or, if for some reason the video isn’t working for you, click the link below.

How to easily Cut a Pepper

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I use pineapple here, too (shocker!), but I’m thrilled to report that in this recipe, you can also use papaya’s, mangoes, peaches, pretty much any fleshy fruit with some substance.  You can grill bananas, too, but with skin on to maintain the integrity of the fruit.  Though I don’t here, you can brush them with some oil to avoid sticking, and hey, don’t be afraid to play around with flavors- cayenne, pepper, these are all FABULOUS with the contrast of the sweet fruit on the grill.  Plus, the grilling caramelizes the sugars in the fruit, making them taste even more sweet.  You’ll truly love this.  You can also cut a mix of fruit into chunks, drizzle lime juice over them, and grill on skewers.  Mmmm…

Here, watch this:

And, here’s the final product:

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Ok, well, I’ve stood in the grocery store, nose pressed against the bottom of a pineapple, smelled the strongest pineapple smell ever, and consequently, cut into a hard, dry pineapple.  They pretty much all smell like a pineapple because, coincidentally, that IS what they are!

If, however, you smell a fermenty, old smell, don’t pick that one.  In fact, alert your produce guy, so someone else doesn’t pick that one, either!

Also, try to pick the pineapple up at the store the day you’re going to use it-if you can’t, store it in the fridge until you can, rather than leaving it on the counter for days!

Look for a bright gold, yellow fruit, with no red and minimal green.

Once I’ve selected my perfect pineapple, here’s what I do to cut into the sucker!

Enjoy the video!

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(Ok, fine, they love their veggies, but still…)

First up, slice a zuke and a summer squash.  The littler, the better!!!  Then, heat olive oil in a frying pan, put the slices in, and top with fresh cracked black pepper,  sea salt, and none other than Old Bay (have I mentioned this is my favorite?!).  Fry them till nice and golden, and here’s how they turn out:

And what did “the Man” think??

“Awesome, Mom!”

And the Princess?

See for yourself what she thought

I agree with her…”YUMMY!”

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Tonight, I was using fresh cherries for something, and found it quite annoying to keep cutting the cherry in half, twisting and getting one perfect-looking pitted cherry half, and one mashed side, as I fought to get the cherry pit out of the side it was still stuck in.  I don’t have a cherry pitter, so I took a look around online, and found an ingenious way to pit a cherry-and I bet  you have this very special “tool” somewhere in your house now!

Enjoy this video, as I wrestle this cherry no longer!

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Chobani Greek Yogurt

So leanKitchen was featured on Chobani Yogurts’ homepage, twitter, and facebook yesterday with the video of my kids eating the Supportive Waistline-busting Ice Cream I made using Chobani and Prograde a few months back.  In celebration, I just have to post the addendum to the video, cause it’s so darn cute!

Big thanks to Yvette and Nicki over at Chobani!

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Cheesy as it sounds, it happens.  That dreamy feeling, as though you’ve finally found exactly what you’ve been missing your whole life.  You wake up thinking about it, hardly able to wait for the next time you can be together, the feeling of not being able to imagine being in another place more perfect than the one you’re in when you’re with your Other Half?  

Until suddenly, without warning, some time passes, and you’re bitterly disappointed to find that the sparkle has become a bit more lackluster…and you find yourself spending less energy and less time…your “other half” just isn’t what you had originally thought..

…and you find yourself packing it away to the back of your cabinets. 

Unless you really, really love that shiny new toy.  It has something about it that’s different, more exciting, and, you find yourself falling farther and more hopelessly in love.  It is then that you realize, you’ve found your Soulmate. 

I found my Soulmate.  

OK, fine I’ve got a couple.  

One is in the form of the shiny, candy-apple red KitchenAide Mixer that has a permanent home on my countertop.  That one, while very attractive,  the looks are not what attracted me to it; it’s the personality.  It gives me experiences I didn’t even know were possible.  It’s helped me figure out methods of doughs and cookies, breads,  and confections.  It encourages me to push my comfort level, and helps me be a more well-versed and well-rounded person in the kitchen.  I love and appreciate my Mixer for helping me gain these qualities.  

My second soulmate…well, that one was gift-wrapped under the tree for me.  He and I have more of a  ”love at first sight” relationship.  Smitten from the moment I laid eyes on it, we’ve been inseperable from the get-go.  My beautiful, beautiful new love, my 12-tray food dehydrator.  

I have been crazily out of the house for the past couple of days, but I did get a chance to play around a bit on Christmas and the day after, and got to experiment with a fun new recipe…my kids love it, and so do I. 

Watch how I make fruit leathers in this video: 

And the results?  Perfect : ) 

Fruit Roll perfection! (And the kid is pretty perfect, too!)

Oh and a couple of tips: 

1. This is not a fully supportive food alone- add a handful of nuts for a supportive snack, or a chobani yogurt and shred some of the leathers on top, or eat on the side.  

2. While the variety and combinations are fun, try to keep the ones you eat as berry, and apple concoctions.  Use other fruits minimally, or keep it to straight-up, unsweetened applesauce.  

3. The edges of the leathers tend to dry first, so keep the edges thicker with the fruit sauce you spread, and the inside thinner, so they come out even.  Otherwise, you’ll end up with edges that crack (too dry) and middles that are still not done.  You want the leathers to be pliable but not wet, bendy without cracking.

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How to prepare a leek.  Enjoy my Academy Award winning performance : )

P.S. What do you do with those yummy half-moon shaped leeks?  I have an idea!  How ’bout putting them in your Faux-tato Leek Soup??

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P.S. I didn’t say it during the video, but try to make the fries all a pretty uniformed size.  They’ll cook evenly that way, so you don’t bite into one that’s mushy and one that’s overcooked.  Also, depending on the size/thickness, you’ll want to flip them when the side of the fry that’s touching the cookie sheet is darkened up, about 10-15 minutes in.

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One of the main reasons I love this recipe so much is because it’s so easy, and so changeable.  You can pretty much switch it up and add whatever you like, and the end result will be equally delectable.

The most basic recipe contains, simply, 2 cans of chickpeas (leave the juice of half a can, drain the other one completely), a tablespoon or two of olive oil (depends on whether you use lots of lemon juice or not), lemon juice (1/2 a lemon or more, again, depending on your taste), salt to taste (or omit), and garlic (1 to 2 cloves).  Tahini and any additives are simply preference based.  Play with this recipe, please!!  It’s MUCH cheaper to make your own hummus, and hummus is good with anything; I like it with veggies (especially red peppers), but it’s equally good with crackers, pita thats been sliced in strips (good for dipping) and toasted, bread, or *cough* straight from the spoon.

I use a food processor, but have also made it in my blender.  If thats what you have to use, I suggest adding the liquids (1/2 the can of the chickpea can water, lemon juice, and olive oil) first, then the chickpeas, just helps the blender blades go more smoothly.

Here’s how I make it:

Some add-in options to mix in- (I would avoid blending add in’s ’till the very end, and then quickly pulse them in to combine with your hummus base):

•  lemon (instead of juicing it, throw the entire whole lemon in; you’ll get the pulp and lemon pieces. YUM!)
• oil-cured black olives (super-salty, if sodium is an issue for you, but unbelievable combo of flavor)
• roasted red peppers
• chile or cayenne for some spice
• spinach leaves
• more garlic
• onions
• chives
• cumin

*Addendum for those who have e-mailed me about the football I was watching on a Saturday-yes, it was football, and yes it was Saturday.  YES IT WAS COLLEGE FOOTBALL, NOT NFL

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