WW - Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms - House Pleaser :)

Yeah, so I am posting later than I thought I would.  But I'm posting - isn't that what matters?  Note to self: read all steps thoroughly before moving on....

This is another Weight Watchers recipe, but there isn't a book listed.  So just know that it's a Weight Watcher's recipe :)

I once again forgot to take pictures :(  But I might make it again in the somewhat-near future, so I'll take pictures then and update this post.

Today's players are 2 tsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, crushed (I used my pre-minced garlic in oil), 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 8 oz carton button mushrooms, 1 8 oz carton baby bellas, 1/3 cup chicken broth, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled.

1.  Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a medium skillet

2.  In a medium bowl, mix 2 Tbsp of the Balsamic vinegar, the mustard, and the garlic.  Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat the chicken in the marinade.

3.  Transfer the chicken and the marinade to the heated pan (This is where I didn't read each step thorougly - I put the chicken in the pan and put the bowl in the sink...and put water in it).  Saute the chicken until cooked - about 3 minutes each side.  Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.

4.  Add the remaining Tablespoon of oil to the skillet and warm.  Saute the mushrooms for 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth, thyme, and remaining Tablespoon of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown - about 2 minutes.

Top the chicken with the mushrooms and serve.

This dish got great reviews from BGS.  He wanted to take half the mushrooms, but I reminded him that there were more chicken breasts for the next night and they needed mushrooms too, so he put some back :)

One of the suggestions on the recipe is to use white wine in place of the chicken broth, so maybe I'll do that next time.

Yeah, Yeah....

I'm slacking.. I know.  I was gone for a bit and well...I just haven't to the store to make anything decent :(

With any luck I will have something up this week.

I've also been playing around with a new piece of software for a new hobby/income....

It's blank right now, but you can follow those adventures at http://redstitchniche.blogspot.com/

ok, it has one entry hehe

Double WW Meal - Citrus Garlic Pork Loin and Couscous with Sausage, Almonds and Raisins

Mental note - read the recipe in the morning if you've never made it before.  I started this recipe Monday at 4:30 pm and got all the way to "marinate 1 to 4 hrs".....(Calls BGS - hey hon.....what do you want to pick up for dinner, cause unless you want to eat at 9 pm, we aren't eating the pork tonight......) Luckily, I hadn't unwrapped the pork loin from it's packaging yet.  I just poured the marinade into a ziploc baggie and put it in the fridge.

Citrus Pork - The Players

Today's players: 3 cloves of garlic ( I used pre-chopped from the jar), 1/2 cup of lime juice ( I used freshly squeezed), 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (again, freshly squeezed), 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used low-sodium, as always), 1/2 tsp hot sauce, 1 lb pork tenderloin, 4 cups green beans.

Mince the garlic (see previous comment about pre-minced) and mix with the grapefruit and lime juices - oh and if anyone thinks it's "easy" to juice a lime have them come talk to me.  I nuked those babies for 10 seconds and then rolled them....the stubborn little things did NOT want to give up their precious juice!!!  Ok, moving on - soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce.  Allow the marinade to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the flavors can blend.  I did that, the poured the marinade into a ziploc baggie and put it in the fridge.

At 1 pm today, I put the pork loin in the baggie  with the marinade and zipped it up - getting as much air out as possible and then put the baggie back in the fridge inside a pie plate in case anything leaked.

While I was down there I decided to do some prep for the couscous.

I used my little kitchen scale to weigh out 4 oz of turkey sausage and then chopped 1/2 of an onion.

The players for today's side dish are 4 oz turkey sausage - casing removed, 1/2 medium onion - diced, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp dried coriander leaf (ok, here's where things get confusing - coriander is the seed....cilantro is the leaf - so I used dried cilantro leaf), 2 tbsp raisins, 1 cup fat-free chicken broth, 1/2 cup uncooked couscous, 1 tbsp chopped almonds, unblanched, toasted ( I used sliced almonds).

