Sunday Scrambles

Over our Sunday breakfast scramble this morning, my husband asked: "So, are you documenting this?"

The answer was no. "Well, you should."

So here I am, documenting it. The names of the dishes are because my husband also insists on naming any meal I make that I don't follow a recipe for, in case in an alternate reality I were ever to open a restaurant I wouldn't need to decide names for anything. I just use whatever's in the fridge, so it's unlikely that I will ever duplicate these scrambles, but in the event that you want to, here's a list of the ingredients:

1/2: New Year's Scramble
Collard Greens, Black-eyed peas, garlic, onions, low-fat ham, 1/2 eggs, 1/2 egg whites

1/9: Clean Kitchen Scramble
yellow bell pepper, summer squash, onion, garlic, tomato, black-eyed peas, low-fat ham, half full eggs and half egg whites, topped with a little cheddar cheese. For the leftovers for my lunches through the week, I sauteed some spinach and mushrooms and added them in too.

1/16 Mexi-Cali Scramble
onions, green peppers, the last of the black-eyed peas, turkey, pico de gallo, green chilis, 1/2 eggs 1/2 egg whites, topped with the last of a jalapeno cheese ball that my neighbor brought over on New Year's Eve, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream

These were lovely healthy (more veggies than eggs and just a touch of cheese) breakfasts, and 7 eggs (3 full, 4 whites-only) plus the add-ins made 5 generous meals (feeding me and my husband on Sunday, and then 3 breakfasts for me through the week). I hope to make Sunday Scrambles a weekly tradition, and maybe in the future I'll start remembering to take pictures!

Counting calories

A friend gave me a recipe for chicken a couple weeks ago, but she prefaced by saying that it was delicious but very high calorie and could use a few substitutions. Challenge Accepted (channeling Barney Stinson).

Mission accomplished (channeling anyone except G.W.).

I don't know what the original dish tasted like, and I assume my version has a lighter flavor, but it was excellent. Verdict: yummy. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture, but it's one of those meals that is all the same color anyhow so it won't photograph near as good as it tastes. Trust me. If you need something easy, filling and tasty you should try this one out. 3-4 servings at 471-628 per serving. The new dish has 30% of the calories of the original, not accounting for serving differences (because I have no idea how many people the original fed).

Lighter Baked Poppyseed Chicken Spaghetti

8oz whole wheat linguine, cooked and drained
2 chicken breast, boiled and shredded
1 can cream of chicken
1 can water (chicken broth only adds 20-30 calories and would give a stronger flavor)
6oz nonfat plain yogurt (I used regular but greek would probably be better)
poppyseeds

mix all and place in 9x9 pan.

topping
1/2 sleeve whole wheat ritz, crushed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tbs butter, melted

Mix together and crumble on top of the casserole. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes until topping is browned and filling is bubbly.

Serve with a side of something green and steamed. hehe.

Honey Dijon Chicken

Several weeks ago my friend Sarah shared this recipe with me, and I love it so much that I'm sharing it with the interwebs. Don't be put off by its simpleness -- this chicken is fantastic and so super easy. I also used the sauce with pork chops and then rolled them in pecans and it was almost -but not quite- as fabulous. I usually make it with the full amount of sauce and two large chicken breasts which I cut in half (I love the sauce that much, but I do always end up with a lot of extra) and cook in a 9x9 pan, but here's the original recipe:

Yield: 8 servings
9x13 dish
Oven: 450 degrees
Cook Time: 20-25 min

8 (3 lbs) skinless Chicken breasts
seasoned salt
pepper, coarse
curry powder
1. place chicken in greased baking dish and sprinkle seasonings.

1/3c butter, melted
2/3c honey
1/3C dijon mustard
1/8tsp salt
1/8tsp pepper, coarse

1. combine and whisk until smooth
2. pour on top of chicken
3. Bake uncovered for 20-25 or until it reaches internal temp. 165.

Burrito Bake

I decided tonight to do something with all the stuff in my pantry. I had a pound of frozen shredded taco chicken from when I was readying my freezer pre-birth, and I made this easy-peasy (lemon squeezy) casserole: Burrito Bake.

layer:
--1 package of Vigo yellow rice, cooked
--mix of 1 can black beans and 1 small can sliced black olives
--mix of 1 can chopped green chilis and 1 lb shredded taco chicken (however you usually season, either chili powder/cumin mix or just a packet of taco seasoning)
--chopped cilantro
--shredded cheese

Cook at 350 for about 10 minutes (I use my toaster oven of course) until cheese is melted. Serve with chopped onions and a dollop of sour cream. Yummy, quick and packs a lot of punch for very little effort!

Toddler snack of champions

Dried apricots, golden raisins, cranberries, mission figs and Target chickadees (off brand goldfish).

If only he wouldn't spill it on the sidewalk and then stop to eat it.

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My way of making fake Mexican

Not "a" fake Mexican, you understand. So I've been making enchiladas lately. I don't make them "the right way". I have done PW's enchilada recipe once, and while fabulous (aren't all her recipes?) it's definitely a Saturday meal. It took about 1 1/2 hours to make. My go-to? 5 minutes prep time, 20 minutes cook time. AND it uses up leftovers that would otherwise go to waste, since we are not a leftover-eating crowd over here.

So first:
Shred leftover pork roast or chicken or whatever floats your boat. Then add chili powder, chopped green chilis (don't drain), salt, garlic powder or salt, and cumin. You may also need a little water if your leftovers are a bit dry from sitting in your refrigerator for 5 days.
And then it should look like this:




Then I take flour tortillas and roll some of the mixture in each one, placing in a pan seam-side down until pan is full or filling is used up. Then pour a can of enchilada sauce on top (if you have a lot, you might need more than one, but I only had 5 enchiladas). You can use red or green, but I prefer the green.



Pop the pan in the oven or toaster oven (I'm addicted to toaster oven cooking) At 350 for 20 minutes. It should look like this:



And is delicious next to some sour cream and homemade guacamole.

Here's that chicken salad recipe (yes, it's that good)

I forgot to add this to the post below, and then it didn't really fit in with my freak out about my son's new Evel Knieval status, so I decided to post it separately.

I'm not a big salad-making person, mostly because they just don't feel substantial enough for dinner even though they're often delicious. But I made up this salad, and I'm addicted - I've made it 3 times in the last month! Here's my (seriously) informal recipe:

honey-basted chicken salad

chicken: cut the breasts in a couple long strips; sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on both sides. Then I made a baste from melted butter and honey, and basted it and cooked (in my toaster oven) at 330 for 30 minutes, basting a couple of times.

I cooked a little pasta and caramelized some onions, and I let both of those cool. Then I mixed them with some goat cheese and a bag of butter lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes. Topped with the chicken.


Phenomenal. All I can say.

wanted: natural lighting for my food

I didn't know what to call this post. On the one hand, I made this delicious pasta with leeks, bacon and lemon. On the other hand, my gripe is that I have no real natural lighting in my house, and so any time I want decent pictures of food, it's carried outside to take on a flat surface.

Today's picture was taken on top of the doghouse.

Prior to today, I was a leek virgin. I've seen them used in recipes, I've seen them in the store but I've never had the guts to use them in anything or even order them in restaurants.

This ends now.

I made this pasta, and I am in love with the leek. I have popped my leek cherry. It was a memorable experience.
Leek Pasta

• 1 lb pasta (I used campanelle)


• 5 slices of raw bacon, chopped


• 3-4 leeks, well rinsed and cut in disks (just the white and light green parts)


• 1 tbs minced garlic


• salt and pepper


• the zest and juice of one lemon


• freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese

Bring salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to your preference (mine is slightly more done than al dente, personally). While pasta is cooking, in a large pan on medium high heat, add olive oil, leeks, bacon and a little salt. Stir to coat leeks, and cover. Stir occasionally. When bacon is almost fully cooked, add garlic.

When pasta is done, save 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain. Add pasta to leek mixture (once it's done to your taste, of course), along with the lemon juice and zest and pasta water. mix fully and serve hot , topped with cheese.

cleaning out the fridge

When I start having anxiety attacks, sometimes the best thing for me is to keep my mind off of it. Such was Friday, when my attacks that have been going on for a week came to a head and I was pale, clammy, shaky and a bit hysterical at work. By the time I got home I was doing a little better except that I was back to not breathing well, so I decided to clean out the refrigerator. I really didn't think the fridge was that bad, but when I got into it I realized there was leftover PW's meatloaf from last time Becky came to visit (I think 6 weeks ago, amazingly nothing growing on it). And there were numerous other things, including a lot of veggies that were okay but obviously not going to last long.

So this morning I made "clean-out-the-fridge" breakfast casserole:

Black Forest Ham (from the Omelet Muffins), green onions, zucchini, tomato and mushrooms

Mozzarella slices, mixed Italian cheese (I don't usually buy pre-shredded cheese, or sliced cheese for that matter. I tend to forget them).

Yummy Casserole

Not the prettiest cut, but it was very good. Also used: 9 eggs (3 whole eggs and 6 whites), garlic powder, salt and pepper. So clean out you fridge, and as long as all you have isn't mustard and Jack Daniels, you might have a delicious breakfast casserole!

Deconstructed Omelet muffins

I was flipping through my RR magazine, and saw these in an advertisement for Cabot cheese. I don't usually have Cabot cheese on hand (for cheddar and the like I usually just get the generic), and I didn't have egg substitute because, well, I like real eggs. But they looked like something tasty to take to a brunch potluck of the like, so I thought I'd try my hand at them with ingredients that I'm likely to have. I like to think of them as more like deconstructed omelet cupcakes or muffins than ham-egg-cheese cups. Better name, yes?

