Crock Pot Mac N Cheese!

I. LOVE. pasta. Any shape or size I am so there. It's quick and easy, plus it's a nice filling meal.

As if I needed any more help to adore oodles of noodles, some brilliant mind in history said- hey, lets go ahead and add some cheese this boring old pasta.

Um, yea. I'm in.

Lucky for this gluten free chica there are endless pastas made with alternative flours. As I have said in the past, I am a huge fan of Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta. (But let me tell you a secret- the cooking time on the package- HOLY OVER KILL BATMAN! Seriously. Cook it as you would traditional wheat pasta, about 9-10 minutes.)

They have just about every shape you could ever possibly need. Note to self- find some of their "grand shell pasta" to make stuffed shells with manicotti filling....

Please hold while I wipe the drool from my keyboard. ;)

Ok, back to that whole mac meets cheese business!

I saw this recipe over at A Whisk and A Prayer and knew it was going on the menu. We served it with grilled pork chops and a little tomato cucumber salad. The best part? Not heating up the kitchen baking this dish in the oven!

I did tweak it to make it a. gluten free and b. to give the cheddar flavor that we have come to expect when we have mac n cheese. It was a huge hit in our house. Give it a whirl and enjoy!

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

Gluten Free Version

1 1/2 cups 1% milk (I used Lactaid)

One 12 oz can evaporated fat free milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted, cooled to room temp

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups (6oz) shredded Italian blend cheese

1 1/2 cups (6oz) shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz gluten free elbow macaroni

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1/2 tsp paprika for color

1/4 cup gluten free panko bread crumbs seasoned with a pinch of garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

1 tsp olive oil Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta. Simmer for 4 minutes. (Yes, 4 minutes.) Drain well.

Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray. In the prepared crock pot, combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt whisking until until smooth. Add a dash of hot sauce if desired.

Add the shredded cheeses (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper and fold gently with a spatula to coat evenly. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and paprika on top.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. Turn off the heat.It will keep warm for quite a while even after being shut off. 

Just before serving, saute the seasoned bread crumbs with olive oil and sprinkled them over the top.

Linguine Carbonara with Veggies

When I am flying solo for suppers, I like one pot pasta meals.

Tonight, I got home from work and I was hungry. I wanted something filling and good for me. But I needed it done in a hurry (those baked sour cream & cheddar ruffles were calling my name...)

I decided on a classic. My mom used to make linguine carbonara when I was growing up. It's creamy, salty, and simple. Pasta, ham, cheese. Yea, there is nothing bad about this dish.

Veggies, pasta, and creamy Parmesan sauce.

In the last few years I have opted to load it up with veggies for a filling, healthy meal. I listed the combination of veggies I love the most. But whatever you have on hand will work. The low heat and hot pasta gently cook the egg without scrambling it. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!


Linguine Carbonara with Veggies
Serves 2

3 oz linguine (I use gf spaghetti)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 TBS fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
2 oz fully cooked, thin sliced ham. Sliced into strips

Add ins to taste-
cooked, chopped spinach
raw fresh mushrooms, sliced
diced fresh tomato
caramelized garlic and diced onion

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Immediately return to hot pan. Add the egg, parsley and cheese. Toss to evenly coat. Keep over low heat, add desired veggies and ham. Warm everything through.

Serve hot.

Oodles Of Noodles! (GF)

I've been feeling less than fabulous this week. A little sinus thing turned into a full on cold including laryngitis. Not fun for anyone.

When I don't feel well, I crave comfort foods. Chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese toasty (a grilled cheese sammy cut into 4 fingers OR into 4 triangles then arranged on the plate with the points facing like two cute little butterflies), mac and cheese. You know- gluten filled foods of doom...

So, I made an Asian chicken noodle soup. A beautiful chicken broth infused with garlic, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, and a little hot sauce. Add some diced chicken and rice noodles and your good to go. A big bowl of comfort filled with cold killers.

I toasted one of my cheesy buns so it got that toasty, nutty, cheesy flavor.

But I still wanted mac and cheese.  And then it hit me. I can make noodles! DUH. I've made my own pasta for years.

The challenge was finding a gluten free noodle recipe that had been reviewed by enough home cooks to be worthy of testing.

I found a recipe and made a small test batch. See:

Yummy GF egg noodles!

For my mac and cheese I simply cut smaller pieces about the size of skinny elbow macaroni. I simmered it in simmering salted water, drained it and dressed the pasta with homemade cheese sauce. Delicious.

