I will have to be on the look out for sweet rice flour now. This looks really good, and it's been quite awhile since I've had mochi. It also looks pretty easy to make, another plus. :) You should go look at the picture of this from Zakka life's blog where the recipe comes from: http://zakkalife.blogspot.com/2008/09/pumpkin-mochi-recipe.html Doesn't that look yummy??? And it's the perfect time for this now that fall is here! I'm hoping I can find the sweet rice flour - I think I saw it in the the Asian grocery store one time, but it's been a bit since I've been there.
Pumpkin Mochi
29 oz can Pumpkin puree
14 oz can Sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup of butter melted
4 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp Vanilla
1 lb box Mochiko-sweet rice flour
2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1. In a medium bowl mix mochiko flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients.
3. Pour into a greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish.
4. Bake at 375 for one hour. Let cool. Done.
*The texture of this is a cross between pumpkin pie and mochi.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Early Menu Plan Monday
Percy ended up having a seizure last Monday - so I'm glad I had planned for a crockpot meal that day! It was quite a busy- and stressful day. He's doing better - and we wonder if the bloodwork from the Friday before wasn't showing us that he had a seizure before that we didn't see (we're thinking overnight maybe that's why he wasn't feeling well when we got up)- but we really don't know. This whole week has been quite stressful for me, but I am really glad to have had the medical training that I've had and the fact that I was able to be home when he had it and here for him all week. It was a pretty bad seizure (not the worst that I've seen, but not one of the quick ones either) and I'm also glad that my husband didn't have to experience it either. So far he hasn't had any more seizures, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that he won't have anymore. Hubby has ordered a veterinary book on Small Animal Nutrition for me, and I'm going to read up on possibly starting to fix my guys homemade food. It's something I've always been interested in (animal nutrition that is), and it might end up being something that I am unable to actually do, but the Vet says that it can't hurt to learn about it and it's not like I don't have some training behind me to understand what's going on in the first place at least (both with cooking, nutrition, and veterinary principles). Course it probably helps that I'm also a bit crazy too. *hahahaha* :D
So, I was up early this morning, Percy was stumbling around a bit, mostly ON us. *sigh* Ended up he had to go out, thank goodness. Hubby went back to bed afterwards, but most of the time when I'm up, I'm up. I went ahead and figured out my menu for next week. This all comes from either Cooking Light or Eating Well Magazine. Hubby is upset with the fact that he's put back on a few pounds, so he's cutting out snacking at night and has asked that I cook only 2 servings of meals so he's not tempted by extra servings. The only thing this will matter on will be the pizza - I'll only make 1 pizza instead of two and he'll have to deal with that (he said that's fine with him). It's going to be a pain having 1/2 can's of beans too - but I guess I'll be having something with beans for lunch - not a big problem in the grand scheme of things. And the Linguine Carbonara I was excited to see in this month's (Oct) CL. It's already scaled for 2! It's usually a diet bomb and most recipes are for 4-6 and it doesn't hold well for leftovers. For the Fideos con Frijoles - I can actually buy fideos noodles in the hispanic section of the grocery store and they are pretty cheap ($0.59) so it's no use to buy the vermicelli which I'd also have to break (and get everywhere) for it and I'd have to go to Richmond to find - funny that, huh? The notes in the recipe aren't mine but are from the person that posted it to the list I'm on that typed it in. We've had it before and it's not a pretty dish, but it's VERY tasty.
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans
Monday: Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy (Mashed potatoes and greens)
Tuesday: Linguine Carbonara
Wednesday: Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans (Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt.)
Thursday: Fideos con Frijoles
Friday: Fontina, Caramelized-Onion, and Pancetta Pizza
Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy
From EatingWell Magazine September/October 2008
Makes 4 servings
Can you make chicken-fried steak that isn’t loaded with saturated fat and salt? Absolutely. We skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as a consolation, you won’t miss it. Our pan-fried, crispy steak has less than one-third of the fat and about 80 percent less sodium than a typical version.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup half-and-half
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place all-purpose flour on a large plate. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and paprika in another shallow dish. Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess; dip in the egg whites, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 pieces of the steak; cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 pieces of steak. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve the steak topped with the gravy.
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 315 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 312 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (50% daily value), Potassium & Zinc (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat, 1 fat
Linguine Carbonara
The luxurious, velvety texture of a good pasta carbonara is ephemeral at best, so you must enjoy it right away. Tempering the egg with hot pasta water keeps the sauce creamy by preventing it from curdling. For a smoky taste, use bacon in place of pancetta.
4 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped pancetta (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; set milk mixture aside.
3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pancetta to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add milk mixture and pasta to pan; toss gently to coat.
4. Place egg in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add 1/4 cup reserved hot cooking liquid, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly; cook 4 minutes or until sauce is thick and creamy.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
CALORIES 387 (30% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 5.8g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 130mg; CALCIUM 192mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.2g; SODIUM 682mg; PROTEIN 19.2g; FIBER 2.3g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008
Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans
From EatingWell Magazine January/February 2008
Makes 4 servings
This recipe follows the Spanish and Portuguese tradition of pairing mild white fish with full-flavored cured sausage—just a bit gives the whole dish a rich, smoky flavor. Make it a meal: Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt.
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 ounces Spanish chorizo (see Shopping Tip) or turkey kielbasa, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1 15-ounce can great northern beans, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds Pacific cod, cut into 4 pieces (see Ingredient Note)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot, chorizo (or kielbasa) and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and the wine is almost evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt and remove from the heat.
Sprinkle fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; place in the prepared baking dish. Top each piece of fish with equal amounts of the tomato mixture (about 1/2 cup per fillet). Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the pan and cover the pan with foil. Bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top.
Shopping Tip: For this recipe we use fully cooked Spanish-style chorizo spicy pork sausage seasoned with smoked paprika and chile. Find it near other cured sausages in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty food stores or online at tienda.com.
Ingredient Note: Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its seafloor. A better choice is Pacific cod (aka Alaska cod); it is more sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp).
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 293 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 6 g fiber; 567 mg sodium; 511 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Folate & Vitamin C (20% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 starch, 4 lean meat
Fideos con Frijoles
Source: Cooking Light, March 2005
POINTS: 7.5
Servings: 4
Posted by: ejwyatt (Emily)
Date: March 16, 2005
CL Notes: Fideos are very thin vermicelli noodles. They're broken into pieces and browned in the pan before being cooked in the soup. This procedure is typical of Mexico's sopa seca, in which the noodles absorb nearly all the broth and make a thick, almost dry, soup.
My Notes: This was very hearty and tasty. I didn’t have a Serrano pepper, so I substituted a can of diced jalapenos. It was pretty hot, but I loved it.
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces vermicelli, broken into thirds
1 cup chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes or until brown, stirring frequently. Add white onion, garlic, and serrano; cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add cumin and ground chipotle chile; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add salt, broth, and beans; increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in tomato and cilantro. Divide evenly among 4 bowls; top each with 2 tablespoons green onions and 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup)
CALORIES 371 (20% from fat); FAT 8.3g (satfat 2.7g, monofat 2.6g, polyfat 1.3g); PROTEIN 18g; CARBOHYDRATE 55.9g; FIBER 9.7g; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; IRON 3.5mg; SODIUM 758mg; CALCIUM 172mg;
Fontina, Caramelized-Onion, and Pancetta Pizza
This simple thin-crust pizza recipe was developed by Chicago chef John Hogan.
Pizza Dough:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry yeast (about 1/2 package)
3/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
For Pizza Toppings:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 ounces pancetta (Italian-style bacon) or Canadian bacon, chopped
8 cups sliced onion (about 3 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided
Thyme sprigs (optional)
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Prepare the Pizza Dough:
Dissolve sugar and yeast in 3/4 cup water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir 2 cups flour, oil, and salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent the dough from sticking. Place dough in large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning dough to coat top. Cover dough, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down. Cover and let rise 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
While dough is rising the second time, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add onions, thyme, salt, and white pepper; cook 25 minutes or until onions are browned, stirring frequently.
Preheat oven to 475°.
Divide dough into 2 equal portions; roll each portion into a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough circles on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Brush each prepared pizza crust with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; top each with half of onion mixture. Sprinkle half of cheese over each pizza. Bake at 475° for 9 minutes or until crusts are crisp. Cut each pizza into 8 wedges. Garnish with thyme sprigs and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) pizzas (serving size: 2 slices)
CALORIES 238 (28% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CALCIUM 87mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.8g; SODIUM 300mg; PROTEIN 8.6g; FIBER 3.1g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1998
So, I was up early this morning, Percy was stumbling around a bit, mostly ON us. *sigh* Ended up he had to go out, thank goodness. Hubby went back to bed afterwards, but most of the time when I'm up, I'm up. I went ahead and figured out my menu for next week. This all comes from either Cooking Light or Eating Well Magazine. Hubby is upset with the fact that he's put back on a few pounds, so he's cutting out snacking at night and has asked that I cook only 2 servings of meals so he's not tempted by extra servings. The only thing this will matter on will be the pizza - I'll only make 1 pizza instead of two and he'll have to deal with that (he said that's fine with him). It's going to be a pain having 1/2 can's of beans too - but I guess I'll be having something with beans for lunch - not a big problem in the grand scheme of things. And the Linguine Carbonara I was excited to see in this month's (Oct) CL. It's already scaled for 2! It's usually a diet bomb and most recipes are for 4-6 and it doesn't hold well for leftovers. For the Fideos con Frijoles - I can actually buy fideos noodles in the hispanic section of the grocery store and they are pretty cheap ($0.59) so it's no use to buy the vermicelli which I'd also have to break (and get everywhere) for it and I'd have to go to Richmond to find - funny that, huh? The notes in the recipe aren't mine but are from the person that posted it to the list I'm on that typed it in. We've had it before and it's not a pretty dish, but it's VERY tasty.
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans
Monday: Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy (Mashed potatoes and greens)
Tuesday: Linguine Carbonara
Wednesday: Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans (Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt.)
Thursday: Fideos con Frijoles
Friday: Fontina, Caramelized-Onion, and Pancetta Pizza
Chicken-Fried Steak & Gravy
From EatingWell Magazine September/October 2008
Makes 4 servings
Can you make chicken-fried steak that isn’t loaded with saturated fat and salt? Absolutely. We skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as a consolation, you won’t miss it. Our pan-fried, crispy steak has less than one-third of the fat and about 80 percent less sodium than a typical version.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound cube steak, cut into 4 portions
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup half-and-half
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place all-purpose flour on a large plate. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Whisk cornmeal, whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch and paprika in another shallow dish. Season both sides of steak with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge the steak in the flour, shaking off excess; dip in the egg whites, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 2 pieces of the steak; cook until browned on both sides, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer the steak to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 pieces of steak. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add broth to the pan and boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in half-and-half; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve the steak topped with the gravy.
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 315 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono); 57 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 312 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (50% daily value), Potassium & Zinc (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat, 1 fat
Linguine Carbonara
The luxurious, velvety texture of a good pasta carbonara is ephemeral at best, so you must enjoy it right away. Tempering the egg with hot pasta water keeps the sauce creamy by preventing it from curdling. For a smoky taste, use bacon in place of pancetta.
4 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped pancetta (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; set milk mixture aside.
3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pancetta to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add milk mixture and pasta to pan; toss gently to coat.
4. Place egg in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add 1/4 cup reserved hot cooking liquid, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly; cook 4 minutes or until sauce is thick and creamy.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
CALORIES 387 (30% from fat); FAT 13g (sat 5.8g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 130mg; CALCIUM 192mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.2g; SODIUM 682mg; PROTEIN 19.2g; FIBER 2.3g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008
Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans
From EatingWell Magazine January/February 2008
Makes 4 servings
This recipe follows the Spanish and Portuguese tradition of pairing mild white fish with full-flavored cured sausage—just a bit gives the whole dish a rich, smoky flavor. Make it a meal: Enjoy with steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tossed with thyme and coarse salt.
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 ounces Spanish chorizo (see Shopping Tip) or turkey kielbasa, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1 15-ounce can great northern beans, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/4 pounds Pacific cod, cut into 4 pieces (see Ingredient Note)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot, chorizo (or kielbasa) and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and the wine is almost evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt and remove from the heat.
Sprinkle fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; place in the prepared baking dish. Top each piece of fish with equal amounts of the tomato mixture (about 1/2 cup per fillet). Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the pan and cover the pan with foil. Bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over the top.
Shopping Tip: For this recipe we use fully cooked Spanish-style chorizo spicy pork sausage seasoned with smoked paprika and chile. Find it near other cured sausages in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty food stores or online at tienda.com.
Ingredient Note: Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its seafloor. A better choice is Pacific cod (aka Alaska cod); it is more sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp).
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 293 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 6 g fiber; 567 mg sodium; 511 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Folate & Vitamin C (20% daily value), Vitamin A (15% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 starch, 4 lean meat
Fideos con Frijoles
Source: Cooking Light, March 2005
POINTS: 7.5
Servings: 4
Posted by: ejwyatt (Emily)
Date: March 16, 2005
CL Notes: Fideos are very thin vermicelli noodles. They're broken into pieces and browned in the pan before being cooked in the soup. This procedure is typical of Mexico's sopa seca, in which the noodles absorb nearly all the broth and make a thick, almost dry, soup.
My Notes: This was very hearty and tasty. I didn’t have a Serrano pepper, so I substituted a can of diced jalapenos. It was pretty hot, but I loved it.
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces vermicelli, broken into thirds
1 cup chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes or until brown, stirring frequently. Add white onion, garlic, and serrano; cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add cumin and ground chipotle chile; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add salt, broth, and beans; increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in tomato and cilantro. Divide evenly among 4 bowls; top each with 2 tablespoons green onions and 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup)
CALORIES 371 (20% from fat); FAT 8.3g (satfat 2.7g, monofat 2.6g, polyfat 1.3g); PROTEIN 18g; CARBOHYDRATE 55.9g; FIBER 9.7g; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; IRON 3.5mg; SODIUM 758mg; CALCIUM 172mg;
Fontina, Caramelized-Onion, and Pancetta Pizza
This simple thin-crust pizza recipe was developed by Chicago chef John Hogan.
