February 27, 2009
Friday Link Love
Smitten Kitchen revisits her soft pretzels. I've always wanted to make pretzels from scratch, but never have. I might just have to give these a swing! I love soft pretzels, or perhaps this is the part where I should admit that I eat them mostly for the excuse to eat mustard! They are still fabulous all on their own though! ;oP
Wild Yeast has two ways to make roasted potato bread. She had me at roasted potato and bread!
Hugging the Coast had some fabulous links to help celebrate Fat Tuesday!
Ms. Gourmet at Gourmet Worrier made a fabulous looking Almond and Chocolate Pie.
Foodess.com made some Flakey South-Indian Flatbread. I've never made flatbread, but I've always wanted to try! That seems to be the case with a lot of things I've stumbled upon this week!
My interest this week seemed to be very bready it would seem! My next link is from Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen. She made a 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Oats, Bran, and Flax Seed Bread in her bread machine that looked fabulous!
How about a S'more Cupcake? Tracey's Cullinary Adventures had just that! Yum!
Yet another bread link...This one from Bruno's Dream! He blogged about a Sourdough Boule that looked heavenly!
Dispensing Happiness made honest to goodness Butterscotch for Wartime Wednesdays! I may make a batch of this to take on our trip in a couple of weeks!
Hot of the Garlic Press made some Sinful Caramel and Coconut Bars...I think that title says it all for that one folks!
What caught your eye this week?
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February 26, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're having gluten free lasagna!
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 3:08 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Gluten Free Fried Chicken
Who says you can't have fried chicken even if you can't have gluten? This version is amazing and trust me, you'll never miss the gluten! ;oP
What You'll Need:
1 chicken, cut into pieces (Note: You can cut it yourself or get your butcher to do it for you.)
1 quart of buttermilk
1 cup of gluten free breadcrumbs (Note: I like Gillian's version.)
2 1/2 cups of corn flour, divided (Note: Corn flour is NOT corn starch. They are made from different parts of the kernel and very different.)
3 tablespoons of Creole seasoning (Note: I used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning.)
Sea salt
2 eggs, beaten
Place chicken in a large glass dish or bowl. Cover completely with the buttermilk and then cover the dish or bowl. Place in the fridge and let "marinate" for at least 4 hours, but overnight is better.
When ready to cook the chicken preheat oil to 375 F. (Note: I like to do this in a large stockpot on the stove top.) You want several inches of oil in the bottom of your pan. I usually use one small bottle of oil. This go around I used an Omega-3 version.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
While oil and oven are heating get the chicken and "breading" ready.
In a small dish place 1 cup of corn flour. Set aside.
In a large dish mix 1 1/2 cups of corn flour with the bread crumbs. Stir in Creole seasoning until incorporated. Set aside.
Beat two eggs and pour into a flat dish like a pie plate. Set aside.
Remove chicken from the fridge and drain off most of the buttermilk. You want a little coat of buttermilk to help the first coat and salt stick. Place on a plate.
Now set up an assembly line. First you want the chicken. The next step is the corn flour. Next up is the egg and finally the corn flour/breadcrumb mixture.
Now let's start the assembly line! Once the oil is heated first sprinkle the piece of chicken with a little sea salt all over. Then coat with the plain corn flour.
Next dip them in the beaten egg.
After the egg give them a nice roll in the corn flour/breadcrumb mixture and then fry each piece for roughly 7 minutes or until a very nice golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels and then place in a baking dish.
Once all the chicken is fried place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. I like to do this to make sure the chicken is done all the way through. After baking serve immediately.
Notes: You could spice up your breadcrumb/cornflour mixture any way you liked. Cayenne pepper would be good. You could do simple salt and pepper. Paprika would be really good or Old Bay Seasoning would even work! Make it your own!
Posted by Dianne at 8:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 25, 2009
What's For Dinner?
It's class night again for Jamison. I'm not sure what he'll have for dinner yet. Alexis is having left over turkey and peas from this weekend and I'm making a roasted root vegetable soup for me. Alexis usually isn't interested in those types of soup, but I'm going to get her to try it none the less.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 12:34 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is one of those ultimate comfort foods and the base usually uses flour to thicken the sauce. When I made a homemade macaroni and cheese at Christmas (linked in the sentence before) Jamison was very interested in it, but of course couldn't eat it since it had flour in it and regular noodles. I decided to try my hand at making a gluten free version, but just never got around to actually making one. That changed yesterday.
Overall I was extremely pleased with how this turned out. At first Jamison wasn't too sure about the dish, but in the end he said he'd give it 4 stars out of 5. That's saying something for him! ;oP I think for him he might have enjoyed it more with all cheddar or possibly even a bit of Colby instead of Swiss. I may play around with it a bit more, but this version suited me just fine! This is just perfect if you're looking for a familiar favorite, all while being gluten free. What's better than that?
What You'll Need:
1 - 12 ounce package of gluten free macaroni noodles (Note: I like Mrs. Leepers corn pasta.)
1 stick of butter
1/3 cup of corn flour (Note: Corn flour is NOT corn starch. They are made from different parts of the kernel.)
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
5 ounces of shredded Swiss cheese (Note: You want to shred and weigh the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has weird stabilizers in it so it won't mold as fast and it doesn't work as well. You could use it if you wanted, but your results won't be quite the same.)
8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (Note: Ditto to the note above for Swiss.)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Extra shredded cheddar
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
While pasta is cooking melt butter in a large sauce pan. Once butter is melted add, a pinch of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, a generous pinch of cayenne pepper, corn flour and tapioca flour and stir until thick. It will thicken fast! Remove from heat and stir in cheese until mostly melted. Pour in the hot, drained macaroni noodles and stir until mixed.
Pour mixture into a a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Top the dish with more shredded cheddar and bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove casserole dish from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes: You could omit the cayenne if you liked.
Posted by Dianne at 8:54 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 24, 2009
What's For Dinner?
I've been wanting to make a gluten free version of fried chicken for Jamison for a while so tonight's the night! Not sure what I'm going to put with it yet, but most likely mashed potatoes or I may try to make a gluten free macaroni and cheese! Why not go all out? ;oP I'll also have some spinach and peas for Alexis and me.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 2:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Roasted Balsamic Vegetables
So we all know we need to eat our vegetables, but why not kick them up a bit? You can make a fabulous, yet healthy side dish, or even main course with a little balsamic vinegar to give your vegetables that extra pizazz! Who says vegetables have to be boring?
What You'll Need:
1 small zucchini, cut in half and then sliced into chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut in half and then sliced into chunks
4 large button mushrooms, cut into quarters
4 baby portabella mushrooms, cut into quarters
1/2 a red onion, cut into strips
6-8 baby red potatoes, quartered
A drizzle of olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
Celtic or coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Drizzle the bottom of an 8 X 8 inch baking dish with olive oil. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Pour balsamic vinegar over the top and then sprinkle with sea salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 25-25 minutes until potatoes are tender and serve immediately.
How easy was that?
Notes: You can use this as a side dish or you can serve it over some brown rice to make it a main dish. You can add other vegetables if you like as well. Sweet potatoes would be good, as would rutabaga or any root vegetable that you like.
Posted by Dianne at 11:57 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Check Back Later!
I have an appointment this morning so today's recipe will be up this afternoon. Be sure to check back then!
Have a great day everyone!
Posted by Dianne at 7:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 23, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Jamison is working from home today and we had a big brunch type lunch. Since he has class tonight I think Alexis and I are going to have a healthy lentil dish. Jamison will most likely have a sandwich or something before he leaves for class.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 1:13 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Better Bites: Baked Maryland Crab Cakes
With the Chesapeake Bay right in our backyard, Maryland is sort of the home of the crabcake. Sometimes though those crabcakes get really heavy because they are either pan or deep fried. A few years ago I decided to try my hand at making a baked version and this is what resulted. Everyone I've ever served them to that is a crab cake fan has loved them!
Overall I have to say that I like my crab cakes a little lighter. You still have all the flavors that meld so perfectly together, but they are a little less heavy and a whole lot less greasy! Who says you can't have your "crab" and eat it too...(Yes I went there! ;oP)
What You'll Need:
1 small red onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (Note: I usually use 1/2 a red and 1/2 a yellow bell pepper. You can use one pepper of any color or mix it up. It's your choice.)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of whole grain bread crumbs (Note: You want unseasoned for this dish. If you can't find whole grain then regular bread crumbs will work too or even panko.)
2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning (Note: I prefer Old Bay, but any seafood seasoning will work.)
16 ounces of crab meat, rinsed and picked over for shells (Note: You can use lump, backfin, claw, whatever you can find. Artificial crab will not work for this.)
