Month: April 2016

Lightened Without Losing Taste!

finishedcasseroleI woke up this morning to raindrops and remembered that my Mom used to make us Tuna Noodle Casserole on rainy days.  That started a mad craving but I wasn’t sure I had everything to make it.  UG!

After surveying the cupboards and refrigerator, and preparing the emergency replacement for one of my main sauce ingredients from yesterday’s blog post, I was good to go and well on my way to satisfying my craving with the unintended bonus of lightening the recipe and making the soup gluten free, so I didn’t feel quite so guilty having seconds.  Yes!

Mom’s Lightened T.N.C.

  • 1 – 12 to 16 oz package Extra Wide Egg Noodles (Gluten Free if desired)
  • Scratch Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (follow link)
  • 3/4 Cup Milk
  • 4 – 2.6 oz Single Serve Pouches Starkist Low-Sodium Chunk Light Tuna in Water
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise
  1. Prepare the noodles per package instructions
  2. Drain most of the water off in a colander
  3. Return noodles to the pan
  4. Warm the soup (if not already warm) over low heat
  5. Add the milk, contents of the tuna pouches, and mayonnaise and stir until combined
  6. Bring to a boil then remove from heat
  7. Using a heat proof rubber spatula, pour contents of soup pan over the noodles and gently fold it into the noodles.

Can be eaten hot or, as I prefer it, cold from the refrigerator!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

AARGH! I Forgot ___ at the Store!

We’ve all done it.  Started a recipe thinking we had everything we needed only to get to a critical stage and found out we are missing a key ingredient.  A string of curse words later, after checking with the “go-to” neighbor, we are begging our kids who drive or our spouses to run to the store for what we desperately need to save our cooking creation.

I found a couple of resources online for the most common substitutions (thank you Kraft Foods & Life Hacker!):

Today I ran into an even tougher situation.  I had no Condensed Cream of Celery Soup to make the comfort food I was having a big craving for: my Mom’s Tuna Noodle Casserole.  But I had no one to bail me out!  No one was home next door, my son has moved a state away (to avoid the emergency runs to the store??? hmmm… ) and my husband was still at work and nowhere near to coming home.  FML!

Time to create a fix from what I had in the cupboard…First things first, I needed a creamy, thick base for the soup.  Milk & Cornstarch would take care of that.  The rest should be a piece of cake, right?  Just some seasonings and the main ingredient, chopped celery.

Scratch Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

  • 1 cup cold milk
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3/4 C chopped celery
  • 2 TBLS olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Salt-Free Seasoning (Mrs. Dash type) I use McCormick Perfect Pinch Original All Purpose
  1. In a small pan, saute’ olive oil and the celery for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to low and add the bouillon cube (crushed), pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and all-purpose seasoning.  Stir to combine and let it continue cooking until you complete the next step.
  3. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the cold milk and the cornstarch.
  4. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly then whisk in the butter it melts and the sauce begins to thicken
  5. Immediately add the celery mixture.to the sauce and cook another 30 seconds.
  6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until you need it for your recipe.

It took 10 minutes start to finish, made just a bit more than a 10.75 ounce can from the store, had no preservatives, no added salt and was lower in fat and calories because I used 2% milk to make it.  Win-Win!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Carrot Pineapple Slaw

ribdinnerI needed to add some color to what was going to be an otherwise bland (but really delicious) looking plate tonight, but my husband asked that it not be the things I had ready to whip out: Asparagus and Green Salad.  Ug!

Having just put all of my creative brain power into making Zucana loaves and the spicy sweet sauce for BBQ ribs, I was just not feeling it.

I looked into the refrigerator and saw a lot of produce, dairy products, some leftovers and then inspiration struck when I found:

  • 2 Pound Bag of Carrots
  • Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt Cups
  • A Small Can of Crushed Pineapple

Aha!  In 10 minutes there would be color on my dinner plate!

Carrot Pineapple Slaw

In a large mixing bowl combine

  • 6 Cups Shredded Carrots (About 10 Large Carrots Peeled/Grated)
  • 1 Small Can Crushed Pineapple (Drain first)
  • 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
  • 2 – 5.3 ounce Cups Vanilla Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt

You can use any yogurt you want to.  I like the Oikos because it doesn’t add any fat, sugar or additional sweetness to the salad.  I use a rubber spatula to combine everything.

My husband didn’t even complain about it 😉  Bonus!

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Did You Know…?

freezer_openThere are many foods I didn’t know could be frozen, saving me from the inevitable time when I need something like buttermilk, which I never have on hand when I come across a recipe that calls for it.  Learning this led me on an internet search to see what other seldomly stocked foods can be frozen for use later.

You Can Safely Freeze:

  • Buttermilk:  Fill an empty ice cube tray.  Freeze overnight and transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag.  Keeps up to 3 months and each cube slot measures 1 ounce (1/8th of a Cup)
  • Bananas:  Freeze them overnight when they are at their ripest point (when skin is browning but not going bad) in their skins. Using a sharp knife slice the frozen bananas in half lengthwise and peel off the skins.  Store in freezer bags for use in smoothies.  Homemade Frozen Bananas: Put two frozen halves together with a popsicle stick between them and coat with melted chocolate. Immediately sprinkle with/roll in nuts, coconut, or rainbow/other sprinkles and place on a pan lined with waxed paper.  Freeze an hour or two and enjoy for dessert.
  • Butter: This is particularly good to know since I rarely need unsalted butter and buy it 1 pound at a time (4 – 1/2 Cup cubes) when it’s on sale.  Now I can cut cubes in half  (1/4 C portions) and freeze them in freezer bags for later use!
  • Cheese: Don’t freeze whole chunks – it crumbles when you defrost and try to slice it.  Instead grate or shred it and freeze in 1 Cup portions in zip bags for recipes at a later date.
  • Eggs:  Remove the shells and freeze individually in snack sized zip bags.  You can also freeze egg whites separately from their yolks.  I’d recommend marking the bags with the number of egg whites or whole eggs you freeze per bag to make using later easier.  Frozen “pre-made” omelettes:  In a large measuring cup crack the desired number of eggs and whisk .  Stir in 2 TBLS milk, 1/4 Cup each chopped bell pepper (or any pepper you desire) and chopped ham (bacon, turkey, chicken breast, ground beef, sausage, etc.) and 2 TBLS chopped onion (if desired).  Pour into sandwich sized zip bags and freeze until needed. Great weekday breakfast option.  You can remove a bag to the refrigerator the night before to thaw, pour into a preheated pan to cook, sprinkle with a bit of frozen grated cheese & eat right before running out the door the next morning.
  • Garlic: Separate cloves but leave skin on and freeze in a doubled zip bag to keep freezer odor free.
  • Wine:  Unlike hard alcohol, wine does freeze solid.  Freeze in 1 ounce portions in an ice cube tray and transfer to a freezer bag to use in sauces or other recipes.
  • Yogurt: Measure it into 2 to 4 TBLS (aka 2 to 4 oz or 1/4 to 1/2 Cup) portions and freeze in zip bags.  Don’t forget to mark the bags for later recipe use.
  • Lunch meat: Can be safely frozen in zip bags for up to 2 months.
  • Bread:  You can freeze a loaf of sliced bread for up to 3 months and you don’t even need to thaw it before eating it. The freezer is a better storage option than the fridge, which can dry bread out.
  •  Milk / Half & Half:  Milk can be frozen for 3 months.  Half & half stays good for 4 months in the freezer, but never freeze heavy cream.  Cream doesn’t freeze well at all.  I never understood why my mother-in-law always shook the milk before pouring out of the carton, now I do!  She kept it frozen in the chest freezer in the garage and was breaking up the ice.
  • Grains:  Quinoa, farro and bulgur last 3 months in the cupboard but up to 6 months in the freezer!
  • Tofu:  Chop it in chunks and freeze for up to 5 months to add to smoothies, soups, stews, etc.
  • Tortillas:  That at room temperature, not in the microwave.

Important things to remember about freezing any food are:

  • Make sure you are using a bag or container meant for freezer use to ward off freezer burn, keep smells from escaping into the freezer, and keep your food fresher longer
  • Remember to mark the date frozen as well as the last date you should use the food directly on the bag or on a piece of tape with a permanent marker.
  • Don’t over stuff your freezer.  A well organized freezer gives you the ability to easily see what you have on hand and helps food freeze faster/stay frozen because cooled air can flow between and around the packages.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Fall Off the Bone Beef Ribs

My husband loves a meaty beef rib, but our grocery store rarely has them and, if they do, they have been previously frozen.  So, you can probably guess, I was pretty excited to find a single slab of freshly cut beef ribs while grabbing some last minute Easter dinner supplies this past Sunday.

We eat pretty healthy during the week, so it’ll be a surprise tonight when he gets a weekday treat of a hearty meal of meat and potatoes.

Fall Off the Bone Beef Ribs

  • 2 Pounds Beef Ribs cut apart at the bones (6-8 Bones)
  • 3 Blood Oranges – 2 peeled/1 sliced (with skin on)
  • 1 Granny Smith Apple, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1/4 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 2 Cans Stoli Ginger Beer
  • 1/4 Cup Lower Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 Cloves Garlic chopped
  • 2 TBLS Olive Oil

Prepare the ribs

  • With the lid open, heat the pressure cooker to the Brown setting
  • Put the oil, garlic and chopped onion into the pressure cooker and cook until onion becomes translucent (about 5 minutes).
  • Add the sliced apples, the 2 whole/peeled blood oranges, the sliced orange (with peel on), the soy sauce and the entire contents of both cans of ginger beer.
  • Cook until mixture comes just to a boil.
  • Place the sectioned ribs into the pan – they do not need to be completely submerged.
  • Close and lock the lid.
  • Set to cook on high pressure.  When pressure is reached, cook ribs for 50 minutes.
  • When the cycle is complete, unplug the pressure cooker and allow the unit to return to equal pressure for about 15 minutes, then manually release the remaining steam and open the lid.
  • Using tongs, remove the ribs (the meat should be barely holding on) to a 9 x 11 Pyrex baking dish.

ribs2ribs3ribs1Prepare the sauce for the ribs

  • Using a fat separator (see how to video here) with the stopper firmly pushed into the spout, pour the remaining juices from the pressure cooker pan through the strainer/lid.  If strainer becomes too full, take it off the cup portion and throw the contents of the strainer away – you don’t need them anymore.  Continue straining the juices until the pressure cooker is empty.  I strain mine twice (by pouring from separator back into the cooking pan then re-straining) to catch any chunks that might have been missed.
  • Pour contents of fat separator into a small saucepan.
  • Over medium high heat, bring juices to a low boil.
  • Add 1/2 tsp Dried Red Pepper Flakes.
  • Add 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar.
  • Combine 3 TBLS Cornstarch with just enough Cold Water to make a smooth syrup.
  • Whisking constantly, slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling juices.
  • Return to a full rolling boil (whisking constantly) and then allow to boil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes then remove from heat.

Finish the ribs

  • Using a ladle, pour a generous amount of the sauce (but not all of it) over the ribs in the pan.
  • Cover the pan with foil and put ribs in the oven on low heat (250°F) until you are about 30 minutes from eating.
  • When you are about 30 minutes from eating, remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and turn oven temperature up to 450°F.
  • Return the uncovered ribs to the oven and bake about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to adhere more solidly to the meat.

I’m serving the ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and carrot/pineapple slaw.  Heat the reserved sauce in the microwave until warm and bring to the table to serve with the ribs.

Are you on Facebook?  You might be interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water. I may not write a blog post every day, but there are daily updates to my This Girl Loves To Eat community at: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood