Saturday, January 22, 2011

Sweett & Sour Tofu

THURSDAY
Sweet & Sour Tofu


http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet_sour_tofu.html

From EatingWell: October/November 2005, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008), EatingWell Serves Two, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006)
This Chinese-restaurant standard is a simple dish to prepare at home. If you like, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or chile-garlic sauce to give the sauce a little heat.

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks or tidbits, packed in juice
3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
Preparation

Drain and set aside pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Whisk the reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Place tofu in a large bowl; toss with 3 tablespoons of the sauce. Let marinate for at least 5 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add cornstarch to the remaining sauce and whisk until smooth.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the tofu to the pan using a slotted spoon; whisk any remaining marinade into the bowl of reserved sauce. Cook the tofu, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red and green peppers and cook, stirring often, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the reserved sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and pineapple and cook, stirring gently, until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
Nutrition

Per serving : 255 Calories; 12 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 32 g Carbohydrates; 10 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 368 mg Sodium; 537 mg Potassium

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Creole Pork Chops

WEDNESDAY
Creole Pork Chops

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 4


"A homey recipe for pork chops simmered in a savory, chunky tomato sauce. This is also delicious simmered in a slow cooker for 5 or 6 hours."
Ingredients:
4 (1 inch thick) pork chops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions:
1. Coat the pork chops with flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook until browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and add the tomatoes, bell pepper and onion. Season with Worcestershire sauce and salt. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until chops are fork tender

Serve with sauteed green beans and rice

I'm going to modify this somewhat. I'll fry up the pork chops the night before after coming home from the gym. Put them in the fridge and then the next morning I'll put everything together in the crockpot.

Escalloped Chicken & Noodles with green beans

SUNDAY
Slow Cooker Escalloped Chicken

"Stuffing from scratch--just some herbs, bread crumbs chopped celery and onion, bread crumbs--slow cooks with boiled chicken and a creamy mushroom sauce in this tried and true family dinner."
INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - boiled
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup butter
13 cups white bread cubes, baked until slightly dry
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid from chicken
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chopped celery
DIRECTIONS:
1. FOR DRESSING: Combine the onion, butter or margarine, bread cubes, poultry seasoning, salt, sage, pepper, reserved cooking liquid, mushroom soup and celery. Mix well.
2. In a slow cooker, layer the cooked chicken and dressing mixture. Cook on low for 4 to 8 hours. Serve.

Serve with pasta and steamed green beans

Friday, January 14, 2011

Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks with sauteed kale

SATURDAY
Pinto Beans And Ham Hocks
A basic southern-style pinto bean recipe, cooked in the slow cooker.
Ingredients:

2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
2 smoked ham hocks
1 bay leaf
water
Preparation:

Place beans and ham hocks in Crock Pot with bay leaf. Cover with water. Cook 6 to 8 hours on high. No need to season because ham hocks give dish flavor.
Serve with rice

We're going to have sauteed kale. Kale is such a great super food!!! We love it just sauteed with a bit of olive oil, a sliced of chopped up bacon. Just let the kale wilt and serve hot!

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

FRIDAY
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Gourmet | July 1994
Quinoa, though technically a seed in the herb category, has traditionally been considered a valuable member of the grain family. A sacred source of strength for the ancient Incas, it is enjoying as a new popularity here in the United States. The secret of the success of this salad is the steaming of the quinoa. (The traditonal cooking method for quinoa, boiling it in a measured amount of water, does not produce the light, fluffy texture that works so well in a salad.) This dish provides a complete protein and can stand alone as a luncheon or light supper entrée.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as an entrée or 8 as a side dish

1 1/2 cups quinoa (small disk-shaped seeds)*
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

For dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

*available at specialty foods shops and natural foods stores

In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve.
In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.

Make dressing:
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.
Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu

THURSDAY
Crockpot chicken cordon bleu

Crockpot stuffed chicken recipe with Swiss cheese and ham.
Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts (pounded out thin)
4-6 pieces of ham
4-6 slices of Swiss or mozzarella cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (can use any cream soup)
1/4 cup milk
Preparation:

Put ham and cheese on chicken. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Place chicken in the slow cooker/Crock Pot so it looks like a triangle /_\ Layer the rest on top. Mix soup with the milk; pour over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over noodles with the sauce it makes.


Grilled Maple Soy Salmon

TUESDAY
Grilled Maple-soy Salmon

This is a recipe that was originally printed in the Clean Eating magazine. We always love this recipe so we're using it again.
23 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets or steaks (about 4 oz. each)
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp soy sauce


Directions

Place salmon in a large, shallow glass continer. In a small bowl, stir together maple syrup and soy sauce, and brush on both sides of salmon (or on skinless side only, if salmon has skini.), using entire amount. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Place salmon directly on grate over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip with tongs or a spatula and grill for 2 to 3 more minutes, or until salmon is no longer shiny or translucent in the middle. The flesh should be firm and just slightly flaky. Serve immediately.

Number of Servings: 4

Serve with couscous with toasted pine nuts

Crock Pot Barbecued Shrimp with bread

MONDAY
Crockpot Barbecued Shrimp


I got this recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking and it appears she got her idea for this from The Pioneer Woman

INGEDIENTS
-2 pounds fresh raw shell-on shrimp (ask the fish guy for shrimp in the 21-25 per pound size range)
--1 stick of butter (it's a lot, but it was supposed to be 2!)
--1/4 cup olive oil
--1/4 cup gluten free Worcestershire sauce
--1-2 T Tabasco sauce (I used 1 1/2)
--1 tsp ground black pepper
--1 tsp kosher salt
--3 lemons, juiced
--1 T chopped fresh basil

The Directions.

You'll need a 5 to 6 quart crockpot for this meal.
Rinse the shrimp, but don't soak them too much. Dump them into the crockpot.

Add the stick of butter, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. Measure out the tobasco, salt and pepper, and throw that in there, too. Juice the lemons, and add that, and top with the freshly chopped basil. Toss just a bit with a big spoon to mingle the flavors. The butter will be in a big stick, but that's okay.

Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes. You'll know the shrimp is done when it has turned pink, and can be peeled easily. I turned ours off at exactly 2 hours.

Serve with bread to sop up the juice.