Pizza Dough:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry yeast (about 1/2 package)
3/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
For Pizza Toppings:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 ounces pancetta (Italian-style bacon) or Canadian bacon, chopped
8 cups sliced onion (about 3 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided
Thyme sprigs (optional)
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Prepare the Pizza Dough:
Dissolve sugar and yeast in 3/4 cup water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir 2 cups flour, oil, and salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent the dough from sticking. Place dough in large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning dough to coat top. Cover dough, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down. Cover and let rise 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
While dough is rising the second time, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add onions, thyme, salt, and white pepper; cook 25 minutes or until onions are browned, stirring frequently.
Preheat oven to 475°.
Divide dough into 2 equal portions; roll each portion into a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough circles on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Brush each prepared pizza crust with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; top each with half of onion mixture. Sprinkle half of cheese over each pizza. Bake at 475° for 9 minutes or until crusts are crisp. Cut each pizza into 8 wedges. Garnish with thyme sprigs and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) pizzas (serving size: 2 slices)
CALORIES 238 (28% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CALCIUM 87mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.8g; SODIUM 300mg; PROTEIN 8.6g; FIBER 3.1g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1998
Monday, September 22, 2008
Menu Plan Monday - Family Favorites Edition
Menu Plan Monday
Well, Percy is doing better- on Friday I had to take him to the Vet where he was just starting with a bout of Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). We caught it early, and not sure what caused it, it might have been some new treats we were giving him - but he hadn't had any recently so we're not sure. We'll know more when we re-check his bloodwork in a few weeks. This weekend was mostly watching him - it's amazing how much time was spent watching him, just making sure he was acting normal and asking each other if we thought he was doing better. I told hubby, and he actually said he was thinking the same thing, it's almost a good thing that I wasn't working. I was able to take Percy to the vets on Friday and take care of the phone calls without having to totally re-arrange my schedule. That has come in handy quite a few times - even if it's not quite so handy money-wise. Because of the "excitement" I got the pizza dough started a bit late and hence ate dinner late- but we still had homemade pizza. YUM! :)
For dinner Saturday I was able to pick up a turkey breast for 1/2 off - it was around $5.80 something - since it was shortdated. I roasted that using some Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning and served it with mashed potatoes and garlic sauted spinach. I used the other turkey breast (well part of it) for turkey sandwiches for tonight's dinner and the rest will be put to use for turkey noodle soup. I took Cranberry Turkey Burgers to MiL's and the recipe made 6 but I only needed 4 so I have 2 left for us for later (I may freeze or may pull out this week). I had to buy 2 packages of ground turkey to have enough meat for it, so I've got enough ground turkey to make Upside-Down Meatloaf from Saving Dinner (recipe below). I've been craving meatloaf - and this is one of my favorites. I also pulled out a hunk of beef from the freezer so I'll make a roast tomorrow and then we'll have beef for other uses too. I'm wanting beef stew so I might even make that with leftovers but we'll see. It's a 4 lb roast, so we'll have plenty of leftovers.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
This week is a bit different at the MPM Main site: "Here we are for Menu Plan Monday Family Favorites Edition!! You are invited to post at least one recipe or recipe link of one of your family’s favorite meals. That way we know that every link we click on this week will have a tried and true recipe for us to check out. " And here at Chez JJ - it' all Favorites pretty much. :) Recipes under the menu.
Monday: Crock Roast
Tuesday: Upside-Down Meatloaf
Wednesday: Turkey Noodle Soup
Thursday: Shredded Beefwiches (leftover Roast)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Crock Roast
Serves 10
3 lbs rump roast, trimmed
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp thyme
1 onion, quartered
4 carrots, sliced 1" thick
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
In a large skillet, brown the beef on high on all sides. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place beef in the crockpot and top with the thyme and onion. Put carrots around the side.
In the skillet that browned the beef, add the broth and red wine and cook till boiling, deglazing the pan as you go. Pour this on top of the beef.
Place lid on the crockpot and cook on high for about 4-5 hours.
Per serving: 227 calories, 7g total fat (29% calories from fat); 31g prot, 5g carb, 79mg chol, 356 mg sod
From Healthy Foods by Leanne Ely
Upside-Down Meat Loaf
Serves 6
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 cups oats
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ginger
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x6 inch loaf pan.
On the bottom of the pan, press brown sugar, then spread the ketchup over the sugar.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Make a loaf out of mixture and place it carefully on top of the sugar/ketchup mixture in the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until juice runs clear.
Per serving:420 calories, 19g fat (41.7% calories from fat), 25g prot, 36g carb, 3 g fiber, 129mg chol, 712 mg sod. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch), 3 lean meat, 1/2 Veg, 0 non-fat milk, 2 fat, 1 other carb
Serving Suggestions: Serve with mashed potatoes, peas and steamed baby carrots.
From Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 10
From “The Pillsbury Cookbook” copyright 1989
This is one of the first things I fed John when we met. I had made a bunch of this while living in an apartment while at Va Tech – notice the recipe serves 10- and had frozen it. I was probably just glad to have someone else to eat it at the time. I must admit we eat it quite often now though. I've noticed that this recipe isn't in the newest version of their cookbook (it's originally under Chicken Soup with Rice with the noodles as a variation), which I find quite odd.
2 1/2 to 3 lb fry chicken, cut up
10 cups water
1/2 c chopped onion
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, crushed
6 peppercorns or 1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup uncooked egg noodles
In 5 quart Dutch oven, combine chicken and water. Bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add onion, salt, thyme and peppercorns. Simmer covered an additional 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and peppercorns from broth; cool.
Remove chicken from bones; cut into bite-size pieces.
Skim fat from broth. [Easiest if you do the next day.] Bring broth to a boil. Stir in chicken pieces, celery, and carrots. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add egg noodles and simmer 10 minutes until noodles and vegetables are tender.
Variation: Add 1/2 cup uncooked white or brown regular rice when you add the carrots and celery. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the rice and vegetables are tender.
Nutritionals: Cal 160, pro 20g, carb 10g, fat 5 g, chol 60 mg, fib 1g, sod 590, pot, 220mg, cal 2%, iron 6%
Shredded Beefwiches (Pot Roast #2)
With any luck, you have quite a bit of beef left (let's assume about 2 lbs). Shred the beef with 2 forks and heat on the stove top. Serve on crusty rolls with a little cheese and sauteed onions and some sauce for dipping We like horseradish on ours. A large salad would go perfect with this sandwich supper.
From The Frantic Family Cookbook by Leanne Ely
Chez JJ's Pizza
(Using WW Basic Pizza Dough with Variations and Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce so you don't have to hunt for the recipes)
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie
This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.
Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3
TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3
Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3
Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce
This is mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.
15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.
To make a pizza:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack.
For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top.
Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking).
Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy.
It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch how many you eat.
