Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

I made these so you know they had to be easy.  And they were.  They were a bit chunky but that is because I couldn't find the potato masher.  And I really wish they would tell you to cook something first (like the bacon).  Luckily I saw it while the potatoes were boiling.

They needed a bit more salt, but overall were good. I would have again.

Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes 

Whip up these loaded mashed potatoes, chock full of bacon, sharp Cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream, for an extra-special dinner side.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients 
2 1/2 pounds cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)

Preparation 
Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender.

Drain and return potato to pan. Add cheese and milk; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Add onions and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 214; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 7.1g; Saturated fat: 4.1g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g; Protein: 8.9g; Carbohydrate: 29.6g; Fiber: 2.6g; Cholesterol: 22mg; Iron: 1.4mg; Sodium: 330mg; Calcium: 157mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2002

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Chicken and Bean Burritos

Yum! This was good.  Lots of flavor.

Will have again.  We had with Refried Pinto Beans with Chipotle.

Chicken and Bean Burritos 

Try also using this filling for tacos, quesadillas, or nachos. Adults can spike it with jalapeños.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 burrito half, 2 tablespoons pico de gallo, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients 
3/4 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup lower-sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 ounce preshredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup pico de gallo
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation 
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; toss well.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken mixture; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add beans and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until heated, stirring frequently. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top each burrito with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up each burrito jelly-roll fashion.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of burritos evenly with cooking spray. Place burritos in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Cut burritos in half. Top with pico de gallo and sour cream.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 287; Fat: 8.8g; Saturated fat: 2.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.6g; Protein: 24.7g; Carbohydrate: 25.4g; Fiber: 2.9g; Cholesterol: 57mg; Iron: 2.4mg; Sodium: 499mg; Calcium: 101mg

Cooking Light JUNE 2012 

Mushroom Walnut Turnovers

D and I made these together.  He made the filling and I made the pastry.  When I looked at the mushroom mixture, I wondered if there was enough. Then I made the pastry and wondered how on earth I was going to get 18 turnovers.  I got 16 and one mess up.

The pastry was easy to make, and you roll it out very thin.  It just took a while.

The taste was really good. We would definitely make it again. We each had 3 since it was a side and not an appetizer.

Mushroom Walnut Turnovers 

Photo by ALB

With a mushroom filling encased in walnut pastry, these turnovers taste like fall.  Yield: 9 servings (serving size: 2 turnovers)

Ingredients 
Filling:
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pastry:
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
5 3/10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water
2 large egg whites, divided
1 tablespoon fat-free milk

Preparation
1. To prepare filling, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine to pan; cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. To prepare pastry, place walnuts in food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and butter to food processor; pulse to combine. Place flour mixture in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup ice water and 1 egg white to bowl; stir until moist. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 18 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Working with one ball at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll ball to a 3-inch circle. Spoon about 2 teaspoons mushroom mixture in center of circle. Fold dough over filling; crimp edges with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling, placing turnovers about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Combine remaining egg white and milk in a bowl. Lightly brush turnovers with milk mixture.

4. Bake at 350° for 16 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 110; Calories from fat: 31%; Fat: 3.8g; Saturated fat: 1.4g; Monounsaturated fat: 0.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g; Protein: 4.1g; Carbohydrate: 15.2g; Fiber: 0.9g; Cholesterol: 5mg; Iron: 1.1mg; Sodium: 300mg; Calcium: 14mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2008

Friday, June 15, 2012

Spicy North African Pork Tenderloin

This was pretty good.  It wasn't really spicy, but I did eat every bite with the yogurt so that could have been why.  I would definitely have again.

D made Broccoli with Red Pepper Flakes to go with it.

Spicy North African Pork Tenderloin

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 3 pork slices and 3 tablespoons sauce)
Hands-on: 15 Minutes
Total: 1 Hour

Ingredients 
1/4 cup bottled roasted red bell pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves
1 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (used 1 container)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed

Preparation 
1. Place bell pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons juice, sambal oelek, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, coriander, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth. Place harissa in a large bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 425°.

3. Combine yogurt, mint, 1 tablespoon juice, and 1 teaspoon cumin.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add pork to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add pork to harissa, turning to coat. Place pork on a rack in a pan; brush with remaining harissa. Bake at 425° for 11 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145°. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes; cut crosswise into 12 slices. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 283; Fat: 14.3g; Saturated fat: 3.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 8.3g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5g; Protein: 30.2g; Carbohydrate: 8.2g; Fiber: 1.4g; Cholesterol: 77mg; Iron: 1.7mg; Sodium: 446mg; Calcium: 84mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2011

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

This is one of those deceiving dishes.  Because I didn't know what we were having for dinner, when I got my serving, I thought it was spaghetti and red sauce.  So the first bite, I kind of was thrown off.  After I remembered it was SD Tomato Pesto, then it was all YUM!!!

