Rosemary Thingies...

One of the things I did this weekend was clean out the refrigerator. We officially have one half gallon of milk, a Britta water filter some butter, and a jar of salsa in the refrigerator now. And that's okay, every fridge needs a good cleaning every once and a while so it doesn't start to grow fur and walk away on its own. While cleaning out the fridge I noticed that I had about a cup of plain lowfat yogurt that needed to be used before it went bad, and because I'm heading to San Antonio tomorrow I knew that if I didn't use it right then, it was going down the garbage disposal when I got back. So, armed with one measly cup of yogurt I tried to make an edible savory thing. It's not a scone, its not a muffin, its not a biscuit, I don't know what it is, but you know what - it was good.

Rosemary Thingie
2 cups flour
3 tbs sugar
2 tsp b. powder
2 tsp b. soda
3/4 tsp salt
5 tbs butter
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
3 tbs fresh chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 425.

1. combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.
2. cut in butter
3. make well in center, add yogurt - combine until dough forms, it will be very sticky
4. turn out onto WELL floured surface and knead until mixture comes together. make ball and then flatten to about 8 inches wide and 1/2 inch think (or however you desire)
5. cut into 8 wedges, place on greased cookie sheet
6. Bake for 15 minutes

Rating = surprisingly good

Another thing that I did this weekend was watch Fight Club again. I really love this movie, and I really enjoy reading Chuck Palahniuk. I've read most of his books and have attended a reading of Guts, one of his short stories, that he read at the Coolidge Corner theater a few years ago. Guts is a bit of a disturbing story, as most of his are; disturbing in that it is so real. He describes things in a way that you are forced to relate to, he describes things the way we think them, or the way certain parts of our brains think them, that maybe our conscious mind doesn't want to believe we do. Guts is such a well executed story that at every reading he has ever given of it, multiple people have passed out, multiple people at every reading. How crazy is that. He has actually stopped reading that story in public, because one person who fainted at a Barnes and Noble (or some other book store) actually hit their head on the way down and required medical attention. He just has a way of saying things, a way of stringing words together that stops you and makes you think.

"More and more, it feels like I'm doing a really bad impersonation of myself."

Chuck Pahalniuk

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce

I'll be in San Antonio for Cinco de Mayo next Saturday, which I assume will be an amazing place to be for it; however, I'll be there for work, so I'm not sure exactly how much whooping it up I'm going to be able to do.

Maybe because I'm posting this recipe over a week before cinco de mayo some of you can make it for your own "fiesta" if you are having one. Like the black beans, I got this recipe from the latest issue of Everyday Food. http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/

It was really very easy to make, and it made a veritable shit ton of enchiladas, which we are still trying to finish. So I say if you have to feed a crowd, make this dish. I will also mention that I used the Goya brand green salsa which said that the heat index was medium; medium my ass, it burned the lips off my face. Next time, I'm using the mild salsa if I can find it. CB didn't seem as affected by the heat as I was, but I had to drink multiple glasses of water while I was eating these. Maybe I'm just a pussy, that's a real possibility.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce
Serves 6 Prep Time: 1 hour Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes.
3 pounds bone in skin on chicken breast halves (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts to cut down on fat)
salt and pepper
5 garlic cloves unpeeled
2 jars (16oz each) medium green salsa
3/4 c heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-in)
12 oz monteray jack cheese shredded (3 cups)
1/2 c fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa and cream.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. Peel and chop garlic. In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, and 1/2 cup salsa mixture.

3.Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese.

4. Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

You can make these up to a day ahead, prep and assemble the enchiladas up to step 3, cover and refrigerate, then bake and serve when ready.

Rating = So Damn Good (you know, except for the whole lip burning issue)

Black Beans with Scallions and Lime

I love black beans, love em. I think it goes back to the evil Portuguese restaurant I worked at, because they were always on the menu. They are so tasty and so good for you. In doing research on the healthy aspects of adding black beans to your diet I learned that the color coat of black beans contain at least 8 different flavonoids. What are flavonoids? They are phytonutrient pigments that have great anti-oxidant potential. And you can't go anywhere now a days without hearing about anti-oxidant rich foods and how they fight off the effects of free radicals in the body. You also can't go anywhere lately without hearing about the effect that Omega-3 fatty acids have on overall health, well, guess what, black beans have that stuff too. And let's not forget fiber, nature's broom people, nature's broom. No one likes to be constipated, no one. Black beans contain 15 grams of fiber per serving, that's almost 60% of your daily value of fiber in one sitting, no pun intended. So eat black beans, they are great tasting and great for you.

I adapted this recipe from the latest issue of Everyday Food magazine.

Black Beans with Scallions and Lime
2 cans (17oz each) black beans drained and rinsed
1 scallion chopped, green and white parts separated
zest of one lime
juice from one lime
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saute pan heat oil to medium, add white part of scallions and cook until tender, 3 minutes. Add black beans and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lime juice and zest, cook for another minute.

Serve warm garnished with green parts of the scallion and salt and pepper.

Rating = So Damn Good

Banana Oatmeal Bread | Cooking Light

First, with the onset of warm weather here in the northeast I must make an announcement. Ladies, I realize that it has been far far too long since we have been able to wear skirts without freezing out bits off, but I must implore you, before exiting the house in the skirt that you haven't worn in 9 months, please turn around and see what you look like from the back. Seriously, walk up to a full length mirror and turn around, does the skirt that you are wearing, that comes to just above your knee in the front somehow not cover that much landscape in the back?

In the two days of warm weather that we have had here I have had the dubious pleasure of following women who either did not care, or were just oblivious to the fact that their skirts, although a respectable length in the front, somehow barely covered their nether region in the back. And of course, when you are behind it you can't stop looking, it's like a person with a lazy eye, somehow you are always drawn to the lazy eye; I was drawn to what the skirt didn't cover (but should have). Try as I might to look away, I just kept staring wondering how people could have no idea what they look like from behind. Maybe this is the mullet version of the skirt, "business in the front, party in the back." Whatever it is, let's try to stop it, it's just not pretty.

On to the recipes I say. CB informed me the other day that he has been eating "far too many sweets" and made a humble request that I cut it with all the scones and muffins and such for a little bit. (It must be bikini time or something) So I have begun to try and do "light" baking, until he stops his petition for low-fat baked goods. This will however not affect the non baked items on this blog, those may still contain copious amounts of fat, although, probably not.

Banana Oatmeal Bread from Cooking Light:
1 cup packed brown sugar
7 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 large)
1 cup regular oats
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cooking spray Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat well at medium speed of a mixer. Combine banana, oats, and milk; add to sugar mixture, beating well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir with a whisk. Add to sugar mixture; beat just until moist. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 18 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 185(30% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 1.2g,mono 1.8g,poly 2.8g); PROTEIN 3.3g; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 72mg; SODIUM 200mg; FIBER 1.3g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.1g

Rating = Good
I give this just a good rating because I have tasted much better low fat recipes before. This one seemed very dry and crumbled easily when cut, making it hard to eat. I may try this recipe again, but experiment with egg substitute and applesauce to add more moisture to the final product.

If any of you have tried and true low fat baking recipes I'd love for you to share them with me. Thanks.

Chorizo with Pineapple Pepper Salsa

When I was in high school I worked at a small Portuguese restaurant on Plum Island. It was a great little summer job getting to the island in the morning when it was still dark, and then waiting tables out in the sand. The owner was a bit of a whack job, and she later fired me and accused me of stealing from her, so all did not end well, but it did open my eyes to a whole new world of food that I would not have been exposed to had I not worked there, under her evil, greasy thumb.

One of my favorite meals there was fried egg, cheese and chorizo on a Portuguese sweet bread muffin. I mean, is there any question why I got fat working there, that's got to be the recommended daily allowance for fat and calories right there in one sandwich. Anyway, to this day I try to keep a few links of chorizo or linguica in the freezer for days when I just crave that taste. On Saturday which was the most glorious spring day I didn't feel like cooking much, I didn't want to spend time in the grocery store food shopping, so I decided I would make due with whatever was in the fridge and cupboards. From that came this creation; Chorizo with pineapple, pepper salsa with scallion white rice.

Pineapple Pepper Salsa
1 can pineapple chunks cut in half
1 half red pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 half green chili pepper cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 scallion chopped
Juice from 1 lime
fresh basil leaves (however many you want)

In order to meld the flavors a little I put the salsa in a saute pan and cooked for about 5 minutes over medium heat. This seemed to bring all the flavors together and soften the salsa a bit. You can eat raw if you like, I however like peppers more when they are slightly cooked.

Cut chorizo in half lengthwise and place on grill or grill pan - cook over medium high meat until warmed throughout.

Rice: Cook to package instructions, before serving add 1/4 cup chopped scallions, fluff.

Rating = Damn Good

Melissa's Spicy Feta Spread

My friend Melissa posted this recipe on our community board way back in March of 06. Why God why did I wait over a year to make this spread? It is so damn good, and so simple to make. Melissa's original recipe called for green and red jalapeno peppers, but I used three different types of peppers (red bell, green chili, and sweet Italian), because that was what looked good at Haymarket the day I went shopping for ingredients.



Melissa's Spicy Feta Spread Recipe:
4 to 6 green and red jalapeno peppers, roasted, peeled and diced
1 lb. Greek feta cheese, finely crumbled
1/4 lb. cream cheese (I used lite cream cheese)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

To roast the peppers, place them on a baking sheet in an oven on 500 degrees. Bake until peppers are soft enough to peel the skins, about 20 minutes.

Blend the feta and cream cheese in a mixer or blender until smooth. Mix in the roasted peppers, olive oil and garlic. Add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time. Taste the mixture and continue adding lemon juice accordingly to balance the flavor. You might not need all of the lemon juice depending on the type of feta used.

Refrigerate and use as a spread on pita or bread, or as a dip for veggies.

Rating = So Damn Good