Well, once more it's going to be eating more out of the pantry this week. My husband's windshield of his truck had gotten a small crack in it one day a few week ago, probably from a rock, and from the wide swings in temperatures we've had recently it spread all the way across the other day. So he's going to have to get that fixed and I'll help to save some money by using what's in the our pantry. I was hoping to have some Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans, but I don't have dry or frozen lima beans on hand (the fresh automatically get eaten, I don't freeze them for later). What I thought were lima beans turned out to be favas, and while they might work, I'd rather stick with limas since I don't have to peel them. I'll have to wait until the next time I head to the store and pick some up.
This Saturday is our 11th Wedding Anniversary!! :) I'm making dinner -and yes, I wanted to - the menu is below. I have a T-bone from my sister in the freezer, so I'm going to use that. I haven't decided what other vegetable I'm making and the cheesecake is going to be an experiment for me since I don't have an exact recipe yet. I'm trying to duplicate our wedding cake, kinda. I'm going to use some light cream cheese like I do normally for a plain cheesecake, and I've not made a flavored cheesecake before, and I don't really have a recipe for this so I'm just winging it. Wish me luck! Our cake had crushed chocolate cookie base, chocolate cheesecake with orange flavoring in it and a chocolate ganache top. I'm not going to get majorly fancy with orange segments and chocolate curls because it's just us. As it is I don't really want to make a whole cheesecake as it is, since it's just the two of us, but since it freezes well, I'm going to be freezing the extra in slices.
Monday: FFY (hubby will be home late- I don't have a lot of leftovers, so it's really whatever you can find!)
Tuesday: Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary) recipe below
Wednesday: Red Beans & Rice (packaged mix) with Chicken sausages
Thursday: Burmese Soup (Red Lentil Soup)
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza (Homemade Pizza)
Saturday: Our 11th Wedding Anniversary - and I'm really going to mix cultures. :) I'm making Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Pommes Frittes (although oven baking them, so I guess they're more Oven fries), and Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.
For more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie
Egyptian Rice and Lentils (Koshary)
Adapted From "Extending the Table" -Fiza, Mattareyya, Egypt; and Mary F. Beck, Cairo, Egypt
Koshary is Egypt's street food. Vendors serve this low-cost, nutritious meal in dishes or plastic bags from little kiosks. It is also an important dish for Coptic Orthodox Christians because it is meatless and can be eaten during times of fasting. In Egypt the sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, and the rice and lentils are always served with macaroni.
My Notes: From a friend on the WW CLC board (Jilly) who's husband is from Egypt, she makes a spicy vinaigrette to go on top at the end just like we would use Tabasco or Pepper Vinegar and puts a bay leaf in with the rice and lentils. She just gives ingredients for the vinaigrette, just mix them to your tastes.
Serves 8
Rice and Lentils:
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 cups lentils
3 cups boiling water (or stock)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
1 cup boiling water (or stock)
Sauce:
3/4 cup tomato paste
3 1/2 cups tomato juice (or tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
3Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or crushed chilis to taste)
Macaroni:
2 cups macaroni, any variety
3 Tbsp of above sauce
1 Tbsp oil
Browned Onions:
2 tablespoons oil
3 onions, sliced
4 garlic clove, minced
JillyBean's Spicy Vinaigrette (all to taste):
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
minced garlic
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, brown lentils in 2 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the 3 cups boiling stock, bay leaf, and the salt and pepper. Cook uncovered 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the rice and 1 cup stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes without stirring.
Meanwhile make sauce: Heat all the sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Once the sauce is made, Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and mix with 3 Tbsp of the above sauce and 1 Tbsp oil.
To make browned onions, heat oil in a small skillet. Saute onions and garlic over medium heat till brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Serve rice-lentil mixture in one serving dish and macaroni in another. Place side-by-side on plates, ladle sauce over and top with browned onions. Or pile rice-lentil mixture and macaroni on a large serving platter. Spread tomato sauce over, and top with onions. Individuals may add plain yogurt.
Burmese Lentil Soup
From: Katen Joshi on "Calling All Cooks" Episode CA1A08 Food Network
Serves: 4-6
Soup:
2 cups red lentils
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Add-ins:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
10 to 12 green chilies cut into rings
2 large Idaho potatoes grated on medium grater
Vegetable oil
2 to 3 cups Vidalia onions cut into 1-inch slivers
Cubed bread (1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes)
Salted butter
1 cup fresh cilantro
In advance: pour distilled vinegar into a bowl with the green chili rings and let sit for at least 1 hour prior to serving soup.
To prepare soup, wash red lentils in warm water, 2 or 3 times over. Then fill large pot with 5 to 6 cups water. Cook lentils over medium flame until they lose their form, and a soup-like base is formed. Add fresh chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to soup, set soup aside.
Next, prepare the rest of the add-ins. Grate Idaho potatoes and deep fry to golden brown in hot oil. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil, then put into a bowl. Saute onions in pan with 1/3 cup vegetable oil until golden-dark brown and caramelized, then place in a bowl. Saute cubed bread in a mixture of 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup butter until golden brown, put in a bowl. Roughly chop cilantro, put into a bowl.
To serve, place soup and add-ins on the table. Guests place 2 or 3 ladles of soup into their soup bowl, then, in middle of soup bowl, pile high with desired add-ins; do not spread out garnish.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
From: "At Home with Michael Chiarello" Cookbook
The classic Bistecca alla Fiorentina is a large porterhouse steak that usually weighs around one kilo (2.2 pounds). In Tuscan restaurants the steak is offered by the "etto" or in 100-gram (4 oz.) increments. This great steak includes both the strip loin and the fillet. I also use a rib-eye steak with this method. Always use the best meat, gray salt, coarse ground black pepper and balsamic vinegar that you can find. The marriage of all these ingredients will reveal a noble meal of authentic Italian flavor.
