I need to donate more money to charity. I like the idea of getting more during income tax season and helping people at the same time.

Cooking Challenge 2010 - Skillet Ginger Chicken with Cilantro and Lime

I just had a great thought. Since a few of you guys are foodies like me, I figured you might want to play along with the Cooking Challenge and actually make the food as well. Hello! So I'm posting the recipe before I make it, in case you're so inclined to give it a shot. I'll post my photos and reactions afterward.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz vermicelli or whole-wheat angel hair pasta (dry)
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)
• Lime wedges for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger, and cook 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved cooking water, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice. Bring to a simmer. Add pasta and cook 1 minute to heat through, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and scallions. Serve with lime wedges on the side, if desired.

NUTRITIONAL BONUS:
Chicken is an essential source of vitamin B3 (aka niacin), which is necessary for the body to convert protein, fats and carbs into usable energy. You should have no trouble converting the macronutrients in Miller’s skillet dish – one serving offers over 66 percent of your daily need of the B vitamin.

Cooking Challenge 2010 - Italian Wedding Soup

One of my absolute favorite soups. I'm a sucker for Campbell's microwaveable bowls. This was a chance to make my own, healthier version.

Italian Wedding Soup
Ingredients
1/2 lb lean ground beef or 1/2 lb. meat loaf mix (ground beef and pork)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
5 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped escarole or chopped spinach
1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
grated parmesan cheese

Directions
In medium bowl combine, meat, egg,bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil& onion powder; shape into 3/4" balls.

In large sauce pan, heat broth to boiling; stir in spinach, orzo, carrot & meatballs. Return to boil;reduce heat to medium. Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

So, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but here are a few of the preparation. 

 Chopped spinach and onions 

Getting the meatballs ready -- they are a beast to prepare!

They're tiny, but flavor packed

I made a batch of this last night and ate it for lunch today.

The meatballs are pretty amazing. I'm pretty proud of those. Very very flavorful.

As far as preparation goes, I grated some baby carrots I had on hand directly into my boiling broth, and added some diced red onion (also on hand) because the soup I usually buy has onion in it. I also added a little bit of garlic powder to my meatballs. And I used ground chicken meat and whole wheat breadcrumbs to make my meatballs.

The meatballs were a time consuming process. And I wish I had the patience to make them even tinier. I used acini di pepe pasta -- the small round pastaballs -- instead of orzo and I love them. I also added some extra broth this morning because overnight, the pasta soaked up a lot of it.

I love this soup and it feels good to be eating something I really like and know exactly what is in it. Plus, beyond the meatball labor, it was pretty easy and I get WAY MORE than Campbells will ever fit into those little microwavable bowls. I could always make the meatballs ahead of time, freeze them and have them on deck to pop into this simple soup. 

Probably not something I'll make every week, but nice to know how to do it.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Sponsor ME!!

I'm running a 1/2 marathon!!!

 

And I'm blogging about the entire process here: http://trainingtalia.wordpress.com/

 

Follow my training progress and
donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to sponsor my run!

Cooking Challenge 2010 - Linguine with Sausage and Cabbage

Linguine with Sausage and Cabbage
From Shape Magazine
Serves 4

2 chicken sausages (about 5 ounces total)
1 small red onion
1 4 ounce wedge of savoy cabbage (light green with crinkly leaves, milder flavor than green or red cabbage)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces of linguine

Bring a large covered pot of water to boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer covered until ready to cook pasta. Meanwhile, cut sausage into 1/4 inch thick diagonal slices, slice onion to make 1/2 cup, and shred cabbage to make 3 cups. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and cornstarch.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add sausage, reduce heat to medium, and cook 1 minute. Turn sausage and cook another minute. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion and cabbage and saute 1 minute. Add broth and 1/4 cup of cold water; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture and pepper. Cook, stirring until liquid is a little glossy, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

Return pasta water to a boil over high heat. Add linguine and cook uncovered according to package directions -- about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander. Add drained pasta to sausage and sauce in skillet and toss gently to combine. Divide among four plates and serve immediately.

Here's the finished dish:

So, some thoughts.

• I need more cabbage. I used 1/4 of a head of savoy cabbage because I didn't want to have a ton of cabbage. I should have used more. And I think I overcooked it a little bit. It was my first time cooking cabbage ever, but the ones in the picture in the magazine looked super green. Mine? Not so much.
• I used chicken sausage with rosemary. Very nice flavor. But I should have browned it a little more. I was trying to follow the recipe exactly though (well, sort of). Next time, I know to cook the sausage until it's brown like I like it.
  
• Fresh pasta is the jumpoff. It's like ramen, but better. And the best kind of pasta ever created. I think it's going to be my new thing. Right after I finish cooking all of this boxed pasta I have.
• The other plus about this dish: it apparently supplies half of my daily folate needs!
  

Overall, I really liked this dish. I didn't eat all of it because I put way too much pasta in it and I wanted more cabbage. But I will definitely make this again in the future. Shoot, I might give it another shot this week. I've got leftover pasta, onion and cabbage. And I think I've got some chicken sausage in the fridge!

Rating: **** (4 out of 5 stars)

Cooking Challenge 2010 - Gorgonzola Stuffed Potatoes (Week 1)

The first recipe is in! This week we will make Gorgonzola Stuffed Potatoes. Feel free to try it and post your findings, reactions or comments! When I make it, I'll post photos and my reaction as well. Enjoy!

Gorgonzola Stuffed Potatoes

Makes 6

(from Katie Brown's Workshop)

Ingredients

6 medium sized Yukon gold or red skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
6 pieces of aluminum foil
1/3 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped chives for garnish (optional)

Get Cookin'
1. Preheat oven to 350º F.

2. Wash and dry potatoes, and place in large mixing bowl. Toss with vegetable oil and salt. Wrap each potato individually with aluminum foil. Place potatoes onto baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until toothpick is inserted with ease.

3. Remove potatoes from the oven, remove foil, and allow them to cool enough to touch.

4. With a knife, cut quarter sized holes in the top of each potato and discard tops. With a small spoon, hallow out each potato. Reserve the potato flesh in a separate medium size mixing bowl. Make sure to leave some potato around the inside edges to help keep the shape.

5. Mix gorgonzola, pepper, and heavy cream with the potato. Stuff the potato shells with the mixture, mounding each potato with the mixture.

6. Return potatoes to a sheet tray and place under broiler. Remove from oven when golden or at about five minutes.

MY THOUGHTS
So, I forgot to take pics of this dish, but overall, I was underwhelmed. I was rushing and the one potato I ate wasn't done enough. I wish I'd added butter or something because it was a little on the dry side. However, I fixed the other potato (properly cooked) for someone else and they said it was alright when mashed with the rest of the potatoes.

If I try this again, I would probably doctor it up in some way.

RATING: *1/2 stars out of 5 stars

T-Dot's Eating Manifesto

I'm tired. It's only 12 days into the new year and I'm already tired.

It didn't come from the high butter dishes over Christmas. This fatigue set in since the New Year began. And I think it has a lot to do with my diet.

I'm a notoriously bad eater. I love to cook, but I'm also lazy, settling for fast food, conveniences and we all know I love some Ramen.

I think it's starting to catch up to me. That, and my lack of sleep. But that's another post.

So I figure what could it hurt to eat a little more healthfully? A little more whole? A little more like Setta B?

I browsed through Food Rules, the new hype book about how we should eat. The advice is boiled down essentially to this rule: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables."

Sounds easy enough. A flip through the book suggests eating plants -- not anything that was made in a plant. I thought about that book as I drove home from work today. I'd slugged through the last 4 hours of work, even after I'd had half a salad with rotisserie chicken breast for lunch.

I wasn't up to cooking (really, the tub is calling my name) so I considered ordering out or *gasp* making some Ramen, though I knew it wasn't good for me. On the ride home, I vowed to myself that I'd buy real food when I went to the store to reup my pantry. Though I wondered to myself what I would do when I got home.

Women's Health to the rescue. A few months ago, they released an issue with the best packaged foods for women. I'm a fan of the magazine, and I'm all for making small changes with big results, so I picked up a few. An antioxident veggie blend was served with baked salmon and risotto a few days ago. And today, I'm pulling out a stir fry mix with noodles and cooking it with shrimp and some soy sauce.

My plans to be healthier, this time, were actually backed up by my eating habits. I've been doing better on drinking more water (64 ounces a day, playa!).

Anyway, I've decided I need to get a little more serious about eating well. Here are a few of the things I'm going to try to do:

• Eat few foods with ingredients that I can't pronounce.
• Buy fresh. If not possible, buy frozen. Not canned.
  
• More water, less juice.
  
• Eat veggies and protein as often as possible (no more Ramen solo for dinner!)
• Eat the fruit instead of drinking the juice. If drinking juice, check the ingedient list

This is evolving as I learn. If you have suggestions, let me know. I'll keep you guys updated on my progress.

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