Here I am! I didn't blow it off or forget!
Let's see.....first let's review the things that went right last week.
#1. I joined the Y. I did check out one other gym that's a little closer, but they charge $80/month for one person! The Y charges $33/month for one person and $50/month for a whole family! That decision was a no-brainer. Even the extra gas money required to drive a little farther to the Y won't negate the difference. One thing I really like about this Y is that they have a women's-only room. It doesn't have a lot of equipment in it, but what it does have is free weights in all the sizes I like and since it's usually fairly empty, I can have them and the room almost to myself! Love that. And I'm hoping that during the summers, they will let me temporarily bump up my membership to a family membership so that the boys can join me.
#2. I didn't bake any cookies. That may seem like a small thing, but my baking spree this winter meant that we had something sweet on hand nearly all the time. I have a compulsion with cookies - I can't eat just one. I'm sure that was adding up to AT LEAST an extra 300-400 calories a day! And calories loaded with saturated fat, no less. Not good. We're all going through cookie withdrawal right now, but I need to stop! Good thing is, the warmer weather will naturally tone down my urge to bake.
#3. I didn't just join the Y, I exercised and even better, I did some strength training. That's what I really need - to do weights and build my muscle back. In addition to doing weights twice last week, I walked more. The weather is turning warmer and it's finally easier for Bailey and I to get out and walk again - no more ice and snow. I'm trying to take longer walks too - 45 minutes to one hour instead of just 30 minutes. Still, on the days where I'm feeling lazy, even 20-30 minutes is still decent.
As for what didn't go so well, I'm sure I still overate on several days. I know I really need to count calories. But have I mentioned that hate it? Still, shorts/capris weather is just around the corner and I have almost nothing to wear - unless I can lose the weight and fit back into the clothes in my closet. That's one thing I'm not liking about the warmer weather - the frightening thought that I won't be able to hide under my winter clothes any longer! That's a good thing really - a motivator - but I'm really going to be stuck for work clothes! Ugh.
So, this week I just need to continue the exercise, continue not baking cookies and count calories. Starting today.
I'd better get going and try to get to the Y to sneak in a workout...............
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Quick and Easy
Last night I chose a recipe from the April issue of Cooking Light for dinner. Convenience rather than great expectations were the main reason behind this selection - I already had everything on hand and I knew it would appeal to the kids.
In a departure from my usual MO, I did not alter the ingredients except for using Barilla Plus elbow macaroni for a little added fiber. I even used reduced-fat cheese - something I never do, but surprisingly, I had some on hand.
While I didn't do backflips over the end results, it is easy, creamy and tastier than I anticipated. Nothing special, but a good meal when you're in a hurry and need to get something to the table. DH and the kids gobbled it down and definitely enjoyed it. While I liked it pretty well, there was something that seemed a little off to me - it might have been the onion powder - I don't use it very often. Perhaps a few slices of onion thrown into the sauce as it cooks would be a better option? I'm torn about whether or not to try to tweak this one or not. On the one hand, part of its appeal is the ease of preparation - trying to kick it up a notch would make it a fussier recipe. On the other hand, the sauce is rich and creamy - something that is hard to achieve in a low-fat cheese sauce and perhaps worth trying to finesse.............
In a departure from my usual MO, I did not alter the ingredients except for using Barilla Plus elbow macaroni for a little added fiber. I even used reduced-fat cheese - something I never do, but surprisingly, I had some on hand.
While I didn't do backflips over the end results, it is easy, creamy and tastier than I anticipated. Nothing special, but a good meal when you're in a hurry and need to get something to the table. DH and the kids gobbled it down and definitely enjoyed it. While I liked it pretty well, there was something that seemed a little off to me - it might have been the onion powder - I don't use it very often. Perhaps a few slices of onion thrown into the sauce as it cooks would be a better option? I'm torn about whether or not to try to tweak this one or not. On the one hand, part of its appeal is the ease of preparation - trying to kick it up a notch would make it a fussier recipe. On the other hand, the sauce is rich and creamy - something that is hard to achieve in a low-fat cheese sauce and perhaps worth trying to finesse.............
Monday, March 26, 2007
Cooking Light - April 2007
Just a very quick post tonight.........
Seems like I just posted about the March issue because, well, I did just post about the March issue. But the April is here and my list from this issue is quite long.
Grilled Herb Chicken with Roma Tomato Sauce
Vegetable Maki
Pork Chops Marsala
Pesto and Prosciutto Poached Egg Sandwiches
Pasta Carbonara Florentine
Egg Salad BLTs
Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach
Pork Chops Marsala
Thai Beef Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw
Spinach-Feta Calzone Casserole
Harissa Salmon
Roasted Chicken Thighs Provençal
Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Baby Artichokes and Olives
Pappardelle with Lemon, Baby Artichokes, and Asparagus
Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple-Pepper Relish
Carrot Cake
We just tried one of the recipes from this issue tonight.....I'll be back to post about it tomorrow night........
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Mmmmm....good Comfort Food
Now that spring is approaching, it's probably time to fit in a few of the comfort food dishes on our "to try" list before the weather turns permanently warm and we turn to grilling and lighter fare. This pasta dish from CL fits that category - it's creamy, buttery and loaded with carbs. In fact, I'm not entirely convinced it's even low-fat! Half and half? Butter? Cheese? Pancetta? Well, of course it's the 1 pound of pasta and 8 ounces of bread that bring the total number of calories high enough that you can add all that fat and still fall within the 30% of calories from fat range. When you look at the total number of fat gram per serving, 16, that's pretty high in fat for a low-fat recipe. Still, it's much lower than any full-fat version, so it works for me!
As always, there were a few changes made, so in the interest of full disclosure, let's review those first. I used 4 ounces of pancetta instead of 3 - that's only because my package was a 4-ounce package and I didn't want 1 ounce of pancetta sitting around and going to waste. Second, I don't keep 2% milk on hand, so I upped the half and half a bit to compensate. When we get a nice, crusty loaf of bread, I keep the little bits of heels around for just such a dish like this - I used bits of pieces of things lying around, including a loaf of rosemary-olive oil bread. In place of the regular penne, I used Barilla Plus Rotini which worked very well for this dish and added a little extra fiber.
This dish received groans of pleasure all around. I have to warn though, those who typically find basic comfort food dishes bland might not like this one as is - it may require a bit of tweaking to appeal to some palates. The buttery crumb topping truly is buttery and delicious - normally I'm disappointed with these kinds of toppings, but really enjoyed this one. I really think that heel of rosemary-olive oil bread added a very pleasant hint of flavor. If I didn't have this kind of bread on hand the next time, I would consider adding a bit of dried herbs to the bread crumb mixture - not a lot, just a touch - it really added a nice dimension to this dish. I would also up the spinach - I used 6 cups out of my -ounce bag and really could have easily used the entire bag. Even my spinach-phobic husband agreed that it could use more spinach and he NEVER says that!
The only drawback? It uses a lot of pots, pans and dishes - one to melt the butter, the processor for the bread crumbs, one to cook the pasta, a dish to bake in the oven, etc., etc. Instead of using yet another bowl to toss the pasta and sauce, just make sure to use at least a 3-quart size nonstick skillet when you make the sauce (or even a Dutch Oven would work) and you'll have enough room to toss the pasta and spinach right in with the sauce - no need to dirty yet another bowl.
I think this dish would be a great vehicle for using up whatever meats, cheeses or breads you have on hand - I could see any number of possibilities working for this one and I look forward to tweaking in the future.
As always, there were a few changes made, so in the interest of full disclosure, let's review those first. I used 4 ounces of pancetta instead of 3 - that's only because my package was a 4-ounce package and I didn't want 1 ounce of pancetta sitting around and going to waste. Second, I don't keep 2% milk on hand, so I upped the half and half a bit to compensate. When we get a nice, crusty loaf of bread, I keep the little bits of heels around for just such a dish like this - I used bits of pieces of things lying around, including a loaf of rosemary-olive oil bread. In place of the regular penne, I used Barilla Plus Rotini which worked very well for this dish and added a little extra fiber.
This dish received groans of pleasure all around. I have to warn though, those who typically find basic comfort food dishes bland might not like this one as is - it may require a bit of tweaking to appeal to some palates. The buttery crumb topping truly is buttery and delicious - normally I'm disappointed with these kinds of toppings, but really enjoyed this one. I really think that heel of rosemary-olive oil bread added a very pleasant hint of flavor. If I didn't have this kind of bread on hand the next time, I would consider adding a bit of dried herbs to the bread crumb mixture - not a lot, just a touch - it really added a nice dimension to this dish. I would also up the spinach - I used 6 cups out of my -ounce bag and really could have easily used the entire bag. Even my spinach-phobic husband agreed that it could use more spinach and he NEVER says that!
The only drawback? It uses a lot of pots, pans and dishes - one to melt the butter, the processor for the bread crumbs, one to cook the pasta, a dish to bake in the oven, etc., etc. Instead of using yet another bowl to toss the pasta and sauce, just make sure to use at least a 3-quart size nonstick skillet when you make the sauce (or even a Dutch Oven would work) and you'll have enough room to toss the pasta and spinach right in with the sauce - no need to dirty yet another bowl.
I think this dish would be a great vehicle for using up whatever meats, cheeses or breads you have on hand - I could see any number of possibilities working for this one and I look forward to tweaking in the future.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
A new Shrimp dish
The April issue of Cooking Light has officially arrived, but I'm still making my way through some of the March recipes. During Lent, we go meatless on Fridays, but this is not a big deal for us since I try to fit in meatless meals on a regular basis. Here's one thing I never understood. If the purpose of not eating meat is to symbolize sacrifice, why is it considered a sacrifice to eat seafood? Lobster, shrimp, lump crab instead of chicken, pork or beef? Hmmm.....
Creole Shrimp Rémoulade over Baby Arugula
Creole Shrimp Rémoulade over Baby ArugulaSacrifice or not, shrimp was on the menu for last night. Cooking Light calls this a salad, but for me, it's simply shrimp served over greens. I added some sliced red bell pepper for a little crunch, nutrition and color.
The cooking process has you do a mini shrimp boil, something I've never done before. I do not keep large containers of cayenne pepper around since it's usually used so sparingly, so I could not use the 3 tablespoons this recipe calls for. I used about a 1/2 teaspoon and then dumped in some Frank's hot sauce to try to up the heat without using my entire container of cayenne. I never tasted the shrimp on its own without the sauce, so I can't say whether cooking the shrimp this way actually added a lot of flavor.
