I found a butternut squash soup at Trader Joe's that was fantastic. Very low calorie and low fat. I reduced 1 cup of it and added very finely chopped grilled veggies, cracked black pepper, fresh diced tomatoes, fresh chives and fresh basil. We used it as a sauce for pasta and it was out of this world. I think it would also work with pork and even a meaty fish because of the sweetness of the squash.
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
It's a bright green sauce that I explained to my boyfriend as "Mexian pesto". The amounts are completely to taste, so I'll give the recipe as I got it:
In a food processor, blend until smooth. Fresh Parsley Fresh Cilantro Fresh Oregano (Mexican if you can find it) Jalapenos Garlic clove(s) Salt Oil Vinegar Cumin
I added lime juice to mine as well.
Next time, I plan to try it with less oil and more tofu, like KD's pesto in the 2nd book.
I cooked some chicken cutlets--just seasoned them with my chili seasoning and cooked 'em in the skillet til they were done. When I pulled them out of the pan, I put the sauce in to heat it up a bit (you don't have to heat it up, but I wasn't sure the boyfriend would try it if it wasn't warmed up).
I put a dollop on the beans & tomatoes I cooked, and also put a bit into some olive oil & vinegar dressing for the salad. Picture here. (You've already seen the picture if you read the 8/19 Homework thread )
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: If you want the convenience of the boxed mac and cheese, but less chemicals and "stuff".
Yes, I do enjoy Amy's. Getting the boychild to like it might be another matter. But he thought the brown rice was OK, so there's hope!
And if they made it so the sauce was pre-made in a packet so I could take it backpacking, I'd die a happy woman. But I guess that would mean adding all sorts of freaky chemicals, and therefore defeat the point, huh? :c (
I don't think they have that, but they do have the instant kind where you just have to add boiling water.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4533 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: If you want the convenience of the boxed mac and cheese, but less chemicals and "stuff".
Yes, I do enjoy Amy's. Getting the boychild to like it might be another matter. But he thought the brown rice was OK, so there's hope!
And if they made it so the sauce was pre-made in a packet so I could take it backpacking, I'd die a happy woman. But I guess that would mean adding all sorts of freaky chemicals, and therefore defeat the point, huh? :c (
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Posts: 1433 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: March 11, 2004
[QUOTE]Originally posted by grrlscout: _Another camping recipe_
The other day we made some Kraft Mac n Cheese for the kidlet. I know, that stuff is evil. Evil, and really really tasty, in a junky sort of way.
QUOTE]
If you want the convenience of the boxed mac and cheese, but less chemicals and "stuff". Amy's organic makes pretty good boxed mac and cheese. I feed it to my son from time to time.
If you leave out the butter or only use a small dab of butter, it isn't really to bad fat wise either.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4533 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
The other day we made some Kraft Mac n Cheese for the kidlet. I know, that stuff is evil. Evil, and really really tasty, in a junky sort of way.
I took a small bit of the leftovers, chucked in a can of tuna, et voila! Tuna-mac. Reminded me of a dish I make when backpacking - camping tuna mac!
Camping Tuna-Mac
1 box of the "Deluxe" sort of mac n cheese (comes with a foil pack of melted velveeta)
1 vaccuum pack of albacore tuna
optional : 1/2 box Pomi tomatoes (use the other half w/eggs in your breakfast)
Make mac n cheese as directed, add tuna and tomatoes. Warm up over camp stove. Season with pepper. Enjoy!
For a healthier version, skip the mac n cheese. Just use ww noodles, a squirt of EVOO, and some scrapings of hard cheese -- all of which are trail-friendly. If you're short on fuel, parboil the noodles at home, keep them in a ziploc, and use them sooner.
Also, I *think* I've seen small, single-serve boxes of Pomi tomatoes. One of those would be perfect!
__________________________ DUM SPIRO, SPERO
Posts: 1433 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: March 11, 2004
This is adapted from a recipe on another site, EGullet.
Poulet Au Vinegar 2 chicken breasts whole wheat flour w/ salt & pepper added olive oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped 3/4 c good quality red wine vinegar
Wash & pat dry chicken. Cut into strips if desired. Flour lightly. Saute in olive oil until browned on both sides.
Remove from pan. Add 2-3 T fresh olive oil to pan and saute garlic, then rosemary until garlic is golden and rosemary is fragrant.
Add chicken and any chicken juices back into pan turn to coat with garlic add red wine vinegar turn heat down to simmer and cover pan. Cook for 20 minutes sauce should be brown color and reduced.
I had to take the cover off for the last 5 minutes or so to get my not-so-good quality vinegar to reduce very well.
I took some garlic from the chicken pan and put it into a smaller skillet with olive oil and sauteed some sugar snap peas.
Cooked some whole wheat pasta and tossed it with parmesan cheese, rosemary, olive oil, and a bit of the pasta water. Served the chicken on top of the pasta.
A nice side dish we had with dinner tonight, and I put the leftovers in the fridge, I figure it'll be a pretty good cold salad.
