Cranberry Onion Chicken

I based this off a recipe I had at a friend's house... Cranberry Onion Chicken.  I swapped the french dressing for orange juice and made it in the crock pot.  After it cooled, I bagged up individual portions and froze them.  It holds well in the freezer because of the sauce.  I like it over a baked potato with veggies. 

This is a vague recipe-like idea :).

Mix a can of cranberry sauce (gel or whole berry) with 1 - 1.5 cup of orange juice.  Add an envelope of onion soup mix and combine well.  Place 5-6 chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with the mixture.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Sweet Onion Casserole

Pulled this out of the magazine CookingLight.

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 cups chopped sweet onion (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Place onion in a large bowl. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling water 5 minutes. Drain. Stir rice and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) into onions. Spoon onion mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 325° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes. Top with parsley, if desired.

Irene Lilja, Corvallis, Oregon, Cooking Light

MAY 2011

Followed pretty closely. Used only ½ TBS of olive oil. Cooked the onions longer than 5 minutes, closer to 12. Used a bit extra rice and a bit extra milk (closer to ¾ cup) and a that milk was a mix of skim with a TBS of whipping cream. Omitted allspice. I thought this was really good. My calculations come out to 213 cal per serving at 6 servings. But that was a HUGE serving. I got 8 servings out @ 160cal per serving. It freezes well.  --JT

Ham, Mushroom, and Gruyère Strata

Modified from Cooking Light
YIELD: 8 servings

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped (330g)
• 16oz presliced button mushrooms, broken into halves
• Thick-cut slice of deli ham, chopped (6.5oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 15oz sourdough/French bread chopped or torn
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère or other Swiss cheese
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 oz of shredded Parmesean cheese
• Garnish with chopped green onion

Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; sauté 3 minutes or until translucent. Remove to bowl. Add mushrooms to pan, and sauté 7 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture. Allow moisture to cook off some. Cool slightly, add to onions. Add ham and parsley.

Lightly beat eggs with milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and stir. Add to cooled mushroom mixture. Stir gently.

Add bread cubes and stir to coat. Pour into a 9x13 sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with 1-2 oz of Parmesean cheese

Cover with foil, refrigerate for 8 hours. (I did 1 hour!)

Preheat oven to 350º. Remove strata from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake strata, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until set and golden brown. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.

8servings, each is 375 calories. Good with steamed spinach and cherry tomatoes. Also good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! I reallllllly liked this. The flavor of the ham, cheese, mushroom was so good. The mustard added a savory flavor that didn't taste like mustard. Same for the parsley -- added flavor without screaming parsley. I used brown sugar ham fromt he deli and the slight sweetness was good too. Loved it!  --JT

Chicken with Eggplant and Basil

(From a magazine at the check stand)

¼ cup (1/3oz) coarsely chopped fresh basil

2 TBS chopped fresh mint (or cilantro)

¾ cup (6 fl oz) chicken broth

3 green onions, including greens, 2 coarsely chopped and 1 thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 TBS peeled chopped fresh ginger

2 TBS olive oil

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 bell pepper (red or yellow), seeded and julienned

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips 0.5” x 2”

2 TBS low-sodium soy sauce

In blender or food processor, combine the basil, mint, ¼ cup of stock, the shopped green onions, garlic and ginger. Pulse until minced but not pureed. Set aside.

In large non-stick frying pan, heat 1 TBS of oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, onion, peppers, and sauté until just tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add basil mixture and sauté for 1 minute, stirring. Add the chicken and soy and sauté until chicken in almost opaque throughout, 2 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of stock and bring to a boil. Return veggies to pan and stir until heated, about 3 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with sliced green onion.

I liked this very much.  I made a few modifications... I did not add garlic or ginger.  I may have added a little powdered garlic.  I didn't have any mint or cilantro -- I think it would have added to the flavor.  It lacked a bitterness/herbiness/tangyness... not sure how to describe what I was missing.  It was still good, but I wish it had one of those other herbs.  And I used one yellow and one orange pepper.  Would use one red in the future as the color would have looked nice. 

Other than those items, I followed the recipe and liked it very much.  Caution: it is a LARGE quantity of raw veggies to process.  I had to cook in shifts as it wouldn't all fit in the pan at once. 

This recipe makes a large serving.  At 4 servings, it came out to 285calories and at 6 servings it came out to 195cal.  I did 6 servings and added a half serving of rice or quinoa, for an extra 75 calories.  I think I would do 4 servings next time.   

An interesting process, would be adaptable to other veggies/proteins/herbs.
--JT

El Torito's Sweet Corn Cake

10 servings

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup masa harina
4 tablespoons cold water
10 ounces frozen corn kernels, or corn from 2 large fresh cobs
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place butter in mixer bowl and whip until soft. Continue whipping until very fluffy and creamy. Add masa harina gradually, mixing, and add water gradually, mixing thoroughly. Place corn in blender or food processor and coarsely chop. Stir into masa mixture.

Place cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix quickly. Add butter-masa mixture. Mix lightly, until just blended.

Pour into an 8-inch greased baking pan and cover with foil. Place pan in a larger pan and pour in boiling water halfway up pan containing corn cake. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, checking on water level; add more boiling water if necessary. When corn cake is cooked through, remove from oven and allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut into squares or use a small ice cream scoop to serve.

(From El Torito)

Artichoke/GoatCheese Strata

 Another Cooking Light recipe. I wanted some breakfast ideas and stratas seem like they would freeze well (they do!). Plus, I can get loaves of french bread for free, so...

Here's a link to the original recipe

And here's what I did... (added mushrooms, swapped out herbs, used a different bread, used skim milk)

• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 1 large)
• 1.5 tsp of butter
• 5 oz of baby portabello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1.5 cubes of frozen basil
• 1/2 tsp of dry mustard
• 1 3/4 cups skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 10 oz extra sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese, divided

Preparation
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cooking spray, add shallots, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove shallots. Sautee mushrooms in butter, until wilted. Stir in artichoke hearts; cook for 8 minutes or until artichoke hearts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in shallots. Cool 10 minutes.

2. Combine milk, black pepper, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add basil and mustard. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and bread; toss gently to combine. Stir in artichoke mixture, and let stand for 20 minutes. (Mine sat for 4 hours.)

3. Preheat oven to 375°.

4. Spoon half of bread mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of goat cheese, and top with remaining bread mixture. Sprinkle remaining half of goat cheese over top. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

This made six pretty sizable portions. I used the nutrition info off my products and calculated this at 255cal per serving.

Corny Potato Salad

JT:  Made a potato salad to take to Father's Day dinner. Really wanted to avoid the mayo -- I'd hate it even if it wasn't chock full of calories. The texture and taste have always been bad to me. So, I needed a no mayo potato salad. However, my dad doesn't like vinegar-y things... so, that made finding a good potato salad difficult! I stumbled across this one on foodgawker (fun site to browse, btw). The original recipe can be found here. I made some changes...

CORNY POTATO SALAD
serves 8 side servings

*27oz red new potatoes, cooked till fork tender (I boiled them) And the 27oz was just what I used... Orig recipe called for 2lb.
*2 Tbsp. dijon mustard (or to taste)
*2/3 of a 14oz can of creamed corn
*1 Tbsp. capers (forgot these)
*1 celery stalk, diced
*1 small red bell pepper, diced
*3 radishes sliced
*2 tsp. fresh dill
*1.5 cups of frozen green beans, thawed and dried
*3.5 slices of bacon, cooked super crispy in the oven and chopped

I cooked potatoes ahead of time and cooled. Mix mustard into creamed corn. use more or less, to taste. Could need more creamed corn too, depending on potato volume. Add potatoes and other veggies and mix gently. I garnished with chopped crispy bacon. Would also be good with different veggies -- especially cherry tomatoes! And it could have used a bit of onion.

Nutrition: Calculated the quantities/products I used... Each serving came out to about 130cal. I thought this salad was great. It has a creamy/dressed quality with out added any extra calories.

Bubble Up Pizza

2 containers refrigerated biscuit dough, 6 biscuits each (I used Pillsbury)
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup pepperoni (or other favorite toppings)
5 fresh basil leaves
Preparation: Preheat oven as per directions on dough. With a sharp knife, divide each biscuit into 4. In a large bowl, combine diced biscuit dough, sauce, 1 1/2 cups cheese and toppings. Stir to combine.

Pour mixture into greased oven safe skillet or 9×13 baking pan. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle on top along with remaining cheese. Bake according to directions on dough, checking to make sure dough is cooked through and cheese is bubbling (I always bake mine for an additional 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

from Passthesushi

Miniature Crustless Spinach Quiches

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen quiches
8 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 10-oz package spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Mix together eggs, cream, garlic, nutmeg and salt. Add spinach. Grease mini muffin tins. Add about a teaspoon of feta cheese to each cup, and fill with egg/spinach mixture about 2/3 of the way to the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. You may want to finish under the broiler for a bit to brown the tops a little.

from the quinces and the pea

Tin Roof Cheesecake

Makes 1 small 5″ cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 3/4 oz. chocolate wafers (~7 cookies)
2 tablespoons halved roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
For the chocolate covered peanuts:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey (or corn syrup)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup halved roasted unsalted peanuts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a small 5” spring form pan.
In a food processor, make the crust by grinding together the chocolate wafers, peanuts, sugar, salt and melted butter. Pour the mixture into the spring form pan, and pack it down and up the sides of the pan. Pack very well using a shot glass or small glass.
Bake the crust on a baking sheet for 8 or 9 minutes. When done, remove from oven and turn the oven down to 300°.
Meanwhile, beat together all cheesecake ingredients. Beat until very well combined, but don’t over do it—you’ll put too much air in the batter and cause cracks in your final product.
Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 36-38 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly but not wet when you touch it.
Leave the cheesecake in the oven, but turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, move the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool another 30 minutes.
Finally, run a knife around the edge of the pan, and then cover with plastic wrap before moving it to the refrigerator. All of these steps ensure that your cheesecake will not crack or deflate.
Let the cheesecake chill for a minimum of 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate covered peanuts: have ready a sheet pan lined with wax paper or a silicone mat.
Combine all ingredients except peanuts in a double boiler and melt over low heat (you can also use your microwave on 20-second pulses). Once chocolate is melted and shiny, stir in the peanuts. Immediately pour this mixture onto the awaiting sheet pan and let cool until set in the fridge (~10 minutes).
When ready to serve the cheesecake, unmold it carefully from the spring form pan, move it to a plate and decorate with large chunks of the chocolate covered peanuts.

From (lost source, sorry!)