Corn Cobb Salad

Grilled some simple burgers and needed a simple side besides the Ore Ida frozen steak fries... (those are really good by the way, and not too much fat)

1 thick slice pancetta
2 ears of corn
1/2 avocado, diced and seasoned w/ lemon juice and kosher salt
1/2 large tomato, diced or halved grape tomatoes
1 Romain heart, chopped
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese dressing ( I like the Yogurt based ones)

Dice the pancetta and saute in your skillet with a spray of olive oil until crisp.  Cut the corn off the cob.  Easiest way to do this is to use a serrated bread knife and stand the corn cob in a flat dish so the kernels don't go all over the place.  Saute the corn until just cooked, about 2 -3 minutes with the pancetta, season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Spread the lettuce onto a pretty platter.  Toss the corn mixture with the avocado and tomato. Spread over the lettuce and then sprinkle it with the crumbled blue cheese.  Serve with the blue cheese dressing on the side.

What to do when you have Spinach and Mushrooms.....

I generally buy a container of mushrooms and a bag of baby spinach when I know I will be cooking during the week. They are versatile and can be used in a number of dishes, and always good for topping a white pizza.

Couscous with Spinach, Mushrooms and Feta

A great side dish that is quick and easy.
2 servings

1/2 cup couscous (I use whole wheat)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 ounces baby spinach
salt and pepper
feta cheese

Saute the onion and mushrooms in a saucepan with a little olive oil.  Add the spinach untiled wilted. Pour in the couscous and stock bring to a boil, cover and remove from the heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.  Add a handful of crumbled feta cheese and serve.

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Mushrooms

Chop the spinach coarsely and the mushrooms fine. Saute in a little olive oil, remove from the heat and mix with some grated cheese, blue cheese or provolone, or whatever you have on hand that will melt well.  Pound 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast to about 1/3 inch thickness and season with salt and pepper.  Place the spinach mixture on top of one breast and cover with the other.  Pack some seasoned panko or breadcrumbs on top of the chicken.  Saute the breaded side first in a skillet in butter or olive oil, while it is cooking, pack the top side with panko.  When the bottom side is browned,  flip carefully and brown the otherwide.   Finish in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Turkey Meatloaf

The secret to moist turkey meatloaf is to add grated zucchini to the mixture and roast it in a little chicken stock.

20 ounces ground turkey, 97% fat free
1 egg
1/2 cup diced onion
1 small zucchini grated on a box grater
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 slices pancetta


Saute the diced onion and zucchini in a little olive oil.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, vegetables, sauces, bread crumbs and salt and pepper. Mix gently and form into an oval.  Place in a baking dish and spread additional barbecue sauce on top.  Top with sliced pancetta and pour a little chicken stock in the dish to about 1/2 inch up the meatloaf.  Bake for about 45 minutes at 375.  Turn the heat up to 425 and bake about 5 more minutes to get the pancetta nice and crisp.  Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tuna Nicoise

Apparently everyone wants into the cookbook publishing business (me included)!  Just saw Sheryl Crow on the Today show with her chef promoting her new healthy recipe book and Gwyneth Paltrow's new home style cooking was featured in this month's Food and Wine magazine.  I tried her tuna nicoise recipe with some modifications, and although it was delicious, I would make additional changes including grilling the tuna versus roasting it and shortening the cooking time for the eggs.

Here's my version:

For 2

1 cup of green beans
1 Yellow pepper roasted
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 large red skin potato cooked
1/3 cup nicoise olives, sliced
Two 3 - 4 ounce tuna steaks
Two eggs
Olive Oil

Steam the green beans for 2 minutes in the microwave so they are crisp.  Roast the yellow pepper on your grill, remove the skin and seeds and slice.  Dice the cooked potato in 1/2 inch pieces.  Assemble all the vegetables on a sheet pan or roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast for about 15 minutes at 400.

Crack the eggs into individual ramekins that you have sprayed with oil.  Drizzle a little olive oil and salt and pepper on the eggs and baked in your oven for about 9 - 10 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolk's still runny.

Season the tuna with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and grill for a couple of minutes each side for rare to medium rare.  Serve all together.

and here's hers:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hot-nicoise-salad

Sausage, Chard and Lemon Lasagna

You have to try this!  Had dinner at our good friend Betsy's and she's a terrific cook.  She's been cooking for us for some 30 plus years and of all the great meals at her home, Dave said this was the best ever (and he's not a huge lemon fan)!  It's from the March issue of Martha Stewart Living and it's absolutely delicious!


http://www.marthastewart.com/336370/sausage-chard-and-lemon-lasagna

Spring Risotto

Even though it doesn't feel  like spring, asparagus risotto makes me think warmer weather is coming.   Served with grilled salmon and Caesar salad, a great weeknight dinner.

Spring Risotto (for 2 as a side dish)

1/4 cup onion diced
Olive Oil
1/3 cup arborio rice
White Wine
1 tsp Lemon Zest
3/4 cup asparagus sliced into 1 inch pieces
About 2 cups Chicken Broth
Parmesan Cheese

Saute the onions in a skillet until soft, add the rice and cook for a few minutes until a little bit toasted.  Add a good splash of white wine and cook until almost evaporated. 

Steam the asparagus until crisp tender. I do this in the microwave, cover the asparagus with a little salted water, cover your dish with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2 - 3 minutes.

Put your chicken stock in a pot on the rear burner behind the risotto pan, bring to a boil and then turn to simmer. Add about 1/2 cup of stock to the rice at a time, waiting for the liquid to absorb between additions.  This will take about 25 - 30 minutes for this small quantity of rice.  Keep tasting until the rice is tender and creamy.

Add the asparagus and the lemon zest.   Sprinkle a handful of Parmesan cheese  Season with salt and pepper if needed. (depends on how salty your broth is). 

March Madness - Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

The snow is mostly gone off the deck and the grill has been active.  Found myself cooking for one on Wednesday night as Dave was off selecting his basketball teams.  Came up with this recipe to clean out my vegetable bin.  You don't need a lot of pasta as the vegetables have good volume.

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1/2 red pepper, seeded and flattened
handful of asparagus
handful of mushrooms, halved
1 thick slice vidalia onion
1 slice pancetta, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined (optional)
Chicken stock
White wine
1/2 cup penne pasta
Parmesan Cheese

Spray the vegetables (except garlic) and shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill (use a grill basket for the smaller vegetables and shrimp) until shrimp are just cooked through and the vegetables are slightly charred.  Cool slightly and chop the vegetables into bite size pieces.

Cook the pasta.
Spray a skillet with oil, saute the pancetta until crisp, add the garlic. Add a little white wine, reduce then add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock.   Put the vegetables and shrimp in the pan, then add 1/2 cup cooked pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

Scallops with Cauliflower Puree

This is a light and delicious dish that came from this month's Cooking Light magazine.  I used a spray of olive oil to sear the scallops and only half the butter in the cauliflower.  I also only used chicken broth to to cook the cauliflower and potatoes, probably about 1 cup and blended them with my immersion blender ( a great tool, if you don't have one, you should) . I think that the recipe as published had too much liquid and the puree looked too runny.  I make mashed cauliflower all the time, but never mixed it with potatoes, this was really good. Served it with roasted green beans and carrots.

 http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000110419

Chicken and Dumplings

I don't make this very often, but there is something about Sunday dinner in late winter that called for comfort food.  This is one of my Dad's favorite dishes, and we had it quite a bit when I was growing up.  I have cut down on the fat by removing the skin, dredging the chicken in flour and browning.  It still gives a crispy crust.

For 2

2 bone in chicken breasts, skin removed
olive oil
1 large sweet onion
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in thirds
1 large celery stalk, cut in thirds
couple sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry sherry
chicken stock
1  heaping tablespoon cornstarch
Bisquick and milk
Chopped green onion or chives

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and brown in a heavy dutch oven on both sides in a very small amount of olive oil.  Remove the chicken from the pan. Dice half the onion, and cut the other half into chunks.  Saute the diced onion until soft, then add the onion chunks, the celery, carrots and thyme.  Add the sherry to de-glaze the pan.  Return the chicken to the pot and add chicken stock to just cover the vegetables keeping the top of the chicken breasts uncovered.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables and chicken have cooked through.  Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water and add to the stock to help thicken.  Taste the broth to adjust seasonings. Make the dumplings according to the package directions.  Sprinkle the top with the green onion and serve.

Jambalaya

I created this for our first International Dinner Group back in 1983 by actually going to the library and researching authentic Cajun recipes!  No epicurious.com back in those days!  I have served it over the years for many special occasions, including my 50th birthday party for 60 people and New Year’s Eve welcoming the new millennium in 1999. It’s a great one pot meal to serve a really big crowd as you can do it all in advance and it can be served with just a fork when you don’t have room for everyone to sit down.  It's also just a great, easy and healthy dish to enjoy any night of the week.

4 Servings

8 jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 cup cubed ham (or substitute some spicy sausage like andouille or hot chicken sausages)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ tsp dried thyme

Salt to taste

⅛ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp chili powder or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

½ cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped celery

In a large heavy pan, heat oil and saute onions until soft and translucent add garlic and cook a few minutes longer then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir over moderate heat 5 minutes. Add celery, green pepper, and seasonings. If you are afraid of too much heat, start with less of the cayenne pepper and add to taste.  Stirring frequently, cook uncovered until tender and thickened, about 30 - 40 minutes. If it gets too thick, add a little chicken broth or white wine.  Add parsley, ham and chicken, cook until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Saute the shrimp in a little butter and white wine until just tender. Add to the jambalaya, serve over rice.

(If you are making this in advance, do not add the shrimp until you have reheated the jambalaya or the shrimp will over cook. Or if you are cooking for 2 like me, cook just 4 shrimp and freeze the leftovers.  Add the additional shrimp when you reuse.  The shrimp do not freeze well.)

Shrimp and Pancetta Fettuccine

Rewards of a well stocked pantry.......Heading home on Saturday evening after the movies, we didn't really feel like take out and both were craving linguine with clam sauce.  Knowing I had no clams, but a bottle of clam juice in the pantry and  always keep shrimp and sliced pancetta in the freezer, I improvised and came up with a keeper!

8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 slices of pancetta, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 gloves garlic, minced
Splash of olive oil
1/2 cup of shitake mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup white wine
4 ounces clam juice
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Saute the pancetta in a little olive oil until crisp, remove and drain on a paper towel.  Add the onion and saute until softened, add garlic and mushrooms and cook through.  Add the shrimp and saute about 2 minutes until just cooked through.  Add the white wine, reduce a little then add the clam juice.  Add red pepper flakes and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook another 2 minutes and add the pancetta and parsley.  Serve over fettuccine or linguine. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Fried Sage

Last night, I started coming down with a sore throat and was really craving some creamy comfort food.  Scoured the fridge and found half a large butternut squash so came up with a dish that really satisfied (like mac and cheese) but was healthy and low fat.

1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into cubes
Chicken stock
Rigatoni Pasta Noodles
Fresh Sage Leaves
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese
Nutmeg

Boil the squash and apples in chicken stock (to almost cover) until really soft.  Mash with a potato masher, add salt and pepper and a fresh grating of nutmeg.  Transfer the squash mixture into a baking dish and bake in the oven at 475 for about 15 minutes.  Don't smooth out the squash, you want to have the peaks get a little browned.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and fry the sage leaves until crispy, sprinkle with kosher salt.

Cook your pasta until al dente.  Add the pasta to the baked squash, sprinkle with a good amount of fresh Parmesan and top with the fried sage leaves.  Serves 2.

Spinach Salad with Warm Pancetta Dressing

Saturday night, we had dinner for 4 and started with my favorite spinach salad as a first course.  It looked very pretty on the pink glass plates, but of course I forgot to take a picture (this was after cocktail hour).

2 tbls olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, diced
1 tbls minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbls sherry vinegar
1 tbls Dijon mustard
1 large bag of baby spinach, washed
⅓ cup crumbled Chevre
1 large red pepper, roasted and cut into strips
¼ cup pine nuts

Roast the red pepper by placing it on your grill turning it until it is black and charred. Cool, then peel the blackened skin off, then seed and cut into slices.
Heat 1 tbls olive oil and the pancetta together, cook until crisp. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar and mustard, then the additional 1 tbls olive oil.  You can do this all ahead and just reheat the dressing (don't boil it) right before serving.

Place the spinach in a large bowl, pour the dressing over to coat the leaves, reserving some.
Arrange the spinach on salad plates, top w/ the cheese, red pepper strips, pine nuts and pancetta. Drizzle a little more dressing on top and serve.

Serves 4

Hunter's Chicken

This is an easy, classic and low calorie use of boneless chicken breasts.  Always looking healthy ways to cook that boneless breast!

Olive oil

4 Boneless, skinless chicken

1 onion, chopped

3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup white wine2/3 cup chicken broth

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation:

In a large, deep frying pan, heat a splash of oil on med-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour and add to the hot pan. Cook until browned, turning, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the white wine, and bring back to a simmer. Add the broth, tomatoes, tarragon, and any additional salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved chicken and any juices. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is done, about 10-12 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada's

 A great dish that can be prepared ahead, if I am going to be out before dinner I sometimes put this in the oven and set the automatic timer to get it started so that it is ready when I get home.

