No More Cream of Mushroom

Roasted Cauliflower Soup and Stuffed Zucchini

2011-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

These dishes are two of my favorite things lately!

I got the Roasted Cauliflower Soup recipe from a blog post on the Dallas Morning News Eats Blog. I can't find a link to the original post, but here is what it said...

'Remove the stems and leaves from a head of cauliflower, and break it up into big chunks. Place them on a baking sheet, brush them lightly with olive oil, and roast in a 400-degree oven for a half-hour, or until golden-brown, as shown. Simmer a quart of good-quality chicken broth (I use the organic ones that come in a box from either Central Market or Whole Foods), cut each of those big chunks in half or so, add them to the broth and simmer about ten minutes, or until completely tender. Puree in a blender or food processor (you'll probably need to do so in batches), then season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper. If you used a very large cauliflower, you may need to add additional broth to get the right consistency (as thick or thin as you like); I added about 3/4 cup. This holds well if you want to make it ahead then reheat."

This is as simple as it sounds. I roast cauliflower....

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Then I simmer it for awhile in chicken broth. I don't use expensive broth - we're pretty OK with Great Value Chicken Broth around here. I add a little salt and white pepper if needed. Then I puree it with my immersion blender. Ridiculously easy. We love it - Todd says it is like potato soup taken up three notches.

Our other favorite thing is stuffed zucchini. It all started with this post on YumSugar...Fast and Easy Stuffed Zucchini. I have made it several times now. The ingredients are so interchangeable - I have used several different nuts, cheeses, etc.

Here are the basic ingredients that she calls for...

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 medium zucchini
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup almonds, chopped (about 2 ounces)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
4 tablespoons olive oil

I double the garlic (I always do in every recipe - we love garlic), and I use whatever nuts, cheese, and beans are on sale at Sprouts. Tonight I used toasted pecans b/c my mama brought me some from Monroe, and Parm-Regg, and chickpeas...because that's what I had. Also, I chop up the zucchini that I remove and add that to the stuffing - hate to let any good veggie go to waste. I do not use nearly as much oil as she calls for. I just use a tiny bit.

The most important change I made from the original is that I DO NOT cover it with tin foil while baking. When it isn't covered, the quinoa toasts and turns into delicious little crunchy bits. So very yummy and a very unique texture. (I have tried baking it covered. It is NOT the same at all.)

Here is the stuffing in the bowl...

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Before going in the oven...

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The final product. Delicious...

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Veggie Pizza and Veggie Souvlaki

2010-03-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, we had a yummy veggie pizza!

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Later this weekend, I started planning to make veggie fajitas. Then it dawned on me that what I was really craving was veggie souvlaki from Ziziki's down in Dallas. So I decided to try to recreate it.

The basics of this are...
veggies (roasted potatoes and grilled everything else)
pita bread
tzatziki sauce

I marinated the veggies overnight. I did mushrooms, peppers, red onions, asparagus, zucchini, and yellow squash. I wanted little tomatoes...but they were just too darned expensive!!!

1/2 cup lemon juice
3T olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp fresh oregano

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When we were ready to cook, we threaded them on skewers. Then I sprinkled them with Cavender's Greek Seasoning. I meant to do that earlier but forgot.

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I roasted new potatoes in the oven with more Cavender's and a bit of olive oil.

I made whole wheat pitas - super easy. I used regular whole wheat flour in place of the whole wheat white that it calls for.

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And I made some fresh tzatziki sauce. I won't share my recipe b/c I'll try another one next time. But it's pretty basic.

This was delicious. A huge hit for the grown ups. The boys ate pitas and turkey. We agreed that the leftovers were even better for lunch today.

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Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

2009-10-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

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Yield

2 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
Ingredients

* 8 (1/2-inch-thick) eggplant slices
* 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
* 1 large red bell pepper
* 4 (1-ounce) slices ciabatta bread
* 2 tablespoons refrigerated pesto
* 1 cup baby arugula
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft goat cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with 1 teaspoon oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten with hand. Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan. Broil bell pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened. Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; peel and discard skin.

3. Broil bread slices for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each of 2 bread slices. Layer each bread slice, pesto side up, with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 eggplant slices. Toss arugula with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and black pepper; divide arugula mixture evenly between sandwiches. Spread 2 tablespoons goat cheese over each of 2 remaining bread slices; place, cheese side down, on sandwiches.

I had to make some changes to this one...

First of all, they didn't have ciabatta bread at my grocery that was fat enough for sandwiches. So I did a whole grain loaf and sliced it myself. It worked fine, although I do love ciabatta.

Next, I decided to do open faced sandwiches. There was no way all of that was going to fit in one sandwich...and two halves makes it last longer and seem like I'm getting more.

Also I doubled everything so we will have leftovers.

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My final word...we thought these were really good, if you like eggplant. There's A LOT of eggplant in here. I LOVED the flavors of the goat cheese, pesto, eggplant, pepper, and arugula. It says in the magazine that these hold up well for the lunchbox - we shall see. I thought the prep and cleanup were fast, and they'll be even fast next time. Also, I'm thinking of doing open faced sandwiches with cucumbers or portabellas in place of the eggplant. I think that would be yummy!

I served it with the Tomato-Parmesan Soup that was mentioned in the recipe. I used the Pacific boxed soup. If you haven't tried it, you should. It is sinfully good.

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I did these addins, and it was delicioso!

Combine 2 cups commercial boxed tomato soup, 1/4 cup half-and-half, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Cook in a small saucepan over med heat 8 min or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 2 Tbl grade fresh parm regg.

We also sometimes add red pepper flakes. We just forgot tonight, and now that I think of it, I'm so sad. lol. The red pepper flakes are the best part.

Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan

2009-09-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

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Recipe Link

This chicken parmesan recipe came out in this month's Dinner Tonight section (fast recipes) of Cooking Light, and it got rave reviews at my house tonight. I served with polenta and salad, as pictured.

I pounded the chicken flat - I think that was the only modification I made. It had a nice crispy panko crust that we enjoyed. I wouldn't call it super-fast..but I started at 4:50 and was done by 5:35 with all of it. That's pretty quick for me!

Leo worked on his Bendaroos while we ate.

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Then Henry wanted me to take a picture of his food, too.

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They usually don't stay at the table through all of dinner. Tonight we got some entertainment. That Elmo thing is the LOUDEST toy ever - Thanks a million, Aunt LeeLee.

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Rice Salad Primavera

2009-07-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite summery dishes this year. I usually leave out the tofu and serve it as a side. I like it b/c you can make it early (use the oven before it's too hot), and then enjoy it for dinner.

Rice Salad Primavera
from Vegetarian Times, July/Aug 2009

1 cup basmati rice (I do Alton Brown's Baked Brown Rice instead of this)
1 8-oz pkg baked flavored tofu, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
4 green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small cucumber peeled, quartered, and sliced (1/2 cup)
1 small yellow squash, diced (1/2 cup)
2 Tbs. rec wine vinegar
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

1. bring rice and 2 cups water to a boil in covered saucepan. reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and has absorbed all water. Cool. Transfer to large bowl. (I do Alton Brown's baked brown rice, instead of this)

2. Stir tofu, tomatoes, green onions, bell pepper, cucumber, and squash into rice.

3. Whisk together vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until mixture forms smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Stir vinaigrette mixture into rice mixture. Chill well before serving.

Per 1- cup serving: 246 cal, 9g protein, 12 g total fat (2g sat), 2 g fiber

Enchilada Casserole

2009-05-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

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I saw this recipe in the paper, and thought it had potential as yummy comfort food that is also healthy. It's so hard to find casseroles that don't use "Cream of ..." soups...and I just don't eat those. Not even the "low fat" soups.

This one is definitely a winner for us. I added way more spice to the meat than it called for - more cumin, and I also added dried chipotle powder and ancho powder. A little red pepper flakes for good measure. We like it hot!

It called for 3 overlapping tortillas in both layers...I didn't really like that. So I did this...

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I was low on sour cream, but it didn't really matter. For the second layer, I smeared the sour cream on the tortillas before adding the meat mixture. That worked better than this...

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This is the finished casserole...

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Then we added lettuce, tomato, and cilantro. Very, very good! I froze one, so I'll see how that turns out in a few weeks.

Enchilada Casserole

02:00 PM CDT on Sunday, May 17, 2009

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups salsa

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

6 (8-inch) flour tortillas

¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
[Click image for a larger version] LARRY CROWE/The Associated Press
LARRY CROWE/The Associated Press

Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the meat, then stir in the salsa, beans, salad dressing, taco seasoning and cumin.

Arrange 3 tortillas in the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the meat mixture over the tortillas, then top with half each of the sour cream and cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, then repeat the layering with remaining meat, sour cream and cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 357 Fat 12 g (5 g sat)

Cholesterol 45 mg Sodium 864 mg Fiber 3 g

Carbohydrates 37 g Protein 23 g

SOURCE: The Associated Press/March 2009 Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

My Favorite Weeknight Meals

2009-05-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Thai Pesto Shrimp (has a link w/in the recipe to the coconut rice)

Beef Cheese and Noodle Bake

Tex Mex Pasta Salad

Spicy Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs (prepare the night before)

Herb Flounder with Lemon Vinaigrette (I use tilapia.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce I use porcini (baby bellas) or a mixture of mushrooms. I've never bought the "exotic blend." You can get good prices on mushrooms at the asian markets.

Cornmeal-Battered Oven-Fried Catfish

Spaghetti Alla Norma

Shrimp Pad Thai

Pork Piccata

Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

Mini Meat Loaves

Chicken and Basil Calzones (I use turkey.)

Chicken Supreme

Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Cajun Catfish (3 pts when you use 1 tsp butter)
Cajun Spiced Catfish Rub (I make a jar of this by increasing the amounts so I have it on hand)
for 4 Fillets
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Combine all spices. Brush fish with oil or butter. Sprinkle on the spices. Cook on grill, broiler pan, George Foreman, etc.

Lentil Tacos (from the incomparable CarlaP)used for taco salad, tacos, burritos, etc.
(2oz baked chips 4pts, lettuce 0, tomatoes , red onion 0, 2% cheese 2pts, 1/2 cup lentils 4pts...10 POINTS TOTAL)

(see notes at end)

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onion (I've used frozen before)
1 garlic clove, minced (I use 1/2 tsp. ready-minced)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed (I use the brown/green)
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-1/2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth) (you can use one can of Swanson's plus some water)
1 cup salsa (I skip this)
12 hard taco shells (we do soft)

Procedure:

In a large non-stick skillet (that has a lid), saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and
stir for 1 minute.

Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for
6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in salsa.

(heat up your taco shells while doing the last part of the above)

Spoon about 1/4 cup into each taco shell and top with your favorite taco fixin's.

This taco filling heats up really well in the microwave the
next day and is just as delicious as the first night.

