Catching Up!

I need to get better at blogging. For real. Each time I get a chance, I feel like it takes me 5 hours to write a post since I have so much to write. Since I used up all my desserts for the last post, I'll highlight some of the dinners made lately. And by lately, I mean 2 months ago. ;)

The reviews of this dish were kind of blah. Which made me very nervous to try it. However, I'm really glad I did. This dish was super yummy and all it needed was some chili powder. I wish the other reviews would have known their way around a spice cabinet so they could taste this yummyness.

Cilantro Beef and Orzo
from Eat Better America
serves 3 for dinner, 6 as a side

• 3 cups beef broth
• 9 oz orzo pasta
• 1 can (11 oz) corn (I used 1/2 cup frozen)
• 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
• 2 tsp. oil (olive, canola, soybean...)
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (it says stir fry beef but I just used ground beef...)
• 1 large bell pepper (used 3/4 cup frozen bell pepper and onion mix)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a 2-qt saucepan, mix broth, pasta, corn and chiles. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. 

Cover, simmer about 10 minutes or until pasta is just tender. Remove from heat. Let stand about 5 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed. (This didn't happen for me...the pasta was done and there was quite a bit of  liquid left...so I just drained it a bit to get that sticky consistency).

Meanwhile, spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray. Add oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add beef and bell pepper (I added onion too); cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown.

I'm lazy...so I chop my cilantro with a food processor ;)

Stir beef mixture into pasta mixture. Stir in cilantro.

It tasted like it needed some oomph. So I garnished each with more cilantro and about a tablespoon of chili powder. Perfect. Yumm! I was impressed by this simple, healthy and easy meal.

When I was a kid, my mom had this cookbook for me. It had many recipes for "kids." The language was simple enough for me to understand when I was younger and the recipes were very simple. One of my favorites, to this day, is Oatmeal Pancakes! So I asked my mom and she emailed me the recipe...after changing some of the ingredients for a more filling, grown-up, and healthy pancakes...I made them for dinner. And I think I made something great...even better!

Oatmeal Pancakes
modified from kids cookbook Mom has
makes 12 pancakes

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup buttermilk (1 Tb. white vinegar + enough milk to equal one cup)
• 1 Tb. brown sugar
• 2 Tb. butter, melted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk for 5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon). Whisk brown sugar, butter and egg lightly in a separate bowl until just combined. Add soaked oats, 1/4 cup leftover milk and dry ingredients to the bowl and mix together until combined.  

Grease a heated griddle or spray with cooking spray. Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are puffed and dry around the edges. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. Top with syrup.

These pancakes are the best ever! Seriously, they're fabulous. They're higher in calories than normal pancakes due to the oats...but they're FILLING. I have 3 for dinner and I'm good all night. They freeze well, too. You can freeze extras and pop them in the toaster later for a quick breakfast!

I have become the weirdo who like tofu. Even before I decided to become vegetarian (more on that later), I loved tofu. So I wanted to try to make tofu parmigiana. I looked at some recipes online, but didn't like them so...I made my own. It wasn't that hard, trust me. It's just all about the process.

Tofu Parmigiana

from my brain :) 

Serves 2-4 (depending on how hungry they are!)

• 1/2 package firm or extra-firm tofu, sliced in 1/4-in thick slices, pressed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs, whole wheat if you can find them
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tb. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce, or your own recipe (this is my own sauce)
• 1/4 cup mozzarella

Slice the tofu into 1/4-in thick slices. Half a block should make 4 slices. Be make sure to press and dry the tofu slices. (How to press tofu slices: Place several paper towels beneath the tofu and on top of the tofu. Put a cookbook, skillet or other heavy, flat surface on top and press gently on the tofu until tofu is dry.)

In assembly line fashion, place the flour in a shallow dish, followed by the lightly beaten egg in a different shallow dish, and a third shallow dish with the bread crumbs, Parmesan and Italian seasoning.  In the bottom of a small casserole dish, spread enough sauce to cover the bottom. One at a time, cover the tofu in flour and pat off excess. Next, dip the tofu slices in the egg and then in the bread crumbs. Be sure to cover completely with bread crumbs.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet. Place breaded tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned. Flip and brown the other side. 

Arrange tofu slices in the casserole dish. Top with sauce and cheese. Bake at 375° F for 20 minutes. Serve each slice over 1 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta. 

YUMMM. Seriously. Anything drenched in my fabulous spaghetti sauce would be divine but even still, this was delicious.

I have one more recipe for this post and it's another creation from my brain. For mother's day, my dad did a Mexican-themed meal. I asked if I could bring dessert since that's my specialty ;) but he had that covered...fried ice cream, anyone?? (It was absolutely amazing, in case you wondering...) So he asked for a side dish...something like Bush's Black Bean Fiesta. So I looked up what that was and tried to find recipes like it. But I came up with nothing. So, I looked at the ingredients. Black beans, corn and bell peppers in a spicy-sweet chipotle sauce. I can handle that. :)

Honey-Chipotle Black Beans

from my brain

serves...a ton! seriously, I didn't realize how much 1 lb. of black beans makes!

Beans

• 1 lb. black beans, soaked overnight, then simmered until tender
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1-2 cups chicken broth (as needed)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Sauce

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 6 oz can water
• 2 chipotle chiles, from can in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 Tb. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F.

To make the sauce, add the oil to the pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic; cook for 2 minutes. 

Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce is thickened. 

Place the sauce in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. 

Sauté diced pepper about 2 minutes.

Place the beans in a large bowl, stir in sauce, pepper and corn. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Transfer the mixture to a casserole or baking dish and pour 1 cup of the stock over. (I was so excited to use my new casserole dish I got from my MIL for my birthday!)

Bake the beans, covered, for 20 minutes. Check to see if the mixture is dry and add more stock, if needed. Continue baking an additional 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and fold in the cilantro, if using. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving; it sets up nicely.

I would use 1/2 cup broth the first 20 minutes and then add another 1/2 for the next 20 minutes next time. I think it would've done better. I forgot to use the cilantro since I had to take it somewhere and didn't serve immediately. I bet that would've added to the flavor even more. 

Overall, I was impressed with myself. They tasted good. Nothing to swoon over but they tasted like I wanted them to taste so I considered it a success. :)

Well, hopefully I'll be writing again today with the rest of the stuff I promised: an update on us people, instead of the food. Plus those reviews of those Jillian DVDs I promised ages ago! lol Oh, and in case you were wondering if my cat can get any weirder....he can:

Yup, that's the trash.

Easy Peasy Desserts

Butterscotch Blondies (or Chocolate Chip Blondies)

from Cooking Light "Butterscotch Bars", January 2000, as told on Me, Myself and Pie


1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
cooking spray
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels (or chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat sugars and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes).

Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir well with a whisk.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at a low speed until just blended.

Spread evenly into a 8x8 square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with morsels.

Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

YUMMMM. I drizzled mine with caramel because I'm a sugar junkie. I still think butterscotch would have been better and plan on trying them again when I get some butterscotch morsels. And maybe some ice cream :)

Cinnamon Mocha-Fudge Bars
from BettyCrocker.com

Bars
1 tsp instant coffee granules*
2 Tb. hot water
1 pouch Betty Crocker double chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg

Frosting
1 tsp instant coffee granules*
2 Tb. hot water
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tb. baking cocoa
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla
(This reflects half of the frosting used on BC, I ran out of powdered sugar and could only do half but I'm glad. I wouldn't have wanted more frosting.)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee granules in 2 Tb. hot water. *I didn't have instant coffee granules. I just used our regular mocha flavored ground coffee and loved it!

Add remaining bar ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. Spread in pan.

Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee in 2 Tb. hot water. Add remaining frosting ingredients, stir until smooth. (Such an EASY icing!!)

Spread over bars. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until set.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Yummm! These were soo addictive! And not just because of the coffee ;) I loove the speckled look that my dissoluble coffee gave these bars. Betty Crocker does denote that these can be made without coffee; just be sure to use the hot water still.

While all of these desserts were more than delicious, I saved the best for last.

Chocolate Mint Bars
adapted from Me, Myself and Pie 

Bars
used Ghiradelli brownie mix (I fully intend on following the original recipe when I make these again soon because they look to die for as well!)

Mint Layer
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tb. fat-free milk (we use 1%)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Glaze
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tb. butter

Prepare brownies according to box directions or follow bottom layer directions on the original recipe. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, melted butter and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth.

Spread mint mixture over cooled brownies.

To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. On a side note, can you tell that I'm obsessed with Ghiradelli? :) They are fabulous. I think quality chocolate is important in making good desserts. Plus, when I was at the store last, Ghiradelli chocolate chips were $0.04 more than Nestle. Seriously? I'll hand over a nickel for the best chocolate chips ever.

Stir and let stand 2 minutes.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. I swirled the layers a bit because I already got some mint and chocolate mixed up so it looked better, as if it was on purpose ;) Cover and refrigerate until set. This was the cruel part. I had to go to bed without even trying one. LAME. But the next morning....

In my chocolate-mint obsessed brain, these had the perfect proportions. Cut into bars and enjoy!

F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. I'm not even exaggerating. I can't wait to make these again!

Strawberry Sherbet

This is the making of a beautiful friendship. 

Strawberry Sherbet

from EatingWell.com

• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 10 ounces), divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

I would chop the berries smaller than that next time. 

 

Combine 1 cup berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve, about 10 minutes.

 

Transfer the berry mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Meanwhile, combine buttermilk, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl.

Press the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl. Stir, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Whisk the sherbet mixture and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the remaining 1 cup chopped berries. Like I said before, I would have chopped them MUCH smaller than that in hindset.

If necessary, place the sherbet in the freezer to firm up before serving. (If the sherbet becomes very hard in the freezer, soften it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before scooping.)

YUMMMMM. This sherbet was the best. I was very surprised by how amazing the flavor was. Super good.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (1/2 cup): 112 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 94 mg sodium; 86 mg potassium

Well, I'll be back soon. I have many more recipes to share. But for now, school work and Glee are calling my name. It's my new obsession :)

Meatless Wonders and a Grown-up love for Vegetables

Ground Beef or Soy? Poll closes halfway through this post. :)

I tried baked tofu and made two mistakes, according to my vegetarian friend. #1 I used firm, not extra firm so it was kinda soggy. #2 I made the flavor simple so that the tofu could shine. Fyi, tofu has no flavor. It absorbs other flavors fabulously and is a great supporting actor but really doesn't like being in the lead. So I took the rest that I didn't eat that night, cut it into cubes and browned it...

...and threw it in with my favorite stir fry sauce and veggies.

deliciousness.

My stir fry sauce is simple. It has soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, water, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. It's written on a post it somewhere in my recipe box because I've fooled with it so much. haha

Hummus - serves 8
from Weight Watcher's New Complete Cookbook

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (15 oz)*
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt*
2 Tb. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed*
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tb. water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

I had to show off my ADORABLE new tsp/Tb. measure. I love my big one and freaked when AB pulled out this tiny little thing. Perfect for honey, peanut butter and measuring small amounts of liquids.

In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients until blended but still a little chunky.

Serve with bell pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, lightly steamed broccoli and baby carrots. Or...as shown here, with Stacey's pita chips! :)

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (1/4 cup): 91 cal; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g trans); 0 mg chol; 151 mg sod; 13 g carb; 1 g fib; 5 g prot; 54 mg calc

*I had a 19 oz can of chickpeas and used a 6 oz (3/4 cup) container of Greek non-fat plain yogurt (because I'm OBSESSED with Greek yogurt lol) for the increase. I would definitely scale back on the garlic. Good at first taste, but after sitting, WAY too garlicky!

Hearty Meatless Chili - serves 6*
from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

*I halved it and had three, very generous servings.

1 Tb. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 package of frozen soy crumbles (12 oz) *couldn't find frozen, used refrigerated...
1/2 cup water
1/2 medium eggplant, unpeeled and diced *used zucchini instead
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz)

Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalepeno; cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes.

I always have tons of cans of diced tomatoes around and didn't feel like buying crushed...so I "crushed" them myself. :)

Soy crumbles! If hubby wasn't completely open to the idea of soy (he is more so than I am!), I could easily slip this in for meat and I don't think he'd be able to tell...it looks almost identical and like I said before, tofu/soy products soak up the flavor of the ingredients around them.

Add the tomatoes, soy crumbles, water, eggplant (zucchini) and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Add the beans and simmer, partially covered, until all the vegetables are well softened, about 20 minutes longer.

Top with scallions and cheddar cheese. Serve with corn bread.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (a little less than 1 cup): 197 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 0 mg chol; 807 mg sodium; 28 g carbs; 10 g fiber; 16 g Protein; 105 mg Calc

I looooved this. It was super good!

 

The funniest thing about this recipe is that a vegetarian friend gave it to me a while back and I forgot about it. Then I was browsing one of my favorite sites, Eatingwell.com, and found a chilaquiles casserole. This made me think about the other recipe my friend sent me. So I went back and found it in my inbox...and they were the same recipe. How funny is that?! lol Needless to say, regardless of where I found this recipe...it was FABULOUS.

Chilaquiles Casserole - makes 10 servings (once again, halved it and had 5 servings. We both ate two that night and I had the extra for lunch the next day)
from Leah! and Eatingwell.com

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 19-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce (before you consider making your own, like I did...it's MUCH higher in calories...just grab a low sodium can)
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.

3.Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

4.Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.
 
NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving: 243 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 23 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 338 mg sodium; 267 mg potassium
 
Next time, we'll prepare it a day ahead and let it sit in the fridge like AB does with his. It lets the flavors meld together or something. Either way, DELICIOUS.