PB&J Oatmeal

So yesterday, I tempted your palette with Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal.  Today, I was not planning on making oatmeal again, but alas I haven't been to the store in a while...and we are out of all of our farmer's market finds...and I am super hungry.  Since I am about to go work out, and it is 100 degree's outside, I felt like the milk in a regular shake might be a bad idea.  Since I had exactly 1/2 a cup of oats left...oatmeal it is.  But I had to do something different....

You will need:
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 scoops Body by Vi shake mix (If you don't have this, I can tell you how to order)
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 TBSP natural peanut butter

Directions:

Bring the water, salt, and frozen strawberries to a boil.  Add the oats and shake mix, mixing until smooth.  Simmer until thickened.  Stir in the peanut butter.

I have been a Snack-asaurus all day long, and I am finally full.  If you don't dig the peanut butter (but trust me, it is good) you can leave it out and still have a yummy Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal.


That's What's For Dinner!

Purple Hull Peas...you should eat them.

As I mentioned my last blog, Jeff and I get a lot of our food from a local farm, Texas Daily Harvest.  I noticed one day they had a lot of purple hull peas.  I had no idea what purple hull peas were, and being told they were similar to black eyed peas didn't win them any points, but I was still curious.  Jeff likes black eyed peas (bleh, one of the worst foods if you ask me), and I am all about cooking what is growing now(I look at this as training for next year when we join a CSA), so if Purple Hull Peas were in season, I would give them a try.  Having no idea how to cook them, I went to the Purple Hull Pea festival website and found this recipe.  Then I  made it work with what I had.

You will need:
1 pint shelled purple hull peas
4 slices good bacon
salt
water

Directions

Rinse and drain the peas really well and remove and stems or other hitchhikers.

Dice the slices of bacon and render in a pan.  Yes, I left the bacon fat for this recipes.  But I am eating peas, let me have my bacon fat.  Once the bacon is rendered, add the drained peas, and enough water to cover the peas...plus some.  Of course, the peas float, so I don't know how you are supposed to know how much water that is.  I think I used about 4 cups.  Just make it look like the picture below:

 Boil over medium heat for about 45 minutes.  The timing is crucial.  I don't like mushy peas, but I want them cooked through.  If you boil them properly, they will be done in 45 minutes.  I would drain any excess water as opposed to letting it boil off.

Makes about 4 servings.  

That's what's for dinner!  

Trust me, you will like them.  

Heart Healthy Oat cakes

In the spirit of fiber, I have started eating a lot of oats.  I originally found this recipe in a magazine, tried it out, and was not as impressed as I hoped.  It called for 2 cups of oats, 3 egg whites, and a splash of vanilla.  It was also recommended to serve it with applesauce.  My problem with this was 1.  they were bland, 2. they were dry and super dense and 3. you ended up spending the next hour running back and forth to the bathroom.  I love fiber as much as anyone, but this was extreme.  So, I have made a few modifications to make it more humane.

You will need:

2 cups of oats, but 1 cup should be ground in a blender to resemble flour (easier on the tummy this way)

1/4 tsp of salt

3 egg whites

3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce.  I mean it...none of that sugary, fake stuff.  

tsp of vanilla (leave this out if you add the shake mix mentioned next)

Dash of cinnamon 

 I should point out that I have tried many variations of this recipe.  Adding 1/2 tsp baking powder to the ground oats creates more of a pancake like texture.  Also, the base recipe is not at all sweet.  If you like your foods a little sweeter, a mashed banana is a great addition.  You can also add a scoop of Body by Vi powder (mentioned in my previous blog) instead of the banana (this is my favorite).  None of these additions are required, but I recommend them if you are dealing with picky eaters.  Also, I have added the shake mix, banana (takes care of the extra egg needed in waffles), and baking powder and cooked them in a waffle iron.  Delicious!

Since Jeff loves blueberry pancakes (me, not so much) I started making blueberry syrup.  It is so easy, and you can use sugar free syrup and never notice the difference.  Start this before you cook the pancakes.

You will need:

Sugar free syrup
Frozen blueberries (you can substitute almost any frozen fruit)

Directions:

Put about half a bag of blueberries in a small saucepan.  Add 1/2 an inch of syrup.  You really don't need a lot of syrup, so don't drown the blueberries.  Cook on medium low heat about 5 minutes.

 For the oatcakes:

Grind 1 cup of oats with the salt (and baking powder and shake mix if you are adding it), mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.  Unless you added the mashed banana, it will not look like regular pancake mix.  Drop by spoonfuls on to a skillet.  I usually do 2 tablespoons per cake.  You may have to mush them together to get them to hold their shape.

Cook on both sides until golden brown.  If you added the banana, they will brown more evenly.

By now, your syrup will be ready.  You will know its done because it will be a nice pretty purple color.

If you live with Jeff (the Bacon-saurus), this is when you will also be taking your bacon out of the oven.  I know what you are saying "Bacon!  I thought you said this was heart healthy?"  Here is the thing about bacon.  If you buy nitrate free bacon (as you should do with all hot dogs, lunch meat, etc) you are avoiding all those horrible additives.  We get our bacon (and meat and dairy products) from a local farm .  Visit Texas Daily Harvest for more information.  Say no to stomach cancer!  Also, when you render bacon properly, A LOT of the fat goes away.  I recently read an article stating that 1 piece of rendered bacon has 2 grams of saturated fat.   Even if we each have two pieces of bacon that is only 4 grams of fat in a other wise fat free meal...you do need some fat in your diet.   We cook ours on a cooling rack, in the oven so most of the fat drips away.  We do not "boil" our bacon in a cast iron skillet on top of the stove.  I also drain the bacon on paper towels when it comes out of the oven.

Serve topped with the blueberry syrup.

That's what's for breakfast!

A lot of your fiber needs have now been met for the day, so I might skip the bean burrito for lunch...

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

I am so behind in the blog, so I hope to get a few recipes uploaded soon.  Partly, I have been super busy with work, wedding planning, and a family illness...but mostly I haven't been cooking a lot.  As part of the pre-wedding slim down, Jeff and I have been doing a lot of meal replacement shakes.  Jeff prefers the Body by Vi shakes, and I do the Body by Vi shakes along and a chocolate Shakeology on days when I work out.  I bring up the shakes, because I have discovered the Body by Vi shakes make and excellent addition to a lot of other foods (great on days when you just can't drink another shake).  I like the shakes, because I feel like I get a balanced meal, and I know exactly how many calories, etc I am getting without having to keep a food diary.  As you may know, many gluten free foods are nutritionally void.  Because of this, I have tried to switch to whole oats instead of other gluten free grains.  Oats are great, but sometimes they need a little something to make them palatable.  This recipe is one of my success stories. Oh, and if you are interested in the shakes, let me know and I can direct in how to order them.

You will need:
1 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats (I keep these on hand because sometimes I grind them up to make oat flour.  I assume you could use steel cut oats, but follow those cooking instructions carefully since the are different from regular oats )
1 snack size box of raisins
2 scoops Body by Vi shake mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves
Splash of milk (optional)

Directions:
Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small pot.  Add the remaining ingredients, except the milk.  Stir frequently while adding the ingredients to prevent clumping.  Once there are no more lumps, allow the oatmeal to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Serve with a splash of milk.  Serves 1.

That's what's for breakfast!
I swear you will not go back to the pre packaged stuff after this.

TVP breaded chicken

In our low carb quest, Jeff asked me to figure out how to make fake fried chicken.  Since I couldn't use flour, bread crumbs, or corn flakes, I had to get creative.  Enter TVP.  TVP is not only super cheap (about 50 cents a serving), but it is a create substitute for many things.  I usually use it in tacos or chili, but today I used it as a breading.  Since it is made from Soy, you should know this meal is really protein heavy.  In fact, we will be having fruit and veggies for the rest of the day.  TVP has no flavor, so make sure you season it well!!!

You will need:
1/4 cup of dry TVP
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 chicken breast per 2 people
egg whites in a carton (or 2 egg whites)

Butterfly your chicken.  Place your hand on top of the chicken breast and gently slice through the thickest side of the chicken.  Try to keep the knife in the center of the breast.  Make sure you don't go through the other side.  Gentle pressure and careful cutting will make sure you don't cut through your hand.  You did it right if you can fold open your chicken into one giant, thinner breast.

