Posted in Favorite Recipes
Last Wednesday evening, I needed to make supper, but didn't have any planned meals. Since I knew I had some cauliflower and some red potatoes in the refrigerator, I did an ingredient search on allrecipes.com. Only one recipe came up with those ingredients, and while I didn't have every ingredient listed, I thought I could safely make some substitutions. The original recipe on the site was named "Broken Thermostat Curry" and called for a yam, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes which I replaced with garbanzo beans and raisins.
Here is my version:
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup carrot pieces
- 1 T. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp. jarred minced garlic)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas) drained and rinsed
- 5-6 small red potatoes, cubed (The second time I made this, I used turnip instead.)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1/2 c. raisins (or so... I just threw in handfulls until it looked good)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (Can omit this without much consequence, but I actually have some!)
- plain yogurt
Directions:
- Finely chop the onions and carrots in a food processor. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the garlic until lightly browned. Pour in the carrot puree and saute for 5 minutes.
- Pour in diced tomatoes, water, garbanzo beans, red potatoes, cauliflower, and raisins. Season with turmeric, curry powder, cumin, and garam masala. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with plain yogurt.
~ 1 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
)
I've been contemplating sharing some recipes that I came across while browsing the Rachel Ray cooking site recently. I think that Mu Shu Chicken fits the healthy criteria and is even low-fat. I substituted ground turkey for the ground chicken, and my whole family declared the recipe a keeper.
Another Rachel Ray recipe that would fit the healthy bill, though probably not low-fat, is Chicken Tortilla Pie. I've made this twice in the past two weeks, again winning the approval of my family. The recipe calls for ground chicken again, but I just used chicken leftover from a roasted chicken. I also think that ground beef would work. The tang of the tomatillas in the casserole makes it stand out from other Mexican casserole recipes. (We had never had tomatillas before ~ yum!) Don't fall for the "30 Minute Recipe" label, though. I bet that only a chef with assistants could accomplish it in 30 minutes!
When we replaced our dinosaur of a computer with a laptop almost two years ago, I never imagined a computer would come in so handy in the kitchen. I often park it on a kitchen counter to refer to recipes that I've posted on my blog, or in Word files, or that I've found on allrecipes.com or other recipe sites. Of course, I have to be careful to keep it clean, but it stays open and propped up better than a cookbook and is easier to read than a recipe card!
~ 5 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
"Cut out the backbone, break the breastbone with the flat of your palm, smoosh the bird flat on a baking sheet with a lip (or in a roasting pan), and drizzle with a little olive oil. The skin will lift up easily, so you can make a little herb paste if you want--either chopped mixed fresh herbs or dried herbs moistened with olive oil--and spread it under the skin.
Roast at 425. It takes about 45 minutes for one, maybe longer for two if they're in the same pan."
I roasted two chickens this way recently with success. Flattening the chickens made them easier to season and they took less time to cook. I also like the roast sticky chicken method of baking chicken at 250 for 5 hours, but lately, I don't have my act together for supper 5 hours ahead of time. I seasoned one of the birds with sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper mixed with olive oil to make a paste. The other bird, I seasoned with chinese five spice seasoning mixed with some toasted sesame oil. Both tasted delicious!
After supper, I debone whatever chicken is left and put the juices leftover in the pan(s) in a jar. The next day, I make chicken soup. I skim off the fat from the jar and heat the chicken broth in my 8 qt. pot along with 10-12 cups of water and an appropriate amount of msg-free chicken bouillon. I start out by adding 1/2 cup of brown rice which takes the longest to cook, or if I'm in a hurry, I use whole wheat noodles. As far as vegetables go, I usually add 1/2 a green cabbage, 2 cups of chopped carrots, a chopped onion, sometimes chopped celery, at least a tsp. of minced garlic, and towards the end, some frozen green beans. Sometimes I add other vegetables such as zucchini or yellow squash. I should call the soup "Scarborough Fair" soup, because I season it with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and then throw in a bay leaf for good measure. However, the unique ingredient that my family likes in our chicken soup is chunky natural peanut butter which I add in at the very end ~ 1/2 to 1 cup. If you are inclined to scoff, then apparently you've never heard of West African Groundnut soup! Good Stuff, Maynard.
~ 3 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Since
the following recipe is a big hit with our family, adult and kid alike,
as well as being easy, I thought I'd share it here. The original
recipe, titled "Summer Crock", comes from Leanne Ely's cookbook Saving Dinner the Lo-Carb Way.
I have changed some ingredients and amounts to fit our family.
The recipe is a slow-cooker recipe in the book, but I've been fixing it
in a regular pot shortly before supper, because I've been too busy with
other tasks earlier in the day to get it into the crockpot.
1- 1 1/2 pounds Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion chopped
1/2 T. minced garlic
3 cups each chopped summer squash (yellow squash), zucchini, and eggplant
2 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes with their juice
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T. cumin
In a large pot sprayed with cooking oil, brown the sausage along with
the onion and garlic. Drain the sausage if there is much
fat. Stir the rest of the ingredients into the pot, bring to a
boil and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the squash is soft, but
not soggy. Serves at least 6 people with leftovers.
If you would like to do this recipe in the crockpot, cook it on low for
6 hours, but I really don't understand the point when it cooks so
quickly.
My kids rejoice when I make this stew. Really, it is that good!
~ 1 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Grill 4-6 pork chops and serve topped with the following sauce:
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
1 cup of basil, torn
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Mix together the sauce ingredients and refrigerate 15 minutes before serving with the pork chops.
Several times we have had boiled red potatoes with garlic and sauteed Swiss chard as side dishes with the pork chops.
~ 4 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
This fritatta is a frequent repeat in my family and is especially loved by the kids. The original source is Jane Brody's Good Food Book
p. 484, but I have altered it some and am posting my version. The
recipe yields 9 servings. I made it last night for supper and the
kids and I had leftovers for lunch. (Actually, since we are
experimenting with eliminating milk from Sophie's diet for a time to
see how it affects her eczema, she had something different for supper
and lunch. I sure hope that she is not really sensitive to cow's
milk, because she loves this dish!)
2 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained ~
I strain it in a colander and then squeeze out excess moisture by
rolling up the spinach in a (clean) dish towel and twisting it.
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup plain bread crumbs ~ I stick some whole wheat bread in a food processor to get the crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan ~ yes, I use the processed stuff
5 eggs, divided
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
paprika
Preheat oven to 350. In a
large bowl, combine the spinach with the cottage cheese, the bread
crumbs, and the grated cheese. In a separate bowl, beat 3 of the
eggs and add them to the spinach mixture, combining the ingredients
thoroughly. Lightly oil a 9 in. square baking pan and sprinkle
with the wheat germ. (If your wheat germ is not pre-toasted, then
place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.) Spread the spinach
mixture over the wheat germ. Beat the remaining two eggs and pour
them over the spinach mixture. Sprinkle the frittata with
paprika. Bake the frittata for 45 minutes. Let it cool for
10 minutes before cutting into thirds in both directions. I serve
with a plate of sliced tomatoes for those who like tomato on top.
~ 0 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
3 T. cooking sherry
1 T. brown sugar
1/2 T. honey
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 pork tenderloin (usually come 2 per pkg.)
Combine first 6 ingredients in lg. zip-top bag. Add tenderloins and refrigerate no more than 6 hours. Remove meat from marinade and insert meat thermometer. Grill tenderloins until thermometer reaches 160 degrees, turning while grilling. [ I am roasting them tonight, getting the idea from a Rachel Ray cookbook: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (I put foil over a roasting pan with shallow sides.) Place the meat on the foil and roast for 20 minutes. (I had to put the thicker piece back in for 5 more minutes.) Remove meat from oven and tent with foil and let rest for a few minutes.]
