August 28, 2012

Ugly Omelets

If you are looking for a quick and healthy dinner then this is your kind of recipe!  I don't know about you but I love having breakfast for dinner.  I came up with the term Ugly Omelets after I failed to make a traditional omelet look pretty.  It's much easier just to combine all of the ingredients in one pan.  It tastes the same as a regular omelet.  It's just a pretty omelet's ugly cousin!
 Ingredients
    •  2 eggs per person
    • Green bell pepper
    • Red onion
    • Mushrooms
    • Deli ham
    • Butter 
    Preparation
    Chop up the veggies and ham into small pieces.  Scramble the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
      Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt about 1/2 tbsp of butter.  Saute the veggies and ham until the peppers and onions are soft.  Pour the scrambled eggs over top off the veggies.  Stir until the eggs are fully cooked.
     I warned you - it's ugly (but delicious)!

    You can create any mixture of meat and vegetables that you like.  This meal is a great way to use up leftover produce in the fridge.  The combinations are endless!

    Happy Cooking!
    Jenny

    August 26, 2012

    Week of August 26, 2012

    This week I went through my Rachael Ray cookbooks for some new combinations.  During the summer I tend to do a lot of grilling and I find that towards the end of the summer I'm ready to cook inside again.  The directions for Rachael Ray recipes are really easy to follow and most of them come together really quickly.

    Tuesday:  Grilled steak with salad
    Wednesday:  Ugly omelets
    Thursday:  Baked Sole and Roasted Asparagus with Sesame

    I made the Chicken Marvalasala and Pappardelle with Rosemary Gravy tonight and it turned out great!  I used bow-tie noodles instead of the pappardelle because I had some on hand.  I almost didn't make the rosemary gravy but I'm glad I did!  It was a great addition to the Chicken Marsala.

    Grocery List
    Produce
    • Garlic
    • Portobello mushroom caps
    • Shiitakes (I used button mushrooms)
    • Rosemary
    • Mixed lettuce
    • Lemons
    • 3 hearts romaine
    • Fresh ginger (I buy the ground ginger in the jar rather than a piece of whole ginger)
    • Scallions
    • Asparagus
    • Red onion
    • Sweet bell pepper
    Meats/Seafood
    • 4 large, thin pieces boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
    • 4 Sole fillets (I'm going to use tilapia because I have some in the freezer)
    • Steak (any cuts will do but I prefer boneless rib-eye)
    • Deli ham
     Dairy/Refrigerated
    • Butter
    • Grated Parmigiano or Romano
    • Eggs
     Miscellaneous
    • Pappardelle pasta (I used bow-tie noodles)
    • Tomato paste (try to find the tomato paste in the tube so you can keep the leftovers in the fridge)
    • Chicken stock
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • Capers (I skipped these because I'm not a huge fan of capers)
    • Marsala wine
    • Grill seasoning
    • 2 crusty semolina rolls or 1/2 small loaf semolina bread (or croutons)
    • Dijon mustard
    • Hot sauce
    • Anchovy paste (I skipped this also)
    • White or brown rice
    • Tamari (or soy sauce)
    • Toasted sesame oil
    • Sesame seeds
    What's on the menu at your house this week?

    Happy Cooking!
    Jenny

    August 22, 2012

    Sausage, Peppers and Onions Stoup

    I know August isn't the best time for soup but the hubby requested it this week so soup we had.  I made Rachael Ray's Sausage, Peppers and Onions Stoup.  Rachael Ray recipes are great because they come together really quickly and always taste delicious!  I opted to use spicy sausage this time and a mixture of sweet bell and banana peppers.  Every time I've made this recipe I think I've used a different type of pepper or sausage but it always comes out great!
    Ingredients
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 1/2 pounds hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage (I used links and removed the casing - slices of sausage would work as well)
    • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    • 3 to 4 cubanelle peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
    • 2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 2 cups chicken stock
    • 2 (15-ounce) cans or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced fire roasted tomatoes
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
    • 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
    • 1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
     
     
    Preparation
    Heat extra-virgin olive oil in deep skillet, add sausage and brown a few minutes then add garlic, peppers, onions and cook until soft, 6 to 7 minutes more.
      Deglaze pan with a little vinegar, stir in stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer, cook 5 minutes more then stir in parsley and basil and serve with cheese on top.

