with any meat and salad can be good or bad depends on size and whether lard was part of cooking.

Hi M,
>Ira, you'd be the perfect guest in my house ....<

And you would be a perfect guest in mine.

>I've never tried making pita bread. <
But I have made Naans before.<

Much the same thing, except that Pita is a yeast bread. You don't have to buy a baking stone. You can make it in a cast iron fry pan with a lid.

>Try straining regular yogurt ...Thick and creamy and delicious.<

Amen, brother. I think that it is also known as "yoghurt cheese".

>Also, oven roasted sliced eggplant doused in olive oil...<

Having that for dinner tonight!!!!

((I))

>Also, oven roasted sliced eggplant doused in olive oil...<???

Can you clarify please? You roast it in the oven, slice it and then frying it in oil? Any spices added? Salt? Pepper?
I know lots of people who love it but can't see what I am missing (it is just tasteless to me) Help needed.

I don't think healthy and tasty are mutually exclusive - it's all in the herbs and spices!

Well here's what's been on our dinner menu so far this week:

white bean, sausage, and kale soup, served with bruschetta with homemade eggplant caviar and a cucumber/radish salad.

stuffed cabbage with a chickpea/red onion/olive/red pepper/caper salad (an odd combination, I know, but my son put it together and I didn't want to criticize)

tilapia filets sautéed in olive oil with lemon, white wine and capers, served with basmati rice with saffron and asparagus roasted with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

tonight - my seafood bourride, the tastiest thing I've ever eaten (and not the healthiest): start with a mirepoix of chopped onion, celery, and carrots; add chunks of monkfish or other firm fish; when cooked add white wine and court bouillon, a chopped tomato, shrimp, clams, squid ringlets; as soon as clams open add heavy cream, salt, pepper, a few red pepper flakes, some tarragon if you like it, and a ton of saffron. Serve over Israeli (large) couscous. Drink the rest of the white wine.

It's not hard to cook healthy and tasty; one of my favorite dishes is a thai broth, with chilles, lime juice, thai fish sauce, lemongrass, coriander, prawns... Or a thai beef salad; a very good steak, seared, rare inside, on a salad with a dressing of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and anything else you like to add. As Nigella Lawson (my favorite cookbook writer)said; the best low fat food is food that is naturally low in fat. Not unhealthy food that has been artificially altered to make it low fat or low sugar (as seen on so many American supermarket shelves).

And I'm all for olive oil; much better for your cholesterol than butter, great taste, but it does have more calories than butter; 884 calories for 100g, compared to 720 for 100g of butter (thecaloriecounter.com). So forget about covering your pasta in olive oil if you want to stay slim.

St Cirq, Ira; I'm getting hungry just reading about your meals!

A good cookery book is well worth a read, not so much for the recipes as (assuming it's more than just a collection of recipes) for understanding what different foods mean in the lives of different people and cultures - how it's reared, prepared, preserved, presented, and what that means for the organisation of daily life in and out of the home (so this IS travel-related!).

I love reading Elizabeth David for that reason. Of course, I've rarely actually cooked any of it, except for some of the beef stews, and a Navarrais dish with sausages and peppers cooked in wine.

I agree with StCirq - if you have a good selection of herbs and spices, it's easy to make healthy, tasty food.

We never buy ready-prepared meals as I find it's often almost as quick to whip up a vegetable stir-fry, salad, pasta dish or soup. And I prefer making things from scratch so that I know what's going into the food I eat, and can control the seasonings and flavours. I'm one of those people that finds cooking relaxing - if anything it helps me unwind at the end of the day! Can't think of anything worse than popping the plastic on some frozen dish and sticking it in the microwave...

Recently I've been making a great "one-pot" dish based loosely on the flavours/ingredients of Moroccan chicken tagine (but not cooked in a tagine as I don't have one - yet). It's so easy and tastes incredible.

I dust chicken pieces (thighs work well) in a little flour and brown them in a little olive oil at the bottom of a heavy pan and then remove. In the same pan, I sautée thin wedges of onion (cut onion from root to tip so the slices hold their shape) with some crushed coriander seeds. Then I add a few roughly chopped carrots, peeled potatoes cut into medium wedges, and a lemon cut into wedges. I return the chicken to the pot, cover the whole lot with about a pint of chicken stock, add a good pinch of saffron and some peppercorns. I reduce the liquid down a bit, then cover and leave to simmer gently for at least an hour.
When it's time to serve, I stir in a good handful of chopped coriander (cilantro), stalks and all, and then ladle into bowls. We always serve it with crusty bread, which, in the Moroccan style, we hold in our fingers and use to tear off pieces of tender chicken meat.

