Cherry huh?

I was doing the usual, just perusing the recipe websites and came across this on Myrecipes.com.  It’s a recipe for something called Cherry Clafouti.

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Photo courtesy of MyRecipes

I have never heard of Clafouti!  Have you?  I am dying to try it for two reasons….    1.)  it looks and sounds delicious!  2.)  I like saying clafouti!  It’s really fun!  Like “what are you eating there?”.  “Oh, just some clafouti”.

MyRecipes also adds that the cost per serving is only $.63 cents!  Can’t beat that.

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1  (12 oz.) package frozen pitted black cherries, thawed
  • 1/2  cup  plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 3  large eggs
  • 1  yolk of a large egg
  • 1  cup  all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2  cups  milk
  • 2  tablespoons  confectioners’ sugar, optional

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. Drain cherries; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar.

Whisk eggs and yolk together in a large bowl until blended. Add flour gradually, stirring constantly with a fork until incorporated. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Slowly add milk, stirring, until mixture forms a thin batter.

Pour half of batter into bottom of pie pan. Bake until firm and set, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter cherries over batter. Pour remaining batter over cherries and return to oven. Cook until puffed, lightly browned and set in middle, about 25 minutes longer. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Sift confectioners’ sugar over clafouti, if desired, and serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  274
Fat:  5g (sat 2g)
Protein:  8g
Carbohydrate:  49g
Fiber:  2g
Cholesterol:  151mg
Sodium:  66mg

SOURCE

Sushi for sushi-haters!

There is always an uproar when I share this:  I don’t like sushi!  I just don’t!  I have tried it so many times and we have just never taken to each other.

He loves sushi!

He loves sushi!

People say “0h, you just need to try the California roll”.  So I try it– and blah.

“Oh, you just need to try sushi from a really nice sushi place”.  Good idea but still nothing.

Maybe I should try some Obama sushi??

Maybe I should try some Obama sushi??

The thing is I really do want to like it!  It looks so cool and fun to eat!  My husband says that I should give it another go since it’s been a while since I last tried it–maybe my palate has expanded since then.  We shall see!

In the meantime, here is some sushi I KNOW I would love!  Stew-dog has come up with a Cold Fruit Sushi that looks and sounds amazing!  Perfect little appetizer for an outdoor get-together.

And yet, something is missing that I just can’t put my finger on.  They need something to make them just a smidge more interesting, a little less plain-jane.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 small honeydew melon
  • 1 small cantaloupe
  • 1 small pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

  1. Place the fruit on a cutting board lined with parchment. Trim the tops and bottoms of the melons and pineapple and sit them upright on the cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, cut away the rind, slicing lengthwise, working your way around the fruit. Cut about 24 very thin slices of melon in the same fashion, slicing from top to bottom, allowing the juices to collect on the parchment paper.
  2. Slice the pineapple lengthwise into 1/8-inch slices. Pile and cut into matchsticks.
  3. Pour the juices that have collected into a small bowl. Stir in the honey and set aside.
  4. To assemble the fruit sushi, lay the melon slices vertically on the cutting board. Place 3 pineapple matchsticks horizontally at the base of the melon slice and roll. Trim the base so that the rolls sit firmly on a dessert plate. Serve with the honey dipping sauce.

Banana Bread

This is not a recipe I would usually pick out, but Cooking Light’s Classic Banana Bread looks mighty tempting!  I have never made bread before (putting the packet in the bread machine doesn’t count, does it?).  I think this is a perfect recipe for me to try and venture into the world of bread baking, especially since there is no kneading involved :)

This would be a perfect breakfast for me to take in the car on my early morning clinical days.

Image courtesy of cookinglight.com

Image courtesy of cookinglight.com

I think I would throw in some extra ingredients like cinnamon, walnuts, nutmeg, and maybe substitute Greek yogurt for regular yogurt and whole wheat flour for white flour.

Yield

1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

  • 2  cups  all-purpose flour
  • 3/4  teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  cup  sugar
  • 1/4  cup  butter, softened
  • 2  large eggs
  • 1 1/2  cups  mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
187 (21% from fat)
Fat:
4.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:
3.3g
Carbohydrate:
34.4g
Fiber:
1.1g
Cholesterol:
40mg
Iron:
1mg
Sodium:
198mg
Calcium:
20mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2003

Ragin’ Cajun!

Lookie what we have here!  Cajun Quiche in a Rice Crust from Cooking Light!

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Doesn’t this look delicious?  And very creative with the rice crust.  Perfect for a mid-morning brunch or even just a breakfast for dinner meal.

And it’s from Cooking Light which means a moment on the lips won’t go straight to the hips!

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

  • Crust:
  • 2  cups  cooked long-grain white rice, cooled
  • 1  teaspoon  garlic powder
  • 1  teaspoon  onion powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  large egg
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
  • Filling:
  • 1/2  cup  prechopped onion
  • 1/2  cup  prechopped celery
  • 1/2  cup  prechopped red bell pepper
  • 1  teaspoon  bottled minced garlic
  • 3  ounces  andouille sausage or kielbasa, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
  • 3/4  cup  egg substitute
  • 1/4  cup  plain fat-free yogurt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
  • 2  large egg whites
  • 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare crust, combine rice, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 egg. Spread mixture into the bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom of crust evenly with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

To prepare filling, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and the next 4 ingredients (through sausage); sauté 5 minutes. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared rice crust. Combine the egg substitute, fat-free yogurt, salt, hot pepper sauce, and egg whites; stir with a whisk until well blended. Pour egg substitute mixture over sausage mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until the center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  291 (32% from fat)
Fat:  10.3g (sat 4.5g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:  19.5g
Carbohydrate:  29.4g
Fiber:  0.9g
Cholesterol:  79mg
Iron:  2.8mg
Sodium:  623mg
Calcium:  181mg

SOURCE

Top Heavy Crumb Cake

A couple a weeks ago, I was over on Donna’s blog – My Tasty Treasures.  I saw her recipe for a top heavy crumb cake that looked to DIE for!  It reminded me of  the Entenmann’s Ultimate Crumb Cake my mom used to buy for my sister, brother and me when we were younger.

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

I made it this past weekend at it was a huge hit!  I can not even explain how good this crumb cake is…much better than the store bought version.  The top is my favorite part and there is so much of it, plus the cake on the bottom is extremely moist and just melts in your mouth.  I made it Thursday night thinking we would be able to eat on it for the whole weekend, but it was gone first thing Saturday morning!

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

This recipe is definitely going in my file of favorites!  Click here for the recipe and while you are at it, check out Donna’s blog.  She is hilarious!!!

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Brie en Croute…yum!

I have been looking for some good recipes to make this weekend for the 4th.  While on my search for the perfect potato salad, I somehow got off track and came across the perfect appetizer to put out….Brie en Croute from trusty Nana P (Paula Deen).  I have never had this before, but can only imagine that it taste amazing.   I tasted brie for the first time last year and fell in love!

Image courtesy of pauladeen.com

Image courtesy of pauladeen.com

The pastry looks so soft and buttery…perfect!

But, I still need a good potato salad recipe that is on the lighter side if anyone has any suggestions.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1   egg, beaten
1   small (8-ounce) wheel Brie
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1   sheet frozen puff pastry (package comes with 2 sheets)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Defrost 1 sheet of puff pastry for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold (place remaining sheet in freezer for later use). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute walnuts in butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are well coated. Place walnuts on top of Brie and sprinkle brown sugar on top of nuts.

Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Gather up the edges of the brie, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yields: 8 Servings

Double Dipper

I love condiments, so it is no surprise I love dips.  All kinds of dips…not one I would turn down.  Well, a seafood dip I might turn down (I don’t eat anything from the water….I know, weird!).  I came across this Spicy Bleu Cheese Dip from Eatingwell.com and think it looks just delicious!  A perfect dip to put out while entertaining this summer.  Such a simple dip that takes no time at all to whip it up.

Image courtesy of Eatingwell.com

Image courtesy of Eatingwell.com

The boneless buffalo wings don’t look half bad either!  Now, be truthful….Are you a double dipper?

Makes 1 cup

ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar and cayenne in a small bowl.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 33 calories; 3 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 83 mg sodium; 28 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/2 fat

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

Comfort Food

This is what I consider a perfect Satuday lunch.  I usually just make a simple grilled cheese sandwich and sometimes I even spice it up with some bacon, but Bon Appetit is not playing around with their version!  Here is a grilled ham and gouda sandwich with frissee and carmelized onions….Oh my!!

Image courtesy of Bonappetit.com

Image courtesy of Bonappetit.com

One of my favorite things is carmelized onions.  I could seriously eat an onion by itself if it is carmelized!  Is that weird?  The only other thing I would add to this masterpiece is some ketchup on the side.  You can’t go wrong with a little ketchup (okay okay… a lot!).

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 1/3-inch-thick slices country white bread or sourdough bread
  • 4 oz thinly sliced smoked ham, divided
  • 3 oz Gouda cheese, thinly sliced, divided
  • 2 large handfuls frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup), divided

Preparation

  • Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until onion is very tender and golden, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Cool slightly.
  • Butter 2 bread slices. Place bread, buttered side down, on platter. Divide onion, ham, cheese, and frisée between bread slices. Top each with another bread slice; butter top slices.
  • Heat another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, pressing occasionally with spatula, about 4 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.

Steak and Shake!

No, not that Steak n Shake!  Although I am quite fond of that one!  Those skinny fries are the best!  And since they are so skinny, it means there are less calories right??

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

This is steak and shake because it is so easy-peasy and it doesn’t take long to throw it all together.  This is Grilled Beef Top Loin with Balsamic Spring Salad and Grilled Whole Wheat Pita.  And end result looks and tastes like some goooourmet cooking if you ask me!  Now, that is my kind of dish!

Photo from Dill My Pickle

Photo from Dill My Pickle

We actually made this for my mother-in-law for a mother’s day lunch this year.  It was a big hit!

Grilled Top Loin

  1. Preheat grill to medium-low heat.
  2. Season beef with salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, fresh garlic, paprika, a little cayenne pepper, and lemon pepper.
  3. Grill the steak 8 to 10 minutes on each side (depending on the heat of your grill)
  4. Transfer to plate and cover for 10 minutes.
Balsamic Spring Salad
  1. Cut 2 red and 2 yellow pepper into strips, mix into salad.
  2. Add feta (as much as you like— I like a lot!!)
  3. Coat with your favorite homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Grilled Whole Wheat Pita
  1. Coat each whole wheat pita with a light layer of olive oil, pepper and salt.
  2. Put on grill for 2-3 minutes, or until light grill marks form.
  3. Cut into squares to serve with steak and salad.

Portobello Sandwich!

At first glance I swear I thought this was some kind of couscous burger.  I thought–who in the hell would eat a couscous burger?  (okay, I admit….  I would….  I love couscous!)

photo courtesy of epicurious.com

photo courtesy of epicurious.com

Well, was I wrong!  This is a Grilled Portabella and Bulgar Salad Sandwich!  Whoever came up with this over at Epicurious is uber-duber creative, huh!  I would love to serve this at a lunch get-together just to see the guests reaction!  It sounds really good if you ask me!!

INGREDIENTS

For tomato vinaigrette:

  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes

For salad:

  • 8 large portabella mushrooms, stems reserved for another use (see cooks’ note, below)
  • 1 small red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (keeping root end intact)
  • 2 medium yellow bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling-hot water
  • 1 cup medium bulgur
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 1/2 ounces baby arugula (4 cups)
  • 1 firm-ripe small avocado

PREPARATION

Make vinaigrette:
With motor running, drop garlic into food processor and finely chop. Add tomatoes, parsley, oil, vinegar, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulse until tomatoes are finely chopped but not puréed.

Make salad:
Peel skin from portabellas using tip of a paring knife, pulling from edge of mushroom toward center. Gently scrape off gills from mushrooms with tip of a spoon. Toss portabellas with 1/2 cup vinaigrette in a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish and let stand, turning occasionally, 20 minutes.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat; see Grilling Procedure .

Push 1 wooden pick into each onion wedge to secure for grilling. Toss onion wedges, bell peppers, and zucchini with oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill vegetables, covered, turning occasionally, until tender (6 to 8 minutes for bell peppers, 6 to 10 minutes for zucchini, 8 to 12 minutes for onion, and 12 to 15 minutes for portabellas).

Transfer portabellas to a plate and remaining vegetables to a bowl as cooked. Cool slightly, then remove wooden picks and coarsely chop onion, bell peppers, and zucchini.

While vegetables cook, pour boiling-hot water over bulgur with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a sieve if any water remains.

Add vegetables to bulgur with pine nuts and remaining vinaigrette and toss.

Put one fourth of arugula on each of 4 plates. Top with upside-down portabella. Pack bulgur mixture into a cup measure, then unmold on top of portabella. Top with another portabella, right side up. Serve with an avocado quarter.

SOURCE