Tender Zucchini Noodles with Scrambled Eggs

Zucchini is like miracle food when it comes to 200 or less.  You can really eat a lot of zucchini without eating too many calories.  Love it.

The hardest part of this dish is chopping up the zucchini.  I used the mandolin to cut thin slices and then I cut those into small strips.  If you have one of those ribbon cutters, that will work perfectly.

Salt the zucchini liberally and let sit for fifteen minutes.  Rinse and squeeze gently before adding to the pan.


Tender Zucchini Noodles with Scrambled Eggs

This makes two servings. Calories in italics.
Calories per person is 217

2 medium to large zucchinis.  You should end up with about 6 cups of zucchini (before salting) (114)
1 teaspoon olive oil (40)
4 eggs scrambled (280)
season with garlic powder, salt and pepper

In a large, non stick fry pan heat olive oil.  Add gently squeezed zucchini. Cook over medium heat until the zucchini has wilted.  Move aside and cook eggs.  Or you can cook your eggs in another frying pan.

Divide zucchini and eggs between two serving plates.

Zucchini Crust Pizza

It's very exciting to watch my daughter, who does not like anything green to go in her mouth, eat a pizza made of zucchini and actually enjoy it! She even said, get this, that the next time it is pizza night she would not mind eating this kind pizza.

This is really good.  I would so have this again.  

Zucchini Crust Pizza


1 medium to large zucchini shredded
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup cheese, shredded
1 egg
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a baking stone on bottom shelf of oven.

Shred zucchini on a box grater. Place in bowl and toss with the salt.

Let the zucchini sit for 15 minutes.  Rinse. Squeeze out the excess water.

In a bowl mix egg, cheese and panko crumbs.  Add in salt and pepper to taste.  Also add in garlic powder.

Smooth out into a round and press flat on parchment paper. Transfer the pizza to the baking stone.

Bake for 20 minutes or more. You want it to be golden around the edges.  If you didn't get much of the excess water taken it out, it will take a lot longer.

Smooth tomato sauce on the crust and then sprinkle with cheese.

Return to oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Things are continuing with my 5:2 diet.  This is what part of my meal was last night and tonite.  I liked it that much.  My husband said the salad tasted like something out of a gourmet restaurant.

Isn't summer great for healthy eating?  There is so much available and it is so fresh and delicious.

Three egg whites and the ribbon salad clock in at about 130 calories.  Can't beat it!

Buy a really nice feta for this salad.  It really relies on the flavor of some good feta. If you are doing the 5:2 then you can spend a little more on it because you are eating way less otherwise. Right?

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

zucchini sliced with a peeler into ribbons
lemon juice freshly squeezed- half of a lemon for two plates of salad
dill, a couple sprigs per plate
garlic powder, just a little bit
basil 1 or 2 leaves sliced thinly for each plate
fresh craked pepper
kosher salt
feta (1 ounce per plate)

Toss the zucchini in a bowl with the kosher salt.  Let stand fifteen minutes.  This will help the zucchini release some of its juice.  Gently squeeze the zucchini and mix in the remainder of the ingredients.

Greek Cauliflower Flatbreads

I have been wanting to try this idea for quite some time.  In a way, it is a lot like the concept of a potato pancake but no frying- much healthier.  Cauliflower does not really have that much starch either.  So it is a total score.  When trying to keep your calories low this meal* ranks right up there at the top.  I totally would make it again and maybe even play with some other flavors in it as well.

Greek Cauliflower Flatbreads

*Normally you would use Parmesan cheese.

3/4 head cauliflower
2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of chickpea flour
salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning or a seasoning of your choice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut cauliflower up into small pieces, and pulse in a food processor until about the consistency of couscous.It will make about 2 cups packed.

Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes, stir and repeat. Place the cauliflower in a fine cheesecloth or thin dishtowel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, being careful not to burn yourself. Use dish washing gloves as it is very hot.

 

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add in cauliflower, Greek seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Use your hands to shape 8 small "tortillas" on the parchment paper.

Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip, and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until completely set. Place tortillas on a wire rack to cool slightly.

