Soy-licious Orange and Garlic Asparagus

A lot of flavor from fresh oranges, and depth of flavor from fish sauce.

1 large bunch pencil thin asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 2" pieces
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, microplaned
1 large orange - both zest and sections

In a microwave safe bowl, place asparagus and a splash of water.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes.  Test for desired amount of crispness and continue microwaving at 1 minute intervals until desired doneness.  Barely pull the plastic wrap back and use it as a cover to drain the water from the bowl.  To the hot asparagus, add the soy sauce through the garlic clove.  Zest the orange over the bowl.  On a cutting board, cut off the ends of the orange and carefully use your knife to slice off the peel, leaving as much fruit as possible, but getting all the pith (white part) off.  Holding the peeled orange in your hand over the asparagus bowl, use a paring knife to cut out the sections of orange along the membranes.  This is called 'supreme'.  Congrats, you are a fancy chef now!  Once all of the sections are cut out, squeeze the juice out of what is left.  Use a spoon or your OJ covered hands to gently toss the asparagus salad.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Serve warm or at room temp.  Yum!

Stuffed Poblanos

Poblano peppers can vary in heat. This batch was zippy! If you like really spicy dishes you can add a diced jalapeno to the meat mixture.  The meat mixture cooked as patties would make awesome sliders!


For the Stuffed Peppers:
4 large poblano peppers
1# ground pork
1 egg
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, reserve a few tablespoons for the top
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fine oat bran
Couple pinches salt
8 oz can tomato sauce, divided
1 small can green enchilada sauce

Under a broiler set to high, lightly char the peppers on all sides. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 15 min. Once cool enough to handle, gently peel the skins off; cut a small slit on one edge and remove the seeds.

In a large mixing bowl, put the pork through the salt. Add 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce. Put the remaining red sauce in the bottom of a glass pan big enough to hold the peppers.  Gently but thoroughly combine the meat mixture. To check your seasoning, you can cook a little bit of the mixture in a small frying pan as a patty - it only takes a minute on each side.  Carefully stuff the meat filling into the peppers. Put into the pan seam side up.
Spoon some green enchilada sauce over each pepper and sprinkle with reserved cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 min. Serve with a side of black beans and rice and spoon the sauce over.

Mustard Maple Marinated Chicken Thighs

An easy marinade that doubles as the dipping sauce.  The hubby had it with baked beans.

For the marinade:
1/2c spicy brown mustard
1/4c sugar free maple syrup
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar or Splenda
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
8-10 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.  For each person you have eating, put 2 tablespoons marinade in a ramekin or little dish.  Add the chicken to the big bowl and stir to coat the chicken on all sides.  Let sit for 1 hour.

Line 2 cookie sheets with foil and spray with Pam.  Spread thighs out on sheets, scraping off excess marinade.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until thighs are cooked through.  Serve with the reserved sauce.  I also put out blue cheese dressing to dip in - what a great combo!

Almond Joy Filling

So, the husband bought a mini German Chocolate cake from Wegman's and of course I can't eat any of it since it is filled with carbs.  The coconut filling looked so good, I decided to come up with my own version!  I found that just a spoonful satisfies my craving, and leaves me with enough for the week.

For the Almond Joy Filling:
1 c Ricotta cheese - I use the low fat Sorrento and I think that FF would work too
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 c shredded coconut
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 c Splenda
possibly a splash of dairy

In a dry skillet, heat the pecans and coconut over medium high heat.  You want to the coconut to turn a nice toasty brown, but not burn.  Stir almost constantly and as soon as it is a nice light brown, turn the heat off and pour onto a plate or into a bowl so it doesn't keep cooking.  Place the ricotta cheese in a food processor and whir for 30 sec.  Add the Splenda and extract and whir again to that you have a smooth creamy filling.  You might need to add a splash of dairy, depending on how wet the ricotta is.  Add the toasted pecans and coconut and give a few quick pulses just to combine.  Taste and try not to eat all of it right out the bowl!

Osso Bucco in Red Sauce

The hubby and I look at the meat section at Wegmans every Sunday.  If we see veal shanks on sale, we snag them and nix whatever we were going to have for dinner.  This dish takes time, but is easy to prepare and comes out so rich and sumptuous it is worth the effort!

