Lettuce Wraps

February's Guideposts magazine featured an entire section on Robin Miller! She bought ingredients for 3 dinners for $30, helping to show how to stretch a budget if you just plan ahead.

One of the recipes was Sweet and Sour Lettuce Wraps with Noodles. I altered the recipe a little bit, cooking as follows:

1 pound ground beef (you can substitute ground chicken or turkey)
4 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Cook meat in a saucepan, drain off excess fat and stir in other ingredients.

I used fresh Butter lettuce leaves, grated carrot, and crunchy rice noodles to assemble the rest of the wraps. They were paired with steamed broccoli that I tossed with a little soy sauce and veggie eggrolls from the frozen food aisle.

We've had lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang's and Johnny said that these were way better than theirs. I liked my flavor better, but theirs has some diced water chestnuts in the meat that give it a good, crunchy layer. In the future, I plan on adding them to my meat mixture! These were fun to make and delicious to eat. Again, one of those things that we always eat out, but never think to cook at home!

My cousin and Johnny's brother just started blogs this week, so go check them out! They are the two most health-conscious people I know! My cousin hasn't eaten red meat in over three years and comes up with really amazing vegetarian and low-fat, healthy meals. Johnny's brother has the will-power of champions when it comes to his body. I have never seen him take an unhealthy bite of anything, plus he runs and bikes year-round. He's training for a 100 mile bike race and 50K run, recording his journey on his blog.

Last, but not least, I grocery shopped like it was my job today. I set out, list in hand and coupons clipped and sorted. Little did I know, that the meat department was having the mother of all sales, several things buy one get one free. Preferred card savings were $38.41, coupons I brought to the store totaled $11.50, the meat coupons were $25.56 -- bringing my grand total savings up to $75.47!!! I almost leapt for joy at the register when the cashier told me my revised total, post-coupon scan! Our freezer has enough meat for weeks and weeks of meals! Is it odd to think that half of the packages might taste just a little better, because they were free?!

Crabcakes

I ate way too much lunch, way too late in the afternoon to be tempted by the thought of a big dinner. However, crabcakes were already planned, and last night Johnny and I had a conversation that went like this:

Johnny: "There's 2 cans of crab sitting on the counter."

me: "I know, I put them there to remind myself that I already have dinner covered."

Johnny: "I'm eating crab?!"

me: "Crabcakes."

Johnny: "Oh, I like crabcakes."

So, I felt like he might be looking forward to them all day and I might as well make them, even if I wasn't appetized by the thought!

I drained two cans of quality crab meat and threw in a small mixing bowl. Read the labels and find crab that is packed in water and contains a high percentage of leg meat. I'm a big bargain shopper and coupon lover, but spending just .40¢ more on a can of crabmeat can really make a difference in how your dinner is going to taste.

Next, I added a minced clove of garlic, about 2 minced tablespoons of onion, and about 2 minced tablespoons of celery. I seasoned with some black pepper and a generous sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning. I added about 1/4 cup of corn flake crumbs (I can't find a breadcrumb brand that doesn't contain whey) and about 1/4 cup of low-fat mayonnaise to everything and mixed thoroughly, until the mixture is dampened, but not wet. You'll want to taste the mixture now, to make sure you have seasonings right. If everything is good, divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and shape each into a patty. Arrange on a plate and chill in the fridge for a firmer consistency and marrying of the flavors until ready to cook.

Cover the bottom of a deep-sided skillet with a shallow amount of vegetable oil and heat. Then, gently fry both sides of the crabcake until crunchy, golden-brown. I usually go about 4 minutes on each side. This is enough for a good crunch, while letting the center get hot and the vegetables become tender.


I like pairing these with a big salad, or lots of vegetables on the side. Keeping the other flavors on the plate bright and light helps the crabcake stand out and be the star of the show. Tonight, I cheated and grabbed $1 menu side salads with Italian dressing from McDonald's drive-thru!