-------------------4 hours later------------------

Preheat the oven to 400º.  While it's heating, transfer the pork loin to a baking dish and pour the marinade into a sauce pan.  Once heated put the pork loin into the oven for about 40 minutes - 20 minutes per pound - and simmer the marinade for 10-15 minutes (it was, after all, surrounded by raw meat).

Back to the couscous....put the 4 oz of turkey sausage in a saucepan over medium heat and and break the pieces up with your spoon (had trouble with this, so I took all the sausage out and broke it up with a fork...much more efficient if you ask me.  After it was broken up, I added it back to the pot).  Once the sausage has had a chance to brown a little, stir in the spices and onion.  Cook this mixture until the onion has softened.  Once the onion is soft,  pour in the chicken broth and raisins and bring to a simmer. Once the broth is simmering, stir in the couscous and cover.  Remove the pot from heat and let stand, covered for about 5 minutes.  At this point I put my steam-bag microwave ready green beans in the microwave for 4 and 1/2 minutes.  Before serving "fluff" the couscous dish with a fork.  At this point you are supposed to sprinkle your toasted almonds on top, but I forgot.  There's always next time.

The end result?? Very tasty.  BGS like both the pork and the couscous.  The pork was a little dry, so maybe i should cover it in tinfoil next time.

All in all, I am very happy about this meal and BGS is too.  And as always, that's what matters most :)

WW - Roast Chicken Breast with Potatoes and Asparagus - Tasty New Chicken Dish

You guessed it...another weight watchers dinner - again with chicken breasts from our freezer (who knows how many I have bought since then not realizing there were chicken breasts trapped in the freezer crying to be released).  I forgot photos..yeah, I'm slacking, I know...Today's Recipe is based on Roast Chicken Breast with Potatoes and Asparagus from  Dining For Two, from Weight Watchers Publishing Group.

Today's players:
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, whole-grain
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced - I used jarred minced garlic (in oil)
1 tsp olive oil, or extra-virgin
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/4 pound(s) Chicken, breast, raw, without skin & bone, or with bone
4 small uncooked potato(es), (about 1/2 pound) white, purple, or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium carrot(s), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 pound(s) asparagus, fresh
1/8 medium lemon(s), or 2 wedges

To start off, I remembered the wrong recipe and defrosted twice as much chicken as I was I needed...then we didn't have whole-grain dijon....

1.  Preheat the oven to 400º and spray a 9"x13" with cooking spray.  Since I doubled, I had to spray a 7"x9" as well....

1a. Chop the potatoes into 1" cubes and the carrots into 1/2 slices.

2.  Mix the mustard, tarragon, garlic, oil, honey, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the chicken; toss to coat.

3.  Arrange the chicken, breast-side up, in the baking dish.  Put the potatoes and carrots in the remaining "sauce" and toss to coat.  Arrange the potatoes and carrots around the chicken breasts.  Roast for 25 minutes

4.  While that is roasting, trim and discard the tough ends of the sparrow's grass (aka asparagus) and then cut into appx 2" lengths.  When the 25 minutes is up, add the sparrow's grass to the dish and stir to coat it in the "marinade".

5.  Cook another 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 170º and the vegetables are tender.

Ok, here's where the tricky part comes in with my oven.  The chicken was at 170 and the vegetables were "tender"....but the potatoes weren't cooked all the way.  The carrots and sparrow's grass were fine, but the potatoes....not so much.

BGS liked it and I suppose that's all that really matters.  It was very tasty.  All in all a good recipe, but I think next time I might cook the potatoes separate and add more carrots.  Oh....and I won't double the chicken the next time.....it got chewy when re-heated in the microwave.

WW - Chicken, Rice, and Dried Fruit "Salad" - Mixed Review

I'm trying to use things we already have in the freezer - novel concept, I know.  So I pulled out some chicken breasts on Sunday and finally got around to using them today.  Today's recipe is based on the Chicken, Dried Fruit, and Rice Salad recipe from In One Pot, from Weight Watchers Publishing Group 

Chicken, Rice, and Dried Fruit "Salad"

The recipe calls for (how exactly can an inanimate object call for something??) 10 oz roasted chicken - chopped/thinly sliced,1 tsp ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp saffron - slightly crushed, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 c dried apricots - sliced, 1/4 c golden raisins, 3/4 c white rice, parsley, 1 small red onion-chopped, 1 small red pepper - seeded and diced, 3 tbsp sliced almonds, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 3 tbsp raspberry vinegar.

