Hold 'em Close and Tell 'em You Love 'em

 

Hello fellow foodies.  It’s been several months since my last post of my kitchen endeavors.  Although I have been cooking, experimenting, and creating in the kitchen and my new Big Green Egg, I have not “felt” like blogging. 

 

You see, my last blog was on April 29^th, 2012, and the next day my mother passed away.  It wasn’t totally unexpected as her health had not been well.  She suffered a major debilitating stroke almost a decade before, and has been in the same nursing home for over seven years.  Mom was really sick in the early spring, and I thought then her suffering here would end at that time.  She recovered and returned to her room at the home. 

 

Mom’s stroke had paralyzed her all down her right side, and left her unable to speak, read, or write.  She was basically unable to communicate with us and was frustrated by it most of the time.  She could listen though. 

She would recognize us when we would come in, and she would smile that big smile with half her mouth (stroke drooped one side) and her eyes would always brighten to see you.  She would listen to us tell our stories of what was going on.  She would laugh at the punch lines of jokes, and she would “reminisce” as we retold stories of our past.  She was not up to date on any current events, politics, or sports – all of which she could discuss at length for days before her stroke.

Since her stroke, I’ve lost my only sibling – my brother, Bill, to a major heart attack.  Then on August 10^th, 2010, my father passed away in my own home as he slept.  Now with mom’s passing – It’s just me left from my childhood home.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not alone.  I have a beautiful, loving wife of twenty-six years that is the love of my life, I have three great and wonderful children that I am so very proud of, but there is that melancholy of being the only one left. 

My childhood family unit – that place where I was safe, secure and taught to be the man I am today.  The time in my life where we took family trips to see relatives in other states, played outside all day until dark-thirty, slept in the backyard on summer nights, and walked to school and back every day.  The time where you were to be seen and not heard when company came over, the time when you were eager to make your parents proud with a hand-painted cornucopia you made in bible school.  The time where you felt your parents would live forever- to be there for guidance, direction, or just a hug and a smile.

It is my sincerest prayer that my children will have each other until well into their own golden years.  It is my desire that I have and am able to give them as great a loving childhood as my parents gave me.  It is my prayer that you tell those people in your life that are special to you that you love them – before it’s too late.

 

God bless,

 

Richard

Nutella filled Pumpkin Muffins - Hazardously Easy

I don't do a great deal of baking for various reasons.  The biggest of them is because I eat what I bake and baked goods really are not that great for my dietary lifestyle these days.  That said, there are always special days that need a special treat.  This weekend I treated the family to a special treat and decided to step my old Pumpkin Spice Muffins and kick them up a notch with a Nutella filling. 

Now these are some really difficult muffins/cupcakes to create. (Sarcasm warnings should be going off right now!)  The experiment was an extreme success.  It was so successful I agree to bake my bride's Monday night bible study group - The Beloved Beauties - a batch for their meeting.

The ingredient list on this is pretty detailed so be ready.

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Spiced Cake Mix
1 can Libby's Pure Pumpkin (not Pumpkin pie filling!)
1/2 tsp. or so ground cloves
1/2 tsp. or so ground Allspice
1 tsp. or so ground Cinnamon
1/4 cup water
Nutella









Pretty extensive huh?  Actually, you don't have the spices.  I just like to kick it up a notch as Emeril would say.

Add the cake mix to a bowl

Add the spices and the pumpkin 

Mix it all together adding the 1/4 cup of water

Spray your muffin tins with non-stick spray

Add a Tbsp. or so to each tin

Then add a dollop of nutella to each cup

Then add another Tbsp. or so to finish filling the tin.

I added a few smaller mini-muffins without the filling.

Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Quesadillas

Last night my bride was working out of town and had dinner with the eldest offspring, while the princess ate at church before her Spring Play rehearsal.  This left me home alone with leftovers in the fridge.  What to do?  What to do?

I hadn't taken the leftover  Chicken Burrito Mix to school for lunch yesterday, so I thought I might do something with that.  Although the burritos were good, I didn't want another one for supper.  I decided to make a quesadilla.

In a skillet I heated the leftover mix, adding just a bit more salsa as it seemed a little drier.

Then I sprayed my large skillet with non-stick spray and heated it to medium.  I placed my tortilla in the skillet and put a bit of the mixture on to one side of the tortilla.  I then added a 1/4 cup of fat free shredded cheese and a slice of Borden's Fat Free Pepperjack cheese.  Then I folded the other half over the mix and pressed it with the spatula.

After a minute or so on this side, I flipped it over to finish "browning" the other side. 

I still had some leftover lettuce and diced tomatoes too!  I sliced an avocado to go with it!  YUMMERS!

All of this was right around 430 calories. (That is with a 100+ from the avocado too!)

I would have another tonight, but since it's my 26th wedding anniversary .... I think we may have plans.   I don't know how I've been married 26 years!!  My wife only looks 28!

ENJOY!

Chicken Burritos

 

I was so in the mood for Mexican, but let's face it, going to a Mexican restaurant is not so great on the waist line.  I mean a basket of chips and salsa while you order is over a 1000 calories, and who doesn't order at least another basket?

If you want it done right, do it yourself my dad would always say.  This is what I did to bring some Mexican flare into my healthy eating fare.

Ingredients:

2 Split chicken breasts, skin and excess fat removed

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 Tbsp. Cumin powder

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

1 cup of prepared salsa (use more if you want it saucier)

5 low calorie tortillas.  (I use Tumaro's NY Deli Style 97% Fat Free- 80 calories)

shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, optional

How to:

Start by boiling the breasts.  When thoroughly cooked, cool, debone, and shred.  I actually boiled mine the day before then put them in the fridge for the next day.

Open and rinse the beans and corn (together is fine) in a collander in the sink. 

Heat a skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shredded chicken, salsa, and cumin powder.  Once heated, reduce to simmer.  Add beans and corn, stirring to mix and heat.

If you like it a little moister - add more salsa

 You meal is 'cooked' at this point.  It's time to wrap it up - literally.  The mix makes enough for five equally filled tortilla's. Warm your tortillas, and place the mix in the middle, add some lettuce and tomato.  Wrap it up.

 
Serve with some a few corn chips, cause some of that goodness is going to fall out!

Yes, I was so excited for Mexican I almost forgot the picture!

ENJOY!  The filling runs about 253 calories.

Nutritional Info for Filling(no wrap)

• Servings Per Recipe: 5
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 253.2

• Total Fat: 4.8 g
• Cholesterol: 32.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,699.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 30.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 11.8 g
• Protein: 19.4 g

Meatless Monday: Asparagus Pasta

Spring time and asparagus - a perfect match.  We love aspargus whether it's roasted, sauteed, steamed, in fritattas, salads, as a side, or in the case of this meal with pasta. 

Ingredients:

1 large sweet onion, sliced

10oz fresh asparagus, bottom ends trimmed then cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced thin

2 green onions (or scallions/spring onions), sliced

4oz sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

8-10 grape tomatoes, halved

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp. dried thyme

How to:

Start with the sweet onion.  Slice it and heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. (salt & pepper to taste).  Once the skillet is hot add the onions and reduce the heat to simmer.  Stir occassionally and cook for about 30 minutes on simmer.  This will give you time to prep the other parts of the meal.  Cooking the onions slow will make them soft and sweet!

Slow cooking these will add to the flavor.

Prep these while the onions cook

 After prepping the rest of the ingredients, cook your pasta.  Drain it, rinse it with cold water, and leave it in the collander until needed.

Angel Hair Pasta is great for this delicate dish.

Once the onions are done I move them to a paper plate.  Then turn the heat up to medium high on the skillet and add the other Tbsp. of olive oil.  Add garlic and thyme first, cooking for 1 minute then add the asparagus and mushrooms.  Add the butter.  Continue to stir and cook for a couple more minutes.  

Add the pasta and onions back to the skillet, tossing to blend.  Reduce heat to simmer.

Add the grape tomatoes and turn off the heat.  Continue to toss the dish for another minute.

Plate your dish.

Refill your glass of chardonnay and ENJOY!