Archive for December, 2009
Cranberry-Pecan Muffins
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Breakfast, Low Calorie, Snacks on December 30th, 2009
I needed homebaked breakfast food so here we go. . .
Ingredients:
1 c all purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinammon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 c fat free milk
3 tbsp canola oil
1/3 dried cranberries, coarsely snipped
1/3 c chopped pecans, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 400 and prep muffin pan. In a large bowl stir together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whick together egg, milk and oil. Add this mixgture to flour mixture and stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Gently stir in dried cranberries and pecans.
3. Spoon batter into muffin cups about half full. Bake for 12-15 minutes and cool on wire rack for 5. Makes 12 muffins.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 176
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 18 mg
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 27 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 134
Herbed Pork Tenderloin Dinner (Complete)
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Main Course, Pork, Side Dishes, Vegetables on December 29th, 2009
Ok, so here is my first non-low calorie dinner. Don’t all jump at once! I made this two evenings ago for company and it was an absolute hit as its praises were sung all night. End with the pumpkin-chocolate pie (see previous post) and your legacy has been made. Trust me 
(This serves a party of 6)
For pork tenderloin:
Brush a 3-lb (or equivalent) pork tenderloin with mustard (I did so generously). Sprinkle 3 minced cloves of garlic evenly. Then sprinkle 1/2 tsp each of rosemary and thyme. Bake for approx 1 hour at 350. Slice and serve with pan juices.
For Risotto:
Take 4-6 strips of bacon, chopped and saute with 1 chopped shallot in bottom of a pressure cooker until bacon is crisp [that's right bacon lovers - this one's for you!]. Drain grease. Add drained sun dried tomatoes (about 4 count, snipped), 1 c chopped portobello mushrooms and 2 tbsp olive oil and saute for a few mins. Stir in risotto rice (equivalent to 6 servings). Mix 3/4 c white wine and 2 1/4 c chicken broth and pour over rice. Cover and seal lid of pressure cooker. Heat to medium-high and it should take approx 10 minutes for lid to rock. Cook for an additional 10 mins after that or feel free to undercook to check on rice. When rice is done add some chopped parsley and 1/2 c parmesan cheese if desired.
For cheddar cauliflower (and I thought this was so cool to make):
Wash cauliflower (med head) and remove side leafy pieces. Slice bottom so whole head can sit flat on a pan. Steam whole head for about 15 minutes or until barely done. Mix 1/3 c mayo, 1 tsp tarragon, and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and coat cauliflower. Pat cheddar cheese onto head and place on baking sheet at 350 for about 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and slice into 6 wedges.
And here you have it! I added a small side of baby herb salad with a few spritzes of dressing - bon appetit!
I could not believe how well this dinner turned out – all the flavors complemented each other so well! Oh and if it’s a special treat don’t forget the Riesling!
*No nutritional information available for this meal. I guess ignorance is bliss sometimes!
Pumpkin-Chocolate Pie
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Desserts, Low Calorie on December 28th, 2009
Here’s my spin on a winter-time classic – add chocolate of course!
What you require:
For crust:
1 1/3 c all purpose flour and 1/4 tsp salt; add 1/4 c cooking oil and 1/4 c fat free milk; stir lightly with a fork until combined and use your hands to work dough into a ball. On a well floured surface, use your hands to flatten pastry dough and roll center to edge into a circle about 12 in in dm. Transfer to 9 in pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in beyond edge of pie plate and flute or crimp edge as desired. Do not prick.
For filling:
1 -12.3 oz package light firm silken-styletofu
1-15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
approx 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate pieces (I used none other than Ghirardelli) [you can increase the amount depending on how much chocolate you want but know this will displace the pumpkin filling]
1. Heat chocolate pieces over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour evenly on bottom of pie plate and spread until all sides are met.
2. Blend tofu in a blender. Add rest of ingredients and blend until well combined. Pour mixture on top of chocolate and make sure top is even and meets all sides.
3. Bake for 25 mins (you can cover the crust edge with foil if desired to prevent overbrowning – mine did not burn) and then for an additional 30 minutes more (remove foil before this if you used it). Cool on a wire rack and then cover and refrigerate within 2 hours until set.
4. Serve with light whipped topping (or one of your choosing) and enjoy – makes 10 servings!
You may not be able to tell here but there is a fabulous layer of chocolate on the bottom - delish!
