Sole in a White Wine Pan Sauce with Hazelnuts

There are two things that you must do.  First, you must run to the store, and get yourself a copy of Ellie Krieger's latest book, Comfort Food Fix.  Second, you must try this recipe.

First things first -- you might recognize Ellie Krieger from the Food Network or the Cooking Channel.  (Here is where I whine about how we don't get the Cooking Channel!)  She's a registered dietitian who offers recipes for food that works as hard for your body as it tastes good.  Her new book (out just this month) is great!  It offers clear instructions, beautiful photos (of most of the recipes), an easy-to-read layout, and nutrition information.  The selection of recipes is very strong.  Krieger goes beyond the dishes you see in most books or articles on comfort food to reflect the diverse foods that are comforting to eaters.  I am looking forward to trying: Kasha Varnishkes, Swedish Meatballs, and Autumn Vegetable Curry, among others.  Each dish is presented in a way that is healthier and fresh, incorporating whole grains, fresh produce, and low-fat dairy when possible.  Krieger is not afraid to use a little butter, and she does so in a way that produces just the right results.

This recipe is a great example of that philosophy.  Krieger calls for much less butter than in your typical white wine sauce, and favors instead mostly olive oil.  You add just a tablespoon of butter at the very end, which allows you to get tons of flavor from it without all of the saturated fat.  The sauce is amazing, and tastes better than many full-fat versions.  I loved this dish, as did my guests!

Pizza Burgers Parmesan with Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs

Speaking of pizza, we like to eat it other ways too...such as in burger form!  My husband and I agreed that this was our favorite new recipe from this past week.  These burgers pack in so much flavor!  I thought they tasted like a great cross between burgers, chicken parmesan, and pizza.  Really, how can you go wrong there?  The spinach salad, with smoky bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and sauteed onions served in an apple cider vinaigrette is a perfect complement.

I adapted this recipe from Robin Miller's latest cookbook, Robin Rescues Dinner.  I've always loved Robin Miller's recipes because they are quick, creative, and very flavorful.  What's more, they generally lean on the healthy side.  I like this latest cookbook because each recipe comes with a side dish suggestion.  I think I've mentioned this before, but I live for recipes with side dish suggestions!  Without those suggestions...my meals tend to become one-dish meals, or, are accompanied by my standard green salad.  That can get, well, a little dull.  So I am always seeking out cookbooks like this one, that provide a recipe and suggest a full menu.  It makes my life much easier!  Just a note -- I basically prepared the salad first, and then the burgers.

My adaptations here were the same as always -- intended to make the meal more economical and healthier for us.  I used 95% lean ground beef because it was on sale last week.  I think ground chicken would be great here, however, and really yield a burger that tastes like chicken parm!  Also, did you see how we used English muffins?  In a family of two, it really doesn't pay for us to buy hamburger rolls and English muffins most weeks.  So I often just serve burgers right on English muffins, which we buy anyway for breakfasts.

Pizza Burgers Parmesan
adapted from Robin Rescues Dinner, by Robin Miller
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup prepared pizza sauce
1 lb lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs (I used homemade, but you can obviously use store bought)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
4 hamburger buns or English muffins, preferably whole wheat, toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat a non-stick skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
2. Place the pizza sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat to warm.
3. Mix together the ground meat, the Parmesan cheese, the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Shape into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick.
4. Cook the burgers in the skillet or grill pan, for about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Top with the mozzarella cheese (about 2 Tbsp on each burger), and tent with foil for 1 minute, until the cheese is melted.  Place each patty on the bottom of a toasted bun or English muffin, and cover with 1/4 cup of warm pizza sauce.  Place the top of the roll on the burger and serve.

Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs
adapted from Robin Rescues Dinner, by Robin Miller
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 10oz bag baby spinach leaves
1/2 red onion
4 slices bacon or turkey bacon
4 eggs, hard-boiled, sliced
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp apple cider
1 Tbsp canola oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Thinly slice red-onion.
2. Cook bacon according to package directions on a large griddle or non-stick skillet.  Place bacon strips on one side of the pan, and add the onion slices to the other half to cook both at once.
3. While the bacon and onions are cooking, combine the vinegar, cider, and oil well in a small bowl.  Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. When the bacon strips are cooked through, remove from the pan.  Spread out the onion.
5. Add the dressing and cook for 1 minute.
6. Toss the hot dressing and onions over the spinach.  Toss through to slightly wilt the spinach. 
7. Sprinkle the salad with the sliced eggs. Chop the bacon and sprinkle over the salad as well.

For more great recipes from great cookbooks, check out Cookbook Sundays at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen!

Spicy Honey-Nut Chicken with Barbecued Succotash

So, the Dishwasher here (aka, my husband) is a little picky about his chicken, in that, he professes an extreme dislike to "boring chicken."  This made planning our wedding menu pretty hard!  Have you noticed how most reception sites serve, well, a slab of chicken and a few sides?  That was so not going to fly with the groom!  At any rate, it leaves me, when planning our weekly menus, constantly trying to come up with ways to make chicken more interesting.  Dredged in a hot sauce mixture and coated in bread crumbs and honey-nut peanuts, this chicken, in my humble opinion, was certainly interesting enough!  I served it with a simple succotash of beans, corn, and red pepper, combined with barbecue sauce.  Succotash generally doesn't appeal to me (still traumatized by frozen lima beans), but this one, with its smoky barbecue flavor and soft pinto beans, was delish!