The total calories for this recipe is about 240.  I made 8 tortillas- so they are about 30 calories a piece.

*The meal above is approximately 220 calories. 

Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili

Since my daughter decided to go vegetarian (which my husband lovingly refers to my daughter as a "Carboterian"), we have been experimenting with some new ideas.  She is kind of a picky eater to begin with.  Its taken a little more flexibility on her end and some patience on my end to come up with some dishes that she likes.  This is one of them.  If you asked me six months ago if she would eat this I would have told you "NO" most assuredly.  Things change. Right? Here's to hoping that more nutritious eating is on the horizon.

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili

1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup black beans
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 tablespoons Anaheim roasted chilies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Sauté onions, celery and carrots in a soup pot.  When just slightly golden add in the remainder of ingredients.  Let cook, on very low heat, for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently as the mixture will be thick.

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

One of my favorite light meals for summer time is spaghetti squash.  It is awesome with Alfredo sauce and equally awesome with a nice meat sauce and some asiago cheese.  Heck, just plain sauce is awesome.

Here is how to do it:

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.

Scrap seeds out with a spoon.

Turn cut side down on a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 350F for about 30 or 40 minutes until soft when touched.

Or you could microwave them cut side down for 11 to 15 minutes.  You want it to give a little when pressed.  It may harden if the squash is older.  If so, turn it over and check to see if it is baked.

Take a fork and beginning at the outer side, scrap the fork, drawing it to the center.  The flesh will come away from the sides in strings. Keep working around the squash until it is all pulled away from the sides.

Heap onto a plate and cover with sauce and sprinkle with your favorite cheese.  Mine is asiago.

Asparagus With Eggs

Something easy, something delicious, and something oh-so-Spring like.

Asparagus is one of my favorite things to eat in Spring.  Pair it with some eggs - even better.  I saw this idea at The Kitchn.  I like that site a lot.  VIsit it often.  Very practical recipes and ideas. I liked the idea of addising some Parmesan cheese.  I threw in the radishes because I love them and they look awful pretty there, dont they.  They tasted great together.

This is a very low cal meal.  Even with two eggs, it is about 275 for the whole meal.  How can you go wrong?

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

It's Weight Watcher Wednesday- home baked version.  Let's take care of official business first.  Just to let you know that this is about watching your waist- not the company "Weight Watchers".  While some of my recipes will come from Weight Watchers it will not necessarily be so.  The main idea behind the recipes is to post a healthy, low calorie, delicious meal- calorie content included.

This recipe was absolutely delicious and light.  I did serve it with sausage- not exactly low cal food.  But together it made for a nice Sunday meal that was easy to count calorie wise.  These stuffed peppers made great leftovers as well.  The next day when I had it I had made some no fat beef gravy and put a few tablespoons on it.  It went really well.

I also did put some cheddar cheese on them and to be honest it really did not do anything for the taste- maybe feta instead.  Or just skip it altogether.

And just a little FYI I find amusing about quinoa (and just in case you did not know, it is pronounced 'keen-wah').  Quinoa was considered peasant food in ancient Peru.  And lo and behold, it has a big price tag on it now. 

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Largely based on this recipe from Taste of Home

2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 cup quinoa
4 carrots, chopped finely
2 onions, chopped finely (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups chopped fresh tomato

In a saucepan boil water, bayleaf and quinoa to a boil.  Reduce heat so that the mixture simmers.  Cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 to 25 minutes.  Discard bay leaf

Clean peppers and slice in half, discarding seeds.  In a large pot bring about six cups of water to a boil.  Cook peppers for about five minutes.  This will take bitterness out of the green ones and soften them a little.

Saute onion and carrot in oil until golden.   Remove from heat and stir in the remainder of ingredients.  Drain quinoa and add to pan as well.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Place peppers on dish and spoon in the filling.  Make sure you get the stuffing into the nooks and crannies of the peppers.  Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered.

2 stuffed peppers about 221 calories (I left out the sunflower seeds so it would be slightly less). 6 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.  I left out sodium as it depends on how much salt you put in.

Add caption

Marinated Zucchini

 
This is hardly a recipe but so worth mentioning because it is very simple and delicious.  And requires no cooking- well at least with heat. 

