Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumble (or any fruit crumble)

It was time to make another desert, and this Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumble did not disappoint. I've been waiting to make this recipe for a while, but did not have any small dishes. I found these cute white ones at IKEA a week ago. They worked out perfectly, but make sure what you use is oven safe. I made enough for 4 servings likes the recipe, but left two uncooked in the refrigerator. I did not put the topping on them yet as I'm afraid it may get too soggy. 

Here is the recipe...again from Eating Well. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen fruit, such as blueberries, peaches, plums
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, or pecans
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine fruit with granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and orange juice. Divide among four 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Drizzle with oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 252 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 1 mg sodium; 179 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 finger-lickens

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches

Used our new gas grill to make this. No picture, but it was good. We'll make it again. 

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large eggplant, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), cut into 12 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• Canola or olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan, or Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 small pieces focaccia bread, or rustic Italian bread
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place eggplant rounds on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Coat both sides lightly with cooking spray. Combine Parmesan (or Asiago) and mozzarella in a small bowl. Brush both sides of focaccia (or bread) with oil.
3. Place spinach in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in the wrap. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Combine tomatoes and 2 tablespoons basil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until bubbling, about 2 minutes.
4. Place all your ingredients on the baking sheet with the eggplant and take it to the grill. Grill the eggplant slices until brown and soft on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill the bread until toasted, about 1 minute per side. Return the eggplant and bread to the baking sheet. Reduce grill heat to medium.
5. Place 1 eggplant round on top of each slice of bread. Layer 1 tablespoon tomatoes, 1 tablespoon wilted spinach and 1 tablespoon cheese on each slice of eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, spinach and cheese. Sprinkle each stack with some of the remaining basil. Place the baking sheet on the grill, close the lid and grill until the eggplant stack is hot and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 291 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 12 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 756 mg sodium; 526 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (38% daily value), Vitamin C (23% dv), Calcium (22% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

Honey Mustard Turkey Burgers

Tim and I have made this many times. I think we got the recipe from one of my low sodium cookbooks.


Mix together equal parts honey and stone-ground mustard. Work 3/4 of the mixture into the ground turkey eventually forming into individual patties. Grill or cook in a pan. Top cooked burgers with remaining honey and mustard mixture.  Fix burger to taste.

Tim tops his burger similar to a normal burger with onion, tomatoes, cheese, pickles, etc.
I like mine with some sliced avocado.

Bruschetta

When I make this, I don't actually do much measuring. You can just eyeball it and it comes out great. If you really like garlic, add more. 

8oz tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped small.

3.oz pitted black olives chopped to same size as toms.

1 fat clove of garlic

4fl. oz of olive oil. ( 1/2 cup) I usually don't use all this.

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspn grain mustard

1tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and/ or basil - can be fresh or 1/2 tspn dried basil.

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Chop toms and olives.
2. In bowl put crushed garlic, salt, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and a good seasoning of black pepper and whisk thoroughly.
3. About 1/2 hr before serving whisk then add the toms, olives and chopped parsley and or basil. Let sit at room temp before using.
4. Can be stored in 'fridge but allow to sit at room temp before serving.



We also eat this warm on bread by toasting it in the oven or toaster oven. You can add a bit of cheese as well, but really is not needed.


Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a picture.

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

INCREDIBLE!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. rubbarb

2 pints strawberries

2 frozen pie crusts

1/2 c of sugar

1/4 c of cornstarch (I didn't use quite this much.)

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

 2. Defrost pie crusts. Place one pie crust upside down on saran wrap. 

3. Chop rubbarb. Half and destem strawberries.

4. Mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl until fruit in well coated.

5. Mound the mixture in the pie crust. 

6. Flatten the other pie crust onto the saran wrap. Place on top of mixture. Fold edge of top crust under crust. 

7. Use a fork to press the edges together. Do not cut entirely through the pastry. (You can also flute edges. I don't know how to do it, and my mom said it is too hard to explain in an e-mail.)

8. Use a sharp knife to cut v's or slits into the top crust in order to let steam escape.

9. Mix an egg with a tablespoon of milk. Brush the mixture overtop the top crust.

10. Place in over. Bake at 400 F 10-15 minutes. Bake at 375 F for the remaining time. After 30 minutes at 375, check to make sure the edges are not getting to brown. If they are wrap the edge in foil. I believe my pie took about 50 minutes total to bake. 

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

"One of the best fruit pies I have ever had."

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my favorite type of cookies. Now I couldn't remember if I had ever made these from scratch. I thought I had, but couldn't remember what recipe I may have used. So, I broke out the trusty Joy of Cooking. I couldn't be happier with the choice. They turned out to be have the perfect amount of chewiness.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together:

1  3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat in a large bowl until well blended:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2  1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in:

3 1/2 c of old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c of chocolate chips

Shape the dough into generous 1 1/2 in. balls and place about 2 in. apart on the cookie sheets. Flatten the balls into 1/2 in. thick rounds. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are slightly brown all over, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remover to a rack to cool. 

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

"But not as good as the pie."

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

O.K. another recipe from Eating Well. I can't help it. Everything on their site looks so good.
I was looking for a vegetarian dish since I felt like a lot of our dinners involved meat lately. This meal was appealing, because you can throw it all in a pan and it cooks up quickly. I never had chard before. It had a similar taste to cooked spinach, but a bit stronger with more texture.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 
  
  

  PREPARATION

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.  (After reading other people's comments about this recipe, I decided to boil the gnocchi instead and then add when the mixture is simmering. No regrets.)
  2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 325 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 616 mg sodium; 360 mg potassium.
  Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (50% daily value), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium & Iron (19% dv).
  3 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
  
  
  HUBBY RATING: 8 out of 10

Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

As I'm sure you notice, the presentation of this tacos is a little strange. Well the recipe tells you to put the corn tortillas in the oven for 10 minutes. Well, I may have gotten a bad batch or maybe it was the directions, but they were so dried out and gross. As I looked frantically around the house for something else to use, I remembered we had some spinach flatbreads. They served their purpose, but next go round I will get better tortillas and will not put them in the oven. Click here to see a better picture.

ingredients

• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 recipe Fresh Tomato Salsa
• 8 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning (Used a Southwestern seasoning instead)
• 1 lb. medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined (I used the precooked frozen kind)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in heavy foil. Heat in preheated oven 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Fresh Tomato Salsa; set aside.  (I would not put them in the oven.)
2. In a bowl toss beans with 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning. In another bowl toss shrimp with remaining 1/2 teaspoon seasoning. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add shrimp to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque.
3. To serve, fill each warm tortilla with about 1/3 cup shrimp and green bean mixture. Serve with salsa. Makes 4 servings (2 tortillas each plus 2/3 cup salsa)
4. Fresh Tomato Salsa: In bowl combine 1 1/2 cups chopped, seeded tomato; 1 cup chopped, seeded cucumber; 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions; 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro; 3 Tbsp. lime juice; and 1/4 tsp. salt.

HUBBY RATING: 6 out of 10

"Not a whole lot of flavor."

Cucumber Salad and Sangria

For Fourth of July, I made Cucumber Salad using cucumbers from our garden.  I left the leftovers and made another batch the next day. We only had red onions which turned out o.k. but a bit too strong for my taste.
Here is a picture of the second time.

Serves 6 Recipe from Recipeezaar

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar (I include all of it.)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (I used fresh baby dill.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. 
   
   

   1

   In a mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, sugar, vinegar, dill, salt and pepper.
2. 
   
   

   2

   In a separate large mixing bowl, toss together cucumbers and onions.
3. 
   
   

   3

   Pour sour cream mixture over top and mix together.
4. 
   
   

   4

   Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

I also made Sangria.Unfortunately I did not take a picture. Over the past couple of years I've played around with different sangrias but I stuck to a traditional Sangria for the 4th. 

I used Shiraz, triple sec, and fresh lime, lemon, and orange juice as well as the fruit. I soaked the oranges in some triple sec overnight and poured it all in with the Shiraz and lemon, lime, and orange wedges. It is best served cold.


HUBBY RATING: Both a 10 out of 10

Grilled Steak with Lemon Butter Sauce on Texas Toast

Here I sit again out on the deck in my new favorite spot,our new lounging chair, with my laptop ready to blog about our latest meal. Tim and I don't eat red meat very often, but we do enjoy cooking up some steak about once a month. Today's recipe did not feel like a weekday meal at all, but to be enjoyed on the weekend. It made it that much more special.

Hard to really see how it came out due to the amount of broccoli, but they do say it's important to eat your vegetables.

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 "It was a unique taste." 

*Disclaimer: It may have been unique, because I think I used too much lemon and garlic. Can you really use too much garlic?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon whipped or regular butter, slightly softened
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, or shallot  (We used chives.)
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped (Left out.)
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram, or oregano, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided  (Didn't use all of this. It was too much.)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, (1 minced, 1 peeled and halved) (Ha, used more than this.)
• 1 pound filet mignon, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions  (We didn't use filet mignon. This would work for any cut.)
• 4 slices whole-grain bread
• 4 cups watercress, trimmed and chopped (Did not use, because we couldn't find it at the grocery store.)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Mash butter in a small bowl with the back of a spoon until soft and creamy. Stir in 2 teaspoons oil until combined. Add chives (or shallot), capers, 1 teaspoon marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and place in the freezer to chill.
3. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 2 teaspoons marjoram (or oregano), 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, rosemary and minced garlic in a small bowl. Rub on both sides of steak. Rub both sides of bread with the halved garlic clove; discard the garlic.
4. Grill the steak 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill the bread until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Divide watercress among 4 plates. Place 1 toast on each serving of watercress and top with steak. Spread the herb butter on top of the steaks and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare herb butter (Step 2), wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 303 calories; 14 g fat (5 g sat, 6 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 5 g fiber; 438 mg sodium; 462 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (46% daily value), Selenium (44% dv), Vitamin C (28% dv), Iron (17% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Again Today's meal was found at Eating Well.

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil

Now Tim and I make salmon pretty regularly, and it always tastes good. We usually cook it in some lemon butter sauce or olive oil, salt, and pepper. And we usually broil it, but this time to stick with the recipe we grilled it. In no way did this recipe disappoint. It made a great meal served up with some fresh steamed broccoli. 

I can't wait to make this when our tomatoes are ripe and our basil ready to snip. 

Here is the whole fillet before we served it. 

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil 
Makes: 4 servings 
Active time: 30 minutes | Total: 30 minutes 
This recipe is so beautiful and yet so simple to prepare—it’s perfect for entertaining. You just spread a side of salmon with minced garlic, sprinkle with fresh basil, then layer sliced tomatoes on top. Put it on the grill for 10 minutes and you’re done! Shopping Tip: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, seafoodwatch.org.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole wild salmon fillet (also called a “side of salmon,” about 1 1/2 pounds; see Shopping Tip, above)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Mash minced garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife or a spoon until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil. 
3. Check the salmon for pin bones and remove if necessary (see Tip, below). Measure out a piece of heavy-duty foil (or use a double layer of regular foil) large enough for the salmon fillet. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil and spread the garlic mixture all over it. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup basil. Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. 
4. Transfer the salmon on the foil to the grill. Grill until the fish flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Use two large spatulas to slide the salmon from the foil to a serving platter. Serve the salmon sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.

Per serving: 248 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 80 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 35 g protein; 1 g fiber; 367 mg sodium; 799 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Potassium (23% daily value), Vitamin A (22% dv), Vitamin C (18% dv), Magnesium (15% dv).

Recipe taken from Eating Well

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 finger-lickins

"Restaurant Quality."

Chocolate Cheerio Treats

Just leftovers for dinner tonight. So much taco meat still remaining. Instead I made, chocolate cheerio treats aka rice krispie treats but with cheerios instead of rice krispies. They were good, but need some work. I saw a recipe to add hazelnuts. Looks and sounds good.

Here is a picture.

Ingredients

1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups chocolate cheerios
a little less than a 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows

1. Spray a 13X9 inch pan with non-stick.
2. Melt butter in large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in vanilla. Stir in cheerios until well coated. Using lightly buttered spatula, pour into prepared pan. Using a piece of wax paper sprayed with non-stick, pat down the cheerios so that it’s flat.
4. Allow mixture to cool.

HUBBY RATING: 8 out of 10 finger-lickins

Crockpot Taco Shredded Chicken

I decided to make chicken for tacos in the crockpot. The result was some seriously tender and juicy meat.

Not pretty, but tastes good.

Shredded Crockpot Chicken

1. Place chicken breast in crockpot.
2. Sprinkle Taco Seasoning over chicken.
3. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth. (You can use water too.)
4. Pour in 1 cup of salsa.

Because of time, I cooked the chicken on high for 4 1/2 hours. We have a smaller crockpot. Other recipes recommended cooking it for 8 hours on low.

HUBBY RATING : 9 out of 10 finger-lickins when compared to making it in the skillet.


"It would be better if you just put it on a bun and ate it as a sloppy joe."




Here are the tacos all done up.

 I used some of the leftover corn, bean, onion, tomato mixture from the pizza a couple of nights ago. They would be better with a soft shell. I found the chicken tender but a bit too salty for my taste. I did use reduced sodium chicken broth. I may use water next time, buy different seasoning, or make my own seasoning to make it less salty.

Breaded and Baked Drumsticks

I made drumsticks tonight breaded using mayo, mustard and some other ingredients. They were yummy, but the breading didn't stick to the chicken as well as I would have liked.  I'll have to try something different next time, but I would definitely make these again. 

Hubby Rating: 7 out of 10 finger-lickins

Breaded and Baked Chicken Drumsticks Recipe

Recipe adapted from a Deviled Drumsticks recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2001.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives or green onion greens
• Salt
• 6 large chicken drumsticks, about 1 1/3 lbs
• Olive oil

METHOD

1 Place rack on upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

2 Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Mix together the breadcrumbs and minced chives in a separate medium bowl.

3 Sprinkle each drumstick with salt. One by one, dip each drumstick in the mayonnaise mixture, turning to coat. Then dip the drumstick in the breadcrumbs mixture, turning to coat. Place the drumsticks on the prepared roasting pan.

4 Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked through, and juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife.

Serves 4-6.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/breaded_and_baked_chicken_drumsticks/