Hey look, here's a buncha stuff I have made recently, and forgotten the exact recipe!
Sugar Free Sweet and Sour Chicken (Made with Stevia for sweetener)
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sadly, no recipes...
Sugar Free Sweet and Sour Chicken (Made with Stevia for sweetener)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sweet & Spicy Wasabi-Yogurt Prawns
I found this really interesting looking recipe on my reader this morning. The original comes from My Kitchen Snippets and while I am quite sure it is good just how the original author has it, deep frying shrimp then slathering them in mayonnaise is really not my idea of a good time. So, behold my version: much, much lighter and changed enough, I think, to deserve a new name.
Sweet & Spicy Wasabi-Yogurt Prawns
½ pound jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp of corn flour
1 egg white
1/4 c. water
8g coconut oil for saute pan
yogurt dressing:
3.5 oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
yogurt dressing:
3.5 oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbs olive oil
1.5 tsp powdered wasabi
1.5 tsp powdered wasabi
juice of 1/2 lemon
12g agave nectar (about 1.5 tsp)
12g agave nectar (about 1.5 tsp)
1 red jalapeno, diced
1 mango, small dice
2 green onion, sliced thin
Season the prawn with a bit of salt and pepper (don't be like me and over salt at this point. I came really close to making it inedible). In a bowl, combine flour, egg white, and water. You are looking for a consistency that will coat, but not clump on the prawn. If it is too thick add a bit more water. Add prawn and toss to coat. Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan. Carefully add prawn. Allow to cook at medium-high heat about 3 minutes, and flip. Sear for about 1 minute, then cover and turn off heat. Allow to cook another minute or 2, then remove from heat and set aside.
1 mango, small dice
2 green onion, sliced thin
Combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Once prawn are slightly cooled, add to the dressing and toss.
Makes 2.5 servings, about 5 prawn per serving. 293 calories.
---
Eric's dinner: Box of Hamburger Helper Chili Cheese Mac
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Quinoa-Veg Loaf with Mashed Cauliflower
I didn't intentionally set out to make a "fake" meatloaf and mashed potato meal, but that's the way it turned out.
The loaf recipe came via my reader (in a round about way) and can be traced back to this Whole Foods recipe. I made a few substitutions and additions as it didn't look like nearly enough flavoring for my taste ;) The cauliflower I made a couple nights ago and had left over so just added to my meal. It is not the same texture as mashed potatoes - no starch so it is not as smooth nor creamy - and it doesn't taste like potatoes, since its cauliflower (durka durr) it is actually better since there is so much more flavor. IMO.
I'm so full right now. It was a lot of food. Nom nom nom.
Quinoa Veg Loaf
7g coconut oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 large green onions, sliced
1 TSB each: dried oregano, marjoram, thyme
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 16.5oz jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, rinsed in hot water and chopped
1 cup (about 1 onion) chopped red onion
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions, dried herbs, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bean mixture, quinoa, peas, basil, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Bake until firm and golden brown, 1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Loaf will be slightly mushy when you slice.
Per serving (about 6oz/172g-wt.): 170 calories, based on the Whole Foods recipe, my version is probably a little less
Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
White pepper and salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shaved, optional
Microwave the cauliflower with a bit of water, about 5 minutes or so, or until fork tender. Add the garlic about halfway through. Drain. Using a hand blender, mash the cauliflower and garlic with the salt and pepper, and buttermilk.
That's it. You can take it to the next level (like you know I did...) by transferring the mash into a casserole dish, and put under a high broiler until slightly browned, which takes 10 - 15 minutes. Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
.28 calories per gram (pictured is about 150 grams)
Zucchini and Onion Stir Fry
1 Zucchini, sliced
1 cup red onion, sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a saute pan. Add zucchini and onion. Allow to brown before flipping. Add salt and pepper. Allow the other side to brown slight and stir. Add your lemon juice. Cover, and turn off heat. Let steam for 2-3 minutes or until squash is done.
Eric's dinner : half a box of Safeway brand Beef Stroganoff.
The loaf recipe came via my reader (in a round about way) and can be traced back to this Whole Foods recipe. I made a few substitutions and additions as it didn't look like nearly enough flavoring for my taste ;) The cauliflower I made a couple nights ago and had left over so just added to my meal. It is not the same texture as mashed potatoes - no starch so it is not as smooth nor creamy - and it doesn't taste like potatoes, since its cauliflower (durka durr) it is actually better since there is so much more flavor. IMO.
I'm so full right now. It was a lot of food. Nom nom nom.
Quinoa Veg Loaf
7g coconut oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 large green onions, sliced
1 TSB each: dried oregano, marjoram, thyme
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 16.5oz jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, rinsed in hot water and chopped
1 cup (about 1 onion) chopped red onion
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, green onions, dried herbs, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bean mixture, quinoa, peas, basil, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Bake until firm and golden brown, 1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Loaf will be slightly mushy when you slice.
Per serving (about 6oz/172g-wt.): 170 calories, based on the Whole Foods recipe, my version is probably a little less
Mashed Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, rough chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
White pepper and salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shaved, optional
Microwave the cauliflower with a bit of water, about 5 minutes or so, or until fork tender. Add the garlic about halfway through. Drain. Using a hand blender, mash the cauliflower and garlic with the salt and pepper, and buttermilk.
That's it. You can take it to the next level (like you know I did...) by transferring the mash into a casserole dish, and put under a high broiler until slightly browned, which takes 10 - 15 minutes. Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
.28 calories per gram (pictured is about 150 grams)
Zucchini and Onion Stir Fry
1 Zucchini, sliced
1 cup red onion, sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a saute pan. Add zucchini and onion. Allow to brown before flipping. Add salt and pepper. Allow the other side to brown slight and stir. Add your lemon juice. Cover, and turn off heat. Let steam for 2-3 minutes or until squash is done.
Eric's dinner : half a box of Safeway brand Beef Stroganoff.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Broiled Cod
This is super delicious, terribly easy-to-the-point-of-criminal recipe.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Broiled Cod
skin on deboned cod fillets, about 4 oz each
for the marinade:
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Put everything in a gallon zip lock bag for 2-3 hours. Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lay your cod skin side down in the pan. Dispose of left-over sauce. Broil under high heat, 6-8 inches from the flame for 10-15 minutes. Eat. Yes, it is that simple.
Cod is a mere 30 cals per cooked ounce if you don't eat the skin, and the marinade is about 0. Eat up.
Eric's dinner: Box of mac 'n' cheese.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Broiled Cod
skin on deboned cod fillets, about 4 oz each
for the marinade:
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Put everything in a gallon zip lock bag for 2-3 hours. Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lay your cod skin side down in the pan. Dispose of left-over sauce. Broil under high heat, 6-8 inches from the flame for 10-15 minutes. Eat. Yes, it is that simple.
Cod is a mere 30 cals per cooked ounce if you don't eat the skin, and the marinade is about 0. Eat up.
Eric's dinner: Box of mac 'n' cheese.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
New York Strip Steak with Cardo y berza con garbanzos, Roasted Salsa, & Spinach Tortillas
Dinner was awwwweeeesome. I have a pic to add later, so for now, just enjoy my drivel.
I was in a south o'the border mood already, so when this recipe came through my reader, originally called Espinacas con garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas); I knew it would satisfy the craving and I could avoid nachos or something equally blase. Once I figured that much out, the rest pretty much fell into place. Since my tortillas involved spinach, and I had a bunch of collard greens (berza) that were getting wilted and a fresh bunch of chard (cardo) come in my organic delivery, I decided to do some substituting, which at this point is less a decision and more a force of habit :) From the original blog post, apparently this is a Spanish comfort food; I'd never heard of it (being about as whitey McWhite White as they come...) but I am so happy I it gave it a try!
Cardo y berza con garbanzos
6g coconut oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of cumin
3/4 cup all natural tomato sauce
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and chopped
1 bunch chard, any variety, stems removed and chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lemon
few dashes of Tabasco, to taste
salt, pepper
In a large, deep, sauce pan with fitting lid, sautee onion and garlic in the coconut oil, until just translucent. Add cumin and saute until fragrant. Add chard, collards, chickpeas, and tomato sauce; cover and let greens wilt. Add some water, and continue to saute, covered, checking frequently for doneness. When greens are tender, saute uncovered until liquids have all but evaporated. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice over the top before serving.
Yields 5 cups, 140 calories per cup
---
I can't believe I made my own tortillas, but I did it! This is another great recipe from VeggieWiz, and I changed very little; I also tweaked the directions slightly to reflect my personal experience with the dish.
Spinach Tortillas
1/2 cup corn flour (NOT corn meal)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 cup spinach, boiled and drained, reserve the liquids
Puree the boiled spinach in a blender; you will need about 3/4 cups puree.
Mix the corn flour, wheat flour, salt and baking soda together. Knead into a dough by slowly adding the spinach puree. Add the reserved liquids if needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 balls and pat each ball into a thin roundish tortilla using the corn flour to help with sticking. Make as thin as you can.
Heat a griddle or skillet over high heat (do not use oil). Gently place a tortilla on the hot pan, and cook for 40-50 seconds on each side; longer if your tortillas are a little thick. You should see little bubbles forming, and it should get lightly toasted. Eat them fresh; for leftover5s, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate,
Yields 6 tortillas, 79 calories each.
----
Salsa is a pretty simple affair, but I made a pretty good batch, so figured this would be a good time to report it.
Roasted Salsa
4 jalapenos
8 plum tomatoes
2 Anaheim chilies
1 large red onion, rough chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4c. lime juice (about 4 small limes)
2 tsp. cumin
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Place jalapenos, tomatoes and chilies on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven under a high broil turning once until blackened and blistered on all sides. Allow to cool. Remove skins taking care with the jalapeno to avoid getting spice on your hands.
In a food processor, take turns chopping onion and garlic to a fine chop; chilies jalapenos and tomatoes to a chunky consistency. Add all remaining ingredients together and toss. Season to taste.
Yields 4.5 cups / 65 calories per cup
---
I'll go ahead and assume you know how to grill a steak...
Eric's Dinner: Box of White Cheddar Shells Pasta-Roni
I was in a south o'the border mood already, so when this recipe came through my reader, originally called Espinacas con garbanzos (Spinach and Chickpeas); I knew it would satisfy the craving and I could avoid nachos or something equally blase. Once I figured that much out, the rest pretty much fell into place. Since my tortillas involved spinach, and I had a bunch of collard greens (berza) that were getting wilted and a fresh bunch of chard (cardo) come in my organic delivery, I decided to do some substituting, which at this point is less a decision and more a force of habit :) From the original blog post, apparently this is a Spanish comfort food; I'd never heard of it (being about as whitey McWhite White as they come...) but I am so happy I it gave it a try!
Cardo y berza con garbanzos
6g coconut oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of cumin
3/4 cup all natural tomato sauce
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and chopped
1 bunch chard, any variety, stems removed and chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lemon
few dashes of Tabasco, to taste
salt, pepper
In a large, deep, sauce pan with fitting lid, sautee onion and garlic in the coconut oil, until just translucent. Add cumin and saute until fragrant. Add chard, collards, chickpeas, and tomato sauce; cover and let greens wilt. Add some water, and continue to saute, covered, checking frequently for doneness. When greens are tender, saute uncovered until liquids have all but evaporated. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice over the top before serving.
Yields 5 cups, 140 calories per cup
---
I can't believe I made my own tortillas, but I did it! This is another great recipe from VeggieWiz, and I changed very little; I also tweaked the directions slightly to reflect my personal experience with the dish.
Spinach Tortillas
1/2 cup corn flour (NOT corn meal)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 cup spinach, boiled and drained, reserve the liquids
Puree the boiled spinach in a blender; you will need about 3/4 cups puree.
Mix the corn flour, wheat flour, salt and baking soda together. Knead into a dough by slowly adding the spinach puree. Add the reserved liquids if needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 balls and pat each ball into a thin roundish tortilla using the corn flour to help with sticking. Make as thin as you can.
Heat a griddle or skillet over high heat (do not use oil). Gently place a tortilla on the hot pan, and cook for 40-50 seconds on each side; longer if your tortillas are a little thick. You should see little bubbles forming, and it should get lightly toasted. Eat them fresh; for leftover5s, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate,
Yields 6 tortillas, 79 calories each.
----
Salsa is a pretty simple affair, but I made a pretty good batch, so figured this would be a good time to report it.
Roasted Salsa
4 jalapenos
8 plum tomatoes
2 Anaheim chilies
1 large red onion, rough chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4c. lime juice (about 4 small limes)
2 tsp. cumin
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Place jalapenos, tomatoes and chilies on a cookie sheet. Roast in the oven under a high broil turning once until blackened and blistered on all sides. Allow to cool. Remove skins taking care with the jalapeno to avoid getting spice on your hands.
In a food processor, take turns chopping onion and garlic to a fine chop; chilies jalapenos and tomatoes to a chunky consistency. Add all remaining ingredients together and toss. Season to taste.
Yields 4.5 cups / 65 calories per cup
---
I'll go ahead and assume you know how to grill a steak...
Eric's Dinner: Box of White Cheddar Shells Pasta-Roni
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mango Ahi Ceviche with Black Bean Plantain Fritters
I swear something must be aligning in the universe for me in the kitchen the past few weeks. I made another amazing yummy dinner, and another first. I have never made Ceviche before, but I have had it, so I know what the general point is. I went online and read 4 or so recipes in random places and got the main idea for what to do. The following is the result of cobbling together what I thought would work best, and then threw in two surprises: mango and avocado. So frakkin good!
I needed a side that wasn't tortillas or rice or chips. I started thinking about beans, and plantains, and didn't really just want a pile on my plate, so figured I would try some sort of bean patty situation. I think that had I not been watching the fat and calories, I would have fried these which I encourage you to do if calories aren't an issue for you. Through trial and error, I figured out that baking these were a good alternative. They are really yummy and are really really tasty next to the Ceviche.
Mango Ahi Ceviche
1.5 lbs of sushi grade Ahi Tuna, cut into chunks
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (whites only)
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1 tbs fresh ginger root, minced
2 serrano chilis, roasted, de-seeded, skin peeled, and minced
3 small tomatoes, roasted, skin peeled, and chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
4 limes, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, minced
2 tsp salt
1 packet sweetner
1 fresh mango, peeled and cubed same size as the tuna
1 fresh avocado, peeled and cubed same size as the tuna
Place everything in a bowl EXCEPT the mango and avocado. Mix well. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours. Add mango and avocado just before serving and mix again.
1058 calories for the whole batch. 0.66 calories per gram (pictured: 2/3 cup serving at 101 calories)
Black Bean Plantain Fritters
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 plantain, peeled, cut into chunks
1 jalapeno
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 egg whites (or 1/3 c. of egg whites)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Cut plantain into chunks and boil for 20 minutes, or until softened. Blend everything in your food processor until all chunks are broken down, and a relatively smooth paste is formed. Form pattied on the cookie sheet by plopping down a large spoonful of the mixture, and spreading out slightly so each patty is no more then 1/2 an inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes, flip over, and back an additional 10-15 minutes. Dollop the top with non-fat Greek yogurt.
This whole batch is 782 calories. 1.18 calories per gram (pictured is two 3-inch patties at 142 calories )
Eric's Dinner: nothing, he was still full from his pizza at lunch
I needed a side that wasn't tortillas or rice or chips. I started thinking about beans, and plantains, and didn't really just want a pile on my plate, so figured I would try some sort of bean patty situation. I think that had I not been watching the fat and calories, I would have fried these which I encourage you to do if calories aren't an issue for you. Through trial and error, I figured out that baking these were a good alternative. They are really yummy and are really really tasty next to the Ceviche.
Mango Ahi Ceviche
1.5 lbs of sushi grade Ahi Tuna, cut into chunks
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (whites only)
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1 tbs fresh ginger root, minced
2 serrano chilis, roasted, de-seeded, skin peeled, and minced
3 small tomatoes, roasted, skin peeled, and chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
4 limes, juiced
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, leaves only, minced
2 tsp salt
1 packet sweetner
1 fresh mango, peeled and cubed same size as the tuna
1 fresh avocado, peeled and cubed same size as the tuna
Place everything in a bowl EXCEPT the mango and avocado. Mix well. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours. Add mango and avocado just before serving and mix again.
1058 calories for the whole batch. 0.66 calories per gram (pictured: 2/3 cup serving at 101 calories)
Black Bean Plantain Fritters
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 plantain, peeled, cut into chunks
1 jalapeno
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 egg whites (or 1/3 c. of egg whites)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Cut plantain into chunks and boil for 20 minutes, or until softened. Blend everything in your food processor until all chunks are broken down, and a relatively smooth paste is formed. Form pattied on the cookie sheet by plopping down a large spoonful of the mixture, and spreading out slightly so each patty is no more then 1/2 an inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes, flip over, and back an additional 10-15 minutes. Dollop the top with non-fat Greek yogurt.
This whole batch is 782 calories. 1.18 calories per gram (pictured is two 3-inch patties at 142 calories )
Eric's Dinner: nothing, he was still full from his pizza at lunch
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ruby Tostada with Jicama-Mango Salsamole
I was feeling south of the border and decided to make a veggie version of a taco, which morphed into a tostada. These recipes came out terrific; one of those things where I sit back and wonder how the hell I come up with stuff. Needless to say, both me, and my belly, are quite happy!
Ruby Tostada
2 c yams , peeled, and diced
2 c beets, peeled and diced
2 TBS water or veggie broth
7g coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c red bell, diced
1 c green bell, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp each: cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, onion powder
2 tsp salt
makes 5 c/ 161 calories per cup
In a microwave safe casserole dish with lid, add yams, beets, and water/broth. Cover and nuke for 3-8 minutes, until just cooked, but still a bit of crunch left. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add peppers, and allow to slightly caramelize. Drain off any liquid from beet/yam mixture, and add remaining ingredients. Heat through.
Assemble whole wheat tortilla, filling, Jicama-Mango Salsa (recipe below), and a dollop of n/f Greek plain yogurt.
Jicama-Mango Salsamole
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1/2 c red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1.5 c jicama, peeled
1 mango, peeled
2 avocado, destoned
2 lime, juiced
2 lemon, juiced
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp each: cumin, chili powder
makes 4 cups / 204 cals per cup
In your food processor, blend each fruit and veggie individually, then add to a large bowl - I preferred mine a little chunky. When all is blended, mix together with the citrus juice and seasonings.
Eric's Dinner: chicken strips from Safeway, on a Safeway Asiago bagel, with bottled BBQ sauce.
Ruby Tostada
2 c yams , peeled, and diced
2 c beets, peeled and diced
2 TBS water or veggie broth
7g coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c red bell, diced
1 c green bell, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp each: cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, onion powder
2 tsp salt
makes 5 c/ 161 calories per cup
In a microwave safe casserole dish with lid, add yams, beets, and water/broth. Cover and nuke for 3-8 minutes, until just cooked, but still a bit of crunch left. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add peppers, and allow to slightly caramelize. Drain off any liquid from beet/yam mixture, and add remaining ingredients. Heat through.
Assemble whole wheat tortilla, filling, Jicama-Mango Salsa (recipe below), and a dollop of n/f Greek plain yogurt.
Jicama-Mango Salsamole
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1/2 c red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1.5 c jicama, peeled
1 mango, peeled
2 avocado, destoned
2 lime, juiced
2 lemon, juiced
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp each: cumin, chili powder
makes 4 cups / 204 cals per cup
In your food processor, blend each fruit and veggie individually, then add to a large bowl - I preferred mine a little chunky. When all is blended, mix together with the citrus juice and seasonings.
Eric's Dinner: chicken strips from Safeway, on a Safeway Asiago bagel, with bottled BBQ sauce.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Shepard's Harvest Pie
In my PlanetOrganics delivery this week I ordered some ground beef from the fabulous Eel River Ranch .
I am still sitting here stunned by how good my crazy concoction came out. I took the typical Shepard's Pie, reduced the fat, and the starchy carbs, and added loads of veggies (hence the 'harvest' part).
