Beef and Bulgur Stuffed Zucchini

Made a great  lite Italian tomato dressing by grating a tomato and adding lemon, honey,
olive oil, dijon, spices.... 

Ellie Krieger is one of my favorite TV cooking personalities. Don’t let her ‘healthy’ angle scare you away from trying her stuff – it’s all fantastic. These little beauties were a cinch to make and they tasted awesome. The currents and pine nuts really added to the overall texture and flavor. Bonus for me: I got to use some bulgur (which I purchased for the Spice Rack Challenge) and also some coriander (which I purchased for the same!)

Here’s what you need:

3 medium zucchini (about ½ pound each) You can see I did not use enough zucchini, so my proportions were off, but oh, well.

1 T olive oil

1 small chopped onion

1 T chopped garlic

½ lb. lean ground beef (I use sirloin)

2 t ground cumin

1 t ground coriander

½ t red pepper flakes or to taste

1 14.5 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, strained, juice reserved

1 C cooked bulgur (about 1/3 C dried – cooked according to package)

3 T dried currants (great, great, great ingredient)

3 T toasted pine nuts (great, great, great ingredient)

¼ C chopped parsley

½ C low-sodium tomato sauce

Here’s what you do:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. When they are tender, add beef and brown completely. Add the cooked bulgur, spices, drained tomatoes, currants and nuts. Mix well.

Slice zucchini lengthwise in half and scrap out the seedy middle with a spoon. Discard the pulp and be sure to leave about ¼ inch flesh intact.

Place zucchini ‘boats’ in a baking dish and stuff them with the beef and bulgur mixture. I had a little too much filling, so I just tucked it in the corner of the pan.

Pour reserved tomato juice and extra ½ C of tomato sauce over all.

Cover and bake at 350 until heated through. 

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Rouladen (one of my family's favorite dinners - perfect for company)

Pretzel Rolls

This is an excellent recipe to start with if you’re still afraid to use yeast – it couldn’t be easier.  And believe it or not, these actually taste like soft pretzels. Salty, chewy, tender and very satisfying.  No kneading, no stress-- just a peaceful time of waiting and watching.   Yeast is such a mysterious ingredient. There’s nothing like that earthy smell wafting up from the yeast and warm water…… How can that turn into bread???

I read about this recipe on Opera Singer in the Kitchen. (Noelle is a fellow Michigan blogger) on the Monday after Easter and decided to make these to serve with my leftover Easter ham….. so glad I did. The fried egg was Tim’s idea.

You can follow the vegan recipe on Noelle’s site or the one I used on Tasty Kitchen.

Here’s what you need:

1 ½ C  warm water (110 degrees F. I actually used my candy thermometer)

1 package Active Dry Yeast (not Quick Rise Yeast)

2 teaspoons sugar

4 ½ C unbleached all-purpose flour

2 t Kosher salt (this seems like too much, but it was very nice - Remember, Kosher salt tastes less salty than regular table salt, so adjust your amount down if you use table salt. Kosher salt also measures differently than table salt because of its larger crystals.)

4 T melted unsalted butter (I suppose you could use salted butter and cut down on the amount of salt you add)

¼ C baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten

Sea salt to sprinkle on top

Here’s what you do:

Place the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer, add the yeast and wait about 5 minutes until the yeast is frothy and ‘alive.’

In the meantime: whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. Melt the butter. Beat the egg and set aside.

When the yeast is a bit ‘foamy’ add the dry ingredients in small amounts, mixing well. Add the melted butter and egg and mix well with the hook attachment until it looks like this:

Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down and turn out onto a floured board. Cut into 16-18 pieces; shape into balls by pinching, coaxing and rolling. You have to sort of pull the sides down to the bottom and pinch it together to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Now the strange part: Boil 2 quarts of water. When bubbly, add the baking soda……. It’s like a science experiment. Lower heat to simmer.

Add the ‘dough balls’ carefully to the simmering water and poach them, seam side down for about 30 seconds. Turn them over and do the same for the second side. Remove them with a slotted spoon to the same prepared parchment lined baking sheets.

Glaze each roll with lightly beaten egg wash – make sure to coat completely. Top each roll with sea salt (or pretzel salt). Cut a cross shaped slash in each roll with a sharp knife. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

These were totally fantastic – I recommend them to all of you – try your hand at making these today – it was not difficult and the end product was excellent!

These were incredible toasted the next morning with butter and honey. 


(printable recipe) 


ONE YEAR AGO:  Strawberry Rhubarb Pie  (My first-ever blog post!)

Sesame-Ginger Tilapia en Papillote

Have you experimented with the ‘en papillote’ method? This was a first for me, but it won’t be a last. Of course if you have watched cooking shows on TV then you have most likely seen this done. It really wasn’t difficult at all and the end result was complete deliciousness. Plus look at that impressive presentation! I made a lite Asian dressing which totally infused every bite and kept the fish extra tender. This method would be perfect for all types of fish, and I’ve even seen it used for chicken….. will definitely try that!

This recipe will be tagged in a new category on this blog: heart healthy. These recipes will have low fat, low sodium and low calories. They might also contain ingredients which boost heart health: wheat, salmon, flax, etc. Enjoy the recipes and please let me know if you try any!

Here’s what you need:

Parchment paper

2 tilapia fillets

Some shredded bok choy cabbage

Some thinly sliced red pepper

1 T orange juice

2 t sesame oil

1 t freshly grated ginger

3 T low-sodium soy sauce

2 t rice vinegar

Here’s what you do:

Place some shredded cabbage and red peppers in the middle of the parchment paper. Drizzle some dressing over the veggies. Place the fish upon the veggies and drizzle more dressing over all.

Starting at one corner, fold the parchment all the way around, using triangular folds……. When you get to the end, fold the paper under….. you want to create an air-tight situation. Keep all that steam in there. Brush the entire package with olive oil.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Easy. Lite. Pretty. Fancy. Delicious. Great for company. Perfect for your family.

(printable recipe)

Spice Rack Challenge: Mint

Well, I feel like I might be cheating on this month’s challenge…..

 1) I really don’t like mint. I only use it in a few things.

 2) Because I don’t like it, I didn’t even want to learn about it (that’s lame, I know)

3) I live in a small town with a small grocery store, so no hope for fantastic fresh herbs, just the          pre-packaged stuff.

 4) I have always wanted to taste a Mojito….. so, there was no real challenge for me this month!  

            Just a nice, warm, happy feeling after working on and tasting this delish drink.

Here’s what you need:

Fresh mint

Fresh lime

A bit of sugar (Next time I will leave out the sugar - rum is already sweet)

Light rum

Soda water

Ice

Here’s what you do:

Muddle the mint, lime and sugar. I used a large glass and a wooden spoon.

Add ice, rum and soda water. I strained my drink (well, drinks – plural….) into my favorite glass. Look at that gorgeous color.

Beautiful! Keep messing with the quantities until you get it how you like it. Practice makes perfect, right? 

Famous Baked Beans

Well, baked bean season is upon us. The classic potluck dish.  A must have at every barbeque. Great hot or cold. One of my all-time favorite foods. The only secret to great baked beans is to actually BAKE them. Not just warm them up in the oven, but actually bake them long and low. Get all that goodness infused through every bite. I think mine are especially good – I always get compliments. 

Here’s what you need:

1 cup chopped onion

½ pound bacon, diced in large chunks

Canned baked beans

                The perfect amount for a 9X13 is

                2 x 28 ounce cans Bush’s brand beans

                1 x 15 ounce black beans

                1 x 15 ounce kidney beans

Sometimes I add cannelloni beans. This is another secret to great beans – have a variety of shapes, colors, textures and sizes of beans

¾ C catsup

1/8 C yellow mustard

¼ C brown sugar

1-2 heaping Tablespoons chili powder (another secret)

Of course, all these measurements can be tweaked to your taste, but this is a good starting place.

  

Here’s what you do:

Keep the liquid from any Bush’s brand beans you use – it’s really good. Drain and rinse any other beans.  See that lonely single piece of bacon in the middle of the bowl? Doesn’t it make you sad?

