ketherian Food Journal

I haven't posted one of these in a while. I'm sticking to my standards this week as the weather, while not particularly sunny, is still summer-like. I've updated my Meal Outlaw calendar with these meals too.

SATURDAY
L: Chicken & avocado sandwiches
D: Garlic and herb marinated New York steak, steamed green beans and carrots.

SUNDAY
L: Chicken & avocado sandwiches
D: Chicken tournados & romaine salad with jalapeno Havarti and strawberries in a red wine vinagrette

MONDAY
L: 2 chicken & avocado wraps, yogurt & flax seed, fruit, Snack: broccoli & babaganoush
D: BBQ Beef Kababs with mixed romaine salad & red wine vinagrette

TUESDAY
L: 2 beef & vegetable wraps, cauliflower & babaganoush, diet coke, Snack: crackers & cheese
D: BBQ Chicken Fajitas with salsa fresca & cheese

WEDNESDAY
L: 2 chicken wraps, yogurt & flax, fruit, drink. Snack: Taco chips & salsa “fresca”
D: Fried chicken, side salad & bread sticks with maranara sauce (not what I planned, but it was what I got).

THURSDAY
L: Salmon wrap, yogurt & flax, fruit, drink. Snack: Crackers, cheese
D: BBQ Sausage Sandwiches with cold slaw & corn on the cob

FRIDAY
L: Sausage sandwich with salad, veggies, fruit, drink. Snack: Nuts & fruit
D: Dinner out.

I'm a bit late on this one.

I learned how to make this dish from Beverly Evans. Her version differs slightly from mine, but the basic concept (mix cream cheese with sour cream and top with deliciousness) was taught to me by her. Similar versions of this recipe are called Mexican Flag, or Rebecca’s Dip (for those who learned it from me). It’s always popular at parties; and I tend to make it for large gatherings as it doubles (triples, quadruples...) well.
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 0 hours.

Equipment:

• Paring knife & cutting board.
• Measuring cups & spoons.
• Electrix mixer & bowl.
• Serving dish

Notes:
The order in which the ingredients are combined is highly variable; Mixing the salsa with the cream cheese and sour cream together works well too (although the pink color that results may not be appetizing to all). We’ve tried lots of varieties. Changing the flavor of the cheese changes the dish; as does changing the salsa. Sweet salsa and salsa verde works as well as traditional canned salsa. I've seen this dish made with pickled jalapenos, sliced (and pitted) olives (black and/or green), and multiple flavours of grated cheese.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream.
2. Put the lettuce into the bottom of the serving dish.
3. Cover the top of the lettuce with the cream cheese and sour cream mixture.
4. Top that with the salsa and sprinkle the cheese on top.
5. Garnish the sides with the tomatoes and cucumbers.
6. Serve with a bag of taco chips.

In the hottest days of summer my kitchen stands empty. The stove is a shunned beast, and while the fridge humms loudly in protest, the pots and pans remain forlorn in the lower cabinet.

Outside, on our tiny back balcony, sits the star of the summer meals: the barbecue.

It's pock-marked black top shows it to be a weathered individual. Its grills are darkened, the base filling slowly with carbonized vestiges of previous nights. The large aluminum throw-away roasting pan caked with drippings shows that it's not one to stand on ceremony. Instead it's folksy with it's bright white bottle and green labeling, easy to get along with and very simple.

Last night's dinner was a typical example of a summer meal: Rainbow trout with lemon and lime served with a mixed green salad.

The trout was chilling in the fridge overnight, so it was ready to go the moment I got home. I put the trout on a double layer of tin-foil, skin-side down. Its beautiful pink flesh was cool to the touch. I just knew this fillet wasn't going to be a stinker. I dressed the fillet in slices of lemon and lime, and laid him to rest on the second-rack of our (now lit and hot) gas barbecue.

Back into the kitchen, I washed and about 6 leaves of romaine lettuce. The lettuce was rough and unforgiving, so I cut through them with a knife rather than just tearing them apart. I took a cup of shredded cabbage from the fridge and tossed these together with 1/2 cup cubed montaray jack with jalapeño peppers. The combination looked a little odd - bright green lettuce dotted with white and red bits; but the mix tasted fine and was pleasantly crunchy, providing a warm after-taste that had noting to do with raising the temperature in my already steamy kitchen.

