Running Mama Cooks

I told you I would be posting about this rice soon!!! OMG, So good!!! If you like pineapple, make this now!

I adapted it slightly (realized at the last minute that I didn't have any onions!!) and served it with grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce, white wine, olive oil, garlic powder and parsley. My Aunt makes it that way and its so yummy.


Thai Pineapple Rice
Adapted from Taste of Home Cooking

1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
1 tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
20 oz can crushed pineapple
Soy sauce and cilantro to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the jalapeno or red pepper flakes and cook until softened. Add the uncooked rice and coat with oil and shallots. Add broth and pineapple. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Allow to simmer for approx 20 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and a handful of chopped cilantro, stir and then taste. Add more soy or cilantro until it tastes good to you. The rice can be served hot, but it's also great at room temperature.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

I was thrilled to find out that this week's theme for the recipe swap was sandwiches. Quick weeknight meals is what I am in need of the most since I am now teaching every evening during the week except for Tuesdays. Healthy sammies and wraps are the perfect fit for our family right now.

I was assigned Elisha's "Graceland" Eggplant Panini and it was great! I lightened it up by baking the eggplant instead of frying and also skipping the oil on the sandwich itself. I actually cooked the eggplant in the afternoon and all I had to do was assemble and cook the panini after putting the kiddos to bed.

Here is Lishie's original Recipe. I shared our go-to recipe for French Dip Sandwiches, one of our family favs.

Eggplant Panini
Recipe adapted from DeLish

1 Eggplant
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Basil
Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up a mis en place: Whisked egg in one shallow bowl, Bread Crumbs in another. Heat oven to 400. Dip the eggplant slice first in the egg then coat the slices with bread crumbs & place on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

After the eggplant is breaded & cooked, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splash of balsamic vinegar.

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

This week's recipe swap theme was chicken. I had so many good ones to choose from for this category, and ended up submitted my chicken pizza burgers. They were so yummy and thought it would be different than some other chicken dishes in the swap.

In return, I received Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce from DeLish. This is the perfect example of a recipe taking me out of my comfort zone. I do not do well with white sauces at all. If I saw this in a restaurant, I would avoid it. BUT, knowing that the sauce is made with greek yogurt (which I love) and cucumbers (yum) I was actually excited to give it a try.

It ended up being a very yummy, super healthy dinner that both Zach and I enjoyed. Next time I think I will add some sliced onion.

Thanks Lishie!!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
Recipe from DeLish

Ingredients:

Chicken -
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano

Tzatziki Sauce -
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tbs fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic

Whole Wheat Pitas
Grape tomatoes, halved
chopped cucumber

Directions:

Chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, dill & oregano. Arrange the boneless chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil & herb mixture onto the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Dice the chicken.

Tzatziki Sauce: Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the sauce topped on the chicken in the pita. Add desired amount of tomatoes and cucumbers

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

I was really excited for the recipe swap this week. The theme is Asian and I love cooking Asian food. I was happy to get a Thai dish since I do not have that much experience with Thai food. Also, it is from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and she is great! The original recipe calls for shrimp, but since I am allergic I used chicken instead.

At first I was little concerned while it was cooking because the smell of the fish sauce was so overwhelming. Fortunately, Gina mentions this in her post so I kept plugging away and hoping for the best. It turned out good. I wouldn't say it is my favorite dish, but it was yummy. Thank you Lisa, for sharing this with me!

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, by way of Lisa's Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil
4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken tenders, cut into chunks
6 oz light coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add chicken and garlic, season with salt and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Week 4 of the recipe swap...holy yummy mac 'n cheese recipe!!! I was going to try to eat only a little bit of this (I halved the recipe) but that went out the window after the first bite. Whats not to love, it combines two of my favorite things - french onion soup and mac 'n cheese!

I know people have mixed feelings about Rachael Ray, but I happen to love her and most of recipes. I will definitely make this again.

French Onion Mac 'n Cheese
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate or whole wheat penne rigate pasta
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 pound gruyère cheese, shredded (I used swiss)

Directions:
1.In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, thyme and bay leaf for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook until the onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.

2.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

3.In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted.

4.Combine the onions and sauce with the pasta and toss well.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Week 3 of the recipe swap and I got super lucky again! I am sitting here in a major food coma after eating way too many of these delicious and rich potatoes. Saturday nights are usually my splurge night, so this meal was perfect (there will be no weight watchers points for this one!) I served the potatoes with grilled flank steak and steamed asparagus. The only change I made to the original recipe was adding a handful of shredded cheddar to the top of the casserole dish before baking. Added a nice crispy, cheesy crust.

These would be perfect for a special occasion dinner, over the holidays, or just a nice dinner party with friends. And it gave me the perfect excuse to buy a mandolin slicer which I have been wanting for awhile!

The theme this week was side dishes. I shared the recipe for caramelized green beans.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
Recipe very slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

2.Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and sprinkle with a handful of cheddar.

4.Bake covered for 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Week 2 of the recipe swap! The theme this week was lunch, but we ended up having these for dinner. I shared the recipe for tortellini spinach salad. I wish I had a better picture of these turkey burgers because they were delicious! I made some small changes to the original recipe (added panko bread crumbs, cooked them in the oven instead of the grill, and skipped the maple dijon sauce) to accommodate our tastes. Oh, and cheese! I have to have cheese on my burgers so I included some reduced fat cheddar. Super juicy and tasty burgers. They will definitely be going into our rotation.

Maple Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: (I skipped this, but wanted to include it for those interested)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
4 slices reduced fat cheddar cheese
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Hamburger condiments

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; set aside.

For Turkey Burgers: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for burgers. Wet hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties. Cook on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Add a slice of cheese to each burger and cook until melted. Serve on toasted bun with traditional burger condiments and a dollop of maple-Dijon sauce, if desired.
ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

**UPDATE - Since then, I have made these several times. I like that they are easy to make whenever it is convenient for me during the afternoon and I can just put the uncooked burgers in the fridge until I am ready to cook them. Works out well when Zach and I are going to eat later than the kids! This is a healthy, easy go-to weeknight dinner.

Christina from Tales from the Mad Men Kitchen recently organized a recipe swap on a message board that I frequent. I was very excited to be a part of it and hope that this becomes a regular thing for us! This week, we were asked to submit a weeknight meal that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, or in a crockpot. I submitted my crockpot chicken taco soup and was given this recipe in return.

I was really looking forward to trying it. This recipe makes me step out of my comfort zone a bit using mustard, which is a flavor I am just recently warming up to. The sauce was definitely my favorite part. I cooked it on high and admit it was closer to 3 hours, so my chops were a little dry. Next time I will definitely cook them on low. I also skipped the whipping cream in favor of fat free half and half to make it a bit more weight watchers friendly.

Pork Chops with Onions in Creamy Mustard Sauce
4-6 servings, 6 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 to 6 Pork Chops, 1 inch thick
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1Tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cracked Black Peppercorns
Pinch Cayenne Pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup White Wine or condensed chicken stock (undiluted)
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup Whipping Cream (I used fat free half and half)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops on both sides and transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add vinegar and wine or stock and cook until thickened.

3. Pour mixture over meat and cook on Low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-2.5 hours, until pork is tender and just a hint of pink remains. Remove pork chops from slow cooker and place on a deep platter. Stir Dijon mustard and whipping cream into juices in slow cooker. Pour over pork and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

Serve with mashed potatoes or broad egg noodles

ZACH'S RATING - ***