An elephant, a monkey and an armadillo - oops, I mean quesadilla

So, I’ve had a pretty stellar weekend.  We went to the Renaissance Faire (my first ever!), we ate fair food, saw great things, saw weird things, rode an elephant (yes, we really did and I have pictures to prove it!), watched a jousting match and got a sunburn - woo.  Then, after we got home, we had Brandtinis and Old-Fashioneds on the back patio – um, no, Things 1 and 2 did not share that good time with us, they’re totally underage and I don’t want to go to jail!  What’s a Brandtini, you ask?  Well, it’s a really yummy take on a martini with brandy, gin and vermouth.  Quite delicious and so much fun to drink out of my new martini glasses!

Today, I enjoyed my coffee on the back patio, watched some golfers make some really bad shots (yes, I giggled, I’m sorry, I know it was wrong) and then put up some shelves, did some laundry and got some good stuff accomplished around the house.  After all that bad but good stuff we ate, I was kinda craving vegetables and good for you good stuff.  So, I decided to make Farmers’ Market Quesadillas (Cooking Light, August 2004) and a salad for dinner.  And, as a bonus – yes, BONUS! – I decided to make dessert too!  Well, after a dinner of good for us stuff, it seemed only right to reward our healthy eating. J  And, besides, it’s a Cooking Light recipe too – Funky Monkey Parfaits.  Don’t those sound fun – can you see why I was drawn to them?! 

Okay, the quesadillas were pretty easy to make and they turned out to be quite tasty!  They are my new favorite quesadilla!  And, I think the filling minus the cheeses would go quite nicely with a grilled sausage – YUM!  But I digress, back to the quesadillas.  Something you should know is that I do not eat mushrooms.  Not at all.  Yuck.  Ick.  Gross.  Now, I can eat food that has mushrooms in it or on it, I just don’t eat the mushrooms.  I’m not such a non-fan of mushrooms that they can’t be anywhere near what I’m eating – that belongs to the egg for me.   That’s a whole different story.  Anyway, you can order a pizza with mushrooms on it and that would be just fine by me.  I will dissect the pizza to ensure that a mushroom never enters my mouth but hey, I’m adaptable and perfectly fine with picking mushrooms out or off any food I may be eating.  Needless to say, I did not use mushrooms in this recipe.  I substituted an orange pepper and grilled it along with the red pepper and the poblano.  Please note, these peppers will still be very hot after sitting in the Ziploc bag for 15 minutes so be prepared for an “ouch!” when you go to peel them – yes, you have to peel them, don’t be afraid, it’s not too difficult, I promise, the skin comes right off.  The rest was pretty easy – sauté veggies, assemble quesadillas and cook.  YUM!  I would recommend, if you are cooking for a large group (this recipe serves 12), use a griddle or two to make quick work of the final cooking step to get them to the table still warm.  We didn't do that but we did turn the oven on low (200 degrees) and stashed the completed ones in there while the others were cooking.  They came out just fine – and warm - so you can do this if you don’t have a griddle or just don’t believe me. J

Now, let’s talk Funky Monkey Parfait.  Let me just say this – Oh. My. Goodness!  These were SO good!!!  The chocolate custard was thick and rich, the bananas were perfect and well, the peanut butter part came from Nutter Butter cookies and as far as I’m concerned, any dessert that involves Nutter Butters is off to a pretty great start.  To coin a phrase – YUM-O! (thanks Rachel Ray!)  I love the Funky Monkey Parfait and I’m not ashamed to say it.  Let’s all say it together – FUNKY MONKEY!!  Yay!

Fine, so I don’t have parfait glasses – don’t ask me why, I don’t know.  In fact, I just got ramekins yesterday.  How could I love to cook and not have ramekins?!  I know, it’s ridiculous.  Anyway, don’t judge me about the parfait glasses – I used my new martini glasses! J  Delicious and so cute too!  Enjoy!

Here are the recipes.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Farmers’ Market Quesadillas

1 to 2 poblano chiles

1 large red bell pepper

Cooking spray

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups chopped yellow squash

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1.  Preheat broiler or grill.

2.  Place poblano and bell pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 10 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally. OR place peppers directly on grill and grill until blackened.  Place poblano and bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Peel poblano and bell pepper; discard seeds and membranes.  Cut peeled peppers into thin strips.

