Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

I made these for a family BBQ a few weeks ago and they were gobbled up immediately. I put out some Tzatziki in case people wanted to dip them in something but most seemed to prefer them on their own. A simple marinara sauce might be a good dip option as well.
INGREDIENTS

1 oz Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs panko
black pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
2 egg whites
2 ½ cups zucchini rounds, sliced about 1/4” thick (this was about 2 small zucchini)

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 425. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire baking rack on top (I used two metal cooling racks).Lightly mist the racks with cooking spray.
2.    Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow dish and mix together.
3.    In a small bowl, beat the two egg whites. Dip each zucchini round in the egg whites to coat both sides and then press each side of the round into the bread crumb/Parmesan mixture. Place the coated round on the wire rack on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining zucchini rounds.
4.    Bake for 30-35 minutes until the Parmesan and bread crumb coating is browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4

WW Points - 2

Calories - 71

Carbs - 7g

Fat - 2g

Protein - 6g

Fibre - 1g

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings with Grilled Portobellos and Mashed "Fauxtatoes"

So these wings were awesome (and the first I've ever cooked) but the grilled portobellos were the star of the meal! I marinated them in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil and dried hot peppers. They were FANTASTIC. I will be making these again soon, perhaps to put on a thin burger bun and dress up like a burger. YUM!

Here they are marinating away.

The mashed "fauxtatoes" was steamed cauliflower mashed with some onion dip. A total cheat I know, but it was super easy and actually quite yummy. Plus the dip was taking up room in the fridge so it had to go.

This fridge is turning into a great excuse to cook with things I might otherwise not consider...although once I've cleared it of the stuff that survived the move I suppose it just won't house such ingredients any longer.

The wings were good. I obviously need some more practice at crisping up the skin in the oven. I know it can be done, but I didn't quite get there this time around. The sauce was great though, it was the same marinade and sauce that I used in the Light Boneless Wings Post. This is a great sauce to use when you don't know what else to do with any cut of chicken. 

Mushroom Stuffed Chicken....

With roasted brocoli and cauliflower and steamed corn on the cob.

What an easy dish this was. Its such a simple concept to stuff a chicken breast with something and yet it always looks and sounds much fancier then it actually is.

I butterflied the chicken breasts and filled them each with some sauteed mushrooms, oregano and S&P. Roasted them in the oven until they were golden brown. I also decided to make a bit of a sauce with half of the sauteed mushrooms, some chicken stock and the brown bits on the frying pan.....YUMMY

Tilapia Two Ways

Well, I’ve finally bit the bullet and decided to move along with my New Years Resolution to eat more fish…yes, I’m aware its May…baby steps.

First attempt was a panfried Fillet. I seasoned it with some salt and pepper, coated it with a little flour and fried it in some cooking spray.

It was served with some oven roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, asparagus and Franks (Anything to hide the fishyness of it). Forgive the unflattering photo, it was a bit of an afterthought. I was so hungry that I gave absolutely no thought to plating or lighting.

The second attempt was broiled in the oven and then topped with a light (but creamy) mustard-dill sauce. It was better…but I’m still not into the texture of it all. Plus, as much as I love dill pickles...don't really care for dill other things (except chips).

Risotto Cakes and Pan Roasted Vegetables

 This one is for you Em.

I received several cookbooks for my birthday at the beginning of April. My cousin gave me one of her favourites from Ina Garten. We have both loved her, her shows and recipes for years. This Back to Basics cookbook has been very well tested by my cousin, and thousands of others. However, she has brilliantly noted, with her fantastic humour, all of the recipes that she has tried and how they have worked out for her.

We don't get to see or talk to each other often and she's probably the closest I'll ever get to a sister, so this is a very cherished gift.

Anyway, after all those nice words I'm almost embarassed to say that the note beside these risotto cakes is:

Please make these and invite me over

Em, please allow me to explain. Only Ina would probably have the confidence to try a recipe for the first time with company over but I certainly dont.

I will absolutely make this again (and invite people over). These were an absolute success...even though they were not even remotely diet friendly. Contrary to my love of fried food I've never been very good at pan frying things at home (go figure)...these were totally the exception to that.

I even froze the left overs and can't wait to take them for lunches in the next little while.

The Pan Roasted Vegetables were from the same cookbook. They were great too. I've been so into celery lately. Its just so good and when its slightly cooked its just a great subtle flavour, and Clutterbuck loves brussel sprouts so it was definitely a win-win recipe.

Now, the next challenge is to decide on another cookbook. I received a Chapters gift card for my birthday and it was given under the specific direction to buy a cookbook. Any suggestions????

Chicken and Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

Mmm mmm good! This was so simple. Just some boneless skinless breasts simmered in with some mushrooms in a bit of white wine, chicken stock, loads of garlic and some parsley. The baby spinach was an after thought, and actually as I'm writing this I'm realizing I should have served the chicken and mushrooms on top of the spinach and poured the sauce over all of it to wilt it down.

OK great, now I have a plan for next time. Although I'd say this time was definitely a success!!!

Appetizers

I've been really into appetizers recently. I mean, who isn't in to appetizers? Perhaps I should say, I've been into MAKING appetizers recently. We had some family over for dinner a few nights ago and it was the perfect occasion for finger foods. The main was stuffed meatloaf (from a previous post) with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Veggies.

However the precursor to all that was a Low Fat Spinach and Artichoke Dip and some Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. YUM!!!!! I was very pleased with how it all turned out. It was waaaay too much food but that's OK. Always better to have too much food than not enough.

I also made an Angel Food Cake for dessert. It was great, especially since it was my first attempt and our oven can be so tempermental. I'm not posting a pic of it though because I poured some strawberry juice on each slice which gave it a great flavour but made it look like a scene from CSI...so I'll just leave it to your imaginations to visualize

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut



Spinach and Artichoke Dip...Low Fat...yeah you read that right!

Asian Glazed...Things

I had some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer and a package of frozen grilled veggies (M&M Meats...they're REALLY GOOD!!). I decided to play around with a sauce for the chicken. The end result ended up being really yummy and went even better on the vegetables than the chicken. I didn't really measure but here's an approximation of the proportions I used

• equal parts balsamic vinegar, soy sauce
• lots of garlic, some ginger (minced)
• a few tsps sugar
• Sriracha hot sauce (I think I used a few tbsp)
• Water and cornstarch depending on the consistency you want

YUM!!! The hot sauce really added a great kick. I will make this again, maybe even just with some veggies and rice!

Light Boneless Wings and Zucchini Fries

I was craving wings and fries but not only are both high fat and low flavour but neither can be properly duplicated at home without the use of a full on deep fryer (which I don't have...and not matter how much I might want one I will never get one). So instead I made a zucchini fry by breading them in some whole wheat breadcrumbs and baking. I made a quick spicy marinara sauce to dip them in.

The chicken I marinated in some franks red hot, a bunch of oregano, garlic powder, chili powder and paprika. I baked it in the oven along side the zucchini fries and when it was done I tossed it in some more franks red hot. It was just boneless, skinless breasts so it cooked in no time at all. Served it with brussel sprouts (Clutterbuck's favourite veggie).

Spinach Balls

Before I even made these I had requests for this recipe. Thankfully, they turned out as I imagined. This batch made about 24 golf ball size balls. I think I might make them a bit smaller next time. I made these and froze most of them in batches of 4. I plan to take them for lunch this week, but they will make fantastic appetizers or finger foods the next time I need either. I just need to figure out a dipping sauce that will go nicely with them. Here's the recipe, it definitely goes under successes in my books!

• 2 packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained but still moist
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 package of chicken stuffing mix (I used low sodium)
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of olive oil (I used a combo of olive oil and roasted garlic oil)
• Salt and Pepper

I added all of the ingredients to one bowl and mixed them together.


I formed them into balls by hand and baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. I then packaged them up in individual batches and froze them.

I'm not sure how I will reheat them but I'm thinking I might just thaw them overnight and then toast them for a few minutes in an oven or a toaster oven.

I've been really struggling recently with cooking. On the one hand I'm feeling bored with all the usual recipes that are in regular rotation, but on the other hand nothing new has jumped out at me and I haven't felt very adventurous. I try to cook a big batch of something on Saturday night to do double duty as lunches and dinners for the following week. These totally fit the bill and they are a great departure from the usual batch of soup, pasta or slow cooked meat casserole.

Veggie-Friendly Dinner

Creamless Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Cauliflower Fritters



This was a completely unintentional veggie meal. I haven't made this soup in a few years and I finally had a bunch of broccoli to use up. I saw the fritters recipe a while ago and have wanted to make them. I happened to have a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower in the fridge...it was fate. They were a perfect match.

The broccoli soup is so easy. Just simmer the stems of the broccoli in some stalk (I used Chicken) with some onions, garlic and a few grated potatoes. Once everything has softened add any desired seasonings (I use nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper) and puree with an immersion blender. When its time to eat just heat it up and add some sharp cheddar cheese and the reserved broccoli florets. The potatoes give it a really creamy texture without the added fat of milk or cream.

