Fusilli with Caramelized Spring Onions and White Wine

There's not a lot to say about this one, except it just wasn't good.  It was bland.  D said for the effort of caramelizing onions, it should have had more flavor.  He added broccoli and chicken to it to make it a more substantial meal.  It took too long and was bland.  It will not be returning to our menu.

Fusilli with Caramelized Spring Onions and White Wine

Spring onions are those that have been harvested early—they look like scallions with large white bulbs. If they're unavailable, use Vidalia onions. Rotini (corkscrew pasta) will work in place of fusilli.

Other Time: 48 minutes minutes
Yield:  4 servings

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces uncooked fusilli (short twisted spaghetti)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine panko, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Spread panko mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 6 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after 3 minutes. Cool.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onions to pan; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute. Add broth; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes).
4. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain. Add pasta, remaining salt, and pepper to onion mixture; toss gently. Place about 1 cup pasta in each of 4 shallow bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons panko mixture.

CALORIES 364 ; FAT 11.7g (sat 1.7g,mono 7.6g,poly 1.8g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 35mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55.6g; SODIUM 438mg; PROTEIN 9.5g; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 2.2mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2011

Pork Tacos with Corn-Jicama Salsa and Guacamole

Another new to me vegetable is Jicama. At Kroger they sell them by the weird root vegetables (ginger, arrowroot and some other brown things). In this recipe you probably want to find the smallest one. I found a baseball size one in the sea of softballs.

D used the whole can of beans because we have no use for a half a can.

The pork was flavorful and had a good kick. The first bite of my assembled taco, I thought there was a jalapeno or something, but no, just chili powder.

Of course anything with guacamole is good. Will have again. We had with the refried beans sans bacon (boo to no bacon, but good nonetheless).

Pork Tacos with Corn-Jicama Salsa and Guacamole

Avocado is a source of healthful monounsaturated fat. Crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, and lime juice boost the flavor of canned beans.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Salsa:
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup finely diced peeled jicama
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
Guacamole:
1 cup cubed peeled avocado
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
Tacos:
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 2 x 1/8-inch strips
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1. To prepare salsa, combine corn, jicama, black beans, cilantro, 1 tablespoon juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; toss gently to combine. Cover and chill.

2. To prepare guacamole, combine avocado, 1 1/2 tablespoons juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; mash with a fork until well blended. Stir in tomato. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on avocado mixture; set aside.

3. To prepare tacos, combine chili powder, oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add pork to spice mixture; toss to coat.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; saute 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

5. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; recoat with cooking spray. Add 2 tortillas to pan; cook 30 seconds on each side or until soft. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and cooking spray.

6. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons guacamole onto each tortilla; top each tortilla with about 1/4 cup pork and about 2 tablespoons salsa. Fold tortillas in half.

CALORIES 361 (29% from fat); FAT 11.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 127mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.9g; SODIUM 790mg; PROTEIN 29.8g; FIBER 8.2g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2008

Greek Stuffed Steak

D said this wasn't hard to make, but not easy.  If you are familiar with cutting open and pounding out meat, then it is ok. 
The bad...following the directions yields overcooked steak, and the portions were small.  The mashed potatoes needed salt.  

OK, these things are fixable, so did I like it, yes.  I love the tangy flavor of the steak...the potatoes, not crazy about.  D thinks because we used low quality feta.    
So yes, we would have again.


Greek Stuffed Steak


Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 2 steak slices, 2 tablespoons cooking liquid, and 1/2 cup feta mashed potatoes)

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped pickled pepperoncini peppers
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (1 1/2-pound) lean flank steak
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Feta Mashed Potatoes (recipe below)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir well, and set aside.
Trim fat from steak. Using a sharp knife, cut horizontally through center of steak, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat as you would a book. Place steak between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to an even thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Spread spinach mixture over steak, leaving a 1-inch margin around outside edges. Roll up steak, jelly-roll fashion, starting with short side. Secure at 2-inch intervals with heavy string.
Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak, browning well on all sides. Add water, wine, and oregano to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Remove string, and cut steak into 16 slices. Serve with cooking liquid and Feta Mashed Potatoes.

CALORIES 271 (29% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3.7g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.5g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 43mg; CALCIUM 95mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28g; SODIUM 448mg; PROTEIN 20.6g; FIBER 3.2g

Cooking Light, MAY 1996

Feta Mashed Potatoes


This recipe goes with Greek Stuffed Steak

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
Drain potatoes well, and return to pan; beat at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add skim milk, feta cheese, sour cream, salt, oregano, and pepper, and beat well.

CALORIES 111 (6% from fat); FAT 0.7g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 23.6g; SODIUM 187mg; PROTEIN 3g; FIBER 1.7g

Cooking Light, MAY 1996

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin

Well this one is one of those that I was supposed to make, and I'm glad D was home to do it, because I would have given myself food poisoning (I cook by instructions, not by thought or common sense).  He said the pork was vastly underdone according to CL's directions.

As for crust...if herbs make a crust, ok. If they were thinking something else, not sure.

