Kir's Simple Foodie & Soiree Blog

My future blog post

2010-12-31T00:00:00.002-06:00

That I'd like to post in the future ...

Pear & Honey Bread Pudding on the Grill!

2010-03-26T17:39:00.000-05:00

5 months since my last post. Bad. But I do have an excuse ... new job, splitting time in two cities, tenant in my house and now living at John's in SoCo! A lot of change ... one part of which is that I now have a MUCH smaller kitchen in each home. Boston is small but complete, Austin's while slightly larger is lacking an oven.

No oven! you say ... yes, no oven. For a woman who loves to way to broil her way into guests hearts & tummies, this is quite a change. But new challenges forge creativity. Which is why last Sunday night when craving something delish for dessert I brainstormed what I could create with a combo of gas stove, microwave & grill. Fundamentally, if you get a grill hot enough and keep the lid closed ... that grill is just a different kind of oven. Now it isn't one I'd try to make a sensitive souffle in ... but bread pudding? Why the hell not!?

Enter the final 2009 edition of Bon Appetit, which I hadn't had time to peruse until now. Their recipe for Apple and Mape Bread Pudding just spoke to me! Those images of caramelized goodness ... who wouldn't fall for it? But, alas, no apples & no maple in our kitchen. That's ok ... got honey, got pears and got a great loaf of sourdough in the freezer that a neighbor made for us a few weeks ago. Jackpot!

Modified Bread Pudding: Pear & Honey Bread Pudding on the Grill

Gooey Good Bread Custard Mixture

6 large eggs
1/2 C honey - we used local Austin honey (mmmm)
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I ran out, so I did half vanilla & half almond extract - tasty)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream (this is not for the faint of heart)
1/4 C Calvados (pear brandy - I know, only a Knipp would have this on hand ... from my Dad's last visit)
1 1-pound loaf neighbor's Sourdough, most crust trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 1/2 to 7 cups)

Apple Topping & Partial Mix Element

3 tablespoons butter
5 Pears quartered, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices (about 7 cups) - I left the peel intact for fiber
1/4 C honey
1/4 C dark brown sugar

First you make the bread mixture. I am cribbing liberally from BA with my own tweaks ... Whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, almond extract cinnamon, and sea salt in large bowl. Add milk, cream, and 2/3 of the brandy and whisk until well blended. Add bread cubes and press to submerge into custard. Let soak at least 30 minutes or more. I let it sit for about an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the grill ... we were making Salmon for dinner so we fired her up for that. Grease a dutch oven - used my Le Crueset round.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high. Add pears and sauté until golden and beginning to soften, stirring and turning frequently, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in honey & brown sugar and the remaining brandy. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Mix half of pear mixture into bread-custard mixture. Transfer bread pudding mixture to prepared pan. Arrange remaining apple slices atop bread pudding in whatever pretty shape pleases your little heart. Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices.

Now comes the fun ... be brave! Put your dutch oven full of bread pudding into the grill and resist the urge to open it! We had the grill on medium to low and left that bad boy in there for about 2 hours. I was more concerned that the bottom would burn, so I preferred a slow cook to a quick burn. If I could have found my thermometer, we could have inserted it into cthe enter of pudding to see if it reached the desired 170°F to 180°F, but we had to play it by gut.

Perhaps the most difficult part ... they want you to take the pudding out and let it rest for 45 minutes! Really - it smells sooooo awesome!!! But we had it with the new Haagen Dazs 5 all natural vanilla bean ice cream - DELECTABLE ... and we've been eating & sharing leftovers all week ...

Anyone out there who has great grill dessert or baking recipes to share ... let me know in comments! This was a fun, delish experiment and despite the calorie count, I think bread puddings will become part of my repertoire as long as I am a grill mama.

Best Pizza in Boston ... (so far)

2009-10-25T19:59:00.001-05:00

A rainy Saturday night in the South End with friends and Rock Band lends itself well to pizza ... and luckily, one of the benefits of coming from Austin to Boston is killer Pizza.

Now - we do have a few great pizzerias in Austin (my fave is Homeslice in SoCo) - but nothing like the variety and quality that exists in the northeast in general and Boston in specific.

So last night was pizza from The Upper Crust ... and no ... I don't have a pic of the pizza because it was too good and we ate it!! (image courtesy of The Upper Crust:))

An MGH (spinach, broccoli & feta) plus mushrooms and canadian bacon was delish and sort of healthy (I told myself). The crust is super thin with perfectly crispy edges that just defy being burnt ... eat the first bite or two with a knife and fork ... then fold that bad boy and get a huge bite!

When I was here during grad school, there was only one Upper Crust ... but now Boston is blessed with 13, count'em, 13 pie shops! That means you can have hot, crispy and delish pizza in your house in like 30 minutes!!!

This town could get fattening ... especially since I still don't have a kitchen of my own. Till then, I'll be eating and posting about restaurants:)))

My Party Pictures were terrible ... help!

2009-10-12T14:35:00.000-05:00

Today's post is just a quick hit prompted by the feedback I got from my team here at HubSpot upon seeing my last post about party planning for our recent October shindig at my house ... they liked the party planning advice but were disappointed in my pics' image quality. Rightly so.

With that backstory, my friend John, a pro photographer, decided to post a few tips on Getting the Most from Your Point & Click camera. Regardless of the type of event you have - he posits that there is one tenet to aid in excellent images:

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting ...

In short, ensuring there is a significant difference in the fore- and back-ground of your subjects will take care of it ... but read his post for the full details.

Something else that I learned from John is that it really isn't as expensive to hire a pro photographer for your events. In fact, he mentioned rates on the order of $50-100/hour for an event like the party I had last week. (John, maybe you can post a blog about some advice in this realm?) While maybe I wouldn't splurge for that particular party, I will certainly think twice when it comes to something like my 40th Bday (far far away I assure you:)))).

His posts and advice have opened my eyes (pun intended) ... next time you plan a significant milestone event I encourage you to think ahead about who is going to record those memories!

Cocktail Party Tips for Evening Events that Satisfy without a Full Meal ...

2009-10-07T15:15:00.007-05:00

This blog post will mark a slight departure from the original theme of this blog ... because I am expanding the scope to include dinner party and other party planning ideas and tools here and on a new site I am building called simplesoirees.com (feel free to check it out ... it is under construction now:)))

That being said ... I recently had three wonderful reasons to throw a party:

1) John's birthday is this month ... this weekend in fact
2) I landed a new job in Boston at HubSpot and have hopped a plane to work here 3 weeks a month
3) ACL (Austin City Limits Music Festival) needed a kickoff!!!

Knowing how many people would want to celebrate these three occasions, I realized it couldn't be an intimate dinner party ... in fact I invited about 100 folks and we had around 45-50 over the course of the evening that were able to make it. Now, that may seem like a daunting number, but I was thrilled and find it so much fun to entertain. This is the reason that I'll be adding this theme to the blog ... there are so many things in life that deserve to be celebrated and taking the pain out of party planning is something that needs to be done.

So to keep it short and sweet ... what are the lessons learned and tips that I can share from this most recent party?

Be clear about food in your invitation: because this was such a large group and my home isn't huge, a full meal was not an option. My start time was 8PM because it was a 'school night' for many, but they all knew that there'd be heavy apps and snacks and therefore came prepared. I had enough for everyone without too many leftovers considering the size of the party.
Only serve things that you like and are willing to eat leftover: the above comment aside, we had hummus and cupcakes and a few other items after the party wound down at 1AM. Since I planned things I loved, John and I had great snacks all throughout ACL weekend:)
Don't serve more than 1 or 2 hot items unless you have an army of helpers: between the need to finish the item while your guests are arriving and trying to keep it hot doing anything more than 1 or 2 will just stress you out.
Consider a single hot passed hostess hors d'oeuvre: I experimented with a passed item (Pears with Sage wrapped in Proscuitto, courtesy of my gal Amy, blog post to follow) and used the passing as a really great excuse to chat briefly with all my guests making sure everyone felt welcomed and I could make quick introductions. If you have the right crowd, you won't feel like you are 'serving' - rather you'll feel like you have a great reason to mingle with speed:)
Make a list & a timeline: I had so much going on that week and couldn't leave most things till the final day of the party. I ran errands and did items in all four days leading up to the party ... and found that I wasn't missing anything when the time came for the corks to be popped!
Get all your serving dishes out early in the day: as you finish items, plan out what will go where. If you have a helper or two, you can even write up a quick post it note on each dish and let your helpers do some of the last minute 'placement' without distracting you from any of your last minute work.
Plan your music in advance ... or better yet ... use Pandora! OK, not so subtle plug for my favorite music service which will play a random list of music all based on a genre you select - saves you the hassle of creating a playlist if you aren't a total music buff. In fact, John even created an 'ACL' station for the party by putting in a few artist names of bands that we were going to see at the event ... fun and apropos
Keep the decor simple: If you are not hosting a themed party and it is at your home, you really don't need much in the way of decoration. Good food, beverage and laughs will be all you need to get smiles on your friends' faces.

That's it for this time around ... look out for more healthy recipes, party suggestions and thoughts on this channel. Cheers!!!

Summer Salad of Nectarines, Heirloom Tomatoes and Roasted Corn on Greens ...

2009-08-31T20:56:00.007-05:00

Once again, Costco had shockingly beautiful flats of perfect nectarines (perhaps I have to thank modern pesticides and growth hormones for that ... but I will pretend I don't know about that:) ... which when complimented with other summer delectables inspired a new creation...

Nectarine, Heirloom Tomato and Roasted Sweet Corn Salad with Mixed Greens

2 Ripe Nectarines
2 Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes, ideally one red & one yellow or variegated
15-20 Heirloom Grape Tomatoes, varying sizes and colors is ideal
2 Ears of Corn, Microwaved & the briefly grilled for roasted flavor & markings
1 Shallot & 1/4 of a Red Onion, Finely sliced
1 Orange, Zested & Juiced
1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar
2-3 Tbsps Olive Oil
1-2 Tbsps Honey
Fresh Mint & Basil, 10 leaves each, finely minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: Cayenne Pepper 1-2 tsps

Cut the nectarines and tomatoes into quarters and then finely slice them crosswise. Cut the corn off the roasted cob and mix the niblets with the tomatoes and nectarines. Add the sliced shallots and onions.

Combine the juice+zest, vinegar, oil, honey, herbs, salt & pepper blending thoroughly. I love the addition of the cayenne for a little bit of heat. Pour 1/2 of the dressing over the fruit portion of your salad and reserve the rest. Let the fruit sit and mascerate with the dressing for an hour or two before serving atop a bed of greens that will be dressed with the remaining salad dressing. If you prefer a creamier dressing, add yogurt or buttermilk to the mixture and shake to blend - this cuts some of the acidity without adding a lot of calories.

Voila ... a shocking little summer fun salad that is easy to make and can be prepared a few hours ahead! It was a hit at our recent couples grill out:)) See it served here alongside a buffalo blue cheese burger and sweet potatoes (courtesy of Chef Jeremy Martin) - YUM!!!

Flank Steak with Chimichurri, Purple Potato Salad & Fresh Summer Tomatoes, Avocado & Mozz!

2009-08-03T20:50:00.008-05:00

Dinner party Saturday night ... OK a few Saturdays ago ... at my place ... and it is, guess what, 100+ degrees - who knew?

Right. Austin this summer has been a veritable inferno ... and I was NOT about to cook something warm and toasty in my house where I don't have a patio to grill. But serving my guests fish again was not optional either ...

Enter a nice flank steak over salad idea ... inspired by my lovely subscription to Bon Appetit (a bday gift courtesy of my friend Michelle:) ... about seven steak & chimi recipes later, I arrived at the below which was heralded by all as fantabulous!!! (measurements may be less than exact;))))

Try to have 3-4 hours for marinating ... so plan just a lil' ahead plz!

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Purple Potato Salad & Summer Tomato, Avo, Mozz Salad
(will post the potato salad recipe separately) Serves 8-10

Steak & Marinade

3 lbs Flank Steak (it was a bit much for my 6 person table, but mmmm the leftovers!)
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2-3 Tbsps Rice Wine Vinegar
4-5 Cloves Garlic, Smashed
1-2 Shallots, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Chimichurri Sauce - Kir's Tweak ...

