Zucchini-Corn Cakes

Every once in a while, I actually buy a magazine...instead of just looking at it while I wait in line at the grocery store.  This is the reason I bought this one!

Zucchini - Corn Cakes
1 cup of shredded zucchini
1 cup of frozen or fresh corn
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

2/3 cup plain flour

1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix this all together to make a chunky batter.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet.  Drop a spoonful of batter into skillet and press down just a little to form a small fritter.  They only take about 3-4 minutes on each side...so watch your heat and don't burn them.   Flip and cook on other side.  Place on plate with paper towel.  Add more oil to skillet if needed to cook the rest.  This recipe makes about 10 cakes.  You can double it...or you can make them smaller. 

I like to top them with a spoonful of guacamole and a little "ranch" sour cream.  Or you can serve them with salsa...makes a good side dish or an appetizer!

Protein Shake

People often ask me if they should do a "protein shake", what kind...etc.  Personally, I would rather eat my food instead of drink it, but I do use a shake as a supplement...especially after a morning workout.  I choose a low calorie whey protein (110 calories - 20 grams of protein). 

Vanilla - 1 cup of water, 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, 1 scoop of protein and 4-6 ice cubes.  Mix in a blender until smooth.  If you use fresh fruit - you will need more ice.

Chocolate - 1 cup of ice, 1 scoop of protein, 1 tsp instant coffee and 1/2 - 2/3 cup water.  Blend.

*If you want it to have a few more calories or fiber...add 1/4 cup of quick oats in the blender or some almonds. You can also use skim milk instead of water.

I work out at home, so this isn't a big deal for me, but if you want it to be less trouble...buy "light" muscle milk...or use a shaker from GNC that just mixes it up when you shake it, then you just drink it down.

Ha ha...this probably sounds nasty to most of you :-)  It is an acquired taste for sure...and yes...Starbucks or a Chicfila milkshake tastes way better!!!  

Grilled Cheese with a Kick!

Grilled Cheese

Butter slice of sourdough bread - sprinkle lightly with garlic salt - place on hot griddle or pan.
Put your favorite cheese on - colby jack or pepper jack - splash some HOT SAUCE on top of the cheese.
Place other piece of buttered bread - sprinkled with garlic salt.  Flip over when golden brown.

You can also make this a breakfast sandwich by adding a fried egg and some ham or bacon.

Easy Broiled Chicken!

It seems that I am old enough to remember when you bought a whole chicken, cut it up and used it however for dinner.  Then there was the day of a pack of cut up chicken breast that you could get on sale for 99 cents a pound.  Now...I just buy the boneless, skinless and throw it on the grill. 

Occasionally, when I want to make some kind of soup, I will buy a whole cut up chicken...or "pick of the chick" because I want all the stock and flavor.  So...I had one in the freezer that needed to be used and it was too hot for soup.  I forgot how to just roast a chicken!!  So I had to look it up in a cookbook and this is what I ended up doing.  It was the easiest thing and fastest thing...and so much flavor!

I put a rack in the bottom of a large pan or you can use a broiler pan, cleaned and washed my chicken pieces.  Then I brushed a little oil on them and seasoned with a cajun spice that I had (also used a lemon pepper another time).  Turn your oven to BROIL and put your rack about 6 inches under the heat - bone side up first.  Broil 20 minutes....turn over and broil another 20 minutes. That's it!  Make a salad or some sides to go with it.  If you don't like the skin, just take it off before you eat it.

Fried Rice

This is always good if you have just a little leftover chicken or pork.  My daughter Megan showed me a few little tricks with this and so it's even easier and better than I used to make it!

Fried Rice

Make rice - 2 or 3 cups cooked - set aside

Chop meat in small pieces (chicken or pork)

1 cup chopped white onion

1 can of diced water chestnuts

1 bunch of fresh spinach

3 eggs

bunch of green onion

sesame seeds

garlic & soy sauce

In a skillet or wok, heat 2 Tablespoons of sesame oil (or whatever you have) with a 1/2 tsp minced garlic and a few splashes of soy sauce.  Add meat (cook if not already), onion, water chestnuts.  As soon as meat is done or warmed through...set aside. Mix and scramble the eggs in a separate pan - stir and chop until very small pieces of egg.  Chop spinach very small also -about 1 1/2 cups of it.  Chop green onion. Put skillet back on heat and add  rice to meat and veggies.  Stir in spinach, egg, green onion and 2 Tablespoons of sesame seeds.  *Scramble eggs and chop everything while rice is cooking and you can put it all together at once.

Ribs, Purple Cabbage Salad & Cheddar Biscuits

Ribs -

I like baby back ribs and I wait for them to go on sale!
You need a large pan like a deep dish lasagna pan...or I use 2 large disposable tinfoil pans (doubled because they are kind of flimsy - wash and reuse).

Wash 2 racks of rib and cut into pieces.  Place bone side down in pan and add an inch of water in bottom of the pan.  Cover with heavy tinfoil - seal completely!  Put in the oven @ 290 for 3 hours.

When time is up, take ribs out of pan, clean them up a little (any goober looking things) and lay them on a cookie sheet so that you can put sauce on and take them to the grill.  (It's ok to let them sit for a while if you are not ready to grill yet)

I like Stubbs Spicy!  Brush a little on the bone side and place that side down on your HOT grill first.  While that side is cooking, brush sauce on meaty side.  Turn and cook when ready.  They are already done so all you are doing is getting them grilled and sauced.  I don't like a lot of sauce ...but your choice.  Watch your flame because the sauce will burn and you don't want them charred black!

Purple Cabbage Salad

This is a very colorful and crunchy salad that lasts well in the fridge for several days.  This makes a lot - so if you just want it for a meal...half this!

One purple (red) cabbage

1 white onion

1 cucumber

3-4 Roma tomatoes

1 pkg of Good Seasons Italian Dressing

1 can of small black olives (optional)

Cut cabbage into 4 wedges and slice (shave) as thin as you can. 

Cut onion in half and slice thin

Cut cucumber and tomato small
Toss this all together in a large bowl

Mix dressing as package instructs... then pour all of it over mixed salad veggies and toss until well mixed

*Add black olives if you like them

 

                                 

Cheddar Biscuits
( makes 10 )

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

(I like the 4 cheese blend)

2/3 cup milk

*Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter - add 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp parsley flakes - set aside

Stir ingredients (except butter) together to form a soft dough and spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 8-9 minutes until tops are just turning brown.  Brush immediately with melted butter and garlic.  Really fast and easy !

Chicken Salad

Whenever I go to Sam's, I buy a Rotisserie Chicken...cause it smells good and makes me hungy.  One time I bought two...and had leftover chicken.  So I picked off all the skin and bone and made chicken salad.  It was the best!!  So now...it is our standard "baby shower" food...and if you come for the weekend...there will be a batch of it in my fridge.  Eat it on a soft roll or croissant, with crackers, put it on a salad...or just eat it plain out of the bowl! 

Chicken Salad

1 Rotisserie Chicken - basic flavor (picked and cut small )
1/2 cup (or more) diced purple onion
1/2 (or more) cup diced celery
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Approximately 1/2 cup Helman's mayo
Black pepper
*chicken is already salty - so taste before you add more salt
Mix all together - add more mayo if needed.
Simple....and good :-)