Karen's Frugal Gourmet

2012-05-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Watermelon Feta Salad.

This is one delish salad. Even if you don't think you like fruit in your salad - you will love this. I can't take credit for it - I got the recipe from Publix Apron's Simple Meals.

Here's your ingredient list:

4 oz feta cheese (I used crumbled so I wouldn't have to cut it up)
2 lb watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces
8 oz grape tomatoes (cut in half)
3 tblsp olive oil
2 tspn white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tspn of salt
3 cups arugula
1 cup thinly sliced red onions (I sliced and the roughly chopped mine)

Whisk the oil, vinegar and salt together and set aside.

Place the arugula, onions, and tomatoes in a salad bowl.

Add vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Add cheese and watermelon.

Toss and serve.

2012-05-07T14:47:00.003-07:00

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers. So, while I try to cook healthy food for the family - we have 2 nights off. One night is always pizza night (not a health food) and the other is a healthier version of something. This is a healthier version of stuffed peppers. It is very good and you won't even realize that you are "missing something". This recipe is supposed to serve 4 - however, in my house it made dinner for 4 with leftovers.

Here's your ingredient list:

4 bell peppers - any color that you like
Oil spray
8 oz spicy Italian chicken sausage (I could not find that in my store so I used hot Italian turkey sausage)
4 sliced green onions
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried)
2 cups marinara sauce (jarred or home-made)
1 cup shredded mozzarella

The recipe that I am quoting says to dice your sausage after it is cooked. I removed it from the casing then broke it up and cooked it.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, halve your peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane. Place them in a roasting pan cavity side up and spray them with oil.

Get out a large bowl and mix together the sausage, green onions, oregano, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Fill the peppers with the sausage and rice mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the peppers are tender (I actually baked mine for 35 minutes).

Serve a lovely salad on the side and you are all set for a fab dinner.

If you have any questions - let me know.

Happy eating

2012-05-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Pork Medallions with Pears and Quinoa. I recently made this for the family and everyone loved it although a few chose not to eat the pears. It is a delicious meal that is low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. As listed this is said to serve 4; however, in our house 4 had dinner and there were leftovers. We started with a salad.

Here is your ingredient list:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch thick slices
4 sliced green onions
1 tbsp EVOO
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 to 1 1/2 lbs ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced (I cut 8 wedges from each pear)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water
2 tsp fennel seeds (I don't like fennel so I did not use this ingredient).

Start cooking the quinoa according to label directions

Press the pork slices with your palm to flatten them a bit.

Sprinkle the pork with some salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet on medium-high and add the oil until heated. Add the pork and cook until browned on both sides (5-6 minutes). Transfer the pork to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the fennel seeds to the skillet cooking for 30 seconds while stirring. Add the green onions, 1/3 cup of water, and garlic - cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the pears and lemon juice (and salt to taste). Cook for 2-4 minutes until the pears begin to soften.

Return the pork to the pan along with any juices and cook 3-6 minutes until the pork is done.

To plate - spoon some quinoa onto the middle of the plate and top with the pork and pear mixture. You can garnish with more green onions if you like.

Happy eating

2012-05-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!! Here is a quick, easy, and healthy meal that is really tasty. It's a great recipe for a night that you don't really feel like cooking. We are talking chicken and herbs with carrot risotto (serves 4).

Here's your ingredient list:

4 garlic cloves
4 medium carrots
EVOO
8 oz orzo (I love orzo)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use home-made)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2 tsp ground coriander
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can purchase bone in and skin on and remove those things for your stockpot) cut into cubes
1/3 cup white wine (I use chardonnay - remember, never cook with a wine that you wouldn't drink)
2 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley.

You need to finely chop your garlic and get your carrots into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces. I throw them in the blender.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium high heat - add orzo and cook for a couple of minutes until it has browned. Add the carrot and garlic and stir. Pour in 2 1/4 cups broth and some salt (if you want it - I cook with very little salt so did not add any). Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer it over low heat around 12 minutes (until orzo is at your desired texture).

While the orzo is simmering - season your chicken with the thyme, coriander, and some salt and pepper (again, I did not use any salt).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high and add the chicken - cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and sprinkle with your parsley.

Add the wine and remaining broth to the skilled and boiled until reduced to 1/3 cup (1-2 minutes).

Taste the orzo and adjust seasoning.

To serve, place orzo on plate then some chicken and spoon the pan juice over the chicken.

If you have any questions - let me know.

Happy eating,

A true gourmet meal at home

2012-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hi friends - it's been a long time. I am going to tell you about an ab fab meal I made for dinner at home today that is high end restaurant worthy. I'm not gonna lie - this is not anything near "heart healthy" or "figure friendly"; but remember when I said that some things shouldn't be messed with? Well this is one of those - a "special occasion" meal.

Herb crusted loin lamb chops with roasted asparagus, potatoes, and mushroom gravy. I'm going to break up everything into cooking segments and then tell you how I managed to get everything to the table at the same time. This is a long one - so get a cocktail, sit down, and dig in.

