Not much has been going on last week. My headaches have broken, not sure if it's from the antibiotic or from the weather breaking (I'm thinking it's from the antibiotic since it's still kinda been changing a bit back and forth and my headaches haven't been).
My house is smelling pretty good right now. I cooked some dried chickpeas overnight in preparation for tonights dinner. I love the smell of cooking dried chickpeas. For some reason they remind me a bit of sausage, not really sure why, but it does. I've soaked extra, and I'll bag them up and freeze them so I'm ready to use them later, since chickpeas are something that I love. I actually thought I had some to add to the Aloo Gobi last week, and I didn't look at the can well enough and I opened a can of white beans instead. That mistake is the basis for one of the recipe choices for this week. *sigh*
I had a kinda dinner failure last night. I was nothing major, and I say kinda only because it didn't really fail. I made hamburger vegetable soup on Saturday for Sunday. Instead of using a potato, I tried yucca, something I've wanted to try for a while now. Even the tag on it said you can use it like a potato. I've had it as chips, and liked it, and I'm sure I've had it in restaurants and liked it. But when I peeled it, it kinda smelled like latex something that I don't like. That smell just kinda lingered even after cooking and taking out the compost. It didn't taste bad, but I'm a smell kinda gal, and I just couldn't get over it. Hubby said that it didn't taste bad either but we ended up dumping it after eating our servings for dinner. I just knew that I wouldn't eat the leftovers, no matter how hard I tried. At least I tried it.
I'm liking the Google Calendar for my menu planning. I'm going to try to see if I can embed it into my blog. We'll see it what happens. I put the recipe into the notes section, so if you're interested in the recipe you should be able to click on it, at least that's what I do and I'd imagine that's how it would work for you too. If I find a recipe to try I'll put it on there, and I can move recipes around if we don't get to it that week. That helps a lot for things that I've bought and want to make (the lima beans) so I don't forget about them. It also helps me when I see a recipe that I want to make, I can schedule it so I won't forget about it.
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/03/menu-plan-monday-march-30th-2.html
Monday: Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Tuesday: Shrimp and White Beans
Wednesday:Slow Cooker Pork and Beans
Thursday: Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (I'm thinking Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese this week)
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)
Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.
Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.
Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.
Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g
Shrimp and White Beans
Create a rustic Italian-style meal by serving this hearty dish with ciabatta and a glass of wine.
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 15 oz cam cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
6 oz of fresh baby spinach
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan; set aside, and keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add beans and wine; bring to a simmer and add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook 1 minute or just until spinach wilts.
Add reserved shrimp and any extra juices, black pepper, red pepper, and salt, stirring to combine.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 3/4 cups)
Per Serving: Cal 260 (15% from fat); Fat 4.3g (sat 0.8g); Pro 34.4g; Carb 20.5g; Fib 6g; Chol 276mg; Iron 7.1mg; Sod 625mg; Calc 126mg
Slow Cooker Pork and Beans
This rich and flavorful crockpot recipe is one of the easiest to make. Just open cans, plop food in the slow cooker, turn it on, and dinner is ready when you are.
6 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of excess fat
1 onion, chopped
2 (20 oz.) cans pork and beans
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp. mustard
In 3-4 quart crockpot, combine onion, pork and beans, ketchup and mustard and stir to blend. Add chops to crockpot, pushing some down into the bean mixture. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours until pork is tender. 6 servings
Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Serves 6-8 From “Veganomicon”
You may have lima bean baggage but this recipe will help you work through it. Please set your issues aside and for a moment imagine large, mild, tender beans with a creamy interior and a slightly tangy tomato sauce. (If you must, you can substitute navy or cannellini beans for the limas. But be sure to try it at least once with large lima beans.) This is a delightful spin-off of a traditional Greek home-style dish and is hearty meal alongside rice, potatoes and steamed greens. Or, serve them the traditional Mediterranean way, just slightly warmed, as part of a meze spread with olives, hummus, Cashew-Cucumber Dip, pickles, pita, and the like.
TIP: During the soaking, the beans will appear slip and their skins wrinkled; this is normal, so don't be alarmed.
Beans:
1 pound dried, large lima beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
Vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.
While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).
Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion, and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved vegetable bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.
Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already in the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese
The combination of onions, mushrooms, and fresh spinach packs a serving of veggies into each of these easy, impressive calzones. We found that a pizza cutter works well for dividing the refrigerated dough into 4 equal portions.
1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups spinach leaves
8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 1/3 cups sliced cremini or button mushrooms
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Preheat oven to 425°.
Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; cut into 4 quarters. Pat each quarter into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle. Sprinkle garlic evenly over rectangles. Top each rectangle with 1 cup spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 cup mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons cheese. Bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 calzone)
CALORIES 297 (28% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 4g,mono 3.2g,poly 1g); IRON 3.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 16mg; CALCIUM 180mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.7g; SODIUM 818mg; PROTEIN 13.4g; FIBER 5.1g
Cooking Light, MAY 1999
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Movin' On Down Again
I lost 3 lbs last week! I told my leader (Bobbi) I guess the Ben & Jerry's plan is working. She said she wouldn't recommend that to any of her members. ;) I was really expecting a gain to show up, only as a delay from the B&J, but I guess I got lucky this time. I'm 1 pound away from where I was before the doc's started to change my meds and I went up a bit. Yay! Hubby asked me if oatmeal was better than cereal this morning. I wasn't quite sure what to tell him. It can be, depending on what type of oatmeal and cereal and oatmeal. I'll ask him more about it when he gets home tonight because he mentioned it right before he headed out the door. I did tell him I could make a batch and he could reheat it as he needed it in the morning. I just remembered I could also make him some baked oatmeal too. I gave him some of my WW materials to read also, maybe that'll help too.
I realized I posted the wrong Dan Dan Noodles recipe on Monday, so I'll post the correct one below, sorry about that.
I'm now taking an antibiotic, z-pack. I've pretty much had a headache almost everyday since my cold, and felt like I couldn't get a full breath. I've also been coughing (not majorly) since then too but I've not seen anymore colored stuff. I talked to the doctor. He had written the prescription for me when I went in to check on my toe to make sure it wasn't broken. The cold was just starting and he checked me out and wrote the prescription as a "just in case" so I wouldn't have to make an appointment later and most people he had seen ended up needing it. He told me that with my symptoms (it's been 3 weeks or so) to go ahead and take it because it sounded like it could be more than just a migraine. If it didn't get better then to come in. This would be my first sinus infection (if that's what it is) since I started with a neti pot, and that's been years.
Xie Laoban's Dan Dan Noodles
From "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper" by Fuchsia Dunlop
Feeds two for supper, four for a street snack.
7-8 ounces dried Chinese flour-and-water noodles
For the meat topping:
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
3 Sichuanese dried chiles (if you can't find, substitute small red chiles of your choice), cut in half, seeds discarded
1/2 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Tianjin preserved vegetable (available at Asian groceries), rinsed
1/4 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons light soy sauce (not to be confused with "lite")
For the sauce:
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan pepper, toasted and ground
2 Tablespoons sesame paste (tahini is a great substitute)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (if you don't have, substitute light)
4 Tablespoons chili oil, plus sediment from jar, if possible
Heat peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add chiles and Sichuan pepper and stirfry briefly until oil is spicy and fragrant. Be careful not to burn spices. Add pickled vegetables and continue to stir fry until hot and fragrant. Add meat and soy sauce and cook meat until brown and crisp. Remove from heat.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to instructions on the package.
In a small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Either portion sauce among individual serving bowls or into one large bowl. Drain cooked noodles and combine with sauce, followed by meat mixture. With chopsticks, mix noodles so that sauce and meat are evenly distributed.
I realized I posted the wrong Dan Dan Noodles recipe on Monday, so I'll post the correct one below, sorry about that.
I'm now taking an antibiotic, z-pack. I've pretty much had a headache almost everyday since my cold, and felt like I couldn't get a full breath. I've also been coughing (not majorly) since then too but I've not seen anymore colored stuff. I talked to the doctor. He had written the prescription for me when I went in to check on my toe to make sure it wasn't broken. The cold was just starting and he checked me out and wrote the prescription as a "just in case" so I wouldn't have to make an appointment later and most people he had seen ended up needing it. He told me that with my symptoms (it's been 3 weeks or so) to go ahead and take it because it sounded like it could be more than just a migraine. If it didn't get better then to come in. This would be my first sinus infection (if that's what it is) since I started with a neti pot, and that's been years.
Xie Laoban's Dan Dan Noodles
From "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper" by Fuchsia Dunlop
Feeds two for supper, four for a street snack.