Let me say I have never made Shepard's pie before, nor have I ever eaten it. In fact, the closest I have come to a Shepard's Pie in the past was an episode of Kitchen Nightmare's where the Pie was, "just a big ball of grease" and then Chef Ramsey vomited... DRAMA QUEEN.
After eating my version, I really don't know that a traditional version could be better. My mouth and tummy are so happy right now, I am bouncing in delight. This can also really easily be changed to a vegan version, just by substituting tofu and/or mushrooms for the beef, or made even lower cal by using ground turkey or chicken.
Shepard's Harvest Pie
topping:
2 cups winter squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cubed
5 small cloves garlic
2 TBS broth
1 tsp each: salt, white pepper, paprika, horseradish
1 c. corn kernals
6 oz n/f greek yogurt
1TBS coconut butter, warmed
1/2 oz shaved parmesean
filling:
1c. onion, chopped
1/2 TBS coconut oil
1lb ground beef 90/10
2 TBS wheat flour
1 TBS tomato paste
1 c. veggie broth, plus water as needed
1 tsp each: salt, thyme, marjotam, paprika, parsley
2 c. baby brocoli, chopped
1 bunch Chard, chopped
preheat oven to 350
For the topping: Put squash, garlic, broth and seasonings in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 10 minutes, or until cooked and softened. Meanwhile, saute your corn kernels until they are slightly browned. Add corn, squash mixture, yogurt, and coconut butter to a large mixing bowl and use hand blender to puree (or use a Cuisinart or blender). Set aside.
For the filling: saute onion in coconut oil. When slightly caramelized, add beef. Cook until browned. Add flour, tomato paste, broth and seasoning. Boil until broth is a gravy consistency. Add broccoli and chard. Cover and let simmer until chard is wilted. Adjust seasoning as needed. Uncover and let simmer until much of the liquid has evaporated.
Add filling mixture to the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish. Top with the squash mixture and carefully spread, completely covering the beef. Bake for 20 mins. Switch to broiler, and broil for 5 mins, or until browning starts. Cover with the shaved Parmesan and broil a few moments longer until cheese starts to brown. Let rest before serving.
The whole dish is 1569 kc. Split into 4 meal-sized serving s= 392 calories per serving
Also, look how pretty all the colors are:
I am still sitting here stunned by how good my crazy concoction came out. I took the typical Shepard's Pie, reduced the fat, and the starchy carbs, and added loads of veggies (hence the 'harvest' part).
Let me say I have never made Shepard's pie before, nor have I ever eaten it. In fact, the closest I have come to a Shepard's Pie in the past was an episode of Kitchen Nightmare's where the Pie was, "just a big ball of grease" and then Chef Ramsey vomited... DRAMA QUEEN.
After eating my version, I really don't know that a traditional version could be better. My mouth and tummy are so happy right now, I am bouncing in delight. This can also really easily be changed to a vegan version, just by substituting tofu and/or mushrooms for the beef, or made even lower cal by using ground turkey or chicken.
Shepard's Harvest Pie
topping:
2 cups winter squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cubed
5 small cloves garlic
2 TBS broth
1 tsp each: salt, white pepper, paprika, horseradish
1 c. corn kernals
6 oz n/f greek yogurt
1TBS coconut butter, warmed
1/2 oz shaved parmesean
filling:
1c. onion, chopped
1/2 TBS coconut oil
1lb ground beef 90/10
2 TBS wheat flour
1 TBS tomato paste
1 c. veggie broth, plus water as needed
1 tsp each: salt, thyme, marjotam, paprika, parsley
2 c. baby brocoli, chopped
1 bunch Chard, chopped
preheat oven to 350
For the topping: Put squash, garlic, broth and seasonings in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 10 minutes, or until cooked and softened. Meanwhile, saute your corn kernels until they are slightly browned. Add corn, squash mixture, yogurt, and coconut butter to a large mixing bowl and use hand blender to puree (or use a Cuisinart or blender). Set aside.
For the filling: saute onion in coconut oil. When slightly caramelized, add beef. Cook until browned. Add flour, tomato paste, broth and seasoning. Boil until broth is a gravy consistency. Add broccoli and chard. Cover and let simmer until chard is wilted. Adjust seasoning as needed. Uncover and let simmer until much of the liquid has evaporated.
Add filling mixture to the bottom of an oven safe casserole dish. Top with the squash mixture and carefully spread, completely covering the beef. Bake for 20 mins. Switch to broiler, and broil for 5 mins, or until browning starts. Cover with the shaved Parmesan and broil a few moments longer until cheese starts to brown. Let rest before serving.
The whole dish is 1569 kc. Split into 4 meal-sized serving s= 392 calories per serving
Eric's dinner: juice (2nd night in a row...)
Also, look how pretty all the colors are:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Whispers from the East Slaw & Salmon Veggie Bake
I know, I know, it's been ages. I have 6 or 7 recipes lined up, it's just a matter of getting them from there to here... transported (sorry, I just channeled Dr. Horrible and I think I am gonna leave it as it happened).
Anywho! I had a cabbage left over from last week's PlanetOrganics delivery and knew I needed to eat it before tomorrow when my next delivery arrives. So I came up with the following slaw. Super yummy! I also had another Salmon-Veggie bake (yellow squash, shitake mushroom and red bell) which came out so good, as it always does. And a big ol' bowl of mixed veg salad - I even took the time to cook up a couple of yellow beets to add to it mmmmmmmm
Whispers from the East Slaw
1 small head cabbage (6.5 cups), shredded
2 large carrots, shredded (1 cup),
6 green onions, sliced
dressing:
2 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS cashew butter (or other nut butter)
1 TBS ground fresh ginger
1 sweetner, or 4 drops stevia, or 2 tsp sugar
1/3 c. rice vinegar
Add your cut veg into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until incorporated. You may find microwaving the cashew butter helpful. Add to your veg and toss. Enjoy.
Makes 7.5 cups / 68 calories per cup
P.S. I don't think I have ever dissected what my mixed veg salad's consist of. For the record, tonight's salad had; baby spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, yellow beets, baby carrot, shitake mushroom, Japanese black radish, fresh basil, cucumber, red bell pepper. My dressing was half a lemon's juice (my usual dressing), and a dollop of fresh chipotle salsa I got from the health food store. Yes, this is typical, and I eat it twice a day, pretty much every day.
Eric's Dinner: he actually let me cook for him tonight! I made Chicken (free range) Alfredo (from a jar) and topped it with shredded Parmesan and added some Parmesan wafers (from a box). Behold:
Anywho! I had a cabbage left over from last week's PlanetOrganics delivery and knew I needed to eat it before tomorrow when my next delivery arrives. So I came up with the following slaw. Super yummy! I also had another Salmon-Veggie bake (yellow squash, shitake mushroom and red bell) which came out so good, as it always does. And a big ol' bowl of mixed veg salad - I even took the time to cook up a couple of yellow beets to add to it mmmmmmmm
Whispers from the East Slaw
1 small head cabbage (6.5 cups), shredded
2 large carrots, shredded (1 cup),
6 green onions, sliced
dressing:
2 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS cashew butter (or other nut butter)
1 TBS ground fresh ginger
1 sweetner, or 4 drops stevia, or 2 tsp sugar
1/3 c. rice vinegar
Add your cut veg into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until incorporated. You may find microwaving the cashew butter helpful. Add to your veg and toss. Enjoy.
