Cleaning: Cleaning from the Cupboards

The weekend is usually when i have time to take the laundry, create a grocery/shopping list, and clean up around the apartment. i was cleaning the kitchen after dinner one night and decided to share a few cleaning tips straight from my kitchen (literally). it's so easy these days to tool on down to the grocery store and take your pick from hundreds of cleaning supplies, but once you read the ingredients and safety disclaimers you learn just how dangerous cleaning really can be.

One of the hardest things for me to do is clean the oven, i am so used to opening the windows and spraying the aerosol foam cleaner and leave for a while just to come back and wipe it all up - but think about what you are actually doing..... you are creating a harmful environment for yourself, your skin, and lungs. To be honest i am a little afraid of cleaning with it these days, and instead i clean with natural products like: Lemons, Baking Soda, Water, Vinegar, and Hydrogen Peroxide.

Going forward i will be posting, once a month, a cleaning solution that come from your own cupboards, or actually mine, to save you some money on cleaners, but more importantly to save on some fossil fuels. The only energy you will need to use is from your own elbow grease, and who doesn't want to clean with clean products? safe products? (i can see you raising your hands now)

Oven Cleaner

1. Try to focus on cleaning the oven once the spill has happened, esp. while the oven is still warm

2. Take a little Table Salt, or Baking Soda, and sprinkle on spill (this will soak up the spill, and create a mild abrasion for scouring).

3. Use a Damp Sponge with Warm Water to vigorously scrub the area, repeat till clean.

4. if it is a heavy job, try making a paste with Baking Soda and Water, Smear paste on spill and let sit for 30 seconds before cleaning with warm water and sponge.

*For a fresh scent, Take half a Lemon and cover with baking soda paste and use directly on surface - The Lemon acts like a Sponge while the paste is an abrasion - and together it makes for a fresh scent!

Clogged Drains

1 Cup Baking Soda - pour down drain
3 Cups Boiling Water - Chase the baking soda down changing soda to Alkaline

*Repeat steps till clear

Liquid drain cleaners are one of the MOST toxic chemicals in the home - in fact they are not only TOXIC to you, but to your plumbing and ground water...

Tip: Keep a Menu... And your Left Overs

One of the first things you learn while living in NYC is that everything is a process - whether it's getting from point "A" to point "B" or simply going to do laundry (thank God for bundle service), everything seems to take planning. when it comes to everyday life planning a good meal can be simple, but planning what to eat for the entire week can be stressful. Many times we find ourselves over shopping at the grocery store and end up with wasted food at the end of week.

This month in "Real Simple" magazine we found the "Weekday Meal Plan and Shopping List" in the January 2011 issue. This simple list has changed our lives tremendously - not only are we creating fun meals, but we are able to strategically meet our needs for the week. In a city of 8 Million people, it's important to use up all your food, esp. when you know there is a lonely soul out in the cold starving.

Above is an example of our list from last week - If you look on the Left-hand side the days of the week are listed vertically, and across the top is the actual menu, and the areas of the grocery store for shopping. As i mentioned above, we try to strategize our Menu so we are always creating dinner and lunches simultaneously. For example, if you look on Monday, we were having "Poulet au Champagne" for dinner, and the next day we had "Chicken Salad" for lunch, the ingredients for the chicken salad are the unused vegetables from the Tuna Salad lunch the day before and the chicken from Monday's dinner. The list goes on in the same direction, and at the end of the week, we are left with little to Nothing in the fridge - this process frees up our weekend for dining out if we want, or to eat left overs. It also relieves some stress from your wallet.

When we prepare soups, like the Split Pea Soup, we usually have quite a bit left over. In this case we make sure to freeze single servings in freezer bags (labeled with Title & Date) in case we get lazy and don't want to prepare a lunch, or want a snack on the weekend. This has saved our lives more than once - and it's just a smart idea, think of it as an Ace in your back pocket.

Good Luck and Happy Cooking!

Contributor: Megan Hitz

1. What's your name:

Megan Hitz

2. Tell me a little about yourself...

I grew up on a farm in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Studied design in Seattle, and moved to New York six years ago to pursue a job in Fashion. I have a heart for people, a strong Christian faith, a need for adventure and an amazing appetite for good food!

3. What's your favorite pass-time and why?

Anything outdoors...hiking Oregon mountains, swimming in any natural body of water, camping in Woodstock, biking city streets, sipping the perfect glass of Riesling at a bustling New York street cafe, wandering Central Park... I love the outdoors, it makes me feel alive. Nature is beauty and i find it very inspirational.

