LOCAL WOMAN OFFERS MENUS, COOKING HINTS, SHOPPING TIPS AND LOTS MORE ON ONLINE service
Web a rich resource for cooking knowledge
Date published: 11/7/2007
BY EMILY BATTLE
When she started her own virtual-assistant business in 2001, Spotsylvania resident Kathy McHenry learned that the Web could help her have the work life she wanted--one that's based from home.
Last spring, she figured out a way to bring her passion for cooking into the mix.
McHenry has started a subscription-recipe service called My Online Meals, which sends weekly recipe plans, complete with shopping lists and kitchen tips, out to her estimated 5,000 subscribers.
She writes the recipes with quantities for serving two, four or six people.
Most recipes are adapted from ones that McHenry has found elsewhere. And while the avid cook says she's never found a recipe she hasn't tweaked, it's often not the ingredients she has to spend the most time honing before she sends them out.
McHenry has found that as more and more people start cooking without having learned the basics from a parent or a home-economics class, recipes have to do more to lead them through.
McHenry tells the story of her mother's old recipe card for Oriental cabbage salad. It's a list of ingredients, and the only instructions on the card are "Mix," and "Turn card over."
If that had been written today, you'd likely see mention of how to cook the chicken, a reminder to whisk the oil, vinegar and sugar together for the dressing or even a note about what size bowl to place the salad in.
"I just had to laugh," McHenry said. "I look at the old recipes and think so many people wouldn't know what to do."
McHenry wants to help change that. She wants to help more people get into the kitchen, so they don't have to resort to fast-food or takeout that can be unhealthy.
So on the My Online Meals Web site, she has started a blog where she talks about shopping techniques, the obesity epidemic and mixes in entries from other cooking enthusiasts.
"I want to bring in a lot of people who are really passionate about this," she said. "I would just like to see people be healthier. I see myself hopefully adding enough stuff to my Web site where people can come and learn."
If the growing food blogosphere is any indication, McHenry should find a healthy appetite for that kind of information.
| VEGGIE ENCHILADAS
1 package corn tortillas Oil for frying Shredded pepper jack cheese to taste 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil) 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced 1 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine) 1 serrano chile, veins and seeds removed and minced 4 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped 1 cup fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped 1 cup cooked potatoes, diced
Procedure: Saute the onions and garlic in a pan coated with olive or vegetable oil. Cook over medium heat. When the onions are tender, add the zucchini, yellow squash, corn, serranos, and mushrooms. Continue cooking until squash is tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Add fresh spinach and diced cooked potatoes and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.
To put together enchiladas:
Quickly dip the corn tortillas in hot oil, being careful not to get them crisp. Fill the softened tortillas with shredded pepper jack cheese and the veggie mixture. Roll them up, place on a plate and top with the hot ranchero sauce. Serve immediately.
Recipe from: Susie Hawk's blog, "Sustenance"
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| My Ranchero Sauce
1 tablespoon butter medium onion, chopped green bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 2 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 teaspoons ground cumin teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 cups vegetable broth 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce teaspoon salt 4 ounces tomato paste (optional) cup chopped fresh cilantro
Procedure: Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the next 6 ingredients and saute until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomato sauce and cook until sauce starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Taste and season the sauce with salt. If you prefer a more "tomato-y" sauce, stir in the 4 ounces of tomato paste ( a small can). Cook for about 15 more minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you may add a little bit of water to thin it out. Stir in cilantro.
Recipe from: Susie Hawk's blog, "Sustenance"
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| MEXICAN PORK CHOPS
Makes 4 servings
6 pork chops 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cups water cups long grain rice, uncooked 8 ounces tomato sauce 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix 1 medium green pepper, chopped
Procedure: Brown pork chops in a large skillet with the oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In a sprayed 9- by 13-inch baking dish, combine the water, rice, tomato sauce and taco-seasoning; mix well. Arrange the browned chops over the rice and top with green pepper. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Recipe from: Kathy McHenry's "My Online Meals"
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| KITCHEN LINKS
myonlinemeals.com
sustenance.motime.com |
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Date published: 11/7/2007
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