Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Fresh and Crunchy
California Style Tuna Salad Rolls
Ingredients
2 cans albacore tuna, in water, drained and flaked
Mayonnaise, as desired, just enough to moisten (4-5 Tlbs)
10-inch flour tortillas (lg burrito size, I used the spinach/green tortillas to mimic seaweed)
Flat dark green leaf lettuce (Boston, red leaf, etc)
2 med zucchini, chopped julienne (long matchsticks)
2 medium carrots (can use several baby carrots), chopped julienne
1 red bell pepper, julienne
Flavored cream cheese like garden veggie (I used Laughing Cow)
Instructions
1. Combine the tuna with the mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix until blended. Set aside.
2. Lay the tortillas on a work surface and spread cream cheese over entire surface. You can leave a bit of space on the right/left sides since those will be cut off, but spread clear to the edge of the top and bottom of tortilla. This will help seal it when you roll it up.
3. Place one lettuce leaf on the lower middle 2/3s of the tortilla, press slightly and it will stick flat to the cream cheese.
4. Arrange the zucchini, carrots, and pepper sticks lengthwise in rows on top of the lettuce
5. Spoon the tuna in a line next to/on top of the vegetables (away from the edge).
6. Roll each tortilla up snugly into a cylinder. You can cut crosswise in half or use a sharp, thin knife and slice into 1 1/2 inch rounds (like a California roll). Arrange on plate and serve as an appetizer or as a light refreshing meal.
Variations:
Switch out or add the following veggies ~
Avocado; peeled, pitted, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Seedless/English cucumber, chopped julienne
I got about 5 rolls per tortilla. I made 4 tortilla wraps (cut up) and served them with fruit and salad for a light summer dinner. Easy, crisp, and delicious!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Crunchy & Quick
Microwave Peanut Brittle
(allrecipes.com)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup salted peanuts
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
Butter a cookie sheet. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high 3 1/2 minutes. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high 3 1/2 minutes more, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
Stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread thin. Cool completely and break into pieces and serve.
This turned out really well and was SUPER easy! Would be great to put on a Christmas plate, maybe paired with fudge. I think you could also have fun experimenting with this: different nuts, pretzels, etc. I drizzled dark chocolate over mine, but I think I might like them best plain.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Dark and Decadent
Chocolate Truffle Tart
For crust
28 chocolate wafers such as Nabisco Famous (not oreos),For filling
1/2 lb fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), coarsely choppedGarnish
unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinklingMake crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap a sheet of foil over bottom of springform pan (in case of leaks). Lightly butter side of pan. You can also use a tart pan, which is what I did. I did not worry about buttering the pan and it turned out great.Make filling while crust cools:
Melt chocolate and butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, then remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.Assemble and bake tart:
Pour filling into cooled crust and rap pan once on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until filling 1 inch from edge is set and slightly puffed but center trembles slightly when pan is gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as it cools.)Taste of Spring
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Chinese Take-out Made at Home
Southwestern Flavor
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I mashed mine up a little bit to help it blend in)
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel (There was a lot of spinach, I will cut this back next time, maybe by half)
2 cups shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese
1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used a little less)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I used a little less)
1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers
3/8 cup mayonnaise
3/8 cup sour cream
3 Tbs buttermilk (I left this out because I didn't have any)
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 green onion, chopped (I will substitute cilantro next time to add another layer of flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
You could also add in chopped/chunks of avocado after you've blended or just serve it with mashed avocado. I really liked this dressing, but I will also try putting some slices of avocado into the egg rolls before cooking.
Homemade Tai
Light Peanut Sauce:
For the peanut sauce: Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don't push them aside!) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Yummy breakfast
(all recipes)
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar for dustingDirections:
Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg and salt.
Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven.
Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
** If you do not have a skillet, you can use a 9x13 baking dish. Heat your oven to 425 F degrees. Double all the ingredients. Chop 1/3 cup butter up into your baking dish and let melt in your preheated oven. Once all of the butter has melted, take baking dish out and pour in batter, DO NOT STIR OR MIX just let it be. Bake for 20-22 minutes and enjoy! We topped ours with maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh fruits (blueberries, blackberries, bananas, strawberries,etc.)
Great for Cold Weather
(adapted from a Pinterest recipe)
Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves, garlic
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2 (4 ounce) can green chilies
2 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
cheese, sour cream, cilantro (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Add everything to slow cooker and give it a stir. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve nice and steamy, topped with cheese, sour cream, or cilantro if you like
(I added chopped cilantro to the chili before serving and set out sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar to put on top. Would also be nice with fresh avocado)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Vegetarian
Tip: Cooking quinoa
In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup of quinoa, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes before using in recipe.
Ingredients:
2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see above)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 medium carrot, finely grated OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed
3 eggs
3 Tlb flour
2 green onions, including white parts, chopped
1/2 tsp Splenda or sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Olive oil for frying
Directions:
In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, sugar, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.
Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, but I found it best to form patties with your hands before depositing into the pan. Using a 1/4 measuring cup will help you keep the sizes uniform. Form patties about 1/2 inch thick.
Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
We really liked these! It makes a lot. They were good on hamburger buns with lettuce and sauce, but were also really good by themselves. Made a great snack or lunch. I recently found the following variation, but have yet to try it.
Baked Bites variation
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tlb flour
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup up to the top (1 heaping Tlb each)
Bake for 15-20 minutes
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce