Caprese Chicken over Warm Spinach Salad

Someday I will learn how to fry chicken with Parmesan on it and not 1) burn it or 2) under cook it. Today was not that day.

My mistake was I didn't pound the breast thin enough I think.

Regardless, this recipe was from the company Plated. I signed up for one of those services that deliver the ingredients and you cook it. I signed up and then cancelled within 30 minutes. Somehow, Plated didn't get the cancellation and delivered the first box (they refunded me the $$ by the way).

The first recipe is Caprese Chicken over Warm Spinach Salad. The chicken was fantastic. I under cooked it, but had to stick it in the oven to actually finish cooking. The Parmesan was becoming too brown in the skillet. I felt like I couldn't cook it in the skillet any longer. Popping it into the oven wasn't a bad idea.

If I make this again, I might grill the chicken to make it lower calorie.

Caprese Chicken over Warm Spinach Salad
Recipe from Plated

Serves 2
800 calories

1/4 oz basil, divided
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, minced
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 T Champagne vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
3 oz baby spinach
1 c flour (this is actually a bit much for 2 chicken breasts. You could cut this in half.)
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
5 T olive oil

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Place flour on a plate. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk egg. In another plate, mix the panko and Parmesan. Dredge chicken in flour, shake off excess. Dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on a plate.

Add 2 T olive oil to pan, heat over med-high heat. When shimmering, add chicken and sear until crust is browned and chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to paper towel lined plate to drain.

Make the vinaigrette. Heat 1 tsp in olive oil over medium heat.  When oil is shimmering, add shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in Champagne vinegar and mustard. Whisking continuously, slowly add 3 T olive oil until fully combined.  Season with salt and pepper.

Immediately add spinach and tomatoes and toss to coat. Add mozzarella and half the basil to bowl with spinach - toss to combine.

Divide spinach salad between plates and top with chicken. Tear remaining basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle over the top.

Serve warm...and dig in!

Old Fashion Goulash

Apparently this is a comfort food. Anything labeled "comfort food" and I'm all in. Tonight is my last night to each "unhealthy" so I figured I'd go out with a bang.

I don't recall every having goulash as a kid. It seems like something a 70's mom would have made so I'm sure I have had it, just don't remember.

At any rate, super easy recipe and SUPER good. I would not put in the Adobo seasoning next time I make this. I think it made it just too salty.

Old Fashion Goulash
Recipe from MyIncredibleRecipes.com
Serves - a lot

2 lbs ground beef or turkey
3 tsp minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2.5 c water
1/2 c beef broth
1/3 c olive oil
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 T Adobo seasoning
3 bay leaves
1 T seasoned salt
2 c elbow mararoni, uncooked
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot, cook your ground beef until just done, add garlic and onions. Cook until beef is completely done. Add broth, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir. Add seasonings.
Cook for about 20 minutes.

Add macaroni and stir well. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves. Remove from heat.

Add cheddar cheese. Mix until combined. Add mozzarella right before you serve.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Oh...my...God...were these good.

Tradition in my house is the December Sunday dinner is a cookie exchange. This year I made these cookies...and lord were they good.

Make these cookies...

I didn't end up with enough powdered sugar to make real frosting, but ended up with a ganache type texture ... and truthfully I was ok with that. They were tasty.

Found this recipe on a blog called Cookies and Cups. I'll be visiting more often for sure.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Photo from
Cookies and Cups blog

Cookies and Cups
Makes 24

1 box 18-19 oz Brownie mix

¼ c butter, melted

½ c cream cheese, room temp

1 egg

¾ c peanut butter

¾ c powdered sugar

¾ c chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine brownie mix, butter, cream cheese and egg. Stir until dough comes together, it will be very thick and sticky. I used my hands.

Form rounded tablespoons sized portions of dough into balls, placing on baking sheet about 2 inches apart, making an indentation with your thumb in the center of each.