Nutritional Information (per serving AND this is without the chocolate layer):
Calories: 190
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 0
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrate: 31 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 151 mg
Spicy Fettucini Alfredo with Crab
Posted by Van Santos in Main Course, Pasta, Seafood on December 27th, 2009
The sauce wasn’t overly rich, or so I thought. If one wanted to create a dish that had thicker sauce I would suggest adding more cheese.
Banana Bread
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Low Calorie, Snacks on December 24th, 2009
So as is the experience of most people, when you need to use up your ripe bananas a classic banana bread always seems to be the best way to do so. This turned out fabulous!
What you will need:
1 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c mashed banana (2-3 medium)
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c fat free milk
2 egg whites
2 tsps canola oil
1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prep your loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl sitr together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. In another bowl combine mashed banana, brown sugar, milk, eggs whites, and oil. Add this mixture to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. If desired, stir in 2 tbsp of walnuts and spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. You can also sprinkle more walnuts on top.
4. Bake for about 45 mins. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 mins and then remove bread from pan. Cool on wire rack. [The recipe states to wrap and store overnight before slicing but if you're like me you won't wait because your house will smell of sweet temptation.]
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 143
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 152 mg
Fettuccini di Tina
Posted by Van Santos in Italian, Pasta on December 23rd, 2009
Tina has introduced me to the wonders of dry white wine vinegar. I’ve made a few changes to this knock-out recipe that Tina Culbertson posted a few days back. Let us get to it!
Required Items for Fettuccini di Tina
2 tablespoon minced garlic
And I give you Chicken di Tina.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Desserts, Snacks on December 22nd, 2009
I know everyone has their version of chocolate chip/chunk cookies. This recipe contains oats and oatmeal chocolate chip is one of my favorite types of cookies. So here you go. . .
You will need:
1 1/4 c rolled oats
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 oz soft silken-style tofu
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 oz dark chocolate chunk piece or bittersweet chocolate pieces (Ghirardelli)
1. Preheat oven to 375. Place oats in a food processor or blender and blend until oats resemble a coarse flour. In medium bowl stir together oats, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. Blend tofu in food processor or blender until smooth and set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat butter with electric mixer and add tofu. Combine well with mixer. Add granulated and brown sugars and combine well. Then beat in oil and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as possible and stir in chocolate.
3. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on ungreased baking sheet and bake for approx. 8 mins or until edges are golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes 24 cookies.
Nutritional Information (per cookie):
Calories: 125
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Protein: 1 g
Carbohydrate: 18 g
Fiber 1 g
Sodium: 40 mg
Salmon with Tropical Rice
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Seafood on December 22nd, 2009
Here was a dish I was able to whip up quickly. . .and the flavor was spectacular and fresh!
What you’ll need:
1 lb fresh/frozen skinless salmon fillets
1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
2 c hot cooked brown rice
1 medium mango, seeded, peeled, and chopped
1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1. Preheat oven to 450 and prep your shallow baking dish and place fish in pan.
2. In small bowl stir together coriander, brown sugar, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Sprinkle evenly over fish and press in slightly. Bake for 4-6 min per 1/2 in thickness or until fish flakes easily with fork.
3. in a medum bowl stir together cooked rice, mango, cilantro, and lemon peel. Serve with fillet – Enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 366
Total Fat: 13 g
Cholesterol: 66 mg
Protein: 26 g
Carbohydrate: 35 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 155 mg
Bacon Wrapped Scallops over Barley and Garbanzo beans
Posted by Van Santos in Main Course, Seafood on December 21st, 2009
Bow down to the bacon wrapped scallop goodness!
Grandma Nakielny's Shortbread Cookies
Posted by Van Santos in Baking on December 20th, 2009
With everyone making cookies these days, from Reeni to ReTorte, I felt the need to get in on the action. I went to my grandmothers tried and true shortbread cookie recipe – and a true childhood favorite of mine.
Be warned, this is VERY easy to make.
1 lb. butter
1 c. sugar
4 c. flour
Again, this is really easy….
1. Cream the margarine with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and keep creaming. (This will take a little while. )
2. Gradually add the flour. When the dough leaves the side of the bowl and does not stick to your fingers, it is ready. If it sticks to your fingers, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of flour.
3. Pat into an ungreased cookie sheet. Cover pan with wax paper and gently roll the surface with a rolling pin (this will compact the dough). Remove the wax paper and pierce the dough, at half inch intervals, with a fork.
