Have a Heart...

February is a month filled with lots of action...


The Superbowl - which by the way was a great Giants victory;


Groundhog Day - which could have been skipped in New Jersey this year since winter has not even started yet;


Pet Dental Health Month - my greyhounds are going for a cleaning in two weeks; and


So many other bizarre -Library Lovers Month and National Care About Your Indoor Air Month - and not so bizarre celebrations to include Valentine's Day, Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Black History Month.


With all of this celebrating it is easy to forget that February is also American Heart Month and heart disease is the Number 1 killer of women.  That's right we are not taking care of the ticker.  Stress, nutrition, smoking, as well as other factors all lead to heart disease.  Small changes can make a big impact on your heart so follow this link http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG, get some great information and take heart in knowing that there is plenty of information available to you to prevent heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and many more unpleasant heart related aliments.


From my heart to yours celebrate February in a heart healthy way. Be kind to your heart and celebrate National Nutella Day (which is February 5), Elmo's Birthday (February 3) relive our nations history, and invite some friends over to celebrate national embroidery and termite month!


Heart Healthy Cod...

1 lb. Cod Fish
Salt/Pepper
1 Can Artichoke Hearts (drained and quartered)
4 Large Roasted Red Peppers (sliced)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil
Place cod on tin foil and season both sides with salt/pepper
Evenly top with artichokes hearts then with roasted peppers
Drizzle with oil
Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until the cod is opaque and flaky
Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes and slice into 4 equal pieces
Enjoy!

Drum roll please....

The winner if the Forkful of Simplicity Comment Contest is...

Rhea for her fridge comment -

Wow buggin!!! 

Congrats Rhea you win a dinner cooked by yours truly. Thank you to everyone who made a comment for the contest. Keep the comments coming. 

It means so much when you take the time to 

cook and comment!  

Super Bowl Menu From Forkful of Simplicity Cookbook...

Well here we are the first day of February already...where in the world did the month of January go?  We were just celebrating New Year's now we are getting ready for Super Bowl and Valentine's Day.  Time really does go fast and it should not be wasted on endless hours of Internet searching for the perfect game day menu for the Big Blue Super Bowl this weekend!  Search no more you can rest assured that this menu is sure to please any guest, even the vegetarians, at your Super Bowl party this Sunday.   Call, email and text your friends, stock the fridge, get the chips, make this meal and enjoy the game...

GO GIANTS!

Super Bowl XLVI Menu

BBQ Pulled Turkey Biscuit Sandwiches

Express Sweet Potato Fries

Kicked Up Black Bean Cakes with Lime Topping

BBQ Pulled Turkey Biscuit Sandwiches
2 lb. Turkey London Broil
Garlic Powder

Salt / Pepper 

1 Medium Onion (sliced)
1 Bottle of BBQ Sauce
1 Bottle of Beer (Preferably a Wheat Beer Such as Sam Adams)
Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
Sliced Cheddar Cheese


Place turkey in crock pot and season with garlic powder, salt / pepper
Top turkey with sliced onions
Pour entire bottle of BBQ sauce over turkey
Pour in 3/4 of the bottle of beer
Cover and cook for 4 hours on high
After 4 hours uncover and add remaining beer
Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the turkey is cooked
through and the juices run clear
Remove from crock pot and shred
Serve on a biscuit with thinly sliced cheddar cheese melted over top


Express Sweet Potato Fries
5 Sweet Potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch long slices)
Vegetable Oil
Salt/Pepper
Garlic Powder


Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with vegetable oil, salt/pepper and garlic powder
Place potatoes on cookie sheet in a single layer
Bake 10 minutes
Turn once and bake 10 additional minutes or until golden brown
Remove from oven
Sprinkle with salt
Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving


Kicked Up Black Bean Cakes
2 Cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cloves Garlic (pressed)
1 Jalapeno (minced)
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
Salt/Pepper
1 Large Sweet Potato (peeled and coarsely grated into 2 cups)
1 Egg (beaten)
1/2 Breadcrumb
Lime Sour Cream (recipe below)
Special Equipment...Fork or Potato Masher


Heat oven broiler
In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add garlic, jalapeno and cumin
Cook till fragrant about 30 seconds
Transfer mixture to a large bowl
Add beans to mixture and mash with a fork or masher, leaving 1/4 of beans whole
Season generously with salt/pepper
Fold in sweet potato, egg and breadcrumb
Brush baking sheet with remaining olive oil
Divide into 10-12 balls of equal size and flatten into patties
Place patties on baking sheet
(Up to this point patties can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake in the oven)
Broil 4 inches from heat until golden brown about 8-10 minutes
Carefully turn patties and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes
Remove from oven and cool slightly
Top with Lime Sour Cream


Lime Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
Salt/Pepper


In a bowl combine sour cream and lime juice
Season with salt

Welcome...

To the inside of my refrigerator!  Cooking Club of America asked for pictures of the inside of your fridge and I figured why not.  This is where the magic happens and now you can be apart of it too.  So many yummy veggies, eggs, waters, condiments, cheese and Tupperware.  It is as clean and organized as I am...Happy Cooking!

Our Newest Addition...

A brand spankin' new Crock-Pot The Original Slow Cooker!  But wait is it a crock pot or a slow cooker???

Most of us, me included, have no idea the difference between a crock pot and a slow cooker so to answer the burning question...Crock-Pot is the trademarked brand name for the Rival brand of slow cookers.  Ah ha BUT the glaring difference between a crock pot and a slow cooker is the location of the heating element.  Crock pots have the heating element housed in the sides of the appliance base so the heat surrounds the food while the slow cookers heating element is in the bottom of the appliance base heating the food from the bottom.  Slow cookers might also have a thermostat for a wide range of temperatures.    Either way they both perform the same function...gently cook food low and slow giving us tender and succulent meals each and every time we plug it in.

The Crock-Pot / Slow Cooker is a great weeknight option for busy cooks.  It is optimal for tougher cuts of meat, great for soups, side dishes stay warm, and the smell that lingers in the house just screams comfort.

So go break out that Crock Pot / Slow Cooker you have stashed in the pantry and look for some of my favorite crock pot / slow cooker recipes in February!