Monday, October 27, 2008

Mom's Chicken & Noodles (non-Cajun dish)

My apologies for my absence. Things have been a bit on the crazy side.

And I GUESS I apologize also for the fact that this is NOT a post about cajun food.

Actually...this is a post about what my coworkers jokingly call "Yankee food". Because as much as I love the Cajun food and culture....every so often I crave my mom's cooking, like most every other person on the planet. And since my mom has never lived anywhere other than Missouri...she makes "Missouri" food. A lot of which is highly Germanic in heritage (though I don't think of it as being German, because it's just good ol' Midwest food to me). And those cravings particularly hit me once it starts getting cold outside. Not that there's a LOT of "cold" here in southern Louisiana...but around that first drop (which we got last week--57 degrees at night, people! Brr! I know....some of you who still live up north are laughing hysterically at my pansy-butt right now.)

And my absolute favorite "Mom Food" is my mother's famous Chicken & Noodles w/Mashed Potatoes. She brings it to family functions (along with her cherry cheesecake, but we won't go into that right now.... *drools*) and everyone in our family knows it...and every time I visit home, summer or winter, I request she makes it.

So, anywho, I digress. We got that cold snap, and my internal gears decided it was time for culinary journey up the Mighty Mississippi. Granted--this is definitely a carb-fest, but if kept in check, you can have MANY MANY delicious comforting meals that are still health-conscious.



Shopping List:
- 3.5 lbs of bone-in chicken (skin is fine too--both the bones & skin will help add flavor to our broth/sauce, but we can skim most of the fat off before we finish the dish. All white meat is best.)
- 24 oz bag of frozen egg noodles (Reames is a popular brand--these are harder to find here in Louisiana. Target is the only place I can find them, though there were a few A&P stores in NOLA that carried them as well when I lived there.)
- Light or Fat-Free Sour Cream (I love sour cream in my mashed potatoes, you may not. This is optional.)
- 5 lb bag of russet potatoes (I actually only cooked about 7 potatoes during this process...BUT I have a bunch of leftovers w/no mashed potatoes, so I'll likely have to cook the rest to go with those leftovers.)
-milk (skim or fat free)
-SmartBalance butter
- Chicken bouillon (1 cube or 1 tbsp loose)

Seasonings:
Salt, pepper, basil, chive, garlic salt, cajun seasoning (see, I snuck SOMETHING cajun in there!)

1. Start two pots of water to boil (salted).

2. Cube potatoes (skin-on...nutritional value!) and place into one of the pots, cover and let cook until potatoes are fork tender (~30-40min). Drain, add 1/4c milk, 1/4c sour cream, 1/4c butter, and mash thoroughly. Season w/salt, pepper, and additional butter (or butter sub--like a butter flavored salt substitute to kill two birds w/one stone) to taste. Set aside (keep warm in oven on a low setting if desired).

3. Place chicken in 2nd pot of boiling water, add 1 tbsp garlic salt and several dashes of pepper. Cover and let boil over medium-high heat for 45 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, remove from the water and set aside to cool for a bit. Add 1 tbsp of chicken boullion to the water and return to boil. Skim any fat off the surface of the water.

4. Once your "chicken broth" has resumed boil, add in the egg noodles and let boil over medium heat. Set timer for 25 minutes. While that's going, begin separating your chicken...this cooking method keeps the meat very moist, and it will slide off the bone. Throw away all bones, fatty bits, and skin, then put chicken (slightly shredded) back into the pot w/the noodles. Add basil & additional salt & pepper. Continue to skim any fat off the top as it cooks out.

5. Once your noodles are fully cooked and tender (the broth will thicken somewhat into a sauce), taste test and season to desired...basil, garlic salt, cajun seasoning & pepper are my picks for this meal. I like mine with a lot of pepper. Just be careful not to get it too salty. Once desired flavor is acheived, allow to cool slightly before serving on top of the mashed potatoes.

6. Serve with a slice of lightly buttered wheat bread.

This will easily make about 12-14 servings, so feel free to cut back the recipe if desired.

Serving size is 1/2c mashed potatoes, covered by ~1 cup chicken & noodles....so these are pretty hearty servings! Definitely filling!!!

Also--if you're watching your pennies, this is a great way to do so...Cost is only about $1/serving! (Especially if you catch the chicken on sale like I did!)

