kimscookingfrenzy

New Year's Resolution... Update

2012-02-04T10:31:00.002-07:00

A little before New Year's... I knew it was time to get serious again about eating more carefully and exercising. I was creeping close to 160 pounds and I was finding fewer and fewer things in my closet I felt comfortable wearing. It has been a little over a month and I wanted to show you a little video of my weigh in today on the Wii.

The little character is supposed to me (my Mii on Wii). It's a younger version of me.

Sorry the video is a little wiggly. I was using my toe to press the buttons on the Wii remote!

(Turkey) Bacon Topped Meatloaf

2012-01-28T10:06:00.001-07:00

Meatloaf My Entire Family Enjoyed!

Just a few days ago, I saw Melissa d'Arabian make this meatloaf on her Food Network Show called "Ten Dollar Dinners". Melissa was one of the folks who won "Next Food Network Star" and the prize was her own show on the Food Network. Her show is the ONLY show I record for myself when there are new episodes. I like her personality, her recipes, and her approach to cooking for a family on a budget. She chatters on about money saving tips as she prepares her great looking recipes. I love that I learn a lot each time I watch an episode. This week she made this great looking meatloaf. Her version included a Mustard and Sour Cream Gravy. I skipped the gravy. She served the meatloaf with some great looking mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and scallions. Instead, I made baked potatoes in the oven which cooked along side the meatloaf, but I know my family would also enjoy the mashed potatoes she made. My entire family the meatloaf! Yay, finally!

* My husband told me today the leftover meatloaf reheats very well.... so, as a result... no photo! Sorry about that!

Meatloaf
From www.foodnetwork.com
Recipe by Melissa d'Arabian
Recipe link HERE

INGREDIENTS (my changes are in parentheses):

3 strips pork bacon (I used turkey bacon)
2 eggs
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sour cream (I used plain low fat yogurt)
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion (I used red onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher and freshly ground black pepper
2 Italian sausages, casings removed, mild or spicy (I used mild)
1 pound 80/20 ground beef

Special equipment: glass loaf pan

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the glass loaf pan with the bacon, centering the strips lengthwise in the pan, letting the ends hang over the short edge.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ketchup and sour cream (or yogurt) and mix. Add the breadcrumbs, onions and garlic, stirring to incorporate, and sprinkle with salt and pepper (don't need much salt since the bacon and sausage have salt). Mix in the sausage, breaking it up to season the egg mixture evenly. Mix in the ground beef, using your hands to mix gently but thoroughly. Press the meatloaf mixture firmly into the loaf pan with the bacon, shaping the meat into a loaf shape. Unmold the meatloaf by turning the pan upside-down, and tapping the bottom to release the meatloaf. Tuck the bacon under the loaf, and place it bacon-side up on a foiled or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the meat registers 160 degrees F, 50 minutes.

Slow Cooker Braised Pork with Salsa & Cilantro-Lime Rice

2012-01-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Slow Cooker Braised Pork with Salsa
photo from www.delish.com

I have training all week this week at work so instead of working my Sunday through Thursday schedule, I am working Monday through Friday. Ick! Since I did my shopping last Thursday, I was running out of supplies for meals by Monday! I scanned the Internet for some inspiration and found this recipe. I swung by the market the other night so I could throw this in the slow cooker (Crock Pot) before I left for work today. The original recipe link is HERE. I made the recipe even more simple than the original recipe called for so it was a snap to throw in the slow cooker while my morning coffee was brewing. I love using the slow cooker; it just makes me feel so smart! It's nice to come home to a simple meal and the wonderful aroma filling the house. The result: my husband and I both loved this. Zach had a bacon and cheddar cheese quesadilla with hot sauce and ground black pepper. He doesn't like meat in the slow cooker since it tends to be "too wet" for his liking.

Here is my adapted, simpler version of the recipe I found on www.delish.com. From looking at this recipe on Delish, it looks as if the recipe ORIGINALLY came from www.eatingwell.com

Slow Cooker Braised Pork with Salsa & Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless pork loin roast (original recipe called for pork shoulder or butt which are both rather fatty)

1 1/2 cups prepared tomatillo salsa (see Tips & Techniques)
1 can chicken broth ( 1 3/4 cups) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin (I used ground cumin)
3 plum tomatoes (I used 1 very large hot house tomato), thinly sliced
1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro, divided (I forgot to add it)
1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream (I forgot to put it on the table)

Directions

1. Pour chicken broth in slow cooker. Trim and discard pork surface fat. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour the tomatilla salsa over the pork. Sprinkle the cumin over the salsa. Add the tomatoes and onions to the slow cooker. Set slow cooker on low heat. Cook for 8 to 10 hours. When I got home from work after the contents had been simmer for at least 8 hours, I removed the lid and stirred the salsa in the slow cooker.

*Tips & Techniques*

Tomatillo salsa (sometimes labeled salsa verde or green salsa) is a blend of green chiles, onions, and tomatillos. It is sold in supermarkets.

I served this dish with Cilantro-Lime Rice which is much like the rice you get a the restaurants "Chipotle" and "Qdoba". Here's the recipe:

Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 3/4 cups water
pinch of salt
1 cup basmati rice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh, finely chopped cilantro
finely grated zest of one lime

Put water and salt in a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, return to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce to a simmer on stove top's lowest setting. Cook, covered (no peeking!) for 17 to 18 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork; add in cilantro and lime zest; stir with a fork to combine toss to combine.

Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa

2012-01-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Italian Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa

Ingredients:
4 large sweet bell peppers (5 peppers if your peppers are small)
Extra virgin olive oil or olive oil spray
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 package Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey (1.25 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
½ cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup cooked quinoa
3 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leafed parsley, finely chopped
Garnish: Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, remove stems and membranes, and place in a 9”x13”x2” baking dish, cut side up.

2. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray or a small amount of olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic, turkey, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried Italian Seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Break meat apart and cook over medium heat for 14-16 minutes, or until well done. Add tomato sauce, ¼ cup chicken broth, dried oregano, dried basil, and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce will thicken quite significantly. Add 1 cup cooked quinoa and the fresh parsley, stir to combine

3. Spoon the turkey-quinoa mixture into the pepper halves. Pour remaining ¼ cup chicken broth in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

4. Garnish with a small amount of Parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

A few weeks back, my husband and I were searching for healthy recipes on the Jennie-O Turkey website found HERE. My husband had seen one of the Biggest Loser Contestants (from a previous season) make some sort of Stuffed Peppers and he likes stuffed peppers. We found the recipe for “Hannah’s Turkey Stuffed Peppers”. We decided to tweak it. The original version called for cumin, cheddar cheese, onion, garlic, and turkey. I made the Italian version above.

Unfortunately, my husband did not care for this dish, but I loved it. If you look at the original version of the recipe found HERE, you’ll see that I added significantly more tomato sauce, I added lots of dried herbs, as well as some cooked quinoa. The texture of this dish is what turned my husband off. He’s accustomed to another version of Italian Stuffed Peppers I make for him which are stuffed with tube-shaped pasta, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese, ground pork, marinara sauce and Italian herbs. In my updated, healthier version, there is not a lot of textural difference… that is, the consistency of everything is quite soft and quite moist. If one were looking for a dryer texture, I would recommend reducing the amount of tomato sauce and/or chicken broth in the sauce. As for me, I enjoyed the peppers as is. They reheated great for my lunches at work. When I reheated my leftovers in my office, folks were asking, “Oh, what’s that great smell!?” Also, I considered calling these peppers Mile High Peppers because I had so much filling for my pepper halves. If your peppers are on the small side, you might want to use 5 peppers instead of just 4 peppers or you will have a lot of left over filling.

If you would like to see MY original Italian Stuffed Pepper recipe, click HERE. I can tell my newer version is much lighter and healthier.

So Easy.... says Ellie Krieger

2012-01-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

Honey Harvest Quinoa

White Turkey Chili with Poblano Peppers

I keep telling myself to not buy cookbooks or subscribe to cooking magazines when there are so many FREE recipes available, especially on-line. But apparently I break weak sometimes when I see something too good to pass up. I splurged on a cookbook called “So Easy” by Ellie Krieger a long while back. Looking for inspiration, I was thumbing through the cookbook as I prepared my grocery shopping list last week and decided to try two of the recipes from the book this week. Honey Harvest Quinoa looked like a good choice for breakfast and White Chili looked like a good soup for lunches or dinners. Believe it or not, I did not tweak or alter the recipes. I saw some others have posted these recipes on-line already so I will save myself the typing and add the links so you can try these recipes if you are interested. I am enjoying both of these recipes and they are healthy and helping me keep with my HEALTHY New Year’s Resolutions.

I have a few comments about each recipe if you care to know about them.

Click the recipe name for the Internet Link:

Honey Harvest Quinoa: I should have followed my instincts and used a bit less water. I had to cook my quinoa much longer in order for all of the water to be absorbed. This recipe is easily adaptable. Basically you are making quinoa and adding uncooked fruit part way through the cooking process. I added diced apple and dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and cinnamon, as recommended in the recipe, but the possibilities endless. Dried apricots, golden raisins, almonds, walnuts, nutmeg, ginger… you get the idea. The recipe calls for adding milk at the end and warming it through. For me, I planned on making this quinoa ahead and then reheating portions throughout the week. I recommend adding the milk and warming it through if you are planning on serving all of the quinoa at once to a crowd of people. But if you are planning to reheat and eat like me, I recommend adding the milk to the individual portions. This recipe makes a huge amount of quinoa and it reheats well. Next time I make this, I might consider making just ½ the recipe. One recipe is supposed to feed four people if I am not mistaken but the portions would be huge.

White Chile with Turkey: Oh my goodness! Use gloves when you chop the poblano peppers! I did not do this and every time I got my hands in warm or hot water after dicing the peppers, it was like I activated a chemical burn on my hands. Ouch! Wear gloves. This soup is good and not overly spicy despite the fact that the peppers burned my hands. I used 1.25 pounds of ground lean turkey because the package I bought contained that much. If you don’t care for hominy you could leave that ingredient out all together and the chili would still be good. The chili is more soup-like (with a brothy consistency). If I make this again, I might consider mashing up some of the white beans before adding it to the soup to give the dish a thicker consistency. The recipe recommends serving the chili with sour cream and fresh cilantro. My cilantro rotted in the refrigerator and I am using plain, low-fat yogurt in my soup. It’s cold out and this soup hits the spot. Good stuff. I am looking forward to freezing a few portions as well to add to my stockpile of soups in the freezer.

Cream-less Yet Creamy Veggie Soup

2012-01-09T19:27:00.004-07:00

The other day I got this e-mail message from my friend, Jennie.

**************************************************************
Title: Make This Soup!!!

Message:

This is our favorite soup!! So good. You really need fresh broccoli though…

Ingredients:

2 carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbsp. oil
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 small bunch broccoli
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup Minute Rice, uncooked
1 cup milk
4 slices American Cheese (or Velvetta)

Directions:

Cook and stir carrots, onions, celery in hot oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bouillon, pepper, and water, and bring to a boil. Stir in broccoli and uncooked rice. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a blender to combine soup. Add milk and cheese. Cook until heated thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
*************************************************************

Jennie and I chatted back and forth a bit more about the soup and she said she thought the recipe came from Kraft Foods and was originally called something like “Creamless Cream of Broccoli Soup”. I found a very similar recipe HERE, only it calls for Parmesean cheese. Ah, yet another variation.

So I pondered the recipe as I prepared my grocery list for the week. I remembered that, just the other day, I was reading a cooking blog and the blogger recommended using cauliflower to thicken soup; I stowed that tidbit in the back of my brain for future reference. I decided to follow Jennie’s directive “Make This Soup!!!!” but I made some alterations along the way. I did have some slices of American Cheese in my refrigerator but I did not want to buy Minute Rice just for this one recipe. Plus, I am trying to cut back on the carbs. Here’s what I did.

Cream-less Yet Creamy Veggie Soup (adapted by me)

1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 carton (32 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
1 small to medium sized head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 to 1 ½ cups cauliflower (about 1/3 of a head), chopped into small florets
1 teaspoon salt (more if desired)
½ teaspoon black pepper (more if desired)
½ teaspoon garlic powder (more if desired)
1 cup of milk (I used 1% milk)
4 slices of American Cheese

Directions:

Cook and stir carrots, onions, celery in hot oil in a large saucepan or soup pot on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil. Stir in broccoli and cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Use a blender to combine soup (I used my immersion “stick” blender which made this very easy). Add milk and cheese. Cook until heated thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, and garlic powder as desired and if needed. (A note about the seasoning: Since the original recipe called for chicken bouillon, I realize I missed out on a lot of salt and flavoring by omitting that ingredient. I don’t have exact measurements for you for the salt, pepper, and garlic powder; I just added more until it tasted good to me. My batch of soup is quite peppery… in a GOOD way).

Next time I make this soup, I might add the cauliflower to the broth, cook it for about 5 minutes, and THEN add the broccoli. I think the cauliflower might have a longer cooking time than the broccoli. When I blended the soup, I could still sort of “recognize” the cauliflower in the soup despite the pureeing. It’s just a thought; I am happy with my soup just the way it is. Why, I even had some soup for breakfast one day which is a total aberration for me.

I feel good about the alterations I made to this soup in order to help me stick with my New Year’s Resolutions. While I did use some processed American Cheese in this, I reduced the processed carbohydrates (in the form of white rice) and added extra veggies. Cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and also kale and collared greens) are super good for you... so in this recipe… I doubled up on the cruciferous veggies plus I added extra carrots and celery.

I can't tell you how my adapted version compares to the original. Jennie says she loves the soup because it's very filling and, when she tries new soup recipes, she wishes she had made this soup instead. Good stuff! Thanks for the AWESOME recipe, Jennie!

The Kitchen is Closed!

2012-01-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

I am documenting the new recipes we are trying in the new year. There has been quite a cooking frenzy going on in my kitchen this weekend. If you have been following along, you saw the scrumptious Spicy Meatballs with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce and the Frugal French Onion Soup. I tried to make a loaf of bread in my bread machine with whole wheat flour and beer... it was a flop... or rather a collapsed loaf which resembled a boulder. The Universe is speaking to me... No, I do not need to make bread.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Italian-Inspired Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa

I also made a Creamy Vegetable Soup and some Italian Inspired Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa which are both pictured above (I'll post these recipes another day). That's four new recipes in one weekend. The refrigerator is also stocked with a pot of Italian Red Pepper Soup and a garden salad.

The kitchen is closed! I am pooped!

Frugal French Onion Soup Recipe

2012-01-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

Nearly a year ago, I posted a recipe for one of my favorite slow cooker recipes: Spicy Italian Beef for Sandwiches. The original post is here. The recipe comes from a great little book called "Cooking with Beer".

Here is the recipe:

Spicy Italian Beef for Sandwiches

(From a book called "Cooking with Beer")

1 chuck tender roast or chuck roast (trimmed of fat) approx. 3 to 4 pounds or an equal amount of boneless beef ribs
1 can of beef broth (14 ounce size), reduced sodium if desired
1 bottle or can of beer (I like to O'Douls non-alcoholic Amber Ale) I used a can of Coors Light this time
1 pkg. (dry) Good Season's Brand Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
1 16-ounce jar pepperoncini peppers, drained (remove all stems with a knife)
Hoagie or french rolls
Sliced or grated cheese of your choosing (recommend provolone cheese, pepper jack cheese, Monterrey jack cheese, Swiss cheese)

1. Put the roast, broth and beer in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the dressing mix on top of the roast; do not stir. Place the peppers around the roast.
2. Cook covered on low for 8 to 10 hours for a large roast or 5 to 6 hours for boneless beef ribs.
3. Shred the meat and make sandwiches on rolls. Top with pepperonci peppers and cheese (If desired, first toast buns under the broiler, then top with cheese, then melt cheese under the broiler, and then top with the shredded meat and peppers). Enjoy! (I like to strain the cooking juices and eat the sandwich like a French Dip with Au Jus).

Each time I make this recipe, I end up dumping the flavorful broth down the drain. I use a little of the strained broth for sandwich dipping, but still... it seemed so wasteful.

Ding! Light bulb moment!

The last two times I made this recipe, I strained and cooled the cooking liquid, put it in a plastic zip close bag and froze it. This week, I thawed both bags of frozen cooking liquid, sauteed up 4 or 5 sliced yellow and red onions in a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, added in the broth... and presto! Frugal French Onion Soup! Since we are being a bit more conscientious about our diet, we are eating small portions with just a few croutons and a little grated Swiss cheese for garnish. It is really good! So I encourage you to try out the slow cooker recipe for Spicy Italian Beef and save the cooking liquid and make some super simple, frugal, and fast French Onion Soup!

Spicy Ground Turkey Meatballs with (Tzatziki) Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

2012-01-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Photo from http://www.jennieo.com/

Spicy Ground Turkey Kabobs with Tangy Yogurt Sauce
Original Recipe link can be found HERE.

Our dinner tonight was fantastic. We had these meatballs with sauce as well as carrot and celery sticks. My son tried a meatball and said,

"These are good. The other meatballs you make are terrible, but these are really good!"

So there you have it. The endorsement of a teenager, a mom who is trying to get her family to eat healthier, and a husband who tends to crave beef over everything else. We all liked it! We ate a lot of the yogurt sauce on the carrot and celery sticks so I am wishing I would have made a double recipe of the sauce. I altered the meatballs just a bit by omitting the dry ground mustard and fresh mint. As for the sauce, I did make significant changes here; I made Tzatziki which is a garlicky yogurt-cucumber sauce. The original sauce called for dijon mustard. If you've ever had a Greek Gyro, you've probably had Tzatziki. It's good stuff.

