Monday, December 8, 2014

Smothered Crispy Pork Cutlets with Cauliflower Mash

Mel just posted this and we tried it yesterday. Rob died over it. I loved it too. The cauliflower mash was new. I thought it was a good way to squeeze some veggies into the dinner. I think next time I might do half cauliflower, half normal mashed potatoes though. It was a bit watery on its own. Half this recipe served us with leftovers to spare.

My changes in red.

YIELD: SERVES 6-8
The pork can be made ahead of time and kept in a single layer in a baking dish in a warm oven (set to about 170 degrees) for up to an hour. Also the cauliflower mash can be made several days in advance, stored in the refrigerator, and warmed in the microwave or in a baking dish in the oven for serving. 

INGREDIENTS
    Pork:
  • 2 pounds pork tenderloin(s), trimmed of excess fat (They only had pork chops at the store, so I used those instead. I thought they were great.)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter 
  • Sauce: 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and discard, mushrooms halved
  • 1 medium shallot, finely minced (I used a yellow onion, just as good)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I just scooped some that was leftover from breading the pork)
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth or stock
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (skipped this)
  • Cauliflower Mash:
  • 2 heads cauliflower, florets
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (may or may not have doubled this on accident. We survived. Yum.)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
  1. For the pork, slice the tenderloins into ½-inch pieces. Lightly pound with a mallet or the bottom of a small saucepan inbetween pieces of plastic wrap or inside a thick resealable Ziploc bag until each pieces is about ¼-inch thick. 
  2. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each piece of pork in the flour mixture on both sides. In a large, 12-inch skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until hot and shimmering. 
  3. Add the pork in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches), leaving a bit of space between each piece, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through (will register 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork (adding a little extra butter and olive oil if the skillet is dry). Cover the pork lightly with a lid or aluminum foil to keep warm. (I did this and they weren't super crispy like the title says, but still very good)
  4. Once the pork has all been cooked and transferred out of the skillet, return the skillet to medium heat and add the 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter for the sauce. Add the mushrooms, shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have softened and are beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. 
  5. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. The flour should take on some brown color and the mixture should sizzle a bit. Gradually pour in the stock, about ½ cup at a time, deglazing the pan and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Continue adding the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the half-and-half. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. (I tried doing this with just the flour and it wouldn't thicken like I wanted it to. I just used cornstarch and thickened it like a traditional gravy)
  6. Transfer the pork to a platter and pour the sauce over the top (some can be reserved to be served separately). Sprinkle with the fresh parsley. Serve the smothered pork over mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash. 
  7. For the cauliflower mash, clean and trim the large stems off the heads of cauliflower. Cut the florets into pieces. Boil the cauliflower in a large pot of water until very tender, about 8-10 minutes. (I want to try to steam it next time. I had a hard time getting it to not be watery) Drain off the water and lay the cauliflower pieces on several layers of paper towels. Pat dry until very little moisture remains (do so quickly as you want the cauliflower warm when blending). Add the cooked cauliflower to a food processor, blender or use a large bowl and an immersion blender. Toss in the butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste (start with ½ teaspoon each and add more if needed). Process until thick and smooth.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Dinner in a Pumpkin



Use a pie pumpkin.
Open it up and clean it out. 
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside.
Put the pumpkin on a baking sheet, then put it into a 350 degree oven while you prepare the insides. 

In a pot heat:
2-3 cooked and chopped chicken breasts
1 cube cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup water
A package of Italian seasoning 

You can add other veggies to this mix - corn, carrots, peas, - but make sure you cook any "hard" veggies (like carrots) first. They won't get cooked enough in the pumpkin. 
Or you could have fresh veggies or a salad on the side. 

Pour mixture into your pumpkin. Put the pumpkin lid on top and cook for 60-90 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft and cooked. 

Serve over rice. Don't forget to scoop some of that yummy pumpkin out as you eat!

 


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

spicy halibut chili

This recipe originally came from Kassi (who thought it was from Marsha J.), but I have made some alterations to lighten it up.

