Well, friends, my second book baby, Quicker Than Quick, is about to make its way into the world on Tuesday, April 21st and I can barely contain myself! Unlike an actual baby, books take a long time. I originally pitched the idea of a book of quick to prep and quick to cook recipes to my agent in late April 2018. She was incredibly enthusiastic about the idea and encouraged me to write a proposal, “and make it quick!” We sent the proposal to the editor of my first book and we had a deal within the day.Continue reading
Stop the press! Hold the line! Sound the alarms! I am sharing the best, most delicious, not boring Passover side dish I have ever had. It is easy and versatile, although not low calorie and not vegan! (Sorry, Hubs!) Alas, Passover comes but once a year and you won’t eat this entire recipe in one sitting. This is MATZO POLENTA. Instead of making polenta with cornmeal, it’s made with matzo meal. And unlike everything else made with matzo meal, it doesn’t taste like a matzo ball.Continue reading
This post is sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus. All opinions are my own.
I have always been a big proponent of boosting the immune system at all times, but especially during this time of year and given the current circumstances. In fact, one of my original blogposts waaaaaay back in the day was about how to strengthen immunity. It is nearly impossible to avoid germs, just the way it is impossible to avoid obstacles and challenges in life. The best line of defense is to build the strongest immune system we can (or a tough constitution and attitude, as the case may be). (Yes there are some metaphors for life woven in there.) One of my strategies is to prepare as much of my family’s food as possible, and in today’s post, I am excited to share a delicious breakfast naturally sweetened with Florida Orange Juice.
If you’ve been hanging around me for a while, you know that I try to incorporate as many foods with benefits in my diet and minimize or avoid foods that create inflammation or suppress the immune system. One of the first foods that comes to mind that negatively affects our natural processes, including our immune function, is sugar in all forms. Natural sugars may have similar effects but more often come with key nutrients to help support immunity. One of the sweeteners that I have used for decades in my recipes both in classes and in my cookbooks in place of processed sweeteners is 100% orange juice.
Florida Orange Juice is a delicious sweetener that comes naturally with key nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, potassium, thiamin and vitamin D (in fortified juices) that can help support the immune system all year long and during cold and flu season. The immune system is complex and needs a constant supply of essential nutrients to support its function.
Always remember that nutrients that come from nature are better than synthetic vitamins and ones that have been isolated. Nature provides us with unique packages of nutrients in our plant foods that work together synergistically.   Besides being an excellent source of vitamin C, which we know protects the cells and promotes the production and function of immune cells, 100% orange juice contains a unique polyphenol called hesperidin which may have a number of benefits to the immune system including helping to fight inflammation.
In addition to incorporating key nutrients in our diet, we also need to make sure we stay well hydrated. Florida Orange Juice contains mostly water, in addition to natural electrolytes. I decided to change up my basic overnight oats and make them more flavorful and with added nutrients but without the addition of processed sweeteners, and instead swap in 100% orange juice for a delicious citrus flavor and natural sweetness. And to give these oats added oomph, I have also added vanilla, cinnamon and crunchy cacao nibs. I love all these flavors together. The sweet and tangy OJ is balanced really well from the bitter cacao and the warm cinnamon. Plus, they’re called overnight oats for a reason! Make them the night before for an easy grab-and-go breakfast and have fun playing around with other add-ins like chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or dried fruit.
If you make this recipe, please tag me so I can see your creation and I may even repost it! @pamelasalzman #pamelasalzman Stay healthy!
Orange Juice-Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Cacao Nibs
Hello, Friends. I’m checking in. I hope you are all staying healthy and sane right now. I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you all and I appreciate this community more than ever. Thank you for your feedback, encouragement, viewership, questions, and comments. Thank you for bringing my recipes into your kitchen and cooking them for your loved ones. Thank you for sharing your photos of your beautiful finished dishes and cooking with your kids. Please continue to encourage your friends and co-workers to cook healthy food at home. When you post a recipe on social media, any recipe, it inspires your community to do the same, to cook from scratch. You send a message that cooking nutritious food is important and doable.
I pulled together a collection of recipes that may help give you some ideas for “pantry ingredients.” You most likely have enough food at home and don’t need to go out. Stay home. Improvise with what you have. I can give you suggestions for substitutions if you’re stuck. But do stick to the foods you know keep you healthy and make you feel good. Continue reading
I saw this Bon Appetit shrimp dish on my friend Leanne Citrone’s Instagram feed a while back and I saved it to make at a later date. I save and pin things a lot and then I forget about them. Plus, I don’t have a lot of time to make other recipes because I am constantly testing my own. Recently I looked at my saved posts on Instagram (never mind that I can’t even remember saving the recipes), and this one jumped at me again. Continue reading
I have been on a major soup kick this season. I have always made soup once during the week and once on the weekend during the school year. I am now making soup at least three times a week and we are all loving it. I also order soup when I go out to eat, sometimes as my meal. In the last year or so, I have always found it very beneficial to eat more of my calories before 2 pm, with my lightest meal being dinner. That doesn’t always happen, but I feel best when I eat that way.Continue reading
When I was a kid, I never thought Brussels sprouts would ever have “a moment.” I only saw them in frozen, thawed and boiled form. Awful. Mom, it wasn’t your fault. Everyone did the same thing. Someone had the sense to roast them, fry them, or saute them and a Brussels sprouts went viral. They appeared on every trendy restaurant menu and people were even ordering them to share as an appetizer! I love a good comeback. Or is this not even a comeback because no one liked them to begin with? Hmmmm……Continue reading
Well, friends, my second book baby, Quicker Than Quick, is about to make its way into the world on Tuesday, April 21st and I can barely contain myself! Unlike an actual baby, books take a long time. I originally pitched the idea of a book of quick to prep and quick to cook recipes to my agent in late April 2018. She was incredibly enthusiastic about the idea and encouraged me to write a proposal, “and make it quick!” We sent the proposal to the editor of my first book and we had a deal within the day.Continue reading
