Ham, Olive and Parmesan Zucchini Boats - A Trim Healthy Mama S Recipe

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I have shared about my weight loss journey as a mom of four children and  about my discovery of Trim Healthy Mama as a wonderful resource to help me along that journey.



Here is a recipe I made up for lunch one day that turned out fantastic. I will definitely be making it again. It is an S Meal. So satisfying!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice a zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides with a spoon or mellonballer if you have one. Season the two scooped out halves with salt and pepper.

Chop up the insides of the zucchini into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add a little cottage cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, one clove of pressed garlic, two slices of black forest ham diced into small pieces, about 5-6 olives chopped, some sliced green onions and some chopped fresh rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Fill the zucchini boats with the mixture. They will be overflowing a bit, but just do your best to press it all in there.

Place the zucchini boats onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before enjoying. Voila! A delicious, savory S Meal. Enjoy!


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Mamma's No Recipe Cookin' - Enchiladas!

Yes, it's been a while. Most of my computer time lately has been taken up by one thing - creating Joshua's Washington State Learning Plan for the next school year. I feel very on top of it because it's not actually due until September. But after reading The Well-Trained Mind, which gave me a scope for the upcoming year as well as the next twelve or so, it made sense to just get started now. This will also give me a chance to go over it with Joshua's adviser in June. And furthermore, I'll be able to relax more this summer because this won't be hanging over my head.

So blogging comes second. Weird, huh?

But right now, I have an opportunity. The house is empty. Beethoven is playing. I have poured a glass of wine. It's like some alternative universe that I occasionally get a glimpse of.

And it is all due to my fabulous husband who has gone to the Y to work out and taken all three children.

Speaking of which, when this is published bright and early on Thursday morning, it will be my darling Jason's birthday. So, in the middle of cyberspace, I would like to yell very loudly with all of my might . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON! I love you so much!

Please excuse the interlude, but it just would not do to have a blog and not use it to embarrass my husband on his birthday.

Moving on, Saturday is Cinqo de Mayo, so it seemed that a Mexican themed No Recipe Cookin' post would be appropriate. What's on the menu?

Enchiladas! Enchiladas are simple. And they are so accommodating - you can practically use whatever's in your fridge!

Here are the essentials:

Tortillas, some type of protein (Meat or tofu - we used ground chicken this night. But really - any kind of meat will do. Leftover chicken, pork, steak or pot roast, leftover taco meat, any kind of ground meat. You could even cut up leftover meatloaf into small pieces and season it with chili powder!), tomato sauce, cream cheese (or some other yummy creaminess to mix with the meat - sour cream or cream of chicken soup would also do), corn tortillas, seasoning to add Mexican flavor (any combination of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cilantro, taco seasoning, etc.).

Optionals - Just look in your fridge! Any of the following could be added to the mixture: green chiles, corn, black beans, refried beans, rice, cilantro, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, cheese or anything else you can think of!

 Simmer your tomato sauce and add some of your chosen Mexican seasoning.

 Prepare your protein choice by browning the meat, sauteeing the tofu or cutting the cooked meat or the tofu into small pieces. Mix the meat with the cream cheese or other creaminess choice and any other additions you would like in the filling. Season well.

 I did not list garlic in the list of essentials. I shouldn't have to. This is a given. I would be more likely to tell you about the rare occasion when you shouldn't add garlic then all of the times you should. If I say season well, this almost always includes 2-3 cloves of pressed, fresh garlic.

 Make an assembly line. Tortillas, sauce, pan coated with cooking spray, filling.

 Dip a tortilla into the warm sauce, covering both sides.

 Place into the pan.

 Top with a spoonful of filling.

 Roll the tortilla around the filling, then place in pan seam side down.

 Keep rolling.

Some tortillas may tear. That's okay. Cover them up with the remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at about 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or till heated through. Cover with cheese and bake five minutes more. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, green onions and/or cilantro.

Enjoy!

PS - If you mock my pots and pans or any of my other very well worn kitchen equipment, you are then obligated to buy me new ones ;)

Mamma's No Recipe Cookin' - Meatballs!

Who doesn't love a good meatball?

Meatballs can definitely be mastered recipe free. I've been making them for years and have never used a recipe.

On this particular day, I cooked them in my slow cooker. They can also be baked in a 375 degree oven for about fifteen minutes or until cooked through. If you like a crispiness to the outside of your meatball, then it would be best to sear the outside of the meatballs in a skillet and then finish them up in the oven.

The essentials (for about 4-5 servings): One pound of ground meat - I used turkey on this day, but you can experiment with others too. Beef is pretty fool-proof. Chicken could be used, but may be a little dry so maybe compensate by adding a little milk or another egg. Lamb would work well. I think that pork would probably be a little too greasy by itself, put it's great to combine with a different meat. You can also combine ground sausage with other meats for a lot of flavor.

The Lineup

Other essentials - Eggs, Breadcrumbs, Salt, Pepper, and Garlic.

