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

Morning Hash

By the way, in case you were wondering, the Root Vegetable Hash with Horseradish Cream tastes excellent the next morning with a Fried Egg on top and Crispy bacon on the side. Finish it off with a half a banana and a glass of Orange Juice. The breakfast of champions!

Organic Goodness

I recently watched the documentary film called Food Inc. I'm not one for preachy documentaries but I have to say I was immediately grasped by this in terms of conviction and empowerment. I had no idea of the huge food conspiracy going on in this country by corporate foodies to keep hidden from us what we are actually eating. We have a right to know! Let's just say, Don and I have been persuaded to switch entirely to only pasture raised antibiotic free meat products and organic sustainable agriculture. One of the first things I did was sign us up for weekly deliveries of fresh organic produce from Dandelion Organic Delivery in Bellingham, WA. I've been so excited about this and our first Harvest Box arrived today! I have lots of fun meals planned for the week. Below is what we tackled for our first meal. It was fun and delicious!

Root Vegetable Hash with Horseradish Cream
This first recipe is from the Food Network website. Surprisingly there were no reviews or ratings on this one so it was a complete unknown for us trying this one out. The hash was delicious and I really cannot wait to eat the leftovers for my breakfast tomorrow. But the horseradish cream sauce is just amazing! Don doesn't like sour cream so we used plain organic yogurt instead. Also we added some fresh graded horseradish root to the hash itself that we had leftover in the fridge. I'm quite happy with our substitutions as I think they were an improvement on the original recipe. Also, trying to press the hash into individual cakes didn't really work so I left that part out. A simple standard hash is fine for this recipe. Below is the recipe as we made it and recommend.

Ingredients

Horseradish Cream:

• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch freshly ground pepper

Hash:

• 4 tablespoons butter, diced
• 1 onion, sliced thinly, 1 cup (4 ounces)
• 2 springs fresh rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound Yukon gold or other waxy potatoes, skin on
• 1 large carrot (2 to 3 ounces)
• 1 large beet, peeled (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup fresh grated horseradish root
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the horseradish cream, whisk the horseradish into the sour cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (10-inch) nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the onion and cook another minute.

Meanwhile, with the shredding blade of a food processor, or with a box grater, grate the potatoes into a colander. Rinse and pat very dry. (Giving them a turn in a salad spinner helps, too.)

Stir the potatoes into the vegetables in the skillet. Cook the potatoes, undisturbed until they get crusty on the bottom. Then, stir the crispy bottom into the tender potato, and continue to cook to re-crisp the bottom. Continue this browning and periodic stirring until the potatoes are almost cooked through, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the carrot and beet.

Remove the rosemary sprigs. Stir the carrot and beets into the potato hash, and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in bits along the sides of the skillet, and then brown the hash over high heat. Turn the hash in large sections with a spatula to brown the other sides, another minute.

Divide the vegetable hash among 4 plates and serve warm with the horseradish cream.

Mustard-Roasted Fish

So very good and so very simple! It's hard to do wrong with this recipe. The sauce is light and flavorful and appeals to a broad range of pallets. Make with just about any white fish fillet. We made with fresh Dover fillets from Vis Fresh Seafood in Bellingham. We couldn't find Cream Fraiche so we used regular organic heavy whipping cream.

Ingredients

• 4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces creme fraiche
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons drained capers

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

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.

mmmmmm....pasta.....

One of my favorite comfort foods is a pasta dish paired with a good cold beer or a nice bottle of red wine, depending on the weather. I'm really working hard to incorporate more fresh veggies into our diet and eat a little less meat. I checked my newly favorite recipe site, and found her Mom's recipe for Pasta Primavera. It had all my favorite things , what I wanted(pasta and a little cheese) and what I needed (veggies and less salt). This was a big hit on all sides! Really tasty, and by using whole grain rotini, I felt even better about our healthy meal. Add an ice cold beer and some fresh fruit, and I was a happy CKS.

Mom's Pasta Primavera Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of mixed vegetables, for example:
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 bell pepper, any color, cut into thin strips

3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
A sprinkling of garlic salt
1/4 cup of spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Method:

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (for your pasta).

2 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the vegetables, stir to coat with oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until vegetables are just cooked. Turn off heat, but let pan stay on the burner.

3 While you are cooking the vegetables, add the dry pasta to the boiling water and follow the cooking instructions for the pasta. You want to time it so that the pasta is done soon after the vegetables.

4 Add a 1/4 cup of the spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce to the vegetables, along with 1/4 cup of water to thin the sauce. If you are using a prepared spaghetti or marinara sauce, you don't need to add much seasoning, just a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence, a few sprinkles of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. If you are using a plain tomato sauce, you might want to start out cooking the vegetables by cooking a minced clove of garlic first, and then adding the vegetables, and then add a bit more of the seasoning (to taste). Spaghetti and marinara sauce are already seasoned.

5 Once the pasta is ready - cooked but still a bit firm, or al dente - drain the pasta and put it directly into the skillet with the vegetables. Adjust seasoning. Add more sauce if needed. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4. Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan, if you like. A little bit of chopped fresh basil would go nicely with this as well.

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.

Weeknight Grill Special

Here's a simple, healthy, and balanced grilling menu that's good for any night of the week. The chicken marinade was not out of this world but the flavors were simple and worked together.

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes


Prep: 12 minutes; Cook: 10 minutes.


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).

2. Add tomatoes, and turn to coat them on all sides.

3. Prepare grill.

4. Place tomatoes, cut sides down, on the grill rack. Brush once with remaining marinade, and then discard marinade. Grill about 5-7 minutes on each side over medium-high heat or until tomatoes begin to blister, soften, and brown. (They can burn easily, so keep an eye on them.)

5. Remove the tomatoes from grill, and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and parsley. Serve immediately.

Yield: Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 tomato halves)

CALORIES 60 ; FAT 4g (sat 1g,mono 3g,poly 1g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7g; SODIUM 79mg; PROTEIN 1g; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.0mg

Health, JUNE 2007

Skewers of Rosemary Chicken and Zucchini


If using wooden skewers, soak them in lemon juice for 30 minutes before grilling. This moistens the skewers so they don't char during grilling, and it infuses the food with more flavor from the inside out.


2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Cooking spray

Place rind, rosemary, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare grill.

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, juice, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk.

Thread chicken and zucchini alternately onto each of 12 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Drizzle with juice mixture.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)

CALORIES 183 (30% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 1g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 38mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g; SODIUM 370mg; PROTEIN 27.4g; FIBER 1.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2002

This is a recipe Don and I discovered on the Food Network website during our first year of living together. We made it many times during that first year and often come back to it still. The minty cucumber salad compliments the roasted salmon deliciously and the sesame crust makes for a beautiful presentation. If you want to get really fancy, try laying down alternate of regular and black sesame seeds. Than press the salmon flesh into the seeds for a tiger stripe like effect.

Roasted Salmon with Chile Minted Cucumbers

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 1 small hot house cucumber, sliced thin
• 1/2 fresh red chile, sliced thin
• 1 handful fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) salmon fillet, without skin
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine the cucumber, chile, and mint in a mixing bowl. Pour in the vinegar, sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss everything together so the cucumbers are well coated in the vinegar, the cucumbers will soften and the flavors deepen as it sits.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season both sides of the salmon with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top of the salmon with the sesame seeds. Place a cast iron or regular ovenproof skillet on the stove over medium heat. Coat the pan with the oil and when it is nice and hot, lay the salmon in the pan, sesame seed-side down. Sear the salmon for 3 minutes, then stick it in the oven and roast for 10 minutes until it's just cooked through. Serve the salmon on a pile of the chile minted cucumbers.

"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.

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.

Pink Ladies, and I'm not talking about Grease

Don said I nearly stumped him at the grocery store this weekend. We decided to divide and conquor. Since they are in the same shopping center, Don took the list for our local produce mart (Farm Boy) while I hit up the Trader Joes. We had just had a lovely afternoon in the park with the dogs and we wanted to get the shopping done quickly since Cordy and Seumas were waiting for us in the car. Anyway, on my list were Pink Lady Apples which Don had never heard of before and I don't blame him. It's not an apple that gets center stage a lot of times. In fact the only time I can ever recall using pink ladies before is in my cranberry apple sauce recipe that calls for a variety of apples for depth of flavor. Pink Ladies are a sweet variety and especially tasty when eaten sliced raw and chilled. They go well in fruit salads and, in this case, performed fantastically in my new delicous Apple Slaw recipe below, courtesy of Cooking Light. If you dn't have dried cherries on hand, this would also go really well with dried cranberries.

Apple Slaw


The sweet-spicy Pink Lady apples complement the tartness of the cherries and the vinaigrette in this slaw, which is a natural companion for pork chops or ham. Cameo, Fuji, or Gala apples will also work well.


Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Slaw:
2 1/2 cups chopped Pink Lady or other sweet apple
1 (12-ounce) package broccoli slaw
1 (3-ounce) package dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seed kernels

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

To prepare slaw, combine apple, broccoli slaw, and dried cherries. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds; chill for up to 3 hours.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 125 (29% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.1g); IRON 0.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 33mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.9g; SODIUM 91mg; PROTEIN 2.1g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Some Like it Tart

You know how it goes when it comes down to the decision of what to make for dinner. There is the easy option, quick and uninspiring leftovers, take out, or PB& J, or their is the longer drawn out version, the meal you actually planned out for the week, which involves prep time, physical labor, and no immediate gratification. The latter is always the more rewarding route as it usually tastes better, fresher, leaves you feeling more healthy and satisfied, and responsibly uses up your ingredients before they go bad. But it does require an investment of time up front. Tonight we decided to choose the latter, and we were no less than glad we did. Not only did we have an awesome time making it, but it was delicious and now I have two new recipes to add to my repertoire. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Scallops with Chipotle Orange Sauce, served up with a side of Vegetable-Goat Cheese Tart.

Cooks Notes - for the Scallops we just used a bag of the Frozen Scallops from Trader Joes defrosted under cold running water. The sauce is excellent and this recipe could be further improved by serving over a bed of rice, or with a side of bread to add a little texture and further soak up the juices. We added extra chipotle chilies since we like ours spicy. Additionally, the Vegetable Goat Cheese Tart is a substantial meal in and of itself and could easily serve as a vegetarian friendly main dish.








Scallops with Chipotle-Orange Sauce


Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeños that are often canned in sauce; use more or less than we call for here, depending on your tolerance for heat. A preheated pan is essential for good browning, so heat your pan while you prep the ingredients.


2 tablespoons butter, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with paprika and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

Add orange juice and chile to the pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 1 minute). Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Serve the sauce with scallops, and garnish with the onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 4 1/2 ounces scallops, about 1 tablespoon sauce, and 1 tablespoon onions)

CALORIES 218 (29% from fat); FAT 7.1g (sat 3.7g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 72mg; CALCIUM 47mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.1g; SODIUM 488mg; PROTEIN 28.9g; FIBER 0.4g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

Vegetable Goat-Cheese Tart


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Preparation Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small bay leaf
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slivers
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces soft goat cheese
9-inch ready-to-use piecrust, partially baked (follow label directions)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil

Over medium-low heat, add the oil to a large skillet with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the eggplant has softened. Stir in the zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Spread goat cheese piecrust. Top with the vegetables, sprinkle Parmesan, and drizzle olive oil. Bake in a 350º F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the Parmesan is golden and the tart is heated through.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 524 (1% from fat); FAT 38g (sat 13g); CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 200mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31g; SODIUM 1100mg; PROTEIN 17mg; FIBER 6g; IRON 3mg

Real Simple, FEBRUARY 2003

Gnocchi anyone?

I have been meaning to try this recipe for awhile and the ingredients have been sitting in our fridge for almost a week. Since we are moving in 3 weeks from tomorrow, it's time to clean out the fridge and the pantry, and cook up what we've got.

Gnocchi is one of my favorite "pastas" if you will. There is something so very comforting about those little potato dumplings. Trader Joe's has an excellent pesto version, but the ones Matt picked up at the store were parmasean/potato. And they were delicious. I wasn't too sure how this recipe would turn out, especially when I realized that I forgot to reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water! But it was delicious, or so Matt said. For whatever reason I wasn't hungry last night. It was a very hearty meal and I'm sure I'll make it again soon.

CKS Note: I only used about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 onion to save calories and my sensitive stomach.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

from Real Simple

Tip: Gnocchi are small, quick-cooking dumplings, usually made from potatoes. You'll find them with the fresh or dried pasta in supermarkets, or you can substitute a short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, or farfalle.

Ingredients

2 9-ounce packages refrigerated gnocchi or one 17.5-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1 clove garlic, finely chopped1

5-ounce bag baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Directions:

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan and toss. Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

CALORIES 815 (53% from fat); FAT 48g (sat 14g); CHOLESTEROL 96mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58g; SODIUM 1,886mg; PROTEIN 36g; FIBER 4g; SUGAR 11g

Real Simple, MARCH 2007

'Tis the season for hearty soups.

I'll be posting a few more soup recipes this month. With the cold weather, especially up in Washington, I had forgotten how warm and soothing a bowl of soup can be.

I made this dish on Christmas Day, and it was gobbled up in no time. I made it again last night and Matt was quite excited! I love the heartiness of the soup, and putting 2 cups through the blender really helps thicken it up. I would certainly reccomend using the whole kielbasa and a whole bag of spinach. It really adds to the flavor and texture of the soup. You can add extra seasoning if you like, but I love it just on its own.

CKS Note - I am not the biggest fan of beans in soup, so I just used 1 can instead of 2 - hence using the entire Kielbasa.

North Woods Bean Soup

Adding turkey kielbasa lends this soup a rich, slow-simmered flavor even though it takes less than 30 minutes to make. Puree a portion of the recipe for a velvety consistency, and stir in fresh spinach after the soup is removed from the heat so it retains its bright color.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)CALORIES 227 (15% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.2g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 26mg; CALCIUM 112mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.8g; SODIUM 750mg; PROTEIN 18.1g; FIBER 6.7g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2002

Cooking Light Night #13

Here's a well balanced meal like my mother used to make - Chile-Spiced Tenderloin Steaks with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans. Of all the nutrition advice out there - food pyramids, low carb, low calorie, this, that, and the other - when it comes to creating a balanced meal, I think we were better off when we just had the four food groups. Every night for dinner growing up, my mom always did her best to make sure that the four food groups were well represented. Although I'm not sure my mom would have picked out these exact recipes, tonights Cooking Light Dinner #13 is still a tribute to her.

This is a very easy weeknight meal for four. I had a fun time putting the rub together and brushing it on the steaks. We did decide though that while not offensive, the lime juice was a little too acidic for the ideal flavouring of this tender beefy cut. I would like to try this rub again with just an olive oil base or something else in place of the lime. Also, it's getting dark out earlier now so it becomes more difficult to grill this time of year. Instead of grilling, I cooked the steaks in a hot cast iron skillet, four minutes on each side for a nice sear. Then, since a couple of the steaks were almost two inches thick in the middle, I also baked them for an additional 4 to 6 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees to get the middle cooked through to a nice medium /medium-rare. One way to know if a steak is done on a thick cut like this is to press into the steak with your finger, if the indentation stays, you need to cook it longer. If it bounces back up firmly then you are good to go. Other modifications to the recipes included leaving the skins on the Yukon Gold Potatoes for a little extra rustic texture (great idea Katy!) , and adding a splash of lemon juice to the Garlicky Green Beans to brighten up the flavor. Serve this with a tall glass of cold milk to complete your four food groups!

Chile-Spiced Tenderloin Steaks
Fire up the grill for juicy, flavor-packed steaks coated in a quick and easy marinade. Serve with baked fries and sliced ripe tomatoes for a complete meal. Time: 35 minutes.

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Prepare grill.
Combine first 9 ingredients in a small bowl, and rub marinade mixture evenly over both sides of steaks. Let steaks stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Remove steaks from marinade, and discard remaining marinade. Place steaks on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, and let stand 5 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 steak)CALORIES 173 (35% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2g; SODIUM 424mg; PROTEIN 24.5g; FIBER 0.4g Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Horseradish adds a peppery kick, but the potatoes are also good without it. Or add the horseradish last, just to the portion of potatoes reserved for the adults.

2 1/4 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk, warmed
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan. Add milk and remaining ingredients; mash to desired consistency. Cook over low heat until warm.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)CALORIES 174 (28% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 3.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.2g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; CALCIUM 29mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.6g; SODIUM 315mg; PROTEIN 3.2g; FIBER 1.9g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2004

Garlicky Green Beans
If you can find them, use haricots verts, thin and tender green beans. Because this recipe is so simple, coarse freshly ground sea salt and black peppercorns really count.

2 cups green beans, trimmed
1 teaspoon butter
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.
Melt butter in a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add beans, salt, pepper, and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until heated.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 54 (35% from fat); FAT 2.1g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.1g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 45mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.4g; SODIUM 170mg; PROTEIN 2.1g; FIBER 3.8g Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003

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

Cooking Light Night #2

Welcome home Matt & Camille. I picked them up at the Burbank airport tonight on their return trip from Spokane. It was great to see them but did make for a bit of a long day. Between baggage mishaps, arrival times, and traffic, I didn't make it home until 7:30 p.m. And you know what, it was ALL WORTH IT. Because Don had dinner ready and waiting for me when I got home. Tonights Halibut recipe was a nice change from our regular chicken, beef, and salmon rotation. We just used frozen Halibut from Trader Joes and it turned out quite tasty. The whole steaming in Parchment thing is kind of fun and makes clean up pretty easy. But Halibut aside, the highlight of the meal had to be the dressing on the bean salad. It's absolutely unbelievable. You must try this recipe! We used fresh cut green beans instead of wax beans. Either way it's still delicious. Thank you, Babe, for an AMAZING dinner!

Parchment-Baked Halibut With Pesto, Zucchini, and Carrots


Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes. In place of halibut, you can use other small, flat, white fish fillets, such as red snapper, sea bass, pompano, striped bass, or cod.


4 (12- x 18-inch) sheets parchment paper
Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 cup commercial pesto
1 cup shredded carrots (2 medium)
1 cup shredded zucchini (1 small)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons dry white wine

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Follow directions for heart-shaped parchment package below.

2. Unfold parchment heart, and coat lightly with cooking spray, leaving a 2-inch border ungreased at edge.

3. Place fillet on one side so that it touches the fold, but not the ungreased border. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto over fillet; top with 1/4 cup carrot and 1/4 cup zucchini. Sprinkle with one-fourth of salt and pepper. Drizzle fillet with 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon wine.

4. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Repeat with the remaining parchment paper, fish, and vegetables.

5. Place packets on baking sheets. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. To serve, open packets and transfer the fillets with their vegetable topping to plates; pour juices over top. Or serve right in packets; carefully transfer to plates and pierce each to allow steam to escape.

Note: Nutritional analysis includes Sugars 0g.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 parchment packet)

CALORIES 253 ; FAT 10g (sat 2g,mono 6g,poly 2g); CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 112mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1g; SODIUM 337mg; PROTEIN 36g; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 2mg

Health, MARCH 2005

Wax Bean, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese


A tart vinaigrette dresses this fresh combination of mild-tasting wax beans, sweet roasted red bell pepper, and juicy cherry tomatoes. Pungent goat cheese adds an extra dimension of flavor. To save time, you can use bottled roasted red bell peppers; just rinse them well to remove as much of the briny flavor as possible.


1 medium red bell pepper
2 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound wax beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preheat broiler.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, and discard the seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil pepper halves 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips.

Bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add beans; cook 4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add bell pepper strips, tomatoes, onions, and parsley; toss to combine.

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cider vinegar, and remaining ingredients except goat cheese, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 63 (36% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.9g; SODIUM 289mg; PROTEIN 3g; FIBER 2.7g

Cooking Light, JULY 2005