Easter Fun

Coloring Easter eggs with my daughter Amy, granddaughter Jayden, and grandson Anthony.  We love getting creative with masking tape, buttons, glitter and tie-dying.

Hunting for Easter eggs at Aunt Christi's house in Tooele.

Hunter Nash fills his basket.

Jayden rushes to find more eggs.  "Hurry Grandma!"

Owen Nash and Jayden Phillips look for eggs, then take a break on the swing.

Biggest Loser Versus Weight Watchers Meals

 Since Lean Cuisine showed up 30 years ago, the number of diet-wise frozen meals has continued to expand. Now The Biggest Loser TV Show is has put its label on a line of Simply Sensible refrigerated entrees.

 Weight Watchers is expanding its Smart Ones frozen line with more breakfast and dessert items.

I tried several of the BL Simply Sensible entrees.  The Zing Chicken was great — slices of boneless chicken breast with a sweet-and-sour sauce, with ginger giving it a spicy “zing.”  One package actually offers about two servings at 230 calories each. But since  each serving is just one cup, it might be easy to eat the whole 17-ounce package in one sitting. You  get 16 grams protein and three grams dietary fiber, and a fair amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron per serving. I also liked the Beef Tips and Rice, which had a rich beefy flavor and brown rice. Neither dinner tasted diet-y.

To me, a major drawback is that the meal components are in separate plastic pouches that you vent, microwave and then combine. So if you’re taking this to work as a lunchtime meal to pop in the microwave, you'll need to bring along a bowl or plate.  Also,  you are supposed to add one cup of fresh steamed vegetables in order to make it a meal. I had some shredded cabbage in the refrigerator, and it worked great mixed with the Zing Chicken’s Asian-flavors. 

But the reason a lot of people buy a “healthy” entree is to get some vegetables in their diet without having to peel, slice or cook them. If you’re taking this as a workday lunch, you’d have to pack veggies and cook them in the company break room.  I suppose it’s hard for these dinner manufacturers to keep broccoli or asparagus looking appetizing in a refrigerated sauce. But I really think more veggies should be included in these entrees.

Simply Sensible’s $6.99 suggested retail price seems steep, although you are supposed to get two one-cup servings, which makes it about $3.50 per serving.  

Weight Watchers’ new Morning Express meals include French Toast with Turkey Sausage for 280 calories and 14 grams of protein  — seven points in Weight Watchers’ new PointsPlus program. The Egg Sausage and Cheese Wrap of scrambled egg whites, sausage, vegetables and cheddar cheese in a soft tortilla is  240 calories, 11 grams of protein, and a PointsPlus value of six. The suggested retail price of these is $3.09.  I tried the WW brand Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundaes, which have chunks of real-tasting brownie, for 140 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving. Each serving has a PointsPlus value of 4. 

WW has a variety of other products — muffins, string cheese, crackers and cookies, etc. If you’re on the Weight Watchers program, the advantage of is that the “points” are already calculated for you. The drawback is that they are pricey, unless you can find them on sale. 

My main complaint with so many “healthy” meals and desserts — Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, SmartOnes, and so on — is that the portions seem so small! And the entrees are usually heavy on starches, and lighter on veggies and protein. But there are recent improvements, such as more meals with brown rice or whole-grain pasta, and some boast that they offer two full servings of veggies.  And, most of these go on sale fairly regularly. I wouldnt' buy them otherwise. 

Two of my favorites are Lean Cuisine's meatless Butternut Squash Ravioli, and Chicken With Basil Cream Sauce.  But, I rarely eat any frozen entrees now that I'm working from home.

I’d like to hear what everyone else thinks — what’s your favorite frozen entree?

Bratten’s Clam Chowder Revisited

Bratten's Clam Chowder      Photo by Valerie Phillips

My mom, Patricia Dymock, is recovering from shoulder replacement surgery. Despite the nausea and pain, she’s tried to do her rehab exercises faithfully. I suspect that my step-father, John, is getting just as much of a workout putting her through those exercises.

This is when you need comfort food.  I made her some clam chowder and rice pudding, two dishes that she is able to tolerate well.  I used the old Bratten’s clam chowder recipe, but streamlined the preparation and cut down on the fat. I used fat-free half-and-half, and cut the amount of butter from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. it was still very rich and creamy. 