1 1/2 large bunch fresh Italian parsley
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro (my add - not in traditional chimi)
1/3 bunch fresh basil (my add - from my garden - sweetness that popped)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves(must be fresh - don't even think about dried)
3 garlic cloves, peeled (or 5 ... that's what I used:))
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (add a smidge of balsamic to sweeten it & cut the acid)
2 Tbsps dried red chili flakes (start with 1/2 of this and then taste periodically as you add - mine had heat, but not too much ... just right for my crew)
Salt to taste, sea salt is best

The beauty of this whole deal is that once you make the chimi & marinade ... it's all downhill!

Mix all the marinade ingredients and then place the meat in a shallow pan with the marinade, ideally covering it. You can also use the plastic bag methodology (which creeps me out for some reason ... flesh ... in a bag ... ugh). Put this in the fridge for 3-4 hours ... or overnight if you are that well planned (I usually am not).

Make your chimi a bit in advance to let the flavors meld and give yourself time to get dressed for guests:))) Because I use a really small Cuisinart (which I love - if I haven't told ya before - and you can get at Costco for like $40 - best gadget EVER) ... I usually do a large dice of my ingredients so I don't kill the thing. Therefore, smash your garlic and chop the leaves of your lovely herbs. Drop this plus your olive oil and vinegar into the food processor and blend away. Once you have a pretty sauce consistency ... start adding salt and red pepper flakes ... perhaps that drip of balsamic ... this is the fun part. You must taste. Add things, blend more and taste. I tasted with some pita chips ... and ultimately reached a heat that left me just wanting a bit more ... addictive heat is what we got ... and what my guests LOVED.

I was asked to blog about this and, Jeremy, now that I have ... I challenge you to try it ... tweak it ... and improve upon it!

OK. I digress. You've got your chimi and your meat chillin ... I then made a really nice potato salad and prepped my veggies for the evening ... so finally, the cooking happens.

Several options:

Grill - I don't have a grill ... my man does (since I bought it for him two bdays ago ... but it resides at his abode ... so ... I'll give you my guess on cooking times). 4-5 minutes per side on med-hi heat.
Grill Pan - Aha! A gift from my father, Le Creuset Grill Pan, results in very nicely scored flank steak ... that ... well ... I got 1/2 right and 1/2 overcooked since I had two big slabs. The good one was about 4 minutes per side and then rested. The bad one I did 3 then 4 and then put it in the oven to keep ... oops ... probably could've done 3 and 2 or so and then in the oven to keep warm and it would've been great.
Broiler - I am not going to guess on this one ... go check another recipe!

Let that bad boy rest ... cut it on the bias* (very important!) and serve over your fave salad. My trick here was to take my chimi sauce and turn it into a much milder salad dressing by mixing about 2 tbsps chimi with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp buttermilk. MMMM.

Cutting on the Bias - if you don't know is cutting at an angle ... ideally against the grain of the meat. This breaks the sinew allowing your guests to enjoy the shortest muscles and therefore tenderest mouthfeel ... and if you've marinated well ... then 'like butta'!

Enjoy beating the summer heat with this delish recipe inspired by Argentinian classics!!!!

Lemon Scented Salmon with Roasted Beets and Greens, Oven Roasted Potatoes

2009-06-22T20:47:00.002-05:00

Summer calls for light delish dishes ... and I was craving some fish on a Monday evening after decadent weekend fare. Fresh lemons in the house, plus beets and potatoes from the CSA ...

People keep telling me that baking fish with citrus is easy and very tasty ... which I agree with, however, I will say ... the result is very 'mildly' citrus ... hence the lemon 'scented' title. Hindsight 20/20, I would probably do this and add a lemon reduction of some sort to kick it up a notch. But anyway ... this was all a recipe based on my ideas, no cribbing from elsewhere and it is super easy.

Lemon Scented Salmon, served with greens, roasted beets and potatoes

Two 5oz filets of salmon, mild ideally
1 lemon, zested (zest set aside) and thinly sliced
1/4 cup Fresh Basil, in chiffonade (cut into thin chiffon like strips - see you learned a new word!)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Pan & Tin foil

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse the salmon in cold water and pat dry. Get a piece of tin foil that is large enough to wrap both your filets in with enough to close it like a pouch. Line the base of the pan with the foil.

Place the salmon in the foil, drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and basil. Squeeze one or two of the lemon slices over the fish and then layer three lemon slices over each filet. Close the tin foil tightly over the fish, ensuring that all the seams are tight.

Bake the fish for 16-20 minutes, checking to verify doneness. Normally, when I broil fish, it only takes about 10 minutes, but this method uses less direct heat. If you are so inclined, and I am because I love caramelization, when the fish is almost done, remove it from the oven, open the foil and set aside the lemon slices. Place the fish back in the oven on broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the top of the fish becomes golden.

Serve this very easy and light fish entree alongside your favorite sides ... maybe even creating a white wine and lemon reduction to go with it ...

I think this would go great with pasta and asparagus or even a chilled pasta salad.

Have fun, eat your omega 3s and see you soon!

Summer CSA produces Zucchini galore ... what to do!?!?!

2009-06-16T20:40:00.005-05:00

In the fall I bought a share of the Johnson Backyard CSA ... then this spring/early summer I split a CSA share from a different farm (who shall remain nameless) ... Turns out this new farm really didn't subscribe to the concept of variety. I swear, I have never seen so many radishes and random greens!!! But in early June we got squash ... and I mean lots ... I think I had 6 or 7 full size zucchini and yellow squash on my hands with an impending business trip (meaning this stuff was going to go bad). What is a frugal, German girl who hates waste to do? Surf the net ... Locate variety of random recipes ... Settle on a tasty, yet semi-naughty one ... Zucchini Cakes - kinda like a Latke or as we say in Germany, 'Reibekuchen' (lecker)!!!! Pretty easy recipe that is only annoying when it comes to the whole shredding part. I was dining alone that night, so I paired them with a poached egg and some quick marinara sauch - TASTY and kinda healthy. John polished off the remaining EIGHT in the batch the next day for lunch:))))

Zucchini Pancakes (modified from Low Carb Cooking)

4 cups shredded zucchini (or combo of shredded zucchini & yellow squash)
1 medium sized shallot, diced (my addition)
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil (I also added thyme which I love)
2-3 Tbsp. parmesan cheese (my addition, more if you like;)))
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Place zucchini and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt in a colander. Drain for ten minutes, pressing down with paper towels to push out all the excess water. Whisk the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and eggs together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, garlic, basil and zucchini. Mix until all the ingredients are well-combined.

Place the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, drop the zucchini mixture by rounded tablespoons. Flatten gently with a fork. Cook 2 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Flip and cook another two minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Serve immediately.

Original nutrition info per pancake (without my parmesan adder) (based on 15): 26 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 28 g cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 2% vitamin A, 8% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 2% iron

These make a great side and other than zucchini bread are a really tasty way to ensure you make good use of these veggies ... I bet you can even get kids to eat em!

Serving Suggestions: spicy marinara, chutney of any sort, pesto, chimichurri, apple sauce, apricot chutney, with canadian bacon and an egg on top as a modified benedict (mmmm) ... the ideas are endless!!!

Decadent ... out of character Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake (made by John:)))

2009-06-06T20:42:00.005-05:00

Dinner parties with friends are one of my fave things ... and since I have some friends who can throw down ... we knew it was time for the big guns when it was our turn for dessert ...

... with that, I will now blog on behalf of my man John who is the recognized baker of our couple ... I cook, he bakes. (I experiment with measures, he is a scientist and has a healthy respect for the chemistry of baking ... not I:))).

John let me help pick the cake to be baked so I gave him two recipes - both three layer chocolate cakes, one with a berry filly and chocolate frosting and the other with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate peanut butter ganache. Clearly, based on imagery you can see what we chose ... and can I say - PEANUT BUTTER!!!!! mmm mmm mmm ri-dic-u-lous!!!

We ended up doing a little Kirsten-ization of the recipes as we combined one choco cake recipe with the decadent frosting duo ... and 3 painstaking hours later, John was putting the finishing touches on this unbelievable cake, that we estimated at approximately 850 calories per slice!!!!

Needless to say you won't be seeing a whole lot of other posts with recipes like this on em ... :)))
Enjoy the abbreviated versions below and the images of that moist, flavorful, amazingly decadent cake below!

Genoise Cake Recipe - Courtesy of Emeril Legasse

3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch of baking soda
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Genoise (cake): Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan.

Into a small bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and baking soda. In a large metal bowl set over barely simmering water, whisk eggs and sugar with a hand-held electric beater until thick, foamy and doubled in volume. Mixture should form a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Make sure that mixture does not get too hot and curdle eggs. Remove from heat and gently fold in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in melted butter and pour into cake pan. Bake 20 minutes until cake is springy to touch. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a cake rack, turn out and cool completely.

Frosting Recipes - Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen (whom I love, but for caloric reasons avoid!)

Peanut Butter Frosting

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

As you can see, this recipe is not for the faint of heart ... but it will certainly gain you a lot of admirers! Happy baking from me and John!!

Brunch Crepes with Pear-Pecan Filling

2009-05-31T15:04:00.006-05:00

I forgot to take pics this morning because it was so tasty that we ate everything! Ooops ... so y'all will have to live with images of fruits & nuts:)

Crepes are not the healthiest, but I modified my recipe to add a little good stuff like wheat flour & flax ... and then filled them with fresh fruits & nuts for a fresh and flavorful breakfast.

Crepes with Pear-Pecan Filling

Crepe Batter

2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Powder
1 1/2 c LowFat Milk
1/4 c Wheat Flour
2/4 c White Flour
1/2 tsp Almond or Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Splenda
pinch of salt
butter for greasing the pan (i have a trick to use very little)

Fruit Filling

1 Pear, Ripe but crisp, I think I used a d'Anjou
20-25 Pecans, I used delicious Rhew Orchards Pecans
1 heaping teaspoon Brown Sugar

Make the batter first because you want to let it 'rest' for about 15 minutes before using it. Beat the eggs, then add the remaining liquid ingredients and mix. Sift in the flax and flours whisking so that you avoid lumps. Stop stirring once combined, you don't want to overmix. Let the batter rest and ideally transfer from your bowl into a container that has a spout which will make it easy to pour.

For the filling, simply dice 1/2 of the pear rougly and slice the other half into thin slices. Save the slices for assembly. Put the diced pear, all the pecans and the brown sugar into a cuisinart or blender. Blend until chunky, but not liquid.

Heat a medium sized non-stick pan on medium, maybe 4 or 5 out of 10. Take your stick of butter and just lightly pass it over the surface - the heat will get a tiny bit of butter on the pan, just enough so that the crepe browns and adds flavor but does not stick. My trick to do this well is then to put the stick of butter in the freezer between each use - that way it is easy to handle and yet deposits just a teensy bit of butter.

Pour about 2 Tbsps of batter onto the surface and tilt the pan until you've coated a surface about 6-8 inches in diameter. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes or so. It should be ready to flip either with a spatula or chef style (which I learned to do today:). Once flipped leave the lid off and cook another 30-60 seconds. Your crepe should be done ...

Slide the crepe onto a plate, put two pear slices in the center, lengthwise and cover with the chopped filling. Roll up and serve .. you may want to garnish with another slice of fruit and a whole pecan or if you are feeling saucy ... a bit of melted brown sugar with butter (I didn't do this and don't think you need it ... but would be decadent!).

Enjoy your fruit & nut filled, semi-healthy crepes!!! Fill the same crepes with a fruit filling of your choice ... or skip the splenda & extract to make savory crepes sometime. They are much easier than you think:)

Roast Chicken with Garlic & Roasted Tomatoes ... mmmmm & easy!

2009-05-03T20:17:00.007-05:00

An impromptu dinner party at my place inspired this recipe which I had once
before when my roomie and great friend Colleen cooked it during grad school ... this Saturday our friend, who shall remain nameless but disgraced, cancelled a 6 person dinner party at the last minute so I had folks to my digs instead ... we are still angry with you by the way!!!

Anyhow... I tried to remember and scanned a few recipes - then came up with this combo that resulted in a tender, juicy, crispy browned chicken that was lovely. The only thing I would change next time is cooking it breast up (oops) and probably make a pan gravy with the extra drippings.

