Eat Little, Eat Big

Recipe for Homemade Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie-Secret Recipe Club

2013-02-11T07:00:00.000-10:00

This recipe is courtesy of Lynne at Café Lynnylu, my SecretRecipe Club assignment for February. Lynne is a photographer and lives in Savannah, Georgia. She attended school at the University of Georgia. I think I was meant to have Lynne’s blog as I also attended the University of Georgia and lived just south of Savannah on St. Simons Island growing up-my Mom, brother, and niece all live there still. Small world, huh?

Anyway, I was happy to find many savory recipes on Lynne’s blog to choose from for this month. I finally settled on this homemade Southwestern chicken pot pie which turned out to be delightful with the cumin and chilie flavors as well as the fun jalapeno cornbread topping. I followed Lynne’s recipe for the most part. My ramekins are really too small so I made one large pot pie instead of individual ones and I added some extra cumin in the sauce and the cornbread topping as we love the flavor. I couldn't find the self rising cornbread mix Lynne used, so I used cornmeal and added in a pinch of salt and some baking powder. It worked out fine, better than fine, we really loved the cornbread topping.

Great recipe Lynne!

Yield: 4-6 servings
Time: about 90 minutes

Ingredients:

Homemade Broth

2 large skin on, bone-in chicken breast halves
1 medium white onion, quartered (peeled)
2 cloves garlic, smashed (peeled)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large carrot, peeled, rough chopped
1 celery stalk, rough chopped
1 TBSP black peppercorns
Generous pinch of kosher salt
Cold water

Filling

2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP olive oil
4 TBSP AP flour
1 onion, rough chopped
3 cups of your homemade chicken broth (or more if you want more liquid)
Small can green chilies (mild), drained
1/2 C frozen white corn, defrosted
1/2 C canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C chopped cooked carrot
2 C shredded chicken breast
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Cornbread topping

3/4 C yellow cornmeal
Pinch of kosher salt
Slightly less (a pinch less) than 1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 C milk (more if needed when mixing)
1/2 C shredded jalapeno jack cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
1 egg
1 TBSP canola oil

Directions:

Place all the broth ingredients in a Dutch oven and cover with cold water (you want to end up with 3-4 cups of broth).
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked (you can skim off any foam if you like).
Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
Drain and reserve broth. Discard vegetables.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Wipe out Dutch oven and then heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
When chicken is cool enough, remove skin and bone and shred meat.
Stir flour in to onions and keep stirring until well incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Add in broth and chilies and cook, simmering, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should thicken up.
Add corn, carrots, black beans, and chicken.
Cook over medium until all ingredients are heated through.
Add salt and pepper if needed.
While filling is heating, mix cornbread topping ingredients together.
When filling is ready, pour into a casserole dish (or ramekins) and top with cornbread topping, leaving a little room around the edge.
Cook for 25 minutes or until cornbread is firm and beginning to brown.

This ain't your neighborhood grocery store chicken pot pie! Mr. ELEB "mmm"ed and said "good" throughout the whole meal. I, too, thought this was a tasty and satisfying dish. Check out some of Lynne's other recipes and her skillful photography as well as the other SRC recipes below.

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Recipe for No Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars-Secret Recipe Club

2013-01-14T07:00:00.000-10:00

Warning...dangerous. Yes, these little goodies are very good and hard to resist.

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day today. I was assigned Colleen's blog, Secrets from the Cookie Princess. She is a avid baker and has all kinds of amazing goodies on her blog. There are the smattering of savory dishes too but after seeing this recipe, there was no question what I was making.

Time: 15 minutes plus cooling/setting time (about an additional 45 minutes)
Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:

3C old-fashioned oats
2C semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (I used 1 1/2 C of the large size chips-60% cacao bittersweet)
1C creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2C sugar (I used 1 C of brown sugar)
1/2C milk
1/2C butter
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment.
Mix oats and half of chocolate chips in a large bowl.
Stir in vanilla and peanut butter-this will take a few minutes to work the peanut butter in to the oats.
Over medium heat, combine butter, milk, salt and sugar and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, set timer for 2 minutes and let mixture continue to boil.
Then pour hot mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine.
Press mixture into an even layer in the parchment lined pan.
Drop remaining chocolate chips on the top.
Cool at room temperature for 15 minutes and then 30 minutes in the fridge (you may not have to use the fridge depending on the temperature of your kitchen).
When the mixture is set, use the parchment to lift it out of the pan and cut into bars.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I added a sprinkling of cinnamon over the top but think it would be better stirred in to the mixture.