**********************
Carla's comments:
**********************

I can never make this work with the red lentils so I use green/brown ones and cook longer w/ more liquid. You are better off w/ less liquid and adding more if they are
too crunchy after the cooking time.
I usually make this in the crock pot, with green lentils, using the amounts listed,
cooking on high until it's done....couple hours maybe?
When I do crock pot, I just dump everything in together at once. It actually works better for me in the crock pot.
I always make double and freeze 1/2
Add a little cayenne pepper if you like it spicy!
This makes great nacho topping too or base for taco salad too!

**Holly's comments** I prefer french green lentils for this (whole foods), but brown are good too. I usually add some chopped chipotles in adobo (from a can in the Mexican section. a little bit will do)I ALWAYS do the whole recipe in the crockpot - no sauteeing, etc. I just dump it all in and cook. But no oil, since that's for the sauteeing.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast - lemon pepper seasoning on a breast...grill...3points.

Alton Brown's Baked Brown Rice The best brown rice EVER. Also pointed out to me by CarlaP. I don't put the butter in.

My side dish staples on weeknights are...
steamed broccoli
fauxtatoes (mashed cauli with some smart balance and ff sour cream. i buy frozen cauli)
green beans - put some red onion slices on top, spray with cooking spray, broil a few minutes
grapes
arugula salad with cherry tomatoes and this dressing...
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Stir well with a whisk.

Gradually add 2 Tbsp olive oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

Okra and Tomatoes - sack of frozen okra and a can of italian tomatoes. heat in skillet. voila.

new potatoes with lemon and dill

Green Rice - bake the brown rice above. Add one bunch chopped cilantro, 3 or so bunches chopped green onions, some lime juice, salt, and smart balance. Good with Mexican dishes.

Thai Pesto Shrimp with Coconut-Lime Rice

2009-02-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Recipe Link

This one is a keeper! We loved it. I started cooking at 5:05 and was finished by 5:50 - that's very fast around here! I used ready minced garlic and ginger. I served with a spinach salad and sourdough bread.

Since the recipe calls for 1.5 lbs of shrimp...but a typical bag has two pounds...I microwaved the extra .5 pound. Our boys ate that, since the pesto shrimp was a bit spicy. Worked out great...we had leftovers for our lunches today.

What's on the Menu Jan 12 - 15th

2009-01-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

I ended up not making the eggplant dish last week - when I peeled the ones I bought, they were not fresh enough to be appetizing. So, I have no reviews to give. Honestly, right now I have lots of irons in the fire, so I don't think I'll be posting many of my gorgeous pictures. (haha) But I thought I'd put up a few menus and maybe review some new things that we try.

Here is this week's menu:

Mon: Cornflake-Crusted Halibut with Chili-Cilantro Aioli (new recipe) (8); Steamed Broccoli (0); Sliced Apples (1)

Tues: Smoky Chili Joes (new recipe) (7); Baked chips and salsa verde (2)

Wed: Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms (new recipe)(9); Green Salad (0); Fruit (1)

Thur: Pork Tenderloin with Paprika Spice Rub (new recipe) (4); Corn with Mustard Seeds (new recipe) (1?); Canned English Peas

New Year's Eve and Beyond menu

2008-12-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

I'm including WW Points values b/c we are counting religiously right now.

New Year's Eve: Our favorite Turkey Burgers (7); Layered Lima Bean Dip and Crudites (2) Turkey burger on sugar-free bun with mustard and lettuce, tomato, etc

New Year's Day: Leo's birthday! He wants grilled chicken. 4 oz grilled Chicken (3); 1 cup brown rice (4); 1 cup black eyed peas (2); steamed kale (0) (hoppin jon for luck and kale for $!)

Friday: Shrimp Pad Thai (9); Green Salad with Wasabi Ginger Dressing (1)

Saturday: Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-and-Tomato Sauce (New Recipe) (2 serving for 6points); Steamed Broccoli (0); Breadsticks (2)

Sunday: Chili-Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas (8); Green Rice (4)

Monday: Cooking for a friend with a new baby Mini Meat Loaves (6); mashed new potatoes (2); okra and tomatoes

We tried the Mini Meat Loaves recipe a couple of weeks ago, and it is DELICIOUS! I don't really like meat loaf, but Todd does...so I tried it since it has so many great reviews. I loved it!

Chicken and Basil Calzones

2008-12-11T03:27:00.000-08:00

Recipe Link

This is a great EASY (IMO!) recipe for a weeknight.

You start by just browning the meat (I used ground turkey instead of chicken) with a little garlic. Once it was browned, I drained the meat and then simmered with 3/4 cup prepared pizza sauce for 5 minutes. Then I sprinkled in a little dried basil. It calls for fresh, but I'm not paying for that right now, lol.

I rolled out the Pillsbury pizza dough right on the cookie sheet sprayed with pam. Then cut it into fourths and patted those into rectangles. Then put 1/4 of the turkey on and topped with 2 tbsp preshredded mozzarella. Folded over and crimped with a fork. Baked at 425 for 12 minutes.

They were YUMMY! I think we'll try them with taco turkey meat and black beans next. Very good and easy!

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Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

2008-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

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Homemade tortilla nuggets for the boys...

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Recipe Link

These little sandwiches are yummy! You start by marinating the chicken cutlets in egg, oregano, hot sauce, and salt for a few hours. I used the amount that of hot sauce that it called for, and it was plenty spicy for me. Then you just coat in crushed tortilla chips and pan fry. I added a little lime zest to the cilantro-lime mayo, and that made it really good. We highly recommend this one!

Breakfast Quesadillas

2008-12-06T04:52:00.000-08:00

I've gotten really bored with steel cut oatmeal or whole grain toast lately, so I've been trying some other things. I like the Smart Ones frozen breakfast quesadillas, so I experimented with making my own. I just made them yesterday and haven't actually tried one yet...so I'll get back to you with my review. I think it will take several attempts to get the filling just right.

I used this recipe for a guide...but they're not very hard.

My ingredients were...

light tortillas
18 egg whites (scrambled)
onions, jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper (sauteed)
Soyrizo (cooked a little - do you have to cook this stuff to use it in a filling? I don't know)
can of black beans, drained and rinsed
lowfat cheddar
Pace Salsa Verde - our FAVORITE these days!

Here's the filling - I cooked what needed to be cooked and dumped it in a bowl. I let the hot stuff cool a bit.

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We love this salsa!

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I did quesadillas b/c burritos involve a lot of extra tortilla for wrapping. This is the smaller size light tortilla. I did filling (maybe a little over 1/4 cup?), salsa, and then cheese. I folded and then unfolded when I remembered to take the picture. Ever the wonderful photographer!

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Freezing! I ended up with a total of 15.

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Soft Pretzels

2008-11-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Lots of moms that I know have been talking about using their mixers lately...so I caught the bug today. I made soft pretzels. I followed this recipe exactly...

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1108256

It was time-consuming but pretty easy. They will be much easier next time. I think they turned out great - the texture is really good. I might try cinnamon-sugar on top next time.

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A quick bath in simmering water with baking soda...I guess to make the outside crispy?

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Baking...

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My afternoon snack!

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

2008-11-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

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Recipe Link

This was yummy! I tripled the recipe and had enough for dinner, a lunch leftover for each of us...and then I froze some, I think. It has been a few days.

I followed the recipe except that I used a combo of regular chili powder and chipotle chili powder instead of the dried chipotle. This was an easy prep recipe!

I made sushi!

2008-11-02T17:55:00.001-08:00

Todd and I have developed a serious sushi habit, and he has been suggesting for awhile that we (I) should try making it ourselves (myself). My friend Carla tried it and told me it wasn't that complicated, so I gave it a try tonight. I bought all the supplies at H Mart yesterday for about $12.

We loved it! I used Alton Brown's sushi rice recipe. Note that the recipe has a typo - it's 1 tsp salt...NOT 1 TBSP.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sushi-rice-recipe/index.html

While that cooked, I prepped the filling. I did a California roll, so I used cucumber, avocado, and imitation crab meat.

I used these YouTube videos to learn how to construct them and use the mat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeSdErIP0kY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qndZKzNHpwc

We loved our homemade sushi! So nice to just eat it from the counter while we fed the kids - didn't have to go to a fancy restaurant. I ended up making 6 rolls - I told Todd I had saved us about $50 tonight if you subtracted the supplies. Can't wait to try some other types of rolls.

And here are some pictures!
The rice on the nori...

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A finished roll. Sorry for the knife - I know the photos on this cooking blog are awful. But I don't care enough to work on it, lol.

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Leo checks it out. There's that knife again!

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We had everything - even wasabi and soy. The only thing we didn't have was the pickled ginger - I could only find a huge container of it. Way too much. Notice that we are using Gerber bowls as our sauce bowls, haha!

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Southwestern Pumpkin Burgers

2008-10-27T17:12:00.001-07:00

Recipe Link

We haven't had a homemade veggie patty in a long time, so these were a welcome treat! They are a bit time consuming with the chopping and sauteeing, but I thought the results were unique and flavorful. The pumpkin definitely has a different personality when it's not in a sweet dessert. I have made MANY homemade patties, and these are so easy to work with when forming the patties and cooking. They were firm and I didn't have to be super careful with them to keep them together. I think they would be good on a WW Bun, too.

I served with green beans and homemade cannelini hummus and raw veggies.

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What's on the Menu 10/27-10/31

2008-10-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Mon - Southwestern Pumpkin Burgers, Green Beans

Tues - Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili, Orange and Avocado Salad

Wed - Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce; Green Salad

Thur - Lentil Tacos

Fri - Hot Dogs at the Halloween Block Party

Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

2008-10-23T03:53:00.000-07:00

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My friend Julie shared this recipe with me. We made them in a pan, but they took forever - we will grill them next time. I used regular mushrooms - next time I will use portabellas.

We loved them - probably my favorite turkey burger to date!

Mushroom Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

* 1 pound ground turkey
* 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, mushrooms, onion, and soy sauce. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Form into 4 burger patties.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place patties on the prepared grill, and cook for 10 minutes per side, or until well done. Top with blue cheese during the last few minutes.

Roasted Poblano Black Bean Hummus

2008-10-06T19:22:00.001-07:00

I have been experimenting with hummus made out of different beans lately. I concocted a winner today - it is soooo good! I don't have a picture, and I don't have an exact recipe...but you'll get the idea.

Roasted Poblano Black Bean Hummus

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
poblano pepper - roasted, peeled, and seeded
juice of 2 small limes
1-2 tbsp tahini (can sub peanut butter, but I don't think it is as good)
5 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
cumin to taste
salt to taste

To roast poblano pepper, preheat oven to broil. Put poblano pepper on a cookie sheet and roast on each side until the skin starts to blacken - usually 4-5 minutes per side. After each side has been roasted, put the pepper in a large ziploc bag and let it steam for 10 minutes. Then remove the pepper from the bag. Remove the seeds and peel off the skin. You can use as much of the pepper in your hummus as you like - I used about half of a medium sized one.

