Monday, February 27, 2012

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust


Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust


Total Time: 2 hr 5 min
Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive:  5 min
Cook:  1 hr 0 min
Yield:  6 servings

Ingredients

For the crust:
  • Cooking spray
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoons cold, lowfat buttermilk
For the filling:
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced thinly into half moons
  • 8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk (not condensed milk)
  • 2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 1-ounce)
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

To prepare the crust, put the oats, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse about 12 times, until you get a pebbly course texture. Add the buttermilk and pulse 3 to 5 times more to combine. Form the mixture into a ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.

Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Transfer the crust, still on the other piece of waxed paper to the pie dish, then remove the waxed paper from the top. Press the crust gently into the dish. Bake for 9 minutes, then let cool.

To prepare the filling, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Transfer the onions to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have released their water and begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the onions back to the pan, stir in the salt, pepper, mustard and thyme.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, egg whites and evaporated milk.
Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Top with the mushroom-onion mixture and pour the egg mixture on top. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 wedges and serving.

Gruyere cheese can be hard to find in such a small quantity.  If you don’t have Gruyere cheese or you don’t want to buy any, you can substitute Swiss cheese.  I can never find Swiss cheese shredded, so I just pile the slices together and cut them into thin strips with a knife and then in half or quarters, depending on the type of dish I am using. 

Nutritional analysis per serving (Serving size: 1 wedge)
Calories 270; Total Fat 14 g; (Sat Fat 6 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 14 g; Carb 24 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 125 mg; Sodium 430 mg
 
Krieger, Ellie. "Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche with Oat Crust." Www.foodnetwork.com. Web. 24 Feb. 2012. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/caramelized-onion-mushroom-and-gruyere-quiche-with-oat-crust-recipe/index.html

This recipe was good and I especially like that there was a video on the Food Network site so that I could see Ellie Krieger prepare the dish.  I really liked the crust and it was very easy to make.  Like I mentioned above, I used Swiss cheese in place of the Gruyere.  It was very good!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Yippee-Ki-Yay Spicy Southwest Chicken Chowder


Yippee-Ki-Yay Spicy Southwest Chicken Chowder

Spice up your life with a bowlful of this hearty soup! Flavor, fiber, and all that protein -- poultry power!

Ingredients:

Two 14.5-oz. cans (about 3 1/2 cups) fat-free chicken broth
One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 onion)
2 tbsp. chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 2 peppers)
1/2 cup plain light soymilk
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
1/2 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a crock pot, combine broth, beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, chipotle peppers, soymilk, garlic, and cumin. Stir well.

Season chicken with salt and black pepper and place in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or on low for 7 - 8 hours.

Transfer chicken to a bowl. Shred with two forks -- one to hold chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred.

Stir shredded chicken into the soup in the crock pot. Stir in potato flakes, sour cream, and cilantro. Enjoy!

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! Skip the chipotle peppers for a deliciously mild chicken chowder.

I was excited to try this recipe because I love chowder.  This recipe did not turn out as thick as chowder usually is, but the flavor was delicious!  I really love the addition of the cilantro at the end for that fresh flavor.
 
PER SERVING (1/10th of recipe, about 1 cup): 163 calories, 1.5g fat, 654mg sodium, 18.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 18.5g protein
Lillien, Lisa. "The Adventures of Souper Girl! (New Recipes!)." Hungry Girl. 5 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2012. http://www.hungry-girl.com/weighin/show/2180

Monday, February 13, 2012

Three Bean and Beef Chili


Three Bean and Beef Chili
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved.

Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Level: Easy
Serves: 10 cups (serves 8, serving size 1 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
  • 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
  • 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Directions
Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 8; Calories: 295; Total Fat: 8 grams; Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams; Protein: 22 grams; Total carbohydrates: 35 grams; Sugar: 8 grams; Fiber: 10 grams; Cholesterol: 37 milligrams; Sodium: 512 milligrams

Krieger, Ellie. "Three Bean and Beef Chili Recipe : Ellie Krieger : Food Network." Food Network. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/three-bean-and-beef-chili-recipe/index.html

Although I don't normally eat beans, I am trying to get used to them by eating them more since they are so good for you.  I've read that you should try something 10 times before you say you don't like it, so that's what I'm trying to do.  I was a little skeptical since this has so many beans in it, but I actually liked it!  The sauce is very good, a little spicy, but not too hot.  I think it gave the beans a better flavor than if  you tried to eat them plain, which made it better for me.  If you like things mild, do not add the chipotle chili in adobo sauce.  I would definitely make this again!  Enjoy!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef


Slow- Cooker Barbecue Beef
From:  Eat Up Slim Down Annual Recipes 2008
Either heap the tender meat onto toasted whole wheat buns or serve over rice. Either way, coleslaw in oil and vinegar is a tasty companion.

Serves: 12
Prep:  10 minutes
Cook:  8 hours
Ingredients
Directions
  1. Coat the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker pot with cooking spray. Add the tomato puree, apple juice, maple syrup, flour, chipotle powder or ground red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth. Place the meat in the pot. Turn to coat well with the sauce. Add the onion. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours, or until fork tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Shred the beef with a fork. Return to the slow cooker and combine with the sauce.
Nutritional Facts per serving

CALORIES
139 CAL
FAT
3.6 G
SATURATED FAT
1.5 G
SODIUM
196.3 MG
CARBOHYDRATES
7 G
TOTAL SUGARS
5 G
DIETARY FIBER
0.5 G
PROTEIN
24.5 G

"Slow-Cooker Barbecue Beef." www.prevention.com. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/slow-cooker-barbecue-beef.aspx

I made this recipe in the crock pot, but used only 1 tsp. of chipotle chili powder because I don't like things too spicy.  I was wondering how it would taste when I saw the maple syrup in the ingredient list, but put it in like the recipe said.  Once it was cooked, we put it on top of mashed potatoes.  It was delicious!  It would also be good on a roll or over rice as the recipe suggests.