1 small red bell pepper, diced 1/4 c sweet onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, diced 3 tsp dried thyme 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained 1/4 c vegetable or chicken broth or water
In a small saucepan, heat 1 Tbl olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions & pepper, saute until both are soft. Add the garlic & stir for about a minute, then add the beans & stir it all together. Add the broth/water, cover & heat the beans through. Serve w/ a slotted spoon so the liquid doesn't end up all over the plate.
(there's a picture of them with the "fried" pork chops we had here )
quote:Originally posted by ChefDebG: Sorry about the repeat, I was trying to edit my typos and accidentally hit the wrong button. Still learning to use this thing. LOL Deborah
Just as an FYI, you have an option to delete a post. Click on the edit icon in the bottom right hand corner of the post. Once that opens, there is a link to delete the post.
1 lb ground chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 28 oz. can diced tomatoes 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes with green chilis 15.5 oz. can yellow hominy 19.75 oz. can black beans 16 oz. package frozen white shoepeg corn 1 packet El Paso reduced sodium taco seasoning mix
Brown ground chuck and onion. Drain if necessary. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Simmer 30 minutes.
Makes ten 1 cup servings. (I measured).
Nutrition info courtesy of MasterCook for each serving: 264 calories, 13 g fat, 23 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 13 g protein
Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream (fat-free is okay; real is better), a dollop of tomato salsa, and some crumbled tortilla chips on top.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChefDebG: Linda, I have a recipe for Zucchini muffins that you could just put into a loaf pan for bread.
This recipe comes from the "Sue Gregg Cookbooks" which are really wonderful. They are a set of eight books that are full of whole food, low fat yummy recipes. You can buy the whole set or individually. Go to SueGregg.com to see them.
Zucchini Muffins or Bread
2 eggs 2/3 c. honey 2 c. grated, unpeeled zucchini(about two small) 2 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour ( can mix 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour if you are not used to all whole wheat) 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1-2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla grated zest of one lemon 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350, Grease or spray muffin or loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, blend together eggs, honey, and zucchini, vanilla and lemon zest, with a wire whisk.
In a separate bowl, blend dry ingredients including walnuts,together.
Blend dry ingredients into liquid ingredients, just until mixed. Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full. For loaf pan, you may need to split batter between two pans, or do one loaf and some muffins. The loaf pan should be 2/3 full also.
Bake 20-25 min. for muffins, 35-45 min. for bread
For bread, test for doneness with a toothpick. If it is getting too brown on top, but not yet cooked in the center, put a piece of foil on top.
Linda, I have a recipe for Zucchini muffins that you could just put into a loaf pan for bread.
This recipe comes from the "Sue Gregg Cookbooks" which are really wonderful. They are a set of eight books that are full of whole food, low fat yummy recipes. You can buy the whole set or individually. Go to SueGregg.com to see them.
Zucchini Muffins or Bread
2 eggs 2/3 c. honey 2 c. grated, unpeeled zucchini(about two small) 2 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour ( can mix 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour if you are not used to all whole wheat) 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1-2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla grated zest of one lemon 1/2 dcup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350, Crease or spray muffin or loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, blend together eggs, honey, and zucchini, vanilla and lemon zest, with a wire whisk.
In a separate bowl, blend dry ingredients including walnuts,together.
Blend dry ingredients into liquid ingredients, just until mixed. Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full. For loaf pan, you may need to split batter between two pans, or do one loaf and some muffins. The loaf pan should be 2/3 full also.
Bake 20-25 min. for muffins, 35-45 min. for bread
For bread, test for doneness with a toothpick, if it is getting too brown on top, but not yet cooked in the center, put a piece of foil on top.
Does anyone have a light recipe for zucchini bread. I have a favorite but it is stuffed with too much "bad stuff". I have cut the sugar to less than half and the oil but am afraid to butcher it anymore for fear of ruining the texture. I even used Splenda last time but darnit I can taste it and don't want to serve it to company like that. Help, please!
Just like you Peggy, I keep talking about recipes and not getting them on here. So here they are.
Lemony Cucumber Salad (got from current issue of Taste of Home Mag.) 1 med. cucumber, diced 2 med. tomatoes, seeded and diced 1/2 c. minced fresh parsley 1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro 1/4 c. finely chopped onion (I used green onion) 1/4 c. lemon juice 1/4 c. olive oil ( I used 2 Tbs.) 1 Tbs. grated lemon peel 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 whole pita bread, cut into small pieces (I did not add this) 1/4 c. whole unblanched almonds, toasted ( I used sliced almonds 'cause that's what I had)
In a serving bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro adn onion. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, lemon peel, garlic, seasoned salt and pepper. Pour over veggies. Add the pita bread and almonds; toss to coat. Serve immediately. 2 servings
Apple-Feta tossed Salad
2 Tbs. butter 1 c. walnut halves 1 Tbs. sugar 1/8 tsp. pepper 5 c. torn romaine 5 c. torn red leaf lettuce 1 med. red apple, chopped 1 med. green apple, chopped 1/2 to 1 c. crumbled feta cheese
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the walnuts; sprinkle with sugar and pepper. Stir until well coated. Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 min. or until lightly browned, stirring every 5 min. Cool on a wire rack. In a large bowl, combine romaine, red lettuce, apples and feta cheese; set aside. In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients; cover and process until blended. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sugard walnuts. 12 servings
Mexican Manicotti(very yummy!)