It hit the spot. The flavors and textures were spot on. (Keep in mind homemade pasta is a little bit chewier than store bought.)  I was thrilled with the results.

I'm looking forward to playing with the flavors now- I'm thinking a sun dried tomato would be yummy. Or even a basil tomato... hmmm.... :)

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!


Egg Noodles
Makes 2 servings

1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 TBS oil*

Combine tapioca flour, corn starch, xanthan gum, and salt together in a small bowl.

Whisk together egg and oil. Pour into the flour mix. Stir to combine.

Dump out onto a clean counter top. Knead and work the dough for 1-2 minutes. (The dough will be stiff, just keep working it until it holds together)

Sprinkle the counter with a light dusting of corn starch. Roll the dough out as thin as you can possibly get it. Mine was almost transparent and still handled really well. Slice into desired shape (spaghetti, macaroni size, lasagna, etc)

Let air dry several hours and store in the freezer

OR

Prepare immediately:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Add a little oil to prevent sticking. Add pasta. Keep water at a low simmer. Cook pasta 10-12 minutes until done. Drain pasta well.

* Some of the recipes I saw called for 1 egg yolk in place of 1 TBS of oil. The choice is yours. I chose to use the oil this time.

Sandwich Buns

Oh. My. Goodness. Look at what I made! Cheesy sandwich buns. SO good.

See that nook of cheesy goodness on the right hand side? I could live in there and be happy. Just sayin'

Anyone who is gluten free can tell you, good quality bread is hard to come by.  I've been missing sandwiches with meat and veggies nestled between two happy slices of bread.

I scour the web every day looking for yummy recipes to feed my family. One day I found a gluten free bun made with 4 ingredients. Four.

Once again, I questioned every single cooking skill I possess. I mixed the ingredients up. Divided it into 8 chunks. And threw it in the oven. (I don't even pretend to understand how gluten free baking works, but by golly it does!)

Can I just say that these things smell fan-freaking-tastic. And the taste? Out of this world. They are soft, tender, and packed with flavor.

I will definitely always keep some of these on hand for meat sandwiches, hamburger buns, and whatever else my little heart desires!I can't wait to try new flavors with this basic recipe.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Brazilian Cheese Buns
From Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

1 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded cheddar or other hard cheese of your choice (I imagine pepper jack would be great)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the tapioca flour and baking powder.

Stir in cheese and eggs.

Mix together and knead the until a dough forms. (This is a wet, sticky dough. It will not be the same as a regular bread dough.)

Divide into 8 pieces.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until done, but not browned. You want these to be soft and tender.

Pepperoni Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

My girl, Lynn, over at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures makes a crust-less pepperoni quiche for her family. I knew I just had to try it.

So, I put it on the menu. And then I got distracted for a week or so. I went to Sam's Club with my mom and we got some dehydrated hash browns. She took half the giant container and I took the other half. As we were walking through the store, a thought occurred to her and she mentioned making a hash brown crust for the quiche.  Hmmm, that DOES sound delicious.

Today rolled around. I was tired (I had to be up at 4am for work today.) and it was hot (heat index of 109 at 5pm doesn't make you want to turn on the stove). But, Jon was set on trying this recipe tonight. So I made some modifications and gave it a try.

It turned out so great! It was yummy, filling, and made in the microwave. Perfect for a weeknight meal :)

Jon wants to have it again(always the mark of a good recipe) but with diced ham or thick cut bacon. Hmmm I think that could be arranged...

My thanks go out to Lynn for the inspiration on this one!

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!


Pepperoni Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (or 2 cups deyhdrated hash browns, rehydrated)
2 oz turkey pepperoni
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz skim milk
1 1/2 TBS corn starch
3 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp each- onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning

Brown hash browns in a skillet or griddle sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Press gently into the bottom of a large prepared casserole dish (microwave safe).

Beat together milk, eggs, corn starch, and seasonings.

Layer pepperoni over the hash browns. Top with 2/3 of the cheese. Pour egg mixture over all. Top with remaining cheese.

Microwave, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes until the edges are slightly brown and the egg is set.

Let cool 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa if desired.

Sausage and Corn Frittata

Things have been crazy around this house lately. Cr-a-z-y.  Between work, family, being sick, and battling ants, I've been a little on the slow side when it comes to posting. I do hope to get back to blogging more soon.