With a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini in strips.  Place in a bowl.  Once you have shaved off enough slender pieces of zucchini, drizzle with lemon juice and kosher salt.  If you want to be really fancy add some oilve oil, garlic and tomatoes.  But honestly when I just drizzled the lemon juice and salt on it- I could not stop eating it.  Delicious!

Asian Crunch Salad

This is one of the best salads you will ever have.  Okay, at least that is my opinion.  I tried this salad like about 6 years ago and it is a regular in our house.  Every summer it must be made at least once.  Why haven't I posted it yet?  I have no idea.  Maybe I just took it for granted.  Who knows.  I changed it up a bit here and I am happy I did because it went really nicely with some fresh lettuce. (It is usually made with regular cabbage and no lettuce).

Ramen noodles are one of my food vices- I must admit.

Asian Crunch Salad

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 flavor packet from Ramen noodles (I like Oriental flavor and chicken flavor)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cup lettuce greens

1 head of savoy cabbage or any other cabbage works well or 1 pkg. cole slaw mix

1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 c. green onions

1 pkg. dry Top Ramen noodles, crushed and toasted

This salad needs to be put together at the last minute to make sure that everything is crunchy. Toss the salad ingredients first and then toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

 
It was a last minute thing to use up some leftover ingredients.  And wow I am posting it because I want to make it again.  It may seem like nothing special but when my husband says something like this is your best ever I have to write it down.  If you have leftover chicken, this recipe is a snap to put together- five minutes- baking time 40 minutes. If I wasn't watching calories I would have added a lot more cheese but I have to say

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Enchilada's

filling:
1/4 cup sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella, shredded
4 green onions chopped
15 ounces shredded chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Lowry's salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup beans (I used some black chick peas)
1/4 cup of bean liquor (cooking liquid of the beans)

enchilada sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

8 inch flour tortillas

Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.  Set aside.

Mix enchilada sauce, adding water to the consistency you like.  Pour half of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Scoop out a packed 1/2 cup of filling and roll up in the tortilla.  Place the rolled tortilla in the 9 x 13, seam side down.  Repeat process 8 times. Pour the remainder of the sauce on top of rolled tortillas, spreading it out so that it covers them.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoon of mozzarella over top.

Calories per serving according to my rough calculations.  I did not use "light" anything.  The mozzarella was part skim. The tortillas I used were 150 calories a piece.  It works out to 330C per enchilada.

Pork and Hominy Stew

I have posted Posole before but this way to do it, caught my attention.  The recipe is from Cooking Light so if you are counting calories this baby clocks in at 300 for a 1 1/3 cups- not too shabby.  It's real BIG on flavor.  Add some fresh vegetables and wow it cranks it up even more.  For some reason the cabbage, lime juice and radishes really make the dish!

I did not have pork tenderloin thawed out.  I had some ground pork which I think worked really well.  However it was probably a bit more calories.

PORK AND HOMINY STEW
Adapted from this recipe at Cooking Light.

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can hominy, drained
1- 16 ounce jar of my fire roasted salsa (what? you dont have it, okay substitute your favorite salsa here)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; set 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture aside. Add pork to remaining spice mixture in bowl, tossing well to coat.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture, broth, hominy, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes.

Serve with some or all of the following accompaniments:  cilantro, avocado, cabbage, radishes and lime juice.
Hmmmmm.

Crappy Pics/Good Food

I have wanted to show you a few recipes but every time I go to post them I say to myself I just cant put this on my blog because the picture is terrible.  Well I decided to post them anyway because they are good.  So here are the ugly's. Do not let their appearance fool you- they were delicious. The first one here is easy-peasy to make and makes a stunning appearance.  That is if you have the time to take a picture before everyone gobbles it up.

Rosemary and Olive Pork Tenderloin
adapted from Flat Belly Diet Book ( I might add, without encouragement that this is a pretty darn good cookbook.  I have had many recipes out of it and they were purely delicious).

