Wheat Berry-Chick Pea Stew

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

Chicken W / Mushrooms & Swiss Cheese

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

Bratwurst and Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

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

Spicy Blue Cheeseburgers

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.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Fra Diavolo Sauce and Pasta

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

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?

Black Bean Burgers

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

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?

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

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?

“My Doctor Done Told Me”…

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

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!

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Turkey-Stuffed Cabbage

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.

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Light Chicken Parmesan

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

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

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?

Black Bean & Turkey Chili With Golden Raisin & Rosemary Muffins

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

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 flax egg (1 T ground flax seed + 3 T water: let sit 10 min before using)
1 1/2 C skimmed milk
2 T melted shortening (I use canola oil)
2 T applesauce

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.

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

 Cornbread:
164 calories
4 gr fat
1 gr cholesterol
26 gr carbohydrate
5 gr protein
30 gr sodium

copyright 2009 What's Cooking?

Salmon Cakes

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?