The cookbook suggests an oriental rice dish and a spinach salad as sides. Tonight, we are having creamed corn, and leftover green beans and salad with it.
This morning, before school, Matthew held the ziplock bag while Evan and I added the marinade ingredients and the tenderloins. The tenderloins have been marinating in the refrigerator until supper. Easy Easy Meal!!!
P.S. Evan said that he likes pork tenderloin marinated in Italian dressing even better.
~ 1 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
I
tried a new Mac'n Cheese recipe on my family last night (something that
I make rarely), but it got the thumbs down and the kids reminisced
about the Mac'n Cheese that I used to make more often. With the
reaction that I got, I'll have to make the good kind again for them
soon. Here's the recipe for our family's favorite mac'n cheese
and the bonus is that it is not as fattening as some versions:
Serves: Book says 4, but it works for our family of 5
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 45 minutes
Nutritional Info.: Leave a comment with what you'd like to know and I'll reply.
1 1/2 cups 1% cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups skim milk or buttermilk
1 tsp dried mustard or 1 T. prepared mustard
pinch of cayenne
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (key ingredient)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 cup grated onions (actually I put chunks of onion in the blender during that step of the recipe below rather than grating it ahead ~ saves time; also don't omit the onions which give the pasta a little zing)
1 c. grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
1/2 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni (I intend to use some whole wheat spiral pasta next time I make this.)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese (yes, I use the processed kind)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I just run whole wheat bread through my little food processor and have been known to use toasted wheat germ)
Preheat oven to 375. Prep a 9- or 10- inch square baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray or oil.
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper (and in my case, onions) and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the puree with the onions, cheddar, and macaroni. Stir well. Pour the mixture in to the baking pan. Combine the Parmesan and the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for about 45 minute, until the topping is brown and the center is firm.
Update: Getting the idea from a Rachel Ray cookbook, we have added an ingredient to the recipe above. Now in the blender, I add a defrosted package of frozen winter squash and up the cheese to 6-8 oz. Sounds weird, but my family has had it this way three times and prefers it. It makes it even more creamy and adds more vitamins. With uncooked whole wheat noodles, the dish takes an hour to cook. My boys have enjoyed making this with me. They like measuring the ingredients.
Here is another noodle recipe from the same cookbook which my kids love:
Total Time: 20 minutes
10 oz. fresh spinach (I use a 10. oz. pkg. of chopped frozen spinach defrosted)
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped (Toast nuts in a single layer on an unoiled baking pan at 350 for 5 minutes; can use toaster oven.)
2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 grated parmesan cheese (again, I use processed)
1/4 c. loosely packed chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. penne (or any totally-tubular pasta)
1 head brocolli (sometimes I don't bother with this)
Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil.
While the water heats, wash the spinach and transfer it to a separate large pot. The water clinging to the leaves should provide enough moisture to steam it. Cover and cook the spinach on med.-high heat for 4 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain. (Or just use the defrosted pkg. of spinach.) In a food processor or blender, combine the spinach, walnuts, cottage cheese, garlic, Parmesan, basil, and salt and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add pepper to taste and set aside.
When water boils, stir in pasta, bring to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes. While pasta cooks, cut broccoli into spears, blanch it in boiling water to cover until tender, about 5 minutes and set aside( I have added it to the cooking pasta during the last 5 minutes in the past to save time.) Drain the pasta and serve immediately in individually warmed bowls (yeah, right!), topped with the spinach-walnut sauce and several steamed broccoli spears. Sprinkle with grate Parmesan if you wish.
I'd love to hear from you if you try these recipes and like them as we do!
~ 1 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Everyone in this family enjoys Thai food. When we get takeout, it's often from the Siamese Plate Restaurant. For his last birthday, Evan requested Thai food for a special dinner.
