Grilled Chicken Pasta

Today, I am experiencing my very first tropical storm. We get remnants of these at home, but for the next two weeks Jack and I are on vacation on the Delaware Bay and Hanna has joined us.

Late yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from the owner of the beach house and she told me that the renters for the previous week had cancelled and that if we wanted to come early to arrive before Hanna hit, we were welcome to do so. When she called, I was wondering whether to water the garden one last time, spray to kill the caterpillars on my tomato plants, or just say the heck with it since I had so much else to do before we planned to leave the following morning. This call made my decision for me.

Still, it took 3 hours to finish everything on my to-do list and we didn’t leave until 8:45pm. I must say, the hours between 11pm and 1am were the worst (in terms of staying awake and alert), but we arrived at 3am. It was windy and, when we had stopped for gas just over the Bay Bridge, I had never felt such humidity (Rosanne Rosannadanna hair!). The windows of the Wawa were totally fogged and, when I refilled my coffee and emerged, the air felt as though it was pressing down on me (while lifting my hair, much to the amusement of my husband). My glasses steamed. I couldn’t wait to get in the car!

Hanna didn’t really arrive until about 11:15 this morning and here is a photo taken about 2 hours later, after the rain had stopped for a bit. The eye of the storm is still south of us, so I’m sure that this is not over.

It was very windy and even the metal Peruvian bird sculpture on top of the television was vibrating, but we felt safe. This is a wonderfully solid beach house. Now, remember, we are on the bay not the ocean. I’m sure that a certain Californian ex-surfer girl whom I know was looking at this photo and thinking how small our storm waves are, here on the east coast! ;)

Back to last night. Or, rather, early this morning. By 4:30 we had unloaded the car, unpacked the coolers, unpacked the food boxes, and were still too awake to consider bed. So I made peach-vanilla pancakes (no recipe, I just threw stuff in the bowl at that hour!) and we retired at about 5:30. That was the time we would have awakened back at the farm to leave, had we not decided on some nighttime traveling.

Even so, we are on vacation and although running this morning was not really an option, we were up by 10:00 and finished unpacking our clothes.

Since we had already had breakfast, we waited for lunchtime.

I had grilled and shredded chicken breasts yesterday, planning to make wraps to take along for a traveling lunch today. Since that was no longer needed, I used the chicken to make a comforting pasta dish as the winds blew and howled around us.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Chicken Pasta

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

5 ounces pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow squash -- diced

1/2 large green bell pepper -- diced

2 medium garlic cloves -- minced

1 small tomato -- diced

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning -- crumbled

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons fat-free half and half

8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- grilled, shredded

1 ounce Asiago Cheese -- shredded

Prepare pasta according to directions, eliminating fat. Keep warm.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil to a shimmer and saute the squash and bell pepper until softened. Add garlic, tomato, Italian herbs, and black pepper (and salt, if desired) and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the half & half (turn down the heat a little-- if lowfat or fat free half & half comes to a boil it will separate) and and the chicken; stir until warmed. Add half of the shredded Asiago, then the pasta, and toss until mixed well. Serve with additional Asiago and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 550 Calories (kcal); 16g Total Fat (5g saturated); (26% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 64g Carbohydrate; 73mg Cholesterol; 452mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

As I placed the bowl in front of my husband, he exclaimed “wow! Regular pasta! We are on vacation!”. Yes. And I plan to attempt to ingest platters-ful of fried shrimp and fried fish and French fries in the next couple of weeks so I probably should have used the bag of whole wheat pasta which I bought. It would more than double this recipe’s fiber content. But, what the heck, I’m on vacation!

The winds have begun to pick up again, and it has started to rain. I have the urge to bake something. Maybe, in honor of Hanna, a something with some tropical flavors. Perhaps a banana bread with lime, and since I brought no packaged coconut, perhaps some coconut rum.

