Unbelievable

To know me is to know that I love cheese. In fact, I love it so much that I don't keep it in the house unless absolutely necessary for recipes, with the exception of swiss slices (low sodium) and cheese sticks for the kids (low taste).

This unabashed, lifelong love of cheese was going to be fulfilled tonight when shredded Mexican was to serve as a topper to the main event. Except that I forgot to add it. And just realized it as I was sitting down to type this post.

Who forgets the cheese?

Luckily - I pretty much had nothing to say, so this omission served as the jump-start to tonight's post.

In addition to cheese, I love dark chocolate. Luckily I can manage to keep that in the house without shoveling it in by the fistful (thanks to those ingenious pre-packaged individual chocolate squares from Ghiradelli). I don't often bake with dark chocolate, but a few days ago I happened upon an amazingly easy fudge recipe that catered to my dark chocolate needs. So we'll start with that because honestly peeps, it is so so so easy to throw together that you must make it immediately. And bring me some.

Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge
Source: Cooking Light (not sure of issue)

Ingredients:

• 1 (14oz) can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips (used dark chocolate)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder (used regular unsweetened)
• 1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 3/4 c. peanut butter chips
• 1/4 c. salted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

• Line an 8-inch square dish with wax paper.
• Place 9 tbsp milk in a microwave safe bowl. Add chocolate chips, cocoa and coffee. Microwave at high for 1 min or until melted. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla. Spread into prepared pan.
• Combine the remaining milk, peanut butter chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 min or until melted. Stir in remaining vanilla. Spread evenly over chocolate layer and sprinkle with peanuts.
• Cover and chill 2 hours (I chilled overnight). Cut into 25 squares.

Yield: 25 servings (1 square)
Per serving: 123 cals; 4.7g fat (3.1g sat, 0.7g mono, 0.1g poly); 3.5g protein; 47mg sodium; 2mg chol

For tonight's (cheese-free) meal, we had:
Charred Corn Chop Salad with Chipotle Cream Dressing
Source: Clean Eating, August/September 2011

Ingredients:

• 2 c. fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears corn)
• 1 med. poblano pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 15-oz can no-salt added black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
• lettuce of choice
• 1/2 c. low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss corn, poblano and potato with oil. Spread mixture onto a 9x13 baking sheet and roast for 30 mins, tossing every 10 mins.
• In a large pan cook turkey until browned. Add 1/4 c. water to pan and scrape browned bits from bottom. Add cumin and beans and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, buttermilk, chile powder and white scallions. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Plate: Divide lettuce among plates and top with turkey, veggies, etc. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and cheese, and top with dressing.

Yield: 4 servings (2 c. lettuce; 1/2 c. turkey-bean mix; 1/2 c. veggies; 3 tbsp dressing)
Per serving: 470 cals; 11g total fat (3.5g sat; 3g mono; 1g poly): 61g carbs; 10g fiber; 31g protein; 220mg sodium; 40mg chol.

Reviews:
Fudge: My family went a little insane about the fudge (it was for a 4th of July gathering) - to the point that I had to fight them to bring some leftovers home for me us. I made the fudge on one of those super-hot nights, and it was so fast and easy, and the results so stellar that this is a must-do for pretty much everyone.

Salad: The kid requested a salad for dinner, so a salad he received. He did not appreciate the sweet potatoes, and the hubs made a nasty face when he saw the veggies sullying his turkey/bean combo. If it wasn't for the annoying chopping associated with this dish, it would be very easy to throw together. I liked it a lot - despite the lack of cheese - and we have enough leftover for lunches this week.

Rankings:
Fudge: Four Forks
Salad: Three Forks

Did you really think I'd use the "clean" version of this song?



Hello, It's Me

Channeling a little Todd Rundgren for you.

(BTW - my spellcheck isn't working tonight. Go ahead and judge. I would.)

So, I've been totally MIA for a while. Mostly because of the same old excuse - schedules haven't allowed for much cooking here. Partly because I'm getting a little bit bored of the blog. But mostly the schedule thing. As I've noted before, I'm not tired of the challenge or the cooking in and of itself, but the whole documenting all of the meals thing is feeling a little tired.

Luckily for you (ha) I'm in the mood to post tonight, and I have a feeling that there might be a bunch of posts in the next week before we hit the beach. Plus, as of tomorrow night, all of our travel sports will be done for at least a few weeks. Woo!

Now let's get on with the task at hand.

Unless you are reading this from some faraway locale, you are experiencing the same heatwave we are. I am not going to complain about it because I prefer to reserve my weather-related complaints for the winter/snow/ice/gray, and I think it would be a bit hypocritical on my part. I despise the winter and will always take 100 degrees and humidity (and bad hair) over snow any day.

The heat inspired me to focus on salads and grilled items this week. Peeps, we don't have air in this old house, so the last thing I want to do is stand over a hot stove or fire up the oven for an extended period of time. Plus, it gives me a fun theme for these posts.

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad with Almonds
Source: Cooking Light, December 2009

Dressing:

• 1/4 c. fig vinegar or white wine vinegar (used white wine)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dijon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp canola oil

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 c. chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 1.5 c. uncooked wild rice
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 lbs boneless, chicken breast
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 c. chopped celery
• 1/2 c. shredded carrots
• 1/3 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp minced red onion (skip)

Directions:

• Prepare dressing: Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Add oil, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Cover and chill.
• Combine broth, rice and butter in a med saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 mins or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove rice from heat and cool.
• Grill chicken; cool; cut into cubes.
• Combine rice, chicken, celery, carrots, cranberries, almonds and onion in a large bowl. Add dressing, toss to coat. Cover and chill.

Yield: 6 servings (1-1/3 c./serving)
Per serving: 352 cals; 10.3g fat (2g sat, 5g mono, 2.5g poly); 25g protein; 40.6g carb; 4g fiber; 49mg chol; 357mg sodium

Reviews:
My laziness overpowered my budget-consciousness, so I bought pre-chopped celery, pre-shredded carrots and pre-sliced almonds. This resulted in a super-easy-to-throw-together meal. Chef Hubs pitched in and grilled (and cut up) the chicken, so the most time-consuming portion of this recipe was the sitting around and waiting for the rice to cook. I only wish I had more time (patience) to let the salad cool down more (I stuck it in the freezer for 10 minutes), but we all really enjoyed the chow.

