Individual Beef Wellingtons

OMG...I mean seriously OMG!!  I know it seems odd that I am posting anything on my wedding anniversary evening, but seriously, I just had to share how incredibly AWESOME this meal is.  Hubby decided a while ago to make our anniversary meal and this is the meal he picked.  Beef Wellington with green beans andgarlic and herb mashed potatoes. This is from the Light Cooking for Two book page 85:


Ingredients
Olive oil-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1  cup  sliced fresh mushrooms, minced
1 1/2  teaspoons  minced green onions
1/8  teaspoon  salt
2  (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks
1/2  teaspoon  coarsely ground pepper
4  sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
Preparation
Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, green onions, and salt; saute 8 minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from skillet, and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of each steak with pepper. Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat until hot. Add steaks, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove steaks from skillet; drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a damp towel (keeping remaining phyllo covered). Lightly coat phyllo with cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo, and coat with cooking spray; fold in half crosswise, bringing short ends together. Place 1 steak 3 inches from one end of phyllo. Spoon half of mushroom mixture over steak. Fold short end of phyllo over mushroom mixture; fold lengthwise edges of phyllo over steak, and roll up, jellyroll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo, mushroom mixture, and steak.

Lightly coat phyllo packets with cooking spray; place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:306 (33% from fat)
Fat:11.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein:27.2g
Carbohydrate:22.4g
Fiber:0.0g
Cholesterol:70mg
Iron:0.0mg
Sodium:388mg
Calcium:0.0mg

The only substitution was instead of phyllo, he used croissant roll dough. Hubby stated he had it in the oven for only about 10 minutes because of the different dough.  So, um...maybe a bit higher on the calorie scale.  Who cares?  This was a special occasion :D.  Definitely try this one, y'all!

*****

Individual Shrimp Casseroles

We had these last night and I didn't get around to posting until this morning.  This recipe is again from the Light Cooking for Two page 111:


Ingredients
5  ounces  orzo, uncooked
1/2  pound  unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp
Olive oil-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1/4  teaspoon  olive oil
2  teaspoons  minced garlic
3/4  cup  peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato
1  tablespoon  dry white wine
1/2  cup  shredded fresh basil
1 1/2  teaspoons  chopped fresh oregano
Dash of freshly ground pepper
1/4  cup  crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Set aside, and keep warm.

Peel and devein shrimp; set aside.

Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic, and saute 30 seconds. Add tomato, and saute 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp and wine; saute 2 minutes. Add basil, oregano, and pepper; saute 2 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.

Combine shrimp mixture and orzo, stirring well. Spoon mixture evenly into 2 (2-cup) casseroles coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 500° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:394 (15% from fat)
Fat:6.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein23.7g
Carbohydrate:59.5g
Fiber:0.0g
Cholesterol:99mg
Iron:0.0mg
Sodium:256mg
Calcium:0.0mg

To start with, I could not find my individual corningware so I had to use soup bowls.  No substitutions were made.  We didn't even have to use a bunch of bowls and mess up the kitchen. I thought it was incredibly yummy but the hubby thought the feta was too strong of a cheese for this recipe. It's ironic since I'm the one who an't stand feta, lol.  We both agreed that fresh parmesan or even Gruyere would have been better (milder).  I will definitely make this again!

On a side note, tonight is our anniversary and the hubby is making beef wellington!!  I'll post the recipe and review tonight :D.

*****

Bouchee A La Reine

Another long crappy day.  This is a pretty quick, easy goto recipe. This is my mom's recipe that serves (I think) 6.


Ingredients
 
-2 lbs of scallops (fresh fish market)
-1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms, fresh
-2 boxes (12) Pepperidge Farm Patty Shells
-Swiss Cheese ( enough to sprinkle on top)
-1 stick of butter (no margarine!)
-3 heaping Tbl flour
-half and half
-1 Tbl chopped parsley
  
Instructions

1 - Simmer the scallops cut in pieces slowly in a seasoned broth (shrimp broth). Make a Bechamel sauce; combine flour and the stick of butter in sauce pan. Add 3 - 4 Tbl of scallop broth. Add half and half stirring until sauce is smooth and thick.
2 - Cut mushrooms in small pieces and cook in some butter and a little salt. If they get too juicy, drain. Add the mushrooms and scallops to the Bechamel sauce. Add parsley.
3 - Bake the shells according to the package directions. Remove tops and a little of the dough from the inside to make room for the filling. Fill with the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and replace the tops. Return the to the oven just to melt the cheese.

