Shirred Eggs and Baby Lettuces Salad: A Simple Meal

1 Feb By

I love fancy food and usually eat it with abandon.  This week, however, I’m nursing a running injury (and it better be a mild, fleeting injury!), and the resulting reduction in quality cardio time means I’ve got to dial down my calorie intake as well.  For the past few days, I’ve eaten a bare-bones salad for lunch but yesterday, the tummy demanded rich food.  What can I say?  I miss buttery, creamy goodness.

Luckily it’s possible to each rich flavor and still keep calories in check.  I whipped up this little  salad and its accompanying baked egg for under 300 calories and added some fruit to make it a healthy small meal.  This would be an excellent brunch dish for you entertainers out there!

Shirred Eggs with Baby Lettuces Salad

Serves 4

1/4 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

4 large eggs

4 Tbsp fat-free half and half or cream

1 tsp rubbed sage

Salt and Pepper

1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced

8 cups baby lettuce leaves (arugula, spinach, romaine, red and green leaf lettuces work well)

3 Tbsp aged Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 4 oven-safe ramekins.  Melt butter in a small skillet over medium low heat.  Stir in onions and cook until slightly caramelized.  Remove onions from skillet and split evenly between ramekins.  Add mushrooms to remaining butter in skillet and cook until golden and tender.  Remove from heat.  Break one egg into each ramekin atop caramelized onions.  Spoon 1 Tbsp cream or half and half over each egg and sprinkle with sage.  Salt and pepper as desired.  Transfer ramekins to oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until egg whites have just firmed up.

Meanwhile, combine olive oil, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl.  Whisk to emulsify.  Pour vinaigrette over baby lettuces in a large bowl and toss to coat.  Divide lettuces among four plates and top with sauteed mushrooms and goat cheese.  Serve with shirred eggs on the side.

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Kabobs!

16 Aug By

I made this recipe weeks and weeks ago and then simply forgot to share it with you!  These simple chicken kabobs are marinated in baharat – an Iranian spice blend – and yogurt. This marinade is a must-try if you’ve been in a flavor rut and the yogurt keeps it healthy to boot. Enjoy!

Baharat Marinated Chicken Kabobs

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. each coriander, allspice, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and smoked paprika
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. honey.
1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large summer squash
1/2 a medium onion
1 green bell pepper

Combine yogurt, tomato paste, spices, lemon juice and honey.  Mix well.  Chop chicken, squash, onion and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces.  Spoon marinade over chicken and vegetables in a large bowl and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 2-4 hours.  Skewer chicken and vegetables and grill until chicken is cooked through.  Serve with basmati rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Jalapeno Lime Chicken Tacos

29 Jun By

Y’all it’s been a crazy few weeks, and once again I didn’t get you a menu.  Of course, a menu would require me to eat a regular meal…. The Gentleman and I did get a somewhat quiet weekend recently and spent many hours doing maintenance on the Country Home and fixing up our garden.  The weekend, however, was punctuated with the Gentleman attending to Army duties until late Sunday night (hooah) and me finishing up leftover work from the previous week, so we missed our evening ritual of watching the sun go down over the horse pasture (idyllic, huh?).

I decided a lovely weekend shouldn’t end with two work-stressed individuals heading into busy Mondays so instead we had a late-night kitchen table picnic with oven-roasted corn and chicken tacos.  Accented with some candles (men like candles, right?) and some gorgeous multi-colored sunflowers from the garden, this meal set us both back and ease and ready to face the week – with full bellies!

Jalapeno Lime Chicken Tacos
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tbls olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1Tbsp. cumin
1 large tomato, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced (more to taste if you like!)
Juice of one lime
3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
Tortillas, shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, additional tomatoes and jalapenos as toppings

Line a small baking dish with aluminum foil.  Arrange sliced onions in a thin layer on the bottom of the dish and top with chicken thighs.  Pour olive oil over chicken and rub cumin into meat.  Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through.  Transfer chicken, juices and onions to a large skillet.  Addiced tomato, jalapenos, lime juice and cilantro.  Bring to a simmer and cook until most of liquid is gone, using a fork to shred chicken as it becomes tender.  Serve with warm tortillas.