Let me just say- no one warned me about the bajillions of ants that inhabit the south. And yes, I am pretty sure that is a real statistic... Since much of the soil here seems to be sand, the ants love it. And, they really enjoy trying to squeeze into my house through even the tiniest, tiniest, most indistinguishable pinholes they can find. It's been an ongoing battle. People assure me it's not my fault (my kitchen and house are spotless) the little buggers will try to find some water and food, particularly when there is a big drought. So, until the rains come, I will just keep washing the ants down the drain. Sigh. Can someone send some rain my way  please?

Because I need to eat to keep my warrior-like strength for doing battle (LOL) I decided to try a new cooking light recipe. I settled on a 5 ingredient frittata dish. Doesn't it look delicious?

It was just what we were looking for. I served it with toast and orange juice. A complete breakfast for supper. :)

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Smoked Sausage & Corn Frittata
Serves 4
174 calories per serving 

Cooking spray 
4 ounces smoked turkey sausage, quartered lengthwise and diced 
1 1/2 cups frozen shoepeg white corn, thawed 
1 large egg  plus 4 large egg whites 
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese*
1/4-1/2 tsp dry thyme

 Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in corn, reduce heat to medium-low.

Combine egg and egg whites in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over sausage mixture. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until almost set. 

Remove pan from heat; sprinkle evenly with cheese and herbs. Cover and let stand 2 minutes.Cut into wedges.

* I used smoked gouda cheese in place of the cheddar

Taters!

I love potatoes. They are very versatile. I've had them boiled, broiled, crinkle cut, grilled, baked, sauteed, mashed... oops I should stop, I'm doing that Bubba Gump thing again, sorry.

One thing I hadn't ever had was potato latkes.

Ok, why was someone keeping these from me?

Potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil- really can anything be bad about this?! Um, no.

They were super good. Jon wasn't nearly as impressed as I was, he said the seasoning needs some adjusting. To be fair, they do need some very small tweaks that I will take care of when I make them again. (They need more onion and garlic for our tastes, we are also going to add some season salt. No big deal.)

To my Northern friends- stay warm tonight and be sure to throw an extra log on the fire!

One last random side note: through the power of modern technology, I got to watch two beautiful black bear cubs be born today. I've been following Lily and Hope (along with the rest of the North American Bear Center) since last year. January of 2010 was a historic month for Lily. She gave birth to Hope on a live webcam. This was the first time the miracle of birth for a wild black bear had been captured on film in a black bear's den out in her natural environment. And now, one year later (the day before Hope's 1 year birthday) we watched Lily give birth once again. What will we learn this time around? I am excited to find out :)

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Two Potato Latkes
Serves 4 (2 latkes)
256 calories per serving

2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup grated fresh onion
1 lb shredded peeled baking potato
1/2 lb shredded peeled sweet potato
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Green onion strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Drizzle a jelly-roll pan evenly with oil, tilting pan to coat.

Combine grated onion and potatoes in a sieve; squeeze out excess moisture.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine potato mixture, flour, and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl.

Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, squeezing out excess liquid. Shape each
portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty; place on prepared pan.

Lightly coat tops of patties with cooking spray.

Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 30 minutes or until lightly browned, turning every 10 minutes.

Garnish with green onion strips, if desired.

Huevos Rancheros Redux

I LOVE huevos rancheros. I have posted about them previously.

The recipe came from my cooking light every day favorites cookbook, so we got to have them again!

We've always had them with feta or cheddar cheese. But, since we are following the recipes, we used queso fresco. It was a great way to introduce a new ingredient into my culinary repertoire, something we know with something we don't.

Guess what, it's fantastic. It's creamy and slightly sweet. It lends a beautiful cooling property to the spicy egg dish. We have a few other recipes coming up that use queso fresco so I am interested to see if I feel the same using it in other culinary applications.

This is the picture from the cookbook(I was too busy eating to take pictures of these guys)

Wanna know what else I was up to today? Home made tater tots. Yea. I did that. Jon said to me, you can do that?! Yes, yes you can. Well, I can can rather. He just ate them :)

Aren't they cute?


So, today you get a two-fer: tator tot recipe and huevos rancheros recipe.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Home Made Tator Tots
Makes about 30 tots

3 medium yellow flesh potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium red skin potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 (heaping)TBS flour
season salt and pepper to taste (be a little heavy on your seasoning as it mellows a bit when baking)
1/2 cup very well crushed corn flakes
melted butter

Start potatoes in cool water. Bring to a simmer. Boil the potatoes until just about done, 18 minutes or so. Slightly under cooked is best in this case.

