OMGEdamame

Okay, I stumbled across this recipe from Charm & Salt through Pinterest, but didn't have all of the ingredients. With the changes (and omissions) I had to make, I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but OMG. Seriously, delicious. I'm thinking about going to the grocery tonight, in fact, to get some more edamame so I can make it now that I'm thinking of it.

1 pound edamame in the pod {only had 10oz bag}
2 TB salt
3 TB sesame oil {used olive oil}
2 tsp. finely minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. white sesame seeds {omitted}
1 TB sugar
1 TB soy sauce
1 to 2 tsp. shichimi (Japanese chili pepper) {omitted}

Heat a large wok {pan} over medium-high heat. Add 2 TB of the oil and toss in the edamame. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until well-coated with the oil.

Make a well in the edamame and add the remaining 1 TB oil, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds, until barely light golden brown, then add the sesame seeds to the well. Stir to mix evenly, coating the edamame. Sprinkle in the sugar and toss several times, allowing the sugar to melt and glaze the edamame. Add the soy sauce, shichimi and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Creamy Zucchini Ribbons

2 zucchini
2 garlic cloves, minced
1T olive oil
2 wedges Light Laughing Cow Cheese OR ~2-3T cream cheese
Thyme
S/P

Take zucchini and, using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, cut the length-wise into thin ribbons down to the seeds, discarding the seeds. Cut the ribbons lengthwise in 2 or 3 pieces so that they're the size of linguine noodles. Spread out the zuch ribbons on a paper towel, and sprinkle with a small amount of salt.
Over med heat, saute garlic in olive oil. Once the garlic is golden, add the zucchini and saute, making sure it all gets coated in the oil. Once soft (2 min or so), add EITHER Laughing Cow cheese (I use the light garlic herb) or cream cheese. Stir until cheese melts, and season with thyme and s/p (if needed). Serve immediately.

If you're like me, this is a 1-person serving (5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus by my calculations!)

Vegetable Pasta/Pasta Salad

I've been dairy free for over 4 months, and the thing that's the hardest about it is missing out on "creamy" dishes. While this pasta isn't the same as pasta with alfredo sauce...or mac 'n cheese...(yum) it does have a bit of a "creamy" factor. I ate it hot with dinner, then cold the next day for lunch...thus the reason for the double name ;)

1 to 1 1/2 dry pints cherry tomatoes, roasted
1 box rotini pasta (or whatever shape you want)
1 box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/3c. kalamata olives, halved
1 bag baby spinach
1/2c. panko bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
butter or olive oil
Zesty Italian Dressing
Salt/pepper
Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese

To roast the tomatoes, preheat oven to 400. Cut tomatoes in half, toss with a bit of olive oil and salt. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, until starting to turn golden on the edges.

Cook pasta in salted water, until firm (usually a minute or so less than the suggested time on the box). Drain, reserving about 1c of the pasta water.

In a large pan, heat the butter/olive oil over medium heat. Saute the artichoke hearts until they begin to caramelize slightly. Add the spinach and about 1/2 c. of the pasta water, cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, and bread crumbs, adding more cooking water if needed to get the consistency you want. Add a few tablespoons of dressing, and s/p to taste. Once everything is mixed and heated thru, stir in the pasta and serve hot or at room temp, topped with parm if you want!

A few FIRSTS tonight!

Well, we didn't make it to the Farmer's Market last night to get veggies to go with leftover London Broil tonight, so I decided we'd run by the grocery, and get some veggies to make stir-fry. I don't know what got into me in the produce department, but I ended up getting boc choy AND broccolini...two veggies I've never even cooked (and I've never eaten broccolini!). I also got mushrooms, a red bell pepper, and yellow squash. I have to say, I made some pretty awesome veggie stir-fry!! (And in just a bit I'll be making fried rice with the LB since I think Wes would cry if I tried to feed him only veggies for dinner! He went to play golf tonight, though, so Wesley and I just ate the veggies). I did get some tips for this from www.steamykitchen.com