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

2 ears fresh, un-shucked corn
Salt water
2-4 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
Fresh chopped cilantro

Carefully peel back husks from corn and remove silk, rinse corn kernels.  Rewrap ears with their husks, using one piece of husk as a tie to secure the husk at the top of the ear.  Soak corn in cold, salted water about 5 minutes.  Transfer corn directly to rack in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Roast for 30 minutes, turning once.  Combine butter, garlic salt and cilantro.  Serve corn softened garlic butter.

 

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Spicy Orange Glazed Pork Chops

13 Jun By

Spicy Orange Glazed Pork Chops

1/4 cup of orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 tsp honey
2 bone-in pork chops

Combine first five ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Sear pork chops in a skillet over medium high heat, browning both sides.   Transfer chops to a baking dish lined with aluminum foil.  Fold up edges of aluminum foil to create a small “bowl” around the chops.  Pour glaze over pork chops.  Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.

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Grilled Seafood Packets with Fresh Rosemary

23 May By

The Miss Grill is officially fired up!  I really enjoy grilled fish and shellfish, but sometimes I’d rather skip the skewering, basketing and other procedures used to keep delicate seafood meat from slipping between the grills and burning.  For simple seafood grilling, these individual foil packets do the trick.

 

 

Grilled Seafood Packets

1 salmon steak (6-8 oz)
1/2 lb scallops
1/2 lb shrimp, veins and tails removed
4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram
Juice of one lemon
About 2 Tbls. chopped scallion (green parts only)
Splash of white wine
Four sprigs fresh rosemary

Divide salmon, scallops and shrimp into four equal portions (cut the salmon into about 2 inch square pieces).  Arrange the portions on four sheets of aluminum foil.  Heat butter, lemon juice, scallion, dried herbs and white wine over medium low heat until butter is melted.  Whisk well.  Pour butter sauce over seafood in each packet.  Add a sprig of fresh rosemary to each packet.  Carefully seal aluminum foil so that butter and juices won’t leak.  Arrange atop a medium-heated grill and cook 5-7 minutes.  Flip packets over and cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until shellfish are opaque and fish flakes easily with a fork.

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Three Bean Salad

23 May By

Three Bean Salad

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Lima beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. canned pimientos
1 cup diced celery
1/2 small red onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. grainy mustard
Salt and pepper.

Pour beans into a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Heat to simmering and cook for about five minutes.  Drain and cool beans.  In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, olive oil, parsley oregano and mustard.  Add beans, celery, pimiento and onion.  Toss well to coat beans.  Salt and pepper to taste.

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Shrimp Tabbouleh

23 May By

This recipe incorporates the fresh and spicy flavors of North African cuisine  to deliver healthy shrimp and whole grains.  Warn your taste buds:  this one is exciting!

Shrimp Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur
2 cups water
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 lb shrimp, veins and tails removed
1/2 tsp. each: coriander, cumin, ginger
1/4 tsp. each: turmeric, garlic salt, cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sea salt
1 recipe yogurt sauce

Heat 2 cups of water to boiling.  Stir in bulgur and garlic, remove from heat and cover for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Transfer cooked bulgur to a strainer to remove any remaining water.  Thoroughly rinse shrimp in cold water.  Combine spices and olive oil.  Toss shrimp in spice mixture and transfer to a skillet.  Cook shrimp until opaque over medium heat.  Stir parsley, mint, tomato, cucumber, scallion, lemon juice and salt in to cooked bulgur.  Toss well.  Stir in cooked shrimp.  Serve with yogurt sauce on the side

 

Yogurt Sauce

3/4 cup greek-style yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt

 

Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour before serving.

 

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Five Vegetable Ratatouille

23 May By

An easy delicious way to get your daily vegetable servings, this dish is filling enough for a whole meal.  Substitutions allowed and encouraged!

Five Vegetable Ratatouille

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
1Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant
2 zucchinis
2 yellow squashes
2 large tomatoes
2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers
1 1/2 cups Cannellini beans
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil, salt and pepper

Slice all vegetables to about 1/4 in thickness (slice whole eggplant in half lengthwise then into 1/4 inch thick slices).  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and eggplant and saute about 8-10 minutes or until eggplant is tender.  Transfer eggplant to a large mixing bowl.  Add in zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, bell pepper, beans, Parmesan cheese, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Toss well.  Transfer to a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake in 350° oven for about 45 minutes.

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The (Not Really Famous) Egg MissMuffin

15 Apr By

Ask, readers, and you shall receive.  I often list the “Egg MissMuffin” as part of my breakfast in the weekly MissMeals menu.  The original “recipe” is simple:  half of an English muffin, a few very thin slices of deli ham, a slice of tomato and a poached egg.  Alas, variety is the spice of life and substituting ingredients in this breakfast favorite is a favorite morning pastime.  Here’s the Egg MissMuffin I had this morning (the recipe serves two):

I used a whole wheat English muffin from Trader Joes*.  Top both sides with a little sprinkle of shredded cheese (I used leftover shredded fontina cheese from the Pesto Veggie Pie) and a teaspoon of salsa.  Toast.

Poach two eggs.  I love using my nifty little poachpods – they make this process so easy!  Just spray with a little olive oil, break eggs into pods and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan, place pods in the water, cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes.  Done!

Top toasted English muffins with a little fresh spinach and arrange poached eggs on top.  DELICIOUS!

Now, The Miss likes yolks runny in poached eggs, so when I slice into my Egg MissMuffin, this is what it looks like.  YUM.  However, if you like your eggs a little more well done poach them for 7 minutes instead of 5-6.

The Miss is picky about English muffins.  I do NOT care for the flattened, dense kind most readily available in grocery stores.  Instead, I recommend Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat British Muffins or Genesis 1:29 English Muffins.

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Pesto Vegetable Pie

11 Apr By

The Miss likes tomatoes.  In fact, they’re my favorite vegetable/fruit, my go-to ingredient, my bright red, tangy, savory, juicy muse. I’ve grown impatient waiting for the itty bitty baby plants in my garden to bear their fruits and fill my salad bowl, so I trekked on over to the Farmer’s Market and stocked up on some super bright greenhouse tomatoes and some lovely fresh eggs.  Then I emptied out the produce drawers in my refrigerator and magic happened.

Be forewarned:  this is a delicious and beautiful vegetable-packed pie that does demand a bit of your time.  Don’t expect to throw this together in less than 30 minutes….but do expect to enjoy every succulent bite!

The ingredients. Awesome colors.

Pesto Vegetable Pie

Pie crust for 1 single-crust pie (Can use store-bought)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 tbsp. salt
2-4 small potatoes (I used purple potatoes – so pretty!)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tbsp. pesto
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

To keep this pie from going soggy, you’ll need to get the tomatoes ready in advance.  Chop the tomatoes.  Remove seeds and discard.  Transfer tomatoes to a strainer and sprinkle liberally with salt.  Store salted tomatoes in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  The salt will help draw out extra moisture.

Preheat your oven to 375°.

To prepare the potatoes, scrub them, cover them in cold salted water and bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Boil about 6 minutes.  Remove from boiling water and allow to cool.  Once cooled, slice those potatoes VERY thin.

Break eggs into a small mixing bowl.  Whisk in pesto and milk, beating well.

 

I love how fresh eggs have such bright yellow yolks!

Press your pie crust into a LARGE pie pan….or an oval casserole like I did.  Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the pie crust and bake 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and begin the layering.  Make sure to layer in this order – the veggies add a lot of moisture to this pie and the order of layers is strategic!  Start with a light sprinkling of cheese.

Add a layer of onions and mushrooms.

And then the spinach and bell peppers.

Now pour about 1/2 of the egg mixture over these layers.  Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheese on top of that.  Then, add the layer of salted tomatoes.

Pour the remaining egg mixture over the tomatoes.  Layer potato slices last.  Artistic license encouraged.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until egg sets.  I love how the potatoes come out a little crispy after baking.  YUM.

 

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Savory Steel Cut Oats

29 Mar By

Are you still eating those little packets of instant oatmeal?  It’s time for you to try Steel Cut, or Irish oats.  These minimally processed chunks of whole grain and protein are brimming with nutty flavor and a more substantial texture than rolled oats.  “Clean” eaters appreciate that steel cut oats are simply that – cut with steel and otherwise unprocessed with no additives.

Steel cut oatmeal is often served with honey, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts or a variety of other “sweet” stir-ins.  The Miss, however, cannot eat sweets in the morning.  There’s no dietary reason I avoid sweets in the morning.  Rather, the idea of eating anything sugary turns my stomach after waking, and indeed I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth.  Evidence:  the lack of dessert recipes at Chez Miss.  And so, I present to you my Savory Steel Cut Oats recipe with turkey bacon, chevre and tiny bit of onion.  Enjoy!

