Vegetarian Stuffed Shells

Rare kitchen moments make me feel like a rock star, and last night's vegetarian stuffed shells was one. Initially I intended to brown ground chicken and make a traditional stuffed shell, but after browning some onions, zucchini, and summer squash, I decided to go in a different direction.

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I began by browning a medium onion in a bit of canola oil and low-fat margarine (for flavor). I added a teaspoon of minced garlic (maybe a clove or two, if you're starting from scratch, or a teaspoon of garlic powder if you're going that route) and a sprinkle of thyme and let them sweat. I added finely chopped summer squash and zucchini, combined them with the onion, and put on a lid to let the whole thing almost steam together. The smell, at this point, had my stomach growling.

But I knew I needed something to pull those fresh, delicious ingredients together. I pulled a rectangular block of frozen butternut squash out of the freezer and stuck it in the microwave, per its instructions. When it was thawed, I added it to the vegetable mixture and let the whole thing rest over an extinguished burner.

While the vegetables were working, I had boiled water and added jumbo pasta shells. I wasn't able to find whole grain or whole wheat shells, so good old fashioned white shells had to do. When they were ready, I strained them and ran them under cool water so that I could handle them without suffering a burnt-hand malfunction. I stuffed the shells using a teaspoon and lined them up in a shallow baking dish (actually, my ceramic pie pan), which I had sprayed with cooking spray and coated in a thin layer of tomato sauce (straight out of the jar).

After stuffing all the shells, I dropped tomato sauce carefully over and around the shells, as well as the remaining stuffing. I didn't want to overwhelm the flavor of the vegetables with the sauce, so I went a little light-handed with it. I baked the whole shebang at 350 for about twenty minutes.

The flavor of creamy and sweet butternut squash, nutty onions and zucchini and summer squash, and the slight sour notes of the tomato sauce combined into a truly remarkable dish. All the ingredients melted together perfectly, and the balance was spot-on. I loved the way each vegetable maintained its personality but didn't overwhelm its comrades. And, ultimately, the warm, soft bites were comfort food at its finest. The added bonus was that this preparation eliminated meat, upped the fiber, and reduced the salt, fat, and calories that are so typical of a baked pasta dish. And while this was not a substitute for a pan of cheesy, beefy stuffed shells, it was a healthy and satisfying alternative. I hope you'll enjoy these vegetarian stuffed shells as much as I did-- with fork in hand.

Shrimp and Vegetable Pasta

Well, friends, I'm in the throes of holiday planning, with a longer-than-normal list of goods to make. Apparently I'm the Queen of Baking this year. To be honest, I'm not sure what my mother is thinking.

The point is, I've been doing a poor job of creating dishes and updating the blog. But here I am, back again, with a dish that took very little time to prepare and packed lots of delicious and healthy flavor.

The afternoon before I made this for Ram, I indulged in a shrimp pasta dish at the Olive Garden. After rolling myself out of the restaurant, I decided I would give this dish a whirl of my own, supplementing the original concoction with added vegetables and controlled ingredients.

I started by sauteing onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, carrot, and celery. I let them get nice and brown, and the smell of the "holy trinity" of cooking was unmistakable. I added some diced tomatoes (diced by yours truly, not out of the can) and the shrimp (which was already pre-cooked). I added about a half-cup of pasta sauce (I've been in the nostalgic mood for Prego lately, and they sell a heart-healthy, all-natural variety that I'm allowing into our diet) and a ladle-full of pasta water (pasta already boiling away on the stove at this point). I let the shrimp/vegetable/tomato mixture work together until the pasta was done to my liking, at which time I drained the penne (so much easier to eat than spaghetti and her cousins) and added it to the sauce.

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Cooking the pasta in the sauce mixture gives it a minute to soak in the flavors, and every bite is certain to burst with the rich taste of the sauce. This dish tasted great, and it was a healthier version of the one I devoured for lunch. I controlled the ingredients, I added more vegetables (and organic, whole-grain pasta), and (if we were so inclined) we could control the portion size too. It's a fast and delicious addition to our menu. This could also easily be made with chicken (saute a little longer than the pre-cooked shrimp) or as a vegetarian dish.

I hope your holiday season is full of delicious and made-with-love dishes. Enjoy-- with fork in hand.

Roasted Cauliflower

I am in a phase of experimentation, with my husband on the other side of the planet. Here, I attempted to roast cauliflower, and it turns out this is a great way to enhance the flavor and maintain the integrity of this oft-maligned vegetable.

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Relegated, for the most part, to vegetable platters, cauliflower has posed certain obstacles for me in the past. I have tried to make "creamed" cauliflower to serve as a most nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes, but without using a dense cream (I just used a touch of milk), the texture and consistency were never quite right. But I longed for a way to serve this toothsome treat that didn't require an abundance of butter, milk, or effort. Enter: roasting.

I cut my cauliflower trees from their hearty trunk and laid them out on a cookie sheet (sprayed with a little cooking spray). I dusted them with black pepper, garlic powder, and tiny bit of salt. I slid the pan into the oven (preheated to 350-degrees) and let them roast, unattended, for about thirty minutes. When I pulled them out, the sides against the pan had turned a beautiful brown, and the stalks themselves maintained a bite that I like in my vegetable sides. The seasoning was unobtrusive and acted as a mild balance for the timid cauliflower.