Roast Chicken with Garlic & Roast Tomatoes (serves 4-5)

1 Full Chicken, 4-5 lbs, defrosted
2 packs grape tomatoes, like Cherubs or farmers market babies
4-6 cloves garlic, depends on how much you like it
2 Lemons, quartered
4-5 Tsps Thyme
3-4 Tbsps Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

This was the first time I have ever roasted a whole bird, so needless to say I was a little intimidated. It turns out not to be all that scary in fact ... the worst part was getting the weird bits (read gizzards) out of the bum. Uck. But I used tongs and it wasn't all that bad:))) So, get the stuff out of your bird and toss that - cuz I don't do exotic dishes with that stuff. Total time for a bird this size, including brining is about 3 hours. I put it in the oven at 6:15 with the intention of eating at 8:30 ... allowing 2 hours in the oven + a 15 minute rest. Was a bit too long ... but gives you a guide for planning.

Fill a pot of water, large enough to submerge the whole chicken, with warm water and about 4-5 tsps of sea salt or coarsley ground salt. Brine the chicken in this mixture for 1-2 hours. Less if you don't have time, but the key to brining is that the chicken retains moisture longer and ends up being super juicy.

While the chicken brines, make whatever sides you are preparing and get the rest of the ingredients set up. Mix up the Thyme, Olive Oil and about 2-3 tsps each salt & pepper in a ramekin. Quarter the lemons and halve about half of the grape tomatoes. Crush and chop the garlic. Grease a roasting pang or 2-inch deep baking vessel. Preheat the oven to 425.

Once the chicken is brined, take it out, pat it dry with paper towel and then coat it in the oil & herb mixture. Use your hands, it is way more effecient than a brush. Place the chicken, breast up, in the roasting pan. Put some of the thyme mixture and about 1/4 of the garlic into the cavity, followed by one of your quartered lemons. Tie the feet together with twine - FYI - I didn't this time as I had no twine and guess what - nothing. Nothing bad happened - maybe it would have been even better if I had ... but no biggie if you dont.

Surround the chicken with all the tomatoes, garlic and any remaining oil/herb mixture. Squeeze the lemon quarters and then place them in the pan as well. Put that bird in the oven and you're off to the races!

For a 4-5 pound bird, you'll need about an hour and 40 minutes. Ideally, you'll cook it at 425 for the first 20-30 minutes and then turn it down to about 350 for the remaining cooking time. If you remember, try to check the bird and baste it with the pan juices once or twice during cooking. I only did it once - and being a bird novice, I don't have a baster - I just spooned some liquid back over the bird. Have a meat thermometer handy to test it - you want 170-180 for the thickest part of the bird. I cooked mine a bit too long and was closer to 190 when we took it out but it was still fantastic. The tomatoes will turn out roasted with some charred and some more juicy - but very very sweet and complementary to the garlic & chicken.

Once the bird is cooked to temperature, remove it from the oven, cover it in foil and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving. It'll still be plenty hot and very tasty. In the meantime, you can take some of the pan juices and simmer them down with some white wine and a roux or thickening agent like cornstarch to make a killer sauce. I didn't do this and we had a lighter but scrumptious meal. Saturday I served this with roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes and a salad. But it'll go with just about anything.

Once you've kicked the bird, use the leftovers to cook down in some water for chicken stock or a mean chicken soup ... which I am doing tonight.

Enjoy and thanks again Coll!!!

Pearl Barley Protein & Fiber Flavor Fest ...

2009-04-20T23:01:00.004-05:00

So, unfortunately I am travelling and I just cannot get my camera to do that wifi upload thing ... so no foto for this post just yet ... I am at my friend Jen's and we are doing some healthy cooking together so I can share a few favorites that are super healthy and keep well ...

Tonight, in addition to making two of the three soups that I blogged about in the Bad Economy Broccoli Stem Soup post, I decided to make a grain & lentil based salad that was a kitchen leftovers inspiration a month or so ago. This salad is rich in protein & fiber, plus a bunch of nutrients and can be a main dish for a vegetarian meal or served as a hearty side for a larger dinner or picnic. Served cold, it keeps & travels well:)

The necessity is the mother of invention story of the salad went something like this.

Long week already ... leaving work on Wednesday night at 8PM ... look at my calendar to prepare for the next day and ... oh no ... we have that 'fun' pot luck planned ... darn ...

No time to shop ... super tired and not feeling energetic ... will just make pasta salad ... quick ... favorite ... easy and serves many. Decided.

Arrive at home. Only spaghetti in the house. Crap.

Rummage. Ponder. Experiment. Success!!!

Pearl Barley, Lentil and Veggie Salad with Feta (long, but easy prep ... you can multitask)

1 Cup Pearl Barley, cooked to package instructions (about 2 hours)

1/3 Cup Dried Lentis, cooked to package instructions (about 30 mins)

1 zucchini, raw, small dice

20 or so grape tomatoes, quartered - you can use a full tomato but I find the grape sweeter

1/4-1/2 cup Feta, crumbled ... low fat is fine too

1/4 cup Pine Nuts, raw

Basic Balsamic Dressing:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic + a hearty squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

1 tsp each Low Fat Sour Cream & Dijon Mustard

1 tsp each dried Basil & Oregano, or use the Gourmet Garden tubes if you got em

Salt & Pepper to taste

Once the lentils & barley are cooked and you've diced/prepped all your other ingredients, combine all the main ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and mix until well coated and distributed.

Serve alongside your favorite dishes in lieu of pasta salad ... this recipe is a lot healthier. Approximate nutritional info based on my estimates that this makes about 8 good sized servings: 200 calories 6 g fiber 7.6 g fat 6.6 g protein

Variations on this recipe could include:

Add sundried tomatoes, increases fat content & flavor

Replace lentils with black beans, replace basil & oregano with cilantro, and add bell pepper

Replace raw zucchini with roasted zucchini, replace pine with walnuts, replace feta with blue cheese and add craisins for a festive fall salad

Whatever your personal preference ... consider adding this as a tasty and healthy side dish when refined carbs just won't do:)

Feta Spinach - A Healthy & Tasty Take on Good 'ol Creamed Spinach

2009-03-04T20:17:00.006-06:00

A month since my last post ... with a two week interlude in Northern Europe and I was in need of green vegetables! Last night spinach salad ... tonight, I wanted more spinach but needed a new and tasty way to present it so John wouldn't bore himself with salad and salad and salad:)))

Enter, creamed spinach. I have to admit, I am afraid of creamed spinach. Whenever I have seen or eaten it - well - it looks and often tastes like sludge or alternatively a vat of butter. Neither of those are in keeping with my taste buds or health habits. So I reviewed a few recipes on FoodNetwork and then modified to my heart's content.

The result - John loved it! His former opinion of cooked spinach was very low - to the point that I was worried he'd not eat his spinach (Popeye be damned) ... wrong I was. So if you want to enjoy a little healthy greenery, try this low(er) fat version of a favorite.

Feta Spinach, with Pine Nuts

4-5 Cups Raw Baby Spinach
1-2 Tbsps Raw Pine Nuts
1/2 Small Shallot, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Smashed & Diced
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream
2 Tbsps Crumbled Feta
1 Tsp butter or Olive Oil (I mixed em & it was super tasty)
Salt & Pepper to taste

The funniest thing I read in all the recipes for creamed spinach was that they wanted you to blanch the spinach, drain and then chop it. Save yourself some time - Microwave it! (seriously, 10 minutes to boil water, then cook and then redrain watered down spinach!???!) So Microwave that spinach in a pyrex dish and then roughly chop it.

Make your bit of chicken broth and let it cool down a bit.

Heat a pan on med-hi with 1/2 of the butter or oil. Saute the shallot & garlic until golden. Add the pine nuts and toast till lightly browned - during this step, don't leave the stove as pine nuts can go from toast to burnt in a split second! Add the remaining butter or oil and then the spinach.

While you stir the spinach and let it continue to wilt/saute, mix the sour cream into the cooled chicken broth. This mixture + the feta will take the place of your 'cream' and add a ton more flavor. Once the spinach is no longer wilting, add the liquid and let simmer for a minute. Don't be alarmed that you will get a clump or two of sour cream that wants to react negatively to the heat. Once you add the cheese this will subside.

Add the feta and grind some pepper in. Stir for another minute or so. Taste to determine if you need more salt - the chicken broth and feta are quite salty, so definitely test first. Add more if needed and you are done! Serve with your favorite entree ... tonight I served this alongside a simple Chicken Paillard and some roasted bell peppers.

Compare that to a real creamed spinach and you'll find a lot less fat with a lot more flavor!

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Beets & Parsnips, Apricots & Olives

2009-02-08T18:15:00.008-06:00

I made this meal for John's parents when they were here for a visit. Pork tenderloin has become one of my party faves because it is tasty, healthy and cooks while you are entertaining, making plate up the main part of the effort while your guests are there.

This version of the recipe is due in part to my friend Jill who had an extra parsnip, which I had never tried before ... and Johnson's Backyard Farm who supplied fresh beets in our most recent box o' veggie love. I also got a little inspiration from a few other blogs and recipe sites ... but created this combined unique recipe myself. The apricots & olives add a really interesting combination of sweet & salty that worked surprisingly well.

I served the pork with thyme-garlic-olive oil roasted sweet potatoes and a spinach and bell pepper salad with my signature dressing (that you can find in a prior post).

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Beets & Parsnips plus Apricots & Olives

1 Medium Pork Tenderloin
5-6 Medium Red or Yellow Beets, or a mixture, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
15 Dried Apricots, cut into quarters or so
15-20 seedless Kalamata olives, sliced
2-3 Garlic Cloves, Crushed / Crudely Chopped
2 Oranges, zest both oranges & squeeze the juice into the marinade
1-2 Cups White Wine, ideally something a bit on the sweet side*
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 tiny pat butter for sauce
Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

*Feel free to use sparkling too if you like. I just used a wine that was sort of like a riesling that we found a bit sweet to drink for our palate.

Marinate the tenderloin for 3-6 hours in a dish with the wine, vinegar, orange zest + juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, thyme apricots and olives. Remove the tenderloin and season with salt & pepper, reserving the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a dutch oven or large pan with about 1 tsp olive oil until the oil is hot. Sear the tenderloin on all sides, return the marinade to the dutch oven or if you used a pan, transfer the tenderloin into an oven safe roasting dish and add the marinade. Add the parsnips and beets and place the roaster in the oven, lid off.

Allow the tenderloin to roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 140degrees when tested with a meat thermometer. This will be between 45 - 65 minutes depending on the size of the tenderloin. If it is one of those HUGE 4 inch diameter tenderloins, add another 30 - 40 minutes. Note, most meat thermometers are not meant to be in the oven with the item ... take it out and test it ... then put it back if it is not done:) I learned that years ago the hard way ... :)

Once the pork has reached temp, your veggies should be done as well. If they aren't then leave them in the roasting pan, take out your pork and let it rest covered in foil. Remove most of the liquid from the roaster and put it in a saucepan to create your pan gravy. Then place the veggies back in the oven under the broiler. You should be able to finish them quickly that way.

Either way, use the remaining liquid to make a sauce. I use corn starch to thicken my sauces and then add just a tiny bit of butter for flavor. In order to avoid a lumpy sauce, reserve about 1/3 cup of liquid in a small container and whisk/stir it together with about 1 tsp of corn starch. Then recombine that thickened liquid with the remainder in the sauce pan. Stir over medium heat while it thickens. If it still isn't as thick as you'd like, repeat. If you don't have enough liquid, you can add a bit more wine or some chicken broth/water to create your sauce. Add a small pat of butter, whisk and get ready to serve.

Your pork should be well rested and ready to eat now ... carve away and serve with the veggie combo, your sides and a drizzle of sauce on top for an impressive and mostly healthy, but fundamentally easy meal. And ... get ready for some tasty leftovers!!!!

Romanesco Broccoli Green Curry - Amazingly Delish & Beautiful!

2009-01-19T21:03:00.000-06:00

Readers, friends ... my last box of goodies from Johnson Backyard Farms included one of the coolest vegetables I have ever come across.

Romanesco Broccoli ... which employs the fractals concept is wacky, intelligent and tasty. Check out this image of the veggie before I broke it up into pieces for my very simple curry.

The curry recipe below is kind of cheating, but it is one of the ways that I find making a tasty dinner in under 30 minutes really easy. By having a few key items in my fridge & pantry, I take the freshest of veggies + chicken and am totally in business. Keep reading for a tasty weekday fave. John and I skip the rice so that we have a much lighter overall meal, with only the complex carbs & fiber of the veggies to fill us.

