Look Out Stomach!

Spicy Salmon Tacos w/Citrus Slaw

2012-01-12T10:00:00.006-06:00

Last year in April I ran off on a cruise with my mother & a friend through the Caribbean. Our last stop was in Cozumel, Mexico. We rented a car for the day and drove around the whole little island. Before we hopped back on the big boat we stopped at a little beach side cafe, run by 2 people. We ordered the best nachos and fresh fish tacos I've ever had. Okay, they were my first fish tacos if you don't count those fried things you get at a Long John Silvers or somewhere. Anyway, last night I was thinking about those tacos as I was making normal boring salmon patties (you know, the frozen ones from Costco.) I wanted fish tacos!

What follows is a recipe I came up with after surfing the net and not finding what I wanted. It's more of a throw together meal so you'll have to guess at measurements. Just add to taste. I used salmon although no doubt in Cozumel they used local fish. I can't wait to make these again! I would make them with a bit more heat. But ohhh, do they transport me back to the little shack on the side of the road with the waves crashing a few feet away as we ate. I can almost smell the sea air...

Mine!

Ingredients:

Salmon patties (frozen from Costco, no breading) (could use fresh salmon)

La Tiara's corn taco shells (nice and thin!)

lime juice

cayenne pepper

broccoli slaw (premade in baggies, or use broccoli, cabbage and carrots julienned)

red wine vinegar

olive oil (any oil will do)
1/2-1 tsp splenda or sugar

1 clementine orange (or small orange)

1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced (seeds removed, retain a few for heat)

1-2 tsps ranch dressing (this is what I used only because I was out of mayo)

salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:
1 - Cook your salmon patties in olive oil according to instructions, careful not to dry out the patties/fresh fish.
2 - While cooking, squeeze a good amount of lime over each side of the patties. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

3 - In a medium bowl, dump 2 cups of broccoli slaw. Pour vinegar, a bit of olive oil over the slaw. I can't give you measurements of exactly what I did. I'm thinking several tsps. Add splenda/sugar.

4 - Cut and peel your orange, removing the orange from the pith and squeezing some of the orange pieces for their juice.

5 - Finely dice the jalapeno peppers, removing most the seeds, retaining a few for heat.

6 -Add a sprinkling of cayenne to the slaw, to taste.

7 - Add a couple tsps of ranch dressing or mayo. Not to make it like a cole slaw, but to just barely give it a creaminess. Stir and set aside slaw.

8 - Set up your taco shells on a plate and cut up the salmon patties in the pan. I cut in strips.

9 - Add the salmon to the shells, spoon on some slaw and enjoy!

* Optional. I think a bit of avocado would be delicious with this taco. Just put a few diced pieces in with the slaw. Another option is adding fresh diced tomatoes to the slaw. I think we had tomatoes in the ones by the beach (as seen in the picture above.) *

Cilantro Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

2011-08-17T13:41:00.002-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, jalapenos are not really hot after you scrape out their seeds and white pithy part. The spiciness comes from the white pithy part which is full of capsaicin which enjoys burning your lips off. This recipe is so easy to make. My only recommendation would be protective eye gear. And don't itch your nose. The freshness of the jalapenos made for squirting of juice, you don't want it in your eye. Enjoy!

Cilantro Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

Ingredients:

20 Jalapenos

4 oz Cream Cheese (1/2 a box)

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese

1/4 cup Cilantro, finely chopped

dash of salt

1 - Donn your protective eye gear and cut the jalapenos lengthwise. I used a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the insides, very handy. But a plain old spoon should work as well. Don't worry if a few seeds are left in. Just spices up the ingredients.

2 - Combine the cheeses, cilantro and salt, mashing until thoroughly mixed. At this point you could also add other things such as lemon or cumin or even cinnamon for a twist on the normal jalapeno hors d'oeuvres. The batch pictured above is the regular recipe.

3 - Using a spoon, fill the jalapeno halves with the mix.

4 - Place in a Pam sprayed pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. Watch for golden brownness. I use a fork to lift up the edge of a jalapeno to make sure the bottoms have cooked through.

5 - Remove and enjoy. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!

P.S. If you're low carbing, 2 halves of these peppers have: 35 calories, 1 carb, 3 fat, 1 protein, 0 fiber, 33 sodium.

Crockpot Peach Cobbler

2011-06-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

I was commenting on Facebook that I had gotten a great deal on peaches and was trying to figure out what to do with them. I've been wanting some sort of cobbler and thought this to be the perfect time to try it out. I also needed to make it a bit healthier since I'm trying to BE healthier so I modified the recipe I threw together by adding in Splenda instead of sugar and whole wheat flour instead of white. Splenda could also be put in place of the brown sugar if you choose, although I like the taste of brown sugar so decided to leave it.

My friend, Marj asked if there was a way to make Peach Cobbler in the crock pot. I had not thought of this! I immediately modified the recipe further to add water to the topping to combat the longer time of cooking. I hope you enjoy!

Crockpot Peach Cobbler

FILLING:

8 peaches (or about 2 lbs)

1-2 tsps nutmeg

1 Tbsp flour (or cornstarch)

1 1/2-2 Tbsp lemon juice

5-6Tbsp splenda

opt: ½ cup blueberries or other fruit

TOPPING:

¾ cup oats

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup brown sugar

1/2-1 tsp nutmeg

1/3 - ½ cup butter

1/3 cup water (or milk)

opt: ½ tsp cinnamon

opt: sugar or born sugar for sprinkling on top

Plug in your crock pot and set on low.

Filling:

Take your washed peaches and cut in small slices into the crock pot. I left the peels on for this reason (found here) "In the peel of a very ripe peach, at least 10 enigmatic elements exist which activate some substances which destroy the fat layers, this is why peach diets are effective." Add the nutmeg, flour, lemon and splenda and stir a bit in the bottom of the pot. You can always add berries or other fruits at this time.

Topping:

Mix all ingredients. It will make a thick mix. Spread it over the peach mixture in the bottom of the crock pot, sprinkle sugar or brown sugar on top and put on the lid. (Optionally, if you would like more of a crumble, leave out or use less water/milk.)

Bake on low for 3-5 hours. Topping will be moist and slightly squishy. Serve with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. So yum!

Chorizo Vegetable Frittata

2011-01-05T08:30:00.001-06:00

Ohhh, this is so yummy. My mouth is watering right now just typing all this up! It's really a simple thing and you probably could do it on your own but I wanted to share it here so I don't forget its deliciousness.

