For Your Entertainment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RlQ37-jJw

Edwin made a guest appearance in my Kinder class yesterday to help me "perform" El

Patito Feo (The Ugly Duckling). I am the narrator, and Edwin is... every character

(Ugly Duckling, Mama Duck, Old Lady and the farmer). Enjoy :)

Fettuccine Alfredo

After a very long week, Chel and I decided to make one of our favorite dishes. The week was packed with observations (for both of us), trainings, and morning hall duty. This recipe is one we got from the Jan/Feb issue of Cooking Light. We made it in mid January, and it was this recipe that made Chel think out loud, "You know we should start a blog!" Alas, several weeks later (because we are phenomenal procrastinators) a blog was born. Anyways, Friday night we decided to make this dish again because it was very delicious. The bacon adds great taste and we figured that you don't need to buy the applewood stuff (it comes at about 6 dollars for a package). Instead, cut off some of the sodium and buy the low sodium stuff which is cheaper and just as delicious. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine
• 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

Some notes:

Put the bacon on the pan BEFORE turning on the heat.

BRING THE HEAT DOWN BEFORE COOKING THE GARLIC!!!

If the sauce is a little brownish, it's because the bacon drippings are a brownish and chances are some of the charred bacon is still there. A suggestion you might like to try: Pour the drippings onto another pan so the burnt pieces of bacon are entirely mixed in with the garlic

Bon apetit y buen provecho.

What a day

Remember Adam Sandler in the opening scene of Billy Madison??? (Does Nudey Magazine Day ring a bell??) That's how I felt when I looked in the mailbox today. COOKING LIGHT DAY!!!!!! My March issue just arrived.. which is just as good (if not far superior) as Nudey Magazine Day. Recipes, reviews and general happiness to follow. What more could you want than to be curled up on a rainy day with a Honey Weiss (found in Austin) reading Cooking Light? Especially on a day that made you realize that rage (especially when suppressed in the presence of small children) is a very strong emotion.... Happy trails!!!

P.S. Edwin's ACL repair surgery is officially scheduled for March 9th!

The ultimate San Antonio culinary experience

My (Chelsea here) fabulous parents came to the Valley for a visit in early February. Since those of you living in the Valley know that there are a limited number of sights to see (ie one building over 10 stories, Mexico, Taco P. and South Padre Island)- we decided to head to San Antonio for our 3 day weekend!!!!!! (Thank you Texas for building in bad weather days. The frequency of snowfall and rainy days makes it very logical... but fabulous nonetheless.) We had a great time and enjoyed a typical Barnes vacation, ie lots of eating, walking, and more eating. I love my family. Keep reading for our official weigh in on San Antonio. 

If you are ever in San Antonio, here a few necessary culinary stops: 

Market Square: Full of street food, Mexican restaurants... and... 

Mi Tierra- A delicious Mexican bakery (think creme-stuffed churros, empanadas, doughnuts, campechanas, cookies, etc.) We had lunch there too (on our 2nd visit) and the food was great.

I'm a sucker for good ribs, and we found them at The County Line on the Riverwalk. Deeeeeeelish. 

Edwin signing on.... 

So if you're planning a trip to San Antonio any time soon here are some places to see, eat at, and sleep in. 

For some good eats, we recommend Ritas on the Riverwalk. We had some pretty decent Mexican food and only had to wait about 10-15 minutes on a busy Saturday night. Watch out for their potent frozen margaritas. If you're more in the mood for barbecue, we recommend The County Line (as pictured above). They make their own bread (which unfortunately had not been delivered from their other restaurant the day we were there) and have great Cherry Limeades. They have a good vegetarian option and great roast beef. Our golden discovery was in Market Square. Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery was delicious and has a really good lunch menu. The Pollo con Fideos was full of delicious chicken and tasty noodles in a soupy broth. It reminded me (Edwin) of my grandma's cooking (when she wasn't watching her soap operas). 

For a good night's rest we recommend the Drury Plaza Hotel located in Downtown San Antonio. What makes this hotel stand out is the free breakfast AND complimentary happy hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For an hour and a half you can enjoy 3 free drinks and all you can eat appetizers ranging from chips and salsa to baked potatoes and hot dogs. Make sure to go to the top floor and get in the awesome hot tub. Even on a cold day, this is a great place to end the day. 

For sights, there is the famous Alamo. After my trip to the Alamo in 5th grade, I swore I'd never go back and have only been back 4 times since then.  In all seriousness, it's a nice piece of Texas History and a good spot to take a picture and walk around (Chel and I were able to nab a good photo). 

For shoppers, the Rivercenter Mall is a cool place to go. As opposed to regular shopping malls (at least the ones I've been to) this mall has many glass windows to see out into the city. (Chelsea: I scored a pair of hot pink pants at Gap for $6.97) To get a glimpse at some local arts and crafts make sure to check out La Villita. We found a great Latin American crafts shop with cool clothing, children's books, and coffee. Hop on over to the other little shops and see what sparks your interest in this village of art. Finally, check out the Whole Foods and boutiques at the Alamo Quarry Market. Get some good food at Whole Foods, grab a good read at Border's and maybe buy a backpack or outdoor equipment at Whole Earth Provisions. (Chelsea: Whole Foods is heaven on Earth. I could spend hours there.)

Needless to say, the weekend in San Antonio was magnificent. Ms. Barnes and Mr. Ochoa give this weekend an A++. Good food, good laughs, good sights, good rest, and best of all good people. The perfect break from teaching. 

For now, bon apetit, y buen provecho. 

Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit

Beans, beans, the magical fruit.

The more you eat, the more you toot.

The more you toot, the better you feel.