Makes 7.5 cups / 68 calories per cup
P.S. I don't think I have ever dissected what my mixed veg salad's consist of. For the record, tonight's salad had; baby spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, yellow beets, baby carrot, shitake mushroom, Japanese black radish, fresh basil, cucumber, red bell pepper. My dressing was half a lemon's juice (my usual dressing), and a dollop of fresh chipotle salsa I got from the health food store. Yes, this is typical, and I eat it twice a day, pretty much every day.
Eric's Dinner: he actually let me cook for him tonight! I made Chicken (free range) Alfredo (from a jar) and topped it with shredded Parmesan and added some Parmesan wafers (from a box). Behold:
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Chard & Tomato Egg White Omelet
I didn't think to take pictures of this, but I assure you it was pretty, what with the whiteness of the egg and the pinkness of the chard and tomato juice :)
Chard & Tomato Egg White Omelet
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 head red chard, rough chopped
1 TBS capers
1 c. tomato, diced (I used campari's)
juice of 1/2 lemon
7 grams coconut oil (reserve half for egg pan)
3 egg whites
4 grams coconut oil
S&P to taste
freshly shaved Parmesan, to taste
In a saucepan, heat oil; add garlic and onion and saute until carmelized. You may need to add a tablespoon of water or broth. Add chard and lemon juice; saute until wilted. Remove from heat, add capers and tomatoes; toss and set aside. In a separate skillet, add remaining oil and egg whites. Season with salt and pepper; allow to cook through. Add your chard mixture to half of the egg layer, slide that half onto plate, and flip the empty half over the top, forming your omelet. Lightly shave Parmesan over the top.
1 serving, 257 calories
Eric's Dinner : can of chicken noodle soup, and half a grilled cheese sandwich.
Chard & Tomato Egg White Omelet
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 head red chard, rough chopped
1 TBS capers
1 c. tomato, diced (I used campari's)
juice of 1/2 lemon
7 grams coconut oil (reserve half for egg pan)
3 egg whites
4 grams coconut oil
S&P to taste
freshly shaved Parmesan, to taste
In a saucepan, heat oil; add garlic and onion and saute until carmelized. You may need to add a tablespoon of water or broth. Add chard and lemon juice; saute until wilted. Remove from heat, add capers and tomatoes; toss and set aside. In a separate skillet, add remaining oil and egg whites. Season with salt and pepper; allow to cook through. Add your chard mixture to half of the egg layer, slide that half onto plate, and flip the empty half over the top, forming your omelet. Lightly shave Parmesan over the top.
1 serving, 257 calories
Eric's Dinner : can of chicken noodle soup, and half a grilled cheese sandwich.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Greek Inspired Pasta Sauce over Cabbage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I saw a really intriguing post on /r/cooking for eggplant "noodles" last week. I am in the process of trying to give up pasta and white flour products in general (why did a lone bugle playing Taps start playing softly in my head...) and figured this would be a terrific substrate replacement for a hefty sauce. When thinking of eggplant I think of Chinese and Greek food, so I set out to find a dense pasta topper with one of the two cuisines in mind. I landed at allrecipes.com and a Greek pasta sauce. I had to make very minimal changes to get this where I wanted it to be flavor- and calorie-wise so below is my version.
The sauce came out fanfrakingtastic... really an exceptional find. Full of flavor, great texture, and very filling. You could eat this in a bowl as a stew if you so desire. That is the good news.
The bad news, however, is that the eggplant pasta SUCKED. I am about to post over in the Cookit thread and share the information that I used a lot of salt - as in, at an epic scale equal to an amount more suited to the process of creating funazushi. And while I am tongue in cheek about it this morning (and in retrospect feel like a complete noob), last night I was seriously frustrated. No amount of rinsing, or soaking and rinsing, was getting the salt level down to an edible level. So I scrubbed it. Why yes, that is, in fact, giant kosher sea salt crystals that my eggplant is drowning in.
Luckily I had a head of unclaimed cabbage in the fridge (I plan my meals 3-5 days in advance and had just gone shopping for the entire week) leftover from last week. I sliced about half the head into thin strips, and popped the pile in the microwave for a minute and a half. The cabbage came out perfectly al dente and about half-steamed. I am happy to report that it was the perfect accompaniment to the sauce. I actually think the cabbage ended up being a better match than the eggplant would have been, or that real pasta could have lived up to (Shush. Let a girl dream).
Greek Inspired Pasta Sauce over Cabbage
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBS water or vegetable broth
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce (no added sugar)
2 TBS capers
15 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
3 TBS Balsamic vinegar
2-4 tsp crushed red pepper (to taste)
S&P to taste
1 oz per serving of crumbled light feta cheese
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, add onion and water/broth. Cook until it starts to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, except feta. Let simmer for a minimum of 30 mins. Meanwhile, slice the cabbage into thin strips and microwave for 1.5 mins with a small amount of water. Ladle a hearty amount of sauce over cabbage, and top with 1oz of light feta per serving.
Makes about 4 c of sauce, 119 kcals per cup. Light feta adds 35 kcal per oz. Cabbage is about 13 kcal per cup.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/2 lemon
s& p to taste
Toss everything to coat. Add to a casserole dish that has been treated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 mins until the sprouts start to brown. Don't do what I did and leave them in the oven after turning it off or else they dry out and look yucky but still taste awesome.
Eric's Dinner : half a pound of breaded chicken strips from the Safeway deli
The sauce came out fanfrakingtastic... really an exceptional find. Full of flavor, great texture, and very filling. You could eat this in a bowl as a stew if you so desire. That is the good news.
The bad news, however, is that the eggplant pasta SUCKED. I am about to post over in the Cookit thread and share the information that I used a lot of salt - as in, at an epic scale equal to an amount more suited to the process of creating funazushi. And while I am tongue in cheek about it this morning (and in retrospect feel like a complete noob), last night I was seriously frustrated. No amount of rinsing, or soaking and rinsing, was getting the salt level down to an edible level. So I scrubbed it. Why yes, that is, in fact, giant kosher sea salt crystals that my eggplant is drowning in.
Luckily I had a head of unclaimed cabbage in the fridge (I plan my meals 3-5 days in advance and had just gone shopping for the entire week) leftover from last week. I sliced about half the head into thin strips, and popped the pile in the microwave for a minute and a half. The cabbage came out perfectly al dente and about half-steamed. I am happy to report that it was the perfect accompaniment to the sauce. I actually think the cabbage ended up being a better match than the eggplant would have been, or that real pasta could have lived up to (Shush. Let a girl dream).