Sautee the onions and bacon until the fat is melted and the onions are nice and soft. You don’t need to cook the bacon as crisp as you would for bacon and eggs. Just get it all melty and tender.  

Add the catsup, mustard, brown sugar and chili power to the bacon and onion mixture. Scrap all the goodness from the bottom of the pan.

Mix all well. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for at least one hour.

Many thanks to 'Mrs. Stranded' at Stranded in Cleveland for this nice blog award! I think you would like her blog - lots of beautiful food and recipes and also some great table decorating ideas. She even has time for crafts, which is not really my cup of tea, but something that I admire in those of you who are 'crafters' out there!

3 easy rules for this award:
1. Say thank you to the person who awarded you
2. Share 7 interesting things about yourself
3. Forward the award to 15 other bloggers

So, many thanks to Mrs. Stranded for finding and following my blog. That always feels nice!

7 interesting things about me – now, that’s a bit harder. I think I will simply list 7 random things about me – interesting or not. If you want interesting you might click here to see a previous post….. Let’s see……

A visitor to my little lettuce garden. 

1.       I am growing lettuce and spinach in my garden and have already harvested lots of great leaves for salads.

2.       I am currently reading Ayn Rand’s classic novel “Atlas Shrugged” and loving it.

3.       I am the official tweeter for my church. (@LutheranTweet if interested in following me there)

4.       I hate housework and I hate gardening.

5.       I am teaching my very first cooking class next week. Kinda nervous about it.

6.       I love shoes and shoe shopping.

7.       My cookbooks are in terrible disarray. I have little piles all over the house.

I can’t pass this award to 15 bloggers – that seems like a bit much to me. But I do award this to the following:

1.       Culinary Collage – Terry Ann is a fellow Michigan blogger.

2.       Honestly Good Food – very nice, healthy food. My favorite post is called “The Arrival of the Pigs.” I love the photos there.

3.       Olla-Podrida – Pattie has great recipes and also has some fantastic ideas for decorating your table. I love browsing through her site…… my table is usually just plates and paper napkins, but she often inspires me.

4.       SPCookie Queen – Gina recently posted a great cheese pretzel recipe

5.       Put a Lid on It – Perfect for those of you who love canning and preserving. She's also participating in the Spice Rack Challenge.
6. Be Delicious  - Jenny just posted three recipes using fresh tomatoes. Very nice. 

Click away! Make some new friends! Enjoy some new blogs.... and have a great day! 

A Trio of Tasty Tidbits

Mini Florentine Cups, Cheddar Ham Cups and Chicken Taco Cups
(My 100th post)

Hors d’oeuvre. According to the dictionary (which I had to use to check on my spelling)  “out of the ordinary, apart from the main work, a relish or more elaborate preparation served before the first course of a meal.”

I also found this definition, which I love: “a small bit of appetizing food, as spicy meat, fish, cheese, or a preparation of chopped or creamed foods, often served on crackers or small pieces of toast, for eating at cocktail parties or other gatherings where drinks are served with no other food.”  I love how in this official definition they mention specifically where to eat hors d’oeuvres – at a cocktail party or gathering where drinks are served. Don’t let that scare you away from eating them any old night of the week. They make a great casual dinner, with or without drinks.

The recipes below come from two cookbooks I recently purchased: “Kraft Philadelphia Cheesecakes and More” and “Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes.” I tweaked them each a tiny bit. Isn’t it fun that each hors d’oeuvre used something different for its ‘cup’? The spinach cup uses turkey, which I thought would never work, but it is outstanding! These were probably my favorite of the three and I love that they are carb free. They reheated beautifully and made an excellent cold lunch the next day.

The cheddar ham hors d’oeuvre uses a biscuit for its cup, so you know how good those are. Tender, cheesy, a bit chewy. These were my son’s favorites – a great after school snack the next day. These also reheated beautifully.

