Ooo...Scary

Happy Halloween!

We are headed to my mom's in a bit to eat dinner and trick or treat. Hopefully, we'll be back in time for the Saints kick off.

I hope you are enjoying your Halloween with your little devils!

Sunday Dinner - 10/23/2010

If you read this weekly post on a regular basis, you know my family is obsessed with tomatoes. I am always looking for new tomato based recipes. This recipe while not new is new to my family. Paul Prudhomme's version of chicken big mamou calls for a lot more butter and cayenne/hot sauce. I reduced the butter for health reasons and because my belly can't handle that much butter. If you don't have small children and/or like it spicy, double the cayenne. I decided to double the tomato sauce and seasonings and freeze it to have for a later date. I'm sure it will be tasty with any meat.

Chicken Big Mamou
Ingredients
Seasonings #1
2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil

Seasonings #2
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp white pepper
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp basil

Other Ingredients
2 lbs boneless chicken, cubed
1 stick of butter
1 cup onion, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
4 whole garlic cloves
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp worcestershire
1 tsp hot sauce
2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp of honey

Directions
Melt 1/2 the butter in a heavy bottomed pot. Sautee onions, peppers and garlic cloves for 5 minutes.

Mix seasonings #1 in a small bowl and set aside.

Add minced garlic, seasonings #1 stock and worcestershire, simmer for 8 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add hot sauce and honey.

Simmer for a min of 40 minutes.

Melt the other 1/2 of the butter. Mix seasonings #2 in a small bowl. Roll chicken cubes into seasonings #2 then add to the pan.

 Cook until done then add to the finished sauce.

Serve over rice.

The girlies still thought it was a little too spicy. But they've got to learn to build up their tolerance for hot and spicy Cajun foods.


If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo dot com.

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner?

Sunday Dinner - 10/17/2010

With so much going on this weekend, I didn't have the energy to decide what to cook. So I went with a quick and easy dish. Turkey Nachos! Everyone loves nachos. But the are unhealthy and fattening. But with a few easy substitutions nachos become a healthy and nutritious. With the black bean & corn salsa, you can add more veg. I promise, you don't notice that the sour cream is fat free or the cheese is low fat.


Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Ingredients
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can rotel, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions
In a medium size bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well. Allow the flavors to mix for an hour before serving.

Turkey Nachos
Ingredients

1lb ground turkey
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1 tbsp taco seasoning
baked lays
1/2 shredded low-fat cheese
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
black bean & corn salsa

Directions
Slices the bell pepper and onions thinly. Brown in a pan until the veg get a little color. Brown the meat in a separate plan.

Layer the chips, meat, veg, and salsa.

Sprinkle with cheese and add sour cream.

Healthy nachos? Yep. Tasty tasty.

If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo dot com.

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner? 

Happy Anniversary, Big Man

Today is my six year anniversary with the Big Man.When I think back on the day I got married, what strikes me the most is the fact that I wasn't nervous. By the time we got married, we had been dating for nearly 4 years. But I had known six months in to our relationship that we would get married.

Please excuse the following sentimentality. It is not in my nature to express my feelings, with the exception of anger. But occasionally, I should try.

Like most married couples, the Big Man is my best friend. He gets me. He just does. He understands my quirky sense of humor and can make me laugh like no one else. I feel calm and safe when I am with him. When he is not with me, things are a little less fun.

Of course, our relationship is not perfect. I'll take most of the blame for that. But we work thru the obstacles and come out of the other side stronger.

Tonight we are celebrating by playing tourist in the French Quarter. The Big Man and I going to all the fancy bars we never get to visit because we have kids. I'm looking forward to enjoying rare my alone time with my husband.

SUnday Dinner - 10/10/2010 (Pre-race Dinner Edition)

I'm going apologize up front this post. I'm very tired. This morning I ran the Louisiana Half this morning. I'm sooo sleepy. I'm not sure I can put together a coherent sentence. Today's Sunday Night Dinner post is really pre-race dinner post. The idea of a dinner a night before a reasonable amount of carbs, a lean protein, and fruits/veg. I normally choose my favorites, blackend white fish, potatoes, pasta with pesto, and salad.

Because of the girlies, I backed off the spice from the original recipe. I don't think the flavor suffered. It's still peppery, but not hot. But if you like it spicy, double the cayenne. Also, I think the original Paul Prudhomme recipe, while tasty, has too much butter.  The last think you want the night before a big race is a lot of butter in your belly.

Like most people, I'm obsessed with potatoes. Especially baked potatoes. After trial and error and some internet  research, I came up with the best (I think) way to bake a potato.

Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
1/2 potato per person
olive oil
course salt

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400deg. Scrub the potatoes well. Massage the potatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Cook in the oven for 45mins to an hour (depending on the size). Potatoes are done when a fork easily yields.

Blackend White Fish
Ingredients
6 fillets of white fish, tilapia, flounder, etc.  
2 sticks butter
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
3/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

Directions
Heat a broiler pan in a 400deg oven for a min of 10mins. Melt the butter in a small pan.

Add the peppers, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.

Place the fish on a very hot broiler pan. Pour the seasoning-butter mixture over the fish. Coat fish well. Cook for 20 mins. Turn the oven to broil at 400deg. Broil for 5 additional mins.

Carefully, remove the pan. And serve immediately.

I served the fish with a half of a baked potato, pasta with pesto, fruit salad with yogurt and veg salad. This was a hearty, filling meal that is low(ish) in calories.

If you have any question/comments about this recipe, pls leave me a comment or email at megmehell at yahoo dot com.

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as I did. What did y'all have for dinner? What do you eat the night before a long run?