Apr 10, 2013Hi Jenny! I just want to ask if you know how to make “Kielbasa” (i think thats the word?) My boyfriend is Polish and I wanna make something for him. What kind of Polish food would be nice to make a romantic dinner? Would Kielbasa be good enough? Do you know any Polish pastas? Thank you so much!
My response:
I’ve never made kielbasa but I have eaten my share in the past. I imagine it’s a lot of work to make sausage. The only Polish foods I make are cabbage rolls, pierogi, borscht, and Hunter’s stew (sauerkraut). There aren’t a lot of Polish pasta dishes but my mother used to make a noodle dish with noodles, mushrooms, and sauerkraut but I still haven’t figured out how she did it. But none of that sounds romantic, does it? I wish I could help you out but maybe one of my readers will come up with an idea…
Please consider adding nutritional information and portion sizes. I use an app called My FitnessPal/Calorie Counter.. It helps monitor what you eat. They have a My Recipe section where you can add each ingredient manually..it also let’s you scan barcodes to create your recipe,and if the product isn’t in their database it can be manually added. It helped me lose about 13 pounds just by realizing what I was putting in your mouth.
Shirley asks… Have you ever made shortbread cookies? We used to buy Archway but can’t seem to find them anymore. They were the best we found. We love your granola and several other recipes. I enjoy your website.
My Response…
I don’t make shortbread cookies because they always call for so much butter. – Jenny Jones
Hi Jenny, I love all your recipes. I would like to know where can I buy the whole grain pastry flour to make the chocolate chip pizza. I didn’t see it in my local supermarket. Is there a certain brand I need? I look forward to your new cookbook. Thanks Jenny.
My Response…
Only some grocery stores carry it but I can always find it at Whole Foods. My grocery store carries Arrowhead Mills brand but only sometimes. If there’s not a Whole Foods in your area, check with any health food store or you can always order it online. Look for either “whole grain pastry flour” or “whole wheat pastry flour” as they are both good sources of B vitamins and fiber. When baking cookies, I try to replace at least some of the white flour with whole grain pastry flour or when possible, I’ll use all whole grain flour (like with my oatmeal cookies, which are 100% whole grain). One more thing… all whole grain flours must be stored in the fridge.
Jenny, What easy dish can I make in advance for about 30 people and serve out of a chafing dish? If you’re in the mood, por favor…..
My Response…
I have an idea that should be pretty easy and would survive well in a chafing dish: Pesto bowties with chicken. Chicken is cooked ahead or store-bought rotisserie, cut into bite-size pieces. Pesto can be made days ahead (there’s a recipe in my book but Butoni makes a good one if store bought). Day of, you only have to cook the pasta & stir in the pesto & chicken. Keep some extra pesto or olive oil if it starts to look dry. Add parmesan or serve it on the side. (This is making me hungry!)
hey jenny,
im going to make a chicken pesto lasagna what kind of cheese should I use? and can I use green peppers and onions will that mess up the taste of the pesto I wanna keep it simple and I don’t want to use red sauce so if you have any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
My Response…
Chicken pesto lasagna sounds great! Part skim mozarella is naturally low in fat and melts nicely in lasagna. It’s what I use on my pizza. I would not use green peppers with pesto for their strong taste. If you want to keep it simple, I would just use the noodles, ricotta, chicken, mozarella, and pesto. I wouldn’t even use onion because pesto is such a distinctive flavor. One other possible addition would be fresh spinach since it’s the base for pesto and can’t compete with the flavor. Spinach also kicks up the nutrition. Good luck with it. If you mess it up, just mash it all up and call it a casserole!
Dear Jenny,
My question to you is you mentioned that you sip green and white tea all day long, is it hot or iced? And is there a good way to make either a perfect cup? Thank you.
My response…
Darlene, I drink green, white, or black tea when it’s hot because I believe there are more antioxidants when it’s just newly brewed. If I let a cup of green or white tea sit out too long, the color darkens (oxidizes) and to me it won’t have the same benefits. One key thing is not to brew tea more than 2-3 minutes or it can get bitter.
Dear Jenny,
I hope you can help. I love making pancakes but they are never light and fluffy like the pictures I see. I like to add diced apple and wonder if that could be weighing them down, but then even when I make them plain, they still come out kind of flat (& not very pretty). Even though they still taste good, I want them to look good too. Any thoughts?
My response…
Dear Angela,
I think I know what the problem is. The biggest mistake people make with pancakes is to over-mix them. So if you’re using an electric mixer, put it away! The batter should be gently stirred or folded using a spatula or large spoon with just a few turns. In fact, it should actually be lumpy and not smooth. Adding the apples or other fruit (like blueberries!) should not make a difference, except they will be healthier. Good luck.
Hi Jenny:
Love your site. It looks inviting and the colors are refreshing but not “old.” Love your advice. I’ve been trolling the internet for information on increasing energy, reducing loss of skin-tone, reducing fat accumulation, … for a very long time.
I have, indeed, found numerous resources and I work to maintain a healthy lifestyle, however I am allergic to tomatoes, and all citrus fruits plus almonds. This puts quite a damper on recipes I find. Do you have any suggestions of what/how I might cook with these restrictions.
Onward,
Marilynn B.
My response…
Marilynn, your allergies shouldn’t stop you from making healthy choices. Instead of citrus fruits (a good source of vitamin C) you can get your C from red peppers, papaya, broccoli or cantaloupe just to name a few. Instead of almonds, use walnuts which actually have the most Omega-3 fatty acids of all the nuts. As for tomatoes, a good source of lycopene, you can get that from other red fruits like watermelon (Yum!) but have a little fat with it (like a couple of walnuts) for better absorption of the lycopene. Check your overall diet if you’re lacking energy – too many carbs and sugars can be the culprit. And protect your skin tone with sunscreen every day, even the cloudy ones. It seems to me you can cook lots of things, especially the important ones: vegetables, as well as rice, pasta, eggs, and meats. Just be grateful you’re not allergic to chocolate. Oh, the horror!! 🙂
Jenny
Jenny,
If I want to add lowfat healthy seasoning to the paperbag popcorn what would you suggest? before or after popping? mrs.dash has several varieties without sodium etc, have you experimented?
Lynda
Lynda,
If you pop without oil, I would add the dry seasoning after because otherwise, it won’t stick. If you use oil, you can add the seasoning with the oil and shake the bag well before popping. Depending on your tastes, you can add all kinds of seasonings like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, dried herbs, or a little parmesan cheese.
Jenny
