Clam Dip with Bacon

Yesterday I made this for my parents' visit along with some crackers and cheese too. I served it with pita chips. I'd recommend using a little less lemon. Other than that it was great!

Clam Dip with Bacon
Courtesy of Cooking Light, with my modifications
serves 16 (2 tbsp per serving)... yeah, I don't think so because I love me some dip...
WW points per serving: 1

10 tbsp reduced fat sour cream (12 tbsp is a cup, so I just used a cup)
10 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise (see above)
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (this was about 1 1/2 lemons for me but next time I'd lessen this amount)
2 tbsp chopped green onions
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2, 6.5 oz cans chopped clams, drained (I didn't realize my cans were 10 oz, so mine was extra clamy!)
2 center cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk; cover and chill at least 1 hour.

So I've made my list of recipes for dinners this week. Tonight I'm making a steak salad (just marinating the steak in some italian dressing that I will also use on the salad, and whatever I've got on hand for salad). Tomorrow I will try to post the list and then explain my grocery list that I make up from it.

Have a happy Sunday!
~M

Thank goodness it's..

Friday!

Today has been a busy one for me... drop my son off at daycare, stop at Home Depot to get supplies to try my hand at caulking the bathroom (seriously??), deposit my less-than-stellar severance check at the bank, head home for a 9am phone interview, hit the gym, stop at the grocery store, stop at Walgreens, get the car washed, start cleaning like a mad woman. Whew.

Tonight for dinner it's very impressive. I plan on opening the jar of Classico pasta sauce, warming it in a pan, placing the box of spaghetti in the boiling water, cook, drain... ta-dah! Dinner is served. Yep, nothing fancy this evening. Maybe a glass or 2 of wine... yes, that would definitely be good.

I usually do art night with my son on Friday's. It used to be getting dolled up to go to a bar, now it's putting on something old so if I get covered in fingerpaint it's OK! I think we'll make a sign for Grandma & Grandpa's visit tomorrow. I bought glitter, that might have been a mistake.. we shall see.

I thought today I'd officially answer the question I get all of the time... Do I really cook like this every day?

Yes, I suppose I do. Not EVERY day but I try to plan out about 5 days a week of recipes (with a grocery list), then the other 2 are either take-out or something simple like tonight. I do have a slight grocery store addiction and could go there daily if my pocketbook would allow. But I also have a plethora of spices, condiments, etc. that I use in these recipes stocked up at my house. I look like a spice hoarder (although I don't think they make a tv show for that).

So this weekend I plan on posting a recipe for a light Clam Dip that I'll make for my parents. I am not sure what I'm making Sunday night but I'll post that as well.

Take care all, and Happy Friday!

~M

Asian tonight!

So tonight I'm going to make the following meal from cooking light. I love Asian food, and could probably eat it every day (unlike my husband who would love either Italian or some good ol' meat & potatoes). I'm hoping this turns out well though. I'm usually not one to put sugar in savory dishes (i.e. the maple syrup in this) but I've told myself I need to try things so we shall see.


Maple and Soy-Glazed Flank Steak
Cooking Light, March 2010
serves: 4 (3 oz each)
WW points: 5

1 lb flank steak, trimmed
1/4 c less-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp sake or dry sherry (I happen to have sherry)
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp Sriracha (Asian hot chili sauce - and yes, I have this on hand)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler

Pierce steak gently on both sides. Combine steak and the next 6 ingredients in a shallow dish; turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Pour marinade into a small skillet; bring to a boil, stirring well. Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

Brush steaks with half of glazel; broil 5 minutes. Turn steak over, and brush with remaining glaze; broil 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Serve with the following 2 sidedishes....

Silky Sesame Cucumbers

Cut 1 English cucumber (the regular ones were on sale... so I'm using those instead) into very thin slices. Toss with 1 tsp kosher salt; let stand 15 minutes. Drain, firmly squeeze dry, and place in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar and 3/4 tsp dark sesame oil; toss well. Srit in 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds.

Scallion Noodles

Cook 8 oz wide rice noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Combine noodles, 1/2 c shaved carrots, 1/4 c green onion strips, 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tbsp dark sesame oil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt.

