Here's the bagel dog recipe I used last night. It's still not perfect, but it's close enough. I need to work on the way I enclose the bagel, last night I enclosed it instead of spiraling it and I liked it better, but it was a bit lopsided in that there was more dough on one side than the other. And I want it a bit more eggy still - but that might do better once I can get the Farmer's Market eggs once more instead of store bought. Anyone that has questions can just ask. :)
Homemade Bagel Dogs
Makes 8
4 pts for the "bagel" and points for the hotdog you choose
I haven't tried freezing these myself, but I don't see why they wouldn't. For those that want to do a vegan bagel dog, I don't see why you couldn't use the appropriate "dog" and use the bialy dough recipe I've posted elsewhere on my site instead (or your own bagel recipe without eggs included).
Adapted from: http://diaryofthesuburbanhausfrau.blogspot.com AND http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2005/08/19/bagel-dogs/
For Bagels:
3/4 Cup Water (80 degrees F)
1 Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
For Water Bath:
2 Quarts Water
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
Egg Glaze:
1 Egg, beaten
1-2 Tablespoons Milk
Topping Ideas:
Poppy Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Dried Onion Flakes
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Celery Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Hot Dogs:
8 Hot Dogs (any type you'd like)
For ABM: Combine ingredients in order recommended by your machine. Select dough cycle (makes 1 1/2 lbs). When cycle is complete, punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
If making by hand: You will want the water warmer - about 110-115 degrees and will use all-purpose flour (bread flour is too high in gluten to knead easily by hand). In a small bowl, combine water, 1 tsp sugar and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast is foamy. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, rest of sugar, and salt. Right before mixing yeast mixture into flour mixture, break egg into yeast mixture and combine. Add to flour mixture and add rest of flour to make a ball. Turn onto lightly floured surface, kneading by hand for about 10-15 minutes and adding extra flour if needed to keep from sticking, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Food Processor: Use cooler water (80 F) and bread machine flour. Combine water, 1 tsp sugar, yeast and egg in a measuring cup. Put dry ingredients in food processor with blade attached and mix well with a few short pulses of the blade. Add wet ingredients while blade is running and process briefly just enough for dough to come together. Let rest for 15 minutes. Process dough again using quick pulses until it forms a smooth, soft ball. Add more flour or liquid if needed. Dough should easily come away from the sides of the bowl and the blades. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
For Stand Mixer: Use warm water (110-115 degrees) and bread flour. Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed bowl with 1 tsp sugar for 5 minutes. Add remaining liquids and dry ingredients -except last cup of flour. Using dough hook, turn to Speed 2 for about 1 minute, or until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Continuing on Speed 2, gently tap remaining flour around the sides of the bowl, 1/2 cup at a time, as needed. Mix until dough cleans to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. When dough clings to hook, knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove dough from hook. Spray rising container with oil and let rise in a warm place 1-1 1/2 hours (until doubled, depends on temp of house). Punch down dough and remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
There are two ways to make the Bagel Dogs: Spiral and Enclosed.
For the spiral - roll out each part into a snake that is twice as long as your chosen hot dog. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough snake in both directions- lengthwise and widthwise. Place your hot dog at one end of the flattened snake at approximately a 45 degree angle. Roll your dog, wrapping it up with the bagel dough, allowing the dough to overlap about 1/2 inch as it twists along the dog. Make sure that it is sealed well on each end, I like to dip my fingers in a bowl of water and use my wet fingers to squeeze the ends shut.
I tried the enclosed this last time, and while I need to work on it a bit more so that one side doesn't have more breading than the other side, I liked it a lot better. For this one I rolled out each piece a little longer than the length of a hotdog, but about double the width of one. I wet one side of the dough by dipping my fingers in a bowl of water and brushing them on the edge. I set the hotdog inside and sealed it, and then made sure it was sealed well inside, once more using wet fingers to make sure the edges were sealed well.
Place Bagel dogs on a baking sheet coated with vegetable oil or Silpat mat (this is what I use all the time anyway, it's also what I use to knead/roll out on) and cover with a light towel and let rest for about 20-30 minutes in a draft-free place. [I usually take this time to pre-heat the oven since it takes a while to warm up because of my baking stone, and get the boiling water ready.]
Get a large pot of boiling water ready. I like to add 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and 2 Tbsp of kosher salt to it (I do this for my bagels too) but you don't have to if you don't want to. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
When the rising time is up, boil the dogs in batches of 2, for 3 minutes. I try to turn them over at the 1 1/2 minute mark, but they don't always want to, it's not a big thing. Drain and place back on the oiled baking sheet. Continue like this with the rest of the dogs. Brush with the egg glaze (if using, I don't bother) and sprinkle with your choice of toppings on top of the boiled dogs.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving, and remember that these hold their heat really well and will be HOT!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The migraine is finally gone!
After 4 days (knock on wood) I think it's gone! The Topamax had been working so well I had forgotten what it was like to be migraine free.
Today was a trip into town for my WW weigh in. I lost 1.2 lbs this week. Yay!
Luckily dinner last night was easy - the migraine wasn't letting me do much thinking. I had leftover roasted veggies: cauliflower, carrots and Brussels sprouts. I also had a bit of leftover peas & pimientos (recipe posted last week) and I threw in a can of artichoke hearts (not marinated and drained). I made a quick white sauce (butter, flour and skim milk) and threw in a bit of blue cheese and tossed everything together with some whole wheat pasta. I didn't use a lot of pasta, so it was mostly veggies. I must admit, I was able debating about making a curry sauce instead, but I was really wanting the blue cheese more. [For the curry just add curry powder to the melted butter when you add flour.]
Tonight is the Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas from the Jan 2009 Vegetarian Times. I've made it, and tasted it. It's ok. It might be better with Farmer's Market or home-grown carrots, but with just the organic carrots I normally get it's just ok. I think I'd like it even better as a squash or sweet potato soup instead. It just needs something - I am hoping that when I sprinkle the crushed wasabi peas on top it'll help (since I'm thinking some ginger might help) but we'll see.
{later} Hubby says he thinks that instead of blending it smooth that he thinks it would be better slightly chunky. I did use the kombu on top. Maybe I'd like it better with a darker miso - I usually use red when I have miso soup since I like it better.
Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas
Serves 6
Vegan
Instead of calling for vegetable broth, we've seasoned the liquid in this soup with kombu, a seaweed commonly used in Japanese soup stocks. For an extra Asian flair, save the kombu used to season the soup, cut it into thin strips and sprinkle it on top of each serving with the wasabi peas.
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 med leek, sliced into thin rings (1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced (5 cups)
3 Tbsp jasmine rice
1 4x2 inch piece kombu
1 1/2 Tbsp white miso
2 tsp agave nectar
1/3 cup crushed dried wasabi peas, for garnish
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook leek in oil 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, and cook 1 minute.
Add carrots, rice, kombu, and 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to a medium-low, and cook 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove kombu, and blend soup until smooth.
Spoon 1 cup soup into small bowl. Whisk in miso and agave nectar until smooth. Whisk miso-agave-soup mixture back into soup. Serve soup with wasabi peas sprinkled on top.
Per serving: 122 cal, 3g prot, 3 g total fat, 10.5g sat fat, 22g carb, 0mg chol, 229 mg sod, 4g fib, 11g sugar
Today was a trip into town for my WW weigh in. I lost 1.2 lbs this week. Yay!
Luckily dinner last night was easy - the migraine wasn't letting me do much thinking. I had leftover roasted veggies: cauliflower, carrots and Brussels sprouts. I also had a bit of leftover peas & pimientos (recipe posted last week) and I threw in a can of artichoke hearts (not marinated and drained). I made a quick white sauce (butter, flour and skim milk) and threw in a bit of blue cheese and tossed everything together with some whole wheat pasta. I didn't use a lot of pasta, so it was mostly veggies. I must admit, I was able debating about making a curry sauce instead, but I was really wanting the blue cheese more. [For the curry just add curry powder to the melted butter when you add flour.]
Tonight is the Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas from the Jan 2009 Vegetarian Times. I've made it, and tasted it. It's ok. It might be better with Farmer's Market or home-grown carrots, but with just the organic carrots I normally get it's just ok. I think I'd like it even better as a squash or sweet potato soup instead. It just needs something - I am hoping that when I sprinkle the crushed wasabi peas on top it'll help (since I'm thinking some ginger might help) but we'll see.
{later} Hubby says he thinks that instead of blending it smooth that he thinks it would be better slightly chunky. I did use the kombu on top. Maybe I'd like it better with a darker miso - I usually use red when I have miso soup since I like it better.
Carrot-Miso Soup with Wasabi Peas
Serves 6
Vegan
Instead of calling for vegetable broth, we've seasoned the liquid in this soup with kombu, a seaweed commonly used in Japanese soup stocks. For an extra Asian flair, save the kombu used to season the soup, cut it into thin strips and sprinkle it on top of each serving with the wasabi peas.
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 med leek, sliced into thin rings (1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and sliced (5 cups)
3 Tbsp jasmine rice
1 4x2 inch piece kombu
1 1/2 Tbsp white miso
2 tsp agave nectar
1/3 cup crushed dried wasabi peas, for garnish
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook leek in oil 7 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, and cook 1 minute.
Add carrots, rice, kombu, and 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to a medium-low, and cook 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove kombu, and blend soup until smooth.
Spoon 1 cup soup into small bowl. Whisk in miso and agave nectar until smooth. Whisk miso-agave-soup mixture back into soup. Serve soup with wasabi peas sprinkled on top.
Per serving: 122 cal, 3g prot, 3 g total fat, 10.5g sat fat, 22g carb, 0mg chol, 229 mg sod, 4g fib, 11g sugar
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Sorry that I haven't posted much these past few days - I've had a migraine. UGH!
For that reason this menu plan is pretty much short and sweet. For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-jan-12th-giveaway.html
Anyway. On to the menu plan:
Monday: Roasted Vegetables with Pasta (using some leftover roasted vegetables)
Tuesday: Carrot Miso Soup (from current Vegetarian Times Magazine - I'll post it after I've tried it)
Wednesday: Turkey Burgers with pierogies (my sister gave me the burgers, I think they are taco seasoned)
Thursday: Bagel Dogs (I'll post recipe later after I've tried it)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday Cabernet Beef Jubilee (Dinner with Mike and Jennifer) recipe below
Cabernet Beef Jubilee
Tender beef marinated in wine and balsamic vinegar and served with a delectable wine cherry sauce. And excellent dish for grilling or broiling.
Serves 4
4 top blade steaks, 5 oz. each
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
2 strips lemon zest
2 sticks cinnamon
1 cup dark sweet cherries (fresh, frozen or canned)
Combine vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seed, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks together in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Pour 3/4-cup of the sauce mixture into a resealable bag. Add steaks to bag, seal well. Turn to coat steaks and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Strain remaining wine mixture, pour back into sauce pan and add cherries. Place mixture in refrigerator while steaks marinade.
Place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once.
While steaks are cooking bring wine sauce to a simmer for 5 minutes to reheat. Serve steaks with sauce.
Suggested wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
If you prefer a thicker sauce, dissolve 1 Tbsp. corn starch in 1 Tbsp. of cold water and add to the sauce while reheating. [One reason I use pie filling- it's already thicker.]
Other recommended cuts: Sirloin steak, strip steak, ribeye steak. Shoulder steaks may be used if you increase marinating time to 6-8 hours.
Can Freeze: (we used this at Dinners by The Dozen)
Cabernet Beef Jubilee - Cherries and beef - a surprising, but delightful combination blade steaks, balsamic vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and cherries are combined to make the marinade and sauce for these steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Cabernet Beef Jubilee Thaw in fridge overnight. Pour marinade into sauce pan bring wine sauce to a simmer for 10 minutes then strain and add cherries and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once. Serve steaks with sauce.
For that reason this menu plan is pretty much short and sweet. For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-jan-12th-giveaway.html
Anyway. On to the menu plan:
Monday: Roasted Vegetables with Pasta (using some leftover roasted vegetables)
Tuesday: Carrot Miso Soup (from current Vegetarian Times Magazine - I'll post it after I've tried it)
Wednesday: Turkey Burgers with pierogies (my sister gave me the burgers, I think they are taco seasoned)
Thursday: Bagel Dogs (I'll post recipe later after I've tried it)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday Cabernet Beef Jubilee (Dinner with Mike and Jennifer) recipe below
Cabernet Beef Jubilee
Tender beef marinated in wine and balsamic vinegar and served with a delectable wine cherry sauce. And excellent dish for grilling or broiling.
Serves 4
4 top blade steaks, 5 oz. each
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
2 strips lemon zest
2 sticks cinnamon
1 cup dark sweet cherries (fresh, frozen or canned)
Combine vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seed, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks together in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Pour 3/4-cup of the sauce mixture into a resealable bag. Add steaks to bag, seal well. Turn to coat steaks and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Strain remaining wine mixture, pour back into sauce pan and add cherries. Place mixture in refrigerator while steaks marinade.
Place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once.
While steaks are cooking bring wine sauce to a simmer for 5 minutes to reheat. Serve steaks with sauce.
Suggested wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
If you prefer a thicker sauce, dissolve 1 Tbsp. corn starch in 1 Tbsp. of cold water and add to the sauce while reheating. [One reason I use pie filling- it's already thicker.]
Other recommended cuts: Sirloin steak, strip steak, ribeye steak. Shoulder steaks may be used if you increase marinating time to 6-8 hours.
Can Freeze: (we used this at Dinners by The Dozen)
Cabernet Beef Jubilee - Cherries and beef - a surprising, but delightful combination blade steaks, balsamic vinegar, wine, sugar, mustard seeds, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and cherries are combined to make the marinade and sauce for these steaks. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Cabernet Beef Jubilee Thaw in fridge overnight. Pour marinade into sauce pan bring wine sauce to a simmer for 10 minutes then strain and add cherries and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile place steaks on grill over medium high coals. Grill for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning once. Serve steaks with sauce.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Steeling your resolve for Morning Oatmeal
Since it's starting to get colder, I'm more apt to eat oatmeal in the mornings now. Sometimes I'll fix a bowl of Quick Cooking, but this morning I made Steel-cut oatmeal. I used the recipe out of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, but it's pretty much like Alton Brown's Good Eats one (you can find it on the Food Network site I'm sure - since I have dial-up I have trouble loading their site). You toast the oats in a Tbsp of butter then add to simmering water/milk and cook for about 30 minutes. I used skim milk and added a Tbsp of chopped mixed dried berries to mine when I ate it. I found 1/2 cup did me fine this morning but I'm not always hungry first thing in the morning either, it just depends sometimes on when I remember to take my meds (both the Concerta and the Byetta are appetite suppressants and along with the fact that I've never been a big morning eater or a morning foods lover).
Anyway, I've had this list I've cut out from the newspaper and it's got some good ideas for oatmeal toppings that I use occasionally:
Tops in Taste
When oatmeal is the morning's hot cereal of choice, turn it into a month of flavors by adding different toppings - many of them already pantry or fridge staples.