You start by adding the spices (I used turmeric instead of saffron) to a pot of water (chicken broth) and bring it to a boil.  Stir in the rice ( brown rice) and dried fruit (I added cherries). I also added the red onion at this point since I'm not a huge fan of raw onion.  Simmer until all the liquid is gone - abt 20 minutes - watch carefully so the mixture doesn't catch/burn.  Spread the rice mixture on a baking pan to cool to room temp - abt 20 mins.

Transfer the rice mixture to a large bowl and add the chicken, (onion - this is where the recipe says to add it), almonds, vinegar, and olive oil.  Mix well and serve.  Each portion is 1 1/2 cups.  You can also refrigerate it and serve the next day.

I made a few substitutions from the recipe:

1.  I pan-fried the chicken breasts in abt 2 tbsp olive oil....mostly because when I first read the recipe I thought they were talking about one of those roasted chickens from the store and well....that's not the kind of chicken I had on hand.  I was a little confused about what to do with the chicken breast.  The original recipe says  "(chopped) roasted chicken breast, thinly sliced"  ....ermmm...what?  I ended up cubing the chicken breasts and then shredding the cubes.

2.  I used turmeric instead of saffron because well, saffron is just expensive and I didn't want to potentially waste it on a recipe that I am trying for the first time.

3. I added the onion in with the rice because I'm not a huge fan of raw onion....onion in generally really, but raw is just *blech*

3. I added 1/8 c dried cherries, chopped.

4. I used tarragon vinegar instead of raspberry vinegar - that was BGS's choice.  He tasted the rice mixture and then sniffed the raspberry and tarragon vinegar's to see which one he thought was the best pairing.  He chose the tarragon.  (Good thing too, since I mistakenly took the player's photo with the tarragon vinegar)

All in all, I like it.  BGS said it's boring so I sent it home with my dad who stopped for a visit today.

Update: This dish is FAR better the second day when the rice and the chicken have had to fully absorb all the flavors.  Both of my parents loved the dish and my dad asked for the recipe :)

Another Successful WW meal!! - Pork Loin with Pear Chutney

Last night I told BGS that we were having pork for dinner tonight....he said "I don't like pork"....I told him that we had 2 pork loins in the freezer that I purchased prior to him making this decision.  So he caved :)

This recipe starts with 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of OJ - now there's a pungent combo.....wait..almost forgot....

Tonight's players: yeah, sorry, no pictures tonight...was too focused on getting the meal cooked before BGS got home - anyway....1 2lb pork loin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves and pears.  Combine the liquids and spices in a pot.  Add the chopped pears and cook until the liquid is nearly gone and the pears are soft - remove from heat and let cool.

Place the pork loin in a roasting pan and spoon half of the chutney over the loin. Cook in a 400 (F) degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160.

Allow the pork loin to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into rounds.  Spoon 1/4 cup over 3 slices and you have yourself a meal.  I served this with brown rice and green beans.  BGS was happily surprised after he walked into the house at the exact moment that the apple cider vinegar/OJ was it's most pungent.  I was surprised the pork had as much flavor as it did since I hadn't sprinkled any spices on it before cooking it.

BGS is Getting Help with Losing Weight

He started Weight Watchers® for men Friday and I am sooooo proud of him. He chose it because the food isn't pre-packaged.  He did Jenny Craig® a couple years ago, but didn't stick with it because he didn't like the food all that much. And since all the meals were pre-packaged, you didn't really get a huge variety.

Tonight I used one of the recipes from the website - Chicken Breast with Honey Balsamic Glaze.  First step was to coat the chicken in thyme, salt, and pepper.  Pan fry the chicken.  Remove the chicken and add the honey-balsamic mixture into the pan and reduce; pour over chicken.  Either I reduced the sauce too much or it didn't have much flavor, because all BGS and I only tasted the thyme.  The reviews on the site rated this recipe highly, so I think I did something wrong.  The pan was probably still too hot when I put the honey/balsamic mix in.

Tomorrow....pork loin

Impromptu Side-Salad - Rice, Celery, Cranberries, Walnuts

BGS needs to change his diet so I've been making healthier food - not that I made unhealthy food before, but now I've been more conscientious of the fat, fiber, and calorie intake.  Let's just hope he pays attention when he's not eating my food.....or maybe he'll start taking lunch.....- insert long pause while I search for a new lunchbox for him.....hrmmmm pink with flowers maybe- where was I??

Right, impromptu salad.  I had made brown and white rice the night before and was trying to a) use up leftovers b) try to find alternative ways to prepare rice to make them more appealing to BGS vs "just plain old leftovers".  So I went to allrecipes.com and found Balsamic Brown Rice Salad.  Sounded tasty....but did I have the ingredients?  Sure I had the rice, but what about everything else?   Celery - check.  Dried cranberries - check....Onions - nada.  Balsamic Vinaigrette - expired......Balsamic Vinegar + Olive Oil....check....So I empty the expired dressing bottle and pour equal portions of balsamic vinegar into the bottle and shake.

Dump both the white and brown rice in the bowl.  Add the chopped celery - 2 stalks.  Add the cranberries - 1/2 cup.  Add the 1/2 cup of homemade balsamic dressing.  Add salt and pepper and stir.

The vinegar taste/scent was quite strong last night but was better tonight.  I guess the ingredients needed a night to "merry".

Best news of all - BGS liked it!

It was quite tast

Memories and Reminders - Turkey, Bean and Pasta Soup

Yep, I went back to Rachael Ray's Hearty and Healthy 3 bean minestrone.  But this time I used ground turkey :)

Today's Players

To recap for those viewers at home today's players are 2 cartons store bought chicken stock (16 oz each), 4 carrots, 4 stalks of celery, 2 onions  ( 1 chopped and 1 quartered),  6-8 bulbs of garlic, 12 tomatoes, 1 15-oz can each garbanzo, kidney, and cannellini beans, 2 rinds of parmesan cheese, sprigs/stalks of parsley, rosemary, and thyme (darn.  all  I need is sage I can sing that song....fooey), 1 lb fresh ground turkey, and 4 slices of prosciutto.


Somehow this time I managed to use only 2 burners and the oven and I am NOT complaining!

Since the stock has to simmer for one hour before you can add it to the soup, I set that up first in my brand new 12-qt stock pot.  In went the 2 cartons of chicken stock - 8 cups total....to that I added 4 cups of water.  Then went the "fortifying" ingredients: 2 carrots cut in half; 2 celery stalks cut in half, 2 rinds of parmesan cheese and the peel from 1 lemon (he was camera shy so isn't pictured above), and 2 stalks each parsley, rosemary, and thyme tied together in a bundle.  Simmer for 1 hour - timer set.

Next are the tomatoes since they need to roast for abt 30 minutes. This is where the memory part comes in - as I am picking the tomatoes off the vines, I flash back to being 8 years old at my grandmothers house and picking fresh tomatoes off her plants -there is no other smell like it. Stickers removed, rinsed off, and into my roasting pan they go along with the cloves of garlic.  Pour some olive oil over the lot and then sprinkle salt and pepper.   Toss it altogether and put it in the 500 degree oven.

We now come to the meat and beans portion of this blog.  Give the bottom of your pot or dutch oven a couple of "turns" of extra virgin olive oil and heat for a little bit.  Add the prosciutto and heat for a couple of minutes.  Next in goes the chopped onion.  Once that is soft, add the turkey, breaking the pieces with a wooden spoon until the chunks are no about the size of a kidney bean.  After the turkey is browned, add the chopped carrot and chopped celery and cover 10 minutes to let the vegetables sweat......Here's where the reminder portion comes in.....

As I am draining the beans the smoke detector goes off.....I check the stock pot...nothing...nothing in the soup pot either....so I turn on the fan and go open the front door to the house (the smoke detector is 4 feet from the door) and start moving the door back and forth to get the air moving...*whew* the beeping stops ....as I am doing this I look into the kitchen...there is a very visible "smoke" coming from the oven....so I rush over and turn the oven off - there was only 3 minutes left and the tomatoes had already split.  In my absence from wafting the "smoke" out the front door....the beeping starts again....for the next oh I don't know 30+ minutes I am dashing between opening windows..mixing ingredients .....back to the door movement....turning on ceiling fans... checking back to the door movement....and finally the incessant beeping stops.....to be replaced by the occasional "Hey you idiot!  My battery is low!" beep.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, draining beans....add the beans to the soup pot and stir.  Once mixed, start ladling in the stock.  Don't forget the tomatoes.  Remove them from the oven and mash them gently before adding to the soup pot.  I don't like skins in my soup, so I removed the skins before mashing....I'm also not fond of seeds in my soup, so I did my best to pull the tomato meat off and leave the seeds behind. Stir the whole kit-and-kaboodle and bring to a simmer.  Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes and then turn off.  Make sure to let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge.

Why the fridge you ask?  Because I finished this at 6:30 and my husband lets me know he is in fact going over to a friend's house when he told me 30 minutes ago he wasn't.  That's fine.  I didn't feel like standing up any longer to cook the pasta anyway......

To be continued.......

At Home Chinese Dinner Revisited - Chinese Braised Shrimp, Broccoli and Noodles

My husband like the braised beef so much I thought I would try it with another protein - shrimp, but I wanted a veggie this time also, so I added broccoli.  For this giant dish I used my wok :)

Today's Players: - same as last time except for the shrimp
1 lb  raw 35-40 ct frozen shrimp - defrosted
1 -  Manischewitz Egg Noodles Fine (12 oz pkg)
1 10-oz bag steam-ready broccoli
1 clove garlic - crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
2 1/2 tablespoons oil - I used sesame
1/2 cup soy sauce - I used low sodium
1/2 cup chicken broth - again, low sodium
2 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp water

1.Defrost the shrimp according to packaging - then peel


2. Steam the shrimp according to packaging - make sure to drain the excess water from the broccoli before adding to the dish


3. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain and rinse under cold water - to stop the cooking

4. Mix together the garlic, salt, ginger, five-spice powder and add to the thawed shrimp - I used my hands to make sure the shrimp get the spices all over

5.  Heat the oil and saute the shrimp over high heat for until pink - abt 4-5 minutes


6. Mix the soy sauce and chicken broth together and add to the shrimp


7. Mix together the cornstarch and water - stir thoroughly - and stir into the shrimp.  Stir and cook beef until the sauce is smooth and thick.

8.  Gently fold (so as to avoid a massive mess) the noodles, mix well and heat through


9.  Gently fold the broccoli into the dish.


10. Serve immediately



This time the majority of my prep time went to peeling the shrimp.  After that it was a piece of cake and it turned out ok.  The shrimp absorbed a lot of the salt from the soy sauce, so I think when I make this again I might cook the shrimp separately and add them with the broccoli at the end.

At Home Chinese Dinner - Chinese Braised Beef and Noodles

Recently my friend CRS asked me to take on the challenge of making Chinese take-out at home.  I finally have been able to obtain the ingredients and am happy to say that my husband was very happy with the results!

This is the recipe I used:Chinese Braised Beef and Noodles

The Players

Today's players:
1 lb  Angus Beef Steak Sirloin Top Fillet
1 -  Manischewitz Egg Noodles Fine (12 oz pkg)
1 clove garlic - crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
2 1/2 tablespoons oil - I used sesame
1/2 cup soy sauce - I used low sodium
1/2 cup chicken broth - again, low sodium
2 tsp cornstarch
4 tsp water
6 green onions, sliced

1. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water until just tender, then drain and rinse under cold water - to stop the cooking

2. Cut the beef into very thin slices - to make this easier I took the advice from my friend WL to put the beef in the freezer for a few minutes before slicing

The spices - ginger, garlic, 5-spice, and salt

3. Mix together the garlic, salt, ginger, five-spice powder (my husband noted there were actually 7 spices listed on the bottle he bought even though it was labeled five spice powder), and add to the sliced beef.

4.  Heat the oil and saute the beef over high heat for 2 minutes

5. Mix together the cornstarch and water - stir thoroughly - and stir into the beef.  Stir and cook beef until the sauce is smooth and thick.

6.  Gently fold (so as to avoid a massive mess) the noodles, mix well and heat through

7.  Add the green onions and stir - again avoiding mess - and stir another minute

Our final product

8. Serve immediately

The prep time on the recipe said 10 minutes.  The person who wrote this recipe must be a whiz with a knife.  It took me 15-20 mins just to chop the beef (thank you Kelsey Nixon's show on knives).  The measuring of the spices and chopping/measuring of everything else took little time which I love.    I think it took me 30 minutes total to make a wonderful meal that my husband loved and we have enough for another meal, since the original recipe is for 4-6 ppl and there are only 2 of us.

For me, the only thing missing is a veggie from this dish but you can easily steam some broccoli which would be a great addition...not sure there is enough room in the pot for anything else.

Edit: leftovers - specifically the noodles - are salty.  probably because they soaked up more salt overnight.  When I make this again I will most likely reduce the salt from 1 tsp to 1/2 or 1/4 tsp.

You Voted: I Made....well.....

There was a tie, so I asked a friend (BB) to break the tie.  The Roasted chicken, Brie, and Pear Panini won.


Since I am now hooked on cooking/baking and purchased some new tools, I thought maybe I should start at the beginning of a sandwich - the bread.
After a quick search of the internet, I found that there are two breads that are recommended/used in many of the panini recipes I found: ciabatta or foccacia.  It seems foccacia  would be the easiest bread for a beginner-bread-maker, so I set about searching for a good basic recipe.

Not having a bread book for basics (I have bread books for sweet breads like pumpkin and zucchini) I looked online and decided on Easy Foccacia Recipe because of the added flavor from the recipe. Now for the tools ....I put a bread/pizza peel and plastic 6-qt lidded container in my shopping cart...then I talked to a friend who makes bread and to my surprise he told me I had everything I needed :)


Today's players:
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 (.25 ounce) pkg  instant yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


After determining the difference between instant yeast and active yeast (subtract 1/4 liquid from the recipe, since you need 1/4 cup water/liquid to proof the active dry yeast (ady), I combine the 2 different flours in the bottom of my kitchen aid mixer and made a well.  I then put the yeast and sugar in the well, pouring  the 1 1/3 cup water (minus the 1/4 cup for the yeast difference) on top.  Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.  Before stirring, pour 1 1/2 tbsp into the well. Stir with a wooden spoon starting in the middle and working outwards to pick up all the flour in the bowl.  Cover and allow to rise/double for 30-45 minutes.


Have a snack, do some laundry, go back and look - it didn't double :(


So I set about looking for a recipe that uses ady to start with instead of messing with the conversion again.


I found this recipe from Bobby Flay Fabulous Focaccia Recipe


I started with putting the ady yeast to the (cleaned) bowl of my stand mixer and then adding in the warm water and sugar.  I waited 3 minutes and no bubbles :(


I received a method from a fellow bread maker (WL) to try proofing the yeast, so I will try that tomorrow.


Sadly the only bread I had in the house was plain old regular white bread....not what I want for a panini....so I will have the husband pick up some wheat bread on his way home tomorrow.


note: I was informed before dinner that my husband abhors brie, so I will be making the panini with fontina cheese when it gets made.

