LFD, Shrimp fajitas, spicy black beans, rice. 1/31/21

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Beebamom

Shrimp fajitas, spicy black beans, rice

What a filling and tasty dinner made mostly from bits and pieces left over in the fridge from this week’s menu.  I used this recipe from healthyfitnessmeals.com. Changes we made to the recipe were lime juice in the shrimp/veg mixture, less cayenne, no black pepper (because I don’t like black pepper), more salt, added cabbage, and just olive oil spray instead of glugs of olive oil. Once you have everything cut up, the cooking goes quickly. We served the shrimp and veg over corn tortillas we warmed up in the oven.

As an accompaniment I made some spicy black beans which consisted of a drained and rinsed can of black beans, some salt, half of a can of petite diced tomatoes with chiles, cumin, and Mexican oregano. We also ate some leftover white rice.

How does this fit in with Leftovers For Dinner? (LFD) The leftovers were from a partially used head of cabbage, the remnants of a container of salsa, rice from dinners earlier this week, and the ends of a poblano and red bell pepper. This dinner was not what I had planned, but for Saturdays I look in the refrigerator for what needs to be eaten and create a dinner from what I see.

Posted in Easy, Healthy tips, Kitchen tips, leftovers, Legumes, Mexican, pescatarian, Recipes, rice, Shellfish, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Chicken, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts. 1/29/21

Posted on January 29, 2021 by Beebamom
Sous vide chicken breast, mashed potato, sautéed Brussels sprouts

On Friday we were supposed to have shrimp tacos but I needed something cozy, warming, and familiar. I suggested a rendition of Classic Chicken and John was totally on board. He set the sous vide for 159F and it was so nice to have the chicken wait on us to finish the rest of the meal instead of trying to get everything done at the same time.

I cooked up one russet potato for the mashed potatoes which was plenty for the two of us. I also made my Incredibly Yummy Brussels Sprouts. My kids named the sprouts that and usually just say IYBS when asking for that particular vegetable. If your kids call it “incredibly yummy” you know you have come up with a stellar way of cooking. The secret is dry sherry and a little sugar to help the sprouts brown.

John finished off by making a gravy from the chicken jus in side the sous vide bag and a packet of chicken gravy mix. It was a stellar dinner! (especially the Brussels sprouts)

Posted in American, Kitchen tips, Poultry, sous vide, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Pasta puttanesca with mushrooms. 1/28/21

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Beebamom

Pasta puttanesca with mushrooms

This recipe which I have included below is not quite authentic. I have added mushrooms to it to make it hardier and decreased the amount of oil due to our dietary restrictions. When John and I were actively losing weight we used to make only 5 oz. of pasta but since we are maintaining now, we have edged our portion up to 3 oz. each. Additionally, we break our long strands in half before we cook them. On TV chefs are aghast at this culinary no-no but I think it makes your portion seem bigger and the pasta fits in the pot better.

We love pasta!

Pasta Puttanesca with mushrooms. Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman

Serves 2

Salt to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
¼ large onion, chopped
Salt (use lightly because olives and capers are salty)
2 or more cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon fish sauce* (optional)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with or without jalapeños
¼ cup sliced olives
2 tablespoons capers
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (do not use if tomatoes have jalapeños)
6 oz. linguine or other long pasta
Chopped fresh parsley, oregano, marjoram or basil leaves for garnish, optional

1. Bring pot of salted water to boil while making the sauce. Put 2 teaspoons oil in high sided skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms. When mushrooms are starting to brown, add onions. Season lightly with salt. When onions are translucent, add garlic to skillet. When garlic is fragrant (about one minute) move to next step.

2. Add tomatoes and fish sauce*, if using. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, capers and red pepper flakes if you are not using spicy tomatoes. Simmer while pasta cooks.

3. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and toss in with sauce which is still over heat. Stir in pasta water a little at a time until you get the consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, garnish with herbs, and serve.

*Note: For vegan/vegetarian preparation use a little soy sauce or instant coffee in place of the fish sauce

Posted in Easy, Healthy tips, Italian, Kitchen tips, Pasta, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | 3 Comments

Tofu and vegetable stir-fry. 1/27/21

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Beebamom

Tofu and vegetable stir-fry

This dinner was a glorious celebration of vegetables and also a very good way to use up bits and pieces of vegetables left in your refrigerator. Except for the fact that we used fish sauce in our marinade, this is a vegan/vegetarian dinner. Marinate in soy sauce instead of a combo of fish sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil and you will be dining vegan.

John and I, working together, got the dinner made quickly. I was at my chopping board cutting up the vegetables in the order that they were going into the pan and John was doing the stir-frying. We started with the mushrooms and ended up with the edamame and tofu squares that John had marinated earlier in the day. He also made some rice while I was out with our daughter for our weekly drive-thru lunch.

We made a lot! Now we have leftovers for lunch. Or maybe I should say we have planned-overs. Making extra portions is an excellent way to manage food preparation time and lunch variety.

Posted in American, Chinese, Easy, Kitchen tips, rice, Thai, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tuna casserole. 1/26/21

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Beebamom

When I was planning the menu for the week, I was thinking about foods which I would enjoy during a chilly, wet week. I thought fondly of a casserole that I used to make in the early days of our marriage which consisted of canned tuna, some vegetables, cream of mushroom soup, and corn muffins. Obviously we are not going to make this dish with cream of mushroom soup and corn muffins due to dietary constraints. So how to do this?

