Taking a break to regroup....

As I've mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm being tested for Celiac disease. I went on very low gluten diet for several months and saw a dramatic improvement of symptoms. Then, when I went back to a regular full-gluten diet for a month my symptoms came back with a vengeance. Headaches, lack of energy, cramping, bloating, irregularity, and heartburn are just a few of the symptoms I experienced. I finally saw a new gastroenterologist and he agreed it sounds like I have Gluten intolerance at the very least. Labs were drawn on me yesterday and results will be back on Monday. I'm also being tested for lactose intolerance and will be tested for that this week. If blood test results are negative or inconclusive, I will be having a more invasive procedure that involves biopsies of my digestive tract.

Anyway, I am writing to explain that I'm taking a break from posting recipes for now because I'm having to restructure my diet and consider the possibility that not only do I need to be living a gluten-free lifestyle, I also might need to live dairy-free. It's going to take me some time to get in the swing of living with this, learning how to cook with various new materials and finding out what I can and cannot eat.

Day 33: Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage

 

 I have had manicotti in mind for several days now when considering what to make for dinner, so I finally caved to my craving and made it tonight. My problem is that I never get the filling flavorful enough for our tastes, so I tried adding some sweet Italian sausage to the filling mix. Let's just say I think it did the trick. :)

Three Cheese Manicotti with Italian Sausage
What you'll need:
1 (8 oz.) package Manicotti pasta
1 (15 oz.) tub of Ricotta cheese
6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T low fat sour cream
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
3 leaves fresh spinach, chopped
1 T basil
Garlic, minced, to taste
2 Italian Sausages, without casings

2 c spaghetti sauce
1/8 c Italian bread crumbs
Parmesan Cheese to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until done, drain. Then, in a skillet, brown the Italian sausage, making sure you break it up into small pieces. In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 4 oz mozzarella cheese, sour cream,  basil, parsley, spinach, garlic and pepper to taste, mixing well. Next add in the Italian sausage and mix well. In a 9 x 13" casserole dish, cover bottom of dish with a thin film of spaghetti sauce. Fill each manicotti with cheese mixture and place in dish; cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top of sauce, then top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes and serve!

Ratings from the Experts*: 9/10 for both of us! This is a huge improvement on previous efforts to make this dish zippier and more flavorful. Definitely recommend trying this one!

Day 32: Recipe 2- Cauliflower Casserole

I abhor the taste of cauliflower. Cooked, raw, either way I can barely take it. But thanks to my organic produce bag that I get weekly (and never knowing what is going to be included) I got a head of cauliflower. Knowing it shouldn't be wasted I started looking for recipes. Most recipes involved doing very naughty things to it, like deep frying it, or smothering it in butter and loading it up with tons of stuff to camouflage the flavor and texture of it. I'm all for camouflaging the flavor, but there's a point when it ceases to be any sort of healthy and the recipe I took inspiration from looked more like something Paula Deen might slather up and serve. I decided to go the slightly lighter route and came up with this. It's basically the same recipe, but halving or quartering all of the ingredients that were previously in excess.

 
Cauliflower Casserole
What you'll need:
1 head of cauliflower, broken up into small florets
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted
1/8 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2  c cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring two inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cauliflower, cover, and cook for about ten minutes. Drain, and place it in a small casserole dish. In a small bowl mix together butter, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle mixture over cauliflower, and top it with Cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Ratings from the Experts*: For cauliflower, 10/10! I can actually eat it this way, (and not feel too guilty.) The original recipe was around 24 grams of fat per serving. This, although not exactly light, but improved... sits at 11 grams of fat. 

Day 32: Mushroom Chicken Casserole

This is one of my old standby dishes. It's good, easy, and you can't get it wrong (except for maybe overcooking it). I got this recipe from my mom and it was one of the few recipes I knew how to make when my hubby and I got married almost six and a half years ago!

Mushroom Chicken Casserole

What you'll need:

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms

1 T basil

1 t garlic powder

2/3 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded

OR 4 slices Provolone cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Smear half the can of mushroom soup around the bottom of a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Lay the breast halves in the dish, then cover them with the remaining soup, being sure they are thoroughly coated. Pour the (drained) can of mushrooms over top of the breast halves, spreading them out evenly. Next, add the seasonings on top, then sprinkle with shredded cheese or use one slice of provolone on top of each breast half. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Check to ensure chicken juices run clear before serving. Make sure you serve it with some of the soupy stuff in the dish too! That makes it even better!

Ratings from the Experts*: Grr. Hubby says, "Familiarity breeds contempt." Fine. 5/10. :-P Although I personally think it's an 8... so really. Don't listen to him. It's new to you. Try it! After all, doesn't that picture just make your mouth water?

Day 31: Recipe 2- Savory Squash and Cranberry Casserole

I had a Butternut squash that I absolutely did not want to stuff, since that's pretty much my main method of making squash. I came across this fabulously amazing-looking recipe and decided to try my luck, taking some of the suggestions in the comments into consideration.

Savory Squash and Cranberry Casserole
What you'll need:
1 Butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1 c fresh or dried cranberries
1 small white onion
3 apples, cored and peeled
1 T ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground nutmeg
2 T maple syrup



Cube the squash and apples into 1" cubes and toss them into your slow cooker. Dice the onion and add it in next, then add the fresh cranberries. Sprinkle the whole mixture with the cinnamon and nutmeg and then mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed. Cook on high for 1-2 hours, then drizzle the maple syrup over top and stir gently. Resume cooking on high for another 1-2 hours, checking every so often to ensure the squash isn't getting overdone. Serve!

Ratings from the Experts*: Hubby says 9/10 for squash and 7/10 for an overall dish. (Remember... we're not traditionally huge fans of squash, so it might be higher per your tastes.) I give it the same. I will say it has a very complex flavor that you wouldn't expect. It was good and I'll definitely try it again if I get another butternut squash in my organic goodie bag.

Day 31: Oven-Baked Tilapia with Mushrooms and Fire Roasted Peppers

My kitchen has been busy. Two recipes cooked and several more lined up for tomorrow. (The bad thing is- this post is a day late... this was last night's dinner. Sorry!) I love Tilapia's flavor because it so easily translates with numerous different cooking methods and it's not overly fishy. Most of the time it soaks up the flavor of what you cook it with. I just saw and decided to try a new method of baking it in the oven rather than my typical way of pan-searing it. This is the product of that effort!

Oven-Baked Tilapia with Mushrooms and Fire Roasted Peppers

What you'll need:

4 Tilapia filets

1 lemon cut in half

1/2 (12 oz) jar of mushrooms and red peppers (I found mine at the local supermarket in the pickle section)

1 T basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Cut four 8 x 10" pieces of aluminum foil. Lay the filets in the middle of each foil. Spoon out the desired amount of mushrooms and peppers over the top of each filet, making sure you use some of the liquid from the jar to smother the filet. Take the lemon halves and squeeze out over the filets, making sure lemon seeds don't spill out. Top with basil. Carefully fold up the edges of the foils, forming a little packet, completely folding in the filet and toppings so nothing will spill out. Place each packet in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Ratings from the Experts*: 9/10 for fish! This was very easy, quick, and delicious. Literally less than 10 minutes in the kitchen once the filets were thawed. If you're looking for something quick, light, and good... this is it!

Day 30: Spicy Skillet Chicken with a Twist

After a long day of cleaning house and dealing with my demanding two-year-old, I really wanted to fix something simple that I didn't spend a lot of time preparing. I had an idea of what I was wanting, and just decided to go for it, deriving most of my inspiration from this dish. What came out was anything but traditional Southwest Chicken as the original recipe implies. My hubby likened it to some kind of Indian fusion food. Parts of the flavor reminded me of the little Balinese place we frequent in town, but then the spiciness was different from their dishes. So I really have no idea what to call it.

Ummm... Chicken was thawing. Everything else is here though... oops. Except for the fact  that I have an extra chili powder out and don't have the garlic and onion powder in the pic. Can you tell I'm tired? Ok. I'll shut up now since this is the longest caption in the world. Did I mention I babble when I'm tired?

Spicy Skillet Chicken with a Twist
4 skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (8.75 oz.) can corn, drained
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 1/2 t chili powder

First, I thawed the chicken while I heated up the oil in a very large skillet. Next, I pan-seared the chicken on both sides before adding in the diced tomatoes and chili peppers, black beans and corn, reducing the heat to a simmer and covering. I let it sit and simmer for about 20 minutes, coming in every so often to flip the chicken breasts and stir the skillet a bit. At the 10 minute mark I added in all the spices, stirring them throughout the mixture well, then recovered the skillet and let it finish stewing for 10 more minutes. I paired the dish with a bed of Spanish rice.

Ratings from the Experts*: I liked it and the flavor wasn't weird tasting, it was just different. It had tons of taste variation but was a bit on the spicy side for both hubby and I. I'd give it about a 7 due to the spiciness. I would make it again but definitely hold off on the chili powder a little and top with a little more cheese. On the good side (sans cheese) this dish was very very low fat at around 7 grams per serving!

Day 29: Recipe 2- Fruity Cheesecake

If that doesn't make your mouth water, I don't know what will. I cannot express how much I love cheesecake. Definitely my favorite dessert and if you don't agree, well... I just say you're wrong. I would eat more of it except for the fact that it has this annoying habit of sticking to my hips. Considering I've spent the last seven months dropping thirty pounds of cheesecake bits, I wanted to find a recipe with a lower fat ratio per slice. I looked at several and found a recipe for Italian Cheesecake, but I really don't like sacrificing the flavor of cream cheese for something like ricotta or cottage cheese. Perhaps one day I will have the guts to try those recipes, but I think this recipe that I came up with does pretty well for itself. I would have posted this last night, but it was really late when I finished.

Les ingrédients

Fruity Cheesecake
What you'll need:
2 (8 oz.) packages Neufchatel cheese (Lower fat cream cheese)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
2 c fresh blueberries
1/8 c lemon juice
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1 1/2 t orange zest
1/2 t lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour one 9 inch round springform or regular cake pan. (I used Pam cooking spray, coating the pan well, then put in about 1/8 c of flour and shook it around, then tilted the pan on the side and turned it one full turn until the sides were coated with flour and then dumped out the loose remnants.) Next, combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and eggs, beating well by hand. Stir in vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and orange zest and continue mixing vigorously until smooth and creamy. Lastly, add in the fresh blueberries and mix gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, until golden on top. Place on a rack and cool. (Or on a cookie sheet like I did.) I was able to easily remove the springform because the edges of the cake had  pulled away so nicely from the sides. Put in the freezer to firm up. If cut correctly, it will yield about 14 slivers.


Ratings from the Experts*: For me, having never baked a fruity version of cheesecake before other than key lime, I thought it was about 8/10. I would definitely make it again. It didn't rise as much as I'd like, but it is much lower in fat (even though it's a small slice- it's so rich you won't want more.) By my calculations, it's about 7 grams of fat per sliver. Not bad! 

I'd guess that my hubby would agree considering he asked to lick the pie server after I'd finished slicing it.

Day 29: Italian Stuffed Eggplant

My two year old is currently running his firetruck across my keyboard, so please bear with me if there are spelling errors. He got shots at his 2 year check-up today, so it's-cling-to-mommy-for-dear-life-day.

Moving on...

I'd never had an eggplant cross the threshold of my kitchen before last Tuesday. In fact, I cannot recall having seen a raw eggplant before at all other than in pictures. Eggplants are weird. They are not a squash as you might think. They're actually related to potatoes, tomatoes and sweet peppers.

Anyway, I got one in my bag of organic goodies from the natural foods co-op and had no idea what to do with the silly thing, so while I was looking up stroganoff recipes for last night's dinner, I did a little searching for inspiration eggplant dishes. Coming across several recipes that all had elements of things that sounded good, I decided to steal them all and make my own conglomerated recipe. (Scary, considering my first experience cooking squash was a disaster that should have its own place in the record books.)

Nonetheless, I learned very quickly when I spooned out the middle of the eggplant that it was most definitely not 'squashy', but rather spongy and dry. Nervously I kept completing step after step, and as the stuffing started coming together I couldn't help but sample this scary concoction. I got a pleasant surprise.

Yes, this is new. A picture of all the ingredients needed. Like?

Italian Stuffed Eggplant
What you'll need:
1 eggplant, halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T olive oil

2 T olive oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (without casings)
1 small onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can mushroom pieces
1 (3 oz) can sliced olives
1 c Italian Breadcrumbs
1/2 c Red cooking wine
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2 T parsley, freshly chopped
1/3 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the eggplant in half if you haven't already and scrape out most of the guts, setting the scrapings aside in a bowl, leaving about 3/4 of an inch of fleshy stuff around the edges of the halves. Drizzle the halves with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then setting them aside in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet. Chop the eggplant scrapings and again set them aside again.

In a large skillet, heat the two tablespoons of olive oil, throw in the Italian Sausage but be sure you've squeezed it out of the casings. Be sure it's nicely browned before you add in the chopped eggplant scrapings, diced onion, mushrooms, olives, and parsley. Once the onions are cooked through, pour in the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly until all is well-coated, then add in the Parmesan cheese, stirring again. Next, pour in the red wine and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn.

Stuff the halves, mounding them with the filling mixture. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, then top with mozzarella and bake for another 10 minutes. Then serve!


Ratings from the Experts*: Hubby gives the stuffing a 9/10. Said it made him want to scrape the pan for the last dredges so he could gobble it up like he did with last night's stroganoff. Although- he says the skin on the eggplant wasn't tender enough and rates the dish overall a 7/10. I'm wondering if this could be remedied by playing with cooking times some?

As for me, I give it a solid 9/10. The skin didn't bother me and the fleshy part of the eggplant was cooked just right. The stuffing was I-can't-believe-I-did-that-on-the-first-try good! Do I need to say more?

Day 28: Healthier Creamy Beef Stroganoff

I don't know about you, but I love Beef Stroganoff. I'd thought of it earlier today as I was scouring the internet for recipe ideas for the week. The rich, creamy flavor of the sauce with egg noodles is divine. Sad thing is, I'm not very successful at making it...usually. It always seems to be too salty, or too bland, or not enough sauce, or too thick, or not enough noodles. But I think... well... just read below for the results...

Healthier Creamy Beef Stroganoff
What you'll need:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef (I used organic 95/5)
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 can (10.75 oz) Cream of Celery soup (I used a healthy, reduced sodium version)
1 can (10.5 oz) Beef broth
1 can (4 oz) Mushroom pieces
1 T spicy mustard
10 oz. egg noodles
1 c lowfat sour cream
Pepper to Taste
Parmesan/Romano to Taste

Cook the pasta as directed. In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until nicely browned; drain if needed (my beef was so lean there was nothing at all to drain). Stir in flour and salt until blended. Stir in soup, broth and mustard. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, adding in the mushrooms at this time. Stir in the noodles and sour cream and let it heat through, but don't let it boil. Serve with pepper and cheese to taste. Yields 5 Servings.

Ratings from the Experts*: 9/10! The BEST stroganoff I've ever made. And it's healthy?! Dude. This should be a 10 just for that fact alone. Hubby says it's not quite a 10 (and he's definitely the harder critic), but he liked it so much I caught him scraping the pan after dinner, gobbling up the remnants. I personally think it is like a 9.999953/10. Just Sayin'.

Day 27: Glazed Pecan Pie Muffins

We have some friends staying the weekend with us and I wanted to make something sweet for us to eat on while they are here. I make a great cheesecake and had considered that but realized I don't have any graham cracker for crust, so I trolled my go to favorite sweet-thing baker's site, the Pioneer Woman and found this thanks to her recipe database. Except I put my own little spin on the recipe.

Glazed Pecan Pie Muffins
What you'll need:
2 eggs
1 stick softened butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c chopped pecans
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Glaze: 1/2 c powdered sugar, 2-3 T cold milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and butter until thoroughly blended. In a larger bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients- sugar, flour, pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg until blended evenly. Slowly add wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just combined. Spoon mixture into muffin cups until cups are about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 mins. Remove muffins from pan and set on wire rack or other flat surface until well cooled.

For glaze, in a small bowl, pour in powdered sugar. Very slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly as you pour. The mixture should be thick and gooey... almost the consistency of honey. Place in freezer for ten minutes. Mix very slightly, then drizzle on top of the muffins. Set the muffins in the fridge for 30 min. to set the glaze. Remove, warm, and serve!

Ratings from the Experts*: Ooo la la. 10/10. Sweet, with a myriad of tastes, warm, and fabulous!

Day 26: Turkey Feta Sliders

This gorgeous little gem of a recipe was brought to my attention by the Pioneer Woman, and the recipe is thanks to Picky Palate. I didn't have sun-dried tomatoes and I couldn't find the mini burger buns, so I substituted my favorite bread on the face of the planet, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. As my favorite college roomie would say, Hawaiian Sweet Bread will rock your face off!

Turkey Feta Sliders
What you'll need:
1 lb ground turkey
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped
Pepper to taste
Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley to taste

Mayonnaise
Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls, split
2 c fresh spinach leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place diced tomatoes in skillet and heat until tender. Remove the tomatoes. Mix turkey, feta, tomatoes, spinach and seasonings in a large bowl until just combined.  Form 1/4 Cup small patties and place onto a cookie sheet.  Once all are formed, place patties in the hot skillet.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.

Spread mayonnaise over insides of warm rolls.  Layer bottom roll with spinach and the burger.  Close it with the top roll and eat to your heart's content! Yields about 12 sliders.

Ratings from the Experts*: 8/10 The bread was a phenomenal pairing with the patties as I figured they would be. I loved the flavor of the patties, but felt something was missing. My hubby said it needed pickles. I'm not totally sold on that, but it's worth a shot. Regardless, great flavor overall!

Day 24: Recipe 2- Fabulous Gluten Free Peanut Butter/Butterscotch Cookies

Since I'm facing testing for Celiac Disease, I've started checking out Gluten free recipes in the event that I do indeed need to go entirely Gluten-free. I've had a sweet tooth all week and was jonesing for something with peanut butter, so I started my search with that in mind and found this recipe. Only thing I changed was by adding butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter/Butterscotch Cookies
What you'll need:
1 egg
1 c sugar
1 c peanut butter (any kind)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 c butterscotch chips (Hershey's butterscotch chips are gluten-free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or use an airbake sheet. Mix all ingredients very well until very thoroughly blended. Ball up dough into desired sizes (beware these cookies spread out very well!) I made 12 cookes and mine nearly came off the baking sheet. The recipe I used recommends balling into 36 cookies. Evenly spread out the balls of dough on the baking sheet and stick into oven. Bake until the cookies flatten out and start to brown (about 12-15 mins.)

Ratings from the Experts*: 10/10. Delicious, light and rich. One cookie at a time is definitely enough to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Day 24: Chicken CrockPot Pie

Since I'm on a high gluten diet for this month for testing, I put out a request for recipe suggestions on Facebook and a friend suggested Chicken Pot Pie. I found this delicious recipe on Stephanie O'Dea's "A Year of Slow Cooking" and adapted it to fit our tastes.

Chicken CrockPot Pie
What you'll need:
2 Chicken breast halves, cubed
2 cans Cream of ______ Soup (I used Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Broccoli.)
1 can corn
1 can green beans
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, sliced
2 T low fat milk
1/2 t marjoram
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t celery seed
1 t onion powder
1 can biscuits (8)

Throw in all the veggies and chicken into the Crockpot. Stir in  the soup, adding the milk to the soup cans to get the last dredges of it out into the pot. Stir everything well, then sprinkle in all of the spices and mix well again until all is blended together evenly. Open can of biscuits and peel them in half, placing all the halves in a thin layer on top of the soup mixture until the top is completely covered. Cook on high for 3-5 hours, checking to ensure it doesn't get overdone every so often.

Ratings from the Expert*: I give it a 7.5. Flavor was rich, but I wished there were more liquid left in the mixture. Although I suspect that is largely in part to the fact that my hubby fell asleep and let it cook for an hour and a half longer than it was supposed to! It's a wonder it wasn't burnt to a crisp.

Day 23: Wheat Pilaf and Orzo with Summer Squash and Bell Peppers

I needed to use up the last of my organic summer squash before it went bad, and my bell peppers were on the fritz too, so I hunted around my cupboards and managed to find a package of Wheat pilaf/orzo mix. Here's what I came up with.

Wheat Pilaf and Orzo with Summer Squash and Bell Peppers
What you'll need:
1 bell pepper, diced
2 small summer squash, sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 T olive oil
1 pkg. Wheat Pilaf and/or Orzo mix
1 t. cumin
1 can Campbell's Vegatable Orzo soup

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil and toss in slices of summer squash and diced bell pepper. Cook until tender. The squash should be slightly browned on both sides before removing.
Cook pilaf as directed. Once the pilaf is finished, add in the cooked squash and bell pepper, cumin, and soup and mix well. Served best in soup bowls.

Ratings from the Experts*: 8 for me. Really flavorful without being too salty but seemed like something might be missing. Hubby says 8 for him except he would switch the bell peppers for some other vegetable that would blend a little more with the overall taste of the dish.

Day 22: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Linguine and Mushroom Sauce

I was rather unproductive today other than this effort for dinner. Headaches really zap my energy and the one I had today, no less so. I set the fish in a gallon bag in the sink basin full of hot water to thaw the fish, then went out for a three mile run to try and boost my energy. That seemed to help and within about twenty minutes of finishing my run I was in the kitchen cooking. 

I've used this crust before and enjoyed it on everything I've ever tried it on. It's not too salty, not too bland and provides just enough crunch when correctly browned, so I thought I would try my luck with Tilapia.

The mushroom sauce for the linguine was an afterthought, but I'm rather pleased with how it turned out. Nothing like a little ingenuity in the kitchen!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Linguine and Mushroom Sauce

What you'll need:

6 Tilapia filets, thawed and deboned

1/2 c parmesan

1/3 c Italian breadcrumbs

1 T basil

2 T olive oil

8 oz. linguine

1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

1- 4 oz. can of mushroom pieces

1/2 c water

1 c fresh organic spinach, finely chopped

1/3 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 t. basil

1 t. garlic

Parmesan to taste

In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan, breadcrumbs and basil until well blended. Take each filet of tilapia and immerse in the crust mixture, making sure both sides of each filet are coated.

On medium heat, saute the coated fish in olive oil in a large cast iron skillet until cooked through and crusting is nicely browned and crispy. Also make sure the fish is flaky before removing from the pan, otherwise you'll end up with slightly soggy fish like I did. Remove from the skillet when done and set aside.

Cook the linguine as directed, then drain and set aside. In a smaller sauce pan, pour in the mushroom soup, add water, then can of mushrooms, mixing well. (You can either use the water in the can with the mushrooms or drain the mushrooms and add the water from tap.) Take the fresh spinach and finely chop or use a food processor until the spinach is in bits. (Be sure you don't overdo it and end up with creamed spinach if you use a processor.) Add in the chopped spinach to the sauce pan and bring the pan to a bubble, mixing well and being sure the mixture doesn't burn. As the spinach is cooking down, add in the basil and garlic, and finally add in the mozzarella cheese, making sure all of it is melted and mixed into the sauce before removing the sauce from heat and serving atop the linguine. Garnish with Parmesan or a Parmesan/Romano blend to taste.

Ratings from the Experts*:  For moi, (Jen), I'm on the fence between a 6/7. The fish wasn't quite flaky and that downgraded the whole meal. The mushroom sauce on the other hand was wonderful and not to salty or thick. All in all, I had an off night...not unlike my day. If the fish was cooked correctly, I'd give it a solid 8.

John (hubby) gives it a 6. He did like the mushroom sauce as well. The 6 is mainly for the fact that the fish wasn't flaky and light like it normally is/should be.

Day 21: Guest Post! Nutty Salmon Asparagus Bacon Wraps

My hubby practically forced me out the door for a run and took over my blog for the night. I happily complied. So take it away, sweetie!

Sometimes the recipes I pick are chosen due to an odd mix of ingredients I find in the cupboard or freezer. Tonight it was a can of salmon and half a package of frozen asparagus. Hmm. What to make? So I found a recipe that sounded good and was easy enough to modify using ingredients on hand. Behold the

Nutty Salmon Asparagus Bacon Wraps

What you'll need:
14.75 oz can Wild Alaskan Salmon
1 T Olive oil 
2/3 c Almonds
1 t Safflower oil
1 T onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic
1 T mayonnaise
1 t. Parmesan cheese
1 t. spicy brown mustard
1 t. chives
1 t. old bay seasoning (see recipe here)
1 egg white
bunch of fresh asparagus (about a dozen stalks)
1 dozen pieces of bacon


I started by chopping the almonds in a food processor, adding some safflower oil and a dab of melted butter to make  nuts moist and gooey.  Other nuts, like pinion nuts or some pecans may be oily enough to stick together on their own, but these almonds weren't.

Next, I chopped the onion and garlic in the food processor then sauteed them in butter. When these were translucent, I mixed them with the following ingredients in a bowl: beaten egg white, almonds, mayo, cheese, mustard, old bay, and chives.

• I beat the egg whites with a hand beater until they were slightly foamy. I can't say this was an important step, but in my book, you're either using egg whites (with no yoke) for texture (so you need to beat them) or you're disagreeing with God and birds everywhere about what makes a good egg.
• It was at this point I realized I didn't have the Old Bay spice, so this step took a little longer while I mixed some up following the first recipe on this page. Also, I think this mixture may have turned out a titch too salty.

I drained the salmon and cooked it in a pan with the olive oil, breaking it apart and picking out anything that looked like a bone. Fish bones and I don't get along.  I'm not sure what the term for this is when you're working with salmon, but if it was beef I'd say I was browning it. Although the original recipe called for cooling the salmon in the fridge, I skipped that part because I don't have all day.

This mixture should have all the ingredients in it now except the asparagus and bacon, and should be firm and sticky enough to form balls, like a cookie dough. If not, chilling it for about an hour in the fridge could help.

I cut the asparagus into pieces about as long as a bacon rasher was wide, and placed them a couple of asparagus pieces on each rasher. Then I formed a ball of nutty salmon dough and put it on the asparagus, and wrapped the bacon around it adding more asparagus on the sides and top. I used about one stalk of asparagus per salmon cake, and sealed the whole thing with a toothpick.

Taking a hint from the original recipe, I used the broiler pan and lid so the bacon grease could drain off, and baked these at 375 for an undetermined amount of time - just long enough for the bacon to look crispy, probably about half an hour or less.



Ratings from the Experts*:
Jen: 8, it's a bit on the salty side
John: 7, too salty for my tastes, although a lot of seafood I've had tends to be saltier than I'd prefer. Also, I've never been a huge "wrapped in bacon" fan. It could also use more asparagus - 2 stalks per wrap. I would also be interested in trying this with pecans, I think they would bring more flavor than the almonds did. However, I'll be taking these to work...they won't spoil in the fridge.

Day 18: Chili, Black Bean and Corn Wraps

This is yet another quick, easy dish with lots of servings. I haven't been feeling well today (I'm on a Gluten Challenge Diet thanks to upcoming testing for Celiac Disease), so I really wanted something I could cook without thinking. Not only was it easy, it was tasty.

Chili, Black Bean and Corn Wraps
What you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 small onion, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 pkg. Chili seasoning mix
Shredded cheese
Romaine Lettuce or Spinach
8 Wraps (I used Mission Cheddar Jalepeno wraps)

In a large skillet, brown the beef mixing in the diced onions. After onions and beef are browning nicely, add in a 1/2 packet of Chili seasoning. Next, drain the beans and pour them into the skillet, then drain the corn only halfway. Pour the corn and remaining water into the skillet. Add in the second 1/2 of the packet of chili seasoning and reduce heat to medium low heat for about 5 minutes, mixing often so the Chili mixture is thoroughly heated. Taking the wraps, spoon out 1/2 cup of the mixture down the middle of each wrap, top the mixture with cheese, diced tomato, and lettuce before wrapping up. Yields 8 servings.


Ratings from the Experts*: 7/10 for hubby...he said he couldn't taste the beef enough. :-/. I disagree. I say at least 8/10. I liked the spiciness of it.

Day 17: Anjou Pear Salad with Honey Balsalmic Dressing

I am single for the evening thanks to hubby having "guys' group" tonight with church friends, so I'm cooking for one, and I'm looking forward to a quiet evening once my little troublemaker zonks out in about an hour thanks to a long play-filled day with no nap. 

Anyway, a light meal was what I was craving after the heaviness of the Italian Sausage last night, so I looked for solace in a salad. I am LOVING the organic produce I've gotten through the natural foods co-op I belong to so far and this dish utilizes a lot of those goodies.

Anjou Pear Salad with Honey Balsalmic Dressing

What you'll need:

1 Anjou Pear

4 leaves Romaine lettuce

1 c fresh Spinach

2 oz. Feta Cheese

2- 1/4" slices of onion (sliced or diced)

1/2 Roma Tomato (sliced or diced)

1 small Carrot (sliced)

1 1/2 t. honey

1 T Balsalmic dressing

Pepper to taste

Wash the greens thoroughly, then chop to desired size. Quarter the pear, then taking each quarter and making very thin, long slices lengthwise. Top the salad with pear slices, then add the onion, tomato and carrot in desired quantities. Sprinkle with Feta cheese. In a small bowl, mix together the honey and Balsalmic dressing then zap in a microwave until just bubbling. Mix again, then sprinkle over the salad. Pepper to taste. Yields 1 serving.

Ratings from the Expert*: For a salad, I give it a 10/10. Not overly filling, just the right amount of sweetness to the dressing, and plenty of variety in taste.

Just Sayin'

Best Mango Soda I've ever tasted. 

Yes. I'm a Mango freak.

If you want to see a huge selection of sodas, visit Pops on Route 66 here in Oklahoma. Pretty amazing building too.

Day 16: Whole Wheat Angel Hair with Organic Italian Sausage

After the bloodbath of 2011 this morning, thanks to my toddler getting wild with a toy and busting his lip open and an otherwise hectic day, I wanted something fast and easy. So, this recipe isn't from scratch but it's certainly good! It is my recipe at least. I threw this together in about 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Angel Hair with Organic Italian Sausage
What you'll need:
12 oz. Whole Wheat Angel Hair
1 lb. Italian Sausage
30 oz. Spaghetti sauce of your choice (I used Garlic Cheese and Spinach)
4 oz.  Mushroom stems and pieces
1 T. Basil
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

Cook pasta as directed. Cube the Italian Sausage into 1" pieces and brown until cooked through in a large skillet. Once pasta is done, drain and return to the pot, adding in sauce and mushrooms, then add in Sausage. Mix well. Finally, mix in basil, garlic, and onion powder until well blended. Yields 8 servings.

Ratings from the Experts*: 10/10 from Hubby. Same for me. The sausage was tasty and the seasonings were perfect for the sauce! And super easy to make!