Big Fork and Spoon

Sauerkraut with Kielbasa and Apples

2011-05-16T11:11:00.002-04:00

For years the only way I thought people ate Sauerkraut was to dump out a can and add chopped hotdogs ... real yummy sounding huh. Here is a more grown up version that is almost just as simple but oh so delicious. Gone is the sour taste you normally get with just plain sauerkraut; the apples and brown sugar really do make this meal sing!
For those of you who are skeptical just give it a shot, Jeff nearly did cartwheels when i told him we were having this for dinner last night (not sure he realizes it's cabbage we are eating though ... I guess I won't burst his bubble)

Sauerkraut with Kielbasa and Apples

serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
2 lb package Sauerkraut (you can usually find these over by the hotdogs)
3 apples (one Granny Smith and two not so bitter, like Gala)
1 1/2 - 2 lbs Kielbasa sausage (important to find the kielbasa and not use regular sausage)
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Cook up the sausage links in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat till done, flipping occasionally. Slice up cooked sausage and throw back in pan if still pink in the middle (can you tell this has happened to me several times?)

2. Place a very large skillet (bonus points if its cast iron) on the stove and turn heat to medium. Peel, core, and dice apples. Put butter in pan and pour apples and sauerkraut on top, mixing well. Let simmer 10 minutes until apples have softened, stirring frequently.

3. Add brown sugar to sauerkraut mixture and mix well, add sausage and cook another 5 minutes.

4. Serve with rolls if you have some around, or just gobble it up as is!

Spiked Ketchup

2011-05-05T14:04:00.003-04:00

I was reading about the South Beach Wine and Food Festival recently and started drooling at the burger that won first place. The sauce on it seemed so crazy that I had to try it.
Woah, talk about really making your burger delicious, I mean REALLY delicious! Funny thing was that we tasted it just by itself & it was just ok, but then on the burger with the flavor of the meat it just popped! Next time my friends come eat at my house I am spiking their ketchup! ...muhahahaha....

Spiked Ketchup

created by Marc Murphy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp roasted garlic, minced (see quick tip below)
3/4 cup ketchup
5 Tbsp Vodka

Mix everything together and serve on a yummy hamburger!

*roasted garlic can take a while in the oven, for a faster method take 3-4 cloves unpeeled garlic and toss in a heated skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat. Cook till they turn golden, stirring often. Peel skins and smash.

I stored leftovers in a baby food jar I swiped from my sister's house.

Why Shrimp & Chocolate sounded good together...

2011-04-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

As many of you know I sometimes like to take chances on unusual recipes. Recipes that many times surprises and delights us with its quirky combinations to become the deliciously exotic dish in our house.
Since I had a fun run with the beer recipes I thought it would be nice to find savory chocolate dishes to make.
Well ladies and gentlemen I think I have crossed the line with this Shrimp with Chocolate sauce.

I mean yeah it sounds bad but we like to eat shrimp and love chocolate so why not give it a shot. I even got the recipe out of a new chocolate lovers cookbook.
Ew Ew Ew ... what's even worse is that the chocolate had crushed garlic mixed in for good measure making the chocolate itself taste weird. The only nice thing I can say about this dish is at least the shrimp was on sale.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

2011-04-17T21:11:00.006-04:00

I always seem to leave the best for last, and in my beer cooking quest stumbled across this delicious, simple, mouth-watering little gem.

Not many ingredients? Check!

Tons of slow cooked flavor? Check!

Beer? Check!

Hubby groveling at my feet for me to make it again? Check!
Don't be shy about using a nice dark beer, the ending flavor is deep and rich and tastes nothing like the beer itself. Smelling this cooking all day in the house definitely made my crockpot earn the nickname "the Slow-Torturer"

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich

Ingredients:

One 2-3lb rump roast or chuck roast
1 can beef broth (14.5 oz)
1 can condensed French Onion Soup (10.5 oz)
1 bottle dark stout beer (Guinness)
garlic powder
onion powder
Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
French Rolls or Sub Sandwich bread (makes about 6 stuffed subs)
butter for the bread
Provolone cheese (or whichever you prefer)

1. Trim fat from roast. Get Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle several dashes on each side of meat. Sprinkle garlic powder and onion powder on meat and place in slow cooker.