This is another recipe that I adapted from Rachael Ray's book for kids.  Childless though we may be, we've loved every recipe that we've tried from this book.  And since it's written for kids, the recipes have all actually taken me 30 minutes or less.  So I am here to whole-heartedly recommend Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids to people of ALL ages!

Just a quick note before I get the recipe up here -- I used chicken cutlets in this recipe, which were fabulous.  You could use breasts though, and if you were ambitious, you could pound them out nice and thin.  I think chicken tenders would also be great here!

Spicy Honey-Nut Chicken with Barbecued Succotash

serves 4

adapted from Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids

Spicy Honey-Nut Chicken

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken cutlets (or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 16 chicken tenders)

1/2 to 2/3 cup honey-roasted peanuts

1/2 cup bread crumbs (fresh or store-bought)

1 Tbsp grill seasoning blend, such as Montreal Grill Seasoning by McCormick

1 egg

a splash of half-and-half (fat-free works fine)

2 tsp (or more to taste) hot sauce

1/2 cup flour

cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

2. Put the peanuts, breadcrumbs, and grill seasoning blend in a food-processor and grind to combine.  (A mini-food processor is great here!)

3. Beat the egg with the half-and-half and hot sauce.  Preheat a non-stick skillet on the stove, set at medium-high.

4. Set up your dredging stations.   On the far left, in a shallow dish, put the 1/2 cup of flour.  In the middle, in a shallow dish, place the egg mixture.  On the right, in a shallow dish, place the nut-bread crumb mixture.  Spray the non-stick skillet with cooking spray.

5. Coat the chicken pieces, first in the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumb mixture.  Tongs work great for this!  Place the chicken in the skillet.  Cook for two minutes on each side, coating with cooking spray on top before turning.  Place the browned chicken on a baking sheet, and place it in the oven for 10-12 minutes (less for cutlets or tenders) until the chicken is cooked through.

Barbecued Succotash

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 box frozen corn (defrosted if you want to move a little quicker, frozen if you are lazy like me)

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

a few Tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

1.  In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the oil through.  Then add the onion and red bell pepper.

2. Once the vegetables are softened (about 5 minutes), add the beans and corn, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Once the beans and corn have heated through, add the barbecue sauce.  Serve with cilantro to garnish.

For more recipes from great cookbooks (you know me and the cookbooks), check out Cookbook Sundays over at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen!

Cold Sesame Soy Noodles and Potstickers with Dipping Sauce

This little dinner packs in a lot of flavor and a lot of (mostly hidden) vegetables...and can be on your table in 30 minutes!  I adapted this from a Rachael Ray recipe...and frankly, I love Rachael Ray, but her 30-minute meals usually take me more like 45+ minutes.  I know that that is a frequent complaint about her recipes, and so, let me tell you, from a slow cook, this dinner really takes only 30 minutes!

Now, two confessions here...first, those potstickers...well..um...they came from the frozen!  I've made potstickers before a little more from scratch.  Those are great for days when I have a little more time.  But I found these Joyce Chen dumplings in the freezer section of my supermarket on sale, and I was very pleasantly surprised by how low in fat and sodium they were.  So, in the cart and onto the plate they went!  Also, my other confession...I adapted this recipe from Rachael Ray's cookbook for kids: Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals For Kids.  Lest my relatives reading this get all excited, let me just assure you that there are no kids here.  But, well, some of us have kiddie taste buds around here!

My adaptations here were to make this recipe a little lighter.  I used less oil, and added in a little brown sugar to the dressing.  When you add less oil to a dressing, you need a way to balance the acidity of the vinegar.  A tablespoon of brown sugar actually packs in fewer calories than the equivalent in oil, and it rounds the flavor out nicely.  I also packed in many more veggies than Rachael Ray suggested.  The shredded cabbage and bean sprouts blend so nicely into the noodles that you don't even realize how many veggies you are getting!  This recipe calls for one of my favorite quick fixes -- the shredded cabbage/carrot blend that you can find near the bagged salads in your grocery section.  I can usually find this at a very reasonable price (usually $1.50 or so).  It is great not just to make slaws with, but also to add to stir-fries and other Asian style dishes such as this one. 

Cold Sesame Soy Noodles and Potstickers with Dipping Sauce
serves 4-6
adapted from Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids

Ingredients:
1 package frozen store-bought potstickers, dumplings, or spring rolls (vegetable, chicken, pork, or shrimp)
1/2 cup plum sauce or duck sauce
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 scallion, finely chopped

Noodles:
6oz thin whole-grain spaghetti
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional, and to taste)
2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix (coleslaw mix)
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1 1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped.
3 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Prepare the dumplings/potstickers/spring rolls according to the package directions.  (I used potstickers and boiled them as opposed to frying to make the dish light and healthy.)
2. Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing together the 1/2 cup plum or duck sauce, the 2 Tbsp soy sauce, the 2 tsp sesame oil, the 1 tsp red-pepper flakes, and the 1 finely chopped scallion.  Set aside.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions so that it is slightly al dente.  During the last five minutes of cooking, add the chopped broccoli to the boiling water.  Once the noodles are done to your liking, drain them with the broccoli and rinse with cold water.  Drain again, quite well.
4. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the 1/2 cup soy sauce, the 3 Tbsp peanut butter, the 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, the 1 Tbsp sesame oil, the cayenne pepper (to taste), the brown sugar, and the water.  Whisk well.
5.  Add the shredded cabbage and carrots, the bean sprouts, the water chestnuts, the scallions, the broccoli, and the noodles.  Toss well.
6. Serve a mound of noodles with the potstickers/dumplings/spring rolls on the side, along with dipping sauce in a small bowl.

Roasted Vegetable and Bacon Muffleta

This stuffed sandwich is a great little make-ahead meal, filled to the brim with roasted peppers, onions, zucchini, bacon, goat cheese, and fresh, peppery arugula.  Every now and then, the "science" and "art" of cooking (okay, or dumping and stirring, in my case), still amazes me.  And so, on that note, I must confess, that this muffleta seemed like magic to me!  I had never made (or tasted!) this traditional Italian stuffed sandwich.  And so, when I miraculously fit all of the ingredients into the bread shell, I was pretty impressed with myself.  And then, when it held together after being sliced, well, I was ready to give myself an honorary degree or at the very least a pat on the back!

Traditionally, muffletas are stuffed with much more meat than this.  But, if you've noticed...we don't eat very meat-heavy.  I adapted this recipe from Rachel Allen's Favorite Food at Home (yes, I'm a little obsessed with that book these days), who listed the meats as optional.  You can tell which option I took!  But, if you're more of meat-eater than us, we won't hold it against you.  Try adding in some ham, prosciutto, salami, or even smoked turkey. 

The vegetables here roast up in about 30 minutes or so, and then it just takes a few minutes to assemble the sandwich.  It's great if you make the night before, so that it can be pressed in the fridge over night.  The key to keeping this all together when you slice it is to really stuff the sandwich, so much that you cannot possibly fit anything else in there.  Again, I was so shocked by how much I could fit into that loaf of bread!  It was like Mary Poppins and her purse...only in opposite!  I just kept putting more and more in there!

Roasted Vegetable and Bacon Muffleta

serves 4-6

adapted from Favorite Foods at Home, by Rachel Allen

Ingredients:

2 large red onions, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced vertically into 1/4 inch thick slices

2-3 red bell peppers, seeded and stemmed, cut into thirds (feel free to substitute 2-3 bottled roasted red peppers packed in water, drained and allowed to dry a little)

8 slices bacon (turkey bacon or regular)

1 round loaf of bread, about 8 inches in diameter, preferably sourdough

2 Tbsp pesto (homemade or not, I won't tell on you)

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp water

4 ounces goat cheese (log or crumbles are fine, both will work)

a few large handfuls baby arugula leaves

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Meanwhile, spread the zucchini, red onions, and peppers (if roasting fresh peppers) on foil-lined baking sheets.  Spread them out so that they will roast (if you put them all on one sheet they will just steam).  Spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper.  Toss with tongs to be sure everything is coated.

2. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 30 minutes, until they are beginning to brown and caramelize.  You can stir them once at the halfway point, but you can also just ignore them and they will be very forgiving.

3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon according to package directions.

4. Slice the very top off of the bread to create a "lid."  Scoop out the inside, leaving a shell.  The inside of the bread can be tossed into a food processor and then dried out in the oven to create fresh breadcrumbs, if you wish.

5. Thin the 2 Tbsp of pesto with 1 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp of water.  Stir well.  With a large spoon, coat the inside of the bread and the inside of the lid of the bread well with the pesto mixture.

6. Once the vegetables are out of the oven and slightly cooled, it is time to start stuffing the sandwich!  (If you are using additional meats, put those in first.)  Start with half of the bacon, and follow with half of the roasted peppers.  Next, place in half of the goat cheese (crumbled or sliced.)  The next layer is half of the roasted zucchini followed the by roasted red onions.  At last, put in half of the arugula.  Use your hands or a large spatula to gently push everything down, so there will be room for the next layer. 

7. Repeat step 6 with the second half of the ingredients.  The sandwich should be very, very full...if it is not, it will not hold together when you slice it.  Once you have fit everything in, place the lid on top.

8. Cover the loaf in plastic wrap and place it on a large plate.  Now you need to figure out a system to weight it!  I have a panini press at home (not a machine, just a press to use on a sandwich on a skillet) that worked wonderfully.  You could also place a second plate or a cutting board on top of the sandwich, and weigh it down with  few cans or jars of jelly.  Let it rest, pressed, in the fridge for 3 hours or up to a day before cutting into wedges and serving.

To check out more cheap, healthy eats, click on over here to Family Food Fridays!

Homemade Sausages, Colcannon, and Applesauce

Here's another ugly duckling...not the most attractive little supper, but certainly warm and comforting before a long week ahead.  And for the record, I swear I feed my husband an adequate amount of food (okay, maybe a little more than adequate), we just have huge plates.

This is another version of bangers and mash.  Did I tell you how we took our honeymoon to London and Paris?  And can you guess which country inspired me more in the kitchen?  Not the one I would have predicted!  This plate was inspired by recipes from Rachel Allen's Favorite Food at Home.  This is, ahem, a newer acquisition in my life.  After fawning over Allen's books in London, and when I can find them here in the US, I finally found a used copy of this one and LOVE it!  We are three for three so far in the recipes I've tried.  I mean, hello, did you see those crumpets?  Anyone else have any Rachel Allen books?  I mean, now I clearly need to get more, right?  If I had to compare this book to others that I own, I would describe it as similar to something by Nigella Lawson or Tessa Kiros.

Now, back to my little dinner.  OK, people, this ain't a quick one.  It took me about an hour and a half to get on the table, so not entirely bad.  And the sausages are a cinch (and delish)!  I love recipes like this that roll the side dishes right into the recipe.  It makes me feel like being a little girl, and the nice square meals my mom served.  My meals tend to be much more lopsided, and my usual approach to side dishes involves plunking some greens on the plate followed by toppings from the pantry (at best).  But seriously, doesn't that little puddle of applesauce on the side sort of remind you of the TV dinners you ate when you were a kid?  You ate those too, right?  The LooneyTunes ones?  The cherry or apple dessert got hot and cooked right along with the mac and cheese?  Mmm.  Those were the days...

So, I adapted this quite a bit to lighten it up.  Feel free to unlighten it.  Like put the rest of the stick of butter in the mash.  Also, Allen calls for ground pork for the sausages...we don't eat pork at home, so I used a mix of very lean beef and chicken, which was just dandy to us.  And, erm, one more thing about the mash.  Okay, I got a little retro for another time period.  Remember the Atkins diet?  And the mashed cauliflower subbing in for mashed potatoes?  Um, yeah.  I totally, completely, mashed some cauliflower right in with my taters.  And then I went all Jessica Seinfeld and didn't really tell my husband till after he announced he liked it.  In my defense, and I really do have one...I made a colcannon once years ago when I was trying the Atkins diet for like a whole day (what was I thinking?  I love me some carbs) with cauliflower instead of potatoes.  And it was so good.  Memorably good.  And so, with good culinary intentions at heart, I busted some cauliflower right in there with my mash.   The cauliflower so nicely complements the flavor of the cabbage.  Delish.  And then, if you want to be super-cool like me, you could call it...caulicannon.  Please come back to my blog and I promise that this will be the worst joke you ever read!

Homemade Sausages, Colcannon, and Applesauce

serve 4-6

adapted from Favorite Foods at Home, by Rachel Allen

Ingredients:

For the sausages:

3/4 lb very lean (95% lean) ground beef

1/2 lb ground chicken

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 garlic clove, peeled and pushed through a garlic press

1 tsp fennel seeds

1-2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh marjoram

1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

salt and pepper

4 tsp canola oil, divided

For the colcannon:

3 large white floury potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into large chunks (about 1 inch)

1 small-medium head cauliflower, washed, cut into large chunks (about 1 inch)

1 small head green cabbage, cut into quarters, cored, and sliced fairly thin

2 Tbsp water

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 cup hot milk

salt and pepper

For the applesauce:

3 cooking apples (I used Ginger Gold)

2-3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp brown sugar

a little cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients for the sausages together, but feel free to start off with smaller amounts of the seasonings.  Fry up a tiny bit in skillet, and taste it once cooked through to see if the seasonings are good.  Add salt and pepper...go easy on the salt, since there is some in the Montreal Steak seasoning!

2. Shape the rest of the sausages into small logs -- this recipe should yield 12-14.  Place on a baking sheet and pop in the fridge until you are ready to use them.  (They can hang out in there up to a day, or can alternatively be frozen.)

3. Get the applesauce going.  Peel the apples, and cut into 1 inch sized chunks.  Place over low heat with the water, and cover.  You can kind of ignore them a bit...just check from time to time and give them a stir.  They will mush and turn to sauce pretty much on their own.  Add sugar and cinnamon to taste towards the end.  If at any point the mixture is looking too thin, leave the pot off for a while.  Once the apples have turned to a slightly lumpy sauce, turn the heat down to warm (or turn the heat off and serve the applesauce at room temperature).

4. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water and salt it.  Add the potato chunks.  Cook for five minutes, and add the cauliflower.  After another 5 minutes or so, pour out 3/4 of the water and turn the heat down to low.  cover the pot, and cook another 5 or 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.  Meanwhile, melt 1/2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the cabbage once the butter is melted, and cook thoroughly.  (I like mine caramelized a little bit myself.)  Once the potatoes and cauliflower are soft, pour them into a colander, and return the steaming vegetables to the pot.  Put the pot back on the hot burner to dry them a little.  Add 1 Tbsp butter, and mash.  Add the hot milk, a little at a time, to reach desired consistency.  The cauliflower is watery, so you most likely won't want to add the full cup.  Mix the cabbage in, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve very hot. 

