What's Cooking?

Super-Light Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-09-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I'm obsessed with breakfast? This, my favorite meal of the day, can be packed with useless calories if I'm not careful. This morning, I whipped up a batch of these fantastically light, full-flavored pumpkin pancakes as a sign that Fall is around the corner. I hope you'll give them a try and that you'll enjoy them as much as we do.

Pumpkin Pancakes
Makes 14

1 1/4 C buttermilk
3/4 C pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin will do - NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 large eggs, separated
2 T granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T canola oil
1 1/3 C cake flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Whisk buttermilk, pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, oil, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add dry ingredients to buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in glass bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter.

Lightly oil or butter heavy large skillet set over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto skillet; cook until bubbles form on top, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn pancakes over and cook until second sides brown, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to plates. Sprinkle with nuts and serve with syrup.

Nutritional Info (per pancake)

Calories: 100
Fat: 3.73 grams
Cholesterol: 61.2 mgs
Sodium: 43.5 mgs
Potassium: 92 mgs
Carbohydrates: 13 grams
fiber: .7 grams
Protein: 3.8 grams

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins

2010-08-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite ingredients is buttermilk. Whatever I make with it has a tender texture and tangy taste. These wonderful muffins are no exception.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins
Makes 16 muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1.5 C buttermilk
1.5 C rolled oats
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 C brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 C canola oil
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1.5 C all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C raisins

Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners.

In large bowl, soak oats and raisins in the buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to oats mixture and stir just until moistened.

Fill prepared muffin tins until cups are three-fourths full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutritional info per muffin:

Calories: 164
Fat: 4 grams
Cholesterol: 1.5 mgs
Sodium: 43 mgs
Potassium: 101 mgs
Carbs: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 1.3 grams
Protein: 4 grams

I just love when pastries are good for you, don't you?

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Chocolate Black Bean Cake

2010-08-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

The other night my husband and I were wishing for dessert but, as grocery shopping was a long-overdue chore, the larder was missing the Usual Suspects. What we did have were eggs, cocoa powder and a lonely can of black beans. I dug out this forgotten flourless cake recipe and what came out of the oven was light, moist and loaded with flavor. It was so low in calories that I treated myself to a second piece, completely guilt-free!

Chocolate Black Bean Cake
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 C splenda
2 T strong brewed coffee OR 1 T instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 T hot water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, separated
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T canola oil
2 T chopped walnuts (optional)

Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray. To make the cake easier to remove, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray that.

Blend the egg yolks, splenda, baking powder, oil, vanilla, coffee and salt in a blender. Add the black beans and puree until smooth. Transfer the bean mixture to a mixing bowl.

With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until still peaks form. fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the bean mixture with a spatula to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two portions with the spatula. It's OK if there are some white streaks left in the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the chopped nuts. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to release any air pockets. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: If you don't like the taste of the splenda (it CAN have a bit of an aftertaste), you can substitute granulated sugar. Just add 45 calories per serving to the nutritional info below.

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 148
Fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 320 mgs
Carbohydrate: 19 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 5.7 grams

If you want a variation for a Vanilla Bean Cake, substitute a 15 oz can of canellini beans and leave out the cocoa and coffee flavorings. If you come up with other variations, please let me know - I'm always looking for low calorie snacks.

Enjoy!

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Wheat Berry-Chick Pea Stew

2010-07-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here I am, several weeks into my newly discovered resolve to shed (NOT lose) these pesky pounds. They've caused my immeasurable discomfort of the physical variety, not to mention the mental anguish of losing, then finding, them time after time.

My method this time is similar to the last: I'm combining principles from the 1980's Weight Watchers exchange plan with The South Beach Diet, as well as tracking every calorie that wanders into my mouth. So far so good; I'm down nearly 5 pounds in 5 weeks. AND that includes a week of vacation! Whoot!

This week, I made a wonderful vegetarian stew which proved to be nutritious as well as delicious. I hope you'll try it and that you enjoy it as much as we did:

Wheat Berry - Chick Pea Stew
Serves 4

6 oz wheat berries
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 C finely chopped onions
1 C diced carrot
1/2 C finely chopped celery
1 large garlic clove minced
3 C reduced sodium vegetable broth
1-3 tsp chopped chipotle chile pepper
1/2 C finely chopped tomato
1/4 C thinly sliced scallions
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano

In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the wheat berries until lightly browned about 4-5 minutes. Stir often. Set aside.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Saute until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

Add broth, chick peas, chipotle, and the toasted wheat berries. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours until wheat is tender, adding additional water or broth if necessary. Note that the wheat should remain slightly chewy.

While the stew simmers, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine tomato, scallions, parsley, jalapeno, and oregano.

To serve, divide stew evenly between 4 bowls and top with one-fourth of the topping.

Nutritional info for 1 serving (1 C stew plus one-fourth topping):

Exchanges:
1/4 Fat
1.5 Vegetables
2 Proteins
1.5 Breads
15 Optional Calories

Per Serving:
402 calories
5 grams fat
261 mgs sodium
74 mgs carbohydrate
13 grams dietary fiber
18 grams protein

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Big Chocolate Cookie

2010-07-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Way back in the day (about 25 years ago) I was deep into Weight Watchers. Every week, I'd walk into the meeting and there'd be a new, interesting recipe written on the board for us to copy and try at home. One week, this recipe for a Big Chocolate Cookie was up there, and I thought, "wow, what's not to like about this one?" The recipe makes one giant cookie. The cookie has loads of good nutrition in it, and can serve as a main meal. I love it for breakfast. Who wouldn't want chocolate cookies for breakfast?

Big Chocolate Cookie
Makes One cookie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 packet chocolate ALBA shake mix**
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C rolled oats
1 T peanut butter
1/2 tsp honey
2 T water
2 T raisins

combine all ingredients in small bowl and form into a big cookie on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 8-10 minutes.

**The tricky ingredient is the Alba shake mix. You can probably find it in the grocery store with the other milk shake mixers.

Nutritional info:

Calories: 340
Fat: 10.25 grams
Cholesterol: 0 grams
Sodium: 180 mgs
Potassium: 310 mgs
Carbohydrates: 73.5 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Protein: 15 grams

And if you use Weight Watchers old exchange program, like I do:

1 Bread
1 Fat
2 Proteins
1 Fruit
10 optional calories

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Gazpacho

2010-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's been hotter than blazes here in North Carolina and I am loathe to turn on the stove.

In keeping with my newly gained resolve to lose these extra pounds, it seemed fitting to make a batch of this wonderful cold, healthy soup.

Gazpacho
Serves 5

2.5 C tomato juice (you can also use V8 juice for this)
1 C peeled, seeded, finely chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 C finely chopped celery
1/2 C finely chopped cucumber
1/2 C finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 C finely chopped scallions
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (not aluminum!). Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Each serving:

117 cals
2 g protein
13 g carb
6 g fat
690 mgs sodium
0 cholesterol
4 g fiber

Note: If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can substitute a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes. If you do this, eliminate the 1/2 tsp salt.

Enjoy!

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Chicken W / Mushrooms & Swiss Cheese

2010-05-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Wow... it's been a while since my last post. I've been so busy cooking up polymer clay jewelry, that I haven't paid attention to what I'm stuffing down my gullet. I saw myself in some recent photos and thought, "who's that fat girl in the picture?". Imagine my shock and distress as I figured out it was ME! Definitely time to pay attention and get back on the South Beach Diet.

I dusted off the notebook which holds all the recipes I've collected and created for this diet plan. First up: Chicken Breasts With Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese. Yummy: succulent white chicken meat smothered with portabello mushrooms, onions, and a light piece of Swiss. The drizzle of vinegar lowers the glycemic index rating for the dish, and the olive oil adds flavor and gives one the illusion of feeling full. A real winner:

Chicken Breasts With Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese
Serves 4
preheat oven 350 degrees

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 T olive oil
1 T Cajun-style seasoning
1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms (I chopped up some portabello caps)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T red wine vinegar
1 C chopped green onion
4 slices low-fat Swiss cheese

In a 9 x 13 inch pan, combine oil and garlic. Add chicken breasts, and turn to coat with oil. Sprinkle with the vinegar and Cajun seasoning. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Remove pan from oven, and cover the chicken with the green onions and mushrooms. Add a few more sprinkles of oil and vinegar and return dish to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and immediately place one slice of the Swiss cheese on top of each breast. Allow cheese to melt, and serve immediately.