Using a hand masher or sturdy fork, mash- LEAVE LUMPS! You need these for texture. You don't want super big chunks, but you do want a fair amount of smallish lumps.

Season well. Stir in flour.

Form into tot shapes. Dip in melted butter and roll in corn flake crumbs.

Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 400 for about 12-15 minutes until golden.

Huevos Rancheros with Queso Fresco
Serves 4
330 calories per

1 (10 oz) can rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce (we use mild)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley*
1 TBS fresh lime juice
2 TBS water
1 (15.5oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese

Combine the tomatoes and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and juice. Set aside.

Place water and beans in a microwave-safe bowl, and partially mash with a fork. Cover and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until hot.

In a dry non-stick skillet, warm each tortilla over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.

Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Add eggs; cook 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness. (we like ours over easy)

Spread about 1/3 cup beans over each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1 egg. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce around each egg; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese.

*Original recipe uses cilantro

New Breakfast Sammy!

I got Jon to agree to my crazy cook everything in one cookbook idea.

There are some exceptions we've both agreed to: if I am allergic to it, it's not happening as written. (sorry kids, cilantro and avocados are not my friends) I will try to use a comparable substitute when possible and will list the original ingredient when/if I post a recipe.

If we don't like it, I am not wasting my time posting it. This blog turned into my virtual recipe box so I only want things we like in it :)

Also, we are omitting the beverages section(alcoholic and nonalcoholic alike). We are sticking to solid foods only.

We've agreed to try everything, even if we've had a not so great encounter previously (figs...).

The goal is try new foods and expand our horizons. (Besides, it's all pretty healthy muahaha!)

Everybody got the idea? Good, moving on.

So, I really wanted to try this ham and cheese sammy that has mango chutney. The problem? I don't have any mango chutney.

Hmmm. I do have cranberry relish though. That's sort of similar. Sort of. (My girl Kate is laughing at me, I can feel it from here)

Well, I tried it.

I make a breakfast sammy similar to this one, but was intrigued with the idea of adding a sweet element. The sweet and savory combo works so well!

Give it a whirl!

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Ham & Cheese English Muffin with Relish
241 calories
1 serving

1 Thomas Better start English muffin
1/3 cup Egg Beaters original *
3 slices Land O Frost ham lunch meat
1/8 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
5 sprays Parkay butter spray
salt and pepper or Janes crazy mixed up salt
2 tsp cranberry-orange relish *

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray.

Mix butter spray, egg beaters, and seasoning together.

Pour into a preheated skillet over medium heat. Gently scramble the egg pulling it into itself to make a shape similar to the English muffin. Flip to finish cooking.

OR pour the egg beaters into a round, sprayed cookie cutter. Flip halfway through.

Split and toast English muffin.

Sprinkle half the English muffin with cheese. Top with egg.

Warm meat through in the skillet. Place on the egg. Spread relish over the egg. Top with top half of English muffin.

Serve.

* Written recipe calls for 1 large egg and mango chutney.

The mystery that is my husband

We've discussed this many times, Jon-boy claims he doesn't do hot dishes.

And yet, he continues to ask me to save and make recipes that are hot dishes! He definitely keeps me guessing.

Tonight we had a jumble of ingredients that I somehow managed to make into a meal. Jon took the first bite and said to me, "Save this recipe, I don't know what you did, but save it. It's so good!" Well, good thing I have a good memory! ;)

So, here's to the mystery boy.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!


Quick Chicken & Pasta Skillet
Serves 4
277 calories per serving

9 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast- diced
3 cups dry rigatoni pasta
1/4-1/3 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBS olive oil
1 very large tomato, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Simmer pasta until al dente. Drain.

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is almost done, 7-10 minutes.

Add dry Italian seasoning, diced tomato, and chicken broth. Simmer, uncovered 10 minutes.

Add tomato sauce. Toss in drained pasta.

Stir in fresh parsley.

Top with shredded cheese. Cover the skillet to melt the cheese. Leave covered for about 5 minutes before serving to allow the pasta to finish cooking through in the sauce. Serve hot.

Move over McDonalds!

When I was a kid and we'd go on long trips out of town, we would swing through a drive through on the way out. It was a treat just a few times a year, as fast food is meant to be.

When we'd go for breakfast on those out of town trips I always looked forward an egg mcmuffin sandwich.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of nutritional value in these little guys. I needed a solution. Enter Becca's kitchen. :)

Quick and easy, my version is low fat, high fiber, and just as delicious as the inspiration. Jon and I love these for a quick breakfast on the go.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Breakfast Egg Sammy
Serves 1
219 calories

1 Thomas Better Start English muffin (8 grams fiber per muffin)
1/3 cup Egg Beaters original
3 slices Land O Frost turkey breast lunch meat
1/8 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
5 sprays Parkay butter spray
salt and pepper or Jane's crazy mixed up salt

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray.

Mix butter spray, egg beaters, and seasoning together.

Pour into a preheated skillet over medium heat. Gently scramble the egg pulling it into itself to make a shape similar to the english muffin. Flip to finish cooking.

OR pour the egg beaters into a round, sprayed cookie cutter. Flip halfway through.

Split and toast english muffin.

Sprinkle half the english muffin with cheese. Top with egg.

Warm meat through in the skillet. Place on the egg. Top with top half of english muffin.


Bacon, egg, cheese sammy
Serves 1
254 calories

1 Thomas Better start English muffin
1/3 cup Egg Beaters original
2 slices turkey bacon, pan fried and cut half
1 (2%) American cheese single
5 sprays Parkay butter spray
salt and pepper or Jane's crazy mixed up salt

Spray a small skillet with cooking spray.

Mix butter spray, egg beaters, and seasoning together.

Pour into a preheated skillet over medium heat. Gently scramble the egg pulling it into itself to make a shape similar to the english muffin. Flip to finish cooking.

OR pour the egg beaters into a round, sprayed cookie cutter. Flip halfway through.

Split and toast english muffin.

Sprinkle half the english muffin with cheese. Top with egg. Place crispy bacon on the egg. Top with top half of english muffin.

Quick Quiche

So, as you all know from my last post I am using what is in the cupboards for meals.

Well, today was rough day for me. I am working on passing another kidney stone, boo. While the pain was in a temporary lull I decided to make dinner. A feat I am told was rather comical to watch... (Yes, Jon was my supervision so I didn't do anything silly.)

I stood in front of the fridge and got this genius idea to make a veggie quiche. We had egg beaters, a pie crust, leftover broccoli, and diced onion. I added a few extra things and threw it in the oven. Jon gave me the thumbs up to keep this one. Maybe it was because I was really hungry, but I thought it was fantastic ;)

Just a side note to all my friends watching your cholesterol- this dish only has 34mg of cholesterol per serving. Egg beaters are an amazing substitute that allows for enjoyment of breakfast dishes such as quiche. The texture and flavor match that of a "real egg." I do suggest sticking with the name brand on this though. I didn't particularly care for the generic brands of other egg substitutes I've tried.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Quick Quiche
Serves 6-8
147 calories for 8 servings
197 calories for 6 servings

1 frozen pie crust, thawed
1 cup egg beaters, original flavor
1 whole fresh egg
3 TBS low fat buttermilk
3/4 cup steamed, chopped broccoli
3 oz Farmland 95% fat free diced ham
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray or 5-7 sprays of Parkay spray butter. Saute onion and ham. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli. Evenly distribute in the unbaked pie crust.

Sprinkle pie filling with half the cheese.

Beat together egg beaters, 1 egg, buttermilk, salt and pepper. Pour over filling.

Top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

*Helpful Hint: I usually cover the pie crust fluted edges with some aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil for the remaining 10 minutes. This prevents the crust from getting to dark.

It's a two-fer

Yep, it's a two-fer day. As in two recipes for one blog entry, yay!

Today was super dry out. It was the perfect day to make chocolate meringue cookies! These little cookies are light, airy, and super chocolaty. They definitely satisfy my chocolate cravings.

I also made pan fried pork chops:

I made dinner. Plated everything up. And then, I waited for Jon to give his opinion.

He stopped eating.

I asked if they were bad.

He just looked at me.

What?! Talk about keeping me in suspense.

He said to me, completely stone faced, "Can we have these again, tomorrow and for the rest of the week?"

Well my answer was no, it was clear that these were winners.

So here they are for your enjoyment as well.