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large skillet over medium heat sauté onion and bell pepper with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl mix bread crumbs and Old Bay Seasoning until completely mixed. Stir in cooked onions/peppers and crab meat and mix until incorporated. Add eggs to bind together the mixture and then it's time to form the cakes.
I like to use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make the cakes. Spray the cup with non-stick spray and then dip it into the bowl with the crab cake filling. Mash the mixture into the cup to give it good shape:
Then turn the cup over and dump the cake into a large baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray:
Repeat this process until you run out of the crab mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Makes about a dozen crab cakes.
Notes: These crab cakes freeze beautifully. Freeze them fully cooked and then thaw and reheat and you are set to go! You can serve them all by themselves or pair them with some dill tartar sauce.
Posted by Dianne at 9:38 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 20, 2009
Friday Link Love
Dani Spies has a fabulous looking Red Snapper Veracruz that I'm dying to try!
Ever wanted to make some vegan peanut butter cookies? Notes From The Vegan Feast Kitchen made some that look fabulous!
Mixed Salad Annie has a Reduced-Fat Spinach and Turkey Lasagna that makes me want lasagna...Like now! ;oP
Karen at Do Better made some really cute fruit kabobs that would be so fun at your next party or get together!
One of my favorite times of the year is when Clementines start to come into season! The season is almost over, but you can still find them here and there. Vegan Yum Yum has a Candied Clementine Cake that looks great!
Definitely Not Martha makes up some Ham and Cheddar Chicken Rolls that I think I'll have to try soon!
Susan at She's Becoming DoughMesstic took the Devils Food White Out Cake for Tuesdays with Dorie to a whole new level! Seriously...That is one gorgeous cake!
The Culinary Sherpas make Strawberry Farmer's Cake that looks as good as I'm sure it tastes!
What caught your eye this week?
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February 19, 2009
What's For Dinner?
IF the meat thaws in time we are going to have steak tips, baked potatoes and spinach. If it doesn't then I think we'll have homemade pizza.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 1:25 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups
Sometimes simple is best and what's more simple than peanut butter and milk chocolate? These cups makes the perfect little treat pairing the traditional combo, all while being gluten free! What's better than that?
What You'll Need:
1 cup of heavy cream
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of super fine sugar
6 ounces of milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup of heavy cream
Whipped cream
In the bowl of your mixer whip heavy cream on medium to high until whipped cream forms and then scrape out into another bowl.
In the bowl of your mixer (no need to wash it or anything) cream together creamed cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar. (Note: It might seem a bit grainy at first, but it will come together.) Once the sugar is mixed in add whipped cream back to the bowl and mix until smooth.
Once peanut butter mixture is mixed pipe or spoon into a glass or bowl:
Chill covered for at least 3 hours.
Once cheesecake cups are chilled melt your milk chocolate chips with heavy cream over low heat until smooth. Then drizzle or scoop on to the top of your cups:
Then top with a little whipped cream and another drizzle of chocolate:
And then serve!
Makes 4 servings.
Notes: These are really rich so a little goes a long way. You can store leftovers in the fridge. You could use chocolates other than milk chocolate if you preferred, but there is something about the milk chocolate/peanut butter combo that just can't be beat!
Posted by Dianne at 10:30 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
February 18, 2009
What's For Dinner?
I'm drawing a blank today. One minute I think I have a good idea and then the next it just doesn't sound that great to me!
Inspire me...What are you having?
Update: 2/19: 10:55 AM: I ended up taking the left over chicken from Tuesday night and making chicken soup. It was a snowy, foggy day and soup seemed like the perfect choice!
Posted by Dianne at 1:14 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
I love Red Lobster. Well actually I love seafood and sometimes I like to go to Red Lobster and while their seafood is ok (I prefer going to Phillips here in Maryland, specifically the Annapolis location! Though looking at their website Annapolis doesn't appear to be listed there anymore, so perhaps it closed? I haven't been over to Main Street in Annapolis in a year or so.) I have to admit that sometimes I want to go eat there simply for their garlic cheese biscuits!
Several years ago I decided that it couldn't be that hard to come up with something similar so I set to work. At first I used garlic salt, but it can tend to make the biscuits too salty overall. I finally settled on garlic powder and it works like a charm! The biscuits are light and tender and just the perfect savory bite! There is melted cheese throughout as well. These are just fabulous by themselves or with a dab of butter while still piping hot!
