Slow cooker: EASY turkey!

Earlier this month Mother Nature gave me an early birthday present and had some delightful weather in the mid-fifties. It was rainy and some would consider it dreary but I was absolutely loving it :) It also made me want some warm and yummy fall comfort foods!

I was yearning for Thanksgiving but don't always have patience for the prep and clean up of an oven roasted turkey. So, I got into researching... did you know you can cook turkey in a slow cooker!?!?

I found this incredible simple recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/

Slow Cooker Turkey

Ingredients:
1 bone-in turkey breast, about 5-6 pounds
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix - ya know, that blue box :)
1 tb butter (optional)
1/4 cup chicken broth (optional)

Directions:
Cut off any excess skin of the turkey. Rub onion soup mix all over outside of the turkey and under the skin. Place in a slow cooker. Add butter and broth if you want. Cover, and cook on High for 1 hour, then set to Low, and cook for 7 hours.

From personal experience: flip the turkey if you can about half way through cooking. Also, don't be an idiot like me and accidentally turn the slow cooker "off" instead of on "low" for an hour after the hour on high... yeeea... that was dumb of me... I cooked it an extra hour on high to make up for it.


Yup, that's it. I had a little scared because my frozen 5 pound turkey didn't seem to fit in the slow cooker, but after it thawed I was able to jam it in after I cut off the neck part. I happened to have a little chicken broth left over from another recipe so I added that too, and was able to make a little gravy out of it. It was amazingly tender and my husband, who doubted this recipe from the very beginning, was pleasantly surprised. We ate it with HUGE sweet potatoes and then used the leftovers to make several turkey sandwiches as well as this Turkey Tetrazinni.


Addendum:
I realize that the "blue box" dried onion soup mix is not the most natural of of seasonings.... sodium diphosphate, coloring, probable MSG... ick. I just couldn't resist the simplicity of this recipe (and the fact that I had the soup in my pantry from awhile back). If you can think of any natural and flavorful replacements, please discuss in the comments!

Typical Work Week

I am sometimes asked what I will eat during a typical work week. Well, in making this list I realize I eat out more than I (or my pocketbook) would like - but sometimes it's necessary. I am also very aware that I have a sweet tooth - I definitely depend on that something sweet to help me through the work day.

Monday Lunch:

Monday lunch will probably be something leftover I made on the weekend - this past weekend it was Pasta e Fagioli. Yum! If I pack my lunch I usually include craisins or a banana and a piece of dark chocolate.

Monday Dinner:

Lately I've been crazy about these steak tips in peppered mushroom gravy over whole wheat noodles with a side of broccoli. Whenever I cook, I always cook large enough portions to make at least 2 meals for the 2 of us out of it. If I get on the treadmill after work I'll treat myself to some Talenti Roman Raspberry sorbet! Just kidding... I'll eat it either way.

Tuesday Lunch:

Uh oh... Chick-fil-a sandwich (fried when I'm naughty, grilled when I'm good) on a wheat bun with a side salad with half the packet of Caesar dressing and a half sweet/half unsweet tea.

Tuesday Dinner:

Leftover beef tips! Talk about a quick and easy dinner.

Wednesday Lunch:

Out to eat again... one of my favorite places isLyn's Gracious Goodness. The best part is I can walk there from my main office and get something healthy! My favorite: Mediterranean chicken salad with a side of fruit salad, and if I'm feeling like I need a Wednesday pick-me-up, the fudgy tart :)

Wednesday Dinner:

If I go out to each for lunch, I will probably make something light for dinner - possibly an avocado tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat with fruit and vegetable juice.

Thursday Lunch:

Drive home to eat cheese & crackers, carrots, craisins, and chocolate. I love how they all start with "C".

Thursday Dinner:

Possibly my Stir Fry of if the hubby wants it, we'll sometimes get the frozen organic pizzas from publix.... white spinach pizza for me, meaty Italian for him. We've also been kind of crazy about made-from-scratch mac&cheese with lots of veggies (our own vegetable plate).

Friday Lunch:

Leftovers from yesterday night

Friday Dinner:

It's date night, go out to eat!

I don't talk about breakfasts here because my breakfasts are usually a consistent pattern. I talk about them here!

