Recipe Co-op

Garlic Green Bean Chicken and Kaytee's Cilantro Rice Pilaf

2012-01-16T20:55:00.001-08:00

picture from salad-in-a-jar.com

I always forget to take my own pictures! This one isn't really what mine looked like, but it gives you an idea. Now on to the goods! I LOVE the Garlic Green Bean Chicken dish at Marco Polo Global Restaurant. I've only been there twice and I've had this both times. It is SO good. I've been wanting to try and recreate it and I think this is pretty darn close. Since I've only made it once, this recipe is not quite an exact science. Times are estimates of how I think things went. So, here goes:

Ingredients
3 TBS less-sodium soy sauce
3 TBS honey
2 TBS unsalted butter
4 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion
1 large carrot, cut into 3 inch pieces and thinly sliced
1 ½ lbs green beans, trimmed
salt
4-5 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken, thinly sliced, cooked (keep warm)
toasted sliced almonds

How to make it

Combine soy sauce, honey and 3 TBS water in a small dish and set near the stove. In a large pan, heat the butter with the olive oil over med-high heat. When the butter is melted, add carrots, onion and ½ tsp salt and toss with tongs to coat well. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes. Add green beans and toss to coat. Cook, turning the beans occasionally, until tender crisp (maybe 5 – 7 minutes). (The butter in the pan will have turned dark brown.) Reduce heat to low, add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 – 2 minutes . Add cooked chicken and the soy mixture (you’ll need to scrape the honey in the pan). Cook, stirring until the liquid reduces to a glazy consistency that coats the beans. Immediately transfer to a serving dish, scraping the pan with a spatula to get all the garlicky sauce. Top with toasted almonds. Let sit for a few minutes and serve warm over rice. (Don’t forget to spoon extra sauce on your plate!)

Kaytee's Cilantro Rice Pilaf (SO GOOD!!)

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 or 4 TBS onion, chopped
1 TBS grated ginger
1 cup long-grain rice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 TBS chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. (Don’t peek.) Add cilantro, fluff with a fork, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Serves 5

Coconut-Ginger Chicken with Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce

2012-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Long time no post, huh? I've been a little busy (and sleep deprived) to say the least. But I recently made these coconut ginger chicken skewers that were so good that I had to share. Enjoy!

I saw this recipe one day when I was watching The Chew on ABC. Aaron McCargo Jr. was on the show and did a little cooking demo and made these. They looked delicious so I decided to try them at home. SO GOOD! I'm not sure that I've ever really deep fried anything before but it was so worth it. These were delicious, crispy and the dipping sauce was a fantastic compliment to the flavors of the chicken. I left the canola oil I fried them in cool, poured it back in the bottle and can use it again another day when I make these again ... because I will make them again, they were that good. I also think this recipe would be delicious if you used shrimp instead of chicken as well.

Ingredients:
Chicken Skewers:
4 8-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 4 strips
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 tbsp fresh ginger shredded
2 large eggs
3 quarts canola oil

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup sour cream drained
¼ cup honey
¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make Honey-Scallion Dipping Sauce:
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, honey, scallions, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill, or for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

To make Coconut-Ginger Chicken Skewers:

1. In a shallow bowl, soak 16 wooden skewers in cold water for about 20 minutes. Drain.

2. In a heavy, deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat.

3. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, mix together the panko, coconut, and ginger. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs.

4. Thread each skewer with a chicken breast, weaving the skewer in and out of the meat. Leave a “handle” at one end of the skewers.

5. Dip the chicken strips first in the flour mixture and then into the eggs, and then the bread crumb mixture. Grasping the handle ends of the skewers, carefully submerge the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1½ to 3 minutes per side, frying only a few strips at a time.

6. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.

7. Continue frying the strips, letting the oil return to 350 between batches. Serve with the dipping sauce or ketchup, barbecue sauce and honey.

Yield: 4 servings

Beef with Snow Peas

2011-05-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

(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

2011-05-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-06T20:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-03-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-02-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

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).
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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

2011-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

(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

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

2010-12-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com

This is my new go-to recipe for having company over for dinner. I got it from The Pioneer Woman and it is phenomenal. I've tried a few of her recipes now and they all have been amazing. Basically nothing she makes is low calorie/low fat/low sugar but I believe splurges are completely justified every now and then. I've made this dish a few times now and it has always been a hit. I like to serve it for company because A) It serves a lot of people, B) It is pretty easy to make and C) Makes for a good presentation and is family style so I don't have to plate up everyone's meal.

Marinating the chicken makes it SO tender and delicious so I highly recommend NOT skipping this step. Also, the original recipe calls for the juice of 4 lemons in the sauce but that is WAY too much. Makes it so sour it is almost unbearable, especially if you use a citrus reamer like me and 4 lemons gives you a whole cup of juice! So I only use 2 lemons. But please oh please make this sometime soon. It is amazing!

Ingredients:
- 4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced (marinade instructions below)
- 1 pound Penne Pasta, cooked until Al Dente
- ½ stick of Butter
- 2 whole Lemons, juiced (I go for 1/2 cup of juice so if you have small lemons, you may need more lemons)
- ½ cups Heavy Cream
- ½ cups Half-and-half
- 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano) (fresh grated is better than store bought grated, just use your food processor)
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 20 whole fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1. They day before, marinate chicken for 24 hours (I forgot to marinate them early one time so only did it for 10 hours and they were still good ... but 24 hours is better). Ree (The Pioneer Woman) didn't give exact amounts at all for each of the marinade ingredients so I'm estimating how much I used. Pour all the ingredients into a gallon sized ziplock bag then add chicken.

1/4 c. Olive oil

Juice of four lemons

1-2 tablespoons Dijon

1 tablespoon honey

A dash of salt

2. When you are ready to actually make the meal, cook pasta in a large pot, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander. Mean while, grill marinated chicken, set aside and keep warm.

3. In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 2-3 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-half. Whisk until nice and hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper.

4. Add pasta to sauce and stir until pasta is totally covered. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. (You probably won't have to use the whole cup of water, I use maybe 1/4 cup max). Add half of the chopped basil and stir to combine.

5. Pour pasta and sauce into a large, pre-warmed serving bowl/dish. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts on top. Serve immediately!

If you want to see step by step pictures and instructions, you can look at the original post of this recipe here. Sometimes those pictures are very helpful!

Jerk Chicken with Cilantro Mango Salsa

2010-12-15T07:00:00.001-08:00

While on our honeymoon, our boat was re-routed after a hurricane hit St. Maarten and we ended up going to Jamaica for half a day. While there, we ate at a tasty little local place called the Pork Pit. They had some of the best tasting Jamaican Jerk Pork/Chicken that either of us ever tasted.

In attempts to re-created the tasty memory of what we shared together, and, to complete my goal of making 3 gluten free receipes this month, I made this yummy Jerk Chicken recipe last night. It has a nice blend of the spices/brown sugar and enough punch to satisfy Chas' desire for fire hot food. The mango salsa was a nice touch because, for wimps like me, it tamed down the hotness of the jerk spices.

Enjoy!

Recipe from www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com

JERK CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO MANGO SALSA (from Karen Robertson's always-great Cooking Gluten-free!, p. 59):

2 whole chicken breasts
1/ 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

Combine all the spices. Coat the chicken breasts in the spices. Ideally, you should grill them. But since I don't have a barbeque, or a place to keep it, I sauteed them in the pan with good olive oil. Damned juicy. Especially good if you top it with the cilantro/mango salsa:

2 cups peeled, chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime.

BLACK BEAN SALAD (ALSO FROM COOKING GLUTEN-FREE!, p. 130)

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 scallions, finely chopped (those are green onions, in case you are confused)
1 cup red and green peppers, finely chopped
1 cup of corn kernels
4 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
2 jalapeno peppers, finely minced
juice of 2 limes
2 avocadoes, chopped
Mix it all together. Salt and pepper to taste. That's it.

Note: I ended up mixing both the ingredients from the black bean salad and the mango salsa together, and it wad delicious! I also used a vegetable mix since I didn't have just corn, and I think it still worked just fine.

Shrimp Salad

2010-12-07T09:43:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine who is a personal trainer introduced me to http://www.skinnytaste.com/ and so far I have loved all the recipes I have tried from her blog. She even has a gluten free section, which makes it nice for people like me.

I found this tasty little appetizer and tried it a few weeks ago. I had to share since it really was so tasty. You can have it in a sandwich too, if you want.

As appetizer: Servings: 30 • Serving Size: 1 piece • Points: 0 pts
Calories: 15.7 • Fat: 0.4 g • Protein: 2.5 g • Carb: 0.5 g • Fiber: 0.1 g

As Lunch: Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4 lb salad plus 1/4 cucumber • Points: 2 pts
Calories: 117.5 • Fat: 2.8 g • Protein: 18.8 g • Carb: 3.7 g • Fiber: 1.0 g

3/4 lb cooked shrimp, peeled (weight after peeled)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp red onion, chopped
2 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used Hellmann's)
1 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt
Goya Adobo
salt and fresh ground pepper
30 thin slices cucumber (about 1 large)
chopped chives for garnish
Combine shrimp, celery, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt, and season to taste with adobo and pepper. Arrange cucumbers on a platter, season with salt and top each slice with a heaping tablespoon of shrimp salad. Top with chopped chives for garnish.

Chicken Coq a Vin

2010-11-21T08:37:00.001-08:00

I found this dish off Yahoo's Shine Food website, and thought that it was worth trying because it is different than any of the recipes I have been making lately. It was a tasty combination of flavors, my only suggestion would be to make the sauce just a little thinner than what my ended up looking like. And, as you can see, I made mine with rice instead of the pasta, because I didn't have any left. But there were no complaints about the rice in my house :)

Recipe source: Better Homes and Gardens

ingredients

2-1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and black pepper
12 to 18 pearl onions or shallots, peeled
1-1/4 cups Pinot Noir or Burgundy
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 cup whole fresh mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced carrot (2 medium)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
Snipped fresh parsley (optional)
Hot cooked noodles (optional)

directions

Skin chicken. In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat about 15 minutes or until light brown, turning to brown evenly. Drain fat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add onions, Pinot Noir, broth, mushrooms, carrots, the 1 tablespoon parsley, dried marjoram (if using), dried thyme (if using), bay leaf, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F for breasts; 180 degrees F for thighs and drumsticks). Add fresh marjoram and thyme (if using). Discard bay leaf. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm.
In a mixing bowl stir together flour and softened butter to make a smooth paste. Stir into wine mixture in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with bacon. If desired, top with additional parsley and serve with hot cooked noodles. Makes 6 servings.

French Pastry Puffs

2010-11-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine blogged about these on her cooking website (www.triedandtasty.com ), and I thought they looked tasty and pretty easy to make. I was right. I even substituted gluten free flour for the real deal and they tasted light, fluffy and like a French pastry puff.
Source: The Cook Next Door

4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs

In your mixer cream shortening and add sugar and blend well and then add eggs (it is best if you use room temperature eggs, but it will work if you don’t) one at a time until blended.

Then alternate adding dry ingredients to creamed mixture with 1 1/2 cups milk (whole is best). Keep alternating between the wet and the dry…ending with milk until all is blended. Grease mini muffin tins well with shortening. Spoon batter into tins. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. These will not get really dark brown on top so use a toothpick to check if done.

Melt in a bowl 1 cup of salted butter. In another bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3 tsp cinnamon. After muffins are out and cooled for a few minutes out of the pans, dip tops in butter and then roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture. This recipe makes 8 doz mini muffins

Warm Cranberry Wassail

2010-11-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite cold weather drink. Well, I do love me some Bailey's Irish Cream and coffee but this wassail is appropriate for all ages so I guess it is a little more versatile. :o) I got the recipe from my friend, Jan Massie, so I must give all credit to her. Go make it for your next gathering or even make it in small batches just for yourself (I just did!).

Ingredients

- 1 64oz bottle Ocean Spray Cranberry juice cocktail

- 2 1/2 c. apple juice

- 1/4 c. sugar

- 3 cinnamon sticks

- 1 t. all spice

- 1/2 t. nutmeg-

- orange slices

-whole cloves

Preparation

Combine all ingredients except garnishes (oranges and cloves) in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain wassail to remove spices (I use a really fine mesh strainer). Place in a heat proof punch bowl or crock pot (I use a crock pot and already have it heated before I pour the wassail in or the wassail will cool down). Garnish with orange slices studded with cloves.

Taco Pasta

2010-11-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on a blog I stumbled upon while searching for a different recipe, called Plain Chicken. I've made it twice now and love it. Glendon calls it "healthier, better tasting, less preservative, homemade Hamburger Helper" and I guess it kind of is. It is quick and easy to make and tastes great too. A very family friendly meal and heats up great as leftovers! Enjoy!

Ingredients

- 1 pound ground beef

- 8 ounce small dry pasta (I use shells)

- 1 small onion, chopped (or 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes)

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 cup salsa

- 1 packet taco seasoning (I only use half a packet)

- 3 ounce cream cheese

- 1/2 cup sour cream

- Salt and pepper

- Shredded Cheese for topping (I use cheddar and mozzarella)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground meat and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Once the meat is cooked through, drain off the excess fat and mix in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the salsa and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese and more sour cream and salsa if desired.

Yield: Between 5-6 servings

Smoky Black Bean Soup

2010-11-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a really easy soup recipe for a cold fall day, this is one of them. It took me a total of about ten minutes to put this soup together, and it has a great smoky chipotle flavor. Of course you can add a little of your own spices if you want to make it hotter, but for me and my tame taste buds, I just stuck to the recipe.

I found this one on Yahoo Shine but was from Cooking Light

(15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chipotle salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Avocado-Lime Salsa (see recipe below)
Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)

1. Place beans in a medium saucepan. Mash beans slightly with a potato masher. Stir in water and next 3 ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Uncover, and cook 2 minutes or until soup is slightly thickened. Ladle soup evenly into each of 4 bowls; top evenly with Avocado-Lime Salsa, and, if desired, sour cream. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1/4 cup salsa).

CALORIES 172; FAT 5.7g (sat 0.9g, mono 3.4g, poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 7.4g; CARB 29.7g; FIBER 11g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 3.1mg; SODIUM 572mg; CALC 60mg

Avocado-Lime Salsa
Prep: 5 minutes
1 cup diced peeled avocado
1 lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Place avocado in a small bowl. Grate rind from lime and squeeze juice to measure 1/2 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon, respectively; add to avocado. Add cilantro and salt. Toss gently. Yield: 1 cup (serving size: 1/4 cup).
CALORIES 55; FAT 5.2g (sat 0.8g, mono 3.2g, poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 0.7g; CARB 2.9g; FIBER 1.7g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.4mg; SODIUM 76mg; CALC 5mg

Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks

2010-10-27T19:51:00.001-07:00

I saw this recipe on Yahoo's Shine food blog and thought they sounded really good. And I was right, they are delicious. And they way that the sauce is made, you actually feel like you are eating something that is healthy but sounds like it could be bad :)

Anyway, the recipe is from EatingWell.com. I made white rice with the chicken and used the remainder of the sauce to pour over the rice....Taaaasty.

ingredients

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds), skin removed, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
directions

Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Broiler Variation, below.)
To prepare dipping sauce, combine orange zest, orange juice, water, honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and coriander in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the saucepan and return to a boil, whisking until thickened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in mint.
Sprinkle drumsticks with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the drumsticks until crispy on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total. Serve the drumsticks with the dipping sauce on the side. Broiler variation: Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat broiler to high. Prepare sauce (Step 2). Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle drumsticks with salt and pepper (Step 3), then broil, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total.
To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Don’t use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
I used the broiler method since we don't have a grill right now. Half way through broiling the chicken I basted a little of the sauce on the drumsticks, and it made them turn a nice golden brown with some additional flavor to the outside of the chicken.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 255 calories; 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 3 g mono unsaturated fat); 93 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 1 g fiber; 389 mg sodium; 315 mg potassium Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (27% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv).

Marmalade French Toast Casserole

2010-10-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy of Becky Luigart-Stayner; Leigh Ann Ross, CookingLight.com)

I made this when my in-laws were visiting and I think we all loved it (unless they were just humoring me ... but either way, I loved it)! Such a delcious and easy take on french toast. I got it from CookingLight.com. Please oh please serve it with orange syrup, it makes it SO much better (at least in my opinion).

To make the orange syrup you simply add one teaspoon orange rind and two tablespoons juice per 1/2 cup syrup then warm it in the mircrowave. So good!

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 (16-ounce) sourdough French bread loaf, cut into 24 (1/2-inch) slices
- Cooking spray
- 1 (12-ounce) jar orange marmalade
- 2 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I added a little cinnamon too)
- 6 large eggs
- 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (I used pecans instead)

Preparation
1. Spread softened butter on one side of each bread slice. Arrange 12 bread slices, buttered side down, slightly overlapping in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread marmalade evenly over bread (I only used half the jar and it was enough); top with remaining 12 bread slices, buttered side up.

2. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs), stirring with a whisk. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. Sprinkle casserole with walnuts (or pecans). Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:293 (28% from fat)
Fat:9g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 2.3g)
Protein:9.1g
Carbohydrate:46.4g
Fiber:1.6g
Cholesterol:116mg
Iron:2.2mg
Sodium:315mg
Calcium:132mg

Quinoa, mango, and black bean salad

2010-09-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

This was the perfect combination of tangy and sweet, along with the texture of the quinoa. I decided to try it after thinking all day about what to make for dinner, and this ended up being a perfect side dish. Plus, I love mangos!

* 1/2 cup quinoa
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* 1 small mango, diced
* 1 small red bell pepper, diced
* 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Toast quinoa in a small dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it crackles and becomes aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Return the quinoa to the pot and add water. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk orange juice, cilantro, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add mango, bell pepper, beans and scallions; toss to coat.
3. When the quinoa is finished cooking, add to the mango mixture and toss to combine.

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

2010-08-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Romulo Yanes, Randy Mayor

I feel like there have been a lot of mac & cheese posts on here but I just had to do another one because it is so stinking delicious! Plus, it is definitely a different take on mac & cheese so it is unlike anything you've had before! We love this in our house and it has been my go-to meal to make for friends when they have babies, etc. You do need to like ranch to like this recipe though, just FYI. The combination of onion and garlic powders plus dill creates a flavor similar to ranch dressing. It is just so good! Yay for semi-healthy comfort food!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 slice bacon (this is not enough, I use 2 or 3)
- 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (I use the 5 cheese blend cuz I can't find 6 cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (if you don't have fresh, use about 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese (cheddar works too)

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
.

2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done. (I don't always use the bacon drippings, seems super unhealthy but if I do, I only use half)

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.
.

4. Preheat broiler.

5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack (or cheddar) cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:497
Fat:17g (sat 9.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:33.3g
Carbohydrate:51.7g
Fiber:2g
Cholesterol:74mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:767mg
Calcium:368mg

Cupcake bites

2010-07-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

A few of you asked for the recipe for these when I posted about them on my other blog. So, to make it easy, I will post it here. My friend Yvonne taught me how to make these a couple of months ago. They are definitely a sweet treat and something you might want to consider sharing with others, as they are LOADED with sugar, sugar, sugar, lol.

Step 1: Make a cake, any cake. Whatever flavor you like
Step 2: Pick a can of frosting that will go well with the flavor of cake you baked
Step 3: Pick up 2 different kinds of Wilton candy melts (I used chocolate for the bottom on these ones and then red colored ones for the top shell)You can pick up white ones and add food coloring to make them the color you want if they don't have a color you are looking for.
Step 4: Take the can of frosting and the cake, put them in a bowl and mix them together until mashed and blended well. With a big baking pan/platter, roll the cake/frosting mix into golfball size balls (maybe even a little smaller) and place them on the sheet
Step 5: put the cupcake balls on the sheet in the fridge while you are making the base for the cupcake bite
which, you will need some of these for:

Step 6: Use a frosting bag or a plastic bag (with a tip you can cut off) to put in about 1/4 of the candy melts that you want to use for the base, and melt it in the microwave (or melt it in a ceramic bowl if you don't want to microwave plastic) Start with 20 seconds and add more time if needed
Step 7: pipe the melted candy base into the molds, take the cupcake balls and set them on top of the melted candy base. You want to make sure the mold is almost all the way full of the candy melt base, otherwise the cupcake cake part will not stick to the base when you refrigerate it
Step 8: Put the molds with the cupcake ball on top in the fridge to set, for about 5-10 minutes
Step 9: Take the candy melts that you want to use for the hard candy shell and put them in a microwave safe bowl, big enough for you to be able to dip into. Melt the shell candy until completely smooth
Step 10: Take the base with the cupcake bite out of the fridge, and carefully pop the bases out of the molds. Then, tip the cupcake bite upside down and dip the top into the shell of the candy melt.
Step 11: If desired, top with a garnish of your choice, nonpareils, sprinkles, M&M's (we used white sprinkles and M&M's) and place back onto the baking sheet/platter and let sit in the fridge for another 5-10 minutes
Step 12: Once the shell of the cupcake bite has hardened, you are now ready to enjoy your delicious cupcake bites

FYI: This entire process took us about an hour, not including the baking of the cake (this we did ahead of time), so it's a bit of a lengthy process, but the cupcake bites are worth every minute in the end.

