"Squash Sauce"

Squash Sauce is a squash chowder that is great sauce to compliment white fish or chicken.  

Ingredients:

3 cloves of fresh garlic (sliced)

2 large onions (julienne)

3-4 medium summer squash (sliced into rounds)

1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme (leaves off the stems)

Approximately 2 cups of milk (give or take)

2 Tbsp. low fat margarine

1 cup sliced mushrooms

¼ cup Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a stock pot over med. High heat.  Add garlic and brown.  Add fresh thyme. (may want to cover as you add to the hot oil as it will pop).  Once popping has stopped stir to mix in flavors.

After about a minute add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.

When mixture is ready, scoop amounts into blender.  Cover blender with a towel for protection of possible spillover of hot soup.  Blend/liquefy the contents then pour into a resealable container.

This will keep in the fridge for about a week.

I have not attempted freezing it yet as I never have enough left over!!

It is good as a soup too!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

So…. It’s been awhile…  I’ve been busy and a great deal of what I have been cooking is already on these pages. 

Tonight is something new.  The original recipe comes from Sparkrecipes.com, but I have made a few adjustments to make it lighter.

Tilapia is one of my favorite fishies.  I usually buy the 15lb case of frozen individual filets from Harris Teeter when they run it on sale.  It doesn’t take long to go through it in our household.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Kraft Grated Parmesan cheese
1Tbsp low fat margarine, softened
3 tablespoons fat free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery seed (or celery salt)
3 tilapia fillets

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange filets on broiler pan coated with non-stick spray.

Mix all other ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook filets for about 8 – 10 minutes (depends on thickness).  Remove from oven. 

Turn on Broiler.  Flip the filets and coat with the mayo/parm mixture.

Put back into the oven for about two minutes.  ** Keep an eye on these.  They will burn in a hurry if you don’t!

When mixture is melted and browned to your taste, remove and ENJOY!!

Note- I plated this dish tonight with my “Squash Sauce”.  This sauce was introduced to me by Chef Brad at Croissant’s Bistro and Bakery during my private lesson.

We’ll review it another day!!

ANGRY Shrimp

In my cooking lesson with Chef Brad from Crossaints Bistro & Bakery, I learned how to make foods ANGRY.  You have to have a blend of chopped Cherry Peppers in your fridge! 

It’s quite simple.  Purchase a jar of pickled cherry peppers.  Remove the stems and run them through the food processor.   Put them back in the jar with the original pickle juice and you are all set for making dishes ANGRY!

Now my ANGRY shrimp are actually more “disgruntled” than ANGRY.  I am the only one that likes ANGRY food in the house, so I have to watch my “temper” when cooking. 

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice

1 Tbsp Olive oil

2 Tbsp light margarine

1 cup white wine

4 Tbsp fat free creme cheese

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2lbs shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup of chopped green onions

Directions

Cook 1 cup of Jasmine rice per package instructions.

In a large skillet or dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add fresh chopped thyme and garlic cooking for a minute or two.

Add the "cherry bombs" and red pepper flake stir to mix. Add the wine and margarine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Add creme cheese and stir to melt down.

Add shrimp cooking and green onions for about five minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir occassionally.

 

If it starts to get a little to thick add a few tablespoons of water to mixture. I usually add a couple, but it varies.

 

Serve over rice.

ENJOY!

Chicken Casserole

WOW!

Had a busy day in the kitchen today, so you know I had fun!

I kicked off the morning preparing an all-in-one-bowl cheese grits and soft scrambled egg breakfast for Nattie G and Matthew.  Matthew had all four wisdom teeth cut out yesterday, so this was perfect for him.

 I then began boiling a whole chicken for a chicken casserole to be delivered to the family of a special little one that just had her two week birthday. 

Spices like bay leaves, thyme, basil, onion powder, and garlic go in the pot with the bird.

Once the chicken was cooked, I set it out to cool before picking it clean.  (The dogs were happy tonight as I picked some of the little pieces and skin for them.)  I set some shrimp out to thaw and then went to the gym for a five mile date with the elliptical machine and some strength training.

Returning from the gym, I proceeded to prepare a pot for boiling the shrimp.  I used a Zatarain’s Crab Boil bag for seasoning.  Cocktail sauce is a must for boiled shrimp so I prepared it with some HOT horseradish to give it that special kick.  The shrimp was for another special lady and her pre-graduation party today!

Now back to preparing my meal for little Harper Lin’s family.  The chicken was put into an aluminum foil pan (sprayed with non-stick spray) and spread evenly around the bottom.  Next I emptied a can of Campbell’s cream of chicken and a can of cream of mushroom and spread these evenly over the chicken.  I then sprinkled with fresh chopped thyme (why is it that Jim Croce’s song Time in a Bottle always comes to mind making me sing while picking the leaves off?)  and pepper.  Draining two cans of green beans, I then spread them evenly over the soups. 

Melting a stick of butter in a sauce pan was next while I put a bag of Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix in a mixing bowl.  When the butter was melted I poured it over the stuffing mix and stirred thoroughly.  Then take the mixture and spread over the top of the green beans in the casserole dish.

Once all that is spread out and even, take a can of chicken broth and pour into the casserole moving it all around as you pour.  Finally place the casserole in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes uncovered.

To complete the meal I made my newest salad (cucumber and onion) with a side of sautéed corn and a loaf of French Bread courtesy of the Harris Teeter bakery. 

For dessert it was fresh strawberries and angel food cake.

I'm not sure of the calorie content of this casserole, in moderation it's not to bad.  On another note, I use an Omaha Steaks syrofoam cooler to keep my food hot for transporting.  I have had food stay in this cooler for three to four hours and then still burn my mouth!

I hope they ENJOY!

Grilled Salmon with Veggie Medley

Matthew is not a salmon fan, so since he had his wisdom teeth cut out today… we were having salmon for dinner!  Oh, don’t worry, we fed him too.  He had mashed potatoes, grits with soft scrambled eggs, and jello.

I set up the salmon with some olive oil, salt and pepper and let it sit while I prepped the rest.   I like to try new things and experiment with them.   I made zucchini boats with crème cheese and parmesan cheese.  Stephanie liked them, but I’m pretty sure she was just being polite.  I couldn’t eat mine.  The crème cheese was great (even though these pictures make it look burnt).  It was the zucchini that was bad.  It was very rubbery.  I’ll fill you in on all that when I get it right. 

We also had the sautéed corn that I blogged earlier, but I changed it up a little tonight adding zucchini into the mixture.  All in all a great healthy meal, well with the exception of the zucchini boats.

Not everything works out in my kitchen!

Have a great day!