~FOODIE REVIEW~ From The Sage Book Whisperer's Kitchen~

It's Foodie Time! Thought I'd share with you my quest to EAT GOOD WHOLESOME Food_ making it tasty and nutritious_ Pure & Simple!

One of my "Meatless Monday Meals"...

           "Southern Lady Cream Peas" & a Bottle of Tabasco!
Growing up in East Texas...My Grandparents grew their own Veggies,Fruit trees were plentiful, Herbs were grown in pots, right by the front steps & Porch Swing, if you wanted "Chicken" for Dinner...go pick one in the Chicken Coop, grab a couple dozen eggs while in there for some "Texas Tea Cakes"_ in no time "Chicken" was on the table!

We picked peas & shelled them_ especially "Lady Cream Peas" a Southern Tradition, we canned green beans, okra, Southern Cha-Cha(relish),etc..

...Pears, Blackberry, Fig, & Pear Preserves, Big Mama made what we called "bootleg" Grape Wine_ we had pigs,
horses and a couple cows for milk...as far back as I can remember in the late 40s until late 60s.

It is no wonder why I love Pure & Simple Food!

What happened next,"College Days".Pure & Simple became........ 

 
~A FAST FOOD EPIDEMIC~...for many of
us (BTW, it still is for some)_FAST FOODS,
Dining Out, Take -Out,etc..

Now, that I know better_I've honed my cooking skills "Back To The Future"!Over a period of
20 years,I've learned how to cook the things I love without Frying,Buttering,Sugaring,etc..! I've come full circle...so I'm sharing just a few of "My Creations" with you.

~Lentil Quinoa Tortilla Tart w/Ancho Chile
   Sauce~

Over the weekend,this was a creation from leftover Lentil & Quinoa Soup. Opened a bottle of good Cabernet Sauvignon,
opened the back door(mild 60s weather in Texas)here at Aaron's Hilltop Farm & turned up Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughn 's "In Session" CD..
Let the cooking commence...

 

                                   ...Ancho Chile Pepper,Chile Powder,Celery Seeds

...added an English Cucumber/Sweet Onion Salad in Lemon Oil Olive Dressing_ got my Tex-Mex eat on in a healthy way!

~Cherry Chocolate Tart~
Made this creation a couple week's ago. I used store bought pie crust,1 tablespoon natural brown sugar & Organic Morello Cherry Preserves, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate bits to sweeten, & Frozen Cherries, cornstarch to thicken,cinnamon,nutmeg &
allspice(pinch of each),Organic Vanilla Extract,sprinkled
some Oats/Honey Granola on top...

Not shown on this photo_ but I added 1 tablespoon of Confectioner's Sugar to Sour Cream for the topping!
A "cuppa" Vanilla Caramel Tea, a slice of this "Cherry
Chocolate Tart"...Yummy!

~Pineapple Kiwi Ice Cream~
The trick to making an Ice Cream like treat is to make sure the fruit is frozen solid!You can be as creative as you like...whatever flavor combinations. Check out my Blog Post where I first learned to make this treat....
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-scream-for-ice-cream-bellydancingdont.html

In another creative moment, I toasted pecans, tossed them w/maple syrup & sea salt_Processed frozen bananas, added mixture...my childhood favorite_ "Butter Pecan Ice Cream"!!

                                          A sprinkle of Wheat Germ on Top

Here's another favorite Ice Cream Creations:

Lastly a couple of Creations
~Key Lime Chocolate Tart~

~Tilapia and Leek Pie~

So, as you can see_ I'm a Creative Cooking Foodie.

My Roots are in Southern Tradition where
most everything is Fried, Breaded, loaded with Butter and other ??? stuff. But, over the years...Oven Fried Chicken & "REAL"  Oven Fried Potatoes, cooking without added fat, eating more Veggies and Fruits and Grains(besides Grits & Oatmeal) _have become my Norm! I can't imagine eating a Pizza from any of the chains_ because I love my Own Pizza!

I still Love Food....But I'm...

Foodie Review From The Kitchen of..
         ~The Sage Book Whisperer~