Insurance

Portobello mushrooms are something called “The Steak of the Vegetarian World.” Portobello mushrooms are thick and meaty just like a steak.One 4-inch cap contains only 22 calories per serving. They contain a serious nutritional punch, they are low in fat and high in fiber which is good for our health. The portobello has an excellent source of selenium which is an important mineral for optimal antioxidant activity and it has potassium and a lot of the other B vitamins, and their polysaccharide and beta-glucan components show anti-cancer properties.Portobello mushrooms will retain their nutrients when stir-fried, grilled, or microwaved.  I prefer them grilled because the flavor really gets kicked up a notch.  OK, just try grilling a few portobello mushrooms this weekend and you they may become a healthier addition to your regular diet.Smokey Portobello Sliders (or burger)Serves 4 Big or small, portobello mushrooms make the perfect grilled “burger.” Portobellos’ meaty texture and rich, robust flavor take on the flavors of marinades and rubs and stay juicy and tender when grilled. The onion topping can be made up to two days ahead and is optional.
8 baby or four regular size portobello mushrooms, stems removed
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
2 Tbs. Classic BBQ Rub
2 medium yellow or white onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp. herbes de Provence – OK, you are follow this simple recipe to make your own.

1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1 tablespoon dried savory or 1 tablespoon dried summer savory1 teaspoon dried thyme 
½ cup prepared barbecue sauce
2 oz. shredded smoked Gouda (¾ cup) or the smoked cheese of your choice
8 mini challah rolls or dinner rolls or regular size buns

Toss mushrooms in bowl with 1 Tbs. olive oil and Classic BBQ Rub. Set aside.
Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and herbes de Provence, and cook 30 minutes, or until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Heat grill or grill topper over medium-high heat. Rub grate or grill topper with vegetable oil. Place mushrooms stem-side down on grill. Brush mushroom tops with barbecue sauce, and grill 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and charred around the edges. Flip, and grill 3 minutes more. Divide cheese among mushrooms, placing in center of each stem side. Grill 1 minute more, or until cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, warm the buns. Spread barbecue sauce on bottom buns, and then top each with 1 mushroom, sautéed onions, and top bun.

Enjoy and let me know how you like your vegetarian steak!Cecil WilliamsEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

If you have never eaten couscous, it is a traditional North African dish of semolina which is cooked streamed and traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. In that part of the world it is a substitute for rice.Here is one of my favorite ways to prepare and eat couscous.Easy Curry CouscousPrep Time: 10 Minutes  – Cook Time: 10 Minutes  – Ready In: 30 MinutesServings: 6INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:Pour couscous into a bowl. Mix chicken stock, curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and raisins in a saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Top with cilantro and almonds.Let me know how you like this easy, simple and delicious dish.Cecil WilliamsEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Boomer Esiason: His Personal StoryA record-setting NFL quarterback, Boomer Esiason is now a seasoned radio and TV broadcaster. As spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month, he hopes that others will learn from his personal story and get the life insurance protection they need. See Boomer’s storyEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Great, tasty, and easy quinoa recipe are hard to find.This is not a vegan recipe, but I am not vegan (I haven’t graduated beyond vegetarian).Quinoa is a food superstar for seven very strong reasons:

It is high in protein

A good source of riboflavin

The saponins from quinoa are used to promote healing of skin injuries in South America, making it a good antiseptic.

It’s alkaline-forming. 

Although it is not strongly alkaline-forming, it is comparable to wild rice, amaranth, and sprouted grains.

It is gluten-free

It is a complex carbohydrate with low glycemic index. 

Here is one of my favorite quinoa recipes:CRISPY QUINOA CAKES
1 large egg
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 ½ Tbs. tahini or nut butter
1 ½ tsp. red or white wine vinegar
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
½ cup finely grated sweet potato
½ 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup chopped nuts, optional
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese, optional
2 Tbs. finely diced onion
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine egg, flour, tahini, and vinegar in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, then mash together until mixture is firm enough to shape into cakes. Shape mixture into 1/4-cup patties with wet hands. Bake on prepared baking sheet 25 minutes, turning once, or until cakes are browned.Serve with a the tangy sauce of your choice. I love to use a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.Cecil B. WilliamsEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

