Cut-the-Calories Carbonara

Gavin is on a ham kick, thus the normally non-existent-in-our-fridge ingredient happened to be available. We still don't tempt ourselves with delicious, freshly-grated parmigiano-reggiano, so nada on that front. That was a tough habit to break, believe me. A culinary heartbreaker. But we can't afford the fat or salt, even in moderation, 'cause we simply eat too much pasta and there's no such thing as cheese-moderation. You know. :-) Soooo, right there we've cut a few calories, eh? I digress. This'll do a pound of short macaroni; but you might need a tad more liquid for linguine or spaghetti, as they tend to absorb more…

Get your water a-boilin' while you sauté chopped ham in a few tablespoons of your best EVOO. Remove ham when satisfied and add chopped scallions, chopped fresh tomato and minced garlic to oil to cook through…

Pop that pasta into the boiling water and when nearly cooked, save about 1 ½ cups of liquid and add to oil 'n' scallion mixture. Bring to a simmer and add drained al dente pasta. Remember, it's going to cook more and you don't want smush. Stir for a minute or two and remove from stove…

You will have already beaten together 2 egg yolks with 2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light. Add slowly to pasta, stirring constantly. Return to heat and cook while stirring for another few minutes, till everything is coated and creamy…

Stir in reserved ham. Add parsley and freshly ground pepper. Serve with a side salad… and remember to play with this recipe. Really, anything goes. 

BUON APPETITO!

Triple-S Avocado 'n' Tomato Treat

Simplicity Speaks Sandwich of exactly three ingredients proves once again that the most delicious fare is comprised of simple, best-of-the-season ingredients. Avocados and vine-ripened tomatoes, abundantly available, speak for themselves... but when piled onto lightly toasted peasant bread… Lord-y!! For local friends of CMI, please know that the farm stand on Broadway carries Bread Alone delights.

Bread Alone… Don't Judge Me

In a Dinner Declaration last night, I told Joe that I'd gladly make him a burger or something easy, but my fare would consist of blueberry pie à la mode… period (yesterday's blog). My calories would be used in a guilt-free substitution of dessert for dinner. Come on, Guys 'n' Gals, isn't less truly more? Reminds me of Niece Kim when she was a kid. If there was cheesecake in the fridge, she'd have it for breakfast and lunch, in lieu of other food… I digress…

My choice of Breyer's was vanilla, of course. What "matches" berries in a better way. Before you judge, consider the exorbitant amount of antioxidants I consumed, not to forget the inclusion of dairy and bread groups. So, if you think of it all as Pie Alone, herein lies my segue to…

Bread Alone. It's a brand delivered fresh to our local farm market (Broadway, Monti) on Tuesdays and Fridays. It's organic with no preservatives, making it imperative to buy fresh and freeze for further use, such as TOAST. Clearly, it makes the BEST toast to ever hit one's taste buds. But after last night's happy exclusion of "real" dinner, I thought to make breakfast extra healthy…

A slice of BA toast topped with thin layers of goat cheese, avocado and tomato did the trick. Oh, my. Try it; you'll love it.

Buon Appetito.

Simple Lemon-Oregano Chicken Thighs

Epicurious ran a similar-but-too-involved recipe, just today. Funny thing is, I'd already taken a package of skinless/boneless chicken thighs out of the freezer, when I noticed the link on my start page. Hey, stranger things have happened. Thing is, their's called for skin-on/bone-in chicken and multiple steps and ingredients to get to the same end. Less is more, so I simplified. Here's what to do:

With a scant couple tablespoons EVOO, coat chicken and place in pan. You do not need extra oil or liquid; you'll soon see why.

Sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika; place thinly sliced lemon on each piece, tossing any extra into the pan; top with a healthy hit of oregano flakes.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes to an hour. Remove to serving platter, lemon intact for presentation but not to eat. Note all the fat and liquid in your pan… case rested.

It doesn't get any easier than this. We enjoyed ours with cranberry sauce, a spring-mix salad and dinner rolls.