The sauce is delicious - the boys were rather rudely licking their plates. The raw, chopped onion did not overpower the sauce as I feared and all the flavors work nicely together. It could have used a little more hot sauce for our tastes, but that may not be true if you cook the shrimp exactly as written in the recipe. I love arugula and although some of its pepperiness came through, it seemed a little lost under this very flavorful sauce - I really think you could use just about any green for this recipe. I did like the arugula with it, I just wish I could have tasted more of it - perhaps arugula is best used with a sauce or dressing that better lets its flavors shine through.
This dish goes together easily and calls for a little chilling time after it is assembled. The rémoulade is so good that we started envisioning using it as a salad dressing (thinning it out with some olive oil first), using it over fish or even on chicken. Or as a dipping sauce for fondue. In any case, it's a versatile sauce that will certainly be used in this kitchen again.
The cooking process has you do a mini shrimp boil, something I've never done before. I do not keep large containers of cayenne pepper around since it's usually used so sparingly, so I could not use the 3 tablespoons this recipe calls for. I used about a 1/2 teaspoon and then dumped in some Frank's hot sauce to try to up the heat without using my entire container of cayenne. I never tasted the shrimp on its own without the sauce, so I can't say whether cooking the shrimp this way actually added a lot of flavor.
The sauce is delicious - the boys were rather rudely licking their plates. The raw, chopped onion did not overpower the sauce as I feared and all the flavors work nicely together. It could have used a little more hot sauce for our tastes, but that may not be true if you cook the shrimp exactly as written in the recipe. I love arugula and although some of its pepperiness came through, it seemed a little lost under this very flavorful sauce - I really think you could use just about any green for this recipe. I did like the arugula with it, I just wish I could have tasted more of it - perhaps arugula is best used with a sauce or dressing that better lets its flavors shine through.
This dish goes together easily and calls for a little chilling time after it is assembled. The rémoulade is so good that we started envisioning using it as a salad dressing (thinning it out with some olive oil first), using it over fish or even on chicken. Or as a dipping sauce for fondue. In any case, it's a versatile sauce that will certainly be used in this kitchen again.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Cooking Light - March 2007
Whoops, somehow I forgot to post about the March issue of Cooking Light! Folks are already beginning to receive their April issue, but better late than never?
CL has changed its look a bit - they have gone to a spine instead of the staple and they've changed the font. Not sure if it's better or worse or just different. At first, nothing really jumped out at me, but sometimes I need to go through an issue a few times before I start to see what I want to make. Anyway, I ended up with a pretty long list. Again, I rarely get to every recipe in every issue, but I still like to have a reference list to refer to when I need something new to make. So here goes.............
White Bean and Collard Greens Soup
Grits and Greens
Honey-Whole Wheat Bread
Flank Steak with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Stir-Fried Szechuan Steak on Rice
Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter
Pork Tenderloin Kebabs
Oatmeal-Chai Buttermilk Pancakes
Tilapia Piccata
Cincinnati Chili
Cumin-Coriander Crusted Salmon
Thai Chicken SautéLast night I made the Thai Chicken Sauté. It's not unlike a coconut curry, but there is no curry in this sauce. It is perhaps a cross between a coconut curry and maybe a Pad Thai without the peanuts? Not a very good description, I know, but it's a hard sauce to describe. There's a pungency from the fish sauce and a bit of sweetness from the sugar and coconut milk, along with a punch of heat from the chili paste. Although I think it could use a splash of color and nutrition from a little bit of sliced red bell pepper, it goes together quickly and everyone enjoyed it. Hmph. My chicken doesn't look as nice and brown as their picture - that's because I always, always put it in the pan before it's really hot enough! Maybe some day I'll be patient and get some nicely browned chicken going.................
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Weigh In Wednesday
Yeah, yeah. Here I go again. Yet another try at getting back into the workout routine.........
I realize this is hard to fit into a food blog, but I tried setting things up on a separate blog and it that just didn't work for me. It seems that my true passion is blogging about food, not health and exercise, so anything more than just a weekly post is not likely to happen. Which is probably a big reason why I need to lose weight! Thing is, there WAS a time that I was almost as passionate about health and exercise as I was about food. Well, if forced to pick one, I'd pick food, but still! I was dedicated! I worked out! I watched what I ate! What happened?
I lost my groove and I can't find it. But I must find it. I haven't gained much weight, but I've gained fat. The scale hasn't changed much, but my clothes keep getting tighter. This tells me I'm replacing muscle with fat. Not good. I need to do just the opposite.
So, here we go again. Only this time I have extra motivation. I will be attending a get-together with some old college buddies and we'll be doing an 80s party. We all graduated in 1988 and most of us have turned 40 in the last year or so. We decided it was time for a big bash. Next year is our 20th college reunion! That makes me feel WAY older than turning 40!
The get together is June 2. It's not likely that I'll be able to lose all 19 pounds by then - at least not by reasonable means like cutting calories and exercising more - but 10 pounds would be quite reasonable in a 10-week time frame. Two pounds a week would actually be doable - some people can drop weight pretty quickly - but I usually take a little longer. And really, my main goal is to get my clothes to fit better - whether or not the scale goes down too is not as important.
So, once again, it is time to watch what I eat and exercise. Working out at home has just not worked for me. I need to get out so that I can concentrate - once I walk through those gym doors, I just feel so ready to work out - it motivates me. I almost NEVER feel that at home. I do feel that when I go for a walk, but I need to do more than walk - I need to do weight training too. I'll likely join the YMCA, but if not the Y, some other gym. I really don't want to spend the money right now, but I think it will not only help me lose weight, it will help my mood by getting me out of the house and will be money well-spent. They let me work out for free at the Y the other night and it just felt right and I realized that a gym is what I really need.
If I don't report back next week, you all must hound me until I do! That means you Mom! And you my CLBB friends! And anyone else who doesn't mind being a nag.............
I realize this is hard to fit into a food blog, but I tried setting things up on a separate blog and it that just didn't work for me. It seems that my true passion is blogging about food, not health and exercise, so anything more than just a weekly post is not likely to happen. Which is probably a big reason why I need to lose weight! Thing is, there WAS a time that I was almost as passionate about health and exercise as I was about food. Well, if forced to pick one, I'd pick food, but still! I was dedicated! I worked out! I watched what I ate! What happened?
I lost my groove and I can't find it. But I must find it. I haven't gained much weight, but I've gained fat. The scale hasn't changed much, but my clothes keep getting tighter. This tells me I'm replacing muscle with fat. Not good. I need to do just the opposite.
So, here we go again. Only this time I have extra motivation. I will be attending a get-together with some old college buddies and we'll be doing an 80s party. We all graduated in 1988 and most of us have turned 40 in the last year or so. We decided it was time for a big bash. Next year is our 20th college reunion! That makes me feel WAY older than turning 40!
The get together is June 2. It's not likely that I'll be able to lose all 19 pounds by then - at least not by reasonable means like cutting calories and exercising more - but 10 pounds would be quite reasonable in a 10-week time frame. Two pounds a week would actually be doable - some people can drop weight pretty quickly - but I usually take a little longer. And really, my main goal is to get my clothes to fit better - whether or not the scale goes down too is not as important.
So, once again, it is time to watch what I eat and exercise. Working out at home has just not worked for me. I need to get out so that I can concentrate - once I walk through those gym doors, I just feel so ready to work out - it motivates me. I almost NEVER feel that at home. I do feel that when I go for a walk, but I need to do more than walk - I need to do weight training too. I'll likely join the YMCA, but if not the Y, some other gym. I really don't want to spend the money right now, but I think it will not only help me lose weight, it will help my mood by getting me out of the house and will be money well-spent. They let me work out for free at the Y the other night and it just felt right and I realized that a gym is what I really need.
If I don't report back next week, you all must hound me until I do! That means you Mom! And you my CLBB friends! And anyone else who doesn't mind being a nag.............
Monday, March 19, 2007
Don't Hog all the Brussels Sprouts!
Surprisingly enough, I actually uttered these words in my house the other night. For years we were convinced that we hated Brussels sprouts even though I don't think I had ever even tried one. I finally gave them a go a couple of years ago with this recipe from Rachael Ray, and although we liked them okay, we didn't like them enough for me to run out and buy Brussels sprouts again. Fortunately for us, my sister-in-law, who is always trying to turn us onto new and healthy foods, roasted some for us on her last visit a few weeks ago. We loved them!
Looking for a recipe to follow, I found one from The Barefoot Contessa that sounded pretty much exactly what my SIL had done. It really couldn't be simpler - toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and pop them into the oven. The key here is a long roasting time - it really mellows and sweetens the brussel sprouts, giving them a fantastic flavor. Mine got a little overly brown so next time I would probably lower the oven temperature a bit (my oven tends to run a little hot, I think), but otherwise they were fantastic. So good, in fact, that I had to instruct my oldest to not take too many and leave some for the rest of us! I hope to find more recipes for roasting brussel sprouts and I'll bet they'd be great on the grill.....mmmm.......can't wait to try that!
In addition to the brussel sprouts, I tried out a new recipe from Giada De Laurentiis that is elegant and goes together in minutes. In the recipe, the salmon and the puff pastry are cooked together on one sheet, making this eve neasier. However, I couldn't get mine to all fit, so I had to use two separate baking sheets. I thought 10 minutes didn't sound like enough cooking time for the salmon, but it was plenty. In fact, mine got a little overcooked because I left them on the baking sheet while I took care of a few other things. Once the salmon and puff pastry are cooked, it's simply a matter of assembling the rest of the ingredients. The presentation is lovely, it tastes great and it's so easy!
Looking for a recipe to follow, I found one from The Barefoot Contessa that sounded pretty much exactly what my SIL had done. It really couldn't be simpler - toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and pop them into the oven. The key here is a long roasting time - it really mellows and sweetens the brussel sprouts, giving them a fantastic flavor. Mine got a little overly brown so next time I would probably lower the oven temperature a bit (my oven tends to run a little hot, I think), but otherwise they were fantastic. So good, in fact, that I had to instruct my oldest to not take too many and leave some for the rest of us! I hope to find more recipes for roasting brussel sprouts and I'll bet they'd be great on the grill.....mmmm.......can't wait to try that!
In addition to the brussel sprouts, I tried out a new recipe from Giada De Laurentiis that is elegant and goes together in minutes. In the recipe, the salmon and the puff pastry are cooked together on one sheet, making this eve neasier. However, I couldn't get mine to all fit, so I had to use two separate baking sheets. I thought 10 minutes didn't sound like enough cooking time for the salmon, but it was plenty. In fact, mine got a little overcooked because I left them on the baking sheet while I took care of a few other things. Once the salmon and puff pastry are cooked, it's simply a matter of assembling the rest of the ingredients. The presentation is lovely, it tastes great and it's so easy!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Yummy Chocolate Cookies
When I opened The New Best Recipe to make the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, I spied another recipe that I had sadly overlooked - a recipe for Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies. How could I have missed this??? I have tried Martha Stewart's Grammy's Chocolate Cookies and her Dark Chocolate Cookies - both were very good but neither had that super-rich chocolate taste that comes from using melted chocolate in the batter.
Like the two Martha recipes, this recipe also calls for Dutch process cocoa. The Martha cookies look much darker, however, because I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa which is extra dark, almost black. For this recipe, I used Penzeys Dutch process cocoa. In addition to the cocoa, this recipe also calls for one pound of melted chocolate - oh yum!
I couldn't, however, leave well enough alone and try the recipe as is. I've been wanting to make an Almond Joy-type cookie by taking a chocolate cookie and adding coconut and almonds, so I decided that it was as good a time as any. I added 2 cups of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped, roasted almonds to the batter. If you do add anything to this batter, add it quickly - this batter sets up rather fast, going from soft to fudgey in no time (no refrigeration required) - it was all my KitchenAid could do to muster a few weak turns of the paddle before I decided I'd better turn it off for fear of burning out the motor. As a result, the nuts were fairly unevenly distributed, but no worries. On the plus side, the way the dough sets up to a fudgey consistency makes it quite easy to work with - not gooey and unmanageable like others I've worked with before.
Although I am left wondering what these cookies turn out like had I not put in the coconut and almonds, I can say that they work very well with these additions - they are delicious. They are not exactly chewy, but they are not as soft and fudgey as some cookies come out when made with melted chocolate. The texture is hard to describe - somewhat soft and fudgey but not cakey or gooey. In order to make it closer to an Almond Joy, the dough could perhaps use another cup of coconut, but I think you'd need to cut back on the sugar a bit. The amount of almonds seemed just about right, but again, it was hard to tell since the dough was not pliable enough to get an even distribution.
My husband thinks these cookies are fantastic and so do I. I also know, however, that I will have to try them at least twice more - once with more coconut to see if I can achieve something a bit closer to an Almond Joy and once with no additions so that I can better evaluate this recipe as it was written. Ah well, you have to do what you have to do..........
Like the two Martha recipes, this recipe also calls for Dutch process cocoa. The Martha cookies look much darker, however, because I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa which is extra dark, almost black. For this recipe, I used Penzeys Dutch process cocoa. In addition to the cocoa, this recipe also calls for one pound of melted chocolate - oh yum!
I couldn't, however, leave well enough alone and try the recipe as is. I've been wanting to make an Almond Joy-type cookie by taking a chocolate cookie and adding coconut and almonds, so I decided that it was as good a time as any. I added 2 cups of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chopped, roasted almonds to the batter. If you do add anything to this batter, add it quickly - this batter sets up rather fast, going from soft to fudgey in no time (no refrigeration required) - it was all my KitchenAid could do to muster a few weak turns of the paddle before I decided I'd better turn it off for fear of burning out the motor. As a result, the nuts were fairly unevenly distributed, but no worries. On the plus side, the way the dough sets up to a fudgey consistency makes it quite easy to work with - not gooey and unmanageable like others I've worked with before.
Although I am left wondering what these cookies turn out like had I not put in the coconut and almonds, I can say that they work very well with these additions - they are delicious. They are not exactly chewy, but they are not as soft and fudgey as some cookies come out when made with melted chocolate. The texture is hard to describe - somewhat soft and fudgey but not cakey or gooey. In order to make it closer to an Almond Joy, the dough could perhaps use another cup of coconut, but I think you'd need to cut back on the sugar a bit. The amount of almonds seemed just about right, but again, it was hard to tell since the dough was not pliable enough to get an even distribution.
My husband thinks these cookies are fantastic and so do I. I also know, however, that I will have to try them at least twice more - once with more coconut to see if I can achieve something a bit closer to an Almond Joy and once with no additions so that I can better evaluate this recipe as it was written. Ah well, you have to do what you have to do..........
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Another try at Falafel
Earlier this week it was about 70º, giving us a hint of spring to come and planting notions of grilling in our heads. I even went out and bought some strip steak to grill for the next grilling opportunity. The deck was finally clear of any snow, most of the snow in the yard was melted and the ground was beginning to dry out a little bit. And then this..........
Back to square one. Sigh. Last time the snow as kind of pretty. This time, it's just kind of depressing. I'm getting tired of messy roads that make it such a pain to walk Bailey - they put down gravel here and he ends up with black bits all caked in his fur and it turns his coat a nice grayish color. The ground has been so wet that even just letting him out the back door to do his business gets him quite muddy. But that's March for you. But I'm ready for a string of windy, sunny days to get rid of the snow and dry things out!
But enough griping about the weather......on to falafel.
We were not overwhelmed by our last attempt at falafel, so we gave a new recipe a try for our Friday Lenten meal this week. This recipe calls for soaking the chickpeas, but not cooking them - a technique I've not tried before. I combined the falafel and relish from this recipe with the tahini sauce from this recipe.
While we definitely liked this falafel recipe better than the last one we tried, I can't say that I've found THE falafel recipe for us. I think they could have had a bit more flavor and kick to them and I also detected a raw flavor from the uncooked chickpeas. I wonder if this kind of recipe really could benefit from going the traditional route of frying the falafel instead of the lower-fat version here that calls for baking them. Frying will add fat, but if you fry correctly (this is a yet another link to a transcript of Good Eats with Alton Brown - he did a great episode on frying), very little of the fat should end up being aborbed by the falafel, so I think it's worth a shot. The tahini sauce was good, but again, I think it could be better.
My craving for good falafel is still not satsified, and so the search continues..........
Back to square one. Sigh. Last time the snow as kind of pretty. This time, it's just kind of depressing. I'm getting tired of messy roads that make it such a pain to walk Bailey - they put down gravel here and he ends up with black bits all caked in his fur and it turns his coat a nice grayish color. The ground has been so wet that even just letting him out the back door to do his business gets him quite muddy. But that's March for you. But I'm ready for a string of windy, sunny days to get rid of the snow and dry things out!But enough griping about the weather......on to falafel.
We were not overwhelmed by our last attempt at falafel, so we gave a new recipe a try for our Friday Lenten meal this week. This recipe calls for soaking the chickpeas, but not cooking them - a technique I've not tried before. I combined the falafel and relish from this recipe with the tahini sauce from this recipe.
While we definitely liked this falafel recipe better than the last one we tried, I can't say that I've found THE falafel recipe for us. I think they could have had a bit more flavor and kick to them and I also detected a raw flavor from the uncooked chickpeas. I wonder if this kind of recipe really could benefit from going the traditional route of frying the falafel instead of the lower-fat version here that calls for baking them. Frying will add fat, but if you fry correctly (this is a yet another link to a transcript of Good Eats with Alton Brown - he did a great episode on frying), very little of the fat should end up being aborbed by the falafel, so I think it's worth a shot. The tahini sauce was good, but again, I think it could be better.
My craving for good falafel is still not satsified, and so the search continues..........
Friday, March 16, 2007
Poached Eggs and Polenta (or cornmeal, or grits or....)
It's not often that I think to have eggs for dinner, but when I do, they are almost always a hit. These eggs are served over polenta or cornmeal. But is there a difference between the two?
I find the similarities or differences between cornmeal, grits and polenta to be more than a bit confusing and although some purists would probably argue that there is a difference, they are essentially interchangeable, especially for a dish like this. I sat here and tried to type up an explanation of the differences, but then I confused myself even more, so I will simply refer you here, here and if you like Alton Brown, here. There, now you can go and confuse yourself and then you won't be able to blame me for the confusion. That said, I have started to use stone ground coarse cornmeal for polenta instead of trying to track down those overpriced packages of polenta that are probably pretty much the same thing anyway.........
For this dish from Cooking Light, however, I used the Quaker Oats cornmeal which has been degerminated. See, this is where I get confused - if hominy grits are different from corn grits because they have been degerminated, then wouldn't cornmeal that has been degerminated really be the same thing as hominy grits? So that hominy grits=degerminated cornmeal=Quaker Oats cornmeal? And then polenta=stoneground whole grain cornmeal (either coarse, medium or fine)? See, that's why I'm referring you to the above articles and letting you decide.
Obviously I used yellow cornmeal in place of white, but I think that yellow cornmeal actually works better here in that it provides a nice color contrast to the egg whites. We found that the polenta needed A LOT more salt than the recipe called for and actually, more of everything - it just didn't have that much flavor. I ended up adding a bit more butter, a bit more cheese and a lot more salt. My parmesan cheese was not top quality, so if you can't use a top quality parmesan with lots of flavor, then I recommend using a sharper or smoked cheese that might help kick up the flavor - in fact, I'm not sure that Parmiggiano Reggiano would have been enough - perhaps a sharp or smoked provolone would work best.
The salsa added an interesting dimension for us - we are not accustomed to eating tomatoes with our eggs - and added nice color as well. I prefered to keep the egg and salsa separated, but enjoyed both flavors with the polenta. I would certainly consider making this again, but I would play around with the polenta to get something a little more interesting and would also be inclined to try the this dish with variations in the salsa, such as using roasted red peppers only or maybe a bit of balsamic. In any case, it's a pretty simple meal to throw together and it's made from ingredients that are commonly on hand.
I find the similarities or differences between cornmeal, grits and polenta to be more than a bit confusing and although some purists would probably argue that there is a difference, they are essentially interchangeable, especially for a dish like this. I sat here and tried to type up an explanation of the differences, but then I confused myself even more, so I will simply refer you here, here and if you like Alton Brown, here. There, now you can go and confuse yourself and then you won't be able to blame me for the confusion. That said, I have started to use stone ground coarse cornmeal for polenta instead of trying to track down those overpriced packages of polenta that are probably pretty much the same thing anyway.........
Obviously I used yellow cornmeal in place of white, but I think that yellow cornmeal actually works better here in that it provides a nice color contrast to the egg whites. We found that the polenta needed A LOT more salt than the recipe called for and actually, more of everything - it just didn't have that much flavor. I ended up adding a bit more butter, a bit more cheese and a lot more salt. My parmesan cheese was not top quality, so if you can't use a top quality parmesan with lots of flavor, then I recommend using a sharper or smoked cheese that might help kick up the flavor - in fact, I'm not sure that Parmiggiano Reggiano would have been enough - perhaps a sharp or smoked provolone would work best.
The salsa added an interesting dimension for us - we are not accustomed to eating tomatoes with our eggs - and added nice color as well. I prefered to keep the egg and salsa separated, but enjoyed both flavors with the polenta. I would certainly consider making this again, but I would play around with the polenta to get something a little more interesting and would also be inclined to try the this dish with variations in the salsa, such as using roasted red peppers only or maybe a bit of balsamic. In any case, it's a pretty simple meal to throw together and it's made from ingredients that are commonly on hand.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
More Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Can one ever REALLY have or try too many chocolate chip cookie recipes? Hmm, maybe I shouldn't ask for an answer to that one!
This is a recipe that we've tried at least once before, but I was surprised to find I hadn't blogged about it. It comes from The New Best Recipe, a cookbook from Cook's Illustrated that is definitely under utilized in this house. I keep forgetting about it and that's a shame - there are a lot of great recipes inside.
This chocolate chip cookie strays from the typical recipe by melting the butter (great for those of us, like me, who want to make cookies NOW and don't want to wait for the butter to soften) and by using one whole egg along with one egg yolk. As usual, I did not make the 1/4-cup sized cookies, but used a regular-sized cookie scoop. Though I'm sure this alters the texture of the cookies a bit, they still come out nice and chewy. Speaking of chewy, testers claim that allowing the cookies to cool on the baking sheets will promote chewiness. I can't attest to that fact. Though I did allow some of the cookies to cool on the baking sheets, I had to remove some before they were thoroughly cooled so that I could use the cookie sheet again. And now of course, I have no idea which are which and can't compare.
These cookies have the wonderful, buttery, butterscotchy flavor of a Toll House cookie, but they keep their shape better. I know many, many folks who have troubles with the Toll House cookies spreading too much and getting too crispy. Other times, I find that Toll House are more soft than chewy - I like chewy. I think the Cook's Illustrated cookies spread a little more for me this time than they did last time because I did not let the butter cool down enough. Did I mention that I'm a bit impatient?
Toll House still have the best overall flavor to me, but these cookies still have most of that great flavor but with a significant improvement in texture. Overall though, I'm thinking that the Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies might be my favorite. They have ALL the buttery taste of Toll House, but a much better texture - nice and chewy. Still, there are chocolate chip cookie recipes out there that get great reviews that I have yet to try.......so this probably won't be the last chocolate chip cookie post here. Surprise, surprise.
Before I go, I'd like to add a relevant product review. I normally use Ghirardelli's Bittersweet Chocolate Chips when I bake, but I did not have enough left for this recipe, so I used a bag of Nestle Chocolatier 53% dark chocolate morsels that I got for free using a coupon. I liked the idea that these were an even darker chip than the Ghirardelli, but I did not care for these at all. The texture was a bit gritty - my big complaint with chocolates like Hershey's or Nestle - and the flavor was not deep, rich and chocolate - there was something "off" about it. I tried the chips side by side and the Ghirardelli - smooth and creamy, with a nice chocolate flavor - won by a mile. If taste weren't reason enough to never buy the Nestle chips again, the Nestle Chocolatier chips are more expensive and come in 10-ounce bags instead of 12-ounce. No contest on this one.
This is a recipe that we've tried at least once before, but I was surprised to find I hadn't blogged about it. It comes from The New Best Recipe, a cookbook from Cook's Illustrated that is definitely under utilized in this house. I keep forgetting about it and that's a shame - there are a lot of great recipes inside.
This chocolate chip cookie strays from the typical recipe by melting the butter (great for those of us, like me, who want to make cookies NOW and don't want to wait for the butter to soften) and by using one whole egg along with one egg yolk. As usual, I did not make the 1/4-cup sized cookies, but used a regular-sized cookie scoop. Though I'm sure this alters the texture of the cookies a bit, they still come out nice and chewy. Speaking of chewy, testers claim that allowing the cookies to cool on the baking sheets will promote chewiness. I can't attest to that fact. Though I did allow some of the cookies to cool on the baking sheets, I had to remove some before they were thoroughly cooled so that I could use the cookie sheet again. And now of course, I have no idea which are which and can't compare.
These cookies have the wonderful, buttery, butterscotchy flavor of a Toll House cookie, but they keep their shape better. I know many, many folks who have troubles with the Toll House cookies spreading too much and getting too crispy. Other times, I find that Toll House are more soft than chewy - I like chewy. I think the Cook's Illustrated cookies spread a little more for me this time than they did last time because I did not let the butter cool down enough. Did I mention that I'm a bit impatient?
Toll House still have the best overall flavor to me, but these cookies still have most of that great flavor but with a significant improvement in texture. Overall though, I'm thinking that the Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies might be my favorite. They have ALL the buttery taste of Toll House, but a much better texture - nice and chewy. Still, there are chocolate chip cookie recipes out there that get great reviews that I have yet to try.......so this probably won't be the last chocolate chip cookie post here. Surprise, surprise.
Before I go, I'd like to add a relevant product review. I normally use Ghirardelli's Bittersweet Chocolate Chips when I bake, but I did not have enough left for this recipe, so I used a bag of Nestle Chocolatier 53% dark chocolate morsels that I got for free using a coupon. I liked the idea that these were an even darker chip than the Ghirardelli, but I did not care for these at all. The texture was a bit gritty - my big complaint with chocolates like Hershey's or Nestle - and the flavor was not deep, rich and chocolate - there was something "off" about it. I tried the chips side by side and the Ghirardelli - smooth and creamy, with a nice chocolate flavor - won by a mile. If taste weren't reason enough to never buy the Nestle chips again, the Nestle Chocolatier chips are more expensive and come in 10-ounce bags instead of 12-ounce. No contest on this one.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Mmmm...Mushrooms...
Well, I hadn't intended to let another week go by without blogging, but here it is, 9 days since my last post! We've been cooking, but I'm either missing the photo opportunities or I just haven't been psyched to blog about whatever we've made. Somehow I lost my blogging groove, but hopefully I can get it back this week. Anyway, here goes........
I love mushrooms and it occured to me the other day that we hadn't had mushrooms in any form in quite a while and I've had a recipe for a mushroom soup in my online Cooking Light cookbook, just waiting to be tried. Finally, we tried it last Friday night as our Lenten meal and it was very good.
As always, I made a few minor-ish changes. I used dried thyme instead of fresh (more economical, at least until I get a garden going), used skim milk in place of 1% (use whatcha got on hand, I always say) and I used a mix of shiitake, cremini and button mushrooms. I'd love to have used a whole pound of shiitakes - love, love, love them - but at $6.99 or $7.99 a pound, they just don't fit our budget. I used a stick blender to pureé some of the soup, but left large chunks of mushrooms for a little extra texture.
No surprises here, no unusual twists or turns - just a very tasty mushroom soup that does not go overboard on fattening dairy products like cream or copious amounts of half and half. I have to admit that I couldn't help but think that this soup would have gone from very good to fabulous with the addition of some full-fat cream, but it was still quite good in its reduced-fat form and certainly better for us.
As always, I made a few minor-ish changes. I used dried thyme instead of fresh (more economical, at least until I get a garden going), used skim milk in place of 1% (use whatcha got on hand, I always say) and I used a mix of shiitake, cremini and button mushrooms. I'd love to have used a whole pound of shiitakes - love, love, love them - but at $6.99 or $7.99 a pound, they just don't fit our budget. I used a stick blender to pureé some of the soup, but left large chunks of mushrooms for a little extra texture.
No surprises here, no unusual twists or turns - just a very tasty mushroom soup that does not go overboard on fattening dairy products like cream or copious amounts of half and half. I have to admit that I couldn't help but think that this soup would have gone from very good to fabulous with the addition of some full-fat cream, but it was still quite good in its reduced-fat form and certainly better for us.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
A Curry-Spiced Cauliflower Soup
Wow, I can't believe that almost a week has gone by since my last post! Between subbing, running DS to various band and Tae Kwon Do activities and then getting ready for a visit from the in-laws, I haven't had much blogging time. Things have quieted down today, so it's time to get caught up!
First, let's go way back to Thursday night's dinner. Soup is a mainstay for me on busy nights - I can prepare it in advance and just leave it on the stove for us to dole out as needed. While trying to figure out what kind of soup to make, I spied a head of cauliflower in the refrigerator that I was afraid might go bad, so I decided on a cauliflower soup of some sort. We had recently done a cheesey cauliflower soup, so this time I went with a curry for a little variety.
After searching the internet for recipes, I decided to base the soup on a cauliflower dish that we all loved. I roasted the cauliflower with spices inspired by that dish and then added the roasted cauliflower to a vegetable broth base. The results were really delicious. I used milk to add creaminess, but half and half or cream would make this soup truly excellent. Milk, however, works very well and keeps the fat calories way down, making this dish healthful as well as packed with tons of flavor. The spices may have actually overwhelmed the cauliflower a bit, but they were so good, it would be hard to cut back.........
Sometimes cooking on a whim can yield some very tasty results!
I hope to get caught up on more recipes from last week, but this coming week brings a lot of driving for the boys' evening activities - ski club, baseball practice (Yep, baseball already!), Tae Kwon Do, Cub Scouts - AND a cooking class for me! I will be going to learn how to make sushi rolls - I can't wait! So, depending on how many sub jobs I get, it could be another hopping week around here.............
First, let's go way back to Thursday night's dinner. Soup is a mainstay for me on busy nights - I can prepare it in advance and just leave it on the stove for us to dole out as needed. While trying to figure out what kind of soup to make, I spied a head of cauliflower in the refrigerator that I was afraid might go bad, so I decided on a cauliflower soup of some sort. We had recently done a cheesey cauliflower soup, so this time I went with a curry for a little variety.
After searching the internet for recipes, I decided to base the soup on a cauliflower dish that we all loved. I roasted the cauliflower with spices inspired by that dish and then added the roasted cauliflower to a vegetable broth base. The results were really delicious. I used milk to add creaminess, but half and half or cream would make this soup truly excellent. Milk, however, works very well and keeps the fat calories way down, making this dish healthful as well as packed with tons of flavor. The spices may have actually overwhelmed the cauliflower a bit, but they were so good, it would be hard to cut back.........
Sometimes cooking on a whim can yield some very tasty results!
I hope to get caught up on more recipes from last week, but this coming week brings a lot of driving for the boys' evening activities - ski club, baseball practice (Yep, baseball already!), Tae Kwon Do, Cub Scouts - AND a cooking class for me! I will be going to learn how to make sushi rolls - I can't wait! So, depending on how many sub jobs I get, it could be another hopping week around here.............
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