Yes, We Cook!

With all the previous potato talk – here’s another way to enjoy our favorite starch!  I came across this recipe and knew I had to try this.  Just think. . .you can take your poultry or mashed potato leftovers and turn them into some fried goodness  I think I’m salivating again. . .

Hash Cakes:

2 c chopped shiitake mushroom caps

1 garlic clove, minced

2 c chopped cooked chicken/turkey

2 c mashed cooked baking potatoes

3/4 c panko bread crumbs

1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese

1/3 c thinly sliced green onions

1.5 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black peppper

1 tbsp canola oil

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add mushrooms and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.  Combine mushroom mixture, chicken, potatoes, 1/4 c panko, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 in thick patty.  Refrigerate 10 minutes.  Dredge patties in remaining 1/2 c panko.

2. Heat 1.5 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the patties and cook  2 minutes on each side – you might need to do this in batches.  Yields 4 servings (2 patties each).

***I served this with a side of broccoli (2 cloves minced garlic and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper – sauteed with broccoli — you can also use broccolini – and simmered with 1/2 c water, covered, for about 6-7  minutes) and cranberry sauce.

This was so delicious!  That’s all I have to say about this.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 263

Fat: 10 g

Protein: 25.1 g

Carbohydrate: 18.2 g

Fiber: 2.2 g

Cholesterol: 68 g

Sodium: 556 mg

I needed something quick and easy before I started work and so I came across this recipe.  Sometimes pastas can come out a bit bland or the sauce too “tomato-ey” or overpowering.  Between the sweet Italian sausage, the three cheeses, and the additional herbs – even my young  son (who has turned out to be my worst critic, go figure) can’t get enough!

Your supplies:

2.5 c uncooked whole wheat penne

2 (4 oz) links sweet turkey Italian sausage

1 c finely chopped green bell pepper

1.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp black pepper

dash of salt

10 grape/cherry tomatoes, halved

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (8-0z) can garlic and herb tomato sauce

3/4 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 c crumbled goat cheese

1/4 c grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and keep warm.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with spray.  Remove casings from sausage.  Add sausage and cook 2 minutes, stirring to crumble.  Add bell pepper and next 6 ingredients; saute for 6 minutes or until pepper is tender.  Stir in tomato sauce.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Add pasta to pan, tossing to coat.

4. Spoon mixture into a prepped 8 in square baking dish.  Stir in mozzarella and goat cheeses; sprinkle with Parmesan.  Bake for 7 minutes or until bubbly and top is browned. Makes 6 (1. 25 c) servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 326

Fat: 10.9 g

Protein: 20.8 g

Carbohydrate: 38.9 g

Fiber: 4.9 g

Cholesterol: 47 mg

Sodium: 641 mg

Meatballs – one of my all time fave comfort foods.  But, of course, I found a low-cal version which is very, very good!  Seasoned just right and with a mushroom gravy – definitely hit the spot for the day.  I hope you enjoy as well.

You’ll need:

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 c chopped onion

1/4 c plain bread crumbs

1/4 c fresh parsley, snipped

1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz fresh mushroooms sliced

1/2 tbsp dried thyme, crumbled

1 c fat free, no salt added beef broth

2 tsp cornstarch

1. In a large bowl, stir together the turkey, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Shape into 16 meatballs.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray.  Cool the meatbals for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides, turning frequently.  Transfer to a plate.

3. In the same skillet cook the mushrooms and thyme for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Return meatballs to skillet and pour on 3/4 c broth.  Reduce the heat to medium; cook, covered, for 6-8 minutes, or until meatballs are heated through.

5. Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and add the remaining broth and whisk.  Add to skillet and stir well.  Simmer for 1 minute until sauce thickens for a gravy consistency.  Yields  4 (4 meatball) servings.  Serve over your choice of side – Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 188

Total Fat: 1.5 g

Cholesterol: 77 mg

Sodium: 423 mg

Carbohydrate: 11 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 31 g

(Oh I have so many things to post. . .) I know everyone has their own version of this dish as it is comfort food at its finest.  I loved the fact that with this recipe you made the noodles yourself, which was surprisingly, not difficult!  Feel free to vary the recipe and let me know how it goes.