1 package manicotti noodles 1 lb. lean ground beef or turkey 1 can fat free refried beans 1 package taco seasoning mix 2 cups water 2 cups picante sauce Fat free sour cream, for garnish 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese for garnish 1/4 c. sliced black olives for garnish 1/4 c. green onions, chopped
In a large mixing bowl, mix together raw meat, beans and taco seasong mix.Mix thouroughly,(easiest is done with clean hands)
Stuff the meat mixture into the uncooked manicotti shells( can try to use a resealable bag with corner cut off, but I find it easier to just use my hands)
Place stuffed manicotti into a baking pan. In a medium bowl mix together water and picante sauce. Pour over manicotti. Bake covered, at 350 for 30 min.
Uncover, turn manicotti over with tongs, recover, and cook an additional 30-40, checking for doneness of pasta. Try not to over cook the noodles.
Garnish with sour cream, cheese, olives and green onions. Put back in the oven for 5 min. to melt cheese.
Caramel Fudge Brownies 4 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate 3 egg whites, lightly beaten 1 c. sugar 2 jars prune baby food 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c. all purpose flour 1/4 c. chopped walnuts 6 Tbsp. fat free caramel ice cream topping 9 Tbsp. reduced fat whipped topping
In a microwave or saucepan, melt chocolate; stur until smooth. In a bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, melted chocolate, prunes, vanilla and salt; mix well. Stir in flour just until moistened.
Pour into an 8 in square pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake at 350 for 30-32 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares; drizzle with caramel topping and dollop with whipped topping. Yield: 9 servings Nutrition: 251 calories, 10 g fat, 5 grams sat fat, 0 cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 42 g. carbs, 3 g. fiber, 4 g. protein Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat, 1/2 fruit
Peg's notes: This nutritional stuff is for 1/9 of a pan...much bigger than the no-pudge serving. Also, if you left off the topping stuff, I imagine it would drop both carbs and calories substantially. If someone calculates the points on these, I'd love to hear. The fiber in these seems like it should help the points calculation.
Been promising some recipes and not getting them posted. Here's the salad dressing I've made. Got this from the salad class I took a couple of weeks ago. This stuff is delicious:
Red-Hot Sesame Dressing: 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds 1/3 c. reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 c. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 1/2 - 1 tsp chili puree with garlic 1/4 c. sliced scallions
Heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add sesame seeds and stir constantly until golden and fragrant, about 2 min. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, sugar and chili puree until sugar dissolves. Stir in scallions and sesame seeds. Makes about 3/4 c.
Peg's Notes: I serverd this over mixed baby greens tossed with red bell pepper strips and I wanted sugar snap peas but couldn't get them. I then added a serving of smoked salmon. Next time I will go ahead and grill a salmon filet (or chicken or tofu were recommended too) instead because the smoked was too salty with the salty dressing. Toast extra sesame seeds to sprinkle on top.
Definitely track down the reduced sodium soy because I didn't and it is too salty.
I used seasoned rice vinegar that is already sweetened so I left out the brown sugar. If you get unseasoned rice vinegar though you should use the sugar.
Both the sesame oil and the chili puree can be found in your asian foods section of the grocery store. I put in a whole tsp of the chili and it wasn't really spicy enough for me but definitely watch that stuff if you don't like spicy stuff.This message has been edited. Last edited by: p7eggyc,
If you don't have a crockpot, this can also be done in a large baking dish in the oven.
Crockpot Morroccan Tagine w/Quinoa Pilaf
Morroccan Tagine
2 big lean steaks (this is what we already had in the freezer), or a roast, or a cut up chicken
1 jar of Trader Joe's Morroccan Tagine simmering sauce (there are also recipes available at foodtv.com)
Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and carrots peeled and cut into big hunks
1 large onion, cut into big hunks
Toss everything into a crockpot, and cook on low for about 6 hours. There wasn't quite enough sauce to cover everything, so we added a can of chicken broth too.
Quinoa Pilaf Recipe from the Mother Earth News. Check out the article. It includes several recipes using whole grains.
1 tablespoon olive oil l medium onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 green pepper, finely diced 1/2 red pepper, finely diced 2 teaspoons each: ground coriander, ground cumin dash cayenne pepper 1 cup quinoa 1 2/3 cups water 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste freshly ground pepper finely chopped parsley (optional)
Put the quinoa in a strainer and rinse well. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic over medium-high heat until softened. Stir in the peppers and spices for about a minute until fragrant. Add the quinoa and water, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a dry skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat, shaking the pan every 30 seconds. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Stir the pine nuts, salt and pepper into the quinoa. Serve topped with chopped parsley.
We substituted sliced almonds for pine nuts. Also, a diced zucchini in place of the peppers.
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Posts: 1433 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: March 11, 2004
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