I shared these with some friends and then nibbled on the rest for over a week, a little bit each day. They were so good. One of my friends said they reminded him of something he used to have with his family called Moose Droppings (or something like that!).

Colleen has all kinds of great cookie, bars, cakes, and other goodies on her blog. Here is a link to the recipe archive. If you're looking for something sweet, I'm sure you can find a recipe there! And check out all the other SRC recipes in today's reveal.

Recipe for Spinach Gnocchi

2013-01-08T08:02:00.000-10:00

I was intrigued when I saw a recipe for Spinach Gnocchi in the New York Times Health section. It sounded like one of those too good to be true recipes...good intention but bad result. Not True!

These turned out really tasty and, although labor intensive to make, worth the work. I modified the recipe slightly.

Time: about 30 minutes, active plus 2 hours rest time
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

10 ounce box of frozen spinach, defrosted and wrung out in paper towels until very dry
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup AP flour, divided
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more (coarsely grated) for serving
Marinara sauce for serving
Salt and pepper

Method:

Saute the spinach in the oil and butter with the nutmeg and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Once warmed, add half of the flour and all of the ricotta and stir briskly for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and beat in the Parmesan and eggs.
Let cool briefly and then cover and place in fridge for 2 hours.
Place a large piece of parchment down on the counter and put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
Warm the marinara sauce to a gentle simmer.
While the water comes to a boil, flour your hands and the parchment well and take handfuls of the dough and roll out into tube shapes.
Snip or cut the tubes into 1 inch pieces (they are sticky, use plenty of flour).
Drop the gnocchi into the gently boiling water in batches and set the timer to 4 minutes once they rise to the top.
Once each batch is cooked, keep warm in an oiled bowl (I kept mine in the microwave, turned off).
When all are ready, serve topped with sauce and the coarsely grated Parmesan.

These turned out much better than I had hoped and were very satisfying. I had expected them to fall apart in the water and to taste doughy-neither was true! They keep well in the fridge to be warmed gently in sauce the next day.

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Original recipe

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!!

2012-12-31T18:14:00.002-10:00

I hope you have a safe and happy New Year and may 2013 be everything you desire, and more!

Recipe for Holiday Biscuits and Ham

2012-12-30T07:23:00.001-10:00

I hope you're having a peaceful and pleasant holiday season! Growing up in the south, biscuits were a table staple. There were more biscuit recipes than beehive hairdos! Mayonnaise biscuits, butter biscuits, rolled biscuits, drop biscuits,... and one of my favorites, cream biscuits.

These yummy little cream biscuits, spread with some jalapeno (or raspberry) jam, nestled around a piece of ham, and sprinkled with some lemon salt are sure to be a favorite. I served them for both brunch and as an appetizer for a dinner party this holiday. They can be made ahead of time and served room temperature or warmed briefly in the oven. Be sure to use the biscuit cutting technique as described so the biscuits can rise properly and pull apart beautifully when you are ready to add the ham slices.

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 small biscuits

Ingredients:

Your choice of ham (I used a Kirkland ham steak)
Jalapeno or raspberry jam, yellow mustard for serving
Biscuit cutter, small
2 2/3 cups of AP flour (plus more for your hands and the counter)
2 2/3 tsp baking powder
5/8 tsp table salt (not kosher)
2 tsp sugar
2 cups cream
1/4 cup milk
Sprinkling salt (kosher or other large particle salt; I used lemon salt)

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line half-sheet cake pan with parchment or baking mats.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, table salt, and sugar and then stir in the cream.
Turn out on well floured counter and sprinkle top of dough and your hands well with flour.
Knead until well mixed and coming together into a ball, about 1 minute.
Reflour counter and pat dough out to 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep circle, flipping dough over frequently as you pat it out so it doesn't stick.
Using a biscuit cutter, or a small glass with a sharp edge, press down briskly through the dough to form biscuits. Don't twist the cutter, just straight down and then pick it up. The biscuit will either stay put or be in the cutter-you can gently flick it out. If you twist the cutter or use something not sharp, the biscuits will puff up like rolls instead of rising nicely. If you reshape the dough for additional cutting, try to handle it as little as possible, just push it together gently and continue cutting. The second pass biscuits are never as "good looking" as the first pass and you may have to cut them rather than pull them apart.
Brush the top of the biscuits with milk and sprinkle on your sprinkling salt.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.
While biscuits cook, use the cookie cutter to cut out rounds of ham (you can glaze and pan fry the ham if you like).
Cool briefly, then pull each biscuits in half and pop a piece of ham inside.
Serve, or let cool completely and then cover and keep at room temperature for a few hours until ready to serve. If longer than that, keep in fridge and take out far enough ahead to allow them to come to room temperature. Can reheat in 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes if desired.
Serve with your choice of jams (we loved it with jalapeno jam, raspberry jam) or simple yellow mustard.