3.  Heat a large nonstick skilled over medium-high heat.  Coat with cooking spray.  Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until the onion is lightly browned.  Add squash and garlic; sauté 3 minutes.  Add pepper strips and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and moisture evaporates, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack and 1 tablespoon goat cheese over each of 4 tortillas; top each with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, and 1 ½ teaspoons cilantro over each vegetable-topped tortilla; top each with remaining tortillas.

5.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Place 1 quesadilla in pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp.  Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas.  Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.  Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 wedges).

Calories 140 (34% from fat); Fat 5.3g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g); Protein 6g; Carb 17.9g; Fiber 1.5g; Cholesterol 12mg; Iron 1.2mg, Sodium 360mg; Calcium 132mg

Funky Monkey Parfaits

6 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup Dutch process cocoa

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash of salt

1 ½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter sandwich cookie crumbs (such as Nutter Butter; about 8 cookies, crumbled)

3 cups sliced banana

1.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a 2-quart glass measure; stir well.  Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk.  Microwave at HIGH for 2 ½ minutes, stirring occasionally.  Microwave at MEDIUM-HIGH (70% power) for 2 ½ minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.  Stir in vanilla.  Cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap; chill.

2.  Spoon 1 tablespoon cookie crumbs into each of 8 (8-ounce) glasses; top each with 3 tablespoons bananas and 1 ½ tablespoons chocolate mixture.  Repeat layers once, ending with chocolate mixture.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 parfait).

Calories 191 (21% from fat); Fat 4.5g (sat 1.4g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.6g); Protein 4g; Carb 37.7g; Fiber 1.9g; Cholesterol 5mg; Iron 0.9mg; Sodium 127mg; Calcium 53mg

Thoughts on minestrone

One thing you’ll discover about me is that I like stews, soups and chilis – things that simmer on the stove or cook slowly in the oven and make my house smell great.  It has to come from when I was a kid and would come home to great smells and know right away what was for dinner.  I make some of those dishes today and get the same reaction from my kids.  Ha!  Like I’d give you THOSE recipes.  J  Okay, fine, just hold your horses – I’ll get to ‘em.  Anyway, I think houses smell more like homes when they smell good and food can definitely make a place smell good!  While perusing my still-growing new homemade cookbook, I came across a recipe for a minestrone bowl (Cooking Light, year unknown).  Now, I love me some vegetables!  I could be a vegetarian….except for the fact that I like steak and chicken and pork entirely too much to let them go so I would totally lose my vegetarian card in a New York minute.  Anyway, I really do love vegetables and vegetable soups and I’ve made some pretty good minestrone before.  This recipe intrigued me because it wasn’t a soup – it was a “bowl”.  Kinda like what you might find at a food cart in China or Japan or something.  Okay, honesty check here – I’ve never been to either of those places but that’s what it made me think of.  And, I think it’s like some items I’ve seen before on a Chinese or Japanese menu.  Just go with it.

The minestrone bowl itself is pretty straightforward – you’ll likely have the ingredients on hand and, if not, there’s probably not too much you’ll have to buy.  It calls for cannellini beans, which are white kidney beans.  If you can’t find those – and not all grocery stores carry them – you can substitute any other white bean like Navy or Great Northern and they will work just fine.  It also calls for linguine but I think that’s pretty negotiable too.  Now, I’m not sure how well a penne or a rigatoni would work (but who am I to judge? Go for it!) but spaghetti will definitely work here if you don’t have linguine or just plain don’t want to buy it.  The linguine is a flatter noodle so I guess it’s better for slurping but I’ve seen some spaghetti slurping masters in my day and besides, recipes are just guides, not gospel. J

I was so excited about this dish – I chopped up all my veggies and got everything all prepped.  I even had some bread that I threw on the grill to warm up so we could sop up all that brothy goodness.  I’m sure by my words that you can guess what happened next.  This bowl was SO BLAND!!!  And, it was WAY soupier than the picture in the magazine led me to believe it would be.  I was so disappointed in it and I really HATE to be disappointed with something I’ve cooked.  It makes me feel like I’ve failed in a way.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I know it wasn’t my fault but still.  I like what I cook to be good!  Who doesn’t?  I do need to add that I didn’t have the ham – totally forgot to buy it at the grocery store (don’t ask me why it didn’t get on my list – I have no explanation except “oops”. My husband suggested bacon and, while bacon does make everything better, I didn’t think it would add the right flavor to this dish.  Well, shame on me, bacon probably would have made this better.) but I’m not sure how much a difference the ham would have added since it was such a small amount.  If I decide to make this again, I’ll make sure to add the ham and I will definitely be adding some seasoning.  It struck me as odd that the recipe didn’t call for any seasoning until the end – it definitely needs to be seasoned throughout or at least when the veggies are sautéing.  Also, I would probably not use all water – I think I would try vegetable broth instead just to add some extra flavor.  Seriously, I cannot believe how bland this dish was.  So frustrating.

Here’s the recipe – proceed with knowledge.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes

2 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped lower-salt ham (about 8 ounces)

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

5 garlic cloves, chopped

6 cups water

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

3 ½ cups hot cooked linguine (about 7 ounces uncooked pasta)

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons (about 1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1.  Combine the sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes.  Drain through sieve into a bowl, reserving sun-dried tomatoes and soaking liquid.  Cut tomatoes into julienne strips.

2.  Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, ham, and next 4 ingredients (ham through garlic), and sauté 5 minutes.  Add reserved soaking liquid, 6 cups water, and diced tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.  Add zucchini and beans; cook 5 minutes. Stir in basil, salt and pepper.  Place pasta into each of 7 large bowls; top with broth mixture and cheese.  Yield: 7 servings (serving size: ½ cup pasta, 2 cups broth mixture, and 2 teaspoons cheese).

Calories 319 (21% from fat); Fat 7.4g (sat 2.1g, mono 3.3g, poly1.4g); Protein 17.1g; Carb 48.1g; Fiber 5.5g; Cholesterol 22mg; Iron 4mg; Sodium 822mg; Calcium 139mg.

A pack rat, some magazines and a winning recipe

I love cooking magazines.  And cookbooks.  And getting recipes off the internet.  I have quite the store of ancient cooking magazines because, well, it seems that I am somewhat of a pack rat.  I have folders stuffed with pieces of paper with recipes both handwritten and printed.  I have entire newspapers that I’ve saved just for one recipe in the Food section.  I have a problem.

Well, I tried a few years ago to go through the magazines and newspapers and clip/tear out only the recipes I wanted or would actually make.  It was a great idea and I made a great start.  Until the magazines started to multiply when I wasn’t looking and then, I didn’t do so hot.  Well, we’ve recently moved and before we moved, I did a HUGE job of going through our junk and purging the unnecessary nonsense.  Since I did that and I know it really isn’t as difficult as I would like it to think it is, I’ve gone back to my original idea with the magazine, newspaper and internet recipes and I’m creating my own “cookbook”.  I’ve got a huge 3-ring binder and divider tabs and document protector sheets and EVERYTHING!  And, to top it all off, I’ve actually started and gone through quite a few magazines!  Don’t get me wrong, I still have millions more to go through.  No, I’m not exaggerating – remember, I’m a pack rat.  The bonus of my recent work is – I have new recipes to try and they are now easily accessible!  Hooray!

So, my husband stopped at a farmer’s market yesterday and brought home some cornbread mix.  No, he didn’t just bring home cornbread mix – he actually brought home some really excellent looking fruit – but he was really excited about that cornbread mix.  (okay, I love cornbread but that Jiffy mix really is just not the best for you out of cornbread mixes and no, I’m not going to argue that it is supremely delicious.  I’ve been on a quest to find good, healthier versions and honestly, the Marie Callender brand is pretty awesome but, I haven’t seen it down here.  Boo.  The Martha Washington stuff?  Um, no.  Okay, back to the real story.)  Well, of course I want to make the cornbread for him and what goes best with cornbread?  Chili, of course!  So, that’s what’s for dinner!  And, since I’ve been going through those magazine recipes, I have 6 – count them, SIX! – new chili recipes to try.  And, we LOVE chili!