I also made a big jug of sweet tea today, which washed everything down deliciously!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

***Free sample alert!***

While reviewing the BSI: zucchini recipes, the stuffed zucchini boats really impressed me. I knew I had chicken to use up and an acorn squash in the pantry, so the two were combined and the idea for dinner was born!

First, mix 1 cup of whole grain brown rice mix that your mom mailed you with 2 cups of vegetable stock and cook for 50 minutes.




Roast an acorn squash in the oven for thirty minutes at 350° with a little water in the bottom of a covered pan.




Cook bite-sized pieces of chicken, shallot, red pepper, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and pepper in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil.


Next, combine the rice, chicken/veggie mixture and spoon into the empty squash. Cover with foil and bake another 20 minutes while Johnny tells you the story about how he got pulled over on his way into work.


Last, serve on a plate and eat until it looks like this!

Hot Breakfast

Two weekends ago I broke out in hives. After much consideration, I think I've narrowed it down to this little "dino dig" we tested at work, where you chisel little plastic bones out of a gypsum sand block and then get your paleontologist groove on, making a minitiare dinosaur. Needless to say, I'll be avoiding all gypsum sand contact in the future.

It took two doctor trips, over three weeks of prescription meds (including 70+ pills of steroids) and lots of icing down to finally return to normal. But - I just haven't felt like myself through the whole ordeal. I'm not a big medicine-taker, so I think I've just been suffering the side effects of being dazed and groggy. All this, mourning Grammy, work, etc. just equalled some bad nights of sleep.

Until last night. Yesterday we had three birthday parties, back to back, on top of the usual clientelle of the store, and I also taught a Chinese New Year class. By the time I got home, I was tired. I'm a complete night-owl, but I was in bed at 11 p.m. That's early for me. I read some, fell asleep, and woke up this morning feeling really refreshed and ready to conquer the day!

And what better way to start with a hot breakfast?! It dawned on me that I haven't had a hot breakfast in months. I put on a pot of coffee, and while it brewed whipped myself up a plate of skillet potatoes with onion and red pepper, and a spinach and cheese omelette. Delicious, and hit the spot!

I used Johnny's mom's eggs, which she supplies us with every Sunday. Behind their house is a barn, where she has chickens and goats, for fresh eggs and milk. She also makes fresh cheese and has the hugest garden in the summer! Everything from beets to berries! There's such a variety in the shapes, sizes, and colors of the eggs. She writes on the carton the date she collects them - these were just collected last week!

Look how big the one is I used for my omelette!


When I uploaded my pictures, I found this one! The other night, Johnny made himself a bowl of rice krispies with a sliced banana on top. He marched proudly upstairs to show me this "masterpiece" of balancing banana slices. We joked he should take a picture and I'd put it on my food blog!

We're hosting the Superbowl here next weekend for a few friends, so I want to try and save shopping until the second half of the week, closer to Sunday. So, the meal plan this week is trying to use up things I have on hand. That includes chicken and acorn squash that need to be cooked, the crab cakes that never appeared last week, the second half of the vichyssoise I made in November and froze, and a Robin Miller recipe for lettuce wraps that was featured in this month's Guideposts magazine recipes.

Make your own Pizza!

On the menu for tonight was Biz's homemade pizza! Usually, she posts her homemade pizzas every Friday night and the pictures always look amazing!

I have no idea what I was waiting around for, I needed to get in there and make my own, too!!! Having a coupon for yeast sealed the deal, so it was added to the grocery list and consequently, the meal plan. No turning back now!

Our toppings of choice were green peppers, red peppers, onions, broccoli, spinach, olives, and my brother and dad's homemade Italian sausage (secret recipe). I was able to prep all of these things ahead of time, which made for a great end-of-the-week dinner. Plus, I got to use up the excess homemade sauce from the parmesan. See? I told you earlier in the week, I had it all down Robin Miller style! Excess sauce, sausage pre-cooked, veggies all prepped... dinner came together literally in minutes!

I prepared the dough, according to Biz's instructions and added a little corn meal to the bottom of the dough, for that "authentic" pizza joint feel. I pre-baked the crusts for about 5 minutes on a cookie sheet, then we each got to work assembling our separate pizzas, as the dough makes enough for 2 pizzas.

