A smash hit! Some relatively minor tweaks and alterations, but mainly this is a recipe out of Cooking Light January 2011. Cooks faster than full-sized meatloaf, and allows for portion control, too.
Meatloaf Ingredients:
1/3 cup Panko
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp dried oregano
Ground pepper to taste, I used 1/8 tsp
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup ketchup
1 or 2 tbsp mustard with horseradish or regular Dijon mustard, to taste
5 ounces reduced fat Jalapeno cheddar cheese, such as Cabot, or regular cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (this is important, don't substitute shredded)
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 egg
Gravy ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp vegetable bouillon
1/4 tsp beef bouillon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425.
Saute the onion until tender, then add the garlic and saute 1 minute more.
Combine all meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with your hands (wearing disposable gloves). Form into 5 or 6 oval-shaped meatloaves on a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet. Bend up the edges of the foil so the meatloaf juices don't drip and dirty your oven. Drizzle some more ketchup on top of the meatloaves, to taste. Bake for 25 minutes.
While it's baking, make your veggies and the gravy. I just boiled up some frozen mixed vegetables and put butter on them, since meatloaf has a homey, retro feel that makes me think of boiled mixed veggies.
The gravy is pretty standard; mix the flour with a little milk in the bottom of a small saucepan until combined, then gradually stir in the rest of the liquid and the other ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Gravy will form a skin if not served immediately, so rub it with butter to prevent that, or lay a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper down on top of it, pressing down so it touches the surface of the gravy.
I'm so excited to eat this as leftovers tomorrow, you have no idea.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tzatziki (Greek cucumber yogurt sauce)
This excellent spread is also a great dip, and surprisingly versatile. It's mostly made of cucumber (at least it is when I make it) and thus a good way to get some extra veggies, too. It's low in fat, high in protein and calcium.
Tzatziki is traditionally served on gyro meat, but it's great on hamburgers, meatballs, chips (including pita chips of course) and vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 English seedless cucumber, peeled
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, finely minced, or 1/3 tsp garlic powder
The cucumber can be shredded if you want convenience, or it can be cut into very small dice (about the size of split peas) if you like the texture of the cubes. I do! So I usually take the extra effort. But most people dislike chopping and so shredding the cucumber is a good option for them.
Spread the cucumber on several layers of paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, then lay several more layers of paper towel on top and gently press down to soak up the excess veggie liquid.
Mix together the garlic and the yogurt, then carefully scrape the cucumber off the paper towels with a spatula or the back of a knife, and add the cucumber to the dip. Give it a stir.
Note: If you have time to let it sit, the garlic flavor will permeate better. But if you eat it all up right away, you can skip the paper-towels step because the cucumber will not release enough of its liquid to make the dip watery, especially if you dice it instead of shredding it. Dicing with a sharp knife preserves the internal structure of the cucumber, causing it to hold its water better.
You can personalize your tzatziki with the addition of cumin, ground black pepper, a pinch of dill weed or parsley, or adding extra garlic. Wikipedia cites regional variations that use shallots, minced walnuts, and mint, too.
Enjoy!
Tzatziki is traditionally served on gyro meat, but it's great on hamburgers, meatballs, chips (including pita chips of course) and vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 English seedless cucumber, peeled
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, finely minced, or 1/3 tsp garlic powder
The cucumber can be shredded if you want convenience, or it can be cut into very small dice (about the size of split peas) if you like the texture of the cubes. I do! So I usually take the extra effort. But most people dislike chopping and so shredding the cucumber is a good option for them.
Spread the cucumber on several layers of paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15 minutes, then lay several more layers of paper towel on top and gently press down to soak up the excess veggie liquid.
Mix together the garlic and the yogurt, then carefully scrape the cucumber off the paper towels with a spatula or the back of a knife, and add the cucumber to the dip. Give it a stir.
Note: If you have time to let it sit, the garlic flavor will permeate better. But if you eat it all up right away, you can skip the paper-towels step because the cucumber will not release enough of its liquid to make the dip watery, especially if you dice it instead of shredding it. Dicing with a sharp knife preserves the internal structure of the cucumber, causing it to hold its water better.
You can personalize your tzatziki with the addition of cumin, ground black pepper, a pinch of dill weed or parsley, or adding extra garlic. Wikipedia cites regional variations that use shallots, minced walnuts, and mint, too.
Enjoy!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Chocolate-Cranberry Cookies - Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Long time, no post! But I wanted to post this amazing recipe for cookies made of - get this - whey protein powder! They're tender in the middle, crispy on the outside, rich and delicious, and don't take up too much of the old carb allowance. They are NOT health food, though, don't fool yourself ;)
Ingredients:
2 scoops whey protein powder (vanilla, chocolate, almost anything works)
2/3 stick of butter, softened (toldja it's not health food!)
