Banana Roll Treat

This simple snack/breakfast/or even lunch takes me back to my grad school days. I was living out in Utah attending grad school, had no money, and was struggling to eat healthy on a shoe string budget...and the scale was proof of that. Cheap food is, for the most part, NOT healthy. Determined to balance my budget with my waistline, I found a (free at the time) program online called eDiets that had pretty good recipes that were healthy but also wallet friendly. I downloaded these meals every week to make my meal planner and found great success both with cooking and balancing my diet. This was a fun little treat that I would eat for breakfast or for a snack. It is still good today, and in fact I actually made it for lunch today (admittedly because I desperately need to go to the grocery store and the ingredients for this are mostly "pantry" ingredients).

Banana Roll Treat

1 large banana

(2) 6" whole wheat tortillas

4 T peanut butter

4 T granola

2 T honey

Dash cinnamon

Cut the banana in half. Spread 2 T of peanut butter over each tortilla. Lay a banana half in the center of each. Sprinkle each banana with 2 T granola and 1 T honey. Season with a dash of cinnamon over each and wrap up like a burrito. Voila!

Although I didn't have kids at the time, and even now I eat this occasionally myself, this is a great kids dish as well. It's easy for them to help assemble and it is healthy too. My son in particular loves both bananas and peanut butter.  

Goat Cheese Salad

I'm not quite sure how to post this salad. I mean the salad part is pretty basic (mixed greens, pomegranate dressing, walnuts, dried cranberries, chicken breast), but the highlight was going to be on the fried goat cheese rounds (rather than just crumbling goat cheese on top). I have eaten these before and even seen them prepared, so I had the misconception that 1) it was easy and 2) it did not require any kind of research beforehand. I figured I would simply wing it. I failed pretty miserably. They tasted quite nice on the salad, but they were a disaster to try and make. 

What I tried to do was cut the goat cheese into rounds (like medallions) and coat them in a mixture of panko, flour, parsley, salt, pepper and bread crumb. I pressed the rounds into the mixture for full coverage, then put them in the freezer so they were nice and firm. Meanwhile, I heated some Canola oil (shallow) over high heat. I thought I could fry them on each side very quickly and create a nice golden crust. Buuuutttt, I just melted the cheese and made a huge mess in the pan. I scraped out the cheese best I could, drained it on a paper towel and let it cool. Again, they tasted good, but were more like fried goat cheese blobs than the pretty golden crusted medallions I had envisioned! 

Homemade Baked Beans

I got this recipe out of Real Simple (June '11). I was feeling the pull of the perfunctory summer fare: hot dogs. I usually make baked beans over the stove and use canned white beans, but this called for a totally from scratch method so I figured I would try it. The high level summary is they were good but totally not worth the time and effort required, particularly when you have a 2 yr-old and are trying to get dinner on the table on time (which incidentally did not happen).

Homemade Baked Beans

4 oz sliced bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper

1 pound dried navy beans (soaked in water OVERNIGHT and drained)

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup ketchup

1 T dry mustard

2 T cider vinegar

Heat oven to 300 deg F. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until nearly crisp (5-7 minutes). Add the onion and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.

Add the beans, molasses, ketchup, mustard and 5 cups of water to the Dutch oven and stir to combine; bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake, stirring once, until the cooking liquid is thickened, about 1-1 1/4 hours MORE. Stir in the vinegar and serve. WHEW.

How NOT to make granola bars!

I do not know where I got this recipe...it was in a pile of recipes I had saved some time ago and stashed away. I had been wanting to make granola bars lately anyway, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. Well, I don't know who authored this recipe but it is terrible. It tasted okay, but was chewy and did not form bars at all. In fact, it made a total mess of my baking sheet. I had to keep what survived the process in the freezer to make it edible. If you have a tested granola bar recipe, please send it to me!

Do Not Make Granola Bars this way:

1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup oat bran

2 T candied ginger, diced

3/4 cup + 2 T maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Toast walnuts and set aside. In a bowl mix the rice cereal, oats, dried cranberries, oat bran and ginger. In a saucepan mix together maple syrup, sugar, and salt over medium heat until thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Toss with dry mixture and add walnuts; stir until combined well. Press into a greased 8x11 baking dish and let cool. Cut into bars.

These were a gooey, sloppy mess!

Cherry Salsa

This is similar to the method of the mango salsa, just with cherries...which are also in season now. Fresh, wild cherries are so flavorful and are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. As a runner, cherries or cherry juice are among the best things to consume. Wild Cherries went on a huge sale here at Whole Foods, so we stocked up, made some fresh dishes and froze the rest for smoothies later. 

Cherry Salsa

1 lb fresh wild cherries, de-stemmed and pitted, diced

1 shallot, finely diced (you could also use red onion)

2 fresh limes, zested and juiced

2-3 tsp ground cumin (adjust to your liking!)

salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine well. Taste for adjustment to salt, pepper and cumin to your liking. Refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to marry. Serve with quesodillas, burritos, grilled chicken, whatever! This can really be customized to your liking, so play with the flavors and even ingredients   

Egg White Ice Cream: Coffee

I have been looking for ways to reduce my sugar intake, but I also like a sweet treat every now and then. I have used a version of this ice cream recipe before, using egg whites and sour cream, but this time I reduced the sugar even more. I figure the best ice cream flavor with little sugar is coffee because you really want to taste the coffee flavor anyway (well I do since I drink my coffee black...if you load up on cream and sugar you probably disagree!).

This really works best in an ice cream maker, but I also have made it without one and it is a bit icey since it had less fat, but still tastes good!

Coffee (egg white) Ice Cream

2 cup very strong-brewed coffee (espresso like); cooled

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

4 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Make the coffee ahead of time, but the same day. You want it cooled, but not stale. Brewing flavored coffee makes it even better.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly incorporate the sour cream and vanilla. Add the milk, cooled coffee and sugar and mix on low just to combine. Place in an ice cream maker and follow directions for your maker, or put in a freezer container and place in the freezer to freeze. If you are doing it this way, take it out about once an hour to stir so it's not so icey.

Another recipe I tried out of an old magazine tear out I found while cleaning is below. This is a very easy, basic ice cream recipe that does not call for heavy cream:

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

2 T sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups whole milk

Whisk all ingredients in a large container and chill for 30 minutes. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. 

Variations:

Chocolate: omit sugar, vanilla and whole milk, add 2 cups chocolate milk and 2/3 cup chocolate syrup

Strawberry: omit vanilla and reduce milk to 1 1/2 cups. Process 1 (16 oz) container fresh strawberries , 2 T lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt in a blender. Stir into milk mixture

Coconut: omit vanilla and sugar, reduce whole milk to 1 1/2 cups. Whisk 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk , 2 T lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt into milk mixture. 

Fig-Mint: Make vanilla ice cream as directed above. Meanwhile, stir together 2 cups chopped fresh figs, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 T sugar,  and 2 tsp chopped fresh mint. Stir mixture into prepared vanilla (while it is soft right out of the ice cream maker) and freeze until firm. 

Turkey Burgers with Heirloom Tomatoes & Red Onion

This is another dish straight out of Runners World, a dish we love to make, and really is best with heirloom tomatoes, which are just now in season. I can't count how many times I have made this dish. The celebrity chef Rocco DeSpirito contributed the recipe to an issue of Runners World a few years ago and I have hung on to it. This dish is light, but filling, easy on the calories and great if you're watching carbs (as I am since I'm pregnant). The combination of the grilled veggies plus the sauce drizzled on top is what makes the dish...I mean the turkey burger part is good, but to eat it alone it is not a salient dish in itself. 

