Now We're Cooking

The Despair of Disneyland

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:04:00 +0000

Since finishing Michael Pollan's book, "In Defense of Food", I've become more aware of the food I put in my body, and painfully aware of what goes into my sons' bodies. Pollan's core concept - "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." - is surprisingly difficult to live. It's even harder to get the kids to go along with it.

I have made very little in the way of changes so far. I'm focusing on observing whether the food I eat normally falls into the Food Rules. and determining what I'll have to change. However, the act of observing changes that which is being observed. Just by paying attention, I'm making some changes.

A small example: the boys wanted spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. While I was grocery shopping, I grabbed a bag a frozen meatballs so I could get dinner made quickly. Before I put it in my cart, I skimmed the ingredients. The ingredients list turned my stomach. Mechanically separated turkey. 3 kinds of flour. Both vegetable oil and shortening. Autolyzed yeast extract. 11 ingredients I couldn't spell without peeking. So back into the freezer they went, and I got some ground beef instead. Even red meat has to be better for my kids than the stuff in those frozen turkey meatballs.

This past weekend was really challenging. We were fortunate enough to spend 3 days at Disneyland. There are some good choices at Disneyland. In addition to the stands selling ice and churros, there are stands selling sliced mango and pineapple. But it's harder in the restaurants. We had to plot to find restaurants that had something other than hamburgers and chicken nuggets. We discovered that the kids' Mac and Cheese is a foodlike substance that bears such a vague resemblance to food that even my son was grossed out. You could get your leathery burger with either a giant serving of french fries or a 2-ounce cup of oil-soaked marinated vegetable salad.

It took work, but we found some real food. The pizza place in Tomorrowland had really excellent salads - and great pizza. The french cafe in New Orleans Square had great, vegetable-rich salads and grilled citrus chicken. That cafe had a kid's chicken meal that came with grilled chicken, rice pilaf, grapes, carrots, and celery.

Now that we're home, I'm ready to stop observing and start making changes.

Enchiladas/Enchilada Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:29:00 +0000

One of the most popular dishes at Now We're Cooking was the Enchiladas. We had a number of different variations on it, and we always stocked the bar so that you could make your own variations, too. I received a request today to post the recipe, so here it is!

This one is a bit of a pain because you have to cook the chicken in advance and shred it. However, I'll do this on a Sunday and cook 6-8 chicken breasts at the same time. It never hurts to have cooked chicken breasts in the fridge. You can easily throw together a salad, sandwich, quesadillas or pasta with the cooked chicken and whatever else is in there.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Prework:

Cook 2 chicken breasts - I would either season them with salt and pepper and roast at 350 for 20-40 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts - the key is to make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees - which means pull it out of the oven at 155 and let it sit for 10 minutes - the temperature will continue to rise.)

Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix:

2 cups shredded chicken

1 cup pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack

½ cup diced onions, diced (or green onions)

4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (there's also a nice cilantro paste in the veggie section of Safeway - about 1 Tablespoon has the same effect)

¼ cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon cumin

If you prefer rolled enchiladas or want firmer tortillas, try the variation below. Otherwise:

Swirl ½ cup green or red enchilada sauce around bottom of pan.

Layer in pan:

3 corn or flour tortillas

½ of the chicken mixture

3 corn or flour tortillas

½ of the chicken mixture

3 corn or flour tortillas

Pour 1 ½ cups green or red enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas.

Top with:

1 cup monterey jack cheese

You can either cook this immediately or freeze for later. If you're freezing it for later, cover tightly with 2 layers of saran wrap - letting the wrap rest directly on the cheese, then cover with foil.

Cooking directions:
Fresh or completely thawed: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Frozen: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove foil. Remove saran wrap, brushing any stuck cheese back into the casserole. Recover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more.

Variation - Rolled Enchiladas

Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan. For each tortilla, either heat briefly in the microwave (5-10 seconds) or in a hot skillet (10 seconds per side). Place 1/4 cup filling in the tortilla, roll, and lay seam side down in pan. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas, then sprinkle evenly with cheese. Cook as directed above.

Back from the Crash and Inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:44:00 +0000

It's been more than a year since I've written here. I have many reasons - I've been busy, uninspired, etc - but more than anything, I've been grieving. It got a little too hard to keep up the association with a business that I loved and lost, and I didn't have much to say. I also have had a run of bad computer luck - 3 computers killed by either hardware failures or viruses in 3 months. I lost everything about the Now We're Cooking business, including 3 years' of recipes. I had everything backed up on a backup drive, but we lost that in the move. Sigh.

However, last week I found a USB drive that has everything on it, and I've now saved all the recipes in 10 different places. I've also been doing some reading recently that has me re-inspired.