One note, I have rice vinegar on hand, but not seasoned rice vinegar. I think the seasoned kind is too sugary. So, I've found that to make seasoned rice vinegar, you combine a 3-to-1 ratio of rice vinegar to sugar, add a pinch of salt, and stir until it dissolves. I plan on doing this, but with a bit less sugar.

Goodbye! Or.... zai jian(再见) !!

~M

Cherries on a Cloud

Where did this cold come from? I swear yesterday I was fine, and today I feel like I've been run over by a truck. So, you'll have to bear with me. Today I will post the picture of the white bean crostini since I did make that last night. However, my husband worked late so I saved the asparagus pasta and dessert for tonight so I will take pictures then.

So as not to completely disappoint, I thought I'd post this dessert recipe. When I was in elementary school, I was asked to submit a recipe to add to a school cookbook. This is the one that I told my Mom that I wanted to submit. It's so easy and yummy.. which reminds me that I bet my son would love it.


Cherries on a Cloud

1 package cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling
1/3 c sugar
1/2 pint sour cream
8 oz whipped topping (i.e. cool whip), thawed

Beat cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Gently fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into a 2 qt bowl or individual dishes. Chill for 4 hours. Spoon on cherry pie just before serving.

~M

Smiling

I'm smiling today, for the first time in a few weeks I think! Things might be going my way but I'm hesitant to blog about it for fear it might not turn out.... but just know I'm happy!

Last night my husband told me that I put myself on an "emotional roller coaster". He believes that I get so sad and worried at the thought of unfortunate things in life that maybe could happen, and then I get so excited and happy at the thought of a good thing that maybe possibly could work out. I believe he has forgotten to open his "How to Understand a Female" book. It has to be in chapter 1 somewhere, explaining that we females are emotional wrecks half the time.

It's true though, that the way my brain works must be a little nutty thinking every day must be the best or the worst of times... but all I know is that today I'm smiling, and he is happy for it too, so life in our house is good!

With all of this time off I've had time to compile a list of recipes to make. The only tough decision is which one on which day (and to pick the one whose produce is still fresh in the refrigerator so I do not waste anything). I've also used a bunch of coupons while at the grocery store, and stuck to my list as well!

This week I had a coupon for tuna in the Sunday paper, and a Walgreens coupon for the same tuna. Basically, you can use both in one purchase and it turns out you're getting a can for free. That's my Mom talking in me I believe. So everyone run out & cut those coupons!

Tonight for dinner I finally decided on Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts from this month's Cooking Light magazine. It'll be served with a White Bean & Thyme Crostini on the side, and I might even make Melissa D'Arabian's Cranberry Orange Parfait. So if you don't think I've rambled on enough yet today... I'm about to type out a whole-lotta recipes. Will update with pictures tonight as always!

I'll be making the pasta with proscuitto instead of pancetta simply because I have a bunch of it in the freezer. It's similar in flavor so I figured it'd work. However, keep in mind the WW points for this might be off a bit (probably higher I would think since pancetta has a high fat content). I'd also think you could use bacon if you didn't have either on hand.


Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts
Cooking Light, March 2010

serves: 4 (2 cups each)
WW points: 8

8 oz uncooked cavatappi pasta (or rotini would work well here)
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp pine nuts
2 oz diced pancetta
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c (1 oz) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt (sorry Cooking Light, I always salt my water) and fat; add asparagus to pan during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain. Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Place in a small bowl.

Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees. Arrange pancetta on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 475 degrees for 6 minutes or until crisp.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

*** Note: The pasta was delicious! I just loved it. Although next time I'd probably not add the pine nuts. It didn't do all that for me, and it'd save a few bucks from the cost of the meal!



White Bean and Thyme Crostini
Cooking Light, March 2010

Arrange 8, 1/4 inch thick baguette slices on a baking sheet; brush with 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil. Bake at 475 degrees for 4 minutes or until golden.

Saute 1/2 tsp minced garlic in 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in 1/3 c rinsed and drained cannellini beans, 1/8 tsp kosher salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper and mash with a fork.

Add 1 tbsp warm water and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice. Stir to blend.

Spread 1 tsp on each baguette slice; sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves.