Ranking:
Four Forks

A Day Late, A Dollar Short

Not really a dollar short, but a day late nonetheless. I'm kind of flip-flopping here. I actually made dinner last night and am not cooking the next couple of nights (basketball: cue heavy sigh), but I also went out for dessert with some gfs and therefore didn't have a chance to report on last night's culinary adventures.

Because I knew it was going to be a rushed evening event, I decided to whip out the crock pot. I'm always a little challenged to find crock pot recipes that somewhat meet my eating requirements (healthy, low-sodium, blah blah blah) but I happened upon the "Diabetic Slow Cooker" book a while back and find it full of appealing recipes. PLUS it also notes portion sizes! Can I have a woot woot?

Asian Pork Sandwiches
Source: Diabetic Living Online Slow Cooker, Winter 2012

Ingredients:

• 1 2.5-3 pound pork shoulder roast
• 1 c. apple juice or cider
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1.5 tsp five-spice powder
• shredded cabbage, green onions and buns

Directions:

• Placed roast in slow cooker. Combine juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and five spice powder. Dump over roast. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.
• Shred pork. Place meat on bun, top with shredded cabbage. Reserve cooking liquid from crock pot and top with chopped green onions for dipping (didn't do that).

Yield: 8 servings (one sandwich with 3oz meat and 1/4 c. cabbage topping)
Per serving: 282 cals; 7g fat (2g sat); 61mg chol; 478mg sodium; 27g carb; 26g protein

We also had:
Fried Brown Rice with Edamame
Source: The Carb Lovers Diet Cookbook (from Health magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (used canola)
• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 c. coleslaw mix (just used plain cabbage from above recipe)
• 1 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1/4 c. cilantro (skip)
• 1/4 c. chopped peanuts

Heart healthy ingredients: edamame, brown rice

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add rice, cook until heated through, approx. 1 min. Stir eggs into rice, cook 30 sec. Stir in coleslaw mix, edamame, soy sauce and Sriracha, cook 2 mins or until eggs are cooked and edamame are heated through. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

Yield: 4 servings (1c/serving)
Per serving: 318 cals; 16.3g fat (2.1g sat, 5g mono, 6.6g poly); 93mg chol; 14g protein; 30g carb; 429mg sodium

Reviews:
There was so much to love about this meal. So I'll break it down for you:

• Crock pot super simplicity
• No chopping of anything
• The longest prep step? Cooking the brown rice. And I could have bought pre-cooked brown rice to make it even easier.
• One pot meals
• And it all tasted delish

Ranking:
Four Forks

Happy Hump Day!

Helllooooo Wednesday! This is one of those weeks that is just flying by, and that's both a good and a panic-inducing thing. Mostly good, seeing that my job doesn't entail anything particularly life-saving, I try not to let it get the best of me.

Tonight, howevs, it almost did. Here I was, moaning and groaning my way through the early evening hours. So, I gave the hubs a couple of options: He cook the planned meal or we order in because I. Was. Not. Going. To. Cook. Tonight.

Luckily for everyone involved - especially you, loyal readers - I managed to man up and make dinner. Luckily for me, this meal was embraced by all (except the baby, who was already snoring) and it involved very little heavy lifting for me. And for the record, the "Chef Hubs" did offer to do a little slice and dice and post a guest blog.

Beef Stroganoff
Source: American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 3rd Edition

Ingredients:

• 1lb beef tenderloin or sirloin
• 1/2 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1 tsp canola
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 2 c. beef broth (used no-salt added)
• 3 tsp flour
• 2 tbsp no-salt added tomato paste
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 1/8 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp dried dillweed
• 1/4 c. fat-free or light sour cream

Heart healthy ingredients: oregano; tomato paste

Directions:

• Cut meat into thin strips. Sprinkle with pepper.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Cook beef for 1 min.
• Stir in mushrooms and onion. Cook 2-3 mins or until onion is soft.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together broth and flour. Pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 mins, or until thickened, stirring constantly.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (except sour cream). Stir into the beef mixture. Simmer, covered for 5-10 mins or until the beef is tender.
• Transfer about 1/4 c. sauce into a small bowl. Whisk in the sour cream. Stir back into skillet. Cook until warmed through.

Yield: 4 servings (1 c. per serving)
Per serving: 240 cals; 7g fat (2g sat; 0.5g poly; 3g mono); 55mg chol; 87mg sodium; 15g carb; 28g protein

I served the meal over whole wheat noodles and added kale as a side. I am mildly obsessed with kale right now, as an FYI.

Reviews:
"One of the best stroganoff dishes you have ever made." - Hubs
"15 forks!" - Kid
"No effort. And I'm still exhaust-balls." - Me

Ranking:
Four Forks

How ya doin', kale?

Double Post! Dessert Day

DOUBLE POST TODAY!

When I launched the blog, one of the first recipes I made was for truffles, which resulted in a few of my peeps being less than thrilled that this was a one-time deal (at least for the year).

Of course, given the fact that I have thousands of recipes, are you really that surprised that I found another variation of truffles to make? I actually made them for a party we attended last night (didn't have the chance to do an entry yesterday), and threw them in cute little mini-muffin holders.

Cute, right?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
Source: Kraft Food & Family, Holiday 2006

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (8 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1 8oz tub cool whip
• 1/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

• Microwave chocolate in large microwaveable bowl until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely melted. Add in peanut butter and stir until well blended. Cool to room temp. Gently stir in cool whip. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Scoop peanut butter mixture with melon baller or teaspoon, then shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Store in refrigerator. Per the recipe's suggestion, I also crushed up Nilla Wafers and rolled them in that. You can also use grated white chocolate, crushed peanuts, coconut, etc.

Yield: 3 dozen (I got about 2 dozen)

Review:
The truffles went super fast, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. I thought they were so-so - almost too sweet for me. They were very fast to make - I squeezed them in during the babe's naptime - and I liked doing the different variations.

Ranking:
Three Forks - based on ease and everyone else's reviews

And now here's your second post!When I rec'd my Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Cooking Light, I saw BEST LIGHT CHOCOLATE RECIPE EVER screaming from the cover. That's a mighty big claim, so in addition to my usual excitement over simply receiving a new recipe source, I was even more thrilled to give the BEST LIGHT CHOCOLATE RECIPE EVER a whirl and see if it truly lives up to this distinction.

Let's get right to it:
Classic Fudge Walnut Brownies
Source: Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2012

Ingredients:

• 3.38 oz all-purpose flour (approx 3/4 c.)
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. unsweeted cocoa
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 c. bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided
• 1/3 c. fat-free milk
• 6 tbsp buter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts, divided (skip - don't like)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 c. chocoalte and milk in a microwave safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute; stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add milk mixture, 1/2 c. chocolate, and 1/4 c. wlanutes to flour mixture; stir to combine.
• Pour the batter in a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 mins or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean with moist crumbs clinging. Cool. Cut into 20 pieces.

Yield: 20 pieces (1 brownie)
Per brownie: 186 calories; 9.1g fat (4.2g sat; 2.2g mono; 1.7g poly); 2.8g protein; 25.4g carb; 1.4g fiber; 30mg chol; 74mg sodium

Review:
The hubs is out of town while I write this, so he'll have to leave a comment later tonight after he tries the brownies, but the kid and I each shoveled one in after his travel soccer game. Delish! I can't say with certainty that this is the best chocolate recipe ever, but peeps, it is pretty frickin' good. Of course, I will now have to have a challenge wihtin a challenge and make all of the other chocoalte recipes provided by Cooking Light in its fun little bake-off battle. I'm sure my family will hate that.

Ranking:
Four Forks

This is what 1/20th of a brownie looks like. I could eat the whole pan.

Special Post: Twinsicles Side-by-Side Comparison

A couple of weeks ago, the babe and I had a playdate with my self-anointed "awesome-sauce" friend (and her truly awesome-sauce daughter) when she mentioned that she had tried a recipe she found in Cook This, Not That! After further discussion, we determined it was the same exact one I had tried a few weeks before. While she and her family really enjoyed it, we were not that impressed.

Cue light bulb moment!

We came up with the brilliant idea of selecting another recipe from this very same cookbook and cooking it the same night, to see how we fared this time. We often agree on a lot of things - hence the "twinsicles" note above (her word, not mine) - so we knew this would prove to be an interesting little experiment.

Here's how it went down:

• I selected a recipe I thought we would all like and she agreed to make it.
• Our schedules did not allow for same-night cooking, so I made this tonight, and she made it earlier in the week.
• She prepared a review - which I have not read until I posted it below - and sent it to me.

Turkey Sloppy Joes
Source: Cook This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, 2010

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced (used pre-diced yellow, red & green)
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1.5 c. tomato sauce (used no-salt added)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (used no-salt added)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• Salt/pepper to taste (skip)
• 10-12 shakes Tabasco or other hot sauce

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over med heat. Add onion & bell pepper and cook for about 2 mins, until softened. Add the turkey and cook, suing a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the turkey is lightly browned. Add the tomato sauce, paste, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, chili powder, salt/pepper, and hot sauce.
• Turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 mins, until liquid has reduced and the sauce fully coats the meat. Divide among four rolls.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving (includes rolls, I think): 340 cals; 12g fat (2.5g sat); 820mg sodium

Compared to (according to the authors): Subway 6-inch meatball marinara sandwich at 580 cals, 23g fat and 1,530 mg sodium. That's more sodium than I eat in a day, btw.

Reviews:
I don't know if the kid was super hungry, but he pretty much swallowed his sandwich whole. The hubs and I also enjoyed. This was much better than the other recipe I tried, and I'd like to think I cut down on the sodium by using no-salt added products. And, IMO, this makes more than four servings (kid and I each had one sandwich, hubs had two, and we have enough left for one more). Plus, it was ridiculously fast to throw together.

Ranking:
Four Forks

REVIEW FROM TWINSICLE:

Going into this dinner, I didn’t have high hopes considering the Tuch told me the last time he ate Sloppy Joe’s (2 years ago) he got the stomach flu later that night… and I’m sure you can figure out where the story goes from there. However, the recipe looked super easy and I didn’t feel like putting much effort into dinner, so if he ended up puking again, it would’ve made a really awesome story (except, he didn’t… bummer). I followed the recipe pretty much exactly – I replaced the lean ground turkey with lean ground beef, though. (Ground turkey makes me want to vom.) I also thought I had brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in the cupboard, but I was mistaken… so really, the recipe wasn’t “pretty much exact” but it was close enough, IMO.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the meal, though I think it could’ve used a little more salt. And maybe more chili powder. And maybe would’ve been fun with some garlic. But regardless, I ate it, and I’m not the biggest Sloppy Joe’s fan. The Tuch, on the other hand, wasn’t into the meal (though he did have seconds). “How many forks can I give this?” “Four.” “I give it two.” Two forks because it wasn’t a dreadful meal, but he never wants me to make it again.  But, I really didn’t think it was that bad. Methinks it goes back to the night two years ago.

The Pride of Southern Ohio

There's something that I haven't fully admitted to you. While I am a big sports fan, my leanings go towards Ohio State (everything) and Cleveland Indians baseball. I do not care that much about the NFL. It has nothing to do with the Browns less-than-stellar record, and more to do with I just don't find the NFL that interesting.

That makes just one of us in the house. The hubs, on the other hand, is a huge NFL fan. Fantasy football, blah blah blah. And he's a Bengals fan. Because he's from Cincinnati. This does not make us quite a house divided, although I do get a bit of amusement whenever they lose to the Browns, because he cares so very much.

For tonight, I decided to honor these southern Ohio roots and make the perfect football watching meal. And, because we are watching the game on delay as I type this, I have no clue what the outcome is. And while I don't really care, being the good wifey that I am, a teeny, tiny part of me does want the Bengals to win simply because it would make the hubs sooooo happy.