Vegetable & Chicken Green Coconut Curry

1 to 2 Tbsps Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste
1 can Reduced Fat Coconut Milk, you cannot taste the difference and this has huge calorie implications
5-6 Cups Varied Veggies of your choice, this week I used the fabby Romanesco, Bok Choy, Reconstituted Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, Snap Peas & Orange Bell Pepper
2 Cups Diced or Chopped Lean Chicken Breast
1/2-1 Cup Chicken Broth, depending on how liquidy you like your curry
Optional: Fish Sauce & Brown Sugar to taste, tiny bits of both

This is seriously easy ... especially if you follow the instructions on the Curry jar:))) Combine the curry paste with the coconut milk in a large pan or moderate sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes. Add everything else, I usually go chicken first and let that simmer a teensy bit on its own ... then add all the veggies and cook until the toughest veg is done. That is typically 12-15 minutes, by which time your chicken should also be done.

Serve as is in bowls or if you are a carb fiend over brown rice for a healthy and quick meal. This should also provide a bit of leftovers for two people ... a lot if you add rice.

Enjoy and once again, stock your pantry with Curry Paste & Coconut Milk in a can, both of which keep for a loooong time, and you can whip this up with whatever veggies you have handy. Even if you don't have the coolest looking veg ever, Romanesco!

Healthy Pancakes with a Fruity Twist!

2009-01-11T18:17:00.006-06:00

I love Sunday mornings ... not only because I sleep in a bit more ... but also because John and I often make a really scrumptious breakfast together. John is undisputedly the breakfast master of the two of us ... when it comes to an omelette or a pancake, he has a way with the pan temperature that I just cannot hold a candle to. So today, I prepped, mixed and blended while John manned the stove for one of our healthy faves.

Eggwhite-Oatmeal-Berry Pancakes with Mint-Berry Coulis
(This batch made 6 cakes total ... you may want to increase your recipe)

6 Egg Whites, or 4/5 of a cup of pure egg whites that you can buy pre-separated
1/2 C Rolled Oats or Quick Oats
1 C Frozen Mixed Berries, thawed
2 tsp Vanilla or Almond extract (based on your preference)
1 tsp Splenda, triple it if you like things really sweet
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed (optional, but makes for a great consistency and adds omegas)
1 C Mint-Berry Coulis, recipe follows

Mix the berries and egg whites in a bowl, whisking together until they are well distributed but lumpy due to the shape of the fruit. Try to get out any clumps of fruit that are stuck together. Add the Splenda, extract and oats. Continue mixing until completely combined and you have a consistent batter. This will in NO way resemble batters you are used to. It will be a little translucent and slightly thicker in consistency.

Heat your pan or griddle to medium and butter or spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray (we use Pam). Make small 3-inch pancakes for best results, pouring the batter onto the surface and cooking for 3 minutes on one side or until the edges are white and the pancake can be flipped. Once flipped, cook them another 2-3 minutes on the other side until they are puffy and no longer squishy. They should once again be easy to flip and have a color that is a bit darker than your classic golden brown pancake. We typically try one 'sacrificial' pancake any time we use a new stove, pan or recipe since each of these variables can really change cooking time. Once you have it down ... make the rest and keep them warm on the griddle or in the oven.

Because these are so eggy, it is important that you get them cooked through. Else you will have raw egg, not good, and the pancake won't be as fluffy as it could.

Today, John did a trick that worked out great. We used a griddle pan across two burners with the front on 6-7 of 10 for the initial cooking ... and then he moved the pancakes to the back burner on about 4 to keep them warm and cook the center perfectly through.

Mint-Berry Coulis

1 C Frozen mixed berries
1 tsp Low Fat or Light Sour Cream
8-10 Mint Leaves
2 tsp Honey or Agave Nectar if you have it ... I have both and I mixed them mmmmm

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency. Optionally you can use Splenda to replace some of the other sweetener and you may add vanilla or almond extract if that is a flavor you like.

Serve the pancakes warm with the Mint-Berry Coulis, Syrup, Honey or your favorite pancake topping.

*For full disclosure, this recipe is modified from one that we found in Fitness Magazine about two years ago and we have been making and tweaking these pancakes ever since!

Miso-Ginger Glazed Salmon ... by request ...

2009-01-11T17:53:00.005-06:00

Last week when I posted my recipe for Wasabi-Sesame Cucumber Salad ... it was an accompaniment to Miso-Ginger Glazed Salmon and I received a request to post that recipe. I am happy to do so and hope you enjoy this very easy classic.

In the case of this recipe, it is really more about having the right ingredients on hand than anything else. So stock up that pantry:))

Miso-Ginger Glazed Salmon

2 6-8oz Pieces Salmon, skin removed, milder flavor works best for this, but whatever salmon you like best ...
1 Tbsp Miso Paste*, sold in Whole Foods and many major grocers
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste, back to my Gourmet Garden** favorites
1 tsp Garlic Paste, Gourmet Garden**
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

*Check out this post on how others use Miso Paste. If you thought you shouldn't buy it for just this one recipe, rest assured, there are many ways to use it. I use it for soup and a lot of different asian dishes in general.
**If you have fresh ... by all means crush and use these ... but in about 1/2 to 1/3 the quantities. I use fresh herbs about 40% of the time ... just find these things so handy to make a lot of different things without running to the store daily:)

Mix all the sauce ingredients and marinate the salmon in this mixture for 10-20 minutes, I usually do this while I am prepping the ingredients for the rest of my meal. When you are about 10-12 minutes away from having everything else prepared, turn your oven broiler on high. Place the marinated salmon filets on a baking sheet or glass oven dish. You may want to put some non-stick cooking spray on this, but it isn't required since Salmon is pretty oily, I find that they usually come off fine. Reserve the remaining marinating liquid.

Broil the salmon for 7-8 minutes ... check to see if it is close to your desired doneness. When it is, pour the remaining marinade over the fish and cook to finish.

HINT: If there is still foamy white stuff coming off the Salmon, it probably isn't done yet. I like mine cooked quite through ... so I typically end up with close to the full 12 minutes in the oven with some browning or caramelization on top.

Healthy, fast and easy (if you have Kir's Kitchen pantry items ...) so enjoy!!!

New Year & New Ideas: Wasabi-Sesame Cucumber Salad

2009-01-06T08:04:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year friends and fellow foodies!

This holiday season John and I spent a glorious two weeks in Europe (Bonn, Barcelona, Zurich & Brussels) with family, friends and a lot of great food:))) I should be specific though - cheese, meat, bread, repeat ... I will share more about our trip and the great dishes we enjoyed in another post, but suffice to say that we are not only doing our annual alcohol free detox ... we are craving lean, spicy veggie filled meals these days.

That led to last night's meal of Miso-Ginger Glazed Salmon with Stir Fried Veggies and an inspiration that came to me: Wasabi-Sesame Cucumber Salad. I will focus on this little gem of a light veggie salad that almost mimics and 'Indian pickle' which would be served with every meal ... something that is served cold, is a little spicy and serves to counter the flavors of the rest of the meal. Because most of our foods in Europe were so rich and not spicy at all we've been seeking punch ... as I made the rest of the meal I was rooting around in the fridge since we did a big Costco run on our return. I saw the baby cukes that I bought and though - ahhh - refreshing ... and then I spied one of my fave condiments ... Wasabi Mayo! Light bulb!!!

Wasabi-Sesame Cucumber Salad

2-4 Baby Cucumbers or 1/2 an English Cucumber, both great as they are almost seedless
1/4 Shallot thinly sliced and quartered
1 tsp Wasabi Mayo, or sub in 1/4 tsp Wasabi Powder, 1/4 tsp Veg Oil + 1/2 tsp Sour Cream (mixed)
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
Salt to taste (I didn't add any, but could have)

Cut the cukes in half and then thinly slice. Slice and quarter the shallot. In a small Tupperware container combine the Wasabi Mayo and Vinegar, seal and shake to combine. Add the veggies and sesame seeds, seal and shake to coat. Done and done.

John loved this little addition to our otherwise pretty common meal and even asked me to up the Wasabi next time ... so tweak as you like ... you might even consider adding some other thinly sliced veggies - colorful bell pepper or maybe some radish would add color, interest and some additional sweetness and punch.

Wishing you all the best for a happy, healthy 2009 ... I'll keep you posted on how my Alcohol and Cheese Free Detox month progresses:)))

Random Sauce Experimentation: Success with Spinach

2008-12-12T17:50:00.004-06:00

So last night I knew we were having chicken, since I had sagely defrosted some in the morning... but beyond that I had no clue what I wanted to do with it ... and one more stir fry was NOT an option:)

Enter the Baked Cashew & Flax Crusted Chicken Breast with Roasted Vegetables .... mmmmm... all ingredients on hand and easy. But that sounds sort of dry doesn't it? I thought, I'll make a spinach salad and we'll lazily put some of the balsamic on the chicken, right. No. John decided he wanted 'a creamy spinach sauce'. What? It put me in mind of spinach & artichoke dip but as a sauce ... mmmm. That isn't where I went because there were no artichokes around my house ... but I did go to FoodNetwork as usual and see what I could find.

After much seeking where wilted spinach was everywhere but almost never in a sauce, I found one option. Baked Chicken With Green Spinach-Horseradish Sauce. Now their recipe, as often is the case, wasn't quite in keeping with my health standards ... in fact, I don't even own mayonaise, and I am happy that way. The result, some experimentation that yielded a pretty tasty sauce which John and I enjoyed on the chicken & the veggies. Check it out

Healthier Spinach & Horseradish Sauce
1/4 Cup wilted spinach, start with a cereal bowl size and mic it for a minute, done
1/4 Cup Plain Yogurt
2 Tbsps Light Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Hot Horseradish, or a few more of prepared less hot stuff (experimenting is key)
1 Small Clove Garlic or 1 liberal squeeze Gourmet Garden Garlic (that was all I had, o no)
1 liberal squeeze Gourmet Garden Parsley
1 tsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Put all that in your little Cuisinart or blender and blend it baby. I started with the first four ingredients and then added the rest to make it more flavorful and creamy. The end product is something I will probably make again. I could also see using this as the base for a creamy pasta salad if that is your thing:)))

For a simple summary of the rest of the meal:

Cashew & Thyme Crusted Baked Chicken
1/2 c chopped Cashews, I put mine in a coffee grinder
1-2 Tbsps Ground Flax
1 tsp Thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 Egg or prepared egg for dipping

Pound the chicken flat, dip it in the egg to coat and then coat with the herb/nut mixture. Bake at 350-375 for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness ... I like to broil em for just a minute at the end to get that golden edge.

Roasted Broccoli & Bell Peppers
2 cups Broccoli Crowns
1/4 Red Bell Pepper, chopped small
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped small
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mic the broccoli in a little water for about 2 minutes. Combine all ingredients on a tray and mix to coat. When the chicken has about 7 minutes left, turn the oven to broil and put the veggies on the top rack. After 5 minutes, remove the veg and put the chicken under the broiler.

Plate up, top with sauce and serve ... this is really sorta simple. In fact this time around the chicken breading was left over from some I had done before. If you find a mix you like, make a big batch and use it more frequently so you have tasty baked not fried chicken:)

Joining a CSA: Bountiful Unidentified Veggies (& fruits)

2008-12-03T19:38:00.004-06:00

About two years ago I heard about this cool service where you could sign up for weekly deliveries of local produce ... about 5 months ago I decided to sign up ... 4 months of waiting list later (turns out these are totally popular) my name came up for the Johnson Gardens Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). I am still on another wait list to check out a second area farm ....

Needless to say, today was the second day that I got my bi-weekly installment ... the first was the week before Thanksgiving. So far I still haven't quite finished all of the veggies we got two weeks ago and now I have more. Although, I finished the bell peppers from then tonight and accompanied them with a green salad made up of brand new farm fresh arugula and leaf lettuce.

Tonight was fun because in addition to some usual suspects like bell peppers, lettuce, bok choy and kale...we also got some oranges and grapefruits ... and a German perrenial favorite: Kohlrabi! I am so writing a card to my Oma in the morning to tell her that I have Kohlrabi ... in fact, I may have to call her and get her recipe for this cooky root vegetable (pictured here).

