lisa loves good food

grilled cheese, avocado, and fried egg sandwich

May 18, 2013 No comments

It’s been one of these weeks..I take that back..it’s been a couple of those weeks. Nothing too serious or life-changing, just a few unexpected inconveniences and expenses, starting with a dead modem last Monday, then ending (hopefully) with a leaking (and also dead) hot water heater this Monday. Add into the mix a huge order from one of my photography client and trying to get a bunch of stuff together for a yard sale this weekend, and I end up with little time left for any blog-worthy cooking. But even when things get unexpectedly hectic and dinner ends up being take-out or leftovers, I at least try to cook myself a fast but filling breakfast or lunch, especially on the days when I plan on spending a couple of hours at the gym.

Lately I’ve been getting bored with my usual breakfast egg sandwich so I changed things up by using my three favorite breakfast staples..eggs, cheese, and avocado..in a slightly different configuration. Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite comfort foods, but also one of those foods I don’t eat much anymore because they’re typically loaded with calories. But like with so many of my favorite not-so-healthy foods, I’ve figured out some tricks to make grilled cheese a little healthier. First, I use either ultra-thin sliced cheese or an ounce of shredded cheese. I also use a lot less butter..I think I used to use about 2 tablespoons of butter for one grilled cheese..crazy, right? But now I just melt about a teaspoon of butter in a non-stick skillet, then once it’s melted I brush some of the butter on the bread…just enough to still give you that buttery flavor and crispy bread.

The trick with the avocado is to mash it up a little instead of using slices..the avocado slices just kinda slide around and make a mess, but if you mash it up, it almost acts like a glue to hold the melted cheese and fried egg together. I’ve tried it with salsa mixed in, but it makes it a little too messy and watery for me, so instead I have my salsa on the side and just dip my sandwich in it..so much easier. And of course I have to have hot sauce with my eggs.

So if you’re also having a stressful week and craving some comfort food, you need to give this a try. Or if you’re having a wonderfully calm and uneventful week, you still need to give this a try.

grilled cheese, avocado, and fried egg sandwich

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Author: LisaH

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices lite bread
2 slices ultra-thin cheddar cheese or 1 ounce grated
¼ of an avocado, mashed
your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce for dipping

Instructions

In a nonstick skillet melt half of the butter over medium-low heat, using a silicone brush to spread the butter around the pan. Fry your egg in the butter to desired doneness; set aside and keep warm.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and brush a little on one side of both pieces of bread. Place once slice of bread in the skillet and top with one slice of cheese (or half of the grated cheese), half of the mashed avocado, the egg, the remaining avocado, cheese, and the other slice of bread.
Cook over medium-low heat until the bread is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until the cheese is melted and the other side of the sandwich is lightly browned.
Serve with your favorite salsa or hot sauce on the side for dipping.

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north african turkey meatballs

May 10, 2013 Comments: 2

For years I’ve been collecting recipes from the internet, printing them out, and then stashing them in a 3-ring binder that started out being nicely organized, but over time has become a shameful mess of computer print-outs and pages ripped from magazines. But the other day, with the help of a pretty turquoise binder I found at Staples, I got motivated to tackle the mess I’d made of my recipes. And to keep me on track, I plan on sharing at least one recipe from my newly-organized collection each month.

This recipe seemed like a great place to start since it’s by far one of my favorites from my stash. A couple years ago I saw Melissa d’Arabian making her North African Meatballs and immediately printed out the recipe and tried it a few days later, and it was even better than I’d expected. And now that I’m eating healthier, of course I had to lighten it up just a bit, which really wasn’t much of a challenge, just my usual sub of ground turkey for ground beef and baking the meatballs instead of frying them..simple. I also left out the olives and used capers instead, then added in a can of garbanzo beans to add a little extra protein and fiber. It’s perfect served over couscous, but if you’re watching your carbs, you could easily make into a hearty soup by adding more stock. It kind of reminds me of the kifta soup (I think that’s what it’s called) that my husband always gets at a local Mediterranean restaurant.