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Splenda or equivalent sweetness of Truvia
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Oven to 400 degrees. Chop the chocolate chips and cranberries into pieces about half the original size.
Beat together the butter, sweetener, and egg until smooth. Don't melt the butter, if it melts it might curdle.
Combine the dry ingredients, then beat into the butter mixture. Form the resulting dough into balls the size of small walnuts and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes or until the edges are browned and crispy.
Ingredients:
2 scoops whey protein powder (vanilla, chocolate, almost anything works)
2/3 stick of butter, softened (toldja it's not health food!)
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Splenda or equivalent sweetness of Truvia
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Oven to 400 degrees. Chop the chocolate chips and cranberries into pieces about half the original size.
Beat together the butter, sweetener, and egg until smooth. Don't melt the butter, if it melts it might curdle.
Combine the dry ingredients, then beat into the butter mixture. Form the resulting dough into balls the size of small walnuts and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes or until the edges are browned and crispy.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Pear and Cream Cheese Tart with Graham Crust
Created on-the-fly when we decided we needed a dessert!
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 brick of graham crackers
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg yolk
Filling:
1 1/2 brick cream cheese (neufchatel is good)
1/3 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla, or to taste
Also:
2 pears
2 tbsp wine jelly
Oven 375
Grind up the graham crackers in a food processor. Add the butter and yolk and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into a pie plate or tart plate and bake for 7 minutes or until the edge is golden.
Combine the cream cheese with the milk, sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth. Pour into the baked crust.
Slice the pears thinly and arrange on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender.
Melt the jelly and brush onto the pears.
Yay!
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 brick of graham crackers
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg yolk
Filling:
1 1/2 brick cream cheese (neufchatel is good)
1/3 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla, or to taste
Also:
2 pears
2 tbsp wine jelly
Oven 375
Grind up the graham crackers in a food processor. Add the butter and yolk and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into a pie plate or tart plate and bake for 7 minutes or until the edge is golden.
Combine the cream cheese with the milk, sugar and vanilla and blend until smooth. Pour into the baked crust.
Slice the pears thinly and arrange on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender.
Melt the jelly and brush onto the pears.
Yay!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Creamy Chicken Soup
All the goodness of chicken soup, with a satisfying creamy broth enriched with milk, mushrooms and parmesan cheese.
Ingedients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup cooking sherry or dry red wine
1 tsp chicken bouillon + 2 cups water, or 2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, or 2 parsley herb ice cubes
1 small can evaporated milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, or to taste
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken, and toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry to golden-brown. Remove to a bowl. Bits will stick to the pan; this is okay.
Add all the vegetables and the wine, and use the liquid to deglaze the pan (that means, scrape up the tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom). Saute until the mushrooms give up their liquid, and add the broth. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and all the other ingredients. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated and the cheese has melted into the broth.
Ingedients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup cooking sherry or dry red wine
1 tsp chicken bouillon + 2 cups water, or 2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, or 2 parsley herb ice cubes
1 small can evaporated milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, or to taste
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken, and toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry to golden-brown. Remove to a bowl. Bits will stick to the pan; this is okay.
Add all the vegetables and the wine, and use the liquid to deglaze the pan (that means, scrape up the tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom). Saute until the mushrooms give up their liquid, and add the broth. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken and all the other ingredients. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated and the cheese has melted into the broth.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
FUDGE!!!!
Yes, I just used four exclamation points. They were necessary.
Okay, so, back to the point. I made a little candy syrup recently to put on my Thanksgiving yams (recipe is here on the site). It was successful, and I immediately got a big head about my candy-making abilities. I've made caramel and taffy before, after all. Never mind that I was a kid at the time, and my mother was the one actually cooking.
I have to admit, now, that I am not actually as good and kind as I may seem at face value. I decided to try fudge because I remembered having been given fudge by a family member for Christmas many years ago, and, specifically, that the fudge was a little grainy. I wanted to do it better.
Yes, that's right. I wanted to one-up my little cousin. I'm a huge teabag.
That's not the whole thing, though. I also really like chocolate and fudge is really interesting, from a chemistry perspective. And I used to watch the fudge-makers in New Hampshire candy shops make their fudge on the big marble slabs, with the big copper kettles and the big wooden paddles, and it all just looked so totally cool.
So I did a whole lot of research and made my first batch of fudge. It turned into a solid, crumbly mass almost instantly. Upon reflection, I realized I'd used molasses instead of corn syrup - a seemingly minor difference, but corn syrup has a vital role in making fudge, and without it, you get... a solid, crumbly mass.