*** The crostini was fabulous! It was a great little appetizer for the meal, and the garlic plus the fresh thyme... oh my.

Cranberry Orange Parfait
courtesy of Melissa D'Arabian

2 c plain yogurt
3 tbsp orange marmalade
3/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
10 can whole cranberry sauce
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp chopped pecans, toasted

Add the yogurt to a coffee filter or doubled paper towels lined in a fine sieve. Let drain over a bowl at least 1 hour, to overnight in the refrigerator (This makes "mock" greek yogurt which is thicker than regular. I happen to have some greek yogurt so I'll just use that). Discard the accumulated liquid.

Add the drained yogurt to a bowl and add the marmalade. In a separate bowl, whip the cream with a beater until it begins to thicken. Add the vanilla and sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form.

Add the cranberry sauce to a medium bowl. Add half of the whipped cream, orange juice, and orange zest and carefully stir to combine. Add the other half of the cream to the yogurt mixture and gently combine.

Layer the yogurt & cranberry mixtures in 4 parfait or wine glasses and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with pecans just before serving.


~M

How are Monday's rough if I'm unemployed?

Funny how I was dreading today just as much as I would if I was working. Mondays are just no fun regardless. This morning has been a busy one - revamping my resume yet again, applying to more jobs and gearing up for a job fair next week, and trying to keep my chin up. I think that last part is the most difficult. I pride myself in how I juggle it all, but currently since the "career" ball isn't being juggled, I feel a bit out of sorts.

So this morning I took my son to daycare. I'm trying to take him every other week so as not to ruin his schedule too much, plus he loves it there. He was talking about his friends last night and ran off as soon as I hung up his coat today when I dropped him off. The teacher had to remind him to "tell mommy bye!". Ah, that part is bittersweet.

Today it snowed yet again in Chicagoland, much to my spring-fever-dismay. So my husband took my SUV to work and I plan on trudging around in the snow to multitask - grocery shop & exercise. I plan on walking to the store and carrying my groceries home.

So, I guess I am multitasking yet again. I don't think I know what to do with myself if I'm not busy. I do have an interview at 4 today, so wish me luck!

Tonight the menu is from Cooking Light. I'm making the following recipe. Will post pictures late tonight! I am going to serve it with a salad on the side.


Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce
Cooking Light, March 2010

serves 4 (1 breast half and about 4 teaspoons sauce)
WW points: 9

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons finely chopped drained bottled roasted red bell peppers
2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pockets.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Working with 1 chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture, and panko.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; place skillet in oven. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until done.

While chicken bakes, combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, bell peppers, water, Worcestershire, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook until butter melts. Remove from heat, and stir in hot sauce. Serve sauce with chicken.

This was delicious! I'll definitely be making it again!

~M

Eggs Benedict with homemade hollandaise

Today I made eggs benedict for my father-in-law and husband for breakfast. It was a messy experience (and I realized just how bad that Hollandaise sauce is for you), but it was worth it! I followed Julia Child's recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The following is an adaptation from her recipe.

Hollandaise Sauce

Yields about 1 cup of sauce

3 egg yolks
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more later as needed
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter,
half at first and half later
1 1/2 sticks melted unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Special equipment suggested: A 6-cup fairly heavy-bottomed stainless saucepan and a wire whisk; a pan and a small ladle for the melted butter

Preliminaries: Vigorously whisk the egg yolks in the saucepan for a good minute or so, until they are thick and pale yellow, then whisk in the lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of cold butter, which while melting slowly will act as a kind of anti-curdling insurance.

The egg-yolk sauce base: Set the pan over low heat, whisking at a moderate pace and watching carefully until in a minute or more (more... definitely more) the egg yolks have thickened and you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes. At once remove from heat and beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon cold butter a tablespoon to stop the cooking.

Adding the butter: By droplets, beat in the warm melted butter to make a thick sauce. Once it starts to thicken more, you can add more at a time. Whisk in the seasonings, adding a little more lemon juice if you feel it is needed.

Eggs Benedict: layer 1/2 English muffin, 1 slice warmed ham, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.