Well, Percy is doing better- on Friday I had to take him to the Vet where he was just starting with a bout of Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). We caught it early, and not sure what caused it, it might have been some new treats we were giving him - but he hadn't had any recently so we're not sure. We'll know more when we re-check his bloodwork in a few weeks. This weekend was mostly watching him - it's amazing how much time was spent watching him, just making sure he was acting normal and asking each other if we thought he was doing better. I told hubby, and he actually said he was thinking the same thing, it's almost a good thing that I wasn't working. I was able to take Percy to the vets on Friday and take care of the phone calls without having to totally re-arrange my schedule. That has come in handy quite a few times - even if it's not quite so handy money-wise. Because of the "excitement" I got the pizza dough started a bit late and hence ate dinner late- but we still had homemade pizza. YUM! :)
For dinner Saturday I was able to pick up a turkey breast for 1/2 off - it was around $5.80 something - since it was shortdated. I roasted that using some Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning and served it with mashed potatoes and garlic sauted spinach. I used the other turkey breast (well part of it) for turkey sandwiches for tonight's dinner and the rest will be put to use for turkey noodle soup. I took Cranberry Turkey Burgers to MiL's and the recipe made 6 but I only needed 4 so I have 2 left for us for later (I may freeze or may pull out this week). I had to buy 2 packages of ground turkey to have enough meat for it, so I've got enough ground turkey to make Upside-Down Meatloaf from Saving Dinner (recipe below). I've been craving meatloaf - and this is one of my favorites. I also pulled out a hunk of beef from the freezer so I'll make a roast tomorrow and then we'll have beef for other uses too. I'm wanting beef stew so I might even make that with leftovers but we'll see. It's a 4 lb roast, so we'll have plenty of leftovers.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
This week is a bit different at the MPM Main site: "Here we are for Menu Plan Monday Family Favorites Edition!! You are invited to post at least one recipe or recipe link of one of your family’s favorite meals. That way we know that every link we click on this week will have a tried and true recipe for us to check out. " And here at Chez JJ - it' all Favorites pretty much. :) Recipes under the menu.
Monday: Crock Roast
Tuesday: Upside-Down Meatloaf
Wednesday: Turkey Noodle Soup
Thursday: Shredded Beefwiches (leftover Roast)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Crock Roast
Serves 10
3 lbs rump roast, trimmed
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp thyme
1 onion, quartered
4 carrots, sliced 1" thick
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
In a large skillet, brown the beef on high on all sides. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place beef in the crockpot and top with the thyme and onion. Put carrots around the side.
In the skillet that browned the beef, add the broth and red wine and cook till boiling, deglazing the pan as you go. Pour this on top of the beef.
Place lid on the crockpot and cook on high for about 4-5 hours.
Per serving: 227 calories, 7g total fat (29% calories from fat); 31g prot, 5g carb, 79mg chol, 356 mg sod
From Healthy Foods by Leanne Ely
Upside-Down Meat Loaf
Serves 6
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/4 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 1/4 cups oats
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ginger
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x6 inch loaf pan.
On the bottom of the pan, press brown sugar, then spread the ketchup over the sugar.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Make a loaf out of mixture and place it carefully on top of the sugar/ketchup mixture in the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until juice runs clear.
Per serving:420 calories, 19g fat (41.7% calories from fat), 25g prot, 36g carb, 3 g fiber, 129mg chol, 712 mg sod. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch), 3 lean meat, 1/2 Veg, 0 non-fat milk, 2 fat, 1 other carb
Serving Suggestions: Serve with mashed potatoes, peas and steamed baby carrots.
From Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 10
From “The Pillsbury Cookbook” copyright 1989
This is one of the first things I fed John when we met. I had made a bunch of this while living in an apartment while at Va Tech – notice the recipe serves 10- and had frozen it. I was probably just glad to have someone else to eat it at the time. I must admit we eat it quite often now though. I've noticed that this recipe isn't in the newest version of their cookbook (it's originally under Chicken Soup with Rice with the noodles as a variation), which I find quite odd.
2 1/2 to 3 lb fry chicken, cut up
10 cups water
1/2 c chopped onion
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, crushed
6 peppercorns or 1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup uncooked egg noodles
In 5 quart Dutch oven, combine chicken and water. Bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add onion, salt, thyme and peppercorns. Simmer covered an additional 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and peppercorns from broth; cool.
Remove chicken from bones; cut into bite-size pieces.
Skim fat from broth. [Easiest if you do the next day.] Bring broth to a boil. Stir in chicken pieces, celery, and carrots. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add egg noodles and simmer 10 minutes until noodles and vegetables are tender.
Variation: Add 1/2 cup uncooked white or brown regular rice when you add the carrots and celery. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the rice and vegetables are tender.
Nutritionals: Cal 160, pro 20g, carb 10g, fat 5 g, chol 60 mg, fib 1g, sod 590, pot, 220mg, cal 2%, iron 6%
Shredded Beefwiches (Pot Roast #2)
With any luck, you have quite a bit of beef left (let's assume about 2 lbs). Shred the beef with 2 forks and heat on the stove top. Serve on crusty rolls with a little cheese and sauteed onions and some sauce for dipping We like horseradish on ours. A large salad would go perfect with this sandwich supper.
From The Frantic Family Cookbook by Leanne Ely
Chez JJ's Pizza
(Using WW Basic Pizza Dough with Variations and Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce so you don't have to hunt for the recipes)
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie
This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.
Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3
TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3
Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3
Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce
This is mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.
15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.
To make a pizza:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack.
For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top.
Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking).
Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy.
It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch how many you eat.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Chicken recipes
These are from a Tyson Holly Farms Newsletter I found from Spring 1999. I have some chicken leg quarters in the freezer (they frequently go on sale for $0.79/lb) and I almost always keep a bag of IQF boneless breasts from Costco in there too (they may be larger, but they are at least all about the same size - something I can't say about the supermarket ones). Anyway - this is more for me - but anyone else is welcome to enjoy the recipes too - if not - just skip. :)
Munchy-Crunchy Chicken
Serves 6
1 pkg Tyson Holly Farms Fresh Pick of the Chix or 3 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed, if desired
1 envelope (1.2 oz) roasted chicken gravy mix
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
Heat oven to 375F. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place gravy mix in a large plastic food storage bag. Add chicken pieces; shake to coat. In shallow dish, blend egg and water. Coat chicken in egg mixture and dredge in stuffing crumbs. Place on baking sheet.
Bake at 375F 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.
Serve with cooked broccoli and pasta, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Per serving (without skin): 247 calories, 74 calories from fat, 8g total fat, 31g prot, 13g carb, 132 mg chol, 499mg sod
Shake 'Em Up Chick 'N Taters
Serves 4
4 Tyson Holly Farms Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 medium potatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place margarine in a 15x10 inch baking pan. Place in oven 1-3 minutes or just until margarine is melted. Set aside. In large plastic food storage bag or shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper; mix well. Shake or coat potatoes and chicken in flour mixture. Place in baking pan. Turn to coat with margarine.
Bake at 400F 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender, turning once.
Serve with cooked green beans and carrots, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers
Per serving: 376 calories, calories from fat 162, 18g total fat, 18g prot, 37g carb, 60mg chol, 333mg sod
Rosemary-Garlic Chicken for Two
Serves 2 [If using boneless breasts cook for WAY less]
2 Tyson Holly Farms Bone-In Split Chicken Breasts, skin removed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut a thin pocket in the thickest part of breast, from bone side to within 1/2 inch of outer edge of meat. In small bowl, blend garlic and rosemary. Spread half of rosemary mixture inside pocket of each chicken breast. Secure with wooden picks. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet, bone side up. Cover and brown 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove chicken. Cover and keep warm. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook and stir 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of pan. Add chicken. Pour broth over chicken and vegetables. Cover tightly. Coo 10 to 12 minutes over medium-low heat until chicken is done. Meanwhile, in small bowl, blend cornstarch into 1 Tbsp water. When chicken is done, remove to platter, cover to keep warm. Blend cornstarch mixture into mushroom mixture. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and translucent.