Anyhow, I don't have a specific recipe to share today, I just wanted to tell you all how cool and also somewhat overwhelming it is to get a batch of totally random food every two weeks. The last batch contributed to: Beef Pot Roast with Kale; Veggie Stir Fry with Eggplant, Bok Choy and Bell Peppers; Winter Greens Salad of Leaf Lettuce, Mizuno Greens and Apples and a few random ingredients here and there.

It makes you feel a bit like Iron Chef at home...I think this week we'll possibly juice some of those oranges and figure out something cool to do with Kohlrabi ... look for a post soon!

And wherever you are ... check out your CSA ... very fun way to support local agriculture and add some color and creativity to your table:)))

Rhew Pecan & Carrot Bread . . . with Flax

2008-11-24T19:16:00.004-06:00

Last weekend my friend Becca's mom gave me one pound of Rhew Orchards delicious Texas Pecans...(you can find yours at Austin's downtown farmer's market on Saturday mornings) so I decided to try a few different fall recipes involving that delish treat.

While Pecan Pie was luring me - I decided that I'd look for something on the healthier side and I came across a fantastic recipe on Cookie Madness. It was so good, that we only made one tiny modification, replacing some of the oil with ground Flax seed to make it a smidge healthier:))

Try this super bread for the holidays - it is amazing toasted with a little butter!

Rhew Pecan & Carrot Bread with Flax

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, I used my trusty Cuisinart to chop em tiny
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Combine the shredded carrots, boiling water, brown sugar, oil and orange zest in a medium bowl. Let this mixture cool while you mix the remaining ingredients.

Stir together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

Lightly beat the eggs and stir them with the vanilla into the carrot mixture. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture. Add pecans, then stir until well mixed (do not beat with a mixer).

Pour the batter into the pan and bake on the center rack for 1 hour. Cool, flip out of the pan...serve warm with a little butter.

I have a feeling this would make a pretty phenomenal base for an extra special French toast!

Turkey 2.0 . . . Thank you Butterball!!!

2008-11-20T16:19:00.002-06:00

I just had to share Butterball's foray into web2.0 communications because it is creative and could be the saving grace for one of us this Thanksgiving:))) A colleague forwarded me the info and it is probably useful this week as you'll all be out buying your birds this weekend . . .

So, Butterball has a Turkey-Talk Line that has been around for years . . . you call in and ask for advice on how to cook that big, intimidating bird that you are probably serving to a large number of people you may be meeting for the first time and are hoping to impress . . . or at least not send to the ER with food poisoning. I have to admit, cooking big birds scares me and I have only ever done it with an experienced co-chef . . . so if I were in charge of Turkey - I would need this service. This year, Butterball is adding a decidedly more techie element to the service with Turkey Texts that send you advice wherever you are, a mobile phone friendly site and even a blog.

Check out the full story or just sign up for Turkey Text advice on Butterball's Site, where they also have a pretty nifty calculator to help you estimate how many pounds of turkey you need based on number of people and even your eating habits (heavy or light eater . . . do you want leftovers?).

I signed up for Turkey Text messages just for fun . . . and because perhaps they'll send me some helpful hints that I can share with my brother Eric, who is in charge of the bird this year. Hoping that all of you are ready to enjoy an excellent holiday next week and that this little Turkey Tidbit might help you out;)))

Gobble gobble . . .

When Extra Firm is not Firm Enough . . . .

2008-11-18T21:45:00.004-06:00

TOFU y'all ... get your minds out of the gutter!!!

Seriously though. John and I have been eating red meat for four days, not intentionally, but because I made stew that lasted two days, we had amazing lamb and goat at the Clay Pit and then we had Lebanese food at my friend Joan's house. That left me wanting protein without the meat:)))

So tonight I thought I'd make a quick tofu and veggie stir fry. I did. And while it tasted good, I am bummed about texture. I have tried tofu a few ways and have only ever loved it in blended or mixed up form (see my posts on tofu in lasagna and tofu based sun dried tomato spread). I have also tried some tofu tricks like draining and freezing it first to make it more firm, but frankly none of these methods have ever yielded the tasty, firm tofu that I get at professional establishments. I am not quite sure what to do and I appeal to you, my readers and friends, to share any and all tips that you might have.

So while today's recipe was super simple and follows below, I cannot claim it among my best.

Ginger Scented Tofu Veggie Stir-Fry

1 Package MoriNu Extra Firm Tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 Cup sliced carrots, pre-cooked in the microwave for about 2 minutes
20 Sugar Snap Peas, strings removed
1 Tbsp chopped red onion
1 Tbsp Red Chili Oil
2-3 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Ginger
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Garlic
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Cilantro
2 Tbsp Cashews, crushed
1 Cup raw Quinoa + 2 Cups water

Put the quinoa and water on to boil. Reduce to a simmer and then turn off with the lid on. Let sit for 20-25 minutes until all water is absorbed and the quinoa is can be fluffed with a fork.

While the quinoa cooks, dice the tofu and pour the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar over it in a plastic container. Heat 1/2 of the oil in a Teflon coated pan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes, add the tofu gingerly so it doesn't crumble. Use a spatula and tongs to turn the tofu and brown it on all sides, again gingerly so you limit the crumbling (this is my issue). Place the onions and tofu in a dish and reserve.

Put the remaining oil in the pan. While this heats, mix the remaining soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and herbs together in a small dish. Once the oil is hot, add the bell peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the pre-cooked carrots and snap peas, sauteing for another 1-2 minutes. Add 2/3 of the sauce mixture, mixing and letting this cook for about 2 minutes. Add back the tofu/onion mixture and the remaining sauce, combining all ingredients and bringing up to temperature.

Serve in bowls with 2/3 cup quinoa and half of the tofu stir fry on top with crushed cashews as a garnish. This is a very quick, light and satisfying meal, even if the tofu is pretty weak:(

Bad Economy Broccoli Stem Soups . . .

2008-11-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

While we may not be in anything like what my Oma (German for grandma) experienced post WWII, I recently found myself exhibiting very thrifty tendencies . . . these tendencies were the genesis of my 3-versions of Bad Economy Broccoli Stem soup:))))

The economic part of this discussion is the use of what you might have thrown away before . . . a few posts ago, I mentioned that I made broccoli for 12 as a side. That left me with a lot of stems . . . I saved them and a few nights later made soup (for 2 hours . . . ) three different ways. Needless to say, it was a creative endeavor.

With my creative juices flowing . . . I decided to split the soup base into 3 parts:
1) the simplest, pure broccoli soup with some herbs
2) the most common, broccoli soup with cheddar . . . mmmm
3) the most unique, only 1 recipe that I could find online, broccoli and sweet potato soup

Read on to try some of my informal efforts and decide which one you like best on your budget!

Base Broccoli Stem Soup (enough for 1 pot, i made about 2.5 times this amount and then split into my experiments)

2-3 cups of diced broccoli stems, remove any dried or hard edges first
1/4 red onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups Chicken Broth, I used chicken stock that we made from a leftover rotisserie chicken from earlier in the week
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
2-3 Tbsp flour

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sautee the onions and garlic. Add the veg & stock, simmering the broccoli stems in the chicken broth until they are soft. It took about 75 minutes for mine to get to the point where I could puree them with a hand blender. Cuisinart's multi-function hand tool is the one I always rave about . . . and for under $40, it has gotten more than its fair share of value in my home:)

Once you have blended the base soup, you can proceed with thickening it and/or modifying it creatively:) To thicken it, I made a roux, which is a simple butter & flour mixture that serves to thicken a number of sauces and stews in various cultures. To make the roux, melt the butter on medium-high in a small saucepan until it is mildly browned. Add the flour in small batches, stirring continuously until the combination resembles a light brown paste that is just a bit runnier than toothpaste. Mix the roux into the soup and let it cook a bit longer to thicken. This with a little salt, pepper, thyme and paprika became the basic soup.

For my two other variations, I proceeded as follows:
Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
Super easy. I shredded about 1 cup worth of cheddar and slowly added this to the warm soup, blending it in completely. Then I seasoned with salt, pepper and again thyme. Done. Serve with a little crusty bread and cheddar for a warm winter meal.

Broccoli and Sweet Potato Soup
This one was a little more work only because I had to repeat the cooking process with the sweet potato. Dice one sweet potato and then simmer it in water until the chunks are very soft. Hand blend and mix together with 3-4 cups of base broccoli soup. Season with ginger, salt and pepper for a delicious and fall spicy soup. This one ended up tasting close to a butternut squash but slightly less sweet. mmmmmm . . . my fave of the whole batch.

Wishing you all a great fall and looking forward to bringing other tasty, healthy and budget friendly recipes your way:)))

Lowfat Liberal Sundried Tomato Dip & Spread

2008-11-06T20:59:00.006-06:00

Friends . . . I made something DELISH!

With a few random ingredients and a moment of inspiration before I headed over to my friends Allison & Clark's election watching party, I whipped up a new creation, that for this election season I dubbed my new Lowfat Liberal Sundried Tomato Dip & Spread. And let me tell you . . . it is so low fat, that you can use it liberally everywhere from veggies to a piece of toast, and you'll never guess what is in it! YUM!

Lowfat Liberal Sundried Tomato Dip & Spread

12-15 Sundried Tomatoes in oil, drained
1 Clove Garlic
1/3 Package Lowfat Firm Tofu, like MoriNu
1/3 Cup Lowfat / Natural Yogurt
1/4 Cup Lowfat Sour Cream
1 Liberal Squeeze Italian Seasoning from Gourmet Garden
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Here is the fun and easy part . . . put all the ingredients in a blender or Cuisinart (my fave gadget) and blend to your desired consistency. Seriously. That is it. So good. So good for you. So many Obama fans amazed at how darn good for you this tasty stuff is!!!

Interestingly, my inspiration was a recipe that was similar, except that it called for mayo instead of all my dairy/tofu combos. Yuck. Mayo. No way, no how. Needless to say, this worked so well that I am tempted to replace more things with tofu in the future. Stay tuned and enjoy some Lowfat Liberal Sundried Tomato Dip this football and holiday season:))

Short Ribs are Easy - Who Knew

2008-10-28T19:15:00.010-05:00

Last week was a doozy . . . my company had its annual customer conference . . . it was fun, exhausting and a great opportunity for tasty meals! One of those was a fantastic order Asian Short Ribs that I had at Roy's in Austin. They were so good that they motivated me to investigate how I could use my new Le Crueset Dutch Oven to replicate them at home.

Turns out, it isn't all that hard! I did a little research and found a few recipes for more classical short ribs, which is what I decided to try. The butcher at my local Randall's was kind enough to cut me 3 1/2 pounds of short ribs to order and I was cooking! Because it was such a sumptuous meal, we invited another couple over to enjoy the following:

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Mushrooms

3 1/2 Lbs Boneless Short Ribs (mine came already sliced, not in one big slab - nice for portioning)
1/2 Bottle Dry Red Wine (I always save whatever we didn't finish in time and has gone a little off, the flavors are usually still fine for cooking for several weeks)
4-5 C Beef Broth
1/2 Yellow Onion with a large dice
2-3 Shallots with a large dice
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped in large chunks
1 Cup Button Mushrooms or Baby Portabellas, cut in half
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tsp Dry Sage
2 Tsp Dry Thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste (I prefer sea salt)
3-4 Tsp Cornstarch to thicken the sauce before serving

I have to admit, I am usually a speed cook, so the prospect of slow cooking less tender cuts of meat was a little intimidating. But I am so glad I tried! The beauty of this recipe was short prep and then a fantastic meal hours later. I don't have a slow cooker, so I wouldn't do this if I couldn't stay in or near the house for 4 hours or so, but if you have one, then that is a great option. Preheat the oven to 300. Heat 2/3 of the oil on the stove at medium to high heat in your dutch oven or oven safe pot.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then sear the meat briefly on all sides, which should take about 4-5 minutes. Move the meat to the side and then add onions, shallots and carrots. Let these caramelize for a few minutes before adding the red wine, broth and herbs. Cover the dish tightly and place it in the middle of the oven and cook for 31/2 to 4 hours.

