Confessions of a Foodie

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Super Bowl Food

If you're like most Americans, you'll be glued to the TV Sunday evening to watch the Super Bowl. Whether you're planning to watch for the game itself or for the crazy, glitchy, expensive commercials, you'll probably need/want lots of munchies during the game.

What to fix or grab from the grocery shelves? Sure, you could go for chips and dip, beer or soda, pizza (pepperoni or loaded up with veggies). But wouldn't it be nice to have a few other things to eat during the game? Here are some yummy things to fix for your Super Bowl Party.

CHERRY SHEET CAKE

This one is by Carroll Pellegrinelli from the desserts and baking section of about.com. Carroll also have loads of Super Bowl recipes! For this recipe, she writes, "Looking for a simple cake to serve for dessert or an afternoon coffee. It's up to you, which method plan to use to make this Cherry Sheet Cake, from-scratch or with a cake mix." I personally plan to bake this up for Super Bowl Sunday!

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes; Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cake mix

One 4-servings box vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup cold water

21 ounce can cherry pie filling

Powdered sugar

Preparation:

From scratch cake:

In a large bowl with a wire whisk, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add one egg at a time. Add almond extract. Mix thoroughly. Gradually, add the butter mixture until well combined.

From cake mix:

Combine cake mix ingredients. Mix on medium until slightly combined. Mix for 2 more minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9x13 pan. Pour batter into pan. With a spoon dollop cherry pie filling in an even pattern on top of cake batter.

Bake for 45- 50 minutes or until corners are lightly brown. Allow to cool slightly on wire rack before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cool completely before serving.

Another about.com section/channel is the Low Fat Cooking section. Fiona Haynes, who writes low fat recipes, posted a recipe for low fat sloppy joes. Yum!

LOW FAT SLOPPY JOES

Fiona Haynes writes, "Turkey sloppy Joes make a great weeknight meal or a great game-day treat. For an extra nutritional punch, serve with whole-grain rolls instead of regular rolls, and offer baby carrots and grapes on the side."

Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 small yellow bell pepper, chopped

3/4 pound lean ground turkey

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 14.5 ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

12 small Kaiser rolls

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and peppers until softened. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Stir in chili powder and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the turkey mixture into the bottom half of a small roll. Add top of roll, then serve.

Makes 12 servings

Per Serving: Calories 167, Calories from Fat 41, total Fat 4.5g (sat 0.9g), Cholesterol 22mg, Sodium 438mg, Carbohydrate 22.5g, Fiber 2.1g, Protein 8.9g

Per Serving using extra-lean ground turkey: Calories 158, Calories from Fat 24, Total Fat 2.6g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 11mg, Sodium 427mg, Carbohydrate 22.5g, Fiber 2.1g, Protein 11g

Stay tuned...more tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

More Cold Weather Food

Two more cold-weather meals, and one dessert. Enjoy!

LOW FAT BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients

2 cups chopped fresh or frozen broccoli

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 (14.5 oz.) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 (12 fluid oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk

 Methods

In a saucepan, combine broccoli, onion and broth; simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree half of the mixture in a blender; return to the saucepan.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and 3 tbsp. of milk until smooth. Gradually add remaining milk. Stir into the broccoli mixture. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.

Additional Tips prep time 30 Min; ready in30 Min; Makes 4 servings. from mydailymoment.com

STOVETOP VEGETARIAN ORZO AND SPINACH SKILLET DINNER

By Jolinda Hackett, at about.com

Jolinda writes, "This is a super easy one-pot complete vegetarian meal using pre-cooked orzo, canned chickpeas, fresh or frozen spinach and topped off with optional crumbled feta cheese, if you're not eating vegan. If you need a quick meal but don't have orzo on hand, you could try using this recipe with instant rice or even another whole grain that you have handy. Couscous would also be super quick, but orzo would be better. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, and, if you omit the feta cheese, it's vegan as well."