To this I added three tablespoons of red wine vinegar and two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. I seasoned the salad with pepper, tossed it again and put it back in the fridge before it could wilt. The dressing is an old stand-by in my house. This doesn't quite explain the large number of store-bought dressings in my cubord (especially when I have a book on salad dressings and one of my favorite blogs provided even more links and ideas in a post not too long ago. See: Cheap, Healthy, Good, 102 light Salad dressing recipes). But I digress.

As I waited for the trout to poach on the barbecue, there were lunches to prepare, dishes to wash, and a floor to sweep. My kitchen, the place where there's always something waiting to be done.

I washed and cut up two pints of strawberries (putting them in small plastic containers where they could masticate on their own without any sugar). I like to use these strawberries on cerials in the morning, ice cream in the evening, or just as snacks throughout the day. By already having them in cups I find I'm far more likely to eat them rather than let them rot away to paste in the bottom of my fridge. The bonus is that they also take up a lot less room like this.

I divided the two big tubs of yougurt into smaller tubs (to be grabbed for lunches). This is more about portion control. Yougurt is a quick and easy snack that is far to easy to just take the big tub and a spoon and go sit down and eat. By the time you realize it - you've eaten over half the container! Dividing it up helps us realize how much we've eaten, and the smaller containers fit better in lunch bags anyways.

I made my lunch (cold chicken over coleslaw with lemon-poppyseed dressing,
yougurt, a cookie, and an apple) and his lunch (PBJ on multigrain bread, yougurt, two clementines and a cookie). We use re-usable containers for drinks; usually taking in fruit juice or ice tea. I also bring a mini-diet coke because I am weak and can't quite give it up yet (but I'm working on it).

By the time I went out to check on the fish, the lemon and limes had caramalized a bit, and shed their juices all over the fish - adding a soft white coating to the top. The edges were boiling slightly. To firm up the flesh I decided to do something radical: I took off the lemon and lime slices and poked holes in the foil. I then left it sit in the warm barbecue for another 10 minutes.

When I came back the fish was firmer, and smelled of lemons. I cut it in half, and using a spatula, lifted the fillet off its skin and onto the waiting plate. The other 1/2 of the plate was filled with salad from the fridge. It was served with more lemon and tartar sauce.

There were no leftovers. This is a sign that not only did I make just enough for two people, but that it was good.

Lemon/Lime Rainbow Trout

A simple and quick way to grill a medium-thick fillet of fish with the skin on. Time and temperature will differ if your fillet is white, thick (like salmon) or if there is no skin. I use this recipe a lot in the summer with a few variations. It is very easy to prepare and the accompanying salad is completely optional, but I find the red wine vinegar goes well with the lemony taste of the fish.

Ingredients:

• 1 filet Rainbow Trout, skin still on
• 1 lemon, sliced thickly
• 1 lime, sliced thickly

Salad

• 6 leaves Romain lettuce, washed & dried
• 1/2 cup montaray jack cheese with Jalapeno, cubed
• 3/4 cup shredded cabbage, green and red
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot

Salad dressing

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Place the fillet, skin side down, on a double layer of aluminum foil.
2. Cover with lemons and lime slices.
3. Light the gas barbecue and close the lid to heat.
4. When the barbecue reaches temperature, place the fish as far away from the heat as possible (either on the second rack, or to one side with no direct heat.
5. To make the salad: dice the romaine lettuce leaves.
6. Mix the romaine lettuce, cheese, cabbage and carrot together.
7. Add the salad dressing ingredients and mix again. Then put the salad back in the fridge.
8. Check the fish after about 15 minutes. There should be a white foam atop the fish and its edges should be gray close to the skin.
9. Remove the lemons and limes from the top and poke holes in the aluminum foil along the edges.
10. Return after 10 minutes. If the fish flakes apart nicely with a fork, it's done. If not, close the lid and check again in 10 minutes.
11. Divide the fish into portions with your spatula.
12. Push a spatula into the fish just above the skin, then lift. The skin should be left behind and you can plate your skinless fillet.
13. Serve with the lemon and lime slices and salad.

-------------------

Serious Eats "Served" quote:
On my first night, a loud and often furious cook with a thick Ukranian accent and a pirate flag bandanna taught me how to make chicken piccata for family meal. We butterflied chicken breasts, dredged them in egg and flour, and fried them in clarified butter until they were sizzly and gold. We squeezed lemon juice into the pan, poured in white wine, and decorated the dish with capers. He made his chicken with love, and he happily passed on his method to me. "It's a classic! And so simple! Everyone loves it! You should make it for your friends..."

OK, I love saluted chicken -- so I just have to try this one!