Here are 31 ideas from home economists at The Quaker Oats Co. [I've added some extras too]
* Raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
* Honey and honey crunch-flavored wheat germ
* Applesauce and cinnamon
* Low-fat granola and skim milk
* Raspberry nonfat yogurt and cranberries
* Apricot fruit spread and sliced almonds
* Sliced strawberries and plain nonfat yogurt and brown sugar
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and chopped toasted pecans
* Canned crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and chopped macadamia nuts
* Strawberry nonfat yogurt and sliced kiwi
* Sliced bananas with vanilla nonfat yogurt sprinkled lightly with cinnamon
* Reduced fat peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread
* Chopped dates, walnuts and cinnamon
* Canned pear slices, maple syrup and cinnamon
* Coarsely chopped canned peaches and ground ginger
* Diced dried apricots or diced dried mixed fruit and honey
* Pumpkin or apple butter and raisins
* Blueberry fruit spread, vanilla or plain nonfat yogurt and nutmeg
* Orange marmalade and dried cranberries
* Coarsely chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and dates
* Orange or tangerine low-fat yogurt and canned mandarin orange segments
* Mixed dried fruit
* Cherry preserves and wheat germ
* Reduced fat caramel topping and chopped pecans
* Whole-berry cranberry sauce
* Applesauce and maple flavor pancake syrup
* Blueberries and sliced strawberries sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar
* Sliced bananas and mini-semisweet chocolate morsels
* Warm apple pie filling and skim milk
* Brown sugar and apple pie spice
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana
And some other ideas from the Quaker Oats website:
* Skim milk and sliced peaches
* Diced cranberries and maple flavored pancake syrup
* Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spic
* Frozen raspberries and blueberries are my favorite!
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
* Blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and chopped pecans by Celeste B., MO
* Chopped apples, sliced banana and dried cranberries by Rosalva D., IL
* I cook my oats with dried cranberries and dried cherries and top it off with butter and brown sugar. No milk for me! by Thelma B., MI
* Dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts and a splash of sugar free French Vanilla creamer on Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar by Katrina W., OK
* I love using maple syrup and graham cracker crumbs with a little bit of strawberries. by Stefanie S., NV
* 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 apple cut into slices, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon by Andrew K., MN
* Raw walnuts, cinnamon, cocoa powder and strawberries by Tania N., CA
* Blueberry pie filling and cinnamon-sugar by Anna J., GA
* Chopped kiwi fruit and a dollop of cold tofu by A loyal customer
* A nice pat of butter and grated Italian cheese! by Jeannie V., NY
* Pumpkin or apple butter and toasted walnuts by A loyal customer
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana by Amanda D., TN
* Currants and golden raisins by A loyal customer
* Cooked sweet potato, pumpkin pie spice and pecans by Jill M., OH
* Crushed gingersnap cookies and fresh berries by A loyal customer
My favorites?
* A few chocolate chips and a Tbsp of almond butter
* Dried chopped apricots, toasted coconut, raspberry jam
* A few chocolate chips, chopped dried cherries, toasted coconut
Anyway, I've had this list I've cut out from the newspaper and it's got some good ideas for oatmeal toppings that I use occasionally:
Tops in Taste
When oatmeal is the morning's hot cereal of choice, turn it into a month of flavors by adding different toppings - many of them already pantry or fridge staples.
Here are 31 ideas from home economists at The Quaker Oats Co. [I've added some extras too]
* Raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
* Honey and honey crunch-flavored wheat germ
* Applesauce and cinnamon
* Low-fat granola and skim milk
* Raspberry nonfat yogurt and cranberries
* Apricot fruit spread and sliced almonds
* Sliced strawberries and plain nonfat yogurt and brown sugar
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and chopped toasted pecans
* Canned crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and chopped macadamia nuts
* Strawberry nonfat yogurt and sliced kiwi
* Sliced bananas with vanilla nonfat yogurt sprinkled lightly with cinnamon
* Reduced fat peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread
* Chopped dates, walnuts and cinnamon
* Canned pear slices, maple syrup and cinnamon
* Coarsely chopped canned peaches and ground ginger
* Diced dried apricots or diced dried mixed fruit and honey
* Pumpkin or apple butter and raisins
* Blueberry fruit spread, vanilla or plain nonfat yogurt and nutmeg
* Orange marmalade and dried cranberries
* Coarsely chopped apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and dates
* Orange or tangerine low-fat yogurt and canned mandarin orange segments
* Mixed dried fruit
* Cherry preserves and wheat germ
* Reduced fat caramel topping and chopped pecans
* Whole-berry cranberry sauce
* Applesauce and maple flavor pancake syrup
* Blueberries and sliced strawberries sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar
* Sliced bananas and mini-semisweet chocolate morsels
* Warm apple pie filling and skim milk
* Brown sugar and apple pie spice
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana
And some other ideas from the Quaker Oats website:
* Skim milk and sliced peaches
* Diced cranberries and maple flavored pancake syrup
* Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spic
* Frozen raspberries and blueberries are my favorite!
* Maple flavored pancake syrup and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds
* Blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and chopped pecans by Celeste B., MO
* Chopped apples, sliced banana and dried cranberries by Rosalva D., IL
* I cook my oats with dried cranberries and dried cherries and top it off with butter and brown sugar. No milk for me! by Thelma B., MI
* Dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts and a splash of sugar free French Vanilla creamer on Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar by Katrina W., OK
* I love using maple syrup and graham cracker crumbs with a little bit of strawberries. by Stefanie S., NV
* 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 apple cut into slices, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon by Andrew K., MN
* Raw walnuts, cinnamon, cocoa powder and strawberries by Tania N., CA
* Blueberry pie filling and cinnamon-sugar by Anna J., GA
* Chopped kiwi fruit and a dollop of cold tofu by A loyal customer
* A nice pat of butter and grated Italian cheese! by Jeannie V., NY
* Pumpkin or apple butter and toasted walnuts by A loyal customer
* Chopped dried figs and mashed ripe banana by Amanda D., TN
* Currants and golden raisins by A loyal customer
* Cooked sweet potato, pumpkin pie spice and pecans by Jill M., OH
* Crushed gingersnap cookies and fresh berries by A loyal customer
My favorites?
* A few chocolate chips and a Tbsp of almond butter
* Dried chopped apricots, toasted coconut, raspberry jam
* A few chocolate chips, chopped dried cherries, toasted coconut
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
All day in the city
Yep, got to spend most of my day all day yesterday in Richmond. I knew it was going to happen, and actually it was supposed to happen two weeks ago but go rescheduled due to a family emergency with one of my psych docs. So, today ended up being the day. I try to schedule most of my appointments on the same day so I don't have drive so many times into town, and although it makes for a long day it saves gas and it does save me a bit of my sanity (what little bit I have *haha*)
I must admit I started out the day with a bit of "The wearin' O' the Crankypants" because of the stress of having to drive into the West End (and Nuckols Rd) for my 9:20 AM appointment. I hate to drive, and I really hate to drive during rush hour. It didn't help that on Monday morning they were calling for up to 0.25 inches of ice, but luckily by that evening they were just calling for rain. WHEW! I ended up leaving early enough that I missed the beginning of the backups for the I64/I288, I64/I295 and I295/Nuckols Rd exit backups. The Nuckols Rd one was just starting actually as I got off that one.
My first appointment this morning was with the psychiatrist and I mentioned that it seems I'm getting a bit more anxious, so we're going to be transitioning me off the Wellbutrin and transitioning me onto Zoloft. I remembered being on Zoloft years ago, and I think it worked well (I do know it worked better than the Prozac that was prescribed by the counselors at Tech). We'll see.
After that appointment, I had a few hours to kill, so I headed to the nearest library and borrowed their Wi-fi. Hubby had put the Nintendo DS's Opera browser on it and I hadn't played with it yet (home dial-up is a bit frustrating for it), and I figured out how to connect and everything all by myself. Yay! I also checked out their magazine collection and read through a Food & Wine, but didn't really find anything that caught my eye.
After that I headed to my WW meeting, found out I gained 0.6 lbs. That's ok though. I had already prepared myself for a gain for these two weeks. I know that sounds odd, but for the two weeks of Christmas and New Years I write what I eat, but don't always point it. It keeps what I'm eating in my mind, but doesn't stress me out. Once I start the next meeting after that, I'm back on plan. So the total gain for those two weeks is less than the loss for the week before. :) Something that isn't talked about anymore it seems at the meetings, but something that my Leader mentioned: "Have a plan to either lose, maintain or gain. And any one of those is ok. Just as long as you have a plan for what to do for after the holidays too." It seems now that WW only focus on the first two. Maybe too many people took the gain too far? I don't know. Either way, as long as I plan for it and don't go too overboard, I'm really ok with it. I find that I'm a lot less stressed about the Holidays this way. Course, as my Leader also likes to say: "It's not the days between Christmas and New Years that got you fat, it's the days between New Years and Christmas."
After WW I headed to Target. I had to pick up a few things there, and for the first time I got my prescriptions filled there. I normally go to CVS, but since these prescriptions don't have refills, and we have insurance (so would be the same price) and the Target is on the way to my psychologist appointment and CVS wasn't (and the stuff I needed is cheaper at Target and not at CVS) I figured I'd just go there. It's odd going someplace else since I know it's better to keep your prescriptions at one place, I felt like I was cheating. While there I found out that Taste of Home has a new Comfort Food Diet Magazine out. I picked up one last year, and really liked the recipes in it. It's pretty much recipes from what used to be Light & Tasty but I think they've changed the name to Healthy Cooking. Anyway, their diet is calorie counting, but the recipes have the nutritional info.
After that, headed home. WHEW!
I must admit I started out the day with a bit of "The wearin' O' the Crankypants" because of the stress of having to drive into the West End (and Nuckols Rd) for my 9:20 AM appointment. I hate to drive, and I really hate to drive during rush hour. It didn't help that on Monday morning they were calling for up to 0.25 inches of ice, but luckily by that evening they were just calling for rain. WHEW! I ended up leaving early enough that I missed the beginning of the backups for the I64/I288, I64/I295 and I295/Nuckols Rd exit backups. The Nuckols Rd one was just starting actually as I got off that one.
My first appointment this morning was with the psychiatrist and I mentioned that it seems I'm getting a bit more anxious, so we're going to be transitioning me off the Wellbutrin and transitioning me onto Zoloft. I remembered being on Zoloft years ago, and I think it worked well (I do know it worked better than the Prozac that was prescribed by the counselors at Tech). We'll see.
After that appointment, I had a few hours to kill, so I headed to the nearest library and borrowed their Wi-fi. Hubby had put the Nintendo DS's Opera browser on it and I hadn't played with it yet (home dial-up is a bit frustrating for it), and I figured out how to connect and everything all by myself. Yay! I also checked out their magazine collection and read through a Food & Wine, but didn't really find anything that caught my eye.
After that I headed to my WW meeting, found out I gained 0.6 lbs. That's ok though. I had already prepared myself for a gain for these two weeks. I know that sounds odd, but for the two weeks of Christmas and New Years I write what I eat, but don't always point it. It keeps what I'm eating in my mind, but doesn't stress me out. Once I start the next meeting after that, I'm back on plan. So the total gain for those two weeks is less than the loss for the week before. :) Something that isn't talked about anymore it seems at the meetings, but something that my Leader mentioned: "Have a plan to either lose, maintain or gain. And any one of those is ok. Just as long as you have a plan for what to do for after the holidays too." It seems now that WW only focus on the first two. Maybe too many people took the gain too far? I don't know. Either way, as long as I plan for it and don't go too overboard, I'm really ok with it. I find that I'm a lot less stressed about the Holidays this way. Course, as my Leader also likes to say: "It's not the days between Christmas and New Years that got you fat, it's the days between New Years and Christmas."
After WW I headed to Target. I had to pick up a few things there, and for the first time I got my prescriptions filled there. I normally go to CVS, but since these prescriptions don't have refills, and we have insurance (so would be the same price) and the Target is on the way to my psychologist appointment and CVS wasn't (and the stuff I needed is cheaper at Target and not at CVS) I figured I'd just go there. It's odd going someplace else since I know it's better to keep your prescriptions at one place, I felt like I was cheating. While there I found out that Taste of Home has a new Comfort Food Diet Magazine out. I picked up one last year, and really liked the recipes in it. It's pretty much recipes from what used to be Light & Tasty but I think they've changed the name to Healthy Cooking. Anyway, their diet is calorie counting, but the recipes have the nutritional info.
After that, headed home. WHEW!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Well, I've been trying to figure out my menu this whole weekend. Not sure what my problem has been this weekend, I think it's just the fact that I'm tired of food. Does that make any sense? I'm just tired of thinking about it I think - not necessarily in the diet sense or even in the menu planning sense. It's kinda hard to explain really, and I am just not sure how to do it. Anyway...
Last night was pizza night. I made individual-sized pizzas and topped them with all the cheeses I had (2% sharp cheddar, shredded Swiss, LF mozzarella, Parmesan, RF blue, RF feta) and then shredded by hand the prosciutto and put that on top of the pizzas and sprinkled some black pepper on top of them and then baked them. They turned out yummy - but like they wouldn't. :)
Tonight is liver and onions. We're both really looking forward to it. We haven't had it in ages, it's one of those occasionally meals for us, even though we both love it.
You'll notice that Tuesday is a kinda odd day for a menu from me. Hubby requested fish sticks a few weeks ago. It will depend on what the weather does (they are calling for ice to start tonight), and I'll be in town all day tomorrow with doctor appointment, so something quick will be needed. In this quarter's Whole Foods Whole Deal brochure they have a coupon for $1 off breaded fish (including nuggets) so if I can get out, I'll pick some up before I head home and that'll be dinner. I'll have a happy hubby and it'll be better for us than take-out (and cheaper too).
So finally, my menu:
Monday: Liver and Onions (from Julia Child's "The Way To Cook") with mashed or roasted potatoes (haven't figured out which yet) and a salad and maybe roasted tomatoes.
Tuesday: Fish sticks with pierogies and peas
Wednesday: Chili with Chipotle Cheese Toast
Thurs: Wasabi Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce and Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
Homemade Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-5th.html
Liver and Onions
Liver and onions - and beautifully browned tender sliced onions they must be - are an unbeatable combination.
Ahead-of-time note: The onions may be browned even a day in advance, or may be frozen and thawed. (Blissful idea: have medium-size packets of browned onions in the freezer, ready to be thawed in the microwave.)
Suggested accompaniments: Your own home-made mashed potatoes would be lovely here, broiled or baked tomatoes, and perhaps a lightly dressed salad of young spinach leaves. You'll want a fairly hearty red wine, like Zinfandel or Beaujolais.
Julia Child “The Way To Cook”
For 4 servings
For Onions:
3 cups sliced onions
2 to 3 Tbsp butter or oil
salt
For Liver:
4 slices or about 1 pound top-quality calf's liver sliced 1/2 inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup or so flour in a plate
3 Tbs clarified butter, or butter and light olive oil or peanut oil
1/4 cup dry white French vermouth
1/3 cup beef or chicken stock
2 to 3 Tbs minced fresh parsley, optional
For Onions: Slowly sauté sliced onions in butter or oil in a covered pan, stirring frequently, until the onions are very tender - 15 minutes or so. Uncover the pan, salt lightly, raise the heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown nicely, stirring frequently - 5 minutes or more.
The Liver: Season, dredge in flour, and sauté as described in the master recipe, but keep it rarer than usual. [The moment before sautéing, season the liver on both sides with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set the frying pan over high heat and film with 1/16 inch of clarified butter or butter and oil. When very hot, lay in the liver and sauté 1 minute on each side. When is it done? It should be barely springy when pressed with your finger, and a deep pinky red when you cut into a piece.]
