This recipe is based on a recipe I originally got from the SparkPeople site (great site for those trying to lose weight or just change to a more healthy lifestyle) but has evolved into something more, as do most recipes I get my hands on. Not to say it is better (I think it is, though) or worse, just different from the original. As a matter of fact, I have made this recipe twice now, different each time, of course, and it has come out really well both times. I don't think the differences in the versions are enough to warrant two different versions of the recipe so I'll just relate what I consider to be the definitive version of the recipe here (but you can just throw out my suggestions and do whatever the hell you want, it is your meal after all). The ingredients:

• 1 bag baby arugula salad mix (the first time I made this recipe, I just used a spring mix and it worked just fine)
• 4 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti (I'm guessing on how much pasta I use. I generally just use a box of the brand I get. Probably should pay more attention. The original recipe called for 4 cups cooked though, so that's what I'm relating to you. You can probably get away with using more or less, as long as you don't go too wild.)
• 2 diced tomatoes (size is not important, although if the tomatoes are small you might want to go with a larger number of them)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz. feta cheese (the original recipe called for only a half a cup, but I prefer a little more)
• black pepper to taste
• sea salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste

Ok, so here's how it all comes together:

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Next, in a large skillet over high heat, add olive oil and argali salad. Cook until slightly wilted. Add tomato, and cook for a minute longer. Then, add cooked pasta and in with mixture in skillet. Next, add feta cheese, one half, stir it in, then the other half, stir it in. Finally, season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until the cheese is a bit melted, then remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes (like five maybe) and serve warm.

captainzoli

Tags: dinner, food, feta, pasta, tomato, fun, meal, low calorie, recipe

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Posted by the Captain at 4:24 PM CDT

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Although the temperatures in this area may not reflect it, Autumn is fast upon us and as the seasons change, I always feel the desire for soups and stews. Something about a warm soup on a brisk day that always makes me feel good. Granted yesterday was far from a brisk day, but I felt like soup anyway, so I went through my pantry and came up with the following recipe. This one is wife approved, so we will surely be enjoying it again as the Autumn and Winter drag on. One thing about this recipe is that it takes a while to cook due to the brown rice. Adding pasta or white rice would reduce the cooking time, but the brown rice is better for you. Do what you want. Here it is:

• 2 package (10 oz) Organic Mixed Vegetables, frozen
• 1 cup Brown Rice, long grain
• 8 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
• 1 cup Tomato Juice,
• 1/2 cup Tomato Paste
• 1 tbsp Curry powder
• 1 tbsp Pepper, black
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tbsp Minced Onion
• 1/2 tsp Salt

The nice thing about this recipe is that there really isn't much in the way of preparation time. It is pretty much ready to go, but here is the way I did it anyway. First, take a large pot and add the vegetable broth (it doesn't have to be organic, that's just what I used because it's what I had) and begin to heat over high heat. While heating, add tomato juice and tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste has incorporated into the sauce and broth mixture.

After the tomato paste has dissolved into the broth, add the two packages of frozen mixed vegetables and stir until they have mixed into individual pieces, as opposed to the frozen blocks they usually start as. Add seasonings to taste. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally.

When the broth hits a boil stir in the brown rice, cover, and lower heat to a simmer for 45 to 55 minutes. After simmering, test rice to make sure it is cooked, taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary, then serve. As an aside on the seasonings: It is important to taste for seasonings on this recipe to make sure it comes out as you would like, and not as I like it. Feel free to experiment. That's what cooking is all about anyway. I estimate the nutritional data on this dish as the following:

8 Servings

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 138.4
• Total Fat 0.9 g
• Saturated Fat 0.2 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
• Cholesterol 0.0 mg
• Sodium 856 mg
• Potassium 447mg
• Total Carbohydrate 28 g
• Dietary Fiber 6 g
• Sugars 7 g
• Protein 6 g
• Vitamin A 104 %
• Vitamin B-6 12 %
• Vitamin C 33 %
• Vitamin E 5 %
• Calcium 6 %
• Copper 9 %
• Folate 7 %
• Iron 13 %
• Magnesium 10 %
• Manganese 27 %
• Niacin 10 %
• Pantothenic Acid 2 %
• Phosphorus 9 %
• Riboflavin 6 %
• Selenium 7 %
• Thiamin 9 %
• Zinc 5 %

Keep in mind that these nutritional numbers may or may not be accurate, depending on the accuracy of information provided on the labels of the foods involved. I have no way to judge label accuracy. There are just a best guess.

captainzoli

Tags: recipe, soup, vegetable, curry, rice, brown rice, fun, food, eating, dinner, lunch, winter, tomato, spicy, dish, food

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Posted by the Captain at 9:17 AM CDT