Cincinnati Turkey Chili
Source: Cooking Light, September 2009

Ingredients:

• 4oz spaghetti (skip)
• Cooking spray
• 8 oz lean ground turkey
• 1.5 c. prechopped onion
• 1 c. chopped green bell pepper (skip)
• 1 tbsp bottled minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/2 c. chicken broth (used no-salt)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (used no-salt)
• 2.5 tbsp chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)
• cheese

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, set aside.
• Heat a dutch oven over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 mins, stirring to crumble. Add 1 c. onion, bell pepper and garlic; saute 3 mins. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through allspice). Cook 1 min.
• Add broth, beans and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt.
• Serve chili over spaghetti, top with onion and cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (1/2 c. spaghetti; 1.5c  chili; 2 tbsp onion; 3 tbsp cheese)
Per serving: 408 cals; 13.8g fat (6.6g sat, 4.3g mono, 1.7g poly); 24.5g protein; 47.4g carb; 79g fiber; 765mg sodium

Reviews/Ranking:
I have made this chili a bunch of times before and it is one of my favorites, so I am pre-reviewing and ranking this while it cooks. I actually doubled this recipe to make sure we had plenty of leftovers. Plus, who doesn't love a recipe that includes pretty much all of my favorite things? Cheese, garlic, chocolate. Four forks.

Fried Feeding Frenzy

I'm tired and kind of uninspired (and a poet!), so let's get right to it.

Some facts about tonight's meal:

1. I made Chicken Fried Rice.
2. I dropped an egg on the floor.
3. The recipe made a ton.
4. The meal was easy and fast to prepare.
5. In addition to the egg issue, I made a mess stirring this. Rice was kind of everywhere.
6. The boys ate almost a ton - the kid went back for seconds and the hubs may or may not have picked some off of the kid's plate.

Chicken Fried Rice
Source: Weight Watchers Make it in Minutes, 2001

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp canola
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips (I chopped these into thirds)
• 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (did not use fresh and used approx 1 tsp)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 c. chopped scallions
• 4 c. cooked long-grain white rice (used brown)
• 1.5 c. frozen peas and carrots (used just peas)
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil

Directions:

• Heat 2 tsp of canola in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring, until firmly scrambled, about 2 mins. Transfer the eggs to a bowl. Add 1 tsp more of canola and chicken to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 6-7 mins. Transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
• Add remaining 1 tbsp canola to skillet, along with the ginger, garlic and scallions. Cook 1 min. Add the rice and peas/carrots, cook 2 mins. Stir in eggs and chicken, soy sauce and sesame oil and cook until heated through, 3-5 mins.

Yield: 4 servings (I think it is approx. 1.5 c/serving)
Per serving: 488 cals; 12g fat (2g sat); 172mg chol; 560mg sodium; 54mg carbs; 3g fiber; 37g protein

Reviews:
See #5 above. This was a chicken fried love fest.

Ranking:
Four forks - mostly because the boys liked this so much and it was so simple to prepare.

Even better than the real thing? Probs not, but this passes the test

Tidings of Comfort and Varying Degrees of Joy

And just when you thought you were done with those fun holiday tunes, I bet you are now humming "tidings of comfort and joy" due to my clever blog title.

With the weather people promising inches and inches of that horrible white stuff, I hunkered down and bought enough supplies to last us through the next several days. Because I don't drive in it. Normally I am kind of an aggressive driver, but throw in a few flakes or black ice threats, and I become THAT driver - the one who goes about 10mph on an interstate.

I digress. So, even though the snow was a non-event (maybe an inch here in the "snow belt"?) I decided to make a delish-looking chili for lunch, and a crock pot request for dinner. Selfishly, I knew going into it that my family was not going to partake in the chili, but that's kind of OK. Because I kinda love it.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
Source: Taste of Home Heartwarming Soups, Fall 2011

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (used no-salt added)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained (used no-salt added)
• 1/4 c. brewed coffee (used Starbucks Bold - woot woot!)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1/2 c. shredded reduced fat cheese

Directions:

• In a nonstick Dutch oven coated with cooking spray, saute sweet potatoes and onion in oil until crisp-tender. Add the chili powder, garlic, cumin and cayenne, cook 1 min longer. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, coffee, honey, salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 mins or until sweet potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (1 c chili with 1 tbsp cheese)
Per serving: 252 cals; 4g fat (1g sat); 5mg choles; 554mg sodium; 47mg carbs; 9g fiber; 10g protein

Reviews:
I am the sole reviewer of this. I love this chili. So good. So chock full of healthy items like black beans, canned tomatoes and sweet potatoes! The only complaint I have is that chopping up sweet potatoes is a pain. But yum - delish. I have a sneaking suspicion I will be eating this chili every single day for lunch over the next several days.

All mine!

Ranking:
Four Forks

And for dinner, the kid requested "tacos" earlier this week, so of course I obliged.
Thai Chicken Tacos
Source: Clean Eating, Jan/Feb 2012

I do not feel like typing this one out. There are just a ton of ingredients and frankly peeps, it isn't worth it. Basically - this is a peanut butter chicken that cooks in a slow cooker for 6-7 hours. The tacos include the chicken mixture topped with a tomato-cucumber salad and shredded red cabbage.

Here's my issue with chicken and slow cookers - I always feel like it comes out too mushy. This was the case with our dinner tonight. And I followed the timing to a tee to try and make sure the mush-chicken-thing didn't happen. The flavor was just OK - nothing too special, and it def did not have much of a kick to it. The hubs was actually a bigger fan of this dish than I was - he even added the tomato-cucumber salad AND red cabbage to his tacos. The kid ate about half a serving.

Ranking:
Two Forks

Onions for the Office

To celebrate the holiday season, we decided to have a little holiday potluck at my office this afternoon, before shutting down for the long holiday weekend.

Here's a little something you should know about my job. I'm in a creative field and I work with a lot of uber-creative folks. I am not necessarily one of those crazy-minded thinkers (I'm looking directly at you, HK and JW), but when we gather, the end result is usually pretty fun and a tad bit wacky.

So for today, we themed our potluck "Around the World" and everyone brought in something holiday-traditional from a different country. We had showings from Poland, Germany, Peru, the United States (see note re: creative!), Italy, France (champagne counts for France, right?) and more. I was at a complete loss over what to contribute, so I brought in a traditional Jewish dish - brisket. I KNOW that "Jewish" is not a country, but it filled the meat void and ethnic requirement.

In prepping the brisket, I chopped a ton of onions. So many, in fact, that my eyes were watering and my throat was stinging, which is a first. Really. And peeps - you know that I use a lot of onions in my cooking, so this eye watering business was kind of a strange sensation for me. Lest you think it is showing any sort of office-based sensitivity, immediately remove that thought from your head. It just proves that I always go the extra mile for my beloved co-workers.

Let me leave you with this one thought, which I think pretty much sums up our day today:
"I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be."

(We actually work really hard all the time, so we deserved a little holiday cheer! OH - and name the source of the quote - what a fun game for you, blog readers. Winner may get a special prize. Or at the very least - a blog shout out. Try to contain your excitement.)

Slow-Cooked Brisket in Onion Gravy
Source: EatingWell, January/February 2011

I'm not typing the whole thing out. Nor do I have a picture.

Reviews:
Like most crock pot recipes, this was fairly easy to throw together. The directions included some notes about advance preparation, which was great because I did half of it last night and finished it off this morning. I was a little nervous that the meat wasn't going to be tender enough, because I cooked it on low for 4 hours, then on high for about 3 more (do the math - that means I started it at 4a, peeps), but my co-workers seemed to really enjoy it. And, since they are all loyal readers of this blog, they knew they had to provide a review.

Ranking:
Four Forks

Beef & Pasta Skillet

I couldn't come up with a great title for this post, so there you have it.

When the hubs and I first moved in together, and long before I saw the light with clean eating, I would make Hamburger Helper. So help me, I did. Go ahead and judge. I give you permission.

Obvs, I no longer buy or eat the stuff. Or for that matter, very much boxed anything anymore. But that doesn't mean that a good old fashioned pile of beef and noodles can't be done in a healthier way. Because it can. And it makes for a great family meal on a busy weeknight.

Beef and Pasta Skillet
Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried tricolor rotini (used whole wheat tricolor)
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 med garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp salt-free Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 c. water
• 6oz can no salt added tomato paste
• 2 tbsp parm cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (skip)
• 1 tsp low-sodium Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)

Directions:

• Prepare pasta, drain and set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet, stir together the mushrooms, beef, onion, garlic, herb seasoning and basil. Cook, covered over med-high heat for 8-10 mins, or until the mushrooms have released their juices and are fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Stir the mixture and the pasta into the skillet. Heat thoroughly.

Yield: 6 servings (I assumed one cup/serving)
Per serving: 262 cals; 16g protein; 40g carbs; 23mg choles; 5.5g fat (2.0g sat; 0.5g poly; 2.0g mono); 187mg sodium

Reviews:
Great meal! Super easy to prep, not a lot of mess, and the entire family enjoyed. I even managed to hide the 'shrooms enough for the kid to eat a few. AND he asked for seconds! AND we have leftovers! Score!

Ranking:
Four Forks

I see a 'shroom peeking out!

Hitting the Spot

Due to a mini breakdown in communication, we did not have dinner as a family, which got the kid off the hook for tonight's main event. However, he missed out on some delish comfort food that really hit the spot on a cold, rainy December evening.

I've wanted to make a white chili for some time. I have all sorts of recipes for all sorts of chilis, and I've kind of been in the mood for a chicken-based version. However, I am kind of a firm believer that chili should only be paired with cold weather, and since we've had unusually mild weather of late, my forays into chili have been few and far between. My guess is, though, that you'll be reading about a lot more chilis as we enter the long, cold, dark and miserable season that is known as winter. You will also probably read about my immense dislike of snow.

White Chili
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, by Dick Logue

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil (used canola)
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 4 c. no-salt added great Northern beans
• 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 oz. chopped chile peppers
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (skip)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 c. sour cream (used reduced-fat)

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 mins. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. 

Yield: 8 servings (I assumed 1 c/serving)
Per serving: 269 cals; 23g protein; 9g fat (4g sat, 2g mono, 2g poly); 25g carb; 6g fiber; 87mg calcium; 99mg sodium; 46mg choles

Reviews:
Love this! Once again, my friend Dick Logue comes through with another great low-sodium recipe. We both thought this turned out just fab.

Ranking:
Four Forks

I'm not going to include an image tonight. I took one, but the picture does not do the meal justice. Instead, here's another photograph:

(This is solo, btw)

All Done!

All Done!

Not only is the baby learning the sign for all done at school (a super-fun touchdown sign!), but we are now at the end of the first-ever GBRC Quick Fire Challenge! I bet The Beatles have something to say about that...

(Please note, I do not endorse the fact that many of these images have absolutely no association with the time frame in which this song was recorded. Just so you know. You should also note the excellent guitar work in this song. The three solos are amazing. Really.)

On to tonight's contender - a selection from Cooking Light's "Super Fast 20 Minute Cooking" feature (a regular feature in the magazine, btw).

Sloppy Joe Sliders
Source: Cooking Light, November 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 large carrot
• 10 oz. lean ground beef
• 3/4 c. pre-chopped onion (just chopped my own)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1 tbsp Dijon
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (used no-salt added)
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 8oz no-salt added tomato sauce
• Slider buns

Directions:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Grate carrot/ Add carrot, beef and onion to pan, cook until beef is browned. Add garlic powder and chili powder, cook 1 minute.
• Combine remaining ingredients (except for buns, obvs) in a bowl and add to pan, stirring to coat beef mixture. Simmer for 5 mins or until thickened.

Yield: 4 (2 sliders - 2 slider buns with 1/4 c. beef mixture on each bun)
Per serving: 373 cals; 10g fat (3.6g sat; 3.5g mono; 2.3g poly); 23.1g protein; 52.2g carbs; 38mg carb; 736mg sodium (yikes!)

Reviews:
The only grousing at tonight's table was the hubs when the kid tried to slip him a piece of broccoli (we also had wild rice). The slider buns were perfectly sized for the kid, and he devoured almost his entire portion. I thought the flavor was delish. However, this did take me a bit longer than 20 mins only because in my typical fashion, I did not read the directions ahead of time. However, this meal is a great option for a busy weeknight - especially since all of the ingredients are pantry staples.

Ranking:
Four Forks - yum!

Touchdown broccoli!

Fool Me Once

I have been cooking for a long time. I remember making my parents breakfast in bed (and laying it on the floor for my father to step in); preparing a rich chocolate-cherry cake (recipe courtesy of my 6th grade Home Ec class); and planning "menus" for various occasions.

Yet I am not a chef, nor will I ever be. I do not create recipes from the depths of my (slightly twisted) mind. I just know how to read and follow directions.

However, there is one skill I have cultivated over the years - I can figure out what ingredients will work and make minor adjustments accordingly. Tonight, while the adjustments were almost too teensy to tell (fun with "t"!), it made the overall meal a winner for everyone.

So why "fool"? One: These silly recipes can try and trick me with their ridic amounts of salt, ginger and red pepper, but I know better. And two? Rest assured peeps, I am nobody's fool.

Now let's all join Paul for a little singalong:

Kung Pao Chicken
Source: Cooking Light, December 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp dark sesame oil
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 lbs chicken cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 c. water
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp bottled minced ginger (used 1/4)
• 1 to 1-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (used 1/2)
• 1 c. sliced red pepper
• 1 c. snow peas
• 2 tbsp chopped, unsalted peanuts (I smash them a bit)

Directions:

• Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 3 mins or until soft. Add garlic, saute 30 secs, stirring constantly. Add chicken, saute 3 mins or until it begins to brown.
• Combine water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper), stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture ot pan, bring to a boil.
• Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan, cook for 2 mins or until veggies are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.

Note: I let this all cook a bit longer because I am crazy-paranoid about undercooked chicken. I'd rather have it slightly chewy than salmonella any day of the week... no fooling!

Yield: 4 servings (1 c. each) (We also had plain brown rice - not included in the calorie count, below obvs)
Per serving: 275 cals; 13.8g fat (2.6g sat; 5.3g mono; 4.8g poly); 25.3g protein; 11.9g carb; 94mg chol; 502mg sodium; 41mg calc

Reviews:
Huge thumbs up from the kid. He was swiping chicken from both of our plates, and he ate all of his snow peas and red peppers. He was also able to apply the dinner to school - he "studied" one of the snow peas to prepare for his food painting. I have no doubt it will be a masterpiece!

Ranking:
Four forks: Easy to prepare, didn't require too many dishes or advance work, and the flavor was delightful

Over-zealous on the peanuts

Fall Flavor

My sister-in-law and I have very different food tastes. For example, she loves all things lemon, whereas the thought of lemony anything makes my tastebuds hurt. So when I discovered her love of pumpkin, I kind of categorized it in the lemon-coconut-sister-in-law-icky-taste category, but was I wrong (just don't tell anyone!).

While I'm not a big fan of pumpkin spice lattes or overly sweet pumpkiny flavors, like cooking and baking with it. And, according to my friend Google, pumpkin has a lot of nutritional benefits, including a good source of dietary fiber, low in calories, no cholesterol or saturated fats, loads of anti-oxidants, etc. Bring on the pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pasta Surprise
Source: Clean Eating, May/June 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 13-oz package of whole grain pasta
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (used minced)
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1 roma tomato, chopped (used 1/2 can no-salt added diced)
• 1 small zucchini, diced with peel on
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped (didn't roast)
• 15 oz. pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp low-fat plain cream cheese

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Undercook slightly or it will get mushy later.
• Meanwhile, brown turkey until no longer pink. Drain fat, return to pan and add onion and garlic. Saute turkey mixture until onions are translucent. Add carrot, tomato and zucchini and saute for 3-5 mins until tender.
• Add red pepper, pumpkin puree and pasta sauce. Cover and simmer for 7-10 mins, until zucchini is soft. Add cream cheese, then turn off heat and let cream cheese melt.
• Add pasta and mix, cover and let stand for 2 mins.

Yield: 6 servings (1 c. per serving)
Per serving: 402 calories; total fat: 3.5g (0.5g sat); 62g carbs; 6g fiber; 29g protein; 72mg sodium (!); 36mg choles

Reviews:
Clean plate club all around! Even though the hubs complained it appeared to have too many veggies, every single one of us chowed down - including the kid. I've made this one in the past, so I knew it was going to be good. Plus, it makes a ton, so the hubs has leftovers while I'm tripping the light fantastic (i.e., traveling for work).

Ranking:
Four Forks! I love that this has tons of nutritional value but kind of feels like pasta with meat sauce. It was very easy to prepare, didn't take too long to throw together - a great dish for a busy weeknight. Try it!

Surprise - it's pumpkin!

From Soup to Blue Cheese

I love soup. I don't really need for it to be cool outside to enjoy a nice bowl of something delish. Howevs, because I only recently purchased a blender, I usually have to rely on canned soup to fulfill my cravings.

Before your head starts spinning with thoughts of "OMG the sodium in canned soup is sooooo high..." I only eat Health Valley No-Salt Added varieties. I particularly like the tomato, pea and minestrone. Yum.

But, now that I have a blender that I know how to use, a whole new world of homemade soup has opened up for me, and today was my first foray into this world. I made the soup for my lunch today, as well as lunch during the week (I usually pack unless I have plans/meetings).

Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup
Source: Clean Eating (not sure which issue)

Ingredients:

• 2 firm pears, peeled, cored and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• Pinch of salt/pepper (skip)
• 3 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I use no-salt added)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a roasting pan, combine pears and squash. Drizzle with 1.5 tsp oil, toss to coat, then spread out in bottom of pan. Roast uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until squash begins to brown and soften. Remove from oven and set aside (I roasted for approx. 40-45 mins).
• In a large saucepan, heat remaining 1.5 tsp oil on medium. Add onion, sprinkle with salt/pepper. Saute until onion is soft and golden in color, approx. 3-4 mins. Add pear-squash mixture and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 mins.
• Using a hand blender or upright blender, puree until smooth (about 45-60 seconds). If using an upright, work in small, cooled batches to avoid scalding.
• Garnish with plain yogurt, toasted pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (3/4 c.)
Per serving: Calories: 120; Fat: 4.5g; sat fat: 1g; carbs: 17g; fiber: 3g; protein: 4g; sodium: 65mg; chol: 0mg

Lots of beta-carotene in this bowl!

And for dinner...
Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce
Source: Cooking Light (not sure which issue)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp pepper (skip)
• 4- 6oz. boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 c. flour
• 2 tbsp 2% milk (used 1%)
• 1 large egg, beaten slightly
• 1 c. panko
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp finely chopped, drained bottled roasted red bell peppers (skip - don't like)
• 2 tsp water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (skip - totally forgot to add this)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest part of the chicken to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pockets.
• Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then dredge in panko.
• Heat large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp buter to pan, swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan, cook 4 mins or until browned. Turn chicken over; place skillet in oven and bake for 20 mins or until done (I browned both sides and placed in glass pan to bake).
• While chicken bakes, combine remaining butter and ingredients except for hot sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cook until butter melts. Stir in hot sauce. Serve with chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast and about 4 tsp sauce)
Per serving: 392 calories; 12.9g fat (sat: 6.7; 3.4 mono; 1 poly); 47.4 protein; 18.5 carb; 175mg chol; 421mg sodium; 120mg calc

Served with Rice Selects Red Rice & Lentils

Reviews
Soup: I think the soup turned out great. A little mealier than I thought due to the pears (maybe a teeny bit more pureeing next time?), but the flavor is great and it's hard to believe there's no cream because it is very smooth. Yum. Bonus - the baby ate some for dinner and also enjoyed!

Dinner: Although we all enjoyed the chicken, I thought the buffalo sauce topping was pretty bland (maybe because I missed an entire ingredient? D'oh) and I wouldn't have minded a bit more flavor overall. The hubs loves blue cheese, so he really enjoyed this meal. The kid liked the chicken and broccoli, did not like the rice/lentil combo.

Ranking
Soup: Four Forks
Chicken: Two-Three Forks (Not bad and pretty tasty, but not super flavorful?? IDK)

A Pocket Full of Meh

I had a meal planned for last night, but thanks to my darling baby daughter and the hubs, as well as what I can only imagine to be the millions of germs brought home courtesy of the kid, I felt like crap and bowed out of my cooking duties. And tonight, I was supposed to go out with some of my fave chicks, but figured they wouldn't want my snotty, body-achey self bringing the party down, so instead I stayed home, threw on some sweats and a face mask (germs!), and made dinner.

Meh. I don't like being sick. I mean - who does, really? But I am not a fan of the mopey, moody, snot-filled peep it turns me into. (One might argue, btw - how is that really different from my every day self? That, I can not answer nor defend.)

On the bright side, my mother gets a new post to read tomorrow morning, my family gets an uber-healthy meal, and I was able to try out a bunch of new things, including... wait for it... my blender!

I am not going to post all of the ingredients in tonight's meal, btw... I don't feel like typing them in AND I don't want to run the risk of the wrath of the Clean Eating gods.

All of tonight's recipes come form the new Eat-Clean Diet Favorites - I just picked it up about a week ago. Because I need more recipes.

Crispy Chicken Bites
This recipe includes a nice mixture of oat bran, wheat germ, flaxseed and coarsely ground almonds (BLENDER ALERT!). I served this with Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes - we've had quinoa once before, but it's been a really long time. It was pretty much just as it sounds... quinoa with onions, garlic and sundried tomatoes. Oh - I just love sundried tomatoes!

Reviews:
I loved this entire meal - so healthy, so easy, so yummy. The hubs loved it too, and we have plenty of leftovers. The kid thought the chicken bites were "awesome" but did not enjoy the quinoa.

Ranking:
Four Forks - winner all around!

Update: I wrote the first part of the post while the dinner was cooking. The pocket full of meh has a silver lining... I'm now off to join the girls for dessert - with a box full 'o Kleenex. Peer pressure, peeps.

SO healthy I can't stand it!

Channeling My Aunt

Although both of my parents are only children (weird, right?), my grandfather (92 years-old and "still vertical" - his words, not mine) had four older sisters - my aunts. Although one passed long before I was born, the other three played a big role in our lives, which included frequent trips to Rhode Island for visits. Luckily for us, all of my aunts (pronounced auhnts, btw, seeing as they were proper New Englanders), lived until ripe old ages, and one - Aunt Rose - was "still vertical" when the kid was born.

Aunt Rose was also the resident homebody of the group. While she was an extremely successful special education professional and advocate, she was simply known to us as the Aunt who loved to cook and bake. And baked. She had an amazing home and kitchen, and would even go so far as to send us her specialties via UPS.

Luckily for me, I have inherited not only her love (although not necessarily her talent) for cooking and baking, but also some of her recipes, hand-written in her perfect penmanship. I thought one of her classics would be appropriate for tonight's holiday dinner.

Perfect Apple Pie
Source: Rose Waterman Pierce (my aunt)

Ingredients:

• 6 or 7 tart apples (I used Red Delicious; can also mix varieties)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• Dash of nutmeg
• Dash of salt (skip)

Directions:

• Pare apples and slice thin. Combine sugar, flour, spices and salt; mix with apples. Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry, fill with apple mixture, dot with butter.
• Adjust or put on top crust; sprinkle with sugar for sparkle. (!!)
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 50 minutes or until done.

Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 3 c. flour
• 1 c. margarine
• 3 tbsp water (I used a bit more)

Directions:

• Mix flour & margarine thoroughly until very crumbly. Mix in water until smooth. Form into ball, then divide ball into two balls. Roll out one ball until flat and not thick. Use as bottom crust. Roll out second ball and cover apples.

Is my pie sparkling?

Unfortunately, my husband does not like "fruity desserts," so I also made brownies.

Double Chocolate Brownies
Source: American Medical Association's Family Health Cookbook (1997)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 oz (1 square) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp smooth applesauce
• 1 c. and 2 tbsp of sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8 baking pan with spray.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, coffee, baking powder and salt. In a 2 or 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted, then stir in the applesauce and sugar until blended. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan, then add the dry ingredients and stir until blended and smooth.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are just firm and begin to pull away from the edges, 20-25 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes.