I took a vote amongst my chili-eaters and today’s winning recipe was Red Chicken Chili from a Cooking Light magazine (year unknown, sorry).  The descriptor stated “a big dose of chili powder makes this dish spicy – and the chicken red”.  Sounds delicious, right?  Well, it was but I certainly would not call this chili spicy.  I should also add that it was pretty warm today – ah, Florida in the winter – and this chili wasn’t even spicy enough to make eating it on a warm day uncomfortable.  In fact, it was pretty perfect for this temperature.  It’s definitely a keeper recipe (both Things 1 and 2 enjoyed it and you know how hard teenagers can be to please!) and, in the event that it’s cool/cold outside, I will probably add some red pepper flakes or use a spicier chili powder to give it some heat.  This chili was also easy because I had all the ingredients except the chicken.  It does require just about an hour of cooking time so plan accordingly but the only chopping needed was the chicken, onion and garlic.  Prep time was mostly opening, draining and measuring which makes this a good option for a meal after a long day at work.  And the cornbread from the farmer’s market?  Well…it was pretty good.  I made it in a cast iron skillet and may have overcooked it a touch.  There’s enough mix left for another batch so I will try again and go easier on the cooking time and see what happens.  Compared to today’s batch, Jiffy wins hands down.  Dear grocery stores in Florida, please get me the Marie Callender brand of cornbread, please!

Here’s the recipe for the chili:

Red Chicken Chili

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

¼ cup chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

¾ teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chicken stock

1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped

3 cups diced cooked chicken

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup low-fat sour cream

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion; sauté 5 minutes.   Add chili powder and next 4 ingredients (powder through garlic); sauté 30 seconds.  Add chicken stock, beans and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 30 minutes.  Stir in chicken; simmer 15 minutes.  Serve with cheese and sour cream, if desired.  Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup chili, 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon sour cream).

Calories 280 (30% from fat); Fat 9.2g (sat 3.3g, mono 3.3g, poly 1.6g); Protein 24.5g; Carb 26.6g; Fiber 5.4g; Chol 54mg; Iron 3.6mg; Sodium 743mg; Calc 150mg

Adobo-marinated Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

So, what was for dinner tonight?  How does adobo-marinated pork tenderloin with grilled pineapple salsa sound?  Well, to me, it sounded like a really LONG recipe but it was also intriguing so I went with it.  My family does tend to like all things grilled and I am in Florida so it’s definitely nice enough outside to grill.  Okay, seriously, I’ve grilled in 3 feet of snow so, if I want something grilled, then I have something grilled – shoveling just gets my metabolism worked up.  The recipe came from the September 1999 issue of Cooking Light.  Yes, I just got around to making it – don’t judge me. 

Ingredients in this recipe were pretty easy to come by except for the crystallized ginger – you will definitely need to find a health food store near you to get this.  I have not looked at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to see if they carry – okay, neither of those are within driving distance of me – but, if you have a health food store near you, they should definitely carry it.  Comes in a nifty plastic pouch not unlike what raisins come in.  (Side bar: after my travels to numerous stores to find this stuff, I completely forget to use it.  Seriously.  It goes in the salsa but it was just fine without it.  Maybe I’ll go mince it up and add it now.  That salsa was pretty doggone good and I don’t plan on letting it go to waste.  I see me using it on chicken or salmon or even with chips – it was delicious!)

The recipe itself was pretty simple.  The hardest part was all the chopping which was really only for the salsa.  Oh, and you have to juice A LOT of limes.  You could buy bottled lime juice and that would make your life much easier but, I’m a glutton for punishment AND I have kids who can help me roll and juice the limes, so I went the “fresh” route.  Grilling didn’t take too long – you grill the pineapple slices and the bell peppers and, of course, the pork tenderloin – and didn’t require excessive attention.  This is a bonus because I was free to do the chopping and prepare my other vegetables!

*Secrets on the best way to peel and core a pineapple – chop off the top and the bottom (this makes it flat and stable for peeling).  Use the knife to “peel” the pineapple – I usually cut from top to bottom trying to get off as much peel as possible without taking away all the pineapple.  Go back and pare out the “eyes” (really, what are those thingies called?) and then slice.  Core each slice with a knife or, better yet, an apple corer.  So easy!  Working the pineapple should only take a few minutes.