For the Veal Osso Bucco:

2 - 4 pieces veal shank

4 swirls EVOO, divided

1 large onion, large dice

1/2 bag baby carrots, whole or large dice

2-3 ribs celery, small dice, including any leaves

at least 3 garlic cloves, more if you like garlic

1 sprig rosemary

1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup good red wine

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

Kosher salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350 while preparing the ingredients.  In a large oven proof skillet, heat 2 swirls EVOO over medium high heat.  Sprinkle both sides of veal with salt and pepper.  Carefully place in skillet and cook until browned on both sides.  Don't try to lift up and peek under the meat.  Doing so will tear the meat and you won't get a nice browned side.  You will know the veal can be flipped when it releases easily.  Remove to a plate.  Put another swirl or two of EVOO into the pan and add the onion, carrots and celery, plus a large pinch of salt. The veggies will release some water, which will help pick up any browned bits on the bottom.  When the veggies are tender, stir in the garlic and rosemary; saute 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir to combine/cook out.  Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits.  Carefully add the crushed tomatoes and stir.  Nestle the veal and any accumulated juices into the sauce.  Cover with an oven proof lid, or tightly with foil.  Place in the oven and cook until veal is falling off the bone, about 2 - 3 hours.  Remove from oven and season sauce with salt and pepper.

Remove the sprig of rosemary and serve veal over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes, rice or my favorite, Parmesan polenta, making sure to give everyone a scoop of the rich sauce.

Asian Meatballs

A variation of my traditional Italian meatballs.  The most recent batch that I froze I did as smaller meatballs so I could use them as either a dinner option or as snacks at a party.  For dinner I would serve them with stir-fried veggies in your favorite sauce.  For a party, I'm thinking 2 things: in a crock pot with an Asian BBQ sauce OR served as is with a cilantro/soy/peanut dipping sauce.  You could easily replace the ground beef with ground chicken, which would be excellent with Thai Peanut Sauce.

For the Asian Meatballs:

2# ground beef

2 whole eggs

1/4c oat bran

1/3c soy sauce
1 -2 Tbsp mirin or rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced or micro-planed

1 bunch scallion, finely chopped, white and green parts

1" peeled piece of fresh ginger, micro-planed

opt: 1 heaping Tbsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)

Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spay with Pam.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oat bran, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil.  Add the garlic, scallions, grated ginger and Sambal Oelek (if using) and stir to combine.  Let the oat bran absorb some liquid, about 5 minutes. If the mixture looks very loose, add a little more oat bran or Panko bread crumbs.  Lastly, add the meat, using your hands to gently mix.  You don't want to mash the meat or you will have a dense meatball.  

Either scoop or roll meatballs to your size liking and place on prepared sheet. (I was able to get about 36 meatballs out of the recipe.)  Bake until outsides are brown and cooked through, about 12-14 minutes for 1ounce meatballs.  Larger 3 oz meatballs may take as long as 25 minutes.  

To prepare for freezing:  allow meatballs to cool to room temp.  Place in a single layer in a large freezer zip-lock bag.  Seal all but a small gap, then suck the air out of the bag and quickly seal.  Lay flat in the freezer until frozen through, then you can move the bag.  This way the meatballs freeze individually and you don't have to defrost the entire bag to get a few out.  

Salad of Filet with Red Wine Onion Reduction and Shitake Mushrooms

While the hubby had his Filet with Red Wine Onion Sauce and Sauteed Shitake Mushrooms along side of some Spicy and Creamy Collard Greens, I chose to have mine over a salad of mache mix.  I topped with mache mix with cherry tomatoes, sliced green onions, cucumber rounds, scattered the sauteed mushrooms around the edge, arranged the medium rare steak slices on top and finished with the red wine onions.  I also did a side of blue cheese dressing.  Talk about an amazing salad!

Spicy and Creamy Collard Greens

For the greens:
4 slices of bacon, diced
1 -2 large bunches collard greens, tough stems removed
1 large or 2 smallish spicy peppers cut into thin stips, such as Anaheim, Italian Long Hots, etc. use your favorite heat level
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz cream cheese, either regular or low fat
splash of dairy, if needed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, optional
alt and pepper

After removing the tough stems from the greens, slice them into strips. Put them into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat slightly and cook the heck out of them, at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy; remove to paper towels. If there is a lot of fat rendered, pour off some leaving 1 Tbsp in the pan. Add the peppers to the pan and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. If the greens aren't done, turn the peppers off. When the greens are done, use a slotted spoon or tongs to pull the greens out, let drip, then add to the peppers pan. Heat over medium to evaporate some of the water. Add the cream cheese and stir to melt and combine with the greens and peppers. If the cream cheese isn't mixing well, add a splash of dairy to help combine. Add the parmesan cheese if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits over the top just before serving.

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Onion Sauce and Sauteed Shitake Mushrooms

The hubby was lucky enough to get this tonight :) He had it with Spicy and Creamy Collard Greens.
While your filets are cooking on an indoor grill pan or out on the grill, make the sauce and mushrooms.

