Blooming Onion

Oh. Emm. Gee.

I found a recipe in the newest version of Healthy Cooking that will absolutely blow your mind.  Picture an Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion – a giant pile of oniony goodness, breaded, deep fried, and served with a super creamy sauce.  Sounds delicious, yes?

Now picture that same onion, but WAY better for you.

Behold the Healthier Bloomin’ onion!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blooming Onions

Recipe from here.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet onions
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dill weed

Directions

1.    With a sharp knife slice ½ inch off the top of the onions; peel onions.  Cut each into 16 wedges to within ½ in. of root end.

2.    Place each onion on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.  Fold foil around onions and seal tightly. Place in an ungreased 11 in. X 7 in. baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 425°degrees for 20 minutes.

3.    In a small bowl, combine butter and mustard.  Open foil; fold foil around onions.  Brush butter mixture over onions; sprinkle with bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.

4.    Bake 18-22 minutes longer or until crisp-tender. 

5.    Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients to serve with onions.

Nutritional info (according to Taste of Home) ¼ onion with 1 tbsp. sauce = 65 calories, 2 g fat, 205 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein

Go make this RIGHT NOW – you won’t be sorry!!!

I made this with only one onion, but I used the amount of bread crumbs, mustard, and butter that the recipe states be used for two onions.  I liked having the extra bread crumbs, but I think it would have worked just as well with slightly less butter.  Also, after baking it wrapped in foil, I gave up trying to make it bloom.  I just cut the root off, breaded it, and baked the wedges on a cookie sheet. 

I found an online tutorial for how to properly cut the onion so it will bloom here.

So Fresh and So Clean

I have absolutely nothing exciting to report as far as our food has been concerned lately.  I declared this week clean out the fridge/freezer week when I came home from the store last weekend and couldn't find a free spot in the freezer for the hubs weekly tub o' ice cream.

Here is what our week in dinners has looked like:

Thursday – Leftover Chicken & barley soup (freezer)

Friday – Santa Fe chicken and stuffing (Recipe on stuffing bag)

Saturday – Pinto beans and cornbread

Sunday – Taco salad with homemade "refried" beans and Mexican rice

Monday – Scrambled eggs and hash browns

Tuesday – Black beans and rice

Wednesday – Spaghetti with Brad’s homemade sauce (freezer)

Thursday – Jambalaya with turkey sausage

Sunday is Brad's birthday, so I've got a few exciting treats planned for that.  I've put in several extra hours at the gym this week to prepare for his birthday extravaganza this weekend!  Bring on the homemade blondies!

And just because I can, here is a picture of an Army Strong Bruiser!

Authentic Red Beans and Rice

I had an interesting experience at the gym today.  There I was, minding my own business on the elliptical when SHE came in.  There were rows of empty machines, but where does she choose to workout?  Right next to me of course.  Hello personal space invasion.  Okay, so that isn’t that much of a big deal, but it didn’t stop there.  About .001 seconds after she climbed on her machine I was knocked out by the smell of her stank ass perfume that she doused herself in before coming to the gym.  It was so strong that you could taste it.  Ugh.

But wait!!!!  There’s more!  I’m wheezing along on the elliptical, trying to ignore the burning sensation in my nose, when Mrs. Stanky Leg proceeds to whip out her ghetto ass flip phone, make a phone call to her BFF, tuck the phone into her giant headband, and proceed to carry on a conversation for the next 45 minutes.  This lady had some serious cell yell too, but I was able to drown her out with some Ludacris turned up as loud as it would go.  Gym. Etiquette. Is. Your. Friend.

In honor of President’s Day and having the day off on Monday, we invited a bunch of friends over and made a ginormous pot of red beans and rice.  Little known fact - back in the day red beans and rice were traditionally made on Mondays because the leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner was used to flavor the beans.  Also, Mondays were typically wash days, and the beans were perfect for this due to their long simmering time.  I doubled the recipe below, which technically should serve 6-8, but we still ended up with a very small leftover portion.  If you go to the trouble to make this, you might as well make a bunch – it freezes and reheats great!

So sorry about the picture quality.  I’ve misplaced my camera charger and am using my iphone until I find it. 

Authentic Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

·         1 pound dry red beans

·         8 cups water or chicken broth

·         1 tbsp. vegetable oil

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         1 green bell pepper, chopped

·         3-4 stalks celery, chopped

·         2 tbsp. minced garlic

·         1 ham hock, or any kind of ham that is on the bone

·         3 bay leaves

·         ½ tsp cayenne pepper

·         1 tsp. dried thyme

·         ¼ tsp. sage

·         1 tbsp. dried parsley

·         1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

·         A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

·         4 cups water

·         2 cups long grain white rice

Directions

1.    Rinse beans.  Place beans in a large pot, cover with water, and soak for at least 8 hours.

2.    Drain and rinse beans again.  Fill pot with 8 cups of water, chicken broth, or any combination of the two.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and continue to hard boil for 30 minutes.

3.    Meanwhile, sauté the Holy Trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery) and garlic in oil until almost tender.  Set aside.

4.    Reduce heat to low.  Add the Holy Trinity, garlic, ham hock, spices, sausage, and Worcestershire.  Simmer for 5-6 hours, adding more liquid as necessary.  

5.    Remove and discard ham hock.  Serve over rice and enjoy, cher!

Note:  To thicken, use the back of a wooden spoon to smash several beans against the side of the pot.

Tater Salad

I saw this awesome potato salad recipe on Racheal Ray's 30-minute meals a couple of years ago and decided to give it a shot.  After slightly tweaking the ingredient list, it is now one of my favorite side dishes when I'm craving something hot and spicy.

The original recipe calls for 1 tbsp. of ground fennel.  Fennel tastes like black licorice.  So.... as you are reading about the deliciousness below, try imagining the same salad with some diced black Twizzlers in the mix.  Yucky!

Potato Salad Fra Diavolo
Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved 
• 1 tbsp. smoked sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. grill seasoning or coarse salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. grainy mustard
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 4 celery ribs, chopped 
• 1 fresh jalapeno, diced (optional)

Directions 

1. Boil potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until tender. 
2. While potatoes are cooking, combine the spices, mustard, and vinegar in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil.
3. Stir celery, onion, and jalapeno into the bowl.
4. Drain potatoes and toss them with the dressing while they are still hot.

Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm in a hurry or when I really don't feel like cooking.  My mom clipped the original recipe from a magazine in the early 90s and gave it to me a couple of years ago.  Surprisingly, I found that it is still on the Campbell's website and can be found here.

Campbell's No-Guilt Chicken Pot Pie

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10.75 oz.) Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 pkg. (about 9 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (I sometimes add more)
• 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  In a 9" pie plate mix soup, veggies, chicken, salt, and pepper.
2. In a small bowl mix milk, egg, and Bisquick.  Pour over chicken mixture and spread evenly.
3. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.  (Note:  You might want to put a baking sheet underneath the pie to catch any spill overs.)  Serves 4

Nom nom nom

According to my handy dandy Lose-It app, one serving has only 276 calories and 6.3 grams of fat!  Okay, gotta sign off and watch the rest of the drama-filled group round on Idol!

Meatless Monday - Mexican Style!

Today I decided to try a new Mexican recipe that I've had my eye on for awhile.  I've never used chipotle chiles before and was pleasantly surprised at the delicious flavor they gave this dish.  This was the perfect size recipe for two people, but it could easily be doubled or tripled. 

Please pardon the awful picture.  It is a dark and dreary day here in Alabama and the lighting in our house is absolutely horrendous!

Black Bean Burrito Bake
Recipe from here 

Ingredients

• 1 (7 oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• salt to taste
• 4 8-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup salsa (I only used 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Directions

1. Remove 1 chile from can and chop (I used 3 small chiles).  Save remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.  Combine sour cream and chiles in a medium bowl; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Place half of the beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped.  Or, just smash 1/2 the beans with a fork so you don't have to wash the food processor.
3. Add processed beans, whole beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.  Salt to taste.
4. Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a large baking dish coated with cooking spray.
5. Spread salsa evently over tortillas.  Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until throughly heated.

Serves: 4

Super Easy Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 8 oz. whole what ziti (or other tube shaped pasta), cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey breast
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
• 1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
• 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
• pinch garlic powder
• pinch nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook ground turkey breast and garlic in a skillet coated with cooking spray until cooked through.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings.  Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes.
3. Stir pasta into sauce mixture.
4. Pour into an 8x8 casserole dish and top with 1/2 cup cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Mega Mushroom Chicken Marsala

Easy Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 packages (8 oz. each) baby portabello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tbsp. light butter
• 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper  
• spaghetti squash or whole wheat linguine

Directions

1. Saute mushrooms in a skillet coated with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Combine flour, basil, and oregano.  Dredge chicken in seasoned flour.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet.  Saute chicken until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Add wine, broth, salt and pepper.  Cook until sauce is thickened (1-2 minutes).  Add a little more flour is necessary.
5. Stir in mushrooms.
6. Serve atop linguine or spaghetti squash.

Meatless Monday - Spaghetti Squash

Going meatless for at least one meal per week is an easy way to shave a buck or two off of your weekly food budget.  

Spaghetti squash is a great alternative for starchy foods such as spaghetti, rice, and potatoes.  It is an awesome choice for the carb/calorie conscious - 1 cup of spaghetti squash has only 42 calories and 10 grams carbohydrates, while 1 cup of cooked whole wheat pasta packs a whopping 174 calories and 37 grams carbohydrates.  

HOW TO COOK A SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1.  Using a sharp knife, pierce the skin of the squash all over to prevent it from bursting during the cooking process.  Microwave for 2-4 minutes (depending on the size of the squash) in order to soften the skin enough to cut the squash.

 2.  Using a large sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise.

3.  Using a spoon (or your hands) scoop out pulp and seeds.  Discard.

4.  Place squash halves skin side up in a 9X13 casserole dish filled with 1/2 inch of water.  Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 30-45 minutes.

 5.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before handling.  Gently scrape the pulp of the squash using the tines of a fork to create spaghetti like strands.

 6.  Mix with your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy!

 

Souper Sunday

Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

Recipe slightly adapted from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_spinach_pesto_soup.html

Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp. plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  
• 3 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup barley
  
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup grated reduced fat parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• Black pepper, to taste
• Croutons for garnish (optional)
• Shredded parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
  

Directions

1. Heat 1/4 tsp. oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the broth, marjoram, and barley; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tbsp oil, parmesan, and basil in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside.
   
3. Stir carrots into the broth mixture and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Stir in spinach, beans, chicken, and pesto. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Season with black pepper. Garnish with croutons and parmesan cheese, if desired.