Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Serves 4

4 - 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts or strips
6 cups broccoli
1/8 cup water
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp EVVO

Seasoning Rub
4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp water
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp EVVO
Combine the garlic, rosemary, pepper, water, and olive oil. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub the chicken with mixture, then cover and refrigerate for 3 hrs or overnight.

Combine 1/8 cup water, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1 Tbsp olive oil and pour half into bottom of a small roasting pan. Place chicken breasts in pan and pour remaining vinegar mixture over chicken. Roast in 350 oven for 30 min or until thoroughly cooked. Steam broccoli and serve on the side.

Sushi rolls

Now that I've made sushi rolls at home a handful of times, I may never go to another sushi restaurant! My kids have been eating California rolls since they were old enough for solids. Don't feel intimidated...it's easier than you think!

What you'll need:
-Sushi rice (I like the Lundburg brand- found at Vitamin Cottage. I've also found sushi rice at Target) $5-7 bag
-Rice vinegar $5
-Nori sheets (easy to find in Asian food section at most grocery stores) About 10 sheets for $3.50
-Crab (I use the real deal. King crab from Costco has been the best, followed by snow crab- one pack yields about 5 plump rolls...or approx 40 pcs.) $15-20
-Avocado $1.50
-Cucumber (I'm not a big cucumber fan so I either omit the cucumber or replace with carrot) $1.50
-Toasted sesame seeds $3.50
-Wasabi powder (or paste) $4-6
-Pickled ginger $4
-Bamboo rolling mat (I ordered two on Amazon for $3 ea. & free shipping that came with the bamboo spoon) $3
-Plastic wrap $3
-Flat bamboo spoon or similar
-Glass of wine optional

I looked at a rice cooker at Costco one weekend and decided it was too similar to my electric pressure cooker to need another appliance around the kitchen. You can prepare the rice on the stovetop, but I prefer using my pressure cooker. Add 3cups of water, 2cups of sushi rice, set pressure cooker to high pressure for 3min. After 3min, let it naturally release for 10min and then release the remaining pressure. Gently stir rice and add about 1/4cup of rice vinegar (to your tasting). Do not over stir or you will smash the rice kernels.

The crab legs are fully cooked so you can crack and remove the meat or heat in the oven, if preferred. I place the crab legs on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and tent the crab legs with another layer of foil to steam at 400* for approx. 20min. Crack legs and remove meat.

Thinly slice one avocado, cucumber and/or other veggies you'd like to add.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and place it on top of the bamboo rolling mat (so your sticky rice doesn't stick to the mat). Place one sheet of Nori (shiny side down) on the plastic wrap. Spread rice on the Nori, leaving 1/2"-3/4" bare Nori at the top of the sheet. Sprinkle rice with a few sesame seeds. Place your crab (I am generous with the crab), avocado, & veggies horizontal about an inch from the bottom of the Nori. Hold the filling with your fingertips as you prepare to roll the bamboo mat forward (or up and over the filling...tuck it tight). Keep moving the plastic wrap down as you continue to roll or the plastic wrap will roll up inside of the California roll. You don't want to press too hard as you roll or you'll smash the rice. The more rice you use, the bigger the roll. The tighter you roll, the better your fillings stay in the roll when it is cut into pieces. Dab a little water on your finger and run it along the 1/2"-3/4" top edge of the Nori to seal the roll (very important!). You can also run a little wasabi along the edge instead of water.

You'll need a very sharp knife to cut the roll into pieces. I've found that I have more luck with a sharp serrated knife. Cut roll in half. I've read that you should dip the knife in hot water between slices, but I haven't needed to use that step because my knives are sharp enough to cut through without the rice sticking. I usually get 4 pieces from each half and set aside the end pieces to nibble on while I'm make the rest of the rolls.

Now, if you want the rice on the outside of the roll (instead of the Nori on the outside), you place the plastic wrap down first, the rice on the plastic wrap and then the Nori on top of the rice. The rice should cover more area than the Nori so when your roll, the rice will hold the roll together. Place your fillings about an inch from the bottom of the Nori and roll. I sprinkle the rice with toasted sesame seeds on the outside as I roll. It is a little trickier to roll with the rice on the outside and the cutting can be stickier...but you get less of the Nori flavor when it is tucked inside rather than on the outside.

Serve on a platter with a small pile of pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping.

Prep time: 30min.
Initial cost for all ingredients/supplies if you have none of it at home: approx $50
Each additional prep: approx. $20-25
Now think how much you spend going out to have sushi for 4!

Try it! You won't be sorry. Once you've got the rolling technique down, play with the fillings and type of rolls...and then plan it for your next dinner party. Your guests will be impressed!

Taco Salad (without all the calories)

1 pound lean white ground turkey
1/2 med onion, chopped
Spray non-stick pan with Pam. Brown turkey and onion using spatula to break into small pieces.
Add:
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large salad bowl add:

1 cup kidney beans, rinse and drain
2 or 3 chopped green onions
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 green or yellow pepper, sliced
1 large chopped tomato
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (fewer calories if you omit)
sliced black olives
4 cups shredded lettuce
Toss with seasoned meat and top with:
Salsa
reduced fat sour cream (optional)

What's for Dinner? Want something quick?

Grilled Halibut (or mild white fish) with Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 1 so double, triple, etc

7 oz halibut filet

1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans

1/2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cauliflower

salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette:

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped capers

3/4 tsp chopped shallots or green onion (or I've used red onion)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingred for vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk.

Cook fish on barbeque grill or coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over med heat. If desired, sprinkle fish with S&P on both sides and lay on grill pan. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked.

Steam beans, broccoli and cauliflower.

Spoon vinaigrette onto fish. Serve with steamed veggies.

340 calories, 44 g protein, 14 g fat, 10 g total carbs, 5 g fiber

Introductions

We (hopefully) have 2 new contributors to the blog.  Gail, my MIL, is a fantastic cook and will provide us with what she likes to refer to as "lean and green" meals.  I can't wait, since that is the trend we are trying to create in our house.  And, Carrie, my SIL, is mostly a veg eater, so hopefully she can provide us with some inspiration for Meatless Mondays!  Huzzah!

Bread at its finest

MAKE THIS.  That is all I have to say about it.

Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/3 cup pureed pumpkin (or butternut squash, but I love pumpkin)
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup agave nectar (you could also use 1/4-1/3 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar)
1t salt
4 cups white flour
3 cups wheat flour (next time I make it, I will use 4 cups wheat and 3 cups white)

1. Dissolve yeast in water.  Add warm pumpkin, milk, eggs, butter, sugar/sugar sub, and salt.  Mix well. 
2. Gradually add 3 1/2 cups flour (I added the wheat flour first) and beat until smooth.  Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Tuen onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Place in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
4. Punch down and shape into 3 loaves.  **Do not cut down this recipe.  You WILL want all 3 loaves.  Freeze one if you must!**  Place each loaf into a greased bread pan.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes until doubled.
5. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Cool on wire racks, if you can wait that long.  Eat with some tasty homemade jam (or, if you are weird like us, some plum-blackberry jamlly).

Mixed Up Vegatable Dip Goodness

This is another one of those recipes where anything goes.  Here is what I did:

Start with:

2 small eggplants
3 peppers: 1 green, 1 red, 1 purple
1 yellow squash
1 clove of garlic, unpeeled

Pierce the eggplants and squash.  Roast at about 400 for 30 minutes or so, turning occasionally.  Remove eggplants and peppers from oven and place in a ziplock or a bowl sealed with plastic wrap to steam.  Remove garlic from oven.  Continue roasting squash. 

Peel garlic and smash with salt until a paste forms.  Place in serving bowl.  Peel eggplants and peppers.  Chop and place in serving bowl.  Remove squash from oven, chop, and add to serving bowl.  Add about 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes (you can roast and peel your own: follow the instructions for the peppers or just used canned), a couple of chopped pepperoncini peppers, some capers, and then drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil.  Add a little salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and anything else that sounds good.  Mix it all up. 

You can serve this hot or cold.  You can add feta, but I don't think it is necessary.  It is a wonderful dip with a variety of crackers, chips, and breads. 

Simple Goodness

I made this for dinner last night.  It was nothing special.  In fact, it is something I have made variations of a million times before.  But this version on this night was a hit.  Kids had seconds, which is unheard of in our house.  Ella even assured me that this meal was better than mac and cheese, and if that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is. 

Chicken and broccoli and noodles

Ingredients:
2 T flour
salt and pepper
1t paprika
1/2 t granulated garlic
2 chicken breasts, pounded and cut into thin strips
2 T olive oil
2 cups chicken broth, divided
broccoli (I also used some sliced purple pepper, red, orange or yellow would also be good)
another 1-2 T flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Combine the first 4 ingredients; toss chicken strips in mixture.  Coat your pan with olive oil and brown the chicken.  Remove the chicken from pan, add 1 cup of chicken broth and scrape up all the good browned bits from the bottom. 

Add broccoli to pan and steam for a minute or two (depending on how soft you like your broccoli).  In the meantime, combine the other cup of broth and the remaining flour.  Add to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Add the chicken, lemon zest and half the lemon juice.

I served this with De Bolles Spinach Fettucini.  That is some good stuff.  Once the pasta was cooked, I coated it with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the lemon juice.  I served the chicken mixture over the noodles.  It was tasty.

Sangria

Recently I've been trying to rid my freezer of many things before our move to TX. After going through my shelf of frozen fruit and berries, I was reminded of my absolute favorite sangria recipe. It's cool and fruity, a great way to use up leftover bits of fruit around the kitchen, or from the freezer, and a great item to take along to a potluck or dinner party. It's a real crowd pleaser that can be easily halved or doubled.

It is also a fantastic way to use up red wine that might not be delicious enough to drink straight up, but is still not bad enough to pour down the drain.