For the Red Wine Onion Reduction:
2 strips bacon, diced
1 small onion, fine dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2c good quality red wine - one that you would like to drink with the steak
1-2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small peices
salt and pepper

In a saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon. Add the onion to the pan and cook over medium heat until very soft. You don't want the onions to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two more. Add the wine and crank the haet to high. Bring to a boil and reduce wine to just a few tablespoons. Turn off the heat, add the cold butter pieces and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms:
1/2# Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut into strips
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper

Put the butter and oil in a saute pan over high heat. When melted and butter stops foaming, add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp and Mussels Steamed with Riesling

A quick and easy way to prepare seafood.  I ate this as is, and the hubby prepared angel hair pasta to go with his.  The sauce can be made with any dry white wine - just make sure that it is a wine you would drink.  Cooking wine sold in the condiment aisle is a big no-no.

1 swirl EVOO
1 small onion, small diced
2 garlic gloves, minced
opt: red chili pepper flakes
1/2 # cleaned and deveined shrimp
2# bag mussels, rinsed and beards removed
1/3 cup dry Riesling
White dairy liquid for finishing - either FF half and half or heavy cream if you are feeling decadent
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, parsley or tarragon, or a combination of.

In a large skillet with high sides and a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic and red chili pepper flakes (if using) along with a sprinkle of salt.  Stir occasionally until onion has softened and mixture is fragrant.  Add the shrimp and cook until they just start to turn white.  Add the mussels and the wine and cover immediately.  Crank the heat up to high and cook until mussels open up and turn opaque, usually 5-6 minutes with a good steam going inside.  Remove the lid and add a swirl of your dairy.  Add the fresh herbs and toss to combine.

Can be served atop pasta, or with garlic toasted baguette slices to sop up the broth - YUM!

Tomato Bruschetta w/o the Bread

This dish is so flavorful and the cucumbers give it some crunch, so you don't miss putting this topping on bread. I ate it as a side dish with my Shrimp and Mussels Steamed with Riesling.

1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 English cucumber, slightly peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, minced or grated on a microplane - this is the best way so you don't get any offensive large
   chunks, plus the garlic then almost dissolves into the dressing
large handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade*
2 Tbsp. good quality Balsamic vinegar
a drizzle of EVOO
salt and pepper

To chiffonade the basil, simply stack the basil leaves on top of each other, then roll into a long cigar.  Cut into very thin strips by cutting across the cigar shape.  In a large mixing bowl, place all the ingredients and stir to combine.  Let sit while you prepare the rest of dinner.  Taste for seasoning and adjust.  The tomatoes should start to give off a some liquid, but if it isn't saucy enough, add another drizzle of vinegar.

Cheesecake Mousse

The easiest dessert! So fluffy and smooth.  You can easily add ingredients to make different flavors too.

1 pkg Instant Jello Sugar free, Fat free Cheesecake pudding
2 cups cold skim milk
1 container thawed FF Cool Whip

In a large bowl, whisk pudding and milk until thick.  Whisk or fold in the thawed cool whip.  For fancy serving, spoon into individual serving dishes.

Variations:  Use a different flavor of pudding mix.  Add lemon, lime or orange zest.  Substitute 1/4c of the milk with 1/4c Kahlua or Bailey's, then serve with chocolate shaving on top.  Dollop chilled mouse over berries and drizzle with ice wine.  Spread into a crumb style pie crust and freeze.

Comment with what deliciousness you came up please!

Spicy Vodka Tomato Sauce

This is amazing over meatballs in a crockpot.  Take the meat mixture from my Meatloaf Pie with Basil Ricotta Filling and scoop onto a Pam sprayed baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for about 20min.  Cool to room temp, then place on a clean baking sheet in a single layer and freeze.  Place in a ziplock freezer bag for game day or a quick week day meal.

For the sauce:
2 swirls EVOO
2-5 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of your knife
1 Tbsp (a large squirted blob from a tube) tomato paste
Red chili pepper flakes to your spiciness level
1/4 - 1/2 cup vodka  (for spice lovers, use Absolute Peppar!)
8oz can tomato sauce - I use Goya Spanish Style
1 large can 28-32 oz  crushed tomatoes
salt to taste
Opt:  to make creamy or blush sauce, use heavy cream at the end, or FF half and half, about 1/2 cup

In a large skillet with sides, heat the oil over medium heat with the smashed garlic cloves.  When cloves just start to brown, add the chili pepper flakes and stir for 30 sec, then squirt in the tomato paste and stir until the paste is incorporated into the oil.  Carefully add the two types of tomatoes and the vodka,  stirring to combine. Lower heat so the sauce is barely bubbling and put a spatter shield on top.  Do not use a lid - you want some of the water to evaporate so you have a thicker sauce.  Cook until sauce has thickened, about 20-30 min.  Season with salt.  Add the cream at this point if using to make a blush sauce.

If using in the crockpot:  Place frozen meatballs in the crockpot set to high.  Make the sauce, but you only have to let it simmer for a few minutes while the crockpot heats up.  Pour the sauce over the meatballs and continue cooking on high 2-3 hours.  Lower setting to warm and set up your serving line.  I suggest using a crockpot liner - cleanup is a breeze with them.   Meatballs can be eaten plain, on top of pasta or on little rolls as sliders/subs.  Set out more chili pepper flakes, slices of provolone cheese for subs, parmesan cheese for topping or shredded mozzarella.

