Roasted Chicken

First crack at roasting a whole chicken, and I wanted crispy crackling skin. I followed this recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken, which was FANTASTIC. I used butter instead of margarine, and my only complaint is that it needed far less butter than it called for, so I will half the quantity next time. It also cooked faster than expected, so make sure to take periodic temperature readings as you baste it.

Janice's Indian-Inspired Soup

5 large potatoes
5 large carrots
6 small stalks of celery
1 medium-large onion
1 cloves of garlic


Chop it all up. 
Boil in about 8 cups of beef broth (I think I used just slightly less). 
When veggies are very soft, stop boiling, blend it all until reasonably smooth. 
Pour back into pot and mix in 2 teaspoons each of cumin and curry, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of thyme.

Great when you're craving a low-cal version of Indian cuisine.

Serves 6. Each serving:

Calories: 86
Potassium: 415
Fat: 0
Carbs: 14
Fibre:2
Protein: 4

Kibbee (a Lebanese dish)

From Wikipedia: Kibbeh or kibbe (also kubbeh, kebbah or kubbi) (Arabic: كبة‎) is an Arab dish made of bulghur, minced onions and ground red meat, usually beef, lamb, goat or camel. The best-known variety is a torpedo-shaped fried croquette stuffed with minced beef or lamb. Other types of kibbeh may be shaped into balls or patties, and baked or cooked in broth.

This particular recipe is a pan-fried version of burger-shaped patties that has passed down through the generations. Kibbee is also eaten raw, drizzled with oil (I wouldn't recommend that unless you hand grind your meat, as ground beef is notorious for food safety issues unless fully cooked), and can also be baked in a pan as a single piece and cut into pieces (but I find it less flavourful), or in a muffin tin at 350F for about 20 minutes. I have tried to be thorough in my instructions. If there are any questions, just ask!

Note: the real recipe involves purchasing steak, trimming all the fat, and grinding the meat by hand, but I cheat by using very lean, high quality ground beef.

Ingredients:
This recipe is based on the pounds of meat used. Quantities here are for 1 pound of meat, which should make about 7-8 pieces of kibbee, depending on the size.

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef (I use extra lean sirloin or extra lean from my local butcher - must be at least 90% lean)
• 1 c. dry bulgar
• 1 medium onion (puréed)
• 1-2/3 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. allspice
• 3/4 tsp. cumin
• Arabic spice/7 spice (if this cannot be found, add extra 1/4 tsp allspice, and about 1/3-1/2 extra tsp of cumin/lb)

Instructions:

1. Measure out bulgar. Pour into a very large bowl, and add water until the bowl is full. Leave it to soak at least 30 minutes. Drain & rinse it well - pour it out trough a sieve, rice with water, and push down on the bulgar to squeeze out excess water.
2. Puree onions.
3. Add beef, bulgar, onions and spices together in a large bowl.
4. Mix by hand until evenly blended.
5. On the stove, place a large pan (cast-iron or non-stick with high sides work best). Add oil until the pan bottom is covered - if making more than one pound, use about 1/2cm/1/4" of oil in the bottom. You can always add more if required. Turn heat onto medium.
6. Form patties - make a think oval-shaped burger, and press an indent into the centre.
7. Put a small amount of butter (about the size of a pea) into the dent. Note: butter should be placed on a side plate and not cut directly from the block so you don't contaminate the rest.
8. Add more of the meat mixture to form a complete patty. Try to pack is so it's smooth - no cracks or the patties may break apart when turning over while cooking.
9. Place patties into hot oil.
10. You'll notice the sides start to change colour. Turn over patties when bottom is well-browned.
11. When both sides are well-browned, remove from pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all patties are cooked.
12. Eat - plain, or in a piece of pita.

Kibbee freezes well, and can be eaten hot or cold.


Photo tutorial (click to enlarge):

Nutrition Information (based on 8 pieces per pound, pan- fried):
Calories: 221
Potassium: 0
Fat: 10
Carbs: 10
Fibre: 2
Protein: 15

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Based on THIS recipe, but with an adjustment recommended by one of the reviewer - replacing some of the white sugar with brown sugar.

Did you know adding peanut butter makes it even more delicious?!

Beef Sirloin Tip Roast with Mushrooms

Check out the recipe here.

It's easy and delicious. I recommend serving it with a potato side dish. For the meal shown in these photos, I tried my hand at hasselback potatoes.

Chili con Carne with a Portuguese Roll and Browned Butter

On the weekends, I usually only have two meals instead of three, and be more indulgent in the type or quantity of food I consume. The cold winter weather and sadness of a funeral today increased my need for comfort food. So, today, I made chili, following the instructions on the packet, grabbed a handful of baby carrots, heated up a bakery-bought Portuguese bun, and made some browned butter.

Weight Watchers points for this meal:

Chili (8 points)

Roll (6 points, estimated)

2 tsp butter (2 points)

Total: 16 points

Mmm... browned butter. So rich and nutty-tasting. I wasn't sure how the hardening process would go. It turns out that I needed to stir it occasionally (I did this every 10 minutes or so, who keeping it outside then in the fridge to cool). This was so the heavier brown flecks were evenly blended into the butter. This is the first time I have re-solidified this type of butter (I have used it once before in baking, so used it in melted form).

French Onion Soup

Mmm.... I don't remember when I first tried French onion soup - I know I was an adult - but now I can't imagine not having it! This is a lower point version of a more standard recipe that I find makes a deliciously filling and satisfying meal. When I'm hungrier, I add a salad or raw veggies as a side and/or a glass of milk to meet my dairy servings for the day. Usually, a bowl of this soup is about 6 points for me, depending on how much bread and cheese I add.

Recipe:
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4 medium yellow onions, cut in half then sliced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 box (900mL) chicken broth (I used Campbell's 30% less sodium)
• Stale/dried bread
• Grated cheese of your choice (I prefer old cheddar)

Instructions:

1. Put butter in a pot on low heat to melt while you slice the onions
2. Add onions to the butter and sautée until they start to caramelize (turn brown and smell sweet), stirring occasionally
3. Stir in the spoonful of flour
4. Pour the broth in and stir
5. Divide broth among four oven-safe bowls
6. Top with desired stale/dry/toasted bread followed by shredded cheese
7. Put into the oven at about 350F until cheese starts to melt, then broil until cheese bubbles

Nutrition information: 1/4 of recipe (before adding bread and cheese):
Calories: 95
Potassium: 333
Fat: 3
Carbohydrates: 14
Fibre: 3
Protein: 3
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 2

I add 1/2 to 1 slice of bread for another 1-2 points.
I usually add 20-40g old cheddar cheese on top for another 2-4 points.

A blogging failure... no time to post!

I was feeling so ambitious on the first day I started this blog, but quickly realized life is too busy to actually post regularly right now, so I think I will switch to posting meal photos and descriptions for a while to keep me going. I'll start you off with a few recent ones:

Fried chicken with sautéed asparagus and mushroom rice risotto

French onion soup in a handmade bowl

Meatloaf with oven roasted root vegetable and parmesan cheese casserole

Tilapia with asparagus and slightly overcooked (oops!) carrots sautéed with butter and brown sugar