Hoisin - Ginger Marinade

Chicken gets really boring to me.  I have several marinades I use to spicy up chicken in an attempt to make chicken taste less bland.  Marinades are usually super quick and super easy for adding flavor.

This marinade is a Weight Watchers one found in The New Complete Cookbook. It's PointsPlus value 1.  57 calories.  That's not very much to add flavor.

I let the chicken marinade for an hour and saved some aside before marinating to baste the chicken on the grill. Really didn't need to do the basting, but it was nice to have some extra flavor.

Hoisin Ginger Marinade
Serves 4

• 1/2 c ketchup
• 2 T hoisin sauce
• 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 piece (about 1" long) fresh ginger; peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Stir it all together. Put in the meat of your choice. Voila!

Beef Lo Mein

The one thing I hate about living in Redmond is there are no good Chinese restaurants around.  I'm a fan of Chinese food. Sadly it's usually fattening and can get pricey. 

I have several recipes for Beef Lo Mein and have not tried a single one. The thing I like about making my own Chinese food is I can control the sodium and fat. 

There's a couple of things I'd do differently when I make this again. First off I'd use soba noodles.  I was trying to use up what was in my pantry so opted for linguini.  Soba would have been way better I just didn't feel like driving across town to get them.

I'd also follow the instructions and include the Chili - Garlic sauce. Somehow I missed it in the cooking process. I really like chili garlic sauce and think it would have really enhanced the sauce.

Photo by Jenn Wraspir (me)

Beef Lo Mein
Courtesy of Cooking for Two 2011
Serves 2

• 3 T hoisin sauce
• 2 T soy sauce (I use low sodium)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 8 oz flank steak, trimmed and sliced thin across the grain on bias
• 1/3 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 6 oz broccoli florets, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 1/2 T water
• 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, sliced into 1/2 inch strips and halved crosswise (As you can imagine I did not include the bell pepper)
• 1 bunch scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 oz fresh Chinese noodles or 4 oz dried linguine
• 1 1/2 tsp Asian Chili-garlic sauce

Whisk hoisin, soy and sesame oil together in a bowl. Measure 1 1/2 T of mixture into separate bowl and stir in beef; cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes - or up to 1 hour. (I left mine for 1 hour). Whisk broth and cornstarch into remaining mixture; set aside. In separate small bowl, combine garlic, ginger and 1/2 tsp vegetable oil.

Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in 10" skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add bef in single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, about 1 minute; transfer to large bowl.

Wipe now empty skillet clean with paper towels. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, and heat over high heat until just smoking.  Add broccoli and cook for 30 seconds. Add water, cover, steam until broccoli is bright green and begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until water has evaporated and broccoli begins to brown, about 2 minutes, transfer to bowl with beef.

Add remaining 1 tsp vegetable oil and bell pepper to now empty skillet and cook over high heat until crisp/tender and spotty brown, about 2 minutes. Add scallions and continue to cook until wilted, 2-3 minutes. clear center of skillet, add garlic- ginger mixture into vegetables. Stir in cooked beef and broccoli with any accumulated juices. Stir in broth mixture and simmer until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package. Reserve 1/2 c pasta water, then drain noodles and return them to pot. Add beef mixture and chili garlic sauce and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to loosen up the sauce.

Eat immediately!!!

For the record, I also think if you chilled this and ate it the next day as a noodle salad it would be just as good.

Quick Beef Burgundy

The Pantry Goat was over the other night to help me move my BBQ inside (they were power washing the deck). So in order to help with her "eating" issue I figured I'd fix something that had great leftovers. The weather has also turned into fall-ish rain so I felt comfort food was in order.

Beef Burgundy - in general - is one of my favorites. To do it right it takes ALL DAY. I didn't have all day since I actually had to work, so I selected this "Quick Beef Burgundy" recipe.

Two things I love about it, besides it's delicious. Super easy. Super quick!

