Sarah's Adventures in Culinary Experimentation

Turkey Bacon and Cheese Crescents

2012-01-18T12:56:00.000-06:00

Turkey Bacon and Cheese Crescents

Ingredients

1 package of Crescent Rolls
9 slices of Jennie-O Turkey Bacon
2 Cups Reduced-Fat Sargento Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Oregano
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Unroll the crescent rolls and peal apart the first triangle.
Lay one slice of turkey bacon on the triangle.
Then sprinkle a good helping of cheese from the larger part to the smaller part.
Sprinkle a little Oregano in the middle, if you want a little seasoning.
Roll the crescent from the larger to the smaller.
Repeat for the rest of the rolls. Once slice of turkey bacon per crescent.
Sprinkle a little Montreal Steak Seasoning on top before baking.
Cook until golden brown.

Refreshing Shrimp Salad

2012-01-14T14:12:00.000-06:00

Refreshing Shrimp Salad
Serves 2-4 (depending on how you serve it)

This recipe was inspired by one I saw for a Shrimp Salad from Ina Garten. Her recipe is for an enormous amount of shrimp, so I tried to make adjustments. It was great on a roll for lunch and could easily make 3-4 sandwiches. As a salad topping or alone, I'd say it would feed closer to two people. Depends on how you want to use it. It turned out to be incredibly refreshing and would do

Ingredients
Boiled Shrimp

2 cups water
1.5 cups white wine vinegar
4 TBSP Old Bay with Lemon and Herb Seasoning
1/2 - 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon juiced)
1 lbs uncooked medium-large shrimp in shell

Dressing

1/3 cup red onion minced
1 cup minced celery
1 TBSP fresh dill minced
2 TBSP pepper
1 TBSP horseradish
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP ground stone mustard
1 TBSP white wine vinegar

Instructions

In a large pot, bring the water, white vinegar, lemon juice, and Old Bay Seasoning to boil. Add in shrimp. Cook them for 3-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pot and put aside to cool.
Combine the Dressing ingredients and stir.
In a separate bowl, put the peeled shrimp after cutting them in halves or thirds depending on size.
When shrimp are cooled and ready in the separate bowl, spoon your preferred amount of dressing over the shrimp. Mix one spoonful in before adding another to make sure the shrimp are thoroughly coated.
Refrigerate, covered or in a tupperware container, for 30 minutes or more.
Serve over lettuce, as a sandwich or by itself.

Onion and Cider Pulled Pork

2012-01-12T18:31:00.000-06:00

Slow-Cooker Apples, Onions, and Pork

This dish was inspired by a what I saw Zane Homlquist cook on the Today Show the morning of January 11, 2012.

Ingredients

2 large granny smith apples
2 large yellow onions
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 TBSP coriander
2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP salt
2 TBSP pepper
4 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
1.75L (59 FL OZ) bottle Apple Cider (Simply Apple Pure Pressed)
Pork shoulder
2-3lbs pork shoulder
3TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
3 Bay Leaves

Instructions

Season the pork shoulder with half of the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Heat up a hot pan and sear off the meat.
While the meat is searing, slip and quarter the onions and put them in the slow-cooker. Check your meat and make sure you're searing the other sides.
Wash and core the apples. Cut into 16ths. Put them in the slow-cooker. Check your meat to make sure you're searing all the sides.
Add the minced garlic, coriander, paprika, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to the slow-cooker. Your meat should be fully seared. Add it to the slow-cooker.
Pour in the apple cider until everything is completely covered. Then add the Worcestershire Sauce.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, then turn down to low and cook a minimum of 4 more hours. Best option would be to cook for a full twelve hours to get the most tender pork.
Strain the liquid from the slow-cooker into a large bowl. Take the meat and the onion pieces out of the colander and put it back into the slow-cooker. Make sure all the liquid is drained from the colander and discard the contents.
Take two forks and shred the pork and onions in the slow-cooker. Then add as much liquid back in as to cover the shredded pork. Continue to let warm in the slow-cooker until serving.
The leftover liquid can be made into a Carolina Barbeque style sauce by using the recipe listed below. Add to the sandwich or adjust the re-added liquid to the recipe and make your whole slow-cooker flavored that way. Save any extra in case the liquid in the slow-cooker seems to dry up, you can keep re-adding to keep the pork moist.

Note: Suggested side dishes are a salad, scalloped potatoes, or wild rice and sauteed snap peas. Any BBQ side-dish works just as well.

Carolina BBQ-Style Sauce

Ingredients

3 cups Cider Vinegar
3 cups the above recipe Seasoned Liquid Leftovers
1 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP pepper

Instructions

In a bowl or a contain with a spout, add in all the ingredients list above.
Shake the container, stir, or mix in some way.
Taste and season or adjust liquid ratio to your preferred taste.
Serve over pulled pork.

Manwich Pot Pies

2012-01-05T10:28:00.000-06:00

Manwich Pot Pies

Ingredients

2 packages of Food Club Jumbo flaky biscuits (won't use both completely)
2 cans of Manwich
2 lbs of ground beef
1 3/4 cup shredded classic sharp cheddar cheese

NOTE: You might have leftover Manwich, but I suggest using as much of it as you can, because the biscuits will flake-up. You might use both whole packages of biscuits if you are using one large dish instead of individual dishes. These individual dishes have 2 servings, each, in them.

Instructions

Cook the meat and drain the fat. Preheat oven to 350.
While the meat is cooking, start to peel apart the biscuits and layer them in the serving dishes (bottom and sides, creating a lip around the edge to fold over). Make sure you spray the dishes with non-stick spray.
After draining the meat, add the Manwich sauces. Let cook.
Put a layer of shredded cheese on the bottom to cover the bottom.
When the Manwich is ready, fill the dishes to the top.
Put the rest of the cheddar on top.
Layer the top with biscuit pieces and fold over the lip to close. Seal by pressing the buscuit pieces together.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (or until biscuits are golden brown on the top and you say see down the sides that it is cooking through.)

Tortilla Chicken Soup

2011-12-29T18:30:00.002-06:00

Tortilla Chicken Soup

Serves 8

A fresh soup with a good deal of flavor. Tastes great with tortilla chips and doesn’t weigh you down. Delish!

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts
2 32oz cartons chicken broth
1 cup water
2 medium onions (halved and thinly sliced)
1 TBSP paprika
1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP fresh ground pepper
1 TBSP ground sea salt
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans Black Beans (preferred brand, rinsed)
2 TBSP Mrs. Renfro’s Jalapeno Green Salsa (Hot)
1 small can diced green chilies
Tortilla chips (garnish, Multi-Grain recommended)
Guacamole (garnish)
Jalapenos (garnish)

Instructions

In a large pot, combine thinly sliced onions, garlic, and 1 cup chicken broth. Let come to a boil.
Rinse off chicken breasts and put them in the pot with the broth. Cover with more broth. Add in the cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. Let come to a boil.
Once chicken is cooked through, take out and shred. Then return it to the pot. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse Black Beans. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes (with liquid) and the diced green chilies, as well as the Mrs. Renfro’s Green Salsa. Continue to let simmer until the black beans are cooked to your preferred taste (10-15 minutes).
Serve soup with slices of jarred jalapenos, a dollop of guacamole, and/or tortilla chips. Other suggestions have been slices of avocado or pour the soup over a thin layer of Spanish rice.

Nutella Crescents

2011-10-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

Nutella Crescents
Serving: 4-8

Ingredients
1 package Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls
8 TBSP Nutella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Open the crescent package and break apart the crescents into the pre-cut triangles.
Take 1 TBSP of Nutella and start at the largest end of the crescent and spread it a little over halfway up the triangle.
Roll the crescents and place them on a nonstick baking sheet. Repeat for remaining crescents.
Let bake until golden brown on the top.
Serve.

Note: You can also do this with jam.

Tequila Chicken Sub Sandwiches

2011-10-16T16:36:00.001-05:00

Tequila Chicken Sub Sandwiches
Serves: 8
Great for sports parties!

Ingredients

4 9.75oz cans Swanson White Chicken Breast
1/2 - 3/4 cup tequila
2 fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 1/4 cup lime juice)
2 bell peppers diced (yellow and orange)
1 large red onion diced (or 2 medium)
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup diced jalapenos
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup fresh diced tomatoes (let sit on a paper towel to absorb liquid.)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBSP ground pepper
1 TBSP sea salt
8 sub rolls

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250.
In a large/deep baking dish, combine the 4 ozs of cream cheese with the tequila and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Then add the chicken, bell peppers, onion, minced garlic, jalapenos, salt and pepper, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Mix well so that everything is coated relatively evenly.
Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, pull out of the oven and turn the oven up to 350.
Mix the mixture and then layer the top with the grated Parmesan cheese, then the diced fresh tomatoes, then top with the cilantro.
Recover with foil and cook for another hour.
Slice a V in the tops of the subs and fill from the top to reduce spill.

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

2011-09-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients

3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
1 large Cucumber
1 large Red or Vidalia onion
1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Wash your tomatoes and cucumber. Then skin the cucumber and cut into chunky slices. Then quarter the slices and put into a larger seal-able bowl.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut each quarter in half and cut each section into three pieces. Put into bowl with cucumber.
Cut and peel onion and cut each half into quarter inch slices, then halve the slices (so you have a quartered onion with each section cut into quarter inch slices). Add to bowl with cucumber and tomatoes.
Add 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing to the bowl. Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and shake the container to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Put into refrigerator to chill. Best served the same day. Not as good after 2 days.

Sweet and Savory Breakfast Surprise: Grits, Bacon, and Eggs

2011-08-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

Sweet & Savory Breakfast Surprise: Grits, Bacon, & Eggs
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 slices of Jennie-O turkey bacon
4 TBSP Maple Syrup (I used Log Cabin Lite)
4 Large Eggs
3 handfuls of All Natural Alexia Sweet Potato Juliened fries (preferred brand or your own... if you're own 1 large sweet potato should be enough)
3/4 cup Quaker Grits (Quick-5 Minutes, Smooth & Creamy, Enriched White Hominy)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups preferred cheddar cheese (shredded or cubed)
1/2 cup 1% milk
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP butter (for the eggs)
1 TBSP salt
2 TBSP pepper
Favorite Hot Sauce (for a drop or two of garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F and get the sweet potato fries cooking. Follow your own recipe for your own. Cook the fries until tender and slightly crispy. I don't add any kind of cooking oil, because they cook up delicious and fine without it. Do this well in advance, because everything else will come together quickly and you can keep the fries in a warming area.
In a medium pot on the stove, start to cook up the grits by bringing 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the 3/4 cups grits, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 TBSP pepper and stir.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add in 3 TBSP butter and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Stir and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the turkey bacon as you prefer. Do not make the bacon too crispy, still pliable. You can either cook it in the microwave, turning frequently, until ready or follow oven directions. When the bacon is ready, cut strips in half at an angle. Two slices for each bowl.
Put the bacon aside on a plate. When the grits are to your taste, add in 1/2 cup 1% milk to smooth the texture. Take off heat and set aside covered.
Heat a frying pan to medium-high and add 1/2 TBSP butter for each egg. Fry the egg on both sides so that the whites are cooked, but the yoke will pop. Don't forget, the eggs will continue cooking ones off the heat.
While the eggs are preparing, stir your grits and portion them into 4 wide bowls. Then lay down the bacon so that the angles create a V out of the bacon or just create an X across the grits (cutting them just makes it easier to eat). See picture for platting help.
Lay the fried egg on top of the bacon. Then distribute 4 small sweet potatoe fries around the 4 segments of the bowl. Lay 2 large potato strips across the top of the egg.
Drizzle 1 TBSP of maple syrup over the egg so that it runs down. Then douse with a few drops of hot sauce.
Serve! Pop the egg first.

