Monday, September 3, 2012
I bookmarked this recipe to make without fully reading its ingredients. To me, carbonara means bacon. I’m not sure if that’s right or if it means eggs and bacon or maybe just eggs. So one of you smarties chime in and let me know. This Tomato & Asparagus Carbonara doesn’t involve bacon. Which was a bit of a disappointment, but I am a fan of sauces made from eggs. It makes sauces creamy and smooth and delicious.
So, how’s it taste?
Well…to be honest it was kind of plain. I love pasta, love asparagus, love tomatoes, so I’m not sure what this dish is missing. There’s just not a lot to it. The egg does make a creamy sauce, but it’s very light. I could live with that if it had more pizzazz. It would be a great dish if you feel like you’ve had a lot of heavy meals and just need a meatless dish to feel back to normal. Maybe adding more yummy veggies like squash or zucchini would help. While I love tomatoes, I hate tomato skins. It bugs me when fresh tomatoes are cooked and the inside kind of disappears and all that’s left are those little tomato skins. That’s what happened to this dish. I’d suggest following the directions using only half of the cherry tomatoes and tossing in the rest at the end. I think the tomatoes cook a bit too long for my liking and I was left with mostly tomato skins. I wanted those big, juicy tomatoes and that wasn’t the result. Not a bad dish and it is low in calories, but I want my calories to count in the taste department. This one needs a bit more work.
Tomato & Asparagus Carbonara
Ingredients:
3 qts. water
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. (1-inch) diagonally cut trimmed asparagus
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 oz. pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup) (I used Asiago)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Directions:
1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add asparagus; sauté 3 1/2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
3. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss pasta immediately with egg mixture. Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens. Divide pasta equally among 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon basil. Serve immediately.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Look how gorgeous this Tomato Tart turned out! This was a fantastic meatless meal with incredible flavor. Something a little different for dinner. My only complaint is that the slices were really little, so I ended up eating two pieces for a serving. Which wasn’t so great for my calorie count, but awesome in the more food department!
So, how’s it taste?
I thought it might be a little plain with just cooked tomatoes, but that’s so not the case. The olives provide a surprise saltiness and the shallots are fantastic with their delicate onion flavor. This tart is still full of delicious tomatoes, so get really good ones and really ripe ones. There’s Fontina cheese covering the bottom of the tart and Parmesan in the egg mixture, so you know it’s got to be good with two cheeses. I’m not really sure what the tablespoon of cornmeal does as it wasn’t enough to give a noticeable crunch, but I do know the tablespoon of thyme was too much. It doesn’t specify if it’s fresh or dried, and I used dried. It was thyme, thyme, thyme central. I like that taste, but I’d reduce it to half a tablespoon.
They are serious when they mean use a deep-dish tart pan or a springform pan. I used a regular tart pan and it wouldn’t hold all of the egg mixture and it spilled out during baking. Luckily I kind of knew this would happen and put a sheet pan underneath the tart pan, so no messy oven. I also had too much dough for the crust since I packed it all in my regular-sized tart pan. I rolled out my crust as the directions instructed and I should’ve left it since I wasn’t using a deep-dish pan. The bottom crust was too thin and the sides were too thick! Another bit of luck, I happen to love the crust in quiches and tart, so it didn’t bother me, but it also didn’t get very crusty.
I think the serving size should be changed to six servings. An 8-serving tart produces quite a tiny slice. As I wrote earlier, I ended up eating two slices for a meal. Six slices would make it 325 calories each, which is much better than my 488 calories from eating two. Oops!
Tomato Tart
Ingredients:
1/2 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough
Cooking spray
2 1/2 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup pitted olives, chopped
1/3 cup sliced shallots
3 tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. cornmeal
1 tbsp. thyme (I suggest using 1/2 tbsp. instead)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk (I used skim)
1 1/2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
3 large eggs
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Roll dough to a 12-inch circle; press into a 9-inch deep-dish tart or springform pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with fontina, olives, and shallots. Arrange half of tomato slices over shallots Combine flour, cornmeal, and thyme; sprinkle over tomatoes. Top with remaining tomato slices; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
3. Combine milk, Parmesan, eggs, and basil; pour into pan. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until set; let stand 10 minutes.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Talk about an easy, satisfyingly delicious dinner to prepare. I really enjoyed these Shrimp Salad Rolls. One look in Cooking Light and I knew I’d be making them. A bun piled high with plump shrimp, mixed with mayo and fresh herbs. If you’re low on time, these will fit into any hectic schedule.
So, how’s it taste?
