Yes, the menu changed drastically last week. Hubby was mostly left to his own devices. The cheese strata worked out wonderfully when I was finally able to start feeling like eating though (after canned soups - I went from tomato first and then ventured into the chunkier but soft veggie ones HaHa!) It was so nice to eat real food again. And even the lentil spaghetti worked out well for me too. I finally tried (used up too since I had it for a while) some lentil pasta I had bought a while back. So we had a double dose of lentils that night. It actually ended up tasting a bit like Chef-Boyardee canned pasta since I used a bottled Four Cheese sauce. I did end up cooking the lentils beforehand though. I was just too worried to cook them in the sauce since all I've ever heard is don't cook beans with tomatoes since they'll never soften. I just drained them and then put the sauce in with them and warmed that while I cooked the pasta. It turned out well and will be made again. I am pretty sure I made it once before when I was trying to eat vegan and we liked it then too (I don't remember if I used a recipe then either). I'm not bothering to use the recipes that weren't made for this week since it looks like this week will be pretty warm and most of the recipes are oven recipes. Luckily they are also mostly things I keep on hand - so it's not like I went out to buy stuff for them either.
I had friends over for dinner Saturday. This is when "Hurricane" Hanna came through. They were just predicting about 3-4 inches of rain and some wind here - nothing big. But the news really bothered me - they really over-reacted to it. I can understand warning people, and I know that Hurricanes/Tropical Storms can be unpredictable and it does do some damage but really! They were acting like it was Katrina/Isabel (the one that did damage for us recently) getting ready to come through. We went into town Friday afternoon, ate lunch and decided instead of shopping there because it's a pain with the crowds and all - that we'd rather shop closer to home and one of our normal FoodLions for the dinner with our friends. Now I hadn't planned anything special (I'll post a freezable recipe below that we used at Dinners By The Dozen where I was the Executive Chef). Bad choice. They had pulled all the perishable items: deli meats, produce and meats (they stated this with a sign). I didn't even go to the dairy section I was so frustrated. We walked out of there empty handed and mad. We drove back into town and shopped at Kroger's instead where they hadn't pulled anything. When our friends came to dinner - they brought dessert. I was telling them of the problem I was having with finding dinner items. They looked at each other and then told us of the problems they had finding the pie they brought for dessert. They had to go to two FL's and they didn't have much choice at either. And the ones they went to - they are even further inland than the FL that hubby and I went to. The eye of the storm - it passed near the coast of VA - way on the other side of Richmond. We live smack dab in Central Va - on what I guess I should say is the other - other side of Richmond.
I am using the Saving Dinner Frugal Menu Mailer this week. You can get an ebook of it here: Frugal Menu Mailer E-Book It's cheaper if you buy it as a the whole year -but you can buy it just as seasons too. It serves 6 - but is pretty easy to cut down too. Once more, all of this may end up not being made but that's ok - at least I've planned for it and I can use it next week too.
Monday: Bacon Potato Frittata with spinach salad and whole grain rolls
Tuesday: Tortellini and veggies with salad and garlic toast
Wednesday: Honey chicken thighs, broccoli slaw and baby carrots
Thursday: Beefy Quesadillas with corn on the cob and salad
Friday: Teriyaki Orange Pork with brown rice and steamed broccoli
Hand Slappin' Walnut-cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Serving Size : 6
1 cup Ricotta Cheese (can be lowfat)
3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 Chicken Breast Halves -- with skin and bones
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and oregano.
Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts to form a pocket, and stuff with the ricotta cheese mixture. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, and brush with oil.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
To Freeze: Freeze after stuffing and before baking. To cook: Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as above.
My Notes: This time I tried it with lowfat ricotta and used Penzey's Pasta sprinkle instead of just oregano. I also added 1 Tbsp chopped dried tomatoes (not in oil). They were great. I haven't tried them with nonfat ricotta. We were able to find boneless chicken breasts with skin (it took about 20 minutes to cook them) at the store but I haven't found them "in the wild" so I use split chicken breasts and it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook. You can, of course, de-bone the breasts yourself. You can also make a pocket in a boneless, skinless chicken breast and fill with the mixture. The mixture is not a really oozy mixture so it won't ooze out like most cheese-based mixtures do. BTW: I didn't name this - Tom did. :)
From Tom Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
Monday, September 08, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Menu Changes?
Ok, so the menu might change a bit this week - we'll see. I had a root canal done today on my tooth. Needless to say, I don't feel like chewing anything - so dinner tonight for me is Tomato Soup. We'll see how I feel tomorrow - at the moment, at least the pain isn't any worse than it was before I had the root canal done. It's one of the teeth near the front of my mouth (#13) so most food seems to move there whether I want it to or not. On the upside, within a few days it should go back to feeling nothing. He said that once he drilled through the filling and into the root that it didn't bleed - so it was basically dead - so it's a good thing I chose to go ahead and do the root canal today instead of waiting a few more days. I'm frankly just glad that he could work me in and do it today. When the hygienist tapped the tooth to check, I practically jumped out of the seat. She actually told me to make sure I told him not to do that, and that she would make sure to tell him the same thing.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Mmmmm - Ice Cream
Because my tooth's been hurting me, I've been looking for some soft foods. Hubby loves ice cream. Now, not to say I don't but since I am trying to watch what I eat, I try not to keep much of it at home. Well, our FoodLion has recently added in a Natural section, and they now carry some vegan treats as well. My allergies have really been bothering me lately and since I'm sensitive to milk and eggs I'm trying to cut back on them a bit. I had been able to get Tofutti Cuties at one of the other FL but they stopped carrying them, and I've been missing ice cream sandwiches (I have to get them in Richmond or Charlottesville otherwise and that means I need to remember to take something to keep them frozen when I go shopping for the trip home). They are carrying them at ours - but I picked up some So Delicious vanilla with chocolate cookie ones for me. It's just like I was back in school. :) The cookie sticks to my fingers and I have to lick it off. :) For hubby I picked him up some Purely Decadent Peanut Butter ZigZag. It's chocolate with peanut butter. He loved it. I did try a bit - too much peanut butter for me (I'm not a big fan of PB) but the chocolate was good.
Menu Plan Monday
Well, I made Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake this morning. I actually bought a boxed cake mix *gasp* ;) It is tasty, but whew! It's rich and sweet! I can't see how hubby ate 3 pieces. On the other hand, it's nice to see that I can stop at 1, and it definitely fixed my Krispy Kreme craving I was having. I'm finally down to 207 again (I was up to 209 after the NYC trip), and it was nice to see that I stopped myself last night when we ate Five Guys when I got full. I only ate half my burger and some of my fries - and this is even with me forgetting my Byetta shot! [I took it when I got home.]
I am having some pain from where I had a cavity filled the other week - and I'm having that looked at tomorrow. I'm not really sure what they're going to do so I'm not really sure what I'll feel like eating tomorrow. As it is, I'm not really into eating much as it is. The bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon that I fixed this morning wasn't a wise choice in the first place and I didn't even finish the first half as it was. :( I'm kinda planning on relatively soft foods for this week incase I end up getting a root canal or something (I'm thinking I might have an abscess or something).
Monday (Today): Hotdogs and Oven Baked Fries- I'm fixing Nathan's Hot Dogs since I didn't get them in NYC.
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce
Wednesday: Cheese Strata
Thursday: Turkey Divan
Friday:Chili Mac
Saturday: Mike & Jennifer over for Dinner - I'm thinking Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie she's now got over 300 participants!
I am having some pain from where I had a cavity filled the other week - and I'm having that looked at tomorrow. I'm not really sure what they're going to do so I'm not really sure what I'll feel like eating tomorrow. As it is, I'm not really into eating much as it is. The bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon that I fixed this morning wasn't a wise choice in the first place and I didn't even finish the first half as it was. :( I'm kinda planning on relatively soft foods for this week incase I end up getting a root canal or something (I'm thinking I might have an abscess or something).
Monday (Today): Hotdogs and Oven Baked Fries- I'm fixing Nathan's Hot Dogs since I didn't get them in NYC.
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce
Wednesday: Cheese Strata
Thursday: Turkey Divan
Friday:Chili Mac
Saturday: Mike & Jennifer over for Dinner - I'm thinking Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie she's now got over 300 participants!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Looks Good- Greek Bread
I picked up the new "WW 20 Minute Recipes" magazine-like book while at the grocery store today and I haven't even finished looking through it and I found a recipe that I can't wait to try. First off - I love Greek Salads, although I don't think hubby is so enamored of them or I would serve them more often. Anyway, I found this in the Breads Section.
Greek Bread
POINTS: 4 Serve Greek Bread with a simple green salad, and you'll have the flavor and crunch of a traditional Greek Salad. Toss in some grilled fish or chicken for a tasty meal.
1/2 (16 oz) package twin French Bread loaves (such as Pepperidge Farm)
1/2 cup (4 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp Greek Seasoning (to make your own go here )
6 Tbsp (1 1/2 oz) crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped pepperocini peppers
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice bread loaf in half horizontally. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Greek Seasoning in a small bowl; stir well. Spread evenly over cut sides of bread; sprinkle with feta cheese, olives, and pepperoncini peppers.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until bread is toasted. Cut bread into 6 equal portions.
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice). Per serving: 199 Calories (38% from fat); Fat 8.4g (sat 4.2g); pro 7g; carb 23.6g; fib 1.1g; chol 19mg; iron 1.2mg; sod 701mg; calc 89mg
Greek Bread
POINTS: 4 Serve Greek Bread with a simple green salad, and you'll have the flavor and crunch of a traditional Greek Salad. Toss in some grilled fish or chicken for a tasty meal.
1/2 (16 oz) package twin French Bread loaves (such as Pepperidge Farm)
1/2 cup (4 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp Greek Seasoning (to make your own go here )
6 Tbsp (1 1/2 oz) crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped pepperocini peppers
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice bread loaf in half horizontally. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Greek Seasoning in a small bowl; stir well. Spread evenly over cut sides of bread; sprinkle with feta cheese, olives, and pepperoncini peppers.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until bread is toasted. Cut bread into 6 equal portions.
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice). Per serving: 199 Calories (38% from fat); Fat 8.4g (sat 4.2g); pro 7g; carb 23.6g; fib 1.1g; chol 19mg; iron 1.2mg; sod 701mg; calc 89mg
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
I made pudding today for dessert. And I don't mean Jell-O brand either. I did a search, and most of them required a double boiler and/or a sieve. I didn't feel like dealing with that. I found this recipe through a printout I had from the Alabama Cooperative Extension and it can be found here: Weekly Menu Ideas for the Family . It was very easy and tasty. And the pdf has a lot of easy recipes, btw- nothing fancy.
Chocolate Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt
1 cup nofat dry milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups water
2 Tbsp margarine (I used butter)
Combine sugar, flour, salt, dry milk, and cocoa in saucepan. Stir until well blended. Combine beaten egg and water. Gradually add egg mixture to dry ingredients, stirring as you add. Continue stirring until thoroughly mixed. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add margarine and stir until melted. Cover to prevent a tough surface from forming. Chill.
Serves 4.
The success of tonight's pudding makes me want to try these:
Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Stir the ingredients together until well mixed. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool place. Makes enough mix for 24 servings.
Variations:
Chocolate Pudding Mix - Add 3/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup more sugar to above ingredients before stirring.
Caramel Pudding Mix- Substitute 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar for granulated sugar.
To Make Pudding (from Mix)
1 1/4 cups pudding mix
2 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 egg, beaten
Combine mix with water in top of double boiler. Place over boiling water and cook
until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer. Add the butter or margarine. Remove from heat and beat half of the hot mixture into the egg. Blend slowly into the remaining hot mixture. Cook over hot water for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and chill. Serves six.
These recipes came from Ohio State Co-Op Ext.
The thing with the newer recipes is the fact that they call for a double boiler and I wonder if I could just cook as I did tonight's without any ill effects. And looking around the net (mostly from astray) I have a few more variations I could add:
To make chocolate without having to make a whole chocolate mix: Add 3 Tbsp to the vanilla when I make it
Rice Pudding: Add 2 cups cooked rice into cooked vanilla pudding. Add raisins and nutmeg if desired
Peanut butter: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts to hot prepared vanilla pudding and chocolate chips when it's cooled if desired
Coconut, Banana and any other fruit: Add 1/2-1 cup fruit to prepared vanilla pudding before chilling - can add extract in place of vanilla too.
All of these recipes with flour make me wonder about the ones with cornstarch instead of flour. I imagine the ones with cornstarch would be a bit clearer and not quite so gummy and I guess I'll be trying those too. The big thing with these is that it calls for milk when you make them so you are getting a double dose of calcium (not that you couldn't use milk to make the flour ones) and they don't call for a double boiler. There's also no egg. So - just so I'll have them in one place:
Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all except the vanilla, and store in an airtight container. To prepare, mix 1/2 cup of mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Chocolate Pudding Mix
2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
5 cups sugar
3 cups cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa
Mix and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 2/3 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Coconut Cream Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Mix the extract and the shredded coconut in a small bowl until the extract is absorbed. Add the coconut to the other ingredients and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 2/3 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Butterscotch Pudding Mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk
5 cups brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
Mix and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 1/2 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Chocolate Pudding
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
dash of salt
1 cup nofat dry milk
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups water
2 Tbsp margarine (I used butter)
Combine sugar, flour, salt, dry milk, and cocoa in saucepan. Stir until well blended. Combine beaten egg and water. Gradually add egg mixture to dry ingredients, stirring as you add. Continue stirring until thoroughly mixed. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add margarine and stir until melted. Cover to prevent a tough surface from forming. Chill.
Serves 4.
The success of tonight's pudding makes me want to try these:
Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Stir the ingredients together until well mixed. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool place. Makes enough mix for 24 servings.
Variations:
Chocolate Pudding Mix - Add 3/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup more sugar to above ingredients before stirring.
Caramel Pudding Mix- Substitute 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar for granulated sugar.
To Make Pudding (from Mix)
1 1/4 cups pudding mix
2 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1 egg, beaten
Combine mix with water in top of double boiler. Place over boiling water and cook
until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer. Add the butter or margarine. Remove from heat and beat half of the hot mixture into the egg. Blend slowly into the remaining hot mixture. Cook over hot water for 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and chill. Serves six.
These recipes came from Ohio State Co-Op Ext.