So, how did it turn out?  Well, actually, it was pretty good.  I think the recipe name is a bit misleading (adobo-marinated pork tenderloin) as there’s no adobo to be found in the marinade.  The pork was flavorful from the lime juice in the marinade but not overly limey or acidic and it didn’t flare up on the grill. (bonus – I didn’t have to rush out and rescue it with a squirt gun).  The salsa was DELICIOUS!  I used one large jalapeno instead of two and the salsa had heat but wasn’t overwhelming.  I will seriously make that salsa on a regular basis.  Husband and Thing 1 liked both pork and salsa.  Thing 2 liked the pork and then proceeded to judge the salsa based on the fact that she thought it had tomatoes in it (um, hello, no tomatoes!).  She tasted it after my husband basically shoved it down her throat and actually liked it but wouldn’t get any out of the bowl.  No, she’s not 4 – she’s 14.  Teenagers. 

Okay, here’s the recipe.  Happy cooking, eating and drinking!

Pork:

1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried cumin

1 ½ teaspoons salt

6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

Cooking spray

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

1. Combine first 6 ingredients n a 2-quart baking dish.  Trim fat from pork.  Place pork in dish, turning to coat; cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning pork occasionally.
2. Prepare grill.  (really, that’s what the recipe says.  I grilled over what I call medium-high – my gas grill showed the temp around 375 degrees.)
3. Remover pork from dish; discard marinade.  Brush with oil.  Insert a meat thermometer (if you want- I didn’t) into thickest portion of pork.  Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink).  *helpful hint – don’t spray a lit grill with cooking spray.  This will only have bad results and large flames.  Either spray before you light or buy non-aerosol grill spray.*  Cut into ¼-inch thick slices.  Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.  Serve with Grilled Pineapple salsa.  Yield: 8 servings

Grilled Pineapple salsa:

5 (1-inch) slices fresh pineapple (about 4 ½ pounds)

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

Cooking spray

½ cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons minced crystallized ginger

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced.

1. Preheat grill.
2. Place first 3 ingredients on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side. (I grilled a little longer to blacked the peppers a little more)  Discard stems and seeds from bell peppers; dice pineapple and bell peppers.  Combine pineapple, bell pepper, onion, and remaining ingredients; toss gently.

Serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/3 cup salsa

(totals include salsa) Calories: 194; Fat 5.6mg; Protein 25.5g; Carb 10.5g; Fiber 1.5g; Chol 79mg; Iron 2.8mg, Sodium 306mg, Calcium 42mg

Gentlemen (and ladies), fire your ovens!

Hi there.  Welcome to my blog, The Connoisseur Chronicles.  What’s the point, you ask?  Well, I like, among other things, food and wine.  Not only do I like cooking but I really like trying new recipes and subjecting my family to the unknown.  It’s unfair, I know, to spring new tastes on them at my whim but it’s fun for me and hey, everyone should try new things at least once a week!  Anyway, that’s what my blog is going to focus on – the new recipes I try, where they’re from and how it went.  By the way, I’m a runner and a slight health nut, so the majority of what I try is going to at least be a little on the healthy side.  I may “slip” every now and then and make some deep fat fried chicken or a full fat chocolate cake – YUM! – but most everything will be close enough to consider as good for you.  Of course, you don’t have to share that with whomever YOU cook for.  It’ll be our little secret. J

I’m not a chef by any stretch – I don’t create my own concoctions.  I do, however, change up a recipe at times and I’ve found that sometimes that is necessary.  I get my recipes from “professionals” but they can be like me – not perfect (amazing, I know!) – and sometimes, things just don’t work out right.  So, I will try recipes on my guinea pigs, um, I mean, husband and kids and will let you know how they turned out.  I’ll even post photos of the finished products and give you the recipes!  Woohoo! 

Hey wait, I said I like wine too.  It’s true, I do….A LOT!  Not only do I like wine, I like learning about wine and one day, when I grow up, would like to be a sommelier.  Okay, the reality is that I’m never going to be a sommelier but it’s fun to think I might.  I even daydream about going to UC Davis and getting my degree in Oenology and Viticulture (the study of grapes and how to make them taste yummy!).  Anyway, I’ll let you know about the bottles I try – what I thought, what I paired it with, etc.  Since I’m shopping at normal liquor stores, these options should be widely available.  I’m new to the area I’m in now – small town, Florida, USA – but I haven’t located any boutique wine shops yet so the likelihood that you won’t be able to find the same is low.

Anywho, I hope you find my blog informative and I inspire you to try new recipes and new vintages!  If you do, I would love to hear about it!  And, if you mix it up, let me know and I’ll try your changes too! 

Happy cooking, eating and drinking!