Collard Greens

Since we started receiving our organic food delivery last week, I've been challenged to find recipes that I never thought to search for. I've never cooked collard greens. They are a leafy-green, with a different texture than that of spinach or kale. All the recipes I saw said to take off the stems, so I wanted a recipe that was relatively simple and not time consuming so that I could see if I like to eat collard greens.

I found out that I actually do! I wasn't sure about the vinegar in this recipe, but it actually worked. Sometimes I just have to leave it to the professionals to tell me what to do.

Ham, Collard Greens, and Egg Noodle Bowl

To speed up the preparation of this Southern-style noodle bowl, cook the pasta and broth mixture at the same time. Spice it up with hot pepper sauce, if you wish, and serve it with corn bread.

6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups diced reduced-sodium smoked ham (about 11 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups sliced collard greens, stems removed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add smoked ham; cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add chopped onion and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender, stirring frequently. Add collard greens; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Stir in the egg noodles and black pepper, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 270 (29% from fat)

Fat: 8.8g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.3g,poly 3g)

Protein: 18.8g

Carbohydrate: 29.4g

Fiber: 3.5g

Cholesterol: 76mg

Iron: 2.1mg

Sodium: 999mg

Calcium: 76mg

Hearty (and easy) Veggie Winter Soup

Delicious.  Hubby loves it (and he normally doesn't like straight veggie soups).  Slowcooker recipe.  Need I say more?  Thanks to Mary for this recipe!  I don't know why I waited so long to make this, I should have tried it years ago.  It's delicious!

Vegetable Barley Soup

3 cups water
14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomatoes
10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 ounces tomato sauce
1/3 cup regular barely
2 each vegetable bouillon cubes or 4 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
dash ground red pepper

In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart electric crocker cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 11 hours or cook on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours. Makes 5 side-dish servings.

Cold Asian Salad

A terrific find from my new favorite cooking site. Goes well with a spicy, flavorful wine like Honey Moon Viognier from Trader Joe's.

Sesame and Cilantro Vermicelli Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Honey Soy Dressing
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or corn oil
3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper or chili powder
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce (less if using tamari which is more concentrated than soy sauce)

Salad
8 ounces of vermicelli, thin spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
Salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced and chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1 Cook the pasta in a large saucepan in salted boiling water, according to directions on pasta package. Drain but do not rinse.

2 While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and red pepper, in the microwave on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the honey and soy sauce and mix well.

3 Combine the drained pasta with the dressing in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Cover and chill for several hours.

4 When ready to serve, mix in the cilantro, peanuts, green onions and bell pepper. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 4 to 8, depending on serving size.

Delicious Summer Salad

Hubby and I are on a eat-more-veggies-and-less-meat kick these days. It's also been crazy crazy hot here in Los Angeles, so I find myself craving salads that require as little use of my stove as possible. This salad goes excellent with a crisp, light white wine such as Synergy Blanc from Novella Vineyards (a whopping $4.99 at Trader Joes).

CKS Note: I used a large red pepper instead. It gave the salad a lot more color and tasted just as good. I also didn't have time to refrigerate the salad before serving, but I still gobbled it up!

Tortellini Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
18 ounces tortellini, refrigerated
1 pound asparagus spears, chopped
1 large yellow pepper
1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic , minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:
1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook tortellini according to package direactions, adding asparagus and sweet pepepr the last minute of cooking; drain. Rinse tortellini and vetetables with cold water; drain again.

2. For dressing, in a screw top jar, combine lemon peel, lemon jice, oil, mustard, surgar, salt, and garlic. Cover and shake well.

3. In a very large bowl, place tortellini and vegetables. Add dressing, toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir in cheese, green onions, and nuts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Green Beans

Taking Cindy's advice I looked up the sales at my local VONS and based my meal plans off of what I saw. This recipe is based on that decision, and it was so good! Squeezing the oranges over the finished chicken gave it a savory sweetness that would have been sorely missed otherwise.

CKS note: I left the chicken in for 1 hour, 15 minutes to get it up to 165 degrees with the meat thermometer. I left out the red pepper flakes just because the only ones I had were spicy.

* 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces
* 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, plus 12 whole cloves, unpeeled
* 1 small navel orange, halved
* 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
* 1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, caps quartered

Directions

* Heat oven to 400° F.

* Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a roasting pan.

* In a small bowl, combine the thyme, red pepper, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.

* Brush the chicken with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the chopped garlic and spice mixture. Arrange the whole garlic cloves and orange halves around the chicken. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.


* Meanwhile, place the green beans and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining oil and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Roast until the mushrooms are cooked through and the beans are lightly browned, stirring once, about 15 minutes.


* Divide the chicken and garlic among individual plates and squeeze the roasted orange halves over the top. Serve with the green beans and mushrooms.

"Nothing this healthy should taste this good!"

Enough said.

Zucchini, Olive, and Cheese Quesadillas
from Cooking Light, October 2001

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 fat-free flour tortillas (8-inch)
1/2 cup preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces) divided
1/2 cup diced tomato, divided
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives, divided
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce) divided

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add zucchini; sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in oregano, salt, and pepper.

Wipe pan clean with paper towels, and coat with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to pan, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Top with half of the zucchini mixture, 1/4 cup tomato, 2 tablespoons olives, 2 tablespoons feta, and 1 tortilla. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Carefully turn quesadilla; cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Place quesadilla on a cutting board; cut in half using a serrated knife. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, mozzarella, zucchini mixture, tomato, olives, and feta. Serve warm.

Fabulous Crepes

Since I want to run a B&B someday, I've now made it part of my meal plan to have a nice breakfast on Sunday mornings. I need to branch out from egg mcmuffins and cheesy toast. So, with that in mind, this Sunday I'm making Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (recipe to be posted next week). Last week, I made these fabulous crepes using seasonal strawberries from the local farmer's market. They were so good, and I loved making something sweet and healthy at the same time.

These recipes are from Master Cook, and unfortunately I don't have pictures. I guess I'll just have to make them again (darn) and take pictures next time!

Low Fat Honey Crepes

Ingredients:
2 cups nonfat milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Rub 8-inch nonstick skillet with oiled paper towel or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons crêpe batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to cover evenly with batter. Cook until edges begin to brown. Turn crêpe over and cook until lightly browned. Remove crêpe to plate to cool. Repeat process with remaining batter. Crêpes may be refrigerated 3 days or frozen up to 1 month in airtight container.

Strawberry Brunch Crepes with Honey Suzette Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Low-Fat Honey Crêpes, see recipe
2 cups low-fat lemon yogurt
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:
To prepare sauce, whisk together honey, orange juice, lemon juice orange peel, lemon peel and cornstarch in small saucepan until well blended and cornstarch is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally; cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use. To assemble, press 1 crêpe into each of 6 ramekins or bowls to form a cup. Fill each with 1/3 cup yogurt. Top each with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 2 to 3 tablespoons sauce.

CKS Note: I would recommend not using so much yogurt. You could leave it out entirely, but it does give the filling a little more substance.

Breakfast for Dinner

My sister's good friend Roxy came to visit and I was concerned that since she's young and energetic, she'd want to go out and eat and fancy/hip restaurants. This was certainly not in our budget! Luckily she was fine with whatever we wanted to cook at home, so I came up with a few tasty dishes that all of us were pleased with.

Last night it was hot, and Roxy and I had spent the afternoon walking around in the sun in Downtown L.A., perusing Little Tokyo and Olvera Street. I wanted to make something simple that involved minimal prepration but didn't mean ordering in.

I had bought some lovely fresh dill at the Glendale Farmers Market a few weeks ago and needed to use it up before it went bad. So I went to My Recipes and typed in "fresh dill". I saw a recipe for Smoked-Salmon, Goat-Cheese, and Fresh-Dill Fritatta. Just reading the recipe made my mouth water! It was as delicious as it sounds and I can't wait to make it again. This was also part of my research in breakfast recipes, and it was a huge hit.

Serving Suggestion - pair this with fresh fruit, such as strawberries or grapes, and a light white wine, such as the Dry Gewurztraminer from Claiborne and Churchill.

Smoked-Salmon, Goat-Cheese, and Fresh-Dill Frittata

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

2 1/2 cups shredded peeled baking potato or refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 large egg whites

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

3 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add potato; sauté 5 minutes or until golden brown, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Combine the egg whites, eggs, goat cheese, and smoked salmon in a medium bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Spread the egg mixture evenly over the potato in skillet, and cook 2 minutes or until edges are set and bottom is lightly browned. Sprinkle the top with dill.

Bake at 350° for 5 minutes. Broil 3 minutes or until center is set. Carefully loosen frittata from skillet with a spatula; gently slide frittata onto a platter. Cut into 4 wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)CALORIES 202 (30% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.7g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 128mg; CALCIUM 100mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.5g; SODIUM 589mg; PROTEIN 16.2g; FIBER 1.6g

Cooking Light, MAY 1998

Red meat, PLEASE!!

I have been craving red meat these last few weeks, and not just a burger. STEAK. Just steak. Steak with just a bit of salt and pepper. Nothing too complicated. But I don't want to go out and pay for one at a fancy restaurant and yet I'm not good at cooking them either. What to do?

Enter Real Simple and their fabulously easy dishes.

I subscribe to the above magazine, mostly for theri AHA! articles and easy recipes. One recipe that I set aside was the one I'm listing now -- Seared Skirt Steak with Mushroom Salad. I was a bit nervous about preparing this dish as 1) Hubby doesn't like raw mushrooms and 2) Again, I'm not very good at cooking steak. However, this dish seemed easy enough and with the addition of Betty Crocker's scallped potatoes, this meal was a HIT. Huge HIT. Hubby's favorite part was the salad, oddly enough! I loved the simplicity of the steak, and the dressing on the salad was so flavorful. I felt really good about preparing a cost-efffective and delicious meal for the two of us. Too bad there weren't any leftovers.

CKS note: Trader Joe's didn't carry skirt steak so I used tri-tip instead and broiled it for about 9 minutes on each side. Just as delicious and at a cheaper cost!

Seared Skirt Steak with Mushroom Salad

from Real Simple

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 8-ounce packages sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 1/4 pounds skirt steak

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the mushrooms, cheese, and parsley and toss to combine.

Cut the steak into pieces as necessary to fit in a large skillet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the steak to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Slice the steak and serve with the mushroom salad.

Cooking Light Night #15

With our Biggest Loser contest starting next week at work, you can expect to see a lot more cooking light recipes here in the next several weeks. Here is a dinner we tried recently. The salad was really tasty and refreshing, and even with the delicious dessert afterwards, the total meal is still less than 500 calories.

Stir-Fried Chicken Salad


The pan sauce in this dish doubles as a piquant vinaigrette for the salad. Serve with crunchy breadsticks, if you wish.

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon bottled chopped garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to broth mixture, stirring to coat. Let stand 3 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to the pan; cook 4 minutes or until done, stirring frequently. Stir in the reserved marinade. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove pan from heat.

Combine greens and basil in a large bowl. Add chicken mixture, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve immediately. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 214 (30% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 1.3g,mono 3g,poly 2.2g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 60mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8g; SODIUM 594mg; PROTEIN 29.1g; FIBER 2g

Cooking Light, MAY 2006

Strawberries Romanoff


Marinating fruit in liquid is also called macerating. Orange-flavored liqueur complements fresh berries in this classic dessert. Macerate for only the length of time specified so the strawberries retain their texture.

4 cups sliced strawberries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur)
1/3 cup whipping cream, chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mint sprigs (optional)

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 3 1/2 hours.

2. Place cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon over strawberry mixture. Garnish with mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup strawberry mixture and 3 tablespoons whipped cream mixture)

CALORIES 207 (29% from fat); FAT 6.7g (sat 3.9g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.5g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 22mg; CALCIUM 41mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.2g; SODIUM 10mg; PROTEIN 1.6g; FIBER 3.4g

Cooking Light, JULY 2008

Inspiration

As most of you know, I've been going to bootcamp a few times a week and have already noticed amazing results. I know that if I improved my diet, I will feel better and look better too. So, with that in mind, I've been inspired to find more healthy and inventive recipes that look good and taste good. Part of this inspiration has also come from my girlfriends - Katy, Cindy, and Paige - who have been doing their part to get healthy too!