Savory Steel Cut Oats

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried minced onion (can substitute fresh)
2 slices turkey bacon, crumbled
1/2 tsp ground rubbed sage
2 tbls chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Boil four cups of water.  Add oats, salt and minced onion.  Reduce heat and simmer oats for 30 minutes.  With 5 minutes of simmer time remaining, stir in bacon, sage, parsley and pepper.

BONUS:  Try this vegan version from The Krav Vegan.

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Pepper Shrimp with Peas and Radishes

27 Mar By

 

Pepper Shrimp with Peas and Radishes

1 lb fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
½ clove fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup frozen or fresh green peas
½ cup fresh radishes, thinly sliced
1 ½ -2 cups cooked brown rice

Rinse shrimp.  Combine olive oil, white wine, garlic, salt and black pepper and whisk well.  Transfer shrimp to a large zipper bag and pour in marinade.  Refrigerate about 30 minutes.  Heat about 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add shrimp (with marinade), peas and radishes.  Cook, stirring well, until shrimp are completely cooked (they will be opaque and pink).  Add more ground pepper to taste.

Serve over cooked brown rice.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

27 Mar By


Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 ½ cups cooked black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (such as Rotel®)
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
2 cups monterrey jack cheese, shredded
9-12 small corn tortillas

 

Combine black beans, tomatoes, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce and chicken in a medium sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat until just before simmering.  Spoon about 1/3 of the chicken mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with 2/3 cups of the shredded cheese ad 3-4 of the corn tortillas.  Repeat layers (chicken, cheese, tortilla) twice ending with tortilla.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the casserole (it will soak down to the bottom of the dish).  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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MissMail: Suffering from Sandwich Overload?

29 Jul By

The Miss spent the past week on a vacation without an internet connection, so she naturally returned to an inbox full of MissMail!  As a health-conscious professional who also works from home, The Miss particularly appreciated this question.  For those of you who must commute to work, never fear!  These great healthy lunches can accompany you to the office as well!

“I work from home and struggle daily to come up with healthy, creative lunches. Any suggestions?”

- A Miss in PA

Absolutely!  The Miss has been struggling likewise and has come up with a few solutions to keep you full and healthy through the afternoon.

Mediterranean Salmon Stacks

4-6 ounces of Lox-style smoked salmon

2 lavash crackers  or Wasa© crispbreads

2 tsp tzatziki

1 cup fresh spinach

Thinly sliced red onion (optional)

No cook!  Spread each cracker with 1 teaspoon of tzatziki.  Top with spinach, salmon and onion.  Enjoy with a piece of fruit for a filling lunch!

Barley and Bean Salad

1/2 cup quick-cooking barley

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup canned beans (your choice!)

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup red, yellow or orange bell pepper

1/8 teaspoon each cinnamon and cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmering and add all remaining ingredients and cook 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender.  This salad is delicious alone, scooped into a whole wheat pita or served over fresh salad greens.  Also keeps well in the refrigerator, so double the recipe and make plenty!

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

1 cup diced chicken breast

1/2 cup black beans

1/2 cup yellow corn

2 tbls salsa

2 tbls roasted  pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Boston Bib Lettuce

Combine chicken, black beans, corn, salsa and pepitas in a small bowl.  Scoop with lettuce leaves to enjoy.

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Sauteed Veggies with “Spaghetti”

20 Jul By

It is once again time for The Miss to clean out her vegetable crisper.  Treats in the crisper today included fresh kale, cherry tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, cannellini beans and spaghetti squash.  Add a little olive oil, basil and oregano and you have a healthy, fresh spaghetti-inspired meal!

Sauteed Vegetable Spaghetti (Squash)

A 3-4 lb spaghetti squash

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced red onion

3/4 cup diced green bell pepppers

2 cups fresh  kale – leaves and stems, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 16 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano

Salt and pepper

Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

To prepare spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 375°.  Slice squash in half as shown below

Using a soup spoon, scoop out seeds and pulp.  Discard

Coat flat sides of squash with olive oil and place squash halves rind side up on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add onion, garlic and green bell pepper and saute about 3-4 minutes.  Add chopped kale and 3 tbls of water.  Continue to cook as kale leaves wilt.  Add tomatoes, cannellini beans, oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low.

When squash is finished baking, remove from oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes.  To remove squash flesh, use and fork and a scraping motion.  The flesh will look very similar to spaghetti noodles.

Serve squash “noodles” topped with sauteed vegetables and shredded Parmesan cheese if desired.

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