    Happy Cooking!
    Jenny

    August 21, 2012

    Sausage, Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

    Sausage, sweet potatoes and apples.  It sounds like a crazy combination but this recipe was a favorite in our household growing up.  It's perfect mix of sweet, salty and a little spicy.  I'm not sure where my mother found the original recipe, but here is the version that she taught me.  Normally I would use canned sweet potatoes but this week I had a few butternut squash from my garden that were ripe so I used them instead.  It didn't taste too far off but I will say that I prefer this recipe with sweet potatoes instead. 
    Ingredients
    • 1lb sage flavored pork sausage
    • 2-4 apples (any variety will work)
    • 1 large can of sweet potatoes or yams (I used 2 small butternut squash)
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
    Preparation
    Brown and crumble the sausage and drain the fat off.  Cut the sweet potatoes into bit sized pieces.  Peel and cut the apples into bite sized pieces.  Combine all of the ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  You want the apples and sweet potatoes to be soft.  

    Because I used fresh squash it took closer to an hour before the squash was soft.  You can use fresh sweet potatoes but the canned ones reduce the cooking time.  This is the type of casserole that only gets better the next day.  I love eating the leftovers for breakfast but it's great for any meal!

    Happy Cooking!
    Jenny

    Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

    When the hubby asked for tilapia tacos I just did a Google search and came across this amazing recipe for Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos.  I didn't take any pictures because the Skinny Taste website had such great pictures already.  This was a really easy and healthy recipe that came together really quickly.  These tacos would be a great introduction to fish for someone who doesn't regularly eat fish.  Tilapia has a very mild flavor and the tacos didn't taste or smell fishy.  Try them out and let me know what you think!

    Happy Cooking!
    Jenny

    August 19, 2012

    Week of August 19, 2012

    This week the hubby picked all of the meals.  He asked for fish tacos, soup, and a pork tenderloin.  I happened to have a lot of butternut squash from the garden so that steered me toward one of my mother's recipes, sweet potato (butternut squash this time!), sausage and apple casserole.

    Thursday:  Leftovers

    This Sunday was a rainy cloudy day and I felt like cooking so I prepped a lot of the meals for the rest of the week.  I made the casserole and the soup and put the pork in the brine for tomorrow's dinner.  Any time you can plan ahead will save you time during the week.  That way you can make more elaborate meals during the week and your recipes don't catch you by surprise.  There's nothing worse than wanted a meal on the table in under an hour and you've missed the direction that says brine for 8-12 hours!  You can also make a double recipe of meals and freeze half for another night when you are running short on time.

    Grocery List
    Produce
      • Onions
      • Garlic (I used the pre-minced bottled garlic)
      • 2 jalapeno peppers
      • 2-3 small tomatoes
      • Cilantro
      • 1-2 Limes
      • 1 Avocado
      • Rosemary 
      • 1-2 Butternut squash (only 1 if you are using canned sweet potatoes for the casserole)
      • Chives
      • 3-4 cubanelle peppers (any sweet or mild pepper will work)
      • Basil
      • 4 apples (I used Golden Delicious this time) 
      Meats/Seafood
      • 1lb tilapia fillets (I bought the individually frozen fillets)
      • 3lb boneless pork loin roast
      • 1 1/2lbs Italian sausage (I used hot Italian sausage)
      • 1lb sage flavored pork sausage
       Dairy/Refrigerated
        • Corn tortillas
        • Butter 
        • Grated Parmesan cheese
         Miscellaneous
        • Maple syrup
        • Dijon mustard
        • Chicken broth or stock (10 cups total needed for the soup and risotto)
        • Arborio rice
        • Dry white wine
        • Balsamic vinegar
        • 28oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
        • Large can of yams or sweet potatoes
        What's on the menu at your house this week?

        Happy Cooking!
        Jenny

        August 15, 2012

        Chicken Fajitas

        Tonight I made Food Network's Chicken Fajitas and this recipe is definitely a keeper!  There was silence during dinner because these fajitas were so good!  It was a fairly easy recipe with a lot of flavor.  The cilantro gives it a very fresh summery taste and the Greek yogurt tastes just like sour cream.  
          I actually followed the recipe (almost) word for word.  I sliced the onions and peppers before grilling but waited to slice the chicken until after it was grilled.  I marinated the chicken and vegetables together which was only safe to do because everything was going to be thoroughly cooked.

