So I fell back on my "never fails to please" date night menu: Manhattans, filet mignon, mashed potatoes (for Josh, I had a baked sweet potato--more on that later). Of course, I also roasted asparagus which makes Josh "gag." It was okay though because I smothered the asparagus in lemon aoli. Yum!
Appetizer was seed crackers, light Havarti cheese with a smidge of peach coriander jam. Josh wasn't impressed by the multi-seed crackers, but then again, I didn't expect him to like them. I did.
The mashed potatoes were made from these tiny (ping pong balled sized) Yukon gold potatoes. Easy to mash.
My sweet potato was topped with a trans fat free butter flavored spread and a splenda brown sugar blend. It tasted as awful as it sounds.
Filet was cooked perfectly.
The piece de resistance, however was the aoli for the asparagus:
.25 c mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
That's where I stopped measuring. I used the zest from 2 lemons and the juice from one (it was a juicy lemon) and a little salt and pepper.
Tonight, being Thursday, is pizza.
happy cooking
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
What I have been eating
I don't want to bore you with the details of my current eating regimen, but I will share 2 tasty things (of my own creation...basically) that I've been enjoying.
Breakfast sandwich
I toast a multi-grain sandwich thin (a number of different "bread makers" make these, but they are pretty consistently called "sandwich thins") and fill it with 1 fried egg, a slice of Canadian bacon, 1-2 slices of roasted red pepper and a slice of reduced fat cheese. It tastes great and keeps me full till lunch time.
Jicama Slaw
This one kills m--I love it so! Peel one medium jicama and cut it into matchsticks. Mix it with some shredded carrot, thinly sliced celery, some radishes and some green onion. Toss all of these veggies with the following dressing:
.5 c non fat unsweetened plain yoghurt
.25 c minced cilantro (if you really don't like cilantro you could use parsley)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T lime juice
salt and pepper to taste--you don't need much
I never thought in a million years that I would like this dressing so much, but I do.
And the slaw is a nice accompaniment to burgers, bar-b-cue, hot dogs, pulled chicken. And yes, I've been eating those things, too.
Josh, however, finds the raw veggies a little "too al dente.) His words. Turns out, I think he just wants it in the form of chopped slaw.
Chinese delivery for dinner tonight as I just had some dental work done. (Again, I can make good choices here, too.)
happy cooking
Breakfast sandwich
I toast a multi-grain sandwich thin (a number of different "bread makers" make these, but they are pretty consistently called "sandwich thins") and fill it with 1 fried egg, a slice of Canadian bacon, 1-2 slices of roasted red pepper and a slice of reduced fat cheese. It tastes great and keeps me full till lunch time.
Jicama Slaw
This one kills m--I love it so! Peel one medium jicama and cut it into matchsticks. Mix it with some shredded carrot, thinly sliced celery, some radishes and some green onion. Toss all of these veggies with the following dressing:
.5 c non fat unsweetened plain yoghurt
.25 c minced cilantro (if you really don't like cilantro you could use parsley)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T lime juice
salt and pepper to taste--you don't need much
I never thought in a million years that I would like this dressing so much, but I do.
And the slaw is a nice accompaniment to burgers, bar-b-cue, hot dogs, pulled chicken. And yes, I've been eating those things, too.
Josh, however, finds the raw veggies a little "too al dente.) His words. Turns out, I think he just wants it in the form of chopped slaw.
Chinese delivery for dinner tonight as I just had some dental work done. (Again, I can make good choices here, too.)
happy cooking
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
I haven't really been hiding...
I started the South Beach diet again about a month ago, and while we've been eating really yummy food, I just haven't been inspired to post about them.
But then I had my in-laws for dinner last night. And MIL extraordinaire noted that 1) I haven't been blogging of late and b) that last night's dinner was blog worthy.
So here goes.
Appetizers: Bruschetta with a tomato topping that I read about in one of the Trib's magazines on Sunday. It had halved cherry/grape tomatoes mixed with minced herbs (basil and chives), capers and olive oil. I also had fresh guacamole and salsa. (I made toast points and chips for myself from multi-grain flat bread and tortillas.)
Dinner: The flank steak with the mushrooms and shallots that Josh loves so much. I did use a Splenda/Sugar blend in the marinade. I didn't have any of the mushrooms because they were made with butter and real sugar. I did not feel deprived in the least. I like the flavor in the beef without the mushroom ragu.
I also made a barley risotto. It's just what it sounds like. You use barley instead of arborio rice.
For green things we had roasted broccoli and a cucumber salad.
Dessert: Fresh fruit. Pineapple, mango, kiwi and strawberries. We ate the fruit a with few dark chocolate morsels.
