Category Archives: Recipes

Eggnog French Toast

14 Wednesday Nov 2012

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When Steve and I were dating I made Eggnog French Toast and a frittata on Christmas morning. No, I wasn’t feeding an army. I was just dying to seduce impress Steve with my culinary prowess. Never mind that we ate this and the frittata for an entire week, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was so bummed that we eventually ate it all. Here’s how you do it:

1-lb loaf French bread
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups eggnog
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
8 eggs
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cut the French bread into 1/2 inch thick slices and spread cream cheese on 1/2 of the slices and place a sliced bread on top of each (like you’re making sandwiches). Place the “sandwiches” in the baking dish, arranging them so you can fit in as many as possible into the baking dish. Combine eggnog and eggs in bowl and beat until well blended.  Make sure the melted butter has been cooled enough and add to the eggnog/egg mixture (if you add the melted butter while still hot it will start to “scramble” your eggs).  Pour mixture over the bread in the baking dish. Take a spatula and gently press the bread into the dish so that the mixture can cover the top of all of the bread. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 8 hours. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

Cut into squares and serve with maple syrup.

Did my plot to impress work? Does eggnog have a gazillion calories and fat in it? You betcha.

And it has been all worth it!

The art of juicing and then screwing it up later.

10 Thursday May 2012

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A quick post about juicing.

Yes, we got a juicer. Steve bought it for me for our wedding anniversary last month.

Breville Juicer

So far, this is my favorite drink.

Green drink

Kale, cucumber, green apple, celery and ginger. Steve makes it for me in the morning before work and when I come downstairs it smells like he’s mowed the lawn in the kitchen. (I love that smell.)

And this is my second-favorite drink (a close runner up):

Carrot, orange and ginger (with 1/2 lemon).

Am I healthier? I’m ashamed to say, “not really.” Somehow I’ve got to quit the habit of buying Pop Tarts from the vending machine at work around 2:00.

I kind of feel like those people I’ve seen smoking outside the gym after a workout. I’m just like them.

Oh, for Pete’s sake. (sigh)

Sherry and Mushroom Chicken Scaloppine

29 Sunday Jan 2012

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Sherry and Mushroom Chicken Scaloppine

As I’m writing this post my mouth is watering. This dish for the elitist in you was found from the pages of Sunset magazine and is perfect for this time of year and my husband devoured it when I made it.  The sauce is like putting on exquisite jewelry with the little black dress you’ve been bored with. Voila! A new you!

Same here with this chicken. Just when you were tiring of the same ol’ same ol’ this lovely girl will change your mind and make you wish you could eat this every day.  But don’t do it. Save it for Sunday dinners or special occasions. Sure she’s easy to make, but she’s not one of those loose girls you gossiped about in high school. She’s really more high brow than that and she’s just been misunderstood all this time.

Or that’s what she wants you to think. (wink)

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 20 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

Basic chicken scaloppine (you can find it here)

2 tsp. olive oil

6 oz. portobello mushrooms or similar

2 Tbs. minced shallots

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth (I use no-added-sodium chicken broth)

2 Tbs. whipping cream

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Keep basic chicken scaloppine warm in a 200-degree oven.
  2. Add olive oil, mushrooms, shallots, and thyme to pan used to cook chicken (don’t wash the pan) and stir often over high heat until mushrooms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over chicken.
  3. Add sherry, chicken broth, and cream to pain; stir until mixture is boiling. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduced, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 349 calories; 28% (99 cal) from fat; 39 G protein, 11 G fat (2.8 G sat); 16 G carbs (1.1 G fiber); 105 MG sodium; 91 MG cholesterol

Lemon caper chicken scaloppine

03 Saturday Dec 2011

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I seem to be all about chicken recipes lately. I’m trying to find meals I can cook that are low in sodium that are also tasty. Hard to do, I’m finding. Here’s another favorite of mine: Lemon caper chick scaloppine. (And do try to find broccolini. It’s wonderful! That’s what you see nestled next to the lemon caper chicken scaloppine below.)

Lemon caper chicken scaloppine

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 20 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

Basic chicken scaloppine recipe

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I use Swansons No Salt Added broth)

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS capers

Salt and pepper if you desire

1. Keep basic chicken scaloppine warm in a 200-degree oven

2. Add olive oil and garlic to pain used to cook chicken (don’t wash) and stir over high heat until garlic is slightly limp about 15 seconds.

3. Add chicken broth, lemon peel, lemon juice and capers to pan, stir until mixture is boiling. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduced.

4. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

PER SERVING: 272 cal, 36 g protein, 7.5 g fat (1.2 g sat fat), 13 g carb, 0.5 g fiber, 106 mg sodium, 82 g chol.

Orange-olive chicken scaloppine

13 Sunday Nov 2011

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This was my first-ever chicken scaloppine. This recipe is from the Sunset magazine “Secrets from Our Test Kitchen” supplement that came to me when I subscribed to Sunset  magazine.  Totally worth the price of subscription.

Orange-olive chicken scaloppine

Steve and I totally loved this!  It’s easy peasy to make and I love that the sodium is so low, yet it’s so flavorful.

PREP AND COOK TIME About 20 minutes

MAKES 4 servings

Basic chicken scaloppine (See directions below in post just previous to this one)

2 tsp. olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth (I use no salt added Swanson’s broth)

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 tsp. grated orange peel

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

  1. Keep basic chicken scaloppine warm in a 200-degree oven.
  2. Add 1 tsp. olive oil and the its to pan used to cook chicken (don’t wash) and stir over medium heat until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and scoop out nuts with a slotted spoon, set aside.
  3. Set pan over medium-high heat; add remaining 1 tsp oil and the shallots, and stir until shallots are limp, about 2 minutes
  4. Add chicken broth, orange peel, orange juice, and olives; stir until mixture is boiling.
  5. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduce, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
  6. Spon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with nuts and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
PER SERVING
390 calories, 395 (153 cal) from fat; 38 grams protein, 17 grams fat (2.2 grams saturated); 23 grams carbs; 1.3 grams fiber; 257 MG sodium; 82 MG cholesterol

Basic chicken scaloppine

13 Sunday Nov 2011

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If you master this you can make chicken scaloppine recipes until the cows…er, chickens…come home.

STEP 1 Rinse 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; pat dry. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper (I actually skip this step since I’m on a ridiculously low-sodium diet). Place halves between sheets of plastic wrap, with a mallet or rolling pin, gently pound chicken to an even 1/4 in. thick. Peel off wrap.

STEP 2 Put about 1/2 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow container. Turn each piece of chicken in flour to coat lightly.

STEP 3 Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat; when hot, ad 2 tsp olive oil. Lay 2 pieces of chicken in pan; cook, turning once, until no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter or plates and keep warm in a 200-degree oven. Repeat to cook remaining chicken in 2 more tsp. oil.