These burgers were pretty good and the cheese inside is a nice surprise if you don't tell people that it's in there. When my husband bit into the cheese inside, he looked at it like he had no idea what it was and kept eating it. He said he didn't know what it was, but it was good. I always add an egg and uncooked oats to burgers to give them more substance and fiber - the egg also seems to help hold the burgers together. I got 5 good-sized burgers out of this recipe, but may have used closer to 1 1/2 lb (we had divided up a large package of ground beef to freeze without weighing). I served these with roasted Thai peanut potatoes (the recipe wasn't great so I won't probably post) and broccoli with chipotle seasoning and parmesan cheese.
Outside-In Cheeseburgers
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef (I probably used 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 lb.)
1 egg
1/4 cup oats (use GF if needed)
1 clove garlic minced (preferred) or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (Lea Perrins is GF)
red pepper flakes, as much as you like
dash salt, or more to taste
dash black pepper, or more to taste
4 wedges The Laughing Cow cheese, any flavor, room temperature
Your choice of toppings/condiments
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese. Add as much salt and pepper as you like. Knead mixture by hand until combined. Form into a patty and, using your thumb, make a large, hollow indentation in the ball (past the center but not all the way through). Fill the hole with cheese and top with another small amount of meat to seal the cheese inside, making sure no cheese is exposed.
Bring a pan misted with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. (Use a grill pan if you've got one.) Place patty in the pan, cover, and cook for 4 - 7 minutes per side, depending on how well done you like your burger. Don't press on the patty with your spatula - you'll squeeze out the juices and possibly your cheese. Serve with your favorite toppings and condiments.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
New Blog Focus
For those of you (the very few of you) who are subscribers and were probably surprised to see new posts after well over a year, I've decided to start posting mostly about recipes and healthy living on this website when I have the chance. I'm not always the healthiest person - I do eat snack food, desserts, and drink beer and wine. But overall, I think I do pretty well and can honestly say that I rarely get sick (of course, now I'll probably promptly get sick), probably because I eat a lot of veggies and fruit and usually work out 5 times/week. Also, I don't have kids yet...it seems like once there are kids around, there is no avoiding sickness.
I love cooking and trying new recipes and I'm passionate about the state of health in this country, which totally sucks. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say the "can't cook". Really, that just means you haven't tried. ANYONE can cook simple recipes. As I always say, it's not rocket science. If you can read/understand measurements, you can cook. No excuses. You don't have to cook every night - most people don't have time for that. I usually cook 3-4 times a week and we eat leftovers, simple things sandwiches or salads, or dine out the rest of the time (we try to only eat out once a week). If you have a day off, you can prepare a meal or two for the upcoming week or to freeze for another day. I like to cook extra amounts of food to freeze use for future meals like cooked, shredded chicken, browned ground beef, rice, quinoa, pancakes, etc.
Fresh Ingredients:
I try to cook with whole foods as much as possible, but I'm definitely not beyond convenience items at times. One of the best things that I've ever done was join CSA's each year. For 3 summers, I participated in Wayward Seed Farm's fruit CSA. This January, I joined Greener Grocer's Weekly Fresh Market Bag program, for which I pick up a bag of produce with grains, cheese, and other locally produced items at Greener Grocer at the North Market. They also offer pickup at the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center. I get the medium bag and it costs $20/week (payment plans available) and it usually contains 5-7 different types of local or organic foods. They send out a newsletter each week letting you know what you'll receive in your next bag, along with recipes for the included items (which is good, because several of the items I've received are new to me). This weekly market bag gets me excited about cooking and gives me plenty of fresh ingredients to work with.
Other groceries:
I try to grocery shop at Trader Joe's a lot - they have what I need and are less expensive than you may think, plus they tend to carry food without high fructose corn syrup or partially-hydrogenated fats. I often buy meat from House of Meat (gotta love that name) in Anderson's Market on 161 because they have great sales and they wrap the meat in freezer paper (I like to buy extra and freeze it for later and I don't have to worry about freezer burn if it's wrapped in freezer paper). I buy bulk items at Whole Foods like rice, lentils, quinoa, oatmeal, dry beans, certain spices, etc., and store them in containers in my pantry. It's cheaper and I can buy the amounts that I want. I usually run into a Kroger or Giant Eagle once or twice a month when they have good weekly specials on produce, meat, or other grocery items that I like to buy. Once or twice a year, I'll go into an Aldi's and stock up on canned veggies, beans, and certain baking supplies.