Second batch of fudge? Amazing.
Third batch of fudge? Amazing.
Fourth batch of fudge? So amazing I came over here to write this blog post.
This particular batch was created to please my lactose-intolerant family members, one of whom also doesn't like chocolate. (Don't get me started.) So I altered the recipe to use cream and a little water instead of milk, and, as always, I used natural sugar instead of white sugar. I also used my favorite brand of fancy European butter, though Land-o-Lakes would do fine, and the seeds from a vanilla bean.
It's buttery and sweet and complex. It tastes like homemade frosting. It tastes like hard-sauce. It tastes like being a little kid again, when candy was a mind-altering experience.
Here's the recipe, but I really, strongly recommend you go over to Science of Candy for a proper breakdown of the procedure - what's going on and why. It's really cool. Their recipe for chocolate fudge is also quite good.
Ingredients:
2 cups natural sugar or evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp premium butter (do not skimp, this is important)
1 tsp vanilla, or 1 tsp vanilla paste, or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
Combine the sugar, cream, and water in a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until it begins to boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side and boil, undisturbed, until it reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage).
Put out a sheet of waxed paper and a spatula for later use.
Remove from heat and let sit, undisturbed, until it cools to 110 degrees. Put out a sheet of waxed paper and a spatula for later use.
When it's cooled, add the butter and vanilla, and stir, gently but thoroughly, until the candy lightens and stiffens. This happens gradually at first, then speeds up rapidly. When you find that the candy is suddenly stiffer now than it was a second before, IMMEDIATELY STOP STIRRING and scoop it out onto the waxed paper. Press another sheet of waxed paper on top of it, pressing it into a flat sheet about as thick as your thumb, or whatever shape you want.
Leave it alone until it's cool - it will magically turn into beautiful, amazing FUDGE.
Sources:
Wikipedia article on fudge, informative but dry
Science of Candy: Fudge, very helpful and explains WHY on every step, which I like
Okay, so, back to the point. I made a little candy syrup recently to put on my Thanksgiving yams (recipe is here on the site). It was successful, and I immediately got a big head about my candy-making abilities. I've made caramel and taffy before, after all. Never mind that I was a kid at the time, and my mother was the one actually cooking.
I have to admit, now, that I am not actually as good and kind as I may seem at face value. I decided to try fudge because I remembered having been given fudge by a family member for Christmas many years ago, and, specifically, that the fudge was a little grainy. I wanted to do it better.
Yes, that's right. I wanted to one-up my little cousin. I'm a huge teabag.
That's not the whole thing, though. I also really like chocolate and fudge is really interesting, from a chemistry perspective. And I used to watch the fudge-makers in New Hampshire candy shops make their fudge on the big marble slabs, with the big copper kettles and the big wooden paddles, and it all just looked so totally cool.
So I did a whole lot of research and made my first batch of fudge. It turned into a solid, crumbly mass almost instantly. Upon reflection, I realized I'd used molasses instead of corn syrup - a seemingly minor difference, but corn syrup has a vital role in making fudge, and without it, you get... a solid, crumbly mass.
Second batch of fudge? Amazing.
Third batch of fudge? Amazing.
Fourth batch of fudge? So amazing I came over here to write this blog post.
This particular batch was created to please my lactose-intolerant family members, one of whom also doesn't like chocolate. (Don't get me started.) So I altered the recipe to use cream and a little water instead of milk, and, as always, I used natural sugar instead of white sugar. I also used my favorite brand of fancy European butter, though Land-o-Lakes would do fine, and the seeds from a vanilla bean.
It's buttery and sweet and complex. It tastes like homemade frosting. It tastes like hard-sauce. It tastes like being a little kid again, when candy was a mind-altering experience.
Here's the recipe, but I really, strongly recommend you go over to Science of Candy for a proper breakdown of the procedure - what's going on and why. It's really cool. Their recipe for chocolate fudge is also quite good.
Ingredients:
2 cups natural sugar or evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp premium butter (do not skimp, this is important)
1 tsp vanilla, or 1 tsp vanilla paste, or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
Combine the sugar, cream, and water in a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until it begins to boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side and boil, undisturbed, until it reaches 238 degrees (soft-ball stage).
Put out a sheet of waxed paper and a spatula for later use.
Remove from heat and let sit, undisturbed, until it cools to 110 degrees. Put out a sheet of waxed paper and a spatula for later use.
When it's cooled, add the butter and vanilla, and stir, gently but thoroughly, until the candy lightens and stiffens. This happens gradually at first, then speeds up rapidly. When you find that the candy is suddenly stiffer now than it was a second before, IMMEDIATELY STOP STIRRING and scoop it out onto the waxed paper. Press another sheet of waxed paper on top of it, pressing it into a flat sheet about as thick as your thumb, or whatever shape you want.