If you are cooking these in a slow cooker, another essential would be some type of liquid. I used some marinara mixed with red wine. You could also use stock with some type of thickening agent, like flour or cornstarch.

Nice-to-Haves: Onion, Italian flat-leaf parsley, other seasonings.

 Now put your meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. I use two eggs per pound of meat. For the breadcrumbs, a large handful or probably about 1/2 to 3/4 cups. But remember, this is No-Recipe Cookin'. Get comfortable with not measuring. Make sure to use a decent amount of salt, pepper, garlic and any other seasonings. Unfortunately, there's no taste test for this one until after they're cooked. But if they're bland, then you didn't use enough! I know, pretty obvious. If that's the case, just use more next time.

 If you are using onion or parsley, chop or food process them into very small pieces. I used about a half of an onion. I actually didn't have parsley on this day, so I substituted fresh spinach. Add the chopped onions and parsley (or spinach) to the mixture.

 Now get your hands dirty and mix that all together.

 Roll the mixture into about 1 1/2 inch meatballs. If using a slow cooker, spray it with non-stick spray and place the meatballs into the slow cooker before adding any liquid. If baking, place them onto a broiler pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

 In a slow cooker, pour your liquid onto the top of your meatballs - a splash (or cup!) of wine.

 Then the marinara.

 A couple of bay leaves for more flavor.

Cook for 4 hours in the slow cooker on high. Serve over pasta or in sandwiches. Enjoy!

No Recipe Cookin' - Mamma's Phad Thai!

Let me just start right off and tell you that in my kitchen, when cooking an ethnic dish, authenticity is rarely a big priority. I have other concerns that are more important to me personally - the cost of ingredients, the time spent making the dish and the preference of taste for my family, including the three children.

For instance, I love both Thai food and Indian food, but couldn't really tell you the difference between the two different types of curry. I think maybe it's that Indian curries are thicker and use more cream. My curry dishes are probably a blend of the two. Then again, maybe I'm completely wrong! But for me, they make a decent, less expensive and healthier version of what we get for take-out.

So today, as promised in my Introduction to Mamma's No-Recipe Cookin', I will take you through Mamma's No-Recipe Phad Thai . . .

Right off the bat, I know I'm probably going to offend some authentic Thai chefs, because I know there are so many of them reading my blog :) I do not soak my rice noodles. I know that's what you're supposed to do. I know that's what the instructions say. But I just don't have the time or forethought for that kind of thing. I did actually soak them the first time. But then one day I forgot to. So it was either wait an additional 30-40 minutes for dinner or try boiling them. I chose boiling, it worked and I've been doing it ever since.

For no-recipe meals, I have a list of  essential ingredients and a list of would-be-nice ingredients. For phad thai, my essentials are the rice sticks, garlic, eggs, peanuts, soy sauce, salt and some type of oil. I have a lot of would-be-nice ingredients. This night, I had fresh basil, rice vinegar, ketchup, sugar, lime juice, frozen peas, chopped bell pepper, shredded carrot and green onions. None of these are necessary, but each adds a lot to the dish. Other possible would-be-nice ingredients include Italian flat-leaf parsley, fresh cilantro, fresh ginger, chopped spinach, bean sprouts, sesame oil, tofu, fish, prawns, pork, edamame (I would only add eggs, peanuts and one other protein) and any other assortment of Asian type vegetables that you would like to add.

So, heat a big pot of water to boil for your rice sticks. Where do you get rice sticks? Well, I can find them in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

While the water is heating, make your sauce. Put some water in a bowl. How much? I don't know! I don't measure things! I guess probably about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

To that water, add a few squirts of ketchup, a couple splashes of rice vinegar, a couple of large, minced garlic cloves, a bunch of paprika, several splashes of soy sauce, a couple of spoons of sugar, a drizzle of oil (I used olive oil), the juice of a lime and some salt. Don't have one or two of these things? Then don't add it! Don't like one of these things? Then don't add it! Allergic to one of these things? Then don't add it! Love one of these things? Then add lots!!! :) Whisk all of this together. Taste your sauce. Always, always, always taste all of the cooked components of a dish to see if they need more of anything. They probably do. I believe that one of the largest, most common mistakes of at-home cooks is not enough seasoning. So, what does your sauce need? Add it!

Beat your eggs and scramble them in a large skillet. When the eggs are just about done, add the cooked, chopped chicken (or the third protein of your choice) to warm in the pan with the eggs. This night, I chopped up two chicken thighs that I had left over from the night before. Leftover chicken is perfect for this dish and a little goes a long way.

Chop or food process your peanuts into small pieces. 

When the water is boiling, add the rice sticks. Rice sticks are a delicate noodle, so they don't take very long to cook. Cook them about three minutes. Add any raw vegetable you would like cooked to the pot with the noodles. Cook about three minutes more. Fish out a noodle and taste it. Is it crunchy? Cook another minute or two. Is it mushy? Oops! Too long. If you overcook your noodles, strain them immediately and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then reheat them in the pan with the chicken and eggs. Hopefully, you'll find the perfect cooking time somewhere around sixish minutes.