Greek Inspired Pasta Sauce over Cabbage
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBS water or vegetable broth
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce (no added sugar)
2 TBS capers
15 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
3 TBS Balsamic vinegar
2-4 tsp crushed red pepper (to taste)
S&P to taste
1 oz per serving of crumbled light feta cheese
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, add onion and water/broth. Cook until it starts to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, except feta. Let simmer for a minimum of 30 mins. Meanwhile, slice the cabbage into thin strips and microwave for 1.5 mins with a small amount of water. Ladle a hearty amount of sauce over cabbage, and top with 1oz of light feta per serving.
Makes about 4 c of sauce, 119 kcals per cup. Light feta adds 35 kcal per oz. Cabbage is about 13 kcal per cup.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 lb Brussels Sprouts
1/2 lemon
s& p to taste
Toss everything to coat. Add to a casserole dish that has been treated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 mins until the sprouts start to brown. Don't do what I did and leave them in the oven after turning it off or else they dry out and look yucky but still taste awesome.
Eric's Dinner : half a pound of breaded chicken strips from the Safeway deli
Friday, February 5, 2010
Salmon-Veggie Bake & Beet and Blood Orange Salad
The salmon bake is the easiest, fastest, and most flexible way I have found to cook fish that turns out delicious almost without fail. You can use pretty much any fish (although oily seems to be better) and any veggie / herb combination you can dream up. You don't even need to watch proportions; as long as your foil will close, you are set.
I said "almost without fail" above as I came really close to failure last night. I didn't plan ahead for this meal, and was just using what I had on hand for the veggies: leeks, scallions, lemon, and fresh thyme. Sounds amazing, right? Not so much. For whatever reason (am I supposed to pan fry leeks first??) the leeks were bitter as all get out - just simply inedible. And sadly, as you can see from the image below, I had my leeks right on top of the salmon flesh. Luckily, a little scraping and the meat was fine. But let that be a lesson to you from me.
Salmon-Veggie Bake
1 salmon steak, skin on (or any other fish you fancy)
1-2 cups chopped and sliced veggies
fresh herbs
salt, pepper, other seasonings to your taste
Preheat oven to 350. Tear off a rectangle of foil, making sure it is big enough to wrap all your ingredients with some wiggle room. Spray foil with a bit of cooking spray. Lay your fish in skin side down (I like to put a couple slices of citrus down under the fish). Season the fish with salt, pepper, garlic salt, Mrs. Dash, whatever, just be sure to season it. Lay your cut veg on top and on the sides. Finish the pile with fresh herbs. Bring up the two long sides of the foil and fold over twice to make airtight-ish, leaving a bit of space on the top. Roll and fold the remaining sides to make a packet. Place the packet on a cookie sheet, and pop the whole thing in the oven 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut of fish.
calories depend on the size of fish and what veg you use
Beet and Blood Orange Salad
4 small blood oranges, peeled and segmented
2 bunches of beets, greens removed (save em for later, or you can use them as the base of a salad)
for the dressing:
juice from 1 navel orange (1/2 cup)
1 tsp mace
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard
Boil your beets for 20-30 minutes until a knife slips in easily. Allow to cool, then cut into segments about the size of your orange slices. Mix your dressing and simply pour it over your beets and oranges. Enjoy the pretty colors :)
makes 5 cups. 70 kcals per cup.
Eric's Dinner: nothing. He ate lunch at 2:00 and apparently that means he doesn't need food at 8pm...
I said "almost without fail" above as I came really close to failure last night. I didn't plan ahead for this meal, and was just using what I had on hand for the veggies: leeks, scallions, lemon, and fresh thyme. Sounds amazing, right? Not so much. For whatever reason (am I supposed to pan fry leeks first??) the leeks were bitter as all get out - just simply inedible. And sadly, as you can see from the image below, I had my leeks right on top of the salmon flesh. Luckily, a little scraping and the meat was fine. But let that be a lesson to you from me.
Salmon-Veggie Bake
1 salmon steak, skin on (or any other fish you fancy)
1-2 cups chopped and sliced veggies
fresh herbs
salt, pepper, other seasonings to your taste
Preheat oven to 350. Tear off a rectangle of foil, making sure it is big enough to wrap all your ingredients with some wiggle room. Spray foil with a bit of cooking spray. Lay your fish in skin side down (I like to put a couple slices of citrus down under the fish). Season the fish with salt, pepper, garlic salt, Mrs. Dash, whatever, just be sure to season it. Lay your cut veg on top and on the sides. Finish the pile with fresh herbs. Bring up the two long sides of the foil and fold over twice to make airtight-ish, leaving a bit of space on the top. Roll and fold the remaining sides to make a packet. Place the packet on a cookie sheet, and pop the whole thing in the oven 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut of fish.
calories depend on the size of fish and what veg you use
Beet and Blood Orange Salad
4 small blood oranges, peeled and segmented
2 bunches of beets, greens removed (save em for later, or you can use them as the base of a salad)
for the dressing:
juice from 1 navel orange (1/2 cup)
1 tsp mace
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard
Boil your beets for 20-30 minutes until a knife slips in easily. Allow to cool, then cut into segments about the size of your orange slices. Mix your dressing and simply pour it over your beets and oranges. Enjoy the pretty colors :)
makes 5 cups. 70 kcals per cup.
Eric's Dinner: nothing. He ate lunch at 2:00 and apparently that means he doesn't need food at 8pm...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Dijon Peppercorn Pork Loin Roast & Garlicky TurkeyBacon Brussel Sprouts
I never really do roasts. I think this is only the 3rd or 4th roast I have ever attempted, and the first time with pork. I didn't really know what to expect when I purchased the sealed package of meat, but when I got home, it was 2 thinnish lengths of roast, totaling 2.1 lbs. I ended up freezing one of them because, seriously, that's a shiton of food. As it stands, I ate a portion last night, a portion is for today's lunch, and I am sending Cynthia home with two more portions for her dinner.
As far as the sprouts - Merlin's beard are they good! I am going to make these every night, I swear. Roasting brings out the sweetness. I am not sharing these with Cynthia, except for maybe a taste.
The base for both of these recipes came from myrecipes.com . As usual, I changed them to suit my taste, reduced the number of servings, and I cut corners on the calories as much as possible.
Dijon Peppercorn Pork Loin Roast
1 lean, boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat (about 1lb)
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS lowfat buttermilk
2 cups breadcrumbs (I used 2 slices Sarah Lee 45cal per slice bread)
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325. Combine mustard and buttermilk, and slather on your roast. Combine remaining ingredients, and press mixture onto roast, thoroughly covering. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of meat reaches 160° (my thin roast only needed 40 minutes, original recipe with a 2lb roast called for 2 hours of cook time)
Makes 4 servings, about 3oz each. 213 calories.