In another bowl stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form peanut butter into teaspoon sized balls and press into the indentations in the brownie cookies.

Press peanut butter down slightly because the peanut butter won't spread and you don't want the cookies to be too tall.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set.

Transfer to wire rack to cool.

When cooled top each cookie with about a tablespoon of chocolate frosting.

Note: I tried to use her chocolate frosting recipe...I fell short on the powdered sugar. Here's the recipe for you though. 

chocolate frosting

Argentinean Flank Steak with Chimichurri

So this last year I wasn't great about cooking new recipes AND definitely not adding them to the blog. This recipe was a Sunday Dinner meal I think in ... well, crap I have no idea which one. 

I love Chimichurri and think it and pesto are two of the best things ever created. I wrote on the bottom of this recipe to "make again" which only means that it was delicious. 

Argentinean Flank Steak with Chimchurri

Photo from FoodNetwork.com

Recipe from Weight Watchers Magazine July/August 2016

Serves 4

2 oz fresh parsley, (1 small bunch), stems removed

4 clove(s) garlic clove(s)

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp fresh oregano

1 ¹/₂ tsp kosher salt

¹/₄ tsp black pepper

¹/₄ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 tsp olive oil, divided

1 pound(s) uncooked lean and trimmed beef flank steak

2 spray(s) cooking spray

Salt and pepper or to taste

Puree parsley, garlic, vinegar, water, oregano, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and pepper flakes until relatively smooth. Remove 3 tablespoons chimichurri to a small bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon oil; rub mixture over steak, cover and marinate for 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to remaining chimichurri; reserve in refrigerator.

Off heat, coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray. Preheat grill to high heat.

Wipe marinade off steak and pat steak dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel; season steak with additional salt and pepper. Grill steak until medium rare, flipping once, about 5 to 7 minutes per side (or longer, if necessary, for desired degree of doneness). Remove steak from grill and let rest a few minutes before slicing against the grain. 

Serve steak drizzled with reserved chimichurri.

Peanut Butter Bars with Salted Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite combinations. Blueberry makes peanut butter balls every year for Christmas. This year she wasn't able to, so in their place I decided to make these for the annual Cookie Exchange Sunday Dinner.

Peanut Butter Bars with Salted Chocolate Ganache
Recipe courtesy of Nancy Fuller, FoodNetwork.com

Nonstick cooking spray, for baking dish

Photo from FoodNetwork.com

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, stir to combine the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Place the chocolate and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until completely melted and smooth.

Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mixture and refrigerate until the chocolate is cooled and set, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.

Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt. Cut into squares to serve.

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup

I bought myself an Instant Pot this year. I have yet to use the pressure cooker side of it. Instead, I've been using the crockpot part of it. Fall/Winter is crock pot season to me. A soup even makes it better.

This is a "just ok" soup. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious. Its just not my favorite and with so many other recipes to make, I most likely won't make this again.

Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
Recipe from TipHero

Photo from Yourhomebasedmom.com

 1-½ to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, diced into ½-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced small
3 stalks celery, diced small
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts beef broth, divided
1-½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 – 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
¾ cup barley, rinsed
Salt and pepper, to taste


Generously season the cubed beef with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add about half of the oil. Working in batches, sear beef on all sides, using more oil as needed. Transfer the seared beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Return the skillet to the heat and add 1 cup of beef broth. Heat to a boil and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add to slow cooker.

Add the potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, diced tomatoes, barley and remaining beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh parsley or thyme.

Hearty Beef Stew with Yukon Gold Potatoes

I'm a big fan of stew. Especially this time of year when the rain is pouring outside and it's dreary.  Stew is such a comfort food for me.

The recipe I've used my entire life is a modified version from my Grandma Spaid. Why try something new when that recipe is so darn good. And let's be honest here, stew isn't a hard dinner to make. Or maybe it's just me.

I saw this recipe on MyKitchenEscapades.com and knew I had to make it. Truthfully it was the photo that got my mouth watering.