Chorizo Vegetable Frittata

3 large eggs, stirred up with a touch of water

1/4-1/2 cup diced green peppers

handful sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)

2 oz cheese, diced small

3-4 oz chorizo, cooked and drained (if you can't find this, use spicy pork sausage)

salt/pepper to taste

Opt: red pepper flakes

NOTE: Chorizo - a Spanish or Mexican pork sausage highly seasoned with garlic, paprika, and other spices

1 - Fry up the chorizo in an OVEN SAFE until cooked through, drain on a paper towel (it's very greasy).

2 - Clean the pan and then heat up for eggs. Dump in 3 eggs liquid with a touch of water in them.

3 - As the eggs are setting up on the bottom, turn the oven on to broil.

4 - Sprinkle the wet eggs with all your ingredients.

5 - Add salt and pepper to taste. Another great thing would be red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

6 - Once the egg is set up on the bottom (but still wet on the top), take your oven safe pan and place it in the oven under the broiler.

7 - When everything is heated, melted and sufficiently cooked (doesn't take long, so don't walk away!), take it out, slide onto a plate and serve! So delicious. Perfect for any meal!

Feeds 2 to 4 but it's so good, we usually just split it between 2.

Green Chile Chili

2010-11-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

So last night I was watching The Next Iron Chef. One should never watch any Food Network late at night. It might prompt you to get out of your comfy bed to make something. It did and I did. Chili was the name of the game. This recipe is really a throw together. I'm sure everyone knows how to make it but I'm posting it here because my girls do not and my blog is really for a virtual cookbook for them of homemade foods.

Feel free to try it!

Green Chile Chili

1 lb hamburger, browned

1/2-1 can diced tomatoes

1/2-1 can green chiles

1 can kidney or white/navy beans, drained

1 pkg chili seasoning (or mix your own)

1/4-1/2 cup water

3-4 shakes of Cilantro leaves

3-4 shakes of Mediterranean Basil leaves

1 oz colby jack cheese

sour cream to taste

cayenne pepper to taste

salt/pepper to taste

1 - Brown the hamburger and drain off the liquid.

2 - Add the rest of the ingredients (except the cheese).

3 - Bring to a boil, stirring often.

4 - Set to simmer and do so for about 10 minutes.

5 - Serve in bowls with a dollop or sour cream (or maybe some shredded cheese or fritos!

6 - Enjoy. Try to share. It's addicting.

Makes 3 hearty or 4 nice sized servings.

Spicy Zucchini Egg Sausagey Fritatta

2010-10-22T12:39:00.001-05:00

Fridays are the best days in our house because our homeschool work is done for the week and we're free to create art, cook, bake or go on field trips. Today we baked (and played Wii, but you aren't interested in that. ha)

We're basically lazy eaters. If it's not conveniently sitting in our fridge, we wander around moping about there being 'nothing to eat'. Well, my kids mostly. So today we found ourselves without quick foods but hungry for breakfast. It meant time to bake. I've been trying to low carb this week so no bread but this egg type casserole/fritatta was just the ticket.

Notice the lovely divided dish I forgot I had. Perfect for making a casserole to accomodate a vegetarian and the rest of us! No sausage for her. Love when that works out!

Spicy Zucchini Egg Sausagey Fritatta

8 eggs

2 sausage patties

1/2 medium zucchini

1/2-1 cup shredded cheese

cayenne or red pepper flakes

salt/pepper to taste

butter or Pam

1 - Thinly slice 1/2 a zucchini and place in the bottom of a buttered/Pam'd pan. Sprinkle with cayenne or red pepper flakes.

2 - Crack all eggs into a bowl. Add a bit of water (not good at measuring; 1/8-1/4 cup). Mix well.

3 - Add the cheese to the eggs. stir.

4 - Cook sausage patties. If you're like me and use already cooked, frozen patties, just thaw and chop up into pieces. Add to the egg mixture.

5 - Pour egg/cheese/sausage mixture over the zucchini, slowly so as not to displace them.

6 - Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until eggs are fully set up. Serve warm.

Variations: You could add tomatoes, salsa, various cheeses or ricotta or leftover vegetables, broccoli, etc...

Cheesy Mushroom Chicken & Spicy Green Beans Dinner

2010-10-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

Freezer cooking is such a great idea! No, I haven't branched over into whole meals being prepared and frozen, yet. But only because I do not have a large freezer yet. Some day it will be mine. In the meantime, we try to cook some things ahead of time to help with the week's menu. This past weekend DH spent several hours baking all the chicken we had in the house, about 16 large rib breasts of chicken. This helps with the weekly cooking because now we have lots of vacuum packed bags of chicken in the freezer all ready to go!

I had thawed a nice bag of chicken today but had no idea what I wanted to make with it. In searching through the fridge I found a head cabbage screaming 'Eat me or I'll die!' I love me some yummy cabbage so of course I was not going to neglect it! I also felt like eating cheesy something so I grabbed the cheddar as well. The pantry and freezer revealed a couple choice ingredients and I was off and running. This is a one-thing-led-to-another dish that came out beautifully I think.

I did a few things you wouldn't normally expect in a cheesy dinner but on because I was accomodating the low carbers in our house. I substituted cream/water for milk and cabbage for rice or noodles. Any of these choices would be just as good. You could also omit the mushroom soup if you don't like it and add some milk, more cheese and possibly a thickener like flour or cornstarch. I used the soup to get the consistency I wanted and to use up pantry supplies.

See below for one of my favorite and simple side dishes.

** BEWARE, I'm a throw together cook. Not real solid on the exact measurements of spices and such so use your best judgment and discerning palate to get the taste you desire. **

Cheesy Mushroom Chicken

3+ cooked chicken breasts, meat only

5-7 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 can cream mushroom soup

1/2 can (use soup can to measure) heavy cream

1/2 can water

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

5 shakes of cilantro

5 shakes of sage

2-3 shakes of garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

cabbage

butter

olive oil

1. Add 3 pats of butter to a deeper skillet to melt. When melted, add 1/2 a head of cabbage, chopped. You can add a drizzle of olive oil or more butter on the top. Sprinkle with salt/pepper.

2. When the cabbage is cooked but not translucent (ie: has a bit of crunch still in it) remove from the pan and put in a bowl to wait.

3. Slice the cooked chicken breasts into strips. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan you just emptied and add in the chicken and fresh mushrooms to heat up.

4. Add in the mushroom soup, cream, water, seasonings. Mix well.

5. After the mixture has heated a bit, grate the cheddar over the pan (or use shredded cheese.) My guesstimate of the amount of cheese is just that. A guess. I grated a 1" x 1" x 3 1/2" piece into the pan. Looked like a loose cup of cheese. Stir in until melted.