If you are still reading this awfully long, not very well focused post, please feel free to comment with links to your favorite recipes or ways that you stay healthy!
I love cooking and trying new recipes and I'm passionate about the state of health in this country, which totally sucks. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say the "can't cook". Really, that just means you haven't tried. ANYONE can cook simple recipes. As I always say, it's not rocket science. If you can read/understand measurements, you can cook. No excuses. You don't have to cook every night - most people don't have time for that. I usually cook 3-4 times a week and we eat leftovers, simple things sandwiches or salads, or dine out the rest of the time (we try to only eat out once a week). If you have a day off, you can prepare a meal or two for the upcoming week or to freeze for another day. I like to cook extra amounts of food to freeze use for future meals like cooked, shredded chicken, browned ground beef, rice, quinoa, pancakes, etc.
Fresh Ingredients:
I try to cook with whole foods as much as possible, but I'm definitely not beyond convenience items at times. One of the best things that I've ever done was join CSA's each year. For 3 summers, I participated in Wayward Seed Farm's fruit CSA. This January, I joined Greener Grocer's Weekly Fresh Market Bag program, for which I pick up a bag of produce with grains, cheese, and other locally produced items at Greener Grocer at the North Market. They also offer pickup at the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center. I get the medium bag and it costs $20/week (payment plans available) and it usually contains 5-7 different types of local or organic foods. They send out a newsletter each week letting you know what you'll receive in your next bag, along with recipes for the included items (which is good, because several of the items I've received are new to me). This weekly market bag gets me excited about cooking and gives me plenty of fresh ingredients to work with.
Other groceries:
I try to grocery shop at Trader Joe's a lot - they have what I need and are less expensive than you may think, plus they tend to carry food without high fructose corn syrup or partially-hydrogenated fats. I often buy meat from House of Meat (gotta love that name) in Anderson's Market on 161 because they have great sales and they wrap the meat in freezer paper (I like to buy extra and freeze it for later and I don't have to worry about freezer burn if it's wrapped in freezer paper). I buy bulk items at Whole Foods like rice, lentils, quinoa, oatmeal, dry beans, certain spices, etc., and store them in containers in my pantry. It's cheaper and I can buy the amounts that I want. I usually run into a Kroger or Giant Eagle once or twice a month when they have good weekly specials on produce, meat, or other grocery items that I like to buy. Once or twice a year, I'll go into an Aldi's and stock up on canned veggies, beans, and certain baking supplies.
If you are still reading this awfully long, not very well focused post, please feel free to comment with links to your favorite recipes or ways that you stay healthy!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Clementine Cake
Clementine Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson AND smittenkitchen.
4 to 5 clementines (about 375grams/slightly less than 1 pound) I used 5 without weighing
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams) sugar
2 1/3 cups (250 grams) ground almonds or almond meal* (see tip at bottom)
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting, or for making a glaze
(If you bought whole almonds, grind them with a food processor, chopper, or a clean coffee grinder while the clementines are boiling or before)
Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours. This will soften and remove the bitterness from the peel. I found that I needed to add more water towards the end because it started to boil away. Drain and when cool (I didn't wait, but don't burn yourself), cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds, some won't have seeds - only 1 of mine did. The clementines will be super-mushy. Finely chop the skins, pith, and fruit in a food processor, blender, or by hand. I used my Cuisinart Hand Stick Blender Chopper- it took 2 batches, each only took about 30 seconds and it's easier to clean than most processors.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. I didn't have parchment paper, so I greased the sides and bottom well. You could probably also use a regular square or round pan of similar size. It will be a little harder to get out of the pan and won't look as pretty, but if you don't have a springform pan and don't think you'll use one often, don't buy one just for this.
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. You may need to bake a little longer; check with a skewer or thin knife. I covered mine with foil after 30 minutes so it wouldn't over-brown.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a rack. When the cake is cool, remove from pan (if using springform) and dust with powdered sugar or a glaze if you want it sweeter (but both will soak into cake if you leave it overnight, so you may just want to add it to pieces being served). If you don't use a springform pan, I'm not sure if it can be taken out of the pan whole without breaking. It's super-moist, so it may be delicate because it's a little heavier.
You can make a glaze using milk and powdered sugar or juice and powdered sugar - just stir a small amount of the liquid into the powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. Add more p. sugar if it gets too runny - you'll figure it out. I will be making this again! I definitely prefer desserts of the chocolate variety, but this is a great change-up and is gluten-free (which means my good friend can eat it!).
*Almond meal is cheap at Trader Joe's - like $2.99 for a lb. I highly recommend using if you don't already have whole almonds to grind.
The next day it was even better - I added some glaze too!
Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa
Confession: I have a recipe problem (end confession). I have collected thousands of recipes in word documents over the years. I also like to constantly make new dishes, but can't ever decide what to make. Every once in awhile, I'll write down the names of 20-30 recipes for which I have the ingredients for (I keep a rather well-stocked pantry/freezer) and have my husband pick the next few recipes that I'm going to make. He picked this recipe even though he didn't know what maque choux was (and I barely did). I still didn't know how to pronounce it until about 5 minutes ago when I started writing this post (mock shoe, apparently). We really liked this- it was very flavorful for so few ingredients. I served this with spicy slaw and cheddar corn muffins w/ jalepeno butter.
Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or already cooked, shredded chicken)
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 ounces turkey kielbasa, chopped (the package I used about 12 or 14 oz.)
1 onion, minced (mine was chopped and frozen)
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium (part of a bag of frozen Melange a Trois peppers from Trader Joes)
1 pound frozen corn, thawed (2 cans of corn, drained, would would)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use Trader Joes chicken boullion sticks that get mixed with hot water)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried (I used dried)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (oops, I forgot this, but didn't have fresh anyway)
Rice or quinoa (I used red quinoa that I had frozen previously)
I also threw a handful of shredded purple cabbage, just because it was there
If using raw chicken, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Add remaining teaspoon oil to pot and return to medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add kielbasa, onion, bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt to pot and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. While the kielbasa cooks, puree half of corn with broth in blender until smooth. Stir garlic and thyme into pot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in pureed corn mixture, and add browned chicken with any accumulated juices.
Cover and cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes (unless using already cooked chicken). Remove chicken from pot and stir in remaining whole corn kernels. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until corn is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken. Off heat, stir in shredded chicken and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice with hot sauce.
My tips:
Maque Choux with Chicken and Turkey Kielbasa
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or already cooked, shredded chicken)
salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 ounces turkey kielbasa, chopped (the package I used about 12 or 14 oz.)
1 onion, minced (mine was chopped and frozen)
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped medium (part of a bag of frozen Melange a Trois peppers from Trader Joes)
1 pound frozen corn, thawed (2 cans of corn, drained, would would)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I use Trader Joes chicken boullion sticks that get mixed with hot water)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried (I used dried)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (oops, I forgot this, but didn't have fresh anyway)
Rice or quinoa (I used red quinoa that I had frozen previously)
I also threw a handful of shredded purple cabbage, just because it was there
If using raw chicken, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Add remaining teaspoon oil to pot and return to medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add kielbasa, onion, bell pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt to pot and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. While the kielbasa cooks, puree half of corn with broth in blender until smooth. Stir garlic and thyme into pot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in pureed corn mixture, and add browned chicken with any accumulated juices.
Cover and cook until thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes (unless using already cooked chicken). Remove chicken from pot and stir in remaining whole corn kernels. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until corn is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, shred chicken. Off heat, stir in shredded chicken and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice with hot sauce.
My tips:
- Every week or two, I like to cook 1 or 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken in the crockpot (8-9 hours on low, 3-4 on high). Once done, I shred it and use it in recipes, on salads, quesadillas, pizza, or just freeze for the future. I used leftover chicken from earlier in the week for this recipe. Also, Anderson's Market in Columbus has amazing chicken deals about once a month - usually about $1.79/lb. They offer about 10 flavors of fresh, marinated chicken (or plain) and they wrap whole or half breasts in freezer paper. I usually cook one right away and freeze the rest of the packages.
- If I need onion for a recipe, I chop one using my Cuisinart Hand Stick Blender Chopper (because even after a knife-skills class, I still suck at chopping onions; and it's messy; and my eyes water). Sometimes I chop a second one since I have the chopper out anyway. Whatever I don't use for that recipe, I throw in a container in the freezer.
- Sometimes I mince my garlic using a Chef'n Garlic Zoom. It's not much faster, but it works for when I don't want to pull out a cutting board. I prefer to just have my husband chop the garlic though! He tends to use the Garlic Zoom, so it serves a purpose.
- Rice or quinoa: when I need to cook rice or quinoa (I prefer red quinoa), I cook extra and freeze what i don't need. Brown rice and quinoa hold up well in the freezer - either stick in the fridge overnight to thaw or add a splash of water and defrost in the microwave. I used extra quinoa that I had in the freezer. If you've never made quinoa - get some! I buy it in bulk at Whole Foods for a couple of dollars/lb.
Spicy Slaw
I got this recipe from my Weekly Fresh Market Bag Subscription through Greener Grocer. They got it from Elana's Pantry. I adapted it a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients, as usual. Plus I really feel like recipes are just supposed to be a guideline...
We both liked this much more than we expected. I wouldn't go to buy a head of purple cabbage to make this, but if I ended up with one, I'd use it this way again.
Spicy Slaw
½ head purple cabbage, shredded (from my market bag)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (didn't have, so I used my last cube of frozen cilantro from Trader Joes)
1 carrot, grated (from my market bag)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (from my market bag)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 limes, juiced (didn't have, I used 2 random packs of "True Lime" powder that I mixed with a little water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
couple pinches of suger, to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt
couple of sprinkles of your other favorite seasonings, if desired
Place the cabbage, cilantro, carrot, jalapeño and ginger in a large bowl. Toss veggies with lime, olive oil, and sugar, then sprinkle with salt.
My tips:
We both liked this much more than we expected. I wouldn't go to buy a head of purple cabbage to make this, but if I ended up with one, I'd use it this way again.
Spicy Slaw
½ head purple cabbage, shredded (from my market bag)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (didn't have, so I used my last cube of frozen cilantro from Trader Joes)
1 carrot, grated (from my market bag)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (from my market bag)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 limes, juiced (didn't have, I used 2 random packs of "True Lime" powder that I mixed with a little water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
couple pinches of suger, to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt
couple of sprinkles of your other favorite seasonings, if desired
Place the cabbage, cilantro, carrot, jalapeño and ginger in a large bowl. Toss veggies with lime, olive oil, and sugar, then sprinkle with salt.
My tips:
- To shred the cabbage, I cut the head in half and then cut each half in half so that it would sit flat. I just sliced it as thin as I could with a knife and it falls into shreds. I only needed half of the cabbage, so I threw some in a Maque Choux that I was making and froze the rest. I've never frozen fresh cabbage before but googled it and it people say it's fine. I'll throw it in a soup at some point.
- I always "grate/shred" carrots using a vegetable peeler - I like the thin strips better and it's faster - also easier to clean.
- I also "mince" ginger using a peeler - I just shave off little short chunks from the ginger knob that I keep in the freezer.
- For the jalepenos, I (well, my husband), chopped them using my Cuisinart Hand Stick Blender Chopper. It's one of my favorite, most useful wedding shower gifts. Tonight I/he blended corn with it for a soup, minced 2 jalepenos, and blended up the clementines for my clementine cake (recipe coming soon). I'd say that's pretty useful. It's runs around $40 on amazon w/free shipping- also available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for about the same price, and you can probably find a coupon to use.
Creamy Lentils and Brown Rice
I made these lentils and rice to serve with Cajun Meatloaf and Roasted Veggies...the meatloaf was okay but not awesome. I won't be featuring that recipe. But I would definitely make these again - it would be a great one-dish meal with some shredded chicken or cooked ground beef (or maybe the "just okay" meatloaf crumbled up!).
Creamy Lentils and Brown Rice
5 cups water (or 5 cups chicken broth)
2 tsp chicken bouillon (omit if using broth)
1 cup brown rice
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Place broth in large pot, cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Add rice, lentils, carrots and garlic. Cover and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes. Add S&P, and stir in cheddar cheese.
Creamy Lentils and Brown Rice
5 cups water (or 5 cups chicken broth)
2 tsp chicken bouillon (omit if using broth)
1 cup brown rice
3/4 cup dried lentils
1 cup chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Place broth in large pot, cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Add rice, lentils, carrots and garlic. Cover and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes. Add S&P, and stir in cheddar cheese.
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