~M

A Giada Favorite

My father in law arrived this afternoon. Since we're going to trudge to the auto show tomorrow, we decided to stay in this evening. So, I've decided to make dinner. I'm making the same recipe for the fish & rice from Melissa D'Arabian that I made about a week ago. For an appetizer, however, I'm putting out some cheese & crackers & olives (per usual... I think I'd weigh 10 pounds less without that stuff), as well as Giada De Laurentiis' Pea Pesto Crostini.

I do lessen the amount of olive oil from 1/3 c to about 1/6 cup. I'm also going to serve it on crostini made from some pretzel loaves that I found at Whole Foods. Bread that tastes like a pretzel... talk about a little piece of heaven.

Anyway, here's the recipe..

Pea Pesto Crostini
recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

10 oz frozen peas, defrosted (I used the whole 16 oz... due to the face I apparently didn't READ the directions until right now!)
1 garlic clove
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/3 c olive oil (I used 1/6 c here)

Pulse together the peas, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a food processor.


With the machine running, add the olive oil until combined.

Serve on a crostini topped with a half of a grape tomato. (I don't have any on hand right now so I've omitted this... it's still delicious!)


Note: To make the crostini, brush slices of bread (baguette, etc) with olive oil and grill on a grill pan for 1 to 2 minutes until toasted. If you haven't tried pretzel bread for this, please do! You'll be thrilled at the result.

~M

Mom's Zucchini Bread

So last night I cheated. Yes, I went OUT to dinner. So no post from dinner. I must admit, I like the break... but not from cooking... from cleaning the kitchen. I have some guilt for spending money on dinner since I'm currently unemployed, but the seared tuna was worth it.

The job-hunt is painful so I'm ready for a weekend to forget about it until 5am on Monday. We have family coming into town for the auto show in Chicago, my son's playmate's 3rd birthday party, and most-likely too much eating ahead of us.

So this morning I am checking emails for job prospects, cleaning my house, and prepping for company.

This morning I wanted to post a family favorite of mine. My mother and I are not bakers... never have been and never will be. My cakes turn out slanted like a ski slope and my frosting turns out flat. However, my mom makes the best zucchini bread you'll ever taste...


Zucchini Bread

3 large eggs
1 cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour

Beat eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add applesauce, sugar, zucchini, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients. Mix all with an electric mixer until combined.

Grease and flour 2 large bread pans, or 1 large 9 x 11 Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

~M

Frog Leg Recipe

This truly turned out great! See my prior post for the whole story behind my love of frog legs.

Garlic Sauteed Frog Legs

1 lb frog legs (thawed if previously frozen)
1/3 c flour
1/2 lemon, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour with about 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Rinse frog legs with cold water and pat dry. Dredge in seasoned flour, shake off excess, and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter with olive oil. Add minced garlic. Once hot, add frog legs. Cook about 3 minutes or so, until browned. Flip and brown the other side. Be sure to not burn the garlic.

Remove frog legs from the skillet and place in a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze 1/4 lemon over the top of them. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over half way through cooking time.

While the legs are baking, deglaze the skillet with white wine and vegetable broth and cook over medium heat. Add the juice from the remaining 1/4 lemon. Once the sauce has reduced by about half, remove from heat and add remaining 1 tbsp butter and some chopped parsley.

Place the frog legs on a serving dish and drizzle the sauce over the top. Enjoy!

~M

Ribbit....

Yes, you guessed it from the title... the menu tonight is Frog Legs. No, I'm not crazy, I'm from northwest Indiana!

When I was a kid, every Friday night my Nana, Grandpa, and Uncle would head to the local golf course restaurant for lake perch, frog legs, & french fries. It was all-you-can-eat and a favorite of northwest Indiana Catholics who weren't eating meat on Fridays (apparently frog legs are considered seafood).

My Nana, being the sweet grandmother that she was, would carry a plastic baggie in her purse and, much to the restaurant's dismay, fill it to the brim for little old me. She'd stop by our house on their way home, and that was my dinner. I never thought the fact I was eating the little critters' legs was strange, it was just delicious!

When I moved to Chicago and was out with my now-husband, we went to a restaurant called Hugo's Frog Bar. It was not actually named for the frog legs on the menu, but for the owner's grandfather whose nickname was "Frog". I was thrilled to be able to order frog legs, though, and my husband (to my surprise) and I became instant fans.

