Weekend Fun!

What a weekend! The living room has been painted all one color! We've been waiting for this for quite some time. Fresh paint goes a long way for making a 70+ year old house feel new again.

A quick pic from my phone.

Dan's probably just glad to be able to sit down for a few! What great help he is!

Now..what did we eat? 

Friday night, in an effort to not clean up two separate messes, we went out to eat at Samurai at 37th St. N. & Woodlawn. So. Good!

Their yakisoba noodle plates are fantastic. Look at all those veggies! Tender chicken & steak (Dan's order) & a great sauce. Check them out!















Ok, but could I make it through a weekend without cooking? No way!
Grilled lemon-pepper chicken with fresh corn salad
Serves 3-4 (or 2 with fantastic leftovers)

1 whole chicken
4 lemons
2 ears corn
1/4 onion, finely diced
1/2 package feta cheese, crumbled
1 green pepper
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

To prep the chicken, take it out of the packaging, give it a quick rinse & pat it dry. You can grill your chicken as is whole, but it helps speed the cooking process if you cut down the back with kitchen shears & flatten out the chicken. The chicken can be grilled either in a foil packet or in a cast iron pan. Place the chicken in your vessel of choice.

Cut the lemons in half & squeeze the juice over the chicken. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon salt & as much freshly ground black pepper as you like. Wrap the chicken with the foil packet or if in a skillet, cover with foil. Grill over a hot fire for about an hour (or in the oven at 450 degrees for about an hour), checking with a meat thermometer. You can brown the chicken & crisp the skin by removing the top layer of foil in the last 15 minutes or so of cooking. When the chicken is about 160 degrees, remove from the grill or oven & cover to rest for about 10 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook while resting.

Meanwhile, roast the red pepper in the oven or over the grill until well charred & bubbly. Place in a paper sack to sweat until cool enough to handle. Cut the corn from cleaned ears & place in a bowl. Add onion, feta, chives, & a swirl of EVOO. Season with salt & pepper to taste. When the pepper is manageable, peel the skin from the pepper and remove the seeds. Finely dice and mix in with the salad.

Carve the chicken & serve with salad. Enjoy!

What's for dinner?

A little later tonight, but just as tasty. I fully intended these to be kebabs, Lori, but it would help to have skewers, wouldn't it? They are on my grocery list!

Sesame Chicken!
Serves 2

2 chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup + 1 T. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 t. sesame oil
1 t. Aji-Mirin rice seasoning
1 T. sesame seeds
2 cups thin green beans
1 t. garlic, minced
1/2 cup rice

Cut each chicken piece into two long pieces. Marinate in 1/4 cup of the soy, sesame oil and rice seasoning for at least 30 minutes.

Cook the rice according to directions. Heat an oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans, the remaining soy sauce and garlic & saute to cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add chicken to pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook until done, about 8-10 minutes, turning once & sprinkling other side with sesame seeds.

Serve over rice & enjoy!

What's for dinner?

Everyone managing the crazy weather out there?
Its even affected dinner, with so little natural lighting from outside thanks to the clouds rolling in, the pictures for tonight are less than perfect.

Tonight's dinner comes from Mark Bittman -- I read his blogs on runnersworld.com & this post sounded pretty good for dinner tonight. I also used his cornbread recipe, which you can find from the link above. Watch the cornbread closely, once it begins to pull away from the sides, test it with a toothpick.

I did add a little shrimp into our lentils for some extra protein & went with diced bell pepper rather than celery because its what I had on hand. Remember that recipes are only guidelines, you'll want to stick a little more closely to them when baking where the right chemistry can be more important, but don't be afraid to experiment! Cooking & playing in the kitchen should be fun, not intimidating!

Enjoy!

Weekend Kitchen

Happy weekend everyone!
Yesterday's post was delayed for good reason -- I was cuddling sweet baby Lilian!

Pretty sure you'll forgive the delay.

Friday wasn't without food, though. The other reason I went to see this sweet little one was to take her new parents a meal! Congrats to you, Lora & Nathan!

Sloppy Joes & Salad!

Joes:
20 oz ground turkey
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 bell pepper, diced
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar

Brown the turkey in the bottom of a medium-large stock pot, season with salt & pepper. Break down the turkey as much as possible while browning.

Add chili powder to season first, then add tomatoes & bell pepper & sugar. Let simmer for at least 2 hours to thicken. You can always transfer this to a crock pot & let it go!

Ranch-style dressing:
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste
1 bag American-style salad mix

Mix all ingredients but the salad mix in the bottom of a medium-large bowl. Toss in salad mix and use your hands to mix thoroughly.

Enjoy your Joes on whole wheat buns with the salad.

What else is on our plates? Jerk chicken!

Jerk Chicken

1 chicken breast cutlets
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1 lime
2 cups thin green beans
2/3 cup rice

Marinate the chicken with 1 tablespoon EVOO or corn oil & jerk seasoning at least 30 minutes. Use less seasoning if you are looking for a less spicy adventure.

Cook rice according to directions. Heat 1 teaspoon EVOO or corn oil in saute pan over medium heat. Cook chicken 1-2 minutes & then add green beans on top. Cover & cook 4-5 minutes more until chicken is done. Serve over rice & enjoy!



Don't worry, Lori, kebabs are coming soon!

What's for dinner?

Breakfast Burritos!
We love breakfast for dinner. Here is a protein-packed meal that is great any time of day!

Serves 2

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
3-4 large eggs
1/4 cup (or two small handfulls) of sharp shredded cheddar
1 t. cilantro
1/4 t. ground red pepper
2 10" whole wheat/low carb tortillas

In a cast iron skillet, heat a little spay oil & sauce onions & peppers with a pinch of salt until the onions are transparent & the peppers begin to soften. Sprinkle in ground red pepper & stir to combine. Add the beans & cook 3-4 minutes, mashing some of the beans as you stir. Remove from pan & divide between the tortillas.

While the veggies are cooking, scramble the eggs with a pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper & the cilantro. in the skillet, scramble the eggs until they are just done & no longer wet. Divide the egg between the tortillas. Top each with half of the cheese and enjoy!

What's for dinner?

A cooler night calls for some comfort food!
Mac & Cheese
Serves 2 (with a bit of leftovers)

2 cups whole wheat rotini
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
2 chicken cutlets
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella
2 T. EVOO

Season chicken with salt & pepper & grill over medium heat in a cast iron skillet until just done, about 2-3 minutes per side if fresh, 4-5 minutes per side if frozen.

Set aside when done.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta & broccoli according to directions for pasta.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, roughly slice into 1/4 inch strips.

When the pasta is just tender, reserve 1 cup of the water & drain using a fine colander or mesh strainer to keep all of the broccoli bits. Return to pot.

Add reserved pasta water and EVOO to the pot, mixing everything together. Crush some of the broccoli to coat the pasta. When the cheese has melted into the sauce, remove from heat & stir in chicken.

Enjoy!


I'm about due for some fresh ideas -- tell me what you'd like to see for dinner!

What's for dinner?

Day 2 of the migraine keeps us to super fast dinners. The hubby loves salmon, so here we go:

Salmon-artichoke pasta!
Serves 2

1/3-1/2 pound whole wheat thin spaghetti

1 can pink salmon, boneless, in water
1 can artichoke heart quarters, drained (reserve about 1/2 cup of the juice)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to directions. Drain & set aside. In same pot, heat a little spray oil & saute onion until it begins to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add drained artichoke hearts & cook 1-2 minutes. Add salmon, garlic, & thyme & cook 1-2 minutes more.

Remove pot from heat & stir in yogurt then fold in pasta. Enjoy!

What's for dinner?

A persistent migraine can put quite a damper on creativity for dinner or the energy to make it!
So here we go with a quick leftover dinner or maybe a delicious snack idea.

A quick recipe for a sort of "cowboy caviar"
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
1 medium-large tomato, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 t. salt
dash of fresh cilantro (I added a little dried cilantro as well)

Mix together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve as a quick, fresh bean dip with tortilla chips.

The rest of dinner was just leftovers -- so thankful the hubby is always excited about burgers. Too bad for me, I put way too much on my plate.

 Enjoy!

Weekend Kitchen

Weekend Kitchen & Other Fabulous Things

Knitting

Yesterday was my sister-in-law's birthday. This year, she asked for a penguin! This little guy was a fun challenge -- the pattern is available here.

It must be all in how you stuff your penguin, because his shape didn't turn out quite the same. Zelda still enjoyed some time in the sun room with him!

Happy Birthday, Amy!
















Food

This weekend felt perfect for some re-imagined comfort food. Just because it's "comfort food" doesn't mean it has to be ridiculously high in calories.

Oven-fried Chicken with Buttermilk Yogurt, Roasted Broccoli, & Garlic-Chive Smashed Potatoes
Serves 2

Buttermilk Yogurt:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon buttermilk blend
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon parsley

Roasted Broccoli:
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon EVOO
salt & pepper to taste

Garlic-Chive Smashed Potatoes:
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup skim milk
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Oven-Fried Chicken:
2 pieces chicken breast
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon parsley
1 egg plus 2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the racks at the second and fourth positions.

Mix all ingredients for the buttermilk yogurt in a small bowl & refrigerate until ready to serve.

Toss all ingredients for roasted broccoli in a medium bowl. Set aside until ready to roast. If possible, place baking dish in the oven while heating.

Wash & dry the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces. In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with salted water & bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, pound the chicken to about 1/2 an inch with a heavy-bottomed pan. Cut each piece into 1-inch wide strips and set aside. In a pie pan, whisk eggs until well-beaten. In another pie pan, mix the corn meal, flour, & spices.

Put the broccoli in the oven on the top rack.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the egg mixture first, then in the corn meal mixture, pressing in to be sure the chicken is well coated. Lay the chicken pieces on a baking rack over a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake the chicken on the bottom rack in the oven until done, about 12-14 minutes.

While the broccoli & chicken are baking, drain the potatoes & return to the pot. Add milk, butter & garlic & smash together. Stir in chives, cover & set aside.

When the chicken is done & the broccoli is slightly browned, serve with the potatoes and yogurt dip.

Enjoy!

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner?
Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2

1 medium eggplant
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, roughly diced
4 slices reduced fat mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
garlic
oregano

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. With spray oil, lightly spray a 9X9 inch baking dish & spread the eggplant out. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, brown turkey, season to taste with salt & pepper.

In a medium sauce pan, heat a little spray oil over medium heat. Saute onion with a pinch of salt until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add about 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1 teaspoon oregano & sauce until fragrant. Add tomatoes & simmer the red sauce until ready to assemble the dish.

When the eggplant is tender, remove them from the baking dish. Starting with a little red sauce, layer the eggplant, ground turkey, sauce, and mozzarella slices in the dish. End with a little more red sauce & top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until the sauce is bubbling, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!