2. In a bowl mix together broth, soup, and bottle of beer. Pour on top of meat in slow cooker (depending on the size of your crockpot you may not use 100% of the liquid, just be sure to not fill all the way to rim as it will boil over)

3. Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours.

4. After time is up remove meat and slice (or just let it fall apart it will be so tender). Add back to the crockpot and cook on low for 30 more minutes.

5. When it is time to eat: slice the bread, butter inside, and place on cookie sheet. Turn oven to broil and toast bread for 3-5 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on the bread so it doesn't burn. Add slice cheese to bread and place in oven for 30 more seconds till melted. (Don't skip this step! Toasting the inside of the bread keeps it from getting soggy)

6. To serve dip out juices from the slow cooker and place in individual small bowls for dipping. Scoop out meat with a slotted spoon, place on bread, dip and dig in!!!!

Beef Stew with Beer and Collards

2011-03-29T12:18:00.002-04:00

Continuing my quest for dumping beer into my slow cooker I came across this recipe in The Healthy Slow Cooker cookbook. I love dark leafy greens but the only way I've ever eaten collard greens is the way my dad made them ...with lots of bacon and sugar (he kind of had to make them that way to get us kids to eat them). I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty they came out of the slow cooker, and the meat just disintegrated it was so tender. Make sure you are in the mood for a meaty meal cause this one is!
Give yourself some prep time when planning this for dinner. Also note that you will need not only the regular cooking time but another hour when you add in the greens. I have to say for the extra time it took to prepare this meal I was a little disappointed it didn't have more depth in the flavor, it still was good but not crazy good. Though Jeff made the Cheddar Beer Biscuits to go with the stew and whooyeee that made it so much better!

Carbonnade with Collards

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil (approx)
2 lbs trimmed stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups dark beer (little more than one bottle)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp paprika, dissolved in 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
8 cups collard greens, stems removed and chopped

1. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium high heat for 30 seconds. Add the beef in batches, stirring till just browned (about 5 minutes). Add more olive oil as necessary. Transfer browned beef to slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet reduce heat to medium and add the sliced onions. Cook, stirring often, till they start to soften. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, & pepper and cook 1 minute. Add flour and cook until lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add beer, chicken stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute scraping up all the yummy brown bits in the bottom of the pan.

3. Pour mixture over beef in slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook low 8 hours or high 4 hours.

4. Add paprika mixture and stir well. Add chopped collard greens in batches, making sure all gets submerged in the stew. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour more. Discard bay leaves before serving (if you can find them :)

Slow Cooker Cheddar Beer Chicken with Biscuits

2011-03-20T17:07:00.006-04:00

This Christmas my mom got me my very own crock-pot and I've had fun throwing random food in there to slow cook for hours. My newest thing is finding new ways to cook with beer. Yes beer! I know it sounds odd since I don't even like to drink beer but somehow the flavor is just wonderful in food. So seeing this recipe in Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade recipe book I just had to try it, I mean bacon and beer and chicken and cheese? It had me at bacon.
I recommend using a beer with lots of flavor, none of that light no calorie stuff (I used Bass's Pale Ale which has a nice flavor).
While I had a bottle of beer open I also made some quick Cheddar Beer Biscuits to go with the meal and WOW!!! .... that is all I can say about that.
Enjoy and Cheers!!

Slow Cooker Cheddar Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

1 large onion
1 lb red potatoes (about 6-8 small potatoes)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder, salt, & ground black pepper (or you just have garlic salt then just use that & ground pepper)
1 can (10 oz) Campbell's cheddar cheese condensed soup
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup beer
3/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. In a slow cooker pour in the 1/4 cup beer. Peel and dice the onion and throw in the cooker. Wash and slice in half the red potatoes and dump on top of the onions.

