Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus or Simply Delicious.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus.

     This recipe is part of my snack series and not an actual dinner. As a snack or appetizer prosciutto-wrapped asparagus is a classic example of the simple and delicious food that I like so much. There are only three ingredients; prosciutto, low fat cream cheese, ans asparagus. The beauty of this snack is the way the ingredients work together. Prosciutto, cream cheese, and asparagus are each vary different flavors and textures but when combined they become more than the sum of their parts. Prosciutto is an Italian dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and served uncooked, as usual for an Italian artisan meat it is full of flavor and delicious.
Cream cheese is self-explanatory, it tastes great in everything. If you don't believe me try mixing a small amount into a bowl of chili. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, I like the flavor and I like the versatility of it.
     The things to consider when making this are first the prosciutto, it is paper thin and tears easily. The way to avoid tearing the prosciutto is to use cream cheese that is at room temperature and has been softened so that it spreads easily. Second, the asparagus, canned asparagus won't work in this recipe because it is too soft and flexible. You should use fresh asparagus that has the woody ends trimmed off and has been blanched. This will give you asparagus that has a firm snap, a delicious taste, and is easy to work with. The third thing to consider when making this snack is the cost. Prosciutto is an expensive item and may deter you from making this recipe but I encourage you to make it at least once.
I'm a little apprehensive to mention it but the double batch of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus in the picture above will run you about $50.
     So now that we've gone over the basics, let's look at today's recipe.

                          Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus


Prep time   10 Min.     Cook time   5 Min.     Serves   20

Ingredients

1/2 tsp salt, for cooking water

1 pound uncooked asparagus, thick spears, ends trimmed (about 20 per bunch)

12 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced into 20 pieces

1/4 cup low fat cream cheese

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp black pepper


Instructions

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a large bowl with ice water.

Fill a large stock pot with water; stir in salt. Set over high heat; bring to a rolling boil. Blanch asparagus just until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes depending on asparagus thickness. Drain; immediately plunge asparagus into ice bath. Let asparagus chill 3 to 5 minutes; place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet to dry.

Lightly spread a dab of cream cheese down center of each prosciutto rectangle; place asparagus stalks across narrow bottom end of prosciutto at a slight angle. Gently wrap prosciutto around asparagus so it covers stalks. Place asparagus on a serving platter; sprinkle with vinegar and season with several grinds of black pepper just before serving.

This recipe yields 1 asparagus per serving.


     This is a wonderfully easy snack that will have all of your friends talking and asking you for the recipe. This snack can be prepared up to a day before serving. Simply cover with a damp paper towel and wrap in plastic wrap.
Garnish with vinegar and pepper just before serving. If you try this recipe come back here and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Eggplant Parmigiana or Semantics.

Crock Pot Greek-Style Meatballs and Artichokes or They Do Exist.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is Crock Pot Greek-Style Meatballs and Artichokes.

     I want to thank you for sticking with me through the last couple of weeks.
It has been very difficult for Ellen and I to adjust to not having Stuart around but the pain is slowly giving way to happy memories. Thank you to all of you who offered your kind words and support, we really appreciate your encouragement.
     Greek style meatballs is one of my Thursday crock pot dinners.
The interesting thing about this recipe is that although I am a big fan of Greek food I have not only never had Greek meatballs, I have never heard of them before I found this recipe. My original thought was that Greek meatballs didn't really exist, they were only a new creation from someones kitchen and the best name they could come up with was Greek-style meatballs. Imagine the expression on my face when I did an internet search and found out that yes, they really do exist. So they do exist and in Greek they are called Keftedes, they have many regional variations and they can be served as an appetizer or as a main course. The biggest differences that I could find between Greek meatballs and Italian or Swedish meatballs are the spices and the sauce. The spices used to make them tend to be a little bitter and the sauce is more like a wine sauce than a tomato based or brown sauce.
The taste is different than what most people would expect from meatballs but like most Greek food it is definitely worth trying. The pairing of Greek meatballs with artichokes and potatoes make a great combination of flavors and textures.
The one thing that you really should be aware of before you start cooking is that artichokes can become mushy if cooked too long. The way to avoid this is by waiting until the last hour to put the artichokes in the crock pot. I don't mix them in but instead I put them on top of the other food and let them steam cook for the last hour.
     Now that you have some background on Greek-style meatballs let's jump into the recipe.

             Crock Pot Greek-Style Meatballs and Artichokes


Prep time   20 Min.     Cook time   360 Min.     Serves   6

Ingredients

cooking spray

1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground sage

8 small new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled

9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice


Instructions

Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Season turkey with salt and sage; shape into 1-inch balls. Add turkey to skillet and brown on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove and place in a crock pot.

Add potatoes, oregano, pepper, and broth; cover and cook on high heat for 5 to 6 hours.

Place the frozen artichokes on top of the other ingredients in the crock pot during the last hour of cooking.

About 15 minutes before serving, spoon cornstarch into a cup. Add 1 tablespoon of the crock pot liquid and lemon juice; stir well. Stir into crock pot, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes more.

This recipe yields about 1-2/3 cups per serving.


     This dinner is a great way to break up the monotony on tomato based crock pot recipes and add some new flavors to your cooking repertoire. As always, if you try this dinner check back here and let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus or Simply Delicious.

Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken or Not Today.

     Ladies and gentlemen, my best friend passed away yesterday and I just don't have it in me to write. I'm sorry, hopefully I will get back on track next week.
For now here is this week's dinner.

                                Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken

 Serves   4

Ingredients

cooking spray

1/4 cup chopped green onions

8 ounces presliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup (2oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided

4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350f.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions and mushrooms; saut'e 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and garlic. Cool 10 minutes; stir in cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Cut a slit through thichest portion of each breast halve to form a pocket. Stuff each with 1/4 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs in a shallow dish. place breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.Dredge chicken in flour. Dip chicken in eggs; dredge in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil on skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350f. for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165f.

This recipe yields 1 stuffed breast half per serving.


     The most important thing about food is sharing it with family, friends, and loved ones. Make sure you take time to enjoy your food and loved ones together.
Thank you for bearing with me during this difficult time.

                                                                Stuart Little Lancaster
                                            27 Jan. 2000                                 6 Jul. 2012


     Next week - Crock Pot Greek-Style Meatballs and Artichokes or They Do Exist.

Mini Italian Meatloaves with Penne and Sauteed Zucchini or With a Twist.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is Mini Italian Meatloaves with Penne and Sauteed Zucchini.

     This dinner is really mini meatloaves with a side of penne and zucchini.
Although this is one recipe I will occasionally refer to them as two seperate items.
     The reason that I originally chose to try this dinner because the picture looked interesting. The second reason that I chose it is because meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods. The final reason is that the words penne and sauteed zucchini piqued my interest. The idea of pasta and vegetables cooked together is new to me and I was curious about this meatloaf and a side dish with a twist.
     The mini meatloaves are a curious item because they blur the line between individual meatloaves and large, oblong meatballs. They are very much a glass half full food in the sense that depending on your leaning they could be meatloaves or meatballs. One thing that I think everyone will agree on is that they are delicious.
     The penne and sauteed zucchini was originally a little confusing and took me a little time to wrap my head around. After pondering it for about five minutes I decided to stop thinking about it and just make it.The first time I made it I was very happy with the zucchini but I thought that the penne was a little dry. Yes, I used the term dry to describe pasta. What I mean by dry is that it tasted like eating plain pasta and it needed something to give it some depth. What I decided to try was a couple sprays of olive oil which did the trick.
     Now that we have the background for today's dinner let's check out the recipe.