Buon Appetito!

Let-Me-Tell-You-What-I-Did Faux Lasagna

Carmela of DeFilippis in our hometown has recently added fresh mozzarella to her repertoire. Joe bought a huge chunk, a couple weeks ago. Fresh mozz is my favorite food. When properly made, its purity is so very tantalizing. For the sake of my waistline, I immediately cut it into thirds, keeping one portion for immediate consumption and freezing the rest. Today, it was the last bit left that inspired dinner.

With the cheese, a few Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles, plain Chobani/Greek nonfat yogurt and a small container of thick venison sauce from the freezer, I layered. The top layer of pasta and mozz was sprinkled with some EVOO and parsley. For extra liquid, I poured almond milk (fake béchamel???) over the entire shebang, covered with foil and baked for half an hour at 325 degrees… and another 15 minutes, uncovered.

By the way, I made this in an oval, just-for-two dish. Break the noodles, if need be, to fill those corners. 

No eggs. No ricotta. The only decadence is in that mozz. Quick. Easy as pie. Delicious with a wilted spinach side salad.

A Less Is More Recipe

Buon Appetito!

The Motherlode of This 'n' That - A Venison Recipe

Less Is More. Hmmm. Kind of making its mark as a standard line around here. Cases in point:

Joe has an ongoing relationship with Sam's Club. Thing is, we're not always in need of a motherlode of, let's say, apples and bananas. Oooh-kay, the weather still sucks, so I don't mind using Zo to bake some healthy fruit-breads, 'specially when we can share with Bri and crew. Today, I added choco-chips, so now it's fruit-cake.

But then, what to do with the motherlode of kiwifruit? Jeesh. Yep, Joe's find during yesterday's trip. I'm not sure why he was so enthralled by the fuzzy little beasts, since he claims to dislike them. That said, I was immediately reminded of Kramer's excessive purchase of bargain beef-a-reeno. Remember? He fed it to Rusty amidst the Seinfeld insanity of an amazing episode, "The Rye." So many hilarious incidentals in a story proclaimed by Jerry to be about nothing. And to continue...

By coincidence, I'd taken butterfly steaks out of the "big" freezer, where we seem to have a motherlode of venison. Don't even get me started. As it thawed, I thought to Google "…what to do with a lot of kiwifruit…" Well, I'll be danged. Who knew of its tenderizing abilities? A match made in heaven for tonight's dinner. Thing is, only one half a fruit will work on five pounds of meat. Just bludgeon me now, why don't ya; that leaves boatloads of kiwis. I digress. Do NOT rub the meat too soon or you'll have smush instead of tender bites. About forty-five minutes to cooking time is perfect. 

Delicious, sprinkled with garlic powder/paprika, sautéed in a little hot EVOO and served with onions.

Buon Appetito.

Florida vs. California as it Applies to the Avocado

We've been to both states. Each has its advantages. California is so diverse… ski in the  morning and hit the beach by afternoon. It's fun, with endless places to see and fall in love with. Florida has the better Disney and the aquamarine waters of the Gulf, making it perfect for blending action with vegging out. It seems equality almost factors in when addressing the two. Same with their avocados…

California has the Haas, probably one of the creamiest, most delicious and healthful foods available. Hard to compete with Haas, but enter the Sunshine State's version. They've fewer calories per ounce, but then they're twice the size of their competitors. A higher water content makes them less creamy. Don't be fooled by the "SlimCado" label; it's a marketing vice. Size is size and calories are calories. Depends upon your intake. Please read here. Heart-healthy can never be bad, as long as you remember to eat your choice in moderation...

LESS IS MORE!

Drink This and Not That - Iced Tea

Sure, I'll share this recipe with you, as long as you don't hold me accountable for any ensuing weight gain…

Long before the sweet piece of lakefront property fell into our laps, we enjoyed the last public beach on Wanaksink. None remain. But back in the day, my girlfriend and I used to pack up the babies and all their gear and head to Sandy Beach. To sustain us through those energetic times, we'd take turns making a gallon of Lemonade Iced Tea. The recipe, you ask?