Halibut isn't cheap, so this might be a once a year meal, but we liked it.  All my kids except the picky one, who's name starts with C ate it.

1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or red if you are like me and that's all you have)
1 jalapeƱo, seeded and diced
1 can green chilis
2 Tblsp garlic, minced
1 tblsp thyme (I didn't have this, and it still tasted good)
1 tblsp basil
1 tsp oregano
2 tblsp chicken base
1 cup cream or 2 cups half and half (use milk or chicken stock to bring your cream up to 2 cups)
2 cups chicken stock
2 cans great northern beans
1/2-1 cup water
pepper jack cheese (I used about a cup shredded, but you could definitely use more.  I didn't want it to be too spicy for my kids)
cooked halibut.  (I used 2 large pieces)
salt and pepper to taste

saute onion and jalepeno, add garlic.  Add vinegar and herbs and chicken base.

add liquid (chicken broth and cream) and beans, and warm.

add halibut.

We like it with this cornbread.  I wasn't sure if veggies would be any good with the halibut, so we just had carrot sticks and fruit on the side.  A salad would be great.

***The original recipe called for 1 cup of white wine vinegar.  I think that's too much.  I think that it was supposed to be wine, but someone altered the recipe to be alcohol free.  I made it originally with 1 cup, and added my half and half and it totally curdled.  So, I remade it because I still had some cream in my fridge.  I'm not sure if half and half will always curdle, but I'm kind of afraid to use it again.  As I was throwing the box away, I realized that the half and half was the fat free kind.  So that's probably the problem, but proceed with caution when using half and half.   It's also possible that the vinegar is used to thicken it.  anyway, vinegar is so strong, I don't think I'd use 1 cup.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

when dad's away...

...i make this kind of dinner a lot; or for lunch sometimes even when he is home. chop up whatever is around, put the platter in the middle of the table, serve it with dips, and everyone digs in. the kids stick mostly to the cheese and fruit, but will try a little of the veggies -- especially as a carrier for the dips.

Peanut butter with celery or apples. Poppyseed dressing with cucs. Hummus (or ranch) with celery or cucs. Cheese with the apples. Mix and match as you choose. Easy and healthy.

if I buy veggies at costco in bulk, we eat lots more than normal so they don't go bad and go to waste. 

but bananas from costco make me so mad. they are the fruit that is always good ... except from costco. blech.








Monday, November 10, 2014

Baked Ham and Swiss Malibu Chicken

Rob dies over Mel's Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe, but it's kind of a lot of mess and work, so I don't make it very often. This recipe has the same feel, but its so much easier. It's like Chicken Cordon Bleu, inside out. The mustard dipping sauce is so dang good, esp. if you love honey mustard. I would make extra if you really like it. Rob liked dipping his veggies in it too.

Baked Ham and Swiss Malibu Chicken
YIELD: SERVES 6
If the chicken breasts you are using aren't thick enough to cut in half (to form two thinner pieces), pound them slightly and consider using a few more chicken breasts to equal the six pieces you would have if following the recipe instructions.
My favorite brand of ham deli meat is Hormel Naturals. The honey ham is delicious and works great in this recipe. I just had some honey ham sliced at the Deli.
INGREDIENTS
  • 3 large chicken breasts, cut in half to form two thinner cutlets (see note above)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs I want to try using mashed up Ritz next time, so it's the same as her Cordon Bleu recipe
  • 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 12 slices deli ham (see note above)
  • 6 large slices of swiss cheese
  • Dipping Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate or dish. In another shallow dish, toss together the panko, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
  4. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture and immediately press it into the dry mixture, pressing the mixture into both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. 
  5. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and layer two slices of ham across each chicken piece, followed by a slice of Swiss cheese to cover most of the ham/chicken.
  6. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 or so minutes until the cheese is melted.
  7. While the chicken bakes, whisk together the dipping sauce ingredients. 
  8. Serve the chicken warm with the dipping sauce on the side.

Recipe from Mel's

Monday, September 22, 2014

Lasagna

Every time I make lasagna I try a new recipe. I think I've finally found the perfect one at allrecipes.com.