Spicy Ground Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki
Adapted from http://www.jennieo.com/

Meatballs:

1 package JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE® Lean Ground Turkey
1/2 cup yellow onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place lean ground turkey, onion, garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl; mix well. There will be about 2 1/2 cups of mixture. Form mixture into balls. I made 24 meatballs. One serving equals 4 meatballs. Meatballs should be approximately 1 1/2 inches across in size. Place meatballs on a nonstick baking sheet. Meatballs should be evenly spaced and not touching. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until meatballs are well-done, 165°F as measured by a meat thermometer. Turn meatballs once halfway through cooking. I live at high altitude, so to be on the safe side, I cooked the meatballs for closer to 15 minutes. The meatballs were so small, I had a difficult time testing the internal temperature with my instant read thermometer.

Tzatziki (Yogurt Cucumber Sauce):

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cucumber (see notes below) *
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped (I used one medium sized clove of garlic)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (more if desired for a thinner sauce)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the sauce while the kabobs are baking.Combine yogurt, cucumber (*), garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Season with extra salt and pepper as desired. Sauce should be the consistency of thick cream.

(*) Cucumbers are full of liquid! To keep the sauce thick, a little extra work is required. Peel 1/2 of a cucumber. Cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber with a cheese grater. Place the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel. Lift the edges of the towel and squeeze the cucumber in the towel to wring out extra moisture.

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Trying to find heathier recipes for our family. We are fans of the show "Biggest Loser" and they often feature recipes using Jennie-O ground turkey. This led us to the Jennie-O website today where we found some recipes to try. I shopped accordingly today and we are looking forward to trying more.

Next: Stuffed Peppers with Turkey and Quinoa.

Happy New Year

2011-12-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

As far as New Year's Eve celebrations go... this is about as wild as I get... not wild so much... just goofy! See how good I am at following instructions? This sticker was on a Chiquita banana I just ate. Hee, hee!

For some reason, I am looking forward to the new year beginning. A fresh start. Each and every year I ponder new year's resolutions. Lose weight, drink more water... those are my old standards. This year, I am not setting a goal to lose weight. Lord knows, I need to lose weight... but this year, I am considering a new approach for me. Instead, I am setting goals to do what I need to do to be more healthy. Hopefully, in the process of taking these steps to be more healthy, I will lose weight in the long run.

I am trying to keep it simple.

More water.
More moving.
More clean foods.

I don't drink enough water. Period. It should be an easy goal to accomplish, yet I struggle.

I don't exercise enough. I have lots of excuses. I work long 10 hour days four days a week. After a long day, then cooking dinner and cleaning up the kitchen after work, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym. I want to shower, put on my jammies, plop myself in my chair, and knit. I was thinking today... if I spent 1/2 as much time exercising as I do knitting, I'd be prepared to run marathons! Knitting is very sedentary. I need to get moving.

Since I do enjoy cooking from scratch so much, I think I do eat a pretty healthy diet. But there are areas where I fall short (white, highly processed carbs... flour tortillas... oh, how I love them!). I subscribe to a magazine called "Clean Eating" and, in a nutshell, clean eating focuses on eating foods in their most unrefined and unprocessed forms. If a food item has more than five ingredients in it, like so many processed foods do, then it's best to avoid the item. A former coworker (a nurse practitioner named Nona G.... a super wonderful lady) gave a talk at work one day about nutrition. She described this so simply, I feel compelled to share what she said. She explained it better than I can describe it, but what she said really stuck with me. Nona had two examples I can recall; an apple and rice. The more you process the food, the less of the healthful benefits you get.

Eat an apple with the skin on... full of vitamins and fiber.
Eat applesauce... more additives, less fiber, not as nutritious.
Drink apple juice... highly concentrated, more calories, and vitamins and fiber lost.

Eat brown rice... healthy and unrefined. The outer layer of the rice is good for you.
Eat white rice... it's processed, you've lost the healthy outer coating.
Eat rice crispy cereal... not a highly nutritious food.

So there you have it... my goals for 2012. I have also posted my Knitting Goals for 2012 on my knitting blog. If you are interested in checking that out, click HERE.

What are your goals for 2012? Do you have any you'd like to share?

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

2011-12-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

I had never considered making Split Pea Soup in the slow cooker (Crock Pot) until I read about it on the Internet. Making Split Pea Soup on the stove top is not necessarily difficult, but making it in the slow cooker is even simpler! I looked at a few different recipes I found on the Internet and essentially the ingredients and directions were the same. I settled on THIS recipe which I found on the Whole Foods Website.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
from http://www.wholefoods.com/

Ingredients

1 (16-oz) package dried green split peas, rinsed*
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham (I used about 3/4 cup diced Black Forrest Ham)
1 cup sliced baby carrots (I used 3 medium carrots, diced)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used 1 yellow onion, diced)
2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped (I used 3 ribs of celery)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I omitted)
Salt and pepper to taste (remember the chicken broth and ham already contain salt)
6 cups chicken broth (I used a 32 ounce carton and a 14.5 ounce can of chicken broth)

Method

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.

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To use up what I had on hand, I added extra vegetables. I am concerned I might have over-salted my soup a bit. I did not consider how salty the ham is on it's own and also forgot to consider that most of the chicken broth I used was not the low sodium variety... so tread lightly with the salt! I think I added about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt when I started the soup in the slow cooker, so you might want to start with 1/2 teaspoon. After all, you can always add more at the end. I think my soup was pretty much done in about five hours on the low setting. I really did not keep track. Whatever the case may be, the soup is delicious and it was so simple.

Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2011-12-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
(From www.delish.com)

Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
1/2 cup(s) trans fat–free vegetable oil spread (60% to 70% oil) (I used a stick of margarine 65% oil)
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
2 1/2 cup(s) quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked (I used quick-cooking)
1 cup(s) bittersweet (62% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips (my variation: 1/2 cup butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat sugars and vegetable spread until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg, egg white, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt until mixed.

3. With wooden spoon, stir in oats and chocolate chips until well combined.

4. Drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 12 to 13 minutes or until golden. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

I accidentally bought quick cooking oats at the store the other day so I went in search of a recipe which called for a lot of quick cooking oats. I found this recipe on www.delish.com and, according to this site, the cookies were "triple tested at the Good Housekeeping Institute". Wow, I did not even know that sort of place existed!

The cookies are supposed to lower in fat and cholesterol, and be only 80 calories per cookie, IF you make 48 cookies per batch. I made 36 cookies! Whatever the case may be, I have some tasty cookies on hand and I found a good use for quick cooking oats!

Swedish Meatballs Just Like at IKEA!

2011-12-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

I do post original recipes here on my blog quite a bit, but sometimes I get to reading the food blog of another and I wonder why I even bother. Well, of course I know why... I enjoying sharing... but sometimes I think there are so many great, great blogs out there. Their recipes look great, their photography is beautiful, their cooking is innovative, and the baking is creative, and I want to make all the dishes and treats on those blog. Seriously, someday you might just log into my blog and you'll be redirected to the food blog of another and I'll encourage you to go there instead of here. Lately, I've been in AWE of the recipes on "Cinnamon Girl Recipes" at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs

from http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

(My slight alterations are underlined)

For the meatballs:

1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian style breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 + 1/4 pound ground beef

1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten

Vegetable oil, for brushing (or non-stick cooking spray)

*For the gravy:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth (I used a can of broth which is closer to 2 cups)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I added a little extra)

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound egg noodles (or mashed potatoes) I used quick-cooking corkscrew shaped pasta

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I omitted)

Lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce, for serving (I omitted)

1. Add bread crumbs to a large bowl. In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter; add onion, garlic, allspice,1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until onion is tender. Whisk in milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour this mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; allow to cool then mix in the ground beef, egg and egg white with a fork until well combined.
2. Grease a large baking sheet lightly with vegetable oil (or line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray). Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and place close but not touching on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs about 20 minutes or until cooked through to centers. (At this point, I allowed the meatballs to cool and then put the meatballs in a gallon-sized zip close plastic storage bag and refrigerated them).
4. Meanwhile (or when ready to serve later in the week), cook the noodles in plenty of salted water according to package directions and make the gravy. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth, whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a simmer; add the meatballs to warm through. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper; stir in cream (or half and half), sprinkle with parsley (if desired). Serve over noodles with lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce, if desired.

*If serving over noodles you may want to double the sauce.

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2011/11/almost-famous-ikeas-swedish-meatballs.html

I am telling you, everything this gal makes looks incredible. I saw her recipe for Swedish Meatballs which are supposed to be like the Swedish Meatballs served at the Ikea Stores. Yum! Did you know Ikea Stores have a restaurant inside? I did not know that until we stumbled across and went inside the new Ikea Store in Denver, Colorado, in Summer 2011. The stores feel more like an airport terminal... they are that big. Apparently, they have restaurtants because it takes so long to get through the store and they don't want you to leave when you get hungry, so they have a cafeteria style restaurant right in the store. How crazy is that?

The link to the great looking "Almost Famous Ikea's Swedish Meatballs" can be found HERE.

I made this recipe this weekend and I am in love with it. I made and baked meatballs on Friday and then refrigerated them. On Saturday, for dinner, I simmered the meatballs in the sauce/gravy to warm them through BEFORE I added the cream (half-n-half) to the sauce/gravy. I made some noodles while the meatballs warmed. Delicious. A nice change of pace from old, worn out recipe. Great for my lunches this week!

Maple & Brown Sugar Granola with Almonds

2011-12-02T16:22:00.001-07:00

Maple & Brown Sugar Granola with Almonds

Ingredients:
18 ounces old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking and not instant)
7 to 8 ounces sweetened coconut
1 ½ to 2 cups coarsely chopped raw almonds (chopped pecans or walnuts would also be nice)
½ cup raw, untoasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg (freshly ground preferred)
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup real maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two shallow pans with sides (such as shallow roasting pans or jelly roll pans) with aluminum foil; set aside.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. I like to use kitchen tongs to mix it all together (like tossing a salad).

In a microwaveable dish (I use a Pyrex measuring cup), combine the oil and maple syrup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on High power. Stir with a whisk (it really doesn’t combine, but I try). Poor the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir well (with tongs) so that dry ingredients are lightly coated. Divide the granola onto the lined pans. Bake for approximately 25 minutes; stirring approximately every 8 minutes.

Stirring is very important! The granola will start to burn on the bottom due to the sugars especially as the granola is close to being done. Your nose (and eyes) are a good gauge. If the granola is suddenly becoming very fragrant, chances are it’s time to stir. Don’t just peek in the oven because you can’t see what happening in the very back of the oven. Be on the safe side and double check. Burnt granola as not as yummy as lightly toasted granola.

I let the granola cool on in the pans for awhile and then I lift the foil out of the pans and allow the granola to cool on the counter top until I could package it up (gallon sized zip close plastic bags or rubber storage container with tight fitting lid).

Delicious with milk… almost like dessert over vanilla yogurt!
Also makes a nice Hostess Gift or a last minute holiday gift this time of year...

Enlarged to show texture. :)

German Anise Molasses Cookies

2011-12-01T05:47:00.001-07:00

Each Thanksgiving, I make German Anise Molasses Cookies for Christmas. I am told that the longer the cookies sit, the better they get... hence, you make them at Thanksgiving for Christmas. The recipe is pretty outrageous and I love to tell my coworkers all about my cookie baking adventures the week after Thanksgiving. I am under impression these cookies might be called "Lebkuchen" (translates to Life Cookie)in German, but when I was taught how to make these cookies, I was given the American name... so in our house, these are Anise Molasses Cookies.

The cookies are quite a bit of work. I make them for my husband because, until he gets these cookies, he says it's just not Christmas. I think these cookies are especially good with a hot cup of coffee. Some years I have been ~~stupid~~ crazy enough to make two batches of this dough. What was I thinking? That's a TON of cookies. You know a recipe makes a lot of cookies when one batch starts with five... count them... 5 cups of flour!

These cookies do contain oil of anise which has a black licorice flavor. Anise (or black licorice) seems to be one of those flavors that people really like or really do NOT like. When I offer these cookies to friends, I always ask first if they like black licorice. If they say "NO!," I caution them. In my opinion, these cookies are too much work to waste on someone who won't appreciate or enjoy them.

Citron is just one of the unusual ingredients in this recipe. It can be found in the grocery store (I find it a Safeway) this time of year in the produce section in small round plastic tubs, alongside the candied fruits (for fruit cakes) and crystallized ginger.

Grandma Fluck's Anise Molasses Cookies
(As taught to me by my mother-in-law Maryellen)!

Dry Ingredients:
5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Things to grind in food processor:
2 ounces citron
1/2 cup pecans

Wet Ingredients:
2 cups light/mild molasses (I use Grandma's Molasses)
1/3 cup whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)
1/2 teaspoon oil of anise or 1 teaspoon anise extract
1/4 melted salted butter
zest from 1/4 lemon
juice and pulp from 1/2 lemon

Icing/Nut Topper:
sifted powered sugar
lemon extract
yellow food coloring
half-n-half
pecan halves

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir with a whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the citron and the pecans together until the ingredients are ground into very small, similar sized bits. You can also use an old fashioned meat grinder for this (when my mother-in-law taught me how to makes these cookies, she brought her heavy metal meat grinder all the way from Iowa to Colorado... it's the kind of meat grinder that clamps onto the kitchen counter top). Caution: If you try to process just the citron by itself, it will be a gummy mess; be sure to process the citron and pecans TOGETHER. If you do not have a food processor, you can use one of those food chopper gadgets (like the kind from Pampered Chef or the chopper called "Slap Chop" as seen on TV might work as well) to finely mince the pecans and citron (that's what I did before I got a food processor).
Empty the ground citron and ground pecans from the food processor into a medium sized bowl and add in the remaining wet ingredients. Stir to combine.
Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Stir with a spoon by hand until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be sticky; don't worry. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Dust a tea towel or pastry cloth with flour. Roll dough with a rolling pin (you are aiming for thickness of about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch). Cut dough into rectangles. I use a pizza cutter and a knife to accomplish this. Place cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. The cookies don't rise much and they don't spread out when baking so they can be placed pretty close together.
Bake in a 300 degree oven for 17 to 18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer the baked cookies to the counter top (I just slide the parchment paper and cookies right onto the counter top to cool).
After the cookies have cooled to room temperature (or sat out overnight), prepare the icing. Combine sifted powdered sugar, about 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 drop yellow food coloring, and half-n-half until you get a nice glaze. The glaze should be applied in thin layer with a knife. It should not be so thin that if runs off of the cookies. Top each glazed cookie with a pecan half.
Allow glaze to harden a bit before storing the cookies in air tight containers. I put layers of wax paper between the layers of cookies in my storage containers. It is recommended to let them sit for a few weeks as they get better as they "age". If you give these cookies a try, I'd love to hear about it.

This is one of those old recipes where the ingredients are not precise. When it's passed down from one generation to another, as it was in my case, you learn from some one else and you just get feel for it. The recipe, according to Maryellen, called for "1/2 a juice glass of whiskey". I am accustomed to baking being much more precise than that. I had my Maryellen show me how much 1/2 a juice glass is and then I measured it in my Pyrex measuring cup. That's me... I need more information!

The icing, you will notice, also doesn't have exact measurements. Frustrating, but after all these years, I just have a feel for it. I make up a small amount, ice a few dozen cookies, and then make up some more icing, until I am done.

Crockpot Pumpkin Chicken Chili

2011-11-27T10:33:00.004-07:00

When I saw this recipe posted on a blog called "Cinnamon Girl Recipes" and I saw that I had nearly all of the ingredients on hand, I had to make it. The recipe link can be found HERE. I think I made the soup pretty much as directed but at the very end, I added about a teaspoon of granulated sugar. When I was first sampling the soup as I was portioning it out (I froze half of the soup right away), I was a bit concerned the soup was a bit too spicy and a bit too acidic. Today, I had the soup for lunch with a dollop of sour cream, and that seems to have done the trick. Not too spicy... delicious! I would have preferred some plain yogurt in place of the sour cream, but sour cream is what I had on hand. This soup is terriffic! I am really glad I tried it.

Here is the recipe from http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/
I tell you, everything on this blog I have tried is VERY good!
The blog seems to be a bit slow to load today, but it's worth the wait.
I'll try to post a photo of my soup.

Crockpot Pumpkin Chicken Chili
from http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes)

1 can (14 ounce) pumpkin puree

2 cups chicken broth (I used 1 can broth plus 1/4 cup water)

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chile powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano, crushed between fingertips

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced, optional

1 + 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or cutlets, skin and visible fat removed

1 heaping cup dried chickpeas or 2 cans (14 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels, if frozen, thawed (I left this out)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (I left this out but it would be good)

Toppings: sour cream (*), shredded cheddar, guacamole/avocado, green onions and/or tortilla chips, for serving (I used sour cream but yogurt would be awesome too).

1. To a 4 or 5 quart crockpot add tomatoes, chicken broth and pumpkin. Whisk until well combined; add onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and chipotles; combine well. Add chicken, chickpeas and corn. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 on low.
2. When ready to serve remove chicken and chop into bite-size pieces or shred with two forks. Add back to pot, stir in cilantro and serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, guacamole and/or tortilla chips.
Makes 6 servings

12-01-2011 Added a photo of the last bowl of soup (the other half of the soup is in the freezer... yay!).
(*) I just wanted to add that I am really loving this soup. For me, the key to this soup is definitely the addition of a little sour cream (or plain yogurt) to each bowl and swirling it in just before you eat it.

Whole Foods Market and Recipes!

2011-11-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, a friend at work, who knows I appreciate healthy recipes, pointed out to me that the Whole Foods Market has a nice website with recipes (Thanks, Vicki!) It's great to have friends who know you well. I DO appreciate new sources for heathly recipes! As you might expect, the Whole Foods Market website can be found at http://www.wholefoods.com/

That same week, my Dad sent me an article from The Oregonian newspaper. The article was all about the healthful qualities and versatility of lentils. It's a great thing to have a Dad who knows me so well. (Thanks, Dad!) I DID enjoy learning more about lentils. Does that make me a food nerd!?

