Diet MAC

It has been so long since I have posted a new recipe!  My school work was a bit overwhelming for a bit, and the school year is winding down at work, so I have been a busy, busy bee.  Please accept my deepest apologies in the form of post over-load!  I have at least 6 recipes I need to add to here!!!!

The first recipe I need to post about is one I made for my FANTASTIC coworkers on Friday.  Let me start by saying that if it weren’t for the amazing people I work with at BOCES, my job would be so much more stressful than it is.  But thanks to my many, wonderful coworkers, my work days are filled with laughter and excitement!  So to thank the spectacular team of people I have the pleasure of working with, I like to treat them (often) to goodies!  On Friday I made everyone this amazing macaroni and cheese!  Everyone LOVED IT (read: no leftovers).  Plus, it was a.) superrrrrrrrr easy to make and b.) healthy healthy healthy!!!!  Now I know what you are thinking:  “Ashley, Macaroni and Cheese CANNOT be healthy.  There’s cheese, cream, fat, cholesterol...”  Oh, but I have found a recipe that makes it so much better for you!  First off, instead of heavy cream, you use skim milk.  Second, instead of tons of flour and butter (to thicken the sauce), you use cauliflower.  Yes, CAULIFLOWER!!!  So that means this dish is packed with vitamins and minerals, along with a helping of vegetables in each serving!  And, you use reduced fat cheddar cheese.  There is still SOME butter and flour in the sauce, but not nearly the amount you would find in other recipes.  If I make this again, I may try it with some whole wheat pasta for another healthy kick.

RedHead Low-Fat/Low-Cal Macaroni and Cheese (aka DIET MAC [dubbed by Mike]):

(adapted from Chocolate and Carrots)

-1 (16 oz) box small noodle pasta, like macaroni, mini shells, penne, bow ties, etc (I used mini shells in mine)

-1/2 head cauliflower

-1 tsp dried mustard

-2 tsp onion salt

-2 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp ground black pepper

-1 tsp salt

-1 medium-sized onion, diced

-3 tbsp butter or margarine

-1/4 cup flour

-3 1/2 cups skim milk, divided

-4 cups grated part-skim (reduced fat) sharp cheddar cheese, divided

-3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

-3 tbsp butter, cut into cubes for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few table spoons of salt to the water.  Trim the cauliflower and break into small pieces.  Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 10-15 mins.   

Strain the cauliflower from the water and place in a food processor.  

  Add ½ cup of skim milk to the cauliflower.  Puree until cauliflower is thick and smooth.  Add the dried mustard, onion salt, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the cauliflower, and blend until mixed in.  Set aside.

In the same pot, cook the pasta according to box instructions, until al dente.  While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.  In a large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter over high heat.  Add the onions, and sauté for 3-4 mins, until the onions turn translucent.  

 Next, add the flour, and whisk to form a paste.

While continuously whisking, slowly add the rest of the skim milk.  

Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, and allow the mixture to simmer for 3 mins. Keep whisking continously, otherwise the flour sinks to the bottom of the pot and will burn on the bottom.  And no one likes burnt flour in their macaroni and cheese!

Next, add the cauliflower mixture and 2 cups cheddar cheese.  Whisk whisk whisk to blend it in until it is all melted.

When the pasta is done cooking, strain it and toss it into the sauce.  Stir to coat the pasta thoroughly, then pour the mixture into your greased 13"x9" pan.  Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of that.  Dot the top with the cubed butter.  

Bake for 40-45 mins, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly, and the cheese on top is melted.  Enjoy this, guilt-free.  Maybe you will even make it for your coworkers. =)

Grilled Veggie & Couscous Summer Salad

Summer has been in the air.  And you know what summer means?  Grilling.  I love grilling.  I will grill anything, because grilling...is...awesome.  And this dish is awesome.  Grilled veggies and golden jewel couscous salad.  What's golden jewel couscous?

Its this mixed grain I bought from Wegmans a while ago (I had a coupon, I love couons).  It has couscous, orzo, garbanzo beans, and quinoa in it.  The garbanzo beans add a nice crunch to the dish and the quinoa packs in some protein.  This dish is really light, which makes it a great dinner choice for a hot summer day, and its PACKED with veggies.  Next time I make this, I'm grilling some chicken to go along with it.  Yum!

Redhead Grilled Veggie & Couscous Salad:
-1 box Wegmans Golden Jewel Blend
-1 small carton cherry tomatoes
-1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4" thick slices
-1 medium sized red onion, sliced into 1/4" thick round discs
-1 bundle asparagus
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt and pepper
-Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-1 cup corn (if canned- drain the corn, if frozen, thaw it out)
-1 bottle Kraft Free Italian salad dressing (don't worry, you won't use the whole bottle)
-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
-1 bag fresh baby spinach

Cook the Golden Jewel Blend according to box directions.  While that is cooking, prepare and grill your veggies.  Skewer the cherry tomatoes to make grilling easier.  Slice the onions to look like this:

(sorry this isn't my photo.  I didn't have my camera that night and I snapped a quick pic of the finished product with my cell phone.  My apologies!!!)
Slicing the onion into these discs makes grilling them easier.  Slice the eggplant into discs as well.  Take the asparagus, and cut off the tough, hard bottom (usually 2-3 inches from the base).  Marinate the asparagus in enough Kraft Free Italian Dressing to coat.

This is the greatest salad dressing ever.  And at only 25 calories a serving, it doesn't load your dishes with unnecessary fat and calories.  Take your onion, eggplant, and tomatoes, and brush them with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and Cavender's Greek Seasoning (my favorite!  I use it on everything!!)

 Over medium-high heat, grill the asparagus, eggplant, onion, and tomatoes until each vegetable is cooked through and has great grill marks.  After the vegetables have cooked, chop the asparagus, eggplant, and onion into bite sized pieces.  Take the tomatoes off the skewers. 

Now its time to assemble!  Stir the vegetables (remember the corn!) into the Golden Jewel couscous, along with the feta cheese and about 1/3 cup of Kraft Free Italian dressing.  Serve the vegetables and couscous on a bed of fresh spinach.  Depending on your taste preferences, top with more feta cheese and dressing.  If you like different kinds of grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, mushrooms, green peppers) feel free to grill those instead!  Mix it up and make it your own.  Enjoy!

One of Mike's Favorites...

Mike likes food.  There are only a handful of foods that Mike won't touch: mushrooms, eggplant, squash, tofu, and cooked carrots.  Really, that's all I know of.  One of Mike's favorite foods is pasta with vodka sauce.  Vodka sauce doesn't really score a home run in my ball park, but that may be because I have only had vodka sauce out of a jar... never homemade.  Until last night!!!  I found this recipe on this other blog I read, Annies Eats.  I pitched the idea to Mike, we ran to Wegmans, and then went for it.  It was not heavy at all, despite having cream in the sauce, and it had a nice spicy kick to it that was just right- it didn't leave your mouth burning after the meal.  Mike perfectly grilled some chicken breasts marinated in rosemary and basalmic vinegar (prepacked in the Wegmans meat dept).  It went so well with the pasta.  I will definitely make this again!

Redhead Pasta alla Vodka (adapted from Annies Eats)
1 (16 oz or so) package dried pasta of your choice (I used Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Italian Classics Orchiette, but I bet bowtie pasta or penne would be delicious too!)
-1 cup diced, canned tomatoes
-1 cup tomato puree
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 minced onion
-1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like spicy, add a dash more.  If you don't like spicy, just put a small dash in the recipe)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 cup plain, NOT flavored, vodka (save the flavored stuff for a post-cooking refreshment)
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/2 cup reserved pasta water
-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
-parmesan cheese, for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions, until the pasta is al dente (a little chew).  My pasta took about 14 mins.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a LARGE saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and tomato paste and cook until the onions are soft and translucent (3 mins or so).  Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper.  Stir for 30 seconds, then add the tomato puree and diced tomatoes.  Take the saucepan off the heat, and add the vodka (so it doesn't catch fire and flare up, burning you).  Return the pan to the heat, and stir.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer for 8-10 minutes, to cook off the alcohol flavor.  Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent it from burning.  Next, add the cream, stirring until heated through, about 1 minute.  Toss in your cooked pasta, and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes.  If the sauce gets too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out.  Lastly, add the basil.  Serve pasta topped with parmesan cheese.  Delish!!

Mike's Review:  "I would say it had good flavor.  But if you don't like spicy food, I would see it being too spicy [which is why you should add the red pepper flakes according to your own taste preferences!].  I thought it was delish!"

What a weekend...

Wow, have I been busy.  Long story short:  Classes for grad school started back up again last week, which means my Monday and Wednesday nights are hectic with work then class until 9pm.  It’s intense, but the class I’m taking (Traumatic Brain Injury) is interesting.  Somewhere in my crazy schedule last week I found time to make copious amounts of cinnamon rolls for my amazingly wonderful coworkers, gluten-free/sugar-free/dairy-free cinnamon raisin bread, and spinach and artichoke dip before spending the weekend in Ithaca for my brother’s graduation from undergrad.

Yayyyyy Aaron!!!!!! 

So let’s start with the dip.  Spinach and Artichoke dip.  You know, like what you find at Applebees.  Except mine is better.  At least, that is what people tell me.  I literally am not allowed to a picnic/party/gathering unless I bring this dip.  And seriously people, this is crazy easy to make.  There are no excuses here: you CAN make this.  And impress everybody. 

Redhead Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

-1 (16oz) bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed, with excess water squeezed out

-1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

-1 cup grated or shredded parmesan-romano cheese mix

-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-1 (10oz) jar alfredo sauce

-2 tsp minced garlic

-4 oz cream cheese, softened

 (there's more ingredients than usual in this picture since I made several pans for Aaron's grad party)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Spray a pie pan or any adequate sized baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread dip into the baking dish.  Top with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese.   

Cover with foil.  Bake 20 mins.  Remove the foil.  Continue baking until the dip is hot and bubbly, and the cheese has thoroughly melted on top.  Yup, it’s that easy.  If you are making this dip for a party where people will be continuously eating, throw the dip into a crock pot, melt everything, then keep the crock pot on warm and stir the dip occasionally to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn along the edges.  You really just want the ingredients to melt and get hot and bubbly.  Microwave any leftovers (ha, like there will be leftovers) for a great snack.  Serve the dip with tortilla chips, crackers, bruschetta bread, whatever!  One girl on my brother’s crew team spread it on a bagel and gobbled it up. 

As American As...

The pie pictured above I made on Mother's Day a few weeks ago (hence the "MOM" crust on it), and gave it to Mike and his family in exchange for a brand new, never used desk!  They were going to put this desk up for sale at their neighborhood garage sale, but they offered it to me for free!  Then Mike held it hostage for "one of those pies with the crumb topping stuff..."  A large, brand new desk for one pie? Deal.

Apple Pie with Oatmeal Crumb Topping:
-one single pie crust.  Might I recommend the crust mentioned in Lemon Meringue Mother's Day Pie?  Just cut the recipe in half, or refrigerate the other half and use later.

Filling:
-5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (feel free to use whatever apples you prefer.  I like Granny Smiths)
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-2 tbsp flour

Crumb Topping:
-1 heaping cup oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal)
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-6 tbsp flour
-1 stick butter or margarine
-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
-dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your crust, then line a deep 9" or 10" pie dish with it.  Crimp the edges.  Take those delicious apples you peeled, cored, and sliced, and toss them in with all those other filling ingredients in a large bowl.  Set the apples aside to absorb some of that cinnamon-nutmeg-y goodness.  Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together.

You can use a fork or pastry cutter if you want to cut the butter in.  I just used my [clean] hands.  In my opinion, getting your hands dirty is the best way to cook.  Just go for it.  "Be one with your food."  Whatever.  Just blend all of the topping ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Its ok if it's a little dry, once the pie starts to bake the butter/margarine will melt and run throughout the crumb topping making it all good. 

Remember those juicy, delicious apples?  Well throw those babies in your crust-filled pie pan.  Just DON'T throw in that juice that has seeped from the apples and pooled on the bottom of the bowl.  Why you ask?  Because that extra juice will make your crust soggy and your filling extra soupy once its baked.  Soggy pie crust?  Yuck.  Save the juice for an easy dessert:  microwave the juice for a few seconds and pour it over vanilla ice cream or stir cold juice in plain yogurt!  Waste not!

Side note:When I'm not feeling rushed, I will actually take the time to layer the apples in the crust, that way I get as much of that delicious apple filling in as I can.  Here's a secret though:  if you CHOP the apples after you slice them(as in cut the slices in half), they will lie in the crust easier, making it easier to fill the crust and top the pie with the crumb topping.  My dad likes big "traditional" pieces in his pies though, so I don't usually chop mine.  Feel free to handle your apples at your own discretion.

Back to that pie you're making.  Got the apples in?  Great.  Take your crumb topping, and using your fingers, crumble it on top of the apples.  Press the crumbs down enough to make a seal around the crust, and cover any holes.  When I made this last time I had some extra crust left over, so I rolled it out into a thin rope and spelled "MOM" on top of the pie.  If you wanted, you could spell a name or someone's initials, or roll the crust out flat and use a cookie cutter to cut out a shape for a holiday or something.  Its a little something extra that gives the pie that fancy twist.

Gorgeous!  Place your pie in the oven and bake for 50-60mins, until the filling is hot and bubbling and the crust is a nice golden brown.  While your pie is baking, check on it every now and then to make sure the outer crust is not getting too browned.  If it is, wrap some aluminum foil around the edges to prevent it from burning.