12 ounces pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon fresh rosemayr, minced
6 garlic cloves, more if you and your husband fight over them, as we do.
1 cup kalamata olives
2 red onions chopped into bite sized chunks, oh yeah!
1 tablespoon olive oil
s and p

Preheat oven to 375F.  Trim excess fat off tenderloin and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub olive oil over tenderloin.  Sprinkle rosemary and salt and pepper over roast, rub into meat.  Place cut up red onion, garlic cloves around tenderloin.  Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.   Take tenderloin out of the oven and place olives on the baking sheet.  Return to oven and cook for about 15 minutes more.  A meat thermometer should read 155F.  After you remove it from the oven, place a sheet of foil over it and let it rest for ten minutes before slicing.

Next up- this Choo Chee Fish and potatoes.  I know some of you are saying yuck, fish cakes, but if you like fish,  and you like Thai, you will love this combination.  We did.  (and might I add for all of you watching for me to keep my promise- this was from a cook book- at least the choo chee part).


Fish Balls
my creation

1 egg
2 pounds of whiting fillets, drained and squeezed of excess water
1/2 to 1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
salt and pepper

In a processor quick pulse the fish fillets.  Make sure you squeeze as much water out as possible so that you don't have to use many crumbs to hold it together.  In a bowl combine other ingredients and add fish to that. Mix all together and form into balls. Drop into boiling water for about five minutes.  Set balls aside and continue with the remainder of the recipe below.

Choo Chee Potatoes
adapted from Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott

1 can (14 ounces or about 1 /34 cups) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 pound new potatoes
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons palm sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ cup basil
2 lime leaves

In a saucepan place 1 cup coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer 6 to 8 minutes.  When coconut oil begins to pool around the sides then it is ready to add the curry paste.  Cook two minutes more.

Add remainder of ingredients except fish balls. Continue cooking until potatoes are tender.  Add in fish balls and cook to heat through.

This is obviously not a recipe per say but I just had to share it with you. The flavor combination was WoW! My Aunt's fiancé, Uncle C, told me about this amazing sandwich he eats. He takes two slices of bread and puts bologna and apple butter on it. He loves it. Well, we had to try it. We didn't say "Wow" over it but we had some roundish crackers, placed some bologna on them and then a little dollop of apple butter. I must say- WoW! We liked them. A quick and silly appetizer.

Lentil Turkey Pitas with mint and cucumber

It's been a litle while since my last post because we were enjoying a little bit of a getaway. Just a weekend away. See if you can guess where by some of the pics below. Being the foodie I am I had to check out some local grocery stores and of course visit Trader Joes which I very much love and miss here in NY. I wish I could open a Trader Joe's here myself but I think Danny Wegman would overpower. We did not do a lot sightseeing on our vacation it was more about spending time with family. It was 108 degrees F on Sunday by my cousins thermometer. Ayyyy!

Before I left I made this amazing dish I saw on PJ's site, Ginger and Garlic. It looked so appealing- I had to make it. I changed it up a bit due to what I had on hand. I used the French Pouy Lentil because I like how it holds its shape for something like this. Since I had groud turkey, I threw in some turkey bacon as well to add flavor. I loved this dish. Adding the labneh and all the fresh cucumbers and mint just made it even better! Lovely dish. I highly recommend this one.

Lentil and Turkey Pitas
adapted from this recipe

3/4  cup French lentils
2  cups water
1 medium onion - chopped
3 cloves of garlic - smashed
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups diced tomatoes
large handful mint
1 to 2 cucumbers
pitas

Slice turkey in small pieces and fry in a skillet. Drain on paper towels once it is cooked through and crisp.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and turkey; cook 5 minutes or until turkey is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble the turkey. Add lentils, 1/2 cup water, tomatoes, bay leaf, bacon and spices. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until lentils are tender and mixture is thick (add additional water as needed). Spoon into pita and serve with mint, cucumber and labneh or Greek yogurt.

Tuscan Bean Toss

I say toss because literally you can toss this baby together in under fifteen minutes. I am always making salads like this in the summer but I am totally bored with the classic Mexican style bean salad with black beans, corn, cilantro... ah, you know.  Not that it is bad mind you, I just wanted to change it up a bit.