      Mini Italian Meatloaves with Penne and Sauteed Zucchini


Prep time   25 Min.     Cook time   50 Min.     Serves   6

Ingredients

2 sprays cooking spray


MEATLOAVES

1-1/4 pound lean ground beef, 93%  lean/7%  fat

2 large eggs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, italian style

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1-1/2 cups store-bought marinara sauce, divided


PASTA

1/4 tsp kosher salt

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne pasta


ZUCCHINI

1 tsp olive oil, extra virgin

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 small zucchini, chopped


GARNISH

1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400f. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine beef, eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined (do not over mix). Divide beef mixture into 6 even portions and form into mini meatloaves; place on prepared baking sheet. Spoon 3 tablespoons marinara sauce over each loaf and bake until cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes; allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking liquid and then drain pasta.

While pasta and meatloaves cook, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once garlic begins to brown, add zucchini; increase heat to medium-high and cook zucchini, stiring occasionally until lightly browned and soft, about 6 to 7 minute. Season to taste with salt and then add pasta and reserved cooking liquid to pan; stir to combine and cook 1 minute to heat through.

Heat remaining marinara sauce; spoon 1 tablespoon sauce over each meatloaf before serving. Garnish each meatloaf with 1/2 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese.

This recipe yields 1 meatloaf, and about 1 cup pasta-zucchini mixture per serving.


     The pairing of mini meatloaves with penne and zucchini sautee is a great combination of flavors and textures that work well together. The one thing I would add to make this a complete dinner is an italian style salad with a viniagarette dressing. If you try this recipe check back here and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken or Not Today.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers or How Devilish of You.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner (snack) is Buffalo Chicken Fingers.

     When we first started this diet back in January I was in the habit of working late on Mondays and picking up take-out on the way home. One of our favorite places for Monday night take out was BW3; we used to get wings, salads, and a couple of sandwiches or wraps. The problem that we have is that it's hard to eat take-out from this type of restaurant on a regular basis and maintain a diet. The bigger problem we have are the wings; those delicious wings with their breading and their spicy delectable buffalo sauce and their rich and tasty ranch and blue cheese dressing that just begs you to dip your wings into it. How devilish of you to tempt me and make me want you so much. But no, I understand that you don't fit well into my diet and that you are probably not a good choice for me. How many of you readers out there can relate to this?
     Luckily, while looking through online recipes to find snacks for Friday nights I stumbled across buffalo chicken fingers. Could it be? Were wings going to be part of our diets after all? Well, sort of. As I read through the recipe I realized that these were not breaded wings but boneless, skinless chicken breast trimmed of all fat and cut into more manageable "fingers". The other difference between these chicken fingers and the standard wings that you'll find in a restaurant is these fingers are not soaking in a bowl of heavy buffalo sauce but are instead lightly coated in a lower fat buffalo sauce that has all of the kick and flavor of the restaurant style sauce. Also, when you make your own buffalo chicken at home you have the option of using low-fat ranch and blue cheese dressings instead of the full-fat dressings that you get with restaurant wings.
     Now that we know there's a healthier alternative, let's look at today's snack.

                                 Buffalo Chicken Fingers


Prep time   17 Min.     Cook time   8 Min.   Serves   4

Ingredients

1 spray cooking spray

1-1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 16 strips

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. fat-free margarine

4 tsp Frank's Red Hot sauce, or to taste

1/2 cup fat-free blue cheese dressing

4 ribs celery, cut into 4 sticks each


Instructions

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.

Place chicken on a plate and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning occasionally until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; reduce heat to low, stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Remove skillet from heat; stir in margarine and hot sauce until margarine melts. Serve chicken with blue cheese dressing and celery on the side.

This recipe yields about 4 pieces of chicken, 4 celery sticks, and 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.


     This is a wonderful recipe that will allow you to have buffalo chicken in a more diet friendly way. I do want to caution you that if you make it for a get together consider making a double batch because it is sure to disappear fast. As always if you try this snack check back here and leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.


Next week - Mini Italian Meatloaves with Penne and Sauteed Zucchini or With a Twist.