For My Valentine

My meal plan for today:

MAIN DISH: Steamed Lobster, fresh from Maine (shipped overnight, caught yesterday) with clarified butter and lemon

SIDES: Twice-Baked Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

DESSERT: Vanilla-bean Infused Creme Brûlée with Strawberries

Check back later this week for a detailed post! Hopefully, I'll have pictures too!!! :)

My Take on Caprese Salad

I really wanted a salad to go with the mushroom bolognese I made tonight! I didn't want a simple salad, though. We have that all the time! I was craving something a little different, so I decided I'd make a caprese salad as a first course! I had everything I needed, too! Well, I thought.

I had gotten these beautiful large basil leaves in a package (no one around me sells them loose) on Sunday. They were perfect - until I opened the package. Everything under the first four or five leaves were black and the ones on the bottom were growing mold! I was very angry - I'd just bought these yesterday and I needed to make this salad TONIGHT!

What to do? I could have cried - that's been a common response lately! I could have gone to the store (taking what I had bought back) and demanded my money back! But that would accomplish little, since I wouldn't get any of the basil there and the next closest store is a 45 minute round trip! I could have just scraped the salad, but I'd already bought these beautiful tomatoes and some great mozzarella that would have gone to waste!

What did I do? I made a salad with a nod to the caprese salad! I had some romaine lettuce needed for a meal later in the week in the refrigerator (I don't need all of it)! I decided to make a salad dressing that used the basil that was good (washed thoroughly, several times), lemon, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil! Since I would drizzle the balsamic vinegar and EVOO over the caprese salad anyway, I figured this would work well! I also sprinkle salt and pepper over my caprese salad and finish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, so I combined it all! After tasting the dressing, I realized it needed something more, so I added a couple of garlic cloves! Perfect! I poured the dressing over romaine lettuce with quartered cherry tomatoes and cubed mozzarella!

Below is my recipe! It turned out well! I hope that you enjoy this interesting twist next time you don't have the full amount of basil required by a traditional caprese salad!

INGREDIENTS

• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large garlic clove
• salt
• pepper
• handful of basil (6-9 large leaves)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• whole-milk mozzarella, cubed (I use Sorrento)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the basil and place it in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped and combined. Turn the processor on slow speed and pour EVOO slowly into it, until it reaches a dressing-like consistency (this is different for everyone)! 

Wash chopper romaine lettuce and lay out on a platter. Quarter cherry tomatoes and cube mozzarella. Place on top of the lettuce. Slowly pour the dressing over the salad!

Enjoy!

My Version of Marinated Italian Pork Loin Chops

Tonight started FIVE nights of cooking new meals! Tonight, I tried to make a marinated pork loin chop that is based on Rachael Ray's "Marinated No-Mystery Meats" recipe.

I did make several changes to the gravy recipe, but I made the marinade exactly the same way she did! I really loved the meat, but I did let it sit longer than she states in the recipe.

First, I combined 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar with 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (chopped), 3 tbsp of fresh parsley (chopped), and 4 cloves of garlic (chopped). After they were whisked together, I began marinating the chops (salted and peppered). I marinated each side for 10 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. After removing the chops, I reserved the marinade for the gravy.

I removed the pork loin chops from the marinade, making sure that no herb or garlic pieces remained on the chop (a visual inspection and simply picking them off will do - DO NOT RINSE). I placed the pork chops in a sauté pan over medium-high heat (no oil necessary). I cooked on each side for about 6 minutes, then removed the chops to a plate and tented with aluminum foil.

In the same sauté pan, over medium heat, I added 2 tbsp of salted butter and the remainder of the marinade (including the herbs and garlic). I also added 1/2 of a chopped onion and 2 tsp of red pepper flake, then sautéed until they were slightly browned. I sliced 10 small button mushrooms and sautéed them with the onions and garlic for about 10 minutes, slightly browning them. I then added 2 cups of chicken stock and a half cup of dry red wine (white would have worked as well), whisking in 3 tbsp of multi-purpose gluten-free flour after about 5 minutes. I brought the mixture to boil for 10 minutes (to kill any remaining bacteria from the raw meat). I added another 2 tbsp of butter (it wasn't quite rich enough) and fresh thyme and parsley to the gravy. This is not a super thick gravy. Instead, it was just a bit thicker than the simple chicken stock!

