Cooking With a Muffin Pan

Up until recently I thought the only thing you could to with cupcake/muffin pans is make cupcakes and muffins. What a discovery it was when I read The Daily Dish (my best friend, Shari’s blog) recently and suddenly felt inspired to think “outside the pan,” if you will.

Cooking traditional recipes in a muffin pan is a great way to portion control and also put a new spin on things. It’s also an efficient way to cook things in “grab-n-go” style so that you always have something to munch on. Below are some of the initial muffin pan ideas I have tried along with a few ideas I have for testing in the future. If you have any more I’d love to hear them!

Tried and True:

Going off of Shari’s blog post, I made my own version of grab-n-go breakfast quiches.

• First I minced some mushrooms and broccoli and cooked up about ½ lb of white meat ground turkey
• I then combined a mixture of these ingredients in each muffin circle with one egg white and a very small amount of cheddar cheese.
• I didn't use the muffin cups as Shari did, but I did spray the pan with fat-free Pam first, and then I baked the quiches for about 20 minutes at 350°.
• I love this idea because you can do SO many different combinations of veggies, cheeses and meats, and they stay good for up to about 5 days – just microwave for about 30 seconds! Perfect breakfast for the work week!

Also inspired by Shari, I recently made my own spin on her famous mac-and-cheese recipe portioned out within the muffin circles.

• First I cooked about ½ a box of whole wheat shell pasta, baked about 1 lb of thin-sliced chicken cutlets seasoned with salt, pepper and chili powder (for about 20 minutes at 350°), and minced some broccoli
• Once the pasta and chicken cooled, I cut the chicken into small cubes and combined with the pasta along with salt, pepper, the broccoli and enough egg whites to coat the mixture
• Once all combined I mixed in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• I then portioned the mixture throughout the muffin circles and topped each one with a little more cheese.
• Finally, I baked the mac-and-cheese for about 25 minutes at 350° and then enjoyed – delicious!
• This recipe is a great option for portion-controlled lunches that touch on almost all the food groups – protein, carbs, dairy and vegetables!

Some Other Ideas:

• Playing off the mac-and-cheese recipe above, I want to try an Italian version with ingredients you might find in a chicken parm dish (pasta, chicken, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce)
• I would like to play with a beef stew/french onion soup version of the recipe cooked with small noodles, beef, onions and gruyere cheese.
• I plan to play with a Mexican version of this recipe, which would combine ingredients such as ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, peppers and beans

Follow me on Twitter @THFoodieNYC for updates on how these new ideas “pan” out!

Spice it up! THF Top Ten Spices for Your Kitchen

One of the biggest challenges when eating healthy is finding flavor that does not come with added calories. The best trick in the book is to use regular kitchen spices to punch up flavor, keep your waistline happy and not completely break the bank.

Yes, buying small containers of spices at the store can sometimes lead to sticker shock, however I assure you the ROI is worth it and it’s WAY less expensive (and wasteful) than buying fresh spices that go bad after only a few days.

I typically use grocery store spices to make different types of “rub” that create delicious, healthy chicken dishes. I do this by placing the chicken on a cookie sheet, dressing it with a small amount of olive oil and then sprinkling it thoroughly with spices. I bake the chicken for 25 minutes or so at 350°, and then serve with brown rice and fresh vegetables to create a well-rounded, delicious meal for less than around $10 (for two people).

Here I list for you my choices for the top ten spices to always have in your kitchen. Not included here are salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder (SPOG) since these four are likely already in your kitchen. Next to each spice I have listed other spices you could combine it with to make your perfect rub! Enjoy!

• Italian Medley (Combine with SPOG for any Italian dish)
• Crushed Red Pepper (Add to the Italian Medley above to spice it up)
• Cayenne Pepper (Add to anything you’re wanting to make spicy)
• Chipotle Pepper (Adds a smoky spice – I use with SPOG in guacamole)
• Chili Powder (Combine with the above two peppers and SPOG when making fajitas!)
• Cumin (Combine with SPOG, Chili Powder, cornstarch and lime juice to make a delicious sauce)
• Chef Paul's Blackened Redfish Magic (use on its own – delicious!)
• McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (can also be used on its own)
• Rosemary (combine with SPOG on chicken, or with Cayenne Pepper and Cumin on sweet potatoes)
•  Thyme (combine with SPOG or even Rosemary, also delicious with a hint of lemon)

Most Important Meal of the Day

Growing up we’re told breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As adults, breakfast tends to become a lost meal. Whether we’re running late to work during the week or sleeping in on the weekends, I’m willing to bet most “grown-ups” don’t eat for the first time each day until 11am or even later, even though most of us are up and running much earlier.

To give a little breakfast back story, according to WebMD, breakfast eaters tend to weigh less, snack less, and have higher levels of concentration and better performance throughout the day. Breakfast eaters also have higher energy and motivation levels, which can help with staying on top of your workout routine.  The most important ingredient? Protein, protein, protein, which satisfies hunger more than any other food type.

For a very long time I was a victim of the “no breakfast” trend. I would set my alarm earlier so I would have time to drink my coffee and eat a bowl of cereal before leaving the house, but time and again I just hit “snooze.” I realized I needed something on the go and delicious that I could look forward to eating each day.

In honor of spring, I decided to purchase a blender so I could make fruit smoothies and drink them during my morning walk to work. It was on the expensive side, but I invested in a KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender.

After about three weeks I can confirm that it was totally worth it. Yes, I need to wake up 10 minutes earlier to make the smoothies, and yes, I need to wash the blender every day, but between the delicious taste and the clear health benefits, it’s all time very well spent. I even bought the reusable smoothie cup below for easy on-the-go consumption. All of the above is dishwasher safe.

You can definitely switch out the types of fruit used to change up the flavor, but here is what I use to make the smoothies (enough for two people to have breakfast, or you can half the recipe for one person):

Ingredients:

6 large ice cubes

10 frozen strawberries

2 fresh bananas

2 very large scoops of 0% Fage yogurt

2 scoops of GNC brand Whey Protein (vanilla ice cream flavor)

2 packets of Splenda

½ cup of water (more or less as desired)

Preparation:

1. First use the “crush ice” speed to crush the ice cubes and frozen strawberries

2. Once those ingredients are crushed, add in the bananas and yogurt, and use the “puree” speed to blend

3. After blending, add in the protein and Splenda, and use a combination of the “mix,” “puree” and “liquefy” speeds to create a smooth consistency – you may need to stop every couple seconds and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides

4. Last you’ll add in the water and use the “mix” speed to achieve desired thickness

5. Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Le Cirque

As you may know I went to Le Cirque for Restaurant Week. I hate to say it because Le Cirque is one of my favorite restaurants, but I wasn’t very impressed. I know…how is that possible? To be honest, I don’t think it’s because the food was that bad, but because I went into it with such high expectations.

To Le Cirque’s credit, I could have made wiser course selections. I started with the escargot, ordered the duck for the entrée and finished with crème brûlée for dessert. With the exception of my dessert choice I really went out on a limb, and I wish I had stuck with my old reliables.

Luckily I was with @jerpdavis, who not only eats everything, but just wants me to be happy. When I wasn’t enjoying the escargot we traded appetizers, so I ended up having the pasta instead, which was quite good, but quite “regular.”

When I wasn’t enjoying the duck, @jerpdavis arranged for me to try the chicken instead, which turned out to be delicious (crispy skin - delectable).

Very different from me, @jerpdavis enjoyed everything he tried at Le Cirque. About the escargot he says, "In a departure from true French fashion, the escargot was coupled with delicious Gruyere gnocchi. Served in a red wine sauce, this dish was an excellent change of pace from the typical snails in garlicky oil that you usually get.”

And about his pork steak entrée he says, “The pork steak was tender, beautifully cooked and had the textural assistance of some nuts (pine nuts maybe?). Delicious food all in all, but not the triumph I remembered from my first visit. “

@jerpdavis’ assessments leave me confused about what went wrong. Do I have a hard time with just how much the ingredients in these options were honored?  I usually really enjoy duck, but this dish was particularly “ducky.” It also wasn’t a duck breast – it was completely dark meat, which I didn’t expect or really enjoy.

As for the escargot, I was hoping the escargot itself would be a little more masked since I was still wrapping my head around what I was eating, but it was very straightforward, and I think that was difficult for me. I digress.

For dessert we both hit home runs. My crème brûlée was as delicious as I remembered from my first Le Cirque visit, and @jerpdavis’ chocolate cannelloni was exquisite.

Overall the experience at Le Cirque was OK. The space is truly gorgeous - a perfect balance of playful and elegant. @jerpdavis describes, “Delicious food all in all, but not the triumph I remembered from our first visit. Perhaps it was an off night, or perhaps our culinary exploits in the years since first trying Le Crique have rendered me a more discerning critic. Regardless, an excellent Restaurant Week value in a beautifully bourgeois room with beautifully bourgeois people eating beautifully bourgeois food."

On that note, the staff couldn’t have taken better care of us. We were able to take our time, all necessary adjustments were accommodated and they even placed our wine bottle label on a postcard for us to take home as a souvenir.

Recipe: BLT Spaghetti

Boy am I glad I made that lasagna on Sunday - I barely had time to cook and exercise this whole week! On weeks like these I sure am glad my best friend is also a blogger so I can have her write a guest post. See below for the first Chicago Cuisine Critique contribution to Thrifty Healthy Foodie. I'm so excited to make this recipe!

Keep an eye out tomorrow and this week for several new blog posts from me, including the THF February Gym Mix!

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Good morning Thrifty Healthy Foodie readers! My name is Shari and I blog over at the Chicago Cuisine Critique, where I write about my own foodie adventures in and around The Windy City. While my blog mainly focuses on dining out and cooking from the comfort of my own home, I have expanded it to include much more. Definitely stop by and check it out, I’d love to hear from you!

Briel is one of my dearest friends, and I am so happy to be guest blogging over here today. Briel and I met in college, where we were first neighbors, and later on became roommates. We quickly became the best of friends, and I don’t know what I would do without her. Unfortunately, I am in Chicago and she is in NY, which does not allow for as many visits as we would like, but we do try and fit in a few every year.

Today I am here to share one of my recent recipe attempts with you.  I discovered this recipe on the Rachael Ray Show (who I am a big fan of) during her Top 10 downloaded recipes in 2010 episode. Anything with spaghetti and bacon together (Yum)..I just HAD to give it a try!

BLT Spaghetti (Adapted from Rachael Ray) Ingredients:

2 leeks

2 tbsp of EVOO

6 slices of bacon, cut into cubes (I used to turkey bacon)

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Ground black pepper

1 (28 oz) can of Italian tomatoes with puree

¼ cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

½ box of whole wheat spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (to top)

Dried basil (or fresh if you choose, to taste)

BLT Spaghetti Preparation:

1. Begin by taking your leeks and trimming off the tops and root ends of each leek. Cut them in half lengthwise, and slice thinly.

2. Fill a large bowl with water and wash the leeks. Separate each of the layers, and swish them around in the water.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for the pasta).

4. Place the EVOO in the bottom of a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and crisp.

5. Once the bacon becomes a bit crispy, add the leeks and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes (or until softened). Season everything with ground black pepper to taste.

6. Add the tomatoes (and puree) into the skillet and mash up the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the parsley, and let it thicken over low heat (while the pasta continues to cook).

7. Once the pasta is finished cooking (or al-dente), strain the pasta, and toss into the sauce for a minute or to.

Serve and top with the Parmesan and dried basil, to taste.

1

There is nothing better than a recipe that is quick, easy, fairly healthy (if you make a few small tweaks, as I did), and quite tasty. Enjoy! And..if you have not done so already, go on over to my blog and check it out.  I leave you with this adorable photo of me and bestie from our college days. Oh how I miss them, and her – Chicago and NY are just too far apart.

Until Next Dine!

Recipe: Scallops with Pea Puree and Tuscan Flatbread Appetizer

This Christmas I received the New York Times Cookbook from @jerpdavis' Mom, @queenbeeFL. The book is amazing and is something I will definitely have forever. In addition to being a resource for my day-to-day cooking, I imagine that some day I will have a dinner party crisis and it will provide me with a get out of jail free card.

Last night I cooked a recipe from the NY Times cookbook for the first time - Scallops with Pea Puree. I always enjoy cooking seafood because it provides something a little different than the usual chicken or steak dinner. I especially like this recipe because it taught me how to get the PERFECT scallop sear, which really makes the dish.

As for the pea puree, I was very pleasantly surprised. It took on the texture of a carb - like mashed potatoes. This is something I will keep in mind as a carb substitute for future recipes. 

I could tell from the recipe that the scallops and pea puree would not be enough food for dinner, so I decided to make a Tuscan Flatbread appetizer also (my own creation). The flavors of the flatbread tied in very nicely with the entree and also made the meal more filling.

Dinner was paired with a 2009 Robert Mondavi private reserve Pinot Noir from California. It was the perfect red to enjoy with seafood and only cost $11.99 from Trader Joe's.

The recipe and preparation for the Tuscan Flatbread, and Scallops and Pea Puree are below. As for the @jerpdavis Review:

Jer's Corner

Score: 7 jerps

Make again? Yes

Comments: I really liked this dish, but being the boy in the little household I just couldn't be satisfied with portion size. The scallops were cooked to perfection, with a nice seared, caramelized finish. The pea puree was tasty and a nice complement to scallop, but lacked salt. The flatbread was 100% delicious. It had the illusion of greasiness that made it nice Friday night food, but obviously it was healthy. All in all a nice meal to round out a week, and what a treat to enjoy scallops at home. Just not enough food for this jerp.

About Jer's Corner

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Tuscan Flatbread Ingredients:

The thick half of 2 Arnold whole wheat sandwich thins

2 TBSP + 2 drops extra virgin olive oil

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar 

1/2 red onion

3 medium white mushrooms

2 thin slices of prosciutto

4 thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

Tuscan Flatbread Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cover small cookie sheet with foil.

2. Slice red onion longways so that you have fairly large strings of red onion, and slice mushrooms. 

3. Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in small pan, add the red onion once hot, sautee until soft and slightly brown. Add 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar, continue to sautee until all vinegar is absorbed, then set aside.

4. Add 1 TBSP olive oil to the same pan, add mushrooms once hot, sautee until soft and slightly brown, then set aside.

5. Place the two sandwich thin slices on the cookie sheet, top each with one drop of olive oil, then brush into the flatbread. Top each flatbread with 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the mushrooms, 1 slice of prosciutto, 2 slices cheese.

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, then serve

Scallops and Pea Puree Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 6-inch sprig fresh rosemary (I used about 1 TBSP dried rosemary)

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cups frozen peas (2 10 oz packages)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 large sea scallops, each one halved to make two slim disks

Scallops and Pea Puree Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, rosemary and oil. Place over medium-low heat until the oil starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to infuse.

2. Place peas in a large pan of lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender but still bright green, cooked slightly longer than usual. Drain, and transfer to a food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the infused oil (discard garlic and rosemary). Process until pureed, then return to the pan, cover, and keep warm.

3. Season the cornstarch with salt and pepper to taste. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, lightly dust the scallop halves with seasoned cornstarch, and add to the pan. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes each side.

4. To serve, divide pea puree between two plates and add scallops. Serve immediately.

Briel's Touch:

- If you don't eat seafood just substitute in something else like chicken or beef. The pea puree will go nicely with anything!

- I recommend halfing the amount of pea puree than what the recipe calls for - there was a lot left over. If you do this I would NOT half the oil/rosemary/garlic mixture.

- Even if you do half the amount of pea puree, I would add another couple scallops to each person's portion. Four isn't enough for dinner.

- The pea puree could be more flavorful. To accomplish this, maybe keep the rosemary and garlic in the oil when you add it to the peas to be food processed. You also could add a touch of salt to that mixture. 

My Best Friend, My Crock Pot

If you are busy, on a budget and/or learning (and loving) to cook and eat healthy, a crock pot (a.k.a. slow cooker) will solve all of your problems. Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than cooking a delicious, complex meal to unwind from a long day at the office, but there are only 24 hours in a day, and sometimes that's not enough to get everything done. Having a crock pot truly allows you to multitask - toss in the ingredients in the morning, go about your day, come home to a delicious meal. End of story.

For those who aren't familiar, a crock pot is an electric pot that cooks food at a lower temperature over a longer period of time. As a result, proteins emerge at the end of the cook time more tender than ever, and vegetables taste even more delicious because they've had time to really absorb your seasonings.

Now that you know what a crock pot is, it's time for the first...

Here are the top 10 reasons why you should go out an buy a crock pot today if you don't already have one:

10) Because it's extremely low maintenance - once you fill it up with your ingredients and hit the "start" button, you're just several hours and zero effort away from a delicious meal.
9) To make it even lower maintenance, Reynolds now makes "slow cooker liners" that you can use to line your crock pot, thus minimizing clean-up to pretty much nothing.

8) The possibilities are endless - you can make anything in your crock pot from lamb stew to short ribs to coque au vin, and everything in between.
7) A meal prepared with a crock pot is generally inexpensive - just load up on a few cans of your favorite soup, 1.5 lbs chicken and assorted vegetables, and you've got yourself about 4 meals for around $15 (or less).
6) On that note, whatever you make in your crock pot will likely yield leftovers - great for bringing to work the next day or freezing for a later date.
5) It's electric! This means if you live in a tiny NYC apartment without items such as a stove, oven or microwave, you can still cook. All you need is an outlet.
4) You can't mess it up. All you do is buy your ingredients, put them all in the crock pot, and POOF, 6 to 8 hours later (if you're cooking on low temperature) dinner is served.
3) The carrots. If for no other reason, you have got to taste how amazing carrots are when cooked in a crock pot. There's just nothing like it.
2) You can purchase a crock pot very inexpensively. Check out this one I found on Target.com for $40 (and they come even cheaper than that).
1) Because I will be sharing many crock pot recipes with you through this blog. You don't want to be left out, do you?

After reading this list I hope you will elect to change your life for the better by purchasing a crock pot. I'm telling you, it will change your life, and it will make you feel like you are witnessing magic. Below is a super quick and easy starter recipe for whenever you decide to take the leap. In the meantime, please leave any crock pot related questions you might have in the "comments" section and I am happy to answer!


Cook the following in the crock pot on low for 7 hours:
- 2 cans condensed French Onion Soup + 1 can water
- 1 can low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lb chicken breast
 - Sliced carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms and sweet potatoes
After 7 hours, do the following:
- Mix a bit of cornstarch with 1 cup water until the water becomes slightly thick
- Stir into the crock pot to thicken up the broth
- Repeat until broth reaches desired thickness
- Enjoy!

Recipe: Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

While I am not a big fan of adopting diets as a way to get healthy, I have found a lot of inspiration from Tosca Reno's "Eat Clean" philosophy. 

With Eat Clean, you commit to eating smaller meals more often, and when you eat those meals you try to eliminate all the unhealthy "stuff" that can make food so delicious. Instead, you use spices, natural ingredients and healthy ingredient alternatives that bring out the best in the foods you are cooking, ultimately making them just as delicious as if you had made it the unhealthy way.

This week I tried a new recipe from the Eat Clean cookbook called Moroccan Chicken and Lentils. The flavors in this dish are delicious and I loved the effect of the lentils. When you eat them you feel like you're eating a carb, such as potatoes or rice, but you're not! Lentils are extremely rich in protein and fiber, which are essential to a balanced diet. 

(This picture is from the book, but from now on I'll provide originals. It looked very similar, I promise!)

The recipe and preparation for Moroccan Chicken and Lentils is below. As for the @jerpdavis Review:

Jer's Corner

Score: 9 jerps

Make again? Yes!

Comments: "An instant winner and one I hope you'll make again. The chicken was plump and perfectly seasoned, and the sauteed onions added an extra kick. I could tell that it was Moroccan by sight and taste. The lentils were well cooked, but there was too much vinegar. It held up nicely overnight and was even more delicious the next day."
About Jer's Corner

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Moroccan Chicken and Lentils Recipe

Ingredients:

8 cups Water
3 tsp Sea salt divided
1lb Dried lentils, (Rinsed drained and picked over)
1 cup Plus 2 tbsp exta virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Red wine vinegar
3 tbsp Ground cumin, divided
2 tbsp Plus 2 tsp chili powder
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 Large onion, peeled and chopped
2lbs Skinless boneless chicken breast or turkey breast (thinly sliced)
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 cup Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Preparation:

1. Combine water and 1 tsp salt in stock pot over high heat. Add lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 -25 minutes. Drain well. Rinse under cold water. Place in large bowl and set aside.

2. In Small bowl, mix 1 cup olive oil , vinegar, 2tbsp cumin, 2 tbsp chilli powder, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Pour this dressing over lentils. Toss gently and let cool.

3. In large skillet heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onion and saute until well cooked, about 5 min. onion should appear dark and soft. Add chicken or turkey and saute 2 min more. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tbp cumin, 2tsp chilli powder,and cinnamon. Saute until poultry is cooked through.

4. Arrange lentils on a large serving platter. Place sliced chicken on top of lentils. Use remaining dressing and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve at room temperature.

Briel's Touch:

- I left the cinnamon out - I am not a big cinnamon fan

- I used more onions than the recipe called for

- I served the lentils hot instead of letting them cool (and 1 lb of lentils is a lot of lentils - I recommend 1/2 that)