I'm counting this experiment among my successes. I'm excited to build meals with the addition of this texture and flavor, which is (to my estimation) pretty unique. I suspect I'll be attempting to roast a few more vegetables before this chilly fall (and surely frigid winter) are over, and I hope you'll join me with fork in hand.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Last year, I took the standard 'bite' of squash at Thanksgiving dinner, primarily to appease my mother, who felt that "If you just try it enough, you'll like it." Fast forward to today: I can not get enough of this fruit. I have begun purchasing squash in every imaginable form: frozen cubed squash, frozen pureed squash, and fresh from the produce department squash. And I am in love with them all.

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This time of year, squash is cheap. Last week I purchased a small butternut squash for $.39 a pound, and, after much deliberation, I decided to try stuffing and roasting it. For the stuffing, I concocted a mixture I've made before. It consists of frozen corn, whole grain bread crumbs, rosemary, and black pepper (this time I threw in a little cinnamon) tossed in a dry frying pan. No oil necessary! I let the corn warm and the bread crumbs attain a fantastic nutty flavor. For me, it hits all the flavor notes of a delicious homemade stuffing.

I preheated the oven to 400-degrees and dusted my bisected and devoid-of-seeds squash with some fresh cracked black pepper and cinnamon. I stuffed the hollow with the corn and breadcrumb mixture, then baked the whole thing for about an hour. (I was paranoid that it wouldn't be spoon-soft, but it was. In the future, I think 45 minutes is enough to bake it through.)

I served this dish with a side of just black-pepper-dusted salmon (and shrimp for me). It was the perfect fall dish, and it's a "set it and forget it" kind of side dish. I think it would make a great entree, too, with added protein in the form of diced or shredded chicken or chickpeas.

However you choose to prepare it, be sure to take advantage of the season's best offerings with fork in hand.

Shrimp and Guacamole Bite

The other night, I made fish tacos for Ram and me. I started with a batch of Guacamole. It was bright with lime and fresh cilantro (it was on sale!). I added sauteed shrimp (for me) and pan-fried tilapia (for Ram) and served it with a side of pita tortilla chips. The single bite was delicious!

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An essential component, of course, is the shrimp/fish. I simply mixed a tablespoon of taco seasoning (out of the packet!) with a little bit of canola oil and poured it over a fillet of fish and a couple handfuls of shrimp. I let them marinate for a while. When it was time to eat, I simply heated a chicken fryer, added a tiny bit of oil, and tossed the fish and seafood until both were heated through.

The pita chips were a little more innovative, I suppose, though in retrospect they were so easy, I can't believe I didn't think of it before! I cut a whole-grain pita into sixths, then cut them along the fold. I ended up with thin triangles of pita, which I baked in the oven at a low heat (maybe 250 degrees) just until they were warm and slightly hard. They were the perfect bed for the other components.

Initially, I had no intention of making these tasty little bites. I simply wanted another vessel to get guacamole into my mouth. But when I realized how convenient it was (and how cool this would be as an appetizer), I started to think about the ways I want to turn my favorite entrees into delicious appetizers. I think food is more fun when it's eaten by hand, so I plan on spending more time inventing recipes that require no utensils.

Which begs the question: can I still end with my ubiquitous salutation: with fork in hand?

Guacamole

It's the quintessential Mexican food accompaniment, and a certain chain restaurant charges $1.99 per quarter cup. You know me: I want healthy food with great flavor that doesn't break the bank. Making homemade guacamole takes a little effort, but it is not expensive-- and it's a crowd-pleaser!

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Guacamole starts with a ripe avocado. I always look for one with dark skin, and you want to press it to make sure it gives a little. (Nothing thwarts guacamole efforts like a too-hard avocado.) To open the avocado, I use a trick I garnered from many hours watching Food Network. I use a nice, sharp knife and cut through the skin to the pit. I keep the knife inside the avocado and turn it so that the cut forms a circle around the fruit. I then remove the knife and twist both halves until they pull apart. Here's the tricky part: I hold the half of the avocado that contains the seed, and I carefully stick it with the knife (holding the knife as if about to cut something, blade down). When the knife is stuck in the seed, twist until the seed pulls loose. Sometimes it will come out, still stuck to the knife. Sometimes I have to use a spoon to coax it out. (If all else fails, since you're going to squish the avocado anyway, you can just use a spoon to pull it out bit by bit.

The next step is to use a spoon to scrape the flesh out of the skin. Add finely chopped onion and tomato (if you like them), a dash of salt and pepper, the juice of a lime (if you have one), and some dried or fresh cilantro. Any of these ingredients can be omitted or substituted. I have used lemon juice instead of lime, and it came out fine, just slightly different in terms of flavor. But the citrus does add a kick to the creamy, earthy avocado. And cilantro tends to be a controversial herb, so if you don't like it, leave it out. The final step, of course, is to mash the avocado and to mix everything together.

Avocado is a fabulous fruit (the seed technically makes it a berry, according to sources). It contains so-called "healthy fats" that may actually help to lower cholesterol. It also contains lots of potassium and folate. Besides that, it tastes great. If colors can have flavors, then green tastes like avocado.

Ram and I ate our guacamole with a taco pizza (chicken prepared with taco seasonings, onion, and tomato atop a small naan). It was a delicious casual dinner, perfect for our traditional Friday movie night. The 'guac' was my favorite part of the meal, and I hope you'll consider crafting your own-- with fork in hand.

Pumpkin Cup-Muffins

'Tis the season for everything pumpkin, and-- thankfully-- Hannaford (and all other known grocers) have finally stocked up. I grabbed two cans the first day I saw them, and I plan on stockpiling soon.

I decided to revisit my cup-muffin recipe (a cupcake-like muffin/muffin-like cupcake) with this canned nectar from the Autumn gods, and I was not disappointed.

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I started with a sugar-free white cake mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and a little water. I mixed the three ingredients together, adding water as needed. The end result was a mixture about the thickness of, say, creamy mashed potatoes or squash. (When I eventually 'poured' it into cupcake papers in my muffin pan, I had to use my finger to gingerly coax it out of the ladle.) I added chopped walnuts and some cinnamon and nutmeg. I didn't measure, of course, but I would recommend a tablespoon or two, depending on how deep your love of cinnamon and nutmeg runs. Mine needed to run a little deeper on this recipe, so next time I will ere on the side of excess.

I plopped (really a more accurate term than 'poured') my batter into cupcake liners until all of the available muffin wells were full to the top of the wrappers. I threw a few unsalted sunflower seeds on top (I find killer seeds at Trader Joes) for added crunch and flavor. I baked them according to the temperature and time listed on the box; the temperature was fine, but because the pumpkin is so wonderfully moist, they needed to bake substantially longer. I let mine go an extra ten minutes, and they're still ridiculously moist. On the one hand, that enhances their deliciousness; they have a sticky top, as though coated in a glaze. On the other hand, they are messy to eat. That said, I would suggest baking them until they meet your specifications.

Dear me, these are heavenly. The flavor of the white cake still comes through, but the pumpkin is undeniable. With the added texture of walnuts and the earthiness of the sunflower seeds, these cup-muffins are, by far, one of my favorite desserts/snacks. And I don't feel the least bit guilty eating them-- with or without fork in hand!

Mom's Chili

Of the recipes my mom used regularly when we were growing up, chili "con carne" is probably her most prolific. I, in fact, have made it so many times that I don't need the recipe anymore. Over the years, I have tweaked the dish to make it a little healthier, but the flavors remain the same. It is the chili against which I judge all other chili.

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Mom's Chili:

One pound ground beef (I use ground turkey/chicken or small diced turkey breast.)
One large can crushed tomatoes (I used tomato puree and usually prefer crushed.)
One regular can red kidney beans (B&M are, by far, the best.)
One regular can diced tomatoes (You want the texture.)
One small can tomato paste
One cup beef stock/bouillon (I omit the paste and stock)
Two tablespoons red chili powder
Two tablespoons garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Two tablespoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use very little. Add more if you want.)
Diced onion (medium or large)
Diced green pepper (I omit because I do not like cooked green peppers.)

Mom's chili starts with onion and green peppers sauteed in a bit of oil. When they become translucent, add the meat. The original recipe calls for ground beef, but since Ram doesn't eat beef, this is not an option for us. For years, though, I've substituted ground turkey. It tastes fantastic either way. The picture above, though, features a finely diced turkey breast (because we recently saw a program on the additives and unwanted parts that can be ground into the ground turkey/chicken). It worked out fine in every case.

When the meat is cooked through, add a little bit of the stock (or just water, in my case) and the spices. Let the flavors cook together for a while. I actually like to let the base catch on a bit. At any rate, letting it work for awhile allows the meat and the veggies to absorb the rich spices. When you're ready, add all of the other ingredients. Let it cook for at least twenty minutes (the longer, the better), stirring occasionally.

I serve Mom's chili with bread of some kind: warmed up Italian bread or corn bread (seen in the background of the photo above). Frankly, it's delicious with or without the side of bread. And this time of year, when the leaves are changing color and the air is biting at our skin, this dish is the perfect, spicy comfort food. I hope you'll enjoy it with fork (and spoon!) in hand.

Salmon with Pasta Salad

Ram is a big fan of fish. I am not. But in our quest to diversify our diet and to reduce our meat consumption, I'm putting more effort into fish- and seafood-centered meals.

In my years of watching Food Network, I've learned a thing or two about cooking fish. But, per usual, I attacked this meal with no recipe, just some techniques I stored away in my gray matter.

I started by rubbing a half-pound piece of Atlantic salmon with a packaged spice mix. This one is intended for salads and features (as far as I can tell) dried celery, garlic powder, and sesame seeds, as well as a few other things. It's orange, anyway, so I suspect paprika and/or chili powder, though the flavors are not strong. Essentially, I was looking for some light flavors. I prefer the flavor of my seafood (and Ram's fish) to take center stage. A second night, I prepared a simple marinade of a tablespoon canola oil, minced garlic, ginger pa5ste, black pepper, and the juice of one lime. That was a fabulous flavor combination too. Both weren't too heavy and allowed the subtle fish flavor to remain.

The next step was to sear the fish. I wanted to do this to seal in the flavor and to create a nice crust on the fish. I heated a pan over medium heat until a drop of water Sizzler on its surface. I dropped in a tablespoon or two of canola oil and places the fish flesh side down. For a couple of minutes, I let it sizzle. Then, I turned the fish over, just to quickly toughen the skin side. A minute later, I put the fish on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet and baked it for about twenty minutes at 350-degrees. Ram likes his fish well done with no pink. If you prefer yours less well-done, bake it a little less.