7-8 ounces dried Chinese flour-and-water noodles
For the meat topping:
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
3 Sichuanese dried chiles (if you can't find, substitute small red chiles of your choice), cut in half, seeds discarded
1/2 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Tianjin preserved vegetable (available at Asian groceries), rinsed
1/4 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons light soy sauce (not to be confused with "lite")
For the sauce:
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan pepper, toasted and ground
2 Tablespoons sesame paste (tahini is a great substitute)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (if you don't have, substitute light)
4 Tablespoons chili oil, plus sediment from jar, if possible
Heat peanut oil in a wok over moderate heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add chiles and Sichuan pepper and stirfry briefly until oil is spicy and fragrant. Be careful not to burn spices. Add pickled vegetables and continue to stir fry until hot and fragrant. Add meat and soy sauce and cook meat until brown and crisp. Remove from heat.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to instructions on the package.
In a small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Either portion sauce among individual serving bowls or into one large bowl. Drain cooked noodles and combine with sauce, followed by meat mixture. With chopsticks, mix noodles so that sauce and meat are evenly distributed.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Menu Plan Monday now with Cleaner Teeth!
I had a dental cleaning scheduled this morning, with a new to me dentist - hubby had been there a few times already. It went ok, found out that my dentist had put in a temporary filling in the root canal and I either had to get a "real" filling or a crown on it now. This dentist is an endodontist, my other one wasn't (the reason hubby ended up going to him in the first place was because he needed a crown and he ended up staying). The old dentist was nice enough, but he just felt like he catered more to kids, and anything major he needed to send you to an endo anyway. So now I'm at one. :) So now the small bit of money from my grandmother's estate will be going for a new tooth, some glasses, some tennis shoes, and probably a dental for Miko too. At least it's getting used.
I finally made the Cheeseburger Soup I posted ages ago. It was great! Instead of making the white sauce, I just thickened with cornstarch instead (didn't feel like dirtying up another pan). I also stirred in some mustard. I had a jar of mustard that was almost done, so I rinsed it with some water and threw it in, since I felt like it needed it. It reminded me a lot of the Beer Cheese Soup I make (the mustard was a grainy mustard with Killian's Red in it) and I can imagine it'd be awesome with brat's in it!. I also told hubby if I was serving it to others, it'd be nice to garnish with some onion rings. I didn't make the bread bowls though, I ran out of time.
This weeks menu in no particular order (except the fact that I will save 1/4 pound of the ground beef of the Keema matar to use in the Dan Dan Noodles). The last two meals are more pantry style meals in that I have the ingredients to make and if I want to they can be subbed in if I have the time or feel ok since they take more time. Recipes will follow.
Keema Matar
Dan Dan Noodles
Aloo Gobi
Cuban Chicken
Pizza
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas
Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND"Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef, or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 ounces) package frozen peas
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.
Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.
Dandan Mian (Spicy Peanut Noodles)
Dandan are wooden buckets, one on each end of a pole carried across the shoulders, from which vendors used to sell this snack in the streets of Chengdu. Yield: 2 servings
1/2 pound Chinese flat wheat noodles, or linguine
2 Tablespoons tahini, or peanut butter
1 Tablespoon ground Szechuan red peppercorn
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese or white vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 Tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts
Boil the noodles. Meanwhile, combine the tahini, Szechuan pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. When the noodles are done, drain and toss them with the tahini mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts on top before serving.
Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)
From “Bend It Like Beckham”
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large bunch of fresh cilantro, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice (or two 15 ounce cans)
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
Fresh garlic, chopped (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan (I use a dutch oven, this makes A LOT.) Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil. Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
Add chopped cilantro stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt. Add chopped chilis (according to taste). Stir tomatoes into onion mixture. Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly. Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few Tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan). Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir. Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves on top of the curry. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.
Cuban Chicken and Rice
From: Tom & Riva Serving Size: 6
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 can tomato sauce, (15 ounce)
1 pinch saffron
Salt, to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups White Rice, uncooked
1 cup beer
15 Ounces Canned Peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken until lightly browned; remove from skillet and set aside.
Saute onion, garlic and green bell pepper until soft; stir in tomato sauce, saffron, salt and bouillon and return chicken pieces to skillet. Cook for 10 minutes, then add rice and reduce heat to low.
Add beer and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Finally, stir in peas with liquid and garnish with roasted red bell pepper.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 813 Calories; 42g Fat (48.1% calories from fat); 50g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 226mg Cholesterol; 975mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.
Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Serves 6-8 From “Veganomicon”
You may have lima bean baggage but this recipe will help you work through it. Please set your issues aside and for a moment imagine large, mild, tender beans with a creamy interior and a slightly tangy tomato sauce. (If you must, you can substitute navy or cannellini beans for the limas. But be sure to try it at least once with large lima beans.) This is a delightful spin-off of a traditional Greek home-style dish and is hearty meal alongside rice, potatoes and steamed greens. Or, serve them the traditional Mediterranean way, just slightly warmed, as part of a meze spread with olives, hummus, Cashew-Cucumber Dip, pickles, pita, and the like.
TIP: During the soaking, the beans will appear slip and their skins wrinkled; this is normal, so don't be alarmed.
Beans:
1 pound dried, large lima beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
Vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.
While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).
Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion, and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved vegetable bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.
Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already in the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)
Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.
Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.
Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.
Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g
I finally made the Cheeseburger Soup I posted ages ago. It was great! Instead of making the white sauce, I just thickened with cornstarch instead (didn't feel like dirtying up another pan). I also stirred in some mustard. I had a jar of mustard that was almost done, so I rinsed it with some water and threw it in, since I felt like it needed it. It reminded me a lot of the Beer Cheese Soup I make (the mustard was a grainy mustard with Killian's Red in it) and I can imagine it'd be awesome with brat's in it!. I also told hubby if I was serving it to others, it'd be nice to garnish with some onion rings. I didn't make the bread bowls though, I ran out of time.
This weeks menu in no particular order (except the fact that I will save 1/4 pound of the ground beef of the Keema matar to use in the Dan Dan Noodles). The last two meals are more pantry style meals in that I have the ingredients to make and if I want to they can be subbed in if I have the time or feel ok since they take more time. Recipes will follow.
Keema Matar
Dan Dan Noodles
Aloo Gobi
Cuban Chicken
Pizza
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas
Mediterranean Baked Lima Beans
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND"Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef, or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 ounces) package frozen peas
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.
Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.
Dandan Mian (Spicy Peanut Noodles)
Dandan are wooden buckets, one on each end of a pole carried across the shoulders, from which vendors used to sell this snack in the streets of Chengdu. Yield: 2 servings
1/2 pound Chinese flat wheat noodles, or linguine
2 Tablespoons tahini, or peanut butter
1 Tablespoon ground Szechuan red peppercorn
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese or white vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 Tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts
Boil the noodles. Meanwhile, combine the tahini, Szechuan pepper, garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. When the noodles are done, drain and toss them with the tahini mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts on top before serving.
Aloo Gobi (Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes)
From “Bend It Like Beckham”
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large bunch of fresh cilantro, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes with juice (or two 15 ounce cans)
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
Fresh garlic, chopped (about 1 teaspoon, or to taste)
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Garam Masala
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan (I use a dutch oven, this makes A LOT.) Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil. Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
Add chopped cilantro stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt. Add chopped chilis (according to taste). Stir tomatoes into onion mixture. Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly. Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few Tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan). Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir. Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves on top of the curry. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.
Cuban Chicken and Rice
From: Tom & Riva Serving Size: 6
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 can tomato sauce, (15 ounce)
1 pinch saffron
Salt, to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups White Rice, uncooked
1 cup beer
15 Ounces Canned Peas, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken until lightly browned; remove from skillet and set aside.
Saute onion, garlic and green bell pepper until soft; stir in tomato sauce, saffron, salt and bouillon and return chicken pieces to skillet. Cook for 10 minutes, then add rice and reduce heat to low.
Add beer and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Finally, stir in peas with liquid and garnish with roasted red bell pepper.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 813 Calories; 42g Fat (48.1% calories from fat); 50g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 226mg Cholesterol; 975mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.
Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans
Serves 6-8 From “Veganomicon”
You may have lima bean baggage but this recipe will help you work through it. Please set your issues aside and for a moment imagine large, mild, tender beans with a creamy interior and a slightly tangy tomato sauce. (If you must, you can substitute navy or cannellini beans for the limas. But be sure to try it at least once with large lima beans.) This is a delightful spin-off of a traditional Greek home-style dish and is hearty meal alongside rice, potatoes and steamed greens. Or, serve them the traditional Mediterranean way, just slightly warmed, as part of a meze spread with olives, hummus, Cashew-Cucumber Dip, pickles, pita, and the like.
TIP: During the soaking, the beans will appear slip and their skins wrinkled; this is normal, so don't be alarmed.
Beans:
1 pound dried, large lima beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Sauce:
Vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small carrot, shredded
28 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
Drain and rinse the beans and place them in a large pot with the 2 quarts of cold water and the bay leaves. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Simmer the beans for 30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked (the interior of the beans will still be grainy). Skim off any foam that may collect while beans are cooking. Drain the beans, reserving 1 cup of bean liquid, and set aside (leave the bay leaves with beans). Dissolve the vegetable bouillon cube in the reserved 1 cup of hot bean liquid; set aside.
While the beans are cooking, preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 4-quart Dutch oven or casserole dish (you can also prepare the beans in two batches in two 2-quart casseroles or Dutch ovens).
Prepare the sauce in either the prepared Dutch oven, if using, or a separate large saucepan. Heat the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Add the onion, and stir until translucent and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, stir and cook for another minute, and add the tomatoes, reserved vegetable bouillon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little. Taste the sauce and season with black pepper and more salt if necessary. Stir in the beans, parsley, and mint.
Place in the prepared casserole dish (if not already in the Dutch oven), cover the dish, and bake the beans, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until they are tender and the interior of the beans is creamy. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, to reduce the sauce a little bit and give the beans a slightly dry finish. Remove from the oven, remove the bay leaves, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Total cost: $9.33/Cost per serving: $1.17. This dish uses dark meat chicken parts, which are cheaper and more flavorful than breast meat. Purchase leg quarters, if available, and split them into drumstick and thigh portions before cooking to save even more.
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg or thigh and 3/4 cup bean mixture)
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1), divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken drumsticks, skinned (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 5)
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional)
Sort and wash chickpeas; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above chickpeas; cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain chickpeas.
Place 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup onion, garlic, and bay leaf in pan; bring to a boil. (Reserve leftover chickpeas for another use.) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are just tender. Drain chickpea mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Set chickpea mixture aside.
Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add remaining 1/2 cup onion to pan. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add vinegar, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates.
Add 2 cups tomato, Chicken Stock, and reserved cooking liquid to pan. Add chickpea mixture, and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top of chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chicken is done and chickpeas are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
CALORIES 261 (34% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.3g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.8g; SODIUM 244mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 3.2g
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A change of pizza
Well, the cupcakes didn't happen. I was hoping the migraine would go away and it didn't. I ended up picking up two creme brulees at Krogers instead. It turned out ok, they weren't great - but it was better than having a dozen Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting staring at us. I will still make them at some point, so I'll still have that temptation to deal with, though. I guess it's better than trying to deal with a whole Chocolate Orange Cheesecake though (which one year I will make also).
The pizzas last night were good - at least for me. Can't really say they were hubby's faves though. It was a take off of a pizza I made when I ran the demo kitchen at HomePlace. I changed it quite a lot though last night, it was more of a taco salad pizza last night. I made some "refried" beans using Fantastic Foods dried beans from the bulk bins at Good Foods Grocery (a local natural foods store). I LOVE their refrieds better than the canned, especially since I can make as much as I want/need. And the flavoring is just perfect. I can also add olive oil if I want or leave them fat-free. I chopped some romaine lettuce that I wanted to use up, and tossed it was some taco sauce (about 2 Tbsps worth), 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions (if I had olives I would have added those too). I drained some Fire roasted tomatoes (I would have used fresh if I had them) and used the liquid to reconstitute the beans. I mixed that with some leftover Pico de Gallo and then mixed that with the refried beans. I spread the bean mixture on the par-cooked pizza blanks. Topped with a bit of taco sauce, some cheese and sliced pickled jalapenos. I baked it for about 12 minutes until the cheese was melted and starting to turn brown in places. When it came out of the oven I topped it with the salad and topped it with a touch of Mexican crema and a touch more taco sauce. YUM! I've been wanting taco salad, and this fit the bill. Hubby's problem with it was only that taco salad isn't one of his faves in the first place, but he said it wasn't bad.
Those pizzas up there? Those are my typical shape, amoeba. I can't make a round pizza most of the time to save my life. I've stopped trying - so we just have amoeba pizzas. They taste just the same and are much less stressful to make in the long run for me.
The pizzas last night were good - at least for me. Can't really say they were hubby's faves though. It was a take off of a pizza I made when I ran the demo kitchen at HomePlace. I changed it quite a lot though last night, it was more of a taco salad pizza last night. I made some "refried" beans using Fantastic Foods dried beans from the bulk bins at Good Foods Grocery (a local natural foods store). I LOVE their refrieds better than the canned, especially since I can make as much as I want/need. And the flavoring is just perfect. I can also add olive oil if I want or leave them fat-free. I chopped some romaine lettuce that I wanted to use up, and tossed it was some taco sauce (about 2 Tbsps worth), 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions (if I had olives I would have added those too). I drained some Fire roasted tomatoes (I would have used fresh if I had them) and used the liquid to reconstitute the beans. I mixed that with some leftover Pico de Gallo and then mixed that with the refried beans. I spread the bean mixture on the par-cooked pizza blanks. Topped with a bit of taco sauce, some cheese and sliced pickled jalapenos. I baked it for about 12 minutes until the cheese was melted and starting to turn brown in places. When it came out of the oven I topped it with the salad and topped it with a touch of Mexican crema and a touch more taco sauce. YUM! I've been wanting taco salad, and this fit the bill. Hubby's problem with it was only that taco salad isn't one of his faves in the first place, but he said it wasn't bad.
Those pizzas up there? Those are my typical shape, amoeba. I can't make a round pizza most of the time to save my life. I've stopped trying - so we just have amoeba pizzas. They taste just the same and are much less stressful to make in the long run for me.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Birthday Happenin's
Today is my hubby's birthday. We are finally the same age, at least for a few months. Yes, I robbed the cradle. (ha!) For some reason, he's not really all that happy to be turning 36, not really sure why this year is bothering him more than 35. He asked me if 36 was a good year for me. I told him it was, considering that I was still here, I figure any year that I'm still here, it's been a good year. I am not really sure how to make him feel more comfortable with another year. I know that when I turned 35 I felt a little weird, but that was only because I remembered my mom's 35th birthday in a vague way (I wasn't very old after all) and it was odd. It's odd to realize that as you are older that the differences in age aren't as great as when you are younger though.
And we are also waiting on a new niece from my SiL tomorrow too, Caroline Grace. Always an aunt, never a mother to change the always a bridesmaid quote. This will make the 3rd niece in the family. I realized the other day that I haven't knit anything for her. I haven't knit anything for ages now. :( They are hoping to move to China for a few years so I also don't want to knit anything that become a burden to have to cart over there either, so it might be a good thing that I haven't. I'll wait and see what she's like and can knit her something that will fit her personality too. I still need to knit Katie (their other child) some socks at some point, so maybe I'll do them matching socks. :)
I ended up buying frozen corn dogs, so I won't be making the recipe I posted (at least not at this time). I've got some leftover Guinness from the St. Pat's stew so I'm going to make Chocolate Stout Cupcakes for Hubby's birthday "cake" I'm going to halve the recipe on epicurious.com and frost with a cream cheese frosting so it looks like the head on a pint. Hubby's not a big fan of Guinness, but he'll drink it. We're both not real big drinkers really, even before my liver problems, thank goodness! I think we're into it kind of like we are as food. We enjoy trying different tastes. Oh, and the Tender Chicken in Gravy was really tasty. Hubby said it was a keeper and I need to remember to repeat it. *sigh* Something I hope I remember to do. I'm not really good at repeating meals. Does anyone else have that problem too? Even our pizza is never the same every week, I even change what I put in the dough sometimes (ie I'll add herbs).
Thank you for the kind comments to my last post too. It's scary to push send on your real thoughts sometimes.
And we are also waiting on a new niece from my SiL tomorrow too, Caroline Grace. Always an aunt, never a mother to change the always a bridesmaid quote. This will make the 3rd niece in the family. I realized the other day that I haven't knit anything for her. I haven't knit anything for ages now. :( They are hoping to move to China for a few years so I also don't want to knit anything that become a burden to have to cart over there either, so it might be a good thing that I haven't. I'll wait and see what she's like and can knit her something that will fit her personality too. I still need to knit Katie (their other child) some socks at some point, so maybe I'll do them matching socks. :)
I ended up buying frozen corn dogs, so I won't be making the recipe I posted (at least not at this time). I've got some leftover Guinness from the St. Pat's stew so I'm going to make Chocolate Stout Cupcakes for Hubby's birthday "cake" I'm going to halve the recipe on epicurious.com and frost with a cream cheese frosting so it looks like the head on a pint. Hubby's not a big fan of Guinness, but he'll drink it. We're both not real big drinkers really, even before my liver problems, thank goodness! I think we're into it kind of like we are as food. We enjoy trying different tastes. Oh, and the Tender Chicken in Gravy was really tasty. Hubby said it was a keeper and I need to remember to repeat it. *sigh* Something I hope I remember to do. I'm not really good at repeating meals. Does anyone else have that problem too? Even our pizza is never the same every week, I even change what I put in the dough sometimes (ie I'll add herbs).