I know I probably say this about most of the recipes I share, but in all sincerity, this is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and I enjoy it even more because it’s easy to make and pretty much guilt-free. And with the exception of my husband picking out the capers (I love him but his refusal to eat anything green drives me crazy!) it’s filled with ingredients that everyone in my house enjoys. At first glance it may seem like an odd combo of flavors, but trust me..it’s a perfect marriage of tastes and texture, and as always, easy enough for anyone to make. Thanks Melissa for this tasty creation!

north african turkey meatballs

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian’s North African Meatballs

Author: LisaH

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup finely ground oats or bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey (94% lean)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush with a little oil.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the oats and turkey, and mix until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the oats and turkey until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
Use about 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of the turkey mixture for each meatball, rolling with your hands. This should make about 24 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the cookie sheet and bake about 20 minutes until they are no longer pink inside.

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sauce for north african meatballs

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian’s North African Meatballs

Author: LisaH

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest of 1 lemon
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil and onion and saute over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, capers, red pepper, and lemon zest, cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring often to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add the wine and let it reduce by about half, about 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and add more spices, salt, and/or pepper to taste.
When the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and simmer over low heat about 15-20 minutes. Cover partially so that the sauce doesn’t reduce too much while simmering.
Serve over couscous and garnish with lemon wedges.

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chicken with mole sauce

May 3, 2013 Comments: 2

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo this weekend, I wanted to share one of my absolute favorite Mexican-inspired foods, molé sauce. This recipe is mainly for the sauce, so feel free to skip the chicken and use the sauce any way you like..try it in place of your favorite enchilada sauce, on top of huevos rancheros, or as a dipping sauce for a grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. Or use it the way I did..to flavor up some otherwise pretty bland chicken breasts. Just try it and I can almost guarantee you’re going to love it no matter how you eat it.

Just like with so many recipes, there are a gazillion versions of molé sauce, and pretty much all of them have the following ingredients in common:

chili peppers (most recipes call for at least two varieties, but I kept it simple and just used one)
nuts (some recipes call for almonds, some for peanut butter or sesame seeds)
chocolate (the recipes I’ve seen use everything from chocolate chips to the Mexican stuff I found)
cinnamon (the Mexican chocolate has cinnamon in it, so I only added a tiny bit more)

Now I am by no means claiming that this is an “authentic” Mexican recipe, because it isn’t. It’s just a version I created by using some traditional molé ingredients and a little imagination to lighten it up a bit. It’s one of those sauces that has an unusual combo of ingredients that come together to create a unique flavor that tastes nothing like any of the individual elements. Don’t you love it when that happens?! So if you’re not a fan or raisins, nuts, or chocolate (that’s a joke..who doesn’t like chocolate?), don’t run away just yet and at least give it a chance. My husband absolutely despises raisins, but he couldn’t get enough of this sauce. Nobody will EVER know there are raisins in it unless you tell them..I swear!

This version of molé comes together pretty easily, only takes about an hour to make, and you should be able to find all of the ingredients at any local grocery store..no need to go on a scavenger hunt for exotic peppers. That being said, I happened to stumble upon the Mexican chocolate in our tiny little neighborhood Safeway of all places (couldn’t find it in our mega-huge fancy grocery store), but don’t worry if you can’t find it..just use cocoa powder, bittersweet baking chocolate, or even semi-sweet chocolate chips..who doesn’t have at least one form of chocolate in their pantry?!

If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, then this may not be for you..the chiles are a pretty important ingredient and it just wouldn’t be molé if you leave them out. I used two chipotle chiles in my recipe and it was super-spicy at first, but mellowed out a bit once it was combined with the shredded chicken. If you’re worried about the heat, start out with half of a chipotle pepper and add more if it’s not spicy enough. Or better yet, just have a huge pitcher of Margaritas or a case of ice cold beer handy to take care of the heat!

chicken with molé sauce

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

A slightly lightened-up version of a Mexican classic

Author: LisaH

Cuisine: Mexican

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
¼ cup almond pieces
¼ cup raisins
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 ounce of Mexican (see notes), bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and salt. Season the chicken breasts with 1-2 tablespoons of the spice mixture.
In a large pot, brown the chicken breasts in 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside, reserving any drippings and oil in the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium, and saute the onion in the remaining tablespoon of oil until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, almonds, raisins, and the remainder of the spice mixture to the onions. Saute about 2 minutes, stirring well so that the garlic and spices don’t burn.
Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that the the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered about 30 minutes, allowing sauce to reduce slightly and continuing to stir occasionally.
Remove the pot from the heat, and use an immersion blender until the tomatoes, raisins, nuts, and chilies are pureed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow the sauce to cool slightly and use a regular blender to puree the sauce in small batches, only filling the blender pitcher half-way for each batch.
Return the sauce to the stove over medium heat and stir in the chocolate and cocoa powder. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, chili powder, cumin and/or cinnamon to your liking.
If you are using only 2-3 pounds of chicken, at this point you can remove about half of the sauce from the pot and reserve it for future use. It should keep in the freezer for a couple of months. If you are using more than 3 pounds of chicken, you might need to use all of the sauce for this recipe.
Return the chicken breasts to the pot of sauce and simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, until the chicken reaches 160 degrees, about 30-40 minutes.
When the chicken is done, remove the pot from the heat, and use two forks to shred the chicken breasts. If needed, add some of the reserved sauce to get it to the desired consistency. Serve over rice or use as a filling for enchiladas, burritos, or tacos.

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If you love Mexican food like I do, you need to check out some of my other Mexican inspired recipes..

The molé sauce is perfect in place of the canned enchilada sauce in this enchilada casserole. In fact, it’s what we had for dinner tonight..I don’t think I’ll ever use the canned stuff again!

It’s also great on eggs..check out this quick and simple version of huevos rancheros.

One of my family’s favorite soups is my take on tortilla soup. I haven’t tried doing this yet, but I bet you could even molé-ify this soup by adding some raisins and almonds before you give it a whir with the immersion blender, then thrown in a little cocoa powder or your favorite chocolate.

buffalo turkey burgers

April 27, 2013 1 comment

Over the past year I’ve tried several different versions of turkey burgers, hoping to satisfy my constant burger craving, and these Buffalo turkey burgers are hands-down the best turkey burger I’ve ever made.

In my quest to come up with the perfect turkey burger, this is what I’ve learned:

You need to add some fat to your burgers. Not much, but enough to add a little juiciness. The way I do this is by using half ground turkey breast (99% fat free) and half regular ground turkey (94% fat free). That little bit of dark meat adds extra flavor and juiciness. Always a good thing. And only a few extra calories per burger. I also add a little canola oil.
Turkey needs a lot of seasoning. Without seasoning it’s just not good. For this recipe I used 3 garlic cloves, some onion powder, lots of fresh ground pepper, a little salt, and, of course, Buffalo wing sauce.
Ground turkey needs something to hold it together in burger-form. An egg and a little bit of bread crumbs does the trick.
A clean, well-oiled grill is a must! And for extra insurance against the burgers sticking, I brush mine with a little canola oil before they hit the grill. I’ve learned this one the hard way.

As I mentioned in my last post, when the weather warms up, I do most of my cooking on the grill, and for me, there is no other way to cook burgers. But if it’s still too chilly for grilling where you live or if you don’t have a grill, I’m sure these would still be (almost as!) delicious cooked in a grill pan or broiled.

If you’re not a fan of Buffalo sauce, you can use your favorite steak sauce or barbecue sauce instead. Same goes for the blue cheese..if you don’t like it, just leave it out and top it with a slice of your favorite cheese..or go cheeseless to save even more calories. So even if you want a different sauce and/or cheese, just follow the turkey burger tips I shared and you can’t go wrong!

buffalo turkey burgers

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

Author: LisaH

Serves: 9

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey breast (99% fat-free)
1 pound ground turkey (94% fat-free)
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
2-3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
¼ cup Buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank’s)
1 egg, well beaten
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
Extra canola oil for grilling
Extra wing sauce and and blue cheese for topping

