Remembering my Grandfather through Cooking

A couple years ago for Christmas my Mom gave each one of her brothers and each one of her children a family cookbook with our favorite family recipes in it.  She did this around the same time that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Needless to say she was a little distracted and unfortunately forgot a very important family recipe.


So, a couple days ago I was getting ready to make Tweeties (a delicious recipe that my Grandfather came up with when he was living in New Jersey a very long time ago), and I pulled out the family cookbook my Mom had made us and realized that Grandpa's Tweetie recipe was missing!  I pretty much know the recipe by heart, I just wanted to check one small thing, so I looked in another cookbook that I had jotted down some recipes when I moved out and found it.  I decided, while the kitchen was smelling heavenly of spicy sausage and tomato sauce, that it was time to add Grandpa's Tweeties to the family book...  I also decided that in honor of my beloved Grandpa that I would share his recipe with all of you.  He always made it on hot summer days with lots of love and I hope that you will too.

Grandpa’s Tweeties

From the kitchen of: Carl Schwenn (Michelle Fouts’ Grandpa)

Ingredients:

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

2 green bell peppers (or 1 bell pepper and 1 pasillo pepper if you want it a little spicier), thinly sliced

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

2 cans of water

Crusty rolls

1.     Slice sausage into ½-inch slices.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once smoking, add sausage and brown. Once sausage is almost evenly browned, add peppers, tomato paste, and water.  Stir to combine.

2.   Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 – 2 hours.  The longer it simmers, the spicier it will be.  Add additional water if sauce begins to boil down too much.

3.   Serve on crusty rolls.  Serves 4 – 5.

Whew.... time, what time?

My goodness!  I haven't been keeping up with my blog like I had wanted to.  That's upsetting!  Who knew life and Mommyhood could be so demanding (and fun)!!! I have tons of recipes to post and pictures to go along with most, and stories that I want to include, I just have to find the time to actually type them instead of just composing them in my head!  I have come to the simple and obvious conclusion that most days I have to choose between a nap, exercise, and blogging.....  I guess I just have to choose something other than a nap more often!  Ha ha!   My goal is to update my blog at least twice a week now....   Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Gotta love Chickpeas!

Ok, maybe you don't "gotta love" chickpeas, but they are good for you and quite tasty if made right! I never used to like them, but since trying to cook and eat healthier, I have learned to tolerate, even like a lot of things that I didn't think that I ever would. I have learned to keep an open culinary mind so to speak, and it tastes good!

Lamb and Chickpea Tagine

Cooking Light Magazine, March 2010

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 2/3 c. lamb mixture, 4 tsp. pistachios, and 1 1/2 tsp. cilantro)

CALORIES 432; FAT 15.6g (sat 3.9g, mono 7.5g, poly2.6g); PROTEIN 3.79g; CARB 36.2g; FIBER 5.4g; CHOL 98mg; IRON 4.8mg; SODIUM 729mg; CALC 81mg

Ingredients

1 T. olive oil

1 lb. lamb stew meat

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. tomato paste

2 tsp. honey

2 1/2 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. golden raisins (I roughly chop them because they still plump up quite a bit and spread more evenly through the stew that way...)

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1/3 c. pistachios, chopped

2 T. small fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat a large saucepan (or tagine if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add lamb; saute 4 min., turning to brown on all sides. Remove lamb with slotted spoon. Add onion, salt, pepper, and cumin to pan; saute 4 min., stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return lamb to pan; stir in tomato paste and honey. Cook 30 sec., stirring contantly. Add broth, raisins, and chickpeas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 50 min. or until lamb is tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with pistachios and cilantro. Serve with hot cooked couscous.

Preston thought it was a little on the sweet side, but I love it! I would definitely make this meal again. Besides, I have this awsome tagine pot, and not many recipes to cook in it! If anyone has any great moroccan-inspired meals, let me know!

Enjoy!

Crispy Salmon Milanese with Roasted Lemon

OH MY GOSH! YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS RECIPE! So good!

