Tamale Pie

This recipe is in memory of my Nana. We had Thanksgiving Dinner at her house most of the time. She would cook a giant turkey in a roster oven she put on top of the wash machine in the laundry room. After that dinner came a lot of turkey type dinners. One being Tamale Pie.
Each time I make this dish I think of my Nana.

Tamale Pie 4 servings

Saute 1/4 diced onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for a couple minutes. Add 1/2 bell pepper and one minced garlic clove. Cook for a couple more minutes.
Add a small can of diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 C of kernel corn (I use Trader Joe's roasted frozen kernel corn), diced cooked turkey (as much as you like), 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 can of whole olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook or 15 minutes until flavors combine.

In small pot add 1 cup water, 3/4 cup corn meal, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook and stir until thick. Add 1 tablespoon butter.

Divide cornmeal. Add half to the meat mixture and combine.
Spray an 8x8 cooking dish with vegetable spray (I use olive oil spray) and add meat mixture.
Top with the remaining cornmeal and spread it over the top in a crust type layer.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes with foil on top. Take foil off and cook for 10 more minutes.

Sorry I keep forgetting to take pics. I think you get the gist.

Memorial Day BBQ

I know most of you are grilling outside today. NOAA says rain today, but we are going try to sneak in some cooking on the BBQ.
Today it's ribs, turkey breast, and Whole Foods all beef hot dogs (the dogs are a bit pricey but well worth it).
Also hubby will grill veggies for tonight's dinner and I will boil the corn.

While making a delicious meal for today we are gearing up for the week of dinners and lunches as well.

1. This morning I cooked about 15 corn tortillas in my George Foreman Grill. These will be evening snacks with good healthy Costco salsa.

2. I also made a Chicken/pasta salad with Paul Newman's Dressing, can of olives, celery, chicken, pinto beans, and shaved Parmesan Cheese.I add a tablespoon of sugar and a shake or two of basil and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Corn/black bean/fresh salsa with grilled corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, cumin seeds, lime juice, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Try to keep the tomatoes and jalapenos the same size as the corn and beans.

4. Blueberry muffins are a must for our mid day snack and breakfast.

5. Yesterday I made a double batch of waffle mix with toasted pecans. I'll add blueberries to these for breakfast and topping it with real maple syrup.

I long for retirement days where I don't have to plan for the week. Maybe just eat a veggie dinner straight from our garden. Hubby said when he was a kid sometimes they would eat a dozen ears of corn, cucumbers, and sliced tomatoes for dinner.

A couple quick recipes

I have cooked Tuna Steak before because it's so darn easy and fast. This time I added an Asian Noodle recipe. Hubby said I out did myself with the Asian Noodles. He likes his food spicy so I added some sriracha.

Health hint: Allergy season is upon us. We eat spicier food during this time to combat congestion.

Tuna Steak with Asian Noodles (2 healthy servings)

Actually these  noodles were just the thin spaghetti noodles.
Cook as many noodles as you intend on adding to this dish. When cooked I had 1 cup

Add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil to a large pan. When hot add:
5 green onions sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 sliced red bell peppers
1 tablespoon graded fresh ginger
6-8 slices mushrooms
1/4 minced serrano pepper without seeds
Cook until onions are softer
Add:
2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
1/4 C peanut sauce
4 tablespoons water
2 cups chopped cabbage (not shredded to small)
Cook until the cabbage wilts but is not gooey
Add:
Noodles
I added some small tomatoes at the end and just headed them through.

While the cabbage is cooking down put the Tuna steaks on your grill ( I use my George Foreman grill)
Put olive oil on the tuna and sprinkle with Asian seasonings on both sides or make your own.
Tuna cooks fast so watch it or it will be dry. I cooked ours about 4 minutes on one side and 2 on the final side. If you press on the tuna and it feels firm TAKE IT OFF.
Serve with Asian Noodles.
I had left over tuna for the next day. I served it over a salad with veggies.

