Taste of Thyme: Good & Good for You Food

I love to eat soup all year long, but in the winter it is something I eat almost every day. Here is a soup that is easy (don't let the ingredients scare you) and has a bit of an exotic flavor. I find it very satisfying. It is a good soup to curb your appetite before a large dinner or to help you make it to the next meal. 4 ears corn (or 1 lb of frozen) 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 4 cups water 2 cups vegetable broth 12 sprigs cilantro 5 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and quartered 1 to 2 fresh lemongrass stalks, including bulb end, smashed and coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tablespoon thai fish sauce or soy sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt Thinly sliced lime (optional) Thinly sliced jalapeño pepper (optional) Cut corn kernels from ears of corn; set aside. Reserve cobs if using fresh corn. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tend...

Winter is Citrus time...so go out and get some! Citrus, even though it is winter fruit, taste like sunshine. You can drink orange or grapefruit juice, but then all you get is water, sugar and some vitamins. If you actually eat the fruit you get all the fiber and it will fill you up much longer than the juice! Here's some ways to enjoy the fruit: 1. Cut a few oranges into 8 wedges and throw them into a bowl in the fridge or into a baggy. Then just snack on the wedges during the day. 2. Get yourself a grapefruit knife. Cut your grapefruit in half (Indian River is the best grapefruit). Section the fruit with the knife. Drizzle 1 tsp of honey on each half. Place under the broiler a few minutes until it is hot and bubbling. This makes a good breakfast treat or even a nice dessert. 3. Make some Sicilian orange salad. Cut the peel off an orange. Cut the orange flesh into slices or chuncks. Then season the orange with salt and fresh pepper. Drizzle with 1 tsp of extra virgi...

Certain words on any menu indicate high fat or hidden calories. Knowing these words can help you avoid these items. When you encounter these words, just pass the food by or ask for substitutions. au gratin - In France this is the shape of an oval baking dish....here in the USA it means layered with cream and cheese battered - Dipped in egg and flour (or beer or milk) and deep fried beurre - French for butter. Usually this will indicate a sauce that has butter as its main ingredient bisque - a soup made with butter, a tomato product and usually cream or milk cream of - cream or milk and flour is used in the thickening dipped - in what? twice-baked - cooked once and then cheese, cream, sour cream, egg yolks or butter added and baked again hollandaise - a sauce made from butter, egg yolk and a bit of lemon juice just like mom’s - keep in mind it was mom's cooking that got you into this mess! pan-fried, seared, roasted - al...