Great Summer Meal!

Rotini with Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

This recipe comes from Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook, so you know it's healthy.

Ingredients:
Pasta
8 oz uncooked rotini pasta (I just made the entire 13 oz package of pasta)
cooking spray
1 lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c (1-inch) slices asparagus (I used the entire bunch of asparagus, which was about 2 cups)
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved (I used the entire package of cherry tomatoes, which was probably more than 2 cups. Why waste it?)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used three cloves, since I'm using more of all the other ingredients and who doesn't like garlic?)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used a little more, since I'm using more of all the other ingredients)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c (1 oz) crumbled goat cheese
Salad
2 tbsp minced shallots
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
dash of black pepper
6 cups fresh spinach (I just used the entire package I got from the grocery store. 

Directions:

1. While the water boils for pasta, prepare the ingredients for chicken mixture.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray.
4. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Add chicken and asparagus to pan; saute 5 min.
5. While chicken is cooking, combine 2 tbsp minced shallots, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1/8 tsp salt, and a dash of black pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add spinach to the bowl and toss.
6. Add tomatoes and garlic to pan; saute 1 min.
7. Remove from heat.  Stir in pasta, basil, vinegar and oil to chicken mixture in pan.  
8. Arrange 2 cups of pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon goat cheese.  
9. Serve salad on the side.

Verdict is that it tastes good!

Oh yes, To Die For is Right!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins?

When the roommate left town, she also left 2 pints of blueberries, which I have sadly neglected.  So tonight I decided to comb through the berries and identify the best of the rest for these muffins.

**DISCLAIMER: At 383 calories per muffin, these might not count as "healthy", but I'm including them in the blog anyway.  I'm sure you'll forgive me once you eat one.  Yum!**

Ingredients:


Muffins
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1 c fresh blueberries (Okay, so my berries were of questionable freshness... that's why I put the question mark in the title people!)


Topping
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c flour
1/4 c butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line muffin tin with muffin liners.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder for the muffins together.  Place vegetable oil into a 1 c measuring cup.  Add the egg and enough milk to fill the measuring cup.  Mix this in with the flour mixture.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill muffin cups to the top with muffin mixture and sprinkle with topping before baking.
3. To make crumb topping: mix together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon for the topping with a fork.  I used a couple of knives to roughly cut the butter into the mixture.  I think it worked better than the fork.  Also, this made WAY TOO MUCH topping.  I think you could easily cut these amounts in half and have enough topping.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven or until done.  

The recipe claims this makes 8 muffins; if I made it again, I would follow the reviews that suggested making 12 muffins by only filling the muffin cups up 2/3 of the way and baking for 18 minutes.

Costs:

I already had everything in my kitchen, so I don't know!  I'm going with free because I was able to use stuff that we already had.

They smell delicious!  Happy belated birthday to me ;)

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

I just made this FANTASTIC stir-fry using these great instructions (and I only set off our smoke detector 4 times...).  

We got 2 lemons, 3 huge carrots, 2 heads of brocoli and a ginormous onion in our shipment of veggies this week, so I bought a pound of chicken and some mushrooms at the grocery store.  Mmmm... the Lemon Stir-Fry sauce is delicious!  Plus, we've got enough veggies leftover (I only cooked half of them) to do this again another night.  Maybe we'll try the Soy-Sesame Stir-Fry sauce later this week :)

Quinoa

Super Healthy Supper

Quinoa with Mushrooms, Kale and Sweet Potatoes

The roomie and I have been on the hunt for super-healthy meals, and this one seems to meet that criteria!  Protein-filled quinoa, anti-oxidant rich kale and vitamin-packed sweet potatoes fit the bill nicely.

Ingredients:
1 c quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in pieces
10 oz button mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
3/4 cup dry white wine
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 c grated Parmesan (1 oz) (We were out of Parmesan, so I used Romano we had in the fridge and it was fine!)

Directions:

1. Place the quinoa and 2 c water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a lare pot over medium heat.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden and beginning to soften, 5-6 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the kale, wine, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Cook, tossing often, until the vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes.
6. Serve the vegetables over the quinoa ans sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Cost:

I used a white wine we had in the fridge that I didn't particularly enjoy, so that was nice!  Quinoa was the most expensive item at ~$5.  Kale was $2.39, mushrooms were $2.49 and sweet potatoes were $2.19.  We got 4 servings for about $3 each!

Pizza in progress...

Pizza!!

I absolutely <3 LOVE <3 this pizza dough recipe.  Easy to make and it tastes delicious ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (I buy a jar of dry yeast and use it to make pizza dough all the time!)
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 cups bread flour (I use regular All-Purpose Flour and it seems to work fine)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, sliced
• mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil or spray
• a handful of basil, torn
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, sugar and yeast mixture.  Stir well to combine.  Beat until a stiff dough has formed.  Cover and rise until double in volume, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (If dough is not rising, your kitchen might be too cool.  Try putting the bowl with the dough on top of your stove; the heat from the warming oven will help the yeast do it's job!)
3. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface.  Form dough into a round and then roll out into a pizza crust shape.  (No rolling pin?  I used a plastic cup to roll out dough until my mom got me a rolling pin for Christmas!)
4. Transfer to a cookie sheet (or one of those fancy pizza stones for those who are lucky) and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
5. Cover crust with olive oil (brush or spray on).  Sprinkle minced garlic over the pizza, place sliced tomatoes and mozzarella around the crust, then sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake for another 10 minutes in the oven.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting!   

• Cost:
• I already had many of the ingredients; I picked up a tomato at Eastern Market for $1.25 and fancy mozzarella cheese for $4.99, but you could make due with some shredded mozzarella for $1.99.  I also bought an entire jar of yeast for $6.49, which can be used to make pizza all summer long!  Assuming you have some basic supplies on hand, you can make this pizza for about $5.

Black Bean Hummus

One of my favorite recipes for black bean enchiladas calls for simmered black beans.  Since I was making a big pot of black beans, I decided to go ahead and make some yummy hummus as well!

Ingredients:
2 c cooked black beans, drained well
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 c tahini
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp reduced sodium tamari (that's just soy sauce - and I used the full sodium version and it was fine!)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro (I left this out because I used cilantro when I cooked the beans and I don't care for raw cilantro)


Directions:
Combine black beans, garlic, tahini, cumin, tamari and lemon juice in food processor.  (I did this in two parts because I have a mini food processor - worked fine!)
Pulse until smooth and all ingredients are combined.
Transfer to a serving bowl and fold in cilantro (or don't if you're like me and don't care for it).
Enjoy!

Costs:
Black Beans - $1.50 (I bought a bag of 'em, so most of this bag will be used in my black bean enchiladas)
Tahini - $1.25 (Actually, I already had this because I used it to make regular hummus.  I estimate I used about 1/6 of it and a can is about $7.50)


I already had the garlic, cumin, soy sauce and lemon juice, so for $2.75 I have delicious hummus for this week.

Tasty Fish!

I'm Back!

So, I've learned that class on the other side of town four days a week is not conducive to blogging... but now that it's over (!) I can start blogging again.

Tonight's fare:

Grilled Tilapia with Smoked Paprika and Parmesan Polenta
from Cooking Light: the essential dinner tonight cookbook

Ingredients:
Polenta
4 cups fat-free milk
1 cup quick cooking polenta (I used corn meal and let it simmer ~12 minutes)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fish
cooking spray
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (6oz) tilapia fillets
Sauteed broccoli rabe (I accidentally purchased broccolini, but it was yummy as well)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb broccoli rabe
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions:
Polenta
1) Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk.
2) Reduce heat, and cook 5 min (or longer if using corn meal) or until thick, stirring constantly;
3) Stir in 1/4 tsp salt.
4) Remove from heat.
5) Stir in cheese; cover and keep warm.
Fish
1) Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray.  (I didn't have a grill pan, so I just used a regular frying pan... probably not quite as healthy, but it works)
2) Combine oil and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well.
3) Rub fish evenly with oil mixture.
4) Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
Broccoli rabe
1) Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2) Add 2 minced garlic cloves; saute 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3) Add 1 lb trimmed broccoli rabe, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4) Saute 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender, tossing frequently.

Other tips from cookbook:
1) While milk comes to a boil, season fish.
2) Prepare polenta.
3) While fish cooks: prepare broccoli rabe.

Now That's a Sandwich!

It might be upside down, but you get the idea. Veggie-licious!

