Marinated Chicken and Grape Skewers (CEIMB)

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe comes from her newer cookbook, So Easy.   It's a very original grilled dish, combining sweet-tart green grapes with a beautifully marinated chicken.  I can't say this is something I would have thought to try on my own, but I'm glad someone did.

The chicken is marinated in a combination of citrus, garlic, and far eastern spices, giving it an exotic flavor that pairs nicely with the surprising tang of the green grapes.   The book recommends serving it with a simple warm lentil and spinach salad, made up of sauteed onions and spinach with cooked lentils, parsley, mint, basil, and lemon juice.   The salad complements the skewers  nicely, but of course I think most side dishes would.

I found that making both the lentil dish and the chicken skewers was a bit of work for a weekday, but it didn't take that long.  And it was definitely worth the trouble.  The skewers alone were quite easy to do, so if you want to pick a simpler side dish to make your life a bit easier, that might be a good idea.

Food on skewers is inherently fun to eat, so you could probably convince children and adults alike to give this a try.  It's different, delicious, and healthy. 

Marinated Chicken and Grape Skewers
adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy
serves 2


INGREDIENTS:


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of salt
1/2 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 10-inch skewers
12 or so seedless green grapes
cooking spray
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves


DIRECTIONS:


1.  Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt in a bowl.  Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade and let marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours.    If using wooden skewers, soak them in water during this time.


2.  Preheat a grill pan over medium-high.  Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, alternating with grapes.  Spray the grill pan with cooking spray, then lay the skewers onto the grill pan.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.


3.  Serve the skewers topped with the scattered mint leaves, two skewers per person.

Enjoy!

Avgolemono Soup (CEIMB)

When I was in law school, we often went to a Greek restaurant called Taverna Tony for lunch.  It was right down the street, and it had (free!) excellent bread and taramasalata dip. There was one menu item that we always had to get.  It was the lemony, creamy soup known as avgolemono - or chicken lemon soup.  It was my favorite soup of all time, and I still get the hankering now and again to drive up the coast to Malibu for a bowl.  No other Greek restaurant makes it quite as well as Taverna Tony, and believe me, I've looked.

It just so happens that this week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe is for avgolemono soup (or "Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo," as Ellie calls it).   I was so excited that this was the pick of the week!  I have to say that it is remarkably like the version I grew to know and love in law school, only with thyme instead of parsley.  I think next time I make this recipe (and there *will* be a next time), I will use parsley and see just how close to Tony's recipe this one is. 

This is a magical, lemony soup that tastes creamy and decadent, but the source of its creaminess is tempered eggs, rather than cream, flour, or any other typical soup ingredient.  It's a rather unassuming variation on chicken noodle soup, but it is so incredibly good, you can't even believe it until you try it yourself.

Avgolemono Soup

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small chunks

pinch of salt, plus more to taste

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup orzo

1 large egg

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with the salt, add to the pot, and cook, stirring often, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.

2.  Add remaining teaspoon of oil to the pot.  Add onion, celery, carrot and thyme and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add 2 1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.  Add orzo and let simmer until tender, about 6 minutes.  Turn heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.

3.  Warm the remaining 1/2 cup broth in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling.  In a medium bowl, beat the egg.  Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the egg.  Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while.  (You are tempering the egg, as opposed to cooking it).

4.  Add the egg-broth mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened.  Do not let the soup come to a boil.  If any bits of scrambled egg form, fish them out, but this shouldn't happen if you have the heat all the way down.  Add cooked chicken to the soup, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Enjoy!

Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce (CEIMB)

Tonight was the first time I ever made pork tenderloin.  I'm not sure what took me so long.  It's a lean, tender (obviously) cut of pork that is a great way to escape the blahs of repeated exposure to chicken breast.   It is packed with flavor of its own, but the recipe for this week's Craving Ellie in my Belly lends extra flavor from dijon mustard, pepper, and wine.  Absolutely delicious and elegant.

In Ellie's original recipe, you take a pork tenderloin and split it down the middle, not cutting all the way through, to make a wider, flatter piece of pork.  Since the tenderloin I bought was fairly small, I decided to cook it whole and cut it into slices after cooking and resting.  This means, of course, that it takes a bit longer to cook.  Below is my version, but if you want the quicker cooking version, check out the link above.

I also reduced the pepper a little bit, since we're not huge black pepper people.  Feel free to increase it if you're a fan of cracked black pepper.

We had ours with parsley potatoes.  It was a simple, yet far from ordinary meal.  I will definitely be making this one again!

Peppercorn Pork with Wine Sauce (CEIMB)

adapted from The Food You Crave

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and silver skin

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rub the pork loin with the mustard on both sides.  Sprinkle with pepper and a pinch of salt, and gently press in the spices so they adhere to the pork.  

2.  Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  When it's hot, add the pork tenderloin.  Cook for about 5 minutes on each side (all four of them) to brown, then loosely cover the skillet with foil to trap in the steam.  Cook for another 5 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the meat reads 155.  Remove from pan and tent the meat with the foil.

3.  Add broth and wine to the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Cook until reduced by about half, 8-10 minutes.

4.  Slice the pork after it has rested (the time it takes to cook the sauce should be enough) into 1/4 inch slices.  Serve drizzled with the sauce.

Enjoy!

Note:  Be careful not to overcook the pork - it should still have a slight pink blush when you cut into it.

Dark Chocolate Mousse (CEiMB)

This week was an extra special Craving Ellie in My Belly week for me, since it was my turn to pick the recipe!  What an honor.  Since we started the week with Valentine's Day, it seemed fitting to choose something chocolate.  (Oh who am I kidding, I would probably have chosen something chocolate anyway).

This is Ellie's take on chocolate mousse.  It's a very smooth, almost pudding-ish mousse.  But it is completely delicious.  I know many are skeptical of desserts containing tofu, but have no fear, if you use good quality chocolate and you top it with a little home-made whipped cream, you seriously cannot taste the tofu in this dessert.

I tend to tweak the recipes a bit, but this week I stayed true to the recipe, since I felt it was my duty as the hostess.  The only change I made was to use whiskey instead of brandy, since it was what I had on hand.  Some ideas I saw online were to use orange liqueur or mint extract, which I think would be delicious too, but would make this mousse taste less purely chocolatey.

Chocolate mousse is pretty much a crowd-pleaser, and this version is no exception.  Whether you make it for your special someone or for a group of guests, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, CEiMBers, for cooking along with me this week!

Dark Chocolate Mousse

from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu, drained

3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brandy (or whiskey)

1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

chocolate shavings for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Puree the silken tofu in a food processor until completely smooth.

2.  In a heat-proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (or in a double-boiler),  combine the bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, water, and brandy.  Stir frequently until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.

3.  Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu in the food processor and puree until well-combined and smooth.  You may have to stop it a few times to scrape down the sides.

4.  Pour the mousse into individual serving dishes, cover tightly, and refrigerator for at least one hour, up to three days, to set properly.  

5.  When you're going to serve,  beat the 1/4 cup heavy cream with an electric mixer until just starting to form soft peaks.  Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar, continue to beat until it is the texture of whipped cream.  Top the servings of mousse with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings (use a vegetable peeler on your chocolate bar to create shavings).  Serve.

Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Salad (CEIMB)

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly pick was this fantastic chicken salad.  I like chicken salad sandwiches on occasion, but I really am not a mayo fan.  So when I saw that this version had barely any mayo, I decided to cut it out altogether and see how it came out.  And it was delicious!  To top it off, there's a gorgeous hint of curry spice, fresh juicy grapes, and crunchy toasted almonds to provide a wealth of flavor.

The salad is meant to be served over lettuce with pita chips, but I opted to serve it with fresh whole wheat pitas and make little sandwiches out of it.  I can't even express how delicious it was.  Yum. 