Combine poblano and all other ingredients in a food processor. Whirl to desired consistency.

Trust me - this is soooo good! I like it best at room temperature.

Bahn Mi

2008-10-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

I made these yummy Vietnamese sub sandwiches a week or so ago. They were delicious and easy! I couldn't find a Daikon Radish, so I just used a regular radish.

I began by marinating the veggies and cooking the meat with the chili garlic sauce on top. While that was happening, I prepped the sandwich toppings and mayonnaise sauce. Then assembled the sandwiches after the meat had cooled a bit.

These were great for dinner, and they were even better as leftovers. As the directions state, I just wrapped them tightly and stored in the refrigerator.

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Classic Beef Stew in my new (cheap!) Dutch Oven

2008-09-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

Cook's Illustrated Reviews of Dutch Ovens

I have wanted an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven for the longest time, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay for a Le Creuset - even at outlet prices! When I read the great review of the $40 Tramontina Dutch Oven at WalMart sometime last spring, I decided that I would purchase one this Fall for soup and stew season. So...here is my new $40 Dutch Oven. So far, it's great.

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For it's inaugural meal, I made a Classic Beef Stew from Real Simple magazine. This stew is company worthy! So good and very rich. It makes the most delicious gravy I have ever tasted. It's so rich that I think we'll only do it for special occasions. It was very, very tasty.

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Sorry for the lack of posts

2008-09-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Leo had the stomach virus last week, and I started feeling the effects on Sunday. I'm still fighting it. Also, *somebody* has wandered off with my memory card reader, so I can't post any pictures with recipe reviews until I can get to the store/order another one. I'm sure the card is wherever our front doorknob is...it has been missing for weeks and we're turning the knob with needlenose pliers.

What's on the Menu 9/14 - 9/18

2008-09-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Sun - Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Gorgonzola Sauce; salad; farlic breadsticks

Mon - tilapia provencal, baked rice, steamed broccoli

Tue - southwestern flank steak, teamed new potatoes, okra and tomatoes

Wed - Bahn Mi, baked Chips, fresh fruit

Thur - Lentil Tacos

Red Pepper Cannellini Hummus

2008-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

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This hummus was inspired by a recipe in The Dallas Morning News. I didn't want to make sage pesto today, so I just made up my own recipe. I had it with lunch today, and it was absolutely wonderful with carrots and celery.

Red Pepper Cannellini Hummus
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 large red bell pepper
juice of 1 medium lemon
6-8 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat broiler. Broil red pepper, turning as each side begins to roast (about 4 minutes per side). Remove from oven and immediately put the pepper in a large ziploc bag. Let steam for 10 minutes. Then peel and remove seeds.

Combine bell pepper and all other ingredients in a food processor. Blend until hummus reaches desired consistency.

Serve with crudites, pita, etc.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

2008-08-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Chicken Recipe Link

Potatoes Recipe Link

Delicious, delicious! These are winners!

I began by putting the chicken thighs in the yogurt marinade this morning.

Roasted the spices. They smelled sooo good!

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Then chopped the onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano peppers in the food processor. (sorry for the awful pic)

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Then mixed the yogurt, onion mixture, lemon juice, and salt and marinated the chicken in a ziploc bag. This was a really chunky marinade.

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I almost didn't make the potatoes because I was so tired today (Leo got out at noon and Henry didn't nap this afternoon - busy afternoon!). But I'm glad I took the time - they were delicious! Started by sauteeing dried peppers and brown mustard seeds in oil. Had to go to WF for the mustard seeds.

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Added garlic, jalapeno, ginger, turmeric, salt, and Garam Masala.

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And mixed with the potatoes.

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The recipe called for cooking these in a pyrex-type dish, but I decided to cook them on a preheated tinfoil-covered cookie sheet. I think this works great for roasting. So we cooked these potatoes while the grill prepped and then cooked the chicken.

After the potatoes were cooked, they were tossed with cilantro, mint, and lime juice.

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And the final product! The chicken recipe also includes a yogurt sauce, and it is easy and essential! It is the perfect complement to the chicken. Although this dinner took some time, it was worth it. I would really like to learn more about Indian cooking - we love the flavors.

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What's On The Menu 8/25-8/28

2008-08-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

Leo is starting K tomorrow! Hard to believe! I'm doing mostly familiar comfort foods this week. Trying a new broccoli salad to avoid the oven for that one, and trying new chicken and potatoes on Thursday. I'll probably use the leftover chicken for Friday night pizza.

Mon: spaghetti alla norma (I can't find this on my blog, but this is an old favorite! I blogged about it somewhere on here.)
Green salad

Tues: lentil taco salad
(I use French Green lentils now)
Wed: salmon with mustard cream, wild rice, Broccoli Salad

Thur: Grilled Tandoori Chicken; Roasted Potatoes with North Indian Spices

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

2008-08-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

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Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

Ingredients

1 quart buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
6 chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb. total)
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 3/4 lb. total)
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, shallots, garlic, salt, sugar, cumin, and pepper.

2. Rinse chicken thighs and drumsticks and pat dry. Trim off excess fat. Submerge chicken pieces in buttermilk brine. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day (see notes).

3. Lift chicken from brine; discard brine. Wipe excess from chicken with paper towels.

4. Lay chicken pieces on a barbecue grill over medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Yield

6 servings
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 402(51% from fat); FAT 23g (sat 6.4g); CHOLESTEROL 149mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4g; SODIUM 670mg; PROTEIN 43g; FIBER 0.1g

Sunset, AUGUST 2004

This was very yummy and oh-so-easy! I just threw the chicken in the easy brine the night before. I used red onions because the grocery didn't have shallots. They brined for 24 hours, and then Todd grilled them. WONDERFUL flavor! I highly recommend this one!

We grilled corn-on-the-cob, too. It was a hit! I soaked it in water for an hour before we grilled it, and it was so juicy!

Greek Pizza with Chicken and Artichokes

2008-08-13T17:34:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, we made Greek Chicken Pizza. It was a nice change!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 recipe Brick Oven Pizza Dough
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
10 kalamata olives, drained, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese onto prepared pizza dough. Top evenly with chicken.

Combine artichoke hearts and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; toss gently. Spoon mixture evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese; top with feta cheese.

Bake at 500° for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
Yield

Makes 1 (14-inch) pizza or 4 servings
Southern Living, APRIL 2004

I marinated the chicken breasts on Thursday, and Todd grilled them that night. It was basically just assembly on Friday night. I combined the artichoke hearts, red peppers, olives, oil, and basil (didn't have oregano.

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Then I did mozzarella, chicken, artichoke mixture, and then feta.

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The boys had chicken, pepperoni, and black olive.

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What's on the Menu 8/10 - 8/13

2008-08-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Taking it easy this week! Enjoying the Olympics at night.

Mon - oven-fried catfish
broccoli
new potatoes

Tue - grilled buttermilk chicken
black eyed peas
corn on the cob
green salad

Wed - salmon with mustard cream
rice
green beans

Thur - tuna sandwiches and chips

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

2008-08-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

I hate to sound like a broken record, but after noticing this recipe and then throwing my Food section of the Dallas Morning News away...Carla mentioned it...so we gave it a try.

And then another asterisk...we are big, big, big time Taco Salad lovers. Lentil Taco Salad is pretty much served every other week at Casa Stout.

Alright...with all that fanfare... THIS RECIPE IS A NEW FAVORITE! We love it. As faithful readers already know, I LOVE the flavor of chicken thighs, and these spices are perfect. And the prep is so easy...it's a winner! In short, it's a copycat recipe of Chipotle's chicken meat - and we ate it as a taco salad topping.

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 11/4 to 11/2 pounds), defrosted if frozen (see notes)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 Knorr chipotle cubes

or 2 teaspoons chile powder (see notes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon black pepper

Put chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-top plastic bag. Add oil to bag, seal it, and toss and turn chicken pieces inside bag until well coated.

Mix spices in a small bowl, crushing chipotle cubes with the back of a spoon. Add spice mixture to bag, seal it, and toss and rub chicken through bag to coat well with spices. Refrigerate chicken in bag for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat a grill to about 400 F. Grill 5 to 6 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through but still tender. Remove from grill and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Chipotle uses thigh meat, which is higher in fat but more flavorful than a chicken breast.

If you can't find skinless thighs without bones, substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, and test for doneness when cooking.

Knorr's chipotle cubes look like bouillon cubes and are sold in a small box.

PER SERVING: Calories 248 (54% fat) Fat 14.5 g (3.5 g sat) Cholesterol 93 g Sodium 117 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 2 g Protein 26 g
--------------------------------

Holly's notes...

I couldn't find Knorr Chipotle cubes at Wal Mart, SuperTarget, or Tom Thumb. But...when I got home...I had McCormick Chipotle Chili Powder. Who knew? It was a perfect substitute.

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Mixed up the spices...

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It was one of those afternoons around here today, so I didn't realize until 5:30 that this was supposed to marinate for at least 4 hours. Oh well. I cleaned the chicken, put some oil in a bag, dropped the spices in, and shook it all around. It did take a bit of shaking to get the spices evenly distributed.

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I preheated a cast-iron skillet on the stove top and browned the chicken on both sides. Then I popped it in a 375* oven for 20 minutes.

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Then we had all our toppings. We did lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, Trappey's jalapenos, red onions, avocados, limes, and Baked Scoops. (No, we did not top with the baby ibuprofen in the picture. Someone is teething!) You could really cut some corners on this - preshredded cheese, lettuce, pico-de-gallo, guacamole, onions, etc.

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I forgot to take a pic of the salad I built - I was ravenous and ate it while reading Good Night Moon to the H. This chicken will be a staple around here!

Vegetarian Chili Mac

2008-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

Thanks to Carla, who found this great recipe!

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Chili Mac from FatFree Vegan Kitchen (Mine isn't vegan)
(printer-friendly version)

2 cups elbow macaroni
1 onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons mild chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
10 ounces frozen corn kernels
1 16-ounce can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
5 cups thinly-sliced kale (thick stems removed before slicing) or other greens*
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until tender. Drain. Sauté onion in a large non-stick pot until translucent. Add remaining ingredients, as well as cooked pasta. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

*If you use a faster-cooking green such as spinach, add it during the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 259 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (6% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 854mg Sodium; 9g Fiber. 139mg Calcium; 2mcg B-12. Weight Watchers 5 Flex Points.

This was a comfort meal that preps very easily. I substituted shredded cheese for the nutritional yeast and chopped spinach for the kale b/c I couldn't get those at the grocery this week. I scooped the boys' portions out before adding any chili powder or the spinach, b/c I knew Leo wouldn't eat it with anything green in it. He did try it, but he's still not very big on casseroles.

I thought it was good but a touch bland - I think I would use a can of undrained Ranch Style Beans next time. I didn't put all the chili powder in that it called for b/c I didn't want anyone to catch on fire. Todd added some tobasco.

I served with Spicy Asian Slaw, one of our favorites.

What's on the Menu 8/5-8/9

2008-08-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Carla and her master blog searching skills for making some great finds recently!

Tue - chili mac, spinach salad

Wed - taco salad w/copycat chipotle chicken

Thur - veggie wraps with spicy eggplant/chickpea spread; fruit; whatever leftovers we have

Fri - Greek Pizza with Chicken and Artichokes

Sat - Friends over for dinner.
Appetizers (TBD)

Green Salad
Green Bean and New Potato Salad

Baked Beans
Turkey Burgers and Chicken Sausage

Dessert (TBD)

Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Pepper, and Olives

2008-08-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

Recipe Link

This was a great summer meal. I used twisty pasta instead of spaghetti...and they were out of parsley at the store. It came together very quickly, and the flavors were fresh and bright. I rinsed the pasta and served room temp.

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Pizza on the Grill

2008-07-30T05:45:00.000-07:00

We cooked pizza on our charcoal grill on Sunday night - it was delicious! We did our current favorite of turkey pepp, portabellas sauteed in red wine, mozzarella, etc. We preheated the stone and then cooked the pizzas. The kids pizza got a little burned on the bottom, but the big pizza was perfect. The only problem I see is that we like charcoal, and of course it does not maintain a constant temp for cooking multiple pizzas.

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Finished pizza...

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Grilled Steak Soft Tacos

2008-07-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

After Todd had been gone for A SOLID WEEK (EEK!), we experimented with Steak Soft Tacos tonight as a celebration.

Of course, margaritas began the fiesta, but I will save that for another post. ;)

I bought the flank steak at Sam's Club, where I can get 2 for the price of 1 flank steak at the grocery store. I marinated the steak in lime juice for over an hour.

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Then I made the dry rub, as described in the recipe.
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced

I know, my camera is awful. Forgive me.

We rubbed the spices into the steak.

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It was DELICIOUS! We ignored all the other steps in that recipe - just used lettuce, tomato, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream. Delicious! The meat was marinated to perfection!

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Weekend Menu

2008-07-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

*turkey burgers
Fries

*(Toddly is home!!!) grilled steak soft tacos
Black beans
chips
dips
margaritas!

*Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Peppers, and Olives

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

2008-07-22T17:04:00.001-07:00

I hosted my bunco group at my house this month, and I decided to try this recipe for Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. It was a huge hit with us - we give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

We grilled the chicken Sunday night. This recipe will clean out your spice cabinet! It starts with a dry rub on the chicken before it is grilled.

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While the chicken was grilling, I made the sauce.

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Pulling the chicken was the most time-consuming part. After all the pulling was done, we mixed the chicken and the sauce.

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The pickle slices are a must - we prefer Best Maid.

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Since the recipe says you can make this up to two days ahead, that's exactly what I did for Bunco. I got it out on Tuesday and heated on Low in the crockpot. It was a hit. I loved it for a party food b/c all the work was already done!

Our New Favorite Pizza

2008-07-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

I use this pizza dough recipe that Carla gave me. It makes enough for one big pizza and one kiddie pizza. You just mix the water, yeast, and sugar (I use honey) and let the yeast do its thing for 5 minutes. Then mix it all up in the blender. I often add freshly minced garlic and grated Parm-Regg.

1 cup water, yeast, 1/2 t brown sugar, 3.5 cups bread flour, 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, and 1 t salt.

And the toppings...
Wal-Mart pizza sauce
Fontina
Dots of chili-garlic sauce
Chopped turkey pepperoni
Portabellas sauteed in red wine
red pepper flakes

kid pizza...

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Grown up pizza...

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Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops and Roasted Broccoli

2008-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

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This was a yummy and easy meal! I brined the pork chops over night and then cooked them in the grill pan. They were tender and had lots of great flavor. I used fresh rosemary and dried sage.

Roasted broccoli is one of our current favorites from Cooks Illustrated - thanks to my friend Jen for sharing it.

Buttermilk Brined Pork Chops

Roasted Broccoli
Roasted broccoli w/ optional garlic
1 large head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Ground black pepper

Lemon wedges for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3-4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4-5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

What's on the Menu? 6/28-7/3

2008-06-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try some new recipes this week, so hopefully I'll find something blog-worthy!

Saturday: *new recipe*Mustard-Maple Salmon, Wild Rice, Green Veggie
Sunday: Homemade Pizza (fontina, turkey pepp and mushrooms)
Monday: Tex-Mex Pasta Salad (Todd’s request)
Tuesday: *new recipe*Buttermilk – Brined Pork Chops; corn on the cob; green veggie
Wednesday: *new recipe*Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill and Lemon; Green veggie; bread
Thursday: Waffles and Low-Fat Sausage (Leo’s request)

What's on the Menu? 6/22-6/26

2008-06-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sun – Turkey Burgers (from the freezer); Fries
Mon – Veggie Sides Night! Mashed New Potatoes; Steamed asparagus; Black-Eyed Peas;corn on the cob
Tues – Catfish; Spicy Asian Slaw; leftover peas
Wed – (neighbors over for dinner) app – pitas and baba ghanoush; Kabobs; wild rice; spinach salad
Thur – Tuna sandwiches and chips; any leftovers

SW Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

2008-06-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I really haven't tried anything terribly blog-worthy.

I made these Pinto Bean burgers - they were ok, but I won't make them again. I intended to freeze half, but then I realized they had sour cream in them...I was worried about how that would freeze. ???

So, since they weren't AWESOME, I won't go into tons of detail. I am finding that I prefer bean patties that do not have breadcrumbs in them. I think this is the second bean patty recipe I have made with breadcrumbs mixed in that I didn't love. The nice thing about these was that the recipe made huge, hearty patties.

Before beans and corn...

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The completed mixture...

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The patties. I refrigerated these for awhile so they would firm up.

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Making the chipotle mayo. When I open a new can of chipotle peppers, I chop them in the food processor and then freeze. Then I just scrape some off as I need it. Most recipes use so little and the can usually has lots left over.

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Final Product...

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What's on the Menu? 6/9-6/12

2008-06-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

I'm taking it easy this week b/c I am tired!

Mon - lentil tacos
Tues - turkey spaghetti; salad
Wed - (new recipe) SW Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo; broccoli; cauliflower
Thur - tuna

Exotic Mushroom Pizza

2008-06-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

For dinner Friday night, I decided to try this recipe for Exotic Mushroom Pizza. When I was in Austin with girlfriends recently, we had a mushroom pizza while eating at Cru, so I think that's where the craving came from.

I got oyster mushrooms, cremini, shiitake, and button (? maybe) mushrooms at the Asian market in Carrollton. It was my first trip to Super H Mart....and WOW! It was so nice! It had lots of little restaurants in the store, Asian food, and some American items, as well. The produce prices were great. I think I got all these exotic mushrooms for less than $10.

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I sauteed the mushrooms...

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Then sauteed again in red wine...

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Topped the crust with gorgonzola, fontina, and chili-garlic sauce.

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And the final product. We both agreed that it was too much mushrooms - it overpowered the cheese. I think it also needed a touch more of the gorgonzola. We ate it for leftovers the next day, too, and we thought it was even better then - we could taste the cheeses more.

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Black-Bean Hummus

2008-06-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I tried this Black-Bean Hummus recipe from the Dallas Morning News. It was billed as a kid-friendly recipe, but neither of mine would eat it - even on crackers. Oh well. I've done all I can.

But the grown-ups loved it. I added a little salt, and I would add some jalapeno if I knew kids weren't going to eat it. It was wonderful - lots of flavor, and a little change from traditional hummus!

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Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

2008-06-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

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I'm sorry - that zucchini doesn't look very appetizing!

For some reason, I couldn't get it together while I was cooking this (gosh, wonder why? *cough* Leo *cough* Henry), but it tasted pretty good. I burned the zucchini and filled the kitchen up with smoke.

But, anyway, the patties and pineapple rice were YUMMY! I have yet to meet a homemade bean patty I don't like. They just seem kinda labor-intensive. Usually I double and freeze half...I keep having this crazy idea of having a bean patty co-op where everyone makes like five batches of one kind, freezes them, and then swaps with four other people so you have five batches of different kinds in your freezer. Anybody wanna? lol.

So, this recipe was pretty easy. Something about the amount of beans needed is off. I wanted to double, so I bought two cans. It calls for 2 cups of beans and says that is the amount in one can. But there is only 1.5 cups of beans in a can...so I ended up with not quite enough beans. Then the patties were small (I made 8), so we each ate two, but it calls for eating one. But they definitely weren't 1" thick. We had nothing left to freeze b/c we both packed them for leftovers. WHEN I DO IT AGAIN, I will triple the beans, double all the other ingredients, and hopefully have some to freeze.

For the rice, I used whole grain wild rice instead of white. Baked it with Alton Brown's recipe. Then I added the sauteed pineapple, cilantro, and salt. It was a great accompaniment.

Crisp Salmon with Lemony Spinach & Faux-tatoes

2008-06-02T17:34:00.001-07:00

We are trying to branch out with our salmon repertoire, so I decided to try this Crisp Salmon recipe. It was SURPRISINGLY easy! I started cooking at 5:15 and was done with the whole meal by 6pm - that's an EASY recipe around here.

First, I worked on the faux-tatoes. Since we had french fries last night, I basically substituted mashed cauliflower for the potatoes in this recipe. I prepared them exactly like mashed potatoes...but I just used cauli. So, I got the water started and cut the florets off a head of cauliflower.

Then, I prepared the "breading" for the salmon. Since it was just panko, dried minced onion, oregano, paprika, and pepper...there was no chopping. So I just assembled and breaded the salmon.

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The recipe called for these to be cooked in a non-stick skillet that could go in the oven, but I just used my well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. It worked perfectly. I browned on one side and then stuck it in a 400* oven.

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While that was baking, I sauteed some garlic and then cooked some baby spinach. So easy. I added lemon zest and pepper, as called for in the recipe.

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For the cauliflower, I just drained and put it over 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp sour cream and salt and pepper and mashed by hand. Yummy - an old favorite around here.

This meal got high marks! The flavors and panko on the salmon were great, and the veggies were yummy and so easy.

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Grilled Turkey Burgers - from Dallas Morning News

2008-06-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Oprah featured a recipe with a grilled turkey burger with lettuce and fruit included in the patties. The recipe was too involved for me, but I thought adding these ingredients sounded interesting.

Then I saw this recipe in the paper for turkey burgers that sounded promising. It didn't disappoint. The added veggies definitely make the patties more moist! We even forgot to baste with the olive oil/bbq sauce, and they were still great. Leftovers were moist as well!

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What's on the Menu? 6/1 - 6/5

2008-06-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

A little update...

