Fake!

I decided to try a recipe from EW that had been reviewed by others on the CL board. It's a recipe that is meant to be like a Philly Cheese Steak, but uses portobello mushrooms instead of the steak part. I've never had a cheese steak, so my review may be suspect, but I like this recipe. The portobello mushroom cooks down nicely to give a good texture. The flavor of the filling also reminds me of a sandwich that I used to get from the lunch hall at college - which is a good thing, because I used to love that sandwich. It's a slightly soy sauce, slightly salty flavor, with neither flavor overwhelming the other. The only issue I had with the recipe is that the servings are so large, that it's hard to keep it all on the bun. Keep a fork with you when eating this, to pick up the wonderful stuff that falls out of the bun!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwiches

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion -- sliced
4 large Portobello mushroom caps -- stems and gills removed, sliced
1 large red bell pepper -- thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano -- or 2 tablespoons fresh
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon unbleached flour
1/4 cup vegetable broth -- or chicken broth
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 ounces provolone cheese
1/2 Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.

Source:
"EW 12-01/05-06"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 386 Calories; 12g Fat (26.9% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 56g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 737mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Whole Wheat Burger Buns

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/3 cup water -- lukewarm
1 package active dry yeast
1 large egg -- at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
cornmeal -- for sprinkling

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool to body temperature, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the water, stir, then let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve.

Add egg to the milk; whisk well. Whisk in sugar, salt, oil and the yeast. Stir in whole-wheat flour. Using a heavy wooden spoon, beat vigorously by hand for 100 strokes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Start adding white flour to the dough, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough is somewhat firm and no longer too sticky to handle, turn it out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, knead the dough for 7 to 8 minutes, using additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Using a dough cutter or chef’s knife, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray and dust it with cornmeal. Shape the dough into tight balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Coat a large sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it over the buns, sprayed side down.

Set the buns in a warm, draft-free spot until they have risen by about half, 25 to 30 minutes. Gently press down on the buns, pressing right on the plastic, to flatten them a little. Let them rise for another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake the buns on the center rack until golden and crusty, about 25 minutes. The bottoms should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Source:
"http://www.eatingwell.com/articles_recipes/recipes/web_bonus_jj05.htm"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 220 Calories; 3g Fat (12.6% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 28mg Cholesterol; 293mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

More muffin-y goodness - and a new favorite pork dish!

I've been swapping around my breakfasts recently; been moving towards high fiber cereals. I love the cereals made by Nature's Path. Anyway, since I've been eating them for breakfast, I haven't been eating muffins. Doesn't stop me from wanting to bake them, though - so I just have to find main dish recipes that work well with muffins. I've been mostly sticking with soups, but this time, I decided to go with a ragout.

I've had limited success working with pork tenderloin. I tried roasting it a few times, but it ended up dry - most likely because I was doing it before I had an accurate oven thermometer, and didn't know my oven was underheating for the temperature it said it was hitting. Anyway, the last recipe I tried with pork (Sweet & Sour), turned out nicely, so I decided to give a CL recipe a try. Advantages - made in the microwave, and it includes sweet potatoes, which is a vegetable I love but rarely make. This recipe came together simply, but I do warn - keep an eye on the microwave. My microwave tends to heat high, so it was done (and over-flowing slightly) earlier than the recipe said. I definitely like this recipe. It was soupy the first night, but not as much in leftovers. The spice mix was good, vegetables were tender, and the pork was beautifully cooked.

As for the muffin, it was a recipe from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe, which is one of those cookbooks that I just love to look at. I had to make a last minute sub - the buttermilk that I defrosted in the freezer sprung a leak, and I only caught 3/4 of a cup of it. Luckily, I had some non-fat vanilla yogurt to fill in the rest. The candied ginger was easier to cut up than the recipe seems to infer. I also used bosc pear for the first time, and they held up well. The result was a moist, tender muffin with a more cake-like crumb, although it definitely wasn't sugar-y sweet enough to be a muffin. The name does not really reflect the flavor of the muffin, however; the dominant flavor was definitely lemon. Not a disadvantage, certainly, and definitely not disappointing, but a surprise given it wasn't in the muffin name.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Ragout of Pork with Sweet Potatoes

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : Dec '96 Main Dish
Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1 pound lean, boned pork loin -- cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen green peas

Place onion in a 2-quart casserole. Cover and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes. Add potato and next 7 ingredients (potato through broth), and stir well. Cover and microwave at HIGH 10 minutes. Add pork; cover and microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Add peas; cover and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes.

