Monthly Archives: November 2012

Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt

I’m staying local for Thanksgiving this week and by local, I mean home.  I’m not planning on leaving my house or making a ton of food, but just enough for me to think I made too much.  I couldn’t scale down my menu because things like stuffing and scalloped corn are foods I only eat once a year so they have to be made.  I also have to make something called Rice-Nut Loaf which probably sounds gross to you but it was my main protein source for 13 Thanksgivings while I was a vegetarian and I still want it each year (I might even share it with you soon!).  This year, I decided to forgo the turkey and just stick to the loaf.  Weird, probably, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.  So, since I’m not planning on having any turkey, therefore no leftover turkey for sandwiches, I picked up some sliced turkey last weekend to make myself this Turkey, Apple, and Swiss Melt.  Hardly a leftover turkey day sandwich but it fit my bill.

Sliced deli turkey is layered with thin slices of Granny Smith apple, lowfat Swiss cheese and homemade honey-Dijon before being toasted in a pan until crispy and golden brown.  The apple provides a crunchy tartness while the cheese melts just enough to make each bite gooey.  You might find yourself left with some turkey, a random apple you didn’t use for the stuffing and a little extra cheese from your cheesy mashed potatoes and realize you’ve got what it takes to make this sandwich.  Even if it’s on a leftover dinner roll and all you have is yellow mustard, give it a try.  By Friday, I’ll be making a rice-nut loaf-smashed potato-scalloped corn sandwich which won’t even come close to this one.  But I bet you I’ll love it anyway.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

The ingredients:

Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl.  Spread one side of each of 4 bread slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture.

Place one cheese slice on dressed side of bread slices; top each with 5 apple slices and 2 ounces turkey.

Top sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices.  Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sandwiches to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until bread is browned and cheese melts.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Ricotta-Spinach Pasta

I poured a bowl of cereal the other morning and suddenly realized just how different my eating habits are from when I was younger.  The cereal is the same but the teaspoons of sugar on top are no longer there.  The cartons of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream which I used to scarf down in one sitting doesn’t even make its way into my shopping basket anymore.  And the overflowing bowls of pasta I used to eat for dinner day after day are few and far between now.  But I still love pasta so the fact that I don’t eat it so often makes it all the more better when I do eat it.  I try to eat whole-wheat pasta whenever possible but since I’ve started this blog, I’ve been introduced to refrigerated pasta which cooks in two minutes and has a softer texture.  This recipe for Ricotta-Spinach Pasta uses refrigerated pasta which means it can be made in no time.

Fettuccine is tossed with sautéed red peppers, chopped walnuts and spinach before being topped with lemon-flavored ricotta cheese.  The walnuts, which I love, give the dish a crunch which is interesting with the pasta.  The ricotta provides a creamy element and the lemon provides a fresh brightness.  The is a light pasta dish that I liked but thought was missing something.  I ate all of it, so it was good enough to me.  But I kept thinking that a splash of balsamic vinegar would bring it to life.  If you try this, let me know what you think.

The ingredients:

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, lemon rind, salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add bell pepper; sauté 2 minutes.  Add walnuts, salt, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.  Stir in remaining oil and lemon juice.

Add pasta, pasta water, and spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

Top with ricotta mixture and rind strips, if desired.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Part-skim ricotta

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I haven’t been getting much cooking done lately with the hurricane and back-to-back trips out of state which have occupied my past few weekends. By the time I slept in my own bed this past Saturday night, all I looked forward to doing was settling down in my kitchen and making some food. Ahh, sometimes it’s nice just getting back into a routine, you know? Anyway, want to knock someone’s socks off tonight? Make these Kung Pao Chicken Tacos. I know, you’re thinking…huh?? Who mixes Chinese food and Mexican food? Well, I do. And trust me, you want to too. My friend Jodi benefits from some of the food I make for this blog and each time I make something new for her to eat, she always says it’s her new favorite. Well, this is now her new favorite. She says this is even better than her all-time favorite, Rustic Summer Squash Tart. I have to say that I think might have to I agree with her on this. These tacos are WOW.

Chicken is marinated in soy sauce before being lightly coated in cornstarch which gives it the subtle crispiness you find in Chinese food without it being too much of a guilty pleasure. A rich sauce of soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sambal oelek adds a sweet but spicy punch of flavor to the chicken which is wrapped in broiled corn tortillas and topped with celery, fresh red pepper, and peanuts. My only recommendation with this is to warm the tortillas rather than broil them because the broiled tortillas make these a little tough to eat. I made leftovers by just warming the tortillas and they were perfect. The sauce is so good that I fully plan on making it anytime I need a sauce for chicken or pasta in a pinch. Please, give these a try. You’ll realize that Chinese food isn’t just for take out anymore.

The ingredients:

Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag with 1 tablespoon soy sauce to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to cornstarch in dish, and toss chicken to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess cornstarch.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of coated chicken and sauté for 6 minutes or until done, turning to brown. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Repeat the procedure with remaining canola oil and coated chicken.

Combine remaining cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar and sambal oelek in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Microwave at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring twice. Stir in garlic.

Combine soy sauce mixture, chicken, peanuts, and celery; toss to coat chicken.

Toast tortillas under broiler or on a griddle until lightly blistered, turning frequently.

Spoon chicken mixture onto tortillas and top each taco taco with green onions and bell pepper strips. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

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