Is My Blog Burning has an interesting contest: "Send us your marinades, your herb butters, your fajitas, and your simply grilled skirt steak recipes. Our favorite featuring strip steak will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will also receive a copy of Sizzle, by Julie Biuso. Submissions are due by 12pm EST Tuesday, June 24."

This, then, is my entry.

Montreal Steak Sandwiches

A traditional submarine sandwich in Montreal is a loving combination of pan-fried onions, skirt steak, beef, spicy cheese, salad and tomatoes topped with Kraft Catalina dressing. It is traditionally served open-faced, but most folk close it up to eat it. Some folk top this with a mix of salt and oregano, or different types of dressing. Note that this sandwich tastes best when made with day-old bread.

Servings: 2
Yield: 2 sub sandwiches
Time to prepare: 10 minutes
Time to make: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

1. Press the Montreal steak spice into the sliced skirt steak. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
3. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have lost most of their water.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and onions to a plate, set aside.
5. Add the skirt steak to the pan, and cook until done.
6. Remove from the pan and set aside.
7. Split the bread down the middle, being careful not to slice all the way through.
8. Butter the bread and place buttered side down into the hot pan. Allow to sit until the butter browns and the bread crisps.
9. Flip the bread over and layer the ingredients into the sandwich in the following order: onions and mushrooms, steak, cheese.
10. Cover the pan and allow to sit until the cheese melts.
11. Remove from the pan and add 1/2 the lettuce to the side of each sandwich that does not have the cheese. Top each sandwich with 1/2 the tomato slices.
12. Drizzle Catalina dressing over the tomato and lettuce side of the bread.
13. Serve open-faced to hungry people. Knife and fork may be required.

Note: The following is something I wrote a year or so ago. The funny thing is that it's as valid today as it was then. I don't think I ever posted it -- at least not here, so enjoy.

Everyone's got a cookbook. Not the ones you buy and leaf through until the pages tear, but rather that collection of clippings from magazines, web sites, and the like. These recipes have notes scribbled over them and, perhaps most importantly, guides to making the recipe "better" - ideas you had while making the dish, a list of what you did wrong in the past, and hopefully a guide to what you did right.

I hate writing in a published book. In some of my cookbooks you'll find hastily scribbled notes, but not many. I've never been good at regularly writing my commentary and (perhaps worse) I've got no one style that I follow. I started compiling lots of recipes together with my comments a while back. It's in its second version now, and far from complete. But it's designed to be printed.

I've tried a few software tools (Big Oven, and MasterCook); and they're good but they require more time and effort than I'm willing to give them. Both expect you to either use their cookbooks or enter all your recipes into their format. Then you use the software to pick out what you'll cook for the week, and they'll print out your shopping lists, recipes, and even calculate the calories of what you're eating.

I added a lot of recipes to Snacksby when it first came out, and tried to provide constructive criticism. In the early days I got responses and the features improved; but between outages, and interface glitches, I've lost interest in it. And now it's changed its name, look, and management.

I occasionally enter recipes in Recipe*zaar. Frankly, I don't know why it took me so long to do it. I've been a fan of Recipe*zaar for ages. I like it's interface, I find entering recipes to be easy, and I like the forums and all the help I get when I visit. I even like the fact that most recipe authors respond to my comments when I post a review. The site managers fix problems and respond to bug reports posted to their forums in a reasonable amount of time.

But I've still got my very nice, well indexed, and ever-growing print cookbook. Perhaps worse still, there are a few people who want copies of it. I've given up saying it's done -- it wasn't finished when I went from version 1 to version 2. I'm trying to update most of the recipes, add fixes I noticed ages ago, change the appearance (again), and create several indicies (by subject, by ingredient, and by date added).

Eventually I'll give copies to friends as PDFs (or maybe html pages); and most of these recipes should eventually make their way onto Recipe*zaar (at least those that I think aren't already there). There are lots of other recipe web sites out.

These are quick and easy cinnamon rolls. While they are about 1/2 the calories of the more traditional recipes, I wouldn't actually call them completely "Guilt-Free"; they're still really sweet. I've made them twice with good results. I got the recipe from Cooks Illustrated's Cooking Light magazine (Spring 2008).

The recipe calls for a lot of equipment, fortunately I keep a pan of hot soapy water to hand whenever I bake.

Once my counter was clean (and the previously standing dishes washed), I changed the washing water, and dug out the ingredients.

The dough ingredients were mostly familiar, but I hoped the strangers amongst them would be easily warmed. The microwave made quick work of melting the butter and bringing the skim milk up to 110 degrees. They initially mixed well, but kept separating every time I put the large measuring cup down to tend to other things. The maple syrup did little to help these familiar ingredients keep mixed.

