4 Natural Food Coloring - Healthy Food-Dyes | Club Foody

As you probably know, we eat with our eyes first. If the food is nicely displayed plus has nice color, this, subconsciously, might trigger our appetite. I don’t know how many times I was at a restaurant, already decided on what I’d be eating until I saw a waiter delivering plates to another table and then… change my mind!

To enhance colors in food, there are the commercial colorings that we mostly find in the spice/baking aisle of our grocery store. Unfortunately these food-dye blends are hazardous to our health containing certain chemicals that are related to cancer, lymphomas, asthma, allergies, thyroid, brain & bladder tumors, and much more.

The best way to use coloring in food without damaging our health is by using natural ingredients. In this video, I’ll be sharing with you the 4 Natural Food Colorings. I sometimes use in my recipes. Each color doesn’t take too much time to make and the results are pretty close to the commercial ones.

I don’t really use food-dyes in my recipes. When I do, it’s mostly for baking like in my Red Velvet Cake or my Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars. Occasionally I might add one of my 4 natural food colorings in canning.

Although I showed you my 4 Natural Food Colorings, depending on the recipe, I might substitute liqueur instead. A great green coloring to use is Green Crème de Menthe. For blue, I like to use Parfait Amour another liqueur from France. Cherry Brandy is also a great substitute when you need to add red in your food. To intensify the color yellow, there is Galliano that can be used or Limoncello and Banana Liqueur. Of course adding liqueur will definitely change the taste of the food…

Next time you want to enhance your food visually by using dye without compromising your family’s health, make one of these easy 4 Natural Food Colorings.
Bon Appétit!

Check out these great healthy recipes…
– Strawberry Salad
– Mediterranean Fish Filler with Tapenade
– Italian Style Bruschetta
– Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
– Green Beans with Chili-Orange Oil
– Breakfast Quinoa Cereal with Mixed Berries
and for even more healthy recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Healthy

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/4-natural-food-colorings/

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Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy | Club Foody

There are many dishes that when I look back, I can’t believe that I thought were so fabulous. As we get older, our tastes change and we also evolve in the flavor department… well that’s my case anyway!
 
One of the best examples I can give is Salisbury Steak! Oh my! When I was a child, I loved this dish! It was one of my favorites but not so much when I was in my mid-30s. It was okay but nothing to write home about. It was a “simple” dish to make when you didn’t want to complicate things…
 
Just before I met David, I was going through my old recipes and came across this Salisbury one. I looked at it and it just dawned on me… Why was it called a Salisbury “Steak” when the ingredients are almost identical to a regular “plain Jane” hamburger. Well, this recipe was about to change and get a “flavor boost”!
 
I didn’t reinvent the wheel but I sure brought this dish a notch higher by adding more flavor and spice to it. I also added a quick, flavorful onion-mushroom sauce, elevating this recipe so the meat doesn’t dry out. It’s not super different from the traditional version… just more interesting, that’s all!
 
I like to serve this with my Mixed Mashed Potatoes and a steamed vegetable. As I mentioned, this recipe is not an “OMG” that you want to serve at your next dinner party but it is still an amazing dish to enjoy during weeknights. After all, it’s a comfort food!
 
Bring back your childhood food memories with this Salisbury Steak recipe by adding a grown up taste to it! It’s unpretentious, quick & easy to make and straightforward… The perfect meal to have at home with your slippers on…
Bon Appétit
 
Here are more comfort food recipes for you to try…
– Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole
– Slow Cooker BBQ Sloppy Joes
– Oven Baked Chicken Fingers
– Minestrone Soup
– Old Fashioned Baked Beans with Bacon
– Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole
and for even more beef recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beef

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit https://clubfoody.com/recipe/salisbury-steak-with-mushroom-gravy/

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Dislodge a Stuck Pill from your Throat - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

When it comes to kitchen tips & tricks, I usually post something related to food. This time it’s slightly different…
 
Most of us will eventually have to take one of those “humongous” pills. One of them might get stuck in our throat or unluckily might swallow a fish bone by accident. These moments are terrifying because as we panic, we contract our throat making the passage even tighter. When a scenario like this happens, it’s hard to stay calm but we have to. There are many ingredients that are in our kitchen that we can use to Dislodge a “Stuck” pill from your Throat which also includes fish bones.
 