Leave it alone until it's cool - it will magically turn into beautiful, amazing FUDGE.
Sources:
Wikipedia article on fudge, informative but dry
Science of Candy: Fudge, very helpful and explains WHY on every step, which I like
Monday, December 13, 2010
Asian Fusion Apricot Chicken
The product of desperation became the subject of praise last night when
I threw together a stir-fry out of whatever I could find in our cupboards, and Ariel wouldn't shut up about how great it was. He was thrilling this morning to discover there were leftovers available for lunch.
Considering my usual fail when trying to make any kind of Asian food, I rolled my eyes at the capricity of recipes and decided to write this one down.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, divided
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp peanut oil
5 ribs celery, leaves trimmed off
1 onion
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup boiling water
7 dried apricots, chopped
1 tsp red curry powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Put the coconut in a strainer, and run some water over it to wash off some of the sugar. Then put it into a medium-sized bowl. Pour the boiling water in with the coconut and leave to soak.
Slice the chicken into strips. Combine 2 tbsp tamari and the cornstarch in a bowl, then add the chicken strips and toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and spread it out so as much is in contact with the pan as possible, then leave it there to cook until it is no longer sticking to the pan when you try to separate it with a spatula (about 4 minutes). Visually, this means 2/3 opaque (cooked-looking) and golden on the bottom. Raise the heat to high. Turn the chicken over (it will stick together like a big patty at this point, and that's fine) and cook on the other side until cooked through. Remove to a bowl.
If the skillet's caked with chicken breading, pour a cup of water into it and let it boil a minute or two. Then pour out the water into the sink and scrape off the stuck-on bits. You can use this trick anytime there's stuff stuck to your pan, by the way.
Return the pan to the heat. While it's heating back up, stick your immersion blender in with the coconut and blend it until mostly smooth. What? You don't have an immersion blender! Get one, they're awesome! In the meantime, use a regular blender or food processor. When you've pureed the coconut, add the cashews and apricots to the mix.
Now the pan is good and hot, add the vegetables. Cook and stir quickly, since you're using high heat, until the onion is tender. Add the spices, and cook for 30 seconds.
Then pour in the coconut mixture, nuts and all, and add the remaining 2 tbsp tamari. Stir, then add the chicken. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 2 minutes, then stir again and serve.
Substitutions:
1. Try coconut milk instead of the pureed coconut mixture. You might want to add 1 tbsp sweetener in this case.
2. Try pineapple instead of the apricot.
I threw together a stir-fry out of whatever I could find in our cupboards, and Ariel wouldn't shut up about how great it was. He was thrilling this morning to discover there were leftovers available for lunch.
Considering my usual fail when trying to make any kind of Asian food, I rolled my eyes at the capricity of recipes and decided to write this one down.
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, divided
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp peanut oil
5 ribs celery, leaves trimmed off
1 onion
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup boiling water
7 dried apricots, chopped
1 tsp red curry powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Put the coconut in a strainer, and run some water over it to wash off some of the sugar. Then put it into a medium-sized bowl. Pour the boiling water in with the coconut and leave to soak.
Slice the chicken into strips. Combine 2 tbsp tamari and the cornstarch in a bowl, then add the chicken strips and toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and spread it out so as much is in contact with the pan as possible, then leave it there to cook until it is no longer sticking to the pan when you try to separate it with a spatula (about 4 minutes). Visually, this means 2/3 opaque (cooked-looking) and golden on the bottom. Raise the heat to high. Turn the chicken over (it will stick together like a big patty at this point, and that's fine) and cook on the other side until cooked through. Remove to a bowl.
If the skillet's caked with chicken breading, pour a cup of water into it and let it boil a minute or two. Then pour out the water into the sink and scrape off the stuck-on bits. You can use this trick anytime there's stuff stuck to your pan, by the way.
Return the pan to the heat. While it's heating back up, stick your immersion blender in with the coconut and blend it until mostly smooth. What? You don't have an immersion blender! Get one, they're awesome! In the meantime, use a regular blender or food processor. When you've pureed the coconut, add the cashews and apricots to the mix.
Now the pan is good and hot, add the vegetables. Cook and stir quickly, since you're using high heat, until the onion is tender. Add the spices, and cook for 30 seconds.
Then pour in the coconut mixture, nuts and all, and add the remaining 2 tbsp tamari. Stir, then add the chicken. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer for 2 minutes, then stir again and serve.
Substitutions:
1. Try coconut milk instead of the pureed coconut mixture. You might want to add 1 tbsp sweetener in this case.
2. Try pineapple instead of the apricot.
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