At the dinner party, I served these with some champagne. Perfect!

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Tragedy

2012-12-17T01:00:00.000-10:00

Recipe for Squash, Spinach, and Mushroom Brown Rice Risotto

2012-12-14T02:00:00.000-10:00

Before I made this recipe I thought "no way can brown rice make a creamy yummy risotto." Guess what? I still feel that way. However, this rice dish was tasty and I was happy with all the veggies and the good nutrition in the recipe and that it was under 250 calories per serving.

Yield: 6 servings
Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 C onions, chopped finely
1 C short grain brown rice
5 C vegetable stock
3 C baby spinach
1 tsp olive oil
1 C sliced mushrooms
4 cups roasted, cubed butternut squash
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
3 tsp finely diced basil, plus more for garnish
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Prepare butternut squash (cut in half, roast for 45 minutes in 400 degree oven, cool, peel and cube; can be done ahead of time).
Heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat in heavy saucepan and add onions when hot.
Cook onions for 3-4 minutes then add rice, stirring frequently.
Cook onions and rice for 5 minutes.
While onions and rice are cooking, heat stock to a simmer and keep on low heat while cooking risotto.
Add 1 cup at a time of stock to the rice/onion mixture and stir frequently while mixture simmers/low boil (about 40 minutes to add all stock).
Check rice for tenderness and if not tender, add additional liquid and keep stirring.
While rice is simmering, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a separate pan and cook mushrooms for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
Once rice is cooked, stir in salt and pepper to taste, and add basil.
Stir in cheese then spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted then add mushrooms and squash.
Serve garnished with basil leaves.

Like any risotto, it's labor intensive so don't plan on making this unless you can hang out right by the stove to do all the stirring!

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Modified from Original recipe

Featured Favorite

2012-12-10T07:12:00.000-10:00

You know those days? The ones where you have good intentions but get derailed by either how busy you are, how good your book and the couch are working for you, or the lack of what you need at the store? Here's one of my favorites for those situations...

Dorots. Frozen chopped herbs (and there is also garlic and ginger which I haven't used) in 1 tsp. servings. Lifesavers when you don't have the fresh stuff available for whatever reason (and no judgement from me if the reason is the book and the couch!).

They're not perfect-won't work for caprese salad for example (but I have something that works there which I'll share another time). And I wish the ingredient list didn't include dextrose and corn starch, but I'm guessing the small amounts are needed for longevity and freezability?

Anyway, they work SOOOO very well for things like stirring in to soups, casseroles, or in this instance, spaghetti sauce I had made a few weeks ago and put up in the freezer. I had good intentions of going to the store for some fresh basil and a bunch of other stuff we needed after getting home from our Thanksgiving trip. Didn't make it. However, a last minute stir in of two little Dorot cubes of basil took the sauce from good to great.

Look in the freezer section at your grocery store...fresh is (almost) always best, but these are a great tool to have on hand. (This post in not sponsored by Dorot).

Happy Cooking!

2012-11-21T11:30:00.000-10:00

Hope you are going to have a great Turkey Day! Just a few teaser photos from prep day in the kitchen.
Above...all the fixin's for our dressing-good bread, onion, celery, apple, chestnuts, herbs, salt and pepper, stock; ready to be baked tomorrow.

And I hope we can stay out of this until tomorrow...

Chef Dennis's amethyst topping bubbling away-cranberries, blueberries, sugar, lemon, cornstarch. Topping for cheesecake tomorrow.

The green beans are washed and prepped; the butternut squash is peeled and cubed; and the potatoes are washed and cubed-soaking in water until tomorrow. Oh, and of course, Tom the turkey is all ready to go!