Instead of deep frying the little buggers, they sauteed them in garlic-buttery goodness.

Which brings me to tonight's menu. I've tried 2 recipes for frog legs (which I buy frozen from a grocery store in northwest Indiana), but have yet to have them taste exactly like Hugo's. So tonight, I'm going to wing it and try my own recipe which I've put to much thought.

I'll soon be posting what I did along with pictures! I'm serving it with a good ol' prepackaged light ceasar salad.

~M

Ah, the crockpot

Well, you might be expecting a great recipe and a picture tonight, but I don't think it'll happen. It's not because what I'm making isn't good... it is... but it's not very, um, photogenic. But I will describe it since it's a family favorite on both sides.

My parents have made their own sauerkraut for years. I must say, I'm spoiled by it. I don't think there is any that can compare. And now, my husband also seems to love it as well. Every time they give us a jar of it I run to the store and buy some country style ribs (pork) and a tiny can of tomato juice (that's my husband's side's contribution). In the morning I brown the ribs slightly with some salt & pepper in a pan (no oil needed). Then I add them to the crock pot, add the sauerkraut, and then fill the empty jar about half-way with water, the tomato juice, and about 1 Tbsp of brown sugar. I add that to the crock pot and .. dinner is served. I cook it all day and serve next to a big ol' pile of mashed potatoes.

I try to make my mashed potatoes with Brummel & Brown light butter spread, a little milk, and a little chicken broth. Oh, and you have to add a clove or 2 of garlic to the pot when you boil the potatoes! Those steps make the potatoes a bit more weight watcher friendly.

Even though I swear that if I don't follow a recipe to the "T", I'll screw it up (this is what separates the good cooks from the real chefs)... this is one meal that I kind of eyeball. It's pretty hard to mess up, and great for a warm meal that you want waiting for you when you get home.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's recipe... I'm going to improvise on one we've tried and you'll never guess what I'm serving. It's on Ash Wednesday too so I'm trying not to serve meat... and it's not exactly fish either.... Curious?

'Til tomorrow!
~M

"Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs" - Mark Twain

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed - early, tired, and cranky. After some work on the job-hunt, I decided on breakfast. According to Mark Twain, a good breakfast makes things better, so that was my goal.

Now, I've always been the person that orders my eggs over-hard at a restaurant, and cringed at the sight of that runny yellow stuff on other peoples' plates. However after having crab cakes benedict at a local Evanston brunch spot, I learned that I just might like poached eggs. It was either that, or I really liked crab cakes and that rich hollandaise sauce enough that I didn't care the runny egg was there.

For whatever reason, it turned me on to the idea of poached eggs, and I dvr'd Julia Child's cooking show. They had this contraption that helped with the poaching, but didn't remove the egg completely out of the water like an egg-poaching pan. So of course, I had to have one.... er... two.

So I placed the little apparatus in about 3 inches of water with about a teaspoon of vinegar. I brought that to a simmer (note - simmer, don't boil or you'll have egg drop soup).


I then added my egg and let it cook for about 3 - 4 minutes.


I slid the finished product onto a plate and... ta-da! Margo's first poached egg.


This will put out a warning to my husband and father-in-law who is visiting this weekend... proper eggs benedict will be served one morning for breakfast. Let's just hope I can make hollandaise...

~M

Chicken Tetrazzini

My mom has been raving about this simple recipe for ages, so tonight that's what we're having. She used to serve it over pasta, but now loves it with french green beans, or broccoli. I'm going to serve ours with the beans since I have some in the freezer.


Chicken Tetrazzini
Serves 4
WW points 7

2 large (or 3 small) boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz canned mushrooms, with water from can
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
16 oz light sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c parmesan cheese

Cut chicken breasts in half. Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish.

Mix all other ingredients. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

As I was making/prepping dinner this evening, my 2 1/2 year decided to help me. You have no idea (or then again, maybe you do... who am I to say?) how much that warmed my heart. Being a person that loves to be in the kitchen, I always dreamed my child would love to be there right with me.

At the end of mixing the ingredients he proclaimed "I'm the cookin' man, and Mom, you're the cookin' girl". Big grins filled the room!

~ M (aka "the cookin' girl")

Some Valentine's Goulash

The initial plan was to go to the store today and buy steaks, or lobster, and other fancy things for dinner. However, it feels like we've been running nonstop, so today has been spent mainly on the couch. We did make it to church, but that was the only outing, and I don't mind it one bit! I'm not ready to face another week of job-hunting, so I needed today to relax.

So tonight I'm making my mother-in-laws goulash recipe. If you as her about it, she'll say it's "not much of a recipe". It might be simple, but it is delicious and a forever favorite in this Kidd house.


Goulash
servings: alot! I've never really counted but it makes a bunch!

46 ounces canned tomato juice
1 packet sloppy joe seasoning mix
1 lb ground beef
1 small box elbow macaroni (or about 1/2 - 3/4 of a 1 lb box)

Brown ground beef and drain off excess fat.

Pour tomato juice over ground beef and add sloppy joe seasoning packet. Mix well and warm over medium heat until bubbly.

In a separate pot, cook macaroni in salted water. Drain and rinse macaroni and add to beef mixture. Heat through.

Best when served with corn bread.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!
~M

Resumes, interviews, and potstickers

I think that I'm busier now that I'm unemployed. I'm trying to get all of these little chores done around the house, all while treating my job-hunt as a full-time job. Today I had a resume writing class online, followed by an interview (Yay!), and after that I decided to randomly make & freeze potstickers.

In order to do this, about 20 minutes before my resume class I prepped the ingredients. After they were complete, I placed them all on a tray to freeze. Once they're frozen I'll pop them into a freezer bag (you do this so that they do not stick together while freezing) and have them for whenever!

I followed a recipe that I've adapted from the book Dim Sum - The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch by Ellen Leong Blonder. I've made a few changes from the original, but not much.


Potstickers
Makes 24 potstickers
4 potstickers in 1 serving = 5 WW points

8 oz finely shredded napa cabbage (about 3 cups)
1 tbsp salt
8 oz ground pork
2 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger 1 scallion (white and green parts) finely sliced
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
pot sticker wrappers (they are 3 inch round wrappers, usually sold in packs of 40 or so)

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the salt and let stand for 30 minutes, until wilted. Rinse the cabbage under cold water and squeeze out as much water as possible. This should yield 2 cups of cabbage.

In a bowl, mix the pork, ginger, scallion, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, squeezing the mixture through your fingers to blend it well. Mix in the cabbage. Refrigerate the filling for at least 20 min and up to 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Dip a finger in water and run it along the edge of the circle of the wrapper. fill with about 1 tbsp of the filling. Press the sides together to form a half-moon shape, and try to pleat the edge with your fingers . Set them on a floured surface.

At this point, I set mine on a baking dish and placed in my freezer.

To cook, I steamed mine in my bamboo steamer over a wok for about 10 minutes. However, in the book she states to make proper potstickers... they should stick to the pot! So you heat a skillet, and add 1 tbsp of oil. When it is almost smoking, arrange potstickers in the skillet as close to one another as possible without letting them touch. Pan fry for 2 - 3 minutes over medium heat, checking to make sure they are not burning. Then carefully pour 1/2 c water in to the skillet, cover, reduce to low and simmer for 5 - 6 minutes. Uncover, and raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more until all of the water has evaporated and the bottoms are brown and crisp.

Serve with Soy Vinegar Dip:
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar (I omitted this)
1 teaspoon scallion, green part only, sliced paper thin

Since I did not add sugar, I served this after I simply mixed it together. However, if you add the sugar, you should cook all but the scallions over low heat along with 2 tsp water until the sugar dissolves.

Enjoy!
~M

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne

Tonight I'm making another one of Melissa D'Arabian's recipes from the food network. The last time I made it, it made about 5 servings. Her original recipe says 4, but we had so much leftover I think it was a bit much for each serving. So here's the recipe and tonight I'll update with pictures


Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne
servings: 5
WW points: 9

1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, cheeks removed
1/2 lb button mushrooms, stemmed
1 1/2 tsp olive oil (I cut down on this)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 links hot or sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 c white wine
12 oz whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to package and reserve 1/2 c cooking liquid
grated parmesan to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with 1 1/2 teaspoons (this used to be tablespoons but I lessened it for WW purposes) oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time. In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the baking sheet, at the halfway point of cooking, to caramelize.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze with white wine. Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.