Staying calm is not obvious. I’ve experienced this stressful situation a few times while taking supplements that are quite large and the size of them should definitely be reduced by the manufacturers. It got stuck “side ways” in my throat and honestly, I started panicking after trying to swallow a “zillion” times plus drinking water. This thing wasn’t moving until I had the bright idea of swallowing a big spoonful of creamy peanut butter. Guess what? it did the trick and I was able to swallow the pill.
 
I also had a fish bone stuck and like the pill, the feeling was extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, there are quite a selection of ingredients sitting in your kitchen that can help to dislodge a stuck pill from your throat or a fish bone.
 
By watching this video, you’ll see how many ingredients can ease this uncomfortable situation when it happens and remove this discomfort from your throat… I know it is not really a “kitchen” or “cooking” trick per say but I couldn’t resist sharing this little tip with you on how to dislodge a stuck pill from your throat.
Be careful!
 
For more handy kitchen tips and tricks, click on this link… Recipe Category – Tips & Tricks
 
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Corn Chowder - Fabulously Delicious Meal with Bacon! | Club Foody

At first, when David and I moved in together, we were trying each other’s recipes that we had been making for years before we got together. As much as I introduced him to many of my recipes, he also did the same. Besides his fabulous Fettuccine alle Vongole – Clam Fettuccine, Hawaiian Chicken Curry, Creamy Spicy Guacamole, West Coast Salmon, just to name a few, he had me taste his Corn Chowder!

Wow! It is so fabulous! Ever since then, every year we have to make a batch…a BIG one… lol! When November comes along, without saying it, we know we’ll be making his corn chowder soon. I’m telling you, it is amazingly delicious!

First, the combination of ingredients is “bang on”! There is also the added bacon… that’s right, b-a-c-o-n! It gives just the right amount of smokiness that makes this dish so tasty and brings this Corn Chowder recipe to a new whole level of yumminess.

We usually like to make a full meal out of it by serving some fresh homemade baked bread like my French Baguettes or Dinner Rolls. Other times though, we serve it along with sandwiches like my Monte Cristo or Croque-Monsieur. Another plus to this recipe is that it freezes very well, making it faster to thaw and reheat for other dinners when we don’t feel like cooking – I know it’s hard to believe, but I do feel like that once in awhile… lol!

Now that David and I have been together for over 10 years and cooking plus creating recipes together, we still like our “old” recipes. This succulent Corn Chowder recipe is a must try especially during the cold winter months. You’ll be amazed by how incredibly tasty it is and I’m positive this dish will become one of your family favorites…
Bon Appétit!

Here are more incredible soup and chowder recipes for you to try…
– Turkey Noodle Soup
– Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
– Udon Noodle Soup
– West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder
– Carrot Soup with Mashed Potatoes
– French Onion Soup Gratinée
– Minestrone Soup
and for even more soup and chowder recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Soups

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/corn-chowder/

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Pork Chops Diablo - Incredible Weeknight Meal! | Club Foody

I was 19 going on 20 and moved out on my own. I had a great part time job at the registry of University of Québec in Montréal while attending the same institution in the Communication program. I wanted to become a journalist which I actually did for a short time before starting my own business in 1989.
 
How was my cooking back then? Questionable! Although I almost burned my kitchen down a couple of times, threw hundreds of dollars of cooked goods in the garbage and created the weirdest recipes ever, this learning process was on its way up…
 
Through my culinary self-education, I quickly learned how to cook because I didn’t want to waste any more food. This is about the same time that I created my Pork Chops Diablo! It has been a favorite of mine since then – please note my repertoire wasn’t very extensive for a while… lol!
 
This Pork Chops Diablo recipe is very flavorful. With a great combination of fabulous ingredients, this dish really shines! This is a weeknight dinner you’ll really enjoy with your family. Lightly spicy with a hint of citrus, these pork chops are so tender and flavorful.
 
