Tater Tot-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

 Entree, Recipes  No Responses »
Jun 242020
 

Tater Tot-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Click on the photo to download a PDF of this recipe.

In 1953, Sexy Beast Elvis Presley recorded his first song, “My Happiness,” Professor Alfred Kinsley published his landmark work Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, and Tater Tots were invented.

The world has never been the same since.

This filling dish can be baked in the high-sided skillet it is assembled in but the presentation is more spectacular if you use two single-serving, oven-safe bowls to bake it in instead.

You’ll need:
1½ tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
½ large stalk celery, chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp. dried thyme or 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves cut up.
1¼ cup chicken broth
1½ tbsp. cornstarch (flour can be substituted bu
1¼ cups (about 8 ounces) diced skinless chicken breast
¾ cup frozen peas
22 mini or 12 regular size, frozen tater tots

Do this:
Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large, high-sided, oven-safe skillet, heat oil over a medium heat, add onion, carrot, celery, and spices. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth.

Pour the chicken broth-cornstarch mixture the into the skillet, bring to a simmer. Cook about 5 minutes more, until slightly thickened. Stir in the chicken and peas and simmer 2 minutes more.

If you are going to use individual serving bowls, scoop half the pot pie mixture into each. Whether you use two bowls or the one skillet, arrange the frozen Tater Tots in a circular pattern over the mixture.

Bake until the Tater Tots are golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Check at 35 minutes.

Servings: 2       400 calories each
Satisfaction factor: 99

 Posted by at 5:04 PM

Stuffed Tomatoes

 Recipes, Sides  No Responses »
Dec 292019
 

Stuffed Tomatoes

You Like Tomato, I Like Tomahto…

You like potato and I like potahto
You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto.
Let’s call the whole thing off
—Or not.

Here’s a recipe Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong could agree on…

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients
4 firm, ripe, large tomatoes
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar (I prefer balsamic wine vinegar.)
¼ of a medium onion, minced
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
¼ tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1 small or half of a medium unpeeled cucumber, diced
1½ ounces (about ¼ cup) crumbled feta cheese (herbed or plain)
1 cup cooked, chilled, quinoa (Use leftover quinoa from another meal if you have it.)
4 sprigs of parsley (optional)

Directions
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out and chop the insides.
Put the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and onion in a large bowl and whisk with a fork.
Add the cucumber, cheese, quinoa, and chopped tomato and gently toss to mix.
Spoon a quarter of this mixture into each tomato shell.
If you’re trying to impress someone, top each with a sprig of parsley.

These can be assembled in advance and refrigerated for an hour or two before serving.
Substitute any cooked, chilled rice for the quinoa, if you like.

Serves: 4
Calories: 150
Satisfaction factor: 86

Grilled Halibut, Greek Style

 Entree, Recipes  No Responses »
Jul 282019
 

Grilled Halibut, Greek Style

Why did the vegan go deep-sea fishing? 
Just for the halibut.

There are legions of Greek-style halibut recipes, each claiming to be the authentic one. This is one of the simplest and best. Garnish your plates with a few kalamata olives and grilled tomato halves if you like.

You’ll need:

4 halibut fillets (approximately 6 ounces each)

Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, or ¾ teaspoon of dried parsley
2 teaspoons fresh oregano finely chopped or ¾ teaspoon of dried oregano (If you can find fresh “Greek” oregano all the better.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Do this:

Combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Massage the bag to mix the marinade.

Add the fillets one at a time and carefully coat each piece with the marinade.

Place all the fillets back in the bag and place the bag in the refrigerator for an hour. (Okay to leave it in longer.)

Preheat your grill and oil it. (Oil a grill by bunching up a paper towel dipping it in the oil and, using long tongs or an oven mitt, carefully wipe the paper down the grate. Olive oil or canola oil work well for this.)

Place the fillets on the hot, oiled grill. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes without moving the fish then carefully flip the fillets and grill another 4 to 5 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

Move the fillets onto a pre-warmed dish and, if not serving them immediately, place them in an oven warmed to about 200 degrees.

Serves: 4   Calories: 190   Satisfaction factor: 88

Recipe courtesy Neil Fernbaugh
Photo by Malidate Van from Pexels

Hangtown Fry

 Breakfast  1 Response »
May 282012
 

Oysters are thought to be an aphrodisiac.

Hangtown Fry

Mark Twain wrote of lodging at San Francisco’s Occidental Hotel where he would, “move upon the supper works and destroy oysters done up in all kinds of seductive styles.”

As a lover of oysters, Twain was likely to have been served Hangtown Fry many times. The dish is said to have originated about 1850 when a recently-enriched gold miner stumbled into the Cary House Hotel in Hangtown, California (today’s Placerville) and ordered “the most expensive dish” the kitchen could provide.

Fresh oysters and fresh eggs fit the request.

 You’ll need:

2 eggs

3 fresh oysters (If you must, canned oysters packed in brine may be used.)