What You'll Need:
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 stick of butter, softened
2 cups of shredded cheddar (Note: I highly recommend shredding your own. They put some weird stabilizers in pre-shredded cheeses that cause them to not work quite as well. They will still work, but the results will be much better if you shred the cheese yourself.)
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk (Note: You may need a little more or a little less depending on humidity conditions when you are baking.)
Preheat oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl stir together flour, sea salt, garlic powder and baking powder until incorporated. Using a pastry cutter or a fork cut in butter until mixture is pebbly:
Next stir in cheese:
You want to add the cheese before you add the liquid so that you can ensure that the cheese will be spread throughout the dough. It's nearly impossible to work the cheese in after you've made the dough without ending up with tough biscuits.
Next add liquid and stir until dough forms. The dough will be shaggy at this point, but will continue to come together in the next step.
Shape into a ball on a floured surface:
Next roll out dough with a floured rolling pin until about 1/2 an inch thick:
Using a floured glass or biscuit cutter cut biscuits and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper:
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
This makes about 15 biscuits with the juice glass that I use to cut. How many it will actually make depends on the size of your cutter.
Notes: There are many variations that you can do with these. Sometimes I add in dried chives and/or parsley. You could omit the garlic and use dill instead. You could also make these using white whole wheat flour.
Posted by Dianne at 10:35 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 17, 2009
What's For Dinner?
If the chicken thaws we're having roasted chicken, potatoes and carrots with garlic cheddar biscuits. If it doesn't thaw then it's back to the drawing board!
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 1:49 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Chocolate Chip Cookies With A Twist
When I was in college one of my roommate's mom made some really awesome chocolate chip cookies. I never asked for the specific recipe, because in those days although I loved to cook, I just didn't think about things of that nature. I do remember though that her "secret" ingredient was powdered sugar. I don't know if she used it in place of one of the sugars you usually add to the dough, or along with them, but around Christmas I decided to play around with it a little and omit regular sugar and replace it with the powdered sugar to see how the cookies turned out and it was great! The resulting cookies were more mildly sweet, yet very tender. I was very pleased with the outcome. I still think I prefer the standard chocolate chip cookie recipe overall, but this was definitely a nice twist and I can tell you that Santa really liked them too! ;oP
What You'll Need:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of natural brown sugar, packed
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 1/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 - 12 ounce package of chocolate chips (Note: I used semi-sweet, but any variety will do.)
In a large bowl cream together butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Stir in baking soda and salt until incorporated. Slowly add flour and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and make sure the chocolate chips are spread throughout the batter. Place batter covered in the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Scoop batter by the rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets that have been lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies are slightly golden. Cool in pan for a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes about 4-5 dozen cookies depending on the size of your scoops.
Notes: If you wanted you could add a cup of chopped nuts.
Posted by Dianne at 9:53 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 16, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Tonight Jamison and Alexis are having spaghetti. I had a big lunch and am not hungry as of yet. I probably will just have a banana or something if I do get hungry.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 5:40 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Better Bites: Chunky Tomato Soup
I remember the day when weekends were blissful, relaxing things...Do you remember those days?? This weekend, as has been the case of late, was anything but! I did however find the time to make some soup on Saturday evening. I wanted something quick, yet healthy and delicious and this soup definitely fit the bill!
There is something infinitely pleasing about tomato based soups. They are very versatile and you can make something very quickly that still has a bit of a wow factor to the dish.
Another good thing about this soup is that it is not only vegetarian, it is also vegan too, which is especially nice when you are concerned about cholesterol and such. It's not only healthy, it's also very "green" as well. You could easily pair this with a grilled cheese sandwich or a salad and have a fabulous meal in a short period of time.
Who says healthy has to be boring?
What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of sliced mushrooms (Note: I used a mixture of button and baby portabella.)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 - 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 - 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (Note: You can use what ever variety that you like. I used plain this go around, but fired roasted would be great too!)
In a medium sized pot sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper in a little extra virgin olive oil until onions are tender. Add oregano and thyme and stir to mix. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stirring to incorporate, and bring to a quick boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. Serve immediately.
How easy was that? Look at all that chunky vegetable goodness! ;oP
Notes: You could use different herbs if you liked. Rosemary is always good, as would be dried basil. You could also add other vegetables. I sometimes use leeks and/or carrots. Alexis even suggested celery and I think she may be on to something there.