4. What's on your plate currently?

well, as i write this i literally have a plate in front of me - its contents: fresh spinach, white bean and basil hummus all wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. In my drawer for later is an Organic dark chocolate bar, with cherries and almonds (from Whole Foods!)

5. What do you hope to contribute to the reader?

Hopefully, a natural and exciting approach to the sweet things in life!

6. When did Baking/Cooking become your top priority?

i have always loved baking from a young age. My mother is an amazing cook and baker - i have fond memories of pulling a stool up in the kitchen as she rolled out fresh pie crust, or mixed cookie dough. Baking (and gradually cooking) has become more of a priority since living on my own here in the city - where bakers (and cooks) are few and far between!

7. What are 5 items you cannot live without?

Water, My little Blue Bike, an Oven, Flour, and Good Chocolate

8. What's your motto you live by?

Don't eat Fake Food.

9. Your favorite song to belt out in any given situation?

Ha! Sara Mclachlan's "i will remember you"

10. What was the hardest obstacle to overcome?

Getting the Yeast to Froth!

We are so excited to have Megan as a contributor to Herban Flavor. Megan has a fresh take on Baking, and creativity that i am sure you will all enjoy. Megan is the perfect fit to our Herban Culture...

Main Course: Poulet Au Champagne

i am finally sitting down after having one of the Best meals i've prepared/eaten in a long time. As mentioned in the last post, i have decided to open up one of our vintage cookbook's (Esquire: Cookbook 1955) and prepare one meal a week from it. i promised that if it turned out to our liking i would share the recipe. As of recent, we have began working on a weekly menu - in an effort to keep the groceries to a minimum, and so we are not wasting food (i'll post a sample menu soon) every week - this week we added Chicken to our menu, and decided upon a recipe titled, "Poulet Au Champagne" (otherwise known as: Chicken and Champagne) from the "Carlton House, NYC".

Hope you enjoy the recipe:

Step 1: This is all you'll need: 1 Whole Chicken cut into pieces, 1/4 lb butter (i used Goats milk butter), 1 Clove Garlic in Skin, Salt/Pepper, 1 Bottle of Champagne

Step 2: Melt Butter in Skillet with garlic (with skin on) and add pieces browning both sides (6-8 minutes total).

Step 3: Transfer Chicken to plate leaving legs to cook a bit longer in butter.

Step 4: Transfer Chicken back to pan & add 1 Cup of Champagne & Cover tightly
for 5 minutes (exactly)

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 three times total allowing steam to fully
leave skillet Btw each covering... Remove Chicken and let sauce cook down
and pour over chicken when serving... ENJOY!

*All items used were Certified Organic

Venture: Cooking (with) Class...

i have been sitting in front of my computer trying to think of a new post - i was going back and forth with "Leftovers", and how important it is to finish off the food we prepare (I'll save that for a later post), and then thought about writing a post on keeping a weekly "Menu" (I'll save that one too) when the conversation of my Collections came up.

i keep several collections of vintage items including: Vintage Mixing Bowls, Vintage Pottery, Vintage McCoy Vases, and Vintage Cookbooks - of all my collections, some of the most priceless are my Cookbooks. Cookbooks are important to keep on hand, esp. for that one of a kind meal for dinner parties, or just a different take on the day to day items often prepared.

While eating my dinner, prepared from the week's leftover's, we began talking about the book featured above, "Esquire: Cook Book" which was published in 1955. The book contains some of the best recipe's from top restaurants of it's time including NYC, Paris, Italy, and New Orleans. the idea was suggested that we prepare one recipe a week, and then we took it a step further challenging each other to cook our way through the cookbook. So as we venture through this book i will be posting, periodically, recipe's from the vintage cookbook. i have always wanted to prepare a roasted Duck, or Rabbit Stew, it all sounds like so much fun. i will do my best to translate these recipe's into healthy meals and substitute where i can for Organic.

i am looking forward to sharing my book and challenge with you...
Cheers!

Main Course: New England Clam Chowder

once the new year hits in NY things start to quieten down - the stores are less crowded, the streets go back to normal faces, and the weather gets nasty. when i say nasty, i mean it in all the best ways. i love nothing more than a snowy day - especially the Big chunks of snow, and all you want to do is curl up indoors, watch a good movie and eat something warm.

Well this past Sunday the high was 27º, and we did just that. We made Organic Clam Chowder w/ Homemade Beer Bread (the bread is a southern favorite, and will appear in a post this month). i think you might like this and here is the recipe!

