Garlicky Spinach-Sausage Gratin

So I thought this was an odd dish in a good way. It tasted like vegetable lasagna without noodles and with sausage. The reviews said it was watery, which I could see, but it didn't bother me. I wish we had a side, but such is life.

D was eh on it. He said it was easy. I'm a bigger spinach fan than he is. Probably another dish if I were single, I would make.

Garlicky Spinach-Sausage Gratin

Go fancier by baking in individual dishes.

YIELD: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 cup)
HANDS-ON:25 Minutes
TOTAL:37 Minutes
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (used 1 tsp and PAM)
1 cup chopped onion

8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 ounces pork sausage
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 ounces fresh spinach, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces (used 1 Cup Garlic Roasted Bread Crumbs)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; swirl. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sausage, salt, and pepper; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove mixture from pan; drain. Wipe pan.

3. Return sausage mixture to pan. Stir in flour; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine milk and eggs, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium. Stir milk mixture into sausage mixture; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Spoon spinach mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until 1 cup coarse crumbs form. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Stir in crumbs, and sauté for 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle crumbs over spinach mixture, and top with cheese. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 396; Fat: 23.6g; Saturated fat: 8g; Monounsaturated fat: 11.2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2.6g; Protein: 21g; Carbohydrate: 26.6g; Fiber: 3.1g; Cholesterol: 148mg; Iron: 4.1mg; Sodium: 732mg; Calcium: 382mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2011

Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast

So we have another recipe that doesn't involve the crockpot. I think I like that version better. It tastes more restaurant-y, where as this one tastes good, but tastes like a recipe you get in college when you're poor.  It could also be that crockpot barbecue is my least favorite way of barbecue being prepared.  But many people raved about it, so I thought ok...

I'm sure it was easy. We had with rice and broccoli. It made much more than the other recipe. I think it will be good as a sandwich.

Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Roast

In this recipe for Char Siu, the Chinese version of barbecue, the pork is cooked in the slow cooker for an extra tender, juicy, and stress-free meal. Serve with sticky or long-grain white rice and a steamed or stir-fried medley of bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, sliced baby corn, and water chestnuts.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/4 cup sauce)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.

Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 227; Fat: 9.5g; Saturated fat: 3.1g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.9g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g; Protein: 21.6g; Carbohydrate: 12.7g; Fiber: 0.4g; Cholesterol: 73mg; Iron: 1.7mg; Sodium: 561mg; Calcium: 30mg

Cooking Light MARCH 2006

The Family Crabcake Recipe

So back when my dad was getting a divorce, which was rather messy, he wanted to know if I wanted anything from it. I told him that my mom always made the best crab cakes and could he snag the recipe. So he did. It was the recipe on the side of the Old Bay Can.

I typically don't have bread around or dried parsley, so I adapted the recipe slightly without much change in taste.

The Family Crabcake Recipe

Ingredients
2 slices white bread, crusts removed (used 1/2 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs (or garlic flavor))

2 tablespoons mayonnaise(used Hellmann's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise)
2 tsp Old Bay (or more)
2 tsp parsley, dried (so 2 TBSP fresh)
1/2 tsp French's Classic yellow mustard
1 large egg, beaten
1 pound(s) lump crabmeat

Instructions
1. Break bread into small pieces. Mix in mayonnaise, Old Bay, parsley, mustard and egg. Stir in crabmeat*.
2. Shape mixture into patties. Broil for 10 minutes without turning or fry until golden-brown on both sides. Sprinkle with extra Old Bay if desired.Don't over mix or you lose out on big crab pieces in the cake.

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

This recipe just makes my butt grow thinking about it. D and I did a first pass at lightening it just cooking our normal way. When he made it, he called me and said, "Oh my God! This is evil!!" Basically it is the Velveeta/Rotel Dip with meat and pasta in it.  It was awesome!

We will have again. It was 630 calories with these changes (in the ingredients section). Next time we will use 1/2 TBSP Butter, 4 oz of Velveeta, and .75C of Cheddar Cheese along with the changes we have below.

King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

YIELD: Makes 6 servings
HANDS-ON:20 Minutes
TOTAL:45 Minutes
COURSE: Casseroles, Main Dishes

Ingredients
1/2 (16-oz.) package cellentani pasta (used elbow)
2 tablespoons butter (used 1 TBSP)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 (8-oz.) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (used 1 lb breast, raw)
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup (used 98% fat-free)
1/2 cup sour cream (used reduced fat)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese (used 1C)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles and prepared cheese product; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, and hot cooked pasta until blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 11- x 7-inch baking dish; sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese.

3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Southern Living JANUARY 2012

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

So D had this ready when I got home. It was good. I have no clue if it was easy or not, but I assume not, since it looked like something I could attempt.

We had with Smashed Potatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Serve with stone-ground yellow grits to soak up the tangy, creamy sauce.

YIELD: Serves 4
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) package button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream (used rf sour cream)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
1. Place a small roasting pan in oven. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to preheated pan, and swirl to coat. Add pork to pan. Roast at 425° for 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of pork registers 145°, turning after 10 minutes. Remove pork from pan, and let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and broth; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 7 minutes). Remove from heat, and stir in crème fraîche and mustard. Cut pork crosswise into slices. Place 3 ounces pork on each of 4 plates, and top each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 257; Fat: 15.2g; Saturated fat: 5.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 6.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 25.3g; Carbohydrate: 3.7g; Fiber: 1g; Cholesterol: 76mg; Iron: 1.7mg; Sodium: 575mg; Calcium: 20mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 2012

Microwave Smashed Potatoes

So while D and I both can make mashed potatoes from scratch, when it comes to making a grocery list we need a recipe. Mostly because "until it looks right" is hard to write down on a grocery list. Also, although we had all the ingredients, we might have been using them for something else, so it is best to at least write down the ingredients.  So we found this recipe in the book that was on my lap.

D made them. He boiled the potatoes instead of microwaving them. They were good and peppery.

Microwave Smashed Potatoes

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
TOTAL:20 Minutes
COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place potato pieces in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; cut a 1-inch slit in center of plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients to bowl; mash with a potato masher.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 225; Fat: 4.1g; Saturated fat: 2.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 5.6g; Carbohydrate: 42.6g; Fiber: 2.8g; Cholesterol: 13mg; Iron: 0.8mg; Sodium: 333mg; Calcium: 78mg

Cooking Light JUNE 2011

Chili-Corn Chip Pie

D and I first heard of Frito Pie at our favorite BBQ joint. Never had it because, well, I don't want to eat out of a bag in a restaurant. Then my brother mentioned Tacos in a Bag in December. Then looking at the CL cookbook, I saw this, so I knew I should have it.

D made the chili early in the day, and I assembled it when I got home. It is kind of a silly dish, but fun and good. Plus you get Fritos. I liked the flavors.

I had with Refried Pinto Beans with Chipotle.

Chili-Corn Chip Pie

This recipe is a healthy version of Fritos Chili Pie. Often served from concession stands at fairs, festivals, and sporting events, this crowd-pleaser usually involves splitting the bag of chips open, ladling chili into the bag, and then topping with cheese, onions, and other garnishes.

YIELD: Serves 4
HANDS-ON:40 Minutes
TOTAL:40 Minutes
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 pound ground sirloin
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/3 cup water
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
4 ounces lightly salted corn chips (such as Fritos)
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onion tops

Preparation
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove beef; drain. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beef, cumin, pepper, and salt.

2. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add broth, 1/3 cup water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3. Place 1 ounce chips in each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with about 2/3 cup beef mixture, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons green onions.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 414; Fat: 21.9g; Saturated fat: 7g; Monounsaturated fat: 7.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 5.5g; Protein: 24.5g; Carbohydrate: 29.2g; Fiber: 3.2g; Cholesterol: 68mg; Iron: 2.6mg; Sodium: 682mg; Calcium: 160mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2011