My posts for the next two weeks will be a bit sporadic, but I will be trying a couple of new recipes and will get them on this blog at one time or another! Be patient…

Trader Joe's Simmer Sauces

We are busy this week preparing to go on vacation this Saturday (2 weeks at the beach! yay!) and I have been searching for quick dinners. Ordinarily I don't mind spending an hour making our big meal of the day, but lately there are other things that need to be done. So last night I reached for a jar of Trader Joe's Indian Simmer Sauces. I chose the Korma sauce.


Seriously, this meal took 20 minutes to prepare. First start the basmati rice. While it steams, saute diced chicken breast, then add onion and whatever vegetables (I used zucchini and tomatoes) you desire. Cook until the veggies are slightly softened, then add a jar of sauce and a cup of water. Stir, bring to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add chickpeas, if desired. Serve over rice garnished with sliced almonds and minced cilantro.



This tastes great! I am so excited to have found these sauces (we have tried and like the Curry sauce as well, and are looking forward to the Masala and Punjab Spinach varieties). And, paired with TJ's naan bread, I feel as though I'm in my favorite Indian restaurant. These sauces were a great discovery. :)

I used to pooh-pooh convenience foods, but these sauces are so good that I have been converted. To Trader Joe's brands, anyway (you still won't catch me microwaving a Stouffers meal, though, so don't worry...)

Shrimp Fresh Spring Rolls

Oh, I would like to say that this is a photo of the spring rolls which I made recently! But it is not. This is a photo of the spring rolls which I ate at Green Mango Noodle Hut in the Regent Square section of Pittsburgh. I love these, and order them whenever we are fortunate enough to stop by for a meal.

Look how tightly they are rolled! Cut into bite-sized pieces perfect for dipping in the flavorful sauce, these shrimp spring rolls inspired me. Alas, inspiration was not quite enough.

My rice-paper rolling technique leaves a lot to be desired. My friend George bought me a bamboo sushi rolling mat which I thought would help and it does, but not to the extent that I would like. My spring rolls turned out to be rather… loose. Delicious, though, absolutely. But in no way could I cut these into bite size pieces!

Fresh Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce




Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

Spring Rolls:
12 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper
3 green leaf lettuce leaves, quartered
3 cups fresh broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot strips
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut cucumber strips
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper strips
24 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and halved lengthwise
36 fresh mint leaves

To prepare sauce, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.

To prepare spring rolls, add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper sheet in dish; let stand 30 seconds or just until soft. Place rice paper sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1 lettuce piece in center of sheet. Top with 1/4 cup sprouts, 3 carrot strips, 3 cucumber strips, 3 bell pepper strips, 4 shrimp halves, and 3 mint leaves. Fold sides of sheet over filling; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place spring roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to prevent drying).

Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper, lettuce, sprouts, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, shrimp, and mint. Serve with dipping sauce.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings (serving size: 2 rolls and 2 teaspoons sauce)

CALORIES 101 (7% from fat); FAT 0.8g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.8g; SODIUM 418mg; PROTEIN 7.8g; FIBER 2.1g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Note, I used Thai basil along with the mint leaves, left out the sprouts, and added cooked rice vermicelli noodles. I also floated some shredded carrot and chopped peanuts in the wonderful dipping sauce.

If anyone has any ideas or perhaps a website which instructs on this tight-wrapping technique, please pass it on.

Whining about my garden...

Since I planted my garden late, I have not had the opportunity to harvest anything other than herbs so far this summer. Over this past weekend, my little plot spewed forth two tomatoes, two yellow squash, and a little cantaloupe. I continue to urge the green beans to do the same, but for this small amount I am very grateful!

The cantaloupe was very sweet and I can’t believe that these plants were the result of some volunteer plants, borne of seed from cantaloupe scraps tossed in the compost pile last fall which never properly “cooked”.

The yellow squash are tender and made a delicious side to the grilled tuna steaks over this past weekend.

And the tomatoes. I have been buying “local” tomatoes at the grocery store; they looked like those which are offered most of the year and tasted only marginally better. These, the tomatoes which I finally picked from my garden plants, are real tomatoes. What an incredibly delicious taste! For the first one, I made a simple salad dressed with white wine vinegar and olive oil. For the second, still not wanting to “mix it up” with too many other flavors, I made a couple of open-faced sandwiches.

No recipe involved here. I sprayed thick slices of rustic Italian bread with cooking spray and grilled until lightly toasted on one side. I removed them from the grill, flipped them over, spread with a thin layer of pesto, then placed a thick slice of tomato and a thin slice of mozzarella on the grilled side. These were then placed back on the grill until the cheese was melted, and torn pieces of fresh basil sprinkled over. These were sooooo good!

Since the grill was fired up, I cooked a couple of chicken and red pepper sausages which I had bought at Trader Joe’s and these were darn good, too.

I am disappointed that my garden is taking so long to produce (I didn’t plant until we returned from a trip just after July 4^th ), and because we are going on vacation this coming Saturday for 2 weeks, most of the veggies may go to waste unless I can figure out what else to do with them. I have made a vow for next year, though. I want to plant a few varieties of heirloom tomatoes and I will have them in the ground just after Memorial Day. Summer is way too short to wait until the end of August for fresh tomatoes (and other such goodies)!

Uh, would someone please remind me of this next May???

Blueberry Bourbon Barbeque Sauce

When I find a recipe that I want to try, I will print it out (or copy it, if it’s in a magazine), slip the page into a plastic sleeve, and set it on my desk in a box. After I’ve tried the recipe, I will mark the page as to how we liked it, the changes that were made, what I would do the next time, etc. then I place the sleeve in a binder. I have three 4” thick binders full of recipes.

Needless to say, unless a recipe is very good, we don’t repeat it. And unfortunately, even if we do enjoy the recipe, there’s a good chance it will fall into oblivion while I try others.

Such is what happened with one of my very favorite summer barbeque sauces this year.

A year or two, Eating Well magazine featured a Blueberry Bourbon Barbeque sauce that absolutely rocks. It is lightly tangy, with both the blueberry and bourbon flavors playing nicely off of each other, and is delicious. I remembered it the other day, dug out the recipe (and my written changes) and made it.

Served on top of a plain ol’ piece of grilled chicken or fish, this Blueberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce elevates it to a very special meal entrée.

I served the grilled chicken and Blueberry-Bourbon BBQ Sauce with steamed green beans and orzo seasoned with minced canned chipotles, sliced green onion, and cilantro.

Blueberry Bourbon Barbeque Sauce

It is not every day that you get a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce that also boasts a healthy dose of antioxidants. Try it with beef, chicken, pork or even some grilled shrimp.

Makes 2 cups

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup bourbon
2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bourbon, increase heat to high and bring to a boil; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 28 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 42 mg sodium; 38 mg potassium.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Trader Joe's Indian Fare

I have made a discovery that is so fantastic that I want to share it with everyone—

Trader Joe’s Indian Fare.

This is a small box which contains a pouch of Indian entrée. Specifically, I am talking about Punjab Choley. I had my doubts when I purchased it because how good can something “in a pouch” be? And how healthy is it? However, when I read the nutritional information, I discovered that a serving contains 210 calories, 8g total fat, and zero grams saturated and trans fats, 610mg sodium (not bad for a prepackaged main course), 6g fiber, and 7g protein. Okay, now can it be good???

I bought a couple of packages and I came across them yesterday when, at 2:30pm, Jack asked if we were going to have lunch. This is his way of reminding me that I’ve become so immersed in something else that time has flown by, and that he is hungry. It happens often. :)

I had planned to make fried rice for lunch earlier in the week, and cooked and refrigerated the rice, but it was too hot on that particular day so I forgot about it (the container was shoved back into the never-never land of my refrigerator). When trying to decide what to make immediately (and now I was starving, too, but hadn’t realized it until Jack reminded me), I saw the box of Indian Fare and remembered the cooked rice.

Seriously, it took less than 7 minutes to make lunch. I sprinkled a little water on the surface of the rice, replaced the cover, and heated it for 2 minutes while I found a small casserole dish, opened the packet, and poured the contents into it. Then I stirred a little lowfat plain yogurt into the mixture and added some frozen peas, then the entrée went into the microwave for 3 minutes. I let it sit for a couple of minutes while I microwaved the rice a little more. Then, voila, lunch!

I knew that it was Trader Joe’s, and I love all things Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t expect this Indian meal-in-a-pouch to be so darn good.

The sauce, made a little creamier with my addition of yogurt, was tomatoe-y and quite spicy and fragrant with cumin and cinnamon. The chickpeas were a perfect texture, not mushy at all. If it had been a little less spicy, I would have not minded, but it was absolutely delicious. Now, for dinner this would have been a little sparse, but adding another side dish would make it more substantial, and for lunch it was a perfect amount.

The other variety which we bought was Madras Lentils. At $2.19 a box, how can anyone who enjoys Indian food, and is in need of a quick meal, go wrong? Rice can be prepared ahead of time, up to four days, and refrigerated (or frozen for longer, but it would take a few additional minutes to thaw).

I love Indian food, and I wouldn’t recommend this Punjab Choley if it weren’t great (and I cannot wait to try the Madras Lentils now). Is there anything that TJ's makes and isn't good? I've already raved about some of their other products, and I really do think that I need to do some comprehensive research. I'll be in that area next Wednesday... ;)

We will be spending the long weekend at the lake house and I will probably not be back to post here until the beginning of next week. I hope that everyone has an enjoyable holiday!

Edited to say that I have since tried many varieties of the Indian Fare, but my favorite is the Madras Lentil (with a large dollop of lowfat plain yogurt-- absolutely essential!).

Jenni's Nutty Dollies

While I feel badly for those in the South who have dealt with tropical storm Fay’s deluge of rain, I am grateful that her remnants visited our area for a few hours last evening. Although it was predicted that we would receive a quantity of rain (the first in 2 weeks) yesterday afternoon, it wasn’t until after dark that I heard the lovely sound of raindrops on the roof. As of this morning, we received a full inch, and I am off garden-watering duty for a few days.


Our farm has spring water pumped into the house and also a cistern which is normally used for the garden. The cistern pump, however, died last month (and although my dear husband has many good qualities, timely repairs is not one of them) so I have had to use water collected in rain barrels. The rain barrels were dry as dust in the past week or so and I was watering the garden and flower beds with spring water. Since we were in a dry spell, the spring wasn’t flowing as freely as it had been during the wonderfully wetter-than-normal summer. So I resorted to reusing the rinse water from the washing machine, the bucket of water which collects in the dehumidifier, and even the bowl from the salad spinner after I had washed lettuce. Creative watering practices. I would love to someday figure out how to capture the rinse water from the washing machine in an easier way than stopping the machine, placing a watering can under the outlet hose in the laundry tub, turning on the washer, filling the can, turning off the washer… it has to be difficult on the mechanics of the washing machine, but so far it’s my best way to recycle large quantities of water.


Anyway, today a cool day (although humid) and I am going to bake. I haven’t baked bread since May.


My equation:
no air conditioning + large uninsulated commercial oven = no baking in the summer months for Vicci


I did bake a few sweets during the evening hours over the past couple of months, but I have been buying bread at Panera. Surprisingly, the cost of a loaf of whole-grain or honey wheat there is similar to what I find in the store and we both like it better than the in-store bakery at the local grocery chain. But I really can’t wait to have my own bread!



Now, my friend Jenni lives in a nicely air-conditioned house and bakes during the summer. I had given her a pan of coconut rum brownies earlier this summer, and she recently returned the pan. Filled. Now, isn’t that the best thing, to be returned a pan with something delicious inside??? And delicious it was.


My pan held 9 square inches of one of the most wonderful, moist bar cookies that I have ever had. And all of my favorite things were included—nuts, coconut, chocolate. It truly is with all of the willpower that I can possibly muster that Jack and I held ourselves to one bar per day for the past few days, then I froze them for treats later.


By the way, they still taste good frozen. Hey, I have hardly any willpower to begin with, and I just couldn’t resist!!! They are incredible, and very rich so one cookie should be enough to satisfy most people (not us, mind you, but most people!).


Jenni gleaned the original recipe for Nutty Dollies from Cookies by the Dozen and made enough modifications (to suit her taste and what she had on hand) that I have duly renamed them:




* Exported from MasterCook *


Jenni's Nutty Dollies

Recipe by: Jenni
Servings: 24


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 tablespoons butter -- melted (in baking pan)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes -- *
2/3 cup pecans -- chopped
1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk -- **
1 tablespoon Nutella – stir into sweetened condensed milk before using
4 ounces Chocolatey Cats Cookies -- Trader Joe's brand (or another brand of chocolate cookie); crushed (1/2 cup crumbs)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
6 tablespoons cashews -- ***; lightly salted, chopped



Melt the butter in an 8x8 pan in the preheating oven. Tilt the pan so that the butter covers the bottom.


Layer the remaining ingredients in the order listed, making sure they are evenly distributed from edge to edge. With your fingers or a spatula, press down on each layer to eliminate air.


Bake about 20-25 minutes.


Cool completely on a wire rack.


Cut into bars when cold.



(Vicci's) Description:
"heaven in a bar cookie"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 161 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat (5g Saturated, 5g Monosaturated); (61% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 10mg Cholesterol; 78mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates


JENNI’S NOTES :

* I used unsweetened coconut flakes to counter all of the "sweet" in the other ingredients. Also note that my unsweetened coconut is in the form of tiny flakes that are much smaller than the standard flaked coconut. So using regular coconut will change the texture.

** I used lowfat sweetened condensed milk. Given the stick o' butter, I'm sure this made a world of difference! ha! AND...I mixed a tablespoon of Nutella into the sweetened condensed milk before pouring it over the layers, in an attempt to add chocolate-hazelnut flavor. I thought I was being brilliant, but I couldn't taste the flavor in the finished product. I will add more next time, and maybe some hazelnut extract.

*** I used chopped hazelnuts instead. But the concept of having a salted nut along with all of the 'sweet' flavors does intrigue me!



I have retained all of her changes/ comments. She had intended on making more of a hazelnut-flavored cookie but didn’t feel as though that flavor came through.


I will definitely be making these, but have already planned a few changes to make the bars a bit lower in fat. As Jenni remarked when we cut them “these could have used a lot less butter” and she is right. First, I will halve the amount to 4 ounces and add 2 tablespoons of canola oil in order to keep moistness but eliminate the saturated fat. If this works, I’ll subsequently eliminate the oil.


I don’t know how much it will save in the long run, but I only have the lowfat graham crackers on hand, so I will use these instead. And the nuts. The nuts, the nuts, the nuts…. the quandary about the nuts. We love them, and they are chock-full of healthy monosaturated fats, so instead of decreasing their quantity I will decrease the chocolate chips to ¾ cup. That should still give a nice, chocolatey flavor to the bars and keep that intense nutty flavor.


So, according to my calculations, eliminating half of the butter, using a little canola oil, and decreasing the chocolate chips a bit will drop the total fat to 10g, saturated fat to 3g, and keep the monosaturated fat at a decent 4g per bar.


It looks as though these are quite easy to put together, the only real prep time coming from crushing the graham crackers and chopping all of those nuts.


When we return from our beach vacation in mid-September the weather will be cooler and I will again be able to keep the oven on for baking, and I will make these. What a great way to begin Fall Baking Season!


And, as I look over my writing, I see that I could have been a bit more creative in naming these cookies.


Nutty Jenni’s, anyone??? :p