        Ingredients
        • 1 cup packed cilantro leaves, plus extra for serving
        • 1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
        • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
        • 3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
        • 2 cloves garlic
        • 1 jalapeno, seeded if desired (I left the seeds in and it wasn't too spicy)
        • 1 tablespoon honey
        • Kosher salt
        • 1 1/2-pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
        • 1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
        • 2 orange and/or yellow bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed (I used green and red bell peppers)
        • 1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
        • 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
        • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
        • 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
        • 1/4 cup fat-free Greek Yogurt
        • 12 corn tortillas
        Preparation
        Put the cilantro, lime juice, broth, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, honey, and salt in a blender, puree until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons; do not wash out the blender. 
        Put chicken breasts in a medium bowl and the peppers and onions in another. Divide the remaining cilantro puree evenly between the chicken and the peppers and onions. Toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables and let stand, at room temperature, for 30 minutes. 
        Add the avocado, 1/2 cup water, and the reserved 2 tablespoons cilantro sauce to the blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt. Set aside.  See below for directions on how to cut up an avocado.

        Heat the oil in a small skillet set over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin and coriander and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the spices over the yogurt and set aside for the flavors to blend. Stir before serving. 
        Preheat a grill for medium-high/direct heat cooking. Oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken and vegetables, turning, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 5 to 8 minutes for the vegetables and 12 to 15 minutes for the chicken. Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Place the tortillas on the grill until just warmed through, about 30 seconds. 

        To assemble the fajitas: slice the onions and peppers into thin strips and then slice the chicken. Place some peppers, onions, chicken and cilantro in a tortilla topped with the spiced yogurt and the avocado sauce.

        How to Cut an Avocado
        Cut the avocado with a knife down to the seed.  Run the knife around the avocado to cut it in half.
         Twist the two sides in opposite directions to separate the halves.
         
        Gently tap the knife blade on the seed and twist to remove the seed.  Be careful not to tap too hard so that you don't cut yourself!
         
        Using a spoon, scoop the flesh of avocado out by running the spoon around the edge just inside the skin.
         

        Happy Cooking!
        Jenny

        August 9, 2012

        Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream

        Last week I made Cooking Light's Corn Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Lemon-Chive Cream and it was delicious!  I've only recently started eating fish and haven't been able to bring myself to try smoked salmon.  But I've been trying to branch out in what I'm eating so I gave the smoked salmon a try.  I wouldn't say that it's my favorite but it definitely added a flavor element to this meal.  The smokiness almost made it seem like you were eating bacon instead of salmon.

        The only substitutions that I made were frozen corn instead of fresh and plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Otherwise I stuck to the recipe.  The name makes it seem like an elaborate meal but it took less than 30  minutes to prepare.  And we even had corn pancakes leftover for breakfast!
         Ingredients 
        • 1/4 cup light sour cream (I substituted plain Greek yogurt)
        • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (from my garden)
        • 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
        • 2 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
        • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
        • 1 teaspoon sugar
        • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
        • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
        • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
        • 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels, divided (about 3 ears) (I used frozen corn instead)
        • 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
        • 3 tablespoons butter, melted 
        • 1 large egg 
        • 12 thin slices cold-smoked salmon (about 6 ounces)
        Preparation 
        Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; chill. 

        Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Combine 1 cup corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and egg in a blender; process until coarsely pureed. Add pureed corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in remaining 1/4 cup corn.

        Pour about 2 tablespoons batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet; spread gently with a spatula. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Arrange 2 pancakes on each of 6 plates; top each pancake with 1 slice salmon and 1 teaspoon lemon-chive cream. Serve immediately.

        Happy Cooking!
        Jenny

        August 2, 2012

        Chicken a la Patrick

        It wasn't Chicken a la Patrick but it was a really delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu!  What made it even better was that the hubby made it for me!  Of course that meant I had to do dishes :(  But the dishes were definitely worth this meal!
        He followed Cooking Light's recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu and made roasted asparagus to go along with it.  Roasting asparagus is the same procedure as grilling asparagus, just bake it at 350-400 for about 15-20 minutes.

        Ingredients
        • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
        • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
        • 1/4 teaspoon salt
        • 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) (he used regular breadcrumbs)
        • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
        • 1 tablespoon water
        • 1 large egg
        • 2 1/2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 10 tablespoons), divided (he used shredded Swiss)
        • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
        • 2 garlic cloves, minced
        • 4 slices pancetta (about 1 1/4 ounces)
        • Cooking spray
        Procedure
        Preheat oven to 350°.
        Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt.
        Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add panko; cook 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring often. Remove from heat. Place flour in a dish. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg in a bowl; lightly beat. Pour egg mixture into a dish. Combine panko, 2 tablespoons cheese, thyme, and garlic in a dish.
        Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Top with 1 pancetta slice and 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up; secure with a toothpick. Place roll, seam side down, on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Place rack on a baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. 
        Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

        Happy Cooking!
        Jenny