Asian Flare Tilapia

Tonight I decided to make tilapia with an Asian flare. I had made tilapia many times on the grill and served it with mango salsa. Tonight, I wanted to try pan searing it and having a lovely sauce to go with it. I had already had a creative flare at lunch and was really trying to think of a simple, yet delicious sauce. So this is what I came up with:

I started with the sauce:

1/4 of pineapple, sliced and diced
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 mango, sliced and diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1-2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

I started out by peeling and grating the ginger. I have never used fresh ginger root before, so I Googled how to peel and grate it and I found a fantastic website that helped me out: http://www.wikihow.com/Grate-Ginger. I would have never thought to use a spoon to peel the root, but it worked like magic!

I peeled a mango and sliced it and put a few (about 3 good size or 4-5 smaller size) in a bowl. The rest, I diced. I also bought fresh pineapple already cut (there were about 6 wedges in the package) so, I diced three wedges, again keeping about 4-5 bits in the bowl with the sliced mango. I added the diced mangoes and pineapples together to use as garnish later and put those back in the fridge.

I put the grated ginger, sugar, chopped cilantro (which happens to be my FAVORITE herb of all time!!) in a small bowl.

To a medium pan, I added the olive oil and once heated, I added the mango and pineapple, a dash of salt,  black pepper and juice out of half an orange.  I cooked them for just a few minutes, then I added the ginger, sugar, cilantro and soy sauce. I cooked the sauce until it was cooked down. It looked like shit but tasted awesome! I have got to figure out how to make a sauce with fruit.

The Fish:

Tilapia
1 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs butter
salt
pepper
garlic powder
lemon

I pan seared the tilapia in a tablespoon of butter and oil. I seasoned the fish with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of garlic powder. I also squeezed half a lemon on the fish after it had been cooking about 5 minutes.

Ginger-sesame Jasmine Rice:

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup jasmine rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon mince garlic
1 tablespoon sesame seed
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
salt
pepper

I made a ginger-sesame seed jasmine rice. I added one tablespoon of butter and sesame oil to a pan and sauteed 1 tablespoon of sesame seed and 1 tablespoon of garlic for about 3 minutes. I then the grated ginger. While I was doing that, I brought 1 1/2 cups of water to boil and added 1 cup of jasmine rice. The rice cooked for 15 minutes. After cooking, I added the sesame, ginger and garlic and mixed well. I garnished the rice with the diced mangoes and pineapples.


Sauteed green beans w/ almonds

French style green beans (I only had frozen, but I would prefer fresh) Ever how much your family will eat.
1 tbs olive oil
almond slices to taste
salt
pepper
garlic powder

I also sauteed some french style green beans and sliced almonds in about a tablespoon of olive oil. I seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. It doesn't take long for these to cook and they are always a BIG hit with Baby Girl!

It was a yummy dish. Everyone really enjoyed it. I was only disappointed in the sauce. It was not sauce like at all. It was mush, but still very, very tasty. This is definitely on my make again list.

This is a healthy dish that is totally in my 500 calorie meal.

Cluck Went the Chicken

I had a really pleasant day today catching up with a dear friend as our daughters happily played together. I was glad I had planned an easy salad for dinner tonight because I was really hungry when I got home and I didn't have a whole lot of time to make dinner.

I made Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken.

What you'll need:

• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken, (about 12 ounces; see Tip)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe black olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

What you do:

The recipe called for any cooked chicken. I actually grilled chicken for this recipe. I just seasoned two breasts with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder. While the chicken was grilling, I made the salad.

For the dressing combine the vinegar, oil, I used dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and powder in a container. I used the measuring cup I measured the vinegar in to add the other ingredients. Then whisk the ingredients well.

In a large bowl, I added the lettuce, tomatoes (I used Roma tomatoes), cucumber (I used an English cucumber), red onion, black olives and the feta cheese.  I also added a little bit of sea salt and ground fresh pepper. I then added the dressing and tossed the salad to mix the dressing well with the salad. The salad looked so pretty. Baby Girl even commented how nice it looked.

When the chicken was cooked, I let it cool for about 5 minutes then chopped it and put it in the salad. I mixed the salad again to distribute the chicken.

I also took two whole-wheat pita bread and brushed a little olive oil on them and added a little bit of Parmesan cheese on top. I toasted them until the cheese was melted and the bread golden brown. I cut them into slices and served with marinara sauce. They were like bread sticks.