~
**Note: I didn't have green onions on hand, so I sliced up a white onion and sauteed it until slightly caramelized. It was delicious.

***Also, in the above photo, the red juices are from the roasted beets I served on the side, NOT poorly cooked chicken.

I hope you'll try this and let me know how you liked it.

Copyright What's Cooking Sunday, 2010

Green Bean and Fennel Salad

2009-12-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty delicious Christmas dinner last night: baked ham, sweet potatoes, and this delicate and crunchy green bean salad. With it's fresh ingredients and simple citrus dressing, this would be perfect for an outdoor summer lunch dish.

Green Bean and Fennel Salad
Serves 8-10

1/2 lb fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (one large)
3/4 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 tablespoon light olive oil
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoon minced fennel leaves

Wash the beans. Trim the ends, remove the strings and cut the beans in half. Place the beans in a vegetable steamer and place over boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain beans and plunge into cold water. Drain again.

Combine beans, fennel bulb, and bell pepper in a bowl; toss gently and set aside. Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Pour over vegetables; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with fennel leaves. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Tip: extra virgin olive oil is too heavy a flavor for this dish. When you julienne the red pepper try to keep them about the same size as the green beans. Use fresh lemon juice only! You may want to add a bit of grated lemon rind to taste.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2009-12-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Marble Man and I found ourselves way ahead of the curve this year:

lists have been checked, and double-checked
gifts are wrapped and mailed
the tree is up

Lots of time left over for baking cookies. Marble Man has so many favorites, that I asked him to narrow his choices to two types.

His pick for this year:

Vera's Checkerboard Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
makes 52 cookies

2 C plus 2 T all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, room temperature
1+3/4 C granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate (1 ounce per square), melted
1/2 C confectioners' sugar

Mix flour baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer until fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time until mixture is pale yellow, then vanilla and chocolate until blended.

Gradually add flour mixture, mixing just to blend. Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Lightly grease cookie sheets. Shape heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into 1.25 inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar. Place on cookie sheets 1.5 inches apart.

Bake about 12 minutes until tops are puffed and cracked. DON'T overbake! Cookies are quite soft when hot but firm and chewy when cool. Remove to rack to cool.

Per cookie:
80 calories
1 gram protein
12 grams carbs
3 grams fat
20 mgs cholesterol

Enjoy! (Just don't worry about that last part there. ;)

And while you toss some treats together for your family, here's a little Holiday fun to keep you company: Tennessee Ernie Ford singing for a group of children.

His son (sitting next to him) is so into the song that he has to really work to keep from cracking up.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Bratwurst and Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

2009-12-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

This winter, Marble Man and I signed up for a fresh-meat-and-eggs co-op through Fickle Creek Farm, one of the vendors at our local Farmers Market. The meats have been incredibly delicious, and the eggs colorful - brown, blue, green... and also delicious. Every two weeks, we head to the market to pick up our assortment of sausages, roasts, chops, and chickens. This week's sausages were bratwursts, and I think they were the best I've ever had.

I cooked them in beer with lots of onions, and a side dish of sweet and sour red cabbage. *Slurp* So good!

Bratwurst
serves 6

6 large bratwurst
water
1 C sliced onions
1 C beer

Prick each sausage before adding to a large skillet. Pour in enough water to cover the sausages with 1/2 an inch of water. Partially cover the pan and simmer until the water has evaporated. Be sure not to let the water boil - this will cause the bratwursts to burst. Uncover and cook the sausages in the small amount of fat remaining in the pan to brown. Add onions and saute until translucent. Pour in the 1 C of beer and simmer another 5 minutes. Serve with spicy mustard on the side.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Serves 6

1 head red cabbage, shredded
2 Granny Smith apples, cut in small wedges
4 slices bacon, diced and fried
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. vinegar plus same amount sweet pickle juice
Salt and pepper

Fry bacon. Leave fat and bacon in skillet and add remaining ingredients. Cover tightly and get it hot, then turn down heat and cook slowly until tender. May be fixed ahead of time and reheated. This would make a wonderful Christmas Eve dish.

Enjoy!

And I want to thank everyone who weighed in on my new image signatures. I will see what I can do to make them less intrusive.

copyright 2009 Shibori Girl

Bourbon Glazed Pork and Easy Corn Casserole

2009-10-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

For this week's post, I've got a twofer. Both recipes are easy, and the pork's savory flavor complements the slightly sweet aspect of the corn casserole. The corn casserole can be made a day ahead to make things even easier.

Bourbon-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6
Preheat oven 425 degrees

1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon (plus a little for the cook. ;) )
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
dash hot sauce
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

In blender or food processor, combine bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and oil. Pulse until smooth. Remove tenderloins from wrapper and tie together into a roast. Place tenderloin and marinade in a ziploc bag and refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Place tenderloin on a rack in baking pan and roast for 25-35 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

If you want to grill the meat: cook 4 inches from a hot charcoal fire for 15 to 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 165° internally and is no longer pink in the center. Baste occasionally while cooking.

Slice in 1/2-inch thick slices to serve.

Easy Corn Casserole
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/4 C egg substitute
1/4 C canola oil
1 small (8-3/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 small (8-3/4 oz) can creamed corn
1 8-1/2 oz package corn muffin mix
1 C plain non-fat yogurt

Combine all ingredients and stir well to combine. Pour into an 8" square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 45 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Pear Cobbler

2009-10-18T09:00:00.002-07:00

Now that our kitchen is nearly half painted, I've been able to breathe a little and get down to some cool-weather cooking. As a treat for us, I made an old favorite this week. The pears at the market were rock hard when I brought them home, but a day and a half in a bag with a banana did the trick!

Pear Cobbler
Serves 6
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Filling
6 ripe pears: peeled, cored, and sliced
3 T brown sugar, packed
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Crust
1/3 C flour
3 T chopped walnuts
1-1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 C milk
vegetable oil

Combine filling ingredients in a bowl, stirring to coat the pears with the seasonings. Transfer to a casserole dish.

In small bowl, combine the first 4 crust ingredients. Stir in milk and enough oil to moisten. Drop by teaspoonfuls on top of pears. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until browned.

Each serving: 200 calories

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Vanilla Ricotta Creme

2009-10-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice easy dessert that I found through the South Beach Diet cookbook for Ricotta Creme dessert. I'll list the basic recipe, but you can add all sorts of flavorings to make it a special treat for any mood.

Vanilla Ricotta Creme Dessert
Serves 2

1 C part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 packages sugar substitute (I use splenda)

With a blender, whiz up the ingredients until the cheese is nice and smooth - I've found an immersion blender works great for this.

Pour mixture into individual serving cups and refrigerate until ready to eat.

~~~
Variations:

Orange (pictured): add 1 T orange liqueur, or a bit of orange zest
Almond: add 1/2 tsp almond extract and reduce vanilla extract to 1/4 tsp. Top with toasted slivered almonds.
Mocha: add 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder. Just before serving, top with a dash of espresso powder and 1 tsp mini chocolate chips.
Lime Zest: add 1/2 tsp grated lime zest
Peanut Butter and Chocolate: add 2 T peanut butter and 1 tsp cocoa powder, then blend.
Pumpkin: Add 2 T canned pumpkin puree and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Top with a tsp of whipped cream.

Experiment with flavors on your own, then let me know what you did so I can try them too!

The texture of this recipe is very loose. If you want it to be more like a pudding, mix in a beaten egg, spray an oven-safe dish and bake until a knife comes out clean. Equally as yummy!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Scones

2009-10-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

When Marble Man and I visited England many years ago, we fell in love with teatime. No matter where we went, one of us asked, "Is it time for tea yet?". Mostly it was the scones that had us hooked. When you get a basket of those delectable pastries in Engand, they aren't shaped like a triangle like the way they are in this country, but small and round like our biscuits. And they are very moist and tender.

When I got back home, I set about finding a really good scone recipe. The one I found has a surprise ingredient (plain yogurt), which adds a little "tang" to the final result, as well as tremendous moisture and tenderness. Purists may say it's not a scone, but a flavorful "something else", but we love 'em anyway. Marble Man does a little happy dance when he smells a batch of these scones baking in the oven!

Scones
**Makes 8
Preheat oven to 375

3 C flour
3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 C cold butter, cut up
1-1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt

Lightly butter a baking sheet. Mix flour, sugar, powder, soda, and salt in a bowl Add butter, cutting in with a pastry blender, until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add yogurt, stirring until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Gather into a ball.

Lightly flour board and knead dough just until smooth. Pat dough into an 8" circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place 2" apart on baking sheet.

Bake until lightly browned, 18-20 minutes.
~~~
** I've found that making 8 wedges means these scones are HUGE and equal about a day's worth of bread all at once. I roll the dough out to about 1" thick and use a biscuit cutter. That way I get 12 scones out of the recipe.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-09-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Fall is almost upon us, and that means the first pot of my favorite soup is simmering on the stove. God, the color, the smell, the texture... what's not to love about this fabulous recipe?

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4

1.5 T freshly grated ginger root
1/2 C chopped onion
3 T butter
4 C peeled, seeded butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)
2 C chicken broth
1.5 C water
3 cloves garlic
2 T fresh lime juice to taste
lime slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place squash in a pan and roast for 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven, prick it several times with a knife, turn it, and roast for another 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Peel, and cut into large pieces.

In large saucepan, cook onion and ginger in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened.

Add squash, broth, water, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 20 minutes until squash is soft. Puree and add lime juice. Serve hot or at room temperature. Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Gooood!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-09-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

muffin glamour shot

Who hasn't let a bunch of bananas get so so ripe that they practically mash themselves when you pick them up? Before leaving for vacation, I put a pretty ripe bunch in the fridge so I wouldn't have to come home to a puddle on the kitchen counter. When we got home they were intact, though mighty soft. For breakfast I made a batch of these muffins and we ripped through them so fast that I made another batch this week!

Just a note: these banana muffins taste best when the bananas used are good and black, but not to the alcohol stage.

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins
serves 12
preheat oven to 400 degrees

1-3/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 C sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/2 C skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 C mashed banana (about 3 bananas)

1/2 C chopped walnuts
2 oz miniature chocolate chips

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with papers.

In large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In small bowl, combine the wet ingredients well and pour all at once into the center of the dry ingredients. Mix quickly with as little stirring as possible. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly in the muffin tin and bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Check with a toothpick for doneness. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Mmmmm... yummy!

Spices From Penzey's

2009-07-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

I've barely come up for air this week and, alas, have no new recipe to post today. So, I thought I'd share my experience with Penzey's Spice company. How many times have you bought a bottle of herbs or spices at the supermarket? Have you ever wondered how long the bottle has sat on the store shelf? Or how about at the warehouse? Are you really getting what you paid for?

A while ago, Marble Man and I were invited to dinner at a friend's house, where she served a sumptuous meal. She finished up with an apple galette which was incredibly delicious. I was trying to figure out which spices she added to the apples, and got as far as cinnamon. When I asked her what else she added, she insisted it was only cinnamon, and then produced the bottle for me to sniff. Oh, the smell! Rich cinnamon with flowery overtones, and a hint of allspice. This was NOT your generic, McCormick's supermarket cinnamon. She told me that at Penzey's, they bottle the spices up fresh and ship them out, so you get a high-quality product.

She gave me an extra catalog, which I pored over at home. The catalog was very well organized and peppered throughout were recipes and ideas for how to use the products they offer. I proceeded to order spices the way I order beads: some of this, some of that, 4 of these, 2 of those... and before I knew it, I'd spent over $60! When the box arrived, the contents were very carefully wrapped. And when I opened the bottles, they were filled TO THE TOP.

I picked out 4 types of cinnamon, and yes they ARE all very different, as well as herbs and spice blends. The parsley smelled like it had just been picked and dried the week before. And the blends were perfect for use in meats and stews. I threw out a bunch of store-bought bottles from my cabinet that were absolutely dead.

I hope you'll give Penzey's a shot - even with the shipping cost, the prices were competitive with supermarket brands. I will never buy seasonings from the store again, unless I find myself in a desperate situation.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Spicy Blue Cheeseburgers

2009-07-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Marble Man and I have been trying to pinch pennies and lose weight by concentrating on fish and beans as our main source of protein. Every once in a while, though, my Inner Meatasaurus rears its giant head, gnashes its teeth, and cries out for beef. Last weekend we made hamburgers stuffed with blue cheese, and they satisfied my carnivorous craving to a " T ".

Spicy Blue Cheeseburgers
serves 4

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2-3 cloves garlic minced (or more if you like)
1 tsp paprika
1 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C rolled oats
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 C finely chopped onion
~
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese

In large bowl combine all the above ingredients EXCEPT the blue cheese. Form mixture into 8 equal balls. Flatten them into patties and make a well in the center of four of them. Divide the blue cheese crumbles equally and place in the wells of each patty. Top with the remaining patties and seal the edges well.

Grill or pan-fry, about 4 minutes on each side, until the meat is cooked through and the cheese is nice and melty.

Spicy Gingerbread

2009-07-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

"If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right..."

My long-running love affair with dessert continues, and brings to mind that song by Luther Ingram from 1972. While Marble Man and I have been back on our diets, we've tried to keep sweets out of the house, and I just couldn't do it. The past two days I've been Jonesing for a little Somethin'-Somethin' to feed my craving. A fresh batch of gingerbread yesterday did the trick: moist, spicy, and slightly sweet. The recipe I use is from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook, by Molly Katzen. It calls for lots of freshly grated ginger, and this is key - don't substitute ground ginger as it won't have the same kick.

Spicy Gingerbread
Serves 12
preheat oven 350 degrees

5 T unsalted butter
3 T freshly grated ginger
1/2 C light honey
1/2 C light molasses
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 large egg
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground cloves or allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Saute the butter and ginger together light, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Beat the honey and molasses together vigorously for 5 minutes. Then beat in the ginger plus all of its butter.

Beat the yogurt and the egg together well. Combine with the above mixture and set aside.

Sift together the remaining ingredients thoroughly into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the wet mixture. Combine thoroughly, but minimally. Spread the batter into an 8" square pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 30-35 minutes. It's done when the top is springy to the touch, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

"MMMmmmm... yummy!"

Barley Salad Vinaigrette

2009-07-05T05:44:00.002-07:00

This being July 4th weekend, there are a lot of pot luck parties going on. I've found it very difficult to eat a balanced meal at this kind of party, with available dishes loaded with heavy fats and proteins, or an abundance of desserts. This barley salad tastes great and is loaded with fiber.

Barley Salad Vinaigrette
Serves 4

2 C cooked pearled barley, cooled
1/2 C seeded and diced cucumber
1/4 C each diced red pepper and scallion
2 T chopped radish
1 T each chopped parsley and dill
2 T red vinegar
4 tsp olive oil
1 T water
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 C shredded lettuce

In medium bowl, combine barley, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, radish, parsley and dill. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients except the lettuce. Stir well. Pour over barley mixture. Toss to coat. Serve over lettuce.

This is sure to be a big hit at your next potluck: not only tasty, but good for you and pretty to look at on the plate. Enjoy!

Fra Diavolo Sauce and Pasta

2009-06-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Oh my, that was quite a party yesterday here in Bloglandia. Thank you, Vanessa, for being such a charming hostess and introducing us all to each other. It's going to take some time to make my way around the room, so please be patient with me.

While getting ready for yesterday's party post, last week I worked most of each day right up until dinner time. I was so tired on Wednesday, especially, that all I could think of making was this simple and delicious pasta dish.

Fra Diavolo Sauce and Pasta
serves 4

4 T olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz linguine pasta
8 oz small shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz bay scallops
1 oz chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh basil
Parmesan cheese (optional)

In large saucepan, heat 2 T olive oil with the garlic over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, pour in the tomatoes. Season with salt and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.

In large skillet, heat the remaining 2 T olive oil over high heat. Add the seafood. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the shrimp turn pink. Add to the tomato mixture, and add the fresh herbs. Cook until the sauce just begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Serve sauce over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

**Note: I used a 12 oz bag frozen uncooked shrimp and half a bag of frozen seafood mix from Trader Joe's which had calamari, shrimp, and bay scallops. I thawed the seafood and drained it well before sauteing. The squid was a particularly nice addition.

