Recipe Redo Roundup

I've had a lot of recipe revisions as of late... I can't even remember if I've put them up already or not... so forgive me if this is not new info. If you don't already know I am committed to making homemade, healthy, and fast dinners SEVEN FREAKING NIGHTS A WEEK. I don't post a recipe unless everyone in the family gives it a big thumbs and we have had it multiple times. I don't think I've ever posted a recipe that takes longer than 30 minutes from start to finish... even with kids interrupting my mojo. In fact most of the recipes I post take about 15 - 20 minutes. Not sure why I shared that... just a little FYI I guess... and some encouragement that anyone can do this (without going totally insane).

The Redos:

Remember my Brown Sugar & Ginger Salmon (which is simple, fast, and DELICIOUS)... well... I've adopted the same technique and just changed the flavors up. So read the original recipe for cooking times and prep info. I buy frozen wild sockeye salmon filets. I buy them in pre-portioned 6 oz filets... I cook two for our family of 4 and divide them into 3 oz portions for serving. The recipe amounts are listed per 6 oz filet... adjust according to your salmon filet size.

Honey & Orange Glazed Salmon
salt & pepper salmon filets
drizzle filets with honey (about 1.5 t for a 6 oz portion)
sprinkle with finely grated orange zest (about 1/2 t per 6 oz portion)


Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon
salt & pepper salmon filets
rub dijon mustard onto each filet (1/2 t per 6 oz portion)
drizzle honey over mustard (about 1/2 t per 6 oz portion)

The kids go CRAZY for these two versions.

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Remember my Salmon Noodle Casserole? (aka Tuna Noodle Casserole... I just prefer to serve my kids salmon since it isn't mercury laden... but you can use tuna) Well that was merely a slight redo on the traditional recipe I grew up with and it used Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup... which is not only not organic but has MSG. So this recipe was tabled for awhile until I found a way to substitute organic ingredients.

Here are my new substitutions...

The resulting recipe is actually even better than the original.
Because this soup is not as concentrated I use 1/3 of the can. I pour the rest into an ice cube tray and store the cubes in a freezer bag. When I make the casserole the next time I just throw half the soup cubes in my casserole dish and microwave them to defrost and then proceed with the recipe.
This brand of salmon is FANTASTIC, much more moist and flavorful, and breaks down better in the sauce... plus I feel good about the fishery.
Because the soup is thinner I just mix it with 1/4 c mayo and 1.5 t dijon mustard (no milk is necessary). I blend in the drained salmon and season with salt and pepper.
I also often throw in about a cup of diced mushrooms (Kid loves mushrooms!) and toss with the noodles and bake as originally directed.

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And a new one (to be posted with photo just as soon as I make it again):

This past week I threw together a fabulous mexican inspired dish that the kids loved. It was a good change up for my turkey & black bean taco filling...
2 T olive oil
3/4 c diced red onion (half a med onion)
2 c frozen corn kernels
1 can drained black beans
8 oz coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken (great use for that weekly chicken!)
seasonings: garlic powder, ground oregano, lots of cumin, salt & pepper
(sorry but I seasoned to taste and didn't measure)

Heat oil in pan, add onion and corn and cook until onions are translucent and corn is heated through. Add drained beans and chicken and season well.
Serve with seasoned rice.
I divided this into two dinners.
One half makes 4 dinner sized meals of 1/2 c rice with 1 c chicken filling for 330 calories.
There will be half left to use again another night as taco filling.

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As for seasoned rice... I used to buy the prepackaged boxes of rice (Near East brand)... but realized that I could do it myself for a lot cheaper.
The key is to remember that the spice packets they include have a lot of spice & salt in them... don't be stingy or it won't be as good. I make my rice on the stove top with the basic recipe of 1 part rice to 1.75 parts liquid (I fine 1:2 is too much liquid). I almost always use half chicken stock and half water for my liquid. I add 1T of oil (usually olive but I'll use sesame for asian flavored rice) to the cold pot of rice & liquid then add seasonings (garlic & onion powder, cumin, chili powder & ground oregano, and salt for mexican flavored rice) bring pot to a boil, turn down to a simmer cover and cook until liquid is absorbed.

Next time I make these recipes I'll measure the seasonings... but with a little tasting as you go you should be able to get it right.

The Mother Of Invention

This morning I was devastated to find my Hearty Oat Maple Fusion waffles were gone. I really rely on these as my breakfast staple. They are filling and fast, and I don't get the crash and burn I would from pancakes or cereal. I decided I could whip up something similar (why this had never occurred to me before I do not know)... and I did. And, people, they are even better than the waffles... while not quite as fast they are just as filling. The kids loved them too.

Maple Oat Pancakes

1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 c water
1 c pancake/biscuit baking mix
2 T almond flour/meal (ground almonds)**
1 egg
2 T maple syrup (real people)

In a good sized microwave safe bowl combine the oats and water. Cover with a lid or plate and microwave for 3 minutes.
When the oats are cooked stir in the baking mix, egg, almond meal and syrup and thoroughly combine. Cook as you would regular pancakes. Enjoy.

makes 8 pancakes at 100 calories each


** You can get a one pound bag Almond Meal at Trader Joe's for just $3.49. That is an amazing deal! I love to add almond meal to cooked cereals and baked goods to amp up the nutritional content.

Dinner Is Served

I've posted this recipe before but today I've updated it with both a photo and a video.
This is one of my go to recipes. It is super fast, easy, and sophisticated. If you haven't tried this yet you are really missing out. Seriously folks this is FANTASTIC. Of all the recipes I have ever created this is hands down the best one and the one I am most proud of. Try it.

Brown Sugar and Ginger Salmon

salmon filets
minced ginger (prefer the jars pureed ginger you can buy... 1/2 t - 2 t per 6 oz filet)
ground coriander
s&p
brown sugar (1 T per 6oz of filet)

Heat oven to 400

line cookie sheet with tin foil (do it!) and lightly grease the foil
Place filets (I get a 12-16 oz for the three of us) on the prepared cookie sheets. Salt and pepper the filets and then dust with the coriander (like you are putting cinnamon sugar on toast). Schmear (yes you NYers will know what I mean) the minced ginger over the filets. This is totally a taste issue on how "hot" you want the salmon to be. Apply sparingly (1/2 t per 6 oz) if you don't like spice and more (2 t per 6 oz filet) if you do. Then take a tablespoon of brown sugar for each 6 oz or so of salmon and evenly crumble and press this on top of the ginger. Pat the sugar to cover the whole filet and kind of moisten it from the ginger. Place in oven for about 10 mins until desired doneness. The brown sugar should have melted into a glaze. THIS IS FANTASTIC!

175 calories for 4 oz portion


Cooking Notes:
My grocery store isn't selling the jars of pureed ginger (might have been Christopher Ranch or some such brand like the garlic) anymore... they now have it in a tube "Gourmet Garden Ginger Spice Blend"

Also I use Wild Sockeye I find it has a stronger flavor and a firmer texture. Lately I've been buying the vacuum packed frozen filets so I can make this whenever I want.. I just put the filets in the fridge the night before. Whole Foods and TJ's both have these at about $9.99/lb. If you buy it at the fish counter it is often over this and since they've thawed it for you (well for those of us who do not live in Alaska).. you don't have a lot of flexibility in terms of when you're going to make it.

Mrs F Food TV... you can watch me make it!

An Oldie But A Goodie

Some of you have already made this and so for you I am sorry that you are suffering through a repeat... but for everyone else I cannot stress how good this is. Seriously. We eat this once a week. It takes about 17 minutes from start to finish and only 2 minutes of that is prep time. It is so simple and you can have it on the table faster than take out with just as much ease. For real. If you haven't tried it out yet you should.

Tomato and Meatball Soup

1 -32 oz carton Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (or 2 cans Campbell's tomato soup)

3 oz elbow noodles (dry)

12 mini party style meatballs (frozen)

1/2 c water or chicken stock


Dump the soup, the noodles, and the meatballs in a sauce pan. Pour the water or stock in the soup carton and shake to dislodge any remaining soup and add to the pot. Bring this to a simmer and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally while heating! Once the meatballs are heated through I cut them in half in the pot to make them easier for Kid to eat.

makes 4 - 1.5 c servings for 263 calories each

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Cooking Notes:
You could easily extend this by adding 1 c chicken broth, 3-4 meatballs, and 1 oz of noodles for each additional serving! If you are adding more than 2 extra servings just double the original recipe (obviously... right?)

Also if you have a Trader Joe's their Tomato Soup is the BEST and it's cheaper! I also use their brand of mini party meatballs.

If using Campbell's soup omit the extra 1/2 c or water or stock and prepare the condensed soup following the can's instructions.
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Mrs F Food TV... You can watch me make it!

Dinner Is Served

Everyone has got their childhood food favorites. For me that was my mother's Tuna Noodle Casserole. I love it so much I could eat it cold out of the fridge in the middle of the night. Yum. I have changed the recipe very little. The only thing I have changed is the main ingredient. I use canned (well I use it from a pouch) boneless skinless wild pink salmon. You know I'm a little nutty about things like heavy metals in my food so I changed it out for a much healthier fish... you actually can't taste the difference. I've been reluctant to post this recipe despite its near constant presence at our fall and winter table because I've been embarrassed to admit that I make something so... well... cream of mushroom soup reliant. But here it is. It is a cinch to make and is infintely flexible. I make it with just an ounce of pasta per serving so it is fairly low carb, low fat, and high in protein. You can get it ready in a few minutes the night before or in the morning and bake it when you are ready to eat. It reheats well in the microwave or eat it cold... it really is good that way! I have the recipe worked out for 4 servings but you can stir in an extra ounce or two of pasta and stretch it for a couple more servings. I stir peas into ours but you can leave them out if your family doesn't do peas. This is not rocket science... it is a casserole... and it is delicious.

Salmon Noodle Casserole

4 oz shaped pasta (elbow, rotini, etc)
7-8 oz canned salmon (no bones or skin), such as Chicken of The Sea in a 7.1 oz pouch
1 can cream of mushroom soup, Campbell's Healthy Request
1/4 c light mayo
2 T milk (2%)
1t mustard (dijon)
salt and pepper
optional:
1 c frozen peas

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Bring a pot of water to boil.
Stir in pasta, salt the cooking water, and return to a boil following package directions. When there is 7 minutes remaining on the pasta stir in the frozen peas if using and return to a boil.
Meanwhile in a casserole dish combine salmon, soup, milk, and mustard and mash with a fork to break up the fish.
When the pasta is finished drain the pot of pasta and peas and add to the casserole dish. Stir ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. At this point you could refrigerate the casserole until ready to use or pop it right into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

4 servings at 315 calories a piece (including peas)
add 2 ounces of pasta to filling to make 6 servings at 245 calories a piece


Cooking notes:
I use light mayo because it stays creamy even after baking and it keeps both the fat and calories down. You can use regular mayo and any type of milk for this. My calorie calculation is based on the light mayo, the 2 %, and the peas so adjust accordingly when you make your changes.
And yes you can make this the old fashioned way... with Tuna!

Mrs F Food TV... you can watch me make it!

Mrs F tackles Portion Control

Okay this is going to be the first in a series of "In The Kitchen With Mrs Furious" video posts. These videos are a little longer so keep that in mind. I am really looking forward to doing more cooking and cooking related videos so keep your eyes open for those.
For those of you at "the office" who can't watch this right now I will paraphrase my rules below.

In The Kitchen With Mrs Furious: Portion Control


I was talking about portion control with my mom the other day and it got me thinking about the ways in which I have built this into the Furious Family diet. I'm no longer calorie counting but I haven't thrown everything out the window. I still carefully monitor our portions.
Here are some of the ways that I do that:

#1 I make enough food for the meal. In our house that typically means cooking three portions. That's it. No leftovers, no seconds, just enough. And it is enough.

#2 I don't weigh everything anymore... but I always weigh our pasta. A "G.I." (gylcemic index) portion of pasta is 1.5 ounces. That is what I serve each of us. Pasta is calorie dense and should be a side dish. This really didn't take that long to get used to. It helps keep our dinners under 500 calories. No one goes hungry... and no one is getting fat either!

#3 I eat a half a sandwich. That's right ONE piece of bread. This is a hold over from the diet. There is just no way to have a whole sandwich and not be going over 300 calories for lunch. This is an easy way to keep your lunch in control. Now I've gotten a few comments about this one. I will clarify that yes it is humanly possible to eat two pieces of bread with some small amount of filling and come in UNDER 300 calories. The point I am making is that more often than not you won't... and even if you do MOST of your calories will be from the bread... aka... carbs. I'm suggesting that one piece of bread is a proper carb portion and that you can have nearly a whole sandwiches worth of filling on it and shave off 100 calories from your lunch.

#4 I measure rice. 2/3c of COOKED rice is a serving. I generally serve a 1/2 c of cooked rice. To make this step really easy I use a 1/2 c measuring cup as my spoon when I serve the plates out of the pot. Again grains are calorie dense. 1/2 c of cooked rice is 100 calories.

#5 Use serving bowls or glasswear that help you control your portions. If I am having ice cream I eat it out of a small juice glass which perfectly holds 1/2 c of ice cream. If I have cereal I use the bowls that fit one serving. You get the idea. This really does help and it is easy to do.

A basic Furious Family dinner for us is 3-4 ounces of protein, 1/2 c rice (1.5 oz pasta), and 1.5-2 c veggies. This is almost always around 400 calories and looks something like 1/2 plate of vegetables, 1/2-2/3 protein, 1/3 -1/2 starch.