Creamy Chicken & Veggie Pasta


I went out shopping late this afternoon, to take advantage of the Labor Day sales, and I got back home a little bit later than I thought I would.  Oops... It was just about dinnertime, we were all hungry and we were definitely ready to eat.  I threw together a quick and really delicious meal ~ Creamy Chicken & Veggie Pasta ~ using some leftovers, some pantry staples and a few frozen/fresh veggies.

While the pasta was boiling (a mix of fettuccine and spaghetti, since I didn't have enough of either) I nuked some frozen Trader Joe's tri-color bell pepper strips, fresh sliced mushrooms and chopped white onion.  Then I heated up a can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, added some leftover roasted chicken (from last night's dinner), a couple chopped homegrown tomatoes, a spoonful of real bacon bits, dried basil and some frozen peas.  When the nuked veggies were done, I added them to the condensed soup mixture and then thinned it with a bit of water, just until it was a nice 'sauce' consistency  When the pasta was drained, I tossed it with some EVOO, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  The Creamy Chicken & Veggie Sauce came out perfect and was ready in the time it took to boil the pasta.  I love it when a meal comes together as quickly and easily as this one did!  A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese & crushed red pepper flakes topped it all off.  Real-time cooking in my kitchen tonight. :) 


   

Oven Roasted Mahi-Mahi


I bought some frozen mahi-mahi at Trader Joe's recently.  It was a package full of chunks of 'ends & pieces'.  The price was about 1/3 less than the regular fillets, and the chunks were really quite big, so I bought a package.  I followed the directions they provided, oven roasting the fish from the frozen state.  I also added a layer of sliced white onions to the bottom of the pan.  The fish came out firm, with a very mild taste.  I served it with some of my neighbor's homegrown green beans and yellow mini heirloom tomatoes, simply cooked with some yellow squash and a side of rice.

I really enjoyed it, but my guys were not as impressed as I was.  I'll make the mahi-mahi chunks again, but next time I think I'll create a flavorful marinate for the fish and will also up the flavor with some more herbs/spices.  Or, maybe I'll even try making them as fish kabobs.  Why not?  The time for summertime BBQ'ing isn't over yet and I've got a bag of briquettes just begging to be used!  :)


Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook



This morning, I was looking at a copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook.  I came across a recipe that sounded good and that would use some of the fresh blueberries I still had sitting in my fridge.  (they where on sale last week, and I bought A LOT!)   So, into the kitchen I went to start my day off baking.  As the muffins were going into the oven, our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) stopped by, so we invited them in.  What a great way to start our day ~ warm muffins just out of the oven, a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a little chit-chat with good friends!

For being a food that claims to help reduce your cholesterol, I think these muffins are pretty good.  They have just a hint of sweetness, the blueberries are a nice surprise, and the cornmeal adds to the overall texture.  They have just a little oil, so they are really pretty low in fat, too.  If you are a fan of corn muffins, I think you might like this one.  I tinkered around with the recipe just a bit, I couldn't help myself! :)  I checked out the cookbook from our library, and I like it so much, I'm going to buy a copy of my own.  Real-time baking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins
makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups oat bran (I used Trader Joe's Toasted Oat Bran)
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup fat free milk
  • 2 Tbsp oil (I used Smart Balance)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
  • 3 egg whites
Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place first 5 ingredients (oat bran - cinnamon) in a food processor and pulse for a minute or two, until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and are more 'flour-like', then put into a large bowl.  Combine milk, oil and vanilla, in a small bowl, then add to dry mix.  Stir together, then add the blueberries and stir again.  In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter.  Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (either greased or with muffin liners).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Best served warm.




Kale & Chickpeas with Simple Spicy Peanut Sauce ~ Meatless Monday



I was cleaning out my veggie bin and found some kale and yellow squash that had totally seen better days.  Since I never let anything in the fridge go to waste if I can help it, I chopped the tired veggies and gave them the ol' steamer treatment.  Then I tossed the hot cooked veggies with a big spoonful of creamy peanut butter, some canned chickpeas, a healthy shot of Bragg's (my soy sauce stand-in), a liberal dose of Frank's Hot Sauce, a few chopped nuts and some crushed red pepper flakes ~ just for a little extra 'kick'.  It made for a really quick, tasty, cheap and satisfying meal.  Booyah!  



 

Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins ~ healthy, low fat gems!


I came across this recipe for Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins and had to give them a go.  Why?  Because my neighbor, Cheryl, shared some homegrown rhubarb with me; fresh blueberries were 99 cents a pint at the market; and I found a recipe that used the two together...seemed like a sign to me!   The muffins are full of whole oats and the recipe make 12 VERY generous muffins.  I found them incredibly filling and I didn't get hungry for hours after eating them.  I enjoyed them for breakfast, at lunch and also as a snack ~ last week as I was painting and working around the house.

RoseMarie checking out the muffins as they cool...


The muffins are really low fat, so they are a bit on the dry side for my tastes ~ but perfect if you are looking for a super low fat muffin.  They were good as-is, but I preferred eating them with a schmear of  low-fat margarine or low fat cream cheese.  I also enjoyed them torn into bits and served in a bowl, covered with fat free milk.  Eaten this way, they were the perfect breakfast cereal, sorta like a 'baked soft granola'.  What a simple way to change-up a muffin into a different 'meal'.   So, if you're looking for some new recipes for baking with rhubarb or blueberries, check out the recipe over on the blog ~  Downton Abbey Cooks.  :)   



BBQ Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potato with Quick Coleslaw ~ Meatless Monday


I've pretty much been absent from my kitchen for the last few weeks.  Ever since my son went back to school on August 1st, I've been painting and redecorating just about anything around here that doesn't move.  :)  Before I started my 3-week DIY cosmetic home renovation bender, I cooked up a huge pot of plain lentils.  I wanted them basic so I could change-up their flavor for each individual meal ~ just by mixing in different spices, sauces, or toppings.  A few of the creative ways I've enjoyed the lentils ~ as a quick Indian soup; tossed into a simple garden salad; mixed into canned turkey chili; tucked into corn tortillas as a stand-in for taco meat; and as shown in the stuffed sweet potato above...  

For this meal I was inspired by a combo of posts I've done over the last year.  I took a bit-of-this from one recipe and bit-of-that from another... 
...and came up with a really quick and tasty meal!  I tossed some hot, drained lentils with my favorite BBQ sauce (Bull's-Eye Original BBQ Sauce), made a super easy coleslaw by mixing shredded cabbage with low-fat ranch dressing, stuffed it all into a nuked sweet potato, and served it with some steamed veggies.  It was a wonderful meal that was ready in just a few minutes.   I still have enough to make another serving today...so, now you know what I'll be eating for my Meatless Monday lunch today!



Cold Brewed Iced Coffee ~ overnight fridge method


I saw this blog post recipe for how to make ~ Cold Brewed Iced Coffee ~ on Facebook a few days ago.  I just knew I'd have to give it a try, it sounded too simple and easy to pass up.  Making coffee in the fridge ~ that's no fuss/no muss ~ count me in!!!!  Happy to report that it was a huge success and couldn't be simpler to make.  I did a little bit of tweaking to the original recipe...  I like my coffee on the weaker side, so I only used 1/4 cup of ground coffee instead of the 1 cup the recipe called for.  I also used evaporated skim milk in place of the coconut milk; stevia in place of the maple syrup; and Torani Sugar-Free flavored syrup for an additional taste treat.  It's a recipe that's easy to adjust to suit your own tastes, so maybe next time I'll try it with a flavored ground coffee... 

I gotta say, this is such an easy way to make iced coffee.  I think that since it's cold brewed, the coffee comes out with a smoother flavor, no bitterness and as long as you take the time to plan ahead, it's much quicker to make since there is no 'cool down' time or extra ice/diluting of the coffee flavor that occurs when you make it from hot coffee.  All that makes it a 'win-win' in my book!  Hope you like it as much as I do ~ Enjoy!

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee
serves 2
adapted from this recipe

My cousin, Susanne, gave me the perfect gift of a Lifefactory BPA/BPS-free glass bottle.  It's just right for holding my extra cold brewed coffee.  Thanks so much, Cuz!!! 


Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup ground coffee (or more, to taste, up to 1 cup)
  • 3 1/2 cups cold water
  • evaporated skim milk (or milk of choice)
  • stevia (or sweetener of choice)
  • Torani Sugar-Free syrup in your favorite flavor (optional)
  • ice cubes
Directions

Pour the water into your French Press, stir in the coffee grounds and cover opening with plastic wrap.  Place the French Press in the refrigerator and leave to brew overnight.  In the morning take the plunger and press to trap all the grounds.  Serve cold brewed coffee over ice cubes with as much milk, sweetener and/or Torani syrup as desired.  Store any leftover coffee in the fridge for later enjoyment.  :)
 

Getting creative with goodies from the Mexican grocery store...

Mexican Scramble ~ my low fat breakfast this morning, full of the flavors & colors of Mexico!  Made with scrambled eggs that were tossed with sauteed onion, jalapenos, tomatoes, spinach, cilantro & lime; fat-free refried beans; & the best brand of corn tortillas that I've ever had, toasted in a pan with a little Pam.  What a GREAT way to start my day!!  Real-time cooking in my kitchen today.  :)

These are the best corn tortillas I've ever purchased!
I recently discovered the most WONDERFUL Mexican grocery store.  I happened to notice it while I was sitting in a traffic jam.  I must have driven by it 100 times in the past, but had never noticed it before.  Thank you backed-up traffic!  I've had fun creating spicy Mexican dishes with my authentic ethnic food booty, and there are lots more to be created in the days to come.  The grocery store also has prepared hot food for sale.  I only bought the tamales this time, but I will be going back in a week to get another fix of their fabulous cooked and fresh food items.

Check out the comments below the tamale photos to see just what taking a bite of those tamales meant to me. It was along the lines of what happened to Anton Ego, from the Disney movie Ratatouille BAM!  Years disappeared and I was transported to a beach in Mexico...

Armchair traveling, or should I say kitchen-table-traveling, at its finest!  I wouldn't miss exploring ethnic grocery stores for the world, they can take you places ~ at least they do for me! 

My Mexican foodie treasures ~ The grocery store was super colorful, with lots of pretty piñatas hanging from the ceiling.  It was FULL of authentic Mexican grocery items ~ fresh/canned & a bounty of other items.  The meat case had the best looking items, as did the produce case.  I felt right at home there, it was like I was back in Mexico...or back in Los Angeles. (I forget sometimes how much I miss living in LA!)   The employees in the store had very limited English & I have very limited Spanish, but we were all able to communicate with a lot of laughs & smiles.  This is my new favorite speciality store!

They also had the most AMAZING tamales for sale.  They had 3 different flavors ~ chicken & green chile, cheese with chopped chile and shredded beef & red chile.  They are all SO good, I don't care how many calories are in them!  They are a comfort food to me and I'm going to keep a little stash in the freezer... just for me when I need a little TLC.  :) 

 Beautiful Mona
These fresh grocery store tamales were homemade, served in a HUGE tamale steaming pot, stacked up and piping hot.  I haven't had a tamale this good since I used to eat those made by my friend Lupe's mother, Mona. These store tamales were made with love, just like Lupe's mother's were.  With the first bite, I was taken back to over 20 years ago ~ vacationing with Lupe & her family.  We were at Rosarito Beach, in Baja Mexico, about 35 miles over the California/Mexico border.  (that was just before it became the beach holiday destination it is today)  Staying at a place right on the beach, with tile floors, sandy beaches, bright blue skies and blue-green seas.  The older women cooking in the kitchen, the younger adults & kids playing in the water.  The whole beach smelled of home cooking ~ drifting on the ocean breeze, coming from the small kitchens of all the seaside bungalows.  A simple day, where family memories are made...

I'd forgotten that memory, and these $1 tamales brought that happy day back in a split second.  To me, that is the subtle essence, the profound power of food ~ and one of the many reasons I think it's great to be a foodie!


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