Garlicky TurkeyBacon Brussels Sprouts
1 pound Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and halved
2 slices turkey bacon, thinnly chopped (about 1 oz per slice)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
3 gloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pre-heat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Add all ingredients, and toss to coat. Cook for 30 minutes until sprouts have started to wilt/brown and become tender.
Makes about 4 cups, 69 cals per cup. I dare you to try to eat just one.
As far as the sprouts - Merlin's beard are they good! I am going to make these every night, I swear. Roasting brings out the sweetness. I am not sharing these with Cynthia, except for maybe a taste.
The base for both of these recipes came from myrecipes.com . As usual, I changed them to suit my taste, reduced the number of servings, and I cut corners on the calories as much as possible.
Dijon Peppercorn Pork Loin Roast
1 lean, boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat (about 1lb)
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS lowfat buttermilk
2 cups breadcrumbs (I used 2 slices Sarah Lee 45cal per slice bread)
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 325. Combine mustard and buttermilk, and slather on your roast. Combine remaining ingredients, and press mixture onto roast, thoroughly covering. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of meat reaches 160° (my thin roast only needed 40 minutes, original recipe with a 2lb roast called for 2 hours of cook time)
Makes 4 servings, about 3oz each. 213 calories.
Garlicky TurkeyBacon Brussels Sprouts
1 pound Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and halved
2 slices turkey bacon, thinnly chopped (about 1 oz per slice)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
3 gloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pre-heat oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Add all ingredients, and toss to coat. Cook for 30 minutes until sprouts have started to wilt/brown and become tender.
Makes about 4 cups, 69 cals per cup. I dare you to try to eat just one.
Eric's Dinner: box of Safeway white cheddar shells pasta
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Frenched Rack of Lamb over Mushrooms and Artichokes
I found this recipe on epicurean.com and lowered the calories without sacrificing any taste. The original recipe also called for 3 pounds of lamb and made 4 servings. Mine is a single serving of meat with extra veg. I purchased my lamb from Planet Organics. I have not been let down yet; I am so lucky to have that sort of service near me.
Rack of Lamb over Mushrooms and Artichokes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp rosemary
6 oz roast rack of lamb, frenched (2 chops) - fat trimmed
1 cup crimini mushrooms, halved
1 14oz can artichoke hearts in water, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS flour
1.5 c. beef brother, 99% fat free
Preheat the oven to 450. Combine the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary for a rub and apply to both sides of the lamb. Brown both sides of the lamb in a cooking spray treated skillet under high heat. Place lamb on a cooking rack* and put in the oven 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 (thicker slabs of meat will require longer cooking time). Remove from oven when done and let rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the mushrooms in the skillet used for browning. Reduce heat, add artichokes and garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Sprinkle flours over the top and mix well, until flour is incorporated and no white is left. Add beef broth and allow to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Sauce will thicken. Serve lamb over the vegetable mixture, spooning sauce over the top.
Single serving if you want lots of veggies, 455 calories
Eric's dinner: box of Safeway brand beef stroganoff
*I was very clever (if I don't say so myself) with the "oven rack". I didn't want to dirty my HUGE oven rack for 2 tiny chops, so I used a vegetable steamer in a casserole dish. Worked perfect:
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Pan-Asian Pan-Seared Ahi and Sweet & Savory Kale
It was an error to have these two dishes together. Both were completely delicious, but the fish was much to delicately flavored to be paired with the punch-in-the-mouth flavor bomb that the kale is. When I make this again, I think that I would try to pair the fish with a citrus-and-beet salad, or a frisse salad with wasabi dressing, and the kale would go better with lamb or red meat.
for the marinade:
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS freshly grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
Mix your marinade ingredients together, add to your steaks, and let marinade for at least an hour. Heat a non-stick skillet on the stove and let it get super hot. Drain off marinade from steaks, and place them in the pan. Let them cook, untouched, for 2 minutes. Flip and allow 2 more minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
serves 2, 201 - 261 calories per serving, depending on size of steak.
Sweet & Savory Kale
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 packets Sweetener*
4 TBS red wine vinegar
1 14oz can Chicken stock, fat-free
2 small bunches kale, de-stemmed, and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/3 c. dried cranberries
S&P to taste
Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and brown the garlic and onion. Add mustard, vinegar, sweetener, broth. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Add kale, lower heat to medium, and cover for 5 minutes. Add cranberries, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until kale reaches desired doneness and cranberries have plumped.
*the cranberries made this dish overly sweet for my tastes but then I never eat refined sugar, and I couldn't find cranberries that didn't have sugar as an additive. You may want to adjust how much, if any, sweetener you need to add.
makes 2 large servings, 200 calories each
Pan-Asian Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks
2 6-8oz Ahi Tuna steaks about 3/4 of an inch thick, 2+ Sushi grade (very important as the center of the steaks should remain raw)
for the marinade:
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS freshly grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
Mix your marinade ingredients together, add to your steaks, and let marinade for at least an hour. Heat a non-stick skillet on the stove and let it get super hot. Drain off marinade from steaks, and place them in the pan. Let them cook, untouched, for 2 minutes. Flip and allow 2 more minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
serves 2, 201 - 261 calories per serving, depending on size of steak.
Sweet & Savory Kale
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 packets Sweetener*
4 TBS red wine vinegar
1 14oz can Chicken stock, fat-free
2 small bunches kale, de-stemmed, and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/3 c. dried cranberries
S&P to taste
Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and brown the garlic and onion. Add mustard, vinegar, sweetener, broth. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Add kale, lower heat to medium, and cover for 5 minutes. Add cranberries, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until kale reaches desired doneness and cranberries have plumped.
*the cranberries made this dish overly sweet for my tastes but then I never eat refined sugar, and I couldn't find cranberries that didn't have sugar as an additive. You may want to adjust how much, if any, sweetener you need to add.
makes 2 large servings, 200 calories each
Eric's dinner - nothing but he ate the hell out of a bagel this morning.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Veggie Adobo
I did adobo again last night, but this time I made it without meat to see how it would turn out. I'll let you look at the prior adobo post for the basic recipe. Instead of chicken, I used 1 whole eggplant, which I cubed and browned in the same pan after removing the garlic. I also added 2 cubes of chicken bullion, a suggestion from one of the ladies at work. All in all, pretty good
Calories: the entire dish, including a full medium sized squash, is 654. Divide it up how want for a serving . nomnom.
Eric's Dinner: Domino's delivery alfredo bread bowl
Calories: the entire dish, including a full medium sized squash, is 654. Divide it up how want for a serving . nomnom.
Eric's Dinner: Domino's delivery alfredo bread bowl
Friday, January 22, 2010
Chicken-Mushroom Adobo over Butternut Squash
I have a feeling that Filipino grandmothers everywhere are going to be shaking their head and making fun of me in Tagalog over my dinner (who am I kidding, Filpino's don't read my blog. Except Cyncha).