What I do love about this recipe is that you can improvise a bit. For example, this time I did not have zucchini on hand, but I had extra tomatoes, and a green bell pepper instead of red. I think it still turns out terrific!

~M

Baking with my boy

To lift my spirits a bit today, and enjoy the time with my son, I took a break from resumes, applications, and job-hunting for an hour to bake some cookies. I had everything in the house to make these sugar cookies so I did.



Simple Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.

Roll rounded teaspoonsfull of dough into balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on paper towels.

Ten Dollar Dinners

Tonight I made 2 recipes from Melissa D'Arabian's show "Ten Dollar Dinners". I saw the show today and happened to have almost everything to make it. I only had to pick up a bottle of white wine (wine doesn't last long in my house....), and a zucchini. I used tilapia as she stated in the show would work well. We have a guest in town staying with us for a few days and I was worried to try something new, but it got rave reviews from both him and my husband.

I was going to take picures, honest I was. And as I'm eating away I realize that everyone is half-finished and I forgot to get out the camera. Ah, such is life.

So we had both the Rice with Caramelized Shallots and the Fish en Papillote. I have yet to make a bad recipe from this show.

One note, I do not have anything that julienes vegetables as small as she made them, so I sliced my vegetables long-ways on my mandoline, and then sliced those into small strips. I think that it's important to keep them very small so that they cook in the time allotted.

Oh, and one note about yesterday.... my husband and his friends are STILL talking about the wings. So, apparently it was worth smoking up the kitchen. I'll be making them again!

Signing off until tomorrow!

~M

Pictures

Ok, so here are a few pics. No, they're not perfect but I like them! Here's the smokie fondue...











And here is a picture of the wings..

Where there's smoke...

there's Margo cooking. I'm in the midst of cooking the wings as people show and my house is a big chickeny-smokey-mess. If I knew it would have smoked the house up, I think I would have ordered Buffalo Joe's from down the street. But yes, I'll look back on this soon and laugh.

Still... pictures will be to follow.

:)
~M

Superbowl!

Note that today's recipes will have no weight watchers points associated with them, because I truly doubt we'd want to know the points!

The first thing I'm making is Alton Brown's Wings... which is a baked version but it's supposed to be amazing.

Alton Brown's Buffalo Wings
12 whole chicken wings
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine. Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

I'm going to serve this with blue cheese dressing and celery spears.

We're also making a traditional meal we do every year. You cook little hot dogs and sausages over a flame that is held in a cabbage. This isn't going to make much sense until I post a picture! However, it's so fun and my son loves to do it so I highly recommend you try it.

Kidd Family Superbowl Cookout

mini hot dogs
lil' smokies
cocktail breads (rye & pumpernickle)
various mustards
horseradish sauce
1 large cabbage
1 or 2 sterno cans
fondue forks

Hollow out a space in the cabbage to hold the sterno can. Light it, and cook hot dogs and smokies over the flame. Serve on breads with condiments.

Pictures soon to follow!! Are you ready for some football?????

~M

TGIF

Well, it's Friday and I am officially unemployed as of 5pm today. The job search has begun and I'm really hoping to hear something soon. Next week I plan on job hunting as a full-time job. I'm trying to keep my chin up but it hasn't been easy.

Tonight I made panini's. I took chicken from a roasted chicken and layered it on Italian bread with pesto, tomato, red onion, and monterey jack cheese. Quite delish, and I completely forgot to take a picture before we'd gobbled them up.

This weekend we are having a few people over for the super bowl. I am making our yearly mini hot dogs & smokies cooked over a flame and served on little cocktail rye, as well as Alton Brown's recipe for wings. I will post and take pics if all goes well!

Off to spend time with my guys...

~M

Steak Salad

Tonight I made a steak salad using flank steak. I marinated it and then grilled it on my Cuisinart grill/panini machine (which I adore). I grilled it about 4 minutes a side and sliced it against the grain and set the pieces on top of a salad.

The marinade was terrific, so I thought I'd post it.