Deconstructed Omelet Muffins

• 6 slices Black Forest Ham


• 4 eggs


• 2 Tbs milk


• 1 cup shredded cheese


• 1 1/2 slices of bread


• chives


• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 6 cupcake tins (1/2 a regular muffin sheet) with cooking spray.

Scramble eggs and milk. Place 1 slice of ham in each tin - edges will stick out the top. Rip your 1 1/2 slices of bread into 6 pieces total, put one piece in the bottom of each, then pour eggs evenly among all. Salt and pepper to your taste, and put a pinch of cheese on top.

Cook approximately 15 minutes. Use a small spatula to remove from muffin tins. Garnish with chives.

Serves approximately 4-6

Berries galore

Ahh, I love when berries are in season. I can get local berries at my regular grocer, and they're relatively cheap! Unlike most people, I never really enjoy the flavor of frozen berries so I have to get my fill while they're cheap, plentiful, and available. Yum!

**disclosure, that's regular ol' Cool Whip on top. I know I should whip my own, but it's fat-free and I haven't figured out how to whip skim milk.

Summer bliss

I know that people are polarized about cilantro. To some, it is divine. To some I've heard it tastes like soap. Those poor, poor people. To me, cilantro is the freshest taste of summer - impossibly yummy.

Guacamole

• 5 soft Haas avacados


• 2 1/2 limes


• 1 tsp salt


• 3/4 cup onion, diced


• lots and lots of cilantro (maybe 1/4 cup or so)


• 3 roma tomatoes, diced


• 1 1/2 heaping tsp minced garlic


• a couple shakes of cayenne pepper

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour for best flavor.

*if serving with salted tortilla chips, watch the salt in the guacamole. you may want to put less in.

food pictures for which I didn't write recipes

I sometimes take pictures of my food because it's so tasty I don't want to forget how to make it. But then I forget to write down the recipe, and then I don't remember what exactly made it taste so good.



Take this orzo. I remember that I boiled it in chicken broth. There's chicken (I think leftover from a rotisserie), and cilantro, and red pepper flakes. There might be some sort of soft cheese -- goat, feta ... but I don't remember. It was damn tasty.


And this beautiful pork roast was rotisseried all day on the grill, and I know there was a lot of seasonings, but I haven't the slightest what was on it. But that was a magnificent roast.



And this soup. I know that I started with Squash soup, and added cooked orzo and sausage, maybe some onion. I imagine there's fresh parsley in there, given the greenery. That's as far as I know ...

Someday I'll attempt to recreate these dishes. For now I'll just drool at the pictures.

never enough strawberries...

I am not a true baker. Baking requires chemestry -- there's a reason I majored in Creative Writing. This is why I cook instead, and use recipes for baking (I fiddle with them a little, but not the main ingredients). However, Sunday morning I could not find a strawberry muffin recipe that I was satisfied with, so I decided to make my up my own. Decidedly tasty!

Strawberry Sour Cream Loaf with Strawberry Butter

• 1 egg


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1/4 brown sugar, packed


• 2 tbs canola oil


• 1/4 cup sour cream


• 1 3/4 flour, plus 2 tsp flour, separated


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped


• 1tbp vanilla


• cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop strawberries and set aside. Beat egg, milk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla together. Add sugars and cream (although doesn't exactly cream, just my way of adding). In a separate bowl add the dry ingredients, minus the 2 tsp of flour. Add those to your chopped strawberries and coat. Add the dry ingredients to the wet a little at a time until fully incorporated. Add strawberries, mix and fill a 9/5 loaf pan or make muffins with it. My loaf took about 45 minutes, but was delicious! I have a cheap silicone loaf pan that works terrible, so watch yours; you may not need to cook as long as I did.

For the strawberry butter:

• 3 strawberries


• 1 stick room temperature butter


• 1 tbs brown sugar

puree all in a food processor, spread on strawberry loaf or a bagel or toast.

Enjoy!

A hearty salad

I rarely make salads for dinner, although I usually enjoy them. I'm just afraid that it won't be enough food. Saturday we had a late lunch at Vallarta's and I figured I would make a salad for a late dinner, but I wanted something that would be hearty enough that we wouldn't be hungry 30 minutes later.

So I made this salad:

Fantastic!

Yummy Hearty Salad (or you can rename it for me)

• 1 bag of salad greens (can you tell I was lazy?)


• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped


• 5 slices bacon (I use center cut, it's not quite as greasy), roughly chopped


• 8 oz shell macaroni


• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved


• 1/2 pint sliced baby bella mushrooms


• 2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped


• crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Cook macaroni as directed. While shells are boiling, saute onion until caramelized. Remove from pan and cook bacon in same pan until fully cooked but not crispy. Add onion back in, drain pasta and add it to the onion and bacon, combine fully. Put in bottom of a deep salad bowl and let cool. Once mostly cooled (slightly warm is good), add the rest of the ingredients, combine completely. Feeds two with leftovers.