Just prepare your homemade tea, let it steep for a while and add a large can of lemonade concentrate. You know. The sweetened kind…

And therein lies the problem. We'd drink that stuff like it was water. After a while, I wondered why the weight gain?? Come on! Liquid diet?? Ahem. The culprit was quickly identified and the recipe designated deep within recipe archives,
ever since…

But yesterday, when I made my first batch of Legal Lemon Iced Tea (you know how to do it), I was reminded of times gone by… speaking of which…

I'm always thrilled to find the above-pictured, vintage/nearly-antique glass juice bottle in my stash. It's one of the few things that made the eBay-days-cut, 'cause for my entire childhood, it held our morning Vitamin C. A small can of Minute Maid concentrate and a few cans of water. Remember? I'm sure it was gifted to Dad at a grocers convention, or the like. Whatever. It stays. Here's why...

Even sugar-free, my iced tea rocks! Just has to be that bottle.

Let's Get Naked!

No, no… not that kind of naked! After all, this is a family blog. So stop worrying. But sometimes, less is seriously more, right? Especially in light of today's hint of springtime and 54-degree temps. Consider Mambo, nearly naked by comparison to his thick, wintry coat... 

 In anticipation of today's brilliant sunshine and temps, I gave him his warm-weather "do", yesterday. Yep. It took us 4 hours of bonding time, during which he cooperated 100 percent. He looks gorgeous. But he's still exhausted and hiding in the dining room, just in case his human decides to pamper and trim even more. Such a cutie pie. Then, there's windows and doors...

Let the sun shine in! G-d, I enjoyed taking the privacy covers off the front door windows. Long days mean late daylight and no surprises looking in from a darkened portico. This, dear Friends, is liberation, especially in combination with verticals completely aside great room windows. Sure, it's gonna take a while for those huge piles of snow to disappear, but who cares? The process has begun.
And then there are LIM baked goods…

I'd heard about 2-ingredient cookies, the other day. Grind 2 cups of oatmeal in the Cuisinart and combine with 2 large, ripe, mashed bananas till the mixture is dough-like. An arsenal of other ingredients can be added, or not, before they're baked for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Interesting. More like chewy granola bars, in texture. But a good hit for sweetness and low in calories. I added chips, figuring that everyone will at least try them if they see chocolate. The verdict isn't in, but what's to lose? Check out the complete recipe and interesting website here. 

COOKIE UPDATE:

We taste-tested. Joe thought them to be "Okay," but nothing like his favorite "real thing". That's a given!! I did not like them at all, but shall leave the recipe up for others to try, based on the concept - a healthy one.

Cucina News 'n' Delicious Turkey Burgers a New Way

Proper, Round-Bowl Spoons… Bye-Bye, Ovals

This winter's food trend has leaned heavily towards brothier, lighter soups, rather than the immersion-blender varieties of the past few years. You know. The ones that I processed the cooked veggies into. Hey, I'm Ms. Resident Chef, so I get to call the fare. But Joe reminds me that he prefers the chowdery blends you can stand a spoon in. Bringing me to flatware…

The currently common oval spoons are ridiculously shallow and awful for maintaining proper etiquette, as one tries not to slurp thinner liquids. I found myself serving in mugs and drinking, after first doing battle with solid ingredients. How juvenile. And Joe… well, he had his own special technique, but we solved the issue with these spoons from Chef's. Highly recommended. We're back to favorite bowls and pinky-extended delicacy. Whoop, whoop. Moving along…

Easiest Turkey Burgers Ever!

One night, I made a discovery. 'Twas by pure chance. It was late and ground turkey was thawed and ready to go. Didn't want to mix it with a few extra ingredients, as is my custom. Had a bottle of Trader's No-Salt-Added Marinara. Hope Gran's not reading, but yeah, I keep it in the pantry for quickie uses. I digress. Poured a bit into my sauté pan and added shaped meat. Hit it with a bit of my best EVOO and a splash of white wine. Covered lightly with foil, leaving sides open to vent steam. Turned and thoroughly finished on medium heat - poultry, you know. Can be served on a bun, or not, topped with a little thickened sauce. No catsup needed. Delicious and proving once again that less can be more. To note...

