Hello Everyone-

Well, winter break is coming to an end….THANK GOD!  Two teens and a six year old without a schedule for two weeks is just too much for me!

I am in need of a night out so I am going out to dinner with my friend Amy to my favorite Italian restaurant, Cucina Paradiso.    I’m going to have a glass or two of prosecco,  a lovely mixed green salad with toasted walnuts, bleu cheese, and strawberries, and maybe some spicy artichoke pasta.   Meatless and delicious!

One of my goals going forward in the new year is to use less meat/protein in my cooking and eating.  My Aunt Irene recently became  a vegetarian and totally inspired me!   I am not going to become a vegetarian, rather, I will consume many more vegetable/grain/vegetarian entrees while enjoying meats occasionally.  I would be considered a “flexitarian.” 

In the 50’s meat was considered a luxury.  It wasn’t used as frequently or in the portion sizes people are now consuming.   The appropriate serving size of meat for a woman is about 3 ounces.  Most steaks you order in restaurants start at 8 ounces and go on up to well over 16!  There many creative ways to incorporate flavor into your cooking without mass amounts of protein.

A couple of my favorite ways to incorporate big flavor without a lot of added fat/calories is to use crisp crumbled bacon or parmisano reggiano cheese.    A so called “big bang for your buck.”  The same goes for flavorful cuts of meat.  One can incorporate a 2-3 ounce portion of meat into a veggie loaded stir fry.  Try sauteing shredded veggies and adding to your next meatloaf.   The moisture from the veggies will make the meatloaf incredibly moist and delicious and you’ll have an added bonus serving of veggies.

This week I came up with Veggie Lasagna Rolls.  I used a blend of shredded zucchini and yellow squash, onions, garlic and sweet bell peppers.  I sauteed them in a little olive oil and then mixed in some ricotta cheese.  I cooked lasagna noodles and rolled them around a dollop of the veggie/cheese mixture.  Topped the dish with some homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Walla, an incredibly flavorful and satisfying vegetarian dinner.  Gotta share this one!

I seldom look forward to Mondays but happy to be back on a schedule next week!

Have a great weekend!

Angie

I spend most of my time every day in the kitchen.  I often will come up with something I completely love it and think to myself, “gee, this would be great for my blog.”  About this time my people are starving and there is simply no time to break out the camera.

The other night I made tilapia.  It was one of the simplest preparations I’ve done but we all loved it! 

First I processed a couple of pieces of whole wheat baguette in the food processor.  I gave the crumbs a little olive oil drizzle and a sprinkle of granulated garlic.  I toasted them at 275′ for about 20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes or so for even toasting.  Make an extra large batch and store in an air tight container.  Top salads or hot pasta dishes with them, such a nice touch.

I then seasoned my fish fillets with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.   I then dredged them in flour and placed them on a non stick foil lined cookie sheet that I lightly coated with olive oil.  I gave the fish a little extra drizzle of olive oil.  I baked them at 425′ for 6 minutes, basted the fish with the oil in the pan with a pastry brush, topped them generously with the toasted bread crumbs and back into the oven for another 3 minutes.  Wa la…dinner.  I served it with fresh lemon wedges, brown basmati rice (I cooked in homemade chicken broth) and frozen peas.  That little bit of crunch of the savory and delicate fish was incredibly delicious.

So you see really great food does not have to be complicated.  Just the right seasoning and good timing while cooking.  Practice.  Practice. Practice.  Like anything else, you’ll get out of it what you put into it.  Step out.  Try new things, every week if you can.  You’ll become a great cook, I promise!

Keep on cookin’!

Have a great week-
Angie