This salad was DELICIOUS! I'm not a fan of Italian dressing but this was exceptional. All the ingredients just complimented each other so nicely. Nothing over powered one another. 

I highly recommend this easy to make salad. It was also very filling. 

Big Mac Attack!

I had a pretty stressful day today. I went and had my annual mammogram. The actual mammogram doesn't hurt. I've never minded it. I do have to say, I preferred it before I got my breast reduction, so it is true, the smaller the boob the more it's uncomfortable. What I hate is the waiting. I've had a couple of scares and they always play through my mind while I'm waiting to be smooshed and even after until I either get a letter (which is good news) or the dreaded phone call to come back. I've set my thoughts on positive and am sure I'll get the good news letter but never the less, it still stresses me. When I got done, which was around lunch time, I immediately wanted a Big Mac. So now you know my deep rooted secret (only if you don't know me), my comfort food is junk food. Hello, my name is Gina and I'm a junk food junkie.

Since being on this new way of eating, I've steered clear of all pre-made/fast food. I almost caved and asked Bear to bring us home a Big Mac, which he would do without hesitation, but then I took a breath and thought, "No! I'm not going to undo the work I've done!" A few years back, I ran across a low calorie version of a Big Mac. It was by Devin Alexander. So, I found the recipe and decided that I will have my Big Mac and french fries I am so craving.

Here's what you'll need: (this is for one burger)


3 ounces 96% lean ground beef (about 1⁄3 cup)
 2 pinches of salt
 1 sesame seed hamburger bun + 1 bun bottom
 1 slice (1⁄2 ounce) 2% milk yellow American cheese
 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon McDonald’s Big Mac
 Sauce (below)
 1 teaspoon finely chopped white onion
 1⁄3 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
 2 rounds dill pickle

Here's how to do it:

I used ground sirloin because I just don't trust what's in lean ground beef. It makes me just wonder. I also used regular Kraft Singles. I know, I know...they are not real cheese, but dang it! For a Big Mac, you gotta have just regular old Kraft Singles! I took 9 oz of meat and divided it into 6 patties. You want them to be thin. I seasoned both sides of the patties with salt. Then as the recipe states, I put them on wax paper on a plate and put them in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

I then cooked them on my electric griddle. Man, do I love that thing! They only take a few minutes on each side because they are so thin.

I took the buns and cut the top bun in half horizontally so I would only use one bun instead of a bun and a half. I mean, what are you going to do with the other top bun? Such a waste! Then I toasted them on the griddle while the burgers where cooking.

I then put just one piece of cheese on one of the patties for each Big Mac. Then I assembled the burger. I put the sauce on the bottom, then added the burger with the cheese then added the bun that was cut from the top part of the bun and then added the last burger. I then placed the onions, pickles and lettuce and placed more sauce on the top bun. Viola! you now have your Big Mac!

Here's the recipe for the sauce:

What you'll need:


1⁄3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dill pickle relish
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon finely chopped white onion

Here's how to make it:

Put the mayo, relish, ketchup, sugar and mustard in a bowl and mix. I actually divided my mixture as Bear said he didn't want any and Baby Girl wasn't eating it either. It will stay good in the frig for up to a month so I put what I wasn't going to use tonight in a container to use later. I then added about 2 teaspoons of chopped onion to my mixture for tonight. Easy peasy. The only thing, and I'm not sure if it's because I haven't ate a lot of sugar lately, it seemed really sweet to me. I probably could of/should of left out the sugar as the low fat mayo was sweet enough.

I also made homemade fries to go with my Big Mac:

What you'll need:

I used 4 Russet Potatoes
salt, pepper
and olive oil

Peel your potatoes. I cut my in half vertically and then cut them into fries. I then put the fries in a bowl of water. This will make your fries crispy when you cook them in the oven. If I'm in a hurry, I add them to a bowl of hot (out of the tap) water. Tonight, I had plenty of time, so I put them in a bowl and let them sit until I was ready to bake the fries. Once I was ready, I drained the water and added olive oil (enough to get on all the potatoes, about a tablespoon) and salt and pepper. I put them on a cookie sheet that I've sprayed with cooking spray. I then put them in a preheated 425 degree oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Until golden and crispy. They are so yummy and healthy as you're not frying them. I did goof tonight and put my oven on 450! Why in the world I did that I have no idea, so my fries burned. Some were still edible but over 3/4 had to be tossed.

Now if only I could figure out how to make Cheester's Hot Fries I'd be in bliss.

It's Greek To Me!

