Eggs in Purgatory

This is one of my all-time favorite breakfast recipes-I could eat it for lunch & dinner too!  We generally have ours over toasted english muffins or Ezekiel bread instead of tortillas, and omit the avocado.  I also scale back the cilantrao a little bit.  This comes from WholeFoodsMarket.

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño pepper
1 Anaheim or small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
Red chile powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
4 to 6 cage-free eggs
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 lime, cut into wedges
Hot sauce to taste
4 corn tortillas, warmed

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, chile powder, garlic powder and cilantro; simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in lime juice and vinegar.

Carefully purée sauce in blender, in batches if necessary, then return to pan. Add enough broth to thin out the sauce, then bring to a simmer. Crack eggs into sauce, leaving space between each egg. Cover and poach eggs until egg whites are opaque and yolks are light yellow, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to plates and serve topped with avocado and cheese. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and serve with hot sauce and tortillas on the side.

Crepes

This recipe is straight out of the new Weight Watchers Points Plus cookbook-but you'd NEVER know it.  My favorite way to serve this is alongside a plate of cut-up fruit, so that the man & I can pick and choose how to eat them.  He likes bananas, I like strawberries.  These are so easy, and be prepared so many different ways.  Sorry I have no original picture; we ate these too fast!

Crepes

1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 TSP ground nutmeg
1/4 TSP salt
1 C fat-free milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1.  Whisk together flour, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl.  Beat together milk and eggs in small bowl.  Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until smooth.  Let stand 15 minutes.

2.  Spray 8-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat until drop of water sizzles in pan.  Re-stir batter; pour scant 1/4 cupful of batter into skillet, tilting pan to coat bottom completely.  Cook until top is set and underside is golden brown, about 1& 1/2 minutes.

3.  With spatula, loosen edge of crepe and turn over.  Cook until second side is lightly browned, about 25 seconds.  Slide crepe onto plate.  Repeat with remaining batter, lightly spraying skillet before adding more batter, making a total of 8 crepes.

Crab & Broccoli Chowder

I have no idea where this recipe is from-I saved it onto my computer such a long time ago.

Here's how the recipe is written (you'll see my alterations at the end):

1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets (about 1 small head)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed peeled red potato (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of hot sauce
3 (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry

Steam broccoli, covered, 2 minutes or until tender.

Place a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add potato and next 8 ingredients (potato through broth); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until tender.

Place 3 cups potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Add puree back to potato mixture in pan; stir well.

Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk; stir with a whisk until blended. Add to potato mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in cheese. Add broccoli, crabmeat, lemon juice, and sherry; cook until thoroughly heated.

 

My notes: I had no broccoli, potatoes, or cheddar cheese on hand.  I did have lots of cauliflower, and monterey and pepper jack.  I steamed two large heads of cauliflower.  I didn't use a substitute for the potatoes, but at the end of the 30 minute simmer, I added the cauliflower into the dutch oven and pureed the entire mixture in my food processor.  I didn't have 2% milk, but I had heavy cream and skim milk, so I used 1/2 cup of the cream and 2 cups of the milk.  Lastly, I used monterey jack instead of the cheddar, and threw in a few teaspoons of a cajun seasoning.  My version is probably better, because it's absolutely delicious.


[show with Penzey's 4Special Seasoned Salt]

Cheesy Baked Grits

I made these for our family dinner on Sunday night (which was awesome!)  There isn't much leftover, so I think they were a success.  They are super unhealthy, but delicious.  If you don't think you even like grits-try cooking them this way.  My friend Zoe passed the recipe along to me, which is from 'The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.'

Cheesy Baked Grits
-2 TBSP unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
-1 onion, minced
-1 TSP salt
-4 1/2 C water
-1 1/2 C heavy cream
-3/4 TSP Tabasco
-1 1/2 C old-fashioned grits
-8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
-4 large eggs, lighly beaten
-1/4 TSP pepper

1.  Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with butter; set aside.  Melt 2 TBSP butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the water, cream, and Tabasco.  Bring to a boil.

2.  Pour the grits into the boiling liquid in a very slow stream while whisking constantly in a circular motion to prevent clumping.  Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Cook, stirring often and vigorously (make sure to scrape the corners of the pot), until the grits are thick and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.  Off the heat, whisk in 1 cup of the cheddar, the eggs, and pepper.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar over the top.  Bake until the top is browned and frits are hot, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Couscous-Stuffed Chicken

My favorite part of the day is figuring out what's for dinner! This one was an awesome success.  They key to any dish like this, in my opinion, is a really high quality olive oil.  Another recipe where I can't credit the source and I apologize!

1/3  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4  cup  uncooked couscous
1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
3  tablespoons  chopped plum tomato
2  tablespoons  kalamata olives, chopped
2  tablespoons  crumbled feta cheese
2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh oregano
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh parsley
1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
1  minced garlic clove
4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat.  Stir in couscous.  Cover and let stand 4 minutes.  Place couscous in a small bowl; fluff with fork.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic); toss.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Divide couscous mixture evenly among breast halves; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook for 6 minutes or until browned; turn chicken over. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

Final verdict-this was GOOD.  Really, really good.  And I skipped the olives.