Spinach Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Nectarines

2010-07-15T17:18:00.001-07:00

(photo courtesy of Oxmoor House)

Feast your eyes on the easiest, tastiest salad ever! :o) This salad has become a favorite of mine this summer as it is super easy to make, tastes delicious, and almost has zero clean-up. I got it from CookingLight.com (don't I always post their recipes?)

One thing on the nutritional value. I make this salad as my main course and I'm a big eater so I eat more than their serving size for the nutritional info and if you have a healthy appetite like me and want to feel satisfied, yours will be more than the 169 calories too. Because, I mean really, I want more than 2oz of pork in my meal!

Prep Time: 16 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups spinach salad, 1/2 nectarine, about 2 ounces pork, and 2 teaspoons cheese)
.

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) peppercorn-flavored pork tenderloin, trimmed
3 nectarines, halved
Cooking spray
2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette (I use a white balsamic and LOVE it)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Preparation
1. Prepare grill.

2. Cut pork horizontally through center of meat, cutting to, but not through, other side using a sharp knife; open flat as you would a book. Place pork and nectarine halves, cut sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill pork 5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 160°. Grill nectarine halves 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Remove pork and nectarine halves from grill. Let pork rest 10 minutes.

3. Peel off nectarine skin (it will come off easily after being cooked). Cut nectarine halves into slices. Thinly slice pork. Combine spinach and vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.

4. Divide spinach mixture evenly on each plate. Top each serving evenly with nectarine slices and pork slices. Sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle evenly with pepper, if desired.
.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 169 (31% from fat)
Fat: 6g (sat 2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 16g
Carbohydrate: 15.8g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 41mg
Iron: 2.9mg
Sodium: 766mg
Calcium: 86mg

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

2010-06-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy of Oxmoor House)

I made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. Very easy to make, super light, refreshing, and filling too. If you love dill and lemon, you will love this dish! It is from the Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast cookbook. What is amazing about this dish is that when I made it, it seriously looked just like the picture! When does that ever happen?

This post has two recipes, one for the pasta salad and one for the vinaigrette.

Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

Yield: 1/3 cup (serving size: about 1 tablespoon)

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup (1.3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (I didn't have fresh so I used 1teaspoon on dried dill in a jar)

- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
- 1 (1 1/4-pound) skinless salmon fillet
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
.

2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water with tongs or a slotted spoon, reserving water in pan. Plunge asparagus into ice water; drain and set aside.
.

3. Return reserved water to a boil. Add orzo, and cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

4. While orzo cooks, sprinkle fillet evenly with salt and pepper (I added lemon juice and dill too). Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness (it took 15 minutes until my salmon was done). Using 2 forks, break fish into large chunks. Combine orzo, asparagus, onion, and Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Add salmon and gently toss again. .
Nutritional Information
Calories: 310 (32% from fat)
Fat: 11g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 2g)
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrate: 24.6g
Fiber: 2.2g
Cholesterol: 56mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 333mg
Calcium: 67mg

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

2010-03-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from Eat Smart with Ellie Krieger. It's a little cookbook magazine thing from Fine Cooking. Anyway, it's a healthier version of Mac and Cheese and it was super easy and pretty tasty. Since it's a healthier version it doesn't use as much cheese - next time I make it I might throw in a bit more.
.
Cooking spray
One 16-oz box elbow macaroni
Two 10-oz packages frozen pureed winter squash (yep - that's right!)
2 cups low fat milk
1 1/3 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp plain dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil
.

Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.
.
Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.
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Serves 8, serving size 2 cups.
Per serving:
390 calories
11 grams fat: 1 mono, .5 poly, and 6 saturated
18 grams protein
56 grams carbs
3.5 grams fiber
35 mg cholesterol
547 mg sodium
.
*** I could not find frozen squash for the life of me! So I bought two butternut squash, cut them in half, and baked them until they were soft (about an hour). Then I scraped the pulp out and mashed it up. This worked great.

Sesame Orange Chicken

2010-03-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite dish. It is absolutely delicious and MUCH lower in calories and fat than most Chinese restaurant versions. I got the recipe from the Nov/Dec. '09 issue of Eating Well magazine. The recipe actually calls for shrimp but I rarely buy shrimp so I just substituted the shrimp for chicken, which probably changes the nutritional info below but probably not by much. Feel free to use shrimp if you want ... and eat up!

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch chunks

- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation
1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl (I also add garlic powder too). Add chicken and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (if it isn't non-stick, the chicken will get stuck and it won't work). Add the chicken (one by one, don't dump the whole thing or there will be too much batter) and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan (I just use the cooking sherry from the grocery store, but beware, it adds more sodium. I also add some orange zest and fresh grated ginger for extra flavor). Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, over rice if you wish.

Nutrition:

232 calories

10 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono)

168 mg cholesterol

12 g carbohydrates

21 g protein

1 g fiber

488 mg sodium

Sort-Of-Thai Noodles

2010-02-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from Ruth Reichl's novel Garlic and Sapphires. Check it out, if you're a foodie that is. It is a story about a food critic and is peppered with recipes throughout. The two that we've tried have quickly become favorites in our house. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 lb. rice noodles (rice sticks)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 TBSP peanut oil
1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. ground pork or turkey
4 scallions, sliced into 1/2-inch lengths (including about half of green parts)
2 eggs
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Soak the noodles in hot water (I brought mine to a near boil) to cover for 20 minutes, until soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Mix the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar together and set aside.
3. Heat oil in wok till smoking. Saute the shrimp just until they start to change color, about 1 minute. Remove from the wok and set aside.
4. Add garlic, then the pork and half the scallions. Saute just until the pork loses its redness, then add the drained noodles and mix quickly. Add the reserved fish sauce mixture, reduce heat to medium and cook until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid, about 5-8 minutes.
5. Move the noodles to one side and crack one egg into the wok, breaking the yolk. Tilt the wok so you get as thin a sheet of egg as possible, and scramble just until set. Then mix the egg into the noodles. Repeat with the second egg.
6. Add the shrimp, remaining scallions and red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Add the lime juice and cook, stirring for another minute.
7. Transfer noodles to a serving plate or individual bowls, sprinkle with some of the peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, remaining peanuts and chili sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Shrimp with Basil and Tomatoes

2010-02-15T16:27:00.001-08:00

Ok, so you are getting a double whammy from me today, since I have a day off to catch up on things. This recipe was so easy to make, and it was very healthy as it does not call for a lot of oil or any butter at all (of course, you can add some if you like :) This was another great dish I found on Shine by Yahoo.

ingredients

* 12 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups chopped, plum or common tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
* 1 tablespoon drained capers (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta, cooked and drained
* 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
* Fresh basil leaves (optional)

directions

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Set aside.
2. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion and garlic in hot oil for 2 minutes or until onions are crisp-tender. Remove onion mixture from the wok.
3. Add shrimp to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque.
4. Return onion mixture to the wok. Add tomatoes, basil, capers (if desired), salt, and pepper. Stir all ingredients together. Cook and stir for 1 minute more or until heated through. Serve immediately over hot cooked spaghetti or other pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Pork Marsala

2010-02-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

I tried this for the first time last week and thought it was too awesome not to share, mostly because it is SO easy. I got the receipe off of Shine by Yahoo. They have a lot of great quick meal ideas on their website.

ingredients

1-1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered, halved, or sliced
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 teaspoons margarine or butter
8 ounces medium slices pork tenderloins
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup dry Marsala or dry sherry
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

directions

In a 12-inch skillet cook mushrooms and green onion in 2 teaspoons of the hot margarine or butter for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from skillet; set aside.
Meanwhile, cut veal into 2 serving-size pieces. Place one piece of veal or one chicken breast between 2 sheets of clear plastic wrap. Working from center to edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to about 1/8-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining veal or chicken.
Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. In the same skillet cook veal or chicken in the remaining hot margarine or butter over medium-high heat about 1 minute on each side or until light brown. Transfer to warm dinner plates; keep warm.
Add Marsala or sherry and chicken broth to drippings in skillet. Bring to boiling; boil gently, uncovered, about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits. Return mushroom mixture to skillet; add parsley. Heat through.
To serve, spoon the mushroom mixture over meat. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings

I also made sliced potatoes and cooked them over medium heat with a little bit of butter for about 15 minutes. I used a vegetable mix for the other side. It was super tasty!

No-Kneed Bread.

2010-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

I suggest you make this at some point in the near future. This no-kneed bread is simple, satisfying, and lasts for several days. The penne with roasted vegetables and italian sausage is easy to adapt to what you have in your fridge, and the leftovers are great! If you're not interested in the bread, just skip down to the pasta recipe!

First, you'll want to take care of the bread since it takes 12-18 hours to do its thing. This take forethought, but very little effort. This recipe is taken directly from Jim Lahey's My Bread: The Revolutionary no-work, no-knead method. You'll need:

3 Cups Bread Flour (or, if you're being precise, 400 grams)
1 1/4 tsps table salt (not kosher. 8 grams)
1/4 tsp instant or other active dry yeast (1 g)
1 1/3 C cool water (55-65 degrees F. 300 g)
wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting (I've only used flour as of yet)

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Add water and using your hand or a wooden spoon, combine until you have a wet and sticky dough. If you've made other breads this will seem extremely wet for a dough. If your dough doesn't seem really wet, add a bit of water (by the Tablespoon). Cover that business with some plastic wrap or a tea cloth, and let 'er be at room temp for 12-18 hours. I've been leaving mine for at least 18 hours because we leave our house at 68 degrees which is a bit cool. If yours is warmer you could do less, but basically you want it to double in size. If your house is cooler, you might think about letting it sit for 24 hours. Bottom line: give it time!

You'll know it is ready when it is doubled in size, bubbly on top, and has a slightly darkened color to the top. You're letting the bread ferment over this time, and it gives a really nice flavor. The ingredients are simple, but that bit of yeast and the time you give it really make a difference!