Tonight for dinner I made Mini Greek-style Meat Loaves with Arugula Salad. 

What you'll need: 

• 10 ounce ground sirloin 
• 5 ounces lean ground lamb
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated red onion
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• Cooking spray 
• 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt 
• 2 ounces reduced-fat feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally sliced seeded peeled cucumber

How to make it: 

I chopped all my herbs first and put 1 tbs each of the mint and thyme in a bowl. I put 1 tsp each of the mint and thyme in a smaller bowl to use for the "sauce". I couldn't grate the onion so I finely chopped that sucker and cried while doing it. I had forgotten how strong onions are that are not Sweet Onions (which is what I use 99% of the time). I put the onions in their own bowl. In the bowl with the 2 tbs of herbs in it I added 1/4 tsp of sea salt, the ground all spice, red pepper and the fresh minced garlic. I sat that bowl off to the side until I was ready to make the mini meatloaves. 

In a glass bowl, I added the yogurt, feta cheese, 1 tbs of lemon juice and the 2 tsp of the reserved herbs. I didn't have couldn't find my mini processor so I used my hand wand (which didn't work too well, but well enough)to mix the items. After mixing with the hand wand, I did use a whisk as well. Once it wasn't so lumpy, I put it the frig until I served the meal. 

I then mixed the dressing which consisted of 1 tbs of lemon juice, 1 tbs of olive oil, 1/8 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of freshly ground pepper. I whisked those ingredients together well. I then used a baby arugula and baby spinach mix I got from the store. I then peeled and sliced an English cucumber. I added those together in a big bowl w/ a lid and added the dressing and shook the crap out of it to coat it well. I stuck the salad in the frig too until it was time to eat.

I turned the oven on to 450 degrees. I then used 15 oz of ground sirloin. The recipe called for 10 oz ground sirloin and 5 oz ground lamb. Well, I've never eaten lamb and I didn't want to buy a pound for who knows how much (I know it is more expensive than beef) to maybe not like it. Not to mention it is a baby sheep. That makes me sad. I know, I know...a little bit of a double standard. I can eat beef and chicken but the only baby I eat of those is eggs aaannd they are not babies yet, so I feel okay with that. Any way, back to making the meal...I took the meat and added the bread crumbs and onions. I mixed it pretty well by using my hands. Then I added in the bowl of herbs and other items. I mixed it with my hands as well. By this time, Bear was home so I had him lightly beat the egg. He looked at me like I was speaking in tongues when I asked him to lightly beat the egg. I forgotten he's not a cook. LOL. Once I explained to him what it meant, he got right on it. I had him add the egg to the meat mixture and I mixed it well by using my hands. I was going to use my ice cream scooper to use to put the meat in 8 sprayed muffin cups in a muffin pan, but my scooper is broken, so I just used my hands. I tore off pieces, like making cookies and put them in the muffin cups. I baked the meatloaves for 13 minutes and then put them under the broiler for 2 minutes for a total of 15 minutes. 

I also made mashed potatoes to go with it. I mean you can't have meatloaf without potatoes. To cut down on the fat, I used chicken bouillon cubes instead of butter. I did add some garlic powder because I felt it would compliment the rest of the meal. 

The Verdict:

I'm not going to lie. When I tasted the "sauce" it was AWFUL! I thought, "oh crap! What I have made?" But I was going to wait and see how it all came together before really judging the meal. But in the back of my mind I thought, "Baby Girl and Bear will love this and I'll hate it." That's the norm. Bear asked how it was going to be and I was truthful and said we may have to end up going out to eat. But that didn't happen. With the sauce on the side and added it to each bite of the meat it was delicious! The salad was really nice too. Again, I haven't bought new EVOO so it still had that too "robust flavor" but it was nice with the cucumber. And as predicted, Bear and Baby Girl enjoyed the sauce and meat a little more than I did. I could do without the sauce. Both Bear and I loved the salad (the cucumbers were outstanding) but Baby Girl didn't like it at all. In all, I'll make this meal again. It was easy and very yummy and HEALTHY! 

Give it a try.  You won't be disappointed! 

Happy Mother's Day Dinner

Sticking with my healthy eating I made Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Mango Salad. I used sirloin steak instead o flank because I LOVE sirloin. It was sooo tasty. Don't be afraid of the peanut butter in the "dressing" it gives it the peanut taste. It's best to eat the steak and salad together to get the full Asian flavors. I really don't like brown rice but I felt it needed something. I only ate about a quarter of the rice. The salad and steak was really filling. Baby Girl only liked the steak. Bear liked it all. I enjoyed it as well. I definitely will be adding this on my dinner rotation.