This is a tecnique I will use over and over because the results were perfect. As I continue to develop my palate, perhaps I'll dine on salmon. For now, I sauté shrimp in the same spices and call it good. Either way, I hope you, too, will venture into new food territory with fork in hand.

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Moroccan-Inspired Chicken

A few weeks ago, I purchased chicken legs on sale at Hannaford. I know chicken can be prepared about ten thousand different ways, but I also know it's easy to fall into a flavor rut when you find one you really enjoy. Ram and I have been enjoying Spicy Chicken Legs since we first tried them in July, but I wanted to bring something new to the table-- literally. With left-over couscous serving as inspiration (as well as a random bag of raisins in the cupboard, left over from vegetable korma), I decided to attempt chicken legs with a Moroccan flare.

My first step was to determine a flavor profile for my dish. I Googled "traditional Moroccan spices" and discovered that a lot of the flavor comes from basic spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Armed with this information, I added the spices to my grocery list and committed myself to attempting a new dish.

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I started by removing the skin from the legs. We are not eaters of chicken skin in our house, and there's plenty of nutritional data to support our decision. I patted the legs dry and dusted them with a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. I wasn't sure how strong the flavors would be, so I went light on the dusting. In the future, I would lay it on a little thicker.

I heated a tablespoon of oil in a chicken fryer and seared the legs, transferring them to a square baking dish when they attained a nice brown color. I smothered them with a can of tomatoes (no salt added!) and baked them for about thirty minutes. The legs, of course, were juicy (the number one reason to cook with them, as far as I'm concerned), and the flavors were tasty. With the addition of the tomatoes, I think the spices could have been taken up a couple of notches. Ultimately, though, I was satisfied with my experiment.

I do need to be real. I know this was not Moroccan cooking. And, well, since most of us aren't trained chefs, a lot of what we do when we cook international cuisine is to approximate it, to hone in on a dominant flavor (or two) and give it a go. If it tastes good, eat it. If you go on Top Chef, by all means, apprentice under a great international chef. In the meantime, give this Moroccan-inspired chicken-- or another unusual flavor combination-- a whirl with fork in hand.

Eggplant Marinara

Ram and I are constantly evaluating our diet, and after conducting a little research on the cholesterol in boneless/skinless chicken, we decided to try for a more vegetarian (albeit about 50%) diet. I suppose the added benefit of this is an even greater increase in our fiber consumption, but I wondered if I could consistently make delicious meat-free meals.

Well, reader-friends, I'm happy to say that I have at least one meal nailed down. And I could eat it every day. It starts with baked breaded eggplant and ends with homemade chunky tomato sauce. It was super easy-- and even more importantly, super delicious.

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I started by breading my eggplant. I sliced the eggplant into circles of about half-an-inch thick. I laid them out and quickly arranged my dipping trio: flour; egg whisked with a tidbit of water; and whole grain bread crumbs tossed with black pepper and garlic powder. I dipped in that order: flour, egg, bread crumbs. We've all heard the advice: the egg needs something to cling to, so dunk your meat/vegetables in flour first, then proceed to your wet ingredients, followed quickly by your other dry ingredients. I can not stress how well this worked for my baked eggplant! It was truly fantastic.

I laid my eggplant out on a baking rack atop a cookie sheet. I used cooking spray to ensure they wouldn't lose their coating on the dismount. This method allows the hot air to circulate around my eggplant, browning and crisping up all sides. I baked them for about 25-30 minutes at 300-degrees. I'm not sure what the science of baking eggplant is, but this left them with a little bit and no sogginess.

To top my eggplant, I wanted to create my own marinara sauce. I started by sauteing onion and garlic in a little bit of canola oil on low heat. When they turned translucent, I added three chunked-up Roma tomatoes. I tossed in a little bit of black pepper and about a quarter-cup of canned tomato sauce (not pasta sauce this time, just the plain tomatoes, pureed). When this cooked down, it was rich, and delicious. (I added a handful of chopped spinach for added nutrition and color. It seems to me that this is a great idea for tricking picky eaters into eating things they would ordinarily avoid.)

The final dish was incredible. The hot eggplant had an earthy bite, its outer crust golden brown and slightly nutty. The tomatoes were authentic, savory, and rich. Knowing that I controlled every ingredient and that it was in line with our attempt at eating a more vegetarian diet made the meal that much more delicious. Truth be told, I think anything swathed in that tomato sauce would have a hard time escaping my insatiable stomach.

Whether you're looking to add more vegetation to your life or you just want to try something a little different, I promise you this recipe will deliver-- with fork in hand.

Apple and Onion Stuffed Chicken

I am excited about this recipe because it is a spin on a previous post, Apple Juice Chicken. Even more exciting than the spin-off is the fact that this dish removes the empty calories from the apple juice and replaces the flavor with diced apples-- added fiber! The flavor notes (as they say) are the same, and I appreciate the substitution to increase the health of this dish.

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The first thing I did to create stuffed my stuffed chicken was build the stuffing. I finely chopped a small onion and cut a medium apple into a small dice. I tossed them in a bowl with about a 1/4 cup of whole grain bread crumbs, black pepper, and garlic powder. I added just a teaspoon or so of liquid and let it rest for a minute. The liquid, mixed with the rest of the stuffing ingredients, creates a slightly thick consistency, the ingredients holding together better.