 

OK, substitutions...we didn't have any pastry shells so we just used wheat toast.  Also, I didn't have enough cheese (my fault). Other than that, this is a delicious, quick meal.  As always, 5 stars
*****

Baked Tilapia

So, not to be all whiny, but I still feel absolutely wretched.  Darling hubby took pity (again) and made dinner tonight.  We were both very weak and considering take-out but two things stopped us.  One, we have $3.23 to our names and two, we really want this new diet to work.  Hubby baked a few tilapia fillets and made a side of rice-a-roni.  Delicious and lowfat, too.

2 tilapia fillets
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp parsley
4 Tbl butter

Preheat oven to 350. combine all seasonings in a small bowl.  Pat fillets dry.  Sprinkle both sides of fillets with seasoning. Place fillets on greased, shallow baking dish and place two pats of butter on each fillet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

This hit the spot!  After a very horrible day, this is just what I needed!
****

Korean-Style Beef Bowl

Yummy-yummy!  On first glance, this looks good but kind of plain.  Not at all.  The recipe listed serves 4 so you'll need to half it. This is another one from Pampered Chef's 29 Minutes to Dinner page 93:


Ingredients

STEAK AND MARINADE
2 Green onions with tops, divided
1 lb (soo g) skirt steak
2 Garlic cloves, pressed
3 tbsp (4S mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (lS mL) sesame oil
1 tsp (SmL) coarsely ground black
Pepper
1 tbsp (lS mL) sugar
1 tsp (SmL) vegetable oil

RICE AND VEGETABLES
1 cup (2S0 mL) uncooked jasmine rice
2 Medium carrots
2 cups (soo mL) bean sprouts

Preparation

1. For steak and marinade, thinly slice green onions using Santoku Knife, reserving 1 tbsp (lS mL)
of the tops for garnish; place remaining green onions into Classic Batter Bowl.

2. Cut steak crosswise into 2-in. (s-cm) pieces. Slice each piece into thin strips, cutting against the
grain (see Chef's Corner); add to batter bowl. Press garlic over beef. Add soy sauce, sesame oil,
black pepper and sugar; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Meanwhile, for vegetables, peel carrots; discard skin. Continue peeling carrots to make long
ribbons. Place ribbons into ice water until ready to serve.

5. To finish steak, add vegetable oil to (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; heat over medium-high heat
1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add beef to Skillet in a single layer and cook undisturbed
2 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until beef is no longer
pink. Remove from heat.

6. Remove rice from microwave and fluff with a fork. To serve, divide rice among serving bowls and
serve with beef, carrots and bean sprouts. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.


Nutrition Information
Calories: 410 ; Total Fat: 20 g ; Saturated Fat: 7 g ; Carbohydrates: 29 g ; Protein: 28 g ; Sodium: 790 mg ; Fiber: 2 g

Very little on the substitution front.  I didn't have any sesame oil so I just used regular veggie oil and I used brown rice instead of jasmine.  This was SO easy and delicious!
*****

Grilled Chicken and Artichoke Soup

So today is going to be a two-fer.  I will not bore you with the details, but today has been a VERY bad day.  I am feeling worse as opposed to better and hubby  volunteered to make us soup for lunch. He said since we have the leftover chicken, he would look for a good recipe calling for some of our leftovers.  Well, he went to AllRecipes.com and put the ingredient list of :chicken, artichokes, and tomato paste.  This is the recipe that popped up (changed to servings for 2 instead of 8):


Ingredients

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), snipped into small pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 clove cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red onion, minced
1/2 (13.75 ounce) can artichoke bottoms, drained and chopped
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 8 servings.

Place the dried mushrooms into the boiling water and set aside until softened, about 20 minutes. Once softened, squeeze excess water from mushrooms and finely chop. Reserve the mushroom-flavored water.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side. Once cooked, set aside.

Pour chicken broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and reserved mushroom liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped mushrooms, artichokes, pepper, parsley, lemon juice, and white wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes; add to the simmering chicken broth.

Slice the grilled chicken breasts into strips and stir into the simmering soup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 254 | Total Fat: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 37mg

Several changes were made for convenience sake.  He used the extra chicken breast from last night.  The only sun-dried tomatoes we had were jarred in oil (used those).  Instead of chicken broth, he used beef broth and no lemon juice. We didn't have any porcini mushrooms, so he used regular, white mushrooms. I don't know if its just because I feel lousy, but this hit the spot and was very yummy!.  It made exactly 2 servings which was just perfect.  He was able to use the extra artichokes and chicken from last night as well as some leftover tomato paste. (Nice clean refrigerator now :D )

