Whole Hog

This is not my slow cooker--mine is much less fancy!

I've been using my slow cooker a lot more than normal lately.  I don't know why I don't use this handy-dandy appliance more, but right now, I am in full-on slow cooker mode.  I've also been lusting after pork shoulder these days.  I'm not sure why, but that's ok.  Pork should is good.  Slow cookers are easy.  Combine the two and you get good, easy dinners that feed a crowd.

I'm making BBQ Pulled Pork as we speak (it's cooking away while I'm at work).  Earlier this year, I made Pernil--a recipe I found from Skinny Taste (by the way: If you are looking for recipes that are healthy, easy, crowd-pleasing and downright good, head over to Skinny Taste.  I love this website and visit it often.  There are so many good things to try!).

Two weekends ago, I also made Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions.  The recipe came from Eating Well--I found it online and you can get it here.  Take a look at how it turned out.

It was sweet, tender, flavorful and fun to eat.  I served it with toasted Kaiser rolls, coleslaw, and chips.  It lasted three+ meals, and I fully intend to make it again.  The mister and I loved it, and I would really like to make this for my family (I know they'll like it!).

Sorry for the low-quality iPhone photo!!

I can't tell you how much I love using my stupid slow cooker.  I get the best food from that little thing.  Do you have a slow cooker?  If so, what's your favorite recipe?  Share, share!

Green is the New Yum

For Christmas, my husband did a super nice thing and bought me a subscription to Cooking Light.  I love this magazine!  I'm always on the lookout for good recipes that are healthy and that will not be detrimental to my current weight loss plan.  Cooking Light never fails.  The January/February edition featured so many yummy sounding recipes that I created an online recipe file to keep everything handy (I hate dealing with clipped out recipes--they're so messy!).

As we all know, Super Bowl Sunday was this past weekend.  In our family, football is something other people watch.  I don't think I have ever sat through a Super Bowl in my life, but since easy, crowd pleasing football friendly recipes were everywhere, I thought I'd get into the spirit and whip up some chili for me and the hubs.  I turned to the January/February edition of Cooking Light and found Green Chile Chili.  Wow!  This is a winner.

Not only is it easy, but it's really, really tasty.  Plus--thanks to the Cooking Light folks--it does not have a ton of calories or fat.  My Weight Watchers plan and my taste buds send major thanks to CL. 

Click over to Cooking Light's website for the recipe.  I'll show you the creation of the meal in progress.

First, I got my ingredients ready to go.

I browned some ground beef in my trusty Le Creuset, then I added chopped onions, chili powder and paprika, followed by garlic.  (The kitchen smelled so good at this point...and the yumminess just intensified as I cooked along!).

In went a bottle of dark beer that I let bubble and reduce down until there was almost no liquid left.

Then I added salsa verde and chopped green peppers (the green of my green chile chili), crushed tomatoes and kidney beans. Everything mingled together for a few hours, then I served it with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips.

OMG--this was so yummy and so easy...you better believe I am making this one again!

Cookbook Corner: Glorious One Pot Meals

Now that fall is officially here, it's time to change how we're cooking.  To hell with grilling and making more delicate foods...it's time to cook (and eat) more hearty dishes, like pot roast, stews, and chili.  One problem with this (for me!) is that one pot meals generally make enough food to feed an army.  When I cook, it's just for me and my husband.  Thankfully, Glorious One-Pot Meals includes tons of tasty, hearty recipes designed for two.  Yay!

What to expect: This is sort of an appliance cookbook because all the recipes require the use of a small cast iron Dutch oven.  All the recipes are for two people, but they can be easily double, tripled, etc.--especially if you have a larger Dutch oven.  I have a small, two-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven that is the perfect size for these recipes.

All the recipes are full meals--they include a protein, a carb, and veggies.  They're easy and quick to make, and, best of all, they're all very healthy (the author rarely uses butter or oils).  If you have a family or are just a very busy person, this book will help you put a tasty (and healthy) meal on the table in less than an hour.

Best recipes: I think of the recipes as a springboard--you can swap out meats, veggies, and carbs to your taste.  That said, here are a few of the standouts:

• Shrimp Masala with Rice, pg. 78
• Adobo Pork, pg. 82
• Beef with Sherried Mushroom Sauce, pg. 88
• Chicken Marsala, pg. 126
• Rosemary Chicken, pg. 150
• Eggplant Parmesan, pg, 172

Complaints: The recipes tend to be repetitive, and I kinda sorta wish there was a dessert section (come on! You can totally whip up some sort of ooey-gooey dessert in a Le Creuset pot!).  Other than that, I think this book inspires you to create you own combinations of grains, meat, and veggies to cook up in 45 minutes in the oven.


Deliciousness scale: 4 spoonfuls of yum out of 5.

Details: This review is based on the 2009 edition of Glorious One-Pot Meals by Elizabeth Yarnell; ISBN 978-0767930109

Success!

I mentioned last week that I was on the hunt for the perfect Shrimp and Grits recipe.  I failed to mention that I was also looking for a relatively low fat, low calorie Shrimp and Grits recipe.  My first attempt tasted good, but the shrimp were overcooked.  And overcooked shrimp do not meet the standards of "Deliciousness of Yum."  While searching for recipes and obsessively thinking about making a better, healthy Shrimp and Grits, I stumbled onto Cooking Light's website...and found Shrimp and Grits nirvana.
I made this dish for the whole family and the entire casserole was devoured.  It turned out creamy and cheesy and the shrimp were not overdone.  Yay!  As a bonus, this recipe is a snap to prepare.  So let's review: this tastes good, is relatively healthy, and easy to make.  This might just be a perfect meal!

Here's the original recipe from Cooking Light:

Shrimp and Grits Casserole
Ingredients

• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 (3-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine milk and broth in a medium heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter, and cream cheese. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp). Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until set. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

VARIATION
Before making this, I read the reviews.  People seemed to be missing heat and seasoning from this dish.  To rectify this, I gave my shrimp a liberal dose of Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning.  This gave my finished dish a nice hit of heat and added some authentic flavor to everything.  Use what you have on hand...since I'm a Maryland girl by birth, I could see seasoning the shrimp with Old Bay.

If you're not concerned about caloric content, you could go ahead and use full fat cream cheese, though I didn't find the skinny version to be lacking in any way, shape, or form.

I hope you try this one out--it rocks!

Eat Healthy: Cran-Bran Muffins

If you read my other blog (my makeup blog), you may know that I'm on something of a health kick lately.  Over the past weekend, I wanted to bake something healthy and decided to whip up some Cran-Bran Muffins.

I like bran muffins.  I like the nutty flavor, the dense texture, and all that fiber.  These muffins came out sweet and flavorful.  Sure, they'd be awesome with a slathering of really good butter, but they're not bad as-is, either.  They're especially good warm, so eat them right out of the oven or toast them up a bit.

The only thing I didn't love about these muffins is that they cooked up rather small.  Maybe next time, I'll make fewer muffins and fill the tins a little higher.  I might also work on lightening up the batter (cake flour instead of regular flour?  I don't know!)

This recipe comes from Cooking Light.  The only change I made was to use Craisins instead of raisins.  Use what you want, and add any seasonings you might want.  This would be good with some grated orange (with the craisins) or with some nuts and spices.


Cran-Bran Muffins, Makes 12

1 cup All Bran cereal (the kind that looks like twigs)
3/4 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Combine cereal and milk in a bowl; let stand 5 minutes.  Add craisins, honey, oil and egg; stir well.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 
4. Pour the flour into the cereal mixture and mix until just moist--but be sure not to over stir!
5. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 of the way up.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (or until muffin springs back when touched lightly in the center).  Serve warm.

Beating The Summer Heat

When the mercury rises, I lose my appetite for heavy, rich foods. In their place, I find myself wanting lighter, grilled fare. To help weather the summer heat, I break out my grill as often as I can and eat my meals on the shaded deck outside.

This past week, it really felt like summer in the Seattle area. Although not the searing heat that the East Coast is suffering through, it was still hotter than normal out here. To get through one of the hotter evenings, I was asked to cook the whole meal on the grill (so that the oven/stove didn't heat up the house anymore than it already was). The other request was that the meal contain shrimp and veggies. My response was shrimp and veggie skewers with polenta and Rainer cherries.

