Shake-n-bake

Today has been one of those non-stop days. We worked on the banister for most of the morning. We stopped at lunch to cook (and take a nap). From mid-afternoon to this evening we've been cleaning the upstairs portion of the house, straightening the downstairs, and cooking dinner. I don't know about Staci, but I feel pooped. I'm excited with how the banister looks. I think we'll probably do another coat next weekend, and then seal it off. We'll have to do the second rail next weekend, as we just ran out of time this weekend.




For dinner tonight, at the request of Staci, I made a "traditional" Sunday dinner of fried chicken and potato salad. The potato salad was one that I've made before, and fell in love with it. It's an awesome vinaigrette version, as compared to the heavier mayo or sour cream based ones that I've made in the past. For chicken, I opted for an oven-baked fried chicken that I found while going through the recipes on Food Network's website. The whole time I was making it, I could only think of those Shake-n-Bake commericals from the 80's and 90's. It wasn't exactly like eating fried chicken, but it was a healthier alternative.

While I was at it, I also whipped up some egg salad to make sandwiches for the week. I found a good wrap-style sandwich on Food Network as well from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. I like her show a lot, and most of the items she makes are favourful and appetizing. I am changing the recipe up a bit by making the sammies in pita pockets rather than the wraps. They should be just as good, with hopefully not many more calories.

Now that I'm sitting and writing all of this out, I think I'll head to bed. It's been a productive, though exhausting weekend.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

It's soooo cheesy!!

Another vegetarian dish today, that's two this week. This one was a home run...warm stringy cheesy goodness with fresh basil and tomatoes. Such a perfect Italian-esque combination. I don't know why they work so well together, and I don't care as long as I can eat it all up!

I want to make this again. I think it turned out better than a traditional mac-n-cheese. When I do make it again though, I'll probably infuse the oil with some red pepper flake at the same time I heat the garlic. The ricotta can be a bit heavy and bland in the dish. I think it may have needed a touch of heat to cut the heaviness. Overall though, I was greatly impressed with the dish, and because I used a whole wheat pasta, fat free mozzarella, and low fat ricotta, the dish stayed at a reasonable calorie count while being an awesome treat!

Creamy Cheese Rotini with Garlic and Oil
From the Turn Around Program

1/2 pound whole-wheat rotini
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, in chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Cook rotini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and stir to infuse oil and brown garlic.
3. Add rotini to skillet. Stir to coat. Add ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Stir to mix and melt.
4. Remove pan from heat. Add tomato, basil, salt and pepper. Mix and serve.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Something Fish-y

The sauce for this today's Salmon with Dill-Mustard sounded like it was going to be one of those "kick you in the mouth" kind of sauces. In actuality, it had a wonderful mild taste, and paired extremely well with the salmon. I added a side of balsamic mushroom couscous, which wasn't really needed, but was nice to have. Couscous is such an easy item to make, I want to make it all the time now. I'll have to come up with some different recipes for it soon.

Salmon with Spinach, Tomatoes and Dill-Mustard Sauce
From the Turn Around Program

1/2 cup fat free sour cream
4 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 (1/4 pound) skinless salmon fillets
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves
1 pint grape tomatoes
10 oz fresh spinach

1. Combine sour cream, mustard, dill, and lemon juice in bowl. Refrigerate till service.
2. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In lightly greased non-stick skillet, cook fillets over medium high heat till lightly browned on both sides and opaque in the center. Remove fillets from pan and cover to keep warm.
3. In same skillet, add shallots and garlic. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes till fragrant.
4. Add grape tomatoes to skillet, stirring for an additional 1-2 minutes till warmed.
5. Add spinach and allow to wilt.
6. Serve salmon fillets on top of the spinach and tomato mixture. Add a spoonful of the mustard mixture on top of the spinach.

I would recommend doing this one in a large skillet. The only non-stick that I have is a small pan that I usually reserve only for cooking eggs. Trying to cook all of the salmon rather than boiling in juices, and wilting the spinach is hard to do in a small pan. The overall flavour of this is very unique. Dill is something that I usually equate with pickles only. I think pickles are evil, so I typically don't eat dill. Paired with the mustard, however, it compliments the salmon nicely and you don't get to strong of a dill punch.