To serve, spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley. Serve with steamed green beans and crusty French rolls, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Per serving: 340 calories, 78 calories from fat, 8.7g total fat, 55.6g protein, 7.3g carb, 136mg chol, 293mg sod
Creamy Parmesan Chicken & Rice
Serves 4 [I don't see why this couldn't be frozen like the Pimiento Chicken I posted earlier]
4 Tyson IFF Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, frozen
1 Tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups converted-style rice
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Heat oil in medium skillet. Add chicken; cook over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add garlic and cook briefly. Stir in rice and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese and peas. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan before serving, if desired.
Per serving: 588 calories, calories from fat 139, 15.5g total fat, 47g protein, 64g carb, 90mg chol, 1326 sodium
Five Days & Five Easy Ways to Answer What's for Dinner?
Monday: Oven Roasted Chicken - Use a whole chicken or parts instead and basted with melted butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Allow 20 minutes per pound at 350 F.
Tuesday: Use leftovers in Chicken Caesar Salad - Wash and pat dry Romaine lettuce and tear into pieces. In your serving bowl mash 2 garlic cloves and 2 anchovies (optional) into a paste. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 5 drops Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp dried mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Add lettuce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; warm chicken chunks and croutons; and toss.
Wednesday: Try Honey Mustard Chicken Bake served with rice (make 2 extra cups of rice and refrigerate) - Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange cut-up pieces of chicken in a baking dish. Top with a mixture of 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp each salt and curry powder. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
Thursday: Stir-fry Rice and chicken. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok and stir-fry 1 cup diced chicken. Add Wed's leftover rice and stir-fry until oil is evenly distributed. Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, mix, then add 2 beaten egg and cook until blended. Add 1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce and stir-fry another minute. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds or peanuts.
Friday: Treat yourself to pre-marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts.....
Munchy-Crunchy Chicken
Serves 6
1 pkg Tyson Holly Farms Fresh Pick of the Chix or 3 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed, if desired
1 envelope (1.2 oz) roasted chicken gravy mix
1 egg
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
Heat oven to 375F. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place gravy mix in a large plastic food storage bag. Add chicken pieces; shake to coat. In shallow dish, blend egg and water. Coat chicken in egg mixture and dredge in stuffing crumbs. Place on baking sheet.
Bake at 375F 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.
Serve with cooked broccoli and pasta, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Per serving (without skin): 247 calories, 74 calories from fat, 8g total fat, 31g prot, 13g carb, 132 mg chol, 499mg sod
Shake 'Em Up Chick 'N Taters
Serves 4
4 Tyson Holly Farms Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 medium potatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place margarine in a 15x10 inch baking pan. Place in oven 1-3 minutes or just until margarine is melted. Set aside. In large plastic food storage bag or shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper; mix well. Shake or coat potatoes and chicken in flour mixture. Place in baking pan. Turn to coat with margarine.
Bake at 400F 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender, turning once.
Serve with cooked green beans and carrots, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers
Per serving: 376 calories, calories from fat 162, 18g total fat, 18g prot, 37g carb, 60mg chol, 333mg sod
Rosemary-Garlic Chicken for Two
Serves 2 [If using boneless breasts cook for WAY less]
2 Tyson Holly Farms Bone-In Split Chicken Breasts, skin removed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut a thin pocket in the thickest part of breast, from bone side to within 1/2 inch of outer edge of meat. In small bowl, blend garlic and rosemary. Spread half of rosemary mixture inside pocket of each chicken breast. Secure with wooden picks. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet, bone side up. Cover and brown 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove chicken. Cover and keep warm. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots; cook and stir 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of pan. Add chicken. Pour broth over chicken and vegetables. Cover tightly. Coo 10 to 12 minutes over medium-low heat until chicken is done. Meanwhile, in small bowl, blend cornstarch into 1 Tbsp water. When chicken is done, remove to platter, cover to keep warm. Blend cornstarch mixture into mushroom mixture. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and translucent.
To serve, spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley. Serve with steamed green beans and crusty French rolls, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.
Per serving: 340 calories, 78 calories from fat, 8.7g total fat, 55.6g protein, 7.3g carb, 136mg chol, 293mg sod
Creamy Parmesan Chicken & Rice
Serves 4 [I don't see why this couldn't be frozen like the Pimiento Chicken I posted earlier]
4 Tyson IFF Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, frozen
1 Tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups converted-style rice
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Heat oil in medium skillet. Add chicken; cook over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add garlic and cook briefly. Stir in rice and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese and peas. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan before serving, if desired.
Per serving: 588 calories, calories from fat 139, 15.5g total fat, 47g protein, 64g carb, 90mg chol, 1326 sodium
Five Days & Five Easy Ways to Answer What's for Dinner?
Monday: Oven Roasted Chicken - Use a whole chicken or parts instead and basted with melted butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Allow 20 minutes per pound at 350 F.
Tuesday: Use leftovers in Chicken Caesar Salad - Wash and pat dry Romaine lettuce and tear into pieces. In your serving bowl mash 2 garlic cloves and 2 anchovies (optional) into a paste. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 5 drops Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp dried mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Add lettuce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; warm chicken chunks and croutons; and toss.
Wednesday: Try Honey Mustard Chicken Bake served with rice (make 2 extra cups of rice and refrigerate) - Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange cut-up pieces of chicken in a baking dish. Top with a mixture of 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp each salt and curry powder. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
Thursday: Stir-fry Rice and chicken. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok and stir-fry 1 cup diced chicken. Add Wed's leftover rice and stir-fry until oil is evenly distributed. Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, mix, then add 2 beaten egg and cook until blended. Add 1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce and stir-fry another minute. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds or peanuts.
Friday: Treat yourself to pre-marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts.....
Two Untried Freezer Recipes
Going through some piles I've got hanging around. I've found two recipes for the freezer - but they're pretty old. One is from Better Homes & Gardens from 1993 and the other is a recipe card from one of those in the mail packages. I didn't get it - someone else did. The picture is definitely from the late 70's- early 80's I'd say (found a date - 1984!). Anyway - I've not tried either of these but I have found them online so I would gather that others have. The nice thing though is that the Beef one doesn't have Cream of Soup :) For the Pimiento Chicken - I'd just use 4 boneless chicken breasts now-a-days.
Florentine Beef Casserole
Preparation time: about 30 min.
Baking time: 15 to 20 min
35 to 45 min if refrigerated
1 1/2 to 2 hours if frozen
Baking temperature 350 F
If frozen: 300 F
Serves 4
For 2 Servings: Half of the ingredients
For 8 Servings: Double the ingredients but use only 1 2/3 cups beef broth
Spinach and ground beef combined with other favorite flavors familiar to Italian cookery, identify this one-pot meal. You can prepare it ahead and bake it just before serving. You can also prepare the casserole, cover and freeze it for baking 1 to 3 weeks later.
