Easy Naan and Jerusalem Artichoke Hummus

Greetings and Salutations! What a wild year March has been! I took a break from the normal days of hand washing and staring out the window at squirrels to celebrate my birthday.

35, when did THAT happen!?

MMMMM my traditional Angel Food Cake! This year I had blueberry sauce drizzled over the top.

As we are deep into shelter in place, curfews, and general lockdown status, I was afraid my birthday would be a bust. My fantastic parents who live within an hours drive of me offered to have me spend the night and celebrate as a family. I went from my house to their house and we stayed put. We played Rummikub, cooked, investigated a woodpecker nest in the yard, and simply enjoyed spending time together. As simple as it was, it was incredibly special. I am blessed to have the family I do.

So! Now, another year wiser I am continuing my kitchen adventures. My mom gets a misfits market produce box regularly and this time she got the MADNESS box. That's 22 lbs of fresh fruits and veg y'all. She split it with me and so I have ingredients I've never even looked at twice. (I was NOT sad she offered to share her bounty with me! Thanks, Mom!)

First test? Jerusalem Artichokes. I had no idea what they were or how they tasted. I had heard of them along my kitchen adventures, but that was the extent of it. Fun fact- Jerusalem Artichokes and Sunchokes are one in the same! Whatever you call them, they are yummy.

Jerusalem Artichoke AKA Sunchokes are a root vegetable

After I did some research, I found they are a quite versatile little root vegetable. I decided to make a hummus with them. After roasting, the skins peel off very easily and they smell just like artichokes. Word to the wise- they do cause some, uh, flatulence, so maybe don't serve this at a fancy pants dinner... But the flavor is well worth it! The longer it sits, the more artichoke flavor comes out.

Mmmmm creamy, artichoke-y, lemony hummus

After I made the hummus I realized I need a vehicle to eat said hummus. I found a super easy recipe for yeast free Naan and made some alterations to fit my needs. I will never buy store bought Naan ever again! This is so easy and the flavor is so much better!

Warm, soft Naan!

I hope you are all staying healthy! Go have your own kitchen adventure. Its a perfect time to experiment.

Cheers!

Jerusalem Artichoke Hummus

3-4 medium Jerusalem Artichokes
1 (15oz) can of garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS parsley
salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Wash artichokes well. Wrap in a parchment paper pouch, and place in a baking dish, seam sides down. (you can use foil for this if you choose) Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until very soft. Let cool.

Once the artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins.

Place the flesh in a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. You may need to add some water if too thick. Add 1-2 TBS at a time, pulse the mix to slowly incorporate.

Serve with fresh naan or pita chips.



Easy Naan Bread

Makes 6 small flat breads


1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 scant teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon milk
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup plain sour cream


Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium large bowl.

In a microwave safe container, melt butter. Add milk and return to microwave. Heat until warmed through, do not allow to boil or get overly hot.

Add sour cream and stir into warm milk until smooth.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in sour cream mixture. Stir gently until the ingredients come together.

Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl to form a soft ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. You may need to add flour as you go. Dough will be soft! DON'T OVER WORK!

Let the dough rest for ½ hour on a lightly-floured surface and put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it. The longer the dough rests, the softer it gets and the easier it will roll out.

Split dough into 6 equal parts, shape each into a ball and roll out.

Rotate the dough-disk while rolling, and flip it over occasionally. Sprinkle with flour every now and then, so it will not stick to your rolling pin or surface. You want your disks to be about 1/8 inch thick.

Preheat skillet or griddle to medium high heat. Do not add any oil or fats.

Gently transfer your naan to the cook top you are using. Cook until bubbles have formed on top and the bottom side gets lightly nicely browned. Then flip, and cook until done, about 1 minute.

When each nann bread is cooked, rest it between two clean kitchen towels or in a lefse cozy, keeping them warm while baking the rest. As you add each completed naan, flip and rotate the resting breads to allow steam to keep working its way through the breads. This keeps the breads nice and soft!

Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Chicken Hoisin Buns of deliciousness!

I don't have a lot to say about these. Mostly because my mouth is full. It's a little mini party in my mouth!

These mini bundles are a twist on traditional Chinese steamed buns aka dim sum (Which I also think is some kind of wonderful...)

These are sweet and savory. They are warm and soft with a hint of crunch from the sesame seeds. Bottom line, they are really tasty.

And, unbelievably simple to make!

Serve these guys up with soup or a salad for a complete meal.

Go, go to your kitchen and whip up a batch. Trust me, your family will love you. ;)

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

Chicken Hoisin Buns
Makes 9
143 calories per

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 1/2 TBS hoisin sauce
1 TBS oyster sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
9 frozen white roll dough pieces, thawed over night in the fridge
1 large egg, lightly beaten*
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Cool slightly; shred meat with 2 forks. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add green onions, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and vinegar; toss well to combine.

Roll each dough piece into a 4-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture into center of each dough circle. Gather edges of dough over filling; pinch to seal. Place the filled dough, seam sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat filled dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.**

Preheat oven to 375°.

Uncover filled dough. Gently brush with egg; discard remaining egg. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.


* I used Egg Beaters original
** I was impatient and omitted the 20 minute rise. They still puffed up beautifully.

Summer Lovin'

I have posted variations on gyros in previous posts. Such as my gyro burgers and my gyro inspired meatballs.

Last night we had gyros from the CLP. They were pretty close kids! Some day we will actually do the meat on a spit like it's traditionally prepared. One thing we learned- lamb is key to the right flavor. Seriously. We've tried other variations that omit the lamb, it's just not the same.

Now, this recipe wasn't quite perfection, we are getting closer though!

I've done some additional searching on gyro meat. Most recipes call for baking it a water bath. I haven't tried this technique yet, so that's the next thing to try on our at home gyro quest.

We decided to have home made baked beans last night too. They were definitely delicious. Jon said they were in his top recipes we've had so far. Not to shabby :)

So, we've had a taste of summer fare in March. Yep, I think it's gonna be a great season of food.

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

Gyros
Serves 4
375 calories per

1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces ground lamb
6 ounces ground sirloin
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper


Sauce:
1 cup peeled shredded cucumber
1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
1 TBS chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 (8-ounce) carton plain fat-free yogurt or sour cream

4 pitas


Preheat broiler.

To prepare loaves, combine first 8 ingredients, stirring well. Divide mixture in half, forming each half into a 6 x 3-inch loaf. Place each loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 7 minutes on each side or until done.

Sprinkle loaves with red pepper. Cut each loaf crosswise into 1/8-inch slices.

To prepare sauce, place cucumber and onion onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes.

Combine cucumber mixture, mint, and next 5 ingredients (mint through yogurt), stirring well. Divide meat slices evenly among pitas; top each serving with about 1/4 cup sauce



Boston Baked Beans (slow cooker)
Serves 10
140 calories per

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup real maple syrup
2 TBS light brown sugar
2 TBS molasses
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp all spice
1/8 tsp ground ginger
3 (15oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
4 bacon slices, uncooked and chopped

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook low 5 hours.

Note- these really need to be done on low to get the best flavor and color. Don't try to do them on high for a reduced cooking time, it's just not the same.

Pot Stickers

I happen to love pot stickers.

In fact, this is the second time this week we've had them for supper. The first round was the much loved turkey pot sticker (which by the way is also a CLP recipe) and today, well, today was just fabulous. Shrimp and pork pot stickers with a tangy ginger dipping sauce.

I fell in love with these bite size filled dumplings all over again.

I think it would be so fun to have a little dinner party and serve pot stickers, pork buns, rice noodles, and other fun Asian dishes. Yum.

I told Jon I really need to stay away from the 10 for $10 bins at work- we have a delightful selection of bamboo mats, chop sticks, sauce bowls, and other themed decor items that would complete my party plan. Anyone want to come over for dinner?! ;)

Spring has arrived in my humble kitchen. It's been a lovely 70 degrees accompanied by plenty of sunshine for the last few days. The windows are open letting in the fresh air, my bones finally feel warm, and my skin is starting to look, um, less Northern.

I spent the afternoon reading a book in the sunshine and listening to birds I have yet to identify sing beautiful songs. It was heavenly.