Crispy Salmon Milanese with Roasted Lemon

Cooking Light Magazine, March 2010

Serves 4 (no nutritional info. available)

Ingredients

4 (6 oz.) Salmon fillets

1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. panko (japanese-style breadcrumbs)

1 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 T. oregano, dried

1/2 c. grated parmesean cheese

2 T. minced garlic

2 lg. lemons, cut in half

1/4 c. olive oil for cooking

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix panko, parsley, oregano, parmesean, and garlic together in one bowl. (This makes A TON of breading, I am pretty sure that you could safely cut this part of the recipe in half so that you don't waste so much....)
3. Place beaten eggs and flour in two separate bowls.
4. Dredge the salmon in the flour, the eggs, and the panko mixture.
5. Place the lemon halves in the oven upright (cut side up) for 15 minutes or until the lemons are caramelized and browned. Surround the lemons with crinkled aluminum foil to keep them in the upright position.
6. Heat a large skillet and coat with olive oil. Place the breaded salmon fillets in the skillet and saute for 3 minutes on both sides, or until browned.
7. Place salmon on a baking sheet pan and finish in the oven for 6 minutes.
8. Serve with roasted lemon juice squeezed on top.

Chive Green Beans

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 c.)

CALORIES 53 (32% from fat); FAT 1/9 g (sat 1.2 g, mono 0.6 g, poly 0.1 g); PROTEIN 1.5 g; CARB 7.1 g; FIBER 4.2 g; CHOL 5 mg; IRON 0.6 mg; SODIUM 175 mg; CALC 58 mg.

Prep: 12 min. Cook: 5 min.

Ingredients

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

1 T. chopped fresh chives

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. butter

1/2 tsp. stone-ground mustard (Honestly, I thought this was a ridiculous amount, would you even taste that? I used 1 T. and we loved it.)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1. Steam green beans, covered 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan, toss with chives and remaining ingredients.

Ecuadorean Potato-and-Cheese Patties

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Yield: 6 servings (serving size 1 patty).

CALORIES 157 (26% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 1.8g, mono 1.3g, poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 4.2g; CARB 24.9g; FIBER 2.1g; CHOL 6 mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 279mg; CALC 64mg.

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 28 min. Other: 20 min.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 med. peeled baking potatoes, quartered (about 1 1/4 lbs.)

6 T. (about 1 1/2 oz.) shredded queso fresco or Monterey Jack cheese (we used a shredded mexican blend)

2 T. minced green onion

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. olive oil

3/4 c. diced tomato

1/2 c. julienne-cut red onion

1. Place 1 1/2 tsp. salt and potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 min. or until tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Cool.
2. Add cheese, green onions, 1/4 tsp. salt, and pepper to potato mixture, stirring well. Divide potato mixture into 6 balls (about 1/2 c. per ball). Flatten balls into 1/2 in. thick patties (about 3 in. in diameter). (I made about 20 smaller patties and gave 5 to each person to make 4 servings). Place on baking sheet, cover and refrigerate 20 min. or until firm.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place potato-and-cheese patties in pan; cook 5 min. or until bottoms are browned. Turn patties, cook 3 minutes. Remove patties from pan. Garnish with tomato and red onion.

ENJOY!!!!

My Birthday Dinner: Grilled Scallops, Scampi Style, with Angel Hair Pasta and roasted green beans

My birthday was great, I got tons of good wishes from friends and family, I got a new Wii game system from my husband and son, and the Wii Fit Plus from my parents and brothers. However, my birthday dinner... not so much.... :o(

Preston and I set out to make the dinner and everything was going great, until we ran out of water in our well because of a faulty toilet that no one had noticed was running. With the scallops seared, the green beans roasted and the pasta al dente, Preston went out hunting for the cause of the water problem and I tried to put dinner "on hold". While Preston was out looking for a leak in the pipes, Asher became more and more cranky and decided he wanted to nurse (NOW!) despite having just finished a yummy baby dinner of mixed green vegetables, chicken noodle, and fruit medly, so I nursed him while waiting for Preston. As soon as we were able I finished dinner by heating the scallops in the scampi sauce and taking the beans out of the oven that I had turned off, but hoped would keep them warm. The pasta had been in the colander waiting for the sauce. Not good. The pasta had continued to cook and was mushy, the scallops were overdone and rubbery, and the beans were overcooked as well (but still tasty!). The recipe is solid, we've had it before, but try not to put this dinner on hold!

Grilled Scallops, Scampi Style, with Angel Hair Pasta

Serves 4 (no nutritional info. available)

Rachael Ray, 365: No Repeats

Ingredients

Coarse salt

1 lb. angel hair pasta

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley (a couple of generous handfuls), chopped

1/4 c. EVOO

16 sea scallops (1 1/2 - 2 lbs.)

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (1/3 palmful)

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used a Viognier)

Zest and juice of one lemon

5 T. cold unsalted butter (I used "I can't believe it's not butter cooking/baking")

1/4 lb. prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin strips

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill on high.
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Salt the water and cook the angel hair pasta until al dente, with a bite. Heads up: You will be using a couple of ladles of cooking water before draining the pasta.
3. While the pasta cooks, in a bowl combine the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and the EVOO. Place half of the garlic mixture with the scallops in another bowl and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the scallops to the hot grill and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the scallops are firm and opaque.
4. While the scallops are grilling, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved garlic mixture and the red pepper flakes; cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly golden brown. Add the wine to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, then add 2 ladles of the pasta cooking water and the lemon zest and juice and continue to cook for two minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the scallops, toss to coat, add the drained angel hair pasta, and toss to coat again. While tossing the pasta, scatter in the prosciutto and scallions. The salt and onion flavors accent the sweetness of the scallops. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta and scallops among 4 serving plates.

If you don't overcook it, it's really yummy! ;o)

Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Cooking Light Complete Cookbook

Yield: 4 servings (about 3/4 c.). Calories 56 (39% from fat); Fat 2.4 g. (sat 0.3 g, mono 1.7 g., poly 0.3 g.); Protein 2.1 g.; Carb 8.4 g.; Fiber 3.9 g.; Chol 0 mg.; Iron 1.2 mg.; Sodium 302 mg.; Calc 42 mg.

Prep: 12 min. Cook: 10 min.

Ingredients

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

2 tsp. olive oil (lemon infused is REALLY good if you have it!)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

cooking spray

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. Combine beans and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes or until tender, turning once.
3. Remove pan from oven; add lemon juice to beans, and toss.

YUMMMM!!!!!!

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

I got this recipe from the March 2010 edition of Cooking Light Magazine. I LOVE this magazine! A couple of years ago my parents and Preston and I decided to do a weight loss challenge (think biggest loserish) of our own. We were very successful until I got pregnant (and Preston enjoyed all my cravings with me) and my Mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer (combination of drug induced hunger, comfort foods, and difficulty keeping up our exercise regiment while going through treatment). We found several cookbooks and recipe sites that offer low-calorie, low-fat DELICIOUS food. This was really important to us since my Mom and I share a love of cooking (and make a really great team in the kitchen!). At first it seemed like we were doing a lot of prepping food with the diet (salads etc.), but not a lot of cooking. I LOVED the idea and feeling of shedding the pounds and getting in shape, but HATED the fact that we weren't really cooking and trying new recipes anymore. I knew that we wouldn't be able to keep it up if we couldn't feel like we were cooking. The Eating Well and Cooking Light cookbooks, internet sites, and magazines were lifesavers!

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Buffalo Sauce

(Cooking Light Magazine, March 2010)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and about 4 tsp. sauce).