So here it is, the seemingly mythical healthy, mayo-free, curried chicken salad.  It's the figure friendly counterpart to that menu item that seems to be popping up in restaurants everywhere.  What a great pick!

A note: I left out the cilantro merely because I didn't have it, but I think it would be an excellent addition, so I've included it below.

Curried Chicken Salad (CEIMB)

adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1/4 cup lowfat plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/4 cups cubed cooked (and cooled) chicken breast

1/2 cup halved grapes (I used green, Ellie uses red)

handful finely chopped cilantro

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 cups lightly packed mixed salad greens

2 whole wheat pitas, warmed and cut in half

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Toast almonds in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to turn golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

2.  In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and curry powder.  Fold in the chicken, grapes, almonds, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  This salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

3.  Serve over a bed of lettuce along with pita bread; or pack the pita halves with lettuce and chicken salad.

Enjoy!

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza (CEIMB)

Today's pick for Craving Ellie in my Belly is this delicious and easy tortilla-based pizza.  The original recipe called for arugula, but I chose to use spinach, though either would be fantastic.  These are flavors that just naturally go together well, so it's pretty hard to go wrong.

This is like a more gourmet version of the kind of things I used to make when I was single and in law school, and often had to just grab whatever ingredients I had and throw together something a bit odd.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.  This recipe most definitely works.  The perfect combination of creamy and crunchy, sweet and salty, angelic and naughty - once again, Ellie has it in the bag.

Tomorrow I promise to make something that is not an Ellie Krieger recipe....truly.

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

3 cups baby spinach, caorsely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

two 6-inch diameter whole-wheat tortillas

1 ounce fresh goat cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden-brown and softened, about 10 minutes.  Add spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted, about 1 more minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.  Lay the tortillas on a baking sheet and spread the spinach mixture over them.  Crumble goat cheese over the top.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until tortillas are crispy and browned around the edges, and cheese is getting melty.  Cool a few minutes before cutting into wedges.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup (CEIMB)

This week's pick on Craving Ellie in My Belly is a very different sort of soup.  Ellie's name for it suggests it is primarily peanut flavored, but the main element is really sweet potato if you ask me.  This is a nice medley of rich and delicious flavors, featuring an unexpected peanutty creaminess. 

I made a change to the recipe and added some wine, but I actually wouldn't recommend it.  I felt like the wine distracted from the other flavors and didn't quite fit in.  Also, mine turned out quite thick because I used a large sweet potato (even though I cut Ellie's recipe in half), so pick the size of the sweet potato knowing it will directly influence the thickness of the soup. 

I wouldn't say this is one I'll make again and again, but it's different, interesting, and rather tasty.  If you're looking for a sweet potato soup to write home about, I'd suggest trying this one as well.

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup (CEIMB)

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes, with juices

1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon honey

salt to taste

peanuts for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots, and cook, stirring, until veggies soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in cayenne, black pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.

2.  Stir in sweet potato, broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

3.  Turn off the heat.  Puree soup using an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender, then return to pot).  Stir in peanut butter and honey over low heat until the peanut butter melts.  Season to taste with salt.  Serve garnished with peanuts.

Enjoy!

Broccoli & Cheddar Stuffed Potato Skins (CEIMB)

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to order in restaurants were potato skins.  Of course I'm sure I had no idea just how decadent and evil they were - the skins were probably fried, and I can't even imagine what was piled on top of them.  This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly pick is a fantastic healthy variation on my childhood favorite.

I decided to upgrade this to a full-sized Russett potato rather than small Idaho potatoes, to make this a meal-sized dish rather than a more appetizer-sized one.  Or maybe it was just my excuse to eat more.

These came out so well.  They taste incredible, with the salty crispy skin and the zesty creamy avocado topping.  Make mini ones for your upcoming holiday guests, or just horde them for yourself like I did.  These are way too good.

Broccoli & Cheddar Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Cream

adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 large Russett potatoes, scrubbed and dried

cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 head of broccoli, coarsely chopped (about 2-3 cups)

2 pieces Canadian bacon, finely diced

1/2 cup grated extra sharp cheddar

1 small avocado

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1 small clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Pierce potatoes several times with a fork, wrap in paper towels, and microwave on high for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

2.  Preheat toaster oven (or full-sized oven, if you must) to 450.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out all but 1/8 inch of the inside flesh, leaving skin intact.  Reserve scooped potato flesh for another use (see me attempt knishes later this week, unless they are disastrous and I decide not to post them).

3.  Spray inside and outside of potatoes lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt.  Place on the baking sheet, skin-side down, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until skins are crisp and edges are browned.

4.  In the meantime, prepare filling.  Steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high.  Add Canadian bacon and cook until crisp, stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Reserve.

5.  To make avocado cream, combine avocado, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.

6.  Fill potato skins with broccoli and cheese.  Reduce oven temperature to 400 and return the skins to the oven, cooking until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  Serve topped with avocado cream and bacon bits.

Enjoy!

Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives (CEIMB)

 

This week for Craving Ellie in my Belly, we each were to make an Ellie dish for our Thanksgiving spread.  I chose something simple - I had offered to be in charge of potatoes, and no Thanksgiving is complete without some kind of mash.  If you like your mashed potatoes smooth and creamy, you might prefer something like this.  These, however, are a lovely rustic smash with the peels still on, the occasional chunk, and yet they still have a lovely smoothness to them.

I think we all know that the traditional topping for a baked potato is sour cream and chives.  I have never been a huge sour cream fan, but somehow when you mix it all together with the fluffy potato innards instead of letting it rest on top, I like it.  And that's exactly what this mashed potato recipe is.  You'd never even guess that there isn't a drop of butter in the recipe.   Also, it's one of the easiest side dishes ever, apart from the exercise of mashing the potatoes, but that's a great way to let out aggression!

I doubled the recipe for our group of eleven, and there was still way more than enough.  If this is your only side dish at a non-thanksgiving meal (such as bangers and mash, perhaps?) then believe the serving count as it is.

Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 pounds baby yukon gold potatoes, large ones halved

salt

1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth, warmed

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (NOT nonfat)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water to about 1 inch above the tops of the potatoes.  Salt it, cover it, and bring to a boil over high heat.  When the water comes to a boil, uncover and reduce heat slightly to medium-high.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are knife tender.  Drain.

2.  Return potatoes to the pot and add the warm broth.  Mash with a potato masher to the desired consistency - I'd recommend getting rid of any serious chunks of potato, but leaving a somewhat rustic texture.

3.  Stir in sour cream, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Berry French Toast Bake (CEIMB)

 

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe was for Peach French Toast Bake, which sounded lovely.  The recipe uses frozen fruit, so you actually get to enjoy out-of-season fruit on your French toast.  I opted to go for berries, since it's what I happened to have in the freezer.  I also made a few other adaptations to the recipe, including shrinking it down to a single (or double, if you're not that hungry) portion.

The results were good, but I don't know if I'm convinced that I want to switch from my normal French toast method.  The overnight soaking didn't produce anything magical.  But the flavors were nice, and it was somewhat more elegant than your typical French toast.   All in all, a success.

Berry French Toast Bake (CEIMB)

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 egg

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.  Lay the bread slices in the pan.

2.  Whisk egg, milk, and vanilla together in a bowl.  Pour the mixture over the bread slices.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Scatter the berries over the bread, and sprinkle the top with brown sugar.  Top with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3.  In the morning, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned and puffed up.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins (CEIMB)

Any excuse to use pumpkin in a recipe, and I'm there.  This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe was for delicious, moist, delectable, and yet miraculously healthy pumpkin pie muffins.  I made them Wednesday night so we could grab them on our way to work Thursday morning.  It's like eating dessert for breakfast, only without any guilt whatsoever.  The usual magic from Ellie.

These muffins are spicy and fantastic.  Thanks to the pumpkin and yogurt (buttermilk in the original recipe), they maintain their moisture so well.  I made some minor modifications, namely using all whole wheat flour instead of half and half, pumpkin pie spice instead of the assorted spices (which are basically the same thing), reduced the molasses so they wouldn't be too intense, and the aforementioned yogurt instead of buttermilk.  I also omitted the pumpkin seed topping that Ellie recommended, mostly out of laziness.  They came out beautifully.

Above you see them fresh from the oven.  I'm guessing by the end of the day they will be mostly gone...

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown)

2 tablespoons unsulphered molasses

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Line a muffin tin with re-usable liners, or paper liners if you're not so eco-friendly.  (Otherwise spray with cooking spray).  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spice.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, molasses, canola oil, and one egg until well combined.  Whisk in remaining egg until combined.  Add pumpkin and vanilla and whisk thoroughly.

3.  Add half the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined.  Stir in the yogurt (or buttermilk), followed by remaining flour mixture.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups so each cup is about 2/3 full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Let cool 15 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

Enjoy!

Mushroom and Arugula Quesadillas (CEIMB)

This meal took me back to my college days.  It's the pick for this week's Craving Ellie in my Belly,  and it is a much healthier and more flavorful version of what I used to make in school when I was too lazy to make anything else.   It's every 20-something person's best friend in the kitchen - the quesadilla.

Granted, this is a much more sophisticated one.  Ellie's version features chicken, but I opted to make it a vegetarian dish.  There isn't that much cheese, there are veggies, there are spices, and there are whole grains.  Who knew you could cram all that into a quesadilla?  Well you can. 

I made my usual tweaks, some based on preference, and some based on what I had on hand.  I used baby arugula instead of baby spinach to bring a bit of extra punch to the meal.  I used cremini mushrooms instead of white button, because they are more meaty and compensate for my omission of the chicken.  I used jack cheese only, because, well, that's what I happened to have a lot of.

Also, I'm sure I'm not the only CEIMB-er who turned Ellie's 2-portion into a 1-portion.  Who ever ate just half a quesadilla?  No, no.  But if you feel like being dainty and calorie-conscious, by all means, share it with a friend.

This is tasty and easy, just what we always want from our supper.

Mushroom and Arugula Quesadillas

adapted from Ellie Krieger

serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

generous handful baby arugula

salt and pepper to taste

2 medium-large whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup finely shredded Monterey jack cheese

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high.  Add the onion and mushrooms, and cook, stirring often, until browned and mushrooms release their moisture, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for about a minute. 

2.  Add cumin, chili powder, and oregano, and stir.  Add arugula and a pinch each of salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, until arugula is wilted.  Turn off the heat.

3.  Lay one tortilla on a flat prep surface and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese.  Top with the vegetable mixture, followed by remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Top with the other tortilla.

4.  Preheat a clean medium-sized skillet  over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Cook the quesadilla for about 3 minutes, then flip carefully with a spatula.  Cook on the other side for about 3 minutes, until both sides are lightly browned and the cheese is fully melted.  Cut into quarters and serve.

This is great with salsa, or if you really feel bold, fresh guacamole.  Enjoy!

Chicken Chop Suey (CEIMB)

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe is the ever-loved, ever-comforting, ever-not-really-Chinese-but-we-can-pretend chicken chop suey. Ellie's version is much lighter, of course. And I have to say, it tastes great. There's no intensity of flavor here, and if you are looking for that, this might not be the recipe for you. If you tried to add chilies or other spicy ingredients, it would lose all of its subtle warmth.

This is a basic stir fry with a few extra touches thrown in to make it more exciting. Most notably the won tons. I had never bought won ton skins before, but I am officially converted. (Yet again, Ellie introduces me to a new favorite ingredient!) Here they are baked instead of fried, and you really wouldn't know the difference, other than a lack of greasiness. They taste just like those fried won tons you get in Chinese restaurants.

Overall, definitely a success, and just what the doctor ordered for my cold.

Chicken Chop Suey
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

Four 3-inch square wonton skins, separated
cooking spray
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
2 small cloves garlic, or one large, thinly sliced
1 small head napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery from the heart, thinly sliced
4 oz. canned bamboo shoots, drained and cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh* shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup low sodium chicken or veggie broth*
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken
toasted sesame seeds

* Note: You can also do what I did and use dried mushrooms; reconstitute them in boiling water and then use that water instead of broth.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Lay the won ton skins on the baking sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for about 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Set aside to cool.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and sherry until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the scallions, garlic, cabbage, celery, bamboo shoots and mushrooms (unless using reconstituted mushrooms, in which case add them when you add the chicken later). Stir fry until cabbage softens and starts to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the sherry-cornstarch mixture and stir to combine. Add chicken (and reconstituted mushrooms, if using) and heat through. Serve topped with sesame seeds and broken-up won tons.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe was the lovely and simple Ellie Krieger variation on grilled cheese. There is something timeless and indescribably fantastic about a well-made grilled cheese sandwich. Whether you're a purist who just wants the cheese + bread + butter formula, or someone who likes a bit of zing in her grilled cheese, you can't deny that it's simply wonderful. Of course its best friend is tomato soup, but since this was a slightly fancier grilled cheese, I thought it would go well with yesterday's carrot salad.

This grilled cheese tastes like something you'd get in a diner or a deli. It has some serious oomph, for lack of a better word. And it's all thanks to the grilled onions. As I virtually inhaled this sandwich, I marveled at the fact that it actually felt like there was meat in there, thanks to the melty cheese and the grilled onions conjuring up memories of In-n-Out cheeseburgers of yore. But there is no meat, folks. None. Vegetarians, check it out.

A lot of things can go into a grilled cheese sandwich to jazz it up, but this one doesn't take it too far. Grilled onions, tomato slices, and some peppers give enough flavor to make everyone happy. Ellie's version used cheddar and pepper jack, but I decided to use cheddarella (cheddar and mozzarella mixed, for those of you unenlightened folk) with some diced pimiento peppers. Yum!

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 slices of cheddarella (or similar) cheese
1 tablespoon diced pimiento peppers
1 medium heirloom or plum tomato, sliced
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is golden and brown around the edges. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

2. Assemble the sandwiches: place a slice of cheese on two of the slices of bread, top with the onion (half each), the pimientos (half each), and the tomato slices. Top the sandwiches with their missing bread slices.

3. Clean the skillet and coat with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high and then place the sandwiches in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place a panini press or another skillet on top of the sandwiches to weigh them down while they cook. Cook until the undersides are brown but not burned, and cheese is mostly melted, about 5 minutes.

4. Flip the sandwiches over, replace the weight, and cook on the other side for about 4 minutes, until browned on both sides. Cut in half and serve.

Enjoy! You know you will.

Pulled BBQ Turkey Sandwich (CEIMB)

I think I died and went to BBQ heaven. Seriously.

I had a bit of trepidation about this week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe, as many people commented that the recipe didn't have enough flavor. Taking this into account, I tweaked the ingredients to add a bit more zing and sweetness - I reduced the molasses and water, added honey and red pepper flakes. I also slightly increased the ratio of liquid smoke. And I don't know if it was my tweaks, or what, but there was so much flavor in this sandwich, I don't even know what to say.

This BBQ sauce is packed with spice and smokiness. I am officially a convert to the magic of liquid smoke. I bought the bottle just for this recipe, thinking I'd probably never use it again, but I was soooo wrong. I can foresee all sorts of recipes featuring liquid smoke in the future.

The original recipe called for a rotisserie chicken, but I opted for a roasted turkey breast, since both my husband and I steer away from brown chicken meat, and I thought this way I could use the entire thing and not waste any of it. It made the sandwich feel a little bit extra special, and I think come Thanksgiving time we should all remember this recipe for using the leftover turkey meat. You can certainly use chicken meat here if you prefer.

I can't say enough about the beautiful flavor combination in this sauce. Please, just try it. Words cannot express how good it is.

Pulled BBQ Turkey Sandwich
adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger (2008)
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 roast turkey breast, skin removed, shredded into thin strips (about 2 cups)
3 whole wheat hamburger buns
3 large green lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, honey, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper, liquid smoke, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the shredded turkey meat and stir to combine well. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Serve on buns with lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Sauce (CEIMB)

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe was the ever-popular Thai appetizer, chicken sate. Of course Ellie Krieger gave it a new, healthy spin. The dipping sauce is the stuff of legend - spicy, creamy and rich without a single truly sinful ingredient. The chicken marinade is lovely, but I slathered so much of the dipping sauce on each bite that I probably didn't fully appreciate it.

I opted to do this as an entree rather than an appetizer, and I didn't thread the chicken on skewers before grilling it. I made a cucumber-avocado salsa (also an Ellie recipe!) to have on the side and round out the meal. It was a festival of flavors on my plate, to be sure. I definitely recommend this one. I made a few changes from the original recipe, but the spirit is Ellie's.

As a little shout-out to the love of my life, I should mention that I actually made this a night early (on Wednesday) because Thursday is my husband's birthday and I'm taking him out to dinner. He'll be free of my cooking for a night! (That's a joke. I think.)

Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Sauce
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

the chicken
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
cooking spray

the dipping sauce
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch red pepper flakes
pinch curry powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the marinade: Whisk chicken broth, coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, lime zest, and ginger in a dish. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

2. Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce by combining all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pureeing.

3. After the chicken has marinated for an hour, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the excess. Cook chicken 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Turkey Burgers (CEIMB)

I've really been looking forward to this week's recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly. Not a lot of people seem to really appreciate a well-made turkey burger. I realize that there are many turkey burgers that are not so well made - underseasoned, too dry, or too tough. But I am a big fan of the turkey burger. I try not to eat a lot of beef, so it's a great way to get a burger fix without venturing into beef territory too often.

This recipe seems almost too simple to be a tasty turkey burger. Somehow Ellie worked her magic, and these just work. Some of the other bloggers mentioned it wasn't flavorful enough, so to be on the safe side I added a little bit of cracked red pepper flakes. It was fabulous, but honestly I think I would have loved it even without the addition.

These are big, satisfying burgers with just the right amount of roasted red pepper and melty cheese inside. They are juicy, filled with flavor, and best of all, relatively guilt free. I had mine with just some lettuce, but if you feel like dousing it with your usual burger toppings, you can certainly feel free. I promise you, though, it doesn't need it.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
makes 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
cooking spray
4 whole wheat buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

2. Divide the ground turkey into four even sections. Divide each section in half, and form 8 small(ish) patties, keeping them pretty flat. Top four of the patties with 2 tablespoons chopped red pepper, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes each. Cover with the remaining patties, and work the turkey around the edges to seal the burgers closed. Season fairly generously with salt and pepper.

3. Spray grill pan with cooking spray. Cook the burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes each side. (Trust me, when you're eating turkey, medium rare is not a good idea). Put burgers in buns and serve.

Enjoy!

Healthier Cobb Salad (CEIMB)

It's Thursday, and time for another Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe! This time it was a Cobb salad. I do like Cobb salad generally, but I have to say I can see why it's not for everyone. There are usually lots of decadent flavors mixed together, and it could get ugly really quickly.

Well with Ellie, you can count on her finding a more disciplined and less decadent version of the salad, without losing the variety of flavors. The dressing is a little odd, and I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not at first. But as I worked my way through the salad, it started to grow on me. Also, I served it up salad bar style, since there are a lot of toppings and not everyone in this house likes all of them.

And a note about the blue cheese - yes, it's pungent, but as Ellie always says, strong cheese are better for you because you can use less of them.

I also made a couple of changes due to personal preference, but the spirit of Ellie's version is still there. So here it is in all its glory, a healthier and yet every bit as flavorful version of Cobb salad.

Healthier Cobb Salad
adapted from Ellie Krieger's Healthy Appetite (2007)
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray
2 slices Canadian bacon
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
3 cups romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
1 cup watercress, thick stems removed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray and cook the Canadian bacon over medium-high heat until browned and heated through. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients, then chop.

2. Put the romaine and watercress together in a large bowl. Set out separate small bowls of the bacon, egg, tomato, avocado, and blue cheese with small spoons for serving.

3. In a jar or salad dressing shaker, combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dijon, Worcestershire, salt and pepper and shake to combine. (Or whisk in a small bowl). Pour over the lettuce and cress and toss to coat. Serve salad with toppings on the side.

You can, of course, serve it in the more traditional form with the toppings in stripes across the top of the greens, but I like the element of choice. Enjoy!

Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce (CEIMB)

It's Thursday, which means it's time for a CEIMB recipe! This one is not for the faint of heart, particularly with the tweaks I gave to it. It's spicy, zingy, and delicious, with a subtle richness to it at the same time. I thought it was remarkably flavorful. Ellie Krieger has proven, once again, that healthy does not equal boring. In case there were any of you out there who were still holding out.

Peanut butter and noodles don't seem like the most obvious combination, no matter how much Thai food you might eat. (And I eat a *lot* of Thai food). But when you thin out the peanut butter with lime juice, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, suddenly it's not just something you spread on your English muffin. It's a sauce, people. And you just made it in your trusty food processor in about 30 seconds.

I changed up the veggie profile a bit, focusing on the broccoli and adding in avocado as a garnish. It was good. Really, really good.

Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or angel hair
florets of 1 head of broccoli
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
juice of 1 small lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 scallion, cut into pieces
1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small avocado, pitted and sliced for garnish
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, put broccoli in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender.

3. While everything is cooking, puree the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper in a food processor until smooth.

4. Toss the pasta with most of the sauce, reserving about two tablespoons or so. Serve pasta topped with broccoli, drizzle with remaining sauce, and garnish with avocado slices and toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Cookies (CEIMB)

Today I'm pleased to announce a new feature on this blog. You see, I am now a proud member of Craving Ellie in my Belly, a blog made up of a group of food bloggers paying homage to the lovely and talented Ellie Krieger every Thursday. Each week a different one of Ms. Krieger's recipes is chosen, and the food bloggers all post about it on Thursdays and compare notes.

This week is my first week participating, and the recipe was Ellie's Breakfast Cookies. The idea of cookies for breakfast sounds somewhat unorthodox, but think about it people - we eat croissants, muffins, scones, and even donuts and call them breakfast. This cookie is far more nutritious and excusable! Just wait until you see the ingredients.

I tweaked it a bit to make it even *more* healthy, if that's possible - I substituted honey for the refined sugar, and used all whole wheat pastry flour instead of part whole wheat and part regular. I made a couple of other changes that were just matters of preference. What results is the version of the recipe that I've posted below, which produces gorgeous, soft oatmeal raisin cookies with a hint of spice and a whole lot of wholesome goodness.

Breakfast Cookies
adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger (2007)
makes 12 cookies*

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened, all natural applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350, and line a cookie sheet with parchment or silpat liner.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine butter, oil, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add egg, applesauce, and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds.

3. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, and raisins and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of batter per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between cookies. (An ice cream scoop filled about halfway is a good measure for the batter).

4. Bake for 12 minutes, until fragrant but still soft. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*I made only 9 cookies because I was greedy with the batter.

Enjoy!