Just thinkin

Timbuk2 Bags - Hidden Tote - Recycled PET Fabric  as I am out and about and need to get groceries I remembered this bag.  It will take up far less space in my purse thank my current reusable bag with the plastic bottom.  And the fact that it's made from recycled PET is just icing on the cake...mmmmmmmmmmm cake

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(Un)necessary Tools/Toys

Thanks to a friend *cough* mentioning composting ..... I am trying to invest non-Christmas money on a compost pail for the kitchen and a composter so that I can avoid any future disposal issues while making sure the intestinal system of my dog doesn't put my husband and I in the poor house.

Now if I can just convince the husband the items are worth the cost.

Apples and Oranges and Pork....Oh My!

$200 and an admonition from my plumber later,  I'm back to cooking :)

My husband requested a break from chicken after last week's two chicken trials so I'm tackling a pork roast today. I started with the Orange-Apple Pork Roast recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes  and improvised :)

The ingredients

Today's players:
1 2-2.5 lb pork loin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp cooking oil - I used veg oil
1 16 oz bag baby carrots
1/2 of medium white onion - diced
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate- thawed
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme - crushed

1.  Trim fat (if any) from meat.  If necessary the meat to fit into 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker base.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper on all sides (I had originally planned on using McCormick®'s Roasting Rub - Savory Herb, but I got a late start and forgot). In a large skillet , sear the meat on all sides then transfer to crock.  Add the carrots (and onion) on top.

Before turning the crockpot on

2.  In a bowl combine applesauce (I used chunky), orange juice concentrate, tapioca, thyme, and water.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

4.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat and carrots to a serving dish.  Spoon some of the juice over the the pork and carrots.

The final tasty product

The pork was a touch dry and my husband complained that the carrots were not cooked long enough, but I like them with a little crunch to them.  All in all a good dish :)

I put the remaining orange juice concentrate in an ice cube tray and put it back in the freezer for future use :)

Beef, Bean, and Pasta Soup

I just recently found Rachael Ray's show Week in a Day and this recipe looked fantastic...Hearty and Healthy 3 Bean Minestrone but my husband requested I add some meat to the soup.   So decided to add 1 lb of 92% lean ground beef to the recipe which made me think of Olive Garden's® Paste E Fagioli (which I absolutely LOVE.  quite remarkable since I'm not a big soup person).

Wow, what a big cooking day for me!!  3 out of 4 burners were used as was the oven!!

Since I (somehow) only have one sheet pan - a situation that I plan to remedy very soon - I started roasting the 24 tomatoes at 10 am on my one pan.

I set the oven to 500 and had my coffee while I waited for it to pre-heat and drained 2 15oz-can each red kidney, garbanzo and cannelini beans and put them in a bowl.  I then arranged 24 the tomatoes and 24-odd cloves of garlic on the pan and drizzled the whole thing with extra virgin olive oil.

I roasted the tomatoes for 40 minutes (my oven is a little off with the temperature, so I always add time to recipes).  While they were roasting I emptied 8 cups (2 boxes) of chicken stock into a stock pot on my front right burner (1).  I tied together a couple sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and parsely and tossed them into the pot. I followed that with 1 onion, peeled and quartered, 2 stalks of celery (halved), and 2 carrots (halved), two dried bay leaves, and the rinds of two chunks of parmesan cheese; I simmered the stock for 1 hour.

I added some extra virgin olive oil to a skillet on my front right burner (2)  and then added 6 slices of prosciutto and 1/2 of a medium-large onion and cooked it until the onion was just translucent.
I moved the onion-prosciutto mixture to my crockpot base and put my 1 lb of 92% lean ground beef to the skillet; cooking it until it was just brown and turned the burner off.

I decided to use Barilla's® Ditalini pasta for the soup, so I boiled 4 qts of water on my back left burner (3) and cooked the little tubes for 10 minutes. While the pasta was cooking I poured the beans on top of the prosciutto-onion mixture. Next I added 2 carrots and 2 stalks of celery, cut into slices diagonally to the crock.  I turned the pasta off and drizzled some extra virgin olive oil over the top and stirred...to keep the pasta separated.  By this point the aroma from the stock is amazing.