Very light and refreshing. I loved the chunks of shrimp and using reduced-fat mayo tamed that rich, heavy taste that regular mayo can have. The fresh herbs and lemon are what make the salad. I think I would’ve liked a tad bit more lemon, too. Fresh parsley has so much more flavor than its dried version. It’s almost lemony itself and brings such a wonderful freshness. Tarragon is also amazing fresh. It’s got a slight licorice taste, but don’t let that turn you off. I don’t like licorice, but I love fresh tarragon in chicken salad, pastas, and now this shrimp salad.
By using reduced-fat mayo and reduced-calorie buns (I prefer Healthy Life brand), I lowered the calorie count way down to 190 per serving! I found I was satisfied just having this roll for a light lunch, but the calories are so low, feel free to pair it with a salad, veggies, or fruit to make a heartier meal.
Shrimp Salad Rolls
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. butter
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 lb.)
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 (1 1/2-oz.) reduced-calorie hot dog buns
Lettuce
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Place shrimp on a large plate; chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop shrimp. Combine chopped shrimp, mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl.
3. Open buns without completely splitting; arrange, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until toasted. Place 2 lettuce leaves in each bun; top each serving with 1/2 cup shrimp mixture.
Monday, August 27, 2012
From the title of this post you should instantly know what went wrong. Who in their right mind wants Lightened Buttermilk Biscuits? Well, I do or rather I did. From time to time I get back on the calorie-counting wagon, so I’m always on the lookout for lightened recipes where I can enjoy the foods I love with the calories slashed. Some things aren’t meant to be on the lighter side and buttermilk biscuits are one of them. The first thing I thought when I bit into one was my Southern, biscuit-lover friends would not be happy.
So, how’s it taste?
Unlike any biscuit I’ve ever had. They were little and hard and flavorless. I ended up adding back any calorie I’d saved by slathering them with jam (more on that later). Of course they are lighter in calories because they are teeny tiny. I could make a regular biscuit and cut them that small and save on calories, duh. I fully admit that I might have over mixed the dough. I have a hard time figuring out when “mix just until moistened” happens, so that possibly contributed to my downfall as well. The small size and non-fluffy texture I might have gotten over, but they tasted like nothing. No buttery, yummy, carby goodness. Just nothing. Lesson learned that buttermilk biscuits were not meant to be anything else than calorie-laden awesomeness. Next time I’ll just have a splurge and not bother changing a good thing.
I’m happy to report not all was lost on the biscuit mishap. That jam I slathered them with was Bathtub Gin, made right here in Nashville, Tennessee. I had the Rum Raisin Mission Fig and Limoncello Strawberry. Both were spectacular, even atop my pitiful biscuits. The Rum Raisin was thick and rich. It has that little crunch from the fig, too. My favorite (and I licked that little sample jar clean) was the Limoncello Strawberry. It’s tart, it’s sweet and you distinctly taste both flavors. I’ll be seeking out a big jar of that one, and I’ll be sure to eat it with a real biscuit this time.
Lightened Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups non-fat buttermilk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.
2. Add buttermilk to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3 or 4 times.
3. With floured hands, pat dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches); dust top with flour. Fold dough over itself in 3 sections, starting with short end (as if folding a letter-size piece of paper). Repeat once, beginning with patting dough into a rectangle.
4. Pat dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2-inch round cutter, and place 1 inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 400° for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Friday, August 24, 2012
This Chocolate Sheet Cake is seriously one of the best desserts to come out of my oven. Yeah, it sounds basic. Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting with pecans, big whoop. But it knocked my socks off! I can’t explain it. Maybe because it’s full of chocolate, maybe because it’s a thin cake so there’s almost an even cake to frosting ratio, maybe because it’s full of crunchy pecans. Maybe I shouldn’t question it and should just grab another piece!
So, how’s it taste?
It’s pretty amazing. I thought “Ok, I’ll make this chocolate sheet cake” and didn’t expect anything different than well, cake. But oh it’s so much more! From that first warm bite, I kept saying “Oh my, oh my, oh my that’s good!” It’s a chocolate lover’s dream. The cake is super moist, even being thin. It’s baked in a large 18×13 sheet cake pan, so it’s not going to be the slice of cake you’re used to. It’s thin and that means more frosting per cake! I’m usually the type that prefers the cake over the frosting, but this stuff is unique. It’s not thick like buttercream, but thin like a chocolate sauce studded with pecans. It gets a little tricky pouring it over the top of the cake, but it “slows down” and starts to thicken so that it doesn’t spill over your pan. My cake didn’t bake perfectly even, so the frosting pooled a little in a few spots. That’s ok though, it just means more frosting for those particular pieces!