5. To cook the sausages, add 2 tsp of canola oil to the large skillet over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot and sizzling, add about 5-7 sausages.  Flatten a little with a spatula -- you want an even thickness!  Cook the sausages about 12-15 minutes, flipping once or twice during the cooking.  Once the first batch is done, repeat the process with the remaining 2 tsp of canola oil and sausages.

EatingWell's Louisiana Catfish with Okra and Corn

Monday, Monday.  Is the weekend really over?  I kicked ours off by making my husband a Southern-style dinner.  He loves catfish, so I cooked up Louisiana Catfish with Okra and Corn.  I served it with cornbread and collard greens, prepared our favorite way. 

The catfish recipe was so quick and easy, but light and packed in a lot of flavor.  I love Cajun seasonings!  i found the recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks...EatingWell on a Budget.  I have a feeling I have talked about this one before...but it is really that good.  This is the only cookbook that I've really found that includes recipes that are quick, healthy, and inexpensive.  Do you know any other cookbooks that cover all three?  I find a lot that can fit in two out of three of those categories, but this is the only one I know that is three for three!

I followed the recipe pretty accurately, so I encourage you just to click on over to the EatingWell website and check it out!  It's a keeper!

Chicken Ragu over Polenta

Well, it is raining here in the Boston area today.  I cannot remember the last time we had a true rainy day (not just an afternoon thunderstorm).  The novelty of it all is almost kind of nice. 

Here is a meal that would warm your belly...a hot steaming bowl (or plate) of creamy polenta topped with a sweet, smoky tomato-meat sauce.  My husband and I both love to eat polenta, and I love cooking it because it is so healthy, inexpensive, and low in effort.  I've finally found a good, easy technique for lump-free polenta, which I'm happy to share with you!  It took me years to find a way to get the lumps out of my polenta, and I found it in the most unusual of cookbooks, a little volume called Babe's Country Cookbook.  Babe as in the pig from the movie.  I guess you just never know when you will a good recipe! 

The sauce here is adapted from Patricia Wells Trattoria to be a little lighter, but it is a light sauce to start with.  Instead of a dense, rich sauce packed with meat , this is instead a light and flavorful sauce where the meat acts as more of a flavoring or garnish.  Wells calls for sausage meat -- I lightened it up by using ground chicken.  To replace some of the flavor lost by that choice, I added in my top-secret ingredient...1 Tbsp of fennel seeds.  My husband is a fennel-hater, so that was why it was top-secret!  But he really loved this sauce, fennel seeds and all.  Put those seeds in, even if you are a fellow fennel-hater!  They add a sweetness, smokiness, and lovely depth of flavor.  This sauce makes a big old batch.  Now that we are heading back into fall, it is great to have a little tub of this in your freezer just waiting for a last minute pasta supper or a lasagna.

Chicken Ragu

serves 8

adapted from Trattoria, by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 strips turkey bacon, chopped

salt to taste

about 8 oz ground chicken

2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes in their juice

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add in the onion, celery, carrot, turkey bacon, and a little salt.  Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, and the bacon begins to cook (about 4 minutes).

3. Add the ground chicken, and cook through over low heat, about 7 minutes.  Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break it up as it cooks.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes directly to the skillet, and add the crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and the fennel seeds.  Cook uncovered over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken up, around 20 minutes or so.   Add salt and pepper to taste. 

And now for lump-free polenta!  This is actually a breakfast recipe...cooked for a shorter time, it makes a nice, loose "cornmeal mush" that we love to top with a little milk and honey or maple syrup for breakfast.  If you're in a rush, it's just fine to serve this topped with the ragu  (or anything else) after 10 minutes.  It will just be thinner...you'll want to serve it in a bowl.  If you want a thicker polenta, give it a good 30-45 minutes when cooking.  You'll notice that the sides begin to move away from the pan, and it will be thick enough to stand a spoon up in!  Also, for a smaller number of people, go ahead and half this recipe.

Polenta

serves 6

adapted from Babe's Country Cookbook, by Dewey Gram

Ingredients:
6 cups water
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 cups cold water

Directions:
1. Bring the 6 cups water to boiling in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. 
2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the 2 cups cornmeal with the salt and the 2 cups water.  This stops the lumps in their tracks!
3. Once the water is boiling, add the cold water-cornmeal mixture gradually, stirring the whole time.  Bring back to a boil, but BE CAREFUL.  Polenta can splatter!  Once it reaches a boil, turn down to low, and simmer, from 10-45 minutes, depending on personal preference.
4. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Celery with Peperoncino and Garlic

Well, here I am again.  Back with that celery recipe.  So glad that you actually came back for a celery recipe.  But seriously, how often do you buy celery, use a stalk or two in a salad or a broth, and then throw out the rest a week or so later?  I do it all the time, and this drives me crazy, because my inner 75-year-old Jewish woman HATES to throw food out. 

(Actually, my poor husband, also known as the Dishwasher, gets stuck with the task of cleaning out the fridge because I just can't stand to see stuff go down the garbage disposal.  It is lucky for him for many reasons, and not just because I would be food hoarder without him and that would be gross.)

But back to the celery...it is SO delicious.  I never would have thought of serving cooked celery as a side dish on its own, but I was watching an episode of Lida's Italy last weekend, and was fascinated by the idea.  That, and I had to use that celery!  So we drove all the way to the library so I could check out Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy  and voila, I found the celery recipe and made it. 

Remember how I said my husband liked it even more than the mac and cheese the other night?  Well, I don't know about that, but this recipe can indeed made celery taste good enough to rival mac and cheese, even to me, a HUGE mac and cheese fan.  The celery gets  soft and tender, a little sweet and concentrated in flavor.  It balances nicely with the sweet onion, the garlic, and the spicy red pepper flakes.  If you don't love spicy things, go ahead and leave the red pepper flakes out.  One more thing -- this recipe calls for cooking the celery for about an hour.  I think I cooked it for closer to 40 or 45 minutes...everything else was ready, and it already tasted great, so I just served it.  But try cooking it longer and let me know what I was missing!

Braised Celery with Peperoncino and Garlic

serves 4-6

adapted from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes, by Lida Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds celery (1 large or 2 medium heads)

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 cup pitted black olives, optional (I did not use them)

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 cups hot water

Directions:

1. Separate the heads of celery, and clean them well.  Cut into large 4 inch chunks (or smaller pieces, according to preference, which I did).  Include the leaves.  Use a peeler or a paring knife to remove the thick skin and strings on the outer stalks.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven oven medium heat.  Stir in the garlic cloves and the onions.  Heat them until they are sizzling and fragrant.  Add in the celery, and sprinkle the salt and red pepper flakes in as well.  Stir, so that the celery is coated with the oil.  Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the celery starts cooking.  Stir in the olives if using, and turn up the heat a bit.  Cook the vegetables for about 15 minutes, until the celery and the onion begin to brown and caramelize on the edges.

3. Meanwhile, stir the tomato paste into 2 cups hot water to make a braising liquid.  Once the celery is a little bit browned, pour the liquid into the pot and bring it to a boil.  (I used a little less celery, and knew I would be cooking it for less time, so I did not add all the liquid...closer to 1 cup.)  Cover the pan and lower the heat, adjusting the heat as necessary so that the liquid slowly simmers.  Cook for about 45 minutes (or 25-30, in my case!), until the celery is completely soft and caramelized, and the liquid has reduced to a glaze.  (My liquid reduced much less due to my impatience, but the dish was still delicious.)

This is also great cold the next day!

Light Skillet Mac and Cheese

People, this mac and cheese will knock your socks off.  At least it did mine.  Well it would have, if I were wearing socks, but I hate socks.  That's another story.  As for this story, the mac and cheese, I know that people often either prefer the baked kind with the bread-crumb topping, or the stove-top kind.  This is the stove-top kind.  And it is deliciously gooey and cheesy.  And it comes together about as quickly as the stuff in the box.  For real.  Only this is made with whole-wheat pasta and real cheese.  Take that, Kraft! 

Check out the technique here...you cook the pasta in the beginnings of the sauce.  The technique comes from a brilliant cookbook, The Best 30-Minute Recipe, put out by the editors of Cook's Illustrated (of course).  If you are looking for a quick cookbook, this is the one to buy.  The techniques, such as in this recipe, save time brilliantly, and the dishes all taste like they took hours to cook ... even the Chicken Soup with Rice!  All of these recipes can actually be prepared by me in around thirty minutes, while my average for a Rachael Ray recipe (who I am knocking, love her) is more like 45 minutes. 

But me being me, I lightened this recipe up quite a bit.  I used non-fat evaporated skim milk instead of regular.  And...get this...I used less than half the cheese they called for and skipped the butter.  And it was still amazing!  I know, I know, I could hardly believe it myself.  I am still talking to my husband about it, and it's a good thing I have the whole Internet to tell now, because word on the street was he was sick of talking about the mac and cheese.  Basically, I used a half cup of Parmesan cheese to get a ton of flavor from a little bit of cheese, in with a nice, gooey shredded Mexican cheese blend.  And in a moment of craziness or brilliance, am still not sure what, I added two light Laughing Cow cheeses, which melted and really thickened the sauce up. 

So people, if you try one recipe from this blog, try this one.  And then come back tomorrow, because I have the most amazing celery recipe for you.  I know what you're thinking, "A celery recipe?"  But yes, that pesky green stuff that tends to get forgotten about in your veggie bin is totally worth cooking and totally delicious.  (Actually, my husband said he liked the celery even more than the mac and cheese last night, but who's listening to him!?)

Light Skillet Mac and Cheese

serves 3-6

adapted from The Best 30-Minute Recipe

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water

1 12-oz can non-fat evaporated milk

12 ounces (3 cups) whole wheat pasta, such as elbows or spirals

salt and ground black pepper

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or use half Asiago, half Parmesan, as I did)

2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese, Light Herb and Garlic

1. Get out all of your ingredients and line them up on the counter so you can work quicker.

2. In a 12 inch skillet, combine the water with 1 cup of the non-fat evaporated milk, the pasta, and 1/4 tsp salt over high heat.  Bring to a simmer, and stir often.  Cook until the macaroni is tender, about 8-10 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, measure out your cheeses.  Unwrap those little Laughing Cow wedges, and cut them into small chunks.  Also, combine the remaining 1/2 cup non-fat evaporated milk with the cornstarch, dry mustard, and hot sauce.  I did this right in the can to save on dishes!

