Busy Lives Ahead. Expect Delays.

Suz and I have so much going on these days. Trying to keep this thing going with Easter this last weekend and Mother's Day right around the corner and countless other work and social activities. We have several things coming up for both of us in the next few weeks so know that we are very busy but going strong.

Please email us or send us links to recipes you are too afraid to try. Don't worry we don't mind being the guinea pigs.

This week we got together at my (April's) house. I made a lovely turkey potpie with phyllo dough on top... well it wasn't turkey because my husband couldn't find the right turkey he brought home lunch meat. So I used chicken breasts instead. It was also not as creamy as it was supposed to be. I asked him for half n half and he brought home vanilla flavored coffee creamer.... So after all that I would say it was fabulous! Suz made some bread sticks and a salad, but by far the best part was the sangria sorbet. (Susan and Roger... a must have for your family)

Golden Phyllo- Topped Turkey Potpie

From Weight Watcher's Hit the Spot


Not Turkey But Chicken Potpie



1 8oz package white cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 pound deli roast turkey breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I did the same but just with chicken)

 1 16oz package of frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 16 oz package of lima beans, thawed

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tsp dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fat-free half and half
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
4 (12 X 17) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (by the way my package said at least 2 hours to thaw)

Phyllo dough at golden brown.

1. Preheat the oven to 350



2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the turkey, corn, and lima beans. Sprinkle the flour, dry mustard, and thyme over the mushroom mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the broth, half and half, dijon mustard, pepper, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the turkey mixture to a 2 quart baking dish. Lightly spray 1 sheet of phyllo with nonstick spray and crumple into a very loose ball; place on top of the filling. Repeat with the remaining phyllo to cover the filling. Bake until the phyllo is golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.

April: First let me say... chicken went fine. My step two sucked since my husband was running out to the store mid cooking to find half n half. Then my phyllo dough was crumpled and broken after thawing. In the end my main this I will say is 1 teaspoon of pepper sounds like too much and IT IS! It wasn't creamy enough for me in the center but I will say that was husband error. Otherwise I will add I did my prep work the night before. Chicken was thawed overnight and cut in the early am. Lima beans and corn thawed overnight in the fridge. I sliced the mushrooms and set them in the fridge overnight. Then I even measured out the spices. My business doesn't close until 6 so if I don't to prep work I run around like a mad woman with kids still under my feet.

Suz: Loved the phyllo - if April hadn't told me that it had crumbled, I wouldn't have known.  I agree, needed more sauce/creaminess and less pepper.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Rachael Ray - 30 Minute Meals

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

splash of red wine vinegar

splash of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine in a bowl. Set aside for about 20 minutes to give flavors time to meld.  Eat!

April:  I really liked it but you need a mint afterwards or you may kill someone.

Suz: You don't have to eat so many red onions, April! I loved it - the red wine vinegar gave the cukes a pickley feel.  Yum.

Bread Sticks

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
1-2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4-1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil

cooking spray

Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.  Preheat oven according to package directions (i.e. I don't remember what temperature).  Roll open pizza dough and slice into thin strips - about 1" each and cut in half.  Place on the cookie sheets, leaving room for a little growth.  Brush dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with thyme and cheese.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.  Bake according to package - about 10-12 minutes.  Serve hot.  Makes a lot, but don't worry, you'll probably eat them all!

April: The only problem with these breadsticks is you can't stop eating them.

Suz: ditto what April said.

Sangria Sorbet

from Weight Watcher's Hit the Spot

\

1 (750ml) bottle white zinfandel or white merlot wine (in fine print it says you can use a fruity and light red wine such as beaujolais)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 12oz bag frozen mixed berries (we used only strawberries and blueberries)

1 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup seedless grapes, halved in large.

1. Combine the wine and sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; boil 1 minute. Stir in the frozen berries. Remove the saucepan from the heat; let it stand for 30 minutes.

2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the berries to a blender and puree. Set a sieve over the saucepan. Pour the puree through the sieve; discard the seeds. Stir in the orange juice, lime juice and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a shallow 2 quart baking dish. Tightly cover the dish with foil and freeze overnight. Place the grapes on a plate. Tightly wrap in foil and freeze overnight.

3. Cut the sorbet into 1 inch chunks. Put half the chunks in a food processor (my blender worked just fine) and process until creamy but still frozen. Spoon into a freezer container; repeat with the remaining sorbet. Freeze, covered, until hard, at least 2 hours but up to 1 day.

4. Let the sorbet soften slightly, then scoop evenly into dessert dishes and garnish with frozen grapes. Serve at once.

April: Although this seems like a process, which it is, but since it's broken over multiple hours it feels very easy. This recipe is WELL worth all of your time and effort. Has to be one of the best recipes we have had. I promise it is not disappointing.

Suz: May need to become our signature "drink" of the summer... I was in charge of garnishing the grapes, and I totally suck at it, which was why John's sorbet looked like a weird muppet.  I didn't eat a whole serving because I was driving, but I could have easily had several...

Company-Worthy Dinner

In the past few weeks, I've become obsessed with mashed potatoes.  I suppose it's just another one of my phases (watermelon, zucchini, strawberry salad to name a few) and I'm hoping I'll get over it soon.  Either way, I have been coming up with recipes that are a vehicle for my mashed potatoes... Wednesday night was no exception.  April and her sister Megan came over for dinner at my new place.  I haven't quite figured out what the best layout is going to be for the kitchen - there isn't a whole lot of counter space - so we were kind of tripping over each other for a while.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2011

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.

3. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove pan from heat; add butter and thyme, stirring until butter melts. Serve with chicken.


Suz: I got a jar of pre-chopped shallots (like the minced garlic) at Food Lion - they didn't have any other shallots.  This was perfect, and cut down on prep time.  I used chicken tenders instead of breasts and I forgot to add the butter at the end.  This chicken was awesome - I made it again for my family over Easter weekend.  Delicious and easy - a good recipe to keep in your arsenal, ready in less than 30 minutes!  And guess what?  I ate the mushrooms - they were good!

April: This was so good. I love mushrooms, but I think even mushroom haters could appreciate the delicious taste to the sauce.





The food mill at work.



Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I made the Steam and Mash potatoes again, and this time stirred in some pureed fresh garlic and a little bit of parmesan cheese and a lot of pepper. I used the handy-dandy food mill that my mom gave me to make them super-creamy!

Suz: Obviously, I loved them. So good.

April: They were quite tasty and a great combo to have with the chicken!



Parsnip-Asparagus Au Gratin

Taste of Home.com

10 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter, divided
2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine the parsnips, salt and pepper. In a microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Drizzle over parsnips; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Combine asparagus and melted butter; add to parsnips. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

In a large saucepan, saute onions in remaining butter until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir until lightly toasted. Stir in cheese. Transfer parsnip mixture to a serving platter; sprinkle with crumb mixture. Yield: 16 servings.

April: I'm still in love with asparagus and parsnips, but I'm not a fan of the topping.
Suz: I love asparagus, but the breadcrumb topping was strange; might have been better with the french fried onions. The parsnips were ok, but were different than the time we had them and liked them so much.  I wouldn't repeat this recipe.

Angel Food Cake RollTaste of Home

1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix

5 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt
1 package (1 ounce) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
3 drops red food coloring, optional
2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Prepare cake according to package directions.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up jelly-roll style in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, pudding mix and food coloring if desired. Fold in whipped topping.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up. Cover and freeze. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before slicing. Yield: 10 servings.

April: I really enjoyed this recipe. I enjoyed making it and serving it. My kids here at the daycare loved the left overs as well.

Suz: Yum! Kid friendly, grown up friendly, and so good!

Tortoise and the Hare

We're back - better late than never! It's been crazy trying to figure out Suzanne's new schedule and juggling our other multiple commitments.  But we got to hang out on Monday night and it was good to get back into a semblance of our routine.

We decided to go with a menu that would be a good (healthful) alternative to the traditional Easter menu.  Suzanne is generally weary of pork tenderloin, but we decided to try it anyway.  We were able to pick up the piece of meat, which was nearly 2 pounds, for $5 on sale at Kroger.  We took a shortcut and got the Ore Ida Steam and Mash potatoes - they cook in the microwave in 11 minutes, and then you mash them up with milk and butter.  If you want to lighten them up a little more, you can change the milk for chicken broth (as long as you don't have any vegetarians at the table).  Instead of a creamy veggie casserole, April found a great roasted veg recipe that doesn't use any oil.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin
from http://www.weightwatchers.com/

1 spray(s) cooking spray

2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme

2 tsp dried oregano, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp olive oil

2 pounds lean pork tenderloin

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Combine thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

Rub oil all over pork. Sprinkle thyme mixture all over pork and transfer to prepared pan.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork reads 160ºF, about 30 minutes.

Let roast stand 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into thin slices. Serves 8 with a PointsPlus value of 3 each.

Suz: I loved it.  This was so easy and it cooked in 30 minutes.  The pork was flavorful, moist and the pepper gave it the right amount of zip.  If serving this for small children, you might want to cut the pepper back to 1/2 teaspoon.  I will be making this for Easter!

April: I like the flavor a lot. The seasoning was a nice touch without being too spicy or dry. So easy to make.... it will be done again.

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

1 bag Ore Ida Steam and Mash Potatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the potatoes according to package directions. Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Suz: I love these - so easy.  The potatoes also come in sweet potatoes and red potatoes.  Thanks to my Mom for the tip! )

April: I must say my son hates potatoes but he ate these and even asked for more. I remember his first Thanksgiving I thought I would sneak and give him some mashed potatoes. He hated them and has never liked them, Nor soup or anything other than a french fry. I am totally shocked at home he gobbled them up. I like them too and so did my daughter. So these are a must have around here.




Baby Carrots 'n' Broccoli
From http://www.tasteofhome.com/
This was in the lowfat recipe section.

1-1/2 cups fresh baby carrots
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Nature's seasoning blend
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil; add carrots. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes; drain and pat dry.

In an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan, combine the carrots with remaining ingredients. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 7-9 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once. Yield: 4 servings.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Morton's Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend.

Suz: I didn't know that April had pre-boiled the carrots - I was amazed that they were cooked after only 9 minutes!  Love broccoli, carrots weren't too bad (considering I don't like carrots).  Yum - loved that the flavors carried through the pork and into the broccoli and carrots - just a little spice, but not too much!

April: This was so easy to make. I heart easy cooking. I cut up the broccoli and measured out the carrots during nap today. Then whipped it up while I straightened the house. So easy. I thought the broccoli was going to be dry but it was perfect. My son ate these as well. He didn't like the carrots because of the seasoning and yet ate the broccoli.

**We couldn't find Mortons Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend. Instead we used a McCormick Pinch seasoning.

Banana Split Dessert Recipe
from http://www.tasteofhome.com/
This was in recipe section for low fat and or diabetic recipes.

2 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers)
5 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine, melted
1 can (12 ounces) cold reduced-fat evaporated milk
3/4 cup cold fat-free milk
2 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 medium firm bananas,sliced
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
5 maraschino cherries, quartered
Combine cracker crumbs and margarine; press into a 13-in. x 9-in. dish coated with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the evaporated milk, fat-free milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.

Spread pudding evenly over crust. Layer with the bananas, pineapple and whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with cherries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting. Yield: 15 servings.

April: I thought this would be a great after school project. The babies were playing on the floor and I had this all ready and set out for my after school kids... Well one didn't come and then my son decided he would rather play trains so instead I ended up entertaining a six month old instead... This was so super easy to make. The only way I can describe how easy it was is to say there were four babies in the room while I got this ready and made it. Took me less than 15 minutes after prep time.

I really enjoyed the taste of it. I think it had a bit too much of a pudding without the crunch feeling to it. So I might want to add vanilla wafters to it or more graham crackers to give it more of a crunch. The chocolate is really what gave it the banana split feeling. It otherwise seemed like a banana pudding with a special kick to it provided by the pineapple.

Suz: Loved it. The bananas and the pineapple were perfect, and the chocolate sauce added the right touch of sweetness. It would also be good with chocolate shaved on top, if you don't have any chocolate syrup on hand. I agree with April, I think it could have used a little bit more graham cracker crumb goodness.