I am not being compensated for promoting Penzey's here but I had this as a sample when I ordered a bunch of spices.  I have to say that it is one of the best tasting Italian spice mixes I have ever had.  Certainly though you can substitute with your own spices or throw in a bunch of fresh herbs.  Either would be fantastic as well.

This is one of the better salads I have come up with and wanted to share it with you.  I have made others that I have not been supremely happy with, (I keep those to myself). This one, however, is worth trying!

When it is tomato season I will toss some fresh tomatoes in this salad as well. I can not wait!

Tuscan Bean Toss

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet vidalia onion, minced
8 basil leaves, chiffonade
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Tuscan Spice Mix (if you don't have Penzey's spice mix, use this combination)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or two fillets mashed
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  How easy is that!

*While I very much promote using dried beans because they are way more economical and healthier than canned, sometimes I go the canned way.  Most especially when there is a heat wave.  The last thing I want to do is turn the flames on to cook beans. 

Bi Bim Bop and Loads of Gratitude

Sometimes I sit here with my photograph up and my recipe all written and wonder what the heck am I going to write about.  I think, have I had any startling revelations lately... no.  Is there something exciting happening in my life to talk about.... no.  Is there some news to report that I find particularly interesting or captivating.... no.  Have I traveled anywhere to talk about that... no.  Am I really that boring?  Um, well, yes and no.  I think I am a pretty upbeat person and all in all, am pretty fun to be around.  But having kids has definitely slowed down the exciting factor in my life.  I am certainly not complaining about that.  Kids are a precious gift that I thank God for all the time.  Having them at such a late age makes me even more grateful.  And stable may be boring to some, but it certainly has its advantages too.

Sometimes I look around at other blogs and it's not that I feel jealous, well maybe it is.  I would love to travel and see the places that people talk about or live in.  I am really a vagabond at heart.  While I love my home I have always enjoyed travel and I have enjoyed moving to new places so I can discover what that particular city has to offer. 

When I take a step back though I realize that I have so much to be grateful for.  I am a stay at home Mom, because of this, as a family we have had to give up certainly luxuries in our life.  Like, I think I am sometimes one of the only person in Middle Class America that does not have a cell phone.  Does not have cable.  Does not have a second car.  Does not go on a vacation every year.  You know, really all that stuff doesn't matter.  Sure I would like these things.  Right now I am grateful my husband has a job that affords me the luxury of staying home with my kids.  Our sacrifices also afford me that luxury.  I am grateful for healthy, happy, vibrant children that make me laugh, cry,  and scream.  I am grateful for a husband that drives me absolutely crazy one minute and the next minute I fall in love with him all over again.  I am grateful for the abundance of friends in my life, the ones that are new, the ones that have been in my life forever, the acquaintances at the gym that make me smile when I go.

I am grateful of course for having food on my table, recipes to share with you.  That is where I travel.  I travel to foreign lands with my food.  I love to learn about other cultures and food is a great place to begin learning.

I am grateful for all of you who visit my blog, I love the comments. They remind me that I am not alone and that there are other people who are surfing the net like me looking for companionship, commaradare, similarities, differences, opinions, (shopping), a laugh... just simply a connection.

Bi Bim Bop (Korean)
adapted from this recipe

1 pound sirloin tip steak or meat of your choice
1 cup teriyaki sauce (recipe follows)
3 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups bean sprouts
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large radishes, sliced or julienned
2 cucumbers, sliced

4 eggs
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Marinade for vegetables:

You can use seasoned rice vinegar or
mix together:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Hot chile paste, to serve on the side

Freeze the beef for at least 1 hour to make it easier to handle. Slice, cutting across the meat's grain, into 1/4-inch-thick strips, or smaller. Marinating the beef will certainly kick the flavor up a notch but I didnt find it totally necessary because there is a lot of flavor going on here already.


Cook the rice so that it is ready when you want to assemble the dish.


In a medium sized sauce pan bring about four cups of water to a boil, drop in sprouts and allow to cook for only 20 seconds, then remove the sprouts rinse under cold water (to cool them enough to stop the cooking process). Drain on paper towels. Set aside.  Next, cook the spinach the same way.