Onion Rice

2011-08-09T19:22:00.001-05:00

Onion Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cans Campbell's low sodium French Onion Soup
1 cup Uncle Ben's Rice (not instant rice)
1 TBSP butter

Instructions

Drain liquid from the French Onion Soup with a strainer into a measuring cup (try to use a measuring cup that will hold 2+ cups of liquid).
Put the onions aside to add later.
Check the rice packaging to see how much water you need for 1 cup of rice (usually 2 1/4 cup). Add water to top off the onion soup (check for extra liquid in the onions put aside).
Add the liquid, butter, and rice to a pot and bring to boil.
When boiling, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir and check.
When the liquid is absorbed, add the onions and finish cooking the rice until tender. Serve.

Note: Goes great as a side dish with broccoli, corn, and most meats.

I originally got this recipe from my mother-in-law, because it is one of my husband's favorite side dishes. I don't know where she got it from, but I've taken a long time to perfect the making, so when you make it, just feel out how it works for you. It is a really great side dish and reheats really well.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes

2011-07-30T13:29:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by a recipe I saw through the Baby Bullet Facebook page and I could not wait to make them for my daughter. Then I realized they would make great little dinner party appetizers or little sporting event snacks, etc.

What I also thought was that if I made these for adults, I would not blend the mixture as much and make it more chunky, use different cheese and be more adult-taste-bud-friendly. You know your audience and can adjust as you see fit.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes
Serving: 1 (12m old baby)

Ingredients

4 baby red potatoes
3 small stocks of already cooked broccoli
2 baby carrots
2 TBSP freshly shredded Asiago cheese (half for sprinkling before baking)
1/4 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash your potatoes, poke them, and put them on a baking sheet in the oven. Cook until tender.
Carefully cut in half and scoop out the middle. I stress carefully, because the skin might peel off. Don't panic, just keep going.
Put the scooped out middles, broccoli, baby carrots, vegetable broth, and 1/2 the cheese into a food processor (or bullet blender) and mix to a smooth consistency (for baby).
Refill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle the leftover cheese on top. Put back into over and bake until cooked through.
Let cool and serve.

Lemony Orzo with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts

2011-06-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

Lemony Orzo with Tuna and Artichoke Hearts
Serves: 4

I found this recipe on FineCooking.com and thought it sounded good. Plus I had all the ingredients on hand already.I did not have sun-dried tomatoes, so I threw in some halved cherry tomatoes when I added the tuna. I also only had light tuna and not chunk white. For the wine I used a small bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay. It turned out delicious.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1-1/2 cups dried orzo (about 9 oz.)
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 5-oz. can water-packed solid white tuna, drained
3 Tbs. sour cream
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package timing until al dente. Drain well.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vermouth or wine. Return the skillet to the heat and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Add the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and cook just until tender and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Off the heat, gently stir in the tuna.
Transfer the hot orzo to a large bowl and toss with the crème fraîche and lemon juice.
Add the onion-artichoke mixture, 2 Tbs. of the basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine.
Spoon into bowls, garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. basil, and serve.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 470; Fat (g): 12; Fat Calories (kcal): 110; Saturated Fat (g): 4; Protein (g): 23; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5; Carbohydrates (g): 60; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 710; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 4

WTH is for Dinner Breakfast-Dinner

2011-06-04T13:08:00.000-05:00

WTH is for Dinner Breakfast-Dinner

Ingredients

1 Hillshire Farm Cheddar Turkey Ring Bologna
6 Eggs (or 3 Egg Beaters)
2 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
8 thin slices of a French loaf
Cherry Tomatoes – Sliced
Shredded Parmesan
2 TBSP butter

Instructions

Beat 3 eggs and 1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning. In a heated pan, melt 1 TBSP butter and pour in the egg mixture. Spread out until you get a thin layer of eggs. Very thin, like a crepe. Flip when cooked. Then put aside. Do this for the last 3 eggs and last teaspoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning and last TBSP of butter.
Put the eggs aside to cool. Then cut up the Turkey Bologna into small slices. Do not add anything to the frying pan, but keep it on heat. Put the slices in the frying pan and cook until browned on both sides. (You could also just microwave cook the sausage and then slice it afterwards.)
Toast the bread and put a thin layer or butter or margarine or other bread preference on the bread when toasted. Put two slices on each plate.
Slice cherry tomatoes to give at least six cherry tomatoes to eat person. Evenly divide the sliced cherry tomatoes between the four plates.
Roll up the two sheets of eggs, individually, and cut them into 1cm sections, giving you what looks like egg pasta. Drape these evenly over the bread on the plate.
Put your ring bologna on paper towel to drain and pat away excess grease. Then divide evenly among plates.
Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the plate and serve.

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup

2011-06-03T09:55:00.004-05:00

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup
Serves: About 6-8

Ingredients

1 can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - Basil, Garlic & Oregano
1 can Roundy's Diced Tomatoes - With Onion, Celery and Green Peppers
1 yellow onion diced
2 cups Vegetable Stock
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
5-6 fresh basil leaves chopped
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 TBSP Tomato Paste
4 TBSP Light Daisy Sour Cream
shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

Follow the directions on the box and cook the Orzo to your desired tenderness. Put aside to mix it at the end.
Sweat down the onions and garlic with the olive oil until translucent.
Add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock and seasoning.
Cook at medium until heated through and taste to make sure its seasoned well.
Then add in your chopped basil. Cook for 5 more minutes on medium so that the basil flavors combine.
Get out your hand blender (or use a blend or food processor) and blend the soup until smooth.
Add in the sour cream and blend a little more until combined.
Combine the Orzo with the soup on the stove top and heat through at low-medium heat until completely warm.
Serve with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Note: Great with a Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil grilled cheese/panini!!

Pineapple Risotto

2011-04-23T19:39:00.001-05:00

Pineapple Risotto
Serves 4
Roughly 248 Calories per serving

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped into small bits
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup Barefoot Chardonnay
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Instructions

In a medium pot, cook the chopped onions with the butter until the onions are tender.
Add the arborio rice and coat well. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the Chardonnay and cook down.
Add the pineapple juice and cook down.
Heat the chicken broth in either a pan or in the microwave and add.
Cook the risotto down until tender and soft. A little give in the middle is alright, but cook to taste. Add more broth as needed until cooked down.
Finally, add the pineapple and mix thoroughly. Then add in the cheese and mix until fully combined.
Taste for seasoning (salt or pepper).

Coconut Curry Chicken

2011-04-23T19:30:00.001-05:00

Coconut Curry Chicken
Serves 4
About 172 calories per serving

From Rachael Ray Online.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons curry powder
One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into strips)
2 teaspoons five-spice powder

Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
Add the coconut milk and cook until reduced by half, about 7 minutes.
Toss together the chicken, five-spice powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut oil) over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Increase the heat to high and stir-fry the chicken until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the coconut curry sauce, simmer down.

Salsa Egg Toast

2011-04-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

Salsa Egg Toast

(about 420 calories per serving. Serves 1)

Ingredients

1 container (1/2 cup) Egg Beaters
2 TBSP Tostitos Chunky Salsa (mild)
¼ cup Finely Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
1 slice Whole Wheat Toast

Instructions

In a pan, use your preferred non-stick method (spray, butter, whatever).
Heat the pan and then add the Egg Beaters, Salsa, and Cheese.
While this is cooking in the pan, toast the bread.
Once done, put the egg mixture on the toast.

And just a loving bit of pimpage:

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2011-04-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Serves 6-8

Inspired by a recipe from Rachael Ray's website for Creamy Enchilada Soup, but I made some of my own changes. I've made this before and was trying to channel what I did that time to really infuse good flavor.

Ingredients

1lb chicken breast sliced in long thin pieces (or shredded chicken if you have it)
1 yellow onion sliced thin in halves
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small can diced green chilies
6 cups chicken broth
2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 TBSP Sea Salt
1 cup Mrs. Renfro's Jalapeno Green Salsa Hot (or preferred green salsa, such as Salsa Verde)
4 cups crushed tortilla chips (save some for garnish)
1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese (save some for garnish)
1 cup of shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
Sour Cream (for garnish)

Instructions

In a large pot, sweat down the onions and garlic with a small splash of Olive Oil.
While they sweat, cut the chicken up and season with half of the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Put the chicken in with the onions and garlic until they brown.
Add the can of green chilies and cook for about a minute, incorporating into the mixture.
Then add the 6 cups of chicken broth and add the sea salt and the last TBSP of Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Let cook on medium for about 8 minutes.
Add the Salsa and let cook for another 8-10 minutes. Check the chicken to make sure its the consistency that you want. If the pieces are too big, take some out and shred them yourself with a knife.
After 10 minutes, add the cheese to the pot and stir until incorporated.
Once the cheese is incorporated, add the tortilla chips. Then let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, until a consistency that you prefer. If you think it is too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water.
Serve in bowls with extra cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream as garnish.

Note: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Crab Egg Rolls

2011-04-20T08:07:00.000-05:00

Crab Egg Rolls

This recipe was inspired by one from Emeril Lagasse on foodnetwork.com. My store did not have any wonton wraps, so I used egg roll wraps instead, which turned it into an egg roll, instead of a Fresh Crab Spring Roll. These turned out beyond delicious and I would definitely make them again.

Ingredients

2 ounces Chinese cellophane or glass noodles, cooked
Sesame oil
Soy Sauce
1 bunch of green onions, chopped into strips
8 egg roll wrappers (or just a package, depending on how much you fill them)
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (imitation works well, too)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons chili paste
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienne carrots
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
Sweet Chili Sauce (for dipping)
Vegetable Oil (or preferred frying oil)

Instructions

Cook the cellophane noodles by directions. It should say boil water, then remove from heat and let noodles sit in water until ready. Should only take 5-10 minutes, depending on how firm you want your noodles.
Once the noodles are done, spread them on a cookie sheet to dry and drain off as much water as possible. They will still retain moisture, which is ok. Spread 1 TBSP of Sesame Oil and 1 TBSP of Soy Sauce over the noodles and let them continue to sit.
Fill a high pot with enough oil to cover your egg rolls (so about 3-5 inches). Heat on almost high (so 8-9 on the nob) until a test piece of egg roll covering crisps.
In a bowl, mix the crab, mayonnaise, chili paste, and salt and pepper. It should be a thin coating on the crab.
Make sure your carrots of thin and the proper length of the egg roll. Then cut thin strips of the green onions so that they fit in the egg roll. Halve the green tops, quarter the whiter bottoms.
Form an assembly line of your ingredients. First the cellophane noodles, then the crab, then the carrots and onions and lastly some of the parsley (just add as is to the roll).
Have your egg roll wrapper face you like a diamond. About an inch from the corner closest to you, lay some of the cellophane noodles, then 1 tsp or 1.5 tsp of the crab mixture, then layer or vegetables and herbs. Take the corner closest to you and roll/fold it over the mixture. Then fold in the left and right sides and roll to the other corner. Use a little dip of water to close the flap if just rolling it does not.
Test the oil with an imperfect piece of egg roll. When ready, put 1-2 egg rolls in at a time and watch them. Cook for about 5 minutes or until a deep golden brown on all sides.
Take out and put on a paper towel to soak up any leftover oil.
Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice. A Peanut Sauce or a Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Storage: a Tupperware or other airtight container. Keeps for about 5 days.

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

2011-02-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 Baguette sliced into 1/4-1/3 in pieces at an angle
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Tiny Mozzarella Balls (Mozzarella Pearls)
Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

Slice your cherry tomatoes in half. You should have 3-4 per slice of baguette, depending on how long each slice is. Put them in a bowl with enough Balsamic Vinaigrette to cover them. Mix them, then cover the bowl and put them in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
After the tomatoes have marinated, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice your baguette into 1/4-1/3 inch pieces at an angle.
Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides. Put onto a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Watch them so that they don't burn. These shouldn't be too crunchy. You want a little bit of softness still in the middle. When done, let cool.
Get your bowl of cherry tomatoes and the mozzarella balls. Make sure you put the mozzarella balls on a paper towel before adding to the bruschetta if they were immersed in liquid. You should have a 1-to-1 ratio of tomato halves and mozzarella balls. Line them up in alternating order on the bread. Then drizzle with leftover Balsamic Vinaigrette.

If you want to add fresh Basil, that would be brilliant. Just make sure to layer or chop the fresh basil and make it a garnish on the bruschetta. These were absolutely delicious and were a great appetizer with our Sausage-and-Rice Timbale.

Sausage-and-Rice Timbale

2011-02-27T08:23:00.001-06:00

I saw this recipe in the Food Network Magazine and I just had to cook it. I changed a few bits about the recipe, one of which was adding Green Bell Pepper to the onion mixture for inside.

Sausage-and-Rice Timbale

Time: 15 minutes (prep); 1 hour 15 mins (cook)

Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 Italian pork sausages, casings removed
2 TBSP minced garlic
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs
4 large egg
1 1/4 cups grated pecorino romano cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 ounces deli-sliced provolone cheese (6-8 slices)

Instructions

Springform Pan

Bring a large pot of salted water (or chicken broth/not included in directions amount) to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Drain, shaking the colander to remove any excess water. Spread the rice on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. (You could also just a bit of a preferred white wine to add some flavor to the rice.)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a baking sheet on the middle rack.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes.
Add to the skillet along with the garlic and tomato paste. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste browns, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Coat the pan with the breadcrumbs, tapping to remove any excess.
Put the eggs and all but 3 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Put the cooled rice in a bowl; add the egg mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer about two-thirds of the rice mixture to the prepared springform pan. Using moist fingers, pat the rice onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a 1/2-inch-thick layer. (I used a spoon here and it worked out perfectly fine.)
Place the provolone slices over the rice in the pan. Spoon about three-quarters of the sausage filling over the provolone, filling it to 1/2 inch from the top. Then add another layer of provolone.
Pat the remaining rice mixture on top to enclose the filling, then sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons pecorino cheese on top. Put the pan on the hot baking sheet and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool, 5 minutes.
Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the timbale, then remove the side of the pan. Slide a spatula under the timbale and transfer it to a platter.
Thin the remaining sausage filling with a splash of water and reheat. Serve with the timbale.

Overall, this recipe was a success. My husband thought the 1/2 inch thickness was a bit too thick and would have preferred it just a little thinner. My top layer was very thin, so that was a bonus there. I also let it bake for 30 minutes instead of just 20 to get the top just a little toastier. Next time, I would also add a bit more seasoning to the filling. I'm not sure I'd want an Italian seasoning, but something. I think a good addition would also be a few more vegetables. A sliced up zucchini layer would taste good, but for some reason our grocery store seems to be frequently out of them. Seasonsal issues I suppose.

This recipe requires quite a bit of multitasking, but is well worth the work. We enjoyed it and there was lots of leftovers for meals the following day or for lunches, as it would be easy to reheat with a little splash of water for the rice.

Goes great with my Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta as an appetizer.

Steak and Eggs-in-a-Grits-Nest

2011-02-18T19:16:00.000-06:00

I’m trying a new recipe tonight. I saw it in the March 2011 Rachael Ray magazine, but I’m going to put my own spin on it. I’ve never really eaten grits before. I hear people talk about them all the time all over the food world. They rave about them when they are made right. My husband, though, hates grits. So I pitched him this recipe idea and he decided to consider it. I call it:

Steak and Eggs-in-a-Grits-Nest

Serves: 2-3

Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 TBSP butter
4 eggs
1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4-6oz flank steak
2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil 2 1/4 cups water with salt and pepper seasoning. When boiling, add the grits and mix. Cover and turn to low until grits are thick and creamy.
Start grilling or broiling your flank steak. Cover both sides with 1 TBSP Montreal seasoning and grill to preferred temperature. Remember to let rest when it has cooked long enough for the length and thickness. Slice at an angle against the grain.
Add the cheese and butter and mix through the grits. Scoop into a 4x4 pan.
Make small indentations in the grits and drop your eggs in. Crack them one by one into a small bowl if preferred.
Then bake until the eggs are cooked, but the yokes are still a little runny. It took mine 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the onion and bell pepper and slowly sautee on the stove until desired texture.
Combine on a plate and serve.

Frozen Banana Breakfast Smoothie

2011-02-13T10:32:00.001-06:00

This recipe was inspired by the Chocolate Banana recipe I posted on here. It is a great breakfast and filling.

Frozen Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Servings: 1
Cook Time: 5 minutes (not including freezing)

Ingredients
1 large frozen banana
1 cup Light Silk Milk (or preferred milk)
6 oz preferred yogurt (I use fruit flavors)
1 tsp honey

Instructions

Put all ingredients into preferred blending device.
Hit blend until everything is perfectly incorporated.
Enjoy!

I usually buy the individual Dannon Light 'n Fit yogurts and just add one of the little squares into my Bullet cup. I have found that the Cherry flavor one is absolutely delicious, as well as the Pina Colada and Pear. Experiment to learn what your favorite flavor is.

Chocolate Banana Bullet Smoothie

2011-02-12T21:19:00.000-06:00

For Christmas my mom made the best impulse present purchase ever! She got me a bullet. I think her first inclination involved making baby food for my daughter. Now I'm using it to make breakfasts and any chocolate cravings. I also prefer to drink Silk milk. It is a soy milk and I also started drinking chocolate silk milk. I saw a recipe on the side of the Silk soy milk carton that said I should freeze a sliced banana and then blend it with 1 cup of chocolate silk milk and 1 TBSP of honey. I used this recipe for my inspiration for a chocolaty delicious evening snack.

Chocolate Banana Bullet Smoothie
Servings: 2
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups Light Chocolate Silk Milk
1 medium banana, sliced and frozen

Instructions

Add Silk Milk and Bananas to your blending device.
Blend full blast until mixed together and smooth.
Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Fettuccine with Mozzarella, Basil, and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

2011-02-10T16:07:00.000-06:00

Italian Sausage Fettuccine with Mozzarella, Basil, and Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Servings: 4

Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

4 frozen Italian sausages (preferred kind)

4 wedges laughing cow Sun-dried Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella cheese

1 yellow onion, cut into small slices

1 can diced tomatoes with liquid

1 package of cooked garden fresh fettuccine

½ cup chicken broth

2 TBSP minced garlic

Instructions:

Cook the fettuccine as directed and to the desired tenderness.
Cut frozen sausages into angled pieces. Take the cases off after cutting if you want to.
Cook the sausage pieces in a pot with the garlic.
While the sausage cooks, cut the onions into halved medium-thin strips. Then add to the pan with the sausage.
Let cook together until the unions are starting to turn translucent. Then add the can of diced tomatoes and chicken broth.
Make sure you drain your noodles and rinse them under cold water. Let sit while you finish what is in the pot.
Once the liquid in the pot is boiling, add four-5 wedges of Laughing Cow Sun-dried Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella cheese. Mash and blend with a fork or spoon.
After you combined the cheese into a thin sauce, add the pasta to the pot and toss. Let simmer until the dish is fully combined.

Stuffed Cabage Rolls

2010-04-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

I got this recipe from Liz's Cooking Blog. She was inspired by a recipe from "Sweet Tea in Texas as well as cabbage and onions from our CSA"

Ingredients:

12 Large Cabbage leaves
1 lb Ground Pork
1 Beaten Egg
1/4 C Milk
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tsp cumin
1 C Cooked Brown Rice
1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire

Instructions:
1. Start by browning your ground turkey. Season your ground turkey as it browns with garlic salt & lemon pepper. When this is done, drain and set aside.

2. Start water boiling in a large pot for your cabbage. The easiest way that I’ve found to get the leaves off is to submerge the whole head of cabbage for a couple of minutes and pull it out, taking as many leaves off as you can easily. Submerge again until you can pull a few more off. You want to keep the leaves as in tact as possible. Do this until you have about 12 whole leaves.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, milk, onion, spices, & rice. Mix well. Take about 1/4 C of this mix and put into the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides, then fold up the bottom until it looks like a little burrito. Place them seam side down in the Crockpot until you have gone through your leaves or ran out of

4. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, & Worcestershire. Pour this over your little cabbage burritos and put the lid on the Crockpot. Cook these in the Crockpot on low for about 6 hours.

Sesame Chicken Stir Fry (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 10)

2009-04-14T08:23:00.007-05:00

Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
(from Sainsbury's)
Serves: 2
Per Serving:410cals; 15g fat

Ingredients
1 tbsp cornflour
1 egg white
2 skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds
for frying sunflower oil
1 x 270g pack oriental vegetable stir fry
a splash each of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil

Method
1. Whisk the cornflour and egg white until smooth, then toss with the chicken to coat.
2. Remove and toss with the sesame seeds. Heat a shallow layer of oil in a nonstick pan and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes until cooked and golden all over. Set aside.
3. Tip off most of the oil and cook the vegetables according to pack instructions.
4. Return the chicken to the pan.
5. Season with the soy sauce and sesame oil. (Good with rice or noodles.)

Note: Our chicken was substituted by Sainsbury's, so instead of the chicken breasts, we were given chicken tenders. These worked out really well, because I didn't need to slice up chicken or anything. I just had to dredge, coat, and cook.

We also added an extra yellow onion and a courgette (zuchinni), because I like to have my vegetables be the main attraction on dishes like this. I also made some basmati with egg rice for my husband to eat with this and he LOVED it.

This dish was easy, delicious, and we will definitely be cooking it again.

Punchy Pork Chilli (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 9)

2009-02-12T12:59:00.005-06:00

Because Ray was working late tonight, I decided to switch to the Punchy Pork Chili over the Meatball Casserole. I know Chilli reheats alright, so that I could eat at a normal time and not 10:30-11PM at night!!!

Punchy Pork Chilli
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 x 475g British Freedom Food endorsed pork mince.
1 Lime
1 Onion
1 x 500g pack Easy cook rice
1 x 390g Carton chopped tomatoes
1 x 420g tin basics red kidney beans
1 tsp Hot chilli powder

1 TBSP ground cumin

1 chopped garlic clove or 1/2 tsp minced garlic (if you like garlic, I suggest adding 1 TBSP)

250ml Vegetable or Beef Stock (8 fl oz, a little over a cup.. I think a cup would work out just fine)

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan.
2. Add 1 peeled and chopped onion and 1 peeled and chopped clove garlic and cook until softened. 3. Add 1 x 475g pack pork mince and 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder and cook for 5 minutes, until light brown.
4. Add 1 x 420g tin basics red kidney beans, drained, and 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes
5. Reduce the heat and add 250ml vegetable or beef stock, made with 1 stock cube. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat, then squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and stir.
7. Meanwhile, cook 200g rice following pack instructions.
8. Serve with the chilli, sprinkled with grated Cheddar or sour cream.

First, I would just like to point out the gimmick of these cheap recipes. TONS OF NOODLES/RICE!!! What my friend hates to call "CARBS"!!! That drives me INSANE!!! It really makes you feel horrible, because you don't feel like you're getting enough vegetables and other healthy things. Its just lots of grains and starches.

With that realization made, I'd like to say this was okay for a quick chili. I was shocked to see that there was no Cumin in the recipe!!! I added it, because you can't make chilli without Cumin! And, in the end, it was pretty good. Doesn't make much, unless you want some chilli with your rice (instead of some rice with your chilli). I'd double the recipe for more than 3 people. There also isn't alot of sauce with the recipe, so if you like a more saucy, thick chilli, this is not the chilli for you. You can eat it without rice, too. You can use noodles if you prefer. But it was delicious on its own and you won't feel all stodgy from the starches.

And as a final note, I don't know why it's "punchy". There is hardly any heat, so add more spice if you want some REALLY punchy chilli or add some chillis.

Oriental Pork Noodles (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 8)

2009-02-11T11:55:00.007-06:00

For those of you who don't know, I have been getting these recipes off of Sainsburys.co.uk. If I use another site, I will link it. So I haven't made any of these up, they are recommended as cheap, quick meals by the grocery store website. That also means that the ingredients are sometimes certain brands, so work with what you have at home.

Oriental Pork Noodles
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5-7 minutes

You will need:
500g British diced pork,
4x65g packs basics instant chicken noodles,
500g basics vegetable stir fry,
500g black bean stir fry sauce
(items from your store cupboard: olive oil, salt and pepper)

Method
1. Cook 4 x 65g packs of basics instant chicken noodles, following pack instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a hot wok, stir-fry 500g diced pork with 1 tablespoon olive oil for 4–5 minutes. Ensure the pork is thoroughly cooked, season with salt and pepper and remove.
3. Add a 500g bag of basics stir-fry vegetables to the wok with a little water and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add a 500g jar of black bean stir-fry sauce and combine with the noodles. Add the pork and heat through until piping hot. Serve immediately.

This dish was really disappointing. There was no flavor. The sauce was immediately soaked up by everything in the dish. And it doesn't have a good reheat quality about it, because of the noodles. I just couldn't believe how flavorless it was. We added Chinese 5 Spice at the end, just so it wasn't bland vegetables with bland meat with bland noodles. Don't think we're going to cook this again.

Savoury Sausage Bake (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 7)

2009-02-10T11:49:00.005-06:00

Week 2 is looking promising with some really quick and easy meals that helped to cut the corners. Our first night I am a bit nervous about, because I think I am confusing pork sausages with breakfast sausages. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not, but I'm just worried about the meat in the dish. The rest sounds delish.

Savoury Sausage Bake
Serves 4
Cook time: 15 minutes
Prep time: 30 minutes

You will need:
400g Taste the difference ultimate pork sausages (or flavored pork sausage of your choice)
300g basics broccoli (chopped up broccoli)
250g Be good to yourself mozzarella (2 fresh mozz ball)
500g penne
390g chopped tomatoes with basil & oregano
(Items from your store cupboard: cooking oil).

Method
1. Grill a pack of Taste the difference ultimate pork sausages (refer to pack for cooking instructions) and cut each one into four pieces.
2. In an ovenproof dish, mix the sausage pieces with cooked penne, a carton of chopped tomatoes and cooked broccoli.
3. Top with sliced mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes at 200c, fan 180c, gas 6, or until the cheese is melted, for an easy dinner.

What a homerun with this meal! Granted, the pasta was a bit overwhelming compared to the amount of the other ingredients, but the dish was absolutely delicious! This is definitely one we will cook again. Quick, easy, delicious AND there were leftovers, so the happiness will continue at lunch tomorrow!

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 6

2009-02-08T12:34:00.010-06:00

Tonight is the last night of Week 1 of our Sainsbury's Experiment. Tonight is the Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake. The problem I am running into so far is that they don't have appropriate portion packets on the pasta, so I'm ending up with alot of leftover pasta. My biggest mistake is that I shouldn't cook the pasta, I should try to portion it out and then write on the ziplock bag how much is left, roughly. So not only do I have a cold pasta salad leftover from last night's dinner (took the leftover penne and made a salad from it), but now I have leftover fusilli that I don't know what to do with. But here's tonight's dinner:

Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Bake

Ingredients
50g Butter
A bunch of Spring onions, finely sliced
250g Frozen chopped spinach, thawed
200g Dried penne or fusilli pasta
A generous grating Nutmeg
30g Freshly grated grana padano
250g Ricotta

Method
1. Heat 40g butter in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the pan. Leave over a low heat to absorb the butter.
3. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
4. Season the spinach and onions with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
5. Add 20g grana padano.
6. Drain the pasta and tip into the spinach.
7. Stir in the ricotta mixture and spoon into a buttered dish.
8. Scatter with the rest of the grana padano.
9. Melt the remaining butter, trickle over, place under the grill and heat until golden.

Serves: 3
Per Serving:546 kcal, 22.7g protein, 28.2g fat, of which 16.8g saturated fat, 53.7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 4.0g fibre and 1.0g salt

I don't know if I would cook this again. For one, the recipe was too heavy on the spinach and I would maybe have added another cheese, like some mozzerella. And, for whatever reason, it is incredibly heavy on the tummy. Definitely not a date-night meal. I am also shocked by how much is leftover. This is disappointing, because I didn't really enjoy the meal much to begin with. Additionally, I have the pasta issue I addressed above.

But Ray loved the meal. He said it was like a quiche, but with pasta instead of egg. He thought it was so great, he went back for seconds, whereas I could barely finish my first bowl. Ray also declared he would be finishing the rest of it tomorrow. Go figure!

So we were split on the last recipe for the day.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 5

2009-02-07T08:12:00.007-06:00

Apparently I had been saying I was cooking the wrong thing tonight. I thought the prawns were int he spinach pasta bake! My bad. Tonight is the Penne with Prawns and Courgettes. The current standing for the week on meals is 3/4.

Penne with Prawns and Courgettes
Serves: 4

Per Serving:440cals; 10g fat

Ingredients
350g Dried penne
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 Courgettes, trimmed and cut into batons
2 Garlic cloves fat, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 glass Dry white wine
1 x 220g pack Cooked large king prawns
½ Lemon zest grated
a handful of Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to pack instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and golden, stirring in the garlic and chilli for the final 2 minutes.
3. Next, add the wine and prawns, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture, lemon zest and parsley.
5. Season to taste.

Tonight was another hit! Ray speculated that pork would go well, because of the citrus and that was when I told him that instead of zesting, I added lemon juice. It created an absolutely delicious sauce which went remarkeably well with the pasta and vegetables. We will definitely be making this again. That's 4/5 for the Sainsbury's experiment, with only one dish left for tomorrow night, which should also yield leftovers for a mix-n-match dinner evening Monday night.

As for it making 4 servings, I have to disagree. Maybe 4 servings for 4 children, but this hardly made a large frying pan full. I guess it depends on how much pasta you add. We didn't have a huge pan to add a ton of pasta. So if you have more people, portion your pasta accordingly. I'd just cook a whole pack and save the cooked pasta for a pasta salad lunch the next day.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 4

2009-02-06T11:56:00.009-06:00

Night 4 we cooked the meal we were supposed to cook on Night 3. The chicken has finally thawed out and the carribean smells of Jerk Chicken with Coconut Bean Rice can now waft through our small flat.

Jerk Chicken with Coconut Bean Rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients
200g Long grain rice
1 x 410g tin Black-eye beans
1 x 400ml tin Coconut milk
8 Chicken thighs
1½ tbsp Jerk seasoning mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 Zest and juice of lime

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, and simmer the rice for 10 minutes.
3. Drain, return to the pan with the black-eye beans and their juice and the coconut milk.
4. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
5. Toss the chicken thighs with the jerk seasoning mix and the oil.
6. Fry over a high heat for 3 minutes in a large ovenproof frying pan.
7. Add the sliced onions to the pan, lift the chicken on top, fry for 2 minutes, place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until cooked through
8. Serve on the coconut bean rice sprinkled with lime zest and juice

Sadly, we did not completely enjoy this dish. The coconut and bean rice was bland and just didn't really fill the hunger niche. Something was missing from the recipe with that rice. Plus my husband doesn't like this kind of rice, he prefers a completely savory rice.

The chicken was fine, but it would have essentially been a chicken breast with jerk seasoning anyways. I didn't have a bakeable frying pan, so I had to use a casserole dish to finish cooking the chicken. I'd prefer to just make a skinless chicken breast with jerk seasoning and some rice pilaf or other savory rice with some broccoli. I don't really enjoy chicken with the skin on, because it has a tendency to get a bit greasy.

Tonight was a miss, but at least now we have jerk seasoning to play with on our own time with other foods. Tomorrow I think we'll be enjoying the Prawn and Spinach Penne Pasta bake.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 3

2009-02-05T12:09:00.011-06:00

Night three was a disaster. Our scheduled meal was supposed to be Jerk Chicken with coconut bean rice, but I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer and it didn't thaw in time for dinner. So we switched things around and made the Chorizo and Pasta Hot Pot.

Chorizo and Pasta Hot Pot

Ingredients
100g pack Spanish chorizo
2 onions
390g carton chopped tomatoes (or can of chopped tomatoes)
250g pack conchigliette
400g White farmhouse loaf (or any preferred thick cut bread or rolls)

1 vegetable stock cube (or chicken) or 1 liter vegetable stock

1 small can of preferred peas

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or saucepan and add 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped. Add 1 x 100g pack Spanish chorizo, with each slice halved, and fry until crispy.
2. Add 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes and stir in 250g conchigliette.
3. Add 1 litre vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube, and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add 1 can peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the peas are cooked.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve in large bowls with chunks of bread on the side

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

What a hit this was. It was even supposed to make 4 portions, but made roughly 6 portions, so now we have lunch for tomorrow! I was so thrilled with this dish. It is a perfect "winter" dish or comfort food. I love one-pot dishes and I was so nervous about this because of our last chorizo experiment with the tomato pancakes, but this was so delicious!

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 2

2009-02-04T12:02:00.000-06:00

Tonight we made our second dinner from my Sainsbury's shopping experiment. I chose to make the Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles dish. I was a little unsure about this dish, mostly for Ray, because he doesn't like avocado very much, but it had hints of oriental noodle flavors that I have played around with in the past. My only personal concern was for the rice noodles, which I struggle with cooking.

Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles

Ingredients
60g (2½oz)Thai rice noodles
2 large avocado
2 large red chillies
2 limes, zest and juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
1 handful Frozen Soya beans, defrosted
1 x 220g pack Cooked jumbo king prawns
3 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp Chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Chopped peanuts

Method
1. Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water, then leave to cool.
2. Peel and chop the avocado, and finely chop the chillies, removing the seeds. Toss the lime zest and juice in a bowl with the chillies, sugar, sesame oil, avocado, soya beans and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the prawns to the bowl with the herbs and noodles.
4. Toss together and serve in bowls, scattered with the peanuts.

Serves: 2
Per Serving:602cals, 38.8g fat, of which 7.1g saturated fat; 31.5g carbohydrate; 31g protein; 1g added sugar; 0.6g salt; 6.1g fiber

Tonight's dish was almost a miss. I originally forgot the pinch of sugar and my portion had a few too many soya beans. I ended up cooking the shrimp in some garlic and a little bit of butter before adding, which really helped enhance the dish. I have no pictures, because I thought the dish would not be a re-do, but Ray ended up enjoying and we're going to try to make it again at a later date. It was very easy to make and very filling, because of the vegetables.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 1

2009-02-03T07:06:00.011-06:00

Night one of the experiment will be the Thai burgers and since it was just the burgers, we decided to add a soup. Our Damhead order came this afternoon, so we decided to make a parsnip and leek soup. I'm not really sure how the two will go together, but I'm thinking the playful flavors of the two will pair well.

