After asking around for a few recipes..I decided I'm creative enough to come up with my own for some grilled salmon on a cedar plank.
So-- my first attempt with plank grilling was a success....even though the first set of planks got left behind at Meijer - BY ME..none the less. {Sigh}. But here is my thrown together goodness...
Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon
Salmon fillets
maple syrup - 1/4 cup
honey - 2 Tblsp
balsamic vinegar - 1/4 cup
minced garlic, dill, salt & pepper - to taste
mix syrup, honey & vinegar in bowl. Sprinkle salmon with salt, pepper, dill & garlic. Place salmon on soaked plank (soak in water for at least an hour) - medium heat on grill. Baste with marinade every 5 minutes.....cook for 20/25 until flakes with fork.
The amazing smell of the grilling cedar was enough to make me want to EAT the planks... thankfully the fish turned out great, so I didn't have to!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Caprese Bake
I just stumbled upon this recipe..and I want it NOW. I'm usually not a fan of things baked with an egg mixture..but this sounds soooooo good. I think the recipe is from England - so the measurements are in metric...but i'll just wing it :) attached the original Blog for mouthwatering pics...
http://www.cooksister.com/2009/02/savoury-caprese-bread-butter-pudding.html
CAPRESE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING (serves 2)
Ingredients:
4-6 thick slices of day-old white breadbutter1 large ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced2 ripe plum (or about 8 baby plum) tomatoes, sliceda handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped3 large or 4 small eggs150ml milk or single creamsalt and pepper1 tsp dried oregano
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 190C and lightly grease 1 large or 2 small (about 10cm x 10cm) ovenproof dishes.
Butter the bread on one side only and cut each slice into 4 triangles. Cover the base of the dish with overlapping triangles of bread, buttered side down, with the bread points pointing slightly upwards.
Tuck tomato and mozzarella slices in between the slices of bread and sprinkle with half the basil. Season with salt and black pepper.
Add another layer of bread, this time with the buttered side facing up and repeat the step above to add the tomato, mozzarella, basil and seasoning.
Whisk together the eggs, milk/cream and oregano and pour over the bread layers as evenly as possible.
Place on a baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg mix has set and the top is beginning to brown.
Serve immediately with a big green salad. This would also make a fantastic vegetarian main course for a dinner party - although you'll have to fight off the meat eaters!
http://www.cooksister.com/2009/02/savoury-caprese-bread-butter-pudding.html
CAPRESE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING (serves 2)
Ingredients:
4-6 thick slices of day-old white breadbutter1 large ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced2 ripe plum (or about 8 baby plum) tomatoes, sliceda handful of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped3 large or 4 small eggs150ml milk or single creamsalt and pepper1 tsp dried oregano
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 190C and lightly grease 1 large or 2 small (about 10cm x 10cm) ovenproof dishes.
Butter the bread on one side only and cut each slice into 4 triangles. Cover the base of the dish with overlapping triangles of bread, buttered side down, with the bread points pointing slightly upwards.
Tuck tomato and mozzarella slices in between the slices of bread and sprinkle with half the basil. Season with salt and black pepper.
Add another layer of bread, this time with the buttered side facing up and repeat the step above to add the tomato, mozzarella, basil and seasoning.
Whisk together the eggs, milk/cream and oregano and pour over the bread layers as evenly as possible.
Place on a baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg mix has set and the top is beginning to brown.
Serve immediately with a big green salad. This would also make a fantastic vegetarian main course for a dinner party - although you'll have to fight off the meat eaters!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The BEST Crock Pot Recipe EVER - Lasagna!
I never have much luck with crock pot recipes..until now. I found this one in that Martha Stewart cooking mag (the little one) - can't think of the name of it - at the checkout at the grocery months ago. I was hungry for lasagna but didn't want to have to come home & make it after work. Voila... there's a crock pot recipe FOR lasagna..and it honestly is the best lasagna I have ever had. And it's really easy! I'm sure you could play around with the ingredients, too..use turkey or veggies instead of meat.
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb ground sirloin
1 lb Italian sausage (I used Tennessee pride "hot" from the roll)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
28 oz crushed tomatoes in puree
6 oz tomato paste
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 med onion minced
2 small carrots chopped (i omitted)
Lasagna noodles
In a dutch oven, brown meats together until no longer pink. Drain off grease & add in onion and garlic (carrot, too, if using it). Cook until onion gets soft....pour in crushed tomatoes & tomato paste. Bring to a boil - then remove from heat. Break lasagna noodles to fit into crock pot - try to cover as much of the bottom of pot as possible. Layer in meat sauce, then a layer of cheese. Repeat with noodles, then meat sauce & cheese - 3 layers total.
Do not use cheese on top layer yet!
Crock pot on low -- 4 to 6 hours ( i did 4.5 and it could have cooked a bit longer).
Top with remainder of cheese for the last 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 - 6
And the calories per serving are 390 - i forget the rest of the details.
YUMMMMMY!
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb ground sirloin
1 lb Italian sausage (I used Tennessee pride "hot" from the roll)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
28 oz crushed tomatoes in puree
6 oz tomato paste
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 med onion minced
2 small carrots chopped (i omitted)
Lasagna noodles
In a dutch oven, brown meats together until no longer pink. Drain off grease & add in onion and garlic (carrot, too, if using it). Cook until onion gets soft....pour in crushed tomatoes & tomato paste. Bring to a boil - then remove from heat. Break lasagna noodles to fit into crock pot - try to cover as much of the bottom of pot as possible. Layer in meat sauce, then a layer of cheese. Repeat with noodles, then meat sauce & cheese - 3 layers total.
Do not use cheese on top layer yet!
Crock pot on low -- 4 to 6 hours ( i did 4.5 and it could have cooked a bit longer).
Top with remainder of cheese for the last 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 - 6
And the calories per serving are 390 - i forget the rest of the details.
YUMMMMMY!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Roasted Green Beans
Can't get any healthier than this one.... I haven't made these yet - but this comes to me from my friend Julie. Her mom made them for Easter. I'm going to try them soon!
Roasted Green Beans, Onions & Garlic
3-4 T. Olive oil
1 lb green beans: cleaned, trimmed & patted dry (you can use yellow beans too for color)
1 med. red onion, cut in thin slices
6-8 med. garlic cloves; peeled, cut in half lengthwise
½ t. salt
1-2 T. Balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven, 400 F.
Brush large baking sheet with 2 T. Olive oil.
Spread beans, onions, & garlic on sheet.
Salt lightly and drizzle with oil.
Bake 20 – 30 minutes.
While baking, stir or shake pan several times.
When all vegetables are tender, transfer to large bowl.
Drizzle immediately with Balsamic vinegar.
Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
NOTE: Can serve hot, warm or cold.
Roasted Green Beans, Onions & Garlic
3-4 T. Olive oil
1 lb green beans: cleaned, trimmed & patted dry (you can use yellow beans too for color)
1 med. red onion, cut in thin slices
6-8 med. garlic cloves; peeled, cut in half lengthwise
½ t. salt
1-2 T. Balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven, 400 F.
Brush large baking sheet with 2 T. Olive oil.
Spread beans, onions, & garlic on sheet.
Salt lightly and drizzle with oil.
Bake 20 – 30 minutes.
While baking, stir or shake pan several times.
When all vegetables are tender, transfer to large bowl.
Drizzle immediately with Balsamic vinegar.
Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
NOTE: Can serve hot, warm or cold.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
My New Favorite Item from the Spice Isle
I found something new...total luck...at Meijer last week. I was in the market for some Rosemary for a new Talapia recipe I found....the dried Rosemary was about $6.00....so i continued to look for the Meijer Brand and ran across a new spice blend from McCormicks called "Crusting Blends" - it is a mixture of Panko, garlic, lemon and rosemary. You get a huge tub for under $5.00. So I decided to try it.... YUM!!!!!!!!
So this is all you have to do ...and you can use it on ANY meat.... but this is what I did.
Crusted Talapia
Talapia - thawed
McCormick's Crusting Blend
Olive Oil
Oven at 425
Lightly coat fish with olive oil.....spread the Crusting Blend. Place on baking sheet & bake for 15-20 minutes....(then I turned the oven to 200 for another 10 minutes to crisp the fish a little more).
Serve with fresh veggies..rice...whatever!
This was a quick and VERY easy meal and it's really good.
There are two other Blends... Italian Herb & Cheese and French Onion, Pepper & Herb. Needless to say....I'm stopping at Meijer on the way home to get more :) I coated 4 pieces of fish & it didn't use even 1/4 of the tub...and i had extra that I threw away from the coating process. Great deal...great taste!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
"Fried Chicken"
I loooooove Fried chicken. This is a much healthier way to make it though. Sorry Col. Sanders :)
I have not made this yet...but I'm menu planning for next week...this one will be on it :)
Let me know if you enjoy this one!
Ingredients
~ (1) lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (approx 4 or 5 pieces)~
1 cup japanese style Panko bread crumbs~
1/3 cup whole wheat flour~
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (egg beaters)~
Sea Salt & Pepper
Directions
~ Preheat Oven to 425 degree.~ Mix flour and seasoning in gallon size ziplock bag. Put the panko bread crumbs in a 2nd gallon size ziplock bag. In a bowl, put the egg substitute.~ 1 at a time, place the chicken in the flour/seasoning bag and shake to coat. Remove the chicken, shake off excess and dip into the egg substitute coating both sides. Again, shake off excess and place the chicken into the panko bread crumb bag and shake to coat.~ Remove chicken, shaking off excess; and place onto a broiler pan.~ Cook at 425 for about 25 minutes. Adjust your cooking time to allow for the thickness of your chicken.~ You can also use Breast tenderloins for "chicken strips" or you can cut the breast into 1 inch pieces to make "chicken nuggets". Cooking times may decrease slightly in "strips" or "nuggets"Number of Servings: 4
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 235.5
Total Fat: 1.8 g
Cholesterol: 66.0 mg
Sodium: 153.9 mg
Total Carbs: 20.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 32.5 g
I have not made this yet...but I'm menu planning for next week...this one will be on it :)
Let me know if you enjoy this one!
Ingredients
~ (1) lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (approx 4 or 5 pieces)~
1 cup japanese style Panko bread crumbs~
1/3 cup whole wheat flour~
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (egg beaters)~
Sea Salt & Pepper
Directions
~ Preheat Oven to 425 degree.~ Mix flour and seasoning in gallon size ziplock bag. Put the panko bread crumbs in a 2nd gallon size ziplock bag. In a bowl, put the egg substitute.~ 1 at a time, place the chicken in the flour/seasoning bag and shake to coat. Remove the chicken, shake off excess and dip into the egg substitute coating both sides. Again, shake off excess and place the chicken into the panko bread crumb bag and shake to coat.~ Remove chicken, shaking off excess; and place onto a broiler pan.~ Cook at 425 for about 25 minutes. Adjust your cooking time to allow for the thickness of your chicken.~ You can also use Breast tenderloins for "chicken strips" or you can cut the breast into 1 inch pieces to make "chicken nuggets". Cooking times may decrease slightly in "strips" or "nuggets"Number of Servings: 4
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 235.5
Total Fat: 1.8 g
Cholesterol: 66.0 mg
Sodium: 153.9 mg
Total Carbs: 20.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 32.5 g
Monday, March 16, 2009
Chocolate Torte
This one came via email today from Self Magazine.... nice treat after a long week of working & working out. not too bad for you, either.... at least there's lots of FIBER!
Chocolate Torte
Eating at a spa, you get the best of both worlds: rich, tasty meals and luscious desserts sans the added fat or empty calories. Bring the delight of spa dining home with you. Bake this delectable treat and then try your hand at our other spa selections.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/3 cup cocoa powder, plus 1 tsp for dusting
1 cup prunes, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup hot coffee
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°. Coat a 9” square cake pan with cooking spray. Dust with 1 teaspoon cocoa. Set aside. Combine prunes and coffee in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Combine remaining 1/3 cup cocoa, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large resealable plastic bag; shake. Add sugar, applesauce, egg white and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla to coffee-prune mixture. Empty bag into bowl; mix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before removing and slicing. Mix 1 tablespoon water, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and gelatin in a small pan. Set aside until gelatin becomes clear, 10 to 15 minutes. Heat over low heat until gelatin melts. Mix gelatin, sour cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate until topping is firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Beat until smooth. Add a dollop to each slice.
The skinny
300 calories per serving
1.4 g fat (0.6 g saturated)
72 g carbs
6.8 g fiber
6.3 g protein
Chocolate Torte
Eating at a spa, you get the best of both worlds: rich, tasty meals and luscious desserts sans the added fat or empty calories. Bring the delight of spa dining home with you. Bake this delectable treat and then try your hand at our other spa selections.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/3 cup cocoa powder, plus 1 tsp for dusting
1 cup prunes, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup hot coffee
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°. Coat a 9” square cake pan with cooking spray. Dust with 1 teaspoon cocoa. Set aside. Combine prunes and coffee in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Combine remaining 1/3 cup cocoa, flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large resealable plastic bag; shake. Add sugar, applesauce, egg white and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla to coffee-prune mixture. Empty bag into bowl; mix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before removing and slicing. Mix 1 tablespoon water, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and gelatin in a small pan. Set aside until gelatin becomes clear, 10 to 15 minutes. Heat over low heat until gelatin melts. Mix gelatin, sour cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate until topping is firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Beat until smooth. Add a dollop to each slice.
The skinny
300 calories per serving
1.4 g fat (0.6 g saturated)
72 g carbs
6.8 g fiber
6.3 g protein
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