Oh, and FYI, this is the best ice cream to pair with hot apple pie.  Hands down.  Go buy it.  Like.  Right now.

Lemon Bars

I'm on a lemon kick.  It's spring time, so that means lemons, right?  April was pumpkin month, so May is lemon month.  There, I've made it official.  I originally made these lemon bars for my mom for Mother's day.  And they were gone in a day.  The shortbread crust is light and buttery, the lemon filling cool, and refreshing, and the powder sugar top ties it all together!

Lemon Bars (adapted from the Joy of Baking cookbook):
-1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
-1/4 cup powdered sugar
-1 cup flour
-1 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-1/3 cup lemon juice
-1 tbsp lemon zest
-2 tbsp flour
-extra powdered sugar (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8 inch square pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray.
To make the crust, in a small mixing bowl beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy.  Beat in the flour.

Press the dough mixture into the bottom (and slightly up the sides) of the square baking dish.

Bake in the oven for 18-20 mins until the crust is a light, golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly while you make the filling.

For the filling, beat the granulated sugar and eggs until smooth.  Add the lemon juice and lemon zest,beating until combined.

 

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 17-20 mins, or until the filling has set (if you tap or shake the pan, the filling should not jiggle).  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Once cooled, pull on the edges of the aluminum foil, lifting the bars out of the pan.  Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar.

Cut into bars, and enjoy!  Refrigerate any left overs!

Lemony and Delicious Chicken French

Chicken French.  The ultimate Rochester entrée.  The perfect combination of savory white wine, tangy lemon, and hearty chicken: light, flavorful.  Delicious.  And really, not hard to make at all.  I always serve mine over angel hair pasta and some alfredo sauce.  When I’m being lazy and don’t make my own alfredo, I always use Wegman’s alfredo sauce- first of all, it’s absolutely delicious, and second of all, it has fewer fat/calories than a lot of the other brands on the shelves.

Redhead’s Chicken French: served with angel hair pasta and alfredo sauce.

-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces, sliced (or pounded) thin [tip: Wegmans packages thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts- it cuts a lot of your prep work in half to buy them packaged like this]

-2 eggs

-1/4 cup parmesan cheese

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp basil

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp each salt & pepper

-1/2 cup flour

-olive oil

-2 tbsp butter

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 cup chicken broth

-1/2 cup white cooking wine (or regular white wine, just make sure it’s on the dryer side.  A sweet wine would probably make this taste a little funky)

-1/4 cup lemon juice

-1 lemon, sliced

-parsley

-1 box angel hair pasta

-1 jar alfredo sauce

*note: it looks like a lot of food in my pictures, because I made a double batch tonight.  

Fill a large stock pot with water, add 4 tbsp salt (salting your pasta water adds flavor to your pasta), and 4 tbsp olive oil.  Bring the water to a boil.  While the water is heating up, in a small bowl, beat together the two eggs, parmesan cheese,  oregano, basil, and garlic powder.  In another small bowl, blend together the flour, salt, and pepper.

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat enough olive oil to evenly (and just barely) coat the bottom of the skillet.  Dredge (coating both sides) each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then dredge the chicken in the egg mixture.  

Place in the hot skillet.

 Cook for several minutes, until the one side has turned a dark, golden brown, then flip over.

Brown the other side, cooking until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate with papertowels.  Add the garlic.  Vigorously stir (to prevent the garlic from burning) until the garlic has lightly browned.

Add the wine.

Bring the garlic/wine to a boil, and allow it to reduce for about 5 minutes or so.  Reducing the wine allows the flavors to concentrate, aka making the dish more flavorful.  Next, add the lemon juice and chicken broth.

Bring the mixture a boil again and allow it to reduce for 5 more minutes or so.  While the sauce is reducing again, pour the jar of alfredo sauce in a small saucepan, and over medium heat, warm the sauce, stirring occasionally.

Multi-tasking at its best!  After the sauce has finished reducing, add the butter.

Melt the butter.  Bring the mixture back to a boil, and add the chicken.  Now add the angel hair to the boiling pot of water.  The pasta and the chicken will be done in 3-4 mins.

Drain the pasta, and add a little bit of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together too bad.  Remove the chicken from the heat, add the sliced lemon, and sprinkle with parsley. 

Yum.  I plate mine with a base of angel hair pasta, a scoop of the lemon-wine sauce, a scoop of the alfredo sauce, and the chicken on top.  I also served this dinner with garlic bread and a garden salad. 

Make it for your family!  They will love you for it, I promise!