The cauliflower fritters were awesome but ALOT heavier than we were expecting. I served up 3 each but we could only eat 2. I had a bunch of batter left over and made a few more for lunch.

All in all this was a totally successful meal, which is good because we have lots leftover.

I had nothing to do with this...

We were invited over to a friends house for one final holiday celebration and the food was so fantastic it had to be documented and shared.

We were all prepared for a late night so we planned a multi-course meal that lasted all night. We had so much food we actually ended up passing on the main course (Chicken Mole). The menu was as follows:

Antipasto Platter


Brown Sugar Smokies & Roast Tomato Tart (both made by yours truly)

Onion Bisque - No photo...it was so good I forgot to snap a pic.

Winter Greek Salad



Cheese and Port



Sticky Toffee Pudding

Great Times!!!

Cherry Tomato Crisp

Twas the night before Christmas (eve) and I didn't really feel like cooking.

I had a PC Blue Menu Chicken Pot Pie in the freezer so I went with it. I steamed some asparagus and roasted some pearl onions, cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic in a little garlic oil. I had one lonely whole wheat bun so I broke it up and tossed it in some oil and threw it on top of the tomatoes with a bit of Parmesan cheese. Roasted in alongside the PC Pie and it turned out fabulously.

Oven Fried Paprika Chicken with Mushrooms and Roasted Cauliflower

I don't think the picture is very flattering but the whole meal was quite tasty. Roasted Cauliflower is better than french fries or anything similar. For such a tasteless vegetable it really comes to life when roasted. Its like this nutty crispy goodness and tossed with a little Parmesan cheese there is no stopping it.

The Chicken cutlets were breaded in some crunched up saltine crackers with a bunch of paprika and a bit of salt and pepper. They were quite good and since they were so thin only took a few minutes in the oven to cook. I topped them with some sauteed mushrooms with a little white wine and chicken stock to make a little sauce.

Good times and this will definitely be enjoyed again in the Smart-Clutterbuck household.

Chana Masala and Roses

I made Indian last night. Chana Masala with onions and peppers, some steamed veg. and of course Naan (why else would anyone eat Indian?)

It was great and very easy.

However, the best part was being surprised with some beautiful flowers from Clutterbuck. He's a keeper!

Healthy Risotto and Honey Garlic Salad

I made a healthy risotto the other day. I don't really know how extra healthy it was but I didn't use any butter and only 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Plus I loaded it up with mushrooms and peas. It was so good. Risotto is just so good and I really enjoy making it. Once you do it a few times you realize how really simple it is.

The salad was a basic garden salad with whatever veggies I had on hand (red onion, yellow pepper, toasted almonds, sauteed mushrooms and mixed baby greens). The dressing was what made it great. Its recipe is as follows:

• 1 part oil
• 1 part vinegar (i used apple cider)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• salt and pepper to taste

I emulsified it in my food precessor and stuck it in the fridge to hang out for as long as possible. It was so good! Try it! You won't be disappointed.

Honey Ginger Chicken and Gingery Garlic Sugar Snap Peas

Say that 5 times fast!

This dish was full of my favourite flavours and filled the house up with yummy smells for the rest of the night. The Sugar Snap Peas came from this recipe in Chatelaine. The Chicken was marinated in some hoisin sauce, orange juice, soya sauce, garlic and ginger which later became a glaze once some honey was added and it was boiled on the stove.

Will for sure be making this again. Even brought it for lunch today because it made such a great quantity.

Saturday Morning Biscuits

Fresh out of the oven. The house smells great and I can't wait to dive in.

I even used my food processor, for the first time, to make them and it couldn't have been simpler.

YAY!

I did it!!!

Oh man was it good! I knew it was rich but I didn't know it involved so much butter. Oh well I don't care. I came home from work exhausted from the week. I was in a bad mood, it was too early to go to bed, too late to nap, nothing was on TV, the beautiful weather has turned into COLD weather. So while Clutterbuck episode after episode of "Big Love" , his new favourite show of all time, on the TV, I poured myself into cooking.

Nothing is more satisfying then trying a recipe for the first time and it turning out exactly as you have been picturing it. I don't know about you but this doesn't always happen for me. There have been several instances when I've taken on a new recipe and the end result has been incredibly unsatisfactory...what a let down...However, that is not the case here.

Mushroom risotto. A definite success in the Smart household. I've even got leftovers that I cant wait to eat for lunch!

Here's the final meal:

• Mushroom risotto
• Mixed veggies
• Turkey breast marinated in some herbs and garlic

Now I'm trying decide if I want to make these cheese biscuits this morning. We're going to the Keg tonight, it's Clutterbuck's father's birthday. So I'm off the hook for dinner.