Calories 392, Fat 12.9 g (sat 6.7 g, mono 3.4 g, poly 1 g), Protein 47.4 g, Carbs 18.5 g, Chol 175 mg, Iron 2.3 mg,

Sodium 421 mg, Calc 120 mg

Ingredients

1/2 c. (2 oz.) crumbled blue cheese

1 T. reduced-fat sour cream

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

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

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. 2% reduced-fat milk (we used skim)

1 lg. egg, lightly beaten

1 c. panko (japanese style breadcrumbs)

1 1/2 T. butter, divided (we used I can't believe it's not butter for cooking/baking)

6 T. finely chopped, drained, bottled roasted red bell peppers

2 tsp. water

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. minced fresh garlic

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff cheese mixture evenly into pockets.
3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture, and panko.
4. Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Arrange chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken over; place skillet in oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. (Tip: Resist the urge to turn the chicken before it's time; otherwise you risk having the breading stick to the pan).
5. While chicken bakes, combine remaining 1 1/2tsp. butter, bell peppers, water, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; cook until butter melts. Remove from heat, and stir in hot sauce. Serve sauce with chicken.

This was very yummy! Preston LOVED it! The sauce came out pretty spicy, but we used buffalo sauce instead of plain hot sauce. It was still excellent, but my Dad had a hard time eating the sauce because of the spice. If you want it more mild, I would cut the Worcestershire sauce out completely and use a milder hot sauce.

Enjoy!

This Weeks Menu....

I promised I would post recipes and food so here is this weeks menu. Let me know which recipes you want and I will post them!

Monday: grilled marinated steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, and sauteed zucchini and mushrooms

Tuesday: Kielbasa, saurkraut, and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Blue cheese stuffed chicken with buffalo sauce, chicken rice-a-roni, and grilled zucchini

Thursday (my Birthday Dinner!): Grilled scallops with scampi style pasta, asparagus with balsamic brown butter, and cheesecake with fresh strawberries for dessert

Friday: Crispy salmon milanese, ecuadorean potato cheese patties, and roasted chive green beans

Saturday: Lamb and chickpea tagine, steamed broccoli, and cous cous

Sunday: Chicken with eggplant red pepper sauce and jasmine rice

My first attempt at blogging..... and it's about breastfeeding!

My first attempt at blogging and I'm hopping on a soap box already!

Today is International Women's Day and that has brought up the question of whether or not pictures of or depicting breastfeeding are obscene. As a breastfeeding Mom, I feel very strongly on this issue. It was not easy for me to breastfeed Asher in the beginning. It took a couple extra days for my milk to come in due to my c-section, we had issues with proper latching, and then Asher was casted to correct his club feet when he was just 1 week old. I struggled, and cried (a lot) in the beginning and was devastated when we had to supplement in the beginning because Asher was losing too much weight. I felt like a failure. Fortunately I had a lot of great support. My wonderful husband, Preston, was behind me 100%. My Mom was with me and helped me try different techniques. I went to lactation support groups and met with lactation nurses. Finally, Asher started to latch properly, my nipples stopped being so raw, and he started to put on weight. I can't explain the feeling I had the first time he latched properly and drank until he fell asleep on my breast... it was amazing. I felt like a real Mom.

Breastfeeding in public is a whole other experience entirely! For the inexperienced Mom it can be terrifying. We have great tools now, like hooter hiders and other cutely named shields, but babies move and the wind can pick up without warning... in other words, your boobs could be on display at any moment. It takes time to become comfortable with this, and it would help a lot if society would back us.

I feel very strongly that breastfeeding is the best choice for our babies, but I also respect women's right to choose what is right for them and their families. I believe that the most important aspect to a successful breastfeeding Mom is the support of those around her. When I hear about issues like the Mom that was kicked out of a Chick-Fil-A for breastfeeding her baby, or Facebook deleting pictures and/or profiles of breastfeeding mothers, I get angry! I applaud the hundreds of women who returned to Chick-Fil-A to breastfeed in protest! I applaud my fellow facebookers who have posted profile pictures depicting breastfeeding. It is not obscene, it is beautiful, and natural, and our God Given Right.