God is good. All the time.

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

Shrimp & Pork Pot stickers
Serves 8
150 calories per serving

1 cup chopped napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
Dash of white pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 pound lean ground pork
1/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
24 round wonton wrappers or gyoza skins
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
Green onion strips (optional)

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover the remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon filling into the center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with water. Fold in half, pinching the edges together to seal. Holding the sealed edges of the pot sticker between the thumb and first two fingers of each hand, form 3 to 4 pleats along the seal. Place dumpling, seam side up, on a platter. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers to form 24 pot stickers.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet.

Arrange 12 pot stickers in the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn dumplings; add 1/4 cup broth. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings. Serve with tangy ginger sauce.


Tangy Ginger Sauce
Makes 1/2 cup
11 cal per TBS

1/4 cup peeled, diced tomato
1/8 cup chopped green onion
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/8 cup lime juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped*
3/4 TBS sugar
1 clove garlic, minced


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk until sugar dissolves.

* I used a little Franks Hot Sauce instead

We have stir fry

Jon loves Korean stir fry. This is no big secret at our house.

This recipe is very similar, only with less steps and less work.

Jon gave this recipe a 9 out of 10. That means it was amazing in his universe. :)

Also no big secret- I detest oyster sauce. Seriously. My mom eats it on green beans. Why she feels the need to kill perfectly good green beans is beyond me.

BUT.

I have to admit, it was fantastic in tonight's stir fry recipe.

The best part of this recipe is you probably have most of the ingredients already. I say most because, well, I don't know many people that keep oyster sauce on hand(myself included- Thanks for the oyster sauce, Mom!).

With that I give you- beef and broccoli lo mein. Enjoy!

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

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
Serves 6
327 cal per

8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp peanut oil (olive oil works fine too)
1 TBS minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped broccoli*
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 1/4 lb flank steak, trimmed and cut across the grain into long, thin strips
4 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS oyster sauce
1 TBS Franks hot sauce OR your favorite chili paste

Cook pasta according to package directions omit any oil, drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat.

While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes.

Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done.

Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

* Frozen broccoli works really well for this recipe. Throw it in directly from the freezer, just be sure to drain any excess liquid before adding the steak.

Chimichanga Challenge

My dad used to work for a radio station in northern MN. Part of his show was the "Chimichanga Challenge."

He'd ask a question from our trivial pursuit game and the caller with the right answer won a free chimichanga from a local Tex-Mex joint.

Want an example? Here's a card from the set he used to use:
This was an actual challenge- before the Internet was born and gave you the answer 3 seconds later. You had to actually know something about history...

Every time I hear the word "chimichanga" I always think of the challenge.

Well there was no challenge, there were chimichangas at our house for supper last night. They were delicious!

Yum! We had them with red salsa and sour cream. They are supposed to be served with green salsa, unfortunately the second ingredient in every single jar of green salsa we looked at is cilantro. No go for this girl.

Jon and I both loved them- in fact, Jon gave them a 9 1/2 out of 10. He said the only thing that will ever be worthy of a 10 is grilled rib eye-medium well. At least he's honest. :)

Typically chimichangas are deep fried, but this lighter version bakes them instead. I for one, didn't miss the grease.

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

Chicken Chimichangas
Serves 6
250 calories per

2 1/2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup(4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup fat-free refried beans
6 taco size flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Optional (not included in calorie count) red or green salsa and light sour cream

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well.

Spread 2 TBS beans down center of each tortilla.

Top each tortilla with 1/6 of the chicken mixture; roll up. Place rolls, seam sides down, on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Coat tops of chimichangas with cooking spray.

Bake at 500° for 7 minutes.

Serve with salsa and sour cream 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

Southern Lefse

I am Norwegian. Very Norwegian. Have you seen my profile picture? Skin the color of snow, blond hair, and blue eyes...there is no denying my genetics.

One thing I really love about my heritage is lefse. It's a delightfully light potato bread that is, in the US anyway, usually a Christmas food.

Lefse is a very tricky flat bread that you really need to learn from someone who has mastered the skill. And when I say skill I mean it. Cooking and baking have their own challenges, but lefse is a class all it's own.

My dad learned from his mom. Watching, listening, and trying. I learned from my dad the exact same way. Spending years in the kitchen under foot because I wanted to know the secrets and nuances of perfect lefse.

Every family has their own ways of doing things as well as their own recipe.

I love my dads lefse. It's everything it should be- light, thin, round, perfectly cooked.

Before we moved, he said he was interested in seeing my take on southern cuisine. Well, this time I took a classic Norwegian food and gave it a southern twist. Not quite what he meant, but it's what I do.

I searched high and low and couldn't find a sweet potato lefse recipe. I found hundreds of basic lefse recipes, countless combinations for filling options, and some interesting(far more complicated than necessary) techniques. But, no sweet potato lefse.

Well, that's not true. I could order some already made from instant sweet potato flakes. I still don't know what those are...

So, I made my own. And kiddies, it turned out amazing!

My lefse cozy :) I see there's a wet spot from washing my hands...

Nummins! Sweet Potato Lefse.



I love these with a little butter and cinnamon sugar, just like regular lefse.

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

Sweet Potato Lefse*
Makes about 3 dozen pieces

* I do not recommend attempting lefse unless you have learned the art from someone who has mastered it. There are so many factors involved it is not good for a beginning cook. It is difficult to learn because there are so many variables that can affect lefse, but is well worth the time and effort.

Once you master it, please pass the skill on to your children and grandchildren.

This recipe is intended for those who already know how to cook basic lefse. Unfortunately, I can't write down all the information I have in my head regarding lefse preparation. It's something you need to be taught in person.

That being said, here is the recipe. :)

3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 very large)
1/4 cup skim milk
4 TBS butter
3 heavy pinches kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups flour plus additional for rolling out


Peel and cube potatoes. Put in a large pot and fill with cold water. Lightly salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until fork tender. Immediately drain.

Run potatoes through a ricer. This makes perfect potatoes and removes some of the fibrous material.

Warm milk and butter until butter is fully melted. Pour into riced sweet potatoes. Stir in and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered at least 4 hours until fully chilled.

Once chilled, add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in until you've incorporated all the flour. You should have a soft dough that will still be slightly sticky.

Heavily flour a large round pastry board. Pull a piece of dough the size of a golf ball. Dip in flour. Using a grooved rolling pin with a floured rolling pin sock, roll the dough out very thin. On my board I know it's thin enough when I can just barely make out the words on my pastry board.

Using a lefse stick, transfer lefse to your dry griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes per side until the bubbles are slightly golden. Do not overcook.

Move to a lefse cozy or between a few clean tea towels.

Happy April!

As you all know, I am always looking for new recipes.

I stumbled across the Hungry Girl website the other day and found a delightful little gem. It is a taquito recipe, slimmed down. I just had to try it.

I only made one substitution, I used black bean and corn salsa instead of regular salsa. They turned out so tasty!

I would also like to take a quick moment to wish you all a very Happy Easter! Celebrate the joy and peace we all have because Jesus conquered death that we may have life everlasting.

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

Taquitos*
Serves 4
197 calories per 2 taquitos

8 small (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
One 9.75-oz. (or 10-oz.) can 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained well
1/2 cup salsa
1/3 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
Optional: red enchilada sauce, additional salsa, fat-free sour cream, for dipping


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and salsa, and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Remove chicken mixture from the fridge, and drain any excess liquid. Add cheese and taco seasoning, and mix to combine. This is your filling. Set aside.

Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with nonstick spray, and set it aside.

Dampen two paper towels, and place tortillas between them. Microwave for about 1 minute, until tortillas are warm and pliable.

Take one tortilla (keep the rest between the paper towels), spray both sides lightly with nonstick spray, and lay it flat on a clean dry surface. Spoon about 2 heaping tbsp. of filling onto the tortilla. Spread it evenly across the entire surface, and roll tortilla up tightly, so that you have a cigar-shaped tube. Secure with toothpicks and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, until crispy. Allow taquitos to cool for 5 minutes. If you like, dunk in enchilada sauce, salsa, or sour cream!


*From: http://www.hungry-girl.com

Lets spice things up a bit!

I love a little kick in my food. Not enough for it to kick back, but enough to know there's some heat there.

I am a big fan of enchiladas. There are almost as many recipes out there as there are people in the world. As a person who is eating lighter, healthier meals, it can be very difficult to find an enchilada recipe that matches my dietary needs and is still tasty.

I am still rather active on a website called sparkpeople.com and search for recipes daily. I stumbled upon this delightful little recipe from a user named TALESIN. It's a three cheese enchilada that is friendly on both financial and calorie budgets.

I did tweak it slightly, only because I am not a fan of raw onions and I like to shred my own cheese. If you prefer, you can leave the onions raw and use shredded Mexican Four cheese. If you use the four cheese, it will change the calorie count.

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

Three Cheese Enchiladas
Serves 6
131 calories per enchilada

6 (6-inch) Azteca Corn Tortillas
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 Tbsp diced green chilies


Soften the tortillas. Normally, tortillas are softened by lightly frying them in hot oil. Skinny enchiladas skips this step...and all the fat!

Spray a pan with cooking spray. Saute onion until soft. Remove from pan to cool.

Pour the enchilada sauce in a skillet and heat. Dip each tortilla in the hot sauce, coating each side, for a few seconds. Shake off and place on microwavable platter, 3 or 4 at a time, making sure that they do not overlap. Microwave for 20-40 seconds, until soft. (Time will vary according to your microwave oven.) Set aside to cool.

In a bowl mix onion, ricotta, cottage cheese, diced green chilies, salt and pepper to taste. Add half the shredded cheese. Mix with fork until ingredients are blended.

Spray a rectangular casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Place approximately 1/6 of the cheese mixture on a tortilla and loosely roll. Place seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Spread remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F.

After 15 minutes, remove and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Let set 5-10 minutes before serving.

Anyone have a heat lamp I can borrow?!

It has been bitterly cold here in the upper Midwest. All the sudden MINUS 10 degrees seems like a heatwave. That is just wrong.

Jon and I are becoming snowbirds for a little while and flying south to escape the cold. It is a much anticipated trip filled with family, fun, and of course, food.

Our cat, Charlie, knows we are up to something.

I took out the suitcases the other day to get him used to the fact that we are leaving. He will look at the now filled blue and maroon cases then look at back at me as if to say, "Mom, you forgot to leave room in there for me..."

He will be angry for the first day or two and then will fall madly in love with his interim caretaker, Brandon. When we return he will have nothing to do with us for a good week. It's a cycle I have grown accustom to.

As the weather has been cold, Jon was longing for a treat that reminds him of summer. A gyro. So, I found a really neat recipe for gyro burgers. They aren't an exact match, but they will do in the winter. We decided they were a definite keeper.

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

Gyro Burgers
Serves 2

1/8 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium beefsteak tomato, sliced
2 Kangaroo pita pockets
3 TBS Tzatziki cucumber garlic Greek yogurt
1/8 cup fine chopped onion
5 oz lean ground beef or lamb
5 oz ground pork
Shredded iceberg lettuce


Heat an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan to medium high.

In a bowl combine the meats, onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Don't over mix or the meat will become tough.

Form into 4 thin patties. Grill until cooked almost thru. Remove from grill. Tent with foil to let carry over cooking finish the burger.

While meat rests, warm pita pockets on the grill.

To assemble: Open each pita and place two patties inside. Top with 1 1/2 TBS Tzatziki sauce, tomato slices, and shredded lettuce.

China Town at my house

I loath when daylight savings time ends. Why? Because, that means the sun sets before 5pm. Not OK with me. It makes me sad to get up in the dark and about 30 minutes after I get home from work, it's dark again!

To brighten up our night, Jon and I decided to have a little Asian-American themed dinner. We set the table with red linens, black plates, and thew some music on. We cooked together, a rare occurrence at our house. Usually, I don't let Jon near my kitchen. Not that he's a bad cook, quite the opposite actually. It's just that cooking is like daily therapy for me. It's my alone time with God. :)

So, what did we make? Egg rolls! Now, we are both incredibly picky when it comes to egg rolls, but this one is a winner. Because they are baked they are much lower calorie (only 115 cal per roll!) and won't give you gut rot from all the grease. Give it a whirl for a fun new experience.

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

Egg Rolls
Makes approximately 10 rolls


1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 TBS peanut butter
2 TBS light soy sauce
1/2 TBS teriyaki sauce
Egg roll skins
2 1/2 TBS melted butter


Stir fry together in a wok: turkey, onion, salt, and pepper to taste. Add remaining ingredients through soy sauce. Stir fry until veggies are limp.

Pour into a strainer, drain for hour.

Stir in teriyaki sauce.

Place 1 egg roll skin on the counter top with 1 point towards you. Lightly moisten the all four sides with water. Place generous amount of filling on the skin. Fold bottom corner up, the left corner up, then the right corner. Roll up and place seam side down on a cookie sheet. Repeat until all filling is used, about 10-11 rolls total.

Brush each egg roll with melted butter. Bake 12 minutes in a 500 degree oven until golden brown.

Serve warm with your favorite sweet and sour sauce.

Spreading the spark

I have been using the "Spark" program online since March 29. I have lost 30 some pounds.I have 20 or so left to loose. I love this program. It lets me eat the foods I love, just in a healthier way. I've learned it's ok to indulge, once in a while. I've learned to like exercise. I've learned stumbling is normal and easy to do, getting back up is the challenge. I am thrilled Spark program creator Chris Downie finally wrote a book that is coming out in January with a "jump start" program that lasts 28 days. It's about setting up your long term and short term goals. But more importantly, how to actually achieve them.

The folks at work have noticed my changes. People are asking to walk with me, to workout with me, to know what I eat, how have I managed to stick to it? Co-workers are swapping recipes and workout tapes. It's a great thing! Sparking a change in those around me, what a feeling.

One of the gals gave me a recipe for Tex-Mex burgers. I tried them out at home with hubby- they were a hit!

I challenge you to make 1 healthy change, even if it's just to cut back to 1 can of pop a day, and really stick to it. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it takes preparation and planning. It's worth your time and effort. You are worth the effort.

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

Ms. Liz's Tex-Mex Turkey Burgers
Serves 4

1 ¼ # ground turkey
1 envelope reduced sodium taco seasoning
1 TBS dried cilantro or parsley
1 cup shredded 2% Mexican cheese blend
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup salsa
4 buns
4 lettuce

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, taco seasoning, and cilantro. Shape into four patties. Grill, uncovered, or broil for 5 minutes on each side.

Sprinkle with cheese. Grill until cheese melts and burgers reach temp. Combine sour cream and salsa. Serve on buns, with salsa/sour cream and lettuce.

By popular request

Dear husband wants me to share my dish for Korean Stir Fry.

A young man I know is from South Korea and was really missing home cooked Korean meals like his mom used to make. He brought me a recipe and asked if I could help him prepare it. It was so delicious I brought a copy of the recipe home to try in my own kitchen. It was a hit, Jon even asked to have it again, soon! And that's sayin' something!

So here by request is "chap ch'ae" (and no, I can't actually pronounce it correctly, in fact I was laughed at when I tried to repeat its pronunciation.... hence the name change to Korean Stir Fry).

On another note- my salsa turned out wonderful! I highly recommend adding Frank's Hot Sauce to it for a different heat profile. Yum yum!

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

Korean Stir Fry (chap ch'ae)
Serves 4

5 dried black mushrooms (shitaki mushrooms may be substituted)
4 TBS soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons toasted, sesame seeds
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces or steak sliced thin
1 package cellophane noodles
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into medium strips
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup fresh spinach, chopped
5 teaspoons sesame oil


If using dried black mushrooms, put them into a small bowl and pour hot water over them. Soak for 20 minutes or until soft.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 TBS soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, garlic, 2 tsp sesame seeds, and chicken. Set aside.

Prepare noodles according to package directions.

Prepare chicken and vegetables:

In a large frying pan or wok, heat 1 TBS vegetable oil over high heat for 1 minute.