Step 1: This is what you'll need: 3 cans of Clams, 1cup of diced Celery, Onion, and Carrots, 2Cloves minced garlic, 2 Potatoes, 1/2 Quart Almond Milk, and 1can of Coconut Milk, 3/4 Cup Flour, 1 Tbs of Red Wine Vinegar, 3/4 Cup Butter*

Step 2: in a large skillet fry bacon (the bacon is optional)

Step 2: Once Fried Add Garlic, Onion, Celery, Carrots, and Potatoes; Lightly saute

Step 3: Drain your Clam Juice over the vegetables and bacon (from all 3 cans),
saving the clams aside

Step 4: add water till all vegetables are covered -
cook till potatoes are tender

Step 5: In a Dutch Oven Melt Butter on Med Low adding Flour,
Coconut Milk, and Almond Milk.
Whisk together till smooth and allow to cook down till thickened (about 5 minutes)

Step 6: Transfer vegetables and juice from skillet into Cream Mixture
and heat through - Careful NOT to boil

Step 7: Turn off the heat, add Clams and mix well


Step 8: Add your Red Wine Vinegar and Stir
ENJOY!

* i recently stopped using Cows Milk butter and replaced it with Goats Milk Butter -
this was a personal decision - and here is the brand i use...

Main Course: Roasted Veggies

when you live in metropolitan city, time is of the essence. i have been living in NYC for going on 7 years now - in that time i have learned that living a fast lifestyle can take a toll on your day to day life, stress levels and more importantly your health. it's so easy to just eat out at a nice restaurant to have a nice prepared meal - but after a while you learn that your pocket book gets a little slimmer, and your waist line gets a little rounder.

my coworker, and good friend Latoyia has taught me so many useful tips in the two years i've been privileged to work with her. she always has a sensible lunch that she prepared from her own kitchen - most of the time it's an interesting mix of different vegetables, or some great looking piece of fish. one of my favorite recipes she has shared with me is a Big Plate of Roasted Vegetables - in a small amount of time you can prepare a beautiful toss of colorful, and delicious choices as a serving. i always love making this recipe, mainly because it allows me to spend more time doing other things besides slaving over a stove.

Hope you Enjoy, and more importantly Save yourself some time for Health!

Step 1: i used the following Vegetables: 1 Acorn Squash, 1 lg Carrot, 1 Sweet Potato, 1 Cauliflower Head, 1 Bunch of Asparagus, Olive Oil, and Garlic

Step 2: Cut top off Acorn Squash, Slice in 1/2, then Discard the insides (much like you do with Butternut Squash).

Step 3: Place Acorn Squash Face Down on Baking Sheet Along with other Prepared Vegetables as shown above (i always toss my veggies in Olive Oil before setting on sheet - i also line my baking sheet with Parchment Paper)

Step 4: Preheat Oven to 400º

Step 5: Place Veggies in oven for 40 Minutes & then do the things you need to do

Step 6: Remove from Oven and Sprinkle with any Seasoning of your choice - i always eat 1/2 of the acorn squash either alone or with some feta cheese is always good!
Enjoy!

Photos by: David Y.

Side: Creamed Collard Greens

i was born and raised in the South where the food is in abundance, time is on your side, and traditions are always passed down. My mother and her sisters always kept our family traditions going strong - even today we still have a large family gathering for Christmas filled with yummy homemade food such as: Tamale's, beans, Nachos, every baked good you can think of, and when the New Year rolls around you will find us eating Black-Eyed Peas for a Lucky New Year. i can count on a phone call every New Year Day making sure i am fixing Peas, "at least a cup will do".

This year i wanted to have Black-Eyed Peas, and another (less known Lucky Food) Collard Greens. Collard Greens are high in antioxidants - protecting from Cancer, High Cholesterol, and a Natural Detox for you body. i can't think of a more yummy way to stay healthy than to have a nice side of these Cruciferous beauties.

The recipe that i chose to share is "Creamed Collard Greens" - Hope You Enjoy!

Step 1: You'll need the following: 2 Tbs Butter, 1 Med Onion finely Chopped, 2 Cloves Garlic Finely Sliced, 1 Cup Cream, Sea Salt & Nutmeg (don't mind my pineapple it's just chillin)

Step 2: Wash the Greens well with water Removing the Center Salk. Once prepared stack them in flat piles, Roll them like Cigar's and Finely Cut.

Step 3: Melt Butter in Cast Iron Skillet over Med. High Heat, once frothed add chopped Onion & Garlic and cook till lightly Caramelized

Step 4: Once Caramelized, add Greens till lightly wilted

Step 5: Reduce heat to Med Low and mix well

Step 6: Add Cream to mixture & Saute till Cream is reduced down considerably

Step 7: Transfer to Plate and serve Hot! Enjoy...

*All ingredients used were Certified Organic

Photos by: David Y.