Serving Size: 1 cup.

Source:
"Cooking Light, December 1996, p.155"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
T(Cooking Time):
"0:24"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 264 Calories; 9g Fat (29.7% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 32mg Cholesterol; 1009mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 5212 0 0 0 0 0 620 327 887 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Ginger-Pear Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 11 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Muffins

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
vegetable oil spray
1 cup pear -- peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/3 cup crystallized ginger -- finely minced
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 large egg
3 teaspoons grated ginger root
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8 standard (2 1/2-inch-diameter) muffin cups with nonstick spray.

Place the chopped pear in a shallow dish, drizzle with the lemon juice, and set aside.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the minced crystallized ginger, then comb through the mixture with your fingers to seek out any larger pieces. Cut them into even smaller pieces with scissors. (This is far easier to do when they are coated in flour. Ideally, each bit of ginger should end up about the size of a rolled oat flake).

Measure the 1 cup buttermilk into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add the egg, fresh ginger, and vanilla, and beat gently with a fork or a small whisk until smooth.

Slowly pour this mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't overmix; a few lumps are okay.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. For smaller muffins, fill the cups about 4/5 full. For larger muffins, fill them up to the top. If you have extra batter, spray one or two additional muffin cups with nonstick spray and fill with the remaining batter.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Source:
"Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe, p. 82"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 189 Calories; 5g Fat (22.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 31mg Cholesterol; 197mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A different approach to Grannys

I've never been one to cook with Granny Smith apples. Maybe because I've always associated them with apple pies; I think they are supposed to be good for that because they hold up well. I saw that they were one of the top 20 ARF from the list on Sweetnick's, so I decided to do a little more investigating. I knew I didn't want to make a pie. I did find a couple recipes that used them in main dish cooking. Unusually, both combined the Granny Smith with sauerkraut - an interesting combination, but might be better than it sounds if at least two recipes use it. I bought the apples to make the recipe I found from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, but didn't end up buying the sauerkraut, so they got ate out of hand. Not my favorite apple, but okay.

I did give Grannys another shot. In The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, there is also a recipe for Curried Apple Soup. So - Curried Apple Soup, and to go with it, Blueberry-Lemon Muffins from CL. Two, two, two ARF in one meal! Anyway, the soup turned out okay - but a little too strong on the spices. That can be an advantage, though. It forces me to eat slowly, which is better for you because it helps your body realize that you are full faster. The blueberry muffins are okay. They have an unusual texture to them - the cornmeal is not exactly grainy, but there is definitely an unusual feeling to it. So, two new recipes - not bad, but not a repeat.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Curried Apple Soup

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 cups chopped onion
3 large garlic clove -- minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
5 cups chopped apples -- tart,peeled and chopped
4 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.

Add the spices, and saute another 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add apples, water, cinnamon sticks, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, mostly cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the apples are very tender. Remove from heat.

Take out the cinnamon sticks, and puree in a blender or food processor - bit by bit, so as not to splash yourself. Return the puree to the pot.

Taste to adjust salt. Serve hot or cold.

Source:
"The Enchanted Broccoli Forest"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 144 Calories; 5g Fat (30.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 542mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen blueberries -- patted to remove ice crystals
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 large egg -- lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl. Stir in blueberries; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, butter, rind, and egg; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist.



Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.


Source:
"CL Recipe Search"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 154 Calories; 4g Fat (20.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 26mg Cholesterol; 175mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

I guess it's a good change

It's something I've realized recently. I've lost my taste for very rich foods. Or maybe I'm just more sensitive to butter. I don't eat it on my bread anymore, at least not usually. I like the taste of a good bread or biscuit, and I think that butter hides it.

The reason I bring this up is that I made chocolate chip cookies tonight. And for the second time, I've made chocolate chip cookies and felt that they were too greasy/buttery. I hope that it's more the recipe than my taste, though. I like chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe I should go back to basics. Try the original Toll House recipe the next time.

One of those just do it nights

I didn't do much cooking last week. For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood. Probably stuck in overplanning mode. Anyway, last night I was trying to plan this week's meals. I already had found a recipe for ARF, and was planning on making it tonight. Oh - it's Sunday, just to give a sense of what I mean by tonight. Anyway, I was resisting making the ARF meal tonight, because it's fairly easy to put together, and since I had an entire day to play, I figured I might as well do something slightly more involved. I had had a frozen pizza Saturday night, so that put it into my mind - homemade pizza time!

This recipe is a new one to me, both crust and topping. The recipe is from Weight Watcher's Simply the Best Italian. The cookbook is one that I got for free from someone on one of the boards I used to post to. She had bought it, and didn't think she would cook from it. It is a little more "Italian" than the casual eater might think - more in depth than spaghetti with meatballs, I can tell you that. I've actually made another pizza from this cookbook that turned out well. Tonight's pizza turned out so nicely.

First of all, I am thrilled to say I had the patience to let the dough rise without rushing it. I let it go for longer than the recipe said, and by the time I got back to it, it was perfectly risen. Secondly, it was incredibly easy to work with. I've made pizza before, and have never been able to stretch the dough out to the 12-inch size. This dough went to 12 inches beautifully!

The toppings on this pizza were great. It's a white pizza, no sauce. The book says that the cheese doesn't melt like mozzarella, but it melted well enough for me. The way the book talked, it sounded like it would stay in the crumbles, but it didn't.

I really like the gorgonzola on this. It's a great pizza, all around! And I can count it for ARF too - artichoke hearts.

And I did end up counting it for ARF. Round up is here


* Exported from MasterCook *

Artichoke and Red Pepper Whole-Wheat Pizza

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup warm water -- plus 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups artichoke hearts -- chopped
1 red bell pepper -- julienned
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese -- crumbled
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste

To make the dough, combine the water and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Combine both flours and half the salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube. After the dough forms a ball, continue to run about 30 seconds to knead.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Work the dough into a 12-inch circle on a nonstick baking sheet or pizza pan. Cover loosely and return to the warm spot 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 500.

Combine the artichokes, bell pepper, oil, and the remaining salt. Spoon over the dough; sprinkle with the cheese and pepper. Bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Source:
"Simply the Best Italian"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 312 Calories; 9g Fat (24.8% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 414mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Black bean soup (ARF!) and cheddar biscuits

I'm trying to work from cookbooks that I own but are not one's that I immediately reach for. It's a matter of culling my collection, painful though it might be. I decided to work from Crazy Plates and Looneyspoons, two cookbooks written by the same authors. The books themselves kind of get on my nerves - a little too cutesy for me. The recipe names are bad puns. But I didn't want to close my mind, so I decided to try a pair that I had looked at and thought I might like.

The first is Bean Me Up, Scotty. It's a basic black bean soup. It includes carrots, red peppers, garlic, onions, and jalapenos, and of course black beans. The ingredients are cooked together, and then blended to what should be a somewhat thick soup, I would think. Unfortunately, it's not one that I think I will repeat. I wasn't too excited by it the first night. I decided to try it the next day, hoping that it would improve, as they mostly do the next day. Unfortunately, this didn't. It's a little too sweet for me. I didn't include the cilantro that it called for, but even with it, I can't see it being a favorite.

The second recipe is called Takin' Care of Biscuits. They are biscuits, made with reduced-fat cheddar cheese. I like the texture of these, but I don't actually taste any cheese in them. I did like the fact that the recipe has whole wheat flour.

So, nothing so far to make me keep this cookbook.

And, to see the roundup for ARF #3, go to Sweetnick's


* Exported from MasterCook *

Bean Me Up, Scotty

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups/Stews

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 jalapeno chile pepper -- seeded and minced
2 cups beef broth, ready to eat
1 cup vegetable broth, ready-to-serve
8 ounces tomato sauce
25 ounces canned black beans -- drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, red pepper, carrots, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Top each bowl with a tablespoon of sour cream.