6. Serve over the cabbage.

Side dish: Spicy Green Beans

2-3 cups whole green beans (I use frozen)

olive oil

season-all

red pepper flakes or jalapeno, diced (most seeds removed)

opt: mushrooms, sliced

1. Put olive oil in the pan and add the frozen beans.

2. Drizzle olive oil over beans and add all spices.

3. Add in mushrooms if you would like them.

4. Cook on medium high until they are bright green. They should be hot and have a snap to them still.

5. Enjoy!

Riddle Banana Bread

2010-10-11T19:54:00.001-05:00

There are very few recipes I can call 'family recipes'. It's not that we don't cook. My mom always cooked our meals but it was more like throw it together type things; recipes you don't really need written instructions for. My father is now the cook in the family, more the gourmet gourmand. He and my husband have taken classes at the local culinary instruction school. But they're experimental cooks and try out already created recipes, they don't invent them. So when I'm digging through my recipes looking for one of two recipes I call 'family' it's like coming home.

When the grocery store had a huge sale on bananas I bought a ton. We ate quite a few in smoothies and as snacks. But when I heard an excited voice from the kitchen announce 'Oh yay! The bananas are going bad!" and a little jiggy dance happening, I knew it was time to pull out the tried and true family banana bread recipe.

Riddle Banana Bread

(this is my mother's recipe, my maiden name is in fact Riddle. :) )

1 cup shortening or butter

1 cup sugar + enough for sprinkling on tops

4 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 medium)

(opt) - 1 cup chopped nuts

(opt) - extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (for sweeter bread)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Spray Pam or wipe 2 loaf pans with butter .

Pour evenly into both loaf pans and sprinkle with sugar on top.

Bake 30 minutes and then place a piece of foil loosely over both pans to keep the tops from burning.

Bake an additional 10-25 mins depending on your oven.

This is delicious straight out of the pan with a bit of melted butter on top.

*NOTE: My suggestion on baking: If you stick a knife in the bread to check it and it is still a bit wet, wait just a minute or two and take out. If you wait too long the bottom will get a bit brown. It's still good, I'm just an undercook-girl myself. Enjoy!

Spicy Nectarine Cucumber Mint Salad

2010-10-08T02:30:00.007-05:00

I guess last night I was feeling one last kick for summer because I ended up creating a salad with the last bits of our garden. Homegrown jalapeno, mint and banana peppers adding in beautiful store bought cucumbers, nectarines and grapes created a surprisingly delicious combination!

*NOTE: Amounts are only suggestions. I really just threw this together.*

Spicy Nectarine Cucumber Mint Salad

Ingredients:

1 ripe Nectarine, sliced (great use for over ripe fruit)

1 medium cucumber, sliced

1 large handful of red seedless grapes, cut in half

1 yellow banana pepper, sliced

2 small jalapenos, seeds removed, finely diced

1 small bunch mint leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup white sugar

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

pinch or two of kosher salt

1. Cut nectarine, cucumber, banana pepper and grapes and mix in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl mix the rest of ingredients, wisking for a minute to join the sugar into the vinegar and oil.

3. Pour the liquid mix over the salad and mix.

4. Serve chilled. Tastes best after sitting overnight.

Makes about 4 medium servings. If you're making it for a group or party, at least double the recipe. Enjoy!

Apple Berry Crisp

2010-10-01T01:52:00.000-05:00

Ohh sweet nectar of the gods! I could just live right in this pan! This summer we gathered mulberries before the birds overtook the bushes and we found apples on sale a couple weeks ago. Both ingredients finally had found a match made in heaven in this concoction. No worries on it being a difficult recipe. It's really a throw together easy peasy! Try it!

Apple Berry Crisp

NOTE: I wasn't very specific with any of the ingredients in measurements, I just guessed. Especially the apples. I spent the evening baking apple cake, pineapple apple cake and I still had leftover apples, hence the reason for this invention. I wanna say I had about 5 apples to work with?

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp nutmeg

Pinch of salt
6-8 Tbsp butter (NOT softened)

Stir until most of the butter can't be seen in chunks.

Filling:
4-6 apples, peeled, chopped
1 cup berries (I used mulberries)
2? Tbsp lemon juice
3-5 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix up (my mulberries turned my apples hot pink, which is why the picture looks like a cherry cobbler!) and pour into a pie pan. Pour the topping over all the filling. I had a few Tablespoons of butter left on a stick so I cut in pats and added it to the top.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 mins. Let set for a bit so you don't burn the roof of your mouth off.

NOTE #2: I will tell you, with the amount of liquids in with the fruits, it didn't let the topping really resemble a 'crisp'. It's more like a crumble or cobbler. Any way you slice it, it's heavenly!

Modified Martha Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-07-10T17:43:00.004-05:00

This is not an original or cobbled together recipe by me. It is a straight-from-Martha's-mouth recipe. I am in love with Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook cookbook. These were probably the best biscuits I've ever made. I added cheese to half the batch and those were even better!!! I did modify the instructions a bit but that is it. You really shouldn't mess with Martha too much.

(Modified Martha) Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) cold butter, chopped up

1 3/4 cups buttermilk plus more for brushing

OPT: 1 1/2 to 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

*Note: I used my mixer for these steps. You can use it for the next but DON'T OVER MIX or you'll get weird fluffyish biscuits, changing the consistency of the dough.

Add in the buttermilk.

* ANOTHER NOTE: I didn't have any buttermilk, surprise, surprise since I don't usually cook with froo-froo type ingredients. So I made my own. Just put 1 Tbsp vinegar per cup of milk in a measuring cup. So for this I used 1 Tbsp and 2 tsps for the 1 3/4 cup milk. Stir it in the cup and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Then add it to the mixture.

The original recipe calls for turning the dough onto a floured surface, folding/working the dough and then cutting it out with a biscuit round. Like I said, I'm not a froo-froo baker so I went with the stickier version of the dough. If your dough is dry, just add a bit more milk til its sticky.

Spoon onto a sprayed/buttered baking sheet in messy globs. Brush the tops with extra buttermilk (or butter for a golden glaze).

VARIATION: If you want them to be the scrumptious slightly crunchy cheesy versions, add 3 cups of sharp shredded cheddar. I did half a batch of each and added only 1 1/2 cups cheese.

Bake about 10 minutes but it really depends on your oven. They will get slightly brown because of the milk. You want them still soft in the middle but not doughy.

TOPPINGS: On the plain ones we used either honey or I enjoyed molasses straight from the jar. Yum, scrum! On the cheese biscuits, real butter is your best friend.

Next stop? I'm adding mulberries and trying out a sweet version of these! Cross your fingers...

Broccoli Jicama Salad

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Summer is here! Fresh vegetables abound! This recipe is a favorite among our family members. My teen circles the bowl as I'm making it. Okay, everyone loves it except the little one. She won't eat any mixed type dishes, but I'm still working on her. I got her to try the jicama that I put in this and she likes that now! Yay, score one for ole' mom! Perfect summer salad dish although we did have this for the first time over at a friend's house this fall. Perfect for any season I guess!

