Tofu Pad Thai

I am really happy with this recipe. If you ever cook tofu again do it this way!!

So easy and SO good!
Here is what I did:

Drain Tofu
Purchase firm or extra firm tofu
Drain from the storage water and place on a plate on top of 2 paper towels
Top tofu with another 2 paper towels and a second plate
Place a weight on top of the tofu "sandwich"
Leave here for 30min - 1hr

Slice Tofu
I cut mine into 4 steaks

Salt Tofu
Simple, add salt to the surfaces- we used Kosher salt but any salt works

Heat Pan
This is *very important*
TE gets very upset when I do not wait until the pan is fully heated to start cooking

Add Oil
You really only need a little bit

Add Tofu
And cook it! Simple!

I ate mine with quinoa pasta (yum!) and a store-bought pad thai sauce (eh)
We also added scallions and grape tomatoes for some color, enjoy!

Soul Food

I was going through my computer and realized I have some meals that I have not blogged about yet- so here we go!

My ultimate easy-happy meal is pasta with meat sauce. I like beef but really after 7 years of being a vegetarian-- I would be happy eating no beef other than ground beef. I know it is the worst- but I do not care if it is 95%lean- I love it as much as 80%.... maybe...

My favorite part of this meal is the sauce. The noodles are really just a vehicle for sauce.
The diet has taught me that 2oz of pasta is a very small amount-- to get around this, I just add whatever greens I have on hand to bulk up my meal. In this dinner I used petite Brussels sprouts. But anything would work- asparagus, broccoli, green beans.... anything.

Here is the recipe:

Pasta, Veggies and Meat Sauce

1lb 95% lean ground beef
Victoria brand marinara sauce (my personal favorite, feel free to use any variety)
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
Hot pepper flakes to taste

2oz Pasta (Barilla Plus or Ronzoni Smart Taste are my favorites) per serving
1c green veggie per serving


Brown meat in large pan, drain fat
Add sauce, diced tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste
Cook until hot

Cook pasta according to directions, at the last 3-5min of cooking pasta- add the green veggie
Drain

Serve with 1c of sauce and 1oz of shredded Parmesan cheese!

Cashew Chicken Curry

Cardamom Pods

Recipe from Cooking Light

Originally I made this dish for Mel's birthday extravaganza last October. We both love Indian food- but since I am on a diet I figured I could make (with our friend Anisha's contributions) a healthier dinner feast than what we could order at our favorite local restaurant. I made this chicken cashew dish that turned out a bit bland for my liking, so I vowed next time I would use more spice. This time I did-- and it was great! Here is the recipe how I made it:

Serves 6-1c portions (or more if you are eating family style)

Ingredients

1. 2/3 cup cashews, toasted
2. 2/3 cup fat-free Greek-style yogurt
3. 1/4 cup tomato paste (I used one whole small can of paste)
4. 2 tablespoons white vinegar
5. 2 tablespoons garam masala
6. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
7. 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
8. 1 tablespoon ground red pepper,
   
9. 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
10. 1 tablespoon smoked hot paprika
11. 3 crushed cardamom pods
    
12. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
13. 4 -5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces* (about 20 ounces) (I forgot to cut mine this time so after cooking the stew for a while I shredded the meat)
    
14. 2 3/4 cups finely chopped onion (2 large)
15. 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
16. 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick/ I used 1tsp ground cinnamon
17. 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
18. 1 cup organic tomato puree (I used crushed tomato)
    
19. 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
20. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Combine first 12 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Combine nut mixture and chicken in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

As you can see I did this in a bag and it had imperfect coverage of the chicken due to the fact that the marinade is so thick... It did not alter the final product taste though.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, cardamom, paprika, salt and cinnamon stick to pan; cover and cook 10 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring often.

Mmm... onions!

3. Add chicken mixture to pan; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, tomato puree, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 hour or until thick. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired (I do not- eeeww!).

Nutritional Information (approx since I eliminated a few things like half and half, breast meat...)

Calories: 340 (36% from fat)

Fat: 13.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 5.8g,poly 2.6g)

Protein: 36.7g

Carbohydrate: 18.7g

Fiber: 3.8g

Cholesterol: 91mg

Iron: 3.2mg

Sodium: 435mg

Calcium: 83mg

I served this with brown basmati rice with fresh cooked peas!

Snow Day Cooking/Baking

I got busy on Monday after feeling the guilt of doing nothing- busy cooking that is!

First up: Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. TE said it was lacking "something:" which is probably fat, or sausage flavor ;-) Any additional flavors/spices would go great with this- it is a pretty simple garlic flavored bean dip. Note the photo highlights TE's Christmas gift from me- an immersion blender! It was perfect for this use. Sorry for the lame tupperware bowl... I need to work on plating things better that I am showing off on this blog...


Homemade Hummus
1 15oz can of chickpeas
1 medium red bell pepper
1 head of garlic
1tsp olive oil (for roasting garlic)

Roast pepper and garlic/oil in [toaster] oven at 350 for 25min
Peel skin from pepper and remove garlic cloves from head and blend with chickpeas
Season with salt to taste

Next I made an EW recipe for dinner. Pork with mushrooms and thyme. It was yummy and a keeper for my cookbook-in-progress. I served it with a side of quinoa topped with feta cheese and grape tomatoes- mmm!



Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Thyme
2 5-ounce boneless, center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed and pounded to 1/4 inch thick (I bought them thin already- and used only 5oz total)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces)-- I used 10oz baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup dry vermouth (I used 1/4c sherry cooking wine)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dry)

1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to 2 serving plates; tent with foil to keep warm.
2. Swirl oil into the pan, add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add vermouth and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in mustard, thyme and any juices that have accumulated from the pork; cook until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes more. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve immediately.


And finally I made Swag Bars- a recipe makeover from the most recent Cooking Light. I am happy to report that these yummy bars turned out very well considering that I changed almost every ingredient :)

Swag Bars- Liz's Changes

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter (I used chunky)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) chopped lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts (I used a mix of 3oz cashews and 3oz pecans)
3 1/2 cups (4 ounces) whole-grain flaked cereal (such as Total), finely crushed (I used 2.37oz fiber one cereal, and 1.63oz graham crackers)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup (2 ounces) chopped dark chocolate (I used semisweet)

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes or just until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in peanuts and cereal. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
2. Place the dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Drizzle chocolate evenly over peanut mixture (my chocolate didn't drizzle- I had to smear it). Score into 36 bars while warm (I waited until they cooled and it was v. difficult! I used TE's muscle power).

Sesame Crusted Tofu with Shiitake Mushrooms

I am starting from the bottom of the list :)

Sesame Crusted Tofu Sticks with Shiitake Mushrooms

Yield- 6 servings (this made 3 "Liz size" servings- double the nutritional information)

From Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Tofu:
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 (15-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 18 sticks (we only had 12 sticks)
  
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 
  Vegetables:
• 1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushroom caps (about 10 mushrooms)
• 2 cups (2-inch) sliced green onions
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Japanese sweet and sour sauce (such as ABC sauce; optional)

Preparation

To prepare tofu, combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, flour, and sesame seeds in a shallow dish.

Dip tofu, one piece at a time, in egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Return tofu to egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining tofu, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of tofu; cook 4 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and tofu. Keep warm.

To prepare vegetables, pour pineapple juice into pan. Bring to a boil; cook until juice is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan.

Heat pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add shallots, minced garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green onions, tomatoes, and thyme, and cook 1 minute. Stir in pineapple juice and balsamic vinegar, and cook 30 seconds.

Arrange about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture on each of 6 plates; top each serving with 3 tofu sticks. Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sweet and sour sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 253 (29% from fat)

Fat: 8.1g (sat 1.4g,mono 3g,poly 3.1g)

Protein: 12.5g

Carbohydrate: 32.9g

Fiber: 3g

Cholesterol: 36mg

Iron: 3.5mg

Sodium: 846mg

Calcium: 119mg

Chicken Cassoulet

After all those promises I failed to keep you all updated!

So the evening of Yom Kippur KBW made us a fabulous dinner Chicken Cassoulet- I devoured it and highly recommend it! That pan you see in the picture is 4 servings and a TON of food. A great meal and a large volume for big eaters like me!

She got the recipe from EW and here it is:

Cassoulet-Style Chicken Thighs (6 servings)

2- 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed

3/4 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into thirds (she used chicken breasts)

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 pound low-fat turkey kielbasa, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. Put 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remaining beans and set aside.

2. Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until browned, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

4. Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add rosemary, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits, until the wine has reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add broth, water, kielbasa, the reserved beans and chicken; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Top with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley (she put the pan under the broiler for 5min here)

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 370 calories; 13 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 68 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 10 g fiber; 749 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Fiber (41% daily value), Folate (37% dv), Iron (20% dv).

TIP: Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor into coarse crumbs. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup crumbs.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Favorite Burger Recipe

Eating Well is one of my newest favorite magazines. At some point they published a summer BBQ edition, and we have loved one recipe in particular: The Smokey Bison Burger. Below is the recipe as I made it. You can find the original here

As you can appreciate- I do not follow instructions well- but lucky for me the end result is just as amazing as the original (I did follow the instructions the first time!)

Smoky Beef Burger

makes 4 burgers- 225c not including buns or toppings

1lb Ground Beef (93% lean)

1/2c Wild Rice (I get this from Trader Joes)

1/2 Shredded Reduced Fat Smoked Gouda

2T BBQ sauce

1T Paprika

2t Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Kaiser Buns (4)

Sliced Tomato and Onion
Additional BBQ sauce for buns

Mix all ingredients together and form 4 burger patties

Grill to preferred doneness

Enjoy!

*TE and I made these for my birthday camping trip this weekend and they were a hit!

Halibut Recipe

This was a great dinner. TE and I both enjoyed it!

The original recipe is from Cooking Light, and the recipe below is how I made it...

Halibut in a Tomato-Shiitake Broth

Serves 2
400 cal/serving

4 oz Barilla Plus Spaghetti

1t olive oil

1t bottled minced garlic

1 2/3 cups bottled clam juice

2t red curry paste (I used a mild Indian curry paste instead)

1 pint thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 3.5oz of mushrooms)

1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained

crushed red pepper

1lb halibut steak

2T jarred chopped basil

salt

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
While noodles cook, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add garlic; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly.

Add clam juice and curry paste, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and pepper to pan; bring to a simmer.

Add fish

Cover and cook 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork (mine took about 15min).

Serve over noodles.
Enjoy!

Friday Night Stew

I successfully made a beef stew about one month ago for a small dinner party, and it was great. I basically threw whatever I had available into a slow-cooker in the morning before leaving for work, and when I returned home, dinner was ready for the party! Totally easy!

I wanted to make the recipe again last week for another after work gathering, but I have been recording my recipes on a few different computers-- so when I was ready to make the stew again, I could not remember which computer had the original recipe. Remembering that I basically threw everything together I figured, "How hard could this be? It was not that long ago..." (*I was also running late for work, as usual, so I did not have time to hunt down original web recipe)

This is the most recent recipe

Beef and Mushroom Stew
7 servings- 242cal each

1.5lb Lean Stew Beef

1 medium potato (412g)4 Carrots (223g)

2c Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms

1.25c Victoria brand marinara sauce

1- 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with green chili (juice and all)

2 small onions (210g)

1/3c Worcestershire Sauce

Pepper, Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning, and salt to taste

1c Beer (*I was leaving the house when TE asked me which beer I used for the stew- I forgot to add beer- so I ran to the fridge and selected a Magic Hat Spring 08 -at his recommendation)

This recipe has very little liquid added. That did not cross my mind as a problem until I was calculating the calories on CRON-o-Meter during the day. I found the other recipe on my laptop, and had a mini-freakout when I realized that the other recipe had 3c of vegetable broth in it!

I had visions of the King clawing his way out of our burned down apartment (dramatic- I now know). Needless to say I finished what I had left at work and rushed home to save my puppy. As you can all appreciate in my before and after photos, the recipe did not need another drop of liquid! I do not know where it came from but it was perfectly stewed and there was no fire or burning puppy!

Having left work early, I time though to thoroughly clean my apartment, walk/play with the King, and make some CR friendly snacks! Gotta love the crock-pot....

Serving Note: I served this stew with 1/2c barley, sliced sourdough baguette (for the non-CR), and a hearty red wine (red zinfandel). Mmmm.

Pasta Recipe

I know I have a lot of catching up to do but I wanted to start updating my faithful readers with recipes that I have been making so I do not get too bogged down later.
I should be working right now but this seems more important :)



Pasta with Grape Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
(from Cooking Light- serves 1- approx 300cal)

2oz Barilla Plus Rotini (it seems like a tiny amt)- cooked without fat
1/2c Grape tomatoes quartered
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp dry basil
Hot pepper flakes to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable broth
1 Tbsp goat cheese

Boil pasta
Heat garlic, tomatoes, hot peppers and broth in frying pan (2-3min)
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, mix with basil and goat cheese
Add in garlic/tomato mix
Stir and enjoy!

I could not believe how good this tasted. This is going to be a regular for sure!