Test, Test, Does this Still Work??

Wow, it has been forever since either of us updated this thing, huh Mom.  You were better than I was.  You made a post in September.  We shall not count how long it has been for me.  What do you say? Want to give it another go?  I say we make a spring time resolution and vow to post one recipe a week.  (Or more!) The nicer weather is coming and I just feel like both of us are going to get on a cooking kick!  Soooo, here is my Kickoff Recipe!

Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

This is from our good friend Rocco DiSpirito again with his wonderful cookbook Now Eat This!.  We are trying to get back on a good eating routine so we turned back to him.  We did the whole chicken and vegetables thing for a while....BORING!  We need flavor! We need excitement!  We need satisfaction in a bowl.  Andrew picked this recipe cause he was in the mood for something totally different.  The good news is this recipe, which they say serves four will most likely give us 6 servings.  So, the nutritional information might be a little less even.  But here is what the book says it will be.

341 calories per serving, 8.2 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs, 185 mg cholesterol, 5 grams of fiber.  (As opposed to traditional paella at 900 calories and 42 grams of fat!!!)

Ingredients:
- 2 ounces chorizo, sliced into 1/4 inch half moon slices (Not going to lie, I pretty much doubled this.  It is Andrew's favorite sausage!)
-6 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this - I'm a girl on a budget you know)
- 1 3/4 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth (I only had beef broth so I used that instead)
-  One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  When the pot is hot, add the chorizo and cook until the fat begins to render, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute, stirring often until it is fragrant, about a minute.  Then, add the saffron, rice, and broth.  Cover the pot an bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and cook at a very gentle simmer for about 30 minutes.

2.  Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.  Cover the pot and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.

3.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, and stir the shrimp and the frozen peas into the mixture.  Cover, and continue to cook until the shrimp are cooked through and the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.  (I had to let it go a little longer and turn up the heat to get my shrimp nice and pink)

4.  Allow the paella to rest for about five minutes, covered.  Then fluff the rice with a fork and serve!

Chicken Breast With Salsa

Maggie....made this meal tonight and we loved it! Very very easy! Unfortunately, I didn't use a recipe so the amounts of the few indgredients I used are "to taste". Also, if you make it, maybe you can come up with a better name.

Ingredients:

3 Boneless Chicken Breasts; Halved

1 16 oz. Jar of Salsa (Used Ortega Original Salsa-Mild)

Sprinkle of Minced Onions

Sprinkle of Garlic (Garlic Mill)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

. Drizzle a large skillet with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat on medium heat.

. Halve chicken breasts and salt & pepper each side.

. After chicken is in pan, I added the minced onion and garlic.

. Cook chicken approximately 4-5 minutes on each side until slightly browned.

. Add salsa and lower heat to medium-low; cook about another 5 minutes, until bubbly.

. Plate chicken, sprinkle cheese on top and add a little more salsa on top (helps to melt cheese).

Notes:

I would probably use more salsa next time. What I like about this recipe is that you can cut the calories down by using low fat cheese and cooking spray. But I do think the olive oil adds to the taste! Totally forgot to take a picture, but according to your Father, this recipe goes on the top of the pile; so hopefully next time I'll remember.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Mags...was going through my recipes I've gotten from the Food Network and have decided to start cooking! There are so many great recipes! This one is from Giada De Laurentis. Very easy and delicious! They didn't give any nutritional info, but that would be easy enough to figure out. Also, you'll notice by the size of my baking dish, I doubled the recipe. Reheated very nicely the next day. I don't think this would fall under "cooking light", but definitely falls into the "mmm mmm good" category. Soooooo, moderation is the key to this one....or not!

Ingredients:

. 1 Cup Pastina or Any Small Pasta (Used Pipette)

. 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

. 1/2 Cup Cubed Chicken Breast (1-Inch Cubes)

. 1/2 Cup Diced Onion (About 1/2 a Small Onion)

. 1 Clove Garlic, Minced

. 1 (14.5 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes With Juice

. 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella

. 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley

. 1/4 Teaspoon Kohser Salt

. 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

. 1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs (Used Italian Breadcrumbs)

. 1/4 Grated Parmesan

. 1 Tablespoon Butter, Plus More For Buttering The Baking Dish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occassionally, about 5 minutes (use the directions of the pasta you use). Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8x8x2 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Servings: 4

Note: Next time I plan to use another can of tomatoes....let me know what you think!