I served the gravy over the pork loin chops and simple brown rice made in chicken stock. It is flavorful without being spicy. I saved the gravy in separate individual containers and froze them. I am hoping to use them for rice in the future (when Marc is out of town)! This really was yummy! I hope you enjoy!

A Crockin' Girls Meal - Balsamic Chicken

Okay, so I RARELY use my slow cooker. I have bad luck with it, I guess. Everything I've cooked in it has been dry, tough, or both! I just don't get it! Yes, it's a convenience tool. Set it and leave it. But, for some reason, I can cook a moist and delicious pot roast in the oven but not in the slow cooker! Go figure!

Well, I was skeptical when a friend posted about a delicious Crock-Pot Balsamic Chicken meal that they made. It sounded good, but I just knew that my chicken would come out like dry bricks! But I decided to give it a shot. Here is the original recipe by Crockin' Girls. I would suggest following them on their Facebook page or at their website! They are so awesome! (I just tend to make the stuff in my dutch oven.) Below the recap is the original recipe and the additions/changes that I made. I'm sure that it would have been brilliant the way it was written. To be honest, it was delicious! (No pictures today, sorry. I just am not in a picture-type mood!)

I used four boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about two pounds total), seasoned with salt and pepper. First, I sliced two onions (small, yellow), eight ounces of cremini mushrooms, and one large bell pepper into strips. I added two tablespoons of olive oil (Bertolli Classic) to the bottom of my slow cooker, then placed the chicken onto it. The bell peppers and onions went on top of the chicken. Then, I added one teaspoon oregano, one teaspoon of sweet basil, one-half teaspoon of rosemary, and one-half teaspoon of thyme. I also added three tablespoons of dried garlic, one-half teaspoon of garlic powder, and two whole cloves (crushed) of garlic. (As you know, we LOVE garlic). Lastly, we needed liquid! I poured in one-half cup of balsamic vinegar and two cans of undrained Hunt's diced tomatoes (with nothing added, to ensure that they are gluten-free).

That's it! As simple as that! It took longer to defrost the chicken than it did to make the meal! I covered it and turned the slow cooker onto high for three hours!

I have to say that it was a bit dry. In fact, when I took the temperature of the chicken breast (and I had very thick breasts), it was over 200 degrees! White meat chicken is only suppose to get to 160 degrees to keep it from being too dry! It had a lot of liquid with the sauce, but was still dry. Next time, I will cook it on low for three hours or high for one and half hours. I will definitely check after an hour though! :) 


I served it with a parmesan risotto (a recipe given to me by that same friend - thanks, Kim!) and steamed green beans! The whole meal was very good! Yum!

Enjoy!



RECIPE

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 chicken breasts (approximately 2 lbs)
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (undrained - Hunt's is gluten-free)
• 2 small, yellow onions, sliced (Kim actually used frozen diced; the original recipe calls for one onion)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 large bell pepper, sliced (I used green; this isn't in the original recipe)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed whole (original recipe calls for four, diced)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tbsp dried garlic (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp dried sweet basil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (original recipe called for 1 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar (original recipe called for 1/4 c)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Salt and pepper chicken breasts.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to bottom of slow cooker, then add the chicken.
• Add sliced onions, mushrooms, and peppers.
• Add all of the seasonings.
• Pour the balsamic vinegar and undrained cans of tomatoes on top of the chicken, veggies, and seasonings.
• Set the slow cooker to high and leave for two (recipe calls for four) hours! Please use a meat thermometer to check! It should read 160 degrees!