And finally, maybe most importantly to ensure a well rested and energetic cook tomorrow...reservations at the local tapas place for dinner tonight! What are you prepping today? Happy times in the kitchen!

Recipe for Herbed Pizza Dough-Secret Recipe Club

2012-11-12T07:00:00.000-10:00

It's been a while since I made homemade dough of any kind. I was making fresh bread every week for a while but events this year have had me away from home a lot, so no dough making for me recently. It was therefore easy to pick the recipe from my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month!

Dee from On The Move is from Seattle but she and her hubby spend half the year cruising on their Motor Vessel Rhapsody. Dee shares her activities in the galley on her food blog On The Move-In The Galley and this is where I found her pizza dough recipe, adapted from a Bonita Atkins recipe.

I had never made dough with semolina flour before. It gave a nice structure and color to the dough. I loved adding in the herbs to the dough for more flavor. I did find the dough a bit persnickety when it came to shaping, but persistence paid off and we really enjoyed this new dough recipe. I made one pizza that night and put the other dough ball in the freezer.

Turkey pepperoni, mushroom, mozzarella, red pepper with some sprinkled Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh basil; the raw crust brushed with a little olive oil and a little store bought red pizza sauce.

As per my usual routine, I made the pizza on a peel sprinkled with cornmeal, and then cooked on a preheated pizza stone at 500 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.

LOL, Mr. ELEB just walked by as I am typing this and said "That pizza was really good!" as he looked at the pictures. And there you go. What better endorsement?

Yield: 2 medium pizza crusts
Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pkgs dry yeast (each 1/4 oz)
1 1/2 cups warm water (115 degrees)
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups AP flour plus more for shaping
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP EVOO (plus more for brushing dough before adding toppings)
2 TBSP mixed Italian dry herbs
Cornmeal for sprinkling on pizza peel if using
Pizza toppings of your choice

Method:

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer).
Add the sugar and AP flour and beat vigorously for 1 minute (The dough is like cake batter at this point).
Heat oven to 150 degrees and place mixing bowl on shelf partially pulled out, with oven door open. Leave to rise uncovered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, stir the dough down and add semolina flour, salt, EVOO and herbs.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside.
Using dough hook on mixer, knead for 8 minutes, adding more AP flour as needed to prevent sticking and so a dough ball forms (I had to add about 1/3 cup).
Turn dough out on floured surface and divide and shape into 2 balls.
Wrap one ball in oiled plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag in freezer.
Shape other ball into about a 13 inch crust, place on cornmeal dusted peel, brush with EVOO then add sauce and toppings.
Cook on pizza stone for 12-15 minutes until crust is nicely browned and toppings are cooked to your liking.

Thanks Dee for sharing the recipe and happy cruising!

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Recipe for Shrimp and Veggie Curry

2012-11-07T09:13:00.001-10:00

Here's a recipe for a tasty, quick meal. I always keep some frozen shrimp in the freezer. They can be defrosted quickly in a bowl of room temperature water. Of course, if you have access to freshly caught shrimp, use those. This quick to prepare curry is a little crunchy, a little creamy, with lots of intense flavor, but mild heat. You can up the heat factor if you're a "hottie".
Other than making the rice, if serving with the curry, this can be on the table in about 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes (plus rice)
Ingredients:

½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup diced onion
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes (could use canned)
1 TBSP canola oil
2 TBSP mild curry paste (or 3-4 TBSP curry powder)
1 cup coconut milk
20 medium frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, (defrosted in room temp water rinse or overnight in fridge)
1 cup frozen green peas
2 TBSP coarsely shredded basil plus handful finely diced for serving
Juice from ½ a lime plus wedges for serving
Salt and pepper if needed
Naan or rice for serving

Method:

Heat the oil over medium to medium high heat.
Add diced pepper, onion, and curry paste (or powder).
Cook until veggies are softening, about 5 minutes (turn heat down if browning too much).
Add tomatoes, shredded basil, and coconut milk. Turn heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn heat up to medium. Add shrimp and peas and cook just until shrimp turn from translucent to pink, 5 minutes or less.
Stir in lime juice and taste. Add salt/pepper if needed (I didn't but it depends on your curry paste/powder and your taste buds).
Serve over rice or with naan, garnished with lime wedge and diced basil.