Here's what I made... sorry no photo of my soup today.

Hearty Lentil and Sausage Soup (adapted from http://www.wholefoods.com/)
Original recipe link is HERE.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 - 4 carrots (chopped)
3 - 4 stalks celery (chopped)
1 yellow onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/4 - 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup lentils, picked through and rinsed (I used green lentils)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth + 1 cup water
1 cup chopped tomatoes, with their juice (I used a 10 ounce can of tomato puree)
1 cup dry red wine (I used Franzia brand "Shiraz" wine)
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
I added a pinch of dried thyme leaves at the very end... Caution... very potent herb!

Method:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, & onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add sausage and cook, breaking into small chunks, until it begins to brown. Add garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add lentils, broth, water, tomatoes (or tomato puree), wine and pepper flakes; cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more; stir in thyme. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese (if desired).

*******************

I adapted this recipe quite a lot to use up what I had on hand. I omitted the spinach and mushrooms called for in the original recipe, but added extra carrots, celery, and onion. The original recipe called for fresh tomatoes but I used canned tomato puree. The original recipe also called for beef and mushroom broth, but I used a combination of chicken broth and water. When I initially tasted this soup, I was concerned my wine choice (Shiraz) was all wrong; I also worried I ruined the soup with the addition of the potent dried thyme at the very end. Oh no! But after eating this soup for lunch at work, and also freezing, thawing, and then eating this soup... I am sold. I love it! I wish I had more of it frozen and stowed away for another day. I also love that this soup was a great use of what I had on hand. A very flexible recipe indeed!

From the Whole Foods website, I also made up a pot of Butternut Squash Soup. I made it the same day as the Lentil soup, and I froze it right away. One can only eat so much soup in a week! Someday soon, I'll be eating that for lunches at work. If it's awesome, I'll post about it as well!

Chock Full of Healthy Muffins

2011-11-25T16:44:00.002-07:00

Chock Full of Healthy Muffins

This week, I came across a recipe I just had to try. Despite the fact this recipe does call for a LOT of ingredients, I had all the ingredients on hand. I love that! The recipe comes from a blog called "Vanderbilt Wife" and the link for the original recipe can be found HERE. I stirred together this batter after making some Christmas cookie dough, which also has a ton of ingredients. As I was assembling the wet ingredients for the muffins, I kept thinking it looked like there would not been enough moisture. The dough came together okay but it wasn't until I had the muffins in the oven that I realized I left out two of the wet ingredients... honey and maple syrup! Doh! Of course the muffins came out less sweet than I would have liked but thankfully, the Christmas cookies I made this holiday weekend called for some lemony icing. Icing to the rescue!

Chock Full of Healthy Muffins (from www.vanderbiltwife.com)
1 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use all whole wheat, I think it would work fine)
3/4 cup flax seed meal
3/4 cup oat bran
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 T honey
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 T melted butter or coconut oil (I think vegetable oil would have worked as well - I used butter)
2 cups shredded carrots (I used 4 carrots)
2 apples, shredded (can peel if you want; I didn't.)
Optional mix-ins: 1/2 cup raisins, 2 T sunflower seeds, and/or 1 cup mixed nuts (I added chopped walnuts)

In one bowl, combine flours, flax seed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, stir together maple syrup, honey, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter or oil, carrots, apples, and mix-ins.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir together until just blended. Pour into lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Makes 18 muffins.
****
Since I am at high altitude, I baked my muffins for 14 to 15 minutes and they were done. They are very moist and tender despite accidentally omitting some wet ingredients. Since I accidentally left out the honey and maple syrup, I added some icing since my muffins were understandably un-sweet. The icing is made from some sifted powdered sugar, some half-n-half, some lemon extract, and a little drop of yellow food coloring (leftover icing from cookies). Cream cheese frosting would be awesome on these muffins, but I am certain that the muffins would be awesome (without any icing or frosting) had I followed the directions!

I look forward to making these muffins again someday, without the icing. The name of the recipe is a perfect name for these muffins. Full of vitamins and fiber. Chock Full of Health for sure! Good stuff!

Thankfully I made the icing for these cookies. The lemony icing goes well on the muffins, too!

Clean Out the Cupboards Soup!

2011-11-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've been on a soup kick lately, as I am sure you know if you've been following along. I've mostly been coming up with my own recipes... with some great success and some big flops. I did not share with you the Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Kale Soup fiasco (I should have followed someone else's recipe!), nor did I tell you about my inability to follow a recipe that was right in front of me when I attempted to make Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup (yes, it really does make a big difference if you add uncooked rice when the recipe calls for cooked rice!). Those were quiet weeks. Yet another flop, I was making some Italian Red Pepper Soup for my husband, so to save myself some work, I threw ingredients for Chicken and Vegetable Soup in the crock pot... onions, garlic, boneless skinless chicken breasts, celery, carrot, broth and Herbes de Provence. Ugh. Disaster! Trust me, don't try it!!!! Ick.

Since I've been on such a soup kick lately, I splurged and bought a copy of a soup magazine on the newsstand at Sam's Club. This week, I was craving a brothy chicken soup with celery, carrot, and onion... and wild rice. I went looking though my new magazine to see if I could find a similar recipe, and stumbled across a recipe for CHICKEN TORTILLA CHOWDER. It occurred to me that I had nearly every ingredient for this recipe in my kitchen already. Being thrifty, I decided to make this soup instead of the soup I was craving. I was a bit hesitant to make this recipe and even considered making up just half a recipe, but I figured I did not want 1/2 a can of this and 1/2 a can of this in my refrigerator... so I went for it and made this huge pot of soup. The results: Comfort in a bowl! Yep, tastes like comfort food, very good for a cold Autumn or Winter day. Probably pretty fattening, so I portioned this out into lots of servings and plan to freeze several smaller containers for a grab-and-go-lunch for work when I run out of other leftovers for lunch.

Chicken Tortilla Chowder
2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
2 cans of cream of potato soup (undiluted)
1 can of chicken broth (14 ounce size) low sodium, low fat, no MSG
2 cups of milk (I used 1% milk)
1 small can of chopped green chilies
1 can Mexicorn (11 ounce size)
9 ounces of chopped cooked chicken
3 eight inch flour tortillas (chopped into bite size strips)
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (I used about 8 ounces of Velveeta cheese)

In a large pot, combine the soups, chicken broth, and milk. Stir with a whisk to combine; bring to a boil.
Add in the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for about five minutes.

Pretty darn easy, huh? The flour tortillas in this soup looked like big egg noodles as they were simmering away. I am enjoying this soup. I did add some black pepper but no additional salt was needed. I tried to use the lower fat and reduced sodium soups in my cupboards. I think if I were to make this soup again, I might add two cans of the green chilies instead of just one. And in case you were wondering, the only ingredients I had to go out and buy specifically for this recipe were the Mexicorn and the chicken. We had steaks the other night, so when the steaks came off the grill, I had my husband throw the chicken on the grill. We forgot about the chicken while we were enjoying our steaks. Whoops! I had charred grilled chicken in my soup, but the original recipe calls for the pre-cooked chicken strips you can buy in bags in the freezer section at the grocery store.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-10-13T16:24:00.000-06:00

I have a ~~obsession~~ fascination with Chicken Tortilla Soup. I've sampled a few varieties at restaurants and my favorite so far is served at the restaurant called "On the Border". In fact, a few weeks back when it was my birthday, I picked this restaurant so I could order a big bowl of this brothy, savory, tasty soup. I always eat too many chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, so having a nice bowl of soup really is enough. Here is my version... I made it today in the slow cooker (Crock Pot) in about four hours. It was a snap to throw together.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 cans of chicken broth or 1 carton (32 ounce size) chicken broth (low fat, low sodium, no MSG)
2 medium sized boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 small to medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 can (15 ounce size) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of salsa (I used Pace Mild Chunky Salsa)
1 teaspoon each garlic powder, salt, and granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon each ground cumin and ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, black pepper, and chili powder
1 cup cooked white rice (measured out 1 cup after cooked... I used leftover basmati rice)

Put all ingredients in the slow cooker except the cooked rice. Stir, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove chicken breasts and place on cutting board. Shred chicken with two forks. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and add 1 cup cooked rice. Add additional salt and pepper if it needs additional seasoning. Allow to simmer, covered, a few minutes to warm the rice.

Serve soup in bowls and garnish with any of the following: crushed up corn tortilla chips (mandatory!), grated cheese (such as pepper jack or Monterrey jack), & diced avocado.

At "On the Border," the soup is topped with strips of fried corn tortilla chips and diced avocado. They must place the cheese in the bowl before the hot soup is ladled in so you are surprised by the cheesy goodness in the bottom of the bowl. The restaurant version also contains yellow corn (I think I've even had it with with sliced zucchini). My version of the soup is not an exact duplicate but I am happy with it. It's a sunny, warm autumn day in Colorado today, but I know I would love coming home to a bowl of this soup on a cold winter day.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

2011-10-01T22:35:00.000-06:00

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

Not too long ago, I saw a recipe on the Internet which consisted of making low fat corn muffins and adding slices of low fat hot dogs. Get it??? Corn dog muffins! I was considering making my own version of this recipe this weekend but kept eyeing the zucchini sitting on my counter top. I contemplated adding some zucchini to some corn dog muffins but by the time I actually started mixing and grating and measuring, I switched gears altogether. The end result was some tasty corn muffins with grated zucchini and grated sharp cheddar cheddar mixed in. I love 'em! I even got my teenage son to eat one... without griping TOO much.

Adapted from a recipe on my canister of Quaker Brand Yellow Corn Meal:

Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup corn meal

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese (my son said there should be more cheese and less zucchini)

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray (12) muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray such as PAM.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl; combine wet ingredients in another bowl. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Gently fold together until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over stir. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; muffin cups will be quite full. Bake in preheated oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges of the muffins and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Chicken Poblano Soup

2011-09-25T09:37:00.000-06:00

From her blog "Cookie Madness", I know Anna is one smart cookie! Everything I've tried from her blog is delicious. From the title of her blog, you might imagine most of Anna's recipes are delicious, sweet treats and that IS the case. I was surprised to find a terrific looking soup recipe on her blog when I was looking through older posts the other day. Looks like this is a recipe Anna posted around Thanksgiving, as this soup would be a good use for leftover turkey. I made this soup today and it is AMAZING. Since I had no turkey on hand, I took one-pound of trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts and poached them for 20 minutes in beer (one 12-ounce can of Coors Light). I made very few changes to the recipe when I made it at home... shocking... I know!!! Below you will find Anna's recipe and I underlined the few slight changes I made. In addition to the slight changes noted below, I used my immersion blender to puree the soup a bit before I added in the chicken. Also, I omitted the vegetable oil. I cooked the onions and the peppers in the butter before adding in the tortilla/flour mixture.

I highly encourage you to check out Anna's blog. She is an very bright and creative... so bright and creative that she won the million dollar prize in the Pillsbury Bake-Off a few years ago....

Turkey Poblano Soup (from http://www.cookiemadness.net/)
1 poblano pepper (I used 3 small poblano peppers)
4 corn tortillas ( 5 or 6 inches across), chopped (I used five white corn tortillas)
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon salt**(I added nearly 2 teaspoons salt plus 1 teaspoon sugar)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I omitted this and cooked the veggies in the butter)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, finely minced (I used 2 large cloves of garlic)
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups chicken broth, you can use low sodium or regular and adjust salt (I used 4 cups)
1/2 cup half-and-half or 1/4 each milk and cream (I used 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half)
1-2 cups chopped cooked turkey (as noted above, I poached 1 lb. chicken breasts in beer)
Shredded Monterrey jack or shredded Mexican style cheese (I used Pepper Jack cheese)

Directions:
Wash the poblano and remove stems and seeds. Broil about 5 inches from heat or until blistered and soft. Quickly put in a zipper bag then seal and let cool. Remove from bag, peel of the skin and chop to make ½ cup.

Combine chopped tortillas, flour, chili powder, cumin, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in bowl of a food processor and process until mixture is the consistency of very coarse cornmeal. Set aside.

Saute onion and the 1/2 cup poblano in a large pot until onions are tender. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add butter and let it melt. Add tortilla-flour mixture to the pot and mix to form a roux. Slowly add the broth (about 1 cup at a time), stirring to make a thick soup. Cook 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. At this point, taste and adjust salt if necessary. Add half and half (or milk & cream) and bring to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat until soup is hot. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and add the turkey. Spoon into bowls and top each serving with cheese.

Blueberry and Lemon Baby Cheesecakes

2011-09-23T07:12:00.001-06:00

I regret that I do not have a photo of these little beauties. I made them late Tuesday night for a coworker's birthday celebration on Wednesday and did not take the time to take a picture. These treats were a hit!

Baby Cheesecakes
12 muffin cup liners (I used Reynolds Foil Baking Cups)
12 vanilla wafer cookies
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place muffin cup liners in muffin pan(s). Place 1 vanilla wafer in each muffin cup liner.
Combine eggs, cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly with a mixer. Pour over vanilla wafers in muffin papers. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Don't be alarmed if the cheesecakes come out of the oven rather puffy. They settle as they cool and create a perfect little cup which can be filled later. Top with cooled blueberry sauce (or cherry pie filling or jams). Since I was transporting these to work, I brought the sauce in a separate container and topped each cheesecake just prior to serving.

Blueberry and Lemon Sauce
1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons corn starch
dash of salt
1/2 cup water
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium sized pot. Stir in blueberries and water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until clear and thickened (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. This is not a thick sauce, but thickened slightly when cool. It's great over waffles, ice cream, and baby cheesecakes. This recipe probably makes enough sauce for a double recipe of baby cheese cakes. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated (if desired).

The cheesecake recipe comes from a friend, Cindi. She brought these cheesecakes (topped with canned cherry pie filling) to a potluck I attended over 15 years ago and I just made them for the first time. Adding lemon zest to the batter was my only alteration.

The blueberry sauce recipe is another recipe I've had for years but never made at home. Why did I wait so long... it's so easy, good, and delicious! When growing up in Oregon, we sometimes went to u-pick berry farms not too far from our home. We would bring home the berries and my mom would make awesome strawberry freezer jam and freeze baggies of blueberries for weekend breakfasts. The blueberry sauce is one of several blueberry recipes my my mom got one day at a blueberry farm. This sauce is amazing over pancakes and waffles. As for me, my all time favorite is a waffle topped with chunky peanut butter and hot blueberry sauce. You have got to try that!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2011-09-18T19:00:00.001-06:00

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Update: This entire pot of soup disappeared from my kitchen in less than 24 hours. I had one measly cup... the boys in the house loved it!
Another post about soup. Can you tell I've been in a soup mood lately? I set out to make a soup my entire family might be willing to try. Here's what I came up with.

Ingredients:

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic (3 really big cloves)

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cans (14.5 ounce size) chicken broth (low sodium, no MSG, reduced or fat free)
*** Reserve 1/4 cup of the chicken broth to mix with corn starch later)
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, and diced (about 5 medium sized potatoes)
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup fat-free half & half
Garnishes: cooked diced turkey or pork bacon, croutons, grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced onions, salt, pepper, sugar, and dried Italian seasoning. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the diced garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir to coat; cook an additional minute. Slowly whisk in all but 1/4 cup chicken broth. (Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for use later). Add in the potatoes. Bring up to a boil, stirring frequently, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 20 to 30 minutes (until potatoes are desired tenderness).

Place 1/4 cup chicken broth and corn starch in a jar with a lid. Shake to dissolve corn starch. Slowly stir in corn starch slurry and then slowly stir in the half and half. Bring back up to a simmer and serve. If desired, garnish with croutons, cooked crumbled (turkey or pork) bacon, and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Sliced chives would also be good.

I asked my boys if they'd like to try the soup and they agreed, although my son was a bit hesitant knowing I had added onions at the very beginning. Both boys liked the soup and the add-in's. I was putting the soup away and they both said, "Uh, can we have some more?"

SUCCESS!!!!

Score... a New STOCK Pot!

2011-09-09T17:39:00.000-06:00

I wandered into the store called "Tuesday Morning" today... I had a loaner car while my car got an oil change and serviced in Colorado Springs. At the store, they made an announcement over the public address system... "All clearance items are an additional 40% off today!". Tuesday Morning stores are odd... this is only the second time I've visited this shop. They have an odd assortment of items... bras, pajamas, yarn, candles, plates, flat wear, stationery, bed sheets, picture frames, picnic baskets... no rhyme or reason... just marked down stuff. The store in Southern Colorado Springs is actually a mess but it's worth a look around once in awhile despite the fact I am not much a shopper.

I found this lonely stock pot on the clearance rack. The price was marked $76.99 and I recognized the brand "Chantal" as being a spendy brand of cookware. There was a yellow sticker which showed an even lower price of $44.99. I was thinking the pot would be pretty reasonable with an additional 40% off. Brought it up to the counter and got the pot for $23.99 ($25.77 with tax)... not too bad.

But when I got home I noticed a price tag on the pot. The suggested price was $159.99. Whaaaattt!!!? I just had to look on the internet to see if this could be correct and sure enough is IS. (See link HERE).
Score! I got a very nice price on my Chantal 9 Quart Enamel-on-Steel Stock Pot. It has a non-stick surface inside. Time to make even more soup!

A trio of soups for the day... and Zuppa Toscana Revisited.

2011-09-08T11:32:00.000-06:00

I had a heck of a cooking frenzy this morning. In the space of 1 ½ hours, I had three pots of soup simmering away. I couldn’t believe how quickly and effortlessly it came together. And the great thing about soup is that they are typically one pot dishes, so my clean up from my soup frenzy was a snap.

These ingredients became...

A double recipe of "No Chop Chili" (recipe link HERE).

These ingredients will become...

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Black Beans (recipe link is HERE).