INGREDIENT LISTS and COOKING INSTRUCTIONS for 4 servings:

4 Loin lamb chops (one chop her person - they are small but the sides make for a full meal)

4 loin lamb chops (1 inch thick)
4 cloves of garlic pressed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (lightly crushed)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (lightly crushed)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix your herbs, seasoning, and oil - rub the mixture onto your chop and let them marinate for 30-60 minutes.

I cooked mine on an indoor grill - you can also pan fry or grill outside. Cook your chops for 6-8 minutes per side (depending on your taste). That's it - they're done. Place them on a platter, cover with foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Roasted asparagus

1-1.5 lbs asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the asparagus and lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven anywhere from 15-25 minutes (the timing depends on the thickness of the asparagus).

Potatoes

This category has lots of wiggle room. I roasted mine in a garlic butter sauce. You can make your own version of roasted potatoes or make mashed or not make potatoes at all and serve a salad instead.

Mushroom gravy

8-16 oz fresh mushrooms (sliced) - I used cremini - you can use whatever you have or like
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1.5 cups cold water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderately low heat, add the garlic and cook until it is a pale golden color. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and saute the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown.

Add the wine and vinegar and boil the mixture until the liquid is evaporated. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the skillet along with the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir, and simmer for 2-5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. That's it, you're done.

Here is how I did it

1. Chopped, minced, and measured out all ingredients for all recipes.

2. Set the oven to preheat, prepared the potatoes and asparagus then started the mushroom gravy. Put the potatoes in the oven.

3. Set my grill to preheat, put the asparagus in the oven and finished the gravy (set the gravy aside on a low flame).

4. Grilled the chops while everything else was going on. While the chops were resting, I brought everything else to the table.

It was a really delicious meal. I know loin lamb chops are very expensive (that's why this is the first time I've had them in many years) but this meal is so worth the expense and so much more inexpensive to make at home. I think (not based on my cooking skill - just based on restaurant prices in general) this meal would probably go for something like $28 a plate and I made the whole thing to serve 4 for less than that.

If something is not clear or you have a question, message me.

Happy eating

Chicken Saltimbocca - DELISH!

2012-02-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have gone missing for so long. I have been experimenting with the New Year New Us recipes and have discovered that some things are better left untampered with. If you want a lovely slice of quiche once every couple of months - go for it - cream, whole eggs, and all. I made a "healthier" version and it was disgusting. Same for a bunch of things I tried making healthier. My poor family was ready to throw me out LOL.

I found an absolutely amazing chicken saltimbocca recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis. It is diet friendly and heart healthy. Everyone in the house thought it was delicious and you will too. Best of all - it is easy to make.

Here's your ingredient list:

6 chicken cutlets, approx 3 oz each. I bought breasts, skinned and deboned them, then sliced and pounded them into cutlets. Cutlets are $4.99 a lb and the breasts I bought cost $0.99 a lb (on sale). I put the bones in a baggie in the freezer for making stock.
6 thin slices prosciutto (what luck - pre-packaged prosciutto was on sale BOGO this week).
1 10-oz box chopped spinach (thawed)
3 tblsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan (or whatever cheese you happen to have on hand)
14 oz chicken broth or stock (or veggy)
2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay out your cutlets and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each cutlet.

Squeeze the extra water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss with 1 tblsp oil to coat.

Place a thin layer of spinach on the prosciutto slices and then sprinkle the cheese over each. Roll up each cutlet like a jellyroll and secure with toothpicks.

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until just golden (around 2 minutes per side). You are not looking to completely cook the chicken - it will cook more in the next step.

Remove the chicken and add the broth and lemon juice. Scrape up the browned bits and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and return the chicken to the pan for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and continue cooking the liquid over high heat until it has reduced to around 2/3 cup (5 minutes or so). Remove the toothpicks from the chicken and drizzle the cooking liquid over it.

Nutritional information per serving (one piece) - 227 calories, 11g fat, 2g saturated fat, 27g protein, 4g carbs, 1g sugar, 63mg cholesterol and 700mg sodium.

Here We Go - burger comparison

2012-01-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, I crave a beef burger from time to time. I don't usually do fast food (maybe 4-6 times a year) and prefer to make my burgers at home. We don't do burgers often so I am always on the lookout for GREAT burger recipes. I found this one on the cover of a cooking magazine and it looked so amazing - it enticed me - it called out to me. So I bought the magazine several months ago and made it. It was amazing but soooo unhealthy (I know beef burgers are not a health food but this one is worse for you than most). I am listing the ingredients and recipe as in the magazine and then offering MY recipe which is more realistic as far as nutritional guidelines are concerned, and then finally some tips to make it even healthier.

The recipe is for beef burgers, sour cream onion rings, and red ranch dressing.

Here's the ingredient list:

Sour cream onion rings:

Frying oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 onion cut into 1 inch slices and separated into rings
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallion greens
salt and pepper to taste

Burgers

2 lbs ground sirloin
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for drizzling
4 brioche rolls
chopped crisp lettuce

Red ranch dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup low sodium ketchup
1 large grated garlic clove
2-4 tbs finely chopped mixed fresh herbs
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Mix the dressing ingredients together and put in fridge.
Mix the ground sirloin, worcestershire, salt, and pepper - set aside.
Mix the buttermilk and sour cream in a bowl and place the onion rings in to soak for a few minutes. Mix the flour, chives, salt and pepper together on a plate. Take the onion rings from the wet mixture and dredge them in the flour - then once again in the wet mixture and again in the flour.
Fry the rings in oil for 4 minutes in small batches.
Divide your ground sirloin into 4 burger patties or 12 slider patties. Coat them with olive oil and cook in a hot skillet or grill for 8-10 minutes for burgers or 4-6 minutes for sliders.