You’ll need:

1/2 c all purpose flour, plus more as needed

1/2 large beaten egg

2 tbsp fat free milk

3 c fat free low sodium chicken broth

1 c diced cooked chicken (about 6-8 oz)

1.5 c no salt added frozen mixed veggies (or choose your own fresh)

1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 c water

3 tbsp flour

1. For the noodles, mix first 3 ingredients  until you form a ball.  Lightly flour a cutting board and kneed the dough for about 1-2 mins.  Cover with a dry dish towel and let rest for 15 mins.

2. Roll the dough out to a 9 x6 in rectangle.  Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into strips about 3 in long and 1/2 wide.  Cover with dish towel and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, stir together the broth, chicken, veggies, and seasonings (not water and flour).  Cover and bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-high.  Add the noodles; cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.

4.  In a small bowl, whisk the water and flour together and stir into the mixture.  Cook for a few more minutes until it has thickened a bit.  Serves 3 (1.5 c servings)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 235

Total Fat: 2. 5 g

Cholesterol: 40 mg

Sodium: 328 mg

Carbohydrate: 29 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 22 g

Grilling never gets old and is so much healthier for you. . .and if you like strong blue cheeses you will love this recipe!

Your chicken recipe:

1-6 oz carton plain fat free yogurt

1/2 c chopped red onion

2 tbsp crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese (I used Maytag which is stronger than regular blue cheese and is comparable to the Roquefort – it was difficult to find this for some reason but it crumbles well)

1 tbsp snipped fresh chives

1/8 tsp black pepper2 med pears, cored and halved lengthwise

lemon juice

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1.25 lbs total)

1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1. For sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, red onion, cheese, chives, and pepper.  Cover and chills until ready to serve.  Brush cut sides of pears with lemon juice and set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning and salt.  Grill for approx. 5 mins and then turn.  Place pears on grill, cut sides down.  Grill together for about 7-10 mins or until chicken is no longer pink and pears are just tender.  Serve with sauce and side of your choice!  Makes 4 servings.

Only so much room on my stovetop grill but I made it fit.

. . .with a generous helping of your sauce. . .

I had an idea of what to expect of the flavor combination because I love fruit and cheese together.  The sweetness of the pears was excellent against this cheese; pretty soon I found myself dipping the fruit into the cheese sauce.  The chicken was tender and juicy and now I’m in love with this grill as everything has turned out superb on it – not to mention – super easy cleanup!

Nutritional Information:

For your chicken:

Calories: 218

Total Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 70 mg

Protein: 30 g

Carbohydrate: 18 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sodium: 297 mg

I love blending fruit and meat together. . .and this is just one of this instances  This makes a great lunch or snack and for dinner you can pair with beans and/or rice.

Get started:

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp)

1/8 tsp salt

8 0z skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 tsp canola oil

4 – 6 in corn tortillas or purchased baked tostada shells (I usually go for crispy!)

2 c shredded romaine

3 kiwifruits chopped and/or 2 plum tomatoes chopped

1/2 c shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a small bowl combine cumin, red pepper and salt.  Brush all sides of the chicken with oil and sprinkle evenly with cumin mixture.

2. Place on a grill uncovered for approx 12-15 minutes and turn halfway through until no longer pink.

3. Cut chicken in bite size strips and assemble on top of tostadas with lettuce, fruit/tomato, and cheese.   Makes 4 servings.  (Of course with recipes like this you can always make more depending on how much you happen to have on hand. I say you’ll need more, these are delicious!)

A little sweet and a whole lot of savory!

***I was worried while grilling that there wasn’t enough of the cumin mixture on there.  I made sure the chicken wasn’t dry so a lot of the flavor still came through.  I think next time I would make a bit more of the cumin mixture and even add a bit more red pepper because I love kick but that’s about all the tweaking I would do.  Oh!  And if you didn’t care about the low cal of course add sour cream and avocado and even a little cilantro/red onion.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 208

Total Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 43 mg

Protein: 19 g

Carbohydrate: 21 g

Fiber: 4 g

Sodium: 238 mg

Okay. . .so here goes another night of cooking!  I’m sure many of you have made a lasagna in your lifetime, so here is another variation.  This dish turned out very well and is perfect for cold weather comfort food!

