Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Enchilada Casserole

Now here’s a new favorite in the Poszywak household! Shef D likes it because it’s easy and delicious! Not to mention it’s flexible to be either a meat or vegetarian dish.

Category: Meat or Vegetarian
Prep Time: Approximately 1 1/4 Hours
Cooking Style: Conventional Oven
Difficulty: Easy
Born: January 13, 2009

20

oz

Turkey, Mostly Breast Meat

Shredded and cooked

6

ea

12 Grain Soft Tortillas

About 10” Diameter

1

Red Onion, Large

Chopped into small pieces

3

ea

Garlic, Fresh, Large Cloves

Chopped into small pieces

8

oz

Cheese, Vegetable Product, Cheddar or Colby-Monterey Jack

Shredded

2

cups

Corn, Sweet (Approx. 15 oz)

1

qrt

Tomatoes (Approx. 28 oz +)

Drained

1

ea

Chili Beans (15.5 oz), Can

Black Beans are an ok substitute. I used Meijer brand chili beans. Rinsed and drained.

1

cup

Taco Sauce

1 1/2

Tbs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Non-stick cooking spray may be substituted

1

tsp

Hot Pepper Flakes

2 1/2

tsp

Chili Powder

1 1/2

tsp

Oregano

1 1/2

tsp

Ground Cumin

2

Tbs

Ground Flax Seed

1

cup

Chicken Broth

Fat Free Sour Cream

Salsa

You pick the heat!



SMART POINTS


1. When making sauces, add ground flax seed to give your family a dose of omega 3.

2. I buy turkeys anytime of the year when I want to stretch the budget and bake and freeze the meat in dinner portions. I used turkey for this recipe that I purchased, baked, and vacuum packed on payday. You could also use purchased ground turkey or for a vegetarian dish, use ground textured vegetable protein (TVP) with 3 shredded carrots. Below, I tell you in Step 6 how and when to substitute the textured vegetable protein (TVP) or ground turkey if you don’t have turkey already prepared.

3. Chicken broth-I stock many beef, chicken and vegetable broth cubes. I rarely use oils to sauté meats and vegetables. Call me old fashioned, but I believe that oils turn nasty when exposed to high heats. I’ll add extra virgin olive oil to dishes right before serving to give a gourmet taste to food. Plus, extra virgin olive oil is simply a healthy addition to your diet.

4. I freeze my sweet corn within hours of picking it to ensure that the sugars don’t turn to starch, so my corn is very sweet in recipes such as this one. Taste your corn and if it’s bland or not sweet, add a packet or two of sugar substitute to the corn. A sweet corn really boosts the taste of this dish.


Cooking:


  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the stack of tortillas onto a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut the stack in half so now you have 12 halves instead of 6 whole tortillas.
  3. Prepare your chicken broth in a small sauce pan and keep warm.
  4. Pour two or three tablespoons of broth into a skillet and heat until it starts to simmer. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir fry for approximately 5 minutes. Add small amounts of broth to keep the sauté mix moist and from burning/sticking to the pan.
  5. In a blender or food processor, add the tomatoes, taco sauce, hot pepper flakes, and ground flax seed and sautéed onion mixture. Puree until smooth.
  6. Meat Substitute Preparation: Using the skillet that was used to sauté the onions and garlic (don’t rinse!), add 3-4 tablespoons of chicken broth and either the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and the shredded carrots or the ground turkey. If using the textured vegetable protein (TVP) and carrots, sauté until the carrots just start to soften. If using the ground turkey, brown the meat. Again, maintain moisture and avoid burning by adding small amounts of chicken broth.
  7. In a bowl mix together the shredded turkey (or your choice of substitute), corn and chili beans.
  8. If you have chicken broth remaining after done sautéing and/or browning the meat, mix it into the tomato mixture.
  9. Spread the extra virgin olive oil on a 9”x13” glass baking dish (or spray it with non-stick cooking oil).
  10. Spread a thin layer of the tomato mixture over the baking dish bottom.
  11. Next place a single layer of tortillas onto the tomato sauce and overlapping to cover sauce.
  12. Spoon in a layer of the meat, corn, and bean mix and pour the tomato mix over this layer. Don’t soak the meat, corn, and bean layer. Just pour enough for flavor and moisture.
  13. Next place a single layer of tortillas onto the meat, corn, and bean mix and overlapping to cover sauce.
  14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 until the meat, corn, and beans and tortillas are all used ending with a layer of tortillas. Pour the remaining tomato sauce onto the last layer of tortillas and spread with a spoon.
  15. Place the dish in the oven and bake 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, sprinkle the vegetable product cheese onto the enchilada casserole, return it to the oven, and bake an additional 25 minutes (total baking time is 45 minutes).
  16. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.


Top with fat free sour cream and/or salsa and serve with your favorite salad. If you have a drink for a healthy heart, now would be a perfect time for a Corunna beer with a lime! If you don’t drink, your favorite cola with a lime is a great tasting substitute!


Enjoy!


Shef D



Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Recipe: Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving anymore! I can’t take the credit for this recipe. I don’t know the source or where I got it, but I know it’s not mine. It’s great and packed with nutrition. Check out sweet potatoes at www.whfoods.com.

Category: Vegetable
Prep Time: Approximately 1 Hour
Cooking Style: Conventional Oven or Outdoor Grill
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 4+
Date: January 6, 2009

1-2

ea

Sweet Potato (Large)

Peeled and cut into “French fry” pieces. American fry cut is ok, too!

4

Tbs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2

Tbs

Mrs. Dash Grilling Blends, Chicken

Substitute other favorite flavors


SMART POINTS!

1. I put together a food plan each week. I designed it to substitute foods that are on the American Dietetic Association’s (www.eatright.org) pyramid based on what type of food I want to eat in a week and the amounts. The website www.webmd.com has a tool for setting up a healthy food plan based on the ADA’s pyramid. I follow the sales at my favorite supermarket and purchase foods on sale that fit my weekly plan. The key to eating right is to understanding your body’s needs to either get healthy and/or stay healthy!


2. Make sure that the sweet potatoes don’t start to smoke. You don’t want the extra virgin olive oil to start to burn. George Mateljan (www.whfoods.com) says the smoke from oil is toxic.


3. Prepare enough of this recipe so you have extra to take to work and heat the sweet potatoes in the microwave for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.


Sweet Potato Preparation: Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mix in the extra virgin olive oil and Mrs. Dash seasoning. Set aside for 15-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.


Cooking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (until soft).

3. Let the sweet potatoes cool for 10 minutes before serving.


Serve as a healthy snack or with your favorite main dish. I served them with some homemade sauerkraut and lean ham tonight, and it was an awesome meal!


Enjoy!


Shef D


Sunday, January 4, 2009

Recipe: Rutabaga

If you’re thinking about making mashed potatoes, consider making a rutabaga instead. Refer to the bottom of this blog for links to compare how a rutabaga is packed with nutritional benefits over a potato. Not a bad substitute, eh? I’ve added flax seed to boost the health benefits from this dish!

Category: Vegetable
Prep Time: Approximately 45 Minutes
Cooking Style: Stove Top
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 2
Date: January 4, 2009

1

ea

Rutabaga (Large)

Peeled and cut into 1” pieces

4

ea

Chicken Bouillon Cubes

1

Tbs

Flax Seed

Ground

3/4

cup

Vanilla Flavored Soy Milk

1/2

Pkt

(1oz)

Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Season Mix

Found in the salad dressing section at Meijer.



Cooking:

1. Add chicken bouillon cubes and rutabaga to a pot with water. (Enough water so the rutabaga is floating about 2-3” from bottom of pot). Boil until pieces are soft. (Stir once boiling to disperse bouillon).

2. Drain water from rutabaga using a colander.

3. Add ranch seasoning mix, flax seed and soy milk and beat with a mixer until the texture is similar to mashed potatoes.

4. Add sea salt and fresh, ground pepper to taste.


Compare the Health Benefits of a Rutabaga versus a Potato:


Rutabaga: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-rutabagas-i11436

Potato: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-potatoes-boiled-i11367


Enjoy!


Shef D


Recipe: Grilled Salmon

People not fond of salmon even enjoy the taste when I grill it using this baste and cooking method. My mom called my aunt one time to ask how she prepares salmon and her response was “We always use Dennis’s recipe!” I get a chuckle when I think about this story.

Category: Fish
Prep Time: Approximately 1.5 Hours
Cooking Style: Charcoal or Gas Grill
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 4
Date: January 4, 2009

4

ea

Salmon Fillets

1

ea

Butter or Margarine (Stick)

1 1/2

Tbs

Horseradish (100%)

1

ea

Lemon

Halved

1

Tbs

Honey

3/4

cup

Soy Sauce

2

Tbs

Worcestershire Sauce

1

tsp

Garlic (Fresh)

1

tsp

Onion Powder

1

cup

Wood Chips

Hickory or Apple (My preference is Apple)



SMART POINTS!


1. I love to grill with old fashioned charcoal. Whether you use charcoal or a gas grill, you only want to have the heat on one side. I’m an indirect cooking fan when it comes to grilling outside.


2. If you think this baste is good with salmon, try it with tuna, shark, or swordfish! You won’t be disappointed. (I’ve even used this baste on chicken and pork chops with great results. I probably gave away my business opportunity by sharing this recipe!)


Preparing Salmon:


1. Rinse salmon and cut out the mud vein. It’s really not “mud”; it’s the dark meat down the center of the filet on the side that had the skin. This meat in the fillet gives it the strong “fishy” taste.


2. The mud vein is easily removed by angling a sharp knife and cutting on both sides of the dark meat being careful not to cut through the fillet. You want to cut a “V”.


3. After cutting the “V”, grab either end and cut as you lift the vein from the fillet. Give the vein to your cat; you’ll be its hero!


4. Poke holes in and spray aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray. Lay salmon fillets on foil.


Wood chips: Soak the wood chips in water for a minimum of 15 minutes.


Baste: Put the butter, horseradish, honey, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, and worcestershire sauce in a pot. Take both sides of the lemon and squeeze all the juices into the pot. Tear or cut up one of the halves of lemon peels and throw the pieces into the pot. Heat this mixture on the stove on high heat until it almost boils over. Stir as the liquids heat. I let the sudsy boil reach the rim of the pot; this is how I know it’s done. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.


Cooking:

  1. Heat one side of the grill. High with gas/glowing, grey coals with charcoal.
  2. Stick a metal can filled with water (leave room so it doesn’t boil over) on the hot side of the grill. Heat to a boil. I always do this regardless of what I’m grilling to help prevent food from getting too dry. Steam helps with the cooking process as well!
  3. Set the salmon (on the foil) over the hot side of the grill. Cover the grill and let the salmon heat until the fat boils to the surface of the salmon fillets.
  4. Take your baster and push the fat into the hot coals/fire. Toxins are stored in the fat. I’m not sure if pushing the fat into the fire reduces toxins, but it certainly helps improve the taste of the salmon!
  5. After pushing the fat into the fire, I rotate the grate on the grill which moves the salmon to the opposite side away from the hot coals or fire. The remaining cooking process is done with indirect heat.
  6. Take the baste and your basting brush, and “dab” on a generous portion which covers the fillets. I splash some of the baste on the hot side of the grill to create smoke from the baste which adds to the flavor of the salmon.
  7. At this time, remove the woodchips from the water and throw them on the coals (charcoal) or on the grid above the flames if your using a gas grill. Return the cover to the grill and close the vents. You want to create a dense smoke in the grill.
  8. I let the smoke go for about 10 minutes and then I remove the lid and dab on more baste. I then offset my charcoal grill cover and open up the vents again so the coals get glowing hot again. I want the applied baste to sizzle on the foil. I’ll continue from this point by applying the baste generously until it is gone.
  9. Once the baste is gone, I’ll let the baste evaporate off the salmon and foil a little. This is when I bring the salmon into the house. If I’m not ready to serve it, I’ll wrap it in foil and let it sit on the counter.
  10. Add sea salt and fresh, ground pepper to taste (Lemon pepper is also good).


This is by far our favorite way to eat salmon!


Enjoy!


Shef D