Mine was sauce, then a little spinach and the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. I sprinkled oregano, basil and garlic powder over the cheeses and then worked on the toppings. I added onions, green peppers, red peppers, broccoli and olives. I LOVE olives!!! At the last minute, I decided on a little sausage, too.

Mine went into the oven first, because I slopped all of mine on and was ready to eat! Johnny is a lot more meticulous, so he continued crafting his as mine baked.

Johnny's ended up with the sauce, sausage, spinach, green peppers, red peppers and onions. Then, he put the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over this. This has got to be a Chicagoland or Midwest thing, because I see that all the time around here, but never anywhere else. Toppings go on TOP - hence "toppings!" But around here, they put all the toppings and then the cheese. So weird to me! He doesn't like crispy broccoli, so cooked his off some in the microwave and that ended up above the cheese. He also chose to forego the olives, which he hates, and the extra sprinkling of spices. He had the creative idea of making a little recess in the middle of his pie, so the center wouldn't get all mushy from all the toppings. It worked out well, browning even in the center.

I like crispy crusts, but not cracker-crispy, so I skipped Biz's advice of baking directly on the rack and baked the remainder on the cookie sheet for about 13-15 minutes longer, until the cheese had melted and started to brown a little.

Yum, yum, and YUM. Two knock-out dinners in a row! Between last night and tonight I must have died and gone to heaven! We will definitely be making homemade pizzas a lot more often, now that I know it's this easy! The dough had that delicious, fresh, yeasty flavor and all of the flavors were hot and gooey and melted together, fresh out of the oven! It's also a great way to use up those last straggling veggies, or any extra meats from the week's leftovers. A kind of gumbo, or stirfry of sorts - just throw everything on the pizza to use it up and not let it go to waste!

BSI: Zucchini (Egg-cchini Parmesan)

Last night I talked to my brother for gnocchi recommendations, but today was my dad's parmesan advice. Before starting, I made a quick phone call to cover all the basics and learn "the secrets."

Over Christmas break, we had a delicious eggplant parmesan he made and Johnny absolutely loved it and didn't suffer any whey side effects, despite it containing cheeses that usually give Johnny problems.

So, without further ado -- here is my Egg-cchini Parmesan! I added a layer of zucchini for the BSI submission and decided it would only be fitting to come up with a Rachael Ray-esque cutesy name to accompany it!

You'll have to forgive the lack of preparation photos because the duty of battering and frying the eggplant and zucchini left some dirty hands and a non-camera friendly kitchen!

I used 1 large eggplant and 2 medium zucchini. I peeled the eggplant and sliced all the vegetables length-wise about 1/4" thick, and then cut the strips in half. I salted the eggplant on both sides and let them sit a few minutes to withdraw any moisture.

While the vegetables were sitting, I made my sauce. Yes, parents and other Italian-blooded family members rejoice! I made homemade sauce!!!

Once the sauce was assembled and stewing away, I got to work frying up the veggies. The assembly line worked a little something like this: 1) dredge the veggies in a dusting of plain flour then 2) dip them in an egg batter of beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Next, I fried both sides and were drained on a paper towel.

Once all the vegetables were fried and the sauce was ready, I got started on the next assembly line - actually putting together the dish. First, I started with a spoonful of sauce in the bottom of the dish. Next, per my Dad's advice (seen on Bobby Flay's throwdown) I dunked the fried eggplant/zucchini IN the sauce! What a fantastic idea! Lay the sauce-dunked pieces in neat rows and add a sprinkling of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Keep assembling layers, which in my case I alternated between eggplant and zucchini, and then adding cheese. My dad packs his down so it gets firm, like a lasagna, rather than just strips of veggies in a neat pile.

Finish the dish with a little more sauce on top and the last of the mozzarella and parmesan. I baked mine, covered, in a 350° oven for about 45 minutes or so, taking the foil off the last 10 minutes. Before we cut into it, I let it rest for about 10 minutes to firm up some. We finished off last night's bottle of wine with tonight's dinner - yum! Only $5.99, too!