For 4 Servings you will need:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Cup beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
4 oz sliced Mozzarella or Jack cheese
Brown ground beef, onion, mushrooms, garlic and oregano in olive oil in heavy frying pan over medium to high heat. Add salt and pepper. Stir in flour.
Add beef broth and cook until thickened. Stir in the sour cream. Add drained spinach.
Put meat mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Cut cheese into strips and place on top of meat, criss-crossing the strips to decorate.
Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is just melted.
Good served with Antipasto Salad, hot French Bread and fresh fruit for dessert.
From My Great Recipes Packet 5- 1984
Pimiento Chicken
Serves 4
From Better Homes and Gardens, October 1993
2 whole medium chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup parboiled (Converted) rice, uncooked
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
14 1/2 oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/8 tsp saffron, crumbled
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 oz sliced pimiento, drained
Grated Parmesan cheese
In a skillet cook chicken in hot oil about 6 minutes or till no pink remains, turning once. Remove; keep warm. Cook onion and garlic in oil til tender. Stir in uncooked rice and mushrooms. Add broth, wine, saffron, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover, simmer 20 minutes or till tender. Stir in peas and drained pimiento; heat through. Serve chicken over rice; top with Parmesan.
To freeze: Cool 15 minutes. Spoon into 4 individual oven or microwave-safe casseroles and freeze.
Conventional heating directions: To reheat, bake frozen casseroles, covered, in a 350 F oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Microwave directions: Cook 1 or 2 frozen casseroles, covered on 70% power (medium-high) til hot, rearranging once. Allow 8 to 10 minutes for 1; 13-16 minutes for 2 dishes. [Remember that microwaves are more powerful now]
Nutrition information per serving: 368 cal, 8g fat, 48mg chol, 26g pro, 42 g carb, 526 mg sod, 4g fib.
Florentine Beef Casserole
Preparation time: about 30 min.
Baking time: 15 to 20 min
35 to 45 min if refrigerated
1 1/2 to 2 hours if frozen
Baking temperature 350 F
If frozen: 300 F
Serves 4
For 2 Servings: Half of the ingredients
For 8 Servings: Double the ingredients but use only 1 2/3 cups beef broth
Spinach and ground beef combined with other favorite flavors familiar to Italian cookery, identify this one-pot meal. You can prepare it ahead and bake it just before serving. You can also prepare the casserole, cover and freeze it for baking 1 to 3 weeks later.
For 4 Servings you will need:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Cup beef broth
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
4 oz sliced Mozzarella or Jack cheese
Brown ground beef, onion, mushrooms, garlic and oregano in olive oil in heavy frying pan over medium to high heat. Add salt and pepper. Stir in flour.
Add beef broth and cook until thickened. Stir in the sour cream. Add drained spinach.
Put meat mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Cut cheese into strips and place on top of meat, criss-crossing the strips to decorate.
Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is just melted.
Good served with Antipasto Salad, hot French Bread and fresh fruit for dessert.
From My Great Recipes Packet 5- 1984
Pimiento Chicken
Serves 4
From Better Homes and Gardens, October 1993
2 whole medium chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp cooking oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup parboiled (Converted) rice, uncooked
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
14 1/2 oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/8 tsp saffron, crumbled
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 oz sliced pimiento, drained
Grated Parmesan cheese
In a skillet cook chicken in hot oil about 6 minutes or till no pink remains, turning once. Remove; keep warm. Cook onion and garlic in oil til tender. Stir in uncooked rice and mushrooms. Add broth, wine, saffron, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover, simmer 20 minutes or till tender. Stir in peas and drained pimiento; heat through. Serve chicken over rice; top with Parmesan.
To freeze: Cool 15 minutes. Spoon into 4 individual oven or microwave-safe casseroles and freeze.
Conventional heating directions: To reheat, bake frozen casseroles, covered, in a 350 F oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Microwave directions: Cook 1 or 2 frozen casseroles, covered on 70% power (medium-high) til hot, rearranging once. Allow 8 to 10 minutes for 1; 13-16 minutes for 2 dishes. [Remember that microwaves are more powerful now]
Nutrition information per serving: 368 cal, 8g fat, 48mg chol, 26g pro, 42 g carb, 526 mg sod, 4g fib.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Got to be in Richmond for my Psyc. appointment at 9 o'clock this morning. It was off of Nuckol's Road too. Joy. I hate traffic. [They are re-doing the fly-over for I-295 and the 2 lanes for I-288 a bit before it at this point still end into 1 onto I-64 which cause a large back-up because people still think they don't need to read the signs and start merging now- they can just wait until they get to the end of the road and force their way in there.] I didn't think about it when she made the appointment. And this was just a med check so it took all of 15 minutes too - so it wasn't even worth the hassle or the gas. Good thing I had thought ahead and looked over my menu plans and made a grocery list. I don't need much - and was even thinking of putting it off and doing it later in the week - but this way it's out of the way and I don't have to go out until WAY later in the week (like when we might be out of milk or something like that). I also got to use fresh peppers instead of frozen ones for the Crockpot Teriyaki Pork too - not that it'll matter much - they'll still be pretty cooked either way, but that's ok).
I also stopped for some Starbucks coffee - something I do occasionally. Hubby sometimes gets gift cards from his work - they are anywhere from $5 - $10 - and he got a Starbucks one once. They give them out I think when the employees do something good or go above "the call of duty" kinda thing. He doesn't go to Starbucks on his own - but I have no problems with it. I drink "candy bar coffee" as he calls it. He drinks black coffee - no sugar, no cream. I blame my grandparents for my love of coffee the way I like it since my sister says she likes it the same way. My grandparents always had coffee - and they let us drink it when we were with them. BUT it was always milky and sweet. I also picked up another one of those fruit/cheese/fruit bread things like I got when we were in NYC. I really need to make one of those fruit/cheese/bread thingys one time for when I'm out and about. It's a really nice thing to nosh on and fills me up nicely as a light lunch/snack thing. This one had green and red grapes, cheddar, jack, brie, apple slices and cranberry-raisin bread. I also got a Pumpkin Spice Coffee. I haven't tried it before and it was good. I forgot to tell the lady to make it as sugar-free and fat-free as posssible but that's ok. I'll deal with it later. Next time I get some more cash I need to add more to my card though, I feel stupid using my debit/credit card to add to my Starbucks card - may-as-well just pay as I drink then.
I found the perfect Christmas gift for hubby - even if I can't afford it, much less know where he'd put it. In the catalog they show an Antique Nickel one that he'd like better.Photographer's Tripod Floor Lamp. I must admit - I've never actually been into the Pottery Barn (we now have one in Short Pump I think) but some how we got on their catalog list years ago and we occasionally get their catalogs. I like what they have - except for the prices. They also have table-top and spotlight style lamps too - but I know he'd love the floor lamp. We are having a heck of a time finding an entertainment stand that we like for a corner. Everything is made for a flat wall - and the way our living room is set up - it just fits better in the corner. Course I'm trying to talk hubby into eventually maybe getting a flat screen and putting it over the fireplace - especially since we don't use the fireplace at this point (it's gas and we removed the tank - although at some point we would like to get it hooked up again - just move the tank out to the woods instead of sitting beside the house.) It's still not really the best place to put the tv but would make it easier to use the Wii and exercise.