Turkey Burgers with Heirloom Tomatoes & Red Onion

1 1/4 lbs ground turkey

3 T chopped fresh rosemary (or about 1 T dried)

salt & pepper to season

Olive oil cooking spray

2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2" slices (I like to get one yellow and one red)

1 medium red onion, cut into round 1/2" slices

1 cup milk (I used 1%)

1 T cornstarch

1/2 cup shredded Provolone or Munster cheese (I have used both)

Preheat a grill on high heat. In a bowl, mix together the ground turkey and rosemary, season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 portions and form into 1" patties. Place on grill. Spray tomato and onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill. Grill meat and onions for 4 minutes per side. Grill tomatoes for 2 minutes per side (or less, keep an eye on them so they don't turn into mush!). 

In a bowl, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. Pour into a saucepan, bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk cheese into sauce until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Pile onion and tomato slices on top of each patty and drizzle with sauce. Serves four. 

Red Potato Salad and Dijon and Red Pepper

This is just a twist on traditional potato salad. Also red potatoes are lower on the glycemic index than russet potatoes, or yukon gold, etc. (which is important to me right now since I'm watching the prego weight gain!). The dijon is a nice way to both add flavor and cut back on the mayo, and I  love the extra crunch of the red peppers!

Red Potato Salad and Dijon and Red Pepper

4 cups baby red potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

3 scallions, diced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

3 T reduced fat mayo

salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in water until soft, approx 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine red pepper, dijon mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let the flavors marry while the potatoes cook. Once the potatoes are cool, mix into the bowl and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste, as needed. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

The dijon, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mayo can all be adjusted to suit your tastes, just add a bit at a time and taste until you like it!

I served this with a chicken breast sandwich. 

Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla with Mango Salsa

The star of this dish is the fresh mango salsa...I mean the chicken and cheese filled tortillas are delicious, but the salsa makes the dish for sure. I have really enjoyed incorporating all the fresh summer fruits into meals now that summer is here...nothing against you, butternut squash, but winter is over. 

I won't bother with the recipe for the quesadilla (just whole wheat tortillas, cheese, grilled chicken and seasonings), the salsa is what you want:

Mango Salsa

2 ripe mangos, peeled and cubed off the pit

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste
2-3 scallions, chopped (for garnish)


Combine all but the scallions in a small bowl and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Top with chopped scallions to serve. 

Cauliflower Mac'n'Cheese

I got this idea straight out of Runner's World (March '11) ... a healthy way to incorporate cauliflower into a meal, and eliminate some of the not-so-innocuous culprits of mac'n'cheese! It was delicious! In fact, I may always make mac'n'cheese with this cruciferous vegetable! 

Cauliflower Mac'n'Cheese  
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 cauliflower, cored and cut into large pieces
8 oz. whole wheat pasta (I used elbow mac)
1/2 grated cheese (cheddar, gruyere, whatever you like)
2 T olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs


Heat oven to 400 deg F. Boil a pot of salted water. In a saucepan, warm the stock and bay leaves on medium-low heat for 5 minutes; turn off heat. Cook cauliflower in boiling water for 25 minutes. Put cauliflower in a food processor. Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse to cool; put pasta in a greased, 9" square baking dish. Process cauliflower with stock (discard bay leaves), cheese, oil, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper, working in batches. Pour sauce over pasta, toss, and spread evenly into dish. Top with parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake 20 minutes. Serves 4.


I served this dish alongside a pistachio-crusted chicken breast and a mixed green salad. Yum! 

Hiatus II

So clearly I should have saved my hiatus post for June. I literally have about 5-6 recipes piled up in my draft posts awaiting pictures and final touches before being published. Where did June go anyway? Here it is July 1st (nope, just glaned at the calendar, July 2nd) and poor coffee braised beef brisket has been holding down the blog for a solid three weeks. Pitiful, really. Add that we are on vacation and I'm not exercising any kind of ability to cook, and well you get the idea. We won't be back in the city until the middle of next week, so I suspect that post-worthy dinners will even scarce at best. My intention, at the very least, is to get the draft posts published, so may these whet your appretite in the meantime:

Cauliflower Mac'n'Cheese

Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla with Mango Salsa

Red Potato Salad with Dijon and Red Pepper

Turkey Burgers with Heirloom Tomatoes & Red Onion

How Not to Make Granola Bars

Egg White Ice Cream