Posted by Dianne at 9:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 13, 2009
Friday Link Love
I have often wanted to try to make croissants, but I just have never gotten around to it however! Di at Di's Kitchen Notebook did though and they look heavenly!
Girls Scout cookies come around once a year, but what if you want to make your own Samoas? Baking Bites tells you how!
I'm usually not a fan of bread pudding, but Cook Sister! has a fabulous looking Savoury Caprese Bread & Butter Pudding that I don't think I'd be able to say no to!
Who says pumpkin has to be just for Fall? Dine and Dish shares a scrumptious looking pumpkin muffin!
Dispensing Happiness revisits some creepy looking spider cookies that are just too cute for words! I think Miss G and I may just have to try those come October!
Ice Cream Ireland has some fabulous kanten raspberry cubes that I think would be fun to try with blueberries!
What caught your eye this week (or last) ;oP?
Posted by Dianne at 12:55 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 12, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're having pork chops, peas, spinach and mashed potatoes.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 1:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 10, 2009
What's For Dinner?
As you can see things didn't quite back to normal today, but hey you still get What's For Dinner?! ;oP
Tonight Alexis and I are having a tomato soup that I have been thinking about for a while and have wanted to try to make. Jamison is going to have left over lasagna.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 11:59 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 9, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Jamison has class this evening and Alexis and I are going to do ultra simple...Sandwiches with some fruit and veggies.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 2:55 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 8, 2009
Partially Back To Normal
Tomorrow things will get partially back to normal. Better Bites will be on hiatus until next week, but What's For Dinner should be back tomorrow afternoon! I'm also hoping to have an entry ready for Tuesday, but we'll just have to wait and see how things go!
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Posted by Dianne at 7:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 4, 2009
See You Next Week!
We had some unexpected things pop up over the past 24 hours. Nothing to worry about, but I'm going to be busy for a bit. I'll be back hopefully on Monday! Have a great week everyone!
Posted by Dianne at 10:01 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 3, 2009
What's For Dinner?
Tonight we're having pot roast, mashed potatoes and peas. Lex wants some strawberries too.
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 6:13 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Beggar's Stew
Years and years ago I stumbled across a recipe for a soup called "Beggar's Stew". I think it was while we were still in Alabama so that was over ten years ago. It was in one of those little slow cooker magazines that are usually stationed in the checkout isles at the grocery store.
Over the years I had planned to try it, but just never got around to actually making the soup. Most of the ingredients stuck in my head however...Yes I remember trivial bits of information that I should have long since been forgotten...You don't? ;oP
As I recall this soup had a creamed soup in it, but I decided that was over kill. Don't get me wrong, I do use cream of soups from time to time (and here's a shocker...I even like Velveeta once in a blue moon! ;oP) but this just didn't need it given the recipe also called for heavy cream. I decided to lighten up the cream with the fat free half and half as you'll see below. I love half and half because it gives you that essence of cream, without all the fat! Especially if you can find the fat free version, it makes it all the more fabulous without as much of the guilt!
I also don't remember the exact vegetables other than diced tomatoes, onion and mushrooms, but decided to use some that I'm fond of to round out the soup. I know there was thyme, so I decided to go with a very healthy dose of that particular herb. I believe the recipe originally called for turkey, but I've wanted to try ground chicken for a while so I decided to make it a bit simpler. Overall everything came together well and this most definitely is on the "Let's make it again!" list!
What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of dried thyme (Note: I actually prefer dried thyme to fresh. Fresh is good, but drying thyme just makes such a lovely concentrated flavor. I feel the same way about basil as well, but that's neither here nor there at the moment. ;op)
1 leek, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into little cubes
4 ounces of cremini mushroom, slices
4 ounces of button mushroom, slices
2 quarts of chicken broth (Note: I make my own most of the time, but you can use the store bought variety.)
1 - 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 16 ounce package of frozen corn
1 - 10 ounce package of frozen Lima beans
1 pint of fat free half and half (Note: If you can't find fat free, regular half and half would be fine, or you could go all out and even use heavy cream if you preferred.)
In a large stock pot sauté onion with the ground chicken in a little olive oil (not more than a tablespoon tops) with sea salt, black pepper and thyme. When chicken is done through add leek, mushrooms and carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes and stir. Add frozen vegetables and bring mixture to a quick boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Once carrots are tender add half and half and stir to mix. Cook for 10 minutes to heat through and serve.
Notes: As always you can mix up soup any way you like. You could use different vegetables. You could throw in some diced potato. You could leave out the meat. You could add in other herbs. It's all a matter of personal taste.
Posted by Dianne at 10:07 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 2, 2009
Better Bites: Whole Grain Zucchini and Mushroom Quiche
I love white whole wheat flour! It gives you the perfect way to take whole grain and make it a little bit more appetizing than straight whole wheat flour. It's finer, yet still whole grain, so it gives the baked good you are making a better texture, yet still gives you the added fiber. It works with bread, so I thought "Why not try it in a pie crust?" and you know what...It was fabulous!
Quiche can be anything you want it to be, but a slice of quiche, especially this one with its whole grain crust, is a perfect element of a healthy meal! Pair it with a nice green salad and you've got a meal that has your grains, protein, dairy and vegetables all rolled into one!
What You'll Need for the Whole Grain Crust:
2 cups of white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 1/2 sticks of very cold butter, cut into small pieces (Note: If you wanted to make this even healthier you could forgo the butter and use olive oil instead. I've never tried it with white whole wheat flour, but it should work just the same.)
1 cup of ice water
In a bowl stir together flour and salt to mix. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is pebbly. Add water and stir until ball forms. (Note: Depending on the humidity you may need more or less water. Add water slowly and when the ball forms stop. If you need more than a cup don't sweat it.) On a floured surface roll the dough out into a circle. Press into a pie dish, crimping the edges and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill.
What You'll Need for the Quiche Filling:
10-12 eggs
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 cups of mushroom slices
1/2 cup of light swiss, shredded
1/2 cup of light, sharp cheddar, shredded
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl beat eggs until completely mixed. (Note: If you use large eggs you'll only need 10. If your eggs are smallish then you'll need to use 12. Don't worry though you can't mess it up either way...There is not such thing as too many or too few eggs when it comes to quiche! You want enough to cover your ingredients. If they aren't then whip up another egg or two with a touch of salt and pepper and pour them over. It will all come together in the end.) Stir in salt and pepper.
Stir in mushrooms, zucchini and cheeses until mixed. Pour into chilled pie shell. Bake for 20-240 minutes until done through and slightly browned. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Notes: Quiches are very subjective things. You can add whatever vegetable you like, you can leave the cheese out all together or you can even add in herbs or spices. I really like dill in quiches. So go nuts and experiment! It's all about coming up with something you like.
Posted by Dianne at 2:33 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
What's For Dinner?
We're going to do things a little different today and do What's For Dinner this morning and then have Better Bites this afternoon. We had a crazy, crazy weekend and I didn't have time to get this morning's entry written up! So check back later for that!
Remember when weekends were about relaxing? Lately our weekends have just been crazy, upon crazy! Saturday we spent the morning running errands, and then the afternoon at Alexis' art class. By the time we got home it was time for dinner (I made Mexican) and then on to getting the little non-napped princess to bed.
On Sunday we went to church, went out to lunch. (More Mexican....Yum! Jamison actually isn't a fan and the first words out of his mouth were "Didn't we have Mexican yesterday?" But he indulges me so Mexican it was! ;oP) After lunch we set off in search of some sand for the driveway and a fire retardant hearth rug so we can use the fireplace if we need to. (All of this ice makes me nervous about power outages!) Two stores later we finally found the sand, but no rug. I ended up having to order one off of Amazon! We got home around 3:30 or so and then I immediately started lesson planning for the week.
Several hours later Jamison fed Alexis dinner and then got her into bed, while I finished up lesson planning for the most part. (I still have some things to get ready for the rest of the week.) After Miss G was in bed I finally stopped the constant motion that was the weekend and Jamison and I sat down on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and watched "Pride and Prejudice". (The newer version...The Colin Firth version is in my NetFlix queue next! I can't believe I haven't seen either of those!) Needless to say, other than the movie it was a move, run, do, do, do sort of weekend and unfortunately they all have been that way lately! I really am NOT a fan of those kinds of weekends! I much prefer the slow, mellow sorts instead!
Anyway, what does that have to do with dinner tonight? Absolutely nothing! So let's get to the dinner part now, shall we? ;oP
Jamison is in class this evening and Alexis and I are both a little sniffley/snarfully so we're having soup. It's a new idea I'm working on, with chicken, tomatoes, thyme, etc. I've been thinking about it for a while, but just never got around to trying it out. Tonight is the night! I'm sure you'll see the recipe soon! ;oP
What are you having?
Posted by Dianne at 10:18 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