And now, for a new version of Zuppa Toscana. Tried to make it once before and was not super excited about it. Here is effort #2. If you've not heard of it before, Zuppa Toscana is a soup from the Olive Garden. It contains smokey bacon, Italian sausage, potatoes, cavalo greens, creamy broth, onion, a little carrot, and most certainly...some mystery ingredients. For my version, I opted for creamy cannelini beans in place of the potatoes. I think my soup turned out great... perhaps you'd like to give it a try.

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 pound hot or mild Italian sausage

32 ounce carton chicken broth

1 pint fat free half and half

2 cans (15.5 ounce size can) cannelini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 to 3/4 of a bunch of kale, washed, patted dry, and cut into bit size bits

2 carrots, coarsely grated

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground if you have it)

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the uncooked sausage and onions. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and no pink remains in the sausage, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and onion mixture. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sugar, and black pepper. Stir to combine and cook and another 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and then whisk in the half and half. Bring to gentle, gentle boil. Add in the beans. Simmer gently, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the kale, grated carrot, and ground nutmeg. Stir to combine. Cover and cook an additional five minutes.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2011-08-28T15:28:00.001-06:00

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 carton (32 ounces) chicken broth (low sodium, lowfat or fat free, no MSG)
3 small to medium sized chicken breasts, trimmed *OR* substitute 2 to 3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
salt and pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme (crush it in the palm of your hand if leaves are large)
1 pint fat free half & half (may substitute a pink milk if desired)
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked rice (I used cooked brown basmati & wild rice)
1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

To poach the chicken: In a shallow skillet (with a lid), add the chicken broth and the uncooked chicken breasts. Bring broth to a simmer, cover pan with a lid, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and set on cutting board until cool enough to dice. When cooled sufficiently, dice in to bite-size pieces. Strain broth in a fine mesh strainer, if desired, and reserve broth for soup.

For the soup: In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Added diced carrots, onions, and celery, and season with some salt and pepper (the salt will help draw some of the liquid out of the veggies). Cook the veggies, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, the celery is bright green, and carrots are bright orange (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add the diced garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to coat ; cook an additional minute. Increase the heat to medium high. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and then slowly add in the half and half, stirring almost constantly. Add the thyme. Once the liquids come up to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pot with a lid and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies are desired tenderness. Add in the cooked chicken and the cooked rice and allow to simmer for a few more minutes until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper and a little granulated sugar if desired to adjust seasoning.

*********
This would be a good recipe to make if you happen to have leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) and rice at home. You could use a rotisserie chicken from the store for a short cut, too. I did not happen to have any leftover chicken and I did not have any left over rice, so this soup was a bit of work and got a few pots dirty... but it was worth the effort in my humble opinion. I've never tried to poach chicken before, but it was a very easy way to cook up the chicken breasts for this soup. There was quite a bit of "debris" swimming around in the broth when I was done poaching the chicken, so I opted to strain the broth before adding it back into the soup (Yep, I was making lots of dirty dishes!). This step is optional. If you do not have a fine mesh strainer, a larger strainer lined with cheese cloth would also do the trick!

I've been on a soup kick lately... if you haven't noticed. Yes, it's August and it's still hot out, but I am enjoying having my lunches packed for the week. I guess some people plan their wardrobe and lay out their outfits for the week in advance. As for me, I make a pot of soup, portion the servings into small plastic storage containers, and have my lunches lined up for the week.

Potato & Corn Chowder with Gorgonzola

2011-08-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

Potato & Corn Chowder with Gorgonzola
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 stalks of celery (small dice)
1 small to medium sized yellow onion (small dice)
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)

1/4 cup flour (all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour)

salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 pint fat-free half & half
2 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth, no MSG
1 1/2 pounds russet potato, peeled, diced into cubes
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (not ground)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 can corn, drained (I used an 11 ounce can of corn niblets)
Gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles
In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium to medium low heat. Add the diced celery and onion; season with salt and pepper (salt will draw out some of the moisture out of the veggies). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 to 2 additional minutes). Do not brown the veggies; just soften them.

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, stir to combine, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add in the half and half, stirring with a whisk to prevents lumps. Increase the temperature to medium high and bring the half and half to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Simmer until soup thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken broth; stir to combine. Add in the diced potatoes. Bring the soup back up to a gentle simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (or until potatoes are desired tenderness). I live at a high altitude so your potatoes may be done closer to 15 minutes depending upon your altitude and how small you dice your taters. When potatoes are desired tenderness, add in drained corn; stir in to warm through. Season with additional salt and black pepper if needed. Serve each bowl of soup topped with about 1 teaspoon Gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles. Cooked, crumbled bacon or fresh, snipped chives would also be a great garnishes. Makes 7 one-cup servings.

Some vacation inspired cooking. On our recent trip to Fort Collins, Colorado, we had dinner at a microbrewery/brew pub called CooperSmith's in the Old Town District. I tell you, we love Fort Collins. We rented bikes for the day and rode all over town, talleying up nearly 25 miles on the bikes when the day was done. We had hearty appetites.

At CooperSmith's, I ordered a soup and salad combination when I learned the soup of the day contained Gorgonzola (blue) cheese and the side salad was topped with pepitas (pumpkin seeds)... how could I go wrong!? The soup did not disappoint. It seemed to be a hearty cream-based potato chowder with onions. I can't remember if the soup was supposed to contain broccoli or spinach, but the veggie I found in my bowl seemed more like asparagus (maybe they were broccoli stalks?). Whatever the case may be, I am really pleased with my homemade version. At the last minute, I decided to add in a can of corn but the corn could be left out. I can imagine substituting other seasonal veggies. I think if I swapped a can of clams for the corn, this soup would be a nice clam chowder. Endless possibilities.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (with extra veggies)

2011-08-15T06:10:00.000-06:00

I've been very busy with son's tennis tournaments and two stints on the road (trip to Oregon and trip to Fort Collins, Colorado). It's good to be home, settling back into my domestic routine, and I finally had a cooking frenzy yesterday. It was a fun and productive cooking frenzy (except for all the dirty dishes). I made mostly family favorites but am now inspired to make up some new varieties of homemade soup after sampling some yummy soups at restaurants lately.

On vacation, we stopped in Denver, and ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Never been there before. Not too terribly impressed. Maybe that's because we had NO cheesecake with our meal. I bet they make CHEESECAKE really well. My husband had fish and chips and he said it was the worst he'd ever had. My son had a burger and he enjoyed that... pretty typical burger and fries. I had a cup of Broccoli & White Cheddar Soup and a Chopped Salad. The soup was tasty, but it was totally pureed/blended which was unexpected to me. Uhh, where'd the broccoli go? The Chopped Salad was so, so. All the ingredients were chopped up rather small and all mixed up together, which was not very attractive; romaine lettuce, bacon, green apple, avocado, tomato, blue cheese crumbles... with a balsamic vinaigrette tossed in. I was expecting rows of ingredients (like a Cobb Salad) over a bed of romaine lettuce. It was tasty, but like I said... just not what I expected and it was not very attractive to look at.

I set out to the grocery store to buy broccoli, white cheddar cheese, and other soup ingredients on Saturday. I chickened out and bought extra sharp cheddar cheese since it was half the cost of the Tillamook brand white cheddar cheese. Darn it, I really need to try the white cheddar cheese, as it had a unique flavor.

My soup is based on a Broccoli Cheese Soup I made previously, but I've altered the cooking method a tad and added extra veggies. The previous recipe can be found HERE.

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup (with extra veggies)
2 tablespoons butter
3 carrots (small dice)
2 stalks of celery (small dice)
1 small yellow onion (small dice)
2 to 3 tablespoons flour (all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour)
salt and black pepper (to taste)
1 pint fat-free half & half
1 3/4 cups to 2 cups low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth, no MSG
10 to 12 ounces fresh broccoli, chopped into small bits
8-ounces (two cups) extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium to medium low heat. Add the diced carrot, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper (salt will draw out some of the moisture out of the veggies). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the veggies; just soften them.

Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, stir to combine, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add in the half and half, stirring with a whisk to prevents lumps. Increase the temperature to medium high and bring the half and half to a simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Simmer until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken broth and broccoli and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, remove 1/4 to 1/2 of the soup from the pot and puree in a blender. I used my immersion blender and pureed the soup just a little, leaving some chunks of veggies. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add in the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired/necessary . I did not add any additional seasoning as the cheese adds a bit of salt.

Lunches packed for the week...

While on vacation, I had hearty cream-based soup much like this one... with potatoes and Gorgonzola cheese. I can't remember if the soup was supposed to have had broccoli or spinach in it, but I would have sworn I saw some asparagus in there. I am looking forward to creating something like this at home in the near future. Stay tuned!

Recipe Flash Back... Black Bean Salsa over Quinoa

2011-07-18T19:02:00.000-06:00

I haven't always enjoyed cooking. For the first several years after my husband I were married over 20 years ago, we ate out... a LOT! Once we had a family, cooking at home and eating together as a family seemed like the right thing to do. That's what my Mom did, every night after a long day at work, my Mom would make the family a nice "square meal". And we sat down to dinner at the table as a family... it was a good thing.

Once my husband and I had our son, I remember really giving our bread machine a work out... making dough for lots of home-made pizzas and some other amazing recipes from my favorite bread book called "Bread Machine Magic". But I struggled to come up with meals, especially meals which could be prepared in advance or after a long day at work.

One day at lunch, a co-worker named Holly, kept going on and on about Rachael Ray on The Food Network. I started watching her show called "30-Minute Meals" and found myself thinking, "Wow, I can do that!". A lot of folks give Rachael Ray a hard time or don't care for her. Oh, the haters! But what I like about this busy lady is that she says things such as, "I am not teaching you a recipe here... it's more of a technique!" She talks constantly as she cooks and she tells the viewer how to adapt the recipes, swapping out ingredients if you don't care for some. Don't care for cilantro, use some parsley. Don't like pork, use chicken breasts. From the moment I started watching her, I was enthralled with Rachael Ray and pretty much any show on The Food Network. I loved seeing her use kitchen gadgets I'd never heard of (Microplane graters), I loved learning about new ingredients (chipotles in adobo sauce), and I loved the thought of finding new recipes for my family. Yum-O!

The first Rachael Ray "30-Minute Meals" episode where I really got motivated to get cookin' was a Cuban inspired meal... a seasoned pork tenderloin, sofrito rice, and black bean salsa. Black Bean Salsa... I can do that! What's great about The Food Network (and also now The Cooking Channel), is that you can watch a show and look up the recipes on-line. The link for the Black Bean Salsa that so motivated me can be found HERE. I made the salsa and loved it. From there, I tried more and more recipes but what I enjoyed the most was using the recipes I found merely as a source of inspiration.

We've been having lots of fresh salsa ingredients in the house lately, serving it over Blacked Flounder as well as a Balsamic, Rosemary, Garlic and Honey marniated grilled flat iron steak. We ate out a few times last week due to tennis tournaments, so I was craving something really clean and light and healthful for lunch on Saturday. I remembered back to the Rachael Ray's Black Bean Salsa and whipped up a fresh dish of Black Bean Salsa with ingredients I had on hand. I loved it over cooked and cooled quinoa,which I also just happened to have in the refrigerator.

Black Bean Salsa over Quinoa

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, more if desired
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, about 1 tablespoon, more or less as desired
cooked, cooled quinoa

Combine all ingredients (except quinoa) in a bowl; stir to combine. Serve salsa room temperature (or cold) over room temperature or cold quinoa. A dollop of plain yogurt is nice but not necessary. You could add finely diced jalapeno pepper to this, but I was feeling lazy.

This made at least three lunches for me served over quinoa. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yum-O!"

Again... sorry, no photo, but if I make this again soon, I'll add a pic! Bad blogger, BAD!

More Observations About a Family on a Diet... and a recipe for Boneless Skinless Chicken Wings

2011-07-11T07:12:00.001-06:00

When we came home from vacation a few weeks ago, my weight was hovering ridiculously close to 160 pounds. Eeek! Today, my weight is hovering excitingly close to 150 pounds! Yay!

We are doing well with our new and improved healthy eating and exercise plans. I loathe the word "diet" because that infers something temporary... as in, "the diet will end when we achieve our goal weights." Really, the changes we are making should be made into habits in our every day lives.

I would not say we've "cheated" on our diet, but lately we've tried to have a few of the dishes we've been avoiding since our return from vacation. Chicken wings, burgers, and pizza! Eeek! We went to our favorite burger joint (a drive-in place with picnic tables... it's a dive but the burgers are GREAT!). We had burgers; no fries and it was good. We had a frozen Tombstone pizza in the freezer and we removed the super greasy pepperoni before baking. It satisfied the pizza craving. We have a huge bag of frozen chicken wing portions in the freezer so we set out to make chicken wings. We enjoyed the Buffalo Style Wings a number of times on vacation. The boys are really into wings. Me, not so much. I know chicken skin is where all the fat and cholesterol lies. I often make breaded Oven Baked Chicken Wings for the boys and I usually don't eat them... except for the samples for, uhhh... quality assurance purposes. Hee, hee! So we tried to figure out the calorie count in wings. The package says 220 calories for a 4 ounce serving if I am not mistaken.

We opted to bake or roast the wings, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, in the oven in our shallow roasting pan for about an hour at 450 degrees. I turned the wings once. We put the hot, cooked wings in a big plastic container, drenched the wings in Frank's Red Hot sauce, covered with a lid, shook the container to coat the wings, and then served the wings with a bit of Lite Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping. It was pretty good I guess, but wow... so many calories.

Light bulb!

A few days later, I proposed this to the boys and it was pretty good. Here's what we did:

Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings

3 - 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders

salt and pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce Original
Lite Creamy Blue Cheese Salad dressing (for dipping)

Slice the chicken breasts into similar sized chunks. I sliced the small breasts into 3 chunks and I sliced the larger breasts into 4 chunks. Season with salt and pepper.

I cooked the chicken in my George Foreman Grill. A grill outdoors or a non-stick skillet would also work. In the George Foreman Grill, I cooked the chicken chunks for about 10 minutes (the chunks were kind of thick and I am paranoid about under cooking chicken). I tossed the cooked chicken in a large plastic container, poured the Frank's Hot Sauce over the chicken, covered with a lid, shook the sauce and chicken together to coat, and then served with the blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Sorry no photo, but it was so tasty it was all gone before I could snap a photo! The only problem I found with this dish is that the sauce doesn't really like to stick to the chicken. In traditional Buffalo Style Chicken Wings, the hot sauce is combined with melted butter. Maybe that helps it stick better? I will never know.

Got to go... my steel cut oats are ready!

Steel Cut Oats

2011-07-01T08:34:00.000-06:00

Steel Cut Oats

Enlarged to show texture... these oats sure look different than rolled oats!

Stopped by the health food store yesterday. I've been wanting to try steel cut oats for a long time. Bob's Red Mill brand offered plain steel cut oats and gluten-free steel cut oats; the latter were significantly more expensive, so I opted for the plain variety.

I topped my cooked oats with walnuts, raisins, and a little brown sugar. I love the texture of these oats! Definitely worth a try if you've never had them. The only problem with these oats is that they take 10 to 20 minutes to cook. I used a pan which was too small and it bubbled over, which made a bit of a mess... now I know. I followed the directions on the package but made just one portion; not four. Since this does take so long to cook, it would be nice to make this one day and then eat the leftovers on subsequent mornings, but the texture might lose something.

Steel Cut Oats for One

1 cup water

pinch of salt

1/3 cup steel cut oats

favorite oatmeal toppings... walnuts, raisins, and brown sugar

In a medium sized pot, bring one cup of water to a boil. Add salt and steel cut oats; stir to combine. Cook, covered with a lid for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes (until desired tenderness). I had to keep my lid slightly ajar or the oaty-water would bubble over (even on the stove top's lowest setting). Next time I'll use a larger pot!

Good stuff! I loved having this, knowing I was eating something really good for my health. I think this meal was somewhere around 250 calories.

Mexicali Pork Chops

2011-07-01T08:18:00.000-06:00

Mexicali Pork Chops

Dry Rub for Mexicali Pork Chops (or Chicken):
1/2 teaspoon each paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano & granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and ancho chili powder.

Combine all herbs/spices in a small bowl or small container with a tight fitting lid. Stir/shake well to combine.

This dry rub would be good on pork or chicken. We used lean center-cut pork chops which were about 3/4 inch thick. I sprinkled the rub on both sides of five medium sized chops and sort of rubbed it in. I stacked the chops and put them in a plastic storage container with a lid and popped it in the fridge until dinner time (they "marinated" for about an hour). I cooked them on the George Foreman Grill for about 6 minutes. They had nice grill marks and were still moist inside. Of course, if you don't have a fire ban, you can grill your chops in the great outdoors!

We had our pork chops with Salsa Fresca (link to recipe HERE) and left over Cilantro-Lime Basmati Rice (link to recipe HERE).

Beef Fajitas with Peppers, Onions, and Salsa Fresca

2011-06-25T08:14:00.000-06:00

Salsa Fresca (fresh salsa)

3 or 4 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ small yellow onion, finely diced (about ¼ cup)
½ to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced (I used 1 entire pepper… hot!)
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
Juice of 1/2 lime (slice the remaining half of lime into wedges and serve with the fajitas)
About 2 tablespoons finely diced fresh cilantro, finely minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
1 flank steak (mine was 1 3/4 pounds)
1 packet Fajita Seasoning Mix (WalMart Great Value Brand packet is 1.2 ounces in size)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon oil (I used canola oil)

Combine all ingredients in a gallon sized zip close bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours (up to 8 hours is okay according to my flank steak directions). Allow marinated steak to sit out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Due to our current drought and fire ban, I grilled my flank steak on my George Foreman Grill for 10 minutes and let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing against the grain. It sliced beautifully. Slice as thin as possible. Of course, this can be grilled outdoors as well.

