Category: Recipe

Perfect summer recipe… ROASTED CORN SALAD!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Roasted Corn Salad, recipe by Cooking Light

This has been a favorite in our house for many years now, it’s quick to make and takes full advantage of all mother nature has to offer… you can make it your own by tossing in anything else that sounds tasty. The recipe calls for white balsamic vinegar, I used regular and it was fine. This salad side dish goes well with anything, and is best served at room temperature or warm. Often times I’ll make it early in the day so the house stays cool, then just take it out of the fridge for a little while, that works! This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine… tasty!

Here’s the link to where it’s easy to print, otherwise, below is the recipe… ENJOY! ROASTED CORN SALAD   (Cooking Light)  YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Combine corn and 1 teaspoon oil in a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
  • Combine 2 teaspoons oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl; add corn mixture, stirring well. Stir in tomato, bell pepper, and onions. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cooking Light
JULY 1998

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A fabulous fresh ROSEMARY dry rub… grill today!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: http://en.wikipedia.org

Ahhh Rosemary… a heavenly spice that we see planted around Charleston, SC as shrubs in some cases… it grows easily and is tasty in many ways. Today, I’m going to share a dry marinade (rub) that I got out of Williams-Sonoma GRILLING cookbook about ten years ago. It’s one we’ve made many times and it’s a keeper!

DRY MARINADE FOR LAMB, BEEF and CHICKEN:
Rub the meat lightly with oil before coating with the marinade. Made with fresh herbs these marinades keep (tightly covered) up to 3 days in the refigerator. If made with dried herbs, they’ll keep several weeks, in an airtight container in the cupboard.
2 tablespoons chopped FRESH rosemary OR 2 teaspoons  DRIED rosemary
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
finely grated zest of one lemon or lime
 
Mix ingredients together in a small bowl, after you lightly oil the meat pat on the dry rub. Grill to perfection. Your eyes will bug out of your head. It truly will be that good!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow!

Basil, my most used herb…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: HerbGardening.com

Basil is such an all purpose herb. I use it lots, not only in spaghetti sauce, but in salads and sandwiches. Basil is easy to find and just as easy to grow. I buy a small plant at the grocery store for a few bucks and it turns into a massive bush. Don’t let it flower, cut the leaves before that happens and USE IT! Make pesto, make a sandwich on a baguette with fresh mozarella, tomato and basil piled high, it’s so refreshing… another idea is a caprese salad… slice fresh tomatoes and some fresh mozarella. I put it in a plate alternating the mozarella and tomato with some basil tucked beside each, drizzle with a little olive oil, a light sprinkle of S&P and whoa! You have yourself the most delightful little salad!

ENJOY!
Catch you back here tomorrow!

[Recipe]: Blueberry Pie… FULL of antioxidants, right??

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment

Oh what a beautiful sight this is! Don’t you agree? I read an interesting article from the Blueberry Council (www. Blueberrycouncil.com) regarding all the good things that blueberries do for our bodies… after reading this and after walking through Whole Foods and seeing that blueberries were on sale I took it as a sign… A sign to make a nice “healthy” blueberry pie… ok, not sure about the healthy part, but I’m thinking it couldn’t have been too bad? First some blueberry facts, then a quick and easy blueberry pie recipe… Oh, I’m telling you that pie was so good… it’s almost time for another! I feel like my antioxidant level is low (hee hee)… unfortunately, I took a picture of the pie BEFORE I cut it, but never got around to snapping a photo afterwards… darnit! Live and learn… hmmm, a sign to make another pie?

First the facts:

Blueberries have only 80 calories/cup, and are virtually fat free.

They’re an excellent source of Vitamin C.

Blueberries are a great source of fiber.

Blueberries contain substances that have antioxidant properties… antioxidants help neutralize free radicals which are unstable molecules linked to the development of a number of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease. According the USDA database of antioxidant activity of selected foods, blueberries rang among the highest on a per serving basis. Substances in blueberries called polyphenols, specifically anthocyanins that give blueberries their blue hue, are the major contributor to the antioxidant activity of blueberries! Thank you Blueberry Council for your information!

Now… on to the recipe. I tried a simple recipe out of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I used more blueberries than it called for which was why mine was a tad on the runny side. These were sweet blueberries, so I could have used even less sugar. I don’t care for cinnamon in my blueberry pie, it’s a deal breaker… so I used a tiny bit of lemon zest. I like it pure… just blueberries! I didn’t have time to make a pie crust, so I used a Pillsbury pie crust that you buy in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. It’s closest to homemade, I won’t use any other. HOWEVER, if you have a good crust recipe and the time… good crust always trumps store bought, even if it is close…

Because mine was a tad runny (and partially because I couldn’t wait for it to cool, hee hee) I went ahead and scooped out about ½ cup of juice, put it in a container and the next week we had a small scoop of vanilla ice cream with heated blueberry sauce on top… YUM!

