Bring on the Root Veggies!

Hi ladies-- it's been a while online here! I tweaked a recipe tonight for very easy veggies that I really loved so thought I'd share.

Cut up any variety of root veggies into 3/4 inch cubes or wedges of about equal size so they all cook in the same amount of time. Recipe suggested: carrots, parsnips, Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes, cipollini or yellow onions, rutabaga. Also can do beets this way, but roast separate from other veggies or will turn everything red. I used: carrots, potatoes and a vidalia onion.

Toss veggies with olive oil and some spices. I used Penzey's Northwest blend (Thanks, Kelli!) which was great. Recipe suggests: herbs de provence or fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Spread veggies on a baking sheet in a single layer. Recipe suggested putting down parchment paper for easy clean up.

Bake until tender and carmelized, 35-45 minutes. As they bake, shake the baking sheet or stir so each piece gets crisp crust.

Stir Fry

At Sarah's request, I'm adding some thoughts about stir fry. Some favorite veggies I use are snow peas or snap peas, mushrooms, and broccoli. Another tip I picked up recently is to use cole slaw mix - an easy way to add cabbage without any work. I sautee everything with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. We're fans of sweet and sour sauce in our house, so I just use that when done and skip the soy sauce.

I'd love other suggestions on this if anyone has them!

Sarah B, thanks for the reminder about this!  Two recipes below, both from Real Simple (they should pay me too) but first, my "Take 2" thoughts:

One of my favorite things to use in different ways throughout the week is a rotisserie chicken you get at the grocery store.  Serve it as is, use in chicken pot pie (first recipe below), use in stir fry, use on sandwiches for lunch.  Stir fry and quesadillas are a great second use meal for chicken or steak - you can also through leftover veggies in those things too, depending on what they are.

Chicken Pot Pie

You can make this as 4 individual pies as it's listed below, or as one big pie (even easier).  This is one of Real Simple's "Fake it, Don't Make It" recipes that appears in the back of the magazine every months.  It's easy and deeee-licious.  If you want to reheat another night, it's best in the oven or toaster oven so the piecrust doesn't get soggy.

Ingredients

1 8-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables

2 refrigerated piecrusts

1 10 3/4-oz can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

2 cups chipped cooked chicken or turkey (I use rotisserie chicken)

1/2 tsp. garlic sald

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Defrost vegetables in microwave for about 3 minutes.

Cut 2 piecrusts into quarters, to yield 8 equal pieces.

Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum-foil pans (4 1/2 inches in diameter, 1 1/4 inches deep) or 4 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray.

Line bottome of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit.

In large bowl, stir together soup and milk; add remaining ingredients.

Spoon about 2/3 cup of mixture into each pan or ramekin.

Top each with piecrust quarter.

Pinch edges together and cut vents in top.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Cutlets

With a shout out to Kelli, who helped me cook this the first time since I have never managed to cook chicken in a frying pan before without fearing salmonella!  I've since done it again on my own - both times with great success.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard (optional)

2 1/4 cups (9 oz) finely grated parmesan

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1-1 1/2 lbs. chicken cutlets (thin-sliced breasts work well)

6 Tblsp. olive oil

In shallow bowl, whisk eggs and mustard (if using).

In separate bowl, combine 2 cups parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Dip one cutlet into egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, then coat it in bread crumb mixture.  Transfer to plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken, batter, and bread crumb mixture.

Heat 2 Tblsp. of oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add half of cutlets.

Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

Wipe out skilled, add 2 more Tblsp. oil, and repeat with remaining cutlets.

Yummy Easy Salad - The First In A Series

Was I intimidated by you healthy NIHers? Maybe. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged yet. But now, well, let's face it, I'm scared of Sarah. Not really Sarah - but Cyber-Sarah with her high tech blogs (which I can't believe I have actually contributed to.) And, again, let's face it - she's bossy. So I'm finally weighing in with a recipe - and no, I didn't stop eating healthy, but I'll be honest, I've had my fair share of leftover Halloween candy the past few days, so any inspiration right now will be a good thing.

Here's the funny thing - I'm putting one of Sarah's recipes up. My Mom brought this to my house the other night, and I was tempted to eat the whole salad. It's simple and easy, and anything that inspires me to eat more leafy greens is a good thing. Plus, it was a change from our usual salad of romaine lettuce, some carrots if we have them, bottled dressing - you get the drill. BORING!

So, enjoy!

Here's the salad recipe:
lettuce
sunflower seeds
craisins
1 can mandarin oranges

Dressing:
6 Tbls. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls. red wine vinegar
1/4tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper or to taste

Olive Bread

Oh no! We went high tech with a blog and all the recipes stopped! Thought I'd pass on a Cooking Light bread recipe that tastes VERY gourmet although it takes very little work. You do have to think ahead...but very little actual work. Enjoy! And if you eat wheat bread, this tastes like a huge treat :)

Olive Bread

1 (1-lb) loaf frozen white bread dough
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (I have used 1 1/2 TBS fresh rosemary, too)
Cooking Spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Thaw dough in refrigerator for 12 hours
2. Sprinkle olives and rosemary over dough; gently knead on a lightly floured surface 4 or 5 times or just until olives are incorporated into dough. Cover dough; let rest 10 minutes. Roll dough into a 10x8 inch rectangle. Beginning with long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Preheat oven 375.
4. Uncover dough; cut several 2-inch slits into top of dough using a sharp knife. Brush dough with egg white. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove load from baking sheet; cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf, 12 servings.

Simple Healthy Yummy

This is a quick meal that I feel I can improvise and experiment with, while keeping the basic goodness.  I'd like to try different beans and veggies.  Perhaps add some spices.  Those who know my cooking style know that this is HUGE that I may divert from an original recipe!!  I also like it hot the first time but enjoy it cold (with some chopped fresh mozzarella) for leftovers.  Hope you enjoy it, too!

Veggie & Couscous Salad
15 min prep time, serves 6

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups low-sodium veggie or chicken broth
1 cup organic whole-wheat couscous (note: not QUITE the whole box!)
3 Tbsp lemon juice

In a 2-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil.  Saute shallot, broccoli and bell pepper over high heat until they're softened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add beans, raisins, stock and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil.  As soon as it boils, add couscous and stir to mix.  Remove pot from heat and cover tightly for 5 minutes. 

Uncover and fluff the mixture with a fork.  Toss with lemon juice, transfer to a portable container and chill.

Carmina's intro and sites

Lately, I've been cooking different recipes from these sites...

SELF - their recipes seem to be less complicated than other sites. I also get a weekly email from them with a recipe of the week - the simplicity and the pretty pics sometimes motivate me to try them. The last dish I cooked, Thai noodles with chicken, was nice and fresh tasting. Leftovers were great for lunch.


Food network - Ellie Krieger's site is usually my go-to site for inspiration. And if I'm planning to cook a specific dish/protein, I usually search it on the food network site with "Ellie Krieger." I enjoy watching her show once in a while (Robert finds her a little scary looking, but she's an RD and puts a healthy spin on recipes). Some of my favorites I've tried - carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing, tabbouleh, noodles with lime peanut sauce...


Speaking of tabbouleh, I've been making it a lot lately. It works great as a lunch side for the week and it's super easy to cook bulgur and use it as a substitute for rice/couscous. Just put 1 cup in a bowl, add 1.5 cups boiling water, cover and it's done in 20 minutes. A lot like couscous, but it feels like you're treating your body really well, and it's super cheap when you buy it in bulk...

Kelli's veggies and weekly planners

First, I love that you're all using this! I'm so inspired!! Congrats, karen on your pact with Dan!

Second, I don't know if this fits anyone's recent interests/requests/pleas, but I've been intrigued by a concept I saw in Real Simple, in two different places: using long thin strips of zucchini and/or yellow squash from a vegetable peeler, plus olive oil, lemon juice, etc. to make a salad. i tried it first with zucchini, lemon juice, tomatoes, goat cheese, salt and pepper, and it was okay but I thought it could have been better. The second recipe I found and am about to try uses both kinds of squash with olive oil, lemon and shaved parmesan. I'm also thinking it might be pretty/tasty to use carrot or cucumber prepared the same way, or with dill, vinaigrette, etc. I'll keep you posted.

Here's a link to one of those recipes and another variation.

By the way, I meant to mention that as far as eating healthier is concerned, Nicole turned me on to this a long time ago, but I just finally started paying attention. It's a set of meal plans for a week's worth of food for each of three approaches to eating--convenience, home cooking, or grazing. (Again, from RS. They should pay me.):

Karen's Gourmet Treat

I have a very fancy, complicated recipe that is so worth the time. This is all I've been eating lately for dinner. Here is what you do.

1) walk to kitchen
2) open freezer
3) put edamame bag into microwave and turn on (must read detailed instructions on packet)
4) pour in bowl (sprinkle with some salt if you have the time)
5) put soy sauce into small bowl
6) put out extra bowl
7) sit in front of tv--turn on
8) enjoy healthy meal of soybeans! (at least it sounds healthy)

It's like dinner and an activity at the same time b/c eating them makes me somehow feel like I am DOING something. I like that.

It might be a not-so-good dinner, but it is better than eating an entire bag of chips.

I finish off the meal with some weight watchers ice cream and maybe a few turkey pepperonis that Kelli turned me onto.

bliss....

Jean's Chicken and Orzo

I had a yummy dinner last night and I think it might even be good cold. I adapted it from a recipe in Everyday Food May 2008.


Broil chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper.

While they’re in the oven, cook some orzo. Add broccoli florets for the last 2 minutes of the orzo cooking time. Drain and return to pot. Add some diced tomatoes, chopped Italian parsley, lemon juice and about a tablespoon of butter.

Chop up the chicken and toss in with the orzo mixture, or serve it on the side.


