Beef with Snow Peas

(photo courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com)

The Pioneer Woman strikes again! I swear, everything of hers that I try I love. And this dish is no exception. Great thing about this one though, no butter OR heavy cream? What? Could it be true? Pioneer Woman makes a dish slightly healthy? Let's be honest, there still is a lot of sodium but oh well, it's too delicious to care.

My one suggestion: Do NOT use cooking Sherry for this dish and do NOT use normal soy sauce. Use regular Sherry and low sodium soy sauce. The first time I made this I didn't have sherry so I used cooking sherry but cooking sherry has added sodium and this dish was SO salty I could barely eat it. There is enough salt in the ½ low sodium soy sauce you'll use, don't add any extra. Trust me on this one.

Ingredients
- 1½ pound Flank Steak, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin against the grain
- ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Sherry
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger (I grate mine)
- 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, ends trimmed
- 5 whole Scallions, cut into half-inch pieces on the diagonal
- 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
- Crushed Red Pepper, for sprinkling
- Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, cooked according to package

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a heavy skillet, iron is best, (I use nonstick) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

3. Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible).Turn meat to the other side and cook until done. Remove to a clean plate.

4. Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

5. Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.

Broccoli with Shallots

This was probably the best broccoli I have ever had. I love broccoli and am always looking for the perfect way to make it. I think this is it! I didn't have any shallots so I used 2 cloves of garlic instead and grated them in with my microplane. I love that thing!

Cook 12 ounces fresh broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain. Heat 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons minced shallots; sauté for 2 minutes. Add broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; sauté 2 more minutes.
Yield: 4 servings.
CALORIES 48; FAT 2.4g (sat 0.8g); SODIUM 178mg

recipe from cookinglight.com

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Drum roll Please.......It's my very first post! I've been meaning to post some tasty recipes for a LONG time, but let's face it. I was lazy. Tonight's dinner was super good and easy, so I'm going to share it with you. I'll list it the way the recipe reads and incorporate my changes in red. I served this with rice and Broccoli with Shallots, which will be my next post!

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet)
Total Time: 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (I used plain yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets (I used chicken breasts)
• 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (I used regular bread crumbs)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used a 6 cheese Italian Blend)
• 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (I used 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed with my mortar and pestle, but I would use a little more)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (The bread crumbs had a lot of sodium, so I would eliminate this)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• Rosemary leaves (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
• Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.
• Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 287
• Fat: 9.4g
• Saturated fat: 1.6g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 5.1g
• Protein: 42.7g
• Carbohydrate: 6g
• Fiber: 0.9g
• Cholesterol: 101mg
• Iron: 1.6mg
• Sodium: 379mg
• Calcium: 66mg

recipe from Cooking Light, June 2010

Healthier Fettuccine Alfredo

Photo courtesy of EatingWell.com

I've been looking for a healthier version of fettuccine alfredo for a while now. I've found a few but none of them lived up to my taste expectations. Well, I tried this Eating Well recipe last night and it was FANTASTIC! I foundit in their "cooking for 2" section. I was a little nervous because there is no cream or milk in the sauce and didn't think it could taste that great. I was wrong. I think it is just as good (maybe better???) than the real stuff. Seriously, so good. I added some grilled chicken to the top because I need meat with my meals and it was a great addition. Go try this recipe ... now!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth (use chicken broth, much better flavor)

- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled (I used minced garlic because it is all I had)

- 4 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine

- 1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks (I didn't use zucchini and you don't have to either)

- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I don't use, I think parsley ruins everything)

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the garlic cloves are soft, about 15 minutes.

2. After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook fettuccine in the boiling water, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Drop in zucchini and cook until the fettuccine is just tender, about 1 minute more.

3. Meanwhile, transfer the garlic and broth to a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute (if you used minced garlic like me, you can skip this step). Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds (at this point, I had to add about 1/2 c. more chicken broth because there wasn't enough liquid). Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)

4. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl (or back in the saucepan). Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.

Makes 2 servings, 1.2 cups each.

Nutritional Info per serving:

379 calories;

11 g fat ( 6 g sat , 3 g mono )

33 mg cholesterol

52 g carbohydrates

21 g protein

8 g fiber

628 mg sodium

326 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (40% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Vitamin A & Zinc (20% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Win some cool bakeware!

Hey cooking friends, if you want some cool new bakeware to cook with, head on over to Yvonne's cooking blog www.triedandtasty.com and enter to win the set of two baking dishes. Way cool!

Bread Pudding

Ever since I have known that Roosters and Union Grill offers a tasty caramel bread pudding, I have wanted to try it. But, since I didn't try it before finding out I am a Celiac, I never had the chance to.

I decided to try a recipe for it at home, with gluten free bread of course, and I have to say it was pretty much delicious.
I used the recipe below, but like I said, just exchanged the regular bread for homemade gluten free bread, using Pamela's Wheat Free Bread Mix in a bread machine.
I am sure either one you decide to try will be just as good as the other :)

Recipe from www.momswhothink.com

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark, depending on taste preference)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)


Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

If you make the sauce to put on top of your bread pudding, adjust the sugar in the bread pudding recipe, change it to 1/3 cups sugar (the sauce has the other 1/3 cup in it).
javascript:void(0)
Bread Pudding Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon flour
dash of salt

Directions:

Mix everything together and bring to a boil for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on warm bread pudding.

Barbecued Pork Chops and Sauteed Apples

We love this Cooking Light recipe and so do all the guests we've served it to. It's super easy and can be cooked on the grill in the summer or under the broiler in the fall and winter. We love to serve it with baked sweet potatoes.

Barbecued Pork Chops

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

Sauce:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Remaining ingredients:
6 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray

Prepare grill or broiler.

To prepare sauce, combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Place 1/4 cup sauce in a small bowl, and set aside.

Trim fat from pork. Combine the thyme, garlic salt, and pepper; sprinkle over pork. Place pork on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side, basting with remaining sauce. Serve pork chops with reserved 1/4 cup sauce.

Nutritional Information

Calories:244 (42% from fat)
Fat:11.3g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:24.6g
Carbohydrate:9.9g
Fiber:0.2g
Cholesterol:77mg
Iron:1.5mg
Sodium:649mg
Calcium:22mg

Sauteed Apples

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; sauté 6 minutes or until apples are just tender. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute or until sugar melts.

Nutritional Information

Calories:137 (30% from fat)
Fat:4.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.2g)
Protein:0.2g
Carbohydrate:25.7g
Fiber:1.6g
Cholesterol:12mg

Creamy Shrimp and Tomato Chowder

(image provided from YahooShine/Better Homes and Gardens)

I didn't have any shirmp left to make this, because I had used it all the night before, but I tried it with cubed chicken pieces and thought it was tasty that way too :)

Source: Better Homes and Gardens, posted on Yahoo Shine Food

Ingredients

2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
8 oz. medium peeled cooked shrimp
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup water
Ground Black Pepper
Slivered fresh basil
Focaccia wedges (optional)

Directions

In a large saucepan cook celery and onion in hot oil just until tender. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. Add shrimp, whipping cream, and water. Cook over medium heat just until hot. Season to taste with pepper.
Ladle chowder into bowls; top with basil Serve with focaccia wedges. Serves 4 (1-1/2-cup servings).


Nutrition Facts * Calories245, * Total Fat (g)15, * Saturated Fat (g)8, * Monounsaturated Fat (g)6, * Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, * Cholesterol (mg)152, * Sodium (mg)1056, * Carbohydrate (g)14, * Total Sugar (g)10, * Fiber (g)2, * Protein (g)15, * Vitamin A (DV%)0, * Vitamin C (DV%)40, * Calcium (DV%)12, * Iron (DV%)14