It’s a lot of steps to make and I felt like I dirtied a million dishes, but it’s totally worth it. I made this for friends and then took leftovers to my mom’s work where it received rave reviews. I’m already thinking about baking it again to take to work. Any excuse to have just one more slice of this chocolate heaven!
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. (heaping) cocoa
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 whole beaten eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Frosting
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. (1-3/4 stick) butter
4 tbsp. (heaping) cocoa
6 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar
Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
3. In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into 18x13 sheet cake pan and bake at 350F degrees for 20 minutes.
4. While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake. Cut into squares.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Oh gosh do I wish I had better picture of this Hot Bacon Potato Salad. I start to drool just thinking about how awesome it was. Warning though: You’ll want to eat large amounts of this stuff and it is probably the most unfigure-friendly, artery clogging, potato-ey goodness ever. I really wanted nothing else on my plate but this potato salad. It goes great with anything from the grill, or if you’re like me, just make this for dinner…and then plan to jog around your neighborhood a few trillion times to make up for it.
So, how’s it taste?
Obviously I loved it. I like potato salad, but I don’t usually go crazy over them. I went nuts over this one. The dressing is tangy and so perfect over warm potatoes. As much as I loved it, I will admit that it was a bit much using full fat mayo. Next time, I’d like to make it with reduced fat mayo and see if that tones down the heavy factor. The white vinegar really punches it up so it’s not a creamy, thick dressing, but more on the thin side. The bacon, of course, makes it fantastic. I mean who doesn’t want a little bacon grease with their mayo sauce?! I also liked the crunchy bites of green onion. It was almost like a baked potato with the works, all that’s missing is some cheese!
I give this two thumbs up and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Hot Bacon Potato Salad
Ingredients:
5 unpeeled medium potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked & crumbled
3 green onions, finely chopped (3 tbsp.)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground mustard (dry)
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
Directions:
1. Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer about 25 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch slices.
2. Heat oven to 350F degrees. Mix potatoes, bacon, and onions in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over potatoes and toss thoroughly.
3. Place mixture in aluminum foil pan; 8x8x2 inches (or baking dish). Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sure chicken can sometimes be boring, but not when you grill it and top with an amazing sauce. A good one to try is Pineapple-Glazed Chicken Breasts. It’s an easy sauce to make and there’s some leftover for spooning over the top of the finished chicken. It’s a fantastic way to dress up chicken on the grill.
So, how’s it taste?
It’s pretty delicious for boring ol’ chicken. Citrus and chicken are a great pairing and I like the addition of piney rosemary. It’s not too strong though, the Dijon and pineapple take center stage. I couldn’t find pineapple juice concentrate, so we used pineapple-orange juice concentrate instead. I think the orange added just a touch of sweet to cut through the tang of the pineapple and Dijon. I like this sauce with grilled chicken because it didn’t seem to burn as much as some sugary sauces can. You know I’m a fan of condiments, so I loved having the extra sauce to serve over the finished chicken.
Pineapple-Glazed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. frozen (thawed) pineapple-orange juice concentrate
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz. each)
Directions:
1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix mustard and juice concentrate; reserve 2 tablespoons. Into remaining mixture, stir garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper; set aside.
2. When grill is heated, rub chicken breast halves with oil. Place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Turn chicken; brush with rosemary mixture. Cover grill; cook 6 to 8 minutes longer, brushing chicken occasionally with rosemary mixture and turning chicken once, until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear. Discard any remaining rosemary mixture.
4. Place chicken on serving plates. Spoon reserved 2 tablespoons mustard mixture over chicken.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Oh Symphony Brownies. You must be named as such because I hear violins playing with each bite. Ok, I’m just being silly, but that would be a great commercial for these right? They’re called Symphony Brownies because tucked in the middle of all that brownie goodness is an entire layer of the Symphony candy bar. If you’ve never had one, I’ve got to assume you’ve been on a deserted island. Stop reading and go get one now. I’ll save your spot in this post until you get back. 
So, how’s it taste?
Now that we’ve remedied that issue, you know what I mean when I say the chocolate in the candy bar is so creamy and rich. It’s not like a regular Hershey’s bar. Then it’s got chunks of almonds and toffee bits. So good by themselves, so you can start to imagine them in a brownie. I used a brownie mix with walnuts, but use whatever type you prefer. Dark chocolate brownies, brownies with chocolate chips, or get crazy and make your own. It might be difficult when testing your brownies for doneness since it’s covered in candy bars, your toothpick won’t come out clean. Try to poke between the candy bar squares or check that the sides aren’t getting too dry and overcooked. The brownies will continue to cook for a bit while they’re cooling.
These brownies are super rich, so I cut them into tiny squares. It also makes me feel better when I inhale 3 or 4 of them because they’re so small it barely counts, right? Right?! That creaminess from the candy bar shines through and then you get the fudgy brownie and chunks of almonds, walnuts, and toffee. I love how toffee crunches and gets stuck in your teeth. That is a sign of a truly good dessert!
Symphony Brownies
Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix with walnuts (whatever brand you prefer, size will vary)
(don't forget eggs & oil for brownie mix)
2 (6.8 oz.) Hershey's Symphony giant candy bars with almonds & toffee, broken into squares
Directions:
1. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions.
2. Line a 9x9-inch brownie pan with aluminum foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Spoon in half of the brownie batter and smooth with a spatula.
3. Place the squares of the candy bars side by side on top of the batter. You'll have four squares left over...enjoy a snack! Cover with the remaining brownie batter.
4. Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely, then lift from pan using the edges of the foil. This makes it easy to cut into squares.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Pork Chops with Apple-Maple Glaze was another awesome find from my grilling weekend with my mom. I love, love, love pork chops on the grill. They’re so good with nothing more than salt and pepper, but this version adds a bit of sweet. I’m sure you’ve heard of, if not tasted, several dishes where apple and pork are paired together. Pork goes so well with sweet and the bit of maple is a nice touch to round out the trio.
So, how’s it taste?
First, please excuse this horrid picture. It’s from my phone and I only snapped this one pic because I was practically drooling once these chops came off the grill. Look at how juicy they are! Bone-in is definitely the way to go when grilling pork chops. I believe they make them juicier and tastier. These chops were so tender and I liked the bit of garlic in the background from the garlic pepper blend. I thought these pork chops might be a bit too sweet, but they weren’t. Actually I wish we had saved some of the glaze and used it to drizzle over the finished pork chop. They were very good with just the glaze from grilling, but I really wanted to taste a punch of apple and maple. I’m a big fan of condiments, so having extra glaze to dip my pork chop in would have been perfect!
Pork Chops with Apple-Maple Glaze
Ingredients:
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
4 pork bone-in loin chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, trimmed of fat
1/2 tsp. garlic pepper blend
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. In 1-quart saucepan, mix maple syrup, apple butter, and mustard. Cook over low heat about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until well blended.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with garlic pepper and salt. Place pork on grill. Brush with maple mixture. Cover and grill over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes, turning and brushing with maple mixture 2 or 3 times, until no longer pink when cut near bone. Discard any remaining maple mixture.
Monday, August 13, 2012
A few weekends ago, I headed to my mom’s house for a weekend of school shopping (yes, yours truly is going back to college for another degree!) and of course, tasty food. Usually I’m the one doing the cooking, but if it’s time to fire up the grill, I leave that to the expert…my mom. As much as I enjoy cooking, it was kind of nice to sit back and let someone else have the spotlight. I brought a few grilling cookbooks and we made several goodies that weekend. Corn on the Cob with Taco Butter may sound simple, but we raved about it with every bite.
So, how’s it taste?
Fresh corn is worth the minimal effort to deal with removing silks. I’m not sure what happens on the grill, but it’s magic. Drenched in butter, seasonings, and fresh cilantro, this was sure to be a hit. I’ve eaten my fair share of corn on the cob with butter, so I was looking forward to that extra zing from the taco seasoning. Honestly, I couldn’t taste that or the cilantro very much. It made for pretty ears of corn with the orange butter and flecks of green, but it didn’t pack that taco punch I was expecting. Still amazingly delicious though. Fresh, grilled corn is really underrated. I’ve always enjoyed it, but never really realized just how good those sweet kernels can be. The original recipe called for low-sodium taco seasoning, but I had to add salt to my corn, so I’d recommend using the regular seasoning. I’d give this another try and up the seasoning ratio to see if I can get more flavor. I’m sure most of it gets wasted on the grill, so I might even try mixing the seasoning into softened butter and spreading it on the corn after it’s finished grilling. Highly recommend this for your next grilling side.
Corn on the Cob with Taco Butter
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. taco seasoning mix (from 1 1/4-oz. pkg.)
6 ears fresh corn, husks removed, cleaned and dried
Directions:
1. Heat grill. In small bowl, combine melted butter, cilantro, and taco seasoning mix; mix well. Brush each ear of corn with butter mixture.
2. When ready to grill, place corn on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium-high coals. Cook 15 to 18 minutes or until tender, turning and brushing frequently with butter mixture.
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