Taco Filling Quesadillas

At the beginning of the week, I cook up 1-2 pounds of ground beef and drain it so I have it on hand in the fridge when I need a quick snack or meal.  Here's what I came up with for dinner tonight for the hubby:

1# ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pkg. favorite taco seasoning
1 wedge of Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle Light cheese for every 2 quesadillas
2 small tortillas for every quesadilla
opt: shredded pepper jack cheese, cilantro, sliced green onions, FF or light sour cream, salsa or diced tomatoes, any other topping

To the drained beef add the taco seasoning and follow the directions on the packet.  On the bottom tortilla of each quesadilla, spread 1/2 a wedge of the Laughing Cow cheese.  Spray a pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium.  When hot, place the bottom tortilla cheese side up, then a few tablespoons of the seasoned beef, and if using: a sprinkle of shredded cheese, some chopped cilantro and green onions.  Cover with the top plain tortilla.  Cook until golden on the bottom and carefully flip.  I lift the quesadilla on the spatula, then flip the pan over and press the quesadilla into the pan and flip the whole thing back over.  Sounds complicated, but just get the thing flipped over without the beef falling out all over the place.

Cut in half or quarters and top with sour cream, salsa etc.    For my dinner, I put a 1/2 bag of dole butter lettuce and a diced plum tomato with some sliced scallions and cilantro on a plate.  I topped it with 1 cup of the taco mixture and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.  Lots of protein and its delicious!  No need for dressing since the beef is spicy, the herbs add lots of flavor and the cottage cheese some moisture.

What's your favorite salad topping?

Creamy Zucchini

A great side dish to have with any grilled meat.  The recipe can easily be doubled to take with you to a potluck.  To keep it warm in a crockpot, add a little extra liquid - either water or some more half & half so that as it sits in the crockpot it doesn't get pasty.

4 zucchini, grated on a box grater or using the shredder attachment on your food processor

1-2 swirls EVOO

2 or 3 wedges laughing cow light cheese - the chipotle adds a smoky flavor - yum!  OR
2 oz light cream cheese

2 Tbsp - 1/4cup FF half and half

several shakes of Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until screaming hot. Add the zucchini and a large pinch of salt. The zucchini will give off a lot of water, so keep the flame up and stir a lot to help the water evaporate. Once the water cooks out, then the zucchini can start to saute. At this point you can lower the heat and cook until desired degree of softness. Add the wedges of cheese, the Parmesan cheese and 2 Tbsp of the FF half and half. Stir to melt the cheese. Add more half and half to thin if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. The leftovers are great the next day!

Chicken and Peppers in Tomato Sauce

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces

2 red bell peppers, diced

4 garlic cloves (at least) either minced or grated on a microplane

2 swirls of EVOO

1 large can (28-32oz) crushed tomatoes

8oz can tomato sauce - I prefer Goya Spanish style tomato sauce

large handful fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

chili pepper flakes, if you like it spicy

salt and pepper

1/2 cup FF half and half

Swirl the EVOO 2x around the pan and allow to heat up over medium high heat. Add the bell peppers with a good pinch of salt and saute while dicing the chicken. Once peppers are lightly browned and getting soft, add in the chicken and the garlic. Saute until chicken is cooked and browned. Add the chili pepper flakes if using and saute 30 sec longer. Lower the heat and carefully add in the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Place a splatter shield over the pan, or a lid tipped so the steam can vent. Simmer over low heat for at least 30 min. Sauce should thicken. When ready to serve, stir in the FF half and half, Parmesan cheese and basil. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed.

Meatloaf Pie with Basil Ricotta Filling

For the meatloaf:
1 - 1.5# ground beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated on a microplane
1/2 jalapeno, finely minced
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup skim milk
several dashes worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
several grinds of black pepper
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning

For the Basil Ricotta Filling:
3 oz FF cream cheese
1/2 of a 15oz container FF/light/low fat ricotta cheese ( I LOVE Sorrento Low Fat)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix the oat bran, milk, eggs, worcestershire and parmesan cheese. Allow the oat bran to absorb the milk. Mix in the onion, garlic, jalapeno, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Gently incorporate the ground beef into the mixture by hand. You don't want to be too aggressive, or the meatloaf will be dense.

Into a pie pan, pat about 1/2 - 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom. Build up the edges of the "crust" with the remaining meat. You should have a well in the center of the pie pan.

In a food processor, place the filling ingredients and mix until evenly blended. Scrape the mixture into the middle of the pie pan. Bake at 350 until the edges are browned and the center puffed up. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges.