Fettucine Alfredo from Rachel Ray

When you see this pic, you'll notice how few ingredients there are. You've got to love any recipe with so few ingredients, but, I discovered, that comes with a price.

One of my all-time favorite foods is the chicken parmesan with fettucine alfredo from Carabba's in Houston. And I mean the original Carabba's, not the chain that is owned by a relative of the Carabba's family. I have never found a restaurant with the same quality alfredo sauce and I can definitely not recreate this at home, so I rarely eat it.

Anyway, last week, I watched Rachel Ray while I was at the gym, and she made an alfredo sauce that incorporated saffron steeped in water instead of chicken broth. It looked so delicious and easy that I decided to try the recipe.

You will notice that I have no pictures of the final product because it was another total recipe fail. This time, I think the recipe was at fault. I read the reviews online and everyone had the same problem I did. It was edible but disappointing.

I was not willing to go to the effort to find the saffron because they didn't have it at my store. So I am to blame for messing with the master. I substituted chicken broth, which I think was fine, but the saffron must have added flavor that was now missing. I added italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. It was still bland. To save dishes, I threw my sauteed broccoli into the serving dish with the pasta.

I won't even post the recipe because you should not make it. The problem that I, and all the other reviewers had, that did not happen to her Italian highness, was that the shredded parmesan cheese clumped together. I tried the Digiorno kind, which is less expensive, as well as a more expensive kind, and they both clumped as they melted. It was disgusting to pick out the clumps from the pasta as I stirred it. It filled a two cup measuring cup with clumped white cheese and some butter or grease that had separated at the bottom. Ew.

I was doubly disappointed because I was hungry all day, but knew that I was having pasta for dinner, so I held off. I guess it was good for my waistline, but I am starting to crave something good and that's always trouble. (As in refer to my next post.)

Orange Glazed Pork and Rice Pilaf

Tonight I made two recipes from Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, Orange-Glazed Pork and Rice Pilaf. I took quite a bit of license with the pork recipe and totally failed on the rice because I kept the heat too high. Bummer.

The orange pork called for pork tenderloin, which is a cut of meat that I love. Unfortunately, all I had were thin pork chops. Cooking pork tenderloin is vastly different, so I skipped an entire part of the process. The recipe says to sear the meat on both sides in a frying pan of hot oil and then to put the meat and the glaze in the oven to finish cooking.

Instead, I seared the meat on both sides, over med-high heat, then added the glaze, and cooked it on low for just a few minutes. The glaze calls for freshly chopped ginger and garlic. I used powdered ginger and fresh garlic. I chopped the garlic into small pieces because that was the wording in the recipe. Next time I would chop that garlic as small as I could get it or use refrigerated minced garlic that comes in a jar. I just cannot stand seeing garlic in the food I eat-yuck. The ground cayenne pepper was given a range instead of a definite measurement. I used a little less than the bottom measure, and it was still spicy. However, it was not too spicy for me or the kids. All in all, the glaze was incredibly flavorful.

The rice pilaf calls for a cauliflower puree to add creaminess without calories and fat. In order to accommodate a full head of fresh cauliflower, I used both the glass dish and the steamer bag. Again, the steamer bag provided better results. I fit 3/4 of a head of cauliflower in one bag. The full head yielded 4-1/2 cup servings. There was very little salt and pepper called for in the rice, so I would add more before serving.

Orange-Glazed Pork, p 84

(This is the recipe with my changes added)

GLAZE
3 T orange marmalade (when am I going to use this again?)
1/2 c water
1/2 c carrot puree
1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 t ground ginger
2 t apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cayenne

PORK
4 pork cutlets
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T grapeseed oil

1. In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Warm the glaze over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Cook 10-15 minutes more, until the liquid is reduced by one quarter and the glaze thickens.
2.Meanwhile, sprinkle the pork cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over high heat. Carefully add the pork and cook for 2 minutes per side, turning once until both sides are brown.
3. Off the heat, add the glaze to the skillet. Turn the pork once to coat in the glaze. Return the skillet to low heat and cook for a few more minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook the pork, check often, so that your meat will remain moist. Remove the pork to a cutting board and stir the glaze until smooth. Slice the pork and serve with the glaze.