Finishing the dish.: Scrape the onions over the liver, pour in the vermouth and stock, raise heat, and boil rapidly, basting the liver with the sauce as it thickens lightly. Remove the liver to hot plates or a hot platter, spoon the sauce over, and decorate with the optional parsley.
Lemon-Herb Roasted Tomatoes
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
2 pints grape tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp grated fresh lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven 475.
Rinse tomatoes and pat dry with paper towels; place in a large bowl.
Gently stir in thyme and remaining ingredients. Place tomato mixture in a single layer on a large jelly-roll pan.
Bake at 475 for 5 minutes. Gently shake pan, and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until tomato skins are blistered and beginning to pop.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
Per serving: Cal 49; (50% from fat); fat 2.7g (sat 0.4g); Pro 1.4g; carb 6.4; fib 2.1g, chol 0mg; iron 0.6mg; sod 153mg; calc 20mg Points 1
Green Peas with Pimiento
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
There's no need to thaw the frozen peas. Just put them directly into the hot pan with the other ingredients.
1 Tbsp light stick butter
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 1/4 cups frozen petite green peas
4 oz jar diced pimiento, drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add peas and remaining ingredients; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 4 servings (serving sizer: 1/2 cup)
Per serving: Cal 79 (38% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1g); pro 4.3g; carb 11.2g; fib 4.2g, chol 4mg, iron 1.4mg, sod 291mg, calc 27mg POINTS 1
MENU: POINTS value per serving- 6
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
Mexican Chili
Chipotle Cheese Toasts
Game Plan:
1. While oven preheats for Chipotle Cheese Toasts prepare chili.
2. While chili simmers bake cheese toasts
Make-ahead Tip: This dish is one of the best quick chili recipes we've tested. As with most chili and soup recipes, you can make and chill it a day or so ahead; just reheat before serving.
Mexican Chili
Chocolate often is added to savory dishes in Mexican cuisine to cut the heat and enrich the flavor. In this recipe, it provides richness and deepens the color of the chili without making the dish sweet.
1 pound ground round
1 cup prechopped onion
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic
15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup hot water
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Cook beef and onions in a large pan over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan. Add remaining ingredients; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Per Serving: Cal 215 (31% from fat); Fat 7.5g (sat 2.9g); Pro 17.2g; carb 19.1g, Fib 3.9g; chol 37 mg; iron 3.4mg; sod 934mg; calc 69mg POINTS 4
Chipotle Cheese Toasts
6 (1/4-inch) slices French Toast
3 (1-oz) slices Chipotle Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento), cut in half
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place bread slices on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 5 minutes or until toasted; remove from oven. Place 1/2 slice cheese on top of each slice of bread. Bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice).
Per Serving: Cal 81 (37% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1.8g); pro 4.2g; carb 8.5g, fib 0.3g; chol 5mg, iron 0.5mg, sod 167mg; calc 81mg POINTS 2
Wasabi-Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce
In this recipes, wasabi powder, the green Japanese version of horseradish, adds a fiery zip to the fish.
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
4 teaspoons soy sauce, reduced-sodium
1/4 teaspoon ginger root
1/2 cup bread crumbs, panko (Japanese-style)
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 (6 oz) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
chopped green onions, optional
Combine soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine panko, wasabi powder, and parsley in a shallow dish.
Coat steaks generously with cooking spray, and dredge in panko mixture. Coat steaks again with cooking spray; dredge in panko mixture.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, adding remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil to pan when you turn steaks. Drizzle steaks with soy sauce mixture. Garnish with green onions, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1 teaspoon sauce).
Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 237 (21% from fat), Fat: 5.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.8g, Sodium: 292mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.3g, Carbs: 5.5g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Protein: 38.7g, Iron 2.3 mg, Calc 52 mg POINTS: 5
Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
1 tsp dark sesame oil
cooking spray
2 (8 oz) package frozen sugar snap peas
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp cornstarch
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add peas and water chestnuts; saute 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender.
Combine soy sauce and next 3 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Add to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size 3/4 cup).
Per serving: Cal 81; (12% from fat); fat 1.1g (sat 0.2g); Pro 2.8g; carb 16g, Fib 3.6g; chol 0mg; iron 1.4mg; sod 369mg; calc 51mg POINTS 1
Last night was pizza night. I made individual-sized pizzas and topped them with all the cheeses I had (2% sharp cheddar, shredded Swiss, LF mozzarella, Parmesan, RF blue, RF feta) and then shredded by hand the prosciutto and put that on top of the pizzas and sprinkled some black pepper on top of them and then baked them. They turned out yummy - but like they wouldn't. :)
Tonight is liver and onions. We're both really looking forward to it. We haven't had it in ages, it's one of those occasionally meals for us, even though we both love it.
You'll notice that Tuesday is a kinda odd day for a menu from me. Hubby requested fish sticks a few weeks ago. It will depend on what the weather does (they are calling for ice to start tonight), and I'll be in town all day tomorrow with doctor appointment, so something quick will be needed. In this quarter's Whole Foods Whole Deal brochure they have a coupon for $1 off breaded fish (including nuggets) so if I can get out, I'll pick some up before I head home and that'll be dinner. I'll have a happy hubby and it'll be better for us than take-out (and cheaper too).
So finally, my menu:
Monday: Liver and Onions (from Julia Child's "The Way To Cook") with mashed or roasted potatoes (haven't figured out which yet) and a salad and maybe roasted tomatoes.
Tuesday: Fish sticks with pierogies and peas
Wednesday: Chili with Chipotle Cheese Toast
Thurs: Wasabi Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce and Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
Homemade Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-5th.html
Liver and Onions
Liver and onions - and beautifully browned tender sliced onions they must be - are an unbeatable combination.
Ahead-of-time note: The onions may be browned even a day in advance, or may be frozen and thawed. (Blissful idea: have medium-size packets of browned onions in the freezer, ready to be thawed in the microwave.)
Suggested accompaniments: Your own home-made mashed potatoes would be lovely here, broiled or baked tomatoes, and perhaps a lightly dressed salad of young spinach leaves. You'll want a fairly hearty red wine, like Zinfandel or Beaujolais.
Julia Child “The Way To Cook”
For 4 servings
For Onions:
3 cups sliced onions
2 to 3 Tbsp butter or oil
salt
For Liver:
4 slices or about 1 pound top-quality calf's liver sliced 1/2 inch thick
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup or so flour in a plate
3 Tbs clarified butter, or butter and light olive oil or peanut oil
1/4 cup dry white French vermouth
1/3 cup beef or chicken stock
2 to 3 Tbs minced fresh parsley, optional
For Onions: Slowly sauté sliced onions in butter or oil in a covered pan, stirring frequently, until the onions are very tender - 15 minutes or so. Uncover the pan, salt lightly, raise the heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown nicely, stirring frequently - 5 minutes or more.
The Liver: Season, dredge in flour, and sauté as described in the master recipe, but keep it rarer than usual. [The moment before sautéing, season the liver on both sides with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Set the frying pan over high heat and film with 1/16 inch of clarified butter or butter and oil. When very hot, lay in the liver and sauté 1 minute on each side. When is it done? It should be barely springy when pressed with your finger, and a deep pinky red when you cut into a piece.]
Finishing the dish.: Scrape the onions over the liver, pour in the vermouth and stock, raise heat, and boil rapidly, basting the liver with the sauce as it thickens lightly. Remove the liver to hot plates or a hot platter, spoon the sauce over, and decorate with the optional parsley.
Lemon-Herb Roasted Tomatoes
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
2 pints grape tomatoes
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp grated fresh lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven 475.
Rinse tomatoes and pat dry with paper towels; place in a large bowl.
Gently stir in thyme and remaining ingredients. Place tomato mixture in a single layer on a large jelly-roll pan.
Bake at 475 for 5 minutes. Gently shake pan, and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until tomato skins are blistered and beginning to pop.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
Per serving: Cal 49; (50% from fat); fat 2.7g (sat 0.4g); Pro 1.4g; carb 6.4; fib 2.1g, chol 0mg; iron 0.6mg; sod 153mg; calc 20mg Points 1
Green Peas with Pimiento
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
There's no need to thaw the frozen peas. Just put them directly into the hot pan with the other ingredients.
1 Tbsp light stick butter
2 tbsp slivered almonds
2 1/4 cups frozen petite green peas
4 oz jar diced pimiento, drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add peas and remaining ingredients; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 4 servings (serving sizer: 1/2 cup)
Per serving: Cal 79 (38% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1g); pro 4.3g; carb 11.2g; fib 4.2g, chol 4mg, iron 1.4mg, sod 291mg, calc 27mg POINTS 1
MENU: POINTS value per serving- 6
From WW Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2009
Mexican Chili
Chipotle Cheese Toasts
Game Plan:
1. While oven preheats for Chipotle Cheese Toasts prepare chili.
2. While chili simmers bake cheese toasts
Make-ahead Tip: This dish is one of the best quick chili recipes we've tested. As with most chili and soup recipes, you can make and chill it a day or so ahead; just reheat before serving.
Mexican Chili
Chocolate often is added to savory dishes in Mexican cuisine to cut the heat and enrich the flavor. In this recipe, it provides richness and deepens the color of the chili without making the dish sweet.
1 pound ground round
1 cup prechopped onion
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic
15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup hot water
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Cook beef and onions in a large pan over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan. Add remaining ingredients; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Per Serving: Cal 215 (31% from fat); Fat 7.5g (sat 2.9g); Pro 17.2g; carb 19.1g, Fib 3.9g; chol 37 mg; iron 3.4mg; sod 934mg; calc 69mg POINTS 4
Chipotle Cheese Toasts
6 (1/4-inch) slices French Toast
3 (1-oz) slices Chipotle Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento), cut in half
Preheat oven to 400F.
Place bread slices on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 5 minutes or until toasted; remove from oven. Place 1/2 slice cheese on top of each slice of bread. Bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice).
Per Serving: Cal 81 (37% from fat); Fat 3.3g (sat 1.8g); pro 4.2g; carb 8.5g, fib 0.3g; chol 5mg, iron 0.5mg, sod 167mg; calc 81mg POINTS 2
Wasabi-Crusted Tuna with Ginger-Soy Sauce
In this recipes, wasabi powder, the green Japanese version of horseradish, adds a fiery zip to the fish.
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
4 teaspoons soy sauce, reduced-sodium
1/4 teaspoon ginger root
1/2 cup bread crumbs, panko (Japanese-style)
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 (6 oz) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
chopped green onions, optional
Combine soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine panko, wasabi powder, and parsley in a shallow dish.
Coat steaks generously with cooking spray, and dredge in panko mixture. Coat steaks again with cooking spray; dredge in panko mixture.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness, adding remaining 11/2 teaspoons oil to pan when you turn steaks. Drizzle steaks with soy sauce mixture. Garnish with green onions, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak and 1 teaspoon sauce).
Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 237 (21% from fat), Fat: 5.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.8g, Sodium: 292mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.3g, Carbs: 5.5g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Protein: 38.7g, Iron 2.3 mg, Calc 52 mg POINTS: 5
Sesame Sugar Snap Peas
From "WW Five ingredient 15 minute Cookbook" Winter 2008
1 tsp dark sesame oil
cooking spray
2 (8 oz) package frozen sugar snap peas
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp cornstarch
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add peas and water chestnuts; saute 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender.
Combine soy sauce and next 3 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Add to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size 3/4 cup).
Per serving: Cal 81; (12% from fat); fat 1.1g (sat 0.2g); Pro 2.8g; carb 16g, Fib 3.6g; chol 0mg; iron 1.4mg; sod 369mg; calc 51mg POINTS 1
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Cheesecake-y yogurt
I made some no-bake cheesecake filling a few weeks ago. It's still good (I keep it way back in the cold corner of the fridge, I'm surprised it hasn't frozen actually). I don't eat it all that often since it's still doesn't have much in terms of redeeming healthy nutritional qualities. That and the fact that I can't eat a lot of Cool-Whip without problems, which gives me a good reason to limit how much I eat in the first place. Anyway. This morning I decided to see how it would be if I threw a small dollop into my FF plain greek yogurt instead of using honey. Yummy! It kinda cuts the sweetness of the cheesecake filling, and then makes me feel like I'm eating a cheesecake for breakfast too. :) I usually just spread some of the filling on graham crackers (which I'm out of) and have it with an apple or something. I'm thinking of adding a bit of cocoa next time for a bit of chocolate cheesecake taste.
The recipe:
No-Bake Cheesecake
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
8 oz softened cream cheese (I used the Neufchatel, generic)
8 oz Cool-Whip, thawed (I used Fat-free generic)
With mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then Cool-Whip until all ingredients are completely blended. Will fit back into Cool-Whip container. [I guess-timated that it was 25 servings for the WW Recipe Builder and it came out 1 Point. That is going on the fact that it took up as much room as the Cool-Whip did. The Cool Whip container holds 8 oz and has 2 Tbsp for a serving size, with 25 servings per container.)
If you'd like you can put mixture in a 6 oz graham cracker crust. You can also top with 21 oz fruit filling and chill.
Dinner last night ended up being what I'll call Shepherd's Pie, but technically it wasn't since I used ground turkey. Not sure what it's called since a Shepherd's pie has lamb, and a Cottage pie has ground beef but I'm not sure what you'd call it when it has ground turkey. Tonight I'll make a cheese pizza I think. I have a bunch of different cheeses that I bought: RF blue, RF feta, shredded Swiss, RF cheddar, Parmesan. And I do think I might have some prosciutto somewhere too.
I picked up the January Southern Living the other day because I had started to read it while at my mom's a few weeks ago. In their Healthy Living section they had an article where the writer had cone to the Cooper Wellness program and had culled some of the stuff she had learned from her 6 days there into 10 steps. The article can be seen here: http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/fitness/10-resolutions-00400000037592/
The first one really struck me for some reason:
1. Change Your Mind
The Cooper program spends a lot of time excuse-busting. Get over all those preconceived notions you have about yourself. Write down every reason you have not to work out or eat healthfully. Then consider a solution for each problem. Give your body and mind the same consideration you give your automobile. Your workouts maintain the most important vehicle you will ever own. How far this body takes you is largely based on your choices. “Don’t die of something stupid,” Dr. Cooper says. “You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”
The recipe:
No-Bake Cheesecake
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
8 oz softened cream cheese (I used the Neufchatel, generic)
8 oz Cool-Whip, thawed (I used Fat-free generic)
With mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then Cool-Whip until all ingredients are completely blended. Will fit back into Cool-Whip container. [I guess-timated that it was 25 servings for the WW Recipe Builder and it came out 1 Point. That is going on the fact that it took up as much room as the Cool-Whip did. The Cool Whip container holds 8 oz and has 2 Tbsp for a serving size, with 25 servings per container.)
If you'd like you can put mixture in a 6 oz graham cracker crust. You can also top with 21 oz fruit filling and chill.
Dinner last night ended up being what I'll call Shepherd's Pie, but technically it wasn't since I used ground turkey. Not sure what it's called since a Shepherd's pie has lamb, and a Cottage pie has ground beef but I'm not sure what you'd call it when it has ground turkey. Tonight I'll make a cheese pizza I think. I have a bunch of different cheeses that I bought: RF blue, RF feta, shredded Swiss, RF cheddar, Parmesan. And I do think I might have some prosciutto somewhere too.