Paige and I made this salad over a month ago, and Matt requested that we make it into the regular rotation. It's really tasty, and I honestly would have never thought to combine whole grain mustard and white vinegar together for a dressing. Beyond that, I never thought it would taste so good! The next time I serve it, I think I'll add a side of homemade cornbread. But it's perfect on its own.

CKS note: I used just 2 bunches of spinach and about 5 tomatoes.

Warm Spinach Salad with Grilled Sausage
From Real Simple, August 2008

4 Italian sausages (about 1 pound)
8 plum tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
1 onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
3 bunches spinach, thick stems removed (about 8 cups)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Heat grill to medium-high. With a fork, prick the sausages in several places. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.Meanwhile, brush the tomatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill until tender, 5 to 6 minutes per side for the onion and 2 to 3 minutes per side for the tomatoes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl as they are done, add the spinach, and toss.In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, the remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slice the sausages and serve with the vegetables and dressing.

Tip: Tossing the spinach with warm vegetables wilts the leaves slightly and makes them more tender. Delicious on its own, this salad is also great mixed into pasta.

Yield: Makes 4 servingsCALORIES 506 (67% from fat); FAT 38g (sat 10g); CHOLESTEROL 60mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22g; SODIUM 1789mg; PROTEIN 25g; FIBER 8g; SUGAR 6g

Easy summer salad

I've been getting into salads lately, with the heat of the summer on it's way, they are a great way to feel full and stay cool. I found this one in a cookbook awhile ago and we both love it so much that I make it once a week. My only change is that I use the tri-color rotini pasta as it adds a lot of color and gives it some much needed texture. It's great with a white wine!

Salmon Pasta Salad

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
1 1/4 cups macaroni, cooked, spiral
1 can pink salmon, drained
1/3 cup pea pods
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon black olives, sliced
2 slices onion rings
lettuce, for garnish
fresh fruit, for garnish

In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonaise, yogurt, vienegar, dill weed, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour to blend flavors. Cook pasta according to pasta directions (without added fat or salt). In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, salmon, pea pods, onion, red pepper, black olives, and onion rings, and toss gently. Serve on a bed of lettuce, garnish with fresh fruit.

Slow-cooked goodness

When living in Los Angeles, there's not many opportunities to use your slow-cooker as it just heats up your home further. When we lived in Seattle, I used at least once a week. Not only did it help warm up the kitchen but it made our home smell so good.

This week it's been very cold (for us Angelinos) and so when meal planning this week I threw in a slow-cooker recipe. It was a bit of a challenge as my slow-cooker cookbook is filled with high calorie and high fat recipes, based mainly of creamed soups and/or milk. I did find one, however, that intrigued me, and there was no cream or tomatoes! Bonus! Extra bonus was it only took 2 hours to cook so I could make it after I got home from work. It was very filling and only 192 calories per serving, I felt really good about my healthy and tasty recipe choice. This one is definitely going in the "make again" pile.

Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package long grain and wild rice mix with seasoning packet
3 sausage links (I used pre-cooked ones from Trader Joe's), cut up
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2-2 1/2 cups water

Brown sausage, onions, and celery, and put into slow cooker. Add rice and seasoning packet, then pour in water. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours, or until water is gone and rice is tender. Serves 3-4.