You have signed all the paperwork to purchase a new car.  So what happens if your new ride is totaled in an accident shortly after you drive it off the lot?  Insurance will take care of the whole thing, right?  Maybe, maybe not. Gap insurance covers the difference between what a car is worth and what you owe on it. It can provide valuable protection during the early years of your car’s life if you have a loan or a lease.Also keep in mind, gap coverage can be added to an auto policy through an insurance agent for usually less money than the cost of buying the coverage from a car dealership.Call us to discuss this often overlooked low cost addition to your auto insurance policy. EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Some types of insurance are required to operate legally, while others are optionalOf course, the coverage a business needs depends on the type of company you run and the number of employees who work there. There are also  some optional insurance coverage business owners should always consider.Here is the third of three “optional” insurance coverages that business owners often leave out of their insurance package which could literally save the business in a time of crisis.Key Person InsuranceNo one wants to consider the disability or death of a colleague. But if such a tragedy could lead to your company’s demise, then it’s worthwhile to consider key person insurance.Typically, key person insurance covers the owner, the founders or one or two key employees. It is life or disability insurance purchased by the business and is payable to the business. It is beneficial when a company’s survival relies heavily on the role of one or two people.  When the “key person” dies or becomes disabled, insurance can help make up for lost sales or earnings or cover the cost of finding or training a replacement.Sometimes one of the business owners can be replaced easily, but there may be an individual who has a specialized skill or who contributes largely to the company’s growth. For example, there may be someone who specializes in a skill that only few people in the country have. Now an organization has to make a huge offer to get someone to move from half way across the country to work for them.Whether you are an executive or not, take a look around and see what would happen to the business if a certain employee would pass away, or become unable to work.Often times these optional coverages are assumed to be in the business owners policy but in fact they are not. Review your business insurance policy to make sure everything important in your business is protected (not just the building and liability).Contact us for a free policy review and we’ll ensure your business is properly protected.EMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Quinoa, what is it some ask.Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is an ancient South American cereal grain (that) is higher in protein than any other grain, and it tastes great cooked in coconut milk.The coconut milk, not to mention the ease of this recipe, should be enough for some to give it a try. This can be serve as a side dish, and I love is with the Garlic Lemon Fava Beans & Mushroom main course dish in my earlier blog.You can find quinoa at a growing number of markets, so you should have a problem find it.Coconut Quinoa1 cup coconut milk1 cup waterCoarse sea salt, to taste1 cup quinoa, rinsed2 tablespoons dried coconutIn a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, combine the coconut milk with the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and dried coconut and bring back to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and steam with the lid on for 5 minutes, then lightly fluff with a fork.Makes 4 to 6 servings.From “The Inspired Vegan” by Bryant TerryEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884

Some types of insurance are required to operate legally, while others are optionalOf course, the coverage a business needs depends on the type of company you run and the number of employees who work there. There are also  some optional insurance coverage business owners should always consider.Here is the second of three “optional” insurance coverages that business owners often leave out of their insurance package which could literally save the business in a time of crisis.# 2 – Equipment Breakdown CoverageTake a walk through your business and look at all the big pieces of equipment that you would not like to replace out of pocket. All it takes is one person misusing the equipment, improper maintenance or a power surge that could wipe out your entire computer system.You might mistakenly believe that your business property/casualty insurance will cover the damage.  However, business property/casualty policies only cover damage to your equipment from “external” causes, such as a fire, a flood or a tree falling on your roof. Those policies do not cover damage from “internal” causes such as mechanical failure, electrical short circuit or “arcing” (faulty wiring or motor burnout).Losses related to equipment breakdowns are covered by aptly named “equipment breakdown” insurance. Equipment breakdown insurance (sometimes sold under the name of “boiler and machinery insurance”) is an increasingly important part of any sound small-business insurance package for several reasons:
New technology, such as fragile electronic and computerized equipment, is subject to breakdowns that can be more frequent and costly than traditional mechanical equipment.
New business practices, such as Internet marketing and “just in time” inventory, make all businesses more dependent than ever on computer systems.
Critical business information often exists only on the Internet, or in online databases, that cannot be access during periods of equipment breakdown.
Employees are now traveling with many types of equipment that were once permanently attached to a fixed location, so breakdowns often occur in places other than the ones insured under traditional property/casualty policies.

Equipment breakdown coverage pays the cost to repair or replace equipment damaged by a covered accident. It can also cover business income losses that stem from an equipment breakdown and the additional costs you incur to speed restoration of business operations.Most insurers are building equipment breakdown coverage into their commercial property packages. If you have an older policy, however, you may have to review it with your insurance agent to make sure it covers the high-tech equipment upon which your business now relies. If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Call us for more on Equipment Breakdown insuranceEMERGE INSURANCE AGENCY904-677-5884