When your bread is ready at this point, dump it out on a floured surface. You'll notice the dough clinging to your bowl with long threads of dough-- this is the gluten at work! Pull it out of the bowl with a spoon, bowl scraper, or hands (I use hands and a spatula), and do NOT add more flour. It is wet and sticky and you want it this way! Pull the edges under to form a round ball of dough.

Place a cloth napkin or tea towel on the workspace and generously dust it with flour (I put a layer of plastic wrap down because the last time I made it, though I dusted it thoroughly, it developed into the cloth). Lay the dough down and fold the wrap and cloth loosely over the dough. Let rise another 1-2 hours or until about doubled.

About a half hour before the second rise is done, preheat your oven to 450-475 (based on how your oven runs. I do 450) and place your 4.5-5.5 qt. heavy pot inside the oven. When the second rise is ready and your oven is too, pull out the pot (careful, that baby is HOT!). Dust the dough with flour or bran or your choice, and carefully move the dough into the hot pot, seam side up. Pop that sucker, covered, into the oven for 30 minutes. After 30, uncover and let cook another 15-30 until it is a "chestnut" color. I've been cooking mine about 10-15 more to get a slightly lighter crust. Pull it out when done and move to a cooling wrack (don't let cool in the pot or it'll continue to cook-- trust me). Let it cool at least an hour-- you'll hear it crackling, and according to Lahey, this is an important part of the cooking and if you cut it while it is hot you're destroying the loaf! So resist!

You'll have a pretty good looking loaf and can slice it how you wish. I found slicing it like this (below) is best because you get just the right amount of crust to bread. Lahey slices his like a pie, which is tasty too.

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne.

2010-01-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne
Adapted from Melissa D'Abrabian's recipe of the same name

1 onion, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 red bell pepper quartered, cheeks and core removed
1/2 pound button mushrooms (or portobellos, etc)
1 head of garlic, top sliced off
2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, washed and dried
2 sweet or hot Italian sausages, casings removed and thinly sliced (if you don't eat sausage you could try turkey kielbasa, tofu, etc. Whatever you like!)
1/4-1/3 Cup white wine
1 or 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
12 ounces whole-grain penne, cooked. *Reserve 1/2 pasta water!
Freshly grated Parmesan

*Note, you can skip the sausage! You can also dice the garlic and saute it, then add the wine (instead of roasting a whole head, you'd do about 2 cloves).

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the vegetables together in a bowl (except the tomaties and garlic) with about a Tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper. You want to leave them in larger pieces to roast and then after they're roasted, you'll chop 'em up! Spread the onions, zucchini, red pepper, and mushrooms on a baking sheet (you may want to spray with cooking spray). Place the garlic on the sheet, sliced side up. Roast in over for 25-30 minutes, then add the tomatoes on and roast another 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye out to make sure they don't get too crispy! Take those babies out, let them cool a few minutes, and chop them up. Pull out the cloves of garlic and chop them too, or just smash them. If they get brown, don't add that part (it may be bitter). The whole clove may seem like a lot, but roasting it sweetens and lightens the flavor and it don't be overwhelming.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until it is cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze your pan with the white wine. You can use a bit more or less than is called for. If you don't have white wine you could use chicken broth, but just keep in mind that you'll definitely lose some of the fantastic flavor that wine brings. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of tomato paste (I like the super concentrated Amore brand-- it keeps for quite a while in the fridge and comes in a hand tube) and stir in. (Note: If you've used sweet sausages or something other than hot sausages, you might want to add about a half tsp. or red chili flakes in-- it'll give it a nice subtle kick.)

Chop up the vegetables and add them to the pan. Let that all simmer together a bit and add some of the pasta water to loosen things up if you need to. Toss in some salt and pepper, and then add in your cooked pasta. If you are making this for two people (like I always am!) you can half the amount of pasta, but you may want to just make the sauce as is-- leftovers are delicious!

Now, serve and enjoy! Top with some salty parmesan cheese, and have at it! A slice of the no-kneed bread goes really well with it.

ENJOY! Let me know if you make it, how it turns out, and what you do to it to make it your own!

White Bean-Chicken Chili

2010-01-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

I got a new cookbook for Christmas that I am loving so far. It is Cooking Light's Super Fast Suppers and they don't lie. All of the recipes are super fast and way easy. I feel like this will be a great cookbook for when we have kids someday and are busy but still want to eat well. Anyway, I made this chili tonight and it was delicious. Glendon liked it so much he requested I add it to the rotation. :o) The picture above isn't the exact recipe (I don't have a picture from the exact recipe) but you can get the idea from it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, undrained
3 cups cubed chicken
1 (14.5 oz) can fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning (I used taco seasoning that comes in a packet)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese, plus more for topping

Preparation:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until cooked through. Place chicken in a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining oil in dutch oven. Add onion and garlic; saute 2 minutes.
Add beans, chicken, chicken broth, Mexican seasoning, and salt to the pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
Add cheese; simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Top with additional pepper jack cheese and any of the following: low fat sour cream, chopped green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, salsa, or crumbled tortilla chips.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1.5 cups)

Nutritional Items:

Calories: 285

Fat: 8.3g

Protein: 28.3g

Fiber: 6.1g

Cholesterol: 58mg

Sodium: 920mg

Cheddar Chicken and Potatoes

2010-01-25T19:21:00.001-08:00

I'm a sucker for fast, family friendly meals! I have come to love the Kraft Food and Family magazine because there are tons of easy recipes that my picky 3 year old will eat! I just tried this one tonight and it was delicious!

4 slices of bacon

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

4 cups (1 lb.) frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions, thawed

4 oz. (1 c.) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet on medium heat for 5 min. or until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and discard bacon grease. Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 min. on each side or until done.(mine took longer than 5 min.) Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with potatoes; cook and stir 5 minutes or until heated through. Place chicken over potatoes; top with cheese. Cover, cook 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

2010-01-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

I know that "pumpkin season" is kind of over but I don't care. These cookies are so good that I think you should be able to make them whenever you want! I got this recipe from my dear friend Kristi. She made them when I visited her in Pasadena once and I think I ate them every morning for breakfast ... nothing but these cookies. The recipe makes a lot of cookies so be prepared, or freeze some of the dough and make the rest later!

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (this is my own addition)
1 teaspoon all spice (this is also my own addition)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can pumpkin ( I'm 95% sure it is a large can, can't remember for sure)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (add more or less if you like)

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined and moistened.
Using a cookie scoop, place cookies 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet (or use a silacone pad).
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. (Baking time will vary depending on the size of your cookies, don't over bake, cookies are going to be cake-like)

Nutritional Information:

I have no clue and I don't care! :o)

Hot Fruit Casserole

2009-12-21T21:28:00.001-08:00

I don't have a picture of this recipe because by the time I remember that I should take one, it is almost gone! We started using a recipe/shopping list service called e-mealz! I love it so far. This recipe is supposed to be a side dish, but I think it is more of a dessert/cobbler.

Ingredients:

3 large Granny Smith apples, chopped

1 can whole cranberry sauce

Topping:

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c melted butter

1/4 c flour

1/2 c chopped pecans

1 c oatmeal

Preparation:

Mix apples and cranberry sauce in a 9x13 pan

Mix topping ingredients and spread over top.

Bake @ 350, 45 minutes.

Marsala Chicken Pot Pie

2009-12-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

This is my first recipe on here-- Sorry it has taken me so long to get my act together! This one doesn't have pictures, but hopefully in the future I'll be a more responsible home cook and catalog my creations!

The following recipe is adapted from a Wolfgang Puck potpie recipe-- frankly, I think my recipe is better, sorry wolfie! Don't bother with exactness, just go for it! Use what you have- mine is always a bit different, but always delicious.

1.5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks (or smaller, or bigger, whatever! Also, you can do more or less, depending on what you have, or skip the chicken altogether! Wolf-man also adds 1/2 lb crab meat, but I don't do that business).

2 plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (always unsalted so YOU season it yourself!)

1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (WP uses red-skinned. I just usually have yukons so I go with that. i'd use something other than a baker potato, but smoke it if you've got it, if you know what I mean here people)

1/2 lb. pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 pieces

8 oz. pkg. mushrooms, quartered, or however you like to slice 'em! (I use white button or cremini mushrooms depending on what I have in the fridge. You could even use portobellos for a meatier feel).

1 med. onion, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

pinch of red pepper flakes (I like a bit o' spice, so I just shake some in til it is pretty, prob about a tsp)

1 sprig thyme (or a pinch of dry thyme if you don't have some in the garden or fridge- don't bother buying it at the store, not worth it)

1 dried bay leaf (now THIS is key- adds fantastic flavor!)

1 cup white wine (you're going to boil this off, but if you don't drink wine you can find an appropriate substitute, I'm sure! I tend to use cheapie stuff for cooking)

1 and 3/4 c. chicken stock (make your own, or grab some swanson's at the store- STOCK ideally, though broth works fine in a pinch)

1 C. heavy cream (if you're trying to be health conscious you can use 1/2 and 1/2, but beware! You are sacrificing taste and consistency-- You'll probably have to do more to thicken.)

1/4 C. Marsala wine (this lasts quite a while so you can bust it out whenever you're doing chicken marsala, or cooking up this baby. WP calls for sherry, but sherry is for sissies, and I prefer Marsala- gives it a REALLY lovely flavor, and thus, the superior recipe takes its grip! But sherry will do, if you must)

1/2 lb. Puff pastry (oh yeah! Buy it-- my belabored and beloved homemade version was less awesome than the store bought, I hate to say, and NOT cheaper since I used so much butter!)

1 egg (for your egg wash)

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. flour and toss to coat. Place a large skillet over high heat, heat 2 Tbsp. (eyeball it) of olive oil til hot. Add chicken, saute until light golden brown and cooked through (about 10 mins). Transfer to plate, set aside. Add 2 Tbsp. butter to pot (still on high heat) and immediately add onions and carrots. Saute til they begin to be bright, 2-3mins. Add potatoes and mushrooms. Saute about another minute. Then reduce heat to medium, add your garlic, red pepper, bay leaf, and thyme sprig (or sprinkle). Saute til it gets nice and cozy with each other, about 3 minutes.