We are still getting back to 'normal' around here. Leo's preschool (in Garland!!) ended a week ago, so we are finally finished with that commute. Problem is that school goes on a little longer on this side of town, so no summer activities have started here yet. He isn't starting a 'schedule' until June 9. So Mommy has had very FULL days keeping him busy. As many of you know, he is NOT a homebody and wants to be on the go all the time. We have been to the FW Zoo several times (we got a membership), Peter Piper Pizza, new parks here in town, etc. Please forgive me for not being as attentive to the blog. Honestly, for the last few months, I've just been trying to keep my head above water.

And now, on with the show!

This week's menu...
Sun - New Recipe!turkey burgers from Dallas News; oven fries
Mon – New Recipe! Crisp Salmon with Lemony Spinach and mashed cauli
Tue – Beef, Cheese, and Noodle Bake (I don't think I have blogged this one.) Salad
Wed - New Recipe!Cuban black bean patties w/pineapple rice; zucchini
Thur – Tuna sandwiches

Moroccan Chicken and NEW patio furniture!

2008-05-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

We have just had a wonderful Friday evening meal. We are LOVING having a decent patio and yard. I picked out some outdoor furniture this week and it was delivered today, so we ate on the patio.

I decided to do this recipe for Moroccan Chicken - I really like yogurt marinades these days.

When I went to the store last night to buy chicken, two breasts at Kroger were $13. Jawdrop. So we had boneless, skinless thighs! I began this morning by making the marinade - yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. The chicken sat in this concoction all day.

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When Todd got home, we started the grill and had some appetizers (goat cheese, stilton, olives, and my favorite Wasa crackers)...

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And I had a little Sangria from Target. I give this two thumbs up - it's fruity and very light for summer. If you like Sangria, give it a try. It's a little sweet, but not too much.

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On our great new furniture! We love it!

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Todd grilled the chicken...

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And we ate outside! I LOVE IT! I also made an old favorite...Cucumber, Mango, and Black Bean Salad as a relish for the chicken. When mangoes are in season, this is just a delicious side. We also had green beans and potatoes. I loved the chicken marinade - my only tweak is that it could have used a bit more spice.

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Moroccan Vegetable Stew

2008-05-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

In my continuing quest to find easy vegetarian slow-cooker recipes, I decided to try this little Moroccan Stew.

It began with lots of chopping and piling in the slow-cooker. This one includes carrots, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, onion, canned tomatoes, garbanzos, currants, and toasted almonds.

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I had never bought currants before - I found these at Kroger in with the raisins. They didn't have them at WalMart. Shocker, I know!

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Then I simmered cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cayenne, and crushed garlic in olive oil until the spices were fragrant. It smelled yummy!

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Then I mixed it all up in the slowcooker with some vegetable broth.

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The recipe said to cook on high for eight hours. I was skeptical about this, but I went ahead and did it since this was my first try. I was right - it was too high, and everything was cooked in about 4 hours. I turned it down to low, but it got mushy by the time we ate. I would have preferred the veggies to still have texture.

I also see now that the recipe says to puree some and add it back to the stew after the cooking time - oops, missed that part. The flavors in this were great, but I would prefer less cooking, more texture, and I think the pureeing would make it nice and creamy.

I served with couscous and yogurt - it was very good and hearty!

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What's on the Menu? 5/5 - 5/8

2008-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

Monday: SW Falafel with Avocado Spread

Tuesday: Moroccan Vegetable Stew; Pitas

Wednesday: Todd is 38! Steak Fillets; Baked Potato; Aparagus; Cheesecake

Thursday: Kindergarten Open House 6pm! Deli Pizza

Lentil and Rice Pilaf

2008-05-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

This was a hit! I loved it, Todd liked it.

It starts by boiling the French green Lentils (bulk bins, Whole Foods) and sauteeing the onions and garlic.

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Instead of using the white rice that it calls for, I used this whole grain blend from Texmati. I had it over at Carla's this weekend, and it was nice and chewy with lots of textures - just my style.

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Added the rice, cumin, salt, and pepper into the onions.

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Then I added the lentils and some water to the onion mixture. After cooking 15 minutes as called for, I had to add a little more water and cook some more - the rice was still crunchy.

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I did squash as a side. It's tossed with a little olive oil and lemon pepper. Then I just baked on a baking sheet at 350 for 15 mins or so.

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Final Results pic 1:

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Final Results, the redo:

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This recipe has a cucumber mint yogurt sauce that I made before I even started the rice and beans. I forgot to take pictures of it, and I forgot to get it out when I served the meal! Argh. But I thought it was great without the sauce - Todd thought it needed more flavor. I loved the texture of the rice and the french lentils together.

The next day, we both ate the leftovers for lunch with the sauce, and it definitely adds more flavor. When I make it again, I'm going to double the amount of cucumber in the sauce and add a little more mint.

Leo report: Leo wouldn't taste this. :)

Just for fun...Leo is getting pretty good with the chopsticks! At lunch the next day, trying to master smoked gouda, corn dogs, and grapes.

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Grapes are challenging!

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Making a spaceship with the base that we took off of the new TV.

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What's on the Menu 4/27 - 5/1

2008-04-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sun - Salmon w/Mustard Cream; Broccoli; New Potatoes

Mon - Lentil and Rice Pilaf; Lemon-Pepper Roasted Vegetables; Sliced fruit

Tues - Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce (previously blogged); green salad

Wed - Neighbors over for dinner. Chips and guac; chicken and mushroom fajitas; green rice; chipotle black beans

Thur - Wraps with leftovers from Wed night

Too busy to cook...

2008-04-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

We moved in on the ninth, and we've been really busy. Leo has had a stomach bug...got better...and now he has a fever for some reason. We're hoping to all be healthy soon!

We've been eating lots of frozen dinners and lots of take-out. Not much adventurous cooking here lately.

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We finally got most boxes in the house unpacked. I told Todd we were in the danger zone, because we really could just stop unpacking and be ok...but there were still tons of boxes in the garage. We tackled those yesterday and today, and we've made real progress.

We've also been adding lots of little conveniences and extra storage.

Got this little beauty at the container store...

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This is the handy rubber hammer that I bought at the Container Store for putting together that other thing. I thought Todd would think it was pointless, but he liked it immediately, and we've used it for several other projects. He calls it "The Super Hammer."

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Last weekend, Todd put up more shelving in the laundry, which is right by the kitchen. The pantry is kinda small, so I needed more storage.

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Our bedroom doorknob needed a fix, so we put in a new one (and one on the bathroom door) that matched the bathroom hardware. Actually, I did most of this myself while Todd was working on shelving in the garage! I was pretty proud!

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The broken knob.

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New doorknob.

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Some extra hooks in the bathroom for towels and keeping robes handy.

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And my "Sam's Shelves"! I call them that b/c almost everything I buy in bulk at Sam's goes on shelves out in the garage. Todd got them up today, and I feel so much better. Lots of stuff up off the floor now. We got the adjustable kind this time, and we like them much better than the ones we put up in Plano. They are eight feet long and deeper than our old ones.

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We had one of these at our Plano house, and we couldn't live without it. I ordered one the day we moved in!

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Closed!

2008-04-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

We successfully closed on the Plano house today! Hooray! The closing on the new house is next Monday...

Green Onion Pancakes and experimenting at the Asian Market

2008-03-28T04:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to eat at an Asian Dumpling House. Jeng Chi is in Richardson, and I never ate so much food for such a small tab. I ate family style with a group of 7 moms, and my total was $8. I even had enough money left to go down the sidewalk and have a Taiwanese Shaved Ice - what a night.

Since the boys are gone, I wanted to do something easy for dinner on Wed. night, so I thought I'd buy some frozen dumplings at Asia World and steam them. Jeng Chi sells them frozen, too, but I didn't have time to make it down there. I also bought a little container of soup to try.

Well, of course, I dreamed something up to cook for the meal. At Jeng Chi, they had these yummy Green Onion pancakes to go with the dumplings. So, I went googling for a recipe. I decided on this one.

Ingredients

* 2 cups flour
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup cold water
* Vegetable oil spray
* 1/2 cup minced green onions

Directions

1. Mix together flour and boiling water.
2. Add 1/3 cup cold water and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Add more water if necessary.
4. Cover and let dough rest for 15 minutes.
5. In a small bowl combine sesame oil, salt and green onions then set aside.
6. Divide dough into 10 pieces then flatten each piece in the palm of your hand.
7. Roll each piece into a 6" circle.
8. Spread each with some of the green onion mixture.
9. Roll up dough into a jellyroll then wind up into a snail shape.
10. Flatten slightly then roll on lightly floured surface to 5" circle.
11. Spray pan with vegetable oil spray then heat over medium high heat.
12. Fry pancake for 2 minutes then turn and cook other side.
13. Serve hot.

I made the dough in the mixer and then let it rest. No yeast involved in this one. I mixed for 10 minutes - I'm thinking maybe that was too long for this. It got really firm.

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While the dough was mixing/resting, I mixed up the green onion filling. Sesame oil, green onions, and salt - it smelled so good!

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I divided into 10 little balls.

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Flattened out the little balls and spread on some filling.

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Rolled up.

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Twisted into a snail.

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Then I flattened them. This is where it got tricky. The filling would try to stay in the dough - the dough almost seemed to have a skin by this point. But while rolling, it would eventually squirt out, and it got so messy. Not to mention that it didn't really want to flatten, so it kept springing back into a fat little snail. I tried flattening by hand instead of with a rolling pin and I tried elongating the jellyroll before rolling it up - it was all still messy and would start to stick to the rolling pin b/c of all the filling everywhere. But I kept going and did the best I could. I think they needed to be flatter.

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Then I pan fried.

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We used these to mix up a dipping sauce in individual bowls. I love, love, love that chili garlic sauce - we have decided it goes with everything...morning (eggs), noon (sandwiches), and night (pizza and everything else). I experiment with other brands, but always come back to this one. The other jars are lite soy sauce and rice vinegar.

I would like to also get Wasabi to go with this - if anyone knows where to buy that at the Asian Market, please comment.

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Here is our feast. Besides the soup and pancakes, we had cabbage/mushroom and seafood with crab buns. The seafood ones were the best, and they were great for leftovers the next day. The soup was delicious, and Todd wants me to get him some for work lunches when we don't have leftovers. The pancakes were good, but not as good as the ones at Jeng Chi. They were so cheap at the restaurant...I don't know if I'll experiment with them anymore. Although I did see a recipe on Weight Watchers that used Egg Roll wraps - that looks easier.

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Red Beans and Rice

2008-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

This is a "dump-it-all-in-the-crockpot" recipe that I actually like! But I grew up eating this (cooked on the stovetop), so it is comfort food for me.

I start by...well...just dumping it all in!

I do one bag of rinsed red beans (not soaked overnight), one large chopped onion, 4 or 5 minced garlic cloves (or a big spoonful from the cheater jar), chop one package Healthy Choice sausage, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt, red and black pepper to taste.