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I've actually been meaning to post this second nacho recipe since I posted the first one, especially since I made both only about twenty-four hours apart anyway, but I have been remiss in my duties to this blog. So, without further ado, the second nacho recipe:

• 1 bag round corn chips ( I used Tostitos White Corn Chips)
• 1 can refried beans of your choice.
• 1 lb. deli thin sliced round Colby cheddar cheese ( I got it sliced on No. 2, which is second from the thinnest at my local grocer)
• 1 jar sliced jalapenos or get fresh jalapenos and slice them yourself ( I prefer the second option, but the local grocer had nothing worth buying in their jalapeno bin)
• 1 container of sour cream

While heating the oven, on bake, to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, heat the refried beans according to the instructions on the label. It is important to note that it is not overly important to heat the beans up to a blazing temperature. At this point, the only reason to heat the beans is that they are infinitely easier to work with when they are warm. They will get plenty of cooking in the oven. Next, acquire an oven safe casserole dish or cookie sheet large enough to hold the number of nachos you intend to make. After this is done, get all the ingredients near your work space, and begin assembly.

You may notice that this recipe is very much like the last, and there are reasons for that. First of all, we are making nachos here. It isn't exactly brain surgery. Secondly, I make food the way I like it the majority of the time, and since that is the case, this is really more of a fine tuning of the original recipe, but I hate not to share the first one for those who may find it preferable to this one.

Now, there are a couple of ways to go about this: complete each nacho individually, or use one ingredient at a time to build an entire sheet of nachos. I employed the one ingredient at a time method, but you can do what's right for you. There really isn't one "right" way to cook, no matter what anyone says. Taking one of the tortilla chips at a time, place a small amount of refried beans on/in it, then set it on the dish that you will be placing in the oven. Repeat until the dish is full of chips with beans in/on them. You can add as much or as little bean as you wish to your nachos, but try to leave room for cheese as well. For these nachos, I used vegetarian style refried beans, but any will do.

Next, take the cheese and tear (or cut, your choice) it into nacho size pieces and put one piece on each nacho. Be careful not to overlap the cheese, or all your nachos will be stuck together when they come out of the oven. When done adding the cheese, add one or two slices of jalapeno to each nacho. Next, put the nachos in the oven for around five minutes, or until the cheese is melted to your liking. I prefer a little color on it, but that's just me.

After the cheese is nice and melted, remove the nachos from the oven and place on a serving plate. Top with a little sour cream and you are ready to enjoy your hot, fresh nachos. Beats the heck out of anything you'll find at a convenience store.

captainzoli

Tags: nachos, tail-gating, cheese, beans, refried, jalapeno, food, fun, snack, tv, game, salsa, corn chips, chip, Mexican, Tex-Mex, quick, easy, recipe

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Posted by the Captain at 1:04 PM CDT

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A couple of weekends ago, I decided it was time for some nachos. Not the kind that you find at convenience stores and sporting events, mind you, but some good, old fashioned nachos. Of course, having decided this, it was time to scout around the kitchen to see if I actually had the proper ingredients for nachos (always an important detail). The following is what I came up with:

• 1 bag Tostitos Scoops Corn Chips
• 1 can refried beans of your choice.
• 1 package shredded cheese of your choice
• 1 jar salsa of your choice

This recipe is simple and to the point. It is actually all about construction. First, preheat the oven, on bake, to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then set to making the nachos. This is done by first acquiring an oven save casserole dish or cookie sheet large enough to hold the number of nachos you intend to make. Second, heat the refried beans enough that they are usable, by which I mean that you can stir them and spoon them and so forth, not just look at them in their can shaped form. After this is done, get all the ingredients near your work space, and begin assembly.

There are two ways to do this: make each nacho individually, or use one ingredient at a time. I employed the one ingredient at a time method, but you can do what's right for you. Since this is my recipe though, I will tell you how I did it. Taking one of the tortilla chips at a time, place a small amount of refried beans on/in it, then set it on the dish that you will be placing in the oven. Repeat until the dish is full of chips with beans in/on them. You can add as much or as little bean as you wish to your nachos, but try to leave room for cheese as well. It is important to note here that I used refried beans with jalapeno because I like spicy nachos, but you can use whatever you prefer.

Next, take the shredded cheese and add as much as possible to each nacho. Be careful not to go way too far with the cheese, or all your nachos will be stuck together and stuck to the pan via the cheese. For the cheese, I used shredded cheddar jack with jalapeno, again because I like spicy food, but you can use your favorite cheese. When done adding the cheese, pop the nachos in the oven for about five minutes. The purpose is to melt the cheese. Check after five minutes, and if the cheese is melted to your satisfaction, then the nachos are ready to come out of the oven.

Finally, take the salsa and put a small dollop on the top of each nacho. I used a habanero salsa that was surprisingly hot. Most hot salsas aren't, but this one was. Which is good for me, since I like spicy foods, but it wasn't as good for the wife. Poor wifey. Anyway, now the nachos are ready to eat. I enjoyed the way this recipe came out, and I hope you will too.

captainzoli

Tags: nachos, tail-gating, cheese, beans, refried, jalapeno, food, fun, snack, tv, game, salsa, corn chips, chip, Mexican, Tex-Mex, quick, easy, recipe

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Posted by the Captain at 1:08 PM CDT

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As some of you may remember, I posted a recipe for Quick Turkey Spaghetti some time ago. The purpose of this post, as opposed to the countless "purposeless" posts I make is to follow up on this recipe with a new twist I tried on the poor wife just a couple of days ago. Making the recipe as usual, I decided to try out the Boca Meatless Ground Burger I had picked up on a whim during Monday's grocery outing. The wife gave it her seal of approval, from a taste stand point, and from a cooking standpoint, it really lowers the amount of time it takes to prepare the recipe since the meatless ground can be tossed and heated directly in the sauce, rather than being browned first. Everything was done and ready to go by the time my pasta was cooked. I would recommend it to everyone, but especially those looking to cut fat and a few calories, or those wishing to go vegetarian like the wife would like to one day.

captainzoli

Tags: recipe, spaghetti, turkey, quick, boca, meatless, meat, less, meat-less, diet, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan, fat, low, food, fun, dinner

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Posted by the Captain at 2:09 PM CDT

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Mood:  lazy

When I was doing the post regarding the Potato Pancakes yesterday, I mentioned that I had made a rice side dish.  This would be that side dish.  Or at least the recipe for it.  You will have to make your own.  Really, I can't do everything for you.  The recipe goes like this:

2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice

1 can diced tomatoes

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 package frozen vegetable mix

garlic powder to taste

black pepper to taste

salt to taste

Prepare the brown rice as the package directs you too.  Next prepare the frozen vegetables as directed by the package as well.  Bring spaghetti sauce to heat in a large pot.  When sauce is heated nicely, add the can of diced tomatoes and continue to heat. Lower heat on sauce mixure to med/low and add prepared vegetables.  Mix vegetables into sauce.  Add prepared rice to pot and mix into the sauce/vegetable mixture.  Season to taste.  The nice thing about this side dish is that it can be altered to add just about anything you like into it, such as fresh vegetable (saute in pot before adding sauce) or meat (again, brown before adding sauce).  The preparation time could also be significatly reduced by using white or even minute rice, although I personally prefer the brown rice.  Another nice thing is that this recipe makes a large amount of servings, so there will be plenty left over for later.

captainzoli 

Posted by the Captain at 10:44 AM CDT

Updated: Friday, 18 August 2006 10:48 AM CDT

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Mood:  lazy

It has certainly been a while since I've posted, but fortunately, the days of sporadic posting should be over.  At least I'm hoping my lovely PC will be working after arriving this weekend.  I'm sure it will.  Fingers crossed, at least.  Anyway, on to the recipe.  The wife says this is now her favorite food, and I have to say, I was pleased with the way the taste came out, but I'm still not completely satisied with the consistency.  They were a little come aparty for my liking, but really, taste is everything at the final accounting.  It went as follows:

6 medium to large potatoes

1/3 cup Milk 

3 tablespoons Olive Oil 

Paprika to taste

Salt to taste

Garlic Powder to taste

Black Pepper to taste 

First, the potatoes must be boiled, or baked, or microwaved.  Your choice.  Do what you have to do.  I chose to boil.  Some may choose one of the other methods I mentioned, and if you are one of those, I won't hold it against you.  Again, do what you have to do.  I boiled my potatoes over high heat for thirty minutes.  One tip on boiling, it seems to me that the potatoes  come out much better if I don't add them until after the water is good and boiling.  May just be me, but that's how it seems to me.  The downside is that I have to be extra careful when putting the potatoes into the boiling water for, what I feel, are obvious reasons and I suggest you do the same.  Don't want to burn yourself right before dinner.  After boiling, drain the potatoes in a colander, or any other safe method you may choose to use.  "Safe" being the keyword here, folks.  Next, take the potatoes and put them into a large bowl or pot, and mash them to the desired consistency.  I prefer a little bit chunky, more smashed than mashed.  Next add the 1/3 cup milk and mix into the potatoes.  I used skim but you can use whatever you wish.  Experimentation is the heart of cooking, after all.  After you have mixed in the milk, add seasoning to taste.  I used sea salt, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder.  After everything is all mixed together and tasting good, heat an appropriately sized frying pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Now, the size pancake you decide to make is entirely up to you, although it seems to me that smaller, say half dollar size, pancakes may stay together better.  I made pancakes the size of hamburger patties and they broke apart a little around the edges.  This is supposed to be fun, however, so do what you want.  Pat out the pancakes from the potato mixture into the size you like, and lay them carefully in the pan.  Cook until golden brown, then flip the pancakes and do the same on the other side.  It took about five minutes per side on my stove, but your mileage may vary.  When done, remove pancakes to a plate to rest, and immediately sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  It works best if you do this while they are still hot.  Then serve them up with your favorite foods.  I served them with a tomato based rice and vegetable dish and pan-fried chicken tenders, but they will go well with many different foods.  I'm thinking they would be great at breakfast, especially since I don't care for eggs all that much.  I think next time I might add some flour or egg to the potato mixture to see if that improves their ability to stay together, but it certainly isn't necessary as they only crumbled a little around the edges.