Quick fact… Did you know that pork is the most consumed protein worldwide? It is very popular in Asian and Western countries. One important thing to keep in mind though is when it comes to pork as well as poultry, it has to be prepared properly otherwise it can be harmful if undercooked …
 
This pork chops diablo recipe is a flavorful way to enjoy this cut of meat. I like to serve this dish with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables on the side. It is a nice comforting meal that I’ve been serving for many years and after you try it, it will become one of your family favorites as well…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other great pork recipes…
– Sweet & Sour Pineapple Pork
– Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham
– Spicy Sausage Penne all’Arrabbiata
– Udon Noodle Soup
– Smoky Porky Burgers
– Pulled Pork Enchiladas
and for even more pork recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Pork

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/pork-chops-diablo/

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Veal Florentine Recipe • A Rustic and Delicious Meal! | Club Foody

In general, if I see something on a menu that I haven’t tried yet then you can bet I will order it. That was the case when I first saw Veal Florentine on the menu at fancy restaurant located in Las Vegas…
 
My friend Joe who was a junket representative for the Riviera Hotel and Casino back in the 80s’ was bringing serious gamblers from Michigan to Vegas. He was orchestrating their flight, hotel reservations, shows, and so on. Joe was the link between the gamblers and the casino…
 
It happened that there was a man who had to cancel his trip and there was a vacant seat as well as a vacant suite at the hotel. Right away Joe invited me to come along. –“Of course, I’m coming”, I replied so he rearranged everything at the last minute and took me to Sin City.
 
It was my first time there and I was so impressed with Vegas; the lights, the luxuries, the 24/7 service (I got a manicure at 2am… that was cool!), the shopping, the shows, the gambling and of course the restaurants.
 
Joe and I enjoyed the same kind of things; food, shows, music, etc. While I was there, he made sure to take me to the best restaurants in the city. That is when I had my first Chateaubriand and Veal Florentine! Oh my! I loved the dish right from the first bite. It was moist and flavorful with just the right amount of spiciness.
 
As soon as we got back to Detroit, I couldn’t wait to duplicate it. Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding veal so the next best alternative was to use chicken breasts. Whenever I find it, veal is still my first choice…
 
Since that trip to Vegas, my culinary experience in the kitchen expanded and a couple years later, I started making my own pasta. When you make it from scratch, it enhances the dish. Now imagine this classic with fresh made pasta… yum! Here’s the link to make your own Homemade Pasta
 
Veal Florentine is a lovely meal to serve anytime. It is uncomplicated to make plus the flavors are amazingly delicious! This is another classic recipe that I’m sure everyone will enjoy…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other elegant recipes…
– Red Snapper en Papillote
– Coquilles St Jacques
– Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
– Asian Cucumber Salmon Rolls
– Rack of Lamb with Herbes de Provence
– West Coast Smoked Salmon Chowder
and for even more beef recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beef

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit https://clubfoody.com/recipe/veal-florentine/

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Caribbean Rum Mousse - Delightfully Different! | Club Foody

Ahhhh… love! It’s such a beautiful feeling to be in love and there’s a special holiday just for it… Valentine’s Day! I’m sure you know all about it and romance is usually on the program. Flowers, chocolates, cards, a candle light dinner, or other things will be given, received or shared.
 
One of the most common food items that will be given or received is chocolate. It is considered an aphrodisiac because of its components which helps to boost a person’s libido. Is it true? I like to think so. Apparently there are also other foods that can help get you “in the mood”. I’ve heard that Oysters, Chilies, Pomegranate, Red Wine, and more can definitely do the trick… – wink, wink!
 
When David and I started dating, we shared and compared our views, opinions, likes & dislikes and of course food was one of the topics of conversation… We quickly realized how much we have in common. Till this day, we can’t believe we are so alike.
 
When it comes to food, we are extremely compatible. I wouldn’t be able to date someone who’s picky or vegan… I’m too much of a foody! We shared our recipes, created new ones (still do) and tried other dishes that neither of us had before. With all these discussions we obviously talked about our “favorites”. That is when I told him about my Caribbean Rum Mousse! Curious, he asked  me to make it and ever since then he’s been hooked… Is it because he’s a rum drinker?
 
With Valentine’s around the corner, this is something I really wanted to make for him. That is what the day is supposed to be about… please, surprise and make our partner feel special. I could buy him something but I prefer to spoil him by watching him enjoying this dessert…
 
This Caribbean Rum Mousse is quite lovely! There are a few steps to make it but this recipe is so worth it! With a nice hint of rum, this beautiful dessert is perfect after a heavy meal or if you want to keep things “lighter” so no one falls asleep right after dinner… if you know what I mean (wink)!
 
Although I’m introducing this dessert for Valentine’s Day, it can also be served after a dinner party. This mousse has a beautiful balance of sweetness mixed with the subtle taste of rum in the background. This Caribbean Rum Mousse is one of our favorite desserts that we enjoy for any special occasion!
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other chocolate recipes…
– Chocolate Éclairs
– Silk & Satin Chocolate Pie
– Chocolate Raspberry Cake with a Mirror Glaze
– Spicy Holiday Chocolate Bark
– Chocolate Lava Cake with Caramel
– Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
– Grasshopper Chocolate Martini
and for even more dessert recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Dessert

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/caribbean-rum-mousse/

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Secret to Better Grating Soft Cheeses/Butter - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

Many times there’s a recipe that calls for grated mozzarella. Yes I know… you are already rolling your eyes. This cheese is soft and not really the easiest to grate like other kinds such as cheddar, parmesan and so on. The same applies to blue cheese. Another ingredient that seems almost impossible to do anything with is butter. How can you handle butter differently than just cutting or melting it? I actually have a trick for that and here it is… 

When it comes to grating these soft ingredients, the process is not always obvious. The best way for Better Grating Soft Cheeses/Butter is to place them in the freezer. That’s right – in the freezer! After they are frozen and hard, you can grate the amount you need without all the frustration. It makes the task much easier although with butter you have to be quicker because the fat content is higher and unfortunately butter doesn’t stay frozen for very long. When I make my Foolproof Pie Dough, I grate the butter that is already frozen, making my dough flakier. 

Besides mozzarella, another ingredient that I use often is blue cheese and there’s a recipe of mine that I grate it as well. It’s my Blue Cheese Dressing. This dressing is quite popular in our house as I use it as a dipping sauce for wing night as well as a salad dressing. I also use it for a marinade with a few modifications to suit this specific recipe that I’ll be posting in 2020… so stay tuned! 

Here’s another little tip that goes along with Secret for Better Grating Soft Cheeses/Butter one. When grating ingredients, always grate the softest ingredients first, and then the firmer ones. Using this step keeps the grater cleaner. 

The next time you come across a recipe that asks for grated mozzarella, blue cheese, butter etc. you’ll know just what to do. Use this Secret for Better Grating Soft Cheeses/Butter trick… it works like a charm.

Bon Appétit! 

For more handy kitchen tips and tricks, click on this link… Recipe Category – Tips & Tricks 

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For more info, visit
http://clubfoody.com/tips-tricks/secret-for-better-grating-soft-cheesesbutter/

Grand Marnier Glazed Carrots Recipe • Simply Delicious Side Dish! | Club Foody

When it comes to side dishes with vegetables, I’m a purist! I prefer steaming over boiling so I can enjoy their natural flavor. Like anything else, I detest monotony so I like to break the routine and instead of steaming, I add different ingredients and cook my vegetables once in a while…
 
As I mentioned in previous blogs, when I was growing up, my parents had a Garden and one of the vegetables they were growing was carrots. I used to pull one out of the ground, clean it up and eat it. It couldn’t get any fresher than that! Perhaps that’s where the “purist” attitude comes from…
 
Anyway, among many of my side dish recipes – the” un-steamed” ones, there are a few I like serving on special occasions like Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Carrot & Rutabaga Mash, and many more including this one… Grand Marnier Glazed Carrots! The sweetness that we get from the carrots is slightly intensified by the added liqueur. To prevent this side dish from being too sweet, I also add a little zip to it…
 
I like to serve this dish with Pork Roast or Roast Beef, my Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham, as well as with a nice Grilled Chicken. Another meal that this Grand Marnier Glazed Carrots recipe goes well with is my Holiday Turkey on Thanksgiving or Christmas… yummy! If you’re going to serve this side dish to children, you can always substitute freshly squeezed orange juice for the Grand Marnier. Click on this link for a few great kitchen tricks on how to Extract the Most Juice from Citrus Fruits
 
If you are a purist like me but need some variety for your carrot side dish, you have to try these Grand Marnier Glazed Carrots. It’s a recipe that is packed with flavor and pairs so well with many dishes. It’s quick to make and the results are extremely delicious, perfect to serve at your next dinner party…
Bon Appétit!
 
Check out these other great side dish recipes…
– Squash à la Canadienne
– Mixed Mashed Potatoes
– Green Beans with Chili-Orange Oil
– Vegetable Medley
– Creamed Spinach ~ Steakhouse Style
– Beluga Black Lentil Salad
and for even more healthy recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Healthy

For ingredient amounts, directions and much more, visit https://clubfoody.com/recipe/grand-marnier-glazed-carrots/

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Szechuan Ginger Chicken - A Delightful Chinese Dish! | Club Foody

I’ve always enjoyed Asian cuisine. There’s one that I’ve been having since I was a child and it’s Chinese food. My father used to take us to Chinatown in Montréal. Was the food truly authentic? I doubt it but noneless it was delicious!
 
When I was living in Toronto running my event planning company, I took a trip to China. On behalf of a vineyard located in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region, I was representing their Ice wine at two separate functions; one held in Shanghai and the other in Beijing.
 
It was quite a cultural shock! Let’s keep in mind that I was there seven years prior to the Olympics in Beijing. I’m sure they did some major clean up beforehand but that was not the case seven years previous when I was there promoting the ice wine.
 
While I was there, they paired me with a personal assistant. I was glad I wasn’t totally on my own. He really helped me get around as well as informing me on tradition, culture, food, etc. It was… interesting if I may put it that way…
 
My introduction to Chinese food was more than I expected. What I was used to here in North America was much different in China. Certain spices, herbs and ingredients I never heard of were introduced to me such as tien tsin peppers, doubanjiang, chinkiang vinegar (black vinegar), red wine vinegar, and much more…
 
Our “tame” Chinese foods at home were kind of boring in comparison with the real thing. On my return home, I called my friend Michael “Judge Eto” who is Chinese and we went to Spadina Avenue shopping for more traditional Chinese ingredients. After trying to create a few new dishes, this is what came out… my Szechuan Ginger Chicken!
 
This dish was among of one of my first Chinese creations. Unfamiliar with many ingredients, I went into my kitchen with what I could find in my neighborhood and gradually started making recipes. I used what I knew and slowly integrated other unfamiliar ingredients.
 
Originally, I made my Szechuan Ginger Chicken with Sambal Oelek which technically is more an Indonesian rather than a Chinese chili paste. Eventually I replaced it with doubanjiang which is a more traditional ingredient in Szechuan cuisine. This chili bean paste can be substituted with gochujang although its origin is Korean.
 
Can you use any of these three ingredients? Yes but each of them will bring a different flavor to the dish. Depending on where you live and how close you are to an Asian market, the availability of certain products may reflect your decisions on which ingredient to use. That is why I used sambal in my video as I know it’s probably the most common and easy to find.
 
As today is Chinese New Year, this Szechuan Ginger Chicken is the perfect dish to enjoy. Not overly spicy with great flavor, this quick and easy meal will definitely become a favorite of yours especially if you want to put some spice in your life…
Bon Appétit!
 
Here are more Asian inspired recipes for you to try…
– Singapore Noodles
– Vietnamese Summer Rolls
– Dakgangjeong – Sweet & Spicy Crispy Korean Chicken
– Wonton Soup
– Asian Chicken Salad
– Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
and for even more delicious chicken recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Poultry

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/szechuan-ginger-chicken/

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