Still using the Frugal Menu Mailers from SavingDinner.com
Monday: Teriyaki Orange Pork
Tuesday: South of the Border Stack
Wednesday: Pasta with Tuna and Black Olive Vinaigrette
Thurs: Cheesy Sausage Quiche
Friday: Pizza
For more menu ideas (she's now hitting over 300!) visit I'm an Organizing Junkie: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/09/menu-plan-monday-sept-15th.html
I also stopped for some Starbucks coffee - something I do occasionally. Hubby sometimes gets gift cards from his work - they are anywhere from $5 - $10 - and he got a Starbucks one once. They give them out I think when the employees do something good or go above "the call of duty" kinda thing. He doesn't go to Starbucks on his own - but I have no problems with it. I drink "candy bar coffee" as he calls it. He drinks black coffee - no sugar, no cream. I blame my grandparents for my love of coffee the way I like it since my sister says she likes it the same way. My grandparents always had coffee - and they let us drink it when we were with them. BUT it was always milky and sweet. I also picked up another one of those fruit/cheese/fruit bread things like I got when we were in NYC. I really need to make one of those fruit/cheese/bread thingys one time for when I'm out and about. It's a really nice thing to nosh on and fills me up nicely as a light lunch/snack thing. This one had green and red grapes, cheddar, jack, brie, apple slices and cranberry-raisin bread. I also got a Pumpkin Spice Coffee. I haven't tried it before and it was good. I forgot to tell the lady to make it as sugar-free and fat-free as posssible but that's ok. I'll deal with it later. Next time I get some more cash I need to add more to my card though, I feel stupid using my debit/credit card to add to my Starbucks card - may-as-well just pay as I drink then.
I found the perfect Christmas gift for hubby - even if I can't afford it, much less know where he'd put it. In the catalog they show an Antique Nickel one that he'd like better.Photographer's Tripod Floor Lamp. I must admit - I've never actually been into the Pottery Barn (we now have one in Short Pump I think) but some how we got on their catalog list years ago and we occasionally get their catalogs. I like what they have - except for the prices. They also have table-top and spotlight style lamps too - but I know he'd love the floor lamp. We are having a heck of a time finding an entertainment stand that we like for a corner. Everything is made for a flat wall - and the way our living room is set up - it just fits better in the corner. Course I'm trying to talk hubby into eventually maybe getting a flat screen and putting it over the fireplace - especially since we don't use the fireplace at this point (it's gas and we removed the tank - although at some point we would like to get it hooked up again - just move the tank out to the woods instead of sitting beside the house.) It's still not really the best place to put the tv but would make it easier to use the Wii and exercise.
Still using the Frugal Menu Mailers from SavingDinner.com
Monday: Teriyaki Orange Pork
Tuesday: South of the Border Stack
Wednesday: Pasta with Tuna and Black Olive Vinaigrette
Thurs: Cheesy Sausage Quiche
Friday: Pizza
For more menu ideas (she's now hitting over 300!) visit I'm an Organizing Junkie: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/09/menu-plan-monday-sept-15th.html
Monday, September 08, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Yes, the menu changed drastically last week. Hubby was mostly left to his own devices. The cheese strata worked out wonderfully when I was finally able to start feeling like eating though (after canned soups - I went from tomato first and then ventured into the chunkier but soft veggie ones HaHa!) It was so nice to eat real food again. And even the lentil spaghetti worked out well for me too. I finally tried (used up too since I had it for a while) some lentil pasta I had bought a while back. So we had a double dose of lentils that night. It actually ended up tasting a bit like Chef-Boyardee canned pasta since I used a bottled Four Cheese sauce. I did end up cooking the lentils beforehand though. I was just too worried to cook them in the sauce since all I've ever heard is don't cook beans with tomatoes since they'll never soften. I just drained them and then put the sauce in with them and warmed that while I cooked the pasta. It turned out well and will be made again. I am pretty sure I made it once before when I was trying to eat vegan and we liked it then too (I don't remember if I used a recipe then either). I'm not bothering to use the recipes that weren't made for this week since it looks like this week will be pretty warm and most of the recipes are oven recipes. Luckily they are also mostly things I keep on hand - so it's not like I went out to buy stuff for them either.
I had friends over for dinner Saturday. This is when "Hurricane" Hanna came through. They were just predicting about 3-4 inches of rain and some wind here - nothing big. But the news really bothered me - they really over-reacted to it. I can understand warning people, and I know that Hurricanes/Tropical Storms can be unpredictable and it does do some damage but really! They were acting like it was Katrina/Isabel (the one that did damage for us recently) getting ready to come through. We went into town Friday afternoon, ate lunch and decided instead of shopping there because it's a pain with the crowds and all - that we'd rather shop closer to home and one of our normal FoodLions for the dinner with our friends. Now I hadn't planned anything special (I'll post a freezable recipe below that we used at Dinners By The Dozen where I was the Executive Chef). Bad choice. They had pulled all the perishable items: deli meats, produce and meats (they stated this with a sign). I didn't even go to the dairy section I was so frustrated. We walked out of there empty handed and mad. We drove back into town and shopped at Kroger's instead where they hadn't pulled anything. When our friends came to dinner - they brought dessert. I was telling them of the problem I was having with finding dinner items. They looked at each other and then told us of the problems they had finding the pie they brought for dessert. They had to go to two FL's and they didn't have much choice at either. And the ones they went to - they are even further inland than the FL that hubby and I went to. The eye of the storm - it passed near the coast of VA - way on the other side of Richmond. We live smack dab in Central Va - on what I guess I should say is the other - other side of Richmond.
I am using the Saving Dinner Frugal Menu Mailer this week. You can get an ebook of it here: Frugal Menu Mailer E-Book It's cheaper if you buy it as a the whole year -but you can buy it just as seasons too. It serves 6 - but is pretty easy to cut down too. Once more, all of this may end up not being made but that's ok - at least I've planned for it and I can use it next week too.
Monday: Bacon Potato Frittata with spinach salad and whole grain rolls
Tuesday: Tortellini and veggies with salad and garlic toast
Wednesday: Honey chicken thighs, broccoli slaw and baby carrots
Thursday: Beefy Quesadillas with corn on the cob and salad
Friday: Teriyaki Orange Pork with brown rice and steamed broccoli
Hand Slappin' Walnut-cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serving Size : 6
1 cup Ricotta Cheese (can be lowfat)
3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 Chicken Breast Halves -- with skin and bones
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and oregano.
Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts to form a pocket, and stuff with the ricotta cheese mixture. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, and brush with oil.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
To Freeze: Freeze after stuffing and before baking. To cook: Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as above.
