Thursday, November 19, 2009

(108) Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens

I might live in Florida, but I was raised in Virginia - Southern Virginia, to be exact. I grew up eating collards and Smithfield ham and biscuits and corn pudding and all those other yummy southern dishes *drool*. I don't normally make collards following a recipe, but I had pulled this one out to try.

I made a few changes - I added 3 cups of water when the collards started cooking. I also added 2 more cups of water at the 1 hour mark. I cooked them 2 hours on a really low simmer. They were fine at 1 hr, but in my opinion, collards are one of those things you can't cook too much!!

PS: They were spicy, so if you dont like the heat, cut the red pepper down to 1/4 tsp or less!


Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Cooking collard greens in a lightly sweetened braising liquid curbs their bitter bite. This Southern-inspired side dish is great with grilled pork chops and corn bread.

2 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (16-ounce) package prewashed torn collard greens

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion and garlic to drippings in pan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crumbled bacon, 2 cups water, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Gradually add greens. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Calories 60 (42% from fat); Fat 2.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g); Iron 0.2mg; Cholesterol 4mg; Calcium 90mg; Carbohydrate 7.2g; Sodium 208mg; Protein 2.3g; Fiber 2.4g

(107) Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops

This is a new method/concept for me, but I'm totally sold!! The pork was moist and tender, flavorful from the herbs, and a touch salty. Perfect!

Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops

Source: Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2004
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop)

Though these pork chops require overnight brining, they make dinner the next night a breeze. Brine these chops up to two days beforehand. Just remove from brine after an overnight soak, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

2 cups fat-free buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; shake well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle pork with pepper.

Heat a large nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Calories 183 (35% from fat); Fat 7.2g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.6g); Iron 0.8mg; Cholesterol 69mg; Calcium 43mg; Carbohydrate 2g; Sodium 345mg; Protein 26g; Fiber 0.3g

(106) Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

I don't make nearly enough squash, so this was a nice change for a side dish. Let me tell you, though, PLEASE just be safe and go with butternut squash. I thought I would be adventurous and bought 1 butternut and 1 buttercup squash. WOW. What a total pain in the rear! It took me nearly 30 minutes to figure out how to cut it and my hands HURT at the end. The 'skin' was totally thick. Sooooo, learn from my misfortune and go easy!! (butternut squash is pretty easy to cut!)

Watch the squash - I overdid it and mine was a bit too soft. I LOVED the garlic/oil at the end. I thought it would give me dragon breath, but nope, just YUMMY! This makes a ton, too, so you could easily half the recipe and have plenty.

Oven-Roasted Squash with Garlic & Parsley

Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2009
Yield: 10 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Winter squash becomes tender and sweeter when roasted—a delicious side for a holiday dinner. Look for interesting squash like kabocha or hubbard at your farmers’ market and try them in this recipe. (Recipe adapted from Alice Waters.)


5 pounds winter squash (such as butternut, buttercup, kabocha or hubbard), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (see Tip)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss squash with 4 teaspoons oil, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender throughout and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the variety of squash).
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toss the roasted squash with the garlic and parsley. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Nutrition
104 Calories; 3 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 357 mg Sodium; 555 mg Potassium; 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

Nutrition Note: Vitamin A (430% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Make Ahead Tip: Cut squash up to 1 day ahead; store airtight in the refrigerator.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

(105) Sesame-Orange Shrimp

I am beyond impressed at how easy and delish this dinner was!! I loved the batter - kind of like the batter on sweet & sour chicken we get from the local Chinese joint! REALLY easy to put together. I served it over rice and with some sugar snap peas. This is a repeater for sure!



*image is from Eatingwell.com

Sesame-Orange Shrimp

These shrimp are super-easy to make—just coat them in a simple batter, cook them in a little oil and toss with a tangy sesame-orange sauce. The staff at EatingWell simply could not get enough of these delicious shrimp while we were developing this recipe. Serve with: Brown basmati rice and steamed snow peas tossed with a little toasted sesame oil.


Yield: 4 servings
Source: Eating Well Magazine - November/December 2009

3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry (see Note)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rest of the shrimp.

3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, with scallion sprinkled on top.

Nutrition
232 Calories; 10 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 168 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 488 mg Sodium; 327 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 1/2 lean meat
Nutrition Note: Vitamin C (43% daily value), Iron (20% dv).

Tips & Notes
* Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

(104) Banana Bread

I put this together in literately 10 minutes or less. It came out BEAUTIFULLY and the taste! OH YEAH! I love this cookbook because it's all basic, good, homey food. This is just like mom's banana bread! YUM!





Banana Bread

Yield: one 9-inch loaf
Source: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

The key to great banana bread is ripe bananas. Be sure to use a 9x5" loaf pan that is at least 3" deep.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well (1 1/2 cups)
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

1) Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray.

2) Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the nuts (if using). Do not overmix; the batter will look thick and chunky.

3) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 55 minutes.

4) Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.

(103) Warm Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Red Onions

If you like Brussels sprouts, this is a recipe for you! Quite tasty and easy to make once you've got everything chopped!! I didn't buy applewood bacon because I'm cheap! Regular bacon worked fine.


Warm Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Red Onions


Source: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2007
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Slice the Brussels sprouts to help them cook quickly, then splash them with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Use the best bacon you can find for this recipe.

2 slices applewood-smoked bacon
2 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add apple, onion, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add 2 tablespoons water and vinegar to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add Brussels sprouts; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in mustard, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Calories 54 (25% from fat); Fat 1.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.2g); Iron 0.9mg; Cholesterol 3mg; Calcium 28mg; Carbohydrate 8.4g; Sodium 228mg; Protein 3g; Fiber 2.6g

(102) Sirloin Steak with Dijon-Port Sauce

This was an easy, delicious weeknight meal!! I think next time I would double the sauce as mine reduced down really quickly and a bit too much for me! I also think the sauce needed a little salt, but do so at your own taste!!

Sirloin Steak with Dijon-Port Sauce

Source: Cooking Light, October 2004
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces steak, 2 tablespoons sauce, and 1 cup noodles)

The port and mustard create a rich, sweet, and spicy sauce. Serve the steak and sauce over noodles to soak up every last drop.

3 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
1 pound trimmed sirloin (about 1 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup port or other sweet red wine
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.

While noodles cook, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Lightly coat steak with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Transfer meat to a platter; keep warm.

Add port to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Stir in shallots and garlic; cook 45 seconds, stirring frequently. Add beef broth; bring to a boil. Cook 20 seconds; remove from heat. Add mustard and thyme, stirring with a whisk.

Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve steak and sauce with the pasta.

Calories 344 (29% from fat); Fat 11g (sat 4.1g,mono 4.6g,poly 0.8g); Iron 4.3mg; Cholesterol 97mg; Calcium 36mg; Carbohydrate 23.6g; Sodium 501mg; Protein 28.5g; Fiber 1g