Thursday, January 21, 2010

Shrimp Scampi and Artichoke


Ingredients:

2 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 C Shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 to l lb shrimp, shelled and divined
11 oz. frozen artichoke thawed
1/3 C. dry white wine (I used white grape juice)
1/2 lemon

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat,
add shallots, cook for a minute add garlic cook for 2 - 3 minutes careful not to over cook.
stir in shrimp, mix through
add artichoke, stir through
add wine and juice from lemon
let simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are cooked through

add 2 TBS chopped parsley for color and flavor

serve with simple salad and hunk of whole grain italian style bread

simple salad
Open bag of prepared salad

Dressing:
in small dish mix:
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS red wine vinegar
Pinch of: Basil, salt and pepper

pour over salad and serve

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Mini Beef Wellingtons


Ingredients:
8 small beef tenderloins steaks, cut 1-inch thick (4 oz. each)
4 TBS olive oil
1 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped
6 TBS dry red wine (I used cranberry juice)
6 TBS green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 tsp. salt divided
1 tsp. pepper divided
12 phyllo dough sheets, defrosted
cooking spray

directions:
1. Heat oven to 425
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender.
3. Add wine; cook 2-3 minutes or until liquid is evaporated.
4. Stir in green onions, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper. Remove from skillet; cool completely.
5. Heat same skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook 3 minutes turning once. (Steaks will be partially cooked. do not over cook.)
6. Season with salt and pepper, as desired
7. Create 2 stacks o 6 phyllo sheets on flat surface, spraying each sheet thoroughly with cooking spray.
8. Cut stacked sheets lengthwise in half, then crosswise in half, making 8 equal stacks.
9. Place about 2 TBS mushroom mixture in center of each phyllo stack, spreading mixture to diameter of steaks. Place steaks on mushroom mixture.
10. Bring all four corners of each philly stack together; twist tightly to close, lightly spray each bundle with cooking spray; place on greased baking sheet.
11. Immediately bake in 425 oven 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. let sit for 5 minutes. serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

Found on Jenny Craig site - loved it anyway.
cut recipe in 1/2 as there are only 2 of us.



Thursday, January 14, 2010

Korean-Style Beef Bowl

This recipe is super easy and easily one of Kurt's favorite dishes I make. It's from the Pampered Chef 29 Minutes of Less cookbook -- which is even better for me, because I'm really bad at planning ahead. :) However, if you do plan ahead the steak would probably be even tastier if you started marinating it earlier in the day.

Steak & Marinade:

2 green onions w/tops, divided
1 lb skirt steak - also called flank steak (we've tried other cuts of meat and they don't work as well)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil (I used Olive oil)

Rice & Vegetables:
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (I usually use our Japanese white rice, either would work)
2 medium carrots
2 cups bean sprouts

1. For steak & marinade, thinly slice green onions, reserving 1 tbsp of the tops for garnish; place remaining green onions into bowl.

2. Cut steak crosswise into 2-in (5-cm) pieces. Slice each piece into thin strips, cutting against the grain; add to bowl. Press garlic over beef. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper &; sugar; mix well. Cover & refrigerate until ready to use.

3. As beef marinates, cook rice.

4. Meanwhile, for vegetables, peel carrots; discard skin. Continue peeling carrots to make long ribbons. Place ribbons into ice water until ready to serve

5. To finish steak, add vegetable oil (or what ever type of oil you want to use) to (12-IN/30-CM) SKILLET; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add beef to skillet in a single layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat.

6. Divide rice among serving bowls and serve with beef, carrots and bean sprouts. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Yield: 4 servings

US Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 20gt, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 70mg, carbohydrate 29g, Protein 28g, Sodium 790mg, Fiber 2g

US Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 3 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat (2 carb)