Onto the next challenge of the day: convincing a 24 pound cat (we are fairly certain he is just a furry miniature walrus) that kennel time is fun for extended periods of time in the car. Also, convincing Jon that Charlie will NOT comply with wearing a harness and leash... This could be a comical few weeks.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Chocolate Meringue Cookies*
Makes approximately 30 cookies
18 calories per

6 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1 /2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate cocoa
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use the Silicone Baking Mats to prevent the cookies from sticking.

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and sugar together; set aside.

In a large glass bowl using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy/frothy. While beating to the frothy stage, add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract. After reaching the frothy stage, add the cocoa/sugar mixture 1 tablespoons at a time while continuing beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake 90 minutes; turn off the oven, open the door slightly and allow cookies to cool in the oven. Remove from oven and store in a tightly covered (airtight) container.

* Do not try to make these on a humid day. They won't set right. They will get sticky and soft. And that isn't what you want in a meringue cookie.


Panko Breaded Pork Chops
Serves 4
265 calories per

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
16 oz pork tenderloin
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 TBS unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil

Cut tenderloin into 4 even pieces. Butterfly each piece so it is thin and flat. Brush both sides of the tenderloin pieces with mustard.

Mix bread crumbs, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Dredge pork in crumb mixture.

Melt butter and olive oil together. Pan fry pork until done, about 7 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your tenderloin.

Serve immediately.

Breakfast on the go

Work for me means early mornings. I need a filling breakfast to keep me going strong. The catch? I don't like to eat right when I wake up. So I need things I can eat on the fly that will stay with me to keep me satisfied.

I came up with a breakfast "hot pocket" that can be made a head of time and quickly reheated in the microwave. They've become a fast favorite for my husband who sometimes misses a big sit down breakfast.

These little bundles are very versatile, you can put whatever fillings you like in them. Think omelet wrapped in bread...Dever omelet, Philly cheese steak omelet, mushroom, feta cheese, and spinach omelet, the combinations are endless. Bacon is Jon's favorite so that is where the original recipe came from. Be creative!

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Breakfast To Go
Serves 4
400 calories per

4 Large Eggs
8 slices turkey bacon
2 oz good quality cheddar cheese (I like Cabot)
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust

Pan fry bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool.

Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray. Scramble and cook eggs until just set. Season with garlic salt and pepper.

Cut bacon into bite size pieces. Stir into eggs. Add cheese. Gently combine.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pat pizza crust into a large rectangle (about 11 x13) Cut into 4 smaller rectangles.

Evenly distribute egg mixture among the four rectangles. Fold dough over the filling, be sure to seal all the edges on the four pockets. Poke a small air vent on the top of each pocket to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Peasy

Sometimes I want a super easy meal. A lot of times that means meatless. I am a big fan of Boca products, particularly Boca Chik'n patties. They are super versatile. You can eat them alone, on a bun as a sandwich, or diced up as a healthy chicken replacement.

Jon is a big pizza fan. We make pita pizzas at home so that we can each make whatever type we want.

Basically it is just pita, sauce, and toppin's. Jon's favorite basic pizza is pepperoni, bacon, and green bell pepper. Mine is mushroom and diced ham.

First I will outline the basic steps for making pita pizzas, then I will offer up some different combinations.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Pita Pizzas
Basic directions

Pita bread rounds- whole wheat work really well for this recipe
sauce
toppings of choice- these need to be cooked through, you are just warming them up

Preheat the broiler in an oven to 450 degrees. If you have electric oven, leave the door cracked to keep the element on.

Place pitas directly on the rack. Keep and eye on the pitas and lightly brown one side of the pita. Remove from oven with tongs being careful not to tear the pitas.

Flip pita over so the soft side is up. Place toppings on the pita. Broil until toppings are warmed through and cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. To do this step, you can use a pizza peel or slide them onto a baking sheet. Cut into 4 wedges.

You can also do these on a grill: preheat grill to medium high heat. Follow the same procedure- crisp up one side. Flip, top and return to grill. Close the lid in order to melt the cheese and warm through.

Here are some of our "fancy" pitas:

Philly Pita: light Alfredo sauce, thin sliced steak(leftover is great), sauteed onion and bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, and mozzarella.

Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pita: light Alfredo sauce, grilled chicken pieces, crumbled bacon, fresh spinach, canned artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, and a smidgen of mozzarella.

Hot Chik'n Pita: spread a wedge of light laughing cow cheese over pita. Cook and dice a Boca Chik'n patty then coat in Franks Hot wing Sauce, sprinkle over pita. Top with a cheddar and mozzarella mix. Drizzle with ranch and additional hot sauce if desired when done cooking.

