Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I am a big believer in a well stocked pantry. Since I cook all the time and thing about food 24/7, I make sure my fridge and pantry are full with the right ingredients. I love to be able to conjure something up in my mind and make it happen in the kitchen without going to the store.

Many people ask me constantly what I have in my pantry and fridge, and what they should have in theirs. I feel you need to think about your cooking repertoire and what kind of cuisines you  make. Once you have a handle on the kinds of dishes you normally make- you can make a list of all the ingredients you need.

When I go grocery shopping- which I am ashamed (not really) to admit is almost every day- I go through the isles to remind me if I need anything to replenish my pantry.

Since I am doing top ten lists- yes I feel like David Letterman once again, I decided to start with listing the top ten Asian ingredients.

1. Rice Vinegar- I love having this in my pantry. Great for stir fries, salads and curries.
2. Tamari- I use this instead of soy sauce. This is a more concentrated version of it so a little goes a long way and it doesn’t make the dishes too watery.
3. Toasted Sesame Oil- This has a delicious nutty flavor. I start my stir fries with a teaspoon of this oil. It is also great for salad dressings. Store it in the fridge.
4. Fish Sauce- It has a wonderful underlying nutty, salty flavor. Don’t smell it while using it and you will love it.
5. Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce- It can be found in any grocery store in the Asian isle. Great as a dipping sauce or part of a stir fry sauce.
6. Honey- I love, love honey. I have all sorts in my pantry. It is great to sweeten anything from sauces, to salad dressings.
7. Fresh Ginger- What a versatile ingredient. Stays forever in your fridge. Great for curries, stir fries and desserts.
8. Garlic- I would be lost without garlic. I need to have lots of it in my vegetable basket. I put it in everything.
9. Green Onions- They have a great, light onion flavor AND they look pretty. Excellent as a garnish on top.
10. Light Coconut Meal- Great for Thai dishes and desserts. I use the light version since there is no difference in flavor. I always have a few cans in my pantry.

I would love to hear your top ten Asian ingredients….

I am hoping to start a weekly tradition of top ten lists. This week I begin with things to change or do to stay healthy. I am definitely not a doctor nor a dietician but I do have common sense and I know what works for me and my family. Especially as a woman in my late thirties (I can’t say that for too long- so I will milk it for what it is), I find it harder to stay on course in terms of losing weight or keeping it off. I find I have to eat far less than I used to and exercise a lot more than before.

I guess things change as you get older and have kids. I feel very responsible for teaching my daughter healthy eating and living habits. Things that will stay with her for a life time. I want her to know how to live a balanced and happy life- well that maybe a completely different post…

So- I ask all of my readers to go through the list and comment ‘on the blog’ what things are on your list that are missing from mine. I would love to get a conversation going and learn from all of you out there. If you all are interested, we can do this on a weekly basis.

Here is my top ten list- I feel like David Letterman…

1. Eat a good breakfast- consisting of fiber, protein and fruit- Whole-wheat toast with one egg and some strawberries on the side.
2. Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism high.
3. Snack on non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit with raw honey and walnuts.
4. Take all white flour and white bread out of the house. Eat whole wheat bread and substitute the regular flour for white whole-wheat flour.
5. For lunch- make a one-slice open sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon, fresh tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers. Spread some hummus and sprinkle a dash of garlic powder on top.
6. Substitute evaporated cane juice for white sugar.
7. Cook with extra light olive oil and use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings and topping pasta dishes.
8. Drink eight (8 ounces) glasses of water.
9. Have an ounce or two of dark chocolate.
10. Have a dinner consisting of fish, shrimp with lots of vegetables.

I am not sure if some of you recognize this particular chili. I made it last year for the big game and this year I will make another kind but thought I should give a recipe in advance if you are planning ahead.
It is a very busy week for me- my darling daughter turns seven on Thursday and initially I was planning to bake cupcakes for her class as well as her party on Saturday. As the week came upon me, I realized I will be baking 4 dozen cupcakes- somehow that didn’t sound very pleasant to me. I was initially very excited about baking all the cupcakes but the thought of 20 kids in her class eating just a bit of a cupcake and throwing the rest away was not a pleasant one. All that work and effort will go right in the garbage- so I decided to buy the cupcakes for the class instead- of course I talked to my daughter first and she was okay with it. A little less work for me this week- so it opens up some time for me to plan a meal for the Super Bowl.
I think if I had a bit more time I would come up with something very different. For now the plan is to make a chili verde- which is a Mexican stew made with pork shoulder in a tomatillo sauce. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I can’t wait to make it and taste it- I think I will make it on Saturday because soups, stews taste better the next day. I will be using this recipe as an inspiration- so if you are so inclined- you can do the same.