Remove the dutch oven from the oven and return to the stove on med-low heat to continue simmering. Remove the meat from the pot and place it in a dish, cover with foil. Meantime, heat the remaining olive oil in a small pan and sauté the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the stew that is in the pot. Thicken to desired thickness with cornstarch. Do so by taking a small amount of liquid out of the pot and whisking with the cornstarch before returning it to the pot, this ensures that there are no lumps. Return the meat to the pot to ensure it is heated through. Then serve with your desired sides, I provided boiled potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Tonight, for leftovers, I'll be serving it with broccoli instead. This meal was so filling, tender, relatively healthy and inexpensive. For anyone who has been intimidated by large or tough cuts of meat, try it, you'll be surprised at how great and easy this is!

Fall Pumpkin Ravioli with Ginger-Sage Pumpkin, Butternut Squash Puree

2008-10-13T21:28:00.006-05:00

It was John's Birthday this weekend so, of course, we had a little soiree . . . The full menu included a fig and goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin with fig balsamic reduction and roasted vegetables, plus carrot cake for dessert. But, what we started off with was simple, tasty and total fall treat!

I took a recipe off the food network and modified it to make it more satisfying as a heavy appetizer. The original was just pumpkin ravioli with browned sage butter . . . but I added the pumpkin squash puree to fill my guests:))

Pumpkin Ravioli with Ginger-Sage Pumpkin, Butternut Squash Puree topped with Browned Sage Butter (I made it for 12, but the measures here are for 4 appetizer servings or 2 entrees)

1 Package Fresh Pumpkin Ravioli (I found mine at Whole Foods)
1 small Shallot, finely diced
1/2 Can Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree
1 Cup Organic Butternut Squash Soup, like Imagine's
2 Tbsp Ginger, fresh or my fave Gourmet Garden Ginger in a tube
15 Fresh Sage Leaves, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp Honey
1/3 c Sparkling or other light white wine
2 Tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

The beauty of this dish is that it uses a lot of pre-prepared ingredients and requires very little prep. Heat 1/3 of the butter in a 3 quart sauce pan and then saute the diced shallots until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 of the sage until heated through. Add the pumpkin, soup, ginger, wine and honey, simmer all ingredients for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically.

When you have about 10 minutes left, bring a well salted pot of water to boil for the ravioli. Simultaneously, heat the remaining butter in small pan adding the sage and cooking it on medium high for 6 or 7 minutes. Drop the ravioli in the boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Taste the puree and add salt and pepper as desired.

This dish is best plated in a shallow bowl or deep plate. Put the puree at the bottom of the plate, top with 4 ravioli and then garnish with the sage browned butter. Enjoy this great fall treat as an appetizer or an entree depending on your mood!

YUM - Enjoy:))

Polenta Trio - What a way to leverage leftovers . . .

2008-10-01T19:51:00.008-05:00

Polenta. Seems exotic, but in fact, if you buy and bake it - it may be the easiest carb after sliced bread! In fact, earlier in the week I was all cooked out.

John and I had a party last week with lots of great leftover items (prosciutto, cheese) and I had packaged polenta . . . and some leftovers from my last post (Pea & Mint Puree) and my creative side said . . . wow . . . I can make something super colorful and tasty here!

Polenta Trio featuring Peas & Mint Puree, Mushrooms with Prosciutto and Bell Peppers with Parmesan

1 package prepared Polenta, I used Food Merchants Organic - comes in many flavors
1 c leftover Pea & Mint Puree
5-6 Button Mushrooms
2-3 Slices Prosciutto (some of my party leftovers)
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
2 tsp Diced or chopped Kalamata olives (I always have some on hand)
2 tsp shredded Parmesan (again party leftovers)
1 tsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Unwrap the polenta and slice it into 6 even rounds (or more if you prefer them thinner). Place the slices on a baking sheet, I put foil on it so I didn't even have to clean it. Put them in the oven and prepare to broil. If you are not super fast at prepping, don't turn the oven on yet. Because I had this in mind and all the ingredients handy, I started broiling - 4 minutes per side.

Finely dice both the mushrooms, prosciutto and bell pepper. Set a small pan to med-hi heat and saute the prosciutto. Because it is fatty, no additional grease is needed. After about 2 minutes, add the mushrooms and thyme. Continue to cook until mushrooms are through, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. (this is when I flipped my polenta to broil on the other side)

In the same pan, add the olive oil and saute the bell pepper with a little bit of pepper. Add the kalamata olives and cook till heated through, 1-2 minutes. Get any leftover Pea & Mint xxx out of the fridge. Now you are ready to assemble.

Per the image above, arrange the polenta on a plate and top with 1/2 of the prepared toppings. The result is a colorful, semi-healthy, leftover bonanza that draws from all the food categories and is gorgeous to behold. This is a smaller meal, but an appealing one. You could also make one of these items as an appetizer for a dinner party and prep most items in advance:) I think polenta has a future in my kitchen.

Till soon - I just got a new breakfast recipe that we'll be trying out this weekend.

Salmon with Pea & Mint Puree . . . eat your veggies please . . .

2008-09-23T22:16:00.010-05:00

Whoops . . . a business trip kept me a bit busy and I missed chronicling my cooking faves! Guess that is because I was eating out a lot:))) See the next post where I'll tell you all about Robata Bar in Santa Monica - DELISH (thanks for the idea Robin)!

Back to the subject at hand. Salmon and lots of veggies, including frozen! If you leave out the fresh broccoli, you could make this entire meal from things in your pantry . . . sweet eh?
I snagged recipes from a few places, the main one being Giadi DeLorentiis on FoodNetwork, and crafted my own version for a balanced meal the other night - more green on the plate than most get in a few days and John loved it:)

Salmon in Lemon Broth with Mint Pea Puree on Bed of Whole Grain Pasta, plus Broccoli not great for a blog title is it?

Salmon & Lemon Broth (Brodetto per FoodNetwork)

2 5oz Pieces Salmon (check end of this post for freezing tips to make Salmon affordable every day)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lemon, Zested & Juiced
1 Shallot or about 2 Tbsp Red Onion, finely diced
1 c Beef or Chicken Broth, Check out Better than Bouillion

Mint Pea Puree (delish and probably great with Lamb and simple fare)

1 Clove Garlic
1 c Frozen Peas, defrosted with a bit of warm water
1 c Fresh Mint, keep herbs like mint on hand in the freezer
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
Salt, Pepper & Olive Oil to taste

Pasta & Broccoli

1/3 Package Whole Wheat Spaghetti (or pasta of your choice)
2-3 c Broccoli florets

Start a pot of water boiling. Meantime, defrost the peas and chop your broccoli into florets. Ensure your Salmon has been rinsed with cold water - pat to dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium high. While it heats, zest then juice your lemon, ensuring you remove all the seeds. Heat a cup of water to dissolve your broth into and set aside. Once water is boiling, break your spaghetti and drop in the water.

This is a good time to place your Salmon in the pan, and let sear for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, smash the garlic clove and put it along with all the other pea puree ingredients into a Cuisinart, or other small blender. Puree until it reaches a desired texture, I like just a little more chunky than hummus.

Your salmon should be ready to be turned to sear for 2-3 minutes on the other side, depending on the thickness of the fish. The pasta should be almost done . . . so now is a good time to throw in the broccoli and let it cook in the same water/heat that is already going. Turn of the heat and close the lid to steam it while finishing your pasta.

Add the lemon and broth to the salmon pan and allow to simmer for a minute or so. Remove from heat and add any remaining mint for a garnish in the sauce. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Time to plate up:)))

I like to pour a little of the broth over the pasta and broccoli and toss to coat. Put a base of this pasta mix in a deep dish or low bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the pea puree and top with the salmon, pouring remaining brodetto (broth) over the whole dish. Ready to serve!

This is actually a lot of food . . . and with the exception of the pea puree is pretty standard fare. The peas/mint mix totally kicks it up with fresh flavors and colors, helping to make an everyday meal something special. I can't wait to try this pea goodness with other menu options.

Tips & Tricks from Kir's Kitchen

Salmon: We buy our Salmon at Costco - shocker I know, but I've told you so before - and then I portion and freeze it. This is much cheaper than buying fresh each day, gives me flexibility to have it on hand and lets me ensure the quality and freshness personally. The trick is to cut the salmon in proper portions first, then rinse it, dab it dry and wrap it in saran wrap. These wrapped packets should then be placed in freezer bags and as much air removed as possible before you freeze them. I find that putting them in the fridge the night before has them defrosted & broil ready when you come home from work. This is how they look as I am defrosting them out of the bag.

Easy Healthy Fajitas with Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salad

2008-09-09T20:51:00.007-05:00

Bored of stir fry and pasta? Try fajitas at home, they really aren't that hard and are in fact quite good for you if you lay off the fat, sour cream and too many tortillas:)

Having spent the weekend in the northeast, I was craving a bit of Tex-Mex and given the amount of bell peppers and roasted corn I still had left over from last weekend's BBQ, this recipe seemed perfect for today. I didn't cook yesterday as I was stuck thousands of feet in the air flying back from Boston where I had a phenomenal time at the IMS08 Conference all about social media and inbound marketing:)

Chicken Fajitas

1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Chicken Breasts, sliced fajita style (2 inches long by 1/4 inch wide)
Fajita Marinade (prepared) - I like Claude's Red Chile Fajita Marinade or
Make your own with Lime Juice, Garlic, Red Chili Powder, Salt and a bit of sugar
2 Bell Peppers, ideally Red & Yellow, but whatever you have handy will work fine, sliced
1/4 Red Onion, optional, sliced
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Whole Wheat Tortillas, I like the South Beach Diet ones - pretty tasty when heated up
2 Tbsp of your favorite salsa
Red Cabbage garnish, optional, adds color, crunch & vitamins...

Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salsa

1 Ear of Corn Roasted, or 1 cup defrosted frozen corn (plain, not buttered)
1 can Black Beans, Goya are my fave, drained and rinsed with water to remove excess salt
10-15 Cherry Tomatoes or 1 small Tomato diced
2 Slices Red onion, chopped finely
Fresh or Gourmet Garden Tube Cilantro
1 tsp Cumin
Lime Juice, Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat your non-stick pan on medium high with the oil in the pan. Drain the chicken breast, reserving the marinating sauce, and sear it on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. You may have to drain the liquid at some point to keep the chicken browning. Remove from the pan and reserve on a plate. If you need more oil, add a tiny bit more, saute onions for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and saute until browned, 3-4 minutes.

While you cook these items, combine the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix, seasoning with the lime, S&P until you like the flavor.

Once the veggies are mostly cooked, add the chicken back to the pan and pour any reserved marinade on the mix, adding the remaining spices. Reduce heat and cover to let simmer and cook trough.

Heat a small pan to warm two tortillas on each side. Serve chicken fajita mixture on an open faced tortilla, top with chopped red cabbage for crunchiness and a bit of salsa to taste. Add your black bean and corn salad, top with a sprig of cilantro and voila! Tex Mex in under thirty minutes:)))

Labor Day Beergaritas

2008-09-02T21:46:00.005-05:00

For Labor Day I decided to give myself the day off - sort of.

I did cook up a storm, or BBQ to be exact, but didn't quite have time to post or write all the recipes down because we were having too much fun grilling and playing yard games like bolo & washers (clearly some Texas pastimes). So to ensure that you get a little goodness and enjoyment out of it, I'll share a very popular recipe that made all my guests happy!

(I'm not pictured here, as I am taking the shot while sipping beergaritas, but see, they look happy don't they?)

Labor Day Beergaritas (or any day)*

4 parts Gold Tequila, Cuervo is my brand of choice
1 part Grand Marnier, the secret to an excellent 'Rita
1/2 can Frozen MinuteMaid Limeade
1 Light Beer of your choice
Ice
Salt & Lime, optional

You can make this in batches as large or small as you like, but that is about the right proportion. I like them tangy - but if you enjoy mellower tastes - just reduce the limeade and increase the beer. Mix and pour over ice. Garnish with a lime or salt if you like. I think these are great just simply by themselves.

*This recipe is not really a 'healthy' one no matter which way you slice it. But don't fret, I'll be back to good for you cooking by this time next week!

Berries in Season - Try this Quick & Easy Berry Dessert

2008-08-25T21:41:00.009-05:00

Strawberry Clafoutis . . . I know . . . the name sounds naughty - but I can attest that this dessert is both sinfully delicious and ridiculously easy to make! If berries are in season, then most folks have all the remaining ingredients available at home:)))

In fact, virtually any berry will work . . . Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries - most notably, the traditional Cherries! This weekend, we found a great deal on Blue & Raspberries and I promptly made a Clafoutis for brunch dessert. *The image here is not my clafoutis as I didn't have a camera at hand - thanks go to Cozinha Criativa's photostream on flickr.