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Then I cover with 2 quarts of liquid - some combo of vegetable stock, beef stock, chicken stock, and water. Whatever I have on hand. Cook for 6 or so hours on low. I always check it 1 hour before it's supposed to be done and turn it to high if the beans are still a little crunchy.

I made Alton Brown's Baked Brown Rice (minus the butter) for the base. I served with Spicy Asian Slaw tonight - for some reason, I like these flavors together. Cajun and Asian.

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What's on the Menu? 3/24 & 25, New House, New Mixer!

2008-03-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a great offer on our house a couple of weeks ago...last week was the inspection...and we are set to close April 2nd on the Plano house. So we found a great new house in Coppell, and we will close on that house on April 9th. Some moving details will be worked out this week, but I imagine we'll be moving soon after April 9th. Busy times! Here is a sneak peak of the new house. The kitchen is a little smaller than I would like, but it is getting all new stainless appliances (double oven, cooktop, dishwasher, microwave) courtesy of the current owner as part of the deal. WooHoo! We are thrilled - it is <20 minutes from Todd's job in Las Colinas.

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In the midst of all this chaos, I had a fabulous new blender arrive! I'm tired of kneading dough by hand, so this was my anniversary present. I got the professional model with a 450W motor for $199 - can you believe it?

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This is my first crust with the new blender. We could really tell a difference when it was kneaded by the mixer - much more pliable and it rose much better. We love it!

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I have only planned meals for Mon and Tues so far this week, and they're nothing too exciting. We're going to have Salmon with Mustard Cream tonight and Red Beans and Brown Rice tomorrow night. I'm taking the boys to LA on Wed. so they can stay with the grandparents during my mom's Spring Break and I can get some packing done. Bear with me for the next few weeks, please!

Spicy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

2008-03-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I needed a recipe that could be ready to go tonight with no prep, so we tried Spicy Yogurt Marinated Chicken.

I mixed up the marinade last night and left the thighs in the marinade overnight in the fridge.

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Tonight I just broiled them in the oven - they were very, very tasty! Moist from the yogurt, and the flavoring was great. Two thumbs up - one for taste, one for convenience.

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Herb Tilapia with Lemon Vinaigrette

2008-03-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is an old favorite! We love it.

I use tilapia - this time I bought the frozen tilapia loins at Sam's. They are much thicker than the fillets.

I start by mincing garlic, mixing up the spices, and slicing a couple of lemons.

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Then I put the fish on a broiler pan...sprinkle with spices...add the garlic...and put a few slices of lemon on each.

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I mix up the vinaigrette while they're cooking.

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They got a little overcooked tonight, but still yummy. An easy fish recipe that we love! It really cuts most of the overly "fishy" taste of tilapia.

I also tried Alton Brown's recipe for Baked Brown Rice at Carla's suggestion. I've always made instant brown rice, and it is YUCKY...but this way was delicious! Thanks, Carla, for the tip!

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Herb Flounder With Lemon Vinaigrette
From Southern Living

Prep: 15 min., Broil: 12 min.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 pounds flounder or tilapia fillets
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
Lemon Vinaigrette

1. Combine first 6 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over both sides of fillets. Arrange fish on a lightly greased rack in a broiler pan. Sprinkle evenly with garlic. Arrange lemon slices over fish.

2. Broil 6 inches from heat 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Note: Nutritional analysis does not include vinaigrette.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 190(0.0% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.4g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 38g; CHOLESTEROL 106mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 746mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.4g

Lemon Vinaigrette
From Southern Living

Prep: 10 min.

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Whisk together all ingredients.

Yield: Makes about 1/3 cup

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 85(0.0% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 1.3g,mono 7.2g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 0.0g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 16mg; SODIUM 97mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.0mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.4g

Tomato-Spinach Penne

2008-03-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe came out of a little vegetarian section that was recently in Southern Living. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this post b/c...honestly, it wasn't all that great.

Maybe it's my fault. I made some modifications. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I couldn't get to a nicer store to get the meatless Italian sausage. So I used meatless crumbly sausage. I didn't think it tasted all that great.

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I also had some fresh portabellas that were about to go bad, so I added those to the onions when I sauteed. Then added the sausage.

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Later I added fresh spinach and canned tomatoes.

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Like I said, I was pretty medium to low on this one.

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What's on the Menu 3/17-3/20

2008-03-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure which days we'll have what, but here's what's on the menu at our house this week...

** Tomato-Spinach Penne, Fruit Salad, Bread

** Herb Tilapia w/Lemon Vinaigrette, Brown Rice, Broccoli

** Lentil Tacos

** Spicy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken, Black-eyed Peas, Okra and Tomatoes

Southwestern Steak, Corn, and Black Bean Wraps

2008-03-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

We love these wraps for a quick supper, and it gets high marks from me b/c it is very lunchbox-friendly. I often pull this recipe out for busy times b/c it can all be prepped and even assembled early in the day.

I start with flank steak from Sam's - they have the best price I've found. They come in a pack of two, so I freeze one. I marinate the steak in Worcestershire, sea salt, and black pepper for a few hours, and then Todd grills it. I often do this the night before just so that they are ready to go for supper.

The salsa consists of corn, red onion, black beans, cilantro, and lime juice. We love it, so I double it and we enjoy dipping chips in, too.

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Then I just shred some MJack with Jalapenos and then assemble.

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And we always use the leftovers for lunch the next day.

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Garlic & Herb Oven-Fried Tilapia

2008-03-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

This breading makes a really yummy coating for lots of kinds of fish! The panko makes it so crispy - it really gives it that "fried" texture on the outside. We've done it with halibut, cod, and now tilapia.

It starts with Panko. I get this in the Asian section of nicer grocery stores or at the Asian market. It's just Japanese breadcrumbs.

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I mix up the breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, garlic, and onion powder. This time I was out of fresh basil, so I just used a little dried.

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I set up my battering line. First I salt and pepper the fish, then dredge in flour, then coat with egg, and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.

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Then they're ready to brown.

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I brown them for 2.5 mins on each side in a non-stick pan.

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Then they cook in the oven until done.

Mr. Picky loves this one.

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This has a great crunch to it and a wonderful flavor. I make enough for leftovers for lunch the next day - it loses its crunch in the fridge, but it's still good.

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Spaghetti Alla Norma

2008-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Once again, I feel like this has already been posted...but I can't find it! So sorry if it's a repeat. Spaghetti Alla Norma is a favorite around here!

I begin by peeling the tomatoes. I cut a little "X" in the bottom...

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And then drop them in boiling water until the skin begins to peel...usually about 30 seconds. You don't want them to actually cook.

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Once the skin starts to curl off, it will peel easily.

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You're supposed to "plunge" these in ice water when you take them out of the hot water...but, honestly, I forgot tonight and they were fine.

Then I chop the tomato and saute with garlic and olive oil.

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I double the amount of eggplant in this because we really love that flavor. The more veggies, the better - right? I don't do anything special to the eggplant - just peel and chop. I never have any problems with bitterness.

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After the eggplant is soft (about 15 minutes), I add chopped, fresh basil and stir.

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Then I just add cooked Whole Wheat spaghetti and chopped mozzarella. I have used the expensive mozzarella and the cheap. I guess the expensive is a tad better, but not much, really. Tonight, I used the generic.

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We love this! Lots of great flavor. We also like to sprinkle crushed red pepper on it to give it a little kick. If you try it, let me know what you think!

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What's on the Menu? 3/2 - 3/5

2008-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Mon - Spaghetti Alla Norma, Salad

Tue - Tuna Salad

Wed - Southwestern Steak, Corn, and Black Bean Wraps; Baked chips and salsa

Thu - Garlic & Herb Oven-Fried Cod, New Potatoes, Broccoli

Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna

2008-02-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

I think this will be my last new slowcooker recipe for awhile. It was ok, but I'm ready to go back to cooking in the afternoons.

This recipe came out of the cookbook I mentioned in a previous post. I thought it looked good but not terribly lowfat. I reduced where I could - lowfat cheeses.

I started by chopping 4 portabellas, 2 onions, 2 cans of artichoke hearts, 5 cloves of garlic, and I thawed a container of frozen spinach.

I sauteed the onions first, then the mushrooms and garlic until the mushrooms began releasing liquid, and then I added the artichoke hearts.

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The recipe called for fresh baby spinach as one of the layers, but I decided to cut corners and costs by using a box of frozen spinach. I squeezed it dry and mixed it in with the ricotta so I could spread them together. One less layer! I also shredded 2 cups of lowfat mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parm/Reggiano.

I sprayed the crock with nonstick spray and then put my first layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles.

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Then half the spinach/ricotta...

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Half the mushroom mixture...

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And 1/3 of the mozzarella and parm/regg...

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I repeated the layers and then topped with one last layer of pasta and the rest of the shredded cheese. ETA: I POURED 3/4 CUP OF WHITE WINE AND THE LIQUID FROM THE SAUTEED MUSHROOMS OVER THE TOP OF THIS TO GIVE IT PLENTY OF MOISTURE TO COOK IN. I ALSO ADDED MORE WINE AT ABOUT THE 3 HOUR MARK.

At 6.5 hours, I turned it to "keep warm" because it was getting VERY brown on top. I thought this was good - with this much cheese, how could it not be? But the whole thing tasted a tad overcooked to me. Well, actually, the brown crispy stuff on the top was delicious. If I were doing it again, I would probably double the frozen spinach (or maybe try the fresh), try making tofu ricotta (I want to try this!), and I'd make it in the morning, refrigerate, and then bake in the oven.

It made plenty of leftovers for lunch, and I can't wait for my second helping today!

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Next week I'm going to try some new things out of Clean Eating Magazine. And Carla told me you can buy fresh pizza dough at Whole Foods, so I'm hoping to try that this Friday night.

What's on the Menu? 2/25-2/28

2008-02-25T09:25:00.000-08:00

Mon - lentil tacos

Tues - Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna (slowcooker)
Salad

Wed - salmon w/mustard cream
broccoli
butternut squash

Thu - turkey chili (Mom's Night Out with the running mommies)

The black bean soup that I made last week...it wasn't a big hit with me. It was a slow-cooker "dump it all in" recipe. Very few of those are spectacular, to me.

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If I made it again, I would use dried beans instead of canned - the canned got mushy when they were in the cooker for so long. I would chop the onion and carrot by hand into large chunks - I shredded them in the food processor. And I wouldn't put in the two tsp. of sugar that it calls for - I don't know why you'd want a soup like this to be sweet. I did add a squeeze of lime, and that was a nice addition.

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House Update : We've had 13 showings. No offers. Still plugging along. It has been on the market 3 weeks now.

Moussaka with Tofu Topping

2008-02-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Last week, I went and bought a slow-cooker cookbook. It seems like lots of the house showing calls are going to be in the afternoon, so I'm hoping this will help. I looked at two, and I chose 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes. This is kind of a problem for posting recipes on the blog, but I'm going to do the best I can.