Quick Beef Burgundy

Photo courtesy of Cooks' Country

Courtesy of Cook's Country
Serves 4

• 2 lbs sirloin steak tips, cut into 1" chunks
• Salt and pepper
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
• 1 c frozen pearl onions, thawed (I thought I had these in the freezer so didn't buy them. Turned out I didn't. I just quartered and sliced a yellow onion instead)
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c red wine
• 1 c low sodium chicken broth (I didn't have chicken broth, but had beef broth. Use what you have.)
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme

Pat steak dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain.

Cook steak tips in bacon fat (does it get better than this?) until well browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and tent with foil. You'll want to do this in batches and not crowd your pan.  Crowding causes more moisture to release from the meat and then boils the beef instead.

Add mushrooms and onions to empty pot and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Stir in butter and flout into empty pot and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in wine, broth and thyme.  Add in beef any accumulated juices.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in bacon, mushrooms and onions.

'Smores Dip

Yep, you read that correctly. SMORES DIP.  It's okay. Take a moment. I'll wait.

The BEST thing about this dip...it tastes like 'smores without the mess. 

Super easy recipe, and delicious on top of that. 

I made a few adjustments - how could I not.  I almost doubled the recipe - just shy of doubling - because I thought I wouldn't have enough dip. Turns out that it does make enough dip. It's a rich dip so a little goes a long way.

I used half and half instead of milk.  It was suggested by one of my guests. I blame them.

Otherwise, I followed the recipe. Make this dip. You won't regret it, I promise.

Photo by Jenn Wraspir

'Smores Dip
Courtesy of Key Ingredient

• 1 c milk chocolate chips
• 2 T milk
• 1 1/4 mini marshmallows
• Graham crackers for dipping. Jenn Note: I also had strawberries and granny smith apples for dipping.

In a medium sauce pan add chocolate chips, milk and 1 cup of your mallows.

Mix continuously over medium heat until melted and smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape chocolate mixture into a small casserole dish.

Top with remaining mallows. Place dish under your oven broiler for approximately 60 seconds or until the top has started to brown.

Jenn Note: Don't turn your back on the marshmallows.  I did and see what happened?

 

 

Skillet Green Beans with Spiced Walnuts

I'm forever looking for an interesting way to serve green beans. I like them, but am not a fan of just steaming them or blanching them. I want flavor with them. 

Enter this recipe.  I pulled it out of my Light and Healthy 2011 cookbook from America's Test Kitchen.  Their recipes are so thorough and thought through. 

What I really liked about this recipe is you have a super hot pan which flash cooks the beans and they get brown and crunchy.  Yum.

Super easy, and low calorie.  130 calories per serving.

Skillet Green Beans with Spiced Walnuts

Photo by Life is Full 2011

Recipe from Light & Healthy 2011
Serves 4

• 1/4 c walnuts, chopped coarse
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed (I cut mine in half too)
• 1/4 c water

Toast the walnuts in a 12 inch skillet over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Don't turn your back on them, they can burn quickly.

Add the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, ginger, cayenne, and 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Transfer the walnut mixture to a bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

Heat the oil in the skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add the green beans and 1/8 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 4-6 minutes.

Add the water, cover and cook until the green beans are bright green but still crisp, 2-3 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and continue to cook until the water evaporates and the beans are crisp-tender and lightly browned, 3-5 minutes longer.

Off the heat, stir in the reserved walnut mixture. Season with salt and pepper if need be.

Shrimp Cocktail Salad with Lemon-Horshradish Vinaigrette

Shrimp cocktail....YUM.  Big fan of shrimp cocktail.  Even just little bite size pieces of shrimp to dip in cocktail sauce makes me happy. Which is why when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it for a number of reasons.

First - um shrimp cocktail!

Second - low calorie. Just 204 calories for this salad.

Three - did I mention shrimp cocktail.

There is a bit of prep of the shrimp and sometime it needs to sit before eating it. I didn't notice that when I started this recipe so I didn't let my shrimp sit for as long as it probably could.

Bottom line...super easy recipe and super delicious. I made no real changes to this recipe besides adding a cucumber and croutons to the ingredients.  What? I had the cucumber that had to be used and how do you eat a salad without croutons?

Photo by Jenn Wraspir

Shrimp Cocktail Salad
Recipe from Cuisine at Home
Serves 6
204 calories - according to my WW app it's about 5 points

For the vinaigrette, whisk together:

• 1/3 c prepared horseradish
• 1 T minced lemon zest
• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
• 3T no salt added ketchup - missed this and so used regular ketchup
• 3T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp each kosher salt and ground pepper

For the salad; heat:

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 lemon, halved and juiced
• 1 T old bay seasoning
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

1 1/2 lb shrimp; deveined and shelled (about 30 shrimp)

12 c thinly sliced romaine lettuce
4 c chopped tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)

So whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set it aside.

Heat the garlic, onion, bay leaf, lemon halves, old bay, salt and peppercorns in a large pot of water of high; bringing it to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add shrimp, cook until pink and opaque (2-3 minutes). Transfer shrimp to a bowl of ice water; drain. Toss shrimp in vinaigrette, cover and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Toss in romaine and tomatoes just before serving.

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

I've heard of black bean sauce but have never tried it. Black bean sauce - found a lot in Chinese food - is made from Chinese black beans, which are fermented and seasoned with salt and spices. It's surprisingly good. Salty though so don't add any salt to the recipe until you taste it. I could only find the black bean sauce with garlic - which you can't go wrong with garlic right?

It's a Weight Watchers Take-Out Tonight recipe.  And it is definitely better than take out.

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
Recipe from WW Take Out Tonight

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T black bean sauce
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T dark sesame oil
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 lb white mushrooms
• 1/4 lb fresh snow peas, trimmed and halved
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced

JW Note - I cut the snow peas and the carrot both on the bias. It's got a nicer look to it. If you care about that stuff.

Combine the chicken with 1 T cornstarch in a medium bowl; toss well to coat and set aside. Combine the remaining 1 T cornstarch, the broth, black bean sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet of medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles.  Swirl in the sesame oil, then add the chicken. Stir fry until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic; stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and carrots; stir fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture boils and thickens, and the chicken is just cooked through 1-2 minutes.

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing - Low Calorie

I'm a big fan of ranch salad dressing. Unfortunately I am not a fan of the "fat-free" version of it. It just doesn't taste right to me. And so I've been searching for a salad dressing that might substitute for the creaminess of the ranch and not have all the calories.

Enter this creamy Italian dressing. Good, but not great. It has a WAY too mayonnaise - y flavor that makes it not taste like "dressing" but mayo.

I made a few adjustments and it's better, but I'm not convinced it'll get repeated ever. 

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
83 calories per serving. The recipe doesn't say how much is a serving, but it says this recipe makes 6 servings.

• 1/2 c light mayo
• 3 T skim milk
• 1 T grated onion (I added about 2 T to help cut the mayo flavor)
• 1 T white wine vinegar (I added about 2 T for the mayo flavor issue)
• 1/8 tsp each sugar, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper (I did about 1/4 tsp of each accidentally. I thought it was the 1/8 tsp but it wasn't)

Whisk it all together. Put it in the fridge and voila.

Weight Watchers Paella

I'm a big fan of paella.  I have been since our days in Spain when I tried to order in Spanish and asked the waitress if the paella has fishermen in it instead of asking if it had fish.  Fisherman, I'm sure, would have been a bit tough and gamey.

Anyhow, paella. So good and so flavorful, and soooo fattening.  My favorite paella has sausage in it, and chicken, and saffron, and shrimp, and bits of fish.  This Weight Watchers recipe is really tasty, and only 373 calories per serving.  According to the cookbook, one serving is 1/4 of the dish. that's a lot of paella.

I made a slight modification on the saffron front. I didn't want to afford saffron so I used Sazon rice seasoning. It has a combination of herbs and spices that really adds a  nice touch. I've used it in place of saffron in the past as well.