I’m sure other veggies would be good, too, especially asparagus.



The recipe in the magazine has you roll the chicken cutlets with brie, spinach and Dijon mustard…which is also very tasty but requires more ingredients.

Nicole's Favorites

Re: frozen meals - I'm a big fan of Lean Cuisin pizzas, and their sandwiches are pretty good too. They seem to be less like traditional frozen meals, which makes me like 'em more. As for eating fresh, steamed asparagus is a big hit at our house. I've also rediscovered the joys of hamburgers (from fresh beef, not the frozed patties) for Brian and a veggie burger for me. Easy and tastes like we've grilled out, even when it comes from the grill pan on the stove.

For those of you who are close by, be ready for some homegrown tomatoes in the coming weeks - Brian planted six tomato plants, and they're all huge! It means I'll soon have one of my favorite treats of the summer - yellow tomatoes. If you haven't ever tried them and you're a tomato fan, it's a must do.

Sarah's thoughts

In the summer we have been trying to eat WAY more fresh fruits and veggies. Often we'll have 2 veggies instead of a starch with our meat. Last night, we bought kabobs already made, but added marinade and then grilled zucchini (olive oil, s & p) on the side. It was delicious! I've also been dipping carrots and cucumbers in a low-fat dip or hummus for lunch.

My salads almost always consist of one nut/seed and some cheese and some fruit. I love Newman's own Balsamic Vinegrette or Olive Oil one, although easy to make one's own, I like Paul's for ease.

Some fav combos include:
-Goat cheese, walnut, grape (also pear and apple are good with goat)
-Blue cheese, pecan/walnut, apple/grape/pear
-Sunflower seed, craisins and mandarin orange

Julie's food workout

Any recommendations for low cal frozen meals would be appreciated.

In general, (when I’m behaving) I eat a lot of salads, lean protein and I go easy on refined carbs. The frozen meals will help right now because of our ever changing schedule, most weeks I don’t know what we’re doing one day to the next. The program I followed earlier this year was a formula that allowed 40% protein, 30% carbs and fat based on my activity level and how I process different foods. The formula provided a total calorie count for the week which I divided up over the seven days never eating the same amount 2 days in a row. This is supposed to keep you burning calories and not storing fat.


Have a great day, wish me luck and lots of self-control!

Jean's Insanely Yummy Blueberry Business

I love this idea and have to share the insanely yummy blueberry business I had the other day. We couldn't get enough of it. It's from Everyday Food June 2008:


Blueberries with Maple Cream

3 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1. In medium bowl, combine blueberries, sugar and lemon zest and juice. Set aside. (I put it in the fridge for a few hours.)
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip heavy cream and sour cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Keep on whipping, and add maple syrup in a steady stream; continue to whip until maple cream is thick and velvety, about 1 minute more. Divide berries among serving bowls; top with maple cream.

Kelli's first posting

Lately, I've been...

Loving candied almonds in salads: Heat sugar in a small pan over med-high heat. When it's melted/caramelized, toss in sliced or slivered almonds, stir briefly, remove from heat and let cool. If they get all stuck together, just chop them. Great with greens, mandarin oranges, and dried cranberries. Also loving goat cheese - there and elsewhere - see below.

Surprised by Lean Cuisine and other frozen meals. Never really tried them until recently, but I'm loving the convenience and built-in portion control--especially for eating-in at the office instead of going out and spending and eating too much!

Snacking on Hormel turkey pepperoni. It comes in a "pilllow pack" and is shelf-stable, so it might not be located with other pepperoni in the store. Low-fat, but super tasty. Not many calories in a decent serving size. Yay, snack meats!

Controlling myself when it comes to salad dressing by tossing my greens with a small amount of dressing in a bowl first, then plating the greens and adding whatever else--rather than sitting with a bare salad and a bottle of dressing and using the salad as a mere vehicle for drinking half a bottle of dressing.

Having success with pantry magic! Started with warmed-up leftover Near East whole grain pilaf (which I hadn't liked when prepared as directed). Sauteed some yellow squash, red bell pepper, canned artichoke hearts, and red onion with olive oil and garlic, salt and pepper, and rosemary. Added that mixture to the pilaf along with some toasted pine nuts (bought them that way at TJ's or I would have added them while sauteeing) and crumbled goat cheese, and mixed it all up. To be honest, I COULD NOT BELIEVE how good this was. Super-filling, and it felt virtuous. Planning to try it again with whole wheat couscous, vary the veggies, herbs, etc.

Enjoying salmon prepared thusly (skipped the quinoa and made a salad instead):
Parchment Salmon and Quinoa
Real Simple

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup sliced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 4-ounce salmon fillet
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oven to 400° F.

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, tear off two 15-inch squares of parchment paper or foil and arrange on a baking sheet. Place the bell pepper and onion in the center of one square. Place the salmon on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with the black pepper. Cover with the remaining square of parchment and fold the edges over several times to seal. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer packet to a plate and serve with the quinoa.