Tag Archives: garlic

Tricolor Quinoa w/Roasted Garlic and Broccoli

Once again I have found a new “color” for quinoa! I was in Whole Foods looking for the red one and they didn’t have it. I did discover a really cool looking one though. Tricolor Quinoa!  So pretty, tiny grains of red, white and black. So I figured I’d give it a try. Delicious! As usual! This time I made it with some roasted garlic and fresh broccoli. So yummy!! And I keep forgetting that a little goes a long way. I made a cup of quinoa and it’s enough for two meals. It’s just me and my husband and we just love it, fresh or leftover! First night we had it with t-bone steaks that we grilled on the barbecue and tonight it is being served with roasted chicken! It’s a very versatile side dish!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup tricolored quinoa

2 cups water or chicken broth

6-8 cloves of roasted garlic, roughly chopped

1 bunch of broccoli crowns chopped into small pieces

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium pot add water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered. Simmer until all liquid is gone.

2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan heat olive and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli and sauté for about 5-10 minutes. Place broccoli mixture on a cutting board and chop finely.

3. Add broccoli mixture to cooked quinoa and mix well. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Spicy Crab Dip

Long time no post! I’m still trying to get in the routine of blogging when I get home from work. Being I don’t get home till 7pm it’s been tough. But I am determined to get back into this everyday, again. Today’s recipe I found through Taste of Home magazine. I had gotten it in an email. I used to get the magazine but have had to cut back so now I just get emails. This recipe is simple, quick, low-calorie and delicious! Plus it won’t break the bank. It uses the imitation crabmeat but feel free to use the real stuff if you want! I also substituted light mayonnaise and light cream cheese for the full fat ones. Again, feel free to use the regular kind. It can be served with crackers or veggies. Your choice! Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

2 packages (8 ounces each) light cream cheese, cubed

1 pound imitation crabmeat, chopped


 DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the crabmeat, mix well.

2. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly. Serve warm with crackers or vegetables.

Makes 4 cups

Red Quinoa w/Broccoli & Feta Cheese

Well I’m now in my third week of the new job. Still exhausted from standing for 8 hours a day, in shoes! The blogs won’t be done every day as before but I am working on it.

I had some red quinoa in the pantry and since we haven’t had it in a while I came up with a quick side dish. I had just bought some fresh broccoli so I incorporated it into the mix. This was a pretty simple recipe and it came out great. We have enough for leftovers! I served it with roasted chicken breasts and it was delicious. We prefer to eat it hot/warm but it can also be eaten cold. It’s your choice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water or chicken broth

2 cups chopped broccoli florets

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons roasted garlic butter (see recipe)

½ cup fat-free crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan add the rinsed quinoa and water/broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 20-25 minutes. Or until all the liquid is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile  in a medium saucepan add the olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add the chopped broccoli and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and chop finely on a cutting board.

3. Add broccoli and roasted garlic butter to cooked quinoa and mix well, till butter is melted in. Add the feta cheese and mix well. Serve!

Shrimp Salsa

Okay, I need to make another resolution. ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES OF THE FOOD AT MY PARTIES!!! This recipe I have made before but of course it was PB (Pre-Blog). Of course I never took pictures of the food because for the most part, why would I? Well now I will. Even if it’s with my cell phone. But until I make this again I do not have an actual picture of it. Use your imagination.

This week also marks my venture back into the workforce outside my house. I worked at home for 6 years and going back into an office is going to be a bit shocking to my system. So I am trying to get the week’s blogs done earlier so that if I am too tired I will still have the blog. If anything earth-shattering happens that I need to post I will add it to the next day’s blog. And since I may not be near a computer during the day as I am now, I will approve comments when I get home. Please bear with me. I normally don’t like to have to approve all comments but there has been a ton of spam lately and I don’t want anything slipping by. Thanks! So without further ado here is today’s post.

This salsa is a great side dish for the upcoming Super Bowl weekend. It’s easy, fast and very healthy for you! I know, healthy and Super Bowl usually don’t go together but why not? Who says it can’t? It can be served with tortilla chips so it won’t be a shock to the Super Bowl system. I would also suggest using endive leaves as a “chip” to eat this. Very tasty and still crunchy. It’s a very colorful salsa and will be a huge hit.

Photo is for illustrative purposes only. This is not the exact photo for recipe but it's close.

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

1½  cups salsa (your choice)

4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup minced cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until flavors are blended, at least an hour.

Serve with tortilla chips, endive, or whatever you choose.

Scallop & Broccoli Casserole

Well earlier today when I was trying to decide on what recipe to use in today’s blog I was stumped. I did come across a great breakfast dish I found in a magazine while I was in the gym (I read my food magazines while on the LifeCycle). But then I started making dinner with what I found in the fridge and freezer. So that became today’s blog. The final finished picture will be added to the post once it finishes baking!


Well 10 days from today I am returning to the land of the employed. I got a job at AAA South. It is a temporary seasonal position but hopefully it’ll become more. I will be working the reception desk. This will be a huge challenge for me as anyone who knows me, knows “the face”. I will leave it at that. But this job will also take time away from blogging. So I am going to try and get ahead for the first work week anyway. We will see how that works. Because as it is now I am just getting around to the blog and it’s almost 8pm! Imagine when I have a real job! So bear with me  when I start working (Jan.31 to be exact). So here is today’s recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound bay scallops

2 cups cooked brown rice (I like jasmine)

2 cups chopped broccoli, no stems

2 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, chopped (I used French Onion)

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped (Less if you aren’t a fan of garlic! Perish the thought)

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup white wine (any kind you choose)

1 cup Locatelli romano cheese (or any kind of grated parmesan/romano you want)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

TOPPING:

4 tablespoons butter/butter substitute melted

1 cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large heated sauté pan add olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until just tender. Add the chopped Laughing Cow cheese.

2. Add the broccoli and sauté for about 3-5 minutes until all liquid seems to be evaporated. Add the basil, oregano and pepper flakes. Stir. Add ¼ cup of the white wine and sauté for another 5 minutes.

3. Place the rice in a large bowl. Add the veggie mix to the rice.

4. Add the scallops to the pan and cook for a minute or so. Add another ¼ cup of the wine and continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until the scallops are opaque. Add them to the bowl of rice and vegetables.

5. Add the romano cheese to mixture and stir thoroughly. Add to casserole dish of choice.

6. Blend the panko bread crumbs with the melted butter. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.


7. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 45 minutes. Topping should be browned and bubbly.


Easy Steak Marinade

Well today is my birthday. And since it’s my birthday I was thinking of what I wanted for dinner. My husband and I will be going to my favorite restaurant, EVO,  on the weekend but for tonight I needed a dinner plan. Have to eat anyway so it may as well be my favorite, all time, go to dinner. Steak and mashed potatoes. Ever since I was a kid and even when I got older and went away to college I always wanted steak and mashed potatoes for my dinner. So off to the supermarket I went this morning to get a couple of rib eyes. I usually buy ribeyes when they are on sale and stash them in the freezer. So when I went to the supermarket I was beyond shocked at the regular price of them! Needless to say I didn’t get them. I instead went for a steak my Mom used to make for us all the time as kids growing up. Chuck steak. It is much cheaper and it really isn’t all that bad. I used to by them in college too. So I figured why not. And to be on the safe side I will marinate them. I found this marinade in a low-carb recipe cookbook and I’ve used it with several types of beef in the past. It was intended for sirloin but it works for pretty much everything. If it’s too much for what you are using just cut the recipe in half.  So I will be enjoying my steak and mashed potatoes tonight for my birthday! Yum Yum!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

½ cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ medium onion, finely minced

1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ tablespoon wine vinegar

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon spicy brown or Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the water, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and garlic in a large measuring cup or bowl.

2. Place your steak in a large zipper-lock bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Place it on a plate or in a bowl and place in the fridge for at least several hours or overnight if you have time.

3. Remove the steak about 15 minutes before you are ready to cook.


Chinese Chicken Meatball Soup

I’m always looking for a new good soup to try and this is a simple one. Healthy and delicious and fast! This should only take a little more than 30 minutes to prep and cook as long as you have all the ingredients. Soup is always a great “go to” dinner in our house. No matter what time of year it is. Winter or summer soup is a great meal or side dish. This recipe calls for ground chicken breast. If for some reason this turns you off you can always use ground turkey, ground pork or ground beef instead. It also calls for watercress but if you can’t find that or don’t like it you can also substitute kale, bok choy or escarole for it. It will still be delicious! I found this recipe in a Weight Watcher magazine and tweaked it a little, as always.

INGREDIENTS:

48 ounces low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1 pound ground skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch watercress (cleaned and tough stems removed)

6 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)

pinch of kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven bring the broth and salt just to a boil.

2. In the meantime, combine the chicken, hoisin sauce, garlic and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Form into 8 (2″) meatballs or 16 (1″) meatballs.

3. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning often, until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for another 5-6 minutes, till they are cooked through. Shake the skillet occasionally to keep them moving and from sticking.

4. Add the meatballs, watercress and scallions to the hot broth. Stir until the watercress wilts. Serve hot!

Serves 4

Creamy Tomato Soup

Now that the weather is finally cooling down a little bit here I am starting to think of soups more. Yes, even in sunny and warm south Florida our winter’s get cooler and soup is a welcome meal. Now, I was never a big fan of tomato soup but my husband likes it but I am willing to give it a try. This recipe sounds very  good and is pretty easy to make. It makes 10 cups and serves 6. If you want to freeze it for later or make a double batch freeze it before you add the half-and-half. Just add it when you defrost it to use again. When you reheat the soup don’t let it boil either or the half-and-half will curdle. I love sweet things so this soup is great for me. But if you don’t want it too sweet just reduce the sugar in it. This soup is great with a nice crusty loaf of bread or crackers. Make it a delicious meal for dinner or lunch. Top it off with some parmesan cheese also if you like, you know we will! You can also cut the garlic in half as well if you don’t like too much garlic. I of course added more than the recipe originally called for.

Photo is for illustrative purposes only!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tablespoons brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)

Pinch of ground cloves

3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

2 (28- ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup half-and-half (you can also use fat-free to save some calories)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and bay leaf and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cloves. Stir until vegetables are well coated.

2. Add the vegetable broth and tomatoes, bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until smooth. You may have to do it in batches until it’s all blended.

4. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly pour in half-and-half, stirring constantly. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve. Remember not to let the soup boil when reheating or the cream will curdle!

Enjoy!
Makes 10 cups: Serves 6.

She-Crab Soup

Keeping with the Charleston recipes today’s is She-Crab Soup. I have had this soup here in Florida and it was delicious. So creamy and rich and just plain scrumptious! It is not a low-calorie soup but you can lighten it up a bit by substituting some ingredients with their lighter counterparts. But for now I’m leaving the recipe as is. I won’t put in the calories I found on this either. No need. We know it’s high and we’ll leave it at that. Now what is a “she-crab” and why is it in a soup?

The soup is a regional specialty from the South Carolina Lowcountry. It is considered to be the signature dish of Charleston, SC and is featured on the menus of many of the city’s restaurants.

The soup is named for the “She-Crab”, or female crab, originally a gravid crab, heavy with the flavorful orange crab roe that is typically a main ingredient in traditional she-crab soup. You can leave the roe out of this recipe if you wish, nobody will know! I definitely plan on having this while on our little visit and I will be making a lighter version of my own when I get home. I looked through many recipes and formed my own version for this recipe.

If you want to learn a little more on the history of  She-Crab Soup, just click on the link for more information and another version of the recipe. I will add my substitutions after some ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

5 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute)

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or soy flour)

1 small sweet onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 quarts half-and-half (or fat-free half-and-half)

1 pint heavy cream (or light cream)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken broth (fat-free)

1 pound lump crabmeat

3 tablespoons crab roe (optional)

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (my husband would want more I am sure!)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh dill (2 tsp. dried)

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

½ cup sherry wine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt the butter in a large stockpot/dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a smooth paste (a roux) and cook for about 3 minutes, making sure you stir constantly! Stir in the onion and garlic and season with the salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring for about 4 more minutes.

2. Gradually whisk in the half-and-half making sure no lumps form. Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring this to a simmer and pour in half of the sherry. Add the dill, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the soup has reduced by a third. Add the crabmeat (and roe if you decide to use it), stir carefully. Simmer for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Serve the soup and top each bowl off with a splash of the rest of the sherry and a sprinkle of the scallions!

Serves 8 (cut the recipe in half if this will be too much for your family)


Garlic Cheese Grits and Shrimp

So for the next four days my husband and I are heading to Charleston, SC. I thought I’d look up some local recipes and adapt them to my cooking style. I have heard so much about their shrimp and grits so I figured I’d start there. My husband loves grits (he should marry them!) and I like them. We both like shrimp and garlic so this recipe seemed like a no-brainer. I haven’t made it yet but I do plan to once we get back from our trip. I am going to definitely try it while up there though! The original recipe called for 6 ounces of garlic flavored processed cheese. I am going to be using 8 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese. Fewer calories for sure and still with all the flavor. I would also use fat-free chicken broth instead of water when cooking the grits. Again, more flavor!


INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup uncooked grits

6 ounces Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese (8 wedges)

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, diced

2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ lemon, juiced

salt to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook grits according to package directions. Stir in the Laughing Cow cheese and cayenne pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and tomato until tomato begins to soften. Stir in shrimp and lemon juice. Saute until shrimp are pink. Season with salt to taste.

3. Spread warm grits on a serving platter and pour shrimp mixture on top.

Serves 4

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