I served this with brown basmati rice that I made earlier in the day and kept warm in the rice cooker. Enjoy!

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Recipe for Butternut Squash and Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

2012-10-25T01:00:00.000-10:00

Well, we're back from a long vacation and visits to see family. After weeks of very little cooking, it's hard to get back in to the groove but I'm trying! I thought I had misplaced my mojo for looking at what's in the pantry/fridge and throwing something together but I was pleased with how this turned out. Even though we don't have a real "Fall" here on Maui, cooking with butternut squash always makes me feel like we do.

I did think, after the first bite, "this would be even better with some bacon in it." That sort of reflects where my taste buds are right now! Actually, it was just fine without bacon. I mean, it has the chicken apple sausage in it! I might try next time subbing some bacon, maybe turkey bacon, for the sausage.

Servings: 4-6

Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut in to small cubes, about 7 cups
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
½ pound whole grain rotini pasta
2 chicken apple sausages, cut in to small cubes
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup finely diced shallots
Cooking spray
3 TBSP cumin (more or less to your taste)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash in enough olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt, pepper, and 1 ½ TBSP cumin; spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until browning, stirring 2-3 times.
Meanwhile, apply a light coat of olive oil to a sauté pan over med/med-high heat.
Add pecans, shallots and sausages and remaining cumin.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until browned.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, let squash cool briefly then put 2/3 of the squash in a food processor.
Process squash until smooth.
Mix together the pureed squash, drained pasta, sausage mixture, and remaining cooked squash.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and fill with mixture.
Top with cheese and place under a broiler for 4 minutes until cheese is melting and beginning to brown.

This was filling without being a heavy pasta dish. It's good to be back home for a while and I hope my mojo is really with me!

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Recipe for Green Goddess Asparagus

2012-10-09T01:00:00.000-10:00

This is a versatile, easy recipe my brother and I put together for a picnic this summer. I've done something similar with green beans too, but I think I slightly prefer the asparagus. The secret to keeping the veggies nice and green is to sprinkle about a TBSP of baking soda in the water while cooking. Cook just a few minutes until still slightly crispy and then quickly shock in an iced water bath to stop the cooking. Marinate in dressing, add some seasonings (if needed) and chopped tomatoes and enjoy!

Yield: 6 servings
Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time in the fridge

Ingredients:

2 bunches of asparagus (or try green beans)
1 TBSP baking soda in cooking water
1/2 cup organic Green Goddess salad dressing
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper as needed
Ice and water

Method:

Bring water to a boil and add baking soda.
Add asparagus and cook gently until just tender but retaining some crunch, probably no more than 3-4 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus stems.
Drain and immediately place in iced water bath (submersed) for 3-4 minutes.
Drain well and stir in salad dressing.
Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
Just prior to serving, remove from marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with tomatoes.

Another nice alternative is to marinate in Italian dressing and top with toasted pine nuts. Enjoy!

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Recipe for Cilantro Lime Pesto Roasted Chicken

2012-10-02T01:00:00.000-10:00

I love all the fun pesto concoctions you can find these days! Different nuts, different herbs... I have my standby pesto recipe that I adore but I found a locally produced cilantro, lime, macadamia nut pesto here on Maui and wow is it good! I had a nice organic free range chicken in the fridge and tried the pesto out in my usual roasted chicken recipe. This was a flavorful, easy dish.

This roasted chicken technique turns out perfect every time. I did, however, almost drop this one transferring it from the pan to the cutting board. Hence the torn up skin where I clamped down with the tongs! Never fear, the chicken made it to the table just fine!

Here is the basic recipe and technique for the chicken. Use your favorite pesto under the skin and rubbed all on the outside and in the cavity.

This roasting technique always turns out juicy and tender chicken, no matter how you season it.

Do a search in the upper right column for chicken and see some other ways I've made this. Enjoy!

Recipe for Fun Rice

2012-09-25T01:00:00.000-10:00

While we were eating this, I was silently musing over what to call it. Mr. ELEB solved the problem for me, calling it "fun rice". I liked the name-it fit-so there you have it!

Yield: 6 servings
Time: 1 hour (depending on rice)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice mix (wild, brown, etc; or just wild rice or brown rice)
2 cups water or broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cook rice mix per package directions (mine was 1 cup mix to 2 cups liquid, simmer for 50 minutes).
When rice is cooked, stir in cranberries and cover for 5 minutes.
Just prior to serving, stir in the pistachios, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

This is super easy and is also good reheated or served cold the following day (the pistachios get slightly soft but still taste great).

