tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50441196699583008272023-11-16T03:49:00.016-08:00tritocookUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-33803796511990340912013-01-09T05:31:00.000-08:002013-01-09T05:33:27.426-08:00National Soup Month - Tuscan Style Potato Soup<b><span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">PRE-STORY: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">It’s National Soup Month, and I am trying to cut calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a Cooking Light cookbook a couple years ago and decided to dust it off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had a wonderful section on slimming down creamy soups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">DISH: Soup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: Cooking Light <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tuscan-style-potato-soup-10000001924707/"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tuscan-style-potato-soup-10000001924707/</span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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ACTIVE TIME: ~40 minutes TOTAL TIME: ~60 Minutes<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">2 heads garlic </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 1</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 1 ¼</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">2 cups finely chopped onion, divided </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 1</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">freshly ground black pepper <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">2 1/4 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 6 cups) </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used a little over a lb</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 2</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">1 cup half-and-half </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used ½ C fat-free half-and-half</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, divided </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 2 oz +</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">6 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 3 oz hot Italian turkey sausage</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">1 cup chopped kale <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">1/4 cup fresh sage leaves <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">– used 1</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Preparation:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Preheat oven to 400°.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Cut off pointed end of each garlic head to partially reveal cloves (do not peel or separate the cloves); place each head in the center of a small sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each head and a sprinkle of salt; wrap each in foil. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Squeeze to extract pulp; discard skins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Do this first, then start prepping everything else so this is done/cooled in time to add to potato mix.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cups onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pepper, salt, and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. <s>Place a food mill over a large bowl; pour potato mixture and garlic pulp into food mill. Press mixture through food mill; return mixture to pan</s>. </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Add roasted garlic to mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mash potatoes with a potato masher in the pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Stir in half-and-half. Finely grate cheese to yield 1/4 cup; stir into soup. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Towards the end of the potatoes cooking,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> heat 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining onion; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in salt, sausage, and pancetta; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble sausage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">While potatoes are cooking,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"> cook kale in boiling water for 4 minutes; strain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Grate 1 ounce cheese. Combine kale, reserved cooking liquid </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">add a tablespoon at a time</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">, grated cheese, sage, and nuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. With processor on, gradually add 1 tablespoon oil through food chute, processing until combined. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 3 tablespoons sausage mixture. Drizzle each serving with about 4 teaspoons kale mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Serves 6 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Calories: 456, Fat: 23.2g, Saturated fat: 9.2g, Protein: 18.3g , Carbohydrate: 43.8g , Fiber: 4.2g <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">RATING/DIFFICULTY: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Just Tri<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">SERVED WITH: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">Broiled toast - Lite bread spread with pesto mix and grated cheese and mixed green salad<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">FINAL NOTES: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">This soup was incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time I would eliminate the pancetta, not needed, the sausage is plenty and I would process the pesto starting with a tablespoon of the water and a tablespoon of oil then add the water as needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pesto was a little too liquidy and I had to add nuts and cheese which just adds fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you read the recipe first and figure out the timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be done in less than an hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-13561079881720788002012-07-01T17:35:00.000-07:002012-07-01T17:35:26.620-07:00Quick Steak Fajitas - It's What's For Dinner<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PRE-STORY</span></b><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We had one leftover NY Strip, darn economy packs, so I had to come up with something. When all else fails, go Mexican!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>DISH</strong><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>: </strong>Fajita</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM</strong><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong>: </strong>Voices in my head</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACTIVE TIME:</span></b><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~15 minutes</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TOTAL TIME: </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~30 Minutes</span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">INGREDIENTS:</span></strong></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Juice of two limes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Juice of one orange (go to Wegman's, get their juicing oranges!)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 tsp cumin</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 packet Sauzon </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 garlic cloves, diced</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 jalepeno, diced</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/4 red onion</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 red bell pepper, diced</span></li>
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<li></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 NY Strip (or whatever steak you have on hand, we had an extra)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 can black beans</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">EVOO</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 C fat-free Mexican cheese blend</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/4 C fat-free plain greek yogurt (I use this instead of sour cream)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 Avocado (or the whole darn thing, whoever heard of leftover avocado)</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whole Wheat Tortillas</span></li>
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</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Juice the limes and orange into a bowl. Add the cumin, garlic cloves, jalepeno, red onion to the bowl. Slice beef into bite size pieces - add to bowl. Let sit 10-30 minutes. Heat 1 Tbs EVOO in a large skillet, add beef. When it starts browning, add some of the marinade to the pan. Heat for ~ 3 minutes. When you flip the meat, add the bell pepper and black beans to the pot. Add rmainder of the sauce. Simmer for ~10 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While that is cooking, smoosh the avocado and yogurt together. Smear on heated tortillas, top with meat/bean mixture and Mexican cheese blend. Roll burrito style.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVES / <s>NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION</s>: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RATING/DIFFICULTY: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Really Good / Easy Peasy</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVED WITH: </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The joy of Mexican food - it's all in there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FINAL NOTES:</span></b><b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nice easy weekday meal - any meat will do, or veggies for that matter. Add salsa to spice it up if desired.</span> </span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-70560544688243209202012-07-01T17:07:00.000-07:002012-07-01T17:08:43.525-07:00Burger Friday - Cajun Turkey Burger<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PRE-STORY </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14.25pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999; color: black;">I'm making Gumbo and N'Orlean's Red Beans and Rice (completely different from my regular Puerto Rican Beans/Rice) so I had Cajun ingredients on-hand and decided to just make something up.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DISH:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Turkey Burger</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The voices in my head that say "try this, it'll be good".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ACTIVE TIME:</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~20 minutes</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TOTAL TIME: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">~30 Minutes</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><ul><span style="background-color: #999999;">
</span>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 pound ground turkey</span></li>
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<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 link Andouille Sausage, diced</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/4 C Diced Onion</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/4 C Diced Celery</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/4 C Diced Bell Pepper</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/4 C Vegetable oil</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 Kaiser Rolls </span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Dash of Salt</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dash of Cayenne Pepper</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Dash of Emeril's Essence Seasoning</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 clove garlic, grated</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: black;">Splash of garlic flavored olive oil</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper</span></li>
</ul>
</span><br />
<ul></ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat the grill. Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat for ~5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside to cool slightly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mix turkey, andouille saussage, salt, cayenne, and olive oil, and Essence together. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic mixture. Form into three 1/2-inch-thick patties in a large patty maker. Don't forget the thumb print I talked about in the last two burger recipes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Grill the burgers 6 minutes a side, start with thumb indention up. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SERVES / <s>NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION</s>:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had J so this made three servings. They weren't as big as the last couple weeks. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">RATING/DIFFICULTY:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Really Good / Easy Peasy</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SERVED WITH:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Zataran's Dirty Rice with diced Andouille.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FINAL NOTES:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not a spicy food fan, but this could have been kicked up a notch. I'd recommend more cayenne or we used Ragin Cajun Garlic Sauce (I'm trying to order on-line, if I can, I'll post a link). Next time, I'd put it in the meat pre-cooking. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-60266379335307432362012-06-25T17:22:00.000-07:002012-07-01T17:36:01.146-07:00Burger Friday - Turkey-Pepperoni Burger<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">PRE-STORY</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Friday Burger just so happened to come
right after I got my Food Network magazine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had this recipe, so I had to modify it.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DISH:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Turkey Burger</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/turkey-pepperoni-burgers-recipe/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/turkey-pepperoni-burgers-recipe/index.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACTIVE TIME:</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~20 minutes</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TOTAL TIME: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">~30 Minutes</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey – <span style="color: blue;">used 1 lb</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/4 pound sliced pepperoni, chopped (about 1 cup) – <span style="color: blue;">only used ½ Cup</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 large sprig rosemary or sage, leaves only, chopped – <span style="color: blue;">used rosemary</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1 clove garlic, grated</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;">Splash of garlic flavored olive oil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;">Added 4 small diced mozzarella balls</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/3 cup mayonnaise – <span style="color: blue;">used light mayo</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or basil – <span style="color: blue;">used basil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 8 slices provolone cheese – <span style="color: blue;">only 2 slices</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #999999; color: blue;">Added one red carmelized onion</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 4 onion rolls, split – <span style="color: blue;">used Kaiser rolls</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 slices beefsteak tomato – <span style="color: blue;">1 tomato per person</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lettuce leaves, for serving - <span style="color: blue;">skipped</span></span></li>
</ul>
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Put the turkey,
pepperoni, rosemary, half of the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
in a large bowl and mix with your hands until combined. Form into <strike>four</strike> <span style="color: blue;">two</span> 1/2-inch-thick
patties <span style="color: blue;">by using</span></span><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">a large patty maker</span>. <span style="color: blue;">Make an indention with your thumb in
the middle of the burger (this prevents the burger from ballooning into a huge
lump and cooks flat – thank you Food Network for the tip!). Set burgers aside
while heating the grill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Caramelize the onions (my method that
may not be the correct way to do it, but it seems to work): Heat some EVOO in a
large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and a sprinkling of salt.