Our new staple Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't love a bit of comfort food now and then?

While we graduated from the "blue box" several years ago, we have been using the Annie's or Hodgson Mill boxes for a quick dinner lately. However... no more!

The following is based on a recipe I found from Southern Living. The original recipe called for a whole extra cup of cheese to be put on top; I decided if this is going to be our usual that we should probably reserve that for special occasions.

This made 4 hearty servings. I like to make it in a pie plate :)

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package elbow macaroni - I used whole wheat organic shells


• 2 tablespoons butter


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 2 cups milk ---> EDIT: Because I use lower fat cheese I cut back to 1 and 1/2 cups milk for a thicker roux - PERFECT!


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


• 4 oz (about 1/2 block) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded - I used Cracker Barrel brand cheddar with 2% milk

Preparation

• 1. Boil noodles according to package directions (or a little less if you like it a little more al dente). Drain and keep warm.


• 2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, black pepper, shredded cheese, and cooked pasta.


• 3. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish (or pie pan!)


• 4. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

Stir-Fry, revisited

Last Wednesday I made this tofu stir fry: http://loveoatmeal.blogspot.com/2011/06/garden-vegetable-stir-fry-with-tofu-and.html

This time around, I used sliced chicken instead of tofu, and chicken broth instead of beef broth. I also used basmati rice instead of brown rice.

I identified that it was too much rice wine vinegar that was making the tangy taste I didn't enjoy. This time, I reduced the vinegar to 1 tsp instead of 1 tb.

Once again, I used the Costco frozen stir fry veggies.

It was AMAZING :) It will definitely be part of my regular rotation. Don't you love it when you work with something and it turns out amazing?

So, here is the final modified recipe:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 to 1 lb chicken, diced
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
4-5 cups frozen stir fry veggies or 1/3 of the Costco Frozen Stir Fry Veggie bag

Preparation
Combine water and cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (broth through crushed red pepper). Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add 1 tb vegetable oil to pan. Stir-fry the frozen veggies until heated through, about 8 minutes (OR you could microwave them if you want to keep them crisper). Add chicken and broth mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes or until sauce is as thick as you like. Serve with rice.

Magic Muffins

These muffins are what I serve with my Gumbo; they also go well with beef stew or another hearty dish. They are not exactly a "whole food", but they are delicious, and everything in moderation, right?

I got the idea from these muffins from watching Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals.

Ingredients:
1 box corn muffin mix (I like Jiffy)
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Scallions
Cheddar Cheese
Bacon

Directions:
Coarsley chop up some scallions (I use about one stalk), some cheddar cheese (about 2 oz?) and fry up and crumble some bacon (1-2 slices). Feel free to add more to make the muffins more indulgent :)

Mix the muffin mix as directed - with Jiffy, you add an egg and 1/3 cup milk. Let it sit for a minute - this would be a good time to spray your muffin pan with nonstick spray - it makes 6 regular sized muffins or about 16 mini muffins. Add in the scallion/bacon/cheese and divide among muffin cups. Cook at 400 (or 350 for mini muffins) for about 15 minutes - as soon as they start browning they're ready!

You can thank me later :)

The best Gumbo

I am about to share with you one of my best recipes. This is my usual "company is coming over recipe". In the past 6 months, I have made it for Michael & Jessica, CJ & Meagan, Lauren & Jeb, my parents, Adam's parents, Adam's uncle & aunt, and ourselves at least twice. I hope I'm not forgetting anyone. What can I say, it's good!!

This recipe is from Cooking Light. I love it because I barely had to modify it. It makes 8 hearty servings. It takes awhile to make... about 1.5-2 hours... so plan ahead.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided - I use BUTTER!
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces - I use about a pound of chicken breast - from you guessed it, Costco
1 pound low-fat smoked sausage (such as Healthy Choice) or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds - OK, Adam nearly killed me when I brought home my turkey kielbasa, especially when CJ & Meagan came over. "They are from MEMPHIS, get REAL CAJUN SAUSAGE!". So yea, use real Cajun sausage. It's what makes it REAL.
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper - or more, if you like it spicy :) I use 3/4 tsp and it gives it a nice bit of heat, but not too much
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups (1-inch) slices fresh okra - use fresh, not frozen - HUGE difference
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice - I use 2 cups uncooked basmati rice