I picked up the January Southern Living the other day because I had started to read it while at my mom's a few weeks ago. In their Healthy Living section they had an article where the writer had cone to the Cooper Wellness program and had culled some of the stuff she had learned from her 6 days there into 10 steps. The article can be seen here: http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/fitness/10-resolutions-00400000037592/
The first one really struck me for some reason:
1. Change Your Mind
The Cooper program spends a lot of time excuse-busting. Get over all those preconceived notions you have about yourself. Write down every reason you have not to work out or eat healthfully. Then consider a solution for each problem. Give your body and mind the same consideration you give your automobile. Your workouts maintain the most important vehicle you will ever own. How far this body takes you is largely based on your choices. “Don’t die of something stupid,” Dr. Cooper says. “You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”
Friday, January 02, 2009
Nothing to see here, move along...
Yeah, pretty boring day, all things considered.
I had posted a few books to PaperBackSwap.com before New Years and most of them were actually requested. I ran out of mailing tape as I was fixing the mailing label on the last one, so before I could actually mail them all out (9 of them), I had to get more mailing tape. I headed into town. It had just started to spit a bit of snow, and I noticed that although it wasn't really sticking, there were a few spots on the road that it was.
I also realized last night that I had forgotten to get a new linen calendar. I grew up with my mom using them to cover her electric box (can't think of the proper name right now, when the fuse blows, you have to flip the switch back), until she cross-stitched a Pat Moss picture and framed it and mounted it on a swing-hinge with a magnet on the other side. Anyway, it's not the perfect cover, since it doesn't totally cover it and you know it's there- but it works. And I get a new kitchen towel at the end of the year out of it. Plus it's something that reminds me of my childhood everytime I see it. I'm lucky that I can still find them I guess too, Ben Franklin Crafts still sells them. Staples is in the same shopping center as Ben Franklin's. I would have thought they would be on sale, but no luck. Course watch them go on sale today - I'm not sure when their sales run, but I think they start on Saturdays. Either way at least they aren't expensive - $5.99.
When I finished at Ben Franklin's and Staples it was snowing pretty nice flakes, and once more, they weren't sticking. I taped the mailing label on the package and figured that while I was in town I would stop by Whole Foods really quickly and check out their sausages. Fridays are usually pizza night at Chez JJ and I didn't really have a plan as to what kind of pizza we were having yet. I must admit, nothing really grabbed me. Not that WF didn't have anything yummy - I just didn't see anything that I really wanted. I had bought a bunch of different cheeses and I think that I was pretty much ok with that and some onions and didn't see anything that swayed me from that. Although I did see some British-style banger sausages that we'll have to try sometime. By the time I go out of WF, it was more snow/freezing rain mixture.
I headed back towards home and to the post office. I stopped at the closest one, Oilville, and the window didn't open until 11:30, so I headed to my normal one - Gum Springs. By that time the freezing rain had changed over to regular rain. By the time I got home it was just lightly sprinkling, and the sun was out not soon afterwards. So much for winter so far. It's cold and that's about it, but at least I didn't have to worry about driving in horrible conditions.
We ended up not having pizza after all last night, hubby got home late. We had leftover Hot & Sour Soup. Depending on what happens, we're either having it tonight or Shepherd's Pie, we'll have to see. Not a big deal either way.
I had posted a few books to PaperBackSwap.com before New Years and most of them were actually requested. I ran out of mailing tape as I was fixing the mailing label on the last one, so before I could actually mail them all out (9 of them), I had to get more mailing tape. I headed into town. It had just started to spit a bit of snow, and I noticed that although it wasn't really sticking, there were a few spots on the road that it was.
I also realized last night that I had forgotten to get a new linen calendar. I grew up with my mom using them to cover her electric box (can't think of the proper name right now, when the fuse blows, you have to flip the switch back), until she cross-stitched a Pat Moss picture and framed it and mounted it on a swing-hinge with a magnet on the other side. Anyway, it's not the perfect cover, since it doesn't totally cover it and you know it's there- but it works. And I get a new kitchen towel at the end of the year out of it. Plus it's something that reminds me of my childhood everytime I see it. I'm lucky that I can still find them I guess too, Ben Franklin Crafts still sells them. Staples is in the same shopping center as Ben Franklin's. I would have thought they would be on sale, but no luck. Course watch them go on sale today - I'm not sure when their sales run, but I think they start on Saturdays. Either way at least they aren't expensive - $5.99.
When I finished at Ben Franklin's and Staples it was snowing pretty nice flakes, and once more, they weren't sticking. I taped the mailing label on the package and figured that while I was in town I would stop by Whole Foods really quickly and check out their sausages. Fridays are usually pizza night at Chez JJ and I didn't really have a plan as to what kind of pizza we were having yet. I must admit, nothing really grabbed me. Not that WF didn't have anything yummy - I just didn't see anything that I really wanted. I had bought a bunch of different cheeses and I think that I was pretty much ok with that and some onions and didn't see anything that swayed me from that. Although I did see some British-style banger sausages that we'll have to try sometime. By the time I go out of WF, it was more snow/freezing rain mixture.
I headed back towards home and to the post office. I stopped at the closest one, Oilville, and the window didn't open until 11:30, so I headed to my normal one - Gum Springs. By that time the freezing rain had changed over to regular rain. By the time I got home it was just lightly sprinkling, and the sun was out not soon afterwards. So much for winter so far. It's cold and that's about it, but at least I didn't have to worry about driving in horrible conditions.
We ended up not having pizza after all last night, hubby got home late. We had leftover Hot & Sour Soup. Depending on what happens, we're either having it tonight or Shepherd's Pie, we'll have to see. Not a big deal either way.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Welcome 2009!
I know, not too many posts here these past few weeks. Sorry about that, but I haven't really been menu planning. With the holiday feasts, I haven't been really cooking (except the Luau Christmas Day) so I'm just using what we've had either leftover-wise or pantry-wise instead. It's pretty much a seat-of-my-pants thing.
I don't really do resolutions. I'm going to keep on trying to eat healthier and all that stuff that I've been doing so far. I am going to try to at least write what I'm eating better than I have been doing (Weight Watchers wise). I gave myself a break for the week of Christmas and this week (once more, WW week wise - I weigh in on Tuesdays). This is something that I normally do, and I've been doing it for years now. I write and really pay attention to what I'm eating before Thanksgiving (a lot of times before that depends on how focused I've been.) I don't go totally crazy and eat anything that doesn't move, but I just don't stress either. I pretty much make sure that what I eat is totally worth it. It just works a lot better for me mentally - keeps me out of that "diet" mentality. I gain a few pounds these two weeks, and it's usually not a big gain. But you know what, it's not really a big thing. As long as I go in prepared for it, I'm ok with it.
I figured out what to do with those flavored Coffeemate creamers that I don't like in coffee. So far it's been a Chai and an Eggnog. I make French Toast with them. use them in place of the milk. Points-wise it's not too bad (it would be better if I used Egg substitute or egg whites). This is what I did today:
French Toast (with flavored creamer)
1 2/3 c Eggnog flavored creamer (that was how much was left)
1/3 c fat-free half and half
4 eggs
16 slices Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread (1 loaf)
It ended up being 3 points per slice (if I used a whole bottle (2 cups) it would be 4 points per slice)
For dinner we had Hoppin' John and Collards. I added the last of the leftover ham (and Janet's beer sauce) to the collards and some sherry vinegar to the collards.
Collards
recipe adapted from the bag of collards
14 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 shallots or 1/2 cup onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chopped collards
Bring everything but collards to a boil. Add collards and cover, turning heat to medium let simmer for 20 minutes or until collards are as tender as you like.
Hoppin John
From WW "Great Cooking Every Day" (with the CIA)
In the Southeastern United States, Hoppin' John is a traditional New Year's Day dish said to bring good luck in the coming year. For a Southern feast, pair this dish with grilled ham steaks or baked catfish, sauteed or braised greens, such as Southern-stye Kale (p 249), and Country Corn Bread (p 292). Add a dash of vinegar to the greens just before serving, or pass it on the side.
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup fresh or dried black-eyed peas
1 bacon slice, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 crushed red pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce
Place the black-eyed peas in a pot and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 12 minutes for fresh black-eyed peas, or 1 hour for dried peas. Add more water as necessary to keep the peas submerged during cooking. Drain the peas and reserve.
Cook the bacon in a separate saucepan, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour off all but enough bacon fat to lightly coat the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the onion turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and bell pepper to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, and thyme, and thyme. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 18-20 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig, fluff with a fork, and gently fold in the bacon. Season, if necessary, with the salt and pepper. Serve with the pepper sauce.
Chef's tips: You can also use canned black-eyed peas, but it is not necessary to cook them spearately in advance. Just drain and rinse them first, then add the peas to the rice during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
To make this dish vegetarian, replace the bacon with 1-2 teaspoons of olive or peanut oil, increase the garlic to 3 cloves, and use vegetable broth or water to replace the chicken broth.
4 POINTS per serving. Per Serving: 238 Calories, 2 g Total fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 3 mg Chol, 221 mg Sod, 45 g Tot Carb, 4 g Dietary Fib, 10 g Prot, 51 mg Calc.
I don't really do resolutions. I'm going to keep on trying to eat healthier and all that stuff that I've been doing so far. I am going to try to at least write what I'm eating better than I have been doing (Weight Watchers wise). I gave myself a break for the week of Christmas and this week (once more, WW week wise - I weigh in on Tuesdays). This is something that I normally do, and I've been doing it for years now. I write and really pay attention to what I'm eating before Thanksgiving (a lot of times before that depends on how focused I've been.) I don't go totally crazy and eat anything that doesn't move, but I just don't stress either. I pretty much make sure that what I eat is totally worth it. It just works a lot better for me mentally - keeps me out of that "diet" mentality. I gain a few pounds these two weeks, and it's usually not a big gain. But you know what, it's not really a big thing. As long as I go in prepared for it, I'm ok with it.
I figured out what to do with those flavored Coffeemate creamers that I don't like in coffee. So far it's been a Chai and an Eggnog. I make French Toast with them. use them in place of the milk. Points-wise it's not too bad (it would be better if I used Egg substitute or egg whites). This is what I did today:
French Toast (with flavored creamer)
1 2/3 c Eggnog flavored creamer (that was how much was left)
1/3 c fat-free half and half
4 eggs
16 slices Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread (1 loaf)
It ended up being 3 points per slice (if I used a whole bottle (2 cups) it would be 4 points per slice)
For dinner we had Hoppin' John and Collards. I added the last of the leftover ham (and Janet's beer sauce) to the collards and some sherry vinegar to the collards.
Collards
recipe adapted from the bag of collards
14 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 shallots or 1/2 cup onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chopped collards
Bring everything but collards to a boil. Add collards and cover, turning heat to medium let simmer for 20 minutes or until collards are as tender as you like.
Hoppin John
From WW "Great Cooking Every Day" (with the CIA)
In the Southeastern United States, Hoppin' John is a traditional New Year's Day dish said to bring good luck in the coming year. For a Southern feast, pair this dish with grilled ham steaks or baked catfish, sauteed or braised greens, such as Southern-stye Kale (p 249), and Country Corn Bread (p 292). Add a dash of vinegar to the greens just before serving, or pass it on the side.
Makes 4 servings
1/2 cup fresh or dried black-eyed peas
1 bacon slice, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 crushed red pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig, or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce
Place the black-eyed peas in a pot and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 12 minutes for fresh black-eyed peas, or 1 hour for dried peas. Add more water as necessary to keep the peas submerged during cooking. Drain the peas and reserve.
Cook the bacon in a separate saucepan, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour off all but enough bacon fat to lightly coat the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the onion turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and bell pepper to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, and thyme, and thyme. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 18-20 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig, fluff with a fork, and gently fold in the bacon. Season, if necessary, with the salt and pepper. Serve with the pepper sauce.
Chef's tips: You can also use canned black-eyed peas, but it is not necessary to cook them spearately in advance. Just drain and rinse them first, then add the peas to the rice during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
To make this dish vegetarian, replace the bacon with 1-2 teaspoons of olive or peanut oil, increase the garlic to 3 cloves, and use vegetable broth or water to replace the chicken broth.
4 POINTS per serving. Per Serving: 238 Calories, 2 g Total fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 3 mg Chol, 221 mg Sod, 45 g Tot Carb, 4 g Dietary Fib, 10 g Prot, 51 mg Calc.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
On the Fly Menu for the Week
I didn't post my menu on Monday only because I wasn't sure what our week was going to be like this week. It pretty much kept changing, and every time I thought it was settled, it would change again. The only thing I have planned is what we are eating on Christmas Day, but even that was up in the air for a bit. *sigh* Any, all this to say, the only menu I really have this week - Christmas Day. Hubby and I are going to do a luau (we want a Tiki-style but I don't want to do fried stuff, so luau is a lot healthier and still fits with the tiki theme). We both like Tiki-style music and the podcasts that he downloads have Tiki-style Christmas music for us to listen to. I went with Cooking Light recipes this year, only because it was easier to calculate the points and such. I was unable to find the taro (I can sometimes find it at Kroger and I was hoping Whole Foods might have some), but although there were labels, all that was on the shelf was yuca. Granted, I only hit two stores - so I didn't search that many stores. I'm going to leave the recipe in my list, because I do want to try it at some point. I bought some Hawaiian Red Salt at Kroger quite a while ago when it was on clearance, so I'm using that on the Kahlua pork (I actually sprinkled it on while cooking instead of putting it on at the end). And I will probably use that as the salt for finishing for most of the meals too (it's red because of the clay there and is supposed to give some "flavor" too). We're going to have leftovers, but that's ok. :)
Last Sunday was a lot of fun. We went to a wine tasting (informal) at Mike's Mom's house (of Mike and Jennifer). A bunch of people had canceled the night before, so we only had 2 bottles of red and 2 bottles of white, but my liver was fine with that. :D Sandy (Mike's Mom) had a great dip that I hadn't had before. She called it Shepherd's Dip and had been making it for ages. It was a an equal amount of sour cream and mayo. Then what my family called chipped beef (we couldn't get chipped beef in our grocery store growing up so that was what we used for SOS) but is just that cheap packaged sliced lunch meat (Land of Frost or Carl Budding) that was diced. Then sliced black olives, sliced green onions (green and white parts) and seasoning salt were added. It was chilled overnight. A round loaf of bread was hollowed out and it was placed in the loaf with the innards used to dip into it. When I did an online search I found some dips like it, using Beau Monde Seasoning which McCormick's had stopped making for a while (it's a seasoning salt/celery salt- like combination) and no olives. But, I liked the olives in it - course we like olives in this house (I'm lookin' at you Mary! *wink*). I got to see a lot of people that we hadn't see since Mike and Jennifer got married. I also got to learn how to play Rummikub (I think that's how it's spelled). It's basically Rummy (the card game) with tiles. I enjoyed it, and it's been a long time since I've played Rummy (I haven't played it since college). Might have to think about buying the game although Jennifer's quite the shark at that game. ;)
Monday: FFY
Tuesday: Leftover Minestrone with Pasta (5 points) with Grilled cheese (Martin's Whole Wheat potato bread, part skim mozzarella cheese slices, pesto and tomato paste)
Wednesday: No idea - I'll figure it out in a bit I've got some mushrooms to use maybe a mushroom soup.
Thursday: Luau
Friday: Leftovers or Pizza night depending
Sat: Christmas Dinner at my sisters
Waimea Fried Rice
4 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced lemon grass or 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain well; place rice in a shallow dish, and chill 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon grass, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 30 seconds. Add celery, bell pepper, and ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in pineapple and remaining ingredients.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
CALORIES 158 (19% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.3g; SODIUM 327mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 1.9g
Cooking Light, MAY 1998
Tuna Poke
Be sure to use sushi-grade tuna for this fish salad because the fish is raw and isn't "cooked" with citrus juice, as in seviche.
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna, cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut slices peeled cucumber
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium glass bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve tuna mixture over cucumber.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup tuna and 1/2 cup cucumber)
CALORIES 94 (28% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 19mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g; SODIUM 157mg; PROTEIN 13.9g; FIBER 0.7g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Poi
Like grits in the American South, poi is a bland side dish that you serve plain and let people season with salt or pepper. Look for taro in the produce department with other tubers, or order from www.melissas.com.
2 quarts plus 1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 pounds taro root, unpeeled
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add taro; cook 40 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool 15 minutes. Peel; discard skin. Roughly chop taro. Place taro and 1 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
Yield: 3 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)
CALORIES 5 (0.0% from fat); FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.1g; SODIUM 1mg; PROTEIN 0.4g; FIBER 0.2g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Oven Kalua Pork
This more accessible version of the classic slow-roasted pig enjoyed at luaus is cooked as a roast in a regular oven. It is typical to stir any reserved meat juice into the shredded pork. If you do, we recommend that you skim the fat first. Place a heavy-duty plastic bag into a measuring cup; pour collected juices into the bag. Let stand 10 minutes or until fat rises to the top. Using kitchen shears, snip a small portion of one bottom corner of the bag, and pour the juices over shredded pork, stopping before you reach the fat layer.
4 1/4 pounds Boston Butt pork roast, trimmed
2 tablespoons Hickory Liquid Smoke
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 275°.
Rub pork with liquid smoke. Wrap pork tightly in foil; place on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 275° for 5 hours. Cool slightly. Remove pork from bone; discard bone. Shred meat with 2 forks. Combine shredded pork and salt in a large bowl, tossing well.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces)
CALORIES 234 (44% from fat); FAT 11.5g (sat 3.9g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.0g; SODIUM 249mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 0.0g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Lomi Lomi Salmon
The popular luau dish is named for the Hawaiian words for rub, massage, or knead. Traditionally, the salt is rubbed onto the salmon, and the salmon, onions, and tomato are then massaged together with your hands. We opted for a tidier preparation. Soaking the diced white onion mellows the flavor by taming its sharp bite.
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
8 ounces salmon fillet
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 cup diced tomato
16 iceberg lettuce leaves
Place salt and fish in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake bag to coat fish evenly. Chill 8 hours or overnight.
Remove fish from bag; rinse well. Soak fish in ice water 2 hours, changing water every 30 minutes. Drain well. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Dice fish; place in a large bowl. Set aside.
Soak white onion in ice water 15 minutes. Drain well. Add diced onion, green onions, and diced tomato to fish; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 3 tablespoons fish mixture into each lettuce leaf.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 filled lettuce leaves)
CALORIES 113 (37% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 29mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.1g; SODIUM 467mg; PROTEIN 13g; FIBER 0.9g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Chicken Char Siu
Brought by Chinese immigrants to Hawaii, this dish is typically made with baby back ribs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are a tender and tasty substitute with less fat.
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 18 strips
Cooking spray
Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray; marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat broiler.
Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 18 (6-inch) skewers, reserving marinade. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes. Turn skewers over; baste with reserved marinade. Broil 6 minutes or until done.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)
CALORIES 108 (26% from fat); FAT 3.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g; SODIUM 241mg; PROTEIN 15.2g; FIBER 0.1g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Tropical Pineapple-Apple Crisp
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
1/3 cup diced dried tropical fruit (such as Mariani)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Add nuts; toss well.
Combine the apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: 9 servings
CALORIES 208 (31% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 14mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.1g; SODIUM 46mg; PROTEIN 1.2g; FIBER 2.4g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000
Last Sunday was a lot of fun. We went to a wine tasting (informal) at Mike's Mom's house (of Mike and Jennifer). A bunch of people had canceled the night before, so we only had 2 bottles of red and 2 bottles of white, but my liver was fine with that. :D Sandy (Mike's Mom) had a great dip that I hadn't had before. She called it Shepherd's Dip and had been making it for ages. It was a an equal amount of sour cream and mayo. Then what my family called chipped beef (we couldn't get chipped beef in our grocery store growing up so that was what we used for SOS) but is just that cheap packaged sliced lunch meat (Land of Frost or Carl Budding) that was diced. Then sliced black olives, sliced green onions (green and white parts) and seasoning salt were added. It was chilled overnight. A round loaf of bread was hollowed out and it was placed in the loaf with the innards used to dip into it. When I did an online search I found some dips like it, using Beau Monde Seasoning which McCormick's had stopped making for a while (it's a seasoning salt/celery salt- like combination) and no olives. But, I liked the olives in it - course we like olives in this house (I'm lookin' at you Mary! *wink*). I got to see a lot of people that we hadn't see since Mike and Jennifer got married. I also got to learn how to play Rummikub (I think that's how it's spelled). It's basically Rummy (the card game) with tiles. I enjoyed it, and it's been a long time since I've played Rummy (I haven't played it since college). Might have to think about buying the game although Jennifer's quite the shark at that game. ;)
Monday: FFY
Tuesday: Leftover Minestrone with Pasta (5 points) with Grilled cheese (Martin's Whole Wheat potato bread, part skim mozzarella cheese slices, pesto and tomato paste)
Wednesday: No idea - I'll figure it out in a bit I've got some mushrooms to use maybe a mushroom soup.
Thursday: Luau
Friday: Leftovers or Pizza night depending
Sat: Christmas Dinner at my sisters
Waimea Fried Rice
4 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons thinly sliced lemon grass or 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped pineapple
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain well; place rice in a shallow dish, and chill 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon grass, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté 30 seconds. Add celery, bell pepper, and ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in pineapple and remaining ingredients.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
CALORIES 158 (19% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.3g); IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.3g; SODIUM 327mg; PROTEIN 3.1g; FIBER 1.9g
Cooking Light, MAY 1998
Tuna Poke
Be sure to use sushi-grade tuna for this fish salad because the fish is raw and isn't "cooked" with citrus juice, as in seviche.
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna, cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut slices peeled cucumber
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium glass bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours. Serve tuna mixture over cucumber.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup tuna and 1/2 cup cucumber)
CALORIES 94 (28% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.9g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 19mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g; SODIUM 157mg; PROTEIN 13.9g; FIBER 0.7g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Poi
Like grits in the American South, poi is a bland side dish that you serve plain and let people season with salt or pepper. Look for taro in the produce department with other tubers, or order from www.melissas.com.
2 quarts plus 1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 pounds taro root, unpeeled
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add taro; cook 40 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool 15 minutes. Peel; discard skin. Roughly chop taro. Place taro and 1 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
Yield: 3 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)
CALORIES 5 (0.0% from fat); FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); IRON 0.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.1g; SODIUM 1mg; PROTEIN 0.4g; FIBER 0.2g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Oven Kalua Pork
This more accessible version of the classic slow-roasted pig enjoyed at luaus is cooked as a roast in a regular oven. It is typical to stir any reserved meat juice into the shredded pork. If you do, we recommend that you skim the fat first. Place a heavy-duty plastic bag into a measuring cup; pour collected juices into the bag. Let stand 10 minutes or until fat rises to the top. Using kitchen shears, snip a small portion of one bottom corner of the bag, and pour the juices over shredded pork, stopping before you reach the fat layer.
4 1/4 pounds Boston Butt pork roast, trimmed
2 tablespoons Hickory Liquid Smoke
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 275°.
Rub pork with liquid smoke. Wrap pork tightly in foil; place on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 275° for 5 hours. Cool slightly. Remove pork from bone; discard bone. Shred meat with 2 forks. Combine shredded pork and salt in a large bowl, tossing well.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces)
CALORIES 234 (44% from fat); FAT 11.5g (sat 3.9g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.0g; SODIUM 249mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 0.0g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Lomi Lomi Salmon
The popular luau dish is named for the Hawaiian words for rub, massage, or knead. Traditionally, the salt is rubbed onto the salmon, and the salmon, onions, and tomato are then massaged together with your hands. We opted for a tidier preparation. Soaking the diced white onion mellows the flavor by taming its sharp bite.
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
8 ounces salmon fillet
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 cup diced tomato
16 iceberg lettuce leaves
Place salt and fish in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake bag to coat fish evenly. Chill 8 hours or overnight.
Remove fish from bag; rinse well. Soak fish in ice water 2 hours, changing water every 30 minutes. Drain well. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Dice fish; place in a large bowl. Set aside.
Soak white onion in ice water 15 minutes. Drain well. Add diced onion, green onions, and diced tomato to fish; toss gently to combine. Spoon about 3 tablespoons fish mixture into each lettuce leaf.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 4 filled lettuce leaves)
CALORIES 113 (37% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 29mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.1g; SODIUM 467mg; PROTEIN 13g; FIBER 0.9g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Chicken Char Siu
Brought by Chinese immigrants to Hawaii, this dish is typically made with baby back ribs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are a tender and tasty substitute with less fat.
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 18 strips
Cooking spray
Combine all ingredients except the cooking spray; marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat broiler.
Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 18 (6-inch) skewers, reserving marinade. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes. Turn skewers over; baste with reserved marinade. Broil 6 minutes or until done.
Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)
CALORIES 108 (26% from fat); FAT 3.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 10mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g; SODIUM 241mg; PROTEIN 15.2g; FIBER 0.1g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2005
Tropical Pineapple-Apple Crisp
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
7 cups sliced peeled Rome apple (about 3 pounds)
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
1/3 cup diced dried tropical fruit (such as Mariani)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
Preheat oven to 375°.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Add nuts; toss well.
Combine the apple and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: 9 servings
CALORIES 208 (31% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 14mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.1g; SODIUM 46mg; PROTEIN 1.2g; FIBER 2.4g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000
Monday, December 15, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
MENU
Monday: Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta WW Momentum p 233 (5 POINTS)
Tuesday: Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce WW Pantry to Plate p 27 (5 POINTS)
Wednesday: Anticuchos (6 POINTS)
Thursday: Wild Mushroom Soup WW Turnaround Program p 39 (2 POINTS)
Friday: Calzones WW New Complete Cookbook p 312 (5 POINTS)
Saturday: Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions (9 POINTS – cut points by cutting down on oil and I calculated using turkey brats 19 1/2 oz)
Sunday: Wine Tasting
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/12/menu-plan-monday-dec-15th.html
SHOPPING LIST
PRODUCE:
2 lbs carrots
3 lbs onions
1 bunch celery
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1/2 pound green beans
1 head garlic
3 shallots
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 bunch parsley
CONDIMENTS:
olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
CANNED GOODS:
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
DRY GOODS:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
6 oz capellini
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
SPICES:
salt
black pepper
dried oregano
dried thyme
dried marjoram
bay leaf
crushed red pepper
ground cumin
MEAT:
1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
2 pounds bratwurst
FREEZER CASE:
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach
DAIRY CASE:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg
REFRIGERATOR CASE:
12 ounces dark German beer
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)
Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta
Serves 6
From WW Momentum Cookbook
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, with leaves, sliced
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
7 cups water
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and basil in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the vegetable are fork-tender, 4-5 hours on High or 8-10 hours on low.
About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, cook the macaroni according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Stir the pasta and basil into the soup.
Per serving (about 2 cups): 247 Cal, 2 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 G Tras Fat, 0 mg Chol, 408 mg Sod, 50 g Carb, 9 g Fiber, 12 g Prot, 111 mg Calc. POINTS 4
FILLING EXTRA: Add 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced, to the soup at the same time as the other vegetables. This will increase the per-serving POINTS value by 1. This recipe works with the SIMPLY FILLING technique.
Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce
Serves 4
From WW Pantry to Plate
6 oz capellini
2 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Chopped parsley
Cook the capellini according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the clams with 1/2 cup of their liquid and the tomatoes, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 287 Cal, 4 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 29 mg Chol, 533 mg Sod, 44 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 18 g Prot, 126 mg Calc. POINTS 5
MAKE IT CORE: Use any whole-wheat pasta in place of the capellini
Anticuchos (Peruvian Grilled Beef Heart)
Serves 4 people. (Can use beef steak cut into slices, this tastes a lot like fajita meat) You can find the pepper puree in most Mexican stores. If you live in an area with a large Peruvian community, you may be able to buy whole or ground aji amarillo. If not, use hot paprika in its place, or Spanish smoked paprika, which you can find at www.tienda.com. I've also subbed jalapenos and chilies and even Tabasco – just tasting to make it the heat that I wanted it.
1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)
2 tablespoons dry oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar
Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
Carefully trim off the fat and silverskin from the cow heart. On a slight diagonal, cut the cow heart into horizontal slices about 1/2-inch thick.
Crush the oregano between your fingers (this will wake up the flavor). With a whisk, combine the garlic, aji, oregano, cumin, pepper and vinegar. Immerse the meat in the marinade and refrigerate 2-8 hours.
Skewer the cow heart, about four pieces to each skewer. Heat a grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Season the skewers with salt.
Sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Baste the meat with the marinade and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Serve with a light herb sauce and boiled potatoes or grilled corn.
Wild Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings
From WW Turnaround Program Cookbook
White and cremini mushrooms pair up in this silky, soothingly rich soup. If you want an even more pronounced mushroom flavor, soak 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a sieve, rinse with cold water, and then add to the fresh mushrooms in step 1.
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine 3 cups of the mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups of the broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor; puree then return to the saucepan.
Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick saucepan with canola oil nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the mushroom puree in the saucepan, along with the milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, marjoram, and pepper; simmer 5 minutes.
Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 131 cal, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 3 mg chol, 571 mg sod, 23 g carb, 3 g fib, 12 g prot, 232 mg calc. POINTS 2
TIP Always clean mushrooms just before using, but never immerse them in water, as they are highly absorbent and apt to becoming mushy. Instead, rinse them under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. Or simply wipe them off with a damp paper towel. If you don't mind spending a little extra money, you can use 1 pound cremini mushrooms.
Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions
Browning the bratwurst prior to combining them with the onions and beer gives them a deeper flavor; you can likewise grill them with similar results.
Serves 4-6
2 pounds bratwurst
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions
12 ounces dark German beer
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the bratwurst in the skillet and cook, turning frequently, until the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer the bratwurst from the skillet to a platter and set aside.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté gently until they are translucent but not browned.
Pour the beer into the skillet with the onions. Stir, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, then add the bay leaf and the black pepper. Bring the beer to a light boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the skillet and allow the beer and onions to cook for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
Add the bratwurst to the skillet, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and serve.
Calzones
Calzones, originally from Naples. Are stuffed pizzas. Although they are traditionally filled with heavy cheese, our lightened spinach-and-cheese version keeps all the great flavor of the original.
Makes 6 servings
From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 F) water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed, frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsps of the flour and 1/4 tsp of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it double in volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 tsp of salt and the pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400F; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 Tbsp of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 -25 minutes.
Per serving (1 calzone): 231 Cal, 7 g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Tras Fat, 51 mg chol, 529 mg Sod, 33g Carb, 1 g Fib, 10 g Prot, 160 mg Calc POINTS 5
Monday: Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta WW Momentum p 233 (5 POINTS)
Tuesday: Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce WW Pantry to Plate p 27 (5 POINTS)
Wednesday: Anticuchos (6 POINTS)
Thursday: Wild Mushroom Soup WW Turnaround Program p 39 (2 POINTS)
Friday: Calzones WW New Complete Cookbook p 312 (5 POINTS)
Saturday: Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions (9 POINTS – cut points by cutting down on oil and I calculated using turkey brats 19 1/2 oz)
Sunday: Wine Tasting
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2008/12/menu-plan-monday-dec-15th.html
SHOPPING LIST
PRODUCE:
2 lbs carrots
3 lbs onions
1 bunch celery
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1/2 pound green beans
1 head garlic
3 shallots
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 bunch parsley
CONDIMENTS:
olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
CANNED GOODS:
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
DRY GOODS:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
6 oz capellini
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
SPICES:
salt
black pepper
dried oregano
dried thyme
dried marjoram
bay leaf
crushed red pepper
ground cumin
MEAT:
1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
2 pounds bratwurst
FREEZER CASE:
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach
DAIRY CASE:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg
REFRIGERATOR CASE:
12 ounces dark German beer
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)
Vegetable Minestrone with Pasta
Serves 6
From WW Momentum Cookbook
15 1/2 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, diced
2 celery stalks, with leaves, sliced
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
7 cups water
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat spirals or other tube pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and basil in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the vegetable are fork-tender, 4-5 hours on High or 8-10 hours on low.
About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, cook the macaroni according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Stir the pasta and basil into the soup.
Per serving (about 2 cups): 247 Cal, 2 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 G Tras Fat, 0 mg Chol, 408 mg Sod, 50 g Carb, 9 g Fiber, 12 g Prot, 111 mg Calc. POINTS 4
FILLING EXTRA: Add 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced, to the soup at the same time as the other vegetables. This will increase the per-serving POINTS value by 1. This recipe works with the SIMPLY FILLING technique.
Capellini with Spicy Red Clam Sauce
Serves 4
From WW Pantry to Plate
6 oz capellini
2 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Chopped parsley
Cook the capellini according to package directions, omitting the salt if desired; drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the clams with 1/2 cup of their liquid and the tomatoes, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 287 Cal, 4 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 29 mg Chol, 533 mg Sod, 44 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 18 g Prot, 126 mg Calc. POINTS 5
MAKE IT CORE: Use any whole-wheat pasta in place of the capellini
Anticuchos (Peruvian Grilled Beef Heart)
Serves 4 people. (Can use beef steak cut into slices, this tastes a lot like fajita meat) You can find the pepper puree in most Mexican stores. If you live in an area with a large Peruvian community, you may be able to buy whole or ground aji amarillo. If not, use hot paprika in its place, or Spanish smoked paprika, which you can find at www.tienda.com. I've also subbed jalapenos and chilies and even Tabasco – just tasting to make it the heat that I wanted it.
1 cow heart, about 2 pounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ají Panca (Peruvian pepper puree)
2 tablespoons dry oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar
Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
Carefully trim off the fat and silverskin from the cow heart. On a slight diagonal, cut the cow heart into horizontal slices about 1/2-inch thick.
Crush the oregano between your fingers (this will wake up the flavor). With a whisk, combine the garlic, aji, oregano, cumin, pepper and vinegar. Immerse the meat in the marinade and refrigerate 2-8 hours.
Skewer the cow heart, about four pieces to each skewer. Heat a grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Season the skewers with salt.
Sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Baste the meat with the marinade and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Serve with a light herb sauce and boiled potatoes or grilled corn.
Wild Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings
From WW Turnaround Program Cookbook
White and cremini mushrooms pair up in this silky, soothingly rich soup. If you want an even more pronounced mushroom flavor, soak 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a sieve, rinse with cold water, and then add to the fresh mushrooms in step 1.
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine 3 cups of the mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups of the broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor; puree then return to the saucepan.
Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick saucepan with canola oil nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the mushroom puree in the saucepan, along with the milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, marjoram, and pepper; simmer 5 minutes.
Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 131 cal, 1 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 3 mg chol, 571 mg sod, 23 g carb, 3 g fib, 12 g prot, 232 mg calc. POINTS 2
TIP Always clean mushrooms just before using, but never immerse them in water, as they are highly absorbent and apt to becoming mushy. Instead, rinse them under cold water and blot dry with paper towels. Or simply wipe them off with a damp paper towel. If you don't mind spending a little extra money, you can use 1 pound cremini mushrooms.
Beer Braised Bratwurst and Onions
Browning the bratwurst prior to combining them with the onions and beer gives them a deeper flavor; you can likewise grill them with similar results.
Serves 4-6
2 pounds bratwurst
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions
12 ounces dark German beer
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the bratwurst in the skillet and cook, turning frequently, until the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer the bratwurst from the skillet to a platter and set aside.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion slices and sauté gently until they are translucent but not browned.
Pour the beer into the skillet with the onions. Stir, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, then add the bay leaf and the black pepper. Bring the beer to a light boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover the skillet and allow the beer and onions to cook for about 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
Add the bratwurst to the skillet, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and serve.
Calzones
Calzones, originally from Naples. Are stuffed pizzas. Although they are traditionally filled with heavy cheese, our lightened spinach-and-cheese version keeps all the great flavor of the original.
Makes 6 servings
From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm (105-115 F) water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup thawed, frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
In a food processor, combine 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsps of the flour and 1/4 tsp of the salt. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of lukewarm water through the feed tube just until the dough forms a ball. Knead the dough by pulsing until it is smooth and elastic, about 30 times.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it double in volume, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the shallots and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach; cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in the ricotta, feta, egg, mint, oregano, the remaining 3/4 tsp of salt and the pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400F; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining 2 Tbsp of flour. Turn out the dough; divide into 6 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle. Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of each circle, then dampen all around the edge; fold over and press with a wet thumb to seal. Transfer the calzones to the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 -25 minutes.
Per serving (1 calzone): 231 Cal, 7 g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 0 g Tras Fat, 51 mg chol, 529 mg Sod, 33g Carb, 1 g Fib, 10 g Prot, 160 mg Calc POINTS 5
Monday, December 08, 2008
Weekend Doin's and Menu Plan Monday
This weekend was pretty relaxing - which was good since hubby and were pretty tired. Saturday day we tried to catch up on our sleep it seemed - although Miko once again woke me up really early so hubby slept late and I was up really early *sigh*. Oh well. I spent most of the day drinking tea, 1 1/2 liters worth. WHEW! When I took Miko out for her afternoon "constitutional" it was starting to snow just a bit, and by snow I mean barely. This was around 3 I think it was. We left a little after 5 to head into Richmond and were surprised to see the ground covered with a thin film of snow and it was snowing harder. It was tiny flakes, so we knew it pretty much wouldn't amount to much (the bigger the flakes the more snow we get usually). It was really pretty, and I must admit, I was excited. It got lighter the closer we got to Richmond (our destination was the West End, to FiL's).
We had dinner with FiL, SMiL and we got to meet one of her sons, Snoogy (I think I spelled that right). He was a trip! They are from the Philippines, so he was taking pictures of the snow, since he really hasn't seen it there. It's a shame it wasn't heavier, since it wasn't sticking there. He's a nurse and is hoping to get a job at MCV and move here. He said it seemed that his interviews went well and he was hoping to hear something before he had to go back on Tuesday. He said that it sounded like they were going to try to get a provisional Visa (I can't remember what they called it) so that he can work here sooner than the was planning on (he was originally thinking he had to wait a year or more for the work visa). His mom just recently became a citizen, and I didn't realize that it now takes about 16 years to become one. She was saying that she could have helped him to become one, but then he would have had trouble getting married (for a few years at least) and since he's 31 she didn't want to do that to him right now. We went to eat at Angela's on Forest Rd in the Tuckernuck Shopping Center. It was really good, and while we were there, the line was out the door a few times. It was kind of funny, because if you compare it to some of the restaurants in New York it sat about the same amount of people (without the outdoor seating which most NY places have) but there was more room between the tables (something that New York doesn't have). Angela's is a small, unassuming place from the outside. Set between an Ace Hardware and a 7-11, you don't expect to walk into a white tablecloth restaurant. They didn't offer pizza on the weekends for the sit-down but they do have a brisk take-out business and I gather it's offered then. If you go, the servings are HUGE. Seriously, the plates are probably 11-12" around, they look more like chargers. Usually we're pretty good to each get something different, but this time we didn't. And this time most of us went with the specials too. Snoggy and I both went for the Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Rib-eye (it was 14 oz!!!), it was drizzled with olive oil and had a crunch of salt (I'm gathering sea salt since I couldn't see any off hand). I had mine served on sliced tomatoes and he had his on garlic smashed potatoes. SMiL got a Seafood dish (I think it was a mixed, but I know it had scallops, I think it had the name Diane in it. I can't remember if it was a wine sauce or marinara). Hubby and FiL got a Spinach stuffed ravioli (2 each that were 6 oz each) that were topped with crab meat and a spicy blue cheese sauce. I had a bite of hubby's (I was going to order it but since they were going to went with what I ordered, so that's why I remember it so well), and it was wonderful too! All the entrees came with salads and bread. That was the only problem with my meal, I had asked for blue cheese and got ranch, something I'm not a fan of. They were busy, and it's not like I really needed the extra calories anyway, so I ate a bit of it and waited for the main course. And no, I did not finish my entree.
We headed back to FiL's and talked for quite a while. I was one of the few that had left room for some apple crumble topped pie. It had WV apples (they brought them back from their Thanksgiving trip to his sister's home) and was yummy! (Course I could be a bit biased. ;) We got home really late, good thing we had fed and "watered" Miko before we left! We fed and let her out once more and headed to bed. She let me sleep in until 7!!! :)
We didn't go to MiL's since she still wasn't feeling well, so it was a day of catching up on stuff around the house and lazying about. Not too much to report there.
Oh, and my sister sent me her Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, and it is different from my SiL's (besides the nuts used):
Kelly's Sweet Potato Casserole
1 large can sweet potato (40 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1 cup corn flakes - mashed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter - melt
Drain and mash the sweet potato, add sugar, beaten eggs, soften butter, salt, milk and nutmeg.
Bake at 400 for 30 mins
Topping: Mix together and bake 5 to 10 more mins
My menu plan for this week (recipes below)
Monday: Lasagna (using the leftover Manicotti filling I froze from a few weeks ago)
Tuesday: Greek Lemon Chicken (from Fix-It-and-Forget It Lightly)
Wednesday: Cabbage Beef Soup
Thursday: Kushary
Friday: Pizza (not sure what type I'll make yet - recipe for dough elsewhere on site many times - if you can't find just email me)
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
New World Easy Lasagne
Developed and Tested by the San Giorgio Kitchens
Ready in a flash, there's no need to pre-cook the lasagne noodles in this crowd-pleasing dish. [This is the one I usually make subbing veggies/spinach/meat as I want.]
9 pieces (8 oz.) SAN GIORGIO Lasagne, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups (about 26-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 cups water
1-3/4 cups (15-oz. container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat oven to 350°F.
In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, brown meat; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with about 1 cup sauce.
Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce.
Repeat layers of lasagne, sauce and cheese filling.
Top with layer of lasagne and remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
10-12 servings.
Greek Chicken (Crockpot)
“Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly” -Judy Govotsus Monrovia, MD
Makes 8 Servings. (Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-quart)
4-6 potatoes, quartered
3 lbs chicken pieces, skin removed
2 large onions, quartered
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
1/2 cup water (or lemon juice)
3 tsp dried oregano (or Greek Seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onions, and garlic. In small bowl mix water with oregano salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Top with oil. Cover. Cook on High 5-6 hours or on Low 9-10 hours.
Per serving: 430 calories (70 calories from fat), 8g total fat (2g sat fat, 0g trans), 145 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sod, 31 g total carb (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 56g protein, 30% DV Vit C, 6%DV Calc, 20%DV iron.
Cabbage Beef Soup
Serving Size: 6
1/2 small cabbage head, shredded
1 large onion, chopped
5 1/2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
1 pound extra lean ground beef
2 tablespoons dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine cabbage, onion, tomato juice, and beef broth. Bring to a boil.
Add molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, bay leaf, pepper and allspice. Crumble in ground beef, dill and garlic powder. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Serve hot.
Source: The Book of Regional American Cooking: Heartland
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 296 Calories; 14g Fat (39.7% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 2065mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Kushary
Remember that kushary is a very simple working-class meal; there is nothing elegant to it, and you may wish to make and eat it for the same reason an Egyptian would--it’s satisfying, filling, and healthy.
You will be able to do steps 1, 2 and 3 at the same time if you are well organized. An easy way to serve kushary to a group of people is to leave the pasta in its colander from draining and rest it over a simmering pot of water. Place the mixing bowl of rice and lentils over another simmering pot of water to keep warm. Leave the tomato sauce in the saucepan you cooked it in and leave the onions in the skillet. Serve by spooning the cooked macaroni in a bowl and then spoon the rice and lentils on top. Spoon a quarter of the tomato sauce on top of the rice and then some onions. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Eat with a spoon.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
From CliffordAWright.com
4 large onions, peeled
Salt
1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over (should yield 1 cup cooked lentils)
3 cups water
7 tablespoons samna (clarified butter) or 2 tablespoons samna and 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups raw long-grain rice, well rinsed or soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups mixed dry pasta (see Note below)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups hot Egyptian-style tomato sauce (dim’a musabika)
Slice the onions from the stem end into very thin slices, less than 1/16th inch. Arrange the onion slices on some paper towels, sprinkle generously with salt, and leave for 30 minutes covered with paper towels to absorb moisture.
Wash the lentils under running water. Put them in a medium-size heavy saucepan, add 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are al dente, anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Check the lentils occasionally so they are not overcooked, since lentil cooking times differ; they should be ever so slightly hard, not completely soft. Add some water to the pot if it is drying out and the lentils are not yet cooked. Drain and reserve the lentils.
In another large, heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the samna over medium-high heat, then cook the rice for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to coat all the grains, then add the remaining 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover while the rice cooks until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while the rice cooks.
While the lentils and rice are cooking, prepare the onions. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons samna or heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and coat with the samna or oil. Continue turning the onions as they turn from white to yellow to brown. Once they turn brown, 10 to 20 minutes, continue to cook until some turn dark brown, another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the burner and quickly transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined platter to cool and drain. Once they are cool, they will have become crispy.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a vigorous boil and add the pasta. Cook until soft (not al dente) and drain well. Mix together the rice and lentils in a large metal (preferably) bowl with a pinch of black pepper, tossing gently with a fork. Serve according to the instructions above.
Note: Half the dry pasta should be short macaroni such as ditalini, tubetti, or small elbow and the other half should be spaghetti broken into 2-inch lengths. The 2 cups dry pasta should yield 4 cups cooked pasta.
Egyptian Stewed Tomato Sauce (Dim'a Musabika)
The Nile delta has been a productive agricultural area feeding Egypt since ancient times. Once the tomato arrived from the New World it became as ubiquitous in Egyptian cooking as it did in all other Mediterranean cooking. So much so, in fact, that among the Bedouins of Egypt’s Western Desert, and throughout Egypt in general, vegetables are always cooked bisalsa, with a tomato-based sauce, such as the ubiquitous dim’a musabika (literally, stewed sauce). This sauce is excellent with kushary, on top of spaghetti, or with any vegetable.
Yield: Makes 4 cups
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then cook the onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Mix the tomato paste and water and add to the onion. Reduce the heat to low while you simmer the tomato sauce for 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook until denser, about another 5 minutes.
We had dinner with FiL, SMiL and we got to meet one of her sons, Snoogy (I think I spelled that right). He was a trip! They are from the Philippines, so he was taking pictures of the snow, since he really hasn't seen it there. It's a shame it wasn't heavier, since it wasn't sticking there. He's a nurse and is hoping to get a job at MCV and move here. He said it seemed that his interviews went well and he was hoping to hear something before he had to go back on Tuesday. He said that it sounded like they were going to try to get a provisional Visa (I can't remember what they called it) so that he can work here sooner than the was planning on (he was originally thinking he had to wait a year or more for the work visa). His mom just recently became a citizen, and I didn't realize that it now takes about 16 years to become one. She was saying that she could have helped him to become one, but then he would have had trouble getting married (for a few years at least) and since he's 31 she didn't want to do that to him right now. We went to eat at Angela's on Forest Rd in the Tuckernuck Shopping Center. It was really good, and while we were there, the line was out the door a few times. It was kind of funny, because if you compare it to some of the restaurants in New York it sat about the same amount of people (without the outdoor seating which most NY places have) but there was more room between the tables (something that New York doesn't have). Angela's is a small, unassuming place from the outside. Set between an Ace Hardware and a 7-11, you don't expect to walk into a white tablecloth restaurant. They didn't offer pizza on the weekends for the sit-down but they do have a brisk take-out business and I gather it's offered then. If you go, the servings are HUGE. Seriously, the plates are probably 11-12" around, they look more like chargers. Usually we're pretty good to each get something different, but this time we didn't. And this time most of us went with the specials too. Snoggy and I both went for the Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Rib-eye (it was 14 oz!!!), it was drizzled with olive oil and had a crunch of salt (I'm gathering sea salt since I couldn't see any off hand). I had mine served on sliced tomatoes and he had his on garlic smashed potatoes. SMiL got a Seafood dish (I think it was a mixed, but I know it had scallops, I think it had the name Diane in it. I can't remember if it was a wine sauce or marinara). Hubby and FiL got a Spinach stuffed ravioli (2 each that were 6 oz each) that were topped with crab meat and a spicy blue cheese sauce. I had a bite of hubby's (I was going to order it but since they were going to went with what I ordered, so that's why I remember it so well), and it was wonderful too! All the entrees came with salads and bread. That was the only problem with my meal, I had asked for blue cheese and got ranch, something I'm not a fan of. They were busy, and it's not like I really needed the extra calories anyway, so I ate a bit of it and waited for the main course. And no, I did not finish my entree.
We headed back to FiL's and talked for quite a while. I was one of the few that had left room for some apple crumble topped pie. It had WV apples (they brought them back from their Thanksgiving trip to his sister's home) and was yummy! (Course I could be a bit biased. ;) We got home really late, good thing we had fed and "watered" Miko before we left! We fed and let her out once more and headed to bed. She let me sleep in until 7!!! :)
We didn't go to MiL's since she still wasn't feeling well, so it was a day of catching up on stuff around the house and lazying about. Not too much to report there.
Oh, and my sister sent me her Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, and it is different from my SiL's (besides the nuts used):
Kelly's Sweet Potato Casserole
1 large can sweet potato (40 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 stick butter
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Topping:
1 cup corn flakes - mashed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter - melt
Drain and mash the sweet potato, add sugar, beaten eggs, soften butter, salt, milk and nutmeg.
Bake at 400 for 30 mins
Topping: Mix together and bake 5 to 10 more mins
My menu plan for this week (recipes below)
Monday: Lasagna (using the leftover Manicotti filling I froze from a few weeks ago)
Tuesday: Greek Lemon Chicken (from Fix-It-and-Forget It Lightly)
Wednesday: Cabbage Beef Soup
Thursday: Kushary
Friday: Pizza (not sure what type I'll make yet - recipe for dough elsewhere on site many times - if you can't find just email me)
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
New World Easy Lasagne
Developed and Tested by the San Giorgio Kitchens
Ready in a flash, there's no need to pre-cook the lasagne noodles in this crowd-pleasing dish. [This is the one I usually make subbing veggies/spinach/meat as I want.]
9 pieces (8 oz.) SAN GIORGIO Lasagne, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
3 cups (about 26-oz. jar) spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 cups water
1-3/4 cups (15-oz. container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat oven to 350°F.
In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, brown meat; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with about 1 cup sauce.
Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce.
Repeat layers of lasagne, sauce and cheese filling.
Top with layer of lasagne and remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
10-12 servings.
Greek Chicken (Crockpot)
“Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly” -Judy Govotsus Monrovia, MD
Makes 8 Servings. (Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-quart)
4-6 potatoes, quartered
3 lbs chicken pieces, skin removed
2 large onions, quartered
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
1/2 cup water (or lemon juice)
3 tsp dried oregano (or Greek Seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onions, and garlic. In small bowl mix water with oregano salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and potatoes. Top with oil. Cover. Cook on High 5-6 hours or on Low 9-10 hours.
Per serving: 430 calories (70 calories from fat), 8g total fat (2g sat fat, 0g trans), 145 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sod, 31 g total carb (4 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 56g protein, 30% DV Vit C, 6%DV Calc, 20%DV iron.
Cabbage Beef Soup
Serving Size: 6
1/2 small cabbage head, shredded
1 large onion, chopped
5 1/2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
3 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
1 pound extra lean ground beef
2 tablespoons dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine cabbage, onion, tomato juice, and beef broth. Bring to a boil.
Add molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, bay leaf, pepper and allspice. Crumble in ground beef, dill and garlic powder. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Serve hot.
Source: The Book of Regional American Cooking: Heartland
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 296 Calories; 14g Fat (39.7% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 2065mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Kushary
Remember that kushary is a very simple working-class meal; there is nothing elegant to it, and you may wish to make and eat it for the same reason an Egyptian would--it’s satisfying, filling, and healthy.
You will be able to do steps 1, 2 and 3 at the same time if you are well organized. An easy way to serve kushary to a group of people is to leave the pasta in its colander from draining and rest it over a simmering pot of water. Place the mixing bowl of rice and lentils over another simmering pot of water to keep warm. Leave the tomato sauce in the saucepan you cooked it in and leave the onions in the skillet. Serve by spooning the cooked macaroni in a bowl and then spoon the rice and lentils on top. Spoon a quarter of the tomato sauce on top of the rice and then some onions. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Eat with a spoon.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
From CliffordAWright.com
4 large onions, peeled
Salt
1/2 cup brown lentils, picked over (should yield 1 cup cooked lentils)
3 cups water
7 tablespoons samna (clarified butter) or 2 tablespoons samna and 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups raw long-grain rice, well rinsed or soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups mixed dry pasta (see Note below)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups hot Egyptian-style tomato sauce (dim’a musabika)
Slice the onions from the stem end into very thin slices, less than 1/16th inch. Arrange the onion slices on some paper towels, sprinkle generously with salt, and leave for 30 minutes covered with paper towels to absorb moisture.
Wash the lentils under running water. Put them in a medium-size heavy saucepan, add 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are al dente, anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Check the lentils occasionally so they are not overcooked, since lentil cooking times differ; they should be ever so slightly hard, not completely soft. Add some water to the pot if it is drying out and the lentils are not yet cooked. Drain and reserve the lentils.
In another large, heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the samna over medium-high heat, then cook the rice for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to coat all the grains, then add the remaining 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover while the rice cooks until the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while the rice cooks.
While the lentils and rice are cooking, prepare the onions. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons samna or heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and coat with the samna or oil. Continue turning the onions as they turn from white to yellow to brown. Once they turn brown, 10 to 20 minutes, continue to cook until some turn dark brown, another 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the burner and quickly transfer the onions to a paper towel-lined platter to cool and drain. Once they are cool, they will have become crispy.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a vigorous boil and add the pasta. Cook until soft (not al dente) and drain well. Mix together the rice and lentils in a large metal (preferably) bowl with a pinch of black pepper, tossing gently with a fork. Serve according to the instructions above.
Note: Half the dry pasta should be short macaroni such as ditalini, tubetti, or small elbow and the other half should be spaghetti broken into 2-inch lengths. The 2 cups dry pasta should yield 4 cups cooked pasta.
Egyptian Stewed Tomato Sauce (Dim'a Musabika)
The Nile delta has been a productive agricultural area feeding Egypt since ancient times. Once the tomato arrived from the New World it became as ubiquitous in Egyptian cooking as it did in all other Mediterranean cooking. So much so, in fact, that among the Bedouins of Egypt’s Western Desert, and throughout Egypt in general, vegetables are always cooked bisalsa, with a tomato-based sauce, such as the ubiquitous dim’a musabika (literally, stewed sauce). This sauce is excellent with kushary, on top of spaghetti, or with any vegetable.
Yield: Makes 4 cups
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then cook the onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Mix the tomato paste and water and add to the onion. Reduce the heat to low while you simmer the tomato sauce for 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook until denser, about another 5 minutes.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Just stuff and link to more T-day recipes and pics.
Well, I am going to guess that hubby and I have missed whatever BiL had, but MiL isn't so lucky. But then again, they were at her place from Thursday thru Sunday so she had a better chance to catch it. I do wonder if hubby and I have been fighting it though, for a day or so hubby's throat was a bit sore, and I've been way more tired than usual (as he said he's been but not as much). And we've both been a bit congested (with me having allergies it's hard to tell what's allergy and not unless it's full blown). It doesn't really matter in the long run though, we're doing ok really.
I'm on my second mug of hot tea this morning, and I do mean mug. I'm using my Richmond October Fest stein and it holds, according to the imprint, 0.5 L. I imagine I will become one with the bathroom today. :) First mug was Tazo Earl Grey (bagged), it was my first time trying it. Can't say that I liked it. I had bought a sampler box of their teas and this was from that. Even the smell when I opened the package that the bag was in put me off. It tasted ok, but the smell just turned me off. It just smelled like a burned bitter white pith of a rotten orange. I should have just gone with my normal Republic of Tea Double Earl Grey. :( Luckily I've only got one other tea bag sample of that one. And at least it tasted ok - maybe I should save it for when I can't smell. :) Right now I'm drinking a Stash Breakfast tea. It's no Barry's or PG's but it's decent. I like Stash's teas, especially since I can get them in the grocery store. I've got different layers of teas I guess you'd say - some are just drinking teas - ones that are just to drink where I just want something to drink or make iced tea with. Then there's the ones that hubby and I like to make at night in a pot
SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.
Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?
Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*
I'm on my second mug of hot tea this morning, and I do mean mug. I'm using my Richmond October Fest stein and it holds, according to the imprint, 0.5 L. I imagine I will become one with the bathroom today. :) First mug was Tazo Earl Grey (bagged), it was my first time trying it. Can't say that I liked it. I had bought a sampler box of their teas and this was from that. Even the smell when I opened the package that the bag was in put me off. It tasted ok, but the smell just turned me off. It just smelled like a burned bitter white pith of a rotten orange. I should have just gone with my normal Republic of Tea Double Earl Grey. :( Luckily I've only got one other tea bag sample of that one. And at least it tasted ok - maybe I should save it for when I can't smell. :) Right now I'm drinking a Stash Breakfast tea. It's no Barry's or PG's but it's decent. I like Stash's teas, especially since I can get them in the grocery store. I've got different layers of teas I guess you'd say - some are just drinking teas - ones that are just to drink where I just want something to drink or make iced tea with. Then there's the ones that hubby and I like to make at night in a pot
SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.
Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?
Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*
Just stuff and link to more T-day recipes and pics.
Well, I am going to guess that hubby and I have missed whatever BiL had, but MiL isn't so lucky. But then again, they were at her place from Thursday thru Sunday so she had a better chance to catch it. I do wonder if hubby and I have been fighting it though, for a day or so hubby's throat was a bit sore, and I've been way more tired than usual (as he said he's been but not as much). And we've both been a bit congested (with me having allergies it's hard to tell what's allergy and not unless it's full blown). It doesn't really matter in the long run though, we're doing ok really. I'm on my second mug of hot tea this morning, and I do mean mug. I'm using my Richmond October Fest stein and it holds, according to the imprint, 0.5 L. I imagine I will become one with the bathroom today. :) First mug was Tazo Earl Grey (bagged), it was my first time trying it. Can't say that I liked it. I had bought a sampler box of their teas and this was from that. Even the smell when I opened the package that the bag was in put me off. It tasted ok, but the smell just turned me off. It just smelled like a burned bitter white pith of a rotten orange. I should have just gone with my normal Republic of Tea Double Earl Grey. :( Luckily I've only got one other tea bag sample of that one. And at least it tasted ok - maybe I should save it for when I can't smell. :) Right now I'm drinking a Stash Breakfast tea. It's no Barry's or PG's but it's decent. I like Stash's teas, especially since I can get them in the grocery store. I've got different layers of teas I guess you'd say - some are just drinking teas - ones that are just to drink where I just want something to drink or make iced tea with. Then there's the ones that hubby and I like to make at night in a pot
SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.
Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?
Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*
SiL has posted the recipes that she used when she cooked as well as some pictures here on her blog.
Last night's Hawaiian pizza was really good, I'll have to make it more often. Nothing too special about it really: I'm still using up the canned spicy spaghetti sauce (I think it was Del Monte but I can't remember now), low fat mozzarella cheese, pineapple tidbits (I need to drain them a bit better or put them on paper towels next time) and some diced ham (next time I need to either buy thinner slices or dice it finer it was a bit too chunky but it still worked). I was thinking prosciutto might even be good with it too. I actually ate 4 slices last night! I am usually fine after 2, but I was still hungry (I've gotten really good at listening to my body thanks to the Byetta) and since I didn't eat much for lunch I guess I was still hungry. Hubby and I also had a glass of wine, and it wasn't too much later that we both fell asleep. I guess we can't handle alcohol anymore since we really don't drink it that much. Boy, do we know how to party or what?