Tonight's dinner is spaghetti squash with my gravy Also sausage (Turkey) peppers and onions. Oh...and the rest of the cucumber salad.
happy cooking
But then I had my in-laws for dinner last night. And MIL extraordinaire noted that 1) I haven't been blogging of late and b) that last night's dinner was blog worthy.
So here goes.
Appetizers: Bruschetta with a tomato topping that I read about in one of the Trib's magazines on Sunday. It had halved cherry/grape tomatoes mixed with minced herbs (basil and chives), capers and olive oil. I also had fresh guacamole and salsa. (I made toast points and chips for myself from multi-grain flat bread and tortillas.)
Dinner: The flank steak with the mushrooms and shallots that Josh loves so much. I did use a Splenda/Sugar blend in the marinade. I didn't have any of the mushrooms because they were made with butter and real sugar. I did not feel deprived in the least. I like the flavor in the beef without the mushroom ragu.
I also made a barley risotto. It's just what it sounds like. You use barley instead of arborio rice.
For green things we had roasted broccoli and a cucumber salad.
Dessert: Fresh fruit. Pineapple, mango, kiwi and strawberries. We ate the fruit a with few dark chocolate morsels.
Tonight's dinner is spaghetti squash with my gravy Also sausage (Turkey) peppers and onions. Oh...and the rest of the cucumber salad.
happy cooking
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
~Date Night 2/15/12--Fiesta!~
Ole!
We really like Fajitas. Fajita salads, really. I use this marinade and usually use chicken.
Ingredients
I make guacamole with fresh avocados, sour cream and fresh, store-bought salsa and a squeeze of citrus to retard the browning. Frequently, I add extra garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Yummy!
For our cocktail hour, I will be making Margaritas! Ole! I will serve quesadillas with them.
Dessert will likely be brownies (probably from a box; probably Ghiradelli). I'll add some ground cinnamon and cayenne. That's all you need to take your brownies "south of the border." I'll top it with some fresh whipped cream.
So that should bring you up to speed on my cooking for the week. Talk at you later!
Happy Cooking!
We really like Fajitas. Fajita salads, really. I use this marinade and usually use chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 skirt steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
1. Cut the steak crosswise into 2 to 4 pieces and place
in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour
over the steak, turning it to coat well. Marinate overnight, covered, in
the refrigerator, turning once or twice. Remove from the refrigerator
30 minutes before cooking.
2. Preheat the broiler. Remove the steak from the
marinade, scrape off any bits and place on a baking sheet. Broil 4
inches from heat source for 3 minutes per side for medium-rare meat. Let
rest 10 to 15 minutes. Slice the meat thinly. (For easy eating, the
steak strips should be 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick.) To assemble fajitas, click here
.
I make guacamole with fresh avocados, sour cream and fresh, store-bought salsa and a squeeze of citrus to retard the browning. Frequently, I add extra garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Yummy!
For our cocktail hour, I will be making Margaritas! Ole! I will serve quesadillas with them.
Dessert will likely be brownies (probably from a box; probably Ghiradelli). I'll add some ground cinnamon and cayenne. That's all you need to take your brownies "south of the border." I'll top it with some fresh whipped cream.
So that should bring you up to speed on my cooking for the week. Talk at you later!
Happy Cooking!
French Onion Soup
I see that I have already linked you to this recipe (Tyler Florence, 11/7/11), but I made it again last week. Mmmmm! So yummy.
Rather than make you traipse through the webernet, I'll just post the recipe. You just have to promise me that you'll try it
I do have French Onion Soup bowls, but I tend to use the first method. You see, we are lazy and like to eat our soup in front of the television and bowls right out of the oven are just too hot.
.
Rather than make you traipse through the webernet, I'll just post the recipe. You just have to promise me that you'll try it
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere
Directions
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
I do have French Onion Soup bowls, but I tend to use the first method. You see, we are lazy and like to eat our soup in front of the television and bowls right out of the oven are just too hot.
.
Chicken Piccata Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Josh and I were invited to a 25th anniversary soiree on Saturday. I was asked to bring an appetizer and this is what I brought:
Ingedients
Ingedients
2 pound(s) fresh button mushrooms
| 6 tablespoon(s) butter |
| 1/4 cup(s) minced green onion |
| 1 tablespoon(s) minced capers |
| 1 teaspoon(s) dried thyme |
| 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon(s) black pepper |
| 1 cup(s) chopped cooked chicken |
| 1/2 cup(s) dry white wine |
| 4 ounce cream cheese |
| 1/2 cup(s) panko (japanese bread crumbs) |
| 1/4 cup(s) butter,melted |
Instructions
Preheat
oven to 350. Grease a 15 x 10 jelly-roll pan.