I started with 1/2 tsp pepper flakes - I just had this feeling that 1 whole tsp would wind up being atomic. But, if you are a strong soul, go for it!

I also didn't have any linguine on hand, so used rotelli, and it was just great.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Ginger-Soy Broiled Salmon

2009-06-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

When I've been working hard all day, I barely want to think about what's for dinner - and I've also usually left the decision to the very last minute. At these times, simplicity is best, and I love a recipe that seems to cook itself!

Ginger-Soy Broiled Salmon
Serves 4

Marinade:
2 T low sodium soy sauce
2 T lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T freshly grated ginger
1/4 C olive oil

4 (6 oz) salmon fillets

Combine marinade ingredients in a glass baking dish and add fish pieces. Cover well and place in fridge for an hour, turning once.

Move fish to a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil until cooked through.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Chocolate-Apricot Bars

2009-06-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

I guess you've figured out by now that I've got a bit of a sweet tooth... OK, maybe more than one! That's why I'm on a perpetual diet. Thankfully, Weight Watchers realizes that most of their clients have at least one sweet tooth, and have come up with some recipes to satisfy without breaking the caloric budget. This recipe for Chocolate-Apricot Bars is one of my favorites:

Chocolate-Apricot Bars
Serves 12

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1.5 C all purpose flour
3 oz (1 C) uncooked quick oats
1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 C reduced calorie tub margarine, well chilled (I use Smart Balance)
2 T chilled water
3/4 C apricot spreadable fruit
2 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Spray a 9" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar and salt. With pastry blender (or 2 knives), cut in margarine and water until mixture is a crumbly dough. Press dough into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden.

Evenly top bar mixture with spreadable fruit and bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in microwave oven on High for 90 seconds, stirring halfway through cooking time. Or, you can use a double boiler on the stove top. Evenly drizzle the chocolate over the cooled apricot bar mixture. Cool completely, then cut into 12 equal squares.

Each Serving Provides:

200 calories
3 g Protein
6 g Fat
25 g Carbohydrate
87 mgs Sodium
0 mgs Cholesterol
1 g Dietary Fiber

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Black Bean Burgers

2009-06-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Marble Man and I are still following our diet plans, as well as attempting to save some cash at the grocery store. Vegetarian meals seem like the best bet for meeting both of those goals. These Jamaican-flavored black bean burgers are really delicious, AND they look like beef burgers on the plate! It's kind of freaky how good they look... and then that first bite is a symphony of flavors. I guarantee, you'll be hooked on them once you try them.

Black Bean Burgers
serves: 8

2 T olive oil
1 1/2 C chopped onion
2 -3 cloves minced garlic
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 C black beans, drained
1 1/2 C cooked rice
a few dashes of tabasco sauce
1 C plain bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
black pepper

Heat 1 T oil and saute the onions, stirring until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, allspice and nutmeg and saute for two more minutes.

Pour into a food processor along with beans, rice, and tobasco sauce. Pulse repeatedly until mixture is chopped, not pureed.

Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Shape into 8 patties and fry in remaining 1 T oil over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side.

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Orange Chicken & Roasted Vidalia Onions

2009-05-31T05:23:00.000-07:00

Life is getting back to normal which, for me, means: "Stop eating comfort foods and go back to your diet!!!" These two recipes are very light and packed with savory flavors.

Roasted Smokey Orange Chicken
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 (5 oz) skinless chicken breast halves
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 C orange marmalade (of the "all fruit" variety)
1-1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Line a shallow baking pan with tin foil. arrange chicken in pan and lightly season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine marmalade, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Mix well and pour over chicken.

Roast for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Roasted Vidalia Onions
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 medium vidalias (2 lbs) peeled and cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 T balsamic vinegar

Arrange onions, flat side down, on jellyroll pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat onions with spray. Sprinkle seasonings over onions. Bake 30 minutes. Turn onions over and bake an additional 25 minutes. Spoon into serving dish and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Baked Oatmeal

2009-05-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love breakfast? And who wouldn't want it made ahead, freezable, and reheatable, too? That's what you'll get with this delicious and easy oatmeal recipe.

Baked Oatmeal
Serves 10
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

5 C rolled oats
4 eggs (or 1 C egg substitute to reduce calories)
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
3/4 C sugar (or Splenda)
2 C skim milk
1 T baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salk
1 large apple, chopped with skins left on
1 C raisins

Put ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into sprayed 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Great warm or cold, drizzled with milk (fat free half and half is even better!)

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

2009-05-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

So far so good on the diet front... In keeping with my newly-found resolve, today's recipe is a vegetable - one so filling it can be considered a light meal.

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms
Serves 4

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 large portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
2-3 large garlic gloves, minced
1 C chopped onion
1 C artichoke hearts, chopped
1 T olive oil
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
1/4 C pine nuts

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add the mushroom caps, flat side own, and saute for a minute or two. Remove the mushrooms to a foil-lined baking pan, leaving onion and garlic in the pan. Add the spinach and artichokes to the pan and saute just to combine flavors. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan and stir to combine.

Spray the unfilled mushrooms with non-stick cooking spray to keep the rims from drying out. Evenly distribute the filling among the four mushrooms and bake 15 minutes.

Have fun playing with the filling ingredients. This week I added 1/2 Cup of Morningstar Farms sausage crumbles (awesome!), and I think some blue cheese or feta would be good too. Let me know what you do with it so I can try it too.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

2009-05-02T19:55:00.002-07:00

Summer’s nearly here, and one of my favorite side dishes is coleslaw – it’s all about the coleslaw. I love it – so creamy, salty, and crunchy. But, I might as well just slather it all over my hips, ‘cuz that’s where it’s heading after I eat it! But, then I was watching Robin Miller’s cooking show on the Food Network one day, and she presented a version I couldn’t resist. It's much lighter, nutritionally, than the traditional recipe, and the flavors explode in your mouth.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw
Serves 6 (1 cup each)

3 T cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ C raisins
¼ C crumbled blue cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 package coleslaw mix

In small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and mustard. Stir in the raisins and the blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the packaged coleslaw mix in a large bowl.

Nutritional information:
Calories: 135
Fat: 8.35 grams
Cholesterol: 4.2 mgs
Sodium: 243.3 mgs
Carbohydrate: 14.5 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Protein: 2.6 grams

This is fabulous with barbecue, pizza, burgers, or anything you can think of – even by itself.

Marble Man once told me he loves when I go on a diet because we eat so well when I do. :)

“My Doctor Done Told Me”…

2009-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

He said I’d have recurring back pain for the rest of my life if I didn’t lose some weight. I started a couple of years ago, and took off 25 pounds – half of what he suggested. Then I got derailed when Pooch got so sick a year and a half ago. Doing all the food prep a diet requires was just too much for me in addition to caring for our terminal friend. So, I found the pounds I lost.

For the past three days, I’ve been hobbling around like an old lady because my back has revolted. Too many cupcakes, not enough bunny food. Add to the mix the fact that North Carolina has just decided to reduce health insurance benefits for state employees who are “seriously obese” (determined by BFI), and it makes sense to take off those clingy extra pounds – all fifty of them. It seems an insurmountable task when I look at the bigger picture. Time to take baby steps… especially since can’t move very fast right now!

I had success the last time I made this vow by combining principles of The South Beach Diet and an older generation of Weight Watchers - no calculating points for me. I cut out a lot of the processed carbohydrates and concentrated on whole grains, lots of fresh veggies, lean meats, and weighing and measuring my portions.

I also resorted to counting calories, something both diet plans eschew. It’s simply a matter of physics: calories in-vs-calories burned determines weight loss. I know for a fact I can pack away a significant number of calories in a day, so I must count them to keep myself honest.

I use Fitday.com, which is a GREAT online journaling site. It takes a bit of time in the beginning. A lot of the foods we eat are not listed in their database, so I had to input all the nutritional info for those. But now, I have a long customized list to choose from each day and tracking my daily intake takes maybe 10 minutes a day. Each morning I plan my food for the day, input it all and the site calculates the caloric value for the day as well as the nutritional distribution for the day.