We are big fans of a good spicy Caesar Salad. The Outback Restaurant has a decent Caesar Salad, but my dressing is way better.
You could make the dressing and croutons the day before.

I start out by making the dressing a head of time so it can set a bit letting the ingredients blend.

My Caesar Salad Dressing

Add:
1 can of anchovies and the oil. (I didn't say this was a diet-type recipe just fast)
3 heaping spoons of mayo (lite if you like or with olive oil if you like)
2 LARGE cloves of graded garlic (chopping leaves chunks)
Pepper
squeeze of lemon juice
Milk to thin it out.
I used my immersion blender (a food processor would do also) and blend until smooth
Set aside.
I made my own croutons, but you could buy them.
Croutons

Toast left over bread (not dark just barely toasted)
Rub a garlic clove over the hot toast and cut into chunks
In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons butter and bread chunks. Cook until crisp. Set aside.

Caesar Salad with Salmon

Cut Romaine lettuce in chunks and divide between two plates. Put lettuce in a large bowl and add 2 large spoon fulls of Caesar dressing. Mix and coat. (I find this easier than just putting dressing on a salad)
Put lettuce back on two plates
Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and salmon.
Again I grill my salmon with salt, pepper, olive oil on my inside grill. Let sit while you assemble the salad
Sorry about the sideways pic. I put the salmon on the side so it doesn't melt the cheese.
Don't forget a good glass of TJ's wine.

How many Veggies did you buy this week?

I know I harp on buying produce and hopefully some of you have started to eat more real fiber. 
Here is something I did not know about. Next time you buy store bought bread look at the ingredients. You will see that they add vitamins back in the bread. All the vitamins in the processed grains disappear within 72 hours. All you have left is fiber, which is good I might add. Even if a store makes bread in house, how long has the flour set there? My goal is to buy the whole grains and use a hulling machine to make any grain products. Hulling only what I need for the next three days.

Remember we take a lunch to work and use veggies for snacks. I have an addiction to "Laughing Cow" cheese. I use celery stock to dip in this soft cheese for my 11am snack.
So here is my weekly purchase.

Some of this produce was bought at a local farmers market in Alvin, TX. It is called Frobergs.  This large tomato, lemons, green beans, jalapeno, oranges, grapefruit, onions, yellow squash, beets, red potatoes, and yams. The rest was bought at a local store here called HEB. Corn on the cob, celery, and skinny carrots (they carry a organic brand and these carrots are so very sweet. I usually buy my organic carrots at TJ's, for $.99, but we didn't go there this week. HEB's are $1.29. I will keep buying these skinny sweet young carrots).

Lots of things to make for next week. Here is my plan: Potato salad, fruit salad, apple/walnut muffins, and coleslaw.
I better get going....after laundry, of course.

Another week's menu

I wont post the pictures of the fruit and vegetables I wash every week. Most of them are the same. Seems I have finally gotten pretty tired of just apples and carrots for my mid day break at work. I now am hooked on "Laughing Cow" cheese. I dip celery stick in this cheese. Fortunately it is only 1 Weight Watcher point.
I do still need to eat at least 5 servings of vegetables/fruit a day.  As you age interior organs just don't work like they did when you were young. Over time eating processed foods, dyes, pesticides can put a strain on your whole system.
Yes, I do preach to some of my fellow employees, but it is important to keep yourself healthy because older age is JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

We bought two prepared meals this week as I am trying to catch up on some of the projects I have been working on. These prepared foods are from Trader Joe's and I can either make or buy any of the ingredients. That's the key.

Here is my weekly menu:

Saturday we had leftovers from dinner out Friday night. We went to the Western Steakhouse in Rosenberg. As soon as we got our meal we put half of it in a to-go container. If you wait until you are half way done you WILL pick on it. So half of the baked potato and meat was eaten Saturday night.

Tonight is Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles. We bought some sweet corn so that will be our veggie. I will have an apple for desert. Of course a glass of wine and small square of dark chocolate is a must.


