Helloooo Potluck Season

It's that time of year again, the holidays have arrived.  For those of you whose work places are like mine you are familiar with the onslaught of 'treat days' and potlucks that generally accompany the season. 

the Thanksgiving Potluck
the Christmas Potluck
the 'half the office is out on vacation so let's eat junk' party

No one wants to be the office potluck scrooge, including yours truly.  So, in order to participate, I had to find a greed-free dish to take to these functions.  I choose to take the perfect salad.  Many moons ago, I fell in love with the Blue Cheese Chopped Salad at Outback Steakhouse.  When I gave up sugar, I gave up the salad too . . . . caramelized pecans, and a super sweet vinaigrette took my favorite salad off of the acceptable list.  Then one day, I realized there was this really cool place called the Internet, where I could find the recipe for my favorite salad, and then find ways to improvise and make it without sugar!

My measurements may be a bit vague, but it always seems to turn out fabulously.

Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

(adapted from Outback Steakhouse)

Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce

1/2 Romaine heart

Green onions

Red cabbage

Shredded carrots

16 oz blue cheese crumbles

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into small pieces

2 Tbsp Butter

Balsamic vinegar

Chop the iceberg lettuce, romaine, cabbage, and onions into small pieces (but not mush)

Mix in a large salad bowl with the shredded carrots & blue cheese crumbles and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauté pan

Add the angel hair pasta pieces and saute until brown

Blot with a paper towel and set aside

Add the pecan pieces and maple syrup to the sauté pan

Cook on high heat, stirring, until the syrup is reduced by about half

Spread the pecans /syrup on a cookie sheet, or stone, and bake at 400° for about 15 minutes

Let cool, and crumble

Add the fried pasta and candied pecans to the salad, and dress with balsamic vinegar

Enjoy

This is truly one of the most delectable salads ever created, and if you ask me; it's just as good without the sugar (plus, how many people can say they make their own candied pecans?).

Go to the potluck, avoid sugar

JamiK

p.s. A handful of these pecan pieces make a really great snack when you need something to satisfy a craving for sweets.

When Your Fish Flounders

It's that time of year again.  As the weather gets colder, and we spend more time inside, I find that I am tempted to eat much more than when I am busy outside.  For the first time in two months I did not spend my entire Saturday working in the yard, and instead, tried out a new recipe.  The sudden return to cooking and blogging is to improve my odds of beating the winter weight gain.  This particular recipe called for a trip to the grocery store, as I didn't have any slivered almonds or Swiss chard on hand . . . or flounder, for that matter. 

Before jumping in to the recipe, I would like to say a word about shopping for groceries you've never seen before.  I have no idea what Swiss chard is, or what it looks like; but I think it's a vegetable, probably something leafy.  I get to the produce section, and there are three types of chard listed above the random stacks and piles of leafy green stuff.  Swiss Chard, Red Chard, and some other type of chard.  I picked one that didn't have red stems.  So I think I got the Swiss chard, but for all I know, it could be Hoboken Chard . . . . whatever it is, it is AWESOME.

Flounder with Almond Brown Butter and Swiss Chard
(Courtesy of Every Day With Rachael Ray)
**I have a subscription now, it is also Awesome**


Ingredients:

* Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* 1 Bunch Swiss chard,

       leaves and stems chopped separately

* 2 Cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
* Salt & Pepper
* 3 Tbsp butter

* 1/4 Cup sliver almonds, toasted
* 3 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
* 1 Lemon, cut into 6 wedges
* 4 Flounder fillets, patted dry

 1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/5 tbsp EVOO over medium heat, add the Swiss chard stems; cook until just softened, 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic, Chard leaves, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

3. Cook, stirring often, until the leaves are just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover loosely. Wipe the skillet clean.

4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook, swirling often, until browned, 5 minutes-ish.





5. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the almonds, parsley, the juice of 2 lemon wedges and a pinch of salt.


6. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat. Season the flounder with salt & pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once until light golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

 

7. Spoon the almond brown butter over the fish. Serve with he chard and remaining lemon wedges.

This is where a bit of previous experience with fish might have come in handy.  I'm not sure if it was the temperature of the skillet, the quality of the fish, or the quality of the cook, but my fish turned out kind of mushy. 

The almond brown butter made it quite tasty, but the fish itself  needs some practice.  The Swiss chard on the other hand, WAS INCREDIBLE. 

I could eat Swiss chard with every meal.  I can't think of a way to describe it with accuracy - so just try it. 

I refuse to be defeated by fish, so I will do this again sometime soon.  In the meantime, I shall be regularly treating myself to Swiss chard. 

Try new veggies -even if you're not sure what they are.

Avoid sugar.

JamiK

p.s. I don't know if I should be capitalizing Swiss chard, but the spell check is insisting I do. 

What a feeling!

Good Morning!

Yes, I have been absent from bloggerland all summer.  I'm checking in today to tell you how incredible it feels to go through my closet and set asside all the clothes that are four sizes too large to wear for the donation pile. 

Since I began my Greed-Free lifestyle nearly two years ago, I have had a pair of jeans hanging over the back of my bedroom door.  They are wranglers, size 13.  I haven't worn them since my 4-H days circa 1997 (ish).  For the first year of the experiment, I would periodically try on the jeans, and frown in failure every time.  Last February, I gave up and threw them into a pile in the corner of my room.  Three weeks ago, I happened to be cleaning the house and came accross this particular pile of clothes, and decided I would pitch them.  Of course, I had to try one more time . . . . . miracle of miracles.  Not only can I get them all the way on, but they are actually too big.  The jeans sag in all the wrong places.  They wouldn't look good under any circumstances.  How cool is that? 

I'll be back soon:)

JamiK

Where did the week go?

I am beginning to wonder if I have bitten off more than I can chew.  My schedule seems to leave very little time for making dinner.  Thankfully the days are growing longer, and while there are still only 24 hours in a day, there are more daylight hours available, and sleep can be pushed off for a half hour or so.

Monday:  Wake up, walk the dog, work, walk the dog, church, walk the dog, sleep
Tuesday:  Wake up, walk the dog, work, walk the dog, finance class, walk the dog, sleep

Wednesday:  Wake up, walk the dog, work, walk the dog, church, walk the dog, sleep

Thursday:  Wake up, walk the dog, work, walk the dog, make ice cream, walk the dog, sleep

Friday:  Wake up, walk the dog, work, walk the dog, cook for the first time all week, walk the dog, sleep.

Thank goodness the weekend is here. . . . wait . . . it's Sunday night . . . . the weekend is gone.  AUGH! 

Saturday was busy walking the dog, cleaning the house, walking the dog, coloring a friend's hair, having my hair colored, walking the dog, and cleaning the house. . . . . and walking the dog.  Today I am finally slowing down to breathe.  The day's timeline still involves several 'walk the dog' entries, but I did take the time to make dinner.  I have done really well in avoiding pasta, but I've been craving it all week.  So I decided to have another go at the whole wheat stuff.  I feared that it would be a waste of a lot of ingredients; but was pleasantly surprised by a fabulous, delicious result. 

 Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
(if you've never read her blog, you are missing out)

Ingredients

· 2 Tbsp olive oil

· 2 Tbsp butter

· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 whole medium onion, finely diced
· 1 can artichoke hearts (14.5 oz. quartered or whole) drained
· 1 can diced tomatoes with juice (14.5 Oz.)
· 1 cup heavy cream
· 1 cups chicken broth (more as needed)
· salt and pepper, to taste
· 1 pound whole wheat thin spaghetti

· 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preparation Instructions

· Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

· Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

· Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

· Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

· Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

· Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth.

· Add salt and pepper to taste

· Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

· Place drained pasta in a large bowl.

· Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan.

· Pour sauce over the top. Add chives.

· Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

 

Not only was it delicious, but now I have enough leftovers to get me through Wednesday.  That means that I won't have to settle for snacking on whole wheat Goldfish for lunch:)

Make sure you take time to eat.
Avoid Sugar.

JamiK

Planning vs. Improvisation

Sometimes I am so ill prepared I irk myself.  I've been planning to make this dish for two weeks.  I was out and about earlier and could have stopped to pick up the two ingredients I didn't have in the pantry. . . . . but I didn't.  Somehow I forgot. 

Remarkably, my lack of preparedness did not ruin my dinner. 

Lemon Artichoke Risotto

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion - finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 1/4 cups drained chopped canned artichoke hearts
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I omitted)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (I omitted)

Directions:

• Bring broth and 4 cups of water to a boil - cover and continue to simmer
• Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat
• Add the onion and cook until softened
• Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted
• Stir in 1 cup of the broth mixture, bring to a simmer
• Continue to add the broth mixture 1/2 cup at a time while continuing to stir
• Allow each addition of the broth to be absorbed before adding more.
• Cook until the rice is tender (20 - 25 minutes)
• After adding the last of the broth, add the artichoke hearts, lemon peel, lemon juice and the remaining butter. 
• Season with salt and pepper 
• Stir in the cheese, parsley and walnuts.

The parsley and walnuts would have added some color to the dish.  I wish that I had had the parsley on hand.  I've never been a huge fan of walnuts in food; so their absence didn't break my heart.

Delicious dish - and the risotto turned out much better this time.  It was completely cooked, and tender.  Not scorched but undercooked and crunchy like my last attempt. 

You may be noting that my photography skillz seem to be rather amateurish, but that's what happens when you use the camera on your cell phone.  My digital camera has been acting rather temperamental lately, and I haven't had if fixed yet. 

I hope that you've enjoyed your weekend. 
My weekend was recently made perfect by the Green Bay Packers:)
I'm hoping to share some Super Bowl menu items with you over the next couple of weeks.  I'll have to do some practicing before the big game.

Signing off,

JamiK

Who Needs Witty Commentary When You Have Good Food?

I have nothing interesting to say tonight except that you have to try this dish!!

Stir-Fried Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lb large shrimp (i used pre-cooked)
• 1 1/2 bell peppers chopped, but not too small
• 3 Tbsp dry white wine
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat
• Add 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper
• Saute until fragrant - about 10 seconds
• Push the mixture to the side of the pan
• add the shrimp and bell peppers with the rest of the oil
• Saute for about 2 minutes and mix with the garlic / red pepper
• Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and wine
• Stir-fry for about 1 minute and liquid is nearly evaporated

Food delight.

 

JamiK

On A Roll!

I made the most delightful dinner tonight.  I can hardly believe that I have had food success two nights in a row with new recipes.  I am actually developing an eclectic list of recipes.  Look Ma - I can cook:)

Lazy Salmon Supper

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray
(I couldn't find the recipe on the website - I got it directly from the magazine)

Ingredients:

 

2 cups chicken stock

4 scallions - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced

1 Tbsp Butter

1 1/2 cups couscous

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped dill

Juice of 1 lemon

EVOO

4 6-8 oz salmon fillets

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cup greek yogurt

Directions:

• Combine and bring to a boil Chicken stock, scallions, garlic and butter
• Stir in couscous and season with salt, pepper, the dill and lemon juice
• Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes - fluff with a fork
• Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat
• Season the salmon with the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper
• Place the salmon in the skillet and cook the fish for 2 minutes on each side
•  Serve with the couscous and a dollop of yogurt on top

I have never eaten couscous before, but I assure you I will be eating it again.  The entire meal was very light, but incredibly flavorful.  I would never have thought to use cumin to season fish, but wow.  Ra Ray has got it goin on with this recipe! 

Incidentally, the February edition of Every Day with Rachel Ray is the best purchase I have made to date this year.  It contains at least another dozen recipes I plan to try.

Expand Your Repertoire!
Try New Foods!
Avoid Sugar:)

JamiK

The Best Laid Plans . . . . . Sometimes Go Awry

I had planned to make Lazy Baked Greek Chicken for dinner yesterday.  I pulled the chicken breasts out of the freezer on my lunch break, and put them in a Tupperware container and left it on the kitchen counter in the corner where it couldn't be reached by my four legged friend.  Somehow, though, when I got home from work, the Tupperware was on the floor (open); and the chicken was nowhere to be found.  My only suspect met me at the door with her head down, and hasn't looked me in the eye since.  So I settled for an omelet for dinner. 

Today, I played it safe, and put the chicken in the microwave on my lunch break.  If she had been able to get it out of there, we would be on our way to join the circus right now. 

Lazy Baked Greek Chicken
Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray
(I couldn't find the recipe on the website - I got it directly from the magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 a medium onion - finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic - minced
• 1 10 oz package chopped spinach
• Salt & Pepper
• Nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup crumbled greek feta cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425
• Heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in a small skillet
• Add the onion and 2/3 of the garlic and cook until softened
• Transfer to a bowl, and cool - then add the spinach and season with salt pepper and nutmeg
• Melt the butter in the same skillet then turn off heat
• Add the breadcrumbs, remaining garlic and oregano - toss
• Split each chicken breast across (but not all the way through) and open like a book
• Stuff with the spinach mixture and the feta cheese allowing it to overflow a bit
• Place in a lightly oiled baking dish and then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top

• Bake for 30 minutes (approximately).  I actually baked mine for about 45 minutes, due to the chicken breasts being rather large.   

Delicious!!!

Thaw frozen food out of reach of your pets.

Avoid Sugar!

JamiK

Yeesh. It's already time for confessions.

I didn't even make it a week into 2011 without a flub.  I have a severe weakness for ethnic foods - spicy ethnic foods to be precise.  Pad thai is the most amazing dish ever concocted in my opinion.  So when girls night out was planned it was decided that we would start the evening at the thai restaurant.  My original plan was to eat at home before we met for dinner, and settle for a spring roll or two.  Unfortunately, I was running late and didn't make time to eat at home. . . . . thus, I found myself ordering that beautiful dish of very hot pad thai (I forwent the ecstasy of the thai hot version so as to potentially be able to taste again someday).

As I sweated through approximately one third of the dish I vacillated between food heaven and food remorse.  Every recipe I have seen for Pad Thai sauce contains sugar. . . so I shan't disillusion myself with the possibility that maybe this one didn't contain any of the crystalline drug.  Plus, the bloating that followed the meal confirmed my suspicions.  My jeans felt like they were too tight for the rest of the evening.  Was it worth it? I honestly don't know.  That flavor, that spicy taste bud high. 

So today, I planned out my meals for the next week - NO SUGAR ALLOWED. 

I have never cooked or even eaten spaghetti squash. I have also never turned down an opportunity to fill my house with the smell of garlic & onions. I found this recipe on a website promoting healthy recipes for kids. 

Spaghetti Squash with Onions and Garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
• 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 medium Onions, sliced
• 4-5 cloves Garlic, pressed
• Salt and black pepper to taste

 Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds and membranes.
• Place squash on baking dish and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, half of the onion slices, and half of the garlic to each squash half.
• Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Place in deep pan and add enough water to just cover the bottom of pan
• Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 60 minutes until the skin gives easily under pressure and the inside is tender. 
• Use a fork to pull out the spaghetti-like strands, onions, and garlic from the inside of the squash.
• Toss and Serve.

It looks just like spaghetti!  The original recipe called for half as many onions - but my squash was rather large, and I don't really believe there is ever such a thing as too few onions. 

  

Excellent flavor as well.  Next time I might add some curry powder to spice things up.

Honey is rather bored with this blogging business, so she declined to offer any consulting advice for today's recipe.  She's been snoring on the couch for the last hour.

Recipe's to come this week: 

Lemon Artichoke Risotto, Stir-fried Shrimp Scampi, Lazy Baked Greek Chicken.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Avoid Sugar!

JamiK