Thai burgers (would cook again)
Per Serving: 376kcal, 41.3g protein, 11.4g fat, of which 2.8g saturated fat, 28.9g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 1.6g fiber and 1.2g salt

Ingredients
500g Turkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste (we used green)
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4 Crusty white round rolls
½ Round lettuce

Method
In a bowl, mix the turkey mince, spring onions, curry paste and coriander together until well combined.
Season and shape into 4 burgers, about 2cm thick.

Heat a little oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Halve the rolls and fill with lettuce leaves and a burger.

Note: We used an ale whole grain mustard, as well as ketchup and fresh tomatoes, which worked wonderfully with the burger.

Recipe for Parsnip and leek soup
3 parsnips
2 large leeks
Knob of butter
Olive oil
500ml vegetable stock
Bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic
250ml milk
4 tbsps crème fraiche

Heat a dash of olive oil and the knob of butter in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan. Wash the leeks and slice thinly then add to the pan when the fat starts to bubble. Stir thoroughly until the leeks are covered and then cook on a medium heat until the leeks are soft and translucent, then crush and add the garlic and cook for five more minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the parsnips, then add to the leeks and garlic, stir to combine well, then cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After 10 minutes the parsnips should be soft. Turn the heat up a little and add the stock and bay leaf, plus salt and pepper, then cover and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until it has a soft and mushy consistency. Remove the bay leaf, then add the milk, stir to combine then remove from the heat. Then blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth, return to the heat, and finally, add the creme fraiche for a special creamy finish.

Serve immediately with crusty bread and a bit of grated cheddar. The soup can also be frozen in separate portions. It can be reheated in the microwave, but it’s best heated up in a pan with a little milk.

Note: Next time I would rather cook the parsnips, garlic, bay leaf and leeks in the vegetable stock until tender. Then strain the stock and put the vegetables (minus bay leaf) into a food processor and slowly add back in the stock, which would mean adding a bit more stock than this recipe calls for, since some will boil off when cooking. Then after getting a good texture, but not too thin, add back to the pot and add the milk or double cream. We did not use creme fraische.

Overall, Sainsbury's Experiment Night 1 was a great experience and everything is off to a great start. That is not to say that there won't be some not-super recipes, but at least tonight makes me hopeful.

My Sainsbury's Experiment

2009-02-02T07:53:00.005-06:00

I did something crazy today, which was simply on a whim, but I was so taken by the idea, that I couldn't help myself. I was trying to purchase something on Sainsburys.com, but I didn't spend £40, so it wouldn't let me order it. So I was bouncing through recipes (those Fiver recipes that Sainsburys boasts about) and I found some great ideas. And as I looked at them, I noticed you could order the groceries online. You could hit the "order ingredients" and it would take you to a page where you could order all of the ingredients! I was blown away. I ended up picking 6 meals and ordering the ingredients. Some even shared similar ingredients, which allowed me to only purchase some items once. I did notice that sometimes some items weren't listed and I had to hunt them down and add them myself, but that's okay.

So when I did the math, minus the 4 silly cheap items I bought and the £3.50 delivery fee, £42.50 for 6 meals. That's £7 a meal, most of which will have leftovers for the following day (don't do the conversion, because its not applicable to you if you aren't paying according to the living standards of here)! I think that's absolutely brilliant! So here are the recipes from Sainsbury's that I'll be trying:

Chorizo and pasta hot pot
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
100g pack Spanish chorizo
2onions
390g carton chopped tomatoes
250g pack conchigliette
400gWhite farmhouse loaf

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or saucepan and add 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped. Add 1 x 100g pack Spanish chorizo, with each slice halved, and fry until crispy.
Add 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes and stir in 120g conchigliette.
Add 1 liter vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add a handful of frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the peas are cooked.
Serve in large bowls with chunks of bread on the side

Spinach and ricotta pasta bake
Serves: 3
Per Serving: 546 kcal, 22.7g protein, 28.2g fat, of which 16.8g saturated fat, 53.7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 4.0g fiber and 1.0g salt

Ingredients
50g Butter
A bunch of Spring onions, finely sliced
250g Frozen chopped spinach, thawed
200g Dried penne or fusilli pasta
A generous grating Nutmeg
30g Freshly grated grana padano
250g Ricotta

Method
Heat 40g butter in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the pan. Leave over a low heat to absorb the butter.
Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
Season the spinach and onions with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
Add 20g grana padano.
Drain the pasta and tip into the spinach.
Stir in the ricotta mixture and spoon into a buttered dish.
Scatter with the rest of the grana padano.
Melt the remaining butter, trickle over, place under the grill and heat until golden.

Thai burgers
Per Serving: 376kcal, 41.3g protein, 11.4g fat, of which 2.8g saturated fat, 28.9g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 1.6g fiber and 1.2g salt

Ingredients
500gTurkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4Crusty white round rolls
½ Round lettuce

Method
In a bowl, mix the turkey mince, spring onions, curry paste and coriander together until well combined.
Season and shape into 4 burgers, about 2cm thick.
Heat a little oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Halve the rolls and fill with lettuce leaves and a burger.

Penne with prawns and courgettes
Serves: 4
Per Serving:440cals; 10g fat

Ingredients
350g Dried penne
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 Courgettes, trimmed and cut into batons
2 Garlic cloves fat, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 glass Dry white wine
1 x 220g pack Cooked large king prawns
½ Lemon zest grated
a handful of Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and golden, stirring in the garlic and chilli for the final 2 minutes.
Next, add the wine and prawns, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
Drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture, lemon zest and parsley.
Season to taste.

Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles
Serves: 2
Per Serving: 602cals, 38.8g fat, of which 7.1g saturated fat; 31.5g carbohydrate; 31g protein; 1g added sugar; 0.6g salt; 6.1g fiber

Ingredients
60g (2½oz) Thai rice noodles
1 large avocado
1 large avocado
2 large red chillies
2 limes, zest and juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
1 handful Frozen Soya beans, defrosted
1 x 220g pack Cooked jumbo king prawns
3 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp Chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Chopped peanuts

Method
Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water, then leave to cool.
Peel and chop the avocado, and finely chop the chilies, removing the seeds. Toss the lime zest and juice in a bowl with the chilies, sugar, sesame oil, avocado, soya beans and a pinch of salt.
Add the prawns to the bowl with the herbs and noodles.
Toss together and serve in bowls, scattered with the peanuts.

Jerk chicken with coconut bean rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients
200g Long grain rice
1 x 410g tin Black-eye beans
1 x 400ml tin Coconut milk
8 Chicken thighs
1½ tbsp Jerk seasoning mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 Zest and juice of lime

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, and simmer the rice for 10 minutes.
Drain, return to the pan with the black-eye beans and their juice and the coconut milk.
Simmer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
Toss the chicken thighs with the jerk seasoning mix and the oil.
Fry over a high heat for 3 minutes in a large ovenproof frying pan.
Add the sliced onions to the pan, lift the chicken on top, fry for 2 minutes, place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until cooked through
Serve on the coconut bean rice sprinkled with lime zest and juice

My delivery is on Tuesday, the same day as my fruit and veg delivery from Damhead, so I hope to incorporate the two. EXCITEMENT!!!!

Damhead Organic Deliveries Week 1

2008-11-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

We got our first Organic Fruit and Veg box delivered on Tuesday from Damhead farms. Here is a breakdown of what we got:

Small Fruit Bag (23 fruit items 9.80pounds/0.41p an item)
4 oranges
5 bananas
7 apples
4 plums
3 pears

Small Fruit & Veg Box (43 total items 10pounds/0.23p an item)
2 oranges
5 bananas
5 apples
1 courgette
3 leeks
2 little lettuce heads
3 tomatoes
4 parsnips
1 rutabaga
4 carrots
4 small onions
8 potatoes (various sizes)

By Satuday, November 1st, we have already gone through almost everything. Here is what we have left:

4 oranges, 2 bananas, 6 apples, 4 plums, 1 pear, and 1 courgette.

We only ate out once since the delivery. The fruit we didn’t do anything special with. A recipe came with the bag of Fruit and Veg, but we didn’t find it until we were cleaning out the bag to return it. It was for Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup. I hope to cook it, as it looks very delicious and hearty. Here are some of the recipes I made with the items we received:

Parsnip, Carrot, and Potato Pancakes
(Makes 10 medium pancakes)
2 parsnip
2 carrots
3 potatoes
2 onions
1 cup all purpose flower
3 eggs
Salt and Pepper
Butter or Olive Oil for cooking

1. Peel and shred parsnips, carrots, and potatoes. Dice the onion.

2. In a bowl, at 1 cup all purpose flour and 3 eggs (pre-whisk the eggs before adding). Add salt and pepper as you prefer.

3. In a hot pan, add the butter/olive oil and start spooning in mixture to make little pancakes. Cook through on one side and then flip to cook the over side.

4. Lightly salt when you take them out of the pan. Serve with apple sauce, sour cream or ketchup, as you prefer!

Parsnip, Carrot, Rutabaga and Leek Cream Soup
(Serves 3-4)
2 parsnip (peeled and diced)
2 carrot (peeled and diced)
1 rutabaga (peeled and diced)
2 leek (cleaned, chopped, don’t use dark green area)
2 Knorr Vegetable Cubes
8 cups water
1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the water and Vegetable Cubes to boiling.

2. Add the parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, and leeks. Cook until tender.

3. Drain, saving broth, and put into food processors. Blend until smooth, adding liquid. Put through a fine strainer if you want it really smooth, but otherwise it’ll have a few lumps.

4. Put back into pot and add 1 cup heavy cream. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oriental Lettuce Cup
(Serves 2-3)
2 heads lettuce (tiny cups)
2 pound ground beef
2 TBSP Chinese 5 Spice
3 eggs
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp diced garlic
1 jar Housin Sauce

1. Cook the ground beef in a pan with the Chinese 5 Spice. Drain off grease and set aside.

2. Mix three eggs in a bowl with soy sauce and diced garlic. Salt and pepper as preferred. Put 2 TBSP butter or margarine in a pan and scramble the eggs while they cook in the pan until light and fluffy and cooked as you prefer.

3. Lay out the lettuce slices, so that they appear like little cups. Make sure they’re dry.

4. Lay some of the egg on the lettuce. Then cover it with the ground beef. Add a tsp of housing sauce over the top. Wrap and eat.

Potato and Leek Cream Soup
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
2 leeks (chopped, don’t use the dark green part)
3/4 cup double cream (heavy cream)
2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
6 cups water

1. Heat up the water and chicken cubes. Put in the diced potatoes and leeks.

2. Cook until extremely tender. Drain and save the broth.

3. Put the potatoes and leeks in a food processor with 1 cup of the broth from the cooking. Puree until smooth. Add more liquid as needed.

4. Then pour back in pan and add 3/4 cup double cream and mix thoroughly on very low heat until fully combined. It should be a very smooth, thin cream soup.

Tuna and Potato Bake
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
3 tomatoes (+4 non-organic tomatoes)
2 small onions (diced)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow, spicy mustard
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 can preferred tuna (drained)
Salt and pepper

1. Roast Tomatoes in halves and then chop into quarters. Dice small onions and cook them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil until slightly soft. Skin and dice potatoes and cook them in water under soft.

2. Let the tomatoes and onions cool. When cool, add mayonnaise, mustard, and tuna.

3. Drain potatoes and spread on the bottom of a small baking dish. Let cool slightly. Salt and pepper. Pour tuna mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

4. Put under broiler for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly brown. Serve.

Next week we’re debating over what box we want to get. We like the amount of fruit, but we want more veg, I think. There was a salad bag they had listed which gives us peppers and things. We’re actually discussing testing the Large Fruit and Veg box which seems to have everything and will probably give us the amounts we want, since we do cook at home pretty much every night.