Instructions: 

Heat large frying pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil

Add 1/4 C chopped onions cook for 4 minutes then 1 medium minced garlic
Add sliced, against the grain, beef strips. The amount depends on how much meat you like. Brown the beef. Add 1-1/2 C water or beef broth and cook for 30 minutes until beef is tender. 

(On the side mix 1/4 C cold water with 1 1/ tablespoons either flour or cornstarch. Mix until the lumps are gone)

While the beef is cooking boil your favorite noodle. I use egg noodles.
Add 2 tablespoons ketchup and as many sliced mushrooms you like.
Cook for 5 minutes then add the water/cornstarch mix.
Turn off the heat and add 1 C sour cream.

Pour over egg noodles. 
Serve with cottage cheese and a salad

This weeks menu and recipes

Another time saving day. I am getting ready for a drizzly week.

As usual I wash all my produce. I added organic celery this week. I bought laughing cow cheese and will use celery for the dipper.

The easiest way to get a bang out of stew meat is cut it up yourself. Thank you son for the best knives in the world. I felt like I was cutting butter instead of meat.
We also added Trader Joe's salad for our Saturday lunch.

Cut meat in small cubes and put in frig.

Cutco knives are amazing

Now for the weekly recipes:  I have made chicken/pasta/bean salad before and also tuna. Here are the picks and recipes.

1. The bowl is for Chicken/pasta/bean salad. So far I cut up celery, black olives and added drained rinsed pinto beans.
2. The oblong container is for tuna salad sand. Celery again and cubed Trader Joe's sweet pickles (no dyes in these pickles. They use turmeric).
3. The orange bowl is for hubby's antipasti salad. Olives so far.

1. I added chicken cubes. 2. Add two drained cans of albacore tuna. 3. Add cut up uncured salami, cubes of your favorite cheese, and pepperchinis.

1. Add pasta and shaved raw cheddar cheese (you can use Parmesan), 1/2 C Newman's Italian salad dressing (high fructose free dressing), salt and pepper to the chicken/pasta/bean dish.
3. Also added 2 Tablespoon Newman's Italian dressing.

1. The salad is finished. 2. Added 2 hard boiled eggs and mayo then mixed. 3. Added 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano.
Add salt and pepper to taste over all dishes.
I scoop tuna salad with crackers or celery sticks for lunch.

I am ready for the week.
Next I will brown the burger for my Favorite Taco Salad. Later brown the beef cubes for my crock pot beef stew, later this week, adding cut up spuds, onions, carrots, and beef broth.
Tip: add spuds, carrots, and onions with browned meat and store in ziplock bag. The night before I put crock pot on the counter with the spices I will add and the carton of beef broth. Easy Peazy. Set on low and off to work.

Easter Dinner in our TinCan

Living in Texas makes it hard to find leg of lamb. Its cattle cattle cattle here. I did fine a lamb steak at HEB. I marinated it and grilled it along with partial cooked red potatoes/onions/mushrooms, steamed asparagus, deviled eggs, and homemade fruit salad.

Marinaded Lamb 2 servings

Combine: 1/3 C olive oil, minced clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and mint, 1/2 juiced lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
Put this in a zip lock bag and add the lamb steak. Put in frig all day. Approximately 5 hours.

I cooked our lamb steak on our inside grill.

I love this grill. I have a flat side too for pancakes. I no longer fry taco shells I use this.

Fruit Salad  4 servings

Early in the day I cut up one peeled apple, one grapefruit WITH JUICE, 1 can of rinsed mandarin oranges.
The grapefruit juice is a substitute for lemon juice keeping the apple from turning color.

Grilled Red Potatoes 2 servings


Cook or microwave two red potatoes. Cut in pieces and add: onion chunks, and mushroom halved.
Add 3  tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon mint and oregano, salt and pepper.
Grill on a grill until done.

Marinated Lamb and potato mixture

Steamed asparagus

Fruit salad, asparagus, grilled lamb and potatoes, deviled eggs, and wine