Flank Steak Marinade

1/4 c soy sauce
1/8 c A-1 steak sauce
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder.

It turned out great!

Well, signing off for tonight. Send some job-hunting vibes my way!

~M

Comfort in cooking

So after a day of job hunting, I decided to make Maangchi's soup to have around for lunches the next few days. I tried to make her Cabbage and Soy Bean Paste Soup. I bought a tea ball from fantes.com to put the dried anchovies in as well. It turned out really good, and I will be making it again for sure.

At least it kept my mind busy a bit!

~M

Layoffs

There were rumors that we'd have layoffs coming, and yesterday I was let go. It's hard when you work remotely and no one really knows you, and therefore there's not always someone fighting in your corner for you.

My biggest fear right now is change... I really want to keep the lifestyle I have. The fact I can work and do what I enjoy while being close to my son means the world to me. Yes, there are days when I feel like I take on too much, but there is something to be said about being able to throw a load of laundry in on my lunch break, or driving 3 blocks to pick up my son if he's sick at daycare.

I don't know what is next but I hope it's a step in a good direction.

~M

Happy Groundhog Day

I'm hoping that Punxsatawney Phil has some good news for us today. It's not that I don't enjoy winter, I do. I truly enjoy living where we have seasons that change. However, once Christmas is over, I am ready for spring. This has become more true since I had my son, since a cooped up toddler is the last thing you want when there's a park across the street that would be ideal if the windchill wasn't below zero. So, we shall see if I love good ol' Phil, or if I'm ready to pay him a little visit to express my disdain.

I also made my husband late to work this morning by hitting the snooze button too quickly and too many times. And, I have a fabulous conference call at 7am today that I had to prep for.

So, let's think happy thoughts... like dinner! Tonight should be a good one...

Tex-Mex Calzones

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 calzone and 1 tablespoon sour cream)
WW points: 9

8 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free fire-roasted salsa verde
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.
3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.

Now, this includes this Black bean salad (which I am not making since I'm lacking ingredients), but it's not clear if that's included in the nutritional info that makes up the 9 WW points or not... So i'm going to just plan for 9 pts regardless. So, here's the salad recipe too...

Black bean salad: Combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.

I'll update with a picture tonight as well, now that my husband has shown me how to use the fancier camera. I tried it last night, hence why the photo of the chicken turned out so dark and blah... so hopefully tonight it'll be a bit more appealing!

Signing off for now!
~M

Recipe Review: Chicken with Artichoke & Feta

I wanted to quickly review the Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese. I made it according to the recipe, but I substituted chicken breasts for the chicken thighs. My husband never seems to like the consistency of chicken thighs, plus I had the boneless skinless breasts on-hand.

I think it was a great recipe, but the chicken was a little dry (and I actually marinated it for a few hours). I suppose it was because I used chicken breasts and they aren't as moist. I also cooked it for a minute less on the one side, and 2 minutes less on the other, but it was still overdone.

I think I'd try this recipe again for sure, but next time either cook it for an even shorter time, or maybe do it in a skillet instead of under the broiler (although there's something to be said for the grilled flavor). I served it with baked potato wedges that were sprinkled with garlic salt and a little "Baking Magic" which is my favorite thing to bread meats and such with (similar to shake 'n bake but I like the flavor & texture better).

~M

Monday Monday

Well, it seems that Monday has crept back again and here we are. It's a slow day here, but I have one of two conference calls smack in the middle of the class I want to attend at the gym... figures. I'm still sleepy today. I think I'm just too old to go out any more... it takes me days to recover from lack of sleep.

So today I was hoping to make the crab spring rolls that I posted about last week to stick in the freezer. I also want to make a Korean cabbage soup this week for lunches. If you're interested in Korean dishes, I highly recommend for you to check out this site http://www.maangchi.com/ She is not only a great cook, but a hoot to watch. I often watch her videos on my iphone when I'm at the gym on the exercise bike. Is it odd that I watch recipe videos while exercising?

So tonight for dinner will be a recipe from Gina's site. Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese. The only substitute is I'm going to use chicken breasts instead of thighs. Will try to post a pic and review later today!

Ok, time to go search for my motivation... I swear it was here somewhere...

~M