Ingredients 


1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I love the flavor of the sausage)                                                   
3/4 pound lean ground beef                                                    
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                      
                    

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Homemade Chicken Stock

Yesterday I bought a rotisserie chicken from costco.
I always feel so weird about throwing the carcass away. It feels so wasteful or something. 
So I googled homemade chicken stock and whaa laaaa. 

Put your carcass in a big pot. 
Add:
1-2 carrots
1-2 celery
1 onion
1-2 garlic cloves 
Anything else you want
Salt and pepper to your liking

Cover with enough COLD water to cover the carcass and vegetables. 
Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. 
Simmer for 60-90 minutes UNCOVERED. 
Strain the liquid. And there you have it. 

My conundrum is how to store it, but I just put two cups per zip lock bag, and stored them in the freezer. It made about 16 cups I think?

It's a bit experimental, so I'll update with any new findings. 


Peach Cream Trifle

Tis the season for peaches.  I make this dessert every year during peach harvest. I've tweaked it a little over the years, but I'll post the origional recipe and add my two bits in.

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake loaf (I sometimes make my own pound cake depending on how much time and care I want to put into it, Mary now you know how much I care. I use Martha Stewart's recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/274847/pound-cake-recipes/@center/276954/great-cake-recipes)'
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 C cold water
1 3.4 oz pkg vanilla pudding
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint whipping cream whipped (I don't add sugar to whipped cream, I think the swt cond milk and pudding adds enough sweetness and I like to add sugar to peaches to get the juices flowing)
4 C sliced fresh peaches (I add sugar, see above)

In a large bowl combine swt cond milk and water, mix well. Add pudding mix, beat well. Chill 5 min. Stir in vanilla.  Fold in whipped cream.

Cut angel food cake (or pound cake) into cubes. Arrange 1/3 of cake on bottom of trifle bowl. Put 1/3 sliced peaches on top of cake then add pudding mixture on top of peaches. Repeat 2 more times. 
*If you don't have a trifle bowl you can use a  9x13 pan and just do two layers.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Ice cream

We love ice cream around here.
Someone tell me why I haven't been making homemade more often?
I made some today after church for our Sunday treat...it's probably not the most decidant recipe, but I like non-rich ice cream. 

The Base:
2 cups whole milk 
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Then add in whatever else you want: 
Pero
Fruit 
Chocolate stuff
Flavor concentrate

I blended up blueberries until there weren't any chunks, and added it to the mixture. The ice cream turned purple, so I told the kids it was cotton candy ice cream and they devoured it. 

St. Patrick's Day ice cream:
All of the above except
1/4 almond extract 
Spinach (maybe 1-2 cups)
Blend it all in the blender so they don't know what is making the ice cream green. 



Friday, June 27, 2014

Egg in the Hole


My favorite way to eat that fresh salsa is atop egg in the hole. 

Poke a hole in bread. Crack an egg in the hole. Carful not to break that yolk. 

Grill. Flip. Grill. 
Top with salsa. 

I come skipping down stairs in the morning, so excited to eat. 

My favorite is:
- eating the hole. First bite of the morning and it's all crusty with pan fried butter. 
- breaking into the yolk. Eating a bite of toast covered in salsa and egg yolk. 
- the salsa, the salsa, the salsa. 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Salsa

2 cloves of garlic
4 green onions with stems
1 cup cilantro (no stems)
1 8oz can ElPato tomato hot sauce (the yellow can)
1 serano pepper, seeded
1 jalapeƱo pepper, seeded
Add seeds for desired heat. (I don't add any seeds, which makes a perfectly mild salsa)

Process with food processor

2 15oz cans of Mexican stewed tomatoes
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Process again
Refrigerate overnight for best melding of flavors. 

I process in our vitamix, and it makes a pretty smooth salsa. It reminds me of the salsa at Chilis. Yum. 





Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Blueberry cobbler

This is one of my most favorite summer desserts, when the blueberries are on sale.  and it's super easy

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I've made with both, and prefer fresh)
1 tsp butter
1 lemon

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, stir in water.  Bring to a boil; stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute.  Add blueberries and lemon juice (as much as you like--I usually use one half small lemon).  Pour blueberry mixture into a lightly butter baking dish (8x8).  Add pats of butter to top.

Topping:
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
3 tbsp butter divided

(I like to 1.5 the topping)  For topping, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Pour milk and melted butter into a measuring cup.  Add to flour mixture all at once.  Stir just until mixture is moistened and forms a ball.  Drop spoonfuls onto the blueberries.

Bake 425 for 25 min.

Serve warm with ice cream.


Thursday, May 15, 2014

Watermelon




I'm sure you've seen this on Pinterest, but it's kinda changed my life where watermelon is concerned. 

Cut it into cubes. Not triangles. Why does this matter? I don't know but suddenly everyone in the house is eating watermelon. It's less messy, more fun, and there's somehow less waste. 

I've also found the little watermelons work best for my family. Big ones usually result in 40% waste. We get sick of it and then it gets weird hanging around on the counter or in the fridge. 

So: baby watermelons, cut into cubes. 


rotisserie chicken dinner, picnic style

This could actually be called Costco Dinner Part 2, because I got everything at costco.
This is an easy meal, I got the idea here.  I had originally planned to take as a picnic at swim because their practices go right through dinner, but it was cancelled the night I planned for it, so we had it at home.  EASY.


  • 1 rotisserie chicken (costco rotisserie chicken are the best, I buy one every time I go.  They are still really good reheated the next day)
  • cheese sliced or cubed.  Any cheese you have or like.  This would be a great opportunity to buy a fancy cheese you always want to buy.  WE only had cheddar and muenster, and it was still good
  • fruit.  I like berries with this.
  • crusty bread (or if you are at costco, the ciabatta rolls are good and easy
  • veggies (we had carrots and mini bell peppers and sugar snap peas)
That's it, serve it picnic style, the kids ate everything on their plates.



Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus


Ta da! It's delicious.
Just wash the asparagus, wrap it up, grill it up. I'd say about ten minutes on the grill, low-medium heat. 



Ignore that charred sweet potato. 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Potato Salad

This is "Kim's" recipe we have floating around, but it looks like it's really "Catheryn's". Haha. Either way, it's yummy. 
Kim says she sometimes makes extra dressing to ensure the salad is creamy - not sticky. 
I  like to add chopped celery. 
Frozen peas are also an option. 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Easter Bread

I made a few tweaks to the recipe I followed for this Easter bread, so I want to write it down before I forget. It turned out really well. Which is strange because I don't make very good bread and rolls.




1 1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter 
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 eggs beaten
2 1/4 tsp yeast 
3-5 cups flour 
Egg wash
Sprinkles

Heat the milk, sugar, salt, and butter on the stove. Cool it to warm. 

In your mixer, pour the warm mixture in and add the yeast. Let it sit until bubbly. 
Mix in the eggs until nice and smooth. Add two cups of flour until nice and smooth. 
Switch to your dough hook. 
Keep adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky and pulls away from the bowl. Knead with hook for a while. 

Let it rise for an hour. 

Knead for a while. 

Rise for half hour-ish. 

Take out and cut into 12 peices. 
Roll two peices into snakes. Twist them together. Form into a ring. 

Make six rings. 

Rise for about 45 mins. 
Egg wash and sprinkle with sprinkles. Put a dyed Easter egg in the middle. Pretty!

Cook at 350 for 20-25 mins. 


Chocolate marshmallow easter eggs

This is from kim, she couldn't log onto blogger, so I told her I'd post it.

Kim says, "I beat mine in the kitchen aid for 5-8 minutes.  It's kind of a big learning curve for how long to beat, if they are too stiff they won't go in the forms."



Saturday, April 5, 2014

Hawaiian Grilled Cheese Sandwich



Pretend you're making a grilled cheese sandwich, but put barbecue sauce on both slices of bread and add some ham and pineapple to the cheese. 
Yum. 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Jim's Homemade Chicken Nuggets

3-4 chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
A few tsp of melted butter 

Cut your chicken into nugget size. 
Dip in melted butter, then dip in bread crumb mixture. 