Yield: 16 squares
Per serving: 123 calories; 3g fat (2g sat); 19mg chol; 79mg sodium; 23g carbs

The applesauce makes them perfect for the holiday

And FINALLY, I also made a side dish for dinner. There is nothing even remotely clean about this, and I would not make it for a typical family meal. However, it is very fast, very easy, very tasty, and most important, due to some dietary restrictions in our fam, perfect the the entire group.

One-Pan Mac & Cheese
Source: Kraft Food & Family (not sure of date)

Ingredients:

• 2 pkg Kraft Mac & Cheese
• 4 c. boiling water
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, cut up
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 24 Ritz crackers, crushed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Place macaroni in prepared dish. Stir in boiling water, cover with foil.
• Bake 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes.
• Stir in cheese sauce, milk and butter. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and crushed crackers. Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and crackers begin to brown.

Yield: 8 servings

Reviews:
In addition to all of the above, I also brought last night's honey cake so my family could sample it. Overall, they all really enjoyed every item. I knew the mac & cheese would be a hit b/c I've made it before. The kid had two helpings of brownie (special dinner, peeps - not normally how we roll), everyone liked the honey cake and the pie was declared a "thing of beauty" by my mother. While I wouldn't necessarily go that far (refer to the above picture), I am also pleased with how everything turned out. Even my bro, who is the official pie connoisseur (my Aunt always made the pies especially for him), declared the crust excellent. The brownies, btw, are very sweet. And one more btw - my family is not one of those overly polite crews - if they didn't like something, they would totes report it. I guess the New England prim and properness from my Aunt's generation has lost its was down here in the NEO!

Ranking:
Only because I always listen to my momma, she declared tonight's effort four forks. Thanks for the inspiration, Aunt Rose!

Kid-spiration

Last week, the kid came home all excited about his Spanish class. Not because of anything he learned, mind you, but because his teacher passed out a bunch of recipes for them to try at home. So we did. Sort of.

The recipes are for enchiladas and burritos and guac and other delish Mexican dishes. However, besides the guac, none of the recipes are particularly healthy, so I found my own variation for tonight's Meatless Monday fare.

Before I get into the recipe, I would love to be able to add that the kid helped cook the meal and we had a heartfelt mother-son-in-kitchen-bonding moment. The reality is he was first at a friend's house, and then getting his fill of educational programming (i.e., The "Regular Show" - don't ask. I don't know).

Easy Guacamole
Source: The kid's Spanish class (and Allrecipes.com, I think)

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced (used refrigerated)
• Salt and pepper to taste (skip_

Note: I cut this recipe in half since I am the only one who eats guac.

Directions:

• Peel and mash the avocado in a bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Chill.

Yum

Black Bean Burritos

Source: The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005)

Note: I do not know anyone who has diabetes - I just bought the cookbook because I figured it would have healthy recipes, and I'm a sucker for healthy recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 green bell peppers, diced (used 1/2 of one - not a huge green pepper fan)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (used refrigerated)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 14.5oz can no-salt added diced tomatoes
• 1-4oz can chopped green chiles (used mild - would consider medium next time)
• 2-15.5oz cans black beans, rinsed (used no-salt added)
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Tortillas, cheese, etc (I like La Tortilla Factory high fiber, low-carb wraps)

Directions:

• Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano and cumin, cook, stirring until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, green chiles, beans and vinegar. Return to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 25 mins. Add water is liquid evaporates too quickly (did not do that).
• Warm tortillas in oven.
• With the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans.

Yield: 8 servings (1/2 c. bean mixture, one tortilla)

Per serving: 235 calories; 5g fat (2g sat, 2g mono); 6mg choles; 40g carbs; 12g protein; 10g fiber; 581mg sodium

My pics are kind of sideways tonight

 Reviews:

Surprisingly, no one complained about the potential of bean-only burritos. The kid did ASK "Is there meat involved in dinner," but he managed to eat almost his entire portion (we also had brown rice), which is a major win in my book. The hubs also gave it a resounding thumbs up. I am the only one who tried the guac, and I thought it was delish. But I also like plain avocados without seasoning, so who am I to judge?

Ranking:

Four Forks. Easy, fast and a winning meatless option



Cookbook Week Kick-Off

The title of this post is in no way a reference to football. My Buckeyes let its nation down big time, and even though the Browns had a big win yesterday, I'm not the world's biggest NFL fan. (Sorry CLE peeps!)

Rather, this "kick-off" (which actually began with yesterday's dinner) refers to my use of a different cookbook each night this week.

I collect recipes a few different ways:

• Cookbooks (obvs)
• Magazines (too many to name) - I rip them out and file according to type, in my lovely orange binders
• Online computer database (i.e., too lazy to print e-recipes and file in my binders)

I most often turn to my orange binders, ignoring the cookbooks I have amassed through the years. Therefore, when planning the meals for this week, I decided to only use cookbooks for my selections. Pretty monumental stuff, huh?

For tonight's Meatless Monday selection...

Stuffed Shells
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, Dick Logue (2007)

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs large pasta shells
• 4 c. ricotta cheese (go for lowest sodium possible - mine had 55mg/serving)
• 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. grated parm cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (skip - substituted 1 tsp minced garlic)
• 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano (went with 2 tsp)
• 3 c. low sodium spaghetti sauce (I like Trader Joe's No-Salt Added Marinara - 35mg/serving)

Directions:

• Cook shells according to package directions. Drain and spread out in a single layer on waxed paper. (Did not spread them out - just cooled off by rinsing)
• Combine remaining ingredients except spaghetti sauce. Spread 1 c. sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
• Stuff each shell with about 2 tbsp of the filling and place in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over shells.
• Cover with foil (I always spray underside of foil to prevent stickage) and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is hot and sauce bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings
Per serving: 356 calories; 24g protein; 16g total fat (8g sat, 5g mono, 2g poly); 29g carbs; 2g fiber; 6g sugar; 247mg sodium

Reviews:
Big thumbs up from everyone. I've made this several times, and it always turns out well. We also had asparagus as a side (yes, both the kid and the hubs eat asparagus), and the boys added garlic bread. To quote the kid: "Compliments to the chef." To quote me: "Compliments to Dick Logue." I heart Dick Logue and his low-sodium recipes. They never disappoint.

Ranking:
Four Forks

Carb-loading for 5:30a spinning tomorrow!