So eat your beans with every meal!!!

My brothers used to sing this catchy tune at dinner time, and it conveniently provides a slick intro to this doozy of a post. I have recently been made aware of the proposed magical effects of black beans. Not to mention I've been enjoying their great taste lately. I know, I know, some of you are scowling. BUT black beans are a staple to the heavily Mexican influenced South Texas diet, so we eat them a lot.

Here's the 411 on my black bean research:

1. Black beans have insoluble fiber, which can help prevent constipation AND can help prevent IBS and diverticulosis. (Hence the line about making you toot)

2. According to my article (and folks, this is not deep research talking- I go where Google tells me to), black beans had MORE antioxidants than an equivalent amount of oranges. The darker the bean, the more antioxidant power is packed inside.

3. Buying canned black beans does not reduce their nutritional value.

Info from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2

HERE is an Edwin & Chelsea approved recipe from the Jan/Feb issue of Cooking Light. Delicious!!!

Chipotle Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. Canola oil (Cooking Light knows the secret too apparently...)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp chipotle chili power (I found it in the spice aisle, took me a few minutes)

1/3 tsp salt

1/3 C. Water

1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, drained

1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained

3 Tbs refrigerated fresh salsa (I'm addicted to Wal Mart's Black Bean and White Corn salsa)

6 (10-inch) multigrain wraps (or flour tortillas)

1 C. preshredded reduced fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (or whatever queso you choose)

1 1/2 C. chopped plum tomatoes (about 3)

1 1/2 C. shredded romaine lettuce

6 Tbs thinly sliced green onions

6 Tbs light sour cream

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic to pan (and stir, baby, stir!!!! The first time we tried this step the garlic charred very quickly with the high heat); cook 1 minute stirring frequently. Stir in chile powder and salt, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly (ok, apparently I overlooked those constant reminders to stir). Stir in 1/3 c. water and all beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salsa. Partially mash bean mixture with a fork (should be a refried beanish mixture).

2. Warm up tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 c. bean mixture into center of each tortilla. Top each serving with about 2 1/2 tbs cheese, 1/4 c. tomato, 1/4 c. lettuce, 1 tbs onions, and 1 tbs sour cream; roll up.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional info: Cals- 361. Fat-10.3g. Protein- 16.8g. Carb-52.2g. Fiber-11.4g.... Yadda, yadda, yadda. They are good for you, take our word for it.

Ms. Barnes and Mr. Ochoa give it an A!!!

Buen Provecho!

Add some folic acid to your morning oatmeal!!

My roommate Lydie and I were talking about the blog today, and I mentioned I was going to do a post on how great black beans are (see next post). She mentioned to me that black beans are one of the top 10 "Happy Foods"- meaning they lift your mood. I decided to look into this "happy foods" thing further.... Turns out beans have folic acid, making them a mood lifter. She also told me that folic acid has been shown to be effective in preventing breast and cervical cancer. Interesting. Lydie THEN told me that there is no way that people can get ENOUGH folic acid in their diets between 3 daily meals, AND that alcohol depletes any folic acid reserves you may have. Time to get me some folic acid vitamins, I thought!!

I looked into all of this happy food business/folic acid buzz and wanted to share what I found....

1. Low folic acid levels have been linked to depression. Foods rich in folic acid are leafy greens, beans, peanuts, orange juice, and some fortified cereals (what is a fortified cereal??? I'm guessing not my Lucky Charms...)

2. Omega 3s have been shown to fight depression in "several clinical studies". Find these bad boys in salmon, tuna, walnuts, and canola oil (BONUS: Canola oil is better to cook with than olive oil, which our fabulously loyal readers already know from our last post).

3. I found an article suggesting that high levels of folic acid are good for preventing colon and breast cancer. It's written by Choi and Mason. I don't know who they are, so take this bullet point for what you will.

Link to my happy foods articles:

http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/10-happy-foods-fight-depression-fatigue-naturally-136750.html

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/11481/top-ten-happy-foods/

Happy Eating!!

Sorry to keep you waiting

So this may not be an entry about our cooking, but it's definitely about something that has changed our cooking. We read this article last night while fumbling through Yahoo (I swear they have the best news ticker). I (Edwin) remember the days when I had the luxury of spending 2 of my 4 hours at my previous job getting my news from the New York Times, CNN, Financial Times, you name it! But now, I have to settle for getting a glimpse of what's happening in the world while students are having a hard time pronouncing the word "fence" around me. Anyways, Chel and I found this article fascinating.

The article was about cooking oil, specifically Olive Oil (which we both use religiously), and how using it in stir-fry is bad for you. Here's why: According to this article, Olive oil has a very low "smoke point", or the temperature in which it begins to break down and change molecularly. When it changes molecularly, the nutritional value of the oil begins to degrade. The higher the "smoke point" the higher temperature the oil can withstand without having its molecular structure changed. Unfortunately for us olive oil lovers, the "smoke point" for olive oil is relatively low when compared to other oils. The article has a table that recommends what type of oils to use depending on the type of cooking you'd like to accomplish.

So the good news: olive oil can still be used for light sauteing, salads, pressure cookers, and low-heat baking. For the stir-fry lovers, bakers that use medium heat, and like to saute veggies until they are really soft, Canola oil would be a good route to take. So take a gander at the article and choose what cooking oil is best for you.

P.S. We promise to have a recipe up soon. We will also post pictures (and dining recommendations) from our San Antonio trip with Chelsea's wonderful parents. We had a great time, ate some good food and countered it with a lot of walking! For now though, bon appetit y buen provecho.

Here's the link: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/why-olive-oil-is-bad-for-your-stir-fry-580576/