Preparation
Heat a large Dutch oven or a really big pot over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 teaspoon oil (butter), chicken, and sausage; sauté for 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan (leave drippings in pan). Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and red pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove from pan.
Add remaining oil (BUTTER) to pan. Add flour to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook about a minute or until roux is light brown, stirring constantly with a whisk (the original recipe has 10 minutes, but the roux was way to dry to cook for that long). Gradually add broth, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add chicken and sausage, onion mixture, tomatoes, okra, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in parsley and shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

This is delicious and makes great leftovers. 5 stars. I make it along with my MAGIC MUFFINS - to be blogged about soon :)

Garden Vegetable Stir-fry with Tofu and Brown Rice

The other day I went to Costco and bought a HUGE bag of frozen stir-fry veggies (broccoli, onion, baby corn, water chestnuts, bell peppers) for like $9 and decided it's about time I find a good stir-fry recipe to use these fabulous veggies. I have to admit I am not very familiar with cooking with traditional Asian staples (rice wine vinegar, sesame oil), and this one looked simple enough to try.

I found this recipe from Cooking Light. The results were pretty good, not great - but good enough to attempt to modify and work with again. I know that my tofu could have been a little crispier and in bigger chunks; maybe I'll even use chicken next time.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup canned vegetable broth - I thought I was opening a can of chicken broth and discovered it was a can of beef broth so went ahead and used it; I think this would have been better with vegetable or chicken
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce - I used Bragg's Aminos but should probably have used Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes - when I went to the store they only had it pre-cut in smaller cubes; I would have liked it in bigger cubes or even strips. Maybe in the future I'll use chicken??
1 cup cilantro sprigs - I omitted these.. I thought I had cilantro in my garden but I apparantly had killed it... I am no green thumb :(
3 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice - suggestion: use Basmatic or sticky rice. As much as I love whole grains I just can't embrace cheap brown rice
About 4-5 cups, or 1/4 of the Costco Frozen Stir Fry Veggie bag. I used this in place of the following from the Cooking Light Recipe:
--1 cup thinly sliced onion
--1 cup red bell pepper strips
--3 cups sliced zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
--1 cup snow peas, trimmed
--1/2 cup diagonally sliced carrot
--1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Preparation
Combine water and cornstarch in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (broth through crushed red pepper).
Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; stir-fry 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove tofu from pan. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels.
Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Stir-fry the frozen veggies until heated through, about 8 minutes. (If you are NOT using frozen veggies, do this: Add onion and bell pepper, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, snow peas, carrot, and water chestnuts; stir-fry 1 minute.)

Add tofu and broth mixture. Bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes (mine took longer- about 5 minutes - to thicken). Stir in cilantro. Serve with rice.


Finally: this had a slightly tangy aftertaste that I did not particularly enjoy (the husband didn't seem to mind it, I think it's just my own personal preference); I am not sure if it's from the sesame oil or maybe even from one of the veggies (I have a love/hate relationship with bell peppers). I don't think it's the Oyster sauce because I've used that several times before. If you are familiar with Asian flavors, please comment to enlighten me on what that tangy aftertaste was and what I can do to prevent it.

Superfood recipe!... plus bacon

My friend CJ and I often discuss what we're planning for dinner. The other day he shared a recipe from http://www.closetcooking.com that I just had to try. In the name alone it mentioned 5 "super foods"... and bacon: White Bean and Spinach Quinoa Salad with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Blue Cheese in a Bacon Pan Sauce Dressing.

What is Quinoa (keen-wah)?... I talk about it here.

The first thing the husband said when I told him what we were having was that if this becomes a regular meal, we'll have to come up with a shorter name - how about The Bacon Salad :)

I have to say, although it SOUNDED absolutely amazing, it left me a little underwhelmed (except for when I hit a piece of bacon). I'm not giving up on it yet, though. If I make it again, there are a few things that I would want to change. Below is the recipe with my comments. Note that this recipe makes enough for 4-6 people without my suggested changes - we'll be eating off of this for a few days at least!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed - this made a LOT of quinoa. I wondered if maybe he meant 1 cup COOKED quinoa - in the future, I would halve this to make the spinach more of the focus. Also, make it with chicken broth instead of water for more flavor
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces - I used smoked - it turned out well
• 1 cup red onion, sliced - I use Vidalia, it's what I had on hand... I prefer them anyway
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced - I had 8 oz so I just threw all of them :)
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (6 ounce) package baby spinach
• 1 (19 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup mild blue cheese, crumbled - We used Feta... Goat cheese may also work

(My modified) Directions

1. Cook 1/2 cup dry quinoa as directed on the package - use chicken broth for more flavor!
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a pan. Save the grease, mmmm delicious
3. Caramelize the onions and mushrooms in the remaining bacon grease for about 20 minutes - scoop into a separate bowl and set aside.
4. Add the vinegar to the pan and deglaze it.
5. Mix in the sugar, mustard, garlic and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the spinach and white beans and cook until the spinach wilts
7. Mix in the bacon, onions and mushrooms, and quinoa
8. Serve garnished with cheese of your choice

Slow Cooker

I've never, ever owned a slow cooker. This came up in conversation with my aunt & uncle and they just happened to have 3 in the house and gave one to me - thank you Jay and Sarah!

I've been having fun experimenting - we tried a coconut chicken curry and a pot roast... they were good, but nothing to write home... or blog about. One thing that was really spectacular was our Kitchens of India Butter Chicken made in the slow cooker - I added in spinach, hot pepper, and some diced bell peppers... delicious :) Now I just need to find more recipes from scratch!

New Year's Resolution Update

Well hello!

I've been completely neglectful about updating, but apparently I am in demand... (Hi Brittany!)

You might remember that I made a New Year's resolution to walk 500 miles this year... that's about 1.67 miles each day (which would work with my goal of 2-3 miles, 4-5 times a week).

My goal point (1.67 miles/day) as of 6/5/11: 208.24

My actual miles walked: 94.4 - ouch!

I *do* have some good excuses - back in February I had a cold-turned-sinus infection that put me out for 2 weeks. In April I had surgery that put me off for an entire month - so now I'm starting to get back on track! I don't know if I'm going to be able to make up the difference but I have been kicking up the intensity lately (maybe I'll even start running again?).

It's helping that now I've got the hubby involved (he's up to 70 miles, which is good considering he started later in the year). We've been trying to go on a hike every weekend but it's been difficult because it's been HOT lately!

New recipes soon... if I can find inspiration :)

Confession

I had lofty goals today. I was planning to get off of work at my normal time, go to the grocery store, get gas, put in some laundry, hop on the treadmill, and then whip up a from scratch meal I had been dreaming about all day from the Pioneer Woman.

Instead, I ended up staying late working a 10 hour day then having to run some errands when I'm wanting to go home and I'm hungry! There goes my lofty goals for this afternoon :(

Also, now my confession. Occasionally we will have this for dinner:

That's right. Not exactly a "whole food" but if you get a thin crust with light cheese it's less than 500 calories for half of a medium. I ate some carrots and cranberries too for some nutrients :) And you can get two medium pizzas for $5.99 each. Also, there is a domino's within walking distance to our apartment so that makes up for not getting on the treadmill right? (sigh)

Oh, and I also have to confess that I love the pizza tracker.

Moroccan Couscous

Hello blog,

For Valentine's day, I'm giving you a wonderful present: quite possibly my quickest and easiest recipe that is still extremely healthy and tasty! Usually you have to compromise on at least one of those 4 qualities; this recipe has it all. My readers, I present to you Moroccan Couscous.

I modified this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Culinary in the Desert. Joe, you are amazing!

What you need:

14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (if you can't find fire-roasted... try harder... or use diced with garlic)
15 ounce can low sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chicken broth... see notes below
4 teaspoons red curry paste (look for it in the Asian part of the grocery store)

"3 shakes" HOT habanero powder... less or more as you like it
10 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed - I like cauliflower
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/4 cup chicken broth (with the chicken broth above, you should have exactly 1 can's worth)
1 cup whole wheat couscous
salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces or MORE goat cheese. the more the better :)

In a large pot, stir together tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, curry paste, habanero powder and vegetables - bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer just until the vegetables have warmed through. Stir in lime juice.

Make the couscous according to directions. I usually make mine in the microwave by boiling the 1.25 cups broth, putting in the 1 cup WW couscous, cover with a plate for 5 minutes.

Divide couscous between serving plates and evenly spoon the warmed vegetable mixture over the top. Sprinkle each with cheese to serve. The goat cheese adds wonderful tangy, creamy, and cooling qualities. The original recipe called for feta; I'm sticking with the goat cheese!

Makes 4 generous servings! In less than 10 minutes :) I keep all of the ingredients of this recipe on hand when a quick dinner is needed.

It's February!

Hello blog,

I really have no good excuses for not updating you!

I have been in a culinary rut since the new year. Over the holidays you pretty much eat all of the delicacies you desire and then in the new year you're just... bored/sick of food. That's how I've felt for about 2 months now. I really haven't "craved" anything so it's just the standard healthy/easy/quick convenient stuff. For example, we just ate the soup of health for the 2nd day in a row now...

I did try a new recipe a few weeks ago, but it's already been blogged about :) Steak tips with peppered mushroom gravy! My friend Carrie got this recipe from Cooking Light, and it was delicious! I made mine over whole wheat noodles with steamed broccoli on the side. I like to make the whole batch and freeze the leftovers for lunches, and it turned out great.

For a looong time I avoided beef. (I lied a minute ago... maybe I have been craving beef lately.) However, I've been trying to use only organic grassfed beef for health and ethical reasons. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my FAVORITE RESTAURANT, Moe's Southwest Grill, has a healthy/sustainability campaign going on!... they state they use no hormones in their chicken and that their beef is grass fed. I am impressed!! Check it out here: http://www.moes.com/mission/

You might remember my previous post with my goal to walk 500 miles this year (the Excel spreadsheet isn't working, sorry). I was off to a good start! However, this last weekend I got a combination of a stomach bug AND a nasty cold so it has put things to a halt for a bit. As of this point I should have walked 54 miles to be on track; I've only gone 41. If you miss a day or two it adds up. Hopefully I'll be back on track soon!

500 Miles

I've decided to make my goal of 500 miles public.

See my progress here!

Hello 2011!

Hello my blog followers,

Well, it's a new year. Mine got off to a pretty rough stuff - screaming neighbors at 3 am, car problems, dog sitting (which really throws a wrench in my daily plans), starting a new class with about double the amount of regular students. I haven't been too good healthwise either, it's only the 3rd day and already I've gone out to eat 4 times, had fried Mexican food, and ice cream. I have also been feeling a cold coming on so I've been using that as an excuse not to exercise. Ugh!

The good news is that I did not gain one pound over the holiday season :) Dietitian skillz FTW.

Also, in my defense, two of those four going-out-to-eat times were to get breakfast at Bruegger's bagels. The whole wheat bagel has 310 calories, 7 grams fiber, 13 grams protein, no artificial perservatives/flavors/crap. I have them put the light cream cheese on top and scrape at least half of it off (about 50 extra calories). It is tasty and keeps me full til lunch :) And it's only like $2.

Ah, the famous New Year's Resolutions. I told my husband that mine would be to "EAT MORE!.... vegetables." More, and more variety. I tend to get in kind of a rut... broccoli with lunch/dinner, spinach in soup/salads, carrots to snack on and in stews/soups. Green beans to snack on. I'm terrified that sometimes I honestly only get 1-2 servings of veggies a day... eek! So this is my area for improvement in the new year.

And...

I follow a former college classmate's blog and her goal for 2011 is to run 1,000 miles. She is an experienced marathoner. To be honest, I have no desire to be a marathoner, or even really run (my body responds, feels, and looks better when I briskly walk instead of run).

So, I believe my goal for this year will be to walk 500 miles. That's about 1.7 miles a day - I feel that is very realistic. This would meet my goal of walking 2-3 miles 3-4 times a week that I wasn't able to accomplish this year. This walking would only be counted outside of work/errands (where I get plenty of walking). If I can get more, yay!... although I am already behind and it's the 3rd. I also need to get back in the habit of incorporating strength training and stretches. One thing at a time!!