Archive for January, 2007

My craving for this usually begins at Thanksgiving. No matter how little, or much, I am responsible for dinner, I will make a fruit salad.

I want it right beside the mashed potatoes, for contrast.

Now in January, after record setting rains, high winds, cold weather and days of nothing that resembles a beach, I want fruit salad.

I encourage you to join me. You may, like me, get a reputation as being a healthy cook, when in reality, all you are doing, is exercising your ability to cut up fruit, while inhaling pleasantries.

The first ingredient: a pineapple. It needs to feel just slightly soft, yet be solid, and when you can easily pull out one of the leaves, it is ripe. If you pick up and smell it, you will really look like you know what you are doing.

Then choose some hard apples, granny smiths and braeburns are both good choices. You need two or three.

And then several large naval oranges. Produce people are amongst the friendliest in the world and they love it when you ask, "Which are _____are the best right now?"

You want the oranges to feel heavy for their size and the skins to not be too thick,'but don't be shy, ask a produce person.

You want this salad to last a few days, so choice your next fruits carefully. Pears are good, but they need to be a little firm, or they will become mushy.

Seedless grapes are good. Frozen rasperries work, but only if you are willing to have a red salad. Pomegranate seeds are fun. Make this salad to please yourself.

Choose a container that allows you to notice your fruit salad when you open the refrigerator.

Begin by cutting off the top of the pineapple and then cutting off the rough outsides. Then cut it in half from the top, and make the HUGE decision about how large or small you want your pineapple pieces to be. You will want to cut out some of the core, unless you enjoy a really LONG chew.

There is going to be pineapple juice all over the cutting board, and you will forget that it is winter. Then just keep cutting to your heart's content.

This is so relaxing. The orange smells like heaven and there is juice everywhere. You can stir your salad lightly as you make it; the color and textures are mesmerizing.

The best part is when you open the refrigerator the next day and there it is!!! Picking through the tastes, colors and textures is so satisfying. You can throw some plain yogurt on the top and a little bit of granola. Life is good.

At the gym today, where I get my best ideas, I was thinking about the bean soup we are enjoying at my house today.

Beans are a tradition for the New year in many cultures and as we were eating, I was musing about the beginnings and reasons for this custom.

My modern mind clings to the idea that after all of the "richness of holiday food" I am ready for the simplicity of a bean soup. "Roto rooter" comes to mind.

I imagine everything about my body is happy to receive the benefits of beans.

I decided not to peruse the history of beans for New Years.   Here is how you can make an easy and delicious soup.

• 20 oz bag of 16 bean Soup Mix
• 1 large can of tomatoes
• 2 Bay leaves
• several cloves of chopped garlic
• chili powder
• several chili peppers
• lemon
• onion to taste

Even if you think you do not know how to cook, you can make this.

Pour the beans into a pot big enough to accommodate them and water two inches higher than the beans. Turn the burner up to high. Boil this mess for two to three minutes. Let it set for an hour or longer.

Drain off the icky water, lessening your chance of flatulence by a large margin. Add fresh water and cook the beans with two bay leaves (they grow outside here in the Northwest) until the beans are soft.

You can pull some beans out of the pot with a spoon and blow on them. If the skin separates, you are ready for the next step.

Get out the blender. Throw in a lg can of tomatoes and however much onion you want.

Now here is a bit a truth because I am a terrible liar, but I put the tomatoes and onions in the blender because my youngest daughter will pick out both, especially the onions. She hates onions.

Well, she thinks she hates onions.

At dinner she told me again how much she loved the soup I made her. Feeling a twinge of guilt I said, "You know Haley, there were onions in there."

She said, "I just picked them out." I ended the conversation.

Blending the tomatoes and onions makes the soup pretty.

Add this to the beans along with a few whole chili peppers. (If you do not have access to the whole dried chili use more chili powder).

Throw in some chili powder dependent on your desire for spicy and the same goes for the chopped garlic.

I used about five cloves but this is totally to taste.

Cook this on a moderately low heat for about thirty minutes. Add salt and lemon juice to taste.

Like all soup this one is going to taste better one it has cooled and then reheated. Pick out the bay leaves and chili peppers before you eat it. Enjoy!