Rice Pilaf, p 113

2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c cauliflower puree
1 t grapeseed oil 1-1/2 c chicken broth
1 c rice 1/4 t salt

1. In a large saucepan, saute the garlic in the grapeseed oil until it just begins to turn golden on the edges. Add the uncooked rice and toss to coat, approximately 30 seconds.
2. Add the cauliflower puree, chicken broth, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook with the lid tightly in place approximately 45 minutes. DO NOT STIR when it is done.
3. Take the rice off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

The original recipe says to turn down the heat on the rice to a simmer. For those of us who haven't been to culinary school, that's not very precise. Or, she says, cook it until it is tender. I'm not sure how to tell that with the lid tightly down and without letting the steam out. Please post any helpful comments on how to figure this out! While I totally failed on this rice, I will try both of these recipes again, using a piece of tenderloin and keeping the rice on low heat. I served this with green peas and a salad for myself. In an attempt to help the rice, I added some glaze to the rice. It didn't help, but does spread the color around the plate, I guess.

Fish Tacos

Tonight's dinner was fish tacos served on corn tortillas with black beans, broccoli slaw, queso fresco, and a little cilantro. I have never made or eaten fish tacos, but have loved the idea of them. I chose a Martha Stewart recipe to adapt because her recipes tend to work well: if you follow the instructions, everything turns out right.

I chose to use tilapia because it is fairly mild and it was on sale; however, the recipe calls for any firm white fish. Conversely, I saw other recipes for fish tacos that called for fish that flaked easily. I bought a pound of tilapia fillets today so they would be as fresh as possible, and we ate all but a quarter cup of the cooked fish. The New Englander in me prefers to buy fish that was caught the same morning that I bought it. The recipe also called for thinly shredded red cabbage, but I chose a small bag of broccoli slaw. That is something else that I have always wanted to cook with, but for which I could never find a use. This is much faster than trying to shred cabbage and changes the visual effect of the tacos from a reddish purple accent to a green accent. Again, in my opinion, this is a matter of preference that will not adversely affect the taste of the tacos.

I chose to to cut the tilapia strips in half horizontally because corn tortillas are tiny. In addition, I cook with grapeseed oil instead of olive oil. This recipe did not call for cheese, but what Mexican food is complete without some queso? I bought queso fresco for the first time, and it was perfect crumbled in the tacos. Finally, I used green onions because the produce guy at the store said they were the same as scallions. And I used about half of what was called for. If I had sliced them thinner, I would have used more.


While the fish was cooking, Sydney heated the tortillas on a griddle pan over medium heat. This pic shows a flour tortilla that I used to make a quesadilla for Audrey. While the second batch of fish cooked, I drained the already-cooked fish on a plate covered with a paper towel. The thinner slices of fish in the second batch did not need 5 minutes on each side. Another tip is to pause between batches to replenish the oil in the pan and to let it heat up. In order to use the queso fresco, cut a few cubes and then crush them between your fingers over your taco. Finally, I took the one long half of the jalapeno that was for cooking the fish, and cut it lengthwise into three slices. I thought it might spread the jalapeno wealth throughout the pan.

As soon as the fish was done, we loaded up each taco with broccoli slaw, fish, black beans, crumbled queso fresco, and a little cilantro. I think you could easily put finely diced tomatoes, too. Another good addition would be thinly sliced cucumbers that have been marinated in lime, olive oil, and sugar. (I will find a recipe for you because these cucumbers are divine.) While Freebirds taught me the value of rice in a burrito, this meal does not need it in order to be filling. We chose to have some pineapple chunks on the side of our tacos. I do not like spicy food, and this was not spicy at all. In fact, if you like spicier food, you might consider using a spicier pepper or keeping some seeds in your jalapenos. Coarse salt and ground pepper are called for without specific measures, so I was heavy with the pepper and sparing with the salt. I rubbed the salt and pepper into the fish instead of just sprinkling it over the fish. If you like salty food, add more salt to the fish or to the broccoli slaw mix. Overall, I loved my first fish tacos! The girls ate them, but I did not require Zach and Audrey to because I was not sure how spicy it would be. Next time I will serve it to them.

1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
2 T lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 1/2 c broccoli slaw mix
1/2 c thinly sliced green onion
1 jalapeno, halved lengthwise, one half minced
2 T grapeseed oil
1 lb tilapia fillets, cut into 16 equal strips
enough corn tortillas for your family, around 8
1/8 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. In a bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another small container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage, green onions, and minced jalapeno with the remaining sour cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeno over med-high heat, making sure to coat the bottom of the pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces) cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5-6 min. Discard jalapeno.

3. Meanwhile warm tortillas and black beans, according to package directions.

4. Fill tacos with slaw, fish, black beans, queso fresco, and cilantro. Garnish with drizzled sour cream mixture. Serve immediately. (The pic is from my leftovers and I did not have any extra sour cream.)

Find the recipe at www.marthastewart.com/262267/fish-tacos

Lemon Chicken and Broccoli Gratin

My recipe for tonight is Lemon Chicken, Broccoli Gratin, salad and fruit. Whenever I put fruit in the menu, it is for the kids and substitutes for a carb in their meal. Tonight's dinner is brought to us by Jessica Seinfeld's Double Delicious. It is the sequal to her Deceptively Delicious cookbook. In case you are not familiar with these cookbooks, the basis for all of her recipes are sneaky vegetable purees.

How to make a Carrot Puree: These are my version of the instructions, inspired by pgs. 193-196 of the cookbook. I tried two different methods to determine the best one for me.



Option #1: Steamer Bag
1. Buy Ziplock brand steamable microwave bags.
2. Lay the bag horizontally, filling to the top line with baby carrots, making sure that they lay flat instead of piled on top of each other.
3. Follow the cooking and safety instructions on the bag.
4. Place the cooked carrots in the food processor, without any water. Turn on the blender and blend maybe two minutes, until the carrots are a nice and creamy puree.



Option #2: Glass dish
1. Cut the ends off of the carrot, cut full-size carrots into 3-inch chunks or cut baby carrots in half.
2. Place in a glass or ceramic microwaveable dish, with 2 T water, and cover loosely with saran wrap. You are supposed to use one pound, but I just filled the dish I had.
3. Cook in one-minute increments until the carrots are tender.
4. Place the cooked carrots in the food processor, with the water from the baking dish. Turn on the blender and blend two or more minutes, until the carrots are a nice
and creamy puree.


Opinion:
Method # 1--Cutting the carrots obviously takes more time as does checking the microwave every minute during cooking. The puree was less creamy and took longer to make than the carrots from the steamer bag. The glass dish carrots yielded three 1/2 cup portions.

Method #2--The steamer bag yielded only two 1/2 cup portions, but it took less time to puree and the puree was creamier and a lighter orange color. I put each 1/2 cup serving into a snack size ziplock bag.

I froze the ones I will not use tonight. When it is time to add the puree to the recipe, snip a corner of the baggie with scissors and squeeze the puree likes it is frosting.

Pinch Hitting: Recipe Substitutions

The lemon chicken recipe (p. 56) calls for whole-wheat flour. I happen to stock unbleached white flour, so I will substitute this in equal parts. I have carrots and not cauliflower, so I am substituting carrot puree for the cauliflower puree. I will let you know how it turns out and if I think the carrot influences the flavor of the chicken.

Cauliflower gratin is the original recipe included in the cookbook (p. 114) and served with the lemon chicken. I buy the huge bags of fresh broccoli florets at Cost-Co because my kids and the dog happen to love sauteed broccoli. I substituted frozen broccoli florets for the cauliflower tonight, but I think fresh broccoli florets would hold their shape better than frozen.

I also use Grapeseed Oil instead of Olive Oil. For this kind of cooking, they are interchangeable. I also only cook with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I am publishing the recipes with the changes that I made.


The verdict: My kids loved the broccoli and I loved the chicken. I was the only one who knew there were carrots in the dishes, and I was the only one who could taste them.

Tips: I butterflied the chicken breasts to make cutlets and then made them into smaller pieces. I laid them on the cutting board, covered them with Gladwrap, and pounded them with my rolling pin just a little.



Lemon Chicken, p 56
1 T chopped garlic
2 T plus 1 t olive oil, separated
3 c healthy chicken broth
2 T lemon juice
2 t water
2 t cornstarch
1/2 c carrot puree
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 c unbleached white flour
1/2 t salt
1 t garlic powder
6 chicken breasts

1. Saute chopped garlic in 1 t olive oil until it begins to turn golden brown. Add the broth, turn the heat to high, and reduce by half, about 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice.
2. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the boiling broth. Add the carrot puree. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
3. Begin heating the 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites and egg in a shallow dish. Combine the flour, salt and garlic powder in a separate shallow dish. Dredge each cutlet into the dry ingredients and then dip in the eggs. Drop the cutlets directly into the heated skillet. Be careful that you don't splash oil on yourself. Ask me why I say that...Saute 4-5 minutes per side. Add the lemon sauce and cook 2-3 minutes more to combine flavors.

Broccoli Gratin, p 114
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 T soft tub margarine spread
2 t flour
1 c skim milk
1/2 c reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c carrot puree
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, melt the margarine. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the milk to prevent lumps from forming and bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheddar, carrot puree, salt and pepper.
3. Add the broccoli to the cheese mixture and transfer to a glass baking dish. I used a glass pie dish. Top with Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly and the top browns.

Week 1: The Menu

This menu was inspired by a good friend from our BAMC days, Christen Jensen. Each day of the week was dedicated to a certain type of meal. From there she customized a menu for each week. After thinking of the things I like to make, I came up with seven meal themes. I might use each of the themes in the course of a week, or I might not. It will depend on the other meals that I am serving. My guess is that you already have these same categories:

Beef
Chicken
Pork
Sammy nite (This is what Rachel Ray calls Sandwich night.)
Vegetarian (But not vegan-I am not that hard core.)
Fish
Pizza

Unfortunately, I had to go to the store before I created my menu. Last week I had midterms and a head cold. I did not have the time or energy to cook or grocery shop. By the time I took my last test Friday morning, Audrey was looking for a snack and was not satisfied with her options: bread or fruit snacks. While Ainsley was at ballet Friday afternoon, I did some shopping. I tried to plan my menu around the things in my newly stocked kitchen cabinets.

Ideally one would create a menu that allows them to reuse their ingredients. That is great, but I do not care for leftovers. Well, I like leftover Mexican food from Guadalajara's in Houston, but not much else. Instead I buy and fix only what we will eat.

Week 1 Menu
Saturday: Pizza--Take and bake, from Cost-co. (This only marginally counts, I know.)
Sunday: Soup--White Bean Chili
Monday: Chicken--Lemon Chicken, Broccoli Gratin, salad, fruit for the kids
Tuesday: Fish--fish tacos with broccoli slaw, served with black beans and pineapple
Wednesday: Pork--Orange Glazed Pork, rice pilaf, green peas and salad
Thursday: Vegetarian--Fettucine Alfredo, broccoli, salad and fruit
Friday: Sammy nite--Hamburgers, sweet potato fries, salad and fruit

I will post the recipes another time, but here are the credits:
White Bean Chili and fettucine alfredo are my versions of Rachel Ray recipes
Orange glazed pork, rice pilaf, lemon chicken and broccoli gratin are from Jessica Seinfeld
Sweet potato fries are Paula Deen

Dusting off the blog: The accidental foodie

It turns out that I haven't written on my blog since September. How sad is that? I just cannot find the time, or make the time, as Neil would say. In fact, I am sitting down at the computer right now because the kids are all asleep, and Neil won't be home for another thirty minutes. The fact that I do not have time at night to blog says volumes about Neil's schedule. He is home a lot more than I expected, which is wonderful. Nine months into the year, I am beginning to feel healed from our last year in San Antonio and our year in North Carolina.

I sat at Panera the other day, reading a book and eating a so-so sandwich and a huge salad. I have never noticed this before, but eating a salad without a table is difficult to manage gracefully. While I attempted this, I watched the people around me. The Panera in Needham is constantly packed. Some people are business men and women having a working lunch. Others are retired couples enjoying an incredibly healthy meal (healthier than what I usually eat) and checking their receipts. Finally, there are stay at home moms with little kids, or without kids but holding a book or working on a laptop. I was struck by how people gathered at this restaurant on a cold, blustery day. (After this winter I understand the meaning of " blustery.") The thought crossed my mind that wouldn't it be great if I could sit at home, having the same comforting and relaxing experience?

I have decided that to make April, the month normally filled with stress and craziness on par with December, a month for me to be the angel of the house. Why shouldn't I look forward to lounging on my chaise (that has been nicknamed "Mommy Couch"), with a delicious meal and a good book? Maybe I have mentioned this before, but when I was eighteen and read The Awakening by Kate Chopin, I decided that I would be the "Angel of the House." I vowed that I would never be the unfulfilled mom who drowns herself because she cannot be happy with her beautiful children, etc. Unfortunately, I am not normally the angel of the house kind of girl. Luckily, I'm not the "other" mom either.

My goal for the month is to eat at home every meal that is not related to a birthday celebration. Since we are not in Texas, I will only have four meals off. If we were in Texas, I'd have off April 12, 14,15 22,25,29, and my bday, the 30th. If that were the case, I'd be eating carrots and Progresso soup every other day to make up for all the birthday celebrations.

Neil is home, so I'm off to hang out with him. I will post a menu next time.

Back to school

We went to Utah for a mini-vacation for Kristen's wedding last week. Kristen and Andy's wedding was beautiful, if not slightly wind-blown. It was great to see Neil's entire extended family: aunts and uncles and cousins from both sides. The kids and I spent a few days walking around Temple Square, went hiking with Neil and the cousins on Saturday, and then visiting This is the Place Monument on Monday. Zach thought we were in an island surrounded by rocks, not that we were in a valley.

Sunday and Monday night we stayed with friends from med school days: the Tew's. The kids had a great time playing with some of their oldest friends. Zach loved the time spent with so many boys who love trampolines and Bionicles as much as he does.

Syd and Ainsley enjoyed their first week of school. Syd was thrilled to get a cell phone, too. The downside to school starting is that I spend quite a bit of time just carpooling back and forth between school: we take Syd to school at 7:10, drive back home to get Zach dressed and fed, then take him and Ainsley to school at 8:15. In the afternoon, Audrey and I leave to pick Sydney up at 1:30. Once we have her, we drive over to pick up Zach and Ainsley, then get home by 3. During the day, Audrey and I have time to hit the gym, do some studying, cleaning and playing.

School cuts into Zach's playing time, so he's not particularly thrilled about it. He is lucky to have a friend from church in his class. On the first day of school, Zach was sad when I picked him up because he got in trouble. Apparently the teacher has a set of special chairs that the children can use during circle time, and these have made all the difference for Zach. I haven't seen the chair, but it seems like a camp chair that sits on the floor. He loves using this chair and was proud that he did not get in trouble any more this week. We have another three day week coming up, so that's great!

Yesterday I took the kids to hike around an area called Blue Hills. The kids were bored with the flat walk that we started out on, but loved the hike up the summit of the small mountain. I can't wait to take Neil back when the leaves start to change. For the first time in years, Neil has Labor Day off, so tomorrow we are headed to a Renaissance festival. With a high of 79F, it should be a great day. Even better when you compare it to Renaissance festival weather in TX: hot and humid.

Hurricane Earl was supposed to hit Friday evening or Saturday, so we threw a hurricane party with some of our new friends. The weather has been beautiful since the "storm" blew through. It has rained enough for our grass to turn greener than when we got here. Green grass in August is such a novelty for us.