[2] For a bigger bite (and they’re even easier to make): chocolate-covered nut clusters (photo courtesy Lindt USA).

[3] Nuts setting on parchment paper (photo courtesy Paleo Lezap).

Why don’t we make chocolate-covered nuts as gifts…and, not selflessly, for our own snacking. You need only two ingredients: chocolate and nuts.

Melt the chocolate, toss in the nuts: It’s that easy.

Among the choice of confections, we think of chocolate-covered nuts as almost guilt-free.

 
You can use any nuts you wish, but the “magnificent seven,” those with the lowest saturated fats, are:

 
But if your preference is for cashews or macadamias, go for it!

You can use your chocolate of choice—dark, milk, white—but the darker the chocolate, the more flavonoids—the antioxidants that provide health benefits*. Milk chocolate doesn’t have much of them.

The following recipe makes individually-covered nuts, but it’s even easier to make clusters:

You don”t have to remove individual nuts from the chocolate. Just scoop the chocolate-covered nuts out with a tablespoon.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE COVERED NUTS

This recipe is from Paleo Leap.

Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COVER a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring until fully melted. Stir the almonds into the chocolate, and toss until well coated.

2. REMOVE the nuts with a fork or a slotted spoon (shake to eliminate excess chocolate) and place onto the baking sheet and sprinkle almonds with sea salt. Set aside until the chocolate is set.

To make nut clusters: Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet.

3. STORE in the fridge until ready to serve.

*Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory benefits, cardiovascular system benefits, and support a healthy nervous system (nerve regeneration, cognitive function, etc.).
 
 

Our tip today focuses on uses for bone broth. Bone broth is an alternative to stock, a flavorful liquid made by slowly simmering bones, cartilage, and tendons, with some bits of meat that remain attached.

The difference between stock and bone broth is that while stock can be made in three or four hours, bone broth is simmered for 24 hours or more, extracting the maximum amount of collagen (protein) and other nutrients from the bones.

Bone broth can be made from any type of animal bones, from whatever carcass has been butchered—beef, bison, chicken, lamb, turkey—and fish bones. The broth is typically seasoned with onions and herbs.

Get protein with your cocktails! A recipe for Bone Broth Bloody Mary is below.
 
 
THE BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH

Over the past few years, drinking cups of bone broth has become a healthy habit for those seeking a variety of healing benefits:

 
 
BONE BROTH IN COOKING

But before we heard of bone broth as a health food darling, we used it for cooking:

 
Weight Watchers began recommending bone broth* as “free food” (have all you want) when the program began back in the 1960s.

Calories will vary by the producer but you can estimate 66 calories per eight-ounce cup.

You can make your own bone broth from scratch, but most people would rather buy it than watch a simmering pot for a day.

HOW TO ADD MORE BONE BROTH TO YOUR DIET

What can the home cook do with bone broth, beyond heating it in the microwave to drink?

We recently asked Bonafide Provisions, the first USDA-approved organic bone broth on the market, to share their favorite uses for bone broth. Here are their recommendations.

1. FROZEN CUBES. Start by freezing bone broth in ice cube trays. You’ll be ready to add extra collagen protein into soups, and stews, and even your simplest recipes is by dropping a cube of bone broth into them.

2. BREAKFAST. Take your pick:
Instead Of Coffee: For a start-the-day drink, make a bone broth “latte” instead. The collagen protein in the bone broth will fill you up. This recipe (photo #1) combines chicken bone broth, coconut milk, fresh basil and lime juice for a Thai-inspired bone broth latte.
Pancakes & Waffles: You can “secretly” add bone broth protein to carb-laden favorites like pancakes and waffles. Here’s a recipe (photo #2).
Breakfast Broth: Soup is a popular breakfast item in Southeast Asia. Here’s a recipe for an Asian-style breakfast soup that can be enjoyed all day.

3. BRUNCH COCKTAILS & COCKTAIL HOUR. Become a bone broth mixologist Using bone broth in our recipes is no exception. A favorite is a bone broth Bloody Mary (photo #8), the recipe below.

4. BOILING. Use bone broth in place of water or stock for cooking. Bone broth makes a delicious and nutrient-packed alternative to water in most recipes. Cooking grains in bone broth dishes adds not only flavor but gut-supporting collagen protein.

5. BRAISING LIQUID. Bone broth makes a great braising liquid for vegetables, short ribs and other braises (photo #4).

6. SAUTÉS & PAN SAUCES. Use it for all sauté and braising needs. Add a few tablespoons to ¼ cup of bone broth to deglaze the pan to make a sauce for meat. for a sauce for meat.

