Have you ever heard of nitrates and nitrites? Did you know, they are in almost ALL deli meats and processed meats? The only positive thing I can say about nitrates and nitrites; they inspired me to start my blog. Surprisingly, those harmful chemicals are throughout our food supply. Why isn’t someone screaming from the rooftops – “Hey, that crap causes cancer in you!” so…I started JoAnn’s Food Bites! What Are Nitrates and Nitrites? They are inorganic chemical compounds found naturally in all kinds of foods, including vegetables. Once these foods react with your stomach acids, they can help lower blood pressure. READ MORE ABOUT FOOD AND BLOOD PRESSURE HERE! HOWEVER, an…
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Peaches Are More Than Nutritious
Peaches are considered a “drupe” fruit in the culinary world. A drupe is a single seeded, fleshy fruit with a soft, juicy layer surround a hard endocarp, the seed protecting part. Besides peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and mangoes are all drupe fruit. In the culinary world, fruits are usually high in sugar content, however, this is counterbalanced by their rich load of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, often concentrated in the skin of the fruit. Peaches are a wonderful ingredient due to their versatility in the kitchen. Propagation of the Peach The peach is a deciduous tree (meaning every fall, these trees lose their leaves) native to Northwest China, where it…
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Labor Day: Cookout and Picnic Recipes
This post contains affiliate links, which I earn a small commission from each sale. Labor Day typically marks the end of the summer hiatus for families across the United States. Some schedule family cookouts or picnics as a celebratory send off to summer. Ribs, kebabs, barbecue chicken, baked beans and ice cream are just a few culinary concoctions prepared over the long weekend. In this post, I include some of my favorite recipes and tips for cooking outdoors. Picnic Foods These simple grilled steak kebabs are easy and can be prep ahead of times, transported to a park and cooked on a grill. Simple Grilled Steak Kebabs Everyone has their…
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Brisket Tacos with JoAnn’s Food Bites Fresh Salsa
Being one-half of the professional barbecue competition team, Smokin J’s Barbeque, I must figure out how to use leftover pulled pork, barbecue chicken, and beef brisket, regularly. For our most recent competition, The South Carolina Festival of Discovery, we only had pulled pork and brisket leftover. GO TO SMOKIN J’S BARBEQUE COMPETITION TEAM Of course, I had my standard pork and baked potato immediately. Adding cheese and butter, it is one of my favorite lunches. So, I created these brisket tacos, on the fly, incorporating my simple homemade salsa. Putting Garden Tomatoes to Good Use This year, my garden has been graciously supplying many tomatoes! My patio tomatoes have actually…
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Growing and Cooking Onions
Growing and cooking onions are treasured around the world for their pungent flavor and versatility in many dishes. Onion Characteristics There are two main classifications of onion – green onions, aka scallions, and dry onions, which are mature onions with a juicy flesh covered with dry, papery skin. There are dozens of dry onion varieties – way too many to go into for this post; however, we will concentrate on the stronger flavored, globe onion, which is what I used for the smothered pork steak recipe below. Globe onions can be yellow, red or white and range from 1-inch diameter, up to 4-inches. Rich in flavor and mildly pungent, these…