I chose this b/c it has eggplant and chickpeas - two of my favorites. The eggplants at the store look nice lately, so I thought it would be a good time for this.

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This cookbook is not about super-easy, open cans and throw everything in the slow-cooker. They seem to take a little preparation in the mornings - or most of them can be made ahead the night before and refrigerated. Each page has instructions in the sidebar for assembling the night before.

I started with two pretty eggplants.

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These had to be peeled and "sweated" in order to take any bitterness out. I did this early this morning and let them sweat while I was doing breakfast and getting the morning started. Following the instructions in the cookbook, I cubed the peeled eggplant, placed on paper towels, salted, and let it sit for an hour.

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When that was finished, I rinsed it and squeezed it dry on fresh paper towels.

Meanwhile, I chopped two onions in the food processor.

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Then I browned the eggplant in a skillet - using a non-stick skillet and much less oil than the recipe called for.

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The "browned" eggplant.

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Then I sauteed the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper.

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Then added the chickpeas.

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Then I was ready to start layering. I did...tomato sauce, eggplant, chickpea mixture, etc. for several layers.

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Next, it was time for the tofu topping. I combined 1/2 cup shredded Parmeggiano-Reggiano, firm tofu (the regular grocery store kind), eggs, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a blender.

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That didn't work too well, so I switched to the food processor. That worked much better.

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Then I spread the topping on...

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The recipe called for a tea towel to be placed between the stoneware and the cover so that condensation wouldn't drip on the topping while it was cooking. I'd never done this before, and I was skeptical. But I did it, and it worked great!

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This is what the final product looked like after 8 hours. Very exciting to take the towel off when you couldn't watch it cooking for all that time.

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This got a big thumbs up! Wonderful flavors, and I loved the textures of the eggplant and chickpeas together. No bitterness at all, but I've never noticed that with eggplant, anyway. The tofu topping was wonderful - it cooked to a very bread-like consistency. This one was a little work, but it was really worth it. We're excited about left-overs tomorrow!

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Vegetable Enchiladas

2008-02-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

I feel like I must have posted this one in the past, but I can't find it in the list. If it's old, I apologize. This has been a favorite from the very beginning of WW days.

Here is the basic recipe. I have made it so many times that I change it up without much worry.

Veggie Enchiladas

2 tsp canola oil
2 (4 oz) Portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 cup white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce
6 (8") FF flour tortillas
6 Tbsp FF sour cream
1/2 cub shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Portobello and white mushrooms, the zucchini, scallions, garlic, and seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce; heat through.

3. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foild and place in the oven to warm, about 10 mins.

4. Top each tortilla with 1/6 of the mushroom mixture, then with 1 Tbsp of the sour cream. Roll up and place, seam-side down, in the baking dish. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the cheese and olives. Cover with foil and bake 15 mins. Uncover and bake until the edges of the enchiladas just begin to brown, and the cheese is melted, about 10 mins longer. Let stand 5 mins before serving.

Makes 6 servings; 4 points

From WW Winner's Circle Cookbook p.138

I begin by chopping lots of veggies. Tonight I did 3 small portabellas, white mushrooms, two zucchini, 4 garlic cloves, and 4 green onions. I usually do more portabellas from Sam's (b/c they're so cheap there), but I couldn't make it to Sam's today.

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Then I decided it just wasn't enough veggies to make a hearty filling for each enchilada, so I decided to add two diced carrots. This was the first time I've tried this. I also added the Adobo spice, as called for in the recipe.

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Then I sauteed until all the liquid was gone. After that, I added the 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce and cooked until heated.

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We have always used Pace Enchilada Sauce, but my WalMart isn't carrying it anymore. Tonight we tried this kind, and it got a good review. It has good flavor and enough kick.

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After heating the mixture, I put it back in its original bowl. I use a spoon to divide it into six equal portions around the rim of the bowl so I'm sure to have enough for all the enchiladas.

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I place the filling down the middle of each FF tortilla and then add 1Tbsp of FF sour cream.

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After all six are rolled, I top with reduced-fat cheddar and black olives. I cook at 350 for 30 minutes or so.

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I forgot to take a picture when they first came out of the oven, but here is part of the finished product. This is a favorite around here, and I hope you'll give it a try. The carrots were a wonderful addition, and I'm going to try adding green and red bell peppers next time - the more veggies, the better!!!

(I served with an old favorite - Green Rice.)

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What's on the Menu? 2/18-2/21

2008-02-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Monday
Veggie Enchiladas
Green Rice

Tuesday
Moussaka w/Tofu Topping (slow cooker recipe)
Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday
Spicy Black-and-Red Bean Soup (slow cooker recipe)
Salad

Thursday
Oven-fried catfish
Baked Potatoes (sweet for me, white for Todd)
Okra and tomatoes

House News
The house has been on the market two months. Oops, did I say months? I meant two weeks - it just feels like months.

We've had 5 showings, 2 last-minute cancellations, and one confused real-estate agent who thought she was at another house down the street. She rang the doorbell and was coming in as I was running for the door to shove it closed - it's a little shocking to have someone coming into your home while you're getting dressed! Anyway, I have decided that this feels like when I was dating and had met somebody interesting - then waiting to see if the phone will ring.

It sucks, but I'm trying to keep my chin up.

We did a test-drive to Flower Mound on Friday, and I'm more convinced than ever that Coppell is where we need to be.

A little leeway...

2008-02-01T17:08:00.000-08:00

Our house officially went on the market today. It has been a crazy month - getting the house ready and such. So, I am going to do my best to keep some interesting stuff going on here, but you'll have to be patient with me!

In other news, I picked up this magazine at T. Thumb the other day. It is the premier issue! I really like it! I'll probably add it to my subscription list when I have a new address. It's all about eating whole foods - looks like great recipes. I'm hoping to try some next week.

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/MiniSite/ce_index.htm

Vegetarian Hot Pot

2008-01-26T04:34:00.000-08:00

Since it's so cold here this week, I thought a yummy soup would be good! We tried Vegetarian Hot Pot from Eating Well Mag.

While the vegetable broth simmered with garlic and ginger chunks (these were strained out later)...

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I got all the vegetables ready. Bok Choy...guess I should have turned it to the prettier side!

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This recipe cooked the stems first and then added the greens later, so they had to be separated.

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Well, I guess I actually chopped the veggies before I started simmering the broth, b/c there is the garlic and ginger! Oh well, I don't have 5 assistants like Rachael Ray! Just two little monkeys duking it out in the living room, so I'm also a referee while I'm trying to cook!

This recipe called for Shitakes. I just love how they smell when you chop them.

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Sauteeing the bok choy stems, shitakes, and red pepper flakes...

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All the ingredients simmering together. I used plain Whole Wheat noodles for this instead of the Asian noodles it called for, and I liked that better.

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I served with one of my very favorites...Spicy Asian Slaw. Can't remember if I've posted about that one before.

I thought this soup was very good, but not "knock-your-socks-off good."

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Leo tried shitakes and tofu for the first time and said they were good! A small victory.

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Chili-Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas

2008-01-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

This is one of our all-time favorites! No one will know it's meatless and healthy unless you tell them!

First off, I got a new pan. Cause for celebration. All of my non-stick is totally kaput, and I had to have at least one good non-stick for recipes such as this one. The soy crumblers really want to stick to stainless or cast iron. So...today I found this little beauty at TJMaxx on clearance for $20! It's Emerilware, and guess what it says on the back...made by All-Clad! Love it! Please excuse the dirty stove.

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So, anyway, this is the recipe, and these are the soy crumbles that the recipe calls for. Sometimes they're hard to find.

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This recipe starts with sauteeing the onions, and then you add the garlic, spices, beans, and soy crumbles. Doesn't this look like regular ground beef? I promise, those silly meat eaters won't know the difference!

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Then you add the salsa...

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Then the ff cream cheese and the lf sharp cheddar.

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This is my enchilada assembly line...

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Each enchilada gets 1/3 cup of filling. I love this recipe b/c it tells you how much filling to put in each one.

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Things got a little chaotic around here close to serving time, so forgive me for the half-full dish. Anyway, the enchiladas turned out beatifully, and I served with green rice (rice, smart balance, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper).

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What's on the Menu? 1/21-1/24

2008-01-21T04:55:00.000-08:00

Monday: Oven-fried Catfish, Broccoli, Baked Potatoes
Tuesday: Chili-Cheese Black Bean Enchiladas, Green Rice
Wednesday: Vegetarian Hot Pot, Fruit
Thursday: Luby's

Also making some Red Lentil Dal to keep on-hand this week.

Dal with Ghee, Cumin, and Mustard Seeds & Cucumber Raita w/pita chips

2008-01-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

Since this is the last night I'm cooking this week, I decided to go out with a bang! I had a bag of yellow split peas, and soup sounded good since the cold front is coming through tonight.

I decided on a Dal Soup with a Cucumber Raita as a side.

I began by getting the soup started. This recipe calls for ghee, which I learned how to make in a Central Market cooking class, but I didn't feel like fooling with that. So I just used regular butter. I began by prepping the onion, carrots, and garlic in a food processor and sauteeing.

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Rinsed one pound of yellow split peas (Sprouts)...

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and got all the ingredients simmering. I used vegetable broth instead of chicken.

I find I'm using these spices more and more - I've come a long way! Two years ago I had no clue about most of these spices used in Indian cuisine. Oh, and I cheat and buy the prepared minced ginger.

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While the soup simmered, I worked on prepping the Raita. I began by shredding an English cucumber and placing in a colander,

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...and then I prepared all other parts of the yogurt dish. Red onions, cilantro, lime, salt, spices, etc.

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Then I drained the cucumber on paper towels.

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Then everything was ready to mix together for the Raita.

Somewhere in there I broiled pitas sprayed with cooking spray...

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Then I went back to the final step of the Dal. I toasted Cumin Seeds and Mustard Seeds. mmmm, smelled good!

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Then sauteed in a little butter until the seeds started to pop. They really did start to pop - I was surprised!

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I thought it made a pretty meal. The cucumber yogurt was yummy for dipping the pitas. The soup had a wonderful flavor, and I liked the different textures of the peas, vegetables, and mustard seeds. This was a little more work than I normally do on a weeknight, but it was fun tonight.

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Garlicky Red Lentil Dal

2008-01-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

I made this dal for a raw veggie dip that I took to a brunch. It was easy and so good. I got the red lentils in the bulk bins at Sprouts.

It starts with boiling the red lentils. Red lentils are so easy because they cook really fast.

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Next I sauteed the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices (cumin, paprika, salt, turmeric).

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Then I added the cooked red lentils. It's interesting that they turn yellow when cooked.

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A little whirl in the food processor.

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And the finished product. This had the consistency of chickpea hummus, but I thought it had more flavor.

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Mock Risotto

2008-01-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

I made this quick Mock Risotto from Eating Well this week. I thought it was "ok." I loved that the vegetables steamed on top of the rice, and I liked the flavor of the parmesan cheese.