What's gotten me fired up in Michael Pollan's ""In Defense of Food" and ""Food Rules: An Eater's Manual". "In Defense of Food" helped me see the absurdity of some of what I've been eating - like low-fat yogurt and double-fiber bread. I haven't made it all the way through the book yet, but what I've read inspired me enough to grab "Food Rules". It took less that 30 entertaining minutes to read the 64 common-sense food rules. They also struck me as an inspiring challenge - what would my life be like if I ate this way? How would I feel physically? Would I lose weight? Would I have more energy? Would I become insufferably superior about my eating habits?

I don't know the answer to these questions, but it seems like fun to find out. So from now through next April, I am going to try to live according to these food rules. We'll see what happens.

I did manage to put together a very tasty Easter Brunch that complied with the rules. We had Broccoli and Gorgonzola Crustless Quiche, green salad, and fresh strawberries, followed by homemade Tollhouse Cookies. The only cheats were the salad dressing (I love some bottled dressings, but I'll write about that challenge later) and the chips in the cookies - they contain one ingredient my first grader couldn't pronounce (soy-based lecithin). But that seemed like a pretty good start to me.

Broccoli and Gorgonzola Crustless Quiche

5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb broccoli, steamed until almost tender, chopped
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375 degreees. Spray a pie pan with Pam or other cooking spray. (If you want to be pure with the rules, just coat it with butter).
Sprinkle the chopped broccoli evenly across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle all but a little bit of gorgonzola over it.
Whisk together the eggs, milk. salt, and pepper. Pour over the broccoli and cheese.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining gorgonzola.
Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes, until quiche is firm and top is golden brown.
Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Serves 4-6 people.

This basic quiche recipe works with many flavor combinations. Don't like gorgonzola? Use cheddar. No broccoli? Use asparagus or spinach. Add a little pancetta, bacon, or ham for a bit of additional flavor. The key proportions need to remain the same: about 1 cup "filling", 1/2 cup cheese, 5 eggs and 1 1/2 cups milk.

Chickpea Masala

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:12:00 +0000

I'm struggling a bit to adapt to this gluten-free life. But here's a quick and easy recipe that I love - and to my surprise, my kids love, too! Serve this over basmati rice for a quick, easy, healthy, and delicious dinner.

Chickpea Masala

1 onion, finely minced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 inch ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (or use 1 teaspoon ground)
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 Tabelespoons catsup
salt to taste
fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish and last-minute flavor

Heat a bit of canola oil in a medium deep pot. Add the onions and carrots. Saute until onions are golden brown.
In a blender, puree the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the garbanzo beans.
When onions are brown, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, except the fresh cilantro. Let simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until carrots are tender. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

This Week's Changed-Life Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:38:00 +0000

It's been a difficult week. On Wednesday, I was diagnosed with either gluten intolerance or Celiac's Disease. Still waiting for the test results, but regardless of which outcome it is, I have to figure out how to eat and live without gluten. Wheat, barley, rye, most flour, pasta, bread, baked goods - all are gone from my life. I'm still in a bit of shock and denial, and I have reached the point of sadness and depression yet - but I'm sure they'll come.

So my new challenge is making meals that I can eat and the boys in my house will enjoy. They should not have to live without pasta and bread just because I do. Fortunately, as gluten intolerance has become more common and high-profile, there are a host of books, websites and products that cater to this population.

So, this week's plan:

Saturday: Microwave Risotto with Chicken and Asparagus
Sunday: Roasted Chicken with lemon and garlic, roasted potatoes and carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts. (I'm roasting 2 chickens so I have leftovers throughout the week).
Monday: Mixed green salad with chicken, apples, dried cranberries, and caramelized pecans.
Tuesday: Chicken Tacos with avocado, tomato, sauteed peppers, and black beans
Wednesday: Garbanzo Bean Stew with steamed basmati rice
Thursday: Grilled hamburgers with Sweet Potato fries, white potato fries, and coleslaw with vinaigrette

One of the hardest things is desserts. I LOVE brownies, cakes, pastries, beignets, pies, and all kinds of baked goods. Combining this with the fact that I need to lose some weight, I need some good answers for dessert. I crave something sweet after dinner, and so do my boys. So here are my dessert plans for the week:

Fruit with Chocolate Fondue: Chocolate fondue is super easy to make, and it's a great way to get the boys (and me!) to eat a ton of fruit. You can dip almost any fruit - we love bananas, strawberries, diced pineapple, and sliced mango.
Sliced strawberries macerated in sugar and tossed with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar - alone or over vanilla ice cream!
Dark Chocolate-covered caramels - I like Reisen - I can eat just 1-2 and be perfectly happy for dessert.
Greek yogurt flavored with vanilla and sweetened with Splenda - creamy, delicious, and healthy!

That doesn't look like a bad menu to me! The weeknight meals are quick and easy. Maybe I can get through this week without feeling deprived.

Dinner is somewhat easy because I'm used to planning, so making adjustments is not hard. Breakfast and lunch are much harder, because I generally don't think about them until mealtime. I am not in the habit of planning these meals. I'm used to grabbing a quick breakfast that I can eat in the car - peanut butter toast or English muffins with Laughing Cow cheese are my favorites, with a banana. So I'll have to make a little more time in the morning and scramble an egg, make a smoothie, or mix fruit and yogurt with a gluten-free granola. The food is not as hard as adjusting my schedule to sit down and eat.

Lunch is more challenging. I'm so used to going to one of the delis and grabbing a sandwich. I can't just grab soup because most commercial soups either contain pasta or are thickened with flour. I think I'm going to have to start making lunches at home and bringing them into the office. It's probably much better for my health and my wallet. It's just more work and more time - and lots of planning.

Thanks for reading. I'll keep posting Now We're Cooking recipes over the course of this week.

Chef Dane's Offers Now We're Cooking Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:02:00 +0000

One of my favorite competitors when I was in the meal assembly business was Chef Dane's Kitchen in Santa Clara. Chef Dane Mechlin came into Now We're Cooking soon after we opened, on a reconnaissance mission to see what was going on in the industry. We quickly became friendly and we regularly checked in with each other to see how things were going. I also checked out a number of other assembly kitchen in the area, and I thought Dane's food was by far the best.

When Now We're Cooking went out of business, Dane began delivering meals to pickup locations in the Tri-Valley area. Although he doesn't do home delivery in this area, he does deliver freshly-made meals to Crow Canyon Wines in San Ramon and Gene's Fine Foods in Pleasanton.

He's now expanded his menu to include a number of favorites from Now We're Cooking. I've given him recipes of a bunch of your favorites (in exchange for a VERY generous donation to my kids' school auction). He's incorporating them into his menu, a few at a time.

In March, he's offering three of your all-time favorites: Marinated Skirt Steak with Bleu Cheese or Shallot Butter (he's adding sesame noodles, too!); Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches, which he's improved with a side of Linguica Baked Beans; and Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf. In addition to these dishes, he has other delicious offerings, including Thai-Coconut Bouillabaisse and Chicken Puff Pastry Pot Pies.

Place your order at Chef Dane's Kitchen in Santa Clara. Let him know about your Now We're Cooking favorites, and I'll make sure he gets those recipes, too! Thanks so much to Dane for keeping some of our favorites available.

Academy Awards Party Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:25:00 +0000

I love to host parties. However, my friends have picked most of the traditional holidays for their annual parties. BJ has the 4th of July, my sister-in-law has Christmas Eve, Rebecca has Memorial Day, and Heather has Labor Day. So when I was trying to find an occasion for my annual party, the only thing I could think of was the Academy Awards. I don't care much about the Academy Awards. Since I've had kids, most of the movies I've seen involve animation or talking animals. But it's a reason to host a party, and people have a great time.

This year, I decided to have a Bollywood theme. The guest are coming in festive Bollyw00d-style attire (saris, or bright clothes and lots of jewelry). Jessica will be doing henna tattoos for those who'd like them. And I'm doing an Americanized Indian feast. I'm combining dishes in ways that are neither authentic nor respectful of regional variations. And I'm modifying the spices to be more palatable to American tastes. But we'll still get the idea.

One of the things I love about Indian cooking is that it's very easy to put together a menu that accommodates vegetarians without making them feel like they're missing something. In addition, the heavy incorporation of legumes makes Indian food a great choice for an inexpensive but sumptuous feast.

Bollywood Academy Awards Menu

Veggies and Pita with hummus and chutneys

Chicken Tikka Masala (spiced chicken in a tomato cream sauce)
Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese)
Gajar Matar (spiced peas and carrots)
Empress Dal (spiced lentils)
Chana Masala (chickpea stew)
Raita (yogurt sauce to cool the heat)
Various chutneys
Naan (bread)
Basmati Rice with Cinnamon & Saffron

Red Carpet Cake (banana cake with cream cheese frosting)
Chocolate Fondue (OK, not Indian, but it's yummy!)

This Week's Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:43:00 +0000

I had a minor surgery a couple of weeks ago on a Friday. So when I should have been food planning and grocery shopping for last week, I was lying in bed feeling sorry for myself. Combine that with an exceptionally busy week for work, and my family ate terribly last week. Hot dogs, mac & cheese from a box, and pizza 2 nights, and McDonald's one night. Barely a fruit or vegetable passed their lips at dinner for 6 solid nights.

No wonder they all have bad colds now.

So I failed the "feed the family" aspect of parenting last week, and I'm not doing it again this week. So here's the plan:

Sunday: Mexican-Inspired Salad with spiced grilled chicken, grilled peppers, jicama and cotija cheese.
Monday: Salad with grilled chicken, apples, dried cherries, and pecans.
Tuesday: Tacos with seasoned ground beef, broccoli slaw (instead of shredded lettuce), grilled peppers, tomatoes, salsa, and cotija & shredded cheddar.
Wednesday: Chicken salad with apples, raisins, celery, and green onions.
Thursday: Traditional stuffed bell peppers.

It's another really busy week. The company I consult for is 2 weeks away from a major software release, and we're in "deathmarch" mode. The key to all these dinners is that they're simple and take very little time to prepare. Plus they're pretty healthy - lots of fruits and veggies. Recipes to follow.

Marinated Skirt Steak with Shallot Butter or Bleu Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:09:00 +0000

This was by far the most popular recipe ever at Now We're Cooking. We put in on our menu the second month, and it stayed on our menu almost constantly for the next 32 months. This recipe also works well with any tender cut of beef - rib eye or strip steak. It can work with flank steak, but it's not acidic enough to tenderize the steak, so use a top grade of steak.

Marinated Skirt Steaks with Bleu Cheese or Caramelized Shallot Butter

½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoons ginger
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Mae Ploy sweet chile sauce
6 6-ounce skirt steaks
½ cup bleu cheese crumbles
3 Tablespoons shallot butter (recipe below)

Mix the first 6 ingredients together well. Pour over steaks. Turn the steaks a few times so they're fully coated. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours. (You can also put them all in a plastic bag and freeze them. The steaks will marinate while they're defrosting in the refrigerator.)
Fire up the grill to high temperature. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steaks for 3-5 minutes per side to desired doneness. Top with bleu cheese and melt for 1 minute. Or, if using shallot butter, top steaks immediately before serving. Alternatively, you can broil the steaks, about 6 inches away from the broiler element.

Someone posted a question about how to cut the skirt steaks. Skirt steak is a long piece of beef that's covered in loose fat. Lay out the steaks and trim the loose fat by running a chef's knife or boning knife away under the fat, and then angling the knife away from the beef while you run it down the length of the steaks. Then cut across the narrow part of the steak (with the grain) to portion it into portions of equal weight.

When it's cooked, you want to cut against the grain. Here's a short video from youtube showing how to do that.

Caramelized Shallot Butter

1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon tarragon, dried
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Finely chop shallots. In a small pan, saute in olive oil, stirring frequently, until shallots have begun to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and cook until all liquid is evaporated. Stir in tarragon and pepper. Remove from heat, let cool. Process in food processor until butter is smooth and creamy with bits of shallots.

Quick Linguine with Broccoli

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:56:00 +0000

Rudy and I have a hearty, healthy dinner that's our quick and easy, can't figure out what else to do dinner. I like it because it has endless variations, can be made with whatever is in the fridge, and it's pretty tasty.

Linguine with Broccoli

2 cups broccoli florets

1 8-10 ounce package fresh linguine

1/4 cup Roasted garlic olive oil

1-2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

chopped fresh herbs, if you have them

Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and broccoli, let boil for 3-5 minutes, until pasta is cooked and broccoli is tender. Drain well. Toss the pasta mixture with the roasted garlic olive oil and balsamic vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste. If you have the fresh herbs, toss them in, too. Top with the shredded Parmesan and serve.
My husband likes to add bits of roast chicken to his. We usually have a roast chicken in the fridge - he makes quesadillas for midnight snacks. He'll slice off a few pieces, warm them in the microwave, and toss them with the pasta.

What I like about this is it works with most any vegetable I have in the fridge. The one-pot technique works with broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, or quartered Brussels sprouts. I can also ramp up the flavor and sophistication by adding freshly toasted nuts: pinenuts with the broccoli, slivered almonds with the Brussels sprouts, or pecans with the green beans. If I have tomatoes, peppers, or spinach, I saute them separately with the roasted garlic olive oil and toss them with the pasta. It's so easy, delicious, and can be on the table in just 15 minutes. The keys to making it taste really good are to use fresh pasta and fresh Parmesan - the pre-shredded cheese is just not comparable.

Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:47:00 +0000

This was one of the most popular items on the Now We're Cooking menu. Jaime asked for it yesterday, so here it is! Got more requests? Just post them in the comments section, and I'll get the recipes up as fast as I can. Please tell others about this blog if you're enjoying it!

Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf

30 ounces ground meat (recommend combining 2/3 ground beef and 1/3 ground pork, but can also use any combination of beef, turkey, chicken or pork.)

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green onion

½ cup chopped water chestnuts

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

½ teaspoon wasabi powder (spicy - reduce for kids)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (use only half if using table salt)

Glaze

½ cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

½ cup catsup

½ cup Mae Ploy sweet chile sauce

Combine all of the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Place into a loaf pan (sprayed with cooking spray), smoothing out the top.
Mix together the glaze ingredients. Pour over the top of the meatloaf.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Drain grease from pan, remove meatloaf from pan. Let cool a few minutes, slice, and serve. Great with roasted carrots!

To make ahead for the freezer: Make meatloaf. Place in a loaf pan and double-wrap with saran wrap. Mix glaze and pour into a small Ziploc bag. Wrap it with the meatloaf. To cook, thaw in your refrigerator for 2 days, then follow directions above. Or, cook it from frozen: Unwrap meatloaf. Bake at 350 for about 90 minutes. Put glaze on top of meatloaf for last hour of cooking.

Thai Curry Beef

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:03:00 +0000

This is a recipe from the Now We're Cooking business recipe collection. Adrienne has offered to "bribe or beg" for the recipe. I wouldn't want her to have to do that, but I do succumb to pressure. It takes some work to get the recipes from my database into HTML format, and I'm not patient enough to try to automate the whole thing at this point. It's also why I never got around to publishing the cookbook. So, if there's a Now We're Cooking recipe you're just dying to have, post a comment here on the blog and I'll get to it!

Adrienne, this one's for you. The sweetness of the potatoes balances out the heat of the curry quite nicely.

Thai Curry Beef

Serves 4-6

24 Ounces Beef Chuck Shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1" cubes
2 cups coconut milk

½ cup bamboo shoots (canned, drained and well rinsed)

1 Tablespoon basil (fresh, chopped)

1 teaspoon garlic

¼ cup fish sauce

½ teaspoon paprika

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry Paste for mild curry, or more (up to 3 Tablespoons) depending on your taste

Zest of ½ lime
2 cups diced fresh sweet potatoes

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups rice (I prefer brown)
Zest of ½ lime
2 Tablespoons cilantro

2 Tablespoons lime juice

Combine all of the ingredients up to the potatoes (beef through lime zest), mixing well. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Put into a slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before it's done, add the sweet potatoes.
Alternatively, you can do this in a dutch oven: simmer over low heat for 3 hours, until beef is tender. Add sweet potatoes 30 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve over cilantro lime rice.
To make the cilantro lime rice: Bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in rice and lime zest. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (white rice) or 40 minutes (brown rice). Stir in lime juice and cilantro just prior to serving.
To prepare this ahead in the Now We're Cooking way, place all the ingredients up to the sweet potatoes in a large freezer bag. Combine well. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Freeze for up to 2 months. To cook, let thaw in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Proceed from step 2 above.

This Week's Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:41:00 +0000

It's been a tough weekend. I hit a lifetime peak on the scale, and my husband and I took a good hard look at our finances. We're going to have to closely watch the food budget for a while. But, of course, the kinds of foods that are inexpensive in bulk also tend to be the kinds of foods that are quick to stick to the hips - pasta, rice, inexpensive cuts of meat. Even in California, fresh produce is expensive! But it's still less expensive that meat. So, for a while, I'm going to be working on treating meat like a condiment, and filling the plate with fruits, veggies, and grains. That should help both the wallet and the waistline!

Sunday: Grilled Honey-Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Baked Sweet Potato and Shaved Brussels Sprouts.

Monday: Baby Green Salad with Warm Pears and Pork, Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette

Tuesday: Crustless Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche, Salad

Wednesday: Quick & Easy Burritos

Thursday: Fried Rice with Pork & Veggies

The key to success and budget for this week's menu is the pork. I'm grilling a Costco 2-pack of tenderloins tonight , and I'll use it for 3 meals. I'll make a double batch of rice on Wednesday night, and use it as the base for the fried rice. The fried rice gets all the veggies that are leftover from the week, plus a few from the freezer. It may not be traditional, but the boys will eat any variation of "egg rice", and if I use brown rice, it's not a bad meal, nutritionally.

Juliet's Super Easy Pantry Snack Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Guest blogging today: my friend Juliet, who is acclaimed as one of the best bakers in my circle of friends. Here's her recipe, in her words. Enjoy!

In a desperate search for sweets a couple of weeks ago, I came up with this snack cake recipe. It was partly based on "dump cakes," which I believe are a tradition in Southern cooking. A dump cake, despite it's unappetizing name, usually tastes pretty darn good. The moniker comes from the fact that one just "dumps" whatever one has into the mixture-- a practical and inventive use of ingredients already on hand. This is what I had on hand, and I and everyone else who ate it really enjoyed the cake. I hope you will, too.

Super Easy Pantry Snack Cake

· 3 eggs
· 1/2 c oil
· 1 c water
· 1 box white cake mix
· 1 box vanilla pudding mix
· 2 c chocolate chips
· 2 c generous handfuls chopped toasted pecans (optional)
· 2 generous handfuls sweetened coconut

Wintertime Pantry Cake Variation:
· 2c dried cranberries instead of the chocolate chips, plus 2 t cinnamon if you are so inclined

Preheat oven to 350 F, 325 F if you are using a nonstick cake pan. Butter a 13X9X2 baking pan. Whisk the pudding and cake mixes together. Add the eggs, oil, and water, and continue mixing until the cake batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the coconut on top of the batter first, then the pecans. Using a knife (any sort is fine), swirl the batter and the coconut and pecans, taking care to only penetrate the top half of the batter. Bake cake for 27-37 minutes or per the cake box directions. (Please note the cake may take a little longer than the box directions indicate due to the additions.) Let cake cool, cut a few pieces, and chow down.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I made this for the first time Christmas morning, and it was fantastic. It's got a flavorful, chewy toffee crust that bakes on the bottom, and is on the top when you flip it over. Texture is great, not too sweet, lots of blueberries. It's perfect!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Grease a loaf pan.
Mix the brown sugar and pecans together. Sprinkle evenly on the bottom of the loaf pan.
Whisk the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon - together. Using a pastry blender (or pulsing with a food processor), cut the butter in until the mixture is like coarse crumbs. If using a food processor, be very careful to pulse so you don't melt the butter.
Whisk the egg, milk and vanilla together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix gently, until flour is just moistened. Ingredients will be clumpy. Mix in the blueberries until just mixed. Spoon into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (except for berry juices).
Let stand in the pan for 5-10 minutes, to give the toffee topping time to harden. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate. (I find it easier to place the plate on top of the pan and flip them both.) Let cool a few minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Variation: Lemon Almond Blueberry Coffee Cake: Use sliced almonds instead of pecans for toffee. Skip cinnamon, and use zest from 1 small lemon instead. Use 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.

Yummy Mac and Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:13:00 +0000

Well, I have planned to make a healthier Chicken Pasta dish tonight, but the cauliflower was icky, and I didn't feel like chicken. I felt like indulgence. So I made Mac and Cheese. And Chocolate Chip Cookies. But heck, I hiked for 2 hours today, gardened for 1, and cleaned house for an hour. I earned it!

Mac and Cheese

Serves 6-8

4 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
4 Tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk (or 2 cups milk and 1/2 cup white wine for a sophisticated flavor)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
pinch nutmeg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 cups shredded cheese (I like to mix them up. Tonight I used Gruyere and smoked Gouda)(One key - I always buy cheese and shred it myself in the food processor. Packaged shredded cheese is coated with chemicals that drain the flavor, I think.)
12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. (I like my Corningware French White)
Melt the butter in a large pan (I use my dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. (This gets rid of the "flour taste" of the roux.) Whisk in about 1/4 of the milk. Whisk until smooth. Add the remainder of the milk, paprika, nutmeg and mustard, and whisk until smooth. Add the bay leaf and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in 3 cups of the cheese. Stir until smooth. Add in the pasta and stir well. Pour into the prepared baking dish and smooth. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

What I love about this recipe is the variations that are possible. First, you can play with the cheeses to create a totally different dish - cheddar and Gruyere, fontina and cheddar, smoked cheddar and Colby - they create a totally different flavor. Nearly any semi-soft or semi-hard cheese can be used, as long as it melts well. When you add the pasta, you can also add a variety of other ingredient combinations:

diced ham and cooked broccoli,
crumbled bacon and grape tomato halves,
shredded chicken and sauteed red bell peppers,
chicken or bacon and cooked cauliflower

The possibilities are endlessly delicious!

Favorite Breakfast Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:43:00 +0000

I like having a simple, healthful breakfast that I can consume while I'm getting ready for work. This high-protein smoothie makes me feel surprisingly full, gives me energy, and contains 2 servings of fruit! Sometimes I also add a piece of toast so I feel like I've eaten. The kids like this, too. Sometimes I'll double the recipe and split it: half for me, 1/4 for each of them. One key is using whole fruit rather than fruit juices - whole fruit is a much better choice nutritionally.

Banana Berry Smoothie

3/4 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (plus a little extra to get the texture you want)
3/4 cup low fat sugar-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup silken tofu
1/2 banana
2 Tablespoons vanilla flavored protein powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Puree together in blender until smooth. Add additional soy milk to thin, if needed. Enjoy!

This Week's Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:34:00 +0000

It's Saturday morning, which means it's time to plan food for the rest of the week, make the grocery list, and go to the store. Plus I have to clean the kitchen and bathrooms, do some laundry, get the boys to clean their rooms, and go to the gym. Oh, yes, and I have to find time to have some fun with the boys. Who says weekends aren't relaxing?!

This Week's Plan:

Saturday: Mac and Cheese & salad with pears and bleu cheese
Sunday: Roast Chicken with Orange Sauce, brown rice, broccoli
Monday: Black Bean Soup with Cornbread
Tuesday: Fried Rice made with leftover chicken and leftover veggies
Wednesday: Leftover Black Bean Soup
Thursday: Beef Picadillo wrapped in lettuce leaves (tortillas for the guys), sauteed veggies, brown rice

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon and Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:32:00 +0000

This is a winter comfort food, makes you feel like Mom's around. I don't make my own chicken stock - a travesty, I know, sosumi.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon and Garlic

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, well trimmed
3 quarts chicken broth - I like the Pacific Natural you can get at Costco
3 Tablespoons cornstarch or Wondra
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 carrots, peeled, halved, then cut in 1/4 inch thick slices
3 ribs celery, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 small parsnips, peeled, halved, then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
zest of 1 small lemon
juice of 1 small lemon
8 ounces pasta (egg noodles, rotini, bowties, whatever you like)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven, bring the chicken stock to a simmer (almost a boil). Add the chicken breasts to the stock and cover. Reduce heat slightly (so it won't boil), and let cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the broth and set aside. Bring the broth to a boil.
In a medium saute pan, add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Turn the heat to medium and saute until garlic and shallots are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, parsnips, and lemon zest. Saute 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.
Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water. (I put them both in a tightly sealed Tupperware container and shake well.) Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chicken broth. Let cook for 10 minutes, until broth is slightly thickened. Stir in the veggie mixture and reduce heat to just under a boil. Let cook until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and let cook about 3 minutes less than the package says. Shred the chicken breasts with 2 forks. Stir the chicken breast and parsley into the soup. Let cook 3 minutes, until chicken is reheated and flavors are blended. Season with salt & pepper and serve immediately.

If you are going to serve this over multiple days, divide the soup before you add the pasta, and add pasta only to the portion you plan to serve that night. Add some chicken and parsley to the soup you plan to save, add pasta fresh the next time you serve it. Otherwise, the pasta in the soup soaks up all the broth in the fridge and it gets really gooey.

Wheat Cloverleaf Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:12:00 +0000

This are a simple, fluffy dinner roll, good with most anything. They can also be shaped into crescents, Parker House rolls, or others.

Wheat Cloverleaf Rolls

1 egg
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup hot milk (125 degrees)
1/2 cup hot water (125 degrees)
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Whisk egg until well beaten. Coat a large bowl with the oil .
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine flours, sugar, salt, yeast, and softened butter with the dough hook attachment. Turn speed to low and slowly pour in the hot milk and hot water. Add beaten egg. Beat on low for 12 minutes.
Remove dough from mixer and knead by hand on a floured surface for 1 minute, until dough is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and place in the oiled bowl and rotate, so dough is coated with oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place (70 degrees) until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Punch dough down gently and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Form into a smooth ball. Let rest for 15 minutes, covered by the bowl you used for rising.
Grease 2 muffin pans. Pinch off dough and roll into 1 inch ball. Drop 3 balls into each muffin cup. Brush with melted butter. Will make about 18 rolls. Cover loosely with wax paper and let rise until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes, turning once halfway through baking. Tops should be golden brown.

This Week's Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:17:00 +0000

It's a new year, so I'm back to trying to plan and execute menus every week. I'm really tired of the pizza, takeout Chinese, and hot dogs we've been living on. So here's the plan for the week:

Saturday: Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce, Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Oranges & Apples for the kids

Sunday: Lemon-Scented Chicken Noodle Soup with Wheat Cloverleaf Rolls

Monday: Cheesy Chicken Pasta, Broccolini

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup, again

Wednesday: Winter Salad with Pears and Grilled Chicken

Thursday: Black Bean Burritos

I'm going to assemble the chicken pasta most of the way on Sunday so all I have to do is throw it in the oven.

Banana Berry Crackle Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:37:00 +0000

This is a hearty breakfast muffin - sweet, tender, and gooey. It's a great way to use up bananas that have gotten a little brown. Heavens knows there's no chance that my kids would ever eat a banana with any brown on it!

Banana Berry Crackle Muffins

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large ripe-to-overripe bananas
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, washed (if frozen, do not thaw - just break into individual pieces. The juices of thawed berries will change the color of the batter)
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1 Tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. In a small bowl, whisk together the banana, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Gently mix the banana mixture and the blueberries into the flour mixture, stirring just until the flour is moistened. If you over mix, the muffins will be tough. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
In a mini food processor or blender, mix the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and melted butter, until the pecans are finely chopped and the ingredients are mixed. Sprinkle this mixture over the tops of the muffins.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean (except for berry juices). Let cool 5 minutes then remove from pan. Serve immediately or the same day. If storing over night, store in sealed plastic bags to preserve moisture.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (from Now We're Cooking)

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:15:00 +0000

This was one of the most popular items on the Now We're Cooking menu. Because it uses pork shoulder, which is an inexpensive cut of meat, it's also an inexpensive way to feed a large family. Add coleslaw and serve with sweet potato fries to make it a complete meal. If you like, use your favorite bottled barbeque sauce instead of making your own. Serves 6-8 people.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3-4 pounds pork shoulder (butt), trimmed of external fat

Dry Rub:

2 teaspoons black pepper
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons Spanish paprika (or sweet Hungarian paprika)
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cooking Liquid:

1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Southern Barbeque Sauce:

1 cup ketchup
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Red Hot Sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper

6-8 Kaiser Rolls

Mix together ingredients for the dry rub. Coat the pork with the rub. Place in a large freezer bag (if freezing) or a covered bowl. Let marinate for 8-12 hours. If you're freezing it, it will marinate while it's defrosting.
If frozen, thaw in refrigerator for 36-48 hours. Add pork to 5-6 quart slow cooker. Mix together cooking liquid and pour over pork, along with 1 cup water. Cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10 hours. Ideally, turn 1-2 times during cooking. Remove pork from pot and discard all but 1/4 cup marinade. Shred pork with two forks.
To make BBQ sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small pot and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in reserved marinade and heat for 5 minutes. Stir meat into sauce and serve over toasted rolls.

Resolutions for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:02:00 +0000

2008 was a difficult year by any measure. Personally, I lost a business but rediscovered a career I love. I'm financially in a huge hole, and I have to start digging myself out. Nationally, our economy is a disaster, and I keep hearing that it's not going to get better until consumers start spending again. Sadly, I will not be one of the consumers to help turn it all around. I can't afford it.

I never believed in New Year's Resolutions. It seemed a worthless endeavor, just a way to set yourself up for failure. But this year, I need to do some things differently in my life. So I'm going to try making some resolutions. I'll set them up like work goals: they must be measurable and achievable. My plan is to check in on them weekly.

So here are my goals for 2009:

Try for 5: I spent a few weeks on the South Beach Diet last year, and it showed me how few vegetables are in my daily diet. When I went back to my normal eating habits, I found there were entire days that I consumed not a single vegetable - and sometimes not even a fruit! Although I'd like to lose weight, I'm not willing to diet. I just don't have the commitment. But I am willing to commit to increasing my fruit and vegetable intake - and my family's as well. So my food goal is to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Exercise 1 hour, 4 times a week: Again, I'd like to lose weight, but I really just want to be healthy. I have never been a regular exerciser. I go on kicks where I'll work out daily for a few weeks, and then I'll get sick and fall off the treadmill. But I am willing to commit to regular exercise this year. I have scheduled 2 workouts a week with a colleague from work, and I'll exercise on Saturday and Sunday.
Live on a Cash Basis: For many years, I have lived on the expectation that I'd be making more money next year. And for many years that was true, and my increasing debt was not a concern. But when I started my business, my income dropped precipitously. I continued to rack up debt as I cleaned out my 401(k) and savings accounts and lived on plastic to cover the shortfalls between income and expenses. I now have a great job, but it's with a start-up and the salary is lower than I had hoped - but I believe there's huge potential for growth. But the only way I will ever get out of this huge hole is if I live within my means. So this year, I will commit to living on a cash basis. The only plastic I'll use is my debit card. My exception will be American Express for reimbursable business expenses. But this year, if I can't pay for it out of my checking account, I can't have it. This is likely to be the hardest resolution to keep, but it's also the most important for my family's secure future.

As part of living on a cash basis, I'm getting rid of stuff. I have never been good at throwing things away or selling them. But this year, I'm committing to getting rid of things I don't use and clothes I don't wear. Our garage is so packed with stuff we can't fit even a single car in it. So this year, I'm getting rid of the 6-year-old baby clothes, the TV we haven't used in a decade, and the books I've planned to read for more than 3 years. I've already gone through my closets and pulled everything I haven't worn in a year or more. Salvation Army and eBay, here it comes!

That's my plan for the year. Ambitious, but I believe it's manageable. What are your plans for the year?

Recipe Index

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa, Carb-Craving Mom) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:13:00 +0000

Recipe Index

Lists all of the recipes posted on this site. Items with asterisks are from the Now We're Cooking business recipe collection. Most of the Now We're Cooking recipes have a freeze-ahead version posted, too.

Appetizers, Salads, Breads

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Wheat Foccacia with Basil

Main Dishes

Pizza, Pasta, and Grains
Deconstructed Pasta Marinara
Homemade Pizza
Linguine with Broccoli
Mac and Cheese
Pregnancy Oatmeal
Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Chicken
Chicken Noodle Soup with Lemon and Garlic
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Pot Pie
Garlic-Herb Marinade for Chicken*
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Tortilla Soup with Chicken

Beef
Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf*
Hungarian Goulash
Marinated Skirt Steak*
Thai Curry Beef with Cilantro Lime Rice*

Pork
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches*

Soups
Black Bean Soup
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Family-Favorite Minestrone

Vegetarian
Super-Easy Burritos

Desserts & Baked Goods

Banana Berry Crackle Muffins
Blueberry Cobbler
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Wheat Cloverleaf Rolls

Breakfast Choices

Banana Berry Smoothie
Banana Berry Crackle Muffins
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Pregnancy Oatmeal

Now We're Cooking Business Recipe Catalog

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches*
Hoisin-Glazed Meatloaf*
Garlic-Herb Marinade for Chicken*
Marinated Skirt Steak with Bleu Cheese or Shallot Butter*
Thai Curry Beef with Cilantro Lime Rice*