Date Night--Monday September 16, 2013

I know it's Monday.  What's up with that?  Once again, due to circumstances beyond my control, Wednesday became unavailable.  So we've moved it to this evening.

I'm calling tonight's fare, International Night.  I'm all over the map with the food. In part, because it's what I have on hand and in part because my meticulous meal planning from last week got ignored.  Possibly because I was getting sick (as I am now...ear infection, sinus infection).

So to begin, we'll start with Cocktail Hour:

Josh and I recently rediscovered the Rob Roy.  Like a Manhattan, but with Scotch whisky instead of rye. That's what I'll be making for Josh.  I shall be enjoying a Bloody Mary.

Appetizers are Boboli Toasts with a pizza dip.  This one came completely out of my own little head.  I took a mini Boboli Crust and cut into 8 triangles.  Then I pried (okay, I cut) the triangle in half horizontally so as to have 16 triangles.  Next, I sprayed them with my Misto (EVOO) and sprinkled them with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.  I baked them for 5 minutes at 425 degrees.

As for the pizza dip, I'll blend some fresh tomatoes, onion, and garlic with some pizza sauce and diced pepperoni.  I have some small bakers so I think I'll put this mixture into one of them, top it with some Italian cheese and bake till bubbly.

Now that sounds distinctly Italian.  But here's the Main Course:

Orange Beef and Broccoli 

Ingredients

1 pound(s) uncooked lean trimmed sirloin beef, trimmed and cut into thin strips    2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce    2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced    2 tsp ginger root, fresh, peeled and minced    1/8 tsp red pepper flakes    2 tsp canola oil      5 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, florets      1 medium uncooked onion(s), thinly sliced    1 Tbsp orange zest, grated    1/4 cup(s) unsweetened orange juice    1 tsp cornstarch    Instructions Combine the steak, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large zip-close plastic bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the beef. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Heat a large deep nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet. Add the beef and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Add the broccoli and onion to the skillet and stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir together the orange zest and juice and cornstarch in a small cup until smooth; add to the skillet. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Add the beef and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Yields 1 3⁄4 cups per serving.

This is not the original recipe that I had planned to use.  I prefer this one for several reasons:
1.  the vegetable is built in
2.  it uses ginger which I love Love LOVE
3.  there's some marinating time which allows some of the flavors to really marry with the beef
4.  this serving size is huge for as WW portion
5.  finally, and probably most importantly, I know and trust this site (WW); the other recipe came from a new site to me and I'm not sure I agree with all of her point conversions.

Now to the Side Dish.  The Main Course was distinctly Asian. I'm not sure if this part of the meal is British?  American?  I just don't know.  What I do know is that we both like mushrooms and barley.  So I think this will be a slam dunk.  I also predict that Josh will say regular or fried rice would be better.  I guess that's not really a slam dunk then is it?

Barley with Mushrooms and Onions

 

Ingredients 2 spray(s) cooking spray    2 tsp unsalted butter      1 small uncooked Spanish onion(s), finely chopped      1/2 pound(s) cremini mushroom(s), shredded* (also known as baby Bella)    3 cup(s) vegetable broth, or mushroom broth      1 cup(s) uncooked barley, pearl variety    1 tsp table salt, or to taste    Instructions Coat a heavy saucepan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat; melt butter in pan. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring a few times, until mushrooms release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add broth, barley and salt; bring to a boil. Partially cover pan and reduce heat to low; simmer until barley is tender, stirring occasionally, about 60 to 75 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

I've never been directed to "shred" mushrooms before.  Because they're small and I value my knuckles, I would prefer the food processor.  I think, however, that I shall just dice them small.  I'm partial to a uniform size and shape in dishes like this.  Dice the onion, dice the mushroom.

Now to Dessert.  I've already made dessert.  Frequently, that is where I begin my meal preparations.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
3 T butter, softened
3 T unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ c sugar
½ t vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ t salt
½ c low-fat buttermilk
3-4 T fresh lemon juice
1-2 t lemon zest
2 c blueberries

Directions:
1.    Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter and applesauce and beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add sugar and beat until combined. Add vanilla, eggs and egg whites and beat until blended.
3.    In a separate bowl, combine the flour (lightly spoon into measuring cups and then level with a knife), baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir together. In the bowl containing the wet ingredients, use the mixer on a low speed while pouring in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the lemon juice, zest and buttermilk and beat until blended. Add the blueberries and fold in gently.
4.    Spoon the batter evenly into the liners. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

So I couldn't find my muffin liners.  It's way past time to reorganize my pantry.  Maybe when I'm done being sick.  I did have cooking spray specifically for baking.  They came out like a dream.  So confessions:  An extra yolk made it into the batter and I only got 22 muffins, not 24.  Sue me, I tried my best.

I think I may freeze some of these.  I can see them being part of a healthy breakfast, snack or last minute dessert.

So this is what's cooking in my kitchen.  How 'bout yours?

happy cooking

Date Night--Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Well if last week was Asian week at the Saxes, tonight we are toasting Italia!

I'd like to share a bunch of recipes, but the bottom line is, much of the meal came out of my little ol' head.  I did have inspirations, but I veered so far from them (who puts raisins in their braciole?) that I'm not even going to share them.

Cocktail--

Manhattans!  I think Frank and Dino would approve.

Appetizer--

Bruschetta.  I have had lots of tomatoes this year.  So dice 'em up, add some garlic, basil, and onion.  Dress lightly with balsamic and olive oil and whammo--you've got your bruschetta.  I made my crostini from a sandwich roll I bought three days ago.  It was the perfect amount of stale to crisp up in the oven.

Main Course--

Beef Braciole (pronounced bra-zhole).  What is braciole, you'd like to know.  According to Dictionary.com it's  "a flat piece of veal or beef rolled around a filling and baked in stock and wine."  In my preparation, it's been cooking in my homemade gravy in my crockpot.  That's the way my grandmom always did it

What cut was it?  Emily Bites (my loose inspiration) called for 1.25 lb of beef top round roast.  She wanted me to beat it down to a .25".  Easier option?  Have the butcher slice it for you at .25"!

With what did I fill it?  EB rolled hers with onion, garlic, spinach, dried parsley, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and, wait for it, golden raisins.  Me?  I chopped (in my food processor) a very generous amount of fresh parsley, a handful of baby spinach, 3-4 garlic cloves, and .25 c each Parmesan and bread crumbs.  Oh, and I drizzled in a little olive oil.  It was very green, but very tasty..

Now as for the rolling.  I took each slice of meat, seasoned it with salt and pepper and slathered the whole thing with my parsley/cheese/breadcrumb concoction.  I secured each roll with butchers' twine and seared them in pan on the stove.  

When the braciole was  browned on all sides, I transferred them to my crockpot and deglazed my pan.  I used some reserved tomato "liquid" thinned with water for the deglazing as that liquid with all the fond was next into the crockpot.  Followed by 3 c of my tomato sauce and 1 c of crushed tomatoes.

And there they have been for the last 4 hours on low.

The braciole will be served with spaghetti.

Side Dishes--

Salad.  I should say saladS as mine is different from Josh's  Josh has a chopped spinach salad.  I tried my best to emulate Wildfire on this.  I chopped the the egg, the mushrooms, and the pancetta.  "Pancetta?" you say.  It's an ITALIAN meal, it should have Italian bacon.  I made him croutons in the grease from the pancetta.  And then I made him a mustard vinaigrette.  I'll warm it before I serve it.

My salad?  Thanks for asking,  I've been enjoying greens with fresh salsa as the dressing.  Tonight I'll use brushetta.

Dessert--

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies.  This one I can share a recipe.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Larger Image

2PointsPlus Value

Serves: 24

These cookies are the perfect combination of vanilla and chocolate. If you prefer chewy meringues, make them the day before you plan to eat them.

Ingredients 1 spray(s) cooking spray    1 tsp all purpose flour      4 large egg white(s)    1 cup(s) sugar    1/2 cup(s) mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet    1/2 tsp vanilla extract    Instructions Preheat oven to 200ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray; coat with a light dusting of flour and shake off excess. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form; gently fold in chocolate and vanilla extract. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart, making 24 cookies. Bake until lightly golden and no longer sticky on the surface, about 1 hour. Turn oven off and let cookies sit in oven for 1 hour. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving. Notes You can make these cookies mini if you prefer. Just use heaping teaspoons of batter; not tablespoons.

I actually found these a little too sweet. Next time I'll cut the sugar to .75 c. 

So that's whats been cooking in my kitchen today.  How 'bout yours?

happy cooking!

 

Date Night--Wednesday August 21, 2013

It seems I'm going Asian with dinner tonight.  Well, except for dessert.  I guess there's got to be an exception to everything, right?

Cocktails
I'll make Josh a gimlet.  I'll be drinking cranberry juice, sparkling water and a squeeze of lime.

Appetizer
Lean Cuisine calls them "spring rolls."  I call them cigars.  Josh calls them yummy. You can call them whatever you'd like.

Dinner

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken Recipe – 4 Point Total

Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
– 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 oz thinly sliced carrots
- 3 stalks green onions, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 oz sugar snap peas, cut in half width-wise
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup canned pineapple in it’s own juice
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 packets Splenda sugar substitute
Directions:
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Spray a non-stick skillet with non-fat cooking spray and saute the garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and brown over medium heat. Add the carrots, bell peppers, and peas, and stir fry for about 5-7 minutes (until the carrots soften a little bit). In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and cornstarch; mix. Pour into the skillet, along with the vinegar, pineapple, pepper, Splenda and ginger. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1-2 minutes (until the sauce thickens). Serve over some 0 point cabbage for added crunch and aesthetic appeal.
Entire recipe makes 2 servings
Each serving = 4 Point Total

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2010/01/22/sweet-and-sour-stir-fry-chicken-recipe/#ixzz2cccBl2vo

I fear this may be more work than it's worth, but I've got to give it a try.

This is mostly a one pot meal, though I think I'll also make some rice. I have some brown basmati rice that I think I'll cook in chicken stock and add garlic, ginger, and green onion to the mix.

Dessert

Lemon Bars.  Pucker up!  The way I make these, they are deliciously tart.

Lemon Bars – 3 Point Value

Weight Watchers Lemon Bars Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make crust, mix flour and light brown sugar using a food processor until fully incorporated. Toss butter into flour mixture and pulse to combine using short bursts of power until butter is cut into tiny pea-sized pieces and dough appears lumpy. Sprinkle crust mixture onto an ungreased 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking pan as evenly as possible; press down with a spatula to create a packed surface. Place crust in middle of oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make lemon topping, beat eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar; mix well. Add lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar; mix until powdered sugar is completely dissolved and then add zest.
As soon as crust is finished, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Immediately pour lemon mixture over hot crust. Bake completely, about 30 minutes; cool, and cut into 24 bars. Yields 1 bar per serving.
NOTES: The crust must be HOT when you pour on the lemon mixture.
You’ll need approximately three lemons to yield the amount of juice and zest in this recipe.
You can increase the lemon flavor of these bars by adding more zest or eliminate the zest altogether for a less tart taste. You can also change the flavor completely by subbing fresh lime juice and zest for the lemon.
Serving size is 1 Lemon Bar
Each serving = 3 Weight Watchers Points

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2009/01/20/weight-watchers-lemon-bars-recipe/#ixzz2ccd2Cx1g

The only change I make is that I use .25 to .5 cups of lemon zest.  2 tsps is nothing!  This is the third or fourth time I've made them and they are really, really good.  Very decadent tasting.  I thought about making a blueberry sauce to serve with them, but really, why?  I've got fresh berries to go alongside.

So this is what I'm making for dinner.  How 'bout you?

Happy Cooking!

Date Night--August 14, 2013

The last few weeks have been pretty rough.  Don't get me wrong, we had our Date Nights, but there wasn't anything blog worthy about them.

Tonight, however, is another story.  I've been planning this one since Sunday, and I'm kind of excited about it.  It's a very classic, very comfort food kind of a menu.

Wanna know what it is?  Okay, I'll tell you.

Appetizers
Shrimp Cocktail--I bought these stemless cocktail glasses a few months ago.  I think I'll put the shrimp and a wedge of lemon on the rim and the cocktail sauce in the middle.  Pretty, right?

Cocktail
Manhattans--Whenever I say "classic" you can bet we're having Manhattans

Main Course
Salisbury Setak--I made this once before but didn't make the patties thin enough.  Josh thought the sauce/gravy was spot on.  I figured it's time to try again. 


 

Salisbury Steaks

Ingredients

• 1lb extra lean ground beef (96% lean)
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 2 cups fat free beef broth
• 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine ground beef, ½ of the onions, breadcrumbs, egg substitute, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix and pepper.
2. Shape into 8 oval patties. Spray a large nonstick skillet with an olive oil mister or non-fat cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Brown both sides of patties, about 3-4 minutes each side.
3. Remove patties from pan, and then return pan to heat. Add in remaining onions and mushrooms, and 1 tbsp of the beef broth, and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Return the Salisbury steak patties to the pan.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining beef broth, remaining Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, flour, and mustard powder.
5. Pour into skillet over the meat, turn heat down to medium-low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 8

Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)

Entire recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1 Salisbury Steak patty with sauce
Each serving = 3 Points +
PER SERVING: 126 calories; 3g fat; 12g carbohydrates; 15g protein; 1.5g fiber

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/04/23/salisbury-steaks-recipe/#ixzz2bx9VQpiT

Side Dishes

Mashed Potatoes--What else could I serve?

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic

Ingredients   2 lbs potatoes 3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), peeled    .5 cup(s) light sour cream    2 T butter, melted 3/4 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste    1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste    Instructions Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; fill with enough water to cover them. Set pan over high heat; bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 minutes; drain and return potatoes and garlic to pan. Add sour cream to pan; stir and then mash mixture until almost smooth (or desired consistency). Stir in butter.Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

Roasted Broccoli.  

Toss your broccoli flroettes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20- 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Make yoru florettes small. The high temperature causes the broccoli to carmalize.  YUM!

Dessert

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oatmeal Singles--I actually gave Josh 5 dessert recipes to choose from and this was his selection.  I feel like maybe I've made these before, but I can't remember.  Can you?

Chocolate Cherry Baked Oatmeal Singles

Source: Emily Bites Original

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg whites

1 large egg

3/4 cup skim milk

1 (5.3 oz) container nonfat Cherry flavored Greek Yogurt, stirred (I highly recommend Yoplait Greek 100 Black Cherry)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup mini chocolate chips

2/3 cup pitted & chopped sweet cherries, fresh or defrosted from frozen

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist 12 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Combine the oats, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, egg, milk, yogurt and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until blended together. Stir in the chocolate chips and cherry pieces.

4. Spoon the oatmeal mixture evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake uncovered for 18-22 minutes or until oatmeal is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Yields 12 oatmeal singles. WW P+:  3 per single (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per bread bowl from myfitnesspal.com: 127 calories, 22 g carbs, 3 g fat, 5 g protein, 2 g fiber

 

So that's my dinner plan for this evening.  What are you making?

happy cooking

 

 

Monday dinner with the In-Laws--July 1, 2013

I can't believe it's July already...the year seems to be speeding past me at break-neck speed.

And I do know that I "owe" you a Date Night post.  It was a tapas kind of a thing...so probably you'll get to see the recipes as appetizers in future posts.  As for dessert, well, I'm making it again tonight.  So there.

Tonight's meal I made for the first time last week and it was sooooooo good.  Josh said PF Chang's good.

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Light Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

• 2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and pepper. Toss chicken pieces in mixture until they are all evenly coated with flour.
3. Preheat a medium sized non-stick, oven-safe skillet and spray with non-fat cooking spray. Place chicken in pan, and cook until seared on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth, sesame oil, brown sugar, and garlic.
5. Pour mixture into the seared chicken, and toss around a bit to mix. Place entire skillet into oven, and cook for about 20 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds and serve.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Diet tags: Low calorie, Reduced fat, Reduced carbohydrate, High protein

Number of servings (yield): 6

Culinary tradition: Chinese

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is about 3/4 cup
Each serving = 5 Points +
PER SERVING: 224 calories; 5g fat; 7.5g carbohydrates; 34.5g protein; 1g fiber

Read more: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/06/26/light-sesame-chicken-recipe/#ixzz2XpIairiP

I serve this with brown rice and broccoli...there is enough sauce for everything.  It is so, sooooo good, but I think I might have mentioned that already.

I also have a Bumbleberry (or just Bumble) Crumble in the oven.  I love berries, Josh love oatmeal crumb topping on any dessert.  So there ya go.

Bumbleberry Crumble

Source: partially inspired by Cookie & Kate

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups quartered & hulled fresh strawberries

1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh blackberries

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup white whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used Smart Balance Blended Butter Sticks with Omega-3)

2 tablespoons plain fat free Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb, sugar, honey and cornstarch and mix thoroughly. Transfer the berry mixture to a 9x9 or 7x11 baking dish and spread evenly.

3. In another bowl, combine the oats, flour and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and yogurt and stir until well combined. Using your hands, crumble the oat mixture into crumbs over the top of the berries in the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

Yields 8 servings. WW P+:  4 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 168 calories, 33 g carbs, 4 g fat, 3 g protein, 5 g fiber

 

I had a lot of strawberries.  And I had some dead bananas.  And Granma loves anything sweet.  

All signs pointed to this recipe:

 

 

Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 16 • Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 2 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 88 • Fat: 2 g • Carb: 19 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 111 mg • Cholest: 4 mg

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups strawberries, diced
• 3 ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• baking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a loaf pan with baking spray. Place the strawberries on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, remove and set aside.
 

 In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add flour mixture and blend at low speed until combined, do not over mix. Fold in strawberries and pour batter into the prepared loaf pans; bake in the center rack for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the pan cool at least 20 minutes, bread should be room temperature before slicing. 

 

I'm going to tell you right now...my loaf did not look anything like the picture.  In fact, I made 2 small loaves and one (not the one for Granma) completely fell apart.  Oh well.  The Bumble Crumble looks really good as it's bub-bub-bubbling away.

Date Night--Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Where to begin, where...to...begin? 

I guess the beginning is as good a place as any, but the middle, the main course, really deserves that prime spot as it is driving the rest of the meal.  So buckle up...this is gonna be a twisty-turny ride through dinner at the Saxes.

Main Course



Really, do I need to say anything else?

I don't think I do, but I'll share the recipe anyway.

Garlic Lover's Roast Beef Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: will vary • Size: 3 oz cooked • Old Points: 4 • WW Points+: 4 pts Calories: 175 • Fat: 8 g • Protein: 24 g • Carb: 0 g • Fiber: 0 g • Sugar: 0 g  Sodium: 32 mg (without salt) • Cholest: 50 mg

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lb roast or eye round, all fat trimmed off
• 3-4 cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers
• olive oil spray (I used my misto)
• kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp dried chopped rosemary
• meat thermometer

Directions:
Remove the roast from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to reach room temperature. Trim all the fat off the meat. Using a sharp knife, pierce meat about 1/2-inch deep and insert slivers of garlic in each hole, pushing all the way in. Lightly spray the meat with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper and rosemary. Place the thermometer all the way into the center of the meat.

 Preheat oven to 350°. When the oven reaches 350°, place the roast in a roasting pan and put in the oven.
Roast until the thermometer reads 130° for rare, 140° for medium rare, 150° for medium, and 155-160° for well done. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest 10-20 minutes before you cut it so that the juices distributed evenly. I personally remove my roast beef from the oven when it is 135° for medium rare. The temperature will rise an additional 5 degrees as it sits.

Now this lump of beefy-garlicky heaven will be accompanied by smashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.

So, to back up to the beginning.  A classic meal such as this one must begin with an equally classic appetizer.  How does Shrimp Cocktail sound?  Sounds pretty good to us.  And cocktails?  I'll be enjoying either a Pimms Cup or Whiskey and Soday.  And Josh?  Well, he'll either have a Manhattan or a Gibson. (I know he'll +1 this post, maybe he'll actually read it this time and call his cocktail.)

Dessert?  Well, dessert will be baked nectarines (thanks for the idea CJ!).  I didn't have any peaches, so I'll be using their less fuzzy cousins.

 

Brown Sugar Baked Peaches Source:  Adapted from In Him We Live and Move and Have Our Being

Ingredients
Per serving:
1 fresh peach
1 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 to 4 tsp. brown sugar, divided
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon, to taste


Directions
1.  Halve peaches and remove pit.  Place in baking dish, skin side down.

2.  Place 1/2 teaspoon butter in the hollow of each peach, top each peach half with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3.  Bake at 375 degrees until peaches are tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve warm.



Sounds and looks yummy, doesn't it? 


This concludes this week's installment of Date Night.  Next week, due to the travel plans of the blog's author, Date Night will not be on Wednesday.  Check on Friday, but she's not making any promises.



happy cooking