Sauteed Peppers and Onions
1 extra large red onion (thinly sliced)
2 bell peppers (I used one red and one orange, thinly sliced)
small amount of extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

I used two non-stick skillets to saute all my veggies; I prepared the pans with the smallest amount of extra virgin olive oil and pre-heated the pans over medium to medium high heat. While cooking, season the veggies with salt and black pepper. The salt helps draw the moisture out of the peppers so you can see less oil. Cook the veggies over medium heat until desired tenderness. The peppers seem to be slower to cook so it actually turned out well that I cooked the peppers and onions separately; of course you can cook them together in one pan if desired.

Tried to snap a photo before sitting down to eat and I thought the photo turned out, but it did not... darn it! We served the grilled steak, sauteed peppers and onions, in warmed flour tortillas and topped it all with Salsa Fresca, a drizzle of plain yogurt, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Chocolate Banana Smoothies

2011-06-25T07:20:00.001-06:00

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

I've been experimenting with smoothies containing chocolate and bananas. Both are great and both were ideas from friends.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie #1

1 cup Light Chocolate Soy Milk (90 calories)

1 frozen banana, broken or chopped into chunks

Put in a blender; puree until frothy and creamy and no lumps of banana remain. Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Smoothie #2

1 cup low fat milk (110 calories)

1 frozen banana, broken or chopped into chunks

1/2 scoop EAS 100% whey powder (chocolate flavor) 75 calories

Put in a blender; puree until frothy and creamy and no lumps of banana remain. Enjoy!

As you can see from the photos, the smoothie made with chocolate soy milk is quite chocolaty. The smoothie made with the chocolate whey powder is not quite a chocolaty, but both are super yummy.

I honestly think you could pass this off for a milkshake. I can't get my son to try these since he's not a big fan of bananas. It's almost like having a Wendy's Frosty... for BREAKFAST!

Hey, I've lost about five pounds! Yay!

Blackened Fish Revisited and Observations about a Family on a "Diet"

2011-06-23T08:07:00.001-06:00

Wow, things have been feeling very crazy in my world lately! As I’ve mentioned, we were out of town and on vacation literally in and around the Gulf of Mexico for 10 days. We returned home to loads of laundry, house cleaning, lawn mowing (and watering), and an empty refrigerator. I had four days at home before I had to return to work today which seems like more than ample time to get everything done, but frankly, I am feeling like a hamster running and running his exercise wheel. Scurrying to get it all done and never quite getting there. We all returned home from our trip several pound heavier so we’ve all decided to “get serious” about eating better and exercising more. I am super motivated.

Just before I started this cooking and baking blog, I had lost a little over 20 pounds. Sure enough, I have gained nearly all that back. I am disappointed in myself, but truth be told… I’ve always struggled with my weight… forever… as long as I can remember. It’s a long story, but I’ll spare you the details.

Since our return from our trip, I am amazed by the drastic extent to which my entire family is willing to change up their eating habits. I caught my husband snacking on the carrot and celery sticks I chopped up on last Wednesday. The huge tub of salad I made last Wednesday was gone within a few day. We’ve eaten fish two times this week alone (we’ve probably eaten fish at home only one other time this year and it was breaded and fried). My son was finishing up tennis practice the other day and his coach offered him an ice cream treat from Dairy Queen, and my son said, “No, thanks!” The coach insisted and gave him two! A saboteur me thinks! My family enjoys the Ranch Burgers I make on our George Foreman Grill. I kid you not, we USED to polish off two pounds of grilled hamburgers in one meal (terrible)! This past week, we turned into two meals for the family (with fresh garden salads on the side). We’ve all been making a good effort to figure out the calorie count in some of the dishes we like. This past Sunday, I made “No Chop Chili” and we added up all the calories on all the can labels and I “Googled” the calories in a pound of ground beef. When the chili was done, I measured out how many cups the recipe made to figure out the calories per serving, and when my husband had a bowl for a snack, he measured his serving with a measuring cup. When my husband was making a sandwich, he asked me to help him figure out the serving size and I showed him the “tare” function on my digital kitchen scale. He plopped his slice of bread on the scale and added lite mayo until the scale read “15 grams”.

The other surprising change I’ve noticed in my family is that suddenly my husband and son are taking an interest planning meals and helping in the kitchen. In fact, don’t fall off of your chair, my 14 year old is taking the initiative to cook for himself. Yep, he now makes scrambled eggs for himself and is making baked potatoes in the microwave. He’s also making healthy sandwiches for himself. Now I should tell you, he is 14 years old and most kids that age probably are much more self-sufficient in the kitchen, but I’ve made a bad habit of doing far too much in the kitchen for my son. I blame it on the fact that he’s an only child after all… but I digress. Whatever the case may be, I am tickled pink that my son is FINALLY interested in cooking! Very cool, huh?! And one more thing… my son set the table for lunch the other day and I did not even ASK! I almost fell over.

For last night’s dinner, as I mentioned above, we had fish again. It’s the same Blacked Fish I mentioned HERE. This this time, we served it with Cilantro-Lime Basmati Rice and Salsa Fresca (pico de gallo or fresh salsa… whatever you want to call it, it was good!).

Again… bad blogger. No photo, dang it. And it was such a pretty dish. Like I said, my world has been crazy lately. I’ll work on the photo thing. Finally, here are some recipes:

Salsa Fresca (fresh salsa)
3 or 4 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ small yellow onion, finely diced (about ¼ cup)
½ to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced (I used 1 entire pepper… hot!)
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
Juice of 1 lime (if making the cilantro-lime lime rice, first remove the zest of the lime with a grater before cutting the lime in half for the juice)
About 2 tablespoons finely diced fresh cilantro, finely minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cilantro-Lime Basmati Rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 ¾ cups water
Pinch of salt
1/3 to ½ of a bunch of fresh cilantro, finely minced
Zest of 1 lime

Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add rice; stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer on stovetop’s lowest setting, cover with a lid, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork; add the lime zest and cilantro and stir to combine.

We served the Blacked Fish on a bed of Cilantro-Lime Basmati Rice and topped it all with the Salsa Fresca. Nice fresh flavors.

My husband asked me to make this meal again next week since he liked it so much!

Think Thin Breakfast Sandwich

2011-06-23T07:57:00.000-06:00

Think Thin Breakfast Sandwich

I am having a blast trying to come up with lower calorie meals for myself. Here's a super speedy, super satisfying sandwich. I noticed the names of the products I had on hand... "ultra thin" deli slices, "light" cheese, and sandwich "slims", so I thought "Think Thin Breakfast Sandwich" was a good name for this meal. This sandwich comes in at less than 250 calories. The sandwich slims are 100 calories and are available in a variety of brands. We always have Hillshire Farms turkey on hand and really like the mesquite turkey as well as the cracked black pepper turkey shown above. Laughing Cow cheese wedges are much like soft cream cheese, come in a lot of flavors, but we especially like the garlic and herb. (It's very good on baked potatoes).

Ingredients:

1 sandwhich thin, toasted

1 wedge Light Laughing Cow Cheese (garlic and herb)

1 egg, scrambled

2 slices ultra thin deli meat

salt and pepper to taste

Toast sandwich thin; with a knife, spread the cheese wedge on the toasted thin (half on the top and half on the bottom).

Scramble the egg and cook in a skillet sprayed with a little olive oil or PAM. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the deli meat to the skillet to warm through. Add the egg and deli meat to the bread to make a sandwich. Enjoy!

It's not really much of a recipe, but it's what I've been making this week.

When Life Gives You Lemons... Make Lemonade

2011-06-19T20:19:00.000-06:00

And when the County Sheriff imposes a fire ban... which includes outdoor grilling.... GRILL INDOORS!

Grilled Chicken Shish-ka-bobs with Peppers, Onions, & Jalapeno

Upon my return from my trip to the grocery store last Wednesday, I carefully selected and trimmed up chicken breasts, tucked them in a gallon sized zip-close bag, added about 1/3 cup of Italian salad dressing, massaged it around, and popped it all in the freezer to grill later in the week. I actually remembered to thaw the chicken in preparation for dinner tonight (it marinated while it defrosted) only to have my husband call me to announce, "No grilling for the time being... Sheriff has imposed a fire ban in our county!" We are in a drought. The smoke from wild fires in Colorado and Arizona has been filling our sky with smoke and the air quality is poor on and off depending on the direction of the wind. We are seeing helicopters and airplanes fly overhead with contraptions for siphoning water out of bodies of water to carry to the fires. The smoke in the air does make for some pretty sunsets... just so you know. Our average annual rainfall in Southern Colorado is about 12 to 13 inches and is it so dry right now. When the wind blows, dust clouds skim across the ground.

Thankfully, grilling indoors is an option for me because I have the hugest EVER "George Foreman Grill" (AKA: The Lean Mean Grilling Machine). Of course... this dish can be grilled outdoors.

Recipe for Grilled Chicken Shish-ka-bobs with Peppers, Onions, & Jalapenos:

4 small to medium sized chicken breasts, cut into EQUAL sized cubes (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes)
Italian salad dressing (I used Wishbone Brand)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks similar in size to the chicken cubes
1 large yellow or red onion, cut into chunks similar in size to the chicken cubes
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed (optional), cut into slightly smaller chunks
salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into cubes which are equal in size so they will cook evenly. Place in a zip close bag with about 1/3 cup Italian salad dressing (so that the cubes are coated); place in refrigerate to marinate for about 2 to 3 hours (a little more or less is fine... it's pretty flexible).  Note: If the chicken marinates too long, the vinegar actually starts to sort of "cook" the chicken and it becomes discolored (white).

I assembled the shish-ka-bobs on bamboo skewers, alternating red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno pepper, and chicken cubes. There's no right or wrong; just dive in. After all of the ingredients were loaded onto the skewers, I drizzled on a bit more salad dressing.

I cooked four loaded skewers at a time on my pre-heated George Foreman Grill. Of course, you can grill this in the great outdoors provided you do NOT have a fire ban. I cooked the shish-ka-bobs for about 8 minutes total, turning once. I also moved the skewers around a bit since it appeared some were grilling faster than others due to hotter and cooler spots on the grill; the same is true for indoor and outdoor grills. Your cooking time will vary depending upon your cooking method. My shish-ka-bobs were nicely charred but the veggies were still slightly crisp. I removed a piece of chicken from one skewer to check for done-ness.

We enjoyed the shish-ka-bobs over Cilantro-Lime Rice. Here's the recipe:

Cilantro-Lime Basmati Rice

1 cup basmati rice
1 ¾ cups water
Pinch of salt
1/3 to ½ of a bunch of fresh cilantro, finely minced
Zest of 1 lime, finely grated (Microplane grater works well)

Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add rice; stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer on stovetop’s lowest setting, cover with a lid, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork; add the lime zest and cilantro and stir to combine.

Lunch for tomorrow... easy!

Happy Father's Day...
this was on the floor
in front of the TV
when I got home from work tonight... cute!

Vacation Inspired Cooking... New Orleans Blackened Fish

2011-06-16T18:39:00.000-06:00

Blackened Seasoning for Fish

On my other blog found HERE, I am slowly adding posts about our recent vacation. The first leg of our trip was in New Orleans, Louisiana. We flew from Denver to New Orleans and found our hotel on Canal Street with no troubles and then set out on foot to explore the French Quarter. We walked and walked... boy, it was hot and muggy there. We live in high mountain desert in Colorado so it was quite an adjustment. While we were looking around the French Quarter, we decided to eat at a restaurant called the River's Edge on Decatur Street. On the menu, I eyed the jambalaya, red beans and rice, and crawfish etouffee. I told our server I had never tried any of them and I asked which dish he thought their restaurant prepared the best. Based on his recommendation, I ordered the crawfish etouffee. My son ordered a shrimp po'boy sandwich, and my husband ordered blackened catfish. When he told me he was contemplating ordering the blacked fish, I said, "Really?" Ordinarily, he just likes battered and deep fried fish... you know... Long John Silvers (Ick!)

Turns out the blackened catfish my husband ordered at the River's Edge was his favorite meal on our entire trip. Who would have known!? When we returned home the other day, I looked on the internet to learn about the spices traditionally found in blackened seasoning. I stumbled across this recipe (click here) and wouldn't you know, I had all the herbs and spices on hand. We had individually wrapped frozen flounder fillets in the freezer (say that five times fast!) and tonight we had blackened fish for dinner. It cooked up so quickly and easily and we gobbled it up even faster... no photo... sorry! But you can see the spice blend above.

Recipe for Blackened Seasoning for Fish or Chicken

From About.com Southern Food

Ingredients:
•2 teaspoons ground paprika
•4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme (I used about 3 1/2 teaspoons, I crushed the leaves)
•2 teaspoons onion powder
•2 teaspoons garlic powder
•1 tablespoon granulated sugar (I used only 1/2 tablespoon)
•2 teaspoons salt (I used only 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
•2 teaspoons black pepper
•1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
•1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano (I crushed the leaves)
•3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used only 1/4 teaspoon)

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a jar and store in a cool dark place. Shake jar well before each use.

Over low heat, melt about 3 tablespoon of butter (I used less) in a nonstick skillet (enough butter to cover fish and the bottom of the pan). As soon as the butter is melted, place the fish in the pan, flipping it over to cover both sides with butter. Then generously coat the fish with the seasoning, flip over again and coat the other side with seasoning.

Now turn up the heat to medium-high and cook on one side until blackened and somewhat crispy. Flip over and cook the other side. Add a little more butter whenever necessary.

***

Given that this recipe is far different than anything I've ever made for my family and I have very little experience cooking fish, I was a little nervous how this meal would go. Before I could even sit down at the table, my son was diving into his fish and he said, "This is REALLY GOOD!". Success! We had this fish dish with big garden salads and my husband and I also had some quinoa with sauteed onion and red bell pepper. It was all a hit!

Did you notice my little dishes above? They have the "fleur de lis" on them. Very New Orleans! I had to look up "fleur de lis" to figure out how to spell it. Here's what I learned. The fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily (in French, fleur means flower, and lis means lily) or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. In the French Quarter you could find all kind of items (caps, shirts, glasses, etc.) embellished with the fleur de lis. I just happened to have these little dishes on hand.

Back from vacation and on a diet!

2011-06-15T13:37:00.001-06:00

We just returned from vacation. We were on the road for about 10 days, staying in hotels and eating out at least three meals a day. I have to tell you, my clothes were fitting a bit tight before we left on this trip and now? Yikes! We are all officially on a diet. I was inspired to try some new recipes after enjoying new dishes on vacation and I'll post about that here. If you'd like to read more about our trip, check out this post on my other blog.

I'll be adding more posts about our trip over the next few days.

Post #1 can be found HERE.
Post #2 can be found HERE.

One of THOSE weeks!

2011-06-04T17:35:00.001-06:00

Do you ever have one of those days where everything you attempt to cook or bake in your kitchen is a total flop? I had one of those ~~days~~ weeks last week.

I tried to make some homemade cream of tomato soup from a recipe I found. Way too much effort and I just kept adding salt and sugar to make it taste MORE like the stuff in the can... what's the point!?

I tried to make homemade coleslaw and I did not have some of the ingredients on hand so I "winged it" and substituted some ingredients I had in my cupboard. Bad idea... bad, bad, BAD idea.

I tried a new recipe... supposed to be Sloppy Joe's which tasted like Buffalo Chicken Wings. I used ground turkey, Frank's Buffalo wing sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, as well as lots of diced onion, carrots, and celery. I tried to be sneaky and puree the sauteed veggies so my family would not notice the healthy stuff in the mix. Mistake... BIG mistake. The texture was totally terrible.

I made burgers on my George Foreman Grill. The burgers are a snap to make. Two pounds of fatty hamburger, one egg, and six tablespoons of dry Ranch salad dressing mix. Mix together and shape into eight burger patties. Cook on George Foreman Grill for about 10 minutes. One patty stuck to the lid of the grill and, as I opened up the grill, the patty released from the lid and rolled DIRECTLY into a dirty bowl full of dirty water in the sink. Yep, it was THAT kind of week in my kitchen.

I retreated to my knitting. I've been making Christmas stockings this week. They are turning out "just right". I'll be back to cooking and baking soon enough, but I just had to tell you about my week. Sorry, no new recipes this week. If you'd like to check out my knitting, click HERE or check out the photo below. Some weeks are just like that...

Christmas stockings for "Operation Holiday Stockings" (U.S. Soldiers serving overseas).

Mourning Dove... this has nothing to do with cooking...or baking...

2011-05-28T09:12:00.001-06:00

The lovely weather we are having in Colorado is keeping me outdoors and out of the kitchen. We played a game of "H-O-R-S-E" (basketball) in the front yard the other night after dinner and my husband pointed out the Mourning Doves nesting in our sycamore tree. The photos are a little dark and shady but I am sure you can see the baby. He looks rather developed for a baby but he's very small in comparison to Mamma Bird. I've decided baby bird is a boy and his name is Doug... Doug the Dove. Why do I feel the necessity to name things?

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup... AMAZINGLY GOOD!

2011-05-14T17:43:00.001-06:00

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup

My son saw me looking at the index of soup recipes on a blog called http://www.mybizzykitchen.com/. My son, a rather picky eater, remarked... "Hey, those actually look really good!" and then he asked that I make Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup for him sometime. For the original recipe LINK, click HERE. To see the list of all the recipes on this great blog, click HERE. I am always encouraging my picky eater to try new foods and be adventurous... he's been warming up to the idea of soups such as Loaded Baked Potato Soup and Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup, so I was more than willing to oblige.

Believe it or not... I made very, VERY few changes when I made this soup. I'll note my changes in parenthesis.