Add the TVP, italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, pepper to a grinder, food chopper or blender (I used a magic bullet).  Pulse the mixture until you have the constancy of fine bread crumbs.  Pour the mixture in a shallow dish.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add enough olive oil to thinly cover the bottom of the pan.  Pour about 1/4 cup of the egg whites in another shallow dish.  Dip both sides of the chicken in the egg whites.   Dredge each side of the chicken in the TVP mixture.   Place the breaded chicken in the pan.

Let the chicken cook 3-5 minutes per side.  It should be golden brown when you flip it.  If your pan is too hot the TVP will burn.  If it is too low, it will be soggy.

After browning both sides, place the chicken on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Top with your favorite cheese for a chicken parmesan type meal.  I used gouda, which is why it looks funny.  It didn't melt well, but it tasted good.  Mozzarella would have worked better.  Place in the center of the oven with the broiler on low.  The broiler will melt the cheese, and the extra cooking time will make sure your chicken is done in the center.  If this is your first time using your broiler, check it often.  Broiler can = burning.  

Top with your favorite tomato sauce or pico de gallo.  

That's for dinner!

Sausage and Kale stew

Due to internet issues, I wasn't able to post this last night...

So, in the latest low carb installment I will be making Sausage and Kale stew.  I got this recipe from the Rachael Ray Show, but I really only used it as a guide...since I forgot to buy some of the ingredients.  The original recipe calls for potatoes, and they are definitely a plus, but if you are trying to be low carb, you don't really miss them.  

You will need:

1 bunch of Kale (I only used half the bunch for Jeff and I)

1 can of chick peas

1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

1 12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, diced

1 package of spicy sausage (the original recipe calls for chorizo, or you can used cooked chicken.)

1 onion

2-3 ribs of celery

1-2 large potatoes

garlic

paprika

red pepper

salt and pepper

*I don't measure, but for those of you who need measurements, I counted to 4 slowly while evenly sprinkling each seasoning.  Or you could go with about a 1/4 teaspoon of each

Roughly chop the celery, red peppers and onions and place in a lightly greased, deep casserole dish (one with a lid is preferable).  Remove the stems from the Kale and tear into bite size pieces.  Add the Kale to the casserole dish.

Season with garlic, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and pepper.  

Mix well and pour the can of chickpeas, tomatoes and their juice over the vegetables.  If there isn't a lot of juice in the can, add a splash of chicken broth to the casserole dish.  You can add more if you like a really juicy stew.  Stir to incorporate.  

Cut the sausage into bite size pieces and place on the top of the vegetables.  Place the lid on the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours.  I use a convection oven, so you may need to increase your cooking time if you don't have a convection setting.  

With 30 minutes remaining, remove the lid and place the dish back in the oven until the sausage casings are crisped.  

That's what's for dinner...or at least that is what is for dinner last night

Give me suggestions...

Jeff and I are doing the low carb thing and I need a few food ideas.  Or, give me some ideas on things you would like a recipe for or to see me make.

Here are a few I have been considering:
Lasagna with grilled veggies instead of noodles
Spaghetti squash spaghetti
Ratatouille
TVP breaded chicken (I'm not exactly sure if this would work)
Chili
Some sort of breakfast foods
White chicken chili
Kale and sausage stew
Spinach salad
Fish...not my most comfortable cooking endeavor...ooh, now I want shrimp.

Maybe my readers could vote every week and we could do a readers choice recipe?

Scarborough Fair Chicken

I know it has been a while since I posted, so I thought I would get back in the swing of things with one of Jeff's favorite dishes...Scarborough Fair Chicken.  Every time we go to the ren fest, we have to get chicken on a stick.  I happen to thing I have done a pretty good job of recreating it.

You will need:
Half a regular size chicken breast per person.  Jeff bought mutant chicken at the store, so I think I can actually make 4 servings from this one breast.
Onion powder
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Cumin (I sometimes leave this out due to a friends food allergy, but if this isn't a problem for you, it really adds to the flavor)
Chili powder
Crushed Red pepper
Salt and Pepper

If I was grilling the chicken (like I usually do, but the weather wasn't corroporating today) I would just cut the breast into serving sizes (2-4 pieces depending on size).  Since I decided to make it into fajitas, I cut it into bite size pieces.  Season one size LIBERALLY before putting season side down in a skillet.  If you are grilling, season both sides.  It is important to over season the chicken.  I have never added too much season, so just keep seasoning until you think you have put too much on...then add a little more.  If you don't like spicy food, go easy on the red pepper and just add more paprika and chili powder.  

While the chicken cooks, saute an onion and peppers.  Or skip this step if you just want the chicken.  :)

If you are going the fajita route with this chicken, I recommend serving on top a leaf of ice berg lettuce with the peppers and onions, cheese, salsa and some greek yogurt.  You could always use tortillas instead of the lettuce...but we are doing the low carb thing.

That's what's for dinner!!!

Beer Brats

I have had a few comments about my lack of posting the past few days, so here you all go.

Beer Brats!  I made these for Jeff a few weeks ago, and he keeps mentioning them.

You will need:
One package of brats.  I used the Target brand tonight and I was pleasantly surprised.  Johnsonville spicy brats are also really good.
1 medium yellow onion, cut into thick slices
1 bottle beer.  I use Bard's Beer.  It is a gluten free beer that is awesome for cooking!
Bun of your choice
Cheese of your choice
Spicy Brown Mustard
Olive oil

Coat the bottom of a deep frying pan with a thin layer of olive oil.  Cook the onions and brats over medium heat for a few minutes until the casings brown.  Add the entire bottle of beer and allow the brats to simmer over medium low heat until the brats are cooked through.  This is a perfect time to cook some tater tots in your oven.

Serve on a toasted bun with cheese and spicy brown mustard.  You don't have to eat the onions, but you would be making a mistake :)

That's what's for dinner!

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast- Special Mother's Day Edition

In honor of Mother's Day we are doing a special breakfast edition of "That's what's for dinner".  The other day I found some fantastic new gluten free cinnamon raisin bread (Mom, we have got to get you some) and I have been dying to make french toast with it.  Since I still have heavy cream left over (didn't quite use it all in the chicken pasta earlier in the week),  and I told Jeff I would make breakfast if he would make a coffee run to Java Me Up, today seemed like the perfect day for french toast.

You will need:
2 slices (per person)of your favorite cinnamon rasin bread- I used Rudi's
1/4 cup heavy cream (milk will work too, it just wont feel as decadent :)
1/4 cup egg beaters (or 1 egg per person)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter
cooking spray

As usual, my measurements are approximate.  Also, the quantities listed are for one serving.  Make more if you are sharing or cooking for your favorite Mom.

Mix together the eggs, cream and cinnamon in a shallow dish.  Soak the bread for approximately 20 minutes, flipping it occasionally if the bread isn't completely submerged.

  Meanwhile, I made bacon.  I set the toaster oven to 450 degrees (400 if you have a convection setting), and put the bacon on a rack over a drip pan. 20 minutes later you have perfectly cooked, FLAT bacon and most of the grease has been drained for you.

Once your bacon is almost done, it is time to make your french toast.  Personally, I like a butter/cooking spray combo for the pan.  The butter gives good flavor, but the cooking spray lets  you use a lot less and still get the same not stick properties.  It also helps keep the butter from turning too brown.  My pan only holds two pieces of bread at a time and I am too lazy to wash the griddle later...

Flip the bread over after a few minutes.  If the bread is stuck to the pan (and you remembered to spray it) it isn't done yet.  Over medium heat, the bread should release when it is ready to flip.  Chill out, you can eat soon.

Your patience will be rewarded when you let it snow (dust with powdered sugar) and serve with bacon.

That's What's for Breakfast!


Happy Mother's Day Momma!

Fatty Fatty Chicken Pasta (Spicy Chicken Alfredo)

Heavy cream.  What do you do with it when you don't plan to make whipped cream?  You make alfredo sauce.  Of course, I like to pretend I am not clogging all of my arteries, so I substitute chicken broth for some of the cream and add chicken and bell peppers.  I also make it spicy.  Spicy food boosts your metabolism, right?

You will need:
(all measurements are approximate)

1 package of chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp Sriracha or hot pepper sauce
1 tsp garlic (I use the paste in a tube)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 bell pepper
1 box of pasta
1-2 tsp flour
1/2-1 cup chicken broth
1 pint of cream (you will not use all of it, so don't have a heart attack just yet.  save that for later)
crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese to taste


To begin with, I marinated the chicken in a combination of olive oil, sriracha hot sauce (rooster sauce), Italian seasoning, garlic paste, salt and pepper.  Add enough oil until you get a loose marinade.

Mix together in a bowl and toss the chicken to coat.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.  I made mine around lunch time, intending to eat it for dinner.  

While boiling the pasta (salt the water!!!) of your choice (I used a whole grain gluten free penne- gotta get your fiber!), sauté the chicken and one bell pepper in a pan.  Since you used oil in your marinade, you shouldn't need to add any additional oil to the pan.  Once browned, sprinkle with 1-2 tsp of flour (or gluten free baking mix in my case)

Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes, tossing the chicken to ensure it is coated evenly.  

Slowly add about half a cup of chicken broth, being sure to scrap the yummy bits from the bottom of the pan.  If you are not watching your waistline, you can skip the flour and chicken broth and just use straight cream...but I am so I use a broth/cream combo.  Add more chicken broth until you reach the consistency of thin gravy.  Melt in a few slices of the cheese of your choice.  We had deli sliced provolone on hand, so I used 3 slices of it.  Tear them into small pieces and add them one at a time so they have a chance to melt.  

 One the sauce beings to thicken, add your cream.  I used about a 1/4 cup.  You can certainly use more (use less chicken broth) based on how creamy you wanted your sauce, but I just wanted enough to make me think I was eating alfredo sauce.

Measure out the appropriate serving of pasta (I'll let you decide what that is), and spoon your sauce and chicken on top.  Right before serving sprinkle with crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese to taste.  

Voila!  That's what's for dinner.


NOTE*  I might decrease the pasta or increase the chicken next time since this was a little carb heavy.  Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Taco Night!

Yesterdays sandwiches were pretty awesome, and I will definitely be making them again.  One comment though: the roast beef got a little over done when it was warming in the pan.  Not a big issue for me, but for roast beef connoisseurs, this might be a problem.  Maybe warming the soup first and then adding the beef would fix the problem?  Either way, I would still eat them again.

We had take out tacos tonight in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  I guess I could have made them myself, but when you have San Diego Tacos down on the corner, why bother?  Something about the tin foil wrapped Styrofoam plate just makes them taste even better.  We ordered so much food we confused the drive through girl and she had to clarify when we go to the window.  Apparently "4 cheese enchiladas, 3 rolled tacos with guacamole, 3 carnitas tacos, 1 flan and a Dr. Pepper" is enough to stop you in your tracks and ask "you want what?"

And this is why I had to unbutton my pants after dinner.

Sandwich night

In honor of the first entry, I went with something easy tonight...sandwiches.  The sandwich obsession began the other day when I was reading an article The Nest about easy sandwiches.


So, I decided tonight was the night.  Feeling extra daring, I decided on a french dip sandwich...mostly because roast beef was on sale at the store.  Also, I had read an article about soaking roast beef in french onion soup (I can not remember where I read it, but I do admit is was not my idea) and I happened to come across gluten free french onion soup.  Got to love the Pacific brand!  So here we go...

You will need:
Roast beef of your choice.  I figure two slices per sandwich
Cheese of choice.  I got provolone.
Bread
French Onion soup.  I used the Pacific brand that comes in the cardboard box.

Simmer the roast beef and soup over low heat until the are both warm.  For me that is #3 on the stove setting for the same amount of time it takes Jeff to get home from school...about 30 minutes.  I assume you could also just heat the soup in the microwave and the let the beef soak in it for a few minutes, but time wasn't an issue for me.

Place 2 pieces of bread on a pan (or in your toaster oven) and top with the cheese.  Broil until melted and gooey.  Top with the soup soaked beef and serve with extra soup on the side for dipping.

That's what's for dinner!