Last week, I decided to cook some Thai food myself. We usually shop at Safeway, but found that it did not carry any curry paste or fish sauce, just coconut milk. The kids and I ventured for the first time to the Pacific Ocean Market and wandered the isles for awhile, searching for the needed ingredients. Finally, we located both the curry paste and questionable-looking fish sauce...but maybe all fish sauce looks that way?
During my first Thai cooking trial, I tried to follow a recipe someone posted on the Well-Trained Mind discussion board for red curry. Everything seemed to go smoothly, until I opened the fish sauce. Without question, a horrid smell emanated from the jar, enough to make anyone feel nauseated. Did I mention that I'm pregnant? Suppressing my gag reflex, I spooned the required number of tablespoons into the coconut milk and curry mixture and observed the brown fish sauce overtake and overpower the other ingredients. Without remorse, I poured the vile liquid down the garbage disposal and broke out a frozen container of stir-fry sauce to defrost and use instead.
Upon more careful reading of labels, I noted that the red curry paste already had "shrimp paste" in it and the fish sauce was not necessary.
If at first you don't succeed, try try again. Last night I omitted the fish sauce and made a perfectly satisfactory red curry. The kids even showed their appreciation of my cooking with finger graphs, comparing my red curry to that of the Siamese Plate:
Finger on your left = Siamese Plate red curry Finger on your right = My red curry
It helped my cause that my curry was less spicy, winning me votes from the younger two.
Here's the winning recipe:
peanut oil (Actually, I just used oil spray last night) for stir-frying
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 lbs. (I used a kitchen scale) of cut up broccoli, carrots, red onion, red pepper, zucchini, plus some canned baby corn and bamboo shoots
2 cans coconut milk
2 T. red curry paste (which contained shrimp paste, otherwise one would have to brave using fish sauce) Use more to taste if hotter curry is desired.
Stir fry the chicken, set aside. Stir fry the vegetable medley, set aside. Combine red curry paste with 1 can coconut milk, stirring as it comes to a boil. Stir in second can of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and vegetables and simmer covered until vegetables are desired softness. Serve over rice. (I used brown basmati rice, but jasmine rice is the typical rice served with Thai food... I also eat a minimal amount of the sauce, because coconut milk is quite fatty.)
In the future I may add some cilantro and lime juice to this.
~ 2 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
I
received the soup recipe below from a South Beach Diet email. No,
I'm not on that or any diet, but I always like new recipes. I
made the soup for supper last night. Usually Sophie detests soup
of any kind (a problem for her in our family) unless it is Campbell's
tomato soup. At first she avoided the Swiss chard floating in her
soup, but I insisted that she eat some. She surprised herself by
liking it! The kids and I even had the leftovers for lunch today.
White Bean Soup With Greens
Phase 1
This southern Italian soup features creamy white beans. Choose from
Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, or any other white bean you
happen to have on hand.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients (I doubled everything)
1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, escarole, or beet greens, trimmed (I used 3 pounds Swiss chard, weighed before trimming)
6 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup cooked white beans (I used two cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted succesfully, because I used chicken bouillon and processed Parmesan which added enough salt.)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Red-pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the
greens and cook for 7 minutes, or until barely tender. Drain the
greens, squeezing out as much water as possible. (This can be done
several hours before cooking in the soup. It is not necessary to cut
the greens, because they will break apart while they cook in the
soup. Yeah, I cut up the greens with kitchen shears later, because the pieces were too big for the kids.)
Bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add
the garlic and greens. If using canned white beans, place them in a
strainer and rinse them under cold running water to remove excess
sodium. Add the beans to the broth. Simmer gently, partially covered,
for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper to taste. (Do not add
the salt before the soup has finished cooking, or it may become too
salty.)
Ladle the soup into heated bowls. Pass the cheese and pepper flakes at the table.
