Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, Ginger Dressing

March 21, 2013March 20, 2013 by KTgreen

This week I’ve been looking for new and interesting things to do with salads. I’m a big fan of ginger. Ginger Ale, Ginger plants, and yes, ginger salad dressing. I even have a ginger plant that I can dig up a rhizome anytime I want and grate it up for whatever I need. Yummmm.

I noticed that my local store has stopped carrying my favorite version of a ginger dressing. I went looking for another. It also seems that they load them with a lot of oil too – and it’s pricey. Why? Most of the ingredients are kitchen staples. Oh, no that won’t do. Where’s my shovel….and Magic Bullet… let’s mix up our own.

Since Asian classics aren’t my forte, I follow a template. Which means finding something everyone likes first. The Foodies on The Net seem to have a particular fascination with Benihana’s Ginger Salad Dressing. I’ve never been to Benihana’s so, I’m game. There are postings raving about it all over, and even a copy of the recipe on www.food.com as listed in the ‘Top Secret Recipes’ book. Either way, it sounds good, but too much oil, and there are no carrots. I love carrots! See how this happens – I just can’t leave anything alone. I spent the rainy morning in the kitchen blending up my own lower fat and generally healthier version, and here it is for you.

Step 1: Clean-up that mini-blender, if you’ve got one. Or a big one – they all work. Gather the goodies and get out that cutting board. There are lot’s of ingredients, but be patient Grasshoppah ! (come on, you don’t remember Kung-Fu!)

1/2 Cup Onion, minced fine

1/4 Cup Peanut Oil

1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar

2 Tbl Water

2 Tbl Ginger, fresh, grated

2 Tbl Celery, grated (or minced very fine)

2 Tbl Ketchup (yes, I make my own – but that’s another blog)

2 Tbl grated baby carrots

4 tsp Soy Sauce (I used, 2 soy sauce, and 2 Ponzu, a milder, citrusy soy sauce)

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Lemon Juice, fresh is best

1/2 tsp (1 lg clove) Garlic pressed or minced super fine

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum (yes, it’s natural…I’ll explain below)

Step 2: Chop it all up, measure it all out and get it in the blender. I like to grate what I can to keep it a super fine – remember we’re making dressing here, not salsa.

Step 3: Look how healthy that looks already! See how fine those onions are. Don’t grate them with the others, they’ll just be mush.

Step 4: Find one of those dressing bottles you’ve got stashed in the back of your cabinets – I know you’ve got ’em! OK, here’s that weird stuff called Xanthan Gum. This bottle is $8 at the health food store and it lasts forever, because a little goes a long way. It’s derived and processed from fermenting sugars (you can Wiki it). Industry has been using it for years, and not just for food. They use it to make drilling mud slimy…yes, oil drilling. This is a stabilizer used to ‘thicken’ things instead of oil in many of the fat-free store bought items. As well as added to gluten free breads. It’s become a new kitchen staple here.

The Count: Look at that calorie count! 56 ! I love it – and it’s good for you too. Ginger is so good for the digestive system and then there are all those other veggies too. I’m feel in’ so good about it. You could lessen the Peanut Oil, but you’d need to up the Xanthan Gum. Then I might add a tiny bit of Sesame Oil (a little goes a long way there too) for extra flavor to make up for the missing peanut.

Here’s another idea, do you like spicy? OK, then you’ve probably got a rooster labeled bottle of Sriracha Sauce around – add a drop or two. Ouch – careful !

The Finale: This recipe makes just enough to fill one of those dressing bottles – almost like I planned it that way! I couldn’t wait for lunch to try it, so I testing it on some of that organic celery. So Good! Just enough gum to make it stick to the veggie – not too much garlic or ginger bite. I’m looking forward to lunch today – a salad topped with this dressing and a few of those China Boy lower fat Chinese crunchy noodles I found. Yummy… I’m starving and it’s only 10:30!!!

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, Red Beans

March 13, 2013 by KTgreen

Here in the South we do beans & rice… all kinds, black beans, pintos, garbanzos and more famously in N’Orlans they do Red Beans & Rice. Mmmmm-Mmmmm. This southern classic is a staple in good-ole boy households all over….and those boys are usually B I G. This is a stick-to-your-ribs must for any comfort food menu. That means also that it’s sticks to your back-side as well. Know what?! Mine doesn’t – and just cause I like you, I’ll show you how I do it. There are non-native modifications, be brave. Grab your crock-pot and come on y’all.