D threw 3/4 lb. Chicken Breast in for some more protein.

Will have again...had with Caesar Salad.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

The Mediterranean flavors in this easy pasta dish come from sun-dried tomatoes, basil, almonds, garlic and Parmesan cheese, and the oil in the sun-dried tomatoes gives the almond-spiced pesto a rich consistency.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh linguine
3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.

While pasta cooks, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped.

Combine tomato mixture and the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add to pasta; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with feta.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 300; Fat: 9.9g; Saturated fat: 3.3g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.9g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.6g; Protein: 12.3g; Carbohydrate: 42g; Fiber: 4.3g; Cholesterol: 61mg; Iron: 3.1mg; Sodium: 570mg; Calcium: 141mg

Cooking Light April 2010

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt

This is a "Duh" Recipe.

I liked if.  If you like zucchini you will too. If you don't like zucchini, don't bother.

Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt

For more tender zucchini, leave slices in the pan an extra 1 minute on each side. When the flesh starts to look translucent, the zucchini is done.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: about 4 slices)

Ingredients 
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Preparation 
1. Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine all ingredients in a bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange zucchini in a single layer in pan; grill 4 minutes, turning after 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 36; Fat: 2.4g; Saturated fat: 0.4g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g; Protein: 1.2g; Carbohydrate: 3.4g; Fiber: 1.1g; Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Iron: 0.4mg; Sodium: 130mg; Calcium: 15mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2011

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

So this came across my email.  I have a 2 year old rosemary plant and we don't eat a lot of rosemary, but both like it.  Maybe because I don't care for fried chicken, I never thought about this dish.  However, oven-fried chicken and fried chicken have nothing in common to me, so we decided to have it.

It was good. Once again no semblance of Fried Chicken (to me).  I would definitely have again.

But why can't chicken companies pack chicken in 4 packs?

We had with Rosemary/Parm Scones and Grilled Zucchini.

Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken 

Get the crispy taste of fried chicken for less than 300 calories. Add kid appeal to this dish with a honey-mustard dipping sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet)
Total: 30 Minutes

Ingredients 
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
 Rosemary leaves (optional)

Preparation 
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.

3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.

4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 287; Fat: 9.4g; Saturated fat: 1.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 5.1g; Protein: 42.7g; Carbohydrate: 6g; Fiber: 0.9g; Cholesterol: 101mg; Iron: 1.6mg; Sodium: 379mg; Calcium: 66mg

Cooking Light JUNE 2010

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayo

I saw this recipe on EzraPoundcake.com and we had to have it.  Oh my!  It was so good.
Not spicy but flavorful.  Plus we got to use some of our home grown peppers.  Definitely will have again...we had with homemade fried.

Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayo 

From Ezra Poundcake
Makes 4 big burgers

Ingredients
8 ounces chorizo (Mexican or Spanish), casings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (used 6 oz)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground pork  (used 1 pound)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt  (used 1/2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 slices pepper jack cheese
4 hamburger buns
Green Chile Mayo (recipe follows)

Preparation
Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Place the chorizo in a food processor, and process until finely chopped.

Transfer the chorizo to a large bowl, and add the ground pork, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Using your hands, mix gently but thoroughly.

Form the mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties, about 8 ounces each.

Place the patties on the grill, and cook to a minimum temperature of 160 degrees F, 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Transfer the burgers to a plate or platter, and top each one with a slice of cheese.

Toast the open buns on the grill, if you’d like.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms. Generously top each burger with Green Chile Mayo, and place the tops of the buns over the sauce. Serve immediately.

Green Chile Mayo 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
1 poblano chile (used 3 Anaheim's)
1 cup mayonnaise (used RF Mayo)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (used 1/2 TBSP)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation
To Roast the Poblano: Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place poblano on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and blackened. Place the pepper in a zip-top plastic bag, seal, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Peel, remove the seeds and finely chop.  (didn't roast the peppers)

Combine the poblano, mayonnaise, garlic and lime juice in a food processor, (just cut up finely) and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Storage: You can keep this in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Jalapeno Chicken II

My brother made this, so I have no clue how easy or hard they were. I'm assuming they are easy because he didn't put up a fight when I asked if he would make them when I came to visit.