Enjoy!

Healthy Eating

I had my annual Doctor's visit last month. She told me what I already knew: I HAD to lose weight. She even suggested a liquid diet; which made me gasp. She'd never even remotely spoke of doing "fad" diets before. I knew going in I was overweight but when your doctor tells you under no uncertain terms you HAVE to lose weight for your health, well I really took it to heart. Name a fatal disease and either one of my parents had it. Heart disease? My dad. Diabetes? My mom. Cancer? My mom. High blood pressure? Both my parents.

So I began the "SlimFast" diet. Blech. No way could I drink 2/3 of my meals. I have to eat. So staying in the mindset of  SlimFast, I have decided to eat my calories as they suggest. SlimFast suggests drinking 2 shakes (190 calories each), eating 3 snacks (100 calories each) and one 500 calories balance meal. So in all you're eating around 1200 calories a day.

So my basic days goes like this: around 10 or 11am I drink my morning shake. I don't really feel like cooking first thing in the morning so it's convenient. This morning, I did make zucchini mini muffins. I ate one muffin, 3 pieces of center cut bacon and a scrambled egg for a total of about 190 calories.

Around 1:00pm I eat a 100 calorie snack. I Googled "100 calorie snack" and was pleased to see there's quite a few on the web. My favorite is cucumber slices, 11 Townhouse Oil and Sea Salt Flatbread Crackers and Tribe red pepper hummus. Today, I had Salmon and cucumber bites. It was sooo yummy and filling. The salmon you get is important. I tried several smoked variety and finally found one that wasn't too salty or fishy. I got it from Publix: Vita Wild Nova Salmon. Delish!

Around 3:00-3:30 I eat lunch. Sometimes, I combine a snack and lunch depending on how hungry I am at the time. My go to lunch lately has been Pepperidge Farm Thin Everything Bagel with 1 tsp of low fat cream cheese, about an ounce of turkey and spring salad sandwich. It is filling and yummy. Today, I was hungry, so I added a cup of Campbell's 100% Natural Tomato Garden Soup. Yumm.

I begin making dinner around 5:30 or 6:00. If I haven't eaten a snack with lunch, I eat one while prepping dinner. Usually the humus again. I just can't get enough of Tribe's Red Pepper!! Tonight we had King Salmon with Tomato & Peach Salsa.  I also served Parmesan Couscous with grilled vegetables (asparagus, red pepper, and yellow squash with garlic). I LOVED the salsa with the salmon. They really complimented each other. Bear liked it as well; Baby Girl, not so much. But she did enjoy the salmon.

 I kept wondering why some of my food was tasting "off" and found out it was my olive oil. It's EVOO but didn't taste like it. It was too strong. I took a look at the bottle and noticed "robust flavor" on it. Well no duh! So I have to get a new bottle of EVOO and my meals will be even better.

Around 9:00-9:30 I eat my last snack. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a sweet so I'll eat either Oikos Fruit on the Bottom Greek Yogurt or Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt. I also found mini ice cream sandwiches when I want a special treat. They are 100 calories and oh so cute!

I've been doing this for a little over a week and I feel amazing! I have no idea if I've lost any weight. I'm going to wait a month before weighing. I don't want to get discourage. I have more energy and just feel over all better.

I'm still trying to workout at least 3 times a week. We made it to the gym twice this week and Baby Girl, Bear and I played some ball for two days. My goal is to stay healthy. It's not about thin; it's about being here to see my grand babies and hopefully, great grand babies!

I do have to say that it's so expensive to eat healthy. I find it almost criminal. But we aren't eating out because the meals I'm making are damn near gourmet meals so that is saving money.  I plan on blogging later on some of the meals I've made. Some have been HUGE hits and some have been misses.

I'm hoping to have a huge smile from my doctor next year when she's seen the hard work I've done for me and my family.

What's for dinner 3/5/2012

Something so freaking yummy! I kind of played on a few things to make this meal.

First I had some Eye of Round Steak that is sooo delicious. I cut it into bite size pieces. I sliced a sweet onion. If I would of had some fresh garlic, I would have minced it...but I didn't so I used garlic powder.

