Category Archives: Dinner Ideas

Recreating The Salad

Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Salads, Side, Weight Watcher Friendly September 23, 2013 Leave a comment

saladHow to build a salad for lunch or dinner

It never fails, when I sit down at work to eat my lunch someone will comment, your salad smells and looks so good, can I pay you to make one for me.  I allow time in the morning to make my lunch, which is usually ½ hour.  If you build your salad the night before do not add the lettuce or dressing, add that in the morning.  At lunch all I have to do is shake my container to distribute my dressing and eat. My unusual salads typically contain any and all leftovers from dinner during the week, things someone would not typically put in a salad, what I get is a plethora of wonderful vegetables marinating in a dressing of:

Dressing:

  • A sprinkling of kosher salt,
  • A dash of pepper,
  • A sprinkle of garlic powder,
  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil,
  • 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or wine vinegar

 Directions:

I mix all of my vegetables and the dressing together and then add my layer of dry salad greens on top, about 2 cups. I do not mix my lettuce into the dressing as the greens will wilt by lunch time. There is no right or wrong ingredient to add to a salad, I have mixed fruit and vegetables. Things you can add to a salad include the following, canned, frozen or fresh:

Cucumber, shredded cabbage, chives, sliced leek, scallions or sliced onion, jarred roasted red pepper, olives, 1/2 sliced avocado, sliced or quartered mushrooms, left over vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, mixed vegetables, green beans, peas, canned artichokes, celery, canned beans, carrots, celery, beets, baby corn, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, quartered tomato, sun dried tomatoes, pasta, Pomegranate seeds, asparagus. I have sliced peaches, apples, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. and added them to my vegetables. What ever you love to eat.

For protein: A ¼ cup canned white beans, black beans or chick-peas, cheese, hard boiled egg, cooked chicken, left over pork, or beef,  If you use tuna or salmon, pack it in another container or plastic bag and add to your salad at lunch. Add walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds etc.  All you need is a 1/4 cup of any protein.

You can put anything you love to eat in a salad.  It is fresh, and filling and it is a meal.  I think the salad is underrated. Don’t eat a boring salad, get rid of the iceberg lettuce, buy a bag of mixed greens, spring mix or use fresh spinach.  Ditch the bottled salad dressing, the flavor of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is amazing and healthier.  Add chopped fresh basil and parsley to your dressing.  Create or rather recreate the healthy salad.  Make it your own – Enjoy!

*To steam fresh vegetables; add to a microwaveable container with a tablespoon of water and cook on high for 2 minutes, remove from microwave and add ice cold water to stop the cooking. Vegetables will be crisp-tender.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Soup, Vegetables, Weight Watcher Friendly September 20, 2013 Leave a comment
Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted Tomatoes

It is that time of year where tomatoes are in abundance especially on the East coast where I am from.  Here is a wonderful recipe for roasting your tomatoes, you can then use them in sauces, soups, gravies, appetizers or freeze them.  Try roasting cherry tomatoes for bruschetta. Roasting tomatoes brings out the sweetness in the tomato and just gives it a rustic, hearty flavor.

OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES

This recipe can easily be increased. The important thing is to use a baking dish or pan big enough so that you do not crowd the tomatoes. You want room between them for the moisture to escape, which will concentrate the tomato flavor.

If you use a metal pan, make sure it’s not aluminum or made of another material that might react with the acidic fruits.

 Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ tsp of sea salt or kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp of ground pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (throw some unpeeled whole garlic cloves in the pan to roast, you can squeeze the soft garlic out of the clove after the roasting and add to your favorite dish)
  • Fresh herbs; basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary – mix or add your favorite herb
  • 1 pound (450g) tomatoes, (8 small or 4 medium-sized)

 Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF
  2. Pour the olive oil into a shallow baking dish or pan and add the herbs and salt and pepper
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, then use a sharp knife to remove the stems. (note: stems will come out easy after roasting)
  4. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and seasonings, lay them cut side down in the dish.
  5. Bake for two hours, or until the tomatoes are completely softened and wilted, and start to wrinkle. Depending on the tomatoes, they may take longer to cook.

    Storage: The tomatoes will keep for about five days in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to six months.

Cheese Crisps

Appetizers, Cheese Crisps, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff, Salads, Side, Soup August 27, 2013 Leave a comment

Cheese crisps are so versatile and fun served with a salad, as a snack, served as an appetizer or use as

Cheese Crisps

Cheese Crisps

a scoop with your favorite dip. They are very easy to make, and the main ingredient is cheese. You can add fresh herbs or spices to the mixture to suit your theme or just leave plain. They are entertaining little treats full of protein and make great conversational foods at the dinner table, try adding cheese crunches with your next meal.

CHEESE CRISPS

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese or (you can use packaged grated cheese, any flavor you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • You can add whatever seasoning you like: A teaspoon of powdered Ranch dressing mix, chili powder, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, dry or fresh chopped basil, diced fresh parsley, fresh chopped herbs, whatever feels good to you or nothing at all.
  • Do NOT add salt, the crisps will be salty by default because of the cheese.
  • Parchment Paper to line your cookie tray with (nothing else will work)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

  1. Toss the cheese with the flour and pepper and any herbs or seasoning to taste in a bowl.
  2. Arrange a teaspoon of the cheese mixture on the parchment paper lined baking sheet and flatten slightly.
  3. Bake until golden, about 7 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove with a spatula to a rack and let cool.

Flourless Cake (Gluten Free)

Dinner Ideas August 21, 2013 Leave a comment

Kitchen Moxy’s 2 Ingredient Pizza Dough

Dinner Ideas July 27, 2013 Leave a comment

I’ll bet you are thinking, “really?” Not your typical, pizza dough from your local Italianpizza dough eatery by any means, but delicious in its own right, and not only delicious but healthy, and pretty darn easy to make. Now, I have had this recipe for about a month and just tried it this morning because my weekend breakfasts are usually creative since I have time to be creative. I made this dough, baked it on my pizza stone and must say, it was all I could do to not eat the whole thing. I am not one to “recreate” the wheel, so I used a 1/4 cup of Ragu’s Lite Parmesan Alfredo sauce with a piece of garlic grated into the sauce – and layered my ingredients, it smelled wonderful while cooking. The crust was full of flavor, crispy and a little sweet.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of self-rising flour (you can make your own, see below)
  • 1 cup of Greek Plain Yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 – if using a pizza stone, preheat stone in oven before using

  1. Mix flour and yogurt together with a spatula
  2. Put ball of dough onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes
  3. Roll out on board sprinkled with corn meal to prevent sticking and to make transferring to pizza stone easier
  4. Spread with ¼ cup of sauce (white or red)
  5. Add toppings
  6. Bake on pizza stone preheated in oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly and crust is browned

Self-Rising Flour

Mix together:

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

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

Kitchen Moxy’s Onion Jam

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Fun Stuff July 27, 2013 Leave a comment

So you are asking, what is Onion Jam and what do I use it on? Onion jam is a fun,onion jam tasty spread that can be used on burgers, Portobello mushrooms, pizza, sandwiches, anything you want to add a layer of sweet piquancy. Make a batch and store in the refrigerator for weeks, it keeps well. Use a sweet onion such as a Walla Walla, Georgia Vidalia onion, a Texas Valencia, or a sweet California Imperial Sweet, Oso Sweet onion from South America, Osos are available from January through March, Maui Sweets come to us from Hawaii. In case you haven’t noticed, I love onions as much as I love garlic. I have some wow onion recipes and will share a few later.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • About 2 pounds of sweet onion (about 3 large)
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Kosher salt and ground pepper
  • 1 cup of red wine
  • ¼ cup of honey
  • ¼ cup of red wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. Slice onions thin
  2. Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  3. Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper to taste (about ¼ teaspoon of each) – cook covered
  4. Cook over medium heat until onions have wilted – about 10 – 15 minutes, be sure to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. You do NOT want to brown the onions, just sweat them
  5. Remove lid, you do not use lid anymore
  6. Add red wine, cook over HIGH heat until the wine is absorbed into the onions – lower heat
  7. Add the honey and red wine vinegar and simmer gently until onions become jam like, about 15 minutes
  8. Remove from heat, cool and use or store in refrigerator

Kitchen Moxy’s Roasted Garlic Chicken Thighs

Chicken, Dinner Ideas July 9, 2013 Leave a comment

Kitchen Moxy’s Garlic Chicken

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Here is a terrific recipe for skinless, boneless chicken thighs, great for a party or a special dinner.  Or use legs/thighs. Yes, you do have to love garlic, so be sure only to invite those who have an acquired taste for this tasty allium.

This recipe can be prepared the day before and as a note, the longer you marinate it – the taster it becomes.  It is best to marinade for at the very least, 6 hours up to 24 hours in advance.  Please use only fresh herbs and fresh garlic cloves with this recipe, or you will rob yourself of the intoxicating aroma and flavor of this dish.

If you prefer to cook chicken breasts, reduce cooking by about 20 minutes to prevent white meat from drying out. Keep the temperature at 400 degrees.

MARINADE

  • About 1 cup of olive oil – more or less to cover the chicken pieces
  • 6 peeled and smashed garlic cloves – cut in half after you smash them
  • ½ cup of fresh minced flat leaf Italian parsley

PROCEDURE

  •    Wash and dry chicken thighs
  • Spread them flat in a baking dish large enough to hold all thighs
  • Combine olive oil, garlic cloves and parsley and pour over thighs
  • Cover baking dish with plastic wrap or lid and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, turning only once during that time.

After 6 – 24 hours

  • Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off excess olive oil and place chicken in a shallow, foil lined, rimmed cookie sheet
  • With a slotted spoon, scoop up garlic and parsley from marinade and spread on top of chicken
  • Reserve 1/3 cup of olive oil from marinade
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a bowl combine

  • 8 more garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • The 1/3 cup reserved olive oil
  •   2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
  •   2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  1. Pour this mixture on top of chicken in pan
  2. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 – 55 minutes – do not turn chicken during baking.
  3. *Note: do not crowd chicken pieces in roasting pan – this will steam the chicken rather than roasting it.

Enjoy

*Great paired with my recipe for Barley Au Gratin and a salad, tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

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