At this point I realized that my 4 qt crockpot wouldn't hold the recipe which I foolishly decided to to double on my first try.  So I rescue the stock pot from the sink and do my best to split the broth, vegetables, and beans between the crock pot and the stockpot.  I remove the now roasted tomatoes from the oven - noting that next time I don't need as much olive oil. I split the pasta, beef, and roasted tomato/garlic between the two pots.  Then I realized I was supposed to remove the skins from the tomatoes before adding them to the pot....lucky for me all the tomatoes are still on top :)

After removing the skins I stir both pots, making sure to bring the beans up from the bottom and set them to simmer for 1 hour. (Turned the crock pot onto it's "Low/8 hr" setting.)

Looking back at the original recipe, I wasn't supposed to add the pasta to the soup pot and then cook...I was supposed to add the pasta to the soup when I serve it.  So it was ok for tonight's meal, but will probably be beyond mushy tomorrow.

Disappointing result: the soup, while filling, had little to no flavor :(  Maybe I should have sprinkled salt and pepper on the tomatoes before roasting.

So my lesson from this meal is whenever trying something new, don't double it :)  And I discovered that I need a REAL roasting pan and a 8+ quart stockpot.

Cooking on hold.....again :(

In trying to throw out as little as possible, I put onion and tomato skins down my disposal.....That made the disposal and pipes very unhappy :(  Plumber can't come out til Monday so my next recipe will have to wait.  Sadness :(

New Tools!!!

I spent some ...ok, most...of my Christmas money on new tools for my kitchen. Most of these tools are things I have wanted since my husband and I got married, but just wasn't able to justify the purchases.  Well now that I am trying to cook more and writing about my cooking I convinced him that the purchases are justified and that I do actually need these things.

1.  12 qt stockpot - having to split the soup between two pots yesterday was just nuts.
2.  Roasting pan with rack - almost pouring olive oil all over the top of the stove yesterday when removing the tomatoes from the oven was just not fun.
3.  an electric panini press/griddle/grill - the Griddler® by Cuisinart®

Recipes and Cooking on hold for one week :(

I am out of town for one week and was unable to make my second meal before I left.  But I have three recipes lined up for my return :) See you all in a week!

Chicken, Rice, Broccoli and a Crockpot....

This quest started on Monday with me adding 2 cups of  rice to the bottom of my 4 qt crockpot crock.  I then mixed
1 can of  cream of broccoli,
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup,
3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth together and pouring that over the rice.  I then emptied 1 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli on top.  Stirred the whole mix together and then lay 6 chicken breasts on top of the rice-broccoli mix.  After I poured 1 more cup of low-sodium chicken broth over the whole dish.  I then set the crock into the base and set it to cook on low for 6 hours.  After a few minutes I thought it might taste good to add some minced garlic to the dish....so I added 2 tsp of minced (from a jar) to the crock.  Stirred the whole thing and put the lid back on.

6 hours later....the chicken was dry, the rice was burned on the edges and the dish (as a whole) had no flavor :(

I came to the conclusion that I obviously hadn't  added the right amount of liquid or spice.....

Last night I decided to deconstruct the dish on the stove to take a stab at improving the flavors....

I put 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth in a saucepot and then added 1 tsp each dried sage, dried thyme, and fresh rosemary.  Once the broth was boiling I added 2 cups of white rice and reduced to a simmer and covered the pot. I set the timer for 20 minutes.

Next...the chicken....I wanted to match the spices in the rice so I coated both sides of two chicken breasts with McCormick's ® Roasting Rub French Herb.  Once they were seared on both sides I added 1 cup of the low-sodium chicken broth and  (after removing from heat) a couple tablespoons of pinot grigio.  I then put a lid on the chicken and allowed it to simmer while I waited for the rice to finish.

When there was 5 minutes left on the rice I popped some microwave steam green beans in the microwave and voila ...dinner!!

Alas...all did not go as planned :(

The rice didn't have enough liquid and i hadn't added the liquid/lid to the chicken in time....so the chicken was well flavored but a little dry and the rice was crunchy....it did have some flavor so maybe I need to double the herb quantities and add more liquid  next time...*crunch*