I sauteed the onion first. Once I had it transparent, I put it on a plate to get it out of the way (but not for long). I then browned the meat. I added salt, pepper and the garlic powder. You know, just to taste. After the meat was browned, I put the onions back in the pan. Speaking of pans, I bought a non-stick green pan. That was one reasons why I sauteed the onions first, to give it more flavor. I then added a can of petite diced tomatoes (again, only cause I didn't have fresh tomatoes). That was it. I let it simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on. After that, I took the lid off and simmered for 20 minutes while my potatoes were cooking for the mashed potatoes that I made to go along with the meal. After 20 minutes, I added some frozen spinach (again, cause I didn't have fresh). I also added some Parmesan cheese.

I served the meat mixture on top of the mashed potatoes and had rolls with it too. Such an easy, fast and yummy meal. I've made this before w/ Rotel tomatoes and yellow rice for a Mexican flavor. Amanda didn't like that...too spicy. This meal though, she ate it up!

So grab a pan, some steak, onion and tomatoes and eat!

What's for dinner 2/23/2011

Prepare yourself for jealousy!! Tonight I made grilled chicken marinated in olive oil, basil, garlic w/ a pinch of salt & pepper. Along with the chicken I made grilled asparagus & red peppers also marinated in olive oil, basil and garlic. I then used some of the grilled peppers to make a cream sauce. I know, you're drooling. I can't blame you.


So here's how I did it:

To marinate the chicken you just drizzle about 1-2 tbs of olive oil on the chicken while it's in a bag. I then minced a clove of garlic and about 3 basil leaves. I put the garlic & basil in the bag. I then lightly salted and pepper the chicken. Viola! That's it. Put it in the frig for about an hour and you're good to go.

I pretty much did the same thing with the asparagus & peppers. I cut the peppers into strips. I kept them in the frig for about the same time.

So I grilled some peppers for about 10 minutes then used them for my sauce. I minced another garlic clove and ever so gently sauteed it in about a tbs of butter. Then I used 1/2 pint (if I had a whole pint I would have used that) of cream and then used a cup of milk because I didn't have 2 cups of cream. Added another tbs of butter and then I added another 2-3 leaves of fresh basil along with salt, pepper, some onion powder and a dash of poultry seasoning. I brought it to a boil and then simmered it for about 20 minutes. I blended the peppers in the sauce so there would not be chunks.

While the sauce was simmering, I grilled the chicken and the veggies. I put the chicken on for about 8 minutes then flipped the chicken and put the veggies on for the remainder of the cooking time, about 18 minutes. Now I took my chicken off in 16 minutes and let it sit for about 10 while I was waiting for the rigatoni to cook. Double check your chicken and make sure the temp is 165. You don't want to under cook your chicken, but also don't want it to be leather.

I carved the chicken and laid it ontop of the pasta, added the veggies and then smothered it with the sauce. It was delish!

Okay, so stop drooling; go get your ingredients and have a hearty plate of Grilled chicken, red peppers and asparagus in red pepper cream sauce. Yummm!

What's for dinner 10/10/10

Breakfast is what's for dinner tonight. Who says you can only eat breakfast at the crack of dawn? It's an easy, simple and so yummy meal to prepare. I suggest you do it often!

So on tonight's breakfast menu is the following: pancakes, eggs and bacon. Pretty much the staple of breakfast items.

Here's my recipe for the pancakes:

2 cups of all purpose flour (stir or sift it before you measure. It helps to keep the batter airy)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbls sugar
1/2 tsp salt

mix the items well

In a separate bowl (I actually use my measuring cup) mix 1 1/2 c milk and 2 eggs.

Pour the egg mixture in the flour mixture. Now stir. Here's where it's important to not over stir. If you do, your cakes will be tough. Don't want a tough pancake. Stir until it is blended. Don't worry if you see lumps, it okay. Trust me.

Now melt about 2 tbs of butter and blend it in the batter. Again, don't over mix or you're gonna have tough cakes.

Make sure your griddle is on about 375. I use a ladle to pour my batter on the griddle. You could also use an ice cream scooper. Yes, an ice cream scooper. It gives you the perfect amount for a perfect pancake. I wasn't being perfect tonight so I used the ladle which makes it a tad bit faster.

Watch your cakes and when you see tiny bubbles, flip those babies! Now leave them cooking for about another minute. Take a peek at them and see if they are brown. Now from my experience, they won't look like the top which are all golden brown, they'll be splotchy. That's because of the bubbles. So don't leave them on too long hoping they will look like the top. It won't happen and you'll burn your hard work. When they are brown, take the off. Now this is important. Make sure you put the ugly splotchy part on the plate so your golden brown cakes are showing. It's all about presentation people! ;) If you like, you can add butter between each cake, but I didn't find it necessary since I added quite a bit of butter in the batter.