In a small bowl, mix the sprouts with 1 or 2 tablespoons of the vegetable sauce (seeand half the garlic. In a second bowl, do the same with the spinach. Set aside.

For the marinade: In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt and vinegar. Set aside.

Marinate in enough of the vinegar mixture - a little more than half - to coat all the cucumber pieces. Slice the radishes into thin strips and marinate in the rest of the vinegar mixture.

Heat sesame oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the beef, discarding marinade, and add beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef cooks through, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on how thinly the pieces are sliced. Set aside and keep warm.

Into the same skillet, crack the eggs and fry each egg about 5 minutes on one side. Then flip over and fry for 30 seconds on the other.

Divide rice among serving dishes. Spoon beef, sprouts, spinach, cucumber and radish into their own discrete areas decoratively on top of the rice. Top each with the fried egg. If you wish, spoon some chili paste into each serving and stir the ingredients together. Or let each diner mix his or her own bowl.

Serves 4.

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup rice wine (mirin- not rice wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon black or white pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Vegetable Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sesame oil

1 teaspoon black or white pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Soba Noodle with chopped veggies

Hello people! I am so happy. Why because the sun has been making a debut appearance around these parts and I am so happy to see it.

To celebrate the heat of the sun shining on us here in New York, I have made a salad of sorts.
Soba Noodles with chopped vegetables
This recipe is especially good when you have left over noodles around. It comes together quite quickly. This recipe serves two but you an easily beef it up a little to serve more.

6 ounces shredded cooked chicken
1 cup cucumber, sliced thin
1/2 cup radishes, julienned
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 cup mint
1/4 cup cilantro
4 cups baby spinach
Dressing:
1/2 teaspoon red chili paste (or more depending on you desire for heat)
4 tablespoons tahini paste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup peanut butter, creamy
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Hoison sauce
¼ teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon ginger, grated

If you are cooking your chicken for this dish, poaching works the best. In a frying pan place about 2 cups of water. You want the water to just cover the chicken. Bring the water to a boil and add in your chicken. Cover adn let cook until the chicken reaches 165F. You can test for doneness by pressing on the chicken with a fork. If it feels solid, its done. If there is a little give to the chicken, cook a bit more.

While the chicken is cooking cook your pasta.

To make the dressing, whisk the tahini with the soy sauce, and vinegar. Make sure the mixture is smooth. Add in the peanut butter. Then the remainder of ingredients.

Place spinach over bottom of plate or bowl, lay down about a cup of soba noodles, place about a tablespoon of dressing on the noodles. Place remainder of veggies, mint and cilantro over top and put a bit mroe dressing on.

More exciting news!
Stay tuned for a giveaway here on Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness,
I will give you a hint it includes...

Pots and pans
Knifes and tools
baking items and
even counter stools.

(Pretty clever, aren't I?) I just crack myself up.

Turkey Burgers

A lot of times my turkey burgers come out dry and bleh. I am so excited because my turkey burgers have turned the corner. These were tastey, moist and delicious. Okay so I am tooting my horn here but how else am I going to tell you that this recipe is worth trying.

After Thanksgiving, for the past three years, I have made some serious turkey fixings. The first thing I do the week after Thanksgiving is go shopping for turkey. You know the week when everyone is sick of turkey and the stores have it marked down because they have an abundance. I buy two turkeys. I butcher them, reserving turkey legs for one or two dinners. The remainder of the meat I place in the meat grinder. The bones, skin, giblets and heart are baked in the oven until they reach crispy perfection. The browner the better. I take the bones et al and place it in a large stock pot with some onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns (crushed) and whatever other veggies I have around. I bring it to a boil and simmer it for three hours. Whew. I am tired just thinking about it. It's a lot of work I admit but well worth it. You end up with a lot of broth, ground turkey and turkey legs enough for many meals to come at a fraction of the cost. Oh, and after the carcasses have boiled I do salvage the meat and mix it with mayo for turkey salad.