This recipe is French and only moderately healthy - lots of antioxidants and protein - but quite a bit of carbs as well. The basics of this recipe are so simple, you may be able to remember them for a quick summer treat anytime. Soon I will be experimenting with Splenda and whole wheat versions of this beauty!

Multi-Berry Clafoutis

2-3 Cups Berries, this weekend I mixed Raspberries & Blueberries
3 eggs, whole
1 c milk
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract (or use only vanilla if that is what you have and like)
pinch of salt
Optional Garnish: powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream
Butter or Non-Stick cooking spray for pans

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Some recipes call for a lower temp, but I find that the cooking time ends up being too short, so I have turned mine up. Grease a 9 or 10 inch pie pan, round, or square, or a number of smaller individual tureens with butter or a non-stick cooking spray. Place all, save a few for garnish, berries into the pie pan.

Beat eggs together in a bowl, add milk and other liquids. Continue to beat adding sugar, salt and finally flour. The batter will be very liquid, this is correct. Pour this custard mixture over the berries and ensure it is even. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the custard is firm and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. All ovens heat differently, so use your judgment, if the center still wobbles or is gooey - put it back for a bit more time. The top should be golden brown and look delish.

Serve directly for a hot dessert or let this cool and serve later on chilled with the topping of your choice. Whipped cream is my favorite!

Chicken Piccata . . . A Meal Beloved by All

2008-08-18T21:45:00.002-05:00

If ever you should find yourself on holiday with a lactose intolerant person, a no-red meat person and someone allergic to garlic and onions . . . count yourself lucky for having read this recipe.

Seriously, I made this recently for an Austin cyclying friend, but told her how it became one of my standbys. Christmas 2000 . . . scenario above ensued while on a Ski/XMas holiday trip and I had volunteered to make the holiday feast. Grrrrreeat.

I wracked my brain . . . skii'd . . . apres skii'd . . . and voila amid a bit of festivity came upon my solution. Chicken Piccata . . . with margarine instead of butter! (mind you, I only use margarine when the lactose intolerant are in the house:))).

Chicken Piccata with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Roasted Vegetables (Serves 2)

2 5-6 Oz Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
1 Lemon, Juiced & Zested
1 Tbsp Butter (margarine when you've got the Lactaid crowd)
1/3 c capers
1 c chicken broth or stock (I love Better than Bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/3 Pack Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 Zucchini Cubed
1/2 Red Bell Pepper Cubed
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While you wait for the water to boil, chop your veggies and pound the chicken out if you haven't already done so. Put all the cubed vegetables on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, add the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to coat. Place the vegetables in the oven on the top shelf - but don't turn it on yet. You will broil these and it will take 10 minutes or so, but I'll let you know when to push BROIL on hi:)

Your water should be boiling now, drop in your pasta - whole or broken in half, however you prefer.

Put a pan or grill pan (even better) on medium high with a spray of non-stick cooking spray and about 1/4 of the butter. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and when the pan is hot, a drop of water dances on the surface, place the chicken in. Put the veggies in the oven now, high broil.

Sear the chicken on one side and cook for about 3-4 minutes. The chicken should easily come off the pan surface now, flip and cook 3-4 minutes on the other side. After you flip the chicken, check your veggies and turn to ensure even cooking.

Add another 1/4 of the butter, 1/2 of the chicken broth, all the lemon juice and the capers. Let simmer in this mixture for 2 minutes. At this point, your pasta should be done. Remove it from the heat and drain. Remove the chicken from the pan, reserve on a plate, add the remaining butter. Mix the cornstarch in the remaining chicken broth and add this to the sauce. Let the sauce thicken (add more cornstarch if you like the sauce thicker).

Toss the pasta in 1/2 of the sauce and reserve the remainder to put over your chicken. Remove the veggies from the oven. Assemble your plates with 1/2 of the pasta, a piece of chicken and half the veggies. Drizzle with the remaining sauce and almost anyone, save the vegetarians, will love this meal:-)

Salmon on request . . . with homemade Pesto!

2008-08-11T20:32:00.010-05:00

Recently a friend who had read and loved my Caesar Salad post texted me desperate for a few quick and easy Salmon recipes. So Huffy, in honor of your text, I thought I'd make one of those tonight and feature it here.

The recipe that follows is one that I usually make with store bought pesto, but having purchased a huge bunch of basil at a farmer's market last week . . . what was a girl to do but make pesto to ensure that it didn't go bad. I'll share the recipe for pesto also noting that if you keep prepared pesto on hand like I do, this makes for a super quick meal that is flavorful and easy.

Pesto Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Greens (serves 2)

2 4-6 Oz pieces of Salmon, size it to your calorie needs, fresh or defrosted frozen (see my tip below)
2 Tbsp Pesto (store bought is fine, but I just learned how easy it is to make my own . . . see below)

1 C Quinoa
2 C Water
2 Oz Lowfat Feta, cubed
10 Grape tomatoes diced
1/2 Avocado, 1/4 diced & 1/4 sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste

3 C Mixed Greens & Baby Spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette (see various options on my Summer is for Salads Post)
1 Oz Lowfat Feta, cubed
6-8 Grape tomatoes sliced

Place both the quinoa and the water into a small pot and bring to a boil with the lid closed, immediately reduce heat to low. Keep the lid on and heat on very low until the quinoa is cooked and looks fluffy. This will take approximately 20 minutes. FYI - the quinoa LOVEs to boil over in my kitchen. This is not a disaster, just a little messy. So keep an eye on it as it goes from simmer to boil over within just a few moments.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the salad & salmon. Spray a baking dish that fits the salmon with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray. Rinse the salmon with cool water whether you have just purchased it or defrosted it; pat dry with a paper towel. Place the Salmon in the pan and top each piece with 1/2 of the pesto, spreading it so you get good coverage on the fish.

When you only have about 10 minutes left on the quinoa, place the salmon under the broiler set on high. The fish will take between 8 - 12 minutes depending on your cut of salmon, oven and preferred doneness. I, blasphemy, like mine pretty well through and find that 11 minutes does about right.

While the salmon is broiling, chop the ingredients for the quinoa and green salads. Toss the greens with dressing, feta and the tomatoes. Put the remaining quinoa salad ingredients in a bowl, feta, tomatoes, avocado, salt & pepper.

The salmon should be done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for a moment while you assemble the rest. Toss about 1/2 of the quinoa into the bowl with the feta mixture and mix well. Split the quinoa salad on the two plates, top with the salmon and accessorize with the green salad.

Voila! Quick and easy meal that can take less than 30 minutes once you get the multitasking down, and leaves you with some quinoa left overs for tomorrow. If you make more salmon, it tastes pretty good cold tomorrow too . . . just a time saving thought . . .

Tips & Tricks from Kir's Kitchen

Home Made Pesto: I love the Sunset Valley Farmers Market here in Austin and almost always buy basil when I am there (sadly I don't have a green thumb, else I'd grow my own:). But it is rare that I can enjoy it all fresh within about 3 days . . . so I have taken to chopping it up and just putting it in a tupperware covered with olive oil. I can then use it as is to cook with or as I was inspired to do for pasta yesterday, throw the basil oil combo in the cuisinart with a piece of garlic and some pine nuts (maybe 1/2 cup of basil oil, 1/2 cup pine nuts & 1 clove garlic - but you can tweak to your own specs). Done and done. Actually, I added a little salt and pepper, but it was so simple and fresh. Yummmmm . . .

Salmon: We buy our Salmon at Costco - shocker I know - and then I portion and freeze it. This is much cheaper than buying fresh each day, gives me flexibility to have it on hand and lets me ensure the quality and freshness personally. The trick is to cut the salmon in proper portions first, then rinse it, dab it dry and wrap it in saran wrap. These wrapped packets should then be placed in freezer bags and as much air removed as possible before you freeze them. I find that putting them in the fridge the night before has them defrosted & broil ready when you come home from work.

Save at Home: Sunday Migas & Chunky Salsa

2008-08-04T20:28:00.007-05:00

What is Sunday without a bit of brunch!?

(for my reader friends - I promise I will post a foto in my next blog - I just found these too tasty to let them wait!)

Last weekend we went to one of our favorite restaurants where they made some killer migas . . . and I mean killer. If you don't believe me, go try them out at the South Congress Cafe in Austin - the spicy refried black beans that accompany this gloriously cheesy favorite are the piece de resistance.

That meant that this weekend, after a two hour hike, we were inspired to make migas ourselves and save a bit of dosh. This was a first time effort and I enlisted my trusty breakfast chef boyfriend who is more chemist than artist when it comes to food and therefore an excellent foil to my experimental cooking style when recipes are involved.

We found a decent looking migas recipe and tweaked it to meet our needs and available ingredient list (John helped me not replace too many key ingredients) . . . the result was delish:

Green Chile Migas with Black Bean Mango Salsa (serves 2)
Migas

4 Eggs
3 Corn Tortillas
2 Tbsp finely chopped Red Onion (the mellow flavor is less overpowering than white onion)
3-4 Tbsp Green Chile Salsa / Salsa Verde (how hot do you want it?)
1/2 Orange Bell pepper finely chopped (we were out of tomatoes and subbed this in)
1 Tbsp water
1/3 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
1/3 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 thin slices Sharp White Cheddar (or regular Cheddar if that's what you have on hand)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Salsa

1/2 Can Black Beans, drained & rinsed (I love Goya brand for the best value)
1/2 Large Mango, cubed (consider a peach or nectarine if you cannot find mango)
1 Tbsp finely chopped Red Onion
Juice of 1/2 Lime or Orange, whichever you prefer for breakfast
2 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro (I used some that I had frozen and it worked like a champ)
Salt & Red Pepper to taste

For the Salsa. Combine all the ingredients, mix and let sit while you cook the rest. This way the flavors infuse as you prepare the meal.

For the Migas. Heat a pan or skillet on med-high with the butter in it. While this heats, rip up the tortillas into bite sized pieces. Saute the tortillas in the butter till softened, add the onions and cook till translucent. Finally add the peppers and saute until they are your desired level of done, I like mine a with a bit of crunch left. Only add the oil if your pan gets dry during the process, else you can skip the extra fat.

Meantime, in a bowl whisk or mix together the eggs, water, salsa, salt and pepper. Add this egg mixture to the pan and scramble all the ingredients together. Don't overcook them. When they are still a bit gooey, crumble two slices of the cheese and add the cilantro into the mixture and scramble it through to your desired level of doneness. Most migas in Texas are served just a tiny bit runny, but we tend to like them dry. Place on a plate and blanket with the remaining cheese, ripped into a few pieces.

Garnish with some of that chunky salsa on the side and serve with more green salsa and/or sour cream if that is your preference.

If you go easy on the cheese, this is quite a healthy dish all around - high in protein and fiber, it'll keep you full without making you feel heavy as many brunch dishes can. So make migas at home and save yourself the trip and cost of that restaurant Sunday brunch (as nice as it is sometimes:))

I calculate that we spent $4-5 cooking this at home versus our $24 at brunch - granted, SoCo Cafe will still have me coming back every so often for a treat!

Quick Hit!!!!

2008-07-29T23:10:00.002-05:00

A brief ode to the healthy Caesar salad . . .

I have gotten:

3 personal compliments
1 email
1 txt

. . . just since posting the Caesar recipe last night!

All credit really goes to the Food Network and Healthy Eating; but damn that is some good stuff !

If you haven't tried it yet, please do so . . .

Oh . . . and if you don't know the 'shake it' salad trick . . . stay tuned for a video that will help you reduce calorie count and increase flavor with a bit' o fun. (Turns out my dinner guests tonight had never done the shake!)

Summer is for Salads . . .

2008-07-28T21:09:00.005-05:00

Summer in Texas is hot hot hot . . . and that often leaves me in the mood for something cool and quick for dinner . . .

Last night, after a fantastic but steamy day boating and waterskiing with friends on Lake Austin, it was all I could do to think of something healthy but delicious for dinner.

Enter the salad.

I am a master of salads of all sorts - and pride myself on making all my salad dressings myself - I don't like the preservatives and somewhat off flavors of most of the bottled kind. Typically I make a basic but healthy balsamic dressing with a few tweaks to give it variety (sampling of recipes to follow). But last night, for whatever reason I was craving Caesar Salad.

I know - not super healthy - at least in its classical rendition. Not remembering everything that goes in a Caesar, and knowing that I needed to make substitutes for a few items, I went onto The Food Network to seek a bit more information.

What I found, my foodies, was a gold mine. At first, I didn't believe what I was reading. A Caesar dressing recipe at 10% of the fat & calories of the classic? It couldn't taste good. But with a no-cook recipe like that . . . to which I happened to have ALL the ingredients . . . I had to try it.

I am glad I did and I think you will be too - just one slight modification made this recipe a new favorite!!!

Healthier Caesar Salad Dressing
Courtesy of Eating Well on The Food Network

This dressing has just 13 calories and less than half a gram of fat per tablespoon, compared to 115 calories and 12 grams of fat for its traditional counterpart.

1 clove garlic, crushed (I love garlic, so I subbed in 2 cloves:-)
1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
**I modified my dressing to add 1 heaping tsp of Dijon Mustard - it made all the difference to me

Puree garlic and cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add yogurt, Parmesan, vinegar and Worcestershire and pulse to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Add mustard in with the wet ingredients if you like.

My boyfriend and I ate this over a combination of shredded hearts of romaine, baby spinach and a few yellow bell pepper slices for extra fiber and sweetness. We were garlic scented but thrilled by this easy to make, delicious and decadent tasting recipe . . . I hope you try it and enjoy!!!!

A few other dressing options, as promised, to make your own relatively quickly and easily at home. I always add a few modifications to try and keep the fat and calories down without sacrificing flavor or consistency.

Kir's Basic Balsamic

3/4 - 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (amount varies on your taste for acid)
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Fat Free Sour Cream (reduces oil & makes a creamy dressing simultaneously)
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

Emulsification is the trick to any balsamic and there is no better way to achieve this than - shaking! I make all my dressings in small, very air tight Tupperware containers . . . and when I have all the ingredients in I shake em. Then taste with a leaf of your greens to see if it needs any changes. In fact, shaking also helps you use less dressing, and thereby less fat and calories, on your salad. I shake my greens in a large Tupperware with a little dressing and then check back to see if I need more. This way, I can get a great coating of dressing without dousing the greens.

Modifiers: Once you have this base vinaigrette, which tastes great as is, simply adding a few flavorful herbs or other ingredients can make it seem a totally different salad.

For example:

1/2 Tsp Thyme if you are serving salad with a heartier meal is great, also excellent with a salad that has blue cheese and walnuts plus a few sliced pears
1/2 Tsp Oregano, Feta & replacing half the balsamic with white wine or rice wine vinegar makes this a bit more like a greek salad dressing; add Feta to the salad of course:)
1/2 Tsp Basil and some chopped sundried tomatoes make a lovely dressing, especially for salads with some goat cheese in them

In another blog - I'll tell you all about the healthy slaws I have been making . . . both classical american and tasty asian slaws like you are starting to find at trendy asian fusion places.

I wish you all Salad days!

I love leftovers!!!

2008-07-21T21:11:00.005-05:00

Lasagna leftovers in particular are fabulous . . . that was what we had for dinner tonight. Since making a big lasagna batch and enjoying it for a few meals is super convenient, I though I'd share my protein packed lasagna recipe that cuts some of the fat and adds fiber and protein in some creative ways.

Kir's Meat & Tofu Whole Grain Lasagna

1 Package DaVinci Whole Wheat Lasagna
2 Jars Packaged Tomato Sauce (this is my cheat) - I make mine from scratch about 2/3 of the time, but since we are going for quick and easy . . . try this:)
6-8 Oz Lean Ground Beef
1/2 Red Onion, Diced
5 Garlic Cloves, Diced
4-5 Tbsp Basil Paste, Gourmet Garden makes my fave
2 Tbsp Oregano, Dried
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Packages Nori Mu Firm Tofu
1/4 c Low Fat Sour Cream
1 1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Don't bother cooking the Lasagna noodles. This recipe calls for a bit of extra sauce and the liquid cooks the lasagna in the oven, saving you a step that is quite the hassle.

Heat olive oil on medium high in a non-stick pot that is large enough to hold all the sauce. Saute onions and garlic in the oil until golden brown. Add the ground beef and brown for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up into small chunks as it cooks. Add the canned tomato sauce, oregano and 1/2 of the basil, salt & pepper to taste. Simmer sauce for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld a bit.

While the sauce simmers, unpack the tofu and mix it with the sour cream and remaining basil. Add some pepper if you like a bit of space. Mix this together until it has a texture a bit like ricotta.

Now, begin to layer just like a regular lasagna. Put a small bit of sauce in the bottom of the lasagna pan, add a layer of noodles, a layer of sauce, a layer of the tofu mixture and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Continue this layering until you have used all your ingredients, ending with a topping of sauce and Parmesan. Top with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for just a few minutes till golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Slice and serve with gusto!!!! Serves 8 easily . . . so if you are fewer, enjoy your leftovers for a few days to come:)))

Time Saving Tip: Last week, I prepared and assembled all the ingredients in under 25 minutes. Then I popped it in the oven while I went to the gym!

Family Challenge: Cheap & Easy Meals that are Healthy Too . . .

2008-07-14T21:04:00.004-05:00

So last week I wrote a post about how out of hand obesity and its side effects have gotten, followed by a recipe that my family deemed unreasonably posh. Fair.

They also thought I was too harsh on folks out there. Well, I don't agree. I still think we all have our health within our control. No one else puts food in my mouth or on the plate of my family - I am in control of that, regardless of my circumstances.

But the criticism was constructive . . . so today I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes from my days in graduate school when I was really short on time and even shorter on money. I think there are very few people who couldn't replicate this at home . . . and I am proud to say that one of my close non-culinary gal pals from grad school adopted this one and made it with great frequency!

Quick & Easy Ramen One Pot (Serves 1)
1 Packet Ramen Noodles (I prefer chicken flavor)
1/3 Package Frozen Vegetable Medley, ideally one with snap peas & bell peppers or snap peas, carrots & broccoli
1/4 Cup Dry Roasted Peanuts or Cashews, crushed
2 Tbsp House of Tsang Peanut Sauce

Place Ramen in a saucepan about 3x the size of the noodles with water per package directions, but do not use the seasoning packet (it will be too salty). Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add frozen vegetables and let steam until cooked through (approx 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat, drain and toss with the peanut sauce. Top with crushed peanuts and serve.

I think that may take about 5 minutes and all the ingredients are ones you can keep on hand to be able to prep a super fast, tasty and relatively satisfying meal. Over time you can vary this with differen veggies, sauce ingredients and toppings to avoid boredom. Even add tofu if you'd like an additional protein kick from something that stores really well.

As I get feedback, if I get feedback:), I will continue to vary my recipes to appeal to a variety of audiences. But will work to keep them reasonable in food cost and prep time so that more people can benefit. I hope someone out there enjoys em!

Have a great week all . . .

Healthy meals & kids getting cholesterol checks!

2008-07-07T21:11:00.004-05:00

I just finished reading Cholesterol Screening Is Urged for Young at NYTimes online - a report that I had also heard about this afternoon on NPR.

In fact, I am sitting with a glass of red wine . . . contemplating my tasty but healthy dinner and wondering how our nation has become such an unhealthy and physically damaging place to eat. Admittedly, I can count myself lucky since I have access and means to procure the fresh and healthy ingredients that made my meal tonight . . . but I also wonder why people believe it is so difficult to create a healthy and tasty meal?

Case in point, I worked about 11 hours today and then went to the store and saw a lovely piece of tuna on sale - yeah! The rest of the meal came together in a flash. After literally 17 minutes, I had prepared seared sesame crusted tuna, with red chile, garlic and lemon broccoli on a bed of quinoa . . . topped off with a cilantro and ginger soy sauce. Seriously 17 minutes. Now, granted, if I hadn't made the quinoa last night it would have taken about 22 minutes. But why split hairs?

I have a number of well educated friends who have the luxury of spending lots of money on take out because they claim not to have the time or the know how to cook. WRONG.

I also hear and read stories of people who say it is too difficult, time consuming or expensive to cook something healthy. WRONG.

My opinion, lazy gluttons who like fattening food and know nothing else, are not willing to try something new. Sadly, that seems to be most of our nation . . . who are teaching their kids more of the same . . . while letting them sit around and play video games. It may sound cruel, but frankly, the stats disgust me. We can do better than that and we know it.

My contribution - I will post one new 30 minute recipe per week that has reasonable food cost and, in my eyes, is nutritious, delicious and reasonable in terms of calories/fat.***

So to close out tonight's post . . . more details on tonight's fabby dinner:

Seared Tuna with Quinoa & Spicy Broccoli in Cilantro Ginger Soy Sauce

.65lb Tuna (on sale for $9.99/lb - good deal I must say)
Toasted Sesame Seeds (keep em on hand, tons of flavor and don't spoil)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
(2) Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
(1) tsp Fresh Ginger (or ginger paste)
(1) tsp Cilantro paste*
(1) tsp Garlic paste*
Juice of 1/2 Lime
(1) Head Broccoli
(2) cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
(1) c Dry Quinoa**
(2) c Water

I do a lot of multi-tasking to make things quick . . . for me, it helps to think about the steps a bit before I start . . . and usually it saves about 15 - 20 minutes. In this case try the following.

Set quinoa and water in a small pot on high to bring to a boil. Once boiling turn down to low for about 20 minutes.

While you wait for the boil, trim the broccoli into bite size florets. Place them in a microwave safe container with about 1/2 inch of water. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, checking to verify doneness. You want to have a bright green color with still a little bit of firmness - not cooked all the way through yet. Remove, drain and let sit until the next step for the broccoli.

Meantime, unpack the tuna and rinse it with cold water. Place a teflon coated pan on the stove, medium high heat and put about 1 tsp of olive oil in the pan. Cut the steak into 4 or so pieces so that you can sear the edges nicely (in my case, the one steak made 5 nice pieces). Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the pieces and then spread to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then add sesame seeds and press them into the tuna so you have about 1/4 of the surface area covered.

Once the pan is hot, place the tuna steaks into the pan. While the tuna is cooking, smash the fresh garlic and chop it small, set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic & cilantro pastes and fresh ginger. Mix and set aside.

After about 3 minutes or so, turn the tuna. Sear on the second side until it has achieved the desired doneness. I like it to be mid-pink and so sear it about 7 minutes total. I also love the edges to be seared, so I use tongs to pick up the tuna and place each edge to the pan for just a few seconds at the end of cooking. This helps seal in heat and juices as well. Remove the tuna from the pan, place on one dinner plate and cover with the other.

Add a tsp olive oil to the pan. Already hot, it is ready for your fresh garlic and the red chili flakes. Sautee for about 1 minute. Add the broccoli. Sautee for 2 minutes or so and then juice the lemon on top of the broccoli and cook until your desired doneness. I like mine a bit al dente but with sear marks.

Guess what. It has probably been about 20 minutes since you started the Quinoa . . . it should be done. So is the rest of your meal! Time to assemble.

Place a portion of quinoa on each plate (you probably won't use all of it), with broccoli next to it and tuna on top. Drizzle with sauce and serve!

Protein, fiber and vege-vitamins galore in this dinner. Tonight I even splurged with a good fat and added a slice of avocado to each (they were on sale too). But you can tweak this with so many different ingredients and make it your own. Either way - it is fast and super healthy:)

*Cilantro & Garlic Paste: so one of my tricks and favorites in the kitchen are these little tubes of herbs made by Gourmet Garden (plug because these are a godsend). I love to buy fresh herbs as much as the next foodie . . . but it isn't always in season or viable . . . so I have an assortment of my faves, Cilantro, Basil, Lemongrass, Garlic and Ginger, that I try to keep handy to allow me to create fab sauces and meals in a snap.

**Quinoa: this grain is amazing. More protein and fiber than virtually any other grain out there . . . totally versatile. Check out the stats:)

***I am not a nutritionist. I am a working professional who happens to have a little culinary training and loves to cook, experiment and share this love of food with others. I also like to stay healthy and work out . . . so I tend to create healthy fresh meals that lean towards the delicious. Enjoy . . .