Here is my recipe for the meal:

Shrimp and Veggies
Ingredients
2 lbs shrimp
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 large onion

Marinade
1 1/2 cups Chardonnay
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a fresh squeezed lime
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper (use more if you like)

• Place skewers in water and allow to soak (the longer the better).
• Add all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Clean, peel, and devein the shrimp.
• Cut all veggies into bite sized pieces.
• Add the shrimp and veggies to a large zip lock bag and pour in the marinade; coat well.
• Refrigerate mixture for at least 2 hours.
• Divide the shrimp into 4 equal servings and place on skewers.
• Divide the veggies and place on skewers.
• Preheat the grill.
• Add the veggie skewers to the grill and cook over medium-high heat for ~3-5 minutes per side. Once cooked to the desired doneness, move to the upper rack (to keep warm).
• Add the shrimp skewers and cook for ~3 minutes per side.
  

Grilled Polenta
1 tube of polenta, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (~12)
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
chili powder

• Place polenta slices on a cookie sheet that has been lightly coated with olive oil.
• Brush both sides of the polenta slices with olive oil.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili powder.
• Place the slices on the grill - I use a grill sheet, but you could add them directly to the rack. Cook on medium-high heat for ~5-7 minutes per side. I flipped mine 3 times to make sure that I had a nice crunch on both sides.

Serve everything up and enjoy! This is a pretty low calorie meal, is super tasty and perfect on a hot summer night.

Yummy Chicken Bake

I was in charge of making a meal that could be made ahead of time and would still be tasty whenever we got around to serving it. I searched the pantry and freezer and came up with a Black Bean, Chicken, Polenta Bake. It was fairly easy to make, serves 6 and was also relatively low in calories (but still flavorful). Here is my recipe, I made it ahead of time and stored it in the refrigerator for about 6 hours before cooking it. I would also add some sour cream and tortilla chips, but I didn't have any on hand and I didn't want to run to the store. I served this with a simple tossed salad and it was delicious.

Black Bean, Chicken, Polenta Bake
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh, chopped garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 (18 oz) log pre-cooked polenta, cut in to 1/2" rounds (~12 total)
5 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken, onions, and garlic until the onions are translucent and the chicken is fully cooked. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt & pepper. Add black beans, tomatoes and corn and mix well.
• Cut polenta in to 1/2" rounds and line the bottom of a large casserole dish with them. Pour the chicken mixture over the polenta. Top with shredded cheese and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly (about 30 minutes).
  

Sustainable Eating

Organic food has been the rage for a while now, but lately a new trend in food is emerging: sustainable eating. I was flipping through the July edition of Whole Living (a terrific magazine filled with tips for healthy living and cooking) and they featured a whole section focused on 50 ways to eat sustainably.

I encourage you to pick up this magazine (or check out their website). I'm not going to list all their tips, but here are a handful of my favorite suggestions.

• Shop at farmers' markets...regularly! You'll be supporting local agriculture and getting fresher products. Check your local farmers' market for staples like onions and potatoes. Stock up on fruits and veggies that are in season and freeze any leftovers. Talk to vendors--ask questions and ask for samples!
  
• Follow advice from chef Alice Waters. She says, "local is always the priority, but the organic label really does mean something. If you can't buy local, buy organic--coffees, teas, jams, olive oils, honey, nuts, raisins, oatmeal, beans, grains. There's so much available across the country now." On a related note, be sure to check out the Environmental Working Group's website. They list the dirty dozen--fruits and veggies you should always buy organic, if possible.
  
• Buy local eggs and breads to eliminate unnecessary packaging, travel time for your food, and to get the freshest possible product. You'll also be supporting your local economy, which is satisfying.
  
