Linguine con Cavolo Rosso

Also known as Linguine with Red Cabbage.  GREAT with shrimp tossed in at the end.Cabbage is not evil, just misunderstood.  We all know we need our fruits and veggies, however cabbage is often overlooked or plain avoided due to the fact that most people have never enjoyed cabbage cooked properly.  Its tough leaves wilt and soften beautifully when cooked over low heat for longer periods.

And it’s healthy!  In addition to getting a good dose of vitamins K, C and some fiber too, cabbage promotes gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health.

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, very thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds red cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)
• 1 pound linguine
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled (4 ounces)

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced red cabbage, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until it is al dente. Drain the pasta well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
Scrape the cabbage over the pasta. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls, top with the feta and serve.  Enjoy!

Grandmommy’s Chicken and Noodles

Chicken and Noodles

Noodles

• 3 c flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• Milk

Mix salt with flour, and place in a pile on waxed paper. Make a well in the center, and add three eggs. Lightly stir the eggs into the flour and add the milk, one-half eggshell at a time. Gently work the dough on the waxed paper, pulling up the sides of the paper to help mix it; if it seems really dry, add more milk. If it’s really wet, add more flour. Dough will be a little sticky at first but should come together into a smooth lump. Let dough rest for 5-10 minutes, covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Cut dough in half or quarters and roll out on a floured surface. Roll out to desired thickness, and cut into narrow strips. Separate the strips of dough and place on cookie sheets to air dry for an hour or so. Can be prepared several hours in advance.

Meat and broth

• 2 split organic chicken breasts (with skin and ribs)
• Cut up carrots, celery and onion (about one each)
• 1 carton organic low sodium broth
• 1 cup of water
• A little salt and pepper
• Small bit of desired seasonings like thyme, rosemary, basil or tarragon. optional)

Simmer everything over low heat in large pan until meat falls apart. Remove meat to a plate and allow it to cool. Strain liquid to remove mushy solids, and pick through for any bits of chicken. Return strained broth to the pan. Pick through chicken to remove skin, bones and cartilage, and rough chop the meat. Place the meat in the pan with the broth.
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To prepare:
Boil lots of salted water in large pan, and add noodles when water is really boiling. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes to “remove the starch” as Grandmommy Nance would say.
Meanwhile, heat up the broth and meat mixture until it comes to a boil. Drain noodles from water and put in the broth and meat mixture. Cover partially, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until noodles are tender. Season to taste.

Mediterranean Vegetable, White Bean and Feta Penne

Here is a great recipe from Clean Eating Magazine.  I didn’t have the veggies called for, but used as a base. I’ve never tried pasta and white beans together and it was great! We used tomatoes, asparagus and a dash of white wine in our version and tossed with shrimp.  The combo of feta, pasta and beans added an almost creamy texture and we will definitely make again!

• 6 oz whole-grain penne pasta
• 1 cup cooked canned white beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into eighths lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips, then cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta (we stick to regular feta)

1. Cook penne according to package directions, adding beans during the last minute of cooking.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, vinegar, basil, pepper flakes and salt; set aside.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium high heat, tilting skillet to coat bottom lightly. Add zucchini and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until edges begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp oil. Cover to keep warm.
4. Drain penne-bean mixture, place in a serving bowl, sprinkle evenly with rosemary and all but 1/4 cup feta. Spoon vegetable mixture over top and finish with remaining feta.

Lemon Panko Chicken with Mushroom and Rosemary Sauce (cream-free)

Time to experiment! Though will cave in for a really good recipe that calls for cream, I generally try to make all sauces cream-free.   This mushroom sauce is lighter and though it calls for butter, I’m going to try it as is prior to swapping it out for olive oil on the next try.  For the crispy chicken, I pulled inspiration from my Lighter Chicken Parm recipe below.

• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon water
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat and sliced into cutlets

For the sauce:

• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 3 oz. cremini mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4×1/2-inch strips
• 3 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4×1/2-inch strips
• 3 oz. oyster mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/4×1/2-inch strips
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 Tbs. white apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth (low-salt canned is fine)
• 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

Preheat oven at 475.

Start with the sauce first.  Set a large skillet over medium heat and put in 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the wine, water, and cider vinegar; raise the heat to medium high and reduce the liquids by about three-quarters. Add the chicken broth and again reduce by half.

Whilst the sauce is simmering, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites, water and juice from half of the lemon together. (slice and reserve remaining lemon for garnish)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the rack with vegetable oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg whites, and finally coat with the bread crumbs, Press on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere. Lay the chicken on the wire rack.

Spray the tops of the chicken with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the meat is no longer pink in the center and feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes. Whilst chicken is resting, add the rosemary to the sauce and taste for seasoning.

Serve over pasta or rice.

Szechuan Pork

Here’s one of our household’s favorites re-posted for our new readers. (Originally posted July 2009).  We used to cook this with brown rice but I can’t kick my love for fragrant jasmine rice. The flavor really knocks this recipe out of the park!  Enjoy!

Though some foodies only create recipes based on only the most professional sources, I do go out of my way to find new takes.  This is an excellent Asian recipe from Redbook’s cookbook, Redbook Flavor Rules!

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless pork butt, well trimmed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 by 2-inch strips
• 2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Asian chili paste with garlic

Thinly slice pork, then cut into 1/2 inch-wide strips. In medium bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch. Add pork and toss to coat.

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. With slotted spoon, lift pork from marinade, reserving marinade. Add pork and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until cooked through. With slotted spoon, transfer to large plate.

Add peppers and celery to pan, reduce heat to medium, and stir-fry 3 minutes, or until peppers are crisp-tender. Add scallions and ginger and stir-fry 3 minutes, or until scallions are tender.

In small bowl, whisk together broth, chili paste, and reserved marinade. Pour into pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, return pork to pan, and cook 1 minute, or until sauce is lightly thickened and pork is heated through.

Makes 4 servings/350 cals, 19g fat per serving.

Amazing Baked Chicken Parm

I love chicken parmesan and have been experimenting with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and perfected the second attempt with the following recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.  Thank you to browneyedbaker.com for testing this and sharing with the world!

Lighter Chicken Parmesan
(Source: Cook’s Illustrated, October 2006)

• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon water
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat and sliced into cutlets
• 2 cups tomato sauce , warmed
• 3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the rack with vegetable oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg whites, and finally coat with the bread crumbs, Press on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere. Lay the chicken on the wire rack.

Spray the tops of the chicken with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the meat is no longer pink in the center and feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce onto the center of each cutlet and top the sauce with 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce and Parmesan separately.

Per Serving:
Cal 310; Fat 8 g; Sat fat 2.5 g; Chol 75 mg; Carb 20 g; Protein 38 g; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 790 mg

Shrimp Crostini

AKA as Shrimpy a La Jess

The easiest gourmet recipe ever.  You will be an all-star and it takes less than 15 minutes.

• J’s Awesome Salsa
• Fresh or defrosted medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• French bread or baguette
• Olive oil

Heat salsa in a medium sauté pan over medium low.  Whilst warming, slice bread into slices at an angle and brush with olive oil.  Toast face down in a pan or place on parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven (each oven is different, so you may prefer to broil for 2-4 minutes or bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes)

Once salsa is hot, add the shrimp and gently cook for 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp is bright pink and fully cooked through.  Gently toss shrimp in sauce.

Stack 2-3 toast points on each plate and sprinkle paprika around the plate edges for presentation.  Top points with the shrimp and sauce and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas with White Bean Sauce and Rice

This is a super easy and very light recipe that I’ve modified over the years, originally inspired by Cooking Light Magazine.  I like bring my staples into my recipes to keep things quick, and this recipe is an ideal way to use J’s Awesome Salsa.

For the Enchiladas

• 1 cup J’s Awesome Salsa
• 2  cups  shredded cooked chicken breast*
• 1/3  cup  (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 large corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  pepper jack cheese
• 4  lime wedges
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Combine chicken and cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa. Reserve remaining salsa.

Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla; roll up. Place tortilla, seam-side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, and chicken mixture.

Pour remaining salsa mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with lime wedges. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

*For the chicken breasts, simply bake or sauté and let rest for 5 minutes in a large bowl before pulling apart with two forks.

For the rice

Use measurements according to the package’s directions.  Substitute low-sodium chicken broth for water, and add a spoonful of J’s Awesome Salsa to rice and cook according to directions.

White Bean Sauce

I love beans, but refried? No, not so clean.  And we know most clean eating foodies will substitute black beans for refried with most Latin dishes, however, my other half does not care for black beans.  So, in experimenting, I ended up with a clean version of refried beans.  Tastes pretty much the same to me!  Simply take your favorite canned white bean (ours are Navy beans), rinse thoroughly to remove salt, puree and gently heat and top with pepperjack or queso cheese.  Enjoy!

Simple Asian Salad

For the dressing:

• Light soy sauce
• Minced Garlic
• Red Wine
• Olive Oil

For the salad:

• Your favorite lettuce
• Shredded carrots with minced ginger  or chopped red bell pepper that has marinated for 10 minutes in garlic chili paste
• Sliced mushrooms
• Slivered almonds
• Chopped scallions
• Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• Favorite meat or fish

Tender Pulled Chicken Sandwich

After several tests, I have put together a very simple recipe that makes a very tender and succulent pulled chicken sandwich that will now replace sloppy joes when we have the craving. Recipe for 2-3 sandwiches.  Enjoy!

• 1 tablespoon buttery spread or margarine
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 cup favorite buffalo sauce
• freshly cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• French hamburger buns (or favorite sandwich bread)

Heat margarine over medium high heat and add the onions, sauteing until translucent, but not brown. Add the chicken breast and sear both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Gently break up chicken into chunks with forks, but do not completely shred. Add the buffalo sauce and pepper, return cover and continue simmering 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. 20 minutes prior to serving, mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water until dissolved. Add to sauce and stir. The sauce will continue to thicken until serving time. If the sauce is too runny for your liking, simply cook 10 minutes longer with the cover ajar.

When ready to serve, spoon chicken over lightly toasted buns and serve immediately.