This makes about 14 cups, which at 1-1/2 cups preserving is about 9 servings. (I know, I know, but I couldn’t eat 2 cups of it! And only one cup was just a lonely little bowl)

Step 1: Here’s what you need. It’s no-brainer, you’ve got all this stuff already no doubt. Get out your crock-pot and set for 7 or 8 hours on high. Rinse and check over those beans. I know the processing plants do a great job at quality control, but I still found 2 bean sized balls o’ dirt in mine. Now, don’t get lazy on me.

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Step 2: Slice up the veggies and then the meat. Note the baggie of frozen green peppers, my guys don’t care for them so they go bad quick here. I buy them in season and freeze. My pot I only used about 1/4 cup. But this is your bowl, have at it.

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Step 3: Tony Chacheres is a really good basic creole seasoning. We even put in meat rubs. Also, ham bullion is another pantry staple. If I was making this without any sausage, I’d add some hammy flavor to help. (and yes it’s an awesome side minus the meat!)

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Step 4: Here’s what’s left of the celery. No, it didn’t go into the disposer. I freeze it and have it’s wilty flavor to add when I’ve run out and need a little for a soup or something and celery salt isn’t the answer. Like that homemade chicken stock I was talking about before.

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Step 5: This is so easy I had to add steps to make this blog interesting. OK, everybody into the pool ! Now go to work, or workout, or nap…..

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Step 6: Hey, there you are. How was work, Dear? Yeah I wish you could smell this too. OMG!!!

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Yummy: Make the Boys some rice, cause they’ll want some. And garlic toast because they’ve got metabolisms gone wild!

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Yummy 2: Now, this is how my plate/bowl looks. I toasted up a slice of Jewish Rye (sliced thin and tasty at only 80 calories). Can’t go wrong with some Hot Sauce.

Mimi's Red Beans and NO Rice

Now let’s talk about the calories in this one. As listed above you’re only spending, per serving, 238 cal/3.4 fat g. Yeah, I know! And it was really filling. Now, if you can’t handle it without rice, then be prepared to spend 675 calories extra for a cup of white rice! And don’t think that brown rice will save you either. That’s even more. So, skip it all together.

OK, I hear you Southerners as well, complaining that there’s no andouille sausage. Fine – go ahead – it’ll cost you 135 cal. and 12.5 grams of FAT. Oh, and you don’t do dry beans either, well then add in 314 cal/13 grams of FAT. Let’s just suffice it to say that the Boys with their andouille and canned easy beans over white rice, will be ingesting a whopping 1192 cal/16.6 g fat. That’s almost my daily intake – in ONE meal Ugh! No thank you – I was really happy and full with my not-stickin’-to-my-backside meal. The guys absolutely loved theirs, and naturally never gave those extra rice calories a second thought. Dawgs.

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle, PB2 Cookies

March 6, 2013 by KTgreen

The Boys ate ALL the cookies being cooped up in the house this weekend – well, that was their excuse. It was like 50 deg ALL DAY! (Lauri, don’t read that).

So, as Will headed out the door this morning he requested Peanut Butter Cookies. Yeah – I love Peanut Butter Cookies! Who doesn’t?! But, I can’t eat ’em. Is there any more fattening cookie…well, if there was a cheesecake cookie maybe. (Hmmm, sounds good, I’ll have work on that whole cheesecake thing)

I digress…remember sometime ago I blogged about a new product called PB2, where they dried the peanut butter and removed the fat and most of the calories. No, No they really did! No Lie! I had a failed attempt at adding in a recipe instead of peanut butter and ruined it. Hey, if I could find a dryer big enough would my butt shrink like a wool sweater??!

Well, the people that actually make PB2 have their own little set of recipes on their site http://www.bellplantation.com and they sell PB2 along with the oil that they removed from the peanuts, kinda funny. The cookie recipe looked tasty, but still had two kinds of sugar, ooo gotta fix that. Off to the kitchen for some fun…

Step 1: Gather the goods. You did find some of that fabulous dried peanut butter stuff didn’t you? Light that fire – 350 please.

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

Hey, what’s wrong with this picture? You guessed it, there’s No Fat.

Step 2:

Add the sugars and wet ingredients together and mix well. Add in the PB2 and whisk until smooth. Mmmmmm, can you smell it?

Step 3:

This stuff is super sticky…no fat remember! So, use the scooper and don’t completely fill it.

Step 4:

Use a fork brushed with butter or easier yet, dipped in a little water and smash them a bit just like normal PB Cookies.

Step 5:

Aww, how cute – into the oven with you! For about 10 minutes.

The Facts:

Can you believe they’re only 43 calories!!! Yea, a little dry and could be only slightly sweeter….but 43 calories, and how much fat???? OMG! Mwwa-HaHaHaHa!!!

Finale:

Look how yummy! Yes you CAN eat peanut butter cookies – and still fit into your skinny jeans. Soooo happy 🙂

Michelle