This can be served over pasta or with rice! Enjoy!

Not A Fan of Dr. Oz

I decided to watch Dr. Oz a few weeks ago because the previews (seen during the evening news) made it seem like he was going to be talking about Celiac disease! The previews showed Elizabeth Hasselbeck talking about what gave her more energy. I was very excited to see something as near and dear to my heart as Celiac disease being shown on a popular daytime show. I was let down, sadly.

The show (or at least the first half) WAS, indeed, about Celiac disease and gluten-intolerance! I did learn some interesting things, such as Garnier Fructis is gluten-free (I've been looking for a good hairspray that won't cause me harm)! However, I was HIGHLY disappointed in Dr. Oz for promoting a gluten-free diet without seeing a doctor first. 

Now, I do understand that many Americans cannot afford doctor visits. However, most of those that cannot afford the visits probably wouldn't want to spend the extra money to go gluten-free unless they had to! It is a simple blood test! 

What I want people to understand is this: IF you go on a gluten-free diet BEFORE you get tested, you will get a negative result. There will be NO antibodies in your system because you are not feeding it anything in which to react! If your doctor is wise, they will make you go back on a gluten-loaded diet for upwards of three months before rechecking! I once read that you should eat a slice of bread a day in addition to your normal intake of gluten for a month before the test! I know that I did NOT want to eat gluten once going on a gluten-free diet. Most people wouldn't because they feel so much better without it! But in order to get that positive and be sent through the next step (endoscopy for intestinal biopsy), you have to ingest gluten!

This was not what Dr. Oz recommended. He'd angered many in the gluten-free world on two prior occasions for being negative toward the gluten-free diet because it was not a 'healthy' alternative for losing weight (2009, 2011). Now he has made a statement that most doctors would never endorse - try the diet then go to the doctor! I really wish he would devote ONE show to Celiac disease, gluten-intolerance, and allergies. Maybe he could have Dr. Fasano (University of Maryland) or Dr. Guandalini (University of Chicago) explain their research! But I doubt that will happen...

So, why am I writing about this now? Well, I've had this written in a draft for awhile, but didn't want to publish it until today! On his episode today, he was talking with Montel Williams about health and energy. First, why interview him as an authoritative figure on health and energy? He's a TV celebrity - that's it. Just because he's found what works in his life, it doesn't make him an authority that ANYONE should listen to! 

On the show today, he was touting the benefits of B12 injections. While they are relatively safe (B vitamins are water-soluble - what you don't need, you excrete), most doctors will NOT prescribe them unless you are deficient. I could not figure out if he was saying to take it daily or monthly, but he wants people to inject 1 mL subcutaneously. That's what I take. Yes, I do it monthly and it helps me tremendously! However, if you test my blood halfway through a cycle, I have a middle-of-the-road number in my system. If I test at the end of a cycle, I am DEFICIENT! Most people are NOT deficient. And if they are mildly deficient, they can take supplements. My small intestines no longer absorb B12, but most people's do. Just take it in pill form. Because of people like that, it is a hassle to get my insurance company to pay for B12 shots!

I'm sorry. That's my rant for the day! I am not a happy camper. I think Dr. Oz pushes lots of vitamins on people that are unnecessary. I also believe that too much can be just as dangerous as not enough. Think before you reach for what he tells you to take! 

Mom's Chili 3.0

I made chili again tonight for the Super Bowl. I only changed a couple of things, but it helped.

First, I added 4 stalks of celery, diced small. I sautéed them when I sautéed the onions and bell pepper.

The second thing I did, after it had cooked for awhile and I realized it still wasn't right, was add carrot! Yep, carrot! It gives it a bit of sweetness, which toned down the canned tomatoes and paste. I grated the carrots in my food processor. It really did work. I grated three large carrots. It looked like a lot, but it wasn't.

Next time, I will try to add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar when I add the rest of the spices!

I'm getting closer... Might not get it this chili season, but I should have it by next year!