Ok, ok… quit talking… now the recipe!

BLUEBERRY PIE

1 double crust pie crust (store bought or homemade)

5 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2/3 – 3/4 cup sugar (depending upon how sweet the blueberries are)

3 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons (I used maybe one if that) finely shredded lemon peel

Directions…

Prepare the pie crust. Line a 9” pie plate with half the pastry.

In a large bowl combine the sugar and flour. Stir in blueberries and lemon peel. Gently toss berries until coated. (If using frozen blueberries, let mixture stand for 45 minutes or until fruit is partially thawed but still icy.)

Transfer berry mixture to the pastry lined pie plate. Trim bottom pastry to edge of pie plate. Now place top crust on filling and seal. Crimp the edge together. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375˚oven for 25 minutes (or 50 minutes for frozen fruit). Remove foil. Bake another 25-30 minutes (watch it closely, mine doesn’t take this long), OR until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden brown. (Always a good idea to place it on a foil lined cookie sheet in case it bubbles over).

Cool on wire rack (good luck to ya!)

Hope you enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

For dinner tonight… chicken pita with tzatziki!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Chicken Pita with Tzatziki

This is such a quick and fabulous meal! Perfect for those hot days when you want to get out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. You can also add whatever you like, add onions, olives, cheese, you could use steak instead of chicken, endless possibilities, so see what you have hanging out in your fridge and toss this together, sit down and enjoy!!

CHICKEN PITA WITH HOMEMADE TZATZIKI

2 Chicken Breasts (boneless/skinless)
1-2 T Lime Juice (more or less to taste)
2 Fresh good pitas
1 Tomato, chopped

Tzatziki: 1 cucumber, greek yogurt, some garlic, fresh or dried dill and a splash of lemon juice.

In a skillet with olive oil (or canola) sauté the chicken, when its close to being done cut it up (while it’s still in the pan) into bite size pieces (I use scissors, it’s much quicker), then continue to cook until just about done. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken in the skillet, and cook until absorbed. This makes the chicken turn a beautiful golden brown color. You can also throw in some onions if so inclined..

Finely chop up a cucumber with seeds removed, add to plain greek yogurt with fresh or dried dill and a splash of lemon (squeeze a wedge). You can use a microplane to get a little (or a lot) of garlic added, stir it together and set aside while you assemble the pita.

I like the pita heated. It’s not necessary, just a personal preference. I heat the pita wrapped in wax paper and a tiny sprinkle of water and put in microwave just until warm. Take it out and place one pita on each plate, put chicken on top, cut up tomatoes, a spoonful of tzatziki, some black pepper and a sprinkle of dill. 
Oh la la….  ENJOY!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

English Pea Salad, recipe from Paula Deen’s sons…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
English Pea Salad

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen’s son’s, (AKA “The Deen brothers”). It was featured on her Food Network show Paula’s Best Dish’s, the All in the Family episode. I didn’t see it, my mom told me she tried this recipe and got rave reviews. Everyone wanted the recipe. THAT’S the kind of thing I like to take somewhere. Once you throw it together, put it in a pretty dish and off you go! (OK, some of you may have noticed, I didn’t put it in a pretty dish, but I was taking this to a neighborhood get together on a very warm evening, so I put it in a stainless bowl and then placed the stainless bowl inside a larger stainless bowl filled with ice, I topped it with plastic wrap and a thick towel to keep the heat out. So much for my pretty dish, ugh. Might want to take printed recipes with you or a link to the online version (click HERE , easy to print), otherwise, here you go…

English Pea Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed and drained
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar
  • 2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Let cool.

In a medium serving bowl, combine the bacon, peas, cheese, and eggs. Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Morning Glory Muffins… Just what the doctor ordered!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe1 Comment
Morning Glory Muffins

Sometimes you need a quick and satisfying breakfast, not something that takes too long… it’s nice to be able to grab something and head out the door! These muffins are good alone, or paired with a fruit smoothie or a greek yogurt, mmmmm. They are filled with good things BUT they don’t taste “healthy”. The good thing about this recipe is that you can put whatever fruit you like in it… I made it pretty much as the recipe indicated. I used greek yogurt because it’s what I had (which boosts the protein a weee bit), I didn’t have wheat germ so I just added more flax. Next time I’ll probably use dried apricots or cherries instead of pineapple since the pineapple is so sweet… fresh blueberries would also be good! We eat some and freeze some, they’re great heated in the microwave for a few seconds!