After boiling the broth, I strain it and chill the clear broth. I scrape the fat off and freeze it in small containers for future soups.
Italian Turkey Burgers

1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of rosemary seasoning
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
2 teaspoons of olive oil
s and p
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg or 2 egg yolks (I used the yolks since I always have some left over from my egg white breakfast)

Combine all the ingredients together. The oil is added in because the ground turkey is fat free. If your turkey has fat in it you don't need to add the oil.

Spray frying pan with cooking spray or very lightly grease. Fry until both sides are browned on a medium high flame. Add about a 1/2 cup up to a cup of water to the pan cover and steam until the turkey is cooked through.

* Bench Notes: I discovered this by accident as the outside of my turkey burgers were cooking faster than the inside and I thought what am I going to do here? I added the water and quite by accident discovered it worked real well. Adding the water to finish cooking the turkey burgers gave them a really nice texture and moistness. I will always do my turkey burgers like this from now on.

Celery Root Soup with Toasted Walnuts

Who knew this big, knobby, ugly vegetable could turn into this smooth, creamy, beautiful soup. Such a diamond in the rough. If you see this at your local farmers market, don't pass it up. It has great flavor and can be transformed into many delicious dishes.

This year I was driving my local farmer nuts. Any celeriac/celery root yet? Finally there it was and I descended upon it. I wanted to shout hurray but I thought they might think I was a little crazy. Okay, okay, I am crazy, I just don't want everyone knowing that.

While I am picking mine out, the kid at the stand says, "yah know, they are a pain in the neck to dig out. You have to be so careful not to destroy it." I fully appreciate his pain and I honored that beautiful root and made it into some silky, tastey soup.


Celery Root Soup with Toasted Walnuts
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness

32 ounces chicken broth
2 celery roots, cleaned and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and roasted

In a large soup pot saute onion in canola oil until translucent. Add chicken broth and celery root. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the root is softened, about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and blend to a puree. Return to stovetop and turn heat to low. Add milk and heat until it is hot but not boiling. Ladle into bowls and top with toasted walnuts.

Daring Cooks: Chicken Pho

I have decided that I need to make the Daring Cooks challenge immediately after it is posted because other wise I forget and time jsut gets away from me. This time I actually finished my challenge. Wahoo.

This soup is right up my alley because the more I know any type of Asian food the more I love it.

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

Chicken Pho

For my Pho I wanted to make my own broth. You of course can use store bought if you would like but I felt it was worth the extra steps. I did take the easier route with my broth. Here is what I did the day before I made my pho:

2 pounds chicken thighs
2 pounds chicken legs

Lightly spray a roasting pan or cookie sheet with oil. Place chicken pieces around, leaving some space between each. Salt the chicken. Roast in a 425F oven until the skins are brown. DO NOT REMOVE THE SKINS- lots o flavor there. Don't worry you will get your chance to defat later. Once you are done roasting let cool. Pick of all the usable meat and set aside for soup or you can also use it for some other use because you will probably have quite a bit of meat. Place all those skins, bones, cartilage and juice into a deep soup pot. Add any aromatics that will lend itself to whatever you are making or you can leave it plain. For this challenge I only added pepper. Cover all those browned bits of goodness with water, just covering. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and let it go for at least an hour, maybe even two. Let cool a little. Pour the soup through a strainer, reserving all that amazing broth, fat and all. Discard solid and refrigerate broth. Leave overnight. The next morning your broth will have worked very hard forcing those fatty solids to the top. Skim off the fat. Your broth will be very clean after that and you are ready to use it for whatever your pea pickin' heart desires. In my case, pho.
All that gelatin means lots of calcium!

CHICKEN PHO ( pronounced fuh )

Preparation Time: 45 cooking time + 15 minutes to cook noodles based on package directions Servings: Makes 4 servings Ingredients:

2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
1 whole chicken breast (you can skip this if you made your own, see above)
½ onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tbsps. sugar
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce
1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

Accompaniments:
2 cups (200 grams/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched offFresh
1 cup pea pods
cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup (50 grams/approx. 2 ounces) shaved red onions
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

Directions:

Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.

In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.

In the oven roast onion and ginger until browned. Add to soup. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add fish sauce and sugar.
Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed.

Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.

Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl. Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.