2. Add 1 C. wine. Turn up heat to High and stir to deglaze your pan. Simmer and reduce by 1/2, about 3-5 mins. Add chicken stock and 1 C. cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce just a bit. Simmer briskly til reduced by 1/2 again and it thickening, ~15 mins. *Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig* (if you sprinkled, obviously, you won't remove your thyme sprig)

3. Stir in your chicken and the marsala wine. Combine 2T. butter and 1 T. flour (your butter will need to be room temp so you can combine them-- this creates a roux that helps thicken your juices. If you don't feel like doing this, you can use cornstarch, but just keep in mind that butter makes all things better, even as a thickening agent!). Stir in the combined butter and flour. Season to taste (will probably need a bit of both S&P, but always taste first). If you are using crab, you'd stir in your crab now.

4. transfer to ramekins and refrigerate for at least an hour (this helps thicken. If you're impatient and don't mind runny pot pie, have at it right away). This recipe makes approximately enough for four 16 oz. ramekins, or one larger one. I often half the recipe for just me and Matthew and usually have leftovers which are surprisingly good.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bust out your puff pastry which you've been softening (you have, haven't you? If you plan ahead you can pop it in the fridge overnight and it'll be malleable but still cold and ready to puff!). You can roll out your pastry to fit your ramekin or dish size however you want. To seal the pastry to the pot, combine your egg with a Tbsp. of water, or cream, etc (whatever you have) and beat slightly. Brush on the egg mixture to the edge of your pot and then lay your puff pastry over-- you'll figure it out. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash to give it a nice golden color, and poke some holes in the pastry so your pot pies can release their steam! (note: I set my smaller ramekins on a sheet pan so I can just grab that from the oven rather than worry about lifting the ramekin and breaking the crust.)

Cook 25-35 minutes, and enjoy! It is all cooked inside, so this is basically combining flavors and puffing your pastry!

*note: I never measure any of this. I eyeball all of it, so keep in mind you don't need to be precise. Add other stuff (peas, pearl onions, corn, etc etc), take out what you don't like, and enjoy!

Butter Spritz Cookies

2009-12-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

Just to help you get into the Christmas baking spirit. :)
These are made with a cookie press, very fun and you can add colors to make them even more festive.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1/2 sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter, then add the 1/2 cup sugar
add in the egg and almond extract
beat in flour
divide in half if you want, and add green or red food coloring
fill cookie press with dough and place on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart

bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Simple Steel Cut Oatmeal

2009-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

I just had a baby girl 2.5 weeks ago and my mom was here with us for a couple of weeks. She cooked like a mad-woman: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We got pretty spoiled. Every morning she made me the most wonderful bowl of steel cut oatmeal and it is so easy that I have continued making it without her here. It's easy, simple, and maybe unworthy of going on this blog - but I have so enjoyed it that I thought I would share it anyway. :)

1 cup of steel cut oats
4 cups of water
1/4 tsp of salt
A handful of fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries or raspberries are what I have been using)
A pinch of brown sugar
Chopped walnuts
Ground flax seeds**
Milk

Bring the water to a boil and add the salt. Then add the oats and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dish up and add your fruit, brown sugar (if you like), chopped walnuts, flax seeds, and as much milk as you like.

So healthy and easy! Enjoy!
**(Note about using flax seeds... remember that in order to benefit from the goodness and nutrition that flax seeds have to offer you must grind them up. If you don't grind them up your body digests them whole and you don't absorb their nutrients. You can buy them already ground, or buy them whole and grind them yourself in a coffee grinder)

Oatmeal Pecan Pie

2009-11-28T14:14:00.001-08:00

Recipe from Cooking Light

1/2 package refrigerated pie dough

cooking spray

1 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup regular oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans*

2 tbs butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

*I didn't think 1/2 cup pecans was enough, so I probably used close to 2 cups; which worked out well.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into a 11-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute. Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 12 servings

Calories: 311; Fat: 11.3g

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2009-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

I had some leftover ricotta I wanted to use up so I made these yesterday for my husband who a) doesn't like pancakes and b) does not like lemon. But he LOVED these! They taste almost crepe-like, light with a wonderful lemon flavor. I used both orange and lemon zest which tasted fabulous.

From Sunset Magazine

Yield: Makes about 8 pancakes; 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Salad oil

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, and lemon peel to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in ricotta cheese.
2. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With a flexible spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter just until they are incorporated.
3. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350°); when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Drop batter in 1/2-cup portions onto the griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn cakes with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to cook remaining pancakes.
4. Serve pancakes as cooked, or keep warm in a single layer on baking sheets in a 200° oven for up to 15 minutes.

Grilled Portobellos with Avocado Salsa

2009-11-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to try this the other day when I wasn't feeling super hungry but wanted something with a lot of flavor. It is great either as an appetizer or just a mid-afternoon snack!

The recipe is from Yahoo Shine

ingredients

4, 6-to 8-ounce fresh portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 medium avocado, seeded, peeled, and chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup crumbled, crisp-cooked bacon (about 4 slices)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

directions

Cut off mushroom stems even with caps; discard stems. Lightly rinse mushroom caps. Gently pat dry with paper towels. Combine vinegars, olive oil, and red pepper in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup vinegar mixture for salsa.
Grill mushroom caps directly over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, turning and brushing once with the remaining vinegar mixture halfway through grilling.
For salsa, combine the reserved vinegar mixture, the avocado, tomato quarters, green onion, crumbled bacon, and cilantro in a medium bowl.
Slice the mushrooms about 1/2 inch thick. Spoon the salsa over mushroom slices. Makes 8 servings.

Moroccan Skirt Steak w/ Roasted Pepper Couscous

2009-11-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

(photo courtesy of eatingwell.com)

I got a subscription to Eating Well magazine for my birthday this year and just got my first issue last week. This recipe was the first one I tried from the Dec. '09 issue and Glendon and I both loved it! The spices are delicious and it was quick to prepare. It may even be company worthy. :o) I didn't have couscous so I made it with rice instead, which still tasted great. I just cooked the rice as directed but added the spices when the water boiled.

Ingredidents:
- 2 medium bell peppers (I only used 1)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 whole lemon, plus more lemon wedges for garnish
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous
- 1 pound skirt steak or sirloin steak, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons chopped green olives (I didn't use)

Preparation:
1. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

2. Place bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast under the broiler, turning every 5 minutes, until charred and softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board; when cool enough to handle, chop the peppers into bite-size pieces.

3. Meanwhile, combine cumin, coriander, salt, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper in a small bowl. Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lemon. Juice the lemon into a 1-cup measure and add enough water to make 1 cup. Pour into a small saucepan and add the lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover, remove from heat and let stand.

4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering (but not smoking). Rub the remaining spice mixture on both sides of steak. Cook the steak 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare (I cooked for 6-8 min for medium well). Let rest on the cutting board for 5 minutes. Stir olives and the peppers into the couscous. Thinly slice the steak and serve with the couscous and lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 455
Fat:18g (5 g sat, 10 g mono)
Chol.: 67 mg
Carbs: 36 g
Protein: 36 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 663 mg
Potassium: 483 mg

Plum Galette

2009-11-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from the September '09 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. A galette is a free form tart and this one is SO good. And don't worry because it looks a lot more intimidating to make than it really is. To make it way easier, I used store bought Pilsbury refigerated pie crust I already had instead of making the crust from scratch. Nice little shortcut and it turned out great! But I included the recipe for Martha's pie crust incase you do decide to go all out.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:

- 2 T. flour

- 5 T. sugar

- 1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
- 4 to 5 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (keep slices together)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preparations:

1. In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Dont overmix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

2.Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. (If you are using refrigerated pie crust, lay it on a floured surface and roll out gently to thin out the dough a bit). Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan slices out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

German Pancakes

2009-10-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I attempted to make German Pancakes (also known as Dutch Babies) and I think they turned out well! I'm looking forward to making them again now that I figured some things out. Here's the recipe, I think you will find that this is really easy. This works best with a 10" iron skillet or a pie pan. Any pan about 3 inches deep will work perfect.

3 eggs

1/2 C milk

1/2 C flour

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light & frothy; add milk, flour, vanilla & cinnamon; beat for 5 minutes. Place pan in the oven to heat until oven is preheated (about 7-10 min).

Remove pan from oven and add butter to coat the pan.

Pour the batter into the hot pan all at once and return to the oven. Bake about 15-20 min or until the pancake is golden brown and puffy.

Dust with powdered sugar and a spritz of lemon juice.

Makes about 2 servings.

German pancakes are also good when served with various fruit toppings or maple syrup.

Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta

2009-10-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy Randy Mayor & cookinglight.com)

I've made this dish a few times now and I love it. It is simple yet delicious. I use turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta to make it a bit healthier but using the real stuff is just fine too. Also, I add some chicken broth so make the pasta less dry and I like it better that way.

Ingredients:

- 8 ounces uncooked penne
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup vertically sliced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 large tomatos and it was enough)

- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I added this)
- 6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided (you can also use parmesean, asiago, or romano cheese)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add chicken broth; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and basil.

Yield: 4 servings (2 cups pasta mixture, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon basil)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 389
Fat: 10.7g (sat 4g,mono 4.5g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 21.6g
Carbohydrate: 53.5g
Fiber: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 27mg
Iron: 3.3mg
Sodium: 595mg
Calcium: 159mg

Pumpkin Pie Cake

2009-10-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from my friend, Jaime Green. It's delicious and always a huge hit! Mike, who doesn't love pumpkin pie, LOVES this pumpkin pie cake. The picture doesn't do it justice. But it's super easy and super yummy!

Step 1
1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 Egg
1/2 stick of butter - melted
*Save 1 cup of the cake mix (to use later)

Mix remaining cake mix, egg and margarine. press into 9X13pan.

Step 2
1 Large Can of Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2/3 Cup Canned Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs
*Combine and pour over pressed cake mix.

Step 3
1 Cup reserved cake mix (from step 1)
1/4 stick butter - melted
3/4 Cup of sugar
*Mix and sprinkle over pumpkin mixture.

Bake approximately 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with whipped cream

Creamy Pumpkin Oatmeal

2009-10-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from an old friend of mine, Brittany, that I used to play soccer with in high school. She got it from Weight Watchers and it is SUPER yummy. It is extremely easy to prepare and makes a large batch of oatmeal that you can refrigerate then heat up in the morning and eat throughout the week. The recipe does not call for brown sugar and uses less pumpkin pie spice but it didn't have enough flavor so I added more. It is really up to you and your taste buds, feel free to add more depending on what you like. I also sprinkled cinnamon on top and that made it way better.

Also, this is made in a slow cooker and takes about 4 hours to make. I woke up at 5:30am on a Saturday, put it all in the crock pot, then went back to sleep and it was ready to eat by 9:30. But you can also make it ahead of time and just heat it up in the morning. Also, if it doesn't seem to be thickening up well, turn the slow cooker to high. I cooked mine for 3 hours on low and 1 hour on high and it was perfect.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups steel cut oats (make sure they are steal cut oats, do not use regular oats)

- 1 12 oz. can fat-free evaporated milk

- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin

- 5 1/2 cups water

- 3 T. pumpkin pie spice

- 2 T. brown sugar

- 1 T. cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Put it all the ingredients in a crock pot and mix until combined. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add additional spice and sugar to taste. Sprinkle with cinnamon when served. And that's it!

2. For an apple version: substitute 2 cups applesauce for the pumpkin. Add one large chopped apple. Substitute 2 tablespoons cinnamon for the pumpkin pie spice.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

2009-10-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

I found this cookie recipe (and the picture) on the Martha Stewart website, http://www.marthastewart.com/. I'm a big fan of lemon bars so I figured these would be delicious... and I was right. They are especially good with a cup of coffee by the way. Anyway the recipe has two parts. First the cookie, then the glaze.

Cookie Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice (Martha says fresh squeezed... I say store bought)

1/2 cup butter room temperature (Martha says unsalted, but I used salted)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla (Martha and Jennica say pure vanilla extract... I say imitation)

Glaze Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice together in mixer. Beat in flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. I chose to use parchment paper to line my baking sheet, but Martha doesn't mention anything about parchment paper so I'm sure you are fine either way. Bake 15-20 minutes.

While cookies are in the oven, whisk the glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl. After the cookies have cooled for a few minutes spread the glaze over them and let set for about an hour.

Side note: If you don't have a zester to zest a lemon, I'm sure they will be just as amazing. I actually didn't use the full amount recommended because I only had one lemon and it was too small (oops). It was my first lemon zesting experience so I underestimated what I needed!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2009-10-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love getting molten chocolate cakes at restaurants. I love how the gooey chocolaty center spills out when you eat it and it is all warm and delicious. Mmm. I always thought that these must be really hard to make. I mean, how to do make the decadent "lava" that comes out of the cake? It just seemed way hard. I was a wrong. I came across the recipe in my Southern Living: Incredible Chocolate Recipes book, attempted to make them for a friend's birthday, and found out they were quite easy and way delicious. Wanna know the secret? The lava is batter that just didn't cook all the way. Pretty simple huh? But they are made with egg substitute so you don't have to worry about getting sick from uncooked eggs. My suggestion when cooking them is to really watch them in the oven. If you over cook them, they won't have much "lava" and if you under cook them, you won't be able to flip them over and keep the "lava" inside. I hope you enjoy the "explosion" of flavor!

Ingredients:

- 2 T. butter, melted

- 2 T, unsweetened cocoa

- 3/4 c. butter, cut into pieces

- 3 (4 oz) bars of premium chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)

- 1/2 c. whipping cream

- 1 1/4 c. egg substitute

- 2/4 c. granulated sugar

- 2/3 c. flour

- powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Brush 16 muffin cups (I used silicone flower baking cups) with 2 T. melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with cocoa, shaking out excess. Place in refrigerator to firm butter.

2. Place 3/4 c. butter and chocolate in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until butter and chocolate melt. Slowly whisk in cream; set aside.

3. Combine egg substitute and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened; add chocolate cream and flour, beating until blended. Pout batter into muffin cups, filling to within 1/4 inch from tops. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 11 minutes or just until edges of cakes spring back when lightly touched but centers are still soft. Let stand 3 minutes before loosening edges with a knife. Quickly invert cakes onto a baking sheet. Transfer to dessert plates using a spatula being careful not to crack the bottoms and spill out the center. Sprinkle with powders sugar using flour sifter.

Yield: 16 cakes

Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup

2009-10-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

(photo couresty Oxmoor House & cooklinglight.com

This is the easiest soup I have ever made! It is very tasty too. I love gnocchi (potato pasta dumplings) so when I came across this recipe at cookinglight.com, I gave it a try. It was under 20 minutes to make. The hardest part was browning the sausage. I did make one change to the ingredients. I used mild ground Italian sausage instead of hot link sausage, personal preference. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
- 1 (4.5 oz) link hot turkey Italian sausage
- 2 cups water
- 1 (16 oz) package vacuum-packed gnocchi (such as Bellino or Vigo)
- 1 (14 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
- 1 (14 1/2 oz) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1. Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble.

2. Add 2 cups water and next 3 ingredients to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi float to the top of pan. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle each serving evenly with cheese.

Yield: 7 servings ( 1 cup soup and about 1 tablespoon cheese)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 182 (21% from fat)
Fat: 4g (sat 1.7g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein: 10.5g
Carbohydrate: 25.1g
Fiber: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Iron: 0.7mg
Sodium: 809mg
Calcium: 134mg

Carrot-Ginger Soup

2009-10-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Fall soups & serves great as a first course or even as a main dish (it's much more filling than you anticipate). This also freezes well, so make a big batch & freeze the rest in mason jars. Of course, like all my best recipes, this one comes from my mom...

Ingredients

1 large onion (I prefer sweet onions)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c chopped ginger root
3/4 c butter
7 c chicken broth
1 c dry white wine (such as a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 1/2 lbs carrots
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Peel & cut carrots into 1/2 inch pieces...set aside
Mince in a food processor: onion, garlic & ginger root
Melt butter in a large pot, add onion, garlic, ginger & saute ~15 min
Add chicken broth, wine & carrot pieces
Heat to boil
Reduce to simmer & simmer uncovered ~45 min
Cover & simmer another 45 min
Puree in blender until smooth (do this in small batches & keep top exposed to release steam)
Season w/ lemon juice, salt & pepper

Tonight, I served the soup with a modified version of the Cooking Light Spinach & Pear Salad (link). The dressing is delicious! In addition to the pear & red onion, I add dried cranberries, feta cheese, candied almonds & grilled chicken to this sweet spinach salad. Enjoy!

Salmorejo- Spanish appetizer

2009-09-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

If any of you have ever heard of Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, Salmorejo (pronounced Sal-mo-ray-hoe) is a similar dish that is a bit thicker. I learned how to make this when I was in Spain and crave it all the time!

Ingredients:

3-4 very ripe, very red tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp spoon vinegar
4 tbsp of virgin olive oil
Salt to taste (sea salt is best)
2 hard boiled eggs
3-4 slices of Serrano ham or Prosciutto ham for garnishing
1 loaf of day old/ stale French bread –It should be very dry (but not moldy)
1 fresh loaf of French bread or Bruschetta to dip in the Salmorejo once it is finished

Preparation:

Slice your French bread up and peel or cut off the crust using a large, serrated knife.Chop the tomatoes up and put them in the blender with the oil, vinegar, garlic and a little salt.
Blend this all together and then start to add the stale bread bit by bit. The mixture will very quickly become thicker and as you add the bread it will take longer for it to mix through. I tend to hold back one tomato so that when the last bit of bread doesn't mix through I can add the tomato to loosen things up. When no more bread will mix through, the Salmorejo is ready. You may not need to add all the bread or you may need a bit more.

Pour the Salmorejo into a bowl and chill it in the fridge.

Lay strips of ham on a cookie sheet covered with foil and bake until crispy. Cool the ham and chop it up.Just before serving garnish with chopped up egg white and Serrano or Prosciutto ham.Serve in individual bowls for a first course to a meal or in a larger bowl surrounded by bread for a party appetizer.

Buen provecho!
(Enjoy)

Ginger-Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps

2009-09-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is the best wrap I have ever eaten. Ok, so at least the best homemade wrap I have ever eaten and comes pretty close to the Thai Chicken Wrap at World Wraps in Seattle. I will definitely be making these often. It is from the Best of Cooking Light Cookbook. I have just two suggestions when making the wraps though: 1. Don't use as much chicken as it calls for. That is just way too much. Or if you do, add more of everything else. 2. Use flavored tortillas. I'm sure plain ones would be fine but I used Jalapeno & Cilantro tortillas and it was way good.

Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 (4-ounce) chicken breast halves
- 1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
- 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken from pan; cool. Shred or cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place chicken, cucumber, and bell pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

2. Place sugar and the next 6 ingredients (sugar through garlic) in a blender, and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water; process until smooth, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro, and toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; top each serving with 1/2 cup lettuce, and roll up.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 280 (19% from fat)
Fat: 5.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.6g)
Protein: 25.8g
Carbohydrate: 30.5g
Fiber: 2.4g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 572mg
Calcium: 29mg

Herbed Cheese Pizza

2009-09-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

We just had these personal pizzas for our Sunday lunch. I simmered the sauce and made the dough in the bread machine before church so it came together quickly after church. I never would have thought of putting paprika and cumin on a pizza but it was tasty! I couldn't find "hot paprika" so I used regular and then added some sprinkles of cayenne pepper. I also splurged and found the kasseri cheese. Sharp Parmesan could probably work in a pinch as a substitute if you can't find it.

Dough:

2 cups bread flour, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
2 packages dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
2 cups warm water (100° to 110°), divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray

Topping:
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
10 ounce thinly sliced kasseri cheese
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

To prepare dough, lightly spoon bread flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup bread flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup warm water in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Lightly spoon all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup bread flour, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water, and 2 teaspoons oil to flour mixture; stir well. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky). Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; divide dough into 8 equal portions. Cover and let rest 20 minutes.

To prepare topping, combine oregano, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; place circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portions.

Top each crust with 1/4 cup tomato mixture, 1 1/4 ounces cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until crusts are lightly browned. Sprinkle evenly with minced parsley.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 6-inch pizza)

CALORIES 434 (28% from fat); FAT 13.4g (sat 6.6g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.2g); IRON 5.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 35mg; CALCIUM 308mg; CARBOHYDRATE 62.6g; SODIUM 934mg; PROTEIN 19.7g; FIBER 4.6g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2002

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2009-09-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

My most favorite soup ever is creamy chicken and wild rice soup. I just love it. Sadly, my favorite place to get it is back home in Oregon and since I'm in Utah, I miss it a lot. So I decided to make my own and try to make it as good (and healthy) as possible (creamy soup usually = not so healthy soup). So I found a bunch of different chicken and wild rice soup recipes, took what I liked and cut out what I didn't, and came up with this. I made it for dinner tonight and it was quite good (I swear it tastes better than this picture looks). Still not the healthiest soup ever but hey, its better than it was!