Miko wasn't too happy with me yesterday. I gave her a bath. She really needed one, she was really smelling doggy and it's time for her to get another application of flea meds (we haven't had a week of freezing temps yet that are needed to kill ticks and fleas). She was laying in the sun and I even turned up the heat in the house a bit, so I thought she'd be warm enough, but when I went to check on her she was shivering. :( I went to grab one of Percy's coats and put it on her. Luckily her mom before me used to dress her up so she didn't mind it too bad. I also put her on the couch under a blanket and it wasn't too long before I heard snores. She was under there for a good long while. She still wasn't totally dry (she's got a thick double coat), but it was better. I can't use a hair dryer on her because she hates the motor. After dinner she was finally dry and hubby brushed her out. She was luuuuuving daddy. :) I guess I learned one good thing while working at a Vets - how to bathe dogs. *sigh*
Monday, December 01, 2008
Thanksgiving #2 & Menu Plan Monday
Our trip back to my sister's home, and Thanksgiving #2 went well. BJ was happy to have the weekend off, since usually he has to work (and instead has to work the weekend of Christmas). The sad point was that usually my cousins come, but this year were unable to make it. We still had a pretty full house: BJ's mom (his step-dad had to work), his brother and his new wife, his dad and stepmother. My mom and step dad and then my niece and nephew. Cade stuck to hubby like crazy. I had to ask if John was going to sleep with me or with Cade- and Cade wanted John to sleep on his trundle bed. :) It's a good thing I took my DS - Cade has his own, but he played mine most of the time we were there since I have a card that has a few games on it that we couldn't get to work in his. My sister and BiL now have a few game titles that he likes. BJ got a new flat screen tv (as far as I could tell it matched the one in the living room) so they mounted it on the wall in the "game room" and his brother got their old tv which made them happy. Layton wasn't so happy, she knew how to work that tv and didn't like not knowing how to use the new one to watch her DVDs. She threw quite a fit when they took the old tv with them as they left. Before dinner, she also had to change outfits four times *sigh*. I thought Kelly was bad while I was growing up. Kelly was talking about how she's getting the: "You're a mean mommy!" and "You don't love me!" speeches from her kids now, just like she (we) used to give when we were younger. Layton is quite frankly a little Kelly, even going so far as to look like her. It surprises me every time I see her how much she looks like Kelly every time I see her. Cade looks like a mixture of both his mom and dad. We were able to watch Ratatouille and watch part of Wall-E while there too.
Oh, Mary & Adam: Remember how we were talking about local news and how you can tell the difference between small town vs. large city? I told Kelly about your Louisville late-night outside the empty parking lot "Live from the School Bus Depot!" reporting. And then John made sure to mention the fact that most people smile when they say the word smile except for the Charlottesville reporter we saw. Kelly told us about the Harrisonburg reporter on Election Day who must of thought she was in Chicago since she told people to: "Vote early and vote often!"
There was a lot of food, like usual. :) My mom had helped with a Thanksgiving dinner at church, so she had a turkey breast already done since that was her contribution to the dinner so that was what she brought with her. We warmed it by gently steaming it while we prepared the rest of the stuff and that worked really well. She also brought the gravy and stuffing (with some made without onions and celery for my sister). My mom also made some cranberry sauce, she does the one with a whole orange, but I must admit I've never liked that one. And she brought Mr. Keith's favorite thing: oatmeal cookies. :D I think that was the only thing that was actually gone by the end of the evening. Kelly made mashed potatoes (she had BJ peel and cut them - she says the new Ore-Ida's are a god-send for her since she's not allergic to cooked potatoes), sweet potato casserole (basically the same as the one Mary made but Kelly likes her walnuts finer (and Mary might use Pecans I don't remember and I don't eat either) - she made half without nuts. Kelly also bought a Pumpkin cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie (just for me that last one - although I wasn't the only one that ate it) from Costco. I know the apple pie was great, and everyone said the others were too. And the cost wasn't bad either- something I might have to consider if I ever need to. I can be pie crust challenged (warm hands) and if there's going to be a lot of people it would be worth it to buy one of the larger Costco pies and not frustrate myself (the apple was 5.99 I saw). Both of BJ's mom's brought green beans, his step mom also brought something that is common but I'm not sure what it's called: marshmallows, mandarin oranges, walnuts, etc. Not exactly ambrosia since it didn't have coconut - but I guess some people might call it that? His dad also brought deer tenderloin done in an onion gravy that was very good. I brought 2 loaves of bread (1 wheat and 1 white) and the biscotti like I posted earlier. And BJ's SiL brought a really yummy and easy salad:
Laura's Thanksgiving Salad
Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp grated onion
dash salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
Salad:
1 med bunch of romaine, chopped
1 cup salted cashew halves
4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
Blend vinegar through salt. While processing gradually add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Stir in 1 tsp poppy seeds. Toss with salad.
Not totally WW friendly, but still tasty (Laura did WW awhile back, so Kelly her and I talk about it). Everyone told me I had lost weight, since most of them hadn't seen me for awhile. That felt great! We came home with a little bit of leftovers since John mentioned on Friday that he missed leftovers. I felt bad, but I couldn't see getting any on Thursday since we wouldn't be home this weekend and we were going to be eating another T-day dinner. He understood, but still wanted some. It's not a big thing, the only thing I would have had to buy would have been a turkey breast and I could have given him our own turkey dinner again anyway.
Ok, on to my Menu Plan:
It's got a bit more beef on it than I had originally thought I'd have. I had started to plan it before we left for the weekend. My sister had gotten a cow butchered (she went in with someone else and she had 3/4 of the cow in her freezer). When she does this, I get the parts she doesn't like, mainly the liver, heart, and tongue. She also told me she had some older meat from the last cow that she was going to give me to so we needed to bring an ice chest with us, good thing we don't have much choice between bringing our smaller one or the LARGE one. She filled up the large one AND my little Trader Joes insulated one too (I also kept T-day leftovers in the TJ's one). I still had a chub of ground beef and 2 packages of ground beef patties (not quite burgers but close and not cube steak, they are thinner and fall apart easier). I've pulled those out and have planned to use those 3 older things this week.
Last night when we got home I made Turkey Noodle Soup. I had cooked the turkey bones from Thurs on Friday in the crockpot and had 12 cups of broth and some meat. I used 4 cups broth and I added some frozen CA veggies, some leftover corn (it was about 1/2 cup) from a dinner side last week and egg noodles.
Monday (tonight): T-day leftovers - Mashed potatoes, Sweet Potato casserole, green beans, sliced turkey, stuffing.
Tuesday: Homemade Nachos (recipe below)
Wednesday: Hamburger Vegetable Soup (recipe below)
Thursday: Keema Mattar (recipe below)
Friday: Homemade Hawaiian Pizza (ham & pineapple)
Saturday: FFY (fend for yourself)
Sunday: Indian Tomato Soup (lunch) (recipe below) Omelets (dinner)
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Homemade Nachos
6 Large Corn Flour Tortillas or Flour Tortillas
1 pound cooked ground beef, seasoned with taco seasoning
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup ripe olives, sliced
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream (optional)
Slice fresh tortillas into large triangle shapes and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Layering ingredients on top of tortilla chips in the following order, beginning with seasoned ground beef, chopped onion, salsa, and a small amount of Monterey jack cheese, ending with olives. Heat in oven just until Monterey jack cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, fresh diced tomatoes,and chopped green onion. Top with sour cream if desired Makes 6 servings.
From the Clabber Girl Recipe Book "RECIPES TO WARM THE HEART"
Vegetable Hamburger Soup
From Sharing Our Best: Recipes from Amish Mennonites, Stuarts Draft, VA
Mrs. Paul D. Yoder
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cup water
1/2 c chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil or parsley
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tomatoes or a little juice
salt and pepper to taste
In large saucepan, brown meat with onions. Add water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are tender, then add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. May add more of other vegetables and juices or water. Should make about a gallon of soup.
Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND "Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6
1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef , or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger – OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.
Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.
Spicy Tomato Soup (Indian) (3 pts)
Seasoned with mild spices, this smooth soup is easy to prepare and appealing year round, served either hot or chilled. Really quick version: use 1 tsp garam masala, dash of Tabasco and 2 cans tomato soup.
Recipe By :Vasantha Prasad
Serving Size :4
3 cups vegetable broth, or water
3 ripe tomatoes, about 1 lb
OR
16 ounces Italian plum tomatoes, whole canned, drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For Garnish:
1/2 cup yogurt, skim milk, plain
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Stove-top Method: In a 3 quart saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, let the soup stand for 5 minutes.
Microwave Method: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the vegetable broth, tomatoes, onions, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Cook covered on high (100%) for 6 minutes. Stir the contents and cook on high for another 6 to 8 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
For both methods, follow steps 4 and 5 below:
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender, process the mixture to a fine puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with a spoonful of yogurt and chopped cilantro.
Source: "Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen"
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 193 Calories; 4g Fat (16.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 1528mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
Oh, Mary & Adam: Remember how we were talking about local news and how you can tell the difference between small town vs. large city? I told Kelly about your Louisville late-night outside the empty parking lot "Live from the School Bus Depot!" reporting. And then John made sure to mention the fact that most people smile when they say the word smile except for the Charlottesville reporter we saw. Kelly told us about the Harrisonburg reporter on Election Day who must of thought she was in Chicago since she told people to: "Vote early and vote often!"
There was a lot of food, like usual. :) My mom had helped with a Thanksgiving dinner at church, so she had a turkey breast already done since that was her contribution to the dinner so that was what she brought with her. We warmed it by gently steaming it while we prepared the rest of the stuff and that worked really well. She also brought the gravy and stuffing (with some made without onions and celery for my sister). My mom also made some cranberry sauce, she does the one with a whole orange, but I must admit I've never liked that one. And she brought Mr. Keith's favorite thing: oatmeal cookies. :D I think that was the only thing that was actually gone by the end of the evening. Kelly made mashed potatoes (she had BJ peel and cut them - she says the new Ore-Ida's are a god-send for her since she's not allergic to cooked potatoes), sweet potato casserole (basically the same as the one Mary made but Kelly likes her walnuts finer (and Mary might use Pecans I don't remember and I don't eat either) - she made half without nuts. Kelly also bought a Pumpkin cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie (just for me that last one - although I wasn't the only one that ate it) from Costco. I know the apple pie was great, and everyone said the others were too. And the cost wasn't bad either- something I might have to consider if I ever need to. I can be pie crust challenged (warm hands) and if there's going to be a lot of people it would be worth it to buy one of the larger Costco pies and not frustrate myself (the apple was 5.99 I saw). Both of BJ's mom's brought green beans, his step mom also brought something that is common but I'm not sure what it's called: marshmallows, mandarin oranges, walnuts, etc. Not exactly ambrosia since it didn't have coconut - but I guess some people might call it that? His dad also brought deer tenderloin done in an onion gravy that was very good. I brought 2 loaves of bread (1 wheat and 1 white) and the biscotti like I posted earlier. And BJ's SiL brought a really yummy and easy salad:
Laura's Thanksgiving Salad
Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp grated onion
dash salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
Salad:
1 med bunch of romaine, chopped
1 cup salted cashew halves
4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
Blend vinegar through salt. While processing gradually add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Stir in 1 tsp poppy seeds. Toss with salad.
Not totally WW friendly, but still tasty (Laura did WW awhile back, so Kelly her and I talk about it). Everyone told me I had lost weight, since most of them hadn't seen me for awhile. That felt great! We came home with a little bit of leftovers since John mentioned on Friday that he missed leftovers. I felt bad, but I couldn't see getting any on Thursday since we wouldn't be home this weekend and we were going to be eating another T-day dinner. He understood, but still wanted some. It's not a big thing, the only thing I would have had to buy would have been a turkey breast and I could have given him our own turkey dinner again anyway.
Ok, on to my Menu Plan:
It's got a bit more beef on it than I had originally thought I'd have. I had started to plan it before we left for the weekend. My sister had gotten a cow butchered (she went in with someone else and she had 3/4 of the cow in her freezer). When she does this, I get the parts she doesn't like, mainly the liver, heart, and tongue. She also told me she had some older meat from the last cow that she was going to give me to so we needed to bring an ice chest with us, good thing we don't have much choice between bringing our smaller one or the LARGE one. She filled up the large one AND my little Trader Joes insulated one too (I also kept T-day leftovers in the TJ's one). I still had a chub of ground beef and 2 packages of ground beef patties (not quite burgers but close and not cube steak, they are thinner and fall apart easier). I've pulled those out and have planned to use those 3 older things this week.
Last night when we got home I made Turkey Noodle Soup. I had cooked the turkey bones from Thurs on Friday in the crockpot and had 12 cups of broth and some meat. I used 4 cups broth and I added some frozen CA veggies, some leftover corn (it was about 1/2 cup) from a dinner side last week and egg noodles.
Monday (tonight): T-day leftovers - Mashed potatoes, Sweet Potato casserole, green beans, sliced turkey, stuffing.
Tuesday: Homemade Nachos (recipe below)
Wednesday: Hamburger Vegetable Soup (recipe below)
Thursday: Keema Mattar (recipe below)
Friday: Homemade Hawaiian Pizza (ham & pineapple)
Saturday: FFY (fend for yourself)
Sunday: Indian Tomato Soup (lunch) (recipe below) Omelets (dinner)
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Homemade Nachos
6 Large Corn Flour Tortillas or Flour Tortillas
1 pound cooked ground beef, seasoned with taco seasoning
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup ripe olives, sliced
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream (optional)
Slice fresh tortillas into large triangle shapes and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Layering ingredients on top of tortilla chips in the following order, beginning with seasoned ground beef, chopped onion, salsa, and a small amount of Monterey jack cheese, ending with olives. Heat in oven just until Monterey jack cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar cheese, fresh diced tomatoes,and chopped green onion. Top with sour cream if desired Makes 6 servings.
From the Clabber Girl Recipe Book "RECIPES TO WARM THE HEART"
Vegetable Hamburger Soup
From Sharing Our Best: Recipes from Amish Mennonites, Stuarts Draft, VA
Mrs. Paul D. Yoder
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cup water
1/2 c chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil or parsley
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tomatoes or a little juice
salt and pepper to taste
In large saucepan, brown meat with onions. Add water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are tender, then add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. May add more of other vegetables and juices or water. Should make about a gallon of soup.
Keema Matar (Chopped Meat with Peas)
Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery p. 939 AND "Great Curries" by Manisha Kanani"
Serving Size : 4-6
1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
2 green chiles, finely chopped (can use canned)
1 pound extra lean ground beef , or lamb
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon minced ginger – OR 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic, curry powder, ginger and chilies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef or lamb and stir fry for about 5 minutes, chopping and turning to break it up. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, ginger, and salt with water. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the peas and lemon juice. Cook for another 10 minutes, uncovered or until the meat is tender. Serve with naan bread and plain yogurt.
Variation: Substitute for green peas 1/2 cup split peas soaked in 1 cup water. Add peas and water to meat at beginning of cooking, cover, and cook until peas are tender.
Spicy Tomato Soup (Indian) (3 pts)
Seasoned with mild spices, this smooth soup is easy to prepare and appealing year round, served either hot or chilled. Really quick version: use 1 tsp garam masala, dash of Tabasco and 2 cans tomato soup.
Recipe By :Vasantha Prasad
Serving Size :4
3 cups vegetable broth, or water
3 ripe tomatoes, about 1 lb
OR
16 ounces Italian plum tomatoes, whole canned, drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For Garnish:
1/2 cup yogurt, skim milk, plain
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Stove-top Method: In a 3 quart saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, let the soup stand for 5 minutes.
Microwave Method: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the vegetable broth, tomatoes, onions, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, salt, and lemon juice. Cook covered on high (100%) for 6 minutes. Stir the contents and cook on high for another 6 to 8 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
For both methods, follow steps 4 and 5 below:
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender, process the mixture to a fine puree. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow the soup to simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with a spoonful of yogurt and chopped cilantro.
Source: "Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen"
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 193 Calories; 4g Fat (16.2% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 1528mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
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