I will also make some guacamole and corn bread. Although beer is the beverage of choice for the big day- I will stick to wine, thank you very much.

If I can get my act together- I will post the chili recipe at the end of the week. Now that I have shared what I will be making, I want to know what you will be making for the big game?? Please share and give everyone more ideas…. No matter what you do or eat- remember to enjoy the Super Bowl but do try to eat healthy.

Okay everyone, it the beginning of a New year and it is time to make some changes and most importantly, stick to them.

I am not much into making new year resolutions. I don’t like the pressure nor do I appreciate feeling like a failure if I don’t continue with the resolution. Instead I start making small changes in December and by the time the new year rolls around, I am already used to doing things a bit differently- and more likely to stick with them.

I started a new exercise regiment 3 weeks ago. I am walking briskly on my treadmill for 30 minutes everyday and doing a core and abs work out in addition. I feel good and am already noticing a change in my energy level, etc. I am also thinking of doing a cleanse for a few days. Have any of you out there done one lately? I would love to get more information…

In terms of food, I am incorporating more fish and seafood in our diets. One source I have found is Vital Choice. It is an online resource for fabulous seafood- very healthy and delicious. I will also try to eat less wheat and more vegetables, protein and fruit. It is going to be tough giving up pasta- well, I am not planning on giving it up- just cutting back a bit. I recently bought brown rice pasta from Trader Joes and am excited about using it.

I wanted to share a few things I have changed in my pantry- it’s now been a few years now and I am very happy about it. I got rid of white sugar, white flour and canola oil. I now use turbinado sugar, evaporated cane juice, white whole wheat flour and extra light olive oil. Most of the ingredients can be purchased at Trader Joes, Whole Foods or Costco.

I use all types of raw sugar to bake, cook or just add to hot beverages, etc. Its great to use as many unprocessed things in your cooking as possible. I prefer using extra light olive oil for its goodness. It has absolutely no flavor, so cooking, baking and frying is healthier. I have stopped buying all-purpose flour. I only bake with white whole wheat flour. I feel good about baking cookies and cakes with raw sugar and less processed flour.

The other thing I have incorporated into my day are some raw nuts- walnuts and almonds. Just a hand full do the trick. They get rid of that pesky need to snack on something unhealthy. The best way to store raw nuts is to store them in the freezer. They last a lot longer and don’t turn rancid.

The other thing I look forward to everyday is Really Raw Honey. It is simply the most delicious honey I have ever had. It is completely unprocessed and still has the pollen, honey comb and live enzymes. I top a bowl of fruit and greek yogurt with a spoon full of this amazing honey.

I have shared my healthy plan for 2010 and now would love to know if you have one…

As I write this, it’s very surprising a decade has passed- so quickly. Somehow time seems to pass much faster as I get older. I was thinking of writing a final post for 2009 and I realized that it would be the last one for the decade.

Lots of things to be thankful of- I have been quite busy bringing up our beautiful daughter. I can’t think of a lot of other things that happened in this past decade. I am sure lots did, but somehow it all seems like a blur. Everyone is healthy and happy- thank God.

Oh, one thing that stands out in my mind is our big kitchen renovation two years ago. It started May of 2007 and continued for about 6 months. We were without a kitchen for about 3 months. I managed with a hot plate and a fridge in my living room. The food was obviously not the focus at that time but thanks to a few good friends, we got some yummy food delivered to us. By the time everything was done, we were thoroughly sick of eating out (never thought I would say that)- and then the big reveal- I saw my beautiful kitchen with the extended area including a dining room, sitting room, mud room, guest room and a bathroom. I was beyond thrilled- even now when I come down in the morning, I look around and marvel at the space and all the colors. It makes me extremely happy. My stove, fridge and sink thrill me. I love looking at them and of course using them.

Once the kitchen finished end of 2007, I began thinking of using my kitchen to teach cooking classes. I started in Fall 2008. End of that year, I changed my static website to a blog and decided to post a recipe everyday through the week- I guess the point was to give people ideas what to cook.

Well, what started as an experiment has become a part of my life. As I cook anything, I am thinking how to post it on this blog. The blog has lead to many interesting things, including writing for the New York Times, The Local and AOL’s, The Patch. I never thought I would enjoy writing so much.. and I never thought people would enjoy my recipes so much.

This is my way of thanking all of you for reading, commenting on and most of all cooking my recipes. It is the best feeling in the world when someone emails me or stops me in Maplewood village to tell me how they cooked at home instead of going out and how easy it was to follow a recipe on my blog.

So, here is to a new year filled with delicious, healthy recipes from my side and lots of comments and cooking from yours!!