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup from www.mybizzykitchen.com

■3 tablespoons butter
■1 onion, chopped fine
■1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine (I added 1 stalk of celery as well, finely chopped)
■2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 or 4 cloves)
■1/3 cup all-purpose flour
■1 3/4 chicken broth (one 14 ounce can chicken broth, reduced sodium, no msg)
■1 12 ounce can lite beer (I used a can of Coors Light)
■2 cups 1% milk
■3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 16 ounces, which is equal to 4 cups)
■1 cup shredded American cheese (I used an 8 ounce block of Velveeta cheese)
■2 teaspoons cornstarch (I used slightly more than 4 teaspoons)
■salt and pepper to taste (I added at least 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of fresh pepper)
■Italian seasoning (I added 3/4 to 1 teaspoon)

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Cook until onion, carrots, and celery are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, beer and milk. Bring mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to low and simmer gently (don’t boil!) until carrots are soft about 25 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, toss the shredded cheeses and cornstarch in a large bowl until well combined. Puree soup in blender until smooth. (Use extreme caution when blending soups in the blender. I blended my soup in two batches... one half at a time. The lid of the blender tends to want to pop off when blending hot liquids, which could cause you to get burned. I removed the little, clear-plastic removable lid from the big, black blender lid and covered the opening with a folded, clean kitchen towel while blending... just be careful. This reminds me, I really want to get an immersion blender which you can use to blend soups right in the pot. Remove pot from heat, return blended soup to the pot, and whisk in cheese mixture, a handful at a time until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. (I had to put the pot back on low heat, stirring nearly constantly, to bring it back up to a nice serving temperature).

I served the soup with store-bought cheese and herb croutons and cooked, crumbled turkey bacon. Both were very good in the soup.

When I was just about done making the soup, I asked my husband to come into the kitchen to give it a try to see what it needed. I had not yet added much salt and pepper and I was hesitant to add the Italian seasoning. He said he did not want to try it since he doesn't like THAT kind of soup. Despite his reservations, he agreed to try it; we added a little salt and pepper and Italian Seasoning.

I had made the soup for my son; my husband and I were having home-made pizza. My husband was helping me set the table and announces he'd like some soup with his pizza. My son took a bite of his soup and announced, "There will be no leftovers... this is SO GOOD!" He did have seconds but he decided it was so rich, he could eat no more. His eyes were bigger than his stomach. We all loved the soup!

We've been talking about the soup on and off for two days now. There is one small bowl remaining in the refrigerator. My son said he'll be wanting this soup for his birthday. I said I know of a family who has a Christmas Eve tradition where they eat Wisconsin Beer Cheese soup with popped popcorn in it in place of croutons. We've officially decided to make this our Christmas Eve tradition too, although the verdict is still out on the popcorn in the soup.

Sounds like just about anytime is a good time for this soup!

Aftermath of my Thursday cooking frenzy... I am normally a really tidy cook but I was hurrying to make the soup and the pizza side by side. The kitchen was a disaster! Yikes!!!

The Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soups was one in a trio of soups I made this weekend.
I also made Spicy Meatball Soup with Potato for my husband. Click HERE for recipe.
I attempted to make a soup called "Mamma Leone's Chicken Soup". Click HERE for recipe. I should have followed the recipe more closely. I attempted to adapt the recipe for the slow cooker and added the spinach and condensed milk at the end. It separated and the soup is not very appealing looking, but the flavors are amazing. This one is worth of a re-do someday...

Sopa de Albondiga

2011-05-05T07:46:00.001-06:00

It's Cinco de Mayo! I made a Mexican-inspired soup the other day. I had not planned make soup this week, but I was leafing through the May 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine and I saw this great looking soup. I decided I had to make it since I had most of the ingredients on hand at home. After the dentist appointment, I swung by the market and grabbed what I needed.

Sunset Magazine indicates this recipe comes from Cristina Gonzalez, who grew up in Los Angeles, California. The recipe appeared in an article entitled "In the Western Kitchen: A new taste of the old country (readers remake family favorites from back home). Cristina Gonzalez, who now lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, indicated her grandmother made this soup in her kitchen in Jalisco, Mexico.

I've seen other recipes for Sopa de Albondiga on the Internet, so after I made this soup, I decided to try to learn a little more. From the sounds of it, Sopa de Albondiga traslates to "meatball soup". There are various recipes on the Internet, most appear to call for beef. Some call for baking or frying the meatballs, but in this version, you simmer the raw meatballs in the hot broth. Some recipes call for fresh mint in the meatballs; this version calls for fresh oregano. Of course I couldn't follow the recipe exactly so here's my version. I am inclined to think Sopa de Albondiga is similar to Italian Minestrone Soup or Italian Wedding Soup in that every family (or every Grandma) had her own unique twist in how to make this soup. As always, soup is a great way to use up fresh veggies you have at home.

Meatball Soup with Vegetables:
Sopa de Albondiga (CLICK HERE for the original recipe as posted in Sunset Magazine)

My version Sopa de Albondiga with Spinach

Ingredients

8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 32 ounce cartons)
3 or 4 large carrots, diced
3 or 4 stalks celery, diced
1 small bunch green onions (scallions), diced, white part only
(reserve the green tops of the scallions, finely diced, for serving if desired)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey (I used a 1.25 pound package of Extra Lean ground turkey)
1/2 cup cold cooked white rice (I had left over basmati rice on hand)

4 to 6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (soup would be good without spinach but I like it)

Preparation

1. Heat broth, carrots, celery, and onions in a medium pot, covered, over high heat until boiling. Meanwhile, make meatballs. I let the veggies and broth to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes before adding the meatballs.

2. Combine egg, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl; whisk to combine and THEN add turkey and rice. Blend well with hands but don't over-mix. Shape meat into 1 1/2-in. balls (each meatball should be one level tablespoon in size); set on tray or plate. I made 36 meatballs.

3. Lower meatballs into soup with a spoon one at a time (don't drop all the meatball into one spot or else they will stick together). Bring to a simmer; reduce heat and cook, covered, until carrots are very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the fresh chopped spinach and stir in. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes until spinach is nicely wilted. For additional onion flavor, you can top each serving of soup with the reserved finely diced green onions.

If you like the looks of this soup, you might also like to see another soup recipe: Click HERE to check out Italian Wedding Soup... an updated healthy version.

Chicken Chow Mein

2011-05-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

Chicken Chow Mein

Line up of ingredients:
Looks like an advertisement for Kroger Market.
Yes, I like generic products! I'm a ~~cheap~~ frugal gal!

I love my Mom's notes on the side... so helpful!

When I was growing up, my mom would make a pork roast in the oven. The next day, if we were lucky, with the leftover pork roast, she'd make "Chop Suey". The way I remember it, everyone in the family really enjoyed this dinner... my sister especially. I loved it too. When I asked, my mom gave me the recipe a few years back but I just now got around to making it. Why did I wait so long? It's so good! My mom did not follow the recipe exactly; neither did I. I wanted to make it as close to my mom's version as possible, but I got a little creative. I added canned water chestnuts and canned baby corn cobs; my mom did not use either of these. I regret now that I did (they did not add anything special). In future versions of this recipe, I think I will use either fresh Chinese sugar snap pea pods or fresh broccoli florets for some fresh green veggies and a little color contrast. My mom used canned bean sprouts and they are good, but I found locally grown fresh bean sprouts at the grocery store yesterday and I was happy to use them in place of the canned variety. Fresh bean sprouts may be difficult to find. Also, my mom used chicken bouillon cubes and water in place of the canned chicken broth I used. When I find out how many cubes she used, I'll update this post. Here's the recipe:

Chicken Chow Mein (AKA: Chop Suey)

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (lean pork would also be a good substitute)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
salt & pepper
1 14-ounce can chicken broth (I used the reduced sodium kind but kind of missed the saltier stuff)
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 medium sized white or yellow onion (I used a sweet onion), sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used the reduced sodium kind but kind of missed the saltier stuff)
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 8-ounce package of fresh bean sprouts (or 1 can bean sprouts); rinse and drain.
1 14.5-ounce can baby corn cobs (optional - next time I will leave out); rinse and drain
1 5-ounce can water chestnuts: rinse and drain (optional - next time I will leave out); rinse and drain
2 cups basmati rice
3 3/4 cups water (with pinch of salt)

Directions:

Trim fat from chicken breasts; cut into thin strips. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add chicken strips to hot oil. Season chicken with a little salt and pepper. Stir and cook until chicken is lightly browned. Added celery, onion, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and simmer covered for 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the rice, bring 3 3/4 cups water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add a pinch of salt. Add the rice, return to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce to lowest heat setting, and allow rice to simmer covered for 18 to 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

In small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the water and corn starch. Shake until corn starch is dissolved (or place water and corn starch in a bowl and stir until dissolved). After the chicken/veggies/broth have simmered for 25 to 30 minutes, slowly add in the corn starch mixture. Stir to combine. Add the bean sprouts and other vegetables if using (next time I plan to use Chinese sugar snap peas or broccoli in place of the baby corn cobs and water chestnuts). Cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes more or until vegetables are desired tenderness. Remove lid and allow to simmer a few more minutes if sauce is not yet desired thickness.

Serve over hot rice with Chow Mein noodles and extra soy sauce.

Baking Frenzy

2011-04-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

Trail Mix Bars

3 cups toasted oat cereal (I used Kelloggs Brand Fiber Plus Antioxidant Cinnamon Oat Crunch Cereal)

3 cups crispy rice cereal

½ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 to 1 ½ cups raisins or dried sweetened cranberries (or combination of the two)

1 cup honey (I ran out of honey so I used ¾ cup honey and ¼ cup light corn syrup)

¾ cup light brown sugar (lightly packed) [next time I'll use less]

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-16 ounce jar of natural peanut butter (I used Jiff Brand – Extra Crunchy)

1. Combine oat cereal, rice cereal, sunflower seeds, and raisins/dried cranberries in a large mixing bowls. Set aside. Spray a jelly roll pan 10”x15”x1” with non-stick cooking spray (such as PAM).

2. In a medium sized pot, over medium to medium high heat, combine the honey, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture reaches a boil, allow the mixture to cook an additional 1 minute, stirring frequently. I mis-read the instructions and let it boil about 3 minutes and it was just fine.

3. Remove pot from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over cereal mixture. Stir with a spatula or spoon until coated. Dump into prepared pan. Spread evenly in pan using hands or a large spoon (spray the spoon with PAM first so it doesn’t stick). Ensure the coated cereal mixture is patted down relatively well or the bars may break up some when slicing.

4. Allow to cool; slice in to squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight storage container or plastic zip close bag.

I have my friend Vicki to thank for this recipe. We enjoy sharing recipes and she sent me a version of this recipe earlier this week. I don't have the entire printed pamplet in front of me but I believe it's from an organization called "Colorado Women's Mountain Biking Association". When I was on my baking frenzy (see below) Tuesday night, it occurred to me that I pretty much had the ingredients on hand to make these great looking bars. I altered a few ingredients to use up what I had on hand. The recipe calls for 1 cup of honey and 3/4 cup of sugar (or agave nectar). I used 3/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup corn syrup, and 3/4 cup brown sugar. The recipe also recommends Smucker's Chunky Natural Peanut Butter (stirred) but I used Jiff which of course includes more oil and sugar. The bars are great and I think the recipe is quite forgiving. It also leaves a lot of room for creativity just as long as you keep the ratio of dry goods to wet ingredients relatively the same.
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I had a great day today. A gal at work asked me to give a cooking presentation at work for Administrative Professional's Day (formerly known as Secretary's Day). Despite my reservations about public speaking, I agreed given that I really like to talk about cooking and baking and I like to share recipes. I had quite a baking frenzy Tuesday night in order to prepare... can't give a talk about cooking and not bring samples, right?

I made two batches of "Triple Lemon Cookies." Click HERE for the recipe link.

I felt like a caterer! My kitchen smelled really, REALLY sweet!

And I made two batches of Scotcheroos (growing up, my mom made these and called these tasty treats "Chocolate Messies"). Click HERE for the recipe.

I wish I could say the talking part of my presentation was as good as the tasty treats. Ugh! Public speaking! Something I would like to improve upon. There were several moments where I wished I was a turtle and could retract my head and arms and legs into my shell... to disappear. I felt uncomfortable and flustered. But there were some parts where I finally relaxed and could be myself and I actually enjoyed talking. I know if I were to give the same presentation again tomorrow, I could do a 1,000 times better knowing what I learned today. But no use fretting about it now... life is too short for that! I made a promise to myself today... if given the opportunity to speak in front of a group again I should NOT shy away from it despite today's difficulties... can't improve if I don't practice.

After the presentation, I went home and then my husband and I went for a three mile walk along the Arkansas River. Any absolutely gorgeous Spring day in Southern Colorado today. New leaves on the cottonwood trees lining the river, sunlight sparkling on the river, vibrant blue cloudless sky, & lots of pairs of Canadian Geese flying overhead and on the river's banks. We went out for a late breakfast at a nice cafe after the walk. Later in the day, I brought my five "Snuggles" to the Humane Society (click HERE for more information about Snuggles). Late this afternoon, we went for another three mile walk along a different portion of the Arkansas River (Tunnel Drive). I should sleep well tonight... although, I have to admit... I am half tempted to wake up in the wee hours to get a glimpse of the Royal Wedding on TV!

Alas, there is still a little girl inside me with a bit of a Princess Fantasy!

Spicy Italian Beef Sandwiches.

2011-04-25T12:36:00.001-06:00

Spicy Italian Beef Sandwiches

The line up of ingredients... couldn't be more simple...

Another family favorite... Spicy Italian Beef Sandwiches. This recipe is from a great little cookbook called "Cooking with Beer" (purchased at Barnes and Noble Bookstore several years ago). I tried to find the cookbook last night after we ate dinner to show you how cute it is... the book is actually shaped like a can of beer. But I couldn't find the book. Thankfully, I have the recipe memorized... I make it that frequently. Here's the recipe"

Italian Beef for Sandwiches

(From a book called "Cooking with Beer")

1 chuck tender roast or chuck roast (trimmed of fat) approx. 3 to 4 pounds

1 can of beef broth (14 ounce size), reduced sodium if desired

1 bottle or can of beer (I like to O'Douls non-alcoholic Amber Ale) I used a can of Coors Light this time

1 pkg. (dry) Good Season's Brand Zesty Italian Dressing Mix

1 16-ounce jar pepperoncini peppers, drained (remove all stems with a knife)

Hoagie or french rolls

Sliced or grated cheese of your chosing (recommend provolone cheese, pepper jack cheese, Monterrey jack cheese, Swiss cheese)

1. Put the roast, broth and beer in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the dressing mix on top of the roast; do not stir. Place the peppers around the roast.

2. Cook covered on low for 8 to 10 hours.

3. Shred the meat and make sandwiches on rolls. Top with pepperonci peppers and cheese (If desired, first toast buns under the broiler, then top with cheese, then melt cheese under the broiler, and then top with the shredded meat and pepers). Enjoy! (I like to strain the cooking juices and eat the sandwich like a French Dip with Au Jus).

The recipe calls for "beef chuck tender roast". I can only seem to find this cut of beef at WalMart. I prefer this cut over a chuck roast for this recipe because it's very lean. Ordinarily, there is a little fat and a little "silver skin" on the chuck tender roast, but I trim that away before cooking. Unlike many "chuck roasts", there is no fat running through the "chuck tender roast"... that's why I recommend looking for this type of roast if you can find it.

Happy Easter & a recipe for "Manly Quiche"

2011-04-23T16:17:00.003-06:00

Hope you all have a nice Easter weekend. I've been cooking a lot this weekend. When I was growing up, it seems like having a ham for Easter dinner was our family tradition. Now that I cook for my family, we buy a big Black Forrest Ham from Sam's Club about two times a year. We cut it in half right away and freeze half. We use the ham in lots of ways so I've decided this will be a post to share some ideas for what to do with ham left overs... just in case having ham at Easter is a tradition for you as well.

Ham and Au Gratin Potatoes/Scalloped Potatoes.
Ham and Eggs
Ham, Egg, Potato, and Cheese Burritos (we have this for dinner or breakfast): We chop up some ham, scramble it into some eggs, and cook that up. I make hash brown potatoes with shredded potatoes. We fill warmed flour tortillas with a little scrambled ham and eggs, some cooked hash brown potatoes, and some grated cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese. Top with salsa if desired. Yum! I use my George Foreman Grill to cook the hash brown potatoes. Easy!
Quiche: I just popped one in the oven about an hour ago... here's the recipe.

Manly Quiche (or Quiche with a BIG Kick)

I am calling this "manly quiche" because it will grow hair on your chest! Just kidding. Remember the old saying... "Real men DON'T eat QUICHE!" Well, even the manliest man will approve of this version of quiche. I offered to make a quiche for my husband today using some of the leftover ham and he asked that I add some jalapeno peppers. In keeping with the spicy theme, I used pepper jack cheese.

Ingredients:

1 un-baked pie crust (Click HERE for the pie crust recipe I use) or use a frozen crust (such as Pillsbury brand unbaked pie crust found in the freezer section) or use your favorite pie crust recipe.

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper jack or Monterrey jack cheese

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup diced onion (I used a red onion)

6 ounces diced ham (approximately 1 cup)

3 large or extra large eggs

1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced pickled jalapeno slices (I used La Costena Pickled Jalapeno Nacho slices)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate; flute if desired. Cover bottom of pie crust with shredded cheese; set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender. Add the ham to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, an additional 3 or 4 minutes (this will remove any excess moisture from the ham) over medium to medium-low heat. Spoon the ham-onion mixture evenly over the cheese in the pie crust. Sprinkle diced jalapenos over the ham-onion mixture.

3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs, evaporated milk, salt, & pepper. Carefully poor the egg mixture into the pie crust.

4. Bake the quiche for approximately 50 to 55 minutes. Quiche is done when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow quiche to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 8 wedges.

If you would like to try a milder quiche, here are two more quiche recipes (one with a crust and one without a crust).

I just had to show you my Jello made in my new Jello molds. Can you make out the designs? Top photo... from left to right... an Easter Bunny, a decorated Easter Egg, and a Chick popping out of an Easter Egg.

Bottom Photo: An Easter Basket filled with Easter Eggs. Fun!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Spicy Version)

2011-04-23T10:24:00.003-06:00

I loved having this soup for my work-week lunches this past week; I did not tire of it one bit. I loved it even more as the week progressed. The addition of the cool, creamy yogurt just before serving is the key! I decided to make a spicier version of the soup for this week's lunches; I replaced the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes with a can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles). Also, I eliminated the can of corn (I think there was enough of a corn flavor in the soup from the corn tortillas) and I doubled the amount of black beans. I still had a ton of the white corn tortillas on my counter top from the first batch of soup. I think the package contains 30 corn tortillas and the package cost less than $2.00... very economical. I've been enjoying the white corn tortillas in lots of other dishes this week. I have not had them in years. Good stuff! Here's what I did for Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Spicy Version):

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (Spicy Version)
Adapted from a recipe posted by Reeni on her blog http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken breast, skinless, boneless, trimmed of fat
2 cans (14 ounce) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (10 ounce) Rotel Original diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (4 ounce) green chiles (I used fire roasted green chiles & drained them a bit first)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch thin strips (I used white corn tortillas)
2 cans (14 ounce) black beans (drained and rinsed)
Plain, low fat yogurt, for serving (or sour cream)

1. To the slow cooker, add chicken breasts, broth, Rotel, green chiles, onion, all the spices, sugar, salt & pepper, and the tortilla strips. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. (Note: I used two ridiculously huge chicken breasts that were frozen solid when I added them to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients… they were perfectly shred-able after cooking on low for about 5 hours).

2. Use two forks to shred the chicken, right in the pot or on a dish, return to pot along with the black beans. Cook an additional hour on low.

3. Serve garnished with yogurt. Other garnishes would be great such as grated cheese, diced avocado, crushed up corn tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The original recipe calls for baking additional sliced up corn tortillas in the oven. I was still too lazy to do this. The crunch would be really good. See the original recipe here:

Original Version link: http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2011/03/slow-cooker-creamy-chicken-tortilla.html

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When I made this soup last week, my husband said it looked pretty good despite the fact that it had chicken in it (he's not a big fan of chicken). But, he informed me, when I added the corn to the slow cooker, I "ruined" the soup (he likes corn by itself or on the cob, but not IN things such as soup).

This time around, since the soup lacked corn, he was willing to try it and he LIKED it,

he REALLY LIKED IT!

How 'bout that!

Spice Rub for Beef/Chicken/Pork

2011-04-22T12:35:00.001-06:00

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a long time but have been so busy. This recipe is more of a technique than an actual recipe. I typed it up to show you how I made this recipe, but there's a lot of room for creativity. When my husband had his sandwich, he said two times... yep, TWO times:

"Wow, this is like something you'd have in a restaurant!"

Taste of the Southwest Sandwiches with Sauteed Sweet Onions

2 to 2 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless beef short ribs (or an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or 2 pork tenderloins)

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

several grinds of black pepper (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

1 1/2 to 2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet) cut in half and then cut into thin slices

1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

a few pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper

Sliced provolone or any cheese of your choosing (provolone, Swiss, Monterrey jack, or pepper jack are all good choices)

Fresh hoagie rolls, whole wheat hamburger buns... really, any bun of your choice... might also be nice in a whole wheat tortilla wrap. Be creative!

Directions:

Trim beef (or chicken or pork) of visible fat and place in slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup water.

In a small bowl, combine the next seven ingredients (the spices). Sprinkle the spice mixture over the beef (or chicken or pork) in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meat shreds easily.

Just prior to serving, for the sauteed onions, heat butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a few pinches of salt and pepper (the salt is necessary to help draw the moisture out of the onions). Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, translucent and beginning turn brown. If the pan becomes dry while cooking, add a few tablespoons of water to keep the onions from sticking to the pan (instead of adding more butter/oil).

Remove the beef (or chicken or pork) from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. To make sandwiches, place sliced cheese in bun/hoagie rolls, and top with shredded meat, and sauteed onions. If desired, strain cooking liquids from the slow cooker through a fine mesh sieve or strainer. Serve sandwiches with the cooking liquid just like a French Dip sandwich with Au Jus on the side.

As for me, I am a dunker; I like to dunk my sandwich in the flavorful "Au Jus". My husband and son ate their sandwiches without the Au Jus.

In the oven right now, I have an experiment... Vegan Quinoa Muffins with Blackberries and Banana... topped with a cinnamon oat streusal. My kitchen smells yummy!

Spring Green Pea Soup

2011-04-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

I watched a show called "Good Deals with Dave Lieberman" on The Cooking Channel this morning. I sure like this show and I think Dave Lieberman is enjoyable to watch... I like his enthuasism as well as his simple approach to cooking, and I learn a lot each episode. The show is described like this:

Dave Lieberman is a young man with a mission: to teach people how to live, eat and entertain like royalty, even on a commoner's budget. In Good Deal with Dave Lieberman, Dave keeps things quick, easy and inexpensive, giving viewers practical tips on keeping quality up and costs down. Whether preparing a buffet dinner for an ever-expanding party guest list, helping a love-struck best friend pull together a romantic dinner, or throwing an indoor BBQ party for the space/budget-challenged, Dave always guarantees fabulous food that won't break the clock or the bank.

On today's episode, which was called "Frozen Pantry," he made a variety of dishes with ingredients kept in the freezer. He talked about how freezing preserves food at it's peak of freshness, how using frozen foods is quite economical, and how having a well stocked freezer is quite handy. Made me wish I had a bigger freezer! After my knitting group today, I swung by my handy "Mom and Pop Market" (I love this place!). I grabbed the ingredients for this recipe and whipped it up in no time. The Cooking Channel link is HERE for the recipe as it appeared on the episode. I made the soup pretty much as directed. I did not use low-sodium chicken broth so I cut back on the salt in the soup. I did not make the grilled bread but I am sure that would be very good with this soup. Also, I forgot to grab a yellow onion at the market, so I used half of a really big red onion which I happened to have in my refrigerator. I sauteed the onion in the buter BEFORE adding the remaining ingredients (the original recipe recommends throwing all the ingredients in the pot at one time). I blended it all in my blender and topped my bowl of soup with a bit of plain, low-fat yogurt in place of the sour cream. Light, fresh, and yummy! Oh, and I just made half of a recipe which was an easy adaptation. I've noted my slight modifications below.

Spring Green Pea Soup

1 pound frozen green peas
1 - 2 tablespoons butter (I try to use as little as possible)
1 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (I used half of a large, red onion)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish with low-fat, plain yogurt if desired.

Directions
In a medium pot, melt butter. Add chopped onion and season with a bit of salt and black pepper as desired. Saute the onions until softened, stirring occasionally. Add broth and peas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, standing blender, or food processor, puree the soup until smooth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste if additional seasoning is needed. Serve each bowl with a dollop of low-fat, plain yogurt.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-04-17T07:38:00.005-06:00

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Adapted from a recipe posted by Reeni on her blog http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken breast, skinless, boneless, trimmed of fat

2 cans (14 ounce) low-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted diced tomatoes)

1 can (4 ounce) green chiles (I used fire roasted green chiles & drained them a bit first)

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch thin strips (I used white corn tortillas)

1 can (14 ounce) corn (no sugar added), drained

1 can (14 ounce) black beans (drained and rinsed)

Plain, low fat yogurt, for serving (or sour cream)

Diced avocado, for serving (optional)

1. To the slow cooker, add chicken breasts, broth, diced tomatoes, green chiles, onion, all the spices, sugar, salt & pepper, and the tortilla strips. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. (Note: I used two ridiculously huge chicken breasts that were frozen solid when I added them to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients… they were perfectly shred-able after cooking on low for about 5 hours).

2. Use two forks to shred the chicken, right in the pot or on a dish, return to pot along with the corn and black beans. Cook an additional hour on low.3. Serve garnished with yogurt and avocado. Other garnishes would be great such as grated cheese, crushed up corn tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The original recipe calls for baking additional sliced up corn tortillas in the oven. I was too lazy to do this. The crunch would be really good. See the original recipe here:

Original Version link: http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2011/03/slow-cooker-creamy-chicken-tortilla.html

When I made this soup... I did not alter the recipe that drastically. I added a little sugar and added a can of black beans. I used granulated garlic instead of fresh garlic. I omitted the crispy tortilla strips (which I know I would have loved) as well as the other recommended garnishes. Also the original recipe calls for the addition of some heavy cream at the end. I omitted that as well.

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For some reason, I am just not finding much time to blog about recipes lately. I have some recipes lined up I've been meaning to share but just can't seem to get to it. I have been knitting and crocheting a ton lately which keeps me away from the computer. I threw this recipe in the slow cooker on Friday in less than 10 minutes... I love that! The recipe is not soupy at all; it's rather thick. The addition of the chopped up corn tortillas simmered into the soup adds great texture and flavor. I was initially not thrilled with this recipe but when I added a dollop of plain yogurt and some diced avocado, I was very happy with this dish. If you give this recipe a try, I recommend making the baked crunchy tortilla strips suggested in the original recipe. I know the added crunch would be ~~good~~ FANTASTIC, but I was ~~too lazy~~ too busy knitting and crocheting to get around to making the crunchy tortilla strips. This will be my lunches for the week... easy! Also, this dish is very mild... not spicy at all. Good stuff!

Update 04-18-2011: I've been enjoying this soup for a few days now and I have a few thoughts to add. This soup is really good, but what makes it super good is the addition of cool, creamy plain yogurt after warming up the soup! Also, this soup is very mild. Next time I make this recipe, I plan to use a can of Rotel in place of the diced tomatoes for a little more kick!

Sorry there is no photo. Not the most appealing looking soup... but the taste is great!
(I won't tell you what my son keeps telling me this soup looks like...)

Alfalfa Sprouts!

2011-04-08T18:59:00.000-06:00

Over Spring Break a few weeks ago, we went to Tucson, Arizona, to visit family. We ate at a LOT of great restaurants, one of which is a Tucson-based sandwich shop called "Beyond Bread". If they had these shops in my area, I'd be a regular patron. While there I sampled some great whole grain bread with lots of seeds and nuts. I am experimenting with a recipe with sunflower seeds, millet, sesame seeds, flax seeds, flax meal, and other great ingredients, but that recipe still needs some work.

At "Beyond Bread", I had a sandwich which was smashed avocado, turkey, and alfalfa sprouts on a huge cibiatta roll. The sprouts reminded me that, when I was a kid, we used to grow sprouts on the counter top in a canning jar. Thinking about it got me to looking up the process on the Internet so I could go about growing sprouts again. I did not remember a lot of the steps. I found the seeds at Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocer's in the produce section (they had quite a few options for sprouts but I settled on good 'ol alfalfa sprouts since I know I like them). I started the sprouts on Saturday and was enjoying them by Wednesday evening. I grew 1 1/2 tablespoons of seeds this time around and the jar was packed. Next time around, I will sprout just 1 tablespoon of seeds. For now, they are in the refrigerator and I am enjoying them on sandwiches and salads.

Oven Roasted Smoked Sweet Paprika Potatoes

2011-03-15T19:13:00.002-06:00

Oven Roasted Smoked Sweet Paprika Potatoes
2 pounds of russet potatoes, scrubbed (leave skins on)
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or table salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a roasting pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil; spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pat potatoes with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Cut potatoes into similar sized chunks. I usually cut large potatoes into 12 chunks. Put potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes; sprinkle spices over the potatoes. Stir to coat potatoes in oil and spices. Spread seasoned potatoes into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, remove from oven & stir, return to oven, and cook an additional 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle on a pinch of salt before serving.

I am a frugal gal and sometimes I cringe when I spend $3.00 or $4.00 or more for a new spice to try... will I use it before it goes bad, will I like it, will it be a waste of money? I've been noticing smoked sweet paprika in an increasing number of recipes so I figured this was a good investment. My family liked the pork tenderloin medallions seasoned with this spice a week or so ago, so I tried the smoked sweet paprika on potatoes roasted in the oven and it was a hit. I used a bit too much oil and the potatoes could have used even more paprika, so I adjusted the measurements above. I hope you give it a try! Oven roasted potatoes is an easy side dish which doesn't require much attention. We had cheeseburgers, which I cooked on the George Foreman Grill, with these potatoes.

I'll be posting another recipe using smoked sweet paprika very soon. It's been a busy week!

Blender Mania! Smoothie #7 and Smoothie #8

2011-03-15T08:09:00.001-06:00

So, how are you feeling about Day Light Savings time? As for me, it’s not too bad but when it comes be being organized enough to take photos of new breakfast smoothies at “o’dark-thirty” in the wee hours of the morning before I am off to work… it’s just not happening!

I have two new-ish smoothies for you.

Banana, Strawberry, and Orange Fruit Smoothie (Smoothie # 7)

1 banana, broken into a few chunks
¾ cup frozen strawberries (unsweetened)
Juice and pulp from one naval orange (use a citrus reamer to get every last bit of juice and pulp if you have a citrus reamer)
¼ cup low fat, plain yogurt
1 tablespoon (or less) honey (I recommend the honey that comes in a bear-shaped bottle; it’s cute so it tastes better... it's a fact!)
If desired, toss in 10 - 12 whole raw almonds (optional)

Blend all in a blender, pour into a glass, enjoy.

Comments: Good idea to chop up the strawberries a bit before freezing them. Otherwise, I think I might wear out my new blender!

Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chocolate Smoothie (Smoothie #8 )

2 small frozen bananas (bananas broken into a few chunks before freezing)
¼ cup low fat, plain yogurt
1 tablespoon peanut butter (I used the freshly ground PB from the health food store)
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup (I used the kind from Hershey’s)
½ cup low fat (1%) milk; more if necessary to get the blender moving.

Blend all in a blender, pour into a glass, enjoy!

Comments: Ohmygoodness, I ate the entire thing myself. Must work on portioning this a bit better. Delicious! Felt as though I was having a milkshake for breakfast. Next time, I will leave out the yogurt. It was very good with the yogurt but quite tangy. I need to figure out the calorie count on this version. Probably better to make this two servings instead one.

I am getting a bit behind on my blogging. I have lots of recipes in my queue to share with you. Up next… a new, yummy slow-cooker recipe idea using lots of great spices from my spice cabinet! My husband tasted what I made and he said a few times…. “this is really good!” which was followed by, “this is like something from a restaurant!” I was happy with that…

Margarita Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

2011-03-12T13:25:00.003-07:00

Margarita Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

I think "Margarita Chicken" is a better name than "Frozen Limeade Concentrate Chicken"

(I came up with the recipe so I can call it what I want, right?)

Slow Cooker Margarita Chicken

2 large (huge) chicken breasts (you can substitute 3 to 4 smaller breasts)

1/4 cup frozen limeade concentrate

1 tablespoon water

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ancho chili powder

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spray slow cooker (Crockpot) with non-stick cooking spray (such as Pam). Place limeade concentrate and water in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken breasts to slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and ancho chili powder over the chicken breasts. Set to low; cook for four hours. Serve over cilantro lime rice.

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 cup basmati rice

1 3/4 cups water

pinch of salt

fresh cilantro (about 1/2 cup), stems removed, finely chopped (1/2 a bunch)

zest of one lime (a Microplane grater works the best)

Bring water to a boil over high heat in a medium sized pot. Add salt and rice. Return to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce to lowest temperature setting, and cook covered for 18 to 20 minutes. When rice is done (all water is absorbed), fluff the rice with a fork. Add the chopped cilantro and lime zest; stir to combine. Enjoy!

Over the years, I've noticed some chicken recipes calling for margarita mix or frozen margarita concentrate. I've been eyeing those ingredients at the store and decided they were too spendy. I decided to give it a whirl and this is what I came up with. Margarita Mix costs over $7.00 (I found it on the shelves with the Blood Mary Mix and club soda, etc.). Frozen margarita concentrate costs over $3.00 per can (I think it was Bacardi brand). Kroger frozen limeade concentrate... hmmm, I think it was a $1.19. Score! The meat juices and the limeade concentrate made a nice sauce. I portioned out the rice and chicken into "to go" containers and drizzled the sauce over the top. Lunches packed for the week... check!

Here is another slow cooker Margarita Chicken recipe (click HERE for recipe link). I'd really like to try this recipe some day, too.

Blender Mania! Smoothie #6

2011-03-07T18:56:00.003-07:00

Oh, you get the idea... it's sideways... sorry about that!

Blueberry, Strawberry, and Banana Fruit
1 banana, broken into a few chunks
3/4 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
4 - 5 frozen or fresh strawberries
1/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 tablespoon (less if desired) honey
10 whole raw almonds (optional)

Blend all in a blender, pour in a glass, enjoy! I drank this as I drove to work today. Yum! The blueberries seemed so sweet, I could have added less honey.

I am using a new brand of yogurt this week called "Mountain High"; it's made here in Colorado. I prefer it over the Dannon brand yogurt I had last week. "Mountain High" spells yogurt "YOGHURT." Funny, huh? I also had some yoghurt on my burrito last night and it was very good. Spicy black beans, cilantro-lime basmati rice, lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, red onion, and yoghurt (and a sqeeze of fresh lime juice) all in a big tortilla. Good stuff. Hey, I should post that recipe. Ahh, another day!

Blender Mania: Smoothie #5

2011-03-05T08:49:00.001-07:00

Green Grape, Banana, and Orange Fruit Smoothie
1 cup frozen green grapes
1 banana, broken into a few chunks
juice and pulp of one orange
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

Blend in a blender, pour into a glass, enjoy!

Green grapes were on sale yesterday. Husband said they must have been on sale since they tasted a little old... NO good! My new mantra: No fruit will go bad in THIS house! Before I went to bed, I removed the grapes from the stems, rinsed them, rolled them around on a towel to dry them, popped them into a zip close bag, and then tucked them into the freezer. This smoothie was not as thick as the other smoothies I've been making, probably due to the addition of the fresh orange juice and pulp. But it was very good. I thought the grape skins might be weird in the smoothie, but the texture was good. Good news... I have enough frozen grape to make this smoothie again!