They were really good.  I would have them again.  I might add cilantro (my brother despises cilantro, so I had to put that in there).

Jalapeno Chicken II 

Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 45 Minutes
Servings: 6

"Stuffed jalapeno peppers are wrapped in marinated chicken breasts. Tasty bacon seals the deal!"

Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
6 slices bacon
toothpicks

Directions: 
1. Place chicken breasts in a dish with the Italian dressing. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Stuff each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Roll chicken breasts around jalapeno peppers. Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange wrapped chicken breasts on the prepared grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning frequently, or until bacon is browned and the chicken juices run clear.

Nutrition
Serving Size 1/6 of a recipe Calories: 446; Calories from Fat: 293; Total Fat: 32.5g; Saturated Fat: 8.5g; Cholesterol: 93mg; Sodium: 1532mg; Potassium: 321mg; Total Carbohydrates: 8.6g; Dietary Fiber: 0.2g; Protein: 29.3g; Sugars 6.4g

From Allrecipes.com

Avocado Potato Salad

I got this recipe from a woman when I asked for recipes with cilantro.  Ironically, I made it without it (Dad and brother despise the stuff).

So I thought this would be a lot more Latino tasting.  It turned out it tasted like traditional potato salad with avocado. That said, my brother, dad, D and I loved it.  If I wanted it to taste more Latino, I would add cumin and chili powder. I think the traditional taste comes from the celery.  Like all potato salad, D said it needed more salt so he put queso fresco on his.

I made it and I appreciated the directions of how to cook the potatoes. They came out the right texture (not to mushy).  It was very easy to make.  A day later, the bacon's smokiness adds to the flavors. 

Will have again (with cilantro).

Avocado Potato Salad 

Photo by ALB

Posted by: DKLIBERT
Yield: 8 servings

This is a creamy, smokey, crunchy, and spicy version of potato salad. It like guacamole dressed potatoes. It can be made ahead. The lime juice, mayo and sour cream stops the avocado from turning brown. Adjust the jalapeno to your taste, it is on the spicy side.

Ingredients
2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 celery rib, diced fine
4 medium ripe avocados, peeled and pitted, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
4 tablespoons fat free mayonnaise (used RF)
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped (used 1 jalapeno and 1 serrano...next time won't seed them as carefully)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, bacon, celery, jalapeño and onions. For dressing combine two avocados, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir and mash until well blended. Stir in cilantro.

Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat. Cube remaining avocado; gently stir into potato salad. Serve immediately.

Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars

Sometimes you have those foods in the house that do nothing for you. And then other times you have the foods in the house that you just want to face plant in to.  For me, these would fall into the latter category.  My brother and I made these  over the weekend.  Every time I walked into the kitchen I grabbed a bar.

They were very chocolatey.  You didn't really taste the bacon.  But you did get little bursts of salt in the taste.  My dad thought they were too sweet. So being the good daughter that I am, I ate his portions.

Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Magic Bars

Contributed by Grace Parisi
ACTIVE: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
SERVINGS: 15
MAKE-AHEAD

This is Grace Parisi's sophisticated version of magic bars, that chocolate-coconut bake-sale favorite. Browning the butter gives the crust a nutty flavor; cooking it in a metal baking dish makes it extra crisp. In a touch inspired by pastry chefs' favorite new ingredient, Grace adds bacon to the filling.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (I happened to have unsalted but would have used salted if that's what I had)
1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped  (used 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces bacon, finely diced
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (6 1/2 ounces)  (used 7 oz bag)
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup salted roasted almonds, chopped (used sliced, not roasted...don't remember if they were salted)
One 16-ounce jar dulce de leche (used 12 oz jar of caramel)
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving up to 1 inch of overhang. Spray the paper with vegetable oil spray. (Didn't use paper...just sprayed the hell out of the pan)

2. In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and browned, about 4 minutes. Scrape the butter into a large bowl and freeze just until solid, about 15 minutes.

3. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla seeds and egg yolk into the butter at medium speed until blended. Add the flour and salt and beat until moistened crumbs form. Press the crumbs into the prepared baking pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the crust is set and lightly browned.

4. Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl used to make the crust. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and let cool. In the bowl, toss the coconut with the chocolate chips, almonds and bacon.

5. In another bowl, whisk the dulce de leche with the condensed milk; pour two-thirds of it in the crust. Lightly press the coconut-bacon mixture over the dulce de leche. Drizzle the remaining dulce de leche mixture on top.

6.  Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the bars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Carefully remove the bars from the pan and peel off the paper. Cut into bars and serve.

Make Ahead: The bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Food and Wine November 2010