January 31, 2009

I'm not a football fan.  There, I've said it.  Out loud!  Please don't hate on me, but I really do not like football.   I used to watch the local team, but I'm just done with the whole ding dang sport (don't ask).  I'm single so I don't have “The Hubs” forcing me to watch football, and I'd much rather spend 3 hours baking or walking or shopping or organizing something.  Just about the only sport I like to watch on TV is hockey, and then only if the Dallas Stars are playing.

This weekend is about the Super Bowl though, and not the Stanley Cup, whether I'm watching it or not (not).  And what goes with the Super Bowl?  Snacks of course!  Appetizers, football food, dips, chips!  Woo hoo…my favorite kind of food!  There's a flurry of activity in blogdom this week about what to serve for the Big Game, and since I'm not actively participating, the least I can do is provide a little recap for your snacking pleasure!  Ready…settie…kick-off!  Or something like that.

BigSisLilSis party favorites:

• Chili Con Carne
• Angel Hair Pasta Salad
• Easy Deviled Eggs
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Healthy Hummus
• Cherry Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Skewers
• Pimiento Cheese Spread
  
• IT
• Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies
• Big T's Peppers
• HVR Cheese Ball
• Artichoke and Spinach Dip
• Grilled Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
• Sun Dried Tomato Spread
• Stuffed Mushrooms Italian
• Cheesecake Crunchy

Savories from some tasty sites:

• Quick-N-Dirty Habanero Cheese Straws from Ezra Pound Cake
• Hot Popper Dip from King Arthur Flour
• Smokin' Mozzarella Balls from Picky Palate
• Snack Food Stadium from Serious Eats
• Boneless Buffalo Chicken from Cook's Country
• Spiced Pecans from Ezra Pound Cake
• Bacon, Cream Cheese, and Horseradish Dip from Serious Eats
• Chicken Wing Variations from DallasNews
• Super Bowl Menu from Cook's Illustrated with Chili, Nachos, Caesar Dip, Brownies and Lemon Bars
• 75 Super Bowl Party Recipes from Martha Stewart
• Game Day Menu Ideas from Pillsbury
• Big Game Bash Recipe Ideas and Tips from Food Network
• Super Bowl Favorites from Bon Appetit
• Winning Super Bowl Party from AllRecipes
• Game Day Grub from RecipeZaar

You have to have some sweets too! How about these?

• Tropical Poundcake from Baseball, Baking & Boys
• Mounds Muffins from A Southern Grace
• Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake Bars from Bake or Break
• Cheesecake Ball from Dozen Flours
• Chunky Chocolate and Walnut Cookies from Sass & Veracity

If that isn't enough, check out the Super Bowl Smackdown on RecipeGirl for a bunch of other great recipes with photos!

Since LilSis and I both want to laugh more this year, let me leave you with some photos of bad Super Bowl cakes from Cake Wrecks.  There are bad Super Bowl cakes and there are really bad Super Bowl cakes!  Have a fun weekend, whatever you do!

~BigSis

January 26, 2009

I've decided to enter my chili recipe in the Ultimate Super Bowl Party Recipe Smackdown that The Recipe Girl is hosting in conjunction with Sam's Club.

I almost always host a Super Bowl Party, even if our favorite team isn't participating! It's just another good reason to have a get together with friends! And I love to cook for a big group of hungry guys! They appreciate almost anything! If you don't fancy cooking, you could always order out by looking for ‘subs delivery near me‘ and cater to your guest's individual food needs.

This year I'm going to make my “prize winning” chili for the Super Bowl. (Okay, it wasn't a famous contest or anything, but I did win second prize and a cute little red ribbon at our recent Chili Cook-off on our dock at the Harbor!)

I've doubled and even quadrupled this recipe, so it's perfect for a large crowd! Here's my version of Chili Con Carne.

 

LilSis' Chili Con Carne

LilSis' Chili Con Carne

3 pounds lean ground beef
One sweet onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 dark beer
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can dark kidney beans (drained)
1 sm. can corn (I use Green Giant Sweet vacuum packed)
4 – 5 tsp. Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice*
2 chopped roasted poblano peppers (optional)
1/4 t. cayenne
1/2 t. onion powder
salt to taste
1 T. olive oil

*The Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice, formerly known as my secret ingredient, is so different from just a regular chili powder. It's the reason why you don't see cumin or a bunch of other spices listed in the recipe. Here are the ingredients in this one amazing spice: ancho chili pepper, tomato powder, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, garlic, coriander, onions, red and green bell peppers, Tellichery black pepper, allspice, cilantro, and cloves. If you don't have a Penzeys store nearby, you can order online from the Penzeys Spices website.

Saute the chopped onion in the oil in a large saucepan until onion is soft. Add the ground beef, salt and minced garlic to the pan and brown until beef is cooked throughout. Drain the beef and return to the pan. Add the beer to the beef and simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Simmer for longer if you want the tomatoes to cook down more. Add the tomato sauce, roasted peppers, and Penzeys Chili Con Carne spice. Simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Add the cayenne pepper, onion powder and additional salt if necessary. (This is the stage where you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste. This isn't like baking, so add whatever you want here.)

Once you have your chili seasoned just right, add the can of beans and the corn and just heat throughout. This can be served right away or put in a crockpot to stay warm for hours. It's even better heated and served the next day.

I usually set up a buffet style toppings bar with bowls of these toppings so everyone can add the toppings of their choice.

Toppings:
chopped onion
chopped jalapeno
fritos
oyster crackers
sour cream
grated cheese (I use Tillamook medium cheddar)

And if you really want a great frito pie, layer the bottom of the bowl with the fritos first, then chili, cheese, more fritos, and sour cream. Yummy! It doesn't get much better than that!

Okay, so this recipe probably doesn't qualify as one of our healthy, low fat recipes if we are topping with the cheese, fritos, and sour cream. But we can make an exception for the Super Bowl, right?

~LilSis

January 24, 2009

Anyone else in need of a great new soup recipe? Soup is such a comfort food! When we get sick, we wish we had our mom close by to make us some homemade chicken noodle soup. And when it gets a little bit chilly outside, we get that urge to stay inside and make a big pot of soup for family and friends!

It's not very often that it's cool enough here in Southern Cal to put me in the mood to make soup, but right now it is. Even though it's cool outside, HayHay is actually at the beach surfing in a competition while I'm surfing some of my favorite blogs for soup recipes. Seriously!

I love making homemade soup and never eat canned soup. Right now, I'm in the mood to try a new recipe! Here are a few recipes I found that just look amazing! I don't know which one to try first!

Lobster Bisque from Northwest Noshings

Lobster Bisque

15 Minute Warm and Hearty Taco Soup from Picky Palate

15 Minute Warm and Hearty Taco Soup

Cauliflower Soup from The Pioneer Woman

Cauliflower Soup

Oven Roasted Mushroom Soup from The Recipe Girl

Oven Roasted Mushroom Soup

Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Chowder from Taste and Tell

Chicken and cheese enchilada chowder

For vegetarians, the mushroom soup and the cauliflower soup could easily be made vegetarian by just substituting vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.

And for those who also consider chili a comfort food, as I do; come back tomorrow because I'll be revealing my “prize winning” chili recipe.

~LilSis

January 23, 2009

While looking for some frozen edamame at the store, I found this Seapoint Farms Organic Veggie Blends with Edamame.

Eat Your Greens!

This Veggie Blend contains my favorite green veggies:  broccoli, edamame, green beans, spinach, and asparagus.  I have a hard time finding veggie blends that don't contain some kind of green or red pepper, so I was thrilled to find this.  I couldn't wait to try it, so I threw this recipe together last night.

Most of the time when I spontaneously create a recipe , I never write anything down and I never remember what I did. And, I always regret it if everyone loves the recipe and I know that I can't duplicate it! So, I'm trying harder to take notes.

Orzo and Veggie Blends with Edamame

1 T. Olive Oil
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 – 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 c. white wine
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (12 0z.) package Veggie Blends with Edamame
1 lb. orzo
salt to taste

Cook the orzo for only 6 -7 minutes, until al dente, drain, add just a little olive oil, stir and cover until ready to add to veggies. (I do this with all my pasta to keep it from sticking together.)

Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil and garlic for five minutes or so. Add the white wine and cook down for another five minutes. Add the tomatoes and the red pepper flakes and simmer until liquids are reduced. (Maybe ten minutes.)

While that is simmering, microwave the veggie blend for 4 minutes in a glass bowl with just a little water added. Drain and set aside. When ready, gradually stir the orzo into the mushroom and tomato mixture, then toss in the cooked veggie blend.

This really did turn out good, so I'm glad I took notes! If I hadn't already planned to serve this with my roasted pork tenderloin, I would have added shrimp while cooking the mushrooms and tomatoes. I'll try that next time! This was really easy and healthy, too!

~LilSis

January 22, 2009

I've had some amber agave nectar and organic coconut oil in my pantry for a while, and it's been recently screaming to be used in baking.  Once I saw that Anna at CookieMadness had whipped up a batch of Agave & Honey Oatmeal Cookies, I was reminded that it was time to put those 2 healthy ingredients into action.

My recipe was adapted from Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano.

Baking with Agave Nectar

It's similar to the recipe Anna used and to RecipeGirl's variation with M&Ms.  I baked the full recipe instead of scaling it down, and I got 24 cookies.  I substituted coconut oil for all of the butter, and agave was my only sweetener.  I also used ground flax seeds instead of wheat germ, and omitted the raisins since I'm allergic and skipped the M&Ms to make these as guilt-free as possible.

As soon as I got these scooped out on the cookie sheets, I was wishing that I had added some sunflower seeds and chopped walnuts to the batter.  Once these were out of the oven, it was clear that those additions would have been scrumptious, so next time I'll do that!  I may also add some dried cranberries or cherries, and perhaps a little shredded coconut to complement the coconut oil's great flavor.

I hesitate to even call these cookies, to me they're more of a healthful substantial pre-workout or post-workout snack.  They're sturdy and cakey, and not very sweet which is a plus for me since I'm not a big sweets eater.  A slight little sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of each cookie before baking might even be called for!  I loved these chunky cookies, and they got thumbs-up from my coworkers.  I'll definitely make them again.  I love that they're tasty, but they seem to be such great fuel for our bodies!

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookie

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup organic coconut oil
3/4 cup amber agave nectar
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 c oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 c flax seed (pulverized in coffee grinder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or release foil.

Beat the coconut oil in a large bowl with the agave nectar for about 2 minutes until it's well blended and slightly fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.  In another smaller bowl, combine the flour, oats, flax, cinnamon, soda, and salt.   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Drop onto cookie sheets by heaping tablespoons and flatten out slightly.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops are dry.  Don't overbake.

~BigSis

January 20, 2009

Here it is only three weeks into the New Year and I'm already behind on my menu planning. I wanted to try harder to come up with healthy choices for family dinners each week. I know a big part of my problem right now is the time factor.  If I had more time, it would be more fun to peruse these cookbooks, plan the meals for the week, make the shopping list, and get all the shopping done the same day. (Oh, in a perfect world!)

Some of my favorites!

I really do love browsing through cookbooks and trying to plan more of a variety each week. If I tell HayHay that we're having turkey meatloaf again, I'm afraid his head might spin! And he's the easy one to please…

Seriously, though.  These are some of my favorite “go to” cookbooks for a wide variety of healthy recipes. When I do take the time to look through any one of these, I always find something pretty easy and healthy. I especially like a recipe that has the nutritional information included, like most of these do.

One thing I always forget about planning for is dessert. (I've said before that my guys are deprived of sweets.)   If anyone has any easy, healthy, dessert recipes, I'd love to hear from you.

~LilSis

January 19, 2009

Thanks for the info about the MAC free shipping offer, BigSis! I probably shouldn't order anything this time since I just paid a visit to the MAC counter. (That's going to be a real test of willpower.)

Back to your question about breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and has been for as long as I can remember.  I've never been crazy about pancakes, donuts, or french toast type breakfasts. BUT, if calories and fat grams were not a factor in choosing my favorite breakfast, I'd have to say that it would be something like the huge bacon and cheddar cheese omelet served with crispy shredded hash browns like I got at the restaurant in Vegas on your birthday! (I'm purposely not naming the restaurant since we won't be returning to that hotel.)

Unfortunately, my favorite spot for Sunday Brunch down on the beach in Cardiff had to close it's doors last year. My favorite thing on their menu was a Garden Omelet. It had spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, and just a little provolone cheese in it! That was such a perfect omelet!

So, those are a couple of my favorite breakfasts. Honestly, if I could, I would probably eat a big fat Sausage Egg McMuffin and hash browns from McDonald's every day, but since we are trying to eat healthy, I don't indulge in those!

450 Calories and 26 grams of fat

This may seem pretty boring, but I don't ever get tired of it. During the week at around 6:00, I have either a bowl of nonfat vanilla yogurt with a sliced banana and berries or a bowl of McCann's Irish Oatmeal, sprinkled with a little cinnamon.

That is followed by my only caffeine of the day, a Diet Rock Star. After a few hours of work and my exercise, I'll usually take a break around 9:30 or 10:00 and have a one egg omelet cooked in just a tad of olive oil for second breakfast.

So, that's it in a nutshell.  And you're right about someone cooking breakfast for you! I love that! It doesn't happen too often around here, but when it does, I definitely enjoy it!

Is anyone already bored with trying to plan a weekly menu of healthy recipes? I know I am. I am trying to change things up a bit and surprise my family with something that they don't have every week or so. Tomorrow, I'm going to share some of my favorite cookbooks that I like to peruse for healthy recipes.

~LilSis

January 18, 2009

Whether you call it a resolution or a goal or whatever, I know that many of us – most of us – are trying to eat better this New Year. I certainly am trying to. I wonder how you're all doing so far now that we're a little over 2 weeks into January?

For me, the first step toward a healthful day of eating is a great breakfast followed by a second great breakfast! First breakfast on weekdays is always a 6 am smoothie made with vitamin powder, ground flax seed, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, a splash of juice (orange or cranberry usually), and frozen blueberries and strawberries. That's it. I whip it up in my new pink KitchenAid blender and I'm set for 3 hours.

Second breakfast is around 9 or 9:30 and is a serving of McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal nuked in the office microwave. I do splurge and put a pat of real butter (gasp) on it. I heard from our Aunt C that her daughter-in-law puts a drizzle of olive oil on her oatmeal, so I tried it today, and it wasn't bad!  It needed a dash of salt, but I think I could get used to it.   Weekend breakfasts may have a little more variety since the time crunch isn't in turbo mode. I might skip the smoothie and have a banana, and then later have a couple of scrambled eggs on wheat toast. No matter what though, I never skip breakfast.

We've all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I totally believe that to be true. Without a breakfast of some kind to get your body going and rev up your metabolism, you start the day out sluggish and droopy. It's been shown that kids who eat breakfast do better in school and tend to be healthier overall. And did you know that eating breakfast will actually help you lose weight? We might think that skipping a meal saves those calories and that we're ahead of the game, but that isn't only untrue, it has just the opposite effect. Want more info? Check out this WebMD article on losing weight by eating breakfast.

I hear all of you out there saying “I'm not hungry in the morning so I've never been able to eat breakfast.”  I found some interesting info on WikiHow that will tell you how to change that, and show you how to feel like eating breakfast.  Just because you haven't been a breakfast eater in the past doesn't mean that you can't become one!  Maybe the solution is something as simple as changing what you perceive breakfast food to be.  You don't have to eat cereal or eggs; anything that you enjoy for dinner or lunch can become breakfast.  I went to RecipeZaar and searched for breakfast, and found 1970 recipes!  There has to be *something* there that you would enjoy eating in the morning!

Vegetarian Big Breakfast (Flickr photo by Ellesil)

LilSis, I know that love of breakfast is something that you and I share, along with Big T!  I still remember that great breakfast he made for me and SisMama and all of you when we were visiting last June…biscuits, roasted potatoes, fruit salad, and eggs with mushrooms and asparagus!  There's something really awesome about someone making you breakfast, don't you think?  What's your favorite breakfast, LilSis?

~BigSis

January 14, 2009

It's time again!  What time?  Time to get your creative thinking caps (or chef hats) on, because the 44th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is here!  The deadline for recipe submissions is April 20, 2009, so you've got over 90 days to come up with a brilliant original recipe.  The categories this time are Breakfast and Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy and Sweet Treats.  Be sure to check out the web site for all the rules.

$1 million cookie!

The $1 million winning recipe in the last contest was the Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookie submitted by Carolyn Gurtz from Maryland.

Last time, 2 years ago, SisMama and I entered the contest with a few original recipes of our own, and although neither of us made the finals, it was great fun!  It was the first time either of us had entered, so this time we should have a little better idea of how the contest works and how the recipes need to be submitted.  Hopefully we learned a little from the experience, and will do better this year.  SisMama and all you cooks and bakers out there…start your ovens!  Don't be intimidated by the number of entries the contest will get or by the enormity of this competition.  Someone has to win, and it may as well be you!  You could be the winner of ONE MILLION DOLLARS!  Now get in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans!

~BigSis

January 11, 2009

It's been a gorgeous crisp day here in Dallas; perfect for a little computer work, a little housework, and a little cooking.  Since I didn't want to make a trip to the Wally Mart, I had to find dinner ingredients in my house.  What I came up with is Spinach Quiche, but with a simple tomato sauce served alongside to make it a bit different and to add some extra flavor.

The quiche is LilSis' recipe, that she got from her friend, E, when she lived in New York.  We've both been making it for years.  It's a great simple recipe, and I don't think it's as decadent as some recipes. I always make mine without a crust, I just don't think it's necessary and it adds a bunch of simple carbs and fat grams so I skip it.  This time, since I'm trying to eat as well as I can but I still want good food, I'm trying out Cabot 50% Light All Natural Cheddar cheese.  I got 2 pounds of it at Sam's Club the other day, so that's what I had.  It worked out wonderfully.  It tasted good and cheesy, and didn't melt away into the quiche like a full-fat cheese does.  The shreds held their shape a little more; I think you can see some areas of intense white cheesy goodness in the photos.

The tomato sauce is just a simple combination of cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic and seasonings.  If I had fresh basil and shallots on hand, I'd use them, but you can really use whatever you have and whatever you like.  I really liked adding the sauce to the quiche!  I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

Spinach Quiche with Tomato Sauce

Spinach Quiche

4 eggs
1-1/2 c milk (since I'm not a milk-drinker and never have any in the house, I use half evaporated milk and half water)
1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, liquid pressed out
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Few shakes hot sauce (to taste)
2 c grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, monterrey jack, gouda or any combination of cheeses)
2 Tblsp flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, spinach and seasonings.  In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the flour, then add to the wet ingredients.  Mix together and pour into a greased pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until set and golden brown.

Tomato Sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tblsp olive oil
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste

Seasonings of your choice. I used:

1/2 tsp minced dried garlic
1 1/2 tsp freeze-dried shallots
1/4 tsp dried granulated onion
1/4 tsp shallot pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
Few dashes of hot sauce

Saute the garlic in the oil for a few minutes, but don't let it brown.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer 10 minutes or so until the tomatoes start to soften.  You can leave the sauce chunky, but I prefer to whir it around a little bit with an immersion blender.  With a small quantity like this, watch out though.  I sprayed tomato sauce all over my countertop and backsplash, not to mention myself!  Keep sauce warm until quiche is done.

An easy Sunday Supper!

Cut yourself a slice of quiche, and spoon the sauce over it.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you have it.  Bon appetito!

~BigSis