Photo from MyKitchenEscapades.com

I mean, really? How could you not want to eat that? Such a gorgeous photo.

What made this stew different from my Grandma's is the cooking of the stew in the oven.

Now, I didn't plan well enough, AND didn't read all the instructions, so I did 1 1/2 hr in the oven, took it out of the oven, put in the carrots and potatoes and did another hour on the stove.

The outcome was the tenderest meat and veggies ever. I just couldn't believe how good it was.

So, if you're looking for a solid, good, full of flavor stew recipe, this is the one for you!

Note, read all the instructions. It takes 3 hours to cook this recipe, not 2 like I had read


Hearty Beef Stew with Yukon Gold Potatoes
Recipe from MyKitchenEscapades.com

3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 Tb oil
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1 Tb tomato paste
1/4 C flour
4 C beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thick
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peel and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Season the beef pieces well with the salt and pepper. In a large dutch oven pot, preheat 1 Tb of the oil over medium high heat. Once hot, brown 1/3 of the meat turning with tongs once a side has gotten golden brown, Don't rush this process or overcrowd the pan or you will steam your meat instead of browning it. That browning in the pan and on the meat gives you the great flavor. Once brown, remove to a large plate and repeat with the remaining two batches of meat with the remaining oil.

Add the onions, garlic and balsamic and red wine vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute before adding the beef with the juices on the plate. Sprinkle with flour and stir until the flour covers all the ingredients. Cook for one minute then add the beef broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir again, scraping anything off the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the oven to braise for 2 hours.

Remove pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and put back in the oven for another hour before removing it from the oven. Taste the broth and add any additional salt and pepper needed. If you have the time, this stew is even better on the second day! 

Salisbury Steak Meatballs (Instant Pot, Stove Top, Slow Cooker)

I think everyone I know has an Instant Pot cooker. I finally broke down and bought one. Terrified to use it because of the "pressure cooker" side of it. I have nightmares, for some reason, of pressure cookers exploding. Now, I've never see it happen, but for some reason it terrifies me.

This ain't your grandma's pressure cooker. It's an all in one pot that does slow cooker stuff, pressure cooker stuff, and rice cooker. Got rid of the rice cooker and slow cooker!

THIS recipe is absolutely delicious and so dang easy. With the Instant Pot it was super easy and done quickly.

When I make this again, I'd not put in the 1/4 cup beef broth in the meatball mixture. It made the mixture a bit too wet for my liking. But putting tomato paste in the meatballs? Brilliant! Just brilliant.

And for the record, SkinnyTaste.com is one of my all time favorite blogs (and cookbook). If you've not checked it out, you should.

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Photo from SkinnyTaste.com

Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1/2 cup minced onions

1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef

1/2 lb 93% lean ground turkey

1/3 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided

kosher salt

pinch black pepper

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp red wine vinegar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, to taste

1/4 tsp mustard powder

5 oz sliced mushrooms

1 1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth

chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Finely chop 1 oz of the mushrooms into small pieces and set aside. Heat the Instant Pot (or a large nonstick pot on medium-high) on Sauté add 1 tsp oil and onions and cook until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Divide onions in two.

In a large bowl, combine half of the sautéed onions with the ground beef, ground turkey, chopped mushroom, bread crumbs, egg, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1/4 cup of the beef broth, 3/4 tsp salt and black pepper.

In a small bowl, blend flour and 1 cup broth until smooth. Mix in remaining onions, remaining 1 tbsp tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.

Gently shape into 20 small meatballs.

Heat the Instant Pot (or non-stick pot) back on saute, add remaining teaspoon of oil and brown the meatballs about 2 minutes until no longer sticks, turn and brown an additional 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1/8 teaspoon salt and black pepper and pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover and cook on high pressure 10 minutes (20 minutes in a regular pot). Let the pressure release on it’s own. Garnish with parsley.

Slo

w Cooker Directions: Saute meatballs in a skillet, transfer to slow cooker with mushrooms, salt and pepper and pour sauce over. Cover and cook low 6 to 8 hours, until tender.

Carolina Peach Sangria

For book club this month I opted to try to bring summer into Seattle. I made this Peach Sangria. And let me tell you...

1. Super refreshing
2. SOOOO good
3. A little beyond delicious
4. Have a designated driver


Carolina Peach Sangria
Recipe from Southern Living

1 bottle rosé wine

3/4 cup vodka

1/2 cup peach nectar

6 tablespoons thawed frozen lemonade concentrate

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pound ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1 (6-oz.) package fresh raspberries - I found frozen raspberries held up better in this drink

2 cups club soda, chilled

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a pitcher; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peaches and raspberries. Cover and chill 8 hours.

2. Stir in chilled club soda just before serving.

*Peach-flavored vodka may be substituted. Omit peach nectar

Mediterranean Pork Shoulder

The local store had pork shoulder on sale for $1.99/lb...which is crazy cheap. So I picked me up one.

Now as a single person, a pork shoulder could feed me for the entire week, and some friends. But it freezes well and there are so many "other" recipes I can make after having pulled pork.

This recipe was easy and delicious. The ONLY thing I'd change is I wouldn't put the kalamata olives in from the beginning. They get kinda mushy. I would however, put the juice in. I think that flavor is fantastic.

I think I had closer to a 3.5 lb roast and I didn't change anything with the measurements. The pork gives off plenty of liquid.

Mediterranean Pork Shoulder
Recipe from emeals
Serves 4 (or more)

2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook 3 minutes per side or until browned.

Transfer to a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add broth, tomatoes, olives, oregano and garlic. Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours or until very tender.

Shred pork with two forks, and toss in sauce to coat. Stir in basil. Divide into 4 servings.

30-Minute Filet Bourguignonne with Mashed Potatoes

I love me some Beef Bourguignonne...as in it's one of my favorite dishes. It does, normally, take a long time to make. This recipe is not only quick and easy, but delicious (despite me forgetting the tomato paste).

You won't be disappointed with this one. It was a recipe provided to me by my Cooking Light Menu plan. One serving is 512 calories. A little high for some, but so worth it.

30-Minute Filet Bourguignonne with Mashed Potatoes

Photo from Cooking Light

Recipe from Cooking Light
Serves 4

1 pound baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons butter, divided
1 bacon slice, finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, quartered
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1/2 cup earthy red wine
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Place potato in a saucepan over high heat; cover with cool water. Bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Return potato to pan; keep warm.

While potato cooks, place onions in a microwave-safe bowl; cover with a paper towel. Microwave at HIGH 4 minutes. Finely chop 1 (2-inch) cube of tenderloin, and set aside. Pat dry the remaining beef cubes with a paper towel; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add seasoned beef cubes; sauté 3 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add finely chopped beef and bacon to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, chopped thyme, and sugar; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Add onions and broth; bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Combine 2 tablespoons water and flour in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return browned beef cubes to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cooked to medium-rare or desired degree of doneness.

Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, remaining 2 teaspoons butter, and milk to potatoes in saucepan; mash with a potato masher until desired consistency. Serve beef and sauce over potatoes; garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Linguine with Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone

I have been cooking some, but not as much as I used to. Work being crazy caused me to not want to do anything, let alone cook.

Finally my life is getting back to normal, at least as normal as it can.

Tonight I made this recipe. I modified it a bit...shocking, I know.

It was delicious though. So I'm sure if you follow the recipe it'll be just as tasty.

Linguine With Mushrooms, Marsala and Mascarpone
Recipe from Epicurious.com

Photo from Milk and Honey blog

1/4 c dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup marsala
1/4 cup water
1/2 c mascarpone
freshly grated nutmeg
ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
1 package dried linguine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small garlic clove, peeled
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Put the porcini into to the smallest pan you have. Pour in the Marsala and the water, bring to boil over medium heat and then, just as it starts to boil, take it off the heat and leave for about 10 minutes. The mushrooms need to be submerged in the liquid so that they soften.

[Jenn Note: I'm not a fan of porcini mushrooms. Instead, I sauted sliced cremini mushrooms in butter and garlic. Following that, I deglazed with the marsala wine.  Followed by adding the mascarpone to the sauce, off heat.

Put the mascarpone into a small bowl, add a good amount of grated nutmeg and some ground pepper. Once the porcini have softened, strain them into the bowl, letting the soaking liquid mix with the mascarpone. Whisk to combine.

Chop the porcini and the parsley together on a chopping board.

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions.

In a large pan, warm the butter and add the grated garlic. Stir it together, then mix in the mushrooms and parsley and cook for a few minutes. Pour the mascarpone into the pan and cook for another minute. Remove it from the heat. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and pour it into the pan with the mascarpone and toss to coat. Add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if it looks a little dry.

Add the Parmesan, toss everything together and check the seasoning. Serve with more parsley and Parmesan.

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

For the March Sunday dinner I decided to do a "Bring your Favorite Irish Dish". Who knew there were so many options for Irish food?  I opted to make Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls - which, it turns out, are German, not Irish. Though no one really mentioned that to me.

This was a fantastic meal. It makes a ton and the leftovers were out of this world. For a girl who doesn't like leftovers that's a pretty amazing comment.

It's a super easy meal to make and would be great for a family meal. I should also mention, I left out the sauerkraut...gross.

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
http://www.afamilyfeast.com/deconstructed-stuffed-cabbage/

1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice (or any rice of your choice)
1 ½ pounds green cabbage, cleaned, cored and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces raw bacon diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tart red wine such as merlot
1 pound lean ground beef (90/10)
½ pound ground pork
½ pound ground veal (if you can’t get ground veal, increase ground pork to one pound)
2 cups tomato juice (or for a more intense flavor, our daughter Courtney suggests using V-8)
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dry thyme
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup drained sauerkraut

Cook rice according to package directions. Try to time rice so that it finishes cooking as the preparation of the dish nears the end. If rice is cooked to soon, fluff and leave at room temperature to cool.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch cabbage chunks for five minutes. Drain, cool and set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, place olive oil and bacon and cook until bacon is almost browned, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add onions and sauté for three minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add red wine and deglaze the pan.

Move the cooked onion mixture to the edges of the pan and place all three meats into the center. Keep moving the meat around to brown and slowly work in onion mixture until the meat is fully browned.
Add tomato juice, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Reduce to medium and simmer for five minutes.

Add in sauerkraut, cooked rice and cooked cabbage. Bring back up to heat and simmer for five more minutes.

Adjust seasoning and serve.

Hamburger Steaks with Sweet Onion and Mushrooms

I joined this new program a couple weeks ago called emeals.com. It sends me a week menu plan of healthy, high protein, low carb meals (you have options of the types of meals you want them to send).


I've made a couple of the meals and have really liked them. Tonight I made this meal...I'm a big fan of Salisbury steak and this recipe is essentially the same.  I cut too many onions though so it was a bit overwhelming - if it can be - with onions.




According to emeals the nutrition is:
314 calories
28 grams protein
6 grams carbs

Hamburger Steaks with Sweet Onion and Mushrooms
Recipe from emeals.com
Serves 4


1 pound 93% lean ground beef
2 tablespoons plus 2 1/4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted beef stock
1 ounce Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)


Combine beef, 2 1/4 teaspoons oil, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; mix with hands. Divide into 4 portions, shaping each into a 4-inch patty.


Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove patties from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; cook 6 minutes or until mushrooms brown. Sprinkle with flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add stock to pan; cook 1 minute or until thickened and slightly reduced, stirring frequently. Return patties to pan, and spoon onion mixture over patties. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Cover; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Hello 2016!
Wow. It's hard to imagine it's 2016 and that I'm STILL trying to eat healthy.  Alas, here we go again.

I joined this online healthy recipe service called emeals.com. So far I've found that they offer quite a few healthy recipes focused to what your goals are. For example, if you're low calorie - they have recipes for that. If your low carb (like me) they have recipes for that.

So the start of the week is Sunday to me. I pulled down their recipes and decided what I was going to make this week.

Tonight is my first recipe, chicken and vegetable stir-fry. Super easy meal and quite tasty.  I, naturally, switched up the recipe slightly.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Recipe from emeals.com

Net carbs for 2 servings: Main dish (11 g), side dish (6g). 

Serves: 2
2 tsp seasame oil, divided for use
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 c sliced yellow onion
1 bell pepper, cut into strips (yah, I didn't add this)
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt (didn't use this either since the soy sauce has plenty)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Heat 1 tsp oil in large skillet over m edium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 4 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; add remaining 1 tsp oil to skillet.

Add green beans, onion and bell pepper; cook 2 minutes.

Stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, salt and crushed red pepper flakes; add to vegetables in skillet.

Return chicken to skillet; cook 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated and sauce is thickened.

Side note: if you don't like things spicy, cut back on the red pepper flakes. I put in the total amount and it about blew my lips off.

emeals.com also provides a side dish with each main dish. I especially love this. When trying to eat high protein I get tired of the same old veggies that I make (read:broccoli).

I sorta cheated and made a small bit of rice with this meal because I really like rice with stir fry. That said, the side dish went well with the chicken/green beans AND rice.

Side Dish:
1 oz bag fresh sugar snap peas (so turns out I bought snow peas instead...which I've decided I like better. Unfortunately, they aren't so great for roasting like this recipe calls for)
2 T soy sauce
1 T toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss all ingredients in a small roasting pan. Roast 10 minutes or until tender.


Overall confession: I didn't actually use green beans in my meal. I bought snow peas instead of snap peas and figured they could double as green beans.

Weight Watchers Chicken and Potato Casserole

This recipe was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I wasn't sure since I had to modify the recipe. And frankly, my modification were just fine and probably made it better.

The recipe says to slice the potatoes with a vegetable peeler. It's just too difficult. So I sliced them thin and went that route. Turned out just fine.

I'll make this again, for sure. Oh, the other thing I'd do is NOT use all the paprika. I only used 1.5 T and it was a bit overwhelming for me.

Chicken and Potato Casserole
Recipe from Weight Watchers Ultimate Chicken
Makes 4 servings
Serving size: 1 c - 225 cal

1 (3/4 lb) baking potato, preferably a russet potato, peeled
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (as if)
3/4 lb ground skinless chicken breasts
2 T paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c reduced sodium chicken stock
1/2 c fat free sour cream

Fill a large bowl with cool water. Cut the potato in half lengthwise. Using a vegetable peeler, make thin "noodles" from the cut sides of the potato, letting the strips fall into a bowl of cool water.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drain the potato noodles and add them to the pot. Cook until they lose their crunchy edge, no more than 2 minutes. Drain and refresh the cool water.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 1 quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.

Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the chicken and cook thoroughly.  Add the paprika, salt and pepper, then pour in the broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute (JW note: I found I had to simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit). Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the baking dish making one overlapping layer. Add 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat the layering two more times; ending with chicken on top.

Bake until lightly browned and bubbling; about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Weight Watchers Thai Style Chicken

In my new eating plan I'm supposed to eat 30 grams of protein a meal - and then some - to get to a total of 105 grams total for the day. In order to do that, I fear, I need to eat a lot of chicken. In order to eat a lot of chicken I have to make it interesting and flavorful.

This recipe was not my favorite. It was missing, well, flavor. If I make it again, I'd put lime in it to add flavor.

Thai Style Chicken
Recipe from Weight Watchers Ultimate Chicken
Makes 4 servings

1 c light coconut milk
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T Asian fish sauce
2 large garlic cloves, crushed through a press
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 (1/2 lb) whole chicken legs, skinned (I used chicken breasts)

Combine the coconut milk through black pepper. Then add the chicken into a sealed Ziploc and marinade for at least 4 hours or over night.

Grill the chicken until done.

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs)

In an attempt to plan my week lunches and dinners, I decided this recipe will suffice and would freeze real well. It was a last minute decision to make this and boy am I glad I did.

I followed the recipe exactly - which you know I don't do. And I would recommend doing that if you make it. There's something about the combination of ingredients that really make these delicious.

One ingredient was a bit challenging to find and quite frankly very expensive for 2 tsp - Red miso paste. I'm not sure it really added flavor, but then again I've never had it so who knows. I know it's not close of a substitution, but I'd consider using red curry paste when I make these again.

Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs)

Photo from MyRecipes.com

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

Serves 6
Makes 36 1" meatballs (it only made 30 for me)

Meatballs:

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

4 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons red miso (soybean paste)

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  

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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt  

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2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large egg white  

 

Sauce:

3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)

3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce  

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1 tablespoon dark brown sugar  

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2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (um yah I didn't have this)

Remaining ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 

To prepare meatballs, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add sherry; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat; cool. Place mushroom mixture and miso in a mini chopper; pulse 10 times or until very finely chopped.

Combine mushroom mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, chicken, and next 6 ingredients (through egg white) in a bowl. Shape mixture into 36 (1-inch) meatballs. Thread 3 meatballs onto each of 12 (6-inch) flat bamboo skewers. Chill for 30 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in juice, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, and serrano. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 6 skewers in pan; cook 9 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan; brush half of sauce over meatballs. Repeat procedure with remaining 6 skewers and sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds; serve with reserved 2 tablespoons sauce.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

My sister was up for the weekend and we're both trying to eat healthy. We have a habit of enabling each other to NOT eat healthy so I figured if I planned on making us dinner, we'd be better at not eating bad stuff.

I made this grilled lemon chicken. And while it was very flavorful, I forgot one BIG thing with chicken and lemon...the smaller the pieces, the more weird the texture when lemons involved.

Generally when I marinade chicken I cut it into chunks to marinade. More marinade per bite in my mind. I did the same with this recipe. I only let it sit for 30 minutes because I know lemon can "cook" the chicken if it's in too long. The texture was gross to me. Blech. The sister loved it, so I sent the entire vat of left overs with her.

I'd make this again but use full chicken breasts (or thighs) instead of smaller pieces.

Its 161 calories for 1 breast - 29 grams of protein. Not too bad.

Grilled Lemon Chicken
Recipe from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Serves 4

1 garlic clove, peeled (yah right, I used 3)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp grated lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano (somehow I left this out)
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 (5oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

With side of large knife, mash garlic with salt until it forms a paste.

To make marinade, combine everything in a zip loc bag. Squeeze out any air and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Grill chicken until done.

Easy!

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Last nights Sunday dinner (which was the annual Saturday Sunday dinner) I decided to make flank steak and chimichurri sauce. I'm a big fan of chimichurri sauce and every time I have it I think I should make it more.

Super simple and super tasty. You can put this on any beef product you want. If you've got a New York Strip you're dying to grill instead...do it. I seasoned my flank steak simply by using McCormicks Montreal Grill Seasoning. I didn't follow the rub in the recipe.

I'm only putting the portion of the recipe for the chimichurri sauce. If you want the entire recipe, go here.

Chimichurri Sauce

Photo from ME.

Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com


2 packed T parsley, finely chopped (no stems)
2 packed T cilantro, finely chopped (no stems)
2 T red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I didn't include this for some reason)

For the chimichurri, combine the red onion, vinegar, salt and olive oil and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients together.

Note: I did this like I do my pesto. Everything in the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil. I probably used more than 2 T, but it turned out fantastic.