I just really didn't care for the instant brown rice. Yuck. The texture is just so weird. I've never made slow cook brown rice (bag over head), so I think it's time to break down and do it. Here are some pictures. I added zucchini and used snow peas instead of regular peas. All the veggies were delicious, and this dish was quick to whip up.

Since I've never really had Risotto, I have no idea if this is a good fake or not!

The onions and rice sauteeing:

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Starting to pile the veggies on the rice:

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All the veggies steaming on the rice:

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The finished product:

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Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper

2008-01-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Very exciting! A new kind of lentils to try. It took two specialty grocery stores to find these "French Green" lentils. I had Googled before my trip so that I knew what I was looking for - Sprouts had one labeled "green," but they were not the same as these. I found them in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. I think I'm going to try them Wednesday in the lentil taco meat in the slow cooker. They seemed firmer and meatier.

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Back to this recipe...last night we had Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper. It started out with precooked chicken sausage, which I browned.

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The onions and garlic brown first...

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And then you add red wine and the lentils and let them cook. It said to simmer 40 minutes, but I think it could have stood 50 mins.

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I took all the tough ribs out of the kale this time - it wasn't too time consuming and did make it better. I just folded them over on a cutting board and cut out the rib from the back. Very easy. I used to bunches of kale for this recipe.

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We thought this was wonderful! I loved the contrasts between the textures, and the red wine flavoring was delicious. Henry loved it, too.

I served with lemon-dill potatoes, and I didn't think that was a great flavor to go with this dish.

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What's on the Menu?

2008-01-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

Monday: Kale, Sausage, and Lentil Skillet Supper; Lemon-Dill New Potatoes

Tuesday: Mock Risotto; Green Salad

Wednesday: Lentil Taco Salad

Thursday: Tuna Sandwiches

Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili

2008-01-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

This one is a REAL WINNER! We HIGHLY recommend it.

I found this recipe in a little article in Southern Living about a young vegetarian family. So, of course that peaked my interest...

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Of course I made some changes! It called for 16 oz. of sliced mushrooms - I had to go to the Asian market for tofu for the last dish, so I got some cheap fancy mushrooms there. I did oyster and shitake.

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I also got a zucchini there - it was GINORMOUS!

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I added garlic to the onion/carrot/celery mixture that was sauteed first. It just seemed to belong. Dunno why it wasn't there. After sauteeing those, you add all the other veggies.

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Then you add all the other spices. We really like cumin in chili, so I added that to the spice mixture as well. It smelled verrrry good at this point!

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I had to add a little extra tomato juice to make it wet enough - I had used a little more mushrooms and onions than it called for, and then there was that huge zucchini! I also added a teaspoon of a VERY HOT chili garlic paste. I have branched out and started experimenting with different brands of CGP.

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It was supposed to cook for 8 hours, but I only had 6.5, so I cooked on high for half an hour and then turned to low.

I served with WW Pitas. This was VERY, VERY good! I highly recommend it for a cold day. The flavor was so rich and thick, and the beans and mushrooms made it very filling. We particularly liked the texture of the specialty mushrooms. It also makes enough to freeze, which is a nice bonus.

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My Kinda Pad Thai

2008-01-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

We had Pad Thai tonight, and I based it on this recipe. Instead of shrimp, I like tofu and veggies. I don't think this recipe has enough veggies, so I added 3 colors of bell peppers (very cheap at the Asian market), onion, bean sprouts, green onions, and carrots. I also use WW noodles instead of regular pasta - I've been eating whole wheat for so long now that the other tastes like mush. In the future, I'd also like to add baby corn and watercress.

First I get everything prepped - veggies washed and chopped, tofu chopped, and the peanut sauce mixed up.

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I saute the garlic in sesame oil until it is fragrant and then add the white onions, peppers, and carrots.

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After the veggies are soft...

-i add the tofu and saute until hot
-add the peanut sauce and heat 2 mins or so until thickened
-add the noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, and peas and heat through

I serve topped with chopped cilantro and peanuts, a lime wedge, and Sriracha. Delicious and great for leftovers!

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Covering our Bases!

2008-01-01T18:03:00.001-08:00

Wanted to make sure we ate all the right foods for New Year's Day! (Happy Birthday, Leo Bedeo!)

I made Hoppin' John with Mustard Greens from last month's Cooking Light. Rave reviews - we loved it! I got the greens at Central Market - couldn't find them at WalMart or Kroger. I served with Corn Bread. We loved the flavor of the greens mixed in with the Hoppin' John - and the Dijon added a nice kick. We also added a little Tabasco and Sriracha.

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Christmas Treats

2007-12-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

I've been making lots of toffee around here to give out for office gifts, teacher gifts, family gatherings, etc. I even ordered the special almonds from California.

A parent of one of my sixth graders made this years ago, and I requested the recipe. She told me she had to teach me, so I went over and learned her secrets. It is sinfully good.

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Oven-Fried Catfish

2007-12-22T04:34:00.000-08:00

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This is an old favorite from when I frist started WW. We love the flavors and how the fillets come out of the oven so crispy. I don't use quite as much of each spice in the cornmeal mixture as the recipe calls for b/c it's a little strong to me, and don't forget to give each breaded fillet a quick dose of non-stick spray before baking. We love these!

Cornmeal-Battered Oven-Fried Catfish

1/2 cup uncooked yellow cornmeal
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup FF skim milk
1 pound catfish fillets
1 medium lemon, quartered

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Mix cornmeal, paprika, thyme, salt, celery seeds, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper together in a shallow soup bowl. Pour milk into another shallow soup bowl.

3. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Dredge fillets first in milk, then in cornmeal mixture, coating both sides and pressing cornemal mixture gently to adhere. Place coated fillets on baking sheet and lightly spray each with cooking spray.

4. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Let stand at room temp 2 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedge.

4 Servings; 5 Points
From WW Online

Turkish Chicken Thighs

2007-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

I love recipes like this! I marinated these Turkish Chicken Thighs overnight, and then just pulled them out and broiled them for dinner the next night! They were a hit. I think I would add more red pepper next time - I don't have the Hot Paprika. Need to make that field trip to Penzey's. They broil for 15 minutes and then bake for 15, and we really liked that little bit of char-broiled flavor they had.

I served with "Clean Out The Pantry Pasta."

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Lasagna Rolls

2007-12-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

I made Lasagna Rolls from Eating Well on Monday night. The recipe says they are "easy," but I would give them more of a "medium" level of work rating.

I used frozen spinach instead of fresh b/c WM didn't have any fresh bunches and I wasn't going to pay for the prewashed.

The new, neat-o thing that I learned from this recipe is that tofu makes a great ricotta cheese substitute! I used the Calco Pressed Tofu from Asia World Market, and I just chopped it super fine in the food processor. I googled around afterward and found some recipes for flavoring it up using parsley, garlic, etc. Very cool!

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The spinach/tofu filling...it also had kalamata olives, a little marinara, garlic, etc.

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Making the rolls. I think this would be easier as a regular lasagna or in the big shells.

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They were supposed to cook in a skillet, but I baked instead. These also held up great for leftovers.

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What's on the Menu? 12/17-12/20

2007-12-17T02:43:00.000-08:00

Monday: Lasagna Rolls
Green Salad

Tuesday: Turkish Chicken Thighs
Some sort of pasta side
Green Salad

Wednesday: Lentil Burgers
Cole Slaw
Green Beans

Thursday: Oven fried catfish
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Favorite pizza to date

2007-12-16T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is our favorite pizza to date. It has pesto w/chili-garlic sauce dots as a base, and then I mixed the following in a bowl for the toppings:
frozen spinach (thawed)
chopped artichoke hearts
feta
minced onion (I was out of red, so I used yellow. It was fine.)
green olives
chopped kalamata olives
chopped Trappey's jalapenos

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Vegetarian Reubens

2007-12-13T14:22:00.001-08:00

We did another Eating Well recipe on Wednesday night Vegetarian Reubens. Another easy one!

This had a homemade sauce that was just mayo, ketchup, capers, and dill relish - it was very flavorful. It just took a minute to saute the portabellas, onions, and spinach. Then we grilled the bread and melted the cheese - and it was done! This got high marks from Todd. You have to eat it as soon as you make it, or the bread starts to get soggy from the spinach. It's messy, but yummy.

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Polenta and Vegetable Bake

2007-12-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night, we tried Polenta and Vegetable Bake from Eating Well magazine. It was really easy - I made the polenta at lunch...sliced it into 8 sections...sauteed the veggies and added jarred marinara. Then it was polenta, cheese (mozzarella and parm-regg), vegetables, and more cheese. It was very good! I think the polenta would have been crispier if I had taken it out and pan fried it and then put it back in the casserole dish, but I thought that was too much work. It had eggplant, which I didn't peel - next time I would. The flavors were delicious!

Polenta:

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Veggies:

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Finished casserole:

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What's On the Menu? 12/10-12/13

2007-12-10T04:34:00.001-08:00

Monday: Butternut Squash and Cashew Korma over Coconut Rice; Green Salad

Tuesday: Polenta and Vegetable Bake; Green Salad

Wednesday: Vegetarian Reubens with Russian Dressing; Baked Chips

Thursday: Tuna for the men; Mommy goes out to eat Ethiopian w/girlfriends

Friday: Veggie Enchiladas; Rice and Beans

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad

2007-12-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Tex-Mex Pasta Salad has a great flavor and makes a HUGE amount. The leftovers also hold up well. It's great for potlucks, or suppers where I want lots of leftovers. This week I made it for a potluck of 5 mommies - I took half and saved the rest for dinner. And we still had enough for Todd's lunch - it's good enough that we will eat it that many times. It's really the dressing that makes this yummy - I've tried lots of different combinations. I often leave out the turkey - or I sub fajita chicken chunks - we like to add corn, green olives, and chopped Trappey's jalapenos. I also like it because I can prepare it in stages if I need to take it to a gathering - I make the dressing the night before and let it sit in the fridge...make the pasta and put it in a ziploc. Lots of the ingredients are convenience products, so that makes for easy prep - packaged shredded cheese, canned beans, canned corn, etc. This one has lots of options.

Before I've mixed in the dressing:

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The finished product:

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Salmon with Mustard Cream

2007-12-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Seems like I'm doing more and more easy ones in this busy holiday season. This is another favorite - Salmon with Mustard Cream. It's out of an old WW cookbook that I love.

You can make the cream early in the day. I've used fresh dill and I've also used dried (half the amount), and they both taste great. I always use fresh minced garlic though. I also use a really good coarsely ground Dijon for the mustard - the coarse grind gives the cream a great texture.

You just broil the salmon (sprinkled with pepper) until it's done, and put one Tbsp of the Mustard Cream on it. It's yummy. Last week, I served it with steamed kale and a baked sweet potato.

Mustard Cream

1/2 cup red. fat sour cream
1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

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