Now onto the review of the food...the pork was good once cooked for the right amount of time (25 or 30 minutes...I wasn't paying attention).  I really liked the endive. The shallots were good the initial night, but not as leftovers (note: I don't like onions or anything resembling onions if I can taste "onion." The initial dinner they tasted caramelized, the lunch the next day...not so much.  But the endive was good.  I think our fennel needed to be fresher because I wasn't aware there was any one there...I liked the taste of the rosemary and lemon.

Overall I would have again.  We had with broccoli and rice.

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin


Roasting a small cut, such as pork tenderloin, at high heat--500°--creates a browned exterior and moist interior. (Cooking at lower temperatures will still produce fine results, but the pork won't develop a crust by the time it reaches the desired internal temperature.) The endive and shallots form an edible rack for the meat to rest on as it cooks.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 3 pork slices and about 3/4 cup vegetables)

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
5 large shallots, halved
3 heads Belgian endive, quartered lengthwise (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin

1. Preheat oven to 500°.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, shallots, and endive in a roasting pan; toss well to coat. Arrange vegetables evenly down the center of the pan.
3. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl. Rub rosemary mixture onto pork. Arrange pork on top of vegetables. Bake at 500° for 17 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Let vegetables and pork stand 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 12 slices.

CALORIES 238 (33% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 2g,mono 5.1g,poly 1g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 55mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.4g; SODIUM 537mg; PROTEIN 26.3g; FIBER 4.2g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Chard

I think I liked this one better than D.  He made it and it was pretty fast (like 40 minutes).  We had a very mild flavor and I really felt this was a cold winter's day food more than anything.  Still big portion. Substitutes are in the ingredients section. We had with rice.  Would have again.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Chard


Fresh cherry peppers have a slightly sweet note, and the heat level ranges from mild to moderate. For more spice, substitute jalapeño pepper.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half or 1 thigh and 1 drumstick and about 1 1/4 cups vegetable mixture)


2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 bone-in chicken thighs
2 chicken drumsticks
4 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped Golden Delicious apple (didn't use)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups chopped Swiss chard (used Spinach because of Chard's price)
1 tablespoon sliced cherry pepper (used Pepperoncini's)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1. Combine first 3 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.
2. Add onion, squash, and mushrooms to pan; cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add apple and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in sherry; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add chard; cook 2 minutes or until wilted, stirring constantly. Add cherry pepper; cook 30 seconds. Return chicken to pan; add broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165°. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
Wine note: A supple red, like merlot, is a good choice for this recipe. While we normally think of white wine with chicken, this dish's smoky bacon and earthy mushrooms, along with braising, give it the rich flavors to match red. A basic Blackstone Merlot ($12), with plummy fruit, a medium body, and very soft tannins, won't overpower the dish or clash with the sweet heat of cherry peppers. Jeffery Lindenmuth

CALORIES 409 (25% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.1g,poly 2.1g); IRON 4.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 151mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.6g; SODIUM 823mg; PROTEIN 52.1g; FIBER 3.7g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Chicken with Rosemary-Onion Sauce

I got this recipe from The World According to Jiggle.

This was pretty good. It reminded me of Rosemary Chicken with pasta. The one thing we thought it needed was some white wine. That can be fixed next time.

We didn't have with rice or pasta. We had with brussel sprouts and pancetta. You should try both recipes.


Chicken with Rosemary-Onion Sauce
Adapted from Taste of Home

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (approx 6 oz each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 tsp flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free milk (1%)
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed, (D used 1 TBSP fresh)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in 1 tsp olive oil. Transfer to a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic in remaining butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Add rosemary. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.

Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

1 chicken breast with 1/4 cup sauce per serving.  
Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half with 1/4 cup sauce equals 247 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 102 mg cholesterol, 501 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 37 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Caramelized Shallots and Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

So my boss mentioned that Brussel Sprouts taste better if you use them within 2-3 days of buying them  He is right.  These were really good.  And the sprouts had no metal taste.  The only issue we had was getting an ounce of pancetta.  Kroger has issues with that small amount.

Will have again.  We had with Rosemary and Onion Chicken.

Caramelized Shallots and Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Photo by ALB

A touch of brown sugar helps the vegetables caramelize in the oven.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce finely chopped pancetta
4 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons vermouth

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Arrange Brussels sprouts on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Add shallots, pepper, salt, and pancetta to pan; toss well. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Add sugar and vermouth; toss to coat. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until caramelized.

CALORIES 117 (32% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.5g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 61mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.9g; SODIUM 209mg; PROTEIN 5.3g; FIBER 4.9g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Well this got 5 stars in CL.  D and I would give it 3 (and I did).  It was good, but I like Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Tortilla Torta and Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole better.  I thought D might hit me when I said that because he said this one was a PITA to make. Plus neither of us is big on using more than one pan if we are making a casserole.

Mind you, it wasn't bad. The other ones were just better.

We had with refried beans.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Other Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)
Cost per Serving: $2.47

Cooking spray
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped onion, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.

4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.

6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.


CALORIES 371 ; FAT 12.4g (sat 5g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.8g); CHOLESTEROL 80mg; CALCIUM 141mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.3g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 23.1g; FIBER 5.4g; IRON 1.5mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2011