1 bunch bok choy, chopped in 1/4 to 1/2 inch chunks
1 bunch broccolini, cut in 1-2 inch pieces
1 container baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
2 small or 1 large sqash, cut in long 1/4 inch thick matchsticks

3 cloves of garlic, grated or very finely chopped
~3T canola oil
~1/4 c. beef broth
~1/4 c. soy sauce, mixed with 1T cornstarch

Okay, have everything ready before you start...this goes fast! Put the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the garlic (to the cold pan!), and turn to med-high (according to www.steamykitchen.com, this will infuse your oil with garlic without scorching it over high heat...great idea!!). Once the oil is hot and the garlic is golden, dump all the veggies in, and use tongs to toss very well...and quickly! Toss for about 30 seconds, until everything is good an coated in the garlic oil. Pour in the broth and cover, letting steam for about a minute. Uncover, toss in the soy sauce mixture, and cover for about another minute. Toss once again before serving! You can add toasted sessame seeds on top if you'd like, but we didn't becaue Wesley is allergic :(
Delish and quick! Woohoo!

It's been a while!

Well, not a while since I've cooked, but a while since I've blogged! I'm trying really hard to plan out our meals for the week, based on coupons and store sales...we'll see how it goes! So, here's this week (maybe if I post every Sunday/Monday, it will keep me more accountable!)

Sunday: Wes had leftovers; Wesley and I had awesome Mustard Glazed Salmon* and a Caesar Salad

Monday: London Broil, Biitch Potatoes*, Sugar Snap Peas

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Leftover LB and/or Spaghetti, and Farmer's Market Veggies

Thursday: Tacos

Friday: Out of town for the weekend

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Mustard Glazed Salmon:
I basically followed Giada's Recipe. I didn't have any white wine, so I used just a splash of water, and I used MORE dijon mustard and LESS whole-grain mustard, because I don't really like the whole-grain that I have right now. A little tip, though...don't try to cut this recipe in half (or at least not if you're going to use the mini food processor!). There's not enough glaze to actually get "processed" that way. Also, I broiled my salmon fo the 2 minutes, then for about 9 more minutes. It was phenominal...and Wesley gobbled it up too!

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Biitch Potatoes:
Okay, I found this on a message board, and the potatoes were affectionately (ha) named after a disliked--but good cook--neighbor! Super easy...just take baking potatoes, slice them "accordion style" (not cutting all the way thru) in maybe 6 or so slices, depending on the size. In each slice, put a small sliver of butter, and a thin slice of onion. Sprinkle the top of the potato with salt, and wrap tightly in foil. Grill for about 45 minutes. The onion will practically disappear! They are so good! We had them last week too :)

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And a tip I am going to try out today...boiling ground beef! Yeah, it sounds kind of gross, but from what I've read, it's a great way to cook a large amount of ground beef. So, I'm going to boil 2 lbs for the spaghetti and tacos this week, and I'll let you know how it goes. Basic directions seem to be this: put beef in a large stock pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a good simmer. Break apart with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Drain in a collendar placed over a large bowl. Refrigerate the broth that you strain out, and the next day remove the fat from the top. Voila...cooked ground beef (that's healthier b/c you get so much of the fat out!), and homemade beef broth! There is varying advice on seasoning the water. I think I'm going to though.

Update: Okay, why had no one told me about this before?!? I may never fry ground beef again. It took maybe a total of 15-20 minutes to cook 2 lbs of ground beef, and by the way, I now have homemade beef broth too!! I used 1/2 an onion (cut in 1/4ths and held together with a toothpick), salt, pepper, and parsley to season my water.

Marinated Cucumber Salad

I first had this years ago when I was doing Weight Watchers, and it was fabulous (and 0 points!). I'd lost the recipe, and failed when trying to recreate it a few times over the years. I think I finally did it though! Yay!

1 English Cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 of a large red onion, thinly sliced
1 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c water
1 c sugar (to make it 0 WW points, use Splenda)
1/2 to 1 T red pepper flakes (depending on the amount of heat you're after!)
1 to 2 T salt

Bring the vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Stir in the red pepper flakes and salt, and pour the hot mixture over the cukes and onion. Stir. Put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before serving, and stir a few times in that hour.