Given the state of the tomatoes and spinach, this isn't a "re-heat friendly" food. The salmon and the couscous, however, should be good for a second day. I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Weekly Menu

It's another week, and another menu. This week seems pretty great, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the food if everything is as good as today's.

Monday - Grilled Portobello with Salad Greens
Tuesday - Salmon with Spinach in a Tomato, Dill and Mustard sauce
Wednesday - Creamy Cheese Rotini with Garlic and Oil
Thursday - Chicken Picatta

I'm convinced that if I could serve Portobello mushrooms to Staci every day, I could turn her into a vegetarian. Well, I like to think that I could, anyway. It's not the best time of year to find portobellos; I want to try this again in the spring when you can find the giant ones in the store. This was a simple recipe, something that was meant as an appetizer. I just increased the mushroom count to two medium per person. I sliced them and put them on top of some mixed spring greens, and added a touch of mozzarella. Simply delicious!



Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
From the Turn Around Program

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespooons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1. Mix all ingredients together. Marinate mushrooms for 10 minutes flipping often. 2. Grill mushrooms or cook under broiler for 1-2 minutes per side till warmed through.
3. While hot, slice mushrooms and serve over greens.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Laissez l'etouffee..

Tonight was the night for Spinach and Mushroom Etouffee. The recipe was actually easy to follow, and was finished cooking quickly. I made a couple of small modifications, namely in adding in some tomato paste to add a little more depth to the cream of mushroom and cream of celery base, and using a bit more paprika to add to the smokiness of the dish.

I will say that the recipe is nothing like what Staci and i ate at Gumbo Ya-Ya's. It was good, but it wasn't on-par with traditional creole food. I'm going to keep looking around the net to see if i can find a vegetable etouffee or similar recipe so that I can try this again. Keepign the garlic, green pepper and onion a very small chop helps the overall dish. The bigger the pieces, the more apparent they are in the sauce, which only distracts from the texture of the chopped mushroom. Also, I'll probably use fresh spinach in my next attempt. The frozen spinach that I used tonight almost overpowered the complete taste palate. I think that had I cooked the dish for longer, maybe in a slow cooker, the spinach may have been tamed. Staci also thought that the cream of celery was too strong of a forefront taste, so if I use this recipe again, I'll likely use 2 of the cream of mushroom.

Outside the realm of "good for you food", I made Kheer tonight. Kheer is a rice dessert usually made with milk, cardamom, sugar, pistachios or cashews and raisins. I have my own recipe that I use most of the time, but this recipe is pretty close to how I make it. I usually add in some red or golden raisins, and on occasion, coconut flakes. It's a very sweet dessert, which means that you can usually get away with eating a small portion.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Kabobs and dog biscuits.

Two nights, two very different styles of kabobs. Yesterday was the Chicken Souvlaki, tonight the Moorish Pork. Both were equally delicious, albeit very different from one another. Both yesterday's and today's dishes allowed us to use ingredients that we normally don't, namely wine and vinegar. I've learned quickly that white wine, if used to marinate too long, will dry out meat. If it's used for the correct amount of time, it can be such a great addition to food.

The souvlaki was marinated a tad bit too long. My guess is it was not just the white wine, but the lemon juice that led to the dryness to the chicken. It could also be that I cut the meat into too small of pieces. Even with it being slightly dry, the flavour was amazing. Fresh, clean and with a hint of citrus and oregano. Just a marvelous pairing with the deep flavours of the sun dried tomato and mushroom couscous. It was only the second time that I've had couscous, and I LOVED it! I don't understand why more people don't make it; boil water, pour in dry couscous, let set for 5 minutes and you're done. How easy and quick is that? And to be a pasta dish, it has such a light texture. It's deceptively filling.

The recipe for the couscous came from AllRecipes.com. You can find it here.



Chicken Souvlaki
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chopped bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes

1. In bowl, combine olive oil, wine, lemon juice, onion, garlic, bay leaves oregano and salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken to coat and allow to marinate for 1 hour up to overnight.
3. Thread chicken cubes on to pre-soaked bamboo skewers.
4. Cook over medium hot grill, or under broiler in oven.


For every bit that yesterday's chicken had a clean and citrus flavour, today's Moorish Pork had a deep earthy and spicy flavour. Such a change from the norm that I make with pork. And coupled with the Roasted Potato Salad, it was pure bliss! Staci also added in some wonderful french bread that she picked up today, and some soft garlic cheese. I can't help but be happy that we've not had a "bad" recipe yet. Everything has been delicious, hearty, and full of flavour, so much so that I'm having trouble picking new recipies, because I want to keep making this stuff over and over. The Roasted Potato Salad will definately be a regular in the house. It was easy to make, thought it takes a while, and the texture is so very different from the normal mayo or sour cream based potato salads. The tartness that the vinegar brings to the mix only adds to the earthiness of the potato.



Moorish Pork Kabob
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried pepper flake
ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 pound lean pork cut into one-inch cubes

1. Mix together the garlic, salt, coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, pepper flake, olive oil and lemon juice. Add ground pepper to taste.
2. Mix in pork cubes and allow to marinate for 1 hour, up to overnight
3. Thread marinated pork on to pre-soaked skewers.
4. Cook over medium-heat grill, or under broiler.


Roasted Potato Salad
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

3 pounds baby red potatoes
2/3 cup coarse salt
2 tablespoons dry white wine, divided
2 tablespoons extra vergin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar, divided
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons tarragon
3/4 cup pure olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash potato, and place on baking sheet whole. Cover with coarse salt and bake in the oven till tender but firm.
2. Remove potatoes from oven, clean off salt from skin and slice while still warm. Add slices to bowl and toss with the extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar.
3. Add shallots and tarragon to the potatoes, stir gently and set aside.
4. In small bowl, combine the pure olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar and mustard. Season with Pepper to taste. Pour over the potato mixture and stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
5. Before serving, toss in green onions and parsley.


Of course, with all of this good food, our poor Scottie dog, Finnigan, has not had his share of "the hooman food", so I thought I'd make a homemade dog-treat for him. The Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Bisucits that I found on AllRecipes.com sounded like an easy, and good treat to make for him. He's eaten 5 small biscuits, and is begging for more. I think they're a hit. (And for those of you that are wondering, yes I tried one; they taste like stale banana bread.)

Try It! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Don't Judge a recipe by your imagination.

I really learned a good lesson about food today. I've been apprehensive of the Tomato, Zucchini and Mushroom Gratin since we chose it on Saturday. I just couldn't wrap my brain around zucchini in a cheese and heavy cream sauce being anywhere near remotely good. Boy was I ever wrong!

I will say that choosing both of these items on a weekday was probably a wrong choice. These are probably better reserved for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, when you have the time to cook and aren't tired and hungry from being at the office all day. That being said, the little more than an hour and 20 minutes prep and cook time was WELL worth the wait. The gratin was actually done first, and the wife snacked on it until the chicken was done. Even better was the fact that she loved the gratin more than she loved the chicken. A feat to replace the desire for veggies in such a devoted carnivore!!

Both recipies today came from the Atkins for Life plan again. Its a pretty neat little recipe box filled with cards that you can sort out and plan a weeks worth of meals with. You can find the entire box on Amazon or other online bookstores.



Tomato, Zucchini and Mushroom Gratin

1 1/2 slices rye bread
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (swiss or other)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In pan add 1 tbsp butter and cook mushrooms till browned.
3. While mushrooms are cooking, butter a 9X13 dish and put zucchini on the bottom. On top, arrange the tomato slices.
4. Once mushrooms are cooked, arrange over top of tomatoes.
5. Return pan to heat add other tbsp of butter and garlic. Cook till garlic browns and add cream. Allow cream to reduce slightly.
6. Add layer of cheese over top of mushroom. Pour cream sauce over cheese.
7. Chop rye bread into small cubes and arrange over top of cheese and cream.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until cream is bubbly and zucchini is tender.


Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 oz pancetta, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, shiitake or cremini, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup asiago or fontina cheese, shreaded
4 large chicken breasts, butterflied
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp all-purpose or whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In medium pan cook onions, pancetta, mushrooms until liquid is evaporated and onions are slightly brown. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Add chese to the pancetta and mushroom mixture.
4. Spoon 1/4 of mixture per chicken breast into the pocket created on with the butterfly cut.
5. Fold breast and dredge in flour, salt and pepper mixture. Dip into beaten eggs and then dredge through bread crumbs.
6. In medium heated pan add 2 tbsp olive oil and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side to slightly brown. Transfer breasts to sheet pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.