4. Put into a cold oven. Set oven to 275 degrees and bake for 60 -70 minuter, or until light golden.
5. Remove from oven and slice immediately.
Grandma Nakielny's Shortbread Cookies
A few things to note:
- The creaming of the butter and sugar is what gives the cookie its texture.
- These can be stored in an air tight container or tin for a while and still remain fresh.
I hope you enjoy!
UPDATE – Monica posted her Shortbread Cookies and I am very impressed. There is a nice twist with her recipe!
Herbed Steak with Portobello Mushroom Sauce and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Beef, Low Calorie, Main Course, Side Dishes, Steak on December 19th, 2009
I think I hit the jackpot tonight. I’d like to say at heart I am a meat and potatoes girl (although I love branching out) and this is the reason why. . .
For the steak:
4-5 oz boneless beef top sirloin steaks, cut 3/4 in thick
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
6 oz portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and thinly sliced (about 2.5 c)
1/3 c finely chopped shallot or onion
2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c port or dry red wine or beef broth
1/2 c beef broth
1.5 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence, cracked pepper, and salt evenly on steaks and rub in. You can use the grill or broiler to cook seasoned steaks. (I did the broiler for about 14 mins since I like mine med-well).
2. Heat oil over med heat in a skillet and then add mushrooms, shallot/onion, and garlic and cook until tender. Remove skillet from heat and add port/broth and remaining 1/2 tsp of herbes de Provence. Return to heat and cook uncovered until liquid has evaporated.
3. In a small bowl stir together beef broth and cornstarch and add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubby. Stir for 2 mins more and then add balsamic vinegar. Serve over steaks. Makes 4 servings.
For potatoes:
1 lb red, Yukon gold, or round white potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 tsp bottled minced roasted garlic
1/4 c light dairy sour cream
2-4 tbsp fat free milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1. In a covered large saucepan cook potatoes in enough boiling water to cover for 25 mins or until tender. Drain and return to saucepan.
2. Add garlic to potatoes and mash. Add sour cream, milk, thyme, salt, pepper and combine well (you can use a mixer if you want). Makes 4 servings.
I tried to get a good picture of this. . .really doesn't do the dish justice though.
Nutritional Information:
Steak:
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Protein: 33 g
Carbohydrate: 10 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 343 mg
Potatoes:
Calories: 106
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 162 mg
Kitchen Scrap Lasagna
Posted by Van Santos in Italian, Main Course on December 18th, 2009
After several days of cooking and making new dishes I had a number of items left over. As I did not want to see the food go to waste I decided to make a dish mainly with the items I had leftover. The result is what I am calling “Kitchen Scrap Lasagna”
½ lb chicken breast tenders sliced paper thin
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground beef
½ yellow onion
1 green onion sliced, diced and chopped (essentially to the consistency of dried oregano)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 can tomato paste (the wee little 6 oz type)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 tablespoons parsley
6 oz of Parmesan Cheese
2 cups of cottage cheese (small curd)
8 oz shredded mozzarella
12 lasagna noodles
Here we go:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, also bring a large pot of water to a boil. When water is boiling add salt (1 teaspoon) and 12 lasagna noodles. Cook for 9 mins or until noodles are “al dente” Remove and set pasta aside (all of this is going on when you are doing the other steps, btw)
2- Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, heat and add chicken, pork and beef. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 mins.
3- Add yellow onions, garlic oregano and basil, stir and cook for 3 more mins.
4- Remove from heat, drain oil
5- Put meat back into the pan and over the flame, mix in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste
6- Simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes while stirring to prevent burning
7- While your sauce is simmering, mix together your cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley
8- With your sauce ready, in a 9 by 13 oven safe dish spread a coat of sauce. Then lay down 3 noodles side by side – do not cross.. Add a coat of the cheese mixture, followed by sauce. Repeat once. Note that I said to make 12 noodles… I only use 9. In case some stick while cooking it always makes sense to have some extra on hand. After you lay your last 3 noodles top with sauce, followed by shredded mozzarella cheese.
9- Bake for 45 mins to an hour (depending on how brown you want your mozzarella)
The dish lasagna going in…
Our dish going into the oven
And coming out, all brown and ready to eat..
Oh, the baked goodness!
I know you are going to get tired of hearing it but this was outstanding. Truly. How good do you ask? I ate 1/3 of this pan by myself in one sitting. I have never made lasagna before, let alone just throw things together and and think it would turn out to be an edible lasagna.
A few things to note – I enjoy things a bit more “baked”, hence the darker cheese on top, as I experience a number of flavors that wouldn’t be there otherwise. Obviosuly you will want to bake to your taste.
Also, I do not care for Ricotta cheese AND I had cottage cheese left over so I simply used that. And yes, you’ll be happy to know that cottage cheese has a lower fat content!
The dish takes a bit of time to prep and bake but the payoff is worth the effort. In total you can expect about 12 servings from a pan of this size.
Oh, and on a side note… I think I may have found the perfect pasta sauce recipe in this creation.
Hot and ready to eat!
Have fun!
Chicken and Pork Lettuce Wraps
Posted by Van Santos in Chinese on December 17th, 2009
In my quest to try new things I decided that Lettuce Wraps was going to be the next dish I was going to master. Well, not master but give a shot.
I’ve united a number of recipes to create this dish, here we go
1/2 lb Chicken Breast tenders (sliced thinly)
1/2 lb Ground pork
1″ of fresh ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
4 large shiitake mushrooms
salt and pepper (for taste)
Canola Oil (or Vegetable oil)
1 orange for zest
4 Green Onions, very thinly sliced
3 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Green Leaf Lettuce
Here is the good stuff, ready to go!
1) In a large pan heat up 2 to 4 tablespoons of oil – I happened to have a wok so I went with that.
2) Add in Chicken and Pork and stir to prevent sticking and burning. Cook for 2 minutes.
Chickena and Pork cooking away!
3) Add mushrooms, stir and cook for an additional two minutes.
4) Add garlic and ginger, start and cook for a minute.
5) Add bell pepper and green onions, stir cook for two more minutes (less if you want your peppers to be firm)
6) Add Hoisin sauce, salt and pepper to taste and stir until the sauce covers everything
And you get…
OH SO GOOD!
Again, this is another restaurant quality dish. While one may thing the hoisin sauce would be the “key” to the dish – and don’t get me wrong, it would not be the same without it – the true secret is the ginger!
This recipe will make enough for roughly 6 to 8 wraps. If you like Chinese food this is quick and easy and it leaving you wanting more.
Chocolate-Drizzled Graham Cookies
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Desserts, Low Calorie, Snacks on December 16th, 2009
So since the lemon bars were getting scarce I needed to replenish the ’sweet supply’ at home so I decided to try this out. With Ghirardelli chocolate how can you possibly go wrong?
You will need:
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinammon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1.5 c all purpose flour
1 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
1/2 c miniature semisweet chocolate pieces (Ghirardelli)
3 oz bittersweet chocolate or 1/2 c miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
1/2 tsp shortening
1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping side of the bowl occasionally.
2. Beat in eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the all purpose flour and wheat flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in 1/2 c chocolate pieces.
3. Shape dough into 1-in balls and place on prepped baking sheet about 1 in apart. flatten slightly. Bake for 8-9 mins or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack and cool.
4. In a small saucepan combine bittersweet chocolate/pieces and shortening and heat over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring often. Cool slightly and transfer to a small resealable plastic bag. Snip a small hole in one corner of the bag and seal. Pipe chocolate on tops of cookies. Let stand about 30 mins or until set (if you can wait!). Makes 48 cookies.
You get the idea. . .
Pork Casserole with Mushrooms and Kale
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Pork, Vegetables on December 16th, 2009
I saw this recipe and thought, “Hmm. . .interesting.” I love mushrooms but was a bit apprehensive since I’ve never cooked with kale before. I *loved* how this turned out!
What you will need:
1 lb lean boneless pork, cut into thin bite-size strips
2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onion
2 tbsp canola/olive oil
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried sage, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 c fat-free milk
4 c chopped, stemmed fresh kale or swiss chard
2 c cooked wild rice (i used a mix of long grain and wild)
1 tbsp finely shredded lemon peel
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prep a 1.5-2 qt rectangular or oval baking dish. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and and cook for 2-4 mins, stirring frequently until there is no more pink. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add mushrooms, onion, and oil to the same skillet and cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, salt, sage, and pepper. Add milk all at once and cook until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in pork, kale, cooked rice, and lemon peel.
3. Spoon mixture into baking dish and bake uncovered for 30-35 mins. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings. Enjoy!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 285
Total fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 49 mg
Protein: 24 mg
Carbohydrate: 2 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 305 mg
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