You will need:

8 oz uncooked bulk turkey sausage/extra-lean ground beef

3/4 c chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-15 oz can tomato sauce

1 c bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped

2 tbsp snipped fresh basil/2 tsps dried basil, crushed

1 tbsp snipped fresh oregano/1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 dried whole grain lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat and just customize the size length of the noodles to your baking dish)

1-15 oz carton light ricotta cheese

1-10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 c shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prep your baking dish.  In a large skillet combine sausage, onion, and garlic and brown the meat.  Don’t forget to drain the fat!

2. Stir in tomato sauce, red peppers, dried basil and dried oregano (if using), and black pepper.  Bring to boiling then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes and stir occasionally.  If you are using fresh basil and oregano add it at this time.

3. In another bowl stir ricotta, spinach and egg white together.

4. Place the bottom noodles (Two says the recipe - depending on your dish size.  I had shorter noodles so I used three to fill up my dish) in the prepped baking dish.  Put 1/3 spinach mixture, then 1/3 meat mixture, then some mozarella.  Repeat two more times but do not put the mozarella on just yet.  Cover with a sprayed piece of foil and bake for about 40 min (since whole wheat/whole grain takes a little longer).

So here is the first layer . . .

5. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining mozarella and bake for about 5 minutes more.  Makes 8 servings!

Fresh and ready to go!

Mmmm delish!

Side note:  This *is* a lower calorie version of a ‘traditional’ lasagna.  If you didn’t want to go that route then obviously you can go with different meat/sausage and use cheeses that aren’t skim.  There is no extra sauce leftover – just for those of you who happen to want more – so keep that in mind.  You can always make 1/2 more of the recipe’s meat sauce if you want, especially for leftovers.

Nutritional information:

Calories: 237

Total Fat: 7 g

Cholesterol: 42 g

Protein: 18 g

Carbohydrate: 25 g

Fiber: 5 g

Sodium: 613 mg

With this being my first post I wanted to be sure the dish is well worth your try. Rest assured, it is. For something so simple there is a lot of flavor and texture.

You will need:

1 c finely crused multigrain tortilla chips
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lb total)
shredded romain/salad
purchased salsa*
avocado slices

1. Preheat oven to 375 and coat a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a shallow dish combine chips, cumin, oregano, and pepper. Place egg in another shallow dish; beat lightly. Dip chicken in egg and then coat with tortilla chip mixture.

2. Arrange chicken in prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve on romaine and top with salsa and avocado. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

*I used a medium salsa for extra ‘kick’ and flavor.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 230

Total Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 135 mg

Protein: 35 g

Carbohydrate: 7 g

Fiber: 1 g

Sodium: 143 mg

On Friday I went to dinner at TMG simply for the bison sliders but ended up with “Beer Can” chicken for my entrée.  I was impressed with the dish, it was juicy and full of flavor. Right away I begin thinking “I can do this at home….”  With a quick bit of searching I located Big Bud’s Beer Can Chicken and went to town.

I made two small modifications. For this you’ll need:

• 1 (2 to 3-pound) whole chicken
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 (12-ounce) can beer
• 1 pound bacon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Rub 1/2 of the ingredients on inside cavity of chicken. Gently peel skin away from chicken and rub mixture into meat of chicken. Open beer can pour out about 1/2 cup. Drop the garlic cloves into the beer can. Place chicken, open end down, over the beer can to insert the beer into the cavity. Place chicken, standing up, in large saute pan.

Place 1/3 of the bacon in the top cavity of the chicken and drape the remaining 2/3 of the bacon down the outside of the chicken. Pierce the bacon to the chicken with toothpicks… again, I didn’t have toothpicks so I opted for skewers.

Place chicken in the oven for 10 minutes and then lower temperature to 325 degrees F and cook for another 1 hour, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. And you get…

The aroma of this dish cooking filled the entire condo, and as time marched closer to the finish I simply wanted to eat the chicken right from the oven.

Bacon and chicken, who could ask for anything more?  The dish was actually more tended than I would have expected and the flavor provided by the rub was subtle, not overwhelming, but perfect for the chicken. This is a keeper.

I also made a small side, potatoes with butter and chives… nothing special but I thought it would go with the flavors in the rub.

That photo looks like it’s all sweet potato and it wasn’t at all.

So I had some chicken hot italian sausages. These are really good natural sausages. They do not have that weak chicken sausage flavor so many chicken sausages have. So if I didn’t know these were great sausages and you prefer pork, then I’d go with pork for this recipe.

I browned about a pound of sausage. I took off the skins and sauteed it like ground meat. Before I did the saute I boiled a massively huge sweet potato. Two regular sized large sweet potatoes would do. These are from the CSA box we’re getting so nothing is typical which is lovely because you know it’s not been genetically modified or altered in any way for it to look “normal” for the grocery store. So I cut up the potato in pieces and boiled it.

After the sausage was cooked I put it on the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish. I topped that with a layer of thinly sliced apple.

I mashed the potatoes once they were cooked and added salt. Then I put this over the apples and sausage. I baked it covered for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees and then uncovered for 20 minutes.

I had no idea how this would turn out except I had a vague memory of liking pork sausage with sweet potatoes—where I got this idea I didn’t know. My husband later reminded me I used to get an egg scramble in a restaurant we used to frequent in which there was both a hefty amount of sweet potatoes and sausage. The apple was a new addition. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but I did and in fact I loved it!

Served it with also local collard greens from the CSA box for an all around southern feel. (I live in the south for those of you who do not know)

Cross-posted at BlogAsheville

juicy pulled chicken

Joanne from Eats Well With Others commented on my pork stew the other day and mentioned doing pulled pork in a crock pot. I immediately thought I would be doing that soon. I ended up with three large chicken quarters in my fridge and figured I’d do pulled chicken instead. I prefer pulled pork, but wanted to do something different with the chicken and I have my new toy, the crock pot.

So Joanne did recipes that included more sweetness. I live in the land of pulled pork (the south) and here they make both sweet and vinegary versions. I like the vinegary versions better. I’ve never been one to like sweet barbecue sauce.

Occasionally I make my own bbq sauce for chicken and I use a vinegar based hot sauce, tamari and garlic. Simple and yummy. I did a variation on that theme for this chicken.

• 3 oz Flamin’ hot pepper sauce (little more than 1/2 the bottle)

• 1/2 cup tamari

• 1/4 cup ketchup (I would leave this out next time–I never use ketchup, it’s in the house for my husband, I used this for him thinking if would be more bbq-ey, and it was but I like the sharper flavors of it without the ketchup. This ketchup happens to be organic but it’s still got sugar in it though it’s cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup)

• 3 tbls apple cider vinegar

• 12 cloves of garlic (whole)

• 1/2 onion sliced in half circles

I didn’t feel well at all last night so I made this by literally tossing all the above ingredients in the bottom of the crock pot and then topping it with the chicken which I stirred once. It took about 3 minutes. I turned the crock pot on low and went to bed. I let it cook ten hours. There was a lot of juice and perhaps there is not supposed to be, but it’s tasty and went well over rice which is how we ate it.

This is the hot sauce I used which is by no means a requirement. Any vinegar based hot sauce will do. This is very spicey.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe a friend emailed to me. It’s right here. The blog it comes from is quite delightful as well. It looks fantastic and suggests several possible variations. Generally when I get an idea I look up on google and enter the main ingredients of a dish and then I look at 4 or 5 or 6 recipes to come up with whatever I do. In this instance it was only this one recipe so it’s easy to link to it. I’m never without a source of inspiration though, whether it’s a memory from childhood, a cookbook or google at my fingertips.

Ingredients of my variation:

3 large chicken leg quarters cut in pieces and skinned

1 tbls coconut oil

1 – 14 oz can coconut milk

1 large bunch of cilantro cut coarsely

10 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed

Lemon zest from two lemons

Juice of one lemon

2 tbls grated fresh ginger

2 large jalapeño peppers, sliced round

Steamed brown rice

Brown chicken pieces and garlic in the coconut oil. (I use coconut oil in many things these days and I’m learning to switch to it for all my high heat cooking. It’s possible to get very mild flavored coconut oil, which I have yet to get a hold of, so I’ve not made the switch entirely)

Once it’s nice and brown put in all the rest of the ingredients and turn to a low simmer. Cook until meat is coming off the bone a bit. Serve over rice.

I just ate this. Wrote the above while it was cooking. It was very very good. I would make one change since I like heat. I would use a hotter variety of chili instead of the jalapeños. I didn’t taste any heat at all. The sauce was still very good and the house smelled delightfully lemony while it was cooking.

Once again a recipe using my delightfully inexpensive all-natural chicken legs.

Ingredients:

three large chicken legs cut in pieces and skinned (or not, to your liking)

2 – 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 tbls butter

1 tbls olive oil

head of garlic diced

1 tsp red chili flakes

Salt to taste

3/4 cup white wine (red wine would be good too)

lots of fresh basil (see picture)

5 oz fresh goat cheese round

Brown chicken and garlic in butter and olive oil. Add the wine while it’s on high and let it boil down a tad. Add the tomatoes and the basil salt and red chili.

woops, a little steamy!

Cover and put heat to medium or medium low. After about 20 minutes uncover so that some of the juices will evaporate and turn the chicken pieces. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Once the chicken is done and the sauce has cooked down some add the goat cheese in cut and bits and stir in until melted.

Note: This is not a super thick sauce, it can be runnier than what most Americans consider pasta sauce should look like. In fact Italians do not eat the super thick tomato sauces we often see in America–I tend to cook my red sauces somewhere in the middle of what Italians and Americans like as I’ve been influenced by both cultures. I don’t imagine most of you know my parents are Italian and so I grew up eating as an Italian. All my cooking is very much influenced by my father in particular though both my parents are very good cooks.

Stuff like goat cheese are ingredients I’ve added as my culinary experience grew outside my home. We did not eat goat cheese in my home.

This dish appears to generally be made with boneless chicken breasts or occasionally boneless thighs. I’ve made it with whole legs which I cut into thighs and drumsticks. I get these whole legs for $1.59 a pound and they’re organic. Can’t beat that.

Ingredients:

3 large whole chicken legs, skinned and cut into parts

1 tbls butter

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice – save one squeezed lemon cut in half to cook with the chicken

1/2 cup of white wine

3/4 cup of chopped parsley

3 tbls capers

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of flour (I used whole rye flour as I’m allergic to wheat. It does not have a strong flavor as one might assume, it works fine in place of whole wheat flour in everything I’ve used it in)

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and brown them on both sides in the butter. Once brown add the lemon juice and the lemon rinds, the white wine and the capers and parsley. Bring all to a boil and cook for 1/2 an hour.

After browning but before cooking for 1/2 an hour

After a half an hour thicken sauce with a bit of flour. I used about a tablespoonful mixed with a bit of wine, then I slowly dribbled it into the juices while it was still boiling until the sauce was thickened.

After cooking

And the final plate looked like this:

Wandering Coyote gave me the idea of basil and lemon for flavoring chicken yesterday.

I had some chicken breasts in the freezer which I took out yesterday and I decided to modify the recipe WC had because I needed to make another huge batch of pesto today, just like I did here.

So today once the pesto was complete I took out a couple two or 3 tablespoons before freezing the rest and added the zest of one large lemon and some lemon juice. Probably about 1 tbls of lemon. I mixed it up into a paste and smeared it all over the chicken. I added some fresh black ground pepper.

Stuck them in the oven and this is what emerged later:

I’m don’t think this picture can begin to suggest how delighted I was with the flavor of this chicken. The lemon zest in concert with the basil and garlic (and cheese and pine nuts!) was to die for. I have never used this flavor combination with chicken. And the pesto made a very good paste that stuck to the chicken so that the flavor was very rich. YUM! Thanks Wandering Coyote you just grew my chicken world!