It's an idea I stole....

...from my days at Girl Scout camp. You get your individual cereal box, cut an "I" shape into it with your pocket knife making sure not to pierce the bottom of the wax paper bag, and then you just add milk to the box and eat with a spoon! Fewer dishes to wash -- fewer dishes to carry too.

When I picked up my hamburger from the grocery store, I noticed that the container was a rigid plastic. Typically, to mix up burgers, habit would cause me to pop the meat into a bowl, and then start adding...but not this time! Mixing the burgers up in the container saved me a bowl and the splatter that sometimes happens too.

Simple, but Delicious Hamburgers

1 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean or leaner. Trader Joes has a great 96% lean)
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. minced fresh garlic (you can see, I'm not beyond buying the jar, even though fresh does taste best!)
2 t. minced dried onion or 1/4 small onion, chopped finely.
Salt and pepper

Remove the plastic cover from the meat. Check the underside of meat for a plastic/foam pad and remove if necessary. Add remaining ingredients and incorporate thoroughly. Pat into 4 or 5 patties. Grill or cook on stovetop till juices run clear. You can make 5 patties pretty easily out of an even pound. The reduced fat means that less cooks away.

It's generally not a good idea to eat rare burgers, and I particularly recommend cooking to at least medium if you do mix it in its packaging.

If you're trying to watch your waistline at summer barbecues, many stores offer a "light" bun option. It really is a good choice. I promise that you won't be able to detect a difference between the light white buns, and the regular white buns. In the process, you'll save about 30 calories per bun, too! And if you're like me and have a husband who won't necessarily stop at one burger, that's 60 calories saved for him.... Try it and let me know what you think!

Reality Bites....they sure are delicious!

Reality has set in. Of my myriad objectives when starting this blog, only one has been realized: I am cooking from scratch more. I am not shopping at the grocery store more effectively, and I am not doing a better job of maintaining kitchen inventory -- as shown in the post below -- but I am cooking more healthy foods, and keeping better tabs on what it is I'm eating.

The "King of Pancakes" was home for lunch today, and I had to scramble around to figure out what to have. Knowing that he was having a light week, I didn't concern myself with having bread or lunch meat for sandwiches...or anything else lunchy for that matter. I normally have leftovers enough for one in the fridge, or I can put together something "unique to my own tastes" without worry if I'm alone.

When I took stock of the fridge and pantry, I found the following:
Pasta, but no sauce.
Tuna, but no salad greens or bread
A few cherry tomatoes that were on their last day
One lonely egg in a carton
Frozen meats and vegetables.

After a moment of head scratching, I had it! Tuna pasta salad!

To save dishes, I first rinsed the egg off and gave it a light scrubbing with some vinegar....you'll see why in a minute!

Ingredients

1 2 quart saucepan, filled halfway with cold water
1 egg, rinsed in a little bit of water and white vinegar
1 1/2 c. dry bite-sized pasta
1 can of tuna packed in water, drained
6 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size.
2 T. fat free mayonnaise
1/4 c. shredded light cheese
1/4 small onion, chopped finely
Salt and Pepper

Place the saucepan on the stove, and carefully drop in the egg. Turn the oven to medium high heat. Once the water starts to boil, add in the pasta, and allow the egg to continue to cook for up to 10 minutes while the pasta cooks. Remove the egg, and drain the cooked pasta. Add a few ice cubes to the saucepan, with enough water to cover the egg. Cool the egg quickly in the ice bath, adding more ice if the ice melts. Once the egg is cool, dump the water. Peel the egg, and chop into small cubes. Add chopped egg and pasta back to the pan, and mix in the remaining ingredients. Allow to sit in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 15 minutes so that flavors can mingle. Stir again before serving. Serves 2 to 3.

Optional add ins: chopped olives, chives, cayenne pepper, celery, bell pepper

The View From Up Here.....

Sometimes I think the best feature of my kitchen is the view. If Edward Hopper were alive, and a had a ridiculous quantity of extra cash lying around, I would commission him to paint a painting of it -- enlarged to fit over the bed or a mantle.

Other times, I think the best feature of my kitchen is my husband! Sunday morning I realized that we had neither liquid milk nor eggs, so breakfast was looking like a challenge. But my hubby is the King of Pancakes, and undaunted by the lack of eggs forged ahead, making these delicious peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Using a baking mix that calls for eggs and water or milk:

1 3/4 c. pancake mix
1 T. cinnamon (optional, but a good addition...trust me!)
1 c. water
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. peanut butter
3/4 c. chocolate chips

Using a fork, mix together the pancake mix and cinnamon. Stir in the water and vanilla. Fold in the peanut butter, incorporating completely, and then fold in the chocolate chips. On a preheated griddle, ladle on batter to form 4 inch circles. Using a spatula, push chocolate chips to disperse evenly throughout the pancakes. Turn when bubbles pop but stay open.

Serve with maple or chocolate syrup!

Makes 8-10 4-inch pancakes.

Honey, What's For Dinner?

For dinner Friday, I whipped together a super simple baked honey mustard chicken. It's so easy to get into a barbecue sauce rut with chicken, and we'd recently had stir fry, so it was time for a little something different.

Zeke the cat was enthralled with today's offering. It just smells good from the oven to the table. All you need is a chicken breast, honey, prepared mustard of any sort (I recommmend jalapeno mustard if you can find it!), salt, and pepper.

Quick and Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

For each boneless, skinless, chicken breast:

2 teaspoons of honey
2 teaspoons of mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Trim visible fat from chicken. Drizzle honey and then mustard over the chicken breasts, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use a butter knife to smooth the honey and mustard over the surface of the chicken. Place on the cookie sheet, and bake for 25 minutes if making up to 4 pieces, adjusting time upward as necessary if making more.

So simple....

Faux Pas!

So I don't have a picture of the final product of this recipe...my apologies. However I do have the nutrition analysis thanks to a friend, so hopefully that will paint a pretty enough picture of this delicious, rich, yet healthy cheese soup. Plus it's a bonus entry!

And even better than that, you don't have to stick to what I put into the soup. By making it with broccoli and cauliflower, and maybe chicken, your possibilities really go through the roof. So yes, you can eat healthy and have cheesy creamy soup!

I actually came up with this on Sunday night, after discovering the box of mac and cheese I'd planned to "doctor up" with some ham and peas had already been consumed....

Cheese Soup With Ham, Peas, and Potatoes

1 T Earth Balance spread (something with no trans-fats or sat-fats!)
1/4 yelllow onion (medium-sized)
1 T flour
3 c. skim milk
1 chicken boullion cube
4 oz. reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded or in small crumbles
3 oz. lean cooked ham
1 cup frozen small peas
3 small potatoes or one large potato, baked or microwaved to soften, then cubed. (great for leftover baked potatoes)
Black Pepper to taste

IMPORTANT: Have all your ingredients measured and chopped before starting to cook. This recipe requires constant stirring and attention to temperature.

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the spread and sautee the onion until clear. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour in, and mix with the butter. Steadily whisk in the milk, incorporating the butter and flour. Add the boullion cube. Maintain the mixture just steaming but below a simmer. You may have to turn your stove to low. Simmering will "break" or curdle the soup.

Slowly add the cheese, about 1/2 an ounce at a time, continuing to whisk to incorporate. Allow the cheese to melt completely before adding more.

Add the potato and peas, allow soup to come back to steaming. Add ham, allow soup to just steam again, season with pepper (the cheese and ham will probably add enough salt.)

Serve immediately! Makes 3 1 1/2 cup servings.

Nutrition Information:

283 calories
7g fat (2g saturated, 4g mono, 1g poly)
19g cholesterol
804mg sodium
964mg potassium
33g carbohydrates
3g fiber
21g protein

If you break your cheese soup:

Remove all meat and veggies from your soup and set aside. In another saucepan, bring 1 cup of milk to steaming. Whisk in your existing broth a little at a time. Add back your meat and veggies. That should do the trick. You may want to add another ounce of cheese to regain the flavor, but then you'd also be upping your servings or portion sizes. 1 ounce reduced fat cheddar and 1 cup of skim milk adds 160 calories and 6 grams of fat to the recipe as a whole.

Birthday Cake!

Tomorrow's my husband's birthday -- his first married birthday to boot. Last year, I developed a special cake recipe just for him, incorporating all of his favorite flavors: spice, strawberry,and white chocolate, into something inspired by the local favorite, Boston Cream Pie. This year, recalling the obscene amount of cake the two of us tried to eat last July, and now having friends to share his birthday cake with, I opted for a cupcake version, and in the process, added some variety to the mix. You can try both, particularly if you enjoy a good spice cake! And yes, I use a mix.

The cake itself doesn't have a name, feel free to send in some suggestions!

Strawberry Spice Cake
Heat oven to 375

Cake:

1 White pudding cake mix
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/3 c. canola oil
4 egg whites

Grease and flour the bottoms of 2 9-inch round cake pans. Blend dry ingredients, then add oil and egg whites. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed using an electric mixer, or 3 minutes by hand. Pour into pans. Bake according to package instructions until toothpick in center comes out clean. Turn out on racks, to cool thoroughly. Then wrap layers in plastic wrap and the foil, and freeze overnight.

Filling:

16 oz. frozen sliced strawberries with sugar, thawed.
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, warm strawberries. Blend in cornstarch solution. Keep mixture just below or at a bare simmer, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and clings to spoon, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Frosting:

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the melted white chocolate. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Keep at room temperature.

To assemble the cake, unwrap frozen cake layers. Place first layer flat-side down on a plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top, and then using a pastry bag, or a sandwich bag from which you've trimmed off a corner, to pipe a 1/4 inch ring of frosting around the edge. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of strawberry filling in the middle, and place the top layer, round side down, on top. Frost cake with remaining buttercream, and garnish top with fresh strawberries.

Cake should be stored, loosely or tightly covered if not cut -- tightly covered if cut, in refrigerator. Beware of strong odors that may cross-contaminate the delicate frosting!

The cupcakes work similarly. Again, I started with a white cake mix made according to the yolk-free instructions, but this time I divided it in half, keeping half white cake, and adding 1/2 the spices listed above to the other half. Using Wilton white cupcake papers, I baked the cupcakes according to package instructions, and cooled them. Again, I made the filling, but this time I ran it through a blender to puree the bigger strawberry bits. Using a pastry bag and the rose petal tip, I pressed the tip of the bag into the top center of each cupcake, injecting enough filling that I just started to see a slight crack at the top, repeating for all cupcakes, and filling the white cakes first.

For frosting, I again opted for variety. I topped half of the white cupcakes with pre-made Sour Cream Chocolate frosting, and all remaining cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Feel free to experiment with any number of fillings! The combinations are nearly endless....

"If You Want a Nourishing Fish Dish..."

Today's title is a quote from one of the silliest songs I've ever enjoyed. It's called "Ahoy There!" by Mr. Scruff.

Fish's many health benefits have been touted over the years, and in many places, a greater variety of fish has become available in grocery stores. While choosing local seafood can result in fresher taste, not every locale has this option. Also, trying new types of fish keeps the menu fresh. Today's recipe features mahi mahi, however it may be made with trout or tilapia.

Mahi mahi has a firmer, more dense texture than trout, yet without the strong flavor of salmon or swordfish. This combination results in a fish that satisfies without being overwhelmingly "fishy". The seasoning you add here is the flavor you'll taste.

Citrus Mahi Mahi -- serves two
Oven at 450

1/2 lb. filet of mahi mahi, boneless and skinless
1 t. grated lemon zest
1 t. grated lime zest
1 t. onion powder
1 t. salt
1 t. black or white pepper
1 pat (roughly 1/2 tablespoon) butter or margarine.
1 T. Lime juice (or juice from two limes)
1 t. lemon juice
2 Clementines, cut into quarters

Place the mahi mahi on a foil-lined cookie sheet. In a small bowl, combine dry seasonings, and rub over the top of the filet, distributing evenly. Add more lemon or lime zest if needed. break apart the butter, and dot over filet evenly. Drizzle lime and lemon juice gently over the fish, not washing off the seasoning. Place in oven, and bake 15 minutes, checking for doneness at 10 minutes. The fish itself should not brown, just turn opaque, but the juices around the sides may brown on the foil. Remove from oven, squeeze two of the clementine quarters over the fish, serve garnished with remaining clementine wedges.

Pairing a substantial fish with a flavorful vegetable, such as asparagus, creates a memorable meal. Frozen asparagus speeds up the process, allowing for perfect timing of the main course and the side. Microwaving veggies to steam them helps to create fewer dirty dishes -- VERY important in a small space!

Quick Garlic Asparagus

5 oz. frozen asparagus spears
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, toss together asparagus, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add 1/8 cup of water to bowl, and cover with paper towel. Microwave on high 5-7 minutes, rearranging asparagus occasionally. Because all microwaves are different, times aren't exact. The main goal is to have the asparagus be crisp-tender and heated through.

I recommend rounding out the meal with small baked potatoes served with salsa and fat-free sour cream.