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Recipe for Inside Out Caprese Bison Burgers

2012-09-18T01:00:00.000-10:00

From Mr. ELEB: "that's another recipe you can make ANY time you like!" In other words, I think he liked these caprese bison burgers. If you don't have access to ground bison (buffalo), you can use ground turkey or ground beef (lean). If you haven't tried bison, I highly recommend it. You can read more about bison here (and order some really yummy meat).

Yield: 3 substantial burgers

Time: 15 minutes (plus time to heat the grill if grilling outdoors)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound ground bison
2 TBSP finely diced mozzarella cheese
3 slices of mozzarella cheese, about 1/2 inch thick to fit the burgers
2 TBSP finely chopped fresh basil plus 8-10 more leaves
Salt and pepper
Thick slices of ripe tomatoes

Method:

Preheat the grill if cooking outdoors.
Mix the bison, diced mozzarella, and chopped basil together and form 6 balls.
Flatten 3 of the balls and place a slice of mozzarella and a few basil leaves on each of the 3.
Top with the remaining balls of bison and seal and press gently into a patty.
Generously salt and pepper the patties.
Cook over medium to medium high heat in a skillet (or outdoor grill) about 4 1/2-5 minutes per side.
Top with a slice of tomato and serve (can serve with a bun or plain).

When you cut in to these, you get the nice surprise of gently melted mozzarella-yummy! Do a search in the top right column on this blog for other inside out burger recipe ideas. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

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Recipe for Crispy Pan Fried Mahi-Mahi

2012-09-11T01:00:00.000-10:00

Including fish each week on our menus is pretty easy here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And now with the increasing prevalence of high quality, sustainable, flash frozen fish in most grocery stores, anyone anywhere can too. Fish that is processed and frozen right on the boat after being caught retains practically the same nutrient value and flavor as fresh fish (maybe more depending on how "fresh" that fish really is at your grocery store!)

The addition of pistachios to the panko made for a fun change of pace. The flavor was subtle but worth the extra steps.

I pan fried this mahi-mahi but I think you could spritz it with olive or other oil and bake with good results.

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

10 oz. mahi-mahi (or other firm white fish)
1/4 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped very finely in food processor (reserve a few unprocessed for serving)
Olive oil
Salt
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Finely chopped Italian parsley for serving

Method:

Cut out any blood line from fish and pat very dry.
Sprinkle each piece of fish lightly with olive oil.
Mix panko and chopped pistachios together and sprinkle each piece of fish heavily with mixture; press mixture firmly to adhere.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick pan.
Cook fish 5-6 minutes per side, until just beginning to flake when pressed with spatula (don't overcook!).
Remove from pan and blot off any excess oil.
Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and parsley.

Are you seeing more good quality fish in the freezer section of your local store? If not, speak to the manager!

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Recipe for Curried Chicken and Rice Casserole

2012-09-04T01:00:00.000-10:00

We have a great Indian restaurant on Maui and enjoy getting together with a bunch of friends to go stuff ourselves on curries, naan, tandoori meat, lentil dishes..... If it's just the two of us craving Indian flavors, I'll throw together an easy curry. This recipe is an adaptation of a wild rice and chicken casserole I used to make when my kids were small.
It had a lot of sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, cheese...that kind of casserole! For this meal, I used coconut milk, fire roasted tomatoes, Indian spices, and raisins (probably would be good with some sauteed onion-next time!). This was very satisfying and delicious.

Time: about an hour (I cooked the rice and chicken ahead of time, so for just combining and baking-25 minutes)
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 TBSP turmeric
water (or broth/stock)
1 cup mixed rice (wild, brown, black mix or any wild rice mix) cooked according to package
1 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk
1 TBSP garam masala
1 1/2 TBSP curry powder
Few shakes crushed red peppers (more if you like it really spicy hot)
1/2 cup golden raisins
Salt to taste

Method:

Cook rice mixture according to package directions (mine said 50 minutes).
Cook chicken in turmeric and water (or broth/stock) until done, about 12 minutes. Let cool then chop/shred.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix chicken, rice, tomatoes, coconut milk, spices and raisins together. Taste and add salt if needed.
Spray casserole dish and pour mixture in.
Bake for 15 minutes or until well heated through.

Serve with a veggie (ooh, next time I think I'll stir in some English peas) and enjoy!

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Recipe for Stuffed Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

2012-08-28T01:00:00.000-10:00

Mmmm, little pockets of goodness tucked inside a moist, delicious turkey burger! These are a little too fragile for the grill. They cook up quickly in a pan with a little olive oil for browning. Make sure not to overcook or they will be dry.

Servings: 3
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey or turkey breast
1/4 cup julienne cut sundried tomatoes in olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled low fat feta cheese
1 heaping TBSP finely chopped basil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method:

Pour a very fine layer of olive oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium high heat.
While pan heats, mix tomatoes, feta and basil together.
Divide turkey into 6 equal balls and flatten them.
Spoon 1/3rd of tomato mixture on 3 of the pieces of turkey and then top each of them with one of the plain pieces of turkey.
Gently press around the edges to form a sealed burger.
Sprinkle a few drops of olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Cook over med high heat 4-5 minutes per side, until no longer pink inside.

These were just perfect for an evening when we wanted a light but flavorful supper (to make up for overindulging the evening before!).

You can stuff all sorts of different things in these turkey burgers and stuffed burgers are my favorite way to eat ground turkey-I find it too dry otherwise.

Here are some other ways I've served them-Enjoy!

Olive and feta turkey burgers

Stuffed turkey burgers with goat's cheese and roasted red peppers

Blue Cheese, pistachio and cranberry turkey burgers (my personal favorite)

Inside out turkey cheeseburgers

Printable recipe

Recipe for Sesame Salmon and Asparagus

2012-08-21T01:00:00.000-10:00

I've made something similar to this before with capers, lemon, and dill over pasta which Mr. ELEB loves. I didn't have capers, pasta, or dill but I did have some great sockeye salmon so I pulled out some alternatives and, voila', a great dinner was on the table in under 20 minutes.

I served this over couscous 'cause that's what I had, but it would certainly work over pasta or rice.

Serves: 4
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup dry white wine (or broth)
1 lb. sockeye salmon (or other salmon; could even use good quality canned salmon)
1 large bunch thin spear asparagus
1 1/2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1 tsp each white and black sesame seeds (and more for garnish)
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Salt
1 box of couscous (or pasta/rice)

Method:

Poach the salmon in wine (or broth) for 8-10 minutes until just beginning to flake when you press on it (still slightly translucent)
While the salmon poaches, steam the asparagus until tender, about 2-3 minutes and cook the couscous as directed on package.
Chop the asparagus into 3/4 inch pieces and place in mixing bowl.
Flake the salmon and add to the asparagus.
Gently stir in the sesame oil, sesame seeds, lemon juice, and salt (to taste, about 1/2-3/4 tsp). Throw in some of the poaching liquid if you like a "wetter" dish.
Serve over couscous, garnished with more sesame seeds.

I always feel good when we get salmon on the menu at least once a week. Use the "search" box in the top of the right column to see more salmon recipes here on the blog. Hope you enjoy this-we sure did!

Printable recipe

Recipe for Another Summer Super Salad Inspiration

2012-08-14T01:00:00.000-10:00

We enjoyed the last summer super salad so much that I've pretty much added it to the weekly rotation. This version has refreshing and juicy watermelon mingling with blueberries, feta and mint, a simple vinaigrette and a summer staple-grilled chicken. Once again, Mr. ELEB did his magic on the grill and contributed perfectly cooked chicken breasts. A quick vinaigrette whipped together in the blender, a toss together of the watermelon, blueberries, feta and mint, and dinner was on the table in just about 30 minutes.

Time: 30 minutes or less
Servings: 3

Watermelon-Blueberry Drizzle
Ingredients:

½ cup seedless watermelon cubes
¼ cup blueberries
5 mint leaves
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp salt

Method:

Blend together (in blender) until no large chunks remain-it will be watery but will thicken up with 15 minutes in the fridge.

Watermelon, Blueberry, Feta Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups seedless watermelon cubes
1 cup blueberries
½ cup (or more) low fat feta cheese crumbled
10 mint leaves (or more), finely sliced; more for garnish
Salt (if needed, to your taste)

Method:

Gently mix all ingredients together. Add sprinkle of salt if needed when serving.

To prepare:

3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
3 cups romaine (or other lettuces), shredded into bite sized pieces
Sprinkle lettuce with watermelon blueberry drizzle and mound in center of serving platter.
Place chicken breasts over lettuce.
Sprinkle chicken with watermelon blueberry drizzle.
Surround lettuce and chicken with watermelon, blueberry and feta salad.
Garnish with mint.

A hit on all fronts! What summer salads are you putting together?

Printable recipe

Recipe for Herbed Halibut Steaks over White Beans with Tomatoes

2012-08-07T01:00:00.000-10:00

If you'd like to get a healthy, simple, and delicious meal on the table in under 20 minutes, I've got the recipe for you. Check the source for your fish and be sure it is coming from a sustainable source and if you can't get fresh fish, look for flash frozen sustainable fish at high quality grocery stores in the freezer section.

We loved this simple dinner!

Servings: 2
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 halibut steaks
1 can white beans, drained
1 can (good quality) chopped tomatoes
Mixed herb seasoning (I used Kirkland Brand Organic No Salt Seasoning)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, finely chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking pan with parchment.
Sprinkle olive oil and herb mixture over parchment and over both sides of fish.
Bake fish for 7-8 minutes, until beginning to flake (don't overcook).
While fish bakes, heat together the beans and tomatoes, with salt and pepper to taste.
When beans and tomatoes are heated and ready to serve, stir in basil.
Serve fish over bean/tomato mix.

Printable recipe

Recipe for Summer Super Salad Inspiration

2012-07-31T01:00:00.000-10:00

Aloha all,
I'm starting to get caught back up from being away for so long! Hope your summer is going well and you're enjoying some lovely fresh summer produce. Last week, I was really in the mood for a salad of some type for dinner. It was a hot, muggy day and my brain was just feeling lethargic-ever get like that?

Anyway, I knew I wanted a salad but not just any salad. A tasty, "more than lettuce and tomato" kind of salad. I was searching for some inspiration...didn't really find it with a quick look on line or a perusal of this month's food/recipe magazines stacked up (actually I have a few month's worth stacked up). I figured I wasn't the only one who would enjoy a summer salad, so I'm sharing today what I ended up putting together. It was awesome.

First, the kitchen didn't get heated up because Mr. ELEB cooked the chicken outside on the grill. Second, I was able to get some great locally grown produce. And third, the variety of tasty sweet and salty morsels in the salad satisfied my yearnings for something beyond a basic salad. Hope you will be inspired to create your own Summer Super Salad.

Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups mixed lettuces
1 cup diced cucumber
1 1/2 cup finely diced tomato (seeded)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup pistachios (salted, shelled)
2 oz. goat's cheese, crumbled
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
Drizzle of lemon olive oil (or oil and vinegar mixture)
Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat the grill and grill chicken breasts until cooked.
Compose or toss salad ingredients together.
Add chicken.
Dress with olive oil (or oil and vinegar), salt and pepper.

That's it. Easy, satisfying, tasty. And lot's of possibilities for variations. Enjoy!

Printable recipe

Has the Bacon Everything Craze Gone Too Far?

2012-07-16T01:00:00.000-10:00

I'm just sayin'....

Chunky Greek Hummus Plate-Secret Recipe Club

2012-07-09T06:00:00.000-10:00

My first recipe post in a while (see yesterday's post for why) and it's for Secret Recipe Club reveal day! This month I was assigned Linday's blog, The Lean Green Bean. Not only does her website have fun recipes, healthy ones at that (she studying to be a Registered Dietitian) but also inspirational workouts and fitness information.

I chose Lindsay's recipe for Chunky Greek Hummus Plate, a recipe from one of Lindsay and her husband's favorite restaurants. I love hummus and I love Greek salad so this was an easy recipe to get excited about. It was also easy to throw together on the road, using prepared ingredients. I will definitely do it again making my own hummus and Greek salad!

Time: 5 minutes (using prepared ingredients)
Serves: 4 for an appetizer

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared hummus
1 cup finely chopped Greek salad ingredients
Sprinkles of feta cheese, or (as I used) a tzatziki/feta dip)
Chips or veggies for serving (I used pretzel chips)

Method:

Spread hummus on plate.
Top with chopped Greek salad and feta (or sauce).
Serve with chips of your choice.

Thanks Lindsay for a fun appetizer!

To see all the Secret Recipe Club recipes for July, see below.