Brown the onion for about 5 minutes. Add a tiny bit of butter (or</span> <span style="color: blue;">substitute).
Lower heat to low, and let onions simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add another sprinkling of salt and a sprinkling of sugar or brown
sugar (just a sprinkling!). Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set
aside. Because it was a red onion, I added slightly more brown sugar.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><s><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
patties and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 5 minutes. Turn and cook until
golden brown on the bottom, 3 more minutes.</span></s><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: blue;">While onions are finishing caramelizing, grill burgers ~6
minutes a side, start with thumb indention up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Add provolone cheese in the last minute of cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, whisk the
mayonnaise, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining garlic in a small
bowl. Season with salt and pepper. <strike>Top each patty with 2 slice<s>s</s>
cheese, cover and cook
until the cheese melts, about 1 minute.</strike> Transfer the patties to a plate.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><s><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Toast the buns cut-side down in the skillet, then remove from the
pan and </span></s><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">spread <span style="color: blue;">both sides of the </span>buns with the
herb mayonnaise. Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. Sandwich the
lettuce, burger patties and tomatoes on the buns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1658156509"><span style="color: blue;">I</span></a><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span>don’t like tomatoes
on my burger so I just sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled with salt, some garlic
flavored olive oil, and fresh sliced basil</span>.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVES / <s>NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION</s>: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My version serves 2 – They were really
big burgers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was plenty of mayo
mix left over and I used that on our turkey/ham sandwiches for Saturday lunch.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RATING/DIFFICULTY: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fantabulous / Easy Peasy</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVED WITH: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wine and sliced tomatoes</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FINAL NOTES:</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 5pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought last week’s bison burger was
good, this one may have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pepperoni, olive oil, and mozzarella kept the turkey very moist and the mayo
mix was fantastic!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell Dude it
was light mayo though!</span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-13651931677508767732012-06-22T12:44:00.000-07:002012-06-22T12:44:01.587-07:00Burger Friday – Bison Burger with Carmelized Onion, Gruyere, and Boursin Cheese & Avocado Spread<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></span></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PRE-STORY</span>: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Come Summer, certain traditions pop-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ribs on Sunday, BLT’s once a week, and Burgers on Friday.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I started to think about tonight's creation, I thought I'd post last week's delicacy.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">DISH:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bison Burger</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The voices in my head that say this will taste good together</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">ACTIVE TIME:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> ~20 minutes</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>TOTAL TIME: </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">~30 Minutes</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 lb Ground Bison</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">¼ Cup Gruyere cheese, shredded</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">EVOO</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Salt</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oregano</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">½ round of Boursin Cheese (used Shallot & Chive) </span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">½ Avocado</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 sweet onion, sliced</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lettuce (used Baby Romaine)</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tomato, sliced</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Kaiser Rolls, toasted (any bun will do)</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a large bowl, mix ground bison, splash of EVOO, salt, pepper, oregano, and shredded gruyere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use a large patty maker, and make two perfectly round ½ inch thick burgers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make an indention with your thumb in the middle of the burger (this prevents the burger from ballooning into a huge lump and cooks flat – thank you Food Network for the tip!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set burgers aside while heating the grill.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Caramelize the onions (my method that may not be the correct way to do it, but it seems to work):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heat some EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add sliced onion and a sprinkling of salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brown the onion for about 5 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add a tiny bit of butter (or substitute).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lower heat to low, and let onions simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add another sprinkling of salt and a sprinkling of sugar or brown sugar (just a sprinkling!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simmer for another 5 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove from heat, set aside.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While onions are caramelizing, grill burgers ~6 minutes a side, start with thumb indention up.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">While burgers are grilling, smoosh together ½ round of Boursin cheese and avocado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set aside (or </span><span style="color: black;">start snacking on it, but leave enough to spread on the buns).</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Toast buns on top rack of the grill during last 5 minutes of burgers grilling.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Smear Cheese/Avocado mix on both sides of the buns, top with burger, onions, lettuce, and tomato.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVES / <strike>NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION</strike>: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Serves 2 - These are HUGE burgers so we didn’t do sides and we were stuffed (may also be because of the snacking).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, technically, there should be plenty of leftover cheese/avocado mix, but between the snacking (with pita chips) and “tasting” to make sure it tasted right, I can neither confirm or deny that we ate it all.</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RATING/DIFFICULTY: </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fantabulous / Easy Peasy</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SERVED WITH: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wine or Beer, I can’t remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a week ago!</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">FINAL NOTES:</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s a burger, there are so many variations,</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and this is just one week’s creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t have changed a thing!</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-83842830785760081842012-06-15T08:02:00.000-07:002012-06-15T08:02:53.113-07:00Gruyere and Vegetable Stuffed Chicken Breasts over Mashed Polenta<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">PRE-STORY: </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I had leftover gruyere, zucchini, sweet onion and some fresh kale from the garden so I made this up as I went along. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>DISH:</strong> Chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong>The voices in my head that say this will taste good together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> ~30 minutes <strong>TOTAL TIME:</strong> ~45 Minutes</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 sweet onion, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 yellow Squash, 1 Green Squash – diced into really small pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 head of kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">½ Cup Gruyere cheese, shredded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tube Polenta (any flavor, I used Italian Herb)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">¼ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">EVOO</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Butter (or butter substitute)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 350. Pound out the chicken, set aside. Shred the cheese, set aside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Caramelize the onions (my method that may not be the correct way to do it, but it seems to work): Heat some EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and a sprinkling of salt. Brown the onion for about 5 minutes. Add a tiny bit of butter (or substitute). Lower heat to low, and let onions simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add another sprinkling of salt and a sprinkling of sugar or brown sugar (just a sprinkling!). Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add EVOO and a tiny bit of butter to same pan used for the onions. Increase heat to medium. Add zucchini and kale. Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stuff each chicken breast with cheese, a spoonful of onion, and a spoonful of the vegetable mixture (put remaining vegetables/onion in the pan they were cooked in (should still be warm) and cover to keep warm). Roll up chicken and hold together with toothpicks. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top. Cook in oven 20 – 25 minutes, until cooked through. Broil for 4 minutes to melt the cheese before serving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While chicken is cooking, smoosh (it’s a word, trust me) the tube of polenta in a medium sauce pan. Add a big splash (a little less than ¼ cup) of chicken broth to polenta. Add sprinkling of salt. Heat through, and continue smooshing. Reduce heat to low and cover.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To serve, put a big spoonful of polenta on a plate, top with leftover veggie/onion mix. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Serves 2 (There may be polenta left over, unless you live in my house) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">RATING/DIFFICULTY: </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Easy Peasy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">SERVED WITH: </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wine </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">FINAL NOTES: </span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I realized after I served this that I didn’t season the chicken. And really, the only seasoning I used throughout the dish was salt. I called the flavor "tastefully bland", in other words I knew it could be better with additional seasoning but it was really, really good without. Your call on what seasonings to add.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-79044260534827442032012-05-14T06:24:00.000-07:002012-05-14T06:24:44.026-07:00Chicken with Italian Beans and Greens - It's What's For Dinner!<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> I'm looking for more meals with less carbs since I don't seem to exercise anymore...ever.<br />
<br />
<strong>DISH:</strong> Chicken<br />
<br />
<strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> Personal Recipe<br />
<br />
<strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~10 minutes <strong>COOK TIME:</strong> 20 minutes <br />
• 2 Chicken Breasts (Italian seasoned if you are lucky enough to live next to Wegmans) - flattened to even thickness<br />
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />
• 1 Small Sweet Onion - diced<br />
• 2 clove Garlic, minced<br />
• 1/4 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth<br />
• 3+ Cups Arugula, or Kale, or Spinach, or whatever Greens you feel like having<br />
• 1 Can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed<br />
• 1 Can Italian Flavored Diced Tomatoes (Garlic Oregano) - or 2 fresh tomatoes diced<br />
• 1 Tbs Fresh Oregano - minced<br />
• 1/2 Tbs Fresh Rosemary - minced<br />
• Coarse salt, pepper, plus any other seasoning you like<br />
<br />
Heat EVOO in medium skillet over Medium heat. Add Onion and saute ~3 minutes. Add Garlic and saute ~3 minutes. Add chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits. Add greens, beans, tomatoes, herbs, and salt. Heat ~ 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. While this is simmering, grill Chicken ~5 minutes a side. <br />
<br />
Serve Chicken with beans/veggie mixture on top.<br />
<br />
<strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:</strong> Serves 2<br />
Calories: I don't know but it seems relatively healthy.<br />
<br />
<strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY:</strong> 3 Good but Needs Tweakin!!! Easy Peasy<br />
<br />
<strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> It's a one-dish meal!<br />
<br />
<strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> I would add more garlic next time and mash up half of the beans. I used arugula and think I would prefer kale or spinach. I did not drain the tomatoes and I think I will next time - it was a little too tomato-y for me. This is such an easy and versatile recipe and takes less than a half hour! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-13303597767357973952012-04-03T19:46:00.005-07:002012-05-14T06:13:45.906-07:00Shrimp Scampi with Couscous - It's What's For Dinner<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> I thought I'd share some of my personal middle of the week meals that I prepare. Most of the time I'm in a hurry, so I try to blend lots of flavors and healthy ingredients in 30 minutes or so.<br />
<br />
<strong>DISH:</strong> Seafood<br />
<strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> Personal Recipe<br />
<strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~10 minutes <strong>COOK TIME: </strong>20 minutes <br />
<br />
• 1 box Couscous - any flavor - you'll only need about 1/2 the box, save the rest for lunch<br />
• Olive Oil<br />
• 1/4 Red Onion, diced<br />
• 1 clove Garlic, minced<br />
• 1/2 bag Spinach, course stems removed<br />
• 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, slightly toasted <br />
• 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />
• 1/2 Cup Fat-Free Herbed Feta Cheese<br />
• 10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved<br />
• 1/4 Cucumber, diced<br />
• Coarse salt, pepper, dried oregano, Italian Seasoning, red hot peppers, any other seasoning you like<br />
<br />
Prepare the couscous per package directions.<br />
<br />
Heat a large skillet with olive oil (I used a bit of garlic flavored olive oil). Add onions, season with salt, and let them carmelize for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook for ~3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove all ingredients from skillet and set aside.<br />
<br />
Add some olive oil to skillet. Add shrimp, season with seasoning of choice, cook until pink 1/2 way through. Flip shrimp and add vegetables back to skillet. Cook ~2 minutes. Add pinenuts, cook 1 minute. Add couscous to skillet, mix all ingredients together. Top with feta, cook ~2 minutes. <br />
<br />
Serve in bowls, topped with tomatoes and cucumbers. <br />
<br />
<strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />
Serves 2<br />
<br />
Calories: I don't know but it seems relatively healthy.<br />
<br />
<strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />
3 Good but Needs Tweakin!!! <br />
<br />
Easy Peasy<br />
<br />
<strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />
It's a one-dish meal! <br />
<br />
<strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />
Play with the spices, add sun-dried tomatoes and olives and it's truly Greek. This will also work with chicken or pork. Very versatile and have I mentioned EASY!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-12752964152801931372012-02-26T13:37:00.003-08:002012-02-26T13:47:14.758-08:00Mushroom Cream Sauce<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> This goes with the Chicken Marsala Ravioli's.<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Pasta<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong><br />Food Network, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mushroom-cream-sauce-recipe/index.html">Mushroom Cream Sauce, Tyler Florence</a><br /><strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~5 minutes - this is just for the sauce, add time to make the pasta and filling! <strong> COOK TIME: </strong> 10 minutes <br /><br />I doubled the recipe based on recommendations on the Food Network site. The recipe below is the original amounts.<br /><br />• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced<br />• 5 sage leaves<br />• Salt and pepper, to taste<br />• 6 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced<br />• 1 cup heavy cream <em>(I used half and half)</em><br />• 1/2 leek, roughly chopped<br /><br />Melt butter in a saute pan over low heat. Add garlic and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms, cook 5 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in cream and heat slowly. When the sauce has reached a velvety smooth consistency, remove from stove. Stir in leek and serve immediately with chicken Marsala ravioli. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves 4<br /> <br />Calories: Unknown<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />5 - Calories are worth it! (At least I thought so...Cat??) <br /><br />Just Tri! The average home cook can make this<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br /><a href="http://estristocook.blogspot.com/2012/02/chicken-marsala-ravioli.html">Chicken Marsala Ravioli</a>, <a href="http://estristocook.blogspot.com/2012/02/basic-pasta-dough.html">Basic Pasta Dough</a>, and Wegman's Garlic Bread, <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />If I were to make this again, I'd add some recontituted dried mushrooms and used some of the liquid for more flavor. I also would not try the half and half, it did not thicken up like I would have liked. Or, at a minimum, I would have thickened with flour or corn starch.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-8637841710989877422012-02-25T15:15:00.002-08:002012-02-26T13:36:55.404-08:00Chicken Marsala Ravioli<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> Cat and Oli were coming over for supper, what better reason to bring out the pasta machine!!<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Pasta<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong><br />Food Network, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-marsala-ravioli-filling-recipe/index.html">Chicken Marsala Ravioli Filling, Tyler Florence</a><br /><strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~10minutes - this is just for the filling - add time to make the pasta! <strong> COOK TIME: </strong> 6 minutes <br /><br />• 8 ounces chicken breast, cut in strips <em>(about 1 chicken breast)</em><br />• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided<br />• 1 shallot, chopped<br />• 1 garlic clove, chopped <em>I probably used two</em><br />• 1/4 cup Marsala wine or chicken broth <em>(After talking with Phil, the wine guy at Wegman's he convinced me that the chicken marsala cooking wine was good enough, in the future, I'd use a real wine)</em><br />• 4 thin slices prosciutto, sliced<br />• 4 bay leaves<br />• Fresh thyme and parsley leaves<br />• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs<br />• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, divided<br />• Salt and pepper<br />• 1 egg<br />• 1/4 cup heavy cream<br /><br />Brown chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic. Deglaze with Marsala. Take pan away from heat source and flambe. Return pan to stove, flame will go out in about 1 minute. <em>(I tried this, but there wasn't enough alcohol in the marsala cooking wine, so it wouldn't light. That's why I'd use real wine next time, I think the flambe would add some more depth in the flavor.)