Feeling a Little Pickled?

Homemade pickles! Photo by Angela Tague

These hot, rainy summer days have made my garden spiral out of control. The acorn squashes are all ripening at once. My tomato row is speckled with red and yellow orbs of deliciousness and the cukes--oh the cukes!

Over the weekend I spent a few hours creating a new pickling recipe to use up my wealth of cucumbers. The first batch I made was too tart. I love pickles, but not when they make me pucker like a blow fish.

My next batch was much better. Instead of following a recipe, I decided to wing it. I started with 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons of diced garlic and 1 cup of raw sugar.

Warning: Raw sugar will turn your brine a pretty/dingy/uncommon caramel color.

After a good stirring to dissolve the sugar, I gave the pickling liquid a taste. It was a touch sweet so I added maybe another 1/2 cup of white vinegar. The pickles are in the fridge now. Hopefully they will be delicious in just a few days!

Have you been making pickles too? What are your tips and tricks? And while we're at it, what should I do with my impending bumper crop of tomatoes? I'm thinking of making homemade pizza sauce to freeze for winter pizza making.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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If Cabbage and Broccoli Got Married...

I'm lucky to have friends who also love to dig in the dirt. Recently a girlfriend gave me a bag brimming with garden-fresh goodies. But, one of the treats looked strange, foreign and unrecognizable.

Kohlrabi at the farmer's market. Photo by Angela Tague

"What's this?" I asked.

I found out it was kohlrabi, a new vegetable to add to my palate. YES! 

I think my last big culinary venture was eating a pummelo, a tropical fruit which isn't easy to find in the Midwest.

How to Eat It!
So, let's get down to business. If you stumble upon a basket of kohlrabi at the farmer's market, grab a few bulbs. This root-like vegetable comes from the cabbage family and looks like a light green or purple turnip.

The University of Illinois Extension office suggests choosing smaller bulbs. The larger the kohlrabi, the more woody and tough the texture. Although I only ate the bulb part of the plant, young leaves can be cooked like other leafy greens.

So, for my first attempt at enjoying kohlrabi, I washed, peeled and sliced the bulbs. I added the crisp, light green vegetable to the top of a chopped salad and it was delicious. The flavor of kohlrabi reminds me of a mild cabbage mixed with broccoli. It was flavorful and complemented the carrots and celery in the salad perfectly.

Have you ever eaten kohlrabi? How do you like to prepare it? Whole Foods Living readers and I love cooking suggestions! Please share below.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Pillsbury Gluten Free Pizza Dough: Easy, But Plain

Pillsbury Gluten-free pizza dough. Photo by Angela Tague

Going gluten-free isn't simple. That's why I get really excited when I see allergy-friendly products at the grocery store.

During my weekly visit to Fareway, I was happy to see three new products from Pillsbury nestled between the tubes of pop-up biscuits and chunks of fancy cheese in the cooler section.

The food giant recently released Gluten-free pizza dough, chocolate chip cookie dough and pastry dough. After a quick scan of the ingredient lists, I decided to give the pizza dough a try. There were no 16-letter chemicals or fillers to be found, so it fits into my approach to eating healthier. Yes, pre-packaged dough isn't a whole food, but it's a quick food, which everyone needs on occasion. With that said, every time I can make dough from scratch, I do it. But, convenience foods are practical on days when there's only a few minutes to prepare a meal.

Let's Bake!
So, back to the dough. I cut the 13oz. dough ball in half to make a smaller, individual-size pizza for myself for lunch. It as easy to work with and had a great consistency. Some gluten-free doughs are crumbly or overly sticky. This was simple to work with.

I flattened the dough into a small circle and placed it on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet. After pre-heating the oven to the recommended 400 Degrees Fahrenheit, I pre-baked the plain dough for 6 minutes. Pillsbury recommends 12-14 minutes, but I knew it would burn in that amount of time. After 6 minutes, it was still a little dark on the edges.

Then I loaded the dough with homemade sauce, chopped veggies and shredded mozzarella. Back into the oven it went for another 6 minutes. (Pillsbury recommended another 10-12 minutes.)

And The Results Are...
Although my pizza came out with slightly burnt edges, I didn't mind. I'm that girl that likes her s'mores marshmallows charred and her toast a little dark! The crust had a good chewy texture with crisp edges. But, the flavor was very plain. The dough needs some seasonings (like garlic or oregano) mixed in to give it an Italian taste.

Overall, the dough was very simple to use and held up well to baking. Will I try it again? Yes. Will it be my new go-to pizza dough? No. My homemade dough is lighter and more flavorful. But for a quick pizza, this works.

I do plan on trying the chocolate chip cookie dough and pastry dough in the coming weeks.

So, what's your go-to pizza dough? A homemade recipe or a mix?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Hummus at the Pub? Oh, Yes!

Veggies and hummus at Doyle's. Photo by Angela Tague

Not all pub food is crispy fried, covered in cheese or drenched with salt.

During my recent trip to Boston, I was overjoyed to find healthy options on the menu at Doyle's Cafe, a pub in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. You might have heard of (or seen) Doyle's talked about by Emeril on his TV show The Originals or used as a backdrop in a movie (Mystic River, 21, Celtic Pride, My Best Friend's Girl).

I settled on the veggie plate appetizer, and asked the server if I could sub the ranch dressing for hummus. Without a blink of an eye she said "Sure thing!"

As I sipped on my Angry Orchard cider (let's think of it as a serving of apples for the sake of this healthy blog, shall we?) the hubby and I admired the Samuel Adams decor in the pub. After all, this was the first pub to take on Sam Adams as a client, which gave the brewery a huge boost in sales and launching point for success.

Not long into our admiration of the bar, the appetizer arrived. My veggie plate was a crisp, fresh mix of grape tomatoes, celery sticks, sliced bell peppers, plump mushrooms, yellow squash slices, chunks of zucchini and carrot sticks. A creamy, zesty hummus was served on the side, perfect for dipping.

So, who says you can't eat healthy at the pub? I did!

Do you look for healthy options when eating away from home? Tell me about your delicious, nutritious discoveries in odd places!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living