Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Party Time: Buffalo Chicken Dip

This isn't the healthiest dish I make, but it is a crowd pleaser and very convenient for parties, so I thought I would share. Everyone always asks for the recipe, and it's so easy!

Ingredients:

-1 large can chicken (found by the tuna, I get the all-natural, in water)
-1 pkg fat free cream cheese
-1 pkg fat free shredded cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
-1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
-1/2 bottle buffalo marinade

Mix all ingredients together in a medium saucepan on high heat until melted. Serve with multigrain tortilla chips or celery sticks.

Dessert

I have a bit of a sweet tooth and have a hard time finishing a meal without a bite of chocolate. To curb these cravings, I keep something that is quick, healthy, and chocolate in my house at all times.

My current favorite is the Healthy Choice Fudge Bar. They are a good portion and do not taste healthy at all.

http://www.healthychoice.com/product-Fudge-Bars_2002.html

I also like the Skinny Cow ice cream products, although the one that I usually get, the vanilla sandwiches, don't taste as rich as the Healthy Choice bars do. Still very good though, and a nice variety of products.

Egg Scrambles

I like to keep a carton of Egg Beaters Whites in my refrigerator at all times. They have a long shelf life so are a lot more small-family-friendly than eggs, and they can make a wide range of dishes for breakfast or dinner.

For breakfast, having these in the fridge can keep me for going out for a bagel or chocolate croissant...which requires me spending money, eating unhealthy, and getting out of my pajamas earlier than I like. I like to make the Egg Beaters Whites with vegetables (green pepper, tomatoes, olives) and Tabasco. Once in a while I will make them with lox and capers.

For dinner, I try to use more typical dinner flavors, such as chicken, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and original Laughing Cow cheese.

Tacos

Tacos are a meal that most people like, and can be made very healthy and quick. They can also be made with a variety of ingredients depending on what's in your refrigerator.

I usually skip the tortillas and make a taco salad, with lean ground turkey, lettuce, fat free sour cream, black beans, black olives, diced tomatoes, and a little bit of fat free shredded cheese. You can add some spice by cooking the turkey with taco seasoning and adding a few drops of Tabasco or similar sauce.

I have heard good things about the Boca soy crumbles, but have yet to try them. Everyone I know that uses them loves them! That will be next on my list to experiment with.

http://www.bocaburger.com/products/crumbles.aspx

Monterey Whole Wheat Pastas

A delicious meal that requires very little work is Monterey whole wheat pasta. Monterey Pasta Company makes a variety of good pastas, many of them being all natural and / or whole wheat.

My favorite is the whole wheat ravioli with chicken and sundried tomatoes. This pasta is so good that I do not put ANYTHING on it. I don't even cook it with anything aside from a little canola oil to keep it from sticking to the pot. My fiancee might prefer it with a light butter sauce or oil, and that is fine too. Still extremely easy and quick! The only bad thing about this pasta is that I like it so much that I want to eat the entire package by myself in one sitting...that makes it no longer healthy!

Monterey pastas are found in most grocery stores. In my grocery store, they are located by the gourmet refrigerated cheese and meats.

http://www.montereygourmetfoods.com/index.cfm/monterey_pasta_company.htm

Ready Made Dinners

The fastest meal is a ready made meal. Fortunately, if you live close to a good grocery store, ready made meals don't have to be expensive (restaurants) or unhealthy (frozen.)

I am very fortunate to live next door to a very good grocery store. The Dominick's in the West Loop (Halsted and Washington) has a really good selection of fresh, healthy meals that you only have to throw in the oven or on the grill.

I have had chicken kabobs in a mango marinade, chicken florentine, and coconut tilipia, all ready in 45 minutes or less with almost no effort from me. My fiancee says he could eat the chicken kabobs once a week they were so good.

The store also has a really good deli department with all kinds of sides, pasta salads, sandwiches, and fresh sushi.

If you're lucky enough to live next door to a grocery store with a similar selection, ready made meals are a great option when 15 minute meals are 15 minutes too much for you.

http://weeklyspecials.dominicks.com/customer_Frame.jsp?drpStoreID=1875

Another Easy Side - Salad

Another easy and quick side is a salad. I make mine with only a few ingredients because I don't want to buy a lot that will go bad, and I don't want to have salad for a week straight.

My favorite easy combo is lettuce (any kind you like,) cucumbers, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and light cucumber ranch dressing. The cranberries and pine nuts have a long shelf life and don't need to be refrigerated. I was surprised to find when looking at the nutritional information on some salad dressings, that the light cucumber ranch was lower in calories than all of the light balsamic vinegar dressings I saw. Shows that foods aren't always what you think and you need to read labels!

Since this salad requires a little bit of prep work (cutting the cucumber and pulling the lettuce,) I tend to make it with very basic entrees, like a marinated chicken breast.

Penne Arrabiata

Another one of my go-to meals from allrecipes.com!

This is for those who like it spicy! I love this recipe because it cures my pasta craving without being too unhealthy.

I will put the link for the web recipe at the bottom, but I make a modified version so I will put my recipe here.

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup canola oil
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp crushed red pepper
-2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
-1 bunch fresh basil, shredded
-1 12 oz package whole wheat penne pasta
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp oregano

Instructions:

-Put penne pasta in a large pot filled with water and a tbsp of oil, turn heat to high and cook until desired texture.
-Meanwhile, heat rest of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes.
-Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute.
-Pour in the diced tomatoes and basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Drain pasta, mix together and serve!


This recipe would be good with a lot of variations, so feel free to customize. I made it last night with garbanzo beans and that was really good. Black olives would also be good.

Easy Vegetables

When I'm really tight on time, one of my fallback meals is grilled chicken or fish, and lemon pepper asparagus. My mom taught me how to make the asparagus and I love it because it is the easiest, fastest, healthy side!

All you do for the asparagus is place it in a microwaveable dish where it can lay flat. (Rows on top of each other are ok, just make sure that both ends fit in - I use a square Pyrex dish.) Then you put water into the dish until the bottom is covered (about an inch high, not enough to cover the asparagus.) Sprinkle lemon pepper on top. Cover, and microwave for 7 minutes or until desired texture. That's it! Drain any remaining water and serve.

The wonderful thing about this "recipe" (if you can even call it that!) is that it can be used for just about any type of vegetable, with any type of spice you prefer. I have seen recipes on the web for cauliflower with Cajun seasoning, and broccoli with seasoned salt. Choose whatever vegetables and spices go with your meal, and enjoy!

Recipe Review: Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

I made this recipe the other night and it made the house smell so good! I made it for a group of people and everyone really liked it.

I did, however, make one big mistake. The full recipe called for the chicken breasts to be cut in half. At the store, I saw that they had chicken scallopine (thinly-sliced chicken) and I figured I would save myself some time and get those. Bad move! After cooking all day on low, the chicken turned out really dry for my taste. Everyone said it was still good and even took leftovers, but for my personal taste, I could only tolerate it together with a bite of the beets.

Next time, I probably wouldn't cut the chicken at all, and as some reviews said, it would probably be ok cooked on high for four hours instead. Maybe put it in when you get home from work, go to the gym and do errands?

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Recipes from Mom: Tilapia and Spinach

This recipe is another one of my favorites from my mom. It is a great recipe because it is super easy, quick, and highly adaptable. You can create many variations of this dish based on what you have available in your kitchen. The recipe I am going to post is for tilapia, but it also works well with chicken, substituting orzo for meat, or a variety of vegetables and spices. Just make sure to adjust cook times accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tilapia filets
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cooking Instructions:

-In a 10 inch skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic.

-Add tilapia filets and red onion. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned; approximately 3 minutes per side.

-Add 1 tbsp of vinegar, then alternate adding spinach and the rest of the vinegar until spinach is wilted. (3-4 minutes.)

-Sprinkle with feta cheese while still hot, and serve.

Recipes from Mom: Zucchini "Boats"

This recipe starts a new series of posts that will be mixed in with the recipes I find in my research...recipes from my mom! My mom has been a working woman all of my life and is also an amazing cook. She has a lot of quick, easy, healthy meals that I can't wait to steal!

This first one is called "Zucchini Boats." I have made this before and I love it because it is so easy, and also healthy.

The ingredients you will need are:

-1 lb ground turkey
-1 medium-sized onion, diced
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
-2 medium-sized zucchini
-4 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
-a couple pinches of oregano

I sized these ingredients for four servings because my fiancee and I like to have leftovers to bring for lunch the next day. You can adjust the servings pretty easily with this recipe based on how many people you want to feed.

Cooking Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Place the ground turkey, onions, and garlic in a frying pan. Cook until browned. Add tomatoes to mixture once finished cooking.

-Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut out the soft interior portion, creating a boat-like exterior piece.

-Place zucchini "boats" on a cookie sheet. Fill them with the turkey and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and oregano.

-Bake in the oven until zucchini is soft, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Thanks Mom. :)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Good Reasonably Priced Wine

Another topic I plan on covering with this blog is any good, reasonably priced wines I come across. I love having a good glass of wine with dinner, and often bring wine to parties to share, so it is important to find good quality vintages that won't break the bank. I found this 2007 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon yesterday at Binny's and have been very impressed. Binny's gave it a rating of 91 points (out of 100), and the price for members is currently $12.99 a bottle. (Membership is a free rewards program.) It's not my favorite Cabernet I've ever had, but I think it is a great wine for the price.

http://www.binnys.com/wine/2007_Joel_Gott_Cabernet_Sauvignon_815_18738.html

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

This slow cooker chicken mole is going to be the next recipe I try. I like to make chicken, turkey, or vegetarian dinners to keep meals light, but I find a lot of chicken and turkey dishes can end up tasting dry or boring. For this reason, I am always looking for interesting, flavorful ways to cook chicken and turkey. I saw this All Recipes Slow Cooker Chicken Mole, posted by user "Avrienne," and thought it would be a good one to try. I love cooking with slow cookers, because you can put the ingredients in the crockpot in the morning and come home to a ready-to-eat dinner after work.

I am going to adjust the recipe, because this is one of the recipes that falls under the too many ingredients for two people category, and also the reviews from other chefs have pointed out some things they would have changed. It might not have the same flavor as the original, but since I have not made the original, I imagine the flavoring will still taste good and different to me, and I will not notice any missing pieces.

The following are the ingredients that I am going to use in my chicken mole:

1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup craisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can chicken broth
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Although this seems like a lot of ingredients, many of them are non-perishable spices that I keep in the house already.

I will put these in the slow cooker and cook on low all day while I am at work. I will then pair the chicken mole with black beans and beets.

I will write again to let you know how it goes!


The full recipe from www.allrecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Mole/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

First Recipe - Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

The first recipe I'd like to share is a recipe that I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. For those of you who aren't familiar with All Recipes, it is a wonderful site, with many different kinds of cooking and cuisines represented. My favorite part as a beginning chef are the reviews. You can read reviews from people who have tried the recipes, and see how they liked them and what they would recommend changing. A lot of the reviewers consider themselves to be "Intermediate" or "Expert" cooks, so they have great ideas for how to improve recipes.

The recipe I'd like to share today is for Pear and Prosciutto Pizza, and was written by All Recipes user "bostoncook."

I have made this recipe and absolutely loved it, and it is fairly easy. It is a little high on the ingredients side, but you use up most of the ingredients in the pizza, so none of my ingredients went to waste.

I made this recipe on a store-bought wheat pizza crust, and I cooked the garlic and the pears in the oven at the same time as some reviews had suggested, to save time.

This entree is a little high in calories at 618 calories for a quarter of the pizza. If you are watching your calories, you could either eat one slice (1/8 of the pizza), or a better solution would be to make it without the prosciutto, which I suspect would be equally delicious. You could also keep the prosciutto in and substitute more swiss cheese for the fresh mozzarella...this would probably cut more calories, but I myself am a sucker for good cheese!

Hopefully you guys love this recipe as much as I did.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pear-and-Prosciutto-Pizza/Detail.aspx

Welcome!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my new blog "Working Woman Meals."

I would like to preface this blog with the following: I am nowhere near an expert on cooking, nutrition, budget grocery shopping, etc...

The reason I am starting this blog is because I am a woman who lives in the city of Chicago, commutes to the suburbs for work (anywhere from an hour to a two and a half hour commute), have grad school two nights a week, and am gone most weekends. Did I mention that I am also moving into a new house and planning a wedding?! Therefore, I have very little time to cook, but I enjoy good food and try to eat on the healthy side. I am also just beginning to learn how to cook and enjoy trying new recipes, but I have found that a lot of them have 10+ ingredients...when you are cooking for two people and don't have a lot of disposable income, making dinners with 10 ingredients or more is often not practical. You have to ensure that the ingredients you use are either ones that you can use frequently in other recipes, or are non-perishable (usually not as healthy).

I have decided to gather recipes and ideas for meals that are for the working woman...quick, healthy, delicious, and practical. Also, this blog is not only for working women. It is also for the ones who help support the busy working women! My fiancee asked me once to give him a list of easy meals that he could make while I am busy doing the dreaded commute. He was part of my inspiration for starting this blog and publishing my findings.

I know many of you are in the same boat as I am...enjoy good food and don't have a lot of time to devote to making it. I hope this blog can help some of you out. Enjoy and happy eating!!