'Shrooms

It's been awhile since I've had a portabello mushroom, so I decided to make grilled portabello mushroom sandwiches.  One of the best tricks I've learned is that you can broil things in the oven and it's just like grilling!  Which is nice when it's freezing cold outside ;)

Ingredients:

• 2 portabello mushrooms
• 1/2 red pepper
• olive oil
• red wine (I used port because that is what we had open... probably not the BEST choice...)
• salt
• pepper
• sliced provolone cheese
• baby spinach leaves (I just used mixed greens we had in the fridge)
• sliced tomato
• pesto
• hamburger bun (I think a Kaiser roll would have worked better)

Directions:

1. Preheat your broiler.  
2. Wash your veggies.  Make sure to cut the stem off of your mushrooms if they have not been precut!
3. Place mushrooms in a broiling pan (or you can use a wire rack on a cookie sheet if you don't have a broiling pan) gill-side up.  Drizzle with olive oil and red wine and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Allow them to soak for a few minutes so that they are nice and moist while cooking.
4. Drizzle red pepper with olive oil and place in broiling pan with skin-side up.  
5. Place under broiler.  Check periodically and take out when the mushroom is soft and pliant.  The red pepper may scorch a little on top.  This is fine.  
6. Toast the hamburger bun either in the oven for the last minute or use a toaster.  You can melt the provolone cheese on your buns if you want - but be careful that it doesn't drip.
7. When everything is done, assemble your sandwiches.  Spread one side of the bun with pesto. and then layer mushroom, pepper, cheese, tomato and spinach.  Done!

Cost:

Hamburger buns - $3.29

Mushrooms - $3.49

Red bell pepper - $1.64 

Tomatoes - $2.72

Provolone cheese - $2.99

That totals $14.13 and I have toppings for sandwiches and salads for the rest of the week!

I already had the olive oil, red wine, pesto, and greens.  We already had some french fries in the freezer, so we had those on the side.  Making recipes that include things you already have saves $$$!

Mmm... Soup and Naan!

I think the substitution of skim milk made the soup too runny... I would use half and half next time.  Or at least whole milk.  It's not THAT bad for you!  Naan = awesome!

Here it is - Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

This is the original recipe from my friend Jess:


It's for acorn squash, but I think 1.5-2 pounds of any orange-fleshed gourd will work--
It was great with the kabochkas.

I also think you could cut the saturated fat a bit by not using the half and half... The puree was pretty tasty before I put that in during the last step.

1 medium acorn squash (1.5-2 lbs)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 medium tart cooking apples (I used granny smiths, and they held up really well)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
4 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oven to 350.

Cut squash in half and remove seeds and fibers. Place squash, cut sides up, in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Pour water into pan until 1/4 inch deep. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool; remove pulp and set asaide.

Slice onion. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme, and basil. Good 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove 1 cup of the apples with a slotted spoon; set aside. In small batches, puree remaining apple mixture with pumpkin until it has all been pureed.

Return pureed mixture to saucepan. Add cup of apples that were set aside. Stir in half and half, nutmeg, salt and peper. Heat until hot, and serve!

6 servings
1 serving: 155 cals; 7g fat (4g saturated fat); 15 mg cholesterol; 910 mg sodium; 20g carbs (2g dietary fiber); 5g protein; diet exchanges: 2 vegetables, .5 fruit, 1.5 fat


Changes I made to Ingredients:
We didn't have any nutmeg (must have been all that holiday baking!), so I used a little cinnamon and ground ginger instead.  Why?  Because About.com told me to!  I also used skim milk instead of half and half, so we'll see how that turns out.  I'm also making fresh naan to eat with it!

Brrr... it's time for soup! Acorn Squash and Apple Soup to be exact.

My friend Jess sent me this recipe when I started this blog.  We're going to give it a whirl 'cause it looks delicious!  Since we didn't get our act together in time to make the whole thing tonight, we're going to spread the prep out over two evenings.  Tonight I'm roasting the squash (as well as the seeds - yum) and tomorrow night we'll make the rest.  Stay tuned for the recipe and the result...

The Finished Product

With fresh fruit and tortilla chips = yum!

More Veggie Fun

Tonight we're going to have Sweet Potato Enchiladas.  I know many of you are thinking "YUCK!" but these babies are delicious.  To see the original recipe, which is for a gluten-free version, click on the title of this post.  Some big changes I made were using flour tortillas, which were on sale and also allowed me to avoid the "softening" part of the recipe.

Ingredients:
8 tortillas (recipe calls for corn, but I used flour this time)
1c vegetable broth
1tbsp cornstarch (original recipe uses arrowroot, but we already had cornstarch)
2 cans of roasted green chiles, diced (I bought 2 7oz cans which were already roasted and chopped)
6 cloves of garlic
2 cups of sweet potatoes
1 15oz can of black beans (sometimes I make mine from dried beans using this recipe; especially if I'm going to make black bean enchiladas for a picky eater)
lime juice (recipe calls for juice from a fresh lime, but we already had a bottle of lime juice in the fridge)
1tsp cumin
1tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (I used a shredded cheddar jack mix - the recipe calls for Monterey Jack only)
The recipe also calls for fresh cilantro, but I'm one of those people who think it tastes like soap, so I left this out.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven for 350 degrees F. 
2. Cook the sweet potatoes and mash them a bit.  I do this by peeling the potatoes, cutting them into chunks and boiling them for 20 minutes.  Then I mash them with a fork.
3. Make the Green Chile Sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in a bit of water.  Then mix the vegetable stock, cornstarch, 1c of the green chiles, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 2 cloves of minced garlic into a small sauce pan.  Simmer over medium-high heat until thickened.
4. Meanwhile, combine drained black beans, 4 cloves of minced garlic, and lime juice in a bowl to make the black bean filling.
5. Make the sweet potato filling by combining the sweet potatoes with the rest of the green chiles, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper to taste.  I like to add a pinch of ground chipotle chili pepper for a smoky flavor.
6. Drizzle 1/2 c of the Green Chile Sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Recipe only calls for 1/4 c, but I don't think that's enough!
7. Get ready to stuff your enchiladas.  Place your first tortilla in the baking pan and add 1/8 of sweet potato filling and 1/8 of black bean filling.*  I like to sprinkle a little cheese inside as well, but the original doesn't call for this.  Roll up the enchilada and place at the edge of the pan.  Continue with the remaining tortillas.
8. Top with the remaining Green Chile Sauce and cheese. 
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes in 350 degree oven until the enchiladas are hot and bubbly.

*If you use corn tortillas, you will need to soften the tortillas before putting in the filling.  See original recipe for instructions if you are unfamiliar.

Cost:
Tortillas - $2.79 I got them on sale and still have 8 leftover!
Vegetable broth - $1.29
Green chiles - $2.98
Shredded cheese - $2.29
Sweet potatoes - $2.75
Garlic - $.63

I already had cornstarch, lime juice and all the spices I used.  The original author gives other options for spices you can use instead (including curry powder) if you are looking for substitutes.  This recipe totals $12.73 and will probably feed us for a few meals as well.

Veggie Lasagne

So it's a little crispy on top... Maybe cover it before baking if you
make this.  Tastes delicious despite it!

Want Veggies?

The roomie said she wanted veggies this week, so here we go!  Tonight I'm making Roasted Vegetable Lasagne that I pulled off a Weight Watchers website a few years ago.  Here's the recipe with my modifications:

Ingredients:
2 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (Not included in original recipe - replaced a 3rd eggplant with this to make it more colorful)
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
9 dry lasagne noodles (I'm using the no boil kind)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (The recipe calls for 3/4 a cup... but really?)

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Combine the veggies, garlic and olive oil in a roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  I had to use two pans because there are so many veggies!

3) Place half of the veggies, salt, pepper and 1/2 c of water in a food processor and process until smooth.  Since I only have a mini food processor, I had to break this down into smaller batches.

4) Spoon 1/2 a cup vegetable puree into bottom o f 9x13 inch baking dish.  I'm going to use a 9x9 dish and a bread pan.  We'll eat the 9x9 this week and throw the bread pan in the freezer to eat at a later date.

5) Place 3 noodles over the puree.  Top with 1/2 a cup of puree, 1/2 a cup of remaining vegetables, 2 tbsp Parmesan, and 2/3 c mozzarella cheese (original only calls for 1/4 c if you're looking to be more healthy).  Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, puree and cheese.

6) Bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes.  Serve!

Cost: 
Eggplant - $3.80
Red Bell Peppers - $5.51
Zucchini - $2.27
Tomatoes - $4.72 (but I only used 4 of the 5)
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.29

We already had the garlic, olive oil, spices and lasagne noodles at home and I used some leftover Romano cheese instead of Parmesan... so it was a grand total of $18.59. I've got 3 meals for me and the roomie and an extra tomato.  Woo hoo!