My Notes: This time I tried it with lowfat ricotta and used Penzey's Pasta sprinkle instead of just oregano. I also added 1 Tbsp chopped dried tomatoes (not in oil). They were great. I haven't tried them with nonfat ricotta. We were able to find boneless chicken breasts with skin (it took about 20 minutes to cook them) at the store but I haven't found them "in the wild" so I use split chicken breasts and it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook. You can, of course, de-bone the breasts yourself. You can also make a pocket in a boneless, skinless chicken breast and fill with the mixture. The mixture is not a really oozy mixture so it won't ooze out like most cheese-based mixtures do. BTW: I didn't name this - Tom did. :)
From Tom Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
I had friends over for dinner Saturday. This is when "Hurricane" Hanna came through. They were just predicting about 3-4 inches of rain and some wind here - nothing big. But the news really bothered me - they really over-reacted to it. I can understand warning people, and I know that Hurricanes/Tropical Storms can be unpredictable and it does do some damage but really! They were acting like it was Katrina/Isabel (the one that did damage for us recently) getting ready to come through. We went into town Friday afternoon, ate lunch and decided instead of shopping there because it's a pain with the crowds and all - that we'd rather shop closer to home and one of our normal FoodLions for the dinner with our friends. Now I hadn't planned anything special (I'll post a freezable recipe below that we used at Dinners By The Dozen where I was the Executive Chef). Bad choice. They had pulled all the perishable items: deli meats, produce and meats (they stated this with a sign). I didn't even go to the dairy section I was so frustrated. We walked out of there empty handed and mad. We drove back into town and shopped at Kroger's instead where they hadn't pulled anything. When our friends came to dinner - they brought dessert. I was telling them of the problem I was having with finding dinner items. They looked at each other and then told us of the problems they had finding the pie they brought for dessert. They had to go to two FL's and they didn't have much choice at either. And the ones they went to - they are even further inland than the FL that hubby and I went to. The eye of the storm - it passed near the coast of VA - way on the other side of Richmond. We live smack dab in Central Va - on what I guess I should say is the other - other side of Richmond.
I am using the Saving Dinner Frugal Menu Mailer this week. You can get an ebook of it here: Frugal Menu Mailer E-Book It's cheaper if you buy it as a the whole year -but you can buy it just as seasons too. It serves 6 - but is pretty easy to cut down too. Once more, all of this may end up not being made but that's ok - at least I've planned for it and I can use it next week too.
Monday: Bacon Potato Frittata with spinach salad and whole grain rolls
Tuesday: Tortellini and veggies with salad and garlic toast
Wednesday: Honey chicken thighs, broccoli slaw and baby carrots
Thursday: Beefy Quesadillas with corn on the cob and salad
Friday: Teriyaki Orange Pork with brown rice and steamed broccoli
Hand Slappin' Walnut-cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serving Size : 6
1 cup Ricotta Cheese (can be lowfat)
3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 Chicken Breast Halves -- with skin and bones
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and oregano.
Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts to form a pocket, and stuff with the ricotta cheese mixture. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, and brush with oil.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
To Freeze: Freeze after stuffing and before baking. To cook: Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as above.
My Notes: This time I tried it with lowfat ricotta and used Penzey's Pasta sprinkle instead of just oregano. I also added 1 Tbsp chopped dried tomatoes (not in oil). They were great. I haven't tried them with nonfat ricotta. We were able to find boneless chicken breasts with skin (it took about 20 minutes to cook them) at the store but I haven't found them "in the wild" so I use split chicken breasts and it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook. You can, of course, de-bone the breasts yourself. You can also make a pocket in a boneless, skinless chicken breast and fill with the mixture. The mixture is not a really oozy mixture so it won't ooze out like most cheese-based mixtures do. BTW: I didn't name this - Tom did. :)
From Tom Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Menu Changes?
Ok, so the menu might change a bit this week - we'll see. I had a root canal done today on my tooth. Needless to say, I don't feel like chewing anything - so dinner tonight for me is Tomato Soup. We'll see how I feel tomorrow - at the moment, at least the pain isn't any worse than it was before I had the root canal done. It's one of the teeth near the front of my mouth (#13) so most food seems to move there whether I want it to or not. On the upside, within a few days it should go back to feeling nothing. He said that once he drilled through the filling and into the root that it didn't bleed - so it was basically dead - so it's a good thing I chose to go ahead and do the root canal today instead of waiting a few more days. I'm frankly just glad that he could work me in and do it today. When the hygienist tapped the tooth to check, I practically jumped out of the seat. She actually told me to make sure I told him not to do that, and that she would make sure to tell him the same thing.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Mmmmm - Ice Cream
Because my tooth's been hurting me, I've been looking for some soft foods. Hubby loves ice cream. Now, not to say I don't but since I am trying to watch what I eat, I try not to keep much of it at home. Well, our FoodLion has recently added in a Natural section, and they now carry some vegan treats as well. My allergies have really been bothering me lately and since I'm sensitive to milk and eggs I'm trying to cut back on them a bit. I had been able to get Tofutti Cuties at one of the other FL but they stopped carrying them, and I've been missing ice cream sandwiches (I have to get them in Richmond or Charlottesville otherwise and that means I need to remember to take something to keep them frozen when I go shopping for the trip home). They are carrying them at ours - but I picked up some So Delicious vanilla with chocolate cookie ones for me. It's just like I was back in school. :) The cookie sticks to my fingers and I have to lick it off. :) For hubby I picked him up some Purely Decadent Peanut Butter ZigZag. It's chocolate with peanut butter. He loved it. I did try a bit - too much peanut butter for me (I'm not a big fan of PB) but the chocolate was good.
Menu Plan Monday
Well, I made Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake this morning. I actually bought a boxed cake mix *gasp* ;) It is tasty, but whew! It's rich and sweet! I can't see how hubby ate 3 pieces. On the other hand, it's nice to see that I can stop at 1, and it definitely fixed my Krispy Kreme craving I was having. I'm finally down to 207 again (I was up to 209 after the NYC trip), and it was nice to see that I stopped myself last night when we ate Five Guys when I got full. I only ate half my burger and some of my fries - and this is even with me forgetting my Byetta shot! [I took it when I got home.]
I am having some pain from where I had a cavity filled the other week - and I'm having that looked at tomorrow. I'm not really sure what they're going to do so I'm not really sure what I'll feel like eating tomorrow. As it is, I'm not really into eating much as it is. The bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon that I fixed this morning wasn't a wise choice in the first place and I didn't even finish the first half as it was. :( I'm kinda planning on relatively soft foods for this week incase I end up getting a root canal or something (I'm thinking I might have an abscess or something).
Monday (Today): Hotdogs and Oven Baked Fries- I'm fixing Nathan's Hot Dogs since I didn't get them in NYC.
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce
Wednesday: Cheese Strata
Thursday: Turkey Divan
Friday:Chili Mac
Saturday: Mike & Jennifer over for Dinner - I'm thinking Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie she's now got over 300 participants!
I am having some pain from where I had a cavity filled the other week - and I'm having that looked at tomorrow. I'm not really sure what they're going to do so I'm not really sure what I'll feel like eating tomorrow. As it is, I'm not really into eating much as it is. The bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon that I fixed this morning wasn't a wise choice in the first place and I didn't even finish the first half as it was. :( I'm kinda planning on relatively soft foods for this week incase I end up getting a root canal or something (I'm thinking I might have an abscess or something).
Monday (Today): Hotdogs and Oven Baked Fries- I'm fixing Nathan's Hot Dogs since I didn't get them in NYC.
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce
Wednesday: Cheese Strata
Thursday: Turkey Divan
Friday:Chili Mac
Saturday: Mike & Jennifer over for Dinner - I'm thinking Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie she's now got over 300 participants!
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