Foodie Friday -- Tacos

Originally, I had nothing for y'all since we were eating lefties and making quickie meals all week, such as taco meat and Wanchai Ferry Orange chicken. Package meals serve their purpose provided you add your own meat and veg. That way you have control over the quality and quantity of the added ingredients. Some of you might not have as large of a selection of spices that I do and McCormick has a few new products that provide you with the herbs and spices needed to make a particular dish. All you have to do is add the meat and veg.

Yes, you can simply buy a package of taco seasoning, but then you have to try different products to see which one works for you (I'm a fan of McCormick's HOT taco seasoning). Or you can make your own. I tend to double it and make 2 pounds of taco meat because it freezes well. Try to find 90% lean ground beef or less. I've never tried ground turkey, but with all the seasonings in it your family probably wouldn't know the difference unless you told them!

Taco Meat

1 lb. ground beef

1 Tbls. dried minced onion

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3 Tbls. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

cayenne pepper

3/4 cup water

Brown ground beef, drain fat. Add onion and spices, stir to coat. Add water and bring to simmer. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Adjust seasonings according to taste.

We tend to leave it a little on the wet side instead of cooking until dry.

All you need are crispy tacos or flour tortillas, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa. Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Veal Cutlets w/Mushrooms and Tomatoes

When I went to the store after we came home from vacation, I bought all sorts of meat. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to fix, but I was feeling the urge to be the next Master Chef. One the items that I picked up was a package of veal cutlets, thinking I might make some sort of recipe with them. I also had mushrooms and tomatoes. So I flipped through my huge recipe collection and found a few cutlet recipes that would work nicely. I picked this one because there was no heavy cream in the sauce.  I ran it through the Weight Watcher recipe builder and it was quite reasonable in the point’s values. To lighten it even more, use olive oil cooking spray instead of olive oil.

Remember, I’m still watching what I eat as I lose weight.  I’ll still watch my weight after I lose it all, but especially when I’m in the losing phase.

Veal Cutlets with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

4 Tbls olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
¾ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
12 oz. plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1 lb. veal cutlets
All purpose flour

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

Heat 2 Tbls. oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary; stir 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Cover pan and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and sauté until mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Heat 1 Tbls. oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of veal. Sauté until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer veal to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remain oil and veal, remove veal to platter when done.

Add broth and wine to same skillet. Boil until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes. Add mushroom mixture and stir to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over veal and serve.

4 servings

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Pasticcio (Greek Lasagne)

First things first, I joined Weight Watchers this last weekend. Does this mean I’ll only post ‘healthy’ food recipes?

Heck, no!  The key is moderation while eating a lot of veg. If you have a big breakfast odds are good you’ll only have enough points left for a light lunch and dinner.

I’ve been on the program before. I’ve lost weight before. But I seem to keep losing my way when it’s time to forge out on my own in maintenance land. This time, I won’t allow myself to get stuck.  Though I’m not paid employee of Weight Watches, I am a total fan. I really like this new program—It’s balanced. You eat real food, not purchased stuff—and their E-tools online program is AMAZING! It helps that their points system allows more food and most fruits and vegetables are free!  Oh, you still have to fight the cravings, find ways to distract yourself from trolling the pantry and fridge, and exercise, yes, the dreaded exercise word! I enjoy walking. I always have, so I’m walking for 35 minutes during my kidlet’s swim camp this last week and this coming week, then I’ll have to switch it up.

Today’s pick of the week is . . .

Pasticcio (Greek Lasagna)

Tori Carrington kindly gave me her family’s recipe. I found the noodles at our local Greek festival with the help of a Greek grandmother, who was a funny cliché of herself. I couldn’t find the cheese, but Parmesan is suggested as an alternative.

Beef mixture:

1 Tbls olive oil
2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 whole cloves
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Noodles:

1 lb. Pasticcio noodles (long tubular noodles)
1 Tbls. salt
1 cup grated Kefalotiri cheese (or Parmesan)

Béchamel Sauce:

½ cup butter, (1 stick)
¾ cup flour
4 cups hot milk
Salt
Pepper
Dash of nutmeg (optional)
1 cup grated Kefalotiri cheese (or Parmesan)
4 egg yolks

Grated Kefalotiri or Parmesan cheese

Beef mixture: Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the ground beef, onion and garlic until slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook over medium heat for approximately twenty minutes.

Noodles: Cook the pasticcio in salted boiling water until soft but firm. Drain and return to pan.

Béchamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan; add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the milk all at once, and stir until the sauce is smooth. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and egg yolks.

Sprinkle a 9 X 13 Pyrex pan with grated Kefalotiri or Parmesan and put in half of the pasticcio. Sprinkle with Kefalotiri or Parmesan and cover with half the beef mixture. Repeat with the rest of the pasticcio, beef mixture and Kefalotiri. Spoon béchamel over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Cook in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let settle for 20 minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Kali Orixi!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Garlic Beef Enchiladas

As much as I love this recipe, my daughter hates it. But too bad, so sad.  Okay, I do cave and give her a cheese enchilada instead of the meat.  I used to make enchiladas out of the entire batch, but found I didn’t like the way they reheated. The meat filling and sauce freeze quite nicely. Just thaw and reheat the meat in the microwave until warm. The sauce I warm up on the stove. If it has thickened up too much, just add a little beef broth to thin.

I have no idea where I got this recipe. It isn’t from Bon Appetit, but it is from a magazine. And I don’t usually buy any food magazines, EXCEPT Bon Appetit.  It says A TASTE OF HOME COLLECTOR’S EDITION. This recipe was a runner-up.  So if that makes sense and you KNOW where I picked this recipe up, I’ll add it to my notes.

FYI: the entire bulb of garlic is called a ‘head’, which breaks down into ‘cloves’. Cloves vary in size from monster (from the outside of the head) to small and thin (inner part of clove). Use your best judgment and your family’s garlic tolerance to guide you!

Though I don’t normally premeasure my spices when I cook, I would recommend do it for this recipe as everything happens quickly.

I also will make recipes EXACTLY as it is written for the first time. Then I’ll adjust the seasonings accordingly. I usually lean toward the heavier end of the spices listed.

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

FILLING

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbls. flour

1 Tbls. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. rubbed sage

1 can (14 ½ ounces) stewed tomatoes (I don’t usually have this in my pantry. Diced tomatoes work just as well)

SAUCE:

4-6 garlic cloves, minced (2-3 for my family)(I also use a garlic press instead of mincing)

1/3 cup butter or margarine

½ cup flour

1 can (14 ½ ounces) beef broth

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 to 2 Tbls. chili powder

1 to 2 tsp. ground cumin

1 to 2 tsp. rubbed sage

½ tsp salt

10 flour tortillas (7-inches, soft taco size) microwave slightly to soften

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Jack cheese

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add flour and seasonings; mix well. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, sauté garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until bubbly. Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings; heat through. If sauce is lumpy, pull out your handy-dandy immersible blender (hand blender) and blend away.

Pour about 1 ½ cups sauce into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish. Spread about ¼ cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 Tbls. cheese. Roll up tightly; place seam side down over sauce. Okay, the measurements are for ‘official’ purposes, just put the amount that feels right and allows you to roll the tortilla.

Cover and bake at 350 F degrees for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Cottage Pie (meat entree)

Quite a few years ago when our daughter was two going on three, we traveled to Disney World—mainly to take advantage of their ‘kids under 3’ are free policy.  She was potty trained and a real trooper. We did take an umbrella stroller that first year, but in the years afterwards she walked or Daddy carted her on his back.  Even today at the grand age of ten, she’ll fuss and complain when we walk around the block, but take her to an amusement park and she leaves us in the dust!

Our first night at Disney, we had reservations at the Rose and Crown Pub at EPCOT.  We were eating when a waiter came up to use and asked if our daughter wanted to start the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth a laser/fireworks show on the lake. Of course, neither my hubby nor I thought to bring a camera! Rachel held the wand, and when told to point it over the lake, she did. A single flare burst out and the 12-minute show started. Though we were unable to document it with pictures, it was truly an experience.

Out of the Cooking with Mickey cookbook with only slight modifications:

Rose and Crown’s Cottage Pie

¼ cup butter

1 cup onion, diced

1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef

Salt

Pepper

¼ tsp, savory, ground

1 cup brown gravy (McCormick’s brown gravy mix works best)

2 cups potatoes, mashed (I always have boxed potato flakes to use)

Grated cheddar cheese

Heat butter in 9-in. skillet. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add beef, salt, pepper, and savory and continue cooking 5 minutes longer. Stir in gravy and heat until bubbling. Spoon mixture into a buttered 8-cup flat casserole dish. Top meat mixture with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Spaghetti Meat Sauce

This recipe originated from a Sunset Pasta cookbook--though it’s nothing like the original. 

