Rumbi Rice

We had a very fast spring break last week -- it seemed like I blinked and it was over, and now we are having re-entry. It's so much harder to get into life after a break -- it makes me wonder if it's worth it...but the free time is so wonderful.

I have a backlog of recipes to share with you here. This one was a big hit, which is rather odd since it is veggie-packed. I saw the recipe at a new-to-me favorite website "Favorite Family Recipes." It's called Rumbi Rice and is apparently a popular dish at a popular restaurant in Utah. I've never been to Utah, and thus not the restaurant, but it just looked like a yummy dish with a funny name. 

I made it exactly as directed, using my rice cooker for the rice (good rice), except when it came to the Hawaiian sauce (Mr. Yoshida's). This sauce is an unknown in my neck of the woods, so I used Kikkoman which was super duper salty. I used the Hawaiian sauce sparingly, but the kids and my husband did not, and they had a hard time finishing their meals. I would highly recommend making a homemade teriyaki if you are not able to get a low-salt version, or using the sauce very sparingly. Oh...and I left out the celery (reluctantly) because of my celery haters.

And, by the way, I think it would be just as good without the chicken. My family disagrees.

This served my five with leftovers.

Rumbi Rice

1 T. vegetable oil

4 carrots, peeled and grated

3 celery stalks, washed and sliced

1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes

1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets

2 c. chicken, grilled and cut into small cubes

*Rumbi Rice (see recipe below)

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables.. you can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops.

Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)
2 c. long grain white rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
If you don’t have a rice cooker… Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender. 

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:
3/4 c. Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce
1 t. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (Sriracha)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Combine Yoshida’s, soy sauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening. You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida’s sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls.

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Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

It's not often that I come across a vegetable recipe that my family raves about. Most nights I have to nag my kids, "Eat your vegetable or your guts will rot out." They laugh, and eat one kernel of corn, and then I deny dessert, and then they come back when I am tired and eat cold cereal. It's an endless battle.

But these green beans...these green beans...they won! They made them eat green beans. Yey!

I am trying not to make them every week because I think they might catch on to my tactic, but they are so very good I want to eat them every week.

The recipe came from Abby at Confabulation in the Kitchen and I made them just as written (except I doubled the sauce). I was a little confused by the ingredient "chili sauce." I was pretty sure Abby didn't mean Heinz Chili Sauce, and so I used Sriracha. I think you could also use Asian Sweet Chili Sauce (also Tabasco makes a new sweet Asian hot sauce) -- it might be better for little guys because the Sriracha is pretty spicy.

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

serves 4-6 side servings

3/4 pound fresh or frozen green beans
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. chili sauce
1 t. honey
2 t. olive oil


Bring large pot of water to a boil. Steam beans 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, chili sauce and honey.

Heat olive oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add beans and saute, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour sauce over beans and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until liquid is mostly cooked away (if you double the sauce you will have liquid left). Serve hot.

Jamie's Chicken Chow Mein

I have a recipe for Chicken Chow Mein in my cookbook, and it's a good recipe, but after trying Jamie Oliver's version for dinner the week, I'm afraid I'll never make my old recipe again. This recipe was the epitome of what I am looking for in meals this year. It was easy. It was delicious. But best, it was made with simple and whole ingredients, getting most of the flavor from fresh vegetables, herbs, and citrus, with no jarred sauces (except soy). The flavors, unlike most in Chinese/American were bright and fresh and definitely a little spicy. I used the recipe as written on Jamie's website and modified just a little (subbed red pepper flakes for a whole red Chili unavailable at my grocer). I also doubled it for four of us with just a little bit leftover. You could get two adult and three or four child servings from the recipe below. I think in the future I will sub some fresh veggie (like snap peas) for the water chestnuts, but mostly because my kids are not big fans of water chestnuts. I did not use the mushrooms because we have mushroom haters.

Just so you know you can cook Chinese without special equipment, I cooked mine in a large nonstick skillet.