Source:
"Crazy Plates"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 173 Calories; 3g Fat (16.3% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1042mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 4 points - 12 grams of fiber!

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Takin' Care of Biscuits

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese -- sharp, shredded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon honey

Preheat oven to 425.

In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in cheese. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine buttermilk and honey. Add to dry ingredients. Using a fork, stir to form a soft dough. Turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball. Roll out dough to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut into 2-1/2-inch rounds using a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet coated that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12 minutes, until biscuits have puffed up and are golden brown. Serve warm.

Source:
"Crazy Plates"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 133 Calories; 4g Fat (27.9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 338mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A beautiful muffin

I still had cranberries frozen from last year, and thought I would try out another recipe for cranberry muffins. I decided to pull from a cookbook that is very helpful as a recipe resource, as well as for learning about ingredients and techniques. The cookbook is How to Cook Everything.

The recipe I used was one that is meant to be all-purpose, and work with a variety of additions. I did the Cranberry-Walnut variation.

This recipe came out beautifully. The texture was perfect - tender, with tiny crannies. The flavor of the muffin was perfectly sweet, to balance out the tangy-ness of the cranberries.

I think this recipe could be repeated, with the different variations.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cranberry Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 11 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat together the egg, milk, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, combine the ingredients swiftly, stirring and folding rather than beating, and stopping as soon as all of the ingredients are moistened. Stir in cranberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before taking them out of the tin. Serve warm.

Source:
"How to Cook Everything"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 197 Calories; 8g Fat (34.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 248mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Cold weather comfort food...even though it doesn't feel like winter

It's been a weird winter so far. One snowfall. And then today - temps in the 60's. I'm not looking for blizzards; I'm not a snow fan. It's just very weird.

Anyway, the recipe I made tonight is definitely a traditional comfort food. Of course, since most comfort food is a little heavier than I like to make for myself, I went with a revised version of the recipe, from Cooking Light. The recipe? Tuna Noodle Casserole.

I know a lot of people have emotional associations with this casserole. It's also stereotypical of bland food. Maybe because my mom didn't cook it when I was a kid, but I am very open to finding a good recipe. Unfortunately, this one wasn't it. Maybe it's because the recipe called for a specific brand of cream of mushroom soup that I couldn't find. I used a regular low-fat mushroom soup, while the one they called for had cracked peppers and herbs.

I do have half portions of some of the ingredients left, so I may repeat this sooner rather than later, if I can find the specific soup the recipe calls for.

Since I didn't love this recipe, I'll hold off posting, until I can see if it's the recipe or if it's my ingredients.

A possible new repeater - Chicken Basquaise

I can get particularly lazy sometimes. I buy ingredients for one recipe, and because of the delay in making it, I end up making something totally different. I have the ingredients for a tuna-noodle casserole that I am planning on making tomorrow night; I think I have had the ingredients for over a month (no, nothing perishable). Anyway, I had the chicken breasts for this recipe sitting in the fridge. The date on the package was January 11. I knew I had to buckle down and just do it. Problem is, I don't cook with meat that often, because I always feel like I overcook it. But I had bought the chicken; no turning back.

This recipe came out wonderfully. It had enough oil to cook the chicken (which is always an issue for me). The chicken cooked up to gorgeous golden color, with some specks of the paprika spice mix for contrast. I did use a orange pepper instead of the green pepper that the recipe originally called for, so the end result was a mixture of yellows, oranges, and red (from tomato & pepper). Sometimes that can be a little boring, but there were enough shades of color that it was just gorgeous. And not only did it look good, but it tasted wonderful as well. The chicken was tender, the veggies were perfect, and the rice really became a part of the dish, instead of being a separate component. Absolutely marvelous.

Of course, I then had to ruin my one day streak of great cooking by burning evaporated milk TWICE when trying to make brownies...


* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken Basquaise

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast -- cut into 1" pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion -- chopped
1 medium red bell pepper -- seeded and chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper -- seeded and chopped
2 plum tomatoes -- chopped
1 garlic clove -- minced
2 cups cooked white rice

Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, basil, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the seasoning mix evenly over the chicken; toss to coat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken. Cook until nicely browned and cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl.

Add the onion and the red and green bell peppers to the skillet; cook until the peppers are tender. Add the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, and the remaining seasoning mix. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

Source:
"Best of Weight Watcher Magazine"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 305 Calories; 4g Fat (12.8% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 316mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : 6 points

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ARF Monday - Better early than never

So, I decided to try early the recipe I had made for ARF. It's a recipe I've had on my list since I saw it posted on another blog. Orangette posted a recipe for stewed prunes. I have a weakness for prunes - but a little bit of disdain for stewed foods. I just associate stewing with tomatoes. I love tomatoes - stewed ones make me shiver.

I made this recipe Sunday night. It was easy to make - just mix, put on the heat, and simmer until ready. When I tasted it Sunday night, I thought I tasted it slightly burned. I cooled it, and put it in the fridge to sit as suggested. When I tried it again Monday evening, I thought I tasted the burnt part a bit in the sauce. I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. The prunes had softened and plumped beautifully. What made the recipe for me however was the orange slices. They softened beautifully, and I ate them, peel and all. It was all delicious.

The cinnamon flavor that should have come from the stick was not there. It may be that I was expecting too much. Either way, I enjoyed this recipe. And it was healthy, which is always an added benefit.

ARF Tuesday - Waldorf Salad

Sweetnicks is one of my favorite blogs - I can't believe she manages to cook just about every night, spend time with an adorable child, and still manage to write some wonderful entries every day to her blog. She's inspirational - so when I saw she was going to do a new weekly challenge, I decided to join in with abandon.

I'm late on this entry - but hopefully will do better next week.

Anyway, last night's entry included pecans. I decided to do a simple recipe - because I came back from NJ on Monday, and didn't have much time to shop & cook. The waldorf salad came from 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes. I've actually done another challenge with this book. I cooked 5 recipes from it, and they were pretty good. Although of all the recipes I've made from it, I think I like this salad the best. It was easy to make, held well overnight, and was very tasty. I can definitely see repeating this.

I did make a simple sub in this recipe - I used nonfat plain yogurt instead of sour cream. I also halved the recipe, and just used 1 golden delicious apple.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Waldorf Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups chopped apple -- unpeeled, cored, and cubed, red and green
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans -- toasted
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
lettuce leaves -- as garnish

Combine apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts in medium bowl. Mix remaining ingredients, except lettuce leaves, and stir into apple mixture. Serve on lettuce-lined plates.

Source:
"1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 193 Calories; 10g Fat (44.3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 115mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

From meat to lovely beans

Ah beans. I love them so. Just don't get too near to me after I eat them sometimes. Not the nicest scent.

In a nice change from the hunks of meat, I made a new hummus recipe that I pulled from a WW magazine. It was a really simple recipe to make on a work night. I mixed it up and chilled for a couple hours. It was perfect with some mini wheat pitas. It definitely has a lemon edge to it, but if you didn't know it was lemon in it, you wouldn't be able to define what the edge was. The flavor lasted nicely for a few days in the refrigerator without overwhelming. I do have one serving left which I will freeze and will be interested to see how it defrosts. Pretty much a repeater.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Hummus

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Spreads/Dips

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
15 1/2 ounces chickpeas, canned
4 teaspoons natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse chickpeas, reserving 1/3 cup of the canned chickpea liquid; set aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, peanut butter, lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic, cumin, and salt. With the processor running, gradually add the reserved chickpea liquid through the feed tube and process until smooth.

Source:
"WW magazine - July/August 2003"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 224 Calories; 5g Fat (21.0% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 554mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : 4 points

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Hey - I brought meat!

So, after Thanksgiving excess and a visit from Mom, I finally got back in to cooking. The first holiday weight will be taken off - just in time to fight the Christmas weight! I know the extra would help insulate, but I prefer to wear warm sweaters that fit for that.

Anyway, I finally found a pair of recipes for meatloafs that I actually like and are somewhat healthy. Both recipes are from CL. The first is Mini Meat Loaves from the Jan/Feb 03 issue. This recipe serves 4 as originally written, but I split it in half when I made it, because I wasn't sure how much I would like them. The calorie count I got back from MasterCook is higher than is printed in CL, but it was still reasonable for the size of the servings. This meatloaf baked up easily, and had a nice topping. I definitely could see repeating this recipe. The individual loaves are cool because they look large, and trick the mind in to thinking the serving is larger than it is.

The second is a more unique recipe. It's the Skinny Turkey-Spinach Meat Loaf from CL March 03. This recipe is a mix of meats. I had 1/2 a pound of the beef left from the last meat loaf recipe, and decided to try this instead of the Wedding Soup recipe I thought of. This recipe is interesting because not only does it include meat, but it mixes in spinach as a binder. It gets in vegetables as well as meat. The flavor is very good. It is unusually colored inside, but not unappetizingly. And of course it had the nice topping that I like.

A couple months ago I said I would not be making more meat loaves because I thought I was not a person who enjoyed big hunks of meat. Turns out I like specific hunks of meat. (And keep your minds out of the gutter on that comment, if you can)


* Exported from MasterCook *

Mini Meat Loaves

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 pound 10% lean ground beef
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400

Combine ketchup and mustard, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup mixture. Combine remaining ketchup mixture, beef, and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to combine.

Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion in to a 4x2 1/2-inch loaf; place loaves on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Spread about 2 teaspoons reserved ketchup mixture evenly over each loaf. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until done.

Source:
"CL Jan/Feb 2003"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 293 Calories; 13g Fat (40.8% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 126mg Cholesterol; 985mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Skinny Turkey-Spinach Meat Loaf

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic clove -- minced
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 pounds turkey breast, boneless and skinless -- ground
1/2 pound 10% lean ground beef
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach -- thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute 4 minutes. Add garlic, and saute 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, and the next 8 ingredients (breadcrumbs through spinach), stirring well.


Shape meat mixture into a 12 x 5 inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush ketchup over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.


Source:
"CL 03/04"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 256 Calories; 5g Fat (16.2% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 728mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 6 points

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Working with the season - looking for much needed warmth

Brr. It was cold today. I don't even want to consider what it will be like once winter is actually here. I settled in for the night, and made a batch of warm soup and a hearty, yet strangely sweet muffin.

I decided to take advantage of the canned pumpkin and apple cider readily available for Thanksgiving. The soup recipe is from CL's November '05 issue. It caught my attention because I had a bottle of bourbon to use up in my pantry. I haven't really ever had a blended soup that became a repeat favorite, but this one probably comes closest. The results are sweet in that nicely savory way. I divided the recipe into 6 instead of 8 like they called for. I ended up with good size servings, and an almost complete milk serving.

The muffin was made because I had a bag of rye flour in my freezer. It's not an ingredient I usually use. I had bought it to make a mixed grain bread a few weeks ago. I have a lot of the flour left, so there will be more rye recipes to come. But for the present, the muffins also came out nicely sweet. The texture was grainy, but not excessively so. And interestingly enough, it looked grainier than whole wheat recipes I've made, but it really didn't taste like it.

So, two for two tonight. Hope that carries over into tomorrow - I have to make pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving, and Lebkuchen for this month's IsMyBlogBurning?


* Exported from MasterCook *

Spiked Pumpkin Soup

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
29 ounces canned pumpkin
14 ounces low-sodium defatted chicken broth
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, ginger, cumin, and garlic cloves; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in cider, bourbon, syrup, pumpkin, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Place half of pumpkin mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat process with remaining pumpkin mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in milk, flour, salt, and pepper; cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil), stirring frequently.

Source:
"CL 11/05"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 145 Calories; 1g Fat (7.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 300mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Spiced Rye Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups rye flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup raisins

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and orange zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, water, milk powder, and melted butter.

Combine the liquid and dry ingredients, then stir in the raisins.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400.

Source:
"Whole Grain Baking"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 159 Calories; 5g Fat (27.4% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Enough with the halloween chocolate - on to the banana & chocolate!

So my boss has had to giant ziploc bags of halloween candy in his office since the day after halloween. And of course, I was helping him go through it. I'm generous that way. Not the healthiest options of course. So, I decided this week to not eat it. I've been bringing in grapes, and that's my afternoon snack. But to ease the way, I made CL's Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread. Hey - it's better than pure chocolate!

I've tried to make this recipe before. I had gone with the 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch pan that they said. Unfortunately, it was too small. I had said I wanted to re-try it. That was 2 years ago. Never let it be said I rush things.

Anyway, I really like how this bread turned out. The fact that I ate two slices for this morning's breakfast might give a clue. Not too rich, not too sweet. I decided to give in and do all unbleached instead of the whole wheat/unbleached flour mix I've normally done. Treat myself right as it were. I think it's definitely a repeat for me.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads Breakfasts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter -- softened
1 1/2 cups mashed banana -- (about 3 bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Source:
"CL September 2003, p. 154"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 240 Calories; 7g Fat (24.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 186mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : 5 points

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ahhhh - warmth.

It's fall - winter is coming too fast for me. I spent 4 years in Florida, and I did not move back up north because I missed the cold. Believe me. But, since I'm here, I have to deal.

The best way to deal is a warm meal at the end of the day. And nothing is more soothing than a vegetable soup (and maybe a nice muffin on the side). This weekend's recipe is a repeat. Not a well-loved recipe - just something simple & filling.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Italian Vegetable Stew

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:12
Categories : April '97 International
Soups/Stews/Chowders

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves -- minced
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes -- undrained
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans -- drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-cut green beans -- drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional) -- fresh thyme springs

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini and next 6 ingredients (zucchini through tomato sauce); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add kidney beans, green beans, and parsley; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle into 6 bowls; sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups stew and 2 tablespoons cheese

Description:
"Reach for canned beans when you need an easy, nutritious, meatless main dish."
Cuisine:
"Italian"
Source:
"Cooking Light, April 1997, p.190"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
T(Cooking Time):
"0:45"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 182 Calories; 3g Fat (15.5% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 672mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Serve with store-bought breadsticks and a tossed green salad.

NOTES : 3 points

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 26099 0 3002 2470 0 4977 26429 26001 673 0 25072 3413

Again with the muffins

Last fall, right around Thanksgiving/Christmas, I bought three bags of cranberries and froze them in 1 cup portions. I swore that I would use them over the year. I just knew that I would be craving cranberry muffins. It's a year later, and I still had 4 cups in the freezer. I have a ton of cranberry muffin recipes. I will finish off the frozen berries - just in time to refill. It's a common hoarding behavior, from what I read on the Cooking Light bulletin board.

I decided to try a recipe that was a little different. Most cranberry muffins call for walnuts - this one calls for hazelnuts. It also calls for golden raisins, which I love and almost always have in my pantry. I of course modified the recipe to use 1/2 whole wheat flour. Always good to try and have some extra fiber.

The results of this recipe are okay, not great. Something about the taste of the muffin is a little greasy. It surprises me, since there is not that much oil in the batter. If I did repeat this recipe, I would go down to 1/4 cup canola oil, and maybe up the orange juice.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Cranberry Hazelnut Muffins

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon brandy

Heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and cloves. In a food processor, finely chop the cranberries, raisins and hazelnuts. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, oil, and brandy. Mix the chopped cranberries, raisins, and hazelnuts and then pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir well.

Fill the greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes.

Source:
"Mad About Muffins"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 212 Calories; 9g Fat (37.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 35mg Cholesterol; 65mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Stupid oven!

I swear - I preheated my oven for more than an hour tonight, and it didn't get up to 500. I needed to broil the top of my frittata. It didn't seem to affect it much though - it cooked through and was golden on top. Unfortunately, it was also extremely browned on the bottom. Aside from the extra-crispy bottom, the flavor of the frittata was great. It was strangely sweet though. The texture was perfect as well. I'm not much of an eggs person, which is why I always planned on trying to make a frittata but never did. Since I've tried this one though, I think I will repeat. I know that you can also complete a frittata by flipping onto a plate and back into the pan instead of broiling. I might try that next time. (Stupid oven!)


