Grilled Asian Strip Steak
I love to grill strip steak because it cooks quickly ~ around 8 minutes for medium rare, but you can also use a flank or hanger steak. You can marinate the steak the night before or even an hour or less before you cook it. The hoisin really adds a wonderful flavor and I love the sesame seeds that toast as it cooks. I put some asparagus on the grill to cook and baked some potatoes to complete the meal. Very little work for big flavor! Click here for the recipe….
Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
It was Ralph’s 85th birthday last week and we helped him celebrate with these nummy cupcakes. You make a chocolate truffle and drop it in the center of the batter before you bake them which makes it very chocolatey and a wonderful surprise in the middle. The decadent chocolate buttercream starts out with beaten egg whites and sugar over a bain marie and then you slowly add almost a pound of butter and half a pound of melted bittersweet chocolate. The cupcakes are really moist and have a deep rich chocolate taste. A quick tip is to use a pancake batter dispenser and fill the cupcake liners super fast. I love all the beautiful cupcake wrappers you can find these days, but like to bake them in regular cupcake liners and then put them in the fancy paper once they have been frosted so the oil doesn’t seep through as you bake. Click here for the recipe….
Chicken Thighs with Dijon, Maple Syrup and Rosemary
Summer has retreated once again and I find myself cooking indoors which is very disappointing. Luckily, I found a new recipe that uses the oven, and that cheered me up. I don’t usually buy chicken thighs because not everyone in my family likes them, but I saw a recipe and thought I’d give it a try. I liked them, and everyone ate them and said they were good. They were very moist and easy to make, and the sauce was tasty. I served it with some Japanese sticky rice and broccoli and it would be a great inexpensive meal to make if you had to feed a lot of people and it takes minutes to put together. You could also put everything into a crock pot and cook it for 4-6 hours. Click here for the recipe….
Risotto with Peas and Fresh Thyme
Risotto is such a fabulous creamy, rich and cheesy dish and there are a thousands of variations. As long as you learn the basic technique, you can make it with anything you have on hand. It’s best to use Arborio or Carnaroli rice which are specific types of short, starchy rice and that really is the key to this creamy rice dish. The standard technique is to heat the broth up and slowly ladle it into the sautéed rice, stirring constantly, and I have to admit, if I am just making it for an everyday side dish, I just pour the canned chicken broth in as it needs it and it comes out fine. Make sure the risotto is flowing and not a solid mass when it is cooked and just add more broth or liquid as needed. You can use any herbs and vegetables like asparagus, sweet potatoes, peppers, broccoli, carrots, fennel – the list goes on. Sauté a chicken breast or shrimp and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Click here for the recipe….
Scones with Raisins
I woke up Saturday morning craving scones, so I made my basic recipe and added raisins. Over all these years, when I find a recipe that really works, I put it in my recipe file and it becomes my go-to recipe and I know it works every time. I often add dried cranberries, blueberries or cherries, and nuts, and sometimes like to grate in some orange or lemon zest. I was happy to find the last jar of Cascade berry jam I made last summer. Good thing summer is around the corner and I can make some more! It’s delicious. Click here for the recipe….
For easier cleanup, I shape the dough on a piece of wax paper and spread the remaining egg mixture on top and sprinkle with Swedish pearl sugar (makes it look so fancy), sparkling sugar, or raw sugar. Then I cut it into 8 pieces and bake it.
I like to bake on silpat mats for a non-stick finish and even browning.
Mirella’s Yummy Cookies with Oatmeal, Rice Krispies, Coconut, Cranberries, Walnuts, and Chocolate Chips
My sister brought some cookies over from her friend Mirella and they were really good, and for the past year, I have been making these cookies. I normally like soft cookies and these are a little chewy while still soft at the same time. The rice krispies and coconut add a great bite, and you can’t go wrong with chocolate chips in anything. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit and you can use whatever nuts you like (hazelnuts are good) and any chips you like. I made them with butterscotch chips one time and they were delish. They freeze really well, but I have never had them around long enough to freeze! They go pretty fast! Don’t worry ~ I made these on my cheat day and got right back on program. Click here for the recipe….
Thai Chicken Curry with Vegetables
The rain is back…… they say it is here for the week…… it made me want a comforting cream laden sauce which I know is not going to be good for Weight Watchers this week. So much for the barbeque and promise of summer that I was really getting used to. Then it hit me ~ I could make a creamy coconut sauce with a lot less calories. I have a lot of staples I keep on hand for doing a dish like this. After ransacking my vegetable drawer I came up with a red pepper and carrots, and always keep peas in the freezer. I also always have onions on hand, so that is what I put with the curry. I had 2 chicken breasts in the fridge so I cut that up. I also always keep ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in the freezer, so I got those out. I didn’t have any Thai purple basil (which is so delicious), but I had my basil plant that I started clipping away at. I also have frozen fresh basil cubes from Trader Joe’s just in case my basil plant dies. My pantry has several cans of coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar, and luckily I had a lime hanging around (or you can use lemon). I have a little jar of Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste in the fridge, so I had everything for a Thai curry dinner. You can use any vegetables you like or have on hand like asparagus, eggplant, sweet potatoes, corn, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, and whatever protein you have – chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu. This yummy dish came to 11 WW points (includes rice) which was well worth it for all that fabulous flavor. Click here for the recipe….
Slow Cooked Salsa Chicken in Tortillas
This recipe is so quick to put together. I prefer buying fresh salsa, but you can also use a jar of salsa. Instead of measuring out all the spices you can use half a packet of taco seasoning in place of all the spices. If you don’t have a crockpot or don’t have time for 4-6 hours of cooking, you can also use a Dutch oven and place the chicken in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour or until it easily pulls apart. I make a quick cabbage slaw to put in the tortilla, some refried beans to serve alongside, and when I am feeling really ambitious, I make some Mexican rice. Click here for the recipe….
Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan
I roast lots of different vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and asparagus, or a combination, and they all start out the same way. Start out by cutting them roughly all the same size. In a large bowl I add some olive oil, salt and pepper. You can add garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano (any herb you like) or lemon zest and toss to coat well. There should be enough olive oil that they are well covered, but not dripping in oil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put the rack on the lowest shelf. Tumble the vegetables onto a large cookie sheet and spread evenly. They cook better if they are not piled up, but spread out. Put in oven and roast for 5 minutes and then turn them over and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. If you want to use Parmesan, sprinkle it over the vegetables and place back in oven for 5 minutes and then toss them again and cook until they are easily pierced with the tip of a knife and have lightly browned. Remove and serve. Click here for recipe….
Parmesan Chicken with Basil Aioli
Parmesan chicken is one of my family’s favorite comfort food meals and even picky kids love it. The browned Parmesan crust is delicious and it’s very easy to make. You can also use chicken tenders for kid size portions or appetizers but double the recipe. I use Trader Joe’s finely grated Parmesan cheese that comes in a plastic container and always have it in my refrigerator. You can also mix mayonnaise and Dijon mustard (or any mustard) together for a quick dipping sauce.
I use a strip of wax paper or plastic wrap to make clean up easier and set the flour on the left hand side, the beaten egg in a bowl in center, and the panko and Parmesan mix to the right. Click here for the recipe….
