Monday, March 2, 2009
I am going to take a moment to whine about wine. See, in many civilized parts of the country, you can purchase wine in a grocery store. But not here in TN. We finally got our Trader Joe’s but we can’t get Two Buck Chuck. When shopping at a Whole Foods in Atlanta, (the same one Alton Brown shops at!) I was loving all the different types of wine I saw. But that’s something I can’t experience at our Whole Foods here in Nashville. If you are a Tennessean who cares about this issue, check out Red White and Food for more info.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
It’s amazing how something as simple as cutting into cabbage can make you realize how great life is. How amazing God is. Even if you’re not religious, is it possible to look at something as beautiful as this red cabbage and not be amazed?
I haven’t disappeared. I haven’t blogged in a while, but my life has really begun a new adventure. My schedule at work has completely changed, and I’ve taken on new responsibility, and this brought me to a great career opportunity. Right now, life is good. I have MANY blog updates to come so stay tuned. And now, to take a feature I really enjoy in one of the blog’s I read (she often asks a question at the end of her post, and I really like this), let me ask you a question.
Is there anything in your life, that is so simple, yet totally eye-opening? For me, it was this beautiful cabbage. It opened my eyes to how simple, yet complex, and amazing life is.
**Per request, here’s the coleslaw I made with the red cabbage. I also used it in salads. I just never took a picture of the coleslaw, there’s no way I could of gotten it to photograph well, but it was mighty delicious! I saw the recipe on Tastespotting**
Sunday, February 22, 2009
For some reason I began to crave a sloppy joe. I think it’s because I had frozen ground turkey in the freezer from when I caught a sale at Kroger ($.99 a lb!). I haven’t ate a sloppy joe in ages! I remember once The Boy told me his mom used to make them all the time, but from scratch. I was shocked, I had NO CLUE you could make them and not use Manwich! Seriously, I had no clue! So when this hankering for a sloppy joe began to develop, I researched recipes. I quickly found one that sounded good on Martha Stewart’s website. I was intrigued by the use of carrots, but it wasn’t the first recipe I’d seen with them. It seemed like a GREAT way to sneak in some veggies!
I must say I LOOOOOVED these! (The Boy thought they were yummy, even if they were different from his mom’s.) I can’t believe something so messy looking, and simple, could really taste that good! I feel like a dork, but it was a darn good dinner! If you’re like me, and have never had sloppy joes that don’t come from Manwich, and are craving an “old fashioned” kind of meal, you really have got to give these a shot. The flavor is a little bit sweet, and more complex than something you’d get from a can. You can taste the combination of flavors with each bite. This recipe will most definitely be used again and again. (PS. I think this made more than 4 servings! I’m counting at least 6!)
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1 medium onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 pound ground turkey (93% lean, dark meat) (I used 1lb)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 whole-wheat hamburger rolls, split
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium; add carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve on whole-wheat rolls.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Here’s a yummy Mexican casserole. It was pretty simple to prepare, and produced very tasty results. What sets this apart from other Mexican casseroles is the use of El Pato salsa de chile fresco, and queso cheese. YUM! I used chicken pulled from a “Mojo” flavored rotisserie chicken I got at Publix (took me 3 trips, but I finally got my chicken!).
Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (7 3/4-ounce) can salsa de chile fresco (such as El Pato)
15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded queso blanco (about 4 ounces)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.
Calories:293 (15% from fat); Fat:4.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.5g,poly 1.2g); Protein: 22.9g; Carbohydrate: 40g; Fiber: 5.9g; Cholesterol: 46mg; Iron: 2.3mg; Sodium: 602mg; Calcium: 200mg
Friday, February 20, 2009
I’m a huge fan of salmon. I’ll go ahead and say it’s my favorite fish. I had this recipe bookmarked and Valentine’s Day weekend seemed like the perfect time to make a dish you wrap up in heart shaped parchment paper. This dinner tasted GREAT, and was so simple to prepare. I think it’s easily adaptable to what ingredients you have on hand. Next time I make it, I’ll likely sub rice for the orzo, to save some calories. And I happened to have fresh colored peppers & red onion on hand, but you could throw in carrots & broccoli and I think it would be just as yummy! I adapted it a little from the blog I found it on, so go ahead and adapt it to your liking!
Salmon en Papillote
Ingredients:
2 salmon filets
1/3 a red pepper julienned
1/3 yellow pepper julienned
1/3 green pepper julienned
1/3 red onion julienned
1 lemon
olive oil
1/4 cup of dry white wine (optional)
1 cup orzo
2 cups chicken stock
salt
pepper
parchment paper
Directions:
Fold over the other side of the heart and begin closing up the paper by folding over the sides. You want to make sure and get this folded very tightly so everything steams. At the very end, leave a little opening to pour in just a tiny shot of wine (don't pour too much or the taste will overpower everything). (I actually forgot to add the wine, but didn't miss it) Finish folding and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to 145 degrees.
Fold over the other side of the heart and begin closing up the paper by folding over the sides. You want to make sure and get this folded very tightly so everything steams. At the very end, leave a little opening to pour in just a tiny shot of wine (don't pour too much or the taste will overpower everything). (I actually forgot to add the wine, but didn't miss it) Finish folding and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to 145 degrees.
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