For Valentine’s Day, my honey gave me a flame-thrower. Actually, it’s a large propane weed torch. I used it to clear the weeds and dead grass in my asparagus bed. It was much easier than turning the ground over by hand with a spading fork. It’s more fun to call it a flame-thrower, and it will come in handy. I can just imagine it helping with several chores.
I’ve cleared the garden plots and David has given each a rough till, working in composted chicken litter and potash from the burn pile. I’ve planted onion sets and bulbs. It is not too late to get those in the ground. I should have had my 25 rose bushes pruned by now, but that may be next week as it is bad to prune during rainy weather.
Quick dinners that include comfort food are my favorites this time of year – okay, any time of year. I believe a comfort food is one that reminds you of the good times from the past. So for me, that will always include pasta. Every now and then, I have a healthy carbohydrate like whole wheat pasta noodles. I also love a good creamy tomato pasta sauce. I found both in a lovely vodka pasta sauce.
Chicken in Vodka Sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vodka
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 c. fat-free Half & Half
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Lightly season each side of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper while heating olive oil in a large skillet. Sear each side of the breast for about 4 minutes. Remove breast from the pan and reserve. Saute onions until golden. Then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until you begin to smell its aroma. Then add the vodka. Let the vodka reduce, cooking off all the alcohol but leaving behind its great flavor. If you don’t have vodka, substitute with wine or even chicken broth. It won’t be the same, but it will still taste good.
Add the canned tomatoes, oregano and thyme. (Now would also be a good time to get your pasta water started.) Bring to a low simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Turn the heat down to low, cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
The pasta water should be boiling hot, so add salt and the noodles while stirring so they don’t stick together. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until al dente – that is firm to the bite, but not crunchy.
Back to the sauce, turn the heat off, remove the chicken again and stir in the Half & Half. Stir the drained pasta into the sauce and cover. Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes and then slice. Serve the pasta and sauce with sliced chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.
Seafood, like shrimp tails or scallops, also reminds me of good times – specifically when I was young and my family would go to dinner during lent to a seafood restaurant. While shopping, I saw frozen scallops for $17. Wow. The large shrimp was $6. I bought the shrimp and made a quick Friday-night dinner.
Skewered Shrimp
20-21 large frozen shrimp, thawed, rinsed and cleaned
4 pinches Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Save the shrimp shells and tails in a freezer bag, freeze and use later to make seafood stock. If you are careful while cleaning, you can slide the shrimp meat all the way out of the tail – for me it’s kind of a game. Once cleaned, ease the shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers. Very lightly season with Montreal Steak Seasoning . I find it to be very salty when used with delicate shrimp, but the other seasonings are worth it. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Place the skewered shrimp in the pan and watch closely. When you see the flesh begin to turn pink, wait one second more and then flip over. Again, watch closely and when that side turns pink, remove from the pan. Over-cooked shrimp is rubbery and loses its succulent texture.
Serve over wild rice and wilted spinach. Or serve over a tossed salad, lightly dressed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.
Monthly Archives: February 2015
Sally’s First Snow Day
Sally had never seen snow before.
“Eww, it is cold and wet!”
But Aunt Deborah said, “Sally, we need to let the chickens out of the coop.”
“Oh, are you sure? The house is so warm and dry. Maybe we should head back.”
But Aunt Deborah said, “No Sally, let’s get our chores done first.”
When the coop door was opened, no chickens came out. Aunt Deborah checked and they were all safe and dry with plenty of food and water. “Hmmmm,” Sally said, “smart chickens.”
Great, let’s hurry back home now.
Yes Sally, it is time to go home.
“But wait,” Sally said. “What was that?”
Come on Sally, we’re going home.
But Sally said, “I think I smell something. I must investigate!”
Sally can’t help it. It may be cold and wet, but the hound is on the scent.
Comfort dinners – Quick Meatballs and Slow-cooked Turkey Chili
Last Wednesday, my husband and I moved 50 baby chicks from the house to the barn. They were five weeks old and far too large and smelly to stay in my house. We split them between two 110-gallon troughs with food, water, heat and netting on the top to keep them in. The move was stressful for David, me and the chicks. Luckily for me, it was Ben’s night to make dinner.