For  those who weren’t around in the 1970s, Bratten’s Seafood Grotto was a Utah hot spot, with several locations along the Wasatch Front. The clam chowder had a following that lasted long after the restaurants closed. Recipes claiming to be the real Bratten’s chowder have been passed around in numerous church and neighborhood cookbooks. The recipe I use, published in  “Five-Star Recipes From Well-Known Latter-Day Saints,” (Deseret Book) came from Bratten’s owner Milton Weilenmann. So I think it’s the real deal.  It’s a simple recipe, but I streamlined it by using frozen hash browns instead of peeling and dicing potatoes.  The original recipe also called for simmering the vegetables in a pan on the stove; I sped things up in the microwave. By the time you’ve made a roux and mixed in the half-and-half, the vegetables are tender and ready to add to the soup.  And if you elect to use fat-free half-and-half, you really won’t miss the fat.

BRATTEN'S CLAM CHOWDER REVISITED

 1 cup finely diced onion (or about 1 1/2 cups frozen diced onion)

 1 cup finely diced celery 

 3 cups frozen hash browns (or 2 cups diced raw potatoes)

 1 cup water

 2 6 1/2-ounce cans of minced clams

 1/2 cup butter 

 1/2 cup flour

 1 quart fat-free half & half cream

 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

  Pepper to taste

 Place onion, celery and hash browns in a microwaveable casserole bowl. Drain juice from clams and pour liquid over vegetables. Add 1 cup water. Place a lid on the bowl and microwave on high 10 minutes, stirring at the 5-minute point.  Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a heavy stock pot. Make a roux by stirring the flour and butter together with a wire whisk. Continuing cooking and stirring the roux  for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly while slowly adding half and half. Continue stirring and cooking over medium heat until mixture is thick and smooth.  Add the cooked vegetables and clams. Allow the mixture to heat completely through.  Add salt and pepper. Makes 6 1 1/2 cup servings.

Garnish: Parsley, oyster crackers

Hotel Utah History: "Recipes From The Roof" Cookbook

While I was the food editor at the Deseret News, I would sometimes get calls and letters wanting recipes from the legendary Hotel Utah (now the Joseph Smith Memorial Building). So when I heard that Deseret Book was publishing “Recipes From The Roof” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hotel Utah/JSMB, I was excited to think that some of those old recipes would be finally in print. 

But while the new book has a lot of old stories, the recipes are all modern-day dishes from the restaurants that now occupy the building: The Garden, The Roof, the JSMB Bakery and the JSMB Catering Services. 

At a press conference Monday to showcase the book, I asked Deseret Book editor Jana Erickson about it. She said that cooking techniques and tastes have changed so much from the Hotel Utah’s early years that people probably wouldn’t want to eat those old dishes.  I understand the point — today we use a lot more fresh produce, more ethnic seasonings, and this new book has such a wide variety of flavorful recipes. But I still wish that a few of the old recipes had been tracked down and included, just for “old times’ sake.” 

Temple Square Hospitality chefs who contributed to the book demonstrated some of the recipes at yesterday’s press conference. Don Sanchez, Pedro Mauricio and Val Ayrapetov made Tomato & Kalamata Olive Bread Salad, Avocado Gazpacho and Lemon Meringue Pie Parfaits. 

Hotel Utah was built in 1911 as the premier hotel west of the Mississippi River.  When I did research for my own historic book, “Dining Through The Decades,” I found out that President William Howard Taft stayed at the Hotel Utah in October of 1911. The 300-pound Big Bill polished off the following breakfast: Cantaloupe, sliced peaches, broiled sirloin steak, bacon and eggs, potatoes mashed in cream, toast, rolls and coffee.  The cost of this chow-fest was $2.15. 

The top floor restaurant over the years was known as the Roof Gardens, the Starlite Gardens, the Sky Room; and today, it's the Garden Restaurant and the Roof Restaurant. As the Starlite Gardens, it offered dance music and a romantic atmosphere. I imagine there were plenty of marriage proposals that took place.

A few historic tidbits:

-in 1936 the cost for dinner and dancing in the Empire Room was $2.50 per person.

-Will Rogers was once denied entrance to the Empire Room as he lacked acoat and tie. He borrowed them from the front desk in order to be admitted.

-The Crossroads Grill, located on the lower level of the hotel featured a live trout pond that ran down the middle of the table.

After 76 years as a hotel, it closed in 1987 and some floors were renovated into office space for its owner, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Gordon B. Hinckley, in the church's First Presidency at that time, requested that it be renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in remembrance of the church's first prophet, and that it be used as a place for gathaerings and celebrations. The restaurants as well as many of the ballrooms are still used today for those celebrating weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, company parties and so on. In fact, when my oldest son, Jess, went to his first prom, he took his date to The Roof for dinner beforehand. 