4. Once the pasta is tender, add the evaporated milk mixture.  Continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened.

5.  Turn off the heat, and remove the pan for a minute to stop the boiling.  Add the cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir to melt the cheese.  Stir in the Laughing Cow cheese last, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Pinto Bean Burgers

I adapted this recipe from another favorite cookbook of mine -- The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook.  This book has a great emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.  What makes it stand out to me among the millions of health-oriented cookbooks is the organization...it's set up like the food pyramid!  It starts with vegetables and fruits, then moves up to whole grains, then beans and legumes, then seafood, then meat and poultry, and finally, desserts.  I enjoy this set-up as I find it helpful in planning meals centered around whole grains and vegetables, as opposed to meat.  We've tried a lot of the recipes in this book, and none of them has disappointed!  Not all of the recipes in this book are quick, however, they are often easily adapted to become quicker.  For example, the following bean burger recipe calls for dried beans.  If you don't have an hour or so to cook them, you could easily substitute 2 drained and rinsed cans of pinto beans.  It also calls for 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice.  I just made some quick-cooking brown rice, but now that it's becoming easier to buy frozen brown rice, that would be a great way to save a little time!  This burger is definitely worth trying...it's crispy on the outside, and packed with flavor from beans, rice, nuts, veggies, and cumin.  It's definitely better than anything from the box!  Top it with your favorites...lettuce, tomato, and a little cheddar cheese would be good.  I made a homemade chipotle ketchup, and the spicy, smokey flavor complimented the burger perfectly.

Pinto Bean Burgers

adapted from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

serves 6-7

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups dried pinto beans, soaked over night
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pushed through a garlic press
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
6-7 whole grain buns (I actually just used sandwich thins)
your favorite burger toppings

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the beans, bay leaf and 3 cups of water to boil.  Lower the heat, and cover partially, simmering for 60-70 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Drain them and throw-out the bay leaf.
2. In a skillet, heat 1/2 Tbsp canola oil.  Add the chopped yellow onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the red bell pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant.  Add in 1/4 tsp salt, stir.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, combine the drained beans, the onion and pepper mixture, the brown rice, the walnuts, the cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Pulse a few time, until the mixture is coarsely chopped (but not pureed).  Fold in the beaten egg and the bread crumbs. 
4. Form the mixture into patties, about 3/4 inch thick.  (This should yield 6-8 patties.)  Heat the remaining tablespoon canola oil in the same skillet used to cook the onions and bell peppers.  Cook the patties, turning once, until they are browned on each side.  This should take about 7-10 minutes, total.
5. Serve each burger on a bun or sandwich thin, topped with your favorite toppings!

Tomato Rice with Spicy Chicken Sausage, Topped with Fried Egg

This was our Sunday night supper this past weekend.  Can you see how much we like eggs for Sunday night dinners?  There is something that I find so comforting about that, though at this point, it may be that it has become something of a routine!  The Dishwasher and I are particular fans of a little pile of just about anything topped with a fried or poached egg.  I think we would be much happier at restaurants if more dishes came topped with an egg! 

I've adapted this recipe a bit from the late Sheila Lukins in an attempt to lighten it up a little.  I think next time I'll try using brown rice and a little less olive oil...something tells me it would be just fine.  And I'd try fresh tomatoes here.  Please don't tell the Seasonal Food Police that I used a can of tomatoes in August.  I swear, I was worried some of my cookbooks were going to jump off the shelf and attack me for that!  But, do try this recipe.  It is just so...comforting...and just so much lighter than most comfort food!  There's not a ton of spice here, just the flavors of the tomatoes, rice, peas, and sausage.  The leftovers are fabulous (we should know, we are two, this recipe serves 8) and even a little more fabulous drizzled with hot sauce.

Tomato Rice with Spicy Chicken Sausage, Topped with Fried Egg

serves 8

adapted from All Around the World Cookbook, by Sheila Lukins

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium-large yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
12 oz spicy chicken sausage (I used Al Fresco), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
4 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
10 oz frozen peas, defrosted
pepper
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt
8 eggs
hot sauce (hot sauce)

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over low heat.  Add the diced onions, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions become slightly translucent.  Add the pressed garlic, and cook for an additional minute or two.
2. Add the sausage, cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the sausage begins to brown a little. 
3. Add the rice, and toast for 3 minutes, stirring the entire time. 
4. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, stir, and then reduce the heat to medium low.   Simmer, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is just slightly al dente (about 15-18 minutes).
5. Fry up the eggs to taste.
6. Add in the peas, stir thoroughly, and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes, until the peas are good and hot.
7. Season with pepper to taste.  Season with a tablespoon or so of red wine vinegar, and then add a little salt if necessary.  (The vinegar really enhances the flavors.)
8. Serve each mound drizzled with hot sauce, if using, and topped with a fried egg.

Cardamom Cinnamon Macaroons

This is another fabulous recipe from my much beloved Modern Spice by (Monica Bhide), and another fabulously delicious, easy, quick coconut recipe.  These cookies come together in just a few minutes, and they have a bright flavor from the cardamom with just a touch of warmth from the cinnamon.  They are nice and light, and perfect for nibbling on throughout the day (guilty as charged), but also a lovely dessert served with a little sorbet or coffee and tea.  Plus, they are gluten-free!

The original recipe in Modern Spice calls for saffron with the cardamom, which I dream of trying one day when I can afford saffron and not feel guilty about it!  But Bhide suggests a few other spices to try, including cinnamon (which I tried) and curry powder.  I can't wait to experiment a little with this recipe!  Can I tell you how much I love it when cookbook authors give you permission and even make suggestions about ways to experiment?  You see, I am a rule follower, through and through.  With the exception of my refusal to wear a winter hat in the 8th grade (sorry Mom!), I have been as conscientious as they come.  I do not wear black and brown at the same time.  I use my turn signal even when turning within otherwise abandoned parking lots.  And so, I sometimes feel kind of guilty when I do not follow a recipe to the letter.  I just have this horrible feeling that if, for example, Ina Garten knew that I sometimes do not use the full stick of butter she told me to use, that, well, she might not approve.  So please don't tell Ina!  But do check out Modern Spice, and do try this recipe.

Cinnamon-Cardamom Macaroons
yields 30-35 small macaroons
from Modern Spice, by Monica Bhide

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 14oz package shredded sweetened coconut flakes
10 oz sweetened condensed milk, from a 14 oz can (I used nonfat with great results.)  (Also, um, I didn't measure, and things went great.  I am really breaking the rules here!)
1/2 Tbsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pinch cream of tartar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then spray it lightly with non-stick spray.  (I would not skip this step!  The parchment paper was crucial.)
2. Whip the room temperature egg whites to soft peaks.  Add a little cream of tartar to stabilize the  egg whites.
3. Combine the coconut, the sweetened condensed milk, the cardamom, the cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl.  Stir thoroughly.
4. Gently fold in the egg whites.
5. Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, shape the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls.  Place each one 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the outside is slightly brown, the middle is soft, and the bottom is starting to brown a little. 
7. Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool at least 20 minutes.
8. Serve at room temperature.  Bhide says that these store well in an airtight container for up to a week, but good luck keeping them around that long!

Monica Bhide's Sunday Night Skillet Chicken and Rice

My mom had a great tradition for our birthdays when we were growing up, in that on your birthday, you got to pick out what she made for dinner.  I always used to look forward to this and spend basically a year thinking about what I wanted!  My mom is a GREAT cook, and so it was hard to go wrong.  I think that one of my stand-bys was her pasta primavera, though you could never go wrong with her mac and cheese either!

I have enjoyed sharing this tradition with my husband and his family.  Last night we had my in-laws over for a very, very belated birthday dinner for my father-in-law.  My father-in-law's birthday is in early June, and I was running around like a crazy bride then, in no shape to making birthday dinners.  But I didn't forget!  My in-laws have done some traveling in India the past couple of years, and so my father-in-law, upon hearing that I had a new Indian cookbook, requested Indian food.  I was only too happy to oblige!

Here is my adaptation of Monica Bhide's Sunday Night Skillet Chicken and Rice.  I changed it a little to make it a little less spicy for my mother-in-law, and also to fit it into our budget.  The recipe calls for basmati rice, which I did not have around, so I just used plain old white rice.  Also, Bhide calls for skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs.  If you are using these, you can just brown them after the turmeric and chile pepper is added, brown them for 10 minutes, and then add the rice.  I used skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts because they were cheaper at the store this weekend.  (And talk about frugal...I now have the chicken bones in my freezer to make stock!)  I also substituted cumin for coriander because I ran out of coriander! 

That said...this dish was delicious!  Everyone loved it.  The combination of spices is incredible.  I think the cinnamon is really what rounds it out...I love the sweet and spicy combination of flavors.

Monica Bhide's Sunday Night Skillet Chicken and Rice

serves 4+

adapted from Modern Spice by Monica Bhide

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 1-inch cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1/2 large red onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press

1 Tbsp grated ginger

2 medium to large tomatoes, diced (you can also use a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes if you make this    off season)

1/2 tsp red chile pepper flakes

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 pinch coriander (that was what I had left!)

1 Tbsp cumin

sea salt

2 medium to large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.

1 Tbsp olive oil

black pepper

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2. Place the chicken breasts on the baking pan, skin side up.  Rub the chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Salt and pepper them generously.

3. Roast the chicken breasts for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.  Remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

4. In a large, deep lidded skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium.  Add the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.  Once the spices begin to sizzle, add the minced red onion, along with the garlic and ginger.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and gains some color.

5. Add the tomatoes, and cook for 10-12 minutes, until you can see the oil begin to separate from the mixture.  You can use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes as they cook.  If the mixture begins to stick, you can add up to 1/4 cup of water. 

6. Add the chile pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt to taste.  Cook for another minute or two to heat the spices, stirring continuously.

7. Add the rice and stir through.

8. Add the water and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook for another 15 minutes. 

9. Meanwhile, you can remove the skin of the chicken and shred it off the bones.  Frankly, I find this works best with my hands!

10. Add the chicken to the rice mixture and stir it through.  Cover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

11. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.  Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.