To serve, take a bun, layer on the dressing, lettuce, burgers, and onion rings.

Here's what I say - REALLY? Does anyone need a 1/2 lb burger? The author of the recipe suggested you skip lunch in order to indulge.

Here are the changes I made to make it more "realistic".

I used 1 lb of the meat mixture to make 6 burger patties - I wrapped up and froze the other lb for when the burger craving strikes next month.

I used regular grocery store packaged burger buns.

I did not double dip the onion rings nor did I drizzle the patties with olive oil before grilling.

Here is the analysis of nutritional info just based on the burger and bun differences.

Original recipe:

716 calories
62% of your daily fat allowance
85% of your daily saturated fat allowance
79% of your cholesterol allowance
46% of your daily sodium allowance.

My recipe:

350 calories
29% of your daily fat allowance
35% of your saturated fat allowance
27% of your cholesterol allowance
12% of your sodium allowance.

Just a couple of changes makes a HUGE difference - always remember portion control is #1.

Other ways to make this even healthier would be to use whole grain buns and use low fat or fat free sour cream

Happy eating!!
K

New Year - New Us

2012-01-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi my friends,

I'm going to try something a little different for the new year. I, like many of us, have got to lose some weight this year. The problem is, like many of us, I LOVE my food. I spend a lot of time reading recipes in magazines, cookbooks, and online. I am appalled that so many trusted sources do not at least try to follow nutrition guidelines. I am also appalled that unless we do our homework, we may not know how unhealthy a lot of these recipes are. I am going to try to do the homework for all of us. This is a huge undertaking and, as I found today, a very daunting task. So, I will probably only post once or twice per week because I will not post a "realistic" version unless I have tried it and find it worthwhile.

I will be trying to post a summary of the original recipe I find that sounds good and offer a "realistic" version according to nutrition guidelines and some tips on making it even better for you as a third option. Where I can, I will list nutrition values - I am particularly interested in calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein.

I will be posting my first recipe comparison later tonight. If you find it confusing or not helpful - let me know. Also let me know if you like what I'm doing. I'm flying by the seat of my pants here and appreciate any and all comments, suggestions, input.

Happy eating
K

Potato Leek Soup

2012-01-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hi my friends,

We had a cold spell here in Florida and I found myself craving homemade soup. I remembered that I loved potato leek soup in my younger days and found that I had most of the ingredients already in the house. I made a huge pot and it was so delicious that the soup that I had thought would last a couple of days was all gone on the day I made it. It is extremely inexpensive to make and you can change a couple of the ingredients to make it as healthy as you want (or as decadent as you want). I vote for the decadent version - consider it a once in a while splurge. I am posting the recipe for the decadent version. This batch of soup (8-10 servings) cost me around $5 to make. It may cost you a bit more if you don't have most of the ingredients on hand.

For a healthier version, use something like Smart Balance butter and 2% milk (I do not suggest using skim).

Your ingredient list:

3 tbsp butter or Smart Balance
3-4 leeks - washed well and thinly sliced (use only the white and light green parts - save the dark greens for your stock pot)
1 large onion chopped
6-8 potatoes scrubbed and thinly sliced
3-4 cups chicken or veggy broth
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2, or whole milk, or 2% milk)
1 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
chopped fresh chives (to taste - I used approx 2 tbsp) or jarred chives
chopped parsley (to taste - I used approx 1 tbsp) or jarred parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot on medium-high heat, add the butter, then add the onions and leeks. Cook until they are soft. Add the sliced potatoes and the broth. You only want the broth to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Add the chili powder and bay leaves. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Remove the bay leaves and, at this point you have a few options. I used a potato masher to mash the potatoes a bit and then put 1/3 of the soup into my blender and pulsed it a few times. You can choose to not mash anything, or do what I did, or pulse all of your soup (in batches) in the blender. It all depends on the consistency you are looking for. DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR - it will turn it into a glutenous mass. Return everything to the pot, add the cream (or milk), chives, and parlsey and cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes.

If you find the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with more broth.

Happy eating,
K

Let's talk greens

2011-12-29T14:16:00.000-08:00

Hi my friends,

We all know that dark leafy greens are oh so good for us, yet most of us don't eat enough of them. I find that I really don't know what to do with them - except for spinach. I found a wonderful recipe for collard greens that I'd like to share. The great thing about collards right now is that they are cheap, cheap, cheap. You can get them for $1 a bag at Publix this week. The recipe as stated serves many as a side dish (8 or so) and costs about $2 to make. This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen.

Ingredient list

1/2 lb smoked meat (I used ham hocks) You can leave the meat out if you are vegetarian
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp hot sauce (adjust to taste)
1 bag collard greens - or one large bunch
1 tbsp butter (I don't use this)

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add the smoked meat, all seasonings, and hot sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. If you are not using the meat - you can probably just simmer for 10 minutes or so.
If using bagged greens, you don't need to do anything to them but remove the larger stem pieces. If using fresh unpackaged greens you will have to strip the leaves off the stems (expect for the tender leaves in the middle of the bunch - those don't need to be stripped). Stack the greens, roll them together, and slice them.
Add the greens to your pot and add the butter. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Happy eatting
K

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-12-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Hi my friends,

I hope you are enjoying your holiday. My friend, Cindy, gave this recipe to me today and I made it for lunch. It is so good and inexpensive to make. As the recipe is stated below - it cost about $12. It serves 8 as a full meal and can stretch to 10-12 if you serve a salad and bread on the side. I used low fat or fat free soups (where available) and 50% reduced sodium chicken stock. I don't normally cook with canned soups but this sounded so delish, I had to try it.

Your ingredient list:

10.5 oz cans of each of the following; cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery, and cheddar cheese soups.
15 oz reduced sodium or homemade chicken broth (I actually used about one cup more than that).
7 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes (low sodium if you can).
1/2 cup chunky salsa
4 1/2 oz can diced green chilies
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp red chili powder
salt and pepper to taste (since you are using canned soup - you really won't need any additional salt)
2 chicken breast halves cooked and chopped (I bought a ready made rotisserie chicken and used 1/2 of it).

Place all of your ingredients (except for the chicken) in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the chopped chicken and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. I cut flour tortillas into strips and briefly fried them for garnish. I served the soup this way; spoon soup into bowls, top with a tsp of sour cream, lay some fried tortilla strips on top of the sour cream, and then sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar.

It looks good and tastes great.

Happy eating.
K

Portion control

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hi my fellow foodies,

Sorry for my long absence, as many of you know I was sick for a while. Today I want to share a little bit of information regarding serving sizes. We live in a country where obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are on the rise. A good part of the reason for that is lack of portion control. I'm not scolding - I'm guilty of it. I am overweight and have heart disease.

Today, I began looking up some "special" holiday recipes. In particular, I was looking up steak and eggs for brunch on Christmas and Rib Roast for New Year's. Here are just 2 examples of what I found. They are both from extremely trusted (by everyone) recipe sources.

One of the steak and egg recipes I look at included (2) 10-14 oz T-bone steaks - this was meant to serve 2. Really??? A serving of beef is 3 oz. So this recipe should really serve 7-9 people (at least the steak portion).

Right this moment I am looking at a recipe in a magazine. It is a recipe for garlic and herb crusted prime rib with brown butter sauce. It sounds really yummy - but their serving size with eventually kill you. It calls for an 8 lb bone-in prime rib roast (serves 8). Okay - even when taking away the weight of the bones - according to the 3 oz rule - this should really serve something like 25.

I don't know about you, but I think that when we go to internationally trusted sources for recipes - we should not have to do a bunch of homework in order to make it "real".

Happy holidays and happy eating.
K

Amazing pork chops

2011-11-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hi my fellow foodies. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Sorry to have been gone for so long but I never want to post a recipe that I have not cooked myself. I had already posted all of my Thanksgiving recipes - thus my absence.

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com and tweeked it a bit. I am listing MY recipe. If you use it and tweek it yourself, I would love to hear from you about it. I have not made pork chops in a very long time because mine where always dry - these are so moist and delicious - you will love them.

As listed, this recipe will feed 6-8. I like to cook extra so there are leftovers to pack for lunch. If you need to cook for fewer people, cut back on the amount of chops and seasoned flour. The gravy is delish so you may not want to cut back on that, particularly if you want to save some for another meal.

Here's the ingredient list:

1.5 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons onion powder
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 teaspoon salt (use more if you like - we don't use a lot of salt when cooking - dietary reasons)
1 teaspoon pepper
6 pork chops - 1/2 inch thick - bone in
1/4 cup oil
2 cups chicken broth (homemade is best)
1 cup buttermilk (I use lite)
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional - I did not use it)

Start heating a large skillet on medium heat and drizzle the oil into the skillet. While the oil is heating, prepare your chops.

In a shallow pan, mix the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture and shake off the excess flour.

When the oil is hot, place your chops into the pan (in a single layer, depending on the size of your chop and pan - you may have to cook up to 3 batches). Fry the chops for 3 minutes per side and remove them to a plate. Continue until all of the chops are browned. Pink liquid will weep out of the chops on the plate - don't worry - you will be cooking them further.

Once all the chops are browned, sprinkle some of the seasoned flour into the skillet (2-3 tablespoons). Stir the mixture until the flour has dissolved and cook for one minute. Add your chicken broth and stir up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Let this mixture reduce and thicken a little (it will not get very thick - just slightly thick). Take a little bit of the broth mixture and temper your buttermilk with it while constantly stirring. If you don't temper the milk, you will wind up with a separated mess that will take a lot of time to fix. Once the milk is tempered, add it to the skillet. Place the pork chops back into the skillet - cover it, and simmer them for 10 minutes total. If you are cooking 6 chops, you will need to move the ones from the bottom of the skillet to the top after 5 minutes. If your chops fit into your skillet in a single layer, just simmer for 5 minutes.

Place your chops on a serving plate and sprinkle with the parsley. Or, you can just serve your chops right from the skillet.

I served this with green beans and wild rice. Everyone loved it - even my pickiest eaters.