4 strips turkey bacon cut into 1-inch long pieces

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

Do this:

In a nonstick pan cook the cut up bacon until crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss the oysters in the mixture until lightly coated.

Remove the crisped bacon and add the oil to the pan.

Fry the oysters until crispy on the edges. Don’t walk away, it doesn’t take long.

Remove the cooked oysters and place on a paper towel to drain.

Scramble the eggs in the same pan.

Place the eggs on a plate and top with the bacon and oysters.


Servings: 1   Calories:   347     Satisfaction:   89 

Photo credit:  yatomo / 123RF Stock Photo

Stir-fry Vegetables with Brown Rice & Feta Cheese

 Entree, Recipes  1 Response »
May 222012
 

Select brown rice over white rice.

This is quick and healthy. If you don’t happen to have fresh spinach on hand, add any other fresh or frozen vegetable you like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

½ cup of frozen or fresh peas

1 medium size carrot sliced into ¼-inch thick circles

1 handful of fresh spinach

¾ cup cooked brown rice (cooked brown rice is available frozen)

Chopped red onion to taste

Fresh-cracked black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of crumbled herbed feta cheese

Directions

Spray a nonstick frying pan with PAM and sauté the onion and carrot with the cracked pepper until the onion is translucent.

Add the remaining vegetables and the rice and stir-fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until warmed.

Spoon into a bowl or on a plate.

Sprinkle the feta cheese on top.

Single serving

yatomo / 123RF Stock Photo

Baked Potato with Sour Cream, Bacon Bits, and Chives

 Recipes, Sides  2 Responses »
Dec 222011
 

The extra calories in most baked potatoes we eat comes from the sour cream and butter we slather on. Try this recipe instead. Photo courtesy Simon Howden, Free Digital Photos.

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe adds a hot, satisfying 6 to 7 ounces to your meal at only about 200 calories. Try it with two eggs for a 380-calorie breakfast.

 

 

 

 

Baked potatoes don’t always have to be the Idaho variety, try the red and golden ones too.

Ingredients

1 Medium (6 oz) baked potato (about 2¼” to 3¼” in diameter)      161 calories

2 Tbls Nonfat sour cream      20 calories

2 Tbls chopped chives or chopped onion     2 calories

1 Tbls Bacon bits      25 calories

Directions

Poke holes in the potato so you don’t coat the inside of your microwave with potato.

Microwave the potato on high for 6 minutes.

Slice open the top and push in on the ends to make a white fluffy pillow.

Spoon the nonfat sour cream on top.

Add as much chopped chives or onion as you want. You don’t have to stay with 2 tablespoons, chives and onions are on the Sexy Beast Diet eat-all-you-want list.

Sprinkle with the bacon bits and chow down.

Approximately 200 calories

 

Garlic & Cucumber Yogurt Dip

 Dips & Dressings, Recipes  1 Response »
Dec 152011
 

Store-bought cucumbers often are waxed. Scrub off this wax before grating. Photo by Anankkml.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

46ZN2ZNMV64Z

 

This cool, tasty concoction works great when served with raw veggies as a hors d’ oeuvre or try it as a salad dressing. Don’t even think of using it with potato chips.

 1 8-inch cucumber      45

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt       110

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 5

Grate the unpeeled cucumber and drain until nearly dry. Combine the ingredients, folding the cucumber into the yogurt.

As a dip, a half-cup serving is 75 calories Used as salad dressing, a quarter-cup is 38 calories

The Sexy Beast Diet Recipe: Maize and Soy Chorizo

 Entree, Recipes  No Responses »
Dec 032011
 

This image is from a 16th century Florentine codex. Common lore says it portrays an Aztec woman blowing on maize as she pours it into a cooking pot so the maize won’t fear the heat. This is very pleasant and I do so love myths, but she is obviously spitting on the maize because her Sexy Beast is late coming back from the daily hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

Maize and Soy Chorizo

Maize, a large, colorful corn is finding quite a following on trendy dinner tables. Developed by prehistoric people from a wild grain native to Southern Mexico, Maize was known by the ancients as a “gift from the gods.” While it may be faddish today, the Aztecs and Mayans friended maize thousands of years before anyone thought to dedicate a Facebook page to it: on.fb.me/oECavw.

I particularly like Teasdale’s (bit.ly/oBP2vO)  Maiz Morado brand, which you can buy in big 29-ounce cans. If you can’t find Maize on your grocer’s shelf, hominy is an acceptable substitute.

Soy chorizo, with 60 percent less fat and less than half the calories, is an outstanding substitute for regular chorizo.

Ingredients:

Maize or hominy (canned): 9 ounces (1 cup)  —180 calories

Soy chorizo:  2 ounces  —90 calories

Part skim milk mozzarella cheese: 1 ounce  —72 calories

 Total: 12 ounces  —342 calories

 Instructions:

Crumble soy chorizo into a non-stick frying pan. Add the drained Maize or hominy. Cook over high heat until the chorizo is brown and slightly crisp. Dump the chorizo and maize on a plate and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

 Wine:

Syrah or another big red wine.

 Newer Entries