Here's a fabulous recipe for a high-protein breakfast. We love French toast for breakfast, but now it's off the menu for a while. Here's a substitute - I swear you'll never know the bread is missing!

Faux French Toast
serves 2

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp Splenda
2 tsp butter or margarine (I use Smart Balance)

In small bowl combine the eggs, cheese, vanilla and Splenda. Mix well. Melt butter or margarine in nonstick skillet and pour in cheese mixture. Allow to cook over medium heat until browned on the bottom and the top is no longer runny. Flip and cook the second side until browned. Serve with a tiny drizzle of maple syrup.

All the flavors and texture of French toast without the bread!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Shimp-Pesto Pizza

2009-04-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week, Marble Man and I shook things up good and proper. Usually when we make a pizza, it's loaded with a variety of veggies, and topped with the requisite anchovy fillets. Before you all wrinkle up your faces and say ""EEwww", understand that anchovies are a Northeastern Thing. We love 'em - can't get enough of 'em.

This week, we went with something new. I found a recipe in Southern Living magazine for Shrimp-Pesto Pizza and it sounded amazing. We took it a step further and used a garlic and herb pizza dough from Trader Joe's. Wowiezowie! It was incredible. Each bite was loaded with zingie flavors, and the shrimps were tender and juicy. The original recipe called for grilling the pizza, but we popped ours into a hot oven and it came out great. So, here's the recipe for you:

Shrimp-Pesto Pizza (Southern Living Magazine, Oct 2007)
Serves 2-3

1/2 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 T olive oil, divided
all purpose flour
yellow cornmeal
1 lb fresh pizza dough
1/3 C refrigerated pesto
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Coat cold cooking grate of grill with nonstick cooking spray and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350 degrees (medium heat).

Saute onion, bell pepper, salt, and pepper in 1 T oil in large skillet over med-high heat until tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Sautee sliced shrimp in remaining oil until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Drain well and add shrimp to onion mixture and toss.

Lightly sprinkle flour and cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on baking sheet. Slide dough from baking sheet to cooking grate. Spread pesto evenly over crust, top with shrimp mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Grill, covered with grill lid, 4 minutes. Rotate pizza one quarter turn and grill, covered, 5-6 more minutes until crust is cooked. Serve immediately.

This was our first time trying this recipe, and we made some small changes, which I think worked out well:

Because of the cheese in the pesto, I reduced the Parmesan topping to 1/4 cup, and it was more than adequate.

We heated our oven to 425 degrees and baked the pizza right on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. I think the next time we make it, we'll bake the crust topless for about 5 minutes to keep the pesto from making it too soggy.

I hope you'll try this!

Crepes Suzette

2009-04-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

We had such a lovely meal for our anniversary last weekend, including crepes Suzette, that I wanted to share this SUPER-easy Weight Watchers recipe with you. I love when dessert can be considered good for the body. Don’t you?

The crepes can be made in advance and frozen for future use. To freeze them, stack the cooled crepes, using a layer of wax paper between each to separate. Finish the stack with a piece of wax paper, and you can roll the stack into a tube. Wrap the whole thing in a Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze until needed. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

Crepes Suzette:
Makes 4 servings, 2 crepes each

Crepes:
1 C skim milk
¾ C all purpose flour
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 T unsalted margarine (I use Smart Balance)
1 T granulated sugar
1 C orange juice
¼ C thawed frozen concentrated orange juice
2 T orange liqueur

To prepare the crepes: In blender container, combine milk, flour and eggs. Process until smooth. Let stand about 15 minutes to allow bubbles to subside.

Lightly spray 6 skillet or crepe pan with nonstick spray and heat. Pour ¼ C batter into pan and quickly swirl to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Cook over med-high heat about 30 seconds until the top looks dry. Carefully turn the pancake over and cook a few more seconds. Slide crepe onto a plate and repeat until you’ve made 8 crepes.

To prepare the sauce: In 12” nonstick skillet melt margarine. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in juice, thawed concentrate, and liqueur and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

To finish the dish: Add one crepe to skillet, coating both sides with sauce. Fold crepe in half, then again to create a triangle shape. Slide to the side of the skillet and repeat with remaining crepes. Serve immediately.

Nutritional info:
Per serving (2 crepes)
286 calories
8 grams protein
9 grams fat
40 grams carbohydrate
106 grams calcium
68 mgs sodium
138 mgs cholesterol

Happy Easter and Good Pesach, Everyone!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

HOW Many Years Has It Been?!?

2009-04-06T13:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a big celebration for Marble Man and me. We unplugged for the entire day... that's right, we turned off the tv AND the computer (Whaaaat?). We spent the day being together, and being quiet. It was lovely. Oh.... right, and it was our wedding anniversary: twenty-two years ago we made it official.

"How did you celebrate", you ask? With food of course! We're serious foodies - what better way to say "I love you" than with fabulous flavors?

Marble Man did the shopping this week, so he picked up his version of surf 'n' turf: baby lamb chops and humongous sea scallops served over sauteed pea shoots.

"Hurry up and take the picture already!"

For dessert: Crepes Suzette (Sorry no pictures, we snarfed 'em up too fast for the shutter to click!)

And for Afters: Rum Runners. If you've never been to Florida, you probably haven't heard of these frozen concoctions. They're lethal! We were in The Sunshine State for our honeymoon and after tasting one of these drinks, we rapidly realized we had to limit ourselves to ONE per night. We were totally blotto. We had so much fun that we made them at home:

Florida rum Runner
Makes one drink

1.5 oz rum
1 oz blackberry brandy
1 oz banana liqueur
1.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz grenadine syrup
crushed ice

Mix in blender until ice is slushy.

Serve while frozen in a collins glass. Insert straw and pour 151 rum down the straw. That first hit's a doozy!

Here's to another 20 years with you, Marble Man... my best friend, and the love of my life.

Orange Flax Seed Bran Muffins

2009-04-05T04:45:00.000-07:00

Back in my South Beach Diet days, I collected many high fiber, flavor-filled recipes. This one is a hit in our house. All of the ingredients are available at Whole Foods. Just a note about ground flax seed: be sure to store it in the freezer. Once the seeds are ground, they go rancid VERY quickly!

Orange Flax Seed Bran Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Makes 22-24 muffins

1 C oat bran
1 C flour (I use ½ C each of all purpose and whole wheat flours)
1 C ground flax seed
1 C wheat bran
1 T baking powder
½ tsp salt

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.

2 whole navel oranges, rinsed and cut into pieces (with peel!)
1 C brown sugar
1 C buttermilk (or 1 C milk + 1¾ tsp cream of tartar. Combine and let sit for 5 min before using)
½ C canola oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda

Place orange pieces in a blender and grind them up first, then add the rest of this group of ingredients to the blender and whiz together. Add orange mixture to the dry ingredients and blend well. Add 1½ C dried fruit (raisins or cranberries are fantastic in this).

Fill paper-lined muffin cups nearly to the top (the muffins don’t rise much at all). Bake 1-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (They will be very moist muffins when baked.) Cool in tins for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Yields about 22-24 muffins, depending on how full you make the tins before baking. Guaranteed they won’t last long!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Peach Salsa

2009-03-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

Since starting to post recipes, I've mostly shared my favorite main dishes. We often have interesting sides with our meals, and this is a favorite. It's super easy and fast, and goes very well with meats. Heck, it's good all by itself!

Peach salsa
prep time: 5 minutes
serves 4

2 (15 oz) cans peaches in juice, drained and chopped
2 green onions with tops, thinly slices
2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T lime juice
1/4 tsp Asian Five Spice Powder
2 tsp garlic chile paste
1/8 tsp white pepper

In medium bowl, combine the peaches, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Mix in the spice powder, chile paste, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Just a note: 2 full tsp of the garlic chile paste is enough to blow the roof off. While I like a nice fiery dish, this recipe had Marble Man on his knees and crying for his Momma. So, you might want to start with a little less and see how you like it - you can always add more.

Enjoy!

In the summertime this is great with fresh peaches instead of canned.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Turkey-Stuffed Cabbage

2009-03-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Because of St Patrick’s Day last week, cabbage heads were 39 cents at the grocery store. I’m no dummy – that’s a lot of cabbage for not much lettuce! I love stuffed cabbage rolls, but don’t think to make them very often. We had them this week and oh, boy, they were goooooood.