For my Tuscan BBQ on Weekend Today, I paired the bistecca with two unique condimenti, or finishes, to the steak: grilled lemon halves or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. An option to using expensive and rare balsamic is to use a Tuscan-flavored steak sauce. I make one with roasted garlic,sweetened with raisins, and, to give it a nice bite, black pepper. As you’ll see throughout this menu, Italians love a mix of tart and sweet,called agrodolce.
About Gray Salt: If you change just one thing about your cooking, make it the salt. The gray salt I use, from Brittany’s coast, retains all the minerals found in the sea, echoing your body’s mineral content exactly. Because of its taste, I use gray salt exclusively, and cherish the natural flavors it highlights in all foods.
2 lb. Porterhouse steak, about 2 inches thick
Gray Salt
Coarse ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 lemon (optional)
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Steak Sauce (optional) -recipe below [make day before if using]
Let the steak rest outside of the refrigerator for one hour before cooking. Liberally season the steak with gray salt and pepper and press the seasoning into the meat.
To grill: Use a hot, clean and oiled grill. Grill the steak for about 5-6 minutes on each side for medium rare. The filet will cook a little faster than the strip loin. Move the steak every two minutes or so for even cooking and a crispy exterior.
For pan roasting: If pan-roasting, preheat the oven to 450° F. Heat a cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil until smoking hot. Turn on the fan, open the window and stand back to avoid getting spattered! Using tongs, place the steak in the center of the pan. Cook until the first side is seared brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the steak and place the pan in the oven until the steak is done, about 6 minutes for medium rare.
Remove the steak to a carving board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before carving.
Grilled Lemon Halves: Cut the lemon in half and brush the cut side with olive oil.
For pan roasting: Place cut side down alongside the steak. When marked, turn the lemons over and cook in the oven alongside the steak.
To grill: Place the lemons cut side down on the grill to mark. Turn the lemon over and move to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Serve all bistecca with some extra gray salt on the table.
Roasted Garlic-Balsamic Steak Sauce
Bon Appétit | August 2007
Michael Chiarello
Yield: Makes about 4 cups
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.
A sweet substitute for traditional steak sauce. Try it on a rib eye, use it to marinate flank steak, or mix it into ground beef for burgers.
1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 large plum tomatoes, cored, quartered
1/4 cup roasted garlic paste from jar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons apple jelly or red currant jelly
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon (or more) fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper
Combine 1 1/2 cups warm water and raisins in medium bowl; let stand until raisins are soft, at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Mix vinegar and shallots in small bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Add vinegar mixture to raisin mixture, then stir in all remaining ingredients. Working in 3 batches, puree mixture in blender until smooth. If desired, season with more salt and pepper. Return mixture to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours to blend flavors.
Baked Pommes Frites
Michael Chiarello
6 russet potatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Peel potatoes and cut into quarter-inch thick slices (lengthwise) cut again into 1/4-inch thick fries. Place the potatoes into a bowl with cold water; this will help keep the fries crisp. Just before cooking, drain water and place on paper towel, pat dry.
Put in a bowl; add olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss well and lay out in 1 layer on nonstick baking sheet. Bake until light brown. Cook for approx 30 - 40 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown.
Remove from oven, allow to cool for a minute or two and serve.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Late Menu Plan Monday
I think we're going to have to plan to replace our vacuum cleaner some point soon. We got it when we got married, almost 11 years now (on the 28th). I'm having trouble finding the bags for it as it is (I guess because most of the newer ones are becoming bagless?) and lately I'm getting a burning rubber smell after a bit. I tried today to see if I could find where the belt was, but no luck. The only removable parts are the Hepa filter, another foam filter thing at the bottom of the bag and the bag itself. I did spend an hour cleaning the beater bar and removing my hair from around a part where you can't reach it very well. Good thing I have hemostats (I actually use them for removing pin bones from fish too). The person who designed that part of the vacuum didn't have long hair, that's for sure.
To get some natural light in the house today, I've got the front door open, and Miko is laying at the back door and has a straight-line view through to the storm door. She gets up occasionally and runs to bark at the cars that drive by or a leaf that blows by. Why she doesn't just lay there and bark I don't know, but at least she is getting some exercise. ;) I may have to close it soon though, my headache can't handle it, and she'll probably start limping soon too.
The menu this week isn't exciting by any means. I'm still trying to save some money and use pantry stuff.
Monday: Macaroni & Cheese (store-brand packaged) with canned tuna and frozen veggies
Tuesday: Beef Noodle Soup (cooked beef from the freezer)
Wednesday: Bagel Dogs (frozen turkey dogs in the freezer) recipe is posted elsewhere on here- if you would like to have, just ask.
Thursday: Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (cooked turkey from the freezer and homemade white sauce not canned soup)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Stovetop Tuna Mac
4 servings
From "Mr. Food"
1 package macaroni and cheese dinner
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 (6-ounce) can white tuna, drained and flaked
8 buttery crackers, coarsely crushed
In a large saucepan, prepare the macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions, adding the frozen mixed vegetables to the boiling macaroni in water for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return the macaroni and vegetables to the saucepan.
Stir in the remaining ingredients as directed on the package; mix well. Stir in the tuna, sprinkle the crushed crackers over the top, and serve.
Beef Noodle Soup
This is another wonderful recipe that can incorporate any left over beef you might have. This soup tastes great and is easy to make.
Left over beef, cubed
1 medium chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
2/3 cup chopped carrot
3-3/4 cups water
1-2/3 cups egg noodles
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the meat, onion, and celery for 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon, parsley, carrots, water, and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Makes: 5-6 servings
1 pkg. (14 oz.) seasoned dry stuffing mix
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup COLLEGE INN® Chicken Broth
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of turkey soup
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.
Separate the 2 soups in separate bowls and add 1/2 soup can of water to each; stir these well and set aside.
Place 1/3 of the crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Layer 1/2 of the chicken/turkey and pour the celery soup over this.
Layer another 1/3 of the crumb mixture, followed by the remaining turkey.
Pour the turkey soup over and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Drizzle with butter and pack the mixture firmly into the dish.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes.
To get some natural light in the house today, I've got the front door open, and Miko is laying at the back door and has a straight-line view through to the storm door. She gets up occasionally and runs to bark at the cars that drive by or a leaf that blows by. Why she doesn't just lay there and bark I don't know, but at least she is getting some exercise. ;) I may have to close it soon though, my headache can't handle it, and she'll probably start limping soon too.
The menu this week isn't exciting by any means. I'm still trying to save some money and use pantry stuff.
Monday: Macaroni & Cheese (store-brand packaged) with canned tuna and frozen veggies
Tuesday: Beef Noodle Soup (cooked beef from the freezer)
Wednesday: Bagel Dogs (frozen turkey dogs in the freezer) recipe is posted elsewhere on here- if you would like to have, just ask.
Thursday: Turkey and Stuffing Casserole (cooked turkey from the freezer and homemade white sauce not canned soup)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Stovetop Tuna Mac
4 servings
From "Mr. Food"
1 package macaroni and cheese dinner
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 (6-ounce) can white tuna, drained and flaked
8 buttery crackers, coarsely crushed
In a large saucepan, prepare the macaroni and cheese dinner according to package directions, adding the frozen mixed vegetables to the boiling macaroni in water for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return the macaroni and vegetables to the saucepan.
Stir in the remaining ingredients as directed on the package; mix well. Stir in the tuna, sprinkle the crushed crackers over the top, and serve.
Beef Noodle Soup
This is another wonderful recipe that can incorporate any left over beef you might have. This soup tastes great and is easy to make.
Left over beef, cubed
1 medium chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
2/3 cup chopped carrot
3-3/4 cups water
1-2/3 cups egg noodles
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the meat, onion, and celery for 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon, parsley, carrots, water, and egg noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Makes: 5-6 servings
1 pkg. (14 oz.) seasoned dry stuffing mix
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup COLLEGE INN® Chicken Broth
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of turkey soup
3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.
Separate the 2 soups in separate bowls and add 1/2 soup can of water to each; stir these well and set aside.
Place 1/3 of the crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Layer 1/2 of the chicken/turkey and pour the celery soup over this.
Layer another 1/3 of the crumb mixture, followed by the remaining turkey.
Pour the turkey soup over and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Drizzle with butter and pack the mixture firmly into the dish.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Yeah, I know I never got around to typing up the trip to WV. I hope to get around to it at some point. I've also been pretty bad about updating. Things have been keeping me pretty busy around here, and add in TOM and the migraines that come with it and you're lucky to even see anything. ;) I pretty much just followed the dinners last week. *SIGH* I had a feeling that would happen (the Red Pepper, Mozzarella Pesto sandwiches I did make once for me, and then on the weekend for us). Oh well. It hasn't been a great eating weekend in terms of diet for me this week, and once my period started I realized why I've been so noshing last and this week. At least my period isn't as bad as it used to be thanks to the ablation, but I still get everything else that goes along with it though. It could be a lot worse, so I can't really complain. I guess the biggest thing is something I've had to deal with my whole life really - the fact that I never know when it's going to come. The only time I did know was when I was taking BCP's (to help control it and my headaches actually) but with my liver problems I can't use them anymore (and it may have actually been the reason for all of my tumors).
I'm now playing around with Google Calendar to menu plan and general calendar stuff. So far it's going well, although figuring out how to sync with Lightening (Sunbird for Thunderbird) took a bit.
Here's the menu plan for this week - it's just dinners this time.
Monday: Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu (using leftover Kahlua pork from Christmas)
Tuesday: Fried Rice (using Freezer Stash)
Wednesday: Turkey Bratwursts
Thursday: Bobotie
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie http://orgjunkie.com/2009/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-9th.html
Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu
Pork butt or shoulder is an economical cut of meat that's perfect for making this slow-cooked stew topping for pasta.
Source: Woman's World - October 17, 2006
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 (16 ounce) jar marinara pasta sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine or water
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces fusilli pasta
Place first 4 ingredients in 3-quart slow-cooker. Top with pork.
Combine sauce, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds, pepper flakes and salt. Pour over pork; cover.
Cook on LOW for 10 hours, until tender.
Transfer pork to plate. Use 2 forks to shred pork; stir into sauce in slow-cooker.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Basic Fried Rice
Serves 4
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sliced dark green portion for garnish)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1-2 carrots)
1-2 fresh chilies like jalapenos or Thai chilies, to taste, seeded and minced (optional)
4 cups cooked rice, at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour beaten egg into pan and swirl egg around to coat entire bottom of pan. When egg is beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes, break it up into pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, and remove from pan.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes. (If bacon begins to burn, lower heat to medium.)
Add scallions, garlic, ginger, carrot and (if using) chilies to pan, and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic becomes golden. Return cooked egg to pan.
Add rice and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow rice and egg to become hot. Turn heat down to medium-low, and pour soy sauce over rice. The pan may be quite full (depending on its size), so stir carefully to allow even distribution of soy sauce throughout rice.
Taste for salt, and add an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you like. Sprinkle with reserved dark green scallion slices to serve.
Variations:
*Add chopped raw shrimp (1/4-1/3 pound) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Add small cubes of firm tofu (about 1/2 cup) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Stir in small pieces of leftover cooked chicken just before adding rice to pan.
* For a mellower pork flavor, try pancetta instead of bacon.
* For Thai-style fried rice, sprinkle 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce over mixture before returning egg to pan, and squeeze juice from half a lime over rice just before serving.
* To get more of your vegetables, slice raw green beans (about 1/4-1/3 cup) very thin (1/8 inch) and add along with scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
Riva's Milwaukee Brats
From: Riva Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
Serving Size: 6
6 Bratwurst Links
12 Ounces beer
2 Cups sliced Peppers and Onions
6 Hoagie buns
Combine in bag and freeze. To cook, thaw completely and pour into baking pan and heat on stove or on grill. Heat until sausages are warmed through. If desired, remove sausages and sear on grill for 1-2 minutes. Place in brat bun, garnish with peppers/onions. Enjoy.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 325 Calories; 23g Fat (68.2% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 653mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
South African Bobotie
Serving Size: 6
1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup dried apricot, diced
1 1/4 cups White Bread, cut into cubes
2 1/2 cups 1% Low-fat Milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 pound browned ground beef
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup raisins
4 Tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup Egg Substitute
Place bread into small bowl and pour 1/2 the milk over it – allow to soak. In another bowl, combine curry powder, chili powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ground beef. Add the raisins, almonds, apricots and soaked bread (including the milk the bread soaked in). Spoon mixture into a greased pan. Combine egg mixture and remaining milk. Pour over the meat mixture in the pan.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 536 Calories; 26g Fat (43.6% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 1174mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat.
Chez JJ's Pizza
(Using WW Basic Pizza Dough with Variations and Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce so you don't have to hunt for the recipes)
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie
This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.
Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3
TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3
Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3
Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce
This is mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.
15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.
To make a pizza:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack.
For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top.
Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking).
Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy.
It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch how many you eat.
I'm now playing around with Google Calendar to menu plan and general calendar stuff. So far it's going well, although figuring out how to sync with Lightening (Sunbird for Thunderbird) took a bit.
Here's the menu plan for this week - it's just dinners this time.
Monday: Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu (using leftover Kahlua pork from Christmas)
Tuesday: Fried Rice (using Freezer Stash)
Wednesday: Turkey Bratwursts
Thursday: Bobotie
Friday: Chez JJ Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie http://orgjunkie.com/2009/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-9th.html
Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu
Pork butt or shoulder is an economical cut of meat that's perfect for making this slow-cooked stew topping for pasta.
Source: Woman's World - October 17, 2006
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 (16 ounce) jar marinara pasta sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine or water
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces fusilli pasta
Place first 4 ingredients in 3-quart slow-cooker. Top with pork.
Combine sauce, tomato paste, wine, fennel seeds, pepper flakes and salt. Pour over pork; cover.
Cook on LOW for 10 hours, until tender.
Transfer pork to plate. Use 2 forks to shred pork; stir into sauce in slow-cooker.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Basic Fried Rice
Serves 4
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 strips bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon sliced dark green portion for garnish)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced ginger (about a 1-inch piece)
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1-2 carrots)
1-2 fresh chilies like jalapenos or Thai chilies, to taste, seeded and minced (optional)
4 cups cooked rice, at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour beaten egg into pan and swirl egg around to coat entire bottom of pan. When egg is beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes, break it up into pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, and remove from pan.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes. (If bacon begins to burn, lower heat to medium.)
Add scallions, garlic, ginger, carrot and (if using) chilies to pan, and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic becomes golden. Return cooked egg to pan.
Add rice and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Cook for about 2 minutes to allow rice and egg to become hot. Turn heat down to medium-low, and pour soy sauce over rice. The pan may be quite full (depending on its size), so stir carefully to allow even distribution of soy sauce throughout rice.
Taste for salt, and add an additional 1 tablespoon of soy sauce if you like. Sprinkle with reserved dark green scallion slices to serve.
Variations:
*Add chopped raw shrimp (1/4-1/3 pound) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Add small cubes of firm tofu (about 1/2 cup) 1 minute after adding scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Stir in small pieces of leftover cooked chicken just before adding rice to pan.
* For a mellower pork flavor, try pancetta instead of bacon.
* For Thai-style fried rice, sprinkle 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce over mixture before returning egg to pan, and squeeze juice from half a lime over rice just before serving.
* To get more of your vegetables, slice raw green beans (about 1/4-1/3 cup) very thin (1/8 inch) and add along with scallions, garlic, ginger and carrot.
* Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
Riva's Milwaukee Brats
From: Riva Heron @ Dinners by the Dozen
Serving Size: 6
6 Bratwurst Links
12 Ounces beer
2 Cups sliced Peppers and Onions
6 Hoagie buns
Combine in bag and freeze. To cook, thaw completely and pour into baking pan and heat on stove or on grill. Heat until sausages are warmed through. If desired, remove sausages and sear on grill for 1-2 minutes. Place in brat bun, garnish with peppers/onions. Enjoy.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 325 Calories; 23g Fat (68.2% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 51mg Cholesterol; 653mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
South African Bobotie
Serving Size: 6
1/2 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup dried apricot, diced
1 1/4 cups White Bread, cut into cubes
2 1/2 cups 1% Low-fat Milk
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 pound browned ground beef
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup raisins
4 Tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup Egg Substitute
Place bread into small bowl and pour 1/2 the milk over it – allow to soak. In another bowl, combine curry powder, chili powder, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ground beef. Add the raisins, almonds, apricots and soaked bread (including the milk the bread soaked in). Spoon mixture into a greased pan. Combine egg mixture and remaining milk. Pour over the meat mixture in the pan.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 536 Calories; 26g Fat (43.6% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 42g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 89mg Cholesterol; 1174mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat.
Chez JJ's Pizza
(Using WW Basic Pizza Dough with Variations and Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce so you don't have to hunt for the recipes)
Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie
This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.
Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.
Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3
TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3
Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.
Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3
Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce
This is mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Pizza Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.
15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.
To make a pizza:
Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack.
For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top.
Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking).
Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy.
It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch how many you eat.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
While I recover from my gravy-infused weekend trip to WV for my husband's grandmother's 80th birthday party, I figured I'd at least get my menu posted. I was smart and planned my menu BEFORE we left. :) Mainly this was done because I knew it wouldn't be pretty. So I've got it figured out points-wise pretty much for the main meals.
I'll try to write more about the trip later. I've got to get my blood drawn tomorrow for my 3-month recheck and it'll be interesting to see if they actually get blood or gravy. ;) I hope this weekend won't impact my blood values.