Using the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid mixer, I mixed the four, yeast, and salt together. Then, turning the machine to low, and giving the liquid an extra wisk to get it to at least pretend to be mixed, I drizzled the liquids into the dry ingredients as the Kitchen Aid slowly turned the mixture over and over again.

I had a few problems figuring out when the dough was ready. The recipe calls to allow the dough to be mixed until it's shiny and smooth. It was sticky, but I don't have the experience to know if that was OK. I guessed it was, and turned it out onto a floured silicone baking sheet.

The recipe calls for the dough to be shaped into a ball. But it came out of the Kitchen Aid mixer in a fairly ball-shaped lump. I worked it over for a minute or two (adding flour so it wouldn't all stick to my hands), then dumped it in a metal bowl that was well greased.

I then put the metal bowl in a warm oven, covered with a towl.

After washing my hands (and my equipment), I got to work on the filling. This meant melting more butter. I mixed the butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in the same large measuring cup I used previously.

When the dough came out of the oven, it hadn't risen much. I put it back on the lightly floured silicone sheet, and rolled the dough out to the size of the sheet. I sprinkled the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the dough, but ended up using the backside of a spoon to press it all in. I think I rolled the dough out too big because I had a devil of a time trying to get the sugar mixture as even as it looked in the picture.

Rolling was easy enough, but it took some practice to roll the dough tightly enough so that when I cut it, the dough roll didn't fall apart.

The cut dough then went into a 13x9 inch baking dish that was liberally lubed. I covered the dish with plastic rap, then the dish went into a warm oven for 40 minutes while I did up the dishes and tried to scrub the flour off the counter, and the floor.

After 40 minutes, the rolls had puffed up a little. I took them out and set the oven to heat to 350. When it was ready, I took off the plastic covering and set the rolls into the oven to cook. I then went back to finding more errant flour in the cubbards, on doors and in drawers in my kitchen.

When the timer went off, I returned to the kitchen and took out the rolls. They were soft and smelled strongly of cinnamon. I made the icing as the rolls cooled on a wire rack, then poured icing over the rolls. Note to self: next time line the counter with some parchment paper before icing the rolls.

They tasted great. The icing was gooy and the rolls soft and delicious.

Cinnamon Rolls

A lighter version of the more traditional rolls, these are quick and easy to make. They taste best if fresh from the oven, but can be stored overnight if they are frosted first.

Categories: Desert, Rolls, Yeast
Cuisine: American
Serving: 1 roll.
Yeild: 12 rolls.
Time to make: 45 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes rising time)
Author: Katie Henderson,
Source: Cooks Illustrated Cooking Light (Spring 2008)
Copyright: Cooks Illusrated
Sering ideas: Great for breakfast, or as a snack in a meeting.

Ingredients

For the dough:

Filling:

Icing

Instructions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a large bowl and a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. When the oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off.
4. Combine the milk, syrup and melted butter together in a large measuring cup.
5. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook.
6. Turn the machine to low speed and slowly add the milk mixture.
7. After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mxi until shiny and smooth (4-6 minutes).
8. If the dough is wet and not forming a ball, add up to 1/4 cup more flour as needed, and knead the dough for 2 more minutes.
9. Turn the dough onto a heavily floured work surface, shape it into a ball and put it in the greased bowl.
10. Cover, and let the dough rest in the warm oven for 10 minutes.
11. While the dough is resting, mix the filling together.
12. When the 10 minutes are up, put the dough on a lightly flowered work surface and roll it out into an 18x12-inch rectangle.
13. Sprinkle the surface with the filling and press it evenly into the dough. Leave a 1/2-inch border along the edges.
14. Starting at the long edge nearest you, roll up the dough into a cylinder.
15. Brush he border with water and press to seal.
16. Using a chef's knife, slice the dough into 12 rounds.
17. Place them in the prepared pan, with the cut side up. Cover the pan with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray, and return them to the warm oven until the rolls have nearly doubled in size 30-40 minutes.
18. Remove the pan from the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. the rolls will continue to rise on the counter as you wait for the oven to heat.
19. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until they are a deep brown, 20-25 minutes. Rotate the pan from back to front 1/2 way through baking.
20. When the rolls are done, make the icing by whisking the ingredients together until smooth.
21. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn the rolls out on to a cooling rack. Remember to put a piece of parchment paper, or a pan beneath the rack!
22. Cool 10 minutes, then spread the icing over the rolls.