Heat oven 400 degrees. Cook nuggets for at least 20 minutes until nuggets are crispy and browned. 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Cilantro Lime Dressing

I got this recipe from Andy's sister. I've tried her's, but haven't actually made it myself. I think it's yummy. It's pretty thick. She served it to put on a green salad and over black beans/corn mixture. I LOVED it on the black beans and corn. Very simple and easy peasy side dish. I'm not sure if she follows the recipe exactly or how much evoo she actually puts in it. I think she mentioned she puts a little bit of mayo in it too ?? Also, I really, really like Costco's canned corn (Kirkland brand). It's not frozen, Cottonwood Diary corn, but for being canned corn, it's really good. And better than any other store bought frozen corn too.

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chobani 0% plain yogurt
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Continue to add olive oil 1 tbsp at a time as necessary to create a smooth finish.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Smothered Pork Chops

Mom told me about this recipe. Best pork chops ever. And pretty easy. We love these. Are we getting burned out from this girl's recipes on here? haha.

I used the bacon the first time I made these, but never since. I think they are just as good without and I loathe cooking bacon anyway.

Recipe here

Ingredients
  • 5 slices bacon, chopped (I don't use)
  • 6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick (I use 4 thick ones, about 1 1/4-1 1/2" thick)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
  • 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (don't waste your time with this...)
Directions
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.
  2. Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
  3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.
  4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).
  5. When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. (I don't strain or blend up the sauce at all ... i like it chunky and don't want to dirty another appliance anyway). Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

I estimated the calories of the sauce only. Obviously there's some fat from the pork chops that will cook into the sauce, but this is a good estimate.

1/4 cup sauce only = 55 kcal

Creamy Swiss Cheese Chicken Bake

I actually really, really liked this. I'm not sure everyone would, but we did. Served with quinoa and roasted broccoli --- it all went really well together. I 1.5'd the sauce because i like saucy stuff. Also, I totally didn't realize I didn't have greek yogurt until I was already making it all, so I used the closest thing and crossed my fingers that it would work --- Kefir. I'm not sure what it tastes like with anything else, but it tasted great with this. haha.

Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4-6 chicken pieces) I used 5
  • 6-8 slices Swiss cheese (about 4-6 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (so I used 3/4 c)
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 3/4 c lowfat Kefir)
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided (so I used 3/4 c in sauce + 1/4 c on top)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4 t)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (3/4 t)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 t)
  • Hot, cooked rice for serving
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season on each side with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken breast pieces in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the chicken. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread this mixture over the chicken and cheese. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
  3. Bake for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

The way I made it (5 chx breasts, 5 slices swiss, Kefir + 1.5'd of all sauce ingredients), I figured 1 serving = 1/2 chicken breast + sauce divided evenly per portion = 355 kcal

Sloppy Joes

I know Nettie posted a sloppy joe recipe a while back, but this is my favorite concoction (besides mom's...her's are the best). It's half manwich + half Mel's recipe. Her recipe alone is too sweet and doesn't taste very sloppy joe to me, but with manwich, it's perfect. Here's her original recipe. My kids LOVE sloppy joes.

2 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1-2 T tomato paste
1/3 c smoky bbq sauce
1/4 c ketchup
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T soy sauce
Black pepper
1 can Manwich (the regular size)

Cook beef and onions. Drain the grease off the meat and onions. Stir in the tomato paste, and keep stirring until the meat is coated. Add the BBQ sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, pepper, Manwich sauce and bring to a boil.

1/2 cup = 200 CAL (don't write kcal or nettie will call you out)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

mexican chicken lime soup

this is another tortilla soup, not exactly like the Rick Bayless one, just different enough to warrant making both of them.  (I prefer Rick Bayless, but this one is good too).

original recipe here


ingredients
  • tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • onion, finely chopped
  • cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used boneless skinless chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken)
  • canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Salt and pepper
  • hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
  • Crushed tortilla chips
I added corn and beans
directions
  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips.