Sausage Rolls

Last Friday I got it in my head that I wanted to have finger foods for dinner.  We already had some amazing cheeses we had bought earlier in the week as well as some herring. Having some fresh veggies was easy, but I wanted to try something new.  So many times we have had little get-togethers and made some real duds.  (Salmon spread quickly comes to mind.)  It's always a bit scary to test your new creations on guests so I decided to test something on Joey instead.

I had picked up Half-Baked Gourmet Party Food: Partly Homemade Totally Delicious at a bookstore ages ago and decided I would make something from that.  Since I had Italian sausage and I love making things with crescent roll dough this was the perfect recipe. I made it two ways - one with Italian sausage and provolone and the other with prosciutto and mozzarella. The verdict?  Both were tasty, but I liked the sausage a bit more and Joey liked the prosciutto.  Yay! We were both happy and I felt so Sandra Lee.  I would totally make these again.  They would be perfect for game night (sports or board) and are really easy.  This makes about 40 pieces and, no, we didn't eat all of them. (They do reheat well, though.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Italian sauage
• 1 package (8 ounces) crescent roll dough
• 8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

Part 1

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.
2. Remove sausage from casings and crumble into skillet.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up while it cooks.
4. Drain well and let cool completely.

Part 2

1. Unroll pastry but do not separate into triangles.
2. Pinch the perforations together making four rectangles.
3. Sprinkle one fourth of the sausage on each dough rectangle then top each with two slices of cheese.
4. Roll up from long edge and place each roll, seam side down on a sheet of wax paper.
5. Roll up in the paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Part 3

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Bake the rolls on an ungreased baking sheet for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. 
3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
4. Cut each into 10 pieces.

Variation

Substitute 1 package (4 ounces) thinly sliced prosciutto and 8 thin slices of mozzarella for the sausage and provolone.  Prepare as above.

Sean's Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Sometimes Joey and I have a really busy weekend and I don't have time to cook. We both still need lunches for the week, so this casserole is one of my go-to meals that I can make ahead and know it's going to be delicious for the following week. It's not only great the night you make it, but it's amazing leftover. It's also quite healthy and hearty.

This recipe was based on a Weight Watchers recipe, but I have changed it so much I can now call it my own. There is very little left of the original recipe beside the non-fat sour cream. What makes this tuna casserole unique is the use of whole wheat noodles, onions and caraway seeds. The caraway seeds is an ingredient I added on a whim, and they are tasty!

One thing I do want to say in advance - do take the time to saute the onions and mushrooms. As my dear Carla told me, you should never just throw vegetables in a casserole and she is right. If you don't have time to saute, then I would leave out the onions.

Ingredients

12 oz uncooked whole-wheat "egg" noodles
12 oz water-packed tuna fish, drained
2 turns olive oil (about two Tablespoons)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
16 oz fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat or regular mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, or Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, with 2 turns of olive oil.
3. Cook noodles according to directions and transfer to a bowl.
4. While noodles are cooking saute onions for one or two minutes then add mushrooms. Saute until tender then transfer to a bowl.
5. When noodles are done, drain and transfer to a bowl. Fold in tuna, onions, mushrooms and peas.
6. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, caraway seeds, salt and pepper in a bowl then fold into noodle mixture.
7. Transfer to a 3 quart casserole dish and top with cheese.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.

Notes

If you don't particularly like caraway seeds then dried parsley works very well in this recipe. Also, you can completely omit the onions, but if you saute them, they are very mild and quite tasty. This really is a great make-ahead meal. If you find you have time one night and might be busy later in the week, make this in advance and reheat it. It's very good reheated.

Steamed Artichokes with Almond Saffron Dip

One of my favorite artichoke experiences is when I found them in the food basement of Hankyu Department Store in Osaka. I had not had one in years and I really wanted these. They had two. Just two. The problem was they were about $20.00 each. Oh, my, should I buy one? You betcha! I bought up both of the babies and had a feast when I got home!

This is one of my favorite dipping sauces, by Ellie Krieger. I made it last Saturday for Raquel and Joey. While not particularly low in fat it's very healthy as are all her recipes. If you have not watched her show on the Food Network, "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" you really must. She really teaches you about healthy cooking without lecturing.

This is a very healthy and delicious way to enjoy your artichokes.

Ingredients

• 4 artichokes
• Pinch saffron
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Arrange the artichokes in a steamer basket set over at least 3 cups of water and steam, covered, until the leaves can be easily removed, about 1 hour. Let cool. About halfway through cooking check the water level and add more, if necessary.
2. In a small bowl, stir together saffron and the tablespoon of boiling water.
3. Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove the almonds and add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan.
5. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
8. In a food processor, grind the almonds until finely chopped.
9. Add the saffron mixture, onion mixture, yogurt and parsley and puree until smooth.
10. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
11. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
12. Serve with the artichokes.

Steamed Artichokes

One of my all-time favorite things is artichokes. They are right up there with whiskers on kittens. Not only are these tasty treats figure friendly, they are delicious and fun to eat! A large artichoke only has 70 calories or so and no Weight Watchers points! They are also chock full of fiber. They are the perfect appetizer!

Now this is not really a recipe but more of a reminder of how delicious artichokes are and how easy they are to make. My preferred method of preparing them is steaming. While this does take a long time, it's really worth the wait.

So, what makes an artichoke fattening? Well, it's the stuff you dip it in. Mayonnaise and butter are not particularly figure friendly, but you can get around that. You can always opt for non-fat mayonnaise and a non-fat butter substitute (I like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Lite"). Salsa works as does yogurt with some herbs and just a touch of real mayonnaise. Whatever you like to dip them in just try to make it figure friendly.

When purchasing artichokes you should look for those whose petals have not opened far. The tighter and more compact the artichoke, the fresher. Get out your big steamer and fill it as high as you can with water. These take a long time to boil. (Make sure you check the water frequently.)

Cut off or trim end of artichoke stem. If desired, cut about 1/2 inch off the top.

Boil the artichokes for about an hour or until the leaves can be easily removed and are tender.

That's about it! How easy can that be? Next week I will post one of my favorite dipping sauces by Ellie Krieger.

Blueberry Clafouti

This summer I am really trying to take advantage of all the fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season. I am not usually very good at that, but this year I am doing quite well. The other day I got a great deal on blueberries and decided to make one of Joey's favorite desserts, Blueberry Clafouti. Clafouti is a custard-like French dessert with fruit. It's baked in the oven and is not only really easy, but very delicious. We got this recipe from Dave Lieberman's show on the Food Network, "Good Deal with Dave Lieberman." They are not making new episodes of this show, but if you can catch it, it's really worth a watch. Some of my favorite desserts are from that show.

So, take advatage of fresh blueberries and whip out this tasty dessert. You will be glad you did!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pints blueberries, washed and drained
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch fine salt
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place blueberries in the bottom of a small rectangular glass pan (about 8 by 10 inches).
3. In a medium bowl, crack eggs and whisk lightly. Add sugar and continue whisking until mixture thickens and is pale yellow. Add milk and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add a pinch of fine salt and whisk to incorporate. Pour mixture over berries.
4. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the clafouti has puffed and the center bounces back when lightly pressed, about 45 minutes, rotating once.
5. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before cutting. Slice into 8 equal pieces and gently remove from pan with a spatula or cake server. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Cornish Game Hens

Cornish Game Hens are one of my favorite things to make and one of the easiest. I don't know why I don't make them more often, I think I just always forget about them for some reason. When Joey brought a couple home the other day I was thrilled. Not only because I love them, but also because they are cheap! Only $.99 a pound! We got two hens for only about $3.00.

They are super simple to make. You start out with the main cooking instructions below and add your own twist. This time I used an apricot glaze that was simple and delicious, but there are many, many other ways to make them.

Another great thing about Cornish hens is that you can make as few or as many as you like. For this recipe I made two.

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish Game Hens (about 1 - 1/4 pound each)
• 1/2 cup Apricot Jam
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Clean and truss hens and place on a rack in a roasting pan.
   
3. In a small bowl, mix jam, soy sauce, mustard and honey. Set aside.
4. Roast hens for about 1 hour or until the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced with a knife and a meat thermometer registers 170°.
5. About 15 or 20 minutes before the hens are done, brush the glaze over the hens.

Notes

I find Cornish Game Hens to be the perfect "test" kitchen for testing out new basting methods. They are cheap and you really can't go wrong.

Best Way To Cook Corn on the Cob

I know summer is almost over, but there is still time to enjoy delicious, fresh corn. Corn on the Cob is one of my favorite summer treats, however I never really knew the best method of cooking it until last week. I did a Google search and found the best method for cooking corn on the cob ever from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I have often been disappointed by different methods of cooking this "easy" dish, but this one made the perfect corn on the cob, not once but twice! Every family has their own way of doing this, but from now on this is the Sean & Joey way! Enjoy!!!

Instructions

Just before cooking, husk the corn, pull off the silky threads, and cut out any blemishes with a pointed knife. Drop the corn into a large pot filled with boiling salted water. Cover the pot and let the water return to a boil again, then turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. After about 5 minutes, remove enough ears for a first serving. You can keep the remaining corn warm in the water for another 10 minutes without its becoming tough. Serve with lots of butter and salt.

Zucchini Bread

My friends Tom and John have this amazing garden in Sonoma. The other day Tom came into work with a zucchini for me that was the biggest zucchini I have ever seen. If you worked with us you can imagine the jokes about it. :-)

Since I didn't know what to do with this thing the obvious choice was Zucchini Bread. I searched my cookbooks and couldn't find anything that inspired me so I turned to the net. I found this recipe on Recipezaar, one of my very favorite cooking sites. It was submitted by MizzNezz. I made four loaves today and they are amazing! Just thought I would share it with you!

The bread has this crunchy top that I think is from the orange juice and the apple sauce. It's moist, not too sweet and very flavorful. This certainly deserves one big, YUMMO!!!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Beat until well blended.
4. Add zucchini, applesauce and orange juice; stir well.
5. Combine flour with next 5 ingredients.
6. Add to zucchini mixture; stir well.
7. Add nuts; stir gently to combine.
8. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9in loaf pans.
9. Bake for 60-70 minutes; till toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
11. Remove from pans and let cool completely.

Easy Angel Food Cake with Berries

Joey and I are in a conundrum, we are trying to slim down for our cruise in August, but we both have horrible sweet tooths. (teeth? - whatever!) Honestly, a meal isn't a meal without dessert, but I can only have so many Skinny Cow icre cream sandwiches no matter how tasty they are.

This recipe is great on so many levels. It's simple, low in calories and just plain delicious! Angel Food cake has virtually no fat, so this is perfect for anyone.

Now is the time for fresh berries. We make this with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries - sometimes all at once. The key is the frozen strawberries. They already have the juices going. We have tried them with real sugar and artificially sweetened to even lower the calories. The real sugar makes a better sauce, but the other was just as good. We usually use two packages of strawberries and then a pint each of whatever other berries are in season. Mix it up and have fun!!! You can also use fresh strawberries, slice them and put sugar on them for about a half hour or so. Also, non-fat topping is delicious so count those calories and go with that!!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen strawberries with sugar, defrosted
  
• 1/2 pint black berries, raspberries, or blueberries
  
• 1 store bought angel food cake
• Non-fat or light whipped topping

Instructions

Mix frozen strawberries that have been defrosted with fresh berries. Cut cake into thick slices. Top sliced cake with juicy berry mixture and whipped topping.

Busy Gal Meals

I am one busy boy these days. It seems that no sooner am I done with my crochet homework then a new package arrives for me. If your day is jam packed with activity, you might want to try these meals as well. I mean, Nutri-dation? Who could complain about that? All they'll know is it tastes great!

This is from one of my favorite movies Girls Will Be Girls. It's fun, campy and anything with Varla Jean Merman is sure to be entertaining. (Now you know where our lovebird got her name!)

Three Bean and Pork Slow Cooker Chili

I got a new crockpot!!!! I love it! Karolyn got it for me for my birthday. I will write a review on it next week. This is my first meal using it.

This Weight Watchers recipe is quick, easy and simply delicious. When you need a no-fuss, throw-it-in-the-pot meal, this is the one to go to. It makes a ton, by the way, but freezes well.

I make this just as directed, except I really have to thicken it before I serve it. My thickening agent of choice is cornstarch. I actually had to use a lot last time. About 4 Tablespoons mixed with about 1/2 cup of cold water. When using corn starch makes sure to always mix it with cold water before you add it. Make sure the chili (or whatever you are adding the cornstarch to) is bubbling to activate the corn starch.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion(s), chopped
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1 cup carrot(s), chopped
• 1 Tbsp chili powder, medium-hot
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded, chopped or 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 pound lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green pepper, celery and onion, undrained
• 6 oz canned tomato paste

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, carrots, chili powder, oregano, chilies, salt and pepper in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir. Add remaining ingredients. Stir again.

Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 6 to 8 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Note: Start the chili at a HIGH setting so the ingredients quickly reach a safe temperature. You can reduce the heat to LOW after 3 to 4 hours, if you prefer.

Serves 10

Points Value: 5

Sweet and Sour Braised Brisket

Sometimes what looks good on the Food Network and on paper does not come out the way you had hoped. That was the case with this recipe. It looked so delicious when I saw Dave Lieberman make it, but I was very disappointed with the end result.

I diligently got up super early on Sunday morning to get this thing in the oven. 6:30!!!! That's a challenge on week days, let alone Sunday! Anyway, I followed the instructions - browned the beef, sauted the vegetables. It smelled delicious! When I pulled it out of the oven, though, I was so sad. After 10 hours the liquid had actually increased and the meat was not all that tender. I was going to write this recipe off until last night.

I came home and Joey had our leftovers all plated up and ready to go for dinner. I was amazed at how delicious this dish had become! The meat was flavorful and tender. YUMMO! As Rachel would say.

If I were to make this again, I think I would do it in the crock pot rather than the oven. I would also decrease the liquid a bit. I don't know if I love beef brisket, but this really did make some great leftovers and, to us, that is just as important as the first time we have something.

Ingredients

• 1 (6-pound) brisket, upper portion
• Salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Few stalks celery, cut into big chunks
• 3 medium onions, peeled and cut into eights
• Cloves from 1 head garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• 26-ounce box strained tomatoes (recommended: Pomi)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Rub brisket generously with salt and vegetable oil.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil to evenly coat pan and when the oil is hot and is just beginning to smoke, add the brisket and brown on both sides. Transfer the brisket to a shallow baking dish. Add the vegetables to the saute pan. Cook until they brown and start to soften, about 5 minutes. Then pour the vegetables over the brisket.

Whisk together the tomatoes, sugar, stock and vinegar in a mixing bowl then pour it into the same saute pan. Cook for a few minutes to get all the flavor out of the skillet, and then pour over the brisket. It should be at least 3/4 of the way submersed in the liquid. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 8 to 10 hours until tender and the meat begins to fall apart. Slice thinly and serve with veggies and cooking liquid.

Serves 8 - 10

Boston Lettuce Avocado Salad and Lime Dressing

We love the Food Network and one of our favorite chefs to watch is Dave Lieberman. Dave makes some really delicious food at a very low cost. I have to say that I think his forte is salads. Now what's to a salad? Not much, but don't you ever just want to make one that is a step above your average iceberg lettuce with some low-fat ranch dressing thrown on top? Dave always makes a salad something a bit special. I made this one on Sunday and we both really loved it. The dressing went perfectly with the avocado.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 small to medium heads Boston lettuce, discard any wilted leaves
• 1 Hass avocado, pitted
• 1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• About 20 grinds fresh black pepper
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Instructions

Pull the lettuce leaves from the head, rinse gently under cold water, and lay out on clean towels to dry. Use a spoon to remove the flesh in 1 piece from each half of the avocado. Thinly slice the avocado flesh into thin wedges.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate and top with the avocado wedges, scallion, and cilantro. Finish with a healthy drizzling of the dressing.

Servings: 6 - 8

Note: I love having Varla Jean and Calvin cook with me. They LOVE nibbling on the greens that I feed them. If you have little feathered friends, please be aware that avocado is poisonous for them. DO NOT LET YOUR BIRDS NEAR AVOCADO!!!

Beef Stuffed Cabbage

YAY! My first blog posting!!! This weekend promises to be full o' cooking as next weekend is my birthday and I will probably be busy with that.

This is one of our favorite one-pot recipes. (Not to be confused with Crock Pot!) It's a bit time consuming to stuff the cabbage, but the end result is oh-so yummy. We usually double the recipe so that we have lots of lunches for the following week.

This recipe comes from the Weight Watchers site. For those of you interested it's only 6 points!

Ingredients

• 1/3 head savoy cabbage, about 8 whole leaves
• 1/2 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 medium carrot(s), peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1 large egg white(s)
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with basil, garlic and oregano

Instructions

Wrap cabbage leaves in plastic wrap or moist paper towels and microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes, until soft. Cut off the thickest, white portion of the spine of each leaf to make leaves pliable and easy to fold; set aside.

Combine beef, rice, water, bread crumbs, carrot, onion, garlic, egg white, salt and pepper in a large bowl; mix well.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of beef mixture onto center of each leaf. Fold up bottom of leaf to cover filling, tuck in sides and then continue rolling to make loose rolls (rice will expand during cooking so it is important not to roll them too tightly).

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; add rolls and sauté until golden brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cooked through, checking pot every 15 minutes and stirring to prevent sticking, about 1 hour. (If sauce thickens or reduces, add water.) Yields 2 rolls per serving.