*****

Artichoke Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

OK, so this was my first day back at work since I came down with pneumonia. The part that really sucks is I still have it. It made for a long day and I was having difficulty talking towards the end of the day.  I was worried there was no way I was going to be able to make dinner tonight.  The hubby was busy all day and also was trying to clear our storage out this afternoon so there was no way I was going to ask him to do dinner as well.  I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef cookbook 29 Minutes to Dinner on page 15.  Here's the recipe as written:

POTATOES AND CHICKEN

3 small red potatoes
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz/125-175 g each)
2 tsp (10 mL) Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix, divided
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil, divided

ARTICHOKE TOPPING

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped artichoke hearts (about 2 hearts)
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tsp (10 mL) mayonnaise

1. Preheat broiler on HIGH. Meanwhile, cut potatoes into quarters. Place potatoes, water and salt into Small Micro-Cooker; microwave on HIGH 6-8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, for artichoke topping, chop artichokes and parsley using Santoku Knife; place into Small Batter Bowl. Grate cheese using Microplane Adjustable Grater. Set aside 2 tbsp (30 mL) for later use; add remaining cheese and mayonnaise to artichoke mixture and mix well.

3. Flatten chicken to 1/2 in. (1 cm) thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with 1 tsp (5 mL) of the seasoning mix.

4. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil to Stainless (10-in./25-cm) Skillet (do not use nonstick cookware); heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Meanwhile, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil and remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) of the seasoning mix to potatoes; stir to coat.

5. Place chicken and potatoes, cut side down, into Skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Turn chicken and potatoes over; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and centers are no longer pink.

6. Remove potatoes from Skillet; set aside and keep warm. To finish chicken, spread artichoke topping evenly over chicken; sprinkle with reserved cheese. Place Skillet as close as possible to heating element (2 in./5 cm); broil 4-6 minutes or until topping is deep golden brown and internal temperature of chicken registers 170 F (77 C). (Watch closely. If topping starts to brown unevenly, adjust accordingly.) Carefully remove Skillet from broiler. Serve chicken with potatoes.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 320, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 34 g, Sodium 1280 mg, Fiber 3 g

So here were my changes: I omitted the potatoes outright and served with pasta salad instead. I do not have their rosemary herb seasoning so I used a sprinkle of rosemary, salt and pepper. I did not used fresh parmesan...I used shaky cheese :D.  OMG, this was SO YUMMY!!  I am definitely going to make this again! It was easy, delicious and most of the ingredients you probably already have on hand.  Speaking of which, I still haven't mastered the buying for two so I have a half can of artichoke hearts and one extra chicken breast that I cubed and cooked up for something later. I'll see if there's a recipe out there that I can try in the next few days with some of that.  Anyway, this was a winner and my only complaint was the broiler heated up the house too much...this is Florida and it was a bit too warm in the kitchen. My last suggestion is to use fresh chicken.  I have been using giant bags of frozen chicken breasts for years and was so used to it tasting like sheets of cardboard, I forgot what real chicken tastes like.  A big bonus of cooking for two is I don't NEED to buy the big bag...I can just buy what I need.


*****

Easy Bœuf Bourguignon/ Beef Burgundy

OK, so I had some beef cubes and my mom had some leftover red wine.  I never have alcohol in the house, so I have no recipes calling for wine. I looked everywhere for a decent beef burgundy recipe with serving sizes for two.  I had no luck at all.  I found this recipe on All-Recipes and changed the serving amount to two for the correct amounts.  What I liked about this recipe versus many others was it was a one pot dish and very easy.  I found this recipe actually serves more like 3 servings than two so you can adjust accordingly.  Here's the Campbell's recipe as written from AllRecipes.com :

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound beef sirloin steak or top round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen whole baby carrots
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons Swanson® Beef Broth (Regular, 50% Less Sodium or Certified Organic)
• 1/4 cup Burgundy or other dry red wine
• Hot cooked orzo pasta

Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 4 servings.

1. Place the beef in a large bowl. Add the flour and toss to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, mushrooms and thyme and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add the carrots, broth and wine to the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the beef is cooked through.
3. Serve the beef mixture over the orzo.

This was YUMMY!!  I didn't really have any substitutions.  I used beef stew meat and broth made from a bouillon cube.  Also, I did not have orzo so I used Acini de pepe. This may be a general theme here, but it needed salt, lol. Also, we both agreed it needed to simmer MUCH longer than the stated cooking time. The meat tasted delicious but it was too tough and the sauce was more soupy than stew.  I think both those problems could be solved if I had allowed it to simmer for an hour instead of the 20 minutes stated.  Like I said though, tasted VERY yummy and this would be a good rainy weather recipe!

****

Crabmeat-Stuffed Flounder

It was a little chilly this morning but with the windows all opened up to the ocean breeze, it felt so nice in the house.  I decided I wanted something fresh and light for lunch.  Tonight is movie night followed by sitting around the fire-pit and roasting s'mores so we're doing our main meal this afternoon. This recipe is also from Light Cooking for Two page 103:

Ingredients

• Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray
• 1  teaspoon  reduced-calorie margarine
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1  tablespoon  chopped green onions
• 1  tablespoon  Neufchatel cheese
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced fresh marjoram
• 1/8  teaspoon  pepper
• 2  ounces  fresh lump crabmeat, drained
• 2  tablespoons  soft breadcrumbs
• 1  teaspoon  lemon juice
• 2  (3-ounce) flounder fillets (1/4 inch thick)
• 2  tablespoons  (1/2 ounce) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Fresh marjoram sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add margarine. Place over medium-high heat until margarine melts. Add mushrooms and green onions; saute 2 minutes. Add cheese, minced marjoram, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Remove from heat; add crabmeat, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice, and stir well.

Spoon crabmeat mixture evenly onto fillets; roll up each fillet, jellyroll fashion, beginning at narrow end. Secure with wooden picks. Place rolls, seam side down, in a small baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10 minutes. Sprinkle Swiss cheese over rolls; bake an additional 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove wooden picks, and, if desired, garnish with lemon wedges and marjoram sprigs.

OK, here were the changes: I used Tilapia instead of Flounder, I didn't have marjoram so I used parsley. and I used fake crabmeat instead of lump crab. Also, I took one look at the fillets and figured there was no way I was going to be able to roll them, so I just placed the stuffing on top of the fillets. I really enjoyed this though it seriously needed some kind of seasoning on the fish...salt for one. It tasted like it was missing something...marjoram perhaps?  I will more than likely make this again though the hubby agreed it was missing something.  I imagine when I make it again, I will season the fish before adding the stuffing.  The portions were plenty large and at only 192 calories a serving (for original recipe) you can't go wrong.

***

Beef Stroganoff

So I actually got worse over the last few days and the doctor called to confirm the new x-rays still show pneumonia, so I haven't actually been eating much lately.  Today was the first day I was feeling up to standing  for an 1/2 hour not to mention eating something :D.  We haven't had beef in the house for several years so I forgot how yummy it smells cooking.  Here's the recipe as it's written in Light Cooking for Two page 81:


Ingredients
6  ounces  lean, boneless beef sirloin steak
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2  cups  sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4  cup  sliced onion
1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
1/4  cup  canned no-salt-added beef broth, undiluted
2  tablespoons  no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2  teaspoon  low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  pepper
3  tablespoons  low-fat sour cream
1 1/2  cups  cooked medium egg noodles (cooked without salt or fat)
2  teaspoons  chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Partially freeze steak; trim fat from steak. Slice steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add steak; cook 3 minutes or until steak strips are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe drippings from skillet with a paper towel.
Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Return steak to skillet. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add beef broth and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Spoon over noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

I didn't actually make any substitutions this time.  This recipe was very easy  though since it has to simmer for 45 minutes, not terribly quick.  It was incredibly filling but only 357 calories a serving. The hubby said the meat was very tender and in general it was delicious but needed more sour cream.  I agree. I would make this again, but this one probably won't become a staple in the kitchen.

***

Kung Pao Chicken

Woke up to a stormy day and feeling horrible.  Can't catch my breath.  We decided to have Kung Pao Chicken for dinner.  This recipe is from my mom and is for 3 large servings.  I went ahead and made the portions as listed and kept some for leftovers.  We've had this before, though I've never made it.  Because I was feeling really ill today, Peter took care of it with me supervising :D.  He appreciated it so much, lol.


Ingredients
 
-3 1/2 tsp cornstarch, divided
-5 tsp soy sauce, divided
-5 tsp dry sherry, divided
-1/4 tsp salt
-3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
-1 Tbl red wine vinegar
-2 Tbl chicken broth or water
-1 1/2 tsp sugar
-3 Tbl vegetable oil, divided 
-1/3 cup salted peanuts
-6 to 8 small dried hot chili peppers
-1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
-2 green onions with tops, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
-additional green onion and dried hot chili pepper for garnish
 
Instructions

1 - For marinade, combine 2 tsp cornstarch, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sherry and salt in large bowl; mix well. Add chicken;stir to coat well. Let stand 30 minutes.
2 - Combine remaining 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 3 tsp soy sauce, 3 tsp sherry, vinegar, chicken broth and sugar in small bowl; mix well. Set aside
3 - Heat 1 Tbl oil in wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add peanuts; cook and stir until lightly toasted. Remove peanuts from wok; set aside. Heat remaining 2 Tbl oil in wok over medium heat. Add chili peppers; stir fry until peppers just begin to char, about 1 minute.
4 - Increase heat to high. Add chicken mixture; stir fry 2 minutes. Add ginger; stir fry until chicken is no longer pink in center; about 1 minute. Add peanuts and onions; stir fry 1 minute. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to wok. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Garnish, if desired.

Let's see... the changes made were; water was used in place of sherry, rice wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, and I only used 2 thai peppers instead of 6 chili peppers. We had brown rice and some canned veggies on the side.

All in all I'd say this was very high up on the taste scale! It's an easy meal but expect to have to clean up a couple bowls, a wok and your cutting board so I wouldn't put this on a day when you want to avoid dishes.

*****

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

It's worth noting that I will be making thousands of substitutions throughout these recipes.  This is either done for taste preferences, or because of availability.  In this case, its a combination of the two.  I will post the recipe as is, tell you what I changed, and tell you if it needs any fixes.  When I have it, I will try to give general nutrition info, but I don't expect to have that most of the time.  Also, I'll try to give credit and location for each recipe if I have it available.

to OK, for this afternoon, we had Shrimp Salad Sandwiches (Light Cooking for Two, pg 157).

Ingredients

• 3  cups  water
• 1  pound  unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp
• 1/4  cup  nonfat cream cheese, softened
• 2  tablespoons  sliced green onions
• 2  tablespoons  diced sweet red pepper
• 2  teaspoons  nonfat mayonnaise
• 2  teaspoons  lime juice
• 1  teaspoon  capers
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried dillweed
• 2  (2 1/2-ounce) French rolls

Preparation

Bring water to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Drain well; rinse with cold water. Chill. Peel and devein shrimp.

Combine cream cheese and next 6 ingredients, stirring well. Add shrimp, and toss gently. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Cut a 1/2-inch slice off top of each roll; set tops aside. Hollow out center of rolls, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shells. Reserve excess bread for another use. Place bread shells and tops, cut sides up, on rack of a broiler pan. Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat (with electric oven door partially opened) 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Spoon shrimp mixture evenly into shells; cover with tops.

OK...to start with, I apparently used the recipe as a guide only, lol.  Instead of the shrimp, I used imitation lobster.  I omitted the capers and peppers for taste reasons. I do not have nonfat mayo or cream cheese, but I used light mayo and neufchatel cream cheese.  All in all, I thought this was delicious!  Because we had this for lunch instead of dinner, I didn't serve anything on the side but tea. This was actually amazingly filling, but for dinner I might serve this with cucumbers and onions or some steamed veggies. The calories listed are 311 per serving.  I have zero idea how to convert things like that when making substitutions, so....go with it.

My hubby said that he would prefer less Dill and lime juice.  I eyeballed those measurements so I think if you were very specific on the recipe, you'd be fine.

****  (on a scale of *-*****)

The motivation

It's 2011 and my body is shutting down on me.  It's my own fault.  I ignore all kinds of warning signs like I did in my 20's and you just can't do that in your late 30's.  I recently had a 2lb tumor (along with my uterus) removed and I am currently in bed with pneumonia. I am tired almost all the time and my waistline is expanding enough that I'm starting to look like Santa Claus. I'm lazy and when I eat, I eat mostly crap or horribly large portions. I have tried going pescetarian which is a diet that I love, but is a wee bit expensive after awhile.  I fully intend to go back to my pesce ways, but in the meantime, I'm on an omni diet. 

I am a working wife to a wonderful husband and our baby is our 9 year old kitty named Liberty (she was born on 9/11). I am completely sedentary during the day.  I work out of my home tethered to my desk with no real chance to break away.  I have 1/2 hour lunches which only leaves enough time to snarf down a sandwich or some soup. All the recipes I know and love are from my family...which  is fine but the portions are all wrong.  I hate trying to buy food for two since everything seems to be Sam's sized. This blog will be an attempt to experiment with new recipes, foods and better portions.  I'll try to share all the successes and failures and even some photos.  I know they won't all be winners, but I have to start somewhere.  I'm even going to try actually exercising when I get some strength. We live on the beach (quite literally) and I have a wii....I should be able to get some fitness in.

My aunt gave me this book and my Aunt Kat's estate sale.  The binding had not even been creased but I love the ideas and advice.  It's an oxmoor house book published in 1995. This is where I will start.

Needless to say, this is not where I saw myself when I was 21 years old looking toward my future. I can't change the past, but I can try to literally reshape my and my hubby's future.  Thanks for joining the journey :D