While I let the stuffing set, I laid out two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I took a sharp knife and held it on its side, with the blade horizontal. I found this thicker side of the breast and slid the knife in carefully. The idea is to create a pocket in which to stuff the chicken, so be sure not to slice through the opposite side completely. In the end you should be able to gingerly unfold the chicken like a book.

At this point, I seasoned the outside and the inside of the chicken. I dusted it with black pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary (because I had it in the cupboard and because its earthiness is a good compliment to the apple). Then, when I was satisfied with the dusting, I used my hands to stuff the chicken, making sure that the top could still cover the stuffing. The idea now is to stuff the chicken but still try to maintain the chicken's form.

I heated a frying pan and sprayed it with Pam cooking spray. I just wanted to sear the top and bottom of the chicken. I had to be pretty careful not to let the stuffing fall out, but it was actually stayed together better than I expected. When both sides were seared, I put them in a baking dish, covered them with the remaining stuffing, and baked them for an additional 25-30 minutes (depending on the thickness) at 350 degrees.

I served the chicken with rosemary/black pepper/garlic powder rubbed red potatoes, cut into large chunks and baked at 350 degrees for thirty or so minutes (until the turn brown and soften). I also steamed some corn on the cob, because when it's the end of summer, I just need to eat more corn on the cob. It's compulsory.

This dish was an evolution. It took a technique (stuffed chicken) and some tried-and-true ingredients and resulted in a fiber-filled, lean protein dinner that Ram and I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you'll give it a try-- with fork in hand.

"Gourmet" Chicken Nuggets & Potatoes with Lemon Sauce

Well, blog readers, as you can see, it's getting more difficult to blog now that I am back to work. But I promise I am still cooking, and I strive to blog more. This I pledge to you!

Tonight's post is brought to you by my blog-absence-guilt. I have wondered how people make great sauces, so I designed this meal, first, as an excuse to make a sauce. I started the sauce with a cup of chicken stock. I let that come to a simmer in a small chicken fryer, then I added lemon rind (shaved over a grater-- I'm still waiting on a microplane) and squeezed in all the lemon juice I could. I added a bit of black pepper and a quarter teaspoon of minced garlic. I let all of this combine, using my hand to waft the smell toward myself like a fancy TV chef. When it smelled right and the liquid was starting to reduce, I whisked in a little corn starch and let the whole thing thicken over a very low heat. It came to the consistency of a gravy, and I was pretty proud of myself. The flavor, when we finally ate, was tart and lemony. Because we're trying to reduce our salt and oil intake, I didn't add any salt. You might want to add salt to taste.

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I wanted to pair the "fancy" potatoes with something spicy and (more importantly) easy. I decided to take the chicken breasts I'd thawed in the fridge all day and cube them. Then I tossed them with a "gourmet" bread crumb mixture: whole grain bread crumbs, fresh cracked black pepper, and a mix of lemon and herb spices (a Hannaford Inspirations mix I had in my cupboard). You can add anything you like-- including a salad dressing or taco spice packet. The point is to flavor the bread crumbs so much that you might not need a dipping sauce. (Hey-- I'll cut calories and salt wherever I can!) Bake your homemade chicken nuggets for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees. It takes about the same amount of time as slicing open a frozen chicken nugget bag and arranging them on the pan-- but it's all natural. PS: It's also delicious!

I hope you'll give one or both of these recipes a try. Enjoy-- with fork in hand.

Stuffed Turkey Loaf

Today I bring you a special-edition meatloaf: stuffed with delicious green herbs and spinach. It is simple and delicious. It is also healthy.

I saw a picture of a stuffed turkey meatloaf in a "Cooking Light" cookbook my mom purchased for us. I decided to give it a try, then proceeded to close the book. You know I'm not much for recipes.

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I mixed some ground turkey meat with half a cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, a tablespoon of garlic powder, and a small amount of tomato sauce. I kneaded it just long enough to incorporate the ingredients, then I patted it out on a piece of plastic wrap, making a rectangle about six inches by eight inches. When I had the desired shape, I covered the entire thing with chopped fresh spinach and basil. I then used the plastic wrap to roll the meat, keeping the greens tucked inside. If you've seen someone roll sushi, you know the technique. I was able to keep a tight hold (and a tight roll) in the meat by sort of sealing it with the plastic wrap. When I was finished, I turned the meatloaf into a bread pan (sprayed liberally with cooking spray) and brushed a little tomato sauce on top. I baked it for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

I served this delicious and juicy meatloaf with mashed carrots and russet potato, mixed with a little garlic and tiny bit of tomato sauce. It was simple and hit all the right flavor notes. It was a simple way to incorporate a little more fiber (and a ton of flavor) into an otherwise typical dish. I hope you will enjoy it with fork in hand.

Apple Juice Chicken

This dish was basically my mother's signature dish when we were kids. It was, by far, the most complex, "fancy" meal on her menu. We coined the name "Apple Juice Chicken" ourselves, but the recipe originally came from my Aunt Donna, I believe. Now, I'm claiming it as my own.

Apple Juice Chicken is breaded and baked chicken topped with a thick sauce of breadcrumbs, apple juice, and onion. Here's how to make it.

Start by cleaning chicken breasts, removing the skin and fat. Then, in one bowl, wisk an egg or two with a touch of water to create an egg dip. In another bowl, mix a couple cups of unseasoned or seasoned breadcrumbs (I found whole wheat breadcrumbs!), a tablespoon each of garlic powder and oregano, and some grated parmesean cheese (straight out of the shaker!). You're going to coat the chicken in egg, then roll it in the breadcrumb mixture until all of the chicken is covered. Placed the crumbed chicken in a baking dish (a casserole dish of your choosing). Be sure to spray the casserole dish for easier clean-up!