Ingredients:

- 1 T. Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c. chopped celery

- 1 c. chopped carrots

- 1/4 c. all purpose flour

- 1/4 c. chopped shallots

- 1/4 t. salt

- 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper

- 1/4 t. thyme

- 2 bay leaves

- dash of garlic powder

- 4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth

- 1 c. quick cooking or instant wild rice

- 2c. - 3 c. cooked chicken (cubed or shredded, whatever you like)

- 1/2 c. reduced fat sour cream

- 1 T. parsley

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, carrots & shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

2. Add broth, thyme, bay leaves and garlic powder and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice in tender, 7-10 minutes. Stir in chicken, sour cream, and parsley and cook until heated through.

Yield: 6 servings. Serving size, 1 3/4 cups

Nutritional Information: (as best as I could figure out)

Calories: 360

Fat: 9g

Chol: 90mg

Protein: 36g

Sodium: 380

Classic Caprese Sandwich

2009-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

For a fast & easy sandwich that comes across with a fancy flare, look no further. This is especially perfect on a summer evening & pairs well with a salad or steamed veggie.

Ingredients
-Loaf of crusty bread (I prefer ciabatta or baguette)
-Mozzarella
-Ham
-Tomatoes
-Fresh basil
-Olive oil & balsamic vinegar
-Minced garlic
-Salt & pepper

Preparation
-Marinade sliced tomatoes in oil, vinegar, salt & pepper...set aside
-Cut bread in half
-Drizzle olive oil & balsamic vinegar & rub minced garlic on both slices
-Arrange sliced mozzarella & ham on one side
-Broil in toaster oven or conventional oven until cheese melts & bread is slightly toasted
-Arrange basil & marinaded sliced tomatoes on top

Additional Tips
-Have extra oil & vinegar on hand for dipping
-Grow your own basil & tomatoes...they are two of the easiest things to grow & are perfect for homemade pizza & caprese sandwiches all summer (this is coming from a very elementary gardener)

Chicken & Cashews

2009-09-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

(photo by Randy Mayor and courtesy of cookinglight.com)

I'm a sucker for all Asian food and tend to make quite a bit of it at home. My pantry is now stocked with most of the Asian dish essentials like sesame oil, fish sauce, hoisen sauce and red curry paste so I'm ready to cook up some Asian flare at any time. This Chicken and Cashew dish is from the May 2009 issue of Cooking Light and is definitely a favorite ours. We just gobble it up and I hope you do too!

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry (if you don't have sherry, use apple juice)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 3 green onions)
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted cashews

Preparation
1. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and chicken in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, broth, oyster sauce, and honey in a small bowl.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken mixture to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions and cashews. Serve over a simple rice pilaf like the one listed below.

Rice pilaf: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, 1/2 cup long-grain rice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Nutritional Information (not including rice pilaf)
Calories: 257
Fat: 9g (sat 1.9g,mono 4.2g,poly 2.3g)
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrate: 17g
Fiber: 1.9g
Cholesterol: 63mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 584mg
Calcium: 45mg

If you like peanut butter....

2009-08-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

These are heavenly. And they are a little bit more healthy for you because they are Gluten Free.
This recipe is taken from http://www.glutenfreeda.com/, one of my most visited sites for GF recipes.
Recipe for Gluten Free Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 eggs2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1-1/4 cup gf flour, I recommend Carol Fenster's Sorghum blend, which is:
1 1/2 cup(s) sorghum flour
1 1/2 cup(s) potato starch/cornstarch
1 cup(s) tapioca flour
(or regular flour if you don't want to do the GF kind)
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

For the frosting:
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1-3/4 to 2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat with a hand mixer the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the gf flour baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with 1/4 cup milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing after each addition.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Remove cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the peanut butter; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Gradually add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, beating with a hand held mixer until thickened. (Note: Start by gradually adding up to 1-3/4 cup powdered sugar. You may find that you will need to add more powdered sugar to get the consistency of frosting.) Spread frosting over cupcakes.

NOTE:....In order to make the cupcakes a little bit softer (as GF tends to become hard quickly), I recommend splitting the egg whites and leaving them until the very end. Then, just before baking the cupcakes, whip the egg whites until they are fluffy, almost like whipped cream. Fold in egg whites with a spatula until completely blended in.
It is also recommended that you cover the cupcakes once baked and place them in the refridgerator. This will help them stay softer, longer.

Orange Mandarin Chicken

2009-08-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last week when I was home in Oregon I took a big pile of my mom's old magazines and searched them for some new recipes. I got some good ones, including this one from the old July 2003 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I made it tonight for dinner and I loved it. The recipe says to serve it with Asian noodles but I served it with brown rice instead. I'm sure both would be good.

Ingredients:

- 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

- 4 (4-oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

- Pinch of Kosher salt

- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

- 1 (11-oz.) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, undrained

- 1/2 cup chopped green onions

- 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

- 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

- 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

2. While chicken cooks, drain oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Add oranges, 2 tablespoons liquid, onions, jalapeno and garlic to pan. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes. Combine broth, soy sauce and cornstarch, and add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Serve with Asian noodles (soba, somen, or udon) or rice and steamed snow or sugar snap peas.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 212

Fat: 3.8g

Protien: 27.2g

Carb: 15.2g

Fiber: 0.7g

Chol: 66mg

Iron: 1.9mg

Sodium: 562mg

Calc: 27mg

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2009-08-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

In honor of my dad's 60th birthday (which is today) I thought I'd post my mom's recipe for his favorite pie (which I am about to eat). My dad LOVES Rhubarb Custard Pie, especially because the rhubarb comes straight from my mom's garden and is super fresh. I love the tartness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the custard. YUM!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1/4 t. nutmeg

- dash of salt

- 3 eggs, lightly beaten

- 4 cups of 1 inch slices of fresh rhubarb

- 2 T. butter, cut into small pieces

- pie crust, enough for crust and lattice (my family pie crust recipe is posted below)

Preparation:

Mix together the sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt. Add the beaten eggs. Stir in 4 cups rhubarb. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie crust leaving some hanging over the side (if you use the recipe posted below, you want to double it or make 1.5 times the recipe). Fill with rhubarb mixture. Dot top of filling with butter pieces. With remaining pie crust, arrange the lattice crust on top. Seal edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve a la mode if you wish (we always do!)

Grandma Gert's Flaky Pie Crust

2009-08-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

My mom's parents owned and operated a few restaurants when she was a little girl back in the 1950's. Basically, my mom grew up in a restaurant, eating delicious food whenever she wanted. Sounds like a dream, huh? I think so. She has many wonderful recipes from her parents who were the cooks and one of the best is her mom's pie crust. I swear that because of this pie crust my mom's pies are always SO good. She is able to make the perfect crust that is both tender and flaky and it is wonderful. The secret is in how you prepare it. You should feel privileged to now have this recipe in your library, it's that good!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 T. water

Preparation:
Mix together flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With pastry blender, cut in half of the butter until it has a fine coarse meal consistency (this gives it the tenderness). Cut in the remaining butter until the particles are the size of large peas (this gives it the flakiness). Sprinkle with water a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork until all the flour is moistened . Form into a ball (if you doubled the recipe, divide dough into 2 balls), place on a floured surface, and flatten a little with your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle as thin as you can without it being too thin that it would fall apart. Gently place pie crust into pie pan.

* Never use a shiny-finished aluminum pan. Glass, enamelware, or satin finished metal pans work better.

* If you are making a pie that is not baked but does need a baked shell, first prick sides and bottom with a fork then bake 8-9 minutes at 475 degrees.

* If you are making a pie that requires a lattice or a top, double the recipe.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2009-08-17T12:16:00.001-07:00

(photo by Randy Mayor, courtesy of cookinglight.com)

This is my all time favorite mac & cheese recipe. I love it because it has great texture and flavor and is a lot healthier than your typical mac & cheese. It is also super easy to make and is an easy dish to serve for lunch when you have guests staying with you. Sometimes I add grilled or lightly breaded chicken for some added protein. Yum! It is from the Best of Cooking Light cookbook

Ingredients

- 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups (8 oz) uncooked)

- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

- 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese

- 3/4 cup nonfat sour cream

- 1/2 cup skim milk

- 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I usually I add more)

- 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon pepper

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- Vegetable cooking spray

- 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

- 1 tablespoon butter, melted

- 1/4 teaspoon paprika

- Fresh oregano sprigs (I rarely use these but feel free too if you want better presentation)

Preparation

Combine first 10 ingredients; stir well, and spoon into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs and next 2 ingredients; stir well. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes or until set. Garnish with oregano.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 356 (28% from fat)
Fat: 11.2g (sat 5.2g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.4g)
Protein: 24.9g
Carbohydrate: 37.5g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 63mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 724mg
Calcium: 402mg

Stawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

2009-08-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Rhubarb isn't loved by everyone but I definitely LOVE rhubarb. It's easy to bake with and definitely easy to freeze. I recently made a crips with strawberries and rhubarb - a common combination.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Topping (recipe fro America's Test Kitchen)

6 tbs flour (I used whole-wheat)

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

5 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 c coarsely chopped nutes (I used almonds)

Note: I doubled the recipe because I like a lot of topping. :) I also added ground flax seed.

Preparation

Place flour, sugars, spices, and salt in food processor and process briefly to combine. Add butter and pulse 10 times, about 4 seconds for each pulse. The mixture will first look like dry sand, with large lumps of butter, then like coarse cornmeal. Add the nuts, then process again, four or five 1-second pulses. The topping shoud look like slightly clumpy wet sand. Be sure not to overmix, or the mixture will become too wet. Refrigerate the topping while preparing the fruit, at least 15 minutes.

Filling (my own eye)

Strawberries (quartered) and rhubarb (1/4 inch pieces) nicely coated with honey

Preparation

Fill 8x8 pyrex pan 2/3 way full of strawberry and rhubarb mix, and 1/3 with topping mixture

Bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes

After 25 minutes, raise temp to 400 for another 5 minutes; fruit should be bubbling

Total baking time = 30 minutes

Let cool and then serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Jello Salad

2009-08-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

I love this salad because it's easy and it's a great side to any meal (I think so at least!) It's also really good to double so it can last longer and feed more mouths! Again, no nutritional info or picture...sorry!