Add the rice sticks and the cooked vegetables to the skillet with the chicken and eggs. Mix it all up. Add the sauce. Mix it up more. Add the chopped peanuts. Mix it up some more!

Now, taste it! Seriously, if I didn't taste all my food, I'd be about ten pounds thinner, but my food would suck. I choose yummy food.

Most likely, your phad thai needs more salt. Let's talk about salt. Let me preface this conversation by saying that both Jason and I visit our doctors annually, have our blood pressure checked and we both have healthy, low blood pressure. When and if our blood pressure begins to rise, we will adjust our eating habits. But for now, we use a lot of salt.  Guess what? So do professional chefs in restaurants. Have you ever seen the sodium levels of restaurant dishes? Very, very high. Salt brings out all of the other flavors in your food. Get familiar with salt and add it. If you've over-salted, you'll know it. If you have high blood pressure or are avoiding sodium for other reasons, you can add more citrus juice, vinegar, garlic or other seasonings to boost the flavor. This is what we'll do later on if we need to. But for now, we use salt because it works the best.

So taste your food and season it. Dish yourself up a bowl and garnish it. Garnishes make your food look prettier and add another pop of flavor. I used green onions and basil chiffonade, which is just a fancy way of saying basil leaves rolled up and delicately sliced into thin ribbons.

Lastly, if you like some heat, I highly recommend adding a few drops (or ten) of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.

Bon appetit!

Mamma's No Recipe Cookin'

This is where it starts. A small, very humble kitchen. But it gets the job done and a lot of great food comes out of it.

 What's for dinner tonight? How many times will you think and hear that question today? If your days are anything like mine, it's probably too many.

I have spent the past twelve years or so working on my cooking skills. Somehow, I have gained a reputation as a "good cook," which I have to admit I am proud of. I especially love hearing about when Jason's coworkers envy the leftovers he brings for lunch. It makes me feel like the wife of the year :)

As I have gained this reputation, some women have commented about how they worry about cooking for me. This always makes me laugh because it is just silliness. First of all, if someone else made me one freezer-burned chicken nugget, I would be thrilled because it would be a break from cooking for me. I love to cook, but it can become monotonous and tiring. Second of all, I am most critical of my own cooking. Food that others cook tastes amazing!

I guess I also think it's silliness because I'm really not all that talented. My gift comes from two things. The first is the wonderful women around me who I have learned from, especially my mother. I definitely had a strong advantage growing up as my mother is very talented and I was able to observe and take in a lot of her techniques. (Yet I still cannot make tuna casserole, beef stroganoff or Swedish meatballs as well as she does. I try. But for some things, you just need your mama's cooking.) There are definitely others in my life who have been inspirational. I will never forget my grandmother Mimi's roast lamb, my Aunt Joanna's fish tacos and homemade pesto, my Aunt Judy's homemade rolls, my grandfather Papa's homemade pies or my dad's ham waffles and his fried eggs.

Courage is the second place where my skill comes from. It's simply the "I  can do that" attitude. It is simply because of this that I can make great curry, phad thai, paneer, homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh pasta, beef wellington, egg rolls, fresh summer rolls, baked alaska, tiramisu and the best damn cannelloni that you will ever eat.  Almost all of these things I learned how to make because I love them. The beef wellington was more like a challenge, but it came out great.

Cooking takes practice. If you won't cook because you say you can't, then you'll never get any better. The more you cook, the better you'll get. For the most part, it really is that simple. When I try to cook new things, I often screw them up. I once made the worst peanut sauce known to man and then there was the time I had curry soup explode all over my kitchen.

Through these years of daily practice, I have acquired one specific skill that I would like to teach you about. I use this skill almost daily and it makes my cooking more enjoyable, it helps my meals to stay fresh and new and it also helps my cooking to go faster. The skill I am talking about is cooking without recipes.

Let me specify that I do not mean baking. For me, baking requires a recipe and exact measurements. But for almost everything else, I wing it. And you can too. Of course, I still look at recipes every week. And if I decide to cook something new for company, then I definitely look up a recipe. Recipes are a necessary part of learning how to cook.

Here is where a lot of the magic happens and where I can get creative.

However, there is also a beauty to cooking without them. Without a recipe, you really get to know your ingredients. You learn what goes well with what. You learn the differences between all of those spices and how to use them. You learn your own preferences and tastes and are able to customize your meals more. You experiment more. Sometimes disaster is the outcome, but many other times it turns out terrific. And the more you cook without recipes, the more often your results will be scrumptious.

In the upcoming weeks, I will be writing about this more. I will talk about how to set up your kitchen, fridge and pantry for no-recipe cooking. I will talk about the ingredients you need on hand for different ethnicities. And I will feature many meals that you can master without a recipe. And phad thai is one of them.