Two Novice Chefs, One Tiny Kitchen

I know I said we weren’t really trying any new recipes this week but I lied!  Tyler requested I buy a bag of spinach last weekend and since we’d gone 4 days without using it I figured it was time I took matters into my own hands.  So I got a recommendation for what to do with this salad from another blogger and was led to this tasty looking recipe!  I made a few changes to lighten it up (removed the bacon grease from the dressing) and Tyler and I think it’s a winner!

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing (original recipe courtesy of Alton Brown)

8 ounces baby spinach
2 large eggs, hardboiled
4 pieces bacon cooked and chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 T EVOO
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese

Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Whisk together the red wine vinegar, EVOO, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the mushrooms, sliced onion, and blue cheese to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Approx WW pts. per serving = 4

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a long long time, I’m not sure what took me so long to make it, but here ya go!  It was delicious!  Definitely a keeper.  I love roasting veggies, so easy and they taste so good!  My favorite way to eat broccoli is of course, covered in cheese.  Covers over the broccoli flavor.  Well cheesy broccoli isn’t exactly figure friendly, so I wanted broccoli infused with flavor.  This recipe delivers on flavor!  Plus you can add a smidge of parmesan cheese on top, perfect!

Oven Roasted Broccoli with Lemon, Chili-Garlic Oil and Parmesan
(as seen on Shawnda’s blog, originally from Pinch My Salt)

Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli (approx 3 cups)
¼ C. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
¼ t. crushed red pepper (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Make sure the heat is low and that the garlic is not cooking too fast. Set timer for five minutes.
3. While garlic oil is heating, wash and cut your broccoli into pieces. I cut the flowerets into halves and/or quarters and leave a couple inches of stem attached to each piece.
4. After the oil and garlic has heated for five minutes (the garlic should be turning golden brown, not burning!), add the crushed chili if using, heat for an additional minute then turn off stove.
5. Strain chili-garlic oil into a large, heat-proof mixing bowl then add the broccoli.
6. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bowl then add a pinch of coarse salt (keep in mind that the cheese will add more saltiness) and several grinds of black pepper (if you don’t have a pepper grinder, why not??).
7. Toss everything together well with a big wooden spoon so that each piece of broccoli has a thin coating of oil.
8. Using tongs, so that the excess oil drains off, remove the broccoli to a rimmed baking sheet and spread it out in a single layer.
9. Place broccoli in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If your oven tends to be hot, check the broccoli earlier. If you like it to be extra tender, leave it in longer. At 10 minutes, the broccoli will have started to caramelize on the bottom and may even look a little burnt but don’t worry, it will taste good!
10. While the broccoli is roasting, grate some fresh Parmesan cheese (I prefer parmigiano reggiano).
11. When the broccoli is done to your liking, immediately toss it with as much cheese as you desire and enjoy!

Serving =  1/2 cup broccoli

WW points per serving = 3

I was really happy with this recipe! Tyler said he thinks he’d like it more without the ginger, but my taste buds said it was fine You could change this recipe up with many different kinds of vegetables. I couldn’t find shiitake mushrooms (our store NEVER has them) so I used cremeni instead.

Vegetable Stir-Fry (from Weight Watchers)

Ingredients:

3 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
1 T canola oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (I used a mix of frozen peppers)
1/4 lb fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 t grated peeled fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups cold cooked brown rice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I left these out because I HATE peas)
1/4 t crushed red pepper

Directions:
Combine the soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl, set aside. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok set over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in it. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and ginger; stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, stirring well to break up any clumps; stir-fry until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the soy sauce mixture over the rice. Add the green onions and crushed red pepper, stir-fry 1 minute. Serve at once.

1 serving =2/3 cup stir fry.

WW points per serving=3

Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites: Over 200 Best-Ever Recipes from the Weight Watchers Test Kitchens, Wiley Publishing, 2008.

I’ve had a box of whole wheat couscous sitting in the pantry for a few months now. We needed a simple side dish to go along with our salmon and since I’m not a big fan of rice (mine always turns out crunchy or mushy) I whipped up the couscous instead. I had bookmarked a fellow blogger’s recipe for spicing up boxed couscous and I’m so happy I remembered to pull it up last night. What a great simple recipe, the kind where it’s likely we’ll always have all the ingredients laying around so it may become a new household favorite! Thanks for the inspiration Bella! There were no leftovers!

“Weeknight Couscous” (original recipe from Bella Lately)

1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup couscous
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat garlic in sauce pan with olive oil.  Stir and cook until fragrant. Add couscous, toss until couscous is coated.

Add broth, bring to a boil, place lid on saucepan, set to the side for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes is up, fluff with a fork and throw in Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Well this recipe has certainly been receiving rave reviews from many of my food blogging friends. Now that I’ve made it I understand why! Tyler and I were both raving about it as we gulped it down. Can’t wait to have leftovers at lunch tomorrow. Mmmm. I rarely make my own salad dressing but it’s a must for this salad, it truly makes the dish. I simplified the original recipe by using a bag of already washed and ready salad. I also made it as a side salad so I cut out the pasta and chicken so it would be lighter fare, I can’t wait to make it as a main dish though. This is definitely a salad I would serve company, in a heartbeat!

Ten Restaurant’s Signature Chopped Salad (original recipe from the wonderful Cast Sugar blog)

Ingredients:

1 bag green salad, with iceberg and romaine lettuce
6 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
1 c. diced tomatoes
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
4 oz. blue cheese crumbles

For the mustard vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 to 2 Tbsp. sugar, to taste
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 c. salad oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of coarsely crushed black pepper

Combine the bag of salad, crumbled bacon, tomato, green onions and blue cheese crumbles in a large bowl.
For the mustard vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegars, water, garlic, dry mustard, sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Pour in the oils slowly, whisking constantly until the mixture is emulsified. Whisk in the oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Pour as much of the Mustard Vinaigrette as desired over the salad. Toss to coat. Makes 4 main course salad meals, or 8 side salads.

I believe Tyler’s family introduced me to asparagus, I don’t remember eating it as a kid (there weren’t many veggies I was willing to eat!) I love it, and I am so glad I finally got around to trying this recipe. I read about it a couple of months ago in the 20th anniversary Cooking Light, then saw it again in my new cookbook. Tyler and I were both raving about it over dinner. I look forward to making this over and over again, I can’t wait for the next time asparagus goes on sale!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

40 asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

With an ice storm brewing I figured it was a good weekend for some classic comfort food. I had two ingredients in my kitchen I was anxious to use. 1: the chicken legs I bought a couple of months ago that were still sitting in the freezer and 2: the gorgonzola cheese I got for super cheap at the store the other day. After several hours browsing the Cooking Light website I decided on oven fried chicken and mac n cheese. Yum! We really liked the mac n cheese, the gorgonzola gives it a real kick (if you haven’t tried it before, it tastes a lot like blue cheese.) Tyler said the oven fried chicken was “nothing special.” It was good though, just kinda plain.

Oven Fried Chicken (original recipe from cookinglight.com)

Ingredients:

1 cup low-fat buttermilk (didn’t have so I subbed 1 cup milk w/1 T lemon juice in it)
2 large egg whites, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 chicken drumsticks, skin on.
2 tablespoons canola oil
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine buttermilk and egg whites in a shallow dish; stir well with a whisk. Combine flour, cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a separate shallow dish; stir well. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture; dredge in flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet; lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Macaroni and 4 cheeses (original recipe from cookinglight.com)

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked medium elbow macaroni
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread (I used bread crumbs I already had on hand)
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk (I used 2%)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Emmenthaler or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.

Bring milk and bay leaves to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, and pepper; stirring until cheeses melt. Pour cheese sauce over pasta; stir well. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs, sage, and butter in a bowl; toss with a fork. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Corn is an iffy vegetable for me. I don’t like eating it on the cob because it gets stuck in my teeth, and the canned/frozen stuff isn’t that tasty. I bookmarked several recipes from the latest issue of Cooking Light and am slowly knocking them off my “to try” list. This recipe was first published in the magazine in June of 1996 and was submitted by a reader from Kansas, who knows, it could be someone just down the road I baked it in my Pampered Chef deep dish pie plate, which I think I’d only used once before. It looked so pretty in that pie plate I’m all about pretty serving dishes, they are one of my many downfalls. I have far too many pretty serving dishes for my small kitchen. This casserole was much better than plain corn muffins or corn bread, very sweet in taste, but pretty healthy as far as casseroles go.

Easy Corn Casserole (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 large egg)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no-salt added whole-kernal corn, drained
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no-salt added cream-style corn
1 (8 1/2 oz) package corn muffin mix
1 (8-oz) carton plain fat free yogurt

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray (or a deep dish pie plate or other medium sized casserole dish). Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Yields 8 servings.

I know everyone and their mom has made this orzo recipe by now (at least in my small food blogging circle) but I always come in late in the game Tyler offered to make dinner tonight but we ended up cooking together so we could eat sooner. We make a pretty good team most of the time! He prepared the chicken (parmesan dijon chicken, one of our faves) and I whipped up the orzo and the green beans. Both of which I oversalted, whoops. Still yummy though, just needed a big glass of water to wash it down!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil (original recipe from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter\
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt (go easy, especially if you didn’t use low sodium chicken broth) and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

I have to be careful not to go overboard on new kitchen tools and gadgets since our kitchen has such limited space. We were disappointed when we moved into our new apartment earlier this summer and discovered that grills are not allowed. Our George Foreman grill is limited in its abilities, plus it’s a pain to clean, so we decided a couple of weeks ago to get a good ol fashioned grill pan and use that on the stovetop. I got some steaks on sale last week and Tyler cooked them up tonight while I whipped up some green beans and mashed potatoes. Very delicious meal!

Steak marinade (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/4 pounds beef rib eye steaks

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper. Add the steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F).

Loaded mashed potatoes (by Julia)

4 large russet potatoes, washed, peeled, cut up, boiled, then drained.
2 T butter
1/3 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup diced green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Combine cooked potatoes with other ingredients in mixer, mix to desired consistency.