Meatballs and Mushroom Gravy
1.5 lbs. lean ground meat
10 saltine crackers, crushed
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. A-1 Steak Sauce
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can milk
1/2 c. sliced black olives
In a large bowl mix ingredients beginning with ground meat through salt and pepper. Form about 20 small balls. Cook the meatballs in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Ben said he added a little oil to the pan to keep the meat from sticking. When browned on all sides, remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour the mushroom soup and milk into the pan and whisk until blended. Add the meatballs and black olives to the pan, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes. Make pasta or rice to serve with the meatballs and sauce.
We all enjoyed the dinner. Since I’m still watching what I eat and slowly adding back healthy carbs, I had about a half cup of noodles and two meatballs.
Saturday we framed the walls that will enlarge our existing coop. Soon those 50 chicks will need somewhere to go. I helped by cutting 2x4s to the required lengths, giving my opinion and most importantly, providing what David calls the “Jesse James.” That is, I “hold it up” while David nails it.
Sunday morning I started a slow cooker chili recipe inspired by an article in an old Southern Living. I am always looking for new recipes that fit my diet. I followed that recipe fairly closely, but recommend a few changes – see comments in parenthesis.
Smoky Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
1.5 lbs. ground turkey
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup Mexican beer (or chicken stock)
1 cup dried pinto beans
1-1/2 Tbsp. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
2 bell peppers, coarsely chopped
8 ozs. dried lima beans
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups unsalted chicken stock (I added a mix of V-8 juice and stock, plus more stock when needed)
2-1/2 c. sweet potatoes, cubed
In a large skillet, cook turkey with salt and pepper in oil over medium-high heat. Don’t worry if it sticks, but keep cooking until you actually see it sear brown in places. Transfer meat to a slow cooker.
Add tomato paste to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the beer bringing it to a boil while stirring to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. (Perhaps because it was so early in the morning, I chose to substitute the beer with chicken stock.) After about 3 minutes, add the contents to the slow cooker.
Except for the sweet potatoes, add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 7 hours. (I checked the liquid twice during that time and added a cup of stock each time.) Then stir in sweet potatoes and cook 1 hour more until potatoes are tender.
Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions, radish slices and jalapeños. The chipotle peppers in that recipe really added heat and may be skipped. The smoky paprika provides enough kick on its own if milder chili is preferred.
Chocolate
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, one can’t watch a TV program or search the Internet without seeing an advertisement for chocolate-dipped this or rolled-in-chocolate that. Since I’m more attracted to things savory, those commercials are lost on me. However, chocolate can be a delicious addition to savory recipes. I played around with a few of those last weekend.
Slow-Cooker Molé Chicken
1 large onion, diced small
4 prunes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. hummus
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
Mix together onions, prunes, garlic, hummus (or substitute peanut butter), chipotle pepper and tomatoes in a slow-cooker. Then stir in cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, coriander, nutmeg and cocoa powder. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and lay them on top of the other ingredients.
Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. Half-way through the cooking process, spoon the molé mixture over the breasts. When done, use a fork to pull apart the chicken.
I serve the shredded chicken and molé sauce with baked wheat tortilla chips and fat-free refried beans. Add a dollop of yogurt and garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro for a fresh element. I crumbled a little bit of feta cheese on top too.
While the molé cooked, I played with and enjoyed a Mayan-influenced hot cocoa drink. I’m sure it’s far from authentic, but it had nice flavor and felt warm going down.
Mayan Hot Cocoa
1-1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1-1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch cayenne
1 packet natural sweetener (like Truvia)
While whisking to a froth, I heated the almond milk in a small sauce pan. When it started to bubble around the edges, I whisked in cocoa powder, cinnamon and cayenne. I cooked for about a minute more, continuing to whisk.
Pour into a large mug and taste. Hmmm. That’s when I decided it could use the Truvia. That touch of sweetness was perfect without going overboard.
The last recipe reminds me of a scene in Chocolat, a movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. With the guests gathered around the dinner table, some kind of chocolate was part of every dish served. Certainly over-the-top, but I especially remember the chocolate gravy that was liberally poured over the plates of food.
Chocolate Gravy
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. flour
1 pinch of salt
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan while combining the dry ingredients. Whisk that into the butter and simmer until it reaches the consistency of paste. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue to simmer while stirring for 2-3 minutes until the gravy thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
I hear chocolate gravy is wonderful served over warm biscuits. I imagine it’s a good topping on pancakes with sliced bananas. Who am I kidding? It would probably be good on cardboard!
Spices and herbs make dieting bearable
I’m getting closer to reaching my weight-loss goal. I can finally zip up my fat jeans! Losing the pounds is going more slowly now, but it is certainly easier when I prepare enough food for leftovers and have healthy snacks ready.
I keep plenty of fruit and cut vegetables in the fridge. I also pre-cook a few sweet potatoes to use as sides throughout the week. Adding flavor with spices and herbs is also key to making dieting bearable.
Steak Salad
4 hanger steaks
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, finely chopped
1 lemon, juice and zest
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pinch each Kosher salt and pepper
Combine mustard, garlic, rosemary, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper in a sealable bag. Add the steaks and massage making sure each is coated with marinade. It is best to marinate overnight in the refrigerator, but at least two hours will be adequate.
Remove the steaks about 30 minutes before starting dinner to allow their temperature to come closer to room temp. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the steaks about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove from the skillet and let sit covered with a foil tent for at least 10 minutes before slicing thinly.
Add half a cup of beef broth to the pan and scrape up any seared bits. Cook about 5 minutes deglazing the pan and making a sauce to serve with dinner.
Prepare a salad with fresh greens and chopped vegetables. I used spinach, cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, cilantro and onions. I mixed some of the pan sauce with yogurt and horseradish to dress my salad and side of sweet potato.
I also had a small piece of wheat bread with dinner. I haven’t had bread since January 6 and it was amazing – a real treat.
Spicy Baked Salmon
4 salmon filets
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 pinch each of salt and pepper
olive oil
Coat each filet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper together and sprinkle on top of each filet. Then place in a 375-degree oven and cook for 15 minutes.
The filets are great served with steamed vegetables, but instead I wilted a bag of fresh spinach with sautéed onions, garlic, crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt. I also had the other half of a sweet potato.
I plan on adding back some healthy carbs and a little dairy (probably cheese) soon. I don’t miss sugar and don’t intend to add that back to my diet. In fact, I previously put sweetened creamer in my morning coffee. Now I heat half a cup of unsweetened almond milk and top off the cup with black coffee. Tastes great to me.
Diet food – Asian Salad and Mashed Cauliflower
My son makes dinner one night each week. Knowing that I’m watching what I eat, he very thoughtfully researched and found a recipe that met my requirements. He made an Asian salad with tuna, but it just as easily could have been made with salmon, chicken or any lean protein.
Asian Tuna Salad
10-12 ozs. cooked tuna, fresh or packed in water
1 carrot, shredded
1 bunch radishes, chopped
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
Gently toss all ingredients through salt and pepper to combine. Then refrigerate until ready to serve. Cook soba noodles (a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour), drain and let cool.
Then serve a cup of tuna salad on top of the noodles and garnish with cilantro and green onions. I had the tuna salad over chopped romaine lettuce. It was a very tasty, light dinner.
It seems that we are eating more fish. Later in the week, I made salmon with mashed cauliflower and steamed vegetables.
The salmon was dressed with a little olive oil, dill weed, salt and pepper. Then I sealed it in a foil pouch and cooked in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. While that cooked, I made the vegetable sides.
Mashed Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper
Water to almost cover vegetables
1/4-1/2 c. Greek yogurt
Bring cauliflower, garlic, salt, pepper and water to a boil in a pot. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.
Strain off most of the water. Begin mashing the cauliflower and garlic. Then add yogurt and continue to mash until the ingredients have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
A serving is 4 ozs. of salmon with about 1/2 c. each mashed cauliflower and steamed vegetables.