The thing with the newer recipes is the fact that they call for a double boiler and I wonder if I could just cook as I did tonight's without any ill effects. And looking around the net (mostly from astray) I have a few more variations I could add:
To make chocolate without having to make a whole chocolate mix: Add 3 Tbsp to the vanilla when I make it
Rice Pudding: Add 2 cups cooked rice into cooked vanilla pudding. Add raisins and nutmeg if desired
Peanut butter: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup chopped peanuts to hot prepared vanilla pudding and chocolate chips when it's cooled if desired
Coconut, Banana and any other fruit: Add 1/2-1 cup fruit to prepared vanilla pudding before chilling - can add extract in place of vanilla too.
All of these recipes with flour make me wonder about the ones with cornstarch instead of flour. I imagine the ones with cornstarch would be a bit clearer and not quite so gummy and I guess I'll be trying those too. The big thing with these is that it calls for milk when you make them so you are getting a double dose of calcium (not that you couldn't use milk to make the flour ones) and they don't call for a double boiler. There's also no egg. So - just so I'll have them in one place:
Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all except the vanilla, and store in an airtight container. To prepare, mix 1/2 cup of mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Chocolate Pudding Mix
2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
5 cups sugar
3 cups cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa
Mix and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 2/3 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Coconut Cream Pudding Mix
3 cups nonfat dry milk
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Mix the extract and the shredded coconut in a small bowl until the extract is absorbed. Add the coconut to the other ingredients and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 2/3 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Butterscotch Pudding Mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk
5 cups brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cornstarch
Mix and store in airtight container. To prepare, add 1/2 cup mix to 2 cups milk. Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cool, then serve.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
I'm finishing up the recipes from the "Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way" Summer Week Two this week (Monday-Wed). This weekend I fixed Monte Cristo Sandwiches (recipe based on This Baked Monte Cristo Sandwiches but I made them in the Electric Skillet. Hubby loved them - I thought they were ok. But I knew they wouldn't be a favorite of mine - you see, I don't like soggy bread - so I don't like French Toast or bread pudding. As I was making it, hubby came up and looked at it and realized it was like stuffed French Toast. "I just realized you're not going to like it. I'm sorry." Isn't he sweet? I just smiled and told him it was ok. I make him French Toast occasionally just because I love him anyway. :) Anyway, next time I'll make his like the French Toast and mine like grilled cheese, I'll like it better that way at least.
I made Fake NC-Style Pork BBQ to take to MiL's on Sunday along with homemade coleslaw. I threw a pork butt (it was short-dated and marked down to $1.49/lb) into the crockpot with some sliced onions on the bottom, some Penzey's BBQ 3000 (I got it free when I visited the store with the coupon from their catalog) and a bit of cider vinegar and let it cook for about 12 hours. I let it cool and shredded it, then put it into a container with some Vinegar sauce and when we went to MiL's I reheated it and put it on Martin's Potato buns (our fave hamburger buns). The Carolinas have 3 different style BBQ sauces, the vinegar ones (Eastern North Carolina), the mustard ones (South Carolina) and ones that have a bit of ketchup in them (Western North Carolina). This is the Eastern Style- Vinegary and is used more as a finishing sauce - put on at the end. I don't believe in putting coleslaw on the BBQ unless the BBQ itself has no taste. :) My BBQ was good enough - just missing the smoke.
Here's the recipe for the Vinegar Sauce-
Eastern North Carolina Style Sauce:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
2 tsp black pepper
Mix all ingredients until sugar and salt have melted (can warm until it does also). Let sit overnight. If you want something that is less vinegary (and a bit more Western) add 1/2 cup ketchup and make sure to store in the fridge.
My menu plan for this week: (For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday: Pork Chops & Squash
Tues: Taco Salad
Wednesday: Stuffed Red Peppers
Thurs: Salmon Burgers
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza) (hubby will be happy to see this return)
I made Fake NC-Style Pork BBQ to take to MiL's on Sunday along with homemade coleslaw. I threw a pork butt (it was short-dated and marked down to $1.49/lb) into the crockpot with some sliced onions on the bottom, some Penzey's BBQ 3000 (I got it free when I visited the store with the coupon from their catalog) and a bit of cider vinegar and let it cook for about 12 hours. I let it cool and shredded it, then put it into a container with some Vinegar sauce and when we went to MiL's I reheated it and put it on Martin's Potato buns (our fave hamburger buns). The Carolinas have 3 different style BBQ sauces, the vinegar ones (Eastern North Carolina), the mustard ones (South Carolina) and ones that have a bit of ketchup in them (Western North Carolina). This is the Eastern Style- Vinegary and is used more as a finishing sauce - put on at the end. I don't believe in putting coleslaw on the BBQ unless the BBQ itself has no taste. :) My BBQ was good enough - just missing the smoke.
Here's the recipe for the Vinegar Sauce-
Eastern North Carolina Style Sauce:
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
2 tsp black pepper
Mix all ingredients until sugar and salt have melted (can warm until it does also). Let sit overnight. If you want something that is less vinegary (and a bit more Western) add 1/2 cup ketchup and make sure to store in the fridge.
My menu plan for this week: (For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday: Pork Chops & Squash
Tues: Taco Salad
Wednesday: Stuffed Red Peppers
Thurs: Salmon Burgers
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza) (hubby will be happy to see this return)
Monday, August 18, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Since we ate leftovers this weekend (Or in the case of yesterday - weren't even home to eat) I moved two recipes from last week to this week. I am going to also use some more recipes from "Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way" by Leanne Ely since I've pretty much already got what I need for them.
Monday: Salmon with Horseradish Cream
Tues: Crock Swiss Steak
Wed: Mu Shu Chicken
Thurs: BBQ Beef Kabobs
Fri: Greek Summer Fish
Weekend: Leftovers
For more menu ideas (last week she had over 300!) visit I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday
Monday: Salmon with Horseradish Cream
Tues: Crock Swiss Steak
Wed: Mu Shu Chicken
Thurs: BBQ Beef Kabobs
Fri: Greek Summer Fish
Weekend: Leftovers
For more menu ideas (last week she had over 300!) visit I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Late Menu Plan Monday
We traveled to New York City this weekend for FiL's birthday (his 60th). We were supposed to return to Richmond Sunday evening (around 6 pm or so), but a band of severe weather caused them to cancel our flight. We were stuck in New York for another night, and we ended up flying into Washington, DC and driving back home instead (getting up at 3 am to catch our flight included) since the flight to Richmond was full (they actually ended up canceling the totally full flight that we couldn't get on Sunday night into Richmond because of the weather also). I was able to get my next door neighbor to come over and take care of the dogs (my mom and stepdad stayed the weekend), whew! Anyway, because of all this, by the time we got home yesterday, hubby and I were exhausted and we spent most of yesterday napping/sleeping. Luckily he had already asked off for yesterday. My plan to take Sunday evening to Menu Plan like usual was thrown off, and maybe even wait until Monday was totally thrown out the window. And heck even today I'm cheating, I'm using Saving Dinner Low Carb book to do it. Here's the shopping list for Summer Week 1 that I'm using.
Tuesday: Tandoori-style Chicken with grilled yellow squash and brown rice
Wednesday: Thai Beef Salad with celery stick and spaghetti
Thursday: Greek Turkey Burgers with grilled eggplant and onions and a salad with red potatoes
Friday: Pub Pork Ribs with Coleslaw and potato salad
Saturday: Skillet Salmon with Horseradish Cream,Caprice Salad and brown rice
Sunday: Crock Swiss Steak with Mashed Potatoes and steamed broccoli
Tuesday: Tandoori-style Chicken with grilled yellow squash and brown rice
Wednesday: Thai Beef Salad with celery stick and spaghetti
Thursday: Greek Turkey Burgers with grilled eggplant and onions and a salad with red potatoes
Friday: Pub Pork Ribs with Coleslaw and potato salad
Saturday: Skillet Salmon with Horseradish Cream,Caprice Salad and brown rice
Sunday: Crock Swiss Steak with Mashed Potatoes and steamed broccoli
Monday, August 04, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Since we're heading to NYC this weekend, I'm only technically planning for 3 days of dinners - with Thursday being leftovers since we're leaving Friday morning. Mom said not plan to leave anything for her since they're planning to eat out. Oookay... that's kinda wierd for me, but I'm trying to do that. It's not like they can't find food either in this house or go buy it themselves, so I'm trying not to worry about that. My trip to the grocery store was to get stuff for the pantry (like coffee and milk) and to get a few things that were on sale and use my coupons. Did pretty good today, spent $94.04, saved $14.22 with the store card, and $21.82 with coupons ($36.04 saved total and most of the stuff on sale also had coupons). I know that my grocery total could be lower if I drove into Richmond and shopped at some of the other stores, but then I'd also have to factor in my time and gas. And I didn't have any other trips to make (not to mention - if I went elsewhere I'd be tempted to buy other stuff - Target I'm look'n at you!) Anyway.....
So, dinners this week are as follows and if you want to check out more menu plans go to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday (tonight): Swimming Rama (from last week - we ended up spending pretty much all day at MiL's yesterday so it didn't get made).
Tuesday: Indian Lentils and Rice -from Saving Dinner the original book - I've got everything on hand already
Wednesday: Grilled Ginger Fish - also from Saving Dinner & the meal right before the previous one - I also have everything in the pantry & freezer
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: We're outta here and don't return until Sunday evening. I'm not sure if my mom and stepdad will still be here or not.
So, dinners this week are as follows and if you want to check out more menu plans go to:
I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday (tonight): Swimming Rama (from last week - we ended up spending pretty much all day at MiL's yesterday so it didn't get made).
Tuesday: Indian Lentils and Rice -from Saving Dinner the original book - I've got everything on hand already
Wednesday: Grilled Ginger Fish - also from Saving Dinner & the meal right before the previous one - I also have everything in the pantry & freezer
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: We're outta here and don't return until Sunday evening. I'm not sure if my mom and stepdad will still be here or not.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Farmer's Market Trip
Had a great haul at the Goochland Farmer's Market today. First off, I finally got up enough nerve to say hello to Amy from She Knits. She doesn't bite. :) I wish I knew some little ones so that I could buy some of her little knits to give them. They are so cute! At this point, no one I know is reproducing. Anyway, I had to get more eggs, since I'm trying a new (to me)Granola Bars recipe and since I'm doubling it, it will take 4 eggs, leaving me with two. So, first things first, I had to return an egg carton and get more. I did my normal sweep of the market to see what they had, and I saw lima beans. Yay! If it wasn't going to be in the 90's this week I'd make our favorite Mediterranean Lima Beans (From Veganomicon) but since it's baked in the oven for a bit, not a good choice. Anyway, I picked up a bag of already "shucked" lima beans (I know I can do it myself and there were others and even that vendor selling them them in the pod for cheaper - but I didn't want to deal with the shell and sometimes the shell makes me break out (yeah -the fuzzies make me break out on beans and peaches and some other veggies *sigh*). Anyway, I also found a vendor selling yard long beans - an asian green bean. So we're having Sczhuan beans at some point this week too. YUM! Probably this weekend with the Swimming Rama since I put it off last night and it doesn't matter to me if I mix Chinese and Thai. I bought 2 bags of green beans, one yellow one green. Wow, I guess it was a bean week for us. I bought a container of mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, and I had a few when I got. I'm not sure they will make it through the day, I keep popping one everytime I walk by the bowl. :) And then I also bought a Canary melon. I haven't cut into it yet, and I also haven't tried one of those before. So, it's not really a lot to actually make meals out of, but it's a start. :)
I don't want to go all out anyway, we're headed to NYC this weekend. For those of you planning on hitting up our house while we're gone - I've got some bad news for you....my mom and stepdad are staying here and watching the animals for us. :P Mom is all excited because she can get my stepdad to take her out to the Italian Kitchen in Richmond (it's on W. Broad in the strip in front of Books-A-Million near Fuddruckers) she loves that place and is all excited about that since he's never been there. Silly mom. ;) I need to ask if she wants to go to the Farmer's Market and church while they are here so I can leave them directions. Anyway, she said not to leave them anything since they'll want to go out and they can buy what they need.
I don't want to go all out anyway, we're headed to NYC this weekend. For those of you planning on hitting up our house while we're gone - I've got some bad news for you....my mom and stepdad are staying here and watching the animals for us. :P Mom is all excited because she can get my stepdad to take her out to the Italian Kitchen in Richmond (it's on W. Broad in the strip in front of Books-A-Million near Fuddruckers) she loves that place and is all excited about that since he's never been there. Silly mom. ;) I need to ask if she wants to go to the Farmer's Market and church while they are here so I can leave them directions. Anyway, she said not to leave them anything since they'll want to go out and they can buy what they need.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Do we have a Blog Mob now?
I've posted before about America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country/Cook's Illustrated. I use some of their recipes, have a few of their magazines/cookbooks, posted a spoof of recipes (How to boil water)....but then I read this: illegal or not? about one bloggers run in with the PR department of the ATK/CC/CI franchise. Really makes one wonder about them. I do understand about wanting to protect their "intellectual" property but there is a set of rules already in place, and it sounds as if this blogger was already following them.
Thanks to Barbara of Tigers & Strawberries who wrote an even better post about the whole thing herself.
Thanks to Barbara of Tigers & Strawberries who wrote an even better post about the whole thing herself.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Well, we finally used all the recipes I had planned from two weeks ago. And they were worth the wait. What I call Deconstructed Egg Salad from Jamie Oliver's "Cook" was tasty, easy and great for a hot day. I'll have to remember it since we're going to be heading into hot and humid August (course it sounds like there's going to be a few hot and humid July's left here this week too). And I served the Pecan Crusted Chicken yesterday while at my MiL's. Everyone loved it- although instead of pan sauteeing it, I oven baked it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Ok, so most of this weeks menu is coming out of a new cookbook that hubby got me, "Fix, Freeze, Feast" by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik. I am not making these recipes for the freezer since mine's pretty well stocked still (not with meals, but with frozen foods), but these recipes looked good and I'll probably use the meats from the freezer in recipes. I picked up some short-dated meats and a pork loin on sale with some of the recipes in mind. Actually, the pork loin I knew I wanted Uncle Harry's Pork chops, but knew that I could use the other half for either a roast or chops recipes that are in the book and I'm going to go for a CP roast to freeze: Garlic-studded Pork Loin (p 106).
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday (today): Chow Mein (from a La Choy can - hubby's request)
Tuesday: Urban Garlic Chicken (FFF - short-dated whole chicken )
Wednesday: Cheese Steaks (FFF - short dated beef roast)
Thursday: Uncle Harry's Pork Chops
Friday: Swimming Rama (FFF - using chicken from the freezer)
Ok, so most of this weeks menu is coming out of a new cookbook that hubby got me, "Fix, Freeze, Feast" by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik. I am not making these recipes for the freezer since mine's pretty well stocked still (not with meals, but with frozen foods), but these recipes looked good and I'll probably use the meats from the freezer in recipes. I picked up some short-dated meats and a pork loin on sale with some of the recipes in mind. Actually, the pork loin I knew I wanted Uncle Harry's Pork chops, but knew that I could use the other half for either a roast or chops recipes that are in the book and I'm going to go for a CP roast to freeze: Garlic-studded Pork Loin (p 106).
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Monday (today): Chow Mein (from a La Choy can - hubby's request)
Tuesday: Urban Garlic Chicken (FFF - short-dated whole chicken )
Wednesday: Cheese Steaks (FFF - short dated beef roast)
Thursday: Uncle Harry's Pork Chops
Friday: Swimming Rama (FFF - using chicken from the freezer)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Well, this is going to be a pretty boring MPM. We're pretty much eating out of the refrigerator this week. It's not a bad thing. First off, I'm taking part of Eat Local Challenge on The Mighty Appetite Blog this week. [Eat 10 local things this week. See this post for what I'm doing: http://dibranchia.livejournal.com/192952.html ]
Secondly: we're heading to NY with FiL and SMiL on Aug 8. We'll get to see Grease on Broadway. I've never flown, much less been to NY so I'm pretty scared and excited. I'm a bit worried since I have some medications to take with me (nasal and diabetic ones) and I want to take some knitting too. Since it's just a weekend thing it's going to be carry on baggage too - so I'll have to keep an eye on the size of my bag (we're using JetBlue). Ahhhhh! So we're trying to save money and keep the fridge kind of bare.
I'm not planning breakfasts or lunches this week because it was a bit much last week - Hubby pretty much either eats cereal or bread products and I either eat leftovers, yogurt (with granola or cereal added) or an omelet and rarely just cereal. I've got granola and muesli now, so I'm set. For lunches I usually either eat leftovers or figure something out from the pantry so it's pretty much a no-brainer for me and hubby always takes 2 sandwiches. The only thing I do cook is breakfasts on the weekends, and I don't really need to PLAN for those that often, since I usually have stuff on hand to make those. I ended up not making the grilled tuna, we did eat the tuna, but I just sauteed it, and served it last night with the leftover Pasta with Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe for dinner. It was really good. :) Anyway, here's my dinner plans in no real serving order and for more ideas check out I'm an Organizing Junkie
1) Fried Rice using leftover Asian rice from Eating Well (this was very easy and tasty and all I need to do is add some protein (eggs and not sure if I'll add meat or not) and some frozen mixed veggies (for a bit more color and veggies)
2) Pecan Crusted Chicken that I didn't make from last week served with a Corn, okra and stewed tomato concoction (Just mix them all together and simmer until they are tender)
3) Deconstructed Egg Salad (recipe below with it's real name) from Jamie Oliver that I talked about a bit ago using those "gourmet" eggs - duck, quail and turkey. I will hard boil those tomorrow. It's supposed to be HHH (Hazy, HOT, and humid) pretty much all this week, so this will be a good meal to have. I picked up "local" (from Harrisonburg) watercress while at Krogers for it
4) Pasta Salad I still have a bit left (I ate it for lunch twice, and hubby and I ate it for lunch, it made a lot) and see above about the HHH
5) BLT's - once more it's HHH and tomatoes are coming into their own now. I'm thinking I'll make some Bacon Beer Bread (recipe below) in the Bread Machine that will go wonderfully with this too although I don't have any beer on hand, but I don't really need it for it since it's flat and it'll still work out fine.
Return of the Egg Salad
Serves 4
To be honest, throughout my youth, egg salads and egg sandwiches evoked nothing in me other than disgust and revulsion! Overcooked eggs, mixed with a bit of old may and little else - not something to really get me going. However, I think it's worth revisiting the humble egg salad and showing how it can be put together in ways that make it a bit more exciting and delicious. Common sense means you've got to start with the freshest, most beautiful free-range or organic eggs, otherwise don't bother. And don't think you have to draw the line at hens' eggs - try duck, quail or goose eggs too, as they can all be found easily these days. Go on, spice things up a bit and break the monotony! I like this salad when served as a little pre-dinner snack, or as a small salad in its own right, with some good quality grilled or toasted bread.
Cook a couple of eggs per person in boiling, very lightly salted water until they're a tiny bit soft in the middle. The salt in the water helps prevent the shells from cracking. A large hens egg will need 8 minutes, a normal sized goose egg 12 minutes, a duck egg 9 minutes and a quail egg just 2 minutes. Once you've cooked the eggs, place them in cold water to stop the cooking right away. Drain them and peel them, then carefully cut each one in half and lay them yolk-side up on a serving plate. Whether using homemade mayonnaise (see page 26) or a jar of ready-made, to add a bit of life to it I like to mix in 6 Tbsp of mayo with the fragrant zest of a lemon and enough lemon juice to give it a delicate twang. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. At this stage the mayo will be a little thinner than usual because of the lemon juice but this is fine. Carefully spoon some of the mayo over each egg, with a twist of black pepper on top.
To accompany this salad there are a few things that I like to do. The first is to get myself too big packages of cress. Cut the cress out of the containers, then wash it, drain it, and spit it in a salad spinner. Simply serve on the side of the plate next to the eggs. Anchoives are also a great addition - just get ahold of some good-quality Spanish or Italian anchovies in oil and marinate them for an hour in a little white wine and some chopped fresh parsley. Take them out of the marinade and serve a couple per person with the cress next to the egg salad. A great alternative is to cook a couple of thin slices of bacon until incredibly crisp then stack them on the side of the plate. Serve the lot with rounds of hot toast.
Jamie Oliver, "Cook with Jamie, My Guide to Making You a Better Cook"
Bacon Beer Bread
From Joanna Lund
3/4 cup nonalcoholic beer
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons granular Splenda
2 Tablespoons Dijon Country mustard
2 Tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons (one 1/4 ounce package) active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup Hormel Bacon Bits
1/4 cup chopped green onion
In baking pan container, combine beer, water, Splenda, mustard, margarine, salt, yeast, and flour. Follow your bread machine instructions.
Add bacon bits and onion when "add ingredient" signal beeps. Continue following your machines instructions.
Remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into 12 slices. Will make a 1 1/2 lb. sized loaf.
Serves 12 -- Each serving equals:
HE: 1 1/3 Brd, 1/4 Fat, 1/4 Slider
2.9 Points
146 cal, 2 g fat, 6 g prot, 26 g carb, 348 mg sod, 6 mg calc, 1 g fiber
DIABETIC: 1 1/2 St
Secondly: we're heading to NY with FiL and SMiL on Aug 8. We'll get to see Grease on Broadway. I've never flown, much less been to NY so I'm pretty scared and excited. I'm a bit worried since I have some medications to take with me (nasal and diabetic ones) and I want to take some knitting too. Since it's just a weekend thing it's going to be carry on baggage too - so I'll have to keep an eye on the size of my bag (we're using JetBlue). Ahhhhh! So we're trying to save money and keep the fridge kind of bare.
I'm not planning breakfasts or lunches this week because it was a bit much last week - Hubby pretty much either eats cereal or bread products and I either eat leftovers, yogurt (with granola or cereal added) or an omelet and rarely just cereal. I've got granola and muesli now, so I'm set. For lunches I usually either eat leftovers or figure something out from the pantry so it's pretty much a no-brainer for me and hubby always takes 2 sandwiches. The only thing I do cook is breakfasts on the weekends, and I don't really need to PLAN for those that often, since I usually have stuff on hand to make those. I ended up not making the grilled tuna, we did eat the tuna, but I just sauteed it, and served it last night with the leftover Pasta with Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe for dinner. It was really good. :) Anyway, here's my dinner plans in no real serving order and for more ideas check out I'm an Organizing Junkie
1) Fried Rice using leftover Asian rice from Eating Well (this was very easy and tasty and all I need to do is add some protein (eggs and not sure if I'll add meat or not) and some frozen mixed veggies (for a bit more color and veggies)
2) Pecan Crusted Chicken that I didn't make from last week served with a Corn, okra and stewed tomato concoction (Just mix them all together and simmer until they are tender)
3) Deconstructed Egg Salad (recipe below with it's real name) from Jamie Oliver that I talked about a bit ago using those "gourmet" eggs - duck, quail and turkey. I will hard boil those tomorrow. It's supposed to be HHH (Hazy, HOT, and humid) pretty much all this week, so this will be a good meal to have. I picked up "local" (from Harrisonburg) watercress while at Krogers for it
4) Pasta Salad I still have a bit left (I ate it for lunch twice, and hubby and I ate it for lunch, it made a lot) and see above about the HHH
5) BLT's - once more it's HHH and tomatoes are coming into their own now. I'm thinking I'll make some Bacon Beer Bread (recipe below) in the Bread Machine that will go wonderfully with this too although I don't have any beer on hand, but I don't really need it for it since it's flat and it'll still work out fine.
Return of the Egg Salad
Serves 4
To be honest, throughout my youth, egg salads and egg sandwiches evoked nothing in me other than disgust and revulsion! Overcooked eggs, mixed with a bit of old may and little else - not something to really get me going. However, I think it's worth revisiting the humble egg salad and showing how it can be put together in ways that make it a bit more exciting and delicious. Common sense means you've got to start with the freshest, most beautiful free-range or organic eggs, otherwise don't bother. And don't think you have to draw the line at hens' eggs - try duck, quail or goose eggs too, as they can all be found easily these days. Go on, spice things up a bit and break the monotony! I like this salad when served as a little pre-dinner snack, or as a small salad in its own right, with some good quality grilled or toasted bread.
Cook a couple of eggs per person in boiling, very lightly salted water until they're a tiny bit soft in the middle. The salt in the water helps prevent the shells from cracking. A large hens egg will need 8 minutes, a normal sized goose egg 12 minutes, a duck egg 9 minutes and a quail egg just 2 minutes. Once you've cooked the eggs, place them in cold water to stop the cooking right away. Drain them and peel them, then carefully cut each one in half and lay them yolk-side up on a serving plate. Whether using homemade mayonnaise (see page 26) or a jar of ready-made, to add a bit of life to it I like to mix in 6 Tbsp of mayo with the fragrant zest of a lemon and enough lemon juice to give it a delicate twang. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. At this stage the mayo will be a little thinner than usual because of the lemon juice but this is fine. Carefully spoon some of the mayo over each egg, with a twist of black pepper on top.
To accompany this salad there are a few things that I like to do. The first is to get myself too big packages of cress. Cut the cress out of the containers, then wash it, drain it, and spit it in a salad spinner. Simply serve on the side of the plate next to the eggs. Anchoives are also a great addition - just get ahold of some good-quality Spanish or Italian anchovies in oil and marinate them for an hour in a little white wine and some chopped fresh parsley. Take them out of the marinade and serve a couple per person with the cress next to the egg salad. A great alternative is to cook a couple of thin slices of bacon until incredibly crisp then stack them on the side of the plate. Serve the lot with rounds of hot toast.
Jamie Oliver, "Cook with Jamie, My Guide to Making You a Better Cook"
Bacon Beer Bread
From Joanna Lund
3/4 cup nonalcoholic beer
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons granular Splenda
2 Tablespoons Dijon Country mustard
2 Tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons (one 1/4 ounce package) active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup Hormel Bacon Bits
1/4 cup chopped green onion
In baking pan container, combine beer, water, Splenda, mustard, margarine, salt, yeast, and flour. Follow your bread machine instructions.
Add bacon bits and onion when "add ingredient" signal beeps. Continue following your machines instructions.
Remove bread and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into 12 slices. Will make a 1 1/2 lb. sized loaf.
Serves 12 -- Each serving equals:
HE: 1 1/3 Brd, 1/4 Fat, 1/4 Slider
2.9 Points
146 cal, 2 g fat, 6 g prot, 26 g carb, 348 mg sod, 6 mg calc, 1 g fiber
DIABETIC: 1 1/2 St
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Orso's Romano Pizza
While perusing food sections today, I thought this sounded good, it's from the La Times: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sos16-2008jul16,0,5156591.story From the picture, it is REALLY thin, like pappadum thin! Recipe is at end of post
And a note on some of the recipes from this week. I've finally made one of my lunch recipes I've planned. The Pasta with Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe. It's yummy! The serving size is 2 cups, but 1 cup filled me up (I must admit that I did eat lunch a bit earlier than usual though). I didn't find fresh tarragon or basil at the POG (Plain Ole Grocery) that is needed for the other lunch recipes so when I head into Richmond tomorrow for a doc visit I'll check out some other stores. I didn't plant a herb garden and the one freebie basil I had come up is nowhere near big enough to cut yet. If worse comes to worse I can use dry.
I've also made the Scandinavian Muesli and I've tasted it but not technically EATEN it yet. It did taste good though. The granola I made yesterday was good, I had it over yogurt this morning.
The Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries (along with corn on the cob) were great last night for dinner. Tonight I'm planning to make the Indian spiced Cauliflower and Eggplant.
The Triple Rich Bread - well, it's ok. Hubby says it's a bit heavy for him, so next time I make it, I'll just reverse the white and wheat flours and it should be fine for him (ie 2 cups bread and 1 cup wheat). I don't eat bread that often so it's not a big deal and he's still getting better bread than white squishy bread.
I was really tired last night, as we were getting ready for bed the news was on, and they were doing a segment about the bank in CA where people were taking their money out of it. All I heard since I wasn't paying close attention was: "*Name of Bank I didn't catch* AND Casino..." I turned to hubby and said "Well, if they put their money in a bank connected to a casino why would they think it was safe?" He gave me a WTH is she talking about? kind of look and I heard them mention "...in Encino" while still in the same segment and realized I had misheard. Hubby just rolled his eyes and kissed me goodnight.
Orso's Romano pizza
Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times
PIZZA PIZZAZZ: A super-thin crust.
By Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 16, 2008
Dear SOS: Orso on 3rd Street has the best thin-crust pizza in town. Their Romano pizza is my favorite. It has just the right blend of cheeses and no tomato sauce. I'd love to know how it's created!
Robert Nunes Beverly Hills
Dear Robert: This is one pizza pie that packs great flavor onto a super-thin crust. Great as an appetizer or light dinner, Orso's pizza combines a blend of three cheeses with a pinch each of red pepper and fresh parsley sprinkled over for a little heat and bright color. The wafer-like crust bakes faster than you can say mangiare. Well, almost.
Orso's Romano pizza
Total time: 45 minutes, plus rising time
Servings: 8 to 12
Note: From Orso restaurant. Fine and coarse semolina flour is available at select Indian and Italian markets.
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup coarse semolina flour
1/4 cup fine semolina flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped and divided
3/4 cup grated mozzarella, divided
3/4 cup grated provolone, divided
3/8 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, divided
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, divided
1. In a small bowl, mix one-fourth cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water with the yeast and olive oil. In a separate large bowl, mix together the flours. Slowly mix the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and knead to form a coarse dough. This makes enough for three pizzas.
2. Cover and set the dough aside for 10 minutes, then knead the dough again, adding additional water as necessary a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough again and allow to rest until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Divide the dough into thirds. On a lightly floured board (note that you will transfer the pizzas from the board to the pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven), roll the first portion out as thinly as possible to form a 12-inch circle.
4. Sprinkle a third of the garlic over the dough, then top with a third of each of the cheeses and sprinkle over one-half teaspoon crushed red pepper. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings to form three pizzas.
5. Carefully transfer the first pizza from the board to the hot pizza stone in the oven. The pizza will bake quickly -- no more than 2 to 3 minutes -- and will be done when the cheese is melted and the crust is crunchy and golden-brown. Repeat with the remaining pizzas, then top each with a light sprinkling of parsley leaves. Cut into 8 to 12 slices then serve immediately.
Each of 12 servings: 143 calories; 7 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 13 mg. cholesterol; 146 mg. sodium.
And a note on some of the recipes from this week. I've finally made one of my lunch recipes I've planned. The Pasta with Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe. It's yummy! The serving size is 2 cups, but 1 cup filled me up (I must admit that I did eat lunch a bit earlier than usual though). I didn't find fresh tarragon or basil at the POG (Plain Ole Grocery) that is needed for the other lunch recipes so when I head into Richmond tomorrow for a doc visit I'll check out some other stores. I didn't plant a herb garden and the one freebie basil I had come up is nowhere near big enough to cut yet. If worse comes to worse I can use dry.
I've also made the Scandinavian Muesli and I've tasted it but not technically EATEN it yet. It did taste good though. The granola I made yesterday was good, I had it over yogurt this morning.
The Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries (along with corn on the cob) were great last night for dinner. Tonight I'm planning to make the Indian spiced Cauliflower and Eggplant.
The Triple Rich Bread - well, it's ok. Hubby says it's a bit heavy for him, so next time I make it, I'll just reverse the white and wheat flours and it should be fine for him (ie 2 cups bread and 1 cup wheat). I don't eat bread that often so it's not a big deal and he's still getting better bread than white squishy bread.
I was really tired last night, as we were getting ready for bed the news was on, and they were doing a segment about the bank in CA where people were taking their money out of it. All I heard since I wasn't paying close attention was: "*Name of Bank I didn't catch* AND Casino..." I turned to hubby and said "Well, if they put their money in a bank connected to a casino why would they think it was safe?" He gave me a WTH is she talking about? kind of look and I heard them mention "...in Encino" while still in the same segment and realized I had misheard. Hubby just rolled his eyes and kissed me goodnight.
Orso's Romano pizza
Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times
PIZZA PIZZAZZ: A super-thin crust.
By Noelle Carter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
July 16, 2008
Dear SOS: Orso on 3rd Street has the best thin-crust pizza in town. Their Romano pizza is my favorite. It has just the right blend of cheeses and no tomato sauce. I'd love to know how it's created!
Robert Nunes Beverly Hills
Dear Robert: This is one pizza pie that packs great flavor onto a super-thin crust. Great as an appetizer or light dinner, Orso's pizza combines a blend of three cheeses with a pinch each of red pepper and fresh parsley sprinkled over for a little heat and bright color. The wafer-like crust bakes faster than you can say mangiare. Well, almost.
Orso's Romano pizza
Total time: 45 minutes, plus rising time
Servings: 8 to 12
Note: From Orso restaurant. Fine and coarse semolina flour is available at select Indian and Italian markets.
2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup coarse semolina flour
1/4 cup fine semolina flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped and divided
3/4 cup grated mozzarella, divided
3/4 cup grated provolone, divided
3/8 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, divided
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, divided
1. In a small bowl, mix one-fourth cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water with the yeast and olive oil. In a separate large bowl, mix together the flours. Slowly mix the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and knead to form a coarse dough. This makes enough for three pizzas.
2. Cover and set the dough aside for 10 minutes, then knead the dough again, adding additional water as necessary a tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough again and allow to rest until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Divide the dough into thirds. On a lightly floured board (note that you will transfer the pizzas from the board to the pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven), roll the first portion out as thinly as possible to form a 12-inch circle.
4. Sprinkle a third of the garlic over the dough, then top with a third of each of the cheeses and sprinkle over one-half teaspoon crushed red pepper. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings to form three pizzas.
5. Carefully transfer the first pizza from the board to the hot pizza stone in the oven. The pizza will bake quickly -- no more than 2 to 3 minutes -- and will be done when the cheese is melted and the crust is crunchy and golden-brown. Repeat with the remaining pizzas, then top each with a light sprinkling of parsley leaves. Cut into 8 to 12 slices then serve immediately.
Each of 12 servings: 143 calories; 7 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 13 mg. cholesterol; 146 mg. sodium.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
*WHEW!*
Hubby and I did not sleep well last night. Hubby headed off to work today with pretty much no sleep, and I didn't get much last night myself. He's had a pretty stressfull day yesterday, and is expecting more today. He actually got so worked up he threw his coffee mug (travel-style not ceramic) against a wall and broke the handle - something that is unlike him, so you know he was really stressed out. He said no one even got lunch either because they were so busy. I so remember those days from working at the Vets. Just his stress coupled with my own worries made it hard for my own brain to turn off last night.
To keep myself going today, and to get done what I need to I'm baking. Luckily, most of what I need to get done today is food stuff. I did laundry all day yesterday and the rest of the cleaning can wait. So far today I've made:
a loaf of bread (new recipe)Triple Rich Whole Wheat Bread based on Cornell Bread for hubby's lunches
a log of cookies from the freezer that I thought might be chocolate chip but turned out to be chocolate/butterscotch oatmeal raisin (yes, they are tasty - leftovers from Chrismas baking)
Cranberry-Almond Granola
Scandinavian Muesli I am using a 7 Grain Rolled Cereal Mix that I got from Yoders Country Market in Orange [techically it's Pratt's -It's like the Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft] since it's got oatmeal in it too I used 1 2/3 cup oatmeal and 1 cup of the 7 grain
tonight is Spicy Turkey Burgers, corn on the cob and Sweet Potato Fries as long as I'm still awake when dinner time rolls around.
To keep myself going today, and to get done what I need to I'm baking. Luckily, most of what I need to get done today is food stuff. I did laundry all day yesterday and the rest of the cleaning can wait. So far today I've made:
a loaf of bread (new recipe)Triple Rich Whole Wheat Bread based on Cornell Bread for hubby's lunches
a log of cookies from the freezer that I thought might be chocolate chip but turned out to be chocolate/butterscotch oatmeal raisin (yes, they are tasty - leftovers from Chrismas baking)
Cranberry-Almond Granola
Scandinavian Muesli I am using a 7 Grain Rolled Cereal Mix that I got from Yoders Country Market in Orange [techically it's Pratt's -It's like the Cheese Shop in Stuarts Draft] since it's got oatmeal in it too I used 1 2/3 cup oatmeal and 1 cup of the 7 grain
tonight is Spicy Turkey Burgers, corn on the cob and Sweet Potato Fries as long as I'm still awake when dinner time rolls around.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Risotto ai Cavolfiori - Cauliflower Risotto
I haven't tried this yet, but it's written out now. It'll keep me from having to flip between two pages AND two cookbooks now. (BTW, in "Cook" Jamie also uses the pangrattato on the basic risotto too.)
Risotto ai Cavolfiori - Cauliflower Risotto
Serves 6
adapted from "Jamie's Italy" and "Cook with Jamie"
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. It's quite unusual, and the best thing about it is that it makes a hero of the much-understood everyday cauliflower. If you're down at the farmers' market, or at the supermarket, have a look around for a Romanesco cauliflower - it's a similar size to a normal cauliflower but spiky and green. It also has a delicious flavor. The reason I love this dish is because it takes some all-time classic ingredients and puts them together in a great way. In Britain we normally eat cauliflower baked with cheese, and in Italy it is baked as a parmigiana with cream, cheese and anchovies. All these flavors are in this risotto, with the added bonus of really crunchy chili pangrattato sprinkled on top - it gives an amazing kick. (This recipes incorporated the Risotto Bianco or White Risotto/Basic Risotto recipe in it - in the book it's a separate recipe and I've mixed in some directions for par-cooking it ahead to make a base from "Cook with Jamie" so I have it all in one recipe. )
2 handfulls of stale bread, torn into pieces
1 small can of anchovies, oil from can reserved
3 small dried red chilies
extra virgin olive oil
1 cauliflower
Risotto Bianco:
2 pints stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
1 knob of butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 a head of celery, finely chopped
2 cups risotto rice (Arborio)
2 wineglasses of dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 Tbsp butter
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
To finish:
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for grating
For the pangrattato: Whiz the bread in a food processor with the anchovies, the oil from the can and the chilies. Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil and fry the flavored breadcrumbs, stirring and tossing constantly until golden brown.
Trim the coarse leaves off the cauliflower and cut out the stalk. Chop the nice inner part of the stalk finely.
For the Risotto Bianco:
stage 1
Add the cauliflower florets to your pan of stock and heat the stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions, garlic, cauliflower stalk and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.
stage 2
The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring — it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.
stage 3
Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Once the cauliflower florets are quite soft, you can start to add them to the risotto with the stock, crushing them into the rice as you go. This will take around 15 minutes.[If making ahead for a "base", stop here you want the rice to that is beginning to soften but is still a little al dente. Tip the part-cooked rice out on to a large oiled pan. Spread it out evenly, about 1 inch thick, on the pan and then put it somewhere cold to cool down. When the rice has lost all it's heat, scrape it up carefully with a rubber spatula and store it in a Tupperware container with a lid in the fridge until you're ready to use it. It will keep for a couple of days.] Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Be careful not to overcook the rice - check it throughout the cooking to make sure it's a pleasure to eat. It should hold its shape but be soft, creamy and oozy. And the overall texture shoudl be slightly looser than you think you want it. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
stage 4
Remove from the heat and add the butter, parsley and Parmesan. Stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper - don't be too generous with the salt because the pangrattato has salt in it too and you don't want to overdo it. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Sprinkle with the anchovy pangrattato, grate some more Parmesan over the top and serve. So, so good! Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.
To make from the "base": Heat 2 1/2 cups broth. Place a large sauce pan on medium to high heat and pour in half of the broth and the risotto. Stirring all the time, gently bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked. You might not need all your stock. Continue with Stage 4 directions above.
Risotto ai Cavolfiori - Cauliflower Risotto
Serves 6
adapted from "Jamie's Italy" and "Cook with Jamie"
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. It's quite unusual, and the best thing about it is that it makes a hero of the much-understood everyday cauliflower. If you're down at the farmers' market, or at the supermarket, have a look around for a Romanesco cauliflower - it's a similar size to a normal cauliflower but spiky and green. It also has a delicious flavor. The reason I love this dish is because it takes some all-time classic ingredients and puts them together in a great way. In Britain we normally eat cauliflower baked with cheese, and in Italy it is baked as a parmigiana with cream, cheese and anchovies. All these flavors are in this risotto, with the added bonus of really crunchy chili pangrattato sprinkled on top - it gives an amazing kick. (This recipes incorporated the Risotto Bianco or White Risotto/Basic Risotto recipe in it - in the book it's a separate recipe and I've mixed in some directions for par-cooking it ahead to make a base from "Cook with Jamie" so I have it all in one recipe. )
2 handfulls of stale bread, torn into pieces
1 small can of anchovies, oil from can reserved
3 small dried red chilies
extra virgin olive oil
1 cauliflower
Risotto Bianco:
2 pints stock (chicken, fish or vegetable as appropriate)
1 knob of butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 a head of celery, finely chopped
2 cups risotto rice (Arborio)
2 wineglasses of dry white vermouth (dry Martini or Noilly Prat) or dry white wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 Tbsp butter
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
To finish:
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, for grating
For the pangrattato: Whiz the bread in a food processor with the anchovies, the oil from the can and the chilies. Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil and fry the flavored breadcrumbs, stirring and tossing constantly until golden brown.
Trim the coarse leaves off the cauliflower and cut out the stalk. Chop the nice inner part of the stalk finely.
For the Risotto Bianco:
stage 1
Add the cauliflower florets to your pan of stock and heat the stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions, garlic, cauliflower stalk and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.
stage 2
The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring — it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.
stage 3
Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and almost massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Once the cauliflower florets are quite soft, you can start to add them to the risotto with the stock, crushing them into the rice as you go. This will take around 15 minutes.[If making ahead for a "base", stop here you want the rice to that is beginning to soften but is still a little al dente. Tip the part-cooked rice out on to a large oiled pan. Spread it out evenly, about 1 inch thick, on the pan and then put it somewhere cold to cool down. When the rice has lost all it's heat, scrape it up carefully with a rubber spatula and store it in a Tupperware container with a lid in the fridge until you're ready to use it. It will keep for a couple of days.] Taste the rice — is it cooked? Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite. Be careful not to overcook the rice - check it throughout the cooking to make sure it's a pleasure to eat. It should hold its shape but be soft, creamy and oozy. And the overall texture shoudl be slightly looser than you think you want it. Don’t forget to check the seasoning carefully. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water.
stage 4
Remove from the heat and add the butter, parsley and Parmesan. Stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper - don't be too generous with the salt because the pangrattato has salt in it too and you don't want to overdo it. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. This is the most important part of making the perfect risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Sprinkle with the anchovy pangrattato, grate some more Parmesan over the top and serve. So, so good! Eat it as soon as possible, while the risotto retains its beautiful texture.
To make from the "base": Heat 2 1/2 cups broth. Place a large sauce pan on medium to high heat and pour in half of the broth and the risotto. Stirring all the time, gently bring to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time until the rice is cooked. You might not need all your stock. Continue with Stage 4 directions above.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Well, the only thing I ended up not making was the Cauliflower risotto last week. Instead, the cauliflower is going to be "recycled" into a meal for this week. I roasted the eggplant as a side dish. Hubby and I loved it, and I have some left, so I'm going to use that with the cauliflower for an Indian recipe I found. I'll just add the eggplant later so it won't overcook. I still have some summer squash left, and it's still good (one thing that is nice about fresh local produce - it takes longer to turn) and I'll use that up in a side dish this week. I'll cook it early this week.
We got our new Guitar Hero III disk back. We had the version where the sound was messed up. It was a pretty quick turnaround time I must admit. And they told us (email) when they received our disk, and emailed when they were returning it. They even had a link for us to track it. Pretty cool. We still need to pick up Aerosmith at some point - along with finding a Wii Fit Board. The big thing is finding the Aerosmith without the guitar. This time when hubby and I play together, our band is Skidmark and we play as twins. We almost get sidetracked by giggling about it. We are Jonah and Jessup Skidmark. The character's we're using for this are big brawny guys called Axel Steel by the game - someone you don't want to meet up with in a dark alley after a show. Yeah - we're weird.
Menu 7/14/08
Most of my menu is coming from a new cookbook I picked up at Costco the week before - "Eating Well For A Healthy Heart Cookbook" but some are coming from another one- "Eating Well Serves Two". I've heard a lot about these two from a WW board I frequent and Eating Well has a lot of good, healthy recipes. Not to mention, the cookbooks through Costco were $15.69 and the normal cost is $24.95 and I've been wanting them for awhile now. Anyway, I tried to go through and pick things that I already had most things on hand. I am not putting down days for my menu this week, because some of these will last for more days so I may end up eating leftovers instead of serving something new. The SV in parenthesis is the servings that the meals make - it's just a note to me to what the meals make so I can plan on how much leftovers to expect - although like for pancakes hubby usually eats a bunch of those so I'm not expecting a lot of leftovers. Course most of them are easily halved. Even though my recipes are coming from my cookbooks, I've cut and pasted the actual recipes from the Eating Well website (www.eatingwell.com) so I don't have to type them all, so I've left in what magazine they came from originally. [Just a note, I noted that the notepad has inserted some double spaces in a few places, I gather because I've got it minimized. Sorry)
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/07/menu-plan-monday-july-14th.html
Breakfasts
EW Heart p 92 Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes (6 SV - 12 pancakes) w/
EW Heart p 93 Chunky Blueberry Sauce (1 1/3 cups)
EW Heart p 94 Scandinavian Muesli (8 Sv)
EW Heart p 88 Quick Breakfast Tacos (1 Sv)
Lunches
EW Heart p 111 Tomato, Tuna, & Tarragon Salad (4 SV)
EW Heart p 102 Garden Pasta Salad (6 sv) - add other protein
EW SV 2 p 84 Oreccheitte with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpeas (2 Sv)
Dinners
EW Heart p149 Indian Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew (6 sv) with brown basmati rice
EW Heart p 186 Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon (4 sv) with sauteed squash and red peppers & Asian Brown Rice (SV 2 p 228)
EW Heart p194 Grilled Tuna with Olive Relish (6 sv) with Roasted Carrots (Sv 2 p234) and Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous (SV 2 p 228)
EW Heart p 158 Pecan Crusted Chicken (4 sv) with Baby Spinach Salad (Heart p 227) with Raspberry Vinaigrette (Heart p 228)
EW Heart p 172 Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions (4 sv) and Corn on the Cob and Sweet Potato Fries (SV 2 p 230)
Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes
Start your day in a hearty, high-grain way with these buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes. Maple syrup is a perennial favorite atop a stack of these pancakes; sliced bananas would also complement their oat flavor.
Makes 6 servings, 2 pancakes each
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Maple syrup (optional)
1. Combine buttermilk and rolled oats in a small bowl; let rest for 20 to 30 minutes to soften oats. Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk egg, egg whites and 1 teaspoon oil in a separate bowl. Add the oat mixture and the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
2. Lightly brush a large nonstick skillet with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, pour batter onto the skillet and cook until the underside is browned and the bubbles on top remain open, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with a little of the remaining oil as needed. Serve hot, topping with maple syrup if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 271 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 39 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 4 g fiber; 675 mg sodium; 293 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Folate (23% daily value), Calcium (22% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 fat
TIP: Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store the batter (Step 1) in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Chunky Blueberry Sauce
Easy to make, this intensely flavored blueberry sauce is delicious at home on a stack of pancakes or a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.
Makes about 1 1/3 cups
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Stir blueberries, honey, lemon zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; serve warm.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 21 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 0 mg sodium; 15 mg potassium.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2006
Scandinavian Muesli
From EatingWell Magazine April/May 2005
Serve this Scandinavian cereal with low-fat yogurt or nonfat milk to start your day off with whole grains and some protein and calcium-rich dairy. You can substitute any combination of chopped dried or fresh fruit for the raisins—apricots, apples, figs, cherries or cranberries would all be delicious. Try walnuts or hazelnuts instead of the almonds if you like. Ground flaxseeds stirred in at the end provide a boost of heart-healthy omega-3s.
Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours (including cooling time)
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
2/3 cup rye flakes or wheat flakes (see Note)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (1 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (optional; see Tip)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye (or wheat) flakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until the oats are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off the oven. Stir raisins into the muesli.
2. Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; drizzle over the muesli and stir to coat. Return the muesli to the turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseeds, if using.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:196 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 5 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Fiber (18% daily value).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat
TIP: Note: Rye or wheat flakes are simply rye or wheat kernels that have been steamed and rolled, oatmeal-style. Look for them in natural-foods stores.
Tip: Grind flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder or dry blender just before using.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Quick Breakfast Taco
From EatingWell Magazine May/June 2008
A smaller cousin of the breakfast burrito, the breakfast taco made with reduced-fat Cheddar and egg substitute is a satisfying and healthy breakfast option.
Makes 1 serving
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon salsa
2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
1. Top tortillas with salsa and cheese. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds.
2. Meanwhile coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, add egg substitute and cook, stirring, until the eggs are cooked through, about 90 seconds. Divide the scrambled egg between the tacos.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 153 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 17 g protein; 0 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 very lean meat
Tomato, Tuna & Tarragon Salad
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2005
Tomatoes and tuna were meant for each other, and fresh tarragon seals the deal. Soaking the onion in cold water tames the heat and sweetens its taste.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna in olive oil, drained
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
8 cups torn lettuce or mixed greens
1 pound small ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1. Place onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add tuna, celery, tarragon and onion; stir to combine. Serve on top of the lettuce (or mixed greens) with tomato and lemon wedges.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 255 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 3 g fiber; 668 mg sodium; 694 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Potassium (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 vegetable, 3 lean meat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Garden Pasta Salad
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2005
This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu (see Note) to add protein and make it more substantial.
Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups whole-wheat rotini (6 ounces)
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper (1 small)
1 cup grated carrots (2-4 carrots)
1/2 cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 205 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 291 mg sodium; 269 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (97% daily value), Vitamin A (70% dv), Fiber (17% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat (mono)
TIP: Ingredient note: Precooked “baked tofu” is firmer than water-packed tofu and comes in a wide variety of flavors. You might also like flavored baked tofu on a sandwich or in a stir-fry.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpeas
From EatingWell Magazine April/May 2006
The assertive flavor of broccoli rabe and rosemary are paired with sturdy chickpeas in this satisfying pasta dish. When buying broccoli rabe, check to make sure the bottoms of the stems are relatively tight, green and moist. If the broccoli rabe at your store is past its prime—or if you prefer a milder taste—use broccolini or regular broccoli instead. Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Makes 2 servings, 2 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 ounces whole-wheat orecchiette or chiocciole (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup vegetarian chicken-flavored broth (see Note)
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 8-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli rabe are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain. Rinse and dry the pot.
2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Add chickpeas, vinegar, salt, pepper and the pasta mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 413 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 14 g fiber; 655 mg sodium; 448 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (240% daily value), Vitamin A (210% dv), Iron (25% dv), Calcium (20% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 1/2 fat
TIP: Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “No-Chicken Broth,” it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.
Indian-Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew
From EatingWell Magazine September/October 2007
Eggplant, cauliflower, chickpeas and tomatoes are the basis for this rich Indian-spiced curry. Make it a meal: Serve with brown basmati rice or whole-wheat couscous.
Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 tablespoons curry powder, preferably hot Madras (see Note)
1 teaspoon garam masala (see Tip)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1-pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (optional)
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add curry powder, garam masala and mustard seeds and toast, stirring, until the spices begin to darken, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Add oil, onion, garlic, ginger and salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas, water and the reserved spices. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 198 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 8 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 358 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Folate (22% dv), Iron (15% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat
TIP: Note: Hot Madras curry powder, located in the spice aisle of most supermarkets, adds a pleasant level of heat. Substitute regular curry powder for a milder flavor.
Tip: Garam masala is a flavorful, fragrant blend of dry-roasted ground spices. It’s in the spice section of most supermarkets and specialty stores.
Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2006
A sweet, tangy and salty mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey does double-duty as marinade and sauce. Toasted sesame seeds provide a nutty and attractive accent. Make it a meal: Serve with brown rice and sautéed red peppers and zucchini slices.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (see Tip)
1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic
bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
2. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 234 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 335 mg sodium; 444 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (60% daily value), excellent source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1/2 other carbohydrate
TIP: Tips: How to skin a salmon fillet: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
To toast sesame seeds, heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add seeds and stir constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Asian Brown Rice
Crunchy water chestnuts and red bell pepper stirred into nutty brown rice is the perfect accompaniment for grilled teriyaki-marinated pork chops.
Makes 2 servings, about 2/3 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
7/8 cup water or broth
1/3 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
Splash of reduced-sodium soy sauce
Splash of toasted sesame oil
Bring water (or broth, rice and ginger to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in bell pepper, water chestnuts, soy sauce and oil.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 130 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 3 g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 145 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Grilled Tuna with Olive Relish
From EatingWell Magazine September 1998 , May/June 2008
A simple relish of parsley and olives jazzes up grilled tuna. Make it a meal: Serve with grilled vegetables and steamed new potatoes.
Makes 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
Olive Relish
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped pitted imported black olives, such as kalamata
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Grilled Tuna
1 3/4 pounds tuna steak, trimmed and cut into 6 portions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
1. To prepare olive relish: Combine parsley, olives, celery, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To grill tuna: Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Rub tuna all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tuna until seared on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with Olive Relish and lemon wedges.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 184 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 266 mg sodium; 636 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (69% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Magnesium (17% dv), Vitamin C (16% dv).
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 1/2 lean meat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: The olive relish will (Step 1) will keep for up to 1 hour.
Roasted Carrots
Start with 1/2 pound untrimmed raw vegetables to make 2 servings.
Look for: Orange, firm spears without any gray, white or desiccated residue on the skin. The greens should preferably still be attached.
Prep: Peel; cut off greens.
MIcrowave: Cut carrots into 1/8-thick rounds. Place in a medium glass baking dish. Add 2 Tablespoons broth (or white wine). Cover tightly and microwave on HIGH until tender, about 3 minutes.
Roast: Preheat oven to 500 Degrees F. Cut carrots in half lengthwise then cut into 1 1/2 inch long-pieces. Spread on a baking sheet or in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Coat with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
Saute: Cut carrots into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter (Or 1 Tablespoon olive oil) in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add carrots; stir and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar; stir until glazed.
Steam: Cut carrots into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of water in a large pot set over high heat. Cover and steam for 4 minutes.
Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous
Quick and versatile, serve this couscous alongside any saucy dish.
Makes 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
Bring broth, scallions and parsley to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous, return to a simmer, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 256 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 8 g fiber; 57 mg sodium; 62 mg potassium.
Pecan-Crusted Chicken
From EatingWell Magazine May/June 2007
This recipe coats tender chicken breasts with a buttery pecans flavored with spicy chipotle and zesty orange. Serve with a spinach salad.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (see Note)
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Whisk egg white and water in a shallow dish until combined. Dip each chicken breast in the egg-white mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining oil. Cook the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Serve immediately.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 281 calories; 15 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 430 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (34% daily value), good source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1/2 fat
TIP: Tip: It can be hard to find individual chicken breasts small enough for our recommended 4-ounce (uncooked) portion size. If yours are closer to 5 ounces each, remove the tender (about 1 ounce) from the underside to get the correct portion size. Wrap and freeze the leftover tenders; when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry, for chicken fingers or in soups.
Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.
Baby Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Salad is a great way to increase your family’s fruit and vegetable consumption—the challenge is getting your children (or picky eaters) to enjoy it. We’ve found that a simple, slightly sweet dressing like our Raspberry Vinaigrette, tossed with mild-flavored greens, such as baby spinach, fruit and your family’s favorite vegetables can convince most everyone to take a bite.
Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
6 cups prewashed baby spinach
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 nectarine, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Combine spinach, bell pepper and nectarine in a large bowl; toss with Raspberry Vinaigrette.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 70 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 74 mg sodium; 348 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Vitamin C (70% dv), Folate (24% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare double the amount of salad, leaving it undressed, and pack some with a little dressing on the side for lunch.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Quick to make and very economical, this kid-friendly dressing keeps well. We’ve made sure the recipe yields enough dressing for several salads to help make it easier for you to get salad on the table each night.
Makes 3/4 cup, for 16 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Add oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper to a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well to combine.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 58 calories; 6 g fat (0 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 50 mg sodium; 8 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 fat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake before using.
Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Spicy Southwest flavors pair with sweet and tangy pickled red onions to create a standout turkey burger. If you’re used to having your burgers made of beef with plenty of melted cheese on top, don’t worry. You won’t be disappointed. Serve with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
Pickled Onions
1 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
Burgers
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole-wheat buns, split
8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1. To prepare pickled onions: Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on High until the mixture boils, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.) Add onion and toss to coat.
2. To prepare burgers: Preheat grill to high. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil.
3. Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toast buns on the grill, if desired.
4. Drain the onion, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and pickled onions.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 308 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 26 g protein; 4 g fiber; 738 mg sodium; 150 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value), Iron (20% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 lean meat
TIP: Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.
Oven Sweet Potato Fries
Making oven fries out of sweet potatoes brings out their inherent sweetness.
Makes 2 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 122 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 323 mg sodium; 429 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (350% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
We got our new Guitar Hero III disk back. We had the version where the sound was messed up. It was a pretty quick turnaround time I must admit. And they told us (email) when they received our disk, and emailed when they were returning it. They even had a link for us to track it. Pretty cool. We still need to pick up Aerosmith at some point - along with finding a Wii Fit Board. The big thing is finding the Aerosmith without the guitar. This time when hubby and I play together, our band is Skidmark and we play as twins. We almost get sidetracked by giggling about it. We are Jonah and Jessup Skidmark. The character's we're using for this are big brawny guys called Axel Steel by the game - someone you don't want to meet up with in a dark alley after a show. Yeah - we're weird.
Menu 7/14/08
Most of my menu is coming from a new cookbook I picked up at Costco the week before - "Eating Well For A Healthy Heart Cookbook" but some are coming from another one- "Eating Well Serves Two". I've heard a lot about these two from a WW board I frequent and Eating Well has a lot of good, healthy recipes. Not to mention, the cookbooks through Costco were $15.69 and the normal cost is $24.95 and I've been wanting them for awhile now. Anyway, I tried to go through and pick things that I already had most things on hand. I am not putting down days for my menu this week, because some of these will last for more days so I may end up eating leftovers instead of serving something new. The SV in parenthesis is the servings that the meals make - it's just a note to me to what the meals make so I can plan on how much leftovers to expect - although like for pancakes hubby usually eats a bunch of those so I'm not expecting a lot of leftovers. Course most of them are easily halved. Even though my recipes are coming from my cookbooks, I've cut and pasted the actual recipes from the Eating Well website (www.eatingwell.com) so I don't have to type them all, so I've left in what magazine they came from originally. [Just a note, I noted that the notepad has inserted some double spaces in a few places, I gather because I've got it minimized. Sorry)
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/07/menu-plan-monday-july-14th.html
Breakfasts
EW Heart p 92 Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes (6 SV - 12 pancakes) w/
EW Heart p 93 Chunky Blueberry Sauce (1 1/3 cups)
EW Heart p 94 Scandinavian Muesli (8 Sv)
EW Heart p 88 Quick Breakfast Tacos (1 Sv)
Lunches
EW Heart p 111 Tomato, Tuna, & Tarragon Salad (4 SV)
EW Heart p 102 Garden Pasta Salad (6 sv) - add other protein
EW SV 2 p 84 Oreccheitte with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpeas (2 Sv)
Dinners
EW Heart p149 Indian Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew (6 sv) with brown basmati rice
EW Heart p 186 Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon (4 sv) with sauteed squash and red peppers & Asian Brown Rice (SV 2 p 228)
EW Heart p194 Grilled Tuna with Olive Relish (6 sv) with Roasted Carrots (Sv 2 p234) and Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous (SV 2 p 228)
EW Heart p 158 Pecan Crusted Chicken (4 sv) with Baby Spinach Salad (Heart p 227) with Raspberry Vinaigrette (Heart p 228)
EW Heart p 172 Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions (4 sv) and Corn on the Cob and Sweet Potato Fries (SV 2 p 230)
Buttermilk-Oatmeal Pancakes
Start your day in a hearty, high-grain way with these buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes. Maple syrup is a perennial favorite atop a stack of these pancakes; sliced bananas would also complement their oat flavor.
Makes 6 servings, 2 pancakes each
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Maple syrup (optional)
1. Combine buttermilk and rolled oats in a small bowl; let rest for 20 to 30 minutes to soften oats. Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk egg, egg whites and 1 teaspoon oil in a separate bowl. Add the oat mixture and the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
2. Lightly brush a large nonstick skillet with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, pour batter onto the skillet and cook until the underside is browned and the bubbles on top remain open, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the pancakes over and cook until the underside is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with a little of the remaining oil as needed. Serve hot, topping with maple syrup if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 271 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 39 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 4 g fiber; 675 mg sodium; 293 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Folate (23% daily value), Calcium (22% dv).
3 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 fat
TIP: Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: the ratio is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store the batter (Step 1) in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Chunky Blueberry Sauce
Easy to make, this intensely flavored blueberry sauce is delicious at home on a stack of pancakes or a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.
Makes about 1 1/3 cups
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Stir blueberries, honey, lemon zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes; serve warm.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 21 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 0 mg sodium; 15 mg potassium.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2006
Scandinavian Muesli
From EatingWell Magazine April/May 2005
Serve this Scandinavian cereal with low-fat yogurt or nonfat milk to start your day off with whole grains and some protein and calcium-rich dairy. You can substitute any combination of chopped dried or fresh fruit for the raisins—apricots, apples, figs, cherries or cranberries would all be delicious. Try walnuts or hazelnuts instead of the almonds if you like. Ground flaxseeds stirred in at the end provide a boost of heart-healthy omega-3s.
Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours (including cooling time)
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
2/3 cup rye flakes or wheat flakes (see Note)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (1 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (optional; see Tip)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye (or wheat) flakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until the oats are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off the oven. Stir raisins into the muesli.
2. Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; drizzle over the muesli and stir to coat. Return the muesli to the turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseeds, if using.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:196 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 5 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Fiber (18% daily value).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat
TIP: Note: Rye or wheat flakes are simply rye or wheat kernels that have been steamed and rolled, oatmeal-style. Look for them in natural-foods stores.
Tip: Grind flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder or dry blender just before using.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Quick Breakfast Taco
From EatingWell Magazine May/June 2008
A smaller cousin of the breakfast burrito, the breakfast taco made with reduced-fat Cheddar and egg substitute is a satisfying and healthy breakfast option.
Makes 1 serving
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon salsa
2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
1. Top tortillas with salsa and cheese. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds.
2. Meanwhile coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat, add egg substitute and cook, stirring, until the eggs are cooked through, about 90 seconds. Divide the scrambled egg between the tacos.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 153 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 17 g protein; 0 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 207 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 very lean meat
Tomato, Tuna & Tarragon Salad
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2005
Tomatoes and tuna were meant for each other, and fresh tarragon seals the deal. Soaking the onion in cold water tames the heat and sweetens its taste.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna in olive oil, drained
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
8 cups torn lettuce or mixed greens
1 pound small ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
1. Place onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add tuna, celery, tarragon and onion; stir to combine. Serve on top of the lettuce (or mixed greens) with tomato and lemon wedges.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 255 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 3 g fiber; 668 mg sodium; 694 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv), Potassium (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 3 vegetable, 3 lean meat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Garden Pasta Salad
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2005
This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu (see Note) to add protein and make it more substantial.
Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 cups whole-wheat rotini (6 ounces)
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper (1 small)
1 cup grated carrots (2-4 carrots)
1/2 cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 205 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 291 mg sodium; 269 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (97% daily value), Vitamin A (70% dv), Fiber (17% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat (mono)
TIP: Ingredient note: Precooked “baked tofu” is firmer than water-packed tofu and comes in a wide variety of flavors. You might also like flavored baked tofu on a sandwich or in a stir-fry.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpeas
From EatingWell Magazine April/May 2006
The assertive flavor of broccoli rabe and rosemary are paired with sturdy chickpeas in this satisfying pasta dish. When buying broccoli rabe, check to make sure the bottoms of the stems are relatively tight, green and moist. If the broccoli rabe at your store is past its prime—or if you prefer a milder taste—use broccolini or regular broccoli instead. Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Makes 2 servings, 2 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 ounces whole-wheat orecchiette or chiocciole (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup vegetarian chicken-flavored broth (see Note)
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 8-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli rabe are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain. Rinse and dry the pot.
2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Add chickpeas, vinegar, salt, pepper and the pasta mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 413 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 14 g fiber; 655 mg sodium; 448 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (240% daily value), Vitamin A (210% dv), Iron (25% dv), Calcium (20% dv).
3 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 1/2 fat
TIP: Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “No-Chicken Broth,” it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.
Indian-Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew
From EatingWell Magazine September/October 2007
Eggplant, cauliflower, chickpeas and tomatoes are the basis for this rich Indian-spiced curry. Make it a meal: Serve with brown basmati rice or whole-wheat couscous.
Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
2 tablespoons curry powder, preferably hot Madras (see Note)
1 teaspoon garam masala (see Tip)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1-pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (optional)
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add curry powder, garam masala and mustard seeds and toast, stirring, until the spices begin to darken, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Add oil, onion, garlic, ginger and salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas, water and the reserved spices. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 198 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 8 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 358 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Folate (22% dv), Iron (15% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat
TIP: Note: Hot Madras curry powder, located in the spice aisle of most supermarkets, adds a pleasant level of heat. Substitute regular curry powder for a milder flavor.
Tip: Garam masala is a flavorful, fragrant blend of dry-roasted ground spices. It’s in the spice section of most supermarkets and specialty stores.
Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon
From EatingWell Magazine August/September 2006
A sweet, tangy and salty mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey does double-duty as marinade and sauce. Toasted sesame seeds provide a nutty and attractive accent. Make it a meal: Serve with brown rice and sautéed red peppers and zucchini slices.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (see Tip)
1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic
bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
2. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 234 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 335 mg sodium; 444 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (60% daily value), excellent source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1/2 other carbohydrate
TIP: Tips: How to skin a salmon fillet: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
To toast sesame seeds, heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add seeds and stir constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
Asian Brown Rice
Crunchy water chestnuts and red bell pepper stirred into nutty brown rice is the perfect accompaniment for grilled teriyaki-marinated pork chops.
Makes 2 servings, about 2/3 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
7/8 cup water or broth
1/3 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
Splash of reduced-sodium soy sauce
Splash of toasted sesame oil
Bring water (or broth, rice and ginger to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in bell pepper, water chestnuts, soy sauce and oil.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 130 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 3 g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 145 mg potassium.
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Grilled Tuna with Olive Relish
From EatingWell Magazine September 1998 , May/June 2008
A simple relish of parsley and olives jazzes up grilled tuna. Make it a meal: Serve with grilled vegetables and steamed new potatoes.
Makes 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
Olive Relish
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped pitted imported black olives, such as kalamata
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Grilled Tuna
1 3/4 pounds tuna steak, trimmed and cut into 6 portions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
1. To prepare olive relish: Combine parsley, olives, celery, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To grill tuna: Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Rub tuna all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the tuna until seared on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with Olive Relish and lemon wedges.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 184 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 266 mg sodium; 636 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (69% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Magnesium (17% dv), Vitamin C (16% dv).
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 4 1/2 lean meat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: The olive relish will (Step 1) will keep for up to 1 hour.
Roasted Carrots
Start with 1/2 pound untrimmed raw vegetables to make 2 servings.
Look for: Orange, firm spears without any gray, white or desiccated residue on the skin. The greens should preferably still be attached.
Prep: Peel; cut off greens.
MIcrowave: Cut carrots into 1/8-thick rounds. Place in a medium glass baking dish. Add 2 Tablespoons broth (or white wine). Cover tightly and microwave on HIGH until tender, about 3 minutes.
Roast: Preheat oven to 500 Degrees F. Cut carrots in half lengthwise then cut into 1 1/2 inch long-pieces. Spread on a baking sheet or in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Coat with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
Saute: Cut carrots into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter (Or 1 Tablespoon olive oil) in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add carrots; stir and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar; stir until glazed.
Steam: Cut carrots into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of water in a large pot set over high heat. Cover and steam for 4 minutes.
Herbed Whole-Wheat Couscous
Quick and versatile, serve this couscous alongside any saucy dish.
Makes 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
Bring broth, scallions and parsley to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous, return to a simmer, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 256 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 2 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 8 g fiber; 57 mg sodium; 62 mg potassium.
Pecan-Crusted Chicken
From EatingWell Magazine May/June 2007
This recipe coats tender chicken breasts with a buttery pecans flavored with spicy chipotle and zesty orange. Serve with a spinach salad.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (see Note)
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Whisk egg white and water in a shallow dish until combined. Dip each chicken breast in the egg-white mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining oil. Cook the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Serve immediately.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 281 calories; 15 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 430 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (34% daily value), good source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1/2 fat
TIP: Tip: It can be hard to find individual chicken breasts small enough for our recommended 4-ounce (uncooked) portion size. If yours are closer to 5 ounces each, remove the tender (about 1 ounce) from the underside to get the correct portion size. Wrap and freeze the leftover tenders; when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry, for chicken fingers or in soups.
Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.
Baby Spinach Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Salad is a great way to increase your family’s fruit and vegetable consumption—the challenge is getting your children (or picky eaters) to enjoy it. We’ve found that a simple, slightly sweet dressing like our Raspberry Vinaigrette, tossed with mild-flavored greens, such as baby spinach, fruit and your family’s favorite vegetables can convince most everyone to take a bite.
Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
6 cups prewashed baby spinach
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 nectarine, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Combine spinach, bell pepper and nectarine in a large bowl; toss with Raspberry Vinaigrette.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 70 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 74 mg sodium; 348 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Vitamin C (70% dv), Folate (24% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare double the amount of salad, leaving it undressed, and pack some with a little dressing on the side for lunch.
Raspberry Vinaigrette
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Quick to make and very economical, this kid-friendly dressing keeps well. We’ve made sure the recipe yields enough dressing for several salads to help make it easier for you to get salad on the table each night.
Makes 3/4 cup, for 16 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Add oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper to a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well to combine.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 58 calories; 6 g fat (0 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 0 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 50 mg sodium; 8 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 fat
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake before using.
Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions
From EatingWell Magazine June/July 2006
Spicy Southwest flavors pair with sweet and tangy pickled red onions to create a standout turkey burger. If you’re used to having your burgers made of beef with plenty of melted cheese on top, don’t worry. You won’t be disappointed. Serve with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries.
Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
Pickled Onions
1 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
Burgers
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (see Note)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole-wheat buns, split
8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1. To prepare pickled onions: Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on High until the mixture boils, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.) Add onion and toss to coat.
2. To prepare burgers: Preheat grill to high. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil.
3. Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toast buns on the grill, if desired.
4. Drain the onion, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and pickled onions.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 308 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 26 g protein; 4 g fiber; 738 mg sodium; 150 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value), Iron (20% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 lean meat
TIP: Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets.
Oven Sweet Potato Fries
Making oven fries out of sweet potatoes brings out their inherent sweetness.
Makes 2 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, salt and pepper. Spread the wedges out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 122 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 323 mg sodium; 429 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (350% daily value), Vitamin C (30% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Monday, July 07, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Last week went well, although I've got a lot of BBQ leftovers. I froze 2 quart-size bags worth, and I have a container in the fridge for us for tonight's dinner. I made out well at the Farmer's Market, so some of the meals will be based on what I found there. I made homemade mayo this weekend. It's yummy, but now I need to figure out what to do with it. We don't eat mayo that often, and it's the full fat, yummy stuff (I bought more eggs at the FM - including some duck, turkey and quail meaning I have 2 dozen now and I had 3 from last week to use).
For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/07/menu-plan-monday-july-7th.html
Monday: Leftover BBQ with squash as a side
Tuesday: Ham, Green Beans & Red Potatoes
Wednesday: Fried Green Tomatoes
Thursday: Lentil Soup (using the broth I used to cook the bratwurst since I didn't have beer)
Friday:Cauliflower Risotto
For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/07/menu-plan-monday-july-7th.html
Monday: Leftover BBQ with squash as a side
Tuesday: Ham, Green Beans & Red Potatoes
Wednesday: Fried Green Tomatoes
Thursday: Lentil Soup (using the broth I used to cook the bratwurst since I didn't have beer)
Friday:Cauliflower Risotto
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Farmer's Market
This morning I wasn't feeling so great (liver pain - not sure why. I ended up not even eating my bratwurst last night because I filled up on black bean salsa beforehand so I can't even blame it on the sausage) as Miko did her empty stomach heaves before 7:30 am. *sigh* As Miko and I stepped out for our Morning Constitutional (her with a full belly) it started to pour down rain. Lucky the pain changed to a dull roar by 8 and I got my shower and decided to head over to the Goochland Farmer's Market - leaving hubby still in bed and the rain changed to intermittenet drizzle. I hoped the market was still on, and when I got there it still was. There was quite a few people milling about!
I did my normal, a loop around the "exhibits" checking out what everyone had, deciding what I was going to buy. I was hoping someone would have some green tomatoes, but no luck. The tomatoes are just starting to come out though. I stopped by Amy's booth "She Knits" (her blog is http://knitsimplyknit.blogspot.com/ ) since for the first time there wasn't a hoard of people around and I got to see her stuff up close. It was really nice. I wish I had some kids that I could give the stuff to, I'd buy something for them. She did have some nice necklaces. I did see two that I liked, but they were pink. And I know this is going to sound silly, but I'm trying to get away from pink, kinda. I know pink is my favorite, and most everything I have is pink - but at some point I really need to buy some new stufff that isn't pink based. I am just not sure what color I want to chose. Hubby would think it should be black I'm sure, but that's the basis of his closet. When I do laundry it's literally divided up into lights (mine) and darks (his). Anyway, I wanted to say something to her, but my shyness got the best of me. I don't know why, I know she doesn't bite. I'm sure she wouldn't think I was some stalker or something. It would be nice to at least have a conversation with someone on this end of town that knits since everyone else I know that knits lives in Richmond. I just hope it doesn't take me until October before I squeak out something like, "Hello" and feel like a total doofus about it and go running off to my car.
I bought:
-carton of chicken eggs -we actually went through almost a dozen eggs this week, that's quite a lot for us.
-I also bought a whole bunch of beets. These are definately the last she told me- she dug them all up. These are without the tops.
-Okra - I am not sure if I'm going to "fry" them or use them in a stew or curry
-red potatoes
-green beans -these will go with the red potatoes and ham for one of my favorite meals.
-blueberries - one of the reasons I got there early was so I could get some. I wanted to buy a lot more than I did, because there's a Jamie Oliver recipe that looks good that calls for 1 lb 6 oz of them - it originally called for fragola grapes but since they are hard to find outside of Italy he said blueberries work well in it. I just bought 1 container - I'll just wait and get some from the grocery store.
-2 Japanese Eggplant
-1 regular Eggplant
-2 yellow squash
-2 rounded yellowish squash -not even sure what it is but we'll see- it reminds me almost like a yellow tomato but it's white with light yellowish stripes
-2 ears of corn
-1 eightball squash
-2 yellow squash with green ends (can't remember the name)
I wanted some more goat cheese, but the people said they would be there late, and I had some other stuff I wanted to do. I had also thought about getting some meats, but we don't really need any this week. So I headed out to do my other stuff: check out the Louisa Farmer's Market. We tried one week but were too late, so I decided since I still had a bit of cash let - unfortunately it was bigger bills- I would do it now. The only thing I don't like about it is that I live smack dab in between both of the Farmer's Markets. Oh well. I could have stopped and dropped off my stuff, but since it's a cool day and I knew that if I stopped I wouldn't want to go out again, I kept going. Louisa's FM is small, only about 7 people or so? But this is also their first year, and I wasn't sure if the weather kept vendors away too. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but figured I'd check it out. I actually ended up buying stuff! First thing I saw, green tomatoes!
What I bought:
-4 green tomatoes - Fried green tomatoes! YUM!
-more eggs! This time I got a mixed dozen of quail, turkey and duck. I've never had these so it'll be interesting to try. I'm excited over this because of a recipe I saw in "Cook with Jamie" where you hard boil different types of eggs (he gives times for the eggs), peel them, and top with homemade mayo loosened with extra lemon and a sprinkle of pepper. Serve with watercress, anchovies, bacon and toast. I thought at the time it sounded good, but all I could find were chicken eggs. I can now try it!
-Fresh fried tortillas with a quart of mild and a quart of hot salsa - I was only going to get the mild salsa but as I said I didn't have any small bills and they just had a bunch of people come through (I got there at the same time as a bunch of other people) and they were running low on change) so I bought both to help them out. Hubby likes hot, I like mild.
They also have the FM on Wed, but I haven't made it to that one, since I usually try not to go out unless I have to so I can save gas, and I don't usually have a reason to go to Louisa anyway. As it was, this was kind of a special trip as it was.
I did my normal, a loop around the "exhibits" checking out what everyone had, deciding what I was going to buy. I was hoping someone would have some green tomatoes, but no luck. The tomatoes are just starting to come out though. I stopped by Amy's booth "She Knits" (her blog is http://knitsimplyknit.blogspot.com/ ) since for the first time there wasn't a hoard of people around and I got to see her stuff up close. It was really nice. I wish I had some kids that I could give the stuff to, I'd buy something for them. She did have some nice necklaces. I did see two that I liked, but they were pink. And I know this is going to sound silly, but I'm trying to get away from pink, kinda. I know pink is my favorite, and most everything I have is pink - but at some point I really need to buy some new stufff that isn't pink based. I am just not sure what color I want to chose. Hubby would think it should be black I'm sure, but that's the basis of his closet. When I do laundry it's literally divided up into lights (mine) and darks (his). Anyway, I wanted to say something to her, but my shyness got the best of me. I don't know why, I know she doesn't bite. I'm sure she wouldn't think I was some stalker or something. It would be nice to at least have a conversation with someone on this end of town that knits since everyone else I know that knits lives in Richmond. I just hope it doesn't take me until October before I squeak out something like, "Hello" and feel like a total doofus about it and go running off to my car.
I bought:
-carton of chicken eggs -we actually went through almost a dozen eggs this week, that's quite a lot for us.
-I also bought a whole bunch of beets. These are definately the last she told me- she dug them all up. These are without the tops.
-Okra - I am not sure if I'm going to "fry" them or use them in a stew or curry
-red potatoes
-green beans -these will go with the red potatoes and ham for one of my favorite meals.
-blueberries - one of the reasons I got there early was so I could get some. I wanted to buy a lot more than I did, because there's a Jamie Oliver recipe that looks good that calls for 1 lb 6 oz of them - it originally called for fragola grapes but since they are hard to find outside of Italy he said blueberries work well in it. I just bought 1 container - I'll just wait and get some from the grocery store.
-2 Japanese Eggplant
-1 regular Eggplant
-2 yellow squash
-2 rounded yellowish squash -not even sure what it is but we'll see- it reminds me almost like a yellow tomato but it's white with light yellowish stripes
-2 ears of corn
-1 eightball squash
-2 yellow squash with green ends (can't remember the name)
I wanted some more goat cheese, but the people said they would be there late, and I had some other stuff I wanted to do. I had also thought about getting some meats, but we don't really need any this week. So I headed out to do my other stuff: check out the Louisa Farmer's Market. We tried one week but were too late, so I decided since I still had a bit of cash let - unfortunately it was bigger bills- I would do it now. The only thing I don't like about it is that I live smack dab in between both of the Farmer's Markets. Oh well. I could have stopped and dropped off my stuff, but since it's a cool day and I knew that if I stopped I wouldn't want to go out again, I kept going. Louisa's FM is small, only about 7 people or so? But this is also their first year, and I wasn't sure if the weather kept vendors away too. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but figured I'd check it out. I actually ended up buying stuff! First thing I saw, green tomatoes!
What I bought:
-4 green tomatoes - Fried green tomatoes! YUM!
-more eggs! This time I got a mixed dozen of quail, turkey and duck. I've never had these so it'll be interesting to try. I'm excited over this because of a recipe I saw in "Cook with Jamie" where you hard boil different types of eggs (he gives times for the eggs), peel them, and top with homemade mayo loosened with extra lemon and a sprinkle of pepper. Serve with watercress, anchovies, bacon and toast. I thought at the time it sounded good, but all I could find were chicken eggs. I can now try it!
-Fresh fried tortillas with a quart of mild and a quart of hot salsa - I was only going to get the mild salsa but as I said I didn't have any small bills and they just had a bunch of people come through (I got there at the same time as a bunch of other people) and they were running low on change) so I bought both to help them out. Hubby likes hot, I like mild.
They also have the FM on Wed, but I haven't made it to that one, since I usually try not to go out unless I have to so I can save gas, and I don't usually have a reason to go to Louisa anyway. As it was, this was kind of a special trip as it was.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy Fourth!
Afternoon everyone. Things here are hot, but everything is going well. It is just hubby and I today. My side of the family almost came over but when they saw the weather report (hot with a chance of t-storms later) they decided to wait until later. We are going over there next weekend for my niece's birthday anyway so it's not a big thing. Mom has been itching to pull weeds in my flowerbeds and who am I to stop her? She's pretty disappointed though in not being able to do that yet. I told her I'll save them for her. I can't pull a lot of weeds, the bending over and stuff doesn't sit well with my liver the next day for some reason.
I made hubby's favorite breakfast for him this morning. I found thin asparagus at the POG, so I broiled it and put it on homemade bread that I had toasted with soft yolk "fried" eggs on top and some Parmesan cheese on top. Sprinkled with some salt and pepper and it's quite heavenly. I don't even like soft yolks, but when it mixes with the melted Parm it makes a nice sauce that the bread soaks up. I don't even need ketchup, a requisite for me for almost any egg dish.
I realized I forgot to buy beer for the brats. :( Oh well - It's been so long since I've bought beer that it's just fallen off my radar. I do have a bottle of Woodchuck Granny Smith Hard Cider, but I don't think that will quite work. At least I have peppers and onions, if I had forgotten that I would have just had to go with something else entirely!
Hubby bought me Jamie Oliver's last two cookbooks for my birthday, and I've been enjoying the food P0rn from them. I've decided I'm going to make Cauliflower Risotto next week. It's got a spicy breadcrumb topping ontop that sounds great (chilies and anchovies) that finishes it. And he says that you don't have to stir risotto all the time - "just a quick stir every couple of minutes" [from his Italy book] and in his Cook book he gives directions to make it ahead of time and then how to finish it a couple of days later.
Last night was supposed to be the pork cube whatever but I did something different. Hubby got off work early (yay!) and I ended up fixing some frozen cheese ravioli with some pesto (made from my basil from last year) and I had 3 slices of Rosemary Olive Oil bread to serve with it that we used to soak up any pesto that was on our plates. YUMMY! I really need to use pesto more often. I forget how much I love that stuff. I must admit I used a bit too much of it (and the oil) because I was moving what I had from the quart jar to a smaller jar (2 cup) since we had used most of it. I pour a layer of olive oil on top to help keep it fresh, and I didn't want to mix that oil in the moving, so I just took that (it was hard from being in the fridge) and some pesto underneath for the pasta and then transferred the rest to the new jar and topped with a new layer of olive oil. When I made the pesto I didn't use cheese so I could do what I wanted to with it when I used it it. I made sure to use a bit of Parmesan when I tossed it with the hot cooked pasta. Yummy!
I made hubby's favorite breakfast for him this morning. I found thin asparagus at the POG, so I broiled it and put it on homemade bread that I had toasted with soft yolk "fried" eggs on top and some Parmesan cheese on top. Sprinkled with some salt and pepper and it's quite heavenly. I don't even like soft yolks, but when it mixes with the melted Parm it makes a nice sauce that the bread soaks up. I don't even need ketchup, a requisite for me for almost any egg dish.
I realized I forgot to buy beer for the brats. :( Oh well - It's been so long since I've bought beer that it's just fallen off my radar. I do have a bottle of Woodchuck Granny Smith Hard Cider, but I don't think that will quite work. At least I have peppers and onions, if I had forgotten that I would have just had to go with something else entirely!
Hubby bought me Jamie Oliver's last two cookbooks for my birthday, and I've been enjoying the food P0rn from them. I've decided I'm going to make Cauliflower Risotto next week. It's got a spicy breadcrumb topping ontop that sounds great (chilies and anchovies) that finishes it. And he says that you don't have to stir risotto all the time - "just a quick stir every couple of minutes" [from his Italy book] and in his Cook book he gives directions to make it ahead of time and then how to finish it a couple of days later.
Last night was supposed to be the pork cube whatever but I did something different. Hubby got off work early (yay!) and I ended up fixing some frozen cheese ravioli with some pesto (made from my basil from last year) and I had 3 slices of Rosemary Olive Oil bread to serve with it that we used to soak up any pesto that was on our plates. YUMMY! I really need to use pesto more often. I forget how much I love that stuff. I must admit I used a bit too much of it (and the oil) because I was moving what I had from the quart jar to a smaller jar (2 cup) since we had used most of it. I pour a layer of olive oil on top to help keep it fresh, and I didn't want to mix that oil in the moving, so I just took that (it was hard from being in the fridge) and some pesto underneath for the pasta and then transferred the rest to the new jar and topped with a new layer of olive oil. When I made the pesto I didn't use cheese so I could do what I wanted to with it when I used it it. I made sure to use a bit of Parmesan when I tossed it with the hot cooked pasta. Yummy!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Breakfast this morning:
Kashi Go Lean with these. From vines in my yard. We are lucky to have these all over our yard, but I can't pick a lot of them since most of them also have poison ivy nearby. I'm already covered with it thanks to Miss Miko (aka Poison Ivy Butt) and I can't take anything thanks to my liver problems. I spent my growing up years covered in poison ivy thanks to playing in the woods too- so I already know that I'm horribly allergic to it, and know that not much works with me. I just try my best to keep it to a dull roar. [As a side note, while working as a Vet Tech I used to get it between my boobs all the time while holding dogs because I'd get fur down there thanks to the scrub tops V-necks and my bra would keep the fur there all day.] Anyway it doesn't bother me one bit since the squirrels and birds love them too. I don't mind sharing. As it is, we didn't get any cherries this year, they were pretty small and I think they ripened during my surgery.