Also often make an "own-recipe" pasta sauce with finely chopped onions, sieved tomatoes (passata), a dash of red wine and paprika, stirred through the pasta (just enough to coat it), along with a generous handful of chopped parsley.

I'm getting hungry now!

So last nights menu included my afore-mentioned 20g of fat per bite mashed potatoes, wild salmon pan-fried lightly in olive oil w/a citrus glaze, a handful of beer/Old Bay marinaded scallops (I just returned from Fla. so brought some seafood back w/me) & some garlic steamed broccoli w/a splash of sea salt. That is as healthy as it gets at our house, & was prepared at my daughters request & w/her help (she is 3). My chef in training.

Tulips,
olive oil and butter are 2 different foods where one is not hardening and good for your cholesterol and another is danger!!! Cooking oils are not cholesterol product when butters are. Am I wrong?

StCirg,
going to cook seafood bourride!
Can you clarify what is court bouillon?

Thanks
If everyone is wonderfull cooks after all why McD is so in business still?

Ziana:

Court bouillon is just a bouillon cube flavored with fish stock. It takes the place of real fish stock, which I frankly don't usually have the time to make from scratch (particularly on a weeknight). I buy them in France and bring them home. They come in all sorts of flavors - parsley, anise, garlic, etc., but I usually use just the plain one and add my own spices and herbs.

Mrs Doon has been working away this week, so, for when she gets back, it will be my world famous (at least in our house)slow roasted lamb:
In a bowl, mix some olive oil, crushed garlic (I use 1 clove, but it's up to you), a little orange juice (about half the quantity of olive oil), and some dried mixed herbs. Leave for 1 hour, then rub over a leg of lamb. Wrap lamb in foil with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or mix 2 and 2 with fresh coriander). Place in the oven and cook on a low heat (gas mark 4) for 5 or 6 hours.
Unwrap & serve with rice (or rice pasta) or cous cous.

Ziana, I just mentioned it since I so often hear people that try to loose weight say; 'I only use olive oil'.
Here in Belgium, where the cuisine is mostly French, everyone uses butter in cooking and baking. We use more olive oil than butter, but one cannot always be substituted for the other. Sometimes you just must have butter!

McD is still in business because the kids love it.

Hi Ziana
>Also, oven roasted sliced eggplant doused in olive oil...<???

Can you clarify please? You roast it in the oven, slice it and then frying it in oil?<

No.
Brush with olive oil an roast it in the oven until just soft. Slice. Arrange on platter. Sprinkle with herbs and drizzle with olive oil. Let rest. Serve at room temp or slightly warmed.

You can also grill the eggplant slices to get the grill marks.

I make the eggplant grilled, along with grilled onion and grilled zucchini.

>I'm all for olive oil; ...but it does have more calories than butter; 884 calories for 100g, compared to 720 for 100g of butter ....

100g of olive oil is 7 tbls. 1 tbl is enough to brush on an entire eggplant for grilling.

I think I use about 1/2 as much olive oil as I do butter to achieve the same level of flavor.

((I))

((I))

For folks with a Trader Joe's store nearby: they sell the most yummy yoghurt cheese made with Greek yoghurt-nonfat,lowfat and full fat.Frankly,though,the nonfat version is so thick and decadent,you would guess it was full-fat.

I too respectfully disagree with the comment about cookbooks. I think they can be excellent tools, if you find the right ones. To me, the best cookbook authors are those that encourage you to experiment, and provide ideas and suggestions for putting dishes together. You should never feel you have to adhere strictly to "1 cup of this, 1/4 tsp. of that."

Some people grow up in a household that understands and values cooking, and it therefore is second nature. For those of us that didn't, the information, recipes, and knowledge provided in books can be a great help as we learn to build a cooking repertoire.

>..the information, recipes, and knowledge provided in books can be a great help as we learn to build a cooking repertoire. <

Good advice from Tar.

I rely on "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vols I and II".

My Lady Wife has simpler tastes, she uses "The Betty Crocker Cookbook".

I'm reading through "The Silver Spoon" (Italian). It's not as instructive as MTAFC, but very useful for people who are not beginners. I think that the author assumed that you had an Italian grandmother when you were growing up.

((I))

I was particularly interested in Fodorites cusine, why would i ask for the cookbook recipies...you guys sometimes surprise me a LOT!
Couldn't I go and buy cookbook?
I remembered how many times Fodorites mentioned being foodie and I wanted to know what FODORITES are having at home?
What book can substitute it?

Thanks to all and keep them coming. I will tell what I've cooked already.
Fodorite's cusine...not a bad idea for this site. Should we open a section so everyone can post anytime? and others can use?
Like
Dinner with ira...
Elina's fish
All Italian Fodorites
Patric's oatcakes
(btw searching for oat meal)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?