Here’s one of the recipes from the book:

Artichoke Spinach Cheese Dip
6 servings

6 ounces cream cheese
1½ cups chopped baby spinach
1 cup drained and chopped canned artichokes
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
5–6 slices pita bread, grilled

Heat the cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the bread) and mix well.

Cut the grilled pita bread into 8 triangles per slice.

Serve the dip hot with the sliced grilled pita bread.

Whole Foods Diet Delights

I've often heard complaints about the prices at Whole Foods — some people refer to the store as "Whole Paycheck."

But tonight, I found a great deal tonight on Kettle Brand baked potato chips, which are would be addicting if they weren't so expensive. At my local Smith's store, a 4-ounce bag of these chips is usually $3.49.  The Whole Foods at Trolley Square had them on a special for two bags for $4 -- just $2 each.
I'm in Weight Watchers mode right now, and Kettle Baked are my not-too-guilty pleasure when I have the munchies.  They have 65 percent less fat that regular potato chips, but are made from real slices of potato rather than molded potato mush as other low-fat potato chips seem to be. Each serving also has three grams of  fat, two grams of fiber and 120 calories.  The only problem is that old "betcha can't eat just one" saying. Hard to stop until the whole bag is gone.

How does the Whole Foods price on these chips compare with other stores besides Smith's? I don't know, because I've never been able to find them at other grocery stores where I shop, such as  Harmons, Fresh Market or Bowman's in Kaysville.

I can't say much about the rest of Whole Foods' regular prices, as I don't shop there often enough to really be familiar with them.  But if you're a Kettle Baked fan, stock up now while the sale is on. I did!

Earth Day Events in Utah

Oasis Cafe, at 151 S,  500 East  in Salt Lake City, is celebrating Earth Day by hosting a farmers market, and serving menu specials that use on local ingredients.  Specials will include turkey burgers and chicken dishes from Utah's Heritage Valley Organic, with proceeds benefiting Wasatch Community Gardens.

Chad Midgely with Chad's Produce will be on hand from noon-6 p.m. for the farmers market. He will return each Saturday through the summer. His Earth Day crops include Swiss chard, rainbow carrots, candy striped beets, turnips, leeks and parsnips.  He will also have farm eggs, locally raised onion plants, and heirloom tomato plants. 

"Our diners appreciate the extra care we take, to fill our menus with local organic vegetables, sustainably ranched meats and the freshest seafood," said Billy Sotelo, executive chef.  "We are starting our weekly farmers market to extend this effort to their home kitchens."

Slow Food Utah,  at www.slowfoodutah.org has several other events listed on its Web site in conjunction with Earth Day:

Nature Conservancy "Picnic for the Planet" 1050 S State St, Salt Lake City, UT  April 23, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nature Conservancy

NEW ROOTS OF UTAH GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY After a year of hard work and community dedication, the refugee "Field of Dreams" is turning into a reality.   Wednesday, April 20, 3: p.m. 3100 S. Lester St. - behind Redwood Recreation Center Donate your extra garden tools for a gardener in need: collection boxes will be available onsite.

Dining Diversity for a Good Cause Join with 20 of Salt Lake City's fresh, local and independent restaurants with special menu options,  April 18 - May 1. Follow this link for more information. FOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT Utah Women's Alliance for Building Community, with guest panelists from Slow Food Utah and others. Tuesday April 19 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.  A Gift to Africa, 824 S. 400 W., Suite B101 Salt Lake City TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES Join Slow Food Utah at the shop that specializes in fair-trade products from around the world. We will be there with recipes and samples for you to try as you shop and receive a discount on garden products for Earth Day. Friday, April 22 from 4 - 6 p.m. 1941 S. 1100 E. Salt Lake City

Utah Chefs Win National Honors

A couple of years ago, I met two young chefs named Viet Pham and Bowman Brown, who told me they were starting a small restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City that would serve local, organic ingredients. In fact, they were in the process of building a greenhouse so they could grow some of the vegetables. They planned to serve one fixed-price meal each night, with the menu changing every day. The prices would run from about $35 to $70. 

At the time, the economy had just tanked. I wondered at the time if these guys would survive their first year in business at Forage, 370 E. 900 South.  They did — and they’ve made a national name for themselves as well.  Pham and Brown are among the 10 regional winners of Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” award. The magazine works with restaurant critics, food writers and other experts around the country to identify outstanding chefs in each region of the country who have been in charge of a kitchen for five years or fewer.  

The Forage chefs and the other 2011 winners will be featured in the July issue of the magazine and also will attend the 29th annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen on June 17-19.  

 You can read more about Forage at www.forageslc.com.