Bacon-Ranch Potato Salad

Ta Dum! You inspired me to actually make something worth posting. This recipe is from one of Pillsbury's little cookbooks you find at the check-out counters at most grocery stores. As usual I made a wee little change....mine would probably be titled "Bacon-Potato Salad". Not a big fan of Ranch dressing so I just used some Hellmans Light Mayo.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 Lbs Small Red Potatoes, Quartered

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Cut In Half (Used 1 Container)

1/2 Cup Chopped Celery

1/4 Cup Chopped Chives or Green Onions (Used Green Onions)

1/4 Cup Cooked Crumbled Bacon; About 6 Slices (I Used the Center Cut Bacon)

1/2 Cup Ranch Dressing (Used 2+ Tablespoons of Light Mayo)

Directions:

• In Dutch oven or 5-quart saucepan, place potatoes and salt. Add water just to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Cool slightly.
• Place potatoes in large bowl. Add tomatoes, celery, chives or onions, and bacon.
• Stir in ranch dressing. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Note: Before mixing it all up, I added a little extra salt & pepper, 2 turns of the garlic mill and a palm full of chopped fresh parsley.

Per Serving (3/4 Cup)...Calories: 140; Total Fat: 8g; Sodium: 300 mg; Fiber: 2g

Marinated Tofu- Vegetable Kebabs

Dinner is ready!

I almost don't know where to start.  It's been way to long since I've posted anything even though we really have been cooking, and certainly eating.  :-)  I know I have a lot back-logged, but I figured I would start with what we are doing tonight!  This one actually comes from the Weight Watcher's Cookbook.  Andrew wanted to try something with tofu, and this seemed pretty simple.  Simple is good.  Tonight is a big workout day.  Training session at 2 and then triathlon class at 5:30.  I figured by the time I get home tonight, I won't be in the mood for something complicated!  I think this would be super tasty on the grill too, but since Andrew has kickboxing tonight, he is not available for grilling.  Also, I ended up making a broccoli slaw to go with it.  That was super easy.  That was just a bag of organic broccoli slaw (found in the produce section) which I heated up in the microwave for 3.5 minutes.  Then I tossed it with a tiny bit of leftover pasta sauce that I had made the other night.  It was just jar sauce with chicken sausage, but very tasty.  I have to say Andrew loved it!!!  His comment was, "We need to find MORE recipes with tofu."  I have to give him credit, he found this recipe.  I think this is going to be a staple for us this summer.  :-)

Kebabs!

 

Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. 
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (I am just using regular)
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger (I am using the dried stuff)
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 24 cubes
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges (leave root end intact)
8 small mushrooms
8 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

1.  In a shallow bowl, combine lemon juice, soy sauce, oil, ginger, garlic, and red pepper.  Add tofu, zucchini, peppers, onions, and mushrooms.  Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours.

2.  Preheat the broiler.  Beginning and ending with an onion wedge, alternately thread the marinated vegetables, tofu, and tomatoes onto 8 metal (12 inch) skewers.  Place on the broiler rack.  Broil, basting with the marinade, until the vegetables are slightly charred and the tofu is browned, about 5 minutes on each side.  Brush with any remaining marinade before serving.

Nutritional Info:  (Serving size is 2 skewers)

263 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, 17 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber, 21 grams of protein.

Pork And Pineapple Stir-Fry

TA DUM!! I finally got me butt in gear and tried a new recipe. I consider this one very daring for the meat and potato queen! I will refrain from commenting on the recipe and let your father do the speaking on this one.....it gets a two thumbs up! I will just say this....I'm still a meat and potato girl. The recipe was taken from Pillsbury's cookbook "Good For You". The picture I took is directly from the cookbook since my usual fantastic photography skills were a bit off and no one would bother trying the dish looking at my pictures! I hope someone will give it a try and let me know how theirs turns out. As usual, I am sending leftovers into work and will follow-up with my professional taste tester's review!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Uncooked Instant Rice (I used whole grain brown rice.)

2 Cups Water

4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoons Cornstarch

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Pepper (Said optional...I used it.)

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (Used low sodium....stick with the regular soy sauce.)

1 Can (20 oz.) Pineapple Chunks, Drained or 16 Fresh Pineapple Chunks, Drained...Reserve 2 Tablespoons Liquid

3/4 Boneless Lean Pork, Cut Into Thin Bite-Size Strips (I used boneless chicken.)