Sangria

1.5 L red wine (sweet is good, cheap is fine, any will work)

10 oz grenadine

16 oz cranberry juice

12 oz sweet vermouth

10 oz sugar water (simple syrup-equal ratios sugar to water)

Combine in a large pitcher, glass is best so you can see the fruit floating. Refrigerate until cold.

Add slices of whatever fruit you have on hand. Some of my faves are tart apples, orange rings, peaches and berries. Frozen grapes and strawberries will keep their shape, and help keep it chilled. Store covered up to 48 hours, serve over ice.

saving money

I like to save money on things.  I have joined a ridiculous number of money saving "deal" websites.  You have to be careful, because you can get suckered into buying things you would otherwise never buy, but you can also get great deals on restaurants, diapers, and other good stuff that you would regularly spend money on.  So, in this post, I will post links to some of the deal sites I belong to.  Check them out (and yes, if you use my links for most of these, I get benefits, but mostly I just want to share my fun shopping sites!).

Groupon: one local deal each day (you choose your city).  This one is, by far, my favorite.  They really like restaurants and yoga. http://www.groupon.com/r/uu3696926

Eversave: like groupon, just not quite as big.  http://eversave.com/share/pLn7


Jasmere: online, not local; one deal a day.  Some of these are great.  http://www.jasmere.com/r/77778761?l
 
Living Social: one local deal each day; this is where I get the Smiling Moose deals!  https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/2025383-hippo_?ref=lnk
 
Plum District: I just found this one today, but it was a diaper deal so I TOTALLY joined.  https://www.plumdistrict.com/?ref=uffa892a6b09
 
Woot: one deal each day.  Check out woot.com, kids.woot.com, wine.woot.com, and shirt.woot.com.  These guys give you the added benefit of being hilarious.
 
MotherofaSale.com: one online deal for moms each day. 
 
And then one final money saver, check out http://tns.tellapal.com/a/clk/gNqDt for 10$ off a $25 purchase at TheNaturalStore.com.

Phew!  Happy shopping!

Canning

This is my new favorite website: Pick Your Own

'nuff said.

Pretzels

1 C milk

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cooking oil

3 C bread flour

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1-1/4 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 tbsp water

Sesame seeds or coarse salt

1. Add the 1st 7 ingredients to the machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough, punch down, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12" x 8" rectangle. Cut into 16 12" x 1/2" strips. Gently pull the strips into 16" long ropes. Shape each pretzel by crossing one end over the other to form a circle, overlapping about 4" from each end. Take one end of the dough in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps. Carefully lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite it. Tuck ends under edges to make a pretzel shape; moisten ends and press to seal. Place on 2 greased large baking sheets.
3. Bake in a 475º oven for 4 minutes (for crispier pretzels, bake in upper half of over 4-5" from the top). Remove from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350º. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 8 cups water and 2 tbsp salt to boiling. Add pretzels, 3 or 4 at a time, and boil gently for 2 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove pretzels from water and drain on paper towels. Let stand for a few seconds. Place pretzels about 1/2" apart on 2 well greased, large baking sheets.
4. In a small bowl combine egg white and 1 tbsp water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or coarse salt. Bake in the 350º oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

While I am sure that you all think it is abnormal, I don't like pumpkin but this soup is great. I add a little extra hot sauce (I actually use cayenne pepper) to give it a little more flavor.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•
Relish:
• 1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon.

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pumpkin-soup-with-chili-cran-apple-relish-recipe/index.html

Molten Chocolate Cake

Maybe September's theme should be "saving $$ by making it yourself". The latte was a good start. Another item I hate spending $6 or $7 on is the "Lava" cake at certain restaurants. I always thought it was labor intensive to make, or expensive. Certainly something that looks so fancy can't be EASY. Wrong! Here goes...

1-1/4 C sugar, divided

1 C flour

7 Tbsp cocoa, divided ( I like the special dark)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c milk

1/3 C melted butter

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1-1/4 C hot water

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium mixing bowl combine 3/4 C sugar, flour, 3 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour batter into 9x9x2 pan. In small bowl combine remaining 1/2 c sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 4 tbsp cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top, DO NOT STIR. Bake 40 min, or until center is almost set. Let stand for 15 min before serving.

Goes great with the simple vanilla ice cream recipe!

Curb your Pumpkin Spice Latte fever for less

I can't keep spending $4 for a coffee. I LOVE Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but I have to find a way to get through this fall without personally keeping my Starbucks in business. So I experimented today. What I found? Yum.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

16 oz brewed coffee
1 BIG tablespoon of pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Sweetener to taste (I used two packets of pure Stevia)
Milk to taste (I used a tablespoon of powdered milk; I like powdered milk for coffee because you can get fat free powder, but because you mix it directly into your coffee instead of into water, it makes the coffee rich and creamy like you used half and half, but doesn't add the fat or take up the space)

Mix it all up and enjoy. Not only is it totally tasty, it is actually GOOD for you. Coffee has antioxidents, milk has calcium, and pumpkin is a super food. You can't go wrong!