Jamie's Chicken Chow Mein
 serves 4-5

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a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 to 1 t. red pepper flakes

2  large skinless chicken breast fillet (I used four med/small and we had a lot of chicken)

  salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 scallions

  a small bunch of fresh cilantro

1 to 2 heads bok choy, depending on how much you like it

Optional: 4 shiitake mushrooms

10 oz. chow mein noodles

  peanut or vegetable oil

1 T. cornstarch

8-ounce can of water chestnuts (or 1 cup of another quick-cooking veggie, like snow or snap peas)

4-5 tablespoons soy sauce

 1 small lime

To prepare your stir-fry
Put a large pan of water on to boil. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic. Place your red pepper flakes with the ginger and garlic. Slice the chicken into finger-sized strips and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cut the ends of your scallions and finely slice. Halve the bok choy lengthwise and cut crosswise into large strips. If using the mushrooms, either tear into pieces or leave whole.

To cook your stir-fry
Preheat a wok or a large frying pan on a high heat and once it’s very, very hot, add a good lug of peanut oil and swirl it around. Stir in the chicken strips and cook for a couple of minutes, until the chicken browns slightly. Add the ginger, chile, cilantro stalks, mushrooms (if using) and half the scallions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, keeping everything moving around the wok quickly. Add your noodles and bok choy to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, no longer. Meanwhile add the cornstarch, water chestnuts, and their water to the wok and give it another good shake to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce (start with half and taste to see if you need more). Halve the lime, squeeze the juice of one half into the pan and mix well. Drain the noodles and bok choy in a colander over a bowl, reserving a little of the cooking water. Stir in the noodles and bok choy, with a little of the cooking water to loosen, if necessary, and mix well. Have a taste and season with more soy sauce if needed.

To serve your stir-fry
Use tongs to divide everything between two bowls or plates, or lift onto one large serving platter. Spoon any juices over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the scallions and the cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

You might say, after my last post about my family not eating dinner, that you wouldn't eat my dinner either if it was Cauliflower Soup. To that, I say "Pft." ;-)

I saw this soup at Annie's Eats a couple weeks ago and knew I would love it. I have never met a soup I didn't like. In fact, if it was just me here, I'd probably eat soup five nights a week. Even in the summer. Soup is comfort food for me, no matter the flavor. This soup, however, was enjoyed by both of the kids who ate it, and my husband, and that's saying something (he is not a big-on-soup guy).

It's an easy recipe, and I love that the creaminess comes from a potato pureed  in with the cauliflower and onions, instead of real cream. The flavor was just slightly reminiscent of the Dijon included, but you could cut back to 1 teaspoon and I think still benefit without as much mustard flavor. The croutons have Dijon in them as well, but I bet you could cut it out almost entirely and made add some garlic powder to the butter/oil mix for some zest. And speaking of the croutons, I almost skipped them and subbed store-bought, but they are worth the extra effort, which is hardly anything. I used a whole wheat bread and they were really, really yummy. Enjoy, it's soup season!

I modified the recipe only to use the chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.Annie modified it to use vegetable instead of chicken, but I thought chicken would be better. If you are going meat-free, go with veggie! I also baked my croutons longer until they were brown.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

4-6 servings

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About 6 oz. whole grain bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (I used five slices, including the "heel")
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
Kosher or sea salt

2 T. unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
Kosher or sea salt
1 medium potato, peeled and diced into ¼-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3½ cups chicken broth
½ head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
2 t. Dijon mustard

To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Add the bread cubes to a medium bowl and toss with the melted butter, olive oil, and mustard until evenly coated.  Spread the bread cubes out in an even layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crunchy.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes.  Season with salt, then mix in the potato, garlic and chicken broth.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer, keep covered, and let cook for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the cauliflower and cook about 5-6 minutes more, until the cauliflower is tender.  Stir in the cheese and mustard.

Puree with an immersion blender (or a food processor, vented to allow the steam to escape).  Mix in additional water or broth if the soup is too thick.  Season with additional salt to taste.  Serve warm topped with additional shredded cheese and the croutons.

Source: Modified from Annie's Eats

Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

This was a fabulous, simple dish. I should make it a Summer Supper, but I hesitate to relegate it to "summer only." If you grill at all during the other three months, this dish would be wonderful to have all year long. Cherry, or grape, tomatoes are available at the grocer all year, so why not? All of my children enjoyed it and it was super simple to make. I found the recipe here, but only (roughly) used the salsa recipe. I marinated the chicken in balsamic and olive oil, with a little salt and pepper -- just for a short while.

Grilled Chicken with Caprese Salsa

serves 6

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6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if you have large chicken breasts, slice them in half lengthwise for two better proportioned pieces)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (regular can be used but it will color the chicken dark)

1/4 cup light tasting olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (or quartered if using large grape tomatoes) 

2 cups fresh mozzarella cubes (I used one large ball and diced it in 1/2 inch cubes) 

1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves 

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (I used regular for the salsa because I think it has a richer flavor) 

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste -- I like less)

1 t. kosher salt 

1/2 t. pepper

Mix together the first measures of vinegar and oil. Place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish (or disposable zipper bag) and pour mixture over chicken. Salt and pepper each side. Let sit for 30 minutes or so to marinate.

When ready to grill, preheat grill.

Meanwhile, mix together all salsa ingredients. Let sit at room temperature for a short while (if you make ahead, chill until 30 minutes before serving). 

Grill chicken until done throughout and remove from grill. Serve hot chicken with salsa on top.

Serving suggestions: Roasted corn, sliced watermelon or bing cherries

Summer Supper #5

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This salad used to be a favorite of mine in the days when we used to eat out. By the time my husband and I had our third child we could no longer eat out cheaply and so it's been a long time since we ate out regularly. But I remember this salad fondly and my homemade version lived up to the memory.

It's a simple salad -- very few ingredients, but topped with a yummy piece of grilled chicken and some crunchy pumpkin seed kernels, it's filling and satisfying. I modified my Cilantro Ranch Dressing because I can never remember to buy tomatillos, but its still good and I think with all that cilantro the tomatillos get a little lost anyway.

Grilled Chicken, Romaine and Pepito Salad
serves 4 dinner servings

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2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped and washed and dried
several slices red onion, quartered
3 Roma tomatoes diced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mexican Marinade (below)
1/2 c. pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels), roasted and salted (buy them roasted and salted)
Cilantro Ranch dressing (below)



Place four chicken pieces in a bowl with marinade. Marinade for several hours.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce, onion and tomato.
Chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, preheat grill and grill chicken until cooked through.
Allow chicken to sit for five minutes and then slice across the grain thinly.


Top salad with chicken breast and sprinkle with pepitas. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve.



Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper



Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1/2 c. mayonnaise (you could use sour cream also)
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
heavy dash cayenne pepper


In a food processor, place dressing mix, sour cream, mayo and buttermilk. Add cilantro and process under cilantro is finely chopped. Add cayenne if desired. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

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Summer Supper #4

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I am experimenting with some of the apps we "spoke" about in my last post, and I'll let you know what I think of them in a few days. In the meantime...

...today's summer supper recipe was a really big hit with my entire family (except Peach who said it was spicy -- and it was), but I really loved it the most. I could have eaten it until it came out my ears. Luckily, it's low in fat so I practically did! This is not really a summer supper in that it's not made on the grill, nor needs seasonal ingredients, but it is very light and I just know my family would leave the table unsatisfied in the winter when you just feel like you need a stouter fare. Paired with some yummy Asian Broccoli, this meal was very satisfying on a summer night, and I can't wait to have it again.

The recipe came from Taste of Home Cooking and the only change I made was to use all white turkey instead of chicken. It was very tasty. If you have little ones who don't like it spicy, like Peach, you can cut back on the Sriracha, or prepare a small quantity in a separate pan without the Sriracha.

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps

serves 4 to 6

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2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1-2 heads butter lettuce

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute another minute. Add ground chicken (turkey) to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken (turkey) is brown and crumbling apart about 5 minutes.

While chicken (turkey) cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table. When turkey is done, add chopped water chestnuts and chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.

To serve: place turkey mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with peanuts, and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat. 

Source: Taste of Home Cooking

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Summer Bulgur Salad

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This is the kind of food that I could eat all summer long, every single day. Simple food, simple and healthy ingredients. I love bulgur, and it's high and fiber and low in fat. It cooks quickly and adds a nutty flavor and great texture to this sunny salad -- bright with lemon, parsley and mint, tomato and cucumber. Yum.

Summer Bulgur Salad

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2 cups bulgur, cooked according to directions
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon or 1/4 cup
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sliced green onions
4 diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup peeled and chopped cucumbers (more or less to taste -- I probably used 1/2 English cucumber and didn't measure)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cook bulgur according to package directions. When done cooking, dump in a large bowl.

While the bulgur cooks, mix lemon juice, minced garlic, and olive oil. 

Add dressing to cooked bulgur and zest lemon directly into bulgur.

When bulgur has cooled somewhat -- almost to room temp., add parsley, mint, onions, tomatoes and  cucumber. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve at room temp.

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Summer Supper #4

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The grill is getting quite a workout so far this summer, and with delicious results. Note to self: get a propane back-up -- nothing worse than running out of gas halfway through the cookout.

This recipe was a huge hit again with the menfolk. I enjoyed it, but I'm not really a dark meat eater, so though I ate my share, I ate in moderation (always a good thing!). I think the next time I make it I'll prepare a few boneless breasts, even though I have a feeling they won't soak up the marinade quite as well as the thighs did. The recipe for the chicken came from Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything. I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except, knowing that the marinade gets discarded after the chicken soaks, I just couldn't "waste" 2 cups of soy sauce -- that's like more than a whole bottle. Besides, I could see my little pile of chicken thighs and I knew that I didn't need all that liquid. As it turned out, exactly half the marinade quantity was enough to completely submerge all the chicken -- any more than that would have been a waste. Thus, I have halved the recipe for posting here. In order to not waste the extra coconut milk (most cans are 14 oz.), substitute it for some of your cooking water for the rice -- it adds some creaminess that you'll enjoy.

For the grilled veggies and pineapple, just cut some veggies (I used red onion, red peppers and zucchini as well as fresh pineapple) into 1 inch pieces, or 1/2 inch slices for the zucchini and wedges for onion, skewer them and grill them right next to the chicken. It helps to spray the skewers with olive oil to keep them from sticking.

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken

serves 6 to 8

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3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup water

3/4 cup brown sugar
4 green onions, chopped
2 T. finely chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
1 t. sesame oil
6 oz. ounces coconut milk

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinade chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. (put the veggies on the same time as the meat).

Serve with grilled veggies and pineapple over a platter of coconut rice and garnish with green onions.

Source: modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything 

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Jazzy Carrot Salad

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I am always looking for something new to do with carrots. My children love carrots, preferably uncooked, but carrot sticks and ranch dressing get tiresome pretty fast for this old mama. The other night I decided at the last minute to make a carrot salad, and it was very tasty, and different from what we would normally eat with dinner. It's much like an old-fashioned carrot salad, but I don't like all that mayonnaise in an old-fashioned carrot salad. With Craisins instead of raisins, a dash of orange juice, and a mix of yogurt and mayo, I think it was pretty jazzy.

I used the julienne attachment on my Cuisinart to cut the carrots, and this tool would come in handy also, though not quite as fast. But, if you don't have either, shredded carrot would work, I just happen to like the thicker bit of carrot. You could use chopped nuts instead of sunflower seeds, but we have allergies in our house and the sunflower adds a bit of nutty flavor. If you don't have an orange, but you have some good juice, just skip the zest. By the way, don't skip the salt and pepper -- it really needs it.

Jazzy Carrot Salad

serves 6 to 8 small salad servings

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3-4 cups of julienne carrots (the lesser quantity if you shred instead of julienne because it compacts more)

2 T. orange juice

1 t. orange zest (optional)

3/4 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. mayonnaise (I used light)

2 T. honey

2 T. Craisins (or raisins)

2 T. sunflower seeds

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, toss carrots with orange juice. In a small bowl, stir yogurt, mayo and honey together. Pour over carrots and stir. Add Craisins, sunflower seeds and a dash of salt and pepper. Toss and taste. Adjust salt and pepper and honey to taste.

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Wicked Kebobs

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It's been an entire week since we enjoyed this dish for dinner, but I'm still thinking about it. They were good. Wicked good.

I saw Jamie Oliver make them on his new show "Jamie does...". He was visiting Athens in the show, and when my husband and I watched him make these tasty pork kebabs, I knew I had to try them. We love kebobs in our house, and pairing them with soft warm pita and cool, creamy tzatziki sounded heavenly. And it was. This is a simple recipe -- one you could easily make without a recipe after the first time. There are some basic flavors that repeat in each part -- red wine vinegar, garlic, dried mint. It took me a while to find dried mint I would pay for (sorry, but I will not pay over $6 for a jar of dried herbs). Kroger had McCormick's on sale so I got it for $4. I will use the whole jar if it kills me. I grow mint in the summer so in the fall I will make it a point to dry mint and never buy it again.

For the pork, Jamie calls for a pork shin. I searched on the Internet but could not figure out what cut of pork would be a shin. Odd. Must be a British thing. In the end I bought a whole pork loin because it was on sale and really a great deal. I cut it into thirds and froze two thirds. Basically it's the piece of meat from which boneless chops are cut, so, in essence you are eating pork chop with these kebobs. They are tender from the marinade, and, if cooked quickly at a high temp, stay tender. The flavor is inredible. I could taste the garlic, the mint, the oregano, and paired with the creaminess of the tzatziki, the sweetness from the peppers and the warm softness of the pita -- really, really good.

If you have picky little people, they can eat the pork and the bread, separately if need be, and leave some raw peppers for them to munch on the side. Maybe they will dip them into the tzatziki.

I paired the dish with a Greek Salad (found here) and it was all we needed for dinner. Except for a nice glass of Sangria.

I only modified the directions only a little, mostly to convert metric to U.S. measure.

Jamie Oliver's Wicked Kebobs

serves 6

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3 sweet pointed peppers (I used red and yellow)
  8 pita breads

4 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
a small bunch of fresh dill, chopped (I omitted because my husband says he detests dill)
red wine vinegar
Greek extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, to serve
 

For the kebabs
3 lbs. pork loin cut into 1-inch squares
1 T. dried mint
  1 T. dried oregano
juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup olive oil
  2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely grated
1 T. red wine vinegar
  freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

For the tzatziki
½ a large cucumber

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
  heaped t. dried mint
1 ½ t. red wine vinegar

If using wooden skewers, cut 8 to fit your griddle pan and soak them in a tray of water to stop them burning. Put all your kebab ingredients into a bowl and use your clean hands to mix everything together really well. Cover with clingfilm, then pop into the fridge for 30 minutes, or longer if you want the flavors to get a bit more intense (I marinated mine for several hours).

About a half hour before you are ready to serve, blacken the peppers directly over the flame of your stove (gas stove), in a hot dry griddle pan or over a hot grill. Turn them every so often and when they look almost ruined, pop them into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and put to one side to steam for 5 minutes or so – this will help their skins to come off.

After the peppers have cooled a bit, peel and de-seed them, then cut them into strips and put them into a bowl. Roll up your mint leaves, finely slice them and add to the bowl along with the dill. Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar, a pinch or two of salt and pepper and a lug of extra virgin olive oil. Toss and mix together, then have a taste to check the balance of flavors. Cover and set aside.

Cut your lemon into wedges.



Make your tzatziki by coarsely grating the cucumber into a sieve set up over a bowl. Add a few good pinches of salt, then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Pour the water away, then tip the cucumber into the empty bowl and add the yoghurt. Pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt until you have a paste (or crush with a garlic press), and spoon that into the bowl with the cucumber. Add the dried mint and red wine vinegar and mix really well. Have a taste to make sure you’ve got the balance right, then put aside.

Preheat a griddle pan or grill on a high heat. Thread the skewers through the marinated pork pieces, leaving little spaces between them so that the heat cooks everything evenly. Cook the kebabs on the screaming hot griddle or grill for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until done on all sides. Warm your pitas in the oven or in a hot dry pan while your kebabs are cooking (I placed mine in foil and put them on the top rack of the grill -- some got a little charred and they tasted wonderful).

Put a dollop of tzatziki and the meat from one skewer on each warmed pita. Top with some of your pepper mixture, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Source: Jamie Oliver

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

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I am always looking for new side dishes, something besides potatoes. We seem to eat a lot of potatoes around here, and it gets old, at least for me. I love grains -- can't think of one I don't love, so I try to find new things to do with them. The night that I made the Maple and Soy Glazed Steak (below) I made this Mushroom Barley Pilaf. It was wonderful -- beefy favor with the enhancement of baby portabella mushrooms, Mmmm. The kids were just o.k. with it, but they are not the grain lovers that I am (they'd rather have potatoes!), but my husband loved it as much as I did.

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

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1  (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce 

1/4 t. salt 

1/4 t. pepper 

1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking barley

1  (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms 

3/4  cup  chopped onion

1/2  cup  finely chopped celery (about 1 rib)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add barley; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, onion, and celery; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring often. Stir into cooked barley.

Source: myrecipes.com

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Winter Grapefruit Salad

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This recipe is one of those that you might have seen pictured in your mother's, or grandmother's, copy of the red and white checked Better Homes & gardens.  It's homey and old-fashioned, and in this day of exotic fruits available at every grocery store, probably forgotten. But, I love this kind of salad, for its simpleness of preparation and of flavor. In the dead of winter, with not much but citrus, apples, and pears to be found in the produce department (at least that are reliably good), I thoroughly enjoy a salad like this with breakfast for dinner, or Sunday brunch.

 Winter Grapefruit Salad

serves 6

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3-4 large grapefruits

12 maraschino cherries, halved and drained on paper towels

2-6 T. sugar, depending on tartness

dash salt

Wash grapefruits and dry with a paper towel. Cut the top and bottom of one grapefruit off, close to the flesh. Place grapefruit on one flat side and being careful to not waste the flesh by cutting off too big a piece, slice the peel off from top to bottom going all the way around, a bit at a time.

 

Place grapefruit on its side and slice between the flesh and the membrane, removing each triangular piece of grapefruit, going all the way around until all the flesh is removed. Place pieces in a bowl and then squeeze the remaining membranes releasing all the juice into the bowl as well.

Repeat with remaining grapefruits. Add maraschino cherries. Taste a piece of grapefruit to determine how much sugar is necessary and sugar to taste. Add salt. Toss and refrigerate until serving time.

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Roasted Veggie Sandwich

One night a month or so ago, Doug and I were wasting time in front of the television and Sam the Cooking Guy was on. Have you ever seen him? I must say he amuses me. He loves food and he's not afraid to say so.

Anyway, he was having a veggie night and this sandwich (or something very much like this sandwich) was being featured. I made the comment that I would love this sandwich, if only the people I live with would eat veggies. My husband responded that he absolutely would eat this sandwich, and so I said, "You're on." The following Saturday I bought yummy veggies on my Saturday morning grocery shop, as well as a big loaf of Orlando Ciabatta. Yum.

Doug offered to grill the veggies outdoors, but you could also put them on a grill pan on the stove. I'll do that during the winter. I threw the ingredients for a pesto in the processor and when the veggies were done, it all came together in just minutes. All-in-all it was started and finished within 30 minutes. This would be a great dish for a weekend tailgate party -- especially if you have a veggie eater in your crowd. All of my kids ate it, and Joshua, who is a senior in high school, was so taken by this sandwich that when he saw this picture he said, "Oh, mom, when can we have those again?" Big success!

You can vary the veggies according to what you like; I'm listing those that I used. Also, my pesto is a nut-less version, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or even toasted walnuts to pump yours up. I could not find the recipe on Sam's website, so I had to work from the memory of the show.

Roasted Veggie Sandwich
serves 4-6 depending on size of ciabatta

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1 large loaf ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally and brushed with olive oil
1 medium yellow squash (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 medium zucchini (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 red onion, sliced
olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste

Place basil and garlic in bowl of food processor. Process until chopped. Add olive oil through feed tube in a slow drizzle, processing until basil and garlic is pureed, adding only enough olive oil to keep it wet. Add Parmesan cheese, process and then add more olive oil as needed to keep pesto wet (you don't want a paste, you want it just slightly runny). Taste and salt as needed.

Preheat grill or grill pan on stove. Place vegetable slices in a bowl and coat with olive oil (you might want to individually coat onion slices so they stay together). Place vegetable slices on grill or grill pan and grill until tender and slightly charred in appearance. When vegetables are done remove to a platter and cover with foil. Grill bread on cut sides, and on outside if desired. When bread is toasted layer vegetables evenly over bottom piece. Spread pesto on top piece and then sandwich them together. Cut in squares or slice loaf crosswise. Serve immediately.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

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I love it when I find a new recipe for chicken. Chicken breasts are often on sale, white meat is low in fat, the kids like it, and I can keep large quantities in the freezer to use with pantry staples. This recipe is a perfect fit for us. It was easy, inexpensive, low in fat, used pantry staples, and it was very tasty.

I really enjoy chicken tamales, so the recipe name caught my eye when I saw it at myrecipes.com. With a few changes, it was pretty close to the flavors of the tamales I get in a local Mexican restaurant. The original recipe called for a box of corn muffin mix, but, frankly, I find those too sweet to use for a tamale-like corn bread, so I made my own "mix." I doubled the sauce because I like a nice saucy tamale, but if you prefer less sauce, don't use the second can over the top of the chicken. I used Old El Paso enchilada sauce for convenience, but it was pretty spicy and I might make my own next time (recipe found below).

Chicken Tamale Casserole
serves 8

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1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1 t. cumin
1/8 t. ground red pepper
14 oz can creamed corn
2/3 c. Bisquick
3/4 c. masa harina (substitute plain corn meal if you don't have masa on hand)
4 oz can green chiles, drained
(2) 10 oz cans enchilada sauce (recipe for homemade below)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded (equivalent -- about 3 cups chicken)
1/2 c. low-fat sour cream for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (If you are poaching your chicken breasts, start them now.)

Combine 1/4 c. cheese, milk, egg, cumin, red pepper, creamed corn, bisquick, masa harina, and chiles in a large bowl, stirring until moist. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray and spread corn bread mixture to the edges. Bake for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, poach chicken and shred.

When cornbread is baked, remove from oven and pierce entire surface with a fork. Pour one can of enchilada sauce over the top. Top with chicken, then other can enchilada sauce (omit second can if you want a less-saucy casserole). Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light

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Substitute Enchilada Sauce

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2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder

Heat oil in large 2-quart saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder; cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

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Baked Tortilla Chips

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Not long ago I realized that some of the foods we eat the most are least likely to end up here in the form of a recipe. They just don't really seem blog-worthy to me. I guess because they are just quick dishes that I've created and adapted along the way.

When my friend Sara recently shared that her son had made corn tortillas, I realized that corn chips was one of those recipes I never shared. I keep a jumbo bag of corn tortillas in the fridge at all times, and if we want chips, we heat the oven. They are baked, which makes them healthy, and by buying a bag of tortillas in bulk (Giant Eagle sells a bag of store-brand quality tortillas in the dairy section for about $3.49 per 84 tortillas -- X four chips per tortilla -- that's a lot of chips for $3.49), they are very budget-friendly. And because they are homemade, we don't waste any.

Baked Corn Chips

corn tortillas
canola oil spray (or today I would use a healthier option like grapeseed oil)
salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut each tortilla in four or five triangles (quarters is easiest, but sometimes little mouths have trouble with them cut so big). Place on a cookie sheet and spray top side only with canola oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. Salt immediately, and enjoy.

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Jamie's Chili

Last week I made a huge pot of chili. I made it to serve over baked potatoes for dinner, but this recipe makes such a huge pot of chili, that now I have two more meals in the freezer. Yeh! I had to leave the house for softball practice before it was done, so I didn't get pics of the meal, but I got a shot of the pot simmering away.

I don't think you can really have too many recipes for chili. Sometimes I make my Mom's chili, or Skyline chili, or even White Chicken Chili, but chili is like soup and you can never get tired of it (at least I can't). This recipe is good because it is really loaded with beans. That's a good thing for me. It also has lots of veggies, so the meat to veggie ratio is higher on the veggie side. That makes it lower in fat and healthier, in my opinion (also easy on the budget for the same reasons). It's Jamie Deen's recipe and I make it almost like the recipe instructs. I use all beef instead of beef and sausage, and I cut back to one cup of celery because "my people" have issues with celery.

PS Serving the chili over baked potatoes or spaghetti stretches it even farther. We've also been known to serve it over a bowl of Fritos, but that's not nearly as healthy or budget-friendly.

Jamie's Chili

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1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 cup chopped celery

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes

Ground cumin (I use about 1 t.)

Chili powder (I use about 2 T.)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 package chili seasoning mix (I use McCormick's medium hot)

Shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish

In a dutch oven, brown ground beef, drain and set aside.

To the dutch oven, add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes (I break these up as I add them). Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.

Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Grilled Blackened Chicken and Pepper Corn

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Both of these dishes are favorites in my house, but when I made them together recently, I realized they were a perfect pair. The sweet and crunchy you get from the corn (with a hint of spicy from the jalapeno) paired with the hot and spicy from the chicken is an unbeatable summer pair. It's also a quick dish to throw together -- I keep the spices mixed in my spice cabinet, so all I have to do is sprinkle and heat up the grill. Just serve with a loaf of bread and some fresh fruit for a healthy, quick and tasty meal. You can sub out pork chops, steak or even burgers for the chicken for a variety of flavors.

Grilled Blackened Chicken

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1 1/2 T. paprika
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. onion powder
1 T. dried thyme
1 t. black pepper
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
6 boneless chicken breasts

Mix spices in a resealable container. Sprinkle chicken pieces with seasoning (I usually use a whole recipe for 6 chicken breasts). Grill over a preheated medium hot grill until done.


Peppercorn
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1 T. olive or canola oil
12 oz. bag frozen corn
1 red or orange pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
6 green onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Lime (optional)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Heat oil in skillet. Add corn and peppers and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is hot and peppers are tender. Add green onions, garlic and cumin and stir, cooking until corn is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze a half a lime over corn (if desired) and serve.

Serve over blackened chicken, if desired.

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Skillet Suppers

What busy mama doesn't love a meal in a skillet? Put together the right combination of pasta, a pound of meat and a handful of other ingredients and out comes a meal. I suppose that's why Hamburger Helper has become a pantry staple in the last 40 or so years (can you believe it was introduced in 1970?). I've never been a big fan of Hamburger helper, not that I have anything against it, but it has so many ingredients with long complex names, like disodium guanylate. I'd much rather just take some whole foods from the fridge or pantry and make my own skillet supper. If you use lean ground beef (and in the stroganoff, light sour cream) you even have a very healthy dish.

Both recipes serve 6 unless you have big eaters. Add another half a recipe for six adults.


This skillet supper recipe has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. My mom has been making it for as long as I can remember. While it might be called "spaghetti," it has as much resemblance to an authentic Italian pasta as tuna noodle casserole does to a grilled ahi tuna steak. But, that's o.k. in my boat. It's comfort food -- tasty, nutritious and budget-friendly. I make it in a non-stick electric skillet or even a dutch oven on the stovetop. I don't use my cast iron for this recipe, or any recipe that uses tomato products -- sometimes you get a metallic taste from the acid in tomatoes.

You might think I made a mistake in writing the recipe -- yes, you add the meat into the pan raw with the other sauce ingredients. It cooks into a very soft meat, like you would get from simmering your sauce all day.

Skillet Spaghetti
serves 6

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1 lb. lean ground beef
6 oz. tomato paste
18 oz. tomato juice
2 T. chopped onion (or 2t. dried minced)
3 cups water
1½ t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. sugar
1 t. oregano
½ lb. dry spaghetti

Combine all but spaghetti in a pot. Bring to a simmer; break up meat with a spoon. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Break up spaghetti in three pieces and add to pot. Stir. Simmer for 30 minutes more.

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This recipe is brand new to our house, but it was a big hit. Only one kid complained about the onions, but he ended up eating his share anyway. It's a quick and inexpensive take on a old world dish that you can find variations on in many different cultures. You've likely enjoyed it before, but probably not one so easy, yet tasty. Mine is a variation on America's Test Kitchen's via Taste of Home Cooking.



Skillet Stroganoff
serves 6

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1 lb. lean ground beef
salt and pepper
1 T. vegetable oil
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 onion, finely chopped (or half a large onion)
2 T. all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
3 T. red wine
⅓ lb. wide egg noodles (3 cups)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 t. lemon juice

In a hot skillet, brown ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet.

Add oil and cook mushrooms and onion until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds, then add broth and the wine, and return beef and accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a simmer.

Stir noodles into beef mixture, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in sour cream and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Chicken Asparagus a la King

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I had never prepared Chicken a la King for my family before I tried this recipe. I had eaten it once or twice, but was never too impressed. I think this recipe had me at asparagus -- I'm a sucker for this vegetable every time, and paired with chicken and roasted red peppers in a cream sauce -- Yum! Even with a low-fat, low-cholesterol version, I had high hopes. This recipe didn't let me down. This is really comfort food at its best -- tasty, creamy, yet low-fat. The recipe comes from the Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook by the American Heart Association and I really only modified it for quantity.

Chicken Asparagus a la King
6-8 servings


2 10.5 oz. fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 large bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and slice on the diagonal in bite-size pieces
½ t. dried tarragon or thyme, crumbled
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups fat-free or low-fat evaporated milk
2 med. red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, rinsed and chopped*
4 c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey breast, skin and fat discarded

In a large saucepan, stir together the broth, asparagus, tarragon (or thyme -- I used tarragon), salt and pepper. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and the milk. Stir into the asparagus mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened, and bubbly, stirring occasionally. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in roasted peppers and chicken. Heat through.

Serve over brown rice, whole wheat noodles, couscous or biscuits.

* I roast my peppers over the gas burner, but here's a video for an easy oven method.


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Source: modified from Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook

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