The other, unfortunate, modification I made was to the shrimp. I had purchase fresh shrimp but when I opened it to use it, it smelled too fishy and I just wasn't sure it was still good. I asked sister in law to bring shrimp. I didn't specify fresh so she brought can shrimp. It disintegrated in the paella.

Oh and I didn't add the mussels.

Paella
Recipe from WW The New Complete Cookbook
Serves 4

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped (as you can imagine, I didn't add this)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c long grain white rice
• 1/4 lb thin sliced chicken breasts or tenders
• 3 c reduced-sodium chicken broth (if you use the Sazon seasoning, its important to use the low sodium for this so the paella isn't too salty)
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/2 lb medium mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 2 T chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in rice and chicken; cook, stirring, until chicken is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Stir broth, shrimp, black pepper and saffron into the skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Add mussels to skillet. Cook, covered until all liquid is absorbed and mussels open, about 5 minutes longer. Discard any mussels that do not open. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

BBQ Flank Steak

My college friend M came over for dinner on Saturday night. The MomUnit is also in town and all but demanded a steak of some sort.  Knowing M wasn't a picky eater the options were wide open.  I dug through one of my most recent Cuisine at Home cookbooks and found a BBQ Flank Steak recipe.  It comes with a Whisky Cola BBQ Sauce that goes over the steak. 

I'm a huge fan of whisky BBQ sauce. This one would have been good had I actually followed the recipe. But I got distracted and didn't. Shocking, I know.

As for the steak, I wasn't a huge fan of the rub. Too much paprika for me. I'd cut that back some the next time I made this. It was tasty though - but what's not to like about flank steak.

BBQ FLANK STEAK

Photo by Cuisine at Home

Recipe from Cuisine at Home
Serves 5

For the marinade, combine:

• 1 c cola (12 oz)
• 3/4 c pineapple juice
• 1/2 c cider vinegar
• 1/2 c whisky
• 3 T brown sugar
• 2 T chopped garlic
• 2 T minced fresh ginger
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce

For the spice mix, combine:

• 3 T paprika
• 1 T dried thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all the ingredients of the marinade. Score steak and place in the marinade, turning to coat. (or as I did it, I put it in a Ziploc bag). Chill at least 2 hours, turning half way through.

Remove steak from marinade, reserving the marinade for the Whisky Cola BBQ sauce (recipe below). Lightly pat the steak dry.

Preheat your grill.

Rub the spice mix onto the steak. Grill to your desired doneness basting with the BBQ sauce.

Serve steak with reserved BBQ Sauce.

JW note: I'm not a fan of cooking down a marinade a raw piece of meat has been in. For that reason I doubled the marinade and set half of it aside to use for the BBQ Sauce.

WHISKY COLA BBQ SAUCE
Reserved marinade from BBQ flank steak

• 1/2 c ketchup
• 1/2 c diced onion
• 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded

Boil reserved marinade, ketchup, onion and jalapeno in a saucepan over high het until thick, about 30 minutes. Strain sauce and discard the solids.

Use this to baste the flank steak.

Garlic Hasselback Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream

That's a mouthful. And boy was it every a tasty mouthful. 

Photo by FoodNetwork

I've had this recipe and ones similar to it for years. It's such a simple recipe and a simple concept that I'm now wondering why it took me so long to make it. 

These were good potatoes.  I, naturally, didn't follow the recipe 100% - and it has to do more about lack of ingredients than me being me.  I didn't have enough garlic so didn't stuff these bad boys with said garlic. I used garlic salt with the melted butter and oil instead. Delicious.

Garlic Hasselback Potatoes with Herbed Sour Cream
Recipe from FoodNetwork

• 16 ounces red new potatoes
• 3 to 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Herbed Sour Cream, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a wooden spoon as a cradle, place each potato in the spoon and make several parallel slits into each potato top making sure not to slice completely through. Place 3 garlic slices between slits at the crown of each potato. Toss in a medium bowl with butter and olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake until tops are crispy and potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour. Transfer to a platter and top with Herbed Sour Cream.

Herbed Sour Cream:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Season, to taste, and refrigerate until use.

Chicken Saltimbocca

I've had chicken saltimbocca several times in my life. Each time it's been presented a bit different. Sometimes the ham and sage are tucked into the chicken breast, sometimes they are layered on top.  Regardless it's always been delicious.

This recipe is quick, simple, and just the way I like my chicken dishes.  It's got great flavor and the marsala wine adds to the complexity of that flavor - I think.

Its a quick weeknight meal that can be paired with any veggies and some type of pasta. I made it with French green beans mixed with pesto (I know - amazing right? It wasn't my idea - I read it in a cookbook and thought "How have I never thought of that?") and mashed potatoes. 

I actually followed this recipe too. It's that good.

Chicken Saltimbocca
Recipe from WW Take out Tonight
Serves 4

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and Pepper
• 2T olive oil
• 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 c dry Marsala
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 2 oz prosciutto, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2T chopped fresh sage (you HAVE to use fresh sage. It really makes the flavor pop)
• 2T unsalted butter

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise (basically butterflying them). Pound each piece with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick; season with salt and pepper.

Sauté 2 breasts pieces in oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat until browned, 3-5 minutes. Turn and cook 2 more minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Sauté remaining chicken in the same way; keep warm.

Sauté mushrooms in the same pan over high heat until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add more oil if needed.

Deglaze the pan with marsala, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Off heat, stir in prosciutto, sage and butter until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon sauce over warm chicken breasts.

Cilantro-Buttermilk Skirt Steak

This past Sunday I hosted a small gathering for Easter with just family. I like ham, but am not a huge fan of ham for Easter. I know, weird. I figured I could be as different as I wanted. 

For days leading up to Sunday I couldn't figure out what I wanted to make.  It wasn't until Sunday morning that I found this recipe in my list of recipes to try.

The recipe itself was ubber easy.  And ultimately super flavorful. I misread the recipe and didn't get the scallions at the store.  In its place I used onion powder. I don't think that added enough onion flavor.  When I make this again I'll definitely get the scallions.

I also couldn't find any skirt steak. Naturally.  Instead I used flank steak. I'm don't think which beef, or chicken, product you use really matters with this marinade.

Cilantro-Buttermilk Skirt Steak

Photo courtesy of Everyday Food

Recipe from Everyday Food
Serves 4

• 1 c buttermilk
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seed
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 pound skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces
• Vegetable oil, for grilling
• Salt and pepper

In a blender, combine buttermilk, cilantro, coriander seed, curry powder, and scallions and puree. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade for serving. Pour half the remaining marinade into a shallow dish, arrange steak in a single layer, and cover with rest of marinade; let sit 30 to 45 minutes

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Remove steak from marinade, shaking off excess, and season with salt and pepper. Grill steak until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Season reserved marinade with salt and pepper and serve with sliced steak.

Orange Vanilla Fruit Salad

Ever had one of those recipes where you make it, you take a bite, and you just sit - momentarily stunned by the goodness that is the food that just hit your taste buds? This recipe was just that type of recipe.

A Pioneer Woman recipe and quite possibly one of THE best fruit salads I've ever had. Naturally it takes perfectly healthy food and makes it not so healthy, but it's worth it.

This fruit salad is essentially covered in a simple syrup that is infused with orange and vanilla...just stop and think about that for a minute.  Yah...exactly.

The salad was not overly sweet and was surprisingly refreshing.  I put it over angel food cake, and quite frankly I cold have done without the cake.

This recipe gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Orange Vanilla Fruit Salad
Recipe from the Pioneer Woman
Serves 12


Photo by Pioneer Woman

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• Juice Of 1 Orange
• Zest Of 1 Orange
• 2 whole Vanilla Beans, Caviar Scraped Out (or 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract)
• 4 pints Strawberries, Hulled And Halved
• 2 pints Blueberries
• 2 cups Red Grapes, Halved
• 2 cups Green Grapes, Halved
• Mint Leaves

Preparation Instructions

Place the sugar, water, vanilla, orange juice and orange zest into a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 to thicken slightly. Set aside to cool, then store in the fridge until cold.

Mix together all the fruit in a large bowl and pour the syrup over the top, tossing gently. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Jerk Chicken with Mojo Sauce

I'm not a huge fan of jerk chicken, or jerk anything really. It's usually too hot for me, yet there have been occasions where the jerk part isn't so much hot as it is flavorful.  When we were in New Orleans, for example, I had some jerk chicken that was in fact flavorful and not hot.

The star of this show was the mojo (prounced mo-ho) sauce.  Two terrific island delights, jerk seasoning and mojo sauce. Yum.  It wasn't quite like a vacation on the beach, but it was pretty darn close.

Jerk seasoning hails from Jamaica and is most often on grilled meats. Mojo sauce is a simple mix of orange and garlic.  It's used as a baste and glaze in this recipe.

I didn't have any chicken in the freezer so I used pork. I'm not sure that really makes that much of a difference what meat it gets put on and since I had pork...pork it is.

If you're not a fan of allspice this recipe isn't for you. It's very prominent in this recipe.  I most likely wouldn't make this recipe again - though only because I have hundreds of chicken/pork/meat recipes to make.

Photo by Jenn Wraspir

Jerk Chicken with Mojo Sauce
Makes 4 chicken breasts

For the Mojo sauce -

• 1/4 c frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• 1 T honey
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

For the Chicken -

• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 T garlic powder
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high heat
Whisk together all the ingredients for the mojo sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Combine brown sugar through nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Rub it on the chicken coating it nicely.

Grill chicken. Baste the chicken with the mojo sauce as you grill it.

Jenn note - I kept some of the mojo sauce on the side to use as a dipping sauce with the chicken - or um pork in my case.  

Chicken Stuffed with Pesto, Ham and Cheese

Just looking at that photo and I salivate.  This meal has everything in it I love...chicken, ham, fontina cheese and pesto. Yum.

I made this last night and while I didn't cook my chicken all the way through and apparently attempted to give myself food poisoning, the flavor was delicious. Super simple to make, and assuming you bake your chicken thoroughly, not going to poison you.

I made my own pesto.  Pesto is so easy to make that I find it unnecessary to buy store made pesto.  Besides once I make pesto, I make enough for three or four servings. That's a win-win to me. It freezes real well too.

Chicken Stuffed with Pesto, Ham, and Fontina Cheese

Photo courtesy of Can You Stay for Dinner.com

Courtesy of Can You Stay for Dinner? Original recipe is here.
serves 2

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~6 ounces each)
• 2 thick slices smoked ham
• 1 ounce fontina cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought seasoned bread crumbs [JW note: When I make this again, I don't think I'll use any breadcrumbs.  I didn't find it added much - but then again, I used store bought instead of homemade - which always makes the difference
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing it thinly open like a book, taking care not to slice completely through both sides of the breast. Evenly distribute the ham, cheese, and pesto among one side of each opened chicken breast. Fold the empty sides over to cover the filling. Dredge each filled chicken breast in a shallow bowl filled with the breadcrumbs. Place them on a greased wire rack set on top of a roasting pan. Lightly brush the tops with the olive oil and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Southeast Asian Pork Loin

I'm not a huge fan of the pork loin so I made this with pork chops ( cut about an 1" thick). I know the loin and the chop doesn't taste that different. The loin is so big though and chops are perfect for a single gal.

This dish was super flavorful and super easy. I think the marinade would go well with chicken too.

Photo courtesy of Epicurious

Southeast Asian Pork Loin
Makes 6 servings

• 1/3 c rice vinegar
• 1/4 c ketchup
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T light brown sugar
• 2 T fish sauce
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T chili garlic sauce (you can find this in the Asian food aisle usually)
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin (roast), trimmed

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Whisk together all the ingredients except the pork. Place pork and marinade in a ZipLoc for about an hour.

Grill pork, covered, over direct heat, for 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.  Before rotating, dip pork back into the marinade in a bowl; discard any remaining marinade after grilling.

[JW: I didn't really do this part since I was using pork chops. But hindsight being what it is, this would have been good to do and would have flavored them a lot more.

Continue to grill pork until an instant read thermometer registers 150 degrees. Remove pork from grill, tend with foil, and let pork rest at least 5 minutes before serving.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I've seen these potatoes done on a number of Food Network shows and I kept thinking it'd be a fun little change to potatoes.  For Sunday Dinner - these made the rotation.

I made a couple small changes - shocking I know. I added parmesan cheese to the top of them when I put them in the oven.  Delicious.

These were super easy to make, but does take some time to cook them up. I used the bottom of a coffee cup to smash them since I didn't have a potato smasher like Pioneer Woman suggests.

Crash Hot Potatoes
Recipe by the Pioneer Woman
Serves 6

Photo by the Pioneer Woman

12 small yellow potatoes
Kosher salt
3 T olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender, about 12 inutes.

Preheat oven to 475.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Using a potato masher, gently press each one. The top of the potatoes should be really textured.  Drizzle the tops with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.

Sooo good. You'll want to make them all the time.

Smoked Salmon Crostini

The photo for this recipe is what had me hooked.

Courtesy of MyRecipes.com

Don't those look delicious. I knew I had to make them. And voila, Sunday Dinner.

We had a small crowd this week so I knew these would work well.

Super easy to make, but does take some planning ahead. The salmon mixture needs to sit for an hour or so. Mine sat for about 4 and it was sooo darn good.

Smoked Salmon CrostiniRecipe from MyRecipes.com
Yields 24 servings - 2 crostini per person

1/2 c chopped fennel bulb (JW note: if you've not had fennel - try it. It has a light, licorice flavor, but is so refreshing in this type of recipe.)
1/4 c chopped green onions
1T extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 ts fresh lemon juice
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 lb cold smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
48 (1/2 inch thick) sliced french bread baguette, toasted
1/2 c light garlic and herb spreadable cheese
Dill sprigs for garnish.

Combine the first 8 ingredients (fennel through salmon).  Cover and chill for at least an hour.  Spread each toast slice with 1/2 tsp cheese, top each with 1 T salmon mixture. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Weight Watchers Turkey Enchilada Casserole

I worked from home today and figured I'd make this recipe since it had all the ingredients and had planned to make it last week. 

I'm not usually a fan of enchilada casseroles, and especially low cal ones.  This one, turns out is easy and darn good.  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised how good it is.

There are a few things I'd change with this recipe, and did.

First, I put chili powder on the turkey.  Besides salt and pepper, I added the chili powder to give the turkey a bit more flavor. 

Second, if I made this again, I'd incorporate black beans somehow. I think they'd add a nice texture to this.

Again, super easy to make and well worth it.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Recipe from Weight Watchers
Makes 8 servings


Photo by Jenn Wraspir

1/8th of the casserole = 218 calories

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey (the recipe actually says ground "skinless" turkey - I didn't know they made ground turkey with the skin)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (10 oz) cans of enchilada sauce
1 (4.5oz) can of mild chopped green chilies
1 tsp red wine vinegar (interesting...I missed this when I was cooking)
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
8 6-in corn tortillas, halved
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 7X11 inch baking dish with non stick spray; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 1 tsp of the oil, then add the turkey, half of the onions, half of the garlic and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Swirl in the remaining 1 tsp olive oil, then add the remaining onions, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, oregano and cumin.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until well softened, above 8 minutes.  Stir in the enchilada sauce, chilies and vinegar; bring to a boil.

[JW note - its important for me to mention I didn't follow this recipe.  I added the chilies and spices to the turkey.  I hadn't read the recipe well enough.  I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference.]

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Arrange one-third of the tortilla halves in an overlapping layer on the bottom of the dish. Spoon one-third of the turkey mixture over the top; top with one=third of the sauce and sprinkle with one-third of the cheddar.  Repeat the layering twice. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

[JW note - I actually think sprinkling the casserole with olives and green onions would add some nice flavor too. I had my 1/8 serving with a bit fat-free sour cream too. Delicious!]