Happy eating
K

Fabulous use for leftover turkey or ham!!

2011-11-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends,

This is a delicious recipe that is so, so easy to make. I made it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. I am going to use it and add my leftover turkey to make it extra special. It will also work with leftover ham.

It is a carbonara recipe with some lemon added. You will love it. As listed it is supposed to serve 4 but in my house it served 6.

Here is your ingredient list:

1 lb pasta
1/2 lb finely chopped pancetta (I used 1/4 lb and it was fine)
1 bunch of green onions finely chopped - keep the green parts and the white parts separate as you will add them at different times.
1 small chili pepper - I used an Anaheim - you can use whatever type you like or omit it all together.
6 gloves of garlic chopped finely
1 large lemon (zest it in one bowl and juice it in another)
Thyme - you can use either fresh or jarred dehydrated. I used 2 tsp of jarred.
3/4 cup of dry white wine
3 egg yolks
Finely chopped parsley (about 2 tblsp)
2 cups grated cheese - I used a combo of parm reggiano and pecorino romano.
shredded basil and diced yellow tomatoes for garnish (I'm not that fancy and don't spend money on garnish - so I did not use these).

You will cook your pasta until al dente - drain it but reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While cooking your pasta, do the following:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and pour in about 3 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever oil you have).
Add the pancetta and cook until lightly browned.
Stir in the whites of the green onions, chile pepper, and garlic. Cook for a minute or two.
Add the lemon zest and thyme and cook for 3 minutes or so
Add the wine and cook until it has reduced about 4 minutes.
Then turn your heat to low

Beat the egg yolks and slowly add the reserved pasta water to them to temper them. DON'T add the hot water all at once - it will scramble the eggs. Add it slowly while beating.

You will now add the lemon juice, parsley, and green parts of the green onions to your skillet. Give it a stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Now, add your pasta to the skillet, turn off the heat underneath the skillet and add the eggs and cheese. Mix well and serve.

When I make this with my leftovers, I will add the turkey meat while the wine is reducing in the skillet.

Happy eating
K

The Greatest Gravy EVER!!!!

2011-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me. Once she told me I could make it and freeze it - I was all over it. One less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving. I made it yesterday and it truly is the greatest gravy ever. You may look at the recipe and say "that seems like a pain" - you do need to have a few hours just to look in on it while it's cooking. It is worth every darn second. I wanted to get a loaf of bread and just sit down in front of the TV, dunking bread in the gravy. I resisted and got it in the freezer. It is just so delicious. Thanks Joan.

Here's your ingredient list and original recipe as given to me. I changed an ingredient or two and will let you know what I changed.

4 turkey wings - about 3-4 lbs (I used smoked turkey drums)
2 medium onions peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth
2 medium carrots cut in chunks
2 medium ribs of celery (with leaves, cut into chunks)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme (I lacked fresh so used some ground dehydrated from a jar)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp stick butter or margarine
1 tsp freshly ground pepper or to taste

I used homemade stock so found that I needed to add some salt.

1. Heat oven to 400. Have ready a large roasting pan.
2. Put wings in pan; add onions. Roast 1 1/4 hour or until wings are browned
3. Put wings and onions in a 5 to 6 qt pot. Add water to roasting pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups of broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), the carrots, celery & thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove wings. When cool, pull off skin and meat. Save meat for another use.
5. Strain broth into a 3 qt. saucepan. Discard vegetables; skim off fat
6. Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended and smooth
7. Bring broth in saucepan to a gentle boil. Whisk the flour mixture into it and boil 4 to 5 minutes to thicken (I found there to be a little bit of raw flour taste after 5 mins so cooked for an additional 5 mins). Stir in butter and pepper. Serve or pour into containers to refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.

Happy eating!!

K

Steak house quality onion rings

2011-11-13T04:26:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends. I found this recipe in an old Rachel Ray magazine. These onion rings are the best I've ever made at home. I don't do a lot of fried things but who doesn't love a good onion ring once in a while. I'm also posting a recipe for a red ranch sauce that was in the same magazine article. I made both last night with burgers and everything was sooo tasty. I can see using these rings on po' boy sandwiches and steak. The sauce can be used on all types of beef dishes as well as fish dishes.

Onion rings ingredient list

Oil for frying
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I don't suggest using the "cheat" of regular milk and vinegar - get a carton of buttermilk - I used lite).
1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite and it was fine).
1 1/2 cups flour (it sounds like a lot for what you are making, but believe me you need it all).
1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallion greens (I did not have either so used dried Italian seasoning - it was okay but next time I will try the chives or scallions).
1 large onion or 2 medium cut into 1 inch slices and separated into rings.
Salt and pepper.

Here's your recipe.
Start heating your oil in a pan or deep fryer.
Mix the sour cream and buttermilk in a bowl. Mix your flour, salt, pepper, and chives/scallions in another shallow bowl. You will start out dipping the rings in the wet mixture then dredging in the flour mixture. Dip again in the wet and again in the dry. Place a few rings in your oil and fry for around 4 minutes (until golden). Place the cooked rings on a cooling rack. DO NOT place them on a paper towel lined plate - they will get soggy on the under side.

Red ranch sauce ingredient list

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup ketchup
1 large garlic clove either grated, pasted, or crushed (I did crushed).
3-4 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (chives and parsley are suggested but as I had neither, I opted for dried Italian seasoning and it worked well).
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce to taste (I used Texas Pete about 1 1/2 tsp - a staple in my house).

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Here is how I served this with the burgers.

Place your burger on a bun, top with an onion ring. Use the onion ring as a damn and put some chopped greens (whatever you like - I used Romaine lettuce) inside the ring, top off with the sauce, add your top bun and enjoy.

This was one truly delicious burger.

If you use the rings or the sauce for another dish - please share what you did with them.

Happy eating
K

A conversation starter

2011-11-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hello my fellow foodies,

Today there will be no recipe or tips; rather, I have a question for you. What kitchen utensils or devices could you not live without? If it's something out of the ordinary like a ricer or food mill, please tell us why you could not live without it.

I'll start. The things I could not live without in the kitchen are my very sharp santuko knife, a large cutting board, and a good saute pan.

Happy eating.
K

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken

2011-11-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends,

Many of us have had to give up the lovely taste of good fried chicken due to high levels of fat, etc. I have tried many different "oven fried" chicken recipes and I have to say - there's no such thing as a good oven fried chicken recipe. However, I found a really good crispy oven baked chicken recipe that, on occasion, should satisfy your need for fried. And, it's a heart healthy, diabetic friendly recipe.

Here's your ingredient list

Chicken (I used 3 pieces split chicken breasts, cut the meat off the bone, put the bones in my "save for stock" bag and then cut each breast half into 2-3 pieces). Following my method made it very economical - I got the split breasts on sale for 89 cents a lb and what would normally constitute 3 servings at the typical dinner table turned in to 7 because I cut up the breasts.
Corn flake crumbs - start with 2 1/2 cups of flakes and pulverize them into crumbs.
Dried Rosemary (crushed) or fresh, finely chopped - around 1 tsp or more if you prefer.
Black pepper to taste
Fat free or low fat milk
Spray oil.

Lightly spray your baking dish with oil and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the corn flake crumbs, rosemary, and pepper in a bowl.
Pour about 1/2 cup of milk into a separate bowl.
Place your chicken in the milk, shake off the excess, and place in the crumb mixture. Press down the crumbs with your fingers.
Place your crumbed chicken pieces on a wire rack (a cooling rack) and let it rest for 10 minutes. The crumbs will not adhere properly otherwise.
When your chicken has rested, place it in your baking dish and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

Wasn't that easy? You can also add cayenne or any other type of herbs and seasoning you want to the crumbs. It all depends on what you like.

I serve this with steamed veggies and oven roasted potatoes. A delicious and satisfying meal that (given the chicken was on sale) cost $7 to feed 6 of us.

Happy eating.
K

More money saving tips

2011-11-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hi my friends:

How much food money can you save in one year? Hundreds with just a few minor changes in how you cook and shop.

I've figured out my actual savings for various things and thought I would share.

1. Making stock from kitchen discards saves me $96 a year - I use approximately 2 quarts of stock per month and what I make costs nothing versus $1.79 per quart store bought. The extra bonus - having some control over sodium and fat content.

2. Using dried beans saves me around $16 a year. I use an average of one pound of dried beans a month (89 cents a lb) which cooks up to approximately 4 cans of ready to use at 89 cents per can. The extra bonus - no preservatives or color enhancers.

3. Making my own marinara sauce from canned tomatoes saves me around $104 a year. Next year I'm going to start making my marinara from home-grown tomatoes and will save double or triple that.

My other 2 tips for today are about how we stock our fridge/freezer/pantry and what happens to leftovers.

Never, ever stock your fridge, freezer, or pantry so much that you really have no idea what is in there. On grocery shopping day, I take an hour to take a look to see what I already have and try to build the week's dinner menu around the items that will be expiring soon. It also makes sense to see what herbs and spices you have on hand. You may decide that you are making something that requires dried savory - check to see if you already have it. I did not always do this and I wound up wasting money. It doesn't make sense to stock up on stuff that will expire before you use it. You will probably save $200 a year by being more aware of what you have on hand and when it expires.

Leftovers - lots of people don't like having a "repeat". If you wind up with leftovers you have some options. Freeze them (if they lend themselves to that), pack them for lunch, or do what my family does - have leftover night once a week. Most nights we wind up with one or two extra servings of dinner. We save them up and Friday is "pot luck" night. We pull out all the leftovers and everyone picks what they want, makes a plate, and heats it in the microwave. We only throw away food when it becomes unsafe to eat; which is an extremely rare occasion. You will probably save around $300 a year with this tip.

These few easy to do things can save you around $700 a year.

Any questions - let me know.
Happy eating.
K

Prepping your Turkey for the big day

2011-11-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

One week before you need your turkey, put it in the fridge to defrost. It will take about 3 days. Don't use any quick defrosting method - don't put it on the counter and NEVER, EVER put your turkey in water to speed up the process. Fridge defrosting is best. Once your turkey has defrosted, remove the packet of organs, and give the turkey a rinse.

Get out your bucket or cooler and add the following to it.

2 quarts broth/stock
3/4 cup salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 diced onion
2 diced carrots
3 diced ribs celery
1 head of garlic cut in half equatorially
fresh rosemary
fresh sage
6 bay leaves
8 peppercorns

You can add whatever other herbs you like.

Place your turkey in the brine breast side down and fill your bucket with enough water to cover the turkey. You will leave your turkey in the brine for 3 days in the fridge. You don't need to to anything else to it while it's brining unless you cannot put your bucket in the fridge; then you will have to keep adding ice to it. You can cut it down to 2 days if you aren't able to put it in the fridge but I wouldn't recommend anything less than 2 days.

Remove the turkey after 3 days and pat it dry. Then place it in a pan in the fridge overnight - do not cover it. You want to keep it uncovered so that the skin has a chance to dry (this will help give you a golden brown color when roasting and makes the skin deliciously crunchy).

Stay tuned for my roasting recipe.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Happy eating.
K

Start getting ready for Turkey Day!

2011-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hello my foodie friends!

I am going to start posting some great Turkey day recipes in the next week or so. Don't worry, I will be handing out tips and other recipes as well. I want you to start getting ready for the big eating event though. If you start now - you will be saving a lot of money by the time we get to The Big Dinner.

This week, you need to start making your veggy/chicken/whatever stock and freezing it because you will need a lot for the wonderful feast. Look up my recipe for making stock - even if you make a small batch every week or every other week with all of your leftover tidbits, you won't have to buy stock to make your stuffing, gravy, etc. This will save you anywhere between $5 and $8 because your stock made from leftovers doesn't cost anything to make. I know $5 doesn't sound like a lot but if you can save $5 here and $5 there - it adds up.

I have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for something like 16 years. I have tried lots of different tips for making the perfect turkey and a few years ago, I finally tried brining because my brother-in-law swore it was the key. He was right.

The biggest money saving tip I can offer is - buy your turkey when they are on sale for some ridiculous price. I promise that the brining method I will post at a later date will make even the cheapest turkey taste like a million bucks. Two years ago, I bought a frozen turkey for 59 cents a pound - after using my coupon, the 20 lb turkey cost me something like $9.00. It sat in my freezer for a week or so and I was not confident that it would be any good. It was delicious. Last year I bought an organic, free range, pre-brined, blah, blah, blah turkey (it cost $105). I thought it was going to be the most amazing thing I ever ate - it wasn't. It was good but no better than the $9.00 turkey from the previous year. So start looking for a bargain turkey.

The one thing I have to tell you before you go turkey shopping is this - the defrosting/brining/drying/cooking method that I am talking about will take at least 6 days. So if you want to embark on this adventure, you have to have patience. You will also need a vessel (I use a very large bucket) that will hold your turkey under some sort of refrigeration for 3 days. If you don't have a fridge big enough (or empty enough) to hold the turkey in it's vessel, you can purchase a cheap styrofoam cooler for this purpose (and keep it in the garage, kitchen floor, etc) - you will just need to keep adding ice to it to keep it cold.

Are you intrigued? Are you excited about serving an awesome turkey dinner that will cost less than $5.00 per serving. That $5.00 per serving includes your turkey, gravy, some sort of bread, 2 sides, and 2 veggys. We will talk about dessert another time.

If you have any questions or need me to repost my stock recipe - let me know.

Happy eating
K

Parmesan Pork - DELISH!!!

2011-10-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything new in a while - I didn't have anything new or fun to add. I will be adding some Thanksgiving recipes soon - you can look forward to my turkey brining method that will result in such a delicious turkey you will wonder where the recipe has been all your life LOL.

I have to give credit to the "Simple Meals" people at Publix. This recipe originates from one of theirs with a couple of changes made by me. As always, this is an inexpensive recipe and (with sides) costs $4.00 per serving. You may read the ingredient list and think I'm crazy but if you make this one when the pork is on sale BOGO, it's $4.00 a serving. The original recipe says this serves 4 but with the right sides and using my "slice the meat before it heats the table" method - you can serve 6.

I try not to suggest pre-packaged or processed items in my recipes and will offer a fresher equivalent when I can - in this case, I have not had the opportunity to experiment enough to substitute something for the Knorr's seasoning.

This recipe may seem a bit difficult - but it really isn't. I got great results the first time I used it. Just read it through before you start.

Here's your ingredient list:

1 pork tenderloin or loin (around 1 lb or so). I always use the cheaper, pre-packaged pork loin.
1 lemon - for zest and juice
6 sprigs fresh parsley (whatever type you prefer - flat or curly) or you can use the dehydrated
1 cup panko
1/2 cup grated cheese (whatever type you prefer - parm, romano - it makes no difference - the quality of cheese is also up to you - fresh grated or jarred already grated)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 egg whites
2 tsp cornstarch
10 fresh sage leaves (or dehydrated equivalent)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tblsp butter
1 packet Knorr's garlic and herb sauce mix (found in the gravy/sauce packet section)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I sometimes hate how recipes are divided and confusing. I am writing down this recipe the easiest way I have found to follow it. If you find it confusing, please comment so I can adjust it accordingly.

You will need two shallow, long bowls - I use disposable aluminum pans (however, I wash them after using so I can use them again).

In the first pan mix the following: lemon zest, finely chopped parsley (or jarred flakes), panko, grated cheese, salt, and pepper.

In the second pan mix the following: lemon juice, egg whites, and cornstarch.

Dip your pork into the egg mixture, then roll it into the bread crumb mixture. Press the crumb mixture onto the pork with your hands.

Place the pork into a shallow baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes (internal temp of 160 degrees).

While the pork is baking, it's time to make the sauce (it is so delicious, it will make you cry).
Chop the sage (if using dehydrated, no need to chop) and set it aside. In a small saucepan combine the milk, butter, and sauce seasoning packet. Bring to a boil and whisk until well blended. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sage - cook 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens.

Remove your pork from the oven, let it rest a few minutes, slice it and pour the sauce over it.

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans.

As always, if you have any difficulty with any of the recipes I post - let me know.

Happy eating
K

Delicious pasta

2011-10-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
Sorry I'm a day late with the secret to restaurant-quality pasta, but the simple tip is worth the wait. You can use this for any type of pasta whether it be home made, store bought refrigerated, or store bought boxed. I usually use boxed (it's so much cheaper).

All you have to do is cook your pasta 2-3 minutes shy of al dente. Drain it and place it in a high-sided saute pan and finish cooking the pasta in your sauce (whatever that sauce may be) with a little pasta cooking water added. The pasta has time to absorb some of the flavors of the sauce. Try it, it makes a big difference. If using home made pasta and you don't have the time for it to dry - I suggest cooking the pasta directly in the sauce.

As an added bonus - here is a recipe for a lovely sauce. The dish (when using boxed pasta) costs approximately $2.50 per serving. As I've listed it, the recipe serves 6 with some leftovers. Add a simple salad and some garlic bread and you're all set.

Here's your ingredient list:

2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin is preferred but use whatever you have on hand)
4 oz chopped bacon (the original recipe called for pancetta or unsmoked bacon but I used turkey bacon)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground is always preferred but I used regular pepper out of a shaker)
3/4 cup minced onion
2 minced gloves garlic
1 28-oz can tomatoes -whole canned tomatoes are preferred but I used crushed and the sauce was just fine
1 lb pasta - whatever type or shape you prefer
1/4 cup grated cheese (whatever type you prefer)

Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until crisp (about 4 minutes). Add the pepper flakes and black pepper and stir for a few seconds. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft. This will take around 8 minutes - make sure you stir the sauce every now and then.

While you are cooking the sauce, you should have your pasta going. When it is 2-3 minutes short of al dente, drain it (reserving around 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid) and pour it into the pot with the sauce. Toss the pasta into the sauce and add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta liquid. Cook for a few minutes (3 or 4) until the pasta is cooked to your liking. While cooking, if the sauce seems too dry, add a little more of the reserved pasta liquid.

When the pasta is finished, sprinkle in your grated cheese, stir, and transfer to serving bowls.

Happy eating.
Karen

Stir fry

2011-10-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hi friends, as promised here is my stir fry recipe to serve with your wonderful white rice. This recipe is diabetic and heart friendly. As listed, this recipe can serve 6 (I've done it and had leftovers) and costs approximately $3.50 per serving.

Your ingredient list:

Cooking spray
2 tsp veggy oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 minced cloves garlic
1 lb protein - use what you prefer - I normally use chicken breast but beef def works and if you know what you are doing when it comes to tofu - that would work as well
5 green onions - cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup sliced red bell pepper - if you have a green on hand - that works just as well
4 cups broccoli florets or whole broccoli cut into 1 inch pieces

In a small bowl, combine your soy sauce, water, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch. Set it aside
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, put it over medium-high heat then add 2 tsp veggy oil. When the oil is heated add the ginger, garlic, and your protein. Stir fry until your beef or chicken is no longer pink on the outside (4-5 minutes). If using tofu - you know what to do (as I don't). Remove your protein from the pan. Put the bell pepper, broccoli, and green onions. Stir fry until the broccoli is tender. Add your sauce mixture and stir until it thickens. Here's a tip - I find that there is not enough sauce so depending on your taste you may want to double the sauce recipe. Once your sauce thickens slightly, add your protein and toasted sesame seeds back to the pan. Heat through and serve over rice.

Tomorrow I will be sharing one simple tip that will show you how to make restaurant quality pasta.

Happy eating.
Karen

Perfect White Rice

2011-10-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi my friends - we all have recipes that involve something being served over a bed of white rice. I spent 23 years cooking the world's worst white rice - sticky, gooey - you know what I mean. I found the secret to great white rice and tried sharing it with 10 or so people and as soon as they heard one word - I was dismissed. The only person who tried my suggestion was my friend Cindy and she agreed that it was fab.

That one word is parboiled. Parboiled is not the same as instant - I don't know why it is called parboiled - it cooks for the same amount of time as regular white rice and cooks in the same amount of water as regular. You can find it in the ethnic aisle at your grocery store - look in the Hispanic section. It comes in 1 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb bags. This is the most fab rice I have ever made. Each grain of rice is separate from the other - no goo - no stickiness. I have tried long grain, medium grain, Jasmine, and Basmahti and none of them cooked up as great as the parboiled.

Give it a try. I will post my delish fried rice and chicken/veggy stir fry tomorrow.

Happy eating
Karen