Turkey-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Tangy Red Sauce
Serves 6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

12 large cabbage leaves

Filling:
1 pound lean ground turkey
¾ C cooked rice
½ C finely chopped onion
½ C finely chopped carrots
1 egg, beaten
1 T lemon juice
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ C milk

Sauce:
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 T sugar
2 T vinegar
½ C water
2 T cornstarch mixed with ¼ C cold water

Drop cabbage leaves into boiling water, cover and cook 3 minutes. Drain well. For filling, combine ground turkey, rice, onion, carrots, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well and divide into 12 portions. Place one portion in each cabbage leaf and roll up around filling. Place in a baking dish. For sauce, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and ½ C and pour over cabbage rolls in baking dish. Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Remove rolls from pan and transfer the juices to a saucepan. Place over medium heat. Stir cornstarch and water mixture into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir until thickened. Pour over rolls and serve.

Kale and White Bean Soup

2009-03-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

Even though the grape hyacinth, daffodils, and camellias are in full-out flower here, the temperatures tanked this week into the low 40's and it's been raining for days. Spring is trying hard, but Winter's still got us in her nasty grip. This is a perfect weekend for my favorite lo-cal, flavorful and filling soup:

Kale and White Bean Soup
Serves: a LOT!

1 pound kale, washed, stems and hard center veins removed
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 T olive oil
4 C water
2 C chicken or vegetable stock
2 14.5 oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
tobasco sauce (optional)

Cut the kale into 1 inch strips. In large saucepan, heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; cook until the onions are softened (about 5 min). Add 1 can of the beans and lightly mash them with a fork. Add the water and stock, and bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and remaining can of beans. Salt and pepper to taste, partially cover and simmer until the kale is tender, about 20 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan. Adding a few drops of tobasco sauce gives the soup a nice zing on a cold day.

You can have fun with this recipe. For example, after we ravaged the Christmas ham, I added the bone to a batch of this soup I was cooking up.

I usually double the batch and freeze it in individual servings. The soup freezes exceptionally well.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Light Chicken Parmesan

2009-03-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

How often have you ordered Chicken Parmesan in a restaurant only to find the chicken is rubbery and stringy, and the breading is soggy and drenched with sauce? Yuck. Here’s a version that guarantees the breading will be crispy and light, and the chicken will be moist and tender. And it will wind up being so light in calories that your return trip for seconds will be guilt-free!

There are two major changes from traditional preparation to this version:
1) The breaded chicken is baked in the oven instead of fried, and
2) this recipe calls for using panko crumbs instead of traditional bread crumbs. You can see the difference between the two in this photo:

The panko has much larger crumbs, making for a nice crunchy crust. Panko is widely available now in supermarkets, as well as Asian markets. If you can’t find it, you can use traditional bread crumbs, but the texture of the breading will have a more delicate texture.

Light Chicken Parmesan
serves 6

1½ C panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 T olive oil
1 oz Parmesan cheese (about ½ C), plus extra for serving
½ C all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
salt and ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 T water
cooking spray
3 large chicken breasts, 8 oz ea, trimmed of fat & cut in half horizontally into cutlets
2 C pasta sauce, warmed
3 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, about ¾ C
1 T minced fresh basil

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Combine the panko and oil in a 12” skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often until golden – about 10 minutes. Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow baking dish and cool slightly. When cool, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic, 1 T salt and ½ tsp pepper. In a 3rd dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

Put a wire rack in a shallow baking pan and spray the rack with cooking spray.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour, spank off the excess, then dip into the egg white, and finally coat with the panko crumbs. Lay the chicken on the wire rack. Spray the tops of the breaded chicken with cooking spray. Bake until the chicken feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Spoon 2 T of spaghetti sauce onto the center of each cutlet and top the sauce with 2 T of the mozzarella cheese. Return the pan to the oven and cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing extra sauce and Parmesan cheese separately.

You'll find you can apply this panko breading technique to other recipes as well. Last weekend I breaded tilapia with it, adding in some more savory spices to the dredging flour, and it was GREAT!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Artichoke and Chick Pea Pasta

2009-03-01T05:46:00.001-08:00

With frugality being the operative word these days, I've been trying to use up ingredients that I've bought and stored in the pantry "just in case". I open the door and pull out three random ingredients and make a meal with them. Sometimes it's a good experience, and other times, well... not so much. This time was a big hit. The three main ingredients were:

frozen artichokes
a can of chick peas, and
a box of whole wheat rotini pasta.

Artichoke and Chick Pea Pasta
Serves 4

4 C cooked whole wheat pasta (reserve ½ C pasta cooking liquid)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2-3 T olive oil
12 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 C white wine
juice of 1 lemon
6-8 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and sliced
1 can of chickpeas, drained
3 T capers, drained
¼ C pine nuts, toasted
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
4 oz goat cheese (I used herbed cheese)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

While pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan sauté the onions and mushrooms in 2 T of olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent and mushrooms are soft. Add the artichokes, garlic, wine, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced. Scoop out ½ C of pasta water and add to the saucepan, along with the sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, capers, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, until tomatoes and chickpeas are warmed through. Add pasta and toss with sauce. After serving, add 1 oz goat cheese to each plate and sprinkle with pine nuts. Add Parmesan if desired.

**Note: I made this without the goat cheese at first and it was merely "OK". When I added the goat cheese the second night, we both wished there was enough for seconds! The cheese added a wonderfully complex layer of flavor.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Risotto With Saffron & Shrimp

2009-02-22T04:40:00.000-08:00

While Marble Man’s away, I decided I didn’t want to do so much cooking. I’m concentrating on one-dish meals. This one is very hearty, full of flavor, and is very easy as well:

Risotto With Saffron And Shrimp
serves 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: approximately 30 minutes

3½ C low-sodium chicken broth
½ C warm water
Pinch saffron
1 tsp olive oil
½ C finely chopped shallots
7 oz Arborio or other short grain rice
1 C white wine
12 oz shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved, cross-wise
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

In medium saucepan bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until ready to use.

In small bowl, combine water and saffron and set aside.

In separate non-stick saucepan, heat oil and add shallots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat. Continue to stir and cook 1 additional minute. Add wine and 1 cup of the simmering broth. Cook, stirring frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in saffron and water mixture and ½ C of broth. Cook, stirring frequently until liquid is absorbed. Add all but ½ C of the broth, ½ C at a time stirring frequently after each addition until liquid has been absorbed.

Add the shrimp and the remaining ½ C of broth. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes until shrimp are pink and rice mixture is creamy. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Nutritional info for each serving:
330 calories
5 g total fat
87 mgs cholesterol
218 mgs sodium
54 g carbohydrate
1 g dietary fiber
19 g protein
76 mg calcium
~~
*Note: You can play with the ingredients for this recipe.

If you don’t have shallots, you can use ½ C chopped onion and a couple of cloves of chopped garlic.

Asparagus would be very good in it, or use your imagination and let me know what you did!

Enjoy. :-)

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Apple Crisp

2009-02-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

One of the many diets I've been on is the South Beach Diet. It's probably the BEST one I've experienced, being the easiest to maintain. ( Over time, I became lazy and stopped paying attention to what I was cramming into my face.) Today's recipe is one I gleaned from the Prevention.com South Beach message board many years ago. It seems like it has a lot of fat in it, but I make it very often, and STILL lose weight!

Apple Crisp
serves 4
preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 medium-sized tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C rolled oats
1/4 C oat flour (place 1/4 C rolled oats in a blender to make this)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2.5 T + 3/8 C Splenda, divided
1/2 C Smart Balance buttery spread
1 T cinnamon
2 T water

Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Place apples in a large bowl with nutmeg, cinnamon, water, and 3/8 C Splenda. Toss until apples are well-coated and transfer to casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, 2.5 T Splenda, and oat flour. Add Smart Balance and work together with your fingers until combined.

*Note: this will seem like a sticky mess and you'll think something has gone horribly wrong. Don't worry - it will be delicious and crunchy at the end. Place this oat mixture on top of the apples.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes. Top should be golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

And, as Charmaine of High Desert Diva commented, this is wonderful the next day for breakfast. Not as crisp, but still good.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Black Bean & Turkey Chili With Golden Raisin & Rosemary Muffins

2009-02-01T05:48:00.001-08:00

What’s more iconic to serve on Superbowl Sunday than chili and cornbread? Well, I’ve got a lean, yet delicious, version of chili here using black beans and ground turkey. You can go with the usual cornbread on the side, but how about trying some Golden Raisin and Rosemary Muffins instead? They are light, savory, and slightly sweet at the same time.