2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, & pepper. Place in slow cooker on top of the veggies.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the can of soup with the remaining 3/4 cup beer. Blend in the bacon crumbles and pour over the top of the chicken breasts (dont mix it in with the veggies just pour on top, it will cook down by itself)

4. Cover and cook on Low for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours (be sure to not overcook as chicken will dry out). Spoon lots of the juice over the chicken when you serve it and sop it up with the Cheddar Beer Biscuits (recipe below).

Cheddar Beer Biscuits

(makes 8 large biscuits)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2/3 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup beer
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (not packed)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the shortening in with a pastry blender or a butter knife until the mixture is well blended and crumbly.

3. With a spoon mix in the sugar, beer, and cheese until just blended. Drop large spoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 14-16 minutes, till the bottom is light brown.

Here kitty kitty ...

2011-03-18T21:31:00.001-04:00

Ok so here is the real reason I have not posted since the beginning of the New Year..... we got a kitten. Well a 6 month old kitten but soooooo cute and wonderful and distracting from anything of importance. Even Jeff isn't immune to the kitten's charms :)

Time to start posting again!

2011-01-26T10:05:00.000-05:00

My New Years Resolution list for 2011 includes posting more on my Blog. So apparently I suck at that one considering its the end of the month and no posts yet! I am still cooking and trying new things and even taking pictures but making it from my camera and scrap paper to Posting has been a challenge.
No more excuses Patricia! Time to crack that whip!

Daring Cooks July Challenge: Nut Butters!

2010-07-14T17:23:00.001-04:00

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

This month's challenge was something else I had never tried to cook with or make from scratch. I was really surprised at how simple and easy it was to make your own nut butter and how much flavor it adds to food.
I went with the Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms adapted from Cooking Light to try it out and was not disappointed. Even Jeff scarfed it down, though it had lots of the dreaded mushrooms in it, and almost licked the pan clean of the pecan cream. The only thing that I would change is to get a better food processor to chop the nuts up, we ended up with an almost smooth nut butter but it didn't really drizzle on the pasta like a creamy Alfredo sauce. Very tasty flavor and something I will definitely experiment with in the future, maybe a walnut cream sauce?

Grandma's Meatballs

2010-07-12T18:08:00.004-04:00

I thought the most appropriate recipe to post next in honor of my Grandma would be her famous meatballs. Every Christmas we would go to her house for a feast of spaghetti & meatballs (with of course the sounds of the Dallas Cowboys game playing in the background). We always looked forward to Grandma's party and it was such a treat to have all our family together again so soon after Thanksgiving.

My mom came to visit a month ago and I talked her into letting me in on the secret to making a really good meatball the old Italian way. Now you can spice it up anyway you want but the real trick is the eggs/ meat/ bread crumbs ratio. My mom told me that her grandmother, who was blind when she came to live with them, could tell how many more eggs to add to the meat just by feeling it with her hands and would know if my mom left out an egg. Instead of trying to learn the feel method I really appreciate this simple recipe for the basic meatball.

Now the meat can be all ground beef but its more traditional to make some of it pork (for example 3 pounds ground beef plus 1 pound ground pork). I have had it both ways and both taste great so go with what you have (or what is on sale :)

The recipe below is not your usual one so judge how many meatballs you would like to make by how much meat you buy. I made the above mentioned 4 lbs meat and came out with about 50 golf ball sized meatballs, freezing most of them for later use. Just make sure you cool completely before sticking them into a freezer bag.

Grandma's Meatballs

3 eggs per pound of meat

2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs per pound of meat

(so for 4 pounds of meat that would be a dozen eggs and 8 Tbsp breadcrumbs)

Seasoning for 4 lbs of meat (example)

1/3 - 1/2 cup Italian seasoning blend (if using a no-salt version add 2 tsp salt)

If you don't have an Italian seasoning blend you can use what I play with below, adjusting to your tastes & mood. Or just add spices till it smells good like I usually do.

3 Tbsp Parsley
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Place meat in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Crack open your eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Pour eggs into meat well.

2. Add all of your seasonings to the eggs and beat once more. Sprinkle the bread crumbs around the edge on the meat and get your hands ready for some mixing. Start squishing and folding the meat over the eggs and thoroughly blend together, don't worry if at first it looks too wet, it will come together.

3. Place a heavy frying pan on the stove and fill it to 1/4 in. - 1/2 in. deep with regular oil (canola or vegetable). Turn heat to medium/medium high and heat oil till you hear a sizzle when a drop of water hits it. Start forming the meat into golf ball sized meatballs and place in frying pan in a clockwise direction being sure to fill as much of the pan with meatballs without letting them touching too much.

4. Leave the meatballs alone for about 2-3 minutes till the bottom looks dark brown. Using a fork turn each meatball on its side, starting with the first one you dropped in the pan. Cook that side till brown and then roll the meatball with your fork to sit on any uncooked sides. Keep rolling and watching till all sides are dark brown. Remove and place on a large cookie sheet to cool.

**be sure to not let your oil sit on the heat long without meatballs in it, keep the assembly moving**

Don't deny yourself the tasty way to make your spaghetti sauce pop. Take the meatballs you will be eating and heat them with your sauce on the stove with a low simmer. The meat will absorb the sauce and flavor it at the same time. This is also how I thaw my frozen meatballs.

heaven is a homemade meatball sandwich

Sad News

2010-05-20T20:54:00.002-04:00

Last night my Grandma passed away. She was such a beautiful, strong person and the rock of my family.

Words cannot express how much I will miss her.

I love you Grandma.

Meatless Monday - Roasted Garlic Hummus

2010-05-17T20:45:00.001-04:00

I love hummus, it makes such a satisfying dip and spread for sandwiches. Its too expensive to buy pre-made all the time so I like to whip up a cheaper version at home. I used to use only chickpeas but I saw someone once make it with great northern beans and have made it that way since. Jeff also is a fan of the northern beans, it is slightly creamer and sweeter than chickpeas. I omit the Tahini usually used in hummus cause frankly I have a hard time finding it here and it saves me a little extra $$.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can of Great Northern Beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 bulb garlic
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off garlic bulb and drizzle a little olive oil on the cut portion. Place on baking sheet top side up and roast in oven for 40 minutes. Cool and the roasted garlic should be able to be easily squeezed from the skin.

2. In a food processor combine the can of beans (drained), olive oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic cloves, salt & pepper. Pulse till smooth.

My delicious lunch veggie wrap: tortilla with hummus spread, grated carrots, onion, spinach, cucumber and sliced tomato.

Yum Yum!

The Daring Cooks May Challenge - Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2010-05-14T18:57:00.001-04:00

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

I finally invited my sister & husband over for a Daring Cooks Challenge recipe and they were in for a treat. I have made enchiladas before but never with my own homemade tortillas and enchilada sauce.
The end result was fabulous, really authentic and totally homemade (even the chicken stock). I got the recipe for homemade tortillas from Mangio da Sola, really easy to follow and great instructional video. To put it all together I poured some of the green chile sauce in a casserole dish, then placed the tortilla, cover in sauce, monterey jack cheese, grilled chicken, cheese, sauce, another tortilla etc... till I had a stack four tortilla high. Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

I will definitely be making this again, it was just too delicious!

I also enjoyed the challenge of actually not getting my enchilada sauce from a can. Tomatillos are something I pass by in the supermarket (this was the first time I have ever even picked one up) so it was great to take a crack at this never used vegetable.

Making the enchilada sauce was actually pretty easy ... roasting the fresh chilies in our oven was quite the adventure. My birds let me know when they needed to be taken out by their squawking... boy the air in our house was spicy! It was actually fun to burn something on purpose, this is something I can definitely do! Check out the before and after pictures:

After charring the chilies close in a paper bag till cooled, then scrape skins off with a knife. I made sure I wore gloves to remove the skins, getting pepper in your eye is something you will always remember and never, hopefully, repeat. Discard the skins and seeds and you are left with flavorful chilies (do not rinse with water).

Green Chile Sauce

Ingredients:

1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles), Charred & skins removed
4-6 Tomatillos, stems & outer papery skin removed
4 cups Chicken broth
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Couple dashes of Hot sauce (optional)

1. Place tomatillos in a medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes till soft. Remove from water and puree in blender till smooth.

2. Pour puree into saucepan with chicken stock, chopped green chilies, onion, oregano, garlic, salt & pepper. Adjust salt & pepper to your taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the cornstarch that has been dissolved in water and simmer again for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add hot sauce if you want more heat.

Sweet Zucchini Bread

2010-05-12T20:34:00.004-04:00

Kittens have been on my mind lately, I want one so bad but can't! We have two parakeets who usually spend half their day flying around outside their cage and we don't want to walk in on them acting out an episode of Spartacus (you know, the last episode). So cute pictures will have to do for now .... of course kittens that look like loaves of bread is especially high on my awwww factor.

Speaking of bread....
I had some leftover zucchini from the veggie lasagna and I couldn't help but think of my mom's Zucchini Bread we used to love growing up. I was too impatient to get her recipe (I want it NOW) so I found a really good one on Allrecipes.com.
Wow this was a good recipe, very moist and the crust was almost like a crumbly pie crust. The smell of cinnamon in the house had Jeff climbing the walls, he couldn't wait till it was done. I highly recommend trying this, its simple, fast, and (kinda) nutritious .... it has zucchini in it so that counts right? Of course I had to add a 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the food processor with the walnuts. They were dark chocolate chips....for our health you know ;)

Zucchini Bread Recipe Link

Meatless Monday - Veggie Lasagna

2010-05-10T19:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Meatless Monday week three!
I have to say that we actually looked forward to today. Though there are plenty of days where we don't eat meat & not notice we have made Mondays into "Get-some-more-veggies-into-your-belly Meatless Mondays!".
Jeff actually got excited when I told him what we are having for lunch ... is this the same pizza every night guy I married?

Breakfast

Oatmeal with honey and cinnamon

Lunch

My Super Green Sandwich

Dinner

Veggie Lasagna

For this I make my Mama's Lasagna just like normal except where there is meat I sauté grated onion, minced garlic, thinly sliced zucchini & squash, grated carrot, and chopped broccoli. Add all the tomato sauces when the veggies are softened and simmer for 10 minutes. For the ricotta mixture I substituted half cottage cheese and added spinach that has been steamed & drained. Cram more vegetables in if you want, there can never be too much!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I love you!

Anniversary Dinner

2010-05-07T19:42:00.007-04:00

We had such a nice wedding anniversary yesterday. Instead of going out to eat I thought it would be fun if Jeff & I made a meal together, and of course what could be more romantic than rolling out pasta dough. :)
My mom had sent me two different things to help me with my ravioli making and we took them for a test drive. The first is a really old ravioli press that crimped out nice large pieces.

The second is a multi-ravioli maker / press.

It didn't come with instructions so we had fun playing around with it trying to figure out the best method to press it out (I liked the "let Jeff do it" method the best).

I have to say my ravioli looked pretty professional and all nice and neat, plus less messy than before....Thanks mom !!
Making dinner together for our anniversary was really fun, I think this may become a delicious tradition.

To many happy cooking memories to come....

Cheers!

Meatless Monday - "Meaty Quesadilla"

2010-05-04T16:53:00.001-04:00

Meatless Monday Number 2!
I found an excellent way to use leftover filling from the Lentil Walnut Mushroom burgers... make some quesadillas! This was super filling and a big hit with the man. Its also a great way to use leftovers from the meatless burgers making it fast to whip up.

This was also my first attempt at making homemade tortillas, I love how rustic it looks

Follow the recipe for Lentil Walnut Burgers until you get to the part where you form them into patties.
Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry up the filling as if it was ground beef until browned. Place a large clean frying pan on medium / med high heat on the stove. Get a tortilla and spread lentil mixture evenly on one side, place in frying pan lentil side up. Sprinkle some cheese and spinach on filling and cover with another tortilla. It will be ready when the cheese is all melted. Serve with a side of salsa!

Lentil, Walnut, & Mushroom Burger!

2010-04-30T17:08:00.004-04:00

I think I have a solution for when hubby tells me he really hates certain foods that are good for you ... grind them till they are unrecognizable and make into burgers! Everything is made better with burgers.
Yes the evil healthy wife has dominated this week, but don't worry the Butter Princess will probably return soon with a vengeance :)

Doesn't the picture make you hungry though? The only problem is I made the burger really too thick (I wanted to take a nice picture) and as soon as I took a bite it squashed out the sides of the bun a little. Whoops! So for the rest of the batch I made thinner patties and they were perfect. We both enjoyed this even after I revealed what was in the burger. Score one for the super-food burger!

Lentil, Walnut, & Mushroom Burger

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup dry lentils
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup whole grain oats
8 oz container of whole white mushrooms, cleaned
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil + 3 more for the pan
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Add lentils and lower heat. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. In a small skillet saute the onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil till tender. For the last 30 seconds stir in the fresh spinach and let them wilt a little. Set aside in a bowl.

2. In a food processor combine the walnuts, oats, mushrooms, vinegar, thyme, salt & pepper and pulse till thoroughly chopped (if you have small food processor like me you can just chop it all separate). Add the lentils and give just a couple more pulses so that some lentils are still whole. Add to the bowl with the onions and mix well.

3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Form mixture into patties with your hands (skinny patties!) and cook on each side 7-8 minutes till brown & crispy. Serve while still nice and hot.

Spaghetti Squash Toss

2010-04-28T16:46:00.002-04:00

Spaghetti squash is just so much fun to make. I get such a silly kick out of flaking the insides with a fork, maybe in my past life I was a squash farmer. I'm trying to get more creative but besides this recipe below and just eating it plain with loads of butter that's about it for now. One day I will be more than a 2 trick pony with my fun squash! :)
What I do really like about this recipe is that it makes tons, enough for leftovers, and it tastes great next day.

Spaghetti Squash with Feta & Veggies

Ingredients:

1 large Spaghetti Squash
lots of Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup Broccoli, broken in bite size pieces
large handful fresh spinach
4oz pkg crumbled Feta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Drizzle lots of olive oil, salt and pepper on the cut portions. Place cut side down on a large baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, until squash is tender and you can stick a knife in its side easily. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become tender, about 5 minutes.

3. While the tomatoes are cooking you need to steam the broccoli to get it tender. Place in microwave in a safe bowl with 1/8 cup water. Cover and cook on high for about 3 minutes.

4. Get out your favorite fork and begin to flake out the inside of the squash away from the skin. Place in bowl and toss with tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and feta cheese. Add more salt & pepper to your liking.

Meatless Mondays

2010-04-26T16:30:00.011-04:00

I came across this really interesting site last week:

Meatless Mondays

www.meatlessmonday.com

Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet. We're a non-profit initiative, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

I love this idea. One day a week to cut out meat! Jeff & I eat way too much meat everyday already.
I wonder who is making all these meaty meals .... cough cough..

The fact it is on Monday really suits us because
1. We usually relax on weekends and eat whatever, and
2. This is a great way to start off the week!

I'm not a stranger to meatless eating either. All in my 20's I went from being a vegetarian for years...to eating some fish....to just not eating red meat....to just throwing it all out the window when I hit 30. Ironically 30 is also when I gained a lot of weight and became so unfit I couldn't climb a flight of stairs without sweating...hmmmmmm....
I brought this idea up with hubby and he seemed a bit weary but willing to try it with me, or at least until he has too many hungry Mondays.
So my goal is to make Mondays Meatless and fill the empty cavern of a stomach on Jeff at the same time. Whew!

Today the menu is pretty simple and easy:

Breakfast:

Bowl of Oatmeal with a little cinnamon and honey

Lunch:

Butternut Squash Soup (thawed from the batch I made this winter)

Homemade little French loaves

Dinner:

Pasta with homemade marinara sauce

Whole wheat garlic bread

See...nothing threatening there :)
For the Pasta sauce I just did what I do with my Pizza sauce except use a plain can of tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes.
For the Whole wheat garlic bread I just lightly butter whole wheat bread slices and sprinkle garlic powder (not salt) over. Broil for 5 minutes until browned.

So far so good!

Again with the ducks?

2010-04-23T17:39:00.004-04:00

I haven't been able to post anything deliciously new because I've been busy trying to learn what on earth html coding is and how much more can I mess up my settings. So if you see anything weird on my blog, I mean besides the normal weird, please let me know.

Here is an update on some of the baby ducks to keep you entertained (cause I know you were worried about them :). They grow up so fast....

Courage

2010-04-21T09:22:00.000-04:00

Do one brave thing today ... then run like hell

I saw this and it made me laugh, remind you of anyone?

Brussels Sprouts (& cute baby ducks!)

2010-04-19T17:04:00.002-04:00

Ok, cheap trick to try to get you to read about brussels sprouts but honestly how can I not show pictures of the baby ducks at our pond. I have a new hobby of "duck watching" and reporting what cute things they are doing at the moment to Jeff who in turn is obligated to oooh and awwww with me. :) I just want to cuddle them all!
Now back to that vegetable that is so feared amongst my friends....
When I say that this simple recipe might change your mind if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts I really mean it. The first time I made them I had it as a side dish with a thick steak and potatoes to try to soften the presentation to Jeff. After one bite he was hooked and even the little crisp leaves that fell off were gobbled like potato chips.
If being rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, and dietary fiber doesn't convince you to try to include this in your diet a research study reveled eating brussels sprouts may help prevent colon cancer. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

Brussels sprouts
Olive oil (enough to evenly coat)
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Rinse off brussels sprouts. Using a small knife, trim off a little of the the stem end and remove any dark or damaged outside leaves and discard. Place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, coating completely. Pour out on a large baking sheet and bake in oven for 45 minutes, shaking occasionally.

3. Add more salt & pepper if desired and serve immediately.

now back to my duck watching...

Fruit Smoothies

2010-04-17T13:19:00.001-04:00

Yea for strawberries!!!

Boy are they ever in season, only $1.25 for a carton full of ripe strawberries! I've been buying them up like crazy and freezing them for smoothies. If you have never tried to freeze strawberries the best way is to wash and remove the stems with a knife, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze, and after a couple of hours you can put them all in a ziplock bag. I also like to buy up tons of bananas when they go on sale and freeze them too (make sure you peel the bananas before you freeze them). With the bananas you can just put them straight in a ziplock bag as they won't freeze together. So much cheaper than buying frozen fruit.

I like to keep my smoothies simple and to the point. No added sugar or juices ... just fruit and milk. This is our after workout treat, or our morning treat, or our "Hey its a great day!" treat. Basically we would have this all the time if we could. :)

Fruit Smoothie for two

Ingredients:

2 Frozen bananas
6-8 frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
3-4 cups milk (or till the milk covers at least half the fruit in the blender)

Pulse in blender first, then gradually increase speed till all smooth. Add more milk if you don't want it too thick. Have fun & play around with different kinds of fruit!