1 (3 oz.) Jello (any flavor)

16 oz. 7-Up, divided

1/2 container Cool Whip

Heat 12 ounces of 7-Up to boiling. Add Jello and remove from heat. Stir until dissolved. Refrigerate until wobbly, but not set. (This usually takes about an hour in my fridge (when it's doubled)-just to give you an idea.) Add remaining 4 ounces of 7-Up and whip with mixer. Add Cool Whip and mix until well blended. Pour into bowl and refrigerate until set.
*Side note: If you double it, it's always fun to mix flavors. For instance, instead of using one 6 oz. box of a flavor, use two 3 oz. boxes of different flavors-like lime and cherry. It's just fun to create a flavor that sounds good to you!

Aunt June's Chicken Casserole

2009-08-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

My mom's great aunt made up this recipe decades ago and it won first place in a cooking contest! Anyway, it's a family favorite and one that's perfect for those colder days. I'm actually cooking it as I type though! It's also great to divide up into 2 8x8 pans. I do that and we eat one pan and put the other one in the freezer for a "rainy" day when I don't want to cook! I have no idea what the nutrition facts are, but here's the recipe:

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 chopped onion (I just pour some onion flakes in)

1 T. dried parsley

celery tops (I don't use)

2 c. chicken broth

2 c. Minute Rice

2/3 c. mayonnaise

2 (10 1/2 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

2 c. Rice Krispies

2 T. butter

salt and pepper

Boil chicken with parsley, celery tops, onion-or flakes, and dash of salt and pepper. Cook 20-30 minutes or until chicken is white completely through. Drain chicken reserving 2 c. chicken broth. Cut chicken into small pieces. Add rice into a 9x13 pan and pour chicken broth in. Let rice soak up chicken broth for a couple of minutes. Add chicken, mayonnaise and soup and stir until well blended. On stove top, melt butter in saucepan and add Rice Krispies. Stir until coated. Pour Rice Krispies over top of chicken mixture and spread evenly. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.

The World's Easiest Lasagna

2009-08-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's recipe and I think she loves it because of how easy it is. It's very simple and easy to add your own additions, flavors or spices. I recently made this for a small gathering of friends. Depending on how hungry people are, one pan feeds about 8 people.

1 lb of hamburger (I typically use ground turkey)

1 pkg of lasagna noodles (uncooked)

1 jar of the sauce of your choice

1 lb of motzerella cheese

(I like when the deli slices it for me)

1 container of cottage cheese (I use low fat)

Brown hamburger; add sauce to the skillet with meat and heat thoroughly; add some water. Layer a 9x13 pan in this order: sauce, noodles, sauce, cottage cheese, cheese, noodles, sauce, cottage cheese, cheese. Cover and bake for 45min-1 hour @ 350 degrees. Serve hot. (This is great as left-overs, too!)

Finger Lickin' Asian Chicken

2009-08-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Here's another easy recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine to throw on the grill. Serving suggestion: rice and grilled bell peppers-YUMMY!

Yield: 6 to 8 appetizer servings or 2-4 main course servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste
2 pounds chicken wings, thighs, drumsticks, skin removed
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion, trimmed and chopped

PREPARATION:
1. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Add chicken and let marinate for 15 minutes, stirring often.
2. Set up a gas or charcoal grill for medium heat (350° to 400°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above the cooking grate only 5 to 7 seconds). Put chicken on grill and cover with lid. Cook, turning often, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine honey and hoisin sauce. Using a pastry brush, generously baste chicken wings with honey glaze. Cover grill with lid and cook till honey glaze starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken wings over and baste again, using the remaining honey glaze. Cook 3 minutes more, being careful not to let the glaze burn, removing pieces from the grill as they're done.
4. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve any remaining honey glaze on the side.

Ruby Red Jasmine Rice Salad

2009-08-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

Taken from Gluten Free Girl's recipe by Shauna Ahern

1 star anise

nub of ginger, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon butter (or non-dairy substitute)

pinch of pepper and kosher salt

1 cup ruby-red jasmine rice

2 cups of water

Put the star anise, ginger, garlic cloves, butter, pepper and salt in your rice cooker (or pan).

Add the rice, and then the water.

Stir once, then set the cooker on high to do its magic.

When the rice has finished cooking, deeply fragrant and enticing, spread it out on a large plate. Pick out the nubs of ginger and garlic, and the star anise.

Put the rice in the refrigerator to cool down.

After the rice has sufficiently cooled, toss it with your favorite vinaigrette (we like champagne vinaigrette in particular).

And then top with the following:

pieces of avocado

goat cheese

chive blossoms and stalksfresh cilantro, chopped

shaved asparagus stalks

Great as a summer treat!

Steak and Potato Kebabs with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

2009-08-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

I tried out this new grilled recipe from Eating Well Magazine last night and it was a hit! It was pouring down rain but worth getting a little wet for. It came together quickly and we loved the flavor of the creamy cilantro sauce. I served it with Grilled Corn with Lime Butter .

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, minced

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

8 new or baby red potatoes

1 1/4 pounds strip steak, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 poblano peppers or 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large sweet onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

1. Combine cilantro, vinegar, sour cream, garlic, chile powder, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Preheat grill to high.

3. Place potatoes in a microwave-safe container. Cover and microwave on High until just tender when pierced with a fork, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes.

4. Toss the potatoes, steak and pepper pieces with oil and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Thread the potatoes, steak, peppers and onion chunks onto 8 skewers. Grill, turning once or twice, until the steak reaches desired doneness, about 6 minutes for medium. Serve the kebabs with the reserved sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 271 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 368 mg sodium; 786 mg potassium.

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

2009-08-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

This one doesn't have a picture - sad. But it's delish!! One of our favorite pasta dishes. I have also served it several times for company and it's always a big hit. It is from Cooking Light (love that magazine!) and is super easy.

This recipe makes 4 servings (and that's very accurate)

.
Ingredients
3 large red bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups hot cooked bow tie pasta (8 ounces uncooked)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

.
Preparation
Preheat broiler.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened.

Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 20 minutes. Peel; place peppers in a blender.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Add garlic mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, broth, and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) to blender with peppers; process until smooth.

Combine bell pepper mixture and basil with pasta.

Sprinkle with cheese.

.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 342 (26% from fat)
Fat: 9.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 5.1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 12.1g
Carbohydrate: 53.4g
Fiber: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 2.8mg
Sodium: 549mg
Calcium: 48mg

Baked French Fries w/ Garlicky Dijon Mayo

2009-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've posted this recipe on my personal blog before but I thought I'd share it on here too. I seriously make these fries all the time and use the dip for other things besides the fries as well. I got this recipe from January '09 issue Cooking Light (which is where I get most of my recipes). I've changed the recipe a little bit based on what I think works better and make it serve 2 people instead of 4 because I usually only cook for 2 and I don't need extra french fries laying there tempting me! They wanted you to bake them at 450 but I found the fries to be way too crispy and almost burnt doing that so I bake them at 400. Perhaps if you make more then 2 servings, you may want to turn up the heat if you find your fries are too mushy.

Ingredients:

-1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (I use normal vinegar if I don't have sherry vinegar)
-1 large garlic clove, minced
-3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
-1 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
-1 baking potato (you can use more potatoes if you want more, 1 potato feeds 2 people)
-2 teaspoons olive oil
-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I add a little minced garlic sometimes too)
-cooking spray

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine vinegar and garlic in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in mayonnaise and mustard.

3. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices; stack slices and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick strips. Place in a large bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, pat dry with paper towels. Combine potatoes, oil, and salt in large bowl; toss gently to coat (add minced garlic now if you want). Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes (might need longer if you use more potatoes); carefully turn over and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with sauce.

Yield: 2 servings (about 1 cup fries and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 180
Fat: 7g (sat .5g, mono 4.3 g, poly 1.5 g)
Protein: 3.2 g
Carb: 26.2g
Fiber: 1.9g
Chol: 0mg
Iron: 1.3mg
Sodium: 233mg
Calc: 21mg

Apple Dip

2009-08-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

You can't go wrong when serving my mom's famous apple dip at a party or as an appetizer. It's fast, easy & oh so tasty (let's just say a fight typically breaks out when deciding who gets to lick the beaters).
Ingredients
-1 (8 oz) block cream cheese (I use lowfat)
-3/4 c br sugar
-1/4 c sugar
-1 tsp vanilla

Preparation: Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for 15-30 min before blending with other ingredients using a hand mixer. It's delicious with tart apples & really any kind of fruit.

Berry-Peach Cobbler w/ Sugared Almonds

2009-08-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start us off with a new delicious cobbler recipe I tried from the July 2009 issue of Cooking Light. Great tasting and low calorie? Score! I made it for a BBQ and it was devoured quickly. I think I might add some raspberries next time I make it and see how that works. Happy eating!

Ingredients
Filling:
3 (6-ounce) packages fresh blueberries
3 (5.6-ounce) packages fresh blackberries
3 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
Cooking spray
2/3 cup granulated sugar (I used a little less and it was still good)
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I used more almonds because I love them)
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (the bigger crystals of sugar)
1 egg white

Remaining ingredient:
4 cups vanilla fat-free ice cream

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare filling, combine blueberries, blackberries, and peaches in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt over fruit; toss gently to combine.

3. To prepare topping, combine flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add half-and-half; gently knead dough just until moistened. Drop dough by spoonfuls evenly over top of filling. Combine almonds, turbinado sugar, and egg white; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until topping is browned. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

Yeild:

12 servings (1 c. cobler & 1/3 c. ice cream)

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 321
Fat: 8.9g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.8g)
Protein: 5.3g
Carbohydrate: 58.9g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 19mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 147mg
Calcium: 101mg

Enjoy!

Recipe Labels

2009-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Note: These labels are slightly different than the ones in the e-mail I sent out. I am using (-) instead of (,) because commas divide the label into 2 labels which is no good.

main dish-poultry
main dish-seafood
main dish-beef
main dish-pork
main dish-meatless
main dish-pasta

side dish-starch
side dish-vegetable
side dish-fruit
side dish-other

salad

soup

dessert-cake
dessert-cookie
dessert-pie
dessert-other

appetizer

bread

breakfast

beverage

non-recipe post (for if you have something to say but it isn't a new recipe)

Can anyone think of a label we need that I don't have here? Comment and let me know.

Let's get cookin'

2009-07-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I started this blog so that we could share recipes among friends in an easy and fun way. I know I'm always looking for new recipes and thought it would be great to start a blog where all my girlfriends can post their recipes and comments about them as well. So here we go ... let's get cookin'!