4 flour tortillas

1 medium can of enchilada sauce (mild)

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 large sweet onion

8 ounces boneless chicken (good use for leftover if you have it) cut into small tenders
Cajun seasoning
Shredded cheese, Mexican mix or Cheddar
Fresh baby spinach or corn or beans and rice (optional)

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Cajun spices and saute in a little olive oil, remove from the pan.  Saute the peppers and onions until soft. I sometimes add mushrooms if I have any on hand.

Using tongs, lightly toast the tortillas right over a low- medium flame on a gas stove to give both sides a little bit of char. (If you don't have a gas stove top, you could just skip this step.)
Assemble the tortillas:  place chicken, peppers and onions in the tortilla, roll up and place in a baking dish that you have sprayed with a little olive oil, seam side down.  Assemble any of your extra side ingredients around the tortillas if you are using them. Pour the sauce over everything, then top with any extra peppers and onions and the shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Valentine's Dinner for 2 - Lobster Risotto

Skipped the overcrowded and over priced Valentine's prix fix dinner out and did a special dinner at home.  Started with 4 raw oysters each from the Reel Seafood Company, they were fresh and delicious and came on a bed of ice and we opened a nice bottle of champagne.  Main course was lobster risotto served with roasted asparagus with red grapes and mixed green salad topped with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, toasted pignoli with a citrus vinaigrette. (all left over from earlier meals).

Lobster Risotto with Shitake Mushrooms and Tarragon

Risotto is my absolute favorite thing to make and eat and does not need a lot of added butter and heavy cream to make it delicious and creamy.  Once you have the basic technique mastered, you can make all kind of creative versions.  There is something really comforting about stirring the rice on the stove especially if you have a glass of wine at hand.

2 lobster tails (or 1 lobster)
1 medium onion diced
Olive Oil
1/2 cup arborio rice
White Wine
1 tsp melted butter
Lemon
3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
Chicken Broth
Parmesan Cheese

Poach the lobster in salted water, saving the poaching liquid.  Cool and cut the meat into chunks, add the butter and a squeeze of lemon, set aside.

In a large straight sided skillet saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil until lightly browned.  Remove and slice and reserve.

Saute the onions in the skillet until soft, add the rice and cook for a few minutes until a little bit toasted.  Add a good splash of white wine and cook until almost evaporated.  (I do this in advance and just park the rice until 40 minutes before we are ready to serve.)

Combine the lobster cooking liquid with chicken stock in equal parts for about 6 cups, heat to a slow simmer.  Put your stock pot on the rear burned behind the risotto pan and add about 1/2 cup of stock to the rice at a time, waiting for the liquid to absorb between additions.  This will take about 35 - 40 minutes for the rice to be cooked, keep tasting until the rice is tender and creamy.

Add the mushrooms, lobster and fresh tarragon.   Sprinkle a handful of Parmesan cheese and grate about 1/2 tsp lemon peel.   Season with salt and pepper if needed. (depends on how salty your broth is).  This made about 3 good sized portions (nice to have lobster risotto leftover! ).

Roasted Asparagus with Red Grapes

Nothing is easier... spray trimmed asparagus and red grapes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 400 for about 10 - 15 minutes, depends on the thickness of the asparagus.

Antipasto Platter

Family dinner for 10 on Saturday night started off with a first course Antipasto salad.  An easy and impressive way to serve store bought ingredients with a home made balsamic vinaigrette passed so everyone can control how much dressing they like.  I like to arrange the ingredients in piles and serve with tongs so you can pick and choose which ingredients you like.  This platter for 10 included:


3 heads of Romaine Lettuce Hearts shredded
1/4 lb Genoa salami, sliced thick at the deli and julienned
8 oz fresh mozzarella, either the little balls or diced
10 paper thin slices good prosciutto
1/2 cup mixed olives
2 roasted beets ( I had these left over) sliced
Provolone cheese julienned
Sliced pepperoni
Jar of yellow and red peppers packed in water, sliced

Balsamic Vinaigrette

10 tbls balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 tsp dijon mustard
24 tbls extra virgin olive oil

Whisk vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard until thickened.  Add the oil a little at a time whisking so the dressing emulsifies.

Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad and Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

From February Bon Appetit

This is a lovely filling side salad or would be good as a first course.  Got to love citrus, between the grapefruit and orange sections and the citrus vinaigrette, the citrus flavor is pretty strong.  It's a little time consuming to peel and section the fruit and to roast the beets.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Beets-and-Citrus-with-Feta-363732

Served with Roasted Cauliflower Pasta which was easy and delicious.

Cut a small head of cauliflower into florets.  Cut a red onion into wedges.  Roast on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for about 10 - 15 minutes, until starting to brown.  Add 1/4 cup of golden raisins, some fresh thyme or sage, roast another 10 - 15 minutes.  Serve over whole wheat penne pasta and toss with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and a little of the pasta cooking water.

Asparagus Stir Fry

There aren't too many times I use frozen vegetables, but a bag of Bird's Eye asparagus stir fry is a great staple to have in your freezer.  Along with some chicken or shrimp and a little creative additions you have an easy, healthy meal any night of the week and you can use up any vegetables you have on hand.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced
Olive Oil Spray
8 ounces shrimp or chicken strips
1 bag Bird's Eye Asparagus Stir Fry
Chinese Five Spice Seasoning
Fresh ginger
Mango Chutney or Apricot Jam
White wine or chicken stock
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds for topping
Any additional veggies in your fridge, asparagus, broccoli, pepper strips, etc.

Saute the onion in olive oil spray until soft, add garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook a few more minutes.  Season the shrimp with salt and five spice seasoning. Saute until just cooked through, remove shrimp to a plate.  If adding your own vegetables, saute those first (steam in the microwave if they need a little cooking first, like asparagus or broccoli).  Add a small splash of sesame oil and the veggies to the pan and soften, add the bag of frozen stir fry.  Cook aout 5 minutes, add a little white wine or chicken broth. then stir in about a tablespoon of jam or chutney. Sprinke with toastsed sesame seeds.

Balsamic Braised Chicken Thighs

Adapted this recipe from a Weight Watchers friendly cookbook from the Culinary Institute of America.
Served with Roasted Butternut Squash.

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
3 tbls flour
3 tbls parmesan cheese
Olive Oil spray
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 red or yellow pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Season thighs with salt and pepper, combine the flour and cheese in a zip lock bag, add chicken and shake to coat.  Heat a skillet, spray with oil and saute chicken until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.  Add vegetables and another spray of oil and saute until very soft.  Sprinkle the remaining flour and cheese mixture over the vegetables, mix well and add organge juice and vinegar.  Cook a few minutes until the flour is incorporated, add chicken breasts, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through. I added a little chicken stock as the mixture was getting too thick. 

Chicken Wings

Superbowl Sunday Dave broke out the Big Green Egg and smoked chicken wings.  He seasoned them with salt and pepper, cooked them around 250 degrees for about 30 minutes, then brushed them with hot pepper sauce mixed with a little melted butter. Way better than take out!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Was in the mood for something spicy, hearty and not too heavy.  Made Giada's Shrimp Fra Diavolo, although I used a little less  olive oil, added sliced mushrooms and didn't have the fresh basil.  The recipe is for 4 people, I cut the shrimp in half but still made all the sauce.  Served with a nice salad and crusty garlic bread (for Dave).  It was tasty!http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/shrimp-fra-diavolo-recipe/index.html

Back to Counting Points...

Returned to Weight Watchers meeting on Monday, so am trying hard to create tasty meals that don't blow the point count!  Tuesday night we had sausage and peppers and Wednesday, chicken teriyaki.

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Spray a skillet with olive oil, put in your raw chicken sausages and cover with about one inch of water.  Boil until the water evaporates, turning frequently, then let the sausage brown in the pan.  Saute sliced vidalia onion, red pepper and green pepper in a spray of olive oil in a oven proof casserole until soft.  Add a can of diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and bring to a boil.  Add the sausages, cover and place the pot in a 375 oven.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Serve with whole wheat pasta.  4 ounces of chicken is 4 points and 1/2 cup of pasta is 2 points. The veggies are zero!

Chicken Teriyaki

Pound boneless chicken breats to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Season with Five Spice Powder then marinate in a mixture of bottled teriyaki sauce, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger and Chinese BBQ sauce (or whatever you have on hand).  Saute in a spray of olive oil until cooked through.  I served it with a little mango coconut sauce from Fresh Market that they use for their coconut shrimp, a salad with roasted asparagus and my favorite mashed cauliflower.




Mashed Cauliflower

Cut up a small head of a cauliflower into florets, bring to a boil with about a cup of chicken stock and simmer covered until really soft.  Drain excess broth and mash the cauliflower, add 1 cube of Laughing Cow cheese and mash until pretty smooth.  I usually use the Swiss flavor, then add a grating of fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.  This time I tried the Chipolte Chile flavor and it gave it a nice kick!

Thanks to a Good Friend!

No cooking last night, thanks to a great friend who sent over a delicious chilli dinner with cornbread.  The chili had black olives in it, really interesting!

Cauliflower Gratin lightened up!

I am a huge fan of cauliflower, it's a versatile and filling winter vegetable.  I saw this recipe in December's Bon Appetit and was intrigued by the cornbread topping as I had just made some cornbread last week and had put the leftovers in the freezer.  However, to lighten it up I sauteed the shallots ( I used vidalia onion) in a spray of olive oil instead of the butter.  I substituted whole milk for the heavy cream and used Land of Lakes light butter (comes in a tub with canola oil) for the cornbread topping.  I used 3 cups of cauliflower for 2 people, about half a head. It's delicious!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cauliflower-Gratin-with-Mustard-Sage-Cornbread-Crumbs-362309

I served it as a side dish with Mediterranean style Tilapia and side salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette topped with toasted pecans, dried cranberries and Brie.  The colors were a little too similar and I would have sprinkled the fish with some chopped parsley if I had some!

For 2 Tilapia filets, I chopped 2 plum tomatoes and sauteed them with a chopped shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves, set that aside and added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and a spoonful of capers.  Brush olive oil on the fish, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and saute in a hot sillet for a few minutes each side.  Add a splash of white wine and the tomato mixture and top each filet with a little black olive tapenade (from a jar).   Easy and healthy!

Grilled Steak isn't always boring....

The deck is shoveled off so decided to take a strip steak out of the freezer and get to the gas grill.  I always keep strip steaks, u-15 shrimp and boneless chicken on hand (Sam's Club!).  But first you need a little side twist to serve with the beef.  I carmelized a sliced Vidalia onion in my cast iron skillet (my absolute number one pan, if you don't have one go out and get one and get it nicely seasonsed, I  use it for almost everything).  Saute the onions in a little olive oil and butter covered for about 10 minutes until soft.  Remove the cover and let them get nicely browned, it takes about 20 minutes.  I then added baby bella mushrooms that were cut in half and sauteed them until browned but not too soft.  You can do this hours ahead and just let them sit on the stove until the steak is cooked. 

One strip steak is perfect for the two of us, trim the fat, season both sides with your favorite rub or just kosher salt and pepper ( I used Montreal seasoning), and let the steak sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 

Grill your steak about 4 minutes each side for medium rare.  Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing it into about 1/4 inch slices.  Reheat the mushrooms and add a spalsh of dry sherry (Marsala or Madeira work too).

I served this with Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries and a Caesar Salad.

For the fries, peel a large sweet potato, cut in half length-wise and cut into wedges.  Spray the wedges with olive oil and season with salt and cajun seasonings.  Roast at 450 for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and crunchy.  A really healthy way to enjoy your potatoes!

Today is my first post! Dinner tonight is my favorite spaghetti and meatballs!

These are the best meatballs, and I’ve tried many different versions. The key is the amount of water that is added, it really makes them tender. This makes about 24 meatballs, you  might as well make the full recipe and freeze what's left for another day!  The meatballs are baked on parchment which makes them healthier than frying in oil and easy to clean up.
1 pound ground lean beef
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 tbls chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 cups warm water
coarse salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined but don’t over mix. Mix in the bread crumbs, then add the water a little at a time and keep mixing until it's well incorporated. Form into 2 inch balls.

Line 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Arrange the meatballs in the pans and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and then add to your sauce.  Serve over your favorite pasta with a side salad and some great garlic bread.

You really need to use fresh breadcrumbs. Process good quality, day old French or Italian bread in the food processor until coarse ground. Keep in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Or in a pinch, use Panko.

Marina Sauce

Classic Marinara, it does justice to the homemade meatballs.

• 2 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 gloves garlic diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper
• Italian seasonings
• Fresh Basil (optional)

• Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, a pinch of crushed red pepper, about 1 tsp of Italian seasonings and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat low and simmer for at least one hour. Taste for seasonings. If you like a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to smooth to the desired consistency. Add chopped fresh basil just before serving.