Notes

The color and size of the rolls are more important than the times given in this recipe. If the rolls have not doubled in size after the second rise, give them 10-15 minutes more time and turn the oven back on to 200 degrees. When the oven is at that temperature, turn it off immediately.

I recently purchased Cook's Illustrated Light Recipes (Spring 2008). The first recipe I tried was their "Best Light Lemon Bundt Cake" by Julia Collin Davidson.

I was pretty nervous and time was fleeting.
Gathering my ingredients together, I gave them (and my kitchen aid mixer) a pep talk. Thinking to save time, I filled a tub with hot soapy water and did the dishes before starting.

Reading down the list of ingredients, the recipe seemed straightforward. All the ingredients were old friends. I thought it should be fairly straightforward.

With the kitchen straightened, and the floor swept, I set to work. I lined up the ingredients with military precision. I measured out the dry ingredients (2 cups sugar, zest of 3 large lemons, pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder) and let the kitchen aide mixer run them through the obstacle course. By the time they were done, they were a unit.

I set out another bowl and whisked the wet ingredients together (1 cup 2% milk, 3 large egg yokes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tablespoon vanilla).

After cleaning out the kitchen aide mixer bowl, I whipped three egg whites up into a froth. A pinch of cream of tartar and 1/2 a cup of sugar made the eggs stand up straight and stay at attention.

I then mixed the wet mixture with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then mixed the wet mixture with the dry. Once they merged, I added the egg whites. It was then that I noticed the 3 1/2 cups of flour at 1/2 teaspoon baking soda were AWOL. I gingerly added the ingredients to the already mixed cake, and the egg whites began to sag. It was at that time that I noticed I should have only added 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the cake, not 2 cups. Ack!

Resigned to my mistakes, I poured the batter into a pan coated with a paste, made from 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon flour. The cake went into a hot (350 degree F) oven, and I set the timer for 45 minutes.

When it was done, and cooling, I made up the glaze (1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 5 teaspoons lemon juice).

Just before leaving, I poured the glaze over the cake and let it sit for 10 minutes, then I wrapped it in plastic and left.

The cake was really well received; a bit heavier than the recipe said it would be (but then with the egg whites deflated, the texture of the cake made sense). I'm definitely going to have to try this again - with the proper recipe.

Lemon Bundt Cake

A light and lemony cake that is designed to please. The unique form of a bundt pan makes this cake perfect for glazing with either a lemon sugar glaze, or even just plain old confectioner's sugar. The lemon flavor is quite strong and offsets the sweetness of the cake.

Makes 16 servings.
Time: 1 hour + cooling time (1-2 hours).

Ingredients
3 cups cake flour + 1 tablespoon (for dusting the pan)
2 cups sugar, divided (1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup lemon zest, finely grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, yokes and whites divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon (for the pan), melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Lemon glaze (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. The oven rack should be in the lower-middle position.
2. Lightly coat the bundt pan with a paste made from 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Whisk the remaining flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. In a second bowl, wisk together the milk, yokes, oil, butter, and vanilla together.
5. In a third bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer. When the eggs are broken and foamy, add a pinch of cream of tartar and increase the speed of your mixer.
6. Continue to whisk the egg whites, adding the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar is added, continue to beat until the egg whites are shiny and foam stiff peaks.
7. Slowly whisk the milk mixture and lemon juice into the flour mixture until the mix is smooth.
8. Fold one third of beaten egg whites into the batter until combined.
9. Fold remaining two thirds into the batter until combined.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Clean the edges of the pan.
11. Bake until deep golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Halfway through baking, rotate the pan.
12. Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before inversing the pan.
13. Leave the cake for 1-2 hours to cool it. When cool, either dust with confectioner's sugar, or drizzle with glaze.

Lemon Glaze

Makes 1 generous cup, enough to glaze 1 cake.
Time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Move the cake to a cooling rack over top of a piece of parchment paper.
3. Drizzle cake with glaze and let it set for 15 minutes before serving.

I love roast chicken. It's become our new quick meal as roast chickens in this city are pretty cheap when purchased fresh from a deli. The birds are fairly small, but they are more than enough for a meal for two plus leftovers. This has, unfortunately, led me to throw away or freeze far too many chicken parts. To try and reduce waste, I've compiled a list of recipes for what to do when you have cooked chicken.

1. Stir fry with chicken. Whenever it comes to Chinese recipes, I always turn to the Tigers and Strawberries blog. Her recipe is amazing. My modifications - leave out the cornstarch, use 1/2 the amount of dark soy sauce, and add in more vegetables (bell peppers, celery, water chestnuts, ...pretty much whatever I've got).
2. Chicken fried rice. This low calorie version tastes pretty good to me. I add ginger (about 1/2 an inch, peeled & diced) and sometimes replace the peas and carrots with a bag of frozen oriental or Thai mix.
3. Chicken pot pie. Sandi Richard's book, Cooking for the Rushed, has the simplest and most tasty chicken pot pie recipe. I typically make it without the biscuits on top, preferring to make standard buttermilk or baking soda biscuits to serve alongside it.
4. Easy Chicken Enchiladas. This is a new recipe for me, but it's very similar to one I regularly make. What I really like about this one is that it came with a recipe for Fast Enchilada Sauce; so now I can make my own.
5. Chicken Fajitas. I leave out the salt and the cornstarch and only occasionally add the lime juice. I replace the onion powder with a diced scallion, and the garlic powder with a minced clove (or two) of fresh garlic.
6. Jambalaya. This tasty version appeared in Cooking Light (Jan 2000). It's far more simple than most versions I've found and the shrimp can easily be replaced with cooked shredded chicken.
7. Kung Pao Chicken with Ho Fun Noodles. Another Chinese dish that works as well with cooked chicken as raw. I don't use the cornstarch, but otherwise don't modify the recipe much. I like it with all the optional ingredients; but I don't always have them on hand.
8. Pizza Calzones. The recipe doubles easily and is great to make ahead and freeze. Making the bread does take some time, but if made in advance and kept frozen, it takes about 30 minutes to warm up and cook.
9. Chicken a la king. This can optionally be made with peas and carrots.
10. Spicy chicken with poblano peppers and cheese. A great spicy fall dinner. I usually serve it with just a salad. The recipe itself is very forgiving and I don't usually roast the skins off the peppers.
11. Stock. As a last resort, I'll throw the skin, bones and carcass into a crock pot with an onion (roughly cut and not peeled), a carrot (washed but not peeled) and a stalk of celery. Fill with water to cover and set it on low for a day.

So what do you do with your leftover chicken?

A friend delivered my first "Medium" vegetable basket. It's got a lot of goodies in it.

• 1 head celery (now I've got three in the fridge. I'll have to figure out something other than celery sticks for snacks to do with it).
• 1 head lettuce (looks like a curly leaf variety).
• 4 heads of garlic (yay! I love garlic.)
• 4 oranges
• 4 potatoes
• 1 pound of carrots (I've already got 2 pounds in the fridge. So now I'll have lots of carrot sticks to go with my celery)
• 1 pound of onions (I was out of onions).
• 1 honey dew melon (With the oranges and the pineapple I have at home - I'm thinking fruit salad)
• 1 pound of beets (what do I do with this?)
• 1 seedless cucumber (salads)
• 1 zucchini (salads, snacks ... guess I'd best get to making hummus).

So this definitely will define what I'm eating next week. Anyone have some good beet recipes? I've found two so far: Roasted Beets and Balsamic marinated beets. I'll probably be trying both next week.

Saturday
B: 1 egg, 1 egg white, 2 potato
L: 1 cup tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwhich
D: Whole-wheat Ravioli and tomato sauce with Parmesan and salad for 5

Sunday
B: Cinnamon and strawberry pancakes, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Tuna wrap with lettuce, radish, and greens.
D: Curried Potato and vegetable soup for 5

Monday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Soup, small roll, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ chicken in mustard sauce, large green salad with soy nuts. Lemon-poppyseed dressing

Tuesday
B: 2/3 cup cereal, 1/2 cup skim milk, strawberries
L: Pasta marinara, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ Trout, wild rice, steamed mixed beans

Wednesday
B: 1/2 c light yogurt+flax seed, 1 small fruit, 1/2 c skim milk
L: Wrap (Tuna or leftover meat) with vegetables, yogurt + flax
D: Crockpot pea soup or Chicken parts (for Easy Asian chicken)

Thursday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Pasta maranara, diet coke, small fruit
D: BBQ Hamburgers with light cheese on whole wheat, with lettuce, tomatoes and mustard

Friday
B: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milk
L: Wrap (Tuna or leftover meat) with lots of vegetables, yogurt + flax
D: Dinner out

Snacks:
Goldfish & small fruit
150 ml light yogurt + flax seed
Protein bar
Large fruit
Baked tortilla bits & salsa

Minor edits to what I ate and removed the overly-squashed and ugly table.