Monday: B: Cereal L: Black & White Bean Salad, Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich D: Hand-Slappin' Chicken, Cauliflower, Collards
Tuesday: B: Strawberry Vanilla Shake L: same as above D: Slow Cooker Beef Beef Chili, cornbread
Wednesday: B: Fruit & Yogurt L: Same as above D: Garlic-Studded Pork Loin, Roasted Veg
Thursday: B: Egg, bacon, & veggies L: Ham N Swiss sandwich and Tomato Soup D: Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Friday: B: Egg & Cheddar Sandwich, L: Bean Salad, sandwich D: Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Everything may change (usually it's going to be breakfast or lunch). This morning ended up being coffee and pepperoni rolls. Yes, I was introduced to pepperoni rolls this weekend too. I think my blood will be a bit viscous.
Garlic-Studded Pork Loin
Makes 3 Entrees 6-8 Servings Each
Come home and enjoy this Mediterranean-style roast after a busy day. Slow cooking your main dish leaves you a little extra time for finishing touches: a roasted head of garlic to spread on a fresh baguette, fresh mozzarella over sliced tomatoes topped with fresh basil leaves, or perhaps a simple spinach salad with red onion, pitted Kalamata olives, and feta. - KN
From: Fix, Freeze, Feast
1 pork loin, (about 8 lbs)
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
18 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
Mix oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Rinse and trim loin as desired. Cut loin into three equal roasts. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, cut twelve openings 3/4 inch deep in each roast. Slice each garlic clove in half and place one garlic piece in each opening.
Rub each roast with one-third of the seasoning mixture. Place one roast into each freezer bag. Over each roast, measure 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water.
Seal and freeze.
To cook one entree: Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator. Put roast and marinade in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
NOTE: Lemon juice from Concentrate- If you choose bottled lemon juice, take care to check the expiration date on the bottles. While 2-packs of lemon juice are three to five times less expensive per fluid ounce at the warehouse club, it does not keep indefinitely. If you purchase more than you will use in cooking, consider using it to clean around the house. Lemon is a natural cleaning agent and deodorizer. Contact the manufacturer for other household uses or consult some of the books in our Resources section.
Black and White Bean Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 2
1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp minced Italian parsley
1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste
In a large bowl, combine beans, tomato, onion and celery. Gently stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strawberry Vanilla Shake
Serves 2
POINTS 6
1/2 oz fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (use half 1 oz package)
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
Combine all ingredients together in a blender; puree until smooth.
Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich
Serves 4
POINTS 2
3 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp store-bought pesto sauce
8 oz baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces
6 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 oz roasted red peppers, or 2 pieces, thinly sliced
4 romaine lettuce leaves
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and pesto. Halve baguette pieces horizontally and spread mayonnaise mixture on both sides. Top bottom halves with equal amounts of mozzarella, red peppers and lettuce. Cover with remaining bread halves and serve.
Fruit and Yogurt
Serves 1
POINTS 3
1 cup light vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup blueberries
Top yogurt with fruit.
Egg & Cheddar Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3
3 egg whites
nonstick cooking spray
2 slices reduced calorie whole-wheat bread, toasted
2 Tbsp low-fat cheddar cheese
Scramble eggs whites in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place egg on 1 slice bread and top with cheese and other slice of bread.
Egg, Bacon and Veggies
Serves 1
POINTS 3
1 egg
1 tomato, halved
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 slice Canadian bacon
In a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook all ingredients. Serve.
Ham & Swiss Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3
2 slices reduced-calorie whole-wheat bread
2 oz lean ham
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
arugula leaves
sliced tomato
Dijon mustard
Top 1 slice bread with rest of ingredients and top with other piece of bread. Serve.
Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
POINTS 3
Winter's root vegetables are wonderfully flavorful when they're slow-cooked.
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz baby carrots
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp olive oil.
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange vegetables and garlic in a shallow baking pan. Add oil, sage, salt and pepper to pan; toss to coat
Roast vegetables until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Add broth and bake 10 more minutes. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.
Slow-Cooker Beef Chili
Serves 4 (plus leftovers (2 cups) for Tex-Mex Taco Salad)
POINTS 7
From: WW Now & Later
2 pounds bottom round roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 (1 1/4 oz) package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 Tbsp chili powder
Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, taco seasoning, and chili powder.
Add the bean mixture to the slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Transfer 2 cups of the chili to a microwavable bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days for later use in Tex-Mex Taco salad, opposite. Divide the remaining 4 cups of chili among 4 bowls.
Per serving (1 cup): 341 cal, 6 cal fat, 2g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 84mg chol, 431 mg sod, 30 g carb, 9 g fib, 42 g prot, 92mg calc.
Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 6
Filling Extra: Jazz up these salads by topping the lettuce and tomatoes on each plate with a few slices red bell pepper and thinly sliced scallions.
2 cups reserved cooked Slow-cooker Beef Chili
6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
16 baked tortilla chips, broken into pieces
1 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Cover the chili with plastic wrap; then prick a few holes in the plastic. Microwave on High until hot, 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, divide the lettuce and tomatoes among 4 plates; drizzle each plate with 1 Tbsp of the dressing.
Top the lettuce mixture on each plate evenly with the tortilla chips, chili and cheese.
Per Serving (1 salad): 312 cal, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 48 mg chol, 797 mg sod, 39 g carb, 7 g fib, 31 g prot, 327 mg calc.
I'll try to write more about the trip later. I've got to get my blood drawn tomorrow for my 3-month recheck and it'll be interesting to see if they actually get blood or gravy. ;) I hope this weekend won't impact my blood values.
Monday: B: Cereal L: Black & White Bean Salad, Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich D: Hand-Slappin' Chicken, Cauliflower, Collards
Tuesday: B: Strawberry Vanilla Shake L: same as above D: Slow Cooker Beef Beef Chili, cornbread
Wednesday: B: Fruit & Yogurt L: Same as above D: Garlic-Studded Pork Loin, Roasted Veg
Thursday: B: Egg, bacon, & veggies L: Ham N Swiss sandwich and Tomato Soup D: Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Friday: B: Egg & Cheddar Sandwich, L: Bean Salad, sandwich D: Pizza
For more menu ideas visit: I'm an Organizing Junkie
Everything may change (usually it's going to be breakfast or lunch). This morning ended up being coffee and pepperoni rolls. Yes, I was introduced to pepperoni rolls this weekend too. I think my blood will be a bit viscous.
Garlic-Studded Pork Loin
Makes 3 Entrees 6-8 Servings Each
Come home and enjoy this Mediterranean-style roast after a busy day. Slow cooking your main dish leaves you a little extra time for finishing touches: a roasted head of garlic to spread on a fresh baguette, fresh mozzarella over sliced tomatoes topped with fresh basil leaves, or perhaps a simple spinach salad with red onion, pitted Kalamata olives, and feta. - KN
From: Fix, Freeze, Feast
1 pork loin, (about 8 lbs)
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
18 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup water
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
Mix oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Rinse and trim loin as desired. Cut loin into three equal roasts. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, cut twelve openings 3/4 inch deep in each roast. Slice each garlic clove in half and place one garlic piece in each opening.
Rub each roast with one-third of the seasoning mixture. Place one roast into each freezer bag. Over each roast, measure 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water.
Seal and freeze.
To cook one entree: Completely thaw one entree in the refrigerator. Put roast and marinade in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
NOTE: Lemon juice from Concentrate- If you choose bottled lemon juice, take care to check the expiration date on the bottles. While 2-packs of lemon juice are three to five times less expensive per fluid ounce at the warehouse club, it does not keep indefinitely. If you purchase more than you will use in cooking, consider using it to clean around the house. Lemon is a natural cleaning agent and deodorizer. Contact the manufacturer for other household uses or consult some of the books in our Resources section.
Black and White Bean Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 2
1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp minced Italian parsley
1/8 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste
In a large bowl, combine beans, tomato, onion and celery. Gently stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strawberry Vanilla Shake
Serves 2
POINTS 6
1/2 oz fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix (use half 1 oz package)
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
Combine all ingredients together in a blender; puree until smooth.
Mozzarella, Red Pepper and Pesto Sandwich
Serves 4
POINTS 2
3 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp store-bought pesto sauce
8 oz baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces
6 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 oz roasted red peppers, or 2 pieces, thinly sliced
4 romaine lettuce leaves
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and pesto. Halve baguette pieces horizontally and spread mayonnaise mixture on both sides. Top bottom halves with equal amounts of mozzarella, red peppers and lettuce. Cover with remaining bread halves and serve.
Fruit and Yogurt
Serves 1
POINTS 3
1 cup light vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup blueberries
Top yogurt with fruit.
Egg & Cheddar Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3
3 egg whites
nonstick cooking spray
2 slices reduced calorie whole-wheat bread, toasted
2 Tbsp low-fat cheddar cheese
Scramble eggs whites in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place egg on 1 slice bread and top with cheese and other slice of bread.
Egg, Bacon and Veggies
Serves 1
POINTS 3
1 egg
1 tomato, halved
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 slice Canadian bacon
In a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook all ingredients. Serve.
Ham & Swiss Sandwich
Serves 1
POINTS 3
2 slices reduced-calorie whole-wheat bread
2 oz lean ham
1 slice low-fat Swiss cheese
arugula leaves
sliced tomato
Dijon mustard
Top 1 slice bread with rest of ingredients and top with other piece of bread. Serve.
Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
POINTS 3
Winter's root vegetables are wonderfully flavorful when they're slow-cooked.
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
1 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz baby carrots
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp olive oil.
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange vegetables and garlic in a shallow baking pan. Add oil, sage, salt and pepper to pan; toss to coat
Roast vegetables until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Add broth and bake 10 more minutes. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.
Slow-Cooker Beef Chili
Serves 4 (plus leftovers (2 cups) for Tex-Mex Taco Salad)
POINTS 7
From: WW Now & Later
2 pounds bottom round roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
1 (1 1/4 oz) package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 Tbsp chili powder
Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, taco seasoning, and chili powder.
Add the bean mixture to the slow cooker, stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Transfer 2 cups of the chili to a microwavable bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days for later use in Tex-Mex Taco salad, opposite. Divide the remaining 4 cups of chili among 4 bowls.
Per serving (1 cup): 341 cal, 6 cal fat, 2g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 84mg chol, 431 mg sod, 30 g carb, 9 g fib, 42 g prot, 92mg calc.
Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Serves 4
POINTS 6
Filling Extra: Jazz up these salads by topping the lettuce and tomatoes on each plate with a few slices red bell pepper and thinly sliced scallions.
2 cups reserved cooked Slow-cooker Beef Chili
6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
16 baked tortilla chips, broken into pieces
1 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
Cover the chili with plastic wrap; then prick a few holes in the plastic. Microwave on High until hot, 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, divide the lettuce and tomatoes among 4 plates; drizzle each plate with 1 Tbsp of the dressing.
Top the lettuce mixture on each plate evenly with the tortilla chips, chili and cheese.
Per Serving (1 salad): 312 cal, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat, 48 mg chol, 797 mg sod, 39 g carb, 7 g fib, 31 g prot, 327 mg calc.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
Hubby has off this week, and we're headed out of town this weekend, so my meals are pretty easy (does that mean boring?). I was going to make Chinese food today, but since we have restaurant leftovers from dinner last night with my sister - we'll eat those tonight for Chinese New Year.
Monday: Chinese leftovers
Tuesday: leftover pea soup
Wednesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Thursday: Pasta with spaghetti sauce
Friday: Leaving for WV for Grandmother Sommerville's Birthday
Monday: Chinese leftovers
Tuesday: leftover pea soup
Wednesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Thursday: Pasta with spaghetti sauce
Friday: Leaving for WV for Grandmother Sommerville's Birthday
Monday, January 19, 2009
Menu Plan Monday
I took hubby to Trader Joes on Saturday since we were having Mike and Jennifer over for dinner. He hadn't been there yet. He's not much of a food shopper, but I wanted him to see it so if I need him to stop for something he could. Since he works near there, sometimes it's easier for him to get something on the way home rather than me making a trip into town if I'm not headed there in the first place. Anyway, I had the dinner planned out, but they were bringing some sweet wine for dessert, so I was planning to pick up some bread, cheese, fruit and nuts and thought TJ's would be a good place to pick some up. I was right. I thought I'd also stop by Whole Foods for the cheese actually, since I could get the actual amount of cheese I needed, but TJ's was pretty packed, and I knew WF would be the same. We just got everything we needed at TJ's and left it at that. So hubby and I will hit WF's some other time since he hasn't been there either. The leftover Raclette cheese is going into the strata along with the leftover French bread, leeks, and green beans. The Double cream brie will get eaten as well as the leftover Gruyere Foccacia with no problem in this household. *grin* and I'm thinking of using the Stilton w/ apricots (which is AWESOME!!!!) on the pizza on Friday if it doesn't get eaten on crackers as evening snacks. The apples and Asian pears will get eaten as snacks also.
Monday: Chili Lime Chicken Patties (from Trader Joes) with Mrs. T's pierogies
Tues: Strata
Wednesday: Pea Soup
Thursday: Beef Tongue
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: My Mom's Birthday "Party" so we're headed there
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-19th.html [She's starting to get over 400 now!]
Easy Strata & Variations
from: Cook Smart by Pam Anderson
1 pound each of prepared meat and vegetable (optional) OR
1 pound each of 2 prepared vegetables (optional)
1 quart half-and-half
1 dozen eggs
1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper
12 slices fluffy white bread
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 medium)
Prepare meat and/or vegetables, if using.
Whisk half-and-half, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. If using meats and/ or vegetables, scatter half of each over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers with remaining bread, meat, vegetables, cheese and scallions. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap, then weight down casserole with 3 16-ounce cans for at least 15 minutes to submerge ingredients. (Can be refrigerated overnight, but return to room temperature before baking.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until custard is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.
Serves: 12.
Nutrition varies, based on meat/ vegetables used. Basic recipe, per serving: 362 calories, 17g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 24g fat (13g saturated), 1g fiber, 600mg sodium.
VEGETABLE OPTIONS:
MUSHROOMS OR BELL PEPPERS: Slice and sauté in 1 Tb. olive oil. Salt.
BABY SPINACH: Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil and salt until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
FROZEN CORN: Thaw and drain.
ASPARAGUS: Cut in 1-inch pieces. Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil, salt and 1/3 cup water, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook off liquid.
MEAT OPTIONS
BACON: Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fry until crisp. Drain well.
SAUSAGE: Fry bulk breakfast or Italian sausage until fully cooked. Drain.
HAM: Cut into small dice.
KIELBASA: Thinly slice.
CRAB: Pick over pasteurized backfin crab for shell and cartilage.
Split Pea Soup (3 pts)
From bag of split peas
Serves 10-12
1 lb (2 1/2 cups) dried green split peas
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 3/4 – 2 lbs ham hocks or bone
1 large onion, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Rinse and sort peas. In a large soup kettle (I use a 6 qt crockpot and add everything together), combine peas, water and ham; simmer, covered for 2-2 1/2 hours. Add remaining ingredients; simmer covered for 45 minutes. Removed bones. For thicker soup simmer 20-30 minutes more, uncovered. Will thicken when refrigerated, but thins when heated.
Corned Beef or Veal Tongue
Tongue takes particularly well to spicing, but if you prefer a plain cure, omit the spices from the brine. If calves' tongues are available, be sure to try them; they are very lean and delicate flavored. Home-cured tongue does not have the excessive saltiness or the deep-rose hue of commercially brined tongues which are cured with saltpeter.
Recipe By: Better Than Store Bought by Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie
Serving Size: 6
1 beef tongue -- fresh (or frozen and thawed)
water -- as needed
kosher salt -- as needed
1 egg -- in shell to test the brine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 bay leaves -- crumbled
1/2 teaspoon allspice berries -- bruised
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns -- bruised
2 teaspoons coriander seeds -- bruised
1 teaspoon mustard seeds -- bruised
2 cloves garlic -- peeled but left whole
Select a ceramic, glass or enameled crock or bowl large enough to hold both the tongue and enough brine to cover the tongue by 2 or more inches. Be sure the container will fit into your refrigerator.
To determine the brine quantity needed, enclose the tongue in a plastic bag (no need to close the bag- just hold the open end above the water level), and run cold water into the container to cover the bagged meat by 2-3 inches. Remove the tongue.
Stir coarse salt into the water, letting each addition dissolve before adding more, until an egg will float in the solution. (you'll probably need about 1 1/2 cups salt.) Remove the egg once it has served its
purpose and pour the bring into a pot.
Stir into the brine the sugar, bay leaves, allspice berries, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, then let cool completely.
Remove the tongue from the bag and prick it well all over with a skewer or larding needle. Return it to the crock or bowl.
When the brine is cool, pour it over the tongue. Cover with plastic wrap, then add a plate (with a weight on it, if necessary) that will hold the meat well under the surface. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 days to 2 1/2 weeks for beef tongue, 3 to 10 days for calves' tongues. (Figure a minimum of 3 days curing per pound of any single piece of meat.) Turn the meat every few days and be sure it is always immersed in the brine.
To cook: Put the tongue or tongues in a pot with water to cover by several inches, 2 or 3 carrots, coarsely cut up, a peeled whole onion or two, and a few tablespoons of vinegar and simmer, partly covered, until the meat is very tender. (The time will vary with the size of the tongue and its original tenderness.) Remove from the cooking liquid, then slit the skin and peel it off neatly. Serve hot as a main course or cold and thinly sliced for lunch or in sandwiches.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 131 Calories; 4g Fat (28.0% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : *Tongue: 3-4 lbs, well trimmed, or 3 or 4 calves tongues (about 3/4 lb each), trimmed
Monday: Chili Lime Chicken Patties (from Trader Joes) with Mrs. T's pierogies
Tues: Strata
Wednesday: Pea Soup
Thursday: Beef Tongue
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: My Mom's Birthday "Party" so we're headed there
For more menu ideas visit: http://orgjunkie.com/2009/01/menu-plan-monday-january-19th.html [She's starting to get over 400 now!]
Easy Strata & Variations
from: Cook Smart by Pam Anderson
1 pound each of prepared meat and vegetable (optional) OR
1 pound each of 2 prepared vegetables (optional)
1 quart half-and-half
1 dozen eggs
1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper
12 slices fluffy white bread
12 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 medium)
Prepare meat and/or vegetables, if using.
Whisk half-and-half, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. If using meats and/ or vegetables, scatter half of each over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers with remaining bread, meat, vegetables, cheese and scallions. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap, then weight down casserole with 3 16-ounce cans for at least 15 minutes to submerge ingredients. (Can be refrigerated overnight, but return to room temperature before baking.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until custard is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.
Serves: 12.
Nutrition varies, based on meat/ vegetables used. Basic recipe, per serving: 362 calories, 17g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 24g fat (13g saturated), 1g fiber, 600mg sodium.
VEGETABLE OPTIONS:
MUSHROOMS OR BELL PEPPERS: Slice and sauté in 1 Tb. olive oil. Salt.
BABY SPINACH: Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil and salt until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
FROZEN CORN: Thaw and drain.
ASPARAGUS: Cut in 1-inch pieces. Steam, covered, with 1 Tb. oil, salt and 1/3 cup water, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook off liquid.
MEAT OPTIONS
BACON: Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fry until crisp. Drain well.
SAUSAGE: Fry bulk breakfast or Italian sausage until fully cooked. Drain.
HAM: Cut into small dice.
KIELBASA: Thinly slice.
CRAB: Pick over pasteurized backfin crab for shell and cartilage.
Split Pea Soup (3 pts)
From bag of split peas
Serves 10-12
1 lb (2 1/2 cups) dried green split peas
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 3/4 – 2 lbs ham hocks or bone
1 large onion, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Rinse and sort peas. In a large soup kettle (I use a 6 qt crockpot and add everything together), combine peas, water and ham; simmer, covered for 2-2 1/2 hours. Add remaining ingredients; simmer covered for 45 minutes. Removed bones. For thicker soup simmer 20-30 minutes more, uncovered. Will thicken when refrigerated, but thins when heated.
Corned Beef or Veal Tongue
Tongue takes particularly well to spicing, but if you prefer a plain cure, omit the spices from the brine. If calves' tongues are available, be sure to try them; they are very lean and delicate flavored. Home-cured tongue does not have the excessive saltiness or the deep-rose hue of commercially brined tongues which are cured with saltpeter.
Recipe By: Better Than Store Bought by Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider Colchie
Serving Size: 6
1 beef tongue -- fresh (or frozen and thawed)
water -- as needed
kosher salt -- as needed
1 egg -- in shell to test the brine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 bay leaves -- crumbled
1/2 teaspoon allspice berries -- bruised
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns -- bruised
2 teaspoons coriander seeds -- bruised
1 teaspoon mustard seeds -- bruised
2 cloves garlic -- peeled but left whole
Select a ceramic, glass or enameled crock or bowl large enough to hold both the tongue and enough brine to cover the tongue by 2 or more inches. Be sure the container will fit into your refrigerator.
To determine the brine quantity needed, enclose the tongue in a plastic bag (no need to close the bag- just hold the open end above the water level), and run cold water into the container to cover the bagged meat by 2-3 inches. Remove the tongue.
Stir coarse salt into the water, letting each addition dissolve before adding more, until an egg will float in the solution. (you'll probably need about 1 1/2 cups salt.) Remove the egg once it has served its
purpose and pour the bring into a pot.
Stir into the brine the sugar, bay leaves, allspice berries, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, then let cool completely.
Remove the tongue from the bag and prick it well all over with a skewer or larding needle. Return it to the crock or bowl.
When the brine is cool, pour it over the tongue. Cover with plastic wrap, then add a plate (with a weight on it, if necessary) that will hold the meat well under the surface. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 days to 2 1/2 weeks for beef tongue, 3 to 10 days for calves' tongues. (Figure a minimum of 3 days curing per pound of any single piece of meat.) Turn the meat every few days and be sure it is always immersed in the brine.
To cook: Put the tongue or tongues in a pot with water to cover by several inches, 2 or 3 carrots, coarsely cut up, a peeled whole onion or two, and a few tablespoons of vinegar and simmer, partly covered, until the meat is very tender. (The time will vary with the size of the tongue and its original tenderness.) Remove from the cooking liquid, then slit the skin and peel it off neatly. Serve hot as a main course or cold and thinly sliced for lunch or in sandwiches.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 131 Calories; 4g Fat (28.0% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 52mg Cholesterol; 33mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : *Tongue: 3-4 lbs, well trimmed, or 3 or 4 calves tongues (about 3/4 lb each), trimmed
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Cheaper way of talking to my sister?
On one of the first times my sister went out on a date with her now husband, he likes to mention, she farted so loudly that it shook the couch. That was one thing my sister has always had no problem with, farting or burping. I was, on the other hand, always kidded because no one ever heard it even though I would say "excuse me." And growing up we blamed a lot of these things, whether burps or farts on the dog.
A few weeks ago, my husband burped pretty loudly and I turned around to scold him. He faced me and instead of blaming it on the dog like he's now learned to do, he returned, "What? I was just talking to your sister."
We've got a new phrase not only in our house now, but my sister liked it when we told her too.
A few weeks ago, my husband burped pretty loudly and I turned around to scold him. He faced me and instead of blaming it on the dog like he's now learned to do, he returned, "What? I was just talking to your sister."
We've got a new phrase not only in our house now, but my sister liked it when we told her too.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Homemade Bagel Dogs
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!
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!
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
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