Visit to Penzey's in Richmond Menu Plan Monday
We finally made it to Penzey's store in Richmond (3400 Cary St.) We met MiL in Lowe's first to pay for our new storm door - my birthday gift. And then we headed towards Cary St. The store was a bit hard to find, only because Cary St is a one way street with a lot of little stores. The store is near the VEC (Emergency Vet) so that helped me in knowing that there was a parking lot back behind there. We walked around and headed in. As we were walking in, hubby asked, "You've never been in one, right?" I confirmed this and he groaned, "We're going to be here forever." We weren't, and I used birthday money. I was able to get two spices free, one from the catalog and one from their magazine: Barbecue 3000 and Tuscan Sunset. I used the Tuscan Sunset Saturday night when I made Meatball subs. It's a salt-free Italian-style seasoning and it worked great in the meatballs as the seasoning.
I didn't pick up a whole lot and most are small bottles
Aleppo pepper ground - it's a turkish pepper that isn't too spicy and I've seen mentioned in a few places recently
Lemon extract: for when I made madelines for hubby since I don't keep lemons on hand
wasabi powder - for hubby
Brady St Cheese sprinkle - something I got as a sample a while back (I was still in college if that tells you how long it's been) that I've liked on pasta when I just fix some for myself
Smokey 4S- their seasoned salt with smoked paprika in it
Pasta Sprinkle - Italian seasoning kinda thing for pasta that also received as a sample at first that I liked
Shallot seasoning- something I've wanted to try
Vindaloo seasoning - hubby loves vindaloo (thanks to Red Dwarf) and usually I use a paste I get at the Indian grocery store
Tandoori seasoning- I love tandoori
Sate seasoning- thought I'd try it - it's not the peanut butter sauce, just for the meat
broken anise stars (this is a regular, I'm out and it's hard to find them here I usually get this at the Mennonite place near my mom's)
Breakfast sausage seasoning - I'm still trying to find a mix that I like
I did find out they don't make the Bay leaf seasoning that I loved anymore. :( I've used up the last of the large bag that mom and I split. *SIGH* It was great and I will miss it.
On Sunday we watched "The Godfather Part II" and it's a good thing that the meatballs were Saturday night. ;)
Recipe reviews for the Clean Eating mag:
Pasta Roll-ups with Turkey and Spinach: I don't like cinnamon in it - but I knew that going in. Even decreasing it to 1/4 tsp I still didn't like it. Hubby liked it fine. Next time I'll use my usual Italian seasoning though.
Spicy Chicken with Brown Rice Pilaf - Wonderful chicken. Hubby and I thought the pilaf needed more salt and pepper though.
Chicken and Rice Soup with Spring Vegetables- Tasty though I did use leftover turkey broth and turkey instead of chicken. No other changes except adding polutry seasoning, celery and onions.
Curried Chicken Salad with Tropical Fruit - YUM! Next time chop the tropical fruit a bit smaller, mine was in quite large chunks.
Turkey Meatball Subs- Double yum! I used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset (salt-free seasoning) instead of just oregano. Hubby ate 3!
Ok - My menu Plan for this week:
for more ideas: It's being held at Heavenly Homemakers since I'm an Organizing Junkie is on Vacation this week.
Monday (tonight): Fried rice (using leftover rice pilaf and some stir-fried veggies I used as a side dish)
Tues: Leftover soup
Wednesday: James BBQ (recipe below- I'm using in the Crock Pot and it works with deer meat too)
Thurs: Pork solvoki (might change - I've got pork cubes in the freezer might use the vindaloo seasoning instead)
Friday: Bratwurst (July 4th)
Saturday & Sunday: Leftovers
* Exported from MasterCook *
James Beef Barbecue
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Lbs beef roast
4 Bermuda Onions -- cut into 1/8" thick rings
Add to taste:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt
2 Tbsps Horseradish
2 Tbsps Mustard
1 C Ketchup
2 Tbsps Browning Sauce -- optional (Kitchen Boquet)
2 Tbsps Worcestershire Sauce
Add just enough water to cover onions. Add meat and stock, then mustard,
catsup, etc... Bring to a boil for 1/2 hour. Let simmer for 1 hour until
meat falls apart.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 395 Calories; 24g Fat (54.8%
calories from fat); 26g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 87mg
Cholesterol; 694mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2
Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
I didn't pick up a whole lot and most are small bottles
Aleppo pepper ground - it's a turkish pepper that isn't too spicy and I've seen mentioned in a few places recently
Lemon extract: for when I made madelines for hubby since I don't keep lemons on hand
wasabi powder - for hubby
Brady St Cheese sprinkle - something I got as a sample a while back (I was still in college if that tells you how long it's been) that I've liked on pasta when I just fix some for myself
Smokey 4S- their seasoned salt with smoked paprika in it
Pasta Sprinkle - Italian seasoning kinda thing for pasta that also received as a sample at first that I liked
Shallot seasoning- something I've wanted to try
Vindaloo seasoning - hubby loves vindaloo (thanks to Red Dwarf) and usually I use a paste I get at the Indian grocery store
Tandoori seasoning- I love tandoori
Sate seasoning- thought I'd try it - it's not the peanut butter sauce, just for the meat
broken anise stars (this is a regular, I'm out and it's hard to find them here I usually get this at the Mennonite place near my mom's)
Breakfast sausage seasoning - I'm still trying to find a mix that I like
I did find out they don't make the Bay leaf seasoning that I loved anymore. :( I've used up the last of the large bag that mom and I split. *SIGH* It was great and I will miss it.
On Sunday we watched "The Godfather Part II" and it's a good thing that the meatballs were Saturday night. ;)
Recipe reviews for the Clean Eating mag:
Pasta Roll-ups with Turkey and Spinach: I don't like cinnamon in it - but I knew that going in. Even decreasing it to 1/4 tsp I still didn't like it. Hubby liked it fine. Next time I'll use my usual Italian seasoning though.
Spicy Chicken with Brown Rice Pilaf - Wonderful chicken. Hubby and I thought the pilaf needed more salt and pepper though.
Chicken and Rice Soup with Spring Vegetables- Tasty though I did use leftover turkey broth and turkey instead of chicken. No other changes except adding polutry seasoning, celery and onions.
Curried Chicken Salad with Tropical Fruit - YUM! Next time chop the tropical fruit a bit smaller, mine was in quite large chunks.
Turkey Meatball Subs- Double yum! I used Penzey's Tuscan Sunset (salt-free seasoning) instead of just oregano. Hubby ate 3!
Ok - My menu Plan for this week:
for more ideas: It's being held at Heavenly Homemakers since I'm an Organizing Junkie is on Vacation this week.
Monday (tonight): Fried rice (using leftover rice pilaf and some stir-fried veggies I used as a side dish)
Tues: Leftover soup
Wednesday: James BBQ (recipe below- I'm using in the Crock Pot and it works with deer meat too)
Thurs: Pork solvoki (might change - I've got pork cubes in the freezer might use the vindaloo seasoning instead)
Friday: Bratwurst (July 4th)
Saturday & Sunday: Leftovers
* Exported from MasterCook *
James Beef Barbecue
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Lbs beef roast
4 Bermuda Onions -- cut into 1/8" thick rings
Add to taste:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt
2 Tbsps Horseradish
2 Tbsps Mustard
1 C Ketchup
2 Tbsps Browning Sauce -- optional (Kitchen Boquet)
2 Tbsps Worcestershire Sauce
Add just enough water to cover onions. Add meat and stock, then mustard,
catsup, etc... Bring to a boil for 1/2 hour. Let simmer for 1 hour until
meat falls apart.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 395 Calories; 24g Fat (54.8%
calories from fat); 26g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 87mg
Cholesterol; 694mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2
Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Naked Chef
No, I'm not talking about Jamie Oliver (although hubby did order me his last two cookbooks [Italy and Cook] for my birthday and they should be on there way here soon and will I will finally have the cookbooks I've been wanting for a while) but today's cooking adventure.
THERE ARE NO ACTION SHOTS, SO YOU PEOPLE (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) MOVE ON TO OTHER PAGES!
Ahem... *cough*
I think I mentioned that last weekend at the Farmer's Market I bought beets and the person who sold them mentioned the would be the last for the year. I didn't get a chance to do anything with them until today since my menu was already planned and Hubby already has a favorite. What I wanted, I didn't have eggs old enough for (pickled eggs and beets, I find eggs peel better when they are older) but hubby wanted is Summer Borscht - Cold Beet Soup. The Naked Chef part of the title comes from the fact of how I usually deal with beets. I guess it's a good thing we don't have kids and live out in the country, huh? I am not the worlds neatest cook (or eater I almost always wear my food at some point and when I eat pho I usually try to remember to wear my contacts since I even get it on my glasses.) aprons help but don't protect everything. I just find that it's easiest if I just go naked and wear latex gloves (I don't mind my fingers being stained, it's the staining under my fingernails that bothers me more).
This morning I used the beet greens for breakfast. I don't have an actual recipe for this but: I had a package of the Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns. I mixed them with some oil, salt and pepper and pressed them into a 9x13 pan and baked it at 400 F for about 20 minutes until it started to turn brown. While that was going, I sauteed the diced greens with some onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and diced ham (I don't have any bacon on hand) and some Italian seasoning. When the potatoes were done I topped with a bit of shredded Parmesan and topped with the sauteed veggies. Then I topped with 2 cups of Egg Subsitute that had been mixed with a bit of Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle (garlic flavor) and then sprinkled a touch of reduced fat cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan. I baked for about 25 minutes until the eggs were done and it was browned. It was very good! You can also save the greens for the soup, but we don't like it for that. During the winter or if beets aren't available, I've also used canned beets with no problems too.
The soup was originally from Joanne Stephanik's (SP I don't have the book in front of me) Vegan Deli but it's been modified.
Summer Borscht (Cold Beet Soup)
Adapted from Vegan Deli
Serves 4-6
1 lb fresh beets (3-4 2" beets)
8 cups water
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp dill
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 cooked potatoes - leftovers are great
1 cup sour cream
Trim the beet tops, leaving 1" (if you trim too close they'll bleed a lot of the color out) and scrub well. [If using the greens, wash and chop them and set aside.] Put the beets into the water and bring to a boil in a large soup pot. Simmer until the beets are fork tender (like a potato), about 40 minutes. Let cool. Remove with a slotted spoon. Peel, using your hands (the skins will slip off). Chop, reserving a few and place into blender. Strain cooking liquid. Blend, leaving soup a bit chunky (I usually add about 1 1/2-2 cups reserved cooking liquid). Chop reserved beets into a fine dice and add to soup. Add rest of ingredients except potatoes and sour cream, adjusting to taste (you may have to add more later after it's cooled since cooling can dull the taste). Place into storage container and let cool. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning of soup. We like to pan fry the potatoes until crispy and serve on top of the cold soup with a dollop of sour cream.
THERE ARE NO ACTION SHOTS, SO YOU PEOPLE (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) MOVE ON TO OTHER PAGES!
Ahem... *cough*
I think I mentioned that last weekend at the Farmer's Market I bought beets and the person who sold them mentioned the would be the last for the year. I didn't get a chance to do anything with them until today since my menu was already planned and Hubby already has a favorite. What I wanted, I didn't have eggs old enough for (pickled eggs and beets, I find eggs peel better when they are older) but hubby wanted is Summer Borscht - Cold Beet Soup. The Naked Chef part of the title comes from the fact of how I usually deal with beets. I guess it's a good thing we don't have kids and live out in the country, huh? I am not the worlds neatest cook (or eater I almost always wear my food at some point and when I eat pho I usually try to remember to wear my contacts since I even get it on my glasses.) aprons help but don't protect everything. I just find that it's easiest if I just go naked and wear latex gloves (I don't mind my fingers being stained, it's the staining under my fingernails that bothers me more).
This morning I used the beet greens for breakfast. I don't have an actual recipe for this but: I had a package of the Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns. I mixed them with some oil, salt and pepper and pressed them into a 9x13 pan and baked it at 400 F for about 20 minutes until it started to turn brown. While that was going, I sauteed the diced greens with some onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and diced ham (I don't have any bacon on hand) and some Italian seasoning. When the potatoes were done I topped with a bit of shredded Parmesan and topped with the sauteed veggies. Then I topped with 2 cups of Egg Subsitute that had been mixed with a bit of Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle (garlic flavor) and then sprinkled a touch of reduced fat cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan. I baked for about 25 minutes until the eggs were done and it was browned. It was very good! You can also save the greens for the soup, but we don't like it for that. During the winter or if beets aren't available, I've also used canned beets with no problems too.
The soup was originally from Joanne Stephanik's (SP I don't have the book in front of me) Vegan Deli but it's been modified.
Summer Borscht (Cold Beet Soup)
Adapted from Vegan Deli
Serves 4-6
1 lb fresh beets (3-4 2" beets)
8 cups water
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp dill
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 cooked potatoes - leftovers are great
1 cup sour cream
Trim the beet tops, leaving 1" (if you trim too close they'll bleed a lot of the color out) and scrub well. [If using the greens, wash and chop them and set aside.] Put the beets into the water and bring to a boil in a large soup pot. Simmer until the beets are fork tender (like a potato), about 40 minutes. Let cool. Remove with a slotted spoon. Peel, using your hands (the skins will slip off). Chop, reserving a few and place into blender. Strain cooking liquid. Blend, leaving soup a bit chunky (I usually add about 1 1/2-2 cups reserved cooking liquid). Chop reserved beets into a fine dice and add to soup. Add rest of ingredients except potatoes and sour cream, adjusting to taste (you may have to add more later after it's cooled since cooling can dull the taste). Place into storage container and let cool. When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning of soup. We like to pan fry the potatoes until crispy and serve on top of the cold soup with a dollop of sour cream.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Recipe Review
Dinner last night was the Lasagna Rolls. They were quite tasty. Although, not as tasty as I would have liked, but it was me and not the recipe's fault. It's the cinnamon. I don't like cinnamon in savory things. I even decreased it to 1/4 tsp instead of the 3/4 tsp called for. I didn't want to leave it out since there wasn't anything else besides nutmeg (a common spice with spinach) and it looked like it was going for more of a Greek flavoring than an Italian one. Since it was also my first time trying the recipe I didn't want to change it too much either. *sigh* I really should have just used Italian spices and I would have liked it better. Hubby liked it just fine - he doesn't mind cinnamon and it was edible, just not a fave of mine is all. It will be made again, I'll just use my normal Italian spices instead.
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