This is a recipe from Cooking Light Magazine… and it’s a winner, I’ve made it several times. If you want to get to the MyRecipes.com website click HERE where you can print it quick and easy, otherwise… here’s the recipe…

Morning Glory Muffins

 YIELD: 18 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 cup whole wheat flour (about 4 3/4 ounces)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)

1 cup regular oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon wheat bran

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)

1 large egg

1 cup chopped pitted dates

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed (about 2 tablespoons whole)

 Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in dates, walnuts, and pineapple. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with flaxseed. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Charlotte Moore, Toronto, Cooking Light
JULY 2007

Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com – catch you back here tomorrow!

Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies – THESE are seriously fabulous!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: MyRecipes.com

Whenever I make these cookies and take them somewhere, people go nuts! Seriously… These are too good, and when I give out the recipe, NO ONE can believe they’re “light”. This recipe is from Cooking Light magazine. Make no mistake, part of what makes them so light is the serving size (one). With 81 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1.4 gm saturated fat, and 0.5gm fiber you have to be careful to not eat more than one (or two), but if you exercise a lot and can burn off what you eat… by all means, have at it! I love the cookie dough (I’m aware of the safety issues… to me, the dough is worth risking my life for taking a wee bit of a risk… I’m happy to report that in my little world there is no calorie content in the dough UNTIL IT IS BAKED… (and if you believe that I have swamp land, I mean a deep water lot for sale, hee hee).

I do make a few modifications, ALTHOUGH they’re perfectly fine as the recipe indicates. Here are some of the changes I’ve made throughout the years.Leave out the brown sugar. OOPS… it happened once and I thought they turned out BETTER. But the difference between it being there and NOT being there is barely noticeable  (therefore why waste the extra calories?).I use regular chocolate chips instead of mini. I didn’t care for the mini chips, they were, ahhhh, TOO MINI… I like a hefty bite of chocolate not a tiny smear where you THINK you may have just gotten chocolate (or maybe not)…I usually use walnuts and I don’t always toast them. One reason, I’m almost always in a hurry. Another reason, I forget about them until I smell them burning. Soooo, since nuts are good for you I use a generous amount, usually a few handfuls. Same with chocolate chips… I put a few handfuls… I buy good chocolate chips, free of allergy causing soy and other miscellaneous ingredients that takes away from the flavor of the chocolate. I also use dark chocolate chips…I usually (not always) make the cookies SMALLER. I like them bite size. No crumbs that way, boy do I have things figured out or what? You just have to watch them closely because they won’t always take as long to bake. I think you tend to eat less when you think, HAVE I JUST EATEN FIVE COOKIES? When in reality it was probably 2.5… a way I mess with myself, ha ha…Lastly, I use a Silpat cookie sheet liner instead of parchment, but either way it’ll work just fine! Give these a whirl, I do believe they’ll quickly become your favorite! Click HERE for the recipe from MyRecipes.com where you can easily print (as well as see the full info on nutritional info) or see below…

 Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

These easy drop cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Chocolate minichips disperse better in the batter, but you can use regular chips.

YIELD: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
  • 1 cup regular oats
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Julianna Grimes and Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2007

Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry… Dinner this eve??

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe3 Comments

 

Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry

I made a few changes, one reason was that I was cooking for two and didn’t want leftovers… the other, I didn’t have any sesame oil… I made this a few times before I feel it was perfected. The first time I halved everything, BUT I kept the amounts for the sauce the same. There wasn’t enough. It was a tad dry… I didn’t measure the broccoli, so perhaps I had too much AND I had more shrimp… For two, I made these changes: 3/4# shrimp, and however much broccoli you want, it’s awesome so we ate quite a bit, probably close to 4cups… I used 1/3 cup of low sodium chicken broth, 2 1/2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce and 2 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch.

If this sounds tasty to you, view the recipe below, or click HERE to go to their website for easy printing… NOTE: start your rice long before you start the stir fry because it goes quickly. I start the rice, and then start getting the other ingredients ready. Once the rice is almost done (or is done) THAT is when I start tossing ingredients into the wok!Enjoy!

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Stir-fry a zesty shrimp dish for a quick weeknight dinner. Spoon over basmati or jasmine rice. Try the recipe with chicken or steak, too.

  • YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
  • COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups small broccoli florets
  • 1 cup vertically sliced onion

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Add shrimp to pan, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp mixture from the pan.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan. Add broccoli and onion to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add shrimp mixture and broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Jackie Mills, MS, RD, Cooking Light
JANUARY 2008

Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Parmesan Chicken (with salad) – Ina Garten

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe4 Comments

Ina Garten's Chicken on Salad

Oh do I have a tasty treat for you today! If you haven’t made Ina Garten’s (aka, Barefoot Contessa) Parmesan Chicken I encourage you do so… you will be oh so thrilled. The chicken coated in parmesan has SUCH fabulous flavor. I like how she puts the salad on top, I usually put the chicken on top of the salad… the light and fresh tasting lemon vinaigrette compliments this nicely. Tasty without being overpowering!

Click HERE to print this recipe!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup unbleached flour

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon water

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

Salad greens for 2, washed and spun dry

1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil in a large non-stick sauté pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemons)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 2 servings

Steak, Mushroom and Bok Choy Stir Fry!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments
Image: MyRecipes.com

Ooooowie, here’s a fantastic recipe from Cooking Light(link now goes to the Eating Well website.) and NO you will not know it’s light… THIS is FABULOUS! Having it for dinner tonight, woohoo! It’s a flexible recipe, you can use Shitake mushrooms, or cremini, or button, or whatever you have or can find, it’s all good… don’t get too worried about making sure you have every ingredient… I didn’t have a red pepper or hot pepper flakes and mine was TO. DIE. FOR. Also, I had “Fajita Meat” from Whole Foods which they sliced into stir fry size for me, and whoa… it’s was so tender I absolutely couldn’t believe it! Give this recipe a shot if you like stir fry AND do not be afraid of bok choy, trust me, it’s your friend… it’s mild, has no taste really, the stems are like celery offering you a nice crunch, where the leaves are just fantastic… I used a microplane for the fresh ginger (A MUST!) and garlic, that way you don’t bite into hunks of it. The flavors meld together and are a treat to your tastebuds. 

The recipe link is no longer available via Cookinglight.com – sigh…

 
Next time you’re out, grab the ingredients and give it a whirl. Just have everything measured out before hand, the cooking goes quickly! Also, have your rice done, or almost done, otherwise you’ll be waiting on it… hmmm, how would I know that? ha ha…  Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
 
Hey, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com for a special birthday wish for someone very dear to us… Fred’s Dad! Happy Birthday DC!
 
 And now… for the recipe…
 
STEAK, SHIITAKE and BOK CHOY STIR FRY
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (I need to buy, had to use olive oil)
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
  • 1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
  • 1 cup red bell pepper strips
  • 4 cups sliced bok choy (about 1 medium head)
  • 1 cup less-sodium beef broth
Preparation
  • Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, oil, and crushed red pepper in a large zip-top bag; add steak to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.
  • Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, and add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; transfer to a large bowl. Add bok choy to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until slightly wilted; add to bowl; keep warm.
  • Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add half of steak mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl; keep warm. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add remaining steak mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add to bowl; keep warm.
  • Combine broth and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return steak and vegetables to pan; toss gently to coat.

Lisa Bell, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2005

Links updated 1.26.25

Ginny’s Everyday Meatloaf Recipe…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

Sometimes a good comfort food meal can do wonders. I’m thinking of making this recipe one day this week… haven’t had it in quite some time… a GREAT recipe for meatloaf with a super tasty sauce on top, an all time favorite! Sometimes I’ll make it half the size, but keep the same amount of sauce.

Ginny is the lady that lived next door when we were growing up. She had girls my age and around my age (HI DAWN, JACKIE, LINDA, LAURA, GINNY!!) and I had the absolute best time with them. With summer nights spent sleeping on their wonderful screened in porch, making dinner most nights, we just had the best time… and shhhh, keep it a secret, here’s the recipe!

GINNY’S EVERYDAY MEATLOAF

Meatloaf Ingredients:

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1 cup milk

1  1/2 pounds ground beef (nowdays I use the lean stuff)

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sage

dash of pepper

Topping Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon dry mustard

SOAK the breadcrumbs in the milk. ADD the ground beef, eggs, onion, salt, sage and pepper. Form into a loaf and put in an 8″ (I spray with canola oil) loaf pan. BAKE at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes+ (or until almost done – internal temp 160F)

Then I spoon off any fat, and spread on the ketchup mixture topping. Bake 10 more minutes (check temp again), and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

You won’t believe how good this is! Trust me… extra tasty with mashed potatoes and some sauteed fresh spinach with olive oil, garlic and lemon!

Lemon-Dill Tilapia Recipe…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: MyRecipes.com

Ohhhh, a tasty fish-on-Friday treat! This recipe is quick and easy AND it’s delicious! You can use parchment paper or foil, I only had foil onhand so I used it and it worked great! This is a Southern Living magazine recipe, the recipe can be found at MY RECIPES if you would like to be able to print quick and easy, otherwise here it is! ENJOY!