Black Bean, Turkey, & Corn Chili
Serves 6

1 T vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 T ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper
2¼ tsp garlic powder
1 ¾ C chicken broth
1 C chunky salsa
1 T sugar
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over med-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, and spices. Cook until turkey is well browned, stirring frequently to break up the meat.

Stir in the broth, salsa, sugar, beans and corn . Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Golden Raisin and Rosemary Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1¾ C all purpose flour
¼ C sugar
1 T baking powder
¾ tsp salt
¾ C skim milk
¾ C golden raisins
2-3 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1/3 C cooking oil
1 egg, lightly beaten

In small saucepan, heat milk, raisins and rosemary at a simmer for 2 minutes. (It will look curdled, but this is OK.) Add cooking oil and cool slightly. Add in beaten egg.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add milk and raisin mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

Divide evenly in greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove from pan, and serve warm.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup & Cornbread

2009-01-25T05:12:00.000-08:00

We have a diner in town, and on it's menu is "Creamy Tomato With Basil Soup". They serve it with a nice chunk of cornbread and a small salad. A Perfect Cold-Weather Lunch... until you realize how buttery the cornbread is, and that they used REAL cream in the soup. Oh yes, it's delicious with a capital "D" (which rhymes with " T " which stands for "Tubby"). I might as well have slathered it onto my hips, 'cuz that's where it landed once I ate it!

Shortly after my taste buds fell head-over-heels-in-love with this soup, I joined Weight Watchers. I bought one of their cookbooks titled "Quick Meals, in 30 minutes or less". In it was my beloved Creamy Tomato With Basil Soup! The result was so close to the diner version, I couldn't tell the difference. Each spoonful is a little Flavor Bomb of goodness. ♩ ♩ ♫ ♬ (That's the sound of my taste buds humming)

The accompanying cornbread recipe I use is my mother's, and I'm passing it on to you.

Creamy Tomato With Basil Soup
Makes 4 servings

2 tsp olive oil
1 C chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
4 fl. oz. (1/2 C) dry white wine
2 C tomato puree
12 oz evaporated skimmed milk
1/2 C packed fresh basil leaves, slivered
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Cook over medium heat, about 3 min., until onion is softened. Add wine and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine is evaporated. Add tomato puree to the onion mixture and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk, basil, salt, and pepper. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

Cornbread
serves 8

1 C cornmeal
1 C flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 C skimmed milk
4 T melted shortening (I use canola oil)

Sift together meal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add beaten egg and milk to make a stiff batter. Add shortening, until light and thoroughly mixed. Pour into a shallow, greased pan (an iron skillet is perfect for this). Bake 25 minutes.

The only nutritional info I have is for the soup:

188 calories
2 gr fat
4 mgs cholesterol
909 mgs sodium
29 gr carbohydrate
4 gr fiber
10 grams protein

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Birthday Wishes for Marble Man

2009-01-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Today is Marble Man's birthday. We generally don't do birthday gifts, just make a spectacular meal that will render us comatose by the end of the evening. 26 years-worth of tradition here - we're not letting a little thing like a diet get in the way!

Tonight's menu:

Fillet Mignon
roasted sweet potatoes
celery root and apple puree
velvet cupcakes

The cupcake recipe is actually for RED velvet cupcakes, which I've made in the past. Marble Man would snarf them up as fast as I could frost them. Then he saw the recipe and goggled. He got a bit freaked out by the tablespoon-and-a-half of red food coloring. In his mind, we're only supposed to use a few drops at a time, so this recipe is gonna kill us.

To appease him, I'm leaving out the food coloring. Since the recipe calls for cocoa powder, I thought I'd replace the food coloring with espresso, and make them mocha velvet cupcakes. They should come out ok, since I'm keeping the liquid proportions the same as the original recipe.

The celery root puree recipe is one I tried at Thanksgiving, but I cut waaaaay back on the butter and cream. I think there's a direct correlation between the size of Ina Garten (of the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa) and the amount of these two ingredients found throughout her recipes! So, I used just enough to create moisture, and some flavor. The results were phenomenal. Who could imagine a vegetable this ugly could make something that delicious?

These days, it seems like the only real creative time I've gotten has been in the kitchen. I don't mind. I love to cook, and I am paying closer attention to portions and substituting healthier ingredients for the old favorites of butter, cream, and sugar. Today is no different - I'll be spending the better part of the afternoon mixing up this feast for my guy.

Make a wish and take a deep breath, Sweetheart. Time to blow out all those candles.

Salmon Cakes

2009-01-16T16:20:00.001-08:00

My recipe for salmon cakes, is an adaptation of an old Weight Watchers recipe for Maryland Crab Cakes. I love crab, but who can afford it? One day I had some leftover cooked salmon fillets in the fridge and decided to use it in this recipe. It was fantastic. Now, when Marble Man sees salmon in the meat drawer, he does a little happy dance 'cuz he knows these cakes are in his future.

Salmon Cakes
Makes 4 servings

1 pound salmon, cooked and flaked
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp canola oil
3 oz bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
1/4 C low fat or skim milk
2 T + 2 tsp reduced calorie mayonnaise
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
3 T all-purpose flour
1 T+1 tsp reduced calorie tub margarine (I use Smart Balance)
2 1/2 C mixed green lettuce leaves

In skillet, combine onion, garlic, and oil. Sautee until translucent.

In large bowl, combine salmon, onion mixture, bread crumbs, milk, mayonnaise, parsley, salt, and white pepper. With moistened hands, form into 8 small patties. Refrigerate 1 hour.

On a shallow plate, spread flour. Lightly dust each cake on both sides - give them a little spanking to shake off the excess.

In large skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Cook cakes 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp. Line serving plate with greens and arrange cakes on top.

The nutritional information I have is for the original crab recipe.

Each serving (2 cakes):
257 calories
27 grams protein
8 grams fat
19 grams carbohydrate
800 mgs sodium
118 mgs cholesterol
1 gram fiber

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Cheesecake

2009-01-10T21:01:00.001-08:00

One night last week we kicked back after dinner and, as we enjoyed our postprandial bliss, Marble Man looked me straight in the eye. He asked, “So Honey, how 'bout some cheesecake for dessert?” My pulse was racing, my brain was screaming, “we have CHEESECAKE?!?”. Then I caught a twinkling look in his eye which one only recognizes after spending 26 years together. And I knew I was about to fail The Test. Instead, I told him, calmly, “no thank you, Sweetheart, I’m on a diet”. And we laughed because we both knew how close I’d come to ransacking the kitchen to look for that damned mythical, diet-busting confection. After pondering this event, I remembered lessons I’d learned in Weight Watcher’s meetings many moons ago: if you really enjoy something, go ahead and have a couple of bites, put your fork down, and move on.

I’ve had this recipe for years - just forgot it was in my cookbook. I used to watch Giada De Laurentiis’ show on the Food Network, called Everyday Italian. I loved this show – she’s engaging, perky without being too annoying, and she was all business when it came to cooking. Then, inexplicably, the camera started to concentrate more on closeups of her impressive cleavage (cleaving heavage?) than on the food preparation. I lost interest. BUT, I did come away with the instructions to make these wonderful treats:

Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1/3 C finely crushed chocolate wafers (I use chocolate graham crackers)
2 T butter, melted
¼ C ricotta cheese, part skim
2 oz cream cheese, low fat
¼ C sugar, plus 2 T
1 orange, zested
1 egg
butter for greasing
Special equipment: mini muffin tin, lightly greased.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the 2 T melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each muffin cup and press down firmly.

In a food processor combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, ¼ C of the sugar, half the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Fill the cups with about 1½ T of the cheesecake mixture. Place the muffin tin in a baking dish and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake 25 minutes. Transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.

Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 T of sugar. Top each cheesecake with about ¼ teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Nutritional info:
Serving size: 2 cakes

152 calories
7.6 grams fat (3.6 grams saturated fat)
53.8 mg cholesterol
95 mgs sodium
17.4 grams carbohydrate
3 grams protein

I guarantee, if you make these for company, or bring them to a potluck supper, people will beg you for the recipe! You might want to make extra.

So, I say, "Sure,Honey, let's have cheesecake for dessert tonight".

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Quinoa

2009-01-04T07:12:00.001-08:00

Now that the cookie orgy is over, I've been going through old recipes I've collected over my (many) years of weight loss efforts. I thought it would be fun to post a different recipe each week: this'll make sure I keep things fresh in my mind, as well as on our plates. Marble Man always says "I love when you go on a diet! We get great stuff to eat." I'll be concentrating on foods rich in whole grains and nutrition. I hope you'll find it interesting, and maybe even helpful.

Today's recipe:

Quinoa pilaf

Prep time: 40 minutes

1 C quinoa
1 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T pine nuts
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 T golden raisins
2 C vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa with cold water and drain well.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, pine nuts and red pepper and cook over medium heat until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add sweet potato, raisins and quinoa and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in broth and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve at once.

Serves 6 (recipe makes about 5.5 cups)

Note: this recipe is remarkably versatile:
*If you don't like sweet potato, try substituting acorn squash.
*If red peppers are too expensive, or you just don't have any, try chopped portobello mushrooms instead.
*Dark raisins work just as well as golden.

If you are unfamiliar with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), you can find more about it here.

I hope you try this wonderful recipe. It's delicious!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Marble Man's Cure-All;

2008-12-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked for the recipe for Marble Man's "special tea". OK, confession time: this is not something he came up with. I told him how to make it for me and he did a bang-up job. He comes from a long line of tee-totalers (but it was remarkably easy to corrupt him!). When I feel cruddy from a cold, and don't want to take Nyquil during the day, I make this tea remedy and it really helps:

1.5 ounces bourbon, whiskey, or brandy
lemon
2 tsp honey
neutral-flavored tea (Lipton's or Twining's English Breakfast are best for this)

Add hot water, steep, and drink it up while it's hot. Repeat until you can no longer sit up straight :-) Guaranteed, you'll get some good naps in!

It's Beginning to Smell A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

I've been in a baking frenzy these past few days, which is crazy 'cuz it's just Marble Man and me this time around. Still, the cookies are flying out of the oven, the fruitcakes are beckoning, and the gingerbread houses are ready for habitation. Soon to come: Julekake (Norwegian Christmas Bread)... and even MORE cookies! Mmmmmm.

The fruitcakes I make are not the running jokes being passed from house to house, year after year.

My recipe came from an old family friend, a lovely Frenchwoman named Idalette Baker. I remember being a small child, hanging about in her Country French-styled kitchen while she prepared the 7 course meals she'd serve guests for dinner. Although she didn't have children at that point in her life, she treated me as though I had something valuable to contribute at the tender age of seven. She taught me subtle lessons in the kitchen that I observed as pure fun at the time, and still use today.

One night, she served her wonderful fruitcake and, after tasting it, I begged for the recipe (which she had to convert from metric for me). She happily shared it and I treasure it, as now she's gone. It's so darned rich with butter and sugar (and the only rum in it comes from soaking the raisins before it all goes together) that I make it rarely. But when I do, boy do we enjoy it!

Our favorite Christmas cookies also require a heap of butter (God, I feel my butt growing wider as I type this post!). I asked Marble Man to tell me his two top faves, and I picked my two. His: Checkerboard Cookies, and Chocolate Crinkles; and mine: Walnut Crescents and Peanut Butter. So far, I've made one for each of us.

MM got his Chocolate Crinkles

and my (unbelievable - no flour!) Peanut Butter cookies are in the freezer so I can take out one per day.

The Peanut Butter Cookies are truly amazing - and would be great for anyone with wheat and gluten allergies. (Nut allergies? Sorry, can't help you there.) They require just four ingredients: peanut butter, egg, sugar and vanilla - that's it!

After mixing the batter, I rolled them into spheres

and flattened them with some beautiful cookie stamps

If you don't have stamps, you can oil the bottom of a glass and use that instead, or use the bottom of the PB jar - then you get that nice recycling symbol on the cookie tops! :-) . They are light, delicious, and anyone tasting one would never believe the absence of flour.

I think the ones with the thistle design taste the best - it's my favorite stamp.

Unfortunately, a few of the Ya'ya's got sick this week (guilty as charged), so we postponed the holiday party with the planned gingerbread hi-jinx. By this afternoon, I was feeling a little better, and tackled the gingerbread house project on my own. I'd already told our neighbors that I'd be making the houses, so they're expecting them. I can't disappoint small children at Christmastime! Luckily, the kits I bought had the house components already made - all I needed to do was make the royal icing and stick on the candies. Oh yeah, and melt the Jolly Ranchers to make windows and ponds.

They came out pretty well for a first-time project. We'll take them over tomorrow morning and present them to the kiddles.

Then, it's back to the sweatshop, uh, I mean, the kitchen.

Blueberry Corn Muffins

2008-07-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Corn Muffins:

Makes 12
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1-1/3 C all-purpose white flour
2/3 C yellow cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 C blueberries, washed and stemmed
1 egg
2/3 C skim milk
1/2 C honey
3 T vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar

Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the blueberries and toss to coat with flour mixture.

In smaller bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the milk, honey, and oil, whisking until well combined.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do NOT over-mix!

Divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake 18-22 minutes, until risen and golden. Turn onto a baking rack to cool.

169 calories
4 grams fat
143 mg sodium
18 mgs cholesterol

Note: If using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them. Just rinse off ice crystals and pat dry. Toss separately with 3 T of the flour and stir in after liquid is added.

**These muffins go stale very quickly, but then taste fabulous cut in half, toasted, and spread with some sweet butter.

The Incredible Lightness of Being (Bread)

2008-04-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to report The Great Sourdough Debacle is at an end. I went back to the directions that came with the starter, and found I'd been skipping an important step during the feeding process. I'd been giving the starter it's weekly rations of flour and water, then popping it right back into the fridge. I forgot the step of leaving it out for a couple of hours to get good and bubbly. After it has a good burp, then I'm supposed to park it back in the fridge. I fed it several times this week to build it back up again, and... Voila! A couple of gorgeous, light, well-risen loaves. They're baking as I type (Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP!). This weekend: sourdough pancakes. How many do you want?

As I made the bread today, I took the time to really enjoy the zen of the process. I made the sponge last night so it could do it's thing. When I woke up, I peeked under the towel and felt thrilled by how much it had grown, and the smell! God, the smell. Pure heaven. Now for the fun part: As I mix in the final ingredients, I watch my new KitchenAid mixer do all that muscle work I used to resent. Technology working for me. Yay! Then, I turn the dough out onto the floured counter and get down to kneading. I love the feel of the dough, silky and elastic, as I turn and press. I know it's alive under my hands - I can see bubbles coming to the surface with each turn. After it's risen and been divided, I pop it into the oven and the exquisite torture of smelling freshly baking bread sets in.

I don't take the time to enjoy getting from Point A to Point B very often. So many things in life are on autopilot these days. I need to remember to find roses on each of life's paths and take the time to smell them. Especially if they smell like bread.

Bread or Doorstop?

2008-03-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, MarbleMan gave me a bit of sourdough starter from a 250 year-old batch he'd found through a catalog. Mmmmmmmm. The first several batches of bread were fantastic! Great crumb, easy recipe (found on-line), and it made wonderful French toast when a few days old. But lately, something's gone awry. I can't figure it out. The starter bubbles nicely when fed, the sponge is very light and bubbly, but after kneading, these last two batches of loaves refused to rise, and they came out so dense they were actually hard to slice. Now today, I'm baking another batch and I think they'll make fabulous doorstops. This week I'll try feeding it a few times to strengthen the starter. Then I think it's time to go back to basics to see what happens when I make a plain recipe - no whole wheat, no raisins, olives, or any other additives.

The good news is that since I'm on a perpetual diet, no sourdough in the house will help me out a lot. Bread is my nemesis - I can never have just one slice. And it calls my name at 3 in the morning, whispering "Yoooo-hoooooo. I taste really good toasted and spread with butter and honey". Or maybe that's MarbleMan calling... :)