Category Archives: Dinner Ideas

Moxy’s grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Dinner Ideas, Weight Watcher Friendly July 27, 2013 Leave a comment

portabello burgerPick out 2 nice size Portobello mushrooms. They can be grilled, or cooked on a stove top and make a wonderful replacement to a hamburger, especially if you are watching your red meat intake. Frankly, I just love mushrooms and even though Montana has wonderful beef – I wouldn’t hesitate to replace my burger with a Portobello Mushroom “burger”. Cook these up and spread with Moxie’s Onion Jam, Moxie’s horseradish sauce and place on an onion roll and you have a delicious, filling meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large Portobello mushrooms, wipe clean with a dry paper towel, remove stem and gills with a spoon, careful not to break the mushroom
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley, thyme, or substitute with your favorite fresh cut herb

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag, seal and marinate for up to an hour
  2. Remove mushrooms from bag and discard marinade
  3. If cooking on stove top, preheat skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil
  4. Grill or cook on stove top for 3-4 minutes on each side until soft but not mushy
  5. Split bun and place cut sides down on skillet or grill and toast
  6. Spread with onion jam and Moxy’s horseradish sauce, enjoy

MOXY’S Horseradish Sauce

2/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons of prepared horseradish

Stir together and store in refrigerator

Steamed Garlic Clams

Dinner Ideas May 23, 2013 Leave a comment

clamsI used to serve steamed clams or muscles at all my cook-outs back home and they were always a hit.  These clams are steamed in wine, butter, and spices. When the clams are gone, dip Italian bread in the broth, or serve over fresh (not dried) cooked pasta!  Note:  Dry white wines are commonly used for cooking when you don’t want to add sweetness to the dish. As you cook the wine the alcohol will evaporate. This extracts the flavor profile of the wine and adds it to the dish.  Enjoy!

Steamed Garlic Clams 

Ingredients:

  •  1/2 cup butter
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 2 cups dry white wine (such as a Chardonnay) *see note on cooking with wine above
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 36 clams in shell, scrubbed

 Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in butter briefly. Stir in wine, and season with oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Place clams in the wine mixture. Cover, and steam until all the clams have opened: discard any that do not open. Serve in soup bowls, and ladle broth generously over them.

Lemon Pie Dessert without the Crust

Dessert, Fun Stuff, Weight Watcher Friendly May 16, 2013 Leave a comment

lemon dessertLemon Dessert = WW 1 point per cup

 About This Recipe

“For a sugar free, low fat dessert, this is really good. Truly, not even one point per dessert and it tastes just like lemon meringue pie without the crust. Be sure to use the cook and serve pudding mix, not instant.”

 Ingredients

  • 1 (7/8 ounce) cook package sugar-free vanilla pudding, mix ( not instant)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (1/3 ounce) package sugar-free lemon gelatin
  • fat-free can of Reddi-wip Cream

Directions

1.    Add pudding mix to water and mix well.

2.    Bring to boil.

3.    Stir with a whisk until thickened.

4.    Add box of  lemon Jello and stir in well.

5.    Pour into individual dessert dishes and refrigerate until set.

6.    Top with fat free Reddi-wip whipped Cream

Beef Bourguignon

Bread, Dinner Ideas, Side May 3, 2013 Leave a comment
Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishes being slowly refined into today’s haute cuisine.  Most likely, the particular method of slowly simmering the beef in wine originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way.  Over time, the dish became a standard of French cuisine. The recipe most people still follow to make an authentic beef bourguignon was first described by Auguste Escoffier. That recipe, however, has undergone subtle changes, owing to changes in cooking equipment and available food supplies. Julia Child‘s Mastering the Art of French Cooking describes the dish, sauté de boeuf à la Bourguignonne, as “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man”.  I have to agree!

Well it is still snowing here in Montana and it is the weekend, finally.  After a week of salads and sauteed chicken breasts, I need some comfort food.  To me a big pot of beef stew and crusty homemade bread is just a bowl full of comfort goodness.  This is a BIG recipe, but really, once you get your prep work done (all the chopping and measuring ahead of time) it comes together fairly easy.  The bottle of Pinot Noir adds such a wonderful flavor.  I buy a pot roast chuck and cube it – it makes the best stew meat because it becomes tender the longer it cooks.  This “stew” does not have potatoes in it – but if you must, add baby red potatoes. Print this out and keep it in a safe place, next winter you will want to make it again!

Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon good olive oil
  • 8 ounces bacon, diced
  • 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes (buy a pot-roast chuck and cube it)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1 (750 ml.) bottle Pinot Noir (or other dry red wine)
  • 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound frozen whole onions (sometimes hard to find, but you can buy a bag of frozen peas & onions)
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms thickly sliced  or quartered, set aside – added almost at the end of cooking

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven.
  2. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned.
  3. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.  
  4. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
  5. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned.
  6. Set aside.
  7. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.
  8. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  9. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices.
  10. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat.
  11. Add the tomato paste and thyme.
  12. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 2 hours (or more) or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork. (you can also put this together in the morning and put in your slow cooker for the whole day)
  13. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew.
  14. Add the frozen onions.
  15. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew.
  16. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Moxy’s Barbeque Sauce with Bourbon

Chicken, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff, Side May 2, 2013 Leave a comment

Moxy's Barbeque Sauce

Moxy’s Barbeque Sauce

The origin of barbecue sauce can be  traced to the end of the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus brought a sauce back from Hispaniola, while some place it at the formation of the first American colonies in the 17th century. References to barbeque sauce start occurring in both English and French literature over the next two hundred years.  Early cookbooks did not include recipes for barbecue sauce. The first commercially produced barbecue sauce was made by the Georgia Barbecue Sauce Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Its sauce was advertised for sale in the Atlanta Constitution, January 31, 1909. Heinz released its barbecue sauce in 1940.  Kraft Foods also started making cooking oils with bags of spices attached, supplying another market entrance of barbecue sauce. Everyone has a favorite, give this one a try.  It makes 3 – 4 cups of sauce and will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator.  Enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup Bourbon
  • 1/4 cup strong coffee
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don’t like spicy, more if you like hot)
  • 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (optional if you don’t like hot)

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.
  2. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for ½ hour, stirring occasionally until thickened.
  4. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Moxy’s Baked Beans with Bourbon

Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff, Side, Vegetables May 1, 2013 Leave a comment
Bourbon Baked Beans

Bourbon Baked Beans

Continuing with my love of Bourbon – let me share some bourbon recipes with you.  Here is a wonderful baked bean recipe.  You can go the old fashioned route of soaking dried beans etc. but it is just as easy to go ahead and buy canned beans.  Use your favorite barbeque sauce, why don’t you try Moxy’s Barbeque Sauce with Bourbon! Recipe to follow.

Ingredients:

  • 8 slices bacon, halved
  • 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
  • 1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
  •  3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
  •  3/4 cup barbecue sauce (try Moxy’s)
  •  1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  •  1/4 cup cider vinegar
  •  ½ cup of strong coffee
  • 1/4 cup Bourbon
  • 3 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

  1. Fry bacon in large, deep saute pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings.
  2. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
  3. Add diced onions and diced peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).
  5. Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan, or large bean crock.
  6.  Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Serves up to 18

Granola

Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff April 28, 2013 Leave a comment
Granola

Granola

With milk or yogurt, this home-made granola gives you a hearty start to the day. Made with walnuts, almonds, coconut, and sunflower seeds, this cereal has a healthy dose of protein wrapped up in a sweet maple-honey flavor. Serve it with warm milk on cold winter days for a great alternative to oatmeal.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1-1/4 cups bran flakes
  • ¾ cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • ¾ cup salted sunflower seeds
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • ¾ cup honey
  • ¾ cup canola oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  1. Prepare two baking sheets by covering with parchment paper and grease paper with cooking spray.
  2. Combine oats, bran flakes, coconut, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix maple syrup, honey, and oil; add to dry mixture and stir until well combined
  4. Divide the mixture between each prepared cookie sheet; spread evenly
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown, tossing granola halfway through baking time to keep edges from burning.
  6. Let cool completely before storing.
  7. Yields ½ gallon

*Great gift idea, store in mason jars

Souping up your Oatmeal

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Weight Watcher Friendly March 2, 2013 Leave a comment

yogurt and oatmealI discussed Oatmeal in a previous blog. You can find the difference between “instant, groats and steel cut” oats in that blog. This blog is about souping up your breakfast oatmeal to entice you to eat more oats (because they are healthy for you) and to make the eating experience uniquely delicious. Box cereals are loaded with sugar – sugar goes right to your waist and hikes up your insulin, so that being said try to change out your breakfast during the week with eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit etc.

This morning I made “naked” Raw oatmeal (oatmeal without flavors or sugar) and gathered together a sliced fresh peach, sliced strawberries, 2 tablespoons of walnut pieces, and ½ container of Greek yogurt.

I cooked the oatmeal according to package directions and let sit for a minute, added the walnuts, and fruit and stirred. On top of that wonderful goodness I put a half container of Greek yogurt and stirred slightly. Delicious, decadent, creamy, thick and sweet is all I can say about this morning treat. It was comparable to dessert for breakfast! Enjoy.

Kale Chips

Appetizers, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Salads, Side, Vegetables, Weight Watcher Friendly February 28, 2013 Leave a comment
Baked Kale Chips

Baked Kale Chips

Kale Chips? A friend brought this to my attention a couple of weeks ago and asked me to make them. I took down the recipe but soon forgot about it. Tonight I decided to stop at the grocery store and pick up some Kale. I looked up other recipes on the internet and some very good information about Kale. I have to admit, I don’t cook with kale as much as I should considering the health benefits listed below. So Kale Chips, they have a special flavor, they do not taste like potato chips like some internet reviews suggest, but like potato chips, you can’t eat just one. They have their own flavor, very subtle, but surprisingly good. I made two batches, the first batch I ate with a glass of Merlot and thought they tasted wonderful. I ate my dinner a wonderful salad and decided to try another batch, they were good but not as good as the first batch, I poured another glass of wine and surprisingly, the wine enhanced the flavor of the Kale. You make a batch or two and see how you like them.

INGREDIENTS:

  • One bunch of kale
  • Olive oil – about a tablespoon
  • Kosher or Sea Salt
  • Garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line a cookie sheet with foil
  3. Spray foil with cooking spray
  4. Tear apart the kale leaves into bite size pieces and place on cookie sheet
  5. Sprinkle a little olive oil on them and toss to coat
  6. Sprinkle on salt and garlic powder, be creative and try your own seasoning. I would start out with simple until you taste your first batch.
  7. Bake at 350 for 8 – 10 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and enjoy

Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage, with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Eating Kale

By Alison Lewis

Kale is being called “the new beef”, “the queen of greens” and “a nutritional powerhouse.” Here are ten great benefits of adding more kale to your diet:

1. Kale is low in calorie, high in fiber and has zero fat. One cup of kale has only 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat. It is great for aiding in digestion and elimination with its great fiber content. It’s also filled with so many nutrients, vitamins, folate and magnesium as well as those listed below.

2. Kale is high in iron. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef. Iron is essential for good health, such as the formation of hemoglobin and enzymes, transporting oxygen to various parts of the body, cell growth, proper liver function and more.

3. Kale is high in Vitamin K. Eating a diet high in Vitamin K can help protect against various cancers. It is also necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions including normal bone health and the prevention of blood clotting. Also increased levels of vitamin K can help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Kale is filled with powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants, such as carotenoids and flavonoids help protect against various cancers.

5. Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help, fight against arthritis, asthma and autoimmune disorders.

6. Kale is great for cardiovascular support. Eating more kale can help lower cholesterol levels.

7. Kale is high in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is great for your vision, your skin as well as helping to prevent lung and oral cavity cancers.

8. Kale is high in Vitamin C. This is very helpful for your immune system, your metabolism and your hydration.

9. Kale is high in calcium. Per calorie, kale has more calcium than milk, which aids in preventing bone loss, preventing osteoporosis and maintaining a healthy metabolism. Vitamin C is also helpful to maintain cartilage and joint flexibility

10. Kale is a great detox food. Kale is filled with fiber and sulfur, both great for detoxifying your body and keeping your liver healthy.

Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Salad

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Salads, Side, Vegetables, Weight Watcher Friendly February 27, 2013 Leave a comment

tomato saladThis is truly a summer salad when the tomato vines are dripping with ripe, red, sweet tomatoes and the smell of fresh basil growing in the sun. But I do enjoy this salad in winter using vine grown tomatoes and fresh basil in the produce section of your grocery store. Wonderful on its own or pair with fish or chicken, or a hearty loaf of grain bread. Always use fresh basil and ripe tomatoes for this recipe. Buy fresh Mozzarella, you can’t beat its creamy, smooth texture. You will want to slice it into slices. Place it in the freezer for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing, this will make it an easier task.

INGREDIENTS

  • Fresh spinach leaves (optional)
  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced in ¼ inch slices
  • 6 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of good balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cloves of garlic sliced into slivers or grated
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil, rinsed and pulled apart into individual leaves
  • ½ teaspoon of cracked pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher or Sea salt, divided

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl with a lid mix the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon cracked pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and garlic. Mix together and set aside for at least 15 minutes to blend flavors
  2. Line a plate or platter with washed spinach leaves, stems removed
  3. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the spinach
  4. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of kosher or sea salt
  5. Layer half of the basil leaves on top of the tomatoes
  6. Layer the mozzarella cheese on top of the basil
  7. Spread remaining basil on top of the cheese
  8. Pour the olive oil, vinegar dressing on top of layers
  9. Serve at room temperature