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You're going to bake the chicken for about fifteen minutes. While that's happening, mix the remaining breadcrumbs (add more if you need to) with some apple juice until you have a loose, runny sauce. Toss in onions. After the fifteen-minute bake, pull the chicken out, and pour the apple juice mixture over the chicken. Bake for another ten to fifteen minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

For me, this dish always brings me back to my youth. In fact, I often cook it for family gatherings where my brother and/or sister will be present because I know how much all of us like it. But, here's the rub. When we were kids, my brother liked his chicken without any topping, so Mom baked his breaded breast separately. My sister, alas, did not like the onions but did like the apple juice mix, so Mom always left a breast with no onion. Thankfully, this is not a difficult recipe to problem-solve, if you have picky eaters. To this day, when I make Apple Juice Chicken during my visits to Florida, I have to make it three ways because my sister still doesn't eat the onions, and her husband likes his breaded chicken naked of the sauce.

What I love about this dish, besides the memories it brings back, is the fragrance of the warm apple juice and the crunch of the onions on top. It's a sweet, flavorful way to serve chicken, and most of us have the ingredients in our cupboards and fridges right now. If you're looking for something new, give this a try. And let me know what you think-- with fork in hand.

Indian Samosas

This is the blog you've all been waiting for! Or, well, this is the blog I've been waiting to write, and I hope enjoy it.

A ubiquitous Indian staple is the samosa. A samosa is a pocket of dough filled with vegetables or meat (and Indian spices, of course) that is fried and served with chutney or a sauce of some kind. Like the other Indian dishes I've attempted, samosas are more about technique than they are about prescribed fillings and flavors.

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I've wanted to make samosas for a while because I know they are something Ram misses from home. I also love anything I can eat with my hands, and samosas are perfect finger food. Besides those two suitable reasons, I also wanted to make samosas because they seemed hard to do, and I like a culinary challenge. I am sharing my strategy for making samosas and hope they'll seem more user-friendly for all of us.

Samosas have a couple components (dough and filling) and several steps. They are time-consuming, but the good news is, you can prepare the components ahead of time and finish them pretty quickly if you're, say, not graced with a few hours of dinner prep.

Step one of making samosas is to make the dough. I put about 3/4 of a cup of all-purpose flour into a mixing bowl and added a tablespoon of canola oil. I then added water slowly, mixing with a fork just until all of the flour was combined and formed a ball in the bottom of the bowl. When that happened, I turned the dough ball out onto a floured surface. (You might notice that my samosas look like they're made with whole wheat flour. That's because I ran out of all-purpose and had to knead on whole wheat. I noticed no problems with this regarding consistency or end product, so feel free to use whatever flour you like.) I kneaded the dough for about four minutes, forming a stiff ball. I left it to set for thirty minutes.

Step two for me was making the filling. After researching samosa fillings, which can range from veggie to ground meat, I decided to use one of my favorite foods: mashed potato. I boiled one large, peeled russet potato (they were on sale at Hannaford this week!) until the flesh was easy to pierce with a fork. I drained them fairly well, then dumped them into a mixing bowl. I added some frozen peas (a traditional Indian samosa filling) and mashed the peas and potatoes with my fabulous masher. I wanted to add spices, but I didn't want to add raw spices; I find raw Indian spices to be grainy and not as delicious as when they are processed somehow. Most Indian cooks fry their spices in oil, often grinding them themselves, too. But you know me: I've got to cut out the oil whenever possible. So I put half a teaspoon each of garlic powder, black pepper, red chili powder, and masala*, along with a quarter teaspoon of ginger paste (because that stuff is potent!) into a small frying pan with a few tablespoons of water. I let the spices cook into the liquid over low heat, until it was the consistency of a gravy. I let it simmer for just a minute, then added it directly to the mashed potatoes. I stirred it all together, and the aroma was fantastic. If you've ever stepped into an Indian grocery store, you know the smell.

I set the filling aside, just letting it rest at room temperature. It was time for step three: rolling out the dough. I kneaded the dough ball for another minute, then divided it into balls just slightly smaller than golf balls. I rolled out each ball with a rolling pin until the dough was flattened into a 6-inch circle (or sort-of-circle, since I'm not a great roller). I cut each circle in half, so I ended up with a bunch of semi-circles.

Step four: I took each semi-circle, one at a time, and placed about two tablespoons of filling on one half of the semi-circle. I left dough around the edge, and, using water that I dabbed on the edges of the dough with my finger, folded over the open side of the semi-circle. I used my fingers to pinch all three sides shut (two sides end up being straight, one is curved). When all of my samosas were filled and pinched, I placed them on baking sheets. I chose to bake my samosas rather than to deep fry them. Again, I wanted to reduce oil as much as possible. I baked my samosas for about twenty-five minutes on 300 degrees. They came out hot, and the edges were crunchy and delicious. I served them with a bowl of tomato sauce for dipping.

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I made these treats for Ram on Raksha Bandhan, an Indian holiday. Being so far from his family is hard for Ram, especially on holidays. Making this treat for him required some work and time for me, but it was important to recognize the day. He said I was "blowing [his] mind" with the samosas, and that made it all worth it.

The techniques required to make samosas are not difficult. Any dish that requires multiple steps and a span of time is intimidating, but by breaking it down into manageable steps, I was able to successfully execute this special Indian dish. I would be happy to make them again-- and to eat them again-- with fork in hand.

*FYI: Masala is a common component of Indian dishes. It is essentially a mixture of Indian spices-- but the mixture varies from masala to masala. Ram and I had a few different masalas in the cupboard, but I opted to use one that smelled like it had a little cinnamon in it. Just choose the masala you like best.

Chicken Salad in a Pita

Last week I was in Maine for a pseudo-reunion. My sister, brother-in-law, and niece voyaged up from Florida, and my aunt, uncle, and little 2nd cousin drove in from western New York. The house was hopping! That said, I did no food blogging. For those of you who noticed, I apologize.

But I'm back now, and I'm ready to give you a little more TLC. I'm starting with a simple chicken salad sandwich, which takes very little elbow grease and absolutely no finesse. Because I know we all have those days.

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For once, I think the picture does this meal justice. I served my chicken salad on a low-carb whole grain pita and topped it with diced cucumbers and carrots. The cold crunch of the vegetables acted in contrast to the softness of the chicken, and I think mixing textures and temperatures is a simple way to excite your tastebuds.

My chicken salad starts with a parboiled chicken breast. I boiled my chicken breast for about twenty-five minutes. The touch test works on parboiled chicken, too, so when you think it's done, pull it from the liquid, let it cool for a second, and give it a nudge. This is your only cooking method for this chicken, so it needs to be fully cooked. Give another bath if you're not sure. Or slice into the thickest part to check. That breast needs to be white from top to bottom; if it's pink, it needs more time in the pot.

When the chicken was cooked, I pulled it out, patted it dry a bit, and set it on a cutting board. You want this chicken to cool before you start hitting it with mayonnaise, so give it some time. Place your chicken in the refrigerator. To speed up the cooling process, cut it into cubes and then stick it in the fridge.

When my chicken was cool to the touch, I added a tablespoon of mayonnaise (FYI: I'm not a mayo fan, so if you are so inclined, feel free to add more), a teaspoon of minced garlic, a ton of black pepper (to taste, meaning: as much as you like), a little salt, and some finely diced onion. If I had had celery in the fridge, I would have added that too. Mix it all together. Give it a taste. If you like it, leave it. You can serve it right away or let it sit covered in the fridge for a bit. One chicken breast served two pitas plus a topping for Ram's salad the next day.

I'm not a fan of chicken salad, usually. That mushy, mayo-y, sort-of-light-brown stuff my mom bought when I was a kid turned me off instantly. But I have learned to like chicken salad when it contains some other things-- when it's actually a salad, not just pureed meat. A lot of people add cut grapes and walnuts to theirs, and for me that's acceptable. But whether you like it plain or fancy, chicken salad is a fairly low-fat/low-cal summer (and year-round) staple. Enjoy-- with fork in hand.

Vegetable Soup

As you know, I've made it my mission to squeeze as much fiber into our diets as possible, and one delicious way I've been doing that is be starting every meal with a bowl of homemade bean soup. It's super-easy, as all soups I've encountered are, and the variations are endless. And on those evenings when the entree is taking a little longer to cook than expected, the soup is a great way to pacify our stomachs. An added benefit: I've read several articles that cite research proving that starting a meal with soup fills our stomachs and encourages us to eat fewer calories when we dig into the entree. I do love to reap multiple benefits from one easy task.

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I start this soup by soaking (overnight) half a bag of a sixteen-bean mix. I choose to soak my own beans because a) it's cheaper than buying several cans and b) it's healthier! By soaking dried beans, I can ensure that no salt or preservatives have seeped into the beans before I get to them. For me, that gives me a level of peace of mind. And soaking the beans is as simple as it gets; remembering to do it the trick.

When I'm ready to assemble my soup, I always start by sauteing a diced onion and chopped carrot. If I regularly had celery in the house, I would use that too. It's the holy trinity of French cooking! But I am not generally a huge fan of celery, so I almost never keep it in the crisper. I saute the onions and carrot until both become a little soft. Then, I add spices. Remember that we're building a soup, so add enough spices to sufficiently flavor the entire pot when it's full of stock. I usually use black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and chili powder. By cooking the spices with the vegetables, I am deepening the flavor of the base of my soup. And since I'm going to reheat this batch of soup over the course of the week, the flavors need to be strong.

Once I've incorporated the spices, I add my beans and give them a minute to heat with the rest of the base. At this point, the kitchen smells fantastic; it's near-instant gratification! When the beans are heated up, I add six cups of water. Now here's the deal: I make one batch of soup for the week, ladling out two bowls each night, and reheating before we have dinner. Every night, I add more water to the pot order to stretch the soup. I also add more spices every night to make sure it doesn't taste watered down. Making a big batch on, say, Sunday afternoon lasts us until Friday evening. If you've got a larger family, you may want to make a bigger batch at the beginning of the week. Or, if you're more inclined, make a big batch of your base (minus the stock) on one day and just use it as needed during the week, adding stock as you go. Whatever works for your schedule and family is what works.

I let my soup boil for at least twenty minutes. I add a few chicken bouillon cubes to make the stock richer and because I like the slight saltiness that it adds. If you want to keep your soup vegetarian, add vegetable bouillon cubes. Simple.

You know how to serve up soup, so I won't get into the mechanics of ladling. But one thing I discovered that I love is adding a couple of croutons to the bowl. When they absorb the stock, I melt with them. It's such a delicious bite!

Adding soup to your menu (especially one packed with nature's miracle food: the bean) can stretch the rest of your food budget and will add fibrous nutrition to your diet. Besides that: it's delicious and comforting. Enjoy-- with fork (or spoon) in hand.

Cranberry-Glazed Chicken, Squash Puree

Since my successful venture into butternut squash soup, I've been itching to create more meals using this wonder of the frozen food aisle. I thought about the food pairings I've seen in restaurants and had in my own life. I kept returning to the realization that one of the only times my family has squash is for Thanksgiving dinner, so I decided to pair it with an icon of America's iconic holiday: cranberry sauce.

I have read about or seen cranberry glazes on chicken, so I decided to give it a try. I purchased a can of whole cranberries sauce, which I do not ordinarily like. But since the sauce itself doesn't exactly fall into the realm of "health food", I decided that, at the very least, I could maintain some of the integrity of the berry. I also picked up chicken breasts and a bag of frozen butternut squash.

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I started by making my butternut squash puree. This time, I added almost no liquid because I wanted it to maintain some thickness, since it was serving as the base of my chicken. The boiled squash chunks are pretty moist, anyway, when they're pulled from the boiling liquid, so I didn't need to add more than a spoonful of the liquid when I pureed it in my blender.

Next, I prepared my glaze. I added four tablespoons of cranberry sauce, a tablespoon of water, and some lemon juice and grated lemon rind to a small saucepan. I turned the heat low and let it all cook together. Soon, it was bubbling away on the stove-- and smelling delicious!

I simply baked the chicken breasts, which I dusted with some black pepper. I placed them on cooling racks atop a cookie sheet so that any drippings stayed away from the lean breasts. I cooked the chicken at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, occasionally smearing the glaze over the chicken, a spoonful at a time. When the chicken was firm to the touch, I plated up my newest creation.

The puree was a soft, comforting accompaniment to basic baked chicken, and the tartness of the cranberry glaze provided a great contrast to the squash. If I serve this again, I will probably marinate the chicken a bit before hand and serve it sliced over the puree, for ease-of-eating. But the flavors balanced exactly the way I was hoping. In the future, when you think about a particular ingredient or flavor you want to use in a dish but aren't sure how to pair it, think about your own food experiences. Have you seen this ingredient on a menu? On a friend's dinner table? In a recipe book? Then, spin the flavors your way, and enjoy with fork in hand.

Noodle Stir-Fry

Well, folks, it's time to debut one of my favorite dinners to make and eat because it's both easy and delicious! I call it a noodle stir fry, and it's pretty much foolproof. Which means: when I am tired and not channeling my inner Rachael Ray, I can still pull this one off.

I start this meal by marinading some sliced or small-chunked chicken in about a 1/4 cup of low-sodium soy sauce, a little minced garlic, and chopped ginger. You know what I always say about marinading: if you've got time, do it. If you haven't got time, proceed with the dish anyway. Marinading chicken infuses it with the flavor a little more thoroughly, but when you're pressed for time, I'm betting you won't notice. In the past I have used chicken breast for this dish. This time, I used chicken thigh, and I preferred it. The thigh meat stays juicier and more tender than chicken breast, and I love the way it cooked up in this recipe. Every bite was moist and soft.

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Unlike virtually every other time I've sauteed meat, I chose to cook this meat in a little water in the bottom of a wide-bottom pan. I know that thigh meat can be a little tough to cook, and I also wanted to make sure my stir fry had some liquid to steam later in the process. So I put about a half-inch of water in the bottom of my chicken fryer, let it get to simmer, then added my chicken. I put the cover on and let it steam for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, I started some thin spaghetti to boil (I actually prefer angel hair for this recipe, but when you have spaghetti in the cupboard already, you use spaghetti).

When the ten minutes of meat steaming are up, you'll have a pan of light brown-colored chicken and some liquid. At this point, I added diced carrots (two large carrots) and about a cup-and-a-half of frozen broccoli. For future reference (and for your reference), wait a while before adding the broccoli. Mine was mushier than I like. Cover and cook the chicken and carrots for about five minutes, then add the broccoli for another five. Remove the lid and let the liquid cook down for a minute or two. Finally, add the drained spaghetti and toss, keeping a low heat. I love pasta tossed directly with its topping. I think cooking in the juices for a minute adds to the flavor of the pasta itself, so I try to use this technique whenever possible.

As a final touch to this dish, I added some thinly sliced romaine lettuce. I think adding lettuce to a noodle stir fry sounds odd, so I imagine you do, too. But at Penang, a fabulous Malaysian restaurant in Boston, I was served Singapore rice noodles with lettuce stirred in, and the contrast of texture and flavor was really cool. Imagine biting into a fork of hot noodles, soft carrot, and tender meat, then a piece of cool, crunchy lettuce. It's a great experience.

But, if you don't believe me, skip out on the lettuce. You will enjoy this noodle stir fry with or without it, assuming that you're eating with fork in hand.

PS: If you want to keep this vegetarian, skip the steaming the chicken step and throw in a ton of veggies instead. This one change takes the dish from carnivore-friendly to vegetarian-friendly in one easy step!