I think this would be awesome over a white fish (tilapia maybe?) for a light dinner!

Some variations I've seen that I'm anxious to try:
1) Instead of red wine vinegar, use white vinegar, and sub dried dill for the red pepper flakes.
2) Rachel Ray's Quick Pickled Onions and Apples sounds interesting--and somewhat similar--too!

Oven-Roasted Broccoli

After reading the reviews of Alton Brown's Roasted Broccoli, I decided I had to give it a try...especially since Wes won't ever eat broccoli, and Wesley has recently been turning up his nose at it about half the time!
I didn't have any panko bread crumbs, so I used regular ones, and I used parmesan instead of cheddar.

1 lb. broccoli
2 T olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I think I used 3 or 4!)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 c panko bread crumbs (I used closer to 1/2 a cup of regular bread crumbs, but next time I'd use more like 1/4 c)
1/4 c grated parm or cheddar

Preheat oven to 425.
Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, including the stalks. Toss with the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
Toast the breadcrumbs on a metal cookie sheet or cake pan for about 2 minutes in the oven. Stir into the broccoli mixture, then put it all back on the cake pan. Roast just until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes (I think it took me about 15). Remove from the oven, stir in the cheese, and serve immediately!

I'm happy to report that both Wes and Wesley ate at least 2 bites each of this. Now, I don't see either of them requesting it for dinner anytime soon, but hey, tasting it is progress, right?!

New Year's Day "Lucky Lunch"

Happy 2010, ya'll!
I wanted to post what I cooked for the traditional NYDay Lunch before I forgot how I did everything! It was so much fun...Sallie and Isabelle, and Maggie, Barry and Davis came over to eat with us. I was a little concerned that I'd cooked WAAAAY too much...but either everyone was starving or everyone was being polite, because the majority of the food got eaten!
So here it goes...we had black eyed peas, collard greens, macaroni and cheese (posted previously), and pork tenderloin. Oh, and the ladies enjoyed some seriously amazing pink champagne ;)

A great thing about this meal...I did 3 of the 4 dishes in crock pots (yup, I am the proud owner of 3 crock pots..more on that later). So, I was able to get everything prepared in the morning, veg on the couch for most of the day, then once everyone got here, I quickly cooked the pork and everything was good to go!

Black Eyed Peas:
6 or so slices of bacon
1/2 a large onion, diced
3 c. water
Glory vegetable base
1 can of RoTel tomatos, drained just a bit
2 10-oz packages of fresh (local!) black eyed peas
Salt and pepper

Cut the bacon into 1-inch (or so) pieces, and brown until crispy. Drain about half of the bacon on a paper towel, and add the onion to the remaining bacon, cooking in the bacon fat (those diet resolutions shouldn't kick in until the 2nd or later!) until very translucent. Put this mixture in the crock pot, along with the water, a heaping teaspoon of the vegetable base, the tomatoes, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours, checking the seasoning and doneness of the peas often. Crumble the reserved bacon over top of the peas just before serving.

Collard Greens:
1 T. butter
1/2 a large onion, diced
1 pack of Turkey Jerky
6 c. hot water
1 beer
Glory vegetable base (approx. 2 T)
2 bunches of fresh (again...local!) collard greens, washed and trimmed
1/3 to 1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion in the butter until translucent. Put in the crockpot along with the next 5 ingredients, and some salt/pepper to taste. Cook over high heat, stiring with tongs frequently to ensure all the collard pieces spend ample time submerged. About 1 hour before serving (once collards are very soft and yummy!), add the cider vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, and s/p if needed. Serve with cider vinegar to be sprinkled on top if desired!

Thanksgiving Yummyness!