Recipe courtesy of Bush's® Beans.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1/2 cup cooked orzo

1 lemon, juiced

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or 12 ounces frozen, thawed and squeezed to drain

salt and pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until almost clear, about 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, cooked orzo, lemon juice and spinach, stirring to combine well.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to heat for 4-5 minutes until spinach has cooked through and everything is heated and well combined.

Serve topped with feta cheese.

Makes four servings.

PINEAPPLE COBBLER

From Vegetarian Times, January/February 2012 issue, p. 65

Serves 9

"Pineapples and dates create a luscious filling for this dessert. Experiment with different fruit juices and with dried fruits other than dates."

Filling

5 cups fresh pineapple cubes

1 cup coconut-pineapple juice or unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cup chopped dates

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or allspice

Topping

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2cup all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup coconut-pineapple juice or unsweetened pineapple juice

1/4 cup brown sugar, optional

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom or nutmeg

1/4 cup vegan margarine

3 Tbs. coconut or safflower oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

To make Filling: Stir together pineapple cubes, juice, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook 10 minutes, or until dates begin to break apart, stirring frequently.

To make Topping: Combine oats, flour, juice, brown sugar (if using), cinnamon, and cardamom in large bowl. Melt margarine and oil in small saucepan. Stir margarine mixture into oats mixture.

Spoon Filling into prepared baking dish. Spread Topping over Filling, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until Topping is golden brown.

nutritional information Per 2/3-cup serving: Calories: 264; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 37 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 26 g

Monday, January 20, 2014

Cold weather food

When the weather turns cold, most of us want something warm and filling to eat. Here are a few (mostly) healthy goodies to get you started. Enjoy!

BEST MAC AND CHEESE

Okay, this might not be the healthiest recipe...but let's face it: who doesn't like mac and cheese?

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cup (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. low-sodium Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. hot sauce

4 cups hot cooked medium elbow macaroni

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheeses and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheeses melt. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni in a bowl; stir well. Serve immediately.

Ready in 20 min. Makes 6 servings

From My Daily Moment

STUFFED PEPPERS

Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/238.shtml

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, any color or combination

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium crookneck squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced onion (1 medium)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 to 2/3 cup uncooked)

1/2 cup grated fat-free or low-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (2 ounces)

1 cup no-salt-added tomato juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems, ribs, and seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Saute tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until zucchini is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cheese, and water chestnuts. Gently stir into skillet. Stuff pepper halves with vegetable mixture. Place in 9-inch round or square casserole dish, then carefully pour tomato juice around peppers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 119 ; Protein: 5 g ; Fat: 1 g ; Sodium: 68 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg ; Carbohydrates: 23 g Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Vegetable



LOW-CALORIE, ALMOST FAT-FREE VEGETABLE CHILI RECIPE

Jolinda Hackett of About.com's vegetarian channel writes, "Using extra vegetables, tomato juice and tomatoes with fewer beans keeps this vegetarian chili lower in calories. Though meatless chili is already a healthy and low-fat choice, this version is extra low-cal. It's really more like a chili-spiced tomato soup than a hearty chili." She added, "This was one of those recipes that came about purely because of what I had on hand in my kitchen, which happened to be lots of veggies, and not so many beans. But I really wanted chili." (For more of her wonderful vegetarian recipes, click here.)

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp water

1 large carrot, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, chopped small

1 red bell pepper, chopped small

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 15-ounce can kidney beans

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 12-ounce can tomato juice or V8

water

1 jalapeno or other small spicy pepper, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

green onions for garnish, optional

Preparation:

In a large non-stick pot, heat the garlic and onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and carrots and heat, stirring, for another 3-4 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper and soy sauce, stirring to combine well. Heat for just another minute or two. Reduce heat to medium low and add all the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions. Cover and allow to slowly simmer for at least 25 minutes and up to 40 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings to taste, garnish with some green onions or even a bit of cheese or sour cream if you're not eating vegan.

Nutritional information, via CalorieCount 3:

Calories: 195; Calories from Fat: 10; Total Fat: 1.1g, 2% daily value; Trans Fat: 0.0g; Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%; Sodium: 614mg, 26%; Total Carbohydrates: 38.0g, 13%; Dietary Fiber: 9.6g, 38%; Sugars: 9.5g; Protein: 11.2g; Vitamin A 80%, Vitamin C 159% Calcium 5%, Iron 32;

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Turkey

Most of us have used up our leftover turkey already. But for the next time you're in the mood to cook up a turkey - something I did a week ago, once the holidays were over - you can use these for the leftovers. Not sure which food emailing list/forums I got them from...

TURKEY POT PIE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed under cold water

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups turkey or chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie, prepared or purchased

Preparation:

Drain peas and carrots; set aside. Heat butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat then stir in broth and milk. Place back on heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in turkey and vegetables. Prepare pastry. Roll 2/3 of the pastry into a 13-inch square; ease into ungreased 9-inch square pan. Pour turkey mixture into the pastry-lined pan. Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square; cut out designs with small cookie cutter. Place square over filling; turn edges under and crimp. Bake in 425° oven until golden brown, about 35 min.

Serves 6.

TURKEY CURRY

Use leftover turkey to make this tasty turkey dish.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons curry powder

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (8 to 9 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

3 cups cooked diced turkey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

hot cooked rice

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat curry powder in butter, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in onions; continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are softened. Blend in flour and ginger; add chicken broth and pineapple. Heat to boiling; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in turkey. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until heated through. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Serves 4.

TURKEY MACARONI CASSEROLE

Turkey casserole recipe with macaroni and cheddar cheese, almonds, butter, celery and other ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chopped turkey

1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimiento, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds*

Preparation:

Cook and drain macaroni, following package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add celery, green pepper, and onion; cook until tender. Blend in soup, milk, and shredded cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Combine cheese mixture with macaroni, pimiento, turkey, salt, and nutmeg. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart casserole; top with toasted almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Turkey Casserole Recipe serves 6.

*To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350° oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

New Year Yumminess...

I know I should be putting nice, healthy recipes on this blog, especially for my first post of the new year. But looking back through some of the recipes I've picked up over the years, I figured I'd go with two yummy desserts from Vegetarian Times. Both the truffles and the cake are listed as vegan; hopefully, that'll fit onto your healthy list. And dark chocolate is supposed to be healthy, isn't it? Either way, enjoy!

Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles

from the May 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times

Serves 10 (makes about 30 truffles)

Truffles are usually made with heavy cream, but you'll never miss the dairy in these luscious vegan chocolates.

6 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa), finely chopped

1/4 cup walnut, almond or canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Place chocolate, oil and 1/3 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave 1 minute. Stir; heat 1 minute more, or until chocolate has melted. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 6 hours, or overnight.

Place cocoa and nuts on separate plates. Shape truffle mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls into small, 3/4-inch balls. Roll in cocoa or chopped nuts. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional information, per truffle:

Calories: 66, Protein: 1 g, Total Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g. Vegan.

Fabulous Vegan Fudge Cake with Bittersweet Icing

from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 66)

Serves 8

“I’ve tried vegan cake recipes in the past, but didn’t like the sour taste of the vinegar that is usually used to activate the leavening,” says single mom and café manager Shelly Platten. “I tinkered with some recipes that didn’t use vinegar to come up with a fudgy, satisfying cake.”

1 1/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached white flour

1 2/3 cups Florida Crystals organic cane sugar, divided

1 1/3 cups Chatfield’s cocoa powder, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup Silk vanilla soymilk, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Whisk together 2/3 cup soymilk, 1/3 cup oil, and 1/2 cup water in separate bowl. Stir soymilk mixture into flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold onto plate.

Warm remaining 2/3 cup cocoa, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup oil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour in remaining 1/3 cup soymilk, and cook 1 minute, or until smooth. Spread icing over warm cake, and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Nutritional Information, per slice:

Calories: 525, protein: 5 g, total fat: 25 g, saturated fat: 2g, carbohydrates: 67 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium 315 mg, fiber: 7 g, sugar: 43 g. Vegan