Add chicken mixture and fry, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is white and tender. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to noodles.

Wipe wok out with paper towels.

Heat 1 TBS vegetable oil over high heat for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until soft.

Repeat with remaining vegetables, cooking each one separately. (It is not necessary to wash and dry the pan between vegetables.)

Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds and 5 teaspoons sesame oil to noodle mixture and mix well. (Do not do this step in the wok or the sugar will burn and the dish will taste like burnt sugar, that's not yummy!

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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.

Easy as Tamale Pie

When I was in high school, my dad experimented in making tamales.

A tamale, for those of you who don't know, is a meat filled dumpling of sorts. A tamale consists basically of masa dough (a special corn meal dough) that has been smeared with a well seasoned meat and is then steamed in a corn husk. We began making them after my Hispanic uncle introduced us to this little Mexican treat.

I've really been craving those flavors but they are really high in calories. As luck would have it, Cooking Light has a light version with a lot less work involved. It's not a perfect match, but it's a pretty fair substitute.

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

Tamale Pie
Serves 3

1 can 98% fat free turkey chili
3-4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz polenta, crumbled

Optional toppings: salsa and sour cream

Preheat oven to 475.

Spray a small casserole with cooking spray. Layer the polenta, chili, and cheese in the dish.

Bake 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven. Cool 5-10 minutes. Top with salsa and sour cream if desired. Serve warm.

Sticky Pot, on purpose!

I have been going through my new cooking light cookbook trying new things as I go. Yesterday's adventure was Turkey Pot stickers. Very yummy, very simple. I'm still working on my dipping sauce.... but this one was good in a pinch :)

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

Turkey Pot Stickers
Serves 3-4

1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps or baby portabella slices
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced carrot
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 cups chopped skinned cooked turkey
24 (4-inch) gyoza skins
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup water, divided

Sauce: this so not traditional, but so tasty....

1 TBS cocktail sauce
1 green onion, sliced
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 scant TBS sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
fresh cracked pepper


To prepare sauce: whisk all ingredients together. Allow to sit 30 minutes to let flavors blend.

To prepare dumplings:

Place mushrooms, onions, carrot, ginger, and vinegar in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping sides. Combine mushroom mixture and egg whites in a large bowl; add turkey, stirring until combined.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to keep from drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon turkey mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumpling on a baking sheet (cover loosely with a towel to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining skins and turkey mixture.

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange half of dumplings in pan; cover and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn dumplings; add 1/4 cup water. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable oil, dumplings, and water. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Bok Choy?!

Jon and I are well into our healthy lifestyle, so today was "relieve the cravings" day. Jon is a very big fan of "Chinese" food. Well, American style Chinese food. I, on the other hand, have been craving soup lately. So I decided to combine the two cravings.

I borrowed a cookbook from a friend of mine this weekend, thanks Kate ;) and found exactly what I was looking for. I tweaked it a bit, but not too much.

For those of you keeping score books, this particular recipe gets an 8 3/4.

Here's to your culinary adventure, friends. Cheers!


Wonton and Shrimp tail soup

7 oz ground pork
14 oz large shrimp, divided and cooked, tails reserved
2 tsp dry white wine or rice wine
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark olive oil
1 ½ tsp prepared Chinese 5 spice
Pepper to taste
Round wonton wrappers
5 cups chicken/ham stock
15 ounces bok choy, coarse chopped
1 large scallion, sliced thin

Directions
Coarsely chop half the shrimp. Move to a large mixing bowl. To the chopped shrimp, add the pork, wine, soy sauce, oil, pepper, and Chinese 5 spice. Combine thoroughly.

Using a round teaspoon, place 1 tsp of the filling in the center a wonton wrapper. Using a pastry brush, brush the outer edge of the wrapper with water. Pull the edges in to form a small bundle. Repeat until all filling is gone, about 48 wrappers.

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Salt liberally. Add wonton bundles. Cook 4-5 minutes. Drain well. Set aside.

Pour stock, shrimp tails, and half the scallion in a large pot. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove tails and scallion. Add to the broth the bok choy, remaining shrimp, and wontons. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of reserved scallions.

Serves 4