• Be package conscious. Try to buy products that come in the least amount of packaging possible--or in containers that are easily recyclable.
• Eat safer seafood. This is a huge concern now that BP is destroying the Gulf of Mexico. According to Whole Living, just about any fish from Alaska is safe because (surprisingly), they have some of the most environmentally sound fishing practices in the US. Also safe to consume: anything in a shell (oysters, mussels, clams), wild American shrimp (not farm raised!), and local seafood (here in WA we have Dungeness crabs and an abundance of fresh, local seafood to pick from--we're lucky).
• Buy whole chickens. There was a period in my life that I had almost no money, and I bought whole chickens all the time. They're cheaper than buying already cut up and skinned chicken parts. You can get a ton of meat from a whole chicken that can be used in a variety of ways. And, if you know how to use a knife, it's easy to butcher a chicken to meet your needs. While you're at it, learn how to make your own chicken stock using scraps of chicken, bone, and vegetables you probably already have lying around your kitchen!
• Go plastic free. This is easier said than done. But go ahead and start small: instead of buying expensive Tupperware or cheap, throw away Gladware, opt for glass storage containers. They're safer to use for microwaving, they won't get stained if you store tomato based products in them, and--unless you drop and break them--they'll outlive your plastic storage containers by far. If you still need to use plastics, be sure to use safer products. Check the bottom of your plastic containers: if there is a number 2, 4, or 5 on there, you're product is less likely to release toxins when heated.
  

It's nice that we're thinking more about where our food comes from and how it is produced. While buying local/organic may be too expensive or inconvenient at times, I think it's good to do what you can. I'll try to incorporate some of these tips into my shopping/cooking routines. But wow! There's a lot to consider and it can be hard to keep track of it all.

Sneaking In Veggies

Veggie Paste with Garlic - Marinara Base

My son is a very picky eater. During one of his doctor visits, the doctor asked him to name his favorite red food; his reply was strawberries - I was happy with that one! Then she asked what his favorite green food was. He thought long and hard (I held my breath) and finally came up with mint ice cream - sigh. Vegetables are not one of his favorite foods, although he will eat carrot sticks without too much of a fight (as long as they are not cooked). Dinner time can be full of challenges when it comes to feeding my boy!

When he was a baby, he ate anything that he was served - it was great! Then one day, he only would eat fruit, Cheerios and milk, so I had to come up with ways to sneak in veggies. What I came up with was a vegetable paste. It doesn't have the best color, but it tastes delicious and I use it in meatballs, soups, and pasta sauce. The best part is, he has no idea that he is eating veggies!

Vegetable Paste

Ingredients:
2 zucchini squashes
1 onion
1 package fresh mushrooms2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 can chicken or vegetable broth

• Clean and cut up all the veggies.
• Over medium heat, add some cooking spray or vegetable oil and cook the onions until they are translucent.
• Add all the other veggies and broth and simmer cook until the veggies are no longer firm.
• Allow the mixture to cool, then blend or place in a food processor; blend until smooth.
• Divide up into usable sections (you can use an ice cube tray) and freeze or use immediately.

Feel free to add any other veggies that you like! I don't add any seasoning to this, because I usually am seasoning whatever else I am adding this to (but you could always add garlic or other spices when simmering).

The picture above was taken when I made marinara sauce. I started by thawing some of the veggie paste, then I added some chopped garlic. The veggie paste in the sauce also helped thicken it a bit and added lots of good flavor too!

Marinara with Veggie Paste Hidden

The sauce turned out great and he never knew that it was full of dreaded vegetables!

Rules for Eating

Because I am something of a nerd, I listen to NPR whenever I'm in my car. I love hearing all the stories and different points of view they broadcast--it gets me through my daily commute.

On today's drive home, there was a story called Rules for Eating, and if you have 5 minutes to spare, I suggest you click over to the story and take a listen for yourself. Anyway, to sum up the story, we all have weird rules when it comes to eating. Or more specifically, we have weird rules when it comes to eating "healthy." We tend to think of food as being in two extreme camps: it will either kill us or make us healthy. There's very little gray area involved.

The story goes on to introduce us to Michael Pollan's book, "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual." Pollan argues that the rules of healthful eating are simple: eat food...not too much...mostly plants. His book includes 64 easy sounding rules for eating, like if it's advertised on TV, don't eat it; don't eat anything that won't eventually rot (with the exception of honey); don't buy food where you buy gasoline.

Now, what Pollan is saying here is that it's best to eat real foods--foods that come from a plant rather than being made in a plant. It's OK to eat and to enjoy eating, but we should also be giving more thought into what and how we eat.

The NPR story is a good one--it's thought provoking and entertaining, basically everything I love in a good NPR story. Take a listen and then let us know if you have any weird rules for eating.

Football Party Hearty!

We're not football fans in our family, but I know many of you will be parked in front of the TV on Sunday watching the big game...or the big commercials. I got this message in my inbox and thought it was filled with some great ideas (not to mention another kick ass chili recipe!) to add to your collection. Enjoy!

******

Football Party Hearty!
by Susan Burke March, MS, RD/LD, CDE

If you’re an armchair quarterback, sitting around drinking brews and sodas and chowing down on fatty wings, chips and dips won’t help you make the cut. Score a nutritional touchdown and serve some healthy snacks while rooting your team on to victory.

Here are some quick tips for healthy football-friendly fare and a chili recipe that’s a sure winner:
Always choose baked chips instead of fried. Tortilla chips and potato chips come in different baked flavors and saves up to 30% of the calories of fried chips.

Serve bean dip instead of regular sour cream dip. Only 46 calories per three tablespoons compared to more than double for full-fat sour cream.

Nuts are nutritious, but they add up quickly. Serve a giant bowl of air-popped popcorn sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkled with dehydrated butter granules…I like Butter Buds or Molly McButter. Delicious with only 60 calories for three cups, only a trace of fat and about 10 grams of sodium. Save 280 calories, 28 grams of fat and 330 milligrams of sodium over the regular microwave popcorn.

Replace fried mozzarella sticks with chicken skewers. They’re really popular and always great party food. You can buy them already prepared (especially at warehouse grocers), and save 188 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 546 milligrams of sodium over the same sized portion of fried cheese.

Serve a healthy submarine sandwich. Whole-wheat hero rolls give you that extra added fiber and nutrition (not to mention taste!) compared to white bread. Layer on turkey breast, lean roast beef or lean ham, shredded lettuce and tomato slices; slice into 2 inch portions and serve with sliced onions and pickles.
Keep the calories low by using low fat mayonnaise, and naturally low-calorie ketchup and mustard. Fat-free dressings should be offered…the new varieties are so good, you won’t miss the fat.

Imbibe with caution, because those brews add up! One regular beer ranges between 150-200 calories; instead serve light beer…only about 100 calories per bottle. A 5-ounce glass of wine has about 100 calories, as does one ounce of alcoholic spirits such as vodka, gin or scotch. Serve a variety of diet sodas, flavored club sodas and keep a big cooler with individual bottles of spring water.
Any dried dip mix will do, but instead of regular sour cream, add ½ cup of nonfat sour cream, ½ cup of nonfat mayonnaise, and ¾ cup of diced fresh tomatoes, ¼ cup of chopped green onion, and ¼ cup of chopped ripe olives, rinsed and drained. Mix and refrigerate for ½ hour before serving.

Crudités: everyone like crunchy veggies, especially with a tasty dip. Buy pre-washed and cut-up veggies and you’re ready to go…zero prep time. At half time, get up and do 100 jumping jacks!

Susan’s Weight-Wise Chili Recipe
Homemade Chili with fresh vegetables herbs and spices

1 lb of 97% lean ground beef or turkey or firm tofu, drained
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 ~28 ounce can tomato puree (no salt added)
1 ~15 ounce can each kidney beans, white beans, and pinto beans-rinsed and drained
3 small-medium baking potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 cups water

Directions:

In a large, nonstick saucepan over low-medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until just softened.

Add the onion and pepper and cook 2 more minutes; then add the ground meat or crumble in the tofu: cook about 5 minutes.

Drain off fat if using meat; add pureed tomatoes, canned beans, potatoes, seasonings, and water.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

For thinner chili, add a cup of broth, wine or water.

Serve with a tossed salad.

Registered and licensed dietitian Susan Burke March, MS, CDE, is the author of Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally,” which offers a wealth of practical information, tips and strategies for people who are serious about taking control of their health, fad-free, for life.