</em> Add prosciutto and herbs. Sprinkle in bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep moist. Discard bay leaves. Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor. Add egg, cream, remaining Parmesan and olive oil. Pulse again. Chill before filling ravioli. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves 4<br /> <br />Calories: Unknown<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />5 - Calories are worth it! (At least I thought so...Cat??) <br /><br />Just Tri! The average home cook can make this<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Mushroom Cream Sauce (next recipe), Wegman's Garlic Bread, <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />After seeing the amount of ravioli's I had (I made about 3 servings of the Basic Pasta Dough) I didn't think it would be enough. So I followed the above recipe and made 2 more chicken breasts. It was plenty!!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-28273124400667185282012-02-25T14:59:00.005-08:002012-02-25T15:15:41.039-08:00Basic Pasta Dough<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> After Ironman Switzerland Dude and I went Italy. We ate fresh pasta every day and it was wonderful. When we got back, I bought a pasta machine and took a class. This is the basic dough...<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Pasta<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> Cooking Class at Open Kitchen - Instructor: Angie Lee<br /><strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~30 minutes <strong> COOK TIME: </strong> 10 minutes <br /><br />• 3/4 C All Purpose Flour (Ihave NEVER had luck with pasta flour, it just doesn't work for me)<br />• 1 tsp Olive Oil<br />• 1 Egg<br />• Pinch of salt<br /><br />Recipe is per serving – 1 egg per person. Scale up as needed to serve your guests.<br />Mound the flour on your work surface and make a well in the center. Add the egg and oil to the well and sprinkle with salt. Using a fork, beat the egg and oil together. Gradually mix in the flour. As the dough begins to come together, switch from the fork to a bench scraper, scraping and folding the dough together. Continue to mix and fold the flour into the dough until it comes together and is soft, but not sticky to the touch; you may not need all of the flour from the well. Press dough together, but do not knead. Form the dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.<br /><br />Set the pasta machine to the lowest number (biggest opening). Dust the dough with flour and feed the dough through the machine. Dust again with flour and fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Feed the dough through the machine. Repeat this process for a total of three folds. Set the pasta machine to the next higher number and pass the dough through. Dust with flour as needed, set the pasta machine to the next higher number and pass the dough through. Continue this process until the desired thickness of pasta is reached. Lay the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface and allow the dough to rest and slightly dry, about 10 minutes. The pasta may now be cut into the desired shape and cooked. Dust cut pasta with flour or cornmeal to keep from sticking until ready to cook.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves 1<br /> <br />Calories: Unknown<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />5 - it's pasta, how could it be bad?!<br /><br />Just Tri - The average home cook can make this<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Depends on the day<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />You can puree spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, etc. to blend into the dough for different flavors. Fresh pasta is so easy to make, everytime I make it I wonder why I don't do it more often.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-64455071857390067212012-01-29T14:16:00.000-08:002012-02-03T08:12:19.921-08:00Rosa Mexicana Guacomole<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> Rosa Mexicano is an incredible Mexican restaurant that makes tableside guacamole. By that, I mean the best guac I've ever had. So imagine my surprise when they asked if I wanted the recipe. Uh...YES, thank you very much.<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Appetizer<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong><a href="http://rosamexicano.com/">Rosa Mexicano Restaurant </a><br /><strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~15 minutes <br /><br />• 1 Haas Avocado<br />• 3 Tablespoons Onions, chopped<br />• 1 teaspoon Jalepeno Chile, chopped<br />• 1 1/2 teaspoon Cilantro, chopped<br />• 2 Tablespoons Tomato, chopped (discard juice and seeds)<br /><br />In a bowl, using the back of a wooden spoon, thoroughly mash the following ingedients into a juicy paste (using the salt as a grinder).<br />• 1 Tablespoons Onions, chopped<br />• 1/2 teaspoon Jalepeno Chile, chopped<br />• 1/2 teaspoon Cilantro, chopped<br />• 1/2 teaspoon salt<br /><br />Holding the avocado in the cup of the hand, split the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Slice the avocado lenthwise in approx. 1/8" strips, then across forming a grid (cut through the flesh only, not into the skin). Scoop the avocado out of the skin with a spoon.<br /><br />Add the avocado to the paste and thoroughly mix together, then add the rest of the ingredients and fold. Add jalapeno chiles and salt to taste.<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />5 OMG Calories Don't Count<br /><br />Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />TOSTITOS® ARTISAN RECIPES® Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />Ok, perhaps I'm confused on the recipe, but what I read and what I do is two different things. I read that I'm suppose to use 1 Tablespoon of the 3 Tablespoons of Onion, 1/2 teaspoon of the 1 teaspoon of Jalepeno, etc. to make this. What I do is use the full amount both lists of ingredients. I've made this on a couple of occasions, including feeding a crowd on New Year's Eve to rave reviews. Either way, I'm positive this is a keeper!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-67725258326430505222012-01-20T15:16:00.000-08:002012-01-20T17:47:44.523-08:00Pasta e Fagioli<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> I found out <em>TODAY </em>it's National Soup Month. It's the 20th!!! A little late, so poor Dude in in for a lot of soup over the next 11 days.<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Soup<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: Food Network, Pasta and Beans: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pasta-and-beans-pasta-e-fagioli-recipe/index.html">Pasta e Fagioli</a>, Rachel Ray</strong><br /><strong>PREP TIME:</strong> ~15 minutes <strong> COOK TIME: </strong> 20 minutes <br /><br />• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil <br />• 1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped<br />• <em>Added 1 Hot Italian Sausage link, 1 Sweet Italian Sausage link - made meatballs with the pancetta and sausage</em><br />• 2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact <br />• 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact <br />• <em>Added 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig Oregano </em><br />• 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves <br />• 1 medium onion, finely chopped <br />• 1 small carrot, finely chopped <br />• 1 rib celery, finely chopped<br />• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped <br />• Coarse salt and pepper <br />• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans <br />• 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes <em>I used one small can tomato sauce and a 14 oz can of diced Italian Tomatoes</em><br />• 2 cups water <em>Instead of water, I used 1 Cup Sangiovese wine and 1 Cup Chicken Broth </em><br />• 1 quart chicken stock <br />• 1 1/2 cups ditalini <em>I used elbow macaroni </em><br /> <br />• Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table <br />• Crusty bread, for mopping<br /><br />Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly. <em>Since I made the meatballs, I browned the meatballs in the olive oil. </em> Add herb stems <em>(next time, I will take the herbs off of the stems and chop them, I didn't like the big bits in the soup)</em>, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water <em>(wine/broth mix)</em>, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta (<em>next time, I'll cook the pasta separately then add to the mix before serving, that way I could make sure there was enough liquid)</em>. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves 6<br /> <br />Calories: 365; Total Fat 10 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 18 grams; Total carbohydrates: 50 grams; Sugar: 8 grams Fiber 9 grams; Cholesterol: 13 milligrams; Sodium: 1,101 milligrams <br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />3 Good but Needs Tweakin!!! <br /><br />Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Wegman’s Garlic Italian Bread. <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />I have a feeling this will be even better tomorrow. As you read above, there are still some things I would have done differently but overall, the flavor is there and oh so filling!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-27947780115335601232012-01-19T17:23:00.001-08:002012-01-19T17:45:55.967-08:00Parmesan (Garlic) Chicken Wings<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>Wegman's is my happy place and often it is the source of inspiration. Tonight, I was wandering around the meat department and they had ready to cook parmesan garlic chicken breasts. Well, I remembered some parmesan wings I made for a get-together I had in Dec so I decided to add some garlic to the mix.<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Chicken<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong><strong>365 Ways to Cook Chicken</strong>, Parmesan Chicken Wings Oreganata<br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> ~15 minutes <strong> COOK TIME: </strong> 45 minutes <br /><br />• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan<br />• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley <em>Eyeballed Amount</em><br />• 2 teaspoons Paprika <em>Eyeballed Amount</em><br />• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano <em>Eyeballed Amount</em> <br />• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil <em>Didn't have any basil, well, I had fresh but forgot about it until after they were in the oven</em><br />• 1/4 teaspoon Salt <em>Eyeballed Amount</em> <br />• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper <em>Eyeballed Amount</em><br />• 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter or Margarine, melted <em>Used Brummell & Brown Yogurt Butter Spread</em><br />• 1 pound Chicken Wings, disjointed and tips removed <em>Used wings/drumettes mix</em><br />• <em>Added 2 cloves minced Garlic</em> <br />• <em>Added sprinkling of Cayenne Pepper</em> <br /><br />Preheat oven to 350. In a paper bag <em>I used a bowl</em> , combine cheese, parsley, paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Toss to mix. Pour melted butter into a shallow bowl.<br /><br />Dip chicken pieces into butter, then place in paper bag and shake to coat. Place chicken on foil-lined baking sheet and bke for 45 minutes. Serve hot. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves Makes 12 mini-drumsticks <br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />5 - Make this for your friends!!! Great recipe for a party...I know, I've made them for a party! <br /><br />Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Wegman’s Butternut Squash, Baby Spinach, and Craisens mix and Wegman's Mac and Cheese. (Have I ever mentioned I love Wegman's?!?!)<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />Another very versatile recipe. Play with the seasonings. Put the mix on chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, coat sliced potatoes, etc. It's also easy to double, triple, quadruple for a party. AND other then the cooking, it takes no time to prepare. If you are having a long open house, have a couple batches prepped and a batch cooking while others are being served.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-73590018101751530802012-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:32:40.353-08:00Slow Cooker Beef Stew<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>The week after Christmas, I decided to make comfort food. I’ve made beef stew once before using a braising method but decided to try a crock pot recipe. Thing is, picking one is difficult so I just combined a few together. <br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Beef<br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong>A mix of Beef Stew recipes from allrecipe.com<br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> ~30 minutes <strong> TOTAL TIME: </strong> ~7 Hours <br /><br />• 1 pound Stew Meat<br /> <br />• 1 Tablespoon Flour, plus 1 teaspoon<br />• Salt<br /> <br />• 1 Tablespoon EVOO<br />• ~ 4 Baby Carrots cut into bite size pieces<br />• ¼ pound Fresh Green Beans (only because I had them)<br />• 2 small potatoes, cubed<br />• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley<br />• Pepper, to taste<br />• 2/3 C Boiling Water<br />• 1 Package Dry Onion Mushroom Soup Mix<br />• 1 Tablespoon Butter<br />• 1 Onion, diced<br />• ~ 5 Button Mushrooms, cut into 4ths<br />½ C Red Wine (original recipe called for a Tablespoon…I laughed)<br />• 1 Cup Beef Broth<br /> <br />• 2 teaspoons Flour mixed with water<br /><br />Mix flour and Salt. Dredge meat in flour mixture. Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium high heat. Add stew meat and cook until evenly browned on the outside (do this in batches). Transfer to slow cooker along with carrots, potatoes, parsley and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together boiling water and soup mix. Pour into slow cooker.<br /><br />In same skillet melt butter, add onion and cook until softened. Add to slow cooker. Pour red wine into skillet and break up brown bits. Pour into slow cooker. Add beef broth. Add water to cover food in slow cooker.<br />Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Reduce to low and cook for 6 hours. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong> <br />Serves 4 (Leftovers were even better) <br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />3 - Good but Need Tweaking - I would rate it higher for taste, but there is just so much you can do with this recipe. <br /><br />Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Wegman’s Clover Rolls. <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />As comfort food goes, beef stew hits the spot. You can mix/match recipes, add/subtract ingredients, play with seasonings, etc. It is a great item for the new cooks out there! Here’s a helpful hint my mom has passed on to me: too salty, throw in more cubed potatoes (can also be used to thicken broth).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-4363535685162637522012-01-15T07:29:00.001-08:002012-01-15T09:58:53.717-08:00Lamb Chops with Mushroom Pesto and Root Vegetable Pancakes<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>Well hello there! Yes, I'm still alive and yes, I'm still cooking. There are many recipes that I need to share but this is what I made last night. It was so good, it prompted me to share the deliciousness… <br /><br /><strong>DISH: </strong>Lamb<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong>Tasting the Wine Country, Sharon O’Connor’s/Menu and Music – Recipes from Romantic Inns and Resorts. This particular dish is from Belhurst Castle in Geneva, New York<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME: </strong> ~1 Hour <strong>TOTAL TIME: </strong> ~1 Hour<br /><br /><strong>MUSHROOM PESTO INGREDIENTS:</strong> I halved the recipe but I’m listing the full ingredients. All other changes are highlighted in Italics.<br /><br />• 4 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, <em>Plus More For Blending Pesto </em><br />• 8 ounces Porcini, stemmed Shiitake, or Cremini Mushrooms, chopped <em>I used a mix of 50% cremini and 50% shiitake</em><br />• 3 Garlic Cloves <em>I didn't half the garlic</em><br />• 2 Green Onions, white part only, chopped <em>saved/sliced the greens for garnish</em><br />• ¼ Cup Pine Nuts • ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese <em>I didn't half the cheese</em><br /><br />To make the pesto: In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add the garlic, green onions, and pine nuts and sauté for 3 minutes. In a blender or food processor, combine the mushrooms, garlic mixture and Parmesan. Puree until smooth. <em>I added more olive oil in the processor to help make it smooth. Less than ¼ cup. After the lamb was done, I rewarmed the pesto in the pan that the lamb was cooked in (with the juices) for serving.</em><br /><br /><strong>LAMB CHOP INGREDIENTS:</strong> Truth be told, this recipe is actually for venison chops but Dude hasn’t been lucky in the bow hunting arena and Wegman’s didn’t have venison chops. Lamb seemed like a good substitute (and less expensive than veal chops)<br /><br />• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil<br />• 8-Ounce Lamb Chops <em>again, I halved this, so I used 4 lamb chops</em><br />• Salt and Pepper to taste Salt <em>I used a mix of kosher salt and Gray Salt from my salt box and no pepper….cause I hate pepper</em><br /><br />In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 -4 minutes on each side for medium rare. <br /><br /><strong>ROOT VEGETABLE PANCAKE INGREDIENTS:</strong> <em>I did not half this and I had enough to make 8 pancakes.</em><br /><br />• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour<br />• ½ teaspoon Salt<br />• ½ teaspoon Baking Powder<br />• ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda<br />• ¼ Cup Buttermilk<br />• ¼ Cup Milk <em>Used Skim</em><br />• 1 Egg<br />• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted<br />• ¼ Cup Each grated peeled Parsnip, Carrot, Potato, and Rutabega <em>Used Turnip instead of Rutabega</em><br />• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil <em>I cooked on my griddle so I used a lot less olive oil</em><br /><br />In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking <em>(I used my griddle so I used a drop of olive oil where the pancakes would be and sprayed Pam to prevent any potential sticking)</em>. Drop in ¼ cupfuls of batter to form 3 pancakes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Transfer to a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Serve warm. <br /><br /><strong>To Serve: </strong> Arrange pancakes on warmed plate and pace two chops on top. Top each chop with a dollop of mushroom pesto and serve immediately. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4 (Mine Served 2) <br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuqMViV9I137Tcj1fDWAdcFbqqYDOSQKRyDcvWuZ033RY8wjjeeSltV9vq9QCnVskH1qn4xBedejGhl2RijrEsUV1gBrsjUuea6e0K7KOe3V_-eb98RlwP11CiIOz8qxbH43bgj35LU4/s1600/5FRC.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuqMViV9I137Tcj1fDWAdcFbqqYDOSQKRyDcvWuZ033RY8wjjeeSltV9vq9QCnVskH1qn4xBedejGhl2RijrEsUV1gBrsjUuea6e0K7KOe3V_-eb98RlwP11CiIOz8qxbH43bgj35LU4/s200/5FRC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697918828944133234" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Difficulty: Just Tri - </strong>The average home cook can make this!<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Maiche salad with warmed pine nuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and Balsamic Vinigerette. And a really good 2008 Zaca Mesa Syrah. <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong> <br />We were a little afraid of the pancakes, but to quote Dude, “These taste just like regular pancakes”. This would be good for a special occasion, i.e. Valentine's Day, Anniversary, etc.. <br /><em></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-41223105647692569262011-06-19T15:38:00.001-07:002011-06-20T07:19:00.829-07:00Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens, Tomatoes, Herbs, Olives and Cheese<strong>Pre-Story: </strong> <br />My <a href="http://southmountainveggies.com/home.php">South Mountain Veggies</a> delivery included beets and I have never cooked a beet in my life. We had friends coming over so I found this recipe interesting. See final notes to see the changes I made when I made it for my Father’s Day Brunch.<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> www.epicurious.com - <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Vegetable-Salad-with-Greens-Tomatoes-Herbs-Olives-and-Cheese-101106">Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens, Tomatoes, Herbs, Olives and Cheese</a>, Bon Appetit, August 1996<br /><br />ACTIVE TIME: 30 min-ish TOTAL TIME: 40-50ish min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS: </strong><br />• 3/4 cup olive oil<br />• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar<br />• 1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch-thick rounds<br />• 12 baby beets, stems trimmed to 1 inch, peeled, halved lengthwise <em>– didn’t peel them and they tasted fine</em><br />• 3 small zucchini, each cut lengthwise into 4 slices<br />• 2 Japanese Eggplants <em>– I don’t know if baby eggplants are the same thing, but that’s what I used.</em><br />• 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch-wide strips<br />• 6 slices country-style-French bread<br />• Additional olive oil<br />• 10 cups mixed baby greens<br />• 4 large tomatoes, sliced<br />• 3 Tbs chopped fresh basil<br />• 2 Tbs chopped fresh chives or green onions <em>- used chives from my herb garden</em><br />• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh majoram – <em>- used thyme from my herb garden</em><br />• 3/4 cup chilled fresh mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled (about 3 ounces)<br />• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 2 ounces) <em>- used but it didn't add anything really</em><br />• 3/4 cup brine-cured black olives (such as Kalamanta) <em>- chopped</em><br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat). Whisk 3/4 cup oil and vinegar in medium bowl to blend <em>(I added some of the fresh herbs to the oil/vinegar mixture)</em>. <br /><br />Place onion, beets, zucchini, eggplants, and red bell pepper on baking sheet. Brush both sides with some of vinaigrette. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper. <br /><br />Grill vegetables until just cooked through, about 10 minutes per side for beets, 6 minutes per side for onion and 4 minutes per side for zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. (Vegetables can be grilled 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) <em>I grilled each vegetable separately since the timing varied. I also cooked them on a grill pan for easier flipping. Once cooked, I cut them into bite size chunks.</em><br /><br />Brush bread with additional olive oil; sprinkle with pepper <em>(you guessed it, no pepper - YUCK! In the future I'd rub the bread with a garlic clove but one of our guests hates garlic (freak!))</em>. Grill bread until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes per side. <br /><br />Arrange greens on large platter. Overlap tomatoes atop greens in center of platter. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper. Arrange grilled vegetables atop greens around edge of platter. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over tomatoes and grilled vegetables. Sprinkle tomatoes and vegetables with herbs. Sprinkle tomatoes with goat cheese. Sprinkle Romano cheese over all. Garnish with olives. Serve with bread. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:</strong> <br />Serves: 6 very large servings<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />Taste Rating: Four Fat Running Chefs<br />Difficulty Rating: Just Tri<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Dude’s Incredible Ribs and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong>This was so good the first time, I made it as part of my Father’s Day Brunch. Because we were having so much other food I cut the veggies down to just zucchini, red onion, and red bell pepper and still served over greens with tomatoes, goat cheese, olives and fresh herbs. I did not serve it with bread this time, only because I forgot to make it.<br /><br />This is an incredibly versatile recipe and mighty tasty! It also makes a lovely presentation! I gave the difficulty rating just based on the time required to grill the veggies.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-81877681678360919372011-06-19T15:14:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:36:26.150-07:00Chard and Salami Frittata<strong>Pre-Story: </strong> We now get fresh vegetable delivered from <a href="http://www.southmountainveggies.com/home.php">South Mountain Veggies</a>. I like it because it makes me try new things. This weeks “new item” was Swiss Chard. Since I was making brunch for Father’s Day, this recipe caught my eye.<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM: </strong>www.epicurious.com - <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chard-and-Salami-Frittata-239066">Chard and Salami Frittata</a>, Bon Appetit, August 2007, Molly Stevens<br /><br />ACTIVE TIME: 20 min-ish TOTAL TIME: 30 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS: </strong><br />• 6 large eggs <em>– used 8</em><br />• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided <em>- used a Parmasan/Pecorino/Romano mix</em> <br />• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt<br />• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced<br />• 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 10 ounces), stems and center ribs cut away, leaves coarsely chopped<br />• 2 ounces thinly sliced Italian Genoa salami <em>- used thinly sliced Prosciutto instead</em>, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2/3 cup) <br />• 1 garlic clove, minced<br />• <em>Added 1/2 C sliced Mushrooms</em><br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Preheat broiler. Whisk all the eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. <em>I eyeballed the cheese and only added 3 twists of the pepper grinder.</em><br /><br />Heat olive oil in medium nonstick broilerproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender but not brown, about 6 minutes. Add Swiss chard in 3 batches; toss until each begins to wilt before adding next. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. <em>Add sliced mushrooms.</em> Sauté until any liquid in skillet evaporates. Increase heat to medium-high; add <em>prosciutto</em> and garlic to skillet and stir 1 minute. Add eggs to skillet; stir to distribute evenly. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until eggs are almost set but still moist in center, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese over top. <br /><br />Transfer frittata to broiler and cook just until set in center and beginning to brown, about 1 minute <em>(actually took about 3 minutes)</em>. Using flexible spatula, loosen frittata around edges. Slide frittata out onto platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves: 6-8 as appetizer, 4 as main course<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY:</strong> <br />Taste Rating: Three Fat Running Chefs<br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Pork Loin, Roasted Vegetable Salad with Greens, Tomatoes, Herbs, Olives and Goat Cheese.<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong><br />I made this as part of a Father’s Day Brunch for Dude, his dad, sister, and brother-in-law. I thought it was good and could see making it for a quick dinner. I don’t see making this for guests unless it was a brunch then I’d probably still tweak some things, i.e. add spices, more vegetables, etc. Definitely a tweakable recipe!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-25596618511485358702011-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:11:46.540-07:00Roasted Cod on Large Garlic Croutons<strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> epicurious.com - <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Cod-on-Large-Garlic-Croutons-242490">Roasted Cod on Large Garlic Croutons</a><br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> 15 min TOTAL TIME: 20 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <br />• 1 pound plum tomatoes, cored, diced - <em>used vine ripe tomatoes</em><br />• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion <br />• 5 anchovy fillets, minced - <em>used about 4</em><br />• 3 large garlic cloves (2 minced, 1 halved) <br />• 4 7- to 8-ounce cod fillets or other white fish fillets (such as halibut; about 1 inch thick) – <em>used 2 8 oz Halibut fillets</em><br />• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided <br />• 4 1/2-inch-thick slices country white bread – <em>bought Multi-Grain foccachia</em><br />• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves – <em>bought it…forgot to put it in<br />--added 5 pitted Kalamata Olives – chopped<br />--added ½ tsp Capers -- chopped</em><br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Preheat oven to 475°F. – <em>Preheated grill instead of oven - it was a beautiful evening!</em>Combine first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add minced garlic and stir to blend. Add olives and capers. Season tomato mixture to taste with salt and pepper. <em>Did not add salt since I used kalamata and capers – plenty of salt. Did not add pepper because I just don't like it.</em> <br /><br />Arrange fish on rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just opaque in center, about 8 minutes. <em>Grilled on oiled pan for the same time it says to cook.</em><br /><br />Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato mixture. Cook until tomatoes soften and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. <br /><br />Toast bread; rub 1 side with cut side of halved garlic. Top with tomato sauce, basil leaves <em>(oops)</em>, fish, and more sauce. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:</strong> <br />Serves 4<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong> <br /><strong>Taste Rating:</strong> Five Fat Running Chefs<br /><strong>Difficulty Rating:</strong> Easy Peasy<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7SzupSJCupbEzn46-rYGoQ8Hk32f-Y4NVQj9I7kEIShX-gDmHqS6-x47UNtONlWxwWOM65G6dttk6gA5WWp7AWybFzj3NHWz7AIF0iLloNP0OfJhNKF4yqqrZbz4_4opxPqtc5Gv8WU/s1600/5+FRC.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7SzupSJCupbEzn46-rYGoQ8Hk32f-Y4NVQj9I7kEIShX-gDmHqS6-x47UNtONlWxwWOM65G6dttk6gA5WWp7AWybFzj3NHWz7AIF0iLloNP0OfJhNKF4yqqrZbz4_4opxPqtc5Gv8WU/s320/5+FRC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620056738607003970" /></a><br /><br />SERVED WITH: White Wine<br /><br />FINAL NOTES: This was so good, over a month later I still have the recipe in my wallet. It's simple and the taste is divine!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-61483763975380764002011-04-24T07:44:00.000-07:002011-04-24T07:50:16.591-07:00Salmon & Vegetable Skewers over Brown Rice<strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> Clean Eating magazine, March/April 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> 30 min TOTAL TIME: 30 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <br />2 Cups Brown Rice - <em>I love the Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice – 60 seconds, one serving done! </em><br />4 4oz Wild Caught Salmon Fillets (1 lb total), cubed<em> – used 2 4oz fillets</em><br />1 White Onion, cut into square pieces, about ½ inch in diameter <em> – used half</em><br />1 Zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch pieces<br />8 oz whole White Mushrooms<br />Olive Oil cooking spray<br />Juice 1 Lemon<br />2 tsp Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley, minced<br />Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste<br /><strong><br />EQUIPMENT:</strong><br />Metal or wooden skewers 6 – 8 inches in length (if using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes prior to use).<br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside.<br /><br />Preheat broiler to high. Thread salmon and vegetable onto separate skewers, filling 4 skewers of each (1 fillet of salmon per fish skewer and about ½ cup vegetables per veggie skewer). Mist salmon and vegetables with cooking spray, then brush with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley.<br /><br />Broil skewers at least 2 – 4 inches from heat source for 3 minutes. Flip skewers over and broil for another 3 minutes or until just tender. To serve, place 1 salmon skewer and 1 vegetable skewer over ½ cup rice. <br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4<br />Original recipe Per serving: Calories 540; Fat 10 g (Saturated 1.5 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 135 mg; Carbohydrate 79 g; Fiber 7 g; Protein 32 g<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY:</strong> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHU4p29sZaVLrEqs9M1oXwIOlz5f_HY75OilHpL2IdoMQ5El1vPRjcXnAi3rZ3vXOs8ZfQ3TDo5YLjdGbqac0v3sjOnFM-4ZybCHeUVfFu9oIfX3ipFGrkLpqAmMiGaXuvrjnUK5DncyA/s1600/3+FRC.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 69px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHU4p29sZaVLrEqs9M1oXwIOlz5f_HY75OilHpL2IdoMQ5El1vPRjcXnAi3rZ3vXOs8ZfQ3TDo5YLjdGbqac0v3sjOnFM-4ZybCHeUVfFu9oIfX3ipFGrkLpqAmMiGaXuvrjnUK5DncyA/s200/3+FRC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599161907498480930" /></a><br /><br />Taste Rating: Three Fat Running Chefs<br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Brown Rice<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> <br />Really nothing special about this but very versatile. You can play with the herbs, just about anything would work. You can also play with the the vegetables – use bell peppers, potatoes, asparagus, etc.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-4757116180115702312011-04-24T06:32:00.000-07:002011-04-24T06:37:42.852-07:00Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>This is an easy after work full of “good for you” ingredients. It wasn’t on my original list of things to make from this magazine but I don’t know how I missed it. <br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> Clean Eating magazine, March/April 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME:</strong> 30 min TOTAL TIME: 30 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS: </strong>2 Cups couscous<br />8 small Red Potatoes cut in half<br />2 6oz pouches or cans unsalted water-packed tuna<br />½ lb Frozen Green Beans, thawed<br />½ Cup pitted Kalamata Olives, sliced <em>– buy these pre-pitted from the salad bar</em><br />Juice and zest 1 Lemon <em>– used the juice but I don’t have a zester so I used orange zest</em><br />1 Tbs Dijon Mustard<br />1 Tbsp White Onion, finely diced <em>- you can buy these from the salad bar as well</em><br />1 Clove Garlic, minced<br />1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar<br />2 tsp EVOO<br />2 tsp Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley, minced<br />Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste<br />Olive Oil cooking spray<br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Cook couscous according to package directions.<br /><br />Over medium-high heat, bring a medium size pan filled with water to boil. Cook potatoes for 10 minutes; drain. In a large bowl, mix together tuna, green beans, olives, and potatoes. Once couscous is cooked, mix it into tuna-vegetable mixture.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, Dijon, onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over tuna-couscous mixture.<br /><br />Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist pan with cooking spray and sauté tuna-couscous mixture for about 5 minutes or until thoroughly warmed. Remove from heat and serve immediately.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 8<br />Original recipe Per serving: Calories 430; Fat 6 g (Saturated 1 g); Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 350 mg; Carbohydrate 70 g; Fiber 11 g; Protein 25 g<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY:</strong> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRW3TAr66EKZT1yd3fjRofmKpohhZ9LciPGtFRvOg0dnZGpMYTNG1Jo8QxseS0vlsb2n_WBDmkwDCypZ8ME4Etlk4aI0_9n7UwJTtGtgyDRrWFYJ7UToxBmAoUd_zzF8V5bnL1aFzbYs/s1600/4+FRC.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 52px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRW3TAr66EKZT1yd3fjRofmKpohhZ9LciPGtFRvOg0dnZGpMYTNG1Jo8QxseS0vlsb2n_WBDmkwDCypZ8ME4Etlk4aI0_9n7UwJTtGtgyDRrWFYJ7UToxBmAoUd_zzF8V5bnL1aFzbYs/s200/4+FRC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599143353349381394" /></a><br /><br />Taste Rating: Four Fat Running Chefs<br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Didn’t need to add anything – it was all in there!<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES:</strong> Another rarity – I barely changed the recipe and enjoyed it. The only change I made was adding a little chicken broth to the sauce because it was a little too vinegary/dijony for my taste. Heating it is not necessary – it would be good if served immediately.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-30571636893483206132011-04-23T17:09:00.000-07:002011-04-23T17:15:29.701-07:00Broiled Tofu (Salmon) with Rosemary and Mushrooms<strong>PRE-STORY:</strong> Finally catching up with my March cooking…it is the end of April and all. This recipe is for broiled tofu but getting Dude to eat tofu would be like me trying jiu-jitsu! Not gonna happen! So I made it with Grouper – my notes are at the end.<br /><br /><strong>DISH:</strong> Seafood<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM</strong>: <em>Clean Eating magazine</em>, March/April 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME</strong>: 20 min TOTAL TIME: 30 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <br />¼ Cup Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth <em>- Used Chicken</em><br />3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar<br />1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard<br />4 tsp Rosemary Leaves, chopped<br />2 Cloves Garlic, minced<br />¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt<br />¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper<br />1 lb Mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake, or a combination), halved (stems removed from shiitakes) <em>– I used white, shiitake, and portabello)</em><br />1 ½ pkg extra-firm tofu (14-16 oz per pkg), drained <em>– used Grouper</em><br />Olive oil cooking spray<br /><br /><strong>INSTRUCTIONS:</strong><br />Preheat broiler. Arrange 1 rack 4 inches below heating element and another rack in bottom third of oven.<br /><br />In a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, Dijon, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside 3 Tbsp sauce. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with remaining sauce. Arrange mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.<br /><br />Cut tofu lengthwise into 6 slices and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each slice in half diagonally making 12 triangles. Coat a rimmed baking sheet and brush top of tofu with 1 ½ Tbsp reserved sauce.<br /><br />Place mushrooms on bottom oven rack and tofu on top oven rack. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove tofu (leaving mushrooms in oven), turn pieces over and brush with remaining 1 ½ Tbsp reserved sauce. Return tofu to top rack and continue to cook until tofu is dry and browned and mushrooms are tender, about 6 more minutes. <br /><br />Divide tofu amonth plates and top with mushrooms. Drizzle with juices from baking sheet and serve.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4<br />Original recipe Per serving: Calories 180; Fat 7 g (Saturated 1 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 230 mg; Carbohydrate 11 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 4 g<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong><br />Taste Rating: Four Fat Running Chefs<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEsH2f0o2a0bsQhc1e_88KVTB6XI9oYqZT3Jf1mJS6okFNXTgz2SM1Sqaye-ajKKTqoh3K4KYEZ3WA-ROZZK4OKKaCC7n2_YceDbnjHhyyd4iYUC20a-8l_TUsBaZxI7vudQuEvsw9FI/s1600/4+FRC.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 52px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEsH2f0o2a0bsQhc1e_88KVTB6XI9oYqZT3Jf1mJS6okFNXTgz2SM1Sqaye-ajKKTqoh3K4KYEZ3WA-ROZZK4OKKaCC7n2_YceDbnjHhyyd4iYUC20a-8l_TUsBaZxI7vudQuEvsw9FI/s200/4+FRC.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598936530942077298" /></a><br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH: </strong><br />Near East Couscous with Olive Oil<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong><br />I followed the recipe except I used Grouper. I should have cut the cooking time to 4 minutes per side. I would also cook the fish in the same pan as the mushrooms for extra moisture and cook it in the middle of the oven. I also found it a little too vinegary and added some extra chicken broth to tone it down.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-61537887789818395532011-03-15T13:54:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:08:57.986-07:00Shrimp and Grits<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>J and I were watching Throwdown on Food Network and he asked me to make Shrimp and Grits. <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/">Foodnetwork.com </a>had both Bobby and the opponent (otherwise known as the winner) so I went with the Winner's (not to be confused with Charlie Sheen) recipe. As a warning - this in NOT diet food!<br /><br /><strong>DISH: </strong>Seafood<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/shrimp-and-grits-recipe/index.html">foodnetwork.com</a> Shrimp and Grits by Joe Barton<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME: </strong> 20 min <strong>TOTAL TIME: </strong> 20 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <br />Shrimp:<br />• 1 1/2 pounds (26-30 count) Wild Georgia Shrimp <em>- used 1 lb extra large easy peel shrimp</em><br />• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (recommended: Tone's Louisiana Cajun seasoning)<em> - all the reviews recommended 1 Tbs so that's what I did. PLENTY SPICY! </em><br />• 1 tablespoon paprika <br />• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning <br />• Freshly ground black pepper <em>- skipped - I hate pepper!</em><br /><em>• 1 clove garlic, minced<br />• 2 tablespoons Butter</em><br />Grits:<br />• 2 cups water <em>- used 1 cup shrimp stock, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup water</em><br />• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (recommended: Knorr) <em>- just used one since I used chicken broth</em> <br />• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine <br />• 1 cup quick grits (recommended: Quaker) <br />• 1 tablespoon tomato paste<em> - skipped</em> <br />• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream <br />• 3 1/2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar <br />Sauce:<br />2 tablespoons butter or margarine <br />1 tablespoon minced garlic <br />3 tablespoons all-purpose flour <br />1 cup chicken stock <br />1/2 cup heavy whipping cream <br />1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce <br />1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete) <em> - skipped</em> <br />1 slice sugar-cured country ham <em>- skipped, planned on using bacon but I forgot</em> <br /><br /><strong>DIRECTIONS: </strong> <br />First, peel and devein the shrimp. <em>Put the shells in 1 Cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer until you are ready to make the grits. </em>In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, paprika, Italian seasoning, <em>garlic</em>, and salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside. <em>Let them sit for about 5 minutes.</em><br /><br />Next, make your grits. In a medium saucepan, <em>bring shrimp stock, chicken broth, </em>water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste <em>(or not), </em>cream, and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the grits become creamy. Don't skimp on the butter and the cream, folks. This<br /><br />Now saute the shrimp. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they're just done and tender. Don't overcook. Remove the shrimp from the saute pan and set them aside in a bowl. You can taste 1 or 2, to see if they're okay.<br /><br />The roux is next. With all those wonderful drippings from the shrimp in the saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.<br /><br />And last, a little country ham. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a saute pan, and cut into cubes. <em>Skipped this - if I had used bacon, I would have precooked it and crumbled it on top.</em><br /><br />To serve, and this is the best part-place a few heaping spoonfuls of steaming cheese grits onto a place, top with several sizzling shrimp. Drizzle that wonderful roux sauce over top of the shrimp, and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham. Enjoy.<br /><br />A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4<br /><br />Original recipe Per serving: Not listed, but I'm SURE it's not good! Did you read how much butter and cream listed!<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong> <br />Taste Rating: Four Fat Running Chefs<br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Nothing else, planned on corn, but glad I didn't. Very filling!<br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong> <br />Next time I make this, I'm going to try a healthier version with yogurt butter and skim milk (don't tell Dude). I'll let the cheese be the fat! This was spicy, but in a good way. Again, I only used 1 Tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, I can't imagine how much spicier it would have been with 2.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-37973062279548293822011-03-10T17:02:00.001-08:002011-03-15T13:54:16.330-07:00Flank Steak Roll with Spinach and Garlic<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>Right now I'm barely training so there are some nights when Dude has jiu-jitsu practice and I have time to cook. Tonight was one of them. <br /><br /><strong>DISH: </strong>Beef<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> <em>Clean Eating magazine</em>, March/April 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME: </strong> 25 min <strong>TOTAL TIME: </strong> 1 hour 15 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <em>Italics Font </em>items are my adaptations<br />• Olive Oil Cooking Spray <em>- used regular PAM</em> <br />• 1/4 C Whole Wheat Panko <em>- Couldn't find that, used regular Panko, and needed more because I rolled the steak roll in Panko before baking</em> <br />• 1 Tbs Pine Nuts, toasted <em>- whoops, forgot the toasting part - note to self - read and reread the recipe</em><br />• 2 tsp red wine vinegar <em>- added 1 tsp+ red wine</em> <br />• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt <em>- used gray sea salt from <a href="http://www.napastyle.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2171&parentCategoryId=516&categoryId=624&subCategoryId=624">Napa Style </a></em><br />• 2 Clove Garlic, Coarsely Chopped <em>- used 3 cloves</em><br />• 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes - <em>dang it, missed this one to - see note to self above</em><br />• 1 Flank Steak, trimmed of visible fat<em> - mine was 1.4 lbs</em><br />• 3 oz Spinach Leaves, about 6 cups<em> - I chopped mine</em><br />• <em>Added chopped Cremini Mushrooms, about 1/2 Cup</em><br /><br /><strong>DIRECTIONS: </strong><br />Preheat oven to 400. Arrange a rack in a baking pan and coat with cooking spray. <em>(Cover the bottom of the baking rack with aluminum for easy clean up).</em><br /><br />In a small bowl, combine panko, nuts, vinegar, <em>wine</em>, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.<br /><br />Place steak on a work surface. Holding a sharp knife (ideally a carving knife with a thinner blade than a chef's knife) parallel to the work surface and positioned along 1 of the longer sides, cut steak almost in half horizontally, so it opens like a book. Spread steak open with "spine of book" parallel to you.<br /><br />Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over steak, leaving a 1 inch border along the farthest edge. Arrange <em>mushrooms and </em>spinach on top of panko mixture. Beginning with the closest edge, roll steak up, gently pressing down on spinach. Rotate steak roll so it's vertical to you and tie crosswise at 1 inch intervals with kitchen string. <em> Roll in extra panko. </em>Place steak on rack in prepared baking pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of steak registers 150F . for medium doneness, about 35 minutes, or 130F for medium rare, about 30 minutes. Transfer steak roll to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes (internal temperature will continue to rise to about 160F for medium, 140F for medium rare).<br /><br />Remove foil and string and carefully cut steak crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Serve drizzled with any juices accumulated on cutting board.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4 <br /><br />Original recipe Per serving: Calories 230; Fat 11 g (Saturated 3.5 g); Cholesterol 40 mg; Sodium 220 mg; Carbohydrate 8 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 26 g<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong> <br />Taste Rating: Three Fat Running Chefs - Needs Tweaking<br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Just TRI! - Takes Time but you can do it!!<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Steamed New Potatoes - I could post the recipe and all, but basically steam some new potatoes, add a little olive oil and spices of choice and serve. <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong> <br />This was good but there are so many things I would do different. First I'd saute some onions and add to the mix. I'd also eliminate the red wine vinegar and just use red wine. You could play with the spices. And add more salt!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5044119669958300827.post-22528134866911426382011-03-08T12:51:00.000-08:002011-03-08T13:07:17.464-08:00Pan-Seared Trout with Garlic Caper Herb Sauce<strong>PRE-STORY: </strong>I just noticed in my notebook that I made this before the March challenge. Since this weekends culinary adventure included chicken tenders and mac-n-cheese I'm doing you a favor by dusting off the old notes. <br /><br /><strong>DISH: </strong>Seafood<br /><br /><strong>SOURCE/ADAPTED FROM:</strong> <em>Clean Eating magazine</em>, March/April 2010, Volume 3, Issue 2<br /><br /><strong>ACTIVE TIME: </strong> 20 min <strong>TOTAL TIME: </strong> 30 min<br /><br /><strong>INGREDIENTS:</strong> <em>Italics Font </em>items are my adaptations<br />• 1 ½ C loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves <br />• 3 Green Onions, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces <br />• ¼ C capers, drained <br />• ¼ C nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt <em>– more like ½ cup</em> <br />• 3 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated <em>– a little more</em><br />• 1 Clove Garlic, Coarsely Chopped <br />• ½ tsp ground black pepper, divided <em>(+sea salt and Italian Seasoning)</em><br />• 2 boneless whole trout (10-12 oz each), head and tail removed <em>(only used 1 trout)</em><br />• Olive oil cooking spray<br /><br /><strong>DIRECTIONS: </strong><br />In the bowl of a food processor, combine parsley, onions, capers, yogurt, cheese, garlic and ¼ tsp pepper <em>(added a tiny bit of sea salt)</em> and process until smooth.<br /><br />Sprinkle trout inside and out with remaining ¼ tsp pepper <em>and additional seasoing</em>. (Note: After seasoning, fold fish back into whole closed trout before cooking). Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray <em>(used olive oil since I don't have non-stick)</em> and warm over medium high heat. Add 1 trout and cook until well browned and barely opaque, about 3 ½ minutes per side. Repeat with remaining trout.<br /><br />Unfold each trout and cut in half lengthwise into 2 fillets. Serve trout fillets with sauce drizzled over top.<br /><br /><strong>SERVES / NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: </strong><br />Serves 4 (Mine Served 2) <em>- because I didn't half the sauce I had enough to use on some chicken later in the week.</em><br /><br />Original recipe Per serving: Calories 240; Fat 10 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 470 mg; Carbohydrate 4 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 32 g<br /><br /><strong>RATING/DIFFICULTY: </strong> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaSIDwH9YeI0OJL0M5GxuJ7gik172UrU5GkoEL7vNgQviNasiUtSKk04jACbqVHI54iEAlOEQEmw5IaPgRY8VrZUuECSu5Iw-yK8n-G0GUP0owYPrZwvoWNZjcihQtmV0yIoNLWH1v4g/s1600/4FC.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaSIDwH9YeI0OJL0M5GxuJ7gik172UrU5GkoEL7vNgQviNasiUtSKk04jACbqVHI54iEAlOEQEmw5IaPgRY8VrZUuECSu5Iw-yK8n-G0GUP0owYPrZwvoWNZjcihQtmV0yIoNLWH1v4g/s200/4FC.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579505013687889234" /></a><br />Taste Rating: Four Fat Running Chefs<br /><br />Difficulty Rating: Easy Peasy<br /><br /><strong>SERVED WITH:</strong> <br />Sauteed garlic spinach (my go-to vegetable). <br /><br /><strong>FINAL NOTES: </strong> <br />This was tasty and very easy. The sauce was great on chicken later in the week (served with couscous) and I'm betting it would be good on steak as well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0