Potato and Onion Skillet Bake

I can't remember when or where, but within the last year or so, I saw a potato and onion dish made on TV that I wanted to try. So this evening, having a kitchen stocked with fresh potatoes and onions, I wanted to find that exact dish.

I googled. And found nothing.

I tweeted. And got a few suggestions.

But I never got an official recipe. So I whipped one up myself at dinnertime. Here's all it took:

• Thinly sliced potatoes
• Thinly sliced onion
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grated cheese
• Olive oil

I started by swirling an oven-safe skillet with oil, and then started layering ingredients: A layer of potatoes, then onions, all sprinkled with salt and pepper, then a layer of cheese. I repeated until I reached the top of the skillet, ending with potatoes, a drizzle more of oil, salt and pepper. I then baked at 375 for about 40 minutes.

I turned it over on a plate, sliced it and served it up! We'll definitely be having it again soon.

Dark Chocolate and Almond Homemade Granola

This concoction was a total accident. How could my house -- one normally stocked with vanilla extract by the liter -- be out?! Totally out. I scratched my way through the pantry, trying to find something that would be even close. Needing four teaspoons of vanilla, I found only three of almond. "Close enough," I told myself. And then I found the rum extract and rounded out the four total teaspoons I needed with that. Nervous, I tried it. But I think it worked.

The recipe I ended up using on the fly:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 cups golden raisins
• 2 cups dark chocolate M&Ms

Preheat oven to 275 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine brown sugar and water in a 4-cup microwave-proof glass measuring cup. Place in microwave on high for five minutes -- stirring about halfway through -- and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from microwave, add extract and salt. Stir.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and brown sugar syrup mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto cookie sheets and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden and crunchy.

Toast slivered almonds over medium heat for about five minutes or until they just start to brown.

When the oats mixture comes out of the oven, add toasted almonds and raisins. When granola has cooled completely, add M&Ms. Store in an airtight container or enjoy right from the bowl!

Homemade Dog Treats

I was really itching to bake something Sunday afternoon. Cookies? Cupcakes? I know myself, and I knew if I baked something scrumptious I could eat half the batch by myself. So I opted for fresh dog treats instead!

Mom gave me a cute little dog-treat cookbook a couple of years ago that came with a bone-shaped cookie cutter. I just flipped through it to find a recipe that worked with ingredients I already had in the house. This one couldn't be simpler:

• 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup milk

Cream the butter and cheese together with a fork. Work in flour and milk. Form into a ball and roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut and bake at 375 for 28-30 minutes.

The house smelled so good while they were baking, like there was a fresh loaf of some fancy cheese bread in the oven. The boys loved them! We even shared a few with a the neighbors' new dog. Their 5-year-old told us "He didn't even spit it out!" So I guess he liked them too.

Baby Eggplant

I bought four of the cutest little baby eggplants today, but I'm just not exactly sure what to do with them.

I was thinking about cutting them in half and roasting them with a little extra virgin olive oil and dried herbs, but if anyone has a better thought, please let me know.

Laura? Kathy? Claudia?

Chipotle Mashed Potatoes

From the January/February 2008 issue of Weight Watchers Magazine, Chipotle Mashed Potatoes:

1 lb. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into two-inch chunks
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Bring the potatoes and cold, salted water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.

Combine buttermilk, chipotle, salt and pepper, stirring until blended. Set aside.

Return potatoes to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and slowly add the buttermilk mixture while mashing.

A 2/3 cup serving is just 1 point -- 98 calories, 1 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber -- according to the recipe.

My day in points...

Breakfast: oatmeal: 2 points
banana: 2 points

Lunch: English muffin pizzas: 4 points
apple: 1 point
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: banana: 2 points

Dinner: chipotle mashed potatoes: 2 points
beef/spinach/feta spiral: 6 points
brownie bite: 1 point

TOTAL: 21 points.

Recipe Friday: Mango and Avocado Chicken Salad

I found a garnish version of this recipe in a book that Mom got me for Christmas, but with a few tweaks, it made a great lunch salad yesterday.

Mango and Avocado Chicken Salad
lettuce or spinach bed
grilled chicken, cubed
mango, cubed
avocado, cubed
pepper jack cheese, cubed
mandarin orange slices
red bell pepper, diced (for color)

I made an easy dressing from a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the juice from half an orange and one lime, and some kosher salt and course-ground black pepper. Pretty yummy if I do say so myself!!!

Because You Can Never Eat Too Much Pizza

Here's a quick lunch or dinner that even Stacey could make: English muffin pizzas.

Mom used to make these when I was a kid, and I hadn't thought of them for probably 15 years until just about a year ago. So quick and easy, and they can even be Weight Watchers-friendly.

So, split an English muffin or two and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Get the oven preheating to 350 degrees. Put your favorite pasta sauce or tomato sauce on the split muffins. Add your favorite cheese and toppings, and bake 10-12 minutes. Easy as pie. Pizza pie.

I've been using the Thomas brand 100-calorie English muffins. High in fiber and low in fat, one muffin is only one WW point.

Breakfast: Smart Ones muffin: 4 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: English muffin pizzas: 4 points
10 saltines: 2 points
snack cakes: 1 point

Afternoon snack: oatmeal: 3 points

Dinner: spring rolls: 6 points
won ton soup: 2 points

TOTAL: 24 points.

Peach-Blueberry Crisp Recipe

Here's a new recipe for you to try. I picked it up this weekend at Central Market and it was so good. (Don't tell Cole, but I made it with organic fruit.) I'm sure it's meant to be a dessert, but we had it alongside sandwiches. Very yummy!!!

Fresh Peach and Blueberry Crisp
3 cups fresh peaches
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. almond extract*
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 stick butter

*I didn't haven't almond extract on-hand, so I just used vanilla extract instead.

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Peel and cube peaches.

In a large bowl, combine peaches, blueberries, extract, lemon juice, sugar and 2 Tbsp. flour. Pour into a deep-dish pie plate or 8x8" baking dish.

In a separate bowl, blend 1 cup flour, brown sugar, almonds and butter; mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over berry mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

I'd suggest letting it cool about 10 minutes before enjoying.

Here's how my day ended up:

Breakfast: Smart Ones muffin: 4 points

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: sandwich: 5 points
peach-blueberry crisp: 8 points (I had seconds)

Afternoon snack: pretzels: 2 points

Dinner: Hatch chile chicken sausage: 5 points
apple and parmesan: 3 points
dessert (leftover crisp) 4 points

TOTAL: Please keep in mind, I had almost decided not to add up or post this total since I know I've gone way overboard today. As of this very second, I still haven't added up all my points. But that's why I'm here. That's why I'm blogging. To keep a true count and to be accountable, to myself if to no one else. 33. Eleven too many. Hey, at least I ate plenty of fruit today!!!

Wom Kim's Peach Pudding Recipe

You've asked for it, now here it is. I got this recipe from Mom who got it from a co-worker who got it from a friend who got it from Hyde Park Bar and Grill. Or so that's the story...

Wom Kim's Peach Pudding

14 oz. butter or margarine (room temperature)
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 2/3 lb. frozen sliced peaches (not in syrup)
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
heavy cream or whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Thaw and drain peaches. Using the high speed on your mixer, beat butter or margarine until smooth, adding the sugar a little at a time. Beat until light and fluffy.

Reduce mixer speed to to low, add vanilla, then add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

Heat buttermilk until warm to the touch then add baking soda, remove from heat. Using the low speed on your mixer, slowly add buttermilk and flour into butter mixture in five steps, alternating between the two as you go (buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk). Mix for two minutes.

Spray 9x13" baking pan with non-stick spray, fill with batter and spread the peaches evenly over the top. The peaches will sink to the bottom during the baking process.

Cover pan with foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray on the underside.

Bake covered for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Service portions warm and covered with heavy cream or whipped cream if you desire.

Enjoy!!!

Fresh Applesauce Recipe

Boring post. I'm sorry. All you're getting today is my food journal and a recipe for fresh, homemade applesauce that we had a lunch today.

Breakfast: 1 cup cereal: 2 points
1/2 cup soymilk: 1 point

Mid-morning snack: banana: 2 points

Lunch: English muffin pizza: 4 points
homemade apple sauce: 3 points (recipe below)

Afternoon snack: pretzels: 2 points

Dinner: Hell on the Red Chicken: 5 points
Mexican potato cakes: 3 points

TOTAL: 22 points. I hit the official WW scale tomorrow morning. My knees are shakin'...

---

Fresh Applesauce

2 lbs. of your favorite cooking/baking apple (for me it was five large Fuji apples)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar

Peel and slice apples and place in large saucepan with apple juice. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes, or until apples slices are soft.

Add nutmeg and sugar; stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add cinnamon; mash with a potato masher until you get a consistency you like.

Chill completely. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon to serve.

Notes: Two Weight Watchers points (if you care) per 1/2 cup serving. You can even replace the apple juice with apple cider. That might be especially good for a wintertime taste. Let me know if you try it!!!

Cheesy Salsa Chicken

If you ever need a good, quick, easy chicken dinner, we had one last night...

We sent Stacey a little "love from Texas" package last week that included her favorite salsa, and ours, Hell on the Red. Our pantry is never without it. So, wanting to do an easy chicken dish and having Hell on the Red on hand, I simply did this...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I use a 9x9 glass dish. But anything with high sides would work. Spray pan with non-stick spray and put boneless, skinless chicken breasts inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour on the Hell on the Red (any salsa will do), just enough to top the chicken. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove foil from pan. Top chicken and salsa with your favorite cheese. Sliced, shredded, whatever flavor you want, whatever amount you like. Bake without foil for an additional 10 minutes.

Last night we had it with just steamed rice. But you could pair it with anything in the world. Fresh tortillas, steamed veggies, baked potato. Enjoy!!!

Cheeseburger Salad

I always struggle to find something new and exciting to prepare for dinner. Something that is healthy and balanced and Cole-approved. I'm afraid of doing one meal too regularly or getting into a rut.

Now that I'm back on Weight Watchers, I'm really making an effort to put together a weekly menu at the beginning of each week. I think this will help me stay focused, keep us from eating out too much, and stop me from going too crazy up and down the aisles at the grocery store. When I get the weekly menu together, I send it to Cole for his review.

But, back to making something new for dinner... tonight it was cheeseburger salad.

I just basically created a salad bar in our kitchen: lettuce, onions, salsa, dressings, crumbled bacon, croutons, etc. And on the stovetop I made little silver dollar-size hamburgers out of lean ground sirloin, kosher salt and course ground pepper, and melted cheese on top. Baby burgers on top of a bed of lettuce and whatever else we wanted in our bowls. Not too shabby, as the Huggins crew likes to say...

Breakfast: coffee with Splenda and creamer: 1 point
Kashi hot cereal: 2 points

Mid-morning snack: melba toast and laughing cow cheese: 2 points

Lunch: leftover pizza: 6 points
broccoli in cheese sauce: 1 point

Afternoon snack: trail mix: 3 points

Dinner: cheeseburger salad: 8 points
brownie bites: 3 points

TOTAL: 26 points. Four more out of my weekly wiggle allowance. Still on track...

When Is a Recipe Yours and Not Stolen?

Each month in our tiny little mailbox we find a copy of a magazine called Texas Co-op Power from our electric company. There are always good articles about Texas travels, characters and food, and a handful of recipes. In the March issue they featured recipes from Texas-based Luby's. There was one that I just couldn't turn the page after reading: the macaroni and cheese.

(Can you tell we've been on a mac 'n cheese kick lately?!)

I had never tried mac 'n cheese from scratch before -- Cole was quick to point out I did not roll out the pasta noodles myself -- but I was ready to give this recipe a try. One problem: I don't keep dry non-fat milk in my pantry. But with Laura's suggestion, I decided to use evaporated milk instead. And with that, I reduced the water in the recipe. And I added breadcrumbs.

I added two ingredients, deleted one and altered the measurement of another. Does that make this recipe mine now, or does Luby's still get credit for it??? Either way, here's the version that came out of our oven this evening. Yummy if I do say so myself.

Mac 'n Cheese
2 cups large elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3 cups grated American cheese from deli counter (My deli guy suggested 1/4 pound for each 1 cup I wanted to shred; he was right on.)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
breadcrumbs

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, boiling water, butter or margarine, evaporated milk and 1 cup of cheese until smooth. Fold in drained macaroni and 1 more cup of grated cheese. Pour into lightly greased 11x7" casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle last cup of grated cheese over the top and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake an additional five minutes.