Broccoli Jicama Salad

Ingredients:

5 cups broccoli (I don't measure, just used 3 heads of broccoli)

1 c jicama, peeled & chopped

1/2 cup grapes, cut in half

1/4-1/2 cup nuts (I've used either almond slivers or pecan pieces)

1 cup mayo (again, I don't really measure, 2 big scoops with the metal stirring spoon)

3 Tbsp vinegar

1/4-1/2 c sugar or substitute (according to taste)

1/2-1 tsp salt (according to taste)

pan of boiling water w/1 tsp salt

1. Cut the florets off the broccoli. If you're comfortable eating part of the stem, cut that up too. I don't cut it all up too small; medium chunks.

2. Boil water w/1 tsp salt and blanch broccoli. Blanching is basically letting it boil for maybe 2 minutes and pulling it out and dunking/straining it through cold water. Brings out the color in the broccoli but doesn't lose the crunchiness. (DON'T forget about the broccoli or it will get overcooked!!!)

3. While its blanching, mix together the 'dressing' parts: mayo, vinegar, sugar. Wisk up.

4. Add jicama and grape halves.

5. After broccoli is blanched and cold, throw into the dressing and jicama/grapes mixture.

6. Finish off with adding salt and the nuts. The nuts give it the final touch. If you find it too sweet for your taste, add a bit more salt and vinegar.

OPTIONAL: if you're NOT a vegetarian (we have one), feel free to add a 1/2 cup bacon pieces/bits. Yum yum. Changes the whole flavor, enhances it really.

Enjoy!

Lime Dill Dip Spread

2010-06-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

Give me some fresh herbed bread, cheese and tomatoes and I'm in heaven. I think I'm turning into my mother (who loves little grazing meals instead of large ones)!! The only thing my sandwich today is missing is a good spread. So I threw together the following recipe. So yum! Perfect for eating with chips or veggies, on chicken or fish, or throw some chopped chicken/turkey into it and its a salad (I would throw in celery and peppers for that though.)

P.S. Most traditional recipes call for lemon juice, onions, pepper, etc... I like mine better.

Lime Dill Dip Spread

Ingredients:

1/2 c mayonnaise

1/2 c sour cream

1-2 tsp dill weed

1- 1 1/2 tsp lime juice (all according to your preferences)

salt to taste

Optional: 1 Tbsp horseradish, depending on if you like it spicy

Mix, chill and eat!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Crockpot

2010-06-14T15:50:00.000-05:00

This was a happy accident in food. I found chicken on sale for a ridiculously low price so I have lots on hand. Plus I'm a lazy cook so this was my answer for both.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts (mine were on the rib bone)
1 can beans, drained (northern, black or even chickpeas would work)
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 Anaheim hot pepper, diced
1/2 c jalapenos, chopped
6-8 oz water

Ingredients for serving:
tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese

Place the breasts in the bottom of the crocket pot, rib side down. Pour everything else on top of it.
Cook on low about 8-9 hours.
Remove the chicken and tear into pieces, off of the bone.
Return chicken to crockpot.
Ready to serve with cheese & broken up tortilla chips

Spicy Turkey Mini Meatloaves

2010-03-13T20:49:00.001-06:00

We've really been enjoying switching from regular sausage and hamburger to the turkey versions of those. Today I wanted to come up with a different plan for the turkey. I settled on Turkey Meatloaf. This recipe is SO GOOD and moist!

Spicy Turkey Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)

1/4 cup chopped onion or 2 Tbsp onion flakes

3 garlic cloves or 2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dry mustard powder or 4 tsp mustard

1 1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 tsp sage

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

hot pepper flakes according to taste

4 Tbsp SF catsup

3-4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Soak TVP in water for 10 minutes while mixing the following ingredients.

3. Mix all ingredients. Some people used their hands, a fork worked just fine for me.

4. Add soaked TVP.

5. Spray muffin tins and scoop about 1/2 cup mixture into each one. (Should fill about 12.)

6. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes. Last 5 minutes but a dollop (about 1 tsp.) of catsup on each one.

7. Internal temp of meatloaves should reach about 155 degrees.

OPTIONAL: Could add 1/2 cup chopped veggies, or 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach to give it more texture and healthy vegetables.

MORE OPTIONS: Instead of TVP, you could use 1 1/2-2 cups crushed pork rinds and 1/2 cup flax meal.

(image borrowed from: The Ganache Experience)

Oatmeal Cocoa PB Cinnamon Brownies

2010-03-05T12:00:00.001-06:00

The girls have been inventing in the kitchen again.

Oatmeal Cocoa PB Cinnamon Brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c sugar

3/4 c butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 c flour

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1 c oatmeal

1 Tbsp cinnamon

4 Tbsp peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x9 pan, or if you have the famous Brownie Pan like we do, use that. :)

1. Mix the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs together until smooth.

2. Add dry ingredients of flour, cocoa and salt. Mix well.

3. Add the final tasty ingredients and stir well.

4. Pour into the pan and bake until knife comes out clean. UNDERCOOK them. It took ours about 17 mins.

5. Sprinkle confectioners sugar on the top of the brownies and serve.

I dare you to try to eat just one!

Chai Tea Latte

2010-02-18T09:00:00.002-06:00

The teen has discovered how to make a Chai Tea Latte that tastes as good as what you get in a $4.50 cup at a coffee place, but this one is sugar free and low carb and much much cheaper!

Chai Tea Latte

1 1/2 cup water

2 chai tea bags

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup water

6 packets splenda (6 tsps)

whipped cream

1 - Boil water and tea bags for a couple minutes.

2 - Turn to simmer and add heavy cream, extra water and splenda to pan.

3 - Cook until cream mixture is heated (1 minute.)

4 - Pour into cup and top with whipped cream.

Makes about 16 oz or two cups of latte.

* Our favorite tea is Zhana's Gypsy Tea, Fireside Chai. For a similar flavor, try Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea.

** For a variant, try making with Stash's Chocolate Mint Oolong Tea bags. Maybe add a squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup. Yum!

P.S. Don't you think these would go perfectly with this recipe? Of course, they're not low carb. Just my luck...

Black Bean & Homemade Polenta Pie

2010-02-16T20:06:00.000-06:00

We have a vegetarian in our house. So I'm constantly trying to figure out ways to get healthy into her. You'd think, being something that sounds like vegetables, she'd be eating really healthy. But mostly she is a carbetarian. I'm trying to change that.

I found a great book at the library, 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles. Wonderful book with easy recipes. Things even I will make, the one who doesn't like to cook. A couple weeks ago we tried the Black Bean Polenta Pie with homemade Polenta. It rec'd rave reviews so I thought I'd record the recipes here so I can find them.

Homemade Polenta

Better be ready with your strong arm. Stirring is involved.

2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 - Stir together the water, polenta and salt until there are no lumps.

2 - Bring to a boil over medium=high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring constantly until the polenta leaves a clean path when you scrape the bottom of the pan. 20-30 minutes.

3 - Add the butter or margaine and stir until melted.

4 - Serve immediately or place in loaf pan to cool for slicing.

Black Bean Polenta Pie

*very important* Have your buttered pie pan ready for when the polenta is finished cooking. Then spread the hot thick liquid polenta into the pie pan, spreading up on the sides to form a crust of sorts. Work fast as it starts to solidify quickly.

2 1/2 cups polenta

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion (I cut this down a bit as we're not onion fans)

1 cup chopped geen bell peppers

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cooked/drained black beans

1 cup corn kernels, drained

1 4-oz can chopped chiles, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divide into 1 cup & 1/2 cup)

1 egg

1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2 - In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

3 - Add tomatoes; cook until most of liquid is evaporated.

4 - Stir in beans, corn and chiles.

5 - Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese.

6 - In a small bowl, beat the egg and sour cream. Add to the bean mixture and stir until combined.

7 - Spoon mixture into the polenta shell and top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake 35 minutes or until bean mixture has heated through and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

P.S. I really need to work on my food photography so I have pictures of these recipes sometimes. I will do that.

Cheesy Spinach Quiche

2009-11-18T17:23:00.008-06:00

Let me tell you, I'm not a fan of quiche. Not even scrambled eggs or huevos rancheros. All too squishy for me. Ick. So I can make quiche, but don't make me eat it. However, this quiche actually is delicious. Yes, I said it, I ate it. Delicious. The dd made me try it. For low carbers like me, you can just leave off the crust. I made this for the vegetarian. She needs more healthy things in her eating besides carb, carb, carb. I told her she's not really a vegetarian. She's a carbetarian. lol

(in the midst of baking, edges covered so they don't burn.)

We modified this recipe from a few we found online and in a vegetarian book. When I make it again without the crust (for me), I'm going to double the spinach and throw in a can of mushroom pieces and basil leaves. Maybe sprinkle cheese on top at the end.

Cheesy Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:
4 eggs
8 oz. of Ricotta cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. Goat cheese
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 box frozen spinach, drain well (or 1/2 cup canned, or 3 large handfuls fresh, blanch and chop)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast pie crust until lightly brown (5-10 mins.)

Beat eggs with Ricotta cheese. Add Parmesan & Goat cheeses, milk and heavy cream. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread spinach on bottom of pie crust. Pour egg/cheese mixture on top being careful not to displace the spinach.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. I suggest covering the edges with foil until the last 5 minutes, so they do not brown too much. When knife inserted in center comes out clean, it's done.

Brush with butter and serve!

New England Clam Chowder - Low Carb

2009-10-11T22:00:00.003-05:00

Fall is upon us. This means soup! With doing low carb (as I'm doing right now) soups usually consist of broths with a few veggies. I'm tired of those. So I went in search of a low carb clam chowder soup. I had to cobble together a recipe that worked for my palette as well as my waist line. I hope you enjoy it!

Low Carb Clam Chowder

3 small to medium turnips, peeled and diced
5-7 bacon strips, cooked and chopped
2 cans 6 oz clams (juice included)
2 cups water
2 celery stalks, diced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (could substitute up to 1/2 cup of water)
1/2 cup clam juice (optional, as you get juice from the cans)

Instructions:
1 - I popped the bacon in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
2 - While the bacon is cooking, boil the turnips in water.
3 - Throw all the ingredients in a pot, except the heavy cream, and slow simmer for about 15-20 mins.
4 - Add cream, cook an additional 5 minutes.
5 - Serve and enjoy!

6-8 servings

Picture borrowed from: Family Food blog

Lemon Mushroom Fish

2009-08-25T09:00:00.004-05:00

"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all." - Harriet van Horne

The last few months I've been slowly embracing the low carb way of life again. This time has been different. I'm experimenting, looking up recipes, avoiding extras like too many snacks or additives.

One problem with low carbing is that fish is a good food for you. I hate fish. Unless you bread it and deep fry it and dip it in vinegar. Then I'm your best friend! Can't do that kind of breading though on low carb. It's the reason I'm pleasingly plumb (to say the least) in the first place! lol However, I have finally come up with 2 recipes for fish I love. Did you actually hear that out of my mouth? Yes, LOVE! I'll share one of them with you here.

Lemon Mushroom Fish

4 (4 oz) fish fillets (I like tilapia)
olive oil
1/2 a lemon
2-3 Tbsp of butter
3-5 mushrooms, chopped up
thyme to taste

If your fillets are frozen like mine, thaw them out and then place in an oiled pan. Drizzle the fish with olive oil on top as well as a bit of salt to taste.

In a sauce pan, heat the butter, throw in the mushrooms and thyme until mushrooms are slightly limp.

Pour the whole mixture over the fish. Squeeze a 1/2 a lemon over the whole dish.

Cover the pan with foil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until fish flakes.

Enjoy! I sometimes have a side dish of fresh snap green beans fried in butter and the other 1/2 of the lemon. Today I chose just a simple spinach and dressing side. So yum.

I'll share my other fish recipe soon. You won't believe what the main ingredient is (besides the fish)...

Mom's Scrumptious Apple Pie

2009-04-30T11:34:00.006-05:00

Ohhh, I love a good apple pie! Last night I was walking around the house lamenting the fact that there was no dessert. (Fanciful Twist was talking all about pie and my mouth was watering.) I only had 3 apples so I figured I couldn't make a pie. Hhowever, I thought I'd cut up apples for a small crisp or something. The apples turned out to be bigger than I thought and by the time I had peeled them, I thought, 'these will work!'

My mother and I are both hypoglycemic so we 'try' to avoid sugar as best we can. Kind of hard when I love all things carbs but she makes her apple pies with apple juice concentrate instead of lots of sugar. I've always preferred it this way. I've played with her simple recipe a bit and think I've improved it. I think the lemon addition is my favorite part. As a bite is leaving your mouth, you're left with this fresh lemon tart taste. So refreshing.

Mom's Scrumptious Apple Pie (tweeked)

3-6 apples (I use either the yellow/red apples like Gala or Fuji, or a mix of Delicious & Granny Smith)
1/2 can Apple juice concentrate, frozen
1 whole lemon
2-4 tsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 heaping tsp sugar substitute (or use real sugar) * optional *
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
2 pie crusts (I used frozen deep dish)
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack on the lowest notch in oven and put a baking tray covered in foil on rack.
Set the 2 frozen crusts out to thaw.
Peel, core & slice all apples, placing them in a bowl of cold water and 1/2 of a lemon's juice.
Soak apples for 10 minutes while you gather other ingredients.
Drain the liquid from the bowl.
Add flour, spices/salt, sugar substitute and frozen apple juice.

* For an easy way to get lemon juice... Put 1/2 a lemon in a plastic bag. Squeeze lemon until all juice is collecting in bottom. Snip a small corner of the bag and add all juice to the bowl. Should be about 2 Tbsp. *

After a good stir, pour all the juices out of the apples into a microwave safe bowl. Add 2-3 Tbsp of butter. Heat in the microwave until the juices have reduced a bit, about 5 minutes.
Pour this boiling liquid over the apples in the bowl.
Cut the top edge off of one of the pie crusts.
Pour the apple mixture into this pie crust.
Top the apple mixture with remaining stick of butter in pats.
Top this pie with the other pie crust, squishing the edges down onto the bottom pie crust to join them.
With the edges that you cut off, form the dough into a ball, pat out a thin-ish pancake and cut out flowers or leaves for decoration.
Add pieces to the top of the pie. Cut several slits in the pie for steam to escape.
Brush top with melted butter.
Make edge covers out of foil to keep the edges from burning. (don't add to the pie until about 25 mins into baking.)
Bake 45-55 minutes until an apple pulled out of a slit is lightly crisp, not mushy.
Let cool for an hour so the juices can flow back into the apples.
Enjoy!

Make-Do Flaky Biscuits

2009-04-29T17:15:00.004-05:00

It's one of those in-between payday type days where I have to make do with what we have on hand until next shopping day. We're out of rice, potatoes and the bread is stale. I've been craving carbs! So I decided to make biscuits. I only have bread flour, whole wheat and soy flours. Figures. Not a very likely combination. Most recipes I find that don't taste like cardboard call for white flour. But I decided to try substituting because I'm carb-desperate! ha

I found a wonderful Flaky Biscuits recipe online that I modified just a bit. It's so good served warm with butter and apricot jelly. My kids have dubbed them 'homemade Pillsbury'. I think that's a great compliment!

Make-Do Flaky Biscuits

1-2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup bread flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. salted butter, chilled stick
2 Tbsp. margarine
3/4 cup cold milk
2-3 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Add the flours, baking powder and salt to the bowl, and run a fork through them to aerate.
Cut in stick butter & margarine until it's the consistency of cornmeal.
Pour in the milk, mixing only until everything is wet.
Lightly flour the table and turn out dough to surface (Dough will be sticky. Lightly flour.)
Roll out dough til about 1/2" thick and fold over on itself. Repeat this 4-6 times.
Roll out dough 1/2" thick. Use a glass about 2 1/2" wide mouth to cut round biscuits.
Place on lightly buttered oven pan. Brush the melted butter across the tops.
Cook 8-14 mins, watch for lightly browned tops, and firm biscuits.
Should make 9-15 biscuits depending on how thick you make them.

Since I used up things we had on hand, this post works well for Amanda's Thrifty Thursday challenge! Go visit. Wonderful recipes links to be had.

'I'm Craving Barbeque' Sandwich

2009-04-01T18:55:00.009-05:00

I just had to share my favorite sandwich stacker recipe. I'm not a big fan of cold cuts. Ever since having my last child, my nose automatically turns up at the thought of sliced meat. I couldn't stand ANY meat while pregnant and I guess this is a residual effect. I'll eat it if I have to or if someone else makes it but touching it? Ick. But I will make an exception for this sandwich.

A little background on where the thought for this sandwich came. I stopped by the local barbeque place last year, Gates BBQ. Quite a famous place here in Kansas City. They have this sandwich which is literally 5" tall, stuffed with all manner of barbequed pork, with pickles on the side. I fell in love. It was so big I had to share it with DH! I have one of those addictive personalities so for the next 2 weeks I wanted that sandwich all the time. So I invented something similar with what I had on hand. Mine is a bit lighter fare with turkey but you could use any meat you choose! Bon Appetit!

'I'm Craving Barbeque' Sandwich

3-6 slices roasted turkey cold cut slices (great to use with leftover thanksgiving turkey)
1 slice white american cheese
2 pieces of your favorite bread (I only had whole wheat white for the picture but my fav to use is a nutty whole grain bread. Try different kinds to find the perfect one for you.)
6 small dill pickles
a handful of fresh spinach leaves, washed/dried
1-2 Tbsp favorite barbeque sauce (I used Gates of course)

Make it like you would any other sandwich. I pour the barbeque sauce on one side of bread and press it to the other piece so they both have even amounts. Add sliced pickles, turkey, white cheese and spinach. Enjoy! You might even add a bit of barbeque sauce to your plate for dipping.

Cracker Spread Appetizers

2009-03-20T15:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight I am the hostess for our Stampin Up club meeting. I thought about preparing green things since its the month of St. Patrick's Day but I draw the line at green food coloring. I decided to bring my famous Pear Upside Down Cake that I mentioned before (pears are green!) Unfortunately the grocery store was on the ball and had not left me any over ripe pears so I went with canned. It just came out of the oven all bubbly in its gooeyness. You can't go wrong with pear cake.

Anyway, I'm also bringing some of my favorite cracker toppers (they have green items in them.) There is nothing better that Ritz or Club crackers filled to the brim with these creations. Try them and tell me if I'm lying!

Fruity Cheeseball Spread

16 oz. cream cheese, softened (2 blocks)
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 c. chopped green pepper
4 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. Seasonal Salt type seasoning blend

Just throw it all in the bowl and squish squish squish. Make sure the cream cheese is well blended in.Put in the fridge until you're ready to serve. You can't stop at just one cracker with this, I'm telling you. It makes 2-3 cups.

Chicken Salad Spread

2 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken in water (cubed/cooked kind), drained
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Ranch seasoning packet
1/2 c. mayonnaise (NO dressing)
4 Tbsp. diced onion
Opt. 1/2 c. chopped green pepper

Mix together. If it seems a bit dry, add mayonnaise by the Tbsps. until its the consistency you desire. I use this chilled on crackers or on toasted bread with lettuce. So good.

Enjoy!

Tortellini & Bruschetta

2009-03-03T09:00:00.004-06:00

We have a family tradition of meeting at our favorite restaurant every year around Valentine's Day to eat big plates of italian food. We just attended last week and I miss the food already. Last year when we went we discovered they had removed my favorite item off of the menu; Tortellini. This was so wrong! So I set out to recreate it as best I could. The family thinks I have succeeded. Another favorite we eat while at the restaurant is Bruschetta. Let me know what you think.

Buca de Beppo Tortellini (inspired by the forenamed restaurant, my fav!)

Ingredients:
2 kinds of tortellini (cheese & meat)- I bought 1 bag of each and used ½ only.
2 ¼ cups heavy cream
5 oz fresh parmesan cheese, grated
3 TBSP Olive Oil
1/8 oz Tabasco Sauce (believe me, it makes a difference, yum)
6-10 medium button mushrooms
1-1 ½ cups chopped broccoli
1 cup frozen or fresh peas pepper/salt to taste

I know this is a pain in the you know what, but we’re using 3 pans. But they’re all going at the same time, so its all good.
Pan #1 –Make Tortellini according to the directions, do not boil longer than 5 mins. Drain.
Pan #2 –Cook veggies in olive oil, not longer than 5 mins.
Pan #3 – Boil cream (not too high!) until slightly thickened. 5 mins only. Confession: mine did not thicken until I put it together with the other ingredients, so don’t panic, just do 5 mins. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper & Tabasco sauce. Return to medium heat. Add tortellini and veggies.
Cook 3-5 mins. Removed from heat and stir in Parmesan.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe
(recipe found at Elise.com)

Ingredients
* 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
* 1/4 cup olive oil

1 - Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2 - Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

3 - While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 - Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown. Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

5 - Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.)

Fruity Upside Down Cake

2009-02-09T10:59:00.005-06:00

This is a favorite dessert/breakfast in our house. In fact, my teen may have an addiction to it. She'll stand near it and keep taking little pieces out of it to eat. I think its the one food I've seen her really 'LOVE'. It's a modification from the 1925 winner of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company Recipe Contest which was a simple pineapple upside down cake. I've modified it according to what we have available in the house. Trust me, once you're gone here and made this, you won't go back to whatever kind of cake you liked before... I'm not lying.

Fruity Upside-Down Cake

3-4 very ripe pears (the preferred fruit of the family, although this week I only had 1 pear so I threw in 2 small cans of mandarin oranges, drained and it was just as yum.) - cored, peeled, sliced
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp separately used butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar

Cream the 1/2 c butter with the sugar until mixed well. Add eggs and vanilla. Pour the flour on top of the mixture, add baking powder & salt and mix into the flour before mixing into the batter. While mixing all, add the milk.

Spread 2 Tbsp butter into cake pan (I use a 9x12 baking dish) and sprinkle brown sugar over it. Heat in 350 degree oven until butter is melted.

Cover the melted mixture with fruit and pour or spoon (sometimes the batter is a bit thicker. You can add 1/4 cup of water to it) the batter over the whole layering in the pan.

Bake 20-35 minutes depending on your oven. I just keep checking until the knife comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the cake.

NOTE: If you want to do it the original recipe way, eliminate the fruits I suggested and use 1 large can of crushed or sliced pineapple, drained.

Serve warm or cold. Delicious either way. Even though its called 'upside down' cake, we never flip it over.

Firecracker Grilled Alaska Salmon

2009-02-05T16:37:00.006-06:00

I'm back on the eating healthy kick. That zucchini bread led me to a downhill spiral of sneaking sweets, jones-ing for dried cranberries and chai tea lattes. Sugar is not my friend, let me tell you! Tonight we had this delicious salmon. I found the recipe here, and altered it just a bit. Served with brussel sprouts and a gorgeous salad!

Firecracker Grilled Alaska Salmon
(found at allrecipes.com)

4 (4oz) salmon fillets
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp balsalmic vinegrette dressing
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper, ground
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt

1 - thaw the salmon fillets in lukewarm water.
2 - add all ingredients to a large ziploc bag and drop in the fillets
3 - marinate as long as you can (even overnight, we did 3 hours)
4 - Retain some of the marinade to garnish the fish.
5 - Grill the fillets either on a grill or in the oven at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
6 - While cooking the salmon, put the reserved marinade in a saucepan with 2-3 Tbsp white wine or water and cook for 5 mins. Pour over the cooked salmon and serve.

Zucchini Bread

2009-02-02T09:33:00.004-06:00

This is a family recipe. It's totally fattening, loaded with sugar and superbly delicious. I made it this weekend even though it doesn't fit in with our 'healthy eating' lifestyle. It does have zucchini in it though so does that make it better? Don't shy away from trying it because of the zucchini. It's SOOOOOOOO good! It makes 2 loaves or 1 cake.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups zucchini (cut off the ends, grate the rest; peel and all)
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Optional: 1 cup nuts or raisins

1 - Preheat the over to 325 degrees.
2 - Cream the eggs and sugar together until smooth. Add oil, vanilla and zucchini.
3 - Add flour. Before stirring, add the rest of ingredients and lightly stir them into the flour first. Then join with the wet batter underneath.
4 - Grease 2 loaf pans or 1 cake pan.
5 - Cook the 2 loaves 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours depending on your oven. Check for doneness by sticking a knife in the middle. Cook the cake for about 22-25 minutes and check it. It's done when the knife comes out almost clean.

Veggie Can Can Chili

2009-01-30T12:59:00.002-06:00

My family always enjoys the chili I throw together. It's basically a can of this a can of that. But last week I tried making it vegetarian since we were going to a function where there were a couple veggers. I'm telling you. I like it more than the regular way I make it! So I decided it was worthy of a share here.

Veggie Can Can Chili

1 bag ground meat substitute (we use Morning Start Grillers Special Crumbles, freezer @ Walmart)
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans navy beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
1 can green chilies, NOT drained
2 pkgs mild chili seasoning
1 tsp?? red (cayenne) pepper (I just shook it 7 times over the crockpot out the holes of the container) ** Add more later to taste **
3 cups water

Throw it all in the crockpot. To eat it soon, set on high and stir occasionally. It should be ready in 3 hours. Or set it on low and 6-8 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese and fritos if you choose. It's so yum, you're not going to want to share!

Bean Cheese Burritos & Mango Salsa

2009-01-29T12:14:00.004-06:00

I don't have a problem with vegetarians, my daughter is one. However, I don't think I could be one. I would hate to give up steak. It's my favorite meat. Seconded closely by pulled pork. Can't go wrong there. But in a nod to my daughter's taste, we had a night last week of vegetarian foods. And we really enjoyed it all! We were quite full as well. See what you think.

Bean and Cheese Burritos
(from Favorite Brand Name Recipes Magazine Vegetarian Meals cookbook)

1 med poblano chili
8 flour tortillas (we used lo-carb wheat tortillas)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped red onions
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
salt & pepper
1 cup (4 oz) farmers cheese

1 - Prepare tomato-mango salsa & refrigerate (see below.)
2 - Chop poblano chili (removing seeds), rinse and pat dry.
3 - Warm tortillas in foil in a 350 degree oven until warm (about 10 minutes.)
4 - Heat oil in large skiller over medium heat. Add onions and poblano, cook 5 minutes until tender. Stir in chili powder & cumin, cook 1 minute.
5 - Reduce heat to low. Add beans, green chilies and lime juice. Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through. Season w/salt & pepper.
6 - Wish a masher or wooden spoon, mash up 1/4 of the bean mixture.
7 - Spoon into tortillas and top with cheese. Roll up tortilla and top with Salsa.

Tomato-Mango Salsa

1 large tomato (or 1/2 can of diced tomatoes)
1 small mango (make SURE its ripe. Ask me how I know this? ha)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper (seeded, chopped)
2 Tbsp lime juice

1 - Chop & de-seed the tomato.
2 - To cut up mango, hold at stem, cut off the sides, remove peel and chop into chunks.
3 - Combine all ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Herbed Lime Chicken

2009-01-28T10:31:00.002-06:00

Chicken is a fickle thing to me. It only takes a moment to overcook it. It can also look perfectly finished and then you cut it open and its pink. I've found the best way to know when its done is a digital thermometer. Saves me the hassle of cutting it open and risking drying it out.

These two recipes are great served together. Delicious, healthy and light. Enjoy!

Herbed Lime Chicken
(found in Taste of Home's Low Carb Recipes cookbook under 'Herbed Lime Chicken')

1 bottle (16 oz) Italian Salad Dressing
1/2 cup lime juice
1 lime, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Removed 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large plastic bag and add chicken. Seal, turn to coat and refigerate 8-10 hours. Drain, discard marinade. Grill chicken uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken, bast w/reserved marinade. Grill 5-7 minuts longer or until juices run clear, bast occasionally.

**Variation** - I'm always a day late and a dollar short so I didn't have time to marinate this for 8-10 hours. I poked holes in the chicken with a knife. I poured 1 to 1 1/2 cups italian dressing, 1/8 cup lime juice, 2 chopped up garlic cloves and the thyme into a bowl. I reserved just a bit of it aside. I dipped and immersed the chicken in it and placed the breasts on the indoor grill we have. I basted occasionally and they turned out just fine.

Squash Tomato Stir-Fry
(found/modified from Taste of Home's Low Carb Recipes cookbook under 'Asparagus Tomato Stir-Fry')

2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup vegetable broth
4 twp soy sauce
2 tsp minced fresh gingerroot, divided
1 tsp canola oil
2-3 medium squash, cut in rounds
2 green onions, cut into 1in pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 small roma tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

Combine cornstarch, broth, soy sauce & ginger until blended; set aside. In a nonstick skillet or wok, add canola oil and stirfry the squash , onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet and bring to a boil. Cook/stir 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add tomatoes and cook 1 minute more or until thickened.

** Variation** - We varied quite a bit from the original recipe which called for asparagus instead of squash. Frankly, we were out of it. It also called for sesame oil, again, didn't have any. We have a vegetarian in the house so we switched the chicken broth called for, for veggie broth. Just as good.

Feta Tomato-Basil Fish

2009-01-26T19:15:00.002-06:00

Fish, to taste right, must swim three times - in water, in butter, and in wine. ~Polish Proverb

Let me tell you about my relationship with fish. If its not in one of three situations, I'm not going near it.

1. Swimming around in a fishbowl all cute like. I wanna hold it, play with it and call it George.
2. Fried catfish with vinegar and hush puppies on the side.
3. Fake crab (really white fish) on top of the best dish of food my father ever put together (I'll share that recipe someday.)

So you'll be shocked to hear I made, ate and LOVED a fish dish last week. It was so yum we fought over the last piece. No seriously. Maybe I shouldn't hype it all up like that because fish is a personal acquired taste but it really was lovely. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Feta Tomato-Basil Fish
(found in Taste Of Home's Low-Carb Recipes cookbook as Feta Tomato-Basil Fish)

1lb walleye, bass or whitefish fillets (we used the vacuum sealed fish from Walmart. 4 in a package of 1lb. Easy peasy.)
1/3 cup chopped onoin
1 garlic clove, mince
2 tsp olive oil
1 can (14 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
4 oz crumbled feta cheese

In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomaotoes and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, broil fish 4-6 inches from the heat for 5-6 mins. Top eat fillet with tomato mixture and feta cheese. Broil 5-7 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

I served this with a side of squash cooked in a little olive oil, season all and wheat germ. Oh, and a salad. Can't go wrong with this meal!

Pork Loin Marinades

2009-01-25T23:16:00.002-06:00

"If you want a subject, look to pork!" -- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

This past week we started eating healthy again. I can't remember the last time we allowed all food groups to be a part of our everyday life. We've done the lo-carb, the no-carb, the lo-fat, and several name brand diets such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and more. I'm tired of it and so is my family. It's time to learn to eat right and follow a recipe. Food has become bland and boring. Tan food. I want ZING, PIZAZZ! I want fun and fulfillment in what we eat. I want to get control of my eating habits. It's time. For me that includes following recipes instead of just throwing together what is quick.

Yesterday I made 2 pork loins, about 1.25 lbs each. I decided to marinate them with different recipes and then taste test to see which we liked the best. We had a clear winner (2 to 1, 1 abstained on the grounds that she detests meat and is a vegetarian.) Which do you think is the best?

Sweet To Meat Marinade
(found in Taste Of Home's Low-Carb Recipes cookbook as Grilled Pork Appetizers)

We made this with a 1 1/4 lb pork loin although the recipe is for a 1lb loin. Just add a bit extra (1 tsp or so) of each ingredient. Our following recipes is not very exact.

1 lb boneless pork loin roast
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger (we had fresh ginger root and sliced off three 1/4" slices and chopped them up)

Take a large ziploc bag and place the pork loin in the bottom. Pour/add all the ingredients on top of the pork. Close bag, squish around the ingredients to cover pork and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-55 minutes. Check the middle for pink, when it has none, it's done. Serve with a spoonful of lingonberry or cranberry sauce.

Grilled Pork Loin
(Found & modified from the Be A Balaboosta blog.)

1 lb pork loin roast
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme, dried
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I left this out)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ginger, ground (again, we used fresh ginger root, see above)
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Take a large ziploc bag and place the pork loin in the bottom. Pour/add all the ingredients on top of the pork. Close bag, squish around the ingredients to cover pork and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-55 minutes. Check the middle for pink, when it has none, it's done. Serve with a spoonful of lingonberry or cranberry sauce.