Serve with your favorite syrup. Now I've not gone so far as to make my own syrup...but I'm thinking it is coming. We barely had enough store bought syrup tonight. GASP.

Bear's and Baby Girl's egg were scrambled. I sometimes add a drop of texas pete or salsa in the eggs. Gives them a kick!

My egg was a cheese omelet. Now the secret to an omelet is to let that puppy s.l.o.w.l.y cook. Turn the heat on low/med heat. Put your pan on the heat for about 30 seconds to a minute, then add your egg. I then add my fillings. In this case, about 1/2 a slice of White American cheese in bits. Now leave you egg alone. I'm serious, don't look at it, don't talk to it, just let it be. It will thank you for it. Now, I'm saying to forget about it though. When the egg has fluffed up and I mean fluffed up and there is hardly any egg left on it, it's time to fold it into an omelet. If you let it get to this point, it so easy to fold it. Fold it ever so gently, speaking sweetly to it and let it rest on the pan for about one minute, then flip it, again, let it rest for about a minute. Now, if your egg has gotten dark brown, your heat was too high. Your omelet will be a very so slight golden brown. I put salsa on mine sometimes, but not tonight.

The bacon, well is bacon. Just cook it the way you like. I do mine in the microwave for about a minute and half per slice.

Serve and eat!

Enjoy!

What's for dinner

I get so many people complimenting me on my menu choices (bows as I blush) that I've decided to blog about it.

So what's for dinner tonight?

Nothing that will make your toes curl, but it's an old recipe that my mom would do for Bear when we would go visit her. She knew to always make this for him. I guess I'm feeling kind of nostalgic for some of my mom's cooking. Now I've personally never made this before so I'm kinda of nervous. I vaguely recalled how my mom made it. My mom never went by a recipe (that I remember) so asking her for a recipe was like asking the Sun why it appeared every day. It just does. So a lot of her yummiest foods I can't make because I have no clue on how to make them. I can just go by memory.

Any way, what am I making? I know the suspense is down right killing ya huh? Well on a autumn night what's better than a good toasted sandwich? Yep, I'm making Reuben sandwiches tonight!

Here's how I'm going to do it:

I have 1/2 lb corned beef (thinly sliced)
1/4 lb of Swiss cheese (I will put White American on mine as I don't like Swiss)
Dark rye bread
sauerkraut (drained as much as possible. No one likes a soggy sanmich!)

Now for the sauce. I remember my mom only used a mixture of mayonnaise and mustard on her sandwiches. She wasn't much on spices or a daredevil like me (smirking). I think I will still use the mixture of mayo and mustard but just may add a little bit of ketchup and maybe, just maybe, some herbs. Not sure what kind yet. I'm leaning toward basil. Not sure. I'll have to taste it on the bread to see. It seems to me the rye has enough kick that the dressing doesn't really need to be BAM! in your face.

So I'm going to butter the bread on the part that will be grilled on the inside I will put some of the sauce on both pieces of bread. Then I will put the meat then cheese and then the kraut. Put the sandwich together and use my griddle set on 350 and toast each side for around 3-4 minutes. Now I have found a trick to make a grilled sandwich sing, YES! sing people! I put on top of the sandwiches a baking sheet and slightly, with oh so much love, press down on the sandwiches. I keep the sheet on until time to flip. Flip the sandwich and put the sheet on again. It keeps the heat in better and makes the cheese melt divinely!

I think these sandwiches will be WICKED yummy.

I'm making the finicky eater a grilled cheese on plain white bread. She's excited so that's good enough for me.

I'll serve the sandwiches with some homemade potato salad

Which is:

a couple of potatoes cubed and boiled for about 10 minutes.
One hard boiled egg
Mayo and a tiny bit of mustard. You gotta go on taste on this one. Some like it more mayo and some like it more mustard. Your preference.
diced onion (again your preference. I usually use about a tbs or 1 1/2 tbs
salt and pepper

Mix all that together and there you go my simple but yummy potato salad. Some like relish and stuff in theirs, but that's not my bag so I leave it out. I'm the only one that eats it so I make it the way I like. Short and sweet.. just like me! (sheepish grin).

and potato chips for Bear and Baby Girl.

So that's what's for dinner tonight. Enjoy!