This technique will work with any sauce, homemade or not. Like vodka sauce? How 'bout barbecue? And… one night, we used the leanest ground sirloin ever, cooking it the same way but just till medium rare. Ooh la la...

Here In My Cucina and Elsewhere, Too

Y'all know by now of the endless virtues of coconut oil. A couple jars - one in the kitchen and another in the bathroom - come in handy for purportedly healthier consumption and maintenance. Just Google it and take your pick from scores of uses. Trader Joe's offers a great product for a fair price.

Then there's coconut milk of the unsweetened and enriched variety. I use enough to warrant its purchase in bulk, online. With its creamy texture, it is irreplaceable when it comes to smoothies, soups and sauces. Try it. But remember our New Year's Eve béchamel fiasco?? Not to worry, though. We've got the pasta poundage in check and I always add at least one green ingredient to justify its being on the menu.

With all that said, you'd be risking the loss of an arm or two, dare you take away my EVOO. It shall forever rank in first position, when it comes to oil. Joe and I are both in the habit of buying it whenever and wherever we see flavorful versions of the Italian or Spanish variety.

Buon Appetito - It's All ♥-Healthy!
But watch those calories!

A Quiche Tip

It seems that I goofed with my pie dough and didn't bring it high enough, before blind baking. Soooo, all of the custard prepared didn't quite make the cut. I prefer a deeper quiche. But that's not what really needs to be shared, here. This healthy version of a tried and true, anything-goes favorite was made with light coconut milk, rather than fat and calorie-saturated cream or half 'n' half. Try it, next time! YUM 

Roasted Red Pepper 'n' Fresh Ricotta Lasagna - Almost Instant!

The next time you're placing your hand on that frozen lasagna or Polly-O ricotta, think twice. With just a little effort and a few extra $$$'s, surely you can find fresh ricotta. Oh, and while you're in the Italian deli, find a nice fresh mozzarella, too. It's optional in this recipe, but I happened to find a small piece in my freezer. Once you've eaten unprocessed versions of the cheeses, you'll never go back to salty, flat, tasteless versions. Moving along...

By now, I'm sure you've tried Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles and my ever-touted Pomì tomatoes. I used the chopped variety for this recipe. Straight from the box, they give a garden-fresh, lighter touch to the dish; there's no need to make sauce.

Ready For The Oven

After blending about 1 1/4 cups ricotta, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon EVOO and 2 freshly roasted red peppers and their juices (char all sides under the broiler or on the grill; cool, seed and peel) in my Cuisinart, I layered twice with only 9 lasagna noodles. Topped with a bit of mozz, parsley, oregano and pepper, it's ready for the oven. This lasagna can be sliced between the noodles and across, for 6 perfect portions. Freeze the leftovers for another time.

It's officially Fall. Surely you can tell by the soup pot in the pic!

Almost Instant and sort of Less Is More!! Buon Appetito!

End-of-Summer Blues... Another Version???

iPhonePhoto'13

I know, I know. There are more Best Blues and Revised Best Blues on CMI than any one person needs. But as is often mentioned, "Anything... and I mean anything... goes," when you enjoy your cucina to its max. So it goes and so it goes...

The basic recipe is here. Today, I subbed about half white whole wheat flour; used coconut oil; and instead of topping with milk to make the two cups of liquid, I used water. Oh, and one more change: I used organic raw sugar from Trader's... still sweet, but less processed.

Topped with coconut and a spritz of PAM, they tantalized us with amazing aromas, as they baked. Surely, bad blues are chased away, when delicious blues join an end-of-summer hydrangea to be photographed in front of Mom's decorative Italian plate.

Buon Appetito. 

Skip-the-Pudding Dessert Trifles 'cause Less Is More

Those nifty individual spongecakes or ladyfingers (my favorite) are awesome to keep in the freezer, with all the fab berries currently available. Skip the custard/pudding and use fat-free Cool Whip. Crush a few nuts or chocolaty cookies and somewhat layer ingredients in pretty glasses. Go to hell with yourself, 'cause this dessert is legal! Spike it with a touch of apricot brandy, or whatever.

"Doing My Vegetables" - A Bitter Broccoli Rabe Recipe

Today, I'm tapping into my Italian half; more specifically, Mom. Second only to family, food was her thing - especially vegetables. A trip to the farm stand usually resulted in an entire day of doing vegetables. Use your imagination. :-) She would have appreciated the market, this morning, with its rows and rows of greens, accented by reds, yellows, purples and oranges. And fresh broccoli rabe. It's so Italian. 
Who could resist?

As soon as I got home, I began doing it up. Steamed a bit and sautéed with EVOO, fresh garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice... that's right, make it even more bitter... a hit of pepper and a handful of crushed almonds. YUM!

While Joe dines on swordfish with tomato-sauced bow-ties, I'll just have mine green. 

Color Me, why don't you???!!! It's almost officially summertime.

5-Minute Oozy, Fruity Banana Muffins

Sure, we've talked "banana muffins" before, but this recipe is ridiculously basic, quick to whip up without a mixer and way-down-low in sugar. Add just about anything you find in your larder. Today, it was a splash of apricot liqueur, toasted, shredded coconut and chopped walnuts. After putting batter in pan, I topped with Polaner all-fruit strawberry jam and pressed it in a bit with tip of spoon. Baked at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and they're ready to go.

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup sugar - white, light brown or combined

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

MIX ABOVE BASIC INGREDIENTS WITH WOODEN SPOON TILL WELL BLENDED...

ADD AND STIR IN:

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour (try subbing some whole wheat flour, here)

cinnamon

...and whatever else you'd like, but jam or jelly is highly recommended!

The Food Fix

And so, it's back to the table with
Parsley Pesto 'n' Pasta Salad - 
(link) you know what to do

I'm excited, today. Christian is breezing through town and has time for lunch. Bri is working locally and is available, too! Joe will be home. The last four-of-us-together time was spent in a hospital room. We need to seize the day... fire up the grill... know when to be happy... know when to break bread and say...

Salute

♡
Giving Thanks

LIM - Jambut Pâté

This is not the first time I've thought, (link) "Jambut," here on CMI. Today's version came together in a refrigerator clean-out. You know the deal - little bits of this and that, but not enough of anything to make a simple sandwich. So, with the help of my trusty food processor, I somewhat finely chopped batches of leftover turkey, chicken, potatoes and onions, tossing everything into my favorite Glidden mixing bowl, as I progressed. Next in was fresh celery, the only item left in the veggie cooler. Last, but most certainly not least, came the dressing... Chobani plain/fat-free, a heap of spicy mustard and freshly squeezed lemon juice. A hit of parsley flakes finished off what is now a boatload of pâté. Just remember...

Anything goes. It upsets me to first save and then end up tossing the little-bits. This is a much more satisfying solution.

So, Let Us Talk Lettuce - More Pesto

While washing boatloads of romaine and red lettuce, yesterday, I thought to myself, "Why not?" Thus was borne Parsley-Lettuce Pesto. We quickly devoured the first batch of just-parsley and found ourselves wanting more... and more. I doubt that I'll ever indulge in the oily, salty, strong-tasting basil variety again. Why bother, when less seems like so much more?? 

This time 'round, I crammed as many lettuce leaves into the (link) earlier equation and used a combo of toasted pine and walnuts, as well as some roasted garlic. Be sure to crisp washed lettuce in fridge for a few hours, before using. You'll be amazed by the crunch in your end product.

Pesto, Cucumber, Avocado and Spicy Mustard on a Roll

Adorning a veggie-eggwhite omelette
Buon Appetito!