Instructions

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients (except the extra oil and toppings) with a large wooden spoon or with your hands until thoroughly combined.
Form into burgers of whatever size you’d like and place on a large baking sheet or platter.
Heat your grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees), and make sure the grates are as clean as possible to help prevent the burgers from sticking.
Using paper towels and a long pair of tongs, very carefully coat your grill grate with canola oil, being careful of possible flare-ups. Have a spray bottle filled with water handy just in case.
Brush your burgers with additional canola oil and place them on the grill grates oiled side down. Close the grill and cook the burgers until they release easily, about 5-10 minutes. Brush the burgers with more canola oil and flip using a large turner/spatula. Close the grill and cook another 5-10 minutes until you have nice grill marks on each side.
When the burgers are almost done (the best way to check for doneness is a meat thermometer, 160 degrees for poultry) baste them with a little of the wing sauce, flip them and brush the other side, then top with some additional blue cheese crumbles if desired. Close the grill, reduce the heat to low, and continue to grill until the cheese starts to melt and the burgers reach 160 degrees.
Please note: All grills are different, so the cooking times can vary quite a bit. On my gas grill, the total cooking time was about 15 minutes.

Notes

Feel free to make your burgers any size you like and adjust your grilling time accordingly. I weighed my burgers, and was able to get 9 4-ounce burgers from this recipe, which were just the right size for a standard hamburger bun.

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grilled honey lime pork tenderloin

April 19, 2013 1 comment

With Spring finally arriving here in Maryland (what took so long??) I’ve been spending a lot less time in my kitchen and a lot more time working in my yard and enjoying this beautiful weather while it lasts. Less time in the kitchen means I’ve also gotten a bit behind on sharing recipes, but hopefully this delicious grilled pork tenderloin will make up for my Spring-fever induced blog-slacking.

One of the best things about warm weather is grilling, don’t you agree?! And I’m lucky enough to have my grill right outside my kitchen door, making it almost as easy to fire up the grill as it is to turn on my stove. So most of my warmer-weather cooking takes place on the grill, with pork tenderloin being a grilling staple around here.

For this recipe, you’ll want to marinate the pork for an hour or two, then let it come to room temperature before grilling. When I marinate a tender meat like this with a citrus or vinegar-based marinade, I don’t let it marinate for too long because the acid will start to break down the meat. You’ll be using half of the marinade for actually marinating, then save the other half to baste the pork when it’s almost done. Marinades like this one with honey burn easily and cause your meat to stick to even the most well-oiled grills, so go lightly with it while it’s cooking, then add some of the reserved marinade at the end. But DO NOT use the extra marinade that the meat was soaking in..never a good idea! Throw that stuff out and use the other half that hasn’t been contaminated by the meat juices. You can also use the extra marinade to make a sauce..the details of how I do that are in the recipe.

Another great pork tenderloin recipe to try on your grill is this one that I shared back in December when it was way too cold to grill. You’ll follow the same grilling and marinating instructions for that one as you’ll use for this one. Both are equally simple and delicious. So get that grill fired up and enjoy this great Spring weather while you’re cooking dinner!

grilled honey lime pork tenderloin

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: LisaH

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 1-pound pork tenderloins, silver-skin removed
zest and juice of 3-4 limes
4 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup water
1 tablespoon corn starch

Instructions

Place tenderloins in a zip-top bag or in a shallow plastic container.
In a large mixing cup or bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients except the water and corn starch.
Pour half of the marinade over the meat and rub into the meat to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Set aside the other half of the marinade to use as a sauce or to baste the pork.
Place the pork in the fridge and allow to marinade 1-3 hours. About 30-60 minutes before you’re ready to grill the pork, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
Heat your grill to about 400 degrees, and coat your grill rack very well with some canola oil.
Remove the pork from the marinade and discard that portion of the marinade. Grill the pork about 10 minutes per side with the lid of the grill closed. The pork may stick to your grill grate, so using a large metal spatula will be the easiest way to loosen it and flip it. If you use tongs, the meat will most likely tear, so be careful.
Once the meat is nicely grilled on the outside, reduce the heat to low, baste with some of the reserved marinade (or the sauce that you make from the marinade..see instructions below), and continue to grill until the internal temperature of the pork is between 140 and 155 degrees. At 140, the center of the tenderloins will be slightly pink. If your prefer your pork without any pink, you can cook it to 155, but any higher it will become dry and tough.
Transfer the tenderloins to a platter, cover with foil, and let stand about 10 minutes before slicing.
If you’d like too make a sauce for the pork, place the reserved marinade in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Combine the water and corn starch in a mixing cup, and mix well until the corn starch is dissolved.
Whisk the corn starch mixture into the boiling marinade, and bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, stirring often.