Month: February 2011

Posted in Being Healthy, Children, Cooking

Rescue Meal–what to make when a friend is dealing with an emergency situation

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

This is in the freezes beautifully section of my cookbook, and I wanted to bring something that freezes beatuifully.   ~Annelle (Daryl Hannah) in Steel Magnolias

So I just signed up to make a meal for a friend dealing with a medical crisis with her daughter. Over the weekend, a high school classmate posted on FaceBook that one of her daughters had fallen out of her second-story bedroom window. After a terrifying trip to the ER, the family brought their daughter home, only to have to rush her back to the ER, suspicious of internal bleeding.

Luckily, a close friend of theirs has taken an active role in organizing dinners for the family, and I signed up for Tuesday. Here’s what I have to work with:

  • The dinner audience: tired, anxious, terrified mom and dad, older sister (10-ish) and younger sister (6-ish)
  • Food preferences according to the kids: peas, chicken, pasta are all things they like (separate of course :)), pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, salad, fruit salad, pancakes/eggs/bacon, hamburgers & fries, steak, porkchops.

So here’s what I’m thinking is a good meal to take over already cooked, still warm, and easily re-heatable (and still good):

  • Roasted Lemon and Garlic Chicken: whole split chicken with extra drumsticks, with lemon and garlic stuffed under the skin for roasting
  • Seasoned Bowtie Pasta: you don’t always have to put sauce on pasta; it’s really nice to enjoy it with some light seasoning like salt and pepper and herbs de provence with an olive oil drizzle. And I’ll include some mix-ins like a can of artichoke hearts, a jar of roasted red peppers, olives, and feta cheese, which would make a great lunch for the next day if there’s any leftover. And don’t be afraid to use gluten free pastas if someone in the family has an allergy.
  • Loaded mashed potatoes: who doesn’t like this…homemade mashed potatoes mixed with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon
  • Seasonal fruit salad: since it’s still winter-ish, I’ll do a plum, nectarine, pineapple, banana and raisin salad with a cinnamon-date balsamic creme-lemon dressing (on the side in case the kids don’t like it)
  • Clemson Tiger Paw Sugar Cookies: my dessert specialty is sugar cookies, and I know this family is completely devoted to Clemson University (as are quite a few friends of mine)

And here’s what I think are the keys to preparing and taking a meal over for friend to enjoy at their leisure or in a stressful time:

    • choose meats that are easy to keep or make moist during reheating–for the chicken, cover it with a damp paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes (direct from fridge)
    • choose sides that are as good cold as they were warm–pasta salads, vegetable salads, fresh fruits–in case the family is just too tired to heat things up
    • put sauces and mix-ins “on the side”–for two reasons: 1) you never know just what someone else likes (unless you cook for them alot) and 2) it gives them options for sprucing up any leftovers
    • make enough servings for one night and maybe lunch the next day; avoid making “double” especially if you know someone is organizing meals for each night. The buildup of leftovers and dishes can be just as overwhelming as having to come home and cook for yourself
    • use disposable containers. Aluminum pans or the Glad bakeable plastic pans are great. I also save the very nice take-out containers that my grandmother’s resort kitchen uses, as they are great for single meals and lunch packs as well as for keeping hot and cold dishes separate but not bulky.
    • include reheating instructions, since you never know when they’ll get around to eating or will want to have leftovers for lunch the next day.
    • and finally, don’t forget dessert and some beverages. If they haven’t been home long enough to cook, then there’s probably not fresh iced tea made or even lemonade much less a quick bite of sweet.

Leftover Suggestion: cut up leftover chicken, artichokes, red peppers, olives, and feta into bowtie pasta for a fabulous pasta salad lunch to take with you on Wednesday.

Other Meal Ideas:

The Casserole–this is such a classic primarily because it uses just one dish (avoiding the bulk in the fridge) and can be frozen until a later time. Also, pretty much any standard meal can be “casserolized”:

    • Spaghetti, ziti, canneloni, lasagne
    • Any stirfry over rice
    • Jambalaya, Baked Shrimp/Chicken Creole
    • Shepherd’s Pie
    • Chicken Pot Pie
    • Mexican chicken/pork and rice (with salsa and queso)
    • Italian chicken/pork and rice (with marinara and parmesean)
    • Cuban chicken/pork and rice  (with black beans, corn, plantains, and sason seasoning)
    • Indian chicken/pork and rice  (with couscous, raisins, curry, and garam masala)
    • Hawaian chicken/pork and rice  (with some pineapple)

The Restaurant Gift Certificate–especially for a restaurant that has great curbside pick-up

The Holiday Meal–give them some real comfort food by making Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter dinner with classic trimmings

Soups and Stews–paired with a simple salad and bread, a soup or stew or chili is one of the simplest and most comforting meals folks can enjoy during a stressful time when they might not be very hungry but still needs nourishment; it is heated quickly, managed in one container in the fridge, and is easy to pair with a variety of sides.

Posted in Cooking

The Simple Tiramisu

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

Friday night before dinner, I was watching Cake Boss and then Kitchen Boss with my BF Summer (5 years old); she LOVES to watch the cooking shows. And that night Buddy was making classic Tiramisu, which has to be the simplest dessert ever…until you look at how you make the special creme.

So I thought to myself…self, how can I make this yummy, simple dessert even simpler without sacrificing the unique flavor of an authentic marscapone creme?

Here, check out Buddy’s recipe for Tiramisu; you’ll see that the creme is made in two steps:

  1. cream together eggs, sugar, marscapone, and liquer (either marsala or brandy are traditional)
  2. whip 1 cup of heavy cream into whipped cream (the real stuff)
  3. fold egg mixture carefully into whipped cream

That’s a lot of fat and sugar, well deserving as it may be, for a flavor that can easily be accomplished with a simple (and cheaper) shortcut: stir Bel Gioiso Tiramisu Marscapone into a tub of cool whip. They are both already sweetened and thickened and flavored correctly, but with a lot less fat and calories all around. And for cooks with little people, you don’t have to worry about serving something with raw egg in it.

So here’s how I make Tiramisu; you’ll need from the grocery store

  • 1 8-oz container of Bel Gioioso Tiramisu Marscapone Cheese at room temperature (32 points)
  • 1 8-oz tub of light whipped topping (0 points)
  • 1T complimentary liquer: marsala, brandy, khalua (2 points)
  • 2 cups of very strong coffee or espresso (I use instant espresso) (0 points)
  • 1 package of Alessi Lady Fingers (18 points)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (0 points)

When the marscapone is at room temperature, add the liquer you have chosen and stir it well, letting the liquer loosen the thick cheese. Add the whipped topping while it’s still a little bit frozen and firm, and stir. Yep, stir, not fold. Whipped topping (as opposed to real whipped cream) does not depend on air to keep it light and fluffly.

Very quickly dip each lady finger into the espresso and layer these in a 9×9 glass or porcelain pan. DO NOT let them sit or soak; they will instantly become spongy and be impossible to work with. Just a quick, light dip is what you want.

Spread half of the marscapone and whipped topping over the lady fingers, smoothing the layer with a spoon or flat spatula. Dust with cocoa powder using a small sieve.

Now do a second layer.

That’s it! Your part of this dessert is done. What is left is for you to cover the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate the Tiramisu for at least 2 hours or as much as 3 days.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus:

  • for 12 servings: 5 points
  • for 9 servings: 6 points (serving size shown above)
  • for 8 servings: 7 points

NOTE: if you had made the Tiramisu using Buddy’s authentic Italian recipe, your points per serving are 7, 8 and 9 points, respectively.

Tip: Tiramisu is the perfect dessert for a dinner party. Use a matched or mismatched set of glass dishes…wine glasses, champagne glasses, brandy snifters, sorbet cups, pudding cups…anything that will let you show off the beautiful layers of the Tiramisu. And since this dessert requires being made in full ahead of time, it’s one less thing you have to worry about when your guests arrive. If you use a glass or dish with a narrow lip, just spoon your creme into a baggie, cut the tip, and “pipe” the creme into the glasses

Posted in Everyday Musings, God Loves Me!

Reflections on “New” Choices

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

The past ten days have been a smorgasbord of “new”-ness.

It started with me being terrifyingly spontaneous: I invited a friend to come live with me. And I live with my parents in the front “suite” of the house. To have someone stay with me, he/she has either to sleep with me in my bed or sleep on my love seat…at least until I can switch it out for my futon bed.

You see, a dear friend needed my help hitting bottom so that he could start new, fresh, believing in himself again. He had decided that disappearing from his home and family was the only way he could begin healing.  Thankfully, between his family’s love and my offer, he accepted my rash invitation…and my support. After a stay at the VA Mental Health Clinic–and I am soooo proud of him for taking that step–he is on the road to recovery.

You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, “It is hopeless”; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.   ~Isaiah 57:10

He is a “new” friend in my life, but one I’ve known for close to 25 years. In fact, he introduced me to a “new” feature of life way back when, as he was the first guy I ever made out with. But that’s in the past. He lets me be a “guy”…introducing me to all kinds of guy things that are “new” to me and that I find I love: dirt track, 4-wheeling, wicked horror movies (and funny ones too).

Two other “new”-nesses came to fruition this weekend. You see, since Christmas, I have been serving in the maid-of-honor role helping a “new” friend design the wedding she and her husband never had the first time around. To renew their vows for their 11th anniversary, she wanted to incorporate elements of the wedding she had to abandon 11 years ago.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.   ~Romans 6:4

To top it off, the couple built into the weekend the baptism of their younger daughter, a bright, precocious child of 3…I mean, child of God. The dedication of her life and soul to God is possibly the most wonderful kind of newness of all.

The family is a new one in my life, the wife/mother an acquaintance from my college days 15 years ago; she joined the “other” sorority. But we knew instantly when they moved to Charleston that God had put us into each other’s lives. We are still technically “new” to each other, but each time we learn something “new” in fact, we are neither of us surprised by the stories we hear but by the rightness of our friendship, this new wonderful connection.

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.   ~1 Samuel 18:1

I marvelled just this morning…this Valentine’s Day morning…that I have had just two Valentines in my 35 years…two men I have loved in this life. They are both dear friends today, all of us having lived to find new loves and lives as God has led us in our journeys. I am blessed by their friendship and am indeed knit “anew” with them!

Now, this month of February 2011 begins a new chapter in my life…and unemployed one. My official separation date from my old job was January 31, and I have no idea what’s in store for me. Except that God will show me what to do and when to do it. My prayer is for “new” sight and “new” hearing so that don’t miss His cues.

Posted in Being Healthy, Cooking

Classic Weight Watchers Taco Soup

Posted on by singingaboutcooking

Last Thursday night at the Weight Watchers meeting in Mount Pleasant, there was a request for a refresher on Taco Soup, a filling, nutrious, very tasty soup…and most importantly LOW in points.

So Jan, the leader, went over the recipe while I wrote it up on the board. Then discussion ensued regarding the possible points change from Points to Points Plus. Well, let’s find out.

Ingredients (classic):

  • 1 lb ground beef (95% lean) = 16 points
  • 1 large white/sweet onion, diced at whatever size you like = 0 points
  • 1 can black beans with juice = 10.5 points
  • 1 can red/kidney beans with juice = 7 points
  • 1 can white/northern/cannelini beans with juice = 7 points
  • 1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen = 3 points
  • 3 cans Rotel tomatoes =0  points
  • 1 package dry ranch dressing mix = 0 points
  • 1 package dry taco seasoning = 0 points
  • salt, pepper, and additional taco-ish spices to your liking

Total soup points =43.5

Approximate # of 1 cup servings* = 8

*tested using the Weight Watchers 1-cup ladle and a soup tureen to count the servings.

Saute the onions in cooking spray right in your big soup pot until clear (or carmelized if you like, which I do). Dump in the ground beef and cook thoroughly. Dump in everything else: black beans, red beans, white beans, corn, tomatoes, ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, and any other seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium low for flavors to meld together.

Old Points for WW Taco Soup = 4 points per serving

New PointsPlus for WW Taco Soup = 5.5 points per serving

Alterations:

  • 1 lb ground turkey breast = 16 points
  • 1 lb ground or shredded chicken = 16 points
  • 1 lb shredded pork (bbq) = 16 points
  • 1 can hominy (instead of corn) = 6 points