Garden Pita: No sauce! chopped canned artichoke hearts, chopped sun dried or fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese. Top with fresh spring greens (toss in a balsamic/olive oil/coarse ground mustard vinegrette). Fresh baby basil is awesome on this.

BBQ Chik'n Pita: BBQ sauce, cooked and diced Boca Chik'n patty, sauteed onion, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. (Leftover pulled pork is good instead of chik'n for a BBQ pork pita)

Seafood Pita: light Alfredo sauce, chopped shrimp, imitation crab meat, Italian seasoning, fresh diced tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Chicken Cordon Blue Pita: light Alredo sauce, diced ham, diced chicken, shredded Swiss cheese. Finish with fresh chopped chives.

Mexican Pita: cheddar cheese, taco meat, sauteed onion, bell pepper. Once you cooked the pizza, top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sweet banana peppers, drizzle with sour cream that has been thinned out slightly with skim milk.

Breakfast Pita: Spread a wedge of light laughing cow cheese on the pita. Top with scrambled egg, diced ham, bacon, or sausage, sauteed onion and bell pepper, and a smidgen of mozzarella. Top with fresh, diced tomato when finished cooking.

Adam's Pizza Pita: red sauce, turkey pepperoni, canned corn (drained well), mozzarella. No joke, this pizza is super good!

Mushroom and Ham Pita: Spread a wedge of tomato basil mozzarella Laughing Cow Light cheese over your pita. Top with sauteed ham and onion. Dice an artichoke heart(packed in water, drained well) and sprinkle over ham. Slice some fresh mushrooms and spread evenly over all. Top with a little mozzarella.

Feed the birds bread, whad-da-ya get?

Feed the birds bread, whad-da-ya get? Fat birds!--From the movie Mary Poppins

I don't know why, but that tickled my funny tonight.

OK, so back to business. Went on vacation. We all knew that.

On vacation I got re-motivated, is that a word? Re-motivated...At any rate. I got re-motivated to follow my sparkpeople program. I have been following it closely along with at least 30 minutes of wii fit plus.

My husband also got motivated. By my dad and my brother.

They both have plans they are following, similar to mine: Dad is watching what he eats and does the wii fit plus everyday along with his daily walk. Adam is watching what he eats and goes running.

Jon and my dad became very competitive at the wii fit games. So, the competition lives on! Now that we are home we know some of the numbers to beat. Talk about motivation :)

Mom had a cookbook that she rarely used, Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook, 3rd Edition. She told me I could have it if I could fit it into my luggage. If I had to mail my clothes back, that book was coming home. And it did, as did all my clothes. I am in love with this cookbook!

Tonight we had "ham and potato scramble" from that cookbook. I added some veggies and reduced the cheese. It was great! Jon gave it his seal of approval as well.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Ham and Potato Scramble
Serves 4
232 calories per serving

8 beaten eggs*
2-3 TBS water
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 TBS country crock margarine spread
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup shredded hash browns
1/2 cup diced, extra lean, ham
1/2 ripe Roma tomato, diced
1 oz mild cheddar cheese, shredded

In a skillet melt margarine. Add hash browns, onion, bell pepper, black pepper, garlic, and ham. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Keep warm.

Spray the skillet with cooking spray. Mix water into eggs. Add eggs to skillet and scramble until soft set.

Fold in hash brown mixture. Add in tomatoes. Top with cheese.

Serve immediately.

* You can replace the 8 eggs with 16oz of egg beaters or similar refrigerated egg product.

Beach Bum in January

My husband and I went on vacation to Florida and Georgia. It was fantastic. But, as my mom said, "The genie is out of the bottle, you can't put it back in now!"

I want to live where it's not negative 40 degrees in the winter. I want to live where it is nice year round, but the seasons still change.

I am thinking somewhere southeast coastal or southeast mountain-y. Anyone know where I might find this happy paradise?! If you know, let me know!

I have loads to write about, but for now, I will leave you with two things: A picture of my parents, myself, and my brother wandering on the beach. And a recipe for shrimp fried rice.

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Shrimp Fried Rice
Serves 4
225 calories per serving

1 cup cooked rice
12 oz cooked shrimp, tails removed
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1/4 cup diced onion
3 eggs
1/2 TBS soy sauce

Spray a wok or large skillet with cooking spray. Saute mixed veggies and onion until soft and slightly caramelized.

Meanwhile, cut shrimp into bite sized pieces.

Add cooked rice and shrimp to veggies. Toss well.

Remove from pan. Spray wok/skillet with cooking spray. Lightly scramble egg.

Toss with veggies and rice.

Mix in soy sauce. Serve hot.

Upside down and backwards

Jon often works a different schedule from me. So, a lot of the time, I am ready for dinner but he is ready for breakfast or lunch. The other day he requested on his favorites that would please us both: breakfast pizza.

Like most pizzas, this one is very versatile. Think of this recipe as more of a basic idea and fit it to your personal tastes. It can be as healthy or naughty as you make it. So have fun!


Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend! Cheers!

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza
(Listed with Jon's favorite toppings)
Makes 6 servings

1 (8oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls, reduced fat
6 links sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup diced ham
1 1/2 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1/2 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 whole eggs or 4 egg whites
3 TBS skim milk
fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Unroll crescent dough and place on a lightly sprayed, shallow, 8x8 pan. Press seams together. Gently press dough partially up sides of pan to form a crust. Set aside.

In a skillet, brown sausage, ham, and onion over medium heat; drain well and cool slightly.

Sprinkle crust evenly with hash browns. Then meat mixture.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and pepper; pour over pizza.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into 6 pieces.

Turkey Day:Take Two

I had the pleasure of hosting Thanksgiving with my family Saturday. The food turned out wonderful, and company was even better. We had loads of leftovers, just the way I like it!

I came up with a few different recipes to use up my leftovers. I made traditional turkey noodle soup, but I also created some recipes for cranberry relish muffins and individual breakfast bake. My husband calls the breakfast bake a "mini feast in a bowl."

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Cranberry Relish Muffins
Makes 1 dozen

1/2 cup cranberry relish
1 3/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 C. sugar

Sift together the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt.

Combine the egg, milk and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, and stir until moistened.

Gently fold in cranberry relish. Do not mix in entirely. You want to have streaks of relish running through your muffins.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, dip tops into melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.


Individual Breakfast Bake aka Mini Feast in a Bowl
Makes 4 servings

1 cup leftover stuffing*
1 cup leftover mashed potatoes
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs

Lightly spray 4 small ramekins with cooking spray.

Layer into each ramekin 1/4 cup of stuffing and 1/4 cup potatoes. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly fry eggs until over-easy.

Remove ramekins from oven.Top with cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted. Serve with fried egg on top.

*I shred a small amount of turkey meat into my stuffing when I make it. Another option is to finely chop some turkey meat and layer it between your stuffing and potatoes.

A day of new things

So I am always on the lookout for healthy, but oh so tasty treats. I found two new things this weekend.

The first couldn't be any more simple. Creamed Honey. That's it. Raw, unprocessed honey. Betterbee.com describes what creamed honey is best:

"Creamed honey is controlled granulation of honey which results in extremely small sugar crystals. The smaller the crystals the better the creamed honey. A good creamed honey should be smooth, not grainy, like velvet on the tongue. "

It's great on toast. But my favorite way to eat this simple treat? On a spoon. Yep. Just straight up honey. While at Tall Timber Days this weekend (a local festival celebrating the history of logging and mill work) I found a vendor from southern MN who sold about 15 varieties of honey. Creamed honey was new to me,but became an instant favorite.

Below is a photo of Jon and I waiting for the parade to start. That yellow circle on Jon's shirt is a sticker that says" I love you honey" and has a little bumble bee. Very cute, we got them from the honey vendor. They had a display with live bees making honey. It was really neat to see them working up so close.




Another flavor sensation I've newly discovered is Shrimp Pad Thai. I saw a show all about it on the travel channel one day and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I found a recipe in my cooking light cook book. I will most definitely be eating it again. :)

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friend. Cheers!

Shrimp Pad Thai
Serves 3-4 hungry folks

6 ounces wide rice stick noodles
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
12 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato sauce
dry roasted, unsalted peanuts

Place noodles in a large bowl. Add hot water to cover; let stand 12 minutes or until tender.
Drain.

Combine ketchup, sugar,oyster sauce, tomato sauce and pepper in a small bowl.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm.

Heat 4 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Add sprouts, green onions, carrots, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add sauce.

Toss in noodles and shrimp. Sprinkle with peanuts to garnish.