Hearty and Heart Healthy

Yesterday was a dismal dreary day with lots of rain and a freezing cold house with a heater on the fritz. It made for perfect timing to try out this new soup recipe I've been meaning to get to for a couple of weeks now. I got everything started around 4:30 so by the time Don walked in the house around 5:00 he got hit with all of the awesome aromas of the smoky bacon, caramelized onions, roasted chicken, and reduced port broth. Served along side some garlicky lemon steamed broccoli spears and the fresh banana bread I baked that day, this meal really hit the spot. Healthy though it is, do not be fooled. The wild rice in this recipe makes it more filling than you can possibly imagine. And it was a very nice and subtle change to have a chicken soup recipe with a red wine base for once. This is definitely going in the folder of make again recipes. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today. Additionally, I have enough leftover meat from the roast chicken I bought for this that I can use it to make my barbecue chicken pizza recipe again tonight. Hooray for double duty meals!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup




6 cups water
2 cups uncooked wild rice
3 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped (about 3 ounces)
5 cups thinly sliced red onion (about 1 large)
1/4 cup port or other sweet red wine
6 cups Brown Chicken Stock
3 cups shredded roasted chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, and stir in wild rice. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 35 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain and set aside.

Place bacon in an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Cook 10 minutes or until bacon begins to crisp, stirring frequently. Add onion; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add port, and simmer 8 minutes or until port evaporates. Add stock; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in rice, chicken, and remaining ingredients, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 345 (24% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 27.5g; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 36mg; SODIUM 283mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

Easy Chicken Dinner

Tonight I meet your challenge, Cindy! I have used to potatoes in tonight's dinner. I'll admit, it's not a new recipe but it's one of my favorites. The bonus is it's easy, super healthy, and makes the house smell oh so good.

I volunteered for a KCTS fund drive a few years ago with my Mom and Dad, and they had a huge pile of cookbooks on clearance sale! I picked up a few, including "Healthy Cooking For Two" and there are some amazing recipes in there, enough for just 2 people should you have limited food or are single and don't want leftovers for 4 nights. The following is probably one of my top 3 picks from the entire book simply because it's so easy and tastes so good. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chicken Dinner in a Pocket

Ingredients:

aluminum foil
2 boneless chicken breasts halves, skinned
1 medium potato, sliced (approx. 6oz)
4 slices onion (which I left out)
2 small carrots, sliced
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
dash Louisiana Hot Sauce (which I leave out)

Using 2 layers, make 2 stacks of aluminum foil large enough to wrap ingredients and fold over. Place 1 breast on each stack of foil; divide potato, onion, carrots, dill, salt, pepper, and hot sauce evenly between the 2 stacks (I eyeball the seasonings). Bring sides of 1 sheet of foil up around the chicken and vegetables folding over to seal. Then bring sheet of foil up in opposite direction, folding over to seal. Repeat for second dinner. When ready to cook, preheat grill*. Reduce flame to medium-high; place on hot grill about 6 inches from coals, grill for about 25 minutes, turn and continue to cook about 20 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are tender.

*Can be baked in a 400-degree oven for 45-50 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings

1 serving contains:

Cal: 238kc Prot: 29g Fat: 3g Carb: 22g Fiber: 4g Chol: 73mg Sodium: 239mg

Amazing Easy Turkey Breast (for any time of year)

At Christmas Eve dinner, while discussing the next day and meal plans, we all realize that we are serving ham, and several of our guest are Jewish and possibly Kosher as well. !!! So I volunteered to make a couple of turkey breasts (not a full turkey as it would take too long to cook.) I bought the breast that night, and in the morning found this recipe and whipped it up. All I can say is AMAZING!

This turkey was so good and easy. I left it to marinate on the kitchen counter for an hour and that was enough to get all the flavors into the middle of the turkey breast. (For those who like to marinate in the fridge, I'd say let it marinate longer, and definitely let your breast come to room temp before cooking. This should be law with all roasting, but especially poultry....no one wants a dry bird.)

Also, I made the sauce, but found the bird so flavorful that it didn't really need it. Maybe a touch on the side, but if you slather in sauce, you lose all the wonderful turkey flavor. :) Enjoy!

Vera's Roast Turkey Breast With Garlic and Thyme

Recipe #258098 (from recipezaar.com)

I received this recipe from my co-worker and we really enjoyed it this Thanksgiving. Her copy looks like it may have come from Quick Cuisine - Winter 2001.

by karen in tbay

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4

servings

1¼ hours 15 min prep

Change to: servings US Metric

2	lbs boneless turkey breast
3	tablespoons olive oil
3	garlic cloves, finely chopped
2	tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
1	teaspoon grated lemon peel
1	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1	tablespoon butter

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• Turkey Breasts Main Dish
  
  
  

1. Trim turkey breast of any fat.
2. In a small bowl combine olive oil with garlic, thyme, mustard, lemon peel, salt and pepper. Rub into turkey breast.
3. Marinate in the refrigerator from 1 hour to 12 hours.
4. Arrange turkey breast, skin side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or tinfoil.
5. Roast at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast reaches 165F and the juices run clear.
6. Remove turkey from oven to a carving board and tent with tinfoil. Place juices in a medium skillet (could drain off some of the fat) add lemon juice (perhaps use less if some of the fat drained off) and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
7. Carve turkey into thin slices across the breast. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with fresh thyme.
   

Stoup-endous!

What the heck is a "stoup"? I had never heard of that term before. Apparently it's a hearty soup with lots of goodies mixed together.

I subscribe online to Everyday with Rachael Ray and the latest email intrigued me. There were lots of recipes for hearty soups and one in particular caught my eye. I couldn't wait to try it the following week.

Well yesterday Don, Cindy, Matt and I had an improptu get together at their place in Sherman Oaks. I told Cindy about this recipe and she sounded as excited about it as I was. So we headed over there and us girls immediately set off for Trader Joe's and her local veggie store while the boys stayed home and talked about who knows what. We came home and unloaded groceries, set to start cooking in a few hours as we had all been munching on Cindy's fabulous home-made cookies.

All of the sudden it was 8:45pm and we hadn't eaten dinner. Don, Cindy and Matt were busy creating epic level characters, something that I couldn't get my heart into. So I set about making this stoup and in someone else's kitchen! I give kudos to Cindy for chopping the onion and showing me her neat trick that avoids tears. :)

This stoup was the perfect ending to a great day with friends. Very hearty and filling, and the flavors mixed really well. I think next time I'll add a little more salt and pepper, but other than that I highly reccomend it for these cold evenings that come with the season.

Double Chicken Dumpling Stoup

From Everyday with Rachael Ray, February 2007

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, shredded (1 1/2 cups) - I chopped them instead to save time.
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups chicken broth - We used 4 cups which worked out fine.
1 pound ground chicken - We used ground turkey.
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (a couple of generous handfuls)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (a couple of generous handfuls)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
One 1-pound package gnocchi
1 cup frozen peas
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a couple of generous handfuls)
Crusty bread, for dunking

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and nutmeg. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs (you'll have about 40) and add to the stoup. Simmer for about 10 minutes while you wash up. Add the gnocchi to the stoup and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peas and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the stoup from the heat, discard the bay leaf and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with the bread.

You Had Me at Margarita

Since we were not going to be able to get together for gaming this week with everyone leaving town for the holidays, we decided to just have an informal get-together-and-hang-out night at our house on Tuesday. It was my turn for the main dish, and since I am trying to trim a few pounds I decided to see if I could find a new salmon recipe. The first one that caught my eye for obvious reasons was this recipe from Cooking Light for Margarita Salmon. It was fantastic! It is a nice easy recipe to feed a crowd and quite reasonable too if you get your salmon from Costco (2 1/2 pounds for 13 bucks!). The citrusy marinade infused the entire fish and was a nice alternative to some of the other balsamic or soy sauce based marinades I tend to use with salmon. The recipe recommends serving it over cooked pasta but I served it over spring salad greens and I thought that was much better. It also stands well on it's own with just the fillet. I will definitely make this again. I give it 4 out of 5 stars all together. The only negative was that my hands hurt from squeezing all the limes. This would make a very nice summertime meal.

Margarita Salmon

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon tequila
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
Cooking spray
Lime slices (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add fish to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

While fish is marinating, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm. Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade.

Preheat broiler.

Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Serve over pasta. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 cup pasta)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 520(30% from fat); FAT 17.3g (sat 2.9g,mono 7.5g,poly 4.5g); PROTEIN 42.2g; CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 23mg; SODIUM 381mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.9g

Cooking Light, JUNE 1999