The chicken taco uses a wonton wrapper for its cup – you can find wontons in the produce department of larger grocery stores. Super easy and super fun to use. They were really crisp and chewy. These could be garnished with black olives, jalapenos, green onions or even more cheese. Really, really fun! We all loved these!

Mini Florentine Cups (makes 24)

1  9 ounce package frozen chopped spinach-thawed, and well drained

½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 Cup low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese)

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

24 slices Oscar Mayer Deli Style Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Allow the spinach to thaw for a while and then run hot water over it through a wire sieve. When all the icy parts are thawed, squeeze every drop of water out of it. Using a fork, mix together all the ingredients (except turkey). This takes some elbow grease, but be persistent. Arrange the turkey carefully in ungreased mini muffin tins. Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the ‘turkey cups’ – I resorted to using my hands because the mixture was way too stubborn for spoons. Bake 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Cheddar Ham Cups (makes 2 ½ dozen)

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

5 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, finely diced

3 slices bacon, diced and fried until crisp

½ Cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tube refrigerated flaky biscuits (10.2 ounces)

Cut each biscuit into thirds and press each tiny section into ungreased mini muffin tins, using your fingers and thumbs to press them up the sides. Mix the remaining ingredients and divide evenly between the biscuit cups. One important note: if you are using a nonstick pan, these will come out like a dream. I don’t recommend an aluminum pan because the cups won’t come out nicely. (I know this from experience!) Bake 9-11 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Allow to rest in the pan for a few minutes before removing.

Chicken Taco Cups (makes about 36)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning

1 small onion, diced

2 C red salsa

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

36 wonton wrappers

Stir the chicken cubes and taco seasoning until well blended. Cook chicken until juices run clear- about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to food processor and process until finely chopped.  In a bowl, combine chicken, salsa, onion, and cheese.

Press wontons in greased mini muffin tins and bake for 5 minutes at 375 degrees or until lightly browned. (Peek in the oven and make sure the wontons don’t fall in on themselves – you want them to remain wide open.)

Remove from oven and fill with chicken mixture. Bake for another 15 minutes or until warmed through. Garnish as desired.

I think all three of these would be great served not only as hors d’oeuvres or as a light dinner but at a breakfast buffet or with a salad luncheon. The Cheddar Ham Cups and the Chicken Taco Cups both froze and reheated perfectly. Enjoy these! 

Basic Onion Pie

On my other blog (did you know I write another blog called Food Talk? There’s a link to it on the right side bar here.) I have been writing about how much I love asparagus, which is true. I made a very pretty asparagus soufflé, an asparagus tart (a la Martha Stewart). I have roasted and steamed asparagus. I have served it cold, warm, hot and everything in between. I eat it with or without Parmesan cheese or vinaigrette. We are turning green around here…… is there such a thing as too much asparagus?

Anyway, my other very favorite vegetable is the humble onion. I will eat sautéed onions with anything. Anything at all. Omelets, burgers, pizza, salad, chicken……. Anything at all.

I suppose if you’ve been cooking for any amount of time at all you already have this recipe. I make it a lot because it’s easy, cheap, delicious, and a great way to eat one of my favorite vegetables – onions.

Today I used both Vidalia onions and a few shallots. I did not have Saltine crackers, so I substituted Club crackers . I think Saltines are better.

Add ins include: a can of green chilies, roasted red peppers, dried tomatoes (the ones that come in a jar with oil), other veggies sautéed along with the onions. Today, I kept it completely simple – onions, cracker crust, eggs, milk and cheese.

Here’s what you need:

4 C Vidalia onions – chopped or sliced

¼ C butter – divided

1 C crushed Saltine crackers

4 eggs, well beaten

1 C milk (today I used skim and it was fine)

6 ounces cheddar cheese (you really don’t need more than that)

Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste

Chop onions and sautee in 2 T butter until desired tenderness is achieved. Melt remaining 2 T butter in regular size pie plate. Sprinkle cracker crumbs over melted butter.

Scatter onions over cracker ‘crust.’ Whisk eggs and milk together and pour over onions. Sprinkle cheese over egg mixture.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  A standard at my house.

Spice Rack Challenge: Coriander

I had a hard time with this one. (I guess that’s why it’s called a ‘challenge’ eh?) Searched around through my many cookbooks and all over the internet. Almost landed on a coriander bread from Betty Crocker. It has coriander, ginger, cinnamon and orange zest: my kind of flavors.

 I also considered a coriander seasoned grilled chicken breast with a mango-orange salsa – doesn’t that sound fresh tasting?

I haven’t used bulgur in my cooking in a few years, so this Coriander Tabbouleh Salad was just the ticket. Thanks to my friend, Sue, who passed this recipe on to me! Now I need all your best bulgur recipes so I can get to the bottom of the bag of bulgur in my pantry!

Place 1 Cup bulgur in a bowl with ¼ C olive oil. Pour over 2 C boiling water, cover and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. (This was the recommended method, but you could always follow the directions on the package and add the olive oil to the dressing….. )

In the meantime, whisk ¼ C lemon juice, 1 T coriander, 1 T fresh grated or minced ginger root, 1 t dried mint, salt and pepper to taste.

When bulgur is tender, add dressing and 1 English cucumber (seeded), 1 C chopped green onion, and 1 C fresh parsley.

Couldn’t be easier! Very lemony and satisfying. 

I have another favorite salad recipe here on the blog that used coriander 

(one of my first blog posts…. )

Couscous Chickpea Salad. 

Now that I have made this tabbouleh, I can say that the couscous salad needs lots  more coriander!

Just a random photo of the meal my teenage sons made on Mother’s Day: hamburgers on the grill with sharp white cheddar cheese, fresh steamed green beans and these wonderful roasted smashed potatoes. Thanks boys! Mom loves you!

Also, an update on the rhubarb situation (please ignore the weeds - it has been cold and rainy for weeks up here.... weeding must be done on bright sunny warm days if I'm involved). Any rhubarb recipes out there?

Cinco de Mayo - Chocolate Flan

Ok, it’s not Cinco de Mayo! But I did actually make and serve this on May 5 – just getting around to writing about it now. Besides, who needs a Mexican holiday to eat really great, authentic Mexican food? Not me. I’m not even sure Cinco de Mayo is such a big deal in Mexico. We Americans are just looking for another way to celebrate our neighbors to the south. If you want to see how much we love all things Mexican at our house, start clicking:

                Pork Enchiladas in Green Salsa 

(caution: controversial raw meat photos!)

                Mrs. K’s Famous Mexican Casserole

(ridiculously easy)

                Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup

(my daughter in college has made this a few times- I love that she is becoming such a great cook! She texted me today to tell me that she made a penne pasta with apple chicken sausage, broccoli, Granny Smith apples and a Gouda Cheese sauce. I mean, come on!)

                Cheesy Green Enchiladas

(a recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine. I really must explore that publication more.)

                Chicken Queso Burger 

(one of my first blog posts)

                Yucatan Meals 

(photos from our recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula)

Picture this:

I am peacefully going through my twitter one afternoon, catching up on tweets and randomly looking around. (I am @LivingCB in case you're interested.....)

I come across a tweet from @finecooking which says “Impossible Chocolate Flan – the BEST dessert for Cinco de Mayo (and fun to make too).”

I read the recipe and decide I must make it right then. RIGHT then.

I send my son to the store with a short grocery list.

I dig in and within the hour I have created this beautiful, beautiful thing!

Unfortunately, I had to wait until the next day to taste it…… and I ate ½ of the entire flan. Tim was out of town and the kids were uninterested…. I think it’s the texture of flan that people either love or hate.

Me - I’m a lover.

Please see Fine Cooking for the complete recipe. (I did not use the Cajeta – no time to drive to the big grocery store for a specialty product- I was in a panic to get this baby in the oven!)

Gather ingredients according to recipe.

Make the cake layer. Make the flan layer and gently pour it over the cake. Set the entire thing in a hot water bath.

Kinda ugly bottom, but just wait till tomorrow! 

Run a hot knife around the edge of the pan. Gently coax the dessert out onto a plate.
Enjoy!