7. SLOW COOKING. Create delicious and easy meals in a slow cooker. It’s as easy as adding a protein, your favorite spices, chopped veggies, and a bag of beef bone broth to your slow cooker for a fuss-free, effortless stew.

8. SOUPS. It’s easy to add bone broth protein to just about any soup (photo #3). Using bone broth as a base for all of your soups and stews takes the hard work out of crafting a soup from scratch. Create easy blender soups with roasted vegetables. Check out these recipes from Bonafide.

9. PROTEIN ENHANCER. Hide bone broth in foods for picky eaters who aren’t getting enough protein. Check the recipes for everything from enchiladas to potato wedges.

10. SNACKS. Heat up 8-10 ounces of our bone broth with your favorite spices. The saltiness is satisfying and the collagen protein provides satiety.

11. SMOOTHIES. We love to add 2 cubes of bone broth to our morning smoothies (coconut milk, spinach, berries) as a way to boost the amino acid content and add in some extra protein.

12. BEDTIME RELAXER. Sip bone broth as a tea before bed. It’s not only a comforting, warm snack, but the amino acid, glycine, found abundantly in bone broth, helps support deep, restful sleep.
 
 
DO YOU HAVE MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO USE BONE BROTH?

Let us know!

There are bone broth recipes for every meal of the day on the company website.
 
________________

*Then in the form of bouillon cubes.

[1] Breakfast or snack: bone broth latte with coconut milk. Here’s the recipe (all photos courtesy Bonafide Bone Broth).

[2] Add protein to breakfast: Sneak bone broth into waffles. Here’s the recipe.

[3] For lunch or dinner, add bone broth to soups (here’s the recipe for this parsnip-garlic soup).

[4] Use bone broth in your braises. Here’s the recipe for braised short ribs with cauliflower purée.

[5] Cocktails from classics to your own creations have enhanced flavor and protein with the addition of bone broth. Here’s the recipe for this Salty Dog cocktail.

[6] and [7] The four flavors of Bonafide Bone Broth.

A Bloody Mary with beef broth has been made for a half century or longer. It is also known as a Bloody Bull, Bull Shot and Beefy Mary.

The saltiness of the broth gives this Bloody Mary variation a rich flavor, not to mention, collagen protein.

Want something fruitier? Here’s a Salty Dog cocktail with bone broth.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

[9] Want to serve crudités with your Bloody Marys? Make this protein packed ranch dip recipe.

 
Garnishes

Select your own favorites. Some suggestions:

 
Here are 11 more Bloody Mary garnishes. 

Preparation

We like to mix the salt with lemon zest and/or minced dill.

1. PLACE the salt or seasoning on a dish, rub the lime around the rim of a large glass, and twist it in the salt.

2. COMBINE all of the drink ingredients in a mixing glass or pitcher and stir well. Taste and add horseradish, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to taste.

3. ADD ice cubes to the glass. Add the mixed drink. Garnish with items of choice and serve.
 
 
ABOUT BONAFIDE PROVISIONS BONE BROTH

Bonafide Provisions was founded in 2011 when Sharon Brown, a clinical nutritionist, and certified GAPS practitioner, noticed a reluctance from her patients to make their own bone broth (it’s time-consuming). But her GAPS program clients were reluctant to make their own bone broth.

Products include Beef, Chicken, Turkey and Frontier Blend (beef, bison, lamb, turkey) organic bone broths. A second line, Drinkable Veggies, comprises five different blends of organic vegetable juices and bone broth, with 6-11 grams of protein per serving.

Bonafide Provisions Certified Organic broth and Drinkable Veggies have no grains, sugar or dairy and are Whole30 approved.

Learn more and use the store locator at BonafideProvisions.com.
 
 

We have no one to blame but ourself; and last year we stuck half a dozen bags of fresh cranberries into the freezer, to make raw cranberry-orange relish for summer sorbets and sides with grilled chicken and fish.

We started looking for other ways to use our cranberry relish and—no surprise—it can be enjoyed every day of the year.

Cranberry relish and cranberry sauce are condiments. A condiment is a spice, sauce, spread or other preparation that is added to the main food to enhance flavor or provide a complementary flavor.

The Romans turned their love of the condiments garum and liquamen—two types of fish sauce—into a flourishing condiment industry.

The world’s oldest surviving cookbook De Re Coquinaria by Apicius, compiles recipes of 4th and 5th century cuisine. It contains a section devoted to condiments.

Here’s a list of condiments throughout the globe.

But back to a very American condiment, here’s how we use cranberry relish. Instead of waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, start enjoying it now.

USES FOR CRANBERRY RELISH

At Breakfast

 
At Lunch

 
With Cocktails & Other Beverages

 
Cocktail Food

 
At Dinner

[2] Baked Brie with cranberry relish from The Wanderlust Kitchen.

[3] Cranberry sauce on vanilla ice cream (photo courtesy Watermelon Board).

 
FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH RECIPE

If you don’t already have a recipe, it couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE half the cranberries, half the orange slices and optional apple in a food processor; process until mixture is evenly chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the second batch.

2. COMBINE in a bowl and stir in the sugar and optional pecans and/or raisins. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

[5] Chop baking chocolate or a white chocolate bar (photo courtesy King Arthur Flour).

[6] You can substitute quality white chocolate chips like Guittard for baking chocolate (photo courtesy Lake Champlain Chocolates).

[7] The recipe requires both orange zest and juice (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

RECIPE: CRANBERRY ORANGE CHEESECAKE

We love cranberry cheesecake, the tart fruit complementing the rich cheese custard*.

We particularly enjoyed this twist from Reynolds Kitchens.

It’s a creamy, white chocolate cheesecake with orange zest, and a cranberry sauce topping.

We used our cranberry relish instead of the sauce. Either option is delicious.The difference is that sauce is cooked to a smooth consistency, and relish is raw.

Prep time is 4 hours including cooling. Cook time is 1 hour.

Ingredients For The Cheesecake

 
Cranberry Orange Sauce

You can use your favorite cranberry relish recipe, or make this sauce:

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the cranberry orange sauce: Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the cranberries start to break down. Remove from heat and cool completely before serving.

2. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of 18-inch-wide aluminum foil. Bring the edges of the foil up and mold the foil around the sides of the springform pan to form a watertight seal outside of the pan.

3. ZEST 1 teaspoon of orange zest from the orange. Juice 1/4 cup orange juice from the orange; set both aside.

4. COMBINE the vanilla wafers, pecans, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom and about 1-1/2 inches up the sides of the springform pan. Place in a roasting pan.

5. BEAT the cream cheese, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, and orange zest together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add the orange juice and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs and white chocolate.

6. POUR the filling into the crust pan. Place a roasting pan on the oven rack, and place the springform pan inside the roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

7. BAKE 1 hour or until top is just set and edges jiggle slightly when pan is gently shaken. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to stand in oven for 1 hour. It will continue to set up during standing time in oven.

9. COVER and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Top with cranberry orange sauce to serve.
 
 
MORE CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE RECIPES

________________

*Cheese cake is actually a cheese custard pie. It joins mis-named dishes like Boston Cream Pie, which is a layer cake.

[2] Arugula: a delightfully bitter green (photo courtesy Park Seed Company).

Panzanella (pon-za-NEL-ah) is a Tuscan-style bread salad made with a loaf of day-old (or older) Italian bread, cubed into large croutons and soaked in vinaigrette to soften it.

“Panzanella” translates to “bread in a swamp,” the swamp being the water or vinaigrette in which the bread is soaked.

Originally, people would go to their garden or forage in the field, bring in whatever vegetables they had and chop them to add to the bread cubes.

Cucumber, onion, tomato and often purslane, a salad green that grows wild, were common ingredients.

Early recipes were heavy on the onions, the cheapest ingredient to pair with the bread. When there wasn’t enough oil to spare, the bread was moistened in water.

Today, this peasant dish is a popular first course in Italy. It doesn’t appear often on menus of U.S.-based Italian restaurants. That’s too bad, because it’s a dish worth knowing.

So today’s tip is: Make a bread salad! It‘s a refreshing dish that takes just minutes to whip up.

While summer markets are have more bountiful produce choices, you can make panzanella with the basics—cucumbers, onions, carrots, celery, whatever you have on hand.

You can add ingredients beyond vegetables, as this recipe shows. It uses seasonal squash, mozzarella and lentils.

Want more beans? Add them to a panzanella of any kind.

Prep time for this recipe, which we adapted from Good Eggs is 30 minutes.

You can put this together in minutes if you have leftover squash and lentils or beans.

You can add more salad vegetables (cucumber, onion, cherry tomatoes, etc.). For a flavor lift, we also toss in whatever fresh herbs we have on hand; typically, basil, parsley or thyme.

Hard, two-day-old bread is fine; in fact, some consider it ideal.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Arrange the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet and toss with a bit of olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Bake until tender and golden brown on the bottom, about 15 to 20 minutes. (Important: Squash can look bright orange on top but burnt on the bottom, so be sure to check the underside with a spatula.)

2. COMBINE the lentils and water/stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes. The lentils will double or triple in size.

3. HEAT the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp, 2–3 seconds. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels; sprinkle with coarse salt.

4. TOSS the lentils in a small bowl with a splash of red wine vinegar, the garlic paste, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch or two of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

5. TOSS the bread with the lentils, sage and squash in a large bowl or on a platter. Let it sit for a few minutes while you dress the arugula in a separate bowl, with a splash or two of red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.

6. GENTLY fold in the arugula. Top with the mozzarella and serve.
________________

*Here are the different sizes of mozzarella balls.

Since grandma’s day, the American sandwich has evolved from meat, cheese or fish, on bread or a roll, with a schmear of mustard or mayo, to…anything goes.

Here’s what some of America’s chefs are doing with sandwich spreads, courtesy of Flavor And The Menu, a magazine that keeps chefs up-to-date on what their colleagues are doing nationwide.

But first:

 
 
SANDWICH SPREADS: 10 FLAVOR UPGRADES

“Condiments, spreads and dressings are the hidden heroes of today’s sandwich innovation,” begins the article.

If your favorite sandwich condiment is mustard or mayonnaise, it’s time for a flavor upgrade.
 
 
1. AÏOLI & OTHER FLAVORED MAYONNAISE (Photos #1 and #4)

Mayonnaise is a favorite condiment. In France, it takes the form of aïoli, garlic mayonnaise.

The past two decades have seen an explosion of flavors: bacon, basil, cayenne, chipotle, curry, horseradish and down through the alphabet, ending with wasabi. You can buy them or make them, by adding your flavor of choice to regular mayonnaise.

Chef examples:

 
Try these ideas:

 
 
2. CHUTNEY (Photo #2)

India’s spiced condiments boost flavor in sweet (fruit) or savory (herb or vegetable) variations.

Chef examples:

Try this idea:

 
 
3. CLASSIC SAUCES

The classic French mother sauces and secondary sauces can be ported to sandwiches—especially warmed.

Chef examples:

Try these ideas:

 
 
4. GLOBAL SAUCES (Photo #3)

Is there an area of the world that hasn’t sent its condiments and spices to the U.S.?

From a gochujang-spiked mayo to curry ketchup, globally flavored condiments add a touch of the exotic to the familiar sandwich.

Chef examples:

Try these ideas:

 
 
5. JAM (Photo #5)

Sweet and savory jams are right at home on a sandwich.

Chef examples:

 
Try these ideas:

[2] Try chutney, sweet or savory, as a sandwich spread. Here’s the recipe for this tomato chutney from NDTV.

[3] Burger with romesco sauce, from Morningstar Farms.

[4] A grilled pineapple BLT with sriracha mayo, at Half Baked Harvest.

[5] Jam as a touch of sweetness to a sandwich, and there are so many different pairings (photo courtesy Lexi’s Clean Kitchen).

[6] The classic pasta sauce also works as a sandwich spread. Use a chunkier style (less dripping with olive oil—photo Looby | IST).

 
 
6. PESTO (Photo #6)

This familiar pasta sauce can be made in many ways—changing the herb, nuts and cheese—to suit any sandwich.

Chef examples:

 
Try these ideas:

[6] Blue cheese dressing: great on burgers and many sandwiches (photo ©Picture-Perfect Meals).

[7] Tahini sauce, thick and spreadable (it’s diluted to make a sauce—photo Fotographica Basica | IST).

[8] Blue cheese dressing: great on burgers and many sandwiches (photo ©Picture-Perfect Meals).

[9] Add a fried egg to cold cuts, vegetarian sandwiches, anything you like (photo © Safe Eggs).

Using salad dressing on a sandwich is not a new idea: Think Reuben and Russian dressing.

Chef ideas:

 
Try these ideas:

 
 
8. TAHINI (Photo #7)

This smooth condiment and sauce is made from ground sesame seeds. It is a key ingredient in hummus, baba ghanouj and halvah, but it’s also coming into its own as a sandwich spread.

Chef examples:

Try these ideas:

 
 
9. TAPENADE (Photo #8)

Tapenade is a Provençal specialty made from puréed or finely chopped olives, capers and olive oil. It hits all the right flavor notes, and works with a broad selection of sandwich ingredients.

Chef examples:

 
Try these ideas:

10. YOGURT

This tangy, good-for-you ingredient has long been served as tzatziki (with chopped cucumber and mint), in gyro shops. Thankfully, it has traveled further.

Chef examples:

 
Try these ideas:

Flavor & The Menu didn’t include this one on their list, but it’s an option we use regularly: a fried (up, over, hard) or poached egg.

It adds flavor and texture to many sandwiches, including burgers. It gave its name to the BLTE—bacon, lettuce, tomato and egg (usually fried over) sandwich.

It’s great with everything from avocado toast to chicken/turkey to roast vegetables.

In photo #9, it’s on a hero. Give it a try!
 
Strut your sandwich!