Sugar math!

There are about 10 tsp of sugar in 12 oz. of soda. That's 0.83 tsp
per oz.

My plastic drink bottles are 20 oz. If I filled them with soda I'd
be getting 16 2/3 tsp of sugar, or 5.5 Tbsp, or just over 1/3 cup of
sugar.

My iced-tea pitcher is probably 64 oz. So I'd have to shovel 53 tsp
of sugar, or 17.7 Tbsp, or a cup and 1.7 Tbsp.

So, as a rough rule of thumb, if I make a full pitcher of tea and put
less than a cup of sugar in it, I'm doing better than soda! Or a
half-pitcher and a half-cup, etc.

Baked Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Butter

2-4 sweet potatoes

Scrub the potatoes well; prick them with a fork. Bake on rack 55 min
at 400 degrees. The skins may loosen off; if storing in Tupperware
to eat later it may be good to go ahead and peel them at this point.

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Blend together; form into log using plastic wrap; refrigerate. Serve
potatoes with a coin or two of butter (or mix curry powder and olive
oil).

Pepparkakor

* 8 ounces butter
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 1 egg
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 2 teaspoons ground cloves
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 2 teaspoons orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn
syrup, orange juice, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking
soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir into the creamed mixture
until combined.
3. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into shapes with
cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool
cookies on wire racks.

The new frontier in laziness

Fresh fruit, vegetables, oatmeal and snacks. I've been putting lots of effort into cooking three entrees (divided into 10 meals), with sides, per week. But I also want to increase my "raw" food intake -- and that shouldn't require cooking. Plus I want to start eating breakfast, and in fact grazing more often; a food diary revealed that I will eat something every three hours, even if all that's available to me is walking to the Coke machine for another soft drink (did I mention I'm trying to cut way back on soft drinks?) Also, I recently learned steel-cut oats can be prepared in the microwave -- I don't know why, but I assumed the healthier oatmeal would not also be quick.

In this new world order, I'd like to see what I can get done with two ten-minute entrees, possibly a side dish that requires prep, and various healthy "raw" sides. I'll require four each of two veggie sides and two fruit sides each week (bananas and minisalads being popular enough to stay on constantly); four of one breakfast item plus four oatmeals. Does this add up to 24? Yes it does!

Let's see if I can put together two week-plans, to alternate:

WEEK ONE
Lemon-herb chicken with carrots; beef ravioli (3 servings each)
Veggie sides: 4 salads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 raspberry/cream cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK TWO
Berry potstickers; orange stirfry beef
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 carrots-with-yogurt cheese
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

WEEK THREE
Brown sugar chicken; red beans/rice with chicken
Veggie sides: 4 minisalads and 4 srv green beans with almonds
Fruit sides: 4 bananas, 2 peach cups, 1 apple/cheese (= 2 srv)
Breakfasts: 4 yogurt cups with blueberries, 2 oatmeals + 2 snack oatmeals

Tasty Pecan Breading

The tasty coating I am currently chowing down on contains:

Crushed pecans
Breadcrumbs
Sugar
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder or garlic salt

(Keep it refrigerated)

A fresh (and light on cooking) week

Sweet Cream Cheese Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
8-10 pecans, crumbled

Preheat oven to 450.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and Dijon mustard.
Place chicken breasts flat in baking dish and trim them.
Spread with cream cheese, then mustard mixture. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake 17 minutes.

Pie-Inside Apples

From Alton:

3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced
4 Braeburn apples (Fuji will substitute)
4 teaspoons honey

In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and diced butter. Rub mixture briskly between finger tips until it forms small moist clumps in a loose sandy mixture. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

Cut a small layer off the bottom of each apple to create a flat, stable bottom surface. With a small paring knife, cut a cylindrical cone out of the top of the apple, moving about 1 inch outside of the core, similar to removing the top of a pumpkin when carving a jack o'lantern. Remove the top and discard. With a melon baller or a teaspoon, remove the remaining core and seeds, taking care not to puncture the base of the apple.