1 Bag (16 oz.) Shredded Coleslaw Mix, Cabbages and Carrots (I thought there was too much and ended up pulling out a large handful....use your own judgement.)

Directions:

1. Cook rice in 1 1/2 cups of the water as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the cornstarch, ginger, red pepper, the remaining 1/2 cup water, the soy sauce and reserved 2 tablespoons pineapple liquid; set aside.

3. Heat 12-inch nonstick over medium-high heat. Add drained pineapple chunks; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cook 5 minutes, turning chunks occasionally. (Note: If you have a Wok, I would definitely use it. My skillet was a bit small and was difficult to stir without making a mess.)

4. Remove pineapple from skillet; set aside. In same skillet, cook and stir pork (chicken) over medium-high heat 2 minutes.

5. Add coleslaw mix; cook and stir 3 to 6 minutes or until pork (chicken) is no longer pink in the center and cabbage is tender.

6. Stir pineapple and cornstarch mixture (whisk again since the cornstarch settles to the bottom) into pork (chicken) mixture; cook and stir 3 minutes or until pork is glazed and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over rice.

Start to Finish: 20 minutes (Pretty accurate....I took a little longer.)

Makes 4 Servings (2 Cups Each)

Calories: 440 (35 From Fat); Total Fat: 4g (Saturated Fat 1.5g; Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol: 55mg; Sodium: 760mg; Total Carbs: 79g (Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 38g); Protein: 25g

Asian Turkey Burgers and Southern Collard Greens

     I guess we could call this meal a mash-up of cultures.  Andrew and I never really get the whole idea of a dinner theme.  We tend to just find recipes that sound interesting and say, "Let's try that!"  However, I added a little Asian flare to our Southern Collard Greens. Neither of us had ever had collard greens before, and I was a little nervous.  I have to say, it was different but we really liked it!  Andrew said that it tasted like a vegetable that his parents made when he was growing up.  I don't think this is something I would eat without all the flavoring, but with it...fill up the plate! 
    The timing was something I wanted to practice with this meal too.  I tend to make one dish at a time and just kind of hope things turn out ok.  For this, I actually thought about the timing for once.  I started the collard greens first because they actually took 35 minutes to simmer and cook.  Once they were cooking away, I did everything for the burgers.  The cooking gods were on my side last night because as the timer went off for the greens, my burgers were just finishing up. 
    Both of these recipes started with food network recipes.  The greens came from Guy Fieri and the burgers were just a general Food Network recipe.  I am just going to write what I did since I changed both the recipes a little bit. 

Collard Greens:

- 2 pounds collard greens, rinsed (cut off and discard stems and cut leaves into 2 inch ribbons)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (I used less than that)
- 1 cup 1/4 inch diced salt pork ( I used two strips of center cut lean bacon)
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup white vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar to tie it into the Asian theme of the burgers)
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (which we did not have, but I wanted to write it because next time I will want to use it)

In a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, add the oil and add the diced salt pork  (I did not do this step because I just did my bacon up in the microwave.)  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool.

Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, then add the red chili flakes, black pepper, and the collard greens.

Stir every few minutes, or until greens have wilted down.  Add the chicken stock and the water and cover.  Cook for 30 - 45 minutes, then remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and add the vinegar and a teaspoon of the hot sauce.  Adjust the seasoning if needed and then put it into a serving bowl.  Sprinkle with the salt pork (or bacon). 

For the burgers: (I really just started adding anything I found in the cabinet at this point)


- 16 ounces lean ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed {This is just something we have been trying to add into some of our meals. It has Omega- 3 which Andrew has a hard time getting anywhere else since the poor kid is allergic to fish! :-) It also adds a little fiber and protein! }
- 8 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl.  Mix until just combined so you don't over-work the meat.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal burgers.  Spray a grill pan with grilling spray and heat over medium-high heat. Grill the burgers until just cooked through.  ( I started with the heat a little higher and then turned it down towards the end to make sure it was cooking through without burning.) 

Andrew loves his sauces so I combined a 1/2 cup of low fat mayo and about a tablespoon of spicy garlic sauce to serve on top.  That was the icing on the cake for him!  He loved these burgers, and he normally hates turkey burgers!  They were really juicy and flavorful. 

Mom, I think you would definitely like the burgers, but you know I like to be honest with you.  I do not think the collard greens will suit your taste buds, or dad's for that matter.  Definitely try the burgers though!