As of week one, I think it was really great. I’m worried about how soup seems to be the primary recipe to work with having so many vegetables. So I have a lot of research to do to try to find out how to expand what I can cook, because Ray does not like having soup every single day, despite it being winter. I can't wait to see what next Tuesday will bring.

Damhead Organic Farm and Shop

2008-10-25T04:44:00.003-05:00

About a month ago I received an e-mail from my University Student Association. In it was a note about fulfilling the requests of students to get discount organic produce delivered straight to their doors in Edinburgh, since living in the city makes it hard and expensive to find good organic produce. This notice intrigued me, not simply because I have enjoyed cooking and have fallen in love with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables since expanding my mind to embrace more healthy cooking, but because 90% of my friends are vegetarians!

When I lived back in the United States, I knew one vegetarian. And even that one vegetarian was pretty loose in her interpretation of being a vegetarian (she was 12 when she started consciously accepting the lifestyle and is now 15). I know the lifestyle, as it was all the rage for a while in the media and due to protests. So I was familiar with the different levels of being a vegetarian that sprung up in the United States. Most of my friends, though, were so anti-vegetable that they listed themselves as strictly meat and potatoes people! That too was a bit too extreme for my taste. I liked a decent amount of vegetables, but they were not my favorite thing in the world.

In March 2007 I started making changes to my lifestyle and the types of things I was eating. Immediately I started focusing on adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet so that they consumed the bulk of what I was eating. I started eating bell peppers (raw and cooked), as well as raw tomatoes (which I HATED). Since moving to Edinburgh in August 2007 (where being a vegetarian seems to be a popular way of life, fully rejecting meat and meat products), I have become what I like to call a "part-time vegetarian." The bulk of what we cook is vegetable, but we still enjoy meat and other non-vegetarianism things in their various forms. But our emphasis on fruits and vegetables as accounting for at least 75% of what we eat in a day is strong.

So when I saw that notice, I thought "what a great idea!" Fresh, organic fruit and veg delivered straight to my door?!?! And what a cooking challenge to be assigned different fruits and veg each week! I've never cooked with swede (rutabaga) and parsnip before. The only vegetable we eat tons of that doesn't seem to appear in the more recent boxes is broccoli, but our local grocer provides it really cheaply (1pound a head). Its not strictly organic, but we love broccoli too much to be picky.

Let me share the website with you, so that you can see what I am talking about. They are called Damhead Organic Farm and Shop. They are based right outside of Edinburgh and deliver your food to you weekly, fortnightly or monthly. You can order from their organic store or you can sign up for box deliveries. We signed up for a box delivery. For our first week we ordered the small fruit and veg box and a fruit bag. Ray LOVES his fruit and I am trying to eat more fruit for breakfast (mostly apples and bananas), plus they had a good selection in their fruit bag this week.

I am excited to see how this will work out. The extra fruit bag was a little splurge on our part, but the vegetable box is reasonable (only 12 pounds) and I get a 10% student discount and free delivery! Then the rest of our money would only have to be spent occasionally on some meats, grains, and dairy. But considering 70% of our diet consists of fruits and vegetables, I think 12pounds (or this week for example 22pounds) is a really great deal!

So my goal is to start thinking about the different ways I can use the items supplied in the box and I hope to post recipes for them. I also think it is a great way to help support local farmers and the local economy. So might I recommend that if you are interested in fresh, organic produce, you check out your local area and see what is available. It might be worth it and you might cut down on your grocery bill, as well as gas and other bills depending on your lifestyle and what offers are available.

Garlic Bread Soup

2008-10-09T20:35:00.000-05:00

I got this from marthastewart.com and it just looked so delicious! We had it as an accompaniment to the stuffed peppers. It turned out ok and was VERY garlicy. So be prepared.

Garlic Bread Soup
Makes 5 cups; serves 4

Use a high-quality olive oil for the best flavor in this rustic soup. If you don't have stale bread on hand, lightly toast fresh bread, and tear it into small pieces.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
2 TBSP garlic paste
2 cups bite-size pieces stale crusty bread (4 ounces)
5 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs, beaten

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Add bread, and stir to coat. Stir in stock and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Stir in eggs. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up eggs, about 10 minutes. Serve soup garnished with parsley leaves.

Beef and Potato Burritos

2008-10-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

Beef and Potato Burritos

For less spicy burritos, remove the jalapeno ribs and seeds before chopping. I think I got this recipe from marthastewart.com, but I am not sure. It was part of a list of recipes I compiled from online that I wanted to try. This one turned out pretty good.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 large baking potato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Coarse salt
flour tortillas (10-inch)
cup sour cream
grated Monterey Jack or preferred taco cheese

Directions
1. Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add potato; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

2. Add beef, onion, and jalapeno; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until beef is thoroughly browned, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
3. Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, about 10 seconds.

4. Leaving space on bottom and sides, layer tortillas with sour cream, lettuce, beef mixture, cheese, and cilantro, if using; squeeze lime juice on top. Fold bottom upward, covering filling by 2 inches. Fold each side to overlap, leaving the top end open. Serve garnished with lime wedges.

Savory "French Toast" and Molho

2008-10-07T04:46:00.010-05:00

Savory "French Toast" and Molho
3-4 Servings

Ingredients
6 eggs
1 TBSP chilli powder
1 TBSP cumin
salt & pepper
1 foot long loaf of ciabatta bread

Beat 6 eggs with chilli powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Cut your bread into thin slices (1/2 inch or less).

Soak the bread slices in the egg mixture and then put into hot frying pan.

Cook as you would french toast. Make sure you don't burn them. Flip back and forth until you feel they are cooked through. It should make about 20 pieces (including ends).

Arrange the slices on a plate and spoon molho over the bread. Don't be scared to add some of the juices. The bread will soak it up.

_______________________________________________________

Molho

I use molho all the time as a get way to add vegetables to many dishes that might otherwise have simply filler veggies (like lettuce). I always keep a container of it in the fridge. I got the recipe from my mother-in-law who got it from her mother, I think. I use it so often and I have dabbled with it so much that I really should make a little log of "101 Ways to Use Molho". We'll see.

Here's the recipe (altered a tad) so you can use it with this recipe. I will post an entry again discussing the recipe.

3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 onions diced (I alternate between onions to create different flavors)
2 diced bell peppers (I alternate colors to create differents flavors)
2-3 tomatoes diced (or 6 small tomatoes if you're in the UK buying those packs)
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Sausage, Beans and Broccoli Rabe Soup

2008-09-30T06:44:00.000-05:00

Another favorite that I got from the FoodNetwork.com website. This was done by Rachael Ray on her show 30 Minute Meals on the episode Rainy Day Relief. Late I'll post the delicious mozzerella sandwich that she did also which goes beautifully with this soup as a comfort on those rainy days.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 1/4 pounds Italian bulk sweet sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cans white beans, drained
Salt and pepper
4 cups chopped broccoli rabe and greens
2 quarts chicken stock
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, to pass at table

Directions
Heat medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage and brown. Add veggies, bay leaf and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook mixture 5 minutes to begin to soften the vegetables. Add rabe and wilt. Add stock and cover pot. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve soup with grated cheese, for topping.

Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2008-09-29T06:32:00.000-05:00

This recipe is from foodnetwork.com and was done by Giada De Laurentiis on her show Everyday Italian in the episode Stress-Free Italian. So you know its an easy recipe. If you had Christmas lunch with us in 2006, this is the pasta dish we cooked. I've tweaked it over the years as I've cooked it more and more often, so don't be scared to make the recipe your own.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients
3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts (I use canned, quartered artichokes, drained)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped (2 teaspoons minced garlic)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional (do not use shredded mozz)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Note: We took out the parmesan cheese and it tasted quite good.

Randomly Desperate Vegetable Medley

2008-09-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

Randomly Desperate Vegetable Medley

INGREDIENTS:
1 TBSP butter or margarine
1 can sweet corn nibblets
1 head broccoli
1 zucchini
1 red onion
1 package of cherry tomatoes
270 g package of 3 bean salad (borolotti, kidney, and cannelloni beans) - I used a Sainsbury 3 Bean Salad
1 sweet pepper
1 tsp minced mint
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

On a cookie sheet or broiling pan put the sliced (or chunked) zucchini, the chunk cut red onion, the cherry tomatoes (whole) and the sweet pepper (chunked). Put them under the broiler until tender. Splash with a little bit of olive oil (specifically the tomatoes, sweet pepper and onion. Also add a little salt and pepper for flavor.

In a small pan on the stove combine the corn and three bean salad with the butter. Heat until tender.

Cook the broccoli however you prefer. Try to use mostly tops and not have long stems on the bottom. Cut the flourettes in half in they’re too big.

As each component finishes cooking, throw into a large mixing bowl. Get some fresh mint and mince and toss with the salad.

Serve with whatever meat you like. It’s just a hearty salad and can also be eaten on its own. Eat bite is its own flavor explosion and its really delicious!

We paired the veggie medley with some lamb and chicken kabobs from a local kabob place. This, combined with a pita, was absolutely delicious. And since the kabobs are grilled, it was relatively healthy as well.

Creamy Tuna and Pasta

2008-09-26T11:32:00.000-05:00

Creamy Tuna and Pasta

Ray and I made this a month or two ago and I found it when going through my recipes that I hadn't posted. I got it off of the Sainsbury's website and it turned out really delicious.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Nutrition per serving: 452 calories, 25g fat (of which saturated fat 9g), 0.69g salt, 3g sugar

INGREDIENTS:
200g pasta (we used penne)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped (or an onion if you can't find shallots)
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
100g mushrooms, chopped (didn't add because I am allergic)
185g can tuna, drained
3 tablespoons double cream
freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, according to the pack instructions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan and cook the shallots and green pepper until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

3. Stir in the tuna and cream and heat through. Season to taste.

4. Drain the pasta and toss with the tuna sauce.

Delia's Waldorf Chicken Salad

2008-09-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

Delia is a British chef who has her own popular website. This salad was made for Ray for the first time by his boss, Andrew. Ray decided to make it for dinner tonight.

Ingredients
1 x 2 lb 4 oz (1 kg) cooked chicken
4 sticks of celery (4 oz/110 g), chopped
8 spring onions,chopped (including the green parts)
2 oz (50 g) walnut halves, roughly chopped
6 oz (175 g) seedless black grapes, halved (however many you want)
a few lettuce leaves
sprigs of watercress, to garnish

For the dressing:
1 teaspoon sea salt (half that if you are using regular salt)
2 cloves garlic (1 tsp minced garlic)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 rounded tablespoons mayonnaise
2 heaped dessertspoons natural yoghurt (greek natural yoghurt)
freshly milled black pepper

Begin by stripping the skin from the chicken and discarding it. Then remove the flesh from the bones and slice it into longish, 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick pieces, and place these in a large bowl. Next, add the chopped celery to the bowl, together with the spring onions and chopped walnuts.

Now for the dressing: place the salt in a mortar and crush it quite coarsely, then add the garlic and, as you begin to crush it and it comes into contact with the salt, it will quickly break down to a puree. Next add the tarragon, mayonnaise and yoghurt with a few twists of freshly milled pepper and blend everything together thoroughly. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together well to get a good coating of the dressing. Arrange some lettuce leaves in a large, shallow serving dish, pile the chicken salad on top, sprinkle the grapes all over, and, if you like, garnish with sprigs of watercress.

Note: We doubled the dressing, but not the salt. It was really delicious. We just used a whole pack of chicken too. I did the assembly, but this was something my husband, Ray, put together. It was so delicious I said we need to eat this like 1-2 times a week. It was fresh, filling, and easy to make.

Sorry no pictures. Maybe next time.

This recipe is from deliaonline.com as recommended by Andrew.

Quick and Easy Potato Pancakes

2008-09-23T03:58:00.000-05:00

Quick and Easy Potato Pancakes

(Makes Roughly 20)

I couldn't help it, I had to post this recipe, as simple as it is and regardless of how anti-carb many of you are.

I learned how to make a simple potato pancake which was easy, delicious, and the leftovers stored beautifully.

Peel and shred (which a cheese shredder… use the larger shredder style) 4-5 medium potatoes. Then dice 1 medium yellow onion. If you are gutsy enough, shred the onion as well. Then add two eggs and 1.5 - 2 cups of flour. Depending on how wet your mixture is, slowly add the last 1/2 cup of flour. It should have a batter that looks similar to the thickness of a good pancake batter (not runny pancake batter). Make sure you add salt and pepper, else they will be flavorless. Spice them up by adding a small pinch of dried chilies or fresh cut chilies. I think a shredded cheddar might go well in it (but that's for testing later).

Then get your pan nice and hot. Use butter (or marg) and scoop the mixture into the pan. Make whatever size pancake you want. Let it cook on one side until it starts to lightly brown around the edges (like a normal pancake) then flip and then cook through.

Then serve with whatever you desire (sour cream, apple sauce, etc). They were so much better than any prepackaged pancake I have EVER had. Even Ray, who does not like potato pancakes, loved them!

Enjoy!

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle

2008-09-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

Cheese Sauce with Vegetables, Meatballs, and Tagliatelle

Veggie Medley
2 courgette (zucchini) - cut into chunks
1 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - cut into chunks
1 large onion - cut into chunks
15 cherry tomatoes (or however many you want) - halved
1 head of broccoli - cut as close to the top in small pieces

On a tray lay down the courgettes and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and salt and paper on them, cover them with foil and put in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then move to the broiler, uncover. Drain off any water before broiling. Broil until slightly browned.

In a frying pan, on medium-low cook the chunked onions and chunk peppers until tender or preferred crispiness.

Cook the broccoli in water in a pot until at desired tenderness.

When everything is almost done, put the tomatoes under the broiler until slightly tender, but still whole.

Combine in a bowl together.

Meatballs
500g ground beef (a little over 1lb beef)
1 egg
1 TBSP Worchester Sauce
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red peppers
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Make the meatballs as small as possible, or to whatever size you would prefer. Just make sure they are not too small, or they may get too dry. Cover with foil and cook for about 15 minutes at 350. If you make them very small, it will take less time. Just check on them often.

When done, put into large mixing bowl with vegetables, unless you have large meatballs and want to designate a certain number per serving.

Jarlsburg Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP water
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
286g jarlsburg cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup double cream (heavy cream)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small (very small) onion or half a normal sized onion
2 TBSP butter

Sautee onions, bullion, and garlic on a low heat with butter until lightly colored. Then, still on a low heat, add the shredded cheese, butter, pepper and cream. After a bit creamy, add water to thin it out.

Make sure not to curdle the sauce, so keep it on very very low.

How to serve:
In a bowl, place the noodles. On top of that place your vegetable and meatball mixture. Then top with 2-3 spoonfuls of cheese sauce, depending on how much you want.

Cheese Sauce over Tagliatelle Pasta with Broccoli

2008-09-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Cheese Sauce over Tagliatelle Pasta with Broccoli

Cut off the tops of the broccoli so you have a lot of small florets. Steam them until they are tender.

Cook your pasta.

Jarlsburg Cheese Sauce
2 TBSP water
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
286g jarlsburg cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup double cream (heavy cream)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small (very small) onion or half a normal sized onion
2 TBSP butter

Sautee onions and garlic on a low heat with a little extra virgin olive oil until lightly colored. Then, still on a low heat, added the shredded cheese, butter, bullion cube, pepper and cream. Save the water for last in case you mixture is too thick. Use it as a thinning agent.

Put pasta in serving bowl. Add broccoli. Pour cheese sauce over. Do this individually or in a large bowl. It is up to you.

You can serve this with a breaded white fish on top or maybe some chicken. We intend to experiment to find the best meat. And tomorrow we're going to make this again, no meat, but with lots of veggies like zucchini, vine ripe cherry tomatoes, broccoli and onions. Will post.

Poor Students Lunch

2008-08-23T06:44:00.000-05:00

1 wheat roll
2 triangles laughing cow cheese (or cheaper spreadable cheese)
1 apple

Put cheese on roll and smoosh together like a sandwich.

Peal apple with swiss army knife.

Happy eating!

Sarah's Chili Con Carne

2008-07-28T03:58:00.000-05:00

(Serves 6-8... good for bulk cooking and freezing)

Ingredients:

2 500g packages of ground beef (or preferred mince)

400g tomato paste

3 cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)

2 green bell pepper (diced and deseeded)

2 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - (diced and deseeded)

2 cans kidney beans (drained and rinsed... if they have them with chili sauce, get those... I know Sainsbury does)

2 onions (yellow or white... diced)

8-10 slices of the jarred jalapenos in vinegar (dice them)

2 beef bullion cubes (Knorr brand is the best)

1/3 cup Worchester Sauce

1-2 cups water (depending on how thick you want it)

5 TBSP Cumin

5 TBSP Coriander

1.5 TBSP Chili Powder (hot)

1 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP ground black pepper

For Serving:

Preferred rice (wholegrain, brown, white, etc)

Sour Cream

Cheese

Jalapenos

Brown the meat with the onions. Drain off as much grease as possible when it's done. You can also, after you drain it, dump it on a plate covered in paper towel to pat off the excess.

Put the meat into a slow cooker. Depending on your slow cooker setting, I had mine turned on high (I only have high, medium, and low) and it cooked well in 4 hours. The key is to let it simmer. So if you don't want to use a slow cooker, turn your stove on medium low or low and cover everything.

To the meat add the rest of the ingredients, saving the water for last. Add one cup and if you still feel its too little, just add a little more until you feel it'll be the right consistency. I only added 2 cups and it didn't look like enough, but once the veggies started cooking it became more liquidy. So just be lean on the water. You can add more as you go if you don't feel you added enough.

Let simmer until the peppers are soft or until at desired taste/style. You should be able to tell when it's the type of done you want. Just cook it slow and it'll turn out great!

Use brown or white rice. Some also prefer noodles. It's up to you what you do with the chili when it is done. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

2008-07-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce
(Serves 2-3)

I just buy the gnocchi pre-made, which is the easiest. I have yet to really experiment with making it myself, but this entire meal takes like 10 minutes. So follow the directions on your gnocchi package (probably boiling them) and once they’re done and drained, mix with the sauce and serve.

Vodka Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 tablespoon vodka
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup preferred Tomato Sauce

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add the vodka, cream, and tomato sauce, and simmer until the flavors blend, 2 to 3 minutes.

Finish the dish with a small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. It'll melt in and tie it all together.

Devil’s Delight

2008-07-20T03:18:00.000-05:00

Devil’s Delight

(Makes roughly 82)

Equipment:

Mini muffin tray
Piping Bag with tip or Piping injector

Mixer

Ingredients:

Devils Food Cake Mix (and the required ingredients - eggs, oil, water)

Strawberries (UK strawberries are small, so you will probably only need 1 strawberry for ever 6 muffins if you get normal US sized strawberries)

2/3 c. sugar

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup butter)

3 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Start with the Sweet Cream Cheese filling.

Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

2/3 c. sugar

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 egg

In a bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and egg until fluffy. Put aside until ready for piping. Then work on the frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup butter)

3 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place butter in large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add next ingredients (use only 3 tablespoons of milk to start). Blend on low for about 1 minute and then scrape sides. Blend on medium speed for another 1 minute until light and fluffy. If the frosting seems too stiff, add the other tablespoon of milk. (Before I was done, I beat it on high until smooth, light, and fluffy for 30 seconds.) Do not refrigerate, else it will be difficult to spread.

Mix your cake mix and fill your mini muffin cups halfway up (grease tin before filling). Have your oven preheated to the directions on the box. And put your tray into the oven.

Watch the cupcakes very closely and when they are starting to get a little firm, but are still soft (maybe 5 minutes in the oven) pull them out. They can still have a somewhat liquid appearance, so don't fret. You don't want them fully cooked when injecting the filling, because you want the filling to cook into them.

Fill your piping bag or piping injector with the cream cheese filling and use a small round tip. In the middle of the muffins, going about halfway up the tip but not to the bottom of the muffin, inject filling until right before it feels like the muffin will explode. At a slow pressure, you’re adding filling for about 3/1,000 seconds. You can count with Mississippi if you prefer. You will get the hang of it as you go and don’t worry if the cupcake sticks to the tip of your piping, just wipe it off and keep going. They’ll cook over and then you’ll frost them anyways.

Once you are finished piping, put them back in the oven until they are finished cooking (again consult your box directions… maybe 10 minutes). If the cream cheese is browning, its too long.

Take the muffins out and put them on a cooling rack and continue with your next batch until all the cupcake batter is gone.

When you are finished you can frost the cupcakes either using a piping tool again or you can carefully frost the top, but you really only want a thin layer of frosting so that you can still taste the middle.

Cut up your strawberries and place 1/6 of the strawberry on top, or whatever you prefer. Arrange how you like. It worked better with just one nice slice, instead of these smaller slices.

These cupcakes are best enjoyed within 12 hours of making, but are still delicious later. Store your leftover frosting in the refrigerator, but if you are going to use it again, let it sit a little before spreading after refrigeration. The same with the cream cheese filling (it’s a good dip for leftover strawberries).

I recommend only frosting and presenting enough for the group you are making them for and storing your leftovers disassembled, but either way, make sure your muffins are either in ziplock baggies or Tupperware and the same with the other ingredients.

Potato and Onion Soup

2008-07-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Potato and Onion Soup
(Serves 2-3)

1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you have it)
5 skinned, boiled, and mashed potatoes
1 TBSP steak seasoning
1 diced onion
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter or margarine

Peal, boil and mash the potatoes. Leave chunks if you like a little potato chunk if your soup. Do not use a mixer or make them creamy. Just mash them with a fork or masher.

Sautee onions in 1 TBSP butter until slightly translucent.

In a pot, add the broth, the mashed potatoes, steak seasoning, pepper, salt, 1 TBSP butter, and onions. Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes, unless you need to make it less chunky by adding a little more broth as needed. Essentialy your just heating everything together.

Serve.

Note: You can be fancy and dress up the soup when serving by adding some thinly shredded cheddar or mixed cheese (not white cheese) on top.

Meatballs and Veggie Rice

2008-07-14T15:13:00.000-05:00

Meatballs and Veggie Rice
Especially for Those Comfort Days

Meatballs:
500g ground beef (a little over 1lb beef)
1 egg
1 TBSP Worchester Sauce
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Rice:
2 Uncle Ben's microwave packets of Long Grain Rice
1 Uncle Ben's microwave packet of wholegrain rice
2 chicken bullions
1 can cream of celery soup
3 cups water
1 head of broccoli (mostly the tops)
1/2 onion cut into 1/2in chunks
4 carrots thinly chopped
3 TBSP hot chili powder
1 TBSP cumin
2 TBSP favorite mixed Italian herb seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 TBSP minced garlic

Mix all the meatball ingredients together, then roll into 1x1in balls. Place in baking pan. Cover with foil and cook for 7 minutes. Then remove the foil and put them under the broiler until nicely browned.

In a pot start to boil the water and add the chicken bullion. Start the add the skinned and chopped up carrots. Make sure they're sliced thin enough to cook quickly. Then add the celery soup (turn the heat to medium) and start to chop of the broccoli into small pieces (or do this all as prep work and throw in all at once). Cut as close to the head of the broccoli flourrets as possible. Then add the onion and minced garlic. Followed by all the seasonings. Once it is mixed together, add the packets of rice. Do not microwave them first.

Let that cook until the liquid is mostly gone. Then serve in a bowl with 3-4 meatballs as pictured. Grate a little parmegion or gruyere over the top and serve.

Note: To reduce heat limit the amount of chili powder that is added. Ours was spicy hot chili powder.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power

2008-07-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

As part of a new project I am working on, I decided to use our friend Jim as my first participant. He filled out a questionnaire about his tastes in food and from it, I tried to come up with a recipe that he might like. It doesn’t have to be his favorite, but it will hopefully be something that he could potentially enjoy cooking and could claim as a special dish to cook when company comes over. I don’t know. So here is the dish I created for our friend Jim.

Jim’s Magnificent Ravioli of Power
(AKA Jim’s Meat and Potatoes Ravioli with Gruyere Cheese Sauce)
(6-7 Servings/ 4-5 ravioli each)

The Filling
2/3 package skirt steak
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 peeled, cubed potatoes
1 head of broccoli
1/2 diced yellow/white onion
1 TBSP butter or margarine
150g cubed Camembert
1/2 TBSP dried chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBSP butter or margarine

First bring a pot of water to boil and put the potatoes in. Cook them until they are ready to be mashed. Once drained, place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash them with 3 TBSP margarine or butter.

While the potatoes are cooking, start boiling your broccoli. Should only take 8-10 minutes, or until tender. When the potatoes are mashed, drain the broccoli and add it to the mixture, mashing the broccoli into the potatoes.

If you have a third burner and can multi-task, cook the onion with the 1 TBSP butter or margarine. Sautee until somewhat translucent. Add to the mixing bowl.

Add the salt, pepper, and dried chili.

Rinse and prepare your steak. Season each side of the steak lightly with the Steak Seasoning. Either grill until medium or use a frying pan. Once ready, cut as thin as possible at an angle. Then dice the meat and add it to the mixture. Use your masher to integrate everything. Then remove the masher.

Take your camembert and cut off the white outer layer. Then cut into small pieces to add to the mixture. Mix them into the bowl using a spoon. Put this mixture aside while you make the pasta.

Vegetarians: Simply take out the steak. Everything else should be fine.
Non-Beef Eaters: Do not substitute another meat, just take out the steak and eat it as is.

The Pasta (makes about 28-30 ravioli)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

By Hand: On a clean surface make a well with the flour. This well should go all the way to the bottom of your flour mound so that the mixture doesn’t spill out everywhere. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, water and oil and salt. Pour the wet mixture slowly into the flour and mix until all of the wet is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a pasta machine to roll out the dough you may at this point form the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. If you going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

By Food Processor: In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times. In a liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, water and oil. While pulsing the machine pour this mixture in a continuous stream and continue running the machine until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Follow directions above for hand rolling or machine.

Make sure the dough is incorporated well and roll it out as thin as you can make it. Then cut 3-4in x 3-4in circles (a coffee mug is a good mould if you don’t have one). After you cut out each, roll it out a little more with your pin or use your hand so that you are sure it’s a good, thin circle.

Then place 1 TBSP of the mixture into the ring and fold over. Seal the pasta edges. You can either use an egg wash or make little pie crust folds along the edges to ensure it staying together. Put these aside until the water is ready to boil.

To Cook Pasta: boil a pot of water with 1 TBSP of vegetable oil and 1 TBSP salt. Once the water is rapidly boiling, drop in your pastas. Depending on thickness you will probably want to cook your pasta 10-20 minutes.

NOTE: If you really don’t want to make fresh pasta, you can buy wonton wrappers at the grocery store and follow the directions listed on the package.

The White Cheese Sauce
1 chopped onion
2 oz butter
2 oz flour
2 cup milk
2 handful of grated gruyere cheese

Sautee butter and onion on medium heat in saucepan for 2 minutes, add flour and milk and bring to a bubble on high. Add cheese, stir and cook until liquid consistency.

1 large ladle of cheese sauce should cover 4 pastas.

Storage: store your uncooked pastas in a Tupperware container, separating levels with foil if necessary. Store the sauce in normal Tupperware. Reheat carefully in microwave (cheese does burn easily).

Please check back later to find out what to do with leftover mixture, if you have any.

Breaded Eggplant

2008-07-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

Breaded Eggplant
(serves 2)

1 large eggplants, cut into round slices ¼ in thick (roughly)
salt
flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp Worchester Sauce
3 cups fine bread crumbs
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

Spread out the eggplant slices on a flat surface and sprinkle with salt. Leave them untouched for about 20 minutes in order to drain off excess water. Dry the slices and dust them with flour. Beat eggs, Tabasco and Worchester sauce. Dip the slices in the eggs and then in bread crumbs. Heat up oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant in hot oil. Only for about 30 seconds on each side (or until crispy brown). Blot on absorbent paper towels. Adjust the salt and serve hot.

2-Bite Ham Sandwiches

2008-07-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

2-Bite Ham Sandwiches
(Serves 5-6)

1 baguette (about 18in long)
4 eggs
½ TBSP Coriander
1 tsp salt
½ TBSP pepper
1-2 packages of thinly sliced ham (one large package should do the trick)
4-6 small tomatoes (should fit on a baguette slice)
Whole gain mustard
Low-fat shredded cheese of your choice (recommended Monterey Jack)

Mix the eggs with the coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl or container where you can immerse the baguette slices. Beat until the mixture is consistently the same color. Add a little Tabasco sauce for some kick if you’d like to spice up the flavor.

Slice baguette at an angle into 1 inch pieces. Soak the pieces in the egg mixture. Then place in a frying pan to cook briefly on each side.

On a cookie sheet or a baking pan, arrange the cooked slices of baguette. On each slice spread a thin layer of whole grain mustard. Then add a slice of tomato. Then allow for two thinly sliced pieces of ham to fall on the baguette.

Once arranged, put them under the broiler for a 5-10 minutes (depending on your broiler), so that the ham gets a little crispy. Pull them out and sprinkle a little of your favorite shredded cheese (a low-fat Monterey Jack cheese might be good) on top. Put them back under the broiler for a few seconds while the cheese melts a tad.

Let cool and enjoy.

Note: a bowl of tomato soup would be a delicious match for this nummy meal.

Tasty Tuna Tomatoes

2008-07-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuna Tomatoes

1 can tuna (use the pinkish tuna, not the high quality white albacore tuna)
2 TBSP mayo (or light mayo)

1 TBSP whole grain mustard

1 tsp brown sauce (or steak sauce)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 small tomatoes or 2 normal sized tomatoes

2 slices medium cheddar (light preferred)

Mix the can of tuna with the mayo, mustard, brown sauce, salt and pepper.

Halve the tomatoes and hollow them out. Fill each tomato with tuna.

Place them in a baking dish and put 1/4 slice of cheese on each (if small tomatoes you’ll have 8 halves). If you use the larger tomatoes, cut the pieces of cheese in half like a triangle and place 1/2 a slice of cheese on each tomato.

Bake them in the oven on 350 degrees (of 250 on UK ovens) until the tomato is slightly tender. Make sure you keep them on the rack away from the top of the oven. You should cook them for maybe 10 minutes. Then turn your broiler on when the tomato is tender and just bake the cheese for a few second until it browns just a tad.

Take them out, let them cool for 1-2 minutes and serve.

Note: the tomatoes we use here are about 2inx2in.

(serves 1-2)

Sauceless Vegetable Spaghetti

2008-07-04T23:47:00.000-05:00

Sauceless Vegetable Spaghetti

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

500g spaghetti noodles

1 large onion

2 orange pepper (yellow as an alternative or red as a last resort. Don’t use green)

4 beef tomatoes

1 medium sized red chili (seedless)

12 button mushrooms (or preferred mushroom)

2 TBSP garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 TBSP Salt

2 TBSP pepper

Start a pot of water for the spaghetti noodles. Add salt to the water and a dash or two of olive oil to season and add texture to the noodles. Boil the water and add the noodles. Break noodles in half in desired.

Get a large pot so that you’ll be able to mix the noodles after you cook the veggies. Do not pour the mixture into the noodle pot, because you’ll lose some of the cooked flavor of the pan. If you have a large (surface space large with at least a 3 inch lip around the edge), you can cook the veggies in that. I recommend a pan with a lot of surface area to really integrate flavors.

Slice the onion and pepper into thin strips. Throw them in the second pot with the garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, salt and pepper. As they start to wilt (Medium High), deseed the red chili and cut into four vertical strips, then slice horizontally (so essentially dice your chili into large pieces). Cut in half and then deseed the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch strips (about the width of your pinky finger or a little less if you think it’s too big). Also cut up the mushrooms (buy them precut if you prefer).

When the onions and peppers are close to losing their crispness, add the tomatoes and mushrooms, turn down to medium low. When you feel the veggies are at your preferred crispness (some like their peppers more cooked, so like them with a bit of crunch left), add your rinsed and drained pasta to the pot. Turn on low and toss the noodles with the veggies.

When done tossing, turn the heat off. Let it set for a minute or two and serve.

Note: I don't add mushrooms to mine, because I have a negative reaction to mushrooms. So some flavors might be a little different. My husband loves mushrooms and he loved his, but he said the dish with and without had a slightly different flavor. Experiment for what you like. Might even add a white wine when cooking the veggies.

Sarah's Flavorful Burgers

2008-07-01T13:58:00.000-05:00

Sarah's Flavorful Burgers
(Serves 6-8 depending on burger size)

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo (or 2 eggs)
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 TBSP cumin
1 TBSP coriander
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 diced green chili (remove seeds to reduce heat and emphasize flavor)
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP pepper

Mix all ingredients VERY WELL in a large bowl. Then make your preferred sized patties. The larger/thinner the patty, the more flimsy it might be. Grill or use your oven. Cook as desired on each side. Don't flip back and forth frequently, because the patties might be tender. The grill might not be the best way to do it, if you feel the mixture isn't staying together. A double layered drainable cooking pan might be best. (we aren't allowed to grill in the backyard, so we have to cook inside)

Prepare other ingredients as desired (buns, ketchup, etc.).

For a more fun flavor, sauté mushrooms and put them on the bottom of the bun. Then mix curry (1 TBSP) with ketchup (1 cup). Add this ratio for however much you need to make. Put the ketchup on top with the rest of your cold desired additives. Onions can go on the bottom with the mushrooms. If you want to add cheese, add your desired cheese on top.

Spur-of-the-Moment Arroz con Pollo

2008-05-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

I came up with this delicious and simple recipe this evening while procrastinating from working and waiting for Ray to get home.... I couldn't believe how easy it was and how delicious it turned out. It is partly inspired by a dish my mother-in-law, Nora, makes called Arroz con Pollo (but without the saffron). So here it is......

Spur-of-the-Moment Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes (drained) - two cans if you think one doesn't cut it
1 can corn (drained)
1 can pitted black olives (drained) - might need only half a can
2 packets premade microwaveable Uncle Ben's rice (Pilau flavored, Spanish flavored, whatever floats your boat) - microwave both packets before adding
1 lb chicken breast (diced)
2 cups white wine (just sub water if you don't have wine... its simply a flavor additive)
1 tsp olive oil (for pan)
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 packet fajita seasoning
salt and pepper

Brown a pound of diced chicken with 1tsp olive oil, 2 cups white wine, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 1tsp cumin, 1/2 packet fajita seasoning, a dash of salt and pepper as preferred.

Throw all the ingredients into a pot with the browned chicken and let simmer on med for 15 minutes (stirring as needed). Salt and pepper to taste.

(Serves roughly 4-6)