Place apples on a baking sheet or pie dish and fill each center with a teaspoon of honey. Spoon in mixture, packing lightly until heaped and overflowing over sides of the apples.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees on the top or middle rack for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and the tip of a paring knife can be inserted into the side of the apple with little or no resistance. Let apples stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Capellini pomodoro

Cheater's version, anyway:

1/2 head garlic
14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil
olive oil
angel-hair pasta

(This recipe makes only 2 servings; you can double it easily but only
one canful of tomatoes will fit in my pan at once)

Peel the garlic and roast it in a tin-foil packet with olive oil, 40
min at 325.
Drain the tomatoes thoroughly.
Shred or chiffonade the basil.
Cook the pasta.
When garlic is ready, mash it with a fork.
Fry up the tomatoes a little bit. Add the garlic and basil; flip
around till aroma is pleasing. A little salt doesn't hurt.
Pour over pasta.

Individual Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This quarters the recipe (the original, posted below, makes 12-18 servings, so this should make 4 servings or so).

1/2 cup red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1/2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 dash Tabasco sauce

1/8 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

1 large can black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight.

Here's the full recipe for the black eyed pea salad, which gets better the longer it marinates. It's good to make it at least a day in advance, and by day 3 it's usually heavenly. The recipe also makes enough marinade for up to 7 or 8 cans of peas, in case you're feeding an army.

Black Eyed Pea Salad

1-2 cups red onion or sweet onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped (red bell, green bell or a combination)

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped

1 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Fresh basil to taste, sliced (optional)

4-6 small cans black eyed peas, with snaps

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving, preferably overnight. Makes 2-3 servings for each can of peas.

Alton tips on CFS

He uses the tenderizer my mom does, but I also just tried perforating
it with a knife -- goes pretty quickly.

He salts and peppers the meat first, then flour/egg/flour, then lets
it set up on a cooling rack 10-15 minutes to get a good crust.

Finally, he doesn't use a whole lot of oil -- and he knows it's ready
to put the steak in when it starts to "shimmer."

Alton's Peach Cakes

Simplified from original, and made for 2. (Just double if you have 4 ramekins.)

Looks pretty quick and easy, and all you have to buy at the store is peaches (1 for 2 people, 2 to feed 4 people) and a cup of buttermilk. (Plus whipped cream or ice cream if you want it.)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 peach, peeled and cut in slices or chunks
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/16 tsp baking soda
1/16 salt
1/2 Tbsp melted butter
1/6 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk*, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Place in each ramekin (recipe is for 2 ramekins): 1/2 Tbsp butter, half the brown sugar, half the peach pieces. Combine the dry goods in one bowl, the wetworks in another (this includes the sugar; start by melting butter in a little bowl), and then put them together but stir only enough to combine. Pour half into each ramekin over the peaches. Bake on middle rack 20-25 min.

Let cool 5 min, run a knife around the inside edge of the ramekin, cover with a plate and invert to release. Alton suggests whipped cream or ice cream!

*Emerils.com says: Buttermilk Substitute

If a recipe calls for buttermilk and all you have in your refrigerator is regular milk, you can make an acceptable substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let this stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, or until you see the milk thicken to the consistency of buttermilk.

Crab Rangoons

My husband loves these little dudes, and I always have extra
potsticker wrappers left after potstickers. A speculative version,
based as always on someone else's real version (in this case the Cape
Cod Times):

4 oz. cream cheese
1lb can claw crab meat (pick out all the shell parts)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Fill and fry as quickly as you can (canola oil in bottom of deep wok,
30 sec each side). Too many at once lowers the oil temp. Drain on
rack.

Carrots and Yogurt Cheese Dip

Snack pack of carrots
32 ounces low-fat or non-fat yogurt that says "contains" "live" or "active"
Packet of ranch mix

Line a large sieve with 4 layers of damp cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve, cover, and chill for at least 3 and up to 12 hours.

Stir with the ranch mix... or garlic/herb mix... or spread it on crackers with smoked salmon and capers...

Simple Lasagna

Untested, but doesn't seem too bad.

At fancy grocery:
1 cup ricotta
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp basil
2 Tbsp Italian parsley
2 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp oregano

At regular grocery:
1/2 lb Italian sausage
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
garlic (3 cloves, minced)
2 14oz cans diced stewed tomatoes
6 lasagna pasta noodles

Cook the pasta noodles al dente.

Crumble, saute and drain the sausage. When it's kind of cool, mix with the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.

Clean out the pan and saute the garlic, herbs and spices in a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Set aside.

Layer: Tomato mix; 2 noodles; Sausage mix; noodles; tomato mix; sausage mix; noodles; tomato mix; extra mozzarella.

Bake 25 minutes at 350.

Cheat: Italian breaded pork chops

Just so I don't forget this option. Super-easy and juicy if I don't overcook.

Buy pork chops.
Dredge in Italian bread crumbs.
Fry.

easy, no? Recommendations include frying a 1-inch chop only 2-3 min per side, then setting on a wire rack/cookie sheet in 325 over for 4-6 minutes to drain and finish cooking without getting tough.

Experiment: Chicken Four Ways

Get yourself four chicken breasts and a lot of tinfoil.  Preheat the oven to 400. 

Make four packets with one breast each, put them in a baking dish and let 'em go for 25 minutes. Open packets, check them and then bake another 5 min.

(In my limited experience it takes taters longer than this so might pull out the chicken and let the veggies keep going, if a packet has veggies in it.)

Grocery store: 8oz-can pineapple chunks, can diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, ginger, green onions, garlic, carrots

Ginger-scallion steamed chicken

(marinating overnight first is a possibility, but increases the raw-chicken yuk factor. Also, the secret here may be oyster sauce.)

1 1/2 Tbsp soy, 1 Tbsp rice wine, 1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp ginger

1 green onion, diced

Sweet teriyaki chicken

Layer: green onion, chicken, 8oz can drained pineapple, strips of red bell pepper; top with mix of teriyaki/ginger/brown sugar

Honey mustard chicken

Dijon mustard, honey, pepper, carrots

Italian chicken

Diced tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese to coat

Empanadas

It appears that Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells are an acceptable substitute for making your own empanada dough. I cheer this opinion. The basic idea appears to be:

Thaw the pastry
Cut in circles
Fill, fold and crimp, using egg mix as glue, and piercing the top with a fork
Brush with egg mix (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water)
Refrigerate 30 min -- or freeze
Bake 25 min at 375 (or 30 min at 375 if frozen)

One idea for filling is a tomatillo salsa/garlic/queso fresco/shredded chicken combo. More abound.

Bacon, tomatoes and spinach

Alongside the chicken carbonara, one could and should (I feel) also use that tasty bacon for other purposes.

Warm Bacon Dressing
(adapted from Alton Brown)

Top a salad of spinach and thinly-sliced red onion with this dressing.

8 slices bacon
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Fry the bacon and crumble it, reserving 3 Tbsp of the fat. Whisk the vinegar, sugar and mustard into the fat over low heat. Season with salt and pepper; add bacon and pour over salad.

BLT in a Bowl
(Alton again; he gives it the proper name of panzanella, a Tuscan salad)

4 cups cubes of French bread, left out to dry overnight
6 slices bacon
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
2 cups rough-chopped heirloom tomatoes or halved pear tomatoes
2 cups chopped romaine (spinach?)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp basil and/or mint chiffonade (leaves rolled together, then cut into long thin strips)

Cook and chop the bacon; pour drippings over the bread and toss. Sear the grape tomatoes, cut side down, 5 min until caramelized.

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, salt and pepper; slowly whisk in olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified.

Combine everything -- bread, maters, , bacon, lettuce, basil/mint and vinaigrette -- toss and serve.

Rosemary-cheese chicken bake

From this interesting-looking site, where I went looking for information on how to start rosemary cuttings:

Chicken Van Dam

3 chicken breasts
15g (half ounce) butter
220g (8 oz) cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary.

Put the breasts in a baking dish.

Melt the butter and saute the garlic a bit; stir in cream cheese and rosemary.

Pour cheese mixture over the chicken and bake until chicken for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.