* Exported from MasterCook *

Ham and Asparagus Frittata

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 ounces ham slice, extra lean
2 ounces jarlsberg lite -- shredded
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites
2 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup red bell pepper, minced
1/2 cup asparagus -- 1" slices
1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning

Preheat broiler.

Combine ham, cheese, black pepper, salt, egg whites, and eggs, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and asparagus; sauté 3 minutes. Add egg mixture; reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, 3 minutes or until almost set. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Wrap handle of pan with foil; broil 3 minutes or until egg is set. Cut into 4 wedges.

Source:
"CL 04/04"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 256 Calories; 11g Fat (38.7% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 242mg Cholesterol; 1027mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Adventures in timing

It's always an interesting experience to try a new recipe. Add in the fact that some recipes have multiple processes that should be timed so that they come together simultaneously, and you get some interesting events. I firmly believe in the theory of mis en place. It's saved my butt on more than one occasion. But then I get cocky sometimes, and end up with blackened garlic because I had my back turned in order to get ready for the next step. And I just never learn.

I'm not leading up to a huge catastrophe with tonight's meal. The dish was a vegetarian shepherd's pie from WW Versatile Vegetarian. I've had good luck with recipes from this cookbook. In particular, their macaroni and cheese is excellent, and really is open to variation. Anyway, the pie involved cooking up the filling and then covering with potatoes. And here I will admit - I don't remember ever cooking potatoes. Nutty, I know. So, I had pulled the directions for boiling them from a Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. And my baker nature came in - it says 20 to 30 minutes to cook? Well, I'll make the filling at the same time, and it will all come together perfectly! Not quite. The damage was not that bad - the filling cooled a bit while I was waiting for the potatoes, and I definitely rushed the potatoes even with a longer cook, but the dish was still very good. Not sure it's a repeat, though. Something about all the vegetables involved - eh, they just didn't seem right to me. Something about tomatoes & potatoes in the same dish I think. And I normally would say that I could experiment with different add-ins, but somehow my brain has shut down on this one. Oh well. The very good thing is, there is no question that I got my veggies in for the day with this recipe!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Shepherd's Garden Pie

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions -- chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
3 garlic cloves -- minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces tofu -- crumbled
6 plum tomatoes -- diced
2 cups broccoli florets -- steamed
2 cups cauliflower flowerets -- steamed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 large potatoes -- cooked, peeled, and mashed
2 ounces neufchatel cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions; cook, stirring as needed, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper; cook, stirring as needed, until the mushrooms are wilted, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the tofu and tomatoes; cook about 3 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, broth and parsley. Transfer to a 9"-square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes and the cream cheese. Spread it over the tofu mixture. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Source:
"WW Versatile Vegetarian"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 314 Calories; 12g Fat (32.1% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 443mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Here's a shocker - a muffin!

Yeah, I know. I have a weakness for muffins. They're just so perfect. They're portion controlled, and as long as you stick with true muffins, and not cupcakes-hiding-as-muffins, you can have healthy versions. They also can be stored in the freezer, and any day can start out beautifully.

My freezer is pretty much always crammed with muffins and quick bread, but most of the time they are breakfast-y. This time, I decided to use up the wine in my freezer and go for a savory muffin. And believe me, I was happy with the result. These came out very nicely, with the wine and cheese flavor coming through nicely. They baked up beautifully and came out smoothly from the tin. I used lite jarlsberg instead of the swiss and half wheat flour to try to improve the nutritional profile. Even without those changes the muffins aren't totally bad for you, which is nice to have. And even though a muffin in mostly carbs, these have a nice amount of protein, so they definitely have sticking power. They are nice warm, and just different enough!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Wine and Cheese Muffin

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 7/8 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the oregano, and parmesan and swiss cheeses. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg and and to it add the milk, white wine, and worcestershire sauce and stir. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Fill greased muffin tins. Bake for 18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.

Source:
"Mad About Muffins"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 128 Calories; 4g Fat (29.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 45mg Cholesterol; 232mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0