Nutritional Information:
79 calories
2 g total fat (1 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
12 g carbohydrate
6 g protein
4 g fiber
~ 2 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings (but I double this)
29 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 c. (packed) packaged, prewashed baby spinach; or thinly sliced regular spinach leaves
3 cups chicken broth or chicken bouillon
8 large cloves garlic (Yes! 8! Don't skimp!)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1. Place all of the ingredients, except for the spinach, in a 4 qt. pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer the ingredients to a blender, and puree until smooth.
3. Return the puree to the pot and stir in the spinach. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-7 mins., or until the spinach is tender. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings Source: Family Fun magazine
1 very large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
1 c. peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes (sometimes I omit this w/o much consequence)
5 c. chicken stock or chicken bouillon
1 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 c. light cream (I've been known to use milk)
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
Melt butter in medium soup pot or a large saucepan. Stir in the onion and rosemary. Partially cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook the soup at a low boil for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to a food processor or blender and puree in batches. Stir the puree back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, cream, and ham, heating for several minutes before serving.
~ 3 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Stir
Fry is a quick and easy meal that I make for my family. I cooked
it Friday night and the kids all told me that they like the
sauce. I make my stir fry sauce in a batch from the Argo
Stiry Fry Sauce Mix Recipe and then divide it into individual
meal portions and freeze it. When it is defrosted, I shake it up
in the container to remix the cornstarch before cooking it.
~ 0 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
I say "Killer" in the sense that the recipes are "to die for" and not "eat at your own risk." The Cookbook that I'm referring to is Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way by Leanne Ely.
I bought this recently after reading about it on the blog of my friend at No Harm Done. I've tried two of the crockpot recipes so far and am impressed. Usually my pet peeve about crockpot recipes is that they rarely involve many vegetables other than potatoes and carrots which are both rather high gylcemic. (Okay, I do know that potatoes are not vegetables.) I've made "Crock Pork Jambalaya" and "Summer Crock" from this new cookbook and have used the usual tomatoes, as well as red peppers, spinach, eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini. The spices were rich enough, too, that my kids actually ate these vegetables.
These recipes are definitely worth repeating. And I have more on the menu to try out. The cookbook even has shopping lists and weekly menus, but since I still like to shop for what's on sale, I just use it like any other cookbook, picking and choosing.
So, "Give me some of that red stuff!" (Don't worry,though, I won't sell my birthright for it.)
~ 3 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Roasted Vegetables:
3-4 peppers cut into bite sized pieces (we prefer red peppers)
bunch of asparagus cut in bite size pieces (or substitute julienne-sliced zucchini)
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
Mix together peppers, oil and seasonings in roasting pan and roast
in 450 oven for 30 mins., stirring after 15 minutes. Add asparagus for
last 5 minutes (longer if you prefer.)
Lemon Dill Chicken:
6 half boneless skinless chicken breasts
lemon: cut in half; squeeze half; slice half in thin slices
1/2 c. white cooking wine
2 chopped green onions
1/4 tsp. dill
While peppers are roasting, lightly brown chicken brsts in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray. In a bowl combine the wine, 1 T. lemon jc., and dill and pour over browned breasts. Place a lemon slice on each breast half. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 mins. until brsts are poached (cooked through).
Serve vegetables on a large platter with the chicken arranged on top. Pour juices over all and sprinkle with green onions.
Sometimes I serve this with quinoa cooked in some chicken broth.
~ 0 Comments
~ Post A Comment!
~ Permanent Link
Posted in Favorite Recipes
Gina asked for my White Chili Recipe (which I got from Angi) and I thought I'd just post it here.
Brown:
1 # ground turkey (I have substituted leftover chicken at times.)
1 c. chopped onion
2 T. minced garlic
Mix in Crockpot:
Browned meat
2/3 c. pearl barley
2 16 oz. cans Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. minced canned jalapenos (I use 4 oz. can of diced green chili peppers.)
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. savory (I have never included this.)
6 c. chicken broth
Cook on HIGH for 3 hrs. Top with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.
