Brussels Sprouts salad

So, now that I'm embarking on my 30-day "paleo/primal-ish" challenge, that means lots of new recipes and lots of cooking.

I found this recipe over at Pinch My Salt and after making a couple of changes to it, it's almost 100% paleo!  I didn't have walnuts on hand so I used chopped pecans, as well as substitute coconut oil for the brown sugar and okay, I did use a packet of Truvia just to add a little bit of sweetness to it.  This was the second time I've cooked with Brussels sprouts and I just had a bite to check it, but I have to admit, it was pretty good!

Brussels Sprouts salad (adapted from Pinch My Salt)

•  2TB apple cider vinegar
• 1 packet Truvia (optional)
• 1TB coconut oil
• 1TB EVOO
• 4 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, outer leaves peeled and shredded/sliced
• 1/2C chopped pecans
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix vinegar, sweetener, coconut oil and olive oil together and set aside.

In a large skillet cook the bacon, and when finished, place on a paper towel to drain the excess grease and crumble into pieces.  Reserve 1-2TB of the bacon drippings and add Brussels sprouts and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium high heat or until tender.  Remove from heat and add the bacon, pecans and dressing and stir for a minute until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sweet potato hash

Thanks again, to Pinch My Salt, for another great recipe! 

Sweet Potato Hash (Adapted from Pinch My Salt):

• 1TB coconut oil
• 1TB butter
• 3-4 cups of peeled, diced sweet potatoes (1/4-1/2" is good, the larger they are, the longer they will take to cook)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/2t paprika
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
• Fresh or dried parsley (optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter until melted.  Add the onions and potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes).  Stir in the cumin, paprika and red pepper and cook for another couple of minutes (I added a little bit of water here just to make sure the spices were distributed as they stuck to the potatoes).  Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and parsley.

Turkey tacos with a twist

Serious slacking going on here these days....but, I've been cooking, just haven't been talking about it :)

I bought an eggplant recently.  Why, I don't know, because I'm not a big fan of eggplant at all.  But there is something about it, it's just so pretty!  So, determined to come up with a use for it and not waste my dollar, I started brainstorming and came up with this:

Turkey/veggie tacos

• 1lb ground turkey breast (or your animal of choice)
• 1 eggplant, skin peeled
• 2 small yellow squash
• 1 package taco seasoning (or whatever spices you want to make your own)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Grate the eggplant and squash on a cheese grater (or you could try it in the food processor) and wrap in a paper towel and wring out the excess water.

In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until almost finished, then add the eggplant/squash combo and stir until combined.  Add the taco seasoning and water (per package instructions) and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

With the veggies added in, you can easily double the recipe serving size, and get a couple of grams of fiber in too (as well as a serving of veggies!).  Top a corn tostada with some avocado, tomatoes and cheese and you're all set.

Banana Pudding Squares

Win!

Trying to find a yummy dessert and still keep it healthy can be a challenge sometimes, but this recipe did not disappoint!  It was a big hit at a recent dinner with friends and will definitely be on the menu again.  (Plus it makes a lot so is great for a big crowd).

Banana Pudding Squares, compliments of Kraft

(I'm being lazy and just providing the link if anyone wants the recipe, but the only changes I made were using reduced fat graham crackers instead of the Nilla wafers and I used low fat cream cheese and low fat whipped topping and skim milk (just can't go fat free, a little fat never hurt anyone!)

Chicken with balsamic citrus glaze

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3-4 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey
• Pinch of ground allspice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Dash of fresh grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken breasts in a large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons oil.  Remove when cooked thoroughly and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

In the pan (reserve some of the fat from the chicken/oil), heat the shallots, honey and allspice over medium heat and cook, stirring until the shallots are wilted, around 1-2 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and add the chicken stock and lemon juice.  Boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon until reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Add the cream and boil until the sauce is slightly thickened and add the balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Return to a boil and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

(PS-for my veg friends, I imagine this would taste pretty good on some salmon or tuna)

Miso soup

I love miso soup, really, it's one of my favorite things.  What I don't love, however, is having to pay like $3-$4 at a restaurant for a tiny cup!  So, after watching an episode of Good Eats, I set out to the Asian market to pick up the ingredients.

First, I have to give myself a pat on the back for successfully navigating the aisles and finding what I need, even with things not clearly printed in English (thank God for see through packaging!).  Total cost was about $13, and I can make boatloads of miso soup with this stuff (at least the miso paste, I have a feeling I'm going to be tossing some of it if I don't find more uses for it...)

What you want to do first is make your dashi (which is basically a stock used in Japanese cooking):

• 2 4-inch squares of kombu
• 2 1/2 quarts of water
• 1/2 ounce bonito flakes (about 2 cups)

Put the kombu in a 4 quart saucepan, cover with water and soak for 30 minutes.

Set the saucepan over medium heat until the water reaches 150-160 degrees and small bubbles form around the edges of the pot.  (Around 9-10 minutes).

Remove the kombu from the pan and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and add the bonito flakes (warning, these flakes STINK so don't take a whiff, but the finished product?  Can't smell it at all).  Simmer gently, stirring frequently for 10 minutes.

Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer lined with muslin or cheesecloth.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Use within a week or freeze for up to a month (or let it cool a bit and use it to make the miso soup).

Miso Soup: 

• 12 ounce block tofu (I used medium firm)
• 2 quarts dashi
• 6 tablespoons dark or red miso
• 2 tablespoons light or white miso
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Wrap the tofu in layers of paper towel and put on a plate with a plate on top weighted with a 28 ounce can of tomatoes or beans (this will absorb some of the water out of the tofu).  Leave for about 20 minutes then unwrap the paper towel and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Heat the dashi in a 4 quart saucepan over medium high heat.  When the dashi reaches 100 degrees on an instant read thermometer, ladle 1 cup into a small bowl.  Add the miso and whisk until smooth.

Bring the remaining dashi to a bare simmer, approximately 10 minutes.  Add the miso to the mixture and whisk to combine.  Return to a slight simmer, being careful not to boil the mixture.  Add the tofu and scallions and cook for another minute or two.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

This soup was delicious, and tasted exactly like I've had in restaurants.  My biggest complaint is that it made such a large serving and it really doesn't keep too long, but I will definitely be making it again!

Crab Cakes

Lazy blogger back again!  I've been cooking (kind of), but I'm lacking in motivation I guess.

Anyway, I got a craving for crab cakes the other day and even though I have a 2 pack of Maryland style crab cakes from Trader Joes in my freezer, I decided to give it a go on my own.  For the first time, I think they came out okay!  I think next time I will use lump crab meat (I just didn't want to pay $6.99 for a small can of it) and maybe skip the egg as a binding agent, as it was VERY wet and as a result, I had to use more bread crumbs then I wanted, and maybe make them a bit thicker, these were thin, but it made 7 and I had 3 along with some roasted potatoes, and I am stuffed!

Baked feta crab cakes:

• 12 ounces crab meat (whatever you like to use, I just bought two 6-ounce cans of regular crab meat, so it was more shredded)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I hate mayo with a passion, all I can taste is the fat coating my tongue, yuck.  But I got a coupon for a free bottle of Kraft Mayo made with olive oil, and it's not that bad, and has WAY less fat and calories than regular mayo)
• 1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs (I used italian bread crumbs to mix in and panko to coat)
• 1 egg (again, in the future, I would maybe eliminate the egg so I could cut back on the breadcrumbs)
• 1 ounce feta cheese
• Dash of black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh (or dried) parsley

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl combine the crab (drained), mayo, egg (if you decide to use it), feta, pepper, parsley and lemon juice.  Stir to combine and add in the breadcrumbs 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached (I think I had to add close to 3/4 of a cup before I was able to start forming them).

In a separate bowl, pour some panko breadcrumbs and form crab mix into a patty (about 2-3 ounces) and roll to coat.

Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet with a couple of tablespoons of canola oil (or whatever you have on hand).  Gently place patties and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Transfer the crab cakes to the foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy. 

Place on a cooling rack lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil.  Let cool for a few minutes before serving and top with zesty remoulade sauce.

Remoulade Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate for an hour or until chilled.

Serves 2-3

Simple snacks

Some of you might be grossed out at the thought of this combination, but my mom used to make it all the time (well, she used the regular, sugar loaded jello) and it's always been a tasty treat for me. 

• 1 package (4 serving size) any flavor gelatin.  (I used sugar free raspberry Jello)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup canned fruit, drained.  (I used mandarin oranges)

Prepare Jello as directed and let set in the refrigerator for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes (you want it to just start to set).  Add cottage cheese and fruit and stir until combined.  Place back in the fridge until firm (about 2-3 hours).

Turns out, this is also a figure friendly snack!  1 serving (about 1/2 cup) has only 85 calories, 2 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs (because I used the sugar free jello) and 7 grams of protein.

Sorry Candice, no picture, I'm lazy tonight :)

Sweet potato fries

Lazy blogger here...I've been cooking, I just haven't been cook/blogging, but this was worthy of a post :)

First, lets talk nutrition.  These babies are loaded with it!  Excellent source of Vitamin A, packed with Vitamin C, lots of fiber and low on calories.  Sounds like a win!

