Watermelon Feta Salad.

This is one delish salad.  Even if you don't think you like fruit in your salad - you will love this.  I can't take credit for it - I got the recipe from Publix Apron's Simple Meals.

Here's your ingredient list:

• 4 oz feta cheese (I used crumbled so I wouldn't have to cut it up)
• 2 lb watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces
• 8 oz grape tomatoes (cut in half)
• 3 tblsp olive oil
• 2 tspn white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tspn of salt
• 3 cups arugula
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onions (I sliced and the roughly chopped mine)

Whisk the oil, vinegar and salt together and set aside.

Place the arugula, onions, and tomatoes in a salad bowl.

Add vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Add cheese and watermelon.

Toss and serve.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers.  So, while I try to cook healthy food for the family - we have 2 nights off.  One night is always pizza night (not a health food) and the other is a healthier version of something.  This is a healthier version of stuffed peppers.  It is very good and you won't even realize that you are "missing something".  This recipe is supposed to serve 4 - however, in my house it made dinner for 4 with leftovers.

Here's your ingredient list:

• 4 bell peppers - any color that you like
• Oil spray
• 8 oz spicy Italian chicken sausage (I could not find that in my store so I used hot Italian turkey sausage)
• 4 sliced green onions
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 2 cups marinara sauce (jarred or home-made)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

The recipe that I am quoting says to dice your sausage after it is cooked.  I removed it from the casing then broke it up and cooked it.

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.  While the oven is heating, halve your peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and membrane.  Place them in a roasting pan cavity side up and spray them with oil.

Get out a large bowl and mix together the sausage, green onions, oregano, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Fill the peppers with the sausage and rice mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the peppers are tender (I actually baked mine for 35 minutes).

Serve a lovely salad on the side and you are all set for a fab dinner.

If you have any questions - let me know.

Happy eating

K

Pork Medallions with Pears and Quinoa.  I recently made this for the family and everyone loved it although a few chose not to eat the pears.  It is a delicious meal that is low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  As listed this is said to serve 4; however, in our house 4 had dinner and there were leftovers.  We started with a salad.

Here is your ingredient list:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch thick slices
• 4 sliced green onions
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced (I cut 8 wedges from each pear)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tsp fennel seeds (I don't like fennel so I did not use this ingredient).

Start cooking the quinoa according to label directions

Press the pork slices with your palm to flatten them a bit.

Sprinkle the pork with some salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet on medium-high and add the oil until heated.  Add the pork and cook until browned on both sides (5-6 minutes).  Transfer the pork to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the fennel seeds to the skillet cooking for 30 seconds while stirring.  Add the green onions, 1/3 cup of water, and garlic - cook for 1 minute while stirring.  Add the pears and lemon juice (and salt to taste).  Cook for 2-4 minutes until the pears begin to soften.

Return the pork to the pan along with any juices and cook 3-6 minutes until the pork is done.

To plate - spoon some quinoa onto the middle of the plate and top with the pork and pear mixture.  You can garnish with more green onions if you like.

Happy eating

K

Hi friends!!  Here is a quick, easy, and healthy meal that is really tasty.  It's a great recipe for a night that you don't really feel like cooking.  We are talking chicken and herbs with carrot risotto (serves 4).

Here's your ingredient list:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 medium carrots 
• EVOO
• 8 oz orzo (I love orzo)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use home-made)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can purchase bone in and skin on and remove those things for your stockpot) cut into cubes
• 1/3 cup white wine (I use chardonnay - remember, never cook with a wine that you wouldn't drink)
• 2 tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley.

You need to finely chop your garlic and get your carrots into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.  I throw them in the blender.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium high heat - add orzo and cook for a couple of minutes until it has browned.  Add the carrot and garlic and stir.  Pour in 2 1/4 cups broth and some salt (if you want it - I cook with very little salt so did not add any).  Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer it over low heat around 12 minutes (until orzo is at your desired texture).

While the orzo is simmering - season your chicken with the thyme, coriander, and some salt and pepper (again, I did not use any salt).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high and add the chicken - cook until browned on all sides.  Remove the chicken to a plate and sprinkle with your parsley.

Add the wine and remaining broth to the skilled and boiled until reduced to 1/3 cup (1-2 minutes).

Taste the orzo and adjust seasoning.

To serve, place orzo on plate then some chicken and spoon the pan juice over the chicken.

If you have any questions - let me know.

Happy eating,

K

A true gourmet meal at home

Hi friends - it's been a long time.  I am going to tell you about an ab fab meal I made for dinner at home today that is high end restaurant worthy.  I'm not gonna lie - this is not anything near "heart healthy" or "figure friendly"; but remember when I said that some things shouldn't be messed with?  Well this is one of those  - a "special occasion" meal.

Herb crusted loin lamb chops with roasted asparagus, potatoes, and mushroom gravy.  I'm going to break up everything into cooking segments and then tell you how I managed to get everything to the table at the same time.  This is a long one - so get a cocktail, sit down, and dig in.

INGREDIENT LISTS and COOKING INSTRUCTIONS for 4 servings:

4 Loin lamb chops (one chop her person - they are small but the sides make for a full meal)

• 4 loin lamb chops (1 inch thick)
• 4 cloves of garlic pressed
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (lightly crushed)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (lightly crushed)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix your herbs, seasoning, and oil - rub the mixture onto your chop and let them marinate for 30-60 minutes.

I cooked mine on an indoor grill - you can also pan fry or grill outside.  Cook your chops for 6-8 minutes per side (depending on your taste).  That's it - they're done.  Place them on a platter, cover with foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Roasted asparagus

• 1-1.5 lbs asparagus
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Trim the asparagus and lay them out on a baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven anywhere from 15-25 minutes (the timing depends on the thickness of the asparagus).

Potatoes

This category has lots of wiggle room.  I roasted mine in a garlic butter sauce.  You can make your own version of roasted potatoes or make mashed or not make potatoes at all and serve a salad instead.

Mushroom gravy

• 8-16 oz fresh mushrooms (sliced) - I used cremini - you can use whatever you have or like
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1.5 cups cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderately low heat, add the garlic and cook until it is a pale golden color. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add the mushrooms and soy sauce and saute the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown.

Add the wine and vinegar and boil the mixture until the liquid is evaporated.  Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the skillet along with the sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stir, and simmer for 2-5 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.  That's it, you're done.

Here is how I did it

1.  Chopped, minced, and measured out all ingredients for all recipes.

2.  Set the oven to preheat, prepared the potatoes and asparagus then started the mushroom gravy. Put the potatoes in the oven.

3.  Set my grill to preheat, put the asparagus in the oven and finished the gravy (set the gravy aside on a low flame).

4.  Grilled the chops while everything else was going on.  While the chops were resting, I brought everything else to the table.

It was a really delicious meal.  I know loin lamb chops are very expensive (that's why this is the first time I've had them in many years) but this meal is so worth the expense and so much more inexpensive to make at home.  I think (not based on my cooking skill - just based on restaurant prices in general) this meal would probably go for something like $28 a plate and I made the whole thing to serve 4 for less than that.

If something is not clear or you have a question, message me.

Happy eating

K

Chicken Saltimbocca - DELISH!

Sorry to have gone missing for so long.  I have been experimenting with the New Year New Us recipes and have discovered that some things are better left untampered with.  If you want a lovely slice of quiche once every couple of months - go for it - cream, whole eggs, and all.  I made a "healthier" version and it was disgusting.  Same for a bunch of things I tried making healthier.  My poor family was ready to throw me out LOL.

I found an absolutely amazing chicken saltimbocca recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis.  It is diet friendly and heart healthy.  Everyone in the house thought it was delicious and you will too.  Best of all - it is easy to make.

Here's your ingredient list:

• 6 chicken cutlets, approx 3 oz each.  I bought breasts, skinned and deboned them, then sliced and pounded them into cutlets.  Cutlets are $4.99 a lb and the breasts I bought cost $0.99 a lb (on sale).  I put the bones in a baggie in the freezer for making stock.
• 6 thin slices prosciutto (what luck - pre-packaged prosciutto was on sale BOGO this week).
• 1 10-oz box chopped spinach (thawed)
• 3 tblsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (or whatever cheese you happen to have on hand)
• 14 oz chicken broth or stock (or veggy)
• 2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lay out your cutlets and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Place 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each cutlet. 

Squeeze the extra water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with 1 tblsp oil to coat.

Place a thin layer of spinach on the prosciutto slices and then sprinkle the cheese over each.  Roll up each cutlet like a jellyroll and secure with toothpicks.

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a skillet over high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until just golden (around 2 minutes per side).  You are not looking to completely cook the chicken - it will cook more in the next step.

Remove the chicken and add the broth and lemon juice.  Scrape up the browned bits and bring the liquid to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and return the chicken to the pan for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and continue cooking the liquid over high heat until it has reduced to around 2/3 cup (5 minutes or so).  Remove the toothpicks from the chicken and drizzle the cooking liquid over it.

Nutritional information per serving (one piece) - 227 calories, 11g fat, 2g saturated fat, 27g protein, 4g carbs, 1g sugar, 63mg cholesterol and 700mg sodium.

Here We Go - burger comparison

Like many of you, I crave a beef burger from time to time.  I don't usually do fast food (maybe 4-6 times a year) and prefer to make my burgers at home.  We don't do burgers often so I am always on the lookout for GREAT burger recipes.  I found this one on the cover of a cooking magazine and it looked so amazing - it enticed me - it called out to me.  So I bought the magazine several months ago and made it.  It was amazing but soooo unhealthy (I know beef burgers are not a health food but this one is worse for you than most).  I am listing the ingredients and recipe as in the magazine and then offering MY recipe which is more realistic as far as nutritional guidelines are concerned, and then finally some tips to make it even healthier.

The recipe is for beef burgers, sour cream onion rings, and red ranch dressing.

Here's the ingredient list:

Sour cream onion rings:

• Frying oil
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 onion cut into 1 inch slices and separated into rings
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallion greens
• salt and pepper to taste

Burgers

• 2 lbs ground sirloin
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling
• 4 brioche rolls
• chopped crisp lettuce

Red ranch dressing

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup low sodium ketchup
• 1 large grated garlic clove
• 2-4 tbs finely chopped mixed fresh herbs
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Mix the dressing ingredients together and put in fridge.
Mix the ground sirloin, worcestershire, salt, and pepper - set aside.
Mix the buttermilk and sour cream in a bowl and place the onion rings in to soak for a few minutes.  Mix the flour, chives, salt and pepper together on a plate.  Take the onion rings from the wet mixture and dredge them in the flour - then once again in the wet mixture and again in the flour.
Fry the rings in oil for 4 minutes in small batches.
Divide your ground sirloin into 4 burger patties or 12 slider patties.  Coat them with olive oil and cook in a hot skillet or grill for 8-10 minutes for burgers or 4-6 minutes for sliders.

To serve, take a bun, layer on the dressing, lettuce, burgers, and onion rings.

Here's what I say - REALLY?  Does anyone need a 1/2 lb burger?  The author of the recipe suggested you skip lunch in order to indulge.

Here are the changes I made to make it more "realistic".

I used 1 lb of the meat mixture to make 6 burger patties - I wrapped up and froze the other lb for when the burger craving strikes next month.

I used regular grocery store packaged burger buns.

I did not double dip the onion rings nor did I drizzle the patties with olive oil before grilling.

Here is the analysis of nutritional info just based on the burger and bun differences.

Original recipe:

• 716 calories
• 62% of your daily fat allowance
• 85% of your daily saturated fat allowance
• 79% of your cholesterol allowance
• 46% of your daily sodium allowance.

My recipe:

• 350 calories
• 29% of your daily fat allowance
• 35% of your saturated fat allowance
• 27% of your cholesterol allowance
• 12% of your sodium allowance.

Just a couple of changes makes a HUGE difference - always remember portion control is #1.

Other ways to make this even healthier would be to use whole grain buns and use low fat or fat free sour cream

Happy eating!!
K

New Year - New Us

Hi my friends,

I'm going to try something a little different for the new year.  I, like many of us, have got to lose some weight this year.  The problem is, like many of us, I LOVE my food.  I spend a lot of time reading recipes in magazines, cookbooks, and online.  I am appalled that so many trusted sources do not at least try to follow nutrition guidelines.  I am also appalled that unless we do our homework, we may not know how unhealthy a lot of these recipes are.  I am going to try to do the homework for all of us.  This is a huge undertaking and, as I found today, a very daunting task.  So, I will probably only post once or twice per week because I will not post a "realistic" version unless I have tried it and find it worthwhile.

I will be trying to post a summary of the original recipe I find that sounds good and offer a "realistic" version according to nutrition guidelines and some tips on making it even better for you as a third option.  Where I can, I will list nutrition values - I am particularly interested in calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein.

I will be posting my first recipe comparison later tonight.  If you find it confusing or not helpful - let me know.  Also let me know if you like what I'm doing.  I'm flying by the seat of my pants here and appreciate any and all comments, suggestions, input.

Happy eating
K

Potato Leek Soup

Hi my friends,

We had a cold spell here in Florida and I found myself craving homemade soup.  I remembered that I loved potato leek soup in my younger days and found that I had most of the ingredients already in the house.  I made a huge pot and it was so delicious that the soup that I had thought would last a couple of days was all gone on the day I made it.  It is extremely inexpensive to make and you can change a couple of the ingredients to make it as healthy as you want (or as decadent as you want). I vote for the decadent version - consider it a once in a while splurge.  I am posting the recipe for the decadent version.  This batch of soup (8-10 servings) cost me around $5 to make.  It may cost you a bit more if you don't have most of the ingredients on hand.

For a healthier version, use something like Smart Balance butter and 2% milk (I do not suggest using skim).

Your ingredient list:

• 3 tbsp butter or Smart Balance
• 3-4 leeks - washed well and thinly sliced (use only the white and light green parts - save the dark greens for your stock pot)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 6-8 potatoes scrubbed and thinly sliced
• 3-4 cups chicken or veggy broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2, or whole milk, or 2% milk)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• chopped fresh chives (to taste - I used approx 2 tbsp) or jarred chives
• chopped parsley (to taste - I used approx 1 tbsp) or jarred parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot on medium-high heat, add the butter, then add the onions and leeks.  Cook until they are soft.  Add the sliced potatoes and the broth.  You only want the broth to cover the potatoes by about an inch.  Add the chili powder and bay leaves.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.  Remove the bay leaves and, at this point you have a few options.  I used a potato masher to mash the potatoes a bit and then put 1/3 of the soup into my blender and pulsed it a few times.  You can choose to not mash anything, or do what I did, or pulse all of your soup (in batches) in the blender. It all depends on the consistency you are looking for.  DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR - it will turn it into a glutenous mass.  Return everything to the pot, add the cream (or milk), chives, and parlsey and cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes.

If you find the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with more broth.

Happy eating,
K