Johnny said it was a "top tier" level of dinner. I was really quite impressed with myself - it was delicious! I'm glad we only ate like 1/3 of it, because that leaves lots of leftovers to savor again!

Homemade Gnocchi

Ok, I was all prepared for today. Homemade gnocchi. I'd read and re-read 101 Cookbook's instructions and thought I had a handle on it.

Then, I bragged to my brother, Michael this afternoon about my plans. He, of course, is a lot more comfortable, knowledgable, and educated in the kitchen than I am. If he has something to say, I'm going to listen. Plus, he has to make gnocchi everynight at his job, so he's speaking from a lot more experience than I have, and to what Heidi has admitted to. Also - his restaurant just received a Mobil 5 star rating!!! One of only 4 in the state of California, and 1 of only 20 in the country to receive 5 stars this year! It's exciting news and great for his resume!

Their recipes differed a lot. Heidi boiled her potatoes cut, Michael bakes his whole. Heidi mashes hers up with a fork, and Michael sends his through a strainer. Heidi wants you to eventually get to the point of not using egg, whereas Michael uses 1 egg yolk per 4 potatoes. Heidi didn't mention any use of creams or cheeses, and Michael swears by adding some in. Both, however, stressed the dough needed to be handled very, very carefully and could not be overworked. This would result in dense, rubbery gnocchi - a horrible offense.

I took my brother's advice and baked my potatoes for an hour in a 350° oven. He said this would result in a starchier potato, versus a soggy boiled one. Then, I used this metal, mesh strainer-style spoon and pressed the potatoes through into tiny little smooth ribbons. (Think of the little Play-doh guy, where you push his hair out in strands.) We didn't have any marscapone or ricotta cheese, so he suggested I add a spoonful of sour cream as I was working the potatoes through, and I did. I also added salt and 1 egg yolk because I cooked up 4 medium sized potatoes.

Once you have all these ingredients together, you kind of chop-knead them. You don't want to over-work the dough and I think this might be where I was TOO timid. Then, dump the contents out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands until the dough is no longer sticky and you can form it into a ball. Divide the ball into 3 sections and roll each out into a long snake. With a sharp knife, cut little 3/4" sections. Roll these little sections, CUT side against the prongs of a fork. Again, I think I was too timid here. My gnocchi just look too homemade, I think because they weren't really well formed.

Michael suggested putting the gnocchi in the fridge at this point, for about 20-30 minutes so they can firm up a bit before you put them in the boiling, salted water. While the gnocchi were in the fridge, I sauteed some salted and peppered chicken breast in olive oil until it was browned and had some nice color on it.

Then -- time for the gnocchi!!! I dropped the little dumplings into the water a few at a time and was instructed to pull them out with a slotted spoon as soon as they floated, because that is when they are done. If you let them boil longer than that, they can start to break up. Once the gnocchi were done, I put them in a searing hot pan with some butter, olive oil, garlic and fresh spinach to brown up and get a nice crust on them. I plated all the components together and paired it with a yummy white wine the nice Trader Joe's man suggested when I told him what I was making for dinner. I always feel like I should invite the Trader Joe's people over for dinner after I shop there because they get so excited hearing about what people are going to be cooking.

I cooked a bigger batch, more than we could eat tonight, so half of the gnocchi I put in an ice water bath, instead of the skillet once they were done boiling. I patted them dry and then stored in a ziplock with a little olive oil. They'll be ready to heat up in a skillet for leftovers from this point.

Overall, the taste was AWESOME. I just didn't get the consistency right. But, I didn't get it right because I was too timid and don't think I formed the dough as confidently as I will in the future. At least they weren't dense and goopy - as I've had them before, which is a sign the dough was over-worked. Some were ok and some were kind of like fluffy mashed potatoes.

I'm glad I have that under my belt. I think I just get myself too worked up if it's a hyped-up recipe. Next time I'll feel like a seasoned pro with experience behind me!