Note… on one occasion this recipe seemed far too lemony, so I don’t use 2 lemons, but that’s up to you!

Lemon-Dill Tilapia

Note: Aluminum foil can be substituted for parchment paper.

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

Ingredients

4 (5-oz.) fresh tilapia fillets

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 lemons, sliced

1/4 cup shredded carrot

2 tablespoons fresh dill (I used dried dill to taste)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.

Cut parchment paper (or foil) into 4 (13- x 9-inch) rectangles. Place 3 lemon slices crosswise in center of 1 parchment rectangle. Top with 1 fillet. Repeat with remaining lemon slices, fillets, and parchment paper rectangles. Sprinkle fillets evenly with carrot, dill, and parsley. Top each fillet with 1/2 Tbsp. butter. Fold 1 side of parchment paper over fillets; tuck excess parchment under fillets, pressing folds to form a crease.

Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

Southern Living
FEBRUARY 2008

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping… WHOA!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment
Image: FoodandWine.com

Food & Wine magazine has some awesome recipes… and this is one of them. If you’re in the mood for a nice blueberry muffin with a gorgeous crumb topping give these a shot. To lighten things up I used half applesauce and half canola oil, the results were pretty darned good… but no doubt, they probably are better with the full 1/2 cup of canola oil… you can click THIS link to take you to the Food and Wine recipe so that it’s quick to print, or you can see below…

======================================================
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH CRUMB TOPPING
Food & Wine Magazine

ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN  TOTAL TIME: 1 HR   MAKES 18 MUFFINS

These muffins are easy to make: Simply mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, and then combine them. Since the baking powder, which lightens the muffins, is activated by moisture, get the batter into the oven immediately. For soft edges, use liners; for crisp edges, use a well-greased, unlined pan. You can easily replace the blueberries with other kinds of fresh fruit, such as raspberries or peaches (chopped into small pieces). In the off-season I used IQF (individually quick-frozen) fruit; there’s no need to thaw.

INGREDIENTS:

CRUMB TOPPING

                   1 cup all-purpose flour

                   3 tablespoons light brown sugar

                   2 tablespoons granulated sugar

                   1 teaspoon baking powder

                   Pinch of salt

                   6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

MUFFINS

                   1 ¾  cups all-purpose flour

                   2 ¼  teaspoons baking powder

                   ½  teaspoon salt

                   1 cup granulated sugar

                   2 large eggs

                   ½ cup canola oil

                   ¾  cup whole milk

                   1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

                   1 ½  cups blueberries   

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners or spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray.

MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter, and then pinch the mixture until it forms pea-size clumps.

MAKE THE MUFFINS: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and canola oil and beat with a handheld electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat in the whole milk and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat at low speed until the batter is smooth. Stir in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into 18 of the cups, filling them about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of each one and bake for about 30 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the blueberry muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD Once cooled, the blueberry muffins can be kept overnight in an airtight container.

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Well, give them a try, let me know what you think… weren’t they FABULOUS?? Catch you back here tomorrow…

In the meantime, if you get a break check out my daily blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Hot Artichoke Cheese Dip!!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Image: MyRecipes.com

This is a fantastic dip! It was in the September 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine, and it’s a keeper! They serve it with toasted baguette slices, I used Hint of Salt Triscuits and it was divine! Just like the full fat version, this is tasty as can be, and make no mistake, this isn’t super light, just a bit lighter!

You used to be able to click on a link and be taken directly to this recipe, so that it’s quick to print, however, they’ve removed the link. It was on the MyRecipes.com website where they have all the Cooking Light recipes so you can check it out from here:

Hot Artichoke-Cheese Dip

Cooking Light – September 2008

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 tablespoons dip and 2 baguette slices)

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves (I didn’t use garlic)

1 green onion, cut into pieces

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (I used regular Parmesan)

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise (I used Canola Mayo)

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained (the package I bought was 10oz and it was fine)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place garlic and onion in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); process until almost smooth. Add artichoke hearts; pulse until artichoke hearts are coarsely chopped. Spoon mixture into a 3-cup gratin dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Serve hot with baguette, that I have heated in the oven and sliced fairly thin.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 126, Fat: 3.4g, Protein: 5.1g, Carbohydrate: 20.8g, Fiber: 2.3g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Iron: 1.1mg, Sodium: 334mg, Calcium: 59mg

Have a great day… catch you back here tomorrow!

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