And sometimes, a recipe doesn't have to be complex to be delicious, as is the case with this.

Sweet Potato Fries:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Peel and evenly slice 1-2 sweet potatoes (depending on size, my two yielded about 6 ounces).  I tried to use the cool french fry slicer I bought a while back but there was no way that was going to go through these thick potatoes, so I got out the knife and all was good.
• Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and in a bowl, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the sliced potatoes (maybe about a tablespoon).
• Arrange in layers on the baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt.
• Bake for about 15 minutes and flip, bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the outside of the potatoes are crunchy.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

I LOVED these!  I didn't quite bake them long enough, as they were a little mushy, but super simple to make and super tasty, they will definitely have a place in the meal rotation.

Anadama bread

I'm finally getting back to my goal of making every bread in The Bread Bakers Apprentice Book!  The latest bread was Anadama Bread. 

It started out with soaking a cup of corn meal in a cup of water overnight, and this was a new concept to me for baking bread, but I went with it.  The next day, per the directions, I added the flour, etc and let it ferment for an hour until bubbles appeared, then added the remaining ingredients (which included molasses, which was also a new addition to bread baking for me).

Unfortunately, I miscalculated my time so instead of letting the dough rise for an hour or two, I had to put it in the fridge after a couple of hours since I didn't have time to shape it.  Luckily this didn't impact the rising stage at all.

I actually didn't get around to baking the bread until the next day, so my 2 day bread turned into a 3 day bread, but it ended up making 3 loaves, which was nice.  The bread itself?  Well I'll admit, I wasn't as crazy about it as I have been other breads I've made, perhaps it was the cornmeal.  But I toasted it and put some orange marmalade on it and it tasted fine :)

Cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes

Compliments of Allrecipes.com

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T fresh lime juice (optional-I didn't use it)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and pour the oil to a 9x13 baking dish and place in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the oiled dish and bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.  In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

After the 20 minutes is up, remove potatoes and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture and mix to coat.  Return to oven and roast for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring as necessary to allow them to brown evenly.

Remove from oven and transfer potatoes to a paper towel to drain the oil.  Serve immediately.

The end result?  Pretty tasty!  It made a large serving and I had some for leftover the next day and they tasted just as good reheated.

Lemon Baked Chicken

When chicken is on sale, you stock up and try to be creative.  I found a recipe on the Weight Watchers website that sounded good (and easy).  I made a couple of substitutions and it came out great!

• 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• Dried parsley flakes
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Citrus and basil spice rub (or any kind of dry rub you have on hand)

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking pan and drizzle olive oil over them, add salt, parsley and the spice rub (I just eyeball these amounts, a dash of salt, few shakes of the parsley and spice rub).  Add the chicken broth and lemon, flip the chicken and add the parsley, salt and spice to the other side.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Serves 4
(WW points-3 each)

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

Yet again, another recipe from the best slow cooker cookbook ever!  I did have a little trouble with getting the rice cooked, I had to increase the cooking times a bit and while I'm still not crazy about the consistency, for a first time effort, it came out really good!

• 2/3 C medium-grain white rice (I used Arborio)
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 C whole milk
• 3/4 C sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean (if you can't find a vanilla bean, one bean is equivalent to 1T of vanilla extract)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 t grated lemon zest
• 1/2 t grated nutmeg

1)  Coat the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the rice and evaporated milk in the cooker.

2)  In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, sugar and salt.  Heat until bubbles appear around the edges to dissolve the sugar.  Remove from heat.

3)  Split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a small knife; add the bean and the seeds to the cooker.  Pour the hot milk into the cooker and stir.  Cover and cook on LOW until the milk is absorbed and the custard is set, about 2 1/2 hours (I had to increase the time to just over 3 hours and the milk still wasn't totally absorbed).  Remove the vanilla bean.

4)  In a medium size bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, lemon zest and nutmeg.  Add about 1/4 cup of the hot pudding to the egg mixture and beat well to prevent curdling.  Slowly pour the mixture into the pudding in the cooker, stirring constantly until well combined.  Cover and cook on LOW for 30 minutes more.  (I cooked it for about 45 minutes here).

5)  Turn off the cooker and let the pudding cool, partially covered, for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or refrigerate to eat cold.  If desired, top with a dollop of whipped cream or fruit (or like I did, with a small squeeze of caramel syrup)

Slow Cooker Carrot Cake

Another great recipe from Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker Cookbook!  This was super simple and came out pretty good.  I didn't have crushed pineapple so I substituted pineapple chunks and I had to increase the water from 1/4 cup to about 1/2 cup because the batter was so thick I could barely mix it, but everything worked out fine and was done in about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

• 1 1/2 C AP flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 c water (you may want to add some water when you are mixing everything if it's too thick)
• 1/2 c light olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 c shredded carrots
• 3 T drained canned crushed pinapple

1)  Line the bottom of the slow cooker with a round of parchment paper.  Coat the paper and the sides of the cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

2)  In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a small bowl combine the water, oil and eggs, mixing until smooth.  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, mix until smooth.  Stir in the carrots and pineapple.  Spread the batter evenly in the cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.

3)  Turn the cooker off, remove the lid and let stand for 30 minutes until cool.  To remove the cake, run a knife around the inside edge of the cooker and lift it out with a large rubber spatula.  (I ran a knife around it and turned the cooker upside down to get the cake out and put it on a cooling pan for about 30 minutes).  Top with cream cheese icing or dust some powdered sugar on top.

Red Beans and Rice

Alton Brown, you've done it again!

A few weeks ago I was watching Good Eats when I couldn't sleep and caught the end of his beans episode and it looked so good and so simple, the next day I pulled up the recipe and bought the ingredients, excited to make it, only to find out that the recipe included pickled pork, which takes 3 days to make.  No worries though!  It was worth the wait.

I followed the directions almost exact, the only changes I made was using brown rice instead of white, and I omitted the thyme, because I just don't like it, and added a little shredded cheese when serving.  Serve with a side of bread (I used the beer bread that I had).

Super yum!!

Here's the recipe as taken directly from the website:

Ingredients

For red beans:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces pickled pork, cut into 1-inch pieces, recipe follows
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts water
• 1 pound red kidney beans, rinsed and picked of debris

For rice:

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place the vegetable oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pickled pork, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened to your liking. If you prefer an even creamier texture, mash some of the beans with a potato masher.

Prepare rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking the beans. Place the water into an electric kettle and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil place the butter into a 3-quart saucepan, set over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the rice and stir to combine. Add the salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Carefully pour the water over the rice and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the beans over the rice.

Pickled Pork:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon celery seed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 8 ounces ice
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes

Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart non-reactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.

Yield: about 1 1/2 pounds

Dessert sandwich

I don't buy bread that often because I end up throwing half the loaf away because I never eat it on a regular basis.  I'll get in the mood for a sandwich, go buy all the stuff, lunchmeat, veggies, etc., and make one or two sandwiches and end up tossing stuff.

So the other day I was flipping through Shape or Women's Health or Fitness and they had a great pre-post workout snack, a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and sliced banana.

Hmmm...that sounded good, so after my workout I opened up the loaf of Pepperidge Farm Honey Flax bread I bought a week ago (yeah, it took a week to even open the loaf), but decided to improve on the tastiness (not necessarily the healthy part though) and wow, if you are craving sweets with a wicked case of PMS or just want to really indulge, try this.

• 2 slices bread (any kind you like, I used the honey flax)
• 1 TB peanut butter
• 1 TB Nutella
• sliced banana
• handful of mini marshmallows

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, Nutella on the other, throw the bananas and marshmallows in and you've got yourself a crazy good (but not so good for you) sandwich.  But really, 1 TB of Nutella is like 100 calories, yeah it's got sugar, etc., but who doesn't love hazelnut?!

I holla for Challah

So, I was all set to make the Anadama bread today from the BBA, but to my surprise, that's a 2 day bread...okay...so I started sorting through the book, and, aha!  Challah!

I really need to buy instant yeast, which I could never find at the store, until I recently read online that it's the same as rapid rise yeast (someone correct me if I'm wrong), so I'll buy some when I go to the store tomorrow because this book calls for instant yeast in every recipe and my yeast just didn't do a good job of rising today.

No matter, the bread was pretty simple to make, although I messed up the braiding somehow, but I have a feeling it will make some amazing french toast!

Awesome site

So I have a problem...I love cooking, and when I find a recipe I think I'd like, I can't wait to try it.  My only issue is that most recipes serve 4 people (or 6 or 8, etc) and me, I don't like leftovers all that much, and since it's just me 98% of the time, well, you can see my dilemma.

I just stumbled across this awesome site from Fruit From Washington, it's a recipe ingredient conversion calculator.  What is especially nice about this one is you input the original recipe/measurements and select the new number of servings and it calculates everything for you.  Super convenient!  I just used it to make shrimp newburg and it seems like everything was okay!