The Louisville Chef

I have been promising a garden update for some time and I have to say it has been real learning curve. I think the biggest learn was that you just can not add too much amendment to the soil. I followed the advice from the nursery regarding the soil mix and while the mix itself is good, it lacked enough nutrients. Once I began amending and adding additional compost and organic fertilizer it really took off. A few additional learns were that the potatoes, while good, took up far too much space for their yield. They have been taken up and cucumbers and watermelons planted in their stead. Secondly, the peppers need heat to perform, so planting them early was to no advantage. Thirdly, I had no luck whatsoever with my beans, so I need to do some research, but I really feel it was a nutrient issue. I think the pictures say it all, so enjoy and lets hope the good weather holds. Tomatoes Basil, Cucumbers, Peppers, Carrots, Eggplant and Watermelons Peppers

I am always on the look out for easy to prepare, healthy snacks and meals, which are vegan and low fat. I found these soups and noodles a while back and realized I haven't posted about them.  The company is called Right Foods, www.rightfoods.com  and they are a great source for healthy food, where you just add boiling water, wait 5 minutes and off you go. They taste great and are filling for just between 200-220 calories per serving, which is one cup/container. I can't list all of the products, but check out the site and see what you think. They have an online store and I have also been able to find them at Whole Foods and my local grocery store. They are between $1.79-1.99 per cup, so they are reasonably priced and really taste fantastic. Don't be put off that they are vegan, I promise you you wont miss a thing and you will be eating something good for you.

I have this question all of the time. Why do you put your vegetable oil in the refrigerator? When people see that I have my cooking oils in the refrigerator they wonder why. Well, I'm going to tell you. Oils are very susceptible to heat and light, so once they are cold pressed from a nut, olive or grain, they begin to oxidize. Now, if you use a lot of oil and use it quickly, say within a couple of weeks of opening, then this is likely not an issue, but this does not apply to most of us. Before anyone calls me out, let me say that when properly stored, olive oil and coconut oil are the only oils that do not need to be refrigerated. However, most oils will benefit from the cooler temps. So, how do you know which are best refrigerated? Here's a list: Nut Oils - Peanut, Hazelnut, Walnut, Avocado etc. - These should all be kept in the refrigerator. Buy small quantities and use as soon as possible. Cold pressed only. Olive Oil and Coconut Oil – No need to refri

As many of you know, I am mostly vegan. However, I do occasionally eat some seafood. When I do, I like to have a piece of fish and quality salmon is one of my favorites. Seeing some fresh, wild King Salmon did it and I picked up some for dinner. I have been playing with this recipe for quite awhile after seeing a similar one on the web. The original recipe didn't quite make sense to me as it seemed to missing some key ingredients to really give it an authentic Vietnamese flavor. In addition, it had far too much sugar for my taste, so I started modifying and I believe the end result is really good and quite easy to make. Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs of fresh salmon in two pieces. You want to find thick pieces, so they will roast up well and stay moist. The picture above is a good size. 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, heated slightly until it turns to oil. The microwave for about 30 seconds is perfect to accomplish this. Sea Salt Black Pepper Fresh Cilantro, chopped Green Onions, thinly