Wine is used in this recipe, but don’t use wine you wouldn’t drink. And if you don’t drink wine, then omit it and use water instead.  I’ve cooked this so many times that the ONLY thing I actually measure is the salt.

If you use a different brand of tomatoes, you might need to experiment with the salt AND the sugar.  If the tomatoes are too acidic, more sugar might be needed.  Sausage varies in salt content also, so I might want to taste a cooked piece prior to adding the seasonings.

We tend to serve this thick meat sauce over basic thin spaghetti noodles, but I have also used this sauce as the meat layer in a lasagna recipe.  Serve with Caesar salad, a nice glass of red wine (hey--the bottle’s already open!) and a heated loaf of bread (neo-Tuscan boule or roasted garlic artisan loaf) to wipe up the sauce on your plate.

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

2 Tbls olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

2 med carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed

1 can diced tomatoes (Hunts)

2 cans tomato sauce (Hunts)

½ cup dry red wine

2 tsp salt

1 Tbls sugar

¼ tsp pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper (cayenne)

1 tsp EACH dry rosemary, oregano leaves, and dry basil

1 bay leaf

½ lb sliced mushrooms

Heat oil in large stock pot (6-8 qt), until shimmery. Add and sauté vegetables for 3-4 minutes.  Add meat and cook until brown, breaking up sausage into large chunks, drain any liquid.  Add rest of ingredients EXCEPT mushrooms and bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and allow sauce to simmer for an hour.  Add mushrooms, and cook for 10 more minutes while salted water is heating for pasta.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Swedish Meatballs

My daughter requested that I post this Swedish Meatball recipe today.  This is another one of my mom’s recipes that I copied from her file, but have no idea where she got it.  I’m sure I could call her and ask, but I’m too lazy today.  If I had to hazard a guess, it came from an old Women’s Day magazine. UPDATE: I called my mom and she doesn’t remember either, but give the woman some slack because she picked up the recipe 40-50 years ago. 

And I have another sad thing to report.  Zwieback crackers, which used to be teething crackers Nabisco made, are no longer available.  But I found a zwieback recipe if you’re interested. And as they are twice baked cookies, a light cinnamon biscotti might work or Progresso panko bread crumbs.

Swedish Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef

½ lb. ground veal

½ lb. ground pork

¾ cup Zwieback crumbs, finely grated (or alternative)

1 cup light cream

1 cup water (or less—wait to add)

¼ cup minced onions

½ cup butter

1 Tbs. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. nutmeg

2 egg yolks

Soak crumbs in cream. Stir in water and mix with meat. Fry onion lightly in 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add to the meat with the seasonings and egg yolks. Mix well. Shape into very small balls (1-inch). Fry in remaining butter over low heat. Shake pan occasionally.

Serve over bed of cooked egg noodles, surrounded by border of fried onions.

This recipe also makes an awesome meatloaf!  We usually cook 1/3 of the recipe as meatballs and the rest as a meatloaf.

350 degrees for 1-1 ½ hours

Enjoy this with a nice salad or green beans.
Bon Appetit!

I think I'm going to have a hard time getting online this week, so I'm preparing some yummy food for you.

Bon Appetit!

MAG

This was originally from a Weight Watcher’s cookbook, so the recipe has already been leaned up.  If pork isn't in your diet, try this with pounded chicken breasts or veal--just remember to adjust the cooking time! 

Serve with wild rice and a fresh green salad.

Braised Pork Chops

1 tsp. vegetable oil or cooking spray (PAM)

4 5-oz lean pork loin chops--thinly cut no more than ½ inch thick

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, minced

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup dry sherry

¼ tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crumbled

¼ tsp. cracked black pepper

½ cup nonfat cream cheese, softened

¼ cup skim milk

1) In medium nonstick skillet, heat oil, and add pork chops.  Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, about 2 minutes per side or until brown on both sides. Remove pork chops from skillet; set aside.

2) In same skillet, add mushrooms and onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 8-10 minutes until vegetables are golden brown. Stir in broth, sherry, rosemary and pepper.  Bring to liquid to boil.  Add browned pork chops; baste with liquid in skillet.  Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, basting occasionally with liquid in skillet, for 30 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through and very tender.

3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese and milk and beat until smooth.

4) Stir cheese mixture into pork chop mixture; cook until just heated through (do not boil). Place pork chop on plates and top each portion with an equal amount of vegetable mixture.