Delicious Dessert: Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

June 2, 2015

Hummm, balsamic vinegar and strawberries? You have to be kidding right? As it turns out, balsamic vinegar complements strawberries very well. I really enjoyed this dish, however, Brian argues that strawberries are already deliciously sweet and you don't need the sugar. He's probably right, but if you want to try a very tasty summery dessert, then this is a good one to try.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

GTLF: Italian Cooking p. 145

Serves 4, working time 10 min., total time 20 min.

1/3 C sugar

Three 3 X 1/2 in. strips of orange zest

Three 3 X 1/2 in. strips of lemon zest

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

1. In a small skillet or saucepan, combine the sugar and 1/4 C of water, stirring to blend. Add the orange zest and lemon zest and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 min., remove from the heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 20 min. Remove the orange and lemon zests and discard.

2. Transfer the syrup to a medium bowl and stir in the vinegar. Add the strawberries, tossing to coat. Spoon the berries and syrup into 4 bowls and serve.

Nutritional Information: 1 g fat, 116 calories, 0 g sat. fat, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests that you can save the peelings of oranges and lemons in the freezer for any time you need zest. Cool!  You can also buy orange and lemon peel from the spice isle of grocery store. I figure there must be a difference, but I don't know what it is yet.

A Vegetarian Delight: Bright Summer Stir Fry

June 1, 2015

This dish truly is a vegetarian delight. It's beautiful to look at, delicious to eat and very low in calories. The best part is that since it's vegetarian, you don't have to "scrutinize" the calorie counts... Just be sure to watch the carbs... this recipe calls for 1/4 C of steamed rice. It's not much. Here's a secret, I make a bed of rice, make a well in the center (you know, like mashed potatoes) then I fill the hole with the stir fry. For me, it's all about illusion. If it pleases my eye and appears to be plenty, then I feel that way. It's a little weird.

Bright Summer Stir Fry

GTLF: Vegetables p. 67

Serves 4, working time: 40 min., total time: 40 min.

1 C long grain rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups small broccoli florets

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 in. thick slices

1 C reduced sodium chicken broth, de fatted, or reduced sodium vegetable broth

1/4 pound sugar snap peas

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 C of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 17 min.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smokin over medium high heat. Add the broccoli, celery, onion, bell pepper, and squash and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is softened, about 5 min. Stir in the broth, snap peas, and ginger and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 min.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the soy sauce mixture. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and is slightly thickened, about 1 min. Stir in the cilantro. Serve the stir fry with the rice.

Nutritional Information: 4 g fat, 299 calories, 0.5 g sat. fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 682 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests ways to change up the vegetables... here's the rule, find vegetables that have similar texture. Yellow squash / zucchini; broccoli/ cauliflower; snap peas/green beans... I'm so amazed I never thought about this before GTLF.  So, besides food couplings, food with similar textures also help with recipe versatility. 

Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup

May 28, 2015

Sometimes, even with the best planning things will happen to change them. In this case, I had a set meal to cook for company, but when company came, they came with food. How do you say no to that. Besides that she brought beautifully marinated steaks which were way more fancy than what I had planned so needless to say, we said yes. Then we went about our day, our activities ran long and before you knew it, they left without eating and I had to figure out what to do with four juicy steaks.  After steak for a couple of days, we were left with about 12 oz of cooked steak that we still needed to use up immediately.  Luckily, I found this recipe for Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef soup that used up the rest of the meat and it was delicious... and best part, no waste!  I got a feeling you'll love it as much as I did. The recipe calls for raw meat, but I added our grilled steak and didn't think twice about it.

2 C reduced sodium beef broth

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic; minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz. elbow macaroni

1 C frozen baby Lima beans

3/4 pound well trimmed top round of beef, cut into 1/2 in. dice

1 C frozen corn kernels

3 tablespoons ketchup

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine the broth, tomato, garlic, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and 3 C of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and cook for 5 min. to blend the flavors.

2. Stir in the macaroni and lima beans, cover, and cook for 5 min. Stir in the beef, corn, and ketchup, cover, and cook until the meat is cooked through and the macaroni is tender, about 5 min.

Nutritional Information: 4 g fat, 337 calories, 1.1 g sat. fat, 46 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 49 mg cholesterol, 657 mg sodium.

Tips:

1.The soup is much juicer than what is pictured here. However, pasta tends to be very absorbent so if it sits, it will soak up the broth. For next day eating, be prepared to add a little beef broth if you like.

Michelle Obama's One Pot Meals: Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

May 27, 2015

So Michelle Obama has this program called "Let's Move" that promotes exercise and nutritious eating to help strengthen families and combat obesity. Recently when I was in Washington, D.C. I had the chance to visit the White House and see the garden that Michelle has put in to encourage home gardening for fresh vegetables. In fact, the chefs at the White House use fresh vegetables from the garden to embellish the dishes prepared for the First family. The Spinach Spaghetti recipe is from the Cooking Light magazine, March 2015 issue, as a collaboration with Michelle Obama. The eggplant recipe is GTLF and I think will become my go to for left over eggplant. It was delicious!

One Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Cooking Light, March 2015 The Family Dinner Issue

Serves 4, working time 29 min., total time 29 min.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 C chopped onion

 6 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 14.5 oz. can unsalted petite diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 1/2 C unsalted chicken stock

1/2 tsp dried oregano

8 oz. whole grain strand pasta (spaghetti or linguine)

1/2 tsp salt

10 oz. fresh spinach

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 C)

1. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat.

2. Add onion and garlic to pan, saute 3 min. or until onion starts to brown.

3. Add tomatoes, stock, oregano, and pasta, in that order. Bring to a boil.

4. Stir to submerge noodles in liquid.

5. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook 7 min. or until pasta is almost done.

6. Uncover; stir in salt.

7. Add spinach in batches, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min.

8. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Information: 333 calories, 7.1 g fat,  15 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 5 mg cholesterol, 5 mg Iron, 538 mg sodium, 197 mg calcium.

Tips:

1. Cooking light suggests that you can substitute grape tomatoes for the canned tomatoes.

2. Cooking light says this pasta sauce will work well with any kind of pasta including shape pastas. 

3. I say that when you add strand pasta, cut them in half so they fit in the pan better. I couldn't believe the pasta cooks right in the pot!

Baked Eggplant with Herbs and Lemon

GTLF: Italian Cooking p 122

Serves 4, working time 20 min., total time 45 min.

2/3 C plain dried bread crumbs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

3/4 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp dried thyme

3 egg whites

1 eggplant (1 lb) peeled and sliced into 16 rounds

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of the lemon zest, 1/4 tsp of the oregano, and 1/4 tsp of the thyme. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoons of water. Dip each eggplant round into the egg whites, then into the bread crumb mixture, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oil and lemon juice and drizzle the mixture over the eggplant slices. Bake for 

25 min., or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the eggplant to a serving platter.

4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, salt, the remaining 1/2 tsp lemon zest, remaining 1/2 tsp oregano and remaining 1/2 tsp thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 min. to blend the flavors. Spoon the sauce over the eggplant and serve.

Nutritional Information: 5 g fat, 168 calories, 1.2 g sat. fat, 24 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 3 mg cholesterol, 418 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. I lined the baking sheet with foil and also sprayed the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Brian's Birthday! Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

May 25, 2015

Because of the fact that Brian's Birthday falls around a holiday, Memorial Day, it feels even more important to have a yummy dessert to celebrate Brian's birthday. It turns out that he really loves mousses so he chose the following dessert. The Mochaccino Bavarian Cream is very delicious, but comes out a little more firm that what I always thought a mousse should be like. Regardless, this dessert is a must have and at only 262 calories, it's a no brainer.

Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

GTLF: Dessert p. 104

Serves 4, working time 25 min., total time 25 min. plus chilling time

Vanilla Yogurt Topping (described below)

1 C low fat 1% milk

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 large eggs

1/2 C granulated sugar
1/4 C unsweetened coca powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
12 chocolate covered coffee beans (optional)

Yogurt Topping

8 oz. vanilla low fat yogurt

1. Set a paper lined coffee filter, or a sieve lined with 2 layers of paper towels or dampened cheesecloth, over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the prepared utensil.

2. Cover the yogurt with a small plate or a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours, depending on the desired thickness. Discard the whey.

GTLF explains that draining the whey from yogurt makes a thick, tangy substitute for whipped topping. After 3 hours it's about as thick as sour cream. After 6 hours it's about as thick as cream cheese.

Mochaccino Bavarian Cream

1. Place 1/4 C of the milk in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over, and let stand until softened, about 4 min.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 C milk, the eggs, sugar, cocoa, and espresso powder. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking, until the custard is slightly thickened, about 5 min. Add the softened gelatin and cook, whisking, until the gelatin is dissolved, about 2 min. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Fold the plain yogurt and sour cream into the custard mixture. Spoon the mixture into 4 dessert bowls or glasses and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours. Top with a dollop of the yogurt topping, sprinkle with the coffee beans, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 6 g fat, 262 calories, 2.8g sat. fat, 42 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein, 116 mg cholesterol, 132 mg sodium

TIPS:

1. The big tip here is the dessert bowls. Use one that is about 6 oz. I used a 16 oz stemless wine glass that made the dessert appear to be really wimpy as far as serving size is concerned. Remember, a lot about diet and portion control is making your mind believe you have eaten enough. This dessert is more than filling for the portion, but being in the giant wine glass made it less enjoyable because it seemed so small.

Italian Beef Salad

May 24, 2015

As far as salads go, this one is a very simple one. It can be made largely of what you have in the freezer and pantry with few fresh vegetables, which makes this a very attractive dish on days when you don't have extra cash for a quick trip to the grocery or when you just don't have the time. It's delicious and in summer time, you can even pick from the garden. Basil is the main herb which grows easily in warm weather.

Italian Beef Salad

GTLF: Main Dish Salads p.

Serves 4, working time, total time

8 oz. penne pasta

10 oz. package frozen Italian green beans, thawed

4 tsp. olive oil

3/4 pound well trimmed sirloin, cut into 2 X 1/4 in. strips

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 C chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

2 oz. shaved Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender. Add the green beans during the last 2 min. of cooking time. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, about 3 min. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate.

3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 5 min.  Add the carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrot is crisp-tender, about 4 min. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and salt.

4. Add the pasta, green beans, and beef to the bowl, tossing well to coat. Cool to temperature, divide evenly among 4 plates, top with the Parmesan, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 14 g fat, 521 calories, 4.9 g sat. fat, 65 g carbohydrate, 35 g protein, 63 mg cholesterol, 617 mg sodium

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests that if you can make the salad up to 8 hours in advanced but not to add the Parmesan until just before serving.

Pasta Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing

May 23, 2015

Well, if you like garlic and general vinegary type flavors, this recipe is for you. It's very tasty and as my palate is growing, I'm able to tolerate foods like this a lot more. This was Brian's choice, I never would have chosen a dish like this but I'm glad we made it. Truthfully, we're on a journey and the very nature of this journey is to try foods I normally wouldn't know about or think I'd like. This one is very delicious although it will have a garlic-y aftertaste, so bring a toothbrush if you take it to work or otherwise out.

Pasta Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing

GTLF: Main Dish Salads p. 135

Serves 4, working time 40 min., total time 40 min.

8 oz radiatore pasta

9 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

6 cloves garlic

3/4 C reduced sodium chicken broth, defatted

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 scallions, cut into 1 in. lengths

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

2 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise

1 green bell pepper, seeded and halved lengthwise

1 eggplant (1 pound), peeled and cut lengthwise into 3/4 in. pieces

8 plum tomatoes ( 1 pound total) halved lengthwise

1/4 C chopped pitted green olives

1 oz. shaved Parmesan, or 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender. Add the artichokes for the last 6 min. of cooking time. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Place in a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the grill (with a grill topper, if possible). Wrap the garlic in foil. In a small bowl, combine the broth and vinegar. Set aside 1/4 C of the broth mixture to use as a baste. Place the remaining broth mixture in a food processor or blender along with the scallions, basil, oil, and salt; set the mixture aside in the processor bowl (or blender container).

3. Spray the rack or grill topper, off the grill, with nonstick cooking spray. Place the garlic, squash, bell pepper, and eggplant on the grill. Cover and grill at medium, or 6 in. from the heat, turning occasionally and basting with the reserved basting mixture, for 12-14 min., or until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart. Place the tomatoes (skin side down) on the grill for the last 6 min. of cooking time.

4. Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the pasta and artichokes. Squeeze the garlic flesh from the grilled garlic cloves, add them to the food processor, and process the dressing to a smooth puree. Add the dressing and the olives to the bowl, tossing to coat. Divide among 4 plates, top with the Parmesan, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information: 10 g fat, 396 calories, 2 g sat. fat, 66 g carbohydrate, 15 g protein, 4 mg cholesterol, 866 mg sodium. 

Tips:

1. I used my electric grill at medium, but next time I think I'll try medium high since I felt the garlic didn't cook enough and the vegetables were only slightly grilled.

2. I cooked everything for 12 minutes, but next time I think I'll go for the full 14 minutes for the reasons described in tip 1.

3. I think it's time for a fire burning grill (charcoal or gas) since they are bigger and my little grill had trouble accommodating all the vegetables.

4. I saved time by cutting all the vegetables before grilling and leaving them in the refrigerator. Good time saving technique.