We came up with a solution of incorporating more vegetables (poblano chile, red bell pepper, corn, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms) that we would sauté first and then add the canned tuna to that mixture. To hold everything more or less together we decided on a packet of mushroom gravy and added less water to it. We also figured that incorporating an egg into it would help the cohesion. Then we baked it for about 20 minutes at 350F.

It came out pretty salty since I had salted the vegetables when I was cooking them and the gravy mix already has a lot of salt in it. Also the brown custard-y sauce is not very appealing to look at. Except for the saltiness, though, it was definitely edible.

Tuna casserole

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Kitchen tips, pescatarian, Vegetables | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, broccoli. 1/25/21

Posted on January 25, 2021 by Beebamom

Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, broccoli

To create our Marsala sauce I sautéed some mushrooms and John combined an ounce or two of Marsala with our leftover chicken gravy from last week. After adding the mushrooms and adjusting for seasoning, our sauce was ready.

John sautéed the chicken pieces in a pan with some olive oil spray. He cooked the chicken perfectly but I found it bitter and weirdly spicy from the pepper on it. John finds peppered food delicious and I find it obliterates the taste of the piece of food you are seasoning especially if used during the cooking process. He used a seasoning blend on the chicken that had pepper in it so I thought it was difficult to taste the chicken or the sauce. We are both grumpy about this. No doubt our long running argument over pepper will continue.

That aside the sauce was lovely on the mashed potatoes where I could actually taste it. I made two stalks of broccoli (a lot!) because it was getting old. No matter how much I make though, it always gets eaten. We are getting a new order from the grocery store today with more broccoli in it. We are planning on using it on Tuesday for our tuna casserole.

Posted in American, French, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged , | Leave a comment

BFD. Vegetarian fried rice. 1/24/21

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Beebamom

This Sunday’s Breakfast For Dinner (BFD) seems a little less breakfast-y than usual. But it is basically just a sliced up omelet, some vegetables, and a little rice which is mostly all breakfast components.

Fried rice with egg and vegetables

I made my omelet first and then took it out of the pan and tossed in scallions, broccoli, celery, carrots, and cabbage. I cooked them in a little oil and sauce soy. Then I added the rice. I don’t really like crispy rice so I just broke the rice up and warmed it through. Lastly I added the cut up omelet and topped everything with a squirt of sriracha. Because my BFD had a lot of vegetables it was much more filling than just an egg and toast!

Posted in Chinese, Easy, Eggs, Kitchen tips, rice, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | Leave a comment

Weekly Menu. January 25 – January 31, 2021

Posted on January 24, 2021 by Beebamom

Here we are at the end of January, a month that both crawled and sped by like so many months since COVID-19. This week has 3 vegan or vegetarian dinners, 3 seafood, and 1 chicken. For new dishes we are having Chicken Marsala and are trying to cobble together some sort of tuna casserole with some less fattening goo to hold it together. What are you planning this week? When you take the time to plan your week you will find that the shopping, cooking, and eating in healthy manner happen much more easily.

Posted in Weekly menu | Leave a comment

LFD Chana dal with cauli-rice and kale. 1/23/21

Posted on January 23, 2021 by Beebamom

When we made our Chana dal on Meatless Monday we made extra because John said he wanted to have some for lunch during the week. Since he did not follow through on eating it for lunches, we had plenty of it and rice to have a very easy Leftovers For Dinner (LFD) Saturday.

Chana dal leftovers with cauliflower rice and kale

We added a little more broth to the pot since the split chickpeas had been busy sopping up the liquid in the dish while they waited for us to eat them. I think on Monday I had mixed greens and this time it was straight kale. I did cut the cauliflower rice with a little regular white rice to give it more chew. Once again I finished my bowl with sriracha for a spicy/sweet kick.

And guess what? We still have enough leftover for John to have a lunch or two out of the leftover leftovers!

Posted in Easy, Indian, Kitchen tips, leftovers, Legumes, rice, stew, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Salmon, butternut squash, green beans. 1/22/21

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Beebamom

Pan-roasted salmon, oven roasted butternut squash, and sautéed green beans

As the weekdays approach the weekend, the dinners get easier. As you know John and I cook relentlessly except when we are on vacation (remember vacations?!) By Fridays we are pretty much cooked out and are looking forward to some easy meals. Salmon takes about three minutes in a hot pan so when the vegetables are almost done I tell John “go!” And he quickly cooks the fish. Easy peasey.

I peeled and cubed the butternut squash, tossed it in some olive oil, salt, and nutmeg and roasted it in the oven at 400F for about 40 minutes. I think 35 minutes would have been perfect as some of the pieces came out a little crispy. I left the skin on the bulbous part for the first time and can report that it was fine. The skin is thicker than the surrounding flesh but totally edible.

My technique for the beans is to start them in a little water and a teaspoon or two of butter and some salt. Cover and let them cook for a few minutes until they are almost done. Uncover and the water evaporates and the beans fry a little bit in the butter. Yum!

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Kitchen tips, pescatarian, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment