Lobster Mac & Cheese, lightened up

In honor of National Lobster Day, I decided to make a healthier version of one of our favorite comfort foods - Lobster Mac and Cheese.  Because everything seems to be lightened up with a filler of either squash or cauliflower these days, I hopped on the train and went with it.  Because HEALTH.

Ingredients

1 cup bow tie pasta

2 cups cauliflower chopped into small florets

1 TBSP grape seed oil

1/2 sweet onion, diced

3 fresh torn basil leaves (or 2 tsp dry basil)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup milk (you choose the type)
1/2 cup cream cheese (again, you choose the type... Whole fat, reduced fat... Just not a whipped variety)

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (you choose, I used a combination of fontina and gruyere but whatever floats your fancy)

1/4 cup parmesan

LOBSTER (really you can add as much or as little as you want, just make sure its cut into bite sized pieces.  I added two large lobster claws to my last one)

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Prepare by preheating the oven to 375 degrees, also heat large pot of water over high heat and coat a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray (set aside).
2. Cook pasta as the package instructs and be sure to add the cauliflower florets to the pot when the timer reaches 3 minutes left in cook time. Drain when done.
3. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and onion then sautee until the onions are translucent and the garlic makes your mouth water.  Stir in the pasta, cauliflower, milk, red pepper flakes, basil and cheeses, combine until the lumps are gone.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If it seems dry, add more milk.  At the very end, add the lobster and stir to combine.
4. Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish.  Add breadcrumbs to the top.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and delicious. 
5. Eat

Elk Meatloaf… (insert movie quote here)

Long time no blog!  Sorry about that, but I've had a few hiccups happen over the past few months.  I'm happy to be back though!

This is a recipe for elk meatloaf.  We have a plethora of game meat in our freezer, so this is the meat I chose for the recipe BUT you can use whatever ground meat you'd like.  Just make sure that you cook it to the proper temperature for your chosen meat. (I wonder how many times I can say "meat" in the post)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground elk
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 TBSP grapeseed oil
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded or grated, your choice)
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBSP olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Pour grape seed oil in a large skillet and warm over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for about one minute, then add in the onion.  Cook until the onion is opaque and then add in the spinach.  Cook until the spinach is just wilted, but not soggy!  Remove from heat and let cool
3. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg whites, parsley and basil
4. In a separate large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, kosher salt and black pepper.  Add the Elk meat, egg mixture and spinach mixture, then add the worcestershire, balsamic and olive oil. Combine until just mixed using your hands.  Do not over mix or else it will become too tough!
5. Place the mixture in a loaf pan (if you do not have one, a glass bottom pan will do but just form the meat into a loaf shape).  Cover in the marinara sauce
6. Cook for about 45-55 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150 degrees.  Remove and let stand for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving

Painless Pork Chops

In light of recent gatherings with friends, I have decided to dedicate this blog post to those of you who are "cooking impaired".  Many times I have heard that people do not cook simply because they do not know where to begin, so let us start here.

A basic rule of protein: generally your meat has more flavor if you have the bone still attached to it (same goes for fish... the skin keeps a more genuine flavor to the dish).  Next time you go to the grocery store, pick up some bone in pork chops that are about one inch thick - about the length of the index finger between the top joint and the middle joint of the finger - and try this recipe.

You will need at MINIMUM one hour of marinade time but better yet, make this marinade the evening ahead and let the chops sit overnight to let the flavor really seep in.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 bone in pork chops, one inch thick
• 1/3 Cup balsamic vinegar (I happened to have some of my Maple flavored on hand but you can use regular, or even a red wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup apple juice (or just use 1/2 cup of vinegar if you do not have apple juice)
• 1 TBSP canola oil or melted ghee
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Directions

One day prior (or at minimum, one hours prior to cooking)

1. Place pork chops into gallon ziplock bag.  
2. In a bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and whisk together.  
3. Pour contents into the gallon bag, remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.  
4. Let rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, max of a day.

Cooking

1. Prior to cooking, take the meat out and let it rest for about 20 minutes. 
2. While the meat is hanging out, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. (see below for TIPS on making this a complete meal)
3. Place about a teaspoon of grape seed oil (or canola... just DO NOT use olive oil, it is delicate and burns very easily) in a cast iron or heavy skillet and heat pan over a medium flame for about 5 minutes.  
4. Gently add the pork chops to the pan and sear each side for 2 minute per side.  
5. Place the skillet in the preheated oven.  
6. Continue to cook the pork chops another 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 135 degrees.  
7. Remove the pan from the oven and place pork chops on another plate. Let the meat rest for about 7-10 minutes.  The meat will continue to cook (safe consumption is between 145 degrees and 160).
8. Serve!  I recommend a dry white to pair :)

Tips for making a complete meal: When you take the meat out of the oven to rest, thinly cut a sweet potato into 1/8 inch slices (your iphone is 1/4 inch  in height when you have it laying flat so half of that) and a zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.  Place vegetables in a bag, add a tablespoon of olive oil, a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt then shake the bag until the ingredients are well dispersed.  Pour the vegetables onto a cookie sheet and place in the oven just before you START the pork on the stovetop (so when your 20 minute timer to start cooking hits 10 minutes, get your veggies in the oven).  They will be ready when the meat is done.  Easy peasy

Linguini with Clam Sauce (and shrimp)

Spring has finally sprung in Kansas so I wanted to make a dinner that was light but hearty.  I was enjoying my new patio furniture with a glass of sauvignon blanc and thought that a seafood linguini sounded amazing.   I had clam juice hanging out in the pantry (you can always substitute water and a sprinkle of salt for the juice if you do not share my odd habits in stocking a pantry) and shrimp in the freezer so I went to work. The end result is a sweet light sauce with a little kick of spice that my Hubs raved about.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1/4 package linguini - do yourself a favor and use on a product that is made with Durum Wheat.  It just TASTES better and the Italian government actually requires that all pasta made there is made with it.
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 bottle clam juice (or about half cup of water with a pinch of salt)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 TBSP basil
• 1 TBSP parsley
• 8 large shrimp, deveined and detailed
• 1 can clams, drained
• 1/4 cup dry, drinkable white wine
• 1 TBSP lemon juice

Instructions

1. Cook linguini according to the package instructions.  This is usually about 10-12 minutes which is just enough time to make your sauce (not  counting water boil time).
2. In a large skillet, combine olive oil and sliced garlic.  Cook until garlic is opaque, approximately 2 minutes
3. Add red pepper and clam juice.  Allow mixture to come to a boil and then bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes
4. Add basil, parsley, wine, lemon juice, clams and shrimp then stir.  Let simmer a minute and a half, then flip the shrimp.  Continue cooking another 2 minutes.
5. Serve over a bed of linguini, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy with the rest of the white wine you used while cooking :)

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tortilla Stew

As some of you may know, our household revolves around when the Longhorns and Patriots play on the weekends.  This past Sunday, the Pats happened to be playing the early game so I wanted to throw some items in the crock pot for an easy dinner (i.e.: something that was ready to chow down on after an afternoon of mimosas/beer and screaming at the television)

I had a ripe avocado, mass quantities of roma tomatoes, a few measly pickled jalapeños and leftover butternut squash.... I guess we were destined for a southern dish... or maybe I was just missing Texas again.  Toss it all into the crock pot and 8 hours later, out came spicy chicken tortilla soup with a little sweetness of butternut squash.

Ingredients
2 large organic chicken breasts
1 small can tomato paste
1 can low sodium black beans, drained
1 8-oz container of low sodium, free range chicken broth
5 roma tomatoes, diced (you can use any tomato or even a can of diced tomatoes if you want to be that way, I just always seem to have these nuggets of joy on hand)
1 shallot
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped butternut squash (optional but this is what gives the dish a thicker consistency and sweeter taste )
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Garnish
Avocado
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (if you're gluten sensitive, check to ensure they're gluten free!)
Low fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Combine all ingredients into the crock pot, mix and turn on low for 8 hours or high for 4.  Garnish as desired and serve!

(Obviously mine was cheese-free)

Linguini all'Amatriciana

The husband took us to Italy last month... or should I say, we ate our way through Italy last month and it was amazing.  I picked up a sauce cookbook while over there and I learned some very valuable information regarding Italian food.  The two most important things I learned was to "respect" garlic and buy quality pasta.  I'll get in to how to "respect" garlic in another post but the pasta bit is quite interesting.

Why?  Well the Italian government actually regulates commercially manufactured pasta in that they require a certain quality of flour and dictate the percentage of soft wheat flours used (or sub-quality flours that are commonly found in large quantities in US pasta) used.  This is why it tastes SOOOO drastically different and SOOO much better than what we have here in the States.  It also explains why I was not as sensitive to wheat during my travels in Italy.

So back to cooking.  The book I picked up was simply called Pasta: All The Recipes and it has everything from sauce to noodle and ravioli recipes.  It's basically my new Italian Bible. I had some pancetta in the fridge so I decided to make a modified all'Amatriciana (or alla matriciana as the romans say) sauce... which basically just means I took out the parmesan cheese and used the olive oil sparingly.

Ingredients
5 Roma tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes... whichever is easier
1/2 cup pancetta
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 onion
1 TBS freeze-dried or fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese I did not use this in the recipe... lactose and I are not friends
1 pound linguini (or bucatini if you want to be authentic but a long noodle is best)
Salt

Okay so I have my important ingredients

Now to cook!

Directions
1.  Start your water for the pasta.  Once boiling, add a little bit of sea salt to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another
2.  Blanch the tomatoes, then peel and chop them to your desired consistency
3.  Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and brown the pancetta until crispy (approximately 5-7 minutes).  Scoop the pancetta out of the pan, but leave the drippings in

MMMMM pancetta!

4.  Turn the heat down and add the onion and sauté until opaque (approximately 4-5 minutes)
5.  Add the tomato, basil and let your sauce thicken, stirring occasionally, while you cook your noodles
6.  Before you serve the sauce, add the cheese to it and combine.  Pour it over the noodles and mangia mangia mangia!

All'Amatriciana, sans cheese

Thai Coconut Shrimp Over "Rice"

We're back and playing with jalapeños and cauliflower... you know you're excited!

This recipe is delicious AND very low on carbs... there are less than 250 calories in a serving and the fat content is belly-friendly fat.  The coconut milk in the recipe does not drown the shrimp in that tropical taste but the subtle hint does make a nice counterpart to the spice in the jalapeño and chile.

Ingredients

• 20 medium raw shrimp, deveined and without tails
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped or julienned
• red chile powder
• salt 
• 1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or fat of choice)
• 1/2 cup low fat organic coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets

Directions

1. Place garlic cloves and water into a food processor and blend well.  Place the shrimp into a bowl and pour the garlic mixture over the shrimp.  Marinate for 15 minutes
2. While this is happening, (clean your food processor first) put the cauliflower into the food processor and blend until the pieces look a bit like rice.  You may have to do this in a few batches. Place the riced cauliflower a large bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. Once the cauliflower is warm, place into a large sauté pan (if you do not have a non-stick pan, be sure you spray it with cooking spray to ensure the vegetables do not stick).  Start cooking over medium heat.  You will want to cook the cauliflower for at least 10 minutes or more, depending on how crispy you want the "rice".
4. In a skillet, heat the grape seed oil over medium heat.  
5. Strain the shrimp from the garlic mixture (it is okay if much of the garlic stays with the little guys because it makes the final product taste so good).  Transfer  the shrimp back into the bowl and add lime, chile powder (to taste), jalapeño and salt (to taste).  Mix.
6. Place the shrimp into the skillet and cook for one minute.  Turn the shrimp over and add the coconut milk to the pan.  Finish the shrimp (should be another minute to two minutes).
7. Plate the cauliflower and pour the shrimp mixture over it!

Serves 2

Puttanesca Sauce

Dinner in a pinch?  Keep these ingredients handy for a hearty and healthy meal!

Ingredients

2 tbs Olive Oil

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (32 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with juice

15-20 large olives, chopped- if you like the taste of kalamata, use those but black is fine as well

2 tbs capers, drained

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbs red wine

Pasta

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until tender.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 2 minutes.  Throw in the remaining ingredients (can't forget the splash of vino!), then heat until bubbles appear.  Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While the sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to box instructions.

Serve!