Nutrifacts:
Amount Per Serving

Calories 394.9

Total Fat 4.1 g

Saturated Fat 1.1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Cholesterol 115.1 mg

Sodium 375.5 mg

Potassium 690.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 54.4 g

Dietary Fiber 3.4 g

Sugars 0.5 g

Protein 34.4 g

Monday, September 15, 2008

Hurricane Drinks! (a la Hurricane Ike)

Good news: We survived Ike as well. No damage, no loss of power. Doing well this season! But hoping the madness is over, because I already have a fair share of "normal" madness to deal with, and the "hurricane" madness is delaying things to make my "normal" madness worse. :)

Bad news: With all the hurricane business, plus work craziness (mostly hurricane madness) plus new roommate craziness (was supposed to move into a 3BR townhouse TODAY, but now it won't be ready until Oct 1, so I have 3 people living in my apartment that HAD been housing ONLY lil'ol me until 2 weeks ago. Things are....cramped, is a good word...) I haven't had a chance to play with any new recipes. But soon, hopefully. I still have some sweet potato muffins left, so I'm contemplating using them for a bread pudding?

Anyway, until next time, I leave you with the following--they may not be low-cal, but it's definitely entertainment. :D (My apologies if you've seen it before, it just came to me for the first time via email.)

HURRICANE PARTY DRINKS


MANDATORY EVACUATION

1 1/2 oz. Absolute Ruby Red vodka
1/2 oz. vermouth
Clamato
Prune juice

Combine vodka and vermouth in cocktail glass. Fill remainder of glass with equal parts Clamato and prune juice. Stir. Drink. Ask next-door neighbor, whose oak tree blew over and crashed onto your roof - even though you'd warned him for months to uproot it, if you can use his bathroom. Repeat.

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CATEGORY 5

1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. rum
1/2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. gin
Sweet-and-sour mix
Splash of fruit juice

Combine vodka, tequila, rum, bourbon and gin in a tall glass. Fill remainder of glass with sweet-and-sour mix and splash of juice. Stir, then garnish with an inverted drink umbrella. Drink during peak storm hours, and vow not to believe anyone who tries to tell you the hurricane that flooded your garage and destroyed your shed was just a Category 1.

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CONE OF PROBABILITY

1 oz. cinnamon schnapps
1 sugar cone

Pour the schnapps into the sugar cone. Every time you hear a TV weatherman say, "cone of probability," bite off the end of the cone and down the shot. If you hear Jim Cantore say it, drink two shots consecutively. (they should change this to the "Cantore Zone"... damn him. Have you ever noticed that, despite all the cone of probability talk, if Cantore is parked in front of your house your ass is toast?)

===============================================

FEEDER BAND

2 oz. Midori
2 oz. rum
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

After your home loses power, combine Midori and rum in a cocktail glass. Add a scoop of the vanilla ice cream that is melting in your freezer. Stir, and drink through a straw.

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BEACH EROSION

1 1/2 oz. Goldschläger
1 1/2 oz. apple brandy
1 pack Sugar in the Raw

Combine Goldschläger, apple brandy and sugar in cocktail glass. As you drink, seriously contemplate moving your Yankee ass back to New Jersey where it belongs.

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DOWNED POWER LINE

1 1/2 oz. rum
5 oz. Jolt Cola

Combine ingredients in a cocktail glass. Drink while trying to figure out how the heck you're supposed to go two freakin' weeks without television and AC.

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FLOOD ZONE

2 oz. Kahlúa
2 oz. Baileys Irish cream
4 oz. rum

Serve in a 6-ounce glass and laugh-cry deliriously as the mess spills all over the countertop.

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COLD SHOWER

2 oz. Blue Aftershock
4 oz. Sprite

Combine in a cocktail glass with crushed ice you received after waiting in line for three hours at a mall parking lot. Take a deep breath, sip and scream like a little girl when the cold beverage hits your tongue. Repeat.

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LOOTERS WILL BE SHOT

1 oz. Jack Daniel's
Splash of sarsaparilla
Rock salt

Load both barrels of a shotgun with rock salt. Climb to the roof of your house with gun, bottle of Jack Daniel's and can of sarsaparilla. Fill shot glass with Jack and splash of sarsaparilla. Watch for looters. When you spot one, blast his ass with rock salt. Drink shot. Repeat.

===============================================

THE CHAIN SAW

1 oz. Goldschläger
1 oz. Rumplemintz
3 oz. Jim Beam
Splash of vermouth

Combine Goldschläger, Rumplemintz and Jim Beam in an empty soup can. Add splash of vermouth. Drink. Remove chain saw from garage and attempt to cut up fallen tree limbs in yard. Ask neighbor to drive you to hospital when it all goes horribly wrong.

===============================================

FOUR-WAY STOP

1 1/2 oz. vodka
1 1/2 oz. vodka and Midori
1 1/2 oz. vodka and Galliano
1 1/2 oz. vodka and grenadine

Pour each ingredient into a separate shot glass. Serve one to yourself and three other people. The person with the clear shot of vodka drinks first. The person to his right drinks the Midori shot, and so on. If somebody drinks out of order, develop a quick case of road rage and beat the living crap out of him.

===============================================

BLUE TARP

1 1/2 oz. Curacao
2 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of lime

Combine ingredients in a leaky paper cup and serve. Wait six to eight months for someone to repair the cup. If you're impatient, hire an unlicensed, out-of-state contractor to do the job for an exorbitant sum and pray he doesn't hurt himself in the process.

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FEMA FIZZLE

1 oz. Southern Comfort
2 oz. sloe gin
Tonic water

One week after the storm has passed and your neighborhood is still in ruins with no sign of help on the way, combine Southern Comfort and gin in a cocktail glass. Fill remainder with tonic and add a dash of Angostura bitters. Serve with a nut brownie. Before drinking, raise the glass and say the toast, "Doing a helluva job Brownie"

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Hurricane Update

We're alive and well. Fared very well, power went out a few times but never for long.

However, there was a serious lack of brainstorming, as I came down with a Rajun' Cajun cold on Sunday. And it's still sticking around.

I promise to be back with some great recipes as soon as I'm feeling better!

To all readers along the coast--I hope you're faring this hurricane season well--stay safe and be careful!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Hurricane Prep....

We are staying for Gustav. According to the most current path, it should make first landfall a few hours east of here, and we're about 60 miles inland, so it should "theoretically" be only a Cat 1 by the time it gets here.

Even so, we're fully stocked up and prepared should we lose power or water....my living room looks like we're preparing for a camping trip. :)

caneprep

So maybe I'll be inspired for some more great recipe ideas while riding out the storm! :)

Friday, August 29, 2008

"Healthy" Hurricane Drink: Gustav Edition.

You might have been wondering if I would do a special edition post for our dear friend who's now hovering around the Caribbean, causing everyone such a tizzy. And those of you who live here in LA or DID live in LA might be able to see where this is going. :D

HURRICANES!!!


Food Background: http://www.patobriens.com/hurricane.html

Dish type: Drink (alcoholic)

Method Utilized: Pretty traditional

A typical hurricane, depending on the size and bartender, can range from 400-800 calories!

When dealing with alcohols, there really aren't many ways to cut back on the calories--and they're all (sadly) empty calories. However, the lower the proof of the alcohol, the lower the calorie count.

And we can easily make BIG cuts in mixers, and we can ADD more of the original flavor by using flavored rums--suprisingly, calorie counts for flavored hard liquors aren't much higher than regular varieties, because of the lower proof. And adding fresh fruit & fresh fruit juice adds nutrition!

Shopping list:
1 oz. Pineapple flavored rum
1 oz. Passion fruit flavored rum
1 oz. Dark rum
3 oz. Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
3 oz. South Beach Living Tropical Breeze Drink (available in singles packets so you only have to prep 16.9-20oz at a time
2 oz. fresh pineapple (or freshly frozen--bagged fruit from the store sometimes has added sugar & preservatives. I used chunks that I'd frozen earlier.)
1 oz. grenadine
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
crushed ice

Directions:

I used about a tray of ice cubes (because it's all I had--sad face) and added the pineapple, combined in my blender to crush. Then add the rest, and give a quick blend again to get a good mix.

Pour into a hurricane glass (if you have one) and add a straw...



I didn't have as much ice as I'd have liked, that's why it separated a bit. But the taste is still AWESOME!

...then kick back and watch the storm creep slllllllooooooowwwwwwlllllllyyyyy towards you. :D



Makes (2) 16 oz servings (if you have the right amount of ice)

Calories per serving: 160

Plus the added benefits of the lemon juice and fresh pineapple!

Recipe can easily be multiplied for parties & gatherings. So drink up--it's time for a Hurricane Party!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Entry Deux: Sweet Potato Mini-Muffins

Food background: http://www.foodreference.com/html/louisiana-sweet-potatoes.html

Dish type: Dessert/Snack

Method Utilized: "Quick & Simple"

When I first moved to New Orleans, I worked for a wine shop/gourmet deli called Martin's Wine Cellar. During the holiday season, my good friend who worked in catering would bake loaves of pumpkin bread & sweet potato bread, to which I became mildly addicted. Sweet potatoes are a common staple down here, as we have our own Louisiana sweet potatoes. However they're typically dished out in the form of greasy, salty sweet potato fries, or the marshmallow & brown sugar-laden dish we all know from holiday dinners. Even mashed sweet potatoes down here tend to be doused in maple syrup.....delicious, no doubt, but not exactly healthy.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent alternative to traditional side dishes as they're highly nutrient dense (but you probably already know that, and are about 10 seconds from saying "shut your yup, woman and just get to the darned recipe!!!) Okay, fine. *pouts* :)

I DO have in my possession my dear friend's recipe for her famous sweet potato bread--however it's for a yield of about 40 loaves...and since I have no fish, and no followers to feed, just wee lil' me, I don't need quite that many. It's also a slightly labor intensive process that involves baking the delectable orange starch-vessels, blending the dough base....let's just say it's an all-day thing.

However, there are ways around that. And they're called "bread mixes". I find delicious-sounding bread mixes at Big Lots, Marshalls, & Ross all the time for cheap. This time, I had one that's actually for "pumpkin bread", but if you examine the box, you see that it requires you to ADD canned pumpkin. This can EASILY be swapped for an equal amount of cooked sweet potatoes. Cooking potatoes yourself = less processed additives in your food. Baking works great, so does cubing and steaming them. I don't recommend boiling them because they get too waterlogged.

And if you want to save even MORE time, check out your local farmer's market--ours has frozen bags of sweet potato rounds that just need to be reheated. Each round is approximately 1/4 c.



Shopping List:
- 1 box bread mix (a mix that specifies pumpkin, sweet potato, or "spice" bread is ideal, and keep an eye out for one that uses wheat flour if you can for extra nutrients)
- Egg Beaters "All Whites" (equivalent of 2 Large eggs--it's on the side of the package. Wanna say it's 1/3 cup)
- applesauce (plain or cinnamon)
- 1/2 tbsp butter (half a pat), melted
- 3/4 cup pureed sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup water
- mini muffin pans (I got some of the silicone ones and they're AWESOME)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

This is not a toughie. In fact, all I really did was modify the instructions on the box to cut the fat & calories. Replace the eggs with egg whites (if you don't have EggBeaters, you can simply use 4 egg whites instead), and replace the oil with the applesauce. I add the half tbsp of butter for the flavor boost it gives to the bread (use REAL butter, and not margarine--butter is less processed, and margarine breaks down into some rather devious chemicals when heated. Besides--this recipe will make (12) 3-muffin servings. That's a MINISCULE amount of butter in each muffin.)

If you can find the sweet potato rounds, I defrost them in the micro (takes about 2 minutes on the defrost setting--add 1/2 tsp of water to the bowl you defrost them in) and then just whip 'em up and add them to the wet ingredients. Blend thoroughly, then add in the powdered bread mix and blend till smooth.

Lightly spray your muffin pans w/ Pam (I use the Olive Oil version, though I like the Pam for Baking especially well too) and add in the batter to 2/3 full. If you use the silicone trays like me, place them on a cookie sheet for easy handling.

TIP FOR ELECTRIC OVEN READERS: I've noticed my electric oven does not bake things as evenly as gas stoves do (dastardly landlords...grrr...) so I put these on the middle rack, and bake these for 10 minutes on the "Bake" setting (bottom coil heated), and then switch it to "Broil" (top coil) for 5 minutes. You get a gorgeous even color and baking this way.



Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes per rotation (I had two pans that fit 6 muffins each, so I did 3 batches)

Yield: 36 mini-muffins, or (12) 3 muffin servings

Original Nutrifacts from the box: 248 calories per serving (if prepared as instructed), 12 servings

New Caloric: 150 calories for 3 muffins, still 12 servings.

Sadly my Nutrifacts calculator doesn't have a "boxed bread mix" option, so I can't give the rest of the details. :(

What would I do differently next time? I might consider adding the equivalent of one more egg white to "fluff" it up a bit--the end result was a wee bit denser than I like. Otherwise, the flavor was FANTASTIC. In fact, I brought a serving in a baggie to have for my mid-afternoon snack--I put them in the microwave for 10 seconds, and now the smell has permeated my office. It's like Christmas in here! YUM!

I also might consider making some with chopped pecans mixed in--pecans are a staple around here, and they're very good for you. Plus--my boss gives everyone a 5lb box of shelled pecans for Christmas every year, so I always have some laying around. :-)

I promise I WILL, at a later date, do a "traditional" baked version of this recipe as well, doing everything from scratch.

First entry: Red beans & Rice

Dish background:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_beans_and_rice

Dish type: Entree

Method Utilized: "Quick & Simple"

Red beans & rice is traditionally a slow-cooked dish, however, I got a last-minute craving.



Shopping List:
- 1 box Tony Chacheres (pronounced "sash-er-ies") or Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice box mix (I used Tony's as it was on sale at the store, however, Zatarain's offers a low-sodium version and is typically more readily available throughout the country)
- 1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
- 2/3 cup quick barley (I chose to use quick barley because it cooks faster than brown rice, I don't typically keep white rice around the house, and it's a very healthy grain that can lower bad cholesterol, provides an excellent fiber source, and is said to be a natural antioxidant)
- 1/2 lb lean smoked turkey sausage (whatever brand/flavor you prefer), sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, minced
- Garlic Infused Olive Oil (I keep this around the house--the spritzer makes it easy to control the amount of oil you use, it adds a wonderful flavor to things, and a little goes a long way--even just having a small bottle, it seems to last forever.  It's an excellent investment if you have to get it from a gourmet store--though I DO frequently see them on the shelves at Marshall's or Ross.)

Steps:

As I broke my last large saucepot in an unfortunate "Dishwasher vs. Cheaply Made Big Lots Cookware" battle last week, I decided to go for the microwave option listed on the box.  From personal experience, I know that the amount of water the box recommends causes a rather soupy result, which is why I add the extra beans & the barley.  I used a large microwave-safe casserole dish (which has a lid--very important), added the igredients as stated on the box, plus my dry quick barley & canned beans.  Stir thoroughly, cover, & microwave on full power for 5 minutes.

While that's going, put a frying pan over medium heat and squirt two spritzes of oil into the pan.  Add peppers & onion, and sprinkle w/black pepper and salt.  Saute over medium heat until the onions are slightly translucent. (if you heat the pan & dice your veggies BEFORE you start anything else, your saute should be close to done around the time the microwave beeps.)

Add the peppers & onions into the casserole dish, stir again, recover, and microwave for 25-30 minutes on 50% power.

Let sit for 5-15 minutes before serving--the sauce will thicken the longer it stands.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Set time: 5-15 minutes

Dinner on the table in: 40-50 minutes

Makes approximately (6) 1.5 cup servings

Nutritional Info: 

Calories274.5
  Total Fat1.3 g
     Saturated Fat0.1 g
     Polyunsaturated Fat0.3 g
     Monounsaturated Fat0.3 g
  Cholesterol0.0 mg
  Sodium940.1 mg
  Potassium315.1 mg
  Total Carbohydrate58.1 g
     Dietary Fiber11.6 g
     Sugars1.9 g
  Protein11.4 g
  Vitamin A0.7 %
  Vitamin B-120.0 %
  Vitamin B-65.6 %
  Vitamin C17.0 %
  Vitamin D0.0 %
  Vitamin E1.0 %
  Calcium7.0 %
  Copper11.4 %
  Folate13.1 %
  Iron15.9 %
  Magnesium10.5 %
  Manganese25.1 %
  Niacin6.9 %
  Pantothenic Acid    2.1 %
  Phosphorus    13.1 %
  Riboflavin6.1 %
  Selenium12.4 %
  Thiamin9.3 %
  Zinc6.2 %