 captainzoli

Posted by the Captain at 1:16 PM CDT

Updated: Thursday, 17 August 2006 1:37 PM CDT

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Mood:  rushed

Quick Turkey Spaghetti

Ah, what would food be with Recipes? Why just a bunch of ingredients, laying all over the damn place, of course. So I guess it's safe to say that we can all agree the recipe is important, and I have certainly found them useful, at least as a guide line. So with this in mind, we will journey forth.

This is a recipe that was created by my lovely wife, and although simple and quick, is quite tasty, and perfect for busy people. Now, admittedly, the entire meal is not from scratch, but that is really part of the charm, and there will be a "from scratch" recipe in the near future, so don't panic. Ingredients are as follows:

package of dry pasta (I prefer whole wheat spaghetti for dietary and nutritional reasons, but to each their own)

ground turkey (again, pick the fat content that you prefer)

garlic, or garlic powder (your choice. If I have time, I prefer fresh garlic, but sometimes garlic powder has to do)

Italian seasoning of your choice (I recommend oregano or basil)

onion, or onion powder (see garlic above)

bottled spaghetti sauce (brand of your choice, but I would suggest you try some of the organic brands)

red wine (this is an optional ingredient that I rarely use, but the upside is it improves the taste of the sauce and then there is an open bottle of wine that needs to to be finished)

I bet that you can already see where this is going, but since I'm relaying the recipe, I'm going to tell you anyway. First, find a nice large skillet. The type isn't important (at least not to me), but that it is large enough to hold all the sauce ingredients is. I use a large, non-stick skillet I got from Pampered Chef. You can use whatever you have. A quick aside here: Cooking is largely a subjective activity. What that means is that I can tell you what works for me, but your mileage may vary. I may brown my ground turkey over medium heat, you may prefer high. I say, do what makes you happy. You have to eat the food, after all. Now back to our previous programming.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, or beef, or whatever ground dead animal you prefer. I'm on a diet right now, so I like turkey. When I'm not on a diet, I might prefer beef, but I suppose that's another story all together. This is one of those subjective times I was speaking about earlier. Season the meat as you see fit. Add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, whatever you like on your meat. I prefer garlic powder, black pepper, some sea salt and oregano. The wife prefers enough garlic to knock over people walking by the house. (I jest, I jest) Anyway you choose to go, it's hard to go wrong, although it might take you a couple of times preparing the meal to truly fine tune the flavors to your own tastes. Don't forget to take into account the tastes that your sauce will bring to the party later as well. After seasoning, brown your ground. Or cook the meat until it's browned, but not burnt, and then drain the excess grease from it.

If you have chose the path of real onions and garlic, then remove the now browned ground turkey from the skillet, set is aside, and add the chopped onions and garlic. Cook them until they soften slightly, then add the meat back into the skillet.

Now add the sauce of your choice to the skillet containing the browned turkey (and onions and garlic if you went that way). Now is also the time to add red wine to taste, if your tastes lean that way. You want to heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring periodically, until it just starts to bubble, then lower it to low until time to serve.

At this point, I like to make the pasta, as per the directions on the packaging. This is personal preference, but I also do it for a reason. You could, and some do, make the pasta while working on the sauce, and dinner will be ready quicker, but if you wait to make the pasta til the sauce is on low,it will have an extra ten minutes or so (depending on your individual pasta cooking times) to simmer and mingle and such, and the longer a sauce has to mingle, the better it usually is. This especially applies to leftovers the next day.

Once the pasta is ready, you are ready to eat. You can pretty much scale this meal to serve from one person to quite a few, just scale the size of the cooking ware, and the amount of the Ingredients. Spaghetti is quick, fun, flavorful, and just all around good to eat, and I always recommend it, as well as try to eat it at least once a week.

Posted by the Captain at 12:37 PM CST

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