Thank you for the kind comments to my last post too. It's scary to push send on your real thoughts sometimes.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Something for me to think about
I've been seeing a psychologist for a little while lately. One thing she mentioned today is how my family isn't really one to outwardly demonstrate love and such (not that it's a bad thing). We didn't really do a a lot of deep sharing and such. I actually share more on here than I do with anyone else. When she asked if there was anyone that I talked with about my medical problems, I had to admit that I honestly don't. I don't keep them secret from anyone, and if anyone asks I will usually tell them at least some of it, but it is something I keep a lot of to myself. [Even though I know this blog is public, I still view it as "my diary" more and one of the reasons why more is told here sometimes.] She mentioned that I might want to find a group that deals with chronic pain (my migraines) or something along those lines. I don't know how I feel about that. I just can't imagine how it would help, I guess. How could it really be any different than my life?
I've always had horrible allergies -heck, most of my schooling was on Benedryl, then Tavast, etc. - I'm surprised I stayed awake for most of my school day. It was a part of my life, just like headaches since both my parents got migraines. I grew up with doctors telling me that the headaches I had were from my eyesight (I got glasses in 3rd grade) and there was no such thing as a sinus headache, especially in children. [Now they are thinking that sinus headaches may even be a type of migraine.] It was just part of my life, including the vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound and smells. Since it was part of our family - mom understood that I wasn't lying when I said I didn't feel well but others don't. How do you explain a migraine to someone who doesn't get them? How do you explain it when a lot of times, each one is different, different things work, and they can last for different times and everyone can have different symptoms? You can't call into work in the morning and go in later in the day if you feel better because most people won't understand either. How many jobs can you name that are optimized to have no sound/light or smell? [Smell is the kicker - shampoo even kills me sometimes - imagine how much fun it was going into clean up kennels.]
The big thing now is that I can't take a lot of pain meds anymore (they are usually filtered through the liver) so I try to go for as long as I can before taking anything (which is good and bad - migraines sometimes react better the sooner to catch them - but most of the time my migraines either don't respond or come back the next day anyway). I just really hate getting sick, it kind of scares me how easily I catch things sometimes. Just shows me how bad my immune system is now. I've been pretty lucky in that I'm not working in the public now, and I'm not getting as sick as I could be, but still - this cold scared me a bit. It didn't take long at all, and my husband didn't catch it at all.
I've always had horrible allergies -heck, most of my schooling was on Benedryl, then Tavast, etc. - I'm surprised I stayed awake for most of my school day. It was a part of my life, just like headaches since both my parents got migraines. I grew up with doctors telling me that the headaches I had were from my eyesight (I got glasses in 3rd grade) and there was no such thing as a sinus headache, especially in children. [Now they are thinking that sinus headaches may even be a type of migraine.] It was just part of my life, including the vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound and smells. Since it was part of our family - mom understood that I wasn't lying when I said I didn't feel well but others don't. How do you explain a migraine to someone who doesn't get them? How do you explain it when a lot of times, each one is different, different things work, and they can last for different times and everyone can have different symptoms? You can't call into work in the morning and go in later in the day if you feel better because most people won't understand either. How many jobs can you name that are optimized to have no sound/light or smell? [Smell is the kicker - shampoo even kills me sometimes - imagine how much fun it was going into clean up kennels.]
The big thing now is that I can't take a lot of pain meds anymore (they are usually filtered through the liver) so I try to go for as long as I can before taking anything (which is good and bad - migraines sometimes react better the sooner to catch them - but most of the time my migraines either don't respond or come back the next day anyway). I just really hate getting sick, it kind of scares me how easily I catch things sometimes. Just shows me how bad my immune system is now. I've been pretty lucky in that I'm not working in the public now, and I'm not getting as sick as I could be, but still - this cold scared me a bit. It didn't take long at all, and my husband didn't catch it at all.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
I did make a menu plan last week. But Monday got so busy - I never got a chance to post it. It didn't matter much anyway, only two of the meals got made (even Pizza Friday was moved to Saturday). Thanks to the joys of March weather- I've been ready to rip my head off for most of this week which hasn't really made me want to do much cooking. :( I can't even tell you want we ended up eating instead, I do remember that hubby brought home Hot Pockets and freezer french fries for Friday night - and one night I made a quick Alfredo-ish sauce (white sauce with shredded Asiago) for a mixture of California Frozen veggies, sauteed garlic spinach and tortellini for another.
I do know that on Monday we had Buffalo Chicken Dip (pulled from the freezer) on carrot sticks, celery sticks and whole grain baguette. [It was a great way to get some veggies in us, and monitor portions for me, and be able to double dip without spreading my germs since we each had our own little custard cups of dip.] And on Tuesday I made Migas. I 'll post both of those recipes below in addition to this weeks recipes.
For this week, We've got St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday. I'm trying two recipes from the WW site for the first time. I've not made Irish Soda Bread before and always wanted to, so I'm looking forward to that. And the Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew has Guinness in it and will be a bit different than our usual Corned Beef (I've STILL got to make the Corned Tongue). We've also got hubby's birthday on Thursday. I asked if he wanted anything, but like usual he had no ideas. *sigh* I guess that's the problem when I cook whatever he asks for normally. He got excited at the idea of Bagel Dogs, but I had already pulled them out to thaw for last week and I know they won't last until Thursday (they were short-dated in the first place when I put them in the freezer). He ended up saying that hot dogs in general would be good. I'm going to surprise him with Corn dogs since he loves those. :) I might try a baked corn dog since he's trying to lose weight, but we'll see how much they cost at the store. I'll post a recipe I found though. Here's my menu, and there's more menu ideas here: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/03/menu-plan-monday-march-16th.html [It's normally here: http://orgjunkie.com]
Monday: Bagel Dogs
Tuesday: Beef, Brown Rice & Mushroom Stew with Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Wednesday: Tender Chicken in Gravy
Thursday: Oven Baked Corn Dogs with French Fries
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza - recipe on site, let me know if you can't find it)
Buffalo Chicken Dip
The taste of Buffalo Wings without all the work! This thick and spicy dip is sure to be a hit with wing lovers. If you think it might be too spicy for you, start with 1/4 C. of hot sauce and add from there, if needed. Feel free to use your favorite dippers too… bread sticks, celery sticks… whatever sounds good!
From http://www.30daygourmet.com/Contest/Recipe_of_the_Month_Winners/2004_10_Recipe.asp
Makes 6 cups (24 servings) [Can be double/tripled etc]
3/4 cup French's hot sauce*
3 cups Shredded or chopped chicken
16 oz. Cream Cheese (2 bricks)
1 cup Ranch dressing (I used blue cheese)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* = or similar brand. 3/4 C. = 6 oz.
Assembly Directions: Heat chicken and hot sauce over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue cooking and stirring, until the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cheddar cheese, heating and stirring until it is melted. Set aside to cool.
Freezing Directions: Put dip in rigid container(s) or freezer bag(s) based on how you will serve it… single servings as a snack, or all of it in one container/bag for a group/family serving. Seal, label and freeze.
Serving Directions: Thaw dip in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or Ritz crackers. OR for a group or party, put the warmed dip in a slow cooker on low to keep it warm.
Nutritional Info: Serving size: 1/4 cup
Per Serving: 179 Calories; 15g Fat (73.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 417mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Fat.
Migas (pronounced MEE-gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs. Because they are an egg dish, they are traditionally served at breakfast or brunch. Like omlettes though, they can make an excellent dinner as well. The corn tortillas in migas can take the form of either fresh tortillas or tostadas (tortilla chips), as reflected by our recipes. When tostadas are used, they are added near the end of preparation so they retain their crispness. Some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them. This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd.
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream
In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside. Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well. Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.
Homemade Bagel Dogs
Makes 8
4 pts for the "bagel" and points for the hotdog you choose
I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I don't see why they wouldn't. For those that want to do a vegan bagel dog, I don't see why you couldn't use the appropriate "dog" and use the bialy dough recipe I've posted elsewhere on my site instead (or your own bagel recipe without eggs included).
Adapted from: http://diaryofthesuburbanhausfrau.blogspot.com AND http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2005/08/19/bagel-dogs/
For Bagels:
3/4 Cup Water (80 degrees F)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
For Water Bath:
2 Quarts Water
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Egg Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping Ideas:
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Dried Onion Flakes
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Celery Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hot Dogs:
8 Hot Dogs (any type you'd like)
For ABM: Combine in order recommended by your machine. Select dough cycle (makes 1 1/2 pounds). When cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
If making by hand: You will want the water warmer - about 110-115 degrees and will use all-purpose flour (bread flour is too high in gluten to knead easily by hand). In a small bowl, combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, rest of sugar, and salt. Right before mixing yeast mixture into flour mixture, break egg into yeast mixture and combine. Add to flour mixture and add rest of flour to make a ball. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneading by hand for about 10-15 minutes and adding extra flour if needed to keep from sticking, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Food Processor: Use cooler water (80 F) and bread machine flour. Combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar, yeast and egg in a measuring cup. Put dry in food processor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade. Add wet while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together. Let rest for 15 minutes. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Stand Mixer: Use warm water (110-115 degrees) and bread flour. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl with 1 teaspoon sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining liquids and dry -except last cup of flour. Using dough hook, turn to Speed 2 for about 1 minute, or until are thoroughly mixed. Continuing on Speed 2, gently tap remaining flour around the sides of the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed. Mix until dough cleans to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. When dough clings to hook, knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
There are two ways to make the Bagel Dogs: Spiral and Enclosed.
For the spiral - roll out each part into a snake that is twice as long as your chosen hot dog. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough snake in both directions- lengthwise and widthwise. Place your hot dog at one end of the flattened snake at approximately a 45 degree angle. Roll your dog, wrapping it up with the bagel dough, allowing the dough to overlap about 1/2 inch as it twists along the dog. Make sure that it is sealed well on each end, I like to dip my fingers in a bowl of water and use my wet fingers to squeeze the ends shut.
I tried the Enclosed this last time, and while I need to work on it a bit more so that one side doesn't have more breading than the other side, I liked it a lot better. For this one I rolled out each piece a little longer than the length of a hotdog, but about double the width of one. I wet one side of the dough by dipping my fingers in a bowl of water and brushing them on the edge. I set the hotdog inside and sealed it, and then made sure it was sealed well inside, once more using wet fingers to make sure the edges were sealed well.
Place Bagel dogs on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil or Silpat mat (this is what I use all the time anyway, it's also what I use to knead/roll out on) and cover with a light towel and let rest for about 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place. [I usually take this time to pre-heat the oven since it takes a while to warm up because of my baking stone, and get the boiling water ready.]
Get a large pot of boiling water ready. I like to add 2 Tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 Tablespoon of kosher salt to it (I do this for my bagels too) but you don't have to if you don't want to. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
When the rising time is up, boil the dogs in batches of 2, for 3 minutes. I try to turn them over at the 1 1/2 minute mark, but they don't always want to, it's not a big thing. Drain and place back on the oiled baking sheet. Continue like this with the rest of the dogs. Brush with the egg glaze (if using, I don't bother) and sprinkle with your choice of toppings on top of the boiled dogs.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, and remember that these hold their heat really well and will be HOT!
Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew
Although a rich stew like this is often made with fatty chuck, bottom round provides a healthy alternative without compromising flavor. The stew, a baked concoction, can be made ahead. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat over medium heat, or freeze in plastic containers for up to 3 months.
Makes 6 1-cup servings
POINTS® value per serving: 6
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
One 12-ounce bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Spray a large casserole or oven-safe saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the meat (working in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Spray again with nonstick spray and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the thyme, caraway seeds, salt and pepper; cook until aromatic, about 15 seconds.
Pour in the broth and beer, stirring until the foam dissipates. Stir the beef back into the stew and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Stir in the rice. Cover and bake until the meat and rice are tender, stirring once or twice, about 1 more hour.
Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Baking soda was the boon to home bakers in the late 18th century. No more yeast! Irish soda bread celebrates this quick-and-easy heartiness: Here's a raisin-and-caraway studded loaf with no fuss and big taste. The soda bread, of course, is "of the moment," best within a few hours of being made.
Makes 1 round loaf (8 slices).
Serving size: 1 slice (1/8 loaf)
POINTS® value per serving: 3
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Whisk the buttermilk and oil in a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly moistened.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour. Turn the dough out onto work surface and knead for 30 seconds, just until it coheres. Shape into a round loaf about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Use a sharp knife or a new razor blade to cut an "x" about 1/2 inch deep in the top of the loaf.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, place the loaf on it, and bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Tender Chicken in Gravy
This comforting dish will satisfy your pickiest eater. Serve over 1/2 cup brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli for a meal with a POINTS value of 7 per serving
From: Weight Watchers 20 Minutes Recipes Spring 2009
Yield: 4 servings ( about 3 chicken tenders and 1/4 cup gravy) Points: 5
cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
14 ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon light butter
2 Tablespoon chopped chopped fresh parsley, divided
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken, and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from pan; set aside, and keep warm.
Combine milk and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Slowly stir in milk mixture, butter, and 1 Tablespoon parsley. Cook, stirring constantly until gravy thickens. Serve over chicken; sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Per serving: Cal 254 (14% from fat); fat 4g; (sat 1.7g); pro 43.5g; carb 8.2g; fib 0.4g; chol 105 mg; iron1.7mg; sod 598mg; calc 113mg
Baked Corn Dogs
Baked corn dogs, a new and improved take on a state-fair snack, put fast, fun food at your fingertips. Be sure to buy ice-pop sticks if you don't have them on hand. Serve these with baked beans coleslaw.
From Everyday Food Magazine Jan/Feb 2007
Serves 4.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting sausages
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 precooked smoked chicken sausages (13 ounces total)
Ketchup and mustard, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Make a well in center; add milk, eggs, and oil. Mix just until combined.
Insert an ice-pop stick into one end of each sausage, leaving a 1 1/2-inch handle. Dust with flour; tap off excess. Using handle, rotate each sausage over bowl as you spoon batter to coat evenly. Place on sheet; bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, reapply batter that has slipped onto sheet. Return to oven; bake until golden, 20 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.
I do know that on Monday we had Buffalo Chicken Dip (pulled from the freezer) on carrot sticks, celery sticks and whole grain baguette. [It was a great way to get some veggies in us, and monitor portions for me, and be able to double dip without spreading my germs since we each had our own little custard cups of dip.] And on Tuesday I made Migas. I 'll post both of those recipes below in addition to this weeks recipes.
For this week, We've got St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday. I'm trying two recipes from the WW site for the first time. I've not made Irish Soda Bread before and always wanted to, so I'm looking forward to that. And the Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew has Guinness in it and will be a bit different than our usual Corned Beef (I've STILL got to make the Corned Tongue). We've also got hubby's birthday on Thursday. I asked if he wanted anything, but like usual he had no ideas. *sigh* I guess that's the problem when I cook whatever he asks for normally. He got excited at the idea of Bagel Dogs, but I had already pulled them out to thaw for last week and I know they won't last until Thursday (they were short-dated in the first place when I put them in the freezer). He ended up saying that hot dogs in general would be good. I'm going to surprise him with Corn dogs since he loves those. :) I might try a baked corn dog since he's trying to lose weight, but we'll see how much they cost at the store. I'll post a recipe I found though. Here's my menu, and there's more menu ideas here: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/03/menu-plan-monday-march-16th.html [It's normally here: http://orgjunkie.com]
Monday: Bagel Dogs
Tuesday: Beef, Brown Rice & Mushroom Stew with Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Wednesday: Tender Chicken in Gravy
Thursday: Oven Baked Corn Dogs with French Fries
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza - recipe on site, let me know if you can't find it)
Buffalo Chicken Dip
The taste of Buffalo Wings without all the work! This thick and spicy dip is sure to be a hit with wing lovers. If you think it might be too spicy for you, start with 1/4 C. of hot sauce and add from there, if needed. Feel free to use your favorite dippers too… bread sticks, celery sticks… whatever sounds good!
From http://www.30daygourmet.com/Contest/Recipe_of_the_Month_Winners/2004_10_Recipe.asp
Makes 6 cups (24 servings) [Can be double/tripled etc]
3/4 cup French's hot sauce*
3 cups Shredded or chopped chicken
16 oz. Cream Cheese (2 bricks)
1 cup Ranch dressing (I used blue cheese)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* = or similar brand. 3/4 C. = 6 oz.
Assembly Directions: Heat chicken and hot sauce over medium heat. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue cooking and stirring, until the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cheddar cheese, heating and stirring until it is melted. Set aside to cool.
Freezing Directions: Put dip in rigid container(s) or freezer bag(s) based on how you will serve it… single servings as a snack, or all of it in one container/bag for a group/family serving. Seal, label and freeze.
Serving Directions: Thaw dip in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or Ritz crackers. OR for a group or party, put the warmed dip in a slow cooker on low to keep it warm.
Nutritional Info: Serving size: 1/4 cup
Per Serving: 179 Calories; 15g Fat (73.3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 47mg Cholesterol; 417mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Lean Meat; 2-1/2 Fat.
Migas (pronounced MEE-gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs. Because they are an egg dish, they are traditionally served at breakfast or brunch. Like omlettes though, they can make an excellent dinner as well. The corn tortillas in migas can take the form of either fresh tortillas or tostadas (tortilla chips), as reflected by our recipes. When tostadas are used, they are added near the end of preparation so they retain their crispness. Some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them. This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd.
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream
In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside. Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well. Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.
Homemade Bagel Dogs
Makes 8
4 pts for the "bagel" and points for the hotdog you choose
I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I don't see why they wouldn't. For those that want to do a vegan bagel dog, I don't see why you couldn't use the appropriate "dog" and use the bialy dough recipe I've posted elsewhere on my site instead (or your own bagel recipe without eggs included).
Adapted from: http://diaryofthesuburbanhausfrau.blogspot.com AND http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2005/08/19/bagel-dogs/
For Bagels:
3/4 Cup Water (80 degrees F)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
For Water Bath:
2 Quarts Water
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Egg Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping Ideas:
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Dried Onion Flakes
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Celery Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hot Dogs:
8 Hot Dogs (any type you'd like)
For ABM: Combine in order recommended by your machine. Select dough cycle (makes 1 1/2 pounds). When cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
If making by hand: You will want the water warmer - about 110-115 degrees and will use all-purpose flour (bread flour is too high in gluten to knead easily by hand). In a small bowl, combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, rest of sugar, and salt. Right before mixing yeast mixture into flour mixture, break egg into yeast mixture and combine. Add to flour mixture and add rest of flour to make a ball. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneading by hand for about 10-15 minutes and adding extra flour if needed to keep from sticking, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Food Processor: Use cooler water (80 F) and bread machine flour. Combine water, 1 teaspoon sugar, yeast and egg in a measuring cup. Put dry in food processor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade. Add wet while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together. Let rest for 15 minutes. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Stand Mixer: Use warm water (110-115 degrees) and bread flour. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl with 1 teaspoon sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining liquids and dry -except last cup of flour. Using dough hook, turn to Speed 2 for about 1 minute, or until are thoroughly mixed. Continuing on Speed 2, gently tap remaining flour around the sides of the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed. Mix until dough cleans to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. When dough clings to hook, knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
There are two ways to make the Bagel Dogs: Spiral and Enclosed.
For the spiral - roll out each part into a snake that is twice as long as your chosen hot dog. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough snake in both directions- lengthwise and widthwise. Place your hot dog at one end of the flattened snake at approximately a 45 degree angle. Roll your dog, wrapping it up with the bagel dough, allowing the dough to overlap about 1/2 inch as it twists along the dog. Make sure that it is sealed well on each end, I like to dip my fingers in a bowl of water and use my wet fingers to squeeze the ends shut.
I tried the Enclosed this last time, and while I need to work on it a bit more so that one side doesn't have more breading than the other side, I liked it a lot better. For this one I rolled out each piece a little longer than the length of a hotdog, but about double the width of one. I wet one side of the dough by dipping my fingers in a bowl of water and brushing them on the edge. I set the hotdog inside and sealed it, and then made sure it was sealed well inside, once more using wet fingers to make sure the edges were sealed well.
Place Bagel dogs on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil or Silpat mat (this is what I use all the time anyway, it's also what I use to knead/roll out on) and cover with a light towel and let rest for about 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place. [I usually take this time to pre-heat the oven since it takes a while to warm up because of my baking stone, and get the boiling water ready.]
Get a large pot of boiling water ready. I like to add 2 Tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 Tablespoon of kosher salt to it (I do this for my bagels too) but you don't have to if you don't want to. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
When the rising time is up, boil the dogs in batches of 2, for 3 minutes. I try to turn them over at the 1 1/2 minute mark, but they don't always want to, it's not a big thing. Drain and place back on the oiled baking sheet. Continue like this with the rest of the dogs. Brush with the egg glaze (if using, I don't bother) and sprinkle with your choice of toppings on top of the boiled dogs.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, and remember that these hold their heat really well and will be HOT!
Beef, Brown Rice and Mushroom Stew
Although a rich stew like this is often made with fatty chuck, bottom round provides a healthy alternative without compromising flavor. The stew, a baked concoction, can be made ahead. Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat over medium heat, or freeze in plastic containers for up to 3 months.
Makes 6 1-cup servings
POINTS® value per serving: 6
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tsp stemmed fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
One 12-ounce bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Spray a large casserole or oven-safe saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the meat (working in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Spray again with nonstick spray and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until they release their liquid, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the thyme, caraway seeds, salt and pepper; cook until aromatic, about 15 seconds.
Pour in the broth and beer, stirring until the foam dissipates. Stir the beef back into the stew and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Stir in the rice. Cover and bake until the meat and rice are tender, stirring once or twice, about 1 more hour.
Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread
Baking soda was the boon to home bakers in the late 18th century. No more yeast! Irish soda bread celebrates this quick-and-easy heartiness: Here's a raisin-and-caraway studded loaf with no fuss and big taste. The soda bread, of course, is "of the moment," best within a few hours of being made.
Makes 1 round loaf (8 slices).
Serving size: 1 slice (1/8 loaf)
POINTS® value per serving: 3
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Whisk the buttermilk and oil in a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly moistened.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour. Turn the dough out onto work surface and knead for 30 seconds, just until it coheres. Shape into a round loaf about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Use a sharp knife or a new razor blade to cut an "x" about 1/2 inch deep in the top of the loaf.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, place the loaf on it, and bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Tender Chicken in Gravy
This comforting dish will satisfy your pickiest eater. Serve over 1/2 cup brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli for a meal with a POINTS value of 7 per serving
From: Weight Watchers 20 Minutes Recipes Spring 2009
Yield: 4 servings ( about 3 chicken tenders and 1/4 cup gravy) Points: 5
cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
14 ounce can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon light butter
2 Tablespoon chopped chopped fresh parsley, divided
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken, and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken; add broth, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from pan; set aside, and keep warm.
Combine milk and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Slowly stir in milk mixture, butter, and 1 Tablespoon parsley. Cook, stirring constantly until gravy thickens. Serve over chicken; sprinkle with remaining parsley.
Per serving: Cal 254 (14% from fat); fat 4g; (sat 1.7g); pro 43.5g; carb 8.2g; fib 0.4g; chol 105 mg; iron1.7mg; sod 598mg; calc 113mg
Baked Corn Dogs
Baked corn dogs, a new and improved take on a state-fair snack, put fast, fun food at your fingertips. Be sure to buy ice-pop sticks if you don't have them on hand. Serve these with baked beans coleslaw.
From Everyday Food Magazine Jan/Feb 2007
Serves 4.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting sausages
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 precooked smoked chicken sausages (13 ounces total)
Ketchup and mustard, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Make a well in center; add milk, eggs, and oil. Mix just until combined.
Insert an ice-pop stick into one end of each sausage, leaving a 1 1/2-inch handle. Dust with flour; tap off excess. Using handle, rotate each sausage over bowl as you spoon batter to coat evenly. Place on sheet; bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a spatula, reapply batter that has slipped onto sheet. Return to oven; bake until golden, 20 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard, if desired.
Friday, March 06, 2009
I really just want to breeetdh.
Yep, the menu's changed. Oh well. Not a big thing- I've got a cold and can't breathe (or smell or taste much) and hubby was at his mom's after work on Tuesday and Wednesday. We did lose power for a few hours right after eating dinner (I made a slightly different recipe - mostly the same, just in casserole form - recipe below). I know the recipe looks really involved, but pretty much everything can me made ahead of time when you have the chance (this is a good time to make Crockpot Caramelized Onions [its one of the recipes listed]!). I'm also thinking that this might be a good recipe to try as a freeze ahead recipe too - since it' makes A LOT (especially for just two of us). Anyway, I ended up just making some tatertots for me on Tuesday along with the rotisserie chicken I bought when I went grocery shopping and eating leftovers on Wednesday. I did make the Poutine last night (made homemade oven baked fries instead of french fries though). I haven't decided if we're having pizza, migas, chicken noodle soup or leftovers tonight though. I didn't sleep well last night and hubby's going to work tomorrow too, so I might just do pizza tomorrow instead and make his Saturday dinner a bit more special.
Kusherie Casserole
(Egyptian rice, macaroni and lentils with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions)
This very common Egyptian dish of rice, lentils, and macaroni with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions has been a family favorite for many years. The rice, lentils, and macaroni are usually served separately with the sauce alongside, but I find this dish translates very well into a casserole, and it's easier to serve to a crowd or transport in this form.
From “The Almost No Fat Holiday Cookbook: Festive Vegetarian Recipes” by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Makes 8 servings.
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (can be drained from canned tomatoes)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 Tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar, honey, or alternate sweetener
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Rice and Lentils:
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
4 vegetarian or soy cubes
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups dry whole wheat or regular macaroni, cooked until just done and drained
Browned Onions:
3 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20-30 minutes.
To cook the rice and lentils, lightly oil a heavy pot and add the lentils. Stir over high heat until they start to change color, then add the water, brown rice, vegetable cubes, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (or bake in a 350 degree F oven) for 60 minutes.
Mix the cooked, drained macaroni with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Steam-fry the onions and garlic in a lightly oiled skillet until soft and browned.
To assemble the casserole, preheat the oven to 350degreesF. Oil a shallow 9” x 13” baking pan and layer half the rice and lentils, the macaroni, the remaining rice and lentils, the sauce and the browned onions, in that order. Cover with heavy foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve casserole with plain yogurt or sour cream, if desired.
Per Serving: Calories 419, Protein 16 g, Fat 1 g, Carb 83g
Kusherie Casserole
(Egyptian rice, macaroni and lentils with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions)
This very common Egyptian dish of rice, lentils, and macaroni with spicy tomato sauce and browned onions has been a family favorite for many years. The rice, lentils, and macaroni are usually served separately with the sauce alongside, but I find this dish translates very well into a casserole, and it's easier to serve to a crowd or transport in this form.
From “The Almost No Fat Holiday Cookbook: Festive Vegetarian Recipes” by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Makes 8 servings.
Spicy Tomato Sauce:
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (can be drained from canned tomatoes)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 Tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon sugar, honey, or alternate sweetener
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Rice and Lentils:
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
4 vegetarian or soy cubes
Black pepper, to taste
2 cups dry whole wheat or regular macaroni, cooked until just done and drained
Browned Onions:
3 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20-30 minutes.
To cook the rice and lentils, lightly oil a heavy pot and add the lentils. Stir over high heat until they start to change color, then add the water, brown rice, vegetable cubes, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (or bake in a 350 degree F oven) for 60 minutes.
Mix the cooked, drained macaroni with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Steam-fry the onions and garlic in a lightly oiled skillet until soft and browned.
To assemble the casserole, preheat the oven to 350degreesF. Oil a shallow 9” x 13” baking pan and layer half the rice and lentils, the macaroni, the remaining rice and lentils, the sauce and the browned onions, in that order. Cover with heavy foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Serve casserole with plain yogurt or sour cream, if desired.
Per Serving: Calories 419, Protein 16 g, Fat 1 g, Carb 83g
Monday, March 02, 2009
Menu Plan Monday - Snowbound Edition!
Well, things went just a bit different last week, and my menu plan has already changed for this week.
For last week, hubby's windshield totally cracked and then his truck was making a funny noise. I had moved up the easy meal to a different night because of a migraine, and of course the next night I had to go pick him up from work because he had to drop his truck off to be looked at the next morning. *sigh* We ended up having the Red Beans and Rice on Tuesday, Chef Boyarde Ravioli on Wed. I had missed my WW meeting on Tues because of the migraine, so I drove him to work on Thurs. and would hit the Thurs 11:30 meeting. I still had a migraine, and my meds hadn't kicked in yet (he actually drove TO work, I just rode) so I asked his mom if I could crash at her place until my WW meeting instead of going to the Library like I planned. She was ok with that, but hubby had forgotten to tell me that she had a really bad cold, and she was worried I'd catch that. I fell asleep on her couch for a bit, woke up feeling a bit better and went to WW, left my jacket at her place and went back. She ended up convincing me to stay since I'd have to pick up hubby that evening anyway and no reason to drive home. I offered to pick up a few things at the grocery store for her and she offered to buy me pho (I tried to convince her of it's healing properties earlier but it wasn't working). I also ended up taking her to CVS later too. About 5:45 I texted hubby to see if he was going to be late, or if I needed to be there at 6 and he tells me that his truck was ready early that morning but he got busy and forgot to call me. *SIGH* At least I got to do some stuff for his mom that she probably wouldn't have let me do otherwise. That night we had Beans & Weenies - not hubbies fave, but I love. Turns out he was either really hungry or he really likes the new Bush's Grillin' Beans because he ate 3 servings! Hubby announces he wasn't to go out and try The Silver Diner for our anniversary instead of me cooking. Fine by me- the cheesecake will be tried next year. And for Fri- we didn't have homemade pizza - I still wasn't feeling great, so hubby brought home a FoodLion pizza. Not one of their freezer one, but one of those fresh ones that you bake. It wasn't bad. Not a Chez JJ but not bad for $8.00.
Sooo, they're calling for bad weather, and I'm still getting migraines. It's rainy and when we leave for dinner it's starting to sleet. It's rain in Richmond, we have a good meal (I have enough fried food to last me a year - fried onion rings, fried clams, french fries) and we stop by FoodLion to pick up bread and stuff for John's lunchs for next week since I didn't get bread made. At this point we're hoping to make it to MiL's on Sunday - but not sure we're going to with the weather. I put a bit of icemelt on the steps because it's pretty slippery already.
I wake up on Sunday to a layer of ice over everything and we let MiL know we're not going to go anywhere. And then it snows....and snows....and snows...and snows. I fix the Red Lentil Soup that I had planned for earlier this week for dinner (YUM!) and the power starts to flicker. We lose power not soon after. *sigh* Luckily it's not off for too long, and since it's not too cold outside the house doesn't get too cold either. When we get up Monday, I'm thinking we have about 10 inches (that's what they mention on the news). So, since I didn't go shopping for my menu (I planned it on Friday), I have had to move it around already.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
I'm not posting days since it could all change (although the first one we're having tonight as long as we still have power - it's been blinking):
Koshary (Egyptian Lentils with Rice, Macaroni, Browned Onions and Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce (I've actually still got some pasta from Costco - but I'll post the recipe I use when I don't)
Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy) [I'm either oven baking the fries or buying frozen fries]
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Pizza
FFY
Cheeseburger Soup with bread bowls
Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary)
Adapted From "Extending the Table" -Fiza, Mattareyya, Egypt; and Mary F. Beck, Cairo, Egypt
Koshary is Egypt's street food. Vendors serve this low-cost, nutritious meal in dishes or plastic bags from little kiosks. It is also an important dish for Coptic Orthodox Christians because it is meatless and can be eaten during times of fasting. In Egypt the sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, and the rice and lentils are always served with macaroni.
My Notes: From a friend on the WW CLC board (Jilly) who's husband is from Egypt, she makes a spicy vinaigrette to go on top at the end just like we would use Tabasco or Pepper Vinegar and puts a bay leaf in with the rice and lentils. She just gives ingredients for the vinaigrette, just mix them to your tastes.
Serves 8
Rice and Lentils:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 cups lentils
3 cups boiling water (or stock)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup boiling water (or stock)
Sauce:
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (or tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
3Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or crushed chilis to taste)
Macaroni:
2 cups macaroni, any variety
3 Tbsp of above sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Browned Onions:
2 tablespoons oil
3 onions, sliced
4 garlic clove, minced
JillyBean's Spicy Vinaigrette (all to taste):
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
minced garlic
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown lentils in 2 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 3 cups boiling stock, bay leaf, and the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the rice and 1 cup stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes without stirring.
Meanwhile make sauce: Heat all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Once the sauce is made, Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with 3 Tbsp of the above sauce and 1 Tbsp oil.
To make browned onions, heat oil in a small skillet. Saute onions and garlic over medium heat till brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve rice-lentil mixture in one serving dish and macaroni in another. Place side-by-side on plates, ladle sauce over and top with browned onions. Or pile rice-lentil mixture and macaroni on a large serving platter. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with onions. Individuals may add plain yogurt.
Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce
This is like the frozen Garlic ravioli you can get at Costco.
Serves 4-6
16 ounces ravioli, preferably spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and put back into pan. Add everything else to pan and stir to mix. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy)
Makes 4 side servings or 2 main servings
To save calories, oven bake the fries, use FF stock and thicken with cornstarch and use lowfat cheese.
4 large russet potatoes
oil for deep frying
salt
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups cheese curds
Peel and slice the potatoes into thick fries (at least 1 cm thick). Soak the potatoes in ice water for about 30 minutes. Remove and drain well.
Heat oil for frying to about 325F and deep fry potatoes for about 8 minutes. Remove from oil and set on paper towel. Turn the oil up to 375F.
In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the beef broth and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat and keep hot. (I use a tiny bit of gravy browning to get that nice dark color).
Return the French fries to the oil and continue frying until golden and crispy. This should take about 5 more minutes. Remove fries to drain on paper towel and salt to taste.
Assemble the poutine quick while everything is still HOT. (Poutine is best made in a bowl or other container which will contain the heat and help melt the curds. Also, the curds should be at room temperature before assembling the Poutine). Start with a layer of fries. Put some cheese curds in the middle. Add more fries and top with more cheese curds. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese curds.
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Migas (pronounced MEE gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory , from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs.
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream
In addition to the ingredients called for in this recipe, some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic
In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.
Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.
Note: This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd. Migas are a terrific brunch dish.
Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them.
Lightened Cheeseburger Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. carrots, julienne-sliced
3 c. peeled and cubed potatoes
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried leaf basil
1 quart fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. low-fat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. pepper
Brown the ground beef, onion, and celery in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the red bell pepper and cook for one minute longer. Drain the fat. Add the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, parsley and basil or herb seasoning blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; stir in flour until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in the milk. Stir in the cheese. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and begins to bubble. Stir the milk mixture into the soup mixture until well blended. Heat thoroughly and season to taste.
Makes eight servings. Each serving has 350 calories, 18 g of fat, 21 g of carbohydrate and 460 mg of sodium.
Bread Bowls
2 1/2 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 c. bread flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
Measure warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add salt, sugar, oil and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray, turning to grease top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Grease outside of 12, 10-ounce custard cups or ovenproof bowls. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Spread each piece into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Place dough over outside of bowl, working with hands until dough fits. Set bowls, dough side up on baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes.
Combine egg and milk; gently brush mixture on dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Using potholders, carefully remove the bowls. Set bread bowls open side up on baking pan; bake 5 minutes.
Makes 12 bread bowls. Each bowl has 296 calories, 3 grams (g) of fat, 57 g of carbohydrate and 538 milligrams of sodium.
For last week, hubby's windshield totally cracked and then his truck was making a funny noise. I had moved up the easy meal to a different night because of a migraine, and of course the next night I had to go pick him up from work because he had to drop his truck off to be looked at the next morning. *sigh* We ended up having the Red Beans and Rice on Tuesday, Chef Boyarde Ravioli on Wed. I had missed my WW meeting on Tues because of the migraine, so I drove him to work on Thurs. and would hit the Thurs 11:30 meeting. I still had a migraine, and my meds hadn't kicked in yet (he actually drove TO work, I just rode) so I asked his mom if I could crash at her place until my WW meeting instead of going to the Library like I planned. She was ok with that, but hubby had forgotten to tell me that she had a really bad cold, and she was worried I'd catch that. I fell asleep on her couch for a bit, woke up feeling a bit better and went to WW, left my jacket at her place and went back. She ended up convincing me to stay since I'd have to pick up hubby that evening anyway and no reason to drive home. I offered to pick up a few things at the grocery store for her and she offered to buy me pho (I tried to convince her of it's healing properties earlier but it wasn't working). I also ended up taking her to CVS later too. About 5:45 I texted hubby to see if he was going to be late, or if I needed to be there at 6 and he tells me that his truck was ready early that morning but he got busy and forgot to call me. *SIGH* At least I got to do some stuff for his mom that she probably wouldn't have let me do otherwise. That night we had Beans & Weenies - not hubbies fave, but I love. Turns out he was either really hungry or he really likes the new Bush's Grillin' Beans because he ate 3 servings! Hubby announces he wasn't to go out and try The Silver Diner for our anniversary instead of me cooking. Fine by me- the cheesecake will be tried next year. And for Fri- we didn't have homemade pizza - I still wasn't feeling great, so hubby brought home a FoodLion pizza. Not one of their freezer one, but one of those fresh ones that you bake. It wasn't bad. Not a Chez JJ but not bad for $8.00.
Sooo, they're calling for bad weather, and I'm still getting migraines. It's rainy and when we leave for dinner it's starting to sleet. It's rain in Richmond, we have a good meal (I have enough fried food to last me a year - fried onion rings, fried clams, french fries) and we stop by FoodLion to pick up bread and stuff for John's lunchs for next week since I didn't get bread made. At this point we're hoping to make it to MiL's on Sunday - but not sure we're going to with the weather. I put a bit of icemelt on the steps because it's pretty slippery already.
I wake up on Sunday to a layer of ice over everything and we let MiL know we're not going to go anywhere. And then it snows....and snows....and snows...and snows. I fix the Red Lentil Soup that I had planned for earlier this week for dinner (YUM!) and the power starts to flicker. We lose power not soon after. *sigh* Luckily it's not off for too long, and since it's not too cold outside the house doesn't get too cold either. When we get up Monday, I'm thinking we have about 10 inches (that's what they mention on the news). So, since I didn't go shopping for my menu (I planned it on Friday), I have had to move it around already.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
I'm not posting days since it could all change (although the first one we're having tonight as long as we still have power - it's been blinking):
Koshary (Egyptian Lentils with Rice, Macaroni, Browned Onions and Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce (I've actually still got some pasta from Costco - but I'll post the recipe I use when I don't)
Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy) [I'm either oven baking the fries or buying frozen fries]
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Pizza
FFY
Cheeseburger Soup with bread bowls
Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary)
Adapted From "Extending the Table" -Fiza, Mattareyya, Egypt; and Mary F. Beck, Cairo, Egypt
Koshary is Egypt's street food. Vendors serve this low-cost, nutritious meal in dishes or plastic bags from little kiosks. It is also an important dish for Coptic Orthodox Christians because it is meatless and can be eaten during times of fasting. In Egypt the sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, and the rice and lentils are always served with macaroni.
My Notes: From a friend on the WW CLC board (Jilly) who's husband is from Egypt, she makes a spicy vinaigrette to go on top at the end just like we would use Tabasco or Pepper Vinegar and puts a bay leaf in with the rice and lentils. She just gives ingredients for the vinaigrette, just mix them to your tastes.
Serves 8
Rice and Lentils:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 cups lentils
3 cups boiling water (or stock)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup boiling water (or stock)
Sauce:
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (or tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
3Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or crushed chilis to taste)
Macaroni:
2 cups macaroni, any variety
3 Tbsp of above sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Browned Onions:
2 tablespoons oil
3 onions, sliced
4 garlic clove, minced
JillyBean's Spicy Vinaigrette (all to taste):
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
minced garlic
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown lentils in 2 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 3 cups boiling stock, bay leaf, and the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the rice and 1 cup stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes without stirring.
Meanwhile make sauce: Heat all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Once the sauce is made, Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with 3 Tbsp of the above sauce and 1 Tbsp oil.
To make browned onions, heat oil in a small skillet. Saute onions and garlic over medium heat till brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve rice-lentil mixture in one serving dish and macaroni in another. Place side-by-side on plates, ladle sauce over and top with browned onions. Or pile rice-lentil mixture and macaroni on a large serving platter. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with onions. Individuals may add plain yogurt.
Ravioli with Garlic Parsley Sauce
This is like the frozen Garlic ravioli you can get at Costco.
Serves 4-6
16 ounces ravioli, preferably spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons butter, or olive oil
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and put back into pan. Add everything else to pan and stir to mix. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.
Poutine (French Fries with Cheese Curds and Gravy)
Makes 4 side servings or 2 main servings
To save calories, oven bake the fries, use FF stock and thicken with cornstarch and use lowfat cheese.
4 large russet potatoes
oil for deep frying
salt
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups cheese curds
Peel and slice the potatoes into thick fries (at least 1 cm thick). Soak the potatoes in ice water for about 30 minutes. Remove and drain well.
Heat oil for frying to about 325F and deep fry potatoes for about 8 minutes. Remove from oil and set on paper towel. Turn the oil up to 375F.
In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the beef broth and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat and keep hot. (I use a tiny bit of gravy browning to get that nice dark color).
Return the French fries to the oil and continue frying until golden and crispy. This should take about 5 more minutes. Remove fries to drain on paper towel and salt to taste.
Assemble the poutine quick while everything is still HOT. (Poutine is best made in a bowl or other container which will contain the heat and help melt the curds. Also, the curds should be at room temperature before assembling the Poutine). Start with a layer of fries. Put some cheese curds in the middle. Add more fries and top with more cheese curds. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese curds.
Migas with Fresh Tortillas
Migas (pronounced MEE gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory , from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs.
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour cream
In addition to the ingredients called for in this recipe, some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic
In a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.
Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.
Note: This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd. Migas are a terrific brunch dish.
Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them.
Lightened Cheeseburger Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. carrots, julienne-sliced
3 c. peeled and cubed potatoes
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried leaf basil
1 quart fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. low-fat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. pepper
Brown the ground beef, onion, and celery in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the red bell pepper and cook for one minute longer. Drain the fat. Add the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, parsley and basil or herb seasoning blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; stir in flour until smooth, about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in the milk. Stir in the cheese. Continue cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted and the mixture is thick and begins to bubble. Stir the milk mixture into the soup mixture until well blended. Heat thoroughly and season to taste.
Makes eight servings. Each serving has 350 calories, 18 g of fat, 21 g of carbohydrate and 460 mg of sodium.
Bread Bowls
2 1/2 c. warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 c. bread flour
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
Measure warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add salt, sugar, oil and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a bowl that has been lightly coated with nonstick spray, turning to grease top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Grease outside of 12, 10-ounce custard cups or ovenproof bowls. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Spread each piece into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Place dough over outside of bowl, working with hands until dough fits. Set bowls, dough side up on baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place until double, about 30 minutes.
Combine egg and milk; gently brush mixture on dough. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Using potholders, carefully remove the bowls. Set bread bowls open side up on baking pan; bake 5 minutes.
Makes 12 bread bowls. Each bowl has 296 calories, 3 grams (g) of fat, 57 g of carbohydrate and 538 milligrams of sodium.
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