I looooooooooooooove adobo. There is a woman at my office who brings in her mother's adobo on special occasions and my little heart flutters in joy at the thought. I have had pork adobo, chicken adobo, beef adobo, pork belly adobo, various mixtures of the aforementioned and all of it has been mana from heaven. So, when I set out to make my own adobe, my hopes were not high as I knew what master adobo is supposed to taste like.
I didn't enter this endeavor without research. I had 2 recipes printed off, watched 3 vid blogs on youtube, and then went to another lady who works here for tips on how any "secrets" she wished to spill the beans on.
I final note before getting to the actual recipe. I don't do rice, so I had to be creative with the accompaniment. I decided that the butternut squash I got from Plant Organics this week would do, but it would be a stretch and I was pretty nervous about the final result. I also only had 1 chicken breast in the freezer and thought I had more to work with, so the addition of mushrooms (also a PO delivery item) was a last minute decision - I figured once I had entered the sacrilege of my sans rice adobo, I might as well take the plunge and really screw everything up. The result is astounding. The sweetness of the the squash really adds a terrific counterpoint to the tangy adobo sauce, and the mushrooms soaked up broth like mad and became little flavor explosives. Because this is a fat-free rendition of adobo, the chicken breast is a little dry; I will have to work on that.
Chicken-Mushroom Adobo over Butternut Squash
1 small butternut squash
6-10 cloves of garlic, crushed and rough chopped
2 small chicken breasts (about 8 oz total), skin and fat removed
10-12 criminy mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp whole peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 c. white distilled vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
Preheat oven to 350. Slice your squash lengthwise and deseed. Place cut side up in a glass baking dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake for 30 or so minutes. You may find that the squash isn't quite done by the time the adobo is done, depending on the thickness. If this is the case, microwave the squash at the end for 5 minutes, one side at a time, in a dish with some water.
Spray a saucepan big enough the rest of ingredients with non-stick spray. Add garlic and brown. Remove. Cut your chicken breast into 3 inch strips, or cubes. Over high heat, add to the pot and brown all sides. Add garlic back into the pot, along with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Spoon adobo over the squash, make sure to drizzle some extra sauce!
serves 2 / 284 cals per serving
--
Eric's dinner: 2 cheese quesadilla's, plain
I looooooooooooooove adobo. There is a woman at my office who brings in her mother's adobo on special occasions and my little heart flutters in joy at the thought. I have had pork adobo, chicken adobo, beef adobo, pork belly adobo, various mixtures of the aforementioned and all of it has been mana from heaven. So, when I set out to make my own adobe, my hopes were not high as I knew what master adobo is supposed to taste like.
I didn't enter this endeavor without research. I had 2 recipes printed off, watched 3 vid blogs on youtube, and then went to another lady who works here for tips on how any "secrets" she wished to spill the beans on.
I final note before getting to the actual recipe. I don't do rice, so I had to be creative with the accompaniment. I decided that the butternut squash I got from Plant Organics this week would do, but it would be a stretch and I was pretty nervous about the final result. I also only had 1 chicken breast in the freezer and thought I had more to work with, so the addition of mushrooms (also a PO delivery item) was a last minute decision - I figured once I had entered the sacrilege of my sans rice adobo, I might as well take the plunge and really screw everything up. The result is astounding. The sweetness of the the squash really adds a terrific counterpoint to the tangy adobo sauce, and the mushrooms soaked up broth like mad and became little flavor explosives. Because this is a fat-free rendition of adobo, the chicken breast is a little dry; I will have to work on that.
Chicken-Mushroom Adobo over Butternut Squash
1 small butternut squash
6-10 cloves of garlic, crushed and rough chopped
2 small chicken breasts (about 8 oz total), skin and fat removed
10-12 criminy mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp whole peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 c. white distilled vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
Preheat oven to 350. Slice your squash lengthwise and deseed. Place cut side up in a glass baking dish with about 1 inch of water. Bake for 30 or so minutes. You may find that the squash isn't quite done by the time the adobo is done, depending on the thickness. If this is the case, microwave the squash at the end for 5 minutes, one side at a time, in a dish with some water.
Spray a saucepan big enough the rest of ingredients with non-stick spray. Add garlic and brown. Remove. Cut your chicken breast into 3 inch strips, or cubes. Over high heat, add to the pot and brown all sides. Add garlic back into the pot, along with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Spoon adobo over the squash, make sure to drizzle some extra sauce!
serves 2 / 284 cals per serving
--
Eric's dinner: 2 cheese quesadilla's, plain
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Broiled Scallops and Eggplant w/ Ricotta & Tomato-Basil Relish
Yes, I could have wiped off the plate and made the presentation nicer for the purpose of this blog post, but I was freakin' hungry and could almost not be bothered to even take a photo. This was last night's noms.Broiled Scallops
1 pound u-10 Sea Scallops
Garlic Salt - to taste
2 TBS butter, melted
fresh squeezed lemon
Rinse and pat scallops dry. Spray the bottom of a shallow baking dish with no-stick spray. Place scallops in the pan, sprinkle with garlic salt, squeeze half a lemon over the lot. Spoon a bit of melted butter over each scallop. Place under high broiler at about the middle rack. Remove once the scallops start browning, about 10 or so minutes. You can serve with some extra butter on the side, but I just squeezed more lemon. Serves 3, (3 scallops/5.3 oz per serving), 394 calories.
"Grilled" Aubergines w/ Fresh Ricotta & "Grilled" Tomato-Basil Relish
('aubergine' is the posh Brit way of saying eggplant.)
for the relish:
6-10 campari tomoatoes, halved
1 TBS olive oil
S&P to taste
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. fine chopped fresh basil
Toss tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil and S&P. Heat a pan on the stove to high heat, and lay the tomatoes in. Reserve left over evoo in the bowl. Leave them alone until they start to brown, then turn them. Remove when the other side browns. You can also grill part or all of the onions at this step in the same pan as the tomatoes. Chop the cooled tomatoes and put back in the bowl you seasoned them in, adding onion, vinegar, and basil. Set aside.
Eggplant and assembly
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds (6-8 slices)
1 TBS olive oil
S&P to taste
7 oz skim milk ricotta (1/2 a small tub)
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley
Using a brush, sparingly coat the eggplant slices with the olive oil and season with S&P. Place in a hot pan, and flip when they brown, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, mix ricotta with the parsley and S&P.
To assemble, take 1 slice of eggplant, top with about 1.5 TBS of the ricotta mixture and spread it out, then a healthy dollop of tomato relish on top.
Makes 3 servings (2 slices per serving), 223 calories per serving
Plenty of leftovers for not only my lunch, but also for Cyncha! Eric's Dinner: nothing, he wasn't feeling well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