Things You Should Have on Hand

Let's face it-there's nothing worse than when you have to make MULTIPLE trips to the grocery store each week.  I love to cook, but this would be my least favorite part of the whole process.  To make things easier on myself (and my wallet), I buy staples in bulk when they're on sale.  This is the bare minimum of what I (should) have in my fridge/freezer/pantry:

eggs
skim milk (at least one cup, always)
a pint of heavy cream
container of plain, fat free yogurt
light sour cream
several different block cheeses-at least mozzarella, monteray jack, and cheddar (don't waste the money on shredded cheese-burn extra cals by grating your own)
grated parmesean cheese
block cream cheese
Laughing Cow cheese wedges
low-fat mayo
soy sauce
cilantro
a few stalks of celery
a few loose carrots
3-5 onions
several shallots
gingerroot
lemons
limes
red bell peppers
green bell peppers
jalepeno peppers
lettuce
garlic bulbs (or bottled minced garlic)
scallions
diced tomatoes (at least 4 cans)
chicken broth (at least 10 cups worth)
a few cans each beef & vegetable broth
a few cans each cream of chicken & cream of celery soup
water crackers
whole wheat pasta
several variaties of rice-we currently have basmati, jasmine, and brown minute rice
rice noodles
corn tortillas
several cans pumpkin puree
several cans applesauce
several cans pineapple chunks
several jars medium salsa
several jars plain marinara sauce
hot sauce
molasses
brown sugar
white sugar
white flour
white whole wheat flour
baking soda
baking powder
confectioner's sugar
unsweetened cocoa powder
olive oil
vegetable oil
sesame oil
fish sauce
balsamic vinegar
rice vinegar
red wine vinegar
cider vinegar
marsala wine
cooking sherry

In your freezer...
assorted veggies (tip: if your fresh veggies are about to go bad and you need to use them up-just saute them until slightly softened, throw in a zip loc baggie, and freeze!)
ground beef
ground turkey
b/l, s/l chicken breast
split chicken breast (bone in)
pork tenderloin
fish fillets (tuna & flounder are my favorites)
french fries (for the kids!)
boneless buffalo chicken bites (for the lazy days when you just want a buffalo chicken salad)

On a budget? Try chicken thighs!

Chicken thighs are relatively cheap in your grocery store compared to a lot of other meat.  I buy them at Big Y when they're 'Buy 1, get 2 free' and have a long list of standing recipes that our family loves.  Here's our favorite:

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

-2 TSP garlic powder
-2 TSP chili powder
-1 TSP salt
-1 TSP ground cumin
-1 TSP paprika
-1/2 TSP ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (If you do get skin-on, it's very easy to remove.  And the bones are fine too)
Cooking spray
6 TBSP honey
2 TSP cider vinegar

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat.  Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well.  Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken.  Broil one minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and turn over.  Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture.  Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Homemade French Onion Dip

This is a recipe from my friend Zoe-and it is AMAZING.  Next time you need to bring an appetizer to a party, make this yours!  These notes are hers-'This says slice onions but I dice/chop them before cooking to safe a step.  I also substitute 1 cup plain yogurt for half of the sour cream, and use a mix of red and vidalia onions'.  I've followed her modifications every time I make it.

2-3 TBSP unsalted butter
2 Vidalia onions, sliced into rings
2 large shallots, sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 TSP celery salt
1 TSP Worcestershire sauce
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add butter.  When butter is melted, add onions and saute stirring occasionally until golden brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes.  Add shallots and saute for 15 minutes more until onions and shallots are dark brown.  Add garlic and saute for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 to 6 minutes, then chop into 1/4 inch pieces.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.  Fold in onion mixture.  Chill at least 1 hour of overnight (preferably), prior to serving.  Garnish with fresh chopped chives if desired.

Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa

This is another Cooking Light recipe.  I prepared the salsa yesterday, and poached three chicken breasts in chicken broth and shredded them.  It should be much easier to put together for dinner tonight, as those are the most time consuming steps.  My only notes thus far is that I may have added a bit too much cilantro to the salsa (and may cut it with half a can of diced tomatos), and that I'm not sure I will use the feta cheese. This casserole will make 8 servings at 9 PP per serving.

Ingredients

• Salsa:
• 8  plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 3  garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1  small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1  seeded jalapeño pepper, quartered
• Cooking spray
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
• Casserole:
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1  cup  diced zucchini
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 3  cups  shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
• 1  (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 12  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. To prepare casserole, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.
5. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, starting with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Final Verdict: LOVE this!!  Super filling.

Crab Cakes

This recipe is from the January 2011 edition of Cooking Light.  These are fantastic!  Sorry my pictures do not do the final product any justice.

3 slices white bread (this is a good way to use those end pieces that nobody likes)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 TBSP reduced fat mayonnaise

1 & 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 & 1/2 TSP dijon mustard (I only had plain yellow and it worked out fine)

1 & 1/2 TSP Worcestershire sauce

1/2 TSP black pepper

1/4 TSP hot sauce (I used a full tablespoon)

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed (Shhh...I used imitation crabmeat.  I used a full pound and just flaked the pieces)

1 TSP olive oil

Lemon wedges (for serving)

1.  Place the bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.  Combine breadcrumbs and next 9 ingredients (through crabmeat) in a large bowl.  Divide mixture into 8 equal portions; shape each into a 1/2 inch thick patty.

2.  Heat oil over medicum-high heat in a large skillet.  Add patties; cook four minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Serving size equals 2 cake-5 points plus.

My tips-make sure you wait the full four minutes before flipping.  If the cakes aren't browned on the bottom, they will probably fall apart.  Also, be careful when flipping because they will try to fall apart.  Gently slide the spatula under the cake and flip as quickly as possible.

Enjoy!