Blender Mania! Smoothie #3 and Smoothie #4

2011-03-04T06:27:00.003-07:00

Peach, Banana, and Strawberry Fruit Smoothie

Still enjoying my new blender. I've been having smoothies several times a week. My favorite smoothie is #3, which has been made with ingredients I have on hand, and it's just a slight variation on Smoothie #2, except now I am using plain, unsweetened yogurt and adding honey (in place of sweetened vanilla yogurt).

Peach, Banana, and Strawberry Fruit Smoothie (Smoothie #3)
3/4 cup (approximate) frozen peach slices
1 banana, broken into a few chunks
3 or 5 fresh strawberries
1/4 cup plain yogurt
a few squirts of honey

Blend in blender, pour into a glass... enjoy!

Comments: This week I am getting in the habit of putting fruit in the freezer when it's about to go bad. I've been washing the strawberries, trimming the stems, and popping them in the freezer in zip close bags. I've learned that, for smoothies, it's a good idea to cut the strawberries in half before freezing. Otherwise, they are kind of like little boulders in the blender and they don't break down very readily.

**************************************

Peach, Almond, and Honey Fruit Smoothie

Today, I ran out of bananas, so I had to go rogue. Here's what I came up with.

Peach, Almond, and Vanilla Smoothie (Smoothie #4)
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen peach slices (it's really hard to measure frozen peach slices)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
10 whole raw almonds

Blend in blender, pour into a glass... enjoy!

Comments: At first, I thought I might not like Smoothie #4. The yogurt was a little tangy and maybe it was not sweet enough. The ground almonds do give the smoothie a little texture which IS different from the smoothies I've been making for a few weeks. Next time I might use a tad less of the vanilla. I have a bottle of vanilla from Mexico and to me it has the aroma of coconut (just a little) and it's very potent stuff. But as I sipped my smoothie this morning, I decided I really like this one! It was super thick and reminded me of a blended ice cream drink... for breakfast! Score!

Make Ahead Spicy Italian Meatballs

2011-02-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Meatballs are a bit of work so I like to make big batches and freeze in smaller portions.

Sure... you can buy them in the freezer section at the grocery store, but I know exactly what is in my recipe... no fillers.
I think the addition of fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese makes them extra nice.
And... as an added bonus, these meatballs are baked in the oven... not fried.

Make Ahead Spicy Italian Meatballs
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound hot Italian bulk pork sausage (if you prefer, mild or sweet Italian sausage)
1 half of a yellow onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup (packed) finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (I used more than 1/2 a bunch of parsley)
2 eggs
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (Italian or plain)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons each dried basil and dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (about 20 to 25 grinds)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two 13"x9"x"2" pans with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix together gently with clean hands to distribute all ingredients. Shape into meatballs (a little larger than golf balls). I make 30 meatballs with this recipe. Place into prepared pans. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until no pink remains.

A hungry taste tester passed though the kitchen upon his return from the gym and promptly snagged two meatballs for ~~a snack~~ quality assurance purposes. I ended up with four bags (each containing seven meatballs) for the freezer. Each bag will yield one big dinner for me and my husband, as well as some smaller lunch portions to take to work for me. (Son doesn't like spaghetti and meatballs. Crazy, huh?!)

Smoky Pork Medallions with Oven Roasted Potatoes

2011-02-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

I got my latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine in the mail the other day. I am always combing through the pages looking for recipes my entire family will enjoy. As for me, I would enjoy making and eating pretty much each recipe on the pages... but my family... not so much.

On my last trip to Manitou Springs a few weeks ago, I ventured into one of my favorite shops... The Olive Tap (an olive oil and vinegar tasting emporium... crazy, huh?). They also have a great assortment of dried herbs and spices and they are in glass jars so you can smell and taste them if you like. I splurged and bought a new spice... Smoked Sweet Spanish Paprika. I thought I might try it on potatoes. When I opened the pages of my Clean Eating Magazine, I found a few recipes calling for this spice... so I had to give the recipe for Smoked Paprika Pork Tenderloin a try. I prepared the meat and spice rub ahead of time and let the flavors mingle for several hours while I was knitting with the girls at my Thursday Knitting group. When I came home, I cranked up the oven for some oven roasted potatoes. I figured if my boys did not like the pork, they could feast on potatoes. I cooked the pork on my George Foreman grill (I think I have the largest grill they make... it's huge!). It made for a super simple meal. I put a bowl of orange slices on the table for something fresh. I liked making and eating this meal...

Spice Rub for Pork (from Clean Eating Magazine March 2011)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

The recipe in the magazine called for a one pound pork tenderloin, cut into 12 medallions. I used a pork tenderloin which was 1.8 pounds to I doubled the rub ingredients and of course made more than 12 medallions. I just tried to cut the pork tenderloin into medallions with equal thickness. I thought the dish was a tad salty so next time, I will adjust that. There is very little oil in the rub. I made the rub in a large plastic storage container and then just slathered each medallion with a bit of the rub, put on the lid, and put it in the refrigerator for about four or five hours. When it was almost dinner time, and the potatoes were roasting in the oven, I let the pork sit out on the counter top to come up to room temperature a bit. I grilled the pork medallions on my George Foreman Grill for about 4 or 5 minutes. They were very tender and flavorful. The boys said this recipe is a keeper. Yay! If you don't have a George Foreman Grill, the recipe recommends cooking the pork in a large saute pan in a teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat (approximately 3 minutes per side for well doneness). Easy!

The oven roasted potatoes are also very simple; they just take some time to roast.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

5 or 6 medium sized potatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)

3/4 teaspoon each dried oregano and dried basil

a few pinches of dried crushed pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray; set aside

Scrub potatoes (leave skins on). Cut each potato half lengthwise; cut each half in half again lengthwise. Cut each quarter into three chunks so each potato yields 12 similar sized chunks. Put potato chunks in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and spices; stir to coat and spread out onto prepared pan in a single layer. Roast in oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven and stir. Roast an additional 30 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a few pinches of salt (if desired) and serve hot.

I just wanted you to see my George Foreman Grill...
it's huge.
I have made giant panini sandwiches
on this grill using an entire loaf of French bread.

Quinoa with Orange and Rosemary

2011-02-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Quinoa with Orange and Rosemary
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained)
1 3/4 cups water
pinch of salt

Zest of one naval orange
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice with pulp
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
a few pinches of salt
a few grinds of black pepper

Directions:
Bring water to a boil; add quinoa and a pinch of salt if desired.
Return water to a boil, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to lowest setting,
and allow to simmer for 18 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the orange zest, juice/pulp, oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. When all water is absorbed into the quinoa, fluff the quinoa grains with a fork and stir in the herb-oil mixture. Refrigerate; serve cold. Great on a garden salad.

Quick and easy dressing for quinoa...

Garden salads with yellow tomatoes and quinoa: this is what I've been enjoying for lunch this week.

The addition of quinoa makes a simple salad a "stick to your ribs" meal.

I just looked back at my recipe for Lemony Quinoa with Herbes de Provence... I said 3/4 cup Herbes de Provence... Uhhh, I meant 3/4 TEASPOON... sorry about that!

Blender Mania! Smoothie #1 and Smoothie #2

2011-02-23T17:52:00.001-07:00

If you are following along, you'll know that I have a ~~new toy~~ new essential kitchen appliance... a lovely Kitchenaid blender. It's what I wanted for our 20th wedding anniversary in March. I am constantly on the look out for any and every excuse to try out my new blender ever since I pulled it out of the box this past Saturday. After some great success with waffle batter, I moved on to smoothies. I know there are a gazillion smoothie recipes out there, so perhaps these will not be totally new concepts... but maybe I'll come up with a new combination of flavors that will have you wanting to dust the cobwebs of your blender and take it for a spin. You'll have to forgive me, but I have a difficult enough time getting out the door to get to work on time, so I missed a photo opportunity for Smoothie #1 but here's the recipe:

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (Smoothie #1)
1 banana, broken into a few chunks
1/2 cup milk, more our less as desired
3 to 4 ice cubes (next time I'll omit the ice cubes and use frozen banana chunks instead)
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used the health food store kind which is just ground roasted nuts)
a few squirts of Hershey's chocolate syrup (sorry... I don't MEASURE before 6:00 a.m.)

Blend in blender, pour into glass, insert straw (I recommend/prefer the "bendy" kind of straw... hee, hee!), and slurp away!

Comments: Uhhhh, yum! Do you think Elvis would like this?

Peach, Banana, and Strawberry Fruit Smoothie (Smoothie #2)
3/4 cup (approximate) frozen peach slices
1 banana, broken into a few chunks
4 or 5 fresh strawberries
1 small carton of vanilla yogurt

Blend in a blender, pour into a glass... enjoy!

Comments: Wow! I felt as if I was drinking something really good for me... which of course makes me very happy. Probably the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fruit in one glass! I had tons of energy for hours after having this for breakfast. I did use Dannon Light and Fit 80 calorie yogurt in this, but in the future, I'll use a different kind. To me, I did not care for the artificial sweetener flavor in the yogurt. For the peaches... I froze a few pounds of peach slices with a sprinkle sugar this past summer... a gift from someone's yard... I've finally found a great use for these peaches...

Smoothie #2

More smoothie recipes another day...

Blender Mania! Waffles...

2011-02-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

There's a new kitchen gadget in my life... lovely, huh? My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary in March.

I told him I wanted a blender.

I picked out this beauty at the Bed, Bath, and Beyond Store.
I was looking for blenders which do NOT have to be
dis-assembled to be cleaned.
This one met that criteria.
When I am done using it, I rinse it out,
add a few drops of liquid dish soap,
and then blend again.
I LOVE that!

It's like a TORNADO! Just as soon as I got my ~~new toy~~ essential kitchen appliance out of the box, I quickly assembled the ingredients to make this recipe. I had been wanting to try this recipe for blended waffle mix since my friend, Harriet, told me about it.

Mmmmmmm...... waffles!

Waffles ready for the freezer...
individually wrapped in plastic wrap
and packed in a gallon size zip close bag.

OAT WAFFLES from HARRIET (Thanks, Harriet!)

3 cups of rolled oats
3 cups of cold water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup raw cashews (I used walnuts and I added 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed meal)
4 dates or 1 tablespoon of agave nectar (honey could be substituted)
1/4 tsp. salt

Blend all in blender until smooth. (Add a little more water if needed for desired consistency). Pour correct amount for your waffle maker into heated and oil sprayed waffle iron. Bake until done.

These can be cooled and frozen. They can be reheated in a toaster.

There are two things I'd add to Harriet's recipe notes above. I would recommend letting the batter sit for maybe 5 to 10 minutes to see how much it thickens. Initially I added a few more oats since my batter looked too thin, but as my waffle iron heated up, the batter got TOO thick; I added more water... no problem. Also, I think my waffle iron is a Belgian waffle iron which means it makes really thick waffles. I noticed my waffle edges were a little underdone, so for me this batter worked best when I cooked the waffles on the darker setting versus a lighter setting (but of course waffle irons vary). I made up this batch of waffles and packaged them up for the freezer and have been having great waffle breakfasts.

Also, I've been having a blast making super simple smoothies... such difficult decisions FIRST thing in the morning... waffle or smoothie... waffle or smoothie... ?

Uhhh, brace yourself for a TON of smoothie recipes.

Panko Crusted Fish

2011-02-22T14:48:00.001-07:00

Breading station ready. Flour seasoned with salt and pepper, egg whites, and bread crumbs
(from right to left).

Anyone who knows me KNOWS that I am a huge fan of the Food Network. There is a new network called The Cooking Channel and I enjoy it maybe even more (if that's possible). What I like about these channels is how I learn techniques, I get inspiration to combine things I would not otherwise think to combine, and I learn about products I would never think to try. Panko is something I've been hearing about for quite some time. In case you are not familiar with this ingredient... Panko are Japanese bread crumbs. You can use them to make a coating on fish, chicken, pork... why, at our local Japanese restaurant, I've even had tofu coated in Panko and fried. It makes for a great crispy coating on things. I was reading the side of the box where they also suggested using Panko on top of casseroles.

I've finally found Panko on the shelves of my local grocery stores and had to give it a whirl. Progresso Brand offers Lemon Pepper Panko... the box jumped off the shelf and into my cart so I promptly made a U-turn to the frozen seafood aisle for some cod. It was on sale... SCORE! My local grocery store also has a generic brand of Panko. So far I've tried the Italian style which has Parmesan cheese and is speckled with dried Italian herbs. The Italian style is also good on the fish, but I imagine the Italian style would be really good on pork and chicken. My husband and son both like the Panko crusted fish. We had this Sunday night with frozen crinkle cut fries... I ate too many fries but it was yummy. I don't eat fries often but there is something especially good about the crinkle cut fries.

This is not much of a recipe; it's basically just a technique. I apologize I did not get a "beauty shot" of the fish but my family gobbled it all up before I had an opportunity to take a decent photo.

Panko Crusted Fish

1 to 1 1/2 pounds fish (I used cod), cut into similar sized pieces

about 1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

salt and pepper

egg whites, whisked (I used 2 egg whites)

Panko Bread crumbs (whatever flavor you can find)

vegetable oil for frying

In the first shallow dish, combine some flour, salt and pepper.

In a second shallow dish, whisk egg white(s).

In a third shallow dish, place the Panko.

Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour, gently tap to remove excess flour.

Then dredge the fish in the egg whites, coating all sides.

Then dredge the fish in the Panko, coating all sides, gently pressing the crumbs to ensure they are stuck. (I tried to put too many crumbs on my fish and made a mess of my cooking oil... don't do what I did!)

Heat oil in a skillet (I used two skillets) over medium heat. Pan fry the crumb coated fish for 3 to 5 minutes per side (approximate) until fish is done. Serve immediately.

Sweet Yellow Tomatoes

2011-02-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

If you see these at your market and they are reasonably priced, grab them up! These are the BEST tomatoes I have ever tasted. SERIOUSLY! They sure are cute, too... don't you think!?

Super-Simple-Looks-Like-a-Million-Bucks-Easy-Enough-to-Make-on-a-Busy-Weeknight-Dessert-Recipe

2011-02-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I had a very nice Valentines Day and I hope you did too. We kind of celebrated on Sunday... not that we really "celebrate" Valentines Day. I think we try to do kind things for one another every day... not just on Valentines Day because the calendar says so. On Sunday, I came from work and my husband surprised me with some pretty red and white flowers (I think they are carnations), a little bag of Peanut M&M's, and a box of my favorite wine (Herding Cats' merlot/pinotage, a dark red wine from South Africa). Ah, he knows me so well. We went out to dinner at Subway for sandwiches... a treat as I did have to cook or do dishes after a long day at work. Yay!

Since my husband and son were so sweet to me on Sunday, I wanted to bake a special chocolaty treat to have after dinner on Valentines Day. This is not much of a recipe so I am a little embarrassed to post about this, but I just wanted to share this idea with you. I think we started making this dessert this past summer when fresh berries were bountiful in the produce section. On occasion, my husband will come to the grocery store with me and it's amazing what ends up in the cart when he comes along. On one of these shopping trips, he saw cake mixes and, as he sheepishly held up the box of Devils Food Cake Mix, he asked, "Can you make this?" As if to say, "Is this hard or too much trouble?" You see, as I am writing this, I am literally laughing out loud as I am recalling a weeknight several years ago... my husband stood in the kitchen, watching me make up a box of Hamburger Helper (gross, I know!), and he said, "Man, that's a lot of steps!" So my point is that my family thinks this dessert is a big treat. I guess I'll just keep on letting them think it IS a big fuss. But of course, you and I know making a cake with a cake mix is CHEATING, right? So, without any further rambling, here is my Super-Simple-Looks-Like-a-Million-Bucks-Easy-Enough-to-Make-on-a-Busy-Weeknight-Dessert-Recipe!

Super-Simple- Looks-Like-a-Million-Bucks-Easy-

Enough-to-Make-on-a-Busy-Weeknight-Dessert-Recipe

1 box Chocolate cake mix, prepared as directed on box (I used Devil's Food and prepared in a 13"x9" pan)

Cool Whip, thawed

Fresh Berries (slice and sprinkle on a little sugar, if desired)

I know, I know... it's so simple, but so yummy. It's like Strawberry Shortcake only better. Everything is better with chocolate, right? I think it made for a very good Valentines Day treat. Okay, next time... I promise to post something more blog-worthy.

Lemon Bread

2011-02-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

One loaf without poppy seeds...

One loaf with poppy seeds...

This is another great lemon recipe from my Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook. I am madly making goodies with the lemons from my in-law's yard Tucson, Arizona. Can you imagine walking into your yard at your home and hand picking lemons, oranges and grapefruits? How great would that be!?

I made two loaves of lemon bread this weekend; one with poppy seeds and one without.

Lemon Bread
(Makes one loaf)

Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose (unbleached) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze (optional)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk to combine.
Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk to combine.
Dump the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until dry ingredients are moistened; don't over mix. A few lumps are okay.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes. (I checked my loaf at closer to 45 minutes and it was already done... which was a good thing because my husband was rushing me out the door so we could go to the gym...) Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl. While bread is still hot and in still in the the loaf pan, brush the glaze onto the top of the loaf with a pastry brush. The recipe says you should remove the loaf from the pan after the loaf has cooled for about 10 minutes, then allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack, then wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving. Yeah, right!

Since I was going to the gym and in a big hurry, I let the bread sit in the pan (with the glaze soaking in) while we were at the gym for an hour. When I got home from the gym, I removed the loaf from the pan and wrapped the still warm bread in plastic wrap. I tried to keep it wrapped up before slicing into it but, like I said, since we had just gotten home from the gym and we were EXTRA hungry! The bread only stayed wrapped up for a little while before we dove in! This bread is good with or without poppy seeds.

Sticky glaze brushed on top makes for a pretty, shiny loaf...