I'm still stuffed from 3 Thanksgiving meals (yes, 3!) and can't even think of turkey right now, but I did want to go ahead and share the recipes I made because they were super yummy and I want to have them for next year! Hope you had a great holiday with family :)

Cranberry Sauce (a combination of a couple of recipes, but basically this one by Alton Brown)
1/4 c. cranberry juice (NOT cocktail...the 100% juice)
juice from one orange (approx. 1/4 c.)
1 c. honey
zest from one orange
1 bag fresh cranberries

Bring the cranberry juice, orange juice and honey to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, adding zest after a couple of minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the cranberries, and continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes (no more than 15). Continue to stir every minute or two. The cranberries will begin to burst, and I used a wooden spoon to kind of mash up the cranberries in the last few minutes of cooking.
Remove from heat, let cool for a few minutes, then pour into either a mold or serving bowls. Refrigerate overnight.

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole (I believe it was basically a recipe by Paula Deen, but of course now I can't find the original recipe)
2 bags frozen broccoli (1 family size, 1 large size I believe)
1/4 c. chopped celery*
1/4 lb. chopped mushrooms*
1/4 c. chopped onion*
*I eyeballed these measurements, and probably used more celery and less onion.
2 T butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 lb. velveeta cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the broccoli in salted water for just a couple of minutes (basically to heat thru). Drain well--I drained it in the colander, then spread the broccoli out on a few layers of paper towels to absorb as much water as possible.
Saute the celery, mushrooms, and onion in the butter until very soft. Add the soup and velveeta, stirring often, until the cheese is melted and everything is combined well. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Combine the broccoli and cheese/soup/veggie mixture well, then pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with the cheddar cheese.
Either 1) put into a preheated 350* oven for about 20 minutes and serve; or 2) if made ahead of time, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking, and cook at 375* for about 30 minutes.

Streusel Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (From Tyler Florence's recipe)
This may be my favorite sweet potato recipe!
6 small to medium sweet potatoes
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, room temp
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. toasted pecan pieces
1 c. (or a few handfuls) mini marshmallows

Scrub and prick the sweet potatoes, then bake in a preheated 400* oven until soft (about 45 minutes or so).
While the potatoes are baking, make the streusel: combine the butter, sugar and flour with a fork until crumbly. Add the cinnamon, salt and pecans.
(I made this the day before, so at this point, I put the streusel in the fridge, along with the cooled sweet potatoes.)
Cut the sweet potatoes in half length-wise, and use a fork to kind of tear up the insides (does that make sense?! haha). Place them in a baking dish, flesh-side up. Top each half with a generous amount of the streusel mixture, covering as much of the potato as possible. Sprinkle marshmallows over the streusel.
Cover with foil and bake in a pre-heated 375* oven for about 45 minutes, removing foil for last 15-20 minutes. (If you are making this directly after baking the potatoes, I think you can keep the oven at 400*, and just bake uncovered for about 20 minutes).
The streusel should get crispy, and the marshmallows will melt and brown. SO yummy!

Cucumber Salad

1 Large Cucumber thinly sliced
1 small white or red onion thinly sliced
3/4 c white or rice vinegar
1/2 c water
3/4 cup sugar
1 T dried dill
2 tsp red chili flakes

Over medium high heat, combine all marinade ingredients. bring to a boil, remove from heat and add onions (if you'd like them to soften a bit). When the marinade has cooled, add the cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour (Even better the next day) & serve!

Grilled Red and Green Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil plus additional for brushing
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 medium head of red cabbage (about 1 3/4 pounds), quartered through core
1 medium head of green cabbage (about 13/4 pounds), quartered through core
1 bunch green onions (about 6), trimmed

I used cider vinegar and olive oil instead, then added just a touch of sesame oil and reduced the sugar and oil by half. I've also made it with fresh rosemary (I think I like it better this way!) instead of taragon.

Preparation
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup oil, mustard, and tarragon in medium bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Brush cabbages and green onions with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill cabbages until dark grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill green onions until charred on 1 side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to work surface.
Chop green onions and cabbages; place in large bowl, discarding cores. Add dressing; toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.
It's even better the second day!!

Easy Veggies and Rice

1 onion, diced
olive oil
¾ c. chicken broth
1 large can petit diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (multiple times) well
frozen chopped spinach
wild rice, cooked according to package directions
salt
seasoned pepper
parmesan cheese

While cooking the wild rice, sauté the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent and soft. Add in the chicken broth, and simmer until reduced to less than half. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes and black beans, season with salt and pepper. Simmer to reduce any remaining liquid. Stir in frozen spinach, cook for 5 or so minutes until spinach is cooked through. Serve veggie mix over rice, sprinkle with parmesan. Only takes about 15 minutes!

Red Rice

Red Rice
From Southern Living
10-12 servings

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 50 min
Tomato paste tends to scorch easily, so be sure to stir as directed.

1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice
8 bacon slices
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2½ cups chicken broth
1½ (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

1. Rinse rice with cold running water 3 minutes or until water is no longer cloudy. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook bacon in a 3 1/2-qt. saucepan over medium heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain and set bacon aside, reserving 2 Tbsp. bacon drippings in pan.

3. Sauté onion in hot drippings in saucepan over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until onion is tender; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute.

4. Stir in rinsed rice, chicken broth, and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring mixture every 7 to 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Stir in crumbled bacon and 3 Tbsp. parsley; garnish, if desired.

Roasted Tomatoes

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**OR: put all marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag, mix well. Add tomatoes, make sure all get coated well. Remove from marinade with a slotted spoon, place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining marinade.

Our Staple Veggie!

I don't know why I haven't posted this yet, because its one of the few veggies I cook that Wes really likes...and its easy too! I have never measured the ingredients, so I'll estimate the best I can!
Garlic Green Beans
1-2 pats of butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. minced garlic (best if its fresh, but I admit...I've used the jar stuff too)
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 c. milk
salt/pepper
1 bag frozen cut green beans

In a saucepan, combine the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic in this. Stir in flour, making sure to get rid of any lumps, as it will thicken quickly. While still stiring, add milk slowly, allowing to thicken. Add salt and pepper, and stir in bag of green beans, coating all in garlic sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low/med-low, and let cook til beans are warmed through.

We're having these, along with wild rice, stuffing, and turkey breast (if it ever finishes cooking...ugh!) tonight.

Happy Labor Day everyone!

"Baked Potato" Salad

Last night, Wes and I were going out on the boat (yup, we got a boat!!), and I thought it would be fun to take a picnic dinner. So, we had ham and provoalone wraps, watermelon, and this "baked potato" salad. I tried to copy the salad from a restaurant on John's Island that has now closed, and I think I did a pretty darn good job! And, Wes ate his entire plate of it...he's branching out!!! Now, of course I didn't do a good job measuring, so you may need to tweak these amounts.

1/2 a bag of petite red potatoes, rinsed and diced into small pieces

2 T. white vinegar

1/3 c. mayo

1/3 c. sour cream (plus an extra spoonful I think :))

1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1 small package of already cooked bacon (the little bags near salad dressings-the 'recipe sized' pieces)

about 2 T. diced up fresh chives

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, boil the potatoes in some generously salted water for about 10-11 minutes, until just tender. While that is boiling, combine the mayo, sour cream, cheese, bacon, chives, and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drain the potatoes well, and while they're still hot, sprinkle with the vinegar. When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, combine with the mayo mixture. Serve at room temperature or cold. So yummy!!

And just 'cause I know you want to see it, here are a few pictures of the boat :)

My Take on Paula Deen's Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Cheese!

This is basically Paula Deen's recipe, but I did change a few things around...

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I like to use corkscrews or shells, and I use closer to 2 1/2 c.)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Small container sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Boil the macaroni in a large pot in plenty of water until tender, drain. Reduce heat to low/med. low, combine all other ingredients in the pot, mix well. Add the noodles and let simmer for a while (maybe 1-2 hrs?). Even better the next day!!

We're having this tonight with grilled porkchops, spinach, and grilled corn on the cob...yippee!!