Clean mushrooms, removing stems;set
caps aside. Finely chop enough
mushroom stems to equal 1/2 cup.
In a large skillet, melt 6
tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add
mushroom stems, green onion, capers, thyme, salt
and pepper;cook 5
minutes,stirring frequently, or until stems are tender. Stir in chicken
and wine;
cook 5 minutes,or until wine has evaporated. Add cream cheese
and panko,stirring until combined.
Fill mushroom caps evenly with the chicken mixture. Place in pan,and
brush each with melted butter.
Bake 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
|
Notes:Mushroom caps may be filled 2 days before baking. Cover with plastic wrap and r
efrigerate until ready to bake.
This is a Paula Deen recipe. Not knowing what the rest of the menu contained, but having heard
that the host does things very extravagantly, I didn't want my appetizer to be too heavy. (It turns
out another sister did the bulk of the cooking.) I eliminated the chicken. I've made it that way in
the past. Yummy!
|
Friday, February 10, 2012
Date Night--2/8/12
I was all ready to make Cornish Game Hens for dinner. I'd found, not one, but two recipes I was going to blend into a very yummy dinner. Mariano's was out of the fresh CGH.
Strike 1.
I'd found what I thought was going to be a yummy orzo pilaf. It turned out to be extremely bland.
Strike 2.
I went to the market with no appetizer or dessert plan. This could have been strike three, but this next anecdote explains why my appetizer turned this into a game winning play.
This is one of the reasons I am so in love with Mariano's--all the other shoppers are so friendly! I was fighting with a produce bag and carrot fronds, when I overheard a lady say to her companion (turns out it was her mom), "If I come to your house, will you teach me how you do your artichokes?" I immediately add my own request to come to her house and learn how to "do her artichokes." She proceeds to tell me exactly how to do it. I'll shall do my best to share her methodology with you.
1. cut the stem and the very top off the artichoke; remove any tough leaves from the stem end
2. soak in lemon water (that's just water with some lemon juice in it), the length of the soaking was unspecified...I let it soak until I had step three ready
3. mix bread crumbs and grated parm together, I added one minced garlic clove and a little EVOO
4. put artichoke into a sauce pan and fill with water to reach about halfway up the artichoke
5. press breadcrumb mixture on and into the leaves at the top (I had some of this mixture leftover and I added it when it was done cooking)
6. bring water up to a boil and reduce to simmer. The nice Italian mother (did I mention she was Italian? She was.) said to simmer it for "every bit of 40 minutes." I think mine simmered for closer to an hour and it probably needed a little longer. You know it's done when you can put a knife all the way into the choke without resistance.
To eat, you just pull the leaves off with the yummy breadcrumb topping and scrape the leaves between you teeth. The eating with your hands made it a little sensual and thus an excellent "date night" appetizer.
Strike 1.
I'd found what I thought was going to be a yummy orzo pilaf. It turned out to be extremely bland.
Strike 2.
I went to the market with no appetizer or dessert plan. This could have been strike three, but this next anecdote explains why my appetizer turned this into a game winning play.
This is one of the reasons I am so in love with Mariano's--all the other shoppers are so friendly! I was fighting with a produce bag and carrot fronds, when I overheard a lady say to her companion (turns out it was her mom), "If I come to your house, will you teach me how you do your artichokes?" I immediately add my own request to come to her house and learn how to "do her artichokes." She proceeds to tell me exactly how to do it. I'll shall do my best to share her methodology with you.
1. cut the stem and the very top off the artichoke; remove any tough leaves from the stem end
2. soak in lemon water (that's just water with some lemon juice in it), the length of the soaking was unspecified...I let it soak until I had step three ready
3. mix bread crumbs and grated parm together, I added one minced garlic clove and a little EVOO
4. put artichoke into a sauce pan and fill with water to reach about halfway up the artichoke
5. press breadcrumb mixture on and into the leaves at the top (I had some of this mixture leftover and I added it when it was done cooking)
6. bring water up to a boil and reduce to simmer. The nice Italian mother (did I mention she was Italian? She was.) said to simmer it for "every bit of 40 minutes." I think mine simmered for closer to an hour and it probably needed a little longer. You know it's done when you can put a knife all the way into the choke without resistance.
To eat, you just pull the leaves off with the yummy breadcrumb topping and scrape the leaves between you teeth. The eating with your hands made it a little sensual and thus an excellent "date night" appetizer.
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